Friday, December 23, 2011

Brazilian Serie A Weeks 37 and 38

Corinthians capture crown.




In the shadow of club and national team legend Socrates' death, his former club duly collected the 2011 Brazilian Serie A title. A hard fought and tenacious campaign ended fittingly, with Corinthians more consistent and indefatigable than their nearest and only challengers, Vasco Da Gama.


Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Brazilian Serie A Weeks 35 and 36


So, with just two weeks remaining the impetus rests firmly with Corinthians, having nicked a two point lead over nearest challengers Vasco.



Even at such a crucial juncture of the season, the pace remains relentless with two rounds played out over the past week. A week during which this humble reporter took a well earned vacation.


Wednesday, November 9, 2011

2011-12 European Football Wrap - Episode XI


Almost a third of the season has been completed in the big leagues. We bring you the latest news and keep you current.



Always Opinionated, Only Arjblog.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Brazilian Serie A Week 33


Only five games remain.


And it appears no one wants to win. In Week 33, both the leaders, three of the top four and five of the top eight all lost. In fact Corinthians only move back above Vasco into top spot, on goal difference, by virtue of a smaller losing margin.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

2011-12 European Football Wrap - Episode X

Reviewing and recapping the latest action from around Europe's top five leagues.


PSG, Juventus, Manchester City and Bayern stay clear while Levante fall off the summit in Spain. Milan continue to make their case in Italy.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Russian Premier League Milestone - Week 29


It's back to being a two horse race.


Zenit and CSKA have restored the gap at the tpo of the table with similar wins in the latest round of games. While Zenit saw off Volga 3-0 in St. Petersburg with goals from Viktor Faizulin, Alexander Bukharov and Danko Lazovic; CSKA were no less destructive in a 4-0 hammering of visiting Spartak Nalchik with Seydou Doumbia notching another hat-trick after Vagner Love's opener.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Brazilian Serie A Week 32


It's a dead heat at the top.


With Corinthians and Vasco reversing their results from last week, the 2011 Brazilian Serie A lead is now shared by two teams tied on points and goal difference.

English Championship Week 14


Southampton remain ahead of the pack.


The top of the table clash between the league leaders and Middlesbrough ended in a convincing win for the Saints, as the south coast side romped to a 3-0 victory. A double from Guillherme and a late marker from David Connolly paced S'oton as they remained three points clear at the top.


Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Brazilian Serie A Week 31


Vasco surge back to the top.


In one of the last games before the final run in, slip ups by seven of the top eight allowed Copa Do Brasil winner Vasco Da Gama to reclaim the summit.

Monday, October 24, 2011

English Championship Weeks 12 and 13

With 46 games on tap this season, the English Championship kicked it up a notch this past week, reaching the frenetic pace it is both reviled and respected for.


Sunday, October 23, 2011

2011-12 European Football Wrap - Episode IX

Bayern and Chelsea lose, Barcelona are held and Manchester United are crushed. Manchester City and Levante are atop their respective leads as the new season takes on a surreal look.


Thursday, October 20, 2011

Europhiles Notebook - Unusual Suspects

Meet some of Europe's lesser lights, who are lighting up pitches around Europe. Never heard of them ? Well, if it weren't for this post, you probably never would.


Europe's Unusual Suspects:




Sebastian Giovinco - Parma - Sent out from Juventus first on loan and then on a permanent move to the one time Serie A giants, he was expected to struggle during a relegation fight. However, his goal a game form sees a surprising return to the top half on a .500 team. Juventus made a mistake in letting him go. Five goals in six games.

2011-12 UEFA Champions' League Matchday III Wrap

Tuesday October 18th and Wednesday October 19th:

And it continues with arguably the first of the two most crucial fixtures in the group stages. This is when some groups start to develop some definite shape while some teams start to worry. Matchday Three is all about separating the men from the boys and whittle down the 32 teams to an elite sixteen, followed by a commendable eight. This is where it starts to get serious.


The 2011-12 UEFA Champions League rolls on. Watch all the highlights here.

We continue to recap the action by breaking down the results by type, style and function.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Brazilian Serie A Week 30


It's relentless at the top.


The top five teams all won, for a change, as the pace at the top of the table continues to be ruthless and manic.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

2011-12 European Football Wrap - Episode VIII


After the dreaded International break in October, we return to frenetic club action with all the leagues in action and plenty of goals.


Normal service returns for four of Europe's giants while another two heavyweights ground out an interesting draw. We have a new leader in England, a continuing surprise in Spain and three teams who extended their good starts in Holland while one of the country's biggest clubs absolutely crushed the other one in Belgium.

Come this way for the latest helping of the Euro Football Wrap.

France:

Kevin Gameiro's hat-trick paced PSG atop the Ligue 1 table as the three title favourites all won by identical margins, 3-1. While PSG saw off promoted Ajaccio in Corsica, Lyon beat rock bottom Nancy at home. Michel Bastos scored twice either side of a Bafetimbi Gomis strike to polish off the visitors from Lorraine, who got a late consolation from Jo-Gook Jung.

English Championship Week 11

Leeds and Crystal Palace impress, Nottingham Forest continue to fail.



Leeds United made a surge up the table on Friday night with a comfortable 3-0 defeat of Doncaster as Ross McCormack with his ninth, Danny Pugh, for the second game running and Tom Lees are scored. Fifth on Friday, they settled in seventh place at the end of the round, just hovering outside the playoff places.

North Atlantic League Wrap Episode II


We continue to bring you action from the other top leagues around the continent, with action from the four national leagues around the North Atlantic.



Scotland:

Celtic and Rangers were both held in Scotland as Motherwell put some distance between themselves and Celtic in third.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Brazilian Serie A Week 29


Now, this is a title race !


After the typical inversion of results and form, in a way unique to the Brazilian Serie A - did somebody say parity - we have one helluva league run in on tap for the final stretch. Round 29 had its usual set of thrills and spills with the gap between first and sixth now just four points. Leaders Corinthians lost at Botafogo, who move back up to third, while Fluminense beat Coritiba 3-1 to ensure they stay in the hunt, albeit in sixth spot.

Big Match Weekend - Week 4


The Weekend's Biggest Games:

Friday
Bremen v Dortmund - Germany
2nd v 6th
Defending Champions v third best team in the division over the past decade
Claudio Pizarro v Mario Gotze


Thursday, October 13, 2011

Reward Success not Legacy


Liverpool are leading the charge for the last healthy revenue stream available to European football clubs in general and the Premiership in particular. While domestic gate receipts appear to have been tapped to the limit, sponsorship notoriously variable, while already having been negotiated several years into the future; the lure of foreign fans, fanatic about their club and more than willing to fork over precious lucre to be part of the experience; is becoming more appealing to clubs in England.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Euro 2012 Qualifiers - Final Round Preview


The biggest games from the last round of Euro 2012 Qualifiers to be played on Tuesday, October 11, 2011. Previewing the matches while getting my Mourinho on and predicting the starting lineups:


Brazilian Serie A Week 28


Vasco stumble as Corinthians reclaim the summit.


A summary 3-0 thrashing at Internacional halted Vasco works as they finally lost a game after an excellent run of form and fall off the summit. Their defeat in Porto Allegre was just their second in 13 games and it allows Corinthians, who led the league through most of June and July, to take over.


Thursday, October 6, 2011

Europhiles Notebook - Promotion Report

We run the rule over the promoted clubs form the top leagues in Europe this season. Find out how each club is doing after having made the step up over the summer. We grade them from A-D base on their performances so far.


Monday, October 3, 2011

English Championship Week 10

Nottingham Forest lost more than their manager on Sunday


With their latest setback, a fourth defeat in five games, at home to Birmingham City 3-1, the former two time European Champions drop to 21st, just one spot outside the bottom three. As a result of this continuing atrophy, manifested in their complete inability to build anything resembling a promotion challenge, manager Steve McClaren resigned. Like the club he is leaving, McClaren too has experience at the highest level and has won a title with Twente in Holland. However he has long been considered suspect and his departure may be no bad thing for Forest.


Sunday, October 2, 2011

Brazilian Serie A Week 27


Vasco and Corinthians are the big winners.


Despite only drawing 2-2 in their top of the table clash, losses suffered by 3rd placed Sao Paulo and 4th placed Botafogo, ensured the leading duo remain clear of the scrap below them in the table.


Sunday's big game saw the two title contenders go head to head and deliver just as the occasion demanded. Defender Dede, fresh off his national team call-ups for Brazil in their home and away matches against Argentina, got things started for Vasco, only for Alex to level things on 21 minutes. While Fagner then scored a goal at the start of the second half, midfielder Danilo returned the favour in the 67th minute to ensure that the game finished all square. With the point, Vasco improve to 50 points, two clear of Corinthians, who are on 48.


2011-12 European Football Wrap - Episode VII


A look around Europe at the continent's top leagues. Lots of goals in West London, a couple of derbies elsewhere in England. Some trepidation at the top in Germany, a surprise team at the top in Spain, an unlikely one at the top in Italy and a top of the table clash in France between the league's most titled team and its new financial giant.



We're off !

France:



Lorient and Sochaux were big winners on Saturday as the remaining five games ended in draws. After Costa Rican striker, Joel Campbell, on loan from Arsenal, and Yoann Jouffre had given Lorient the points against visiting Valenciennes, Sochaux scored an empthatic 3-0 victory over high flying Toulouse. Modibo Maiga with a double and Cedric Bakambu gave Sochaux the points at home to inflict a first loss for Toulouse in five games while moving the home side into the top half of the table for the first time.


North Atlantic League Wrap Episode I


Introduction:

At the turn of the century, an idea was mooted to improve the competitiveness of the Belgian, Portuguese and Scottish Leagues by creating a multinational league comprised of clubs from these three (and at the time Dutch league) together.


While on their own, each league had little going for them, with two or three giants dominating every year, this combined league had some good features. A competition that saw the likes of Porto, Benfica, Sporting, Celtic, Rangers, Standard Liege, Anderlecht, Ajax and PSV going head to head every week was seen as an attractive proposition. Not only would it give the bigger teams more practice and better games, it would increase the depth of the middle ranked teams and cannon fodder. Moreover, it would offer a chance to market an attractive product for television audiences who were tired of watching the same old domination.

Europhiles Notebook - Europe's Financial Elite

With so many clubs in Europe now owned or directly under the control of foreign multi-billionaires, the phenomena of sugar daddies owning clubs are not as rare as they once were. While foreign ownership is fast becoming the norm in leagues such as the English Premiership, there are now those teams which are a level above.


Having been bought by the financial elite, these clubs are playthings for stratospherically mega-rich owners for whom breaking the financial ceiling of transfer records while doling out astronomical wages is the rule rather than the exception. We review the performances and standing of some of Europe's richest clubs and see how they are doing with their monetary advantage.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

English Championship Week 9


Forest are in trouble.


Two time former European Cup winner Nottingham Forest are in danger of dropping down a division, and that too in a season that held potential promotion in store. Under Steve McClaren, Forest's decline has been both unexpected and traumatic, with their latest demolition at Burnley equal parts abject and miserable.


After their 5-1 defeat to Burnley on Tuesday, Forest are now 20th, just three points off the bottom. They have lost four of their last five games, won just two matches overall and have a paltry eight points from nine games. McClaren is under even more pressure to turn things around. With Martin O'Neill available, chairman Nigel Doughty could well replace the former England manager with the man he replaced.


Big Match Weekend - Week 3


The Weekend's Biggest Games:

Sao Paulo v Flamengo - Brazil
3rd v 6th
Both are former league leaders from this season
Neymar, Ganso v Ronaldinho

Vasco v Corinthians - Brazil
1st v 2nd
Cup winners versus team that led the league for most of this season
Diego Souza v Liedson


Genk v Anderlecht - Belgium
2nd v 5th
Best two clubs in the league, first and second last season
Jelle Vossen v Matias Suarez

Spartak v Zenit - Russia
4th v 1st
Current giants versus Russia's most successful club on the continent
Artem Dzyuba v Alexander Kerzhakov

PSG v Lyon - France
Both teams are tied for first
League's richest club v its most successful
Kevin Gameiro, Javier Pastore v Bafetimbi Gomis, Yoann Gourcuff 


Atletico Madrid v Sevilla - Spain
8th v 4th
Two of Spain's biggest clubs
Radamel Falcao v Jesus Navas

Real Betis v Levante - Spain
1st v 3rd
Promoted teams dominating La Liga
Ruben Castro v Sergio Ballesteros

Juventus v Milan - Italy
The two most successful teams in the country
1st this season versus current champions
Arturo Vidal v Antonio Cassano


Inter v Napoli - Italy
2nd v 3rd from last season
Both champions league teams this year
Wesley Sneijder v Ezequiel Lavezzi

Everton v Liverpool - England
City of Liverpool Derby
England's second most successful club versus team that has never been relegated
Tim Cahill v Luis Suarez

Spurs v Arsenal - England
North London Derby
Rivals for fourth spot this season
Luka Modric v Robin Van Persie


Wednesday, September 28, 2011

2011-12 UEFA Champions' League Matchday II Wrap


Tuesday September 27th and Wednesday September 28th:

Things got more interesting on Matchday Two as increased motivation met improved gameplay. Teams are now warmed up as the domestic seasons are in full swing. Everyone has played at least five league games with the odd cup tie - and while some teams have lost the odd manager, most are well oiled machines who want to get on the board in Europe to get in better shape for the rounds ahead.


The group stage displays a unique symmetry. Two matchdays are in September, two more in October and the final two in November. By the end of Matchday Two, everyone has played one home game and one away game in Europe. Laces out, it's the big time now.


As always the midweek threw up the usual mix of expected and surprising, impressive and encouraging, boring and thrilling. 32 teams, eight groups, double round robin home and away, six games each.

We recap the action by breaking down the results by type, style and function.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

2011-12 European Football Wrap - Episode VI

Another week of relentless action across Europe.

Bayern continue to remain ahead of the pack in Germany, United fall back into the pack in England and PSG are knocked off the top by a former table topper. Spain and Italy however continue to see a mix of the expected and unexpected at the top of their respective tables. Find out more here.



Weekend of September 24:


France:


While Lyon, PSG and Toulouse sit atop the standings tied on 17 points, Auxerre and Caen were the big winners on week eight in the French Ligue 1.



While Auxerre were expected to struggle, they have done nothing of the sort and sit healthy in midtable with just one loss in their eight games. Their latest win was their second of the season and was a crushing 4-1 home win over Europa League candidates Sochaux. A Dennis Oliech hat-trick coming after leading scorer Alain Traore had levelled Modibo Maiga's early strike for the visitors. Caen were similarly successful with a massive 4-2 win at promoted Evian. Caen saw goals from four different players while Cedric Barbosa scored a double for the home team.


Monday, September 26, 2011

Brazilian Serie A Week 26

Vasco break clear.



In the decisive result of week 26, Vasco Da Gama edged two points clear at the top of the table, belying doubts that their stint at the top was a temporary anomaly.



Having displayed resilience and consistency rarely seen in the Brazilian Serie A this sason, Vasco hold on to top spot for another round and will remain atop the pile till next weekend.



Their latest positive result was a very impressive 3-0 win at Cruzeiro on Sunday, built on the back of striker Diego Souza, who completed a hat-trick. His third strike came late in the game, just minutes after the home side had been reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of midfielder Antonio Marquinhos Parana who saw straight red. Cruzeiro drop to 16th spot, just one above the relegation fodder while Souza now has nine goals for the season, leading his club at scoring.


English Championship Week 8

Southampton and Middlesbrough are joined by another pair of fallen giants at the top as Derby and West Ham close in, with wins in round eight.




Although Southampton and Boro have looked the class of the league so far, while easing into the top two, the latest round of games saw them both drop points. While Southampton had to come from behind to snatch a point at Burnley, Boro could manage only a goalless draw with Ipswich at home. Charlie Austin had scored his fifth goal of the campaign for Burnley before young French starlet Morgan Schneiderlin equalised with ten minutes to go.



As a result, although they remain in the top two, both the Saints and Smoggies are looking nervously over their shoulder as relegated West Ham and Derby hover just behind. Southampton have 19 points, with Boro only ahead of Derby on goal difference with both on 18 points. Sam Allardyce's West Ham have 17 in fourth spot, also tied on points with Brighton, who are fifth.




The top five have lost only five games between them out of the 40 played and already have a  four point gap down to Cardiff City in sixth. It should be an interesting season.



Thursday, September 22, 2011

Brazilian Serie A Week 25

Santos are on the move.



After a bad start to the season, characterized by a long hangover post Copa Libertadores win and then compounded by the constant disruption caused by top players being called away by international tournaments and friendlies, Santos has pulled itself together to embark on a winning run, as it slowly ascends the table. Their unbeaten streak was extended to eight games on Wednesday night as they beat bottom club Atletico Mineiro for their fourth in a row.




Kempes' eighth goal of the season for the home side was sandwiched by strikes by Borges and captain Edu Dracena. Borges scored for the fourth game in a row and notched his tenth goal in his last nine Serie A games. Santos moves into the top half of the table for the first time all season and now sit in ninth. America remain bottom.




Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Europhiles Notebook - Euro Qualifying's Top Upsets

Only the last pair of matches remain in the qualifying campaign for Euro 2012. Arjblog reviews the top upsets so far:



Moldova 2 - 0 Finland - September 3 2010



For a team ranked 122 in the world, that has never qualified for an international tournament and actually finished last in its previous qualification group, winless, behind Luxembourg (World Cup 2010 UEFA Group 2), the win over Finland in Chisinau was easily the greatest result in its short history. Only admitted to FIFA and UEFA in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse, Moldovan football is still in its germinal stages with the fall exploits of Sheriff Tiraspol and Zimbru Chisnau in qualifying for the continental tournaments, the only time one hears of it. Goals from Alexandre Suvorov and Anatolie Doros created instant history as they threw an immediate spanner into Finland's works - a blow from which the Finns barely recovered all campaign.

Europhiles Notebook - Euro Qualifying's Lesser Stars

A look at some of the unsung heroes of qualifying, many of whom will exit the tournament after the qualifiers and all of whom get none of the spotlight. Arjblog brings you the players who have impressed during the 2012 European Championships Qualifying Rounds:




(Trivia alert: There are two players below whose last names start with a double 'l')

The Unsung XII:



Mikael Forssell - Finland - The striker who bombed out at Chelsea has been a Godsend for the Finns at international level. Despite another disappointing qualifying campaign, Forssell has been on fire netting seven goals in eight games. With Finland sitting fourth in their group going into the final pair of matches, Forssell has scored almost half their total of 15 goals, with important strikes against both Netherlands and Hungary. It looks like Leeds have been paying attention as they brought the 30 year old back to England, on a free transfer from Hannover in the summer. Only Miroslav Klose and Klaas Jan Huntelaar have scored more goals than him in the qualifiers.