Christian Chivu Punch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1OrdQvwds0

Martigues 1-4 PSG

http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/martigues-psg-8381397/

Where In The World Is Freddy Adu?

Since his Major League Soccer debut in 2004 at the tender age of 14, big things have been expected of Freddy Adu but he has never quite lived up to the great expectations of many soccer fans. Since the early promise in his performances for D.C. United, Adu’s career has gradually stagnated before coming to a complete standstill upon his move to Europe. Still just 21, the youngster currently finds himself on loan at Turkish Second Division side Caykur Rizespor from parent club Benfica, having already failed in loan spells at Monaco, Belenenses in Portugal and Aris Thessaloniki in Greece. The question is, why has such an obvious talent failed to develop since his move to Lisbon?

Since leaving Real Salt Lake, Adu has been competing with established internationals such as Simao, Pablo Aimar and Rui Costa in the first team at Benfica while also vying with the immense talents of Argentinian youngster Angel Di Maria, who has since joined Real Madrid, for a space in the squad. This competition is too great for a player as young and inexperienced as Adu and it was inevitable that he would not get much playing time. The same can also be said of his loan move to Monaco because, although it was a wise decision to send him out for first team experience (especially when the club’s chairman specially arranged his loan agreement), they too boasted established internationals in most of their positions and he was always going to have to wait for a chance to impress.

Why then did he fail to make the grade with Belenenses the following season when he was up against less competition? His time with the club was jinxed from the start as he picked up an injury during the first half of his debut for the club, and despite going on to recover from the injury and making eight further starting appearances, he failed to score a single goal and the club’s new manager Toni released him from his loan in December. Adu’s failure with Belenenses can be put down to bad luck, but in a similar situation with Aris, he still failed to recapture his best form so it begs the question, do his problems lie off the field?

Many American soccer pundits have raised the issue of Adu’s attitude and how he appears to thrive when he is the centre of attention and it appears justified. At D.C., he was the team’s star and he provided a focal point for all of their positive attacking play and, with his developing reputation, the crowd were constantly clamouring for their star man. This was also the case at Salt Lake although to a lesser degree, but since his move to Europe he has become a small fish in a big pond and in addition to his “me-first” mentality, his current ability just doesn’t command the regular starting places that his older, more experienced competitors do.

Now, with Aris having sent Adu back to Benfica and Yiannis Mihalitsios deciding that he can do without him, the youngster faces an uphill battle to resurrect his career as Rizespor were the only club willing to take a chance on him, and the only club small enough to persuade Benfica to part with the youngster without paying a fee. They were impressed having seen him on trial alongside Edson Buddle at Ingolstadt during the German side’s winter break.

Should he still be unable to make the grade in Turkey, this would leave him with two options; either he can return to the U.S. with his tail between his legs and work on rebuilding his career and getting himself back into international contention with a franchise willing to take a risk. Or alternatively, he could look to make it in a smaller European league that has proved successful for U.S. development like Benny Feilhaber, Michael Parkhurst and Clarence Goodson in Scandinavia.

Having looked at success stories such as Charlie Davies, a move to a less reputable European league could do wonders for Adu’s confidence and game time. He would be a star player in many leagues, a guaranteed starter and a focal point for the attack with whichever team he were to sign for, giving him the confidence and attention he was accustomed to in D.C. with a lower level of expectation that would see him potentially thrive. Success there would put him in the shop window for a transfer to a bigger European club, a triumphant return home or even a recall to the national side.

If it were my decision, despite the temptation to look at Landon Donovan’s example of returning to the MLS to rebuild his reputation and re-establish himself in the national side, I would take this latest chance in Europe and try to make it work. If that does not work, then I would try to release myself from the contract at Benfica and consider a move to a less-reputable league as a last chance in Europe. Yes he is just 21 but by the same token, he has been in the game for seven years and it is time to grow up. At least that way, if he doesn’t succeed it won’t be for a lack of effort and there will always be a franchise willing to take him on when he decides to return.

PSG 10-11 Season Update

It has been a while since I last blogged on Paris Saint-Germain and a lot has happened since mid-September. However, no sooner had I finished my article praising Antoine Kombouare for keeping the PSG squad together during this transfer window, Stephane Sessegnon left to join Sunderland throwing my finishing lines out the window.

Despite having lost a player of undoubted flair and ability, I think that the club have done some good business in letting the Benin international leave at this moment. Sessegnon has, for the best part of a year, been disrupting the team in his attempts to engineer a move away from the capital and, despite the club and the manager’s best efforts to keep him until the end of the season, it had become obvious over the last few weeks that he would not play for the club again in protest at being unable to move. After emancipating himself from the first team by refusing to train and falling out with Kombouare, Sessegnon had pulled out every stop to ensure that he would get his transfer. The move which sees PSG pocket seven million euros has come at the perfect time; the player has got his move and is one less headache for Kombouare, whilst the club get a good return on a player who has been out of the first team picture since November.

The transfer also comes as Saint-Etienne winger Dimitri Payet revealed that contract talks have broken down over an extended deal with Les Verts and that he would be keen to join the capital club after PSG officials enquired about the 23 year-old in the build-up to the Sessegnon transfer. This would be a considerable coup for Les Rouges-et-Bleu as Payet is a rising star on the domestic scene, an international and, having demonstrated his goalscoring prowess with an impressive 8 goals despite playing out wide; it would suggest that few will miss Sessegnon in the capital. However, PSG will have to wait until the summer to bring him in as the transfer failed to materialise before Monday’s deadline.

Otherwise, the squad is practically the same one that started the season. Siaka Tiene, bought from Valenciennes in August has yet to make any real impact, whilst Edel Apoula has ousted Gregory Coupet in goal, surely forcing the former French international into retirement. Guillaume Hoarau has overcome his difficulties in front of goal, establishing himself as first choice striker and centre-back Mamadou Sakho has earned rave reviews with some outstanding performances at the back.

On the pitch, Les Parisiens have been advancing strongly on three fronts and currently sit second in Ligue 1 having played just over half the season. Although currently four points behind surprise leaders Lille, they are three points clear of their closest rivals and have been in good form recently. They even looked set to reach another Coupe de la Ligue final before last week’s extra-time defeat to Montpellier, their second since late October when they succumbed to a home defeat to Auxerre.

Prior to that defeat, PSG endured consecutive, frustrating 0-0 draws with Rennes and Nice, whilst enjoying back-to-back 0-2 victories at Lens and Toulouse. Although the home draws were disappointing, the away victories maintained the capital club’s good league position as the early league table took shape. However, further disappointment at home followed as Auxerre claimed a 2-3 victory, leaving fans wondering if it was going to be a case of the same old story this season.

What happened next though proved to be a catalyst for Kombouare’s side. PSG travelled to Lyon for a Coupe de la Ligue tie that they managed to win 1-2 after extra-time and then went on a run that saw them draw 1-1 away to a difficult Montpellier side, win 2-1 at home against rivals Marseille in the Clasico, then pick up points at Lorient (1-1) and Lyon (2-2) either side of a home victory over Caen (2-1) followed by a Coupe de la Ligue victory at Valenciennes (1-3). They then registered victories over Brest (3-1) and Valenciennes (1-2) to briefly claim top stop from Rennes but a home draw against Monaco (2-2) and a surprise away defeat to Nancy (2-0) saw them slip to third going into the winter break.

Their form since returning has been impressive, with a 5-1 demolition of Lens at the Parc des Princes marking their return to the Coupe de France, followed by a 2-1 win over Sochaux in the league. However, the Coupe de la Ligue semi-final defeat in extra time (1-0) to Montpellier was a disappointment, but les Parisiens bounced back last weekend with a 2-3 victory over Agen in the Coupe de France, setting up a winnable quarter-final tie against lowly Martigues which they won 1-4 to reach the semi-final. They recorded a 1-2 victory at Arles Avignon on Saturday to maintain their league position.

These results see the club currently lying second in Ligue 1, but the real signs of progress have come in their Europa League performances. Drawn in a group containing Sevilla, Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund and minnows Karpaty Lviv, PSG were expected to finish third at best. However, they topped their group thanks to some outstanding results. Home (4-2) and away (0-1) triumphs over Sevilla and solid draws at home (0-0) and away (1-1) to Dortmund coupled with and an easy 2-0 home win over Karpaty saw Kombouare’s men qualify for the next round in top spot with a game to spare, where they fought out a 0-0 draw in Lviv with a second-string side. An impressive effort from PSG and their record of conceding only three goals in the group stages will give them great confidence as they head to Belarus to face BATE Borisov in February.

Kombouare will be thanking Nene in particular for their recent progress as he scored an impressive nine league goals, adding a number of other important strikes in Europe to cap a memorable end to 2010. Although 29, the Brazilian has never represented his country at the highest level, yet surely he must now be considered for future squads given his current form. His arrival has coincided with PSG’s resurgence as a force in French football after years of mediocrity and his impact on the team has been obvious as he has, at times, single-handedly kept the club in the title race. He has quickly become the face of the new PSG, as a playmaker and a scorer of simple and outrageous goals, also contributing sublime pieces of skill and assists that have rejuvenated players such as Hoarau and Ludovic Giuly who were stagnating in the capital. Whether he can maintain this form only time will tell, but if he does, then the club will face a tough task to keep hold of him as the bigger sides in Europe come calling.