Fern Mc Costigan

Sunday, March 27, 2016

The Republic of Ireland ready to front a challenged Euro

A friendly against Switzerland became an encouraging show of hope and optimism for the Boys of the Republic of Ireland ahead for their compromise in this edition of Euro 2016.

Martin O’ Neill could not hide his joy as well his top of the line assistant and legendary former Red Devil and Green Army in Roy Keane, after seeing their squad put on a show at Aviva Stadium.

If you state that this squad is ready and looking a bit determined, right you are!

For the man of North Ireland and the Republic of Ireland current manager it was business as usual, playing a friendly against the Schweizer pati and a way to see his squad tune up on the eve of one it is most important dates in their history.

A match that was to see and observe his players and to help him establish a possible initial eleven set lineup and as well a start in generating the best possible ways in what strategies to implement when they face a not so easy group.

After all the Green Army seeded in Group E with Italy, Belgium and Sweden, for O’ Neill it will not be an easy enterprise but they can overcome with the right moves.

After all this squad by making a brilliant performance in the knockout rounds that was to determine two representatives, suddenly the Green Army was in the brink of making it into one of Europe’s utmost national squad’s tourney.

By taking care of one major hurdle was in the not so easy and hardened Bosnia Herzegovina squad that was to make their impossible and at the end it didn’t seem difficult for the Boys in Green.

In today’s match those 35, 400 in attendance in Aviva Stadium got their money’s worth by seeing how their squad put on a show and fought off through a match dominated in its majority by the visiting Swiss squad.

I mean they had the best numbers in possession, shoots on goal, fouls making the Rossocrociati a firm candidate to win it in this match and make the Green Army life miserable in front of its followers and well get the win.

Still in this match, we saw how a belligerent and stubborn Republic of Ireland squad really fought ninety minutes and not giving up on its quest to perform and deliver on a positive note at the end.

Something achieved thanks to an early goals by Villa defender Ciaran Clark who surprised the Swiss goalie Yan Sommer by delivering a nice goal with just two minutes played in the match.

At the end, this match showed off a nice 4-4-2 formation that really has worked wonders for Manager O’ Neill and with a compromise in mid-week against Slovakia at home, the prospects of another win are high.

Very well in this match seeing the positives the only negative came with the loss of one of his front men to injury in Colorado Rapids striker Kevin Doyle and putting the pressure in another MLS’er in Robbie Keane to step up and deliver.

Ready or not the Republic of Ireland or Foireann peile náisiúnta Phoblacht na hÉireann really delivered in the clutch and showed how well their football can net and bring many positive results in the long run.

Photos Credit and Property of © FAI 2016

Friday, March 25, 2016

The prospects of a promising campaign turning sour for Seattle

By witnessing in its first three matches posting a not so positive 0-3 record, the Seattle Sounders and their boss Sigi Schmidt are on the arduous task to seek immediate answers to stop this negative skid.

Since this club inception to Major League Soccer play, the Emerald City squad has been always in the spotlight and in the top of the table posting positive numbers and certain dominance.

Still this campaign slow or mediocre start has put several people in the top office of the Sounders to work and net important names to reinforce many of its weak spots.

The Emerald City squad is looking desperately to seek some solutions in a short-term basis and put a stop to this dark side and chapter in its history, as in every campaign many are accustomed to see this club atop the Western Conference table.

With losses to SKC on opening day, then with Real Salt Lake and losing on the first ever edition of the Cascadia Derby at home against the Vancouver Whitecaps on a match seen that everything was going against them.

Especially the referee awarding two PKS in favor of the visitors and arch-rivals the Whitecaps, the Sounders had its opportunities but at the end, they succumb to another squad looking for its first win in the campaign as well in their well-known Cascadia rivalry.

The Caps with this win they became sole leaders in the Cascadia Cup standings and netting bragging rights with this win in the always-disputed round of matches between these clubs in this competition.

No time to panic, just correct many flaws that this squad is going through still the injuries to key players as well solidify the defensive backfield will be one priority for the Emerald City squad Boss ahead of his upcoming compromise at home.

The Sounders are looking forward to an important meeting against the Eastern Conference leaders the Montreal Impact, who are to play at Century Link Stadium and the prospects of a win for the Sounders can look a bit distant.

So far, the Canadians are looking sharp and looking to net important points with a win as a visiting entity, make it a living Calvary for the Sounders in their upcoming compromises, and campaign that can turn to a 0-4.

For Manager Sigi Schmidt a man of many battles and long range of achievements in his tenures with several squad’s in MLS, his outlook for his club recovery are a bit positive but work has to be done to correct the course.

At the end, the Seattle Sounders front office is really making some important moves to its roster and making the necessary moves to replace Oba Martins who left to play in China nascent soccer league.

The arrival of longtime veteran and top-notch striker in Herculez Gomez and maybe other addition’s to this club roster maybe is a light at the end of the tunnel for the Emerald City squad.

Will this club return to its old winning ways and maybe the Sounders can stage an all-around revival in the last months of this campaign and earn his spot in the league postseason, as mentioned previously, too much work lies ahead for the Sounders and their Boss.

Crest Credit and Property of Seattle Sounders Football Club 2016

Photos Credit and Property of © Major League Soccer 2016

Johan Cryuff legacy as a genius and master of the fields

A whole generation of class act players was Johan Cryuff part, the great Dutchman who was a top class in the field as a player, Manager and scholar of the game itself.

Being among the pantheon of immortals that included the likes of Pele and Franz Beckenbauer, who this latter one and his German National squad that beat Cryuff Netherlands in the 1974 World Cup.

So close and still so far away for this virtuoso of the football fields and one that wrote many memorable pages of gold in the annals of this sport in the world stages.

Today’s as the world learned about this man’s succumb to cancer, many who knew his achievements in and outside the field will be missing his all-around wisdom of the game he loved so much and represented proudly.

Leaving a big hollow space in the annals of world football a man of many battles some he lost and other won proudly, today at the age of 68 years old, his life came short after losing a long battle with cancer.

Still one man dubbed, as Genius is a word that comes short to remember, his ways of being so motivated and poised to offer in his playing years exemplary acts of kindness and top-notch spectacle in every match he participated.

As a professional with an impressive CV from his early years from his beloved Ajax of Amsterdam were he won all the glories in the Eredivise and in the always-prestigious European competitions.

Alongside of making his native Netherlands a force not to be messed with in the world stages and above-mentioned defeat, still this man saw his squad shine through in the qualifiers to Argentina 1978.

Here Cryuff marked another milestone by qualifying the Netherlands squad as a last contribution and his national team by retiring in 1977, despite him not being in the national squad his influence made his squad reach into the finals to lose to hosts Argentina.

As a manager with Barcelona and Ajax this man won it all and conquered the sky the limits and really wrote many memorable pages in these clubs.

Considered a great among giants, his generation of notable payers of the likes of Pele, Bobby Charlton, Pele, Carlos Alberto, George Best, Eusebio, Teofilo Cubillas, Franz Beckenbauer and Wolfang Overath to mention a few.

Still his achievements outside the pitch were outstanding as in his playing years in American soil in that disappeared North American Soccer League, his stints with the Los Angeles Aztecs and Washington Diplomats.

Were in the eyes of many huge and considered as a big promoter of the game in a nation that knew so little about the game that at the end went to love it, considered as one of his legacies not as big as Pele contributions in American fields.

At the end the legacy and all around class left by this man in his play days that made the beautiful game delightful and charming in every sense of the word, thank you Maestro Johan Cryuff for your one of a kind legacies.

Rest in Peace!

Crest Credit and Property of Telegraph Media Group 2016

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

The Caps won in excellent form over a modest playing Seattle

Once again, we have the always exciting and much contested Cascadia Derbies played with such passion and all-around competition- minute by minute whenever these three squads meet.

It looks like this campaign has been a little rough for the Cascadia squads struggling in their first matches and in this one between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Seattle Sounders.

The element of having a rough start with both of these colossi displaying a 0-2 record, the outlook of this game was going to be a much-disputed one and booth of them seeking that elusive first win of this new campaign.

With both squads ready, to shake off the negativity started this campaign, the table was serve in the always-majestic Century Link Park in Seattle ready to witness another mano a mano between these two Cascadia foes.

Ready to start another heated and much disputed match in an afternoon filled with lots of excellent football from both squads as well out of this world plays.

For the hosts in the Seattle Sounders, so far for Manager Sigi Schmidt cannot explain how this slow start has suddenly hit this club considered in all of MLS circles as an elite one.

The Caps coming too with a slow start and seeking that elusive first win, Carl Robinson the Manager of the Vancouver Boys was ready to generate a series of play and display a very energetic and dynamic football against the Rave Greens.

Still the overall winners were the fans that came to see how these titans went at it and almost hit themselves with the water bucket, as every minute of play and with a fighting stance demonstrated by both squads.

At the end, this match went into full gear, exposing many flaws in the Seattle backfield and its frontal attack, something that needs to be work on by its Manager Sigi Schmidt if they do not want to continue into that negative skid.

Will be putting his squad into strenuous work sessions and correct the mistake’s, this off course if they want to contend in this campaign and not throw it away, despite having some absences in their office attack.

Very well for the Caps a win in the road and one as important as the Seattle one, edging their south of the border rivals and winning round one in the always contested Cascadia Cup and Derbies.

The win for the Canadians will be a shoot of optimism for the Boys of Carl Robinson who has a squad to compete with as well the addition of Blas Perez into this offensive scheme will became a lethal one to opposing defenses.

Exposing the Caps power, that last campaign almost netted them several trophies among one of them the Supporters Shield and left out of the MLS Cup finals, considered ultimate favorites.

For now round one will be for the Vancouver Whitecaps in the always exciting and nail biting Cascadia Derbies, exposing their powerful attack and prospects of being an all-around contender once again in this campaign.

At the end, this first one of the Cascadia Derbies will give you a preview of what has to come ahead in this edition of Major League Soccer.

Crest Credit and Property of Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club 2016