WORLD PEACE... SOCCER AT LAST

World peace at last... or not. Soccer is back, been back for the last close to 3 weeks. Everyone is happy... except the hating ass soap opera loving gay homies, and the larger percentage of ladies. That's beside the point. Soccer is here and that's what matters. EPL, La Liga... the rest. And also promising, is this season's Champion's League.

Am really looking forward to see who the Manchester pair will draw. I hope City draw Barca or Real. Am still bitter that they pipped us to the title last season, and that Mancini did that 'yap yap' sign language at Fergie. Somebody needs to put them back in their old place. They seem comfy in their new place though, I acknowledge ... almost at the top of the league having won 2 out of 2 games, and 3 out of 3 if you choose to include the Shield. They have conceded 6 goals in the process though, which is a good thing. It shows they're not invincible(I like to console myself on behalf of Man United)

Arsenal still haven't found their rhythm back with their new signings,  after selling two of their greatest assets. Now, if Walcott and Vermaelen left, that team would be no different from Swansea, full of unknown talent. Liverpool, they continued where they left off last season. Playing well in their big games, and playing SHIT in the other games.

Chelsea. One word... Champions. Them boys are playing like they are being coached by Brendan Rodgers. Whats more... the drought is over for Torres. We are all happy for him, eh? Even those of us on a dry spell, eh? NO? I didnt think so.

Real Madrid and Barca renewed their rivalry. Real got lucky, that game could have ended with a higher score in favour of the Catalans. In the league... they only have one point, Barca 6. I dont think I need to tell you what happens when Barca establishes a gap between your team and them. And Messi is again continuing with his characteristic brilliant from. They definitely haven't started well. Neither have PSG, with all their signings(Ibra, T Silva and Lavezzi). They haven't won a game in three that they've played till now.

Signing of the summer.... Hazard, Van Persie, Kagawa or Song? I will let you chose. I know we all weren't happy about Hazard joining Chelsea(that's water under the bridge now) and neither we the Arsenal fans when RVP joined United. Here are some comments from twitter that day:

@njiiru

Rvp,1 good season & he's gone,it's like kibaki vying for U.S Presidency coz of thika superhighway 

@Brunye: RVP ni kama ule dame unamtoa ocha alafu akisha janjaruka,anaanza kukuambia "Your not my type!"  

@mainneli: My Girlfriend pulled an RvP on me,on her good season,she agreed personal Terms with my Enemy. 

@masaku_: Sasa instagram ya RVP itajaa picha zake next to trophy za manure kama ameeka gang signs like a G.  

KPL.... John Baraza continues to lead the scorers with 17 goals. I thought Allan Wanga could make it to top scorer this season. I was actually betting on it but it seems he never fully recovered from that injury when he came back. He has 6 goals. AFC Leopards top the league with 44 points. At the bottom, Oserian and Rangers FC with 19 and 20 points respectively.

Last but not least in other news, Harambee Stars have a new manager. Frenchman Henri Michel is the man charged with running the affairs of the national team. I hope he gets full co-operation from the people who run the football around here though. It is also good news that Manchester United, partnering with Airtel are sponsoring sports clinic in .KE right now. It shows at least they believe that Kenya has talent elsewhere, apart from only what we are forced to see. 

That said, I wish to remind you all about the Soccer Tweet Up on Saturday 8th September. It is a free event, so all are welcome to attend

September Soccer Tweet-up

September is here, Premier League Soccer is back. And so is our usual soccer tweet up. Every first Saturday of the month remember? This time 8th September at Kilimani Primary School, just past Yaya Centre. We decided to change our previous location... Slightly. Some of our friends thought Saint George Primary was a little too far from the road.

So, directions.... From town, board a bus/Nissan, Route No. 46, at GPO or Railways bus station and get off at Kilimani Primary School(just past Yaya Centre). It is on the road so you will not get lost.

So all you soccer loving fans... This is your time to shine. Hehe. Its a fun thing where we all get to socialize, catch up, play soccer and basically 'bust a move' on the other peeps. Later on we go for Lunch at Cactus(usually the best part since not every one might love soccer, but everyone loves food). It is a free event, and anyone, not necessarily soccer loving can come. That includes you ladies. Also... We don't do any lists...

If you need any more info, feel free to contact @kevin_seth or Myself (arthurnyoiks) and we will be glad to help.

We are also looking forward to setting up our own site(soccer paranoia KE) to blog about about soccer, results, transfers, reactions etc. Somebody has to do this 'dirty work' at some point,eh?

Looking forward to seeing our regular as well as new faces.

Of Premier transformations

 The wise people said 'if it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it definitely is a duck'. With the Euros, Olympics and pre-season friendlies over and done, the premier is shaping up into something potentially very interesting over the next few weeks. With the new signings, new injuries(Wilshere, Ledley King and the other weaklings), potential returns of stars(Fletcher, Anderson, Cleverly, Diaby, Bent etc), new managers (BBC says 6clubs changed managers in the EPL... Chelsea, Liverpool, Swansea, Aston Villa, Norwich City, West Brom... oh and Tottenham. Thats 7 if you ask me).

The battle for the Top 4 hots up this time... with Liverpool having signed a midfielder(Joe Allen) and a striker(Fabio Borini). If you recall they lacked someone to lead the team the middle in the absence of Gerrard and a striker as they were too dependent on Suarez. I think their fortunes will probably change for the better now though I don't see them winning the EPL.

Tottenham Hotspur look like they strengthened their midfield even more. Looks like they realized having to depend on the injury-prone Huddlestone can prove frustrating. And they also signed Vertonghen for centre back following Ledley King's retirement due to frustrations in his injury-plagued career.

Chelsea... they are clearly phasing out their old guard. I honestly dont see Di Matteo winning it with these youngsters, just yet at least. They are yet to gel, and the old guard(Lamps, Drogba Terry et al) used to deliver anyway. That is where AVB also went wrong.You cannot phase out experience all at once for energy and flair

Arsenal.... After their beloved captain came out and said that the club had no ambition, they went out and signed Giroud (French Top Scorer and League winner), Podolski (FC Cologne's top scorer in a poor season) and Santi Cazorla. In my opinion... they are all average. Take the French Ligue 1 for instance, its not that strong a league is it? Podolski... he may be different, yes, but he couldn't save his former team from sinking. Cazorla... if he really is THAT good, why haven't Barca signed him? See where am going with this? But then again, it is Wenger's tradition to 'build' stars for other teams. I do believe they will flourish, though not this season. Top 3 maximum. I also enjoyed watching Diaby playing during their pre-seasons. He always looks very sure on the ball. Hopefully he can take over from Song, if his injuries dont come back to haunt him again... seeing as Wenger has made him a star for Barca.

Manchester United... Signed Kagawa(great midfield talent this one), Powell(I think he is a striker) and that other random striker guy... Henriquez. Really? Do we really need a striker? Either Fergie is growing too old for the game(which I doubt) OR... a formation change is about to take place. And an attacking one for that matter. But the problem with that is that it could be unfair to some players.
Take 4-3-3 for instance. Scholes definitely starts, eh? Him and Carrick. Then Kagawa, since he has flare. What happens to Fletcher, Anderson and Cleverly and Ashley Young? But I can see why he hasn't signed any other midfielders. The team is obviously full of depth if Sir Alex plays 4-3-3.
Striking... assuming Valencia and Nani are promoted forward to supply for Rooney/Van Persie or whoever... what happens to Bebe, Macheda, Welbeck, Berbatov, Nick Powell? And if Valencia and Nani are not promoted forward, then that leaves them in a very tricky place since they are wingers and not central midfielders.
Lets talk about injuries... They really had them exposed last season. Influential captain Nemanja Vidic is now back. So are Anderson, Cleverly and Fletcher. Imminent returns of Jones, Smalling and the probable rise of a home-grown left back who could eventually be Patrice Evra's long term replacement, going by the name Blackette, are a sign that there could be better things to come.
The Red Devils look stronger, but I dont think City will make it any easy for them.
They could reclaim the title... if Manchester City's stars falter along the way

Champions, Manchester City.  I write about them last because they are champions, and they are definitely NOT least. First of all, they may not have signed any big players just yet BUT... that also comes as a hidden advantage. See, they wont have to wait for their team to gel, they just have to pick up from where they left last season.. and it looks like they are already up to the task. case in point, their strong pre-season games. Tevez is back.. with a vengeance. He scores, he assists, he runs the game. I don't need to remind you of the lethal combo they form... together with Balotelli, Aguero, Yaya, Nasri and Silva. They signed Jack Rodwell from Everton the other day. I dont see him coming above De Jong or Andy Johnson in the pecking order just yet. They are arguably the best with their stars on form.

On the other end of the table, I see Swansea struggling after selling two of their midfield dynamos, Sigurdsson and Joe Allen. I also foresee QPR and one of the new entrants struggling...

AUGUST TWEET UP: The Result

Saturday 4th August...And the long awaited day of the Tweet Up is upon us. What looked like the beginning of a boring day began. Only few people had arrived(five to be exact) by midday and the weather didnt look that friendly. On the pitch at that moment.. @kevin_seth @doogie @shiroh101(who wasnt playing but yes, there are soccer loving mamis), myself and two other guys.

The mamis present that day

12:30 ninjas began arriving, one by one and before we knew it.... GAME ON!!

And the soccer was played... Dimba ikagaragazwa. By halftime... @kevin_seth's side led 5-3. Free scoring bagas....

Ki_Bet... Luis Nani on the Wings

Halftime... Doogie provides energy drinks. Shiroh101 provides soda and everyone is re-energized. Then, enter @sirfender and the game changes. From being one-sided to... The other-sided. If there is anything of the sort. My point is, power shifted.

The control was back in our posession as Sir Fender controlled affairs from midfield going forward, and Artur being able to help out elsewhere on the wings. Kibet was our Luis Nani, with Flair on the wings and his brilliant passes. To be fair though, Kevin Seth's team were also a real threat coming forward... With Kevin, Doogie and @Sleven_kalevra aka Anto running riot at times.

SirFender... asset in any team

There were moments of panic though when the game had to stop because of what threatened to be horrifying injuries. DingoKG looked to have passed the test of metal by chesting a huge stone... Him and another friend of ours, Davie. Tali also felt that since he wasnt getting enough of the ball, he had to kick at something. Poor boy, he took a rock to the shin. All in all, all injuries were minor and manageable.

The remaining crew.. after most had left

Later on, we all headed to Cactus... An eatery joint near Yaya Centre for lunch. All in all, it was a good day, well spent. Sad we couldnt capture the moments on the pitch as we all were involved in play. Many thanks to all who showed up, mentioned, unmentioned... And even those off twitter(Tali, Davie, Mike, DingoKG, Joel and the rest) and the ladies too.

The only downside was the body pains that came afterwards from three straight hours of play. I hope everyone is fine now

SOCCER TWEET-UP AUGUST

Are you bored with all the transfer rumors? Do you want to see real soccer? Do you wanna play soccer? Do you wanna meet soccer loving tweeps and socialize? Well if your answer was yes to any of the questions, then this soccer tweet up is for peeps like you. We love to watch, and love to play soccer... and socialize.

Saturday August 4th is going to be the next soccer tweet up. Royal Media staff and a few tweeps will be playing at Saint George Primary School. Arrival time is 11.00am and the games shall continue till about 2:30pm. Come meet and play against some of the tweeps you love to see on your timelines. The last time out we had so many I couldn't give them all a personal shout-out here.

Saint George Primary, for those who do not already know, is right next to Saint George's Girls High School. To get there from town, board a Number 8 or Number 46 matatu and alight at Chaka Place. From there, ask any one of the taxi guys where it is and you shall be directed. Its not too far from there. So... a brief run-down of that Saturday.

DATE:         4th August 2012
VENUE:     Saint George Primary
TIME:         11am to 2.30pm

PS: Bring a friend. The more the merrier. 

Remember, this is an open event and anyone(all genders) can and should feel free to attend. No money required... just your fare there and back to where you came from. Hopefully we will recover quickly from the soccer withdrawal soon. Feel free to contact @kevin_seth @sirfender or myself, @Arthurnyoiks regarding the tweet up. We are glad to help

SOCCER Lowdown Post-Euros

While we were away, a whole lot happened in the football eh? AVB joined Spurs, Alba ditched United for Barca and Van Persie revealed he wont be playing for Arsenal another season after his contract expires. Now that... if you chose to overlook Spain's Euro 2012 victory, is cause for heads turning. before we turn heads... I know, we have not spoken football in a while. But here we are again.

So Spain won the Euros, and in emphatic fashion. Haven't seen such a convincing win in a long time. Although Spain did thrash Ireland 4-0 in the group stage. I have to be honest, when that match started, I wasn't in support of Spain but... things change. I enjoyed that match. Although I also felt a little pity on the Italians. You don't get to the final if you're a nobody, so for them to be punished like that... Spain had to be on another level of performance... they always are. WE ALL AGREE.

Elsewhere, Armin Van Buuren, hehe, just kidding... Andre Villas Boas is now Spurs manager, replacing the sacked Redknapp. Here's my concern, If Redknapp was fired, even after his team had qualified for Europe, how will AVB cope, especially with his managerial rookie mistakes? Also... will he sell Redknapp's stars? He has already signed Gylfi and I think it would be interesting to see how the future of Bale, Modric, Van Der Vaart looks like.

Arsenal: The future doesn't look to bright, neither is it too bleek for them. They have Podolski and Giroud if their problem is a striker. But if they're talking about how fond they had grown of RVP, then that's a problem. See where am going with this? Well, wherever he ends up, City, United, Juventus, Barca or even if he chooses to remain at Arsenal, I hope Giroud and Podolski can get RVP's goals.

Elsewhere on the transfer market, European clubs have been on a roll signing new players. PSG have snapped up Lavezzi from Napoli(I've already tried him on PES2012 ), Lucio left Inter for Juve, AC Milan snapped released Nesta and Seedorf and got the services of some youngsters. Juventus look like a more serious  prospect for next season. I also read that Inter is almost falling apart and that Diego Forlan will also be released.

In totally unrelated news... the SOCCER & SOCIAL soccer tweetup will be coming back again so keep your eyes out for the next one. Once I consult with some of the other guys, I will inform you football lovers.

EURO & KPL standings

Let me start by saying that I feel so disappointed by England's exit...although they didn't really play like semi final material, did they? Seriously... at that level, any team that wishes to be associated to being champions of Europe cannot be playing like that. Basic football like keeping the ball cannot be overlooked. And speaking of basic football... look where that has gotten the Germans... far. Simple football. Basic passing. As for England, they wanted to rely on long-ball tactics, and we all know how that went. They also needed Chamberlain(I accept, Ashley young was poor). I don't see how Germany wouldn't have deflowered them, just like they did in the World Cup, in the semis if they had made it. And so... despite supporting England, am actually happy they were spared humiliation at the hands... or feet of Germany.

Can we talk about racism? All along the English fans have been commended for behaving well during the Euros... well, up until they were eliminated last night. And then.. all of a sudden, black people cant shoot penalties. If you have been following your timelines, well then you will notice that something of the same sort has been happening. Ashley Young and Cole have been criticized for missing their penalties in their loss to Italy. Before the football began, it was there... now that its over, for some teams.. its back. I rest my case.

SPAIN vs PORTUGAL: I'll still stand my ground. The only way to beat Barcelona, sorry Spain, is to pack the midfield. Have enough men in the midfield to neutralize, frustrate and attack. Change the formation if you have to for that game, like Italy did in their opening game against them. Play 3-5-2 if you have to. Speaking of which, I think France failed in their tactics, playing two right backs and Malouda when they faced Spain. Obviously those are wingers, and you're not going to beat Barca like that. Nasri and Alou Diarra would have helped the invisible M'Vila in that game. That said, I think Portugal already have a strategy to beat Spain

GERMANY vs ITALY:
I think Italy will make a worthy opponent against the Germans. They haven't had real competitors all this time. The only image of a threat they faced was a disoriented Dutch team. Italy... they're no push overs. Croatia and Spain will tell you that. Germans... we've all seen them. They were too strong for Portugal, overpowered the Dutch and were too good for the Danes. It looks like a promising encounter.

Elsewhere, the Kenyan Premier League second leg is underway. Tusker, Gor Mahia, City Stars and Ulinzi Stars got off to winning restarts and Tusker are back on top of the table. This is how the top half looks like...

	Team	P	W	D	L	Pts
1	Tusker	16	9	5	2	32
2	Sofapaka	15	10	2	3	32
3	AFC Leopards	15	8	4	3	28
4	Ulinzi Stars	16	8	3	5	27
5	Thika United	16	7	5	4	26
6	Gor Mahia	16	6	5	5	23
7	Western Stima	16	6	4	6	22
8	Karuturi Sports	16	5	7	4	22													More football another time people. Have a nice time

Dutch felled in Group of Death

Last time we spoke about football, Germany needed a point while the Dutch needed a miracle. Sadly they didn't pray hard enough, or maybe Portugal prayed harder. And so Germany sealed their position at the top of Group B, and I have to give credit to Denmark. I had ruled them out completely, even though they still exited the tournament, they had a better record than one of the huge favorites, Netherlands. Honestly for me, the Netherlands were a shock exit. I had predicted Portugal and Denmark would exit. but i still reiterated that a giant had to be sacrificed in the 'group of death'. I read a few good reactions on BBC Sport(If its not on BBC Sport, its gutter) and here are some that I think you might like too.  

Phil McNulty, BBC Sport chief football writer: "Cristiano Ronaldo delivers. Good to see great players gracing major tournaments - and whether you like him or not he is a great player."

Germany captain Philipp Lahm: "Every match in this group was difficult. 

"It would appear the Netherlands took the group of death literally and were utterly lifeless throughout their whole campaign."


Denmark came close to claiming a point against Portugal and certainly did not disgrace themselves in defeat by the Germans.


Seems that Van Persie's been a victim of his own reputation, Ronaldo the beneficiary of his.


Who would have thought Netherlands would be eliminated before England? And without a point to add salt to injury... 

Judging by those few comments, I could tell Euro night was legendary. I missed it, sadly. I was watching a very captivating series but I managed to catch the highlights, and boy were those Ronaldo goals classy!! I wonder if Ronaldo's critics(I don't want to say haters) will still label him 'lack-lustre'. I mean sure he is not upto Messi's level, but his level is no other mortal's, lets be real.

In another group, the 'stubborn hosts' Poland were eliminated along with the Russians they clashed with on the streets. Looks like they kept their eyes off the ball, eh?And then we have Spain Italy and Croatia fighting for their place in the quarter finals. Anyone could get in. Anyone could go home

Elsewhere, Kenya's Harambee Stars lost their Africa Cup/World Cup qualifier in Togo. Thats three matches we've failed to win, and in succession. That's messed up. Simple. I pray for the day we will see an improvement in Kenyan football. And it was this Origi guy that we were waiting for to 'solidify' our team at the back? In brighter news though, the Kenyan transfer window is almost coming to a close, and the market has been alive. Clubs have been on a signing spree, with friendly matches being organized to test the new players. I have a feeling KPL will be a good watch when the league resumes

In other unrelated news... the Soccer & Social tweet up was a success. People showed up, played their soccer and ended up having a good time. We played two long matches that ended 8-7 and 2-1. And since Saturday I haven't seen any 'subaru' on the TL concerning the that day. So am guessing it was a success.Well that was all for the love of the game.

More football after we are certain if England have made it to the quarters(I'm rooting for them). Lets see what effect Wayne Rooney will have on the Three Lions and who will have to step down for him and who among Italy, Spain and Croatia will join them in the quarter finals.

EUROS, EPL & KENYAN FOOTBALL WRAP

So, Germany need a point. Netherlands... they need a miracle. The free scoring Van Persie doesn't score when he wants after all. Poland and Ukraine are the stubborn lot we all expected them to be. And our usual stars aren't shining. Ask Torres, Robben or Rooney. Or better yet... Cristiano Ronaldo. Am still pissed at him for almost giving away his team. He and Robben are almost single handedly bundling out their teams of the tournament.

The Germans... they are executing their rivals so well. Defensively, they are intact, upfront lethal. And I like their midfield domination. They have players to bully and the players to create flair as well as attack. I personally think the Dutch played really well. I just don't understand what their problem is defensively. And the England versus France game... well both teams approached it cautiously. That 1-1 draw was even too much to ask for from that game. At least there was plenty of flare in the game. I expect England to see off Sweden easily though. I personally think Chamberlain should NOT start. We, yes am an England fan,  need experience on the wings, Chamberlain isn't exactly experienced. He is raw talent. Hodgson should play Ashley Young on the left, Walcott/Downing down the right... with Defoe and Welbeck upfront and VOILA!!! They conquer the Swedes

Elsewhere, while we were watching the Euros, Redknapp resigned/got fired.. or whatever was the case. If you have been following his case, Redknapp has been through a rough patch. The trial, the heart attack, his team's form slump and now he's been sacked.
You have to feel sorry for him. He really doesn't deserve that, I think. He has a really good track record, with Portsmouth. and he only got better with them, before taking on Tottenham, who by the way were 17th at the time and then turned them into Champions League material. If he wasn't already old, although age comes with experience... I'd say he'd make a good replacement for Sir Alex Ferguson, which makes me wonder, when is the Legend that is Ferguson going to retire and most importantly.... who CAN and will replace him?

Also, while we enjoyed European football, Man United signed Nick Powell(18yr old starlet) and are finalizing a deal with Shinji Kagawa. Chelsea gave Di Matteo a 2-year contract, signed Marek Hamsik from Napoli and Eden Hazard from Lille. Arsenal are also in the running for Podolski and Olivier Giroud. Looks like next season will be a hotly contested affair, don't you think?

And while all that was happening, Harambee Stars lost to Namibia, after a disappointing draw at home to Malawi. you want some more bad news... we play Togo. Not sure if we will also play Nigeria at some point. But my point is... Mr Kimanzi needs to field strong teams... yes, some are his friends but we need good players who are not necessarily HIS friends. Friends of the country... you get the drift, right? Otherwise, every match Harambee Stars will ever play will always be FRIENDLY or a QUALIFIER.

I'll let you enjoy your Euros good people.
PS... am very disappointed with the Dutch. They can still make it though.

Before the Euros start

So, Euro 2012 is upon us. Finally, we can put behind us all that talk about racism that has been doing rounds. I kid you not... when the football begins, all this racism will go away. People are just missing the soccer action, you'll see. European leagues are over, Kenyan league is on a break.

All the talk just creates a great build up to the tournament. The players themselves are the to play football. so any racism that might be there, could be off the field. But lets not forget that even in our most watched leagues, it is there. It is just controlled. All this talk about racism is being blown out of proportion. Hopefully it does not arise though.

Moving on... Kenya are already down in Namibia for their World Cup qualifiers after their barren draw against Malawi the other day. We sure wasted a host of chances. Hopefully Mr. Kimazi can can get the right combination of players on the pitch and we can get to scoring. We need to feature in a big tournament, don't you think?

That said... do not forget about the #TwitterFC Soccer tweet up on Saturday the 16th of June at Siant Georges in Hurlingham . Its supposed to be a social event and all about love for soccer. Come play and/or cheer. Citizen TV's soccer team, which am a part of, along with some of the soccer-loving tweeps will be there. So no tweefing, subaruing, just soccer. The event is open to anyone and its free of charge. Read about it here

I will let you enjoy your Euros now.

SOCCER & SOCIAL: TwitterFC, Citizen TV tweet up

So, Hazard went to Chelsea(much to the disgust of United fans). We all wish him a rough start. JK, United got themselves an equally good, yet more economic buy in the name of Shinji Kagawa and Van Persie is talking of "Juventus is a great team". We all know how that story ends, don't we? Poor Arsenal. These guys must really look forward to getting to heaven, since Arsenal just keeps disappointing. We sympathize. Moving on...

Because we know how you all love twitter and football, we, in collaboration with a few tweeps have decided to organise a SOCCER TWEET-UP on Saturday the 16th of June at Saint George's Primary School in Hurlingham. The @CitizenTvKenya soccer team will be there along with most of the tweeps you all love, and some you love to hate. A few tweeps even proposed we hold matches as per the teams we support in the EPL, that is; Manchester vs Arsenal vs Liverpool vs Chelsea. The soccer tweet-up is open for everyone to enjoy. Come and be ready to play, cheer or jeer. Lets leave all the tweefing at home, eh? Just kidding. That might help us get a good game-day. It all depends on the turn up. The more the merrier.


For those of you who know where Saint George's Girls is, (more popularly known as Saint G), Saint G primary is right next to it. for those who don't know it: 


1. Board a route 46 bus from tao
2. Get off at Chaka Place
3. Ask for where Citizen TV is located, you shall be directed. 
4. From there on Saint G primary is like 150 to 200 metres


Being a Saturday, we know most of you will want to go out later on in the day, we have decided on an 11am to 3pm schedule. We sure do hope its a flexible timeline with you guys. 


If anyone should need any further info on this event, just leave a comment on the blog or just holla on twitter at myself @Arthurnyoiks or  @Sirfender, and  @Sickolia_ 

Remember, HAZARD OR NO HAZARDS, SOCCER MUST CONTINUE. Peace!!!

EURO 2012: Group by Group review

Before I start ranting about the Euro, I would like to mention the fact that Oliech is back in the Harambee Stars fold after threatening to quit. I personally think Kenya should not entertain this kind of nonsense. Sure I dont support how those who run the team run it, and keep players' money , but that is no way to behave really, especially from a man who didn't help his team survive relegation and is now looking to leave them. Shame on him really. I think his attitude, along with Jamaal's needs to be put in check. Jamaal is another one, getting involved in pleasures of life and not playing for his club. Ask around you will hear this stuff. Moving on to what really matters.


Group A: Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech
Group B: Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Denmark
Group C: Spain, Italy, Ireland, Croatia
Group D: Ukraine, England, France, Sweden

That's how the groups look like. I personally have always been a fan of England ever since I can remember but of course they have their shortcomings. This time around a lot could happen. Lets have a look.

GROUP A: I think Poland being co-hosts of the event could try and at least come out second in the group. We've all seen how hosts are at times. Thus leaving Russia, Greece and Czech to fight for that other position. Russia and Czech have not been in any major competition lately so I doubt they'll be putting up that much of a fight so I see Greece just barely making it. Hence, Poland and Greece.

GROUP B: Its tough trying to guess the result for the 'group of death', because a giant has to be sacrificed, but I'll try anyway. Denmark out definitely. I'll go with the German topping the group because all their players, with the exception of Ozil & Khedira, are based in their league, hence they have that chemistry factor with them. Plus they had a perfect record, winning 10 out of 10 heading into the Euros, and judging by the fact that Portugal had to play a play-off decider to get to the Euros in the first place, I see Netherlands making it into that second place. They only lost one match out the 10 qualifiers they had to play to get into this year's event.
Therefore Germany and Netherlands.

GROUP C: Spain being the reigning champs could just take it again. They are strong favourites. For that and this reason: most of their players are part of the two greatest teams in football right now, Real Madrid and Barcelona. The second position I think will be a battle between Italy and Croatia. Croatia have a promising forward line; Ivica Olic, Nikica Jelavic(all have haunted Man United at one point) and Eduardo, former Arsenal man, plus they have Modric in midfield. But Italy have Motta, Pirlo & De Rossi in midfield and I think they could be the difference here. Their forwards aren't really that popular for me but I think they could make it. My opinion: Spain and Italy

GROUP D: This could well be the group of death if you ask me. All these teams are somewhat evenly matched, though England and France might come behind their usual 'big history and tradition' arguments but Sweden and Ukraine aren't just gonna take that... I think. Ukraine have Shevchenko, 35, Voronin, 32, and a young and upcoming Iamorlenko upfront. Their midfield could be the problem though. Sweden... Ibrahimovic, Kallstrom(Lyon man, powerful shot and swerves freekicks as well) and Rasmus Elm(Liverpool want him for a reason).
I think England and France have qualified-enough squads with France's midfield lookin very competent in particular. Cabaye, Nasri, Ben Arfa, M'Vila, Valbuena just to name a few, with Giroud and Benzema upfront. I dont know much about Jeremy Menez but his manager obviously has faith in him, former AS Roma man.
England have Scott Parker, Lampard, Gerrard, and competent wingers to aid them in midfield.
I see England and France making it out of the group.

I am a staunch believer in strong midfields, as you may have already noticed. Midfielders control games... and that is why you see Barca, Man City dominating football. Look at Everton this season, Newcastle United. Teams with strong midfields usually 'suffocate' other teams so much. I should just become a manager already.

Because England Is Too Mainstream

All European leagues have well ended. There has been joy, pain and the usual promise of next season. But that aside, the European Championship is close to two weeks away. Teams have been named, star players have been dropped, sub par players have been picked, comments have been made and opinions put across. The main focus of all this has been on England being as it is their league is one of the most followed.

But that aside, there is a pool everyone will have their eyes on. Every tournament has had it: The Pool Of Death as it is called. Netherlands, Germany, Portugal and Denmark

Tactics aside for now, there are a few scenarios to this group:

The Expected:
In this case, Spain and Germany will go through to the next round but not without a fight from Denmark and especially Portugal

The Indifferent:
This scenario holds that the table will be decided by goal difference. Spain looks to top the table, then Germany and Portugal will fight it out on goals. The game between them will be the decider. About Denmark, lets put a pin in that.

The Unexpected:
This is all about Denmark. They beat Spain and Portugal and say draw with the Germans hence topping the table. You'll have probably laughed this one off because it is highly unlikely. But do not forget this season has been one with the most surprises.

To mention but a few, the Yellow submarine finally sunk into relegation, the English Premier League was won by goal difference, Montpelier won the Ligue 1 and Hazard eventually turned out to become the little bitch non of us expected.

That being said; pick your team, stick to it, stand or fall with it because there is no end to football

THE MESSI VERSUS RONALDO FACTOR

The Premier League is coming to an end. So is La Liga. Manchester United are yet to relinquish the title to City... completely, although we all know we gave it up with that Everton game. The minute Fergie substituted Scholes, that game changed and we started playing defensive. By this time am sure you are aware am a Man United fan. But we are not here to speak of Man United, or Everton... or Manchester City.

Real Madrid won their first league in 4 years. Am sure they are very happy. I was happy for them too. Barcelona had become too much with their "All I do is win" mentality. Hell, they were taking it far, even. But they are yet to capture the Champions League trophy two time in  a row... no ona has yet, since 1990.

It is interesting to note that they were strong favourites this season too, and Chelsea got VERY LUCKY to have beat Barca being a man down. Not many teams could have done that. In fact... I think none. Credit to Chelsea. But despite Barca being a strong TEAM, there is one man who single-handedly carries their weight on his shoulder... if you like feet. MESSI. The kid is a god. Simply put.

Goal.com usually have this week-in-week-out player rating where they rate players and it is interesting to note that this Messi guy usually does very well on it. Cristiano Ronaldo does very well too. But in some games, he has been accused of not stepping up to the occasion. Especially during EL CLASSICO. So goal.com did a half-season tally and Messi's average was something close to an 8 while Ronaldo averaged a mere 6.75.

Needless to say, they may have been miles apart then, but I think Ronaldo took that criticism as fuel for his fight back and look where he has gotten his team now. Second top scorer, after Messi of course, and a La Liga title bagged. they may have exited the Champions League in the semis at the hands of Bayern but he was instrumental in every bit, including their exit for missing that penalty.

Messi on the other hand.. there are little things, people included, that can stop this guy. He scores when he wants, however many times he wishes. he now hold the record for the most goals in a single Champions League match, having scored 5. Its a shame they went down against a lack-lustre Chelsea side though. It kind of even beats you how it happened. The kid has 71
goals this season in all competitions, 49 in La Liga. I mean really... is this guy brilliant or what?

It is worth noting that La Liga may already have been won, yet the contest between two of the the world's best players continues... in the search of all that is great in the eyes of football. messi clearly has an upper hand, with 4 goals over Ronaldo in La Liga, and his other goals just show his immense contribution elsewhere. Ronaldo on the other hand ha shelped his club gain their first title in years so his contribution is as big, if not bigger.

Am just waiting for the end of the La Liga season to see who wins the PICICHI award(that's the Top Scorer's Award in Spain for those who didn't already know) and the Footballer of the Year award by FIFA. No one really can tell, but we can only wait.

Lets talk some more football another time.