Chelsea On The Go - YELLOW IS THE NEW BLUE!

Podcast Show Notes:

Introduction to new podcast show, Chelsea On The Go (COTG).

Background info on show host, Justin LaFoley, as well as what to expect when listening to COTG.

Comparisons to 2014/2015 PL Chelsea squad (last time we had yellow away kits)

Discussion of new Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri, as well as Hazard/Courtois transfer rumors and important squad decisions required by Sarri including starting center mid/right winger spots, and development players who might shine through, such as Juventus' Rugani and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Subscribe for more and thank you for listening!

-Justin

2018 WORLD CUP - SUPERSTARS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN EACH TEAM

This post is going to show who the ones to watch are in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The list will be in alphabetical order of the respective player's nations, and give some insight in to what you might expect from each of the players, as well as some cool stats. Enjoy!

Argentina - Lionel Messi

Messi brought Argentina to the World Cup 2014 Finals but was unable to get his first international trophy. He scored a hat-trick against Ecuador in a must-win game to push Argentina into qualifaction for Russia 2018.

Australia - Aaron Mooy

Aaron Mooy will be a big "Ones to Watch" after finishing his first Premier League season under Huddersfield, while managing to turn a few heads in the process. Mooy will be looking to improve on his 2 goals in qualifying as a deep-lying midfielder. If he puts in a strong enough performance with Australia, Aaron Mooy will also be a top candidate to help bolster bigger European Club's squad depth.

Belgium - Eden Hazard

Playing as the left Center Forward for the Red Devils, Eden Hazard will be hoping to prove to everyone he is still a World-Class player. With Chelsea finishing 5th and in the Europa League, and strong performance at Russia could see clubs like Real Madrid turn their attention toward this extremely talented winger. Hazard will be looking to help improve the terrible run of Belgium from Euro 2016.

Brazil - Neymar Jr.

In one of the most stacked teams (on paper at least) in the tournament, Neymar Jr still stands head and shoulders taller than the rest of Brazil's squad. Having already bagged 55 goals for his country, Neymar Jr. will be looking to make this his World Cup, hopefully sparking a move away from Paris and to Real Madrid, where he can show his outstanding skills as a Left Winger. Neymar Jr is a big favorite to win Golden Boot for this tournament as well.

Colombia - James Rodriguez

This is not James Rodriguez's first World Cup. Having taken home the 2014 Golden Boot award, and a transfer to Real Madrid as a reward, James is going to want to keep his international momentum going. Playing as the center attacking midfielder for Colombia, almost every attacking move will work through him, so expect a strong performance throughout his entire campaign.

Costa Rica - Keylor Navas

Coming off of an outstanding Champions League Final performance, Costa Rican goalkeeper is in great form and will hope to keep it going through the world cup. Keylor Navas was a huge reason Costa Rica were able to advance into the Quater-Finals in Brazil 2014, and will want to help his team get as far as possible this time around as well.

Croatia - Luka Modric

Easily the best center midfielder these past two seasons, with Real Madrid teammate Toni Kroos as a close second, Luka Modric will be under a spotlight constantly as he hopes to bring this "Golden Age" in Croatian soccer to glory. Expect tons of assists and amazing passes from the extremely talented number 10.

Denmark - Christian Eriksen

Another top quality midfielder is Tottenham Hotspur player Christian Eriksen. Christian Eriksen is known for his brilliant crosses and spectacular shooting from distance. Expect nothing less than a true wonder goal from the danish star.

Egypt - Mohamed Salah

Of course the Egyptian King has to be Egypt's star man. having scored a whopping 46 goals in 56 appearances, Mohamed Salah will be hoping he can continue to carry Egypt to unthinkable heights. Salah was able to score two goals, including a penalty in extra time, to secure Egypt's place in the 2018 World Cup, the first time in 28 years.

England - Harry Kane

Being the captain and striker for England, Harry Kane will obviously be the star man. Having banged in 5 goals in 6 World Cup qualifications, Harry Kane will want to show he should be considered a World-Class striker, especially after a goalless run in Euro 2016.

France - Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe was the 2017 Golden Boy winner after a miraculous 2016-2017 season for AS Monaco. The number 10 on the France national team, Mbappe will be teaming up with Antoine Griezmann to prove he is not another one season wonder, and hopefully push the Blues to another World Cup.

Germany - Thomas Muller

Thomas Muller of FC Bayern is an outstanding central and wide player. With his club performance being overshadowed slightly by such huge names like Lewandowski, Robben, and Rodriguez, Muller hasn't been as deadly in front of net as most would like. However, his previous World Cup performances, show just how deadly and vital he is to die Mannshaft, and will play a huge role in Germany's title defense.

Iceland - Gylfi Sigurdsson

Gylfi Sigurdsson will be focal point for the Icelandic team. Although this Iceland team will be extremely defensive, the entirety of their counter attacks will be through Gylfri, who will hope to show the world just how magical he is, as seen in Euro 2016.

Iran - Sardar Azmoun

Iranian Striker Sardar Azmoun will definitely be the man to watch as Iran battle it out in Group B. Although they are bagged as leaving the group stage, if this 23-year old striker can find the net like he has for Iran in the past (23 goals in 31 appearances) they might have a chance to surprise the word.

Japan - Shinji Kagawa

Shinji Kagawa, attacking midifielder for Borussia Dortmund, will be the pillar of attack for Japan. With no other creative player in their squad, Kagawa will try to serve balls in to japan's strikers, hopefully racking up assists to show he deserves a starting spot in club level.

Mexico - Hirving "Chucky" Lozano

Lozano is a trickster from dutch club PSV, and is currently in exceptional form for both club and country. Lozano offers a creative outlet that allows Mexico's other attackers to push further up and find space, such as Carlos Vela and Chicharito.

Morocco - Medhi Benatia

This strong defender from Juventus will be the main talking point when watching Morocco fight to earn a spot in the Knockout stage. Benatia is a quick and smart defender that plays the ball out of the back with extreme precision.

Nigeria - John Obi Mikel

Ex-Chelsea legend, John Obi Mikel has been the perfect defensive midfielders for Nigeria, helping tie the defense with the attack, and allowing for more creation to be had up the field. Mikel will have to be at the top of his game for almost every game in order for Nigeria to succeed through into the Knockout stage.

Panama - Roman Torres

Roman Torres was the last scorer for Panama in a 2-1 victory over Costa Rica, which is why this Panama team is in their first ever World Cup. Defender for the Seattle Sounders, Torres will be a big part of this Panama team, hoping to make a mark in the World Cup.

Peru - Paolo Guerrero

Paolo Guerrero, who recently had his 6-month ban lifted after testing positive for cocaine consumption, is Peru's all-time leading goalscorer, and one of the only reasons this Peru side was able to qualify. Guerrero is a sleek attacker who isn't afraid to bump elbows, so watch out for some insane beast mode goals!!

Poland - Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski, FC Bayern forward is essentially a 1-man team for Poland. Although Poland has fairly strong players across the board, Lewandowski is going to quite literally be the only person scoring goals for them. He scored an insane 16 goals in the 10 qualifying matches played, which shows just how lethal he can be. He is definitely in the running for the Golden Boot award.

Portugal - Cristiano Ronaldo

Even after a disappointing injury in the Euro 2016 Finals, Ronaldo will be the main talking point for Portugal and will have millions of eyes on him, which usually fuels him to perform even better than he is expected. this will most likely be Ronaldo's last World Cup, although he has said he wants to keep playing until he is 41.

Russia - Fyodor Smolov

Smolov has been the leading scorer for the past 3 seasons in Russia's domestic league, proving he is a deadly attacking threat if given the service he needs. Smolov will be in a tough spot as the host country will be relying heavily on him, which might be too much pressure for the tall target-man.

Saudi Arabia - Mohamed Al-Sahlawi

Playing in the Saudi Arabian league, Al-Sahlawi can play very well and has great hold-up play. He will be playing in attack, and try to hold the ball as long as possible to tire his opponents up, while scoring some nice goals if given enough space.

Senegal - Sadio Mane

Sadio Mane finished another brilliant season for Liverpool, being apart of an attacking trio that scored 30 goals shared equally among all 3. Mane is going to be a major key for Senegal and hopefully will show the crowds in Russia why so many Liverpool fans have fallen in love with this pacey winger.

Serbia - Nemanja Matic

Nemanja Matic is coming off of a 2nd place finish with Manchester United, which many argue was only possible because of strong performances from himself and keeper David de Gea. Matic is tasked with connecting the defense of Serbia to the attack, which he has proven time and time again that he is capable of such responsibility. Hopefully, he is able to propel Serbia into the Knockout stage this time around.

South Korea - Son Heung-Min

Son Heung-Min has proven to Tottenham supporters he is not to be slept on. Son is a creative genius and offers a high work-rate for the South Korean side, and with just a little luck, could help see South Korea into the Knockout stage, which would be the first time since 2010.

Spain - Sergio Busquets

Sergio Busquets has often been awarded with being the "master" at tiki-taka soccer, which is very much so the style of soccer both Barcelona and Spain play. Busquets will have to been on his toes constantly in order to bring Spain to glory once again, which would add to the perfect sending off of Andres Iniesta, teammate of Busquets in both club and country.

Sweden - Emil Forsberg

Forsberg has the difficult task of trying to keep afloat a Swedish side, who very much beat all odds to qualify, going through a playoff match against Italy and beating them over two legs. Forsberg offers a lot of creative outlets and will probably be holding on to the ball a ton to try and waste as much time as possible.

Switzerland - Xherdan Shaqiri

Shaqiri is a Stoke city attacker, however his most impressive feat is that he used to be a starter at FC Bayern, showing to fans that he still may have those World-Class characteristics. Shaqiri will want to show the World of his magic, as he is currently in the 2nd tier of English Soccer, and he has openly said he doesn't deserve to be playing in that league.

Tunisia - Wahbi Khazri

Khazri isn't the biggest name by any means, but he offers a lot of attack to the small Tunisia side. He will have a tough ask ahead of a group stage with Belgium and England, but expect some assists from Wahbi Khazri.

Uruguay - Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez is already a house-hold name for many, whether that is because of his good acts or bad, no one is really sure. Having been seen biting 3 different players in 3 separate occasions, Suarez is hated by many, however no one can deny the insane goal scoring capabilities he has. He will have to be in A+ form if Uruguay are going to go to semi-finals like they did last World Cup.

Hat Trick Podcast Show 6/13/2018 - World Cup Predictions w/ Peter and Dante

Hey all! This is the second episode on our podcast show where we go through every group in the 2018 World Cup, giving insights and predictions on each math-up. We also go into the Knockout Stage predicitons, discussing who the favorites are and who might be the Dark Horse. At the end, you can hear us go over some of the possible canidates for golden boot, golden glove, and golden ball awards. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to subscribe for more World Cup updates!

Thank you all and good day!
- The Hat Trick Crew

Hat Trick Podcast Show 6/6/2018 - Champions League Final, Zuzu's Farewell, and World Cup 2018 Group A Preview

Hey all! In the very first episode of the Hat Trick Soccer Podcast, we will go over the Champions League Final in Kiev (00:00:55), as well as Zuzu's resignation from Madrid (00:27:15). We also cover the new look 2018/2019 Premier League clubs (00:31:30), and a short preview for Group A in the Russia 2018 World Cup (00:37:45).
This is our first podcast episode, so please subscribe for more, and we are looking ahead to making this a much more serious and entertaining world soccer podcast.

Important Links:
 http://fcpredictor.espn.com/us/clienthome.do   (ESPN FC World Cup Prediciton)

https://youtu.be/uKeF5iY3o0s?t=185 (Gareth Bale Interview)

Thank you all and good day!
- The Hat Trick Crew

The Hat Trick Soccer Podcast Picture

Does Paulo Dybala DESERVE a starting position in Argentina XI??!

   With the 2018 FIFA World Cup kicking off in Russia in under two weeks, most national team sides have finally announced their final 23-man squads that will represent their nations in the biggest sports tournament in the world. Most national team managers select based on the players' club performances throughout the previous season, but some, such as Argentina's Jorge Sampaoli, choose their squad to fit into a "system" that they believe will be most efficient at winning throughout the competition.
   Sampaoli's critics have come out with harsh comments about leaving out young Inter Milan talent Mauro Icardi, who has come off a very good season with the Biscione. However, Icardi isn't the first to be left out from the Argentina squad. Juventus superstar and amazing world prospect Paulo Dybala is still waiting for a break through in the Argentina starting XI. Only making 12 starts at the senior level, Dybala has become a regular bench player in Sampaoli's squad.

Dybala in action against Singapore, June 13th 2017

The question that remains unanswered is: Why isn't Dybala starting regularly for Argentina?

In order to answer this completely, we should look at the previous attackers that started for Argentina.

In the 2014 World Cup final, ex-Argentina manager used striker Higuain and Lionel Messi to lead the lines. Out wide were the likes of Lavezzi and Perez, although both were taken off for substitutes Palacio and Fernando Gago. These selections should be taken with a grain of salt as the formation sued is a lot different from that seen by Sampaoli's go-to formation. 

As seen in the full 23-man roster being brought to Russia only consists of 4 attackers, which suggests Dybala isn't too far off in becoming a starter. However, Sampaoli has been seen constantly using a 4-3-3 formation, with Angel Di Maria (listed as a midfielder) playing the left winger and Lionel Messi playing his usual right winger position. The center forward is used mostly as a distraction, so that Lionel Messi can dribble through the opposition without as many defenders surrounding him. Sampalo will most likely start with Sergio Aguero, the Manchester City forward who lit up the premier league for another season. Aguero is very good at holding the ball up and allowing for his team to overlap him, creating deadly chances. And most likely, as a set of fresh legs, Gonzalo Higuain, Dybala's teammate at Juventus, will take off either Di Maria or Aguero, and play a target forward, looking to head the ball from a cross and keep control of the ball until Messi can get open for a pass. 

The predicted attacking lineup for Sampaoli (Messi, Di Maria, Aguero)

This is where Dybala comes into play. Dybala, throughout his time at Juventus, has played many different positions for the club. Starting as a Center Forward, and moving back into a creative attacking midfielder, to being pushed out wide on both flanks, pestering oppositions with his electric pace and creative skills, Dybala can play just about any postion, but has always had the "creator's touch" to his game, and many say can be comapred to his older Argentinian comrade, Lionel Messi. Any player should be honored to be compared to one of the greats such as Lionel Messi, but for Paulo Dybala it seems almost to be a curse as well.

Sampaoli's system requires only one creative playmaker to operate withing the center of the pitch, and that position is perfect for Messi. Sampaoli realizes that Argentina's weakness has always been in defense and uses his 3 midfielders to create a strong defensive line that blocks the middle of the field for the opposition, which means Dybala can't fit into a center midfielder role. As well, we see Higuain and Aguero have mastered their role as target men, focusing only on keeping control of the ball long enough for the rest of the team to join. Dybala's only other option to play seems to lie in the left winger position, currently filled by Angel Di Maria. Di Maria is very interesting as he hasn't had too many successful club seasons, but for some reason is able to connect really well with Messi, offering a different style of play to Argentina's squad. Unlike Dybala, Di Maria tends to stay out wide a lot more, sprinting up and down the pitch and whipping in crossed for Aguero and Higuain, as well as pinging the ball across the 18-yard box, where Lionel Messi is usually waiting.

While Paulo Dybala is a great footballer and an even greater young talent, his default attributes he offers for teams seem to have already been filled by the likes of Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero. I believe Dybala has shown he deserves a shot to become a starter for this strong attacking Argentinian team, he will have to be a little more patient being a bench player. His impressive feat of 26 goals in 47 appearances for all competitions should not go without praise, and he is sure to continue to impress throughout all of Europe in club level, and maybe even take over once Lionel Messi retires from international duty. 

Paulo Dybala and his signature goal-scoring celebration

Please feel free to comment any ideas you have on Argentina and Paulo Dybala's role for the squad, as well as requests for other blog posts you want to see. Thank you again for taking the time to read The Hat Trick.

- Justin

Matches of the Week: Leicester City v Watford

The premier league seems wrapped up in regards to the the separation between 8 and 9, however Watford and Leicester will argue otherwise. Both currently looking to breach the top 6 teams, who look relaxed and unworried, Watford and Leicester have an important battle to see who will be the team to sneak into European action. Currently Burnley has taken as the silent underdog team, but Leicester and Watford offer a very competitive team that won't back down easily, and their stats show it.

Statistics based on last 5 matches

While most of the statistics are very close between the two, such as possession, number of cards, and goals conceded, Leicester significantly beats Watford in chances created and scoring goals, which is vital to becoming a European team. While Watford will still put up a good fight, Leicester should comfortably win this game with the amount of passing talent they have in Mahrez and Ndidi. I see many goals being scored in the fixture, so it will be interesting if Watford can improve their goal tally of recent weeks.

SCORE PREDICTION:

Leicester City 4 - 1 Watford