Ozil in danger of losing World Cup place to Gotze

The Arsenal star has been outshone by his Bayern Munich counterpart this season and must pick up his form or face Joachim Low's axe

COMMENT
By John C Brandi

When Mario Gotze's €37 million move from Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich was confirmed last April, the then 20-year-old was the most expensive German ever. He held the title for just a few months. At the end of the summer, Mesut Ozil had smashed it, having swapped Real Madrid for Arsenal for €50m.

Back in September there was no doubt whom the superior player was: Gotze was injured and on the fringes of Pep Guardiola's team, while Ozil had made a flying start to life in the Premier League.

He had set up a goal just 11 minutes into his debut against Sunderland and backed it up shortly afterwards with a spectacular goal against Napoli. Things soon went awry though. Even before a shoulder injury ruled him out of a sizeable chunk of Arsenal's festive fixtures, the steady stream of assists and goals had dried up.

It was strikingly similar to his form at Madrid: all too often, he could provide some great moments for the highlights reel, but drifted in and out of matches, with his body language suggesting he was uninterested.

Ozil's shy nature and sometimes casual play has always made him a target for critics and so it has proved in London. In the last two months he has made only two assists and no goals, and press reviews of his Premier League career have been mixed at best.


Flying Start | Ozil came out of the blocks quicker than Gotze this season
Is he going through a lull? Like many of his team-mates, Ozil was in poor form for the 5-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield at the beginning of February, but Arsene Wenger was quick to protect his asset. "He works very hard to adapt. For me he's an exceptional player.

"He is too obsessed with making the perfect pass when he could take a shot on goal."

As Ozil was hitting the buffers in London, Gotze was getting into gear in Munich. After beginning the season injured, it took him a while to reach his peak. But when he finally obtained full fitness, he showed that he was worthy of a place in Pep Guardiola's side, despite being his second-choice signing after Neymar. His versatility also proved to be a useful tool. Gotze has played in his preferred central position, on the right, on the left, and even as a false No.9. 

His return to Dortmund was a bittersweet triumph as his introduction off the bench was the trigger for a 3-0 win and he was particularly impressive in the 5-0 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt. Question marks have been raised over his ability as a striker, not least by Franz Beckenbauer, who claimed the 21-year-old was being "wasted" up front, but his form has been overwhelmingly positive.

His performances just behind a front man give Ozil serious cause for concern. He may be elegant, a mainstay of the Germany team and perhaps the leading No.10 in the modern game, but he has gone missing in big games, leaving the English public wondering what he is truly capable of.


Gotze takes off | The younger German has come into his own since December
Joachim Low, who will be in attendance when Gotze and Ozil meet at the Emirates on Wednesday, will be reassessing his options. There's little doubt as to which player has been in better form and only one can play behind the striker.

Low has always stood by his players and Ozil will be no different, but with Marco Reus and Thomas Muller's places on either flank assured, Gotze's form poses an interesting dilemma ahead of the World Cup.

A strong performance against Gotze, and Bayern, in the last 16 of the Champions League, would go some way to showing Ozil's critics that he's still number one

Are AC Milan really going to sell Balotelli?

The Italy striker has been the centre of recent speculation, and there's every chance that his spell with his boyhood club is about to come to an early end

SPECIAL REPORT
By Kris Voakes | International Football Correspondent

When Mario Balotelli arrived at Milanello in January 2013, it looked like a match made in heaven.

The Italy striker was an AC Milan fan as a youngster and his time at Manchester City had run its course. He needed a fresh challenge. The Rossoneri, meanwhile, were looking for a leg-up in their push to regain their status of old. They required a player who could fit in with Stephan El Shaarawy and M'baye Niang in their grand vision for the future.

'MILAN WANT RID OF RAIOLA'S MEN'

THE VIEW FROM ITALY ON BALOTELLI

"Arsenal have already approached Milan about Balotelli. The Rossoneri want to get rid of all the players associated to Mino Raiola - with Barbara Berlusconi key to this sea change - and Balotelli is top of the list. "The decision on Mario's future doesn't appear to be a choice related to whether Milan qualify for the Champions League or Europa League for next season, rather it is a strategy focused on getting as much money as possible out of the situation. "Of course it also depends on the way he'll play at the World Cup in Brazil this summer, but one thing is for sure ... Silvio Berlusconi has never liked him and never wanted him." Gaia Brunelli | Goal's AC Milan Correspondent

On opening night against Udinese, Balotelli's box office billing appeared more than worthy. He immediately showed signs of an understanding with Niang, and by half-time he'd already registered his first goal in black and red from an El Shaarawy pull-back. Later, he would smash in a match-winning penalty. The future appeared to be in safe hands.

But little more than a year later, the great Balotelli project seems to be on altogether more rocky ground. On Friday, the 23-year-old netted a stunning late winner against Bologna at San Siro, yet it came after the latest in a string of unconvincing performances. His movement was again laboured, his interest in the scrap questionable, his relevance to the game as a whole minimal.

The very fact that Milan sit in ninth says much about how the last year has gone. If anything, they look a worse team now than they did this time last year, and the bright young hopes have all fallen short of expectation for various reasons.

Niang has been sent on loan to Montpellier after failing to score in 28 league games in Italy, with off-field trouble also having followed. El Shaarawy has played just 92 minutes in all competitions during the last five months due to injury, coming off the back of a dip in form which coincided with Balotelli’s arrival in Milan.

And the main man himself has yet to show that he can become the more rounded, all-encompassing target man that coach Clarence Seedorf appears to want him to be. Balotelli stated after Friday’s winner that he feels the need to lead the Rossoneri from the front. "The coach gives me confidence, as I am the one who has to pull the team forward and therefore it's my duty to score these goals," he told Sky Sport, yet he has often left them lacking a real focus and energy in the forward line.

He has netted 26 times in 40 games in Milan colours, but nine of them have come from the penalty spot and a further four from free-kicks. What remains is a tally of 13 goals from open play. Giampaolo Pazzini has scored the same number in 36 games for the club, only 16 of which have been starts.

In general play, Balotelli often lacks the dynamism one might rightly expect from a player who away from the field appears to carry so much effervescence and verve. He may have the desire to be the very best, admitting to Goal recently that he sees himself as a potential Ballon d’Or candidate – “Of course it is an ambition for everybody, and it is certainly an ambition for me” – but this objective is belied by his body language on the pitch.

"I've had enough and the decision is made. Mario is officially on the market and we need to sell him before the end of January" - Silvio Berlusconi, December 2013

It is an attitude which now sees him close to the exit door at San Siro. With Milan struggling to make any real impression on the Serie A table, Balotelli looks likely to be sold in a bid to raise funds for a new project. President Silvio Berlusconi, who called the striker a "rotten apple" shortly before his arrival in Milan, was left fuming by the No.45's approach during the winter break and demanded that he be sold in January.

"I've had enough and the decision is made," Secolo XIX quoted Berlusconi as saying. "Mario is officially on the market and we need to sell him before the end of January." The ex-Inter man might have survived the transfer window, but it seems little more than a stay of execution, with Silvio's daughter Barbara wanting to move out all players linked to agent Mino Raiola.

With Balotelli having been purchased for €20 million with additional performance-related costs, theRossoneri could well make the most of his sell-on value should he perform well against Atletico Madrid this week in the Champions League round of 16 first leg. With the decision already made that the forward can leave, it seems that any star showing now will be greeted as warmly for its weight in the market as for its boost on the field.

Balotelli's demeanour, Milan’s results and the Berlusconi family's lack of patience are proof enough that last January's move has simply not worked. The end of the great love affair is nigh.

Lahm fears 'punisher' Ozil

The former Real Madrid star has struggled for form in recent weeks but his international team-mate insists he could have a big impact on Tuesday's Champions League tie

EXCLUSIVE
By Thomas Unsworth

Mesut Ozil will "punish" Bayern Munich if the holders take the threat of Arsenal lightly in their Champions League last-16 clash, according to Philipp Lahm.

	ARSENAL LATEST
13/2	Arsenal are 13/2 with Paddy Power to be winning at HT & FT v Bayern

The Bayern captain and Arsenal’s record signing have represented Germany on 156 occasions between them, but will line-up on opposing teams when Pep Guardiola's side travel to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

After a bright start to his Arsenal career following his £42 million move from Real Madrid in August, Ozil's presence in Premier League games had waned in recent weeks. 

But Lahm, whose side are strong favourites to become the first to retain the Champions League, knows that one moment of magic from Ozil could prove the difference in the tie.

"Many of the players at Bayern know exactly what Mesut is capable of - he has been one of the best central midfield players in the world for many years now," Lahm told Goal. 

"He sees passes and space that very few players in the world are able to see - he is a very intelligent player. 

"Even when he is maybe not having the best of games or is not in the best form - you can't give him any space or time on the ball - because in a second he can find that pass and you are punished."

How Pellegrini could have ended up as Barcelona coach instead of Martino

The Manchester City manager was on the Catalans' radar as the club considered possible alternatives to Tito Vilanova during the latter's time out for cancer treatment

SPECIAL REPORT
By Ben Hayward | Spanish Football Writer

Out went Tito and in came Tata. Barcelona were forced to make a coaching change in the summer, with Vilanova taking time off to recover from cancer and Gerardo Martino brought in as his replacement. But had things been different, instead of an Argentine in the Camp Nou hotseat, it could have been a Chilean: Manuel Pellegrini.

Barca have long admired Pellegrini and kept tabs on the South American during his successful spell at Villarreal between 2004 and 2009. Indeed, the Catalan club considered the Chilean as a potential replacement for Frank Rijkaard as the Dutchman's tenure finally flickered out in 2008.

In the end, however, Barca opted to promote Pep Guardiola to the top job at Camp Nou and, a year later, Pellegrini moved to the other side of the Clasico divide as he joined Real Madrid.

Identified by sporting director Jorge Valdano as the man to lead the second Florentino Perez project at the Santiago Bernabeu, Pellegrini steered Madrid to their highest-ever points total in La Liga (96). That, however, was only good enough for second spot behind Barca and the team's last-16 Champions League exit to Lyon, plus Copa del Rey humiliation at the hands of Second Division B side Alcorcon brought the inevitable: Pellegrini was sacked.

PELLEGRINI'S COACHING CAREER
Universidad de Chile Palestino Chile Under-20 Palestino O'Higgins Universidad Catolica Palestino LDU Quito San Lorenzo River Plate Villarreal Real Madrid Malaga Manchester City	1988-89 1990 1991 1991-92 1992-93 1994-96 1998 1999-00 2001-02 2002-03 2004-09 2009-10 2010-13 2013-

The Chilean had been the victim of a vicious press campaign by the Madrid media to oust him from his post and also admitted later on that his relationship with Florentino had been bad since the very beginning.

Many Madrid fans, though, enjoyed the Chilean's brand of attacking football and had hoped the former Villarreal boss would stay.

Instead, Madrid moved for Jose Mourinho and Pellegrini opted to rebuild his reputation at Malaga.

That decision raised eyebrows, but the South American led the Andalusian side to within a minute of reaching the Champions League semi-finals in his second full season (as they lost out to Borussia Dortmund in the dying seconds), despite the sale of several of the club's top players in the summer of 2012.

With Guardiola on the way out at Barca, president Sandro Rosell and sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta contemplated a move for Pellegrini but ultimately opted for continuity as Tito took over from Pep, moving from assistant to the top job.

Yet the Barca board continued to admire Pellegrini's progress with Malaga and when Tito was forced to take time off for further treatment following a relapse late in 2012 and early in 2013, the Chilean was one of the names in the frame as a possible successor if the Catalan coach couldn't contiinue at Camp Nou.

Vilanova returned at the end of the season and pledged to carry on in the job he loved, but behind the scenes, Barca were unsure what to do. Deeply concerned by the health of their coach and keen to avoid a repeat of the situation which saw them left without a senior boss for crunch Champions League and Liga fixtures last season, the Catalan club contacted Pellegrini.

By that point, however, the Chilean was in advanced negotiations with Manchester City and, in any case, Barca were unable to make any promises about an appointment. If Tito was willing, fit and healthy, he stayed.

"There was defininte interest in Pellegrini," a source close to the Catalan club told Goal. "Tito had taken time out and nobody knew if he would be able to continue beyond the summer, but in the end he insisted that he wanted to stay and the club respected that."

So Pelllegrini completed his move to City, announcing a verbal agreement on May 30 and officially joining in June. Meanwhile, Vilanova vowed to continue at Camp Nou. "I feel strong and, if my health permits, I will stay on."

Sadly for both club and coach, however, his heath did not permit and on July 19, Barca announced that Tito would be stepping down to concentrate on his battle to beat cancer.

They have an enormous squad with extraordinary players, and back-up in every position" - Manuel Pellegrini on Barcelona

By that time, Pellegrini was in pre-season preparations with City and there was no chance of signing the Chilean.

"Had Barca known earlier that Tito wouldn't be able to continue, Pellegrini would have been their first choice," our source said. "He has great experience in La Liga and his style of football fits with the Barca philosophy - it would have been ideal."

With options restricted in late July, Barca ultimately considered two men to take over from Vilanova: Martino and Luis Enrique. But a couple of the senior players told the board they did not want to work with the latter and, in any case, their former midfielder was already at Celta Vigo.

Additional concerns over Luis Enrique's lack of experience at the highest level and his strong character meant Martino was the oustanding candidate in the end - and he was seen as the ideal man to bond with compatriot Lionel Messi.

Tata, though, had no previous experience in European football and had Tito's exit occurred in May and not late in July, Pellegrini would likely have been the Catalan club's top target.

"It could well have happened," our source summed up. "Pellegrini loves Spain and the chance to coach Barcelona appealed to him. His year at Madrid didn't end well and so he doesn't feel especially attached to them.

"The Barca board admire him and he may well end up here in future."

Debate: Should Xavi start for Barcelona against Manchester City?

The Catalans' midfield maestro was rested on Saturday and, in his absence, Gerardo Martino's men produced their most dominant display of the season. So should he be brought back?

DEBATE
By Peter Staunton & Ben Hayward

Xavi on the bench? Not so long ago, that notion would have been ridiculed ahead of a big fixture like Barcelona's trip to Manchester City on Tuesday. After all, the 34-year-old embodies the Catalans' tiki takastyle more than any other player.

But is that reason enough to bring him back? The midfielder's mobility has never been his best feature and, against a high-tempo rival in a physical battle, is he really the correct choice?

Coach Gerardo Martino rested Xavi on Saturday to keep the club's vice-captain fresh for the City clash but, in his absence, Barca produced their most complete performance of the entire season, thrashing Rayo Vallecano 6-0.

Rayo may be one of the worst sides in La Liga, but Barca's play was simply sublime at times, particularly from Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta in midfield. So should Tata stick with those two alongside Sergio Busquets or bring back Xavi for what is probably the team's toughest test yet in 2013-14?

Goal's Peter Staunton and Ben Hayward go head-to-head over the issue …

"XAVI IS STILL THE WORLD'S BEST MIDFIELDER"

 
By Peter Staunton

That sheen of invincibility that Manchester City had earned under Roberto Mancini at home has been well and truly scuffed this season. First Bayern Munich came and inflicted defeat upon them for the first time in 20 European matches at the Etihad and more recently Chelsea ended their long unbeaten domestic record.

Those two matches did not have much in common, demonstrating two distinct ways of beating City on their own patch. Where Chelsea set up to frustrate City by sitting in their own half, defending with discipline and seeking to hit on the break, Bayern starved them of possession and passed the ball around them.

Barcelona are far more capable of doing the latter. Key for them in this gameplan is Xavi. Too much ink has been wasted on the fact that he is now 34 and, perhaps, beginning to show his age. He is still the best midfielder in the world, even if he does have to pick and choose his matches nowadays.

The fact remains that, Lionel Messi aside, Xavi is more suited to the Barcelona template than anyone else in the lineup. He acts as the conductor for the team, taking every second pass and moving things along. He is a playmaker who tries whenever possible to get the ball to the feet of his frontrunners. His chief strength, though, is keeping the ball from the opposition. With him in the team, Barcelona choke the life out of other clubs. In that sense he is irreplaceable, no matter how well Cesc Fabregas does as an understudy against the likes of Rayo Vallecano.

Manchester City are now accustomed to dictating the play and creating chances at will. When that doesn't happen, the frustration levels in the stands grow and the players become too easily dejected. And while he can be one of the most dangerous players for his team in possession, Yaya Toure can also be one of the most dangerous players to his team when he doesn't have the ball. He doesn't like using his energy to track runs and attempt interceptions. He can become a liability when the ball is simply moved around him.

Xavi is still the master of that.

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"INIESTA & CESC SHOULD START THIS TIME"

By Ben Hayward

Barcelona's possession percentage may increase slightly when Xavi is in the team, but having the ball is not everything and that has been all too evident in many European games away from home for the Catalan club over the last few seasons.

The Blaugrana lost 2-0 to AC Milan last season, could only draw 2-2 at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals and were then brutally beaten by Bayern Munich (4-0) in the last-four clash at the Allianz Arena. In the previous campaign, meanwhile, they were held to a goalless draw at Milan and also suffered a 1-0 defeat at Chelsea. This term, they again failed to beat an average Rossoneri side at San Siro as the game ended 1-1.

That's not Xavi's fault, of course, though the midfielder still symbolises more than any other player the passing and possession philosophy which made Barca brilliant. Like Pep Guardiola and Tito Vilanova before him, coach Gerardo Martino has attempted to address that by getting his side to play a more direct style - particularly on the road.

Up until now, dispensing with Xavi has not really been part of the plan, but the fantastic form of Cesc Fabregas (who is more direct than his team-mate, sets up more goals and also scores more) means Martino now has a very real alternative to the 34-year-old vice captain.

Earlier on this season, it was usually Andres Iniesta who made way to accommodate Cesc, but the 29-year-old has looked close to his imperious and brilliant best over the last three games and now cannot be left out. Iniesta or Cesc could be utilised further forward if Martino wants to pick Xavi, but fielding three dynamic forward players would work better against a high-tempo team that will come out and attack, leaving spaces at the back that can be exploited.

Alexis Sanchez, Lionel Messi, Pedro and Neymar (who will probably start on the bench as he has just returned from injury) would be ideal for those front three positions, while Cesc and Iniesta seem better suited in midfield to feed them with quick, incisive passes and through-balls from deeper positions.

Sorry Xavi. 

Why Barcelona decided to sell Yaya Toure

Since leaving Camp Nou for Manchester City in 2010, the Ivorian has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world - so why did the Blaugrana let him go?

ANALYSIS
By Mark Doyle

Transfers are a touchy subject in Barcelona right now. However, with the Catalans set to take on Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday night, it is nigh on impossible to avoid thinking about the €30 million deal that saw Yaya Toure swap Camp Nou for the Etihad in 2010. 

Of course, that is solely because in the intervening four years the Ivorian has proven himself one of the most complete midfielders in world football. Which begs the question: why on earth did the Blaugrana let him go?

Toure is in no doubt as to where the blame lies. When pressed on his exit in October 2011, he made it clear that then Barca boss Pep Guardiola had effectively forced him out.

THE VIEW FROM BARCELONA

"Pep Guardiola didn't have a great relationship with Toure and that's the main reason that Yaya left Barcelona. "There wasn't a specific problem between them but what we do know is that Guardiola wanted to have a team of players fully behind him - and that's why Pep oversaw a gradual clear-out of some of the key components of the squad he inherited. Of course, there was also the fact that Pep preferred Sergio Busquets to Toure in front of the back four. "Toure didn't want to leave the team and the fans still view his departure as a big loss, as they remember him fondly as one of the best players the club has had in recent years." Pilar Suarez | Goal's Barcelona Correspondent

"Whenever I asked him something, he always gave strange answers," Toure told ONA FM. "He pretty much ignored me until City's offer came in. That's why I eventually opted to leave. I didn't speak to Guardiola for a year.

"If he had talked to me, I would have stayed at Barcelona. I did not want to go and wanted to end my career at Barcelona. However, he had no faith in me."

Guardiola, though, offered a rapid riposte, saying that he, in conjunction with then president Joan Laporta, had done his utmost to persuade Toure to remain at Camp Nou.

"I talk to anyone and the doors to my office and house are always open for the players," the former Spain international told AS. "The truth is that [Toure] asked Laporta to leave. We even tried to convince him to stay."

Clearly someone is being economical with the truth. Certainly, Toure's love for Barcelona has always appeared sincere. In the first couple of years after his exit, he repeatedly spoke of his desire to return to Catalunya one day, while he dismissed talk of a transfer to Real Madrid in 2012 by explaining that such a move would be unthinkable given he still considered himself a Barcelona fan.

However, there is no doubt that Toure was drawn to Manchester City for a variety of reasons, chief among them the presence of his brother Kolo at the Etihad at the time. There was also the astronomical wage on offer (a basic package of €170,00 a week excluding extremely lucrative performance bonuses), an offer that blew Arsenal's hopes of signing Yaya out of the water. The guarantee of regular first-team football was also key. As a bit-part player at Barcelona, Toure was undeniably seduced by the promise pitched to him by City's former chief executive, Gary Cook, that he would become a legend at the Etihad.

From Barcelona's perspective, incoming president Sandro Rosell was keen to balance the books at Camp Nou and was quite content to accept €30m for a player who was essentially a reserve. Indeed, in his final season in Catalunya, Toure largely served as an understudy to Sergio Busquets, something he subsequently admitted to having found very difficult to take.

"Without Busquets, I would not have left," he conceded in October 2010. "He has great quality but what I want are games, not sitting on the bench. I won everything there and needed other challenges."

He has certainly risen to those challenges, though it helped that he went from feeling underappreciated to adored. Ex-City boss Roberto Mancini built his team around Toure, playing an integral role in the Ivorian's transformation from a defensive midfielder to a box-to-box colossus. It is worth noting that Toure netted only six times in all competitions in three seasons at Barcelona - yet he managed 10 in his first campaign at City alone. Of course, Toure had played in a more advanced position during his time at Monaco but he was only truly set free by Mancini.

"It was he who decided to put me more forward," the three-time African Football of the Year said in February of last year. "Since coming to City I have enjoyed my football more because my game is all about attack and what I did at Barcelona was quite different."


Toure's Transformation | The Ivorian scored six goals at Barca; he hit 10 in his first season at City
The Blaugrana's decision to sell Toure must therefore rank as one of their more expensive errors, particularly when one considers that two supposed replacements, Javier Mascherano and Alex Song, were subsequently signed at a combined cost of €42 milliion. That Guardiola failed to see - let alone unleash - Toure's full potential is also strange, given this is the coach that has successfully turned Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm from a full-back into a holding midfielder.

Of course, that is if you pay no heed to the Catalan's claims that he tried in vain to persuade Toure to stay at Camp Nou. Truth be told, it is hard to know whom to believe. 

Instead, maybe it is just best to think of the time that former Brazil forward Ronaldo appeared before a congressional hearing in 2001 to give his views on the country's struggling national team and vowed: "I will tell you my truth ... But there are many truths."

In this instance, Toure has his version of the truth; Guardiola has his. All we can know for certain is that in the summer of 2010 Barcelona lost a great player - and Manchester City gained one.

No relief from snow in New York, Washington, US South

Thursday's storm shut down federal offices in Washington, DC, and left parts of New York City in near whiteout conditions. And parts of the East Coast can expect several more inches of snow.

Major television networks and forecasters have dubbed this, the latest brutal freeze of 2014 for the eastern states of the country, 'snowmaggedon,' 'mind-boggling' and 'historic.'

The roughly dozen casualties caused by the storm include a 36-year-old pregnant woman in New York struck and killed early Thursday by a snowplow in a supermarket parking lot. At a hospital, doctors delivered her baby by cesarean section and it remains in stable but critical condition.

'Treacherous'

The usually temperate Southern states of North and South Carolina and Georgia saw hundreds of accidents. Traffic jams extended evening commutes by hours.

The storm has also left more than 750,000 people without power in the South, including about 200,000 in the Atlanta area alone. President Barack Obama has declared states of emergency in Georgia and South Carolina in order to quickly deploy federal resources.

'This storm is dangerous,' North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory said. 'Road conditions are treacherous in many areas.'

McCrory urged North Carolinians to stay indoors - even to sleep at work - rather than risk the treacherous roads. 'If you're in a safe warm place, stay in a safe warm place,' McCrory said on the news channel CNN. 'We've already had two fatalities and we don't want to see more.'

Moving up north

As the storm headed north, the US National Weather Service warned that the 'mammoth dome' of Arctic air would cut a wide swath from Georgia to New England. The National Weather Service announced that moisture from the Atlantic 'will continue to fuel widespread precipitation.'

As the snow started blowing in overnight, temperatures hovered around 26 degrees Fahrenheit (-3 C) but the wind chill made it feel more like 15 degrees, forecasters said. By mid-Thursday, both New York City and Washington, DC, had received about 8 inches of snow (20.32 centimeters). Airlines canceled more than 6,000 flights on Thursday, including many to and from New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington.

On Thursday, the White House canceled its daily news briefing, and federal offices told workers to stay home. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that it had contacted offices in the densely populated states of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia to assess their needs. The Pentagon mobilized more than 2,300 members of the National Guard to assist with any weather emergencies.