South African fans can’t enjoy their 2-1 win over France, which wasn’t enough – The host nation didn’t make it out of the group stage

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Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama covering up his face after Nigeria couldn’t beat South Korea, making a group stage exit for the 2010 World Cup

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Slovenia needed one point in their match against England to qualify from the group stage. They lost 1-0, and got knocked out after Donovan scored for the United States

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Medhi Lacen of Algeria can’t take the crushing injury time 1-0 loss to the United States, sending his side home after three group matches

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Australia’s captain, Lucas Neill, after their 2-1 win over Serbia, which wasn’t enough to secure a place in the next round

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Samuel Eto’o couldn’t lead Cameroon to grab any points during the group stage, losing three times in the 2010 World Cup, leaving the last match in tears

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Fabio Quagliarella was fantastic after coming on as a sub against Slovakia. That didn’t help the former World champions, Italy, avoid a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Slovakia, and make an early exit for the 2010 World Cup

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South Korea’s Lee Chung-Yong scored, but it wasn’t enough for the Koreans who lost to a brilliant Luis Suarez double. The rain doesn’t help when you lose

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Arturo Vidal of Chile doesn’t handle Chile’s 3-0 loss to Brazil too well. Chile started with two wins showing some impressive style, but when facing class opponents like Spain and Brazil couldn’t avoid defeats

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Wayne Rooney couldn’t cope with the huge expectations, and failed to perform in each and every single match during England’s 2010 World Cup. The 4-1 painful loss to Germany was no different

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Yuto Nagatomo of Japan can’t hold back the tears after their penalty shootout loss against Paraguay

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Portugal’s keeper, Eduardo, conceded only goal in four matches during the 2010 World Cup. Unfortunately, David Villa’s goal was the one that sent him packing

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Kaka’s 2010 World Cup wasn’t one he’d like to remember, and he clearly shows his emotions walking off after Brazil’s 2-1 loss against the Netherlands

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One of the most amazing and tragic turn of events in World Cup History. Asamoah Gyan can’t hold back after Ghana getting knocked out by Uruguay, losing in the penalty shoot out. Gyan missed a 120th minute penalty that would have sent Ghana into the Semi Final

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Gabriel Heinze needs Maradona to console him after Argentina got humiliated by Germany in the quarter final, 4-0

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Bastian Schweinsteiger was the key to Germany’s dominating midfield during the first five matches and especially in the 4-1 and 4-0 victories over England and Argentina. In the semi final loss against Spain he wasn’t at his best, like the whole team, and here he’s consoling Philipp Lahm, who was very emotional after the 1-0 loss to Spain

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Lets review this quickly -

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Didier Drogba – Broke his arm 11 days before the Ivorians played Portugal, but was brought back into playing fitness quite quickly, coming on as a sub against Ronaldo’s side, with the match ending in a poor 0-0 draw. I didn’t expect much from the Ivory Coast, especially with Brazil and Portugal in their group, but Drogba was arguably the best player in Europe this season, but the injury set him and his team back. He finished with only one goal, a garbage time opportunity against Brazil (3-1 win for Dunga’s team) and didn’t manage to score against the weak North Koreans in the Ivory Coast’s 3-0 win before packing up and leaving South Africa.

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Wayne Rooney – While the English press is ripping Capello’s squad to pieces, we know it was Nike to blame, no one else. Rooney, after a fantastic season with Manchester United, carrying them on his back pretty much alone, seemed burnt out and lost in all of England’s matches. No goals, no assists, no flair, pretty much nothing. The failure is not all on him, but Rooney was the one supposed to give England the edge, making them a potentially brilliant side. He wasn’t even close to delivering.

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Franck Ribery – Terrible, both him and the entire French team who disgraced their illustrious heritage with the squad revolt and by their awful form. Ribery has been touted as France’s gem, but he didn’t shine even for a moment in France’s South African campaign – France got only one point, scoring only one goal in their three matches, with Ribery counted for one assists in the losing effort against South Africa. Has really been on a downward spiral for the past two seasons.

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Cristiano Ronaldo – Four matches, one decent performance, the 7-0 drubbing of North Korea. He was the big star of Nike’s commercial, but he failed leading and captaining his side past the last 16 round, losing to Spain with a very disappointing performance in three of the four matches. He spat on a TV cameraman following the Iberian derby defeat, and got blasted by Figo and Carlos Quieroz. At least Mourinho, with a typical cheeky comment, has his back.

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Fabio Cannavaro – Got serenaded to in the commercial, but his 2010 World Cup ended in tears. Enjoying the reputation of a brick wall, Italy conceded in each of their group stage matches, including three against Slovakia, bowing out of the tournament after the group stage in a terrible title defense effort from the Italians, captained by Cannavaro.

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Ronaldinho – Dunga, never a big fan, didn’t even call him up. So far, it’s been working just fine from Brazil without the AC Milan star.

Next, on to Mali’s Koman Coulibaly, arguably Africa’s best referee. He didn’t seem keen on the United States grabbing a win against Slovenia, and disallowed Maurice Edu’s rightful winner for no reason at all. It seemed that in all the 50-50 calls, he preferred to give the Slovenians the advantage. The United States weren’t very good in the second half and deserved to go down behind 0-2, but they deserved to get the equalizer and the winner in the second half.

Finally, to Uzbekistan’s Ravshan Irmatov, Asia’s finest. He didn’t make any controversial call, but he just didn’t seem to want a flowing game between England and Algeria. It’s not that England were very good, and the 0-0 draw did justice to both teams, but every time an Algerian player fell to the grass, there was Irmatov with his whistle, keen on calling a foul against the English. Just let us watch some un-interrupted football, that’s all we ask.

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Oh, how quickly things change. Just a few days ago, Germany were the hottest team in the World Cup after their 4-0 demolition job against the Aussies. Now? The last 16 doesn’t seem like a sure thing. That’s how one bad referee and Lukas Podolski’s inability to score does to you. Milan Jovanovic and Milos Krasic were the only ones who played decently for the Serbs, who seemed to hang back and let a 10 man Germany keep them on their heels, and were lucky to come out as winners. Still, Low’s team needs to beat Ghana, not such a sure thing anymore. Serbia also need a win, against the apparent weaklings of the group.

The best match of the day didn’t go without its own controversy, as Maurice Edu’s potential winner for the Americans was disallowed for no reason.

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The United States showed another bad start, lacking concentration, conceding an early goal again. Torres and Donovan tested Handanovic as the Americans certainly seemed to improve after Birsa’s opener, but a failed offside trap allowed Zlatan Ljubijankic to send the teams to the dressing rooms with Slovenia leading 2-0.

Second half? Different story – The United States searched for goals, Slovenia welcomed the American comeback, and Landon Donovan’s early goal meant it would be a one-way street in the second half.

It took them more than 30 minutes, but a fantastic combination found Michael Bradley in a comfortable space to make it 2-2. Slovenia still lead the group, and a draw against England will be enough for them, making an historic appearance in the next stage. The United States, facing Algeria, need a win, but if Slovenia beat England, would only need a draw to make it into the last 16.

From the best game, we move on to the worst. England failed to get things going against the Algerians who played much better than in their performance against Slovenia, especially in the first half, when they kept pushing England back, hoping James would do another “Robert Green”. The game never really got going, as England failed again and again to make the Gerrard-Lampard-Barry trio work, and Wayne Rooney produced another very weak outing. Capello threw in two strikers and again that weird Phillips switch with Lennon, just as Lennon started to improve. Now England arrive to their final match needing a win, and from the looks of things tonight, their nerves aren’t up to it.

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Picture of the Day – Klose Sent Off

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Fan of the Day – English Blond

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Group Tables

Group C

1. Slovenia, 4 points (3-2)
2. United States, 2 points (3-3)
3. England, 2 points (1-1)
4. Algeria, 1 point (0-1)

Group D

1. Germany, 3 points (4-1)
2. Ghana, 3 points (1-0)

3. Serbia, 3 points (1-1)
4. Australia, 0 points (0-4)
* Germany and Serbia have played 2 matches, Ghana and Australia just one.

Top Scorers

1. Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina), 3 goals
2. Diego Forlan (Uruguay), 2 goals
3. 36 players with one goal, 2 own goals

What We’ve Learned

Serbia – The Serbs won, and their defense looked good, while Krasic and Jovanovic had a nice game. Still, they didn’t impress – instead of going for the jugular against ten Germans, they stayed back and if it wasn’t for some good fortune, their World Cup dream would be over today. Maybe it’s the striker Antic needs to attend – there are none right now.

Germany – Like Spain against Switzerland, Germany played well, got the chances, but got screwed – this time by the ref. Low was right to say Germany will make it through, but it’s going to be much more complicated than predicted a few days ago. Still, Germany look good, just a bit more concentration in front of goal.

Slovenia – Funny thing, how things turn out. After round in Group C, Slovenia only need to draw against England to make it through. They can also lose if the United States and Algeria finish in a draw. Slovenia have a strong defense, and if the English play as nervously and stupidly as today, might cause a huge upset. Problem is, the attack, despite scoring two against a weak American defense, won’t have it easy against England.

United States – When Donovan started playing well, the US looked well. That’s all there is to it – the man sets the tone for the United States, but needs help in the middle to carry the load and dictate the pace. Maybe a more attack-minded approach from the get go could boast well for the United States against Algeria.

England – So many things went wrong, and Capello, a rarity in his career, doesn’t seem to have the anwers. I think he needs to start playing Joe Cole on the flank, take out Heskey and let Gerrard play off Rooney. He can’t do a drastic change, but things aren’t working for England, and if they fail to qualify, the tabloids will have his head.

Algeria – Enjoyed the confused English state to control the match in the first half. If they’re not facing an aggressive and pressing side, Ziani & friends can play some nice football. The United States are a better team, but Algeria still have a chance, and they won’t be easy on giving up their qualification chances.

Tomorrow

Netherlands – Japan
The match for the top of the group. If Robben is healthy, no chance for the Japanese. Still, if he’s not, let Elia play on the wing, the Dutch look much better with speed on the flanks.
Ghana – Australia
Australia just don’t seem to have anyone who’ll score goals for them, and now Cahill is suspended. Hard to see Ghana losing this one, despite not playing a great game against Serbia. They have enough talent to beat the Aussies and repeat their 2006 success.
Cameroon – Denmark
Denmark didn’t look very good against the Netherlands, but if Eto’o is unhappy as the rumors say he is and Cameroon produce another flat showing like the one against Japan, Denmark have enough to beat the Africans.

Last note – 43 Goals, 23 matches. We’re almost at 2 goals per match – looking much better.

For Previous Posts – Group A, Group B

England

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Is it all on him? Not only, but Wayne Rooney is England’s main hope for the nation’s first World Cup trophy since 1966. His form this season for Manchester United maybe wasn’t enough for a title, but he certainly positioned himself as one of the best strikers in the world, if not THE best (We ranked him no.4 back in January). Steven Gerrard, despite having a dissapointing season for Liverpool is still one of the best midfielders in the world and Frank Lampard who scored 22 league goals this season for Chelsea show England do not lack firepower. We haven’t even began talking about Fabio Capello, maybe the biggest asset England has, at least for those who believe the head coach has a major influence on the game. So why not? Well, Rio Ferdinand’s injury means England’s shaky defense has one more question mark added to it. David James, who seems to be Capello’s first choice, has been playing pretty awfully this season. Joe Hart seems to be a much better fit, but his youth and lack of experience is keeping him away from the starting lineup. Again, having confidence in your keeper affect the back four’s play, and now that Terry will have a new partner, England’s defense doesn’t look as strong.

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The second question is who’ll play upfront with Rooney, as Crouch seems to be the preferred choice, not necessarily the best choice in my opinion. Due to the problematic pairing of Lampard and Gerrard in the middle, Capello usually uses Gerrard on the left. Maybe he should look at using him as a second striker, a position he enjoyed when paired with Torres at Liverpool. Bottom line – England needs James to be mistake free, or nearly free, Lampard to play like it’s Chelsea, Gerrard to forget about the 2009-2010 Liverpool season and Rooney to forget he was injured during the final weeks of the season. Too many if’s, but still, England have the potnetial to go very deep in this tournament. Maybe all the way. Just don’t let the match reach penalties.

United States

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Another 2006 (failure to qualify from the group stage) or a dreamy 2002 repeat (quarter finals)? Bob Bradley has a group that certainly believes it’s possible. The group seems comfortable enough to finish second, but will the US, who certainly lack quality in the midfield and as the friendlies have shown lack discipline and concentration in the back, be able to to hold enough of the ball, especially in the matches against Algeria in Slovenia, in order to relieve pressure from their fragile defense. Landon Donovan is the man who’ll be leading this team and where he goes, the Americans will follow. He was a pleasant surprise in the 2002 World Cup, but rather disappointing in ‘06. See a pattern? Another interesting question is how Dempsey will play. He is backed by two fantastic seasons with Fulham and Bradley is probably pondering whether to use him on the opposite flank to Donovan or partner him with Altidore up front. Edson Buddle’s form (2 goals against Australia this weekend) might be the answer to that question. The Americans don’t have a lot of talent but are “tough to beat”. They’ll need more than being tough to qualify from this group, but I think they have enough to make it into the group stage.

Algeria

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Is Algeria the team that stunned Egypt in the deciding match of African qualifiers and beat the Ivory Coast during the Africa Cup of Nations, or the team the imploded against the Egyptians in the tournament and losing convincingly to Serbia and Ireland preparing for the World Cup, managing only a 1-0 win over the Emirates? They’re a talented bunch, especially in midfield, boasting a lot of skill and flair, but the team tends to break down quickly if facing an early deficit. When they lost to Egypt in the African tournament, things got ugly, due to all the bad blood between the teams. Algeria have a fantastic duo at full back (Belhadj and Halliche) and will probably use only one striker, Abdelkader Ghezzal of Siena, as most of their fire power comes the wings and technical midfielders (Ziani, Yebda). Again, there’s talent, but is there enough mental strength to surprise and make it through the group stage? I think not.

Slovenia

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No more Zahovic, no flair. This is a fighting, hard nosed and hard defending unit, with only The Netherlands allowing less goals during the European qualifiers. The team plays a 4-4-2 tactic (like against New Zealand on Friday, won 3-1) or a 4-3-3, but it doesn’t really matter, as the entire team defends and attack as one. Milivoje Novakovic (scored two free kicks against the All-Whites) is their main threat and is either joined by Birsa and Dedic when it’s 4-3-3 or by Ljubijankic when it’s 4-4-2. Slovenia depend a lot, as a team that tends to be more on the defensive during the match, on their fantastic keeper Handanovic who plays his club soccer for Udinese, where he has looked shakier than for the national team. Robert Koren, who had a big part in West Brom’s return to the Premiership this season is the main man in the middle of the park for the Slovenians, hoping to get their first World Cup point this time around, after losing all three matches in 2002. Chances? A point – yeah, but qualifying? I’m not too sure. Like Algeria, but more due to their lack of firepower, Slovenia don’t stand a chance if they fall behind first.

Group Matches

June 12th – England – United States (Royal Bafokeng)
June 13th – Algeria – Slovenia (Peter Mokaba)
June 18th – Slovenia – United States (Ellis Park), England – Algeria (Cape Town)
June 23rd – Slovenia – England (Nelson Mandela Bay), United States – Algeria (Loftus Versfeld)

Hopeful Prediction

1. England
2. United States
3. Slovenia
4. Algeria

Brazil – Will Dunga’s “European Style” Deliever the Goods?

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Everyone expects Brazil to be a fantasy team, but that concept didn’t work in 2006 as the super-ego squad didn’t make it past France in the quarter finals, Brazil’s worst finish since 1990. Dunga came, and despite not winning a lot of fans in the Brazilian media for his style, he’s won titles. The 2007 Copa America and the 2009 Confederations Cup. He put a lot of emphasis on defense and defensive midfielders. Why shouldn’t he? Brazil finally have an abundance of quality and talent in the back four and between the posts, and he relys on his super-quick counter attacking players, orchestrated by Kaka, and Fabiano’s finishing. It may not be what people expect from a classic Brazil team, but it might be enough for a sixth World Cup trophy.

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England – Is Capello the Man to Relive 1966?

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England, at least in the last decade, always have talent. Maybe not perfectly technique-gifted type talent, but there’s enough to mount a serious challenge at the World Cup. Somehow, things always crumble. More often than not, it comes to penalties. Capello is arguably the best coach in the world. The bottom line is, he wins titles. He has Wayne Rooney upfront, maybe the best forward in the world. England were one of if not the most impressive side during the qualifying group and also got to avenge and handily thrash Croatia twice. But it’s been a long time since then, and it again remains to be seen if the huge pressure from the fans and British Media won’t crush England’s players. The more we get closer, the less optimistic I am about England’s chances. But if Rooney continues his fantastic club form, they have a shot. He’s that good.

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Argentina -Will Maradona Run Naked?? Just Kiddin’ – Is the Barcelona Messi Going to Show Up?

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Now that we know Maradona is going to run naked if Argentina wins, maybe even some Argentinians don’t want the Albiceleste to win for the third time in World Cup history. Maradona knows he needs the best player in the world to forget about the grueling club season he just finished (53 matches, 47 goals) and start showing his magic for Argentina as well, something that hasn’t happened during the almost tragic-ending qualifying stage. He’s got what is maybe the best attack (including bench) in the world. He has an OK midfield and a probably less than that defense. Enough? If hefinally plays the right tactics, something that will allow Messi to roam free like Guardiola does, and Lionel doesn’t cave under the huge national pressure, we might get to see Maradona naked.

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Spain -2008 Repeat?

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The most talented side in the world, that also plays the most beautiful soccer in the world. Enough for Spain’s first World Cup trophy? Spain finished fourth in 1950, but since haven’t made it further than the quarter final. They are loaded in about every position, and if Torres and Fabregas return to full health, I find it hard to believe anyone can match up with them, trying to play them straight up and not go Inter on them. Still, Marcos Senna, who was extremely effective during the Euro 2008 win, won’t be around this time, and it will be interesting to see who will Del Bosque play in the middle, and will he play both Villa and Torres or leave (probably the Liverpool man) one of them on the bench.

Africa – Will an African team shine on it’s own continent?

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Probably not. South Africa are one of the weakest sides in this tournament and my money is on them not making it through the group stage (France, Mexico, Uruguay). Still, just a reminder, no other host has ever failed to qualify from the group stage. Nigeria might make it out of Group B, but they weren’t very impressive in the Africa Cup of Nations and look like a group of very talented individuals who share a nationality and not much else. Algeria might surprise a few, but they have a shot of joining England from Group C into the last 16, but don’t be surprised if the opposite happens and they fail to win a match. Ghana are in a very tough group and without Essien don’t stand much of a chance. They also looked horrible again the Dutch tonight (lost 4-1). Cameroon? Eto’o is probably the only thing they have to sell, and he seems past his prime and not too happy after Milla’s comments about him. Ivory Coast? The second best team in Africa (Egypt are the best) but a side no one really wanted to face – fast, physical and more experienced than in 2006, their debut in the Mundial. If Didier Drogba emulates his 2009-2010 form for Chelsea, they might be a very dangerous team for Brazil and Portugal to face.

North Korea – How did they get here?

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Defense, Defense, Defense and luck. None of these will help them in a group with Brazil, Portugal and the Ivorians. Kim Jong Il’s side might set a record for conceded goals in a tournament when it’s all said and done.

Tied with 22 Goals – Diego Milito (Inter Milan), Edin Dzeko (Wolfsburg) and Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

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The funny thing about Milito, who came for a fee of 25 million pounds (including Thigao Motta) from Genoa last summer – he was the low profile purchase for Inter, who also added Samuel Eto’o from Barcelona to their strike force. Milito, eventually, is the one who’ll be most remembered in Inter fans minds and hearts for bringing the domestic double, and who knows what he has instored for the Champions League Final. Milito scored the winner again Roma in the Coppa Italia final and scored the championship goal yesterday at Siena, making it the fourth time in seven seasons since arriving in Europe he has topped 20 league goals in a season. Eto’o? He finished the season with 12 league goals, his lowest production since 2006-2007, and he missed half of that season.

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Dzeko was one of the hottest names on the transfer talk last summer and probably will be again in the coming months. Milan couldn’t get their hands on him last time, it’s interesting to see who’ll be in the chase for the talented Bosnian’s services. Dzeko lead the  Bundesliga in scoring, beating out Stefan Kiessling of Leverkusen who led most of the season, but his club suffered from a disastrous season after the historic title run of 2008-2009. Maybe it was the coaching change, maybe it was the champions league, but Dzeko was pretty much the only player who was his old self from a year ago as Wolfsburg finished 8th in the Bundesliga.

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The greatest scoring midfielder in Premiership history, Frank Lampard, had what was probably his best season ever at the age of 31, scoring 22 goals and adding 17 assists as he led Chelsea to a domestic double while breaking the Premirship’s scoring records, as Chelsea scored 103 goals during the season. As the World Cup draws nearer, it is evident that alogn with Wayne Rooney, Lampard’s ability to reproduce his club form for Capello is vital for England to pose any threat on the trophy.

Carlos Tevez (Manchester City) – 23 Goals

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The biggest surprise and success story for me this season – I never really thought of Tevez as a world class forward till this season. His 14 goals in 2007-2008 seemed like a fluke to me, and relied more on his international numbers with Argentina (8 goals in 51 caps) to strengthen my claim. However, in 2009-2010, Tevez had an extraordinary season, netting in a team-high 23 goals, his best production since arriving on European soil, as Manchester City failed to reach the Champions League, finishing 5th.

Darren Bent (Sunderland) – 24 Goals

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Sunderland finished 13th in the Premiership this season, nothing special about it, but Darren Bent, who scored half (!!) of the Black Cats’ league goals this year was special and more. The 26 year old had his best season of his career, reaching 74 career goals in the Premiership and certainly making a case for himself to be included in Capello’s final 23-man squad to South Africa. Currently, he’s in the final 30. Despite not having too much international experience, I think Bent deserves a shot considering England’s lack of skill upfront besides Wayne Rooney.

Tied at 26 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) and Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

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Can a season where you achieve 96 points be considered a failure? I guess so, if you’re Real Madrid. Building a new Galacticos project, the crown jewel was the Portuguese Ronaldo, becoming the most expensive player in history, signed from Manchester United. Ronaldo played 29 league games, scoring 26 goals. Hard to call that a disappointment. Injuries and suspensions hurt his and Real’s quest from domestic and European glory, but still, Ronaldo had an amazing season, as expected. Next season it’s on him to win multiple trophies (always the goal at Real) and bring back the “best player in the world” crown, even if a subjective one, to his head.

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If it wasn’t for a late season injury that probably ended Manchester United’s consecutive title runs and his reign at the top of the scoring charts in England, Rooney would be in line for player of the year in Europe. Well, there’s still a World Cup to play, and when someone shines on the brightest stage, he usually gets the biggest awards. An entire nation puts it’s faith on the broad-shouldered striker who had a fantastic season, sharing the scoring burden alone for the first time, proving he’s more than capable of delivering class performances week in and week out for United. The problem is, both in the national team and club level, he needs some help to get the job done and bring home a title.

Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid) – 27 Goals

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Not the most popular figure among Real fans, but despite all the shiny acquisitions of last summer, including Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema, Higuain topped all scorers for Real with a personal best 27 goal season, making it 49 in the last two season for Real Madrid. He still doesn’t show up for the big games, but he has a World Cup to prove his worth now, and despite the boos and jeers he received a few times this season, Higuain might be Real’s biggest asset alongside Ronaldo and Casillas. Don’t forget, he’s only 22.

Tied at 29 – Didier Drogba (Chelsea) and Antonio Di Natale (Udinese)

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A last day hat trick sealed Drogba’s personal victory as he beat Wayne Rooney to the Premier League’s golden boot award, finishing with 29 goals in 32 matches, the best production of his career, and his second golden boot win (previously in 2006-2007, scoring 20 goals). Not the most popular striker among rival fans and players due to his very aggressive (sometimes dirty) style and tendency to dive and bicker with the refs, but Drogba had a fantastic midfield to support him this season, and showed how damaging he can be, both as a finished and a play-maker. Next up – surviving Ivory Coast’s group with Portugal and Brazil, somehow making it to the next round.

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Udinese had a horrible 2009-2010, finishing 15th, but Antonio Di Natale had an incredible year, scoring 29 goals, the best output for an Udinese player ever, breaking Bierhoff’s 28 goals season from the mid 90’s. He has yet to really impress for the national team (31 caps, 9 goals), but will probably be part of Lippi’s final 23 man squad for South Africa, where maybe he’ll have a chance to redeem himself after missing a penalty in the shoot out with Spain back in the 2008 Euro.

Lionel Messi (Barcelona) – 34 Goals

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The Barcelona machine wasn’t perfect on all fronts like in 2008-2009, ending up with “only” the league title, but there’s was little doubt this year who is the best in the world. Messi raised his games to another stratosphere of excellence this year, scoring 34 league goals and 47 in all competitions, making his claim, a month before his 23rd birthday, for a place among the greatest ever. Although it’s silly talking about “best ever” stuff when he’s hardly out of his teens, but at times, bliss and perfection are underestimating the things Messi does on the pitch. Now all Maradona has to do is pray he shows the same ability for Argentina in the world cup. His job and also his heritage depends on it.

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Why Manchester United will win -

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Alex Ferguson – He finds a way to win. He’s the greatest manager of all time for a reason, and that’s because he brings his players to their best form on the right time of the season, which is now, April-May. With or without Wayne Rooney, Ferguson usually comes up with the answers, whether it’s tactically or motivational/psychologically, with his pre-game comments in the press and to his players, behind closed doors. His rival, Ancelotti, despite staying with AC Milan for quite a while, won only one league title with the Rossoneri. Big edge for United on the sidelines. Call it luck (the number of own goals United benefit from), call it goddamn magic, he finds a way to come out on top almost every time.

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Old Trafford – The biggest stadium in the Premiership grants United, along with Chelsea, the best home record in the league – 14 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss. Chelsea tend to lose when they take their trip to the northwest (painful 3-0 last season). United tend to get a lot of calls going their way, including dubious penalties and refs suddenly get trigger happy fingers when it comes to sending off visitors. It may not make United the most popular team among other managers and fans, but the effect their stadium has on the opposition and the referees has been an important part of their success in the last 18 years. Chelsea haven’t won at Old Trafford since the 2004-2005 season and have scored only once in their last four visits to Old Trafford. United have conceded only 9 goals in 16 matches this season at home.

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Injuries & Defensive shuffling – Ashley Cole is out, Bosingwa is out. Meaning it’ll probably be Yuri Zhirkov on the left and Paulo Ferriera or Ivanovic on the right. In any case, Chelsea won’t be fielding it’s strongest possible defense, especially on the flanks, meaning Nani/Park/Valencia who have been looking very good lately should be able to do some damage from there. The only problem is who’ll be playing striker for United.

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Records are meant to be broken - Fergusons’ tenure at United has been about setting new standards and putting Manchester United at the top of the English game – who would have believed that Liverpool, after capturing it’s 18th league title in 1990, would not win it once in 20 years? Who would have guessed that Manchester United, winning it’s last league title in 1967, would go on to dominate the Premiership, winning 11 league titles in 17 seasons, with two three-peats along the way? Ferguson said way way back his grand intent is to knock Liverpool off their fucking perch, and a win on Saturday will almost guarantee a 19th title and an unprecedented fourth in a row.

Why Chelsea will win -

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No Rooney – Forget whatever advantages Chelsea hold over United. This is the main reason. Manchester United between 2007-2009 were a great team. In 2009-2010, they’re a very good one, with one exceptional player. Alex Ferguson didn’t replace Cristiano Ronaldo, it’s practically impossible, even if you have 80 million euros in your pockets to burn. Instead, he gave Rooney the keys to the attack and has gotten a fantastic production – 34 goals in all competitions and a league leading 26 in 29 games. Now he’s out, and United don’t have too much firepower without him. I won’t say mediocre, but they seem to be at a disadvantage against Chelsea without him.

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Drogba & More – Look at the scoring charts, and you’ll see that Drogba is having just as good a season as Rooney, and he missed about a month playing with the Ivory Coast in the ACN. Stat line – 32 goals in all competitions, including 24 league goals in 26 matches. He is having a career year and with Rooney out for about a month, he just might win the scoring title and just might win it for Chelsea on Saturday. It’s not just Drogba – Chelsea are the best scoring team in the Premiership and are coming off a 7-1 demolition of Aston Villa with Lampard scoring four and a 5-0 win over Pompy. More to come at Old Trafford?

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Superior Midfield – United played with Scholes, Fletcher and Carrick in the center with Park coming in to help from the wing. As a defensive unit, it works pretty well. As an attacking, creative unit, you can do better, especially when your super striker is out. Chelsea will probably continue with their 4-3-3, with Lampard-Mikel-Deco in the middle. Sounds a bit better, right? Plus, they have Michael Ballack as well as an option to start with or come off the bench.

Post Champions League Syndrome – Chelsea have only the title to focus on, getting knocked out by Inter in the previous stage of the champions league. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure they’d love to be there instead of the special one, but a little bit of rest does a world of good when running for a title. United are back from Munich all scratched and bruised. United’s record after European nights is also encouraging for Chelsea – four losses in the eight matches following European encounters (Liverpool, Chelsea, Everton, Aston Villa), one draw, three wins. It is worth mentioning that only one of these losses came at Old Trafford, but still, Manchester United are vulnerable this season, especially after matches like the one they had on Tuesday.

Final Outcome – In a game like this you could go either way, but Chelsea need the win more badly. Rooney’s absence will be a huge factor and I can’t put my money on United, despite them being United and Ferguson and Old Trafford and everything. A draw would suit the Red Devils, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it does end 1-1. Still, Chelsea do have a slight edge going into this game.

For our Previous Posts – December January February

English Premiership

Wayne Rooney, Manchester United – 26 Goals

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Rooney continues to top the scoring charts in March, playing only two matches so far but scoring three goals. Despite his fantastic form, Chelsea’s Ivorian Didier Drogba has closed the gap to just two goals, netting five goals in March, with two braces against Pompy and West Ham. Darren Bent of Sunderland has also reached 20 goals this season after a hat-trick against Bolton and two goals against Birmingham. Rooney will play today against Bolton despite rumors of an injury, so if he stays healthy, I have to go with him to win the scoring title this year despite Drogba’s formidable challenge.

Spanish La Liga

Lionel Messi, Barcelona – 25 Goals

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Messi is experiencing an amazing run, despite not scoring in his last game, but still has 9 goals in his last 5 league matches. If you include his performance against Stuttgart in the champions league, we reach 11 goals in 6 matches, as the comparisons to Maradona just get stronger and his “best player in the world” title seems to be on most people’s mind. Gonzalo Higuain of Real Madrid is second with 22 goals, scoring 10 goals in his last 6 league matches. He was awfully criticized for not sharing the ball and not scoring in Real Madrid’s champions league blunder against Lyon but in the La Liga he’s a scoring machine. David Villa of Valencia is third with 18, after scoring only one goal in his last four matches. We’ve got to go with Messi, who looks pretty much unstoppable every time he seems intent on going for goal.

German Bundesliga

Stefan Kiessling, Bayer Leverkusen – 16 Goals

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After having a very hard time coming back from the winter break and his injury setting him back, it seems Kiessling is back on the right track, scoring three goals this month, putting him just ahead of three chasers. Kevin Kuranyi of Schalke and Lucas Barrios of Dortmund are just one goal behind Kiessling with Edin Dzeko of Wolfsburg two goals behind with 14. Dzeko is the most talented of the group but his team seems to be the lesser side this season after thier historic championship in 2008-2009. Right now, I’ll have to go with Kuranyi or Barrios.

Italian Serie A

Antonio Di Natalte, Udinese – 21 Goals

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Scoring three goals since our last post, Di Natale continues to dominate the scoring charts in Italy with 21 goals, adding a brace in Udinese’s loss to Roma last week, one of the more enjoyable games in the Serie A this season. Diego Milito of Inter is second with 17 goals. Funny fact, crashing Juventus don’t have a scorer in the top 30.

French Ligue 1

Mamadou Niang, Marseille – 15 Goals

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In the tightest championship race in Europe, with six teams still capable of winning the title, the scoring race is also wide open. Niang of Marseille is still on top but has scored only once since his hat-trick against Nancy on February 21. Monaco’s Nene is still second thanks to his early season form, but he hasn’t scored since January. Asamoah of Rennes, Lisandro Lopez of Lyon and Mevlut Erding of PSG are all with 12 goals, still in the hunt for the scoring title with 9 games to go. Due to no striker really dominating this season in France, Niang might be able to keep his spot on top, but a hat-trick from Lisandro Lopez out of the blue wouldn’t surprise me. He’s the biggest threat on the top spot.

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Not a brilliant performance by the champions, but enough to beat their bitter rivals for the first time after three consecutive defeats in the Northwest derby. Liverpool went up very early on after a brilliant combination between Gerrard-Kuyt-Torres, which was the moment they peaked in the match. From then on, it was United. Not rampant, but dominant and good enough to get the goal they deserved. Torres did have a couple of very good chances he should have converted (too nervous or angry) but there were too few moments there was any creative moments from Gerrard and his teammates. United are back on top now, waiting for a Chelsea slip up at Ewood Park while Liverpool’s Champions League hopes for next season along with Benitez’ stature at the club continue to crumble.

Fernando Torres, 5th minute

Wayne Rooney, 12th minute

Ji-Sung Park, 60th minute