Move of the week: Nutmeg and then some
This time a move of the week comes from Hungary…watch the video, commentary is unnecessary. A nutmeg of greatest qualities for sure.
Another throw-in, but I think this time it’s personal
College football (soccer, as it happened in the U.S.) game, 90th minute is nearing and then this happens…twice! Intentional? Personal? You decide.
How NOT to throw the ball in
For you kids learning the game, here’s another example of how NOT to do things – this time it’s a throw-in. Courtesy of Alexander Tettey from Norwich City vs. Aston Villa.
How NOT to clear the ball
Here’s a good example how NOT to clear the ball. Courtesy of Micah Richards from Manchester City vs. Ajax
Why isn’t Iker Casillas celebrating Ronaldo’s goal?
Rumors are flying and two prominent “theories” are:
1. He was upset that Sergio Ramos (one of his best friends) didn’t play
2. A much more believable reason is that there are still some unresolved issues between Casillas and Ronaldo over Casillas’ fiancée
In any event, it’s interesting to see a man who eats, sleeps and breathes Real Madrid stand motionless as they are winning an important game in the 90th minute…time will tell what really happened.
Barclays Premier League trophy stays in town
Not that long ago, the other more famous Manchester club was at the top of the Barclays Premier League. Manchester United was up by five points which have melted after a draw and now a loss to their direct competitor for the title, Manchester City.
At least the EPL trophy won’t have to travel far, only to the other side of town, the town of Manchester.
Guardiola taking a year off, could he be waiting for Ferguson to retire?
As expected, Josep “Pep” Guardiola has called it quits at Barcelona and will be leaving at the end of this season. What’s slightly different from what I expected is this year long hiatus. I expected him to go straight to Manchester United and replace Alex Ferguson, which could still happen next summer.
As we all know Alex Ferguson is an institution at Manchester United, someone who has led their team with amazing success since 1986 and his replacement (which is inevitable considering he is nearly 71) will have to be someone who has experience, knowledge, results and class – all of these qualities are possessed by Guardiola. On the other hand, as always, José Mourinho could be considered a contender for that position as well, but in my personal opinion he lacks class when compared to Guardiola which is equality important when selecting a replacement for Ferguson and the great Manchester United.
Guardiola is quoted as saying:
“I don’t have any energy left, I need to recharge. I need to recover the feeling that I had when I first started – time has taken its toll. I just don’t feel the same – Barca don’t deserve that. That’s all I’m going to say. I’m going with the understanding that I’ve done my duty, and I’m proud of everything I did. This club is an unstoppable force. My replacement will be very able, and will do his job marvelously.”
As he leaves Barcelona, Guardiola will be replaced by one of his long term assistants, Tito Vilanova.
Lazar Marković from FC Partizan Belgrade
Lazar Marković from FC Partizan Belgrade is an amazing talent and someone who will undoubtedly play for the largest European clubs in years to come.
Keep an eye on him as many big clubs have over the past year. Last month FC Barcelona called to wish him a happy 18th birthday – you think they are thinking of making an offer as early as this summer? 😉 Other teams who have shown interest thus far are Chelsea and Liverpool. Not a bad company to keep.
Reason for Sergio Ramos’ missed penalty kick
Sergio Ramos missed a penalty kick against Bayern Munich last night.
Now, we all know why.
By the way, this kid would be in serious trouble if he did this at an eastern European match (speaking from personal experience).