Six Games, Six Wins, Six Clean Sheets

It is an auspicious moment to start a blog devoted to following AEK F.C. We have played six regular season Super League games, won all six and not conceded a single goal.  We are defending well, passing well, controlling the midfield for lengthy periods and, unlike last year, finishing fairly well.  Our new signings are making huge contributions and its been gratifying to watch players like Rivaldo and Blanco link up.   

Our UEFA Cup run has been promising, if less stellar. We handily defeated the Champions of the Austrian League, Salzburg, in the first leg of our qualifying tie, and though we lost 1-0 in the second leg, we still advanced comfortably on aggregate. Our first group stage match last week against IF Elfsborg, last season’s Swedish champion (though only about fifth place as this season winds down in Northern Europe) ended in a 1-1 draw. It was away, it was on artificial turf, and we were without several key players, either due to minor injuries, suspensions or because Ferrer chose to rest them.

Because of the turf, the weather and the missing players (excuses, I know), it is hard to draw too many conclusions from the Elsborg game, but three things jump to mind. First, we had a problem finishing. We had a few excellent opportunities, particularly in the second half, but we shot wide and overran the ball. Second, we got lucky. Elsborg splintered the woodwork twice in the second half. An inch difference in either case would have been our end. Why was our defense so permeable? Dellas and Edson Ramos Silva were not playing; perhaps it is too much of a strain to rest them both at the same time. Third, it was good to see some new faces playing. Ferrer is rotating players and resting some top players during UEFA Cup games (AEK’s stated priority this season is the Super League, not the UEFA Cup), but Pappas had a remarkable game and an excellent goal. The former winger from Olympiacos could prove to be a shrewd signing if he keeps it up.

Papastathopolous, the captain of Greece’s Under 19 team, played last week against Elfsborg and again on Sunday against Xanthi. His Xanthi game was the better of the two. He is a reliable tackler and showed tremendous confidence for his age. With Dellas and Alves playing dependably, the central defense has the depth we need.

And speaking of Sunday’s game against Xanthi, it was part of the reason I finally got off my kolo and started this blog. I follow three teams: AEK Athens, DC United and Fulham FC (pretty much in that order). While watching Sunday’s game, I straight away recognized their new forward but couldn’t immediately place him. Finally, about twenty minutes in, it hit me: it was Tomasz Radzinski, a formerly prolific forward who was only middling at Fulham before getting dropped by their new manager over the summer. Which brings me full circle to my blog. I’ve been reading the Craven Cottage Newsround, a blog devoted to Fulham, for some time now. I always wondered why there wasn’t a decent English-language blog devoted to following AEK. Well, now there is.  Anyway, I just checked and the Craven Cottage Newsround has an old post on Radzinski:  http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2007/05/18/radzinski-in-review/.  I’d like to say Radzinski is doing better in the Greek league than he did at Fulham, but I can’t.  Neither he nor his team ever really threatened despite playing a ten man AEK side for most of the game (after AEK’s keeper was red carded in the 12th minute).

I want to feel confident about our team, and, for the most part, I do. I certainly feel better about our chances than I did last year. For one thing, we have an excellent finisher in Blanco who came over as the top scorer from Argentina’s second division. There was some talk preseason about a knee surger a few years back that he didn’t disclose at the time of his signing, but his performances have I think reassured all of us that he was one of the most important signings of the Summer.  He has five goals in six Super League games. By the same token, however, his performance, and the collective relief felt by AEK fans everyone at having secured his presence, points to a possible problem: we have little depth in finishing. Blanco’s goals are solely responsible for three League wins that would otherwise have ended in draws. Lyberopolous is off to a slow start (am I putting that too nicely?), so, right now, Blanco is it. Both on Sunday against Xanthi and last week against Elsborg, we missed too many chances. If Blanco gets hurt, it’s going to show a lot more than it would in other positions.

That’s it for now. The wife has Dirty Sexy Money on the idiot box and I can’t block it out any longer.