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Summer Series Quick Thoughts: Sporting vs. Manchester City

Next up at Barclay's New York Football Challenge is Manchester City vs. Sporting Lisbon.

Here are so quick thoughts:
• The thing with City is very simple, they now have a huge squad. Its going to take a couple of weeks for them to all get on the same page. Which could set them back.
• If Spurs are interested in Sporting Yannick Djalo the price went up a couple of million pounds with his first half performance.
• Jo's purple shoes are a thing of beauty.
• I don't get it, Stephen Ireland needs to play week in and week out for City. He is wasting away on the Citizens bench.
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Maybe its time

With Rangers getting closer and closer to almost becoming Leeds United, maybe its time for both Celtic and Rangers to run away from the Scottish Premier League and head for greener pastures. Rangers 's club's bankers Lloyds are owed £30million by the end of the campaign. With a TV contract that is nothing to celebrate the only way that they maybe be able to meet the payment is to sell half of the first team. Maybe its time that both clubs look for a new idea to generate revenue, something like the North Atlantic Soccer League.

The league, which has been rumored for sometimes, would include top teams from the Netherlands, Belgium, Scotland, Portugal and Scandinavia. The league would almost be like a smaller version of the Champions League.

The league would create some interest all of Europe. Traditional powers like Porto, Celtic, Rangers, Ajax, PSV would bring large fan bases and large of amounts of money to a league that would be interesting to watch. Under my proposal the 20 team league would consist of Rangers, Celtic, Sporting Lisbon, Porto, Benfica, Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord, Standard Liege, Anderlecht, Malmo, Gotenberg, Brondby, HJK, and eight other teams to developed from a playoff.

Some think the creation of the league would kill the leagues in Portugal, Scotland, and Belgium, but that does not have to happen, if UEFA decides to give out spots in the Champions League to the winners of the leagues that are left behind and give a spot to the winner of the proposed North Atlantic League, it might all workout in the end.

Sure it might not be the best idea to soccer purist but its only a matter of time before something like this happens and before we turn our backs on the idea we have to look at what the impact will be and if UEFA handle it correctly it could be a win win for everyone involved.

The Champions League Playoffs are interesting

In some years the final round of Champions League Playoff can be almost a bore, but this year that could be different with one tie Arsenal vs. Celtic. The team that drops this tie could be in financial trouble. Both clubs count on the Champions League group stage money in order to fund their spending, so going out before that stage could be a mess for both. Rangers went out in an earlier playoff round last year and they are still trying to dig out from the lost revenue.

Here are some predictions for the playoff round:

• FC Sheriff v Olympiakos: Olympiakos
  
• SV Red Bull Salzburg v Maccabi Haifa: Red Bull Salzburg
  
• FK Ventspils v FC Zurich: FC Zurich
  
• FC Copenhagen v Apoel Nicosia: FC Copenhagen
  
• Levski Sofia v Debrecen: Leveski Sofia
  
• Lyon v Anderlecht: Lyon
  
• Celtic v Arsenal: This has PK written all over it, but I can not see Wenger going out at this point.
  
• FC Timisoara v VfB Stuttgart: VFB Stuttgart
  
• Sporting v Fiorentina: Fiorentina
  
• Panathinaikos v Atletico Madrid: Panahinaikos, the shocker of the round. Last years the Greeks booked a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.
  

Some leagues are up and running, while others about to start. It feels like it has been a long time since we have all had club football.

Soccer's Lost Souls

Three years ago, Jose Antonio Reyes and Ricardo Quaresma were the talk of the football world. Both were talented offensive player that played with flair. Fast forward a couple of years and both have almost lost their ways.

Reyes dazzled as a young player at Sevilla and then Professor Wenger made a move to bring him to his football factory in London.

Things started well for the young Spaniard, but it soon turned sour after reports surfaced that Reyes was not happy in London and wanted to return the Spain. Arsenal loaned Reyes to Real Madrid for the 2006-2007 season, but he did not impress enough to earn a permit deal. Arsenal then decided to sell Reyes to Atletico Madrid where he spent a season before he was sent out on load to Benfica for the 2008-2009. While playing well at the Portuguese giants, a full time move was not agreed upon. So to start this season Reyes will again be with Atletico Madrid looking to settle with a club for more then one season. Despite being only 25, Reyes has played for five different clubs and is in the process of being an lost player on the world stage.

Quaresma is the Portuguese version of the Reyes, a ton of talent but has yet to settle at some of the worlds better clubs.

Quaresma started his career at Sporting and then moved to Barcelona, but things did not go well there and he high tailed it back to the place of his birth, this time with Porto. After a couple of impressive season at both club and national team levels, Quaresma found himself at Inter Milan, where people thought that he would flourish under Jose Mourinho, just like Ajen Robben did at Chelksi. But that has not happen, after failing to impress during the first half of last season, Mourinho sent Quaresma out on loan to Chelski. While at Chelski things did not go that well and at the end of the season he was returned to Inter. Things have gotten so bad that Turkish side Besiktas have asked about taking him on loan for this season. Just like Reyes, Quaresma has already been through give 5 teams and his only 25 years old.

Despite having great skills Reyes and Quaresma both have to establish themselves this year or their dreams of being a world class player will be dead for good.

OTWT: Champions League Predictions

After a slow start to the Champions League, UEFA has some cracking Round of 16 games. Today's draw showed what kind of event the Champions League can be.

Here are some predictions for the Round of 16

• Chelsea v Juventus: Chelsea on away goals.
  
• Villarreal v Panathinaikos: Villarreal, who would have thought that the Yellow Submarine would have an easier game then group winners United.
  
• Sporting Lisbon v Bayern Munich: Munich.
  
• Atletico Madrid v FC Porto: Atletico Madrid
  
• Lyon v Barcelona: Barcelona, the class of Europe right now.
  
• Real Madrid v Liverpool: This has two 0-0 legs and pens written all over it, but I guess Liverpool advances, cause they never drop ties that go to penalties, just ask Chelski and AC Milan.
  
• Arsenal v Roma: Roma, I think this season gets away from Arsenal really quick.
  
• Inter Milan v Manchester United: Out of all of the second place group teams this was the one that no United fan wanted to see. As a United fan, I want to pick United, but something tells me that Inter and the Special One might pull this one out. I could see a situation where Jose is running down the touch line at Old Trafford just like he did when his Porto beat United in the Champions League a couple of years ago.

Just by the look of the round of 16 draw, this could be a year where a smaller team like a Porto or Sporting could make a run deep. But lets hope that the knock out stage is more interesting then the group stages.

Only Time Will Tell Preseason Top 25

The season is almost here and boy I can not wait. Usually I leave the ranking of the top teams in Europe to my friend over at World Club Rankings, but since it a new season I figured I would give it a shot.

Here is the Only Time Will Tell preseason European Top 25.
1. Manchester United: With Ronald back my team tries to repeat what it did last year.
2. Inter Milan: Now how does this sound The Special One (to the right) vs. Sir Alex in the Champions League Final in Rome.
3. Bayern Munich: Was not involved in the Champions League last year, but will return this with intentions of lifting Mr. Big Ears.
4. Real Madrid: Won the Spanish title for the second straight year, must do better in the Champions League.
5. Chelsea: The best second place team in the world.
6. AC Milan: Can a team that did not make the Champions League be one of the best teams in Europe. With the addition of Flamini and Ronaldihno they will be a force to be reckon with.
7. Liverpool: Keane is a scousers delight, but must find a way to better in the league.
8. Villarreal: The little Yellow Submarine that could, Marco Sena and the crew will give anyone a hard time in the Europe.
9. Arsenal: Every time you turn around Wenger is signing a kid and they all turn out well and this gang is no different.
10. Roma: Totti and DeRossi, might be the most exciting team in Italy, Only Time Will Tell favorite Italian team.
11. Lyon: They rule France but always find a way to blow it in the Champions League.
12. Barcelona: Last year was a disaster for the Blue and Red, but moves for Dani Alves and other should make it a better year at the Nou Camp.
13. Juventus: Last year the Old Lady did not play in Europe, this year they are ready.
14. Atletico Madrid: One of the most exciting teams in Spain, one problem they do not defend, this is Only Time Will Tell's Favorite Spanish team.
15. Schalke 04: Maybe this will be the year the Royal Blues win the league title.
16. Fenerbache: Last year they made a run deep in the Champions League this year they may go deeper.
17. Porto: The Special Ones former club is ready roll again in Portugal.
18. Fiorentina: Mutu and the gang return to the big ears cup.
19. Werder Bremen: Diego might be the best player in the world that no one knows about.
20. Zenit St. Petersburgh: Last years UEFA Cup champs, now they get to show there skills on the big stage.
21. Marseille: If there is going to be a team that catches Lyon in France it's going to be OL.
22. PSV: The Dutch League has fallen hard times but the tenant at the Phillips are the best of the bunch.
23. Celtic: Going for another SPL title and going to make every ones life in the Champions League hell.
24. Tottenham Hotspurs: The Magic Juande has made a huge impact at White Hart Lane.
25. Sporting Lisbon: The former home of Nani and Ronaldo look to catch Porto for the domestic title.

Ocho Cinco loves the Leões

Bengals receiver Chad Johnson reported to training camp yesterday sporting the finest in Portuguese soccer wear. Ocho Cinco sported a Sporting Lisbon shirt yesterday as he checked into training camp. No word on if Johnson feels that Sporting was wrong for rejecting a 11.8 pound bid from Everton for Sporting midfielder Joao Moutinho.