Study: Soccer better exercise than running

Hmm. Does this startling finding come from the scientific think tank that discovered that men like attractive women? They plan to follow this study with an inquiry to uncover which type of jelly goes best with peanut butter.

Not a surprise to people who enjoy playing the sport, but it's nice to see some press of this for the general public.

Right again: Winning the Arsene-al way

Admit it. You thought Arsene Wenger was tilting at windmills.

Or perhaps you thought his notion of maintaining a team with a few veterans and a core of youngsters was the folly of someone who was mailing it in--already certain he was following Thierry Henry to greener pastures.

Wenger has spent the past few years racked with criticism over personnel and transfer decisions. But through it all, he was, in fact, standing with unwavering faith that his frugal but prudent purchases and his carefully nurtured starlets would meld into a side that could compete for domestic honors.

As Chelsea's all-star team gobbled up trophies and Manchester United surged back to prominence, soccer observers forgot the vision of the man who plucked Viera and Henry from frustrated obscurity and placed them amongst the world's best in their positions.

If anyone had forgotten Wenger's brilliance, they are remembering now.

An Arsenal fan could be forgiven for worrying where the team would get goals after Henry's departure, but the youngsters have stepped up to the challenge--continuing to play the flowing, beautiful football that we've come to expect, but rather that being dependent on the talismanic Frenchman to seal the deal, they're sharing the ball and players like Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie, and even the previously misfiring Cesc Fabregas are slotting away the goals.

As Wenger explained in a recent Soccernet article on the Henry transfer:

"it is natural when a player of the calibre of Thierry, they look for him first to do something, and when he is not there somebody else, it is a bit more shared."

Both Henry's injury-plagued last season and Wenger's leadership have hastened this transition, and the result is a real gift to both Gooners and fans of the beautiful game.

Mourinho no more: The ego has left the building

Tonight, Jose Mourinho has shocked the footballing world by quitting Chelsea. Certainly, given disappointing early results, rumors of a bust-up with owner Roman Abramovich, and the Special One's increasing frustration with the club, the question of whether this was a resignation or a sacking will be a sure topic for debate.

While one might resent the way Mourinho alternated between self-aggrandizing rhetoric and petulant whining, his on-field successes are unquestioned. Though it might seem easy to put together championship sides with the resources of Abramovich's bottomless wallet, Real Madrid has amply demonstrated that a team of superstars won't necessarily produce silverware.

Chelsea didn't always play beautiful football, but Mourinho brought a tactical awareness, leadership, and vision that generated results.

Nonetheless, it appears Abramovich is doing his best George Steinbrenner, Al Davis, or Jerry Jones impersonation. The Soccernet report and others out of London suggest he resented Mourinho's refusal to fully incorporate Andrei Shevchenko into his plans and desired a more flowing, attacking style than the Portuguese manager delivered.

The net result, I believe, will be that Chelsea will no longer be competitive for Premiership or European honors. Already the Blues have surrendered points to fellow competitors Liverpool . And no matter who Abramovich brings on board, will he have the ego, the sheer force of personality necessary to navigate the billionare in the owner's box and the multi-millionaires in the locker room and steer the Blues to consistent success?

Finally, on a personal note:
Objectivity is difficult for me here, as the decline of the Blues and the ascendancy of an Arsenal side built on very different (and, of course, purer) principles is, quite simply, a sublime convergence of events.

So long as we can avoid the nightmare scenario of Abramovich poaching Arsene Wenger, all will be well.

Given the Frenchman's history of unwavering fidelity to a signed contact, it seems I can sleep well and enjoy the next few days of the British Footballing press whipping themselves into a lather.

Phenomenal Soccer Analyst - Jozy Altidore

Jozy Altidore wrote a New York Times blog piece about US Soccer fans' impatience with young players. It is very well written and incredibly insightful. A must read.