When you think of budding football nations, Armenia would not make the cut.
Since gaining independence after the split-up of the Soviet Union in 1992, the Highlanders have never qualified for a major tournament and are normally considered a stepping stone for the more established national teams in UEFA. Most consider them as an easy three points, lumped in with similar minnows such as San Marino, Andorra, Moldova and Liechtenstein.
But the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign resulted in a major change of fortune, with Armenia becoming the predator instead of the prey and coming within 90 minutes of making history.
With Canada set to play Armenia in Cyprus Wednesday in a friendly, most people are unaware of the Canucks’ latest opponents. Here is a rough guide on what you need to know about Armenian football and who to watch out for when the two countries meet.
To read more click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2012/02/27/canada_armenia_soccer_friendly/
Monday, February 27, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Another Upset Victory For Basel
You must always be careful when facing a team with a reputation of causing upsets, especially in the Champions League.
FC Basel turned heads by taking out mighty Manchester United in the group stage, but they had their hands full again with Bayern Munich on Wednesday. Coming off a forgettable goalless draw on the weekend against SC Freiburg, Bayern came out on the short end at St. Jakob-Park, dropping a 1-0 decision to Basel.
The Swiss entered the fixture with a certain swagger and confidence that rang out during the pre-match press conference.
To read more click on the link below...
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Missed Chances For Real
Prior to Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw with CSKA Moscow, Jose Mourinho advised his players that there would be no excuses for a poor performance in regard to the elements that would await them at Luzhniki Stadium.
“The grass and the temperature will be tough to deal with. These are new conditions for us, but mentality and ambition are stronger than all those factors,” the Portuguese said in the build-up to Tuesday’s Champions League tilt.
But the self-pro claimed Special One also made it a point to mention that his squad would not take their opponents too lightly: "They should be respected. We will not kid around against them and we will give our all in the match.”
To read more click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/champions_league/2012/02/21/uefa_champions_league_michalakos_blog/
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Zenit Show Determination in Victory
The forecast called for temperatures of -15C at the Petrovsky Stadium in St. Petersburg on this cold Russian night. Pitch conditions made the grade by UEFA standards but the surface was rock hard and slippery due to the deep freeze, it looked horrendous--kind of like low-grade astro-turf that probably had the same cement-like feel and give.
To read more click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/champions_league/2012/02/15/champions_league_michalakos_blog/
To read more click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/champions_league/2012/02/15/champions_league_michalakos_blog/
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Substandard Barca
For a club which is regarded as the standard of modern day football, even the smallest dip in form is put under the microscope.
Barcelona is going through a rough patch by their high standards this year, losing one match from thirteen played overall in 2012. Most club's would not consider this record so devastating, but this is Barcelona we're talking about. Pep Guardiola's side have only been beaten twice all season, although it is the growing collection of draws and dropped points to inferior opposition that has people questioning their dominance.
Coming into the match against Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena, I expected nothing less than a massive victory by Guardiola's men. Another defeat was out of the question, even a draw would have been regarded a disaster. Leverkusen was to be sacrificial lambs sent out to be slaughtered by a Barcelona team keen to prove their unrivalled dominance was still intact.
To read more click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/champions_league/2012/02/14/champions_league_michalakos_blog/
Barcelona is going through a rough patch by their high standards this year, losing one match from thirteen played overall in 2012. Most club's would not consider this record so devastating, but this is Barcelona we're talking about. Pep Guardiola's side have only been beaten twice all season, although it is the growing collection of draws and dropped points to inferior opposition that has people questioning their dominance.
Coming into the match against Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena, I expected nothing less than a massive victory by Guardiola's men. Another defeat was out of the question, even a draw would have been regarded a disaster. Leverkusen was to be sacrificial lambs sent out to be slaughtered by a Barcelona team keen to prove their unrivalled dominance was still intact.
To read more click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/champions_league/2012/02/14/champions_league_michalakos_blog/
Monday, February 13, 2012
UEFA Champions League Preview: Round of 16
Europe's most prestigious tournament in club soccer, the UEFA Champions League, is back in full swing this week after a three-month layoff.
The round of 16 provides us with some interesting match-ups that will definitely bring many twists and turns along the way.
The first set of matches kick off Tuesday with Barcelona traveling to Leverkusen and Lyon hosting APOEL Nicosia. On Wednesday, Portuguese leaders Benfica will have to brave the Russian winter in St. Petersburg while the match of the week will come from Italy with AC Milan meeting Arsenal.
Next week the remaining batch of games from the first leg will commence starting Tuesday with Spanish leaders Real Madrid making the trip to Moscow for their encounter with CSKA, followed by one of the most interesting fixtures of the round when Napoli collides with free-falling Chelsea at the Stadio San Paolo. The final matches come the next day when Bayern Munich journey to St-Jakob Park to take on Swiss leaders FC Basel, and Inter Milan will be guests at the Stade Velodrome for their match against Marseille
To read more of my preview click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/champions_league/2012/02/13/champions_league_second_round/
The round of 16 provides us with some interesting match-ups that will definitely bring many twists and turns along the way.
The first set of matches kick off Tuesday with Barcelona traveling to Leverkusen and Lyon hosting APOEL Nicosia. On Wednesday, Portuguese leaders Benfica will have to brave the Russian winter in St. Petersburg while the match of the week will come from Italy with AC Milan meeting Arsenal.
Next week the remaining batch of games from the first leg will commence starting Tuesday with Spanish leaders Real Madrid making the trip to Moscow for their encounter with CSKA, followed by one of the most interesting fixtures of the round when Napoli collides with free-falling Chelsea at the Stadio San Paolo. The final matches come the next day when Bayern Munich journey to St-Jakob Park to take on Swiss leaders FC Basel, and Inter Milan will be guests at the Stade Velodrome for their match against Marseille
To read more of my preview click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/champions_league/2012/02/13/champions_league_second_round/
Friday, February 10, 2012
Dark Days Ahead for Nottingham Forest
Where has it all gone wrong for Nottingham Forest?
From the team’s golden era of the late 70s and early 80s, to the seesaw 90s and the eventual heartbreaking drop into the English third tier, Forest supporters have endured a brief spell of joy before being confronted with plenty of disappointment and sorrow.
To read more click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2012/02/10/michalakos_blog/
From the team’s golden era of the late 70s and early 80s, to the seesaw 90s and the eventual heartbreaking drop into the English third tier, Forest supporters have endured a brief spell of joy before being confronted with plenty of disappointment and sorrow.
To read more click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2012/02/10/michalakos_blog/
Monday, February 6, 2012
Football's Next Rising Stars - Part 5: Thibaut Courtois
Football 101 states— in order to have a successful team you must start in goal. Following that standard rule will lay the foundation for your club.
The position is not as easy as it might look. As kids, the person with the least amount of skill was put in goal by default, it was a position that no one wanted to play and everyone dreaded. However the goalkeeper is by far the most important player on the pitch—able to see the game tactically and instruct his teammates accordingly, moving them like chess pieces. A solid keeper provides stability to your defensive line and builds trust amongst teammates. The ability to read the game accurately and distribute the ball accordingly is two weapons of a seasoned veteran between the posts. It takes years to perfect and comes by way of matches played and experience gained.
Quick feet and cat-like reflexes is what bring younger keepers into the spotlight. Some simply tick all the boxes and show tremendous promise at an early. Thibaut Courtois is one of those rare examples.
To read more click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2012/02/06/michalakos_blog/
The position is not as easy as it might look. As kids, the person with the least amount of skill was put in goal by default, it was a position that no one wanted to play and everyone dreaded. However the goalkeeper is by far the most important player on the pitch—able to see the game tactically and instruct his teammates accordingly, moving them like chess pieces. A solid keeper provides stability to your defensive line and builds trust amongst teammates. The ability to read the game accurately and distribute the ball accordingly is two weapons of a seasoned veteran between the posts. It takes years to perfect and comes by way of matches played and experience gained.
Quick feet and cat-like reflexes is what bring younger keepers into the spotlight. Some simply tick all the boxes and show tremendous promise at an early. Thibaut Courtois is one of those rare examples.
To read more click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2012/02/06/michalakos_blog/
Friday, February 3, 2012
Football's Next Rising Stars - Part 4: Julian Draxler
Julian Draxler is looking more and more like the real deal for Schalke.
He made his debut as a 17-year-old, coming off the bench at home to Hamburg last January, to become the fourth youngest player to compete in a Bundesliga match. Three days later Schalke signed their midfield prodigy to a contract until 2014.
Draxler is relatively unknown outside of Germany, but inside the country he is highly regarded as yet another wunderkind. From the looks of it, Schalke has a true talent in their possession.
To read more click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2012/02/03/michalakos_blog/
He made his debut as a 17-year-old, coming off the bench at home to Hamburg last January, to become the fourth youngest player to compete in a Bundesliga match. Three days later Schalke signed their midfield prodigy to a contract until 2014.
Draxler is relatively unknown outside of Germany, but inside the country he is highly regarded as yet another wunderkind. From the looks of it, Schalke has a true talent in their possession.
To read more click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2012/02/03/michalakos_blog/
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Torres and Carroll: One Year Later
It has been 366 days since Chelsea smashed the British transfer by shelling out 50 million pounds to acquire Fernando Torres from rivals Liverpool. Disgruntled with the direction the club was heading down, El Nino shocked Merseyside with a written transfer request at the eleventh hour.
At the same time down on Tyneside, Geordie nation were stunned to learn that their number nine, home grown prodigy Andy Carroll had done the same. The fee of 35 million pounds was too good to pass up for the Magpie’s. One day and a staggering 85 million pounds spent, both players became forever linked.
To read mor click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2012/02/01/michalakos_blog/
At the same time down on Tyneside, Geordie nation were stunned to learn that their number nine, home grown prodigy Andy Carroll had done the same. The fee of 35 million pounds was too good to pass up for the Magpie’s. One day and a staggering 85 million pounds spent, both players became forever linked.
To read mor click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2012/02/01/michalakos_blog/
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