Manchester United 2:1 Arsenal

United Man of the Match:
Darren Fletcher takes the spoils against Arsenal for another outstanding performance. In a game where the forward line failed to really click, Fletcher kept United in the match with his quick distribution and hard tackling as he stopped countless Arsenal attacks. Fletcher's football knowledge continues to impress he is a very smart player who can read an attack when he is thirty yards away, his positional sense is fantastic, and he always seems to be a step ahead of the oncoming attackers. Darren Fletcher really gave United a shot at winning this game in what was otherwise quite a poor performance.

Match Notes:
- With Ryan Giggs replacing Berbatov it is easy to see what Sir Alex was trying to accomplish. By playing a 4-5-1/4-4-1-1 Sir Alex's game plan revolved around freeing up Giggs. He hoped that Giggs could slip into that spot in between the opposing midfielders and defenders and be able to run them ragged (similar to the effect Giggs had in the match against Chelsea at Old Trafford last season).

- The formation didn't work for a number of reasons. First off Rooney doesn't want to play with his back to goal and isn't very good at it, but this formation demanded it from him. Secondly Giggs didn't get nearly enough space in the middle of the park because Gallas kept running forward with the Arsenal fullbacks coming into the middle to support. If Nani and Valencia had pressed these Arsenal fullbacks the whole game this wouldn't have happened, but unfortunately both of them were essentially non-factors. Finally Giggs didn't have a good enough game to enforce himself on the Arsenal backline.

- Rooney had a disappointing performance, mainly because of the formation he was asked to play. However he still contributed with one moment of intelligence. He continued to make runs all game although there was rarely someone ready to play the through ball, but his persistence payed off when Giggs's pass met the feet of Rooney and he was immediately pulled down in the box which changed the game for United.

- Carrick had a decent game but still doesn't look to be back to the Carrick of old as he hasn't really found his passing range yet. Last season he was guaranteed to have at least one magical thirty or forty yard ball a match, this year he has yet to deliver one all season.

- The atmosphere at Old Trafford sounded very good, a lot of this is down to the massive occasion of Arsenal's visit, but I think the fiery nature of the match also upped the intensity and the perceived importance of the match.

- I've criticized Foster more than anyone leading up to the season, but I'm being proved wrong every week. Foster was by no means brilliant against Arsenal, but his point blank save on Van Persie was spectacular. The reaction time required to make that save must have been next to nothing.

- Sir Alex probably should have brought on Berbatov earlier to change the match since the 4-5-1/4-4-1-1 obviously wasn't working. Bringing on Berbatov for Giggs and restoring the 4-4-2 may have sparked a very different United performance.

Final Thoughts:
Not the performance that United were hoping for, but three points against one of United's biggest rivals has to be considered a success. In all honesty United played well for 15 minutes and were abject for the other 75, but when you have players like Fletcher keeping you in the game that is sometimes all you need. So there is no need to feel guilty about being the weaker team against Arsenal, because United have just beaten a quality team and they may not have played like Barcelona, but they certainly played like champions.

Manchester United vs. Arsenal

Manchester United vs. Arsenal
Premier League, Old Trafford
August 29, 12.15 EST

United Projected Starting XI:
----------------Foster---------------
---O'Shea----Vidic----Brown----Evra----
--Valencia--Carrick--Fletcher--Nani--
--------Rooney------Berbatov---------

Players to Watch:
Manchester United: Wayne Rooney - A bit of a no brainer of a pick, but Rooney has to bring it once again against Arsenal. He was instrumental in both of United's wins so far this campaign and to pick up a win against undoubtedly United's toughest opponent yet will require another dominating performance from Wayne Rooney.

Arsenal: Andrei Arshavin - The Russian superstar has yet to really shine with Arsenal yet this season and a match at Old Trafford is the perfect time for him to show the Arsenal supporters what they've been waiting for. He could have a massive impact against United.

Prediction:
Manchester United 2:1 Arsenal
Goals: Wayne Rooney, Andrei Arshavin, Michael Owen

Over the past few years Arsenal-United matches have been some of the best the Premier League has provided. When the two teams play they almost always provide an end-to-end fast pace match. Expect a similar game at Old Trafford.

Arsenal have started the season very well, but they still have their fair share of doubters, a result at Old Trafford would go a long way to help change these peoples' minds. On the other side despite a 5-0 win at Wigan, United have yet to really prove themselves against top quality opposition. This match against Arsenal will be their first opportunity to do so.

Both teams will play an attacking brand of football in what is sure to be a very open game. I have Rooney scoring the opener with United pressing on, but Arshavin equalizing. I think Michael Owen may play a role coming off the bench as it looks like he will almost certainly be relegated to a sub role for most of the season.

Manchester United have to be looking at this game as the perfect opportunity to put their new look 4-4-2 up to the test against top opposition. Many have question how effective the 4-4-2 will prove against a team as quick as Arsenal so it will be interesting to see the final result. A lot will come down to the way Fletcher and Carrick (or whoever is playing in the centre of midfield) handles the Arsenal attack.

All in all expect this early test for both squads to provide an entertaining match.

A Canadian Mindset: I Cheer For [insert European Nation]

Part Three of "A Canadian Mindset", a series looking at the problems with Canadian soccer outside the CSA.

How often do you hear people in Canada ask each other who their favourite international hockey team is. Never, the answer is obvious as it should be, Canada their home country. Now flip that around, how many times do you hear people ask each other who their favourite international soccer team is. This is a question thrown around all the time, and the despite these people all being Canadian the answer is rarely Canada.

There is little more to say here than you are Canadian support your fucking national team. Of course that would achieve very little and usually earns you a "Canada sucks" response which you will argue, but you inevitably feel a little guilty knowing that deep down at the moment our national team does suck.

This should be the target audience for Canadian soccer, not the soccer-snobs out there, but the eurosnobs. The people who watch soccer but only watch European leagues/teams and think that MLS is a pub league as well as the Canadian bloggers who dedicate way too much time to already over covered European teams like Manchester United.

The easiest way to solve the problem in the short term is for supporters to bring friends to national team matches (which is difficult due to the lack of matches, but I promised not to talk about the CSA). As a piece of general advice to those out there reading, soccer-ignorant, sports fans tend to love supporters sections just because they are so different from any other North American sports experiences.

The second way to get these supporters in is through media attention. People will counter this by saying the media won't cover soccer in this country. That is not true at all the World Cup and European Championships are hyped up in Canada just like they are across the rest of the world.

World Cup qualifying should be a massive event, that is built up to for months. Even if it is only an article or a two a week covering the Canadian national team leading up to the event. A Canadian World Cup qualifier should get the same coverage that a Leafs game gets in Canada. Complete with multiple previews and front page match recaps. World Cup qualifiers don't come very often for this country and they should be treated as prestigious events.

At the moment the best media coverage come from the supporters, two of the best soccer writers in this country do it for nothing (Ben Knight and Duane Rollins). The best coverage we got for the Gold Cup came from the Voyageurs youtube feed. The point is there are knowledge and talented people out there who are willing to provide this coverage for free so the "there aren't enough people excuse" has no truth to it.

The rebuttal to this may be that people say we can't just throw amateurs in there. Despite the quality of these sources, this is a view that many may view as a legitimate concern. But again there is no basis to this argument since the best sports writer in Canada (I'm not even putting this one up for debate) Steven Brunt has written several lengthy articles about Canadian soccer and is passionate about the sport.

Tapping into this audience is key for the development of Canadian soccer.

Wigan Athletic 0:5 Manchester United

United Man of the Match:
Once again this has to go to Wayne Rooney. The man who got the whole rout started with his 100th goal for Manchester United. Rooney then picked up the third and was subbed off before he could finish off his hattrick. Rooney has shown once again why he is the most important player on this team, and why the team's offense production this season will depend on the form of Rooney. Rooney was incredible against Wigan in the second half in a performance that won't soon be forgotten.

Match Notes:
- After a tough loss midweek against Burnley, United responded like champions. A frustrating first half against Wigan only pushed them on and as soon as they broke through the goals started to flow.

- Darren Fletcher deserves credit for a very good second half performance as well. After a rather indifferent first half with a few misplaced balls Fletcher was all over Wigan in the second half breaking up attacks, starting up United counters and dominating the midfield.

- After looking good in preseason and some solid performances against Chelsea and Birmingham Berbatov popped in his first of the season with a very well taken goal. His first touch on the ball to lift it over Kirkland was perfect and very Berbatov-esque. Hopefully we'll see more of those as the season continues.

- Foster had his best game by far keeping United in the match during the first half when the score was tied nil-nil. He made a few quality saves and there were much less nervy moments when he had the ball at his feet.

- Vidic made his return and showed us all why he was United's player of the season last year: absolute dominance at the back.

- Antonio Valencia has really changed the approach of United, there is much more activity down the wing, and his pace and crosses are creating lots of chances. His ball into the box was finished by Rooney for the first goal and I'm sure it will be the first of many Antonio Valencia crosses that find the back of the net.

- Just to finish off I have a very telling stat. Carlos Tevez goals - 0. Michael Owen goals - 1. Welcome to Manchester Michael!

Final Thoughts:
A brilliant second half performance reminiscent of the five goal comeback against Spurs last season. Hopefully this will quell some of "where will the goals come from" critics. With Arsenal, Spurs and City as United's next three opponents this is the perfect time to hit top form.

Wigan Athletic vs. Manchester United

Wigan vs. Manchester United
Premier League, DW Stadium
August 22, 10.00 EST

United Projected Starting XI:
----------------Foster---------------
---Fabio----Vidic----Brown----Evra----
--Valencia--Carrick--Fletcher--Nani--
--------Rooney------Berbatov---------

Players to Watch:
Wigan: Hugo Rodallega - Rodallega has played up front by himself most of the time so far this season for Wigan, and against United he will find it even more difficult. When playing against United it is important to take every chance given and Rodallega may only be give one or two chances all match, but he will be expected to finish.

Manchester United: Michael Carrick - After a very poor performance midweek which included a penalty miss, amidst rumours of an argument between him and Sir Alex, Carrick will be out to silence the critics against Wigan. In last year's corresponding fixture Carrick scored an 86th minute screamer to win the match.

Prediction:
Wigan 0:1 Manchester United
Goals: Antonio Valencia

After poor performances against Birmingham and Burnley resulting in three points United have a point to prove against Wigan. With the expected return of Nemanja Vidic, United will have a bolstered defense and will be expected to keep the clean sheet.

United will hope to have their first free flowing performance of the year, but Martinez's Wigan have looked decent so far and will provide a tough test. Expect another cagey game similar to the Birmingham game.

With Antonio Valencia likely to get the start against his former team I've picked him to get off the mark for United with a solid performance. I still expect it to be a nervous ninety minutes with United failing to find that next gear.

Wigan have a lot to prove under Martinez with the mass summer exodus and they may take some encouragement after seeing Burnley's victory over United. This may just be the perfect time to play Manchester United.

Ferguson on the attack

Sir Alex Ferguson has refused to bow to the groundswell of opinion that Manchester United will attempt to win a record fourth successive Premier League title short of a physical and proven focal point to their attack.

The Scot did attempt to recruit Karim Benzema from Lyon in the summer but refused to enter into a bidding war with Real Madrid – and the 1-0 loss to newcomers Burnley has strengthened the argument that his refusal to splash the cash on a potent goal-getter could come back to haunt him and United.

Wayne Rooney has been promised a more central role this season but the England international appears to be carrying the weight of expectation on his young shoulders and Dimitar Berbatov, for all his technical ability, has yet to get his socks dirty.

Michael Owen appears short of match fitness at the highest grade and Ferguson has yet to indicate that youngsters Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck are ready for the big stage.

It is a quandary that only Ferguson can solve – not that he will be losing too much sleep when you consider his post-match analysis to the shock reverse at Turf Moor.

"When you look at the chances we had, one or two should have been off the mark."

"Michael Owen missed a chance in the fist half, Ryan Giggs had a great chance, Wayne Rooney had a couple and Michael Carrick had the best chance when the ball was squared to him in the box but he took a touch and lost the opportunity."

David Villa and David Silva are still available before September 1 at cash-strapped Valencia – but a move for Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero would seem unlikely now he has played for the Spanish outfit in their Champions League qualifier.

Nick Walsh writes features and betting previews at Betfair.

USA 2018/2022 World Cup Bid: Part One

The USA has formally submitted a bid to FIFA to either host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. The bid's executive director ("big cheese") is David Downs, CEO of Univision Sports, the bid has also been endorsed by American president, Barrack Obama. With big names at the helm and quality venues available the American bid is among the favourites to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

From a Canadian standpoint any growth the game has in the United States usually signifies a growth in Canada so a successful American bid for the World Cup would mean big things up here in Canada. The World Cup itself is only a one month event, albeit with years of preparation, so the key is to capitalize on this showcase event and bring North American soccer to the next level.

In Canada and the United States the success of the sport is linked to the success of the premier league on the continent, Major League Soccer. The 1994 World Cup hosted by the States saw FIFA mandate the start of a professional league in the country, hence the formation on the MLS in 1996. Since 1996 the MLS has expanded immensely although still has yet to really make a push onto the mainstream media and national attention. Hosting another World Cup may just be that perfect opportunity.

If the MLS can take advantage of the short time in which soccer is the main sporting event taking place in the United States it may have an opportunity to grow exponentially. To see the possible benefits of hosting a World Cup to a struggling national league one only has to look at South Africa's PSL (Premier Soccer League).

In 2007 the country's top sports channel Supersport bought extensive TV rights to the PSL. Supersport bought the rights in 2007 in an attempt to promote the game in South Africa as much as possible before the 2010 World Cup. The new TV deal has not only raised attendances at league games, but also raised broadcast quality. For example 22 cameras are now used for nationally televised games as opposed to the 7 that used to be used for PSL matches.

Obviously the US Soccer Federation wants MLS to be successful, so the perfect opportunity for TV rights seems to be to sell the World Cup and MLS as a package. If the World Cup were to come to the USA there would be stations lining up for TV rights everywhere. So why not strike a deal, the station that televises the World Cup must also televise two MLS games a week in prime-time on national television (that would mean games on ESPN not ESPN2). With the soccer buzz that would surround the country leading up to the kickoff of the World Cup these nationally televised games may pick up big numbers.

Creating a buzz about the MLS leading up the World Cup may not be that difficult considering the World Cup is the most watched sporting event on the planet. Keeping the attention on the soccer after the World Cup would be the bigger concern.

Obviously the best way to keep the interest going would be for the US National team to have a successful tournament with a domestic dominated team, in which case fans would want to continue watching their heros play. If the USA were to have a poor showing MLS would have to rely on ESPN or whatever network picked up the games to continue premier coverage of the MLS.

In the end promoting the MLS is all about mainstream TV exposure, and the best way to do that would be to create a buzz through hosting a World Cup.

Burnley 1:0 Manchester United

United Man of the Match:
Had it not been for the disappointing result the story coming out of this game would have been the performance of Ryan Giggs. The man has shown once again why he is a true legend of the Premier League and continues to perform at the top level. Giggs's mazy runs through the midfield were a sigh of relief in what was otherwise a very unimaginative Manchester Untied attack. His passing was as good as ever, and some quick footwork in the final third led to more than one quality chance. Giggs looked very good and was by far United's best player on the pitch against Burnley.

Match Notes:
- The big question coming out of the match will be why did Carrick take the penalty? However I think Sir Alex had reason to put Carrick in that position, he has scored every penalty he has taken in shootouts for United and looked very good taking them. I expected him to put this one home as well, but he was denied by a quality save.

- The entire team with the exception of Giggs and Evra lacked any imagination going forward. The same runs were being made all game, and the same balls were being played in between the Burnley midfield and back four.

- The team lacked significant pace, Evra was providing the best forward runs out of anyone. This game was just calling for Valencia, by far the fastest player on United, and when he came on he made a few good chances. If he had been on earlier it may have been a very different match.

- Michael Owen is starting to miss chances by the bucketload. Combine this performance with the chances he missed against Birmingham and Valencia things aren't looking great for him at the moment.

- Berbatov made a difference in the match and started to open up Burnley. Hopefully United will be able to rely on Berbatov to open up teams late on if necessary.

- Park had a piss poor game. Not much more to say there other then to hope that it's a one off.

-When United are losing a match they tend to play with a certain arrogance that they will not lose the match. That just wasn't there today for whatever reason, instead United panicked on the ball and tried to force it when the option wasn't there.

Final Thoughts:
Despite the poor performance from Manchester United credit has to go to Burnley who played a very good match and their supporters who were brilliant on the night. On the United side there seems to be a little bit of a "the world is ending" kind of attitude. There are still 36 games left in the season and on a different day United could have easily won the match... so calm down.

Burnley vs. Manchester United

Burnley vs. Manchester United
Premier League, Turf Moor
August 19, 14.45 EST

United Projected Starting XI:
-------------Foster----------------
--De Laet--Brown----O'Shea----Evra--
--Valencia--Carrick--Anderson--Park--
------Rooney------Owen---------

Players to Watch:
Burnley: David Edgar - Possibly a little Canadian bias here, but the centre back will be a key player for Burnley who will most likely be defending for most of the match. Coming off a suspension Edgar will be making his Premier League debut for Burnley and will be asked to contain the likes of Rooney, Owen and Berbatov. No easy task.

Manchester United: Michael Owen - After missing a breakaway in injury time against Birmingham Owen will be keen to get off the mark quickly for United. With another match coming up this weekend expect Sir Alex to rest Berbatov and give Owen a chance to start and hopefully perform.

Prediction:
Burnley 0:2 Manchester United
Goals: Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney

Expect a similar game to the Birmingham game but even more United pressure. The match will probably be played exclusively in Burnley's defending third of the pitch. For United it will be all about changing the pace of attack, suprising Burnley and looking for that little bit of skill to break the deadlock.

It would not be surprising if this match was nil-nil going into halftime. In the end I think United will breakthrough and find the winning goal, possibly adding another.

United often had trouble breaking teams down last season when they played ten men behind the ball and that was with the flair of Ronaldo, this season it may be even harder. United will have to rely on the likes of Valencia to give the attack that little extra bit of pace and cause trouble for the Birmingham backline.

Getting off to a good start is very important and United haven't started with two wins in a row since the 2006-2007 season, hopefully today's match will change that.

A Canadian Mindset: Coach Possession

Part Two of "A Canadian Mindset", a series looking at the problems with Canadian soccer outside the CSA.

"If in doubt kick it out"

"No fancy stuff"

"Don't go back"

If you go watch a soccer game in Canada you will most likely hear a combination of coaches/parents saying one or more of these things. All of these things work against Canadian soccer.

Comparing Canada to the best national team in the world (in my opinion) may be setting the bar a little too high, but I'll give it a shot. The players on the Spanish national team all play a similar style of football. An attractive, creative, possession style which suits the players very well because it is the style they all grew up playing in other words "the Spanish style". In fact most established footballing nations have a signature style of football even if the tactics vary from team to team.

When thinking of a Canadian style, the most apt comparison would be attempting to play hockey on a football pitch which is what many youth coaches try to do. Other coaches in Canada try and replicate another style of football (often related to their heritage considering we live in such a diverse country). What Canada needs is a single style across the country. Now with all of the different cultural influences in Canada it is unlikely that Canada will ever find this distinct style, so the solution is to at least get the players on the same wave length and "coach possession".

In Canada far too often have I seen players panic as soon as they touch the ball in the defending third and boot a long ball for the forwards to run on to. Far too often have I seen players refuse to pass the ball back and even pass the ball across the back four. There seems to be such an emphasis on getting the ball to the forwards as directly as possible. Sure it may yield better results at a young age, but the players aren't getting any better and they sure as hell won't develop into world class players.

Getting players into the mentality of a possession game starts at a young age. By the time players are twelve-years-old in most countries making the right run to open up the field, always being an option, and passing and moving are second nature. In Canada this needs to happen. When players play a possession game they have much more opportunity to express themselves and by extension become that elusive "flair player".

Implementing this philosophy doesn't come from the CSA or provincial coaching courses, it comes from an overall understanding of the game. It comes from having coaches who know what they are supposed to do and technical directors who make sure these coaches know what they are supposed to do. Without academies in Canada, relying on volunteer coaches to teach this style is difficult, but at the moment it's all we've got.

Manchester United 1:0 Birmingham City

United Man of the Match:
Without a doubt Wayne Rooney was the best player on the pitch against Birmingham. He had his hand in every single United chance and without him United would have had difficulty breaking down an organized Birmingham defense. Manchester United's entire attack seemed to run through him, everything from the goal, to the his beautiful chest pass onto Michael Owen for the breakaway. Rooney will be Manchester United's most important player this year and early signs show he is up to the task.

Match Notes:
- United looked very good in the first half, but for the second match in a row faded and allowed their opponents to get back into the match. Fitness doesn't seem to be a problem, but a lack of focus may have just crept into this match.

- Fletcher and Scholes did a good job in the first half of distributing the ball and controlling the midfield, but in the second half they both seemed to drop too far back and were starting with the ball in United's defensive third. As soon as they started to drop back the attack became a long ball style which didn't suit United and let Birmingham start to press the United back four.

- The United back four along with Foster was a little shaky, but it is to be expected when the squad is depleted as they are at the moment. The new look back four did their job though, and got the clean sheet.

- As I've said on several occasions before I'm a big fan of Fabio. Technically he is not a great defender, and going forward his final ball seems to be lacking, but the energy he brings to the team is incredible. He closes players down right away, and against Birmingham pulled off an audacious nutmeg, all in all a very entertaining player.

- Despite some criticism to the attacking threats of Nani, Berbatov and Valencia I though they all did a job. None of them had outstanding games, in fact I thought Giggs improved the team in the second half, but they all kept pressing despite some lacklustre individual performances.

- Carrick's absence from the squad was a little surprising, he may not start every game, but to not even be on the bench is quite odd considering he is probably United's top choice centre midfielder.

- The atmosphere at Old Trafford for the first game of the season was solid, hopefully it will continue throughout the season.

Final Thoughts:
After having difficulty at home the last two opening days of the season getting the three points against Birmingham was all that mattered, despite a rather poor performance. Now United need to press on and hopefully pick up full points at Burnley and Wigan even with an injury riddled back four.

Manchester United vs. Birmingham City

Manchester United vs. Birmingham City
Premier League, Old Trafford
August 16, 8.30 EST

United Projected Starting XI:
-------------Foster----------------
--O'Shea--Brown----Ferdinand--Evra--
--Valencia--Carrick--Anderson--Nani--
------Rooney------Berbatov---------

Players to Watch:
Birmingham: Christian Benítez - The Ecuadorian forward is making his debut for Birmingham after coming over from Santos Laguna. In order to stay up Birmingham will need a fair number of goals this year from Benítez.

Manchester United: Antonio Valencia - After a very good preseaon United will rely on Valencia to cause havoc for the Birmingham fullbacks and continue to put good crosses into the box.

Prediction:
Manchester United 1:0 Birmingham
Goal: Rio Ferdinand

United have opened against the last two seasons with home draws against teams that were relegated in the same season. United will be looking to avoid a third slow start in a row. With injuries at the back to Vidic, Van Der Sar, Neville and Rafael, a new look starting back four/keeper combination will lead out United this Sunday. Expect a few nervy moments with Foster in net, a keeper notorious for bad communication.

United will certainly be nervous going into this one just because of the poor starts in the last two season. It will most likely be a slow paced game with Birmingham sticking as many men behind the ball as possible. They will be looking to leave Old Trafford with a point and seeing what Reading and Newcastle achieved will encourage them.

I see the game being broken open on a set piece, hence I've picked Rio Ferdinand to score the only goal of the match. Opening matches of the season often throw in a bit of a surprise and Ferdinand has gone a while without scoring. Ferdinand's goal may come as a relief to United fans in what looks like will be a very cagey affair on Sunday.

United will need to get off the bat quicky this season with a match against Arsenal to look forward to at the end of August. Hopefully they will get off to a more rampant start than the mediocre one-nil I'm predicting.

For Number 19

I've picked Manchester United to become the first team to win the English League title four seasons in a row and to win their nineteenth all time making them the most successful club in English football. The bookies disagree picking Chelsea to win the League this year with Liverpool and United even below them. In order to prove me right and the bookies wrong the following has to happen for Manchester United this year.

- Rooney and Berbatov have to form a solid partnership with Berbatov acting as the play maker and Rooney racking up the goals.

- Rooney has to stay fit for most of the season.

- Nani has to chip in with his fair share of goals. Ten isn't too much to expect from him.

- Goals have to come from the midfield, with Ronaldo gone the likes of Carrick, Giggs, Anderson, Scholes, and Fletcher need to score this season. Much like the 2006-2007 season when goals came from all over the pitch.

- Fletcher or whoever is playing in a deeper role in centre of midfield needs to break up opponents attacks quickly. United gave some teams way too much time on the ball last season.

- The back four need to be solid as usual.

- Foster needs to not be awful for the first two months of the season. That is the most we can hope for from him.

In my opinion these things need to happen in order for United to win the title, but there is still a lot more that we can hope for. These are lower priority issues but still important.

- Fabio and Rafael continue to get starts but work on the defensive side of their games.

- Michael Owen scores more than ten goals in the Premier League.

- Valencia has a breakout season and fills the void on the right hand side of midfield very nicely.

- Scholes has a rejuvenated season and puts last year behind him.

- Lets have another academy player surprise the world like Macheda last season.

Is asking for all this a little much? Probably. But United will need to have consistently good performances across the squad to challenge for this title. The loss of Ronaldo will obviously have a major impact but I think that United has the tools to cope.

Bring on 19!

2009-2010 Premier League Picks

Before the season starts I thought I'd put my predictions on here, just so I can link back to it if I look like a genius in May (this most likely won't happen and I will avoid ever looking at this post again).

So here goes:

1. Manchester United - Bias much...yes
2. Chelsea - Still too many problems in the locker room
3. Liverpool - Fat Spanish Waiter will miss Alonso
4. Arsenal - Still have the quality to stay in the top 4, but won't challenge for the title
5. Manchester City - it will still be 34 years since City have won a trophy come May
6. Everton - Moyes continues to work his magic
7. West Ham - Zola has a very good year with his young squad
8. Aston Villa - A drop off for the club who lost Barry and Laursen
9. Tottenham - 'Arry still can't take this club to a European spot
10. Fulham - Another good season under Hodgson
11. Sunderland - Bruce + Bent + Cattermole + Campbell = above relegation
12. Blackbrun - Still a quality side
13. Birmingham - Coming up from the Championship with Premier League quality players
14. Bolton - It won't be pretty...
15. Stoke - Pulis keeps the dream alive again
16. Wolves - A lot depends on how much Blake can score
17. Portsmouth - Ownership confusion + mass exodus
18. Wigan - Lost way too many top players
19. Burnley - Poor David Edgar :(
20. Hull City - Where they should have been last year.

Some bonus predictions:

From March onward anyone who injures an English player that is even on the fringe of the national team will receive a big suspension from the FA, regardless of the tackle itself.

Manchester City will quickly become one of the most hated cubs in the Premier League.

Paul Hart at Portsmouth will be the first manager fired.

England will lose on penalties in the World Cup quarterfinals... some things never change.

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Eight - Premier League Preview

Kevin and I go through our Premier League predictions and dedicate the entire episode to picks that will probably make us look completely incompetent by January.

Enjoy!

Listen Online to Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Eight

Download Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Eight

You can subscribe on Itunes via the first link

A Canadian Mindset: Street Soccer

Part One of "A Canadian Mindset", a series looking at the problems with Canadian soccer outside the CSA.

In African and South American countries, where the conditions for street soccer are favorable, you can immediately notice that youth players have a head start. They go through a more varied technical and tactical development within their own experiences. Therefore the "feeling" for the game is also better. They find their motivation on the street to play the games over and over again, no matter how simple they are. Even if there is only a wall at their disposal... Above all, they possess an agility, coordination and basic speed which players in Western Europe do not possess as much anymore. There are good reasons that these countries are so intensively scouted by, for example, top clubs from Western Europe.

- Excerpt from "Team Building" by Rinus Michels (the Dutch mastermind behind total football)

If you were to walk into a park today in Canada you will probably see a group of people playing soccer. So people are already playing "street soccer" they are getting together with a group of friends and playing giving them this extra edge that Michels is talking about. The problem is these people are probably university or high school students. These university and high school students are not the future of the game in our country.

Now think back to all of the pick up soccer games you've ever seen in Canada, how many of these had players all under the age of ten? This is the target age. This is the time when players need to develop the most and gain the skills that come with street soccer. There just isn't a mentality among these young kids to go outside and kick a ball around for a few hours.

The counter to this is that in Canada parents tend to be a little more protective than they are in South America or Africa where young kids do head out for a couple hours to kick around a ball. But this is an argument easily countered by comparing street soccer to road hockey. If you were to walk into an average Canadian neighborhood today you would almost certainly find a game of road hockey and you would notice that these kids are under ten playing with an older brother or sister, a group of friends, or even a parent.

As Michels mentions street soccer is something that could have a major effect in Western Europe, but in Canada I think the effect could be even greater. Looking at our national team today we are missing one key component. A creative player, someone who will run at their defender and beat them, someone who can create that inch of space and forge out a chance, we are missing that flair player. The flair player isn't a product of good coaching, the flair player is a product of hours practicing outside of organized soccer and hours playing with friends.

In a game of street soccer the score is often secondary, what is much more important is showing off in front of friends. In street soccer players are always looking for that nutmeg, the perfect opportunity to pull off a Maradonna spin or a chance to just beat their man with pace. That is why these Brazilians that spend their entire childhood playing street soccer become the creative superstars that they are.

When people talk about soccer in Canada an issue which inevitably always comes up is a factor that isn't going to change any time soon (unless global warming hurries up) that of course is the winter. Sure we have indoor fields and facilities, but where does that leave street soccer? Well the only way around it is for kids to suck it up and play through the cold. Having worked with many nine and ten-year-old players they usually don't like to suck it up and their parents like it even less when their children have to suck it up. Hopefully a new image for the game in Canada that is slowly being developed will change this.

Street soccer is a key component to the development of any young player, in many ways it is much more important than formal training. For street soccer to take hold with future players the main thing that needs to change is a general mentality. Soccer needs to become that sport that kids decided to play when they are bored, parents need to encourage their kids to go play soccer with their friends, street soccer needs to be the new road hockey. With the sport growing every year in Canada, this mentality is also growing. When street soccer becomes commonplace in Canada it will be one of the biggest steps for the game in this country.

Manchester United (1) 2:2 (4) Chelsea

United Man of the Match:
For the first twenty-five minutes United dominated the match and particularly the midfield. This came down to the industry and passing of Darren Fletcher. Fletcher has a track record of playing well against Chelsea and he certainly didn't disappoint in the Community Shield where he shut down Lampard completely in the opening half. A very solid performance from the Scotsman who went against the advice of Scottish coach, George Burley, playing in this match.

Match Notes:
- This was a great match, by far the most competitive Community Shield match I've seen in a long time. It looked and felt like a Premier League match and the players treated it as one. Made for a very good spectacle.

- United were spectacular for the first twenty-five minutes of the match, and could have been up by three. Evra and Nani dominated the left wing, and were creating chance after chance. The passing was perfect and every single foray into Chelsea's half seemed to create a chance.

- Rooney has often been criticized for poor finishing on breakaways, he has be known to try and chip the keeper or he'll just slam it right at the keeper. In the 92nd minute of the match with United needing a goal Rooney's calm, perfectly placed finish was nice to see.

- Foster looked very poor and reiterated my point that this team needs Van Der Sar (which they won't have for the first two months of the season). He could be blamed for both goals, although others were also at fault he could have done much better.

- With Park and Nani out on the flanks I thought some of their marking was a little suspect. Chelsea often had open men on both sides of the pitch with Park and Nani evidently marking no one. Carvalho was wide open for his goal, with Nani six yards away from him watching the play unfold marking no one.

- Evra played a very good first half and was causing Chelsea (specifically Ivanovic) more problems than anyone else on the field. Unfortunately he completely lost it with the whole Ballack blow-up. The two of them were at it all half, and Evra's play dropped significantly as a result of it. Fergie would have been wise to sub him off.

- Chris Foy was inconsistent and made a poor decision. That is not why we didn't win this match, Chelsea were pressing and the second goal was a result of constant pressure that they may have gotten even if that one had been disallowed. There is no point in blaming Foy for the loss.

- I think we've all learned over the preseason that Evra doesn't take penalties, end of story.

Final Thoughts:
A good match, especially the first half, but Chelsea clearly dominated the second forty-five. I think this match really showed how close the title race is going to be this year between Chelsea and United.

Ronaldo class casts a shadow

Darren Fletcher's rush to congratulate Nani after his opener in the Community Shield on Sunday and his pointing to his team-mate's name suggested Manchester United, post-Cristiano Ronaldo, had found a new hero.

The Portugal international had central defender-turned-full-back Branislav Ivanovic in knots in a lively opening spell before finally announcing himself on the big stage with a stunning drive to put the champions ahead on 10 minutes.

He eventually made way with a dislocated shoulder and could now miss the start of the new Premier League season to leave manager Sir Alex Ferguson with a midfield quandary ahead of next Sunday's opener against newcomers Birmingham.

Ferguson has attempted to offset the world-record loss of superstar Ronaldo by flooding his engine room with able deputies such as Antonio Valencia and Gabriel Obertan – but class is not easily replaced and the concern is that United could come up short against the cream of Europe.

Valencia has pace and penetration but is hardly potent in front of goal, whereas the injured Obertan is viewed as a rough diamond tipped for a bright future.

Elsewhere, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are reaching the end of the line and forgotten man Owen Hargreaves is in danger of becoming a distant memory.

Darren Fletcher and Park Ji-sung provide industry and mobility and Michael Carrick is capable of picking a pass, but none of these three are deemed match-winners in the same way that Ronaldo could change a game with a flick or devastating turn of pace.

Ferguson has already said there is no point him looking to replace the irreplaceable and it is true Ronaldo is a once-in-a-generation player.

He also said he was not interested in the silly figures banded about in a close-season dominated by super-rich neighbours Manchester City and big-spenders Real Madrid. It is a safe bet that his inability to recruit a world-class attacking midfielder could come back to haunt him.

Nick Walsh writes features and betting previews for Betfair

Manchester United Training Camp Week Five

Preseason Results:
Altrincham 0:2 Manchester United Reserves
Manchester United 2:0 Valencia
Katwijk 1:4 Manchester United Reserves
Manchester United (1) 2:2 (4) Chelsea (Community Shield)

Injuries:
Van Der Sar - Expected return Early October
Rafael Da Silva - Expected Return August 16
Wes Brown - Expected Return August 16
Gary Neville - Expected Return August 16
Nemanja Vidic - Expected return Late August
Owen Hargreaves - Expected return Unknown
Gabriel Obertan - Expected return October

Transfers:
none

Rumour of the Week:
Johnny Evans to Barcelona :O

Ridiculous United News Story of the Week:
John Terry Goes All Kevin Keegan

New Canada Feature

I've noticed that ever since the Gold Cup the blog interest/ numbers have been down. Considering most of my audience is Canadian and most of my posts recently have been United related it isn't really much of a surprise. However with the Community Shield coming tomorrow and the start of the Premier League season the United stuff will keep on coming (and for you United fans how are reading this I have extra United stuff over at the 24th Minute now as well). So to keep all you Canadian readers reading I decided to start up a new weekly Canadian segment that will hopefully bring something new.

As Canadian we tend to blame all our problems on the CSA whether it really is their fault or not. I've decided to look at something a little different. Each week I will highlight a problem with the game in Canada and possible solutions. The catch, I will not use the words CSA or make reference to the CSA at any time. This is all on the pitch, or local/club stuff that needs to be fixed.

Hope you enjoy!

Manchester United 2:0 Valencia

United Man of the Match:
Against Valencia, United's man of the match was our own Valencia. Antonio Valencia had a brilliant home debut, and showed why he is worth every penny United payed for him. He was running at the Valencia fullback all match, usually beating him with pace. He delivered some perfect crosses, two of which led to the two goals. His cross to Rooney fell right onto his head for Rooney to finish. His ball into the box for the second goal cause confusion among the Valencia defense and led to Cleverly hitting the ball home. Valencia looked right at home with United and his pace is blinding, he's already looking like a very astute buy.

Match Notes:
- 71,000 for a friendly - bravo, thats all I have to say.

- Both teams looked very good and were playing attacking, exciting football, especially in the first half when Valencia had their starters on the pitch. It was an even first half with lots of chances on both ends. These are two teams that play very good, quick football and a going to be fun to watch this season.

- Despite four misses from Michael Owen, it is encouraging to see him getting into these positions. With match fitness the finishing should come, and just to see him forming a partnership with Rooney is good to see.

- Rooney scored a goal and put in a good performance. He looks like he is stepping into the role Sir Alex expects him to play this season, he was creating chances in tight spaces and he looks ready to go for the start of the season.

- De Laet and Cleverly both made their preseaon debuts and both looked impressive. Especially De Laet who is a very creative player who was causing havoc for Valencia down that right side playing with Antonio Valencia.

- Kuzczack and Foster look like they'll be fighting it out for the starting position now that Van Der Sar will be out for the first two months of the season. Over the last few game reports I have been talking about how glad I am we have Van Der Sar and don't have to rely on our backups. Well... I was wrong, I feel much more confident with Kuzczack in net though and hopefully his performance against Valencia will get him that spot.

- Although United kept their second straight clean sheet the marking was a little lax at times and Valencia easily could have made the breakthrough had it not been for some unlucky bounces and poor finishing.

Final Thoughts:
By far United's most difficult test of the preseaon and United's best performance of the preseason. The attack really seemed to click as United were playing with width and were constantly pressuring the Valencia backline. Overall a very impressive performance that bodes well going into the season.

Here we go!

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Seven

I'm without usual co-host Kevin, but in this episode of Canadian Terrace Talk I chat with Kristian Jack of the Footy Show and we talk Premier League transfers, Championship, Toronto FC - Real Madrid and more.

Kristian's phone line has one or two difficulties in the middle of the show but other than that it is fine, so I apologize in advance for any shoddy editing.

Enjoy!

Listen Online to Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Seven

Download Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Seven

You can subscribe on Itunes via the first link

A Good Showing, but a Bleak Future

Canada had an impressive display in the Gold Cup with wins over Jamaica and El Salvador, and a draw with Costa Rica. Hart had the team playing a possession style that may not have been exciting, but he certainly had Canada playing a much more cohesive game than they did in World Cup Qualifying. An unlucky call, some poor finishing, and lack of urgency led to a quarterfinal loss at the hands of Honduras, but overall the 2009 Gold Cup has to have been considered a success for Canada. Unfortunately Canada's performance means next to nothing.

The Canadian Men's national team does not have another competitive match until the 2011 Gold Cup, and there are no friendlies currently scheduled. In other words no chance to build on the progress the team has made.

Coach, Stephen Hart who made an immediate impact with the national team, will not have a chance to work with or see any of the team play in the near future as he is fulfilling his role as technical director of the CSA.

Canada's keeper of the future Asmir Begovic has been called up to the Bosnian National Team and the youngster seems to be leaning that way. As Bosnia in with a shot for the World Cup in 2010 and Canada is not playing another competitive game for two years it isn't altogether surprising, but still disappointing.

May players who were with the national team and have "stared" for the national team like Stalteri, Sutton, De Rosario, Hirschfeld, McKenna will in all likely hood be too old for 2014 qualifying and the team will have a very different look.

The youth teams don't posses anything to promising as both the U-17, and U-20 teams failed to make their respective World Cups.

The brightest hope coming through the Canadian ranks David Hoillet may chose to represent Jamaica.

The CSA looks unlikely to get their act together and fix these problems in the near future.

Being a Canadian soccer supporter is officially the hardest job of any supporter on the planet.

Manchester United Training Camp Week Four

Preseason Results:
Manchester United 2:1 Boca Juniors
Luton Town 1:2 Manchester United Reserves
Bayern Munich (7)0:0(6) Manchester United

Injuries:
Nemanja Vidic - Expected return August 5
Owen Hargreaves - Expected return September
Gabriel Obertan - Expected return October

Transfers:
Paul Pogba: Le Harve AC to United - Fee Undisclosed

Rumour of the Week:
Franc Ribery to Manchester United for £35 million

Ridiculous United News Story of the Week:
Ronaldo Says Oasis are no Ricky Martin

In a hopefully less ridiculous news story I've written a piece over at the 24th Minute about United's chase for a defensive midfielder.

Bayern Munich (7) 0:0 (6) Manchester United

Just a nice little reminder about the last final we played.

United Man of the Match:
Despite missing the penalty which eventually lost the Cup for Manchester United, Johnny Evans was the best player on the pitch for United. After some poor defensive performances, United finally kept a clean sheet against a respectable opponent. Evans looked back to his normal self, and the centre back who was starting games in the Premier League last season against the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea. Evans was putting in good tackles, stopping the Bayern attackers from really getting anything inside the final third after the opening thirty minutes.

Match Notes:
- This tournament is awesome. It does everything that a preseason tournament should do. No silly group stage with stupid points system, it is a semi and a final which makes the games much more exciting. The teams playing are all high quality and there is no team that is there just to rack in cash or make up the numbers. Making the final is sold out with a nighttime kickoff adds to the atmosphere. The final felt like a European night (somewhat except for the fact the result didn't matter). Bravo to the Audi Cup I hope United plays in this tournament again next year.

- I haven't really got a chance to talk about the kits yet and since this was the debut of the away kit, I have to say I'm a fan of both the home and away kits. I know people don't like the V, but I think it looks cool and its an interesting twist on the normal kit.

- United looked very shaky in the first half, and the lack of a real gritty, defensive midfielder was evident once again. As the game progressed United started to take control once again, but the first thirty minutes were very nervy.

- From here on in Anderson should take all free kicks and penalties.

- Van Der Sar had his first game against real quality opposition and he showed once again why he is United's number one keeper. He looked confident and very composed, he also has a much better partnership with the United back four than either of the other two keepers.

- Valencia is a perfect player for United, he came on and gave the team a much needed spark. He was creating havoc for the Bayern defense and he was always looking to create something. Sir Alex has done a very good bit of business with Antonio Valencia.

- In his post match comments Sir Alex Ferguson all but confirmed that he reads the Canadian Stretford End.
“The team has adapted well to whatever system we've played, whether it’s 4-4-2 or three in midfield," he says. “We’ve got that flexibility in the squad. With Antonio Valencia coming in, it might be a bit more of a rigid 4-4-2 system, but we’ll have to see.”

Final Thoughts:
Losing a final is never nice, but it was a decent game and good warm up for United. Playing two teams of this quality in two days is great training, but it also takes its toll physically.