The last 4 - now the fun begins

We have our first semi final - the Iberia derby! Spain v Portugal. The rivalry itself is not as intense as one would think based on their geographic location. I think a large reason is that they have not had too many major matches on the pitch, aka World Cup or European Cup (they had a 1-1 draw in the Euro group stages in 1984). They also do not have big rivalries at the club level. But obviously there is a geo-political rivalry. Add to this that Portugal's best player - Ronaldo - plies his trade at Real Madrid and we do have some intriguing story lines.

Keys to Portugal

All the talk before this tournament is whether or not Spain would be able to challenge history by winning three straight major tournaments. Both Germany and France fell short of this ambitious goal themselves. In addition, many are expecting to see a Spain v Germany rematch in the finals. I am not one of those. Three reasons why I think Portugal will pull off the upset and reach their second European Cup final:

Spain's "luster" has worn off. Take aside the feeble attempt by France to play a defensive formation to surprise Spain in the 1/4 finals and the reality is teams have started to figure out La Roja. Without a healthy Villa, and a less than optimal Torres, Spain have not had the one key element that makes their tiki-taka game lethal: a striker that can spring up behind the defense to score. Del Bosque has insisted on playing with Cesc at that role, with limited success. Take aside the Ireland game and the Spain offense has not looked as deadly as it did in the past. Add to this losses to the likes of England, where Spain dominated possession but England just sat back and hit them on the counter...1-0. Or the two losses where they gave up 4 goals to Argentina and Portugal. I realize those were all friendlies. But they demonstrated that teams have started to figure out Spain. Of course understanding and doing are two different things...

Which leads me to point #2, Portugal is getting in a grove...especially Ronaldo. Tournaments are all about how you finish not how you start, how is that for a cliche! Look at Portugal, they emerged from the group of death. Take out the first 60 minutes against Germany and they have been a very dangerous team. Denmark gave them a run, but if Ronaldo had been more clinical that game would have been 4-2 Portugal. Against Holland they once again showed their resilience, being down early they calmly fought back and earned the victory. They have been building every game. Of course they had to wait late against the Czech Republic, but they did what it took to get through. And looked the more dangerous team throughout that 1/4 final. The Portuguese have the momentum and extra rest...

Finally Portugal has one key that I think Spain will struggle with - dangerous wingers. Spain's tikki-takka usually revolves around the center of the park. Iniesta, Xavi, Alonso, Silva, Cesc and Busquets run their little triangles in the center of the park. The width is provided by Alba and Arbeloa bombing up the wings from their fullback positions. Blanc tried to block these runs by adding the likes of Debuchy as added cover. Portugal will fight fire with more fire. With Ronaldo and Nani manning the two wings, the Spanish fullbacks will have to be more cautious with their forays into the offensive third. This will impact the width that Spain needs to make their game dangerous. Without a true striker to make the diagonal runs behind the back 4, Spain relies on their fullbacks to over run a side creating mismatches that allow one of the midfielders to find space behind the defense. If Portugal limits these runs they can keep packing the middle of the park and allow Spain to have possession but not goals. In addition, if the Spanish fullbacks get caught too high up the pitch, look for Nani and Ronaldo to punish them on the counter - look at what Croatia was able to do on their counters. 

I am not saying this game will be an easy one for Portugal. Spain remains the best team in the world. But I think that this is the end of the run for La Roja. I had predicted that Spain would fall at this stage and I am sticking with that prediction.

Portugal 3 - Spain 2

Sorry Jose!!!

El Fenomeno retires - farewell to one of the game's most dangerous strikers

So Ronaldo, not the Portuguese one, will hang up his Nike boots at the age of 34. The kid that broke onto the international scene as an 17 year old on Brazil's World Cup winning side in 1994 he was always seen as the next big thing in football. Unlike so many others he lived up to that billing. Winning the FIFA player of the year three times - 1996, 1997 and 2002 - collecting 2 World Cup winners medals as well as a runner up medal, winning 2 Spanish league titles, a UEFA cup title and a Cup winners Cup title he is one of the more decorated footballers. Granted he never tasted Champions League glory, but he is the all time leading World Cup goal scoring leader with 15 goals to his credit.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	World Cup	Round
1.	16 June 1998	Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, France	Morocco	1 – 0	3–0	1998	Group Stage
2.	27 June 1998	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	Chile	3 – 0	4–1	1998	Round of 16
3.	27 June 1998	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	Chile	4 – 1	4–1	1998	Round of 16
4.	7 July 1998	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France	Netherlands	1 – 0	1–1	1998	Semi-Final
5.	3 June 2002	Munsu Cup Stadium, Ulsan, Korea Republic	Turkey	1 – 1	2–1	2002	Group Stage
6.	8 June 2002	Jeju World Cup Stadium, Seogwipo, Korea Republic	China PR	4 – 0	4–0	2002	Group Stage
7.	13 June 2002	Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon, Korea Republic	Costa Rica	0 – 1	2–5	2002	Group Stage
8.	13 June 2002	Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon, Korea Republic	Costa Rica	0 – 2	2–5	2002	Group Stage
9.	17 June 2002	Kobe Wing Stadium, Kobe, Japan	Belgium	2 – 0	2–0	2002	Round of 16
10.	26 June 2002	Saitama Stadium, Saitama, Japan	Turkey	1 – 0	1–0	2002	Semi-Final
11.	30 June 2002	International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan	Germany	0 – 1	0–2	2002	Final
12.	30 June 2002	International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan	Germany	0 – 2	0–2	2002	Final
13.	22 June 2006	Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany	Japan	1 – 1	1–4	2006	Group Stage
14.	22 June 2006	Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany	Japan	1 – 4	1–4	2006	Group Stage
15.	27 June 2006	Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany	Ghana	1 – 0	3–0	2006	Round of 16

So what to make of the wildly talented yet somewhat motivation-ally challenged Brazilian? Is he one of the all time greatest players?

In the overall pantheon of great players I cannot include him in the top 10, as some have...I would say there is an argument for his inclusion in the top 20. However a part of me feels as if we never saw Ronaldo living up to the massive potential he showed as a young 20 something player. He was dominant in 1998 until he faced Les Bleus in the World Cup finals, I realize there was a lot of controversy whether or not he was fit to play and there are rumor that the corporate backers of Brazil's team, namely Nike who kitted out Brazil as well as provided Ronaldo's boots, insisted he start. At the start of the match he walked out with his team, but was a shadow of himself on the pitch, I am sure his night time trip to the hospital did not help nor did the fact that Thuram et al. completely suffocated him during the match.

Barthez checks on Ronaldo's health - WC finals 1998

His true glory would come 4 years later where he helped carry Brazil to the title - teamed with Rivaldo and Ronaldino they Samba'd their way past the likes of England and Germany to capture their 5th title where Ronaldo scored a brace in the finals. He would play in a third World Cup (4th participation but he never saw the field in 1994) where he would set the all time World Cup goal scoring record, but once again run into Les Bleus who would end his World Cup career. He would finish his international career with 62 goals in 97 matches for a 0.64 goals per game average.

Ronaldo's moment of glory...first goal a true poacher goal after a terrible spill from Kahn. The second a pure strike of skill - taking a good square ball and realizing he had time to settle and pick his side but not being rushed in the process - coolness in front of goal another sign of a solid striker.



Of course his club football was marked by playing for the likes of Cruzeiro, PSV, Barcelona, Inter, Real, ACMilan and Corinthians. Clearly he played for some of Europe's biggest clubs, but for me it is surprising that he did not make a greater mark at any of these stops. Granted his time at Inter, when he was starting to make some noise with the club, was cut short by two knee injuries and 3 subsequent surgeries. He then moved to Real Madrid, but was a bit overshadowed as part of the Galacticos - Raul, Beckham, Zidane, Figo et al. I am not sure he fully recovered from his injuries either. Add to this a questionable mental discipline - he did get a little heavy and used questionable judgement in his private life (granted this was when he was at Milan but still...I am sure this was not his first rodeo).

When you look at his career you would say it was successful, however when you take into account the player many saw emerge from Brazil as a teenager and you would say there is something hollow about the career. Yes he is the all time leading World Cup goal scorer over 3 World Cups - but I did not feel he really took over any of these tournaments. There was no Maradonna 1986 or Platini 1984, when these two took over the World and European Cups for their nations. Nor was there a 1958 moment when another young Brazilian burst onto the world scene.

Ronaldo will be regarded as one of the greatest strikers the game has seen, but looking back at his career I feel that it could have been more - injuries cut his career short and maybe had he worked his trade more seriously when he was able we might be talking about a player that could be in the top 10 of all time. All the best in his retirement, I am sure many defenders and keepers are happy to not have to face him moving forward.

Rooney wants 14 million!

 So Rooney wanted 14 million pounds in salary...well well well. He clearly wanted to be the highest paid player, good for him - and earn more than former teammate Ronaldo.

Is he one of the worlds greatest players? Maybe. Off the cuff - Messi, Iniesta, Ronaldo, Mullerto to name a few are in a top 10 list. Rooney deserves to be in the conversation...whether because of his on field talent or the perception of his talent.

He is still young - 24. He single handily carried the Red Devils last season and his drop off in goals this season is one of the main reasons Man U is not closer to first place.

Is player greed a primary reason why Rooney seems to be heading elsewhere? Yes...in part I am sure the Man U financial problems hamper their ability to afford Rooney and his salary but also other big name players. this combination is the reason why the former golden child will be elsewhere as early as early as this winter.

Real Madrid....the bottumless pit of money

So Real Madrid goes out and signs Kaka for 56m pounds and then turns around and signs Ronaldo for 80m pounds...um so much for a global economic down turn. The Galaticos are back at it looking to rebuild the start studded team similar to the one that had the likes of Ronaldo (the now fat Brazilian one), Beckham, Zidane, Carlos, Figo....to name a few. Those teams were able to win silverware, the Zidane team being the last to capture the Champions League. Clearly watching hated rival Barcelona win 2 Champions Leagues since then as well as crashing out this season has made Real Madrid tact back to their strategy of collecting the world's most expensive football players and not thinking about the cost or if it will work.

However, this crazy move might be just what this team needed. With Robben on one wing and Ronaldo on the other, they can slot Kaka in the middle, with Raul/Van Nistelrooy up front. Higuain can be the offensive joker off the bench and a rotation starter on the wings or up front. Diarra and Gago will be looked to as the holding duo sitting behind this offensive formation. Ronaldo and Kaka are also versital enough to play different formations/positions.

The danger is that both players are used to having teams built around their talents. How will they handle having to be on the pitch and sharing the ball? It will be an interesting experience to watch...if they don't go deep in the Champions League...it could get ugly in Madrid

Real Madrid thinking big for next year....already.

The rumors and heat that revolve around Real Madrid is always the source of good stories. The latest one being an oldie but goodie: Manchester United's talisman, winger Christiano Ronaldo heading to Real Madrid. Those rumors were running wild and crazy prior to the Euros last summer, and much like I have stated in the past where there is smoke there is most definately fire when it comes to transfer rumors. I think this is a done deal. Real Madrid and Ronaldo were so clearly demonstrating their undying love for one another last summer it was nauseating, the only thing that held back the deal was SAF and ManU. I doubt they will resist the offers coming from Spain this time around. For Ronaldo, it makes perfect sense. What else does he have to prove and win for Manchester United? He has bought them Premiership titles and Champions' League glory. The season he had last campaign will be very difficult if not impossible to replicate. He needs new challenges. Unlike players like Scholes and Giggs, he has no roots with the Red Devils nor loyalties to SAF...even wonderkid Beckham from the ManU development program was sent packing.

With all this in mind, I cannot see Manchester United turning down what ever ridiculous offer Real Madrid throws at them. The future Manchester United is going to revolve around Rooney and SAF will use those massive treasure chest to build around the British striker. Real Madrid will again wow the footballing world with a crown jewel...and remain dysfunctional.