David Beckham: Good but not Great...

David Robert Joseph Beckham

Like many people from my generation, David Beckham was one of the first footballers I grew up idolizing. Back in 2002 when I was a spiffy ten year old, ‘Beckham Mania’ for lack of a better phrase was spreading vehemently across the world. It was hard to not be bitten by ‘Beckham Mania’ growing up and naturally, I too was smitten.

It became all the more difficult to turn my attention away from David Beckham.

He was everywhere and well on his way to superstardom.

David Beckham’s free kicks in particular mesmerised a generation. While his oft changing hairstyles appealed more to the feminine gender, to the male gender, Beckham was what made every high school kid who managed to slot a free kick past me, pretend they were the man from Leytonstone.

Beckham was a good player, I agree.

But he was never a great player.

This is not demeaning Becks in any way. Not to say he hasn’t achieved great things in his career. Not many names come to mind when I think about players who’ve won league titles in four different countries. Beckham’s done that, he's the first Englishman to win titles with Manchester United in England, with Real Madrid in Spain, with the LA Galaxy in the United States and most recently with Paris Saint-Germain in France.

In fact take another look at the clubs Beckham played for – United, Real Madrid, Milan, and PSG – you have to be exceptionally gifted to play your football career at top clubs across the globe. I for one, like many others won't ever have that honour to suit up for the best in Europe. But Beckham did that. During his off season training stints at Arsenal and Tottenham, Beckham often received praise as one of the finest professionals and greatest influencers of the game of football.

At an international level, David Beckham has been a better marketing campaign rather than a football player. But don’t get me wrong, he’s achieved success with England too – that free kick against Greece at Old Trafford in 2001, singlehandedly sending England to the World Cup 2002. But like a bunch of his England team mates during the “Golden Age of English Football” he was missing when 

he was needed the most.

What did Beckham do against Argentina at World Cup ’98, against Brazil at World Cup ’02, or against Portugal at Euro ’04 and at World Cup ’06?

Next to nothing; the English came out beaten on every one of those occasions.

What did David Beckham win with the England National Team? Nothing!

It’s true that without Beckham’s corner kicks against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wouldn’t have written his name into United folklore. The Premier League wouldn’t have been as exciting as I remember it back in the early 2000’s had Beckham not been running up and down United’s right wing, knocking in a few very memorable goals.

"Beckham soares, Sullivan off his line..."

That goal against Wimbledon on opening day of the 1996/97 was symbolic of Beckham's legacy. He had the talent to mesmerize every ten year old. He had the stage, the biggest of them all. And if you think Beckham's goal against Wimbledon was a one off thing, he did it once again, in 2008, with the Los Angeles Galaxy against the Kansas City Wizard.

Talent.

Don't get me wrong, David Beckham will always be one of the first footballers I adored. Absolutely adored. And if you think he did nothing after leaving Real Madrid, you definitely have it wrong. Beckham did what Beckham does best: market the sport. He wasn't all flashy in most games I remember watching, even with just Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan as the stars on the team. He was extremely effective off the pitch though, and largely the reason why Thierry Henry and players like Torsten Frings and the likes came to North America. In my mind, it’s a move that even helped rescue Beckham from his state of obscurity. He was once again the star; once again the man of the moment. David Beckham, the way David Beckham likes it.                                 

David Beckham brought football to America, and like his goal against Greece in 2001: it'll never be forgotten.

Eighty five Manchester United goals in total; but his name was never in the forefront. That honour went to his teammates, in particular an enigmatic Frenchman Eric Cantona. Beckham was part of Manchester United’s famous ‘Class of 92’ that former the heart and soul of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side. However, it’s fellow teammates Paul Scholes, who announced his second retirement this summer and the evergreen Ryan Giggs who remain truly legendary. Even in Madrid, Beckham was overshadowed by the likes of his teammates Zinedine Zidane, Raul, Luis Figo and a certain Ronaldinho, around who rivals Barcelona built their team after Beckham turned them down in 2003.

I’ll give Beckham credit once again, he did make the jump to the MLS, a move that drastically changed the fortunes of football in North America. The MLS is a thousand times better than it was half a decade or so ago.

David Beckham will be a role model for my generation for the foreseeable future, and it’s something Beckham has worked towards.

But sometimes I’ve often wondered what might have been for Beckham.

I for one, blame his wife Victoria Adams for the glitz and glamour that surrounded Beckham wherever he went. The Beckham’s realised their potential and cashed in, and you can’t really hold them at fault for that. What I do hold Beckham at fault is for letting that get in the way of his game.

Many a time, I sit back and compare Beckham to Paul Scholes and wonder what if? David Beckham accomplished a ton of things that he should be proud of. He won numerous accolades at the club and individual level. He's won football matches time and again, almost single-handedly. He had millions of adoring fans; of which I am one.

David Robert Joseph Beckham: Good! But not great!

David Moyes Would Make a Capable Successor for Sir Alex Ferguson

The Master and his Successor?

It’s easy to see why David Moyes is so highly touted as Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor at Manchester United. No body comes close to comparing to the stature of Sir Alex, but Moyes probably comes the closest.

The two are almost identical. They both hail from the industrial town of Glasgow in Scotland and both bring a taste of the 'Old Firm' derby with them to Manchester: Sir Alex played for Rangers, Moyes laced up for crosstown rivals Celtic.

Now the word ‘legend’ gets used a lot in professional sports. But it’s a befitting word to describe 'legendary' Sir Alex Ferguson. The 71 year old Scotsman officially called it quits after almost 27 seasons in charge of the world’s biggest club, officially putting to bed months of speculation regarding his future. Wednesday put an end to one of the biggest sagas in professional football.

Well, all but one saga: Who is going to replace Ferguson at Old Trafford?

The club and CEO David Gill have made numerous references that it will be Everton boss David Moyes who gets the top job. But like a cliché that never seems to get old, there’s a lot of speculation out there regarding Ferguson’s eventual successor.

Will it be Jose Mourinho and his unique charisma behind the bench? Or perhaps Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp, who’s almost single handedly turned around Dortmund’s fate, guiding them to successive Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012. Perhaps you prefer Paris Saint-Germain bench boss Carlo Ancelotti?  Or outgoing Bayern Munich manager Jupp Heynckes?

The list goes on.

David Moyes doesn’t appear to be everyone’s favourite candidate for the Old Trafford job. He may not be someone who's won major accolades with Everton. But that's partly because Moyes ran into the Ferguson juggernaut while he was in Merseyside. What that wily 50 year old Scotsman has done with Everton in over a decade with limited resources is a joy to marvel at.

When Ferguson arrived, he was just a 44 year old Scotsman waiting to make the jump onto the biggest stage.

It's safe to say he did.

Moyes is not much older that Ferguson when he arrived at the club back in 1986. The resemblance is almost uncanny one might say. The Everton boss has a proven track record in the transfer market and like Fergie, he makes good players better players through coaching: Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka, Marouane Fellaini, Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill immediately pop into mind.

Adding to Moyes' already impressive repertoire is his ability to know when to remain calm and when to lose his temper; and that, to use yet another cliché, is a list that goes on.

Now I wouldn’t mind Jose Mourinho taking over at Old Trafford. The 'Special One,' who’s indicating he might be leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season, has even flirted with the idea of wanting the Old Trafford hot seat. The thing about him though, he's too erratic and would probably mess the ethic Ferguson has created at Old Trafford. Mourinho wouldn’t be a manager to respect the ethic that the club is bigger than the individual: he hasn’t quite done that during his time at Chelsea, Inter or Real.

But Mourinho is a winner.

During David Moyes' 11-year reign, teams like Birmingham, Swansea and Portsmouth have all won major trophies, unlike Everton. That’s about the only thing that seems to be a disadvantage for Moyes: a gamble you could say compared to hiring someone like Mourinho or Klopp, who’ve won titles in the recent past. Make no mistake, it won’t be smooth sailing for Manchester United under Fergie's successor, whoever he maybe, as he tries to live up to the greatest manager the beautiful game has ever seen.

Back in Germany, Jurgen Klopp has worked marvels in Dortmund, but still remains inexperienced when it comes to the English game. If you watch and analyze the Bundesliga, you'll find numerous differences between the two leagues. Still, in Klopp's favour, his Dortmund side play a fast paced, attacking brand of football; something the red half of Manchester is more that familiar with.

Sir Alex Ferguson will definitely have a say in who replaces his at the club. It was always going to be that way. I'm not expecting that the club I grew up watching on television will end up as treble winners next season. No! That would be an added bonus if anything.

While the club will hire the candidate that they feel best fits the job description, there will always be people out there who seem to think they have a better idea. Opinions, like the fine wine we know Sir Alex tends to enjoy on occasion, vary.

It's an exciting time to be a football fan. For Manchester United fans, it's an exciting and nervous time moving forward. The world now awaits official confirmation on who will take up one of the most hallowed seats in football management.

It’s going to be David Moyes in the Old Trafford hot seat next season.

And you probably won't like it.

London Knights in a Must Win Situation

Barrie Colts forward Andreas Athanasiou

The next sixty minutes or so, will make or break the London Knights chances at an OHL title. The Knights travel to Barrie once again, this time for a must win game four against the Colts at the Molson Centre.

For ex-Knights' forward Andreas Athanasiou, it's been a series to remember so far. The Detroit Red Wings fourth round pick in 2012 is the only player to register goals in all three games so far this series.

He's gone from being another Knights' alumni, to major concern for Dale Hunter and his troops.

"It's great to see him doing well," said sophomore Knights' forward Bo Horvat. "We played with him last year but that's the past. Right now he's just another player on their team and we want to stop him."

Stop him they need to. Athanasiou has three points this series, all goals, two of them coming at the arena he once called home, the Budweiser Gardens. Along with Mark Scheifele, Athanasiou is fast propelling the Colts to their first OHL title since the 1999/2000 season.

London effectively utilized home ice advantage and last change, to effectively shut down Scheifele. The 2011 Winnipeg Jets first rounder was at his stellar best when the Colts had last change Monday evening, not having to play against London's shut down line. He finished with 2 goals, and 3 assists that night, his second multi goal game of these playoffs.

"Everyone was working their hardest," said Scheifele. "Everyone was creating chances I think. That pulled of pressure of everyone giving us time to relax and make the play we want."

“We weren't too sharp,” added London's versatile utility man Tyler Ferry. “Next game, we don't have last change and we're going to work as a group and collectively shut them down. (We) just got to get up for the challenge."

For London, game four is a challenge.

For Barrie, it's a chance to pile pressure on London like never before.
The last time the Knights faced elimination from the OHL playoffs was over two years ago, on April 3, 2011, when the Owen Sound Attack beat the Knights in six games en route to thier first OHL title.

Puck drop Wednesday evening from the Barrie Molson Centre is 7:35pm.

Image Credit: Yahoo Sports.

Knights Beat Colts, Even OHL Finals

One shift was all the London Knights really needed.

They were gone in (almost) sixty seconds, as Seth Griffith and Bo Horvat scored 57 seconds apart to begin the second period. The Knights dictated tempo from then on, en route to a 4-1 victory in front of 8,985 at the Budweiser Gardens.

Dale Hunter put the Griffith, Horvat and Tyler Ferry line to start the middle frame. 18 seconds later, the deadlock was broken, Horvat finding Griffith who went high on Barrie netminder Mathias Niederberger's stick side.

"Back to back goals like that quick give our bench a lot of momentum," said Griffith. "We carried it throughout the whole game. In the third we let up a bit, we just got to keep it up for the whole game."

Griffith has gradually gotten back to top form, sitting at a point a game in these playoffs (7G, 9A) after missing the end of the regular season with a broken bone in his hand. The Boston Bruins prospect ensured the victory when he buried the empty net goal late in the game. He came close to bagging another empty netter, and a hattrick, when he sent the puck down the length of the ice, but was just wide.

"I saw the puck in the air and just batted it down. I felt pressure behind me," added Horvat, describing his unassisted goal, which turned out to be the game winner. "He [Barrie's Zach Hall] took me down but I'd seen the puck lying in front of me as I went down and tried to throw it on net. Fortunately, it went in."

It was Horvat's second multi point game in these playoffs. The Rodney, ON native has 14 points (10G, 4A) heading into his NHL Draft year.

The Knights spent a lot of time in the second period on the powerplay, as the Colts had trouble staying out of the box. Nine minor penalties were dished out to Barrie, which sent London on the 5 on 3 advantage twice in the second period.

“The period just turned terrible for us,” Colts head coach Dale Hawerchuk said. “It was surprising, especially after we played so well in the first. We scrambled after that, trying to make things happen
in certain situations, giving up odd man situations against."

To Barrie’s credit, their penalty kill held the Knights to just one powerplay goal, scored by Brett Welychka, his first playoff goal in nearly 14 months, off a goalie interference call on ex-Knight Andreas Athanasiou.

Anthony Stolarz bounced back from a poor Game 1 performance, stopping 22 of 23 Sunday night. His bid for a shut out was ended when Athanasiou scored shorthanded in the third period while his team was killing a major penalty to Anthony Camara.

Camara was given a five-minute major for charging and game misconduct for a late hit on Max Domi and could be facing further discipline from the OHL.

“It was a hit that he wishes he could take back,” said Knights coach Dale Hunter. “I watched the replay on it, and he left his feet and he hit the head. It was one of those hits that after you do it, you realize you shouldn't have done it."

Hawerchuck didn't make any comment on the hit, saying he didn't see it.

Mathias Niederberger stopped 41 of 44 shots, 24 of which came in that second period alone. Barrie meanwhile managed a meagre four shots on net in the second.

The Knights haven’t lost twice yet in this year's playoffs. Last year, they dropped games 2 and 3 of their second-round series against the Saginaw Spirit.

The best-of-seven series now shifts to Barrie with a quick turnaround Monday night from the Molson Centre in Barrie.
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SUMMARY

Knights 4, Colts 1
OHL FInals tied 1-1
London goals: Seth Griffith (2), Bo Horvat, Brett Welychka
Barrie goal: Andreas Athanasiou

Barrie Colts Strike First in OHL Finals

Puck drop between the London Knights and the Barrie Colts

Call it deja vu. Almost.

The Barrie Colts struck first blood in the Ontario Hockey League finals, beating the London Knights 4-2 in game one Friday evening.

Unlike the Niagara IceDogs from last season, they didn’t need double overtime.

The Colts grabbed the second-period lead and held off a late Knights rally in front of 9,046 at Budweiser Gardens.

"That's the plan," said Colts head coach Dale Hawerchuk. "You come in here and try to win the hockey game, and the boys were able to do that. Mathias [Niederberger] had a great game for us."

Niederberger, a German native and overager for Barrie was a rock in net, stopping 40 of 42 shots, not counting the numerous blocked shots as London turned up the pressure late in the third period searching for a tying goal.

His counterpart, Knights' Anthony Stolarz stopped 24 of 27 shots, making this the fifth straight start where he's let in three or more goals.

Ryan Rupert opened the scoring for the defending champions early in the second period, after a terrific pass from captain Scott Harrington. Ex Knight Andreas Athanasiou wasted no time to make a mark on his return to London and tied things up two minutes later, leading to a barrage of boos from the London faithful.

“We had our chances and didn’t bury on them,” lamented a sombre looking Knights head coach Dale
Hunter, “and that was the difference.”

Needing two goals for most of the third period, London’s Alex Broadhurst beat Niederberger glove high on the power play off a Claude Lemieux penalty, bringing the Knights to within one, which changed momentum drastically. From then on it was all London, all the way, Barrie escaping after two massive glove saves and a shot off the framework late on.

"The guys had confidence in front of him [Niederberger]," added Hawerchuk. "There's good unity between the players and the goaltender, and he's the backbone for us."

“I think we did a great job keeping the shots to the outside,” Niederberger, who was also named first star said . “It was our plan and we did that really well. We tried to give up shots from the outside and the boys did a really good job with that making it easier for me."

Lemieux, son of ex NHL-er Claude ended up with the game winner on the powerplay barely two minutes into the final period. Future Winnipeg Jet Mark Schiefele added the insurance late on via the empty net goal.

“It’s a bit of a wake-up call for us,” said Knights' Seth Griffith said. “I think (losing Game 1 is) going to make us play that much harder over the next couple of games.”

Game two of the OHL's Western Conference final did just that for London. They rallied back with two six goal outings in Plymouth to beat the Whalers in five straight.

Expect the Knights to come out in game two with a lot more shots on net. They went into the Kitchener and Saginaw series knowing that constantly peppering Saginaw's Jake Paterson and Kitchener's John GIbson would eventually lead to mistakes from the netminder.

And it did.

"On the powerplay we passed the puck too much," added Broadhurst. "We were getting too cute. Against Plymouth we shot every puck, going hard to the net. Now we had defenceman shooting the puck but no one at the net [for the rebound], that's got to change."

"We got to block a few more shots too, just like they did at key moments of the game," he added.

The Knights were without winger Josh Anderson and Matt Rupert, both still nursing lower body injuries.

Game two goes Sunday evening at 7:05 from the Bud Gardens.
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SUMMARY:
Colts 4, Knights 2
Barrie leads OHL championship series 1-0
Barrie goals: Andreas Athanasiou, Anthony Camara, Brendan Lemieux, Mark Scheifele (EN)
London goals: Ryan Rupert, Alex Broadhurst

London Knights move on to the OHL Finals

London Knights goalie Anthony Stolarz (R) and Paxton Leroux (51) join the celebrations at the Budweiser Gardens

Max Domi scored 20 seconds into overtime as the London Knights beat the Plymouth Whalers 5-4, in a thrilling yet nervous encounter. Domi had also opened the scoring at 9:24 in the first period, and finished with five points and a plus 2 rating.

Alex Broadhurst had two goals while Bo Horvat rounded out the scoring for London. who led 4-1 after two periods of play. The Whalers would come back midway in the third with goals from Garrett Meurs, Rickard Rakell and Gianluca Curcuruto, forcing the extra period of play in front of 9,046 at the Budweiser Gardens.

Ryan Hartman had the Whalers other goal.

Plymouth outshot London 41-34, the Whalers pelting Anthony Stolarz with 40 plus shots for the fourth successive game in the series.

“The last two games, their (London’s) power play was clicking,” Plymouth GM and coach Mike Vellucci said. “They got the timely goals. They scored some big goals. They (the Knights) play a good brand. They rope-de-dope you, put you to sleep and boom, they get a two-on-one or a breakaway."

The Knights now return to the OHL Championship series for the second straight year, where they will face either the Barrie Colts or the Belleville Bulls.  The Bulls beat the Colts 3-1 on Friday night, and now trail the series 3 games to 2. Game Six of that series goes down on Saturday in Barrie.
The Knights found a way without Josh Anderson, who missed Game 5 with a lower-body injury. They were also without Matt Rupert, who was great all season against the Whalers.

Knights assistant coach Dylan Hunter took a puck in the eye in the first period, sat out the second and returned to the bench with four stitches for the third period.

“He thought he was done with stitches,” his dad Dale joked.

“He looks good,” Domi added.

Just like the Knights cup chances.