Top 5 Latinos in the English Premier League this year
Manchester City has done it. Two years after Sergio Agueros last second victory goal, the Citizens have lifted their third league trophy, and have done…
Manchester City has done it. Two years after Sergio Agueros last second victory goal, the Citizens have lifted their third league trophy, and have done so under the guidance of the first non-European coach to ever win the English tournament.
In honor of Pellegrini, lets recap the top five Latinos to have rocked the Premier League this year:
1. Manuel Pellegrini
Manchester City’s manager Manuel Pellegrini poses for photographers with the trophy after the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and West Ham at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday May 11, 2014. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
The Chilean manager took off the tag of the best losing coach on the European main stage this season and won two trophies with Manchester City. First, it was the Capital One Cup, and finally the Premier League.
These are the first two titles Pellegrini has won since he arrived in this side of the pond, to Villarreal, 10 years ago. With the Yellow Submarine he made it all the way to the semifinals of the Champions League, but they fell short.
With Real Madrid, he had very bad luck in his only year with the “Merengues” and didnt win anything. With Malaga, he also made it far in the Champions League, being just second away from eliminating eventual finalist Borussia Dortmund in the quarter finals, but he couldnt lift any trophies either.
But a decade later, in Manchester, Pellegrini has lifted a trophy, and he will most likely be named Manager of the Year in England, too.
2. Luis Suarez
Liverpool’s Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring against Everton, during their English Premier League soccer match at Goodison Park Stadium, Liverpool, England, Saturday Nov. 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Luis Suarez has outdone himself this season. He had a tumultuous summer and was on the verge of signing for Real Madrid and Arsenal during the months of July and August, but he stayed in Liverpool and was inches away from taking the Reds all the way to the title.
31 goals in 33 matches have now become his calling card, as it is quite obvious he will be moving this summer to compete at the highest level. Ancelotti wants him to join Ronaldo and Bale, and just thinking of a forward line with the two fastest players in the world plus the Uruguayan is quite scary for the whole continent.
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Regardless of where he ends up, Suarez has already become a legend at Liverpool, a team that has forgiven all his youthful mistakes from seasons past, and that has seen him become one of the top goal scorers of all time wearing The Kops number seven.
3. Oscar
Chelsea’s Oscar celebrates scoring his second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Saturday, March 22, 2014. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Chelseas Brazilian playmaker has teamed up with Willian and Hazard to bring some light to Mourinhos team. The Portuguese gave him wings to fly and he did not disappoint, becoming the clear star of the club in the first two-thirds of the season, but as things got heavy, Mou started to weigh in his love for more defensive-minded players and kept Oscar aside.
The Brazilian did not play in the crucial Champions League semifinal bout at Stamford Bridge against Atletico Madrid, and Chelsea certainly missed his presence.
Without being a consummate goalscorer, Oscar netted 13 goals and served up 6 assists this year, and if he can fix things with Mourinho, he will be Chelseas offensive leader next year. If not, there will be a queue of clubs looking for his signature.
4. Philippe Coutinho
Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho celebrates after he scored the third goal of the game for his side during their English Premier League soccer match against Manchester City at Anfield in Liverpool, England, Sunday April. 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Clint Hughes)
Another one of Liverpools fairy tale stories this season. Brazilian Coutinho went from teenage soccer God to forgotten child star when he signed for Inter Milan at 17 years of age in 2010.
It seemed like his magic had gone as he was loaned out to Espanyol and while he didnt completely fail in Spain, he was nowhere near being the determining factor he was supposed to have become.
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But Rodgers brought him over to his revamped Liverpool team and in just a few months it was quite obvious the Brazilian was back to stay at the top of his game.
At 21, he is now one of the best young talent in the continent, and has had a wonderful season with the Reds, playing behind Suarez and Sturridge, that has put him on the brink of being called up by Scolari to travel to the World Cup in Brazil.
5. Gustavo Poyet
Sunderland’s manager Gustavo Poyet watches his team’s English Premier League soccer match against Liverpool at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England, Wednesday, March 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
The Uruguayan coach suffered one of the worst humiliations possible last summer: he was fired as Brighton’s manager on national television. Poyet had led the team from the depths of the lower divisions in England professional soccer to almost clinching the promotion to the Premier League last season, when differences with the board put him on the hot seat.
What he couldnt expect was that an official statement by the club would be issued, announcing the dismissal from his post, while he was commentating a Confederations Cup match live on the BBC.
The humiliation turned quite sweet, however, when in October he was appointed Sunderlands head coach, after the firing of Paolo Di Canio.
Poyet went on to manage the team to a successful season, reaching the Capital One Cup final, becoming the first team to beat Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge, and ultimately securing another year in the top-tier of English football.
