Iniesta – BRITISH SOCCER {DIVA}

The End of Act One…

Act One of the new season in Spain is over and Sophie and Ben return to dissect the action so far, as Barcelona begin with a perfect record under ‘Tata’ Martino.

Atlético are hot on their heels with eight wins of their own and Real Madrid follow five points behind – albeit with some teething problems in their post-Mourinho project.

We take a look at how Barça have coped without Messi, how Madrid can improve in the lead-up to the Clásico, the difficult start to life in La Liga for Gareth Bale, plus Atlético and how the third team in Spain are looking to challenge under Diego Simeone.

Join us for all that and much more in La Liga Lounge!

The One After the Summer…

The summer has gone and with it the transfer window is now a thing of the past too – at least until January.

Gareth Bale is finally a Real Madrid player, La Liga is underway again and Barcelona have a new coach – although not the centre-back they so badly needed. Sophie and Ben return to discuss all of that and more on the latest La Liga Lounge.

The One After the Summer. Tune in and join us as we catch up on all the stories.
We’re back in the Lounge for our laid-back look at the game in Spain…

The One with Neymar to Barcelona…

La Liga Lounge returns with a Brazilian blend, dedicating the entire show to one man…Neymar!

The most talked about transfer in football over the last two seasons is finally done. Neymar joins Barcelona from Santos and we look at how this deal could work out.

Will Neymar complement Messi or will he try to compete with him? Can these two superstars co-exist? Or are there too many cooks in the Camp Nou kitchen?

Neymar is also slight and doesn’t carry too much weight. Can he bulk up and also change his style of football to adapt playing in Europe? Will he be a huge success like Ronaldinho or will he end up a high-profile flop? Remember Keirrison?

We dissect this subject like a frog and are also joined by Brazil legend and 1970’s World Cup winner and captain Carlos Alberto. The scorer of the greatest goal ever seen in the World Cup doesn’t hold back when talking about Brazil’s current football starlet.

Sit back. Relax. Grab a chair in the lounge. It’s happy hour. It’s a special. It’s “The One with Neymar to Barcelona.”

The One Where We Catch Up…

It’s been way too long! We missed hanging out in La Liga Lounge talking Spanish football over delicious cocktails.

Barcelona lose to Celtic in the Champions League. Yes it was shocking, but wasn’t it inevitable this would happen at some point? And which team does this result mean more to? Ben and Sophie come to an insightful conclusion!

Real Madrid are still eight points behind Barcelona. They have two semi-tough games left in the Champions League. Cristiano Ronaldo might play a central role at the weekend. Ben and Sophie dissect!

The La Liga Lounge bar staff also talk Malaga and heap even more praise on Manuel Pellegrini’s men. And we chat Oviedo and their incredible battle for survival. Plus we make four hot picks for the weekend. Grab your favourite drink, have a listen and let us hear from you @laligalounge. Get stuck in there. Pepe does!

Euro 2012 Crystal Football…

One of the most exciting football tournaments in the world is upon us and we’ve only had to wait four years.

Euro 2012 is about to kick-off and co-hosts Poland and Ukraine, together with the rest of Europe, carry the dreams of millions of fans in their kit bag!

Who will be victorious? Is there a team primed for a Denmark or Greece type Cinderella story? Can one of the host nations win? Can Spain create European history and win another title? Who will shine the brightest on the biggest stage?

The wait is over. It’s time for us to channel our inner Nostradamus. It’s time for us to look deep into our crystal football. How right or how wrong will we be?

Let’s hope it’s a thrilling tournament without any trouble and that for a few weeks, the beautiful game can make a tough old world feel a little good about itself right now.

Group A
Winner = Poland
Runner-up = Russia

Group B
Winner = Holland
Runner-up = Germany

Group C
Winner = Spain
Runner-up = Italy

Group D
Winner = France
Runner-up = Sweden

The quarter-finals could be a time for justice or vengeance!

Quarter Final #1
Poland v Germany

These teams drew 2-2 last September in a friendly. Germany coach Joachim Loew said that result was a “wake-up call” for his country. It was the first time Poland got close to beating the Germans in 17 previous attempts. Poland have been unable to defeat Germany in 78 years. What better way to break the cycle than a sweet victory in front of your own people! Football always serves up story lines that take us beyond the game and it’s almost written in the stars these two teams will meet. You can almost feel it in the air.

Quarter Final #2
Holland v Russia

This is a match-up that would excite any football fan. Russia were the surprise team of Euro 2008 and very few thought they could beat Holland in the quarter-finals. The Dutch were piping hot favourites in that game and as we’ve seen in tournament’s past, they tend to break under the pressure. The Russians on the other hand played fearless football and solidified their place as one of the tournament’s most exciting teams. They could meet again at Euro 2012 and this would be a wonderful opportunity for Holland to turn the tables and exert revenge on the Russian’s who trampled all over their Euro 2008 dream.

Quarter Final #3
Spain v Sweden

In the past, we’ve seen some of the supposed European giants of football get an easy path in the knockout stages. Some would say Germany were lucky to face Turkey in the semi-final of Euro 2008. No matter who you get in the knockout phase, it’s never an easy game, but the luck of the draw could mean it’s just easier than other match-ups. This year, Spain could find themselves a little lucky when they face Sweden in the quarter-final. Sweden may have done well getting out of their group, but they are reminded of who the real Royal family of European football is in this match!

Quarter Final #4
France v Italy

Who wouldn’t want to see these two European powers battle it out in a quarter-final? There is so much recent history between France and Italy, it would almost be wrong for them not to meet again. Italian hearts were smashed into tiny pieces at Euro 2000 after Trezeguet’s golden goal sealed glory for France. And at the 2006 World Cup, the football boot was firmly on the other foot as Zinedine Zidane’s moment of headbutt madness cost the French another world title. Old scores must be settled and this match would truly be a treat for fans everywhere.

Semi Final #1
Poland v Spain

Semi Final #2
Holland v France

European Championship Final
Spain v France

Champions
France

Storylines…
1. Debuchy comes of age.
2. Ben Arfa grows to superstar status.
3. Benzema solidifies spot as European scoring machine.
4. Laurent Blanc the heroic winning player turns winning coach.
5. Laurent Blanc restores pride to French flag and French international football.
6. Hugo Lloris finally recognized as one of world’s best goalkeepers.
7. Arsenal have to pay double for M’Vila.
8. Spain’s rule ends and questions are asked about Xavi and Iniesta.
9. Less questions about Torres as he has a great tournament
10. Del Bosque retires. Pep Guardiola pressured to take over the national team. Luis Enrique joins as his assistant

Miracle at the Camp Nou…

Last week on World Football Daily, a listener asked the question, “if Chelsea beat Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final, would it be on the same scale as the Miracle on Ice?”

At the time, the entire crew answered with a resounding “no.” But after tonight’s performance by Chelsea against Barcelona, should the World Football Daily crew re-think the listener’s question?

Was it a miracle? Or was it just a monumental defensive display with a counter attacking twist?

It was a fascinating evening of European football. Everything was going according to plan for the West London club. Thirty minutes gone in the first half, no goals conceded and defensively, they picked up exactly where they left off at Stamford Bridge last week.

But after a tornado of attacks from Barcelona, the Chelsea defense finally succumbed. They failed to pick up Sergio Busquets in the box and in turn, he easily slotted home the first goal of the night. Eight minutes later, Iniesta hit a sweet strike to make it 2-0. Advantage Barcelona and at this point, everybody expected the flood gates to open. Instead…a moment of madness!

John Terry decided to knee Alexis Sanchez from behind, right between the legs and the linesman informs the referee who then shows the former England captain a straight red card. An idiotic and unnecessary act from Chelsea’s leader and with each step he shamelessly took towards the dressing room, it felt like a stamp in the heart for Chelsea fans. Surely Barcelona’s dominance would payoff with lots of goals now. Surely Terry’s stupidity would be punished. Or would it?

Just before half-time and moments after Terry’s sending off, Frank Lampard delivered a delicious signature pass that split Barcelona’s phantom defense and Ramires capped it off with a delightful chip Xavi, Iniesta or Messi would be proud of. It was exquisite and deserving of the run Ramires made to get into that position. The goal stunned the Camp Nou. Stunned the players. And stunned Guardiola. How many Barcelona fans said a little prayer before the second half? How many fans believed Lionel Messi would bail them out of trouble?

It was a night however where the world’s best player lost his magical touch. Messi has scored more than 60 goals this season but he couldn’t find the back of the net against Chelsea. And the most glaring of all misses was his penalty effort that hit the woodwork. Barcelona needed another hero to step forward but nobody had that killer finish. As the minutes painfully passed and with every kick of the ball, you felt more and more like the script was never going to veer in the direction of Barcelona. Not on this night. Not against this Chelsea team.

This is the same team that capitulated under Andre Villas Boas on a weekly basis. This is the same set of players who lacked confidence and any type of spirit for the majority of the Premier League season. I’ve said the same thing repeatedly since Andre Villas Boas was fired. This team will win to spite him. They now believe in themselves. It’s evident throughout the entire club. They had an obvious swagger even when they were losing 2-0. And after they made it 2-1, you felt like there was still another headline waiting to be written.

The final say came from the one player who suffered under Andre Villas Boas dictatorship the most. Fernando Torres returned to Spain with Chelsea as a 50 million pound flop and left Spain with Chelsea a 50 million pound hero. He ran his heart out and dodged the challenge of Victor Valdes to bury the goal that could deliver Roman Abramovich the Holy Grail!

But it’s not just a win against Barcelona that is driving Chelsea towards unexpected glory. Roberto Di Matteo and Eddie Newton have added a certain magic to this once woeful team. Call it belief. Call it confidence. Call it men leading men. Something is swinging down the Kings Road again and this time it’s not Lionel Messi’s shorts.

Al Michaels, a famous U.S. sports announcer once asked if we believed in miracles. In modern day football, against this particular Barcelona team and with only 10-men at the Camp Nou on a Champions League semi-final night, I would say a smidgen of me believes a miracle did happen tonight…

The Weird Science of Football…

John Hughes provided many happy memories for angst ridden teenagers everywhere.

He was the man who gave birth to the more than cool 80’s Brat Pack. He was the man who let Ferris Bueller run riot on his day off. He was the man who dared to give Saturday detention to a bunch of troubled students in the Breakfast Club. And he was the man who made us believe we could create the perfect woman on a homemade computer in the completely outrageous Weird Science.

And that’s the John Hughes flick that got my football brain thinking…

In Weird Science, the nerdy teenage boys were desperate for some girl attention. Problem is, they had no game. They were hopeless, immature and lacked confidence. They couldn’t even attract bees to honey if their lives depended on it.

You could liken the characters from Weird Science to Arsenal in the transfer market. No matter what Arsenal do, their hopelessness and inability to buy quality players is evident. So what do you do if your team doesn’t buy? You build right?

How wonderful would it be if you could really utilize the Weird Science theory and manufacture the ultimate football player? Some would say you should just re-create Lionel Messi. But where is the fun in that? The beauty of this little exercise is to mould your player by using the best parts of all the great players available in today’s game.

Physically who would be your guy? Ronaldo of Real Madrid? Hulk of Porto? Both are sculpted like Greek Gods and could battle with anyone on a football pitch.

Mentally you would want someone like Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs wouldn’t you? A player who has experienced everything in the game can be of high value in the mental stakes.

Technically the talent of Barcelona’s Iniesta would be beautiful wouldn’t it? And what about Bayern Munich star Bastian Schweinsteiger’s grit and determination? Or the strength and courage of Barcelona captain Carlos Puyol? Then there is the endurance of a British player like Wayne Rooney who is used to the gritty requirements of a long football season.

The choices are endless because the football talent in today’s world is vast. From Europe, to South America and beyond, dare to dream. Put your geek on just like those Weird Science boys. Start building your perfect player today. It’s actually quite comforting and you don’t have to be an Arsenal fan to enjoy the Weird Science of Football…

Spain: The Golden Age…

For so long we’ve been told the likes of Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, Terry and Cole are the “Golden Age” of British football and the best we’ve seen since the World Cup winning squad of 1966. But yet again England exited a tournament as losers and their fans dream of world success has turned into another nightmare. And in a European country just around the corner, a team of patriotic men were lauded similarly to this generation of English players. From the media to fans, everyone agreed Spain was something special. And like England, so much pressure was put on the Spanish. Even prior to Euro 2008, the expectations were high. But they didn’t cave. They won it. And the expectations for England and Spain were vast again in World Cup 2010. England were as miserable as their winter weather and Espana went on to win the whole damn thing.

In the case of Spain, their team of individual superstars actually have world-class talent and this time around they didn’t cave to pressure. Their team of individual superstars came together and played for each other. They proved that despite the hype and expectations, they could win. They deserved to win the World Cup. The right team won the World Cup. And with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas, Ramos, Villa, Torres and Fabregas, they could go on to win for many years to come.

In the past, Spain too have been guilty of failing themselves and their country. Whether it was the European Championships or the World Cup, they would always choke. Even in the days of the great Raul, the Spanish could never deliver the big prize. But somewhere along the way they bought some belief, a little swagger and a side of balls. They became a team of destiny. They became World Champions.

England should examine how Spain have achieved their success over the last four years. They should look to their European counterparts as an example of how you can go from being a total loser to a total winner. And perhaps they should consider having an Englishman manage their way back to the glory days. You can’t help but think the spirit of the Spanish side and the influence of their coach Vicente del Bosque just instilled more patriotic pride to their cause.

There’s nothing much else to say about the World Cup other than I feel the same way about it as I did a few weeks ago. We saw some great goals here and there with Giovanni Van Bronckhorst’s of Holland being the best for me. There were a few nail-biting moments and in my opinion the most exciting of all was the late goal by the USA against Slovenia . The biggest stars in the world including Messi, Ronaldo, Kaka and Rooney didn’t shine at all, which was a huge disappointment. Unfortunately the tournament was dampened by awful refereeing decisions and the final didn’t live up to its billing. Plus it felt way too cold for a World Cup. Overall the sizzle was certainly missing!

A few things are for sure after this tournament…here we go…Spain are truly the best footballing team in the universe. They will be considered one of the best-ever having won Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010. Everyone around the world will now know who Xavi and Iniesta are and who will deny these two sublime players their place as the world’s best midfield duo? Not me. David Villa has absolutely nailed the label of world’s best striker and how happy are Barcelona they bought him before the tournament? Manchester United must be feeling sick having let Pique go back to Barcelona. Referees from Mali suck. Rooney is a baby. Forlan has still got it. Muller is the next big thing. Sneijder is magic. Goal-line technology is a must. And coach Bosque will forever be worshipped for delivering the goods to his fellow countrymen.

This certainly is the “Golden Age” of Spanish football and you truly deserve the label Spain. Hope you are taking notes England…

Viva Barcelona and coach Guardiola…

Italy Soccer Champions League Final In 1999 Manchester United capped an incredible season by beating Bayern Munich in the dying seconds of the Champions League Final to secure an amazing treble. Fast forward 10 years and it’s now Barcelona celebrating a treble of trophies as they captured the biggest prize of all in Rome last night. Congratulations on winning the Champions League. Barcelona were simply beautiful.

After the first 10 minutes it seemed United had this game in the bag. Barcelona were nowhere. Then a goal from Eto’o stunned the Red Devils and they never recovered. Messi turned it on like Britney Spears on Grammy night. Xavi and Iniesta ruled the midfield. They were brilliant and my prediction for United to win was wrong, wrong, wrong!

A shout out must go to Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. What a first season as coach of one of football’s most famous clubs. He was a very successful player for Barca many moons ago. And now he has delivered the treble in his first season. Where does he go from here? Hopefully he’ll experience the same success Sir Alex Ferguson has enjoyed over the last 15 years. He’s a good bloke and there’s no question he has created a great environment for these players in the dressing room. They have a great spirit and the coach should be patted on the back for that.

But after last night’s game, the real debate will begin. Who is the best player in the world? Surely on last night’s display it’s Messi right? Or Is Ronaldo still the best in the world? Who has bragging rights for the 2009-10 season?

Who will lift the Champions League trophy..?

champions_league_trophy The two sexiest teams in Europe have a hot date in Rome on Wednesday. But who will come out on top? Manchester United? Barcelona? Let’s hope it’s us fans that are the happiest at the end of the game, for this really is an exciting Champions League final and we hope it lives up to every expectation.

This game will also solidify who the best player in the world is for the 2008/09 season. It’s Ronaldo vs Messi. Have you already decided who is the best? Are you waiting for the game to play out before you choose? Who will rise to the occasion and be crowned king of the soccer world? We all know it takes a team to win, but let’s be honest, everyone will be watching the battle between these two talents to see who shines on the big night.

There’s no doubt the talent on display in this game will be too sexy for the pitch. Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney, Samuel Eto’o, Andres Iniesta, Thierry Henry and Yaya Toure can all be match winners for their team. And don’t forget legends like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. Let’s hope all of these players can stay injury free for the final.

This is when the summer starts to sizzle in Europe. As fans, we crave moments like this. My money is on the boys of Manchester to do it all over again…