Soccer Round Up

Soccer, Football, Calcio, Futebol, the grasp that soccer has on the world is massive. However, the world is loitered with too many soccer “analysts” and not enough pundits. Here, Loyola is thriving with soccer players, fans, sympathizers, and the typical girl that obsesses over David Beckham. Here is the separation from the rest of the herd.

English Premier League
Liverpool Football Club are fast becoming a failure for this season. Not even it being close to the new year, Roy Hodgson is still unable to clean the mess that “rabid" Rafael Benitez has left since his departure to Italy. The game at Stoke this weekend proved unto many that unless the club undergoes a massive overhaul in the winter transfer window, LFC is doomed. Fernando Torres is a shadow of himself this term, never truly at 100% anymore throughout the season (Not taking away from his impressive performance against Chelsea), Steven Gerrard is a shadow of himself at the moment, and the loss of Xabi Alonso over two years ago is still deplorable (Brazilian player Lucas is not a true central defensive midfielder). In short, Liverpool will settle for a Europa League spot for another year. {GAME LINK}
The title race is a three legged horse at this point. Arsenal just demonstrated they’re in it to win it this year with their win over Everton {LINK}. Fabregas is sublime, coming off his World Cup, Arsene’s Wenger tinkering with the Arsenal backline in the offseason has proved crucial. Look to Jack Wilshere to continue on and pick up his significant performances in the next few weeks. Look also for the return of Aaron Ramsey in the next few weeks, after a year on the sidelines from his compound fracture at the hands of Ryan Shawcross {LINK TO VIDEO}.
Manchester United’s tie with Aston Villa {GAME LINK} was a disappointment for manager Alex Ferguson. Wayne Rooney is at a loss on the field, and off (infidelity in marriage, money struggles). This has forced his teammates to take the place of the striker’s role, teen sensation Federico Macheda demonstrating how crucial he is to Ferguson’s plan as heir to the striking role. Look to see Rooney off the bench now as Ferguson will delve his hand into the winter market to pick up another striker{LINK} (Mauro Zarate from Lazio??)
Manchester City are another target on this writer’s radar. Cross-town archenemies to Manchester United, the club ran by the Sheik of Saudi Arabia is close to collapse for a multitude of reasons. Roberto Mancini is unable to work and tinker, there are 4 quality players for every position (just about), and just about everyone is laughing at the lack of strength this team of titans is producing. A 0-0 loss for against Birmingham {GAME LINK} for a team that had ¾ of its squad making presentations in the World Cup is deplorable, truly disgraceful.
Side Notes: Tottenham will push for fourth place.
Top 4 for EPL
Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham.


La Liga
The past weekend was demonstrative of the idea that the title race is, in reality a two legged horse race between Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (29 pts) and Barcelona Club de Fútbol (28 pts). Villareal are third, five points back of Barcelona, and Valencia are three behind Villareal. Atletico Madrid (cross-town rivals of Real Madrid) are yet again inconsistent with getting results in league play, yet on the European competition stage they have managed to demonstrate superiority over their competition.
With Jose Mourinho at the helm, Real Madrid have finally managed to hit all cylinders in regards to the hype that surrounded the Blancos in the preseason. World Cup starlet Mesut Ozil has lit up the Santiago Bernabeau stadium with his flare in the midfield, while German compatriot Sami Khedira has become a valuable deputy to midfield maestro Xabi Alonso in the central midfield. The game last weekend at Sporting de Gijon, in the northern province of Asturias, was the first game in which Jose Mourinho was not present (due to suspension). The team´s mettle was tested, however, Gonzalo Higuain grabbed a goal at the death in the 86th minute to steal all three points from the encounter.
Barcelona Club de Futbol sit second behind Real Madrid, however, they have hit a quarter more goals at this stage in the season then they did last year. Lionel Messi cannot stop scoring, banging in two against a sad Villareal this weekend at home in the Camp Nou stadium. Critics are denouncing that the Barcelona backline is not what it once was (Eric Abidal stepping into central defense is the worst idea since goal line refereeing). Carles Puyol is getting older and is not the titan he once was in the back.
The Spanish coast team, Valencia Club de Futbol, have raised eyebrows in the past months, for both good and bad reasons. After selling off highly valued players in David Villa (Barcelona), David Silva (Manchester City), Nikola Zigic (Birmingham), and Carlos Marchena (Villareal), many placed Valencia to finish mid table by this time of the year. However, the bringing in of Roberto Soldado, Alejandro Dominguez, has only invigorated the Spanish coast team. Valencia´s win over Getafe this past weekend only solidified the idea that this new look Valencia team is silencing the critics that wrote them off from the beginning.
Side Notes: Atletico de Madrid are not even close to the form they were at last season, Golden Boot winner Diego Forlan is just recently coming off a serious goal drought, and it may be too little too late to try and reinvigorate the team from Madrid.
La Liga Top 4
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Villareal.

Italian Serie A
The Italian Serie A is the biggest mess of results and upsets in the European continent. Internazzionale are in crisis mode under Rafael Benitez (no surprise), Juventus are struggling results (once again), and Lazio are the biggest surprise this writer has witnessed in the last few years. AC Milan´s splashing for big name stars the past summer seems to have paid off (a team with Ronaldinho AND Clarence Seedorf as starters?), and Roma are rising from the ashes of its early season crisis mode. Also, in this writer´s eyes, Javier Pastore(Palermo) is the best player in the Serie A at this moment.
After a season in which they won EVERYTHING (Champions League, Italian Cup, and Italian Serie A), Inter Milan’s current form is begging critic´s to question whether Rafael Benitez knows what he´s doing. After losing out the Derby della Madonnina against AC Milan (team from the same city, and sharing the same stadium), and picking up two of a possible nine points in their last three games, many wonder how a team that went so far can come up with so little this season. Wesley Sneijder has been critical of the amount of pressure that has been heaped upon the midfielder´s shoulders, Diego Milito is an impotent shadow of his former self (a predator in the box last term with a 20+ goal count), and Samuel Eto´o has been called into action many a time this term to salvage points for Benitez´s team. Inter will barely make top 4 this season, and Rafael Benitez will be out of a job once again.
Lazio have turned the Serie A on their heads by their energetic start to the beginning of the season. Barely surviving relegation last term, the team from Rome are sitting a pretty second in the standings behind AC Milan. Defeating third placed Napoli this weekend has solidified Lazio´s status as challengers for the title this season. Argentine striker and maestro Mauro Zarate is proving his critic´s from last term wrong as he has become one of the main factors to the team´s newly attacking mentality.
AC Milan are flying high in the Italian League. After the win over archrivals Inter Milan this past weekend, the world is taking notice. With Massimiliano Allegri bringing out the best of has-been Ronaldinho, and misfit striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and handling Brazilian Robinho´s off field behavior, the Rossoneri have bagged an impressive 7 goals in the last three games (considering the ultra-defensive nature of the Italian league play).
Italian minnows Napoli are enjoying high fortune this term. Minus the loss to Lazio this weekend, Napoli´s mix of ultra defensive play, coupled with their quick paced attacking trident of Argentine Ezequiel Lavezzi, Uruguayan Edinson Cavani, and Slovakian Marek Hamsik has proved crucial in games against Cagliari, and surprisingly, AS Roma. AS Roma, themselves, are pulling themselves up from a dreadful start to the campaign. Sublime Serbian forward Mirko Vucinic has taken the reins from the aging Italian and fan favorite Francesco Totti, and has been crucial in key matchups against Inter Milan, Fiorentina, and Lazio. Provided they beat the big teams, Roma´s troubles this season can be attributed to their lack of consistency against the minnows of Serie A, such as the losses against Cagliari and Brescia, and the ties to Cesena and Parma.
Italian Serie A Top 4
Lazio, AC Milan, Roma, Juventus