Chelsea and Arsenal have provided an excellent study in contrasts this week. While Roman Abramovich was busy parting with Jose Mourinho, the best manager Chelsea has ever known, and bringing in a stooge who has already lost the dressing room, Arsenal played some fantastic football and turned in a financial report that propelled them up the clubs rich list to second in the world (behind only Real Madrid). The contrast was clear for all to see: Abramovich’s ego was taking Chelsea down as quickly as his rubles had taken them up the footballing hierarchy while Arsenal had taken a slow and steady approach, with investment in a new stadium and faith in their young players. At least for now, the Gunners appear in a much stronger position (that is, until Alisher Usmanov takes over).

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What a difference a week makes. Last weekend Iraqis of all stripes were out in the streets celebrating their national team’s unexpected victory in the Asian Cup. But the team’s return to their war-wracked country has proven anything but happy.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki welcomes back Hayder Abdul Amir (photo: AP/Hadi Mizban)

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In case you haven’t heard the news (but you probably have; it’s been everywhere), Iraq won the Asian Cup today, beating Saudi Arabia 1-0. The story is, of course, good news in a country that has known little of the sort in recent years. Perhaps the best coverage of the tournament came from the New York Times’ Goal blog, which had several posts from correspondents in Iraq and in the region. I would also recommend the website Global Voices, which collects the accounts of several Iraqi bloggers offering first-hand accounts of the post-game celebrations. Yahoo! has some great pictures both from the game and from fans celebrating the victory. Reading about and seeing the outpouring of emotion almost makes me want to be in the country, just to experience it.

Iraqi goalkeeper Noor Hassan falls to his knees after the final whistle is blown (photo: AP / Irwin Fedriansyah)

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This week I’m going to focus on some stories that you may not have read (if you have come across these stories then consider yourself as nerdy as me).

Let’s start with David Beckham. Surely, you’ve read a story or two (or sixty) about his coming to the US (even my non-soccer liking friend watched Posh’s reality show on NBC and said it was “hilarious” – although probably not in the way she intended it to be funny).

But did you hear the public radio show Marketplace’s take on Becks’ arrival? Or how about NPR’s show News and Notes, in which host Farai Chideya and Newsweek entertainment writer Allison Samuels discuss how Beckham is perceived in Britian’s black community (quite positively, even calling him “an honorary black man” a la Bill Clinton) and whether he will appeal to African-Americans. Even Steven Colbert offered his take on Beckham, naming him “Alpha Dog of the Week” for earning a huge salary and then not practicing (albeit because he was hurt).

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Some guy named David Beckham officially joined the LA Galaxy. I’m so fed up with the excessive coverage already (you’d think this Beckham chap was the only person playing soccer in the US) and so am going to limit my discussion of this event (if you really want to read about Mr. Posh Spice, check out Grant Wahl’s Sports Illustrated cover story as well as his article discussing the Latino response to his arrival).

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That money plays a huge role in the success of teams is no surprise. One of the most successful teams both on the field and earning money (no coincidence, of course) is Manchester United. As the Irish Independent reported last week, Man U has been among the most successful clubs worldwide in marketing itself. The marketing department there has done an incredible job, raising the profile of the team around the globe. Many of the teams sponsors – e.g. AIG – are international companies interested in being seen by Man U fans around the world. And because the club can boast such a wide fan base, it can charge its sponsors more. This money can then be used to buy stars. The 75 million pound bill so far for summer purchases Owen Hargraeves, Nani, Anderson, and Carlos Tevez (soon enough) could not been achieved without the club’s success in marketing.

Wayne Rooney sports the AIG logo

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