Goal-Line Technology? No Thanks!

After a night filled with drama and heavy emotions mostly due to refereeing blunders affecting both teams, Juventus Coach, Antonio Conte went on Sky Sports Italia after the match and ended up having an argument with pundit and former Milan star Zvonomir Boban.

Boban had said that Milan's disallowed goal had more of an impact on the match than Matri's goal which was ruled offside. Boban's point was that both errors made by the referee were not equal in magnitude which infuriated Conte as he lashed out:

“I find it unacceptable that you can compare the two and say one error was more damaging than the other. Both goals were incorrectly disallowed and are therefore equal. What, was our goal not worth as much? I see no difference whatsoever. They were both mistakes.”

I do agree with Conte in the sense that had Milan been 2-0 up, they might have taken their foot of the pedal and allowed Juve to stage a comeback as they did against Napoli, and had Juve's first goal counted, then the momentum from their goal could have spurred them on to score a winner. It's difficult to speculate on what might have happened.

However, in light of recent footage,   both errors were indeed not equal, simply because Matri's disallowed goal wasn't an error!

As you can see from the picture below, at the moment the ball is played, Matri appears offside by only millimeters.

On the other hand, Muntari's goal had clearly crossed the line by a large margin.

Ball Crosses the line, while Vidal signals the referee to call for Offside

While some might say that Muntari was offside when he scored, FIFA's amendment to the offside rule refutes that suggestion: 

If a defending player steps behind his own goal line in order to place an opponent in an offside position, the referee must allow play to continue and caution the defender for deliberately leaving the field of play without the referee’s permission when the ball is next out of play. 

No doubt, the paragraphs written above would spur endless debates between both sets of fans. An aspect of the game that I fear would be lost, had technology been introduced to football. 


For years I've struggled to understand why FIFA and UEFA are so reluctant to implement goal-line technology. After-all, It's a very simple process that would cost clubs less than a week's wage of their lowest earning player to implement- and I'm certain that they would be happy to do it. The only conclusion, which is primarily based on twisted logic is that the organizing bodies actually want these sorts of errors to happen.

Referring mistakes cause plenty of emotions and spur post-match debates for weeks and months. After-all, no fan is going to stop supporting their team because the referee made a mistake, on the contrary, the fans cheer louder and the players play harder when they feel hard done by a certain decision.  

Yes one mistake could result in a team being knocked out of a competition, or in extreme cases, lose the Final of the Champions League or World Cup, and FIFA argue that it's all part of the game. Now I realize that they just might have a point. 

With technology in football, there would be no heated post-match debates like the ones Boban and Conte experienced. There would be no journalists writing about why the goal should have stood ; no articles by fans justifying their team's superiority; no arguments among friends and colleagues about what would have been if that penalty kick was given. Not the worst thing in the world since the result will be a fair one, but it eliminates a lot of the drama and emotions associated with football, and that would certainly be taking something away from the game. 

In the NFL, for example, your team scores a touchdown, the whole stadium erupts in celebration; only for the officials to call for an "official review". The officials take about 30 seconds going over video replays to decide whether the touchdown stands. Fair to both teams, no doubt, but the excitement is greatly diminished.  

After watching a few NFL games, I think to myself,  will football every come to that ? The advantage is that refereeing errors would be completely eliminated from the game. But I don't particularly like the idea of waiting 30 seconds for the officials to assess whether a player was offside , whether it was a corner or a goal kick, a yellow or a red, a penalty kick, a handball, a goal , etc. That would no doubt reduce the enjoyment I get from watching the beautiful game. 

It is in that respect that the organizing bodies may have a point in refusing to give in to demands of introducing technology to the game. If they start with goal-line technology, it would open new doors, and after that, who knows where it ends. 

Milan and Juventus share the spoils: Match Analysis

The Real Derby D’Italia had everything, from intensity, tactical strategy, goals, refereeing blunders, and controversy. With only 2 points separating second place AC Milan from first placed Juventus, the match at the sold out SanSiro Stadium was highly anticipated by both sets of fans.

Milan fielded their usual 4-3-1-2 formation with Antonini, T.Silva, Mexes, and Abate at the back, Nocerino, Van Bommel, Muntari in midfield, and Emmanuelson playing behind Pato and Robinho.  It is interesting to note that over the past few games, Allegri seems to have slightly altered the 4-3-1-2 system into a 4-3-3 with Emmanuelson pushing up front at certain points in the game.

Juventus went into the game with a 3-5-2 formation. Barzagli, Bonnuci, and Chiellini in defense. Pirlo , Vidal, Estigarribia, Marchisio and Leichsteiner in midfield, while Qualiarella played alongside Borriello in attack. The most surprising part of Conte’s selection was his decision to keep both Vucinic and Matri on the bench.

The game started off with pace from both teams, Milan then started pressing Juventus high up the pitch, and with only 3 defenders, Robinho, Pato, and Emmanuelson, effectively closed down Juve’s option to build up their play from the back.  

This forced them into playing long, less accurate, less dangerous passes.

The opening goal for Milan came as a direct result of their game plan. Bonucci was left with little passing options, and was forced to play a woeful pass which resulted in Nocerino’s eighth goal of the season.

Milan’s continuous pressure forced Juve’s wide midfielders into a defensive position, and hence formed a 5-3-2, instead of their intended 3-5-2, foregoing their numerical advantage in midfield and greatly limiting any supply to their two forwards, who had to run into their own half to get a touch on the ball.

Milan continued to dominate the first half creating a number of attempts, the most significant one being a shocking disallowed goal from a Muntari header. Buffon scooped the ball out of his goal after it had clearly crossed the line, the whole stadium could see that it was in, but the referee signaled for play to resume.

Conte adjusted his formation late into the first half to a 4-3-3 but that wasn’t enough to get them back into the game as Marchisio was well out of form and the Borriello/Qauglia partnership upfront provided very little mobility.

In the second half, Milan brought on El Shaarawy for Pato, as Juve replaced Estigarribia with Pepe, and Vucinic for Borriello.  Milan still created a few more chances but eventually began to tire as Juventus started to dictate play.  

Conte brought on Matri for Quagliarella on the 70^th minute; Allegri responded by substituting Emmanuelson with Ambrosini, changing the system to a 4-4-2.

With 10 minutes to go, Matri’s goal was incorrectly ruled offside by the same linesman that ruled out Muntari’s goal in the first half. After some protests by the players, Juventus continued their relentless search for an equalizer. Milan did not heed the early  warning and continued to play at Juve’s frantic pace until Matri struck again from an assist by Simone Pepe with only 7 minutes left on the clock to make it 1-1.

The game opened up in the final minutes with both teams searching for a winner. However, Juve’s assault was put on halt as Vidal got himself sent off for a tackle from behind on Van Bommel in the last minute of the game. However, there wasn’t enough time for Milan to make use of their numerical advantage as the game ended at 1-1 with tension still flaring at the San Siro.

Closing Points:

·         In 45 minutes, Pato had 7 touches of the ball, 4 of which he gave away possession.  Apart from a few moments where he was applying pressure high up the field, his presence was non-existent. Looks entirely out of his depth, bereft of confidence; a quarter of the player he was 2 years ago.

·         Marchisio hasn’t been effective in recent games providing little quality to the squad, both defensively and offensively.

·         Conte’s decision to exclude Matri and Vucinic from the starting lineup was quite bold, and possibly a mistake on his part, but it paid off nicely as both strikers came on full of energy ready to face an exhausted Milan side.

·         It seemed more logical to bring on Matri for Borriello , and then Vucinic for Quagliarella. The way Conte structured his substitutions meant that Vucinic had to play as a striker – a position he isn’t accustomed to- for about 10 minutes until Matri came on.

·         While Milan’s pressing and closing down has been impressive in the last few games, they don’t seem to have enough fuel in the tank to make it last for a whole 90 minutes.  Muntari and Robinho’s drop in energy levels were quite evident during the last quarter of the game.

·         In close games, Milan is greatly missing the experience and influence that Nesta brings to the defensive line. In the play that led up to the Juventus equalizer, T.Silva naively headed the ball into a dangerous position-when he could’ve easily cleared it- putting Antonini in a compromising position.

·         It was a great tactical battle between Allegri and Conte who changed things up a few times during the game. However, Allegri still had a substitution in hand and could’ve brought on Inzaghi in the final minutes after Vidal’s sending off. His inaction suggests that he wasn’t willing to take the risk in the final minutes – considering the emotions flaring on the pitch, it was probably a wise choice too.

Twitter id: @eyehab

Napoli 3 Vs 1 Chelsea : Match Analysis

A great match to watch , albeit due to shaky defending from both teams, it was free flowing football played at an enjoyable tempo.

Napoli have played the same way for 2 years, their unconventional 3-4-2-1 formation and their high tempo, counter-attacking style has been tailored to suit the abilities of their players. The wide midfielders, Zuniga, and Maggio, drop deep to form a 5 man defensive line, and also push forward to form a 5, sometimes 7 man offense. They are a team that doesn't like to have too much of the ball, and prefer to base their attacks from interceptions or dispossesing opponents.

Chelsea are still trying to find a formula that works, the Stamford Bridge outfit is going through a transition phase with intense pressure on the players and the manager Andre Villas-Boas. They haven't been clear with their tactical ideas and playing styles, and continue experimenting with different formations. 4-2-3-1 was the chosen plan to face the Serie A side. Going into this game, consensus was that Chelsea's advantage would be the experience of their players who are accustomed to this level of competition with the team. However, with Essien, Lampard, and Obi left out on the bench, their experience advantage was mostly forfeited.

The match began at a high tempo with Napoli looking the more dangerous side as Cavani was played onto a 1-on-1 situation which was saved by Peter Cech, making him the first goalkeeper to save a Cavani shot in the Champions League.

At 27 minutes, Paolo Cannavaro made a mess of an easy clearance in-front of his goal as Mata placed it into the back of the net. 1-0 for Chelsea. Napoli looked shocked after going a goal down, Cannavaro and De Sanctis looked especially nervous and Chelsea could've doubled their lead on a few occasions. It took the home team a few minutes to regain their focus and start seriously looking for a goal.

The equalizer finally came from a wonderful Lavezzi strike at minute 38. Lavezzi went on one of his usual runs on the left channel and cut through to the center- Raul Meireles looked on course to close down the talented Argentine before he inexplicably moved away from him, giving Lavezzi enough time to have a cup of tea before setting up his shot and placing it into the bottom right corner of the net.

With the scoreline at 1-1, Napoli looked hungry for the winner, which presented itself before the end of the half. Cavani directed the ball into the net using his shoulder as Inler played a wonderful ball that passed right in-front of Ivanovic and Cahil - who should've done better to clear it to safety. Chelsea's appeals for handball were dismissed by the referee and 2-1 was the result at half-time.

For a side whose strength are transitional play and counter-attacks, Napoli went into the second half to do just that. With no changes in either team's lineups, Chelsea took control off the game , pressuring their opponents, and creating a few half-chances. Chelsea grew more confident,pushed forward more than what was necessary and were almost punished as Lavezzi shot wide with only Cech to beat.

On the 65th minute, and arguably during Chelsea's best period in the match, David Luiz made a mess of what should have been a simple clearance as the ball bounced off Cavani’s chest, and while most players would’ve just attempted a shot, Cavani showed his class and vision by luring Cech out of his goal and waiting for Lavezzi’s run before calmly setting up his team-mate onto an open Chelsea goal. 

After the third goal, the game settled into a slower tempo as Chelsea looked demotivated and Napoli looked content with their 2 goal cushion. In an attempt to liven things up at the 70th minute mark, AVB decided to finally bring on the heavy artillery, Lampard and Essien made their way onto the pitch for Meireles and Malouda which saw Sturridge move into the left channel. 

Nicolo Frustalupi, who was deputizing for Walter Mazzari as he serves out his 2 game suspension, responded to Chelsea's reinforcements by bringing on Dzemaili for Lavezzi , effectively forming a more defensive minded midfield. 

The blues continued to put pressure on Napoli and tested the keeper through a few long range shots, however, it was always Napoli who looked more dangerous as they often caught their opponents  on the wrong foot. With 10 minutes to go, Hamsik dribbled past his marker and played it across the face of the goal to the waiting Maggio who could've made it four, were it not for Cole's goal-line clearance.  

Closing Points: 

* Possibly all four goals tonight can be pinpointed to basic defensive errors. It looked like P.Cannavaro and David Luiz were competing for who can defend worse.

*Cavani's shoulder goal could've been cleared by either Ivanovic or Cahill, but they both assumed the ball was going out to safety and under-estimated how clinical the Uruguayan striker really is. 

* Meireles does have something to offer this Chelsea team,  but he seems uneasy in his position as a deep-midfielder. (Which was evident from his reactions to a few situations throughout the game, most notably , the one that led to Lavezzi's equalizer)

* Chelsea were superior in every single statistic in this match except the most vital 2: Attempts on Goal, and Goals scored. Lots of possession and no goals. 

*A 2 goal cushion can be over-turned, especially with the suspect defending we saw tonight. Napoli have the advantage though since the Blues will be looking to attack at Stamford Bridge, and Napoli are the masters of the counter-attack.

Chelsea getting what they Deserve!

Winning the Premier League and battling for the Champion's League trophy were the primary objectives of Chelsea FC for most of the past decade since Roman Abramovich took charge. Now they find themselves struggling to earn a Champions league spot in the Premier League, and are staring at an inevitable exit from the Champions League. 

I say this with confidence because I believe that Chelsea are going through an internal struggle, and if they are to stand a chance against well organized, clinical opponents (which they are likely to meet sooner or later in the CL), they must sort out the problems within their ranks first. 

Andre Villas-Boas: 

He made a name for himself in Porto, he had his player's behind him, went a whole season unbeaten! Broke records for most consecutive wins and most points captured in the Portuguese league. With no experience as a professional football player, and only 9 months of coaching experience in Portugal, Andre Villas- Boas took the helm at Porto and went on to win 4 trophies in his first year in Football Management. A dream start for AVB's career, which surely caught the attention of Abramovich who forked out 15 million Euros to bring this young magician to take charge of Chelsea, believing him to be the Alchemist with the Master-Plan who will finally deliver him the Champions League Trophy that has evaded the club so far. 

A few months later, a different story unfolds. Now Abramovich finds his team struggling to compete under his newly appointed tactician. As the season unfolds, their performances have slumped, conceding amateur goals, lacking clarity, ideas, consistency. They certainly don't look like the strong and stable Chelsea that we have been use to over the years. 

Andre Villas-Boas is now in a difficult position. But can you really blame him? Suddenly, a man with minimal experience as a coach must deal with players of a similar age group to him, who have had significant achievements, with big ego's. It is certainly not an easy task for either side. For a player like Lampard, Terry, or Cech to actually listen to AVB and treat him as not only an equal , but as a superior...imagine that. No surprise then,  as soon as AVB announced his no-Lampard lineup, tension began to mount. 

AVB in a difficult position... Literally

He is the coach in the end, and he selects the players , however, excluding Lampard is something AVB would have probably avoided if he were a bit wiser. Lampard is still one of the best players on the team, and as a new comer, even if you're the boss, you need to get the players who have the most influence, on your side. Had that happened , you would probably have seen more unity and team spirit in the dressing room and on the field. Alas, it seems like Villas-Boas' ego caught up with him as well...with an aggressive attitude and the mindset of turning the whole club around , AVB expects everyone to do his bidding. 

This doesn't imply that he is a poor manager or coach. He might have made a few wrong decisions, it can happen to anyone, especially at the start of their career, but the main issue here is that AVB doesn't seem to have the support of his players. A fundamental problem that usually ends with the departure of the manager. 

  Roman Abramovich:

Roman Abramovich

I've always wondered how irrational people such as Roman Abramovich end up being billionaires. To recap, this man paid 15 million Euros for a new-unproven manager who has won 4 titles in his 1 year career to replace Carlo Ancelotti, a World-Class manager who has won 14 major trophies, including 2 Champions League Tournaments during his 17 years of experience as a manager. Carlo won the Premier League and the FA cup in his first season in charge at Chelsea. In his second season, Chelsea finished 2nd, only 3 points behind eventual winners, Manchester United. (who also eliminated Chelsea from the CL Quarter Finals). Carlo had expressed more than once his desire to keep his job, yet found himself sacked at the end of his second year with Chelsea. 

Lets not forget that Abramovich is a man that has contributed to the departure of Mourinho from Chelsea, and subsequently sacked Scolari and Ancelotti. History, therefore is not on young AVB's side. 

Lets also not forget that since Abramovich took ownership of Chelsea, the club has witnessed it's most successful period in it's history , however, this doesn't change the seemingly irrational reactions Abramovich has when it comes to sacking and hiring managers. 

Maybe he has a mysterious footballing philosophy in mind that he would like to see his team play, but no manager so far has succeeded in translating it onto the pitch? Who knows how these Billionaires think...

In the end, the trigger happy Russian is now getting what he deserves through a current Chelsea team that is average on all counts and can only hope to somehow salvage Champions League Qualification from this mess of a season. 

The even sadder part is that Abramovich probably won't learn anything from this experience as he is likely to continue churning out top quality managers year after year, who given time, would've achieved something for Chelsea and their fans. 

AC Milan vs Arsenal : Analysis

Hands down, the best performance that AC Milan has produced this season. the Italians had a sense of urgency in their play, they looked hungry, the look on their faces was that of determination and above all, they played with a confidence that made it look easy. 

I was immensely surprised at the inclusion of Kevin Prince Boateng in the starting line-up as he has just recently resumed training with the squad and his performance tonight proved how much he missed playing for the shirt. His influence on the pitch is an intangible asset to the team as he gave his teammates the much needed energy boost they were missing in their last few games. I don't think I was the only one who was surprised by KPB's inclusion in the starting lineup as Arsenal didn't appear to have anyone marking him. KPB was effectively free to link up play between midfield and attack without any real issues. 

The first few minutes were a little worrying for Milan as Arsenal exposed some space behind Van Bommel , and put in a few counter attacks. As Milan settled into their positions, Arsenal began passing the ball around with no real threat, and Milan's pressing pressure started taking shape. Although Milan had less of the ball than their opponents, they looked far more dangerous with it, and the opening goal came from a poor Szczesny clearance that found Nocerino who expertly lofted the ball to Boateng in a tight angle. He took the shot , and in off the crossbar. 1-0 for the Home team. 

It was interesting to see what Arsenal's response was going to be after going a goal down, but nothing changed. Milan looked even more dangerous and confident that even Antonini, who should've had his hands full marking Walcott, was bombing forward and had two close attempts on the Arsenal goal. 

 The Arsenal defenders played the offside trap a few times successfully but were quickly losing their organization and it was only a matter of time before Ibrahimovic burst forward breaking the offside trap to set up Robinho for Milan's second goal of the evening. 

2-0 down, Arsenal resume their slow build up play , boosting their possession statistics, giving Milan all the time in the world to close down, mark players and read their plays. Where was that speed advantage that Arsenal were talking about? 

Wenger removes the anonymous Walcott at half time for Henry. This looked like a change to a 4-4-2 formation and I fully expected Arsenal to base their attacks on the wings now (especially the right wing that Antonini is in charge of defending). Milan, however, counters this effectively by pressing their wide midfielders back into their own half with Robinho and KPB also providing defensive cover while Arsenal had possession. 

The third goal from Ibrahimovic again, who really took charge of the game with a variety of dribbles, touches, flicks, he was really enjoying himself and Arsenal had no answer for him. He produced a nice set up for Robinho who found himself in some space to shoot after Vermaelen slipped while trying to change directions. Uncharacteristically, Robinho made no mistake, putting the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. With 40 minutes left, Arsenal looked like they just wanted to go back home. Wenger brought on Chamberlain for Gibbs who added some momentum to Arsenal's play. The Premier League side continued their possession game with little or no real threat apart from a Henry-Van Persie play which saw RVP unleash a goal bound shot where Abbiati pulled off an incredible save to deny Arsenal that vital away goal. 

Ambrosini was brought on in the 70th minute to relieve KPB and provide defensive support in midfield to Van Bommel. 

Score Board at the SanSiro

In the 79th minute, Ibrahimovic struck again, forcing Djourou into commiting a foul inside the area. Ibrahimovic steps up to take the PK and scores a well deserved goal to wrap up his incredible performance. Milan could've scored one or two more in the dying minutes of the game from attempts by Pato who was brought on to replace Robinho. 4-0 for AC Milan was the final verdict, Arsenal completely outclassed, outplayed, and tactically outsmarted. 

Closing Points: 

* Milan played a perfect game, but it seemed to me that Arsenal were not mentally prepared for this fixture. The players looked shocked after the first 7 minutes and never really got out of that state. Felt like they were expecting a much, much easier game. 

* The gap in Arsenal's defense could fit a bus. No positioning, no organization, no communication, it was an awful defensive display. The players just looked very uncomfortable in their positions. 

* Arsenal simply left KPB to roam around the pitch without being marked... How can Wenger miss that? He can spot talent in a 12 year old, but  can't see that KPB is not the man you don't want to be marking? No, he is not the same player he was at Tottenham.

* In addition to KPB not being marked, Robinho easily lured the center backs out wide , leaving Ibra with tons of space to put on a show at the San Siro. 

* Arsenal had most of the ball in the game (57%), more accurate passes than Milan, but only had 2 real chances to score. Instead of Utilizing their wings and attacking Antonini's side with force and numbers, they inexplicably played to Milan's strength by trying to force their attacks through the middle. 

* Most Milan fans wanted to see El Shaarawy make his CL debut tonight, they got Pato instead and were disappointed with his short cameo. On the contrary,  I thought he looked energetic and lively although he squandered a sure goal at the last minute. 

* The state of the pitch at the San Siro was used as an excuse by the English commentators and many Arsenal fans. I don't get this, Were Milan are Arsenal playing not playing on the same pitch? 

 (The pitch was  relayed 2 days ago due to terrible weather in Italy, It was the first time Milan played on the   new surface as well.)

* Arsenal need nothing short of a miracle to qualify for the Quarter-Finals, they must score 4 goals without conceding a single one. (If Milan score a single goal, Arsenal would need to win by a 5 goal margin) ... I just don't see that happening. 

 

AC Milan vs Arsenal : Preview

Undoubtedly one of the most important games for AC Milan this season, not just because it is a knockout home encounter against a side who can be very dangerous, but also because Milan were sinking into a vicious cycle of Zero victories in 4 games until they managed to take 3 points from Udinese on Saturday in the final 20 minutes of the game. Hardly a convincing victory, but vital for confidence and team spirit. 

Now, 4 days later, Milan need to overcome another challenge in what is probably the most critical month of their season. While the likes of Prince, Pato, Nesta, and Abbiati have returned from the infirmary, Pato and Prince have been out for quite a while and will probably need a gradual re-introduction into the first team , hence neither of them would be likely to start against Arsenal tonight. It is true that Milan have a poor record in the head to head matches against the top 6 Italian sides, however, I wouldn't say they were severely outplayed in many of those head to head games, in addition, their head to head ties mostly occurred when Milan had to do without 13 of their players. The main concern for Milan will be fatigue as there has been little rotation for Ambrosini, Seedorf, and Van Bommel who have been playing twice a week for the past 3 weeks, they look like they're about to use up the last drop in their reserve tank and will really need to dig in deep to stay focused and energetic this evening. 

Arsenal are going into this match on the back of two wins, A comprehensive 7-1 victory against Blackburn, and a 2-1 last minute win against Sunderland. However, Arsenal are not known to be the most consistent team in the world and their form is something that I don't believe will have much influence on the match at hand. Arsenal, like Milan, have also had more than a fair share of injury problems this season and will be heading into the match without Mertesacker (which may not be such a bad thing) , Diaby, Jenkinson, Wilshere, and Gervinho. 

Milan will probably field their battling midfield trio Consisting Van Bommel, Ambrosini, and Nocerino, with either Seedorf or Emmanuelson playing as a trequartista. Upfront, Robinho is the most likely candidate to join Ibrahimovic, and the back four will most probably be Abate, Thiago Silva, Nesta, and Antonini. 

I don't expect to see Arsenal change their set up for this match, so it would be RVP upfront supported by Ramsey, Walcott and Chamberlain, Arteta and Song. With not much options for the back four, I predict Sagna, Vermaelen, Koscielny, and Coquelin to be called for defensive duty. 

Final Thoughts: 

Both teams like to play possession football and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top and takes control of the match. 

Both teams have been largely dependent on one man to make the difference , RVP for Arsenal, and Ibra for Milan. Whoever is in better form will give his team the advantage this evening. 

Milan's players have much more experience playing in the champions league and it will be a match between experience and wisdom against youth and enthusiasm. 

Milan's midfield can be characterized as a defensive , combating midfield with limited creativity. They can ve  very aggressive and allow little time and space for Arsenal, but at the same time, they generally are not very dangerous with the ball. (Especially without the presence of KVP). 

Leverkusen Vs Barcelona: Barca on their way to the Quarter Finals

Barcelona went out with a full strength side minus Pique, Xavi, and Villa (who has sustained a long term Injury) and fielded their usual 4-3-3 formation. Leverkusen unsurprisingly went into the game to defend and fielded a 4-5-1 formation with one of the 5 players in midfield floating around in front of the defenders, a drastic change from their usual 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-1-2 formations. In reality it was really a 10 man defense which Barcelona were up against. 

For 40 minutes, Leverkusen succeeded in limiting Barca's threat apart from 2 minor chances , 1 from a free-kick and another from a defensive error. At this point , Barcelona had a staggering 78% ball possession , the highest ever statistic recorded in the champions league for Ball Possession , and while they did break a record, they just couldn't find any chances as the Leverkuson boys were diligently closing down their players and reading the game quite well until the 41st minute, one of the few times where Leverkusen decided to push up. They were dispossesed in midfield and simply couldn't catch up with the speed of Barca's counter attack as Sanchez put the ball in the back of the net. The relief could be seen on Guardiola's face and his players. 

Sanchez's goal was a complete game changer. Leverkusen were so close to taking the 0-0 scoreline into halftime and give their players the rest they so desperately needed as it is not easy to close down Messi, Iniesta,  Dani Alves, Sanchez, and Pedro for 40 minutes. In addition, had the 0-0 scoreline persisted, it would've been a completely different half time team talk from Robin Dutt . Either way, with 4 minutes left, their plan was shattered. What now for the German team? Should they go out and look for an equalizer? Should they resume their defensive display? It's one of those times when very few people in the world would've liked to be in Dutt's shoes. 

So the second half began and it was apparent that Leverkusen had changed their mindset. It is the primary problem with playing a heavily defensive tactic (if you concede then you are forced to alter your side's mentality, which is quite difficult on the players mid game). 45 minutes ago, they were mentally prepared to go out and defend, and 45 minutes later, they are now instructed to attack. It just doesn't go down to well with the team. Either way, Leverkusen didn't appear to change much in their formation except that the defense and midfield were now further up the field. The game was somewhat more evenly matched and a dozen times more entertaining as both teams were now actually trying to score. Leverkusen grabbed the equalizer with a header from Kadlec 7 minutes into the second half. 1-1 was the score. 

Leverkusen barely had enough time to celebrate the goal as Sanchez struck again on the 55th minute from a wonderful defense splitting through ball from Fabregas (goes to show that sometimes you simply cannot defend against such quality). The game opened up a little more with both Barca and Leverkusen getting a handful of chances, with the left side of Leverkusen's defense being exploited continuously by Barcelona as Kadlec would often charge forward leaving plenty of space behind him with not enough men to cover. Finally, in the 88th minute, Messi put the game beyond doubt from a cross played by Dani Alves who charged forward into the acres of space in Leverkusen's left and had all the time in the world to deliver a well timed cross to the Argentine. 3-1 the final scoreline, and Barca can go into the second leg feeling quite comfortable. It is certainly not over yet, as we have seen team's make some mind blowing comebacks in the past. However, the possibility of this happening to Barcelona at Camp Nou is quite low. 

Final Thoughts: 

• Barca didn't look sharp enough in the first half and Xavi's presence really has an enormous effect in midfield. They produced a better display in the second half as some space opened up.
• Adriano and Iniesta really didn't link up that well on the right , and it was no surprise that all of Barcelona's goals came from the right. 
• Leverkusen had plenty of set pieces, and considering they do tend to score many goals from freekicks, they didn't really utilize their set pieces properly
• Leverkusen are a team that usually win a large percentage of the aerial duels, it was quite surprising that the team focused on keeping the ball on the floor playing short passes, instead of playing to their aerial strength. 
• Leverkusen need to score at least 3 goals in Camp Nou to have any chance of qualifying and with absolutely nothing  to lose in their away trip, I'm expecting a free flowing attacking game from both sides with plenty of goals. 

The Champions League/ Europa League Knock-out Phase Psychology

It is really fascinating what the away goal rule does to a team.

Normally, when a team plays at home, they usually have the advantage over their opponents and would look to exploit that home advantage. It is not unusual to expect more of your team when they play in front of their own fans, however, the fear of conceding an Away goal seems to cripple the team and negate the home advantage. Playing the first leg of a two legged fixture at home is a great disadvantage that seems to be ignored by many. 

It is not an illogical decision by the team managers to play a defensive game at their home grounds since if they do succeed in maintaining a clean sheet and securing a bore 0-0 draw, the team can then go onto the second leg with the comfort of knowing that a single goal will be enough to see them through , provided they don't lose the match. 

This defensive display by teams playing at home in the first leg of European Competitions has analysts and fans furious as they believe that if the team plays negative football at home, then how much worse will they be on the road?!. But what they don't realize is that if a goal is conceded at home , it infinitely complicates things in the away fixture. Having lost by a single goal at home, the players must go out with a mindset of scoring two goals, which opens up their defense and they may end up conceding more. 

It is foolish to ignore the away goal rule and simply play your usual game (unless you're Barcelona). Obviously more care and caution is required in the first leg , especially for the home team with the main focus being to maintain a clean sheet (at the expense of winning the game). Then the manager should adjust the game plan for the away fixture based on the home result.   

Expect to see a lot more of this trend of defending at Home and attacking on the Away fixture over the next few weeks of European Football. 

Udinese Vs AC Milan - Analysis

Before the game I was looking forward to seeing how a Robinho, El Shaarawy front line would function as both forwards usually like to come from behind and neither can really be used as a target man.

Udinese came on the field in the first half seemingly convinced that they had what it takes to defeat Milan and add to their misery. Truth be told, Udinese were not brilliant in the first half, but Milan put on what was probably their worst performance this season.

Udinese defended deep and looked to catch Milan on the counter-attack, and they did have plenty of them as Seedorf played one too many misplaced passes, and without the presence of Ibra as a target man for long balls , Udinese  found themselves winning most of the balls in the air. On the 20th minute, Udinese opened up the score from a Di Natale shot that took a slight deflection off Thiago Silva, who in my opinion should have done better with that. Indeed Thiago Silva has been playing below his level in the last couple of outings.

Milan's reaction after the goal was non-existent, they were lifeless, boring to watch, and looked out of ideas. There are not many players who can outpace Abate, but Armero is one of them, completely taking over the left flank (Milan's right) with some help from team mate Antonio Di Natale.

It was 34 minutes and Milan had their first attempt from far far away, a weak shot by Seedorf. Milan looked anything but dangerous, and had they been facing Udinese on one of their good days would've probably conceded more goals. Milan only had one more attempt on goal from their center back, Mexes, from a long range effort directed at Handanovic which he saved effortlessly.  So with 45 minutes gone, Milan's offense had failed to create a single opportunity. Ambrosini made some interceptions, Seedorf just passed to nobody, Emmanuelson was trying to figure out how he can help Abate out, Robinho putting his usual insignificant performance, and El Shaarawy barely touched the ball. No runs, no overlaps, no switching play, it was such a static side that even Udinese couldn't believe how easy it was to defend against. The only Milan player who tried to free himself and make some space in the first half was Nocerino.

Allegri was in a tough situation, 14 players unavailable and none of the players on his bench were proven game changers. In fact, in midfield, the only available substitutes were Primavera players who were probably in the roster just because he needs to submit a list of 18 players. A good speech and injecting either Maxi Lopez or Inzaghi are the only options he had.

Milan came onto the second half a changed side, they showed determination and a hunger that was missing in the first half. Seedorf finally started to get his act together and read the game well by dropping back and creating some space for either Emmanuelson, Robinho, or El Shaarawy to slip into. Milan looked a notch better, but still no significant danger was created and Ambrosini turned into the best player on the pitch, holding the ball , intercepting, and passing. Great for Ambrosini, but not so great a statistic for a trailing team to have your holding midfielder stand out this much. At the 66th minute, Allegri finally chose to bring on Maxi Lopez for Nocerino.

In truth, this was a great substitution by Allegri and not many would have agreed with him at the time, including yours truly. There was no doubt that Maxi Lopez had to be introduced as the team clearly needed a physically strong target man to act as a base for their attacks, but who has to come off was the trickier question. Nocerino was contributing well, Emmanuelson was also doing his part , albeit mostly defensively, and Seedorf just didn't look sharp. I would've probably removed Seedorf for Maxi Lopez, but what I failed to see until later in the match (after the introduction of Lopez) is that Seedorf's movements and not so much his touches, were creating some problems for Udinese. Seedorf's tactical awareness is indeed far superior to Nocerino's.

It was surprising to see how Maxi Lopez changed the dynamics of the team. Very few fans would have predicted that Maxi Lopez would be capable of changing anything, but he did and shut all his critics up in the process.

Unfortunately for Guidolin, his substitution of Antonio Di Natale coincided only 1 minute before Milan drew level and without the threat of Di Natale , it only made things easier for the red and black outfit. In 25 minutes, Milan found two goals , a Lopez rebound, and a Lopez assist, with a slick finish from El Shaarawy.

Robinho finally came off in the final minutes to make way for Bonera signalling Allegri's intention to tighten up any holes in defense in the final minutes of the game. Credit should also go to Amelia , who unlike Handanovic at the other end of the pitch, managed some wonderful saves.

Milan showed real character today, Allegri also proved that he could be a crude tactician. Truth be told, for a team to come back from such a miserable performance in the first half and turn the game around come full time is truly a feat. This win couldn't have come at a better time for Milan, who will take this confidence into their game against Arsenal on Tuesday.

Suarez Vs Evra - The racism controversy

Everyone's heard the story.. Tempers flared, no one knows who started it, but Suarez ended it by calling Evra a "Negrito". 

In Suarez's case, addressing a person by referring to their appearance, including race, is common practice where he comes from. Spanish terms for "fatty", "skinny", "shorty", "whitey" and even "chino" – literally meaning "Chinese" – are often used in the way many British might say "mate". Although most English-speakers might find any of these terms offensive, they are usually taken neutrally in Latin America and most parts of the world, and in some cases can signal close friendship.  

The fact that Suarez uttered the term "negrito" during the heat of battle between two such fierce rivals, Liverpool and Manchester United, to Fabrice Evra, a player he has no history of friendship with, arguably undermines any claim that the Uruguay striker was being friendly. 

However, I also believe an 8 match ban and being charged with Racism is an unfair punishment.  If anyone was exchanging insults with anyone else, a lot of offensive words will be uttered towards the mother, sister and family. It becomes a competition of how much you can hurt the opponent with your words. I have no doubt that these insults were exchanged between Suarez and Evra, except Suarez, to his doom used the word "Negrito" at some point in their hostile exchange of words. 

So Evra backed down and took advantage of Suarez's naivety. This in my opinion is equivalent to someone  challenging you to meet him outside the bar for a fight, and then when you do walk outside , you find that he's already called the cops on you. 

Certainly it is not right, nor a politically correct thing to say by Suarez, but these two weren't exactly having a civilized conversation, THEY WERE FIGHTING! So forgive me for not having too much sympathy for Evra in this instance. 

A hypothetical question to ask would be if the FA would ban anyone, and for 8 matches, for calling someone "White Trash"? I think not. 

I've always believed a racist is not defined by the words he says, but by the way he treats people of different races. If someone has a problem with a certain person who just happens to be black, it does not imply that the person is racist! 

If Suarez was indeed racist, Liverpool's Johnson should have a huge problem being on the same team as Suarez. On the Uruguayan national team side, Suarez has played alongside Alvaro Pereira, and has also played alongside countless other "Individuals of an African descent" at Ajax.  If Suarez really was racist, someone would've said something to support it (Besides Evra). In addition, the FA should have investigated his interactions with people of other races before slapping him with an 8 match ban and branding him as a racist because of one word he uttered during a heated argument with a rival player. 

And on that note, If I was in Suarez's position , I would certainly NOT shake hands with Evra, who blew the issue out of proportion, caused Suarez to miss 8 matches with his team, brought him bad press, had to deal with FA trials, and is now viewed as the devil himself by many. If Suarez was a weaker player, Evra would have perhaps ruined his career. 

P.S. I am not a fan of Suarez , nor am I Liverpool fan. This is simply how I see it. 

Juve 2 - Milan 1 , Panic spreads in the Milan camp

Juventus are now certain that they are able to win at the San Siro, a vital victory which should spur them to carry on their attack on the scudetto. Milan on the other hand continue to prove they are unable to defeat the big teams with their record standing at 1 win (against Lazio) 4 Draws and 6 Losses. This has not surprisingly incurred the wrath of the Milan fans , indeed with many of the overzealous ones calling for Allegri's head.

It is a tough break for Milan. In tonight's game , there were only 4 midfielders available in the entire Milan squad, 3 of those are close to retirement age, and 1 of them was a former left back who is being played as a right midfielder. Unfortunately , this is going to be the case for a few more games until a few more players recover from their injuries, and even more unfortunate is the fact that Milan face Udinese , Arsenal , and Juventus again , without any additional reinforcements from their infirmary. (to add insult to injury, Ibrahimovic also won't be available for 3 of their league matches).

It will indeed be a Month from Hell for Milan, and they need a lot of luck to scrape through this until they are able to get back to their full strength. Now is the time for Robinho and Emmanuelson, who have been sleepwalking so far this season, to step up their game and prove their worth. El Shaarawy has showed that he can be a valuable player on the field and so should be used to fill the cracks. Then Milan need to rely on VB, Ambro and Seedorf to dig into their fuel reserves for these next few matches. 

I still believe that Allegri is a good coach, yes he has been stuck to his 4-3-1-2 formation, but a coach is more than what formation he chooses. In fact, the formation is usually the first culprit, but has the least effect on the squad. The situation is difficult and the fans only care about results, but it is unfair and disrespectful to pull the trigger on any coach after a few losses. The Rossoneri faithful must look at the bigger picture: 

Milan are not yet out of the Coppa Italia, (the Away leg will be played in Mid-March with many of the injured players coming back) so there is still a chance, I wouldn't bet my house on it, but we've seen it happen before. 

Milan are second in the Serie A with a maximum of 4 points separating them from Juve (assuming Juve win their game in hand). 

Milan still have the Champions League to play for. 

The most logical thing is for Allegri to stay put and for the fans to concentrate on supporting their team through this difficult patch. 

As for tonight's game, both team's played a good game, with Juve looking more lively and as the scoreline suggests more decisive, but the second goal for Juve is a high-school error from the Milan captain. The first thing they teach you in football academy is to not clear the ball towards the center. A critical mistake from Ambrosini and a wonderful strike from Caceres , who introduced himself quite well to the Bianconeri today, cost Milan the game. 

Lessons from the Match: 

1) Giacherrini was quite a flop playing behind the strikers and I think Conte is smart enough to pick up on that and play him in a more familiar position in the future. 

2) Caceres has so far proved to be an inspired signing , I haven't seen a defender scoring 2 goals on their debut ever! Including a crucial winner in the dying minutes of the game.

3) After the 60th minute , Ambrosini's level drops to that of an Amatuer Sunday Footballer

4) Seedorf should always ALWAYS play deep in midfield and not as an Attacking Midfielder. He was much more effective and creative when he dropped back.

5) Robinho is just fading into the Abyss, never looks dangerous, doesn't look hungry, bereft of confidence, slow, just very sad to watch really. I wonder if he will ever regain the form he once had at Man City. 

6) Emmanuelson may have something to offer. But one thing is for sure, if he's ever going to offer anything, it won't be while he's playing as a right midfielder. 

7) El Shaarawy will develop into a great player, his work rate and effort is amazing and his touch on the ball is pure class. I saw him defending on the right (covering for Bonera) , and then defending on the left (covering for Antonini) , how many strikers would do that for their team. 

8) Borriello didn't do much to convince the Juve faithful that he deserves a place on their team. He may get a few more chances, but I doubt he will have an impact on the squad. 

9) Pirlo made the Milan fans shake their heads in regret. A real difference maker in the center of the field for Juve. 

10) Maxi Lopez...he had one chance, he was too slow , he failed to hit the ball, and he was offside.

Coppa Italia Semi-Final , AC Milan vs Juventus : Preview

A half strength Milan side must take on a very well organized and dangerous Juventus team who have found themselves under their old captain and new coach, Conte. Juve are now the only team in Europe to have suffered no defeats so far this season, granted they are not taking part in any European competitions, however, no defeats after 21 games in a league like Serie A is certainly very impressive. Conte has created a lethal and versatile unit , and through his constant squad rotation , the parts of this unit are mostly interchangeable, so despite Pepe's absence to injury , you could still expect to see the same ruthlessness.

It hasn't been easy for Allegri this season, although he's been consistent enough with the points, getting almost the same points as he had last season when he won the league with Milan, it is no guarantee that what was enough last season will be enough this time around. Especially if Juve keep their form going, and even more so if Milan cannot find a solution for winning against tough opponents. The match this evening, although a Coppa Italia semi final, is in my opinion, a preview of the more important Milan vs Juve fixture on the 25th of Feb , the result of which will either help Juve break away from the chasing pack to increase their chances of lifting the scudetto, or it could keep the title race wide open provided Milan put an end to Juve's unbeaten run. 

Milan's injury list is quite worrying. Over two seasons, it has been very rare to see AC Milan have less than 5 or 6 players in the infirmary. Now the list grows to 10, one could field a pretty strong team made up of all the injured players: Abbiati, Nesta, Yepes, Aquilani, Prince, Flamini, Merkel, Gattuso, Cassano, Pato. As anyone can see, the Milan midfield , even at full strength was considered Average, and now without Prince who has a strong presence on the field, and without the services of Aquilani who adds some activity and creativity to the Milan center , it is going to be a big challenge for the players who take the field. Milan have 5 midfielders left that are not injured, but Nocerino is suspended for this game, and hence only 4 midfielders are available so therefore the choice in midfield is relatively simple for Mr. Allegri, you can expect to see the usual 4-3-1-2 formation, with the following players on the field: 

                      Amelia
Abate, Mexes(Bonera) , Thiago Silva, Mesbah
Ambrosini, Van Bommel, Emmanuelson
                 Seedorf 

    El Shaarawy(Maxi Lopez) , Ibrahimovic 

As for Antonio Conte, A 4-3-3 formation would most likely be in play with the following selection: 

                     Storari
Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, De Ceglie 
            Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio
      Giaccherini, Borriello, Vucinic

 It will certainly be an intriguing battle, the pressure is on Allegri and the Rossoneri as the Milan fans will be watching to see if the team has what it takes to overcome Juve. If they do manage a positive result, I believe this would give the players a new found confidence which would help them in other competitions. 

Lazio Vs Milan: Match Analysis

It was Lazio who got the 3 points against Milan today with the Rossoneri proving that they indeed do have issues winning against well organized teams.

Lazio played with a 4-5-1 formation , defended well and were looking to play a counter-attacking game. Milan, however, never looked dangerous or hungry enough and were rarely caught napping in the first half which was quite a boring half for the spectators. 

The second half looked a lot more lively, the most significant highlight for Milan was the penalty kick that was initially awarded by the referee, but then through some mysterious discussions with the linesman, changed his mind. Replays show that Diaz clearly punched the ball away from Shaarawy's chest inside the penalty box. 

The game looked very erratic, with neither side holding the ball long enough. Balls were bouncing off of players, misplaced passes, aimless crosses, wide shots, no glamorous football was to be seen here. Allegri looked quite confused and decided to take out Ambrosini for Ceedorf and El Shaarawy for Emmanuelson. The double substitution made little difference for Milan in terms of the quality of possession as they still didn't look dangerous and carried on with their pointless early crosses. In the deadly minutes of the game, however, Hernanes finished a good ball that was delivered to him from a defensive error by Milan's dependable wall , none other than Thiago Silva. Abbiati could have done better to save Hernanes' shot but nevertheless, his defense let him down and would be primarily responsible for that goal. with 13 minutes left to play, Milan found themselves a goal down. In a desperate throw of the dice, Allegri  then decided to withdraw Van Bommel and put on Maxi Lopez for his debut which proved to be a bad decision as without the presence of a holding midfielder, Hernanes and co had all the space in the world and they did well to take advantage of Milan's tactical blunder by making it 2-0. After Lazio scored the second goal in the 85th minute , the match was as good as over, as Milan continued their desperate attempts getting close but never really threatening until the player's pretty much accepted their defeat. 

Lessons learned: 

Raja certainly learned from Lazio's defeat to Milan last week in the Coppa Italia and scrapped his 3 man defense idea. going with a 4-5-1 formation, focusing on the counter-attack. They were well organized in defense and were never really threatened by a lethargic Milan Offense. 

For Milan, there were plenty of lessons to take home , here's a few of them: 

1) Abate seems to be going towards the center where it is quite crowded, or attempting early crosses instead of his usual bursting wide runs which have caused opposition defenders lots of problems in the past.

2) Robinho was completely absent and in my opinion El Shaarawy was adding much needed energy in the Milan attack. A questionable substitution there. Emmanuelson , although not great on the right, at least brings in some creativity with his dribbling and passing skills. 

3) A midfield consisting of Ambrosini, Van Bommel, and Nocerino is severely lacking in creativity and isn't going to work no matter how great the attackers are.

4) Nesta has continuously been trying to play very predictable long balls from center midfield (Pirlo style), which is probably an instruction from Allegri who maybe fails to realize that Nesta is not Pirlo. This simply causes lots of frustrations for the attackers who have to track back and try to win back those loose balls. 

4) Substituting both holding midfielders (Ambro and MVB) when you're only 1-0 down is a suicidal move. There were 13 minutes left to play and 5 minutes of extra time ( a total of 18 minutes) , more than enough time for the team to bounce back from a goal down. If lazio hadn't doubled their lead due to the absence of an anchor man, who knows what would've happened towards the end. The gung-ho strategy was uncalled for , and maybe would've been suitable a little later in the game. 

In conclusion, sub-par performances from almost every player on the Milan team tonight, coupled with a few tactical blunders by Mr. Allegri gave Lazio a much needed victory which will have delighted their fans. For Milan , they must get their act together very soon as February is  the toughest months for them with 2 matches against Juventus (1 in the league and 1 in the Coppa Italia) , a fixture against Arsenal, and face offs with Napoli and Udinese.

Preview: Milan vs Lazio

Allegri will probably stick with what works and go with his usual 4-3-1-2 formation . The back four will probably consist of Abate, Mexes, Nesta, and either Mesbah or Antonini. I'm hoping Mr. Allegri will choose Mesbah as in his first 2 outings, he has shown that he can already do things that Antonini can't (cross with his left foot, and shoot from outside the area). In midfield, Van Bommel is having a good run of form and I would be surprised if he was excluded, Nocerino will certainly be present on the left. Emmanuelson or Ambrosini would probably be placed on the right (hoping it will be Emmanuelson to add a little creativity) with Seedorf slotting behind the two usual strikers, Robinho and Ibrahimovic. 

Lazio would also field a similar 4-3-1-2 formation. Konko , Biava, Dias, and Radu at the back. Gonzalez, Ledesma, Lulic playing in center midfield, with Hernanes slotting behind Klose and Rocchi. 

The odds show that the Milan side could come away with a win this evening but with Lazio fielding players like Hernanes, Ledesma, Klose, and Rocchi , it will not be an easy feat for the Rossoneri. 

 Milan played one of their best games of the season against Lazio in the Coppa Italia Quarter Finals just last week, coming back from a goal down to finish with a 3-1 win. If Milan can repeat that stellar performance they will most likely end up with the 3 points tonight. 

Lazio on the other hand are coming off a good win over Chievo on Sunday and should have enough confidence to go out and look for the win in front of their home fans. However, having won only 40% of their home games this season, it is apparent that the Biancocelesti are finding it difficult to play in front of their own fans. 

Milan also have not won a single head to head encounter in the Serie A this season, and if they want to reaffirm their title ambitions they must show that they can also get points from contenders. 

Interesting Stats:

Lazio have won two out of their last three matches in Serie A, scoring six goals in the process.

Milan have scored the most goals (43) and kept the most clean sheets (11) in Serie A so far this season

The Rossoneri are unbeaten in their last five league road games, outscoring their opponents 11-2 during that period.