January 2012

Derry vs Tyrone: How Red Card Changed the Game

On a miserably cold Saturday evening, I traipsed to Armagh with a sense of pride at another final appearance; with a sense of intrigue that Derry’s pre-season form had granted them a prestigious sparring partner; with a sense of excitement that the team were building towards something good and that this night would send out the first hint of shockwaves across the island. But after 18 minutes, the night was ruined. Someone said it was a game of two halves but they were so, so wrong. Because, in truth, Derry never played the second half – they weren’t allowed to. Call me biased, call me petty, but when referee Martin Higgins bizarrely … Continue reading →

McKenna Cup Team of the Tournament

Anyone who goes out of their way to avoid the pre-season tournament has only themselves to blame when they are caught off guard by the emergent superstars and team dynamics which the competition always throws up. In what was a more competitive campaign than ever before, we witnessed managers being separated, teams coming to blows, cat and mouse tactical battles, and hammer & tong football with typically staunch northerners refusing to lose. Come last Saturday night, we also saw Mickey Harte lift his first piece of silverware since the tragic loss of his daughter, and the first hints that Tyrone are back. Below is my select 15 – the stand out candidates … Continue reading →

What Does Kaka Offer Real Madrid? – A Performance Analysis

Since making the £56million transfer to Real Madrid in the summer 0f 2009, Ricardo Kaká has not quite reached the heights – in terms of performance and impact – that saw him reach the pinnacle of world football during his time at AC Milan. Kaká has been plagued with injuries and the Brazilian had endured a very difficult first two seasons at the Santiago Bernabéu. Indeed, the knee cartilage injury suffered at the 2010 World Cup “could have finished his career” according to his doctor, Marc Martens. Alas, Kaká has recovered, yet such an injury has undoubtedly had an effect on the 2007 Balon D’Or winner and whilst he has had a … Continue reading →

Brendan Rodgers: Northern Ireland’s Finest Export?

Upon reading the annual list of personalities who the University of Ulster are set to award with honorary doctorates I saw that two of my personal idols, Rory McIlroy and Sir Alex Ferguson were to be acknowledged for their services to sport. As SC1 Sports’ homepage would suggest, Rory McIlroy has had an astounding 2011 showing a combination of world class ability and mental toughness. Meanwhile, Sir Alex Ferguson marked 25 years in charge of Manchester United in 2011, a club with which he has won 12 Premier Leagues and 2 European Cups among a succession of other accolades. As big an idol as I consider Sir Alex Ferguson to be and … Continue reading →

Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur: Gareth Barry v Luka Modric

Of striking interest during Manchester City’s 3-2 victory at home to Tottenham Hotspur was the hotly contested midfield battle. Both sides operated with variations of the 4-3-3/4-5-1 system. For Manchester City, Samir Nasri, James Milner and Gareth Barry operated in central positions, whereas Rafael van der Vaart, Scott Parker and Luka Modric occupied these positions for Tottenham. Of particular interest to SC1Sports were performances of Gareth Barry and Luka Modric. Gareth Barry Against Tottenham, Gareth Barry showed why he has become such an important part of Robert Mancini’s side. Throughout the game, Barry went about his job in an under-spoken, but effective manner. There was a sense of patience, intelligence and consistence … Continue reading →

Kildare vs Dublin: Analysis

An atrocious display of routine shooting from Kieran McGeeney’s men allowed Dublin to walk out of Newbridge with their pride still intact after a flattering six point defeat. Of course, they fielded an understrength side, but don’t we all at this stage of the year? The All-Ireland champions were abysmal today and completely outplayed by their neighbouring rivals and would-be claimants to their Leinster throne who currently look months ahead of the capital city boys. Gilroy’s outfit were poor in defence; worse in attack; and, had Kildare not miscued an outrageous 54% of their shots, shockwaves would well and truly have been sent through the island today – January or not. Having … Continue reading →

Game of Two Halves at The Cottage: Dempsey v Ben Arfa

He’s the man destined to feature in everyone’s Fantasy Football team, but Clint Dempsey continues to rack up the points, just like he has done the past few seasons. I analysed the Texan’s performance today for Fulham against a weakened Newcastle side, missing midfield general Cheick Tiote, and the league’s second top scorer Demba Ba. I also wanted to check up on Hatem Ben Arfa, basically to see how the 24 year old is progressing in the black and white stripes after a bad injury last season that saw him miss the majority of the campaign. I was looking out for the two player’s ability to find space and how successful they … Continue reading →

Internationalizing a Sports Brand Digitally

“Branding is no longer lost on the periphery of the company… it is at the heart of everything the company does” (Richelieu, 2008). In a world where sport now accounts for 3% of global economic activity, it is safe to say sport is well and truly a business. Fans are no longer just fans, they are customers. It is the sports club’s job to build a connection with their customers and entice them to join them on their journey. Each organization has certain qualities that make them different, giving them a twist to their brand that their customer can relate to. For example, FC Barcelona has a historic Catalan culture with a … Continue reading →

Have Donegal Been Worked Out?

McKenna Cup results aren’t generally something to shout home about and they certainly are in no way the be-all and end-all of defining someone’s season. But, losing their last four competitive games, I can’t help but think that ever-so-subtle chinks are beginning to appear in Donegal’s armour. Yes, Jim McGuinness fielded experimental sides throughout the campaign (didn’t we all?). And his team are probably taking longer to move up through the gears this year having prolonged their season ’til September in 2011. But three defeats on the trot to compliment lacklustre performances must surely spell some form of worry for a system specifically designed to concede less than the opposition. Whilst many … Continue reading →

Leon Britton: The South Wales Xavi (Swansea v Arsenal Part 2)

Swansea City have been rightly applauded by pundits, fans and managers alike for the refreshing quality of the football that they have brought to the Premier League this season. Indeed, the quick passing game deployed by Brendan Rodgers’ men would lead one to believe that Swansea hailed from the south of Spain, as opposed to South Wales. Holding midfielder Leon Britton has been a central figure in Swansea’s passing game this season. The former Arsenal apprentice adopts the quarterback role as the deep-lying prong in Swansea’s five-man midfield. Given the ideological similarities between the approach to the game adopted by both Swansea and Arsenal, today was always going to be a big … Continue reading →