Chelsea vs. Juventus: Petr Cech and Gianluigi Buffon the keys to success

Gianluigi Buffon of Juventus (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images) The opening match between Chelsea and Juventus in Group E of the Champions League is not only a game between the reigning champions and a team that hasn't heard the league's anthem from the pitch in almost three years, it is a matchup between two of the world's best and most respected goalkeepers. Gianluigi Buffon has kept the Old Lady's goal since 2002 and is the only man left standing on the team from before the match fixing scandal six years ago when Juventus had two of their titles taken away and were relegated to Serie B. As Independent reports, Wednesday's match will be Buffon's 400th appearance for the Bianconeri. Chelsea's Petr Cech moved to London in 2004 and has been an immense part of the team's following success ever since. The Blues won their first Premier League title in 50 years and set a then-record for clean sheets keeping out the opposition for nine successive games, according to ESPN.com. Cech did not allow a goal for 871 minutes during their streak. Buffon has a scoreless record of his own. He massively contributed to Italy's World Cup championship in 2006 while booking a 453-minute scoreless streak and conceding just two goals, one of which was an own goal. Both Buffon and Cech are authoritative when the play is in the box and dictate the action in their area. Buffon is not as quick as he was a few years back because age the age of 34 years old, but as he showed during the European Cup tournament this summer, age is irrelevant and there is no substitute for experience. Cech is unfortunately not in the best of form at the moment. He is suffering from an elbow injury but surgery won't be necessary until the end of the season, as reported by the Guardian. As a result, Cech cannot stretch his arm entirely and it hurts him when he tries to do so. This could potentially cause a problem as his reach is one of his biggest strengths as a goalkeeper. Both Buffon and Cech have quick reflexes that have helped them make what seems to fans 'impossible' saves. Remember one of Buffon's most famous saves during the 2003 Champions League final? Both goalkeepers are thinkers on the pitch, and are seldom caught out of position. Chelsea's Petr Cech (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) Cech does not really have significant weaknesses on the pitch, aside from the injury mentioned above. Following his head injury in 2006, which put him out of play for three months, Cech doesn't seem to go out to get the ball when too many players are fighting for it. He still wears a protective mask even though clinically he doesn't have to. Chelsea and Juventus are on top in their respective leagues. Chelsea has played four games, winning the first three. Cech conceded only two goals in the match against Reading. Juventus continues to top the Serie A having played three games and winning them all. Buffon also conceded two goals. Chelsea vs. Juventus will surely be a tough match as Chelsea are eager to defend their spot as kings of Europe after a frustrating humiliation at the hands of Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup. The Bianconeri are eager to show they are still among the grand teams in the world with all problems behind them. It will surely be an entertaining match for the fans.

UEFA Europa League: No longer a second rate European competition Posted: 18 Sep 2012 07:33 AM PDT (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) For some, the opportunity to succeed comes around all too often. Those that are well versed and equipped enough to cope with the demands of competing on both a domestic and European front are usually the ones that contest the biggest prizes. Because of the sheer scope of the UEFA Europa League, and indeed the way sport is played in general, there will always be a case for the unexpected. Teams which have very little in the way of pedigree can do more than ruffle a few feathers at the top of the table. For some, it’s enough simply to be involved but others run the risk of losing their shot at a place in history. For some, missing out on glory may only be temporary for they will inevitably have another shot. Others aren’t quite so lucky. The divide in football between clubs that have everything at their disposal and those with very little is almost as big as the perceived chasm of difference between the Europa League and the UEFA Champions League itself.  Just over a fortnight ago, the winners of both major competitions came together in a game that usually raises very few eyebrows. The UEFA Super Cup is for the most of the time anyway a non-event. This year however, perhaps marked a watershed moment as Spanish side Atletico Madrid not only took on European Champions, Chelsea, but dispatched them in such a way as to suggest that the gap between those teams in the Champions League and Europa League isn’t as large as people may think. Last year’s tournament may have been won by Los Colchoneros, but the tournament itself was lit up by the team much further north. Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs stood shellshocked by Athletic Bilbao in the 2011-12 UEFA Europa League let at San Mames Stadium (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) Athletic Bilbao is a side with a proud tradition and rich history. They are part of a select few,  along with Barcelona and Real Madrid to have never been relegated from La Liga.  Under Marcelo Bielsa last year Bilbao was an absolute joy to watch. In particular their victory over Manchester United made everybody sit up and take note.  In the end however, they were unable to handle the firepower of Radamel Falcao and the rest of the Atletico Madrid team and were unfortunately blown away in the final.  This year a side that many were tipping to go on to greater things are finding it harder than ever, with their side having been hurt by the loss of Javi Martinez to Bayern Munich as well as star striker Fernando Llorente being exiled from the team of late. Going back another year, once again there are two sides vying to be the next best thing in European football.  Portuguese side FC Porto and another Spanish club, Villarreal were both enjoying an incredible lease of life under their respective managers and in the process winning new fans everywhere with the style of football that they were playing.  André Villas-Boas and Juan Carlos Garrido would eventually pit their wits against each other in the semi finals of the Europa League, with Porto being too much for El Submarino Amarillo winning 7-4 on aggregate.  Having come so close to success, Garrido would see his side ravaged by injury the following year as Villarreal went into free fall.  They would end last year in the bottom three in Spain and now play in the second division. As for this year's competition, there are more big names than ever hoping to rise out of obscurity and perhaps give the Europa League a better reputation for another year in a row. Internazionale Milan, Olympique Lyon, Liverpool, Tottenham, Napoli, Udinese, Marseille and the title holders Atletico Madrid all have European credentials, but as always there will be upsets and surprises.  To join the list of those who have won a trophy on the continent is a great honor and an opportunity few can afford to pass up.  You never know when that chance will come again.

SWOL Exclusive: USMNT legend Tony Meola talks Soccer and Social Media Posted: 18 Sep 2012 01:00 AM PDT (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) Last week I sat down with legendary United States international goalkeeper and Major League Soccer Hall of Fame inductee Tony Meola. We initially spoke in order to discuss his involvement with Allstate's Good Hands FC program bringing joy to underprivileged youth soccer clubs around the United States. The most recent recipient of Allstate and Tony's good work was the Columbus Ohio Boys and Girls Club. Allstate and Tony gave away complete sets of equipment, new soccer balls and even tickets to the USMNT match against Jamaica to the youngsters involved in the event. Amongst the discussion of his charitable work, which you can read about in last week's exclusive with Tony; he took the time to talk about several other issues pertaining to the modern game. One such issue is the topic of Social Media and how the ease of interaction between the media, fans, clubs and players has all changed in the past two decades. After having previously discussed the same topic with Tony's former USMNT and Kansas City Wizards teammate and fellow MLS Hall of Famer, Alexi Lalas last month, it was great to get another perspective on the topic. Thomas Atzenhoffer: How do you feel the life of today's professional player has changed due to social media? Tony Meola: Looking back I don't know if I would have been involved in it when I was playing. I tried to look at it as having two jobs when I was coming through the ranks, we had the playing part and we had the promotion part. We would play till 1 o'clock in the afternoon and then promoted until what seemed like 1 o'clock in the morning. So maybe social media would have given us more opportunity to get people out. Alexi Lalas, Eric Wynalda and Tony Meola all in the same shot, Photo via Getty Images I enjoy it now as just a plain fan stand point. I follow not just soccer players, but other news outlets, other sports and it makes you at times feel like you are part of these other people's lives. I don't know if I would care about some of the things these guys do, but it is certainly interesting. TA: In the early 1990's the United States’ soccer fan base was a well-educated group but did not have a major outlet for their support of the game. Do you believe that social media has helped to bring the fan base out into the open more in United States? TM: Absolutely, it gives them a voice and from what I see it is a pretty good environment. I think its important for the fans who spend an awful lot of money not only on tickets but memorabilia to have a voice, and it gives them that opportunity. From a players stand point you can read as much of it or as little of it as you want and from an organization stand point I am sure there is a lot of valuable information that is being given that should at least be listened to. Alexi Lalas and Tony Meola TA: As a player in the USMNT you had the chance to be part of two generations with the 1990's teams and also the 2002 World Cup squad. Out of all of the players you had played with, who do you feel would have been the biggest social media users? TM: (Chuckles) I don't have to think about it he is still one of the biggest ones and that is Eric Wynalda. He would have definitely been huge, both he and Alexi Lalas are great with the social media part. I run into a wall trying to think as fast as those guys with their responses. I profess I am not nearly as witty as they are. But they are fun and would have been involved from the start and would have been the ringleaders for sure. Both of them are very good with it and with interacting with the fans and are both very good with accepting criticisms and all those things that sportscasters and guys that work on television have to hear. Those two by far would have been the first two choices. TR: Are there any players that you follow specifically aside from your former teammates? TM: I follow a lot of them yes absolutely. I try to follow the leagues around the world and all of the stuff that is going on and it is a nice, especially with people that are busy, to get short sweet hits to see and hear what is going on and digest what is happening without having to run to the store and grab a paper or read long articles. During the conversation I disclosed to Tony that Lalas himself had completely agreed with Tony on the fact that the ESPN analyst would have been one of the worst with it came to twitter. In his own words Lalas said this as his self admission of social media addiction: I would have been sitting in the back of the bus tweeting. I probably wouldn't have even gotten onto the field…I would love to have had twitter. It would have been like a loaded firearm in my hand. Needless to say social media has had a major effect on how any of us and all of us follow the game and talk about it on a weekly basis. You can follow Tony @TMeola1 and follow Thomas @TheDailyAtz.

David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo bidding for a James Bond car Posted: 17 Sep 2012 06:31 PM PDT 2008 Aston Martin DBS, James Bond car from 'Quantum of Solace' / Photo via MTV Who isn't a fan of James Bond? So many fans and so many ladies lust over Mr. Bond himself. Men and women have both been huge fans of James Bond since Sean Connery's first film, Dr. No. It just so happens that David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo are also big fans of Bond. Maybe Beckham and Ronaldo repeat Bond's quote to Camille over in their head when taking penalty shots: "Take a deep breath, you only got one shot, make it count."  A source for the British newspaper Daily Star reported that LA Galaxy Midfielder David Beckham is truly a James Bond admirer. One of his dreams is to own the car driven by the Special Agent. Well Beckham may just get his wish. The Bond car from the 2008 film Quantum of Solace is up for auction. The Daily Star also noted that Beckham intended to pay £100,000 for the Aston Martin DBS V12. However, Beckham's price may have to increase as Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has also thrown his hat into the race. Many men lust over Bond's car, but few actually have the chance to do something about their car envy. Beckham and Ronaldo will face off at the auction, which is being held on October 5th. The money raised for the car will go towards charity. Good luck guys, and may the biggest fan win.

The Sacking Begins In Serie A Posted: 17 Sep 2012 01:31 PM PDT Italian managers are known to be on some of the hottest seats in football. It doesn’t matter if the team is unbeaten through 26 matches or if they are on the verge of European qualification. Every Italian manager is dispensable at the drop of a hat. Victim No. 1 in 2011-12 is Giuseppe Sannino. Sannino signed with Palermo in June after helping Siena survive their return to Serie A. The expectations with the Rosanero proved to be a bit higher than at Siena. After only three games, of which two were losses and one a draw, Sannino was given the sack on Monday. Ironically, Sannino’s replacement, Gian Piero Gasperini, was fired by Inter Milan around this same time last September, after only three matches, of which two were losses and the other a draw. AC Milan has started with two losses and a win, leading to rumors that they may be on the hunt for a new manager very soon. The impatience felt by the club’s fans for manager Massimiliano Allegri has reached new heights this week after the Rossoneri fell to Atalanta on Sunday. Milan now have three points from three matches. They beat Sampdoria in the middle of two losses to Bologna and Atalanta. The biggest issue is that Allegri claims there is no time to introduce a 4-3-3 system to compliment players like Bojan Krkic and Stephan El Shaarawy. All Italian managers are on notice now. No one is safe when managing a Serie A club.

Manchester City facing Real test Posted: 17 Sep 2012 12:54 PM PDT Jose Mourinho is never a man to hold back from making a bold statement. Therefore, few should be surprised that he has done so again ahead of Manchester City’s Champions League opener against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu this week. In declaring that “sooner or later” the blue half of Manchester will be polishing European club football’s biggest trophy, it could be the Portuguese is simply expressing the view that the upward curve of the big spending club – notwithstanding Financial Fair Play considerations – has much further to go. On the other hand – this is Jose, after all – it could be a bit of mischief making, the kind of kidology aimed at messing with his opponent’s head the former Chelsea boss is famous for. Facing the Spanish Champions, a side that now knows it can reliably beat Barcelona, will be the toughest of tests for Manchester City. The performance of Ronaldo, and how City try to handle him, will be a fascinating aspect of the tussle. So too will be the winger’s response to an inevitably unwelcoming reception back in Manchester after his six years with United. The Madrid test will be a barometer of where City stands in terms of challenging for the Champions League soon. But it may be much less relevant in the wider context of the group. Last year placed City in the traditional ‘group of death’ – every tournament must have one – and in theory, this year is even tougher. After all, while eventual finalists Bayern Munich were one obvious huge obstacle last time, Villareal’s challenge was as far removed from that of their fellow Spanish teams as it is possible to imagine, losing all six games in a campaign as miserable in Europe as it was in La Liga, where the ‘Yellow Submarine’ sank without trace. The joker in the pack last season was Napoli. City’s inexperience as Champion’s League debutants offers scant mitigation when it is noted that the same was true of the Italians, whose brave attacking approach saw off one English side and nearly eliminated Chelsea in the second round as well. At first glance, nothing appears to be easier about this year as past Champions League winners Ajax and Borussia Dortmund complete Group D. True, Ajax were knocked out of the Europa League by Manchester United in March, but did win 2-1 in the second leg at Old Trafford. Dortmund, moreover, were German double winners, leaving Bayern and the rest choking on their dust. But there is another side to both stories. Ajax, like City, entered the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group stage and, ominously for this year, the Amsterdam outfit lost 3-0 both home and away against Real. Indeed, their recent record in the competition is very modest; they have not made it past the group stage  since 2005-06. Dortmund’s challenge may also be less formidable than imagined. Last season, they utterly failed to replicate their domestic success in the Champions League, finishing bottom of their group. In the process they also lost to English opposition (Arsenal), going down 2-1 at the Emirates and only avoiding a home defeat with a late equaliser. In addition to all this their best player – Shinji Kagawa – joined Manchester United in the summer. So the reality of Manchester City’s group is that, while a heavyweight one on paper, it is likely to be dominated by Real Madrid. The key question then will be which out of the three sides who fell at this hurdle last year can go one better this time. This does not mean Manchester City is definitely going to be that club, but they certainly have a much better chance than some might fear.

Manchester United Preparing for Forgotten Foe in Champions League Tie Posted: 17 Sep 2012 12:23 PM PDT Sir Alex Ferguson meets the press in September of 1994 before his side take on Galatasaray Having not met each other for nigh upon two decades, Galatasaray's return to the Champions League group stage will be a tough one when they make their way to Old Trafford this week. The Turkish giants haven't visited this stage of the European competition since the 2006-07 season and will be looking to mimic the likes of Benfica and Basel who managed to get results at Manchester United last season. Sir Alex Ferguson's side was ejected from this competition by Galatasaray in the 1993-94 campaign and although they exacted their revenge the following year, the Scotsman will be hoping to go one-up in the records this year. Gala have one of the most intimidating home atmospheres in world football, so Ferguson will be striving to take full advantage of this early home leg. Both sides are in very comfortable positions as far as domestic form goes, and as Manchester Untied have clawed their way back into second place in the Premier League, Galatasaray sit atop the Süper Lig and are unbeaten after four matches. The visitors have been sure to spend big this summer following their league triumph last season, and would seem to make good on their Champions League return. In particular, the Turkish club brought in Burak Yilmaz from Trabzonspor and the striker is likely to cause defensively-stricken United plenty of problems. The threat doesn't stop there though, and Umut Bulut has already hit the back of the net on six occasions for club and country this season. Fatih Terim has led Gala to five league titles during different spells managing the club and appears to be working his magic again this season. However, audiences both foreign and domestic will be all but too aware of his opposite number, who boasts a title or two of his own. After returning to the fray from injury a fortnight ago, Rio Ferdinand may hold down his starting spot alongside Nemanja Vidic in the centre of defence after the pair kept a clean sheet against Wigan at the weekend. It's unclear as to whether David de Gea has served sufficient punishment for some mistakes against Fulham yet, and Anders Lindegaard might just retain his spot in between the sticks. After such an impressive debut, Alexander Büttner could be given the nod at left-back instead of Patrice Evra, who was rested over the weekend. Rafael is likely to be looked to for the duties at right-back and, as always, will be a utilised asset down the right flank. Returning from injury, Shinji Kagawa could be given the green light in midfield, while Antonio Valencia could also make his way back into the starting line-up. Robin van Persie made a brief 20-minute cameo against the Latics, but could be handed a place in the starting XI after making a full recovery from a knock he suffered on international duty. This means that either Javier Hernandez or Danny Welbeck revert to a place on the bench, while Wayne Rooney remains unavailable with a gashed thigh. Despite all the research that undoubtedly goes into these opponents, Galatasaray will be a very much untested quantity for Manchester United. That being said, the English giants will have learned a lot from the mistakes of last season's European campaign, and won't be taking any of their group foes for granted.

Inter Milan holds off charging Torino to get back on track in Serie A Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:42 AM PDT (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images) In the last fixture of the 3rd round of games in the 2012-13 Serie A, Inter Milan faced off against Torino. Inter entered the game coming off a loss suffered against rivals AS Roma. Torino was fresh off a big win against Pescara. Inter played with a 4-4-1-1 that featured newly healed Samir Handanovic in goal. Protecting the Slovenian was right back Jonathan, Andrea Ranocchia, Brazilian international Juan Jesus and Japanese international Yuto Nagatomo. The midfield featured Javier Zanetti, Fredy Guarin, Esteban Cambiasso and Alvaro Pereira, who has seen his starts come in the midfield- a relatively new position for the Uruguayan as he was deployed at left fullback during his time at Porto. Diego Milito started up front with Wesley Sneijder slightly behind him. Torino employed a traditional 4-4-2 and named Jean-Francois Gillet as starting goalkeeper. Their back-line featured Salvatore Masiello, promising Italian center back Angelo Ogbonna, Kamil Gilk and Matteo Darmian. Their midfield consisted of Serie A veteran Mario Santana, Alessandro Gazzi, Matteo Brighi and Alen Stevanovic. Captain Rolando Bianchi and Alessandro Sgrigna led the forward line for Il Toro. Inter got off to a quick start when Diego Milito scored his second goal in three matches on 13 minutes. The rest of the first half saw a handful of shots from either side and four yellow cards. At halftime, Inter manager Andrea Stramaccioni took off Jonathan after the Brazilian picked up a knock, and put on Ricardo Alvarez. Torino threw on striker Riccardo Meggiorini to ignite the offense but it was all for naught as Antonio Cassano netted in the 83rd minute after being on the pitch for just 17 minutes. The match finished 2-0 and Inter is beginning to get back on track after their disappointing loss against Roma last weekend. Inter relied on staunch defending as Torino were able to create a fair amount of chances. The central defensive pairing for the Nerazzurri combined for eight tackles, as both Andrea Ranocchia and Juan Jesus were looking to impress the Inter brass. Inter dominated possession as they had the ball 61% of the time and played over 200 more passes as compared to the Turin club (statistics courtesy of whoscored.com). As has been the trend all season, Inter created more than 40% of their offense on the left flank as the overlapping runs of Yuto Nagatomo and Alvaro Pereira make Inter quite hard to defend. Inter will square off against AC Siena while Torino will be away to Sampdoria. Inter will enter the fixture as clear favorites over Siena who sit dead last in the table and will be striving to stave off relegation all season. Inter currently sit 5th in the league table and will be looking to continue their winning ways and reach the pinnacle of Italian football once again.

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