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by Patrick ‘Rey’ Reynell

A championship run can be the result of many factors effectively employed by coach and players. Some coaches are key motivators. Others, tactical savants whose genius becomes the more apparent during a golden run. But the one mitigating factor that no coach, general manager or player has control over is injury.

An injury can occur at anytime, in any form, and on the most innocuous athletic circumstance. Prevention, however, should come with some logical preparation.
Maybe the logistics of Didier Drogba’s situation is lost on an American soccer fan. This past Friday, one week from the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Ivory Coast striker suffered a broken elbow. Not in training, not in a freak accident. No – Drogba suffered the injury during a friendly match against Japan as a final warm up for the World Cup.

A friendly match, an athletic euphuism if there ever was one, may only apply to the game’s exhibition-like final result. Athletes will compete no matter the stakes. And that’s just what Japan’s Marcus Tulio Tanaka did when he came in for a challenge with his right knee soaring across the pride of the Ivory Coast. Drogba immediately grabbed his arm then winced in pain and with him, millions of Ivoronians winced as well.

The thirty-two year old remains the country’s best hope to advance out of a brutally difficult group. Ivory Coast and North Korea are expected to be looking up at the international favorites Brazil and Portugal in order to reach the knockout stage. Drogba, fresh off of another English Premier League championship and golden boot award for his twenty-nine goals, remains hopeful after surgery that he can help Les Éléphants advance on their home continent.

Considering the importance of Ivory Coast’s all-time leading scorer and the magnitude of the event, shouldn’t this situation have been handled with logistics of supply-and-demand in mind?

Why did Ivory Coast coach Sven-Göran Eriksson even allow his best offensive supply to suit up in game where the endeavor did not demand it? Though this may not be uncommon in the soccer world, it seems like from a logistical standpoint a coach would want his best player to avoid competition before a championship tournament. The Ivory Coast’s most important player suffered a possible World Cup-ending injury in a game where the supply needed to be shelved for a more important demand.

If even a mild sprain would take a couple of weeks to strengthen, then where is the necessity of playing Drogba just one week before the World Cup? It seems like the preferred style of sports preparation has become the game itself.

Though soccer is not as violent, its American counterpart, football, never plays a game outside of its season schedule and even dresses its most important position in a brightly colored jersey during practice so as to avoid any contact (Should my American brethren suggest that soccer possesses no violence in its competitions, then please take a gander during a 50-50 ball this World Cup). Logistics management in sports takes precedence because the supply chain, if not analyzed carefully, could trump a team’s value of time and player utility.

The World Cup comes around once every four years. Great players like Drogba only have a select few years of their playing careers to capitalize on their prime and compete on the world’s biggest stage. Drogba will be thirty-six for the next World Cup and his prime will remain here in 2010. And for what?

Ivory Coast ended up defeating Japan 2-0 yet at quite a cost. Perhaps if Eriksson took some time to evaluate his team’s situation, he could have shelved Drogba as a precautionary measure. A week before the country’s biggest competition, would anyone have questioned him?

Now, he must reanalyze that warehouse of talent for the Ivory Coast and figure out a way to finish second in Group G. A considerable demand for a country that just lost its best supply.

>Carlo Ancelotti newest Chelsea manager, already seeing transfer strain of EPL financial woes

Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti left AC Milan to become the most recent manager at Stamford Bridge. This is Chelsea’s fifth manager since hiring Jose Mourinho away from FC Porto in 2004.

While Mourinho brought the club two Premier League titles and many other trophies, none after him were able to do the same until this past FA Cup victory. Roman Abramovich, Chelsea’s owner, has longed for the manager that can handle the throng of superstars since Mourinho’s departure. His hasty hiring and firing practices has led him now to Ancelotti.

Ancelotti has already felt the financial strain of the Premier League. He wishes to sign a major player to help change the identity of the Blues, but realizes that might not be possible without a sale of his own. Surprisingly, Much has been said about captain John Terry’s possible sale.

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Europe

Some even suggests that the sale of Terry may be the financial gain they need to change the identity of the team to Ancoletti’s liking. Crazy to think of Terry in anything other than Chelsea blue. If Terry or Chelsea actually go through with such a move, one has to question the loyalty in sports today as Terry seems to be of the character of said trait.

Speaking of John Terry…

> Manchester City pulling its best Real Madrid impression, sign Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor

While other clubs have felt the strain of worldwide economic woes, big spending Real Madrid and Manchester City have thrown any financial caution to the wind and have spent. The team making the most headlines this summer in Manchester is not the one you would think.

Manchester City has signed Carlos Tevez away from neighboring Manchester United as well as Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor. City has plenty of fire power and have to be considered a huge threat for the top four positions and Champions League and possibly even the Premier League title.

It’s looking more and more like they won’t get their English star in Terry, as Chelsea have already rejected two offers in the realm of 30 million pounds. Regardless, City have added expensive players like Robinho, Tevez, and now Adebayor. The battle for Manchester may augment itself and become the battle for the Premier League.

>Seattle Sounders drawing consistent crowds, currently sit second in MLS standings in first year

How many people attend an MLS game? I can’t tell you the average across the league, but I bet Seattle’s franchise can debunk your prejudices concerning MLS attendance. For their home games in 2009, they currently average 29,983. Yes, I typed that correctly. In fact, they exceeded 31,000 on three occasions, two of which have been their last two home games. I have plenty of questions.

Should I be surprised? Something tells me that their attendance will drop dramatically after this inaugural season. I have mentioned before that I am a big fan of the Philadelphia franchise building its stadium in Chester, PA. There will be much more of a demand there. But I don’t know if interest in the MLS can be sustained like it is in Seattle.

It might also help that the Sounders, who formerly played in the USL divisions, are one of the league’s best teams. They only trail Houston in terms of standings, attaining 28 points with a 7-3-7 record. Their goal differential is also tops in the leagues along with Houston at +10.

They aren’t without their noticeable players either. Former U.S. national team goalkeeper and Fulham goalkeeper Kasey Keller plays in the net. The Washington state native has recorded five clean sheets so far.

Forward Fredy Montero leads the team with 9 goals and 6 assists. The twenty-one year old Colombian, who celebrates his twenty-second birthday this coming Sunday, is fun to watch. He has skills to become a great player and not just in the MLS. He was very popular in playing in his native country and has four caps for the Colombian national team.

But here is the key for the MLS: can they hang on to a young star like Montero? They’ve lost Jozy Altidore, Maurice Edu, and many others to European transfers. As far as Seattle, it seems to be a beakon of hope as far as soccer interest. European clubs have made many a summer trips to the city because they know there is a demand there. Chelsea returned for a friendly against the Sounders this past Saturday and I think Real Madrid was there a couple of years ago.

You can see Montero’s ability to settle the ball and find the back of the net here. His debut in the MLS where he scored 2 goals and had an assist against New York below. An amazing player.

Got any soccer news or comments? Take a seat on the bench and let your ‘pickins’ be heard.

The 2009 FA Cup, to be played on Saturday May 30 at Wembley Stadium in London, pits a battle of the Blues, Chelsea and Everton. Each makes its return to the final game since its last FA championship.

Chelsea returns after a one year absence from its 2007 win over Manchester United. Everton returns to the FA Cup final for the first time since its 1995 championship also against the Red Devils. This is also Everton’s last major trophy. In fact, Toffees have not been to a final since.

Chelsea, on the other hand, has experienced a bit more success since 1995. They’ve won the FA Cup three times (1997, 2000, 2007 only prior final victory was 1970). The London club of course won back-to-back Premier League titles between 2004 and 2006 (ending a fifty year drought) and also reached its first Champions League final in 2008 losing to Manchester United.

Ironically, Chelsea has experienced most of the club’s success as it juggled several managers. Everton have had five managers since its 1995 FA Cup win, but have remained with current Scottish manager David Moyes since 2002.

Moyes and Everton have only qualified for Champions League once, when they finished fourth in the Premier League in 2004-2005. Consistency has not reigned at Goodison Park as Toffees have qualified for Europe and narrowly avoided relegation since the arrival of Moyes.

Chelsea will certainly double Everton’s number of managers since 1995 when current manager, Guus Hiddink, leaves the club. Claudio Ranieri experienced the longest stint with the club between 2000 and 2004.

Regardless, these two sides carry with them expectations, whether old or new, that will certainly reach an apex this Saturday.

Two sides, both who see the world through blue eyes, vow for the prestige of England’s most famous crown.

Two sides, one with a history as rich as any other club in England without much recent success in championships; the other who’s had more success in this decade than perhaps all its others combined and wish the reach that pinnacle yet again.

Two sides that view this cup as a very different statement; one for a vision come to fruition after a acquiring a coveted manager and his record signings; the other who is desperately trying to maintain its status as one of Europe’s elite clubs.

For these two sides, Saturday serves more than just a trophy presentation at the center of the pitch with thousands of its most loyal fans cheering and exulting with them. Chelsea’s Frank Lampard said that it is important for the direction of Chelsea, with its vast array of international players considered to be top in the world, to not have two seasons in a row without a trophy celebration.

Surely some Everton fans would love to be faced with the same demands at the moment. They haven’t sipped from the chalice of champions in quite some time, though their prosperous English history boasts ten league championships (one in second division) and five FA cups.

More importantly for Everton are the what seem to be cosmic signs. They’ve had the toughest road to the final, defeating Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester United to reach it. They’ve become a little more consistent the past couple of seasons, qualifying for Europe and remaining on the fringe of the top four.

Although with consistency come greater expectations, and it won’t be too much longer that even Everton fans become a little critical of beloved David Moyes and the void of silverware during his reign.

Just the same, lofty expectations forever replaced fallow ones when Jose Mourinho guided Chelsea to Premier League Championships and the Blues of London became a guaranteed fixture in the latter stages of Champions League.

Saturday’s endeavor will be a crossroad of expectations. A win for Everton will cleanse the palate at Goodison Park until next season, then wants will transform into needs.

Stamford Bridge will search for a new manager, but the fact of the matter is the core of players and talent have remained much the same. Saturday can be a day of vindicated summer signings and managerial jugglings, or it can turn into a brooding of misfortunes and shortcomings.

The songs will echo Saturday from Wembley Stadium, surely all extolling the rich blue that both teams adorn. Whether it is Everton’s fans belting out “Onward Evertonians /Onward for to see / See the Royal twin towers / And Royal Wem-ber-ley” or Chelsea’s fans singing “Flying high, up in the sky, / We’ll keep the blue flag flying high / From Stamford Bridge to Wemb(er)ley / We’ll keep the blue flag flying high,” the songs will encase with them a pride that only the FA Cup can strengthen.

No, Saturday isn’t the most important game for Chelsea and Everton – it’s now the only game, and one fans will use to fuel the plight of another decade full of tradition and hopefully championships.

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by Patrick ‘Rey’ Reynell

Let me first get this off my chest: I’m a closet Chelsea fan. I started following soccer in 2006 and have somehow morphed into a fan of the Blues.

I hate to admit it because, in my opinion, this leaves me in the same category as the thrall of Boston Red Sox fans that suddenly appeared post-2004. I wasn’t around during Chelsea’s fifty-plus years of struggle to prove that I am a true fan. But in the same note, I also wasn’t a fan of anyone pre-2006.

Since following the Premier League and secretly the boys at Stamford Bridge, they’ve been through three managers and may be four when this season ends.

Other clubs on the cusp of the title do not seem to follow this trend, like Arsenal with Wenger, Aston Villa with O’Neill, Liverpool with Benetiz, and Manchester United with Sir Alex.

Why has Chelsea, a contender every year for the Premier League and Champions League, fallen into this NBA-like trend of hastily firing every manager that starts slowly? Perhaps greed but more so impatience.

Steve Kerr, general manager of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, made a bold hire at the end of last season. He realized the “seven seconds or less” era, albeit entertaining, was not going to produce a championship.

Building off the philosophy that defense wins championships, Kerr went out and hired Terry Porter, who he believed could build a defensive team with the same offensive fire power left over from Mike D’Antoni’s tenure.

Porter definitely had the Suns playing at a different pace, and perhaps most affected by this was Steve Nash. The two time MVP’s numbers were down and he seemed stagnant. Blame spread far and wide, mostly circling around Nash’s age in a ridiculously athletic position and, of course, the Shaquille O’Neal trade from last season.

But Porter wasn’t given much of a chance to implement his system and create the platform for which he was hired. One would think that with two of the most prolific finishers perhaps in the game’s history, Amare Stoudemire and O’Neal, as well as guards who could get them the ball, that Porter would be given the chance to make a cohesive defensive unit out of these fun-and-gun cohorts.

Think again.

Kerr fired Porter during the All-Star break. Yes – before he even completed one season in his new job.

The Suns were 23-18, which was a worse start than the past few seasons. Worse, yes, but the point was for Porter to produce a better finish, not necessarily a better start.

Roman Abramovich, Chelsea’s owner, has displayed the same impatience in his hiring practices and, like Kerr, seems to forget that the end result is what matters.

Jose Mourinho and the Blues started a bit slower than usual last season in the Premier League. Amid reported strife between owner and manager, Mourinho (please pick one) left/was fired and Avram Grant stepped in.

Grant did not win the Premier League but was able to get the Blues to the Champions League final. They faced fellow English club Manchester United in Abramovich’s home country of Russia and lost in a shootout.

Grant was then predictably let go after the season and Chelsea made the popular hire of Portugal’s Felipe Scolari, whose most famous managerial stint was with Brazil in 2002 when they won the World Cup.

As is the case for all teams not far removed from chugging out of the championship chalice, everyone started to overanalyze Scolari’s start forgetting, once again, it’s how they finish the race, not start.

Soon reports followed that some players were not thrilled with Scolari’s training sessions and that the team’s poor performance was deteriorating any enthusiasm amongst players. Abramovich fired Scolari in early February in what seemed like déjà vu from the previous season.

Note to Abramovich and Kerr: Rome wasn’t built in a day.

These two are more like Nero rather than Julius Caesar. The empire has been built, and they’re willing to burn it down in order to build a more grandiose version.

Both hires, in my not-so-expert opinion, were fine. Now we see Phoenix probably back at square one with Alvin Gentry. Sure the Suns are scoring an insane amount of points and have somehow discovered Shaq’s fountain of youth, but haven’t we read this script before? Phoenix will not outgun the West’s best in a seven game series.

Chelsea continues on almost the exact same path as they did with Grant at the helm. New manager, Guus Hiddink, won’t see the Blues hoist the Premier League trophy. However, the Blues have been impressive at home and currently hold a 1-0 aggregate advantage in Champions League round of sixteen against Italian club, Juventus. He can certainly buck Chelsea’s managerial trend if he can win the Champions League.

Julius Caesar established Rome as a world power that spread far and wide. Nero nearly burnt it to the ground (allegedly). Hopefully, Abramovich and Kerr take note of the greatest empire of all time and realize that patience, especially with one’s handpicked personnel, is a virtue.

A bitter, often belligerent past, like that of the Yankees and Red Sox. Short distances causing territorial conflict, like the eight miles separating the campuses of Duke and North Carolina. Desire to claim oneself as the best-of-the-best, like the many championships and Heisman winners between Ohio State and Michigan. And many times it just comes down to tradition, like Harvard and Yale or Army-Navy. We can always expect superhuman efforts from these games and assured overflowing crowds that create an atmosphere unlike any other.

Until you’ve watched a derby game, you truly haven’t given soccer a fair shot. Here’s a rundown of some of the greatest derbies in the UK in hopes you’ll try and catch one this premier league season:

Merseyside Derby
Everton vs. Liverpool
There’s two types of people in Liverpool, England: a blue (Everton) and a red (Liverpool) – two teams separated by ten city blocks and roots deeper than any red oak in California. Many stories surround how these two clubs came to be, but here’s my favorite: Everton was the original club in Liverpool, but after a dispute over the stadium, Everton players bolted across town for a fresh start. Those who stayed began the Liverpool Football Club.

North London Derby
Arsenal vs. Tottenham Hotspur
The only two clubs in the north of London and perhaps the most heated London derby. Tottenham defeated the Gunners last year 5-1 for the first time since the 1999 campaign. Spurs fans hold on to fewer and much older accolades than their neighbors, Arsenal, but this rivalry could be rejuvenated after last year’s result along with Tottenham’s many summer signings.

North-West Derby
Manchester United vs. Liverpool
The two most successful clubs in England have a right to have their own derby, even if they are separated by more land than any of these others.

Tyne-Wear Derby
Newcastle United vs. Sunderland
From the Northwest derby to one in the Northeast of England. Two cities in the same region only ten miles apart. Many factors play into this derby and some run as deep as those supportive of the English Parliament and those supportive of the Royalists.

London Borough Derby
Chelsea vs. Fulham
It’s a treat any time two London clubs get together. This one parallels the small farm school against the big city school. Chelsea is known worldwide and consistently signs top players and enjoys the riches of international success, while Fulham stays humble in a much smaller stadium yet loyal fan base. The allure of this rivalry is the day Fulham can pull of the monstrous upset at their home park, similar to Milan beating Muncie Central, or Hickory defeating South Bend for you movie buffs.

Lancashire Derby (Manchester)
Manchester United vs. Manchester City
The Lancashire region of Northwest England has many derby games, like the battle for Manchester. Usually dominated by United, this derby gained some validity last year when City took the first match against the defending and eventual champions.

Old Firm Derby
Celtic vs. Rangers
This derby comes form the Scottish Premier League and is my personal favorite for several reasons. Both have dominated Scottish soccer, winning a combined 127 Scottish titles. In the late 1880’s when Catholics wanted to play football in Glasgow, the Protestant affiliated Rangers were not very welcoming. So naturally, the Catholics started their own club in 1888 and called it the Celtic Football Club. Nothing more bitter than religious strife! This derby has been a whirlwind, but the mid 1900’s brought change that saw Catholics play for Rangers and Protestants play for Celtic, originally brought about with international signings. The people of Glasgow haven’t forgotten about history and continue to support the club originally allied with their church. My grandfather is a native Protestant of Glasgow and when I asked him if he went to games as a child, he answered with conviction, “I went to Ibrox to support Rangers.” To this day, fans of the away side need police escort to enter the stadium before the game and if you’re an outsider, you’d better know how to dress and not get caught wearing Protestant orange at Celtic Park or green at Ibrox Stadium.