The point is to be able to to better inform the fans out there as to what is going on in the game.

This is why this weekly column has been set up in order to be able to answer questions that you might have or want an opinion about a certain issue.

I promise to either answer the question or be able to find a person qualified to answer it.

So here is my first question.
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@XoloSD asks: “Do you think #Peru has any chance of making the #WC2014?”

- Yes.  Peru have always had a great deal of talented players but either indiscipline or administrative ineptitude have held them back.  If you do not believe me look at what they were able to do in Copa América with a side that did not have their best players available.  They do have the ideal coach in Sergio Markarían, despite the Peruvian media and public truly lambasting him every step of the way because he does not want to fit the mold that they want him to fit.

The only team that can prevent Peru from advancing is- Peru.  Why?  First of all, they find themselves in a tightly contested CONMEBOL region that without Brazil makes it a shade less difficult.  At the same time eight of the nine squads are have a bonafide chance of playing in Brazil come 2014.  This is why any stumble from any side would hinder their chances greatly.

The tough part is that they have two very difficult matches coming up in June when they host Colombia and then head to Montevideo to play the best team in South America right now- Uruguay.  If they do not get at least two points, they could see their World Cup hopes in jeopardy.

That being said, there is still lots of matches to be played.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE DROP AN EMAIL AT JUAN@SIMPLYFUTBOL.COM OR YOU CAN ALSO DO SO VIA FACEBOOK , TWITTER OR GOOGLE+

 
Lionel Messi

Diego Forlán

@juang_arango

Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski's updated version of Soccernomics

We’ve seen a major revolution in the Beautiful Game and it was Soccernomics back in 2009 that started to talk about that change. Of course, there are national teams as well as leagues that constantly come up short in the biggest stages.

Well the buying of players after World Cups, the immediate attraction to the physical appearance of a player (blondes) as well as other prejudices from coaches and players.  This book uses the concepts and approaches discussed in Moneyball as well as Freaknomics and transferred them over to the world of football.

This worldwide bestseller was updated to have information from after the 2010 World Cup included in as many of the bits of research that they dug up during the process made their arguments that much more stable. It did not fail to disappoint as the numbers that were given were mixed in very well with the anecdotes and discussions that the authors had with several personalities in the game as well as number crunchers and tech geeks to give a more well-rounded opinion.

Although you talk to me and I still remain a purist to an extent.  I don’t fully believe that stats and numbers tell the entire story  of a match.  Using stats to come to conclusions in a sport that uses numbers that sometimes don’t tell the entire story leads to more questions in the end than answers.

Football is still a game of intangibles that usually make a difference.  That is one thing that I believe about the game  wholeheartedly.

The section on how the penalty kicks were analyzed was brilliant and could have helped Maarten Stekelenberg should the Dutch have gotten to penalty shootouts.

Seeing how the book details the growth of the game and how it maps it out based on the economic growth of many nations makes it all the more viable for countries like the US as well as India to also become some of the biggest footballing powers around.

The 2010 version, intricately talks about the growth of Spain and how it was thwarted during the Franco Era.  The limitations as well as the closed market attitude that there was in Spain showed reason, and with numbers, as to the inability of La Roja to progress during that time.

Although it was very interesting to see the notion of Spain being an overachieving side in international competition went against the grain, and to a certain degree, the logic that both Kuper and Szymanksi put on the table makes it extremely sensical to say that Spain made some great strides and did what they could with what they had at their disposal with the population and wealth they had prior to the country joining the European Union as well as their ability to tap into the European network as well as into the concepts of Total Football.

In the book there is a great deal of observations established talking about how globalized the game is and how it reflects in social aspects such as trade and economic growth.

Will we see the US becoming a world power in the game?  Who knows? Although the class exclusion argument they used for England could be used inverted when it comes to talk about the United States.

Better question yet, is a team like Mexico going to be a world power?  That issue seems to be not mentioned much at all.  What about countries with high exportation rates such as Argentina and Uruguay?  If that theory were to be true, Chile would have to be amongst one of the world’s most important sides, yet they are mired in constant limbo.  Colombia would be an emerging world power based on their growing economy as well as their free trade agreement with the United States.

My point there was that the South American side is rarely touched upon save for the anomaly that is Brazil.   There are stretches where the examples are best seen from an English perspective and using solely English examples.

Soccernomics is an absolute must-have book for the game’s intelligentia.  Kuper and Szymanski explain trends on and off the pitch in such a way that one is open to an aspect of the game that helps you understand to a much greater extent those intricacies of how the chess pieces were moving at one point and how that trend is changing.

Although there could be concepts that you do not fully agree on, you can certainly understand how both Kuper and Szymanski get to those conclusions.  What is commendable though is their digging of statistics and leaving no stone unturned might have not answered certain questions as fully as possible, yet they were able to lead you on a path where you could make your own conclusions. In the end some of the conclusions they want to embark on are not easy to explain with just numbers alone.

Yet, the book tackles some material and leaves it up to the reader to talk about it and continues to elaborate on it via other outlets as well as with friends.

@juang_arango

Brazilian international Dani Alves fractures collarbone in practice (Wikimedia)

Bad news coming out of Can Barça on Wednesday as Brazilian international Dani Alves suffered a fractured clavicle during the club’s morning practice session.

The club announced on their website that the former Sevilla right back suffered the injury in practice and that he would undergo surgery on the same day.  As far as the extent, no one knows as of yet.  That will be discussed during a press conference beginning at 20:00 (local time).  There the team doctors will announce the severity as well as the recovery time that it will take for him to return to action.

This injury will most likely have him out of the Copa Del Rey final against Athletic Club at the Vicente Calderón on May 25th.  His participation in some summer friendlies that Brazil have scheduled against Argentina and Mexico are also in jeopardy as well.  This all depends on how much time he will have to take off to recover from him injury.

@juang_arango

Vicente Del Bosque calls up 21 for upcoming friendlies

Vicente Del Bosque announced a 21-player list that will train in the coming days as they prepare to defend their European crown in Ukraine and Poland.

The most noticeable absences are, of course, the Barcelona and Athletic players that have been left aside as they prepare for the final of the Copa del Rey in Madrid on the 25th of this month.  He will also held back on calling Fernando Torres as well as Juan Mata who will be playing in the Champions League final in Munich this coming weekend.

Del Bosque called up several players that will be on the Olympic side to fill in and get some playing time against Serbia on May 26th and South Korea on the 30th. David De Gea was called in to be the third goalkeeper in this series of matches.

One of the more surprising callups was that of Real Betis midfielder Beñat. His season was very impressive and his form towards the end caught the eye of Del Bosque, especially the way he was able to become a protagonist in the Seville derby.  Málaga youngster Isco will also be looked at as he too was a vital part of the Anchovies being able to reach the Champions League qualifying stage.

Spain Callup

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool-ENG), David De Gea (Manchester United- ENG).

Defenders: Raúl Albiol (Real Madrid), Jordi Alba (Valencia), Álvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Álvaro Domínguez (Atlético), Nacho Monreal (Málaga), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Juanfran (Atlético).

Midfielders: Isco (Málaga), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Santi Cazorla (Málaga), Beñat (Betis), Javi García (Espanyol), Bruno Soriano (Villarreal), David Silva (Manchester City-ENG),  Jesús Navas (Sevilla).

Forwards: Adrián (Atlético), Álvaro Negredo (Sevilla), Roberto Soldado (Valencia).

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Nike’s Mercurial Vapor VIII, CTR360 Maestri II, T90 Laser IV and Tiempo Legend IV boots will feature a color clash design of traditional white with a bold second color signifying each boots style to stand out on pitch.

The boots will be debuted by Nike players in Munich on 19 May. Then worn by national team players in Poland and the Ukraine and later in the summer during competition.

The Nike Clash Collection delivers performance engineering for every style of player. The individual boots are sparked by specific color finished with a white toe upper to create a distinctive yet common theme across the collection.  Each chosen color reflects the expression and playing style of each boot, with Mercurial Vapor VIII featuring a solar red for explosive speed, CTR360 Maestri II blue glow for the assured midfielder, T90 Laser IV electric green for the deadly striker and Tiempo Legend IV black for effortless and classic style.

“The clash of traditional white with very modern and youthful colors will make a really powerful and disruptive statement on pitch,” said Andrew Caine, Nike Global Creative Director for Football Footwear.  “The Nike Clash Collection delivers highly engineered boots with sharp color contrast reflecting the clash of rivalries and competition we will see this summer.  We’re celebrating that with distinctive and stand out color.”

Performance and Innovation

The Nike Clash Collection builds on Nike’s relentless focus on product design and innovation. Combining the latest lightweight materials, plate engineering and upper construction each boot meets the demands of today’s more technical and physical game.

Mercurial Vapor VIII

Re-engineered boot built for explosive speed.

Combines innovation and style with a seamless fit, touch and traction to beat defenders and capitalize on key moments Teijin Microfiber upper offers a sleeker, closer feel to the foot with a suede-like finish increasing ball control and touch Anatomic Last takes the fit of the boot to a new level of support and stability Unique plate construction incorporates two different pieces of glass fiber to increase flexibility and responsiveness

CTR360 Maestri II

Designed for the midfield maestro to dictate the tempo with accurate and incisive passing.

Cushioned zones on the lateral forefoot give great first touch ball control – Receive / Pass Pad for control and accurate passing Asymmetrical lacing design creates an expanded ball control area The plate offers energy return and strength, with bladed studs for optimal traction and stability

T90 Laser IV

The ultimate strikers boot for capitalizing on that one moment to turn a game.

20% lighter than the T90 Laser III and featuring a streamlined silhouette for enhanced fit and feel Reconfigured shoot and swerve zones on the instep of the boot flex naturally as the foot connects with the ball, enhancing a cleaner strike Remodeled studs to maximize traction without increasing stud pressure for players

Tiempo Legend IV

Tradition and heritage combined with innovation to deliver a classic boot.

Premium leather is strong and soft, giving extra comfort, touch and control Lightweight TPU plate delivers combination of strength and agility Remodeled stud configuration delivers optimum traction

All four Nike Clash Collection boots (Mercurial Vapor VIII FG – $220, CTR360 Maestri II FG – $180, T90 Laser IV FG – $220 and Tiempo Legend IV FG – $150) will be available at retail and nike.com starting June 6th, 2012.

Real Madrid’s championship winning players will be part of the squad as well as others that were involved with Porto winning the league title domestically.

The major nix was Bruno Viana in favor of Zaragoza man Ruben Micael.  Also the additions of uncapped players like Custodio as well as Miguel Lopes were some of the eye raisers for Paulo Bento.  The most intriguing addition was that of Benfica supersub Nelson Oliveira.

Bento has extremely high hopes for the former Portuguese youngster and will be taken under the wing of very experienced players such as Hugo Almeida,  Helder Postiga and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The players are scheduled to meet up on Thursday at the Estadio da Luz to begin training. Portugal will face Macedonia in Leira on May 26th and then Turkey on June 2nd at the Estadio Da Luz prior to beginning their participation in Euro2012 against Germany.

Goalkeepers: Rui Patrício (Sporting), Eduardo (Benfica), Beto (Cluj-ROU);

Defenders: João Pereira (Sporting), Miguel Lopes (SC Braga), Pepe (Real Madrid-ESP), Bruno Alves (Zenit-RUS), Rolando (FC Porto), Ricardo Costa (Valência-ESP), Fábio Coentrão (Real Madrid-ESP);

Midfielders: João Moutinho (FC Porto), Raúl Meireles (Chelsea-ENG), Carlos Martins (Granada-ESP), Miguel Veloso (Génoa-ITA), Rúben Micael (Zaragoza-ESP), Custódio (SC Braga);

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid-ESP), Nani (Manchester United-ENG), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas-TUR), Silvestre Varela (FC Porto), Hugo Almeida (Besiktas), Hélder Postiga (Zaragoza-ESP), Nélson Oliveira (Benfica)

@juang_arango

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Francisco Arce released his list 27 players that will be preparing for the upcoming World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in La Paz.

What stood out was not the callup of one player, but that of many players as well over half the squad comes from the domestic league. There is also special attention emphasized on the absences of players such as Roque Santa Cruz, Edgar Barreto, Darío Verón, Oscar Cardozo and Antolín Alcaraz from the callup due to injury.

This is what allows Paços Ferreiras forward Lorenzo Melgarejo to be capped and he will be one of the forward considered to start on June 9th in the Bolivian capital.

Arce is planning on heading to Bolivia a few days early mostly to help the players acclimatize to the 3,600 meters above sea level in order to earn points in the renewal of the South American World Cup qualifiers.

Goalkeepers: Justo Villar (Estudiantes-ARG), Diego Barreto (Cerro Porteño), Anthony Silva (Deportes Tolima-COL), Joel Silva (Guaraní).

Defenders: Ricardo Mazacotte (Nacional), Tomás Bartomeus (Guaraní), Aureliano Torres (Toluca-MEX), Elvis Marecos (Guaraní), Paulo Da Silva (Zaragoza-ESP), Adalberto Román (Palmeiras-BRA), Julio César Manzur (Guaraní), Luis Cardozo (Cerro Porteño).

Midfielders: Jorge Núñez (Once Caldas-COL), Hernán Pérez (Villarreal-ESP), Marcos Riveros (Nacional), Fidencio Oviedo (Cerro Porteño), Cristian Riveros (Kayserispor-TUR), Eric Ramos (Rubio Ñú), Jorge Mendoza (Guaraní), Eduardo Aranda (Olimpia), Osvaldo Martínez (Atlante-MEX).

Forwards: Nelson Haedo (Rubín Kazán-RUS), Pablo Zeballos (Olimpia), Edgar Benítez (Cerro Porteño), José Ortigoza (Sol de América), Luis Caballero (Olimpia), Lorenzo Melgarejo (Pacos de Ferreira-POR)

@juang_arango