My uncle Mike sent me a text the other day with the statement, "6 - 0 and looking strong. Drogba is a man among boys." Truth spoken from my close Chelsea supporter/expert/uncle. So I say "True That" and here's the proof. Enjoy Mike.
Basically, Drogba is having a field day at Stamford Bridge and he keeps on getting better. Just have a look at Drogba's year so far. The best player from Africa and the captain of the Ivory Coast, Drogba, on good days is the Best Player I've seen. He's THAT good. So far this year, he's hit the ground running and below are a few of those genius moments.
The opening game of the season vs. Hull City. Drogba calmly turned the game around in favor of the Blues.
With the equalizing goal, Didier "wow's" us with his amazing shooting prowess. A Christiano Ronaldo reminiscent looking goal to open is goal campaign in 2009.
On the 92nd minute on opening day, Drogba shrugs off a defender and shapes the winning possession with a determined run. Receiving the ball close to the end line Drogba, with a flick of improvisation, highhandedly incites elation on opening day at Stamford Bridge.
The Ivorian plays at a high level with power and control. The best players in the game today can influence games with solo's as well as accompaniment. This last weekend against Tottenham, Drogba scores around three defenders with passion. His positioning led to an amazing touch around the keeper. Very classy.
Drogba is a legend in the Ivory Coast, a country that stopped a long a violent civil war in 2006. The war ended after the qualification of the Ivory Coast to it's first World Cup finals inspired the country to cease the fighting. It's been peaceful ever since and the Ivory Coast is going to make it's second appearance to the World Cup finals. In South Africa, look for Drogba and the rest of the Ivorian exports to be a serious contender in the Finals. African Soil and the breakout of African Nations on the world stage will co inside.
The top performer so far this season is upfront for the Blues. Watch out.
Sergio “Kun” Agüero, Leo Messi, Fernando Torres. Those magic players. You know the ones…the players whose dazzling abilities seem to transcend our physical plane. The players whose skill and talent seem so unreal, that even the most basic of their feats seem impossible. All three of these aforementioned super heroes of football posses this something extra, it’s just that instead of fighting crime or saving the world…they chose to use their superhuman prowess to play football.
Messi has it for sure; he’s faster than a speeding bullet. When he whizzes and weaves in and out of defenders to make his Maradona-esque runs, the only thing we often see is a vapor trail. He finds the back of the net, leaving the opposition and us flabbergasted, wondering how the F.U.C. it happened. He’s at the corner flag celebrating, and we are left with a half vision of the turn he made four moves before the goal. It’s at this point we scratch our head, and realize that it’s magic, that there is no possible way he got from there to here without us and the other team seeing it.
Torres definitely has it. It’s not his speed though; he only looks to have that in spades. With Torres it’s something that has always struck me as (forgive this reference, please forgive) being closest to the Matrix’s own bullet time. That move he makes as Gerrard’s clever pass threads the ball perfectly through the back four to land just at Nando’s feet, is simply misdirection. It’s a trick, so that us “how’d he do that’s?” don’t see the real slight of hand. What we don’t see, or more importantly what we can’t see, is that Torres can control the space and time in his immediate vicinity. He warps and bends the fabric of his immediate surroundings so that what looks like a clever move, is really just a matter of a time shift in which he slows the opponents reaction times and leaves the goal keeper in the proverbial dust.
“Kun” Agüero, at 21 has it on and off the pitch. The dude already gets grand supreme being points for making a baby with Maradona’s daughter to give the legend his first grandson, and that’s just off the pitch. On it, Agüero excels at exhibiting this same magic his peers Leo and Fernando employ with regularity. It frightens me to think what will happen if and when a big club shells out the 50 million odd euros it will take to pry him away from Atletico and bring him to a fishpond more stocked with talent. He has some playmakers at Madrid, true, but even Torres had those and look how many goals he scored in his first season at Liverpool.
But I digress; we were speaking of footballing magic, and not big money transfers. Agüero’s magic lies not in an ability to be faster than fast, or to have control of time and space in his immediate vicinity. Agüero’s magic lies in the fact that the football is merely an extension of himself. It is like a fifth appendage, and he controls how close or how far it lies from his foot. He controls how fast it skips across the playing surface and how close it gets to defenders. Agüero is tethered to the football on an invisible leash, and this is why just when we think he’s going to lose the ball between the defender and the goal, he gets that near impossible off balance shot off and scores that impossible goal.
On August 25th, 2009 when Atletico Madrid played Panathinaikos in the second leg of their Champions League qualifiers, the world bore witness to just a little taste of Agüero’s magic. He had already scored a magnificent winner in the first leg, and when he received the ball just outside of the penalty area while surrounded by three defenders, it should have come as no surprise that he would have no trouble eluding any of them. Agüero dribbles quickly moving the ball a half a yard from his left foot. The first defender is so confused, he falls over on himself, and Agüero’s magic allows him to pull the football closer to his body as if catching up with it. The next move is easy, because Agüero was paying attention as he often does. He knows that the second defender has had to pick himself off of the turf. The defender was watching the move Agüero made, and not expecting him to come out of the defensive fray that surrounded our special player, he has lost his balance and fallen. Agüero dribbles towards the edge of the penalty area, and his defender is barely able to track back to him in time to commit a tackle that can at best be described as a day late and a dollar short. Agüero has anticipated the tackle and the shot is off and the football is in the back of the net, he runs to celebrate and the defender can only throw his arms up in frustration. Could have, should have, and would have my man.
So, you say you still don’t’ believe in magic, have a look for yourself. It’s the last goal and it happens about 2:40 seconds into the reel.
This is the first post by Christian Conlon. Sharing his passion for the game.
Making their Premiership debut, Burnley hosted their first match in top flight English football. However, the side they faced happened to be the champ. Manchester United.The atmosphere at this game had the entire stadium behind Burnley no matter what the outcome.
United looked sloppy. This goal in particular was a sixth or seventh chance at attack. With the only goal scored to upset the champions, United Keeper Ben Foster whiffed at a hard hit volley by Robbie Blake. This ball was seriously hit. From the angle behind the goal, notice how fast the ball comes in.
What can I say? This strike was all Cesc Fabregas. Simply, Manuel Almunia throws the ball to his wide open captain and the rest of the play from then on is improvised. The space Everton leaves in unbelievable and Fabregas makes them pay. Taking advantage of wide open space, Fabregas dribbles 3/4's of the field then rips an amazing shot. From outside the 18 yard box, the ball knuckles, dips to the floor, and squeezes in the bottom left corner of the goal. From the back camera angle, you can see the absolute genius behind the shot. It could freeze any keeper.
I would like to point out that this example can be used to highlight the difference between top class football and mediocre mid range professional soccer(MLS). You'd be hard pressed to see a shot like this taken with ease or even taken in the MLS. It would beat any keeper in Major Leauge Soccer. Period. Beautiful.
This play displays the young attacking talent on Arsenal's side. Captain Cesc Fabregas is among the best attacking midfielders in the game today. He can be mentioned with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Xavi. The main difference that sets him apart from the aforementioned is age. He is at least seven years younger. Arsenal's captain is the leader on the pitch by nature of his position and talent. Fabregas is Arsenals most important player and it's future.
After clearing the ball out of the box, Andrei Arshavin wins the ball at the back of the Everton attack and sets the breakaway in motion. Arshavin finds Denilson in space and the young Brazilian scans up the field and reads the attacking runs of Fabregas and van Persie. A no look through pass to space on the wing is swiped up by Robin van Persie and driven up field. This counter attack chain is almost complete.
You'll notice that Denilson and Fabregas make eye contact right as the pass is fired to Van Persie. Cesc Fabregas see's the play develop once the pass is made and sprints to the top of the 18 yard box in a straight line. Fabregas positions himself brilliantly once the Everton defender runs to pick up Van Persie by turning on the boosters to receive the cross. He takes one touch and slots the ball through the five hole.
I love how Fabregas celebrates the play by tugging on his jersey as his momentum takes him to the team mate who fed him the ball Robin van Persie. Everton was sliced and diced by world class attacking talent. Class all the way.
One of three goals I'm featuring from Arsenal's 6 - 1 opening game stomp of Everton at Goodison Park. This strike by Brazilian talent Denilson opened up the flood gates on American Goalkeeper Tim Howard. Despite Everton's horrendous defending throughout the game, nothing could be done about this strike.
Arsenal's patience on the ball is rewarded immediately when space is found on the top of the box. Nicklas Bendtner finds space by beating a defender and lines a pass to captain Cesc Fabregas. Fabregas, a dangerous world class player draws the attention of five defenders immediately when the ball reaches his feet. Three Everton defenders rush Fabregas. Quickly, Fabregas lays the ball to the wide open space at the top of the box vacated by an incoming defender.
Denilson hits the ball with a full leg as the window is opened by Fabregas. Denilson follows through the entire kick and lands on his kicking foot. This ensures that his entire momentum is directed towards the top corner. Howard can only swipe a handful of air as he too is one full step behind the entire play.
Record spenders in the transfer market this past year at 212 million pounds spent on players. This beautiful counter attack starts with Enamual Adebayor tracking down a mis touch to continue the attack. Adebayor lays a perfect heavy through ball in front of Sean Wright Phillips. While Phillips is one on one with the defender, Robinho and Garreth Barry make runs into the box looking for a cross. This draws defenders and leaves a hustling Adebayor with enough room at the top of the box. Sean Wright Phillips skips past the defender and leaves a perfect ball for a charging Adebayor who hits it with the inside front of his foot and follows through. 212 million dollars worth of top drawer execution.
World Class Fernando Torres Win's the heart of Anfield with his first goal for the Reds
This is one of my absolute favorites. After a crisp through pass from Steven Gerrard. Torres runs on to the ball and takes a touch. Ben Haim runs to defend on the first touch. Immediatly as Haim arrives and sets his feet to defend, Torres skins the Chelsea defender. Pushing the ball into space in front of him at the exact moment the Chelsea defense tries to bite.
El Nino makes them pay. Torres opens his body up to the far post and follows through the shot and places it beautifully. Ben Haim was left to watch Torres number fly by as the goal is scored in a flash. If you really dissect this goal you can see that Torres follows through the shot and ends his momentum right in front of the end line. Any further and the shot would have missed because angle at the far post would have proved to tight. The finishing skills of Fernando Torres were very well known after scoring a slick goal like that. He went on to score 30 for the season.
My uncle Mike sent me a text the other day with the statement, "6 - 0 and looking strong. Drogba is a man among boys." Truth spoken from my close Chelsea supporter/expert/uncle. So I say "True That" and here's the proof. Enjoy Mike.
