Inside the Brain of a Teenage Soccer Genius

Essays, Player Reviews, Scouting Reports, Events, Match Reviews, Statistics and Things of no Importance

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Liverpool VS Chelsea Match Preview

Chelsea will host Liverpool at Stamford Bridge this Sunday hoping to get the three points to keep them in third place and ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who sit equal with them on points with one game in hand. The last time these two sides met was in a thrilling 1-0 victory to Liverpool at Stamford Bridge back in February of this year. Chelsea will also be looking to restore the club’s former glory after a series of disappointing results in both the EPL and the UEFA Champions League. The London club managed to salvage three points against Blackburn Rovers on November 5th with only one goal scored by Frank Lampard in the 50th minute. Previous results included a 1-1 draw in the Champions League against Belgian side Genk and a 5-3 thrashing from fellow London team, Arsenal.  Liverpool will also be hoping to redeem themselves after a frustrating 0-0 draw against Swansea also on the 5th.
Liverpool will be welcoming back experienced defender Jamie Carragher who sat out the last two games with a major calf injury and fans will be hoping to see skipper Steven Gerrard in the starting eleven. Both teams will be glad to have players returning from international duty at all levels. Liverpool youngsters Jordan Henderson and Martin Kelly played alongside Josh McEachran who is on the books of Chelsea.
The two clubs are known for their fierce rivalry, but this time around it should be an especially enticing fixture considering former Reds stars Fernando Torres and Raul Meireles now play at Stamford Bridge under young manager Villas-Boas.  
With so much on the table, we’re up for an enticing match at Stamford Bridge this Sunday, be sure to tune in!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Xhaka Nets First Goal in Swiss Victory in Luxembourg, But Why the Long Faces?

Swiss and FC Basel starlet Granit Xhaka (19 years old) netted his first international goal for the Swiss first team in a friendly in Luxembourg today. The fixture turned out to be quite depressing for the Swiss. Despite the victory, the game only drew a crowd of 852 spectators. This small amount of support comes in the wake of the Swiss team failing to qualify for EURO 2012 in Poland and Ukraine despite success at a youth level.
The disappointment may be bitter for Swiss fans in general, but players and FC Basel followers should be celebrating the success of a product of strong youth development in the small European nation.