This morning I heard a song that reminded me of some awesome unlockable video clips within FIFA '06 for Xbox. Being that I am on vacation this week, I decided to devote time to dig up all the vids and post them for all to enjoy:
Intro
THIS IS OUR FAITH.
Top Ten Goals
A Barthez moment, Ligue 1 Ronaldinho scampering, and Becks from midfield. My favorite: Yeboah and his wonderful control.
Premier League Highlights
Remember Ruud?!
Italian Serie A Highlights
Oh Roma. Even a video game showed how pathetic you can be.
French Ligue 1 Highlights
French football = delightful dancing and finishing.
German Bundesliga Highlights
More delightful dancing infused with some heated arguments.
Man these videos bring me back. I would say my favorite League Highlight is the French Ligue 1. Stunning stuff going on over there in the mid 00s. Which one is your favorite?
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Juan Agudelo's Messi-esque Goal vs. DC United
Wow. That's about all I can say.
Incredible. Keep your eyes on this youngster.
Incredible. Keep your eyes on this youngster.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Told You! Told You!
Well, I was right. I didn't flat out predict that Real Madrid would beat Barcelona, but I alluded to it in my last post describing the three exciting non-league Clasicos over the coming weeks.
The evidence was clear: Jose Mourinho outwitted Pep Guardiola. The Madrid gaffer infused Pepe in a central midfield role higher up the field to cancel out the movements of Xavi. Pepe did the job on Xavi, which stunted Barca's passing game early on, and created a proactive approach for Madrid to deal with the crafty Catalan midfield: pressure them up high when they receive the ball.
The plan also called for balls to be played down the wings to expose Barca's wing-backs and swing in crosses. Cristiano Ronaldo was incorporated as the squads main striker and he did what any good striker does: nodded home when called upon.
All in all, Mourinho's tactic of neutralizing the midfield and banging balls down the flanks paid dividends. Hell, he even let Barca come at Madrid in the second half, as Zonal Marking highlights in a much more comprehensive look at the game.
In the next two Champions League Classicos we will truly see what Pep Guardiola is made of as a coach. Mourinho's got the drop on him now, but can Pep respond with some wily tactics of his own? We'll see.
Oh and I had to add this:
It's been over a decade since Madrid won the Copa del Rey...and now the trophy is smashed to bits thanks to Sergio Ramos and the team bus.
The evidence was clear: Jose Mourinho outwitted Pep Guardiola. The Madrid gaffer infused Pepe in a central midfield role higher up the field to cancel out the movements of Xavi. Pepe did the job on Xavi, which stunted Barca's passing game early on, and created a proactive approach for Madrid to deal with the crafty Catalan midfield: pressure them up high when they receive the ball.
The plan also called for balls to be played down the wings to expose Barca's wing-backs and swing in crosses. Cristiano Ronaldo was incorporated as the squads main striker and he did what any good striker does: nodded home when called upon.
All in all, Mourinho's tactic of neutralizing the midfield and banging balls down the flanks paid dividends. Hell, he even let Barca come at Madrid in the second half, as Zonal Marking highlights in a much more comprehensive look at the game.
In the next two Champions League Classicos we will truly see what Pep Guardiola is made of as a coach. Mourinho's got the drop on him now, but can Pep respond with some wily tactics of his own? We'll see.
Oh and I had to add this:
It's been over a decade since Madrid won the Copa del Rey...and now the trophy is smashed to bits thanks to Sergio Ramos and the team bus.
 |
| Real Madrid - 2011 Copa del Rey Winners |
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona: Matches 3, 4, and 5
Two Clasicos per year is the standard. Three, a gift. Four and you're wondering if the planets have aligned. But five?! WOW. Usually the two Clasicos pitting Real Madrid against Barcelona are the feature of the La Liga season, but this year, they take a back seat to the next three matches.
The additional three Clasicos this year will establish bragging rights for quite some time. Nothing resonates more than raising your league's domestic cup in the face of your foe and/or knocking your enemy out of the Champions League. Real Madrid and Barcelona: sh*t just got real.
Copa del Rey Final
Today, 3:30pm EST
Champions League Semifinal - Leg 1
April 27th, 2:45pm EST, Bernabeu
Champions League Semifinal - Leg 2
May 3rd, 2:45pm EST, Camp Nou
Feast your eyes on these three matches, friends, because they will most likely be the best we see all year.
Predictions: Are you crazy?! Who can predict these games? The only thing I will say in lieu of a prediction is that I believe Jose Mourinho is a better coach than Pep Guardiola. Guardiola is pretty good, but I think Mourinho pips him tactically. And the more Mou sees of a team, the higher his team's chances are of winning. That's logical.
Enjoy these football delights!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Inter: From Riches to Rags
By now, you know about Inter's monumental failure in the Champions League. The holders got smashed by Bundesliga side Schalke 7-3 on aggregate, losing both games in route to their huge embarrassing failure (that's right: I quoted Tommy Boy).
I, for one, am shocked. I picked Inter to win this tie since they were coming off the heels of a gritty performance against Munich and a hot streak that saw them climb to second in the Serie A. Then...it all fell apart. What happened? Inter Coach Leonardo blames fatigue...Good one! How about bad tactics? Bad defense? Bad form? Bad everything. Raul's left foot alone could have defeated Inter in this tie. Reasons behind the collapse:
Tactics
It was clear after the Derby della Madonnina that Leonardo was a bit naive. It was made even clearer after two legs with Schalke. Both Massimiliano Allegri and Schalke Coach Ralf Rangnick figured out the key to defeating Leonardo's Inter: asphyxiating the midfield and running with pace at a weak defense.
Inter's dominating midfield turned hard work into goals last season under Jose Mourinho, often working their way up the field and inevitably allowing Wesley Sneijder to pull the final strings. This year, Sneijder has been in a more advanced role. This has urged opposing teams to isolate Sneijder, effectively cutting off Inter's attack. Rather than controlling the ball in the midfield, the Dutchman has relied on his teammates to give him the ball farther up the field, which has not happened of late and created a mess of Inter's attacking fluidity.
Defense
As a result of losing the battle in the middle of the park, Inter has not controlled play with their usual dominance. With control going to the opposer, the treble winners have allowed teams to run at their weak defense.
Andrea Ranocchia is young, talented, but not quite there yet. Christian Chivu is horrible. He's slow, dirty, gets sent off far too much, and wears a dumb hat. Lucio is not on form at the moment, since he has been injured and missed time in recent weeks. Maicon, as we all know, is a far better going forward than he is defending. Javier Zanetti is wonderful, but caught between the role of a midfielder and defender. He often tries to aid the congested midfield and moreover command his wing, since the team has not had a midfielder present along the lines for quite some time.
I can't fault Leonardo on this one. The defense has been a mess because of lingering injuries to Lucio and the loss of Walter Samuel - who is set to return and take part in the year-end failure. This has led to a back four that changes on a weekly basis and has not bonded as a defensive unit. Plus Chivu is just horrible!
Milan
At the time I was reluctant to admit it (since I was set on believing Inter would go through to the UCL Semis), but the loss to Milan was devastating for the players. It was demoralizing and exhausting. The team fielded their best squad three days before the crucial clash with Schalke because they had to - because it was the Milan derby. The game was brutal and the aftermath shocking. After a blip of good form which was sparked by the hiring of Leonardo, Inter were brought right back down to earth by their bitter rivals.
Raul
Look at this guy! Ageless! Raul has spurred Schalke on, netting five goals in Champions League play and having a hand in countless others. Hell, I even saw him tracking back on defense when Schalke was winning the first leg 4-1. Raul is synonymous with class. I am officially routing for this underdog story of a player and team for the rest of the tournament.
As a Roma fan, I was joyous after seeing Inter collapse. As a blogger, I was ecstatic since I knew I could write about it!
From treble winner to trophy-less - that's my prediction, anyhow.
I, for one, am shocked. I picked Inter to win this tie since they were coming off the heels of a gritty performance against Munich and a hot streak that saw them climb to second in the Serie A. Then...it all fell apart. What happened? Inter Coach Leonardo blames fatigue...Good one! How about bad tactics? Bad defense? Bad form? Bad everything. Raul's left foot alone could have defeated Inter in this tie. Reasons behind the collapse:
 |
| Milito and Eto'o wonder what could have been - in horrible kits |
It was clear after the Derby della Madonnina that Leonardo was a bit naive. It was made even clearer after two legs with Schalke. Both Massimiliano Allegri and Schalke Coach Ralf Rangnick figured out the key to defeating Leonardo's Inter: asphyxiating the midfield and running with pace at a weak defense.
Inter's dominating midfield turned hard work into goals last season under Jose Mourinho, often working their way up the field and inevitably allowing Wesley Sneijder to pull the final strings. This year, Sneijder has been in a more advanced role. This has urged opposing teams to isolate Sneijder, effectively cutting off Inter's attack. Rather than controlling the ball in the midfield, the Dutchman has relied on his teammates to give him the ball farther up the field, which has not happened of late and created a mess of Inter's attacking fluidity.
Defense
As a result of losing the battle in the middle of the park, Inter has not controlled play with their usual dominance. With control going to the opposer, the treble winners have allowed teams to run at their weak defense.
Andrea Ranocchia is young, talented, but not quite there yet. Christian Chivu is horrible. He's slow, dirty, gets sent off far too much, and wears a dumb hat. Lucio is not on form at the moment, since he has been injured and missed time in recent weeks. Maicon, as we all know, is a far better going forward than he is defending. Javier Zanetti is wonderful, but caught between the role of a midfielder and defender. He often tries to aid the congested midfield and moreover command his wing, since the team has not had a midfielder present along the lines for quite some time.
I can't fault Leonardo on this one. The defense has been a mess because of lingering injuries to Lucio and the loss of Walter Samuel - who is set to return and take part in the year-end failure. This has led to a back four that changes on a weekly basis and has not bonded as a defensive unit. Plus Chivu is just horrible!
Milan
At the time I was reluctant to admit it (since I was set on believing Inter would go through to the UCL Semis), but the loss to Milan was devastating for the players. It was demoralizing and exhausting. The team fielded their best squad three days before the crucial clash with Schalke because they had to - because it was the Milan derby. The game was brutal and the aftermath shocking. After a blip of good form which was sparked by the hiring of Leonardo, Inter were brought right back down to earth by their bitter rivals.
Raul
Look at this guy! Ageless! Raul has spurred Schalke on, netting five goals in Champions League play and having a hand in countless others. Hell, I even saw him tracking back on defense when Schalke was winning the first leg 4-1. Raul is synonymous with class. I am officially routing for this underdog story of a player and team for the rest of the tournament.
 |
| Raul celebrating with the faithful |
From treble winner to trophy-less - that's my prediction, anyhow.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Forza Roma - The Blog
Sensible Soccer loves sensible blogging, which is why I would like to present a new blog covering AS Roma:
Visit Forza Roma for news and insights on the Giallorossi and hopefully epic pictures like the above. Oh and SEMPRE FORZA ROMA.
Visit Forza Roma for news and insights on the Giallorossi and hopefully epic pictures like the above. Oh and SEMPRE FORZA ROMA.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Carlo Zampa - In Case You've Never Heard a Passionate Commentator
All my years watching Roma have resulted in a parallel love with Romanista commentator Carlo Zampa. His screams when Roma scores; his sadness when they concede; are the best. Feast your eyes and ears on Totti's winner the other day, as commentated by Zampa:
Classic Zampa. If you thought that was great, check out Scudetto day, 2001:
Talk about passione. We need more MLS announcers like this. I'll hand it to John Harkes though - he was clearly too choked up to talk when Landon Donovan sent team USA through to the knockouts in the past World Cup. That's a start!
Classic Zampa. If you thought that was great, check out Scudetto day, 2001:
Talk about passione. We need more MLS announcers like this. I'll hand it to John Harkes though - he was clearly too choked up to talk when Landon Donovan sent team USA through to the knockouts in the past World Cup. That's a start!
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