All posts by h79snht.top

It’s been nearly eight months since my home team failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but the bitter taste left in American mouths after their team dropped a decisive 2-1 defeat to Trinidad & Tobago remains nonetheless. Mexico later failed to bail out the USMNT, losing to Honduras 3-2 and making that fateful October an utter catastrophe for the Stars and Stripes.This is still all too tragic, because it comes four years after the US impressively clawed their way out of a tough group stage — made up of Germany, Portugal and Ghana — making it the second straight instance they made it to the knockout round. But the seeming renaissance of American soccer has been abruptly halted, and we now must watch on our couches as other teams experience the euphoria that is the World Cup.C’est la vie. It’s no way to live life sulking while watching other fans proudly wave their flags and chant their songs in jubilation. The only option is to adopt a new team for the next month and a half, and I believe there is a great selection of countries whom I’d be delighted to root for.Below are five teams any fan should feel great about cheering for in the coming World Cup…

Iceland

One simple reason making Iceland a fantastic candidate is the fact they’re the smallest-ever country to qualify for the World Cup. It’s a puny country that’s had little to no history of football until the past decade. Iceland might come across as an underdog story, but their recent, unlikely excursion into the quarterfinals of Euro 2016 — defeating Portugal, Austria and England — put their name on the football map.

Since then, Iceland haveÂestablished themselves as a team that belongs. The country is ranked 22nd in FIFA’s world rankings, marking an impressive ascension. It’s come as a result of a local investment in the sport — Iceland built several huge indoor football facilities and made sure to pack them with experienced coaches in order to build a new era of local players.

Equally as important, though, is that Iceland are straight up out there. So are their fans. This isn’t news anymore, but their coach — Heimir Hallgrímsson — spends the other half of his life as a dentist. Aron Gunnarsson leads a band of bearded giant-killers with a “thunderclapping†fanbase behind them. Iceland’s odds to win the World Cup stand just at 250/1, but they’ve overcome long odds before.

Nigeria

There are a multitude of reasons to back the Super Eagles other than because they just unveiled what is undoubtedly the best kit in the World Cup field.

Unlike Iceland, Nigeria do have somewhat of a significant football history. They ranked fifth in the FIFA world rankings as recently as 1994 and of the last seven World Cups, Nigeria have qualified for six.

Nigeria’s had just modest success since, winning the Africa Cup of Nations in that year and again in 2013, but they bring a strong team to Russia this year. They wrangled through a stalwart qualifying group — containing the current African champion Cameroon, Zambia and Algeria — and were the first team from the continent to qualify.

They’re led by the likes of Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi and Chelsea midfielder Victor Moses.ÂNigeria have had a lack of stability the past few decades with 20 different managers serving since 2000, but they might have finally found some in current coach Gernot Rohr. There are six Premier League players in the World Cup squad, so don’t be surprised if they advance to the knockout stage for the second straight time.

Egypt

You’d be hard-pressed to find a World Cup team that relies more on a single player. One-man bands are not exactly the formula for a winning team, but Mohamed Salah proved he’s capable of bearing that load when he scored a team and league-leading 44 goals this past season for Liverpool. He carried the Reds all the way to the Champions League final, and he’ll have to overcome a shoulder injury and serve a similar role for Egypt.

Probably the only reason Egypt are even here is because of Salah, who scored five goals in six qualifying matches. The Pharaohs are historically great with seven Africa Cup of Nations titles, but they didn’t even qualify once from 2012-2015.

On one hand, this Egypt team — the first to make the World Cup since 1990 — isn’t one that inspires confidence. They’re ranked by FIFA as the 46th best team in the world. On the other, they employ one of the best players in the game right now and that can be enough to suffice if Salah plays to his capabilities in every match.

There’s something beautiful-if-infuriating about watching a deeply flawed team led by a football demigod. If that’s what you’re looking for, Egypt is your team.

ÂPanama

Tied with Saudi Arabia, Panama has the longest odds to win the World Cup final at 1000 to 1, and that alone should rouse undying support. That, and the fact that this is the country’s first qualification ever. Their president declared a national holiday last October after it happened.

Panama are the prototypical “happy to be here†team which has virtually no chance to do any damage past the group stage, but the idea of that happening is intoxicating. Imagine a scenario in which Panama make a run similar to what Senegal did in 2002. That Senegal team was also making its first World Cup appearance, and they defeated France and Sweden on their way to making the quarterfinals.

Panama are in a group with Belgium and England, two countries with top-1o odds to win the whole thing. But it’s not like they don’t have experience. Forward Luis Tejada has scored 43 goals in his 105 appearances for the Central American country, and coach Hernan Dario Gomez has led two other teams — Colombia and Ecuador — into the World Cup before.

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The qualification has brought profound pride and meaning to Panama as the nation has come to a standstill to watch these matches. A swift exit is the most likely outcome, but enjoy this delightful story while it lasts.

ÂCroatia

Of the five teams listed here, Croatia are the one with the best odds to win at 28/1. Whereas Iceland and Panama are unlikely to play more than three matches in Russia, Croatia represent the group’s best chance to make noise past the group stage.

Croatia are a quality football team, ranked 18th in the world with four World Cup appearances since 1998. They’re led by captain Luka Modric, a midfielder for Real Madrid heavily regarded as one of the best disseminators in the world. He’s backed up by great players like forward Mario Mandzukic and midfielder Ivan Rakitić.

While still an underdog when compared to countries like Brazil and Germany, Croatia are by no means worth snubbing. But their play in the qualifying games was suspect as they lost to Iceland and Turkey last year and fell to Peru earlier this year. Croatia have the pieces to make a run into the later rounds of the bracket — it’s just about individual players meshing together in a formidable way.

Russia 2018 is giving fans the opportunity to see some of their new signings in action.

One of those individuals is Stephan Lichtsteiner, who recently agreed to join Arsenal on a free transfer from Juventus.

The 34-year-old is an experienced right-back, who has won eight league titles across his career.

Some fans think that the former Lazio player will challenge Hector Bellerin for a starting spot, but judging from his recent performance at the World Cup, perhaps Lichtsteiner will be fighting for a different position.

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The defender was named in Switzerland’s starting XI for their opening Group E match against tournament favourites Brazil.

The Arsenal man’s team were automatic underdogs, but they managed to come away with a 1-1 draw after Steven Zuber cancelled out Philippe Coutinho’s opener.

On an individual level, Lichsteiner performed his defensive duties well considering that he was up against Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar.

As the graphic shows, during the match, the ex-Juventus player prevented two shots from reaching the back of the net, and also made the most interceptions than any other Swiss player.

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However, in terms of causing an attacking threat down the right-hand side, Lichsteiner struggled to make an impact.

Bellerin is known for his pace, which is something that Arsenal’s new arrival does not possess much of.

Based on the showing against Brazil, Gunners manager Unai Emery should maybe consider Lichtsteiner for a centre-back role instead.

Harry Kane’s talent has been clear to see at Tottenham Hotspur over the last few years, but now the striker is proving his quality on the international stage.

The 24-year-old is currently leading the race for the Golden Boot at the World Cup in Russia.

Kane has scored five goals for England so far in the tournament, including a hat-trick in the nation’s shock 6-1 victory over Panama – the country’s highest ever World Cup triumph.

Last season for Spurs, Kane missed out on the Premier League Golden Boot by a whisker, but he still finished the campaign with 30 goals.

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In all competitions, the hitman struck the back of the net 41 times and claimed five assists.

At the World Cup, Manchester United and Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku is not behind on four strikes, while Cristiano Ronaldo has also found the back of the net four times for Portugal.

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The five-time Ballon d’Or winner had the chance to draw level with Kane during Monday night’s Group B clash with Iran, but he had a penalty saved in the 53rd minute of the 1-1 draw.

Instantly, Tottenham fans took to Twitter to brag about Kane’s goalscoring antics, with some even suggesting that the England star is better than the five-time Champions League winner.

Unfortunately, Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Brighton was not enough to lift Aston Villa out of the relegation zone.

The Villans remain in the bottom three of the Premier League with 22 points to their name, one point off 17th-placed Watford.

While the point against Graham Potter’s side wasn’t ideal, Dean Smith made a second-half change which at least meant their trip to the Amex Stadium didn’t end in defeat.

Snapshot

The Seagulls took a first-half lead after Leandro Trossard smashed a fine strike into the bottom right corner of Pepe Reina’s goal, which left Villa chasing the game.

Danny Drinkwater had received a yellow card before that 38th minute strike, picking up a caution in the 14th minute.

Smith then made his first change by bringing Indiana Vassilev on for Trezeguet, although it was the Villa boss’ next substitute which paid dividends for the Midlands-based side.

68th minute switch paid off

In the 68th minute, the former Brentford boss decided to replace Drinkwater with Douglas Luiz, and he was almost immediately rewarded.

The Brazilian midfielder went on to grab the assist for Jack Grealish’s powerfully-hit equaliser after playing a beautifully weighted through ball into the Englishman’s path, just seven minutes after coming onto the field.

How much do you remember about football in 2019? Our quiz will test your knowledge…

Additionally, the former Manchester City man had one shot on target and won an aerial duel against Brighton, while also making one interception as well as finding a teammate with two long balls from an attempted three.

He may only have had 14 touches and made 11 passes, but seeing as one of them set Grealish up to win a vital point for the Villans, it was a move that paid off.

It was also the right thing to do given Drinkwater’s lack of impact for 68 minutes, in which he failed to record a shot on target or a key pass – it was telling that Luiz registered one of each in his 22 minutes on the field.

In other news, Aston Villa would be breaking new ground by completing this transfer…

Arsenal and Liverpool will renew one of the Premier League’s greatest rivalries as the pair meet each other at the Emirates Stadium on Monday night.

The Gunners are in search of their first three points on home soil following their shock 2-0 defeat against West Ham.

Arsene Wenger’s side bounced back from that loss to win impressively at Crystal Palace and the Gunners will be hoping that they can start a winning run when Liverpool visit, a side they beat 4-1 at home last season.

However, Brendan Rodgers’ side have changed a lot since then and perhaps, most importantly, they have tightened things up at the back.

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They go into the game off the back of two consecutive 1-0 victories over Stoke and Bournemouth respectively. The wins weren’t exactly scintillating, but that bother Reds fans too much as the table reads six points from a possible six.

However, the visit to the Emirates is certainly the Reds’ toughest test so far, and they will be hoping to get their first win at Arsenal since 2011.

But what chance do Rodgers’ Reds have at getting a win tonight? Well if the bookies are anything to go by then there isn’t much of a chance, with the Gunners fancied as heavy favourites.

Perhaps this isn’t helped by the fact that Liverpool could have to make do without their influential captain Jordan Henderson, who has a foot injury and has been playing with pain killing injections recently.

His loss will hurt Liverpool and considering Arsenal have lost just one of their last seven games against Liverpool, a player of his influence not on the field will make a huge difference to the Reds side.

When you look at how Liverpool could win tonight you would have to say that it is probably best for Rodgers to admit that his side is not as good as Arsenal and they aren’t going to play them off the park; if they were to go toe-to-toe, it would be an exciting game but ultimately you would have to say that one result is likely, and that is an Arsenal win.

Liverpool’s best chance of getting the three points is keeping the same side that beat Bournemouth, with maybe only one change, which would be Emre Can coming in for Henderson.

Keeping the same defence is crucial, as clearly they have formed a solid unit so far and have looked very tight in the two games they have played; those two clean sheets should mean they pick themselves really.

Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana, and Jordon Ibe will fill the attacking positions behind Christian Benteke, providing support for the big Belgian in the search for goals.

The side should be that and the tactics are simple, too. They will have to play fairly similarly to how West Ham did when they got a win there, and that is to set up fairly defensively and invite the Gunners on to them. They will need to be compact and allow Arsenal no spaces in front of the back four, where they are most dangerous, and they will need to force Wenger’s men out wide and force hopeful crosses in to the box, which Lovren and Skrtel should deal with.

From there they can be set up to counter attack through the pace and skill of Ibe, Coutinho, Lallana and Benteke. They should also make sure plenty of early crosses come in for Benteke, who can take advantage of Arsenal’s weakness at defending headers.

Indeed, Benteke will have a big role to play, Liverpool should also target set pieces as source of goals. They need to ensure they deliver well and put Wenger’s side under pressure whenever possible.

If they can maintain a counter attack, deliver quality into the box and keep it tight at the back there is every chance that Liverpool could get a result tonight – and perhaps even the win.

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With Chelsea all but out of the title race already, Arsenal v Manchester United today was perhaps the first big, early title clash of the season. Despite Arsenal’s blistering start to the game that they went on to win at a canter, this won’t tell us if either side can win the league, but it does show us some important things about two contenders who didn’t make the grade last season.

Manchester Untied came into this game trying to wrestle back top spot from Manchester City but ended up losing another spot and sliding down to third as they were humbled by Arsenal.

In the end, Manchester United were blown away and couldn’t get into the game afterwards. It was over after 20 minutes. We don’t know who will win the league, but we have had some questions answered

Arsenal are back in the big time

For years of talking about being title candidates, Arsenal always came up short on the big occasion. Heavy defeats away to title rivals were a regular thing – losing big against Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United over the years – but they seem to be a thing of the past. Last January, Arsenal stifled Manchester City at the Etihad and now they’ve beaten Manchester United by simply blowing them to smithereens – it was reminiscent of how they dispatched of Liverpool in April. The blip was the defeat against Chelsea, but with only nine men on the pitch, it would’ve taken an almighty effort to win that game.

Arsenal are back!

When arsenal are good, they’re very very good

You wouldn’t know it from their Champions League performances, but Arsenal are a very good team. They hit five away at Leicester last week, and Alexis Sanchez once again proved that he’s back to form by scoring twice today after his hat trick last weekend.

They were devastating on the break, and they’d have fancied beating anyone today.

United’s money hasn’t stopped them from being short-handed

In a big clash away to one of your title rivals, the last thing you want is to be forced to play two attacking midfielders at full back. After all the money United have spent since Louis Van Gaal was appointed as manager, United are still short at the back, and they looked short in the midfield today, too. With Carrick and Schweinsteiger chasing shadows for the entirety of the first half, Arsenal found it too easy.

Surely they can’t think they can win the league with their midfield playing like that?

The magic of the FA Cup spread to Salford City last weekend, in doing so it caught the attention of Manchester United fans who enjoyed watching members of the Class of ’92 celebrate their pet hobby’s success.In a remarkable blurring of the lines, Salford were painted as tiny minnows enjoying a rare treat. Their billionaire owner Peter Lim, or the five former Manchester United players that have ploughed resources into the club, obviously played no part.The whole adventure has been turned into some idyllic affair. It’s good to highlight the pros of non-league football in a time when vast numbers of supporters from top flight clubs feel disenfranchised. But if people want a genuine experience they should travel a little further to places like Stockport County. Salford City is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.If we rewind a little it’s clear to see the hypocrisy of the Manchester United fans that celebrated with their heroes this weekend. The club has got there using money that isn’t self-generated, breaking the league’s wage structure, with foreign investment that could get bored and leave at any time. That description isn’t one this writer has just aimed at Salford, it’s what United fans applied to Manchester City following their takeover from Sheikh Mansour and the subsequent rise up the league.It’s been seen as a diabolical act, one that is ruining football. How dare Manchester City invest to better themselves and catch the more successful sides. However, it’s been a thing of beauty watching the Class of ’92 dipping their hands into their pockets to prop up Salford City.It’s perfectly acceptable – normal, even – to expect them to throw cash at the non-league league problem and progress through the tiers. As United fans are pointing out: You need to invest to better the club. But it’s only okay if Manchester City aren’t the ones doing the bettering.“Foreign owners will not be mindful of tradition or club values.†That was another gem thrown at Man City fans. There’s yet to be any evidence supporting the statement regarding City’s owners and a whole stack that instantly disproves it. The new owners at the Etihad have dealt with all matters that could offend with excellent diplomacy and delicacy.

There’s no need to bring in outsiders from elsewhere if removing tradition is your thing. The Class of ’92, lads from down the road managed to change the badge and the club’s colours. It’s was outrage when Cardiff City fans experienced the same treatment, it’s part of the romance when the Manchester United connection does it without consultation.

It’s inevitable Salford City will continue to climb the leagues. The same thing happened with AFC Wimbledon. When semi-professional outfits are ran like full-time clubs it’s just a matter of time until they become fully fledged pros. There’s no issue with this. Ambition is a good thing and to aim high you have be better than what’s above you.

Salford City are beginning to see the reward for their endeavours. The problem is their ambition has been given human form and idolised in the guise of Gary and Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs. The same people that revere Salford’s efforts chastise other clubs when they dare dream big, and then achieve using similar means.

So the next time you feel like taking a shot at Manchester City for daring to invest in a youth academy or improve the Etihad, remember the Class of ’92 enhanced Moor Lane, set-up a scouting network, another youth team, and altered the infrastructure of how the club was run. This wasn’t with Salford’s money – it was given to them.

Unless Manchester United fans in support of the Salford City project think the Class of ’92 aren’t “doing it the proper way,†it safe to assume we’re all finally in agreement. There is only one way to play catch-up, and it requires outside investment and internal reshaping.

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Manchester United star Jesse Lingard has confirmed that he received an offer from Liverpool earlier in his career, according to reports from Sky Sports.

The 22-year-old has been one of the break-out stars for the Red Devils this season, with the youngster scoring the opening goal in the club’s 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in their previous Premier League fixture.

His recent displays have even earned him a call-up to the England national squad, but Lingard could only make the bench during the Three Lions’ 2-0 win over France on Tuesday.

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However, being part of Roy Hodgson’s squad is seen as an incredible achievement for the former Man United youth star, yet Lingard revealed he could have been part of a different youth setup with Liverpool.

“I was at a local club Penketh United and Mike Glennie, a Manchester United scout, came to watch me,” he said.

“He spoke to my granddad and offered me trials but there was also interest from Liverpool and I had to pick. I was only young but obviously my heart was with United at the time.

“Going through the years, I was with Larnell Cole, Mike and Will Keane, Sam [Johnstone], Ravel [Morrison] and Tunners [Ryan Tunnicliffe].

“There are a lot of lads still doing their thing at other clubs and they’re happy seeing me where I am.

“I’ve won a lot of trophies, like the FA Youth Cup and the Reserves league a couple of times, but it would top it off to win the Premier League with the first team.”

United will travel to Vicarage Road to face Watford in their next league game, with Lingard in contention to start with summer signing Antony Martial picking up an injury while playing for France.

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After Arsenal’s comfortable victory against Dinamo Zagreb in midweek, they now face a do-or-die match away at Olympiakos, which they must win in order to progress to the next stage of the Champions League – the knockout stages, which they have been accustomed to reaching yearly in the past under Arsene Wenger.

While many fans will wail and gnash their teeth at the mere thought of another season passing without their side making it to the quarters and semis of this great competition, I wonder if any will consider that the possibility of an early exit might actually boost their chances of domestic glory?

While Arsene Wenger and his players would never be able to suggest this openly, it could well be the case that they feel their chances of winning the Premier League could be significantly increased by being knocked out of Europe’s premier competition.

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We have already seen in these last few weeks that Arsene Wenger does not have the league’s strongest squad at his disposal. With injuries seeming to derail their chances in most competitions every single year, surely one less trophy to worry about would be a good thing?

The fact is that, due to not recruiting in the same way as most of their rivals each summer, Arsenal simply do not have as deep a squad as other title contenders.

This means that when the players regularly have to compete on two fronts every week, injuries and tiredness inevitably follow. Together with Arsenal’s quick, fluid passing style that encourages opponents to stick their foot in, is it any wonder Wenger is constantly bemoaning the crowded Emirates treatment room?

If Arsenal go out of the Champions League, they can pour all their energies into the two competitions they have done the best in over the last few years; the league, and the FA Cup, which they won in 2014 and retained last year.

They will not have to worry about either picking their first team in two matches a week and running the risk of fatiguing them, or playing a mix of first team and players who would otherwise be on the bench and losing anyway. As seen when the Gunners took on Sheffield Wednesday in the Carling Cup (losing 3-0 and seeing Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain injured in the process), these cup competitions can prove costly.

With only one game a week, Wenger can afford to spend that whole week training and getting his players ready for that specific match, which will also mean the team has more time to get ready for whatever that particular opponent will throw at them. Organisation and planning would improve, and no doubt Wenger would also be happy with the chance to spend a serious amount of time getting his team ready for big Premier League games, and not constantly having to give up a day to recovery with players exhausted from midweek exertions.

There is no doubt that going out of the Champions League group stages would hit Wenger and the team hard. It is possibly the world’s most prestigious competition, and Arsenal remain one of the biggest clubs never to have won it. Going out before Christmas would be something Wenger and his players would have to live with for the rest of the season.

However, these blows could yet be offset by the advantages gained – advantages which could see the Gunners maybe even go all the way in the Premier League title race.

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Whether they want to refer it to the dubious goals panel or not, Gareth Barry managed to net his first goal in a couple of years to draw Everton level this afternoon.Twitter was still in turmoil from the disaster between Howard and Stones, but the former Aston Villa midfielder provided an uncharacteristically deft finish to draw his side level.Naturally, plenty of people took this as an opportunity to relay Roberto Martinez’s extraordinary praise of the veteran midfielder.

Plenty of Villa fans were left wondering what could have been with their former star, I guess they need to forget about how the table looks.

The state of disbelief is spread out across the Twittersphere and the former Manchester City man is still producing at the highest level.

He could just be the best ever to have been born in Hastings, mind.

Some people cruelly wanted to take the credit away from the old boy..

He’s getting on a bit, but Barry still seems to split opinion as much as he ever has done.

He scored a back heel and its the most shocking thing in 2016.

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