After Capello, England wonders what’s next

By: Kiran Balan

With the sudden resignation of Fabio Capello, the English Football Association has been left scrambling for a replacement. According to press reports and rumors, the F.A. prefers a manager who is English, but is England ready to give another Englishman a chance after the failures of Steve McClaren?

India: A New Age Of Soccer

Hernan Crespo hoping to win more silverware

By: Kiran Balan

Soccer is the world’s sport. It has the ability to unite and create opportunities for anyone and everyone who has the determination and desire to succeed. It is with this thinking that India has developed a soccer league called the Premier Soccer League. The main goal of this large project is to raise awareness of the soccer in the region and to build on the recent soccer frenzy that hit the country in recent months. The new league will be a welcomed breath of fresh air to a country that is cricket crazy.  With the Indian national soccer team ranked at a dismal 158^th in the world according to FIFA’s current rankings.  The league will begin in the Indian state of West Bengal and based on the popularity of the league, could spread to other states in India.  It is believed to have a similar structure as Major League Soccer in North America and of the competitive I-League in India.

Top 10 Deadline Day Transfers: January 2012

By: Kiran Balan and Joe Ballard

Another January, another Transfer Deadline Day done and dusted. It might not have been the barnstormer of big-name moves we were hoping for, but there were still plenty of surprise transfers all around England and even some here in America’s MLS. My colleague Kiran and I are bringing you our top ten transfers from Deadline Day and our thoughts on how these players could impact their new clubs.

Nikica Jelavic:

Rangers FC to Everton (Undisclosed Fee)

Jelavic signed a four-and-a-half year deal with David Moyes’ side on Tuesday for a fee thought to be in the range of £6 million. The precociously talented striker signed with Glasgow Rangers in 2010, quickly becoming their star man up front and leading them to two Scottish Premier League titles. The EPL will be a big step up for the Croatian, but he has the skills to acclimate and could be the spark Everton needs to kick-start their season. An excellent piece of business for Moyes’ team.

The US Women’s National Team: Hearts of Gold

By: Kiran Balan

The year 2012 is a year of no regrets for the United States Women’s National Soccer Team. After a rather disappointing 2011 in which the USWNT barely qualified for the World Cup in Germany and losing a heartbreaking final to tournament underdogs Japan, the time came to move forward. Olympic qualifying matches have come thick and fast for the United States, but the US has used their limited time together to rebuild lost chemistry and to fix mistakes that proved costly in 2011.

2012: A New Year and a New United States National Team

                                                                                                                                                                                        By: Kiran Balan

On January 21^st 2012, the United States Mens National Soccer Team opened the calendar year with an international friendly against Venezuela. In the lead up to this game, Venezuela looked to be formidable opposition, especially during a successful Copa America in which they were able to beat cup favorites Argentina in one of the shock results of the year.  In addition the United States have been unlucky with a recent run of results yielding only 3wins in 8 games.  This friendly match proved to be another testing ground for players looking to make a break through to the main 1^st team. The players called up consisted an MLS majority along with Jermaine Jones and Ricardo Clark who both ply their trade in the German Bundesliga. Many were skeptical of the US getting a result against their South American opposition, despite being undefeated against Venezuela in particular.

Halftime at Stamford Bridge: Part 1

By: Kiran Balan

The 2011-2012 Barclay’s Premier League season so far has been a tough and trying time for Chelsea FC. They have seen their consistent position in the top four come into real scrutiny due to exceptional play of both Tottenham Hotspurs, and money bags Manchester City. Throughout the current season, I have seen the roller coaster ride that has been Chelsea’s season. There are many people who believe it is the duty of the manager to get the most out of his players, but the coach can only do so much in terms of tactics and motivational halftime talks. It is up to the players to carry out the expectations that the coach sets forth. Sacking or removing the manager will do little to solve the long term expectations of the soccer club. With the impressive CV that Villas-Boas has at such a young age, he surely must know how to get the best out of his players. Chelsea FC’s managerial job has been a revolving door, and has only served to solve the short term problems at the club. It is time that Chelsea FC keeps a manager for the long term, just look at Arsene Wenger and Sir. Alex Ferguson and you will see how they were able to inspire generations of players to go on and be the best domestically and internationally. It is with this belief that I think that Chelsea FC should take a look at their full squad and determine who should stay and who should go? Chelsea FC need a revamp in terms of players and it starts with the selling of dead weight players.