Juventus experienced a significant amount of change in the most recent summer transfer window as a number of key players departed. Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, Kingsley Coman and others left Turin. However, the biggest loss may have been that of Carlos Tevez.

The forward was a tour de force for the Serie A heavyweights, with 27 goals and eight assists in 45 appearances across all competitions. His ability to create goals, both as a scorer and a distributor, was extremely important to the Bianconeri, as it gave the team another creative presence to pair with Pirlo and other playmakers, like Claudio Marchisio and Paul Pogba.

Tevez returned to Boca Juniors in his native Argentina. The Argentine’s departure, coupled with the losses of Fernando Llorente and Coman left the cupboard bare in terms of forwards— Alvaro Morata remained as the only incumbent on the roster.

Beppe Marotta brought in Mario Mandzukic from Atletico Madrid and Simone Zaza from Sassuolo. Youngster Guido Vadala also joined from Boca Juniors as part of the Tevez deal. However, the most significant arrival has been that of Paulo Dybala.

The former Palermo forward has been a revelation this season, bagging 14 goals and handing out seven assists across all competitions. Dybala has also averaged three shots per game and two key passes per contest, in addition completing 85.1% of his passes.

Over the past few games, the forward has been extremely proficient. He scored the winning goal against Roma and assisted on the deciding goal away to Sampdoria. Dybala notched a goal and an assist in a win against Hellas Verona while also having a hand in all four goals in a drubbing of Udinese.

The excellent performances, coupled with Dybala’s young age (he’s just 22-years-old), have naturally drawn interest from other clubs. Yahoo Sports recently relayed a report from Tuttosport that said Juve turned down an “80 million euro bid” from Barcelona for the youngster.

Juventus need to continue to reject bids like the reported one from the Blaugrana. Dybala is simply too important.

The forward has replaced his compatriot Tevez in more ways than one. Not only has Dybala started to score more goals, he’s also serving as a creative outlet higher up the pitch, something Tevez excelled at. His creativity has not only made up for Tevez’ departure, but also Pirlo’s. The Italian midfielder’s ability to set up teammates has been missed by Juve, but Dybala’s play has helped make up for the loss.

In addition, the Bianconeri need to keep the team’s young core together in order to build for the future. Dybala, Zaza, Morata, Paul Pogba, Stefano Sturaro, Mario Lemina, Alex Sandro and Daniele Rugani are all under 24-years-old. Keeping that core together will do wonders for the team’s long-term prospects. The attacking trio of Dybala, Morata and Pogba has a chance to be even more dynamic and dangerous in the coming years. They will only get better with time.

What’s more, a replacement forward, like say Edinson Cavani, wouldn’t necessarily bring the same creative spark that Juve need.

Juventus must keep hold of Paulo Dybala for the long haul. The forward has immense potential, and has already started to make good on it. The Bianconeri must refuse to sell Dybala to ensure that the Argentine improves in a Juventus shirt.

Juventus faced Barcelona in the Champions League final with what can definitively be called a veteran team. The Old Lady started Gianluigi Buffon, Patrice Evra, Andrea Barzagli, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez, all of whom are over 30 years of age.

With Pirlo and Tevez departing, the Bianconeri took the opportunity to make the squad much younger in an effort to once again reach the Champions League final – and this time win it. This will be no easy task seeing as in the last five years only one losing finalist (Bayern Munich) has made it back to Europe’s biggest stage.

Juve is hoping youth gets them back to the big game sooner – and more often.

Part of the youth movement included allowing reserve, veteran players to leave. Goalkeeper Marco Storari (38) and winger Simone Pepe (31) both left the club after five seasons each in Turin. 30-year-old forward Alessandro Matri was returned to Milan following a loan stint, while Romulo (28) also returned to his original club, Hellas Verona, after a loan spell. Add players like Tevez (31) and Pirlo (36), and the Bianconeri lost an unquantifiable amount of experience.

However, the departed experience has been replaced by youth and potential.

Let’s be clear, the team still has a wealth of experience with the likes of Buffon, Evra, Giorgio Chiellini and Barzagli among others, but they now have the youth to sustain their success.

The team got younger at nearly every position.

Former Fiorentina starter Neto was signed on a Bosman as the backup goalkeeper to replace a man (Storari) who is 12 years his senior. In defense, the team went from somewhat young (28-year Angelo Ogbonna, who was sold to West Ham) to extremely young. Highly regarded center-back Daniele Rugani, who’s only 20 years young, replaces his compatriot as a back-up defender.

The team’s most recent signing, Alex Sandro is only 24 and comes with a wealth of experience. The 24-year-old left-back will push Evra for minutes, if not overtake the Frenchman completely.

Sami Khedira (28) was signed to replace Pirlo as the midfield pivot, while a younger No. 10 type will likely be sought to fill Pirlo’s creative void.

Up front, Paulo Dybala (21) and Simone Zaza (24) along with Mario Mandzukic (29) were signed to replace the departing Tevez and Matri (31 and 30 respectively).

The team will likely become even younger with the possibility that 30-year-old Fernando Llorente is sold. Llorente’s minutes would likely be divvied up between Kingsley Coman and Dybala, both of whom are under the legal drinking age in the United States.

For a team that was filled with the soccer equivalent of gray hairs, Juventus has completely reshaped its team, making it not only more athletic and dynamic, but also a threat to contend next season, and in the future when some of its current veterans will be enjoying retirement.

Rebounding from a year when the club yet again failed to reclaim the Serie A title from Juventus, Roma will no doubt look to better their northern rivals during the upcoming season. 

One of the capital club’s biggest strengths is its depth. The Romans have a well-stocked midfield at present with vice-captain Danielle De Rossi leading a group that includes Radja Nainggolan, Kevin Strootman, Miralem Pjanic, Alessandro Florenzi and Seydou Keita among others. Further up the pitch, living legend Francesco Totti is supported by the likes of Gervinho and Adem Ljajic as well as bounce-back candidates Juan Iturbe and Seydou Doumbia. 

While Roma is blessed with depth in the midfield and in attack, and has a solid defense, one area where they are seemingly looking to improve is in goal. 

The old adage that “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” comes into play here. 

The Giallorossi was linked to both Iker Casillas and Mat Ryan as well as Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic. There new target seems to be Sampdoria’s Sergio Romero. 

But is Roma in need of an upgrade?

The reality is that the club might be. Morgan De Sanctis led the club to a second-place Serie A finish, but the team was unable to overcome the Bianconeri. Roma also failed to make inroads in the Champions League and was relegated to the Europa League before being embarrassed by Fiorentina in the round of 16. 

The Giallorossi needs help. 

The Incumbents 

Morgan De Sanctis finished last season with a respectable 6.73 player rating in Serie A last year, but only a 5.91 number in the Champions League. In addition, he posted nine different games with a rating below six. Gianluigi Buffon, his comparable in many ways, only posted two games of that nature. 

To top it all off, De Sanctis allowed Bayern to put seven by him and the rest of the Roma defense in Rome. Bayern is a fantastically talented and clinical team, but seven conceded goals at the Stadio Olimpico?

De Sanctis isn’t getting any younger either. The veteran is 38, and his backup isn’t a spring chicken either. Romanian shot-stopper Bogdan Lobont is a year De Sanctis’ junior at 37-years-old. De Sanctis and Lobont are the only ‘keepers on Roma’s books. The club should be looking for a long-term replacement, at the very least, who they could loan out. 

The team may have found the long-term replacement that was needed for their two veterans in Lukasz Skorupski, however the 24-year-old struggled, losing three home games this past season by a combined score of 7-1 to Fiorentina (twice) and Palermo. Skorupski was recently farmed out to Empoli on a two-year loan deal. 

The Verdict

If anything, Roma’s decision to loan out Skorupski means the club will make some kind of move in the goalkeeping department. The team has already missed out on Casillas, Ryan and Begovic, so the Giallorossi will need to move fast if the team hopes to bring in Romero. The Argentine ‘keeper represented his country at last summer’s World Cup and this summer’s Copa America. Romero isn’t a regular for Sampdoria, so the transfer fee shouldn’t be too high. Regardless, Roma needs a new goalkeeper. Whether it’s Romero, or someone else of his ilk, the club needs new blood between the sticks. De Sanctis and Lobont are solid players, but both are getting up there in age. Neither seem to be on the same age-defying trajectory as Buffon, so a new, younger addition would help. If Roma can sign a goalkeeper like Romero, it may be the difference in breaking through not only in Serie A, but in the Champions League as well. 

All stats courtesy of http://www.whoscored.com/ unless otherwise noted.

A.C. Milan is about to add some more firepower to help Jeremy Menez up front. Menez, the club’s only double-digit goal scorer, will soon be joined by prolific striker Carlos Bacca.

Sure, attacking midfielders like Giacomo Bonaventura and Keisuke Honda chipped in with goals (seven and four respectively), but the forward line was clearly lacking. Giampaolo Pazzini wasn’t up to snuff, which then prompted the arrival of Mattia Destro on loan. The on-loan Roma man failed to deliver as well.

Menez seemed to do much of the heavy lifting himself, contributing 16 goals with a further four assists. He’ll be joined by Bacca, who was prolific for Sevilla last season.

The Colombian striker, who confirmed himself that he has reached an agreement with the club, bagged 28 goals in all competitions for the Europa League champions.

The transfer will likely cost Milan Bacca’s buyout clause, which is €30 million.

Milan is bringing in a forward, who in terms of La Liga goals, was only bested by Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Antoine Griezmann and Neymar. He’s led Sevilla to consecutive titles in Europe’s second most prestigious competition. Bacca netted seven goals and added three assists in 15 European contests, making him just as dangerous against the rest of Europe as he is domestically.

The signing clearly marks an attempt to drastically improve the fortunes at the San Siro. The Milanese giants finished a disappointing tenth last season, leaving them well behind nearly all of the other high-profile clubs on the peninsula.

After missing out on Bacca’s countryman Jackson Martinez, the Rossoneri find themselves with one of the world’s most prolific goal scorers.

Milan is bringing in a proven winner and lethal goal scorer at that. He’ll look to return Milan to domestic and European glory.

All stats courtesy of http://www.whoscored.com/ unless otherwise noted.

Juventus made enormous strides last season in terms of reclaiming its place amongst Europe’s best. After years of dominating domestically, the Bianconeri finally broke through in the UEFA Champions League. The Old Lady beat the likes of Real Madrid, Monaco and Borussia Dortmund on the way to reaching the final in Berlin.

In the end, they fought tooth and nail, but weren’t up to beating Barcelona. With a veteran team, the decision makers in Turin likely know they don’t have the biggest window to compete. Because of this, the team has taken steps to cement its place at the big boys’ table in European football and keep the window of competition jammed open.

In an uncharacteristic move, Juventus splurged on a signing. When you spend nothing to acquire the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Paul Pogba, most signings are splurges. However, Beppe Marotta and the Juve decision makers spent an eye-popping €32 million for dynamic Palermo attacker Paulo Dybala.

The 21-year-old Dybala is a forward with world-class potential, something that is true of new teammate and fellow forward Alvaro Morata. Dybala excelled in Sicily last term, having a hand in 23 goals (13 goals, 10 assists) as Palermo finished eleventh.

Even with Carlos Tevez gone, Dybala’s arrival gives Juve a dangerous group of attackers that will make any defense on the continent sweat. Dybala joins Morata, Mario Mandzukic (more on him later) and Fernando Llorente in a grouping that checks a number of boxes. There are the aerial threats (Mandzukic and Llorente), the physical presence (Mandzukic), the wunderkinds (Dybala and Morata) and the defensive battering ram/ ground eater (Mandzukic). There are also the goal scorers (all of the above).

Following Dybala’s arrival, Marotta and crew reverted back to their comfort zone—signing players for free. Sami Khedira joined on a free from Real Madrid in a move that provides cover for Andrea Pirlo. Cover in the sense that should Pirlo leave, Khedira can step in and provide a different, more physical style. Should the Italian maestro stay, Khedira will be able to deputize while also log a fair number of starts alongside the likes of Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba.

Khedira’s defensive presence provides Max Allegri with a different look in midfield. The German midfielder will act as a shield and passing outlet in front of the defense, further strengthening a defensive unit that may be the best in Europe.

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Last, but surely not least (you can bet Marotta and Juve will continue to be active this transfer window) is Mario Mandzukic.

The former Atletico Madrid/Bayern Munich striker is a similar player to Tevez in the sense that he puts in a considerable amount of work defensively. He brings a strong presence in the air and is one of Europe’s best in that regard. On top of all that, the striker is dangerous in the box and having scored a number of goals in both La Liga and the Bundesliga, he’ll have no trouble reaching a significant number of goals in Turin.

To top it all off, Mandzukic cost €19 million, a bargain if he plays up to his usual standards.

More than anyone, Allegri and Juventus know how important depth can be, not just domestically, but in Europe as well. Juve was without Giorgio Chiellini, Kwadwo Asamoah, Romulo and Martin Caceres for the Champions League Final while Andrea Barzagli, Andrea Pirlo and Paul Pogba all missed long stretches of time due to injury this season.

Adding players like Paulo Dybala, Sami Khedira and Mario Mandzukic—who all possess either world-class talent, potential or qualities, will only strengthen the team heading into next season. This past season, Juve put together a deep run in the Champions League, their first in a long time. This run, which ended in defeat, will only make the Old Lady hungry for more continental success. The additions of Dybala, Khedira and Mandzukic go a long ways toward ensuring Juve will have a strong chance of achieving that success, this time with a different result in the final.

All stats courtesy of http://www.whoscored.com/ unless otherwise noted.

Major League Soccer is constantly being lambasted as a retirement league – a comfy setting where older players in the twilights of their careers can earn good paychecks, while experiencing famous cities like Seattle, New York and Los Angeles (no bias there, just a Pacific Northwest native writing about football). Franck Ribery once said that if he played in the United States he, “wouldn’t count that as part of my real career”.

For Major League Soccer to change this perception, and bring itself on par with the elite leagues across the world, it must start targeting younger players of a higher pedigree, or players who could still make an impact in Europe. There are restrictions in terms of salary with the Designated Player rule, but teams have to bring in talent of a higher grade.

The teams in MLS have started to do this. It isn’t a finished product, but they’re getting there. The most recent acquisitions of note support the previous line of thinking.

LA Galaxy’s next European star will be Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. While Stevie G isn’t the player he once was, he still checks out as a player with the ability to thrive in Europe. He posted a 7.08 rating in the Champions League and has turned in a 6.96 rating in the Premier League. In all competitions he has nine goals in 26 appearances. He may be 34, but he could certainly still contribute to a European team. Adding a massively influential on-field player will pay huge dividends for the league and the Galaxy.

While Gerrard fits the bill as a player who could make an impact in Europe, recent signing Mix Diskerud and rumored acquisition Jozy Altidore represent the other acquisition of value for MLS clubs – younger players of a high quality who could be playing in Europe. The obvious caveat is that both are American and it’s a homecoming of sorts for both, but the two are massive additions for the league.

In terms of recruiting players, MLS’ best bets are going to be to Americans. We’ve seen the league tempt stars such as Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley home in the past. Now Diskerud, Altidore, Juan Agudelo, Sacha Kljestan and Brek Shea join DeMarcus Beasley as recent national team veterans to make their way back to North America.

Major League Soccer has also targeted players with past MLS success. These players aren’t American, but have extensive experience in the league. Roger Espinoza and Kei Kamara didn’t light the world on fire in Europe (both coincidentally played in England) but during their respective primes, they were top players in MLS. Bringing the duo back only improves the quality of the competition.

In addition to Americans and league veterans, Major League Soccer has gone about bringing in former stars in the latter stages of their careers – players who aren’t what they once were, but players who aren’t severely affected by age. Gerrard is a prime example of this. His former England colleague Frank Lampard (if he actually shows up) is another.

Lampard and Diskerud’s soon-to-be teammate David Villa is another one of these players. Villa is only 33. He was a part of an admittedly weaker, but still talented, Spain squad at the World Cup in Brazil. The striker is his country’s top goalscorer of all-time and he played an important role during his brief time at Atletico Madrid, helping Atleti to a Champions League final appearance and La Liga title.

In addition to the likes of Bradley and Altidore, Toronto is set to bring Italian attacker Sebastian Giovinco into the fold. The man dubbed formica atomica, or “atomic ant” in Italian, is only 28 and in the midst of his prime. Not only is Toronto acquiring him from an elite European team in Juventus, they are also acquiring a player with 21 caps for the Italian national team. Giovinco could still be a fixture with the Azzurri while playing in MLS.

The league also recently welcomed Kaka, who represents another massive opportunity. The Brazilian legend will suit up alongside Brek Shea for expansion franchise Orlando City SC. Kaka isn’t what he used to be, but one must remember what he used to be. The playmaker was in the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo discussion at one point in time. He was arguably the better player of the three at times as well. Kaka was the best-of-the-best in his prime. If he brings a small portion of that to MLS, the league will benefit. If he succeeds, he will likely be the catalyst of success at Orlando. Should the Floridians thrive in MLS, it will create even more opportunity for North American soccer growth.

Not only will it help attract other marquee players, but it will also be another feather in the league’s cap in terms of attracting new cities.

The year 2017 will bring the arrival of an Atlanta-based team, as well as a second Los Angeles-based team to replace the defunct Chivas USA. Additionally, there is hope that David Beckham’s Miami project will come to fruition. Other prospective MLS cities include Minneapolis, Sacramento and San Antonio. If cities feel they can bring in a star like Kaka to their team, who is gold on the field and marketing wise, it only increases the appeal.

Major League Soccer is at an all-time high, thanks to new additions Steven Gerrard, Mix Diskerud, Frank Lampard and David Villa. In short, the league is beginning to thrive. It won’t be long before North America’s premier soccer league is on par with the world’s best.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments section below.

All stats courtesy of http://www.whoscored.com/ unless otherwise noted.

Barcelona is coming to America. Or, rather the Americas, as the Catalan club announced they will tour the United States and Mexico this summer.

The Blaugrana have been down this road before with preseason trips across the Atlantic in 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2011, visiting the likes of Seattle, Monterrey, Los Angeles, Miami and Boston.

With recent preseason expeditions to Asia and other European locales, visiting America and Mexico should provide a nice change of pace.

No dates have been confirmed. However, MLS is still looking for an opponent to play against its All Star team on July 29 near Denver, Colorado.

Trips to foreign locals, especially the United States and Mexico, are prime opportunities for clubs to build their international brand. Barcelona seems to be doing just fine in that department, as arguably the world’s most recognizable. This is partly thanks to a boatload of trophies, as well as the constant presence of superstars. Lionel Messi, Xavi, Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho are just a few of the legends who have donned the Barcelona shirt in recent years.

The current squad still features Messi and Xavi, but it won’t likely be your normal Barcelona traveling party come the summer. Luis Suarez, Messi, Neymar, Claudio Bravo and Javier Mascherano could all begin training later than their teammates due to Copa America commitments.

Even if the aforementioned five players miss preseason matches, the La Liga heavyweights will still trot out a lineup that features world-class talents in Xavi and Andres Iniesta, as well as other elite players such as Sergio Brusquets, Gerard Pique, Ivan Rakitic and Jordy Alba.

Barcelona have visited a wide variety of markets when crossing the Atlantic, playing in Boston, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia in 2003 and Monterrey, Los Angeles, Houston and New York in 2006. The year 2009 saw the team travel to Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco, while 2011 brought a return trip to Washington D.C. as well as visits to Miami and Dallas.

Wherever the Blaugrana end up playing, regardless of how many stars suit up, you can bet they’ll be the hottest ticket in town.

Liverpool youngster Raheem Sterling is Europe’s latest recipient of the “Golden Boy” award. The award has been given since 2003 to the continent’s finest player under 21-years-old.

Sterling inserted himself as a regular presence in both the Liverpool squad and the England team, earning a spot on the team that manager Roy Hodgson took to Brazil in 2014. Last season, his attacking antics helped his Merseyside club exceed expectations and finish second in the Premier League, while qualifying for the Champions League in the process.

Some past winners include Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney and Sterling’s Liverpool teammate Mario Balotelli. Going on that statement alone, it would seem the winger is in good company. Here is a look at the past winners and where they are now.

2003: Rafael van der Vaart

Dutch playmaker Rafael van der Vaart emerged from the Ajax youth system and played for the Amsterdam-based club for five years. After his stint in the Eredivisie, he enjoyed spells with the likes of Hamburg, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur.

A veteran of three European Championships and two World Cups (including the magical run made by the Dutch in 2010), van der Vaart missed out on the 2014 finals. Despite that, he amassed 109 caps for his country, scoring 25 goals in the process.

He is currently in his second tour of duty with Hamburg and captains the Bundesliga club. Though they sit 14th in the Bundesliga, Hamburg are ahead of traditional powers Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen. The midfielder netted four goals in 13 appearances over all competitions for Hamburg.

2004: Wayne Rooney

England’s lone world-class performer (though that could change if Sterling continues to develop), Rooney is one of the game’s premier attacking talents.

While recent additions to Manchester United have forced Rooney to move to numerous positions across the pitch, the Englishmen’s level of play hasn’t suffered. Rooney scored eight goals and contributed four assists. His average WhoScored rating is a superb 7.51.

With Rooney as their captain, Manchester United currently sits third in the Premier League. The forward has 101 caps and 46 goals representing England. He holds the rare distinction of captaining both club and country.

2005: Lionel Messi

Arguably the world’s best player, Leo Messi puts up absurdly outstanding stats. In 22 games this season he has 23 goals across all competitions. He dished out nine assists over that span and turned in an average rating of 8.73.

His average rating in the Champions League this term is 9.08.

If you haven’t received the memo, Messi plays like a man amongst schoolboys.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player who can be mentioned in the same breath as Messi, which speaks to the Barcelona striker’s quality, as players like Eden Hazard, Arjen Robben and Manuel Neuer don’t even qualify for inclusion.

2006: Cesc Fabregas

Messi’s former Barcelona running mate Cesc Fabregas has gone on to accomplish amazing feats in his return to the Premier League.

Fabregas left Arsenal (the club he won the Golden Boy award with) to sign with Barcelona. He’s since vacated the Catalan giants for pastures new. Those pastures being Premier League front-runners Chelsea.

The Spanish playmaker is thriving in his return to London.

Fabregas posted an average rating of 7.92. Teammate Eden Hazard is the only player with a higher number in the entire league.

Additionally, Fabregas has handed out 13 assists while chipping in with two goals. His dozen helpers are five higher than the next best player.

The midfielder also posted an 87.3 pass success percentage, higher than the likes of compatriot David Silva and Swansea playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Fabregas’ play, along with fellow new arrival Diego Costa, has helped propel Chelsea to the top of the Premier League table, three points clear of Manchester City.

2007: Sergio Aguero

Yet another player with connections to Messi, Aguero outlasted the competition at striker for Manchester City. Aguero stayed, while the likes of Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez were sold to Italian clubs. The forward also receives regular playing time over Edin Dzeko, who has thrived in a bench role.

Going on WhoScored ratings alone, Aguero is Manchester City’s best player this season– which is quite an accomplishment considering he wears the same shirt as Yaya Toure, Silva and Vincent Kompany.

Aguero scored an impressive 19 goals in only 21 appearances across all competitions. He also added four assists while registering 3.6 shots per game.

2008: Anderson

It’s safe to say that Anderson isn’t in Manchester United’s plans. The midfielder registered only 20 minutes in the Premier League this season.

The Brazilian has been leaped in the midfield pecking order by new arrivals Angel Di Maria, Ander Herrera and Daley Blind. Incumbents Marouane Fellaini, Michael Carrick, Ashley Young, Adnan Januzaj and Darren Fletcher have also received significantly more playing time in the middle of the park.

The midfielder is rumored to be in talks to return to his native Brazil, and if a return comes to fruition, it wouldn’t be surprising considering the obvious lack of playing time at United. Anderson hasn’t exactly lived up to his high expectations in England. At only 26-years-old, a return to Brazil might just be what Anderson needs to turn things around and realize his once superb potential.

2009: Alexandre Pato

One of the many high-profile players to exit A.C. Milan over the past few seasons, Pato now plies his trade in his native Brazil in the Brazilian Serie A.

Despite moving from an elite Milan team to Brazil, Pato still received caps at the international level—even though other Brazilians were earning paychecks across Europe. His last international goal came in 2013 when he netted during a September 2013 win over Australia.

However, Pato missed out on Luiz Felipe Scolari’s World Cup roster. Brazil failed to win it all on home soil, partly due to a lack of goals from their strikers.

Pato left Milan around the same time that also saw the Rossoneri lose Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Antonio Cassano among others.

The forward currently plays for Sao Paulo and previously suited up for Corinthians after leaving Milan.

2010: Mario Balotelli

If you look up “mercurial” in the dictionary, you may see the smiling face of Mario Balotelli. The Italian striker won the award while playing for Manchester City, and recently returned to England with Liverpool after a spell with Pato’s old squad, A.C. Milan.

Balotelli has struggled to find the net during his time in Brendan Rodgers’ squad. The forward has just two goals in fifteen appearances over all competitions. Neither of those goals have come in the Premier League, with one in the Champions League and one in the League Cup.

Liverpool probably wasn’t looking for a player who has only scored against Swansea City and Bulgarian side Ludogorets.

Obviously, the Italian hasn’t put it all together for his Merseyside employers, but he’ll have to start scoring goals soon with transfer rumors linking him with a move away from Liverpool.

2011: Mario Götze

Mario Götze joins Mario Balotelli as the second consecutive Mario to win the award. This may be the only occurrence of this for some time.

While Balotelli has struggled this season, Götze is enjoying another strong season with German heavyweights Bayern Munich.

The attacker scored 11 goals and recorded two assists in 23 appearances across all competitions.

A versatile attacking option who appeared as a right midfielder and a center forward this season, Götze previously won the award with Bayern’s archrival, Borussia Dortmund.

Under Pep Guardiola, the Bavarians sit atop the Bundesliga with 45 points and are nine clear of Wolfsburg at the present.

2012: Isco

Like a number of players on this list, Isco is no longer with the club he won the award. The midfielder won the honor with Spanish club Malaga and helped lead the team to an appearance in the Champions League quarterfinals.

Soon after, the Spaniard earned a big-money move to Real Madrid.

The midfielder still plays for the Madrid-based club, but hasn’t been able to lock down a consistent starting role during his time with Los Blancos thanks to the likes of Sami Khedira, Luka Modric, Xabi Alonso and Toni Kroos.

Isco has scored three goals and added five assists in 22 appearances over all competitions.

2013: Paul Pogba

One of many Juve players to be signed via a free transfer (see also, among others, Andrea Pirlo and Fernando Llorente), Paul Pogba has the potential to be one of the world’s best.

While most names on this list have world-class potential, for one reason or another, some have not put it all together.

Paul Pogba is putting it all together.

After a tremendous season last year that propelled Pogba into the Didier Deschamps’ France squad, Pogba didn’t disappoint in Brazil—making five appearances, scoring a goal and winning the award for best young player of the tournament.

The Juventus midfielder has continued his high level of play in Turin as well, posting a rating of 7.49 in 19 appearances. Over that span he added four goals and two assists while establishing himself as an integral part of a midfield group that also includes Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio.

All stats courtesy of http://www.whoscored.com/ unless otherwise noted.

Juventus is on a roll at the present moment. Dating back to a late October road loss to Greek giants Olympiakos in the Champions League that jeopardized the team’s chances in Europe, the Bianconeri have reeled off five straight wins. However, the last two victories are the most impressive – Juve pulled out a 3-2 win over the same Olympiakos and thumped Parma 7-0 over the weekend.

The Old Lady sits three points clear of Roma atop the Serie A table and has drastically improved its prospects in the Champions League thanks to the win over the Greek champions.

Best Starting XI

New Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri hasn’t tried to reinvent the wheel during his brief time in Turin. The ex-Milan coach has stuck to the 3-5-2 formation (or a slight variation of it, the 3-5-1-1) that worked best for former coach Antonio Conte. After all, the roster is teeming with center-backs and central midfielders, hallmarks of the 3-5-2.

When naming Juve’s best XI, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is the first player on the list. The ageless wonder has nine clean sheets in 15 games this season across all competitions. He didn’t allow a goal over the course of the team’s first six games.

The rest of the best 11 features other locks, like Buffon, and some positions where the starting role isn’t set in stone.

Starting with the defense at center-back, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini continue to be two of the world’s best and occupy the center and left center-back positions in the back three. The third center-back position should be occupied by Andrea Barzagli, but the veteran defenseman hasn’t played a game this season due to injury. Angelo Ogbonna and Martin Caceres have filled in for the Italian with mixed results. Caceres played exceptionally well during the first three games of the season, starting and completing every game. But the Uruguayan trailed off during the next three contests, failing to last the full 90 in each. He was ruled out with a thigh injury in early October and hasn’t played since. Ogbonna gets the nod in the best 11 due to his more consistent play and field time.

As for the wing-backs, Stephan Lichtsteiner maintains his spot on the right, while Patrice Evra would be the choice on the left. The Frenchman has received fewer matches than fellow left wing-back/defender Kwadwo Asamoah, but is the more experienced of the two and has outperformed the Ghanaian in the Champions League.

In the center of the park, the decisions are more difficult. Paul Pogba has maintained his superb play from last season and continues to be one of the team’s best players, making him a lock. Joining him is two of the group of Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio.

Limited by injuries, Pirlo has only appeared in six games. However, when healthy, the midfielder should start due to his superb dictation of tempo, passing ability and set-piece prowess. That leaves Vidal and Marchisio. The former performed better in the Champions League, while the latter has had the advantage domestically in terms of Whoscored ratings, but due to Vidal’s injury issues, Marchisio would be the pick as the third midfielder.

Up top, there is little question who the strikers should be—Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente. Youngsters Alvaro Morata and Kingsley Coman are still developing, but regardless of this, Tevez and Llorente are the best options. The two have combined for 13 goals and four assists.

Best Performer

Juventus’ best performer, without a doubt, is Carlos Tevez. The Argentine striker has 10 goals and four assists across all competitions. Among those 10 strikes are two Champions League goals (an area where Tevez struggled in recent seasons). He has scored twice as many goals as the next Juventus player.

The former Manchester City man’s four assists also paces the team. In addition, he hasn’t been selective with his scoring. Selective, meaning he doesn’t just score against small teams and go quiet versus bigger clubs or vice versa. The Argentine has bagged braces against Parma and Malmo but also scored a crucial, penalty-induced double against Roma to help the Bianconeri to a 3-2 win. In addition, he produces when the team needs him, with the brace against Roma and assisting on Paul Pogba’s goal in a 1-1 draw with Sassuolo to avoid a loss.

Most Improved Player

For a team with the same core of players getting the majority of the minutes, Juventus doesn’t have a ton of candidates for a most improved player. Morata, Coman and Roberto Pereyra have all showed well, but the most improved player has to be Angelo Ogbonna. Paul Pogba would have been another choice, but due to Ogbonna’s lack of playing time last season the defender gets the nod.

Ogbonna was buried behind Chiellini, Bonucci, Barzagli and Caceres on the depth chart last campaign, but injuries to the latter two have thrust the former Torino center-back into the starting lineup. He hasn’t done anything to unseat Chiellini as the team’s best central defender, but he performs solidly and consistently. Whereas last season Ogbonna looked out of place at times, this season he hasn’t had a poor game. Domestically, his level of play has him rated by Whoscored as the 69th best player in Serie A. That statistic may not jump out at you, but it will when you consider he’s rated ahead of other defenders such as Nemanja Vidic, Kostas Manolas and Matteo Darmian.

Injury News

Juve have been hit with injuries this season. In their most recent game against Parma, the team was without Asamoah, Evra, Barzagli, Caceres and Pirlo among others. Additionally, the team has missed Morata and Ogbonna for varying stretches this season due to injury.

Positions that Need to be Filled in the Transfer Window

There aren’t many positions that Juventus needs to address during the upcoming winter transfer window. A replacement will be needed if Arturo Vidal is sold, but other than that, the biggest need is at center-back. Once the team’s calling card, the defense has struggled as of late, most notably letting Roma and Olympiakos put four goals in the net during two games. Should Barzagli’s injury woes continue, the team may look for another central defender. They’ve gotten by with Caceres and Ogbonna, but another addition will be needed. Tottenham’s Vlad Chiriches, Manchester City’s Matija Nastasic and Borussia Dortmund’s Neven Subotic have all been linked with a move to Turin and all would make sense given the state of things. Additionally, should contract talks with Stephan Lichtsteiner sour, the team could look for a replacement for the defender whose contract expires at the end of the season. Fellow Swiss full-back/wing-back Ricardo Rodriguez is rumored to be a possible replacement.

Managerial Progress

On the whole, Allegri has performed adequately in his first go around as Juventus’ head man. He didn’t try tinkering with the formation and only reverted away from the 3-5-2 when he had to because of significant, injury-related absences. Additionally, he has the team in first place in Serie A and didn’t make the cardinal sin of playing Pirlo out of position – something he has done before.

For all of the criticism Allegri received for what occurred at Milan, he has performed moderately well in Europe. Juventus isn’t top of the group, but it sits in a good position to advance. Tied on points, but in third due to a goal-differential behind Olympiakos, the Italians have two games remaining. One is at home against Atletico Madrid and the other is away to Malmo. The Bianconeri nearly played the Spanish champions to a standstill but eventually lost 1-0 in Spain. Allegri should feel good about the team’s chances facing the Spaniards at home – Pirlo was absent during the loss. Having the maestro back should help the Turin-based club greatly. That, and a winnable game away to Malmo is what stands in the way of Allegri guiding Juventus to the knockout stages. Should the team advance past the quarter-finals, which is a real possibility given the talent, Allegri will have achieved something what former coach Conte never did.

Weaknesses

In typical fashion for a top-of-the-table team, Juventus doesn’t have many weaknesses. The team’s defense has faltered at times this season, but the returns of Barzagli and Caceres from injury plus the continued improvement of Ogbonna should help. Additionally, the potential inclusion of a center-back during the winter transfer window should fix any problems the team has at the back.

Overall Rating (Out of Five Stars)

Four stars. Juve is on top of Serie A at the moment, but a rash of injuries and an inability to achieve similar success in Europe are the only factors keeping the team from achieving a five-star rating.

Does Juventus need another attacker? Whether it be a new striker or an additional attacking-minded midfielder, is one needed?

It’s early in the Serie A season, but coach Massimiliano Allegri has already shown that he will at the very least, occasionally rely on Antonio Conte’s trend of using the 3-5-2 system. This system immediately limits the number of attacking options. In front of the back three, a bank of three central midfielders, as well as two wing backs, are needed. This leaves two positions for forward and attacking midfield players.

There’s an array of options up front. Allegri can deploy the likes of Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente, Sebastian Giovinco, Alvaro Morata and French youngster Kingsley Coman.

With Coman impressing and Morata expected back from injury before too long, it begs the question – does the Old Lady actually need another attacker?

This question is in play mainly due to speculation and rumors that have the Bianconeri interested in two major transfer targets Lukas Podolski and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez.

The squad list shows numerous quality forwards, but a new striker could be brought in to achieve success in Europe. Domestically, the Italian giants won everything under Conte, but came up short in the Champions League. Having a world-class centre-forward may be just the tonic they need to reaffirm themselves as genuine contenders for Europe’s biggest prize.

On the surface, adding a third forward in a formation that only allows two seems overkill, but on close examination it makes a fair degree of sense.

If the last few Champions League winners have taught us anything, it is that depth is king. Both Madrid and Bayern Munich had deep reserves of top players to call on in the event of an injury or suspension. Adding another top attacking threat to come off the bench, or play with Tevez and Llorente would give the Italians an elite strike force. The matter of Carlos Tevez’s struggles in Europe could also play a part. While the Argentine ended his goal-less spell in European competition last season, he wasn’t exactly hitting the heights that some may have expected him to.

If a potential move for Podolski or Hernandez doesn’t work out, Juventus still has the personnel to win a fourth straight Scudetto. If a transfer addition does come to fruition with a striker, it would give Juve the firepower to compete in Europe.

So, does Juventus need another attacker? If they are content with more domestic success then “no” would be the response. But if they want a chance at legitimate European glory, the answer is “yes”.

Paris Saint-Germain’s latest signing, recent Chelsea player David Luiz, was acquired for a staggering £50million ($84million+). Fifty million of any currency is a lot for any player, but for a player like Luiz it seems overkill. Most soccer pundits and experts will tell you that Luiz has his flaws. Numerous flaws. But he’s still a quality player, just maybe not for the £50million PSG shelled out for him.

PSG is doing something curious; it seems like they’re trying to reconstruct the Brazilian national team’s backline. The Parisians already had 2014 representatives Thiago Silva and Maxwell and now have Luiz as well. Rumors of Dani Alves heading to Paris only back the theory. The international and club levels of football are very different things, but does PSG want a large contingent of a defense that looked shaky throughout the World Cup?

Regardless, the Parisians bought Luiz, and while the team has never been shy about splurging the cash (see just about everyone else on their roster), they could have been smarter with the money spent on the Brazilian center back.

First off, Luiz wasn’t even a first choice starter at Chelsea. He lost out to John Terry and Gary Cahill for starting berths in central defense and was used sparingly as a defensive midfield soon after. It begs the question, if Luiz wasn’t good enough to start at four different positions (both center back spots and both defensive midfield spots in Jose Mourinho’s favored 4-2-3-1) how is he good enough to earn consistent minutes for the Ligue 1 champs? Despite losing Alex to AC Milan, the French champs still have Thiago Silva and Marquinhos (who was also the subject of a massive transfer fee just last year) on payroll. Signing another starting caliber player wasn’t a priority for PSG, but the team probably needed a solid backup at the very least. A move that would have been much better financially.

PSG is in the midst of trying to sign Angel Di Maria permanently because they don’t want to be hit with more Financial Fair Play sanctions. The lavish signing of Luiz may have contributed to the financial inability to sign the Argentine midfielder. That’s one of the many reasons that PSG’s signing of Luiz was a strange one.

According to whoscored.com, Luiz had the 113th best average rating in the English Premier League. The EPL is the best league in the world, but is its 113th best player worth £50million? The Brazilian played both as a defensive midfielder and in central defense last season. If you want to call him a midfielder, then he finished with a worse average rating than Gareth Barry, Steve Sidwell and Michael Carrick. But the Parisians didn’t buy him to play midfield. They already have enough defensive midfielders, so he has to be compared to other central defenders. Three of those defenders who finished with a higher rating included Dejan Lovren, Steven Caulker and Martin Demichelis.

What’s interesting is that all three have moved to new clubs recently, Lovren completed a £20million move to Liverpool. Steven Caulker signed with QPR for £8.5million and Demichelis moved to Manchester City for a little under £4million last offseason.

While Luiz was mystifyingly expensive, he was also worse statistically than all three center backs. The Brazilian international is known for his keenness to push up from central defense and join in the attack. This lead to 1.6 shots per game, but resulted in zero goals and one singular assist. Demichelis and Lovren both averaged around a shot fewer per game but each contributed to three times as many goals as Luiz did. Caulker averaged nearly shot per game, slightly more than the others, but converted five goals. With the exception of Luiz completing a higher percentage of his passes compared to Caulker, 81% to 74.4%, Luiz was inferior in every statistical category. He won significantly fewer aerials per game and his average rating was also the worst of the group.

With all the money spent on Luiz, you could buy all three of the previously mentioned central defenders, do all of Manchester City’s business this summer and still have money left over. That’s how much PSG spent, or how much PSG wasted rather. Luiz is a talented player, but the Parisians could been more fiscally responsible. It may hinder their chances of upgrading the squad further, all for the 113th best player in the Premier League.

All stats courtesy of http://www.whoscored.com/ unless otherwise noted.

Ben Rosener is a freelance sports writer. Born and raised in the greater Seattle area, he is a recent high school graduate who is the editor and founder of two sports websites, Kingdome of Seattle Sports and Know Hitter, the latter of which is a member of the BBA. His work also appears on Bleacher Report and World Soccer Talk. In addition to those sites, his work has previously graced the digital pages of USA Today and FanSided among others. He also doubles as an avid sports fan with rooting interests tied to the Detroit Tigers, Juventus, the Seattle Seahawks and the gone-but-not-forgotten Seattle SuperSonics. He only refers to himself in the third person for bios.

With Juventus coach Antonio Conte’s departure from Juventus sending shockwaves around the soccer world, there is one silver-lining to be taken from the situation. Yes it will be a quick period of change for Juve, but considering the experience of the team, they should recover quickly. After all, they have aspirations for a fourth consecutive Serie A title.

Former Juve boss Conte has been linked numerous times to the Italian national team job. The silver lining for every fan in the section of the Juventus/Italian national team Venn diagram is that Conte may take over the Azzurri ahead of Euro 2016 and possibly Russia 2018.

Conte was linked numerous times over to the job while he was still at the Juve helm. Since his departure, that speculation seems to have multiplied. The now former Bianconeri coach would certainly be a strong fit for the national team. Here’s why:

Juve Familiarity

The common adage is that the Italian national team goes as Juve goes. Or if you have a strong Bianconeri then you have a strong Azzurri. This hasn’t been 100% true recently, but the “spine” of the national team is comprised of Juve players. Players that Conte is obviously familiar with. Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio are all vital Azzurri players on Juve’s books. In addition, Sebastian Giovinco, Angelo Ogbonna and former Juve super-sub Emmanuelle Giaccherini all have recent international experience.

3-5-2 Familiarity

The latest fad in international soccer is the 3-5-2 formation. Both the Netherlands and Mexico used it to great effect at the World Cup in Brazil. The 3-5-2 is one that Conte has great familiarity with thanks to his tendency to use it at the Turin club. At Juve his three-man backline consisted of Barzagli, Chiellini and Bonucci in front of Buffon in goal – four players Conte would have at his disposal, if he took the Azzurri job. With the national team, Conte would also be able to deploy Matteo Darmian and Mattia Di Sciglio as true wingbacks – roles that would suit the youngsters perfectly. With Pirlo open to a return, Marchisio in the fold and the recent success of the 3-5-2, there’s no reason Conte can’t succeed with it at the international level. It may not have functioned for him in the Champions League, but the formation has a strong track record internationally.

Antonio Conte is no longer Juve’s coach. A potential move to the Italian national team’s bench would work out extremely well for Conte, and Italy.

Coming off of a nightmare situation at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, France is having a fine “bounce-back” World Cup. With a team led by key contributors in their prime, such as Hugo Lloris and Karim Benzema, France have a legitimate shot to win it all.

The French seemed a candidate for a bounce-back World Cup when they were placed in a group with Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras. While none of the games were easy, they generally aren’t at the World Cup, it was probably the easiest scenario Les Bleus could have hoped for. Switzerland and Ecuador were two of the tournament’s dark horses, and while both are quality sides, France progressed through the group with relative ease.

The French won their group. A feat that fellow European heavyweights England, Italy and Spain couldn’t manage. Regardless of how well Didier Deschamps’ squad finishes in Brazil, 2018 could be the French’s time to shine.

The current nucleus of Deschamps’ team is the duo of Lloris and Benzema. Franck Ribery would be part of the group as well if a recent injury didn’t rule him out of the World Cup. Ribery will probably still be kicking around in 2018 when he’ll be 35. At that age he may not be the headliner like he would have been with the current group, but he could still play a part. On the other hand, Lloris and Benzema will be 31 and 30 respectively, meaning both will still be in their relative primes. Other recent contributors such as Blaise Matuidi (31 in 2018), Samir Nasri (31 in 2018) and Loic Remy (also 31 in 2018) will still be ready to go for Russia 2018.

And let’s not forget Euro 2016, which will be hosted in France.

France’s future potential will be determined by their youth. Sure, youth is the future, and you can say that every country’s future is in its youth, but the current group of French youngsters are a truly exciting bunch with big-time potential. And they’ll all be in their prime for 2016 and 2018.

Here’s a look at what the future holds for Les Bleus:

(All ages in parenthesis will be player’s ages in 2018)

Goalkeeper:

Alphonse Areola is the future not only for France, but for his club team, PSG. He’ll be 25 in 2018 and hopefully a full-fledged starter for the Parisian club. That is to say if PSG doesn’t make a panic buy and bring in Lloris this summer. While Lloris will still probably be the starter in Russia, Areola could be there too, regardless of whether PSG is paying his wages.

Defense:

France’s young defenders may be the best and deepest position of the bunch. With a group that includes Monaco right-back Layvin Kurzawa (25), frequently rumored big-club transfer target and current Porto defenseman Eliaquim Mangala (27), recent Chelsea signing Kurt Zouma (23), Liverpool stalwart Mamadou Sakho (28), promising Real Madrid youngster Raphael Varane (24) and PSG right-back Lucas Digne (24), France will be strong at the back.

Midfield:

While the defenders may be the deepest, some of France’s finest players may come out of the midfield. Golden Boy and rising star Paul Pogba will be the headliner going forward. The current Juve man has the potential to be one of the world’s best players, if not, at the very least, a world-class talent. He’ll be 25 in 2018. Potentially joining him in the midfield are Monaco’s Geoffrey Kondogbia (25), current Lyon attacking ace Clement Grenier (27), Marseille standout Florian Thauvin (25) and PSG up-and-comer Adrien Rabiot (23).

Forwards:

The future of France’s attacking play lies in the hands, or feet, of Antoine Griezmann. The Real Sociedad youth-product impressed mightily last season in La Liga. The Frenchman’s 16 goals were good for the sixth most in the top Spanish division last season. His sixteen goals were also more than established stars like Gareth Bale, Pedro and David Villa. Playing in the 2018 World Cup should be a near lock if he continues his career trajectory and improvement. Did I mention he’ll only be 27 in 2018? Potentially joining him in four years’ time are Arsenal youngster Yaya Sanogo (25), Rennes forward, and still possible Arsenal transfer target, Paul-Georges Ntep (24), Milan owned, recent Montpellier loanee M’Baye Niang (24) and Lyon attacking menace Alexandre Lacazette (26).

Does the collective youth of these players mean that they’ll all make the World Cup roster in 2018? No. But all of these superbly talented players will be in their primes when 2018 rolls around. It also gives France a fine foundation upon which to build. Les Bleus will still likely have players like Laurent Koschielny (32), Yohan Cabaye (33) and Mathieu Valbuena (33) around for Russia. It won’t be all youth, but if the French can properly blend the talented youngsters with more experienced players like Benzema and Cabaye, 2018 could be France’s year.

Spain encountered a tough group at the 2014 World Cup, that’s the preface I’m going with. Yes, Spain had a tough group, and it isn’t too shocking that they were eliminated from a group with Chile and the Netherlands. Losing in a tough group is a little more acceptable than losing to say, Cyprus, Canada and the Faroe Islands. Still, the way that they went out, and the manner in which they lost against the Chileans and the Dutch was embarrassing for a defending champion, especially one that you would say is in the middle of a “dynasty.”

One of the main reasons for Spain’s dynasty was coach Vincente del Bosque’s reliance on the same nucleus of players and because of that, it was largely the same team that won both European championships as well as the World Cup.

This dore group is past its prime. The team is getting older and the results haven’t been coming for some time (see last summer’s Confederations Cup and this summer’s World Cup).

There is a huge discrepancy among Spain’s players in terms of caps. They continually call up the same, veteran players every time an international tournament occurs. Spain has relied on that veteran core for some time and rightfully so the group has won almost everything in sight, but the team never really integrated its youth. Put it this way, Spain’s top seven midfielders: Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, David Silva, Santi Carzola and Sergio Busquets have an average of 92 caps. Young talents like Koke, Thiago Alcantara and Isco should all realistically have a shot at the Spanish national team based on their phenomenal talent, but because of Spain’s reliance on the old guard, they have a combined 17 caps. Seventeen.

Spain is, or was, too set in their ways and for a while those ways won the team major silverware. Now, those ways seem defunct and ineffective. There simply must be change for La Roja to be considered title contenders again. The team isn’t going away, it has too much talent for that, but to win again they need to change.

If Vincente del Bosque stays in charge, he will need to make changes, even if it means calling in inexperienced international players. These inexperienced players, who are only that due to del Bosque’s pattern of calling up basically the same team at every chance, will need to step into the shoes of players who have either retired, or become ineffective – players like Iker Casillas, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, David Villa and Pepe Reina.

Spain will also continue to have striker issues moving forward. With all-time leading scorer Villa retired, Fernando Torres on the downslope of his career and the Diego Costa experiment simply not working, La Roja will have issues. Their midfield will be talented for the distant future, and their defense will be good, but not great. The striker position, however, is where Spain faces the most change.

Coach del Bosque has used a rotating door of strikers, apparently not content with any one option. His preferred group seems to involve the players he took to Brazil with him – Villa, Torres, Costa and Pedro. It’s safe to say the first two won’t be integral moving forward, as they once were, but after that Spain has decisions to make.

Costa could work out down the line, whether it be at the next European Championship, in a friendly a few years from now, or at Russia 2018 but for right now he isn’t a good fit. He may have not meshed with the “tiki-taka” style and a new coach or system could benefit Costa.

Pedro, on the other hand, is more of a winger than an out-and-out hit man and a quality winger at that, he should be with the team moving forward. After that, you have the trio of Fernando Llorente, Alvaro Negredo and Roberto Soldado. The latter two had on-and-off club seasons, putting them out of the picture temporarily, but not completely. Like Costa, they could re-emerge down the line. Llorente, who was probably the biggest victim of Costa’s allegiance switch from Brazil, had a fine club season and would be a good fit. Spain’s striker situation is in need of fixing. One would think that with all the options at the disposal of del Bosque, or a potential new manager, the right combination could be found.

All of these are problems that need to be fixed, but there’s also the fact that their defense has issues. They looked slow and lethargic against the Dutch and had issues with the Chileans. The difficult part for Spain is that it was largely their first unit that got exposed. Jordi Alba, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique and Cesar Azpilicueta were burned by Arjen Robben and the Dutch. The same unit, with Javi Martinez in Pique’s place didn’t fare much better against Chile. If Spain’s top defenders can’t hold water against two top ten teams, they won’t win anything. It doesn’t get better for the Spaniards. That’s not a slight against any of their other defenders, they simply aren’t at the level of the likes of Ramos and Azpilicueta.

Spain has issues. A defense that is no longer up-to-snuff, a midfield in a state of transition, and a striker group that, despite as much success as a team can have, refuses to work itself out. Not to mention a transition period in goal where Spain could move away from legendary Iker Casillas, who seems over the hill, in favor of the younger, ever-improving David de Gea or the unheralded and overlooked Diego Lopez.

These are hardly the trappings of a world champion team, hardly even an elite one, regardless, what’s clear is that Spain needs to make changes for them to be successful again.

It’s do or die for both Italy and Uruguay tomorrow at 12pm EST/9am PST. With mighty England already unceremoniously crashing out and upstart Costa Rica with its’ ticket punched, there is only one spot left in the knockout rounds for Group D.

For the Azzurri to advance they need a win or a draw. Their South American counterparts must win to continue.

Both teams are familiar with each other, thanks to their third-place game matchup at last summer’s Confederations Cup. After finishing tied at 2-2 the teams went to extra time and eventually penalties where Italy prevailed.

By the same token, both teams will feel like they can win the game. Uruguay is riding high thanks to Luis Suarez’s brilliance versus England. The team will look to use him and fellow goal-scoring standout Edinson Cavani to break down a sometimes slow Italian defense. On the other hand, the Italians should feel confident thanks to last summer’s penalty shootout triumph – a game where they played a similar Uruguay team to a deadlock without a number of key players, including Marco Verratti, Thiago Motta, Antonio Cassano, Mateo Darmian and most notably Mario Balotelli and Andrea Pirlo.

Tactically, both teams aren’t married to a certain formation. Prandelli has become known for tactical flexibility, so the team shape really depends on the opposition and who’s available for selection. He’ll be without Daniele De Rossi, but other than that the rest is unknown. Recently, Prandelli has shown a penchant for a 4-1-4-1, However, he may go for a different look without De Rossi sitting in front of the back four.

Uruguay has used two strikers up top in both games. They played two banks of four behind Cavani and Diego Forlan in a 4-4-2 in their opening loss to Costa Rica. After that, a 4-1-2-1-2 was the order against England. In need of a win, Oscar Tabarez may opt for a 4-3-3 to utilize the trio of Cavani, Suarez and Forlan.

The game kicks off in Natal at 12pm EST/9am PST.

Italy lost to Costa Rica at the World Cup. It happened, big deal. The loss will only help the Italians moving forward, and because of that they shouldn’t panic about it.

The loss exposed a few issues for Cesare Prandelli’s team. One was that Italy seemed slow and tired. Playing in Manaus against the British was draining. It showed on Friday as the team looked slow against their opponents. Los Ticos also executed a high-line of defense against Italy that forced numerous offside calls against the Azzurri. Those two things, a goal and a successful pressuring of Andrea Pirlo were the main factors in the loss.

The loss will help, partly because later on in the tournament teams will try to emulate Costa Rica. They’ll copy their containment tactics with Pirlo. They might try that high-line. Regardless, Prandelli and his team will be ready for those tactics. Even in defeat you could see the Italians, Pirlo especially, trying to beat the high-line with long balls. It only takes a little more discipline for the attacking players to stay on side and wait a second or two more. If this can happen, Italy will easily crack the high-line puzzle.

Tactically, this loss will help the team in later rounds. The loss will lessen the limelight and attention given to the European powerhouse. Generally Italy thrives in the underdog/unheralded role. Now they own that title in spades.

Another reason the team shouldn’t panic is because they still have a game left. Not a meaningless contest like it will be for England versus los Ticos, but a game that should Italy draw or win against Uruguay, will get the team through to the knockout stages.

Uruguay and Italy last played in the third place match of last summer’s Confederations Cup. The game finished tied at 2-2, and Italy went on to win on penalties. Uruguay more or less fielded the same team. However, Italy is a very different squad. First off, Andrea Pirlo, Mario Balotelli and Ignazio Abate did not play in that game. Secondly, impact players like Marco Verratti, Thiago Motta, Antonio Cassano and Mateo Darmian weren’t even on the roster for the tournament. Italy was able to match Uruguay in the game with a much weaker lineup compared to what they now have at their disposal.

Italy shouldn’t panic after their loss to Costa Rica. Prandelli’s team knows what to expect from teams who seek to neutralize them. Italy has a strong team, and they know that they can play level with Uruguay, if not beat them. After all, Spain lost a game in the group stages in South Africa four years ago. Who’s to say Italy can’t repeat the effect this year.

It’s the definition of premature to say a team can win it all after one game. Even after one strong performance against a good team. Even if said performance was in an environment in which the temperature rivaled that of a sauna.

It’s premature, and yet I’m trudging along with the point anyway. Italy can win it all. The World Cup. The whole kit and caboodle. This statement isn’t based solely on Saturday’s win over England, but the win certainly adds legitimacy to it.

Cesare Prandelli has about as many tactical formations in his arsenal as NFL teams have plays in a play book. The Azzurri is a tactically flexible team that has the personnel to execute different formations depending on who their opponent is. We’ve seen this in the past as Prandelli has used a 3-5-2 to suffocate Spain’s midfielders to great results. On the other hand, we saw him deploy a 4-3-2-1 “Christmas Tree” against England to terrorize the Brits on the flanks. Prandelli is a master tactician who will put a different formation out for a different opponent, depending on what works best.  This lack of rigidity will allow the team to have an advantage against whomever they play. Regardless of what the team shape is, you can bet that it will be built around Andrea Pirlo.

Midfield maestro Pirlo was able to dictate and control the flow of the game against England. The press was abuzz all week with all the ways Roy Hodgson was going to control his former Inter Milan player. However, none of these worked. It seemed as if Hodgson didn’t have a strategy at all for curtailing the Italian legend. It’s absurd to think that a manager as good as Hodgson wouldn’t have a plan. Which probably means that whatever plan that was implemented didn’t work. At all. Opposing managers must find a way to stop Pirlo. Whether it is with a singular man following him around the pitch, or something else, someone has to find a solution. Because if teams continue the English’s trend of letting the legend pick his passes and have time on the ball, opposing teams are going to be in trouble.

One of Italy’s biggest assets, thanks to the England win, is a favorable bracket. Assuming that they beat Costa Rica (which won’t be as easy as was once thought) and get a result versus Uruguay, the Azzurri should win the group. This gives them two distinct advantages. One is that they would be matched up with the runner up of Group C in the round of 16. Assuming Columbia takes the group that should be one of Greece, Japan and the Ivory Coast. All three would give a stern test, but none can probably be perceived as a threat to the Italians’ chances.

Should Brazil win their own group it would mean that they couldn’t play Prandelli’s squad until a potential final.

While Brazil is the favorite, and Italy winning their group would get them as far away as possible from the hosts, Germany can probably be counted on as the other favorite. First off, Germany has never beat Italy in a competition, ever. There is also the fact that the Germans entered Euro 2012 in a similar position to this year where they’re one of the top contenders. Mario Balotelli and company promptly dispatched their European counterparts 2-1.

If Italy’s defense can play with the defensive organization and determination that they showed against England’s attack, if they can use Andrea Pirlo to dictate the flow of the game, and if they can outsmart the opposition tactically, Italy can win the World Cup.

Ben Rosener is from the Seattle area who is the editor and founder of Kingdome of Seattle Sports and Know Hitter. In addition to those sites, he contributes to Bleacher Report. Ben is in the process of starting a soccer-themed Youtube channel called Sports on Terms. You can follow his criminally under-followed Twitter account here. He is also a massive sports fan and is a keen supporter of Juventus and the Italian National team. He only refers to himself in the third person for bios.

World Cup 2014: Eight players from the 2013 U-20 World Cup who will take the field in Brazil 2014

DeAndre Yedlin’s inclusion in Jurgen Klinsmann’s final roster for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil may have been a surprise to some, but now that the Seattle native is on the team he joins the prestigious company. This isn’t Yedlin’s first World Cup. It may be his first senior tournament, but he took part in last summer’s under-20 World Cup.

The Sounders’ right back is one of eight players from that tournament to also make it to Brazil this summer. Here are the others.

Lucas Digne

Normally a 20 year-old left back with two international caps to his name and isn’t a consistent starter for his club team wouldn’t even be in the conversation to make a World Cup roster. This was not the case for Digne. The youngster was a regular starter with Lille before earning a big-money move to French champions PSG. However, the Frenchman was unable to unseat ageless wonder Maxwell as the first choice left back in the French capital.

Digne certainly has enough quality to make the team, but another contributing reason is that France is deep in terms of quality in central defense and a little thin comparatively on the outside. If the former Lille star is already a World Cup player at 20 years young, his career can only go up from here. He has already tasted U-20 World Cup success with France last summer as Les Bleus won it all.

Stefanos Kapino

Another 20 year-old who finds himself at the World Cup after last summer’s U-20s is Greek keeper Stefanos Kapino. The Panathinaikos shot stopper is certainly the future of Greek football in goal. While he won’t unseat La Liga vet Orestis Karnezis, he will gain valuable experience just from being in Brazil.

The Greeks will look to emulate and build upon the success Kapino led his country to at the U-20s where the team won their group before crashing out in the round of 16. Greece has been gifted with a winnable group, and if they perform well, a quarterfinals appearance certainly isn’t too far out of the question.

Juan Fernando Quintero

Quintero’s Columbia will be matched up with Kapino’s Greece in Group C. If it’s winnable for Greece, it’s even more winnable for Columbia. Already an established first teamer with European and Portuguese giant Porto, Quintero dons the number 10 for Porto and is one of a bevy of talented midfielder’s at Columbian coach Jose Pekerman’s disposal. Like the Greeks, the Columbians left the U-20s in the round of 16. Also like the Greeks, a quarterfinal appearance certainly isn’t out of the question.

Paul Pogba

The second Frenchman on this list, Juve midfield ace Pogba is one of the world’s best up and coming players. It would surprise no one to see Pogba win a Ballon d’Or or two down the road. Simply put, he can do everything. He’s a physical threat on headers and off of set pieces, and he has a cannon of a shot from distance. Pogba was awarded the Golden Ball award of the U-20s, an award given to the tournament’s best player. Similar to their Greek and Columbian counterparts, the French have been handed a soft group compared to others in the tournament. Even without star midfielder Franck Ribbery, the French will be a force to be reckoned with in Brazil.

Jose Maria Gimenez

Uruguayan defender Jose Maria Gimenez may not be the most recognizable name on this list, but his accomplishments so far should speak for themselves. At the tender age of 19 he is already on a World Cup squad. And not just any squad, one that could make a legitimate run to the title. Not only is Gimenez a full Uruguayan international, he also earned a move to Champions League runner-up Atletico Madrid before the age of 21. The center back will be at the ready in Brazil as the Uruguayans will look to fend off the likes of Wayne Rooney, Mario Balotelli, Daniel Sturridge and Ciro Immobile in the group stages. Should they get farther, the opposing attacking talent only gets more difficult. The Uruguayans finished as runners up in the U-20, losing to France on penalties. I’m sure that Uruguay would take a similar result given how they barely qualified to attend Brazil 2014.

Ante Rebic

Rebic, only 20, could have a big part to play at the World Cup. While he likely won’t start up front for the Croatians, he could find an opportunity to come on as a late substitute and make an impact on the games. Goals and results will be hugely important for the European representatives as they will look to escape a group that includes host nation Brazil and wild card Mexico. Like others on this list he has already earned a move to a big club at such a young age. The Croatian plies his trade in Serie A with Tuscan powerhouse Fiorentina. Rebic was part of a Croatian U-20 squad that progressed to the round of 16. This could be what’s in store for the senior Croatians as they’ll play one of Spain, the Netherlands or Chile in the second round. They could be considered underdogs in all three games.

Ross Barkley

Everton dynamo Ross Barkley is the last player on this list who made the jump from the U-20s to the senior World Cup in only a year. Unlike most of these talented youngsters, Barkley started his career at a big club, Everton. The midfielder is seemingly the subject of transfer bids by every big spending club in England on a weekly basis. Barkley’s English squad failed to make it out of the group stage at the U-20s. Sadly this is a fate that could befall them once again. The Three Lions no doubt have talent, but whether that talent is given ample playing time remains to be seen.

Some of these players will be prominent contributors to their respective countries’ hopes at the World Cup while some won’t sniff the field. The bottom line is that these are eight of the world’s best young footballers who have achieved an amazing feat.

With the World Cup in Brazil just weeks away, Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has some extremely difficult decisions on his hands. Italy is considered by many to be a dark horse, but some (self-included) even consider them to be a serious threat to win. The Azzurri face a demanding group that features England, Uruguay and Costa Rica, and there is a possibility that Italy may fail to get out of the group stage for the second straight World Cup. Here is who Prandelli should take with him on the plane to South America.

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon, Salvatore Sirigu & Mattia Perin or Simone Scuffet

Buffon’s a lock to put it simply. A freak injury is the only thing keeping the Juventus and Azzurri captain from going to the Finals in Brazil. After him, Sirigu is the clear-cut number two. Should history repeat itself and Buffon goes down with an injury in the first round, Sirigu provides a more than capable back-up. The third ‘keeper spot is a little harder to pick. Federico Marchetti was the obvious pick some months ago, but a dip in form by the Lazio keeper has seen two of Italy’s finest youngsters, Perin and Scuffet, rise into consideration. Either one would be a smart choice in terms of gaining the experience of going to a World Cup. Should this scenario play out, it would come down to who Prandelli wants to give that experience.

Defenders: Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Mattia De Sciglio, Ignazio Abate, Gabriel Paletta…

The back end of Italy’s potential roster is riddled with injuries. Center back is not an issue thanks to the Juve trio of Barzagli, Bonucci, and Chiellini as well as Gabriel Paletta (who impressed against Spain in his first cap).  On the other hand, outside back is the area of defense where Italy could use more depth. Milan pairing De Sciglio and Abate are both good bets to make the team and potentially start, but after that question marks remain. If healthy, Christian Maggio and Federico Balzaretti might make this team. However neither are 100 percent. Maggio seems to be closer to a recovery this season and should make the team if he is fit thanks to his ability to play on the right in defense or in midfield. Lorenzo De Silvestri has been solid with Sampdoria this year, but has only two caps to his name. Continued good showings from him could get him on the plane to Brazil. Other names to watch are Inter’s Andrea Ranocchia, Cagliari’s Davide Astori and Zenit’s Domenico Criscito.

Midfielders: Andrea Pirlo, Riccardo Montolivo, Daniele De Rossi, Antonio Candreva, Claudio Marchisio, Marco Verratti, Thiago Motta and Emmanuelle Giaccherini.

The Azzurri are strong at the back, but their true strength is in the midfield. Midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo is at the center of everything the team does. Prandelli surrounds him with a grouping of players that blends technique, strength and skill. Italy can opt to play Pirlo with two astute defensive midfield players to save him on defense like De Rossi and Motta. The team can also be a possession oriented group with Pirlo, Verratti and one of Marchisio, De Rossi, Motta or Marchisio. Candreva and Giaccherini are more wide types, but they give Prandelli the option to be flexible with his tactics.

Forwards: Mario Balotelli, Alessio Cerci, Antonio Cassano, Giuseppe Rossi…

The team’s forwards, like its defenders, are another part of the team where injuries and uncertainty are factors. Balotelli, similar to Buffon is a shoe-in, provided he is healthy. Cerci put in a good showing against Spain recently and his fine form at Torino certainly doesn’t hurt his chances. Those are the only two that are certainties. Cassano would be an ideal fit seeing as the bulk of Italy’s creative play comes from the midfield. He would give the team a dangerous presence in the final third that can score and create. However, Prandelli hasn’t called him up since Euro 2012. Cassano’s form at Parma has been superb – if he keeps it up, he’ll be in Brazil. Rossi is another injury concern. If he’s healthy he’ll be in the squad. But a recent injury has raised questions about whether the New Jersey native will be able to compete on football’s biggest stage. Regardless, Prandelli says that they’ll wait for Rossi to be healthy. I’ll say it again, if he’s healthy, he’s going, and he’ll be very dangerous alongside Balotelli. Whether or not Rossi goes, Italy will still likely carry another attacker. Who that will be remains to be seen. A case could be made for any one of a group that includes Stephan El Shaarawy, Alberto Gilardino, Daniel Osvaldo, Lorenzo Insigne, Ciro Immobile and Manolo Gabbiadini, among others.

Regardless of who Prandelli chooses, Italy will be a force to be reckoned with.

Who do you think should make Italy’s World Cup roster?

For a team to improve over the course of a few transfer windows, they often must bring in key players who greatly improve the team while also letting the right players leave in order to make way for upgrades. Tottenham is a key example of a team that didn’t handle the transfer window well.

Here’s a look at the teams that capitalized on the most recent transfer windows in order to improve.

Juventus

In an attempt to expand on two straight Serie A titles, the Bianconeri brought in the striking help they desperately needed. Over the summer they acquired former Manchester United and Manchester City star Carlos Tevez. So far El Apache has performed admirably; contributing 18 domestic goals as Juve once again look to take home the scudetto.

Another summer striker arrival was Fernando Llorente, who continues to provide a massive target in the box for Juve during set pieces. The team also brought in Angelo Ogbonna, a center back for the future, from cross-town rivals Torino. Antonio Conte’s squad made one addition during the winter, the signing of striker Dani Osvaldo on loan from English side Southampton.

Tevez, Llorente and Osvaldo filled a massive striker need for the Italian giants. However, some of their transfer window savvy also occurred in the sale of numerous other players. Young players such as Fausto Rossi and Richmond Boakye were able to find first-team opportunities on loan in La Liga, while the team also sold forward Alessandro Matri. Getting 11 million euros for Matri from Milan was a win in and of itself.

Everton

Roberto Martinez has lead Everton on a strong campaign so far. While not as high in the standings as Merseyside rivals Liverpool, the Toffees are in a position to potentially qualify for Champions League football.

The Spaniard brought in a contingent of players he previously had experience with at Wigan. These included the likes of defender Antolin Alcaraz, midfielder James McCarthy, goalkeeper Joel Robles and striker Arouna Kone. Martinez also brought in Irish winger Aiden McGeady to further strengthen his attacking options.

What’s most fascinating about Everton’s success is that they have brought in key contributors on loan. Gareth Barry, Gerard Deulofeu and Romelu Lukaku all joined up on a temporary basis. All three have been superb in their roles, with Barry providing a steady presence in the midfield, Deulofeu playing the role of spark-plug and Lukaku scoring a bevy of goals.

Roma

There was quite a bit of change at AS Roma last offseason. Out went established first-teamers like Marquinhos, Bojan, Erik Lamela, Dani Osvaldo, Erik Lamela, Maarten Stekelenburg and (in the winter) Michael Bradley.

Ironically, Lamela’s former team Roma has perfectly executed a team overhaul, while his current club, Tottenham, has failed miserably at the task.

Roma and new coach Rudi Garcia went for a veteran approach to building their team. In came former Inter defender Maicon, as well as Mehdi Benatia to reinforce a defense that was weakened after the departure of PSG-bound Marquinhos. Other new additions included highly-rated/sought after midfield general Kevin Strootman, ex-Arsenal forward Gervinho, former Fiorentina attacker Adem Ljajic and Italian keeper Morgan De Sanctis.

The Roman club further strengthened their squad when they added Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan and Brazilian wide player Michel Bastos, on shrewd loan deals in the winter window.

Napoli

Yet another Italian team that did well during the recent transfer windows, Napoli invested a significant amount of money in their squad with funds partly received from the sale of star striker Edinson Cavani to PSG.

The Naples-based club was extremely active, bringing in former Real Madrid trio Jose Callejon, Raul Albiol and Gonzalo Higuain. In addition to the three, they brought in former PSV attacker Dries Mertens, Liverpool loanee Pepe Reina and winter-signing Jorginho, among others.

The new additions, Higuain in particular, have helped soften the blow of losing their star player and goal scorer in Cavani.

Adding Higuain, Jorginho, Callejon and Mertens to an attack that includes Lorenzo Insigne and Marek Hamsik has propelled Napoli into a Champions League place. Whether they catch Roma for second place in Serie A remains to be seen, but Napoli definitely made the most of losing Cavani with a strong pair of transfer windows.

Liverpool

Amidst the threat of talismanic Luis Suarez leaving, Liverpool made a bevy of quality moves that has so far propelled them into pole position in the Premier League. Brendan Rodgers retooled his defensive unit by bringing in Kolo Toure, Mamadou Sakho and Aly Cissokho to help make up for the loss of the retired Jamie Carragher. Rodgers made the right move by swapping out Pepe Reina for Simon Mignolet, and selling players who didn’t fit his system for a profit, i.e., Stewart Downing and Andy Carroll.

Liverpool’s greatest achievement during the recent transfer windows may have been hanging on to Luis Suarez. The combination of the Uruguayan and Daniel Sturridge has been lethal. Their combined goal total will be bordering on absurd (if it isn’t there already) by the end of the season.

Atletico Madrid

This year’s Champions League darling, Atletico faced a similar dilemma as Liverpool with their own star man, striker Radamel Falcao. Unlike Liverpool, they sold their key man, offloading him to Ligue 1 side Monaco.

Similar to Fernando Torres and Sergio Aguero, Atleti already had a replacement ready to take over, Diego Costa. And similar to Torres and Aguero, that replacement could also head out the door. Madrid may have found its’ next striker to replace Costa, as they brought in Brazilian forward Leo Baptistao in the summer window. Baptistao is currently on loan at Real Betis and will likely find himself in the Rojiblancos first team if the team sells Costa.

The Spanish team also pulled off two of the more shrewd signings in the past two windows when they signed David Villa for a paltry, relative to his worth, 5.1 million euros and signed Martin Demichelis for free. But wait, doesn’t Demichelis play for Manchester City? Yes. He does. He signed with Atletico Madrid for free, trained for a couple months and then was promptly sold for four million pounds to City. If you happen to be an expert in money conversion you would know that four million pounds totals out nearlys five million euros.

So just to wrap up, Atletico basically (in almost a straight swap) got Villa for the price of hosting Demichelis for a few months. The numbers aren’t exactly lined up, but in today’s economy, that’s some tidy business.

Did I miss any teams that had a strong window(s)? Who do you think had the best transfer activity in Europe over the past two windows? Tell me in the comments.

Ben Rosener is the editor and founder of Kingdome of Seattle Sports and Know Hitter. In addition to those sites, he contributes to Bleacher Report. Ben is in the process of starting a soccer-themed Youtube channel called Sports on Terms. You can follow his criminally under-followed Twitter account here. He is also a massive sports fan and is a keen supporter of Juventus and the Italian National team. He only refers to himself in the third person for bios. 

Mario Balotelli is one of the most gifted strikers on the planet. Capable of truly awesome displays, the AC Milan striker can carry a team with his prolific goal scoring. He did just that for the Rossoneri last season as the Italian national’s goals were one of the main reasons that Milan was able to qualify for the Champions League.

After arriving from Manchester City mid-season, Balotelli led a struggling Milan team up the table and into third place at season’s end. This saved Milan the humiliation of missing the Champions League and all the financial benefits that it brings.

The Milanese giants currently sit at an uninspiring 11th in Serie A with 45points. Ahead of them in the table are the likes of Torino and Hellas Verona, and just below them are Sampdoria.  Last term Sampdoria finished 14th, Torino 16th and Verona was in Serie B. Times are tough in Milan. Adding insult to injury, the club is on their second coach of the season and was unceremoniously dumped out of the Champions League by a ruthless Atletico Madrid.

AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi has reportedly grown tired of Balotelli’s antics and could be looking to sell his star striker.  While players like Stephan El Shaarawy and Riccardo Montolivo have reportedly drawn interest in the transfer market, Balotelli represents the only commodity on the roster who could bring back a fee significant enough to fund multiple transactions to best improve the team.

Here are the pros and cons of AC Milan selling Balotelli:

Pros

Cash Influx

Balotelli isn’t going to draw Gareth Bale money. He may be talented, but his mercurial tendencies don’t necessarily paint him as a solid investment. In the right environment, he can thrive (see Italian National team set up); in the wrong one, he can struggle and be a distraction (see Manchester City).

A sale of the Italy national would give Milan a cash boost to help compensate for missing out on the Champions League next season.  That cash would be vital to rebuilding the squad as Milan might as well be a Swiss dairy product with all the holes they have. Central defense is a big need with a group consisting of the likes of Daniele Bonera, Philippe Mexes and Cristian Zapata not cutting it. The team also needs a defensive midfielder to play alongside Montolivo as Michael Essien, Nigel de Jong and Sulley Muntari are not of the necessary quality.

An extra creative presence in attack certainly couldn’t hurt. Keisuke Honda was a smart signing, but Kaka is on the downward slope of his career. Montolivo can also provide creative play from a deeper position, but outside of that the squad is lacking in this department. Another creative attacking option would be a prudent purchase.

With a potential sale of Balotelli, the team would also need a direct replacement. Giampaolo Pazzini, Robinho and Alessandro Matri won’t cut it. At least not where Milan aspires to be. Pazzini is a good finisher, but he’ll need help.

Massive Overhaul

Selling Balotelli could prompt Milan to re-evaluate their squad and overhaul the entire team. If Milan keeps only players who have bright futures at the club (Mattia De Sciglio, Gabriel) or who are vital to the team (Montolivo), they could sell enough players for it to be deemed a “fire sale.” Selling players like Muntari, Zapata, Matri and Andrea Poli, among others, along with Balotelli would give the Rossoneri the chance to remake the squad with an eye towards challenging for the Scudetto in 2014/2015.

Cons

Loss of Goals

Mario Balotelli scores goals. From the penalty spot or from majestic free kicks, he scores goals. He’s likely the only reason Milan made it into the Champions League this year, and he’s a big reason why they’re as a high up the table as they are. Imagining a current Milan side without the mercurial striker brings one phrase to mind: near-awful.

Balotelli has scored some wonderful goals, but he has also scored some very important ones. The former Inter Milan front man put in the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Bologna. He also netted a similar decider in a 1-0 triumph of Hellas Verona. In addition to winning games, he also saved points for his team as he bagged a brace to earn a point against Livorno while also scoring at the death to salvage a draw against Torino. For all intents and purposes we’ll throw in his assist to Kaka that gave the squad a tie at home versus Lazio and you have nine points directly or indirectly coming from Balotelli. Take those away and the team is six points off the drop zone.  It’s not entirely fair to say that Milan would still have scored without Balotelli, but we’re talking about his importance here. Plus given Milan’s struggles it’s completely plausible, even believable, to say that they wouldn’t have scored in all of these games if they didn’t have their star striker.

What do you think?  Should Milan look to cash in on Mario Balotelli?  Could they succeed without their star striker?

Born and raised in the Seattle area, Ben Rosener is an avid Seahawks, Sonics, Detroit Tigers and Juventus FC fan. He is a high school senior who is also the editor and founder of http://www.kingdomeofseattlesports.com/ and http://knowhitter.com/. Ben loves the city of Seattle and will cover the city’s sports teams throughout his professional life. In addition to loving Seattle and its teams, Ben also is a staunch supporter of Adam Silver, or for that matter, anyone who isn’t David Stern running the NBA. He doesn’t always refer to himself in the third person.

Juventus has run rampant through Serie A by employing a 3-5-2 formation that utilizes wing-backs. However, this formation has haunted the Italian giants in Europe as it failed to produce against Bayern Munich in last season’s quarterfinals. It was also underwhelming in this year’s group stage exit.

Coach Antonio Conte has experimented with using other formations, namely the 4-3-3 in this year’s group stage clashes with Real Madrid. Some think that Juve should switch to this permanently. While it would vastly improve an under-achieving Juve in Europe, that kind of change won’t happen overnight.

Here are Juve’s biggest hurdles in switching to a 4-3-3:

1. Realignment

One of the biggest upsides of the 3-5-2 is that Conte doesn’t have to sacrifice any of his three world-class center backs, Giorgio Chiellini, Andre Barzagli or Leonardo Bonucci. A switch to the 4-3-3 means one of the three defenders will move to left back or move to the bench. Chiellini will likely be the left back. While it isn’t the former Fiorentina player’s strongest position, he’s simply too good to leave on the bench.

Another positional switch will come from Stephan Lichtsteiner who will trade in wing-back for right back, his natural position.

The team’s abandonment of wing-backs means Kwadwo Asamoah will move into a super-sub role from his place at left wing-back. While Lichtsteiner will move from wing-back to right back, the same can’t be said for Asamoah on the left. Chiellini will take prominence at left back, while the Ghana international may be better suited backing up each midfield position.

The central midfield will stay the same: some combination of Claudio Marchisio, Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal will man the central “3” in the 4-3-3.

The changes continue up top. Carlos Tevez will be moving to the left due to Fernando Llorente not being able to play out wide at the level the Argentine can.

2. Finding a right winger

The right wing of the attacking trio will be the problem area for the team. In-house options Mirko Vucinic, Simone Pepe and Mauricio Isla can operate there, but the team could look to buy a more suitable option instead.

Nani, Alessio Cerci and Juan Cuadrado have all been mentioned as potential targets. None of the trio will be cheap, but if one of them is the missing link in terms of European success, you’d expect Juve not to balk at the price.

If one of those options is too rich for the Turin-based club’s blood, a potential sale of Paul Pogba or Arturo Vidal could fund the acquisition of a new winger.

3. Depth

A shift to a 4-3-3 means Juve must reevaluate their squad depth. As it stands, the team is built for their current formation, the 3-5-2. Most of the midfielders and strikers are predominantly not wide players.

The squad is already thin on wingers. So even after finding a new wide player, the team will need to find suitable depth if it doesn’t like its current options.

The defense will also need retooling in the depth department as the majority of Juve’s defenders are meant to play in the center of the back line. Angelo Ogbonna and Martin Caceres have the ability to play on the outside, but both are much better in the middle. Reinforcements will surely be needed to provide sufficient depth for Chiellini and Lichtsteiner.

On the flipside, central midfield may be the area least affected by the switch. Claudio Marchisio remains a world-class option as the first man off the bench, while Kwadwo Asamoah’s shift from wing-back provides even more quality depth.

Overall, the hurdles for Juve to switch to a 4-3-3 formation aren’t that daunting. Positional switches should be somewhat seamless. What won’t be seamless is finding a winger with the talent needed to compete at the highest level, as well as depth better suited to the new formation. But considering past transfer steals, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the defending champions find the right players.

Ben Rosener is a high school senior from the Seattle area who is the editor and founder of Kingdome of Seattle Sports and Know Hitter. In addition to those sites, he writes for FanSided’s Emerald City Swagger and contributes to Bleacher Report. Ben is in the process of starting a soccer-themed Youtube channel called Sports on Terms. You can follow his criminally under-followed Twitter account here. He is also a massive sports fan and is a keen supporter of Juventus and the Italian National team. He only refers to himself in the third person for bios. 

The World Cup will dominate television sets this summer and per usual, most of the elite European nations (as well as a few South American teams) will be considered as favorites, or at the very least serious contenders. There’ll be lofty expectations placed on teams like Italy, England, Germany and defending champion Spain. On the surface, all four teams couldn’t be more different, but they all seem to have similar strengths and weaknesses.

Those “strengths and weaknesses” are being blessed with an obnoxious number of world-class midfielders and having huge question marks at striker.

Let’s take a closer look at Italy, England, Germany and Spain:

Italy

Coach Cesare Prandelli certainly holds an enviable job in terms of picking a midfield grouping. With Italy using everything formation from a 4-3-1-2 to a 3-5-2 to a 4-3-2-1 (also known as “The Christmas Tree,” my personal favorite in terms of naming), it’s not clear how Prandelli will line up his players. What is clear is that when Prandelli fills out the team sheet, he’ll have his pick of a midfield group that includes Daniele De Rossi, Riccardo Montolivo, Juventus duo Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio, PSG pairing Marci Verratti and Thiago Motta, jack of all trades Emanuele Giaccherini and close-to-mainstay-status Antonio Candreva. Gli Azzurri will likely be in good hands in the middle of the park.

The striker situation is a sharp contrast in terms of stability. Mario Balotelli is… Mario Balotelli. Playing for Prandelli seems to draw out the best in him on the pitch from a mental and physical standpoint, so he likely won’t be an issue. Still, his mercurial tendency remains. Ideally Giuseppe Rossi would line up next to him, but injuries have plagued the New Jersey native’s career. After Balotelli and Rossi, you have Pablo Osvaldo who is mercurial in his own right. Also in the strike force are Stephan El Shaarawy and Alberto Gilardino. Shaarawy is struggling through an injury and form issues, while the 31 year-old Gilardino could have potential issues in Brazil’s sweltering heat, where endurance and fitness will be key. Prandelli has even thrown around the idea of calling up Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero for the finals in Brazil.

If every mercurial and injury-prone striker can play issue free during the World Cup, Prandelli could be lifting a trophy. If not, Italy may not achieve all of its outstanding potential.

England

Italy’s Group D adversary, England, is currently playing out the twilight years of an era that has seen the midfield controlled by legends Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. Joining them in the national team set-up are youngsters like Jack Wilshere, Andros Townsend, Ross Barkley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The latter group may not be on the level of the former duo yet, but they have potential. With England’s two elder statesmen, the youngsters and veterans such as Michael Carrick and Ashley Young, the Three Lions are in a comfortable place in midfield. They may not be the best or most dynamic bunch, but they work for England.

Up front is a very different story.

Wayne Rooney is the only proven commodity on the international level. Daniel Sturridge seems a solid bet to go to Brazil thanks to his scintillating form at Liverpool, but after that the options dwindle in comparative quality. Andy Carroll may or may not be recalled to the team in the near future. Jermain Defoe will face an uphill battle thanks to his move to Toronto FC, while the duo of Rickie Lambert and Jay Rodriguez have five more senior international caps than I do.

England relies on Rooney. If he’s on, they stand a good bet to do well. If he and the other forwards are off… well, good luck scoring goals and getting out of a group that includes Italy and Uruguay.

Germany

If you thought the quality of Italy and England’s respective midfielders was world-class, wait until you see Germany’s.

Die Mannschaft’s team sheet could feature any grouping of the following players in the center of the park: Sven Bender, Sidney Sam, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sami Khedira, Julian Draxler, Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller, Lars Bender, Mario Gotze, Marco Reus, Toni Kroos, Andre Schurrle and Ilkay Gundogan. Because of these players, Germany will carry an advantage in the midfield into most games. Germany might carry an advantage if Joachim Löw was forced to pick three of the previously mentioned names out of a hat for his midfield.

In contrast to the abundance of midfielders, Germany carries very few forwards. Miroslav Klose, Mario Gomez, Max Kruse and Lukas Podolski likely will be in contention for spots on the final roster. It would be foolish to leave out the legendary Klose, but his age (35) will be a factor in the sauna of a country that is Brazil. Gomez is another strong bet to make the squad, but with the relatively-new Fiorentina player coming off of a long-term injury, nothing is certain. Kruse could be the odd man out if Klose and Gomez are fit enough to go. Based on his playing time this season, Podolski is an unknown. The former FC Koln star has an astounding 111 senior caps at the relatively young age of 28. He has the ability to be a lethal goal scorer and boasts loads of technique. However, the rub is that he isn’t getting a whole lot of time on the pitch at Arsenal as Oliver Giroud currently sits atop the striker pecking order. Should Podolski not get consistent playing time, he may miss the trip to the World Cup. It’s still possible he could go with less playing time if Low feels he can be an impact player. We will likely see this happen with other European stars such as Iker Casillas and Claudio Marchisio, both of whom aren’t regular starters for their club teams, so ruling out Podolski is somewhat premature.

Podolski being far from a lock to participate in soccer’s biggest competition only adds uncertainty to the German’s frontline. Like the other teams on this list, they could reach the highest of highs with their strikers on form. If not… let’s just say a world-class midfield can only get you so far.

Spain

The Spaniards are not the team they once were. Cracks have not only started to show, but they are in fact glaring. Teams know how to play against La Roja. Italy played well against their European rivals in Euro 2012 before taking them to edge in a penalty shoot-out at the Confederations Cup. That was a Balotelli-less Italian squad. If the Milan striker had played, who knows if Spain would have made the final?

If Italy cracked the dam, Brazil left it in splinters. The host nation destroyed Vincente del Bosque’s team and sent them back to the drawing board with a mix of relentless energy and athleticism.

Despite the loss, the champs boast possibly the best midfield in the world. Yes, better than Germany’s contingent. Xavi and Iniesta will start 99.9% of Spain’s competitive fixtures when healthy. Joining them in the central part of the pitch are the likes of Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets, Cesc Fabregas, and David Silva. That’s not counting players like Santi Carzola, Juan Mata, Javi Martinez, Thiago Alcantara, Isco, Jesus Navas and Koke.

Spain’s talent upfront is potentially as dangerous as their midfield. However they haven’t been able to settle on a consistent player to man the role. Fernando Torres (much like at Chelsea) has been hit and miss at times. Diego Costa is having a superb season at Atletico Madrid, but will have to work his way up the pecking order in order to receive a place in Brazil. Alvaro Negredo and Roberto Soldado could be bumped from the plane to Brazil by the likes of Torres, Pedro and David Villa thanks to del Bosque’s tendency to pick players who aren’t receiving playing time at their respective clubs but were with the team during their multiple trophy-winning runs (see Iker Casillas). Fernando Llorente has been on fine form with Juventus and could be the answer Spanish fans have been looking for. Swansea’s Michu currently has a slim chance due to injury and fitness concerns.

While La Roja has a plethora of talented goal scorers, the frequency at which del Bosque calls up different forwards suggest he hasn’t found the right fit up top. Spain was able to win Euro 2012 mainly with a false nine, but they won’t be nearly as lucky come the World Cup.

Goals are essential for teams to win games, and generally the higher scoring players are the strikers. If Italy, England, Germany and Spain want to win games in Brazil, they need their strikers to produce. If not, they could be in trouble.

For more World Cup 2014 coverage, read our preview of all 32 World Cup teams.

Ben Rosener is a high school senior from the Seattle area who is the editor and founder of Kingdome of Seattle Sports and Know Hitter. In addition to those sites, he writes for FanSided’s Emerald City Swagger and contributes to Bleacher Report. Ben is in the process of starting a soccer-themed Youtube channel called Sports on Terms. You can follow his criminally under-followed Twitter account here. He is also a massive sports fan and is a keen supporter of Juventus and the Italian National team. He only refers to himself in the third person for bios. 

Italian soccer has declined as of late. While domestic kings Juventus look on track to claim their third straight scudetto, the rest of Serie A is suffering.

The league is not what it once was. Gone are European powers Inter and AC Milan. Napoli and Roma seem on the rise, but both have a long way to go if they want to catch up with the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona. Even championship holders Juve has struggled in Europe lately, getting trounced by Bayern last season before being handed an unlucky draw in their final deciding group game against Galatasaray on a slab of mud in Turkey.

Why the Decline?

French giants Paris Saint-Germain are the main culprits here. Sure, a lot of it has to do with Italian teams spending substantially less due to the economy, but PSG certainly have taken advantage of that fact. Of the Parisian’s 25 first team players, 10 were bought from Serie A sides.

In present-day Italian soccer, some squads can get by with a few good players carrying the team. They may not win the scudetto, but the team remains moderately successful. On the flip side, when those players leave, the team collapses. This happened with Pescara in 2011-2012. They cruised to the top of Serie B with an attack spearheaded by Juve-loanee Ciro Immobile, Napoli-loanee Lorenzo Insigne and home-grown playmaker Marco Verratti. After gaining promotion, Insigne returned to Napoli, and Immobile moved to Genoa for more seasoning. Verratti was snapped up by PSG for a significant fee, and Pescara floundered in the top flight. They currently find themselves back in Serie B.

Also on PSG’s list of somewhat recent Serie A signings are former Milan duo Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva. This double-buy sapped the northern Italian club of two of its better performers while also opening the flood gates for a near mass exodus.

Already reeling from the departures of club legends Filippo Inzaghi, Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso and Clarence Seedorf, the Italian’s losses were compounded with the departures of Ibra and Silva. Milan started the season in a tailspin, losing five of their first eight games. They were able to recover and claim third place in Serie A mainly thanks to the inspired form of Mario Balotelli. This season has not been as kind to the Rossoneri however, as they sit near the middle of the Serie A table in ninth, a whopping 31 points behind leaders Juventus.

Next on the list is Sicilian club Palermo, who went from a top ten finisher and Euro League competitor to Serie B. It didn’t happen overnight, but the team’s sale of goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu and Javier Pastore to PSG sent the team from seventh place in the scudetto race to 16^th place and a mere seven points off the drop zone. The next season, the Sicilians weren’t as fortunate as they succumbed to relegation and now find themselves in Serie B.

The money helps, but only so much.

Some teams that have lost star players to PSG have used the money to successfully fund additions to improve the team, or at the very least keep them at the same competitive level. Napoli did this with the funds received from Edinson Cavani, and Roma achieved the same result with money received from Marquinhos. While both clubs are near the top of the table, they aren’t at the level of elite Serie A teams of old.

At the end of the day, Serie A has lost a ridiculous amount of talent over the last handful of years. World-class players like Ibrahimovic, Cavani, Silva and Ezequiel Lavezzi have all left the peninsula. The departures of these players, coupled with comparatively less-than-stellar replacements have left domestic Italian football on the decline. PSG isn’t the only culprit, but it can be said that they have done more than most to bring, unintentionally, the state of Italian football down.

Ben Rosener is a high school senior from the Seattle area who is the editor and founder of Kingdome of Seattle Sports and Know Hitter. In addition to those sites, he writes for FanSided’s Emerald City Swagger and contributes to Bleacher Report. Ben is in the process of starting a soccer-themed YouTube channel called Sports on Terms. You can follow his criminally under-followed Twitter account here. He is also a massive sports fan and is a keen supporter of Juventus and the Italian National team. He only refers to himself in the third person for bios.