Beyond The Pitch

Just days away international football correspondent John Duerden joins for a special episode designed to examine the key nations, players and story lines facing the 2015 Asian Cup as teams arrive in Australia for their final tune ups and the group stage matches are set to start. We take a look at the favorites in Japan, Australia and South Korea who will surely have much to say throughout the tournament, but also explore whether Iran and some of the emerging West Asian powers could leave their mark including the likes of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE who each come to the competition with their own regional stars who have featured prominently in the AFC Champions League and still offer a bit of mystery and intrigue borne from an evolving status in the world game and old rivalries that began in the early symbolic days of the AFC Asian Cup. We also take a look into some of the key players who could shape this tournament, whether they are established in Europe or remain regional stars, and consider whether Iran might just be the serious dark horse to consider once the tournament gets past the group stage. As always, AFC football is a complex and high-energy affair with so many great match ups and rivalries to be had and we even take a look at some of the must-see fixtures in the early rounds. What the AFC Asian Cup may lack in history and the long standing traditions found in Copa America, Africa Cup of Nations or the European championship, it more than makes up in the areas of ambition, diversity and emerging presence in the world game and many believe 2015 is where the tournament truly realizes its mainstream ascent at last.

With the group stage complete and the draw delivered for the Round of 16 for the Champions League, international broadcaster and commentator Tim Caple joins the show to give us a look at the favorites, factors and top level analysis of a rather straight forward knockout round with very few of the match-ups having much suspense. We also examine a few of the Europa League ties where there is history and some fascinating draws in the Round of 32, with particular attention spent on clubs with a track record in that competition and some evenly split contenders. With Real Madrid and Bayern Munich cast as the class of the competition, the Champions League might be short on drama, but there are factors to be considered for PSG and Chelsea, as well as whether Luis Enrique can get Barcelona on top form come the time that the competition resumes. Dortmund and Juventus arrive on the scene with their own sense of history in tact from 1997, but questions will be raised yet again for the loser of this two-legged decider. Also in focus is the verdict hanging over both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Laurent Blanc for a PSG brimming with skill and class if not determination, a Chelsea side that is primed for dark horse status with a favorable draw and a Monaco squad short on chances yet strong in defence which will present its own set of challenges for the likes of Arsenal and a Porto side which will test giant killers Basel who once again reach a critical stage.

With a volatile top three in Serie A and five clubs harboring designs on a Europa League bonus prize of the Champions League in 2014-15, signs in Italy point to a very interesting and active transfer window starting in January, with some of the biggest names in club football all chasing what could be a free for all for many teams with targets on the UEFA TV revenue and more. This is part one of a two part weekly edition of the show where the player movement is already happening as details are in store for early movers including the likes of Napoli and Sampdoria who have begun to open their checkbooks for new offensive weapons. This is the clear deficiency being address for a number of clubs such as two Milan sides with anemic options at striker, Fiorentina and Roma who may mobilize their fortunes on two fronts with consistent goal scoring an ongoing concern. Our contributor David Amoyal from Gianluca DiMarzio.com gives us the inside look from inside Italian football as we take a look at some trends, some potential deal, the ongoing push and shove over some key names discussed amongst the clubs and what each may target as spring looks to be a serious and complex battle for top three and the allure of a new path to the riches of the Champions League. This includes some surprise contenders, key moves that involve the likes of Cassano and Pazzini as well as some of the smaller clubs with young and valuable talent who could represent the line between success and failure by May.

As weekly events unfold in the Premier League, it is clear that only one team has proven to be consistent at the early stages of the season while the rest are left to battle a weekly push and pull between supporters and media, creating a volatile and often hostile reaction while the specter of a new reality inside American soccer appears on the horizon. In part one of this episode, digital media expert Doron Salomon helps us untangle the new reality inside the English game where the weekly grill and analysis has descended into a prisoner of the moment outcome that wants instant answers and casualties from clubs to managers to players. We examine the issues surrounding Arsene Wenger, Brendan Rodgers, Alan Pardew and others as the weekly evaluation has gone from the sublime to the outraged and try to calculate what impact it is having both in terms of perception and the ongoing parade of opinions that are fueling some high profile incidents between fans and club managers. We also examine the social media exploits of Mario Balotelli as well as the persistent questions surrounding Louis van Gaal at Manchester United involving his acclimation to the league as well as some crossed wires between the message he wants conveyed and what may lurk behind the scenes in terms of transfer strategy. In part two, Nico DiBenedetto joins the show to discuss the retirement of Landon Donovan as Major League Soccer turns the corner with massive questions face not only MLS as it seeks to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement, but also what its downstream effects may mean for the NASL and other important parts of the professional club structure in North America. We look at the key question of how the midlevel player often dictates the strength of the player pool inside a league and how market forces and the commodity price for talent will shape not only MLS but also the other leagues who have now begun to register a viable alternative as they seek to close the gap on two important fronts - the relative national footprint, TV rights deals and, of course, match day experience. This includes a look at national alignment of conferences as well as a very interesting battle inside the New York marketplace where expansion and the case of the Red Bulls will now begin to clash with the star power of the New York Cosmos as Raul arrives on the scene.

As we head towards winter football two very important areas of the world will gather much of the focus as both the Premier League and the 2015 Asian Cup will step front and center as many of the top domestic leagues with either settle upon a champion while others will step aside to begin their annual break as the weather conditions dictate as a rite of passage. We begin this episode with none other than Gary White, the national team manager for the island nation of Guam, who is deeply embedded in the Asian game from inside the stronghold of the AFC where the East Asian powers are all gathered to take a look at a ten year plan that has remarkably reached its target by placing Guam at the doorstep of regional recognition. We review his success at the recent EAFF second qualifying tournament, discuss the Asian Cup in terms of favorites and players to watch, as well his ongoing association with the EAFF Technical Support Group to determine the importance of this 2015 tournament in the region and its host nation significance as AFC football grows each and every four years on the heels of improving standards, programs with vision and new coaches who bring top ideas to the region. We also discuss his boyhood club Southampton and its rise to the Premier League through philosophy over personnel and what other clubs inside England can learn from its example as well as his career ambitions. In part two football correspondent Graham Ruthven helps us break down a key weekend in which the additional fixtures this week take extra significance as many of the top sides were in desperate need of points. Some clubs responded, others not so much, but underlining a rather difficult season for some big managers Arsene Wenger continues to ride his critics, questions persist about Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, and Manuel Pelligrini remain in sure focus as key objectives must be met, specifically in the realm of assuring a top four finish and getting out of the Champions League group stage. We also take a look at the volatile situation at Rangers FC in Scotland where Craig Whyte returned to Scotland to answer for questions regarding his financial irregularities while Rangers continues in freefall with respect to finances and a future that is once again uncertain.

In a week where club football resumed and Champions League Matchday 5 became a major talking point, we take a look at some of the key facets of the Premier League where both Arsenal and Liverpool have become huge and pressing issues as the future of their managers took center stage, then comes the aftermath of Milan Derby where two giants face more questions off the pitch than on it given the quality seen on Sunday night. We begin with football commentator and correspondent Ben Lyttleton on the tangled perceptions about Arsene Wenger as tactical and evolving criticism continues to solidify a narrative about what the club should do next and whether is future is indeed untenable as Arsenal lost a key battle at home to a Manchester United side seen as undermanned yet better prepared for that contest. We examine several key variables including whether the club is preparing for his departure in the near or distant future, whether he will begin to damage his reputation in the eyes of supporters the longer this perceived malaise continues, but always with a view towards how Wenger views his place in the club and whether these perceptions are misguided given the absolute power he wields within the football club and what exactly his targets are year to year. We also examine the fortunes for Louis van Gaal after a key win to determine if he has actually turned a corner or if more evidence is required, how the biggest story in the Premier League may just be the situation at Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers, whether the Balotelli situation might just be a clear barometer to his coaching style and if the problems for him at Anfield are just beginning before settling on a Southampton side that is now about to face its biggest challenge yet as winter football rounds into view. Then in part two, Italian football broadcaster Owen Neilson joins the show to take a look back at the upclose and personal view of a Milan Derby where the quality on the pitch could be questioned, but the spectacle and significance remains in tact. For both AC Milan and crosstown rivals Inter, the story off the pitch continues to dominate the analysis both in terms of the financial and competitive ramifications, however the issues continue to underline a clear and persistent thread about a plan that responds to ongoing constraints borne from being left out of the Champions League. We examine the situation for both Roberto Mancini and Pippo Inzaghi, how the fallout from the Derby concerns both managers and where the barometer truly lies for them. We also visit with two fabulous stories that emerged over the weekend as well, the ongoing exploits of Zdenek Zeman at Cagliari and the goal scoring milestone now reached by Antonio Di Natale who is just five goals away from Italian legend Roberto Baggio.

Now at the tail end of the last international break of the year, we take the show and look inside US Soccer for a last look at what transpired for Jurgen Klinsmann during 2014 and take a moment to review another new soccer book that probes the American Game as the MLS Season resumes to find a champion amid a number of pressing questions for both clubs and country. Up first is ESPN FC soccer correspondent Jeff Carlisle who help us unpack the last two friendly matches of the season against Colombia and Ireland, perhaps another short term setback as the US National Team is set to reload into another World Cup cycle with some massive questions both in terms of tone from its manager and style from his team. We examine recent statements from Klinsmann himself, his ongoing issues with some owners inside Major League Soccer, perhaps the conflicts he now has as Technical Director with a number of clubs who sense that their investment in youth has been undermined and then we take a deeper look into MLS Playoffs for the key talking points, some emerging players and two key narratives that will shape the matchups as Landon Donovan faces his last professional matches and Charlie Davies begins to shape the terms of his comeback. Then in the second segment new author Sean Reid gives us a look into his new book, Love Thy Soccer, and applies some of the insights he gathered both in terms of American soccer history and his nationwide search for what exactly is the fan experience in the United States. We discuss identity, challenges some major assumptions and even begin to frame some of the requisite steps before promotion and relegation can be applied in this environment. Also discussed is how globalization and commercial interests largely shape fan and supporter experiences in the marketplace, how the audience is shaped by technology and where the sport seems headed as structural ambiguities between league divisions and expectations remain in need of further clarity. From the history to the present day, this is a complete US Soccer episode as the club calendar resumes with key domestic challenges and some huge group stage matches in the Champions League are now set to resume in earnest.

As world football enters its last international break for 2014, three guests join us for a supershow dedicated to exploring what has been happening to the Premier League as some big names in the English game are showing more flaws than promise, Asia reloads for one last tune-up before the Asian Cup rounds into view and two Milan giants have yet to turn the tide. Up first, Anto is joined with his regular co-host Phil Brown from SiriusXM to take a deep dive look into some troubling statistics from the top Premier League teams at the break and what they seem to reflect both in terms of approach and their transfer market blind spots. While it still an entertaining product and several silver linings exist in the shape of West Ham, Swansea and Southampton, many of the top teams continue to struggle with a transition awash in TV money will no sense that football clubs with real balance and European muscle are being built as the wages and transfer fees continue to escalate. Then in part two, John Duerden joins us from South Korean to give us the view from Asia where a surprise package in Western Sydney Wanderers took the spoils in the AFC Champions League while a big move occurred behind the scenes at AFC giant Guangzhou Evergrande and its big name coach, Japan seems poised for yet another title chase that will go down to the wire between Urawa Red Diamonds and Gamba Osaka, and what many of the big Asian superpowers are facing as they head to the AFC Asian Cup in January. Then we make one final turn to Serie A with David Amoyal of GianlucaDiMarzio.com as two Milanese giants continue to deliver uneven results and fail to make headwind in their chase for Champions League football, particular at Inter where manager Walter Mazzarri has become a lightning rod and perhaps a symbol of a leadership team torn in two over production versus financials for Erick Thohir. We also explore the fortunes for Juventus in search of European success, ongoing trouble for Roberto Donadoni at Parma, and the reappearance of Mario Balotelli on an Italy squad under its own transformation under Antonio Conte and why he reached for the disgruntled Azzurri superstar who continues with his own struggles at Liverpool where his move has not yet proved to be effective.

A week that was ultimately shaped by the biggest club match in the world opens even more questions about a Champions League field that seems to narrow by each round of fixtures, and serves as the point where we begin to evaluate the top managers, the contenders as well as the prospects for the future as Carlo Ancelotti takes round one over Barcelona. In part one of the show, international sports broadcaster Tim Caple helps us dig into a Real Madrid that did not have to be at its best to overcome a Barcelona side clearly in transition under Luis Enrique as Luis Suarez samples the pressure and pageantry of El Clasico for the first time, and how yet again Carlo Ancelotti finds more ways to improve the fortunes for a Real Madrid side that will seek out Pep Guardiola and Bayern Munich as perhaps its sole challenger to the throne of European football. We also examine what Bayern must do this season under Guardiola and how the Bavarian side itself has begun to shape not only the Bundesliga, but also its own fortunes within Europe. We also evaluate whether Carlo Ancelotti should be regarded as the biggest manager in the sport given his track record of success. In the second segment Graham Ruthven unpacks yet another interesting weekend in the Premier League where there are more questions than answers and how so many teams appear to be in transition at some stage, and whether Chelsea has begun to show an unintended wrinkle while defending away results late in 2014-15. We examine the evolving fortunes for Southampton and Big Sam at West Ham United, as well as the ongoing questions for Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United under Louis van Gaal. We also examine the combined flaws for Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool at this early stage and consider whether crisis can be used at any of these clubs given the level of investment, changes and considerations of the flaws that each side seems to present with so much of the season to consider.

From the explosion of goals during midweek Champions League fixtures we tackle many different angles as Bayern Munich runs riot in Rome, Arsenal continue to struggle in obvious and predictable ways, while two sides of Milanese football are left on the outside of the elite tournament dealing with overdue answers to identity questions that have yet to be solved since their last triumphs in Europe. Our first guest is Janusz Michallik who tackles the ongoing issues inside Arsenal that appear year after year and whether the underlying critical mass might just be Arsene Wenger himself, then we get to the lightning rod himself Mario Balotelli who clearly has not endeared himself during his return engagement in the Premier League and we finish on the matter of Lionel Messi 2.0 ahead of El Clasico where the once subtle changes are becoming more productive with young hitman Neymar finally hitting full stride in Barcelona. Then we look at the matter of a rampant Bayern Munich with Susie Schaaf where all the pieces came together on one night for Pep Guardiola, just ahead of two key Bundesliga fixtures which could ultimately prove damaging to any sense of a title chase inside Germany this season. Dylan Butler weighs in on two great milestones for the New York Cosmos as legendary striker Raul appears on his way to the club in 2015 and how the chase to repeat as NASL Champion might just be built on solid defense this term. In the final segment Richard Hall gives us a look inside both Milan giants who share common symptoms in their chase for Champions League football once again, how Milan has latched its motor to a Keisuke Honda and we dig underneath the complex and controversial appointment of Carlo Tavecchio as FIGC President as Serie A and Italian football seeks to transform itself against a landscape of older bosses who speak of globalization and branding while new club presidents such as James Palotta look beyond the status quo and inside a race for third which might be the most fierce battle of all.

Nearing the end of an international break in which many surprises began to emerge both in Europe and in Africa for continental qualification, all the midweek attention soon descended upon the matter of Serbia-Albania where once again conflict and political agenda swept football aside for a moment to remind football that all cannot be solved by simply competing on a pitch. Stepping up at this critical juncture with Anto are Phil Brown and Nicolino DiBenedetto of the BTP team to discuss the matter of surprising results in Europe, starting with Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales, along with the troubling signs from the Balkans and the continued blind spot the UEFA tends to use when applying political reasoning to which teams can compete and which national teams are considered too risky for its competitions. We also touch on the matter of Roy Hodgson and Rahim Sterling and add a finishing touch of Roy Keane to close a week in which the former Manchester United hardpan continues to dominate the sports newsday quite like no other figure in the sport. Then up next Nicolino Di Benedetto who helps us untangle the Donovan and Klinsmann dynamic as the US Soccer icon prepares to leave the sport professionally, and how is legacy seems to be defined by the same ideological expectations that surrounded his career. Unfortunately, his failure to make the last cut for Brazil 2014 will always arouse thoughts about what his addition could have meant and serves to reaffirm just how linked Landon Donovan will be with Klinsmann as his career comes to a close. Then in part three, Claudia Ekai of SuperSport in Africa joins us for the first time to explore AFCON 2015 qualification from the top performers to the surprises and how a number of African players are stepping forward to express their recognition of how the European marketplace assesses their value to the game and why CAF needs to step up and deliver the goods with respect to marketing African football in a different light. We also explore calls from Morocco to postpone the tournament due to the Ebola virus gripping the continent and whether the CAF Champions League needs the same marketing push that the players need so importantly.

After another weekend of important action in the Premier League questions have emerged yet again regarding the dominance of Chelsea on this campaign and how Jose Mourinho clearly holds the upper hand over Arsene Wenger, but as we head to an international break we also take a look back at the rise of American Soccer over the last 30 years. First up, Ben Lyttleton joins the show to review and consider what transpired at Stamford Bridge in the marquee matchup between Arsenal and Chelsea and whether we learned anything more about the clubs is circumstantial as confrontation and the same mental mistakes for the visiting side were left in its aftermath. We also examine the Premier League race for cracks in the armor for the Blues, take a quick look at Tottenham and Everton and what should be their priorities with a Champions League slot awaiting the winner of the Europa League, and then we travel to Manchester City to discuss Yaya Toure and the ongoing challenge for Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool and Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford. Then in segment two, we engage three different contributors on the fortunes of AC Milan, Bayern Munich and the New York Cosmos as Anthony Lopopolo, Susie Schaaf and Dylan Butler all weigh in stateside. Then we turn to the matter of Soccer Diaries, the new book from Howler editor Michael Agovino who has authored an intriguing personal journey over the last 30 years starting at that point when the NASL and the first edition of the New York Cosmos went dark and how a generation worked to stay in touch with a sport that left the United States isolated from the rest of the world until globalization, technology and a new league with a rising national team re-introduced itself to a new generation. Easily the biggest supershow yet filled with loads of guests, insights and our first One World Sports Clubs segment designed to keep fans in touch with their club of choice.

Just as the Champions League fixtures define club football heading into another international break, all the talk around the Premier League centers on whether Wayne Rooney is captain material, whether some clubs have been struggling with identity and if Cristiano Ronaldo could be preparing the ground for a return to Manchester United. Deputy news editor from Guardian Sports Ed Aarons joins Anto in segment one to pick apart many of the results and key talking points that emerged over the weekend, starting with Wayne Rooney and his red card and whether the reaction is overblown and even perhaps a bit of over-reaction, then we explore the issues of whether Ronaldo could force a move back to Old Trafford. Also examined is surprise package Southampton, problems enduring for Alan Pardew at Newcastle and the always interesting matter of Massimo Cellino at Leeds United as new details emerge from Italy about his ongoing problems with the tax authorities who nearly sabotaged his attempts to purchase his latest club and offer a real chance of doing just that again. In part two, Doron Salomon helps us get further underneath the matter of Wayne Rooney at Manchester United where his standing and place at the club are under constant scrutiny for both reasons he can and cannot control, some due to his complicated relationship with the supporters, but more due to the evolving nature of what fans and supporters expect from a modern club captain. We also dig deeper into the matter of Ronaldo and whether he should or even could return to Manchester United, how ongoing problems for Arsenal stem from the all important side of Arsene Wenger that cannot deliver players to address the biggest holes in the squad, and how Spurs and Liverpool share some of the same ongoing symptoms having sold off world class players and replacing them at a great frequency while their managers are forced to deal with high expectations and fractured identities themselves. We also examine how Chelsea continues to dominate both on the pitch and in the transfer market and ask some very important questions of Manchester City on the heels of accumulating only one point after two rounds of group stage fixtures in the Champions League this season.

In a strange and often surreal week inside world football, both the Premier League and the powers that be inside the halls of FIFA House each found new ways to test the boundaries of expectation in very different ways, highlighted by a highly entertaining match between Manchester United and Leicester City and a bizarre sports conference in Zurich where Sepp Blatter lectured the world on ethics from inside the embattled organization that leads world football. First up is football correspondent Graham Ruthven who helps us explore the many facets of what transpired in a week where the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham, Manchester City and Chelsea could only muster two points, while Frank Lampard delivered a stunning equalizer that seemed to punctuate a very unusual weekend in England. We examine the unique challenge placed before Louis van Gaal as he is faced with a number of fabulous acquisitions, a largely unbalanced squad and a big problem on defence which was repeatedly exposed and perhaps even further compromised by some strange decisions by the match official, Mark Clattenburg. We also visit concerns for Manchester City in the Champions League, the ongoing issues for Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool and Roberto Martinez as they head to the Merseyside Derby, as well as the issues facing Arsenal and Tottenham as they, too, stage the North London Derby this weekend. Other clubs discussed include Chelsea which appears to be in pole position as long as Diego Costa remains fit and healthy, the surprise of the early season at Southampton and the unchanging circumstances at Sunderland where a number of unresolved questions has left the club near the relegation zone once again. In part two, David Larkin of ChangeFIFA helps us reflect on a bold and often surreal visit to FIFA Headquarters in Zurich for an Ethics Conference held in the midst of a watch scandal and how Sepp Blatter and the Garcia investigation intersect a number of odd declarations from the FIFA President on the matter of ethics in football administration. We visit the entire experience from a first hand account of how the spin fails to match the reality inside the embattled organization, and what ensues as key questions are delivered in the matter of Human Rights in Qatar, what should be the responsibility of sponsors in light of these abuses, and direct confrontation with Michael Garcia as his report on the biggest, final scandal is handed off to the judiciary wing of the FIFA Ethics process which seems as perverse as holding an ethics conference at its headquarters in the first place. The account is both revealing and troubling at the same time and serves as the backdrop to the many scandals which plague the world governing body and how evolving procedures only serve to tangle the scent on real accountability.

With Matchday One action on deck for both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, two fabulous commentators join the show to give us their early thoughts on how domestic action could shape up in the Bundesliga, Portuguese Liga, Eredivisie and Serie A where there has been lots of huge movement and ramifications on continental football. In segment one, Tim Caple joins the show to give us a deeper look at Pep Guardiola and Bayern Munich in year two, a year in which German football reached the pinnacle with a World Cup victory and how that may shape events for the Bavarian giants and whether Dortmund has indeed closed that massive gap between themselves and their chief rival. We also take a look inside Portugal as the three traditional giants all reinforced after massive sales of players in the off-season and finish with a Dutch league where PEC Zwolle launched itself into second place after beating PSV Eindhoven to gauge whether this is the point at which Ajax makes its usual surge under the leadership of Frank de Boer seeking yet another title. In segment two, Owen Neilson is back for another episode as we begin to examine the early stages of the Milanese revival under Pippo Inzaghi and Walter Mazzarri and if the first impressions have legs as Napoli continues to falter. Naturally, all eyes are on Champions League clubs Juventus and Roma who are sure to battle it out for the spoils in the wake of Antonio Conte moving on to the national team, so for now the questions center on a huge first checkpoint for Pippo Inzaghi as former Rossoneri manager Max Allegri will be out to avenge his difficult tenure at AC Milan, while bigger questions endure for the likes of Fiorentina, Lazio and Rafa Benitez who seems to be losing his way with the players inside Napoli.