Baseball fans, get ready for a brand new day: spring training has begun in Arizona and Florida for all thirty MLB teams.  As a baseball fan, I’ve been counting down the days until pitchers and catchers report to their respective camps; it is here where questions and speculations get answered.  Who’s going to lead the rotation?  Who’s going to play first base on opening day, and who’s going to start the season in AAA?  Who’s going to bat leadoff?  Will Yoenis Cespedes measure up to the hype?  All of these questions will be answered by the end of March when the spring training games have been played, but for now, the players are gathered only for team workouts.

For these first few weeks, it’s just players taking their cuts in the cage for batting practice, and pitchers limbering up throwing off the mound, but for fans, this is enough.  The baseball season ended in October (September if you’re a Braves or Red Sox fan, May if you’re an Astros fan), and through the winter all that was available to talk about was what happened in the season, what your team needed to do over the offseason, and then count down the days until spring training started.  And now, the days made for nine inning escapes from the daily grind are back.

Baseball is a special sport because it never stops.  If games aren’t being played, then teams are trading players, and when teams are trading, fans have something to talk about. With the start of spring training, we now sit at the start of the cycle, which holds all of the hopes and none of the crushed dreams that the end of the regular season holds.  At this point, the division is still winnable, the League Championship Series can still be reached, and the World Series can still be captured- in theory, of course.

So sit back and enjoy the promise of the season ahead. Your team is still in first place, and your seat in the stadium is waiting to join with the masses in singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

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?

Fabio Capello’s resignation came as a surprise, but the circumstances were not, given his strong beliefs against the F.A.’s decision to strip defender John Terry of the English captaincy. Terry is currently awaiting trial after being charged for racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand. Capello, while not approving of Terry’s actions, still believes that the defender’s experience and leadership is second-to-none. Capello also said the decision to strip Terry of his captaincy was premature, as nothing has been proven.

So with just under four months until the 2012 Euros, the F.A. is quickly searching for the next manager. There are quality candidates ready to take over, but one wonders, what is the F.A. looking for in the next manager?

Harry Redknapp: The frontrunner, but will he take the job?

Stuart Pearce, acting as caretaker manager until a permanent replacement is found, knows the players very well. He is the U-21 national team manager, and has coached many of the current players, including Jack Wilshere and Daniel Sturridge. Pearce would be a safe choice, but not one that would take England to international glory.

Another option could be hiring a short-term manager to oversee the Euro 2012 Championships. Both Sven-Göran Eriksson and Guus Hiddink are seen as potentials for the position. Eriksson was England manager from 2001 to 2006, but the media circus during his tenure made it felt like he over welcomed his stay. In recent years, Eriksson has had little success in managing various clubs and national teams, which counts as a strike against him. Hiddink has been magical with every team he’s managed, and the quick positive results he provides make him an attractive candidate for the job. Inconsistency would be a negative aspect of a short-term solution, affecting both the team and future player selection.

Two favored long-term options are José Mourinho and Harry Redknapp. Based on the F.A.’s criteria,Redknapp looks to have the edge on the Mourinho, due the fact that he is English and has been overwhelmingly successful at Tottenham this season. Spurs fans would be very unhappy to see Redknapp leave, and the club’s squad could be picked apart during the next transfer window. With Tottenham looking likely to be playing in the Champions League next season, Redknapp would have a very strong incentive to stay at the club.

A proven winner, but is that enough to convince the FA to hire him?

Then there is the case for bringing in Mourinho. “The Special One” has certainly been special during his time in England and abroad, and it would take a brave soul to count him out of the running for England manager. Mourinho has made it no secret that he would like to return to England someday; now may be the time. His player management skills are top-notch, his tactics often unmatched, and with a Spanish media unhappy with his work at Real Madrid, the incentives to come back to England are immense

*No punches were pulled in the recording of this podcast*

This week, we covered Arsenal’s 7-1 victory of Blackburn, Chelsea’s 3-3 draw with Manchester United, and we also discussed the various pitch invaders from over the past few weeks of matches around the world.  This week’s podcast is one that you won’t want to miss!  If you have questions that you’d like for us to answer on the podcast in the future, leave them in the comments below.  Enjoy!

The Kick Off #3 (Right click to download)

It was another terrific weekend of soccer in the EPL, and while our team of the week was a simple choice, there were so many great individual performances we couldn’t limit the award to just one player. So have a look at DB20′s first ever player(s) of the week as well as a team who “gunned” down their opponents this weekend.

Team of the week: Arsenal

It may have taken the Gunners a while to get their first Premier League victory of 2012, but they did it in style, thrashing Blackburn Rovers 7-1 at the Emirates, and pulling within three points of fourth-placed Chelsea. Captain and team-talisman Robin Van Persie led the way with a terrific hat-trick, while blossoming winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain contributed two of his own. Mikel Arteta and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry also helped contribute to the rout. It’s been a struggle for large parts of the season for Arsene Wenger’s team, but with a terrific win, and Chelsea still stumbling, the race for fourth will surely go down to the wire. Congratulations to Arsenal, DB20′s team of the week!

Player(s) of the week: Petr Cech and David De Gea

This week’s players of the week are Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea and Chelsea’s Petr Cech. Though the keepers played against each other on Sunday, they both pulled off several stunning saves to keep the score from going higher than it already was. Cech was continuously tested as shots peppered his goal, and for the most part he met the challenge.

His counterpart David De Gea looked like a veteran despite his youth. De Gea has been a talking point for critics because of his size and lack of experience, but once again proved that heart and belief will go a long way towards being successful. A shaky performance in the first half and early in the second half changed when United came back from being three goals down to tie it at 3-3. De Gea proved to be vital for the final fifteen minutes, denying Juan Mata’s curling free kick headed for the upper 90, and a blistering shot by Chelsea center-back Gary Cahill.

All in all, two great performances by the keepers in what proved to be a very exciting match. Congratulations to David De Gea and Petr Cech, Down By 20’s players of the week.

On February 3rd, 2008, the New England Patriots met the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona.  The two teams played at University of Phoenix Stadium in what I’ve ranked as one of the top three best football games ever played in that dome, the other two being the Chicago Bears’ rally to beat the Arizona Cardinals in 2006, and the 2007 Fiesta Bowl between the Oklahoma University Sooners and Boise State Broncos.

In that season, the Patriots entered the Super Bowl as the first team to go 16-0 in the regular season, and were looking to become the first team to go 19-0 over the entire season with a win in the Superbowl.  The Giants were able to ruin New England’s plans with help from an exhilarating third and long play late in the fourth quarter that had Eli Manning spinning out of the grasp of multiple Patriot defenders and heaving a pass downfield that was caught by (now former Giant) David Tyree.  That play in turn set up the game winning touchdown pass from Manning to Plaxico Burress with 39 seconds left, leaving the Patriots’ hopes of a perfect season dashed.

Four years later, the same teams will meet again in Indianapolis in America’s biggest game, and while a lot of changes have been made to the squads, the core players from 2008 remain, and most importantly, the quarterbacks are the same.

Tom Brady, quarterback for the New England Patriots, has already cemented his legacy as a potential Hall of Fame quarterback after leading his Patriots to three Super Bowl victories in four years.  Eli Manning has the distinction of being named Super Bowl MVP in the 2008 Super Bowl victory, and is also a two-time Pro Bowler. In his career, Manning has thrown over 4,000 yards in a season three consecutive years, a feat that Brady can’t claim, even after removing Brady’s injury shortened 2008 season.

New England attacked this season with the same intensity we’ve seen from them over the years, and, as expected, won the AFC North.  What came as a surprise to Patriots fans was their team finishing at the bottom of the league in defensive rankings; they finished 31st in total defense (411.1 yards per game allowed) and pass defense (293.9 YPG allowed) in the regular season, and the only team that finished worse than them in those categories were the defending Super Bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers.

You could say the bright side for New England’s defense is that they finished 17th in rushing defense (117.1 YPG allowed) and allowed a total of 342 points by rushing touchdowns.  We all know the Patriots can score almost at will with their aerial attack led by Brady, but the question remaining is whether New England’s defense will be able to make the big plays necessary to win the championship against New York.

The Giants opened the season with a bit of a dud, losing a game against the Washington Redskins by a score of 28-14.  New York was able to bounce back from this setback and rally to a 6-2 start of the season before losing four in a row, dropping their record to 6-6 and putting their playoff chances in jeopardy.  There were bright spots for the Giants during that four game skid; Manning still put up some pretty good numbers including a 406 yard passing performance against New Orleans, his second highest passing total of the season.

New York was able to mount a late season rally and claimed the NFC East title to make the playoffs this season, beating out the 8-8 Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.  Eli Manning finished 4th in total passing with 4,933 yards (Brady finished second with 5,235), and the Giants finished fourth in total offense with 404.7 yards per game (Patriots finished second with 419.5 YPG).  An interesting note about the Giants this season: for a team with a renowned rushing attack, they finished last in the league in rushing yards per game with only 89.2 yards per game

The teams have already met once this season on the field in at Gillette Field, a game where the Giants emerged victorious following yet another late game touchdown drive.  Manning’s performance in the game gave way to the saying, “You can’t spell ‘elite’ without E-L-I,” a product of an interview during the preseason where Manning said that he thought he was in the class of elite quarterbacks.  For the Super Bowl, Eli will be suiting up in the building that his older brother Peyton- a well-established member of that elite class- built in Indianapolis, against another quarterback of that class in Tom Brady.  With a win, Eli will double his Super Bowl ring count to two, one more than what Peyton has, despite being in the league a few years less than his brother.

Going into the big game, the old adage “Defense wins championships” will prove itself true at Lucas Oil Stadium.  I think the Giants’ fast and tough defensive line will be able to do enough to disrupt Tom Brady’s rhythm.  On the other side of the ball, New York’s success on offense relies on whether Eli will be able to put up another stellar passing performance. But when it’s all said and done, I expect to see the confetti raining on the smiling faces of the New York Giants after winning yet another exciting Super Bowl.

David De Gea, the £18 million man, is the one expected to fill the void left by Van der Sar. However, his start to life in Manchester has been anything but convincing, with the barrage of mistakes beginning back in the Community Shield against Man City. Since then he has found himself in and out of the side, with game-changing errors costing United points against Blackburn, Liverpool, and Basel in the Champions League. While De Gea has been a bag of nerves, backup keeper Anders Lindegaard has brought a sense of calm to the side and has seemingly become the number one for the rest of the season.  But with such a large price tag attached, there is no doubt that Sir Alex intends to make De Gea the main man in goal for the coming years. So let’s examine why the De Gea experiment has struggled thus far and what can be done to rectify the situation.

His Age: It’s daunting enough for any goalkeeper to come into a club like United to try and settle immediately, but it’s important to remember that De Gea is only 21 – a boy. No player is fully developed at 21; young players naturally make mistakes, but goalkeepers are thrust into the spotlight more quickly than midfielders or strikers. And because we’re dealing with Manchester United, every error is blown up to absurd proportions. Perspective please, evil media. Time is a virtue.

His Stature: Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez had the same issue when he joined United last season. He was supremely talented but needed to bulk up in order to handle the rough-and-tumble of Premier League defenders such as Chris Samba and John Terry. Just a few months later, he noticeably bulked up and showed he can cut it with the best players in the country, even consolidating top scorer Dimitar Berbatov to the bench. So why on earth has Fergie not done the same thing with De Gea?

Mistakes highlight issues pretty quickly, and De Gea’s slight frame (hell, he’s a stick) has made him vulnerable against big aggressive center-forwards. Liverpool’s Andy Carroll was a constant thorn in his side last weekend, while Blackburn’s Grant Hanley overpowered De Gea in the air to secure Rovers a shock win at Old Trafford. Until the muscles grow, De Gea will continue to struggle with corners and free kicks.

Culture Shock: This is the main reason I disagree with Sir Alex throwing De Gea in the firing line so soon. Having spent all of his fledgling career in Spain with Atletico Madrid, he was bound to struggle with the differences between Spanish and English football. In La Liga, players aren’t nearly as aggressive with goalkeepers as they are in England. De Gea was particularly rattled at Anfield when Carroll knocked him over; he proceeded to walk right up to Carroll and yell in his face; Carroll just smiled. Best get used to it, David. A goalkeeper must be a commanding and calming presence, and with De Gea appearing to be a reserved, “aw shucks” type of character, his personality development on the field will be essential if he is to become United’s true #1.

Ferguson was right to give De Gea a break and install Lindegaard as the starter for the time being. However with the news that the Dane will be out for a month with an ankle injury, it seems De Gea will get an unexpected run in the team again, starting at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. He could still become a hero this season, so stick with him United fans. But regardless of what happens, these experiences will make him mentally stronger for next season, and with some weightlifting and the return of Nemanja Vidic, hopefully we will soon see this young keeper get back to doing what he does best.

Punxsutawney Phil called, he predicts more soccer in the next few weeks.  This week on The Kick Off, we review some of the deals made on Transfer Deadline Day, Robin Van Persie’s heroic two penalty effort against Aston Villa in the FA Cup, the US Women’s National Team’s dominance in Vancouver (in which Kiran professes his love for Alex Morgan), and we also preview upcoming matches including Chelsea v Manchester United on Sunday.  If you have questions you’d like for us to answer in future podcasts, leave them in the comments below!  Enjoy!

The Kick Off #2 (Right click to download)

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.

So far only 5 teams have signed contracts with India based companies and a 6^th team is still trying to work a deal to be able to play before the league commences with their season, although they were not a part of the bidding process.  This is the first time that India will have a league that appeals to some of the world’s greatest players back in the day. The league owners and club managers hope this is a start to making India a strong soccer market, comparable to the success of soccer in Korea and Japan. The hope is to make the Premier Soccer League a lasting league for years to come, and to attract more foreign players.

The “league” will officially kick off on February 25^th 2012, and only last for 7 weeks, which is very short for league that boast a strong contingent of former European soccer superstars. Similar to the Designated Player system MLS has adopted the PSL has one “icon” player, a marquee player if you will.  The five teams involved in the league started the bidding process to sign their one icon player. This system of signing a player vaguely, if at all resembles how the European and North American transfer market does their respective business.

The two players that had the highest bids for their services were World Cup winner and Italian legend Fabio Cannavaro and Argentine legend Hernan Crespo; although Crespo is yet to formally agree to a move to the Premier Soccer League. The bids were $830,000 and $840,000 respectively (see link below). The lure of money and new market is what is helping stimulate an overall player interest. For a seven weeks, overseas players will make a lot of money in a very short amount of time.  Overseas players such as American Santino Quaranta will make $180,000 in seven weeks, which is a step up from making the same amount of money with MLS, which is a six month league in itself, and a format similar to MLS, I would not be surprised if players from North American came and participated in a league such as this.

A Trip Too Good to Pass Up For Santino

One worrying aspect of the league is that there has been a lack of media coverage to help promote the league and skill set of the players involved. Without active media coverage, the league could go into total anonymity. It should be the responsibility of club and league owners to find a reputable and respectable source of media, because  with that not only are they able to spread the excitement of this project, but businesses in India will grow at a faster rate and generate even more revenue which can only help the league as a whole in the long run.

Overall the idea of having a league of former stars taking part in a mini league in India can only be a positive step forward with Indian soccer.  With the likes of Leo Messi and Bayern Munich playing friendly matches in India; shows the intent and willingness to compete with the world in the world’s match. With a nation of over one billion people, the growth for soccer is undeniable and with that the support for the national team will also increase, and hopefully in the next 15 years India could earn a trip to the World Cup, which would be one exciting prospect to watch for any and every soccer player.

http://www.indiablooms.com/SportsDetailsPage/2012/sportsDetails310112a.php

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.

Wayne Bridge:

Man City to Sunderland (Loan)

Bridge’s time at Manchester City has been a nightmare. The left-back fell completely out of favor with Roberto Mancini and then, while on loan at West Ham last season, was one of the main culprits as they continued to concede sloppy goals and were relegated. If anyone in the EPL has something to prove, it’s Wayne Bridge. Sunderland have drastically improved since Martin O’ Neill took over but they are still conceding too many goals. Could the Stadium of Light be the stage for Bridge to resurrect his career?

Louis Saha:

Everton FC to Tottenham Hotspurs (Undisclosed Fee)

A prolific striker back in the day, the signing of Louis Saha during this transfer window was met with a lot of skepticism and doubt that the33 year old could still produce quality performances in his advancing years. Lastminute buying has been the name of the game for manager Harry Redknapp, and the signing of Louis Saha falls in that category. All in all Louis Saha will provide experience and stability for a Tottenham team that is punching well above its weight in the race for Premier League glory.

David Pizarro:

AS Roma to Manchester City (Loan)

Your likely first response: Who? With City typically going after big-name players these days, this was easily one of the biggest surprises of deadline day. Roberto Mancini knows Pizarro well as they previously spent time together at Inter Milan. The 32-year-old midfielder has fallen out of favor at Roma this season but will bring a wealth of experience having played at the top level for many years. Mancini stressed the importance of bringingin midfield cover for the missing Yaya Toure, but with GarethBarry and Nigel De Jong already there, will one of thembe warming the bench while Pizarro steps in?

Kris Boyd:

Eskişehirspor to Portland Timbers (Undisclosed Fee)

This may sound strange, but Boyd, the Scottish Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer and four-time title winner, arrives in MLS as a designated player with something to prove. While he did fantastically well in Scotland, his move to English Championship side Middlesbrough lasted just one disappointing year before moving to Turkish side Eskişehirspor, where he only made two appearances in five months and terminated his contract in December. However, he has also done well for the Scottish national team and with the Timbers struggling for goals last season, Boyd could well prove to be a hit in Portland. Keep an eye out for this one, MLS fans.

Djibril Cisse:

Lazio to Queens Park Rangers (Undisclosed Fee)

The well-travelled striker is on the move again, and this time big spending QPR are the winners.  QPR have signed a striker with a wealth of Premier League experience, which is bound to come to good use as the grind of the season continues, and if QPR are to stave off the threat of relegation. Cisse endured a tough time Italy (1 goal in 18 games); surely a return to England will be a much-needed homecoming.

Sebastian Bassong:

Tottenham Hotspurs to Wolves (Loan)

Yet another player with something to prove, central defender Bassong found himself frozen out at Tottenham and was left with no option but to move. His successful time at Newcastle showed that he can be a top defender when he’s confident, and this is a shrewd piece of business by Mick McCarthy. Wolves are struggling badly at the moment, and more than anything they need someone to bring a sense of calm to the backline. Bassong is the kind of player who could prove the difference between relegation and survival, if McCarthy can get the best out of him.

Bobby Zamora:

Fulham to Queens Park Rangers (Undisclosed Fee)

What a signing this could be for QPR. Bobby Zamora was a mixed bag for Fulham at times.  At best he was a streaky scorer, who on his day would score the best of goals. A return of 20 goals in 91 appearances for Fulham is less than stellar for a man of national team capability, but it’s the assists and play of the ball that makes him an attractive player. A change of scenery at QPR could be exactly what the doctor ordered for the two-capped England player.

Kevin De Bruyne:

Racing Genk to Chelsea FC (Undisclosed Fee; loaned back to Genk for the rest of the season)

The attacking winger brings youthfulness, creativity, and speed to aging squad. Scoring 14 goals in 79 matches for Genk, his talent has not gone unnoticed especially during the recent Champions League campaign. At only 20 years old his best years are ahead of him, and with that the faith and hope of the Shed End faithful rests in young players like him to bring Chelsea back to their consistent winning ways. 

Steven Pienaar:

Tottenham Hotspurs to Everton FC (6 month loan)

Steven Pienaar, the creative and speedy winger will make a return to Everton after a less than stellar year at Tottenham. The South African international will add new energy and add a new dimension of chemistry to a cash strapped team. During his successful time at Everton he made 76 appearances and scored 7 goals, but his passing and setting up plays is what made him a fan favorite to the Goodison Park faithful. Everton will now look likely to push for a top 10 finish.

Other notable transfers: Roman Pavlyuchenko has secured his long-awaited move away from Tottenham, joining Locomotiv Moscow for an undisclosed fee/In a bit of a shock move, Philadelphia Union striker Sebastian Le Toux has been traded to the Vancouver Whitecaps after failing a trial with Bolton Wanderers/Arsenal have signed highly rated young playmaker Thomas Eisfeld from Borussia Dortmund/Finally, Birmingham City stalwart Liam Ridgewell joined West Bromwich Albion for yet another undisclosed fee.

Sebastien Le Toux, now of the Vancouver Whitecaps