Psst, hey you! Yeah, you, the soccer fan who's distracted by the baseball playoffs! You might have missed it, but it's been a pretty good week for American success stories on the world stage.
Freddy Adu scored his first European goal for Benfica in a Portuguese Cup game. DaMarcus Beasley was huge in the Champions League, setting up a goal and scoring one of his own in Rangers' shock 3-0 win over Olympique Lyon.
Clint Dempsey's value to Fulham increases by the game (though we can't say anything nice about his accidental boot to John Terry's face, breaking the Chelsea captain's cheekbone). Michael Bradley is quietly becoming the biggest American success in Europe, scoring five goals in a four-game span for Holland's Heerenveen (SI.com's Grant Wahl will have more on this one next week).
And finally, D.C. United gave Chivas de Guadalajara fans a heart attack, coming thisclose to (again) finally breaking a Mexican club in an international competition. (You can read my take here.)
These are all good signs, and reasons to keep paying attention. So keep this all in mind, read some Rankings and then go back to the couch. We'll bug you again soon, we promise. For now, try not to get annoyed with that guy who does all the celebrity impressions during commercials of TBS' playoff coverage.
Give me your thoughts on my Throw-Ins Blog at FanNation.
Note: All rankings, records and statistics are through Oct. 3.
| World Soccer Power Rankings |
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Arsenal
Don't look know, but that's nine wins in a row for the first-place Young Gunners (and 12 games unbeaten), tying the mark set by the legendary 2003-04 squad that went undefeated and won the English Premier League by a landslide 11 points. We're probably not looking at an "Invincibles" sequel, but Arsène Wenger has still thrown down the gauntlet: "The challenge is to become like that team of four seasons ago."
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2 |
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Real Madrid
It's a good thing Real drew with Lazio in Rome in the Champions League on Wednesday, because I wasn't sure I wanted to have to consider the defending Spanish champs at No. 1. Yes, Real is undefeated and in first place in La Liga, and we've been singing its turnaround praises in this space. But I'm not convinced yet. So far, Bernd Schuster has the same problem his predecessors faced: Does he run his system through his guys (Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, for instance) or bend to organizational and fan pressure and give Raúl and Guti the ball?
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10 |
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FC Barcelona
Ronaldinho expendable? What kind of crazy talk is that? Sure, Barça had been rattling off goals like spare change while its biggest star was sidelined. But you're telling me they don't need him? I'm as big a Lionel Messi fan as anyone -- heck, the whole attack is an "E" ticket. But even "The Flea" prefers to have 'Dinho at his side. And if the growing pains are over and everyone is clicking like this, who's going to stop these guys?
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7 |
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Bayern Munich
Amazing that this club has such firepower, Lukas Podolski has become an afterthought. Now 22, the former FC Köln phenom was the premier signing in all of Germany a summer ago; last week Bayern GM Uli Hoeness says he hasn't worked hard enough to break into the side: "If he doesn't make big changes in his attitude soon, he won't make it here." Think the writing's on the wall? Without "Prince Poldi," Bayern is 6-2-0 and outscoring Bundesliga opponents 22-3. Auf wiedersehen, Lukas.
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Inter Milan
Roberto Mancini took a calculated risk in making Zlatan Ibrahimovic the lone striker in front of five midfielders, and so far it's the shot in the arm Inter has been lacking. Luís Figo is still a master at in-the-box service, as he proved against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday. My only reservation here is that, after dropping one talented but hotheaded striker (Adriano), Inter is betting the farm on another. Let's hope Zlatan isn't a liability with the refs when the crunch-time matches arrive.
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São Paulo
Apologies to Boca Juniors, who lose their place on the Rankings by virtue of a crummy draw in the Copa Sudamericana. But it's been a long time coming for the defending Brazilian champs and '07 frontrunner São Paulo, back on the list for the first time since May. Their 12-point lead in the Brazilian race and their Sudamericana fightback against Boca -- Aloísio grabbed the winner off the bench to put the Tricolor Paulista through on away goals -- merit the spot.
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4 |
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AS Roma
Ludovic Giuly's awesome fingertip save on a rebound header by Inter's Ibrahimovic on Saturday was indicative of Roma's entire '07-08 campaign: Great save -- too bad Giuly's not a keeper. Sort of like the Giallorossi: Great show -- too bad Roma's not built to last. You can bet this club will battle until May. It has a nice rotation of promising players (and one of the best creator/finishers of his generation in Francesco Totti), but it's probably not going to fend off the Inters, Milans and Juventuses all season long.
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5 |
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Liverpool
Maybe they should change the Anfield locker-room placard to "This is Bizarro World." Liverpool is off to a good start in EPL play, but is on the verge of cutting out of the Champions League early. The Reds' impotence in their home loss to Marseille on Wednesday was every bit as stunning as their power display in their 6-0 rout of Derby in league last month. Will the real Liverpool please step forward?
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1 |
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AC Milan
Alright, that's it. No more leaving Milan at No. 1 by virtue of its European crown. The Rossoneri have looked downright awful of late, winless in their last four and culminating with Wednesday's 2-1 loss at Celtic in the Champions League. To make matters worse, have you ever seen a player take a dive ... from a hit by a fan? I know karma owes Dida, who was pegged by a flare in that infamous Champs League firestorm with Inter in '05. But the Brazilian keeper hits the deck after getting a light pat of thanks on the cheek from a nut-job Celtic supporter?
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| 10 |
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Manchester United
Tampa Bay United is back on here, but for anyone scoring at home, that's now six 1-0 wins in 12 overall matches for Malcolm Glazer's Humvee of Debt. The offense is sputtering and the Red Devils are out of the Carling Cup. That said, let's focus on something they've got right. The back line has been fantastic, Nemanja Vidic in particular, who is developing into one of the EPL's best center backs.
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Honorable mentions: Rangers, Villarreal, FC Porto, Valencia, Manchester City, Schalke 04, Celtic, Juventus, PSV Eindhoven, Independiente, Shakhtar Donetsk, Santos Laguna, Colo-Colo
Dropped off: Boca Juniors, Sevilla, Pachuca
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