Relationships began and relationships began throughout the wide world of soccer, and the Top Five is here to recap this pre-Valentine’s Day match-making action.
The Chicago Fire and its world champion captain renewed their soccer vows, while Arsenal amicably parted ways with a failed illusion, and Borussia Dortmund and its star striker are in the middle of nasty divorce.
This and much more in this midweek edition of 90 Minutes’ Top Five.
1. He’s back
Months of secrecy and mystery surrounding the Chicago Fire are slowly but surely ending, starting with the most crucial link in the chain.
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The club announced the return of captain Bastian Schweinsteiger on a one-year deal, securing his presence for a 2018 season in which the Fire has heightened expectations after reaching the playoffs and making a significant investment in 2017.
Say what you will about any other potential signings by the Fire, bringing back Schweinsteiger was paramount for the immediate future of the club. The German fit in like a glove after his arrival last March, becoming a very important part of the make up of the team on the field and in the locker room. His presence was a notable as his absence in a season in which he did suffer injuries towards the end, and it showed in the Knockout Round match against the Red Bulls, in which Chicago was steamrolled by a much more experienced New York side while Schweinsteiger sat out most of the match with an injury.
Now it is up to general manager Nelson Rodriguez to add reinforcements, but the strong foundation that kick-started the resurgence of the Fire remains solid.
2. Irreconcilable differences
Divorces are never a pleasant affair, specially when it involves superstar egos and loads of money.
Such is the case of the irreparable relationship between Borussia Dortmund and once-star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. But when one half of the relationship parties during game week, is late to meetings, and markets his own sponsor to the detriment of the team’s, it is very much certain that the love eventually ends.
The Dortmund-Aubameyang marriage suffered a precipitous drop once the Gabon native started behaving very erratically (see examples above) towards the club, in a clear effort to force his exit from the club a la Ousmane Dembele last summer when Barcelona came knocking. This time, it is reported to be Arsenal the wedge between the two parties, and the result appears will be the same as the Dembele affair.
For a cornerstone player like Aubameyang, who arrived with little fanfare in 2013 and became a world-renowned striker in three season with the German club, to have this sort of fallout with the club that allowed him to reach such levels of stardom is nothing short of spectacular. At this point of the relationship, it is up to Dortmund to decide when to cut their losses and end it for good.
3. Promise unfulfilled
That is the sentiment regarding the career of one Theo Walcott, which took a drastic turn this week.
In a move that seemed inevitable for months, Arsenal pulled the trigger and sold Walcott to Everton, ending a 12-year stint with the London club. The transfer marks the conclusion of a slow and painful process in which Walcott was included less and less in Arsene Wenger’s plans, as his minutes progressively waned in the last couple of seasons. The writing was on the wall.
The target was on Walcott’s back not very shortly after arriving at Arsenal as a 17-year-old in 2005, thanks to a shocking selection to the 2006 World Cup squad, and later on, his switch to the very heavy number 14 jersey. As many other English players of his generation, he was expected to become the next big thing. Fast forward to 2018, Walcott joins the list of “next big things” that never were.
But the move is not just a reflection on Walcott. His career is exhibit A of the way Arsenal has been run in the last few years under Wenger, accepting mediocrity while being overly patient and gun-shy with the tough decisions. Another one gets away from the Emirates, and the list is getting rather long.
4. Another one bites the dust
Well, so much for Barcelona being the only remaining unbeaten across the top five leagues.
The Cules dropped their first game of the season across all competitions on Wednesday, losing the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal against Catalonian rival Espanyol.
For the first time since the Spanish Super Cup, Barcelona found themselves constantly frustrated by their rivals, to the point that Lionel Messi had penalty kick blocked by Diego Lopez.
Being a Copa match, Ernersto Valverde chose to give opportunities to several non-regulars, the mark of a team looking to simply survive and rest its most valuable assets (except for Messi) for more important competitions. With Messi being the only impact players on the pitch, it was easier for Espanyol to focus their defensive attention on the Argentinian.
Espanyol’s efforts paid off tremendously, and they were rewarded late with a goal by Oscar Melendo, who scored with his very first touch after coming off the bench.
Barca will attempt the comeback next Thursday at the Camp Nou, with Valverde expected to pull out all the stops to stay alive in the cup.
5. Defenders? more like cones
PSG had one of its wild scoring outbursts over the week, destroying Dijon by a whopping 8-0 score in Ligue 1 action, half of which came courtesy of Neymar, who held court amid whistles from his own crowd.
After a picture-perfect free kick goal, the Brazilian topped himself with a Maradona-Messi-esque goal of the week winner from near midfield.
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