The European leagues are already starting, some already have, and as always there is great debate among fans as to what country has the best league in the world? This is a very tough question because each league is unique and possess a certain style of play that makes it hard for an honest comparison. However, the Champions League is often used as a measure since it includes the winners of every league. For the last couple years the British teams have dominated and so the EPL has been regarded as the best league in Europe: Last year for instance there were 3 EPL teams vs 1 La Liga team in the semi-finals. Judging by the recent transfer window, it looks like the EPL will once again battle La Liga for the title. Barcelona is the last winner and is looking to improve its squad with players like Ibrahimovic and possibly the return of prodigal son Fabregas. Real Madrid on the other hand has embarked on a spending spree that has seen them splash nearly 300 million euros in fantastic players like Kaka and Ronaldo. The big four from England have lost some players, mainly to La Liga, but have added others and all look like will be in good shape; only Arsenal could see its spot lost, with Manchester City claiming it. In Italy Inter looks strong with the recent purchase of Etoo'o and maybe some Real players. Juventus has also improved their team roster with players like Diego and Felipe Melo, and AC Milan are in a restructuring phase. The Italians look strong but not like in previous years when they dominated. If they are to win they will have to avoid the big teams until the semi-finals unlike last year when they were all eliminated the British Armada. The other leagues have good teams but none that can compare to the ones already mentioned. Unless a big surprise occurs in this incoming season, the title will be once again battled between the Spanish and British super powers. Personally I would love to see Barcelona hold on to their title at the Bernabeu against its hated arch-rivals Real Madrid. Regardless of the winner, this competition will be a great appetizer before the World Cup.

In all its football history, Spain has always been a big disappointment in big tournaments such as the World Cup. They always arrive as one of the favorites, with great players, but when it is time to deliver, they always fail. Will this time be any different? I think the anwer is yes. Spain already demonstrated in the last Euro cup that this new generation of players has the mentality, the attitude, and the ambition to be protagonists and winners. Not only that, but they have a good coach, and a great system of play suited to their abilities. Lately Del Bosque has shied away from the tiqui-taca a little bit and that seems not to be helping them out much. In the last game against Macedonia they were down 2-0 in the first half but when the coach decided to play the style that has won them world acclaim and a Euro Cup, the team came back to win 3-2. I think that if they continue to play in that form and Andres Iniesta has an injury-free season Spain will be one of the favorites. Their defeat against the USA came at the right moment: It may have ended an undefeated 15 game streak but it helped them realize that they still can improve and that if they are serious about winning the World Cup they will need to elevate their game even more. Their aspirations also rest on Iniesta who I think is one of the best midfielders in the world. He has vision, an excellent passing ability, and can dribble like few. He has always been my favorite Barcelona player along with Messi and believe that Spain's chances of winning the Cup depend largely on him and his partner Xavi.

The Super Cup is fast approaching and Barcelona must win it if they want to start the season with the right foot. Barcelona already defeated Athletic Bilbao in the King's Cup final but they will surely want revenge. Barcelona has everything they need in order to secure the first trophy of the season but it would be a mistake to underestimate Athletic. They don't possess the firepower that Barcelona does but have a very good and talented team. Florentino and his "Galacticos" have usurped the headlines from Barcelona this summer with all the mega stars the Real president has brought to the Bernabeu so this will be a perfect opportunity to get them back without having to spend millions on top-rated footballers. If Barcelona loses the cup Madrid will seize the opportunity to put presure on them and that could cost them once the league begins. If they win however, it will confirm that they are still hungry for success and send a clear message to Kaka and Ronaldo that the La liga title and the spotlight will be Barca's once again.

A few weeks ago it seemed as though Mexico's chances to go to South Africa were slim at best. The general consensus was that only a miracle would rescue their aspirations to qualify for the next World Cup. And indeed the miracle happened and Mexico defeated its archrivals USA on Wednesday and now look in good shape to qualify for South Africa. The game itself was not great but was very intense and full of emotions. When Davies scored the first goal for the Americans it seemed as though Mexico was doomed but a great goal a minutes later saw them get back in the game. This was in my opinion the defining moment. The USA failed to capitalize on an early lead, just like in the game against Brazil in the Confederations cup, and Mexico kept calm, unlike in many numerous occassions, and continued playing its game knowing that the equaliser would come soon. In the second half it was obvious that the altitude and the atmoshphere were taking its toll. The USA players looked tired and in many occassions failed to get back the ball quickly and when they did they lost it: The Aztec stadium proved once again to be Mexico's best ally. The winning goal was scored by Miguel Sabbah when the game was close to finish alowing Coach Javier Aguirre to breathe a little bit easier and to lift the hopes of an entire country. Mexico now has to prepare its next game and keep the motivation and determination that they showed against the USA if they want a spot in South Africa. If they do they will have no problems to qualify.

My summer is almost over, soon the new school year will start and with it a new season of soccer. The transfer summer has been very active and emotional but nothing beats the actual game, the goals, the fans chanting and yelling to support their favorite team, etc. Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of enjoying a fabulous game, Barcelona vs. Galaxy: A true appetizer before the start of La liga.
La liga is my favorite European league but like many people I'm quite disappointed that the economic crisis and poor management will see many teams struggle to keep up with Barcelona and Real Madrid. Over the entire summer Real have bought many of the best players from each league; Ronaldo, Benzema, Alonso, Albiol, Kaka etc. Meanwhile the other teams have added some players but none that could compare to the names previously mentioned.
Barcelona is still the team to beat and in my opinion will retain the domestic title with Real coming in second. As a Barça fan this thought is quite satifying but nothing would be more glorious and historic that winning the Champions against Real at the Bernabeu: That would truly be mesmerizing and euphoric. For the sake of La liga I hope the other teams can reinforce their squads and maintain good form throughout the season and advance to at least the semi-finals in the Champions, where they will most likely encounter British teams. I personally enjoy the EPL but prefer Spanish teams to win simply because I'm a big fan of the tiki-taka and Andres Iniesta. I can hardly wait for the new season but I suppose I should also be getting ready for school. Well that can wait a little. Visca Barça!!!!

So with a battered economy, a world about to crumble financially, thousands without jobs, endless congressional battles over how to fix the economy, and a list of problems longer that the amazon river, should we even celebrate Valentines' day? Should the world leaders stop for a minute and celebrate love and friendship rather than continue their creation of ingenious ideas to save our world? The answer to the first question is a resounding an absolute "YES". Love is an intrinsic human emotion that drives us to be the best of us, or god forbid to go psycho sometimes. It is a quality that often heals our wounds and sparkles our imagination. It is simply the best thing we have and the only way we could ever save our country and our world. Forget about "hope", all you need is "love" said John Lennon once. Jesus himself said we should love each other and that would solve all our problems. So with this in mind, I would like to propose my own stimulus plan. What does it consist of? Simple, take all the love savings you have in your inner account and spend it like crazy. Invest it in a future possible gorgeous girlfriend, allocate a big chunk to your family and friends (without being too gay of course). Diversify your portfolio: Invest love in people you don't know. Donate a percentage so you could get a tax deduction. Reinvest that big IRS love check. Don't just love"American": Love your fellow foreign countries, even the French. Increase the minimum love salary exponentially until you don't want more of it. Let the unions get as much love as they want to. Ban love tariffs across the globe. Abolish the love tax starting with the next tax season. Get rid of all currencies and make love the new one with 0% inflation or deflation. Eliminate the federal reserve: There is no such thing as reserving love, we are going to spend it and invest it all. This is basically the gist of my plan. You may be wondering about the cost so here is a breakdown. Total cost to the taxpayer, $0. Total increase to the national debt, $0. Amount given to special interest groups, $0. I know this is a working draft plan that will require input from all parties but it's a good start.
With respect to the second question, the answer is a definite "Hell no". Our leaders must work day and night on a plan to revitalize this nation. We cannot afford to waste all that brainpower and Ivy-league degrees, and the occasional community college one. Having only one plan is usually not a good idea so while "liberals and conservatives" of all denomination work on their own plan I recommend us "Americans" to work on my own plan. Having said that I hope everyone that reads this blog (Mike and my brother, and the occasional lost soul) a happy Valentine's day.

It has finally happened; the first African American has been sworn into office and with that we begin a new chapter in American History. Throughout his campaigning, Barack ran under the mantle of change and hope. Few can argue that he is a charismatic and skillful orator as well as a respectable human being. However, we will now see if he can really deliver on his promises of fixing the nation and unite us all as well as repairing the image of our country abroad. Whether one is a liberal or a conservative, a rather narrow view of Americans in my opinion, there is no question that there are many challenges facing us today that require swift and bold action as the president himself has said in many occasions. Yet, that requires smart policies and thoughtful leaders as well as proactive citizens more than sweet words. So will the new president come out as the savior of the nation?, or as the villain who precipitated our demise even more? Personally I think neither will come true. Obama is clearly a smart individual who has surrounded himself with many other talented and experienced people (whether they are the right picks is a different story), but that won't be enough. It will also require a dramatic attitude from us, the citizens of this country, to kick our country back in the right track. We must spend less time watching reality TV shows or other TV programs and read more and learn even more. Many times we blame politicians for the woes of the country but we always forget that we elect them. We also forget that they commit frauds and perpetually disappoint us because we never ask questions. We never fully read propositions or new laws and we are easily swayed by TV ads rather than by logic and healthy debate with fellow Americans. Obama has a plan for America, whether it is good or not time will tell, but one thing is for sure, no matter how many ideas, no matter who they come from, they will not work unless we make them work: We will never accomplish anything meaningful as long as we relegate our responsibilities to our politicians and leaders. Our leaders, and especially our new president, are here to carry out the will of the people, but we must also make sure that our will is reasonable and educated. We cannot let our emotions, biases, or other feelings, speak for ourselves. Neither can we demand something without first giving it some genuine thought and debate. I sincerely hope Obama does a good job, I'm not expecting miracles or anything remotely close to that. What I expect is someone who will put the nation first, the rule of law, and the ideals on which this nation was founded. I expect a president who will listen to new ideas and if they are sound and good will have the character to carry them out. I expect a president that will not go fixing the country by himself but that will engage the rest of us to fix it. I also expect the rest of the government to act on behalf of the people and support Obama when it makes sense to do so, and when his policies are beneficial for us. I also expect them to oppose him when they are pernicious to our country.I expect a president that will accept when he is wrong and quickly correct course. I expect a president that will lay out a good foundation for the economy and other issues that matter to us and not one that will save us in the short term and doom us for the future. Nothing will get done right away but there are certainly ways to start making real change happen. So how do we know that Obama is doing something good for the country? The answer lies in what policies he enacts. Since nothing will improve right away the decisions and laws he puts into effect will give us a good indication. Nevertheless, and this is the gist of it, "We must carefully study those policies and ideas". We must research them thoroughly and not just listen to what the news experts say. More often than not they only give a one-sided version of the truth and usually care more about their own personal gains as well as the success of their network than us. We need to read, read, read, and read even more. Not all of us will understand all of the details but we can certainly grasp more by doing so than when we are being spoon-fed tiny bits of information when they deem appropriate. We all have busy lives, we need to cope with many problems, not just the economy, but if we care about our country, our children, and ourselves, we must do a serious effort. Real change does not come from the outside but from within. Obama may have run under the slogan of change, but now it is up to us, Americans, to carry that slogan to the finish line, and maybe, just maybe, Mr. Obama will meet us there. Real change is up to "US".

Well its' finally 2009. 2008 is now a mere recollection of memories, both good and bad. It is the beginning of a new year and with that we all have our hopes and dreams about what it may bring us. There are many serious things that we are keeping a close eye on such as the economy, a new president, the weather, etc. We also have some less global and more personal ones such as keeping our jobs, or finding a new one, being with the family, enjoy good health, etc. Whatever it is I hope that you and your close ones have a great year and fulfill all your dreams and resolutions. Here are some things that I hope come to pass and some of my new year's resolutions and expectations.

1. I hope this year people will be responsible, positive thinkers, and will try to make their house a little better, and that in turn will make a better neighborhood, and so on until this world is a little better.

2. I hope that people realize that a president cannot solve everything and that we all have to make this a better country. With that said I hope the new president will be a decent one and will do whatever it's truly best for the country.

3. I hope this year will see at least 5 to 10% less violence than the previous one. Asking for absoute peace would be fantasizing.

4. I hope this year I can do more exercise and eat less junk food.

5. I hope I keep getting good grades in school or at least not get bad ones.

6. I hope i can see all my family members and friends and enjoy their company.

7. I hope this year all my friends and relatives and anyone who needs a job gets one (including me).

8. I hope i don't get sick and if I do hopefully it won't be serious.

9. I hope no major disasters will occur in the world and if they do mininal casualties should occur.

10. I hope this year will be awesome!!!!

And you, what do you hope or expect from this year?