The Matador vs the Ball

By Bagga Wilks

There have been historic match-ups in the world of sports and the Barcelona vs Real Madrid struggle for soccer supremacy in La Liga, Spain, can rival any of the past epics.

In the world of boxing, we have had the epics between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. In baseball, there was the fierce rivalry of the New York Yankees vs the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the world of football, there is the fierce rivalry between Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots. The mushrooming rivalry between Guardiola’s Matadors and Mourinho’s Bulls will do a lot for expanding the base of world soccer on cable stations.

The return leg of the Super-Cup was played in Barcelona on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 and it will go down in history as one of the greatest club soccer games in history. The first leg played in Madrid ended in a 2-2 draw. The finale ended Barcelona edging Real Madrid 3-2 and winning the Super-Cup. They also retained their place as the best soccer club in the world of soccer.



In a Barcelona-Real Madrid match-up, there are macro plots and there are micro plots. Throughout the night, Danni Alves, the Barcelona right full back was determined to keep Real Madrid’s Ronaldo in check. Although Ronaldo scored one of the Madrid’s goals and was outstanding, Danni Alves tackles against the Portuguese winger were superb. Alves played miserably in the Copa America tournament and below par in the friendly against Germany but against Real Madrid and Ronaldo, the Brazilian full back rose to the occasion.

The Manchester Derby

By Bagga Wilks

Both Manchester teams have made moves to improve their respective squads. Mancini of Manchester City still thinks he needs two or three more players to round out his squad while Sir Alex made his moves early and spent the pre-season integrating the new players into his squad.

In the Community Shield game on Sunday, August 7, 2011, the match-up between Manchester City and Manchester United was a preview of what we can expect from the EPL for the 2011-2012 season. Chelsea with their new coach Vilas-Boas has also been busy filling in gaps in their over laden squad. Arsenal seems likely to start the season much weaker than the previous season. Rather than gaining key players, Arsenal is poised to lose key players. Clichy is gone, Fabregas is partly out the door and Nasri’s future is undecided.

The big Serbian, Dzeko, showed his worth when he picked up a dribble and from outside the box, let loose a scorcher that beat the new Manchester United goalkeeper. That spectacular goal put Manchester City in front with a comfortable 2-0 lead at half time.

The game was far from over as Manchester United aggregation of Rooney, Young, Welbeck, Anderson and Nasri discombobulated the usual impregnable Manchester City’s defensive line. Smalling scored a header from an Ashley Young spot kick and a combination of passes from Cleverly, Welbeck, Roooney and Nasri ended up with Nasri tying the score. In the last minute of the encounter, it was the Nasri show as he outhustled Kompany and dribbled around the keeper to give his team the 3-2 victory.

The chemistry of the Manchester United players will only get better as the season progresses. Welbeck and Cleverly have been out on loans and they have returned to their host club with renewed confidence and maturity. Ashley Young was quite an acquisition and Anderson with the retirement of Scholes seems all set to be the ball maestro in center field. And then there is the balding but not aging Rooney, playing behind the striker, working his intermittent magic. The only possible weakness is the replacement of Van de Saar. The goalkeepers in the wings will be in need of protection from the likes of Evra, Smalling, Vidic and Ferdinand. I would not be surprised that the youngster, Phil Jones could wrest the starting position as central defender from the oft-injured and aging Ferdinand.

Manchester United are the defending EPL champions. Barcelona showed in the Champion League Final that they were a cut above Manchester United. This year, Manchester United is an improved team and should be far more competitive against Barcelona if fate brings the two teams to the Champion League final in the 2012 season.

The Championships and Champions

By Bagga Wilks

Robben showed his class as one of the premier players of the world when he unleashed a shot at Inter Milan’s Julio Cesar, who fumbled the shot and allowed the strategically placed Gomez, Bayern Munich’s prolific striker, to place the ball in the back of the net and to give Bayern a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan, the defending champions. In the second leg of the knockout round of the Championship League, Inter Milan will have to travel to Munich, Germany trailing by one goal.

What was interesting about Julio Cesar’s error is that a similar error in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup was instrumental in Brazil being knocked out and Holland going forward.

Robben showed in the World Cup 2010 that he is one of the more difficult forwards to mark and one with the most deadly and accurate kickers in the game. In fact, if Robben had finished the chances that he created, it would have been the Netherlands celebrating at the end of the final and not Spain.

Sneijder, the Inter Milan playmaker and also for Holland, was a big factor in Holland getting to the final and sending Dunga’s ‘pigmy-giants’ to an early end to the 2010 World Cup. Sneijder has been plagued with an injury for most of the season and has struggled to regain his touch and his form. Inter against Bayern Munich was back to full force with the exception of their exceptional central defender, Samuel, who is out for the season. But Leonardo’s Inter Milan has not been the same team that they were under Mourinho. Nonetheless, Sneijder featured in Inter Milan’s victory over Sampdoria which is an indication he may be returning to form which should make Inter more competitive going down the stretch.

Robben’s Bayern Munich, after defeating Inter Milan in mid-week, had to face Dortmund the leader in the Bundesliga on the weekend. Every time Robben received the ball, he was surrounded by three Dortmund players. Dortmund whipped Bayern Munich and increased their lead and enhanced their chances of winning the German League.

No Walcott, No Fabregas, No Carling Cup


Arsenal demonstrated to the football world that when they are at full strength, they can beat the best teams in the world. Against lowly placed Birmingham, Arsenal was expected to end their drought of not winning any silverware since 2005. The tragedy of Arsenal is for them to be spectacular, they need the artistry of Walcott, Fabaregas and Van Persie and all three are incredibly fragile. Fabregas is plagued with
perennial hamstrings and Van Persie and Walcott suffer from recurring ankle injuries.

Arsenal fought back from being one goal down and a combination of Arshavin and Van Persie ended with the latter scoring a spectacular goal. But it was a defensive lapse that gave Birmingham the Carling Cup. Koscielny was about to clear a lose ball and at the last minute left it to his keeper, Sezechney and Martins who had just been injected into the game accepted the sitter. Koscielny has improved his level of play and Sezechney has been superb in goal since the Polish youngster has been appointed Arsenal’s first string goalkeeper. Birmingham played above their pay grade and perhaps their taste of victory will help them to avoid relegation.

Arsenal is still in the European Championship Cup and is still in the hunt for winning the English Premier League. Their acquisition of silverware will depend heavily on the recovery and sustained fitness of Walcott, Fabregas and Van Persie. Arsenal should not panic, they have many years ahead to refill the cabinet with silverware.

The Pato show


Allegri has not favored Pato in his starting eleven but even off the bench Pato has displayed his goal-scoring prowess. Allegri had no choice but to start him against Napoli on a wet Monday evening at the San Siro where the two leading contenders for the Serie A clashed.

Pato put on a show for the fans and his coach must realize that Pato is the key to winning the championship. The offensive potency of Ibrahimouvic, Robinho and Pato is the best in the league. Allegri is too preoccupied with runners like Flamini and Gattuso. Neither should be playing over Boateng and it is counter-productive to substitute Boateng for Robinho when the individual coming off should have been Flamini or Gattuso.

A.C. Milan has now increased their lead in the Seri A by 5 points. Their hometown rivals, Inter Milan, are runners-up with 53 points. Allegri is still learning his craft and he needs to know the game is about finesse, not brawn.

Ballharambee: Wilshere and the Future of Arsenal

By Bagga Wilks
The Arsenal vs Barcelona clash on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 will be remembered as one of the more tactical games of the 2010-2011 season and certainly the most thrilling of the European Championship League this season. Arsenal certainly went into the match with a slight inferiority complex. Last season, their paths did cross and the first leg at the Emirates, London ended in a 2-2 draw. In the first encounter, the Barcelona coach, Guardiola stated that in the first half, it was the best 45 minutes of football he had ever seen Barcelona play.

Barcelona is recognized as the team that plays the most attractive football in the world and the best team in the world. Messi is recognized as the best player in the world and mid-fielders Iniesta and Xavi, two of the better mid-field players in the game. These players are ably assisted by full-back Dani Alves and Maxwell. David Villa is a great striker and coach Guardiola has sculptured a team that starves opponents of the ball and capable of attacking with great ferocity.

Has Arsenal Whippersnappers Arrived?

by Bagga Wilks

Arsenal defeated Manchester City 3-0 on their own home grounds. Winning away from home is a big deal in the English Premier League. All last season, the Gunners were outgunned by the top teams. Whenever they matched up with Chelsea or Manchester United, it was like boys against men. Arsenal on Sunday, October 24, 2010 took apart the opulent Manchester City with rich pinpointed short passing.