Camisetas Real Madrid
Greetings, Reds and Blues fans, and especially Red-White-and-Blue fans! We have made it. The World Cup – with all its hoopla, fanfare, baggage, and distractions – is upon us. The fortunes of both of our clubs are in disarray for different but no less concerning reasons as they pause for the big event. Does this 6-week break come at a good time for either?
Chelsea has endured an especially rough couple weeks. The fixture list didn’t help, but the performances remain worrying. Injuries can account for some of it, but the lack of energy, cohesion, and most importantly goals are colluding against Graham Potter. Chelsea’s last victory came against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. The win guaranteed they finished at the top of their group, which may be the one bright spot they can cling to at the moment. That result has been followed by 3 straight losses. Losing to a red-hot Arsenal and free-flowing City is not, in and of itself, a big deal. They are, after all, sitting 1-2 as we head into the break. But the manner of both defeats will have Potter concerned, and it may just have Todd Boehly second-guessing his decision. Even more worrisome is the final result this past weekend against Newcastle. Chelsea hasn’t looked to really be at the races in any of these matches. And while Newcastle are in form and the match was at St. James’s, the continued lack of goalscoring opportunities and failure to keep clean sheets will have to be rectified quickly if Graham wishes to salvage anything near a Top 4 spot and potentially his job. Chelsea is sending 12 players to Qatar, but it may be the ones missing out through injury who will find this break most helpful.
Manchester United has largely kept up its solid run, if not always in a swashbuckling manner. Their 9-game unbeaten run was ended by Unai Emery’s first match in charge of Aston Villa on a day that United could have picked up points as others around them had dropped. They took their revenge in the Carabao Cup a few days later as a boring first half gave way to 6 goals in the second. Martial, Rashford, Bruno, and McT were all on the scoresheet (as was a Dalot OG unfortunately), but it was young Alejandro Garnacho who caught the eye with 2 assists and another lively performance. And he continued to do so with a last-gasp goal to cap an electrifying win for United to enter the break in 5th place. They sit 3 points behind Spurs with a game in hand on them. Despite all signs pointing to a resurgence, headlines quickly were made elsewhere by a player seemingly looking for any way to keep himself in the spotlight. The less said the better. United is sending 16 players to Qatar, but EtH is keen to work with those staying behind to get them ready to contribute to what will surely be a hard-fought race to get a CL spot.
Finally, GGG has named his USMNT roster. There were a few surprises, both in and out, but this is a team that could make waves if they can find some cohesion – and goals. Christian Pulisic will lead our Baby Eagles out against Wales next Monday afternoon. But who will line up alongside him and where? Berhalter has some big decisions to make. And some recent knocks on crucial players may make those even tougher. The US will really need to push to top the group, as it seems likely that the Netherlands will top theirs. Senegal, Ecuador, or a very unlikely Qatar would all be more favorable opponents. Elsewhere, the prospect of some great matchups (potentially with some spicy history) is in the cards as well. If they advance as expected, a South American showdown between Argentina and Brazil is a potential semifinal. Will Spain and Germany cruise? Does CR7 have a chip on his shoulder and something left to say? Can England take things one step further? Every game is televised, so plan those meetings and days off accordingly!
We’ll be hoping that the spectacle on display can distract us from the injustices off the field (in the soccer world and elsewhere). Join us this evening at 7:00 p.m. on Facebook Live or catch us at your leisure on our other platforms listed below. Please like, subscribe, and comment wherever you choose to find us. CHEERS!
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