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| This could be the site in Manchester City for years to come. |
So I'm sure a lot of you who know absolutely nothing about soccer and don't really care to learn were pretty intrigued when you watched Manchester City win the Premier League, lose the Premier League and win it back in 90 minutes. The scintillating soccer from what most people consider as Manchester's "second team" was so stunning in those last four minutes that I'm quite confident everyone who tuned in on Sunday could not believe their eyes. Still many Americans had no idea how the Premiership works or what the hell happened on Sunday and why it was so disgustingly dramatic. They also probably never heard of Manchester City since it has been swallowed up in the shadows of one of soccer's most famous clubs, Manchester United. But it's City's time now in the Premiership and I'll try my best to translate what that means in the American Sports Language, because we all know that very few Americans get club soccer or soccer in general.
Even though Man City has been like the Mets or Jets of the Manchester club soccer scene(a second tier squad in a two-squad city), the organization has taken a dramatic turn in the last few years. This turn around all started with the financials. In 2007 City was sold to Middle Eastern businessman Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan(yeah that's a full name) and things changed instantly. Shinawatra re-energized the organization by pumping boatloads of cash into the transfer market. In the '07/'08 season, Manchester City had spent about 45 million euros on transfers. In '08/'09, City had its first of many monster spending summers, dishing out more than 125 million euros almost a 300% increase from the year before. Particularly large signings came in the form of two Brazilian strikers, Jo and Robinho, Both of which turned out to be major busts eventually leaving after only a few years. City followed up that insane summer with several more. In the last three years Man City has paid around 350 million euros for the services of Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor, Joleon Lescott, Roque Santa Cruz, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Mario Balotelli, James Milner, Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero. Unlike the first two signings who came and went faster than Freddy Adu's stardom in the U.S, these 10 players are all still currently with Manchester City.
Basically Manchester City has become the New York Yankees of the Premier League. They spend ruthlessly, obnoxiously and sometimes the spend like they've never touched a euro before. Like the Yankees of the mid-2000s, those first three seasons of bank abuse didn't exactly lead to soccer glory. In '08/'09 with growing expectations that coincided with their growth in payroll, City finished a disappointing sixth, fired their head coach and brought in a new one. The next year, they underachieved again finishing fifth, but at least had the opportunity to play for the Europa League the next season. Europa League is like the NIT of the European Club Soccer. An invitation to the Europa League for City was sort of like receiving a participation trophy in pee-wee sports, just consolation. Finally, in the third season of the big spending era, City crept out of the shadows finishing third in the league and winning the F.A. Cup for the first time since 1969. The expensive pieces were finally coming together for Man United's red headed step brother, and the 2011-12 season was to be their year.
The final piece to the puzzle was a Argentinian speedster by the name of Sergio Aguero. Manchester City signed the 23-year-old for 38 million euros and has gotten nothing but spectacular play. Aguero has 23 goals in 34 appearances for City and earned the team's Player of the Year Award. He also was the one who scored that scintillating goal in the 94th minute to give Man City its first Premiership title since '68. Aguero will be forever etched in the memory of Man City fans for breaking through that 44-year league title barrier.
So like the big spending Yankees of the mid-2000s that eventually turned into the 2008 World Series Champions, it has taken time to mold this group of high priced individuals into a championship caliber club. I'm quite confident Manchester City will turn this into a streak of various Cup and League titles and maybe shifting the league and city of Manchester on its head. Americans know all about Man U, which is probably the most famous English side, but they will soon know Manchester City and know them well.. That is of course, if they weren't already encapsulated by that fireworks finish that happened on Sunday.
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