7 Thoughts On The Season Ahead

1. 

   Where will he fit in at the Lane?

   Confirmation came tonight that Spurs have indeed signed Rafael Van der Vaart from Real Madrid. The Dutchman is a decent player, a poor man’s Wesley Sneijder in my view, but that doesn’t make him a dud by any stretch of the imagination. I wonder though where exactly he’ll fit into the Spurs lineup, with the excellent Luca Modric already established as the club’s main playmaker, and Van der Vaart lacking the pace or power to really impose himself on the Premier League from wide areas. For 8 million euro he’s a player that’s sure to bolster Spurs attcking options as they face the rigours of a Champions League campaign for the first time. But I’m far from convinced he’ll make that much of a difference as the season progresses.

The Hot List

That winning feeling

Getting up for work on Monday morning is never a pleasant experience, but it’s even worse when you’ve stayed up late the night before. This time around though I had no qualms about making the sacrifice, knowing full well the horrors I’d face as my alarm went off to signify the dawn of another week in the office were worth it, just so I could witness the thrilling climax of the year’s final Major in golf. So, Martin Kaymer, you might have been responsible for me being in need of an extra cup of coffee to see me through another manic Monday, but I won’t hold it against you. In fact, you get the privilege of topping this week’s Hot List.

Hurling Balls* and Wayward Drives

A stunning stadium

- It’s been one of my busier sporting weeks, I guess anytime you end up at the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park in the space of a few days has to be categorised as such. As it turned out I was fortunate enough to get a ticket from a fellow blogger for the opening soccer match in the Aviva, where an Airtricity XI was no match for a Man United squad going through the motions. To say I learned anything from the encounter would be a stretch, but it did further emphasise the gulf in class between the haves and the have nots – even if the have nots are in the middle of their league season and still proved to be no match for a half baked United side that won 7-1. The highlight for me was marvelling at the scale and beauty of the Aviva itself. It truly is a wonderful stadium, fit for any sporting occasion no matter the scale, and let’s hope it plays host to many memorable matches in both rugby and soccer in the years ahead.

The Boss and the Hall* (via Joe Posnanski)

I wrote a blog last year about the New York Yankees and the extraordinary money the franchise was spending to bring the World Series back to the Big Apple. Well it worked, and the Yanks are looking good again this year atop the American League. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died this week aged 80 and it’s fair to say he was a colourful character. There were as many highs as there were lows for ‘The Boss’ in during his 37 years in charge. Check out this blog by SI’s Joe Posnanski on the merits of Steinbrenner’s prospective entry into baseball’s Hall of Fame, it’ll give you a flavour of what the guy was all about. And if this sparks your interest there’s a hell of a lot more out there to read about the guy.

Well, as you might expect from a man who was as polarizing as George Steinbrenner, there have been two kinds of stories I’ve been seeing the last couple of days. The first kind mostly ASSUMES that Steinbrenner will … Read More

via Joe Posnanski

World Cup 2010 – In One Fell Swoop

I was sent this today by the good folk at Simply Zesty and it’s well worth a look. If anything could round up the month long footballing extravaganza in one fell swoop then this is it. Enjoy.

To the Victor the Spoils

The final is almost upon us

There are a couple of things we know for certain ahead of the World Cup final on Sunday. One is that Englishman Howard Webb will referee the big game, after having what many, including FIFA quite clearly, consider to be a commanding and controversy free tournament. Webb’s standing on the international stage is still a lot higher than it is back in England of course, numerous errors in the Premier League over the past 18 months tarnishing what was once a stellar reputation. Ask any Newcastle fan about Webb for example, and they will point to a game towards the end of season 2008-’09, when he disallowed a perfectly good goal that would have given the Magpies a vital win over Fulham. The error sent them down.

And Then There Were Eight

Spain still on track for glory

Tomorrow, June 30th, will be the first day since the World Cup began over two and a half weeks ago that there won’t be any live football on. The group stages have been and gone, and with Spain’s victory over their Iberian neighbours Portugal tonight, the last 16 has been whittled down to 8. Time for the serious stuff to start, for the remaining sides to step up to the plate and strive to claim their place in history. And you can keep up to date with all the action on the go with the AP 2010 World Cup from Nokia’s Application Store, The Ovi Store. By way of a guide to the eight contenders left standing in World Cup 2010 here’s a run down on the current star in each line up.

World Cup Groups

Top scorer in the making? David Villa has three already

So there we have it. 32 teams started out on June 11th and two weeks later we’re down to the last 16. Gone are both finalists from four years ago, France and Italy. Still alive are so-called minnows of the global game like Slovakia and Japan. One thing this World Cup has not been is predictable. With the dust settled on the last round of group games here are a few thoughts on the action so far.

In it to win it

Five correct answers and this could be yours

So I’ve received a prize to give away to one of my readers. And it has really come at a great time because A Sporting View is going from strength to strength, and the blog has gained a really loyal following in the year its been up and running. It’s the perfect way to say thanks to one of my lucky readers. The prize is a cool one too, a Vodafone Mobile Broadband Dongle that comes with one month’s credit – meaning you can take the net with you while you are on the move and stay connected with family, friends and maybe A Sporting View too. In order to be in with a chance of winning simply answer the five questions that I’m setting out below, no surprises that they’re all of a sporting theme and focus on stellar performances in keeping with Vodafone’s broadband coverage. Leave your answers in the comments section at the bottom of the page or alternatively you can send your answers to me on Twitter – you’ll find me here. Best of luck everyone.

The Hot List

Will he stay or will he go?

Perhaps it was a weekend where the focus of most sports fans was not what it might have been. The weekend directly before a Saturday featuring not just the Heineken Cup Final, but also the Champions League decider can have that effect. But it was still noteworthy on many levels nonetheless. Check out this weeks hot list to see who’s making the sporting headlines for all the right reasons and those for whom it was a weekend to forget.