Bleacher Report - Articles by Dakota Rubin

Cardiac Cats Leave It Until Late Vs. BC

Dakota Rubin — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 22:41:15 -0500

“Things are always better late than never” will be the lesson taken away by the Cats from this weekends series versus No. 9 Boston College.

The Catamounts have played three games against their conference rivals and defending National Champion Eagles this season, and while they have only led for seven minutes—the last seven minutes of Saturday’s game—they found a way to split the series.

Earlier this season, UVM dropped a 3-2 decision in Boston in which the Cats never led and Friday night saw UVM have to overcome three one-goal deficits—including a goal with one second remaining on the clock by Brian Roloff—en route to a 3-3 tie.

After fighting back two previous times, the Cats found themselves down one goal with just four seconds remaining in the game.

Following a stoppage in play, UVM had a two-man advantage with their goalie on the bench and BC center Brian Gibbons in the penalty box and a faceoff in the left circle.

“Four seconds left, everyone was kind of scrambling a little bit heading into that draw,” Roloff said. “We just kind of threw everybody in front of the net.

“The plan was to draw it back to Petey [Lenes], which [Dean Strong] did. He was supposed to shoot it, but I just kind of dropped off to the side thinking that they see Petey up top there, they’re going to run out and try to block his shot, so he must have saw the same thing and slid it over to me.

“I caught the pass, figuring the goalie would try to slide across, so I just tried to throw it to the far post and luckily enough it just slid in,” Roloff said.

The goal was reviewed but eventually upheld with one second remaining on the clock. The teams went on to play a scoreless overtime period.

This was not the first goal off a faceoff in the game for the Cats. Earlier in the third, in an eerily similar play Strong won a faceoff in the left circle back to Lenes who fired a wrist shot past BC goalie, John Muse.

On Saturday night the No. 10 Cats could not parlay the momentum from previous game as they fell behind 2-0 in the first period, but found a way to fight back and snatch a late victory.

“I think we kinda thought that we were going to jump all over them again because we had momentum coming in from last night,” senior Corey Carlson said. “We kinda thought they were going to sit back, but they came out and they were flying. We played a really bad first period.”

After a stern talking to by Sneddon between periods, UVM came out, controlled the play and scored four unanswered goals in the final 40 minutes including a Carlson goal with 7:02 remaining in the third to give UVM their first lead against the Eagles this season.

The comeback would not have been possible if it was not for freshman goaltender RobMadore who made 14 saves—some of them spectacular—in the first period, the same number of saves he made in three periods on Friday night.

“Rob [Madore] allowed us, single handily, to get back into this hockey game,” head coach Kevin Sneddon said. “That game could have been 5-0 after the first period. Rob deserves a lot of credit for us being able to come back.

“I was impressed. To go against one of the best teams in the country and not play your best and find a way to win shows me we have a very solid team,” he said.

On top of Carlson’s tally, UVM got goals from Lenes, now has nine on the season, Jack Downing and Viktor Stalberg, who scored on Friday night as well and now leads the team with 10 goals.

After this weekend, the Cats have a record of 12-4-3 and 6-3-2 in Hockey East where they are currently in third place. Vermont travels to Boston to face conference leaders, No. 4 Northeastern, in a two game series this weekend.

Originally published in the Vermont Cynic and Windy City Word.

Real Madrid @ Mallorca: Halftime Thoughts

Dakota Rubin — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:13:05 -0500

The first half ended 2-0 in favor of the visitors.

There has been a lot of talk about Messi coming into his own as the best in the world over the last few weeks and lost has been the absolutely incredible play of Arjen Robben with Real Madrid.

Robben was back at it today, destroying Mallorca along the wight side of the field for the entire first half including a goal in the third minute.

Mallorca started the game with five defenders hoping to curb some of the speed Robben brings to Los Blancos, but the islanders had no answer when Higuain and Robben took off on the counter early in the game.

Robben is definitely not in the CR7 and Messi stratosphere yet, but he has taken over games consistently since Juande Ramos took over as manager and has looked unmarkable—even by four or five defenders.

It was also nice to see Higuain make a spirited comeback from injury. He set up both first half goals and looked dangerous throughout.

Continuing with our theme of exalting attacking players, this is a special day for El Capitan, Raul, who, in his 500th game, got a goal. While the goal should probably be credited to Higuain for all of his work, Raul was in the right place at the right time to tap it home and deserves all the credit in the world.

On the other side of the pitch, the defense that was put together at the beginning of the season—Ramos, Cannavaro, Pepe, and Heinze—are all finally healthy and have looked great the past two days.

Casillas has been in true Saint Iker form as well, but it has helped to have a competent back four in front of him. This is not something that could be said for much of the season.

The defense is also benefiting from the arrival of Lassana Diarra, who is fitting right in alongside Gago and doing a great job disrupting the opponents flow in the midfield. I was worried about how quickly he would be able to jump in, but he has, thus far, been much better than advertised.

Thats all for the first half. I will have more after the final whistle.

Vermont-Boston College: Comeback Catamounts Ice the Eagles

Dakota Rubin — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 01:18:36 -0500

I definitely did not think my first post would be about hockey—especially UVM hockey.

But here I am after a weekend where I covered the Cats' two games against Boston College, and all I can talk about is the Catamounts.

I have been to many games over my four years here and seen some great teams and great games, but this weekend may top them all.

First, we have to start with Friday’s buzzer beater. I have never seen something like this in hockey. UVM, down by one with four seconds left, is on the power play and pulls their goalie so it is six on four.

The faceoff is in the left circle, where team captain Dean Strong wins it. He brings it cleanly back to Pete Lenes, who swings it to the right circle, where Brian Roloff blasts a shot past BC goalie John Muse. One second remains on the clock.

Absurd!

The Gut goes crazy as the players mob Roloff. I did not think things could get any better—but then tonight, they did.

UVM went down early as BC scored on their first shot of the game and quickly added a second. I thought UVM would carry all the momentum from last night into the game but it was not to be. The only thing that kept the game from getting completely out of hand was freshman Rob Madore. He was sick in goal all night long.

I thought that there would be a significant drop off in goals after Fallon graduated last year—but apparently I was wrong. After watching what Madore did to this great offensive team from BC the last two nights, I am convinced he is the real deal.

Coach Sneddon must have had some serious words in the locker room after the first period and whatever he did worked wonders. The Cats came out in the second rearing to go and by the end of the period we were all even at two.

The third period belonged to the Cats who finished the Eagles off with two more goals for a final of 4-2.

I am still not entirely sold on this team as national championship contenders but I do think they have a chance to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in over 10 years.

I do have worries about such a young team keeping it together down the stretch, but after looking two seemingly insurmountable deficits in the face against the defending National Champions and coming out on top, I think anything is possible.

Look for more on Tuesday in the Vermont Cynic.

Article originally published by the Windy City Word.

Is Henry Really That Far Over The Hill?

Dakota Rubin — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:45:41 -0400

News reports today stated that Thierry Henry may be on his way out of Barcelona.

After recovering from an injury, Henry has been asking for more consistent playing time and, thus far, not receiving it. According to reports, this could lead to Henry leaving the club.

But where would he go?

These same reports are saying that the MLS could be his next destination. We have been hearing for a while that eventually Henry would make his way across the pond to MLS, but isn't this a little too soon?

No offense to MLS, but they are no La Liga or Premiership. They are a second tier league and should not get players of Henry's quality unless they believe they are making their way onto the other side of the hill.

Henry has not looked great over the past two seasons, but he is still one of the best finishers in the world.

Does this mean that MLS has significantly improved over the years to attract talent like Henry at this point in their careers?

Or has Henry's career sunk to an all-time low?

Thoughts on the Champions League

Dakota Rubin — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:49:47 -0400

Here is a rundown of the past two days at the Champions League. And because I have been really into predictions lately, I will make a stab at who will advance from each group.

Group A

Chelsea made a nice statement coming out of the gate with a new manager. They have been known for their tough defense in the past and it looks like the offense may finally have caught up.

The biggest disappointment of the group has to be Roma. After a late run last year, Roma fell disastrously at the hands CFR Cluj-Napoca, 2-1.

Cluj surprised a lot of people and unless Roma can rebound they have an outside chance of advancing.

Prediction: Chelsea and CFR will advance.

Group B

Werder Bremen was a big disappointment for me, as they could not produce anything against the weakest team in the group.

Inter asserted themselves as the strongest side in the group, but didn't do enough to prove to me that they have serious championship aspirations.

Prediction: Inter and Panathinaikos will advance.

Group C

Barcelona finally got through the early season fog that they were mired in. Sure it was only Sporting, but it was a win and that should do good things for Pep's squad. I expect this to launch them forward in La Liga as well as the Champions League.

Basel was a disappointment for me but this is a real lightweight group that Barcelona should dominate. Sporting got lucky to be placed in this group.

Prediction: Barcelona and Sporting will advance.

Group D

Liverpool pulled this game out of nowhere. I really expected more of them but a win is a win.

The team to beat in this group, though, has to be Atletico who looked fantastic against PSV. Aguero is a superstar in the making and the rest of this team is physical, skilled and built to succeed.

Prediction: Atletico and Liverpool will advance.

Group E

Wow. Talk about the boring group. Not a goal was scored between these four teams and the group remains wide open.

Villarreal proved the most to me today when they held the defending champions scoreless at Old Trafford and created the best chance of the game—without their two best strikers.

While this group is completely up in the air, I expect Villarreal and Manchester to assert themselves in the next games.

Prediction: Manchester United and Villarreal will advance.

Group F

Lyon made a huge move coming back from two goals down with less than 20 minutes remaining. This makes the group that much more exciting.

Lyon and Fiorentina are going to have to battle it out for the second spot in the group behind Bayern Munich who looked impressive but should do better in the coming games.

Prediction: Munich and Fiorentina will advance.

Group G

Porto made a giant leap to the top of the pile in Group G. Their dominating performance over Fenerbahce was impressive.

Arsenal, on the other hand, was less than impressive in a last-gasp tie with Dynamo Kiev. Kiev played them tough but Arsenal really struggled.

I expect to see more from Arsenal when they return home and continue the group stage.

Prediction: Arsenal and Porto will advance.

Group H

Real Madrid did not score as many goals as they should have, but they did control the game well against BATE.

Juventus also looked good as they fought for a good win against a tough Zenit side.

It will be great to watch these two titans clash later in the group stage.

Prediction: Real Madrid and Juventus will advance.

Quick Champions League Predictions: Match Day 1

Dakota Rubin — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:23:51 -0400

Here is my quick rundown of predictions for the first match day of Champions League:

Group A

Chelsea vs. Bordeaux — The Blues will be way too much for the French side to handle.

Prediction: 2-0

Roma vs. CFR Cluj-Napoca — Roma is a team that has a lot to prove in this tournament and they will start off on the right foot.

Prediction: 3-0

Group B

Panathinaikos vs. Inter Milan — Milan is probably the better side in this matchup but being the home team is a great equalizer.

Prediction: 1-1

Werder Breman vs. Anorthosis Famagusta — Breman has the talent to go far in thei tournament but so far this season they have not looked nearly as good as many people expected. They will get a win here though.

Prediction: 1-0

Group C

FC Basel vs. Shakhtar Donetsk — Basel is a much underappreciated team that will play a role in the outcome in Group C.

Prediction: 2-1

Barcelona vs. Sporting Lisbon — What may seem like a complete mismatch is going to be a very tight game due to Barcalona's complete lack of confidence. Sporting will have a chance to win this match.

Prediction: 2-2

Group D

Marseille vs. Liverpool — Liverpool is a team built for the Champions League and they will prove it here.

Prediction: 0-1

PSV Eindhoven vs. Atletico Madrid — Atletico has a very talented team that is disconcerting hot and cold. They will be hot today.

Prediction: 1-3

Stayed tuned for my predictions for the second match day.

Hurricanes Ike and Zambrano Ruin Houston Astros' Weekend

Dakota Rubin — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 16:48:33 -0400

The Houston Astros have had their share of bad luck the last few days.

First they are forced out of their homes as hurricane Ike went tearing through the Texas city, and then, on Sunday night, they faced another kind of hurricane in the form of Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano.

Zambrano, who has been suffering from a lingering arm injury, showed no ill effects and threw an efficient 110 pitch, no-hitter against an Astros lineup that managed to get just one man on base.

The Astros have had their fair share of bad luck against the Cubs and their power pitchers over the years, as it was Houston who fell victim to Kerry Wood's record 20 strikeouts and now will go down as the team that was the victim of the first no-hitter by a Cubs pitcher in 36 years.

Part of me feels bad for the Astros, who have been through so much and have really fought back to a place where they have an outside shot at the wild card, but mostly I am just pumped for the Cubs.

They have looked so poor over the last couple of weeks, but tonight, everything fell in to place.

All the worries about Big Z's arm flew out the window and with a quickly expanding 7.5-game lead in the division, it looks like the Cubs have a clear shot into the playoffs.

There have been many great pitchers over the years for the Cubs that would have been worthy of breaking the years of no no-hitters, but maybe Zambrano doing it in this—the 100th year since a championship—says something about this team and what they are made of.

While I may be looking way too far in to this, I believe this is a year when the winds of change are blowing through Chicago, and none blew stronger tonight than Hurricane Zambrano.

Barcelona Looking To Follow Chivas To MLS?

Dakota Rubin — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:06:17 -0400

One of the largest clubs in the world may be on its way to the MLS.

If reports coming out today carry any weight, it looks like Barcelona president Joan Laporta was recently in Miami scoping out the possibilities of starting an MLS branch of one of most successful football teams on the planet.

In 2004, Mexican club Chivas paved a new road by starting sister club Chivas USA in California, and it looks like Laporta and Barcelona have a similar idea.

Barcelona has always had a good rapport with the United States, where they play multiple preseason games each season. And as MLS continues to grow, it looks like the league has made its way onto the radar of one of the most important men in the sport.

What will this mean for MLS?

Nothing but good things. Barcelona is not only one of the best teams in the world, it is also one with great tradition and fans across the world. A sister club in Florida would draw huge numbers of fans, and would do wonders for a league already on the upswing.

When this club would be formed is still very much in the air, but the prospects are very exciting.

We will have to wait and see, but very soon I may have a branch of the club that I love to hate much closer to home.

La Liga Roundtable: Preparing For The Start Of The Season

Dakota Rubin — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:07:20 -0400

On Bleacher Report there is an abundance of writers who specialize in English football and this makes for a fantastic dynamic full or arguments and differing opinions.

While there are not nearly as many writers in the La Liga community, I have pulled together two of the best in the first La Liga Roundtable.

Many thanks to Gonzalo San Martin and Iñaki Angulo for their participation.

So here we go:

Will Barcelona be able to bounce back from a disappointing season and challenge for the top spot in La Liga this season?

Iñaki: Do not doubt it. They have the weapons and it seems that they have the correct attitude. The locker room problems have been solved and Pep Guardiola has shown that he is able to deal with the egos.

By now he has an ultra-motivated Eto'o and everything is working out at Barcelona.

They absolutely have the talent to get the job done. Xavi, the best midfielder in the world at this point, will be the leader of this new Barcelona. If Messi keeps healthy he will be unstoppable. They also have special players such as Daniel Alves and the teenager Bojan.

I don't expect a rebirth of Henry, but if he gets a similar role of Larsson's one a couple of years ago he will be another threat coming off the bench.

They have the talent, but, on the other hand, they are not a settled team. It will be key the time they take learning the system and learning to play together. If they start fast, they will be able to challenge for the title.

Gonzalo: They certainly have the squad to do so. My main question marks are around the manager and the stability of the board.

While Guardiola has had a good deal of success with the Barcelona youth team, it's a whole different ball game at the top. Barcelona have looked good in the preseason, and in the Champions League qualifiers, but I do wonder how well Guardiola will be able to cope with the press and the fans when they hit a tricky patch (as all sides must at some point).

My other question mark is about President Laporta. I think he's been wounded over the summer and only barely survived the vote of no confidence—if things get tough, will he press the panic button?

Dakota: Of course they will—at least for half of the season. They are playing great football right now and I think that will definitely carry through the first third of the season.

But that is when the tricky parts of the season begin. How will this untested team, new coach, and under-pressure president respond when Barcelona hits their first speed bump?

Team veterans such as Xavi, Puyol, and Valdez will be integral in keeping the team together and helping them grow from a collection of talent to a competitive team.

If they can overcome adversity and Pep can bring the great talent on this team together, Barcelona will quickly return to their spot as a serious title contender.

Can Real Madrid complete the three-peat?

Iñaki: Absolutely.

They are a settled team. The club have done a great job the last couple of years bringing good players to Madrid. Besides Casillas, they do not have a world star such as Ronaldo or Fernado Torres, but Madrid have a pretty complete team.

They have good wingers, good defenders, and a very reliable overall team. They also work like a team.

As said, they are in position to complete the three-peat. Nevertheless, I see an inside threat.

The fans, the media, and also the club are claiming to take the UEFA Champions League trophy back. If they advance through the competition, they will focus on the European contests. In this case it will be tough for them to make the three-peat.

Gonzalo: They can, but I suspect it will be much less comfortable than last year. Real built an incredible cushion over the first half of the season, picking up victories in the dying minutes when the teams around them could not finish their games off. This cushion helped them to overcome their own sticky patch around February.

Their team basically has the same core players, who know how to play well together and under Schuster. However, they are vulnerable to injuries as the squad depth is not perhaps what it should be.

Van der Vaart was an intelligent purchase, especially since Sneijder will be out of action until about November. I think they will struggle in the Champions League, but, you never know with Real.

Dakota: For sure they can. Whether they will is the real question.

Madrid is a team built to win in La Liga, where balance and fitness can get a team through the tough patches that every team will inevitably face, but can they pull everything together to succeed?

With the addition of Van der Vaart, Madrid boasts one of the best midfields in the world. But the key for me to the team is health. Already Sneijder has been lost for three months and Madrid will have to avoid injuries if they have a chance to repeat.

Which player do you expect to have a breakout season?

Iñaki: Fernando Llorente. Athletic Bilbao.

This striker has plenty of talent to have a breakout year. He is a super size guy (1.95 m) and he also has good ball skills. He is a poor version of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Llorente is the offensive reference of his team. Last year he scored 11 goals. He is only 23, and under Coach Joaquin Caparros I expect him to be great this year.

Honourable mention: Pablo Hernandez (Valencia) Higuain (Real Madrid)

Gonzalo: Tough one, this. I'm hoping De la Red gets enough playing time at Real Madrid to finally add to the list of players that have come up through the ranks (Real haven't had one since Casillas).

Dakota: A few players stick out for me, but I expect to see the biggest rise from an already well known player.

I think this is the year we will finally see Arjen Robben live up the all of the hype we have heard for years. The Madrid winger has looked fantastic this preseason and finally looks poised to explode.

Unfortunately, Robben has a body as delicate as glass and injuries have been the biggest issue, but if he can stay healthy he will rise to a new plateau.

Which team will be this seasons surprise and come from mid-table and challenge for a Champions League spot?

Iñaki: Athletic Bilbao. I've picked Llorente as my breakout player for the upcoming season and I pick his team for the surprise of the year.

I firmly trust Joaquin Caparros, who enters in his second season as Bilbao's coach. He did a remarkable job with Sevilla. Caparros built the team that won back to back UEFA Cup titles. He knows how to get the job done. He has taken back the pride and the aggressiveness to Bilbao, the Spanish team with the largest tradition.

Athletic is a talented although young team that had a nice improvement last year.

Caparros has settled an interesting team. They have plenty of smart players all around the field. They recover Iraizoz, the most underrated goalkeeper in the League, and Gurpegui. This guy spent a couple of years suspended after violating the League's substances rules. Gurpegui is a key player in the midfield spot.

The rest of the team is back. Players such as Amorebieta, Iraola, Javi Martinez, and Llorente will lead this team to a UEFA Cup spot.

Gonzalo: Racing nearly did it last year but faded towards the end. I think Getafe have once again bought wisely and may well challenge for the top four spots if things go their way.

Dakota: I guess it is not really going out on a limb, but my team on the rise has to be Valencia. They still have serious problems at the back end and in goal, but up front, between David Villa, Morientes, David Silva, Joaquin, Mata, Vicente, and Benega they have the best young attacking midfield and forwards.

After a disastrous year that saw them finish in 10th last season, I expect
a meteoric rise from los Ches this season. Possibly even a Champions League spot.

Who will the top four be?

Iñaki: I don't really see any change at the top four. Real Madrid, Villarreal, FC Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid will fight for the top four.

Gonzalo: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla (I think they're on their way back), and Atlético Madrid.

Dakota: I think Real Madrid and Barcelona will be in there for sure and then I expect a serious rise from Atletico and Valencia will sneak in just above Villarreal and Sevilla.

Who will be relegated?

Iñaki: Coming from Segunda we have Sporting, Malaga and Numancia. In my opinion, Sporting and Malaga will be able to have a nice year. Numancia won't. They surprised everybody clinching a ''La Liga'' spot, but they definitely don't have enough talent.

Recreativo will also struggle. They have lost Sinama Pongolle, and it's a huge loss for them. He maintained the up with his goals, and they will miss them this year.

Osasuna will be relegated too. They did the job in the last week lasr season. I think that they won't' be able to do it again this year.

Gonzalo: Of the three that came up from Segunda, I think Sporting and Málaga will struggle. This may be the year that Athletic Bilbao finally drops down, but it will probably be Recreativo or Almería.

Dakota: I expect Sporting to struggle off the bat and while I don't expect fantastic things out of the other promoted clubs, I think they will survive. Recreativo and Valladolid will join Sporting on their trip to the second division.

Thanks again to Gonzalo and Iñaki for their help and I look forward to more La Liga round tables in the future.

Spanish Supercopa: Rating Real Madrid

Dakota Rubin — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:30:35 -0400

In the first leg of the Spanish Supercopa, Real Madrid fell to Valencia 3-2. The defending La Liga champions saw an early lead evaporate as their defense could not hold against the dynamic Valencia front line.

Despite Valencia controlling much of the play for the first half, los Blancos jumped on the board first when Ruud van Nistelrooy put away a shot at a tight angle completely against the run of play.

While "Van Gol" would go on to add another goal in the second half, it was not enough to counteract Valencia's 12 shots on goal and skill of David Villa.

The Golden Boot winner from the European Championships earlier this summer ran wild all over the field and while he was caught offside at least three times he caused utter havoc in the Madrid back line.

If Madrid has any aspirations of repeating as La Liga champions they will need to solve their defensive issues.

Here is a rundown of my ratings of each player for Real:

Iker Casillas, 4. He made some great saves in the first half of the game but was caught out in the second half and should have done much better on all three of the goals.

Michel Salgado, 4. Had little effect on the game in a positive sense going forward and looked completely overmatched on defense.

Javi Garcia, 3. Looked stuck in no-mans land in the center of the back line constantly throughout the game. He is a young player with a lot of potential but against Villa he was completely overmatched.

Gabriel Heinze, 4. Did not much better than Garcia. He made a few saving tackles but overall looked very rusty and a step slow.

Miguel Torres, 3. Was caught with too much space between himself and the center backs, which gave the attacking players for Valencia way too much space.

Mahamadou Diarra, 4. Gave the ball away far too easily in the first half. He got better as the game progressed and even looked dangerous going forward on a few occasions. Should have done better dropping back in defense.

Ruben de la Red, 5. Showed a few bright signs of what his future could hold but was invisible for long stretches of this game. His pass to Van Nisterooy lead to the first goal of the match but did little else the rest of the game.

Rafael van der Vaart, 6. His free kicks were a highlight of the game, causing problems with their superb pace and great placement. He needs to be more assertive controlling the game and possessing the ball.

Robinho, 4. Did not look menacing once on the wing. He was almost a non-factor and for a player of his skill, that is unacceptable.

Raul, 5. Seemed to come on as the game progressed. In the first half he made almost zero touches but as the game went on he got more chances and almost slotted home a goal that the Valencia keeper just beat him to.

Ruud van Nistelrooy, 7. The only reason Madrid got on the board. Van Nistelrooy made a fantastic move to score the first goal of the game and while most of the second goal should be credited to Robben, Van Nistelrooy was in the right place and the right time to pound it home.

Subs:

Sergio Ramos, 5. Immediately brought a calming influence to the game and looked great controlling the ball going forward. Was lax on defense where he seemed out of tune with the others at the back. Looked more interested in controlling the game than doing his job on defense.

Arjen Robben, 7. He looked menacing running down the left side of the field and it makes you wonder why he was not in the game longer. The Dutchman made a fantastic run past three defenders to set up the second goal.

Guti, N/A. Was not in the game long enough to get a good reading on the Spanish playmaker. That being said, he did not look as comfortable on the ball as usual, giving it away a few times on easy passes.

Leo Messi Is at the Olympics, but Barcelona Are Doing Just Fine

Dakota Rubin — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:21:07 -0400

Earlier this summer when Leo Messi was attempting to get released by his club in order to compete in the Olympics, the Barça bosses said that they could not afford to lose him because of important Champions League matches during the Olympics.

Well, if yesterday was any indication, Messi can spend a good amount of time away from the club and they will be just fine. Samuel Eto'o netted a brace and Xavi and Thierry Henry also scored in Barça's 4-0 win against Wisla Krakow.

Was this the game they needed Messi for?

Sure, it's always good to have your best players. But this was a chance for new coach Pep Guardiola to get a feel for his other players and give some of the newcomers a chance to prove themselves.

This was just another step forward for the Spanish giants in their quest to put last season's disappointing run behind them. They are doing well thus far—smoking every opponent they have faced.

It will be interesting to see with which lineup Barcelona starts the season. They have so much new talent and many players that can be successful at every position on the field.

One worry that plagued Barcelona last season and could come up again is their defense. They have four strong players at the back, but because of their preferred 4-3-3 format they do not have the midfield help and the back line is often left alone.

Barça is at their best when their midfield and forward players are controlling so much of the ball that it does not matter because the opposing team never has the ball enough to be dangerous.

The real tests for this team will come once La Liga and the Champions League seasons begin in earnest and we see how this team responds to adversity—exactly what caused so many problems last season.

If the preseason means anything, though, Barcelona is going to be a team to be reckoned with in every competition this season.

I cannot wait for Dec. 14 at the Camp Nou for the first installment of El Clásico between Barca and Real Madrid.

Another note that I just come across in reference to Barcelona: Why are they going after Berbatov? Where would he play? Maybe on the six-man front line of Messi, Henry, Eto'o, Hleb/Gudjohnsen, Krkic, and Berbatov?

Is Landon Donovan Moving To Europe?

Dakota Rubin — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:24:40 -0400

The MLS could be on the verge of losing another one of it's brightest stars to Europe.

LA Galaxy and US national team midfielder/striker Landon Donovan has been contemplating a move to the English Premier League over the past couple of weeks, according to goal.com.

"I've had in my mind for a while now that if I have an opportunity, a real opportunity, a good opportunity, to go somewhere, that I would examine it," he told the Los Angeles Times.

Who can blame the guy. His team is currently in fourth position in the Western Conference and just went through a massive shakeup as their head coach quit and their GM was fired.

At 27 years of age, it makes sense that Donovan would be interested in expanding his horizons and seek better competition.

"The older I get and the more I play, the more I'm yearning for that highest level I can play at," Donovan told the English press. "I think the Premiership would be the best place [to] play."

But how would Donovan fair in the EPL? In his two previous stints in Europe—both with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen—he did not do well at all.

The English game, though, is much different from that played in Germany. The Bundesliga is known for their slow, methodical, pounding style that does not fit Donovan's aggressive, slicing game.

If he does indeed move to England, Donovan will have to adjust to the extremely physical style of play, but the up-and-down attacking game would fit right in to Donovan's skill set.

While it would be a sad day to see Donovan leave MLS, I think it would be a great move for one of the league's greatest players and a huge boost for the US National team that is lead by Donovan.

Thanks To Inexperience And Mistakes USA Crash Out Of Olympics

Dakota Rubin — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:07:43 -0400

Maybe it was a dream on my part to think that the US squad had any chance at a medal or to even get out of the group stage at the Olympics. Really, what was I thinking?

I should have rethought after the team barely scrapped by against a poor Japanese side, and I should have rethought after the team blew a lead in the next round on a stoppage time goal to the Netherlands.

But I guess I was too caught up in national pride.

I even set my mind to waking up at 4 a.m. to watch the team play Nigeria live. What was I thinking? Sure I did that during the World Cup in 2002, but that was a World Cup. This was the group stage of the Olympics. This is basically a U-23 tournament.

Somehow the US gave me hope that these players—the future of the country's national team—were a special group and were capable of greatness.

I guess I was wrong.

Sure they put up a good fight. And that draw against the Dutch—no matter how heart-breaking—showed that the USA has risen to a level where they can at least compete against some of the best in the world.

I concretely believe that if it was not for the stupidity of Michael Orozco and his completely unnecessary elbow in the THIRD MINUTE that lead to a red card, the US would have at least managed a draw against Nigeria and advanced.

But it was silly errors like Stuart Holden's foul that lead to the free-kick goal against the Dutch, Freddy Adu's silly yellow card against the Dutch that ruled him out against Nigeria, and then the straw that broke the camel's back was Orozco's utter idiocy this morning.

When you are an underdog, you cannot make mistakes. And that is exactly the mistake the US made.

This team is very good, and many of these players will be on the senior national team before long, but they better learn from their mistakes.

Rivalry Between Chicago Fire and New England Revolution Rekindled

Dakota Rubin — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:54:59 -0400

For the third time this season the Chicago Fire defeated the New England Revolution. The perennial Eastern Conference contenders are currently the top two teams in MLS and both harbor championship hopes.

But on this night—and the previous two meetings between these two teams—Chicago had New England's number. They have won the three games by a combined score of 9-1.

This game was by far the most challenging of the three as the Fire had to come back from an early goal off the head of recently healthy striker Taylor Twellman. But thanks to a sinking knuckleball from Gonzalo Segares and a rebound from Wilman Conde, Chicago got the win and pulled to within one point of first place.

Chicago has been knocked out of the playoffs the last three seasons by the Revolution and the rivalry between these two teams seems to grow every year.

Budding rivalries like the Fire versus the Revolution are exactly what the MLS needs to continue pushing forward and improving their standing in the world of soccer.

Both Chicago and New England have been paving the road for the growth of MLS, especially in the past two seasons.

Chicago made one of the largest splashes last season when they signed Mexican international Cuauhtemoc Blanco. And they have continued their quest for international talent with the acquisitions of the Colombian, Conde, Lider Molina from Paraguay, and recently acquired Marco Pappa from Guatemala.

The Revolution have been one of the top teams in MLS over the last two seasons, finishing runner-up in the last two MLS Cups, and becoming the first MLS team to win the Superliga title.

These two teams are on the forefront, driving MLS in to the future that looks very bright. It is great to see this rivalry grow and blossom.

Are The Chicago Fire Better Without Cuauhtemoc Blanco?

Dakota Rubin — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:08:27 -0400

That was a really hard title to write. I am a big supporter of the Chicago Fire and also of Cuauhtemoc Blanco. I think he was one of the best things to happen to MLS and has done wonders for the league.

But this last week Blanco was out of action for the first time in his MLS career—suspended for one game due to yellow card accumulation—and the Fire looked like an entirely different team.

I am still trying to figure out if this team was better or just so different that it caught me off guard.

When Blanco is on the field, the entire game flows through him in midfield and the offensive players are reliant on him for service and support. These are usually good things because Blanco is an incredibly skilled player and probably has the best vision of any player in the league.

The drawback is that Blanco—at 35 years of age—is starting to slow and cannot get back and defend like most midfielders. This means that players like Chris Rolfe and Justin Mapp are forced to spend much of their time racing back to defend and fill in the holes created by Blanco's free moving style.

During the Fire's 1-0 victory over Chivas USA this past weekend, Chicago used a few new-comers to offset the absence of Mr. White.

Guatemalan midfielder Marco Pappa played in his first MLS match and looked impressive as the main playmaker in the center of the pitch. Sure the 20-year-old was not perfect, but his energy and speed on the ball was very good to see from a young player in a new league.

Another pleasant surprise was the coming out party of Patrick Nyarko. The seventh pick in this years Superdraft showed why he had been so highly rated going into the draft when he scored his first career MLS goal—and he could have had two if not for the ref incorrectly calling him offside on the first.

The rookie did not join the team until recently after deciding to stay at Virginia Tech until his graduation earlier this spring. He showed great speed and a knack for putting the ball in the back of the net—a trait that we have not seen much of this season.

The most shocking thing about this game was the speed at which it was played. With Pappa lining up in the midfield with John Thorrington, Mapp, and defensive midfielder Logan Pause, the Fire looked to move much quicker than in any other game this season.

Nyarko—paired up top with Rolfe—added to the overall team speed of Chicago and this was the difference in the game.

All season Chicago has been a team that will grind you with great defense and goalkeeper and score just enough to pull out the victory. But in this game we saw a different side of the team. Sure they only scored one goal, but they looked so much more dangerous throughout than usual.

What coach Denis Hamlett decides to do for the rest of the year will be interesting with both Thorrington and now Pappa looking for playing time in the midfield and Brian McBride coming in to reinforce the front line.

Whether Chicago was better without Blanco is hard to say definitively, but one thing is for sure, they were very different. If they can figure out a way to mix the speed an d energy of the Chivas game with the guile and creativity of Blanco, the Fire have a great chance at an MLS Cup.

Wesley Sneijder's Injury: How Real Madrid Will Cope

Dakota Rubin — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:24:04 -0400

Good news from Spain's defending Champion, Real Madrid, as their star midfielder, Wesley Sneijder, will only be out for three months and not the previously feared six.

The injury, suffered from a vicious tackle by Arsenal's Abou Diaby in a friendly on Sunday in the Emirates Cup, was originally diagnosed as a torn cruciate ligament according to El Marca newspaper.

But after an MRI Monday Real Madrid reported on their Web site that Sneijder will avoid surgery and will only be out three months.

While this is much improved over the original assessment, it will still leave Madrid without an integral piece for at least the first two months of the season, which is scheduled to kick off August 31.

Possible Replacements

Los Blancos did not waste any time, adding midfield help in the form of Sneijder's compatriot, Rafael van der Vaart. A deal that had been in the works for a few weeks between the Spanish club and Hamburg of the Bundesliga finally went through on Monday.

The 25-year-old van der Vaart—a central midfielder—will not directly replace Sneijder, who spent most of his time on the wings, but will be able to take on some of the playmaking responsibilities lost with Sneijder.

It will be very interesting to see how Madrid lines up to begin the season because Van der Vaart is in the same mold as a Madrid standby, Guti, and manager Bernd Schuster will have to decide if the two of them can play together.

Besides Van der Vaart, the injury to Sneijder directly effects two players seeking transfer: Madrid's Robinho and Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.

I have read a few reports that say that the loss of a Sneijder will prompt Real Madrid President Ramon Calderon to step up his pursuit of Ronaldo, but I think this is completely the wrong move.

Real currently sports an imposing midfield and the last thing we need is another midfielder and especially one that is more focused on himself than the team—every player in this midfield is going to have to learn to share time.

A much better move would be to prevent Chelsea from signing Robinho. The Brazilian is incredibly skilled and is extremely dangerous streaking down the wing. Playing on one wing opposite Arjen Robben, Robinho can excel and help drive Madrid towards its title defense.

For a team that is weak at the back and thin up front after Raul and Ruud van Nistelrooy, who are both aging, there are much better places to spend money than on more midfielders.

The Midfield Log Jam

Sure there is always the issue of what to do once Sneijder comes back and increases the log jam in the midfield.

Currently Madrid has three defensive midfielders in Mahamadou Diarra, Fernando Gago, and Ruben De la Red who all deserve playing time. I could see at least one of them tested out more in the center of midfield.

The heart of the Madrid machine will be run by Guti and Van der Vaart. Guti is one of the most inconsistent players for the team, but when he is on, he can be the best distributors of the ball in the world.

Hopefully the young Van der Vaart can learn from the veteran Gutti and slowly take his place with the starting eleven.

Los Blancos also have Royston Drethe, Julio Baptista, and Javi Garcia in the midfield mix, but none of them have proven that they deserve consistent playing time as of yet.

How Schuster decides to figure out the players in the midfield could well determine how Madrid does this season.

What do you think Madrid should do in the middle?

How much will the loss of Sneijder effect Real's drive for their third league title in a row?

Brian McBride On His Way to Chicago Fire, Says MLS Commissioner

Dakota Rubin — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:03:37 -0400

During the halftime report at the MLS All-Star game, MLS commissioner Don Garber stated that the Brian McBride saga is over.

Sure, this saga was nothing compared to Cristiano Ronaldo-to-Real Madrid, but for fans of MLS—especially those fans of the Chicago Fire and Toronto FC—this has been drawn out far too long.

While Garber would not say full out that McBride is on his way to Chicago, he did say a deal was done and an official announcement would be made tomorrow. He also said that it would be nice to see McBride playing in Chicago

These comments along with McBride's persistence on playing for the Fire, lead this writer to believe that ex-Fulham player will soon be playing in Chicago.

This deal has been in the works for weeks, and it looks like it was finally completed. Toronto FC owns the rights to McBride, and Chicago needs to complete a deal with them in order to acquire the striker.

While I have no idea what Chicago gave up for McBride, I am sure it was worth it.

After a dry spell, the Fire has improved and currently sits third in the Eastern Conference behind the New England Revolution and the Columbus Crew.

For a team that is traditionally strong in the second, the addition of McBride would be a huge boost for the Fire.

Paired with the likes of Cuauhtemoc Blanco, John Thorrington, and Chris Rolfe, the Fire could possess one of the top offensive teams in the league to go with their already stingy defense that has given up only 14 goals in 16 games this season.

Should be fun to watch.

Article originally published on The Looper.

MLB's NL Central: Sounding Off on the Second Half

Dakota Rubin — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:34:27 -0400

{Writer's Note: This is the first installment of a six part series previewing the second half of the MLB season.}

The best division in the NL—and possibly in all of baseball—is stacked, and the stretch run should be a lot of fun. There are three teams that are all deserving of a playoff birth but only two will make baseball's second season—most likely the second-place team will take home the wild card spot.

Chicago and Milwaukee look like the early favorites to win the division, but don't write off the Cardinals so quickly. All three teams are entering the second half with reinforcements and it should be a true slugfest down to the last game.

Here is how I see the teams finishing the season:

1) Chicago Cubs

Tied for the best record in baseball at the ceremonial halfway point of the season, the Cubs are in great shape to make a run at getting the 100-year-old monkey off their backs.

After acquiring Rich Harden just before the break, Chicago has an incredibly powerful rotation led by the one-two punch of Carlos Zambrano and Harden, which is arguably the best in the majors.

But the Cubs are not just about pitching, their offense is ranked first in the National League. With Alfonso Soriano expected back from his broken hand next week, the lineup will get that much more dangerous.

But with 10 games remaining against the Brewers, and nine against St. Louis, the road will not be easy.

Player to Watch: Sean Marshall—A surprising pick for some, but Marshall could be a huge piece for the Cubs as they head down the stretch. As the Cubs' sixth starter/long reliever, Marshall already showed his worth, pitching two scoreless relief innings against the Giants on Saturday.

Sure, the Cubs have other pitchers that can pitch scoreless innings of relief, they do not have another pitcher who can step in should in the injury prone Harden fall victim to the injury bug once again.

Marshall will be someone to watch in the second half.

2) Milwaukee Brewers

The Brew Crew made it clear that they are determined to make the playoffs, for the first time since 1982, when they went out and traded their top prospect for CC Sabathia.

The powerful strikeout pitcher has been stellar for Milwaukee, winning both of his starts while hitting a home run and posting a 2.40 ERA. Paired with power pitcher Ben Sheets, the Brewers have a one-two punch of their own. But just like with the Cubs, health will play a major role.

Player to Watch: Prince Fielder—The Brewers have a powerful offence, but they will need Fielder to continue his impressive hitting if they have a chance at a playoff birth.

After shocking everyone with 50 home runs last season, Fielder has hit just 18 thus far this season. Home runs are not the only numbers that are down from last season—Fielder also has only 52 RBI and is batting just .270.

But it is not too late for Fielder to make his mark on the season. With 67 games remaining in the season, the Brewers will need his power to drive them to the playoffs.

3) St. Louis Cardinals

The team that everyone seems to be overlooking in this race is the Cardinals. Haven't people learned not to write off a team managed by Tony La Russa?

With players like Albert Pujols, Rick Ankiel, and Ryan Ludwick, this team is going to be dangerous down the stretch.

The real question is going to be their pitching staff. Both Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter have spent a good amount of the season on the DL, and when these players rejoin their team, it will be as good as if the Cardinals went out and acquired two top starters.

How these two, and fellow pitcher Mark Mulder, pitch after coming off the DL, will decide the fate of the Cardinals.

Player to Watch: Jason Isringhausen—The closer who once was unhittable with the Cardinals has fallen into disfavor this season. He currently sports a 5.97 ERA and a record of 1-5.

After a season in which he saved 32 games and finished with an ERA of just 2.48, Isringhausen has been replaced by Ryan Franklin in the closer's role. And while Franklin has done an admirable job, the Cardinals will need Isringhausen and his late-game experience if they hope to make the playoffs.

4) Cincinnati Reds

The Reds have a powerful offense led by the likes of Brandon Phillips, Adam Dunn, and Ken Griffey Jr., but they have struggled to put together a winning formula.

Like every year, the Reds will cause some fireworks for fans and headaches for opposing pitchers, but those games are much too few and far between to get the Reds back into contention.

Player to Watch: Edinson Volquez—The one bright spot for the Reds this season has been Volquez. The young righty is 12-3 with an anemic 2.29 ERA and 126 strikeouts.

Once traded for Josh Hamilton, Volquez has a chance to do something special this year, and he will single-handedly keep the Reds out of the cellar in the central.

5) Houston Astros

This season has surely not turned out how Astro fans had envisioned. They currently sit in the basement of the NL Central—13 games behind the first-place Cubs.

But not everything has been bad for the Astros this season. Their star, Lance Berkman was just a starter in the All-Star game and sports a .347 BA—good enough for third in the majors. He also has 22 home runs and 73 RBI.

But this is a team game, and the rest of the Astros have not shown up this season.

Player to Watch: Miguel Tejada—Many thought the 34-year-old's career was on the way out, that was until his impressive performance in the All-Star Game that put a spotlight on the Dominican shortstop.

He has a .275 BA, 10 home runs, and 44 RBI this season, but impressed during the Midsummer Classic with his two hits and a walk in three at-bats. He also proved he is still a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop when he made a driving throw to get Justin Morneau at first with the bases loaded and two outs.

If Tejada can bring this same energy and effectiveness to the Astros for the rest of the season, he will add a very powerful weapon to set the table for Berkman and Carlos Lee in the heart of the order.

6) Pittsburgh Pirates

The outfield has been the strong suit for the Pirates this season—every player stationed on the grass has at least a .280 average and double-digit home runs.

The rest of the Pirates have been unspectacular to say the least. As Andrew rightfully pointed out, the Pirates rank ninth in overall batting—mostly because of the outfield of LF Jason Bay, CF Nate McLouth, and RF Xavier Nady—but a question often asked about the pitching staff is: Which is worse, the Pirates starters or relievers?

With a pitching staff ranked 30th in the league, this is not the Pirates' season, and it is time to move on to preparations for next season.

Player to Watch: Nady—Always considered a competent outfielder, Nady has exploded at the plate this season, sporting the fifth-best average in the National League at .321 and has added 12 home runs.

He has continued with his impressive fielding and leads the majors in outfield assists with 10.

What was thought of as a possible apparition at the beginning of the season has continued, and Nady could be a target for teams looking to add an extra bat to their lineups for the stretch run.

Stayed tuned for a preview of the National League West.

Rafael van der Vaart Signs with Real

Dakota Rubin — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:42:12 -0400

Spanish newspaper El Marca is reporting that Real Madrid have come to an agreement with 25-year-old Hamburg midfielder Rafael van der Vaart.

The Dutch midfielder would join fellow compatriots Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, and Ruud van Nistelrooy in the attacking half for the defending La Liga champions.

After being linked to Tottenham earlier this summer, van der Vaart had reportedly said he would rather stay with Hamburger SV than leave for a club at the same level. However, he did hint that he would be open to a move to one of the major clubs in England, Spain, or Italy.

Over the last two summers, Madrid has signed four Dutch players—Robben, Sneijder, and Royston Drenthe all joined the club last season—and will now sport five on their roster. After watching this year's European Championship, it looks like Madrid hope to replicate some of the attacking prowess that the Oranje showed in Austria/Switzerland.

When my friend sent me a post from the German newspaper Kicker announcing the trade this morning, the only word of the article I understood was "Madrid."

Both Kicker and El Marca are reporting that a deal is done with van der Vaart and the transfer is expected to be completed with over the next few days in the neighborhood of €20 million.

Where will van der Vaart fit in with Madrid? The Spanish giants seem to have an abundance of attacking midfielders already with Robben, Sneijder, Robinho, Baptista, and Guti.

But, if recent reports are correct, Robinho could be on his way to Chelsea, which would explain Madrid’s thinking when bringing in van der Vaart.

Another big issue this raises is Los Blancos' interest in Cristiano Ronaldo. Earlier this summer the transfer looked inevitable but with talks slowing down lately and this deal in place, it looks less and less likely that Ronaldo will join Madrid.

With this deal all but finished, here is a look at what Real's starting lineup could look like as they attempt to defend their La Liga title:

GK: Ikar Casillas.

DEF: Fabio Cannavaro, Sergio Ramos, Gabriel Heinze, Pepe.

MID: Fernando Gago, Sneijder, Robben, Van Der Vaart.

ATT: Van Nistelrooy and Raul.

This is an incredibly potent team that can score goals and will not give up many. They also leave Bernd Schuster many options; whether he wants to play a 4-4-2 or his prefered 4-5-1 he has the players.

What do you think about this transfer and what it will do for Madrid this next season. Also, what does it means for Ronaldo's future with Man U.

Article originally published on The Looper.

Spain on Their Way To the Euro 2008 Final

Dakota Rubin — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:59:01 -0400

Spain is on their way to the final of Euro 2008. They will battle Germany on Sunday.

No matter how many times I say that, it does not get old. It has been 44 years since Spain last won a major tournament, but Sunday they will have their chance.

The game was not pretty for the first half with both teams playing more to avoid defeat than grab the victory, but that all changed in the second half when Xavi buried a shot/pass from Barça teammate Andres Iniesta.

From that point on it was all Spain. The Russians looked the part of the inexperienced, overmatched side and could not recover from the Spanish goal.

The goal actually made things much worse for the Russians who were suddenly forced to attack with more players and thus leaving their back line unprotected to the deadly Spanish counter attack.

A one goal lead soon expanded to two on a beautiful flick from Cesc Fabregas that found Daniel Güiza alone in the box. Güiza chested the ball down and then used his right foot to flick the ball past the diving Igor Akinfeev.

Spain added one more goal for good measure when Iniesta found Fabregas streaking down the left hand side of the pitch. Cesc settled and found David Silva in the box for his first goal of the tournament.

Spain now enters their biggest test of the tournament against the pre-tournament favorite Germans.

Here is a look at the keys to Spain's victory over the Russians:

1. Depth

The depth of this Spanish side cannot be understated. It was on display against Greece in the meaningless group game when 10 new players started for Luis Aragonés and won. And it was on display again tonight

When the tournament's top scorer, David Villa, went down with an injury in the first half, Aragonés brought on Fabregas and Spain adjusted their lineup from two strikers to a formation with Fernando Torres up top alone.

Cesc made an immediate impact—he assisted on the goals by Güiza and Silva—and controlled the midfield well along with Marcos Senna.

Fabregas, the youngest player on the Spanish squad and the star midfielder at Arsenal, will most likely take Villa's place in the final after he was ruled out with a quad injury.

Spain will miss Villa for sure. There is no doubt about that. But this team is very deep and will be able to adjust.

2. Sergio Ramos and the defense

I was not a fan of the way the Real Madrid defender had played in the first four games of the tournament. I thought he went forward too much without any results and struggled at the back.

That all changed against Russia.

Ramos got forward like always but this time, he was incredibly dangerous. He took on, and beat defenders and played a few very nice crosses into the box.

But what impressed me most about Ramos was his play at the back. Sure a few times he was beaten, but every time he fought back to win the ball. His sure play shut down Yuri Zhirkov who has caused so many problems going forward this tournament.

The solid play by Ramos set the tone for the rest of the defense as well. Throughout the tournament, Spain has looked shaky at the back and vulnerable, but except for a couple of early chances for the Russians, the back four were a rock.

Casillas is a great keeper and a goalies best friend is a solid defense. Casillas only had to save one shot against Russia.

3. Counter Attack

I have written this before, but I will say it again: Spain is at their best when they are running at teams.

They are amazing on the ball and are the best passing team in the world, but they spend way too much time moving the ball in circles without actually accomplishing anything.

This was the story in the first half of the game, but then things changed.

In no way am I saying the loss of Villa was a good thing, but it did cause more of the midfield players to get involved at running at goal without the ball—exactly how Xavi scored.

And then the next two goals were pure counter attacks after Russia began to push everyone forward—very reminiscent of the first game between the two teams when Spain won 4-1.

Against Germany, it is most likely that Torres will be up front with five midfielders behind him. While he and Villa worked great together, Torres is better suited to working up front alone and making magic in the counter attack.

It will be something Germany will have to be weary of, especially if Spain takes the lead and Germany must push more bodies forward.

4. Superstitions

Spain is known for coming up short in every major tournament and being unable to live up to expectations.

The team seems to have shaken all of those sentiments this tournament. First it was defeating Italy—on the dreaded June 22nd and on penalties no less. Then came the dreaded yellow jerseys—mustard colored according to the very superstitious Aragonés—that did not seem to slow Spain down against Russia.

Now the only thing that stands in the way of Spain and breaking their "curse" is the Germans.

No matter what team lines up for Spain on Sunday, the game should be incredible. Both teams are world powers and the game should be a true slugfest.

HALA ESPAÑA!

This article was originally published at The Looper.

Dang I Am Going To Miss Barry Melrose

Dakota Rubin — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:28:55 -0400

I will put it out there right now: I don't care much about hockey in general. But Barry Melrose made me care.

Whether he was calling a game or analyzing games in the closing moments of SportsCenter, I loved the mulleted man.

Melrose was the best analyst in any sport.

He was simply a joy to listen to. And no matter what he was talking about it was entertaining and more educational than any other analyst.

Hockey is a sport in the United States that has begun to fall behind the other big four national sports in recent years. And in accordance, ESPN dedicated less and less attention to it, but still Melrose was there in the studio doing his thing and giving life to hockey.

And if the three minutes he was given during SportsCenter was not enough (it never was) there was always the Melrose Line—one of two podcasts I was willing to listen to week-in and week-out.

Melrose and his savvy commentary and incredibly deep knowledge will be sorely missed by hockey fans and non-fans alike.

Tampa Bay got a steal when they brought Melrose in. He has a genius mind for the game of hockey and with talent like Vincent Lecavalier, number one pick Steve Stamkos, and Martin St. Louis, look out.

I am not predicting Stanley Cup the first year—or any year for that matter—but I do know that the Lightning are a lucky team and fans of the NHL everywhere will sorely miss his witty commentary.

Article originally published at The Looper

Is Beautiful Football Working For Spain?

Dakota Rubin — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:21:43 -0400

The Spanish national team has the greatest collection of skill players in the world.

From top to bottom they are just fantastically skilled and have technical ability that is incredibly rare.

But for years they have watched the team with all this talent fail to reach expectations in major tournaments.

And here we go again.

Coming out of the gate the Spanish looked incredible against Russia blitzing up and down the field and torching the up-and-coming Russians 4-1.

But then it took a moment of brilliance in their game against Sweden for Spain to avoid a very disappointing tie.

Spain is known for their incredible passing and ball control and against Sweden they showed this in spades with a demanding control in possession.

But for much of the game the possession and beautiful passing lead to nothing. And it has become clear that the "ticki-tacka" style of Spain does not work.

Sure it is amazing to watch and shows the skill of the players, it does not lead to goals and seems to frustrate all the Spanish players.

During Euro 2008, Spain has scored six goals and not one of them has come out of the half-field style of ball control that Spain employed for most of the game against Sweden.

When Spain is at their best is when the field is wide open and the players are running at defenders. This team has such skill that when they get out in the open their superior skill is on display and they score goals.

Against Russia, Spain scored three counter attack goals and if they are to make any further strides in this tournament Aragones is going to have to let the team open up and utilize their incredible school.

A Pessimistic Outlook On Spain

Dakota Rubin — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:27:25 -0400

I think I have become close to as pessimistic as many Spanish fans these days.

Going into Euro 2008 I wanted Spain to win but by no way thought they could. They have the best talent on paper but play like 11 fantastic players and not as a team.

I assumed they would suffer the same fate that so many other Spanish teams have, where they go into a tournament with so much hype and leave early with all the fans and players saying "woe-is-me."

I went so far as to complain endlessly to my friend today before their game against Russia.

Why had Aragones left Cesc out? Why would he replace Xabi Alonso with Senna?

And the biggest wound of all that still festers after weeks is why did he leave Raul off the squad?

Not once did I mention a good thing about the team.

I did say that I was interested to see what Torres and Villa could do together up front but that was about as positive as I got.

I was completely pessimistic about the whole outlook of the team.

To finish off the conversation I said, "Well I am going to go and watch Spain try to scrape past Russia."

I now feel bad. The game is not over but Spain is comfortably ahead 2-0 in the 60th minute and seem to be on their way to three points.

Spain has looked pretty good. Sure their defense has been sort of shaky but Villa has been superb and the midfield has controlled the ball and provided great service forward.

Maybe I need to have a more positive outlook on the tournament and the team.

But I have yet to be convinced that this team deserves my optimism.

Jozy Altidore Is Going To Spain!

Dakota Rubin — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:37:13 -0400

It was only a matter of time. And that time finally came today.

USA football star Jozy Altidore is headed to La Liga team Villarreal.

The 18-year-old Altidore has been hailed as one of—if not the—top prospect in the United States. And it was thought to be just a matter of time before he was snatched up by a European club.

Earlier this year Altidore had been linked to Real Madrid and it was thought that his style would fit best in Spain.

Villarreal is reported to have paid just under $10 million, which is nearly twice the previous high paid for a player from the United States.

Now the question is what does this mean for US football?

On one hand, this is great news. It means the United States is making great strides in the football world. But it also means that once again we are exporting our greatest talents.

According to some we need to keep our greatest talent in the United States. I am of the opinion that MLS is improving but still mediocre and we need our best players playing in the best leagues in the world in order to improve as a football country.

What will Altidore's role with Villarreal be?

The Yellow Submarines, as they are known, made an impressive jump this season moving ahead of Barcelona and finishing in second in La Liga behind Real Madrid. They did so, in par, because of the great play of their forwards.

The team boasted a strong young pairing of Nihat and Rossi with veterans Tomasson and Franco backing them up with great play as well.

This could be a great opportunity for Altidore to learn from some great strikers and be part of a team that could challenge for La Liga title and will be involved in the Champions League next season.

Maybe he will not get much playing time right away but Villarreal did not pay $10 million to be kept on the bench the whole season.

What are your opinions about Altidore's big move and its effects on football in the United States in the future?

Brian McBride: Homeward Bound?

Dakota Rubin — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:31:02 -0400

After announcing he would be leaving Fulham to return to the USA, Brian McBride has left the entire MLS on edge.

Sure at 35, McBride is in the closing years of his football career but this is the MLS and a striker of his talent and skill could make or break any team in the league.

The two teams who seem best positioned to land the former US National are his previous team, the Columbus Crew, and his hometown team, the Chicago Fire.

Both are having much better than expected seasons and both are currently one point behind New England for the best record in the league. But both would benefit incredibly from the addition of a skilled player like McBride.

While I think McBride will consider Columbus, Chicago seems to be his destination of choice. For years McBride has talked about returning home (he grew up and played in the Chicago suburbs).

And what better time to join the Fire than right now?

Not only is the team far and away exceeding expectations, they have the core to win the MLS Cup.

With DP Cuauhtemoc Blanco ripping holes in midfields across the league and the stingiest defense (having only allowed six goals this season), Chicago is one piece away from being a serious championship contender.

And McBride is that piece.

The one issue Chicago has had since Blanco joined the team is turning his sublime passes and fantastic midfield play into goals. And while Chad Barrett and Chris Rolff have been better this season there is still a lot of room for improvement.

With his nose for the goal and Blanco's incredible passes McBride would be a perfect fit in Chicago.

If McBride does decide to head home the rest of MLS beware. With the stone back line allowing less than a goal a game, a midfield of Blanco, Marsh and Man U castoff Thorrington supplying the ball to McBride and Rolff or Barrett would be a site to behold.

Getting Over The Hump: The Players Spain Needs To Step Up To Win Euro 2008

Dakota Rubin — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:48:16 -0400

Spain has a great squad this year for Euro 2008. They have always fielded great players from La Liga but this year will be combining those players with veterans from around Europe.

Players such as Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabergas, Xabi Alonso and Pepe Riena bringing their experience from the Premier League and deep runs into the Champions League to a young squad.

The team has many new faces—some of whom are very young and untested—but like always great potential.

For the Spaniards to succeed in Euro 2008 these are four things that must happen:

1. Torres and Villa must score (and other attacking issues).

Once again Aragonés left all-time scoring leader Raul off the squad. But that does not mean Spain does not have scoring fire power.

David Villa and Torres could be the most prolific scoring duo in the world. They are both incredibly fast on the ball and can both beat defenders one-on-one and have great noses for the goal.

The question is how well they will work together up top. Against Peru this week they did not look bad together in the first half, but they will need to get even more comfortable if Spain is to score consistently.

Behind Torres and Villa are two very promising but untested players in Guiza and Sergio Garcia. And while both had fantastic seasons, it is impossible to tell how they will react to the grand stage.

2. Midfield control.

In a somewhat surprising move Aragonés left Fabergas on the bench for the first half against Peru. Cesc must be involved in the midfield if Spain is to have a chance.

While only 21, Cesc has separated himself as one of the best midfielders in the world and took on a leadership role at Arsenal this season. It will be important for that role to continue for the nation team.

Xavi and Xabi Alonso have experience and will need to be involved to control the tempo of play along with relative newcomer Marcos Senna and the fresh blooded De La Red and Cazorla who will surely see time if any of the others falter.

But the key to Spain's midfield is the play of Cesc, who has the ability of very few in the world to drastically change a game.

3. Defense and Goalkeeping.

In goal Spain has arguable the best in the world in Casillas who is backed up by the very capable Palop and Reina. This is not an area of concern.

The defense in front of the goalkeeper, on the other hand, is.

Sergio Ramos and Capdevila are great defenders but have a tendency to push forward too often and leave huge holes on the back line. On their respective teams (Real Madrid and Villareal) this is expected but the national team seems to have yet to figure out covering for them.

It does not help that Spain's defense is still anchored by the aging Puyol. Not to say he is not still a world class defender but he has lost a step or two over the past few years and does not have the speed to cover for his fellow back-liners when they push forward.

Spain must find some consistency from the back if they hope to advance past even the group stage.

4. Leadership. Where will it come from? And in what form?

With a team full of youngsters, where will the much needed leadership come from?

The easiest answer would be to say Casillas and Puyol at the back leading the team. They have been with the team the longest and have significant international experience.

But it will be incredibly important for others to take some of the burden. Players like Cesc and Xabi are charged with controlling the field and will need to take charge of their team.

Villa up front also needs to show signs of leadership. It has always seemed as if he was happy scoring goals and leading by example but Spain will need more from him if they hope to win.

All in all Spain has a fantastic squad and as good a chance—if not better—than most teams to win the tournament. But there is a very delicate balance between winning and falling completely apart like in years past.

Lets hope they can keep it together and play up to their potential.

Mark Prior Needs to Follow Rick Ankiel's Lead—a Switch Is in Order

Dakota Rubin — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:58:39 -0400

The once-promising career of Mark Prior has hit another speed bump, as the current San Diego Padres pitcher is set to have season-ending surgery on his right shoulder.

What a bright young star Prior once was when he led the Cubs to within an inning of the World Series.

But since then, everything has been downhill. Prior has not pitched since 2006, when he went 1-7 with a 7.21 ERA for Chicago. The Padres do not know when or if he will be coming back to their rotation.

It is time for the 27-year-old Prior to make a decision: Either leave baseball for good or make a change.

Assuming he does not retire, Prior must do something—because as easy and effortless his pitching form seems, after multiple surgeries he has nothing left in his right arm.

But that does not mean his career is over. Prior was always a very competent hitter and is a great athlete, who could pull off a switch similar to the one Rick Ankiel made with the Cardinals.

Another pitcher who showed great promise transitioned to fielder and excelled. Envisioning a similar situation with Prior is not hard.

While it would not be an easy transition by any means, it is Prior's last resort if he hopes to stay in the Major Leagues.

UEFA Cup Injustice: After Being Robbed, Getafe Should Hold Their Heads High

Dakota Rubin — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:35:22 -0400

An absolute heartbreak is the only way I can describe Getafe's last second loss to Bayern Munich.

The Spanish underdogs were in the process of one of the most incredible and improbably victories ever.

Not only were they playing the German beasts from Bavaria but as of the 5th minute they were down a man after De La Red got sent off.

But that did not stop Los Azulones from going up 1-0 on a fantastic solo effort in the 43rd minute.

The Bavarians come out flying in the second half and threatened on multiple occasions and looks on the doorstep of getting a goal. But Getafe refused to crack and the Spanish side almost went up 2-0 but Braulio missed a clear chance.

Under constant pressure from a team with superior talent Getafe refused to back down and looked like they may be able to hold Munich. That all changed when Ribery tied the contest in the 89th minute on a great strike.

All the sudden the momentum of the game had shifted. What was once a rocking stadium was all of the sudden still and a team that was brimming with confidence looked slightly unsure.

I thought it was all over entering overtime but that is when Getafe truly showed their mettle.

Who would have thought a 10-man side that has only been in the Spain's top league for four years would score two goals in one minute against the German giants?

However, that is what happened and it looked like a happy day in Spain.

But the fatigue finally caught up to the Spaniards they surrendered two goals in the final five minutes including the dagger, a header by Toni on the last play of the game.

After a heroic performance in Munich last week in a 1-1 tie, Getafe looked amazing in this game and gave Bayern a true fight.

It is hard to accept, but comebacks like this are why Munich is one of the best in the world. And as hard as it is to take for Getafe and all of Spain who were behind the underdogs, this is something to be proud of.

This game was pure robbery and Getafe deserved to win but the game that is most often beautiful can sometimes be so harsh.

Hold your heads up high Getafe. You deserve it.

Arsenal vs. Liverpool: Halftime Thoughts

Dakota Rubin — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:44:19 -0400

The first 45 minutes in Anfield have been something special.

For all out there who thought this could be a 0-0 draw, you were very wrong. Both teams are creating great chances and the two goals were fantastic.

Diaby's rocket in the 13th minute came after almost 10 minutes of constant pressure from the Gunners.

Just as in the first leg, an Arsenal opener seemed to inspire Liverpool and lead to Hyppia's cracking header in the 30th minute.

For the first part of the half, Arsenal controlled all the play and looked to be in total control. But as the half drew to an end, Liverpool looked like the much more dangerous side.

We have not seen the end of the scoring in this one.

Here are some things that both teams will have to do to win.

Liverpool

Fernando Torres has to get involved. His first half was incredibly disappointing, and if Liverpool has any chance to win and advance, they need Torres to create chances.

The back four need to get organized. It got slightly better as the half progressed, but Benitez needs to get his defenders in order if they are going to prevent Arsenal from adding another goal.

Arsenal

The midfielders need to control possession.

It all starts with Cesc, who is struggling with the constant nagging from Mascherano. If the Gunners want to get another goal, they are going to need their leader to take over and control the middle of the pitch.

They need to take advantage of their chances.

In the first 15 minutes, Arsenal could have had at least two goals but could not connect their passes or were caught a step offside.

In a game of this magnitude, the teams need to take advantage of every chance.

These teams know each other so well and based on the first half, we are in for quite a treat in the second.

UEFA Cup: Getafe is Here to Stay

Dakota Rubin — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:56:36 -0400

"Bayern, this is Getafe!" read the headlines of Spain's El Marca newspaper on Friday morning.

Just a day after Getafe had continued their unprecedented run in the UEFA Cup with a dramatic 1-1 draw with German power Bayern Munich, the world has taken notice of the upstarts Spanish side.

Getafe made the European tournament after losing to Sevilla in the King's Cup final last season. But because Sevilla were Champion's League bound, Getafe secured a spot in Europe as well.

Since then every step of the way has been a dream for the team from a small suburb of Madrid.

Out of the three teams from Madrid playing in Europe this season (Getafe, Real Madrid, Atletico de Madrid) los Azulones are the only ones remaining.

Most thought Getafe's magical run would come to an end against Benfica in the round of 16, but after shocking the Portuguese side 2-1 away, the dream run continued.

When they were paired with tournament favorite Bayern in the quarterfinals, most thought the inspired run would come to an end because of the great talent disparity between the two teams.

Before the match German legend Franz Beckenbauer belittled the matchup saying he did not even know of Getafe or that ex-danish footballer Michael Laudrup was managing them.

All the Spanish side did in response was frustrate Bayern and their star-studded team all night and just when it looked like Getafe would have to settle for leaving Germany with a 1-0 defeat, substitute Cosmin Contra struck in the 90th minute for an invaluable draw.

Looking towards the second leg in Madrid this week, Getafe will have a world of confidence and Bayern will have to come prepared for a battle if they hope to end Getafe's Cinderella run.