Beaty's Beat | The World of Football -- Through the Eyes of a "Semi-Expert"

August 20

Scott Thomsen

Scott Thomsen is next up on my CBA Soccer Preview ’09. Scott has a father, David, a mother, Kathleen, a sister Dana, 20, and a brother, Brian, 19. His entire life, he has lived in Brick Township. He is currently 15 years old and is a rising sophomore at Christian Brothers Academy.

Scott first represented CBA around this time last year in a preseason tournament held in Toms River. He arrived just as did anyone else that day. However, there was something special about this particular player, his age and his résumé. Scotty was to be an incoming freshman at CBA. There had been only one freshman to play varsity soccer in the school’s rich history but Thomsen wished to not only equal that precedent but he even had the audacity to take it a step further – he started the first game. The Asbury Park Press’s preseason preview labeled Scott as a Player to Watch for that season. The “Freshman Phenom” didn’t disappoint either. Scott was arguably the Colts’ best player. He started every game and was an instrumental part of the attack. Amazingly, Scott scored ten goals – a terrific feat for the central midfield position. A trademark moment from Scotty came on September 18, 2008, in the biggest game of the year, at Howell, the #1 team, *under the lights. This was possibly his best game, and Scott put CBA on his young shoulders and led the comeback from 2-1 down, to a 4-2 victory, scoring a hat trick in the process. At the end of the season, Scott was honored by making the second team All Shore.

In his club career, Scott started out in his hometown, playing for local Brick. After some success there, he moved onto Toms River Galaxy, where he led his team to the State Cup final during the U12 season. Finally, he moved to PDA, possibly the best overall club in New Jersey (for all age groups). Scott even plays an age group up! If you think that’s impressive, that’s nothing. His team went to the Development Academy National Tournament and his team placed 4th!! They were just one game away from the National Championship! Scott is an integral part of this team as well. Not only did the team succeed, but Scotty excelled individually. He scored a cracking goal, which earned him a place on the USSoccer.com Top 10 Goals.

Scott has also represented the United States on the youth national team. He has traveled with the national team to Spain and got to train with some of the world’s best players, including Lionel Messi! He also got a chance to play in the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid’s stadium.

Scott is a very well-rounded player. He has so many weapons in his arsenal. He can shoot, pass, and dribble. He can hurt an opposing team in just about any way imaginable. He has great vision, which allows him to pick out a pass, that no one (player or spectator) could foresee. Scott has a deadly left foot, which lets him strike from anywhere inside thirty yards. Perhaps what is most amazing is that he is built like a varsity player and plays bigger than he is. He is very strong on the ball, a quality that is essential when you are playing against opponents that are three years older than yourself.

In addition to being a great soccer player, Scott is a nice, cool kid. He is very down-to-earth and even if he is better than you, he will treat you as an equal. Expect Scotty to be even better than last year and be a standout player in the Shore Conference. Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to log on to read this article and articles past online at www.beatysbeat.webs.com.

Scott Thomsen eluding a defender, playing in the Development Academy playoffs for PDA.

August 13

Premier League Preview 09/10
We have a great, big article on our hands so let’s not waste any time!…
(20) Birmingham City. The Blues have added some quality this summer but so have most of the competition. They have added former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson, who is getting on in years. Birmingham have also spent their record transfer fee (Ł7.7m) on Ecuadorean striker Christian Benítez, who comes from Mexico, and thus is unproven. I simply just don’t see enough Premier League talent in this squad. Key Player: James McFadden. Player to Watch: Christian Benítez.
(19) Burnley. This newly promoted side will certainly struggle to stay in the top flight after a 33-year absence. They will have their set on that crucial 17th spot, but in my opinion, they will fail to reach their goal. The word on the street is that they play well as a team and have a good manager, but I question whether they have enough quality to earn their place in PL 10/11. Key Player: Wade Elliot. Player to Watch: Chris Eagles.
(18) Hull City. They were the Cinderella story of last year…until November. The Tigers sprinted out of the blocks full steam but then teetered off rapidly. While highflying in 3rd place, some pondered whether they could finish the season with a UEFA Cup spot, or even a Champions League spot! However, it wasn’t to be and the dream came to a drastic close. Come the end of the season, they barely clinched status in the top flight with a 17th place finish. They have added barely anyone of note this offseason, with the exception of the loan capture of US striker Jozy Altidore (a great move for him)! Key Player: Geovanni. Player to Watch: Jozy Altidore.
(17) Portsmouth. Two seasons ago, Pompey were flying high and capped the season off with an FA Cup victory. By the looks of things, they would be easily challenging UEFA Cup spots. However, they soon ran into financial trouble and also lost their manager, Harry Redknapp. They never really replaced Redknapp and have since stuck with their then interim manager Paul Hart. There has been a mass exodus of the south coast club this summer, namely Peter Crouch, Glen Johnson, and Sean Davis. They even are still feeling the effects of the January sale of Lassana Diarra. They have hardly replaced any of these players. Portsmouth will suffer the effects of a thin squad and just survive the drop. Key Player: Niko Kranjčar. Player to Watch: David James.
(16) Wolverhampton. There isn’t much that separates this club from the other promoted clubs, however, there are so bad Premier League teams that I think they may avoid the drop somewhat comfortably. Manager Mick McCarthy has brought in a couple good signings in the offseason, namely Kevin Doyle and Nenad Milijaš. Key Player: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. Player to Watch: Nenad Milijaš.
(15) Wigan Athletic. In Wigan’s first season, 05/06, they surprised everyone with a 10th place finish in their first ever season in the top flight. The following season they suffered Sophomore Blues, but clinched top flight status on the final day. The next two season saw them finishing 14th and 11th. Unfortunately, I see this season as a downward spiral of their roller-coaster stay in the Premier League. They have lost manager Steve Bruce, which is a major loss, and winger Antonio Valencia to Manchester United. Key Player: Lee Cattermole. Player to Watch: Charles N’Zogbia.
(14) Blackburn Rovers. Rovers were in the same boat as Portsmouth two seasons ago as a very good but not great team. However, Blackburn too lost their manager, Mark Hughes. Losing Roque Santa Cruz this offseason could prove to be a detrimental loss. Their starting XI is a decent one but in every team there are inevitable injuries and I’m unconvinced that Blackburn have the depth to cope with injuries. Key Player: Benni McCarthy. Player to Watch: El-Hadji Diouf.
(13) Bolton Wanderers. Gary Megson may not be universally loved by all Bolton supporters (because of their generally defensive play) but he has brought consistency to the Manchester club. The Trotters have a sold line of defense and have signed Zat Knight in addition. Kevin Davies is the type of player that isn’t the fastest or the most skilled, but he scores goals. Key Player: Kevin Davies. Player to Watch: Fabrice Muamba.
(12) Stoke City. Stoke surprised many by surviving the drop last season. Much of this was down to their home record. The Britannia Stadium is judged to be one of the loudest in the country and Stoke fans really get behind their team. Apparently manager Tony Pulis is fairly content with his squad because he has added only Dean Whitehead from Sunderland. Key Player: James Beattie. Player to Watch: Rory Delap (dangerous throw-ins).
(11) Sunderland. Steve Bruce has made the switch from Wigan to Sunderland. He has a knack for quietly building bad (or at least questionable) teams into solid ones. His reputation alone goes a long way in attracting good players. This offseason he has brought in Marseille captain Lorik Cana, Darren Bent, and Frazier Campbell. I think the Black Cats could turn a few heads this season. Key Player: Darren Bent. Player to Watch: Lorik Cana.
(10) West Ham. Gianfranco Zola is proving himself to be a very fine manager despite his ostensible lack of experience. The Hammers will rely on striker Carlton Cole to continue his goalscoring form. This side will be just fine if Matthew Upson continues to show why he deserves a place for England. I believe that Mark Noble is an underrated player, and he should make some noise this season as well. Key Player: Matthew Upson. Player to Watch: Mark Noble.
(9) Fulham. The Cottagers have had some good luck in recent years. Much of this has been down to Americans! A couple seasons back, Brian McBride saved them from relegation. Last year, Clint Dempsey scored some vital goals in big games. We Americans will be rooting for the success of Fulham, who continues to believe in US players. Key Player: Danny Murphy. Player to Watch: Clint Dempsey.
(8) Aston Villa. Villa caused a huge scare for Arsenal fans last year as they held the final Champions League spot (4th) for quite a while. However eventually the Villans fell off because of their very thin squad. In the offseason, their depth problem has only gotten worse. Their (former) captain Martin Laursen retired due to chronic knee injuries and Gareth Barry was sold to Manchester City. Villa have a very good starting XI but their bench lacks quality. Despite those two key losses, they have brought in Stewart Downing, a good left winger. Key Player: Ashley Young. Player to Watch: Gabriel Agbonlahor.
(7) Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs were the “Villa” of 05/06 season. They were very close to breaking into the Big Four, but on the last day of the season, they met with Arsenal (their archrival and the team who they were competing with for the 4th spot), and several Tottenham players were ruled out of the game because of food poisoning the night before! Since then, Spurs have been very disappointing. Much of their failures have been the result of bad starts to the season. This offseason, Spurs have added some quality players, namely Peter Crouch and Sébastien Bassong. If their back four can stay healthy, they could finish even higher than predicted, but clearly that will not be happening. That being said, Tottenham allowed only 10 goals at home last season! The have a wealth of strikers as well. Key Player: Luka Modrić. Player to Watch: Peter Crouch.
(6) Everton. Yet another team that has threatened the Big Four. David Moyes has been one of the best managers in football recently because he constantly finishes within the top 7, which is remarkable given his resources. They have struggled to make any signings, which admittedly worries Moyes. They have captured the loan signing of Jô, a tall, Brazilian forward with a lot of flair. He, along with Marouane Fellaini, rocks one of the biggest afros in football. Nice! Key Player: Joleon Lescott. Player to Watch: Jô/Fellaini.
(5) Manchester City. It kills me to put the Sky Blues here because every year the football fan wants to see some change in the Big Four. Every year, someone predicts Arsenal dropping out, but then it does not happen. City are the richest club in the world and have really splashed the cash this summer. They have brought in Roque Santa Cruz, Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tévez, Gareth Barry and Kolo Touré. City could (within a couple years) overthrow United (a team they have lived under the shadow of for much of their existence) as being the best team in Manchester. They have extremely good players at the top end of the pitch but the backline is shaky. Also City may have too many egos to manage, especially for manager Mark Hughes. Nevertheless, they should be the most exciting and most interesting team to watch this season, mostly because you never know what to expect from them! Key Player: Robinho/Adebayor/Defense Player to Watch: Carlos Tévez.
(4) Arsenal. The Arsenal have held down the fourth spot for some time. They have not brought in many players and have sold some key players. Rather strangely, they have sold Adebayor and Touré to City, the one team that could take their CL spot. However, the Gunners do have their big guns for the whole season this year. They will have Robin Van Persie (a player who struck the post 17 times in 28 matches!!), Andrey Arshavin, and Eduardo as their strike force. Manager Arsčne Wenger has forever relied on his youth players to produce for him. Though their play is at times thrilling to watch, the results do not always surface. Key Player: Cesc Fŕbregas. Player to Watch: Andrey Arshavin.
(3) Manchester United. Three year reign as champions of England comes to an end. Why? The loss of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tévez should do it. Ronaldo is a player who has scored 91 goals in the last 3 seasons! That kind of production just cannot be replaced. And apparently, Sir Alex Ferguson is not even attempting to do so! This offseason, he has brought in Antonio Valencia, winger, Michael Owen, a faded star, who he hopes to rejuvenate, and a youth prospect from France, Gabriel Obertan. Last season he narrowly won the title by four points. He insists that he doesn’t need to spend to retain the PL crown. I say, think again Fergie. Key Player: Wayne Rooney. Player to Watch: Nani.
(2) Chelsea. Many have picked the Blues to win the title this year because most have written off United. Chelsea has had very little movement from last season. They brought in a new manager, Carlo Ancelotti, from AC Milan. However, the side they put out against United in the Community Shield was exactly the same as last season. Though a very good team, Chelsea does have an aging team. Chelsea have brought in a youth prospect, Daniel Sturridge, and a good left winger, Yuri Zhirkov. Other than that, Chelsea is identical to last season, which finished in third place. Also nearly every season, Chelsea seems to have a crisis stage, where nothing goes right. Key Player: Didier Drogba. Player to Watch: Yuri Zhirkov.
(1) Liverpool. The Reds have an excellent team. Yes, there has been a 19 year drought of winning the league but I believe that is coming to an end. Steven Gerrard, arguably the best English player, is reaching his prime, and the best striker in the world Fernando Torres is hot as ever. Liverpool suffered a key loss in Xabi Alonso, who was crucial in setting up the Liverpool attack. However, since his loss, I think his absence may be a bit overstressed. He can be replaced. Almost immediately following his sale, Liverpool purchased Alberto Aquilani from Roma. He is a great attacking center midfielder, who can score from just about anywhere on the pitch. We will have to wait two months until we can see him because of ankle surgery, but he just may become one of the Premier League’s rising stars. The rest of LFC’s squad has gained experience from narrowly missing out on the title last year. Bottom line: if Gerrard and Torres stay fit, it won’t matter what the competition offers. Key Player: Gerrard/Torres. Player to Watch: Alberto Aquilani.
Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to log on to read this article and articles past online at www.beatysbeat.webs.com.

July 30

Brian Nickerson. Brian is now 17 years old and is a rising senior at Christian Brothers Academy. He was born and raised in Point Pleasant. His family consists of his mother, Cathy, his father, Charles, sister Andrea, 21, and brother Dan (CBA ’07), 20. Most importantly, Brian is Round 2 of my CBA Soccer(’09) Preview. Alright, let’s get it crackin’…!

Brian has played soccer every year since arriving at CBA in the fall of 2006. In his freshman year he was not perhaps given as much recognition as he deserved and struggled to win a starting place. However, in his sophomore year, he emerged as one of the best players on the JV team. Finally Brian was given ample opportunity to show his quality and did so. He turned out to be an instrumental part of the team. Entering junior year, Brian faced stiff competition. However, it did not take long at all to demonstrate that he deserved a starting place. Once he established this position, there was no turning back; Brian proved out to be a rock in the CBA back line. There is absolutely no reason why that spot will be up for grabs come this season approaching. The point is, is that you may not know it to look at him, but Brian Nickerson is a tremendous athlete. Coaches may not identify his talent immediately, but once they do, they wonder how they ever got on without him.

Brian is a very versatile player. Much of his CBA career, he has played as an outside back, and has done very well there. Even when the Colts had injuries, he was able to slot into the left back position without any problems. However, he can and has played in the central midfield position. This is no surprise that he is of such great utility. The reason for this is because Brian’s strengths are that he can shut a play down and he is a remarkable ball winner. It is essential for a team to have a player who can do that sort of dirty work. Conversely, this is not to say that Brian is all grit. He is a terrific finesse player as well. Especially when he features in the central midfield role, (albeit defensive midfield) he is able to be a creative playmaker. He has the precision passing and quick footwork to split an opposing defense. Nickerson is deceptively fast. He may look all brawn and no flair, but Brian’s foot speed is reminiscent of the boys from Brazil. One second a defender may think he is closing Brian down but in an instant, Brian is past him and developing the next attack.

Brian plays his club soccer for NJSA 04 Cosmos. He has been friends (and of course teammates) with Matt Gragnano for several years. Brian was part of the same trip to Peru as previously mentioned in the Gragnano article. I did not accompany them on that trip, but I feel it is safe to say that he fit right in with the style and panache of the South Americans, despite the clear difference in skin tone. Perhaps this comes from his coach Armando Tarazona, who in fact originates from Peru.

You may or may not hear sung praises of Nickerson this year because his role in the team is not always commended, though it should be. This is fine by him, though; Brian is perfectly at ease with being the unsung hero. Well, that’s all for me this week. Tune in next week when I will discuss…who knows? Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to log on to read this article and articles past online at www.beatysbeat.webs.com.

Nickerson organizes an attack for the Colts.

July 23

Man City: Introducing the 1-1-8 Formation

Manchester City is currently the richest football club in the world. On September 1, 2008, ownership changed hands to Abu Dhabi United Group. Abu Dhabi is suspected to be worth around Ł600 billion! City had been a mid-table side, but on the first day of the takeover, which was also the transfer deadline day, they showed their financial might by bringing Robinho in from Real Madrid, for a British transfer record of Ł32.5 million. This was a complete shock. However, the introduction of this one fantastic player was not enough to make a serious improvement. Again they finished middle table, at tenth. The owners are willing to make this offseason count.

With essentially an infinite budget, City have been linked with virtually all of the world’s top players. At first City generally upset opposing teams by bidding for their star players but money talks. Already this summer, City have signed Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn Rovers, Emmanuel Adebayor from Arsenal, and Carlos Tévez from Manchester United. Needless to say, there is no shortage of strikers at the club. Only eleven players can play on the field at a time, but City have nine strikers on the books. They have an unbelievable striking force and manager Mark Hughes will have a difficult time deciding which players to bench.

Despite a plethora of talent at the top end of the pitch, City need a solid back line if they have any hopes of challenging for silverware or a more advanced position in the league table. At the moment, they are pursuing Chelsea and England captain John Terry. Terry, who is already one of the highest paid players in the Premier League. City are offering to double his weekly wages, which would bring him to Ł280,000! Much to the dismay of his fans, Mr. Chelsea is considering following the money. This is not a surprise though. Terry has been involved in public scandals including yelling at fans, parking his Bentley in a handicapped spot, and urinating on a dance floor. He isn’t the greatest role model off the pitch.

What are Manchester City’s realistic expectations for this year? Obviously there is much more transfer movement still to come, but at the moment, City are making all the right moves. As long as they bring in some suitable replacements at the back, I could easily see them breaking into the top four, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United. Arsenal never has a big transfer budget, has a manager in Arsčne Wenger who insists on using youthful players (with no experience), and just sold Adebayor to the threatening Sky Blues, so City could be in with a serious chance of securing Champions League football for the 2010/11 season!

Of course Manchester City (or any other team for that matter) has not yet played one match in Premier League for the coming season, but on paper, their chance of relative success is promising. City are attempting to build what seems to be a Real Madrid-esque project but on a lesser scale. Will the (multi)millions pay off for the Emiratis? We’ll wait and see. Thanks for tuning in this week and don’t forget to log on to read this article and articles past online at www.beatysbeat.webs.com.

Carlos Tévez is unveiled by City manager Mark Hughes. Why is wearing a hammock on his head???

July 16

This Hazlet native has lived in the town his whole life. He has a mother, Roe, a father, John, a brother, Chris, 25, and a sister, Veronica, 21, but most call her Rhonda. He is a rising senior at Christian Brothers Academy. He loves soccer. He plays soccer. With his four-season tan and thick black hair, he shows quite clearly the fact that he comes from an Italian family. (Alright then, teenage, male, athlete, Hazlet resident, last name ends in a vowel. There’s a start!) He is Scott Beaty’s best friend. Okay, now you’re impressed so I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. He is Matt Gragnano.

Matt has been a teammate of mine since freshman year at the Academy. We first met (OK wait. I know what this sounds like and I know what you’re thinking. Yeah we’re friends, but not that kind of friend, not that there’s anything wrong with it.) …on the freshman soccer team, but have been friends since sophomore year. Matt has been a great and loyal friend. Because of this, we have fantastic link-up play on the field – Scott, the provider, Matt, the finisher. This ability to know your teammate’s location and intentions (like in any sport) makes the game far easier and more enjoyable.

Matt struggled to win a starting spot last season for CBA as he faced tough competition, namely senior Pat Rafferty and junior Tim Brennan. However, as the season progressed, Matt showed through his quality and Carlos Tévez-like effort that he deserved a more involved role. Once he got opportunities, Matt proved that he can and will be a force to be reckoned with in the Shore Conference in the coming season.

Following each strenuous high school season, Matt returns to his club team NJSA 04 Cosmos, founded and owned by former United States soccer great Tab Ramos. Generally, club soccer requires much more technical ability as opposed to the “run and gun” aspect of high school ball. For instance, in club, one might learn a deceptive turn or an instinctive flick. Last summer Matt and his teammates ventured to Coach Armando Tarazona’s native Peru to tour the country, but more importantly to play against some local teams. It was a great experience to see how even in another continent, all players could get along through one language, football.

As alluded to before, Grags is a fantastic player and an exciting one to watch. He has alarming pace and quick foot skills to make him a dangerous opponent to any defense. He has a big engine too – he never stops. Matt is not easily tired because he plays with a lot of heart. Matt is also a great instinctive finisher. Play him a ball, high, low, fast, or slow, and the ball will find its way into the back of the net. His wide-ranging skills don’t stop there either. He has great creativity to trick his way around his mark, and has the ball control to pull it off.

Matt is just the first of many excellent players playing for CBA next season. Next week, I will introduce another terrific player from the Academy; I assure you, there is no shortage of them. Thanks for tuning in this week and don’t forget to log on to read this article and articles past online at www.beatysbeat.webs.com.

Matt gets off a powerful shot that would frighten any goalkeeper in the Shore Conference.

Action Camp 2009

Action Camp! Action Camp 2009! One week has past and it leaves you wanting more and more. This may sound a tad exaggerated, inflated, and overstated, but to a child going into kindergarten through fifth grade, it is the truth. The first day (held at Oceanport Community Center [pictured]) came and went (with all its chaos) and by the end of the day, everyone knew (basically) everyone else’s name. Tuesday introduced the first pool day and fun was had by all. Back to the Community Center for Wednesday’s activity – or so we thought. It rained Wednesday, which sent us to Maple Place Middle School, our house of refuge. Thursday gave a scare of showers but the weather thankfully passed. Finally Friday closed out the week with a beautiful day under the rays.

That is all wonderful, but what is Action Camp all about and why is it so great? Action Camp is a five week, Monday-Friday, 9:00-12:00 summer camp for elementary school children living in Oceanport. It provides a three-hour window for the parents to run errands or simply get a break from their extremely lively children! Also, seeing that Oceanport is a small town, no one is ever more than ten minutes from camp. Action Camp is convenient. However, it is not just a makeshift solution. After all, Action Camp is all about the kids. We have a daily schedule consisting of four 45-minute periods, held at different stations throughout the day. Such stations include the baseball field, volleyball net, basketball court, playground, inside, and various open field stations. The counselors will offer choices and poll the children on which activity they wish to tackle next. Some choices are baseball, kickball, volleyball, nukem, basketball, soccer, flag football, pillow polo, steal the bacon, jump the brook, dodgeball, and many others. Action Camp is fun! Action Camp most importantly has responsible counselors. Many of the employees were campers themselves, so they have experience and have a good awareness of how camp operates. Should an unfortunate problem arise, all counselors are capable of settling the issue. Most of the time, counselors even take part in the games played by the kids. Rather than sitting on the side and merely watching the activity, our counselors are interactive and join in on the fun. Action Camp is safe!

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to some of the fine staff at Action Camp. Kristen Yepello is the “Big Dog” on campus. What she says, goes. After all, safety is most important. However, once stability is ensured, Camp Director Yepello interacts with the campers. This is an easy transition for her because as she teaches in town at Wolf Hill School, she knows most of the kids. Jim Foligno is the staff favorite. Jim handles all the paperwork, but he is best known for getting the staff motivated. He is a fun-loving man, who is the type of guy who only ever leaves one message on your answering machine. It goes a little something like this: “Scott Beaty. Jim Foligno. Give me a call. 732-555-5555.” It is short and simple, but always provokes a laugh. Next, comes a real treat. This man I am about to introduce is a true living legend. That’s right Navy veteran, Sir Richie Barnes. Mr. Barnes is in charge of the trips and has been an integral member of the staff for years. He is the type of guy that walks into a room with some sharp aviators on and immediately draws a standing ovation from all (and maybe a few hugs too). I think I speak for all when I say, “We love you, Barnesy!” Let’s move onto some of the counselors. If all superiors suddenly disappeared, Shannon Harrison would comfortably take over. She is the oldest and longest-serving counselor at present. Shannon is a very kind girl, who is the type that would offer to help even if she is already late for her next appointment. I do not think there is any other option but to start by saying that Ryan Boyd is an absolute tank. He is the most distinguishable counselor simply because he is enormous. Calling him jacked would be an understatement. Despite his appearance and assumptions aside, Ryan is the furthest thing from a thug. He is very personable and understanding. Ryan is probably the campers’ favorite because he always seems to know exactly what to plan next. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Boyd’s shoutout. He says, “[Here’s to] Scott “my boy” Beaty and his ping pong skillz.” Thanks Boyd, who wouldn’t be flattered by those remarks?!

Action Camp 2009. There you have it. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to visit my website and read this article and articles past at www.beatysbeat.webs.com.

Action Camp Staff 2009 – Standing: Mike MacStudy, Julia Watts, Tyler Sperling, and Ben Hall. Sitting: Ryan Boyd, Shannon Harrison, Kelly Cosentino, Nicole Starkey, Gabby Conlin, Chelsea Livingstone, Allie Leavy, Mike O’Connell, and Tori LaPorta.

July 2

I would hate to write about the same topic twice in a row, but the opportunity is too great to pass up…so here we go: Confed Cup talk – Round 2! Who would have ever thought I would ever say the next three words followed by an exclamation other than “Ouch!”, “Ew!”, or “D’oh!” (which one very well may have a little more than a week ago)? United States Soccer. Wow!!! One of the biggest turnarounds in football history took place when a disappointing loss to Italy, backed up to a miserable loss to Brazil, was followed by a miracle, which saw the US blow past a very good Egypt side, 3-0, and Brazil did likewise against defending World Cup champions Italy – precisely what the US needed. To top it off, these opportune results occurred simultaneously. Betting companies offered 9,000/1 odds. Well guess what? The impossible just happened.

The United States’s reward for this happened to be the current #1 team in the world – Spain. Going into the match, Spain held a win streak of 15, and an unbeaten streak of 35! This imminent win over the United States would book Spain’s place in the final and break the world record of longest undefeated run. This was what everyone said pre-match. (Way to go, Scotty, slam the media for offering their “predictions” as certainties, just as you did last week in this very column. Two thumbs up for picking against your own country! Let me just say, in this instance, I was immensely proud to be wrong.) Jozy Altidore opened up the scoring 25 minutes in by outmuscling his teammate at Villarreal, Joan Capdevila, and then firing past Iker Casillas. Clint Dempsey scored to just about seal the victory in the 73rd. Throughout the match, Tim Howard put on a monstrous display between the pipes. He single-handedly held the Spanish at bay. Spain 0-2 US. Upset is an understatement.

Brazil squeaked past the organized host nation, South Africa, to reach the final via a Dani Alves free kick three minutes from time. Confederations Cup Final 2009: United States vs. Brazil. This was to be the United States’s first ever final in a FIFA tournament. Brazil had a 13-1 record over the US, a fact mentioned only about six times by ESPN. These two met in the group stage, and Sam’s Army got demolished and embarrassed 3-0. But this match would be very different. The US had a newfound desire and confidence. Most experts (again) picked against the US (especially without key midfielder Michael Bradley, who picked up a controversial red card in the previous match), suggesting that the win over Spain was a fluke. They were dead wrong. Ten minutes expired before critics were officially silenced. The US meant serious business. We were no longer afraid of the Samba Kings of Brazil. Clint Dempsey surged the US into a 1-0 with the faintest of flicks. Say what you will about Spain having an off-day, but the same could not be said about Brazil. This was Brazil at its best and they were going all-out. Landon Donovan extended the United States’s lead to 2-0 in what is probably the best team goal of the tournament. The buildup play to this goal was world class. A mistimed pass by Brazil led to a brilliant counter attack, started by Ricardo Clark, who found Landon Donovan near the center of the pitch. Donovan quickly found the flanking Charlie Davies, who drew a defender, and returned the ball to Landon Donovan who cleverly turned his defender and drilled in a smart finish. Sensational link-up play there. The US was sitting pretty going into the half, up by two goals. Unfortunately, Brazil turned it up a notch (or two) for the second half. They appeared to be slightly angered that they were trailing by two to USA. Luis Fabiano expressed his fury by scoring 37 seconds into the second half. Once Brazil scored once, there was always going to be another. That next goal came from Luis Fabiano once again, in the 74th minute. Ten minutes passed and Brazil captain Lúcio headed home a corner to win it for the South Americans. In the end, Brazil’s quality shined through.

Sheer disappointment for all the Americans out there. We were so close, just could not hold the fort down long enough. That having been said, there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of here. Prior to the tournament, no one would have expected the US to advance in a group that included Italy, Brazil, and Egypt. But we did advance. No one believed we belonged on the same pitch as Spain. We defeated the #1 team. No one expected the US to give Brazil a game. We did. (Well, in the second contest at least.) What US soccer did in the Confederations Cup 2009 was a supreme achievement and nothing less. My only hope is that we can carry this momentum back into South Africa next summer for the 2010 World Cup. I am not going to go overboard with this and say that the United States will win the World Cup next year. Let’s support our boys in the months approaching WC10, but let’s not overhype it too much. I quite enjoy the underdog status we hold in world football at the moment. Who knows who the mighty US will knock off next!

Thanks for tuning in this week and don’t forget to log on to read this article and articles past online at www.beatysbeat.webs.com. USA! USA! USA!

3D: United States attack, led by Dempsey, Donovan, and Davies

June 25

Confederations Cup 2009

The Confederations Cup is an international tournament that comes once every four years (always one year before the World Cup) and is held in the following year’s World Cup host nation. It has two groups with the top two teams in each advancing to the knockout stages. Simply put, it is a sneak preview (or dry run) for the World Cup. Let’s take a look at how each group panned out…

Group A was home to Iraq, New Zealand, South Africa, and Spain. If you were not a soccer fan, you would probably guess that these are not great footballing nations with the exception of current European champions and reigning-best-team-in-the-world Spain. And you would be right. Iraq did, in fact, prove to be quite a useful side in the tournament and qualified as a result of winning the 2007 Asian Cup. To be honest I knew very little about South African football before the tournament. One of my only memories of “Bafana Bafana” was in the 1998 World Cup in France; they were playing the host national (eventual champions), and South Africa took a beating, 3-0. That’s not the whole story however. Although the official scoreline will suggest that SA defender Pierre Issa scored one own goal, he was in rare form that day, scoring two own goals! The current South Africa team is led by Aaron Mokoena of Blackburn and Steven Pienaar of Everton. Forgive me for saying: New Zealand is a terrible team. It is quite embarrassing that they are the best nation in the Oceania region. Starting for the All Whites is Andrew Boyens, who is a reserve for the New York Red Bulls. In a game with Spain, a ball came towards Boyens who proceeded to whiff, leaving the ball at the feet of David Villa who sealed Spain’s 5-0 victory over New Zealand with an easy tap-in. Spain ran away with the group, winning all three matches. South Africa slipped through with a win, draw, and loss. Iraq finished with two draws and a loss. Iraq gave a good fight against Spain, who eventually beat them 1-0. However, Iraq scored zero goals the entire tournament. New Zealand finished with one draw, and two losses. Surprisingly, Iraq drew 0-0 with New Zealand in their final match. One would expect them to win, which would likely have put them through.

Group B was home to Brazil, Egypt, Italy, and United States. These teams are miles ahead of the others in Group A, excluding Spain. Egypt shocked most when their match with Brazil went down to the wire as the Samba boys needed a late Kaká penalty to seal a 4-3 win. Many believe that Egypt were the better team on the day. United States took on Italy in their first match. Although the U.S. was not great, they still gave Italy a good test. Donovan drilled in a penalty four minutes from the break. The US did not have enough to hang on to the win, however. They picked up an unfortunate and poorly-awarded red card through Ricardo Clark in the first half, and therefore played with only ten men. Second half substitute Giuseppe Rossi made the difference for Italy. One minute after coming on, Rossi fired in from 25 yards. Rossi scored again to make it 3-1, after Daniele De Rossi scored in the 72nd minute. Many American soccer fans were up-in-arms with the fact that Giuseppe grew up in the United States and feel that he should play for the country of his birth. I feel differently. Both of his parents were born in Italy and were immigrants to the US. They moved back to Italy when Giuseppe was 13. He played in the Parma youth academy and featured for Italy’s youth national teams from age 16 on. There was never any doubt in Rossi’s mind about which country he would play for. The US’s next game was with Brazil. Brazil completely wiped the floor with Sam’s Army on this day, winning 3-0. Egypt again shocked the world by beating Italy 1-0 in their next match. Mohamed Homos scored the game’s only goal. The United States were poor in the tournament thus far and needed a 3-0 victory over a strong Egypt team and hope that Brazil could beat Italy by three clear goals. The likelihood of this happening was slim, edging closer towards impossible. But gee whiz, it has happened!

The semifinal is June 24 between Spain and United States. The other semifinal is June 25 between Brazil and South Africa. And the final is June 28 between Spain and Brazil. Hopefully by the time the World Cup rolls around, FIFA will have abolished the use of those damn horns! They make the matches nearly unwatchable (or unlistenable). Thanks for tuning in this week and don’t forget to log on to read this article and articles past online at www.beatysbeat.webs.com.

Xavi (right) looks on as Fernando Torres (left) scores his first of three goals against New Zealand.

June 18

On June 8, 2009, Real Madrid broke the previous world transfer record of Ł45.6 million for Zinedine Zidane in 2001 with the purchase of Kaká from AC Milan for a fee of Ł56 million. On June 11, Manchester United announced that they accepted a bid for Ł80 million ($131 million) for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid. In three days, Real Madrid broke the world transfer record twice after it had remained untouched for eight years. Real Madrid now hold the top four most expensive transfers in history.

So what is a transfer fee exactly? In European football, there are no trades. Rather, Club A makes an inquiry and/or bid for a player of Club B. If the bid is denied, then naturally they negotiate until an acceptable price is reached. Once the bid is accepted, then Club A will agree to personal terms with the player, which is where the terms of the player’s contract is determined. The player (and his agent) receives only about ten to fifteen percent of the transfer fee and the rest goes into Club B’s budget.

Is any player in the world worth Ł80 million? No one can deny it – it is clearly unfathomable money for a human being. My standpoint on this is: if the club is willing to pay it, it’s fair game. It is their choice how and where they spend their money. If any player deserves a transfer fee such as this, it is Cristiano Ronaldo. Some people will complain that there are starving people throughout the world, yet athletes are paid inordinate sums of money. As horrible as it sounds, it is not Real Madrid’s (or any other club for that matter) job to solve the world hunger crisis. As long as clubs are financially stable, bring the insanity on!

What’s next? For Real Madrid, apparently, more world-class players. Spanish papers report that Los Blancos are set to announce the signing of David Villa from Valencia. I suspect, however, that this will not be yet another world record. The fee is likely to be in the neighborhood of Ł45 million. The deal is not officially done yet though; rival club Barcelona are also in for the 27-year-old Spanish striker. For Manchester United, they have enormous boots to fill with the departure of the “Greasy One,” the world’s top footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo. Luckily for the Red Devils, they have a load of money to spend, Ł80 million to be precise. Despite that, it will be a monumental task to replace 68 goals in two seasons, an astonishing tally. It is very possible that there is no combination of players in the world for the price of Ł80 million to produce as many goals.

Why does Real Madrid keep buying so hysterically? The primary reason for this is that they just elected a new president, 62-year-old Florentino Pérez. As part of his campaign, he promised to bring in Kaká and Ronaldo. In his first term as Real Madrid president, he spent in a similar manner. He bought Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo (not Cristiano), and David Beckham. This period was known as Los Galáticos, which translates The Superstars. The first era failed miserably. Despite the massive spending, no emphasis was placed on the defense. There were too many egos; players were picked by reputation rather than form; and coaches were given very little time to bring success to the club. Today, the Real Madrid fans likely re-elected Pérez because they feel considerable change is needed. Arch-rival Barcelona won the Treble this season – La Liga (domestic league), Copa del Rey (domestic cup), and Champions League (prestigious European tournament). This has never been done before in Spanish football. Real Madrid finished in a distant second place, and bowed out of the Champions League in the Round of 16, the fifth year in a row they have not made it to the quarterfinal stage. Pérez has now promised to usher in a second Galácticos era. We will have to wait and see who else he brings in and how it all pans out in the coming months.

That’s all for now. Thanks for tuning in this week; next week we will see how the United States is getting along in the Confederations Cup. Don’t forget to log on to read this article and articles past online at www.beatysbeat.webs.com.

Outrageous Ronaldo Transfer: Fair or Foul?