Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 89 i Soccer 360 Magazine

In 1842 the American writer Edgar Allan Poe published ‘The Masque of the Red Death’, the tale of a great pestilence which sweeps across the nation, causing its victims to bleed to death in rather gruesome fashion. The protagonist, Prince Prospero, cares little for the suffering of his subjects and welds himself and some other nobles inside his castle to wait out the crisis in luxury. “The external world,” Prospero reasons, “could take care of itself.” After five or six months “while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad,” the prince decides to throw a party of “the most unusual magnificence.” The tale came to mind after a summer transfer window in which the after effects of football going into cold storage forced clubs across the continent to tighten their belts,…

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI [BAYERN MUNICH] The Poland international scored an incredible 15 goals in just 10 Champions League games last season and will be expected to make a similar contribution this year too. Opposing defenders will already be quaking in their boots. ERLING HAALAND [BORUSSIA DORTMUND] If Lewandowski is a veteran goal scorer then the heir to his throne could well be Erling Haaland. The towering Norwegian led the line for both RB Salzburg and Dortmund in the competition last year and will be hungry for more goals this season. PRESNEL KIMPEMBE [PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN] PSG only conceded two goals in the whole of the group stage last season and it was that defensive showing that helped the wealth of attacking talent to almost go all the way. The presence of Thiago…

GARETH BALE [TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR] The box office signing for José Mourinho’s men and a tug of nostalgia for the Welshman returning to his former stomping ground. After seven up and down years at Real Madrid, Bale will want to prove that he is still a player at the top of his game and create further success to add to his Spurs legend. Most importantly, he will look to earn his team a much coveted trophy. THOMAS PARTEY [ARSENAL] Arsenal’s new L45m midfield dynamo will give the Gunners a new dimension in the middle of the park with his athletic style of play. The Ghana international is perfectly adept as both a destroyer, breaking play up, and a conductor, making his team tick with insightful passes. JAMIE VARDY [LEICESTER CITY] Last…

"THEY LOOK WELL PLACED TO SECURE A EUROPEAN QUALIFICATION SPOT FOR THE SECOND SUCCESSIVE SEASON." THE GOOD Hoffenheim were one of the form teams in the opening weeks of the 2020-21 Bundesliga campaign. They endured a ridiculous amount of managerial upheaval at the end of last season with former boss Alfred Schreuder sacked with a handful of games still to play and Matthias Kaltenbach and Marcel Rapp taking caretaker charge. Instead of moving towards an experienced, safe pair of hands in their summer search for a new coach, the club opted to move for highly rated young coach Sebastian Hoeness. The 38-year-old has served his apprenticeship with youth team and reserve roles at RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich before Hoffenheim placed their faith in him with a three-year contract in…

"ALEJANDRO POZUELO WAS NAMED THE MLS PLAYER OF THE MONTH FOR SEPTEMBER AFTER HE PUT UP FOUR GOALS." THE GOOD Toronto FC are proving that they are still one of the league's elite sides with stellar play following a disappointing Round of 16 exit from the MLS is Back tournament. After reaching the MLS Cup Final in three of the past four seasons, the club has not rested on their laurels. Toronto were able to re-sign captain Michael Bradley to a non-Designated Player deal which freed up a slot for the club to acquire Spaniard Pablo Piatti, who has provided an extra creative spark. Piatti plays a similar role to the one Victor Vazquez had in TFC's treble-winning 2017 season, and has done well to adjust to his new surroundings.…

GARETH BALE The Wales captain has returned to the club where he first exploded onto the world stage. Can he rediscover that consistency again in the Premier League? If he does, then Tottenham will have a devastatingly effective player on their hands again. ANDREA PIRLO Andrea Pirlo’s first job as a senior-level coach couldn’t be any bigger. A World Cup winner as a player, Pirlo also lifted numerous trophies with Juventus and if he can replicate that success on the bench at the Old Lady, he’ll be even more revered than he already is. ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI The Poland international scored 34 league goals last season, only two behind European Golden Boot Ciro Immobile. Will he finally claim the award himself this season? Now Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are no…

The Dutch defender is as irreplaceable as it gets when it comes to leading figures in Premier League sides, starring since moving to Liverpool two-and-a-half years ago and playing every single minute of their title-winning campaign last term. His loss also leaves the Reds significantly short of depth at centre-back with the club now possessing just two senior centre-backs amongst their ranks, Van Dijk’s prolonged absence a huge concern and potentially a deciding factor in the destination of the title. The champions are not the first team to have suffered following notable injuries or suspensions, however, and we’ve decided to look at some other infamous incidents that changed the course of the campaign.…

THORNS CLAIM COMMUNITY SHIELD, HELP SMALL BUSINESS Winning some silverware is always sweet. But winning silverware and helping a good cause is always better. This fall, the Portland Thorns claimed the NWSL’s Verizon Community Shield after going undefeated in the NWSL Fall Series. In addition to giving the winning side a new piece of silverware, Verizon would also provide the winning team with a grant to assist a small business of their choice. The Thorns chose Mimi’s Fresh Tees, an organization in Portland that helps promote diversity and social justice. WELCOME TO THE NWSL, ANGEL CITY FC! Los Angeles’ newest soccer team did not wait long to announce their new team name. After joining the league in August, LA part-owner Natalie Portman unveiled the team’s name in September on the…

NEW YORK-BORN, OF GHANAIAN DESCENT AND RAISED IN ENGLAND Yunus was born on 29th November 2002 in New York, where his mother was on holiday at the time. He is of Ghanaian descent but lived in Italy until the age of nine, beginning his youth career with local club Giorgione. After moving to London, he spent seven years at Arsenal FC and graduated from their Hale End academy. HE CHOSE TO REPRESENT ENGLAND AT YOUTH LEVEL OVER GHANA, ITALY AND THE UNITED STATES Internationally, he is eligible to represent either England, Ghana, Italy or the United States. But until now he’s opted to represent England at international level, most recently paying for England U18s and having previously captaining the U15, U16 and U17 sides. HE’S THE FIRST ENGLISHMAN TO EVER…

‘Eternal’ Ibra ‘shifts the balance more than Ronaldo does in Serie A,’ “He doesn’t just score, he transmits confidence to all his teammates, carrying the team on his shoulders in difficult moments.” “It is no coincidence that many young players have grown exponentially since his arrival.” “He is eternal and I still don’t understand why he never won the Ballon d’Or.” “I have coached great champions in my career, from [Oliver] Bierhoff to [George] Weah up to Adriano but the only regret I have is that I never trained [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic,”–Zaccheroni told Il Giornale.…

PUMA announced a long-term partnership with Brazilian football player Neymar Jr. who is arguably one of the most successful athletes of his generation. This signing represents PUMA’s continued commitment to being the fastest growing sports brand in the world and working with some of today’s most culturally relevant ambassadors. Neymar Jr. is 28 years old, born and raised in Brazil and has won several trophies in Brazil, Spain and France, as well as the Champions League and the Copa Libertadores. He won the Olympic Gold Medal with the Brazilian National Team in 2016 and has scored 61 goals in 101 matches for Brazil, making him the third highest goal scorer for his national team. He currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and has won three French league titles, two Coupe…

There are usually two different types of sports reboots: ones that are optional and ones that are done out of necessity. Reboots that are optional are usually done via teams that still have a chance at titles but for one reason or another (salaries, ownership looking to change the playing style) a change is being made. The second type of reboot is far more serious, with teams usually needing to change because of mismanagement, organizational issues, or there are personal or legal problems. This past summer, Real Salt Lake had possibly one of the worst cases of number two. With separate allegations of racism and sexism, RSL has found itself in dire need of a reboot. On the surface, it almost seems strange talking about RSL as being a failing…

NEW YEAR REVOLUTION 2020 will be remembered for the impact COVID-19 had on the world, with lockdowns, postponements, social distancing and bubbles now the norm. The bulk of the year saw supporters out of stadiums and focused on events more important than matchdays and transfer rumours. But, hope springs eternal, and 2021 can have better days in store. FANS RETURNING TO STADIUMS When the Coronavirus pandemic first impacted European football in March, nobody could foresee that stadia around the continent would be still sitting empty six months later. Sport needs fans and no sport more so than football. The passion, noise and fanfare that supporters bring to match days is sorely missed. German football was the first to test out a return of fans to the stands and hopefully, by…

‘THE ONE TEAM WHICH SET OUT THEIR STALL EARLY TO BUCK THE TREND WAS PREMIER LEAGUE OUTFIT CHELSEA’ The coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on the 2019-20 season across Europe, and the impact is still being keenly felt in the early months of the new campaign. From empty stadiums to fixture pile-ups, pay-per-view matches and power grabs from elite clubs, the COVID-19 outbreak also shaped the transfer plans of many teams across the continent this summer. Some of the biggest clubs on the planet were left peeking through the window at the one that they wanted, or merely left window shopping in the hope they’d get the chance to strike. That includes Barcelona, who were unable to bring in one of new coach Ronald Koeman’s top targets, Lyon’s Memphis Depay, despite…

Since the 1964-1965 season, when Andy Mate decided to try his fortunes in Germany’s top flight with Hamburg, the Bundesliga has been a preferred destination for a steady flow of American players–despite the language barrier. And the latest trend is for young starlets to seek their fortunes in Germany as opposed to trying their luck in MLS, with current Chelsea star Christian Pulisic being one of the pioneers when he departed the United States at the age of 16 to play for Borussia Dortmund’s youth side. Many of the major teams currently in the upper echelon of the Bundesliga have North Americans on their rosters, from Bayern Munich’s Chris Richards and Alphonso Davies, to Werder Bremen’s Josh Sargent and RB Leipzig’s Tyler Adams. One would be remiss to forget 17-year-old…

ERIC CANTONA (1994/95) Amongst the most notable moments in the history of the Premier League, Eric Cantona’s inexplicable assault on a Crystal Palace supporter left the Manchester United star facing a lengthy suspension. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were the reigning champions and embroiled in a tight title race with big-spending Blackburn when they made the trip to face Crystal Palace in January 1995, sitting second in the division ahead of an unforgettable evening. The clash itself proved frustrating for the title challengers with chances few and far between, whilst the home side’s defence–most notably Richard Shaw–proceeded to niggle away at Cantona, arguably the Premier League’s most influential player. After a bruising battle, Cantona’s notorious temper flared up as he petulantly kicked out at Shaw in the second half, receiving a…

The word ‘phenom’ isn’t thrown around liberally here in CONCACAF. Perhaps it is due to the years of players not exactly living up to the hype or just the general excitement for a new player perhaps cracking through people are generally pretty cautious when using the word in North America. For as many Tim Howards, Chicharitos, Carlos Velas, or Dwayne De Rosario’s there is a Freddy Adu or a Jonathan Bornstein. Now seems to be a different time. With multiple young players cracking through at multiple top clubs in Europe it is almost difficult to keep track of everyone. So here is a quick look at ten players from the CONCACAF to keep an eye on this football season. 10. CHRIS RICHARDS (AGE: 20, BAYERN MUNICH/USA) Richards has quietly worked…

Jurgen Klopp celebrated five years in charge of Liverpool and it’s been some ride for the charismatic coach, his wealth of success coming alongside being one of football’s most celebrated and likeable figures. On the anniversary of his appointment at Anfield, we’ve decided to look back at the colourful career of the German and revisit some of his best soundbites from years gone by.. "I had the talent for the fifth division and the mind for the Bundesliga. The result was a career in the second division.” “WHEN BVB LAST WON HERE, MOST OF MY PLAYERS WERE STILL BEING BREASTFED. WE HAVE A BOW AND ARROW AND IF WE AIM WELL, WE CAN HIT THE TARGET. THE PROBLEM IS THAT BAYERN HAS A BAZOOKA. BUT THEN APPARENTLY ROBIN HOOD WAS…

204 - AS Roma have confirmed losses of €204 million for the previous season. This is the second highest figure in the history of Italian football following Inter’s €207 million losses in 2006/07. 42–Spain’s 42-game scoring streak came to an end following a scoreless draw against Portugal. The last time Spain failed to score a goal was in the 2016 European Championships, when they lost 2-0 to Italy. 15–Freddy Adu, the former American wonderkid, has agreed a deal to join his 15th club after a two-year break from the sport. The 31-year-old has signed for Swedish third division side Osterlen FF. 25.5–The average age of the Barcelona firstteam squad is 25.5, one year younger than last season. This is the club’s youngest squad in seven seasons. 100–Toni Kroos has reached…

COVID-19 continues to dominate the world and football remains absolutely no different to every other aspect of life. Just like in society, we see clashes between those who are sick of the lockdown restrictions and others who maintain we must keep our guard up for as long as it takes to beat this pandemic. We’re barely a month into the 2020-21 season and already the fault lines of the protocol are being put under immense pressure. We’ve started this campaign, but how will it end? Serie A is, as is only to be expected, at the forefront of the row over how best to proceed in these strange new times. Napoli were given a 3-0 defeat and docked a point after failing to travel for their match with Juventus in…

INTER VS. REAL MADRID, NOVEMBER 25 One of two heavyweight Serie A vs. La Liga fixtures in the group stage, 2010 winners Inter and 13-time champions Real Madrid are playing for first place in Group B. This second leg of a double-header will be one of the leading nights of the group phase. MANCHESTER UNITED VS. PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN, DECEMBER 2 Arguably the most impressive moment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure as Manchester United manager came in the comeback win over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2019-20 Champions League. The Norwegian is perennially under pressure as results fluctuate–could this tie be another landmark victory for the beleaguered boss? BARCELONA VS. JUVENTUS, DECEMBER 8 When the draw was made Group G took most of the attention as it brought together two of the…

BRAGA VS. LEICESTER CITY, NOVEMBER 26 Leicester City are one of the most interesting teams in the 2020-21 Europa League. Unlikely to win the Premier League title–not again, surely?–and with only two other domestic trophies to compete for, the Europa League is a realistic chance for silverware. The trip to Braga will tell us a lot about Brendan Rodgers’ side. MILAN VS. CELTIC, DECEMBER 3 The battle of these two European powerhouses needs no over-selling, nor hyping up for their supporters or football connoisseurs. Although both clubs have been out of the European limelight in recent years, the spotlight will be firmly on their contests. Both games at Celtic Park and at the San Siro promise to be a fascinating prospect. NAPOLI VS. REAL SOCIEDAD, DECEMBER 10 Two teams who…

"My advice to any [Manchester United] fans right now is to buy a PlayStation, buy players like Sancho, even Messi… No one in this team deserves to play right now. I don’t promote violence, but many people need a good slap right now."– Patrice Evra had some strong words for the current Manchester United team following their heavy defeat to Tottenham. "Maybe it isn’t my dream situation or what I’d hope for, but in a footballer’s career you have moments like this. I’m working with calm and I’m confident I can turn it around so that when I have the chance to play, I do it as well as possible."– Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is confident he can turn things around following his recent struggles and demotion to backup goalie.…

" THE EXPERIENCE SILVA PROVIDES HAS GIVEN MIKEL MERINO A LIFT IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE AS HIS MIDFIELD PARTNER" THE GOOD Real Sociedad were predicted to struggle in 2020-21 with La Liga followers unconvinced they could maintain their strong form the previous campaign. Imanol Alguacil guided La Real to a European qualification spot in the final weeks of the 2019-20 season but the loan cancellation of Real Madrid star Martin Odegaard and Diego Llorente’s move to Leeds United hit them hard. However, Alguacil resisted the temptation to stretch the club’s financial budget in the midst of the damaging COVID-19 pandemic and brought in just one free transfer this summer. But that was arguably the sharpest deal in the club’s recent history, with Spain international David Silva rejecting a move to…

For Major League Soccer, the future is here. After years of speculation and some stops and starts MLS finally created their own youth development league. With the advent of MLS Next the leadership that American youth soccer has wanted to push it in any direction seems to have arrived. That phrase ‘any direction’ is important in understanding the complex web of issues that encompass American youth soccer and MLS is getting into. Whereas throughout the rest of the footballing there is a single structure with clear goals and expectations American youth soccer has very much been the wild west. While US Soccer is the clear governing body there input on state and local guidelines has been, at best, implied rather than required. That in turn has led to multiple different…

JURGEN KLOPP Leading Liverpool to Premier League success, their first domestic title in 30 years, a year after lifting the club’s sixth European Cup saw Jurgen Klopp firmly enshrined in the pantheon of great Reds managers. He did it with a team that, at their best, was breathtakingly brilliant to watch. JOSEP MARIA BARTOMEU The much-maligned Barcelona president was in the news for the wrong reasons for much of 2020. He botched the sacking of Ernesto Valverde and the appointment and subsequent departure of Quique Setien, and almost lost Lionel Messi shortly after. His position at Barca is under more scrutiny than ever. HANS-DIETER FLICK The former Bayern Munich midfielder was something of a surprise appointment to replace Niko Kovac I November 2019, but he steadied a rocking ship and…

In July 2018, about 1.12bn people worldwide tuned in as France took on surprise package Croatia in a highly-entertaining World Cup Final. In total, over 3.5bn people–more than half the people on Earth–tuned in at various points over the course of the four-week long tournament. By contrast, the 2018 Super Bowl attracted a bit over 103m viewers–the lowest total since 2009–and the NBA finals that year averaged slightly over 17.5m viewers per game. The Stanley Cup finals averaged about 4.9m viewers over the five-game series that featured the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights–an improvement over the past two seasons that went to six games, but still significantly lower than the average of 5.6m that followed the six-game 2015 finals. Meanwhile, the World Series only attracted 14m viewers–a dramatic…

Premier League champions Liverpool are already being presented with plenty of new challenges in the 2020/21 season as they look to defend their first league title in 30 years. Jürgen Klopp’s side have been rocked by a long-term injury to defensive leader Virgil van Dijk and an extraordinary, unexpected 7-2 drubbing at the hands of an Aston Villa—a side who were expected to be battling relegation this season. This leaves them with a defensive dilemma, and should midfielder Fabinho drop into the back four, they will also need to rejig their midfield. If these new challenges are to be met, onfield tactical tweaks are likely to be needed, especially with the transfer window closed until January. Liverpool have always found ways to meet new challenges head-on, having already overcome a…

SO THE QUESTION OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IN WOMEN’S SOCCER HAS BEEN WHICH OF THE MAJOR POWERS IN MEN’S CLUB FOOTBALL WOULD BE THE FIRST TO MAKE A BIG SPLASH IN WOMEN’S GAME. When it comes to football on weekends a supporter’s schedule almost works like clockwork. For those in Europe, it is get up, take care of your daily chores, head to the pub, watch a football match. For those outside of the continent depending upon the time, it is usually breakfast or dinner then the pub and then turn on the football match. Even events that take place outside of this flow usually have football integrated in there somehow (Raise your hand if you have ever streamed a game on your phone during a wedding, birthday, or…

1 HE HAS SCORED AT LEAST SEVEN GOALS AGAINST EVERY OTHER LALIGA SANTANDER TEAM All LaLiga teams naturally fear Messi when he comes up against them, with the No.10 having netted at least seven times against all 19 of the other sides currently in the top division. His favourite victim is Sevilla, against whom he has a whopping 37 goals in 38 appearances. Over his career, he has faced 40 different clubs in the Spanish top flight, with only three yet to concede against him: Cadiz, Murcia and Xerez. 2 HE FIRST PLAYED WITH FELLOW BARCA CAPTAIN GERARD PIQUE IN 2000 Messi and his current Barcelona teammate Gerard Pique have spent most of their footballing lives together. They were both in the same team in Barcelona’s La Masia academy, along…

Leading clubs have long pushed for changes to Europe’s premier competition in a bid to increase the number of marquee fixtures in the football calendar, with expansion plans for the Champions League now reportedly gaining momentum. The proposals include increasing the number of sides to make a 36-team tournament and two models are currently being considered for the group stages of the revamped competition, the first option understood to include six groups of six teams and fixtures remaining on a home and away basis. According to the Telegraph, there is ‘growing support’ for the second and rather more radical option, a format which would see clubs playing their 10 group stage fixtures against 10 different sides. It is reported that fixtures would be decided by a ‘seeding system’ similar to…