Beyond The Pitch

Anto and Nico are joined by soccer correspondent Ives Galarcep of Fox Soccer and SoccerByIves to take stock of an MLS season during which transfers, summer friendlies and playoff positioning awaits, to examine the teams who have put themselves in great position, the teams who have work still to do and those teams whose seasons may have already found their fate. This includes surprise packages San Jose and New England as well as teams such as Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas who may have found a balance with their progress and recent moves, and then to the teams who have made coaching changes reflecting a very poor starts to their campaigns in Portland, Philadelphia and Toronto. In each case we examine the situation for trends and their potential moving forward, as well as the factors that may pose problems down the road. We also look at the developments in Dallas to understand what the next steps will be there, where the season already seems over, and whether John Hackworth and Gavin Wilkinson can deliver some new energy and hope to fading playoff chances. Also in the crosshairs here is the potential for big moves and transfers for MLS clubs, whether the summer friendly schedule has the same impact as it once did in the North American marketplace and then we turn our attention to the re-emergence of a nostalgic soccer brand in New York Cosmos to gauge whether their placement in the NASL a second time is the right move for the ownership group and Major League Soccer who might be testing the capacity for a second team in New York before naming the 20th Major League Soccer franchise. This is a transition episode for Major League Soccer analysis and the first look at what the Cosmos brand back in operation could mean for the greater New York area, and whether soccer fans in New York are ready for that second team.

Anto is joined once again with solicitor Daniel Geey of Field Fisher Waterhouse of London, an associate in the Competition and EU Regulatory Law Group. for a special episode that begins to break down and analyze the facts, the winners and losers and consider some of the potential unintended consequences that may find themselves raised in the months ahead from a regulatory and competition perspective. This includes the interdependent factors involved in this landmark Premier League broadcasting deal with BSkyB and BT beginning in 2013-14 and how technology and how consumers will engage with this technology may just be the gamechanger in this deal and amy soon send ripples all across the broadcasting landscape in Europe and why the BT partnership is so crucial in this regard. We examine the theoretical application of the process, not only from the angle of the Premier League clubs themselves in terms of distribution and fairness ratios, but also discuss how this new strategic partnership may, in fact, affect the lower leagues in England and the greater UEFA context and domestic cup competitions from a longer term view. But a constant theme beneath all of these factors is how the converge of traditional Pay TV models are converging rapidly with all forms of internet and wireless live and on demand services, essentially bridging a brave new world in terms of how consumers will access premium content. THere are also regulatory uncertainties involved here as well, including the lingering issue of territorial exclusivity without absolute protection, as outlined in the recent Murphy/QC Leisure case, as well as the operational increases that could be shifted to clubs in terms of revenue. Daniel always breaks down these regulations and the framework in very practical terms and helps break down the complexity with expert ease. Daniel Geey has experience in advising on Premier League, Football League and UEFA rule compliance and Premier League broadcasting issues. He also writes various articles for competition, media and sports law journals. These include The World Sports Law Report, The Entertainment Law, Sport Business, and The Entertainment and Sports Law Journal. An episode that reflects the evolving world sport broadcasting industry and how technology partners moving into play might just be the source of the biggest and most important unintended factors worth monitoring.

Anto is joined by Asia football correspondent John Duerden to have a look at the constantly evolving world of football in that part of the world from his perch in Seoul, South Korea which has just passed an important 10 year anniversary since hosting the World Cup in 2002. We begin with an All-Star match with the K-League players and former coach Guus Hiddink to review the event and this celebration is the launching pad for a world of football where managers are king and world recognized players have begun to land in recent transfer windows. This included the Chinese Super League where most of the big name signings continue and look to extend even more as foreign player restrictions have been approved against a massive landscape where real economic power and ambition have landed Didier Drogba, Frederic Kanoute, Gio Moreno and Yakubu in recent weeks. We examine the situation in China both in terms of size and scope and how Chinese teams are acquiring players, often without a vision to enhance the overall reputation of the league, but that does appear to be changing very quickly as huge cities with huge populations learn to become football cities. Then we turn to the matter of each of the major Far East Leagues in China, Japan and Korea - each with its own challenges - with the champions of a year ago now emerging once again in the names of Guangzhou Evergrande, Kashiwa Reysol and Jeonbuk Motors, all of whom are powers in the respective leagues for different reasons. This includes the continued dominance of Guangzhou who has opened a seven point lead, Kashiwa which has begun to rope in Sendai and Hiroshima and Jeonbuk Motors who went on an eight match winning streak to launch itself forward to a season like no other as the KFA introduces promotion and relegation. Then we turn to a new and important endeavor in KickOffAsia, which brings together a serious voice for Asian Football with John Duerden as its editor. We detail the features, the technology and where it seems headed in the marketplace. We also take a look at the Harry Kewell withdrawal from the A League in his home country of Australia to examine where he might land next - perhaps replacing Yakubu himself at Blackburn Rovers.

Phil and Anto are joined by former Norway international striker Jan Age Fjørtoft who began his career in Norwegian club football and was able to leave his mark in Austria, England and Germany with a number of teams including Rapid Vienna, Swindon Town, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Barnsley and Eintracht Frankfurt. Jan gives us a load of insight into football in Norway, his post career with Lillestrom and his continued work in the media inside Germany and his home country. We start on the matter of the great influence of Norwegian players on English football and we also explore the emerging players that football fans need to consider as Norway heads toward Brazil 2014 and World Cup qualification. We also examine the recent drama surrounding Ole Gunnar Solskjær as a surprise candidate for the Aston Villa job and what exactly the back story was with Molde FK, including a look at Magnus Eikrem who wan the Tippeligaen this season. This leads into where Norway finds itself matched up in Group E and whether it can reach the second slot for the playoff round for Brazil 2014 as Egil Olsen looks to finish his tenure in charge of the national team. Then we look back at a wonderful career with Swindon Town where Jan made the transition from Austria, which was difficult early, but became very successful once the turn of the year came. We also look back at his time at Middlesbrough where Jan was paired up with Brazilian superstar Juninho and forged a special partnership during some very heady times for the club in the early days of the Premier League. We also cover the YouTube viral sensation that is electroshock football - a viral sensation worth the look - the impressions Jan has of the Spanish national team and what may be the missing piece for Germany who failed surprisingly to reach the final match. This is the first appearance for Jan Age Fjørtoft on Beyond The Pitch and be ready to be both informed and entertained by a figure who played for some tremendous football clubs, featured more than 70 times for his country and now works at Viasat as an anchor for the Champions League, the English FA Cup, national games and the European League.

Phil and Anto are joined by former Arsenal midfielder and Sky Sports commentator Paul Merson to review the top headlines in the Premier League and the overall performance of the England national team at Euro 2012. We begin with the recent declarations by Robin Van Persie about ambition at Arsenal Football Club and what that means for the transfer strategy for the organization and whether supporters will continue to be as patient as they have been in past years as the steady line of top flight players leaves for clubs with more means and realistic opportunities to actually be competitive for trophies and titles. This includes the missing figure of David Dein which endures for Arsenal and if there could be a backlash by fans over some of the most expensive match day tickets in the business. Then we turn to the matter of Tottenham who has let Harry Redknapp go and has brought in Andre Villas-Boas against a changing landscape for a team two years removed from the Champions League with several key players who look to be moving on, including Luka Modric, who pushed back a move just a year ago. We examine the potential of a Real Madrid move, what happens for Harry Redknapp next and how big a risk the AVB appointment could be for Spurs. Then we turn to the matter of England and whether the national team performance is based more on tactics or endeavour and gauge whether the players coming through are more capable than their veteran teammates on an international level. How far is England from Spain and how should Hodgson approach Brazil 2014 are discussed. We also examine this England team which never really played like a traditional team at this European Championship and how the Italy match revealed something rather curious about the mentality and approach by this edition of the team. Also mentioned here is how David Beckham has been excluded from the Great Britain Olympic team and why he should have been included by Stuart Pearce. Lots here from Paul Merson who always offers great perspective and wonderfully direct opinions.

Phil and Anto are joined by the always entertaining and insightful Bojan Djordjic for his thoughts on Euro 2012 as he covered the tournament for Swedish media to examine how the team performed and where it seems headed in the future. Of course, all the attention descends upon Zlatan Ibrahimovic and how the team adjusted under Erik Hamren as first team manager and we discuss how some of the new players performed, what fans can expect in the pipeline for emerging players and how some of the younger internationals like Rasmus Elm and Ola Toivonen showed in Poland/Ukraine. Still most of the conversation surrounds Zlatan and how perceptions are largely shaped based on several matches a season while he has racked up titles throughout his career, even while delivering the goal of the tournament against France. We also examine the job placed before Erik Hamren who took over from a coaching institution in Lars Lagerback to consider whether his ideas may ultimately become undermined given the few instances that national team managers have to work with their players and the type of changes that Hamren wants to bring to this team. This, of course, always brings Ibrahimovic back into view as well, given that Sweden will always be faced with the same dilemma that his professional club managers are faced with - namely - does Sweden play him as the target man up top or does Zlatan move deeper into the formation to provide the passes to his teammates. As discovered many times along his career, Zlatan does flourish more in the role, keeping him engaged and minimizing the potential of keeping him isolated when the service does not arrive. Also discussed is the nature of football itself, which is always interesting with Bojan, gauging whether this Spanish side is the best ever, taking a look at the sheer genius of Andres Iniesta from the eyes of player who would know and who were the emerging players of this tournament overall. Always a fascinating and entertaining discussion with Bojan Djordjic whose interesting career with some top clubs will give you a level of insight that cuts right to the heart of the matter.

Phil and Doron are back for the eleventh episode of the Manchester United Show to take a look at the busy off-season including the preseason tuning, grooming younger players for the new season and evaluating the squad for potential further moves as the process continues. Topics do include Federico Macheda, the potential move of defender Ezekiel Fryers to Tottenham, and how Sir Alex Ferguson will approach the tour and the early part of the season leading in turn to the early fixtures just recently announced. We also examine some of the pressing transfer rumours to evaluate their merit and what areas the club may address with some additional moves. This also includes the possibility of Leighton Baines and whether Patrice Evra could find himself in either a new rotation at left back or if the Frenchman could be on the move. Also discussed is the matter of Nani and whether moving him in reaction to some of the inconsistency may just be a bit of a risk given his unique talent and dearth of options in the marketplace. Then we have a brief discussion into the matter of Paul Pagba who has been tabbed with a move off to Serie A and Juventus and if this is the right move for the player in the longer term. Anto joins to give us several options given the level of mystery surrounding this move - is this solely a money move with Mino Raiola at the control switch, could he be part of a longer term strategy in the Italian marketplace and we try to evaluate the potential for Pogba at Juve given the midfield depth at present for the club and a pair of exciting moves for Asamoah and Isla on the horizon as soon as the market opens officially. Doron also give us an update on some of the newer Academy and Reserve signings along with some great background on the candidates themselves. Then we turn to the matter of how some of the United players performed at Euro 2012 and how the opening fixtures and opponents after Champions League midweek matches appear to have sorted themselves and whether this will focus additional attention on the squad where a clear need is yet to be filed in center midfield. We close the show with some questions from our listeners.

Anto is joined by ESPN commentator and ESPNPressPass analyst Janusz Michallik to take a look back at Spain-Italy to examine how these two teams approached this tournament and why the quality of depth may have been the key factor which separated both squads and how their managers have been able to put a firm stamp on their football. We start with Spain and del Bosque and how he was able to pace and coordinate this team into an approach where the team did not have to play its best football at times yet find enough to find wins and build the momentum to a crescendo. We examine how Spain attacks opponents with possession, defends with possession and how this strategy is designed to assault opponents into making mistakes. In the case of Italy we look at Cesare Prandelli and his process over these last two years found its validation as well, taking a team from the doorstep of a group stage exit in South Africa and all the way to a European final while integrating new players and establishing a new national team style. Clearly Prandelli was the right man at precisely the right time for Italy and how he brought emotion and appreciation back to Italian football might just be the most enduring image we will remember in addition to Spain touching history. Nevertheless, Prandelli has an even bigger challenge ahead moving toward Brazil 2014 as some aging players will be replaced or have their roles redefined as more of the younger candidates are introduced into the squad. This begins with Mario Balotelli and a number of talented Azzurri players who are at the doorstep as World Cup qualification is mere weeks away. In the end, we gauge some of the real disappointments of Euro 2012 including the Netherlands and Russia who will have serious questions placed in front of them, along with Germany, France and Croatia.

Phil and Anto are joined by spanish football columnist and commentator Sid Lowe in the afterglow of an historic achievement by the Spanish national team having captured its third straight major championship while defending its European title in Kiev. We examine the victory in terms of its context and how Spain as a football nation was able to overcome a reputation as a perennial under-achiever to becoming the standard bearer in terms of international dominance in the sport and what might be some of the factors that could derail them in the future. We also look at their achievement within the influence of their coach, Vicente del Bosque, who has successfully navigated this team of highly competitive players from two very competitive clubs and forge an identity built not only at Barcelona but also of Real Madrid in its spine and how he may have already begun a sense of transition with Spain that should serve the national team well in coming years. Also discussed is the tournament itself in terms of organization and how perceptions in advance of the games themselves proved largely sensationalized, given how media access may indeed be quite different than the fan experience, We also gauge a team in Spain that has continued to win at every level for club and country and begin to ask the question how much more can be expected from a generation that has refused to wilt under any pressure or in the face of any challenge, but may at some point suddenly falter because of the energy are expended to achieve such astonishing results.

Anto is joined by football correspondent Dan Colasimone of Argentina Football World and the Hand of Pod to take a look back on what was another wild season in Argentina as the convergence of a winner of the Clausura ran counter-current to the relegation table and a resurrection of River Plate who has now found its return to the first division on the heels of some tremendous sacrifices by some talented players who featured large. We also look at champion at Arsenal, who won its first domestic title of any kind since the 1960s, and why its victory by proxy might just be the result of Boca Juniors taking its eye off the ball due to reaching the Copa Libertadores final against Brazilian powerhouse Corinthians for its tenth appearance. We also examine the favorites for the relegation/promotion playoff including the potential of another big Argentine club in San Lorenzo going down and if they are indeed at risk like River Plate of a year ago. Then we turn our attention to the matter of Boca in the Copa Libertadores and whether they should be considered the favorite as the Brazilians have looked increasingly more dangerous, culminating in a massive victory over defending champion Santos over two legs. The margins shall be quite razor thin and the goals should be sparse and it does appear the return leg in Brazil could be decisive, even though Boca has shown an ability to get wins in Brazil over the years. We also examine the evolving economics for football in Argentina to examine the new threats from Asia and Brazil who both have a massive financial advantage in concert with existing European superclubs who continue to reach for the special talents of Argentina. We also take a moment to reflect on the legendary career of Juan Sebastian Veron who has just retired from football, his place in the Argentine game and what he might just do next now that he has finally left Estudiantes as an icon of the club, as his father was as well. This show is all about a crazy Clausura, the madness of Argentina football and farewell to a legend who played with some of the biggest football clubs in the world.

Anto is joined by football correspondent and commentator Oliver Kay of The Times to get his post match observations on Spain-Portugal and what exactly may have been revealed about the world champions this evening and throughout this tournament. While Spain clearly is not operating on all cylinders for much of this competition, what remains in stark contrast to the opposition is how dominant they can be in any situation given how they have evolved since 2008, which is where the Spanish found their first taste of success in the European Championship. We also consider whether Portugal will ever get a better shot to dethrone Spain in this current version given the form of Ronaldo and the recuperation advantages that Paulo Bento had going in. We also gauge the match late where Spain found a second gear and what it may have forced Portugal to do in response and how Spain on the defensive end is largely going to force popular belief about them to be reconsidered as they continue to ruthlessly go about their plan and their tactics. Then we turn to the matter of Roy Hodgson and England to revisit the talking points established pre-tournament to consider what next for Roy Hodgson and whether his term - revolution - reflects real substantive change and whether he will be given the patience to see this change through and lead England to Brazil 2014 with fresh wind and more open ideas. We also look at the tactical decisions made in this tournament, the failure to mark Andrea Pirlo in the quarterfinal and whether that was a Hodgson decision, failure to by players in terms of execution or whether a retreating back line was responsible for allowing Pirlo to dominate this match.

Anto is joined by writer and director Pablo Miralles of a brand new film that chronicles how the USA and Mexico soccer rivalry reflects the historical and current social and political issues between the two countries. The movie is titled Gringos At The Gate, a feature documentary, which examines the US–Mexico divide through the lens of their intense soccer rivalry and will lead off the Kicking + Screening film festival starting on June 27th in New York City, the premier festival which celebrates the merger of cinema and soccer in the world today. The story of Gringos at the Gate begins in late 2008 when filmmaker Pablo Miralles teamed up with fellow UCLA film school grads, award winning documentarian Michael Whalen and Mexico City native and director Roberto Donati, to produce a serious examination of the most intense soccer rivalry in North America. The result is a thorough, unbiased and entertaining look beyond the score lines and into the social and cultural conflicts that surround this truly unique international sporting event. For over three years the trio of Miralles, Whalen and Donati travelled across both countries, from the 2010 World Cup qualifiers in Columbus, Ohio and Mexico City to the 2011 Gold Cup Final in Pasadena, CA, interviewing current and former players, coaches and average fans in the street. Gringos at the Gate appeals to fans of the beautiful game as well as anyone interested in the complex issues surrounding the US–Mexico relationship. This project would not have been completed without the community support provided through the crowd-funding site Kickstarter and grants from Santa Clara University. Kicking + Screening Soccer/Football Film Festival brings together soccer and film enthusiasts to celebrate the beautiful game. K+S provides a forum for filmmakers, artists, and writers to showcase their work, uniting the millions of fans that make football the international phenomenon that it is. Tune in for some very interesting revelations and discoveries as this is a great sidebar piece to the film where we even discuss the role of history and the largely forgotten milestones that most US Soccer fans may not know, even today.

Anto is joined by world-recognized Spanish football journalist Sid Lowe from Donetsk where two monumental clashes now await the Spain National Team in its chase with history, trying to complete what no other team has done - winning back to back European titles as current holders of the World Cup. We examine the Italy and Croatia matches in the group stage along with the approach that Spain has taken under del Bosque who has taken the Barcelona approach into a more pragmatic and defensive version, revealing an uneasiness more amongst supporters than the team itself, a team which seems to be on its own bell curve while the other teams in the knockout rounds are being measured on their curve simultaneously. We gauge the truly defensive nature of this version of tiki-taka and how the wide football audience has largely misinterpreted the approach and has only failed to live up to misleading expectations, as the statistics bear out in all key areas. That starts with how every team Spain faces largely designs its approach on the basic premise of stopping them. We also examine the loss of David Villa, the absence of Carles Puyol and the current lack of width in the Spain attack and how the use of two holding players has clearly impacted how the Spanish lineup has emerged in 2012. We also discuss the massive match between Portugal and Spain and how it might just be the biggest match in this tournament as cultural and press loyalties will become incredibly divisive given that three Real Madrid starters, including Cristiano Ronaldo, will drive a certain wedge in how this contest is promoted and covered. Loads more here on emerging Spanish football economics including bank failures which will affect the price of capital, a new EPL TV contract with certain consequences both inside Spain and across Europe and whether rumblings between Barcelona and Real Madrid with UEFA for more midweek games might find even brighter inspiration. We also look at Malaga and its resolve this summer with Champions League football and the sad and tragic demise of Villarreal after relegation and what it might just mean for its future on the heels of losing its recently managerial appointment who passed tragically a day after being announced. A complete Spain supershow including a Lenin and McDonalds ideological collision straight out of Donetsk, Ukraine.

Anto opens the phone lines for the first Beyond The Pitch Live episode to speak with a number of our listeners and regulars to get their takes upon the end of the Euro 2012 Group Stage. Largely in focus is the Italy-England quarterfinal match that will dazzle all the neutrals, whether Cristiano Ronaldo can deliver Portugal to the promised land, clear German dominance throughout the competition and if Spain might just be laying in the weeds and will look to strike in the knockout rounds, But the big story here is the Italy-England blockbuster and we break down the key match ups, where each team has its edge and who exactly should emerge according to our listeners. The callers also include Nicolino DiBenedetto of Inside MLS and Matteo Bonetti of Milan Insider who offer their opinions on what Italy might do and a number of our regular listeners with some very interesting insights into the surprises and disappointments - from the Greeks, to a disappointing Netherlands, Sweden and Russia and what might be expected going forward in the tournament. Other big talking point are the powers in Group C in Spain, Croatia and Italy, the crazy goal sequence that denied Ukraine a goal over two poorly called decisions, whether the lack of real quality defenders is more of the issue than great goalscoring and how the star players themselves are beginning just now to assert themselves on this tournament.

Anto and Nico are joined by US Hall of Fame striker Eric Wynalda to take a look at the wonderful story that is Cal FC, which reached the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, only the second time an amateur team was successful in eliminating a Major League Soccer team in the history of the competition. Eric gives us an up-close look at what it took to assemble Cal FC, manage the team, the logistics that seemed to overwhelm its progress, and what his plans are for the future of the club. But even more importantly, we examine what the Cal FC experience means and has it served as a reflection of some of the shortcomings and weaknesses of how the soccer pyramid works in the United States. We also gauge what was the real successes for Cal FC and how many of these players falling within the cracks illustrate how the system continues to push players to the side who do not fit the logistics that exist within the US Soccer community regarding how talent is acquired. Also in focus is how management jobs continue to elude Eric Wynalda and why he is not considered, as well as how perceptions are misreading what his intentions have been with Cal FC and where Eric sees this opportunity leading to in the coming years. In particular focus is some of the shortcomings in the US player development process, elite player assignment and why some players become coached to a level of mediocrity rather than developing them to their strengths. This includes how the a number of entities including colleges, high schools and academy systems continue to fail to work in synergy and how local institutions seem to resist the development of elite players in the absence of more thoughtful best practices in existence in other countries where player development appears to bear fruit. Then we turn to the matter of the US National Team and the start of its World Cup qualification process for Brazil 2014 to examine whether the team is largely subject to the mentality issues that have plagued past squads, even after the management changes and all the resources allocated to the program. As always, Eric Wynalda has a fabulous take on how the United States could improve itself and shares numerous personal insights on how he thinks the sport can grow and learn from its past efforts both professionally and internationally. His thoughts on player development, the success of Cal FC and what it means, and how he has navigated the world of US Soccer and Major League Soccer with young players is more than worth a listen.