Euro 2020(1) Semifinal Preview Part 1 – Italy vs. Spain

Two giants of European football will face off tomorrow at Wembley Stadium in London (noon PDT), and it truly is a marquee matchup between Italy and Spain. These two teams have played each other many times in this tournament, with the Italians being victorious in the Round of 16 at Euro 2016 and the Spanish prevailing in the final of Euro 2012. As alluded to, both these teams have won World Cups and both have won the Euros. Spain have three European titles (1964, 2008, 2012) while the Italians have only one (1968), but Italy has several more World Cups. No matter which you slice it, fans of both of these teams have high expectations whenever their national sides are on the pitch.

Italy

The Italians have probably been the best team at this tournament so far, dominating in the group stages and taking down a stubborn Austria side in the Round of 16. The victory over Belgium in the quarterfinals is what really sold me on this particular Italian team though. Yes they are talented, coached well, and did well against weaker opposition; but Belgium was the first real stiff test for them at this tournament and they did just enough to advance. That match was entertaining in the first half but dreadfully boring in the second, but I think that was done on purpose. The Italians had the lead, and they have a very stout defense anchored by long-tenured center backs Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. What those two lack in athleticism they more than make up for in positioning, strength, and tactical nous. It is very difficult to get in behind them, as Belgium and other teams have found out. The structure of the team is built on the resilient back line, and so far it has worked for Italian manager Roberto Mancini.

When off the ball, the Italians are on the prowl like a pack of wild dogs. Their tactics are based on pressing high up the pitch to force the opposition into mistakes, and when they are on the ball and looking to score they run directly at defenses. Italy are traditionally a team that likes to create chances through slow build up play, but Mancini has thrown tradition out the window. These aggressive tactics can be risky, but it works when you have speedy players and a solid back line. They also have the depth of talent needed to keep using these tactics late into matches when the opposition is tiring. Mancini has however kept alive the tradition of Italian shithousery (diving, moaning for fouls, time wasting), and that makes them very effective at running out the clock. If Italy has a lead with 10 or so minutes left, look for them all to start falling over like they’ve been shot every time the other team’s players go near them. Not being cynical because it’s part of the sport and everyone is guilty of it to a degree, but that is what they will do if they’re trying to protect a lead.

Players to Watch: Bonucci, Chiellini, Lorenzo Insigne, Marco Veratti, Manuel Locatelli, Federico Chiesa, Ciro Immobile

Notably absent is left back Leonardo Spinazzola. He tore his ACL in the match against Belgium, and it’s a shame he can’t play anymore because he’s been absolutely electric down Italy’s left hand side. Pace, dribbling, crosses, it’s all been magic and his loss is a huge one.

Spain

Spain are a much more curious team. They’re certainly talented of course and have a manager in Luis Enrique who has won a ton of trophies at the club level, but they have been somewhat inconsistent this tournament. They struggled to two draws in their opening two group matches against Sweden and Slovakia, but then came alive and scored 10 goals in the next two games against Russia and Croatia. In their quarterfinal match with Switzerland though they were back to struggling in attack and needed penalties to finally put away the Swiss. The inconsistency of their form and whether or not they can create quality chances will be two large concerns for Spain. Which team is going to show up?

One positive for Spain is that they do not have to worry about the Italians putting 10 men behind the ball and parking the proverbial bus in front of their own net. Italy will come at them for large portions of the match, and that will inevitably leave gaps in midfield that Spain can potentially work the ball into with their passing game. Spain’s tactics are based entirely on short and medium passes that enable them to more easily retain possession. Possession of the ball is the foundation of their tactics, the logic being that the less the other team has the ball, the less likely they are to score. Spain do not take many chances with the ball when it comes to passing the ball forward, but they are very good at passing it around the edge of the box and trying to create gaps in defenses that way. It worked wonderfully well from 2008-2012 when Spain won 3 major trophies, but a lack of cutting edge at the center forward position in recent years has frequently been Spain’s undoing. After all, you don’t win a match by possessing the ball more. You win by scoring more, and when your strikers are in poor form, all the possession in the world doesn’t really matter.

This match will be won by whichever side wins the passing/pressing cat-and-mouse game. Will the Spanish be able to pass the ball around the press effectively, or will Italy be all over them and cause them to make mistakes? The Spanish have been prone to defensive breakdowns and mistakes this tournament, most notably against Croatia and Switzerland. They will need to be at their very best in order to beat Italy. Concentration will be vital. The mental aspect of the game is so important and never gets talked about, really. It doesn’t matter what your tactics are as a manager if your players lose concentration in key moments and fail to execute.

Players to watch: Ferran Torres, Gerard Moreno, Alvaro Morata, Koke, Jordi Alba, Pedri, Aymeric Laporte

Prediction

I think Italy has the edge in terms of depth. They win a closely contested match, 2-1.

Euro 2020(1) Quarterfinals – Two Tense Matches on Day 1

A few days off were needed for travel purposes, but the Euro 2020(1) quarterfinals got underway today with the first two games. Next two are tomorrow. All 8 of the remaining teams went in to the weekend knowing they were only three matches away from European glory. Spain took on Switzerland in St. Petersburg, Russia before the heavyweight fight between Italy and Belgium in Munich, Germany.

Spain vs. Switzerland

The Spanish were favorites coming into this match, as they boasted a lot more talent than the Swiss and are in a very rich vein of form. They have scored 10 goals in their past two matches, which is always impressive at a tournament. The Swiss however will not be afraid of anyone, having already slain the Goliath known as France. Importantly however, their captain and best midfielder Granit Xhaka was suspended due to yellow card accumulation. With Xhaka out, I thought the task just might be a tad too tall for the Swiss today.

It was clear from the outset what each team’s strategy was. The Spanish started out with their traditional possession-based game and the Swiss were quite content to let them have the ball a bit. The Swiss pressed on occasion and were trying to force the Spanish into mistakes high-up the pitch. That’s not a bad strategy as Spain can be prone to mistakes at the back, but it all went to hell for the Swiss less than 10 minutes in when Spain left back Jordi Alba fired a shot from a loose ball into the Swiss penalty area. The shot was somewhat hopeful and speculative, but it was effective nonetheless as it was redirected into the Swiss goal past keeper Yann Sommer on accident by defensive midfielder Denis Zakaria. Alba was credited with the goal initially by UEFA but they later changed it to an own-goal from Zakaria, which was probably harsh on Zakaria as Alba’s shot appeared to be on target. In any event, it was unlucky for the Swiss.

The rest of the half passed mostly without incident. Somewhat tepid, to be honest. Switzerland were again unlucky to see starting forward Breel Embolo go off after 20 minutes with a hamstring injury, and Spain were guilty of wasting a good chance that resulted from a free header by left back Cesar Azpilicueta. Aside from that though, not much else happened in the first half.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first, not a lot between the two sides. The Swiss were starting to ask more questions of the Spanish defense though, and Zakaria was again unlucky to see his header go just wide from a corner. The Swiss had an excellent chance come via midfielder Steven Zuber who forced a fine save from a tight angle by Spanish keeper Unai Simon.

The Swiss got their equalizer however just five minutes after that shot across the bow via Xherdan Shaqiri, a man affectionately known as “The Cube” by supporters due to his box-like physique. Two Spanish defenders (Pau Torres and Aymeric Laporte) both went for the same ball and their collision resulted in a loose ball that was pounced on by Swiss midfielder Remo Freuler. Freuler did well to find Shaqiri a few yards to his left, and The Cube made no mistake with a finish along the ground and off the inside of the left-hand post. The Swiss had fought back again, despite not really looking like doing so for good portions of the match.

Freuler found himself in the center of things again a few minutes later, but this time for negative reasons. He went into a tackle with both feet and his feet lifted off the ground, and made some very harsh contact with the Spanish player on the ball. English referee Michael Oliver went straight into his pocket and produced a red card. Upon review it was a rash tackle, and while you don’t always get a red card for such a challenge, it is very risky to try and tackle with both feet. You are inviting danger when you do that, and Freuler was punished for it.

Spain went into the ascendency after that due to the Swiss being down a man, but they could not make the most of their advantage and failed to score another in normal time. Extra time would be needed, which was a significant disadvantage for the tiring Swiss players. Having to play another 30 minutes with 10 men whilst having already played a full 90 is positively exhausting. However, again, Spain could not take advantage, despite some excellent chances falling to striker Gerard Moreno.

Penalties came and it was evident the fatigue being felt by the Swiss players. Spain missed two penalties themselves, but the Swiss could only convert one of them. Simon made two fine saves for sure, but I saw some very tired penalties from the Swiss. They were either hit too soft or blazed over the bar, because when fatigue sets in to the legs it is very difficult to maintain your technique and control when striking the ball. Perhaps if all 11 men had played until the end it would have ended differently, but of course now we’ll never know.

Credit to the Spanish for converting their penalties, but I would be very concerned about the semifinal if I was a Spaniard. The theme of poor finishing and defensive mistakes continued today, and against a more talented side they could have easily lost.

Spain advance to the semifinals at Wembley in midweek, where they await the winner of Belgium and Italy.

Belgium vs. Italy

Loads of talking points for this match, as it probably is the most intriguing fixture of the quarterfinals. Italy have the history of winning basically everything at major tournaments, although up until this tournament started there were questions concerning inexperience among this current batch of Italian players. They’ve done well this tournament, but their previous match against Austria caused some concerns among supporters about their ability to kill of teams effectively.

The Belgians come in with their current “Golden Generation” of players that are absolutely desperate to win the first major trophy for their country of any kind. Center forward Romelu Lukaku was in excellent form, but the major concern for Belgium was the fitness of star players Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard. Both of them are carrying injuries, but De Bruyne in particular is key to Belgian success at this tournament. As I have said before, there are serious arguments for De Bruyne being labelled as the best attacking midfielder in the world. De Bruyne did play in this match but Hazard did not.

Two great managers here too – Roberto Mancini for Italy and Roberto Martinez for Belgium. Interestingly, the last time these two managers faced off it was during an FA Cup final at Wembley, with Martinez’s Wigan Athletic pulling a shock upset over Mancini’s Manchester City.

The match was a little slow to start things off, with neither side really threatening the other in the first 10 minutes. Italy had the ball in the back of the Belgian net on 12 minutes though after a free kick found center back Giorgio Chiellini for a tap in, but after a VAR check the goal was correctly disallowed for offside. Chiellini was about a foot ahead of the ball when it came off his fellow defender Leonardo Bonucci. The tempo of the match did increase after that though, as Belgium knew they were given a let off. Romelu Lukaku did well to force a save from Gianluigi Donnarumma low to his right after good work from De Bruyne on a counter-attack. Gauging how this match would go from that point, it was likely that the team that made the fewest mistakes would go on to win. These teams were simply too evenly matched to call it one way or another. Good for the neutral of course, but nerve-wracking for supporters of the two countries.

You could call this fixture a chess match given all the tactical switching and formation changes by both teams throughout the opening half, but people tend to think of chess matches as boring and this game was anything but. End-to-end play that felt at times more like basketball than footie. The pace and energy from both teams was absolutely relentless.

The Italians broke the deadlock on 31 minutes via midfielder Nicolo Barella after a poor giveaway by Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen. The ball fell to the dangerous playmaker Marco Veratti who played in Barella, and he made no mistake with his finish over the top of Belgian keeper Thibault Courtois. Italy were even more energized by their goal and were able to grab another one from winger Lorenzo Insigne 12 minutes later. The first Italian goal was good, but the second one was a work of art from Insigne. He carried the ball about 50 yards, slaloming past a Belgian defender before shooting from the edge of the box. He got a lot of curl on the ball and the pace of it gave Courtois no chance to save. Truly breathtaking and a candidate for goal of the tournament.

The drama of the first half was not over though, as a penalty was awarded to Belgium just two minutes later in stoppage time. Teenage Belgian winger Jeremy Doku did well to beat his marker with pace in the left channel, and he went down inside the box after a shove in the back. The penalty was probably soft by most standards and the Italians were strenuously complaining, but VAR checked and the penalty stood. It’s a bit rich for Italians to complain about players going down too easily anyway, when they are the ones historically known as egregious divers. Lukaku stepped up to the spot and coolly put the ball past Donnarumma after sending him the wrong way.

The chaos continued in the second half, with both sides fashioning good chances but neither being able to finish them. Both Lukaku and Insigne were on fire and there were times when neither defense could get near those two players. There were more injuries and fouls in the second half as well, which wasn’t surprising given the effort and energy being put in by the players. The stoppages were really just temporary lulls in this hurricane of a match.

But the onus was on the Belgians to find an equalizer, and the Italians made subs that indicated they were going more defensive for the final 15 minutes or so, including switching to a back-5. They battened down the hatches and simply let Belgium come at them. It should be pointed out that as the game went on the Italians were engaging in what I like to call “shithousery”, meaning they were doing everything and anything to slow down the game without being penalized for it. They were taking their time with injuries, fouls, substitutions, and just generally wasting as much time as possible. While these Italians might play more attractive football than in the past, they clearly have not forgotten their traditional methods of gamesmanship mastered by their predecessors. I don’t like it as a tactic, but of course every team does it in matches of great importance.

The Belgians just couldn’t fashion another solid chance against the impregnable Italian back line, and the whistle finally blew. Italy held on to win despite a valiant effort from Belgium.

Italy will play Spain on Tuesday, July 6 at Wembley.

Tomorrow

Czech Republic vs. Denmark (9 am PDT)

England vs. Ukraine (Noon PDT)

I like England’s chances against Ukraine but they are a team with nothing to lose. No side should be taken lightly at this point. If a team makes the quarterfinals of a major tournament, that team is there for a reason.

Wrap Up of Champions League Quarterfinals and United-Sevilla Preview

With the semifinal of Paris St. Germain vs. Red Bull Leipzig already locked in, it was time to determine the other two teams in the semifinal match. The winners of Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich and Manchester City vs. Olympique Lyonnais would advance to play each other.

Barcelona 2 – 8 Bayern Munich

That is not a typo in the scoreline there. It seems like it should be, but no – Bayern scored 8 (eight) goals against Barca and thoroughly demolished them in every way. It would almost take a separate blog post to list out all the goal action, but Thomas Müller (x2), Ivan Perisic, Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich, Robert Lewandowski, and Phillipe Coutinho (x2) were all scorers for the dominant German side. Barca got an early own goal via Bayern center back David Alaba and a 2nd from Donkey Face Luis Suarez just after half time, but Barca never got within 2 goals of Bayern after that. 

There are many reasons for such a lopsided victory, which was a record in many different ways. For one, Bayern are an absolutely ruthless and well-oiled football machine, and they do nothing but churn out goals. Every single player in the side from the goalkeeper to the forwards is excellent on the ball, and they can all pass with precision and power. Add in the fact that they seem to be able to communicate with each other telepathically at times, and you have the recipe for an incredibly dangerous team. Alaba’s blemish and a few wasted chances early on by Barca aside, Bayern were almost perfect today. All credit to their German manager Hansi Flick because I think Bayern are the best club team in the world right now and it will be difficult for any team left in this tournament to beat them. If they weren’t the favorites before, they certainly are now.

Fun fact: I learned today that Bayern have a guy from Canada playing for them! I haven’t seen a Canadian playing in Europe in ages, let alone for a major club side like Bayern. Shout out to left back Alphonso Davies for representing North America well today with a scintillating run and assist on Kimmich’s goal.

I think the other reason for the major defeat today is that Barca are a powerhouse in decline. They have been a dominant side in both Spain and Europe for the past 10-12 years thanks to the efforts of legendary players like Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Neymar, Suarez, Xavi, Carlos Puyol, and Andres Iniesta to name a few. However, the superstars they have left are all now on the wrong side of 30 and the club has not invested properly in replacements. They have relied on the greatness of Messi to bail them out for a very long time, and because he is the greatest player of all time that strategy has worked in the past. But he’s 33 now, and today he couldn’t bail them out. Bayern didn’t let him anywhere near the ball for long periods of the game and Barca’s attack was stifled significantly.

It would be easy to lay the blame for Barca’s worst loss since 1951 today solely on the players and manager Quique Setien, but truth be told the problems Barca have go much deeper than just the players and manager. I think the massive defensive errors, poor player selection, and poor tactics on display today are all symptoms of an overarching disease. As stated briefly above, the players brought in by the Barca board of directors and president Josep Bartomeu have not panned out in the way they were expected to. Further, they have let key players go that probably should have stayed, such as Coutinho. His departure stings especially because technically Coutinho is only on loan to Bayern and scored twice against his parent club today.  They are paying him to score against them! The club’s famed La Masia youth academy is not turning out quality players on a consistent basis, either.

This team plays stale tactics with players that are not where they used to be physically. It’s obvious that Setien is getting sacked before too much longer, but nothing will change at the club unless Bartomeu and the board are also sacked. The structure of the club needs to be rid of the egos that have created such a toxic environment there. Will Messi stay? Will Messi go? That is just one of many questions that need to be answered if Barca wants to return to it’s previously elite status.

Manchester City 1 – 3  Olympique Lyonnais

Before I get into the analysis here I need to take a moment to laugh at Man City. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Ha.

Right then. City came into this match as heavy favorites, and before kick off this game had a feel similar to the Atalanta/PSG match. You knew PSG were likely to win it, but Lyon’s team play and tactics are solid so you weren’t quite sure who would come out on top. City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola is considered one of the best managers in the world and he has a plethora of talent to choose from in any given game. Despite his successes at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Man City in their respective domestic leagues, he has struggled in Europe since leaving Spain. Man City have never won the Champions League and with Real Madrid and other giants like Juventus and Barcelona out of the way, there has never been a better opportunity for City to do well.

As has been a theme in this tournament though, nothing has gone according to script. Despite having the possession advantage for the first 20 minutes or so, City found themselves down 1-0 on 24 minutes after a goal from French left back Maxwell Cornet. A long ball over the top of the City defense fell to Cameroonian forward Karl Toko-Ekambi, but City keeper Ederson was quick off his line and got a block in on the shot, but the ball rebounded to Cornet who deftly hit the ball around Ederson and into the left side of the goal. It was just what Lyon needed to make City start worrying and begin to doubt themselves. The scoreline did not change after that in the first half, even though Cornet was forced to make a key block on England forward Raheem Sterling that could have easily led to a City goal. Lyon keeper Anthony Lopes was called into action on several occasions to make saves and also break up crosses into the box. It looked awkward at times for him but he and the Lyon back 4 did just enough to keep City out in the first half

City were in the ascendancy for the first 25 minutes or so of the second half, and it was via Sterling and all-world midfielder Kevin de Bruyne that they got their equalizer on 69 minutes. Sterling did well to beat his man in the left side of the penalty area, and he cut the ball back towards de Bruyne who streaked in and side-footed past Lopes. De Bruyne had been in excellent form throughout the match and the captain was easily City’s best player on the day. Excellent vision, passing, free kicks, and ball control from the Belgian today. Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus was unlucky to not put City up 2-1 when the ball fell to him in the right side of the penalty box. He tried to hit the ball on the volley first-time but accidentally struck the top of the ball, meaning most of the power in his shot went straight into the ground. The ball bounced harmlessly over the goal and out for a goal kick.

Lyon did not fold under the pressure though, and to their credit they kept attacking. Lyon manager Rudi Garcia played an absolute blinder tactically today. Guardiola was out-witted, and not for the first time this season. Garcia put on substitute striker Moussa Dembele for the largely ineffective Memphis Depay, and the dividends were paid almost immediately. City’s back line were caught high up on the pitch, and the ball was played through towards Ekambi who had made a run behind the City defense. He appeared to be offside, but let the ball run through his legs to Dembele who was streaking in behind him and to his right. Dembele had shed his marker Aymeric Laporte and after a few touches slid it under Ederson and into the City goal for 2-1 Lyon. This was a controversial goal due to not only the potential offside by Ekambi, but also due to a foul on Laporte by Dembele before he received the ball. Dembele appeared to clip the heals of Laporte in order to get around him, causing him to fall. However, VAR confirmed the goal and Lyon had restored their lead 2-1 on 79 minutes. City fans probably felt particularly aggrieved by the decision.

City pushed for an equalizer and almost had one on 85 minutes when a good cross from Jesus on the right side found an unmarked Sterling about 7 yards from goal with the keeper stranded on the other side. Sterling hit the ball first time but somehow turned the ball over the top of the goal and out of bounds. It was a very bad miss from him. Indeed, from that position and that close in it’s harder to miss than it is to put it in. City were punished for this error just 59 seconds later when the ball was won by Lyon in midfield and brought forward by substitute Jeff Rene-Adelaide. He played the ball to his left and found midfielder Houssem Arouar, who cut inside onto his right foot and lashed a shot at the City goal. The ball was only parried by Ederson and not very well, as it fell straight to Dembele who scrambled it over the line for 3-1. Sheer bedlam on the Lyon bench and utter dejection from Guardiola and City.

City forged a few more good chances in the dying minutes, but as was the case for most of the match, they could not convert and struggled to get shots on target. Many questions will be asked of Guardiola after this stunning defeat, such as why he failed to bring on more creative players when down 2-1 despite having 3+ substitutions left. City fans can only blame the referee for so much here. This loss was largely down to the tactics of Guardiola. City had 72% of the possession today but could only manage 7 shots on target over 90 minutes. That’s a very low shot-on-target rate for a team with players the caliber of which City has. Lyon’s keeper was in good form and their back-4 generally played very well to be sure, but City spent far too much time passing it around near the halfway line, and nowhere near enough time getting men forward and creating shooting chances. There was some poor finishing on display to be sure, but the missed chances hurt more when you don’t create many of them. It will be interesting to see what happens with Guardiola and the ownership of Man City going forward.

Lyon advances to play Bayern Munich in the semifinals of the Champions League.

Preview – Manchester United vs. Sevilla (Europa League Semifinal)

The Red Devils will take on Sevilla FC from the south of Spain in Cologne, Germany on Sunday at noon PT / 3 ET America time. This is a one-off match with the winner advancing to the Europa League final on Friday August 21.

United will hope for a cooler day than the sweltering weather they played in against Copenhagen, as a warm day will favor the Spanish opposition. The south of Spain is incredibly warm 8-9 months out of the year, so a bit of heat won’t really bother them. Manchester, in the northwest of England, is usually rather cold and I don’t think a lot of our English/northern European players are used to playing in heat.

Anyway, enough about the weather. I was impressed with Sevilla’s performance against Wolverhampton Wanderers in their quarterfinal match, although their victory was not without flaws. Sevilla are very good in possession, and Argentine midfielder Ever Banega pulls the strings for them in attack. He is a little past his prime at age 31, but clearly still capable of running a game for his side. They also look solid in defense as well, having shut down the Wolves attack for most of the second half.

I did see opportunities for Sevilla to be hit on the counter-attack though. The speedy Adama Traore was able to run at the Sevilla center-backs once or twice in the first half, and with some more clinical finishing Wolves may have found themselves ahead. That encourages me. Wolves have 1 player that can break quickly and attack. United have at least 4-5. I think if United sit back and absorb pressure, we can get at them on the counter-attack. Of course the passing and the timing of the counter-attacks will need to be spot-on, but I think the play of Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire will be especially important. Martial for his hold up play and passing when other forwards are running to join the attack, and Maguire for his ability to clear crosses in the air in a way that gets United off and running on the break. My expected line-up:

Romero

AWB – Lindelof – Maguire – Williams

Matic – Pogba

Greenwood – Bruno – Rashford

Martial

Paul Pogba will be given license to push forward when appropriate, and look for Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood to switch sides occasionally if the attack isn’t clicking. I expect Sevilla to try and attack us down their right side and expose the defensive frailties of Brandon Williams, so it will be the duties of Maguire and Nemanja Matic to ensure he gets extra help when he needs it.

Glory Glory Man United!

 

 

 

MANCHESTER IS RED!!! City is a Plastic Club!!!

Another chapter in the storied Manchester Derby was written today as United defeated Manchester City 2-1 away at the Etihad Stadium, located squarely in the blue half of Manchester. This was by far the best game this team has played all season, and I don’t think there is really much I can criticize about United’s performance here.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got his tactics absolutely spot-on for most of the match. We were sat compactly in midfield and defense, making it difficult for City to break us down. When we didn’t have the ball, midfielder Jesse Lingard was assigned to man-mark City midfielder Rodri, which proved effective in clogging up the midfield and preventing City from distributing the ball effectively. When United won the ball though, either in defense or the middle, Lingard was told to make runs forward at the City back line. Fred, Scott McTominay, and Daniel James were tasked with playing balls forward toward Lingard, Marcus Rashford, and Anthony Martial. Leaving Lingard forward meant that City could not press forward with their fullbacks, again taking some of the venom out of their attack.

Rashford struck first from the penalty spot after running into the City area. He knocked the ball forward and was brought down by a clumsy challenge from City forward Bernardo Silva. The referee did not signal for a penalty at first, but a VAR review was triggered and the penalty was given. City players and supporters were incensed, but most neutrals agreed it was a penalty. Credit to the referee and VAR official for getting it right. Silva essentially crashed into the side of Rashford, forcing him to fall down. Rashford stepped up to the spot and calmly buried the penalty in the 23rd minute. Even though United did not have a lot of possession, I felt they were good value for their lead. They had been getting shots away via Lingard and James before the goal, while City (for all their possession and talent) failed to create many problems for United keeper David De Gea.

Rashford went close twice after that again, with one shot going wide and the other hitting the crossbar. What was clear was that City were not prepared to deal with our pacy forwards and counter-attacking threat. They looked utterly lost when not in possession, and they had no answer for the pace and directness of Rashford, James, and Martial. It was Martial and James who combined nicely down City’s right hand for the second goal, with Martial getting a low and spinning shot past City keeper Ederson. Very poor defending from City it must be said and the keeper probably should have done better, but a goal is a goal and I felt much more comfortable at 2-0 up than 1-0. As I have said many times, this current United squad can’t defend a one goal lead against average sides, so I had little confidence they could do it against a Club with City’s attacking talent.

Even though United executed the game plan effectively throughout the match, that first 30 minutes was absolute perfection. Good defending, excellent attacking. City eventually grew into the game, securing more possession and more attacking threats usually via all-world midfielder Kevin de Bruyne. He is a top class passer of the ball and he began to assert his influence the closer the clock ticked to half time. He had a cross from the right that probably should have been scored off the forehead of City forward Gabriel Jesus, but it went wide. But United held on to half time, thanks to some excellent defensive work in particular from Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire, and De Gea. More on Wan-Bissaka later.

The second half went the same way as the first for the most part; with City having plenty of possession but causing little trouble for De Gea. United seemed a tad more reticent to break forward as well, and I worried that would be our undoing. Again, United’s best defensive tactic is to keep attacking forcing the opposition to keep their defenders back. I was concerned if we stopped doing that, City could get forward more easily and create more chances. City and England forward Raheem Sterling, who curiously has never scored against United, was having a hell of a time dealing with Wan-Bissaka throughout the match. The man affectionately known as “Spider-Man” by his teammates used his stunning pace and athleticism to consistently harass Sterling and prevent him from getting into the dangerous positions he routinely gets into. AWB effectively shut down the left side of the pitch for City, and when you have a player who can do that it’s a huge advantage. Both him and James have proven to be excellent, excellent signings. Whoever scouted those two players deserves a promotion and a raise!

But of course, it wouldn’t be a Manchester Derby without a tense ending. City won a corner in the 85th minute, and the cross from de Bruyne was met by the head of center-back Nicholas Otamendi, who was crashing down towards the goal from the edge of the area. Otamendi got a lot of power on his header, and Maguire should have done better to mark him and prevent him from getting to the cross. De Gea had little chance to make the save given the power and close range of the header, and it was 2-1. My stomach turned over because I envisioned us losing the plot mentally and conceding another. I knew that Guardiola would want his men to push forward for a victory as well.

City were denied an equalizer shortly after only due to a fine save from De Gea. Substitute Riyadh Mahrez struck a lovely low shot towards goal after some calamitous defending from United, and it was only thanks to a strong right hand from De Gea that City were not level. It was tense final few minutes of regulation and extra time, but thanks to United and OGS expertly controlling the match, the game ended without another clear chance for City. United were home and dry with 3 points! Sir Alex Ferguson was present at the match, and could be seen applauding at full time. OGS also pointed to him from the manager’s dugout in acknowledgement as the whistle went. Wonderful to see.

Time to take City down a peg or two. Just a shitty, plastic-ass (fake) club overall. They’re oil money has bought them some good players and even a few titles, but they’re still a mentally weak team. Let’s start just a laundry list of insults. For one, the City fans started off the match with a rendition of “Hey Jude” by The Beatles. A fine song, but why the hell are Manchester football supporters singing a song written by a Scouser? Idiots. Further, I want to take the chance to give a nice personal “fuck off” to Noel Gallagher, the former lead singer of Oasis and die-hard City supporter. Mr. Gallagher; a few months ago you said in an interview on the YouTube series Hot Ones that Manchester United are “irrelevant” and not a factor in the Premier League in anymore. Well, how do you feel now, sir??? I love the music of Oasis, but your disdain for United is most unbecoming.

Also a nice little “fuck off” to the City supporters inside the Etihad as well. United won a corner in the second half, but were delayed from taking it due to City fans throwing bottles and cigarette lighters down onto the pitch where Fred and substitute Andreas Pereira were trying to take the corner. Fred even got hit with something on the back of the neck/shoulder area! It’s one thing to be pissed off about how a match is going, but no fan of any club has any right to hurl projectiles onto the pitch. Utterly classless. City fans can all go eat a bag of dog poop.

I don’t want to hear about injuries either. Many pundits and City fans were talking about how the result would have been different if City were at full-strength. It’s true that City were without talisman forward Sergio Aguero today, and also center-back Aymeric Laporte, but United were also without our best player in Paul Pogba. Neither team was at full-strength today, so griping about injuries is a cop-out.

The best punishment for City fans though was to see the United players celebrating with the away supporters at full time. Great scenes. James and Rashford both threw their shirts into the crowd. OGS was over there hugging and shaking hands with all his players. Great scene of team unity and spirit at the end. There are fewer sights more welcome to the eyes of United supporters than a rapidly-emptying Etihad.

Manchester is Red once again, and I hope everyone affiliated with MUFC takes the night to celebrate. But, this momentum  must continue. Today means nothing if we don’t show up to play against AZ Alkmaar on Thursday or against Everton next weekend. We have to keep pushing and moving up the table with consistent play. OGS has figured out his best team it seems, but can they continue to play well? This performance should give the Board of Directors plenty of incentive to acquire reinforcements for OGS during January. We still need help, despite the magic worked by him today.

Manchester is Red and Glory Glory Man United!!!

The New Hand Ball Rule Is Stupid

The Premier League implemented a new version of the hand ball rule that has already had a significant impact on the season despite being barely two weeks into it. They expanded the definition to say (paraphrasing): a goal created or scored through intentional or accidental use of the hand will not count. (I added the bold)

Now obviously, a goal scored intentionally with the hand should not count. Of course. I think it’s also fair to say that a goal accidentally scored with a hand should be disallowed too. But a goal created via accidental use of the hand to be disallowed is incredibly harsh. For me, handball has always been a question of intent. Traditionally, a player has to intend to touch the ball with his/her arm or hand for a foul to be given the other way. Now however, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) has decided to greatly expand the definition of what is considered hand ball. Hypothetically, even if your arm is down by your side or on your leg, if it touches your arm at all and then goes in as a direct or indirect result, the goal is disallowed.

This is exactly what happened with Manchester City today in their match against Tottenham: (the video below is the full highlights, but the no-goal decision is at the end)

Now far be it from me, a supporter of Manchester United, to defend City’s claim that the goal should have stood. A part of me is happy it was disallowed because it sets City back in the title race. However, it’s all fun and games until it happens to your team. I don’t want a harsh decision like this one to go against United somewhere down the line!

By all standards, this was a soft call. Not a lot in it, really. The ball does come off the arm of City center-back Aymeric Laporte and then falls to striker Gabriel Jesus, but Laporte knew nothing about it! The ball came off his head and immediately down onto his arm in less than half a second. He had no time to form the intent necessary to deflect it into the path of Jesus. Never mind the fact that Jesus still had a fair bit of dribbling to do to create the opening for the shot. Referee Michael Oliver didn’t see it, none of the players on either team saw it, and no one in the stadium saw it until the replay on the screen.

Everyone was further upset by VAR catching this on the replay, but I don’t think VAR was really the culprit today. I’m not sure it is needed to review every goal and foul. I think the standard should be clear and obvious error for every situation, not just any error on the part of the ref. The standard of conduct that triggers VAR review seems to move and shift in every match, which is a problem. If all VAR is going to do is second guess the ref, then we should just get rid of human referees all together. It makes no sense to have them if the video is going to do everything. Further, the reviews and calls need to be made quicker. The City fans and players were celebrating their winning goal for 45 seconds to a minute before Oliver signaled that the goal was disallowed. City’s players were furious, and you could see Oliver passing the buck onto VAR by repeatedly pointing to his earpiece.

All VAR did today though was confirm an accurate ruling according to the law. You can’t be mad at VAR for doing what it is supposed to do, at least not in this case. You need to be mad at IFAB for greatly expanding on these rules. Much like the NFL trying to legislate on what a “catch” is and getting it wrong, IFAB has done the same thing with the handball.

A last-second winning goal in football is one of the most cathartic and joyous moments for the scoring team. The rapture and bliss you feel as a fan, player, or manager is second to none. But with the slow VAR rules and the expanded definition of handball, fans in the stadiums and at home will be second-guessing every goal that goes in. Some of that joy and fun has been taken out of the game as a result of IFAB getting in its own way.

Until a better way to officiate this rule is found, we are going to continue to see controversial decisions like this one for the rest of the season.

 

Premier League Final Weekend

Manchester City and Liverpool went into the final Sunday of the Premier League season in first and second place respectively, separated by a mere 1 point. City knew that if they beat Brighton & Hove Albion away they would repeat as Champions. Liverpool needed a victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield to keep pressure on City in case they slipped up. To ensure that no team had any kind of competitive advantage by knowing a result ahead of time, all matches kick off at the same time on the final match day.

For the first 20 minutes or so, things seemed to be going Liverpool’s way. They thought they might finally get the bit of luck they needed to win the title, as they were up 1-0 via Sadio Mane and City had actually conceded a goal to Brighton’s Glen Murray. But that didn’t last very long. Sergio Aguero, a scorer of big goals in title races past, stepped up again to equalize for City. Centre-back Aymeric Laporte got another goal before time for City, and and from there it was no looking back. City got two more goals in the second half and cruised to another title. Liverpool won as well, but in the end it didn’t really matter.

A begrudging congratulations to them, I suppose. They are record breakers in terms of points and they have assembled one hell of a team. Pep Guardiola is an incredibly tactically astute manager and has done very well at implementing his vision and style of play. Raheem Sterling, Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and Aguero are all superstars. Of course, having billions of pounds at your disposal thanks to your Middle Eastern sheikh owner helps significantly…

City winning it is better than Liverpool winning it, that’s for sure. If Liverpool were to be critical of any part of their season, it was a stretch of 4 draws in a row back in February. One of those draws was against Manchester United away, and if Liverpool had won any of those four matches they would have been champions. I’d like to think United did just enough to derail Liverpool’s title aspirations 🙂 Liverpool now hold the record for most points scored in a single season while failing to win the title with 97 points. The race for the top this season was absolutely insane, and neither team really did a whole lot to screw things up for themselves. It was high levels of football played by both clubs, consistently.

As for United, the parade of misery continued. There wasn’t a whole lot to play for today, aside from pride and a negligible difference in purse review between 5th and 6th. It would have been nice to have something positive to build on going into the summer, but that was not to be. United lost 2-0 to already-relegated Cardiff City at Old Trafford. Sadly, it was the last United match for club captain Luis Antonio Valencia, and was almost definitively the last match for several other players. Valencia has been an excellent servant of the club for the past 10 years, and he deserved a better send-off than the pile of excrement that was this match. United end the season in 6th, qualifying for the Europa League next season.

I plan on doing a full review of United’s season in another post, so I won’t go too much into all the issues and complaints I have right now. If you read this blog regularly, you already know most of what I would say anyway. This. Summer. Is. Huge. United need a lot of work over the next few months, and from a managerial/board perspective the new season starts as soon as possible. Everyone will probably take a week or two off, but they better come back ready to work.

So, a bit of an update on what’s going to happen with the blog. At some point between now and June 1 I will do the United season review. I’ll ask my hot-take colleague Jose if he wants to do a Barcelona/La Liga review as well. After June 1st I’ll do a recap of the Champions League final and maybe the Europa League final. After that England plays in the Nations League during the first week of June, so there will be coverage of that of course. In the downtime between June and the end of July, I may do some kind of meta-blog where I talk about the process of writing each post.

Things could have gone better on the final day, but they also could have gone worse.