Gervinho Finally Playing for the Gunners?

Gervais Yao Kouassi, more commonly known as Gervinho, is a 24-year old Ivorian international who shot OSC Lille to the Ligue Une title last year with 15 goals and 11 assists. With his contract running out at the end of next year, Lille will make sure that they do not let the offensive all-rounder walk away for free. Arsenal seems to be the front-runners in signing the speedy, technically gifted forward.

He can play up top, right behind the forwards, or in the attacking midfield role, but is more successful as a winger, where he can often find himself one v. one against defenders using his speed and technial abilities. He started his professional footballing career in 2004 when he came to Belgium from the Ivory Coast in the youth system of KSK Beveren.  Beveren gave Gervinho his opportunity to make it as a professional footballer, like it has done for many Ivorians. Yaya Toure (Man City), Yapi Yapo (FC Basel), Arthur Boka (VfB Stuttgart), Romaric (FC Sevilla), Emmanuel Eboue (FC Arsenal) are some of the Ivorians that have came through the club to go on bigger clubs throughout Europe.

After a year in the youth system at Beveren, he would earn a spot in the first team and played with them for two years before his transfer to RC Lens for 650.000 Euros, where he would spend another two years. Add another zero to that transfer fee (6.500.000) and that is what OSC Lille had to pay for the young Ivorian at the time. He would prove that he is more than capable of playing at the highest level and even made the Ivorian national team, where he would play in the 2010 World Cup. 

His exposure at the World Cup expanded his opportunities to play football at an even higher level. Immediately, Gervinho was linked to Arsenal who has been trying to sign the attacker for several years now. This may be the summer they complete the deal, but he is worth 16.000.000 Euros, according to transfermarkt.de. He plays a lot like Thierry Henry does as a winger, receiving the ball by the sideline and using his sheer talent to force it in the middle where he can create mismatches to either shoot or make the final deadly pass for a goal.

Is this the summer where Gervinho will find himself wearing the Gunners jersey?

Player to Watch: Mamadou Sakho

On March 8, 2011, I had previously posted that Mamadou Sakho had renewed his contract at French Ligue Une side Paris Saint-Germain until the summer of 2014. The 21-year old centerback who played a total of 50 matches for PSG and 4 for the French National Team this year, has been rumored to be on the shortlist of many English clubs including Arsenal, Tottenham, and Liverpool.

In the previous post regarding Sakho, I had mentioned that his current market value was at 13.500.000 Euros, which was a team-high. Roughly three months later, his stock has risen 2.500.000 to see him at 16.000.000 currently, which makes him more than 3.000.000 Euros higher than second best Nene. The Parisian club may beg to differ with transfermarkt.de's assessment, as he could be coined invaluable to the team. Playing in 4358 minutes for Paris this year, made him the third most used player in the squad, only several minutes behind Christophe Jallet and Nene.

The left-footed centerback that has played for France's national team at every level starting with U16, is now pushing his way into the regular line-up for Les Bleus at the senior level. He more than likely could also see his way to England in this summer's transfer window, as many Premier League clubs have confirmed interest in the experienced youngster (150 total matches for PSG). As previously stated, his contract runs out in 2014, but PSG will surely look to cash in on him before his contract runs out... the question is when?

Player to Watch: Alexander Merkel

"What’s happened over the last few weeks hasn’t really sunk in yet, but it’s a wonderful experience." The 19 year-old German midfielder currently at AC Milan in Italy, Alexander Merkel, is this week's player to watch. At only 19 years of age he has already experienced a lot for someone his age.

He made his professional debut in December of last year with AC Milan in their defeat to Ajax Amsterdam. A month later he scored his first goal against Bari in a Coppa Italia match. He is under contract at the Italian club until the summer of 2013. Merkel has appeared in 17 matches so far with I Rossoneri starting in 13 of them and is on pursuit of his first trophy which would be the Serie A title if they can hold on to the two point lead they have on inter-city rivals Inter Milan.

The youngster featured in Germany's U-19 national team in November and has shown a lot of promise and talent since then. His abilities on the ball allow him to play central midfield but can also push up into a more attacking role. He is considered the new blond German angel and may be the future of a very talented German side. With very little experience at the time, he will only continue to grow and mature into a better player, and this makes him a player to watch. At the moment, his market value according to transfermarkt.de is at €3,000,000. Within the next several months and certainly as time passes by, this number will only increase.
                                                         

Spurs Sign Bale to New Deal

Gareth Bale, a 21-year old left midfielder for the Tottenham Hotspurs in the English Premier League, has signed a new 4 and-a-half year deal with the club. Bale's market value is currently around €25 million, which has more than tripled in the last year and a half. He is currently the second highest valued player on the team behind only Luka Modric who is only €3 million more than Bale.

So far this season for the Spurs he has played 24 Premier League matches and has managed to score 7 goals and also assist on 2 additional goals. In only 7 UEFA Champions League matches he has scored 4 goals and assisted on 4 more. To say the least, he has been instrumental in Tottenham's success so far this year. Bale said in an interview after the contract extension was announced, "I am enjoying my football at Tottenham. I want us to keep going forward as a team and hopefully we can achieve big things." Tottenham has not only qualified for the Champions League this year but they have made it far enough to become one of the final eight clubs left in the competition. In the Premier League, they are currently in 5th place only 2 points behind 4th place Chelsea and 7 points ahead of 6th place Liverpool, however with 9 games remaining... anything can happen.

The contract extension was announced only days after some sources said that Spanish club FC Barcelona was willing to spend more than €40 million for the left midfielder who Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said is "one of the top left-sided players in the world, he is really an amazing talent and can only get better." It is reported that he will be making £68,000 a week to stay at the club.

New York Red Bulls Win Season Opener

Red Bull New York's 18 year-old super striker Juan Agudelo finds back of the net in the 70th minute to lift the Red Bulls over the Seattle Sounders in the opening match of the 2011 season. Agudelo was played a ball down the middle of the field by Teemu Tainio and then shouldered away a Sounders defender before slotting the ball with the outside of his right foot past Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

Beginning in the first several minutes of the game, the Red Bulls were off to a great start with many good chances to score and most of the possession for the first half. In the 8th minute, Juan Agudelo was played into the box where he attempted to turn the ball but was taken down by Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, which resulted in the official pointing to the spot for a penalty kick. Thierry Henry stepped up to take the penalty however former US international keeper Kasey Keller made a great save on the shot that went to his right. The Red Bulls saw several other good opportunities to score, however could not manage to put the ball in the back of the net before the half. Seattle could be considered lucky to have made it to half-time in the Red Bull Arena in a scoreless game.

New York came out in the second half more focused on the attack and it was obvious that the Sounders would have been more than happy with a single point against the Red Bulls. It was just a matter of time before Kasey Keller would be beaten and then it was a pretty easy final twenty minutes for the Red Bulls to hold on to the 1:0 lead.

Red Bull New York started with the following line-up:

Sutton

Marquez - Ream - Miller

Solli - Richards [Borman (93)] - Ballouchy [Tchani (68)] - Tainio (A) - Lindpere

Henry - Agudelo (G)



PSG Star Mamadou Sakho extends contract

French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain has resigned their most important player in Mamadou Sakho until June 30, 2014. Sakho is a 21 year old French international who has come up through the PSG youth academy, and has been with PSG since 2002. The centerback is widely regarded as one of the best young players at his position, and his decision to stay in France has shocked many people. His current market value according to Transfermarkt.de is a team-high 13.5 million Euros.

He had opportunities and offers to play in other countries where he would be able to play against some of the best players in the world. Teams including Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester City, and AC Milan had made open bids for the youngster while others had shown interest, but not placed bids to PSG.

Mamadou is known for his eccentric hairstyles and unique personality. More importantly, he is known for his leadership skills, tireless work ethic, and great tackling ability. His successes with the club include the French League Cup in 2008 and the Coup de France in 2010. As reigning Coup de France champions, they hope to soon add the 2011 Ligue Une title to their trophy case with the solid defense anchored by Sakho. At the moment, they are in fifth place sitting only 5 points behind first place. Sakho is a player to watch for the next several years. Although he has just resigned a contract keeping him in Paris for now, be sure to look for a heavy transfer sum to be shipped to Paris from either England or Spain within the next couple years.

Frankfurt's Drought Continues

It has been a little over 724 minutes since Eintracht Frankfurt has last scored. In those 8 games, they have been 0-6-2. It has been a rough ride for not only the team but the supporters as well. Last week was also the thirteenth time this season that Frankfurt has been shut-out, and was only the second time they have managed a point in the second half of the season.

The majority of the Frankfurt fans up to this point had been very content with the performance of the team and the management, however that has quickly changed. The dreams in the beginning of the season of seeing the team in some European competitions have dwindled away to hopes that the team can remain in the top flight of German soccer.

Heribert Bruchhagen will evaluate the performance of the team and trainer during next week's match against FC Schalke 04. This may be Michael Skibbe's last week with Eintracht Frankfurt before he is released if the team cannot pull off a favorable result.

"Goalless, Winless, Hopeless," the most recent title of an article by German media source Kicker. This sums up the struggle for the Hessians for the last 8 weeks of competition. Will this continue and will Frankfurt's hopes of remaining in the Bundesliga diminish? Or will Frankfurt find a way to get some points and steer clear of the relegation battle?

Sabres: Push to the Playoffs

Tim Connolly (Buffalo Sabres)

We are already just about three-fourths of the way through the NHL regular season, it's time to start seriously thinking about the playoffs. There are so many questions to be answered and not much time left to answer them. What are some of the transactions that will be seen over the next few weeks leading up to and including the NHL trade deadline? The deadline this year is February 28, 2011 at 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, and some major trades may be brewing as many teams will be looking to acquire the missing links to secure their playoff positions.

With the Buffalo Sabres new ownership, there is expected to a be a flurry of trades and transactions that would see the club make an even stronger push into the playoff hunt. Still a few points out, they need several pieces to the puzzle that would help make them a much stronger team. Some reports say that D Craig Rivet, F Tim Connolly, F Rob Niedermayer, F Mike Grier, and F Jason Pominville are all on the trading block and may be on their way out. There are many different trade rumours dealing with the Buffalo Sabres, however the most common theme sees Tim Connolly (pictured) on his way out of Buffalo. This will not come as a surprise to many Sabres fans, as anyone who has looked at salaries and performance can see that Connolly makes too much money for producing too little. At the moment, he makes $4.5 million a year and eventhough his contract will end at the end of this year and make him an unrestricted free agent, that would open up some room to perhaps bring in another player that would help in the push to the playoffs.

Currently, the Buffalo Sabres are making a push to join the hunt, and they have been quite successful lately with the exception of yesterday's matinee game against the Washington Capitals. Let's hear some trade rumours and your opinions on who should go and who should stay. I think we all can agree on the fact that the Sabres need to make a move if they want to not only make the playoffs, but be a contender to get past the first round.

Check Out ESPN Scorecenter Application for iPhone and iPad!

One of the quickest and easiest ways to get the newest information and scores on all sports across the world is through the ESPN Scorecenter app. This has saved my life so many times when I was on the go, at work, or at school and could not access a computer. Scorecenter allows you to pick any leagues from any sports worldwide and they will send you updates and scores, as well as news and information on your teams that you choose as your favorites. Follow as many leagues and as many teams as you would like! This app is great for any sports fan and even better for the sports nuts that can't get enough of professional sports. I have had this app since the moment it came out a couple of years ago. I love everything about this app and it even has alarms in case you forget when your favorite team(s) is/are playing (not that that would ever happen). Do you want to know the best part about this app? F-R-E-E!!!!! I highly recommend this, please check it out.

Biggest transfers of the winter transfer period.

The headlines in the news throughout England were dominated by the recent transfers. The top tier in England saw several important transfers that will have certainly have an impact on the rest of the season. Among the top transfers were names like Fernando Torres (pictured left) and Andy Carroll (pictured right).

Fernando Torres who has been struggling for form recently due to injuries, has seen his way from Liverpool to the west London club FC Chelsea. David Luiz, a Brazilian defender from Benfica Lisbon in Portugal was also acquired for £21.3 million. Chelsea is seeking a way to defend their title and Carlo Ancelotti must see these two as the missing links. 10 points behind Manchester United with 14 games left may be a unsurmountable difference, but don't put it past the Blues. The transfer fee is a record £50 million (approximately $80 million). Liverpool reinvested the money into buying two replacements for Torres. Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez were purchased for a total of £57.7 million (£35 and £22.7 million respectively).

Sunderland acquired several strong midfielders that may be able to help their chances in the road to the Champions League. Sulley Muntari is on loan from Inter Milan, and Stephane Sessegnon was purchased for £6 million. Obafemi Martins is also on loan to Birmingham from Russian side Rubin Kazan for the rest of the season. Edin Dzeko came to Manchester City from German club VfL Wolfsburg, and Emmanuel Adebayor left ManCity to Real Madrid until the end of the season to make room for Dzeko. Relegation bound West Ham United secured the sure goal scorer Demba Ba from TSG Hoffenheim and also acquired the help of Robbie Keane until the end of the season.

There were also several Americans on the move including Michael Bradley, as previously mentioned. Robbie Findley made his way to Nottingham Forest in the English Championship from the MLS. Eddie Johnson was sent on loan to Preston North End, where he will seek some playing time he couldn't find at Fulham.

Opinion: Chelsea may be taking a risk in the purchase of Fernando Torres, who may find a hard time earning minutes behind the likes of Didier Drogba, Nicholas Anelka, and Salomon Kalou. I think Liverpool is the winner with the purchase of Andy Carroll who has already scored 11 goals this season for Newcastle. He may lack experience however his potential to evolve into a bigger star is certainly attractive. Chelsea needs improvement on the defensive side of the ball and hopefully David Luiz can improve the team. Sunderland may be the team to watch. A very impressive first half of the season has led to an opportunity to play for a Champions League spot at the end of the season. The two midfielders will only help their situation and they are a team to keep an eye on.

Sabres sale official. Press conference on Thursday.

Today the Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano has agreed to finalize the sale of the western New York NHL team to billionaire Terry Pegula. The agreement was announced today, however details regarding the entire situation will be discussed Thursday during a press conference.

The reports say that the purchase will be $175 million for the Sabres organization and another $14 in liabilities through the NHL.

Terry is a Penn State University alumn, and he recently made a very generous donation in the area of $88 million for a new multipurpose arena which will be the host of the Penn State Ice Hockey teams which will be competing at the D-I level starting in the 2012-2013 season.

Opinion: I think that we need to thank Tom Golisano for saving the team back in 2003 when we suffered financial difficulties, however recently I was not happy with the performance and some of the choices of management. Is this starting a new era for the Buffalo Sabres? What are your thoughts on this situation?

Michael Bradley on loan to Aston Villa! Good or bad?

Today it was made official that the United States international midfielder Michael Bradley (23) will be playing for "The Villans" at least until the end of the season. Villa has the option of purchasing Bradley's contract at the end of the loan. He joins two other Americans on the current roster in Brad Friedel and Eric Lichaj. Borussia Moenchengladbach, the club in Germany that Bradley has played for recently, is relegation bound.

Bradley had started all but three games so far this season for Gladbach, the only game he did not partake in was last week in the win over Eintracht Frankfurt. Will he be able to get minutes for the Premier League club on the rise? Is this a good decision for the young American?

Introduction

My name is Christopher J. Zitterbart and I am a Sport Management major at Slippery Rock University. I transferred to Slippery Rock from Niagara County Community College and I am currently a junior. At NCCC, I earned an Associate's degree in Business Administration. My career interest area is general management. I would enjoy a long career with a professional sports franchise. My favorite sports are soccer and ice hockey. Thanks for taking time to read my blog, hope to hear your thoughts.