Bleacher Report - Articles by Matt Titman

France Defeats Ireland on a Controversial Missed Call

Matt Titman — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:05:03 -0500

The full-time whistle has been silent for about 15 minutes now, but the nations of France and Ireland won't be quiet for some time yet.

The French, of course will be partying, narrowly qualifying for South Africa next summer. Anelka and Gallas' goals were just enough to pip a game Ireland squad.

The Irish, however, will be screaming long into the night about a lack of justice on the eventual series-winning goal by Gallas. Giovanni Trapattoni has done great work on a side with such limited resources and came oh-so-close to the big dance.

But due to a blatant handball missed by both the referee and his linesman, the Emerald Isle will once again be only spectators to the World Cup.

But, lets give the Irish credit; soccer/football is definitely a minor sport in Ireland behind the Gaelic Games and rugby union, but Trapattoni has done great things since taking over from Steve Staunton.

Unfortunately, they'll be sitting around until qualifiers for the next Euros start up.

Despite winning, is there a single person who believes Domenech is the right man for France?

First he couldn't deliver at Euro '08, now his side barely sneak into the World Cup. He was rightfully booed by the French fans at halftime and his decision to not play Real Madrid superstar Karim Benzema must be questioned.

But the biggest question that must be addressed is the 800 lb gorilla in the room; instant replay and its place in football.

Clearly, Henry handled the ball before his pass to Gallas, no doubt about that, but is instant replay a viable option?

My main concern is for the speed of the game. In both forms of rugby, tries can be deliberated for multiple minutes before decisions come out; is having a TMO really the best option?

I love to see fair, well-played games, and the team that plays better should win the match. Maybe we will see a sort of instant replay similar to rugby, as this would be the fairest option.

But people, especially old people (FIFA and its delegates), are afraid of changing and live by the mantra of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

Here's to hoping for a much needed fix.

Cristiano Ronaldo Can't Deliver; Portugal Exits Euro 2008

Matt Titman — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:13:23 -0400

As much as I hate to admit it, Cristiano Ronaldo is a pretty good player. He's done very well for himself at age 23, with a few Premier League championships, a Champions League title, and a few other cups.

However, the one thing he's never done is win a major tournament with the Portuguese national team, the best result being a runner's-up medal in Euro 2004.

So the stage was set for Portugal this year. CR was at the top of his game and the rest of the squad had big years, especially the Chelsea contingent and Pepe with Real Madrid.

They romped through their first two group games before resting nine starters for the loss against Switzerland. While Germany clearly would not have been their first choice in opponents, you play the cards you're dealt.

However, the German squad was in perfect harmony today, defeating the Portuguese 3-2. The German goals were all quality strikes, although Ballack's winner wasn't without dispute due to his push off Ferreira.

The first Portuguese goal was opportunistic, led by a great run by CR and finished by Gomes. The second, scored by Postiga, was made possible by the hard running of Nani, another one of my targets for disdain.

The thing that struck me about the game was that Ronaldo seemed absent for large parts of it. Sure, he had the run that led to the first goal, but his usual great service was missing, and his set pieces were appalling.

After Gomes came out and handed CR the captain's armband, he seemed to just fade into the field, with no good chances and a lack of all those things that make him so popular with Manchester fans.

So, what now? For his legacy to be cemented as an all-time great, I'd argue that CR has to lead his country to at least one title. They've come close, but second place never made a legend. Would Gerd Muller be as big a German hero if they had never won a tournament? Doubt it.

Also, will he move to Real Madrid? Seems to me that the only person who actually knows is CR. The offseason will be an interesting one.

Euro 2008: Round One Reactions

Matt Titman — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:02:49 -0400

So, the first games of the group stages are over. While some fans may be disappointed at the quality of play in some of the matches, there are quite a few things we can take from the games.

One, there's no clear favorite.

Germany looked great against Poland, but the lack of strikers scoring goals and the fact that Jens Lehmann is goalkeeping are scary thoughts. Spain opened the floodgates against Russia, but its defense looked shaky at times and Russia dominated them down the flanks.

The Dutch may have handed Italy their heaviest defeat at Euros, but all the team does is attack. Lastly, Portugal may have beaten Switzerland, but their opposition lacked quality, and Cristiano Ronaldo didn't look his marauding best.

Two, there is no good dark horse candidate to win this tournament.

Of all the possible dark horses, Russia looks the strongest, but they still got smoked 4-1 by one of the best teams in the tournament. Romania, long touted as contenders to get out of the Group of Death, looked boring and lifeless against the French.

Switzerland, always an underrated side, has lost their captain and best goal scorer. Croatia, after knocking out England, has since shown lack of quality, and desperately miss Eduardo.

Third, the quality of most matches hasn't been exactly as I expected, but the tournament so far has been quite entertaining. There were plenty of goals, the referees have allowed games to go on without getting unsafe, and the fans have created great atmospheres.

So, who will win?

After round one, I want to pick the Dutch. They play in a very attacking style that is entertaining to watch, and had put on a master class against the defending World Cup champs.

Spain will be the sentimental favorites due to their history, and they look like they finally have the quality side needed to win something.

Whoever wins, I'm sure it will be entertaining.

OJ Mayo and His Money: Cleaning up College Athletics

Matt Titman — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:00:31 -0400

So it comes out.

OJ Mayo has apparently been receiving money and gifts from his trusted mentor since his high school years.

Yet one question remains: Is anyone really that surprised?

Amateur sports are some of the most beautiful things in sports nowadays. In a world awash with sneaker deals, multi-year, multi-many-million dollar contracts, seeing amateur sports with athletes playing only for the love of the game is refreshing. The NBA playoffs may be nice, but I'll take March Madness anyday. Hell, I'd rather watch the play-in game than Game 2 of the Spurs-Hornets.

But yet, occasionally the game is ruined. Chris Webber may have been one of the best players in Michigan history—barring that silly timeout call—but he has no stats to prove it, as they were erased when it came out that he received money from boosters.

If OJ did receive gifts deemed illegal by the NCAA, it sheds yet another dark light on the pro/college debate in basketball. As Dicky V stated tonight in an interview, why not just let the kids who want the money go straight into the draft? Forcing one year of college on the kids really does nothing for their lives, as they know exactly what they're going to do after that year.

David Stern needs to take a good, hard look at the system. If people legitimately want to come to college to experience life on their own while playing the sport they love, then let them. If not, and they want to go pro, let them do that. Don't force these silly rules upon athletes with the talent to be professionals.

Side note: I don't support any other ACC team besides the Terpies and whoever's playing Duke in basketball, but congrats to Buster Posey of Florida State baseball for playing all nine positions AND cranking a grand slam. This is the kind of amateur sport I want to see, athletes playing for the glory of their schools and possibly a pro deal after school.

Ligue 1: Paris St. Germain—Where Did It Go Wrong?

Matt Titman — Wed, 07 May 2008 22:17:22 -0400

Nicolas Anelka. Ronaldinho. Youri Djourkaeff. Gabriel Heinze. Jay Jay Okocha. George Weah.

Any team lucky enough to have the kind of talent possessed by these players would clearly be a powerhouse in any league in Europe, let alone the often-overlooked Ligue 1.

Paris Saint-Germain has been fortunate enough to employ all of these players at one point in their careers. Yet the club currently sit in 18th place in Ligue 1, tied with Lens and Toulouse on 39 points, and -1 of goal difference being the gap between safety and relegation for the first time in club history.

The question then becomes: What the hell happened? How does a club that has won two French league titles, seven Coupes de France (possibly eight pending this year's final), and consistently competed in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup end in up the relegation battle?

The main cause can be traced back to Canal+, a collection of French TV channels. Canal was the main shareholder in PSG from 1997, and eventually became sole owner of the club in 2005.

With increased money, players such as Ronaldinho were signed to contracts and many expected the club to consistently challenge for the French and European titles. However, silverware did not follow, and Canal jumped ship in 2006 to cut their losses.

A succession of managers have been unable to stem the tide, as big names such as Laurent Fournier, Guy Lacombe, and now Paul le Guen have been unable to deliver the kind of results expected by the bosses.

Speaking of bosses, the club has been unable to have the position of chairman filled for extended periods of time, and the revolving door forces managers to change tactics or possibly face lowered amounts of money available for transfers.

What can be done to help PSG's decline? First, a competent manager with thick skin needs to be appointed. This is an immediate need that the club cannot go without. Why not Jacques Santini, recently let go by AJ Auxerre and former manager of the French national squad?

Second, that manager needs time and money. The results aren't going to immediately turn around. Don't look for PSG to push for a European spot anytime in the next three years.

Third, the club needs to further develop the youth side. Nantes has always been the benchmark for how to produce top players, yet there is no excuse that the only top-flight team in Paris can not effectively cultivate the young footballers that are all over the city.

Will PSG survive the drop this year?

The signs are good, as they are only one goal back from safety and have a very winnable/drawable match against AS Monaco on the schedule, and Lens have to play Bordeaux and Lille, two quality sides this season.

However, what about the long term future of the club? Le Guen is surely on his way out, as the fans are unhappy with him and he seems powerless to improve his squad. The backroom staff will probably be out of work as well, and PSG will almost have to start from square one to get back to where they once were.

Only the next few weeks will tell the future of Paris Saint-Germain. They will either pull off a revival and survive to play another year in Ligue 1, or they face the very real possibility that they may be playing in the second division.

This would leave Paris as the only European capital without a top flight club. But for now, Le Guen and his players must focus on the job at hand and not worry about what might be.