Showing posts with label Celtic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celtic. Show all posts

Nov 17, 2009

Ranking the world's soccer meccas: No. 5, Hampden Park, Glasgow

For ranking methodology and other information about the series, see the original post. To read the about the No. 6-rated stadium, the Estadio Bernabeu in Madrid, click here. To see all "soccer mecca" entries click here.

No. 5 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
Open since: 1903
Capacity: 52,000
Tenant(s): Queen's Park, Scotland
World Cup hosts: Never

What's this? A ground that never hosted the World Cup or Euro tournament at number five?!? Believe it. This is one of those instances where the stadium's iconic value outweighs its intrinsic one (though one could of course argue there is no real intrinsic value in a soccer stadium, least of all one that can qualify it as a "mecca". That's another argument for another day).

All right, so what is this iconic value of Hampden Park? Simply put, the stadium has taken over as the defacto historic home of British soccer after Wembley's facelift. It is one of the oldest grounds in Britain (and the world) still used for topflight matches.

(As an aside, if you object to the term "British" for Scotland's national stadium I refer you to the fact that the ground is named after an Englishman, John Hampden.)

The present-day Hampden Park is actually the third rendition (not including several renovations) of the place. The first, that gave the stadium its name, was "in an area of land across from the Recreation Ground under the shadow of Hampden Terrace"--a street named after the aforementioned Englishman, according to HampdenRoar.co.uk. That lasted a mere decade, until 1883, before primary tenant Queens Park found a new home nearby. The second home appears to have been known more as Cathkin Park than Hampden Park, for whatever reason. It was taken over by the now-defunct Third Lanark FC, who rebuilt it from scratch. Glasgow's city council took over the land in the 1960s after Third Lanark went bankrupt. Three quarters of the stadium's 1903 structure survives to this day.

Hampden Park as we know it opened at its present-day location in 1903. Perhaps setting the scene for the "century of hooliganism" that would follow it, Rangers and Celtics fans in 1909 effectively destroyed that rendition of the stadium after a Scottish Cup final replay.

Speaking of the Scottish Cup final, it has been held at Hampden Park every year since 1874 (except for war years, of course).

"The atmosphere is superb when it's a full crowd," says one Scottish football fan who has attended many matches at Hampden Park. "I think the natural geography of that part of the southside of Glasgow helps - the area is a natural 'bowl'-shape, so when you are walking from the train station to the stadium, the area dips down as you approach it, creating a kind of 'cauldron' effect."

That effect is partly responsible for the "Hampden Roar" that dates to the 1929 British Home Championship if Wikipedia is to be believed (which it probably isn't). Some have argued the Hampden Roar hasn't existed in decades, however.

Hampden Park is not all about iconic value. It does hold several records--chief among them the highest attendance at a European soccer match, a record that at nearly 150,000 will probably not be broken--and has hosted many historic matches in its day. Most notably, it was here that Real Madrid won its fifth European Cup, capping a 1959-1960 tournament that was described as "possibly the greatest in the competition's history...with possibly the greatest ever team as winners," by EuropeanCupHistory.com. The Web site describes the final match as follows:


On a warm, windswept night in Glasgow, May 18th 1960 was a date for records to be broken. The Hampden Park attendance of 127,621 is still the biggest for a European Cup Final, the gate receipts of £55,000 were then a British record, there were an estimated 70 million television viewers around Europe, and they were about to see the highest scoring European Cup Final ever.

Ten goals were scored in total on a night that left the crowd "simply awestruck." Eintracht Frankfurt, who had beaten Glasgow Rangers in the semifinal, took an early lead before the Spanish side turned on the style, scoring six straight goals. The final score of 7-3 is not likely to be replicated any time soon in any serious competition, much less a cup final of this magnitude. "At the end, the Real players, with goalkeeper Dominguez carrying the cup, did a lap of honour around the Hampden track to a continuous roar that has seldom, if ever, been heard at a neutral venue," writes ECH.

Four-Four-Two calls the match "the European Cup final that sparked a revolution." Present (and deeply inspired) at Hampden Park that May night was one Alex Ferguson, then 19-years old and a Queens Park trainee striker. He wasn't the only one. Don Revie, then a young manager at Leeds United, made his team switch to white kits in honor (or something) of Real Madrid. Despite not performing particularly well in international competition (England lost a game to the U.S. at the 1950 World Cup for God's sake), Scotland and England to that point in association football history still had an insular air of superiority about their game. That ended May 18, 1960. "After the 1960 final...the blinkers came off," writes Four-Four-Two.

U.K. coaches began studying the continental game, a strategy that paid dividends for Celtic seven years later when it shocked Inter Milan in the European Cup final. Celtic's manager Jock Stein had also found religion from that 1960 game and showed it to his players before their clash with Inter.

The match was also ranked the top European Cup final by the Daily Mail's Jeff Powell.

But it was by no means the only historic event to take place at Hampden Park. Much of European club football history has been written here. The European Cup final was held at Hampden Park again in '76 and won this time by Bayern Munich (with Franz Beckenbauer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeness among others) over Saint Etienne (with former France, Olympique Lyon and Tottenham Hotspur coach Jacques Santini--though not yet with Michel Platini, who would join the squad in 1979).

In 1970, Celtic took a 1-0 lead from the first leg of their European Cup semifinal with Leeds United into the "home" leg at Hampden Park and---after spotting Don Revie's side a goal--won to advance to the final (where they would lose to Feyernoord Rotterdam). The 136,000 plus who were on hand to watch the match constitute another record (biggest crowd at a European cup match) that is not likely to be broken.

An entire book could be (and probably has been) written about the Scottish Cup finals alone. In 1928, 118,000 saw Rangers beat Celtic 4-0. Nearly 30,000 more were at the 1937 version of the event, between Celtic and Aberdeen (won 2-1 by Hoops). Celtic were winners again in 1965, giving Jock Stein the first of many trophies after just six weeks in charge. Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen won four Scottish cups, including three in a row from 1982-84. Only three other clubs (Rangers, Queen's Park and Vale of Leven, though surprisingly not Celtic) have matched that feat. Nobody has won more than three in a row.

Then you have the aforementioned British Home Championships, many of which were decided at Hampden Park. Several times the stakes were even greater than mere "bragging rights" (though this being England and Scotland do you really need any stakes?), perhaps none more famously than in 1950. That year Scotland turned down an invitation to appear in the FIFA World Cup, then agreed to partake only as the champions of Britain--a title that would be settled April 15, 1950 when England played at Hampden Park. The game was decided midway through the second half on a goal by 24-year old Englishman Roy Bentley. The Independent did a terrific story on the match a decade ago.

Until that 1950 tournament, Scotland actually had the edge over England on Home International titles, 18-17. From 1951 until 1984, the last time the tournament was held, it was 15 title wins for England and six for Scotland. One could certainly argue that 1950 game was a watershed event from which Scottish football (at the time one of the preeminent world powers) has yet to recover.

The Tartan Army would get its revenge on England though, with several compelling victories over the 'auld enemy'. The 1967 "pitch invasion" victory at Wembley was the first "unofficial World Championship" but Hampden Park would also be the scene of several Scottish triumphs: In '76 (the same year as Bayern Munich's European Cup victory) a 25-year old Kenny Dalglish got Scotland the winner in its 2-1 victory over England. It was the last time Scotland won the title on their home ground.

Of course Hampden Park was not always about England and Scotland. In 1979 "the 18-year-old Diego Armando Maradona revealed his genius to the world," the BBC reported. Maradona scored his first international goal in Argentina's 3-1 friendly win over Scotland. This was not Maradona's first game in an Argentina shirt, as has wrongly been claimed at points. That came in 1977 at the Bombonera in Buenos Aires (ranked ninth in our list of soccer meccas).

Nor did Hampden Park host the world's first football international in 1872, though this did take place elsewhere in Glasgow. In 1872 England and Scotland squared off at the West of Scotland Cricket Club's Hamilton Crescent ground in the Partick area of Glasgow. The game finished goalless.

The history of Hampden Park continues to be written. This decade it hosted at least a few events that will surely make the soccer history books. In the 2002 Champions League final, Zinedine Zidane's "wonder goal" (link to YouTube video) clinched a record ninth European Cup/Champs League title for Real Madrid. The goal in many ways serves as the defining moment of the "galacticos" era of dominance at Real Madrid, much as the 1960 final did for the Alfredo di Stefano generation. Zidane and Real Madrid were then at their peak; neither would approach those heights again. Zizou was injured for the first two (if memory serves) of France's disappointing "three and out" at the 2002 World Cup and we all know what happened in 2006. The seven years (and counting) since Real's last European title constitute the longest stretch since the 1966-1985 period.

Photo taken from uksport.gov.uk without permission
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May 18, 2009

No Top 25 this week--holding mode

The Soccer Source Top 25 was not going to change much this week, so instead of going through the labor-intensive process of putting a whole list together, we offer the following highlights from the world of top club soccer:

Congratulations to FC Barcelona, Manchester United and Inter Milan, all of whom clinched their domestic league titles over the weekend. They are joined by FC Porto, Dynamo Kiev, AZ Alkmaar and Olympiakos, who had previously clinched their countries' leagues.

Olympique Lyonnais will not repeat as French champs. This despite an impressive 3-1 victory at Olympique Marseille yesterday. Put that one down in the "too little, too late" column. It will be the first time since 2001 that l'OL are not crowned French champions. The end of an era.

Lyon's victory is nevertheless significant, as it puts Girondins Bordeaux in the driver's seat for Ligue Un glory. With a three point lead and two matchdays remaining, a victory Saturday against 11th-placed Monaco will in all likelihood give les Girondins their first French league title in a decade. But if Bordeaux blow it at home this weekend, and Marseille win at Nancy (which they should. Nancy sit 13th and have nothing left to play for, not even the threat of relegation) it sets up an intriguing final match day. Lyon play their last game at Caen, who are struggling against relegation (two points clear of the drop zone at time of this writing) while Marseille host seventh-placed Rennes. Bordeaux have the edge in goal difference--for now (plus 28 to Marseille's plus 27). So to paraphrase Harvey Keitel's character in Pulp Fiction: let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Perhaps even more interesting than the French race is the German one, where VfL Wolfsburg can all but taste their first-ever Bundesliga title. The "Wolves" will in all likelihood need just one point from their clash with UEFA Cup finalist Werder Bremen this weekend. Perhaps by then Werder will be UEFA Cup champs, which might lead to a bit of a (literal and figurative) hangover when the clubs meet Saturday. The other two clubs with a shot at the Bundesliga "Schale" (it means bowl and is used to refer to the Bundesliga silverware, which is literally a big plate. Don't know why they don't call it "Teller", the German word for plate. Maybe one of our German readers can explain) Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart, face each other in Munich this weekend. With Wolfsburg's goal difference seven better than Bayern's (and 14 better than Stuttgart's) that game will not only need a winner, but also a loss by Wolfsburg for it to have an impact on who takes the aforementioned silverware.

Finally, in Scotland, Glasgow Rangers are in the driver's seat for their first title since 2005. To accomplish this feat, Walter Smith's men just need to win at Dundee United Sunday. With a two point lead over their friendly rivals from Parkhead, a draw might suffice as well--assuming, that is, that Celtic don't win their final match against Hearts. With the better goal difference (barely), Gordon Strachan's club would leapfrog their rivals in that scenario.

As for the Top 25, we'll be back next week when these matters (with one possible exception; the French title) are settled.

Nov 10, 2008

The world's top 25 soccer clubs, Nov. 10, 2008

Due to the labor-intensive effort involved with putting together this list, Soccer Source's Top 25 will skip next week's edition. But first, this week's list! Read on:

1 (1). FC Barcelona
Barca inexplicably dropped points to FC Basel at home in the Champions League, though the game was largely irrelevant seeing as the Catalonian club qualified for the quarterfinals anyway and likely would have even if they had lost that game. Took out whatever frustrations they had against Valladolid Saturday, in a 6-0 blowout. Barca is in first place in la liga. Their only blemish came on opening day when they lost at Numancia by 1-0.
Next Up: Host Benidorm in the return leg of their Copa del Rey match, then it's Recreativo Huelva on the road Sunday.
Against Top 25 (when they were Top 25): Beat Atletico Madrid at home (6-1, Oct. 4), beat Sporting Lisbon at home (3-1, Sept. 16).

2 (2). Liverpool
Came back to tie Atletico Madrid in the Champions League at midweek, then had absolutely no trouble with West Bromwich Albion, as might be expected.
Next Up: Visit Spurs in the League Cup Wednesday, then visit Bolton Wanderers in Premiership action Saturday. Face Fulham at home a week after that.
Against Top 25: Beat Manchester United (2-1, Sept. 13), beat Olympique Marseille on the road (2-1, Sept. 16), tied Atletico Madrid (1-1 at Madrid, Oct. 22 and 1-1 at Anfield, Nov. 6), won at Chelsea (1-0, Oct. 26).

3 (6). Inter Milan
Played Famagusta to a 3-3 tie in their midweek CL tie then beat Udinese with a stoppage time goal yesterday. Famagusta has been confounding just about everybody and are actually in a good position to advance to the quarterfinals. Inter are all but through to the quarters. They sit first in the group with a four point lead over third place with two games to go.
Next Up: Visit Palermo Saturday. Juve visit the San Siro a week after that.
Against Top 25: Lost to AC Milan (1-0, Sept. 28), won at Panathinaikos (2-0, Sept. 16), tied at Fiorentina (0-0, Oct. 29).

4. (3). Chelsea
Lost at AS Roma, 3-1 before rebounding at Blackburn Rovers yesterday. Blues still lead their Champions League groups, but they could have wrapped up a quarterfinal berth with a win. They'll probably still make it, facing Cluj and Bordeaux in their last two games. Still, Roma were having a horrible time coming into this game and really had no business winning. But they did, which made Chelsea look bad. Which makes us move them down a few spots.
Next Up: Burnley in League Cup action Wednesday and W.B.A. Saturday. Isn't Burnley the team that upset everybody in the F.A. Cup last year?
Against Top 25 clubs: Tied Man U at home (1-1, Sept. 21), lost to Liverpool (1-0, Oct. 25).

5. (5) AC Milan
The rossoneri beat Sporting Braga in UEFA Cup action at midweek then dropped two points at Lecce in a 1-1 tie. It was still good enough to move into a tie for second in Serie A.
Next Up: Host Chievo Verona Sunday.
Against Top 25: Beat Inter Milan (1-0, Sept. 28), beat Lazio (4-1, Sept. 21).

6 (8). Juventus
The Juve rejuvenation continues, as Claudio Ranieri's men won a pair of 2-0 games last week, the first of which was more impressive (at Real Madrid for their second straight victory over the Royalists). The second was at Chievo Verona and moves Juve into fifth place in Serie A.
Next Up: Host Genoa Thursday and are then idle until a trip to Inter Nov. 22.
Against Top 25: Beat Zenit St. Petersburg (1-0, Sept. 17), tied at Fiorentina (1-1, Aug. 31), tied at BATE Borisov (2-2, Sept. 30), beat Real Madrid (2-1 at home, Oct. 22 and 2-0 at the Bernabeu, Nov. 5).

7 (4). Manchester United
Man United faced two top 25 teams last week, both on the road. How did it go? Not well. Sir Alex' men managed only a 1-1 tie at Celtic Park before suffering what might have been a more significant loss at Emirates to Arsenal, 2-1.
Next Up: Visit Queens Park Rangers in League Cup action, then host Stoke Saturday. Aston Villa visit a week after that.
Against Top 25: Lost to Zenit St. Petersburg (2-1), lost at Liverpool (2-1, Sept. 13), tied Villareal at home (0-0, Sept. 17), tied at Chelsea (1-1, Sept. 21), beat Celtic at home (3-0, Oct. 22) and tied at Celtic Park (1-1, Nov. 6), lost at Arsenal (2-1, Nov. 8).

8 (10). Bayern Munich
Tied at Fiorentina which was likely enough to clinch a place in the Champions League quarterfinals, then won a very important game over Schalke, 2-1. Move into third place in the Bundesliga with the victory. Bayern's stock is clearly rising; we told you so last week.
Next Up: Visit Borussia Moenchengladbach, Michael Bradley's club, Saturday.
Against Top 25: Tied Olympique Lyon (1-1, Sept. 30), won at Steaua Bucharest (1-0, Sept. 17), beat Fiorentina at home (3-0, Oct. 22), tied at Fiorentina (1-1, Nov. 6).

9 (7). Real Madrid
Real's struggles continue. Not only did Bernd Schuster's side lose at home to Juventus they then struggled to defeat Malaga at home. They're still in decent shape in the Champions League, with a two point lead over third placed Zenit St. Petersburg with two to play. We reckon they'll get through to the quarterfinals. But over the medium term we can't help but be a bit concerned.
Next Up: Host Real Irun tomorrow in the return leg of their Copa del Rey tie (Real, that is Real Madrid, lost the first leg 3-2). Visit Valladolid Saturday.
Against Top 25: Won at Zenit St. Petersburg (2-1, Sept. 30), beat Atletico Madrid (2-1, Oct. 18), lost to Juventus (2-1 on the road, Oct. 22 and 2-0 at home, Nov. 5).

10 (9). Atletico Madrid
The final minute of stoppage time was all that kept Atletico from upsetting Liverpool at Anfield last week. They followed this up with a disappointing scoreless draw at last-placed Osasuna in Liga action.
Next Up: Host Orihuela in the return leg of their Copa del Rey tie (after winning the first leg, 1-0), then host sixth-placed Deportivo La Coruna in what might just be a must-win situation if the rojiblancos are going to have any serious pretensions at a Spanish league title.
Against Top 25: Lost at Barcelona (6-1, Oct. 4), lost to Real Madrid (2-1, Oct. 18), tied Liverpool (1-1, Oct. 23), tied Villareal (4-4, Oct. 26), tied at Liverpool (1-1, Nov. 5).

11 (11). Olympique Lyon
Did not appear to have any problem with one-time Top 25 club Steaua Bucharest, winning the midweek CL tie 2-0. Lyon then won at Monaco 1-0 on Saturday. Things are definitely looking up for l'OL, though it will take a little more for them to move up in our rankings.
Next Up: Host FC Metz (no relation to the New York Mets baseball club) in a league cup game tomorrow. Then third-placed Girondins Bordeaux pay a visit Sunday.
Against Top 25: Tied Fiorentina at home (2-2, Sept. 17) and Bayern Munich on the road (1-1, Sept. 30).

12 (15). Arsenal
Gunners played a scoreless tie at Fenerbahce Istanbul in the Champions League at midweek, then beat Man United at Emirates, 3-1 in their best game of the season by far.
Next Up: Host Wigan in the League Cup tomorrow, followed by Aston Villa Saturday. Man City is up a week after that.
Against Top 25: Tied Dynamo Kiev (1-1, Sept. 17), beat Man United at home (2-1, Nov. 8).

13 (13). Villareal.
The Yellow Submarine tied Aalborg at midweek but it was enough to qualify for the quarterfinals. Beat Almeira yesterday to take back second place in La Liga.
Next Up: Polideportivo Ejido in the return leg of their Copa del Rey tie (Villareal somehow lost the first leg 5-0 so this is effectively a scrimmage one would think) and visit Malaga on the weekend.
Against Top 25: Tied Man U at Old Trafford (0-0, Sept. 18), beat Celtic at home (1-0, Sept. 29), tied Atletico Madrid at home (4-4, Oct. 26).

14 (14). Valencia
Managed to only tie FC Kopenhagen in their UEFA Cup match before rebounding with a more impressive 3-0 victory over Getafe yesterday. Back in third place in La Liga but losing traction in the Top 25.
Next Up: The return leg of their Copa del Rey series (they won the first round easily) then Gijon at home. A trip to Sevilla looms Nov. 23. From what we can tell that's their first serious competition of the entire season.
Against Top 25: Lost to Real Madrid over two legs in Spanish Supercup.

15. (12) Dynamo Kiev
Lost at home to Porto to slip back into third place in their Champions League group. With a trip to Emirates up next, they are in very real danger of missing the quarterfinals. That would obviously knock them from this perch in the Top 25.
Next Up: A Ukraniian cup tie midweek then Shakthar Donetsk (Ukraine's other Champions League team).
Against Top 25: Tied Arsenal (1-1, Sept. 17)

16 (18) Celtic
Celtic once again came up short against Man United, though this time at least they have a point to show for their efforts. It likely won't help them much though. Actually it may not help at all. Celtic will have to beat Aalborg by four goals, hope that Villareal lose to Man. United, then beat the Spaniards in the final match day, preferably by two goal to make up what would then be a tie-breaker (not sure what the tie-breaker after goal difference is. Total goals scored?). Bhoys also beat Motherwell on the weekend and are looking good in the SPL. It will take more than that to make a dent in the Top 25 though.
Against Top 25: Lost at Villareal (1-0, Sept. 30), lost at Man Utd. (3-0, Oct. 22), tied Man Utd. at Glasgow (1-1, Nov. 6).

17 (16). Udinese
Udine passed their first test last week, winning at Spartak Moscow by a 2-1 score. They played Inter Milan tough in their second, but ultimately lost on the game's only goal in stoppage time.
Next Up: Visit face Spartak Moscow on Thursday, and No. 6 Inter Milan Sunday.
Against Top 25: Lost to Juventus (1-0, Sept. 14), lost at Inter Milan (1-0, Nov. 9).

18 (20). Fiorentina
La Viola tied Bayern Munich at home and will now almost certainly miss the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Things went better in their Serie A game, where they beat Atalanta di Bergamo.
Next Up: Visit Cagliari Sunday.
Against Top 25: Tied Steaua Bucharest at home (0-0, Sept. 30), lost at Lazio (3-0, Sept. 24), tied at Lyon (2-2, Sept. 17), tied Juventus at home (1-1, Aug. 31), lost at Bayern Munich (3-0, Oct. 22), tied Bayern at home (1-1, Nov. 6).

19 (19). Sevilla
Lost at Standard Liege in UEFA Cup action at midweek. This is the same Standard Liege that nearly ousted Liverpool from a Champions League qualifier so we're somewhat tolerant of that result. On the other hand, why aren't Standard Liege on our radar for this list? Hmm. Sevilla also beat Huelva yesterday to keep pace with the leaders in La Liga.
Next Up: The return leg of their Copa del Rey tie (they're down 1-0 from the first leg) followed by a trip to Getafe.
Against Top 25: Won at Atletico Madrid (1-0, Sept. 28)

20 (-). Sporting Lisbon.
Sporting return to the Top 25 after beating Shakhtar Donetsk to advance to the quarterfinals in the Champions League. The Lisbon side has admittedly been inconsistent this season, losing to domestic rivals Porto (twice, including a Portuguese cup tie last week) and No. 21 Benfica (whom they actually outrank here. More on that in a bit.). But after a forgiveable loss to No. 1 Barcelona on Sept. 19, they have a perfect record without giving up a goal in European play. Granted that was all against clubs FC Basle and Shakthar Donetsk (the former have absolutely no right to be in the Champions League).
Next Up: A pair of domestic league opponents, neither of which we can ever pretend to have heard of.
Against Top 25: Lost at Barcelona (3-1, Sept. 19).

21 (17). Benfica Lisbon
Lost at home to Galatasaray, 2-0, at midweek. That's not very good. With one point from two games, Benfica are in very real danger of not advancing out of what is admittedly a pretty tough group (Hertha Berlin, Olympiakos and Metalist Kharkov are the other teams). Play Desportivo Alves later today.
Next Up: Desportivo Alves today, Estrela Amadora Sunday. Both games are home.
Against Top 25: Beat Sporting Lisbon (at home, 2-0).

22 (22). Chivas Guadelajara
Ousted River Plate from the Copa Sudamericana tourney, where they are now in the semifinals against Brazil's Internacional. That's the good news. The bad news is Chivas lost an important Mexican league match (against Puebla, which is in last place in a different group) and are now in acute danger of missing the postseason.
Next Up: The first leg against Internacional, which takes place at the Jalisco (that is the name of their home grounds, right?). Then host Indios Suarez, another crap Mexican team Sunday. Then the return leg in Brazil a week from Thursday.
Against Top 25: Beat Atlante at home (1-0, Oct. 19)

23 (23). Zenit St. Petersburg
Did well against BATE Borisov to keep their Champions League hopes alive, then only managed a draw in their Russian league match. They're 16 points behind first-place Rubin Kazan on the penultimate match day. Fourth place is still attainable, maybe even third. Neither gives them a shot at the Champions League though. It's looking like the club from the city formerly known as Leningrad are looking at UEFA competition both this year and next.
Next Up: Host third-placed Dynamo Moscow Sunday, then visit Spartak Moscow Nov. 22. A must win against Juventus looms Tuesday, Nov. 25.
Against Top 25: Lost at Juventus (1-0, Sept. 17), lost to Real Madrid (2-1, Sept. 30), tied at BATE Borisov (1-1, Oct. 22), beat BATE Borisov at home (2-0, Nov. 5).

24 (-). Standard Liege
The Belgian club does make the Top 25 list, by virtue of its 1-0 home victory over No. 19 Sevilla. After narrowly losing to Liverpool in Champions League qualifiers, Liege (who are sometimes known as Luettich, or maybe I'm confusing that with something else) ousted Everton from UEFA Cup competition. They sit second in the Belgian Jupiler league, one point behind Bruges.
Next Up: Two Belgian clubs in Jupiler League action this week.
Against Top 25: Lost to Liverpool in Champions League qualifiers (1-0 in aggregate on an overtime goal in the second leg), beat Sevilla at home (2-0, Nov. 6).

25 (-). AS Roma
They're back. Barely. And thanks to one result and one result only, the 3-1 victory over Chelsea that may have just salvaged Roma's season (they also tied at Bologna 1-1 on the weekend). Things are looking good for CL advancement at least; all they have to do is win their next game at CFR Cluj (before you laugh, the Romanian side held a spot in the Top 25 for several weeks a short time ago) and tie Bordeaux on the last matchday (they're equal on points with the French side but beat them at Bordeaux when the teams met earlier this season).
Next Up: Host Lazio in the Roma derby (it's pronounced dar-bee) on Sunday.
Against Top 25: Lost at home to Inter (4-0, Oct. 19), lost at Chelsea (1-0, Oct. 22), lost at Udinese (3-1, Oct. 26), lost at Juventus (2-0, Nov. 1), beat Chelsea (3-1, Nov. 4). That's five Top 25 opponents in a row. Nobody else has done that (granted Roma lost all but the last one, but still. At least things will get easier from here).

Dropping Out:
Boca Juniors (21), BATE Borisov (24), 1899 Hoffenheim (25).

Also receiving consideration:
FC Sao Paolo, Napoli, Galatasaray, Girondins Bordeaux, Estudiantes.

Nov 3, 2008

The world's top 25 soccer clubs, Nov. 3, 2008

With Liverpool, last week's No. 1 team, losing last week the top spot was up for grabs. But who to move into it? Read on and you'll see.

1 (2). FC Barcelona
They were second going into last week, they won both games they played (at Benidorm in the Copa del Rey and at Malaga), so it only makes sense that Barcelona are, in our humble opinion (some would say it's not so humble but they obviously are just jealous), the best soccer club in the world at present. The Catalonian side's last loss, on Aug. 31, was also in their first game and, lest we forget, the only time Josep Guardiola's has been on the losing end this season. We told you they were finding their form. Chances are they will retain the top spot at least for another week because the upcoming competition is rather mediocre (to put it kindly)...
Next Up: At home to FC Basel in the Champions League tomorrow, then Valladolid visit Nou Camp Saturday.
Against Top 25 (when they were Top 25): Beat Atletico Madrid at home (6-1, Oct. 4), beat Sporting Lisbon at home (3-1, Sept. 16).

2 (1). Liverpool
We were joking when we said Liverpool faced a "resurgent" Tottenham Hotspur club last week. But after taking an early (very early, like third minute) lead, Reds gave up two second half goals for their first loss of the season and first at White Hart Lane since the Thatcher administration (we're actually making that up, but it may be true for all we know. It's definitely been a while). Earlier in the week they beat Pompey 1-0.
Next Up: Host Atletico Madrid in the Champions League tomorrow, followed by West Bromwich Albion, also at Anfield, Saturday. They have Spurs again after that, in the League Cup (again in North London).
Against Top 25: Beat Manchester United (2-1, Sept. 13), beat Olympique Marseille on the road (2-1, Sept. 16), tied at Atletico Madrid (1-1, Oct. 22), won at Chelsea (1-0, Oct. 26).

3. (3). Chelsea
Okay, so why exactly is Chelsea behind Liverpool in the Top 25, despite leading them in the Premiership standings (even if it's just by goal difference)? Simple, when the two teams played each other, Chelsea lost. In a game at Stamford Bridge. Oh yeah, look at the teams' records against Top 25 clubs, too. Last week Blues won both games, by an impeccable 8-0 combined score (granted this was Hull City and Sunderland. A lot of clubs would have beaten those two by a combined eight goals. Yeah yeah Hull City was high up in the table. Well those days are over).
Next Up: At AS Roma in the Champions League. Then at Blackburn in Premiership action Sunday.
Against Top 25 clubs: Tied Man U at home (1-1, Sept. 21), lost to Liverpool (1-0, Oct. 25).

4 (5). Manchester United
Red Devils gave up two late goals to Hull City to make the 4-3 final score look a lot closer than it actually was (though the Tigers did hold their own for long stretches of the game, we will admit). Earlier in the week Sir Alex' men beat East End United by 2-0.
Next Up: Play at Celtic in the CL then at Arsenal Saturday...
Against Top 25: Lost to Zenit St. Petersburg (2-1), lost at Liverpool (2-1, Sept. 13), tied Villareal at home (0-0, Sept. 17), tied at Chelsea (1-1, Sept. 21), beat Celtic (3-0, Oct. 22).

5. (7) AC Milan
Another stellar week for the rossoneri, who took first place in Serie A thanks to a pair of victories and enter the Top 5 for the first time ever. Milan beat Siena 2-1 at midweek before beating Napoli 1-0. The latter opponent, while not quite Top 25, are still very decent and now sit fourth in Serie A.
Next Up: Host Sporting Braga in UEFA Cup action on Thursday then face Lecce on the road Sunday.
Against Top 25: Beat Inter Milan (1-0, Sept. 28), beat Lazio (4-1, Sept. 21).

6 (6). Inter Milan
Played Fiorentina to the ubiquitous (in the Italian league at least) 0-0 score at midweek, then had a rough time of it at Reggina Calcio, giving up a two goal lead before winning 3-2 on a stoppage time goal.
Next Up: Visit Famagusta in the Champions League then host Udinese in what should be a close game Sunday (Editor's note: It's Serie A. All games are close, even if they're blowouts. A 2-0 victory is a blowout in Italy).
Against Top 25: Lost to AC Milan (1-0, Sept. 28), won at Panathinaikos (2-0, Sept. 16), tied at Fiorentina (0-0, Oct. 29).

7 (4). Real Madrid
Real tied Almeira yesterday, a disappointing result even though it was on the road (Almeira are mid table. There is a lot of quality in the Spanish liga. But not that much). What was potentially worse was the mid-week loss at Real Union de Irun in the Copa del Rey. Real Madrid will likely be able to make up that result in the return leg, which will be played at the Bernabeu. But it doesn't look good. We don't even know who Irun are or where they play or anything (and not just because we're ignorant Yanks who don't know anything about geography) but it's not the Liga BBVA (some rudimentary research reveals it's not the next level down either. So Real just looks really bad, period).
Next Up: Host Juventus in the Champions League Wednesday and Malaga Saturday. The return leg against Irun is Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Against Top 25: Won at Zenit St. Petersburg (2-1, Sept. 30), beat Atletico Madrid (2-1, Oct. 18), lost at Juventus (2-1, Oct. 22).

8 (11). Juventus
Juventus take a massive jump in our standings thanks to two Serie A victories last week, at Bologna (2-1) and over Roma (2-0). By the way Roma are now in the relegation zone thanks to the loss. Juve have now moved up to sixth in Serie A.
Next Up: Visit No. 7 Real Madrid at midweek, then play at Chievo Verona on the weekend.
Against Top 25: Beat Zenit St. Petersburg (1-0, Sept. 17), tied at Fiorentina (1-1, Aug. 31), tied at BATE Borisov (2-2, Sept. 30), beat Real Madrid (2-1, Oct. 22).

9 (13). Atletico Madrid
Won both games last week, at CF Orihuela in the Copa del Rey (1-0) and at home against Mallorca yesterday (2-0). That was enough to catapult them back into the Top 10.
Next Up: Visit No. 2 Liverpool tomorrow, then travel to Osasuna Sunday.
Against Top 25: Lost at Barcelona (6-1, Oct. 4), lost to Real Madrid (2-1, Oct. 18), tied Liverpool (1-1, Oct. 23), tied Villareal (4-4, Oct. 26).

10(16). Bayern Munich
Jurgen Klinsmann's side won both games last week, over Eintracht Frankfurt and Arminia Bielefeld, to move into third place in the Bundesliga. We told you there was nothing to worry about Bayern fans (actually we didn't, but whatever).
Next Up: Visit Fiorentina for a crucial Champions League tie, then visit fourth placed Schalke. Win both and they're back in the Top 10, possibly even the Top 5.
Against Top 25: Tied Olympique Lyon (1-1, Sept. 30), won at Steaua Bucharest (1-0, Sept. 17), beat Fiorentina at home (3-0, Oct. 22).

11 (15). Olympique Lyon
Now that's more like it. L'OL won both games last week, against Sochaux and Le Mans (who were third coming into that game). With the victories Lyon takes a four point lead in Ligue Un, as things appear to return to normal after a tough stretch.
Next Up: Host Steaua Bucharest Wednesday, then visit Monaco Saturday.
Against Top 25: Tied Fiorentina at home (2-2, Sept. 17) and Bayern Munich on the road (1-1, Sept. 30).

12. (14) Dynamo Kiev
Kiev won both games last week, a cup tie and a league match. Neither should be a big surprise as they were against Ukrainian competition other than Shakthar Donetsk.
Next Up: Host Porto, whom they beat the last time, in the Champions League.
Against Top 25: Tied Arsenal (1-1, Sept. 17)

13 (8). Villareal.
Last week we made light of the fact that the Yellow Submarine had a record of 10 goals scored and 10 received the previous week. That's bad for a club with pretensions of a Top 10 spot, but what is worse is giving up five goals in a losing effort at some lower division minion. OK, so they may have rested most starters. So what? Even with all starters out a team like Villareal should be able to beat (or at least tie) a club named Polideportivo Ejido. But the final score of that midweek Copa del Rey tie was Polideportivo 5, Villareal 0. Ouch. They managed to rebound in their second game of the week, beating Atletic Bilbao 4-1 (including one goal by Jozy Altidore). But Atletic are now second-to-last in La Liga so let's take that with a grain of salt as well.
Next Up: Visit Aalborg in the CL, then host Almeira Sunday. The return leg against Polideportivo Ejido is Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Against Top 25: Tied Man U at Old Trafford (0-0, Sept. 18), beat Celtic at home (1-0, Sept. 29), tied Atletico Madrid at home (4-4, Oct. 26).

14 (9). Valencia
Unlike many other Spanish "powers," Valencia actually managed to beat their amateur Copa del Rey opponents last week, seeing off Club Portugalete 4-1. Unfortunately they then played arguably their worst game of the season, losing to Racing Santander at home. The ranking committee remains very skeptical of Valencia, who have not played any top competition since the league cup against Real Madrid (and that was a glorified scrimmage) and are in one of the weakest UEFA Cup groups. We may have seen the last of Valencia in the Top 10.
Next Up: Host FC Kopenhagen in UEFA Cup action Thursday, then play at Getafe (Sunday).
Against Top 25: Lost to Real Madrid over two legs in Spanish Supercup.

15 (10). Arsenal
After blowing two two goal leads against resurgent (we aren't joking with that moniker now!) Tottenham Hotspur to draw 4-4 at midweek, Gunners turned in an even worse performance, going down 2-1 to Stoke City Saturday. Ugly, ugly. And we haven't even seen them play top competition yet. But that is about to change, because...
Next Up: Host Fenerbahce Instanbul in the CL Wednesday, followed by No. 3 Man United at the Emirates Saturday.
Against Top 25: Tied Dynamo Kiev (1-1, Sept. 17)

16 (17). Udinese
Udine vindicated our choice to give them their first ever Top 25 with a solid week (four points from two games). They sit second in Serie A, one point behind No. 5 Milan.
Next Up: Visit face Spartak Moscow on Thursday, and No. 6 Inter Milan Sunday.
Against Top 25: Lost to Juventus (1-0, Sept. 14)

17 (19). Benfica Lisbon
Beat Vitoria Guimares to maintain their spot in the Top 25.
Next Up: Host Galatasaray Thursday.

18 (20) Celtic
Won both games, against Kilmarnock in a League Cup match and at Hearts in the SPL, to reclaim 18th place (which they had previously given up after losing at Man United).
Next Up: Face a must-win against Man United in the Champions League Wednesday, then host Motherwell Saturday. If the past few seasons are any guide, Celtic will play Man United tough but lose in unlucky fashion. Or tie, which won't do them any good either. With six points between the top two clubs in the group (Man U and Villareal) and Celtic (and Aalborg, but who cares about them), the Bhoys need a victory if they're going to have any chance at advancing out of the group.
Against Top 25: Lost at Villareal (1-0, Sept. 30), lost at Man Utd. (3-0, Oct. 22).

19. (12) Sevilla
Seriously, what is it with these Spanish clubs losing to teams from the netherworld of their country's soccer leagues? Sevilla lost their Copa del Rey tie against SD Ponferradina. Granted the 1-0 result will probably made up in the return leg, but still. Sheesh. To make matters worse, Sevilla then lost their league match yesterday, at Valladolid, 3-2.
Next Up: Visit Standard Liege in UEFA Cup action Thursday, followed by Recreativo Huelva at home, Sunday.
Against Top 25: Won at Atletico Madrid (1-0, Sept. 28)

20 (18). Fiorentina
Fiorentina had a tough week, getting only one point from their two games. They tied No. 7 Inter Milan at midweek then went down to Siena yesterday. They drop to eighth in Serie A with that loss.
Next Up: Host No. 10 Bayern Munich in what looks like a must win Champions League game. Then host Atalanta di Bergamo in weekend Serie A action.
Against Top 25: Tied Steaua Bucharest at home (0-0, Sept. 30), lost at Lazio (3-0, Sept. 24), tied at Lyon (2-2, Sept. 17), tied Juventus at home (1-1, Aug. 31), lost at Bayern Munich (3-0, Oct. 22).

21. (25) Boca Juniors
A huge week for the boys from the Bombonera, who won both their games by 1-0 scores, the second of which came against first-placed San Lorenzo. Boca move into a tie for first with the victories.
Next Up: Host Internacional in the return leg of their Copa Sudamericana quarterfinal. Boca lost the first leg 2-0 so they'll have their work cut out for them. Also visit Arsenal Sunday.

22 (21). Chivas Guadelajara
Tied UNAM Pumas, 1-1, which was enough to move into second place in their Apertura group. Second place qualifies automatically for the playoffs but Chivas have two games in hand over third place Tecos and fourth placed Pumas. So things could get very interesting.
Next Up: The return leg of their Copa Sudamericana quarterfinal against River is Friday. Chivas won the first leg, in Buenos Aires, by 2-1 so they're in good shape to advance. Also visit Puebla Sunday in what looks like a must-win (if they're going to make the playoffs, though even if they don't finish second they can still get in via the liguilla. More on that some other time. Maybe).
Against Top 25: Beat Atlante at home (1-0, Oct. 19)

23 (22). Zenit St. Petersburg
Won one and tied one in their two league games last week, which is enough to stay in the Top 25. Barely.
Next Up: At BATE Borisov in the Champions League Wednesday and some Russian club Sunday. Dynamo Moscow looms Sunday, Nov. 16.
Against Top 25: Lost at Juventus (1-0, Sept. 17), lost to Real Madrid (2-1, Sept. 30), tied BATE Borisov (1-1, Oct. 22).

24 (24) BATE Borisov
The Belarusian (or is it Belarussian?) side won their domestic league game to wrap up their third straight league championship. Congrats, mates. Or however you say that in Belarusian/Belarussian.
Next Up: Host No. 22 Zenit in a must win Champions League match for both sides.
Against Top 25: Tied Juventus at home (2-2, Sept. 30), lost at Real Madrid (2-0), tied Zenit St. Petersburg at home (1-1, Oct. 20).

25 (-). 1899 Hoffenheim

Yes we're going there. It is time. The team coached by Ralf Rangnick took over first place in the German Bundesliga yesterday after beating Karlsruhe (it's pronounced Karls-rooh) over the weekend. A highly impressive feat (taking first, not beating Karlsruhe) considering the 99er were playing in Germany's amateur leagues as recently as 2007. (It is however not unprecedented for a promoted team to hold first place and even win the Bundesliga. Kaiserslautern pulled that off in 1998, though they had only just been relegated the season before and had more history not to mention money on their side). Hoffenheim has come from absolutely nowhere to basically shock the German soccer system to its core. Unfortunately we will not see them in Europe this season. But they have quite well against teams who are, for example beating Hamburg by a 3-0 score a few weeks ago and playing VfB Stuttgart to a scoreless draw. If they're going to move up the Top 25 obviously more evidence is needed. We'll get some by Dec. 5, if not before (Hoffenheim visit Bayern Munich on that date).
Next Up: Visit Hertha Berlin (another club playing in Europe) Sunday.
Against Top 25: Beat Hamburg SV at home (3-0, Oct. 26).

Dropping Out:
Atlante (23)

Also receiving consideration:
Aston Villa, FC Sao Paolo, PSV Eindhoven, Galatasaray

Oct 27, 2008

The world's top 25 soccer clubs, Oct. 27, 2008

The Soccer Source Ranking Committee faced a crucial dilemma, with last week's top three teams all dropping points in their games. What would we do? Read on to find out.

1 (Last Week: 7). Liverpool
Okay, we admit it. Liverpool is a good team. Very good in fact. How good? The first team to win at Stamford Bridge in 86 games good. The only Champions League team unbeaten in all competition good. The best team in the world good. Yes, boys and girls, this is how the Soccer Source ranking committee sees things. Go ahead and argue with us. Just don't be a Chelsea fan because, uh, they lost to Liverpool on the field, settling that argument. (Okay the game-winning goal was a bit lucky, but Reds also hit the post later and it's hard to argue that Rafa Benitez' men weren't the better side on the day). Seriously though, who else could possibly deserve this spot ahead of Liverpool? If you have any worthy candidates, we're all ears.
(As a side note, hopefully this will end some of the allegations the ranking committee hates Liverpool).
Next Up: Host Pompey Wednesday then play at resurgent (ha!) Tottenham Hotspur Saturday.
Against Top 25: Beat Manchester United (2-1, Sept. 13), beat Olympique Marseille on the road (2-1, Sept. 16), tied at Atletico Madrid (1-1, Oct. 22), won at Chelsea (1-0, Oct. 26).

2 (4). FC Barcelona
What's this? Barca? Second? Believe it. The Catalonian side's last loss, on Aug. 31, was also in their first game and, lest we forget, the only time Josep Guardiola's has been on the losing end this season. Last week they won their two games by a combined 10-0. Granted the opponents (FC Basel and Almeira) are not likely to appear on this list anytime soon, if ever. Nevertheless, Barca are clearly finding their form. Be forewarned...
Next Up: At Benidorm in the Copa del Rey Wednesday, then at Malaga Saturday.
Against Top 25: Beat Atletico Madrid at home (6-1, Oct. 4), beat Sporting Lisbon at home (3-1, Sept. 16).

3. (1). Chelsea
Blues met their maker yesterday, losing at home to Liverpool to fall from the ranks of the unbeaten and drop to second in the Premiership. We still like them, but can't help but be a tiny bit concerned over a not-so-great record against top competition (see below though it should be noted that Roma, whom Chelsea beat at mid-week were at one point a Top 25 club. Then again, so were Spurs whom incidentally they did not beat).
Next Up: Hull City away at midweek, then Sunderland at home Saturday.
Against (past or present) Top 25 clubs: Tied Man U at home (1-1, Sept. 21), lost to Liverpool (1-0, Oct. 25).

4 (2). Real Madrid
Real lost their Champions League match at Juve last week then rebounded to beat Atletic Bilbao 3-2 on the weekend. The concern here is that Juventus is not very good, which would mean Real is not very good. But they have a better record against top competition than the teams behind them (even with the loss to Juve) so they get fourth for now.
Next Up: Visit Real Union de Irun (who? Don't ask us) in the Copa del Rey Wednesday, followed by a trip to Almeira Sunday.
Against Top 25: Won at Zenit St. Petersburg (2-1, Sept. 30), beat Atletico Madrid (2-1, Oct. 18), lost at Juventus (2-1, Oct. 22).

5 (3). Manchester United
Red Devils had a subpar week. The 3-0 Champions League victory against Celtic was much closer than the score indicated (Man U. got two offsides goals, UEFA even admitted as much. Way to get back your refs, guys) and then there were the dropped points at Everton Saturday.
Next Up: Host West Ham and Hull, Wednesday and Saturday, respectively.
Against Top 25: Lost to Zenit St. Petersburg (2-1), lost at Liverpool (2-1, Sept. 13), tied Villareal at home (0-0, Sept. 17), tied at Chelsea (1-1, Sept. 21), beat Celtic (3-0, Oct. 22).

6 (5). Inter Milan
Talk about subpar weeks, Inter managed only a 1-0 victory over Famagusta in their Champions League game, then did even worse by dropping points to Genoa at home yesterday to relinquish first place in Serie A (to Udinese, of all teams).
Next Up: Visit Fiorentina Wednesday and host Reggina Calcio Saturday. Then play Famagusta again (this time in Cyprus) on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Against Top 25: Lost to AC Milan (1-0, Sept. 28), won at Panathinaikos (2-0, Sept. 16).

7. (9) AC Milan
What a week for the rossoneri! Not only did they win both games (3-1 over Heerenveen in UEFA Cup action and 1-0 at Atalanta Bergamo yesterday) they also inked a deal with a man known as Goldenballs, albeit only on a loan arrangement.
Next Up: A pair of home games, Siena on Wednesday and Napoli Sunday. Then it's Sporting Braga in UEFA Cup action on Thursday Nov. 6, also at home.
Against Top 25: Beat Inter Milan (1-0, Sept. 28), beat Lazio (4-1, Sept. 21).

8 (6). Villareal.
What can you say about a team that last week had a goals/against record of 10/7? Besides the fact that they score a lot of goals and don't play defense? The Yellow Submarine beat Aalborg 6-3 at midweek in the Champions League, then tied Atletico Madrid 4-4 yesterday. The latter result really should have been a victory seeeing as Villareal had a 4-2 lead with a man advantage 10 minutes from time.
Next Up: Aalborg in the CL, then Atletico Madrid at home Sunday.
Against Top 25: Tied Man U at Old Trafford (0-0, Sept. 18), beat Celtic at home (1-0, Sept. 29), tied Atletico Madrid at home (4-4, Oct. 26).

9 (8). Valencia
The first placed team in Spain tied Recreativo Huelva 1-1 yesterday. It was a road game but Huelva are 18th in La Liga so that will hurt a bit. The ranking committee remains very skeptical of Valencia, who have not played any top competition since the league cup against Real Madrid (and that was a glorified scrimmage) and are in one of the weakest UEFA Cup groups.
Next Up: Visit Club Portugalete for Copa del Rey action Wednesday, followed by Racing Santander at home Saturday.
Against Top 25: Lost to Real Madrid over two legs in Spanish Supercup.

10 (11). Arsenal
Beat Fenerbache and West Ham United last week.
Next Up: Host Spurs for a London derby league game (Wednesday), visit Stoke City (Sunday).
Against Top 25: Tied Dynamo Kiev (1-1, Sept. 17)

11 (13). Juventus
Juve had a resurgent week, beating then No. 2 Real Madrid in Champions League action and seeing off Torino in the Turin derby (it's pronounced "dar-bee"). Did this rescue the bianconeri's season? It very well may have. We aren't quite ready to return them to the top 10 yet though (they're in 10th place in Serie A, for God's sake).
Next Up: Visit Bologna Wednesday, then host Roma Saturday. Who would have thought Juventus and Roma would be 10th and 15th, respectively, in Serie A at this point? Well it's still early.
Against Top 25: Beat Zenit St. Petersburg (1-0, Sept. 17), tied at Fiorentina (1-1, Aug. 31), tied at BATE Borisov (2-2, Sept. 30), beat Real Madrid (2-1, Oct. 22).

12. (10) Sevilla
Beat Stuttgart 2-0 in their UEFA Cup group then lost 1-0 at home to Malaga--their first loss of the season and the first time they gave up a goal since Sept. 13.
Next Up: Visit SD Ponferradina in the Copa del Rey (who are all these teams?) then visit Valladolid in Liga action Sunday.
Against Top 25: Won at Atletico Madrid (1-0, Sept. 28)

13 (14). Atletico Madrid
Tied the new No. 1 team in the world 1-1 at midweek, then tied again against No. 8 Villareal, 4-4 yesterday.
Next Up: A reprieve from a brutal stretch of the schedule (four Top 25 teams so far this month, which is more than many teams play all season) with Orihuela (we're not making this up; that's what they're called) in the Copa del Rey at midweek followed by Mallorca at home Saturday. Then things get difficult again with a trip to Anfield Tuesday, Nov. 4. I think that's an important date in the U.S. but I don't know why. Thanksgiving day? No, that's on a Thursday. Hmm.
Against Top 25: Lost at Barcelona (6-1, Oct. 4), lost to Real Madrid (2-1, Oct. 18), tied Liverpool (1-1, Oct. 23), tied Villareal (4-4, Oct. 26).

14. (15) Dynamo Kiev
Dynamo won their Champions League game at Porto last week and followed up with an easy victory in their domestic league game to expand their lead to five points. Incidentally, this team has not lost this season. This includes games against Arsenal and Spartak Moscow and Fenerbahce Instanbul. And now Porto.
Next Up: A Ukranian cup tie at mid-week followed by a league game. Both of these games are against teams we can't prounounce. Then the return leg against Porto. Against Top 25: Tied Arsenal (1-1, Sept. 17)

15 (12). Olympique Lyon
Beat Steaua Bucharest on the road in midweek CL action, which isn't bad especially considering Lyon were losing late in that one. Then played a scoreless game at Auxerre yesterday. This would have been a fine result a decade or so ago when Auxerre had the likes of Djibril Cisse and Philippe Mexes but these days Auxerre is 12th in Ligue Un, which is about where you'd figure an MLS side to be placed if they were French. Still, Lyon hang on to first place and remain on track to advance in the Champions League. But we can't help be concerned by their form; the Bucharest victory was their first in five games.
Next Up: Visit last placed Sochaux then host third-placed Le Mans.
Against Top 25: Tied Fiorentina at home (2-2, Sept. 17) and Bayern Munich on the road (1-1, Sept. 30).

16 (21). Bayern Munich
Jurgen Klinsmann's side won both games last week, the first a convincing 3-0 drubbing of Fiorentina, a team that was actually ahead of them in last week's standings. The second saw them down 2-0 to Wolfsburg (partly due to a bogus penalty) before they came back to win 4-2.
Next Up: Visit Eintracht Frankfurt then host Arminia Bielefeld. I think these German team names might actually mean something?
Against Top 25: Tied Olympique Lyon (1-1, Sept. 30), won at Steaua Bucharest (1-0, Sept. 17), beat Fiorentina at home (3-0, Oct. 22).

17 (-). Udinese
Udine make their debut appearance on the Top 25 thanks to being the first-placed team in Italy and losing only once all season in all competitions (a forgiveable 1-0 road loss to No. 11 Juventus back on Sept. 14). Okay, so they aren't in the Champions League. That's due to what happened last year and they are in UEFA, where they also happen to be unbeaten (before you laugh at them being in a group with Spurs, we remind you that they beat Borussia Dortmund to qualify). Last week they became the last team to beat a Juande Ramos-coached Premiership side, besting Tottenham by 2-0, then followed that up with a 3-1 victory over hapless Roma.
Next Up: Catania Calcio on the road Wednesday, then Genoa at home Saturday. They face Spartak Moscow on Thursday, Nov. 6.
Against Top 25: Lost to Juventus (1-0, Sept. 14)

18 (17). Fiorentina
La Viola managed to rebound from their midweek Champions League loss at No. 16 Bayern Munich by winning 3-1 at Palermo yesterday. They would have dropped further even with the win, but the teams behind them all lost games as well.
Next Up: Things get interesting, with No. 6 Inter Milan paying a visit Wednesday. Then a game at Siena, followed by the return leg with Bayern.
Against Top 25: Tied Steaua Bucharest at home (0-0, Sept. 30), lost at Lazio (3-0, Sept. 24), tied at Lyon (2-2, Sept. 17), tied Juventus at home (1-1, Aug. 31), lost at Bayern Munich (3-0, Oct. 22).

19 (-). Benfica Lisbon
Benfica return to the Top 25 for the first time in a very long time (we don't know exactly when but Google should be able to tell you). They do this despite only sitting in third place in Liga Segares and despite selling their best player, Fredy Adu. Just kidding about the second one. They are unbeaten in all competition (a 3-2 loss in the first leg of their UEFA Cup qualifier with Napoli notwithstanding. They made it up by winning the return leg 2-0). Last week they tied at Hertha Berlin, 1-1 and won their domestic league game.
Next Up: Vitoria Guimares Sunday. Galatasaray visit Thursday, Nov. 6.

20 (18) Celtic
Rebounded from their 3-0 loss at Old Trafford to beat Hibs 4-2 and extend their lead to three points over idle Rangers in the SPL. Unfortunately, the loss to Man United means Hoops are not likely to see European action after new year's.
Next Up: Visit Kilmarnock for a League Cup match Wednesday, then travel to Hearts Sunday. Get another chance with Man United on Nov. 5.
Against Top 25: Lost at Villareal (1-0, Sept. 30), lost at Man Utd. (3-0, Oct. 22).

21 (-). Chivas Guadelajara
We have to put Chivas in here after the week they had. In three games, the red and white reasserted themselves as a team everybody in the entire Western hemisphere must reckon with. We're not even exaggerating. First came a victory over last week's 19th ranked club Atlante, then a 2-1 win at River Plate and finally a victory by the identical score at archrival Club America in the Azteca.
Next Up: Host UNAM Pumas Nov. 2. The return leg against River is not until Nov. 7.
Against Top 25: Beat Atlante at home (1-0, Oct. 19)

22 (20). Zenit St. Petersburg
Tied BATE Borisov in a Champions League game they needed to win, then tied Tom Tomsk (hey is that named after the GPS device company?) in a Russian league match. Things have not gone as planned for the team from the city formerly known as Leningrad, who are now in very serious danger of being dropped from the Top 25 list altogether.
Next Up: Saturn Ramenskoje Wednesday and Khimki Friday in domestic league games.
Against Top 25: Lost at Juventus (1-0, Sept. 17), lost to Real Madrid (2-1, Sept. 30), tied BATE Borisov (1-1, Oct. 22).

23 (19). Atlante
Mexico's defending Apertura champs lost at No. 21 Chivas back on Oct. 19 and do not appear to have played since.
Next Up: At Monterrey, Sunday.
Against Top 25: Beat Club San Luis (Aug. 31), lost at Chivas (1-0, Oct. 19).

24 (25) BATE Borisov
The Belarusian (or is it Belarussian?) side rebounded from the 1-1 home tie with No. 22 Zenit St. Petersburg to win their domestic competition on the weekend.
Next Up: Torpedo something then second-placed Dynamo Minsk.
Against Top 25: Tied Juventus at home (2-2, Sept. 30), lost at Real Madrid (2-0), tied Zenit St. Petersburg at home (1-1, Oct. 20).

25. (24) Boca Juniors
Lost the first leg of the Copa Sudamerican quarterfinal with Internacional by 2-0. It was a road game so Boca could of course come back and advance but one suspects they weren't expecting this. Rebounded to beat Rosario Central at the Bombonera on the weekend.
Next Up: Visit Banfield Wednesday, then host first-placed San Lorenzo Sunday. Boca sit third, five points behind San Lorenzo, so this is obviously a must-win with eight games remaining in the Apertura.

Dropping Out:
Palmeiras (16), CFR Cluj (22), Hamburg SV (23)

Also receiving consideration:
CA San Lorenzo, Bordeaux, Aston Villa

Oct 22, 2008

The Wednesday Wrap: Juve Rejuvenated (Bayern, Lyon too)

Juventus went a long way toward reversing a slow start to their season, beating Soccer Source No. 2-ranked Real Madrid 2-1 yesterday (Juve are 13th. Yeah they'll move up). Alessandro Del Piero got a lovely goal in the fifth minute and Claudio Ranieri's side scored another before Real started to mount a comeback (they came close too. After Ruud van Nistelrooy got one back in the 66th the post was all that stood in the way of a Rafael van der Vaart equalizer late in the game). The win reverses a five-game winless streak for Juve (five game winless streak? How did they only fall to 13? The ranking committee may have some explaining to do there).

Elsewhere, three games saw 25 goals between them (that's more than eight a game, for those of you doing the math). Villareal (No. 6) got a sloppy 6-3 victory over Aalborg, No. 12 Lyon won 5-3 at Steaua Bucharest after being down 2-0 early and 3-2 at the half (this vindicates the ranking committee's decision to drop Steaua from the Top 25 a few weeks ago) and No. 11 Arsenal won 5-2 at Fenerbahce.

We told you Dynamo Kiev was good. The Ukranian side's exploits have them solidly in the Top 25 (15th at last count. Is a top 10 in the bidding? Probably not this week. But who knows). What are these exploits? The 1-0 win at Porto yesterday was just the most recent one (Porto are not a top 25 side this year). We're talking about a team (Kiev) that given up one (1) goal since mid-August--the solitary goal came in the Champs League game with Arsenal on Sept. 17.

Back to the rejuvenation theme mentioned in the header, Bayern Munich (No. 23) booked a solid 3-0 victory over Fiorentina (at No. 17 a team that actually was ahead of them in the Top 25). The Bavarian club has had a very choppy start to the season--at least domestically. They're unbeaten in the Champions League. But Jurgen Klinsmann's side is now quietly unbeaten in four games in all competition. They host Wolfsburg Saturday and will be expected to continue this streak at the very least. Fiorentina, meanwhile, are in trouble. With two points from three games they sit third, three points behind Lyon. But there's still time and we're not quite willing to write off Steaua Bucharest altogether. Yeah they only have one point from three games, but they can play with these teams and who knows maybe things will turn in their favor (though let's face it; probably not).

Finally, how about BATE Borisov? The Belarusian side are also in the Top 25 (barely, at No. 25) but drew No. 20 Zenit St. Petersburg 1-1. A disappointing draw for St. Pete, who will need to produce some stellar results in the last three games to make it out of this group (they're dead last, five points behind second-placed Real Madrid). After all this, Zenit may not even get a chance to defend their UEFA Cup championship. But there's still time. The Russian side did well against Real and Juve and were unlucky to lose the former game in particular. Still, you can't help but be a little disappointed by this most recent result by the team from the city formerly known as Leningrad.

Oh yeah, Man United (No. 3) scored two offside goals and one legitimate one to beat No. 18 Celtic by 3-0. Celtic look to be playing for a UEFA Cup spot at this point. They're tied for last with Aalborg on one point. Man U. and Villareal have seven.

Oct 20, 2008

The world's top 25 soccer clubs, Oct. 20, 2008

Well that was a boring two weeks, wasn't it? Or would you really rather watch national teams slog it out against mediocre competition than see the best club teams compete against each other? We didn't think so. There was one round of games for most teams after the international break. Let's take a look at what happened:

1. (Last week: 1). Chelsea
Can anybody doubt Chelsea is the best team in the world right now? Sure they can (and probably do). But the record speaks for itself. Given all empirical evidence at our disposal, Chelsea are the best club in the world right now. Fact. After disemboweling Middlesbrough 5-0 on Saturday, Blues have six wins, no losses and two ties in Premiership action with a +16 goal difference. (That's just the Premiership. They're also unbeaten in Champions League and League Cup play). The last time Chelsea gave up a goal was in the 18th minute of their game with Manchester United on Sept. 21. That was six games ago. 522 minutes in all competition. That's dominance, folks. But they haven't seen much top competition yet. That is about to change however, because...
Next Up: Roma at home Wednesday, followed by a top of the able clash with Liverpool Sunday.
Against (past or present) Top 25 clubs: Tied Man U at home (1-1, Sept. 21)

2 (2). Real Madrid
Real won the Madrid derby against Atletico on a very late stoppage time penalty.
Next Up: At Juventus in the Champions League tomorrow, followed by Bilbao at home Sunday.
Against Top 25: Beat Atletico Madrid (2-1, Oct. 18), won at Zenit St. Petersburg (2-1, Sept. 30), beat Valencia over two legs in Spanish Supercopa.

3 (3). Manchester United
Red Devils have put together an impressive streak of their own, winning their last four games by a combined score of 11-0. Okay, so those teams were (in order) West Bromwich Albion, Blackburn, Aalborg and Bolton. Still these are games you need to win if you're going to have any pretensions at, well, anything.
Next Up: Host Celtic Tuesday, visit Everton Saturday.
Against Top 25: Tied Villareal at home (0-0, Sept. 17), tied at Chelsea (1-1, Sept. 21), lost at Liverpool (2-1, Sept. 13), lost to Zenit St. Petersburg (2-1).

4 (5). FC Barcelona
Barca won at Bilbao Saturday. Winning at Bilbao was once a formidable feat even for the likes of Barca, but Atletico looks like they're in store for a crappy season, sitting 17th in the Primera.
Next Up: Visit FC Basel at midweek then host Almeira in the Copa del Rey.
Against Top 25: Beat Atletico Madrid at home (6-1, Oct. 4), beat Sporting Lisbon at home (3-1, Sept. 16).

5 (6). Inter Milan
At one point (it seems like so long ago but really wasn't) AS Roma were a Top 25 side and seen as legitimate title contenders, not only in Serie A but in Europe as well. But after a string of disappointing results, Inter became the latest team to defeat the Romans, doing it by a 4-0 score yesterday. They take over first place in Serie A with the victory.
Next Up: Famagusta in the Champions League Wednesday, followed by Genoa Sunday. Both games are home, so we're expecting them to win both.
Against Top 25: Lost to AC Milan (1-0, Sept. 28), won at Panathinaikos (2-0, Sept. 16)

6 (4). Villareal.
The Yellow Submarine played a scoreless draw at Espanyol Barcelona yesterday. Not a huge disappointment, but enough to knock them down a spot. Actually two spots.
Next Up: Aalborg in the CL, then Atletico Madrid at home Sunday.
Against Top 25: Tied Man U at Old Trafford (0-0, Sept. 18), beat Celtic at home (1-0, Sept. 29)

7 (7). Liverpool
Reds came back to beat Wigan Saturday, their stecond-straight come-from-behind victory that ended 3-2 (the first was the Oct. 4 classic against Man City). Ten minutes from time Reds were down a goal in this most recent one, but Albert Riera equalized and Dirk Kuyt got his second of the game five minutes from time to bring victory to Rafa Benitez' men. But things are about to get a lot tricker...
Next Up: Visit Atletico Madrid Wednesday. Then it's off to Stamford Bridge.
Against Top 25: Beat Manchester United (2-1, Sept. 13), beat Olympique Marseille on the road (2-1, Sept. 16).

8 (8). Valencia
The first place team in Spain beat Numancia by 4-0 yesterday. Unfortunately they aren't in the Champions League so we will have to wait a little while before we see Valencia tested against top competition (their UEFA Cup group certainly won't do it. It was judged the third easiest group by, uh, us).
Next Up: Visit Recreativo Huelva Sunday.
Against Top 25: Lost to Real Madrid over two legs in Spanish Supercup.

9. (11) AC Milan
The rossoneri continued their resurgence, beating Sampdoria 3-0 on Saturday (a 3-0 victory in Serie A is like a 6-0 victory anywhere else).
Next Up: A trip to Atalanta Bergamo, Sunday.
Against Top 25: Beat Inter Milan (1-0, Sept. 28), beat Lazio (4-1, Sept. 21).

10. (12) Sevilla
Won at Almeira, 1-0 Sunday. Besides being unbeaten in all competition this year, Sevilla have only given up four goals all season, three of which came in one game (a 4-3 victory over Sporting Gijon on Sept. 13--incidentally the last time anybody put one past starting goalkeeper Andres Palop).
Next Up: Host Stuttgart in the UEFA Cup Thursday and Malaga in la Liga Sunday.
Against Top 25: Won at Atletico Madrid (1-0, Sept. 28)

11 (13). Arsenal
An impressive second half brought victory to Arsene Wenger's Gunners Saturday. At halftime Everton led 1-0 but three goals avoided another Premiership disappointment.
Next Up: Visit Fenerbahce in the Champions League tomorrow, followed by a trip to the East End, Sunday.
Against Top 25: Tied Dynamo Kiev (1-1, Sept. 17)

12 (10). Olympique Lyon
Tied Lille 2-2 at home Saturday. Lille are a decent side by French standards (which means they could probably survive relegation in Spain, Italy or England) and sit sixth in Ligue Un this season. Still this doesn't inspire confidence for the defending French champs, especially not after losing 3-0 to Rennes on Oct. 5.
Next Up: Visit Steaua Bucharest tomorrow for Matchday 3 in the CL then visit Auxerre.
Against Top 25: Tied Fiorentina at home (2-2, Sept. 17) and Bayern Munich on the road (1-1, Sept. 30).

13 (9). Juventus
Juve continue to spiral downwards, losing at Napoli 2-1 Saturday and slipping to 12th place in Serie A.
Next Up: Host No. 2 Real Madrid Wednesday. A victory there would go a long way toward righting the ship. Also host the Torino derby (it's pronounced "dar-bee" Saturday).
Against Top 25: Beat Zenit St. Petersburg (1-0, Sept. 17), tied at Fiorentina (1-1, Aug. 31), tied at BATE Borisov (2-2, Sept. 30).

14 (15). Atletico Madrid
Lost to cross town rivals Real, 2-1 on a penalty kick in the seventh minute of stoppage time. This may not be Atletico's year after all. But they played Real pretty tough and least they didn't lose 6-1 (like they did to Barca). So wait, a team loses its biggest game of the season and moves up a spot? Well, yes. Partly for logistical reasons (nobody else to replace the 14th spot vacated by Atlante) and partly because they deserve it. There is such a thing as a "quality loss" after all. Says the Soccer Source ranking committee, that is.
Next Up: No. 7 Liverpool (home, Oct. 22) and No. 6 Villareal (away, Oct. 26) are on the docket. We'll have a solid idea of what Atletico are made of when that's done.
Against Top 25: Lost at Barcelona (6-1, Oct. 4), lost to Real Madrid (2-1, Oct. 18).

15. (16) Dynamo Kiev
Beat up on Lugansk Friday, 5-0. Check this out: since mid August, the only team to score against Dynamo was Arsenal (but they didn't beat them either. The Sept. 17 Champs League game ended in a 1-1 tie).
Next Up: Visit FC Porto, a team that is knocking on the door of the Top 25 but hasn't done enough to be let in (yet). If Dynamo lose this game we'll have to revisit their ranking, of course.
Against Top 25: Tied Arsenal (1-1, Sept. 17)

16. (18) Palmeiras
Came back to tie defending champs (and crosstown rivals) FC Sao Paolo yesterday. Palmeiras were down 2-0 late in the second half but got goals in the 79th and 81st minutes to rescue the point. Sounds like a crazy game; there were three red cards issued in all. Previously, Palmeiras tied Figuerinse 0-0.
Next Up: The first leg of their Sudamericana quarterfinal match-up with Argentinos Juniors (the return leg is Nov. 5). In case you're wondering, the quarterfinals feature four Argentine teams, three Brazilian sides and one Mexican club.

17 (20). Fiorentina
Beat Reggina by 3-0 Saturday. A 3-0 victory in Serie A is like a 6-0 vic....oh wait, ran that line already. Sorry. Uh, La Viola have not been scored on in four games and are in a three-way tie for fifth place in Serie A.
Next Up: Visit Bayern Munich for CL action at midweek. Travel to Palermo Sunday.
Against Top 25: Tied Steaua Bucharest at home (0-0, Sept. 30), lost at Lazio (3-0, Sept. 24), tied at Lyon (2-2, Sept. 17), tied Juventus at home (1-1, Aug. 31).

18. (19) Celtic
Beat Inverness, 2-1. Are first in SPL but only three points clear of Rangers, who have a game in hand.
Next Up: A trip to Old Trafford in what may be a must-win if Celtic are going to see any European action after new year's.
Against Top 25: Lost at Villareal (1-0, Sept. 30)

19 (14). Atlante
Mexico's defending Apertura champs lost at Chivas (Guadelajara, not USA) after tying Indios Juarez 3-3 while everybody else was on international break (Mexico, like MLS and a few other places, don't honor FIFA match days). Atlante is not in the Sudamericana so they won't be tested against other (non Mexican) teams this term. But they're clearly the team to beat in Mexico, which makes them a force to be reckoned with.
Next Up: Tecos, Sunday.
Against Top 25: Beat Club San Luis (Aug. 31)

20 (18). Zenit St. Petersburg
Tied their Russian league game 2-2. Is it just us, or does it look like Zenit's star is fading?
Next Up: A do or die game against BATE Borisov in the Champions League.
Against Top 25: Lost at Juventus (1-0, Sept. 17), lost to Real Madrid (2-1, Sept. 30)

21 (23). Bayern Munich
Beat Karlsruhe (it's pronounced Karls-rooh) on Saturday. Bayern have had a rough season. They aren't back yet, but this is a step in the right direction. You can't help but wonder if Klinsmann is wishing he had stayed in California. Especially with the Bavarian winter about to set in.
Next Up: Host No. 17 Fiorentina and Wolfsburg.
Against Top 25: Tied Olympique Lyon (1-1, Sept. 30), won at Steaua Bucharest (1-0, Sept. 17).

22. CFR Cluj (21)

The Romanian side, one of several big surprises to come from the former East bloc, won their domestic league match against Dynamo Bucharest, who were (and we believe still are) top of the table in Romania. Sorry, but anybody who can tie Chelsea belongs in the Top 25. Oh wait, that would include Tottenham. Never mind then.
Next Up: Visit Bordeaux for the next CL match Wednesday.
Against Top 25: Tied Chelsea (0-0, Sept. 29), beat AS Roma (2-1, Sept. 17).

23. (-) Hamburg SV
The top team in Germany return to the Top 25 thanks to a tough game at Schalke 04 (another former Top 25 club) that they very well could (and should?) have won but ended up drawing, 1-1. Strangely, despite being first HSV has a goal differential of only +3. (The second-placed team in Germany's top division are newly-promoted).
Next Up: Visit MSK Zilna in the UEFA Cup followed by the aforementioned Hoffenheim Sunday.
Against Top 25: Tied Bayern Munich (2-2, Aug. 15).

24. (-) Boca Juniors
The boys from the Bombonera are back again, this time thanks in no small part to their 1-0 victory over archrivals River Plate in what is arguably the biggest derby in the world (though I don't know, Grasshoppers vs. FC Zurich is pretty contentious too). It wasn't a very well played game but Boca were the deserved winners and are now fourth in the Apertura standings (eight points behind San Lorenzo with nine games to go).
Next Up: Internacional in the Copa Sudamericana Thursday followed by Rosario Central at home Sunday.

25 (25) BATE Borisov
The Belarusian (or is it Belarussian?) side hang on to their spot in the Top 25 after a scoreless tie in their league match. The defending Belarusian champs have yet to lose in their domestic league this season--a span of 25 games, as Belarus seems to follow the Russio-Scandinavian-U.S. model of starting the season in the spring. Yeah, it's still the Belarusian league. Still, Borisov gets the nod. For now.
Next Up: Their next CL game is at No. 17 Zenit St. Petersburg. We'll know more from that as Zenit have their backs to the wall if they're to finish third in this group, much less advance to the quarterfinals.
Against Top 25: Tied Juventus at home (2-2, Sept. 30), lost at Real Madrid (2-0).

Dropping Out:
Lazio (22), Steaua Bucharest (24).

Also receiving consideration:
CA San Lorenzo, FC Porto, Besiktas Istanbul, Shakthar Donestk, FC Sao Paulo.