With Rafa Marquez set to join New York Red Bulls (what, you didn’t know) the number is about to be vacated. Fabregas wears the [...]]]>

Arsenal’s given no indication that they’re willing to let Cesc Fabregas go anytime soon. Continuing their implicit, public courtship, Barcelona has set aside the number four for their former trainee.

With Rafa Marquez set to join New York Red Bulls (what, you didn’t know) the number is about to be vacated. Fabregas wears the same number for Arsenal.

Right before finding this news, I was listening to the latest edition of The Football Ramble, where James or Jim was discussing Barcelona’s tendency to unsettle Arsenal players. Henry, Petit, Overmars. Fabregas.

If it’s true Barcelona is putting this number aside, or worse, if they’re putting it aside and telling Spanish outlets the reasons, it’s a ridiculous way to interact with a past and future business problem.

Source: FourFourTwo, but they got it from Mundo Deportivo

Listen over at All Things Footy.

Listen [...]]]> The Tuesday edition of the Set Piece Analysts’ daily podcast featured Richard Farley and Jeff Kassouf talking about Emmanuel Adebayor’s international retirement, the fight for available shares at Arsenal, a look at the action taking place across the world on Tuesday, and snapshots of Major League Soccer and Women’s Professional Soccer.

Listen over at Set Piece Analysts.

There will be a lot of scrutiny of Tottenham after their lopsided loss at the Emirates. Pundits will use the result to illustrate Spurs are not ready to break the top four. That’s a view with which I disagree, though it very well [...]]]>

Robin van Persie, in Arsenal's 3-0 derby win over Tottenham

There will be a lot of scrutiny of Tottenham after their lopsided loss at the Emirates. Pundits will use the result to illustrate Spurs are not ready to break the top four. That’s a view with which I disagree, though it very well may be the case. I may be rating Tottenham too highly, thinking they are still a contender to qualify for their first Champions League.

More to the point, as it concerns today’s result in the North London Derby (a terribly unimaginative name):  That line of analysis buries the lead. Today’s story should be Arsenal.

For the rest of the article, you can visit World Soccer Reader.

All times are Pacific.

Saturday 5:45 a.m. – Arsenal vs. Tottenham Hotspur The [...]]]> I alluded to these matches on the last episode of Inside the Six, but here is what my viewing schedule is going to be this weekend. Don’t be surprised if you see the stories and themes from these matches seep into the podcasts and articles.

All times are Pacific.

Saturday
5:45 a.m. – Arsenal vs. Tottenham Hotspur
The North London derby, and both clubs are near the top of the table. Tottenham is coming off a loss to Stoke. Arsenal had a disappointing draw with West Ham. Both clubs will be primed for this match. Though I’m becoming more and more discouraged by the quality of play in this season’s England Premier League (something that I will discuss on Monday and Tuesday’s Inside the Six episodes), this match should be good. There will be a ton of talent on the pitch, major implications for the table, and the rivalry. I’ve set my alarm.
7:30 a.m. – Schalke 04 vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Schalke is one of the more exciting attacking sides in the league while Leverkusen has the Bundesliga’s best defense. With things as tight as they are at the top of the league’s table, this fourth versus first match-up could really shake things up.
Break to record an Inside the Six segment
11:00 a.m. – Bordeaux vs. Monaco
Top two teams in France, and even though they have already beaten Marseille, we’ll get a chance to see if Monaco is for real.
1:00 p.m. – St. Etienne vs. Lyon
The match I’m really looking forward to in France.
2:15 p.m. – Braga vs. Benfica
I haven’t been this excited for a Portuguese Liga match in a while.
3:00 p.m. – Real Salt Lake vs. Columbus
Will probably have to start this one late.

Sunday
11:00 a.m. – New England vs. Chicago
12:30 p.m. – Palmeiras vs. Corinthians
The biggest derby in Sao Paulo? If the MLS match isn’t over by the time this one kicks off, I’m probably still flipping over.
2:00 p.m. – Banfield vs. Estudiantes
I’m starting to pull for this Banfield side.
3:00 p.m. – Chivas vs. Los Angeles

There will be a few more matches that I watch, but these are the must-sees. Interact with me via Twitter or on this blog as the day’s action unfolds.

In the evenings, I’ll be watching “tapes” from the big leagues: England, Spain, etc. But for the big matches, those listed above, it has to be live.

To get any conversation started, I throw a list together as quickly as possible, send it out, and let people yell at me for being dumb.

This [...]]]> Each week, I aggregate a World Club Top Ten lists from the view of the staff at World Soccer Reader. I always start the discussion with my knee-jerk list.

To get any conversation started, I throw a list together as quickly as possible, send it out, and let people yell at me for being dumb.

This is how dumb I was after today’s matches:

1. Barcelona
2. Chelsea
3. Real Madrid
4. Juventus
5. Bordeaux
6. Manchester United
7. Lyon
8. Sevilla
9. Estudiantes
10. Manchester City

Others: Tottenham, Inter, Arsenal, Benfica, Porto, Fiorentina, Sao Paulo, Dynamo Kyiv, Hamburg, Rubin Kazan, Bayern Munchen, Liverpool, Velez Sarsfield, Palmeiras, Marseille, Club America, Bayer Leverkusen

The “others” are slightly ordered and mostly thrown in there to stimulate conversation. I’m probably missing clubs. Does PSV deserve consideration? How about Shaktar?

Please, drop some knowledge. On me.

The match’s drama started even [...]]]> We’re going to test my typing and multi-tasking skills as I try to get my thoughts on the Manchester United-Arsenal match down while I watch the start of the second Galacticos era. I’m so distracted that I’m too lazy to properly spell Galacticos (there should be an accent in there).

The match’s drama started even before kickoff, as both managers deployed shocking squads.

Arsenal’s was borderline inexplicable. They started for defensive-minded midfielders: Emmanuel Eboue, Denilson, Alexandre Song, and Abu Diaby. Then we see the formation, and it’s a 4-5-1, with Arshavin on the left and Diaby in the middle (playing more advanced than Denilson and Song). If you’re going to play four defensive midfielders (including on our have to put on the right), shouldn’t you be able to play Arshavin in an advanced role.

Manchester United’s seem to make more sense, though it was equally surprising. When you saw that neither Dimitar Berbatov nor Michael Owen was starting, you couldn’t help but wonder what Alex Ferguson had up his sleeve this time. It’s gotten to where his sometimes shocking lineup choices beg us to ask how, not if, they will work. With only Wayne Rooney up top, United went to a 4-5-1/4-2-3-1 formation, with Nani-Ryan Giggs-Antonio Valenica behind Rooney (Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher protecting the back, which included Wes Brown partnered with Nemaja Vidic).

The early moments of the match were pure plodding and congestion, with both five man midfields bogging things down. Then United started to show life on counters and in a stretch of possession held in and around the Arsenal area that culminated with a big chance for Fletcher.

That continued for a while, but then The Russian Prince struck. Moments after Darren Fletcher risked a penalty in sliding through ball and Arshavin at twelve meters out, the best player on the pitch put a 25 metes shot over Ben Foster’s right shoulder. Foster could have done better. Manchester United’s two holding midfielders were nowhere to be found, but Arshavin was also being typical, dramatic, brilliant Arshavin.

It was a memorable goal, but it was slightly overshadowed by the last. After a Wayne Rooney penalty kick (drawn after a beautiful ball from Ryan Giggs) evened the match, Abu Diaby adroitly beat Manuel Alumnia off a Giggs cross. Why, it was almost as if Alumnia never expected Diaby’s shot. It was a well taken goal by Diaby.

And as you’ve figured, it was an own goal. United would win 2-1.

What we learn from this match entirely contradicts the final score. First, Arsenal is a definitely a contender. Going to Old Trafford and performing this admirably is not easy, as the Gunners were reminded last Champions League. No, they did not play stellar, and aside from a great ten minute stretch to start the second half, this was an even match. Arsenal did have the only dominant stretch in the match, but they didn’t “control” anything. The biggest difference between these two sides: Arsenal clearly has the best (attacking) player on either club.

For United, it’s a well earned three points, as they did do enough to win, even if their quality probably was not as good as Arsenal’s. However, if these two teams were to line-up again, you’d have to think Arsenal would be better than even money to win this match. United is a decent club right now. Only decent. They are not in that top tear of the league which now includes Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham, who United plays next. They will find out soon whether they or Manchester City are the next in line.

In the big picture, this isn’t a bad place for United to be. They have nine points in four matches while not playing that well. Still, Ferguson and fans had to know there would be an adjustment period. To be only three points behind Chelsea and Spurs despite struggling bodes well for them, should they get their act together.

And I think they will. They showed signs today, but that’s for another time. Real Madrid is on (very entertaining so far) and we’ve got the Milan and La Plata derbies coming up.

Eduardo clearly dove. We clearly don’t like diving. This is just one of [...]]]> Yesterday, after Arsenal’s Eduardo “earned” a penalty with a well executed dive against Celtic in Champions League qualifying, the wails of indignation starting burning our bandwidth, and at the risk of wasting what little might be left, here is the evidence:

Eduardo clearly dove. We clearly don’t like diving. This is just one of many ways players attempt to get an advantage, and if it’s really that much different than a “professional foul” than I’m missing the distinction’s subtleties.

Rather than go into Diving versus Professional Fouls (which, let’s face it, I’ll probably do later), I wanted to throw out a couple if discussion points – aspects of this disproportionately and unexpectedly large uproar about the instance which might explain why people are electing to draw the line here, in a match we all knew Arsenal would win, and therefore had the importance of the second half of a typical Manchester United-Wigan match.

First, would this issue be so over-hyped if Arsenal were playing a club with a “different” profile than Celtic? More bluntly, would the English-language media care if Eduardo “earned” a penalty against Panathinaikos?

Second, if the player diving wasn’t Eduardo – if it were Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, or Gareth Barry, for instance – would we be hearing this much about the incident?

I know your answer. Just indulge me and think about it, please.