Positively Shocking....

Soccer Maniacs!!!

Glad you're back for more soccer mania....This week/past weekend was simply amazing in the world of football.  Any surprises?  Well, there were a few here for me...  Lets just consider the 3-0 thrashing that Inter Milan took at the hands of hated rival AC Milan.  Instead of taking the lead in Serie A, Inter now trail by 5 points and slide into third place behind Napoli who trail AC Milan by 3 points.  If we continue to follow Inter from last week to this one, we can see a 5-2 smacking of Inter Milan by German side Schalke 04 in Champion's League play.  I surely didn't see that one coming, however, could Inter be on the verge of an April slump?  While soccer is a game that can reward peaking at the right time with great ascension, trophies, glory of crowd roars and fan adoration, a slump at the wrong time could leave your team with no hope for hardware, a new coach, and definitely some changes in team personnel being made in the off season.  On to other surprises....  Udinese, undefeated in 2011 finally took their first loss since before the Christmas break last weekend, a 2-0 loss to Lecce.  Positively shocking... after the great football they've been playing you kinda wanted to see them go on to do the same and see where they could end up....

 Pato scores two goals vs. Inter Milan in a 3-0 victory in the Milan Derby

But it doesn't stop there my maniacs....

  Lets look over to the Spanish league where we can find another shocking result in a tight race between La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.  While there was no surprise that Barcelona took care of business in its usual manner, defeating a solid team in Villarreal 1-0, Real Madrid took a shocking defeat at the hands of Sporting de Gijon 1-0 at home, giving Jose Mouhrino his first loss in a home match in over nine years!!!!  (That is an amazing home record by the way ladies and gentlemen.  His last home loss was back when he coached for Portuguese side FC Porto.  AMAZING & yet shocking at the same time) However in Champion's League for both teams, there were no surprises...  Barcelona simply blasted my final four favored dark horse in Shakhtar Donesk 5-1.  Meanwhile Real Madrid had no problems dispatching English side Tottenham 4-0, thanks to a two goal contribution from one of my favorites, Emmanuel Adebayor.  I was surprised that Shakhtar didn't put up more of a fight in the Camp Nou, but then again, who really does?  Teams rarely walk out with draws from that stadium, let alone wins.  But such is life in the world of soccer...

 Adebayor rises to the occasion vs. Tottenham this week in Champion's League play.

Speaking of England, how about giants Manchester United are beginning to peak!!! Shocked?  I'll admit that I am.  Talk about a well coached side...just when you think they are on the verge of a stumble, they put together a string of wins that simply impress.  Wayne Rooney in his last two matches has 4 goals.  A hat trick on the weekend in a 4-2 comeback win, which saw United down 2-0 at halftime, helped elevate Rooney's team to victory and a cushy 7 point lead in the EPL.  Meanwhile in Champion's League play, the Red Devils took a 1-0 victory over rivals Chelsea on the foot of Rooney.

 Wayne Rooney continues to impress after a hat trick in EPL and a goal in Champion's League Play

If Manchester United continue to pull out wins, they could be set to clash with the only other team that has a shot at the coveted treble - Catalan Giants Barcelona.  While Inter technically still have a shot at the treble, its not likely after this one week.  They will need a 4-0 victory over Schalke, AT Shalke in order to advance further in the Champion's League.  Not likely, but possible.  But in this great game we love, surprises abound....  What about France and Germany you say?  Well, pleasantly, there are no surprises there for me.  German League Borussia Dortmund leaders seem to be wrapping up the season, avenging a loss against Hannover on the weekend 4-1.  They maintain a comfy 7 point lead over next closest rival Bayer Leverkusen, who also won this weekend 1-0 over Kaiserslautern.  In France, Lille maintain their four point lead with a win over Caen, 3-1.  However they are trailed by powerhouse Olympic de Marseille, who also took 3 points with a victory over French Side Lens. 

While there are no guarantees in this game we love, to me, the commercial free 45 minutes per half of pushes, shoves, elbows, headers, skillful dribbling and hard-nosed tackles that bring forth goals is always a pleasant surprise.  I enjoy the battle for the midfield, the last line of defense and the brilliance of strikers to push through seemingly insurmountable odds.  But lastly, I really enjoy the unpredictability of the game.  It can drive one to great anger (near insanity) or to great joy and unspeakable bragging rights.....  Either way, I thought you'd enjoy this clip of what is positively one of the best ways to sum up a soccer season.... Positively Shocking.

Till next time maniacs...

-The Phenomenal Phantom