Fern Mc Costigan

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Chicago Fire readies for a contested 2018

The Chicago Fire after struggling the past four seasons and under manager Veljo Paunovic going into his third campaign in the helm of the Men in Red. in 2017 the Fire saw a notable improvement and finished in third place in the Eastern Conference. Finally, the Fire broke their four-year drought of making it into the postseason.

The unfortunate side for the Fire was their early elimination in the knockout rounds from the New York Red Bulls to a 4-0 final score and going home early in the 2017 league postseason.

However, for manager Vlejo Paunovic is business as usual and looking forward to tackle more challenges in this upcoming 2018 as well have return his squad to the grand fete of the postseason and make a possible run to the league finals. Still this squad has to focus on one challenge at a time and looking forward to return to its old glory days that netted them the league shield as an expansion team.

This campaign the clubs after last campaign getting all sorts of headlines after getting a monster deal in Bastian Schweinsteiger to contribute for the Fire and being an important piece of this club all around revival.

The good news is that the German international will make a return to the Fire in this 2018 as he stated to take care of some unfinished business.

As life goes on in the Fire camp after the news of former goalkeeper great and Real Madrid great Iker Casillas announcing his negative of joining them in this 2018 campaign as well Colombian midfielder Juan Quintero joining Argentinian side River Plate.

So far in the preseason the Windy City squad has been hard at work in recruiting the right players via draft or acquisition, as in tis past draft the Fire got a hold of Barcelona great son Jon Bakero as a forward. In addition, other two rookies are midfielder Mo Addams selected as Generation Adidas and defender Grant Lillard as Homegrown Player.

With last campaign roster returning in its majority, the arrivals of midfielder international in Serbian Aleksandor Katai from Spain La Liga Deportivo Alaves is to call Chicago home along with Portuguese defender Rafael Ramos coming from Orlando FC.

These two will join a constellation of returning starts in Luis Solignac, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Dax McCarty re-signed, Johan Kappelhof, Nemanja Nikolic and Michael De Leew to mention a few in the new 2018 Chicago Fire.

At the end, this club will be among the top headliners in the campaign with its returning firepower and newly acquired players to make front in what every campaign in Major League Soccer shows off a very heated competition.

Do not call this squad quitter as they are embracing a tough competition from their conference foes and once again renewing their rivalries with the Crew and the New York squads. As the opening of the 2018 campaign is 23 days away the Fire maybe can get a couple more players from Europe or South America to build on a contender.

Still the way this club can finish in the campaign if it keeps a healthy squad and especially with Schweinsteiger healthy we may see a notable campaign and trophies heading to Toyota Park. a finish in their conference will be around third or fourth places.

Photos Credit and Property of Chicago Fire Football Club 2018

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Real Salt Lake aiming for a more notable campaign

After experiencing a tough campaign that saw its manager leave early in the campaign and modest results, Real Salt Lake ended the campaign with no playoffs. Despite staging a near comeback in the end of the campaign and surrendered it to the push of their archrivals the San Jose Quakes. The Claret and Cobalt missed the postseason.

As Mike Petke entering in its second year, after the club then manager Jeff Cassar was let go in March and substituted briefly by interim Daryl Shorer. The arrival of Petke in April suddenly uplifted the club in the plus and finishing with a winning percentage of a 50%.

Finishing with a modest record of 13 wins, 13 losses and 4 draws and coming short of the grand fete of the postseason after a close race against the Quakes favoring the Silicon Valley side in the end.

This time for Mike Petke this campaign will be serious business and among one of his challenges and goals well be to return this club to the top spots and make it as an all-around contender.

As these club directives hard at work, especially it’s General Manager with his aides looking to recruit the best of players to reinforce this club ahead of this campaign, as this 2018 once again promises to be one contested one.

So far, the club has been able to recruit several players, especially to reinforce one of its most vulnerable areas of need the defensive backfield and getting some noted players to upgrade its attacking options.

One of them was to sign Spanish International striker Alfredo Ortuño from this country second division Real Valladolid to reinforce the RSL attack, with two new midfielders of international caliber.

With 19 year old from Argentina and former San Lorenzo of this country top league and Chiles side San Luis and with their newest arrival in 28-year-old Damir Kreilach a midfielder coming from Bundesliga side Union Berlin.

Real Salt Lake has upgraded this area of much need were last campaign lacked depth and consistency and with these three newcomers maybe we can see a boost in this club offensive attack.

Also in their shopping spree in order to improve this club defenses they added Taylor Peay coming from RSL/USL affiliate Real Monarchs, Shawn Barry, Welsh Adam Henley and draftee Aaron Herrera as another Home Grown Player.

The additions of rookie forwards in RSL academy prospect Corey Baird and to become the seventh of HGP in this squad along with University of New Mexico draftee Ricky Lopez- Espin, the competition and mood of this club are very positive.

Still the club is in pursuit and not giving up on players of international caliber in Mexico national Team Javier Dueñas and Chilean international Cristobal Jorquera both midfielders and the club importance and need of reinforcing this area heavily.

Additionally the negotiations with Yura Movsisyan stay with the club if his pas did not made the deadline in Europe’s leagues; we may see Yura suit up in RSL colors.

By the looks of the way this club has been reinforcing ahead of this upcoming campaign with players with European experience in their backgrounds, for Real Salt Lake manager Mike Petke the idea is to front this campaign with their best game.

If the club adds those mentioned players to its roster, lookout league, and for these if they adapt to this league play we may have a squad occupying again the top three spots in the Western Conference table.

Photos Credit and Property of Real Salt Lake Football Club 2018

Photos Credit and Property of Mathias Renner- City Press, Gene Sweeney and Alex Grimm Fifa/ Getty Images 2018

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Not Conte’s fault for Chelsea’s crisis and loss against Watford

What can Antonio Conte do after seeing his squad submerged into an all-around crisis? So far, the man is doing everything in his power to keep his Blues in contention and among the European spots. After staging a turnaround in Stamford Bridge, returning this squad into contention and lifting the Barclays Shield in the end.

Now we have a complete opposite between man and directives, as the Italian asking for reinforcements early in the campaign, so far some of these newcomers have been a bust or sheer disappointment.

The Chelsea squad top brass decided to sell several players to various squads in what these seemed not in the plans of this squad and now considered vital in those squads game plan while Conte drowns in his misery by the lack of support.

Once again, as this squad after winning the league shield in a stunning fashion submerged with indifference from the people in the top I guess fed up with winning and likely seeing Conte depart to a much prolific horizons.

As the question arises in why the Blues are once again their campaign is heading into a catastrophe.

Alternatively, we are waiting to hear of his departure can be announced anytime. Because by the looks of it, after a major post published by one major English tabloid, it looks like the directives in Stamford Bridge are into a search for the ideal candidate.

To make things worse, the loss today in Vicarage Park against a crisis-deepened squad in the Watford Hornets putting the Blues position in fourth, on the brink of one point within reach of their cross-town foes the Hotspurs of Tottenham.

With odd results against Bournemouth recently and now Watford away, these Blues have a problem.

Coming to play in these parts of Hertfordshire drown in a crisis that cost the job of their manager Marco Silva and substituted by Spaniard Javi Garcia, and with today’s win the Spaniard seeing a revival in a form of an upset from his Yellow Army.

When it rains it pours for the Italian now in a dire situation that needs immediate remedy, looking ahead in his next compromise against last place holder the Baggies of West Brom at home.

Still give those Orns a cigar after putting in display a stampede in shoots of goal against the visiting Blues. The defending champions despite being a man short and seeing the locals stampeding towards the posts defended by Courtois. In addition, a second half score performed by Eden Hazard.

The Blues did not have in them and surrendered to the push, hunger displayed all ninety minutes long by an inspired Hornet bunch looking forward to the win, and at the end, these netted with authority.

With a penalty called against Chelsea and despite their protests as a doubtful dive, Watford via Troy Deeney opened the score with a dominant volley out of reach of the visitor’s keeper for the go-ahead score in the 42 minute.

The Yellow Army did put in display and danger in the posts of Thibaut Courtois posts in several tries until the second goal via a nice pass from Roberto Pereyra to Daryl Janmaat for the 2-1 in the 84 minute. No later came the third score via Aubdulaye Docoure in the 88 for Gerard Deloufou.

With the game already wrapped up once again Docoure put his seal and assisting a nice volley for Roberto Pereyra to seal the stomp and leave a score of 4-1 in 90 minute for what became a valuable win for Watford.

Catapulting the Hornets away from the relegation spots with a six-point edge and situating themselves in tenth place in the general table. This loss is not to blame on Conte God knows what the men can do, as he is no Saint to perform miracles.

Monday, February 5, 2018

Arsenal’s new dynamic duo delivers

The day came that Jean- Emerick Aubameyang and Henrik Mkhitaryan were to make their long awaited Arsenal debut and putting their talents together. on Saturday these two deliver a one of kind afternoon in Emirates.

Just like the good old day as teammates in that glorious Borussia Dortmund, were these two owned Bundesliga and Europe. Not only scoring for the first time as a Gunner was Aubameyang but also Mkhitaryan performed like in his good old days.

With a rout over what seems to be a hapless Everton initial, eleven useless to see an inspired and hungry Arsenal bunch performed wonders in its football and delivered with a goal rout. The Toffees looked like a simple sparring partner in the course of the whole match and surrendering in what could be an important win.

Still the credit not only belongs to this pair that with their presence boosted a whole initial eleven and squad submerged in controversies around their manager Arsene Wegner that still his authority is heard and this two maybe can provide a revival in Highbury.

As the way this squad played tonight and its starters in Aaron Ramsey delivering a notable afternoon with a treble and among one of those plays was a hat trick, for the Welsh this being his first.

The whole Gunners squad in this match showed off their might that they once had and with the newcomers coming to this parts of London Town we may have a contender and not a sorry side.

Spectacular and amazing was the way the Gunners performance these exhibited on Saturday after losing on Tuesday in a spoiler and upset again relegation candidate Swansea, this time the London Boys played with courage and determination.

Arsene Wegner sporting a 4-2-3-1 formation with a lone Perre- Emerick Aubameyang up front and behind him Mesut Ozil, Alex Iwobi and Henrik Mkhitaryan and the man of the match Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka as the mid defenders.

The Gunners today showed a lot of potential with an explosive offensive attack filled with a lot of tactical and physical game that delivered wonders and a nice win.

Contrary to last week in Liberty Stadium were Wegner and company were simply dominated and made like they were not worthy of competing with the likes of the Swans after a scandalous 3-1 loss.

Today we had the opposite of that sorry team to one that displayed a fine football and like those matadors in a triumphant afternoon leaves the bullring on its supporters shoulders, well that did not happen but close.

As a frantic Emirates awaken after the first paly of the game was between Mkhitaryan passing to Ramsey in the 6 minute to open the scoreboard to the joy of their followers, thirteen minutes passed and before many opportunities to score wasted.

When Shkodran Mustafi making his presence felt made his contribution for Laurent Koscielny with a header put the Gunners in top and the locals showing off their dominance in the match in the 14 minute for the 2-1.

The time for Alex Iwobi to put his mark in the game came in the 19 minute via a pass to you know whom, Aaron Ramsey to convert with a nice shoot and to put the score to a scandalous 3-0.

The 4-0 came with the former Borussia partners one two combination in the 37 minute when Mkhitaryan passing to Aubameyang converting in his debut as a Gunner his first goal.

Still the School of Science manage to get in the scoreboard after several tries and a denial of a penalty from the game official in the 64^th Cuco Martina shoot getting into Dominic Calvert- Lewin shoes for the honor goal and denying Petr Cech a clean sheet.

However Mkhitaryan was to showed off his former manager Mourinho what he missed while his time in Old Trafford with another assist this time to Aaron Ramsey that allowed him to convert the final goal with his first hat trick.