The Special One returns with Madrid's triumph

Photo credit: Reuters

There are a few characters in life worth noting. In sports, in soccer for the purposes of this blog, this may take the form of Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Valencia, Clint Dempsey or Zidane. However, this is only part of the equation. The other side is the coach and there are plenty of big personalities out there when it comes to this category: the cool and calculating Franz Beckenbauer, the fiery brilliant Sir Alex Ferguson, and the antithesis of modesty: Jose Mourinho, a.k.a "the special one."

Jose was never a great player and only participated in modest clubs in the Portuguesa Liga such as Belenenses and Comercio e Industria. He first started as a translator for Sir Bobby Robson with Sporting Clube, Porto and eventually Barcelona. His full coaching career began with Benfica and Lieira, where he found modest success, although the latter attained its highest ranking in the league in club history.

Mourinho's breakthrough came while coaching Porto, which he took new heights by winning the UEFA Champions League with a win over Monaco after eliminating Manchester United, Lyon, and Deportivo La Coruna. As a side note to American fans, the win versus Manchester United came thanks to a serious gaffe by Tim Howard. After Porto came a blockbuster move to Chelsea of the English Premier League in which he earned £5.2 million. Jose won the Premier League in 2005 and 2006, as well as the League Cup in 2005 and 2007 and the FA Cup in 2007.

After continuous disagreement with the Chelsea owner, Roman Abromovich, he resigned from his post as coach in 2007, having never won the Champions League. This would change, however, when he became coach of Inter Milan in 2008. He won the Italian Serie A that same season and also in 2010. Further, in 2010 his Inter achieved the treble by winning the Serie A, Coppa Italia, and the Champions League.

His move to Real Madrid in 2010 was reminiscent of his appointment at Chelsea: a big money club in need of a trophy. Indeed, Barcelona had been champions ever since Guardiola took over as coach in 2008, so re-taking the crown was a paramount objective for the Madrid club. Mourinho still finished second in his first season (2010-2011) but won the Cup that same year. However, he injected new talent into the squad with moves for Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira, and Angel Di Maria. Thus, he effectively crowded out his midfield that already included Xabi Alonso, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka. However, this depth would become valuable in the future.

Also in his inaugural season with the club, a meeting with Barcelona in the semifinals of the Champions League resulted in some interesting Mourinho "moments." He was critical of the referee in the first round at the Bernabeu and was suspended for the second game at the Nou Camp. Always a competitor and always outspoken, he alleged that a "conspiracy" was behind his loss to the Catalan club.

Mourinho toned it down this past season. He quietly (relatively) and steadily gained ground in the league as Barca faltered time and again. He was outspoken still, yes, but he took a far more calm approach to his job. As Bayern Munich eliminated Real Madrid from the Champions League competition last week, we could see his maturation in his frustrated yet surprisingly calm reaction to his star players, Kaka and Ronaldo, missing their respective penalties. The Special One knew that he had taken the necessary next step in his career by winning the Spanish Primera outright. Earlier that week his team had won at the Nou Camp by the score of 2-1 over Barcelona, effectively ruling the Catalans out of the crown.

The Special One isn't done yet. He knows he must achieve his goal of bringing the Champions League crown back to Madrid. He certainly has the tools for the job but his approach must be more cautious in the defense than it was against Munich. Marcelo and Sergio Ramos, in particular, stretch the back line too far through their constant forays forward. This pulls the central defenders wide and exposes the middle of the pitch for the opposing squad. Pepe's recourse in that match was to concede a penalty.

Perhaps it will be in the defensive end that Mourinho finally strikes gold for Real Madrid. One or two more acquisitions or departures might achieve this goal. He has, after all, a potent attack that spreads talent into every blade of grass on the pitch. He's a special coach that doesn't shy away from substitutions in the middle of the first half. His theme isn't a "we must win," but instead chooses another phrase: "we cannot lose." As he once put it when he was hired at Chelsea: "Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one."

Congratulations, Mr Mourinho. The soccer world wouldn't be the same without you.

And now for something funny:

World Cup revolution: Italy and France crash out

There are critics out there that prefer Italy out of the tournament because of their overly defensive tactics. France was also downright sad to watch. Where was Ribery, Malouda, Henry, Toulalan? They were there in body but not in spirit. Perhaps the Raymond Dommenech situation or the recent underage prstitution scandal involving Benzema, Govou and Ribery overshadowed any semblance of a chance the Gauls may have had in South Africa. And Italy? Let's just say they were never young enough to get too far, not when a third of their players are over 30 and their star player (Cannavaro) is 36. Maybe they should have called Maldini?

Conmebol certainly has impressed. Barring a possible change in fortunes tomorrow with Chile, all South American representatives are already through. Concacaf also has its two major powers, USA and Mexico, through to the next round and in style. Mexico defeated 2006 finalist France and USA went unbeaten in group play and won their group thanks to goals scored. Let's not forget Asia. Their more storied sides, South Korea and Japan, also went through to the next round after overcoming opposition from mid-level European teams (Greece and Denmark, respectively) as well as African teams (Nigeria and Cameroon, respectively). Japan did it in style today in a dominating 3-1 decision over Denmark. They managed to score two goals from direct free kicks (what's wrong with Jabulani?). Oh, don't forget Australia (4 points, lost passage to next round to Ghana by goal differential) and New Zealand (unbeaten, three ties).

So what else is happening in this World Cup? One special thing location. Aside from Africa's failure, the different conferences have enjoyed the neutral location. Indeed, Americans are reported to have bought more tickets than any other country except for South Africa. They may not all be supporting team USA, but the various groups living in this country probably took up a large portion of the tickets.

One other aspect corroborating in this revolution is this: teams like Italy, England, and even Germany have leagues in which the majority of players in the dominant teams are not domestic. Inter, for example had only one Italian-born player on the pitch at the Champions League semifinal. Add to that the fact that the back line is made up of mostly Juventus players. Juve didn't have the best of seasons either. Oh, and England... why is Heskey starting? He hardly saw time on the field this past season. Germany's squad also relies heavily on Bayern Munich. You could argue that these players are tired from a very long season that included the Champions League final.

We can rest assured that there may yet be one or two or three more surprising scores in this tournament.. but how's this: Slovakia 3 - Italy 2, Switzerland 1 - Spain 0, Mexico 2 - France 0, USA 1 - England 1, New Zealand 1 - Italy 1... we can go on. And yes, that's why we love soccer.

Treble 2010: Inter Champions of Europe

It's Milan. Milito. Mourinho. It's Serie A. Coppa Italia. UEFA Champions League. It's twice the treble and a second year in a row after Barcelona's last year. Inter Milan was the better side today and was victorious over Bayern Munich by the score of 2-0. They were the best in Europe, eliminating Chelsea and Barcelona. Mourinho is still the Special One and always will be. Will he stay put in Milano or will he go to Madrid?

Milito was the man today. Undoubtedly playing the best soccer of his career and, hopefully, also in the World Cup. Sneijder was a menace in midfield and Eto'o was so close so many times. Lucio, Cambiasso, Zanetti and Chivo held their own in the back. Julio Cesar was impeccable and probably saved the game on at least three occasions. Maicon and Pandev were steady.

Let's not forget Bayern Munich. They were a worthy side and Muller could have tied it early in the second half. That would have surely changed the game. There was also a Chivu handball in the area during the start of the game. Could this have changed the outcome of the match? Luis van Gaal's side is young and a force to be reckoned with from here on out. Ribery will return next season. How could he have affected this game?

In the end it was an awesome match. A special game for a special team. A special striker scoring for a special coach. A special coverage by Fox, on national television, in English, for the first time for a European soccer match of this magnitude. America is waking up to soccer. Let's see what happens next month.

Cheers, Inter. You are the best team in the world. Cheers, Mourinho. You are the best coach in the world. Cheers, Milito. You are playing the best soccer of your career.

In and out: Inter vs Barcelona

Inter to the final. Barcelona goes home. Not many predicted this outcome... but should we be so surprised? It was Jose "The Special One" Mourinho at the helm for Inter. Always a masterful tactician, sneaky when required and brilliant when the pressure is on. This game was also about familiar foes with different styles. Eto'o was once with Barca but got traded for Ibrahimovic. Ibra was powerless thanks to a stout Italian defense. Eto'o had the fortune, although without a goal, of having wide open lanes for counters. It was also Lucio versus Dani Alves, Sneijder versus Messi, Xavi versus Cambiasso. The list goes on.

Inter defended like a true Italian team. Add to that Mourinho's specialty of dealing with superclubs and you have the perfect recipe at the perfect time. Oh, we're forgetting that Inter lost 1-0 even though they lost Thiago Motta. Not an easy outcome against the best striking force in the planet.

There's another side to this coin. Barcelona is feeling the weight of high-level competitions and the burden of being champions in all three (La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League). They were also missing Iniesta, a game-changer any given Sunday. Couple this with the very real fact that most of Europe has had an eye on Barca throughout the past year and broken through Guardiola's scheme on more than one occasion (Rubin comes to mind, plus their elimination from the Copa).

Internazionale of Milan are no pushovers, though. They have Julio Cesar as their net-minder, Lucio, Motta, Zanetti, Samuel, Maicon, Cambiasso and Chivu all defending Italian-style. Milito and Eto'o are some of the world's best. Oh, and Sneijder... often overlooked but with a style that makes him a dark horse for best player at this summer's World Cup.

So now we have no Spanish teams or English teams (the better leagues in the world). Instead it's Italy vs Germany. Defense versus midfield. Inter have not won the title since 1965 and haven't been to a final since 1972; Bayern Munich hasn't done it since 2001. They never me in a final.

Special One 1 - Rest of the World 0. Halftime. Let's see what happens in the Bernabeu on May 22. A great warm-up for south Africa.

The Special One returns: Inter vs Barcelona

Who would have thought it, right? Inter 3 - Barcelona 1. The Special One (Joze Mourinho) did. Remember that he was once assistant coach to Pep Guardiola. Also remember that he's a masterful tactician. Milito's strength, along with Eto'o's explosiveness add depth to Snejider's play. Throw in Lucio, Julio Cesar, Zanetti and company and you have a team capable that may just de-throne the unbeatable Barca. Winning the Champions League would only further cement Mourinho's legacy, especially knowing that he's about to leave Italy (Real Madrid, we're looking in your direction).

Messi was quiet today. Inter's midfiled was able to pull that off. There was plenty of attack left but Iniesta's absence could have influenced the outcome of the match. Sure, Milito was offsides in the second goal. But who cares? Now we have a do-or-die game in Barcelona next week.

Oh, and before I quit... did you notice how many Italians were on the starting team for Inter? Answer: zero. Sure Baloteli came on in the second half... but he's only Italian by choice. At least Barca had Valdes, Xavi, Puyol, Pique, Pedrito and Busquets.

Empire crumbling: Premier league out of Champions League

Today, Arjen Robben's clincher was more than just a thing of beauty. It also signifies a break from the domination of the English Premier League in Uefa's Champions League. Why is this so? Time for a change or a symptom of something more? Maybe a bit of both.

It is said that the top clubs reside in England and that this is where the top players earn their living... Really? I don't see Messi playing for Liverpool, Diego Milito lining up for Everton, Ribery starting for Chelsea, Cristiano Ronaldo scoring for Manchester United, David Villa scoring for Arsenal.

Is it too much competition within the EPL? You can argue for that. Spain is a two-horse race. Italy belongs to Inter, Bayern Munich still rules Germany, and Lyon, well, let's just say their place in football is nothing short of a monopoly in France.

You can make an argument for Rooney's injury and the loss of Ronaldo, even that Arsenal and Wenger would never get past Messi and the Justice League that is Barcelona. For whatever reason, it is now wide open. Four teams from four different countries... and none from England. Messi may have the upper hand, but The Special One and Milito + Sneijder, Robben-Ribery-Muller, Delgado-Toulalan may also have a say.

Should be fun to watch.

Champions League: The cream rises to the top

Messi marks the difference. So does Cristiano Ronaldo, Balotelli, Gilardino, Michael Owen and Ronaldinho. They do so because they are the best. They do so because they belong to superclubs. And in the end it is the superclubs that come out on top. Out are Rubin Kazan, Wolfsburg, Unirea and Rangers. In are Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea, Inter Milan.

Today was about realizing why we pay so much to see these players display their talent. It was also about why Lionel Messi is the best in the world. No Dynamo Kiev or Rubin Kazan (even during their brief spells of glory) can opaque the greatness of the current slew of superclubs.

What does the future hold? For the foreseeable time... more of the same. Expect the usual suspects in the semifinals: a couple of EPL clubs, maybe Real or Barca, maybe one of the Milan clubs. To them, in their majority, it's also about being in good shape for the World Cup. Even if Ibrahimovic and Arshavin are left out, the majority of the superstars will be present in South Africa. They define the superclubs, and why not...they define the wonder teams that make up the cream of the crop of the World Cup.

Giants falling: Barcelona and Liverpool lose at home

It's still early, yes. But could we be seeing a reversal in superclub fates? I watched most of the Barcelona - Rubin Kazan and Liverpool - Lyon games and I have to say it was entertaining to watch multimillion dollar players get frustrated against more modest (by European standards) teams. Until I read a couple of post-game stories, I thought both Rubin and Lyon had won at home... and rightfully so. But then, as I read the game recounts and other scores, I saw that the games had been at Anfield and Camp Nou. What?!

That's right. Not Ibrahimovic, Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Marquez, Pique and company could tackle the Russian champs in their own house. Ibrahimovic's goal was pure magic but the icing on the cake never came and Barca are now in a bit of a predicament, if only for a while. Could both Inter and Barca be left out of the competition in the group stages? Don't count on it. Rubin Kazan will need to secure all home points and a tie vs Inter isn't helping much at this point. Inter, however, needs to start winning some games.

And what about Liverpool? The Anfield side has much more to worry about with Fiorentina also being in this group. Benayoun and Torres weren't big enough deterrents to keep the eternal-favorites French club, Olympique Lyonnais, from causing damage through Argentine Delgado late in the game. Yes, no Benzema included.

Could this be a backlash of modest teams versus superclubs and their super-expensive players (e.g. Real, Barca, Man U)? Too early to tell, but the possibilities and the ensuing matches are anything short of dramatic.

Titans clash: Champions League begins

I was hoping for an amazing game when I took time off to see Inter host Champions League title-holders Barcelona. Instead there was missed chances and too much defense. Well, actually mostly defense from Mourinho's side and lack of a finishing touch with Barca. Indeed, Samuel, Julio Cruz and Julio Cesar performed admirably by frustrating the Messi-Ibrahimovic-Henry attack. Inter also lacked commitment getting forward and a true #10 and possession. Eto'o looked lonely and Milito lived offsides. Aside from the finishing touch, Barcelona continues to look extremely dangerous and will be difficult to defeat as we move forward with the current version of the Champions League.

Elsewhere in Europe, Real Madrid looked like the kind of team they are supposed to be by beating Zurich 5-2 with Cristiano Ronaldo giving another scintillating performance. It would be a pity not to see him in next year's World Cup. Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa also seem to have improved by joining this Real Madrid team, not to mention Kaka.

Manchester United also looked powerful going forward with Nani, Valencia and Scholes. Pairing that midfield up with Rooney and Berbatov is pure dynamite. Even much-maligned AC Milan showed up at the Vellodrome to snatch all three points away from an impressive Marseille that now includes Gabriel Heinze, Lucho and Falcao.

Other teams like Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Lyon, Sevilla, Chelsea, and Wolfsburg maintained their dominance over smaller teams. Surprises are present too, however. Juventus and Atletico Madrid were unable to come away with wins. It's early in the process and there are many more top-tier soccer stories to be written. I'm holding Madrid, Barca, Man U and maybe Wolfsburg as the final 4 at this point. Things can always change.

The Brit Supremacy Continues

After watching nearly all the Champions League games this week (at least pieces of games here and there) thanks in part to ESPN360.com--now free on college campuses--it once again became apparent how dominant the English Premier League truly is. Indeed, not Roma, Inter, Juventus or even mighty Real Madrid could get through the weakest of links--Arsenal, which currently sits outside of the Champions zone in the EPL table. Myself, along with ESPN's Tommy Smyth and others were wrong in our premature conclusion that "The Special One," a.k.a Jose Mourinho could get his Inter through the fortress that is Man U's Old Trafford. Vidic scored early and Cristiano Ronaldo finished the Serie A side with the second goal to end the match at 2-0. I also read that Mourinho apparently punched a fan after the game. Typical.

So what makes the EPL so good? To start, infrastructure. Competition formats are clearly defined, as are each of the lower divisions, their ascending and descending rules, sponsorship and ownership. We're looking at several American owners in the league (Liverpool, Aston Villa, Derby County), Russian tycoons (Abromovich and Chelsea) and even superfunded Man City (Dubai group). Added to this is perhaps the greatest stock of coaches that have staying power (Ferguson, Wenger, Benitez) where in other leagues they are ousted within one or two seasons, i.e. Capello, Koeman. These coaches are given the benefit of the doubt even after coming in as fourth overall (Arsenal). Stability makes for good teams in my humble view... just look at some of the NFL teams.

Then there are the players. More teams in the EPL are able to afford both the greatest and the largest quantity of soccer players on the planet. Cristiano Ronaldo, Robinho, Rooney, Fabreagas, Torres, Drogba, Ballack, and the list goes on. And the smaller teams like Wigan can afford some of the top players from minor countries as is the case with Valencia (Ecuador) and Figueroa (Honduras).

Lastly and perhaps most importantly are the fans. They always show up. Be it for Championship games between Cardiff and Reading, F.A. and Carling Cup games with teams like Leeds and Coventry, and all matches in between. Perhaps it is the higher income in the island nation but you can't deny a British fan's devotion. Case in point--Serie A games are often empty in the stands or only partially full even with Beckham at AC Milan. Such is also the case with Copa del Rey in Spain. Well, there is my opinion. Perhaps other leagues around Europe and the world should emulate the various aspects that make the English football game so special.

UEFA reawakens

And now for some European content. Aside from Beckham and the World Cup, and if we don't count MLS as a viable option then most US-based soccer fans will answer this way: "UEFA Champions League." Nowhere else on Earth do so many multi-million dollar players and clubs go head to head against one another. MLB World Series, NFL Superbowl and NBA finals aside, this competition garners worldwide attention on a weekly basis and during the workweek... during the day (here on the flip side of the Prime Meridian). This, after all, is the world's game. And these, after all, are all the world's stars. A good majority of the planet is represented in one way or another with Brazil and Argentina taking up most of the teams (think of it like the US population and its energy consumption in relation to the rest of the world). Now, after a two month hiatus the UEFA Champions League is finally here and in single elimination, 16 team format.

I don't pretend to be an expert and I aim to be objective, always. If this were my real job I would gladly put considerable more study towards it and maybe don a journalism major. Alas, I am only a scientist. But here's what's at stake: Coaches, players, fans, sponsors and the future of the game. The match-ups are legendary: Man U vs Inter, Roma-Arsenal, Real Madrid-Liverpool, Juventus-Chelsea. Other teams like Barcelona (Lyon), and Bayern Munich (Sporting Lisbon) are virtual shoe-ins as eternal favorites but upsets abound on this planet. What if Messi's Barca is knocked out? Who cares what happens with Villarreal and Panathinaikos or Atletico Madrid and Porto? Well, for one, some of these teams are prime locations for future (present) US national teamers, as is the case with Jozy Altidore (Villarreal albeit on loan to Xerez at the moment).

And here's the other thing. Many coaches and teams are hanging tenuously by a thread.. Wenger isn't getting any better at his job with Arsenal (ESPN's Tommy Smyth made it blatantly open that he feels the Dutchman should leave the Gunners), Rafa Benitez has been quiet about his future with Liverpool, Guus Hiddink is an interim for Chelsea. On the other hand we have managers new to their teams but with distinct success. Such is the case with the "Special One" himself--Jose Mourinho and Spurs misfit Juande Ramos (now interestingly successful with Real).

This season it's closer than you may imagine, although the favorites still gravitate amongst the top European leagues--England, Spain and Italy. Guardiola's Barcelona is nearly perfect and a better team than the champion in 2006 with Ronaldinho and Deco. Messi has made up for it and overflowed his talent banks so that the rest of the team is elevated closer to a higher deity (interestingly, Maradona sure likes Messi). Manchester United is nowhere near the team that won it all last season with an in-form Cristiano Ronaldo, but their defense has been superb and unless all their players get hurt I see it very hard for anyone else to win the EPL in 2009. But that's Alex Ferguson's Achilles heel--a defense depleted by injuries against Ibrahimovic, Adriano and company. Mourinho may have a few cards up his sleeve yet.

And this is where I end this discussion about the premier soccer competition... A battle between two old foes: Sir Alex Ferguson and the Special One. I pick Inter. As long as Rooney's kept busy and Ronaldo frustrated, Berbatov, Scholes, Nani and Park may be force to cut back on their attack mode. There are 180 minutes to this match. San Siro should be a fortress and Old Trafford a castle to be conquered.