Objectivo.com

Ouch!!! 40% haircut on opening day?

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For anyone in the Blaugrana camp still holding on to thoughts of a temporary blip, there is news. Coming for the very top management of the club, the message is clear: Barcelona are in crisis.

During an interview with Catalan television, Txiki Begiristain explained that he felt that the players were unable to cope when the going became tough in matches and that was why he believes the team are in crisis mode.

He admitted that the club had plans in place to make changes, but would only carry those out "at the end of the season" and that Frank Rijkaard would "not be going anywhere for now."

After Bojan Krkic and Samuel Eto'o had given Barca a commanding lead in the Ruiz de Lopera at the weekend, Betis came back and netted three times in the second period to record a memorable win. Rijkaard had admitted that he was ashamed, while Puyol had opined that the collapse was symptomatic of the club's season as a whole.

Txiki has also admitted that he was stunned the team have lost their key characteristic - "that of not giving opponents any chance of a recovery".

Let alone clean sheets, even if Barcelona conceded just the one goal per game since January (they conceded 0.89 per game in 2006-07), they would have had 13 more points in La Liga, and would have been six ahead of Real Madrid. In addition, they would have been in the Spanish Cup final.

Atletico Madrid have scored four against them, while Betis, Almeria, Valencia and Villarreal have all score two or more in what has been a shocking defensive collapse. Anything barring a full recovery by Tuesday could see Barcelona's season come crashing down.

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The race for fourth spot could take a decisive turn this weekend as it is derby day on Merseyside while England players look to prove their international form is a mere blip.

The truth is that the Premier League has blossomed due to the continental influence and it will again be in evidence in a packed 10-game programme this weekend.

Fernando Torres has sparkled in his debut season in English football and he will be looking to add to his 20 league goals when Liverpool welcome Everton to Anfield on Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1. With Liverpool currently two points clear of their local rivals in fourth, the result could help to determine who takes the fourth UEFA Champions League spot this season.

Before Merseyside pride is put at stake, though, there are seven matches on Saturday, including current leaders Manchester United against Aston Villa.

United are seeking a 14th win in a row over Villa in all competitions against a team whose European aspirations have taken a knock in recent weeks.

Arsenal are desperate to return to form after five games without a win, but head to Bolton Wanderers where they have lost their last three league matches.

The bottom two meet at Pride Park and Fulham will be anxious to record a first away success in 18 months to boost their hopes of survival.

In contrast, Derby County's relegation back to the Championship could be confirmed if they fail to beat Fulham and Birmingham City win at home to Manchester City.

Wigan Athletic will be hoping Portsmouth have one eye fixed on next week's FA Cup semi-final against West Brom when Steve Bruce takes his team to Fratton Park.

Sunderland claimed a first away win of the campaign last weekend and will be hopeful of three points at home to West Ham United.

Reading have steadily edged closer to safety in recent weeks, although Saturday's visitors to the Madejski Stadium - Blackburn Rovers - are not giving up in their pursuit of European qualification.

On Sunday, Chelsea will be confident of maintaining the pressure in the title race when they face Middlesbrough at Stamford Bridge. While Kevin Keegan secured a belated first win in his second spell as Newcastle United boss last week and heads to Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

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David Beckham has no intention of waving farewell to England after reaching 100 appearances.

The Los Angeles Galaxy star, who reached the milestone Wednesday night, maintains the wave he gave when he walked off during England's 1-0 loss to France was just an acknowledgment of the standing ovation that even the French fans gave him.

Beckahm was impressed with the standing ovation that the French fans gave him on his way off the field. He thanked both sets of fans, but insists that the rumors that he is leaving international football for good are only rumors, that weren't started by him.

Although Beckham didn't even have a shot on goal and collected a yellow card for a foul on French goalscorer Franck Ribery, he was satisfied with his performance.

Even though he had been replaced, Beckham was the last England player to walk off the field. At the end of the game, he walked back on, hugged France defender William Gallas, and had a long talk with the Arsenal player before again waving and applauding the fans.

Becks stated that the only place he would like to play more than Wembley, would be in Paris, where his very good friend Zidane played. Beckham, who turns 33 in May, believes he will still be fit enough to play at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, assuming England qualifies.

Beckham, who was overlooked by Capello for the Switzerland game because the Italian didn't consider him fit enough during Major League Soccer's offseason, called on the England fans to be patient with the new manager while he tries new formations, tactics and selections. Capello and the English side have both come under pressure following the match yesterday, which was only the second match under the new boss.

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Objectivo wishes Brazil could play in Euro 2008 or the Americas would get together for a tournament this summer.

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Joan Laporta has laid the groundwork to make an official approach for Rafa Benítez as he does not want José Mourinho at Barcelona should Frank Rijkaard leave in the summer.

The Blaugrana supremo is believed to want to be prepared should the club's current coach opt not to continue next term after another difficult campaign in charge at Camp Nou.

While several names have already been throw in into the hat, El Mundo Deportivo believe that they have it on good authority that Benítez is Laporta' first choice.

Barça's board has been split over talk about a possible successor to Rijkaard with directors Ferran Soriano and Marc Ingla preferring Mourinho, while others see that as completely out of the question.

Laporta is one of those that does not want to see the Portuguese trainer return to the club where he once worked as a translator for Bobby Robson.

Moves have been made to discover if the current Liverpool boss would have any interest should the position be offered to him with the report suggesting that FIFA agent, Manuel García Quilón, being approached to find out.

Quilón told the club that Benítez is not considered to be unmovable by the Anfield club, but that he would not agree to any deal while Rijkaard was still in place.

Johan Cruyff's opposition to Mourinho is strong and his influence over the board should be enough to see that the former Chelsea coach has no chance of taking over at the club.

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Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has been named England captain for Wednesday's friendly with France in Paris. Chelsea defender John Terry, captain under Steve McClaren, had been expected to skipper the side on Wednesday. Steven Gerrard led England for manager Fabio Capello's first game in charge against Switzerland last month.

There was also speculation that David Beckham could captain the side if, as expected, he wins his 100th cap. Yet, probably in the best intrest of the England side, Capello decided to move forward rather than backwards.

Although Capello has named Ferdinand to lead the side against France there is no suggestion that the Manchester United star will captain England throughout their forthcoming World Cup qualifying campaign. Capello then confirmed that throughout the upcoming friendlies he would continue to rotate the captaincy hoping to find the best man for the job by the start of World Cup qualifying.

The appointment of Rio Ferdinand to captain is somewhat suprising, but this isn't an unusual tactic for Fabio Capello.

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Has anyone heard from Bruce Arena?

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Javier Mascherano has spoken of his disbelief following yesterday's dubious red card against Manchester United.

Mascherano picked up his second yellow card just prior to half time, thus leaving Liverpool to struggle for more than half the match with 10 men. The Argentine received his marching orders after questioning referee Steve Bennett's decision to book Fernando Torres for dissent. Television footage clearly showed that Mascherano had merely asked Bennett "what's happening", however the official deemed this sufficient to dismiss the midfielder.

"I asked the referee what was happening. I did not swear, I was not aggressive and I did not confront him. All I did was ask him what was happening, nothing else. So when he showed me the second yellow card and sent me off I could not believe it".

Mascherano apologized to his teammates specifiacally, understanding that his dismissal in the first half, sealed the fate of the match. Liverpool went on to lose the game at Old Trafford 3-0, a result that leaves Man Utd strong favourites to retain their Premier League title.

Yet the true question remains, how much lenience should the referee allow players during a match? Wayne Rooney has done a lot worse during plenty of matches, ask Graham Poll or Rob Winter, two of the referees he has berated. There needs to be a definitive line of discipline assigned next season, so matches of this magnitude aren’t destroyed by the referee.

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With a spot in the 2008 Olympics on the line, a decidedly pro-American crowd watched their young ones dispatch a Canadian side 3-0 at LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee.

After dominating the run of play for 25 physical minutes, the red, white and blue finally struck gold on a Freddy Adu freekick. Jozy Altidore was taken down just outside the right corner of the 18-yard box, and Benfica starlet Adu sent a low ball off his increasingly brilliant left foot into the box. An onrushing Sacha Kljestan distracted Canandian keeper Joshua Wagenaar long enough that the goalie's last second dive merely deflected the goal-bound ball into the side netting.

Seeking to inject some offensive life into his side, Canadian coach Nick Dasovic -- who earlier this week took the pressure off his team by telling reporters that if the Canadian side lost, the journalists could go back to covering the NHL -- brought on Syracuse University star Kyle Hall in place of Keegan Arye. Hall brought some life to the squad, but it failed to muster any sustained attack before halftime.

Two minutes into the second half, Altidore made his presence felt once again as the Maple Leafs' Andraze Ornoch drew a yellow card for taking down the U.S. forward just outside the box. Adu again stepped up and swerved the ensuing freekick over the wall and past a frozen Wagenaar for a 2-0 lead.

After the team's battle back and forth, Kljestan put the game away for good 11 minutes from time as his fine first touch off a Tyler Holden cross split the Canadian defense and sent him in alone with Wagenaar. The Chivas USA talent calmly slotted the ball to the goalie's left and the celebration began in earnest.

In a final that matters for nothing other than pride, the United States will face Honduras, who beat Guatemala in penalty kicks.

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David Beckham has been recalled to the England squad for the friendly with France in Paris on 26 March.

The LA Galaxy midfielder, 32, who has 99 caps, is in a provisional 30-man squad named by coach Fabio Capello. Arsenal winger Theo Walcott, 19, has been called up for the first time since the 2006 World Cup finals.

Middlesbrough defender David Wheater, Portsmouth's Jermain Defoe and Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor are also included. While Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick and his club-mate, goalkeeper Ben Foster, miss out along with Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon, who has also been left out of the Under-21 squad.

Capello has picked Portsmouth veteran David James, Villa's Scott Carson and Wigan's Chris Kirkland as his three keepers, meaning there is also no place for Tottenham's Paul Robinson or West Ham's Rob Green.

Beckham was omitted from Capello's first squad, for February's 2-1 friendly win over Switzerland, along with Chelsea duo John Terry and Frank Lampard, who both return after injury.

But the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star was watched by Capello's assistant Franco Baldini in a friendly for LA Galaxy in Dallas at the weekend and obviously did enough to convince the Italians over his fitness.

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Chelsea need the points for their title bid, while Spurs are looking to bridge the gap with 10th place and eventually break into the top half for the first time this season.

Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson has an ankle problem and is doubtful for the Barclays Premier League clash against Chelsea. Ledley King has recovered from a calf complaint but Robbie Keane has a knee injury, although Spurs are hopeful of him recovering.

Woodgate, who scored the winner at Wembley against the Blues, said: "It will be a harder game than the final without a doubt and they will want to put that right.

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech could be fit enough to return to first team action against Tottenham at White Hart Lane. Cech has virtually recovered from his ankle problem and should be included in the squad.

Chelsea have no fresh injury worries but Grant must decide whether to choose Nicolas Anelka or Didier Drogba to lead the attack. Meanwhile, the Blues coach has taken the pressure off his misfiring strikers by insisting he is unconcerned by the lack of goals from Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

Anelka has only scored twice since he arrived at Stamford Bridge for £15million in the January transfer window while Drogba's only goal after returning from the African Nations Cup came in the Carling Cup final defeat to Tottenham at Wembley.

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This is a very important midweek for Inter Milan who have been droping points while second place Roma has been clawing its way into the title race.

Inter Milan is seeking to play down a perceived rift between star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and coach Roberto Mancini before a visit to Genoa and league scoring leader Marco Borriello. Also in Wednesday's midweek round, second-place AS Roma faces Lazio in the Rome derby and third-place Juventus is at Empoli.

Inter holds a six-point lead over Roma but Sunday's 2-1 win over Palermo was overshadowed by what happened when Mancini substituted Ibrahimovic in the second half. The Sweden forward stormed off the field and allegedly uttered the words, "I hope this guy leaves soon."

After getting knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool last week, Mancini announced he would resign at the end of the season, a pledge he rescinded the following day after meeting with Inter owner Massimo Moratti.

Still, speculation of Jose Mourinho replacing Mancini for next season has not gone away. Thus, this match is of vital importance for the title and to ease the tensions between star striker and manager.

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Valencia hosts FC Barcelona and Getafe travels to Racing Santander in this week's Copa del Rey semifinals.

Getafe, aiming to return to the final for the second straight year, is enjoying an 11-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, including a 3-1 win at home in the first leg.

The other semifinal match looks quite different.

Neither Valencia nor Barcelona have been impressive lately. Valencia, which got a 1-1 draw at Barcelona in the first leg, is coming into the match after a 2-1 loss to visiting Sevilla.

Valencia will likely find itself out of Europe for the second time in a decade if it fails to win the Copa del Rey for the 10th time.

Valencia is 11 points behind Atletico Madrid for the final Champions League qualifying place and nine behind Espanyol for a UEFA Cup place. It's only four points above the relegation zone.

The poor form could lead to an exodus of players.

Barcelona blew a chance to move within five points of league leader Real Madrid on Sunday when it allowed an 85th-minute equalizer in a 2-2 draw at Almeria. The team now trails by seven points.

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Inter Milan restored their six-point gap at the top of the Serie A table with a 2-1 victory over Palermo at the San Siro on Sunday.

It was only Inter's second victory in their last seven matches and will go some way to boosting their self-belief following a series of poor results, including home and away defeats to Liverpool in the Champions League.

AS Roma had piled on the pressure with their brilliant come-from-behind 2-1 home victory over AC Milan on Saturday night, but Inter found the response they were looking for with goals from Patrick Vieira and Luis Jimenez.

Fiorentina reopened a four-point gap between themselves and AC Milan in the race for fourth spot as they cruised to a 3-1 victory over Genoa.

Romania forward Adrian Mutu was the star of the show, setting up Mario Santana for the opener with a brilliant chipped pass and then curling home a second before the break.

Young star forward Giampaolo Pazzini added a third 11 minutes after the break before Matias Masiero scored a late consolation for the visitors as the Viola closed to within a point of third-placed Juve, who host Napoli in Sunday's late match.

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Andy Iro: The World is HIS Oyster
by FFI Soccer Magazine, Subscribe Today

Past, Present, and Future

On a cold, windy day on the campus of UCSB, Andy Iro took time out of his extremely busy schedule to sit down with FFI and chat about his amazing life and exactly what he’s been up to since he became the #5 overall draft pick in this year’s MLS SuperDraft.

Body: At 6’5” 220 lbs, Andy Iro is not someone that you’ll lose in a crowd. In every sense of the word, Andy is “BIG”. The young man, who led UCSB to its first NCAA Title and earned All-America Honors every year he played, has a big frame, big personality, big voice, and even a big smile.

But despite his colossal stature, Andy Iro is one of the most kind-hearted and genuine people that you’ll ever meet. This gentle giant has a zest for life that attracts people to him wherever he goes and in many ways he demonstrates a level of maturity that shows he is no rookie when it comes to life. However at the same time, Andy is your typical 20-something that enjoys clothes, music, girls, junk food, and all the other fun things that people of his age worship.

Over the course of an hour we discovered how Andy Iro, English transplant and son of Nigerian immigrants, is the perfect example of a young man, thrust into the limelight because of a unique talent, but simultaneously trying to retain his youth.

Read on and discover Andy for yourself.

FFI: What was it like when your name got called and you made the walk up to the podium and had your picture taken with Commissioner Garber? Can you tell us about that experience?
AI: Yeah, it’s really crazy man. I mean what you see is just the hour on TV, but it really starts the night before. The night before you get in and go into this 5 star hotel and then you see the coaches who are potentially going to draft you and you’re looking at them and you’re wondering, “What are they thinking?”

Then you walk around and talk to them, schmooze with them or whatever and they just don’t give nothing away. In terms of me, on draft day I got a call at 8 o’clock in the morning from ABC or NBC and they woke me up and were like “You’re live on radio” and you know, “How are you feeling the day of the draft?”

And so literally I went from that to me eyeing me shit and everything and then I went and done another interview with BBC World and then I came back, had a shower and then had to go to lunch. It was like literally from 8 o’clock until 6 at night. It’s non-stop. It’s cool, but until your name gets shouted out you have no idea. I didn’t have any idea about where I was going to go. I knew what teams were interested in me but I mean a lot of teams that were interested in me were at the later stages of the first round or at the beginning stages of the second round. I had no idea that it was going to plot out the way that it did.

FFI: Were you surprised that you went in the first round?
AI: Not really surprised that I went in the first round. They only flew out 15 of us, 10 of which were Generation adidas guys, so they planned that all of us would go in the first round or early second round. It wasn’t necessarily of being taken in the first round. It’s just like I didn’t know it was gonna be necessarily to Columbus Crew. I knew that they were interested in me ‘cause they spoke to me at the combine, but I just thought it was general interest. There was a couple other teams that spoke to me. It was funny because someone was saying to me “You’re going to go to Salt Lake, You’re gonna go to Salt Lake, with that third pick.” And then I was like, really? Okay. And then that third pick came and they didn’t call me.

No one has any idea what they’re talking about. Everyone thinks they do. Everyone thinks they can like predict what people need. But no one had any idea that it would pan out the way that it did. It was a really cool experience.

FFI: You were rumored to be headed back to Europe, what was the thing or things that made you decide to stay here in the US?
AI: Well, I mean it’s funny because I was reading the articles and blogs and one thing that kind of annoyed me was when people were like “Oh, Andy Iro says he has a chance to play in Europe and he’s decided to stay in the US. I think he was lying or whatever” and I was like, “You’re an idiot. You have no idea the reasons why I want to stay.”

The truth is that I wanted to stay for one, because I want US citizenship. After living in Europe for the first 19 years of me life, I feel that soccer wise, opportunity wise, and job wise, long term, I want to live in the US. That was ultimately a very big reason why I decided to stay. Because I want me citizenship. And I think that many Americans don’t understand how difficult that is to get.

The other main, main reason is that in the next couple years me sister and me mum plan on moving out here or at least coming out here for a long period of time. And so, as much as Europe is a great opportunity, in terms of life matters, the US is just a far, far better fit. I’ve always said that if I am happy off the field I think I’ll be happy on the field and I’ll get the most out of me self.

I think going back to Europe at this stage in me career was just not the right thing to do. It’s the “glory move” that every American kind of wants, but I know what it’s like. It’s very, very cutthroat. I mean you go there and you get one chance and you’re not really going to get another look again. Look at Landon Donovan man. He gets his shot and it didn’t work out and I don’t know whether he wanted to leave, but I know that teams are now going to look at him and say that he couldn’t cut it. And I don’t want to be that player. I want to position me self where I’m set from a life standpoint. Where I got me citizenship, me family is over here and settled, and then if the opportunity comes in a few years, where there is a good European offer, then I’ll consider it. But I want to know that I can always come back and do whatever I want in life. I think that for me was ultimately by far was the most important thing.

FFI: Ivan Becerra got the chance to play with Columbus. Have you gotten a chance to speak with him about his experience with the Crew?
AI: Ivan is me best friend. He came back from Columbus and he’s pretty much been living with me here in Santa Barbara. Ivan talked to me from his standpoint, but when Sigi came in he completely overhauled the team so it was hard for Ivan to assess the players, but he did talk about Sigi and how Sigi is very straight forward and very disciplined and Ivan gave me a lot of insight about the Columbus Crew. I do have another friend who’s already there and I’ve spoken with him a lot and I think that it potentially could be a very good fit for me.

FFI: How has your life changed since signing with the Columbus Crew? More attention? More Girls? Etc?
AI: (Laughs out loud) The girls were always there. No just playin.

It’s hectic man. Literally, on the day of the draft I got 25 missed calls and half of them are from numbers that I don’t even know.

“Andy I just want to congratulate you!” and “Andy this is so and so from this paper.”

It’s really cool, but the transition is just like crazy. It was only a month ago that I was trying to stay eligible. It’s like crazy man. My phone is constantly going. I’m doing this interview with you now, I done a photo shoot like an hour ago, I done another interview yesterday and then I’m still trying to finish school so I mean as I’m walking over to meet you I was on the phone with the Dean of Students. I think that once I leave here it will really calm down, but now I’m trying to balance two hectic schedules. It’s really difficult but it’s really cool.

FFI: What things are you going to miss about college/UCSB?
AI: Santa Barbara is sick man. Definitely been the best 3 1/2 , four years of me life. Luckily for me a lot of my friends have came and gone so the transition will be a little easier, but again I’m going to miss a lot of people here. I’m going to miss the players and coaches. It’s really relaxed here and laid back. And then of course going out and partying and eating whatever you want and hanging out whenever you want. It’s just a very, very relaxed place. Obviously, once you step to the professional level everything is very regimented. I think once I leave I’ll really realize how much I miss it.

FFI: Let’s go back a few years. Can you tell me why you initially chose to come play soccer at UCSB as opposed to staying in England and trying to carve out a career there?
AI: It becomes difficult (to play in England) because in Europe it’s so structured. If you’re not in with a good club at age13, 14, 15, which I wasn’t, it becomes very difficult to break that mold. I don’t know why it is. You just can’t get in.

I think for me I missed a key time because I stopped playing. I played rugby in high school and I didn’t play soccer for like three years and then when I finally picked it up again at 16, I kind of missed that stage where clubs are picking up players. So I got back into it really late.

And then I got to a point where I don’t want to get a job and I don’t want to go to college in England. And then one of me friends told me to look into this, look into that. And then I stumbled across (UCSB). I’d never even heard of Santa Barabara. I barely knew where California was. I knew it was on the West Coast and that was it, you know. I randomly sent out a bunch of emails and Tim was one of the few to respond. And then it just went from there. I went on a recruiting trip, loved the place, and then four years later I’m sitting hear.

FFI: Did you have any idea in your mind that day, when you went on that recruiting trip that you would one day be sitting here?
AI: Not at all man. I’m like truly blessed man. I’ve never really thought me self a lucky guy, but after the surgery in ‘06 and I was able to come back and I was able to play the season out and then people are talking about getting drafted, and I had gotten the awards and everything, but I kind of thought that after a knee operation I wouldn’t be able to come back to a point where I could play professionally and then luckily it looks like I’m going to get that opportunity. I’m just really lucky. Somebody is looking down on me or something.

FFI: How would you compare the college soccer scene to the professional ranks in England?
AI: In terms of college soccer, it’s definitely getting better. From my freshman year to my senior year the quality players has gotten a lot better, a lot more technical. The main thing about college soccer is that it’s just really, really fast. Really, really good athletes. Not necessarily the best players technically and players make a lot of mistakes and often a lot of those mistakes go unpunished. But when you step up to the higher level, I mean when I went over there I was just like “Wow.” The transition, the change, the style of play, the tempo, the touch that they EXPECT you to have you know the decisions that you have to make are just sooo, sooo different to what you can do in college.

Don’t get me wrong, I think our UCSB team was a very good team and I think we could compete with a lot of the lower level teams in England, but just when you step up to the level of Championship and Premiership they’re not only unbelievable athletes, but they’re so efficient in everything they do and they just NEVER make mistakes.

One thing I noticed when I was there is I’d clear a ball and I’d think to myself, “That’s a pretty decent clearance.” and then “boom”. They’d smack it right back and it’d go in for a goal. And I was like, I just cleared it for 25 yards and then they just hit it from 30 out. I mean the expectations are just so high.

I think another reason why I wanted to stay in the MLS is that the transition in games from college to the higher levels in England is not a transition that is right for me right now.

FFI: Since coming to California, what has been the biggest challenge that you’ve had to face? Why?
AI: Off the field…me family. I mean some of me family members were pretty sick. Some of the ones that are pretty close to me. And it’s annoying because I see everyone going home every couple of months or at like Thanksgiving and I literally only get a few days at home in England at Christmas. That, especially the first couple years, was really difficult, to a point where I almost left to go back. I mean I loved the place and loved the soccer, but I was just really homesick and then it was at a point where I thought about transferring, maybe to the East Coast because, you know, it’s a lot closer, like only 5-6 hour flight. But then I began to get really settled here and I began to get a lot less homesick.

Then on the field it was just like…me freshman year I was flying. I felt good. And then halfway through my sophomore year me knee was like killing me man. I don’t know what it is and I was tried to just play it out. And then it got to a point where I went in for some tests in spring season after me sophomore year the doctors were like, “You kind of need this surgery, but if you get this surgery then you’re going to be out for 8 months and you’re going to miss your junior year.”

And so then me and the coaching staff were talking about it and they said that the doctors said that if you play your junior year you won’t be 100% but you’re not going to get any worse. And then I played out me junior year and I was really happy because we won the national championship and obviously that was what I was striving for in college, but at the same time I was disappointed because I wasn’t even playing at 70% and I felt like a lot of players were carrying me and that is not the type of player that I am. I was really frustrated about me self. I wanted to do things, but physically I just didn’t have it in me. It was definitely a tough time. I mean I was the team captain as a junior and I was looking to the freshman to cover me back.
FFI: Did you learn a lot about yourself during that time?
AI: Yeah, at that time and then post surgery when I was like out for 8 months and all the guys are out partying and living it up after our championship win and I was in bed on this leg machine.

I think my sophomore year I really just wanted to be “it”. I wanted to be the focal point. I think maybe that’s the type of person I am. I really want people to put emphasis on me. I want to be the main guy that people can look to. I used to get really annoyed at myself when I can’t be like that. It was frustrating, but at the same time it was kind of humbling.

In college I always wanted to go on these big, long runs and part of it was for the fans because they liked seeing it and part of it was because I just wanted to do something, I wanted to be something.

But then I realized when you step up to the professional level you’ve just got to be like “This is your role and you’ve got to stick to it”. You’ve just got to defend. You don’t have to go on these big mazy runs. So what happened after me junior year is that it just calmed me down a lot and made me reflect on me game and certain things that I need to do.

FFI: What accomplishments are you most proud of since you’ve come to UCSB?
AI: I think any time you get to two national finals in four years that’s pretty solid. And I know we were massively disappointed this year because we were 3-1 up in the Sweet 16 game with 30 minutes left and we would have had the Elite 8 game at home which we knew we would have won so we potentially had the chance for 3 college cups. But the two national finals is definitely huge.

For me personally, making two College Cup First Teams again is pretty good. I mean I guess being All-American every year was pretty cool, but there was times I felt like I was getting the award because of my name and not necessarily for how good I played. There was times when I got Third Team when I thought I should have got First Team and then when I got Second Team I felt I should have got Third Team.

FFI: What’s your most memorable game at UCSB?
AI: Indiana freshman year. Indiana hadn’t lost in 23 games and they were coming off a national championship in 2003. And we were playing them in New Mexico and what I thought was our best player, Tony Lochead, got a red card inside 90 minutes so it goes to double overtime. Both of us had 10 men, in the dark, and then me friend Tino has a shot that goes for a corner. Corner comes in, I head it, gets cleared off the line and then somehow it comes straight back to me head and so I head it again and it goes in and we win in double overtime. And as a freshman scoring the game winning goal against a team that hasn’t lost in 23 games. It’s just… I called me sister straight away and I’m like crying on the phone in front of 3000 fans in the stands and I’m like, “What am I doing here? I’m used to playing in front of 17 old guys in the park. I don’t even know what I was doing.”

That was definitely the most memorable game.

FFI: Tell us about your family, particularly your mom and sister and how they affected your decision to come to the US in the first place?
AI: When me dad wasn’t around all that much and I was the last one left in the house with me mum it was just me and me mum and it was during me teen years and we just really butted heads. She just like annoyed me a lot man. It’s not like she did anything bad. She gave me a lot of freedom actually. She was just always on me.

I went to private school and she was like “Why aren’t you doing this” and “Why aren’t you doing that?” and “Why aren’t you looking at college?” and so we really didn’t get along and then she was so happy for me when I was like, “I’m going over to America to go play and I’m also going to college, too.”

She was like “Oh, okay. Well, just watch out for the guns in America.”
(Laughs)
That’s really what she said to me.

And then I left and when I was over here for me freshman and sophomore year and she fell ill and I just got a lot closer because I wasn’t there all the time. She’s really cool man. She like really tries to live her life through me. She always wants me to send stuff home. I’m talking like these little flyers or posters. Like nothing man. Newspaper articles, that I just take for granted and just throw them away. She wants them.

And then I go home now and she’s got them hanging up on the wall and I’m like “What are you doing?”

She means the world to me now. She struggled to raise all of us. She’s like a role model to me.

In terms of me sister, even though I had 8 brothers and I’m really cool with all of them, me sister was always kind of like the closest brother. She was the one that would take me to games and when I ran track, she ran track herself, and she would take me with her. And it was her that ultimately told me that I should definitely look at going over there (to America) because when she used to run track she was actually looking at UNC and a couple other schools to go do a scholarship at and she said that was her biggest regret that she didn’t do it.

She was like “Listen. California is great” and she had actually been to America a couple times so she was like “Go. Trust me. Go.”

So me and her came out on my recruiting trip and she was just like “Do it, do it, do it.”

Now, she’s always the one that is calling me up and she’s in England online trying to see the draft and see my games. She’s just a character man. She’s a real character.

When she was off and did her college thing in London and I was in Liverpool I got real close to her. She’s cool man. She’s really cool.

FFI: If you had to have a “real” job, what kind of work would you want to be doing?
AI: Probably what you’re doing. Anything around sports and entertainment. Ultimately, I have plans outside of soccer and it’s important that I get my degree.

Writing about soccer.

I love coaching so ultimately after I’m done I’d love to get into coaching whether it be full-time or part-time.

But I mean, you got a sick job man. You get to travel around and interview people, you get to write about soccer, you get to watch soccer. It’s almost like being a pro except you don’t have the pressure of being on the field.

FFI: I wouldn’t consider myself anything near a pro.
AI: I can definitely see myself writing. My sister is a journalist and she’s had a major influence on me.

FFI: Have you talked to Sigi Schmidt about your role within the Crew Organization?
AI: To be honest, I’ve literally talked to him for only 10 minutes after the Draft. I think that’s the kind of person he is. He’s like, “Do your thing, do your thing, do your thing. And once you get here it becomes our thing.”

When he drafted me he said that our (old starting) defender had decided to go back to Chile and he was the starter at the left-sided center back and that obviously is my position, so I think he’s putting a lot of faith in me to replace him or do something where the team doesn’t feel the effects of the loss. And that’s all you can really ask for from the coach. Put faith in you and hope that he has some patience with you because I’m not going to come in and be the finished project, but I think he sees me playing realistically so hopefully I can fulfill expectation.

FFI: What do you know of Columbus? Have you been there before? Do you have any contacts there?
AI: Me friend Jason Garey is on the team, but the only thing I know about it is from when we went there to play Ohio State. We arrived on a Thursday, played on a Friday, out on a Friday night. I really don’t know anything about it. I asked a LOT of people, but the people I’m asking are California people so they’re comparing it to California and they’re like “You’re going to hate it, you’re going to hate it.”

But I mean, soccer wise it’s one of the best places for me. Like I said I have a good chance of playing so I’m looking forward to that.

Also, I mean, I had no idea about Santa Barbara, that I would love it this much so I think it would be naïve of me to say “Well, it’s not California so I’m not going to like it.” I’m just going to go out there with an open mind and hopefully I’ll like it.

FFI: Are you a bit apprehensive about the move?
AI: Yeah. I am. The people I’ve grown closest to are still here in California and initially I said I want to stay near them, but one of the first things that Sigi told me is that “I’m a California guy and so is Frankie Hejduk, and Chad Marshall and so are a bunch of other players and they love the place.”

You move on you know. And I know in the off-season I’m going to come back. Plus, I think it’ll be good to leave California and get a little more worldly view and open some doors and then come back if I want to.

FFI: If you had to tell the world “Who Andy Iro is” what would you say?
AI: (Laughs) Uh, pretty confident I guess. I think I come off as kind of loud and kind of in your face guy, but deep down I think the people that really know me know where me true values are at.

I think I’m a friendly guy. I think coming from England, but with a Nigerian background, and living in America I’ve got a pretty open mind to things and I’m a pretty worldly guy.

I think in general I’m just a lively kind of guy. I’d rather go out and socialize and go out as opposed to a guy that would sit at home.

AI: What sorts of things does Andy Iro do you do for fun?
FFI: I really like music. I’ve got a lot of R & B, Hip Hop, a lot of dance and trance music. That’s the European in me. I’m really into music.

I really like to buy clothes. Like a lot. In a bad, bad way. I buy way too many clothes. It’s gotten me into trouble a couple times. (Laughs)

I remember one time freshman year, I called up me mum crying and I was like “Mum I just spent me scholarship check that was supposed to be for me rent on clothes.” And she was like “Go return them” but I had lost the receipt and I already wore them and she told me that “this was the only time I’m going to bail you out like this.”

It’s gotten me into trouble a few times. Spending money that I don’t have. And then I’ll end up just giving the clothes away to Good Will or something.

FFI: We need to hide your credit cards!

FFI: Last question, where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Being in MLS. Being in the Allstar team. Potentially have an option to play elsewhere. Potentially. To have started a couple of the pro jerks that I want to try and get started sooner rather than later in the soccer world.
FFI: What do you mean by that?
AI: Well, there’s a couple of things again, that right now, I’m just a college kid now, but maybe in like 4 or 5 years, there’s a lot that I’d like to do to develop the game. Not really in Europe because it’s already really advanced there, but here in America or maybe in Africa.

There’s a lot that I’d really like to do and the only way that I can really do that is to get a name for me self. So hopefully I can play and be successful and lead, and then I can do more for other people.

I just came out of nowhere man. I didn’t even think I was that good when I came out as a freshman. Imagine those kids that just need the opportunity. I was very, very fortunate to get that opportunity. We have a guy on our team, a Hispanic kid, and he came from a town that didn’t really have a good club team and most college coaches go watch club games and not high school games so he played for his high school at a bad high school team, but he’s a GOOD player man. I think a lot of kids like that get missed and me plan is to do something to kind of bridge the gap between college and high school and maybe do some sort of combine throughout California and then move it to other states.

And that’s ultimately what I’d like to do as a side note and then maybe do something similar in Africa. I know that there are a lot of people that get exploited there (in Africa) and I feel like there are so many teams that go there to get players. I think that Asia and Africa are going to be the next big places that big clubs are going to start taking players. It seems like Asia is starting to develop their own leagues and they’ve got a decent amount of money and a good infrastructure, but Africa is just so far behind the times.

Take a player like (Patrick) Nyarko. He goes to high school in Ghana, gets recruited to play college soccer, and now he’s going to play in MLS and he was projected to go #1. There’s a bunch of players there like that, but unless you’re on a national team in Africa you’ll never really get seen and so there’s tons of kids that get missed. If I can do something to kind of promote them, then I think that would be pretty cool.

FFI: Let’s play a little word association:
FFI: Soccer
AI: Life
FFI: Gauchos
AI : Fun
FFI: MLS
AI: Opportunity
FFI: Isla Vista
AI: (Busts out into laughter) REALLY fun
FFI: Columbus, Ohio
AI: Challenge
FFI: Family
AI: Everything
FFI: Liverpool
AI: (long pause) uh…Left behind. In the past.
FFI: Future
AI: money, success, and happiness

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Last-place Energie Cottbus stunned leader Bayern Munich with a 2-0 win on Saturday, throwing the Bundesliga title race wide open again.

Branko Jelic scored in the 18th and 38th minutes against a Bayern team that looked like it believed the pundits who said the title was secured last week. Bremen's 6-3 loss against Stuttgart put it seven points clear heading into the weekend.

Hamburger SV closed to within five points with a 1-0 win over Dortmund. Werder Bremen could chop the lead to four when it plays Wolfsburg Sunday and Leverkkusen would only be six back if it beats Nuremberg the same day.

Hamburg recovered from a UEFA Cup knockout at the hands of Leverkusen three days ago when Paolo Guerrero scored in the 63rd minute against Dortmund. Hamburg ran its league unbeaten streak to nine matches, and was helped when no Dortmund defender was close enough to stop Guerrero from putting his foot on Ivica Olic's cross right in front of the goal.

VfB Stuttgart's four-game winning streak was stopped by a 1-1 draw against VfL Bochum.

Thomas Hitzlsperger equalized in the 47th after Christoph Dabrowski's 20-minute goal for Duisburg. The draw set back Stuttgart's hopes of playing internationally next season, keeping it in sixth place.

In other games, it was: Karlsruhe 0, Eintracht Frankfurt 1; Hannover 2, Bielefeld 2; and Hansa Rostock 0, Berlin 0. On Friday, Schalke beat MSV Duisburg 2-1.

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Arsenal will meet Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after they were paired together in Friday's draw. Arsene Wenger's side will play the first leg at home on 2 April, with the return leg at Anfield on 8 April. The drawback is Liverpool is also playing Arsenal in the league in between the quarter-final legs so it will be interesting.

Manchester United, who beat Lyon to reach the last eight, were drawn against Real Madrid's conquerors Roma. Chelsea, the fourth English club in the draw, face Fenerbahce, with Schalke 04 versus Barcelona the other fixture.

The winners of the Arsenal-Liverpool showdown, the first time those two clubs will have met in European competition, will then take on Chelsea or Fenerbahce in the semi-finals, while Manchester United or Roma face Barcelona or Schalke 04.

The dates of the last four ties take place on April 22nd and 23rd with the return legs on April 29th and 30th. The four English sides make up the top five bookies odds on winning the Champions League. It is the first time four teams from the same country have made the quarterfinals in the competition.

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Middle America's impression on Victoria "Posh" Beckham.

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Sporting Clube de Portugal will be looking to put domestic problems to one side when they take on Bolton Wanderers FC for a place in the last eight of the UEFA Cup.

The Lisbon giants have dropped to fifth in the Portuguese standings, 20 points adrift of FC Porto, after failing to win in their last two league matches, but remain on track in Europe following the 1-1 draw in Lancashire last week. Gavin McCann handed Bolton the lead in the first leg only for Simon Vukcevic to equalise for a Sporting side bidding to reach a second UEFA Cup final in three years.

Bolton manager Gary Megson has left several regulars at home to keep them fresh for the Premier League relegation battle. Captain Kevin Nolan and goalkeeper Jussi Jääskeläinen miss out again with back injuries, while Kevin Davies, Matt Taylor, Andy O'Brien, Ivan Campo, El Hadji Diouf and Ricardo Gardner have all been omitted along with the suspended McCann. Wanderers are in 18th place in England after losing their last three matches in the Premiership.

Still, Bolton boast a healthy away record in this season's competition, having beaten FK Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and secured draws at FC Bayern München and Club Atletico Madrid, and Megson has not given up hope on this away fixture.

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