Tag: Manchester United

United Trump Arsenal

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Man United came out of its slump in spectacular fashion today, beating Arsenal 2-0. United was able to pull out the victory thanks to fantastic goalkeeping by Edwin Van Der Sar and goals from Wayne Rooney and Fabio da Silva.

Wayne Rooney

This win puts United in a semi final with Bolton Wanderers also grabbing a spot. Arsenal on the other hand was knocked out of their third competition in the last two weeks.

Luckily for Arsenal fans, their team is still very much in the running for the Premier League title.

Hopefully this win will allow United to get back to winning form in the Premier League as well as the Champions League next week. Wayne Rooney looks to be getting back on form which helped as well the return of Antonio Valencia.

For a full summary of the game go to: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=314700&cc=5901

Manchester United vs. Liverpool

therightliberal3 Comments

On Sunday, March 6th, Manchester United faces Liverpool. This might sounds clichéd but this is the most important game of the season. That was said about the Chelsea game and it might prove to be true but I am hoping United can move on.

After the heart breaking loss to Chelsea last weekend, this is a key game. If United win, they have a chance to guarantee that they are 3 points clear of Arsenal. But Liverpool do worry me. They might have lost Torres but they gained Suarez who is a real danger.

There are 10 games left in the Premier League season and every week the pressure will rise. I still believe that it is a two horse race between Arsenal and United.

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Painting Manchester Red

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Being a loyal Manchester United fan, I awoke at the lovely time of 4:30am to watch the Man U vs. Man City game. The derby always brings out the raw emotions in players and fans, two teams fighting over bragging rights.

This derby did not disappoint. There were moments that I was on the verge of screaming at the television (the only thing holding me back was the fear of waking my mother).

United got a goal near the end of the first half thanks to some great skill by Nani, a player who has stepped up to fill a spot that needed filling. At this point I was confident that this was United’s game to win.

And then that feeling changed. David Silva (who had a marvelous game) scored in the 65th minute. I became very worried. City was able to attack to easily and United looked to have nothing going forward.

But then Wayne Rooney came to the rescue. The goal Rooney got was quite possibly the greatest goal I have ever seen. The skill needed to perform such a shot is out of this world, added to that is the fact that it was in one of the biggest games of the season against United’s hated rival.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiVVNax8LVU

When Rooney scored his miraculous goal I could not help but jump off the couch and start pumping my fists (still to scared to yell).

Manchester United was able to hold on and win, despite some great football by City. This game almost certainly knocked City out of the title race. It also keeps United 4 points clear of Arsenal.

First of the Fergu(sons) to Retire

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Gary Neville has retired. This was a surprise for me, I did not see him going another season but I did not think that he would retire at this point, midway through the year.

This is the first of a batch of players to retire that were basically raised by Sir Alex Ferguson. This group of players includes Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, and Gary Neville’s brother Phil.

Sir Alex Ferguson has coached Gary Neville for 20 years, he made him into one of (if not the best) right backs in English Football. Gary Neville and the rest of that group have been like Ferguson’s sons over the years. There have been ups and downs but they have had a fantastic relationship on and off th pitch.

Gary Neville played 602 games for Manchester United, 85 for England. Those 602 games for one team is unbelievable. Ferguson mentioned that he does not think (and he is usually right) that 602 games will ever be matched by a EPL player, especially playing for just one team.

In all honesty I have never been a huge Neville supporter. It was not that I thought he was a bad footballer, his style just never interested me. However, I have immense respect for Gary Neville. He laid it all out on the field. He gave everything he had for Manchester United.

I can not say what Gary Neville’s legacy will be, all I can say is that I have immense respect for what he gave for United; all those times he trashed Liverpool, all the times he got in players faces, all the times when he challenged Ferguson.

Neville always reminded me of a pirate, not just how he looked but his hardened attitude and his tenacity, and for that I say thank you.

Soccer?

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Just the other day, my dad and I were talking about what were the most valuable sports teams in the world. He said Lakers, and I said that it had to be the Bulls. When I looked it up, I got a bit of a shock.

With Lakers being worth about 600 million dollars (according to Forbes), and the Bulls worth about 500 million, I figured that not a lot of teams could get much more valuable.  But boy was I wrong.

What I didn’t take into account was the world’s ridiculous obsession with soccer. Manchester United is worth a whopping $1.89  billion. $1.89  billion! How is there a single family owned team that is worth so much?

The answer lies with the strange relationship the world has with soccer (sorry, “futbol”)If you go anywhere in the world other than the US, then you can see what I mean. In places like Spain and Italy, soccer is huge. Why is that? It’s easy, can be played anywhere, and doesn’t require a lot of equipment. 

The one thing that the US has right is that soccer is a bummer. It is really boring to watch, and is frustrating to play. Whenever I play, I just wanna pick up the ball and throw it into the goal.

I guess I’m the odd one out.  The whole world cannot be wrong….usually. But a sport that’s played with your feet? Really?

Overlooked

therightliberal2 Comments

When I am asked who I think the footballer is, I always respond that the questioner must specify the position. For someone who has never played football it might be hard to understand, but the positions out on the soccer field are very different.

By far the most secluded player on any team is the goalkeeper. They have special rules for them , they wear a different jersey and they see a different game. When I say they see a different game I mean that they are able to see everything that goes on during a soccer game, watching from the back.

They have an incredibly hard job; telling people where to be and trying to organize a defence. They also face wickedly hard shots, diving to punch the ball away, slamming into the ground, sacrificing themselves.

As the saying goes, being a goalkeeper means long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror.

My mind is on this subject because today Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar announced he will be retiring at the end of this season. This is not a huge surprise given that he is 40, yet reading the headline I am filled with sadness.

Van der Sar came to United late in his career, after playing at Fulham and Juventus for many years as well as for the Netherlands. He gave United a real force at the back, giving the whole team confidence that even if there was a shot on goal, if it was a shot that could be saved, Van der Sar would save it.

He has been a leader and an inspiration to a position that is to often overlooked. It is the most stressful position on a football pitch and he controlled it gracefully. He has shown talent far above players half his age.

Despite family issues he gave everything he had for United, his most famous save coming against Nicholas Anelka in the Champions League final in 2008.

He will be remembered by United fans and I wish his the best of luck in whatever he does next.

Transfer Time

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As it is January the EPL transfer season is open. Most deals are either completed right at the begining or in teh final hours. This years has not seen many big name transfers in or out of the EPL, mostly inpart due to the economy.

Patrice Evra

Sir Alex Ferguson decided against any big transfers. The players supported him in this choice with Rio Ferdinand saying, “I look around the changing room and I’m happy with the players we’ve got”. This lack of trading comes as no surprise as Man U are top of the league and have a fairly deep roster.

A story that has not received very much attention up to this point is the intrest in 17-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He currently plays for Southhampton but is interested in training with Arsenal. This is very similar to the path that Theo Walcott took, going from Southhampton to Arsenal at a young age.

From the scouting reports, Chamberlin has quite a bit of talent and potential. Arsenal is a very good team for developing youth and Chamberlin would be well suited to go there. Arsenal has a tendency to do a great job developing young players and then selling them. They look to break that cycle, keeping players like Samir Nasri.

Back to Normal

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This week saw a return to the “normal” Premier League scores, at least so far. Man City went “top” after beating a feisty Wolves teams 4-3. I put top in parenthesis because Manchester United has three games in hand and are only one point back.

Carlos Tevez

Arsenal grabbed a 3-0 win over bottom of the table West Ham. This came as no surprise as a competent Arsenal team passed West Ham off the field, showing their superiority. In my opinion Arsenal are the prettiest team to watch in the EPL right now, they pass and move, creating beautiful chances, many of which they finish.

Robin Van Persie

Chelsea managed to get a 2-0 win over Blackburn despite their mediocre play. Drogba does not look like he has the power and ability that he did before getting malaria and I hope to see him get that back. Blackburn showed why English soccer has gotten a reputation as playing ugly soccer, lumping the ball up the field for their strikers to run on to. Although this technique can prove to be effective at times, they would have had a better chance at beating Chelsea if they utilized their midfield more.

Branislav Ivanovic

I am very excited for tomorrow as Liverpool takes on Everton and Manchester United battle Tottenham. The Liverpool game will be Reds Hero Kenney Dalglish’s first return back to Anfield, trying to stop Liverpool from losing any more precious points. United looks to remain undefeated and regain their top spot in the standings. Tottenham must do something they have not been able to do in a decade, beat Sir Alex Ferguson.

To follow tomorrow’s United vs. Tottenham game go to: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/gamecast?id=293065&cc=5901

An Ode to Ryan Giggs

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Ryan Giggs is a legend. Not only is he 37, but he is still able to play at the highest level in the EPL.

Today he signed a contract extension that will last through next season. Next year will be his 22nd season at Manchester United. Those 22 seasons have been full of awards on a personal and team level. At age 35, Giggs still managed to capture Player of the Year for the EPL.

He has been a leader for United, playing hard, physical and intelligent football. Giggs has taught players like David Beckham, the Neville brothers, Michael Carrick and many others.

I feel that Ryan Giggs is one of the most transformational players football has seen. He plays a style of soccer that involves much running, hard tackles while still playing an attacking game.

He is a Welsh hero and will be known as one of the greatest United players ever. I will not pretend that he is on the downhill slope, but he is still able to play football better than many players half his age.

Hopefully Giggs will follow Roy Keane and go into coaching, expanding his career in football that is already legendary. Ryan Giggs has inspired my football career and I am sure I am not alone. Thank you Giggsy for what you have done and what you continue to do.

Why I Love United

therightliberal2 Comments

Over the holidays Manchester United showed exactly why I love them. If one was to watch a Man U game without any knowledge of their current league position, they would easily think they were a mid-table team. But Manchester United, full of potential talent, always does just enough to get by.

Nani celeb Manchester United v Stoke

Now many people might wonder why I would appreciate this in a soccer team, for it sounds quite outlandish. Here is why: Manchester United keeps soccer interesting. They are that team in the Premier League that at any point can do something amazing. But at the same time they are right on the brink of total failure. There are games where their midfield has no control, their defence is full of holes and their strikers don’t even look interested in scoring. And then out of nowhere that all changes, they become a team that cannot be stopped.

To many fans this would come off as being inconsistent and lacking true talent. I will not deny that their play is inconsistent but the fact that fans never know what to expect is what makes it fun.

I love to watch Barcelona play because they almost always are making spectacular passes and moving the ball around in unfathomable ways. But the reason I love Man U is that I never know what to expect when I turn on my TV, every game is a new experience, there is no “been there, done that” type of soccer.

Michael Carrick gets treatment as Steven Gerrard prepares to see red

As inconsistent as the play may have been, Man U sits atop the Premier League. At this point it is theirs to lose. but whats great about that is they very well may lose it
(I cringe to imagine it) , and that is what keeps us watching.

To read about all of the latest Manchester United news go to: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team/_/id/360/manchester-united?cc=5901