Not The “We’re Really Expensive” League

Get off your knees, you just blew it!

Champions League -- the UEFA variety, that is -- saw four more teams knocked out this week. Normally it’d be eight, but thanks to the almighty dollar UEFA spread the round of 16 over two weeks to maximize TV income. Honestly, it’s a decision I support as everyone gets to see more games.

Of the four eliminated, two giants in AC Milan and Real Madrid were sent packing on Wednesday. That Milan are out is not a shock. The Rossoneri have been solid, but Italian teams have struggled in CL action in recent years and, frankly, not many teams have an answer for Wayne Rooney these days. The American’s best answer would be either an injury or to get John Terry to bang his wife.

However, Real spent $250M last summer, much of it on Cristiano Ronaldo (who scored their lone goal in the two legs), to be knocked out in the Sweet 16 for the sixth straight year. Just an unbelievable stat, really. Granted they’ve played good teams in Juventus (twice), Arsenal, Bayern, Roma, Liverpool, and now Lyon. Of course that means Manuel Pellegrini will be on the hot seat, especially since the Champions League final will be at the Bernabeu this year. But until they figure out a way to build team chemistry and not stay as the Galacticos, this side just seems destined to fail.

On the flip side, congrats to Lyon for a well deserved draw resulting in their advancing to the quarterfinals. The French side, as I’m reading in Soccernomics (a great book if you can get through some of the cumbersome mathematical explanations), is the “Moneyball” of soccer. They buy young, cheap players and sell them for huge profits to larger clubs like, oh I don’t know, the Real Madrids of the world. A couple of the recent world-beaters they helped develop include Karim Benzema (now with Real), Juninho, and a couple of Chelsea guys in Florent Malouda and Michael Essien. Not too shabby.

Manchester United, much to Mark’s delight, dispatched Milan like Mike Tyson used to destroy other heavyweight “contenders.” Wayne Rooney got things going with another header, doubled the lead (in the game, tripled on the aggregate) before Milan had their laces tied for the second half and the game was over. You can say all you want that Beckham and Seedorf should’ve started, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Milan weren’t going through. Period.

I’d be remiss to not mention the explosion by Arsenal at The Emirates on Tuesday as the Gunners came from behind on aggregate to thrash Porto. Nicklas Bendtner had a hat trick to lead the way and well done by him to not miss balls Bobby Convey -- or Bendtner, I suppose -- finds a way to shank. Arshavin filled in well as the playmaker with Cesc Fabregas on the sidelines and you can’t see Arsenal dropping much if Fab4 finally makes a long rumored move to Spain.

By the way, Nasri’s “wonder goal” wasn’t a wonder goal. It was crap defense. I don’t care that he was in the box, as a defender you don’t let a guy dance through three of you without touching him. This was a wonder goal.

Back here in the States, Columbus played the first competitive match -- as long as ping-pong doesn’t count -- by an MLS team in 2010. Steven Lenhart brought back a side that was without GBSchelotto, Frankie Hejduk, and Chad Marshall to earn a draw. But you have to think the Crew are done, needing a win in Toluca to advance. Sorry boys. Just don’t embarrass yourselves like neighbors Ohio State in a BCS game.

Lastly, let me touch on Landon Donovan and his future with Everton. As Mark wrote on Tuesday, it was an amazing performance on Sunday morning for El Dee. The goal was as well struck as any other shot scored on the weekend and the pass that set up Rodwell’s goal was hit with a bit of backspin to have it sit perfectly for the youngster to bury (how far over the goal would Edson Buddle have hit that one?).

However, now people are claiming Donovan is a hypocrite for wanting to extend his stay with Everton after criticizing David Beckham for wanting to do the same with Milan last year.

Three points on this:

First, as the author states, Donovan “admit[ed] he was ‘unfair’” to Beckham’s situation last year. So basically, he took back the statement that now makes him appear hypocritical. Of course the cynic could say he was looking ahead to this spring by doing so, but I’m not so sure that’s the case for Donovan.

Second, and more importantly to me, is how Donovan went about this loan spell. He signed an extension with MLS in the offseason that allowed him to pursue loans in Europe. That’s completely different than how Beckham, or his handlers if you want to believe Becks is a saint and never does wrong, went behind the Galaxy’s/MLS’s back to orchestrate the loan to Milan. Bruce Arena found out by a journalist’s question. Not the way to impress a new boss or endear yourself to teammates with whom you already have a tenuous relationship. Granted Donovan probably learned from Beckham’s mistakes, as Beckham himself did this past offseason, but he’s handled his situation with a lot more class than Beckham.

Lastly, Donovan only wants to extend the loan until April 15, not through the end of the season as Beckham did. That means he misses just three games for the Gals, though one is a SuperClasico. I’m not sure the impetus for just the extra month, though my two guesses are that he thinks there is going to be a delay to the start of the season and/or Everton are still banged up with Fellaini done for the year and Saha and Cahill on the mend.

Throughout all of this, and of course there’s surely some bias from me because Donovan is American and Becks is, well, Becks, I don’t think it was Donovan’s intention to stay beyond the initial loan spell. That was never the case with Beckham.

- Pat Walsh