Bleacher Report - Articles by Ziad Achkar

When Do We Reach the Limit of Regulations?

Ziad Achkar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:17:11 -0400

Ever since the beginning of the 2000 season, new rules and regulations have been implemented on a yearly basis, each one more strict then the other. Starting with the two race engine rule and no tire changes, to talks about limiting the budget cap, Formula 1 has gone through a makeover, but what is really needed?

Advocates of the changing regulations believe that the changes were needed to “spice up" the sport, as many believed that Ferrari’s domination was hurting the sport and draining the excitement of the game. I am going to be honest and confess that I am a Ferrari fan, but I am going to base my article on facts and analysis of those facts.

Boring Races

For quite some time, races have been decided in the pit lane. We are witnessing less and less overtaking in the front positions, especially for first place, which is a key component of the sport, and what the viewers are looking for. In a sense, limiting engine changes and adding regulations have made the game quite dull. The Fear of Ferrari dominating the sport has been shadowed by the coming of a new team, Brawn GP, sweeping everybody aside without looking back.

Hurting the fans

Indianapolis, September 2005: outrage with supporters when Michelin run teams refused to participate in the race because of safety measures. However, FIA refused to allow the teams to change their initial tires. Fans were outraged, and only six cars participated in a race where Ferrari dominated the race and captured 18 valuable points.

Now, one has to beg the questions, how do regulations increase competition? How do they help increase viewers and interest in the sport?

Lastly, the budget cap proposal, an idea that many believe could put all teams on a level playing field, but does it really? The proposed idea brings up some controversial issues; teams cooperating with the budget could ultimately get a good deal with fewer regulations, driving their way past the tight rules. However, looking at it from another angle, teams that do not cooperate are not penalized; they will not have easier regulations. So the question that I ask is, is that a fair deal? Moreover, with big teams including Ferrari and Renault taking serious measures to combat these ideas and threatening to quit the sport, what will happen to the "Sport" that is F1?

Champions League: The Race For The Top (Part 2/4)

Ziad Achkar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:18:49 -0400

Well well it’s the game everybody has been waiting for, the battle of europe some called it between Manchester United And Barcelona.

Looking at the stats of their Champions league campaign the teams looks exactly alike they both haven’t lost a game in the campaign, they both won 8 and drawn 2. They scored the same amout of goals and conceed the same amout too.

Tomorrow’s game brings also another battle a more personal matter, the battle between Ronaldo and Messi, two great players who have been influential for their teams.

United go into the game having a fresh squad, no injury bill. Wayne Rooney who was removed in the 2nd half after a hip injury will be available for the game, so will Van Der Sar, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves.

Barcelona on the other hand will be without Ronaldinho ( injury) and Puyol(suspension) and probably Thierry Henry with a virus.

United go into the game 1st in the premiere league 3pts clear of Chelsea and with a game in stamford bridge on Saturday which could decide the title. Barcelone have lost any hope of winning the Spanish liga trailing the leaders Real Madrid by several points.

The Game Is going to be a very though game for both sides and with a return leg at old trafford, united might seem to have an edge

So Who cares to make a prediction ?

Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Owen Hargreaves: The Battle for the Free Kicks

Ziad Achkar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:09:44 -0400

Everybody that has been following the EPL this season and has been following Manchester United surely has been impressed by Christiano Ronaldo’s free kicks, the way that he strikes the ball and makes it go up and down the wall beating goalkeepers has been his secret recipe this season, nobody can imitate his technique, which seem to work half of the time.

What is his secret?

Nobody knows and it's been a subject of discussion everywhere, including here at Bleacher Report.

However, Christiano Ronaldo isn’t the only free kick taker at United. Of course, many would quickly think of Ryan Giggs as a second free kick taker because of his left foot, but this season a new talent was found in United’s squad, an Englishman called Owen Hargreaves.

The newly signed player from Bayern Munich has been more than impressive in his first season at our beloved club. His presence in the midfield has helped United control games while quickly switching from defense to offence.

Hargreaves has been even more impressive with his free kicks. All the free kicks that I have seen him take were very well placed and required a great save from the goalkeeper, and he even managed to score two amazing ones, most recently against Arsenal, a game that saw United come back from a 1-0 loss to post a 2-1 victory thanks to Ronaldo’s penalty and an amazing free kick from Owen Hargreaves that left Lehmann amazed, so much so that he didn’t move or even attempt to go for the save.

The shot went perfectly over the wall and into the back of the net.

So now I ask you this: "Who would you want to see taking United’s next free kick?"

Race for the Top ( Part One of Four)

Ziad Achkar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 04:58:56 -0400

This Sunday Manchester United Play Arsenal at the Old Trafford, a game that united need to win in their pursuit of glory this season.

Manchester United Have very hard games in the coming weeks. The first is the game against arsenal on Sunday, 2 games against Barcelona in the semi-finals of the champion’s league, and the crucial game against Chelsea. So I decided to write a series of article regarding those games.

Manchester United Come into the game having defeated Roma and qualified to the semi-finals of the CL. United won the first leg 2-0 at Roma, and 1-0 at old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson managed to keep his star players Rooney, Ronaldo and scholes rested, Rooney did play around 20 minutes of the last game, coming as a late substitute.

United were boosted by the return of Gary Neville, the Utd captain, after 13months out due an ankle injury, and the return of Michael Sylvestre who $has been out for seven months following an knee injury.

Even with all the changes to the team United were strong going forward, and didn't look too shaky in the defense.Their recent form has been good which should give them the edge on their rivals.

Arsenal's Trilogy with Liverpool ended with a dramatic 4-2 defeat, failing to qualify for the semi-finals of the champion’s league.

Arsenal Were on their way to the semis with eight minutes to go when Adebayor draw the game at 2-2, a min later Liverpool were awarded a penalty which Gerard brilliantly executed, and in the 92min Babel scored the fourth goal and end arsenal's hopes for champions league glory.

Arsenal go into the game knowing that if they lose, their hopes for any silverware this season are slim, so the pressure is pretty much pounding down on them, and the 4-0 defeat to Utd a couple month ago is still fresh in the players mind..

The First game of these four should provide us with an idea of what to expect from united in the coming weeks.

English Premier League: Race for the Top

Ziad Achkar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:25:46 -0400

This weekend's results showed that there is no such thing as a guaranteed result. Chelsea had to fight for the 3 points against Manchester City while the leaders Manchester United had to fight to get a point from their game against Middlesbrough. Liverpool drew with Arsenal 1-1 at the Emirates.

Chelsea took the lead in the early stage of the game courtesy of an own goal by Dunn and sealed it thanks to Kalou in the 52nd minute but it wasn't an easy task. They had a couple of scares in the end of the 1st half when City came close but were unable to finish.

Earlier that day Liverpool were playing the 2nd game of their trilogy against Arsenal at the Emirates. Liverpool took the lead in the end of the first half with a shot from Crouch who got past the defenders thanks to some neat foot work. In the 2nd half Arsenal equalised from a free kick. Fabregas crossed it and BENDTNER heads it in. Final Score 1-1, just like the result in the champions league. And i think it will be the same result on tuesday night.

On a snowy Sunday United had a hard game agaisnt Boro. They took the lead, Ronaldo scoring from 6 yards out after some bad defending from Boro. Rooney found himself past the Boro defense and on his way to goal only for the referee to say it was offside, replayed showed that the United player was a yard onside. Boro didn't sit but fought and in the 35min Alves scored to tie the game. United were playing really bad and got punished for it, Alves scoring his second goal in the 56th minute. He would have scored a third, if it hadn't been for United defense reacting quick to clear the ball.

Park replaced Tevez who was out in this game and proved to be a very good sub. He managed to trick the defender, get past him and cross the ball in the middle only for Rooney to put it in the back of the net. United pressed forward for a third but were unlucky. The weather was really bad and you could see it affected the game. So, as it stands, United are on top by 3 points only, followed by Chelsea. Keeping in mind those two will meet on April 26 at Stamford Bridge, this game could be a title decider. But before that United have to entertain Arsenal at Old Trafford.

With 5 games left in the season, neither Chelsea nor United can afford any points dropped as it could mean the end of their title hopes. Arsenal might still have an outside chance, but it doesn't look probable.

Manchester United: Up, Up, and Away

Ziad Achkar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:39:06 -0400

Super Sunday brought United a Super-Boost to their title bid, beating Liverpool 3-0 at Old Trafford, Goals By West brom in the 34min, Christiano ronaldo in the 79min and nani with a sublime strike in the 81min. Liverpool could not stop united's attack, Having lost mascerano just before the end of the first half, having received 2 yellow cards, the first for a bad tackle on scholes and 2nd for " dissent"....

Meanwhile down south, Chelsea Came back from 1 down to win it 2-1 thanks to 2 goals from their striker Didier Drogba, Arsenal having taken the lead thanks to a header from sagna, who later left the pitch injured, he had to be streched out of the field, we hope its not a bad injury.

Arsenal recent form has been very poor, they drew 4 and lost 1, arsenal who were 5points clear of united in february find themselves 6 points behing united in 3rd place having only taken 4 points of the available 15. they now have 67points

Meanwhile chelsea good form have taken them to 2nd place a point in from arsenal with 68 points, but 5 behind from Manchester United who are sitting in first place with 73points

Liverpool are now only 2 points away from their mersyside opponents everton, liverpool are 4th with 59th points, their title hopes are very slim and improbable. Next Weekend would be crucial for liverpool if they want to fortify their 4th place, the last place qualiying for the champions league, as liverpool will play everton who are 5th. its going to be a very exciting derby game, a battle for that so important 4th place.

Manchester united looks stronger than ever after defeating their rivals liverpool, with only 7 games to be played united look as they will be crowned champions of england once again.

Ronaldo is now getting closer to the 46goals club record, he has 34goals to his name, and he has a very good chance to equaling the record and even perhaps breaking it.

EPL: Super Sunday with Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal

Ziad Achkar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:34:51 -0400

Sunday's Top Flight games could be decisive in the race for the premiership.

Manchester United host Liverpool at Old Trafford for the first top flight game, while Chelsea host Arsenal At Stamford Bridge.

With only eight games left to be played, Manchester United are first with 70 points, three clear of Arsenal (67), five clear of Chelsea (65), and 11 of Liverpool (59).

Manchester United go into the Sunday game on the back of some not very convincing results. Utd have been shy in front of the goal and have missed a lot of chances, but the bottom line is that they have managed to secure the three points in each of their last three games.

On the other hand, Liverpool haven't had any trouble finding the back of the net, with their star player Fernando Torres on fire. Sunday's game also includes a fight for the lead in the premiership top scorer between Ronaldo, who has 24 goals, and Torres,who has 20.

Chelsea will entertain Arsenal, who haven't been in top form lately, having drawn the last four games. Chelsea has been in good form recently, but after the mid-week game against Tottenham, their defense looked shaky, having conceded four goals and losing the lead three times.

To predict what the results could be is a very hard task, but one thing is for sure: We are looking at a very entertaining sunday afternoon. Personally, I hope that United can get a win and that Chelsea and Arsenal draw.

Leave Formula One Alone

Ziad Achkar — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 07:45:57 -0400

Eddie Irvine's latest comment says it all, Formula 1 is not a sport anymore, the driver doesnt play a role anymore, it would be harder to play it on a playstation, than to actualy drive the car.

Irvine was refering to the growing driver's aids in the modern race. and how dull the sport is becoming

I have been following the sport ever since i was 5, 13 years ago, and for the last few seasons i am beginning to find the sport boring because of all the rules imposed by " The Dictator Bernie Ecclestone ", for me he has ruined the sport forever, i dont think we can call it a sport anymore, the race is pre-planned, every single second of it.

Don't you all get upset when a race is decided by the pit-lane changes? what happened to overtaking, what happened to driver pushing the car beyond the limit and using their abilities, and not a push of a button, overtaking cars, putting his car in danger to prove that he is the best.

And Why all these rules? what is the point of no change of engine, or gearbox. whats next? they will not have the right to refuel, if they run out of it, they should stick it in neutral and push it till the end ?!?!!!!. I mean come on, remove all these stupid rules, u want competition, remove all of this non-sense, the sport is losing a lot of its supporters.

All I have to say to Bernie Ecclestone is " Leave Formula 1 alone, you money-sucking dictator, the bilions u have aren't enough ?????"

Manchester United Back To The Top

Ziad Achkar — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 08:57:29 -0400

It was all but an easy day for the big four in the EPL, Man Utd won 1-o agaisnt surely relegated derby, Liverpool came back from 1-0 down, to win 2-1. Chelsea won 1-0 against sunderland in the stadium of light, and Arsenal, for the 4th time in a row, drew at home with Middlesbrough.

United had to wait for the 76th minute to score to get ahead, Ronaldo was the scorer from an assist by rooney, ronaldo missed several chances and showed his frustration in his celebration by counting the chances he missed.

Chelsea had a scare in the 6th minute. Terry made a big mistake and could have given Sunderland A Penalty, The referee didn't think there was any. a couple of minutes later, terry headed in the only goal of the game from a corner, bad defending by sunderland, as terry slipped from his marker and netted it in.

Liverpool were Down in the 4th with a sublime strike from reading, beating the goalkeeper, hitting the crossbar and going in the back of the net. Liverpool didnt wait much to equalise, in the 18th min, mascherano scored from a shot outside of the box. Torres scored his 20th goal in the premiership,putting liverpool back on top, equaling Fowler's effort back in 1996.

Arsenal Looked to be going for their 2nd defeat of the season on the hands of Middlesbrough, who are the only team to beat arsenal this season, 2-1. but in the 85th minute, an unlucky own goal by mark Shwarzer. gave arsenal a dissapointing point, putting them back in the 2nd place.

So as the day ends, Man Utd are back on top with 67 points edging arsenal on goal difference, with a game in hand against bolton for united, which will be played on wednesday. Arsenal sit in 2nd and chelsea are 3rd with 64 points and a game in hand. which could see them equaling arsenal . Liverpool on the other hand are 4th with 59 points.

As Arsenal Draw Streak Continues, they slipped back to 2nd, and could see themself 3rd if chelsea can capitalise on arsenal recent poor form. united are on the other hand edging closer to mainting the title.

EPL: The Time Has Come for Video Replay

Ziad Achkar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:43:22 -0400

In the modern world, I am still surprised to see that the world's most famous sport still doesn't use the technology we have to make crucial decisions in the game.

How many times did the referee make a mistake that proved costly?

How many times did the referee give a penalty when he shouldn't and vice-versa?

And how many times was a goal ruled out for offside when clearly there weren't any and vice-versa?

These mistakes change the outcome of the match and the season for teams.

Many sports have video replays to help the referee make the decision, after all the guy is a human, he makes mistake, why not help him not to?

People opposing the idea say that the replay will slow the pace of the game, which is a good argument. But would you prefer see a team lose unfairly just for the sake of "the pace of the game?"

FIFA's slogan is fair play; but there isn't any fairness in the referees' decision.

I believe the time has come for video replay in the EPL.

As a side note: I didn't give any example because I wanted to keep this article neutral.

Arsenal-Wigan Athletic: The Silver Lining for Manchester United

Ziad Achkar — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:00:03 -0400

Arsenal came to the JJB Stadium today to play Wigan. The Gunners were full of confidence having beaten AC Milan, the Champions League winner of last year, 2-0 at San Siro.

On the other hand, Wigan were fighting for survival, being only points clear of the bottom three—also known as the Relegation Zone. Arsenal had a handful of chances, but were denied by the heroic play of the Wigan keeper.

As was the case for United, Arsenal failed to score, even though they came close. Arsenal moved two points clear of United, and Wigan moved three points clear of the relegation zone. They sit in 13th place. and are now in front of Newcastle (who haven't won any games under Kevin Keegan) and Reading.

Arsenal seems to have been cursed, as this is the third EPL game they have drawn in a row. They might find themselves in second place if United can capitalise on Arsenal's draw and win their game in hand, which will put the Red Devils one point clear of Arsenal

The two teams still have to play at Old Trafford. Keep in mind, United beat Arsenal 4-0 in the FA Cup a Month ago at Old Trafford.

So as this weekend closes, United find themself out of the FA Cup—but on the other hand, have been given a golden chance to get back to the top of the EPL.

As the end of the season approaches, one can do nothing but admire how competitive and unpredictable this league is. And to add to that, there is only one Premiership team left in the semifinals of the FA Cup, with Barnsley beating cup-holder Chelsea, and Portsmouth beating United, who came in second last year. This year, the Cup could be going to a team not in the Premier League.

The Force That Is Manchester United

Ziad Achkar — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 06:14:39 -0500

Manchester United's season started with a big disappointment, as the Red Deils took just two points of the available nine. With Wayne Rooney injured for six weeks, plus a three-game ban for Ronaldo, it looked like Manchester United were out of the competition this season.

But after the first three disastrous games, United began fighting again, with several 1-0 wins, Then, they got back to their usual form with good play and good performance, winning streaks, and keeping clean sheets.

Seven Months Later, United are only one point below Arsenal, having been five points down just eight days ago.

United's team is almost full, with only three injured players—Gary Neville, Sylvestre, and Ben Foster, who are starting to get back in training after suffering long-term injury.

United's recent form is scaring their opponents. In their last game against Fulham, United kept their star players Ronaldo and Rooney out of the first 11, and rested Vidic and Giggs for the game vs Lyon on Tuesday. With Anderson also on the bench, United didn't lack form—on the contrary, they managed to score three goals without conceding any. And just to remind everybody, United were playing away.

United has both experience and youth, the mix of both gives United the edge on other teams. They are also led by the best coach in the football history—Sir Alex Fergusson, a man who can read games like nobody else.

Manchester United's season is looking brighter by the game. Their team is much stronger and bigger than the one they had last year, and the treble could be a reality this season.

The Battle For The Premiership

Ziad Achkar — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 09:55:51 -0500

Saturday, the first of March, was a day of joy for United and Chelsea fans, as Arsenal were unable to secure a win over Aston Villa, and only managed to get a point after a late goal from striker Bendthner in the 93rd minute saw them pull to a draw at home.

On the other hand Manchester United, who have now closed the gap with Arsenal to a single point, had no trouble scoring. They got three goals playing Fulham away, courtesy of Hargreaves' first United goal, Ji-Sung park—who scored his first since his injury back in March of last year—and an own goal by a Fulham defender trying to clear John O'Shea's cross.

The three points were crucial for United, who have been in good form over the last four games—and if they can keep this form, Lyon have to watch out on Tuesday night when they come to Old Trafford.

Rooney and Ronaldo didn't start last night and were left on the bench, but they both came in in the 72nd minute. Giggs was left behind, as he had taken a knock so the coach decided to rest him ahead of the important Champions League game.

Chelsea aent a warning sign today that they are still in the running for the premiership, by beating West Ham 4-0. They scored three goals in 16 minutes in the first half before, seeing Lampard sent off. However, that didn't change much—they went on to score another goal and destroy West Ham on their own ground.

So as the season gets in the last third, things are looking good. It's not a two-horse race, as many suspected it would be. It will be an exciting end of the season.

The main thing for the three teams is not to drop as many points as their opponents. Arsenal will have to work harder, as their form hasn't been good since they suffered a big defeat to Manchester United in the FA cup, 4-0—and to add to that, they lost Eduardo, one of their main strikers. We hope he will recover from this horrific injury—he is a good player and we want to see great football in the Premiership.

Football fans beware—there is a lot of drama coming in the games to come. So strap yourself to your chair, because the title race is going to be very close.

Bouncing Back in Style, the Manchester United Way

Ziad Achkar — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 23:21:11 -0500

Manchester United 4—Arsenal 0

Venue: Old Trafford

Attendance: 76,000

When the referee blew the whistle to signal the beginning of the first half, you could feel that the game was going to be a big one.

Not just because it was between two of the best clubs in England, but because you could feel that Manchester United were out on the field to prove a point.

Having just lost to Man City at Old Trafford last week, United wanted to prove they were still the best.

With Ronaldo and Giggs rested and Tevez on the bench, you wouldn't have predicted that United were going to be unleashing attack after attack. But United were dominant in the middle, with Carrick and Fletcher playing their role, stopping Arsenal from keeping the ball.

Anderson was in a class of his own throughout the whole game. He was unstoppable, quick to react, and quick to pass the ball to Nani or Rooney who were playing upfront.

Having the home advantage and 76,000 fans cheering them up, United quickly got into the game and started creating chances.

Just 16 minutes into the game Lehman was beaten from a badly cleared corner. Anderson was able to head the ball to Rooney who in turn headed it over Lehman to put United in front and get the crowd up on their feet.

Four minutes later, it was Nani’s turn to turn on the magic.

With a couple of stepovers and feints, he managed to get a couple of yards of space on the left-hand side and cross into the box, and Fletcher made no mistake heading it in.

2-0 United.

Arsenal were badly missing Adebayor, who was on the sub bench, unable to create any chances. Fabregas was completely absent, and didn’t do anything.

Arsenal’s defense was shaky and Rooney wasn’t giving them a break. He was all over the place causing chaos, luckily for Arsenal, he missed several scoring opportunities.

Lehmann had a really bad day. Hesitating, failing to clear his ball, his goal kicks never made it past the halfway line, and most of the time they went out to a throw-in or fell to the legs of the opposition.

With 38 minutes on the clock Carrick produced a beauty. His accurate pass fell into the legs of Nani, over the head of the Arsenal defender, with no offside to save Arsenal.

Nani took a left-footed shot beating Lehmann and giving United a comfortable 3-0 lead.

Arsenal were surely happy to hear the halftime whistle, but the worst was yet to come.

Arsenal came into the second half pumped up, trying to get something started. They were really aggressive and in the 49th minute Eboue was sent off for a really bad challenge on Evra. This was a big blow for Arsenal’s tiny hope.

The downhill ride had just started, United monopolized the ball with Rooney easily getting pass the defense only for Lehmann to stop him from scoring a 2nd.

Nani and Anderson were amazing, causing so much trouble for Arsenal. They turned on the show with Nani’s spectacular tricks, which helped him keep the ball and beat the defenders who were on his back.

With 20 minutes to go Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal coach, was desperate, throwing Adebayor in, along with Senderos and Flamini.

Immediately, Sir Alex Fergusson withdrew Rooney and Anderson and replaced them with Saha—who has just came back from injury—and Paul Scholes.

Moments after he came in, Adebayor was booked for throwing himself inside United’s box, claiming a penalty kick. But the referee had a good view of it and was quick to react.

With 74 minutes on the clock, Fletcher headed in another one from another great cross by Nani.

United didn’t miss either their star player (Ronaldo), or their most decorated player (Giggs). It seemed that the whole team wasn’t depending on a couple of players, but on the team itself.

Their showing was amazing—coordination and teamwork, the passes were great, the defense was a fortress, and the middlefield was a rock.

The whole second half was a show of style more than a competitive game.

Arsenal created their one chance with a header going over the bar. But their players lacked morale and confidence. They looked devastated.

They let their anger get the best of them in the 49th minute with the dismissal of Eboue.

At the stadium, the fans were celebrating a historic win.

They could remember the game against Roma 10 months ago which ended 7-1.

Manchester United never looked stronger, and with a game against Lyon on Wednesday, who lost against Le Mans 1-0, United seem to have the morale, the players, and the confidence to get a win, and get through to the quarter-finals.