Wrapping up the Preseason - Arsenal

This is the first year I've been interested enough in soccer to actually catch the preseason games.  And, by and large, I am more impressed with them than I am with the NFL preseason.  However, they both have their issues: starters leave too early, too many substitutions, changing most of the team at the half, etc.  
Right now I'm watching Arsenal vs Salzburg, seeing all the young guns and, perhaps most fun of all, seeing William Gallas still tearing it up at right-back.  However, with the recent departure of Patrick Ljungberg to West Ham, I think the Gunners are in serious trouble.  The loss of Ljungberg leaves Arsenal without an experienced attacking midfielder.  Rosicky and Helb are both great options as attacking midfielders but both have joined in the last two years.  I love Wenger's desire to groom young players but without a strong leader in attack (such as Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Henry and Ljungberg, all of whom were critical members of the undefeated team of 2003-2004) Arsenal will find it hard to offer good service to their strikers.  Without a seasoned veteran pushing the ball forward, Arsenal will score fewer goals and chase in many of their games.  
If there is one thing Arsene Wenger has to do before the beginning of the season, it is to sign a big-name attacker to draw double-teams (like Henry did) and supply balls that lead to scoring chances (like Ljungberg did).  Arsenal will find it tough to stay in the top four in England unless the young stars can begin to live up to Wenger's high expectations.  There is nothing I'd like to see more than Arsenal taking the EPL title from Manchester United, but without a strong leader in attack, I don't think it will happen.  Who knows, maybe Hleb, Rosicky and Fabregas can step up and make Arsenal into the entertaining, finishing club that advanced to the Champions League final in 2006.  Here's to hoping.

Trials and Travails

Well, Boruc managed to save the penalty but I cannot deny the quality and class of the MLS All-Star team: Toja and Angel have had phenomenal success running through the Celtic defense.  Celtic needs to concentrate on plugging the holes that develop and controlling the play.  I'd like to see more attacking on the left flank, avoiding Bornstein on the right.  Vennegoor has been disappointing but I think Celtic will perform a lot better in the second half, attacking with better crosses and a more straightforward attack from central midfield.  

Pregame Update

Prediction: Celtic 2-1 MLS All-Stars
Man of the Match: J. Vennegoor  

I think Balde might score.  If he starts.

Tonight's Match: MLS All-Stars vs Glasgow Celtic

I have never claimed to be a fan of the MLS.  One can only watch so much soccer that pays no attention to the possession game.  It seems like play is stopping every 30 seconds because  because of an errant cross or a poorly played ball out of midfield.  Nonetheless, Celtic is not a juggernaut of Chelsea proportions (the adversary for MLS in this game last 

year, which ended in a 1-0 victory for the Americans), but their class and tenacity will test 
the all-stars.  
Celtic advanced to the knockout round of the Champions League for the first 
time this year, losing to AC Milan 1-0 over the two legs on one of the top goals of the
tournament (Kaka takes the ball from the halfway line, penetrating straight towards goal,
five-holes the keeper with a sweet touch to the back of the net in the 93rd minute).  Celtic
is missing Nakamura, who scored their best goal of the season against Manchester United
in the Champions League group stage.  The game will be won in midfield, where I think
Celtic's cohesiveness and experience will serve them well.  I'll post again when the lineups
come out and tell you who to watch for.  

Mission Statement

As a huge fan of soccer, I've decided to make the many hours spent watching soccer on TV a bit productive.  Obviously, printed type is not nearly as exciting as watching the real thing.  However, for those of you who don't have a sweet cable package, I'll try to break down games by half, with posts as close as possible to the end of the half.  With the new season set to start within the next three and a half weeks, I'll try to watch and comment on the most exciting teams to watch in Europe.  In case you've missed out, here are the five biggest summer transfers that have already taken place:

5.  Nigel Reo-Coker - West Ham United to Aston Villa - £8,500,000
Reo-Coker truly shined at the UEFA U-21 tournament earlier this summer, opening a lot of eyes with his strong play at holding midfield.  He should partner well with captain Gareth Barry in midfield.

4.  Ryan Babel (Ajax Amsterdam to Liverpool - £11,500,000) and Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid to Liverpool - £20,200,000)
Babel was also a standout in the UEFA U- 21, earning Man of the Match honors in the final against Serbia, scoring 
his second goal of the torunament.  Babel can play on the wing or up top and his height (6'1") gives Gerrard another target in the box.  I love the fit of Torres at the point, with Crouch in support.  Torres is a phenomenal goal scorer; his transition will be a bit rough but come December, when the pitches begin to freeze over and the play gets nasty, Torres will be knocking on the door and in tune with his teammates.  This Liverpool team will be tough to beat. 

3.  Carlos Tevez - West Ham United to Manchester United - in talks
Tevez has clearly shown his talent, in England, at the World Cup last summer and this year in the Copa America.  It will be interesting to see how the lightning-quick and powerful Tevez will meld with the emotional Wayne Rooney and the dribbling god Cristiano Ronaldo.

2.  Luca Toni (Fiorentina to Bayern Munich - €11,000,000), Franck Ribery (Marseille to Bayern Munich €26,000,0000) and Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen to Bayern Munich - estimated €15,000,000)
While shelling out overfifty million euros on three players seems excessive, it is hard to deny that Bayern Munich was in a tailspin last year.  They finished fourth in a league they normally dominate and failed to qualify for the Champions League.  The club decided to enter a rebuilding period and cleared out a lot of dead wood, such as strikers Claudio Pizarro 
and Hasan Salihamidzic.  The success of the club will depend on how well the 
new trio of forwards can work together.

1.  Thierry Henry - Arsenal to Barcelona - £16,150,000
Henry was injured for much of the 2006-2007 season and Arsenal did not perform well without their skipper.  Some say Henry has lost a step or that he cant perform in big games.  I hope that Henry can make the kind of crossover Ruud van Nistelrooy had in his first season with Real Madrid.  I'm already salivating at the thought of a strike force of Messi, Eto'o and Henry up front.