Opening the 2013-14 Premier League season

This weekend the best league in the world is finally starting! And it will surely be an interesting season with all the new signings and deals. One of the most interesting aspect, more than the eternal rumours of high-level transfers, are the many new high-level managers in Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea. And personally, I believe the winner of the league will be among one of these three.
Manchester City is perhaps my favourite to win the championship. With Manuel Pellegrini they will have one of the best managers in the world, and hopefully he can create harmony in a team with stars such as Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta, Samir Nasri, Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Edin Dzeko. On top of it, the team has just bought the fashionable Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo, so they will at least be one of the most interesting sides to follow.
Chelsea will also be a title contender, and what most people will be watching is surely Jose Mourinho's return to his old club. Hated and loved, he is surely one of the most controversial figures in football, and expectations will be high. The team has not changed that much since he was there, except for the notable absence of Didier Drogba. But perhaps Mourinho is the man to get the best out of Fernando Torres, Oscar and Eden Hazard.
Manchester United is starting a new era with David Moyes as manager. He will undoubtedly face pressure in the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson, who said goodbye to the job with the title. While surely still a strong team, they have vainly been looking for reinforcements this summer.  Much will rely on some of their current stars such as Robbie van Persie and Antonio Valencia, while the rumours about Wayne Rooney's possible exit only seem to give the side instability.
Arsenal will not win the title. Under Arsene Wenger they continue to be one of the most interesting sides to see young super talents play at the highest level, but the fans, eager for a title, seem exasperated at not having a major signing. For me, this just shows how little appreciation Arsenal fans have for a side that even with a major signing, would not be likely to take the title.
Tottenham is surely one of the most interesting sides. Having finished fifth last season the club has ambition for more, and have made two big signings with Roberto Soldado, coming from Valencia, and the super-talented Paulinho, who caught the attention of Europe after the Confederations Cup, but who had been brilliant for Corinthians for a couple of seasons already. It seems unlikely that they will be able to keep Gareth Bale, who is likely to join Real Madrid, but they are surely a team to watch nevertheless.
Everton will also be starting the season with a new coach, Roberto Martinez, after David Moyes signing for Manchester United. They have not made major signings until now, but rumours say that Marouane Fellaini may be on his way to Manchester United. Like their neighbours Liverpool FC, Everton is unlikely to make much headway this season.
Liverpool are fallen giants, and most news from the club have been about the Luis Suarez soap opera. Really, they should just let the clown go... In the meantime, the club has tried to reinforce themselves with Aly Cissokho from Valencia, and are in the bid to get the Brazilian Willian, from Shakhtar Donetsk.
There are other teams that will surely be interesting to watch and who can play against any opponent (this is what makes it the best league in the world!): Swansea under Michael Laudrup  has ambition for more having been able to retain Michu. Sunderland under Paolo Di Canio has been upgrading its side with the signing of Josy Altidore, while West Bromwich Albion has gotten veterans such as Diego Lugano and Nicolas Anelka.
Be sure there is a great season ahead of us!

Heart attack!

This morning I went running 10 Km in Caracas, and just came home to watch the last round of the Premier League.
Surely, the Premier League was closer to giving me a heart attack in what was perhaps the most spectacular league ending in many years!
Manchester United and Manchester City were at level points, but due to goal difference, Manchester City had the best chance: by winning at home against Queens Park Rangers, they would be champions, while United had to defeat Sunderland, and hope Manchester City did not win.
Manchester United won 1-0, and it seemed for a long time that they would again be champions. But as crazy as the season has been for City, as crazy was the match against QPR.
Manchester City was totally dominant, but a bit nervous, and only ahead 1-0 at half-time. Still, one had the feeling this could not go wrong, but in the second half Djibril Cisse equalized for QPR after a huge error in defense by Joleon Lescott. Still, City continued to dominate, and one was expecting a goal for the home side even more after Joey Barton, behaving like a wild animal (let us see what the Premier League will do about this) was shown a red card, further weakening his side.
But football is unpredictable, and in a sudden counterattack (and QPR had only three shots on goal in the match!), Jamie Mackie brought the away team ahead, and suddenly it looked like the title would go to the other Manchester side.
But what characterizes a great side, is willpower. Against a defensive wall, City continued to press forward. They were still down by one when five minutes extra time were announced. After one of their numerous corners, Edin Dzeko got in a header, and with 2-2, City put all forward. And in the dying seconds of the match Sergio Aguero turned the threatening disappointment to unlimited glory: getting a through ball into the area, he hammered in the winner that gave Manchester City their first title since 1968.
What a glorious end to the Premier League season, confirming that it is truly the best league in the world.
And well, I can only imagine what all those Manchester City fans have been going through! A few years ago it seemed an impossible dream that they would ever win a league, and now they have won the title ahead of their eternal rivals from Manchester United!
What a glorious party they must be having!

The beach ball goal

I was in a pub in Århus, casually, and started watching the Premier League match between Sunderland and Liverpool. Not long into the match, saw one of the strangest goals I have seen: Glen Johnson shot on goal for Sunderland, and a beach ball that had been thrown onto the pitch got in the way of the ball, changing its trajectory into Liverpool's goal.
Considering that Liverpool lost 1-0, this goal is of great importance (and forget that Liverpool was quite bad - nobody will remember that - only the goal!) for a Liverpool team that is probably not going to win the Premier League this season. The referee has been critiziced for allowing the goal, but the rules are not clear.
What a strange goal!

Liverpool on top

Liverpool won again to take the top of the Premier League for a few hours, before Manchester United defeated Sunderland 2-1 to take the top spot again. 17-year old Federico Macheda saved Manchester United for the second weekend in a row, and if they become champions, he may well be creditted for being one of the architects behind it!
But at least the Premier League is very interesting this season!

Obama and West Ham

The president of the US, Mr. Barack Obama was in London for the G20 summit this week. This has been reported widely, and this is not what I would like to dwell on here, but more on the fact that Mr. Obama apparently has a small football-fanatic heart in there, as he apparently supports the London side West Ham United.
It is always a bit obscure why people support certain teams, and this is one of the more obscure ones, although it certainly doesn't beat that Mr. Osama Bin Laden apparently is a fervent Arsenal supporter.
Anyway, I am not sure this makes any difference for West Ham, who yesterday defeated Sunderland 2-0, to move up to 7th place in the Premier League.