Your spot for what's kicking in the world of soccer.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Liverpool Secure Sahin On Loan


Barring the passing of a medical, Liverpool look to have secured Nuri Sahin from Real Madrid on a year long loan. The 23 year old has 31 international caps for Turkey to his name as well as helping German side Borussia Dortmund secure the Bundesliga title. 

A tidy acquisition by Rodgers I must say. Sahin had practically negative chances to impress at Real Madrid albeit injured for the bulk of the season. I'am extremely interested to see how he bounces back and if he can regain effectiveness in the heart of Liverpool's midfield. My question is does he start along with Gerrard and Lucas or will he operate from off the bench, time will tell. Also does this suggest Rodgers surrender in the Clint Dempsey deal, or does he look to pair up both midfielders in a new look Liverpool, we will see.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Tell Your Story & Win A Jersey With Footy-Kit Connections




Spot Kick Journal is pleased to announce a competition that could see you win a Jersey of your choice. Read below and see how you could do so. 

What makes being a being a soccer fan in the United States different than anyway else in the world is a sense of camaraderie. When you are a fan, it feels like you’re a part of a little secret, almost like being a member of the Masons or a Rotary club — you are part for a group of people who support a sport that is often overlooked by the mass media in the U.S. 

That's how I feel when I catch a glance of someone in a soccer kit. Even if it’s the jersey of the team I most desperately despise, I want to give him or her a nod and say, "Nice kit." 

I call it a Footy-kit connection.

Don't ever let anyone tell you that soccer is not big in America, because it is — not from watching or reading whatever the media’s spinning but because of Footy-kit Connections. Footy-kit Connections happen every day everywhere; at the grocery store, at the bar, in a park, at a bus stop. You’ll never know where or when, but you’ll absolutely know why. Soccer fans in the U.S. are just crying out for a platform to express their love of the beautiful game. I've seen it, I’ve felt it, I’ve lived it. You probably have, too.

This is not the same as an interaction that, say, a San Jose Earthquakes fan would get from wearing his team’s kit at an opposing team’s stadium. I'm talking about soccer fans as they go about their everyday life experiencing a sense of camaraderie with someone else all because of a shirt.

I come from a suburb just outside of San Francisco, a place blessed with natural beauty. I was exercising the right to experience such beauty by going on a hike up the mountain known as Mt. Tamalpais wearing the necessary hiking equipment for a casual trek with my dog and my Ibrahimovic Sweden national team kit from the 2006 World Cup in Germany. 

On my descent I noticed a man in his 30s looking at me with an excited gleam in his eye. As I approached him he stopped me and asked if I was Swedish. No, I told him, I’m of Norwegian origin — treasonous, I know. Regardless, he told me he liked my jersey and then asked if I played. Without even waiting for an answer, he graciously invited me to play in a tournament called the Scandinavian Consulate Cup. The Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Danish consulates of San Francisco put on an annual tournament in which players from the aforementioned countries get together to play a pick-up tournament in a park. 

The tournament happens every September; and now that I know of Its existence I can't wait to lace up my boots. 

This is a perfect example of how kit connections happen. All you have to do is slip on a soccer jersey and bam — you’ll find yourself interacting with another fan of the beautiful game. In my case, it led to being enlightened on a tournament I never knew existed. 

This Footy-kit connection represents the torch-b    earer for a new feature on Spot Kick Journal. Every time I have an experience that qualifies as one, I will breakdown the events that transpired and touch on the importance of said events. 

This is how you can win the kit of your choice. Comment on the blog, Facebook,  send me an email, or link to twitter telling a Footy- kit connection that you have experienced. The most creative will be selected and to the victor will a brand spanking new kit be awarded.


Stay tuned for the next edition of Footy-kit connections, only on spotkickjournalism.blogspot.com. 

All emails sent to SpotKickJournal@gmail.com

Arsenal Land Themselves Some Quality


Arsenal has added diminutive playmaker Santi Cazorla to their list of summer transfers. Jumping off the wage-withholding ship of Malaga, the Spanish international joins Lucas Podolski and Olivier Giroud as the newest players entrusted with showing their stuff at the Emirates. What a signing for the Gooners, seriously. He's such a tidy player, whether outside, in the middle, or supporting a striker, which most likely will be Giroud. 

It shows major intent, and in the done in the wake of Robin Van Persie's decision to not sign a new contract, saves Arsenal from looking like a feeble can't-hackit club. 


Think Arsenal will set up like this next season? Assuming RVP is gone.

Giroud

      Podolski         Cazorla         Oxlade-Chamberlain 

Arteta   Song 

   Vermaelen  Koscielny  Mertesacker    Sagna

Scezney 






Sunday, August 5, 2012

Liver n' Onions: Andy Carroll, better with us than against us


With reports still somewhat swirling around the possible departure of Andy Carroll from Liverpool, I have been forced to ponder the fallout that would occur if actually leaves. Liverpool's manager Brendan Rodgers has made it  crystal that Carroll does not fit into his system, and that he is willing to ship the big lad out by any means necessary. Ok fair enough he dosen't fit into the style of play your trying to cultivate, yet here is the problem that occurs if you dump him. 


This is the same problem that occurred when Fernando Torres was firing for Liverpool, that is with Carroll gone Liverpools attack will be resting solely on the shoulders of Luis Suarez. What happens if god forbid he gets hurt?...Or more likely suspended. What happens then?  Looking at Liverpool's roster the lack of experienced or semi-experienced strikers is astounding. The newly acquired Fabio Borini is by nature a striker but I have my doubts on his ability to lead a line, when I have watched him he looks more suited to play off of a number 9 type. After that their is nothing that Liverpool could feel confidant putting out against the Premier League's elite. Carroll may not be first choice but what is the harm of having backup. Looking currently at Liverpool's squad I foresee the starting XI looking something like this:


4-1-3-2 or 4-4-2
Reina

Johnson  Skrtel   Agger  Enrique

Lucas

   Downing  Gerrard     Cole 

  Borini  Suarez 

A fluid forward line full of movement and interchanging of postions, which is not conducive to hitting Carroll's strong points. If that's not working Carroll is plan B. If new signings such as Clint Dempsey or Gaston Ramirez enter the fray, this shall change, but keeping Andy Carroll at the club can only help not hinder. I would also say that I'd rather have him with us than against us. 

Recollecting on the days of old, back when Torres walked Merseyside I remember the issue the team had in his absence relying on David N'gog for goals due to a lack of recognized strikers on the books. I don't want to see this happen again. 


Keep Carroll and get rid of the chaff i.e. Charlie Adam.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

FC Gomel 0-1 Liverpool FC- Stewart Downing's Goal (video0


Liverpool won their first competitive game of the season beating FC Gomel in Belarus thanks to Stewart Downing's howitzer of a left foot. Video below:


MLS 36: Chris Wondolowski- A true MLS Allstar (Video)



MLS and NBC bring you MLS 36: a 36 look into the life of an MLS player. The first player profiled is San Jose Earthquakes forward, and and league leading scorer Chris Wondolowski.

I cannot stress enough the pleasure I get that he was chosen first. It would have been so easy to pick the David Beckham and Thierry Henry of the League, but now we get a look at 36 hrs in the life of a true MLS player. 

If you had any curiosity in how the Allstar spent his 36 hrs ahead of kickoff with Chelsea, stay tuned.
Check the promo: