Officiating in Sports

NBA: Joey Crawford

BPL: Howard Webb

This post is more of an observation on a great debate going on across major sports right now in one form or another. This is the role of officiating in games/matches. In each sport, there has been cries for more technology, more replays, etc. At the surface, I am in complete agreement with this. People don't want to get slighted in major competitions by a sudden (or sometimes consistent) incompetence of an official. No-one want to miss becoming division champs because of a bad call or get to a final game only to feel like the match was given to the other team.

Each league has its examples of refs that will make the headlines. In the NBA, there is Joey Crawford. This is a man that is able to even evoke the wrath of Tim Duncan (which is quite hard to do). In the Premier League, there is Howard Webb who many think is really a Manchester player in disguise. NFL had the replacement refs most recently (though that was to different circumstances). Funny enough, people complained about those refs but when the regular ones came back the complaints did not cease.

But then after hearing the point of view of former players and coaches in each league, some of them are actually proponents of leaving things the way they are. They don't want goal line technology or replays on demand. Initially, I thought this was them being stubborn but then it started occurring to me that they actually have a point. If you think of sports as source of entertainment, then allowing many decisions to fall on the human refs keeps a factor that could be missed if everything was enforced by technology. Think of how many games are infamous and talked about years or decades later because of mishaps or things not caught at the time by the officials. Without this aspect, people would not have much to talk about and there would not be as many memorable competitions. It may be nice to say "every time we lost it was because we were the worst team" but fans may get tired of continually saying that. It injects a little something, gives some teams a little hope when there is the officiating factor.

Now I'm not saying refs should come in untrained and with biases, but if they know the rules and are making the effort to have an even fair match then maybe from an entertainment standpoint that is enough. If anyone has comments on this, feel free to comment below.

Daniel

NFL: Replacement refs

TooSmooth

I just want to go ahead and give a shout out to a guy I wen to high school with. I mentioned him earlier in the blog but he has a new music video on his Vevo out called "Future Dreams" so check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuDJdu-NljQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

You can follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lightsoutentloe
You can also like his Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/L.O.ENTERTAINMENT?fref=ts

Cheers,

Daniel

Chelsea Woes in the Roman Empire

I've posted before about my history with both clubs I support. I'm not ashamed to say I started supporting because of Mourinho's squad. They exhibited the game play traits of a team I would love to be part of as a defensive minded person. Since most of my family that watches the sport and many friends are Arsenal fans, I'm still getting into the Chelsea history and such myself since I didn't grow up with it. I'm generally not a huge history buff with things like sports. Squads change, managers change, etc. I like the now and the future. I like seeing the strategy. I was a football fan way before I was a Chelsea or a Charlton fan because I played and liked watching it from a neutral standpoint. A lot of this lack of bias allows me to be civil with other fans as well as be able to question things in the teams I support.

When I started supporting Chelsea, the Roman era was fresh. This was one of the beginnings of apparently when money came into football (because it wasn't before apparently). Over the years, the revolving door that is the Chelsea managerial spot has been a point of ridicule for other supporters. Initially, after RDM's sacking I was disillusioned about the way Roman is running things because of what RDM has done for the club. But after some time I can really see it from both sides. It is still not really what I like in a team and I think some of the criticism of Chelsea as a football organization is warranted. I will put both the good and the bad into sections titled "bad Roman" and "good Roman."

Bad Roman:
I think the biggest pet peeve for me and what may get a lot of people is the dissonance between Roman and the fans. He doesn't even give the impression that he cares about anything but anything fan related but their money. This is a big no in the English game as most people who make themselves a name in a team generally at least act like they appreciate the fans. To be fair, these people are rarely owners because owners rarely draw attention to themselves. Roman has clear agendas and will do everything in his power to get it. The problem is now it is beginning to disrupt the team. Tabloids have talked of a rift developing in the locker room because the team thinks that Roman is making major decisions based on what is best for some ideal Torres form rather than the well-being of the team or making use of the loaded midfield available to him. His agendas also show when Chelsea has transfer rumors despite not having a manager. I do not like the revolving door and would love to have a manager to attribute to an era that lasts more than two years. A manager would also be nice because transfers without a strategy or direction are pretty pointless. A player like Torres wasn't meant for a set up like Chelsea that devalues and striker that isn't a target man in favor of a strong midfield.

Good Roman:
As many old school fans will remind you, without Roman there would probably be no Chelsea. He has put a lot of personal money into the club. I'm sure many fans would prefer to be annoyed by an owner in the Premier League than suffer the fate of Rangers and have to start from a low league. Also, as a business man he is not actually being too crazy in some aspects. Roman has had a goal of Champion's League, wins and great-looking football. He has already decided he wants a top manager that has shown they can win and play good football. The tools are in place in this current squad (bar maybe a striker) and frankly Di Matteo did not cut it in either end of the pitch. We would have loved to see him finish up the season but realistically he may not have had a great season and he was headed out as soon as someone like Pep or Mourinho are available. Benitez, like RDM, knows he will not have a long stay. In Roman's eyes, he may have saved Chelsea a trophy or two but at the same time his end goal is beyond either men.


With both sides in mind I can only hope that in a few seasons Roman can resolve the Torres problem and find a permanent manager as what is currently happening goes against what I like about football. I can understand treating it as a business and you need to to a large degree but I think he needs to give the fans some assurance that they are even remotely involved in the club. If that will never be the case then I find it hard to be more interested in the club (call me a plastic if you will but I don't like the idea of putting money into a billionaires own real life football manager game when he is not a former player but makes decisions that the manager should be making). Chelsea was earning respect with RDM and that is the biggest shame of seeing him go. The brutal and abrupt ending of his Chelsea managing career was representative of the lack of respect for the fans as he is considered one of us. Only time will tell though. If all goes according to plan, next season or so should be the start of the first consistent managerial era under Roman. Maybe the return of the special one. Whoever it is must be ready to live with Roman breathing down there neck unless he has a change of heart. But he'd have to use his heart once for the club for that to happen.

Daniel

First Match Under Rafa

Haven't blogged in a while so I figured, since I'm on break, I would post after several big things have happened for the club. I will talk a bit about the match and a bit about the possible future. Basically just what I'm seeing.

Reception:
I think all the events about RDM were warranted and show that fans generally have respect for someone who has been a great servant to the club as player and as manager. I may not be a fan of Benitez and I understand people not foreseeing the possibility of ever warming up to him (I doubt I will) but I don't think booing helps anyone. He knows many fans don't like him and that he is an interim but he has the job.

Match:
I think the match was a safe match for a man who just got hired on Wednesday. City's league form is very good and Benitez had very little time to start developing the team. What stood out to me is that defense. Luiz acted like a defender for once. I'm sure Benitez had to have sorted him out after watching Chelsea matches in the last year or so. Solid defending is one of the qualities I liked about Chelsea that initially made me a fan so it was not fun to see that disappear. Ivanovic in side with Azpilicueta out on RB is my ideal right defense and it worked wonderfully. Azpi should in all honesty be starting because he controls most of that side of the field. I am waiting to see another Torres performance or two before starting to judge for two reasons. One is that Torres was fighting for the ball but City may be one of the if not the physically biggest defense in the league and Torres is not a target man. Second was that Mazacar was not exactly firing on all cylinders. All in all, a tie against City is a fair result.

Season:
I don't see Benitez becoming a fan fave. I think he will be super careful about the Torres situation but he will probably fair better than RDM simply because he can sort out a defense. This will be big for cup competitions. When Mazacar are all in sync, the attack will not need a crazy amount of coaching due to the high amount of creativity. If Benitez can convince Roman to allow him another striker I think he has the experience to bring a double of some sort.

This is all obviously my analysis but I think for a lot of it, this was a general impression. Feel free to comment.

Daniel

Arsenal vs Chelsea Match Analysis

Chelsea Starting XI: Cech; Ivan, D Luiz, JT (c), Cole; Ramires, Mikel; Mata, Oscar, Hazard; Torres

Formation: 4-2-3-1

First Half:

10 min

17 Min Early sub as Ox-Chamberlain comes on for Diaby for Arsenal

20 Min: GOAL Torres in off a set piece for his 3^rd season goal

AFC 0-1 CFC

26 Min: Possession is even

30 Min

35 Min: Ramsey with the first yellow of the match for a foul on Oscar

39 Min: Oscar yellow card; Oscar has been putting in a physical, defensive shift this match

40 Min

42 Min: GOAL Gervinho from a turn around shot in the box; sub Oxlade-Chamberlain with the assist

AFC 1-1 CFC

Arsenal seem to have woken up after that goal

HALF TIME: AFC 1-1 CFC

• Chelsea end with 52% possession
• Arsenal still with more shots and pass accuracy
• General feel is Chelsea was on better until the Arsenal goal

Second Half:

48 Min: Luiz yellow card for diving

52 Min: Vermaelen yellow card for foul on Torres

53 Min: GOAL Mata off a freekick

AFC 1-2 CFC

60 Min

Chelsea yet to make a sub while Giroud and Walcott are warming up for Arsenal

70 Min

73 Min: Moses ON Oscar OFF

80 Min: Chelsea has slowed down the game

81 Min: Cahill ON Luiz OFF

85 Min: Bertrand ON Mata OFF; Both teams have used all 3 subs

90 Min: Chelsea have been content to give possession but now just keeping the ball as 4 minutes of added time is shown

90 Min +2: Ramires yellow card

FULL TIME: AFC 1-2 CFC

Positives

• Moses will look to be a crucial sub this season as he adds pace and width late in the match
• Torres scoring
• Chelsea the first team to beat arsenal three times at the Emirates
• Only have dropped 2 of the first 18 available points and lie in first place for the weekend
• Passing play had some very good moments

Negatives

• A lot of offside and foul trouble

MOTM: Juan Mata

• This battle was won in the midfield
• 1 goal
• 1 assist
• 2 shots (1 on target)
• 92% passing accuracy
• 72 touches (most on team)

Activity Lull (Music Monday added)

To all of you that tune in,

Sorry for the lack of real activity on here out side of the match analyses. It has been a long couple of week as I have started thinking of life after university and applying for jobs while keeping up with classes and activities. It feels good to be busy again though.

Joe Biden was on campus Friday and I saw his speech (as shown in the caption). Being someone interested in science and in education, I was happy with the large focus of the speech being on these topics. It should be worrying that Romney/Ryan rarely talk about plans for future generations to an even remotely productive level. We will see, given an Obama/Biden win, if America can rise above 16th in the world in education as stated by Biden.

As far as Music Monday, I have three pretty chill albums to look at. One is An Awesome Wave by alt-J because it's quite an adventure of an album. The intro (titled "Intro") is a very good and eclectic one. The second album is I Bet On Sky by Dinosaur Jr. The third album is Allah-Las by Allah-Las in what appears to be their first album. Give these three a try because their definitely worth at least a listen if you're into somewhat calm or alternative music.

Daniel

Chelsea vs Stoke City Match Analysis

Chelsea Starting XI: Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole; Ramires, Mikel; Mata, Oscar, Hazard; Torres

Formation: 4-2-3-1

First Half:

Formation is one people have been looking forward to with Ramires back central and Oscar in that starting midfield 3 with Hazard and Mata

10 Min

20 min

Chelsea playing with 67% possession and 6 shots (to Stoke's 3)

30 min

Possession has proven to still not be a problem (65%)

Ramires doing a fine job at holding midfielder (74% passing accuracy, 3 tackles)

Luiz being adventurous and making his way to the other penalty box which shows the dominance in possession right now

40 min

Final ball still a problem

Looks like all the defenders want a piece of the attacking action

HALF TIME: CFC 0-0 Stoke

• People on Twitter likening Chelsea to Arsenal
• 10 shots to Stoke's 5
• 65% possession
• Fox Halftime Report says faster passing in the final third and Chelsea have it

Second Half:

50 min: Oscar Yellow card; diving

Cahill and Luiz outside Stoke's box

60 min

62 Min: Moses IN Hazard OUT

Owen on for Stoke as Stoke aim to increase the attack

Great connections between Moses, Torres Mata

Moses has opened up the game as predicted

70 Min: Oscar with 90% passing and 4 shots is having a very active match

80 Min

81 Min: Lampard ON Mikel OFF

85 Min: GOAL Ashley Cole; Lifted over keeper off a Mata flick

CFC 1-0 Stoke

88 Min: Terry ON Mata OFF

93 Min: Luiz yellow card

FULL TIME: CFC 1-0 Stoke

• Possession: CFC 60% Stoke 40%
• Shots: CFC 16 Stoke 10

Positives

• Oscar starts and keeps much of his same form from the Juventus match even if he didn't score
• Moses showed abilities again and adds to width
• Clean sheet

Negatives

• Would like more goals from Torres or people to make runs past him for goals

MOTM: Ashley Cole

• 94% passing accuracy
• 1 goal
• 3 shots
• 2 tackles
• Late game saving goal put Cole at MOTM today

Queens Park Rangers vs Chelsea Match Analysis

Chelsea Starting XI: Cech; Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry (c), Cole; Mikel, Lampard; Ramires, Hazard, Bertrand; Torres

Formation: 4-2-3-1

First Half:

10 Min

14 Min: Yellow card Ramires for tackle on breakaway

Ramires sloppy tackles becoming a problem

20 Min

Hazard has been quiet so far

27 Min: Yellow card Bertrand

30 Min: QPR leading in possession (53%) but Chelsea with more shots (CFC 4 – QPR 1)

40 Min

Many people on Twitter calling for Moses

HALF TIME: QPR 0-0 CFC

Second Half:

50 Min: Not a lot going on the match both teams not very effective in final third

58 Min Moses ON Bertrand OFF

60 Min: QPR picking up on attack

70 Min: Shots are now equal

Torres getting taken down often but most aren't called until now

80 Min: Sturridge ON Torres OFF

Torres walks straight through tunnel

Sturridge does well on his first few touches.

Chelsea back in attack now; Hazard sends a sitter over

90 Min: Finishing has been poor for Chelsea

FULL TIME: QPR 0-0 CFC

Positives

• Moses debut
• Solid defending
• Still top of the table and no loss yet

Negatives

• Dropping first points of season
• Questionable reaction by Torres to being subbed off
• Poor finishing

MOTM: Ryan Nelsen (QPR)

• Was not an obvious pick to some but in a match where both defenses were on top of things and strikers were poor, the MOTM was likely to be a CB
• Statistically most tackles, most aerials won, no fouls, so a solid performance
• 89 % Passing accuracy
• 67 % Aerials won
• 57 touches

Thoughts After The DNC

I know these campaigns are steeped in rhetoric and I could really only handle a few speeches so I picked the biggest three (Michelle, Bill, and Barack). I consider myself generally a neutral and don't get too heavy into federal politics but I think this election really should be geared to an Obama second term. After the DNC, here are some big things for Obama's case that have come to my attention via television, social media and reflection.

Bill Clinton's Speech:
In my opinion, Bill Clinton did a tremendous job from a neutral's perspective. This is because he did something that I've really wished the candidates would do more often: accurate facts about what is important to people. Since the campaigns for 2012 started, I've been wondering both what the Republican party stood for and just how well Obama has Obama done given the childish behavior of the Republican Congress. Clinton's speech effectively cleared some things up and basically just showed that America is on the right track with Obama.

Obama's Speech:
Obama's speech had all the usual bells and whistles a Barack Obama speech would have and it was riveting to many. What really impressed me was the contrast in direction from Romney's speech. Both parties are planning on a substantial amount of spending (despite what the Republicans say) but Obama lays out investments that many less rich countries take for granted such as health and education. The incentive isn't to just make arbitrary jobs while cutting education and other long term benefits to society. From my understanding, the president is supposed to be thinking about the well-being of as many people in the country as possible and that seems to be an edge that Obama is socially more in touch with more demographics in American society.

What Republicans Stand For:
I don't see many reasons to vote for Romney/Ryan because they don't seem to propose many actual ideas and the few they do more often than not get deflated by non-partisans for serious inaccuracies. I also don't see how a party proposing small government wants to pass so much socially detrimental legislation. If government is meant to be small, why would it enact legislation denying marriage or abortions? It seems like Romney/Ryan are content on just not being Obama for this election but it says something that they can't even enlist an old Republican president to aid them. This seems to not be the case because the party is disjointed. They are not for much, just against a  lot of things. I have not heard many plans to better society or invest in the youth or sciences from the Republicans. It seems they rely on the naivety of their base more than actually pretending like they have ambition.

To sum it up, I really am interested in seeing the Republican response to the progress made in the DNC and also if the DNC will win over some undecideds. This is especially important since there is a huge movement to just not vote.

Food for thought,
Daniel

Music Monday: Easy Star's Thrillah by Easy Star All-Stars

Hi readers,

I have missed a couple Music Mondays and today is not Monday but I decided I would do one today. Today's star album was this reggae rendition of Michael Jackson's hit 1982 album Thriller. Covers of renowned artists are always tricky, especially when you change the genre but upon listening to this you can tell that these people know their genre and know Michael Jackson's music. I would not put a star track on this because it is a complete album. Definitely worth a listen.

Honorable Mentions:
A Thing Called Divine Fits by Divine Fits


This is the first album from super group Divine Fits, formed of Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade), Britt Daniel (Spoon), Sam Brown (New Born Turks). You can hear very direct influences from the two frontmen as the styles of Wolf Parade and Spoon are blended into a very comfortable and hip mix. Tracks to give a shot are "Would That Not Be Nice," "For Your Heart," "Shivers."

Circle Around The Sun by Dispatch


Not a lot to say about this one. The great jam band Dispatch is back with an album. They have been out for a while and a lot of people will be familiar with their style. The album opens with the title track "Circles Around The Sun"  which is a lot more produced than usual for a normal Dispatch album but then slowly shifts back into the kind of music that was really meant to played live, "Josaphine" is definitely one of those tracks. By the time you reach "Feels So Good," you know you've just listened to another Dispatch album. Overall, it is not quite a standard Dispatch album but has many of the traits. When a band can reunite like this it shows they have truly mastered their trade and genre.

On A Ride by Wax Poetic


To add to the unusually calm list this week is Wax Poetic's On A Ride. This album is smooth and seductive from the New York based trip-hop outfit. I especially like all the Sissy Clemens and Natalie Walker tracks. My faves have to be the opening track "No Escape," "Tonight," "Warm Night," and "East Side." I suggest just listening to all of it.

That is all for now. All these tracks are available on Spotify as are all the tracks and albums I recommend. Catch you all later,
Daniel

Chelsea vs Newcastle Match Analysis

Chelsea Starting XI: Cech (c); Ivan, Cahill, D Luiz, Cole; Mik, Meir; Mata, Hazard, Bert; Torres.

Formation: 4-2-3-1

First Half:

Commentator “thing about Chelsea is they only put one person in the box when Lampd's not playing”

Good play between Bertrand and Mata

Bertrand trying the early ball but Torres outnumbered

Chelsea is dominating possession

Newcastle dangerous in the counter attack but haven't had the chance

10 Min

Cahill-Luiz pair looks solid so far

Hazard has been working his usual magic centrally, Mata alright on the wing

18 min: Torres with lay-off to Bertrand nearly a goal

20 min

Player tracking

21 min: Torres wins a PK

22 min: GOAL Hazard; scores

CFC 1-0 Newcastle

Hazard's first goal for Chelsea

Commentator says Hazard is the first player who isn't Drogba or Lampard to score a PK (outside of a shout-out) since Ballack in 2008

30 min

Torres not showing the drive to beat the last defender; Seems more content to lay it off

38 min: Chelsea with 60% possession so far; 88% passing to Newcastle's 83%

40 min

4 added minutes

45+3 min: GOAL Torres from out of box to the top right; Hazard assist

CFC 2-0 Newcastle

HALF TIME:

• Hazard is best man on the pitch again with 96% passing, 1 shot, 1 assist
• Torres counters his yellow with an extra time goal
• Hazard-Torres our best 10-9 partnership at the moment
• Chelsea beginning to form a trend of good passing, less pressure on the defense
• Mikel with 100% on aerials won, 100% pass accuracy which means what is sometimes a weak DM area is somewhat secure
• Interesting point floating around Twitter: Torres fouled, Hazard scores PK then Hazard assists and Torres scores

Second Half:

Chelsea are winning the midfield battle; more passing, more aerials won

50 min

52 min: Ben Arfa gets his first shot off but not even on target; one of only 3 shots Newcastle has had

Complacency beginning to show as per usual; possession is more equal

60 min

Cheeky attempted pass by Torres as his confidence is looking to return

67 min: Ramires IN Mata OUT

70 min

Much calmer second half

80 min: Bertrand having a go from outside and winning a corner

88 min: Lampard ON Meireles OFF

89 min: Luiz head collides with Ba

90 min

4 min added when play continues

Game is being closed out. No ambition left for Newcastle

FULL TIME: CFC 2-0 Newcastle

Positives

• Hazard looks the best behind Torres in this formation
• Solid Mikel performance meant top of the box wasn't as vulnberable
• Luiz-Cahill pairing was also pretty solid; Cahill particularly put in a very good performance
• Clean sheet against a team that generally scores on a lot of teams

Negatives

• No real shining negatives this match

MOTM: Fernando Torres

• Stats:
  • 67% Pass Accuracy
  • 70% Aerials Won
  • 45 Touches
  • 1 shot (1 goal)
  • 2 Dribbles Won
• Hazard could just as easily gotten this too (Barclay's MOTM). Maybe he actually should be. No actually Hazard should be but I wanted to give some credit to Torres. In my opinion, this could be marked as the start of the Torres revival. He still needs to try and beat the last defender more than he does but his assertiveness led to a penalty and a goal. Great movement.
  
  
  

Hazard Watch (Actual MOTM)

• Barclay's MOTM
• Stats (this match)
  • 89% Pass Accuracy
  • 67 touches
  • 4 shots (1 goal)
  • 2 Dribbles Won
• Stats (season)
  • 3 Apps
  • 1 Goal
  • 4 Assists

Bitch Bad

I for one am a huge fan of Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. It was a well paced, and thought out album and some of it is pretty easy to relate to. Since then, Lupe has gotten more famous and radical with his views. I personally tuned out to him for a bit. Yesterday, Lupe released the music video to "Bitch Bad" from his upcoming album Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt I which drops September 25th. I just wanted to mention the single because it is in my opinion a bit of a return for Lupe back to the social commentary that worked so well for him in the first album. Anyone interest should check it out on the link.

Daniel

Citi 97.3 fm Analysis

Hey readers,

So yesterday was an interesting night. Through the wonders of Twitter I had gotten in contact with a host on a private radio show in Ghana called Citi 97.3 fm . Yesterday, I was on the show (through Google+) doing halftime and post match analysis. This was a wonderful opportunity to start getting application from watching matches. You can go ahead and check them out. The post match turned out better on my part because I was more organized in my thoughts. Hopefully, over time, my analysis can be more precise and I get more opportunities to apply it. Stay tuned for more posts. Great to see people checking out my posts more.

Cheers,
Daniel

Chelsea vs Reading Match Analysis

Chelsea Starting XI: Cech; Ivanovic Cahill JT(c) Cole ;Mikel Lamps; Ramires Hazard Mata; Torres

Formation: 4-2-3-1

First Half:

Connection between the mids starting well

Ramires doesn't lift head for easy pass

A lot of Chelsea pressure

Torres with a lot of skill in his set up but still looking for a goal

17 Min: Hazard draws the penalty; Lazy and reckless tackle

18 Min: GOAL Lampard; Power PK

CFC 1-0 Reading

Midfield 3 having too much fun

Reading forwards haven't had much to do

25 Min: GOAL Reading

• 1-2 on the right wing that burns Cole
• POGBRENYAK header beats Cahill

CFC 1-1 Reading

29 Min: GOAL Reading

• Free kick bounces off Cech and in
• Guthrie

CFC 1-2 Reading

Our right back is being exploited

Left too sometimes when Cole is too far up

Battle: Harte vs Hazard

McCleary has been trouble on right wing (especially the 1-2)

Game has had it's back and forth moments

HALFTIME

Second Half:

57 Min: Oscar ON Ramires OFF

57 Min: Reading Yellow; Foul on Mata

64 Min: Reading Yellow

Chelsea needs dimension

68 Min: Sturridge ON Mikel OFF

69 Min: GOAL Cahill from long

CFC 2-2 Reading

81 Min: GOAL Torres; Controversial offside tap-in from Cole to Torres

CFC 3-2 Reading

85 Min: Meireles ON Mata OFF

Many fouls for Oscar right now

95 Min: GOAL Ivanovic (assist Hazard)

• Reading corner (Keeper up too)
• Torres starts counter
• Hazard runs it down field
• side pass to Ivanovic for the easy goal

CFC 4-2 Reading

FULL TIME: CFC 4-2 Reading

Positives

• TOP OF THE TABLE
• Hazard was a show again; 3 assists in two matches (not counting the two plays that led to penalties)
• Torres goal (even if controversial)

Negatives

• Wing backs are vulnerable (right back in particular); I am worried about more talented wingers against us
• Until Sturridge came on, no-one wanted to go wide which led to lack of dimension in play

MOTM: Eden Hazard

• 1 Assist
• 5 Shots
• 94% Pas Accuracy
• 2 Dribbles Won
• 1 Dribble Leading to Penalty
• 97 Touches

The Chelsea Academy Dance-Off

In case any of you have missed it circulating Twitter and Tumblr, here is the video of the Chelsea Acadmy players entertaining the senior players:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7h6QKBmLxQ&feature=player_embedded

Enjoy,
Daniel

Blues In Prague

This is just a quick update and I will tweet about this but if you happen to live in or around Prague or know someone who does and is a Chelsea fan then like this page:

http://www.facebook.com/ChelseaFCPragueBlues

It was started by my friend Jorge who I met funny enough in the Allianz Arena while he was sporting the "Champions of Europe 12" shirt. Great guy who is enthusiastic about the club so give the page a like.

Daniel

Wigan vs Chelsea Match Analysis

This is a bit of insight into how I track the matched. I look more at the trends and way people are playing rather than the pure numbers. There are other places to find statistics. Enjoy:

Chelsea Starting XI: Cech; Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole; Lampard, Mikel; Hazard, Mata, Bertrand; Torres

Formation: 4-2-3-1

First Half:

2 min: Ivanovic GOAL

CFC 1-0 Wigan

Build up to goal was smooth

Nice turn in center of field by Hazard for the goal

5 min: PENALTY on Hazard

Lampard to take penalty

7 Min: Lampard GOAL (PK)

CFC 2-0 Wigan

Ivanovic still kind of slow on the wing defensively

More often than not, Luiz drops right to cover Di Santo

Mikel looking strong in DM

Formation being held well

Defensive headers have been very good

Mata playing deep up and down the right wing

Bertrand his been invisible; Playing more as a second LB than a LW

Dip in quality since the PK

A lot of fouls on Mata and Hazard in the middl eof the park

Many of them from behind

33 Min: Possession: CFC 55% Wigan 45%

34 Min: Luiz yellow card for challenge on Wigan player

“Torres needs to wake up” as people are saying

HALF TIME: Wigan 0-2 CFC

Second Half:

Luiz starts reckless again

Terry slowly getting injured over course of match

Mikel has been very composed

Chelsea in charge and controlled

64 Min: Oscar ON Hazard OFF

A lot of good switching of field in build up

Casual play led to a turn over a few times

83 Min: Meireles ON Mata OFF

Calm closing by Chlesea

FULL TIME: Wigan 0-2 CFC

Positives:

• Mikel solid on top of the back 4; Not so many shots from top of the box
• Hazard with a wonderful debut
• Oscar showed pace and good touch when he came in

Negatives:

• Looks like Mata may need more rest because he didn't look 100%
• Torres was invisible still
• Still need a right back with pace; Ivanovic will be a liability against faster, quality wingers
• Tightness in general in the back is not as complete as it should be; Could get sorted out when right back is sorted out and we have less crosses coming in against us

MOTM: Eden Hazard

• 1 assist (Ivanovic goal 2')
• 1 chance created
• 5 take-ons
• 1 penalty won (Scored by Lampard 6')
• Fouled 4 times
• 74% Pass Completion (23 Passes)

Opportunity in the U-21's

All that follow the world's most popular sport know that this weekend was a big weekend as most seasons finally get underway. The EPL opened up in an entertaining way that at half-time seemed would be dry of goals. Surely enough, West Brom Albion piled three on Liverpool, A Dempsey-less Fulham knocked five past Norwich and Swansea, who in season previews have been considered relegation candidates, slotted another five goals in against Queen's Park Rangers. But this is not the focus of my post (if you couldn't tell from the title). My focus is the introduction of the first national U-21 league.

Even within the first weekend of it's iteration, it is already getting praise and with good reason too. I think this is brilliant. With the amount of money and pressure to succeed that the large teams have, the gap has been growing between success at the youth level and breaking into the first team. There are countless stories of Player X who was in Arsenal or Chelsea academy and was heralded as the next Henry or next Lampard only to start their real career in the nPower League 1 because they are 20-21 and not in the first team plans. in Chelsea's example, we are already seeing Lucas Piazon who would break into a mid-table team within a season or half a season that is clearly on a level above his peers, or Josh McEachran who fans for the last 2-3 seasons has said should be breaking into the squad. The problem is that when you spend money buying more people in  that position for more immediate success, then you cannot grow these players. Reserves has been a lot of money for something that is sort of just a layaway for players not in the first team plans. With this new system, players are segmented more and allowed to grow together. This is already in play internationally and has worked well. Countries like Mexico have been coming up with young talent as a squad.

From a manager/coaches perspective, it is much easier to assess a player when they are put in these segments. It effectively bridges the gap. Also, as the commentators at the Chelsea vs Man City match had stated, the fans are excited to see the academy boys in a more formal setting. It also gives them an more of an introduction into what a match feels like in a way you can't be taught. One guest on Soccer Am today said that the extra year or two of important game time that is allowed with this U-21 system is crucial because it took him until around 21 to start being a class player and that he was lucky that his contract worked out where he was awarded that extra half a season or so but that is not the case with many players. And on a final note, I was entertained by the match and could definitely see this bringing back a bit of club loyalty and bring more attention to players hitting that time in their career.

So to sum it up, I fully approve of this new move that was taken and hope it succeeds in bridging this gap between youth and first team. The matches also appear on the online streamed sites I use so I will be sure to tune in and I suggest you do too.

Daniel

To Vote Or Not To Vote

As a non-American living in the USA, the political scene has been something that has been purely entertainment to me. Over the last few years though, as many of my friends have become old enough to vote, I have begun to pay more attention to it. Now many of the aspects of it are mind-boggling to an apathetic, pragmatist such as myself. I have my beliefs and attitudes to things but it's not natural for me to expect everyone to be on board with any one idea. Also the "facts" that either party seems to spurt are usually somewhat debatable as history is easily skewed and easy to revise.

I recently was introduced to this article on non-voters for the upcoming election and it got me thinking about the state of the elections right now. Before completely going into that, there are a couple things I've found interesting. First, people want to blame specific presidents for everything that has happened under their administration (and candidates do this during campaigning) but from what I learned in government classes, I thought checks and balances meant the president wasn't a monarch. It's an orchestra of politicians that make things move in Washington. So yes, they were in charge but I hardly see one man as responsible for anything the government does because if he was the only one with the stupid ideas. Second, people underestimate the "you scratch my back, I scratch yours" mentality that most successful politicians have to go through to get anything done. What this leaves is sketchy voting records if they run for president. Many times they are interested in a bill they've voted but it is just as likely they could have voted it in exchange for a bill they've proposed. That is politics.

But the sentiments of these non-voters seems to come from the fact that they see the president as just a cog in the government machine which is a fair argument in this system. Given that the president is only in for four or eight years and generally things have to align pretty well as far as Congress is concerned to get "their agendas" through. What it really comes to is the fact that the rich are closer to the higher end of Federal government than the poor or even middle class are. The heads of companies and other politicians are the ones with direct contact. Many people are seeing this and deciding not voting will show these people that they will not take this monopoly. My only argument is that if they are disenfranchised with the way Federal government works then they work on changing other levels or using communities or private sectors. Just not voting will only make it easier for the politicians you are against to keep doing what they're doing. It's a complicated scenario but I just found it interesting that this was an actual trend. I think people just need to watch out with Paul Ryan. He is an exact model of the current republicans and that is scary if Congress is on his side even as VP.

Well this has just been my insight so far. I don't claim to know the answers but I'm just trying to understand the way things work. This will be more relevant to me should I choose to be in America post college. Til then, I will work hard in my Dartmouth bubble.

Cheers,
Daniel

The Chelsea Attack Option

With the recent signing of Robin Van Persie to Manchester United, I've been starting to see and hear a lot of talk about striker pairings in the EPL. While right now I think Aguero-Tevez is the only true very good and realistic pairing, people have been analyzing the prospect of Rooney-RVP and maybe Giroud-Podolski. This has inevitably led to questions about what Chelsea have in mind. As much as people are confident Torres can bring goals, they are also sizing up our goal threats with the other top teams and thinking 'Is this all we've got?' Now as you all know, we are still linked to Hulk and Cavani, and Victor Moses looks like he should be headed over any day now. They real question is do we actually need a striker duo or just a back-up/interchangeable player?

I believe Di Matteo will think a lot about this question because the biggest thing about two strikers is that he would have to restructure the system. Chelsea for the last several years has relied heavily on midfielders and defenders to sneak in goal and rack up the tally. The defense has also always been solid enough that this was all that was necessary. With the slightly less air-tight defense and a much less defensive team in general, will this be the time that Chelsea attack as a system is taken more seriously than the pass-to-Drogba and take-set-pieces of yesteryear? Right now the midfield is bubbling with creativity but this needs to translate to goals. I think it's been tough because the actual team is only getting together now and it will depend on how this network of Oscar, Hazard, and Mata plays off each other and the striker. Thankfully, transfer season closes in two weeks and we will hopefully have this sorted by then but trusting CFC I'm sure there will be transfer day drama.

(Post also on The Chelsea Blog)

How I Support Two Teams

I'm sure some would call me a plastic because it impossible to support two teams in the same sport and country. Surely I'm just looking for glory. Well here is how it actually is.

Charlton
Let me start by stating I wasn't born into a football family. I don't have parents who already had the kits and were regularI'm a south east Londoner. Charlton Athletic was always my local team. What I love about CHarlton is that it's a family club. I've only been to two matches (one which I can remember this past fall vs Yeovil Town) but what I really liked is that the Valley is a warm and cozy little stadium and the fans are friendly. I got my first Charlton shirt last season and when I wore it around town and even at Stansted airport it would strike up conversation. Maybe the guy working at boots talking about how he was just at the last cup match or a sales clerk talking about how they live right by the stadium. And at the match I sat in the upper stands by the drums which was entertaining. I also was pleasantly surprised by how many families were there and into it. Grandmother's making jokes to their grand kids about players and commenting on "Chrissy Powell's Red Army." With the slightly more intense atmosphere of the bigger clubs, it's nice to have a calm but lively and appreciated group of supporters so close to home. I have been schooling in the USA for over a decade now and in that time Charlton has only been in the EPL for 3 seasons. Also the following is not that large at all in the USA since they aren't a big club. So for the longest while I just had no context for the club. For the longest time they were just a team I used on FIFA. Since I've been at Dartmouth, I've gotten more of a chance to go back to London and I've started to pick up the culture again. I like being able to watch teams I support so I really hope they become an EPL team soon so I can actually see matches and get to know the players. I think Chris Powell has done a great job and he is truly loved by the fans. I hope for much success in the Championship and with the revamped site and my new follows and followers on Twitter in the Charlton community I will be sure to try and keep up this season.

Chelsea
My supporting Chelsea was a gradual process because like I said, I don't come from a family that really supported an team. My extended family are Arsenal fans mostly as is the case if you're in south east London and want to support a big London team. As I got older schooling in America, I started watching more Premier League. I used to like a some of the Man U players (Giggs, Beckham, etc) but never fully became a fan. My neighbor in London had always tried to get me to be a Gooner. In some ways I almost could have been. But the Mourinho style and combination of players really drew me to Chelsea. Also th amount of England players in positions I find tactically crucial. I am a huge Lampard fan (he's one of my top 3 players) and I also really like Ashley Cole. As I watched more EPL, I wanted a team to support from London so I could still be close to the home stadium whenever I returned. It was a bit of a debate between all the usuals but, gradually, I started watching more Chelsea but I didn't really fully favor a team. A few years back I started getting the shirts and the gear and all that. I think one thing that drew me to Chelsea is that it is almost always a close match. It feels like you are an England fan. I will be happy however when the off the field controversy becomes less with the players. It seems like the youth are a bit more sensible and Roberto Di Matteo has been some good PR for the club because people respect him.

Conclusion
So to sum it up, Charlton will always be a family club representative of where I've grown up in the earlier parts of my life and the culture of my home area while Chelsea represents the tactical side of my support and the kind of interest I could only get with more understanding of the sport. The two rarely meet so I never really have to pick. And with they way money is dividing the sport right now I'm sure I will have kids before they become truly equal teams so no worries there. And in the end it doesn't really matter if anyone thinks that's plastic. I get the gear, I go to matches when I can so I consider myself a fan.

Yours truly,
Daniel

A Big Year In The Works

Hey readers,

So I know I have been horrible about keeping up the blog (and the viewing over the past week has shown this) but it has been a long week of travel with my internship across Bavaria and into Salzburg, Austria. It has been rewarding because (being a Cognitive Science/Psychology major) I generally don't have work weeks where I travel. It was tiring but I learned quite a bit about first impressions and organizing travel for work and actually being on a schedule of some sort. The language learning scene is an interesting one. I will go more into that in another post. Here I will just outline things to come for me and the blog.

Background

I started out school as a Material Science major because I like applied science and problem solving.After a year of doing the prerequisites and really thinking about it I felt it wasn't really my interest academically. So I switched to Cognitive/Brain Science. One thing that will always interest me is people and how they work. So far it has been an interesting ride. Now it is my last year in College/University and I'm starting to think about careers. Many alumni and working people have told me to study what you like and then try and pursue a career not just a job. I would say my top interests are people, technology, music and sports. So as a profession I would want to try and do as many of these in one. My goal is to incorporate Psychology and Football/Soccer into a career. So far the end goals would be to be a manager/coach or a sports psychologist. Both are paths that require a lot of work and sometimes really knowing the right people. As I am just building my work experience now the next couple years will be crucial.

What This Means For The Blog
Once the fall, classes, research, and sports seasons start, I will try to make the most and get involved in as much as possible. This blog will most likely become the template I use to organize this. I have decided that I will get more serious about my football involvement by trying to watch and analyze every Chelsea match I can watch. I will not get to all of them but if I can start really dissecting the matches and each player and have it documented it could help later on when I'm trying to work into the industry. I have also started a fantasy league with a friend so that will get me more involved. I will also try to start developing an idea of the role of cognitive science and understanding the brain in both managing/coaching and possibly in recovery from things such as brain damage. This will hopefully become something I can develop into a research project or thesis.

So expect my blog to be much more active in the fall and if all goes well it should be a good follow is I begin these tasks. If anyone reading has any info or contacts (especially in the USA or London) relating to psychology please let me know in some manner whether it be on here, by email or on my Twitter.

I will try and do more music reviews in the future too.

Thanks for reading,
Daniel

Updating...

Hey there readers,

Sorry I have posted next to nothing in the last week. There have been a multitude of reasons:

First and foremost, I just haven't found a lot to post or talk about. Preseason for football is just about over. I haven't even bothered to go into this week's games. Team GB gets knocked out on PK's in Olympic Soccer which was tragic. Team GB as a whole is doing rather well. I have not been watching any Olympics really but Twitter keeps me updated.

Second, my week of travel is coming up. I will be going around Bavaria talking to language schools about purchasing Verbwheels which will be quite an experience. Til then, I've been a bit lazier and adjust my sleep too to wake up on time for the trains.

Third, I've been doing a lot of looking into and deciding on what my focuses will be for the yea ror two to come. I have to start deciding soon about job/profession and which country I will be in for this. I have recently started looking into job offerings in the MLS for next year. There is still a lot open but I may need a year or two more of work experience to do the sort of things I'd like.

*Related to this I have decided I may start analyzing Chelsea matches this season and putting them up. I started doing this preseason but more just for the sake of summing it up into an article. It will probably be a good skill to develop if I can put the time into it.

Also not a lot of music has come out this week so I won't really have a Music Monday per say. Maybe I'll throw a recommendation or a few of albums that have been out. We'll see how much time I have.

Time, time, time.

Well that's all for now

Good day,
Daniel