Roy Messineo

The pre-tournament excitement about this very talented Belgium squad has sobered after two narrow and uninspiring wins in Brazil. This has put them top of Group G and through to the Round of 16, yet it's hardly been satisfying or convincing. The arc of slow starts, flat middles, and late highs is not a path […]

England's disappointing 1-2 loss to Italy in Manaus should be tempered by the excitement generated by a genuinely fine performance, despite the defeat. Although nothing was gained against Italy, England should be heartened by the fact that nothing was definitively lost. The smiles, harmony, and bonhomie (yes, even bonhomie) of an England camp whose preparation […]

At what point during Chelsea’s season did the difference between symptoms of discomfort and symptoms of illness become clear? For some time, they looked and felt the same. It was a bit like trying to figure out if you’re getting sick or just feeling a little crappy that afternoon. Michael Ballack put it best in […]

“It’s just a shame that Van Persie, a world-class player, came up with a piece of magic at the end. He is worth the entrance fee alone.” – Steve Bruce What constitutes leadership seems fairly obvious: there’s experience, charisma, success, temperament, and colleagues’ respect. Yet what constitutes a captain is far less clear. What is […]

Andre Villas-Boas’s arrival at Chelsea over the summer was a sensation. Young, confident, and possessing a pedigree of mentorship, transformation at Chelsea was expected. But instilling new and unfamiliar ways would be palliative before firmly rooted—this was Chelsea after all, part exclusive nightclub, and part outpost of the new Moscow, an engineered beast resistant to […]