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Some Saturday Soccer Observations

Jefferson_farfan_1_ap

Good evening folks. After a day of sun, and the requisite nap that comes with sunning, I wanted to offer up some observations as well as news tidbits to keep the day going for those of you who have turned to SBI for your soccer fix.

Peru reduces suspensions, stars set to return

Reversing what was clearly a dumb decision a few months too late, the Peruvian Football Federation has reduced the suspensions of Jefferson Farfan, Claudio Pizarro and Santiago Acasiete.

What a surprise. Apparently it was a thorough investigation, and not Peru’s terrible World Cup qualifying results, that led to Peru reducing the suspensions of some of its best players. Believe that one and I’ve got a Llama fur wall rug to sell you.

I wonder what Andres Mendoza did to have his suspension upheld. Is there a Youtube video we don’t know about? Or is the Federation figuring it still needs to send a message and can get by without Mendoza since Pizarro, Farfan, Guerrero and Nolberto Solano should be able to create enough of an attack.

Here are some other observations and notes to chew on:

A blast from the SBI past

Here is a very good story by ESPN.com colleague Justin Rodriguez on one-time MetroStar Kevin Knight, who moonlights as a firefighter when he’s not playing for the Richmond kickers. Knight’s one season with the MetroStars was my first season covering the team and I remember him as a good guy and mature professional even back then. We were both rookies in the pro soccer world back then and here we both are a decade later.

I’ll never forget that one of Knight’s chances to play for Bora Milutinovic’s MetroStars came in a terrible 6-0 loss to Kansas City, a game where Milutinovic threw out a 3-6-1 formation that had no chance of winning and simply laughed his way through a loss even more embarrassing than any of this year’s Red Bulls blowout losses (sources told me back then that it was Milutinovic’s way or protesting the lack of help from the league and front office in building a good team). Knight deserved better back then and it’s good to see him enjoy a long career and good life.

France did what?

It may have happened several days ago but I never did get a chance to discuss the French Football Federation’s unbelievable decision to retain head coach Raymond Domenech after a winless Euro 2008. Yes, I get that he helped France reach the 2006 World Cup final, but the 2008 Euro squad played terribly and Domenech has made countless head-scratching decisions (such as leaving David Trezeguet home) since the World Cup.

It’s a sad decision because France actually has a very strong generation of young players that could propel France back among the world’s elite. I just don’t think Domenech is the man to get the most out of that generation. Didier Deschamps could have been that man, but now we’ll never know, or at the very least we won’t know now for a few more years.

The 90th minute

And finally, I’ll leave you with this thought. With the European transfer window now open, and players changing teams left and right, one popular line we keep hearing from European managers is "when a player wants to leave, you have to let him leave." I would love it if just once someone like Martin O’Neill or Alex Ferguson said, "If a players wants to leave, you have to let him leave, unless you’re in that American league."

Along those lines, has anyone else found it interesting (more like ironic) that Wilman Conde and Taylor Twellman, two MLS players who were are desperate to leave their current clubs have played a combine nine matches and made a combined six starts so far this season? Maybe those European managers know what they’re talking about.

Comments

  1. SoulShadow- disagree… Conde has been injured for a good portion of the season… and a good portion of when he was healthy, he wasnt fit… only recently has he been able to be healthy and fit, hence the more time he’s getting…

    now whether Conde truely was injured all that time, i dont know… but if he wasnt he would have been at least in shape…

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  2. You must be reading a lot of the Revs Bigsoccer’s forums to make that comment on Taylor. He’s been injured (though some people think he’s been milking it as a sort of protest), which is why he has not been playing as much. Little different than Conte, who has been healthy but not exactly a good teammate.

    Mike

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  3. I think the French Football Federation made it clear to Domenech that they expect results. If he’s not accomplishing anything in the first few WC qualifiers, he’ll be out. Probably. Maybe. (France fans are predicting two points in the first three games if nothing changes. Stay tuned.)

    One of the biggest problems here, as in many places in the footballing world, is the sheer cost getting rid of somebody. Unfortunately I can’t remember the numbers off the top of my head, but it getting rid of Domenech would not have been cheap. And unfortunately that was a factor.

    And Domenech has longterm connections with the FFF, which Deschamps and the other candidates don’t have. And rumor is that Jean-Pierre Escalettes, of the FFF, is not a Deschamps fan.

    Unfortunately what I think we have here is a combination of financial and political factors trumping common sense. But unless Domenech turns things around fast, I can’t imagine the French public letting him stay in this job for much longer.

    (Also, Eric Cantona says that Deschamps would be “boring” and no improvement. Perhaps he himself wants a larger stage to discuss seagulls and trawlers?)

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  4. The whole Peruvian federation is in shambles, Ives. Did you hear the latest about some inappropriate payments made to some shady firms? Of course, this is coming from the Peruvian press—they make the NY Post look like the Wall Street Journal. Even if the suspended players come back, they won’t make much of a difference. Pizarro rotted on Chelski’s bench last season, Farfan thinks he’s better than the legenday Chumpitaz at this point (even tho he hasn’t done zilch at the national level). I would have to say that Acasiete is the only viable option we have out of the four players that we def. need. He’s a rock in the back. Mendoza is a whole other story. He claims it’s all discrimination vs. him—and he may be right. It’s a mess in Peru, Ives. I’m too heartbroken even to watch the league (today’s Alianza-Universitario derby usually gets me high on emotion but I’m not into it today.)

    And to combo breaker karma: That game you saw recently was a friendly, not a WCQ. Or maybe it was Copa America. Either way, looks like you gave up on your team long before I did. 🙂

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  5. Domenech did make it to a World Cup final and was a penalty shootout away from being a World Champion, I don’t care if he had Zidane, it does make the comparisons to Steve Sampson pretty dubious…

    I’d say that a comparison to Arena makes more sense, as Domenech at the Euros, like Arena at the 2006 WC, stuck with too many veterans like Viera, Makelele, Abidal, etc. when there were younger, less experienced options, who had better club seasons like Flamini and Clichy, who deserved a shot. I’m shocked to see France keep him, but I think the Sampson comparisons are a bit much…

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  6. Ives, what’s the big deal? France’s average age is still only 45. That’s younger than their manager, and Italy. They’ll be fine.

    Nice to hear that blast from the past about Knight. I can count the number hone games (and televised ones) I’ve missed since ’96 and I barely even remember this guy existing. Having said that, thanks for bringing up that loss. It’s good to know this season isn’t rock bottom my friend. 😉

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  7. i bet you wouldnt beleive it but i actually do have a llama fur wall rug to sell :/

    im bolivian and saw the world cup qualifier against between peru and bolivia, they really need those suspended players. 😀

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  8. Your last point is an interesting one in light of the Ronaldo saga. I am curious what he will do, how fans will treat him if and when he suits up for Man U again . . . they should sell him if he wants to play for Madrid. Motivation, attitude, and happiness all contribute to a player’s quality.

    If he truly wants to leave for Madrid and is willing to make life difficult for Man U, the whole thing could get very ugly.

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  9. Clueless: It’s easy to compare Domenech to Sampson. “Crazy Ray” did less with more. Far less in the way of results with talent that even Sampson wouldn’t have messed up so badly. Dunno what the FFF was thinking… er, smoking, but whatever it is, I want some!

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  10. ives, your right descamps would of been perfect. and la foquiita is back !, man let me tell you peru is not as bad as the wooping they got in uruguay. i’m glad the peruvian federation are getting their heads out of their a**es ’cause they’ve got real good players. hope they bounce back, just not when they play my albeceleste!

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  11. How does one compare Domenech to Steve “WC 98 Embarrassment” Sampson….well in the spirit of Jeopardy…Alex I’ll take nonsensical analogies in a vain attempt to be clever for $500!!!

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  12. And now, kids, time for “Final Jeopardy!” Today’s category is Soccer

    A: Raymond Domenech

    Q: How do you say “Steve Sampson” or “Hugo Sanchez” in French?

    Reply

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