Colin Reese

Quality and Depth Make Chelsea Premier League Title Contenders

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Amidst the media focus and hype around Liverpool and Manchester City, it’s escaped many people’s notice that Chelsea may just play the highest quality football in the Premier League and that they have a deep roster. 

While Manchester City have a poor defense and Liverpool basically have no elite substitutes for their midfielders or forwards, Chelsea have a strong defense and excellent substitutes in their midfield and attack. 

Chelsea can win the Premier League. It’s only December. Every year pundits and journalists declare the title race over too soon, but there’s a lot of football yet to be played.

Last season anyone and everyone mocked Maurizio Sarri for starting Jorginho as a regista with N’Golo Kante as a Number 8, then Kante came out and said he liked playing as a Number 8 because he could surge forward more and attack. Jorginho was always a world-class playmaker and central midfielder, and he plays with a huge work-rate like Kante. Mateo Kovacic and Willian were also ridiculed and heckled by fans despite both of these players also being world-class midfielders and playmakers. All of this is an example of how Premier League fans like some others are merciless critics who often just parrot the sentiments of the crowd making them sheep in addition to parrots.

More important than all of this is that Chelsea play one-to-two touch football with special players who can best their defensive markers and score out of nothing. One can make a strong argument that Chelsea play the best football in the Premier League, and they aren’t weak anywhere from the goal to the attack. Chelsea play a proactive and possession brand of football where they also have the players to burst forward into space and the pass-masters to feed the ball to their attacking players. In short, Chelsea can beat their opponents in a variety of ways from the run of play.

In addition to the midfielders who were discussed above, Chelsea’s attack has something that all clubs try desperately to find: an elite Number 9. It’s not too early to call Tammy Abraham a world-class center forward. He has everything you could want in a center forward: skill, speed, two-footed technical ability, quality heading, height, and strength. Abraham is a skill player. His goals and attacking play are based on his technical ability with the ball rather than merely being a poacher. He is a penalty box predator, but he’s also a player who dribbles into the penalty box and shakes the net.

The American Christian Pulisic has been disproving many of his doubters who said that he needed time to adjust to the Premier League. It’s simply just not a credible position to contend that someone who exceled for several years in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund needed any adjustment to England. As with most football opinions, this opinion was something that was just parroted by anyone and everyone who never bothered to give it much thought. Pulisic’s combination of skill and electric speed has not only resulted in six goals, but it’s also resulted in his teammates being more open when defenders swarmed to Pulisic when he made his trademark marauding dribbling runs.

Chelsea have the luxury of having Mason Mount who is a playmaker with excellent 1v1 dribbling abilities like Pulisic. The American looks faster, but Mount still has excellent pace and two-footed dribbling, passing, and shooting ability. The two players compliment each other rather than being mutually exclusive, and as the saying goes, “The more the merrier.”

Perhaps slipping under the radar with Chelsea is that their defenders are outstanding. Not only are they technical with good defending, but Kurt Zouma and Fikayo Tomori are very hard to beat for pace. This writer contends that those two center backs could play for any club in the world, and Chelsea’s fullbacks are dangerous going forward. Right Back Reece James plays like Maicon in his prime, and the only thing missing is the outside of the foot flamethrowers that Maicon used to bomb on goal from outside of the box. James basically just started playing for Chelsea, so we’ll see how much he looks to shoot. On the left Chelsea have Emerson Palmieri who is a Brazilian who plays for Italy, and so Chelsea very much have a complete team who play more along the lines of Real Madrid or Barcelona than they do like Manchester United, Liverpool, or Manchester City.

Many observers have declared the title race over, but it’s only December. Over half of the season remains. Chelsea could make it interesting with a roster that is second to none in the Premier League.


England Are Now a Technical, Dynamic, and Creative National Team

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It’s hard to remember a more skillful and athletic team than England’s current national team squad. The previous generation with David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, and the like were called the golden generation, but were they?

The current English squad is far more technical, creative, athletic, and direct than the so-called “Golden Generation.” Marcus Rashford for one possess way more technical ability and speed than anyone who played for England in the past. In his current form, Rashford is playing with far more verve and flair than anything England showed in the past.

The quality in the English side goes way beyond just Rashford, and many of the players are brand new. Despite the fact that England have a world-class Number 9 in Harry Kane, The Three Lions now also have Tammy Abraham of Chelsea who plays the same brand of football as Rashford. Better yet, Abraham scores lots of goals, and he scores them using his skill, speed, size, and movement off the ball. He’s an excellent finisher, which is vital to any squad that wants to win the Euros or the World Cup.

England have a new playmaker in Mason Mount who’s creative, skillful, and quick, but who also boasts excellent 1v1 dribbling skills and an excellent shot. There’s also Harry Winks who Tottenham boast has special playmaker qualities, and Dele Ali is also a playmaker. Nevertheless, Mount plays with shades of Kaká in that he’s a playmaker who also has the 1v1 ability and speed to glide past defenders off the dribble.

Raheem Sterling has become a more complete player in his use of both feet, and his game has progressed beyond just using his pace to get past defenders. Plus, don’t forget Callum Hudson-Odoi who excels on the right or left wing. All of this goes to show just how deep and skilled England are now. This is a new phenomenon for The Three Lions.

Alex Oxley-Chamberlain was once thought of something of an attacking midfielder or playmaker because of his individual skill, but it now seems that he thrives as a Number 8 or box-to-box midfielder who can help the team as a center midfielder while also getting forward into the attack. Having a creative and technical Number 8 is a huge asset to any team, and it gives England something of a second playmaker along with Mount, who may have some competition from Dele Alli.

The Three Lions also have Jordan Henderson and Ross Dier to ensure that the team have talented defensive midfielders to sit in front of an improved England defense led by Fikayo Tomori, who has been a revelation for Chelsea along with their other young talents. Tomori is a fast defender who both tackles well and is calm and composed on the ball. He partners Harry Maguire of Manchester United who is perhaps more highly-rated, but Tomori might just be better. England also have Tyrone Mings as a back-up center back, and he has a case to be a starter with Tomori. In the fullback positions, there’s plenty of competition. The Three Lions are particularly deep at right back where they have the option of starting Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Reece James, Kyle Walker, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. On the left, Danny Rose is just another example of England’s talented players.

Looking at all these players, it’s clear that England are more talented than they used to be, and it’s also clear that the style of play is way more technical than it used to be. This improved collective skill level combined with world-class special players make England a team more capable of winning major tournaments, and it also makes them more fun to watch.

Rafael Leão, The Lion of Portugal, With Shades of Ronaldo

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There’s a new elite talent at the first striker position in world football. His name is Rafael Leão.

He plays with shades of Ronaldo. Not Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo. From Brazil.

You might not have seen him play yet, but you really should watch him next game. The Portuguese Number 9 plays for AC Milan, and he should also be playing for Portugal their next game. Previously, he played for Portugal’s U-21 team.

It’s important to revisit how good Ronaldo was to give perspective to the comparison with Rafael Leão. With no disrespect to Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazilian Ronaldo was the best footballer of all time, bar none. The Brazilian was quite simply too good, too fast, and too unstoppable. Even in retirement, it’s a shame to see Ronaldo overweight because the 180-pound Ronaldo was quite the sight to behold. All of his contemporaries and successors bowed down to his skill, speed, and directness. Perhaps no moment showcased his skill and appeal more than his left-footed chip over the Santos goalkeeper from outside of the box after leaving his defender for dead with a right-footed Cruyff executed at a full sprint behind his left leg. Ronaldo was easily 20 pounds overweight when he executed this cobertura as it’s called in Portuguese.

Granted, it’s too early to say that Rafael Leão is as good as Ronaldo, but Leão plays with the same flair, speed, and power. Ronaldo himself was a grandmaster of technique and tricks, but Leão certainly executes his tricks with smoothness and bravado, plus the Portuguese striker uses both feet interchangeably. Ronaldo comparisons are dangerous, but this comparison is merely to say that Leão plays like Ronaldo. One of Ronaldo’s greatest qualities was the speed and directness with which he attacked the opposition, and Leão plays that way as well.

The skill, speed, and directness of Rafael Leão’s play draws the viewer’s attention to him instantly. It’s early days, but this writer would go as far as saying that Leão looks to be one of the most promising strikers since Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Rafael Leão is truly good, and praising him too much feels like it could jinx his rise to fame and glory. It’s not clear why he isn’t already starting for Portugal as their center forward with Cristiano Ronaldo out left.

Technique

The Portuguese Number 9 has textbook technical ability with both feet, and his dribbling, passing, and shooting are smooth and effortless. One immediately notices that Leão is completely comfortable using his weaker left foot. The stepover is one of the first tricks that players learn, but most professionals are hesitant to even use it in games against professional opponents. Fewer still are the players who can execute a stepover smoothly and effectively at match pace while on the run. Leão’s stepovers are graceful and low to the ground like a good stepover should be. Most players telegraph the arrival of the stepover by lifting their foot too high off the ground when executing the trick. Leão’s stepovers are smooth like Robinho’s. So far, the Portuguese forward appears to have a full arsenal of even the most audacious of tricks, including the truly rare elástico, and his overall technique in everything else is perfect.

Speed

There’s no way around it. Rafael Leão is shockingly fast. It doesn’t matter who the defender is, Leão is faster. Maybe Rafael Varane might be the same speed, but that’s the only defender that comes to mind. Many fast players aren’t direct enough with their speed. Sure, you’ll see it if they’re chasing down a through ball, but they won’t unleash the speed on you without an invitation. Leão will sprint at defenders the second he receives the ball, and the directness with which he attacks inevitably opens up more space for him to dribble into or it gets the defender on his heels, which allows him to go past the defender on the right or left.

Finishing

Rafael Leão’s first goal for AC Milan showcased his finishing ability in that it was a left-footed finish to the far post when the ball was actually under his feet when he scored it. He didn’t have the right to score that goal. Even an elite professional forward wouldn’t have scored that goal. It’s not clear how he generated the power and placement to score that goal. It’s also not clear how he kept the shot on the ground. So far, this observer hasn’t seen enough of Leão’s finishing to give much detail about it. The full extent of his finishing abilities are yet to be seen. Nevertheless, it’s likely world-class. It just remains to be seen how good it is from outside the box and how good his dead-ball striking is. The fact that Milan’s new coach Pioli has recently had Leão on the bench has prevented observers from giving a more thorough analysis of his play.

Mentality

Rafael Leão doesn’t lose his temper on referees or opponents from what we can tell. When he doesn’t agree with a call, he just kind of looks at the referee and makes a few gestures without losing it on the referee or yelling at them. He makes a short plea, and then he continues to play. This bodes well for him. He also appears unfazed by big games or elite opponents.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that this may seem like a hyperbolic claim, Rafael Leão looks to be a world-class striker who plays with more flair and directness than even top strikers. They’re outstanding, but the skill, speed, and directness of Rafael Leão looks different. He plays with ousadia, which means daring or boldness in Portuguese. Time will tell how good he gets.

 

Marcus Rashford, The Most Talented English Footballer in Decades

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Marcus Rashford didn’t play like the stereotypical English footballer even from the very beginning. English football has traditionally been stereotyped as based on crosses and long balls: In short, the antithesis of Brazilian or South American football. Rashford on the other hand had a full quiver of dribbling tricks that a world-class Brazilian attacker would use.

Recently, Rashford scored a deep freekick with Cristiano Ronaldo’s trademark knuckleball technique where the ball is struck with the shoelaces with little follow-through and with the toe of the boot pointed down. This technique causes the ball to balloon up in the air over the wall and quickly dip down. It’s a technique that basically no one else in world football uses. The freekick wasn’t just shockingly good for the ball flight and technique, but the distance was easily from over 30 meters out.

Even before his recent stretch of games with outstanding golazos, the English forward stood out early on due to his smooth execution of tricks that Brazilian Ronaldo utilized and sometimes even invented. Rashford is a frequent practitioner of the elástico, which is a trick that’s rarer to spot than a Giant Panda in the wild. The Manchester United striker still showcases this trick seemingly every game, and it’s surprising to see every time.

The elástico and the freekick were just two examples of Rashford’s trademark un-English style of play, and it has to be said that there are more and more English footballers playing a more technical, creative, and advanced style of play. Say what you want, but this style of play was essentially never seen from English footballers. Mason Greenwood, another young Manchester United forward, as well as Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham also play a similar style of football.

Rashford’s freekick seems to have caused a surge in confidence for the forward, because in his recent Europe League match, he was seen being very active off the ball dropping almost to the defense to help with possession and to jump start the attack. Brazilian Ronaldo was famous for roaming all over the field, rather than standing around like Romario, and it must be said that Rashford is a complete player. Also in his recent Europa League match, he threaded multiple perfectly-weighted through balls past the opposition defense to feed Anthony Martial.

The Manchester United and England forward is a direct and aggressive attacking playing in addition to being creative and flashy. He utilizes his electric pace to sprint directly at opposing defenders and bum rush the penalty area. We’ll likely see a more emboldened Rashford with each game.

It’s safe to say that Marcus Rashford is now officially a world-class player.

Given Rashford’s skill-set, speed, style of play, and youth, Manchester United fans might want to fully appreciate him now and be prepared to say goodbye. If Gareth Bale played for Real Madrid for so many years, then Rashford looks poised to play for either that club or one of a similar level like Barcelona or Juventus.

 

Christian Pulisic Faces Tough Competition for Playing Time at Chelsea

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There can be no doubt that Christian Pulisic’s $73 million move to Chelsea was the biggest move ever for an American footballer, and by all appearances it appears as though the 20-year-old is the most impressive American footballer yet. Nevertheless, Pulisic faces intense competition for playing time despite starting Chelsea’s last two matches.

Although he was unfairly, heavily criticized by Chelsea fans, Willian is an absolutely world-class Brazilian footballer who Pulisic will be competing with for playing time. As Pulisic plays as a wing for Chelsea, he also will competing with Pedro and Mason Mount for minutes.

While Pedro and Willian are already both world-class players, Mount also looks to be an elite player who plays with great technique, creativity, directness, and speed. Mount like Willian or Pulisic or Pedro for that matter plays well centrally as a playmaker, and this allows Chelsea’s manager Frank Lampard to have quite a bit of flexibility with his attacking lineup.

In short, having four excellent attacking midfielders/wingers/forwards is a great problem for Lampard to have, but from an American fan’s perspective it also means Pulisic might not be starting every match and going 90 minutes.

On paper it would appear that Pedro and Willian are far superior to both Mount and Pulisic, and there is a possibility that Lampard could deploy Ngolo Kante and Jorginho as the central or defensive midfielders with Pedro, Kovacic, and Willian lining up in front of them as a line of three.

Kovacic is another world-class player for Chelsea as Kante and Jorginho are, and his ability to be deployed as a true attacking midfielder or playmaker behind Olivier Giroud should not be underestimated. Kovacic didn’t always get as much playing time as he deserved at Real Madrid, but he’s an elegant, graceful, and creative playmaker who deserves his starting spot for Chelsea. This reality makes the competition between Mount and Pulisic even stiffer.

Nevertheless, Pulisic has proven himself to be an electric and aggressive attacker with great creativity and directness, and the presence of stiff competition at Chelsea will not impede his progression as a player or his rise to fame. Let’s not forget that Pulisic already played for Borussia Dortmund, one of the top clubs in the world. The Premier League would appear to be more en vogue than the Bundesliga right now rightly or wrongly, and this will only increase Pulisic’s game and quest to demonstrate that the United States has finally produced a world-class player.

 

Christian Pulisic Is Somewhat of a Faster Version of Clint Dempsey

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Clint Dempsey was a special American player because of his skill with the ball, which was way beyond any other American player minus Freddy Adu, who for all his problems, was exceptional with the ball at his feet. Christian Pulisic appears to have Dempsey’s technical ability with the ball, although it remains to be seen just how his shooting and ball striking compare.

Christian Pulisic’s Speed Gives Him an X-Factor That Clint Dempsey Didn’t Have

Without a doubt his passing is as good or better than Dempsey’s. Pulisic’s speed and quickness allows him to shake defenders and/or glide past them even if they are particularly fast. Dempsey didn’t have this asset to use, even though he was by no means slow. Pulisic, on the other hand, is truly fast, and his electric speed makes him more dangerous against top competition than Dempsey was.

Dempsey had many qualities, and in many ways, he was underrated to the extent that people looking to mock American soccer players liked to downplay and openly scoff at his ability. Of course, there was no justification for this, but nevertheless, the speed that Pulisic has allows him to beat defenders and get into the area with greater ease than Dempsey. One has to think that Dempsey can’t watch Pulisic without wishing that he himself was blessed with that extra gear of speed.

They say speed kills, so you should have no illusions that speed isn’t a deadly weapon in football. Speed is so important that many observers have claimed that Kylian Mbappe has already surpassed Neymar despite not having the same quiver of dribbling, passing, and shooting skills that make the Brazilian truly a grandmaster. Mbappe’s speed hypnotizes people into believing that he is a better player than Neymar which isn’t the case. In an interview with Alexis Nunes of ESPN, the Jamaican footballer, Leon Bailey said that Neymar was the only player close to Ronaldinho in terms of technical ability and magic with the ball. He could have said Lionel Messi, but he didn’t. That tells you just how magical Neymar is.

The increased media attention on Pulisic now that he’s at Chelsea in many ways demonstrates a certain degree of bias and ignorance amongst the media and fans. Pulisic was already playing for Borussia Dortmund, which is arguably the second biggest club in Germany and in the Bundesliga, so Pulisic was already a proven commodity at the highest level. German football is better than English football, and Germany as a country has four World Cup titles. To argue that Pulisic is only now playing under the spotlight or at the highest level is simply demonstrably untrue.

We’ll see how Pulisic performs for Chelsea and how much he plays. He looked sharp, electric, direct, and aggressive in his first game for Chelsea. Although last season at Dortmund, his playing time was down from the previous year, Chelsea’s players might not be at the same level as Dortmund’s. German football is very technical and elite, and it’s hard to argue that the Premier League showcases the same degree of technical skill and ability.

One thing is for certain, and that is that Pulisic is easily the best American player any of us has ever seen. No other American was able to attack top defenders and blow past them like Pulisic has done, and in addition to his individual 1v1 ability and speed, he has a great football mind who reads the game quickly and plays creative one-to-two touch football.

 

Myth: The Premier League Is the Best Football League in the World

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Perhaps world football’s biggest myth is that the Premier League is the best football league in the world. In fact, this myth only exists in the British Isles and former British Colonies, including the United States.

In reality, more people around the world associate top football with La Liga’s two giant clubs: FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. People also consider Italy and Germany as top destinations for club football. Teams like Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Bayern Munich attract top players from South America and around the world.

The myth that the Premier League is the world’s top league is a marketing scam that the Premier League tries to sell in the British Isles and the United States. If you want quick proof that the Premier League has never historically been the world’s top league, just consider that Pelé, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Lionel Messi never played there. Surprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo did play in the Premier League for Manchester United, but the reason that he played there was because he impressed all of their players when he played against them as a teenager. This was something of a coup for the Premier League. To be fair, Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp amongst others shinned in the Premier League.

If you need more convincing that the Premier League isn’t the world’s top football league, consider how elite South American players from Brazil and Argentina essentially never played in the Premier League until they were offered too much money to say no to from oil sheikhs and oligarchs. Another interesting tidbit to consider is that Italy and Germany are two of the most successful countries in the World Cup, and yet their players also don’t go play in England. France due to it’s proximity to England does have its top players go play in the Premier League, and this is perhaps the strongest counterargument to the Premier League not being the world’s top club football league.

So the question is this: If most of the top South American, German, and Italian players don’t play in the Premier League, then how is it the top team in the world?

Style and quality of football are another areas where the Premier League is behind La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga, and even Ligue 1. English club football features lots of long balls, an abundance of crosses and headers, out of control running and passing, and dirty tackles. Recently, when Chelsea played Manchester United in the FA Cup, the British announcer and commentator didn’t even know that David Luiz’s striking technique for free kicks was called the folha seca nor could they recognize it as a striking technique that plenty of elite footballers have used. It’s obviously not a big deal to not know the Brazilian Portuguese term for the side-footed freekick, but they seemed to not know that David Luiz wasn’t the only player who has even done it. This advanced bit of skill simply baffled the commentators, who have also been equally confused when Marcus Rashford executes dribbling tricks like elásticos. Someone might have to check to make sure Rashford really is English because his dribbling and overall skill-set are truly world-class.

Recently, a depleted Paris Saint-Germain showed how elite one-to-two touch football played by technical players is far superior to a Manchester United side who have been whipping Premier League fans into a frenzy. What happened when PSG played Manchester United is that elite players from Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Germany, and France really showed the Premier League players how to play, and unfortunately for Manchester United, Paul Pogba wasn’t enough to beat PSG.

To be fair, the Premier League is full of excellent and exciting footballers from around the globe, including South America, but are the Premier League games really more exciting than games in other leagues? Next time you are on the fence about what club game to watch, consider that La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 have most of world football’s top players, and just maybe those players’ teams really know how to play.

 

Kylian Mbappé Is Still Not on Neymar’s Level

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Many observers and pundits have argued that Kylian Mbappé has already surpassed Neymar, but with all due respect to Mbappé’s phenomenal talent and speed, Neymar is still the far superior player. Here’s why:

First Touch: Neymar vs. Mbappé

Neymar’s first touch is second to none, and only Lionel Messi has a comparable first touch. The Brazilian’s first touch is essentially on par with Ronaldinho’s, and Ronaldinho had the best touch of any player ever. As good as Mbappé is, he doesn’t have the same velvet-soft first touch of Neymar.

Dribbling: Neymar vs. Mbappé

You could argue that Messi is the world’s best dribbler because he easily ghosts through crowds of players, but Neymar certainly has way more tricks in his trick bag. The reality is that Messi never displays the tricks that Neymar uses to blow past defenders. The Argentine uses small changes of direction and speed to beat defenders, and Mbappé doesn’t have the repertoire of tricks that Neymar executes effortlessly. Neymar’s tricks aren’t just flashy with no result; he uses his tricks to blow past defenders and charge the penalty area. Neymar leaves defenders for dead, which is why he is so savagely hacked by defenders who can’t keep up with him.

Passing: Neymar vs. Mbappé

Mbappé can certainly deliver a good pass, but Neymar utilizes both feet interchangeably to deploy short passes, long passes, chips in the air, final balls through the defense, and service off corner kicks and dead balls. Neymar is arguably the best passer in all of European football, and he showcased this with Barcelona when he led Europe in assists one year when Messi was injured. When the PSG Number 10 plays with Brazil, the entire passing goes through Neymar where he receives the ball and releases it and it’s immediately played back to him again as he leads his team toward goal. For all the talk of Neymar being a selfish player, there isn’t much proof of that in his passing statistics for PSG or Brazil.

Shooting: Neymar vs. Mbappé

Mbappé’s shooting is nowhere close to that of Neymar. The Brazilian is just a much better striker of the ball than the Frenchman, and he’s also more accurate and ruthless in his finishing. Mbappé hasn’t really shown an ability to take free kicks well yet, but maybe he simply is down the pecking order on both of his teams. Nevertheless, based on their play with PSG, one would have to say that Neymar is a much more dangerous striker of the ball with both feet. You wouldn’t be wrong in saying that any kind of goal that the Brazilian can score with his right foot he can also score with his left.

Conclusion: Neymar vs. Mbappé

Mbappé is a true prodigy, and he’s a joy to watch with speed that’s God given. But that doesn’t make him better than Neymar. Being the best Brazilian player since Ronaldinho is really saying something, and Neymar is on track to eclipse Pelé’s goal-scoring record for Brazil. Don’t forget that Neymar is also lightning fast, and no defender can really catch him except maybe Rafael Varane, who could have been an Olympic sprinter.

Neymar has some qualities that seem to annoy some people, but calling Mbappé better is disrespectful and just not accurate.

 

 

Christian Pulisic Makes History with Chelsea as the Most High Profile American Soccer Signing Ever

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Today Chelsea bought Christian Pulisic for $73 million. It was the biggest and most expensive signing of an American soccer player ever.

Even Clint Dempsey never played for that big of a club or was signed for that much money. It’s worth mentioning that Michael Bradley played for AS Roma, and that club and the level of their play is comparable to Chelsea. Bradley wasn’t signed for anywhere close to that kind of money though. Nevertheless, Bradley playing for a big Serie A club known for attacking soccer was a huge milestone for American soccer.

Based on Pulisic’s skill level combined with his speed and his past performances in the Bundesliga, the Champions League, and for the United States, the American forward/midfielder is arguably worth the money. In contrast to Dempsey, Pulisic is much faster and quicker, and these extra gears of speed and quickness make him more of an attacking threat against elite competition. Dempsey wasn’t slow by any means, but he definitely lacked the speed to blow past top defenders. We’ll see if Pulisic has the same longevity, fire, skill, and toughness as Dempsey.

As an attacking player, Pulisic doesn’t have any real weaknesses. He’s skilled with both feet in his dribbling, passing, and shooting, plus he’s creative and flashy in his playing style. He’s also very direct and bold, which is rare for an American player. Many people have praised Pulisic for his maturity and mentality, and those are two more qualities that will help him out.  Given the amount of social media commentary on the Premier League, Pulisic would be wise to take the Kobe Bryant approach and not read anything said or written about him on social media or in the press.

The American has his work really cut out for him in seeing playing time for Chelsea next season because he will likely be competing for playing time with Willian, who is nothing short of a world-class midfielder and forward. The Brazilian smokes defenders off the dribble, and he’s a pass master. Let’s not forget that Willian normally starts for Brazil. Out of everything in world football, starting for Brazil has to be one of the strongest proofs of a player’s quality and class.

Pulisic’s biggest giant to slay will be what the fans and media say and write about him because this could mess with his confidence if he pays attention to it. From a playing standpoint, Pulisic has demonstrated that he plays well against elite competition, and he’s a goalscorer and assist man. As this author wrote before Pulisic played for the United States, once you have played a home game at Borussia Dortmund in front of their huge crowd, then you are already prepared to play anywhere else.

Chelsea is a bigger brand than Dortmund, but Pulisic won’t find the crowd or pressure any more daunting than at Dortmund. The real demons are the ones on the internet. Beppe Severgnini once wrote that “In the Coliseum there were lions, but in San Siro there are TV cameras.” The same analogy applies here where these virtual monsters are maybe as scary as real predators.

Neymar Needs a Big 2019

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The Brazilian superstar Neymar needs a big 2019 as Kylian Mbappe has taken some of the spotlight off him, and he was once again unsuccessful at winning the Ballon d’Or. There can be no denying his talent and consistently great performances for club and country, and the Brazilian is perhaps the most skilled player in world football. Any close analysis of how he plays reveals a two-footed mastery of dribbling, passing, and scoring within a team concept. To deny him of this is to have an agenda.

Nevertheless, Neymar has been under attack and the object of ridicule somewhat unfairly since the 2018 World Cup. Some criticism of Neymar at the World Cup was deserved as Neymar frequently did 10 rolls too many when only one was needed when avoiding injury from hackers. The Brazil Number 10 is an expert at avoiding ankle and knee injuries from the frequent dirty tackles that he receives where only his jumping and pulling up his feet and knees saves him from serious injury. For Neymar to simply allow people to take out his legs without jumping out of the way and tucking would be madness. But, at the 2018 World Cup Neymar rolled too much, and he made a spectacle of himself. He cut a ridiculous figure where his sensationalized rolls took away from his brilliance with the ball, and it appears that he has eliminated the excessive rolling.

As simplistic as it sounds, Neymar’s combination of electric speed and quickness combined with his skill makes him unique. A close comparison of Neymar to Cristiano Ronaldo displays how much better the Brazilian is at individual tricks and dribbling. Cristiano Ronaldo as good as he is lifts his feet too high off the ground for his stepovers and doesn’t really go anywhere after doing them whereas the Brazilian’s are smooth and low to the ground, plus he explodes past his defender after executing one. This type of skill makes Neymar the world’s best dribbler even though Lionel Messi also dribbles through seas of defenders. Neymar has the skill needed to win the next Ballon d’Or, but it will be an extremely difficult task, as he must defeat Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mbappe.

The Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil 10 will need a dominant showing in the Champions League, and he will need to win the Champions League while playing better than Mbappe. This last part will be the hardest because trying to outplay Mbappe will negatively affect PSG’s play. Continuing to look to win and combine with the France World Cup winner is the best recipe for Neymar to win the Ballon d’Or.

Neymar has garnered some hatred and annoyance from many football fans, and he’ll have to be less odious in 2019 if he wants to win the 2019 Ballon d’Or. Losing to Luka Modric this year has to have bothered Neymar as Modric didn’t win the World Cup, and it’s proof that you don’t have to be Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win it. Of all the players in world football, Neymar has the most tools at his disposal to win the Ballon d’Or, and it’s hard to believe that it along with winning the Champions League isn’t his top priority this year.

 

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