January continues to move along, and with it the moment to move on from players, losses, and old teams around the wide world of soccer.
Such is the case for Liverpool, who need to move on quickly from the Philippe Coutinho farewell, for Barcelona, who moved past Coutinho’s arrival to bring even more reinforcements, for Chelsea and Arsenal to forget about their underwhelming Cup display, and for United States supporters to move on from another dual-citizen young prospect.
This a whole lot more in this midweek edition of 90 Minutes’ Top Five.
1. No time to mourn
Not one full week has passed at Anfield since the departure of its biggest star, and Liverpool already face their biggest possible challenge yet.
Jurgen Klopp’s squad host none other than the unbeaten and almighty Manchester City on Sunday, just a week removed from the departure of Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool to Barcelona. Roberto Firmino said it best on his Instagram account, writing that Liverpool will not be same without his fellow Brazilian playmaker. Sunday marks the start of the post-Coutinho era, and Klopp will have his first test in terms of filling the huge gap left by the Brazilian. Luckily for the manager, his options have expanded with the return to fitness of Adam Lallana, a player who could take on the play making responsibilities. It will take time for Lallana to be back to full form, which could complicate the process. The next best option could be Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has slowly but surely adapted to Klopp’s style, but who is farther removed in terms of what he can offer compared to what Coutinho contributed to the team.
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The biggest effect stemming from Coutinho’s departure could be a slight change in the team’s style, sacrificing some of the lightning-quick speed in the attack in favor of a more pragmatic, solid approach. Sunday’s match will provide a glimpse into the new-look Liverpool.
2. Mining for defense
Just when you thought Barcelona had enough with the Coutinho transfer, they come back for more.
The Blaugranas address their ailing defense with the acquisition of Colombian center back Yerry Mina from Brazilian side Palmeiras, for a much more reduced cost of 11.8 million euros. The injury to Samuel Umtiti has thrown a monkey wrench into Ernesto Valverde’s center back rotation. Thomas Vermaelen, who has a history of injuries himself, has occupied the spot opposite Gerard Pique, while the outgoing Javier Mascherano served as backup, even amid reports of a move to the Chinese Super League this winter. The 23-year-old Mina not only adds depth to the back line, but also a great deal of size and speed. The Colombian is already Barcelona’s tallest player at 6-foot-4, but that does not compromise his quickness on the ball. With the size comes an aspect of Barcelona’s game -offensive and defensively- that they have been lacking: an aerial presence. Mina is a prolific striker when it comes to headers, especially on set pieces, on both sides of the ball, which has earned him a reputation for being a goal-scoring defender. He ended his Palmeiras stint with nine goals in 49 matches, not that Barcelona need any help scoring this season. But his physical presence defensively will certainly go a long way for a Barcelona side that has typically dealt with problems on that side, both in open play and in set pieces.
Oh, and wait until he scores his first goal with the Barcelona jersey. It will be quite the festive celebration from the Colombian.
3. Night and day
What a difference a week makes.
Just last Wednesday, the soccer world was abuzz after what many called (including this writer) the best match of the Premier League season, when Arsenal and Chelsea drew 2-2 in a very entertaining back-and-forth affair. Fast forward to this past Wednesday, when both teams met again in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal, and the reaction has been quite the opposite. This time around, Arsenal and Chelsea put on a performance to forget, a 0-0 draw that was no where near matching the entertainment from their previous encounter. It was a festival of wasted chances, instead. Chelsea finished the game with 21 shots to Arsenal’s eight, yet neither team was able to put a single shot into the back of the net. Such was the scoring drought that both team’s most important attack pieces -Eden Hazard, Alvaro Morata, and Alexander Lacazette- were substituted, which did not make matters easier. The most talked about aspect of the match -besides the lack of goals- was the controversy surrounding Victor Moses’ possible penalty foul on Ainsley Maitland-Niles, in which referee Martin Atkinson’s refusal to resort to the VAR system sparked the debate.
The rematch will take place in two weeks’ time. With a berth to the final on the line, these two teams better bring their scoring shows, or they will be in for another frustrating night.
4. The decision
On this side of the United States-Mexico dichotomy, Jonathan Gonzalez will be remember as the one that got away.
For the other side, he represent a potential mainstay for years to come.
The 18-year-old Gonzalez, a native of Santa Rosa, California, became the latest Mexican-American dual citizen to make the ever crucial and difficult decision of choosing his national team alliance once and for all. After coming up in through the American youth teams, Gonzalez made the choice to play for the Mexican national team from now on, leaving the United States empty-handed, in the latest of several setbacks suffered by the Americans, starting with the shocking elimination from the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Interim manager Dave Sarachan revealed the U.S. contingent had been keeping in contact with Gonzalez for a future call-up, which would have been possibly the ongoing January camp in California. Gonzalez made it public that he was never contacted about it, which made tilted his decision towards the Mexican side. It is a big loss for an American program that is attempting to build a squad based on the current crop of young players, both abroad and in Major League Soccer, and Gonzalez figured to be in the mix, at least. For Mexico, he could represent a future starter in the midfield, possibly as soon as the upcoming World Cup.
The ripple effects of a flawed American soccer culture continue to be felt, months after the Trinidad debacle. With more dual-citizen player cases like Gonzalez’s likely increasing with time, the United States cannot afford to let talent like Gonzalez to escape.
5. Meg city
The French Coupe de la Ligue is perhaps the least heralded of the major European domestic cups. Yet this week, it made its presence felt in the Top Five, thanks to a sublime display in the Montpellier-Angers match form Wednesday. This midweek’s best goal was scored by Belgian Isaac Mbenza, but the assist was provided by wing back Ruben Aguilar, who initiated the play with a sweet nutmeg, before crossing it in for the easy score.