2014 was a memorable year for Germany, Diego Simeone, Luis Suárez, Carlo Ancelotti, Michael Caley, Steven Gerrard and Mario Götze. Read more »
Christopher Reina - Soccer Analysis
A Time Capsule For 2014
Xabi In Winter
It looked like Xabi Alonso was nearing the end of his career, but now he's playing the most important and remarkable football to date with Bayern Munich. Read more »
Cesc/Alexis Is Bliss
Alexis Sánchez and Cesc Fàbregas were sold by Barça this summer and have become two of the five best players in the EPL, which was the last thing a team facing a transfer-ban could afford. Read more »
The Isco Armada
Isco delivering on the genius of his potential this season has given Real Madrid still another gear it doesn’t even need to dominate the soccer universe. Read more »
How Critical Has El Clásico Been In Deciding La Liga
El Clásico is an event in the soccer world unlike any other as no teams have the tradition or the depth of quality as Barcelona and Real Madrid. Read more »
500 Years Of Cristiano Ronaldo
While the world romantically searches for the next Lionel Messi, the next generations of good, great and legendary players will be created with the Cristiano Ronaldo blueprint. Read more »
Paper Wengers
Arsène Wenger's physical confrontation of José Mourinho was a microcosom of how Arsenal is getting both their tactics and transfers wrong in moving from A to B in an era of relative futility. Read more »
Grading The Deal: United's Very Expensive Move For Ángel Di María
Over the long-term, Ángel di María's most important value and why the move should pay dividends despite the exorbitant price is his versatility. United need so many more pieces and he has the ability to conform to a variety of roles and formations. Read more »
Grading The Deals: Chelsea's Prudent, Productive Summer
José Mourinho has set his board over the past year with a deft, confident hand. Chelsea has a roster capable of playing beautifully at times, but is also chameleonic enough to retain those Mourinho characteristics of grinding out results. Read more »
Grading The Deal: Arsenal Buys Alexis Sánchez
Arsenal has no shortage of attacking midfielders with world-class skill and this feels like a bit of duplication on a certain level, but they have been lacking a physical specimen with the strength and pace of Alexis Sánchez. Read more »
Grading The Deals: Real Madrid Buy James Rodríguez, Toni Kroos
Real Madrid has a superstar culture and the lesson they learned from the superstar culture of the Galacticos era was that paying gigantic sums of money is only prudent when you are buying those players young. Read more »
Tchau To All That
The individual brilliance of the early matches was eventually neutralized by countries with better all-around squads and this was a World Cup that became reasonably predictable once we escaped the group stage. But every single minute was thrilling and worth it. Read more »
World Cup Final: Germany's Dream Machine
Germany is peaking at the perfect time and are clear favorites over Argentina, but there's a distinct reason why we still must play the games. Read more »
Down To Four
Brazil, Germany, Argentina and the Netherlands are the final four countries standing in World Cup 2014. Circumstances favor the European teams, but will they prevail in what will be home matches for both South American sides? Read more »
Expected Goals Of The World Cup Quarterfinalists
Lionel Messi has been magic, while Colombia is now the sentimental favorite, but let's take a step back so we avoid dismissing Brazil and the completeness of France and Germany. Read more »
Xavi-Taka Is Dead, Long Live Tiki-Taka
Xavi's generation won and won and won, but the end came swiftly in Brazil. Here's how Spain will come back remade with a new gospel while keeping tiki-taka. Read more »
Group H: The Arrival Of Belgium's Golden Generation
The blend of strength and skill Belgium puts out there makes them one of the most balanced XI’s and why so many observers are bullish on their chances to go deep. Russia and South Korea are a virtual toss-up to also advance, though the former would be the tougher out moving forward. Read more »
Group F: Argentina's Three-Headed Monster Of Goals
An attacking unit featuring Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero and Gonzalo Higuaín with Ángel di María as a manic two-way wing is somehow entering the World Cup a little further under the radar than expected or what they merit. Read more »
Group D: Rock, Paper, Scissors
Italy, Uruguay and England is as true of a three-team race as we can ever expect from a group. None of the three squads have enough depth of quality to sustain a run all the way to the Maracanã even though they could surely beat any team in the world. Read more »
Group B: Aesthetics & Contenders
Group B has three aesthetically appealing squads in Spain, Chile and the Netherlands that appear capable of going the distance on paper and merely getting out into the Round of 16 will be an important accomplishment. Read more »