Fern Mc Costigan

Monday, August 28, 2017

There is a revival in Rose City football

A draw with all the essence of a win that was the result yesterday in Seattle, not only for one squad but for both in the always contested Cascadia Derby between the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders.

Dubbed as rivalry week in MLS circles, the Cascadia Derby is the one that catches all the attention of many soccer oenophiles in the US due its intensity and all around contest between these Pacific Northwest squads.

The continuance of Liam Ridgewell in the DL along with Jake Gleeson and Faneando Adi and occasionally the suspensions of a player or two in this time was David Guzman, leaving a big hole in the defensive backfield.

In this match, we saw the many improvements from the Portland squad, suddenly showing off by overpowering its opponents, despite having some notable absences in its initial eleven.

As we may state that, finally this squad is showing off a consistency in its game.

Kudos to the Cheesmaster Caleb Porter making his trademark moves in his initial eleven and making the best of it, under the circumstances, he is seeing once again how his squad delivered a wondrous match, especially in both halves but the second being as the amazing one.

All of sudden the backfield being the Achilles heel of the PTFC, all of a sudden is delivering and with a foursome in Roy Miller, Larry Mabbiala’s, Vytas and Zarek Valentin and not forgetting Lawrence Olum too.

Alongside my caps off to keeper Jeff Attinella rising to the occasion lately since filling for Jake Gleeson.

I mean a gem of a game and denying the Seattle big guns, all sort of liberties to put this game away as their shooting opportunities became null, and this seen as a notable improvement in these area.

Very well the Timbers playing as a visitor its football upgraded a lot and yesterday and showing off a teamwork lost in the midst of the campaign with pure determination and hunger shown in their past three matches.

Coming to their house of horrors in Century Link Stadium, the leadership of this initial eleven playing in unison after they neutralized the momentum of the Seattle squad and these had to the share of points.

By complementing a comeback after that early 18 minute by the Rave Greens Cristian Roldan but somehow Portland is starting to fight back and with penalty kick performed by their talisman, Diego Valeri the game was tie at halftime.

Yes, this ended up at a tie but this goal that Valeri converted, at the end became the nemesis of the local Sounders that after the second half these were not themselves and stopped coldly by Portland stingy defenses.

Offensively everyone is stepping out and defensively the PTFC is making honor to its moniker of almighty with its last display of performances and delivering in the clutch when needed, the idea in the remaining six matches of this campaign.

The ultimate of achievements are to seal the deal and with first thing’s first, one by qualifying to the next stage the postseason and maybe there perform a magical run like that 2015 when they achieve the ultimate of feats.

Overall every player in the Portland Timbers initial eleven, is contributing to this squad all around revival and delivering a one of a kind run but after the break the return to action and with a couple of away games.

One in Yankee Stadium and face off a tough NYCFC and to Rio Tinto and try to avenge the humiliating loss in Providence Park by the RSL, that these can be playing a sort of spoiler to the PTFC aspirations and return home to face off a tough Orlando.

At the end this draw is like a win, but foremost my salute to all of those diehard PTFC fans making the trip to Seattle and not leaving their Timbers alone to play in Emerald City, these were the biggest winners.

This will be another test for the Rose City squad seeing a momentum like no other and displaying a top of the line game that can seal the deal in the final stretch of league play.

Photos Credit and Property of Portland Timbers Football Club 2017

Liverpool delivering perfection and mayhem into Arsenal

Arsene Wegner and his Gunners were all alone today in what seems to be a branch of one of Merseyside utmost madhouses, Anfield, witnessing how its initial eleven delivered a perfection-ridden game from its Reds.

I mean a total blow out to a visiting Arsenal squad seeing in shambles its aspirations to be contending for the league overall glories with an embarrassing final score.

The whole Kop could not contain itself of amazement delivered by its boys delivering a blow and a goal fest that embarrassed the likes of the visiting Londoners.

As manager Wegner sending a 3-4-2-1 formation with a lone Danny Welbeck in front but accompanied by Alexis Sanchez who returned to the Gunners lineup and Mesut Ozil to uplift the Emirates eleven attack adding some dynamism to it.

The aims of the French were to cause havoc on the Liverpool backfield.

For Jürgen Kloop sending his traditional 4-3-3 formation with a dynamite threesome in Roberto Firminho, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane accompanied in the midfield by Emre Can, Giorgino Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson.

That at the end the game plan and stategy for Jürgen Kloop became a successful one with a humiliating rout over their London foes, very well marking the difference in the whole match with his eleven setting the tone with an all-around dominance.

By erasing completely the likes of all the Arsenal top play-makers and not allowing them any liberties contrary to the local Reds not stopping in their quest of opening the scoreboard with various intents.

With an opening one two combination from Joe Gomez cross to beat the likes of Petr Cech to open up the score in the 17 minute via Roberto Firmino score and sending the whole of Anfield into a frenzy.

Despite the heroics and stops put in the whole match by Cech, the Liverpool chaps did not stopped in their quest of extending the score and in the 40 with a nice pass from Firmino to Sadio Mane for the cross that went into the Czech net.

After halftime with the score 2-0, the local Reds continue on their mastery of the field and once again the pressure exercised all afternoon by Mohamed Salah to the Arsenal backfield and being a living nightmare for the likes of its defense.

No later after another failed try by the Egyptian persistence paid off after taking the ball away from Gunners defender Hector Bellerin and with a 60-yard dash, he showed off his might and the clock with 57 minutes Liverpool lead 3-0.

With the score against the time for Arsene Wegner making some substitutions with Alexandre Lacazette and Oliver Giroud taking over for Alexis Sanchez and Alex Oxlade- Chamberlain.

As Jürgen Kloop made his moves in the 74 with Daniel Sturridge coming in for Sadio Mane, his presence was felt in the 77 with Mohamed Salah once again making his presence felt once again and assisting in what became the fourth and definite goal.

A picture perfect match for Liverpool all ninety minutes of its duration and a joyous one for managers and players alike is showing off an all-around inspiration, ambition and initiative from all of its players in the starting lineup as well its subs.

This accomplishment made possible thanks to a deficient Arsenal squad that in this match entirety lacked a coefficient of showing off a determination and leadership in its game with zero resourcefulness.

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

Saturday, August 26, 2017

A picture perfect start for Mourinho and his Red Devils

For the Boys of Old Trafford with a perfect start so far in the campaign, reminiscent of the good old days of Sir Alex Ferguson was at the helm of the Red Devils.

Now under Jose Mourinho a new era is already started under the Portuguese being in his second year.

With its third win of the campaign, it looks like Manu is off to a great start of what promises to be a positive campaign in this parts of Manchester.

As their first two matches with eight goals scored over West Ham United and Swansea, todays win shows off their defensive backfield delivering with three clean sheets for their goalie David De Gea.

Sitting pretty in first place with ten goals deferential over their closest foes, United is looking forward to a prominent campaign and delivering the Barclays shield if everything continues to go according to Jose Mourinho’s way.

Playing at home were the Red Devils once enjoyed a certain dominance and perfection and this was loss during Moyes era and even during Van Gaal despite the Dutch slight turnaround and delivering the lone FA trophy.

Still it has not been easy for the Portuguese as last campaign despite several setbacks and not finishing among the top four but delivering a Champions spot for their overall Europa League achievement.

With baby to giant steps, all of a sudden, things are getting better in Trafford with three trophies delivered so far and losing one trophy final to Real Madrid recently, still the outlook for United is a lot better.

However, in tonight has match the Red Devils did earned their pay with a stingy and very conservative Leicester City defensive backfield and a rock star in Kasper Schmeichel who stopped cold in his tracks the scoring momentum of Romelu Lukaku in the 53 minute.

As Lukaku coming from a couple of matches scoring a total of three goals in the campaign with his debut against the Hammers he delivered himself with a double, but today a first for him of being held scoreless.

in the head of Jose Mourinho many things came to his head and that is when he needed to make some moves that at the end became opportune for the Portuguese.

The first move came in the 67 with midfielder Juan Mata coming out for forward Marcus Rashford, second was Henrik Mkhitaryan for Marouanne Fellaini in the 74 and last in the 76 was Jesse Lingard substituted Anthony Martial.

So effective were the moves of Mourinho, when Rashford started making all sorts of moves and plays towards the posts defended by Schmeichel stirring things up for the Foxes backfield, until the play that defined the match.

With a one two play between Henrik Mkhitaryan passing to Mrcus Rashford he sent a cannon of a shoot and beating the likes of the Dane for the first score of the game despite being in a crowd inside the area, in the 70 Manu was 1-0.

By breaking the momentum and brick wall that the City squad had imposed on United strikers, the moves made by the locals manager became to pay off when another magnificent play between Jesse Lingard and Marouanne Fellaini delivered.

Twelve minutes passed and Lingard and Fellaini did not disappointed Mou with a brilliant play in the 82 to seal the deal and continue perfection for their Red Devils now reading to play Stoke away at Bet 365 Stadium.

Despite win, this did not come delivered in a plate as Manu boss is starting to see the thick of competition in league play is starting, unfortunately the good game displayed by Leicester City it became heartbreaker at the end.

The daring Swans delivered an important result at London

With a sold out Selhurst Park, seeing in disbelief how their Eagles succumbed once again and to the likes of Swansea after these displayed a one of a kind performance that delivered an important win.

Paul Clement the manager of the Swans could not hide his joy after netting three points of gold.

After today’s win, the Swans made their desires very clear of displaying a one of a kind campaign looking for their permanency as well looking for a much better finish in it and as far away from the relegation spots.

On the opposing side for the Crystal Palace Boss Frank De Boer, a cruel shot of reality has struck the Dutch that it does not come easy to deliver positive results in the campaign.

Very well, his worries of continuing in the helm of the Eagles is getting more and more visible despite just three matches played in the campaign but with the lack of positive results shown, the need of putting his efforts to work are a must.

Still for the Clement and company with today’s positive result, they send an all-around statement that there is football aplenty despite not having Sigurdsson, his Swansea is for real.

So far the Swans have four points in the league overall table and getting a boost with today’s win taking advantage of Crystal Palace initial eleven lack of ambition and more bold approach to deliver a more competitive match.

The win puts the Swans in ninth place in the overall table with four points and waiting for tomorrow matches their outcome in the table for this week will rely on several of those Sunday’s matches.

Still with the way, they are playing and elevating their game in every match, the Swans continuance of delivering positive results as the likes of today, this Welsh based squad can make something positive.

As for Paul Clement the Swansea manager looking forward to keep his squad away from the bottom three and avoid relegation but his aims are to finish in the top ten posts and deliver a ticket to Europe as well a shield or two.

Tough but not difficult if this young team can continue to put its hard work in evidence in the field.

For the visitors, well planned and effectively strategizing this game put in by Clement in contrast for Palace De Boer lack of discipline and orientation in the Glaziers players netting a four yellow cards.

Very well, the irony of the Eagles dominating in the stats with a little bit more time in possession of the ball, along with more shoots to the posts defended by Swansea Luckazs Fabianski, maintained his clean sheet until the end of this match.

In the case of Crystal Palace, lacking initiative from its players and these never trying a rally to try at least to rescue a point, nothing and that is a shame for a club known as a spoiler to the big guns of Premiership.

At the end, the afternoon belonged to the Swans that did not take all the opportunities for granted and with scores from Swansea Tammy Abraham and Jordan Ayew in the 44 and 48 minutes.

These sealed the 2-0 final score and a valuable win that can boost this club moral and its game in the rest of the campaign and possibly making a decorous run until the end of this campaign.