Fern Mc Costigan: September 2017

Saturday, September 30, 2017

The strategy worked wonders for Guardiola City

Coming to Stamford Bridge, the Citizens were a bit shorthanded with two of its most important players sidelined with injuries and among one of them was their utmost striker Sergio Aguero.

Still this squad plagued with a bunch of prolific and talented players, that was no problem but at the end, his all-around challenges were still present going to central London and playing against the defending champions.

The Blues having once again a picture perfect campaign after their opening loss, since then they have not known the meaning of defeat and showing off their might that delivered them in last campaign the league shield.

This match was not a walk in the park but an all-around challenge for the Citizens looking forward to patch up his initial eleven and put on a competitive display all afternoon long in the colossus of Fulham.

For Antonio Conte after seeing the opportunity, he and his Boys were up and ready.

Still Manchester City after seeing last campaign a drought of trophies, that was a setback for the Spaniard CV and this campaign, he is going for everything at whatever cost and so far, he is putting on a premier of a campaign.

For the Italian seeing his condition of local and with the backing of his faithful, this was a moment to shine with his Boys and with a win, he would be within three points of would be leader Manu.

A game of strategies that both managers sent to its initial eleven’s, with Guardiola sending a 4-1-4-1 formation by sending a lone Brazilian striker in Gabriel Jesus accompanied by De Bruyne, Silva, Sterling and Sane.

For Conte his bold and dynamic 3-5-1-1 formation with a one two duo in Alvaro Morata and Eden Hazard were enough to get the visiting Sky Blues defense a bit restless seeing the firepower in front of them.

Something that Guardiola relying mostly in his midfield and Jesus these face of a threesome in Rudiger, Cahill and Christensen that in the entirety of the match both backfields did earn their pay after successfully defending from each other counter attacks.

Disputed, indeed, that was the course of this match stinginess from both backfields not allowing each other attackers develop the games they are comfortable with.

Still perseverance and opportunity were a part of one squad and a player that did not took lightly the right moment when it arrived, defining the course of the match and being this the most prominent of this week.

Despite both teams nearing the mark and coming short, came a clear opportunity by City’s Jesus when he came so close that a miracle saved Thibaut Courtois embarrassing goal, heavily contested you bet!

However the clock showing off 67 it’s when a one two combination by the visiting Sky Blues Gabriel Jesus passing to a well-placed Kevin De Bruyne it’s when the luck changed for Pep and company.

After this game of nerves and opportunities was favoring the visitors its when these above mentioned did the unthinkable and silenced a whole venue with that combination and shoot that the Belgiian put behind the nets of Couirtois.

Still the locals pressured and displaying the initiative and dynamic to net the draw and the share of the points, Pep strategies worked at the end and for Chelsea Boss failed for his relying in their foes calamities.

With no doubt this will be the match of the week in what saw a much fought off match until the end and the perseverance showed off by Manchester City.

Photos Credit and Property of © Copyright Premier League. com 2017

The Harry Kane show that never fails

No wonder Mauricio Pochettino has an all-around admiration for his player, that for his enthusiasm and all around determination he compares him to the likes of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lately the likes of Harry Kane are delivering all sorts of gems in his game that has elevated his reputation by capturing all sorts of headlines, in every match.

After all, he is becoming an important if not indispensable piece in the Spurs attack, that with his scoring he is delivering wins that are aligning his squad among the giants of Premiership.

With today’s, match celebrated in week seven in EPL, when the Tottenham Spurs came to these parts of West Yorkshire, and play newly promoted Huddersfield Town.

Despite the Spurs coming with the labels of all around favorite to win this match, playing lately a one of a kind football and showing off a top of the line game, the outlook for the Londoners was not going to be a picnic.

By having David Smith Stadium in the background for this face off, both titans were ready for anything to display a fight in order to net those three points of gold as the league takes off in this familiar fashion with an all-around competitiveness.

As the local Terriers looking to reconnect with its early winning ways, they one thing to worry and for their manager David Wagner sending a very conservative formation in his initial eleven to stop the likes of Harry Kane and company.

By sending a foursome in his backfield with his top guns in Chris Lowe, Christopher Schindler, Chris Löwe, Zanka and Tommy Smith to defend the arches defended by Jonas Lössl, the Terriers Boss had deposited his trust in these chaps.

The 4-2-3-1 formation sent by David Wagner hoping to start something in the visiting Spurs backfield with a lone striker in Laurent Depoitre accompanied by Ince, La Parra and Kachunga with Hogg and Moy doing the defensive and offensive in the midfield.

Many saw the prospects of netting a win over the visiting London Boys was within their reach as many state that there is no such thing than an easy foe.

The Terriers had it all to deliver an upset and start their move up the table once again.

However, let us give the locals some credit in their efforts but at the end these succumbed to the push of an inspired Spurs squad headed by a brilliant and hot streaked Harry Kane delivering with a double.

Contrary to the local’s formation, the London Boys Boss sent a 3-4-2-1 formation with a lone Harry Kane in the frontal attack and accompanied by Christian Ericksen and Dele Alli to deliver some pressure Lössl posts.

That at the end, the strategies planned by Mauricio Pochettino worked wonders and hence the score by a scandalous 4-0 score and leaving silent the whole of a sold out venue and putting his Spurs within five points of top of the league Manchester squads.

The goal of the match came when opportunity knocked for the Spurs, when Kane taking advantage of a bad clearance from Jonas Lössl that a header from Kieran Trippier sent a lone Kane running to the opposing squad and score his first goal in the 9.

No later came another reaction from a young and prolific Spurs squad when a Terriers defender tough after striping the ball away from Kane came an opportune Ben Davis for the second score in the 16 for the 2-0 lead.

As wonder Boys seeing any opportunity arising and taking advantage of it, all of a sudden in the 23 he sent a ball soaring away the locals keeper hands and the score went to 3-0 courtesy of these chap amazing performance and sense of unstoppable scoring.

With changes in the last minutes of the match, Poche sent Moussa Sissoko in the 75 for Ericksen that at the end paid off for the Andean as Sissoko with a nice pass from Ben Davis on injury time 91, sent the ball after a ricochet for the definitive 4-0.

At the end it was a bitter defeat for David Wagner that despite his strong start with his club and seeded in eleventh place, its back to the drawing board and for Pochettino and his Spurs is a moving on up approach.

Photos Credit and Property of © Copyright Premier League. com 2017

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Hump Day Football: One solid Sounders performance

Wednesday night saw one of the busiest weeks for Major League Soccer as this 2017 edition is nearing its end, but with its postseason around the corner.

This midweek saw one of the most disputed of clashes and rivalries as well many squads looking forward to clinch their spot for the grand fete of the playoffs.

Among one of those matches the highlight of them all was in the Cascadia Derby.

As the Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps playing in their last match of the regular campaign at Century Link Stadium in Seattle, this match had a lot of importance for both squads.

The Vancouver Whitecaps have been playing a brilliant and resilient type of game of football, were these have been displaying after the all-star break that has delivered the first spot in their conference.

Still coming to play at the colossus in downtown Emerald City, both of the Rave Greens Cascadia foes have a tough time of delivering, despite the winless streak the Seattleites had.

For the visiting North of the Border Caps it was business as usual as well for the local Sounder is looking forward to come out of their winless streak and possibly deliver three golden points.

Forget the Cascadia competition were the Vancouver squad has the moniker of kings for several of shields won over their American counterparts.

With their last encounter of the match and so far the Caps being in last place in the Cascadia standings, looking forward to increase their lead atop the Western Conference where it counts, came arm and ready to display their one of a kind football.

As the defending champions seeing their position slip a little in the western conference and with a couple of squad making a run to be placed above the red line in Dallas and Real Salt Lake, this latter one playing a wondrous football.

Last night cry from the Brian Schmetzer was not in our home as his initial eleven delivered, despite of missing several of his starters but what he had available was enough for him to make a serious stand against the conference leaders.

With an early play where Cristian Roldan almost opened the score and the woodwork saved the day shortly for David Ousted and his caps, it is when hell broke loose for the Sounder’s attack.

Leading it by Clint Dempsey in the front and accompanied by Nicolas Lodeiro, Cristian Roldan in the middle and Victor Rodriguez, the Sounders had a field day against their Cascadia foes and with the win, catapult to second place in the west and first in Cascadia.

At the end three goals were enough for the rout over the conference leader Vancouver playing a wondrous game of football that has delivered them a 3-0 win with goals from Victor Rodriguez, Nicola’s Lodeiro and Clint Dempsey.

Now has shown the might of what is to come from all three Cascadia teams going into the postseason and all three with labels of all around favorites, but who will make it all the way, as both Portland and Seattle already delivered.

As Cascadia rules in the Western Conference, will Seattle repeat if these continue to display their one of a kind of football they did yesterday in Century Link.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Harry Kane treble delivers an important Champions League win for his Spurs

A treble of an afternoon in the middle of the Mediterranean and paradisiac isle of Cypress, as the whole action of champion’s league came and filled an electrifying display of pure genuine football from an ambitious Tottenham squad.

Very well seeing how they are currently playing a one of a kind football and being in the top in Group H tied with last editions champions Real Madrid and with a match pending.

With Mauricio Pochettino seeing how his Boy wonder delivered in the clutch again with a treble of an afternoon playing away in what many dubbed this parts a bit tense and difficult to play.

As the Spurs missing a few of his starters from its initial eleven due to injuries or rest, still this squad managed to get the best of this young squad seen as promising in the ranks of Premiership.

For one of its players it was business as usual and moving forward with his spectacular display of genuine football Harry Kane style.

The visiting Spurs going into intermission with a goal lead after Kane scored his first of the evening in the 39, later came his reaction in the lucky sixtieth minutes with two more scores in the 62 and 67, sealing the deal and increasing this club overall momentum in this competition.

No wonder Poche is starting to become a big fan of this chap after his opportune heroics as many state that even the Argentinian wife is becoming a bit jealous of Kane whom her husband mentions his name in the dinner table.

Still the way this player is carrying his squad in this difficult and tough competition in the Champions League and sentencing his squad to pass into the next levels of this event as their dominance in their group seen until they play against the Spanish giants.

Tonight the home field advantage many claim that squads have when playing in front of their faithful was a blatant lie, as the home side did not resemble anything of being a Legend as their moniker describes this club.

So far the two matches played by Tottenham in Champions have been picture perfect until in three weeks when they go to the Bernabeu and play against La Liga and Champions last edition winners Real Madrid.

Putting in evidence the perfect state the Londoners have been displaying in the field on inferential levels and see if they can finish atop their group in the end, but for sure, this will be a match weel worth watching.

With two talismanic figures in the field as the legendary, Cristiano Ronaldo will lead off for the hosts Merengues and Harry Kane for the visiting Spurs, where Zidane versus Pochettino will square off in the colossus of Madrid.

At the end in this match, we saw an inspired and team driven Tottenham delivering a counter attack and dominating the math whenever these had the ball and despite the locals intentions of making a mad dash to Hugo Lloris posts.

The Londoners backfield steeped up and delivered as the strategy and formation sent by the Andean, worked wonders in his 5-3-2 with Sun and Kane leading the attack and successfully Wonder Boy delivered with a treble.

For Appoel Boss Giorgios Donis his frustrations and impotence of seeing his side succumbed to the visiting English side will have to wait for another occasion to defeat an English side, still his squad play a good and notable match.