The National is as impatient as me with Clint Dempsey’s possible transfer

By Kevin Koczwara

Can we all agree that Clint Dempsey, Fulham and whoever else is involved in transfer rumors end this long, over done, holy crap it should have happened already saga? There have been reports that he could go to Liverpool, and probably will, before the summer is over. But things aren’t progressing on any front outside of transfer price tags being tossed out there. More speculation was recently created because Dempsey decided to stay home with his dog and family instead of going with the rest of the team to preseason training in Switzerland.

Talking Belgium Footy with John Chapman

By Ryan Fleming

John Chapman has been living in Brussels for more years “than he can remember.” And he’s been covering Belgian soccer for as long. A contributor to the likes of FourFourTwo and others, Chapman is one of the experts and journalists covering Belgian soccer. He runs his own site, It’s Only Belgian Football, But I Like It, and gives the league the kind of exposure it deserves outside of Belgium.

And we wanted to get more insight into the Belgian Jupiler League and the Belgian National Team, a team getting a lot of praise and with loads of potential. So, we sent over some questions to get Chapman’s views on what’s happening in Belgium and what to look for from the national team int he coming years.

Rangers downfall hurts Celtic and SPL

 Ryan Fleming

Glasgow, well at least, part of it was in party mode earlier this weekend when Glasgow Rangers announced the club was going into administration, thereby essentially handing Celtic the title. Yes, without thinking, I would have been partying too. But the struggle of Rangers to keep money in their pockets does more harm than good to Celtic and the Scottish Premier League as a whole.

Manchester City and Arsenal test one another’s resolve

By Ryan Fleming

It’s an understatement to say that this weekend’s prime meeting between Arsenal and Manchester City means a lot. This is the type of game that can define a season, turn things around, or solidify a team’s standing. Both teams, starting the season on two different paths, now cross at a time when both teams are surging, much like how they both kicked off the season, on different roads.

Arsenal: van Persie Signature required, Vermaelen returns

Robin van Persie has been the glowing light this season for Arsenal fans, and they hope he will continue to score goals at Emirates for years to come. (Courtesy wikistadiums.com)

 By Ryan Fleming

Few are more important to their team than Robin van Persie is for Arsenal. The Dutch striker is leading the surge for an Arsenal team that started the year off 2-1-4, capped by an 8-2 thrashing at the hands of Manchester United and a 2-1 loss at cross-town rival, Tottenham.

Since then, the Gunners are undefeated, trouncing opponents and playing with a certain sense of flair, grit and outlying passion the team lacked for the first handful of games this season. The turn-around has the team at 7-1-4, good for seventh in the league table, and tied on points (19) with Liverpool. And Van Persie is getting much of the acclaim for the difference in play that has supporters and plaudits praising manager Arsene Wenger as a common hero rather than a goat.

Looking Back: The Art of Riquelme 15 Years After His Debut

A one of a kind player, Riquelme stood above the rest with talents almost unmatched at times and a stubborn side that alienated him from clubs and managers at other times. (Courtesy http://www.ouyeah.net)

 By Kevin Koczwara

Juan Roman Riquelme made his debut for Boca Juniors 15 years ago. Since then, he has amazed the world with his talent, his creativity, and his homesickness. He’s the kind of creative player who can take over a game and silence crowds and critics alike with one touch of the ball. But he’s also the mysterious genius who wasn’t — for one reason or another — understood. He is a player who almost always seemed to butt heads with managers and directors , but that’s the way of the creative player who sees the game and plays the game differently than those around him.

Emile Heskey: The Powerhouse

This is beautiful. This is funny. This is spot on with the misses going over the bar. Enjoy.

Emile Heskey Courtesy SASportsGaming Check out there other work.

Spotted by Soccer By Ives.

 

Liverpool: What a Difference a Year Makes

By Tim Treacy

The turnaround at Liverpool Football Club over the past year has been remarkable. A comparison between last year and this year is like night and day, oil and water, chalk and cheese, a journey from Hicks and Gillett to Henry and Warner.

The Dutch Job: Jozy Altidore’s Resurgence with AZ

By Kevin Koczwara

Jozy Altidore’s move from Major League Soccer to Europe looked like a bust a few months ago. The former New York Red Bulls forward moved to La Liga side Villareal on June 4, 2008 for $10 million, making him the most expensive American player ever bought from Major League Soccer, surpassing the $4 million Fulham paid for Clint Dempsey. He was just 18 years old then. The world looked like it was at his feet.

Jozy scores in AZ debut

Jozy Altidore already scored as many goals for his latest club, AZ of the Eredivisie, as he scored for Hull City while on loan from Villareal in 2009/10 season (he played 28 games for Hull City that season).

It took one match for Altirdore to get himself on the score sheet for his new club. That’s a good sign for the U.S. Men’s National Team. The striker still has the potential that so many people saw in him while he was breaking through the ranks at the New York Red Bulls while still a teenager. And don’t forget that he’s still relatively young at 21-years-old.

Altidore’s goal comes at the 8 minute mark, or so, in the highlight below. It’s the least impressive of the four goals from the match between AZ and PSV. New USMNT coach Jürgen Klinsmann will hope that some of the skill displayed in the other goals will rub off onto the forward.