Is NCAA Division 1 Soccer Really Your Best Option? Maybe Not…

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Liverpool extended their unbeaten run to seven games as Andy Carroll and Charlie Adam both scored to ensure a comfortable 2-0 victory against West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. The Reds were superior for most of the game and they took an early lead in the ninth minute from the penalty spot after Luis Suarez was judged to have been tripped, Adam converted the penalty and Carroll added a second goal for the visitors moments before half time.

We’ve all done it, spent hours upon hours debating with friends, family and even complete strangers, on just who have been the greatest players to have ever played for your team. But if you had to create an ultimate team to represent your club’s colours, choosing only the bare 11 players, who would make the cut? Do you agree or disagree with my choices?

Barcelona has been widely considered as the best team in the world for a number of years now. Winning trophies has been complemented by their unique attacking style of play, which was taught at La Masia (the fabled youth team house where Barcelona students were tutored) for decades. Over the years, Barcelona have usually employed two formations in a flexible manner, regardless of opposition: the base of a 4-3-3 or 3-4-3, with slight tactical variations, but always using the principles of Johan Cruyff’s Total Football philosophy.

During the 90’s Italy was blessed with producing a number of fantastic number 10’s. The country that gave us the term ‘fantasista’ now had an abundance to choose from. I take a quick look at the best five.

Zinedine Zidane, the monk-like fantasista – heir to Platini’s throne as France’s greatest ever player, is also widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. Maybe slightly overrated in some quarters when labelled with the ‘Greatest Ever’ tag, his achievements and trophy haul are certainly second to very few. For a time he was also the most expensive player in the world, costing Real Madrid a huge £46m.

It is fair to say that I have never met a goalkeeper coach whom does not think that their way of coaching is the only way of coaching – and this is what makes us such fascinating creatures! Specifically with grass roots coaches, the idea of sharing ideas and listening to similar level compatriots strikes fear and an intense self promotion attitude within many. This is not necessarily a bad thing however, as every single coach needs to be full of self importance and self belief.

Even though there is only one round left in the Swedish Damallsvenskan, there are a few possibilities that can happen in the final round. Both Hammarby and Dalsjofors are already relegated and Djurgarden can’t possibly change their place in the league, neither up or down. But for the rest of the teams there is the matter of holding their league position or even get a spot higher up before the final whistle of the season is blown. We’ll start from the bottom.

“Does Palestine have a football team?” That got me excited to the point where I ended up buying a round of second tobacco fill-ups for the group. The simple answer to that question was a “Yes”. But me being me, wanted to explain to them the little that I knew of the sport in Palestine.

Just this past month alone, I have come across the phrase, money was not the motivation for the switch from the likes of Samir Nasri, Leicester City Manager Sven Goran Eriksson, Dutch Midfielder Eljero Elia, a few friends that just switched jobs and most recently Raul Meireles. What really does motivate us to make that switch? Be it jobs, countries, women, etc.

The biggest prize in Premier League is of course – winning the Title, but that battle is being fought between the clubs with squillons of riches ( Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea). The next best prize is 4th place which leads to the Champions League. Among the clubs which are competing for such achievement is Tottenham Hotspur and Croatian center midfielder Luka Modric is the driving force behind this team.

England safely qualified for the European Champions taking place in Ukraine and Poland next summer. Fabio Capello’s men topped Group G after a draw away in Montenegro, a result which also guaranteed the small nation a spot within the playoffs. England were not always at their best in the qualifiers dropping points at home to Switzerland and Montenegro but to navigate what could have potential been a tricky group will be more than a relief to the Italian manger who plans to step down after next year’s tournament.

Liverpool entertains Manchester United at Anfield this weekend and they hope to become the first team this season to defeat the current Premier League champions. The new look Liverpool side have spent heavily in the transfer market in the last few months as they look to bridge the gulf that has developed between the two clubs in recent years in terms of trophy success.