So recently there has been some good spirited debate on Bobby's blog in relation to an article that he posted this week.  If you want to read it click here.  Basically people either agreed or disagreed.  I was part of the latter, and have decided to explain why I believe I don't support one team, but prefer to watch whatever I find the most entertaining.

I can respect and understand why people support and live and die by their chosen team, but I personally came to my own personnel conclusion about a year and half ago that it doesn't matter.  I think living in Boston has given me some perspective into why I see this way.  I have been a part of arguably the greatest span of success by a city (by North American standards) that there has probably ever been.  In this day of parity with the salary cap Boston teams have won 6 Championships, in addition to being being runners up in five championships. (Yes, I did count the Revolution in profession teams in Boston)

So what is my point?  My point is despite all this success people still b*tch and moan regardless of how the teams have been doing.  I see people leaving last nights Red Sox game in the 7th inning, only to miss an incredible comeback.  You have the Patriots put together the most incredible season, only to blow it against the Giants.   Did people talk about how much fun it was to watch the team win 18 games in a row?  No, instead all I hear about from friends or columnists such as the sports guy on ESPN is how they blew it, and went 18-1, against a mediocre Giants team.  Never mind that the Giants put forth one of the most masterful performances in any Super bowl, and trust me I am no Giants fan, (I have rooted for the Eagles since I was eight) But which would you prefer too have, the championship games from the 90's defined by such classics as the Cowboys, 49ers, or Bronco's in the annual dismantling of whomever it was that particular year.  Or a huge underdog play lights out, pull an improbable comeback in the final minutes of the forth quarter, and create lasting memories for years to come.  I doubt I will remember any of the Super Bowls from 90's, but the helmet catch is something that will stay with me forever.

I have also realized that with American sports your bad season doesn't even matter.  Instead you get rewarded with a coveted high draft pick, and the chance to restock your team.  For examples I point to the Celtics, Devil Rays, and Giants.  Both the Celtics and the Devil Rays finished at or close to the bottom of their leagues, while the Giants barely made the playoffs and lost in the wild card.  Yet the following year The Celtics and the Giants won their championship, and the Rays are one win away from playing in their first world series.  So my point is why get so bent out of shape about your team day to day, week to week?  And as I see people roll into work depressed from the Sox going two games down vs. the Rays, and forgetting the last two championships that they won in the last four years, I feel as if I have made the right decision. 

Now after reading that here is probably how an argument might go, now all the reasons I outline for not following American teams are fine like the season not mattering (NBA, NHL MLS), drafts, as well as other things I didn't touch on like playoffs, and salary caps.  All these methods were put in place to make the leagues fair, and to make sure no one team could dominate their respective sport.  But the European leagues are totally different setup; you have relegation, promotion, and European spots.  These reasons and more are why I love the European leagues, especially the premier league, but also why I have never fully embraced one team.

Using the premier league as an example I will outline the three categories of teams I see the league consisting of, the haves, the almosts, and the have nots.  Teams like Manchester United and Liverpool are the haves, and what do they have?  Money, respect, prestige, pedigree, and history, all combine to make these teams so successful year after year.  The almosts are teams like Tottenham and Everton.  They are able to mount domestic cup challenges from time to time, maybe nick that fourth champions league spot, but seem never quite capable of getting over that hump to make it into the haves.

The last group is the have nots, this last set is basically all the teams not in the premier league, and a good chunk of teams in the premier league, such teams as Fulham, Bolton, or Wigan.  These teams are the ones fighting for the scraps, hoping for the occasional upset, and always fearful of relegation back to anonymity.  These teams will probably never be successful in the premier leagues current set up for various reasons such as lack of fan support (Bolton), playing in an undesirable location (Wigan), or unable to make enough money to replenish the team due to such factors as the size of their stadium, (Fulham).  Not only that but typically if one of these teams finds an undiscovered gem, or brings up a player through their youth team, usually a better team with more money, and respect steals them away.

Using the examples I pointed out early, you can being to understand why I haven't avidly followed a team since the 2004 Philadelphia Eagles.  In the American system you have teams rewarded for poor a season with high draft picks and a season of tanking to achieve that coveted high draft pick can be erased from memory with two blockbuster trades. (See Celtics Summer 2007)  While in Europe you have clubs that have become so successful that they are able to replenish their ranks every year, which keeps them among the elite, while the majority of the other teams just fight for survival, some going bankrupt in an attempt to keep up.

At the risk of getting too philosophical the reason we as people love sports is because regardless of whom you are where you are from, and how much money you have, when you step on that field or court, to face your opponent, you are their equal.  Until after the game is over, we decide who was better based on strict rules that make it so that the only way to win is because you earned it with their hard work, and the skills that you were born with.

Which is why the only team I truly enthusiastically support is the US men's national team.  The beautiful thing about international soccer is you never have to worry about your favorite player jumping ship for more money, or your country not being able to compete because another country has more money.  Yes there are some situations like Wales a small country who will probably always be a minnow on the international scene, compared to say England, still though this is much more fair than the current European League setup, and more enjoyable to watch than the American league setup.

So no I am no supporter of any one team, but I am a fan of great teams, and will happily watch Cristiano Ronaldo score at will, using his bag of tricks, or Arsenal put together 23 passes on their way to a signature Gunner goal.  I much more prefer this than being a fan of a club like Barcelona, whom two years ago had just wrapped up their second straight La Liga, as well as the Champions League.  Yet last year I read countless articles on the situation in that city, whether it is the fans, the players, or the management, and I must say I no longer miss that feeling.

Now I assume that the majority of people reading this will disagree with my view.  That is fine, I know the way I see this is unique, so please if you read this and feel the need to comment, please try and not resort to any insults or anything along those lines.  I have never had that issue on this blog before, but I feel that this subject of all the blogs I have written has the most potential to comeback at me with angry comments that my view is incorrect.

So recently Fifa pro came out with their shortlist of who they believe would be the World 11, consisting of 1 goalkeeper, 3 defenders, 4 midfielders, and 3 forwards. What I intend to do is breakdown the list that fifa chose, and give reasons to consider that player as part of the top 11 or reasons not too.
In evaluating players, I will take this into consideration, was that player injury free for most of the season? What level did that player play at, was it the top league? And how good players skills are for their position, such as how a forward finishes. Bonus points are also given if a player does something that is not associated with their position, such as a defender who scores, or a forward who defends.  I have also included notable players omitted from the list, who I thought deserved a mention.  I however have removed them from consideration as they were not on the official list put out by Fifa.

The final World XI will be announced at 5th October 2007.
Goalkeepers:
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy/ Juventus) If Buffon had moved on to another team, than I probably would have no trouble putting him as the best keeper, but because he was for the most part facing the best the Serie B had to offer, I feel I cannot put him as the best goalkeeper in the world given he wasn't facing the best opposition possible, day in and day out.

Iker Casillas (Spain/ Real Madrid) Of all the goalkeepers Fifa picked I would pick Iker, because I felt he had the most complete season. Iker is also very conisistent, and has to be a very good goalkeeper with the way Real defends sometimes.

Petr Cech (Czech Republic/ Chelsea) Between Petr Cech and Buffon, you have the world's best two goalkeepers. It was quite evident when Cech went down, how sorely he was missed during that time. Had Cech not been injured it could have been enough to help Chelsea overtake Man U for the title.

Nelson de Jesus Silva 'Dida' (Brazil/ AC Milan)- I don't really understand how Dida made this list, for one he was injured for a good part of the season, and when he did come back AC Milan chose to start Zeljko Kalac in his place. Fortunatly for Dida, Kalac was worse, and he won his place back.

Edwin van der Sar (Holland/ Manchester United) Van Der Sar did what he had to do in net for United to win, nothing more nothing less. I didn't feel he was outstanding, but he didn't put Manchester United in a position to lose either. He won the EPL GK of the year, but I felt Tim Howard was more deserving of it.

Notable Omissions Tim Howard(USA/Everton), Jose Reina(Spain/Liverpool)

Midfielders:
David Beckham (England/ Real Madrid) Beckham is a great player, but it is hard to put Beckham in the top 11 for many reasons. One there are many players much better than him, two he was benched for a large portion of last season, and three he on top of being benched missed a lot of games through suspension and injury. Also consider this, when Real won the title, they clinched it on the final day when Reyes scored two goals, Reyes came in for the injured David Beckham.

Anderson Deco (Portugal/ Barcelona) I rate Deco very high, but unfortunately the midfield of Barcelona is both deep and very talented. Deco should move to an EPL team like Chelsea or a team like Valencia.

Micheal Essien (Ghana/ Chelsea) Probably the most complete player in the world. His preferred position is a box to box midfielder, who is defensive minded, but can also shoot from distance. He showed his versatility by also playing right back and central back for Chelsea when injuries hit them. Essien also scored some timely goals last year, one against Arsenal to tie it, and one against Valencia to put Chelsea into the semifinals of the Champions league.

Gennaro Gattuso (Italy/ AC Milan) Probably the best holding midfielder in the world. Gattuso earned the nickname the snarling dog because of the way he plays. If there was no Gattuso, Pirlo would not have done nearly as well for both Italy, or AC Milan.

Steven Gerrard (England/ Liverpool) In competition with Essien for the most complete player in the world. While Essien has played more positions, Gerrard is given more freedom to roam all over the field, he also does well to give defensive cover. Gerrard also has a much better goal scoring tally then Essien does.

Andreys Iniesta (Spain/ Barcelona) A very creative midfielder, I feel Iniesta doesn't always get the respect he deserves, mainly because he is overshadowed by his larger than life teammates. Iniesta is an excellent passer, as well as with the ball at his feet. When he is in the middle he can control the game, and speed it up or slow it down as he sees fit.

Ricardo Kaka (Brazil/ AC Milan) Regarded by many as the best player in the world. Kaka doesn't run he glides across the ground, blessed with a great shot, and probably one of the fasted player in the world with the ball at his feet. He carried AC Milan on his shoulders as they won the champions league.

Frank Lampard (England/ Chelsea) A consistent goal scorer at Chelsea, he regurly scores more goals than most forwards. His big knock is he and Gerrard can not play in the same midfield together. It should also be pointed out that Lampard has missed very few games in his time at Stamford bridge.

Claude Makalele (France/ Chelsea) If stats alone were used to judge a player, than Makalele would be considered a failure. Fortunatley for him, stats don't tell the whole story, Frank Lampard, and Zinadine Zidane both have had very successful careers, due in large part to the defensive work that Makalele has done. He does all the little things that allow other players to succeed.

Andrea Pirlo (Italy/ AC Milan) A player who pulls all the strings for a world cup winning national team, as well as a champions league trophy. Often overshadowed by players like Totti, and Kaka. He is also one of the best free kick takers in the world.

Juan Roman Riquelme (Argentina/ Villareal/Boca Juniors) A temperamental player who can both amaze and disappoint depending on what day it is. He led the way in a very good Argentine football team at Copa America. However the fact that he couldn't win the Argentine first division against Veron's Estudianties is a strike against him.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/ Manchester United) An immensely talented player, who still has his best days ahead of him. On his day he is unstoppable, unfortunately I feel he disappears too much in big games. I will give him a pass in the FA Cup final, because he was exhausted, but still needs some more consistency to be considered the worlds best.

Paul Scholes (England/ Manchester United) Apparently found the fountain of youth. Had an excellent season, in which he pulled the strings for the United midfield. Has great vision on the field, and a motor that doesn't end.

Clarence Seedorf (Holland/ AC Milan) Four champions league trophies, and four league titles with three different teams speaks for themselves. Equipped with a blistering shot, he has formed a great partnership with Kaka.

Xavi (Spain/ Barcelona) Along with Iniesta, he is often overshadowed by the bigger names at the club, however Xavi seems to also do the little things that help a team win, if not so much get noticed.

Notable Omissions Cesc Fabregas (Spain/ Arsenal), Gilberto (Brazil/Arsenal), Pablo Aimar (Argentina/Real Zaragoza), Elano Blumer (Brazil/Manchester City), Diego (Brazil/Werder Bremen), Michael Carrick(England/Manchester United) Frank Ribery (France/Bayern Munich), Hamit Altintop (Turkey/Bayern Munich), Florent Malouda(France/Chelsea) Robinho (Brazil/Real Madrid) Ryan Giggs (Wales/Manchester United)

Forwards:
Dimitar Berbatov (Bulgaria/ Tottenham Hotspur) He was a revelation last year in his first season at Tottenham. Blessed with a great first touch, he has the size of a prototypical target striker, but the touch of a central midfielder. Forged an excellent partnership up front with Robbie Keane.

Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast/ Chelsea) It was pretty much a tie between Drogba and Ronaldo for the EPL player of the year. In the end Ronaldo ended up winning it because his team won the league, but that shouldn't take away from the year Drogba had. He had faced a lot of criticism the previous year about his diving, but reacted by scoring 30 goals in all competitions last year and silencing his critics. He also played very well for the Ivory Coast in a very tough group.

Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon/ Barcelona) If not for his injury he would definitely be considered one of the best strikers in the world.

Thierry Henry (France/ Arsenal) Same as Samuel Eto'o if not for injury he would have had a great campaign. Even though he missed over half the season Henry still finished as the leading scorer for Arsenal.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden/ Inter) A personal favorite of mine, Zlatan and Berbatov to me are very similar players, however I feel that Zlatan is a faster player. The one negative for Ibrahimovic is his attitude. Still you can't ignore the fact that he led the frontline for one of the greatest Serie A campaigns ever.

Filippo Inzaghi (Italy/ AC Milan) A predator of the highest degree, Pippo loves to walk the line and is constantly caught offsides for doing it, but all he needs is one chance, and he will put it away. Just ask Liverpool

Lionel Messi (Argentina/ Barcelona) Last year was Messi's coming out year, including two like for like replicas of goals scored by Maradona. The goal against Getafe was amazing, while I feel he received too much flack for his version for the hand of god. While cheating shouldn't be encouraged, I feel it is the refs job to make sure that doesn't happen on the field.

Ruud van Nistelrooy (Holland/ Real Madrid) Rejuvenated his career at Real Madrid, he led La Liga in goals, and was instrumental in Real lifting their first trophy in three years.

Ronaldinho (Brazil/ Barcelona) I feel Ronaldinho deserves to be in the midfield section, but since Fifa made the list I will leave him right here. At the moment he seems to be struggling, and on review last year wasn't nearly as a good a year as the 2005-2006 season. It started with a poor World Cup, and a slow start to the La Liga season. There were flashes of why Ronaldinho became known as the worlds greatest player, but I think at this point that title belongs to Kaka.

Ronaldo (Brazil/ Real Madrid/ AC Milan) Has been battling injuries, and being benched at Real Madrid. Once he moved to AC Milan he began to find his scoring touch, however it was too little too late. We probably will never see the Ronaldo of the 02 World Cup again.

Wayne Rooney (England/ Manchester United) Feelings about Rooney seems to be very universal at very overrated. I however feel he is underrated. While Rooney seemed to have a quiet year last year, he did score 24 goals in 51 games he started in all competitions last year. However I feel you cannot just judge Rooney solely on goals scored, he hustles back and plays good defense, and works his ass off to get to loose balls, certain things statistics don't tell.

Carlos Tevez (Argentina/ West Ham United) I think very highly of Carlos Tevez, see what Rooney does and you can apply it to this player. However Tevez took a long time to get regular playing time at West Ham, and even longer to register his first goal. He did save West Ham from relegation, but I however don't feel a few months of good play merits a spot on the World 11, maybe in a year or two.

Luca Toni (Italy/ Fiorentina) Quietly scored 16 goals in Serie A, and 2 in the World Cup, which was a massive drop off from the 31 he scored for Fiorentina the previous season. A great forward but I feel falls short of being considered the worlds best.

Francesco Totti (Italy/ AS Roma) Had an excellent season in which he scored 32 goals in all competitions. He bleeds his teams colors and says he will never play for another team, you have to respect that kind of commitment.

David Villa (Spain/ Valencia) Was involved in a lot of speculation as to whether he would head to a team like Chelsea during the transfer window. He didn't and you should look for Valencia to have a big season because of him. I don't know too much about him, but the few times I have seen him play I was very impressed.

Notable Omissions Diego Milito(Argentina/Real Zaragoza), Hernan Crespo(Argentina/ Inter Milan), Julio Cruz(Argentina/Argentina), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar(Netherlands/Ajax), Freddie Kanoute(Mali/Seville) Benni McCarthy(South Africa/Blackburn), Robbie Keane(Ireland/Tottenham Hotspur), Nicolas Anelka (France/Bolton), Kevin Doyle(Ireland/Reading), Miroslov Klose(Germany/Bayern Munich), Fernando Torres(Spain/Liverpool)

Now in picking my top 11, I aimed to pick my best group without any consideration of how they would play together, I also tried to focus on the last year, and not their careers as a whole, however that will always play some part in the decision making process. Without further ado here it is. . .

Goalkeeper Iker Casillas, with Cech and Buffon either injured or playing in lower leagues, I felt Casillas wins on default. I actually don't feel he is the best goalkeeper in the world, but with the way the list came out, I felt he was the only one I could pick. My personal pick would be a tie between Buffon and Cech.

In defense the three that I would choose are Eric Abidal, Marco Materazzi, and Fabio Cannavaro. I chose these three because all three were very influential in helping their teams win their respective leagues. Materazzi just barely notched out Terry because of Terry's being injured, and Materazzi's scoring record last year.

In midfield, I would pick Kaka, Essien, Gerrard, and Gattuso. I feel there is no need to explain my first three choices, but doubt many would pick Gattuso. However I think he is one of the most underrated players, and was an integral part of winning two of the most prestigious and coveted cups in the world, in the world cup and champions league.

At Forward I would pick Drogba, Francesco Totti, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, just barely edging out Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

So there you have it, my World XI, tell me what you think, was I even close?

My friend and I have started up our own blog on www.survivingmonday.com, I intend to continue posting as regarly as possible.  I will try and make a fantasy article every thursday, and at least one article about something most likely concerning soccer after the weekends.

My friend focuses much more on the rest of the mainstream sports in the US.  If you are a Bill Simmons fan, you will like my friends articles, he is very funny, and heavily influenced by Bill Simmons, but not a copycat.

Also we will be looking to add people to add content to the website, so if you have a voice and want it heard about something sports related, let us know and we will see what we can do.

Hope to see you all over there

After reading countless articles, and quotes on Beckham's move to the US, I have grown increasingly tired of reading about people misinterpreting everything involved in the circus that is Beckham, so I will do my best to clear things up for you.

 Beckham is getting paid 250 million dollars

I have seen the 250 million dollar mark, or 128 pound mark all over between American and English sites.  Let me clear this up, that is a completely estimated amount.  It is based on hypothetical figures, that estimate every game being sold out, a large amount of shirts being sold, and a whole lot more seasons tickets being sold, to put it simply as possible, which in all very likely hood, especially after how this season went, isn't going to happen.  David Beckham is guaranteed 32 million dollars over 5 years, the rest  is anyones guess.  I would not be surprised if he made 100 million after his five years are up.  Another important note, the MLS is only responsible for the 32 million portion of Beck's contract, the rest has to be paid by AEG, who can afford it, so he won't bankrupt the league.

 Beckham is coming to make soccer big in the US

This along with the money figure is the biggest misnomer about the Beckham move.   Beckham was brought here to raise the profile of the league and to make a lot of money for the MLS.  I don't care who the MLS brings in whether it be Beck's, Ronaldinho, or Kaka, no one player can make this sport more popular than any of the other big three sports.  With David coming to the US he has raised the profile of the game, he has gotten everyone talking about soccer, whether it be in a negative or positive light, and you know how the old saying goes, any press is good press.  Listen whether you like it or not soccer is here to stay, and will continue to grow in popularity, but I think it will take years for this to happen. 

My favorite sport to compare it too is basketball, and the NBA.  The NBA has been around for a long time, but before the 80's it really wasn't that popular.  My point being the MLS has been in existence for 11 years, this is going to take time if it ever happens, but I think people like Don Garber are being very smart in trying not to overextend the league and bankrupt it.  So it is unfair to say this league is not doing well, it will take a long time before we can make that opinion.

 The other reason Beckham is here in the US is for money.  The simple fact is his name and his image is worth alot, especially to the team who gets to put his name on their jersey.  I have no  idea if this is true or not, but when Beckham transferred to Real Madrid from Manchester United, it was said his transfer fee was paid for before he even kicked a ball because of all the shirts that were sold.  Not only that, but during Beckhams time at Real Madrid they surpassed Manchester United as the richest soccer club in the world, without winning a trophy in that time, and it was in larger part because of Beckham.

 Beckham is the greatest player in the world

"Is Beckham the world's greatest player?"  Is a question I get the most from people who don't know anything about soccer.  Beckham is not the greatest player in the world, nor has he ever been.  It can be argued that he has one of the best right foots in the game, but he is not the best in the world.  What he is is a player capable of delivering awesome free kicks, and cross field perfect passes for teammates to tap the ball into the goal.  He is not a great dribbler, or defender, nor is he very fast.  He is however very marketable, and is the most popular player in the world, and this is why the MLS did everything they could to bring him here.

 The MLS is a mickey mouse, or crap league

The British press has especially enjoyed taking potshots at the MLS, as does pretty much anyone I can think of, but people fail to keep things in perspective.  Is the MLS the greatest league in the world?  No, not by a longshot, but is it as bad as people make it out to be?  No it isn't.  Lets look closer at the league, and the country it is played in, or countries.  First off, the league has been around for 11 years, I would say you would have to wait at least 20 before you can make a real judgment of the level of the league.  We haven't really gotten a good set of young players into the league yet to raise the level.

I personally see three generations of soccer players in this country right now.  The first generation is the group that consists of players like Cobi Jones who is still playing, and Eric Wynalda and Marcelo Balboa, who commentate on ESPN, and Alexi Lalas who is the GM of the LA galaxy.  These players played in the 90, 94, and 98 World Cups, they were the first Americans we really got a chance to watch and idolize, and actually knew the names of, at least for me anyways. 

They paved the way for players like Brian McBride, Landon Donovan, and Claudio Reyna, whom I consider part of the second generation of soccer players.  These guys had the first generation to look up too, but still lacked the opportunity to watch alot of soccer on TV, and get to follow some of the european leagues, and thus help them learn more and help develop even more.  This generation made it so we actually had expectations at the World Cup, and when they didn't live up to those expectations, we were unhappy.  Whereas in years past, it was a feat to actually make it to the World Cup, now they were expected to win!

The third generation is the U-20 level and below, the biggest name you will recognize is Freddy Adu.  These players are growing up with soccer all around them, now it is easier than ever to catch soccer on TV, with Gol TV, Setenta, Fox Soccer channel, and ESPN, these players can follow their favorite players, and learn from them.  Not only that but more and more of these younger players are being snatched up by European teams, because they realize that these players are going to be good.  Sal Zizzo to Hamburg, Danny Szetla to Racing Santander and of course Freddy Adu to Benfica.  I feel when these players like this reach the age of 25 and older, you will see a dramatic improvement in the play of the MLS.

 The MLS isn't the greatest league, but it isn't a horrible league, I would put it on par with a 15 place EPL team to a championship team in England as to the level of the soccer here.  And to be honest, I really don't think that is that bad considering our brief history in the sport, I feel we can only get better.