Wild American Gooner

When Sports Are More Than Just Sports


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Player Ratings for Arsenal’s First Preseason Game Against Boreham Wood

Arsenal’s first appearance of the preseason was a walk in the park against sixth-division Boreham Wood. The 2-0 win was quite comfortable, and the lovely afternoon provided a number of youngsters the chance to shine alongside some season veterans.

Much of the focus was on improving fitness, but a few players in particular shone today. Chuba Akpom, Kris Olsson and Benik Afobe were especially impressive in the second half, and all three young players will hope to have made an impact on the boss today.

The first half performance was rather pedestrian, as Arsenal just knocked the ball around the pitch without much intention of creating chances. Nobody was looking to take anybody on, and while it was comfortable, only a few chances arose.

The second half was much different, as the introduction of an entirely new eleven saw a more direct approach. The possession was still there of course, but players were looking to take Boreham Wood defenders on, and as a result, Arsenal created a few more chances which ultimately led to the two goals.

It would be wrong to read too much into a game like this, but it was nice seeing the lads back in action. The new Puma kits looked sharper than I expected, and overall, this looked a confident side. Here are my ratings for the Arsenal players today.

Player Ratings (1-10)

Yaya Sanogo – 5.5/10 – Sanogo’s movement up front was pretty solid, and he got in a number of good areas, but he really needed a goal today. He sent his two best chances straight at the goalkeeper, and he looked frustrated after the second one. He was unlucky not to get an assist on Jon Toral’s chance.

Chris Willock – 5/10 – The young winger was a surprise starter, and showed himself alright in his first appearance with first-teamers. He looked decent in possession, but wasn’t particularly incisive in the final third. He is a long way off, but could be a talent in a few years.

Jon Toral – 6.5/10 – The young Spaniard may have been Arsenal’s best player in the first half. Popping up in a variety of areas, Toral had a few decisive passes and was unlucky to hit the post with a left-footed effort.

Aaron Ramsey – 6.5/10 – Ramsey looked the best player on the pitch in the early going, but he seemed more interested in building fitness than in scoring goals. He played a couple clever passes, but should have done better when he got to the byline early on. He looked quite comfortable wearing the captain’s armband.

Gedion Zelalem – 6/10 – Once again, the young Zelalem threaded an impressive through ball in the opening minutes, and looked quite comfortable on the ball. He always had his head up, and was one of few in the first half who seemed eager to create chances.

Francis Coquelin – 6/10 – In his return to Arsenal, Coquelin did everything right defensively, with a few well-timed tackles and a nice clearance with a header, but his distribution looked quite rusty.

Nacho Monreal – 6/10 – Monreal wasn’t too busy in the back, but when called upon, he did his job. Offensively, he got onto a ball from Zelalem in the final third and made a couple decent runs.

Isaac Hayden – 6.5/10 – The young defender looked comfortable in the back today, making his presence felt any time Boreham Wood got the ball into the Arsenal half. I’m always surprised at just how big he is.

Semi Ajayi – 5/10 – Ajayi looked well off the pace in the back, getting caught out of position on Boreham Wood’s lone break. He also nearly gave away a handball on the edge of the box.

Carl Jenkinson – 6/10 – Jenkinson didn’t have much to do, but he got forward with some enthusiasm. There wasn’t much in the way of end product, but Jenkinson looked his typical self down the right.

Wojciech Szczesny – 5.5/10 – Szczesny had very little to do. He made one suspect decision on the edge of his box, but he headed the ball away nicely in the end.

Substitutes

Benik Afobe – 7/10 – The young forward made a number of smart runs up top in the second half, and was dangerous in the box. He deservedly got the second goal on a well-taken penalty.

Chuba Akpom – 8/10 – The youngster was Arsenal’s man of the match today. Every time he got on the ball down the left, he looked to take defenders on, and he created a number of chances for himself. He did brilliantly to get the cross in that earned the penalty late on.

Tomas Rosicky – 7/10 – Rosicky provided a couple terrific balls, including the assist on Arsenal’s opener. He looked steady as ever in his usual role.

Kris Olsson – 7.5/10 – The young Swedish midfielder was lively from the moment he stepped onto the pitch. He looked to go forward when he got the ball, and created a host of chances. His opening goal was brilliantly taken. Arsene Wenger will be especially happy with Olsson’s play today.

Abou Diaby – 7/10 – Diaby’s long strides were on display today, as he got forward often, making a number of intelligent runs. He looked confident on his repaired knee, and Arsenal fans will be happy to see his assured display.

Mathieu Flamini – 6/10 – The defensive midfielder hardly got a touch today, but he was steady on the ball, and was well-positioned defensively.

Kieran Gibbs – 6.5/10 – Gibbs wasn’t involved much defensively, but he made a couple of nice runs down the left. His pace was noticeable every time he got on the ball.

Ignasi Miquel – 5.5/10 – The young Spanish defender had very little to do in the defensive end. But on the offensive side of the ball, he’ll be disappointed with a mistimed header from a corner.

Julio Pleguezuelo – 5.5/10 – Another young Spanish defender had a couple headed clearances, but other than that, did very little in his second-half appearance.

Hector Bellerin – 6.5/10 – The third member of the Spanish contingent to play in the second half, Bellerin put in a good display down the right. He was eager to get on the ball, and he combined well with Olsson a number of times to create some chances.

Damian Martinez – N/A – Martinez hardly had the ball in his half of the field in the second half, and wasn’t a part of the match.


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And It Begins, Sort Of

Good morning, everyone. Today is a great day, for the 2014/2015 Arsenal campaign unofficially kicks off with the first friendly of the summer. The wait between the World Cup and the start of the Premier League will feel like an eternity, but games like these ones help help make the waiting a little easier.

Before I get to Arsenal though, I want to say something about the Red Sox. Don Orsillo has been the team’s outstanding play-by-play commentator since 2001. He is so good at the job that you take him for granted sometimes. He is rumored to be in a contract dispute with NESN, the Red Sox’s TV station, and his forced in-season vacation right now makes it seem like NESN might be nudging him out. I can’t stress enough how big a mistake that would be for the network. Watching the last few games without Orsillo in the booth have been painful on multiple levels. Jerry Remy’s color commentary is replaceable, but Orsillo’s play-by-play is not.

Now to the Gunners. I know very little about Boreham Wood, Arsenal’s opponent today, but it’s not the opponent that matters in the first game of the year. It’s about the players slowly regaining their form and fitness, and it’s about giving youngsters a chance to prove they belong in the first team. Even if Arsenal were playing a high school team, it would still be a valuable exercise for the preseason’s first game.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoy watching these games. It’s not that I want to see the starting 11 on the field though. I prefer watching the youngsters, and it’s usually my only chance to do so. Players like Thomas Eisfeld, Kris Olsson and Chuba Akpom excite me tremendously, and I love getting a look a their development. And beyond that, there is usually an abundance of goals in this first friendly against the inferior competition. While the goals might not be the prettiest at this stage, it’s nice to see Arsenal players hit the back of the net in any situation.

I don’t have many expectations for today’s game, because Arsenal haven’t said much about the squad they are planning on playing. They’ve suggested many of the first team players who weren’t in Brazil will be on the field, but I’d imagine there will a number of new faces mixed in. And I would guess as many as 22 or 23 players will see the field. Beyond saying that they’ll be wearing the new yellow Puma strip, Arsenal have offered very little about the preparation for this game other than a series of pictures yesterday.

The first thing I noticed in those pictures was the presence of Francis Coquelin. Remember him? Wearing yet another different number this year, Coquelin has seemingly returned from a season-long loan in the German Bundesliga. I don’t know how long he’ll stay around, but it was a pleasant surprise to see his face again. I’d almost entirely forgotten about him, and a quick internet search suggests most Arsenal fans are in the same boat. It wasn’t that long ago that the versatile young player was starting Premier League matches at the Emirates.

Obviously, this match and the rest of the preseason will be vitally important for Coquelin’s chances at Arsenal. Should he put in a series of impressive displays, Arsene Wenger might have to give him another shot. But if he doesn’t, a transfer arrival at the defensive midfield position could send Coquelin on his way out the door for good. For his sake, I hope he gets a chance to see the field today.

The other first-team player I think preseason will be important for is Yaya Sanogo. I’m sure I’ll have much more to say on him in the coming weeks, but Sanogo has been somewhat of an enigma in his year at Arsenal. I’d be inclined to say he impressed me last year, especially in the biggest matches of the year – remember that his two best displays were against Bayern Munich in the Champions League and off the bench against Hull in the FA Cup Final. However, he never scored a goal. And for a striker, that’s not a good statistic. He simply must score this summer to show everyone he is physically capable of putting the ball in the net.

Carl Jenkinson could also use a huge performance today, as this might be his last shot at convincing the Arsenal brass that they don’t need further cover at right back. Jenkinson should get the start today, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him be the most dangerous player today. With Mathieu Debuchy coming in as the starter, I would like to see Jenkinson go out on loan to another Premier League club. He needs playing time to keep improving, and it would be a shame to see his growth as a player stunted by a lack of time on the field. Remember that not long ago, he earned an England call-up.

I am way too excited for this match for what it is. But it’ll be great to see the Gunners back in action. I’m sure I’ll have lots to say post-game, so check back later today. COYG!


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Evaluating Arsenal’s Latest Signing – Welcome Mathieu Debuchy

Many names have been tossed around in the last two years as potential replacements for Bacary Sagna when he left Arsenal. Sagna’s shoes were a big fill, and it didn’t seem like Carl Jenkinson was going to be ready quite yet. We heard about Serge Aurier, Micah Richards and Callum Chambers. But it was always going to Mathieu Debuchy. It just made too much sense. And the former Newcastle man became Arsene Wenger’s second signing of the summer yesterday, confirming a transfer story that had lost all suspense weeks ago.

Debuchy is as close as it comes to a like-for-like replacement for Sagna at right back. Whether or not he is an upgrade is up for debate, but he is certainly a suitable replacement. The similarities start with the obvious fact that the two of them are French internationals, with Debuchy starting over Sagna at the World Cup. That fact right there should leave Arsenal fans satisfied with the move, even if they are not overly excited. He showed himself well in Brazil, and didn’t look out of place in the quarterfinal against the eventual champion Germany.

But the biggest similarity between the two French right backs is their style of play. At this stage in their careers, both are above average going forward, having the ability to make runs down the flank. And while Sagna might be a better crosser of the ball, Debuchy has a little more pace at the moment. They are also above average defenders, capable of winning balls in the air and defending one-on-one situations. One negative of Debuchy is that he won’t be able to fill in at right back like Sagna could, but that shouldn’t be a factor unless Wenger allows Thomas Vermaelen to leave without replacing him.

Tactically, Debuchy will slot directly into Sagna’s role in Arsene Wenger’s plans. He and Theo Walcott should make for a terrorizing duo on the right, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a majority of Arsenal’s crosses coming from that side once again. With French teammate Olivier Giroud to aim at in the middle, Debuchy should have little trouble fitting in offensively. He might struggle at first with his defending though, as he won’t get much help from Walcott. He’ll have to quickly learn to be extra disciplined so as not to leave himself and Per Mertesacker exposed. Sagna was excellent next to the big German, and it will be vital for Debuchy to develop a good relationship with Mertesacker from the start.

Where Debuchy’s experience could help the most is on Arsenal’s goal kicks. A pattern had developed in recent years of Wojciech Szczesny aiming his kicks at the head of Sagna up the field. And Sagna was pretty good at winning those first balls, getting Arsenal up the field in an efficient manner. Debuchy will offer the same sort of outlet. At Newcastle, the former Lille star won a high percentage of his aerial duels, and he should be able to do much of the same at Arsenal.

And as Debuchy is 28 years old, he’s a known commodity. What you see is what you’ll get. Playing with the pressure that comes from the Arsenal fans sometimes can be tough. But someone who’s been involved in the France national team setup should have no problem with pressure. He’s also had experience playing in the Champions League in the past. And as he’s been in the Premier League for the last 18 months, he should be able to settle in quickly.

I won’t lie. I’m not overwhelmed with excitement over the Debuchy signing. He doesn’t make us title-winning threats all by himself by any means. But Arsenal needed to find a replacement for Sagna and Carl Jenkinson didn’t seem ready. So signing a veteran international who can bring stability to the position while Arsenal search for the right back of the future signing over the next few years makes a lot of sense.

There was a hole at right back, and Arsene Wenger filled it swiftly and appropriately. And while Debuchy obviously won’t bring the same spark to the team that Alexis Sanchez will, he is a valuable signing nonetheless. Arsenal now has a starting lineup that rivals any in the Premiership, and further signings this summer will only serve to strengthen the campaign. I can’t wait to see this team take the field in less than a month.


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My Peculiar Path to Becoming an Arsenal Fan

As there isn’t much at all to talk about in the sports world today, I thought I’d share the story of how and why I became an Arsenal fan. One of the most interesting things about American soccer fans is that we all come to the game in different ways. We weren’t necessarily born into families that rooted for these clubs. As such, a lot of us, myself included, had to put a lot more effort into falling in love with a team.

For me, my path to soccer fandom began as a general sports fan. Being raised in Boston, the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots were my life. And I was also an Arkansas Razorbacks fan – the biggest one in Massachusetts. But as my family never focused on soccer, I grew up thinking all of the American stereotypes about soccer. I probably watched fewer than five professional games before the 2006 World Cup, as I didn’t have a reason to want to like soccer. And once I got through the obligatory youth soccer, I had no intention of playing again.

I have very strong memories of the first few games of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. It was eye-opening to me that I knew next to nothing about a major sporting event, and when I sat watching the U.S.A.-Czech Republic game at tennis camp, the biggest sports fan there, and couldn’t say anything about what I was watching, I took it upon myself to get acquainted with soccer. I might not like it, but as a sports fan, I had to watch the World Cup. Or so 11 year-old me thought. And watch it I did, quickly appreciating the beautiful game. The Portugal-Netherlands match, considered one of the ugliest soccer games played in recent years, was the first soccer match that ever got me thinking that I could like the sport.

But after that month, I quickly went back to my old ways, primarily focusing on baseball, basketball and football. However, around that time, and over the next few years, I particularly enjoyed a British book series that I found. It was called CHERUB – a series about a special division of British spies that were kids. They worked alongside MI6 and it was an absolutely incredible series. The main character, James Adams, someone whom I identified with, was a huge Arsenal supporter, as he chose the last name Adams when he became a spy in honor of the Arsenal great Tony Adams. There were a ton of Arsenal references in the books, and I became an Gunners fan through James without realizing it. I’d known of Thierry Henry from those Gillette commercials of old, and I had generally compared Manchester United to the Yankees in my mind, so it was natural to want to be like James Adams in this respect.

So in 2009, I began following Arsenal results casually. I wasn’t even aware that I was doing it for a while, but late in the 2009-2010 season, a few months before the World Cup, I realized I was strangely excited for a game I had no business being excited for. It was Thierry Henry’s return to the Emirates with Barcelona in the Champions League in late March. I didn’t know how to watch the game, so I followed it on gamecast on ESPN.com. And from that day forward, I was officially an Arsenal fan.

Now at this point, I found myself trying to learn a lot about the game as quickly as I could. I had a bunch of friends who followed the EPL closely, so I picked their brains almost every morning at school. They of course were mostly Manchester United and Chelsea fans, but I was a Gooner, whatever that meant. We played a lot of soccer in our free time, and while I was awful at that, I was thoroughly enjoying learning a new game. By the end of that season, I’d found a few EPL games on ESPN, but I needed to learn as much information as possible before the World Cup began.

I would look at rosters on Wikipedia, reading up on all the players I only knew by name. And of course when the World Cup finally begun, I watched just about every match, learning something every second. While I had decided to be a fan roughly three months before the World Cup, it was the action in South Africa that got me to fall in love with the game. When it was over, I was dying to watch the EPL. By the time the season started, I had spent hours and hours reading and watching everything I could find about Arsenal. And from there, I’ve never looked back.

For the last four-plus years, I’ve probably read 10-20 articles a day about the club I follow from afar, utilizing the Google News function to find as many pieces of Arsenal content as I can. I quickly learned which British tabloids were semi-credible and which were not at all. But what made it all so much fun was that I came to this sport entirely on my own.

I knew that I would have to prove my Arsenal fandom through endless dedication and devotion. And that the reason I was an Arsenal fan was a book series only made me more determined to prove myself. Whether I was trying to prove it to my fellow soccer fan friends, to my family or to myself, I don’t really know. But I ended up taking this particular journey to super-fandom rather seriously. Missing a game was a felony in my eyes, and I did everything possible to develop my soccer knowledge.

Everybody I know is a Red Sox fan. And the same is true for the Patriots and Celtics. Even being an Arkansas fan wasn’t entirely unique. But Arsenal was my club. Every time somebody questioned why I cared, every time someone wondered why I wasn’t a Man United fan, I became even more of a Gooner. I wanted a sports journey that was entirely my own, and I got that and so much more.

I hate answering the question about what my favorite sports team is. Compared to everybody else, I’m the biggest Red Sox, Arkansas and Celtics fan I know. But I think at this point, it would be fair to suggest that Arsenal rivals those teams for the top spot in my heart. It may even surpass it. For I had to learn to love Arsenal myself. Now, after four years of hard work to learn the game to the best I can, I have an extremely personal relationship with the club I have come to love. Even though my reasons for becoming a fan aren’t convincing to some, and even though I’ve only been a fan for a little more than four years, Arsenal is everything to me.

I believe it is not how we become a fan that matters. And it’s not about how long we’ve been a fan either. It’s about how much time we spend thinking about the team. It’s about whether we’d wake up at 3 a.m. to watch a preseason match. It’s about how much we love our team. And damn do I love Arsenal Football Club.

What’s your story about becoming a fan? 


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Rating the Arsenal Performances at the World Cup

Making the transition from World Cup content to Arsenal content, I would like to write about Arsenal’s players in Brazil. The Gunners sent nine players to Brazil for the World Cup. Three of those players got knocked out in the group, three exited in the quarterfinals and three come back to London as world champions. Here, I would like to assess each of those players individually. And for the record, I am not including new signing Alexis Sanchez in this list. And as far as Joel Campbell, I left him off this list as he has yet to train even once with the club. However, I’ve had extensive coverage about Campbell over the past month which you can search for if you want to see that. Here is a link one of those pieces.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (England) – Having overcome injury concerns late in the season to make the final roster for Brazil, the Ox was terribly unlucky to pick up another injury in England’s final preparation friendlies. The hope was that he’d make it back in time for the final group game, but by then, England was already out, and Oxlade-Chamberlain never saw the field. It was a huge blow to the youngster, but one that might ultimately be beneficial. The added rest will hopefully mean he’s fit and firing by the opener, and he shouldn’t have to miss much of preseason. With other players in his position coming back from extended breaks and injuries, the Ox should be in line to start a few games early on, giving him a chance to show his continued development.

Jack Wilshere (England) – Wilshere was a frustrated figure for England in Brazil. He came off the bench to mild success in the opening loss to Italy, was an unused substitute against Uruguay, and started the meaningless game against Costa Rica. At times it looked as if Wilshere felt sorry for himself, but mostly it looked like he thought he should be the first name on the teamsheet. That was seen as confidence a year or two ago, but with mixed results lately, it looks a lot more like arrogance. As the young midfielder might be looking at a lot of time on the bench this year, he’ll need to channel all of those negative feelings into making himself better. Going out and smoking cigarettes on his holiday isn’t a good way to show everyone that he’s working hard.

Santi Cazorla (Spain) – While Spain was generally terrible in Brazil, Cazorla looked one of their better players when he was on the field in the final two games. He created a number of chances, and he was one of the few Spaniards to show any sort of urgency when they were down against Chile. Arsenal would seem to benefit from Spain’s exit, as Cazorla could be ready for preseason. And as he gets older, more rest can only be a good thing for the veteran midfielder. It’ll be nice to have him fit for the Crystal Palace game. And as he’s already won a European Championship, Cazorla still carries the winner’s mentality.

Thomas Vermaelen (Belgium) – This was a thoroughly disappointing World Cup for the Arsenal captain. Even though his team made the quarterfinals, he made only one start, and had to come off with an injury. A year away from the first team at Arsenal saw him lose his place with the national team, and he had to watch his team struggle all tournament. This World Cup disaster will surely cause Vermaelen to reconsider his future as a Gunner. I expect him to leave the club by the end of the window.

Laurent Koscielny (France) – The Arsenal center back surely would have wanted to start for his country, and he will be massively disappointed in his place on the bench for much of the tournament. Especially against Germany, when he could have been on the field against a few of his Arsenal teammates, he was quite unlucky to have been on the bench. I certainly feel he’s better than Mamadou Sakho, so it made little sense to me. Being a defender, he won’t need much of a preseason to be ready, so there shouldn’t be too much of a worry there. But overall, Koscielny won’t look back on this World Cup with particular fondness.

Olivier Giroud (France) – Giroud’s World Cup was a mixed bag. In the group stage, he played his way into the lineup with a series of impressive displays alongside Karim Benzema. Against Switzerland, the big frontman grabbed an assist and a goal. But when France took on Germany in the quarterfinal, Giroud was back to the bench. From an Arsenal standpoint, it would have been nice to have seen him score a big goal in the knockout round, but alas, he once again failed to make much of an impact against the very best teams. However, Giroud did force his way into a very talented team for a few games, and that should be good for his confidence going forward.

Lukas Podolski (Germany) – While Podolski didn’t see much of the field, totaling zero minutes in the knockout round, he leaves Brazil a world champion. And watching him on the field in the postgame celebrations, you could see how much it meant to him. Although he didn’t play a whole lot, this summer should still do wonders for his confidence. Nobody can take away the fact that he is a world champion footballer. And hopefully he was playing up Arsenal to Sami Khedira for the last month. While he’ll miss much of preseason, Arsenal should be able to deal with his absence until he’s fit.

Per Mertesacker (Germany) – The big German center back started for much of the tournament, but lost his place in the final three games when Germany moved Philipp Lahm to right back. However, that decision was not a reflection on Mertesacker’s play. He was solid in the back, and represented Arsenal well with every header won. And of course, he comes back to the club a World Cup champion. He is already held in a high status in the dressing room and this should only further that reputation. I expect a fully fit Mertesacker to be ready for the opener, and he’ll be in a great mental state going in to the new campaign.

Mesut Özil (Germany) – Arsenal’s record signing received a ton of flak throughout the tournament for a perceived lack of effort. Compared to Thomas Müller, Toni Kroos and many of his other world-beating teammates, his work rate wasn’t the best. However, despite being pushed out wide, Özil did play a lot of telling balls in the final third, and was unlucky only to garner a single goal and an assist. And he played his best game in the final, which should do wonders for his confidence. Being a World Cup winner could do more for Özil than anyone else, as he should now be of the mindset that he can be among the very best. Hopefully this means we will see Özil live up to his potential. While the Arsenal playmaker will miss much of preseason, this World Cup should do wonders for him for next season.