In the latest edition of The Direct Kick, Andrew discusses everything from the MLS Cup to the EPL to World Cup qualifying with Pat Hayes, soccer analyst for ABC Sports Radio.

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THE BIG 4: A STATUS REPORT - PART 3

LIVERPOOL - current EPL ranking: 7th

Where did it all go wrong? It was only a few years ago when Liverpool were Champions of Europe, they appeared to have solidified a spot in the top 4 year after year and even when they were unable to reach a Champions League final, they seemed a reliable choice to at least reach the semi's. So, in the past couple years, when such signings as Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt, Javier Mascherano and Glen Johnson (just to name a few) went down, who would have ever imagined that the Reds would fall as far as they have? I don't mean to sound overly dramatic but 7th place in the Premiership (3 points behind Tottenham for 4th) and staring at a group stage knockout in the Champions League (5 points behind Fiorentina for 2nd with 2 games to play) is simply not what the folks at Anfield are paying to see. Now, it is important to remember that we are only in mid-November.

While the Reds' Champions League hopes may be beyond repair, there is still more than enough time for a rise back into the top 4. However, this Liverpool team was supposed to be more than just a top 4 club - they were supposed to contend for a potential title run. Were they a favorite to win it? Not necessarily. But with Manchester United losing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, Liverpool certainly seemed primed to remain in the race later in the year than November. As previously mentioned, Liverpool sits in the 7th position with 19 points while Chelsea sits out in front of the pack with 30 points; no one with a Carlsberg kit ever believed this squad would be 11 points out of first place this early in the season. Not the players, not the fans, no one. So back to the question that started this rant - where did it all go wrong? Well, as any footie fan would expect to be the case, it has been a combination of things

• First and foremost have been the crippling injuries. Losing Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres was an overwhelming blow for the team to deal with. And while Torres has worked his way back (albeit to semi fit status), Gerrard has continued to struggle to return to form. But the problems persist - two guys who would have been heavily called upon to pick up their production during this tenuous time would be Yossi Benayoun and Albert Riera...both players were lost for up to a month in Liverpool's most recent game against Birmingham. With all these stars laid up in the infirmary, you begin to really see how much this team wishes they still had Xabi Alonso.
• In addition to this, Liverpool has looked mediocre in the back giving up 18 goals thus far - that's the same number of goals 20th place Portsmouth has conceded. Part of it has been bad luck (did you see Sunderland's goal against the Reds???) but some of it has been a failure to gel as a defensive unit. Overall, Glen Johnson's addition to the club has been a positive, but the fact of the matter is, Johnson's desire to push up on the attack has weakened Liverpool in the back. At some point, Liverpool is going to have to find a way to compensate for the extra offense in the back on defense.
• Finally, distractions off the field appear to have hampered the team on it. Even during the best of times, it seems Rafa Benitez is just a loss away from the chopping block, God only knows the sort of pressure that has been heaped upon him now during these worst of times (1 win in the last 9 matches). Knowing his job is on the line, Benitez has already sent a message to the team's ownership that if Fernando Torres is sold during the January transfer window, he will quit the club. And oh, by the way, those American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, are despised by the team's fan base in a way that very few owners can commiserate with (Dan Snyder in Washington perhaps?).

There is a cloud of negativity that has settled around Anfield like thick, choking smog. Sure, it is extremely possible for the smog to lift, especially with the recent emergence of summer signing Alberto Aquiliani. But if the injuries do not let up and the club continues to underachieve, that smog will only grow darker and a 2010 blow up could be in the works. Face it Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester City may not all be legit contenders but there is a good chance that at least one of them are and one may be all it takes to leave Liverpudlians on the outside looking in on Champions League 2010.

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MANCHESTER UNITED - current EPL ranking: 1st

The 2009-2010 season was headed down a path of uncertainty for current title holders Manchester United and for mainly one reason&Cristiano Ronaldo. Whether or not he is the worlds best player is up for debate, (Lionel Messi gives him a legitimate run for his money) but what no one argued was his label as the best player in England.

Wherever he is playing, Ronaldo displays an uncanny ability to impose himself on any game at any time. There is no aspect of his skillset that needs fine tuning and his sheer presence on the field does wonders for his teammates. So when he departed from Old Trafford during the summer transfer window for Real Madrid, it should be no surprise that many believed the top of the Premiership table would be thrown into a state of flux. Imagine if Kobe had opted out this past offseason and headed for a new team; few would have dared pick LA to repeat. Couple this with an injury to goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar that has kept him sidelined until very recently and the sale of striker Carlos Tevez to Manchester City and you had a situation where the King had been pronounced dead before he had even sat down in his throne.

Sure enough, the year began inauspiciously for the Red Devils as they opened with an uncomfortable 1-0 win against just-promoted Birmingham and then followed up with an unthinkable defeat to another newcomer, Burnley. The doubters were proclaiming victory and celebrations had begun at Stamford Bridge, Anfield and The Emirates. But it is without question that these celebrations were touched off a bit too prematurely. Those who dashed Man U's title hopes after the second weekend of the season failed to take into consideration A) the length of the season, B) Sir Alex Ferguson's ability to redesign his team to make up for a departed star and C) the overwhelming depth of one of the world's greatest clubs.

No matter how great a team may be, no one is great enough to withstand the loss of a Cristiano Ronaldo and move on without him as though nothing had happened. Transitions take time. Manchester United had grown around Ronaldo and after two weeks, the squad was still looking for a way to remold itself into a team that lacked the flair, speed and skill of #7 and find a new way to succeed without him. No, Man U was not suddenly worse than Burnley; it was simply a flukey defeat. A jacked up underdog playing their first home game in the EPL managed to sustain their adrenaline rush for a long enough time so that they could miraculously defeat a team in transition. That's all the loss was and nothing more. And sure enough, Manchester United has bounced back strong. Since their 1-0 defeat to Burnley, they have gone unbeaten in all competitions (10 wins and 1 draw). They have defeated the likes of Manchester City (in perhaps the greatest Manchester Derby ever played), Arsenal (who were looking like legitimate title contenders up to that point), Tottenham Hotspur (who currently sit 3rd in the table) and they hold the largest first place lead of any Champions League Club (they sit atop Group B with a 5 point lead over second place Wolfsburg).

There is no greater manager in soccer today than one Sir Alex Ferguson and this season, has been one of his greatest coaching jobs to date. The team no longer relies on the soloist efforts of Ronaldo but instead, now take a grittier, more team-oriented approach to their attack. If there is a fountain of youth, Ryan Giggs seems to have located it as he continues to soar to new heights perhaps not scoring the way he has in years past but distributing the ball and keeping players involved in ways that he had not previously been called up to do (he currently leads the club with 5 assists - next closest on the club are 8 players with 1). Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney has partnered nicely with Dimitar Berbatov up front and Michael Owen appears to be on the right path to rediscovering the form that made him the world's greatest young striker. But the key to Manchester's resurgence has been a shift in mentality toward a more buttoned up defensive unit. While he has looked shaky at times, Nemanja Vidic remains perhaps the most intimidating face on any back line in Europe. And very quietly, Patrice Evra has become one of the most versatile defensemen in the Premiership. The 9 goals Man U has conceded is tied for 3rd best in the English top flight (tied with Man City and behind Aston Villa - 7, and Chelsea - 8). And let's not forget that this defensive effort came, for the most part, without Edwin van der Sar in goal. Sure, most teams would be very pleased to have Ben Foster as their man between the pipes but he showed on numerous occasions that he is not on the Dutchman's level just yet.

While things appear well at Old Trafford, there are a couple obstacles that could block Utd. from an EPL title and perhaps another shot at European glory. First, their depth allowed them to replenish from within to combat the losses of Tevez and Ronaldo but it has now left them a thinner squad. The additions of Owen and Antonio Valencia have proven to be successful, but an injury to a key player may be enough to derail a title run. In the past, an injury to a top striker could be patched up by moving Dimitar Berbatov ( a starter on any other club in the world) on to the first team. Now, if a striker goes down, Michael Owen becomes the answer and while he may be a temporary band-aid, he is not a long term answer. As the season progresses, players like Danny Welbeck, Federico Macheda, Darron Gibson and Jonathan Evans will be called upon to make an impact. While they have each shown flashes of potential brilliance and could prove to be tremendous talents, they could also prove to be too young and inexperienced to play vital roles on a world class team this early in their careers. A second issue could be the team's age. I mentioned Ryan Giggs previously as someone who has done what Ponce De Leon could not, but at some point, his age will begin to catch up with him and fatigue will set in. If United is to reach the apex of both the league and prestigious tournaments, then regulars like Giggs and Paul Scholes will have to watch from the sidelines at various points throughout the ride. Granted, Man U will undoubtedly be a player in the January transfer window for whatever high priced talent is out there and that could propel them even further ahead of the competition but that sort of speculation is bit to uneasy to rely upon.

Yes, Cristiano is gone, Tevez is across town, Giggsy is old, Scholes has become reckless, Owen's an injury waiting to happen and&by the way&did I mention they're still in first? The more things change, the more they stay the same, especially at Old Trafford.

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Unbridled joy replaced by deep sadness replaced by muted celebration. This is the week that US Soccer is coming down from at this very moment. If you, like many USA fans, believed that the roller coaster ride of emotion couldn't get any rockier than it was during this summer's Confederations Cup, then you are probably in total disbelief over the events of the past several days.

A week ago, Team USA marched into Honduras with their sights set on clinching a 6th consecutive World Cup berth. They marched out having achieved their objective in the most dramatic of fashions. After going down 1-0 (as they have time and time again), America roared back with 3 unanswered goals. Sparingly used forward Conor Casey was called upon to start in place of Jozy Altidore and he did not disappoint netting the US' first two. The third was sent home by the always cool, never shaken Landon Donovan on a majestic free kick. While the two goal lead seemed insurmountable, the US discovered very quickly that, on the road, no lead is safe. Julio Leon brought Honduras within one in the 78th minute. Then, disaster struck. Stuart Holden committed a handball in the box giving Honduras a penalty kick. As Carlos Pavon stepped up to the spot, Holden said that he was already thinking about how he could atone for his mistake following a Honduran goal. However, the mistake needed no atonement as Pavon's penalty attempt sailed over the crossbar - the US had its victory and, more importantly, had its place in South Africa solidified.

During the night's action, emerging star Charlie Davies placed his skill on full display. Since bursting on the scene in the US' Confed. Cup victory over Egypt, Davies has consistently found a home in Bob Bradley's starting 11 and he has proven to be the perfect compliment to the attacking style of his fellow forward and roommate, Jozy Altidore. Against Honduras, Davies played a role in two of the team's goals and probably should have netted at least one of his own. While his finishing ability has not fully matured, his confidence on the pitch and his knack for the ball has made him a threat to score at virtually any moment. The Honduras game was a reminder of that.

But reality has a bite that can be both cruel and severe and, unfortunately, reality bit twenty-three year old Charlie Davies. Suddenly, feelings of joy and promise morphed into feelings of sorrow and disappointment.

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, October 13th, Charlie Davies and two others were involved in a horrific single car accident just outside of Washington DC. One passenger, 22 year old Ashley Roberta, was killed in the accident and both Davies and the supposed driver of the car found themselves in life threatening situations. News spread to the team right around 11:00am that day and the shock was clear to see. Teammates twitter postings made clear the sadness that they were feeling - Maurice Edu: Just got some terrible news about my boy. :( :( :( I'm done tweeting for the day, too much stuff runnin through my head. U need me, text me. Sacha Kljestan: My boy Chuck D #9... My thoughts and prayers are with you bro. Be strong kid. Jozy Altidore: First, I'm not tweeting anymore yall just not feeling well and then later, Ok guys u can send ALL your well wishes 2 Charlie, email charliedavies9@yahoo.com, they r printing all notes and bringing them 2 him! THX. In the months leading up to the accident, Davies had captured so much of the USA's spirit. Between his blinding speed, his gritty hustle and his unmistakable grin on the pitch, he had endeared himself to the fan base in a time so quick, not even he could outrun it. He had become a focal point of both fans and team alike. And now, with Davies laid up in a DC hospital recovering from a lacerated bladder, a broken elbow, facial fractures and a leg that had been broken in two places, the team prepared for a World Cup qualifier that may have been meaningless in terms of placement, but suddenly felt vital in terms of significance.

It was an emotional scene inside RFK Stadium as fans held up placards with the number "9" on them in honor of Davies. Altidore brandished an undershirt beneath his jersey with Davies name and number adorning it. Yet even with their teammate firmly on their minds, the US started slow once again. For, what seemed to slip everyone's consciousness was that Costa Rica still had everything to play for and boy did it show. In the 20th minute, FC Twente's Bryan Ruiz took a pass from along the far sideline and, with discouraging ease, dribbled right by Oguchi Onyewu, fired a shot at Tim Howard and beat him to the near side to once again put the USA in an early hole. That hole quickly turned into a crater as Ruiz found the back of net just three minutes later. This goal, perhaps even more impressive than his first, found Ruiz unmarked to Howard's left and about 23 yards out. Ruiz calmly wound up and blasted a rising dart right past the helpless American goalkeeper. The goal left the red, white and blue in shock and left Howard screaming expletives at his lead-footed defenders. As things stood, Costa Rica would avoid a do-or-die two-legged playoff with Uruguay and Honduras would instead take on that challenge. Yet even with the deficit, USA appeared to remain relatively calm. Perhaps they harkened back to their 2-0 comeback at Costa Rica earlier in qualifying, perhaps they refused to let their injured teammate down or perhaps it was a combination of both. In the 71st minute, the coach's son, Michael Bradley, as he so often does, found himself in the right place at the right time as he slammed home a loose ball in front of the net to give the US a chance. As the minutes ticked away, the US pushed their attack forward but continued to do just enough in the back to prevent a clinching third goal for the Costa Ricans. Four and a half minutes into the minimum five minutes of stoppage time, Jonathan Bornstein, who had not scored for the National team since his USA debut in January of 2007 against Denmark, connected on a header off a corner kick which narrowly made its way into the back of the net. The US had come back, won first place in the group over Mexico, sent Costa Rica into the deepest of despair and sent the nation of Honduras, who clinched a spot thanks to the tie and their victory over El Salvador, into wild celebration. Yet while American's rejoiced, the celebration was dampened by the news that Oguchi Onyewu had torn a patella tendon late in the game and would be sidelined for 3 to 4 months. So now, with the dust settling from this most intense and emotional of weeks, we can begin to evaluate where the US is at as they finalize preparations for South Africa 2010.

GOALKEEPER

As long as Tim Howard is between the pipes, there is always hope. He has kept both the US and Everton in game after game due to his agility and anticipatory skills. Perhaps he has not risen to the likes of an Iker Casillas or Petr Cech, but he has certainly solidified himself as a world elite.

DEFENSE

A variety of question marks surround this unit, especially with the injury to Onyewu. While Gooch is expected back for the World Cup, doubts will linger surrounding his match fitness. Even before the injury occurred, his move to AC Milan had many questioning that very subject. At Standard Liege, Onyewu was one of the team's best players and he factored prominently in virtually every game. Yet, with Milan, he had rarely left the bench. His blunder against Costa Rica was not his first in recent qualifiers and while he remains the team's best defender, there is concern over whether he will be ready to lead this group in WC 2010. Meanwhile, the defensive wings with Jonathan Bornstein and Steve Cherendulo do not feel as secure as USA fans would like them to be. While Jonathan Specter showed glimpses in recent months of asserting himself in that role, there is still much uncertainty as to whether or not he is ready to take on a starting position. Additionally, Jay DeMerit, who had come on strong as a center back and team captain for Watford, may face significant time out due to a freak eye injury that could require surgery. At least Carlos Bocanegra remains steady in the back, but he'll need help if this team is to advance past the group stage.

MIDFIELD

Landon Donovan has clearly taken his game to heights previously unseen. He has never been in better attacking form than he is right now and the hope is that he can simply freeze his current level of play and unfreeze it upon landing in South Africa. Meanwhile, Michael Bradley is quickly establishing himself as a very good central midfielder. His versatility in both defending and attacking has made him a valuable resource and USA fans should be excited in knowing that he still has not reached his full potential. Not all is well though in the midfield - suddenly, partially due to injury and partially do to a run of poor form, Clint Dempsey has become a bit of a question mark. His moments of brilliance typically outweigh his moment of "huh?", but the latter of the two has been making more and more of an appearance lately. Plus, with the loss of Davies, there is a chance that he will be called upon to play up front. As for the USA's 2nd central midfielder, a rotation of Benny Feilhaber and Ricardo Clarke appears to be in place. Neither one is all that intimidating of an option. An ideal scenario would be to see Maurice Edu recover from his knee injury, find a groove toward the end of the season and ride that right into Johannesburg. On the bench, Jose Torres and Stuart Holden have come on to assert themselves as two very valuable options. Torres plays with a spark off the bench reminiscent to what Aaron Lennon brought England in Germany 2006. Keep an eye on these two in the team's future friendlies.

FORWARDS

First and foremost, for those fans suffering from a crisis of conscious over the horrible situation regarding Charlie Davies, allow me to put your mind at ease...After hearing that he had survived the wreck and that he did not appear to be faced with any sort of paralysis, you were not alone in immediately wondering if he would be his old self in June of 2010. Many of us had those same thoughts and I would probably be willing to bet you that Charlie himself wondered the very same thing. With that out of the way, the sadness of his situation is compounded by the news that he will almost assuredly not be available to participate in the upcoming World Cup. It is extremely unfortunate but the team has no choice but to find another option. Jozy Altidore will most definitely be starting up front. His performances in both qualifying and in the Confederations Cup (specifically against Spain) have caused thousands of fans to wonder why Villareal was keeping him tucked away on the bench. His strength will allow him to take on the most powerful of defenders and his swift maneuverability makes him a lethal striker. He is the certainty up front...we know this...and we are very pleased by it...but there is clearly a void next to him. Davies had brought something to the US' attack that had been lacking...speed and an ability to make others around him better. Let's be honest, Landon Donovan's recent run of form had been enhanced somewhat because he was playing with a striker that could catch up to his through balls and make smart, well timed runs through the defense. With Davies out, there is uncertainty left behind. Does Dempsey make the move to forward? He has the speed the team is looking for, but a change in positions could take time as far as the adjustment is concerned and a void would then be left at right midfield. Is Conor Casey ready to take on the full time starting position? If he is, then the US would be changing its style to one of pure power up front instead power combined with finesse. Brian Ching is another possibility, but he doesn't seem to have quite enough speed or power to take on a starting spot. How about Eddie Johnson? Remember him? It's been seven months since he last played for the National team and he has been used sparingly at Fulham in the Premier League. However, just prior to Davies injury, Johnson was expressing a desire for Fulham to loan him out so he could see more minutes and perhaps play his way back into Bob Bradley's favor. His style is most comparable to that of Davies and if he can manage to rediscover what he had a year and a half ago, he could be a surprise and valuable addition to the squad.

Yes, this team has its concerns. Some injuries, some bad luck and a few cold spells have taken there toll at times. But overall, the US has achieved many things in the last several months - among them, a heroic 3-0 blanking of African Champions Egypt, a dominant 2-0 defeat of #1 ranked Spain and a businesslike #1 finish in the CONCACAF region. There are still plenty of questions to be answered, but those will come in the months to follow. For now, what we have is a team that entered this past week looking to achieve its initial goal. They have done that, albeit at the cost of one their most promising stars, but the resolve and bond that has formed in the wake of his absence makes the coming weeks so tantalizingly intriguing. Stay tuned for what's next.

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Here on The Direct Kick, we'll conduct a variety of status reports throughout the course of this soccer season and I see no better place to start then the supposed center of the English football world - The Big 4.

For those not in the know, the Big 4 consists of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. These teams have received this distinction based upon their impressive track records, their deep pockets and their yearly championship aspirations. While a sudden shock to the system could knock one of these British giants out of this prestigious perch (Manchester City perhaps?), this is currently just the way it is.

In Part 1 of the report, we'll take a look at the current leaders of the pack, Chelsea.

CHELSEA - current EPL ranking: 1st

The Blues have started the 2009-2010 season about as impressively as they could have hoped. Their 2-0 win against Liverpool last weekend stands as their best victory to date, however, the previous week's 3-1 defeat at the hands of Wigan has left some supporters scratching their heads. Nicolas Anelka and Dider Drogba have teamed up to become perhaps the most lethal strike partnership in England. But even more of a revelation has been the Blues stinginess in the back. Through 8 games, they have yielded just 6 goals (best in the Premeirship) and, astonishingly, half of those came in that odd afternoon at the DW against Wigan. John Terry has been his usual self leading this defensive unit alongside a rejuvenated Ashley Cole and one of the world's great goalkeepers in Petr Cech.

Yet, while things look great on the surface, there is some reason for concern. First, let's be honest, as great as a Premier League title would be, overcoming past European frustrations is of primary importance for the Blues this year. And thus far, their Champions League performances have been mediocre at best (a 1-0 win against Porto and a 1-0 win over Apoel). Now, the silver lining is, of course, that they have won each of those games. But a convincing 4-0 performance would go a long way into striking fear into the hearts of other European giants. As things stand now, Chelsea still sits behind Barcelona and Real Madrid in terms of title contention.

Adding some worry to the Stamford Bridge faithful is the looming African Cup of Nations which will force 4 of the Blue's best players (Didier Drogba, Soloman Kalou, Michael Essien and, most likely, John Obi Mikel) to abandon the club during the month of January. But before supporters throw the season away, take note of the clubs January schedule - at Hull City, at home vs Sunderland, at home vs Birmingham, and at Burnley. I'm not sure it's even possible to have an easier month than the one presented to Chelsea in January of 2010. If the Bridge does pay witness to a Premier League title, perhaps the schedule makers are owed a medal as well. And oh by the way, should Chelsea advance to the Knockout Stage of the Champions League, they will be happy to know that the competition will be in the midst of it's hiatus then, and will not return until mid February.

&stay tuned for Manchester United&

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On the latest edition of The Direct Kick, I'm joined by Landon Donovan. The US Soccer star discusses everything from his relationship with David Beckham to his emergence as the US Men's National Team's best player and unquestioned leader.

Listen: 1050 ESPN New York's Andrew Gundling with Landon Donovan.

 

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