Where Is Javier Mascherano?

Monday's much-anticipated El Clasico turned out to be a Barcelona goal fest. In other derbies, the embarrassment would have led to calls for the resignation or sacking of the manager in question. Jose Mourinho's status as a legend is secure so, naturally, this was not an option.

Still, amid the pre-match buzz a formerly high profile name went missing: Javier Mascherano. Since arriving from Liverpool the stalwart Argentine midfielder has been absent from the Barcelona lineup in most competitions. He is still alive, as his Nike spot suggests, but he has already been written off as surplus requirements at the Nou Camp.

Why pay 22 million quid for a bench warmer? Is he merely a bargaining chip for next summer's transfer window? Like Ibrahimovic, Mascherano could be another one season wonder whose legacy could easily be swallowed up in the next six months of la Liga action. Meanwhile, the South American hard man will likely ride the Barcelona pine towards a few league honors.

If Barcelona come for Cesc Fabregas again, Mascherano is a tempting cash plus player option. While Alex Song has been slightly more convincing this season he is by no means a midfielder of Claude Makele's class. Arsenal need trophies and Song could easily be written off as collateral damage to win a title. Moreover, time is not on Arsene Wenger's side as age and Arsenal's patience are working against him.

Surprisingly, Mascherano, whose transfer from Liverpool was notoriously hush hush, has stayed suspiciously silent despite is noticeable absence from the Blaugrana starting XI. A cynical observer could even suggest that his outcast status is mutually understood and consented.

Where is Javier Mascherano? For now, he is at Barcelona. But it is unlikely that he will retain the same address in August of 2011.

How Strong Are You?

There is something indomitable about the human spirit. Surely, we have all heard this assertion in one form or another, however one seldom considers it's truth. History provides no shortage of examples of individuals who are forever etched in our collective memory. From Kyle Maynard to Michael Jordan, moments past and present are saturated with determined people who rose to the occasion when it counted.

The question is: How strong are you?

Juventus Visits Inter Milan

Tonight’s match featured two of storied sides in Juventus and Internaziole. Pre-match previews surely focused on Quagreglia and Sneijder but neither showed up in the first half. Tactically, the match played like chess with the sides trading shots throughout.

The first half left Juventus fans frustrated. The visitors were up to the challenge of playing away from home however the La Vecchia Signora could not take the lead. A Milos Krasic cross found Iaquinta's feet and the net. The goal was called back quickly after the linesman saw the striker was offside. The sides went into half time level and each side hopeful.

In the 57^th minute, Samuel Eto’o imposed his presence with a 90-yard run that beat three defenders and ended with a disappointing lack of support. Two minutes later, Krasic nearly added to his recent form with a blistering shot from 30 yards out. A sprawling Julio Cesar parried the effort wide.

Alessandro Del Piero’s 65^th minute appearance made Quagliarella the primary forward target minute. The introduction infused bianconeri supporters with enthusiasm and his side with confidence but Juventus still lacked the scoring touch.

A 67^th minute Sneijder free kick provided a rare flashpoint as Storari fell victim to Lucio’s misaimed kick. Samuel Eto’o quickly lowered hot tempers and continued proceedings. Quagliarella took issue, after beating a high defensive line, to nearly put his ahead through a firm, low shot.

The 78th minute added to Diego Milito’s goal-scoring frustrations as Estaban Cambiasso chipped a delightful ball over the Juventus defense. The Argentina’s first touch complemented the effort but the second was wanting.

In the 80^th minute, Alberto Aquilani made way for the hard man Momo Sissoko to indicate Juventus’ comfort with a draw. Despite having 60% of the ball possession, Inter obliged to usher the match towards the final whistle quietly.

Starting XI:

Juventus

Storari, Chiellini, Bonucci, Grygera, Melo, Marchiso, Aquilani, De Ceglie, Krasic, Quagliarella, Iaquinta,

Inter Milan

Julio Cesar, Lucio, Chivu, Cordoba, Maicon, Cambiasso, Stankovic, Coutinho, Sneijder, Bianbany, Eto’o

AC Milan v S.S. Lazio Match Report

Roman Club S.S. Lazio hosted AC Milan in a clash with several story lines flowing through the fixture. A resurgent Zlatan Ibrahimovic started for the visitors, Lazio's stadium formerly hosted events during the 1960 summer Olympics, and AC Milan new boy Robinho graced the field. It was a game of two halves with the first proving to be more pedestrian than the second.

After a slow start, the second half was full of flair. In the 66th minute, Ibrahimovic opened the scoring as the Lazio defence were beaten by the Swede's speed. He beat a desperate tackle from the keeper and poked the ball in from 12 yards out. Following a pair of goals in the Champions League Milan supporters will be encouraged seeing his third goal in three matches.

Lazio were not to be outdone. Hernanes sped passed Thiago Silva and Nesta to cross a perfect ball to a streaking Floccari. The 81st minute goal threatened to turn the game on its head as the Romans searched for a second goal.

In the 88th minute, Zambrotta delivered a powerful shot that struck the underside of the bar and bounced out. Moments later, Lazio responded in kind with a Floccari effort that beat Abbiati but trickled just wide.

Robinho's late introduction did not provide the desired impetus as Milan settled for a 1-1 draw. Lazio deserved the resulted. Still, the Rossoneri will have to sort out how they let the game slip away.

Have your say: Is this result the first crack in AC Milan's armor?

Goals:

Ibrahimovic 66'

Floccari 81'

Starting XI

AC Milan

Abbiati, Thiago Silva, Nesta, Zambrotta, Abate, Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf, Boateng, Ronaldinho,

Ibrahimovic

S.S. Lazio

Maslera, Dias, Biava, Radu, Ledesma, Brocchi, Floccari, Hernanes, Foggia, Cavanda, Mauri

Substitutions (In/Out):

AC Milan:

Flamini/ Gattuso 69'

Antonini/Abate 83'

Robinho/Sedorf 87'

S.S. Lazio:

Rocchi/Foggia 74'

Zarate/Mauri 79'

Lichtsteiner/ Cavanda 87'

Arsenal vs Braga Match Report

Arsenal opened the Champions League campaign against Portuguese side Braga at the Emirates. The Gunners took full advantage of their fans' enthusiasm as they riled up the crowd with an 9th minute penalty kick following a reckless foul on Marouane Chamakh. The men in red followed up with an a great move to double their lead.

Jack Wilshere played a brilliant match setting up the third Arsenal goal with a delightful back heel to Marouane Chamakh. The 18-year old showed a swagger that the Gunners embodied on the weekend's 2-1 win against Bolton. The youngster combined with Cesc Fabregas to great effect. Like Kaka and Seedorf, he was the fulcrum of the midfield.

Braga threatened to get back into the game with their striker, Mattheus, kept Koscielny and Squillaci alert. The side, off a 3-2 loss against Porto FC, clearly struggled against Arsenal's deft passing. When Hugo Viana was subbed for Mossoro in the 54th minute, the Portugeuse appeared to put up the shutters.

After halftime, Arshavin turned from scorer to provider. The Arsenal midfielder chipped a nice ball captain Cesc Fabregas who obliged with a spot on header. With Vela's 63rd minute introduction, Arsenal did not slow down as the Mexico international grabbed a goal that is sure to boost his confidence. Following the Arsenal hat trick, Andrei Arshavin sought his second inclusion on the score sheet but settled for an assist to Vela. The younger Arsenal striker later doubled his tally on 85 minutes.

The Emirates faithful were in full voice tonight. More importantly, Arsenal looked the part. If the Gunners can consistently replicate their delicious form, there is no telling how far they will go.

Players to watch against Sunderland: Samir Nasri and Laurent Koscielny

Have your say: Has Wenger finally gotten it right?

Starting XI:

Arsenal

Almunia, Sagna, Koscielny, Squillaci, Clichy, Nasri, Song, Fabregas, Wilshere, Arshavin, Chamakh

Braga

Felipe, Miguel Garcia, Moises, Rodriguez, Silvio, Vandinho, Aguiar, Hugo Viana, Alan, Matheus, Paulo Cesar

Goals:

Fabregas 9' (Pen)

Arshavin 30'

Chamakh 36'

Fabregas 53'

Substitution (In/Out):

55'

Mossoro/Miguel Hugo Viana

60'

Lima/Mattheus

63'

Vela/Chamakh

Denilson/Alex Song

70'

Emmanuel Eboue/ Andrei Arshavin

Hashtags For Soccer (Football) News On Twitter

During the last three months, I have regularly spread soccer gossip and news throughout the Twittersphere. Twitter is a great source for breaking news as information is pushed out quickly. The soccer community focuses primarily on disseminating updates, but there a few Twitter pundits that will engage you in the familiar debate about the Big Four or the Bottom Three.

I enjoy sharing soccer news more than the next person and noticed there isn't really a cohesive hashtag procedure among soccer news tweets. Last December, an astute observer noted the same obstacle in a Bigsoccer.com post about MLS Teams. There is a fledgling list of MLS-specific hashtags to keep up with MLS team news. In June, another blogger gave World Cup teams a go.

My axe to grind is far more basic. Anyone in the world should be able to find soccer news, in the English language, using a predictable and predetermined set of hashtags. This simple formula guides my tagging guidelines: sport (#soccer) + league (#EPL) + Associated Club(s) (#Arsenal #Fulham) + Broad Word (usually #news, #Wenger). I currently use the hashtags below but welcome additional feedback about preferred hashtags:

Leagues

• English Premier League = #EPL
• Scottish Premier League = #SPL
• French League = #Ligue1
• German League = #Bundesliga
• Italian League = #SerieA

Clubs:

• Arsenal Football Club = #Arsenal
• Manchester Football Club = #ManU, #MUFC
• Chelsea Football Club = #Chelsea, #CFC
• Liverpool Football Club = #LFC
• Aston Villa Football Club = #AVFC, #Villa
• Fulham Football Club = #Fulham, #Cottagers
• Tottenham Hotspur Football Club = #Tottenham
• Manchester City Football Club = #MCFC
• Blackpool Football Club = #BFC
• Birmingham Football Club = #Birmingham
• Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club = #Wolverhampton
• Sunderland Football Club = #Sunderland
• Bolton Football Club = #Bolton
• Newcastle Football Club = #NUFC
• Everton Football Club = #Everton, #Toffees, #EFC
• Blackburn Rovers Football Club = #BRFC
• West Bromwich Albion Football Club = #WBA, Baggies
• Wigan Athletic Football Club = #Wigan
• Stoke City Football Club = #Stoke
• West Ham United Football Club = #Westham

Unless a team was recently relegated from the English Premier League, I seldom tweet about the Coca-Cola Championship. Again, I welcome comments about how the aforementioned hashtags could be more accurate or suggestions based on tags you currently use.

Cheers,

@bellsworld

Arsenal Beat Blackburn 2-1

Arsenal and Blackburn have met 116 times in all competitions. Today’s match was not a test of talent as much as it was a battle of tactics. Meetings between Arsene Wenger and Sam Allardyce are regularly frustrating affairs as the Frenchman often struggles to beat his counterpart. While at Bolton, Allardyce utilized El-Hadj Diouf and Nicolas Anelka, to make trips to the Reebok Stadium a headache. In May Blackburn, with Allardyce at the helm, beat Arsenal 2-1.

The Gunners opened their account early when Theo Walcott finished a brilliant move. Walcott’s 20th minute strike, similar to his first goal against Blackpool, was Arsenal’s eighth in just three games. The impressive goals to games ratio could not hide their infamously porous defence that conceded goals in their last 10 league and cup away matches.

Blackburn responded with a 26th minute goal from M.B Diouf. Blackburn, devoid of perennial thorn Anelka, still put Arsenal to the test. The Gunners succumbed to El-Hadj Diouf’s speed on the width. The Senegal international breezed passed Koscielny and drew the ball back to the younger Diouf who obliged.

In the first half, Arsenal gave away more than the lead as Robin Van Persie came off with an ankle injury. The Holland international was replaced my Maroune Chamakh, a clear choice in Bendtner’s absence. The first half concluded with few fireworks and set the stage for an interesting second 45 minutes.

Andrei Arshavin clearly stated Arsenal’s intentions with his 50th minute goal off a Bacary Sagna cross. The Mad Russian’s strike settled the game and gave control to the men in red.

Blackburn rebuffed efforts from Walcott, Chamakh, and Arshavin. After falling behind again, Rovers could not eke out another goal. Sam Allardyce, as usual, had done his homework but Wenger’s side were clearly better on the day.

Man of the Match: Theo Walcott

Substitutions (In > Out):

Arsenal
Maroune Chamakh > Robin Van Persie (34)
Tomas Rosicky > Cesc Fabregas (68)
Wilshere > Arshavin (84)

Blackburn
David Dunne > Vincenzo Grella (56)
Martin Olsson > Nikola Klasnic (65)

Bookings:
Gael Givet (73)

Highlights:

Arjen Robben v Manchester United

Bayern Munich made an unexpected run in the 2009/2010 Uefa Champions League. Their game at Old Trafford was pivotal in their quest for European glory. In this clip, Arjen Robben, goal below, pulls the German side back in the 74th minute when Man U supporters thought the game was over. His fantastic strike ushered his team closer to the final. Enjoy!

Is Lebron James Going To Miami?

The recent buzz around Lebron James is an interesting study on public personas. On one hand, Lebron is nearly unrivaled in his athletic talent. The NBA has not seen individual talent on this level since Kobe Bryant chose to go pro back in 1996. Attuned onlookers could argue that, at 25, James shows more talent than Kobe. Dissenters can rightly state Kobe notched his first NBA championship before turning 21.

This truth begs an equally important question: Is anyone worth this much attention? Within 24 hours, Lebron James went from 0 to over 250,000 Twitter followers. Symbolically following no one, his bio is a three word moniker- "King of Akron." The explosive following is likely one for the record books but offers little information about tonight's big decision. Perhaps the one redeeming aspect is this media circus will generate funds for the Boys & Girls Club. One must wonder how much money will justify this case of an inflated ego.

The Today Show, ESPN, and nearly any media outlet with a hankering for ratings has weighed in on the hoopla surround his free agency. ESPN is airing a one hour special ominously entitled "The Decision" tonight at 9:00 PM. The broadcast will likely give a lengthy bio about Lebron's hometown roots, magnetic personality and interviews with pundits. The NBA star has promised to reveal his 'decision' within the first ten minutes.

With Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade already committed to the Miami Heat, the latest reports suggest he will follow. Pat Riley, Miami's coach, would have no problem with such an embarrassment of riches. He previously managed the Shaq and D-Wade combo that won the 2004 NBA championship.

Fanfare aside, Lebron is basketball's biggest marketing phenomenon since Michael Jordan. MJ is now retired, after several public attempts to return to the game he loved. Divorced from his wife, boyfriend to 30-year old model, and survivor of frivolous lawsuits, Jordan now occupies an interesting existence. Will the same happen to Lebron? The crazy-things-happening-to-me bug publicly caught Kobe, Shaq, as well as his Airness.

Only time will reveal Lebron's legacy. Tonight will be merely another chapter in a story that should continue on for at least a decade more. Maybe he can skirt around the pitfalls that ensnared the giants that preceded them.

Just Like Waving Flag: Mexico Beat France 2-0

Mexico proved the better side for 90 minutes as they comfortably beat France. The 2-0 victory emphatically announced the North America's intent in this topsy turvy tournament. With Spain caught unaware against Switzerland, Mexico has added yet another wrinkle to a curious plot.

The France traditionally have a slow start to the World Cup, but the loss puts Le Blues on the brink. Their fate is virtually out of their control as they need run up the scoreboard against South Africa and hope Mexico stifles the Uruguay attack.

El Tricolor pulled no punches as Giovani Dos Santos and Carlos Vela made relentless runs at the French defense until the ladder ended his participation due to injury. Dos Santos, on loan to Galatasaray from Tottenham, reminded world why Barcelona initially showed faith in his talent. The youngster tormented Eric Abidal, leaving the Frenchman flailing for a response.

Like the Battle of Waterloo, one could sense the French never really took Mexico seriously. After going down 2-0, Thierry Henry and Dribril Cisse were left on the bench. One could point to Franc Ribery or Jean Pierre Gignac but neither really gave their fans much to cheer about. After Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored an 80th minute penalty, it appeared France manager Raymond Domenech believed the match was a foregone conclusion.

At the final whistle two groups were left rejoicing- Mexico and Ireland. Seemingly joined only by the green in their flags and over their hearts, Mexico claimed a group-topping win while the Irish can rejoice in a French defeat. Tonight Irish eyes will be smiling as they silently claimed revenge for the infamous handball incident that kicked them out of World Cup qualification.

Goals:

Javier Hernandez (66th minute)

Cuauhtemoc Blanco (80th minute pen)

Lineups:

France: Hugo Lloris, Bacary Sagna, William Gallas, Eric Abidal, Patrice Evra, Sidney Govou (Mathieu Valbuena, 69), Abou Diaby, Jeremy Toulalan, Florent Malouda, Franck Ribery, Nicolas Anelka (Andre-Pierre Gignac, 46).

Mexico: Oscar Perez, Francisco Rodriguez, Carlos Salcido, Rafael Marquez, Ricardo Osorio, Gerardo Torrado, Guillermo Franco (Cuauhtemoc Blanco, 62), Carlos Vela (Pablo Barrera, 31), Hector Moreno, Efrain Juarez (Javier Hernandez, 55), Giovani Dos Santos.

Arsenal Outgunned By Barca

Well folks, mark this day. For Arsenal fans it will be remembered as another Champions League campaign that yielded unconvincing evidence of the young gunners' prowess. For Barcelona supporters, the match brought them one step closer to a repeat Champions League final appearance.

Despite the 4-1 score line, the Gunners cannot say the Blaugrana are better man-for-man. Rather it was one man, a little one at that, who undid the Arsenal defense. The Gunners entered the game as wounded warriors. William Gallas, Alex Song, Cesc Fabregas led a parade of injuries ahead of their date at the Nou Camp.

In the run-up, Arsene Wenger said all the right things. His coy optimism was similar, yet noticeably subdued, compared to cautiously confident Pep Guardiola. Neither manager truly disappointed as both legs showed the world how football(soccer) is meant to be played.

Lionel Messi left an indelible impression on the match as he delivered four decisive strikes to settle the game long before the final whistle. The 22-year old Golden Boot and Player of the Year contender hammered a terrific shot past a helpless Manuel Almunia on 21 minutes. He continued on the contribute a hat trick on top of his wonder goal.

Undoubtedly, pundits will hail the result as further evidence the Argentine is the best in Europe. With Rooney on the mend, it will be difficult to argue otherwise. However, an astute observer will have to admit Arsenal were not at their best and contributed greatly the Barcelona fans' chants of "Messi, Messi, Messi" with each goal.

Caught too far up the pitch, mismatched, and, ultimately, lacking innovation against Barcelona, the result is more a testament to lost focus than Spanish superiority. After Nicklas Bendtner's industrious first minute goal, Barca chipped away at their confidence while expanding the score.

Tonight, one name will be mentioned in connection with Arsenal's demise but this writer believes there were eleven at fault and they were all in white.

David Beckham To Miss The World Cup

David Beckham and England's hopes for a World Cup were dealt a massive blow tonight. Becks limped off in the latter stages of the 1-0 Milan victory against Chievo. However, his piecemeal contributions will be remembered less than the chillingly auspicious grimace as the game moved toward full time.

The news, originally delivered by Sky Sports(in Italian), leaves major doubt over his fitness for the World Cup with early reports suggesting he will be out for 5-8 months. Assuming the reports are correct, the world has likely seen David Beckham compete for the last time on the world's biggest stage.

While Clarence Seedorf's 91st minute strike saved Milan blushes but what will become of the most recognizable face in football?

The moment that ended a dream:

More Blackwater Allegations Surface

Two former Blackwater employees are suing the company for mismanagement of several millions of dollars. Couple Brian and Melan Davis claim Blackwater double billed the government for services not covered under their contract. Two inspector audits estimate the excesses are approximately $55 million. The couple also claim Blackwater used unwarranted "excessive force" against Afghan and Iraqi civilians and even used funds to purchase a prostituted Filipino woman's services.

At the time of publication, the NY Times had not received comment from a Blackwater, now Xe, representative. However, the allegations are merely one amongst several that suggest such improprieties were rife within the organization.

Child Prostitution at the Super Bowl

With the Super Bowl less than 24 hours away, some interesting articles point to sordid practices that follows the competition across the country. Apparently prostituted individuals are trafficked into Super Bowl host cities and exploited for commercial gain. As conference playoffs wind down, pimps and traffickers alike are just winding up.

A 2008 article noted traveling prostitution rings flock to the well-attended event. Typically, these "circuit girls" would probe the lusts of wealthier patrons while evading ramped up police patrols. Approaching innocently, the women proposition potential buyers.

Former circuit girl Tammie Miller says, "I would walk up to them and ask them directions or some kind of help."

More recently, two dozen volunteers headed to Miami to rescue underage girls who were trafficked into prostitution. Their efforts, representative of a national response to sex trafficking, are saving lives in a place that "is known as a destination city for human trafficking" says Kristi House director Trudy Novicki.

Human trafficking is a $32 billion a year mechanism. According to the United Nations, sex trafficking represents $5 billion of that amount. As such, it is the number 2 source of income for organized crime syndicates and is outgrowing drugs and weapons in revenue.

Last year the group was able to rescue 24 children. Let's hope this year brings even more progress.

Tigers Tame City

A relieved Phil Brown walked away from today's match with a little less weight on his mind. The 2-1 win over Manchester City, move Hull out of the relegation zone but not out of danger. In the next 16 days Tigers will play 5 matches that will likely determine whether they remain in the EPL. If today is any indicator Brown's boys just may beat the drop.

Hull snatched the extended their lead after a 54th minute strike from George Boateng. The Ghanaian latched on to a poorly cleared corner from 18 yards out. The emphatic strike, enhanced by the Tiger's faithful, made City's comeback increasingly dubious.

Minutes later City responded but never really looked like the could take the lead. Standout performances by Jozy Altidore, Stephen Hunt and Jan Venegoor of Hesselink halted the men in blue.

Surely, the former will gain the most from today's win. Altidore has struggled to adapt to Hull and Phil Brown since he arrived on loan from Villareal in August. Today's effort was the American's first EPL goal in 19 appearances and lifted Hull to their first win in 11 games.

In the latter stages, Carlos Tevez embodied City's fighting spirit on the day. The Argentine won challenges while creating chances for a lackluster Adebayor. Despite a late flurry of attempts the Tigers stood firm until the whistle blew after 93 minutes.

In other news, Liverpool won the morale-building Merseyside derby 1-0. The win continues a 25 game win streak against the Evertonians. Manchester United further humbled Portsmouth in a 5-0 route.

Break Free

Often we equate fairness with some sort of parity however the world shows us this merely chimerical. Examples abound, from relationships or work, of things that seem unfair. This notion comes from conventional wisdom that espouses balance as equity.

Circumstances do not need to change. Rather, one must reframe one's perception and respond accordingly. When you push back against the problem you will probably fail on the first few attempts. However this exercises your creativity and makes one mentally agile for the future. In short, outsmart your problem.

Here are some tips to finding a solution:

• Do not react. Emotions can cloud your judgement and inspire a counterproductive response.
• Exhaust all possible solutions. The answer may not appear clear immediately however a quick brainstorm session creates.
• Think creatively. The most obvious answer is not always the best one.
• Stay positive. Commit yourself to finding a solution from the onset. A positive outlook is the common denominator between success and failure.

Until next time,

M