The amazing rise of Roma wonderkid Erik Lamela- from the River reserves to the Argentina team in 18 months

There were without a doubt more than a few scratched heads amongst the Monumental faithful when, back in August 2010 and at the start of what would become a black year for River fans, a young Erik Lamela lined up on the famous pitch. 

The 18-year-old, nervous and so slightly-built a stiff breeze appeared sufficient to knock him over, had only two appearances with the first team under his belt, and in terms of River youths to watch, ranked far behind Benfica target Rogelio Funes Mori in the wonderkid stakes. 

How things change, and now there cannot be any fans of Argentine or, indeed, Italian football not aware of this talented midfielder's ability. Lamela was the only bright spark in a black 12 months for River, and having elected to continue his apprenticeship with Roma has been rewarded with a first call-up for the senior national team of Alejandro Sabella. 

Although the now 19-year-old Lamela has one cap under his belt, a friendly alongside other men called up from the local league back in May 2011, this represents the first time he has been invited to rub shoulders with Lionel Messi, Kun Aguero and the rest of the Albiceleste superstars. Sabella included the youngster in a list of 18 foreign-based players to dispute February's friendly with Switzerland and while the list reflects the coach's wish to try some different names - Napoli defender Hugo Campagnaro also made the cut at the ripe age of 31 - it is still a reflection of Lamela's startling development over the last year and a half. 

Erik forced himself into the plans of then-coach Angel Cappa, and outlived both him and successor Juan Jose Lopez in his short 12 months as a starter. The Argentine press rushed to laud this rapid, direct midfielder as a new star, and he confirmed the hype in the 2010 Apertura with a series of brilliant performances which helped the relegation-troubled Millo to fifth place in the short tournament. 

The talent was always there, a fact confirmed by interest from Barcelona when Lamela had barely turned 14. The most startling change though, in a transition that sports bible Ole gleefully illustrated, was in his physical form. The newspaper posted a picture of a gawky, skinny teenager at the beach in January 2010, right next to one of Erik 2011. The new, improved version was filled out, muscled, a man compared to the boy pictured 12 months previously. This new-found strength combined with his natural talent proved a potent mix, even though it proved insufficient for his boyhood idols. 

Despite an impressive Apertura showing, River's dreadful average points tally meant that an even more spectacular showing was necessary in the following tournament. Lamela and the rest of the team could not reproduce the football shown previously as the weight of expectation grew, and a failure to secure their position led to that unforgettable promocion defeat at the hands of Belgrano. 

Nobody took the defeat harder than Erik, who finished the second leg sprawled out on the turf inconsolable, while the Monumental was ripped to pieces by irate fans. It would prove to be his last game, as the debt-ridden giants were forced to sell to Roma for the giant sum of €18 million; and for the Italians, all suggestions are that that it will prove an inspired gamble for such a green talent. 

Remarkably for someone so young and inexperienced, Lamela has taken to Italian football like a duck to water. There have been some mistakes, as well as understandable peaks and troughs of form typical of a teenage player. Off the pitch, a widely-reported scuffle with countryman Pablo Osvaldo was definitely unwanted by the painfully shy youngster, who prefers to do his talking on the pitch. 

But overall his maiden season has been nothing short of fantastic; only Daniele De Rossi and Miralem Pjanic have made more appearances amongst the Roma outfielders, and the Argentine has repaid the faith shown by Luis Enrique with a respectable haul of one goal and three assists in his first 17 Serie A matches. 

Having climbed from the youth ranks of River Plate to the heights of Serie A in little over 18 months, Lamela must want to pinch himself, to confirm that this youngster from the River-mad Buenos Aires suburb of Florida is not just living through a wonderful dream. 

Having seen the rangy young midfielder back in Nunez where it all began, however, few commentators from that time would have argued that an international call-up was inevitable for a kid who was marked for greatness from the very beginning.

Portugal is at the heart of Chelsea's rise and fall

The name of Filipe Oliveira is unlikely to inspire too many gushing anecdotes or colourful memories from Chelsea supporters.

But the attacking midfielder who made five appearances for the club under Claudio Ranieri and Jose Mourinho will demand mention in any documentation of the club’s history.

Oliveira was a trailblazer, treading a path from Portugal’s top division to Stamford Bridge for a generation of Portuguese-speaking players to follow.

The accent on Portuguese has gathered pace over the last decade to the point where it has become the second language in the dressing room and Chelsea is a footballing enclave of Portugal. 

The Londoners are in Lisbon preparing for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Benfica in the knowledge that their playing staff is even more Portuguese than that of their hosts, who are not expected to have a single home-grown player in their squad.

Oliveria was the trendsetter (although strictly speaking the Brazilian Emerson Thome, who came to Chelsea from Portugal via Sheffield Wednesday at the end of the 1997-98 season, was the first of his kind) but Portugal became fashionable as a talent factory ripe for plucking under Mourinho, who brought Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira with him when he thundered into west London from Porto in 2004 as well as Tiago Mendes from Benfica.

The Portuguese connection was not just limited to the playing staff. Mourinho recruited Andre Villas-Boas as opposition scout – he later returned as manager – and Baltemar Brito as his assistant manager.

It was a distinct cultural shift. The club’s heart, epitomised by John Terry and Frank Lampard, remained English but it danced increasingly to a Portuguese beat. With a few Samba moves thrown in for good measure.

The naturalised Portuguese Deco joined the talent drain from Portugal to SW6, as did Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari, manager of the national team that were runners-up, semi-finalists and quarter-finalists in Euro 2004, the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008 respectively. Maniche and Ricardo Quaresma came briefly on loan.

Mourinho, Scolari and Villas-Boas have all departed but the strong Portuguese influence remains. The current first-team squad includes Jose Bosingwa, Ramires, David Luiz, Henrique Hilario and Raul Meireles (who came to Chelsea after one season at Liverpool).

It is mostly Portugal’s two marquee clubs, Porto and Benfica, who have been the beneficiaries of Roman Abramovich’s wealth, not only in terms of transfer fees for their players but compensation for their up-and-coming managers, too.

With the benefit of hindsight, some of the Russian’s roubles were well spent – the £20million for Carvalho, the money splashed out to hire and keep Mourinho. Ramires, too, has developed into the club’s most reliable midfielder and would generate a profit if he was sold tomorrow.

Of the other raids on Portugal’s top tier, Chelsea’s various talent-spotters, recruitment specialists and advisers might be advised to look away now. 

Tiago (£8m), Deco (£8m), Maniche and Quaresma all flopped, as did Villas-Boas (buy-out clause £12.55m at current exchange rates) and Scolari (£12.8m pay-off). Right-backs Ferreira (£13.2m) and Bosingwa (£16.2m) remain on the pay-roll but have never justified the fees or fanfares that greeted their arrivals from Porto. Hilario is a rainy-day solution that leaves most Chelsea supporters praying for dry conditions.

The jury is still out on whether Luiz can translate his technique and charisma into battle-hardened reliability while Meireles appears even more of a luxury in west London than he did on Merseyside.

For the hundreds of millions spent on transfer fees, salaries, buy-out clauses and pay-offs, an accountant would conclude that the big spenders have been left with a yawning net deficit. 

Despite Mourinho’s brilliance and influence, it would be re-writing history to say that Chelsea owe Portugal a debt of gratitude for their rise to the European summit.  Special thanks should be reserved for the state assets of the old Soviet Union, which transformed Abramovich from well-connected businessman to billionaire, and the two countries that lie either side of the channel. 

The territories of England (Terry, Lampard, Damien Duff and the two Coles, Ashley and Joe), and France (Didier Drogba, Claude Makelele, Petr Cech, Michael Essien) have been far more reliable production lines than Portugal. 

Given the reputation that Portugal has established for fusing Brazilian sorcery with European thinking, it is surprising that so few of Chelsea’s imports from a region famed for its technical excellence have been attacking players. They have mostly recruited defenders and midfield protectors.

Chelsea have yet to sign a senior striker from Portugal’s top tier and only Deco, Meireles and Quaresma would fit into the category of genuine creators, although none has delivered excellence or consistency in west London.

By contrast, Manchester United unearthed rough diamonds Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani from Sporting Lisbon and polished them into match-winning gems.

Chelsea would need a Hulk or a Radamel Falcao (who were both part of Villas-Boas’ triple trophy winners at Porto last year) to shine on the Premier League stage, or for Luiz to blossom into one of the planet's outstanding defenders, to effect a turn-around in what has been, starting with Oliveira 10 years ago, a surprisingly unsatisfactory use of the club’s resources.

Carlos Tevez, Cristiano Ronaldo & the top 10 longest-running transfer sagas in Premier League history

In every window there is at least one player at the centre of a transfer slugfest, testing the resolve of his current employers while showcasing club loyalty with all the sincerity of an air hostess' smile.


Manchester City's Carlos Tevez becomes the latest in a long line of prolonged Premier League transfer sagas. Following a similar pattern to previous cases, the striker's future continues to remain unclear amid a barrage of speculation and rumour. 


AC Milan, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain make up the three-horse race to sign the Argentine but the trio have weaved cautiously through negotiations thus far. City, meanwhile, insist they will not let Tevez go cheaply, despite his unwillingness to even train with the club.


But while we're all familiar with Tevez's circumstances, the 27-year-old is not the first player guilty of drawing out his own future beyond reasonable lengths, subsequently subjecting us all to the monotony of a 'will he, or won't he?' guessing frenzy.






DAVID BECKHAM TO REAL MADRID, 2003
A stray boot to the face, kicked by Sir Alex Ferguson, left David Beckham with two stitches above his eye and edged him closer to the exit door at Old Trafford in February 2003.

Beckham's future under Ferguson continued to look bleak after the incident as he started on the bench for Manchester United's Champions League quarter-final second-leg tie against Real Madrid, a club strongly linked as a potential destination for the midfielder. Beckham did his chances of a move to the Bernabeu no harm by notching two goals after coming on, one a superb free-kick which left Iker Casillas rooted to the spot.


Despite his performance in April, at the end of the month Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez, claimed the club would 'never, ever sign Beckham', which placed Barcelona as frontrunners for the midfielder's signature.


After another month of speculation, Barcelona's then presidential candidate, Joan Laporta, claimed an agreement had been reached over the transfer of Beckham, although the player's advisors claimed he was being used as a 'political pawn' in the Camp Nou electoral race.


That setback for Barcelona left negotiations clear for Real Madrid, who eventually went on to sign Beckham for £24.5 million in June. Despite appearing to leave under a cloud, Beckham publicly thanked Ferguson for his support, though the United boss later claimed the midfielder 'was never a problem until he got married'.




STEVEN GERRARD TO CHELSEA, 2005
Gerrard had secured a Champions League winners' medal after inspiring Liverpool to a remarkable comeback against AC Milan in May 2005 and went on to admit he was eager to begin talks over a new contract.


Links from the previous summer with a move to Chelsea appeared to have been banished, as both Rafa Benitez and the club's then chief executive, Rick Parry, urged Gerrard to stay, revealing a contract extension had been offered.


But talks dramatically broke down. Liverpool later issued a statement confirming Gerrard had rejected their offer, while the midfielder added that his intentions to sign a new deal after the Champions League final had changed.

The U-turn reignited Chelsea's interest, sparking a £32m bid from the west London side, while reports from Spain suggested Real Madrid were also weighing up a heavy offer for the midfielder.


But just a day later, Gerrard had a change of heart again and insisted he wished to stay at Anfield. Contracts were reworked and the Liverpool captain signed a four-year extension in July 2005.




ASHLEY COLE TO CHELSEA, 2006
Over a year before his confirmed arrival at Stamford Bridge, Ashley Cole, along with two agents, Jose Mourinho and former Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon, were caught in a secret meeting and subsequently fined by the FA in one of the highest-profile 'tapping-up' cases to date.

Arsene Wenger branded Chelsea as 'arrogant' over their illegal attempts to sign the left-back, while Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood revealed Cole demanded a triple-wage increase in order to stay at Arsenal.


Despite signing a contract extension in July 2005, Cole joined Chelsea just over a year later for £5m, with William Gallas moving the other way.


In his autobiography, Cole believes Arsenal 'fed him to the sharks' during the tapping-up case for not publicly backing him over the incident.




THIERRY HENRY TO BARCELONA, 2007
"I've never played in Spain and now I never will. This is my last big contract," was Thierry Henry's declaration after signing a four-year extension at Arsenal in May 2006. 


Two days before his commitment, Henry cut a frustrated figure after losing out to Barcelona in the Champions League and the striker fuelled speculation over his future after failing to commit to the club in a post-match interview.

After winning a second runner-up medal just over a month later, this time in the 2006 World Cup final, Henry's final campaign at Arsenal was ended in March due to a groin injury. Following David Dein's departure from the club the following month, Henry admitted he was 'devastated' by the decision but remained adamant he would stay at the Emirates for the remainder of Wenger's reign.


Despite his promise, Henry completed his move to Barcelona in June 2007, while Wenger insisted there was no animosity between himself and the forward following his exit.




CRISTIANO RONALDO TO REAL MADRID, 2008-2009
A blistering record of 42 goals in a total of 48 appearances for Manchester United in the 2007-08 season initiated Real Madrid's interest in Cristiano Ronaldo, although after winning the Champions League with Manchester United at the end of the campaign, the forward insisted he wanted to stay at Old Trafford.


United, agitated by Madrid's public attempts to lure Ronaldo, filed a complaint to Fifa during the summer which was later dismissed. Ferguson reiterated the forward will remain at Old Trafford for the following season.


Speculation continued to increase and in response to claims that United and Madrid had made a secret deal to sell Ronaldo to the Bernabeu the following summer, Ferguson said: “Do you think I would get into a contract with that mob? Jesus Christ, no chance. I wouldn’t sell them a virus."

Ronaldo's last game in a United shirt came in the 2009 Champions League final defeat to Barcelona, and transfer tittle-tattle sparked once again as a summer of uncertainty loomed.


Florentino Perez, who returned as Real Madrid's president, vowed he would not to be deterred by Ronaldo's hefty price tag, though his words were put to the ultimate test after securing the services of Kaka for a reported £56m in June.


Later that month, Ronaldo expressed his desire to leave Old Trafford and United accepted the £80m bid lodged by Real Madrid. The forward was unveiled officially in July, arriving at the Bernabeu for a world-record transfer fee.




CESC FABREGAS TO BARCELONA, 2010-2011
The back-and-forth nature of transfer talk involving Cesc Fabregas became almost metronomic throughout the midfielder's proposed switch to Barcelona. 


Hill-Wood started off proceedings in April 2010, claiming Barcelona had assured the club they would not submit a bid the following summer. Txiki Begiristain, Barcelona's former dealmaker, dismissed any promise had be made and a £27m bid launched in June was met with a resounding rejection from Arsenal.


Fabregas insisted he wanted his future to be decided before he left for Spain's World Cup campaign but Barcelona remained firm on the midfielder's valuation, while a host of the Camp Nou playing personnel, notably Gerard Pique, Xavi and Carles Puyol, publicly courted the Arsenal captain.


Fabregas, meanwhile, confirmed he would remain loyal to Arsenal (despite being pictured in a Barcelona shirt whilst celebrating Spain's World Cup victory) and stayed at the Emirates for the following season, although his final campaign under Wenger was blighted by a persistent hamstring injury.


As the transfer window approached, Fabregas admitted he held talks with Wenger over his future, but the Frenchman remained firm, labelling Sandro Rosell's claim that the midfielder's valuation had decreased as 'disrespectful'.


Barcelona opening gambit of £30m was rejected in June, and Arsenal maintained their resilience. Puyol went on to liken Fabregas' situation at the Emirates to that of a prisoner but the midfielder seemingly put an end to speculation at the start of August by confirming his commitment to the club.


But Fabregas' statement of intent did little to dissuade Barcelona and the midfielder went on to leave Arsenal for £35m, signing a five-year deal at the Camp Nou.




LUKA MODRIC TO CHELSEA, 2011
A showcase of a club's resolve to retain their prized asset, Tottenham stared in the face of increased bids, transfer requests and public wantaway declarations from Luka Modric to keep the midfielder at White Hart Lane


Chelsea initially lodged a bid of £22m which was rejected by Spurs, while a £27m improved offer, which was also declined, sparked an official transfer request from Modric, as the Croatia international claimed the club's chairman, Daniel Levy, had broken a gentleman's agreement to sell him to a bigger club in the summer.


Both Levy and manager Harry Redknapp continued to stand firm over Modric, as the Spurs boss continually referred to the Tottenham chairman's no-sale stance when questioned on the midfielder's future.


Tottenham's resilience, which was tested one last time after a deadline-day bid of £40m from Chelsea, paid off as Modric admitted he would stay until the end of the season, but talks over an improved contract have yet to evolve into an official commitment from the 26-year-old.




SAMIR NASRI TO MANCHESTER CITY, 2011
Perhaps Arsenal should have paid the price for failing to renew Samir Nasri's contract, as Manchester United and Manchester City closed in on the France international, whose deal at the Emirates was due to expire in June 2012.

Paul Scholes declared Nasri had the ability to fill the role he had retired at Old Trafford at the end of last season and the void in United's midfield suggested the 24-year-old had the chance to become a pivotal figure in Sir Alex Ferguson's plans.


But the financial clout of City eventually prevailed as the midfielder moved to Eastlands for a reported £24m fee, while picking up a salary which dwarfed the contract offers from United and Arsenal.


Nasri's parting shot directed at his former club hit out at the Emirates board for restricting Wenger in the transfer market. Arsenal may have considered themselves fortunate after making over £10m on a player who had only a year left on his contract.




WESLEY SNEIJDER TO MANCHESTER UNITED, 2011

Wesley Sneijder constantly remained open to a potential move during last summer, even up until August 30, the Netherlands international claimed a deal could be struck in the closing stages of the transfer window which would to bring him to Old Trafford.


Ferguson, however, remained coy throughout the process, refusing to be drawn into speculation. After the close of the transfer window, the United boss insisted the 27-year-old 'was never an option' when targeting a midfield replacement for the retired Scholes.


Sneijder later revealed he was close to joining United and would have had no objections to a move to the Premier League.




CARLOS TEVEZ TO AC MILAN, 2012
Trouble had begun to brew as early as April 2010, less than a year into Tevez's arrival at Manchester City.


The Argentine had criticised Mancini over his training methods but worse was to come as the club rejected a transfer request from the striker in December and followed up eight days later with a statement suggesting Tevez had withdrawn his initial plea, with the forward pledging his commitment to City.


Speculation continued to mount and in June 2011, Tevez spoke in an interview about how he would not return to Manchester 'not even for a holiday'. The striker followed up with a subsequent statement issuing his desire to leave Eastlands in order to be closer to his family.

Corinthians appeared to be the perfect suitors but despite an agreement being reached between City and his former club, Tevez's transfer to the Brazilian side fell through. Inter, Real Madrid and a return to Boca Juniors remained possible destinations but a deal failed to materialise.


Tevez remained a City player but was stripped of the captaincy by Mancini and was limited in his appearances by the form of Edin Dzeko, Mario Balotelli and summer signing Sergio Aguero.


Tevez's next move was to spark a one-man mutiny as he refused to come off the bench during City's Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich. An angry Mancini vowed the Argentine would never play for the club again, while his fine of four weeks' wages as a result of a club investigation was halved by the Professional Footballers' Association.


Since the beginning of the January transfer window, City have fired a warning shot to potential suitors by revealing Tevez has lost £9.3m in wages, fines and bonuses this season after going on strike.


Despite the revelations, Inter, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan remained undeterred in the race to sign the Argentine, although the latter have already broken off negotiations with City previously this month after Alexandre Pato confirmed he was staying at San Siro.

How Tottenham have turned their season around since August's Manchester City humiliation

When Manchester City arrived at White Hart Lane on August 25, Tottenham were simply not ready.

Spurs' start to the Premier League season - a home game against Everton - had been delayed by the London riots, and so Harry Redknapp's side faced the big-spending club on the back of a convincing 3-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford, in which Jermain Defoe led the line alone, Luka Modric was inconspicuous by his absence and the defensive onus in midfield fell to the inexperienced Jake Livermore.

Meanwhile, Roberto Mancini's side had signalled their early intent with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Swansea City, in which debutant Sergio Aguero came off the bench to score twice, before putting another three past Bolton Wanderers.

City were not expected to brush Spurs aside given the tight nature of the previous meetings between the two, but Mancini's men were rampant in north London, as Edin Dzeko scored four and Aguero grabbed another, with David Silva and Samir Nasri the masterminds behind a thoroughly convincing 5-1 victory.

Modric had attempted to pull out of the game, Peter Crouch, isolated up front, could not impose himself on the visitors - nor could Gareth Bale or Aaron Lennon. Spurs looked streets behind the league's pacesetters.

However, Redknapp maintained he could turn the fortunes of his side around if he were able to bring in the key transfer targets he had identified.

And, once Scott Parker and Emmanuel Adebayor were signed, sealed and delivered to White Hart Lane, Spurs barely looked back.

The impact of both players was instantly felt, as Parker marshalled the midfield at Molineux against Wolves, and played in Adebayor to open the scoring in a 2-0 victory, with Jermain Defoe grabbing the second.

The signing of Parker was allegedly met with some hesitance by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, given the player's fairly advanced age and fee on the back of a heroic season with relegated West Ham which saw him emerge as the English football zeitgeist, but the 31-year-old has since shown his value to the team time and time again, proving particularly influential in home wins against QPR and Bolton.

It is the England international's industrious, tireless efforts that have freed those around him to play to their fullest, particularly the likes of Bale and Modric.

Parker's introduction to the Spurs side also coincided with the return to fitness of Ledley King, who has been in and out of the team, but has proved to be an integral player during Tottenham's run of good form.

And, while King has failed to feature consistently since his first appearance of the season against Wolves, Spurs have benefitted from the improvement of Younes Kaboul, who looks a different player to the one who first arrived at White Hart Lane in 2007, while Kyle Walker has firmly established himself as the regular first choice right-back over Vedran Corluka, and is surely an England hopeful.

How close Parker actually came to having a different central midfield partner at White Hart Lane is anybody's guess, as the Spurs hierarchy must surely have been tempted to part ways with Modric following a big-money offer from Chelsea.

But Levy and Co. have reaped the rewards of holding onto their man since the possibility of leaving the club dissipated.

In fact, it took Modric little time to put his desire to leave the club behind him, as he fired in after just seven minutes in a sumptuous display in the 4-0 victory over Liverpool, and has since proved himself to be everything the previous seasons had suggested he was - unflappable on the ball, with remarkable vision and a deftness of touch replicated only by the world's finest midfielders.

Equally impressive has been the evolution of Bale from direct left-sided winger to adaptable modern forward.

The Welsh international had hinted at having more to his game than an almost-unstoppable dribble and a decent shot, but this season, Bale has been afforded the opportunity to express himself in a free-flowing, interchangeable Spurs front line, often occupying the space behind or alongside Adebayor, and on the right hand side.

Against Norwich City at Carrow Road, Bale was excellent in something of a free role, and his second of two goals, bursting straight through the gut of the home side's defence before delicately chipping over John Ruddy, summed up the season he is having.

The part Adebayor has played in the resurgence of course, cannot be ignored. The Togolese striker is far more adept at holding up the ball and involving his team-mates in play than Defoe, who has actually scored more goals in all competitions this season than the former Arsenal man. It is his link-up play with Bale, Rafael van der Vaart and Lennon that arguably makes him first choice over his competition.

That City could afford to loan Adebayor out to Spurs, whose title credentials they must surely have doubted at the time, while still subsidising his wages, is testament to the strength in their frontline, and the task Spurs are faced with in attempting to keep the likes of Aguero and Dzeko quiet on their own patch.

Indeed, Tottenham face a huge task in upending the league leaders, who boast a 100 per cent record at the Etihad Stadium.

But Redknapp's charges will feel better prepared for the challenge than they did back in August.

The reasons why David Beckham decided to stay with LA Galaxy

Most human decisions involve several interchanging factors that influence the process, especially when involving career and location. David Beckham's choice to remain with LA Galaxy was no different. 


After lifting an absolving, redeeming MLS Cup in November 2011, the English midfielder weighed up his free agent options throughout December. 


"I just needed a break," Beckham said. "I needed to get away, to rest my body and then to decide what I felt was the right move."


Beckham and his family decided to shun lucrative offers from Europe and to remain California, and Becks' return became official on Thursday when he was presented at the Staples Center. 


Let's delve into some of the reasons that came into play during the decision process: 

1. Family first


"My family and my children are the most important thing to me," Beckham said. 


After five years, the family is settled in California. Harper Seven, Beckham's first daughter, was born here last year. The three older brothers are entering formative scholastic and developmental years, and the family didn't want to uproot them. 


"Me and Victoria had talked about it many times," Beckham said. "Our oldest son was a big part of it as well. He's 12 years old. He's at the stage in his life where he needs that stability in his schooling."


2. The lure of Los Angeles


Los Angeles doesn't hold the same mesmerizing aura in person as conveyed in film or song. It's grimier and dirtier and more dilapidated and the traffic is awful. But that's true of any major city, including Paris.  


In the end, LA worked as a net positive in Beckham's decision. A few hours from their home in Beverly Hills are mountains. In the other direction is the beach. In the middle were ample opportunities for the family to build a life worth keeping. 


"We believed in our city," Anschutz Entertainment Group president Tim Leiweke said. "In LA we're proud of the environment we've created here. It's a great place to live. 


"We knew there were a lot of people tugging on [Beckham's] sleeve, but we also knew it'd be hard to replace LA."


One man's maze of concrete highways is another man's home. And home is something very hard to give up. 


"We've been happy here for the past five years," Beckham pointed out. "Why change something that works? The kids love living here, I love living here. Los Angeles has been amazing to us as a family."

3. Olympic pining


Much of the criticism leveled at Beckham, especially during the early years of his MLS contract, was that he cared more about playing internationally than in a Galaxy uniform. 


Though less of an issue since his Achilles injury pushed the 36-year-old irrevocably off of the England national team roster, the club versus country debate has cropped up again. Beckham desperately wants to play in the 2012 London Olympics. 


"Hopefully I'll be involved in the Olympics," he said. "I want to be part of the GB team. I've never played an Olympics personally. I know how exciting it is for our country and our nation to have the Olympics in the east end of London, especially for me growing up in the east end of London."


Beckham even went as far as to suggest that if he doesn't make Stuart Pearce's playing roster, he may join in some sort of coaching or ambassadorial role. 


At the Galaxy he's guaranteed playing time if fit (and sometimes even if not). At Paris Saint-Germain or a Premier League club, that isn't the case. Even if Beckham's ability or drive can't be questioned, why risk missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? He'll be 37 in May; there will certainly never be a chance for him to play in the Olympics again. 


Additionally, MLS's awkward schedule actually works in Beckham's favor in this instance. European leagues will have completed their seasons and entered the summer break by the time the Olympics roll around. Beckham, meanwhile, will be in midseason form with the Galaxy, raring to go. 


As for AEG's role in allowing him dispensation to join Team GB if called up? 


"There's another part of this: We're very active in the Olympics," Leiweke said. "A long time ago we made it clear that we were going to do anything to support the Olympic games in London. 


"David being there is important to us. So we were going to be 100 percent supportive, that was never a question. Even if David didn't ask it, we were going to give it. We want him there. That was never an issue, ever."


4. Growing the game Stateside


"I don't think that my job as an ambassador of the league is finished," Beckham said. 


Immediately following the official announcement of Beckham's new two-year contract Wednesday, rival MLS clubs began trumpeting his upcoming visits to their cities. It's clear Goldenballs is still the golden ticket when it comes to selling tickets in America. 


The Galaxy likely would not have been able to replace his crossover and mainstream appeal, let alone his midfield playmaking duties. 


As soccer continues to carve out its niche in the American psyche, Beckham didn't feel like his role was done. 


"In the last year definitely, in the last two years maybe, I've seen the growth, I've seen the interest change, I've seen the excitement around the country, and I don't want to leave that yet," Beckham explained. "I want to be part of that going forward."


Since Beckham joined the league from Real Madrid in 2007, five new teams have joined MLS. Empirically, MLS is a growing league. 


"We know that David's first love in his life is his family, but he loves playing the game of soccer," Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said. "That means that the Galaxy had to be right for him, and the league had to be right. By David coming back to LA he confirms that MLS is making progress, he believes in this sport in America and he believes in the Galaxy. That's important."

5. Ownership option


MLS will likely add a 20th team overall in New York soon. After that, Beckham has a contract clause to buy a franchise at a discount price upon retirement. 


"Everybody knows I have the option of owning a franchise," Beckham admitted. "That excites me."


Leiweke provided more details. 


"He has the right, and he's made this very clear to us so we had to sort this through, that he's going to exercise his option to be an owner in Major League Soccer," Leiweke said. "Unless I'm mistaken, that's his future once he does make a decision to retire. We've structured the league, and the partners in the league have structured that option, in a way that will allow David to become a partner in the league and to operate and run his own franchise."


Most players move into coaching after retirement. Beckham mentioned some such as Paul Scholes who miss the camaraderie and competition of playing, and make returns. Coaching at least allows for some sun on the training ground every morning. 


But apparently ownership appeals to Beckham more. It's not a completely novel notion: Michael Jordan was perhaps the most high-profile athlete to move from the court to the boardroom. 


"He spends a lot of time talking to me about the business side of it," Leiweke said. "David's really smart. He's a very good businessman and he's a tough businessman. I have a lot of respect for the kind of owner he's going to be. 


"He's a very shrewd guy. He understands talent. He's out, as we speak, helping Bruce with a couple players we're trying to bring here. 


"It took one day to get Robbie Keane because David Beckham picked up the phone and recruited him."


6. Money versus ball


When Beckham first joined the Galaxy, AEG greatly inflated his wages in a press release by including potential endorsement money. The company is taking the opposite tact this time around, lowly admitting that others could stump up more coin. According to reports, PSG offered $18.7 million for an 18-month contract. 


Though details weren't revealed, Beckham likely won't see that amount for his full two years in LA. 


"We had confidence he'd make a decision as a dad before he'd make a decision as a businessman," Leiweke said. 


Other factors ended up weighing more than the financials, and in the end Beckham decided to keep his family in Los Angeles. 


"On New Year's Eve we had a glass of wine and I thought, 'We're too happy to move.'"

What has happened to Joan Capdevila? From World Cup winner with Spain to bench-warmer at Benfica

It was the best of times, then, all of a sudden, it was the worst of times. For Joan Capdevila, life took a 180-degree turn in the space of a year. In 12 months, he went from starting for Spain in the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands to finding himself on the fringes at Benfica after a free transfer from Villarreal.

But Capdevila's Greek tragedy began during the 2010-11 term, as the 33-year-old fell behind Jose Catala in then-Villarreal coach Juan Carlos Garrido's estimations towards the latter stages of the season. As a result, he also lost his place in the Spain set-up and was forced to consider his options as the campaign came to an end.

For Capdevila, Benfica looked to be the way out of his disappointing situation: the Portuguese club were looking for a new left-back following the €30 million sale of Fabio Coentrao to Real Madrid, and the other player who arrived for the left side of the defence, Lille's Emerson, did not boast nearly as much experience as the Spaniard.

However, things quickly went sour for Capdevila, who was left out of Benfica's 27-man squad for the Champions League qualifiers against Trabzonspor. Back then, the former Villarreal defender played down that situation, and it was suggested that he merely lacked competitive rhythm. 

But the final straw came when he did not make Benfica's final list for the showpiece tournament as Uefa regulations state that a club cannot register more than 17 non-homegrown players. In his place, the Estadio da Luz outfit chose Cesar Peixoto, who was not even training with the first-team squad and ended up being released in January. 

Just 24 hours after the list for the Uefa competition went public, so did Capdevila's agent, who spoke of his client's frustration at his situation and admitted that the player would have left Benfica before the end of the summer transfer window if he knew he would not be under consideration by coach Jorge Jesus. Later in September, the agent confirmed that Serie A duo Napoli and Juventus were targetting a move for the 33-year-old, but neither club have so far made an offer for the player.

The fact is that every time Capdevila has been called to action, he has appeared to be off the pace. Speculation has surfaced that the Spaniard has not been putting enough effort into training as he was convinced that he would be an automatic starter, but this matter has become taboo at the Estadio da Luz.

In early October, a report in the Portuguese press helped to understand why Capdevila may be on the periphery at Benfica. During the summer transfer window, Jesus had set his sights on Malaga winger Eliseu, who can also play at left-back, much like Coentrao. However, given the Portugal international's hefty price-tag, Jesus had to settle for the Spaniard, a player he never wanted in the first place.

With little over two weeks left in the January transfer window, all doors seem to be closed for Capdevila. A transfer to Juventus appears to be out of the equation as the Bianconeri are plotting a move for Sevilla's Martin Caceres. At the age of 33, a return to the Spain national team, for whom he has not featured since March 2011, is also highly unlikely, as Valencia's Jordi Alba has been the undisputed first choice for coach Vicente del Bosque of late. Deportivo La Coruna, where Capdevila played between 2000 and 2007, have been mooted as a solution, but the Spanish defender may have to drastically lower his wage demands to be able to join the Segunda Division side.

From hero to zero, Capdevila has watched his career nosedive spectacularly in little over a year. His future seems to be up in the air, but one thing is certain: his example shows how quickly a player's career can change if a wrong turn is taken.

Why Robin van Persie's goalscoring achievement in 2011 is better than Alan Shearer's in 1995

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie may have come up short in his quest to beat Alan Shearer's record haul for goals in a calendar year in the Premier League but the Dutchman's goals-per-game ratio suggests he still surpasses the former Newcastle United forward.

After Van Persie's solitary strike propelled Arsenal past QPR and into fourth, Arsene Wenger conceded his prized asset may regret not being able to trump Shearer's record, while the striker himself dismissed the chase for glory and basked on ending his side's year on a high, after such a woeful start.

But maybe Van Persie was already aware of his phenomenal average scoring rate of 0.97 goals per game over the course of the year. Neither Shearer, nor Thierry Henry, can boast that statistic.

Shearer's record of 36 goals is astounding, coming in 42 games. As is Henry's, of 34 goals in 39 games, giving them ratios of 0.86 and 0.87 respectively, but Van Persie has shown himself to be a much more consistent scorer.

Van Persie's importance for Arsenal has never been highlighted so clearly, and the Dutchman's frequent input throughout 2011 with vital goals has continued to boost Wenger's side.

The striker has been in excellent form this year, and while he has been unlucky to be part of a team that has won nothing since 2005, it is perhaps a home truth that had Van Persie not missed as many games through injury in the past few years, the trophy cabinet at the Emirates would have seen more silverware pass through its doors.

He will surely remain their most influential and effective player for the rest of the season; as Wenger said in his post-match press conference, why would Van Persie suddenly stop scoring when the clock chimes at midnight on New Year's Eve?

If he carries on his scoring form, Arsenal have an outside chance of challenging for the Premier League title. It is unlikely they will win it, sitting nine points behind Manchester City having played a game more, but with some reinforcements in January, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Van Persie could lead a late charge.

While they won't necessarily need to improve on their starting XI, something that is needed is strength in depth.

Wenger admitted that he may be forced to look for a left-back on loan in January with Thomas Vermaelen suffering a calf strain during the game, depriving him of yet another player who can defend on the left.

The players coming in for Arsenal to replace first-team players are not quite at the level required for a team who want to win the Premier League. They could be in a few years, when the likes of Emmanuel Frimpong [who is joining Wolves on loan for the season] and Carl Jenkinson mature, but until that time they need more players who can change games.

Players like Mikel Arteta, as talented as he is, cannot replace Cesc Fabregas, who departed for his home town of Barcelona in the summer.

Van Persie cannot be relied upon entirely to come up with the goods for Arsenal in every game, which is why he needs to be supported with some quality signings either in January or at the end of the season.

If that happens, Arsenal can truly hit the heights that they were achieving at the turn of the century, when the Invincibles were running amok in the league and dominating English football.

Certainly, the loan arrival of Thierry Henry in the coming days will serve as a timely reminder to Wenger of what his team could achieve with some stand out signings but for now, at least, Arsenal can thank their lucky stars for Robin van Persie.