Matches To Watch This International Break

Being lazy and full of things to do, I wasn't able to post about this weekend's action. So many things happened at once, Ray Wilkins being forced out of Chelsea, Chelsea losing to Sunderland 3-0, Manchester United scoring two late goals to equalize against Aston Villa, Real Madrid grinding out a 1-0 win over Sporting Gijon, Barcelona and Villarreal both playing a fantastic game of football, and of course, the Milan derby. There were so many things to write about, I ended up writing about nothing. But I'll try and redeem myself with this flurry of international matches being played, so I've decided to compile some "Matches to Watch" during this international break.

A return for Ronaldinho against Argentina

Argentina - Brazil

Is there a bigger rivalry in international football than Argentina/Brazil? Right now, I can't think of any, so that's a reason to keep your eye on the scoreline of this match being played at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. With Diego Maradona out, and Sergio Batista in, this Argentina team will be much more balanced than the wild and attacking side which El Diego tried to utilize. Meanwhile Mano Menezez's Brazil side is a much more creative and attacking side than Dunga's was at the 2010 World Cup. With Ronaldinho getting a call-up, Pato won't be playing because of a thigh problem, but Brazil still has Neymar and Robinho up front. This looks like it's going to be a very exciting match, full of attacking football, along with the usual fight which comes with the fierce rivalry between these two nations, my prediction is a 2-2 draw.

We'll see what Ronaldo can do against Spain

Portugal - Spain

Spain are at the top of the world right now, having played beautiful football to win the 2008 European Championships, and the 2010 World Cup, it'll be interesting for how long they continue to dominate international football. While the chances are slim that Portugal manages to upset the current world champions, I still think that it'll be an entertaining match. Hopefully Portugal will manage to play as a team, not just through Cristiano Ronaldo, and hopefully Spain continue their brand of attacking football. A game which in my opinion will end with a high scoreline, I'm predicting a 4-1 victory for Spain.

England - France

Andy Carroll scoring against Arsenal

There's been a lot of media attention in England regarding Fabio Capello's side which will face France at Wembley Stadium. The Italian coach picked Newcastle striker, Andy Carroll, along with Championship player Jay Bothroyd, and some youngsters like Sunderland's Henderson, and Arsenal's Gibbs. Can Capello's relatively young side manage to do something against Laurent Blanc's France team which is rebuilding its reputation after a disastrous World Cup? Two teams which haven't been going through the best of times are going to battle it out, and in my opinion it'll be a really tight match. England's defence is a little sketchy with no John Terry, and maybe no Jagielka either, but if England manage to provide Carroll with good support, they'll certainly score goals. My prediction for the match is a 2-1 win for England, with Carroll the goalscoring hero.

MLS Migration: Henry, Raul, Diego, who else?

Season is over, and now the fun stuff can begin... First, a bit of self-advertisement, just wrote an article on Serie A Talk to check out on Parma and Guidolin, check that awesome stuff out here. Second, a bit of MLS migration news, it's interesting to see recent comments by Juventus midfielder Diego who said this about the MLS,

"I find Major League Soccer quite interesting and I could compete in it one day. I like the way it is organized and the US is a beautiful country. .... I believe American soccer has room for improvement and it is an attractive option for foreign players"

Interesting that a player like Diego at Juventus who has a relatively big future in front of him is thinking of the MLS, maybe we could see him move at a young age? Here are some of the big stars could be making their way over to North America this summer.

Henry


It seems like the Frenchman has already signed for the New York Red Bulls who are having a great start to the season with the new coach Hans Backe. Henry would fit in well with Juan Pablo Angel up top, and he could put bums in seats for the new 25,000 seater Red Bull Arena.

Pires


Another Frenchman who although is rumored to have rejected some offers from MLS clubs could still move to play footy in North America. Pires could also decide to retire though being 37, but a couple of years in the MLS wouldn't do him any bad.

Raul (and maybe Ronaldinho)


Raul is a player who has been going on forever, but this past season we've seen less of him, and it could be the perfect time for him to move to the MLS and finish a prestigious career possibly with the LA Galaxy along former teammate David Beckham. It's also possible that the LA Galaxy will try to sign Ronaldinho from AC Milan, re-uniting the chubby but still inspirational Brazilian with Beckham.

Ze Roberto


It's very possible that Ze Roberto could move to the New York Red Bulls, especially if Henry isn't signed, the veteran player would add a creative presence for the Red Bulls, and if him and Henry both go there, it would be wonderful to see them play together.

A couple more possibles...


Here are a couple more that could move this summer, or maybe in the future transfer windows, basically all of them are over 30 and aging, but it's certainly a move in the right direction for MLS and football in North America. Del Piero from Juventus is getting less playing time and could move to MLS along with Seedorf and Inzaghi from AC Milan.

Atletico Stun Barca and Inter Slips as Juventus Returns

A weekend with no English action, but there was plenty in the Spanish and Italian leagues.

Atletico Madrid - Barcelona

Atletico Madrid re-opened the title race after defeating Barcelona 2-1, Barcelona had a makeshift back four with Jeffren at right-back, Puyol and Milito center-backs, and Maxwell at left-back. Barca also suffered after Keita limped off being substituted by Pedro, Atletico ruthlessly pressured the Catalans, and when Reyes released Forland with a fantastic through ball, the Uruguayan striker slotted it past Valdes. When Aguero was also released 1 on 1 with Valdes, he didn't have the tenacity that Forlan did, Aguero wasted a perfect opportunity by trying to pass it to a teammate, which was intercepted. Simao doubled the lead after he curled a beautiful free kick past Valdes who took a step too much in the wrong direction, making him unable to reach the ball.  Ibrahimovic equalized for  Barcelona with a volley at the far post, and although Barca pressed for a draw, Atletico held on for a fantastic win.

In Spain, Real Madrid reduced the gap between them and Barcelona to two points after a comfortable win over Deportivo Xerez. Cristiano Ronaldo missed some great opportunites even though he scored two goals, Arbeloa started the scoring after sliding it into the goal after a dubious onside call. Cristiano Ronaldo doubled with a header and scored the third for Real after a blunder by the Xerez goalie. Villareal grab an important win against Athletic Bilbao, a 2-1 victory allows the yellow submarine to move up to ninth in the table.

In Italy, Milan, Juventus, and Roma all pull off wins, Milan beat Udinese 3-2 thanks to an inspiring Ronaldinho, Juventus beat Genoa 3-2 after what seemed like a dive from Del Piero for a late winning penalty, and Roma comfortably took care of Palermo 4-1 with two goals coming from a fantastic Brighi. Meanwhile, one of the best 0-0's all season took place in Naples, Napoli was able to hold off Inter, both teams hit the woodwork at least three times, lots of opportunities were wasted, and the two goalkeepers, Julio Cesar and De Sanctis were fantastic. Inter is only 7 points ahead of Roma, and 8 ahead of Milan which has a game in hand. It looks like the Serie A is really heating up and could easily re-open itself to a new winner.

What do you think of this week's soccer action? Comment below! 

New Premiership Talk article out: Ronaldinho, the wrong promise?

My new article on Premiership Talk is out, Ronaldinho, the Wrong Promise, takes a look at three key factors in AC Milan's chances this year. Read, Comment, and more not only on Soccer Wrap Up, but also on Premiership Talk.

The article URL is http://www.premiershiptalk.com/2009/09/21/ronaldinho-the-wrong-promise/


Check out other Premiership Talk articles at www.premiershiptalk.com.