Robinho: The Open Net Villain

Can we all just take a moment and look into the past really quickly? Back to the 2004 Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A to be exact. That was the last time anyone has seen Robson de Souza, aka Robinho, score more than 14 goals in a season. Robinho netted 21 goals that year; which was the last and only time the AC Milan striker hit 20+ goals.

Seeing a name like Robinho in a starting 11 should send chills down opposing player’s spines and it should be a given that at least one goal will be scored by the star. A former Real Madrid product and a Brazilian international, Robinho has been known as one of the most "well rounded" strikers in the game.

So, why is Robinho absolutely frightened when he faces an 8 x 24 white open mouth? How can a "well rounded" striker keep his yearly goal tally under 14 goals since 2004?

These questions have been asked by Madrid and Man City fans, and recently AC Milan fans, for quite some time.

Being a Milan fan, I have watched every game Robinho has played in. I have seen some amazing goals and assists from the number 70 this season and last. But I have also seen the questionable side of the 5 foot 7 Brazilian striker. Of course, I am talking about his horrific open net missed goals that even a blind dog could score if it had the chance.

The most memorable miss I can recall came on December 2nd, 2011 when Milan faced off against Genoa at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Alberto Aquilani made a great defensive play; winning back the ball against Dario Dainelli inside Genoa’s penalty area and sending in a low cross pass straight to Robinho. All that was needed was a small… no… a slight tap from Robinho to be in the back of the net. Somehow, the ball ended up in the 5th row of Genoa’s Curva Sud. Milan fans would expect that miss from former left back Massimo Oddo, but not Robinho! However, it was somewhat entertaining watching Aquilani’s reaction after the ball left the field. Luckily, Milan was still able to come away with a 2-0 away win thanks to Ibrahimovic and Nocerino. Here is a video of what I am talking about.

There have been many more unbelievable missed chances. Curious to see more horror stories with your own eyes? Here you go:

There is no more "room to grow", no more "getting better with age". At this point in Robinho's career, the soon-to-be 28 year old should be able to easily strike home more than 18 goals a season, especially with a prestigious club like Milan.

Milano have surrounded Robinho with some great talent. The likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alexandre Pato, Antonio Cassano and Kevin-Prince Boateng playing around him should put his name in the top 3 of the Capocannoniere list. Surprisingly, our second leading goal scorer is defensive midfielder Antonio Nocerino… Yes, Antonio Nocerino. A player bought by Milan on the last day of the summer transfer market with money found in the cracks of Silvio Berlusconi’s living room couch.

Don't get me wrong, I have always liked Robinho and I think he looks great in the red and black. Hell... I even bought his jersey. But the way Robinho has played for Madrid, City, and Milan can be considered sub-par for a name like his.

We still have half a season left in Serie A and with the name Carlos Tevez floating around at the San Siro, maybe this will be a wake-up call for a talented player that Milanisti believe can be great once again.

Cheers,

JC

Soccer90Radio Future Player To Watch: Stephan El Shaarawy

Soccer90Radio Future Player To Watch



Stephan El Shaarawy
October 27th, 1992
Savona, Italy
Calcio Padova (On loan from Genoa C.F.C)
#92
Attacking Midfielder

National Teams:
Italy U-17: 15 Caps 1 Goal
Italy U-19: 2 Caps 1 Goal

Linked With: Inter Milan, Manchester City, A.C Milan

Possible Future Destination: A.C Milan

Plays Like: Kaka' and Marek Hamsik

Player Attributes: Clever Passing, Trickery and Speed

Links: (Click Image for player profile and Links for player news)


- http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/editorial/2011/06/16/2534522/so-just-how-good-is-ac-milan-bound-teenage-wonderkid-stephan

- http://bleacherreport.com/articles/737252-ac-milan-land-genoas-stephan-el-shaarawy-in-co-ownership

Serie B Player called up to National Side

Italian National Team coach Cesare Prandelli calls up Angelo Ogbonna, a SERIE B player who plays defence for Torino F.C..

I've only seen this once in my life where a National coach calls up a 2nd division player.

World Cup 2006, Jürgen Klinsmann calls up Oliver Neuville who played for 2. Fußball-Bundesliga Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Sources:
http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/editorial/2011/06/07/2521015/one-cap-wonder-or-italys-next-great-defender-why-it-could-go

Canadian Connection: Triumph for New, Embarrassment for Old

Canadian Connection: Triumph for New, Embarrassment for Old

Today marked the first meeting between the MLS' two Canadian teams in the league. Toronto FC visited expansion side the Vancouver Whitecaps today at Empire Field in Vancouver B.C. and Vancouver looked like they had something to prove tonight.

With months of build up, TFC and the Whitecaps finally played the first ever meeting between two Canadian teams in MLS history and the game did not disappoint.

Having the majority of ball possession, Toronto looked to have a slim advantage during the game. However, the Whitecaps took the lead in the 15th minute off a strike from "said-to-be" out of shape striker Eric Hassli, who scored Vancouver's first ever MLS goal in history. Five minutes later, a strike from TFC captain, Dwayne De Rosario (pronounced Day-Rosario), put FC back into the game. De Rosario's goal also marked the 8000th goal in the MLS.

Vancouver then decided to give their fans what they paid for, a win on opening night. Vancouver native Terry Dunfield put the Caps back up in the 26th minute with some good passing from the team and taking a 2-1 lead after 45 minutes.

The second half was no different. A huge amount of possession from Toronto but no goals to show for it. Goals from Atiba Harris (62nd minute) and Hassli's second of the night (73rd minute) would take away any hopes of a Toronto comeback.

However, TFC did pull a goal back with a wonder strike out of nowhere from Maicon Santos that had Jay Nolly scrapping his side on the turf after his attempt at saving the shot. If you missed it, which is unlucky for you, here it is:

Yeah, you should have been watching the game to have witnessed that.

So, with this 4-2 loss, can we count out Toronto this year?

First off, it's the first game. Can you really tell how a team will perform after one game? If you said "yes" to that question, stop watching soccer please.

Second, I have always said that home field is a huge advantage for a team. The 12th player is a big part for a squad and can really help. Example, I will use a team in this post, Toronto FC. Last year TFC went 6 wins, 3 losses and 6 ties at home, but went only 3 wins, 10 losses and 2 ties away from BMO. Trust me, home field advantage helps.

Third, Toronto's defensive play. Tonight I think the best part about watching Toronto's defense was Nana Atakora sporting a new hair style. The dread lock style is a good look for the 21 year old centre back. But seriously, that was the most fascinating part about the defense. If TFC's back 4 can actually play the whistle and not stand around like the ref is going to give them a free call, then maybe they will have the same defense they have been building for the past four seasons.

Finally, to me it looked like Aron Winter used this first game to look for the best connection on his squad. Maicon and Dwayne up top seems to be a good pairing but they don't have a midfield that can get them going.

I know that TFC have this Dutch connection saga happening and, in the long run, it probably will pay off. Of course I'm talking about these so-called rumors linking AC Milan and former Dutch international Clarence Seedorf to Toronto in the near future. But seriously, can I ask who decided it would be a good idea to sign midfielder/forward Nick Soolsma before the season started? Yes, he did score 12 goals for VV Young Boys in the Dutch lower division last year but his play today could be compared to my new born baby cousin learning how to move his head from side to side! The minute Soolsma got hold of the ball, it was probably a 2-6 second time span where he would either have the ball taken away from him or pass it to the Whitecaps. Horrible is probably the word I am looking for and a smart move by Winter taking him out at half. Again, it is only the first game and honestly I hope Nick makes me eat my word in the future and turns into a quality player for Toronto. Javier Martina, however, did impress tonight and hopefully he can make this whole Dutch connection work.

Another turning point for Toronto was when Winter decided to bring in Belgian defender Mikael Yourassowsky into the back four. The runs he made down the wing were very smart and he was able to make some good passes to the forwards, including a great pass which led to Maicon Santos' wonder goal in the 75th minute. Yourassowsky has probably earned his place in the starting 11 after his performance tonight and some may wonder, would the score line look different had Winter put Mikael on earlier or even started him?

Next week, it's clear Winter will be putting together a new starting 11 for their home opener against the Portland Timbers and I think it should look a little something like this:

4-4-2

-------------------Frei----------------------

Gargan---Attakora---Cann---Yourassowsky

Harden---Sturgis---Zavarise/Peterson--Martina

---------Santos-----------De Rosario---------

Sturgis and Zavarise are both young players but did show some bright spots against the Whitecaps today and could probably make those passes De Rosario and Maicon need to score.

Last year, Attakora and Cann made a great pairing in the centre of defense for Toronto and should be brought back for next weeks match. You know the old saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Winter should probably have listened to that quote instead of slotting Cann as left back.

Cheers,

JC

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Soccer90Radio Future Player to Watch: Erik Manuel Lamela

Soccer90Radio Future Player to Watch


Erik Manuel Lamela
March 4th, 1992
Florida, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Club Atletico River Plate
#10
Attacking Midfielder/Winger

Contract: Runs until 2014

Teams Interested: AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Real Madrid

Fact: Barcelona tried to sign Lamela in 2004 when he was just 12 years old but no agreement was reached.

Click Image for player profile.

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UEFA Champions League Draw 2010-2011

Today, UEFA announced the match-ups for the Round of 16 in this years Champions League and there are some exciting games coming up in the new year.

The first leg will be played February 15-16 and 22-23, 2011. The second leg will be played March 8-9 and 15-16, 2011.

Here are the match-ups:

A.S. Roma vs. Shaktar Donetsk

Valencia C.F. vs. Schalke 04

Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich

Olympique Lyonnais vs. Real Madrid

Olympique de Marseille vs. Manchester United

F.C. Copenhagen vs. Chelsea F.C.

Arsenal F.C vs. F.C. Barcelona

A.C. Milan vs. Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Cheers

JC

Are Galácticos Really A Team?

Galácticos: A Spanish term used to describe expensive, world-famous Real Madrid football players.

But are Galácticos really a team you would want competing for World titles?

Yes they are the most expensive players in the world of football, but how can a team be managed with several star players all used to being the go-to player on a team.

November 29th, 2010 showed a team of Galácticos who were completely tortured by a Barcelona side who showed great heart and the will to win the famous El Clásico.

2009 was the year of a new era of Real Madrid Galácticos. With the mega purchases of Kaká, Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso by newly appointed president Florntino Perez, the core setting of the next class of Galácticos had arrived.

The 2009-2010 campaign was a season to forget for Real Madrid as Manuel Pellegrini's men finished the season trophy-less in a year where high expectations were running wild for this new era. Not even a Copa del Rey triumph could be achieved by the high paid Madrid starting eleven.

But it was only the first year. We should give them time to mesh with each other. Let them find that rhythm we all expected these Galácticos had when they were bought from the likes of AC Milan, Manchester United, Liverpool and Lyon. Right?

Seems like Barcelona has shown that having a team of superstars can be a little difficult if you are trying to win every club trophy for the club you represent.

With the El Clásico final whistle blown, Barcelona pulled off a 5-0 victory over their La Liga competition. This is Barcas 5th consecutive El Clásico victory over Real Madrid and they showed absolutely no mercy towards these great "Galácticos". Even with new manager Jose Mourinho taking over at the start of the season, Madrid could not find the back of the net in this Barca goal-fest. New Galácticos such as Angel Di Maria, Mesut Ozil, and Sami Khedira could not even make a difference for their star side.

It is however, only the first half of the season and there is still plenty of football to be played by these two teams. We cannot count out Madrid just yet in winning the treble at the end of the season and it is possible for this team, or any team for that matter, to turn it around and finish strong.

Looking at these Galácticos, we see what seems to be a strong and well rounded team. Players such as Gonzalo Higuain, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso to name a few. With Higuain becoming an up and coming star, the latter squad members have all been purchased by Madrid, each for an excessive amount of money. Again, does having the ability to buy whichever player you want for your squad automatically put you as a front runner for a treble at the end of the season? If you ask me, building a team into a championship team feels much better and more satisfying than trying to buy your trophies with the best of the best.

When we look at this years Madrid squad, we see a number of go-to players that expect the ball at their feet at the drop of a hat. Players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká and Xabi Alonso were all the core players on their past teams. On AC Milan, when Kaká received the ball, he made good things happen. As did Ronaldo on Manchester United and Xabi on Liverpool. All three were the link holding each squads midfield together. When you take top class players like these and throw them on the field with each other, there will be mixed signals played around by each. Although we have not seen Kaká this season as of yet, it might be the best thing for this new "Galácticos" squad as it takes away another go-to player, leaving more ball time for Ronaldo and Xabi.

Real Madrid and Barcelona recently played La Liga's first 2010-2011 edition of the El Clásico. As we all know, Barcelona easily handled Madrid 5-0. Here is my dilemma. Shouldn't a team with major high-quality players be able to at least put 1 or 2 goals past this Barcelona team? Yes, Barcelona is one of the best teams in the world right now having one of the best players in the world on their squad, Lionel Messi. They are a team very difficult to beat at the moment and have probably the highest potential to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy. But seriously, Jose, you have Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain, Karim Benzema, Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria on your squad. You are telling me, with an attacking force like that, you could not manage a single goal against your derby opponents? It was predicted to be a massive goal fest for this years El Clásico, but we all never expected the goal fest to come from one team!

It just seems Madrid cannot have a squad who can quickly mesh together when new players arrive. And we have all seen the quick changes Madrid has made over the years when they bring in 5 new players and get rid of 6. We saw it with Madrid's 2003-2004 squad and now we are seeing it with their 2010-2011 squad. When you look at a team like Barcelona, you see a team that has a good core of players, players who know each other and also do not have the term "Galácticos" anywhere near the squad list.

Barcas biggest signing this summer was David Villa and he has fit nicely in the fold over at the Camp Nou. But when you really look at Barcelona's squad list, the majority of the Spanish players were part of Spain's World Cup 2010 winning squad (Valdez, Pique, Puyol, Hernández, Villa, Iniesta, Busquets and Pedro). With most of those players being in the starting 11, how could the chemistry go wrong?

So I ask this question again; Are Galácticos really a team you would want competing for World titles?

After that 5-0 win for Barcelona at El Clásico, I think I would like a team I can build into a championship team rather than having a headache of players who can't fit their own heads through a door and also a headache of debt owed by my club.

Cheers,

JC

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The Wayne Rooney - Man U Saga

The Wayne Rooney - Man U Saga

For those of you who have not seen or heard what has been happening at Old Trafford, click the links below for further info.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/3194/video/2010/10/19/2173129/video-sir-alex-fergusons-confirms-wayne-rooneys-decision-to-quit-

http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2010/10/20/2175116/wayne-rooney-confirms-he-wants-to-leave-manchester-united

http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2010/10/22/2177984/wayne-rooney-signs-new-five-year-contract-to-end-manchester

Now that everyone is back on track, it has been a pretty exciting 4 days this past week. The way it was panning out, I would never had guessed Rooney would sign a 5 year contract extension with United. Even a friend of mine, who is a Man U fan, made a comment to me about the situation when we were talking about Gareth Bale's performance against Inter Milan in their Champions League clash this week. He said "The chances of Gareth Bale signing with AC Milan are worse than Manchester United extending Wayne Rooney's contract!" In a round about way, I felt he was right. Not about Gareth Bale signing with AC Milan (because I still have hope), but about the little chance Man U had on extending Rooney's contract.

For these 3 days I have been telling everyone that Wayne Rooney will have a new club in January without a doubt. Manchester City was my personal pick to pen the 24 year old striker as I felt Real Madrid and AC Milan, two front runners to get his signature, had no room at all on their squad list's. And if Manchester City were able to grab hold of Rooney, it would have been one of the most controversial and exciting signings of the year. Just think, Wayne Rooney joins Manchester City F.C., cross town rivals of Manchester United F.C.. This would be equivalent to Paolo Maldini joining Inter Milan from AC Milan, or Lionel Messi joining Real Madrid from Barcelona. It would be one of the biggest moves without a doubt.

So, with the decision made, the contract signed and all parties happy, I feel Wayne Rooney should have made the leap and left Manchester United in January.

For starters, he really has nothing else to prove there and is in a similar situation Cristiano Ronaldo was in 2 years ago before joining Real Madrid.

Secondly, as I said before, if he so happened to join Manchester City, it would be one of the biggest moves of the year. The thought of Wayne Rooney in a Man City uniform gives me and probably many others goosebumps. And also the thought of next years Manchester Derby, well... You get the picture.

And lastly, I would have enjoyed seeing Wayne in a different uniform, whether it be Real Madrid, AC Milan or Manchester City, it would have been an exciting trip if he were to change area codes.

Cheers,

JC

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