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Chelsea won the first battle of EPL heavyweights on Sunday when the Blues knocked off defending champion Manchester United, and while the victory didn't help Chelsea take over the top spot in the SBI European Club Top 25, it has the Blues piling even more pressure on No. 1 Barcelona.
Manchester United tumbled down to fifth after the loss and those wondering why Chelsea didn't move into the No. 1 spot, look no further than its mid-week 2-2 draw vs. Atletico Madrid. Yes, Barcelona drew against Rubin Kazan, but Rubin Kazan is proving to be a very good team and moves up to eighth in this week's rankings.
Several teams moved up this week, including red-hot Arsenal, which moved past Manchester United in the EPL standings and our Top 25.
Two new teams entered the Top 25 this week, with FC Twente shooting up the list after its victory against Ajax, and with Valencia continuing its winning ways in Spain. The week's biggest gainers, aside from Twente, were AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen. Milan continued its unbeaten run with a draw vs. Real Madrid and Serie A victory, while Leverkusen increased its lead atop the Bundesliga standings (and yes, its lack of European competition is why Leverkusen isn't ranked higher).
Here is how this week's SBI European Club Top 25 shakes out:
SBI European Club Top 25
1. (1) BARCELONA (8-0-2)
2. (2) CHELSEA (10-2)
3. (5) ARSENAL (8-2-1)
4. (4) INTER MILAN (9-1-2)
5. (3) MANCHESTER UNITED (8-2-1)
6. (7) REAL MADRID (8-1-1)
7. (9) JUVENTUS (7-2-3)
8. (10) FK RUBIN KAZAN (18-5-5)
9. (8) SEVILLA (7-2-1)
10. (6) BORDEAUX (8-3-1)
11. (12) Werder Bremen (6-1-5)
12. (15) Fiorentina (6-3-3)
13. (17) AC Milan (6-2-4)
14. (13) Lyon (7-2-3)
15. (19) Bayer Leverkusen (7-0-5)
16. (11) Olympiakos (8-0-2)
17. (14) Hamburg (6-1-5)
18. (21) Shakhtar Donetsk (8-0-4)
19. (NR) Twente Enschede (11-0-2)
20. (22) Fenerbahce (8-1-1)
21. (16) Dinamo Kiev (10-0-2)
22. (24) Panathanaikos (9-0-1)
23. (NR) Valencia (6-1-3),
24. (20) Braga (8-1-1, l)
25. (23) Benfica (7-1-1)
OTHERS RECEIVING CONSIDERATION:
Tottenham (7-4-1), PSV Eindhoven (10-0-3), Sampdoria (6-3-3), Ajax Amsterdam (9-2-2), Galatasaray (8-1-1), Aston Villa (6-3-3), Wolfsburg (6-3-3), FC Porto (6-2-2), Marseille (5-2-4), Bayern Munich (5-2-4), Manchester City (5-1-5), Schalke 04 (6-2-4)
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What do you think of this week's rankings? Think Chelsea should have moved into first place? Starting to believe in Rubin Kazan as one of the top teams in Europe? Which team missed out on the Top 25 that you think should be there?
Share your thoughts below.
Andy in Atlanta:
Good points. The US is not a patsy anymore. First thing people will point to is the 2006 WC. Two responses to that: The group was vicious and France. Win in 1998, don’t advance in 2002, 2nd place in 2006.
My point is that if you use 2002 as the start of the current era in US soccer (using the advent of LD and DMB as the start point), then we have a quarter finals and a DNA. Not too bad. Let’s see what happens in SA2010 but anybody who thinks that in a normal group, the US won’t advance, you’re being willfully pessimistic.
Chelsea are surely No.1 in this list
Tottenham is already in the top 4. When they get Modric back they’ll be there to stay.
Tottenham needs Modric back, then they will get back in the top 25, maybe even the EPL top 4
Barcelona loses and draws against Runin Kazahn, yet remain on top.
Prediction- Chelsea wins the EPL and the Champions League but somehow find a way not to finish #1 on SBI
Love these rankings, Its a nice change from the constant
“PREM LEAGUE/REAL/BARCA/OTHER BIG EUROBANDWAGON” teams that everyone seems to root for.
Whoops, nvm.
No Twente Enschede?
Curious as to why AC Milan is so high with teams with imilar records missing out and better records lower. But I will say i am no expert on Europe.
(SBI-AC Milan had a terrible start to the season but hasn’t lost since September and finished unbeaten in two meetings with Real Madrid. The rankings aren’t purely on won-loss record. Current form plays a part, so if two teams have the same or similar records but one started great and has slumped the past month, while the other had a bad first month or so and has been great since, the team that’s hot now will be ranked higher. Also, competing in Europe is also a factor, which is why Werder Bremen is ranked ahead of Leverkusen despite Leverkusen being in first place in Germany.)
biggest problem with spurs drop in form i think is missing modric though no lennon and defoe the past few matches hurt too.. I’m sure with defoe they would have beat stoke
Exactly right. And while having Americans on these “Top 25” teams is somewhat a barometer of our success in improving the quality of our players, a more accurate measure is whether we have players who are as good as or better than the starting players in these Top 25 teams.
Where are you getting struggle from? We just finished 2nd in the confed cup and broke the best team in the worlds streak… that is not really struggling… We had Brazil on the ropes… have you ever thought that perhaps we are just a top 15 team in the world? I am quite ok with that having just watched some old taped games from the 90 WC… Watching our college boys out there with no hope compared to what we do now… night and day my friend…
We have plenty of players good enough to play for quality Euro sides… Landon could play for every team in the prem and start for all but maybe 3 or 4… Dempsey starts every game for a top 10 side in the best league in the world and one of their better players… Jozy will start as he continues to learn and mature for a side better than Hull… Bradley is likely going to be a star after this WC… Gooch went to AC Milan and should have played more… Dolo is considered one of hte best outside backs in the Bundesliga… Boca plays every game for Rennes and will likely take over captaincy for them next year…
No we dont have players playing for Chelsea, Manure etc… but guys like Spector and Cooper where there as youths so it is not like we are some small fish… we just lack some respect and that will come sooner rather tan later…
Well — there are a couple of near misses. Benfica still owns Adu, I believe. And Altidore nearly signed with Olympiakos. That said, you’re stating the obvious as if you’ve made some stunning discovery. Everybody knows all this, already. The next generation, hopefully, will take some strides in that direction. Gil, possibly with Arsenal. Renken might wind up with a Champions League team someday — if he can regain form and stay healthy from now on. Perhaps, Aston Villa will crack back into the list (2 Americans on the roster, and one in the reserves). They’re coming. This doesn’t happen overnight.
My question: Who the are Americans PLAYING for these teams? (emphasis because I realize Onyewu is injured) Are there any other players at least on the roster and/or dressing for games(and not on loan somewhere else)?
I think this helps to explain why the USA struggles to consistently perform at the international level. I have high hopes for more of our players to break into this level, but right now the dearth of Americans on the top teams speaks volumes.
Point taken Ives. Hopefully when we get Modric and Lennon back.
I grudgingly agree that Chelsea did not do enough to take Barca’s top spot. It’s not the road tie vs. Atletico Madrid that makes me agree but instead the dismal game they played yesterday vs. United. They got the points, yes, but it was kind of painful to watch.
Ives, no Liverpool? hahahahahaha. See, that was small and petty of me.
Here is what you, IVES, said in the last Top 25 post:
(SBI-Of course European competition is considered, and while Chelsea has been great in the Champions League, they’re also in a pretty awful group. I almost put them ahead of Barcelona, but decided to wait. If Chelsea beats Man U, then it will move up to No. 1.)
Chelsea beat ManU this week last time I checked.
Reconrd of teams Barca has beaten:
7, 12, 18, 17, 20, 11, 4, 10, 13, 6 with a plus 21 goal differential.
Ranking of teams CHelsea has beaten:
17, 8, 10, 11, 9, 4, 13, 14, 16, 5, 7, 2 also with a plus 21 goal differential
It is arguable that Chelsea have played better teams. Yes they have lost two league matches but they also have played two more matches. It is also arguable that the quality of La Liga drops of dramatically out of the top 6 teams. I am just saying that I do not think that Chelsea got a fair shake in these rankins and yes i am a chelsea fan, but i am sure that many other that are not Chelsea fans agree that they should be in the number one slot.
Braga over Spurs seems a fairly clear choice to me.
Wow Ives really?
Assuming the Russian League dosn’t drop in the UEFA coefficient rankings, Rubin are (I think) the first team to clinch a 2010 Champions League spot. And 4 points up with two games left, they could clinch their second consecutive Russian championship in their next match.
glad to see schalke getting consideration…now that kuranyi is fit they should be ready to go to the top of the bundesliga
Braga over Spurs? Please.
(SBI-I was as high on Tottenham as anybody before the season, but what’s their best win this season? Liverpool in the opening week? Braga beat Benfica a week ago and was unbeaten until this past weekend. Beating Sunderland was a good result and If Tottenham can beat Aston Villa later this month then you’ll see Spurs move into the rankings, but right now I have them just out.)
Ruiz, at Twente via Ticos, looks like the real deal. I hope can lead Ticos past Uruguay.