Let's continue with our preview of the 2011 U.C.L.A. football team with a look at the offensive line. With all due respect (which usually means you're about to disrespect someone) to my fellow front pagers, you can forget the excellent previews of the D Line, Linebackers, Def Backs, and Special Teams. The Offensive Line will be the key to the Bruins' success in 2011. Line wins games.
The offensive line was an enigma last season. Injuries, academic problems, a Mormon mission, and a lack of stability and consistency from 2009 prevented the Bruins from starting their ideal top five players. Despite that, OL Coach Bob Palcic deserves a ton of credit for converting a patchwork line into the most overachieving unit on the field last season. In adapting the new Pistol offense, the self-named Filthy Five vastly improved on a feeble running game from 2009, as evidenced by their utter dominance in the Texas game. However, pass blocking remained a major problem throughout the year, and that inability to pass allowed opposing defenses to stack the box and bottle up the Bruins' run game, and the offense sputtered as the season progressed.
If all goes as planned this year, the Bruins should not suffer the same problems. Though the OL lost 4 seniors who saw significant playing time from last year's squad, this year's unit will benefit from the return of 2 starters from the 2009 team who were unavailable last year. They will join 2 regulars returning from last season, and there are guys with playing time battling for the fifth spot. The result for 2011 will be an OL that is improved on talent and better for experience. This should by the best OL that Bruin fans have seen during Neuheisel's tenure in Westwood. That said, the play of the OL as a single well coordinated unit is crucial. While our projected starters have all seen time on the field, these 5 have not lined us next to each other in this manner before. The coaching staff has its work cut out getting this group to come together as a cohesive unit that can communicate well and read and react off each other. There may be a learning curve for this OL, but unlike previous years, the ceiling should be very high.
Extended thoughts on the projected depth chart, players, the coaches, and the prospects for this unit after the jump.
Showing posts with label andres. Show all posts
Showing posts with label andres. Show all posts
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Great Football League Teams 17: West Bromwich Albion, 2001-02
BROKER.......
Booker Prize winner: True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
John Peel Festive 50 Number 1: Melys: Chinese Whispers
Poet Laureate: Andrew Motion
President of Libya: Muammar al-Gaddafi
They may not have been a team for the purists.
But the West Bromwich Albion of 2001/02 knew how to do drama.
With only eight games of the season left, they stood 11 points behind bitter local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers, who occupied the second automatic promotion spot – but turned things around in a barnstorming finish to the campaign.
It was a wet dream for Albion fans, a nightmare for the old gold.
And it was all the sweeter for being so unexpected.
Context
Albion at the start of the new millennium were emerging from the most traumatic decade in their history, with humiliation on the pitch, and stagnation off it.
Wolves, in contrast, had enjoyed tens of millions of investment from chairman and 'golden tit' Sir Jack Hayward, who rebuilt both ground and team – though fell short of elevating them to the Premier League.
The seed of Albion's recovery was planted on Christmas Eve 1999, when Sheffield businessman Paul Thompson took over as chairman.
One of his earliest decisions was to sack Brian Little as manager, with the team sliding towards relegation in March 2000, and appoint Gary Megson.
The carrot-topped Yorkshireman was known for his pragmatic style of football, which contrasted with the cavalier approach Albion fans preferred.
But these were desperate times – so prized ideals went out the window.
Megson brought in four signings on deadline day – and Albion survived by beating champions Charlton in the final match of the campaign.
In 2000/01, things improved considerably, with a switch to 3-5-2 resulting in a surprise play-off place.
But few Albion fans expected the team to push for the automatic spots during the following campaign.
Megson's men
Megson had built a team largely in his own image – short on flair maybe, but never on commitment. Most had tasted better days with other clubs, before being released – and you could sense a point being proved in every tackle.
Captain and midfielder Derek McInnes, once of Rangers and then Toulouse, exemplified the Megson spirit best and proved a born leader – as he is showing currently as St Johnstone manager. Andy Johnson's top flight experience with Nottingham Forest and youth team product Adam Chambers helped the engine room tick over.
At the back, ex-Derby and Pompey stopper Russell Hoult was beginning to hit the form that saw him on the fringe of the England squad a year later. He was protected by craggy centre halves Larus Sigurdsson, Phil Gilchrist, and Darren Moore – a lynchpin of Bradford's happy promotion season three years earlier.
The wing backs were Neil Clement, blessed with a left peg so sweet his free kicks appeared guided by a third force that season, and on the right, Slovakian Igor Balis, whose moment in the sun would arrive late on in the campaign.
The attack looked blunt, after local hero Lee Hughes defected to Coventry for £5,000,001 during the summer (the £1 relating to a contract clause), and Jason Roberts injured his metatarsal, restricting his appearances that season to just 12.
So the line was led by the more workmanlike Scott Dobie, signed from Carlisle for £150,000, and Danny Dichio, £1.25m from Sunderland – supported by club legend Bob Taylor, now 34 years old.
It was not a team full of goals, but concerned more with keeping them out – often a 5-3-2 rather than the 3-5-2 on the teamsheet. Some 19 games would be won 1-0 during 2001/02.
Booker Prize winner: True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
John Peel Festive 50 Number 1: Melys: Chinese Whispers
Poet Laureate: Andrew Motion
President of Libya: Muammar al-Gaddafi
They may not have been a team for the purists.
But the West Bromwich Albion of 2001/02 knew how to do drama.
With only eight games of the season left, they stood 11 points behind bitter local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers, who occupied the second automatic promotion spot – but turned things around in a barnstorming finish to the campaign.
It was a wet dream for Albion fans, a nightmare for the old gold.
And it was all the sweeter for being so unexpected.
Context
Albion at the start of the new millennium were emerging from the most traumatic decade in their history, with humiliation on the pitch, and stagnation off it.
Wolves, in contrast, had enjoyed tens of millions of investment from chairman and 'golden tit' Sir Jack Hayward, who rebuilt both ground and team – though fell short of elevating them to the Premier League.
The seed of Albion's recovery was planted on Christmas Eve 1999, when Sheffield businessman Paul Thompson took over as chairman.
One of his earliest decisions was to sack Brian Little as manager, with the team sliding towards relegation in March 2000, and appoint Gary Megson.
The carrot-topped Yorkshireman was known for his pragmatic style of football, which contrasted with the cavalier approach Albion fans preferred.
But these were desperate times – so prized ideals went out the window.
Megson brought in four signings on deadline day – and Albion survived by beating champions Charlton in the final match of the campaign.
In 2000/01, things improved considerably, with a switch to 3-5-2 resulting in a surprise play-off place.
But few Albion fans expected the team to push for the automatic spots during the following campaign.
Megson's men
Megson had built a team largely in his own image – short on flair maybe, but never on commitment. Most had tasted better days with other clubs, before being released – and you could sense a point being proved in every tackle.
Captain and midfielder Derek McInnes, once of Rangers and then Toulouse, exemplified the Megson spirit best and proved a born leader – as he is showing currently as St Johnstone manager. Andy Johnson's top flight experience with Nottingham Forest and youth team product Adam Chambers helped the engine room tick over.
At the back, ex-Derby and Pompey stopper Russell Hoult was beginning to hit the form that saw him on the fringe of the England squad a year later. He was protected by craggy centre halves Larus Sigurdsson, Phil Gilchrist, and Darren Moore – a lynchpin of Bradford's happy promotion season three years earlier.
The wing backs were Neil Clement, blessed with a left peg so sweet his free kicks appeared guided by a third force that season, and on the right, Slovakian Igor Balis, whose moment in the sun would arrive late on in the campaign.
The attack looked blunt, after local hero Lee Hughes defected to Coventry for £5,000,001 during the summer (the £1 relating to a contract clause), and Jason Roberts injured his metatarsal, restricting his appearances that season to just 12.
So the line was led by the more workmanlike Scott Dobie, signed from Carlisle for £150,000, and Danny Dichio, £1.25m from Sunderland – supported by club legend Bob Taylor, now 34 years old.
It was not a team full of goals, but concerned more with keeping them out – often a 5-3-2 rather than the 3-5-2 on the teamsheet. Some 19 games would be won 1-0 during 2001/02.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
lionel messi
famous player for barcelona team
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi[3] (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi]; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team as a forward or winger. He also holds Spanish citizenship, which makes him eligible as a EU player. Considered one of the best football players of his generation[4][5][6] and frequently cited as the world's best contemporary player,[7] Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21 and won both by the age of 22.[7][8][9][10] He also won the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or at the age of 23.[11] His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor".[12][13]
Messi began playing football at a young age and his potential was quickly identified by Barcelona. He left Rosario-based Newell's Old Boys's youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Europe, as Barcelona offered treatment for his growth hormone deficiency. Making his debut in the 2004–05 season, he broke his team record for the youngest footballer to score a league goal. Major honours soon followed as Barcelona won La Liga in Messi's debut season, and won a double of the league and Champions League in 2006. His breakthrough season was in the 2006–07 season; he became a first team regular, scoring a hat-trick in El Clásico and finishing with 14 goals in 26 league games. Messi then had the most successful season of his playing career, the 2008–09 season, in which he scored 38 goals to play an integral part in a treble-winning campaign. This record breaking season was then eclipsed in the following 2009–10 campaign, where Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equalling Ronaldo's record total for Barcelona.
Messi was the top scorer of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship with six goals, including two in the final game. Shortly thereafter, he became an established member of Argentina's senior international team. In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup and he won a runners-up medal at the Copa América tournament the following year. In 2008, in Beijing, he won his first international honour, an Olympic gold medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team.
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi[3] (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi]; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team as a forward or winger. He also holds Spanish citizenship, which makes him eligible as a EU player. Considered one of the best football players of his generation[4][5][6] and frequently cited as the world's best contemporary player,[7] Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21 and won both by the age of 22.[7][8][9][10] He also won the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or at the age of 23.[11] His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor".[12][13]
Messi began playing football at a young age and his potential was quickly identified by Barcelona. He left Rosario-based Newell's Old Boys's youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Europe, as Barcelona offered treatment for his growth hormone deficiency. Making his debut in the 2004–05 season, he broke his team record for the youngest footballer to score a league goal. Major honours soon followed as Barcelona won La Liga in Messi's debut season, and won a double of the league and Champions League in 2006. His breakthrough season was in the 2006–07 season; he became a first team regular, scoring a hat-trick in El Clásico and finishing with 14 goals in 26 league games. Messi then had the most successful season of his playing career, the 2008–09 season, in which he scored 38 goals to play an integral part in a treble-winning campaign. This record breaking season was then eclipsed in the following 2009–10 campaign, where Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equalling Ronaldo's record total for Barcelona.
Messi was the top scorer of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship with six goals, including two in the final game. Shortly thereafter, he became an established member of Argentina's senior international team. In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup and he won a runners-up medal at the Copa América tournament the following year. In 2008, in Beijing, he won his first international honour, an Olympic gold medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team.
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