Germany have excelled on and off the field. While almost no one dared tip the hosts as potential champions in the run up to the tournament, Jurgen Klinsmann's men have defied the doubters to run in four straight wins and claim a place in the last eight.
Now the test really begins with South American giants Argentina between the Germans and a place in the semi finals.
Should the hosts lose then people will forget their impressive form to date and return to calling them not good enough and an unworthy heir to the champions of 1954, 1974 and 1990.
What might make the difference is the national fervour the team has engendered. Anyone present in Germany has witnessed the extraordinary celebrations up and down the land following each German victory.
The home crowd has effectively become worth a goal start for the National Mannschaft and rode the tide of emotion Klinsmann's team has brought to the nation.
Should they win again today it is hard to see them losing at all in the competition but if the South Americans emerge triumphant, the remarkable wave of German patriotism, one of the greatest one could hope to see in a lifetime, will be a mere memory in a few days.
Copyright © Sean O'Conor
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football
|
|---|
Friday, June 30, 2006
Long Road Ahead For Asia
Asia should be thankful for Australia – though Japan may find it difficult to find any gratitude – and the fact that the newest member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) was the only one of the five representatives to progress past the knockout stage.
Suspicions in Europe and elsewhere that Japan and South Korea’s 2002 success was helped hugely by home advantage will not have been allayed by the fact that the traditional big four Asian nations, were, as the saying goes, “home before the postcards”.
More serious is the fact that even with Australia’s presence in the last sixteen, there is sure to be at least some pressure from other confederations to reduce Asia’s current World Cup allocation of 4.5 spots. Any decision to do so would be have a profound effect on the continent’s football scene and with Australia looking strong, one or more of the traditional powers will miss out in 2010.
It is natural that there will be postmortems as to why Asia’s traditional ‘big four’ didn’t make it to the second round and earlier this week, the AFC’s President, Mohamed bin Hamman, pointed the finger at the standard of the continent’s domestic leagues.
It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that Asian domestic leagues have to improve and not just for the sake of future World Cups. However, nobody should forget that European nations have long and rich football traditions and it is only relatively recently that leagues such as Korea’s and Japan’s became professional – Korea was the first in 1983.
Asian fans shouldn’t then beat themselves up about the standard of their domestic set-ups, it would be truly miraculous if their leagues could even be compared to those of even average European nations and it is a credit to Japan that, in terms of professionalism and organization at least, the J-League can.
The problem is that during the World Cup, they are compared with the best by people watching all over the world simply because that is the nature of the tournament. Sat in Leipzig’s Stadium before the Korea – France clash, a quick glance at FIFA’s team sheets revealed the size of the challenge facing the 2002 semi-finalists. Players from Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Suwon Samsung Bluewings were facing those from Real Madrid, Chelsea, Juventus and Bayern Munich -it is to Korea’s credit that they came away with a 1-1 draw.
Bin Hamman said that Australia succeeded because their players play in big leagues but what he is forgetting is that those leagues are not Australian. He can’t have it both ways – praising a nation who fielded just one or two A-League stars in the World Cup while telling others to improve their domestic set-ups. International experience is good for players and national teams but a strong league provides a much stronger foundation for continued success.
It is tough to find a balance. Immediately after Korea’s loss against Switzerland, Dick Advocaat told his soon-to-be-ex employers that the K-League has to improve. At the same time in a different part of Hanover’s World Cup Stadium, Lee Chun-soo, perhaps Korea’s best player in Germany and the 2005 K-League MVP, was telling reporters that he wanted another try in Europe.
Just days after giving his advice, Advocaat is getting ready to take two of the K-League’s best players, Kim Dong-jin and Lee Ho, with him to his new club Zenit St. Petersburg. It is a little like going to a friend’s party, telling them it’s boring before taking some of the best music and drinks to another party. The experience in Russia may improve the players and therefore the national team but what about the K-League?
It is hard to blame the players especially as they are usually encouraged to head overseas by media and supporters who are proud to see their home-grown stars strutting their stuff on a weekly basis in such strong leagues England, Spain or Germany.
France’s second division couldn’t be classed as such though that is where one of Asia’s brightest stars Masashi Oguro chose to play – a decision that shows there is still much work to be done.
The striker was one of the successes of the 2005 J-League season and his goals helped Gamba Osaka lift a first-ever league title. He broke into the national team and helped Team Nippon qualify for the World Cup. Instead of staying with Gamba, one of the biggest and best teams in Asia, to defend their title as well as participate in the Asian Champions League, he instead chose to join mid-table French second division team Grenoble Foot38 with an average attendance of only 5,000 ..
While it is welcomed that there seems to be a renewed realization that matters need to improve, it will take time, patience and a good deal of administrative will. Attention shouldn’t be overly fixed on the World Cup, a target of competitive domestic leagues is not a means to an end but an end in itself and the AFC, the respective domestic organizations, the media and the fans must be in it for the long haul.
If that happens then, despite the disappointment of the past month, there is a glimmer of hope that the 2006 World Cup may eventually seen as a watershed in Asian football.
Copyright (c) John Duerden & Soccerphile.com
Suspicions in Europe and elsewhere that Japan and South Korea’s 2002 success was helped hugely by home advantage will not have been allayed by the fact that the traditional big four Asian nations, were, as the saying goes, “home before the postcards”.
More serious is the fact that even with Australia’s presence in the last sixteen, there is sure to be at least some pressure from other confederations to reduce Asia’s current World Cup allocation of 4.5 spots. Any decision to do so would be have a profound effect on the continent’s football scene and with Australia looking strong, one or more of the traditional powers will miss out in 2010.
It is natural that there will be postmortems as to why Asia’s traditional ‘big four’ didn’t make it to the second round and earlier this week, the AFC’s President, Mohamed bin Hamman, pointed the finger at the standard of the continent’s domestic leagues.
It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that Asian domestic leagues have to improve and not just for the sake of future World Cups. However, nobody should forget that European nations have long and rich football traditions and it is only relatively recently that leagues such as Korea’s and Japan’s became professional – Korea was the first in 1983.
Asian fans shouldn’t then beat themselves up about the standard of their domestic set-ups, it would be truly miraculous if their leagues could even be compared to those of even average European nations and it is a credit to Japan that, in terms of professionalism and organization at least, the J-League can.
The problem is that during the World Cup, they are compared with the best by people watching all over the world simply because that is the nature of the tournament. Sat in Leipzig’s Stadium before the Korea – France clash, a quick glance at FIFA’s team sheets revealed the size of the challenge facing the 2002 semi-finalists. Players from Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Suwon Samsung Bluewings were facing those from Real Madrid, Chelsea, Juventus and Bayern Munich -it is to Korea’s credit that they came away with a 1-1 draw.
Bin Hamman said that Australia succeeded because their players play in big leagues but what he is forgetting is that those leagues are not Australian. He can’t have it both ways – praising a nation who fielded just one or two A-League stars in the World Cup while telling others to improve their domestic set-ups. International experience is good for players and national teams but a strong league provides a much stronger foundation for continued success.
It is tough to find a balance. Immediately after Korea’s loss against Switzerland, Dick Advocaat told his soon-to-be-ex employers that the K-League has to improve. At the same time in a different part of Hanover’s World Cup Stadium, Lee Chun-soo, perhaps Korea’s best player in Germany and the 2005 K-League MVP, was telling reporters that he wanted another try in Europe.
Just days after giving his advice, Advocaat is getting ready to take two of the K-League’s best players, Kim Dong-jin and Lee Ho, with him to his new club Zenit St. Petersburg. It is a little like going to a friend’s party, telling them it’s boring before taking some of the best music and drinks to another party. The experience in Russia may improve the players and therefore the national team but what about the K-League?
It is hard to blame the players especially as they are usually encouraged to head overseas by media and supporters who are proud to see their home-grown stars strutting their stuff on a weekly basis in such strong leagues England, Spain or Germany.
France’s second division couldn’t be classed as such though that is where one of Asia’s brightest stars Masashi Oguro chose to play – a decision that shows there is still much work to be done.
The striker was one of the successes of the 2005 J-League season and his goals helped Gamba Osaka lift a first-ever league title. He broke into the national team and helped Team Nippon qualify for the World Cup. Instead of staying with Gamba, one of the biggest and best teams in Asia, to defend their title as well as participate in the Asian Champions League, he instead chose to join mid-table French second division team Grenoble Foot38 with an average attendance of only 5,000 ..
While it is welcomed that there seems to be a renewed realization that matters need to improve, it will take time, patience and a good deal of administrative will. Attention shouldn’t be overly fixed on the World Cup, a target of competitive domestic leagues is not a means to an end but an end in itself and the AFC, the respective domestic organizations, the media and the fans must be in it for the long haul.
If that happens then, despite the disappointment of the past month, there is a glimmer of hope that the 2006 World Cup may eventually seen as a watershed in Asian football.
Copyright (c) John Duerden & Soccerphile.com
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Pie, have you forsaken me?
Pricing up a football match is a lot like baking a pie. Get all the ingredients right and you have a sweet smelling pastry that will attract interest from afar; get the ingredients wrong, and you’re left with a concoction so inedible, even Brazilian waddler Ronaldo would refuse to eat it all.
If a full strength England were to meet a full strength Portugal, the majority of handsome, highly intelligent, sexually potent odds compilers would make England slight favourites. Decimate the Portuguese team with suspensions and injuries, and England’s odds must fall like Arjen Robben in a penalty area.
A couple of bookmakers appear to have left the ‘team news’ ingredient out of their respective pies, they’re offering England at a huge 6/5 against a Portugal side riddled with reserves. If you don’t take advantage of this oversight, you’re basically condoning their behaviour. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s a bad pastry.
Big Phil may have got the better of Sven in the last two tournaments, one more win for Scolari would allow him to take Sven home for keeps, but thanks to a card happy refereeing maniac, Portuguese dreams ended the moment Deco saw red. Take advantage by backing England to be winning at half time and full time at 13/5.
Historically, England have been the better team. The 1966 World Cup winners used Portugal as a stepping stone, and Tom Finney and Stanley Matthews once inspired the Lions to a 10-0 win in Lisbon. The more cynical amongst you may feel the need to question the relevance of form from the 1940’s, but it all adds to a feeling of genuine optimism. A 10-0 win for England can be safely ruled out, but a 2-0 victory looks bang on the money, 8/1 is available.
England have a goalkeeper of genuine quality in Paul Robinson, but his recent performances have left a question mark hanging in the air. (If it was David James, he would have flapped at it before philosophically pondering the complexities of life while Pauleta rolled it into an empty net.) An England clean sheet has been priced up at 6/4, and that’s a Peter Crouch price, it’s too big and it shouldn’t really be there.
John Terry has been lined up to deliver a motivational speech in the dressing room before the match, I’m guessing he’ll be holding a razor while declaring that bouncers don’t like it up ‘em. Terry looked wobbly against Ecuador, it’s 9/1 that he makes amends by scoring with a header.
Sven’s bold decision to play a 4-5-1 against Ecuador freed up Lampard and Gerrard as expected, but Frank hardly covered himself in glory. Lampard had such a disappointing match, at the end of the game he tried to shake hands with the ref and missed by a good five yards. Frank scoring from outside the area has been priced up at 11/2, he’s due.
I refuse to shy away from asking the tough questions. Is it true that Victoria Beckham was the inspiration for the Robert De Niro film ‘WAG the dog’? Sorry, that’s a trifle harsh, on the poor pooch. Vicky did jump up like an excited Chihuahua when Becks curled in the winner against Ecuador, hopefully, I’ll get to see her excited again. Becks threw up after scoring, a scenario I’m more than familiar with; Golden Balls is an 8/1 shot to score direct from a free-kick for the second match running.
Brazil face France on Saturday night, and the Samba Boys have to be opposed. Ronaldo may be the greatest World Cup goal scorer of all-time, but his lack of mobility will prove to be a hindrance now they finally face quality opposition. How can Brazil play with a striker who has to stay five yards in front of the last French defender, in order to keep his stomach from drifting into an offside position? He can’t use his body weight to challenge a defender, as it could lead to a charge of attempted murder. The French are the call at 4/1.
Thierry Henry was a little bit naughty against the Spanish, rolling on the floor clutching his face like he was Phil Neville in a house of mirrors. It could be that his: “Next time i’ll learn to dive maybe, but i am not a woman,” outburst after the Champions League final was actually a statement of intent. Henry glides like a ballerina and even when he scores, he has the facial expression of a lady who has ‘the decorators in’. Teri can still play though; take 7/1 about Henry opening the scoring.
I’m not going to waste your time by going into too much detail on Friday’s quarter finals, as the Argies and the Italians are such nailed on, in the bag, already past the post, absolutely raging certainties. The Friday double pays out at a healthy 10/3.
Weekend Betting:
Germany v Argentina Friday 30th June 16.00
Germany 7/4
Draw 21/10
Argentina 7/4
Get on: Argentina
Match Special:
“Big Max” – Maxi Rodriguez to score with a header 10/1
Italy v Ukraine Friday 30th June 20.00
Italy 8/13
Draw 13/5
Ukraine 11/2
Get on: Italy
Match Special:
“Pirl jam” – Pirlo to score direct from a free-kick 10/1
England v Portugal Saturday 1st July 16.00
England 6/5
Draw 9/4
Portugal 11/4
Get on: England
Match Special:
“My name is Hurl” – David Beckham to score at any time 4/1
Brazil v France Saturday 1st July 20.00
Brazil 5/6
Draw 12/5
France 4/1
Get on: France
Match Special:
“Thierry, wait” – Henry to score in the second half 5/1
Copyright (c) Gerry McDonnell & soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
If a full strength England were to meet a full strength Portugal, the majority of handsome, highly intelligent, sexually potent odds compilers would make England slight favourites. Decimate the Portuguese team with suspensions and injuries, and England’s odds must fall like Arjen Robben in a penalty area.
A couple of bookmakers appear to have left the ‘team news’ ingredient out of their respective pies, they’re offering England at a huge 6/5 against a Portugal side riddled with reserves. If you don’t take advantage of this oversight, you’re basically condoning their behaviour. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s a bad pastry.
Big Phil may have got the better of Sven in the last two tournaments, one more win for Scolari would allow him to take Sven home for keeps, but thanks to a card happy refereeing maniac, Portuguese dreams ended the moment Deco saw red. Take advantage by backing England to be winning at half time and full time at 13/5.
Historically, England have been the better team. The 1966 World Cup winners used Portugal as a stepping stone, and Tom Finney and Stanley Matthews once inspired the Lions to a 10-0 win in Lisbon. The more cynical amongst you may feel the need to question the relevance of form from the 1940’s, but it all adds to a feeling of genuine optimism. A 10-0 win for England can be safely ruled out, but a 2-0 victory looks bang on the money, 8/1 is available.
England have a goalkeeper of genuine quality in Paul Robinson, but his recent performances have left a question mark hanging in the air. (If it was David James, he would have flapped at it before philosophically pondering the complexities of life while Pauleta rolled it into an empty net.) An England clean sheet has been priced up at 6/4, and that’s a Peter Crouch price, it’s too big and it shouldn’t really be there.
John Terry has been lined up to deliver a motivational speech in the dressing room before the match, I’m guessing he’ll be holding a razor while declaring that bouncers don’t like it up ‘em. Terry looked wobbly against Ecuador, it’s 9/1 that he makes amends by scoring with a header.
Sven’s bold decision to play a 4-5-1 against Ecuador freed up Lampard and Gerrard as expected, but Frank hardly covered himself in glory. Lampard had such a disappointing match, at the end of the game he tried to shake hands with the ref and missed by a good five yards. Frank scoring from outside the area has been priced up at 11/2, he’s due.
I refuse to shy away from asking the tough questions. Is it true that Victoria Beckham was the inspiration for the Robert De Niro film ‘WAG the dog’? Sorry, that’s a trifle harsh, on the poor pooch. Vicky did jump up like an excited Chihuahua when Becks curled in the winner against Ecuador, hopefully, I’ll get to see her excited again. Becks threw up after scoring, a scenario I’m more than familiar with; Golden Balls is an 8/1 shot to score direct from a free-kick for the second match running.
Brazil face France on Saturday night, and the Samba Boys have to be opposed. Ronaldo may be the greatest World Cup goal scorer of all-time, but his lack of mobility will prove to be a hindrance now they finally face quality opposition. How can Brazil play with a striker who has to stay five yards in front of the last French defender, in order to keep his stomach from drifting into an offside position? He can’t use his body weight to challenge a defender, as it could lead to a charge of attempted murder. The French are the call at 4/1.
Thierry Henry was a little bit naughty against the Spanish, rolling on the floor clutching his face like he was Phil Neville in a house of mirrors. It could be that his: “Next time i’ll learn to dive maybe, but i am not a woman,” outburst after the Champions League final was actually a statement of intent. Henry glides like a ballerina and even when he scores, he has the facial expression of a lady who has ‘the decorators in’. Teri can still play though; take 7/1 about Henry opening the scoring.
I’m not going to waste your time by going into too much detail on Friday’s quarter finals, as the Argies and the Italians are such nailed on, in the bag, already past the post, absolutely raging certainties. The Friday double pays out at a healthy 10/3.
Weekend Betting:
Germany v Argentina Friday 30th June 16.00
Germany 7/4
Draw 21/10
Argentina 7/4
Get on: Argentina
Match Special:
“Big Max” – Maxi Rodriguez to score with a header 10/1
Italy v Ukraine Friday 30th June 20.00
Italy 8/13
Draw 13/5
Ukraine 11/2
Get on: Italy
Match Special:
“Pirl jam” – Pirlo to score direct from a free-kick 10/1
England v Portugal Saturday 1st July 16.00
England 6/5
Draw 9/4
Portugal 11/4
Get on: England
Match Special:
“My name is Hurl” – David Beckham to score at any time 4/1
Brazil v France Saturday 1st July 20.00
Brazil 5/6
Draw 12/5
France 4/1
Get on: France
Match Special:
“Thierry, wait” – Henry to score in the second half 5/1
Copyright (c) Gerry McDonnell & soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
One man and his log
Monday 26th June Schwabach. Köln.
Tickets for games at this World Cup have been seen as prized possessions, something akin to the Golden tickets issued giving admittance to Willie Wonka's chocolate factory. Outside the stadiums people proudly have their photographs taken by friends, stadium in the background clutching their ticket. People will enquire about how you got your ticket and tell you how lucky you are. But for each ticket I have there is usually a tale to tell. For example in the last few days a Japanese friend (thanks Tetsuma!) emailed me to explain that he had received an offer of a conditional ticket for the game in Köln, and asked if I would like to use it.
The conditional tickets were one of many different options FIFA offered, with this scheme the wording on the website led you to believe that if you applied for a ticket for seven games they would give you a ticket for one of them, although there could only be 36 hours between an e-mail being received and the match itself.
There followed the small matter of working my way round the regulations that FIFA have introduced, so thanks to Tetsuma not feeling well (I hope you are better now) and my dad not having used his allocation of seven tickets (Thanks dad!). I was able to take up this offer.
Further luck was to come my way as at the same time as sorting all this out I received an e-mail advising me that I had been awarded a conditional ticket for Hannover, the next day.
Tuesday 27th June Köln. Hannover.
In this latest round of games, those people with tickets in their hands outside were no longer the lucky punters but those who thought they were about to make some ill-gotten gains. Apart from the Mexico, Germany and England games this has not been the case.
Immediately outside the ground I heard a Frenchman trying to sell a ticket proclaiming firstly that the game was sold out (aren't they all!) and that it would be Zidane's last game!(Guess the French didn't fancy their chances beforehand).
People were trying to sell tickets for at least €250 and those in the know could see that the demand for tickets was no longer there and at kick off tickets for the game would be available for less than face value.
The policing of the tournament has been well handled and it looked as though initially touts would have a free reign. But softly, softly policing has seen police step in, checking that the tickets touts were selling were genuine and then when problems arose taking people away for further questioning when it was found that they were selling tickets for more than face value. This has been a commom sense approach, which goes against all that has been said by FIFA.
There have been checks on people's identity at the turnstiles but when people have been identified as having a ticket in another persons name they have simply been asked to complete formalities to change the name on the ticket, and have not been charged for this!
Among the tickets I have obtained on the black market were ones issued by the Paraguayan FA, Mastercard and Security!!! I was aware before I came out of the fact that tickets close to the pitch had not been sold as FIFA were concerned over safety issues, and that they had asked the military if they would provide personnel to occupy those seats. The military agreed but stated that its people would be in uniform. FIFA declined this offer and seem to have given tickets instead to their own security personnel. So there I was on the front row with access to the pitch to avoid the plastic cups being thrown by the Koreans after the second Swiss goal was allowed to stand.
Why should a football fan who has acquired a ticket be denied the right to watch the game that they have chosen to purchase a ticket for? FIFA's talk of punishing those that support the game is a worry that the ticketing issue may go the wrong way. In Greece for the Olympics, people were not allowed to sell tickets for more than face value, this eliminated extortionate prices and generally meant that people offloading tickets sold them at a discount and if there was a buoyant market the touts could sell them at face value.
You could argue that FIFA feel upset that they have missed out on more revenue and maybe their answer to this would be to auction all tickets to the highest bidder! This could result in a crowd being present that is not remotely interested in the spectacle unfolding in front of them, I for one do not think that FIFA would be able to market the World Cup without the passion and colour the spectators that care, add.
Copyright (c) Ross Clegg & Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football
Tickets for games at this World Cup have been seen as prized possessions, something akin to the Golden tickets issued giving admittance to Willie Wonka's chocolate factory. Outside the stadiums people proudly have their photographs taken by friends, stadium in the background clutching their ticket. People will enquire about how you got your ticket and tell you how lucky you are. But for each ticket I have there is usually a tale to tell. For example in the last few days a Japanese friend (thanks Tetsuma!) emailed me to explain that he had received an offer of a conditional ticket for the game in Köln, and asked if I would like to use it.
The conditional tickets were one of many different options FIFA offered, with this scheme the wording on the website led you to believe that if you applied for a ticket for seven games they would give you a ticket for one of them, although there could only be 36 hours between an e-mail being received and the match itself.
There followed the small matter of working my way round the regulations that FIFA have introduced, so thanks to Tetsuma not feeling well (I hope you are better now) and my dad not having used his allocation of seven tickets (Thanks dad!). I was able to take up this offer.
Further luck was to come my way as at the same time as sorting all this out I received an e-mail advising me that I had been awarded a conditional ticket for Hannover, the next day.
Tuesday 27th June Köln. Hannover.
In this latest round of games, those people with tickets in their hands outside were no longer the lucky punters but those who thought they were about to make some ill-gotten gains. Apart from the Mexico, Germany and England games this has not been the case.
Immediately outside the ground I heard a Frenchman trying to sell a ticket proclaiming firstly that the game was sold out (aren't they all!) and that it would be Zidane's last game!(Guess the French didn't fancy their chances beforehand).
People were trying to sell tickets for at least €250 and those in the know could see that the demand for tickets was no longer there and at kick off tickets for the game would be available for less than face value.
The policing of the tournament has been well handled and it looked as though initially touts would have a free reign. But softly, softly policing has seen police step in, checking that the tickets touts were selling were genuine and then when problems arose taking people away for further questioning when it was found that they were selling tickets for more than face value. This has been a commom sense approach, which goes against all that has been said by FIFA.
There have been checks on people's identity at the turnstiles but when people have been identified as having a ticket in another persons name they have simply been asked to complete formalities to change the name on the ticket, and have not been charged for this!
Among the tickets I have obtained on the black market were ones issued by the Paraguayan FA, Mastercard and Security!!! I was aware before I came out of the fact that tickets close to the pitch had not been sold as FIFA were concerned over safety issues, and that they had asked the military if they would provide personnel to occupy those seats. The military agreed but stated that its people would be in uniform. FIFA declined this offer and seem to have given tickets instead to their own security personnel. So there I was on the front row with access to the pitch to avoid the plastic cups being thrown by the Koreans after the second Swiss goal was allowed to stand.
Why should a football fan who has acquired a ticket be denied the right to watch the game that they have chosen to purchase a ticket for? FIFA's talk of punishing those that support the game is a worry that the ticketing issue may go the wrong way. In Greece for the Olympics, people were not allowed to sell tickets for more than face value, this eliminated extortionate prices and generally meant that people offloading tickets sold them at a discount and if there was a buoyant market the touts could sell them at face value.
You could argue that FIFA feel upset that they have missed out on more revenue and maybe their answer to this would be to auction all tickets to the highest bidder! This could result in a crowd being present that is not remotely interested in the spectacle unfolding in front of them, I for one do not think that FIFA would be able to market the World Cup without the passion and colour the spectators that care, add.
Copyright (c) Ross Clegg & Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Asian Teams Disappoint
For those of thought Japan-Korea signalled the start of a new new hierarchy in world football Germany 2006 will demand a rethink.
Four years ago Senegal shocked France in the opening game and went on to the quarter-finals. Meanwhile Turkey and South Korea found their way to the last four while Argentina and France went home early. For all that the final was contested by the powerhouses Germany and Brazil and this year football's old world teams have been dismissive of their new world challengers.
There are often demands to give more spaces to teams from Asia or Africa to make the World Cup a more global event but the results don't back the argument up. All four Asian teams failed at the group stages, one of five Africans made it through and just Mexico from the four CONCAF teams squeaked out of their group only to run into the Argentineans.
The European and South American teams have been dominant each qualifying three-quarters of their entrants to the final sixteen. They weren't especially troubled on the way as even the beleaguered French team managed a comfortable 2-0 victory over Togo when they had to. The Ivory Coast and South Korea offered some spirited resistance but only after they had fallen behind.
Each region must find their own solutions. Asia can take solace in their relative inexperience of their teams at this level, the progress their players have made in the past decade and the confidence players like Park Ji-Sung and Hideotoshi Nakata have shown playing with Europe's best clubs. Iran, Japan and the Korea showed high standards of passing and organisation that gave them opportunities in every game they played while only the Saudis looked poor, unable to turn their wealth into results. But all teams from the Asian region struggled to cope with the physicality of the other nations and they need to come up with a system to negate more powerful opponents. The awesome levels of energy displayed by Korea in 2002 offer one answer but it is difficult to maintain this level over long periods.
The CONCAF region receives massive support from FIFA who are desperate to maintain strong markets in Mexico and the USA. FIFA give three and a half spots to CONCAF which all but guarantees qualification for Mexico and the US and their Byzantine ranking system rated these countries as the 4th and 5th best teams going into the World Cup. There's nothing wrong with FIFA supporting football in the area but the extra spaces mean that the top teams are not challenged in qualifying while the high rankings breed false expectations and jealousy from other nations. Mexico gave Argentina a tough game but struggled through their group and team USA showed plenty of athleticism but little of the guile required at this level. The other teams, Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago added to the party but not much to the overall quality.
Africa will have the most hope for the future and can look forward to South Africa 2010 with some confidence. They qualified three new teams to the tournament this year, a good indicator of rising standards. Ghana came through a tough group with an all action style to become just the fifth African team to qualify for the final stages, and the absence of Essien from their last 16 clash with Brazil is a disappointment for neutrals everywhere. The Ivory Coast won plenty of admiration for their attacking intent and would surely have progressed from an easier group but some of their defending was suicidal against the quality of Argentina and Holland and they only turned it on after falling behind. Angola seemed overawed and Togo wrecked their chances by sacking the manager who saw them through to the finals, replacing him with an arrogant European and then fighting over how the spoils should be divvied up. The Tunisians met most expectations with their all-round dullness. Individually Africa can produce the players and the naivety seen in earlier tournaments is long gone as most top African players ply their trade across Europe but collectively the whole is less than the sum of the parts and we still await the African team that is not just dangerous but deadly.
The Europeans and South Americans have upped their standard this year. The worn-out adage that their are no easy games any more has finally been taken to heart with the top teams now more focused on and aware of their opponents than in the past. The new soccer nations need to match their effort and desire just to keep up but there is hope. Oceania's one qualifier Australia have stormed the World Cup with little respect for reputation. The verve they have shown should be a beacon to emergent nations everywhere.
Copyright © Will Marquand and Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Four years ago Senegal shocked France in the opening game and went on to the quarter-finals. Meanwhile Turkey and South Korea found their way to the last four while Argentina and France went home early. For all that the final was contested by the powerhouses Germany and Brazil and this year football's old world teams have been dismissive of their new world challengers.
There are often demands to give more spaces to teams from Asia or Africa to make the World Cup a more global event but the results don't back the argument up. All four Asian teams failed at the group stages, one of five Africans made it through and just Mexico from the four CONCAF teams squeaked out of their group only to run into the Argentineans.
The European and South American teams have been dominant each qualifying three-quarters of their entrants to the final sixteen. They weren't especially troubled on the way as even the beleaguered French team managed a comfortable 2-0 victory over Togo when they had to. The Ivory Coast and South Korea offered some spirited resistance but only after they had fallen behind.
Each region must find their own solutions. Asia can take solace in their relative inexperience of their teams at this level, the progress their players have made in the past decade and the confidence players like Park Ji-Sung and Hideotoshi Nakata have shown playing with Europe's best clubs. Iran, Japan and the Korea showed high standards of passing and organisation that gave them opportunities in every game they played while only the Saudis looked poor, unable to turn their wealth into results. But all teams from the Asian region struggled to cope with the physicality of the other nations and they need to come up with a system to negate more powerful opponents. The awesome levels of energy displayed by Korea in 2002 offer one answer but it is difficult to maintain this level over long periods.
The CONCAF region receives massive support from FIFA who are desperate to maintain strong markets in Mexico and the USA. FIFA give three and a half spots to CONCAF which all but guarantees qualification for Mexico and the US and their Byzantine ranking system rated these countries as the 4th and 5th best teams going into the World Cup. There's nothing wrong with FIFA supporting football in the area but the extra spaces mean that the top teams are not challenged in qualifying while the high rankings breed false expectations and jealousy from other nations. Mexico gave Argentina a tough game but struggled through their group and team USA showed plenty of athleticism but little of the guile required at this level. The other teams, Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago added to the party but not much to the overall quality.
Africa will have the most hope for the future and can look forward to South Africa 2010 with some confidence. They qualified three new teams to the tournament this year, a good indicator of rising standards. Ghana came through a tough group with an all action style to become just the fifth African team to qualify for the final stages, and the absence of Essien from their last 16 clash with Brazil is a disappointment for neutrals everywhere. The Ivory Coast won plenty of admiration for their attacking intent and would surely have progressed from an easier group but some of their defending was suicidal against the quality of Argentina and Holland and they only turned it on after falling behind. Angola seemed overawed and Togo wrecked their chances by sacking the manager who saw them through to the finals, replacing him with an arrogant European and then fighting over how the spoils should be divvied up. The Tunisians met most expectations with their all-round dullness. Individually Africa can produce the players and the naivety seen in earlier tournaments is long gone as most top African players ply their trade across Europe but collectively the whole is less than the sum of the parts and we still await the African team that is not just dangerous but deadly.
The Europeans and South Americans have upped their standard this year. The worn-out adage that their are no easy games any more has finally been taken to heart with the top teams now more focused on and aware of their opponents than in the past. The new soccer nations need to match their effort and desire just to keep up but there is hope. Oceania's one qualifier Australia have stormed the World Cup with little respect for reputation. The verve they have shown should be a beacon to emergent nations everywhere.
Copyright © Will Marquand and Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Monday, June 26, 2006
Italy v Australia Prediction
Subscribe to Soccerphile's World Cup astrological predictions --- the results as seen in the team's stars. Compiled by noted Indian astrologer Anita Nigam.
26 June
Italy vs Australia
It will be a tough match and Australia will give tough competition to Italy. The winning combinations of the stars are very close of both the teams. The match will reach up to extra time of 30 minutes and the chances are that it can be decided in the favor of Italy.
Switzerland vs Ukraine
It will be a very tough competition. Though Switzerland’s performance will be excellent on the ground but Ukraine will create sudden unexpected turn at the ground and with extra time Ukraine will be the winner.
Copyright © Anita Nigam & Soccerphile.com
26 June
Italy vs Australia
It will be a tough match and Australia will give tough competition to Italy. The winning combinations of the stars are very close of both the teams. The match will reach up to extra time of 30 minutes and the chances are that it can be decided in the favor of Italy.
Switzerland vs Ukraine
It will be a very tough competition. Though Switzerland’s performance will be excellent on the ground but Ukraine will create sudden unexpected turn at the ground and with extra time Ukraine will be the winner.
Copyright © Anita Nigam & Soccerphile.com
A rest Wayne in order
Once upon a time, after partaking in a couple of social halves at a local tavern, I found myself in the company of a young ginger-haired Scottish lady. Being a personable soul, I overcame the handicap of her ridiculous accent to engage in polite conversation. Unfortunately, kindness is rarely rewarded. Before I really knew what was happening, the red-headed caber-tosser proceeded to take advantage, physically. Fast forward seven years, and Elizabeth still has her claws in me, and my chances of ever breaking free are slim.
I share this tale with you not to whine about the wife, Betty the sweaty, but because the England players currently find themselves in an almost identical situation, just one little mistake can lead to years of regret. As long as the England players avoid pulling a ‘Gerry’, a happy ending should be on the cards against Ecuador. The Three Lions should be supported at 4/9.
Michael Owen is a goal scoring machine when fit, unfortunately, he hasn’t been fit since 1998. As Sven refuses to play Walcott as cover and Crouch is clearly not of international class, the Owen injury could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. England will definitely benefit from a holding midfielder while Gerrard will be given the license to support Rooney up front. Wayne’s recovery from injury has been bordering on miraculous, I’m not a religious man, but I’ll be praying that the Roonatic bags the opener at 9/2.
England have played exceptionally well in the first half of their matches so far, before wilting like a Frenchman in a drinking competition. Another impressive start against a poor Ecuadorian team would allow Sven to rest Wayne at about the hour mark, with the game well and truly in the bag. A half-time full-time win for Sven’s men is a value option at 6/5.
Correct score betting is never an easy market to crack, the bookies have a built in percentage so fat it makes Brazil’s Ronaldo look like Pete Doherty. However, when there’s a short priced favourite in a match, the bookies edge is dramatically reduced. A perm of a 2-0 / 3-0 win pays out at 11/4, with 2-0 being the preferred selection at 6/1.
Germany meet Sweden in Saturday’s opener, and somewhat controversially, I’ll be playing heavily on the Swedes. Forget the Klose’s of this world, disregard the Podolski’s and never mind the Ballack’s, the Swedes are more than a match for the Germans, you should get involved at 9/2.
Admittedly, the Germans topped their group, but Northern Ireland could have qualified from that poor bunch. Swedish coach Lars ‘must have knocked his’ Lagerback is genuinely confident of victory, and rightly so. The Swedes are 11/1 pokes to win by a 1-0 scoreline, help yourself.
Argentina v Mexico will bring Saturday’s action to a close and this one is a total no-brainer. FIFA may believe that Mexico are the superior team, but their rankings are a lot like me, the last time I requested my marital rights; seriously flawed. The bookies are offering 2/5 about an Argentina victory in 90 minutes, I implore you, play, and play hard.
The weekend’s action will end when Portugal face Holland for the right to meet England in the last eight. I haven’t been overly impressed with the Portuguese so far, Figo looks shot, Pauleta has once again failed to deliver on the big stage and Ronaldo’s bag of tricks may be pleasing to the eye, but they’re about as effective as a ‘No Drinking’ sign in Glasgow. The Dutch qualified with ease from the supposed group of death, the Orange looks tasty at 5/4
For the first goal scorer in this match, look no further that Robin Van Persie at 15/2. Van the man has the sweetest touch since Van Gogh and is due a good performance ear. On a related note, Peter Crouch is also a Post-Impressionist.
Weekend Betting:
Germany v Sweden Saturday 24th June 16.00
Germany 4/5
Draw 13/5
Sweden 9/2
Get on: Sweden
“Freddie, willing and able” – Ljungberg to score the only goal of the game 65/1
Match Special:
Argentina v Mexico Saturday 24th June 20.00
Argentina 2/5
Draw 11/4
Mexico 15/2
Get on: Argentina
Match Special:
“Fancy a quick Juan?” – Riquelme to score the first goal 13/2
England v Ecuador Sunday 25th June 16.00
England 4/9
Draw 3/1
Ecuador 7/1
Get on: England
Match Special:
“A Wayne storm” – Rooney to score a hat-trick 25/1
Portugal v Holland Sunday 25th June 20.00
Portugal 12/5
Draw 11/5
Holland 5/4
Get on: Holland
Match Special:
“Cocu nuts” – Phillip Cocu to score with a header 16/1
Copyright (c) Gerry McDonnell & soocerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football Betting
I share this tale with you not to whine about the wife, Betty the sweaty, but because the England players currently find themselves in an almost identical situation, just one little mistake can lead to years of regret. As long as the England players avoid pulling a ‘Gerry’, a happy ending should be on the cards against Ecuador. The Three Lions should be supported at 4/9.
Michael Owen is a goal scoring machine when fit, unfortunately, he hasn’t been fit since 1998. As Sven refuses to play Walcott as cover and Crouch is clearly not of international class, the Owen injury could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. England will definitely benefit from a holding midfielder while Gerrard will be given the license to support Rooney up front. Wayne’s recovery from injury has been bordering on miraculous, I’m not a religious man, but I’ll be praying that the Roonatic bags the opener at 9/2.
England have played exceptionally well in the first half of their matches so far, before wilting like a Frenchman in a drinking competition. Another impressive start against a poor Ecuadorian team would allow Sven to rest Wayne at about the hour mark, with the game well and truly in the bag. A half-time full-time win for Sven’s men is a value option at 6/5.
Correct score betting is never an easy market to crack, the bookies have a built in percentage so fat it makes Brazil’s Ronaldo look like Pete Doherty. However, when there’s a short priced favourite in a match, the bookies edge is dramatically reduced. A perm of a 2-0 / 3-0 win pays out at 11/4, with 2-0 being the preferred selection at 6/1.
Germany meet Sweden in Saturday’s opener, and somewhat controversially, I’ll be playing heavily on the Swedes. Forget the Klose’s of this world, disregard the Podolski’s and never mind the Ballack’s, the Swedes are more than a match for the Germans, you should get involved at 9/2.
Admittedly, the Germans topped their group, but Northern Ireland could have qualified from that poor bunch. Swedish coach Lars ‘must have knocked his’ Lagerback is genuinely confident of victory, and rightly so. The Swedes are 11/1 pokes to win by a 1-0 scoreline, help yourself.
Argentina v Mexico will bring Saturday’s action to a close and this one is a total no-brainer. FIFA may believe that Mexico are the superior team, but their rankings are a lot like me, the last time I requested my marital rights; seriously flawed. The bookies are offering 2/5 about an Argentina victory in 90 minutes, I implore you, play, and play hard.
The weekend’s action will end when Portugal face Holland for the right to meet England in the last eight. I haven’t been overly impressed with the Portuguese so far, Figo looks shot, Pauleta has once again failed to deliver on the big stage and Ronaldo’s bag of tricks may be pleasing to the eye, but they’re about as effective as a ‘No Drinking’ sign in Glasgow. The Dutch qualified with ease from the supposed group of death, the Orange looks tasty at 5/4
For the first goal scorer in this match, look no further that Robin Van Persie at 15/2. Van the man has the sweetest touch since Van Gogh and is due a good performance ear. On a related note, Peter Crouch is also a Post-Impressionist.
Weekend Betting:
Germany v Sweden Saturday 24th June 16.00
Germany 4/5
Draw 13/5
Sweden 9/2
Get on: Sweden
“Freddie, willing and able” – Ljungberg to score the only goal of the game 65/1
Match Special:
Argentina v Mexico Saturday 24th June 20.00
Argentina 2/5
Draw 11/4
Mexico 15/2
Get on: Argentina
Match Special:
“Fancy a quick Juan?” – Riquelme to score the first goal 13/2
England v Ecuador Sunday 25th June 16.00
England 4/9
Draw 3/1
Ecuador 7/1
Get on: England
Match Special:
“A Wayne storm” – Rooney to score a hat-trick 25/1
Portugal v Holland Sunday 25th June 20.00
Portugal 12/5
Draw 11/5
Holland 5/4
Get on: Holland
Match Special:
“Cocu nuts” – Phillip Cocu to score with a header 16/1
Copyright (c) Gerry McDonnell & soocerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football Betting
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Sven sees the light. Hallelujah!
Leaks coming out of the England camp confirm what many fans had prayed for all along - Sven's ready to switch to a flexible 4-1-4-1 system. This is a move that could win England the World Cup. No, really. Stay with me!
Coming into the tournament as one of the favourites, England has largely disappointed with turgid performances and route one tactics. Michael Owen's injury could be a blessing in disguise however, giving England the chance to compete on equal terms with almost every other nation in the tournament that deploy split strikers or five through the middle of the park.
Tactically England has got it wrong under Sven for some time now. With Owen and Rooney up front and Lampard and Gerrard in midfield, England is unbalanced. It's a system that suits only Rooney - with Owen lacking a target-man partner that he craves, and Lampard or Gerrard compromising their natural attacking instincts for the good of the team.
With Owen out England should bring in Carrick as a holding midfielder, releasing both Lampard and Gerrard to devastating effect in support of a lone front runner, Rooney. A 75% fit Rooney will find it considerably easier to play up front on his own than 'in the hole' - his normal position. He's good enough, quick enough and strong enough to do it better than anybody.
A really bold move by Sven would be to inject some pace into the side, in the form of Aaron Lennon. Contrary to tabloid opinion Beckham has been effective - he is England's leading assister at the tournament. But against Ecuador Sven could move Beckham into the right back slot, negating the principal risk of deploying one striker - that England gets entrenched in their own half. Lennon would ensure that won't happen.
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Coming into the tournament as one of the favourites, England has largely disappointed with turgid performances and route one tactics. Michael Owen's injury could be a blessing in disguise however, giving England the chance to compete on equal terms with almost every other nation in the tournament that deploy split strikers or five through the middle of the park.
Tactically England has got it wrong under Sven for some time now. With Owen and Rooney up front and Lampard and Gerrard in midfield, England is unbalanced. It's a system that suits only Rooney - with Owen lacking a target-man partner that he craves, and Lampard or Gerrard compromising their natural attacking instincts for the good of the team.
With Owen out England should bring in Carrick as a holding midfielder, releasing both Lampard and Gerrard to devastating effect in support of a lone front runner, Rooney. A 75% fit Rooney will find it considerably easier to play up front on his own than 'in the hole' - his normal position. He's good enough, quick enough and strong enough to do it better than anybody.
A really bold move by Sven would be to inject some pace into the side, in the form of Aaron Lennon. Contrary to tabloid opinion Beckham has been effective - he is England's leading assister at the tournament. But against Ecuador Sven could move Beckham into the right back slot, negating the principal risk of deploying one striker - that England gets entrenched in their own half. Lennon would ensure that won't happen.
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Round of 16 Astrological Predictions
Subscribe to Soccerphile's World Cup astrological predictions --- the results as seen in the team's stars. Compiled by noted Indian astrologer Anita Nigam.
24 June
Germany vs Sweden Munich
Astro Analysis:
It will be interesting match though both the teams will dominate over each other but the stars of Sweden are placed in an adverse situation today. So Germany will take the lead and Germany will be the winner.
Mexico vs Argentina Leipzig
Astro Analysis:
It will be a little bit tough but the stars are in favor of Argentina. Today, the stars of Argentina are placed at the shining position and giving them lots of support in comparison to Mexico. But Mexico will create hurdles for Argentina but at the end Argentina will be the winner.
Copyright © Anita Nigam & Soccerphile.com
Betting
24 June
Germany vs Sweden Munich
Astro Analysis:
It will be interesting match though both the teams will dominate over each other but the stars of Sweden are placed in an adverse situation today. So Germany will take the lead and Germany will be the winner.
Mexico vs Argentina Leipzig
Astro Analysis:
It will be a little bit tough but the stars are in favor of Argentina. Today, the stars of Argentina are placed at the shining position and giving them lots of support in comparison to Mexico. But Mexico will create hurdles for Argentina but at the end Argentina will be the winner.
Copyright © Anita Nigam & Soccerphile.com
Betting
COMMENT: Hiddink gamble almost delivered lethal dose by Spider
He's publicly chased long-term rival Mark Schwarzer for Australia's number one jersey for more seasons than understudy Zeljko Kalac cares to remember.
But after an error-strewn World Cup debut, his chances of an encore against Italy in Kaiserslautern have been left in tatters.
"I've taken a world-class goal, I've taken a shit goal," Kalac said frankly in the aftermath of the Socceroos' thrilling 2-2 draw with Croatia, somewhat underplaying the manner in which he allowed a daisy-cutter from Niko Kovac to bobble in.
"He [Guus Hiddink] left Schwarzy out because of a few mistakes in previous matches and now I've made a big one. It could be [third choice goalkeeper] Ante Covic's turn next."
This last comment provides a priceless insight into the mind of Kalac, deputy to Brazil's Dida at AC Milan.
Even from his personal depth of despair, he somehow still conjures a way to besmirch his closest challenger.
Although likely born out of frustration at his own incompetence after being handed a shot at World Cup glory, this is not the first time Kalac has voiced his misguided opinion.
Just before the double-header last November - with Schwarzer struggling with fitness and form at Middlesbrough - Kalac gave himself a public vote of confidence for a starting berth against Uruguay.
What followed was Schwarzer heroics in both normal time and most notably in the penalty shootout victory in the return leg in Sydney.
With the goalkeeping foes so close in ability, perhaps Kalac believes he can talk rather than play his way into Hiddink's first team plans.
He needn't bother.
It is clear the Dutchman holds each player in high esteem, so much so Hiddink admitted considering replacing Schwarzer with the 202cm Kalac ahead of the penalty shootout against the Uruguayans.
But whether his stock is still as high remains to be seen.
The Australian coaching staff were certainly unimpressed with elements of Schwarzer's keeping in the opening group matches with Japan and Brazil.
Some even held the Middlesbrough man accountable for conceding a soft opener from Shunsuke Nakamura despite a seemingly unfair challenge from the Japanese forwards.
But any mistakes pale into insignificance when compared to Kalac's display against the Croatians.
The goalie nicknamed Spider because of his tremendous reach cut a nervous figure between the posts and although having relatively little to do, did almost all of it without aplomb.
And not just the terrible attempt to stop Kovac's goal.
The 33-year-old could easily be pulled up on his handling of crosses and ball distribution to name a few as his boastful remarks came back to haunt him.
Kalac will never play under Hiddink again that much is certain.
Whether he can recover to fight off the challenge of youngster Brad Jones and retain his international standing we shall see.
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football Betting
But after an error-strewn World Cup debut, his chances of an encore against Italy in Kaiserslautern have been left in tatters.
"I've taken a world-class goal, I've taken a shit goal," Kalac said frankly in the aftermath of the Socceroos' thrilling 2-2 draw with Croatia, somewhat underplaying the manner in which he allowed a daisy-cutter from Niko Kovac to bobble in.
"He [Guus Hiddink] left Schwarzy out because of a few mistakes in previous matches and now I've made a big one. It could be [third choice goalkeeper] Ante Covic's turn next."
This last comment provides a priceless insight into the mind of Kalac, deputy to Brazil's Dida at AC Milan.
Even from his personal depth of despair, he somehow still conjures a way to besmirch his closest challenger.
Although likely born out of frustration at his own incompetence after being handed a shot at World Cup glory, this is not the first time Kalac has voiced his misguided opinion.
Just before the double-header last November - with Schwarzer struggling with fitness and form at Middlesbrough - Kalac gave himself a public vote of confidence for a starting berth against Uruguay.
What followed was Schwarzer heroics in both normal time and most notably in the penalty shootout victory in the return leg in Sydney.
With the goalkeeping foes so close in ability, perhaps Kalac believes he can talk rather than play his way into Hiddink's first team plans.
He needn't bother.
It is clear the Dutchman holds each player in high esteem, so much so Hiddink admitted considering replacing Schwarzer with the 202cm Kalac ahead of the penalty shootout against the Uruguayans.
But whether his stock is still as high remains to be seen.
The Australian coaching staff were certainly unimpressed with elements of Schwarzer's keeping in the opening group matches with Japan and Brazil.
Some even held the Middlesbrough man accountable for conceding a soft opener from Shunsuke Nakamura despite a seemingly unfair challenge from the Japanese forwards.
But any mistakes pale into insignificance when compared to Kalac's display against the Croatians.
The goalie nicknamed Spider because of his tremendous reach cut a nervous figure between the posts and although having relatively little to do, did almost all of it without aplomb.
And not just the terrible attempt to stop Kovac's goal.
The 33-year-old could easily be pulled up on his handling of crosses and ball distribution to name a few as his boastful remarks came back to haunt him.
Kalac will never play under Hiddink again that much is certain.
Whether he can recover to fight off the challenge of youngster Brad Jones and retain his international standing we shall see.
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football Betting
Shock of the Roo
Shock of the Roo
Who'd have thunk it - a million column inches, hundreds of hours of airtime, 45m anguished fans and all for one young man's broken foot. No ordinary foot of course but a foot nonetheless. In the seven weeks since Wayne Rooney fractured his fourth metatarsal, collapsing in agony on the Stamford Bridge turf, World War III would not have remove Rooney from both the front and back pages of the nation's newspapers.
The foot has healed, the machinations have finally come to an end (baring a refracture or related injury) and Rooney finally stepped out for his first start since the April 29th last night. His return to fitness so soon may be something of a surprise but the true miracle has nothing to do with physical rehabilitation at all. Indeed, the agonizing and debate over Rooney has been not just about any player but a Manchester United player no less. No, the real surprise in all this comes because of the traditionally strained relationship between United and England supporters in recent times.
In the not too distant past United players have been roundly jeered by England supporters, when playing for the national team - at Wembley in particular. In return Manchester United fans have held a long-standing antipathy towards England. The perceived unfair treatment of United players by the FA and the media has intensified this divide from Reds' supporters point of view. Think about Cantona's ban in 1995, when the FA went back on a promise to honour United‚’s self-imposed sanction. Then there was Keane's suspension in 2004, when the FA punished the Irishman twice for his tackle on Leeds' Alfe Inge Haarland . Think also of the length of Ferdinand's sanction for missing a drug test when so many other players had simply been fined for the same offence. Then there was the treatment given to David Beckham by the England-supporting public in the wake of his red card against Argentina at the 1998 tournament.
Paranoia it may be, but United fans - led by the manager Sir Alex - have long held the governing body in contempt, with the England team as their principal puppets tarred with the same brush. Many England fans, in the meantime, would be happy to see a United-free national side.
Yet, last night Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and many other traditionally anti-United fans cheered more loudly for a United player than any other on the pitch. A nation, United? Now that's the real wonder of Roo!
Copyright © Ranter & Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Who'd have thunk it - a million column inches, hundreds of hours of airtime, 45m anguished fans and all for one young man's broken foot. No ordinary foot of course but a foot nonetheless. In the seven weeks since Wayne Rooney fractured his fourth metatarsal, collapsing in agony on the Stamford Bridge turf, World War III would not have remove Rooney from both the front and back pages of the nation's newspapers.
The foot has healed, the machinations have finally come to an end (baring a refracture or related injury) and Rooney finally stepped out for his first start since the April 29th last night. His return to fitness so soon may be something of a surprise but the true miracle has nothing to do with physical rehabilitation at all. Indeed, the agonizing and debate over Rooney has been not just about any player but a Manchester United player no less. No, the real surprise in all this comes because of the traditionally strained relationship between United and England supporters in recent times.
In the not too distant past United players have been roundly jeered by England supporters, when playing for the national team - at Wembley in particular. In return Manchester United fans have held a long-standing antipathy towards England. The perceived unfair treatment of United players by the FA and the media has intensified this divide from Reds' supporters point of view. Think about Cantona's ban in 1995, when the FA went back on a promise to honour United‚’s self-imposed sanction. Then there was Keane's suspension in 2004, when the FA punished the Irishman twice for his tackle on Leeds' Alfe Inge Haarland . Think also of the length of Ferdinand's sanction for missing a drug test when so many other players had simply been fined for the same offence. Then there was the treatment given to David Beckham by the England-supporting public in the wake of his red card against Argentina at the 1998 tournament.
Paranoia it may be, but United fans - led by the manager Sir Alex - have long held the governing body in contempt, with the England team as their principal puppets tarred with the same brush. Many England fans, in the meantime, would be happy to see a United-free national side.
Yet, last night Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and many other traditionally anti-United fans cheered more loudly for a United player than any other on the pitch. A nation, United? Now that's the real wonder of Roo!
Copyright © Ranter & Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Japan football team ... not as great as its goalkeeper's ego
"I made some saves but it didn't appear to help us change the tide of the match and I don't think we were able to get over giving up the equalizer at the end of the first half. On a personal level I feel I have done everything that has been asked of me but I can't do everything on my own."
So said Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, Japan's goalkeeper in the World Cup. This quote really bothered me. Kawaguchi really bothers me, and has done since he first set foot on the Japanese football scene.
In the early days he was all hair flicks and gel (anyone spot the jealousy of a bald man, here?). Always the last man off the pitch, so that he got significant camera time. His gestures were exaggerated. The trademark wince of pain to show just how much he cared. The concentrated stare to show just how much he ... well, concentrated. Everything he did was designed for the cameras, like the ekiden relay runners who insist on falling over in exhaustion after they've run their leg, just to make sure everyone knows they have given their all. Kawaguchi made everyone know that he had given his all. Every wince. Every stare. Every flick of the hair. It was designed to tell a story. The story of a man with an incredible ego.
Unfortunately he hasn't grown up in the intervening years.
"... I can't do everything on my own."
Now who would you normally hear saying that? A harried mother at the end of her tether berating a family of World Cup watching couch potatoes? A boss snarling at incompetent underlings in the office? Or a person with an inflated ego belittling his comrades?
What Kawaguchi is basically saying here is that he is wonderful and the rest of the Japan team are just not up to scratch. He might have something with the latter half of that assessment - Japan were clearly outclassed in Germany. But he is by no means wonderful. A wonderful goalkeeper would not have been third choice for Portsmouth when they were a second-tier club. Nor would a wonderful goalkeeper have been released by them. A wonderful goalkeeper wouldn't have flapped awfully at the cross that led to Australia's equalizing goal, the goal that led directly to the change in Japan's fortunes in this World Cup.
Yes, he did make some fine saves, including a penalty save against Croatia. But he also screwed up on a number of occasions. He, like the rest of his teammates, just weren't up to the job. Simple as that. He was quite right about not being able to do everything on his own. He contributed significantly to Japan's World Cup demise with help from the rest of his teammates.
Copyright (c) jh & Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League
So said Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, Japan's goalkeeper in the World Cup. This quote really bothered me. Kawaguchi really bothers me, and has done since he first set foot on the Japanese football scene.
In the early days he was all hair flicks and gel (anyone spot the jealousy of a bald man, here?). Always the last man off the pitch, so that he got significant camera time. His gestures were exaggerated. The trademark wince of pain to show just how much he cared. The concentrated stare to show just how much he ... well, concentrated. Everything he did was designed for the cameras, like the ekiden relay runners who insist on falling over in exhaustion after they've run their leg, just to make sure everyone knows they have given their all. Kawaguchi made everyone know that he had given his all. Every wince. Every stare. Every flick of the hair. It was designed to tell a story. The story of a man with an incredible ego.
Unfortunately he hasn't grown up in the intervening years.
"... I can't do everything on my own."
Now who would you normally hear saying that? A harried mother at the end of her tether berating a family of World Cup watching couch potatoes? A boss snarling at incompetent underlings in the office? Or a person with an inflated ego belittling his comrades?
What Kawaguchi is basically saying here is that he is wonderful and the rest of the Japan team are just not up to scratch. He might have something with the latter half of that assessment - Japan were clearly outclassed in Germany. But he is by no means wonderful. A wonderful goalkeeper would not have been third choice for Portsmouth when they were a second-tier club. Nor would a wonderful goalkeeper have been released by them. A wonderful goalkeeper wouldn't have flapped awfully at the cross that led to Australia's equalizing goal, the goal that led directly to the change in Japan's fortunes in this World Cup.
Yes, he did make some fine saves, including a penalty save against Croatia. But he also screwed up on a number of occasions. He, like the rest of his teammates, just weren't up to the job. Simple as that. He was quite right about not being able to do everything on his own. He contributed significantly to Japan's World Cup demise with help from the rest of his teammates.
Copyright (c) jh & Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League
Friday, June 23, 2006
Italians Breeze Through Czech Point
It wasn’t supposed to be this way - a do-or-die encounter by the North Sea. It had been largely assumed that Italy and the Czech Republic would already have qualified by the team they met in Hamburg - or at least be very close to doing so.
That scenario was reinforced in no uncertain terms after the first round of matches. The Czechs bulldozed past the Americans with an emphatic 3-0 win and the Azzuri had a few scares in their 2-0 victory over Ghana but finished the game in control.
It all went wrong in the second round of games in Group E. Despite having a man advantage for most of a brutal 90 minutes against the Americans, Italy could only come away from Kaiserslautern with a 1-1 draw. To make matters worse, Ghana outplayed the highly-fancied Czechs with an impressive 2-0 win in Koln.
The stage was then set. All four teams had a chance to reach the second round, though American hopes were by far the slimmest. A Ghana win would mean that the Africans would book their place in the last sixteen meaning that going into the game, the Czechs had to take three points to be sure while a draw for the Italians would be enough.
Confused? The Italian journalists in the media centre before the game weren’t – they were nervous.
“The other game will not be a draw,” said one of what seemed to be an entire legion of ‘La Republica’ reporters. “If we lose, we are out.”
“I don’t know what to say, I’m really nervous.” said another. “I don’t think the Czechs have a good defence and they are not a great team but I think the Italians have a mental problem these days.”
There were few problems, mental or otherwise, in the first half for Marcello Lippi’s team. Even the loss of Alessandro Nesta in the 17th minute didn’t work out too badly as replacement Marco Materazzi headed home soon after.
Pavel Nedved was everywhere in the opening period and was his team’s best player - a busy mass of blond hair trying to ensure that the day would not be his last World Cup day. The Juve midfielder tested Gianluigi Buffon a couple of times in each half but his club-mate was always up to the challenge.
Even before the sending off of Jan Polak in first-half injury time, the Czechs weren’t getting forward in enough numbers to trouble an Italian defence marshalled by the fabulous Fabio Cannavaro.
The Juventus defender is certainly well-liked at home, as the official Italian FA ‘Introduction to the Italian Team’ booklet handed out to reporters testifies:
“The street urchin can do things others can’t imagine. Robbed like the others in that crazy final in Rotterdam, a samurai in Japan (chased by almond-eyed girls) and sadder than an Amalia Rodriguez fado in the Portugal of Cassano’s tears. Now comes Germany. The wall is no longer there. The dream is to sing oi’ vita mia along the Unter den Linden, the captain and the others."
The Czechs won’t be doing so. Needing to win against an Italian team that was not only desperate to avoid defeat but had a man and a goal advantage would be a huge ask for any team and they never looked like doing it.
It seemed that passions had cooled along with the weather and the second half was a fairly subdued affair, it was more interesting, though a little strange to watch the Ghana - USA game on the television on my desk.
The Czech fans tried their best to support their faltering team but in the end it was all in vain.
Copyright (c) John Duerden & Soccerphile.com
World Cup Chess
World Cup Chess
NATIONAL TEAMS OF THE WORLD 2006 CHESS SET
Soccer Chess Sets
Complete Soccer Chess Set 1
Darren Aiken has been sculpting portrait chess sets full-time for the past 10 years. Each set is individually painted, signed and numbered by the artist. His style means that, for each edition of a chess set he only produces
a limited number of sets - never more than 250 and occasionally 1-offs,
caricatured likenesses (head-to-toe) of popular living characters (approx. 12cm; 4.72 inches high),
sets that fit a specific theme or topic.
In keeping with his reputation Darren has committed to hand-making 50 chess sets that caricature the legends of each of the 32 nations represented in Germany 2006. The first 15 of these sets have already been sold, the first of which now sits in Luis Figo's restaurant in the Algave, Portugal.
Once the pieces have been hand-sculpted they are moulded in Silicon rubber and hand-cast in a cold cast mixture of cyano-acrylite and marble powder, which makes them impact proof and not brittle. They are then personally hand-painted and matt-varnished and come packed in a wooden box, complete with a signed and numbered certificate detailing each of the 32 players representing their countries at Germany 2006. The board is also included.
Current owners of Darren's chess sets include: Nelson Mandela, Prince William, Faye Dunawaye, Ruby Wax, Ernie Els, Alanis Morisette and Anthony Robbins.
All pieces are hand painted and made to order, so there is a slight delay on delivery while the pieces are made.
Each set comes with a signed certificate from the artist.
Prices
Full Chess Sets
Maximum of 35 complete sets for sale (thus limiting the total number of sets produced to 50) – Consists of 32 pieces + Chess Board + Wooden Box.
Price 2,050 USD each (plus registered postage from South Africa).
Chess Set 1 has Ronaldinho to represent Brazil and Henry to represent France.
Chess Set 2 has Ronaldo to represent Brazil and Zidane to represent France.
Individual Pieces
Maximum of 4 figures per order.
Price 59 USD per piece (plus registered postage from South Africa).
Mounted Sets
Sets of any 8 mounted figures on a common base.
Price 372 USD per set of 8 figures (plus registered postage from South Africa).
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football
NATIONAL TEAMS OF THE WORLD 2006 CHESS SET
Soccer Chess Sets
Complete Soccer Chess Set 1
Darren Aiken has been sculpting portrait chess sets full-time for the past 10 years. Each set is individually painted, signed and numbered by the artist. His style means that, for each edition of a chess set he only produces
a limited number of sets - never more than 250 and occasionally 1-offs,
caricatured likenesses (head-to-toe) of popular living characters (approx. 12cm; 4.72 inches high),
sets that fit a specific theme or topic.
In keeping with his reputation Darren has committed to hand-making 50 chess sets that caricature the legends of each of the 32 nations represented in Germany 2006. The first 15 of these sets have already been sold, the first of which now sits in Luis Figo's restaurant in the Algave, Portugal.
Once the pieces have been hand-sculpted they are moulded in Silicon rubber and hand-cast in a cold cast mixture of cyano-acrylite and marble powder, which makes them impact proof and not brittle. They are then personally hand-painted and matt-varnished and come packed in a wooden box, complete with a signed and numbered certificate detailing each of the 32 players representing their countries at Germany 2006. The board is also included.
Current owners of Darren's chess sets include: Nelson Mandela, Prince William, Faye Dunawaye, Ruby Wax, Ernie Els, Alanis Morisette and Anthony Robbins.
All pieces are hand painted and made to order, so there is a slight delay on delivery while the pieces are made.
Each set comes with a signed certificate from the artist.
Prices
Full Chess Sets
Maximum of 35 complete sets for sale (thus limiting the total number of sets produced to 50) – Consists of 32 pieces + Chess Board + Wooden Box.
Price 2,050 USD each (plus registered postage from South Africa).
Chess Set 1 has Ronaldinho to represent Brazil and Henry to represent France.
Chess Set 2 has Ronaldo to represent Brazil and Zidane to represent France.
Individual Pieces
Maximum of 4 figures per order.
Price 59 USD per piece (plus registered postage from South Africa).
Mounted Sets
Sets of any 8 mounted figures on a common base.
Price 372 USD per set of 8 figures (plus registered postage from South Africa).
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football
Thursday, June 22, 2006
A "Joke" Puts Police On Alert
VIDUKA'S CROATIAN HOUSE UNDER SURVEILLANCE?
Por una "broma" del comentarista guardan la casa de Viduka
Una broma del comentarista de la televisión croata Bruno Kovacevic dirigida al capitán australiano Mark Viduka ha causado una reacción del Ministerio interior croata y el despliegue de policías delante de la casa que Viduka tiene en Croacia.
Después de que Kovacevic "recordara" a Viduka de que tiene casa cerca de Dubrovnik, como quien dijera "ojo como juegas ante Croacia", en el Ministerio del interior pensaron que algún aficionado local podría arremeter contra la propiedad del futbolista australo-croata, sobre todo si hoy jueves las cosas no salen bien para el equipo adriático en Stuttgart.
- "El comentarista pudo haber dado involuntariamente una idea a alguien para cometer un delito. Imagínense cuanta gente acaba de enterarse donde se encuentra la casa."
- comentó el portavoz de la policía croata Zlatko Mehun.
El diario australiano Sydney Morning Herald fue el primero en descubrir ue policías armados vigilan los alrededores de la casa del futbolista de orígenes croatas.
En la Televisión nacional croata (HRT) afirman que no creen que "el despliegue de agentes sea consecuencia del mencionado reportaje" pero anuncian que la directiva del HRT discutirá las frases de aquel reportaje por la posible falta de responsabilidad del periodista.
En Alemania, mientras tanto, hubo un ligero incidente en la rueda de prensa organizada por Croacia, ya que los representantes croatas prohibieron a Joseph Simunic hablar en inglés con los enviados de Australia, justificándolo con que "el croata es el único idioma oficial aquí."
Y es que Simunic nació en Australia y domina mejor el inglés que el propio croata. De nada sirvieron los apelos de los australianos, quienes destacaron que Mark Viduka tiene permiso de hablar en croata durante las ruedas de prensa que da Australia. (EFE/OP)
Por una "broma" del comentarista guardan la casa de Viduka
Una broma del comentarista de la televisión croata Bruno Kovacevic dirigida al capitán australiano Mark Viduka ha causado una reacción del Ministerio interior croata y el despliegue de policías delante de la casa que Viduka tiene en Croacia.
Después de que Kovacevic "recordara" a Viduka de que tiene casa cerca de Dubrovnik, como quien dijera "ojo como juegas ante Croacia", en el Ministerio del interior pensaron que algún aficionado local podría arremeter contra la propiedad del futbolista australo-croata, sobre todo si hoy jueves las cosas no salen bien para el equipo adriático en Stuttgart.
- "El comentarista pudo haber dado involuntariamente una idea a alguien para cometer un delito. Imagínense cuanta gente acaba de enterarse donde se encuentra la casa."
- comentó el portavoz de la policía croata Zlatko Mehun.
El diario australiano Sydney Morning Herald fue el primero en descubrir ue policías armados vigilan los alrededores de la casa del futbolista de orígenes croatas.
En la Televisión nacional croata (HRT) afirman que no creen que "el despliegue de agentes sea consecuencia del mencionado reportaje" pero anuncian que la directiva del HRT discutirá las frases de aquel reportaje por la posible falta de responsabilidad del periodista.
En Alemania, mientras tanto, hubo un ligero incidente en la rueda de prensa organizada por Croacia, ya que los representantes croatas prohibieron a Joseph Simunic hablar en inglés con los enviados de Australia, justificándolo con que "el croata es el único idioma oficial aquí."
Y es que Simunic nació en Australia y domina mejor el inglés que el propio croata. De nada sirvieron los apelos de los australianos, quienes destacaron que Mark Viduka tiene permiso de hablar en croata durante las ruedas de prensa que da Australia. (EFE/OP)
Japan ... dead, but not buried yet
Tonight Japan play Brazil in what will surely be their final game in Germany for a while. There are still a whole host of optimistic (-ally insane??) people in Japan saying that Brazil can be beaten by more than two goals. I met half a dozen who told me so this morning. But the altogether sane (and frankly rather frightening) bloke next door doesn't think Japan have a hope in hell. Looked at me as if I were mad when I asked him if Japan could do it. Having said that, the TV hosts are hyping Japan's chances, although you can see in their eyes that they don't really believe it.
It all went wrong for Japan with one moment of madness from Kawaguchi, the goalkeeper, against Australia. Then the confidence, brittle at the best of times, disappeared at haste down the plughole. Tough to blame Kawaguchi really, as he has made some excellent saves, including a great penalty stop against Croatia. He always has made excellent saves, but unfortunately he has always been awful with crosses and prone to horrendous blunders, too.
It has been a typical Japan performance so far. Not quite good enough. We all knew the attack was impotent before the competition. We all knew Miyamoto was nowhere near good enough to be the lynchpin of a defence that would face serious pressure. And surely everyone has seen Kawaguchi do his sublime-to-ridiculous thing more times than they remember.
So tonight. A last hurrah? A glorious defeat? A famous victory? Whichever it is, it is unlikely Japan will be in the last 16 come tomorrow morning.
Copyright (c) jh & Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League
It all went wrong for Japan with one moment of madness from Kawaguchi, the goalkeeper, against Australia. Then the confidence, brittle at the best of times, disappeared at haste down the plughole. Tough to blame Kawaguchi really, as he has made some excellent saves, including a great penalty stop against Croatia. He always has made excellent saves, but unfortunately he has always been awful with crosses and prone to horrendous blunders, too.
It has been a typical Japan performance so far. Not quite good enough. We all knew the attack was impotent before the competition. We all knew Miyamoto was nowhere near good enough to be the lynchpin of a defence that would face serious pressure. And surely everyone has seen Kawaguchi do his sublime-to-ridiculous thing more times than they remember.
So tonight. A last hurrah? A glorious defeat? A famous victory? Whichever it is, it is unlikely Japan will be in the last 16 come tomorrow morning.
Copyright (c) jh & Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League
Japan Wins World Cup!
In the 2-on-2 category, some 16 teams competed. Team Osaka’s “Vision Tries” outperformed its rivals in penalties, dribbling, and overall technical level.
If only the national team had similar scoring ability--and brains behind it.
Japan Team Profile
Brazil Team Profile
Copyright ©Soccerphile
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Football Comes Home To Berlin
What could be a more authentic World Cup experience than watching the host nation strut its stuff in its capital city? Germany’s clash with Ecuador on Tuesday afternoon in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium may have lacked some of the traditional tension that one expects on the final game of the group, with both teams already having moved into the second round with a minimum of fuss, but there was a great deal of excitement in the 66,000 crowd.
The German fans were in party mood and sang their national anthem lustily, just as they had a few minutes earlier when FIFA played their, now traditional, pre-match songs. ‘Football’s coming home’ and ‘All Together Now’ make their appearance just before the players make theirs on the pitch. The English (Liverpool) pop music has been entertaining the fans much more than the English na
tional team have managed so far (or Liverpool for the past few years).
There were a good number of Ecuador fans on Berlin's wonderful S-Bahn and in the stadium, their yellow-shirts too bright on a sunny afternoon. One such clad middle-aged South American women asked a German fan on the train to the stadium: “Who is your number nine?”
It proved to be a difficult question and newspapers had to be consulted. Eventually, the answer came. “Mike Hanke.”
“He’s terrible!” Said the woman of the Wolfsburg striker. “He’ll never score.”
“He hasn’t played yet,” replied the non-plussed white-shirted fan.
“ As I told you, he’s terrible.”
The strikers that did play, Lucas Podolski and especially Miroslav Klose, enjoyed themselves against a hole-ridden Ecuadorian defence and midfield. To be fair to the South Americans, who had comfortably seen off Poland and Costa Rica to go top of Group A, Colombian Coach Luis Suarez rested five players in preparation of the second round clash, later confirmed to be against England.
It was easy for the Germans and when Klose put the team ahead with a fine finish from inside the area in the fourth minute, the result was never in doubt. The reported bad feeling between the strike pair, brought about when Klose told the press that his fellow Polish-born striker needs to be “less tense” and “move more”, looked to be absent when the two hugged happily after Podolski’s second half-goal.
For some reason, FIFA had made a mistake with my press pass and instead of being in the printed press section, I was lumped in with the television boys. Being surrounded on all sides by Ecuadorian commentators speaking so fast that sweat was pouring down their faces was an interesting experience, more so that the procession that the game turned into.
Talking to a couple of these guys after the game, none were too concerned about whether they faced England or Sweden. “England haven’t showed their power yet,” said the commentator for RCO TV, “and I don’t think they will. They are a strong but limited team. I am confident that we can beat England or Sweden.”
Perhaps the fans were the same as none seemed remotely concerned about losing the game and were singing and dancing outside the stadium after the game in much the same way as they done before.
Will they be dancing on the streets of Quito on Sunday?
Copyright © John Duerden & Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Korea Frustrate France
Meeting Kevin Gallacher wasn’t quite the highlight of the evening – especially for the amiable Scot after I told him that I had been present when he had broke his leg on two occasions - but it came close to matching a dull game between France and South Korea in Leipzig.
Lunchtime was spent with a group of L’Equipe journalists who were convinced that the team was on its last legs and was about to be put out of its misery. Their pessimistic mood was in marked contrast to that of a group of Swiss sports scribes I had dinner with five days previously, after the Korea-Togo match. Upon witnessing that Korea victory and the subsequent turgid 0-0 draw between their team and France, the writers upgraded their team’s expected finishing position from second to an unequivocal first.
On the afternoon of the game, it was hard to navigate the narrow streets of Leipzig’s historic city centre, filled as they were with people packed taking advantage of the many outside bars and pubs.
The Koreans were louder –they almost always are – as they proved in the stadium. The communist built ZentralStadion looked to be mostly blue upon entrance but the sound that could be heard on a warm Saxony evening came from the red section – one that never stopped singing and dancing.
Desperate to avoid more barbs from the likes of L’Equipe, the French started brightly and it was little surprise when Thierry Henry put the team ahead in the ninth minute. On the half-hour it should have been two as Patrick Viera’s header certainly crossed the line before being beaten away by Lee Woon-jae in goal - the ‘keeper has answered his critics with two fine performances so far in Group G.
The Taeguk Warriors offered little as an attacking force but improved in the second half as Park Ji-sung was moved into the midfield from the wing. His energy in the middle redressed the balance somewhat, especially as France seemed satisfied with the scoreline as it was. Korea’s attempts to break through the excellent defensive pairing of William Gallas and Lilian Thuram were helped by the introduction of Ahn Jung-hwan with 20 minutes remaining. For the second time in a week, the Lord of the Ring changed the pace of the game and Korea came more and more into it.
The equaliser was a fairly shambolic one from a French point of view though the sight of the ball looping over a hitherto unemployed Fabian Barthez was a delicious one from the Korean point of view – one not shared by the obviously furious Gallas who booted the ball to Dresden.
There was no doubt which set of fans and players were happier after the game. The Koreans stayed on the pitch to salute their wonderful fans while the French players showed more urgency in leaving the field than they did for most of the second half – a speedy exit matched by their fans. The Koreans stayed to sing and judging by the sounds coming out of Leipzig city centre in the early hours, their numbers were swelled by a number of new Red Devils.
The French were disappointed but not overly so, in the mixed zone their players pointed out that they only had to defeat Togo to reach the second round while the Switzerland defeat of the Africans by two goals mean that South Korea also have to win in Hanover on Friday night to be sure of progressing.
It should be some night.
Copyright © John Duerden and Soccerphile
World Cup - Group F
Mundial - Grupo F
Kranjcar resuelve el dilema
Tomas sustituirá a Robert Kovac en la zaga
Stjepan Tomas será el reemplazo para el sancionado Robert Kovac en el centro de la zaga croata, mientras que Igor Tudor quedará en su posición del centrocampista defensivo, ha anunciado el seleccionador croata Zlatko Kranjcar.
Dario Simic, el nuevo recordman en el número de presencias en la selección croata con 82 presencias, retrasará un poco su posición y actuará de libre.
* Pendientes de si mismos...y de Japón
Después del empate con Japón, Croacia no desespera ya que ni siquiera una victoria por la mínima ante los niponeses le habría liberado del imperativo de ganar a Australia.
Por otro lado, un sencillo 1-0 contra los "hermanos" australianos podría bastarle a los adriáticos ya que es difícil esperar que Japón gane a Brasil por dos o más goles de diferencia.
Australia por otro lado se clasificará ganando o empatando si Japón no supera por dos o más goles a Brasil - algo poco probable aunque los pentacampeones ya se han clasificado para los octavos. (EFE/OP)
Kranjcar resuelve el dilema
Tomas sustituirá a Robert Kovac en la zaga
Stjepan Tomas será el reemplazo para el sancionado Robert Kovac en el centro de la zaga croata, mientras que Igor Tudor quedará en su posición del centrocampista defensivo, ha anunciado el seleccionador croata Zlatko Kranjcar.
Dario Simic, el nuevo recordman en el número de presencias en la selección croata con 82 presencias, retrasará un poco su posición y actuará de libre.
* Pendientes de si mismos...y de Japón
Después del empate con Japón, Croacia no desespera ya que ni siquiera una victoria por la mínima ante los niponeses le habría liberado del imperativo de ganar a Australia.
Por otro lado, un sencillo 1-0 contra los "hermanos" australianos podría bastarle a los adriáticos ya que es difícil esperar que Japón gane a Brasil por dos o más goles de diferencia.
Australia por otro lado se clasificará ganando o empatando si Japón no supera por dos o más goles a Brasil - algo poco probable aunque los pentacampeones ya se han clasificado para los octavos. (EFE/OP)
One man and his log
One man and his log
Sunday 18th June Mannheim. Leipzig
My last memories of seeing Korea were dashing from the stadium in Daejon as fireworks lit up the sky and 40,000 Koreans went crazy after they defeated Italy. Arriving in the early hours back in Seoul the whole city was out on the streets celebrating. Moving on four years and a lot of those present then have caught football fever and they are over here in Germany. I didn't realise the relevance back in 2002 but I now suppose that the country's name is derived from its passion for choreography.
In Leipzig town centre two troupes entertained the "reds" gathered and encouraged everyone to join in their singing and dancing routines. Before each song the words were clearly recited and the dance moves to be used were demonstrated to all those present so they could join in. Those present to a man (well almost) joined in the festivities.
At the stadium the same organisation was shown as they displayed a banner with a message (sorry it was in Korean) and then for the anthem unfurled the national flag, which they then swayed from side to side. At the other side of the stadium another flag was unfurled and I could swear it was swaying in time with the other flag. Throughout the game the coordinators of this support could be seen giving orders as to what was to happen next and the provided a wall of sound that continued throughout the game, no matter how their team were faring.
The fans appeared to be an inspiration to their side who grew stronger as the game wore on, and rewarded their enthusiasm with a late equaliser. Definitely the best supporters of the tournament.
Buy South Korean soccer jerseys
Monday 19th June Leipzig. Hamburg
The FIFA stadium announcer was delighted to announce once again that the World Cup Stadium was "Sold Out". This announcement was greeted with ironic cheers as seats were clearly visible around the Saudi fans. Despite the fact that Emirates Airlines gave free tickets to passengers and the Saudi Embassy gave tickets to people who applied for visas. The situation was similar at other games I have attended most notably Italy v Ghana and last night at France v Korea.
The Germans take great pride in announcing games as "ausverkauft" and in the press they state this along with the attendance for their Bundesliga games. FIFA seem determined to announce that this World Cup is a resounding success and will point to the highest ever % attendance to back up their point. (Surely the Costa Rica v Poland game will not be fully attended as it clashes with the Germany v Ecuador game and a lot of Poles have already gone home.)
But the damage has been done. Allocating more tickets to sponsors than the competing teams has alienated the real fans and the atmosphere is suffering. The difficulty supporters have encountered in obtaining tickets has left a bad taste when they see the empty seats.
Regularly after the half time interval vast banks of seats can be seen empty as those in corporate hospitality do their best to get value for money as they gorge themselves on freebies. How long is it before FIFA announce that the half time break will be extended to allow hospitality guests to get through 3 courses before the second half can resume?
The news that 1,700 tickets were not returned by sponsors for one game resulted in a message to be sent out asking for all sponsors to ensure that any unused tickets they have are returned in order that they can be resold.
As a result of this I am aware that at the Togo v Switzerland game an employee of a German sports shoes company sold 25 tickets outside the stadium at face value. Actions like this are too little and too late.
Copyright © Ross Clegg & Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Sunday 18th June Mannheim. Leipzig
My last memories of seeing Korea were dashing from the stadium in Daejon as fireworks lit up the sky and 40,000 Koreans went crazy after they defeated Italy. Arriving in the early hours back in Seoul the whole city was out on the streets celebrating. Moving on four years and a lot of those present then have caught football fever and they are over here in Germany. I didn't realise the relevance back in 2002 but I now suppose that the country's name is derived from its passion for choreography.
In Leipzig town centre two troupes entertained the "reds" gathered and encouraged everyone to join in their singing and dancing routines. Before each song the words were clearly recited and the dance moves to be used were demonstrated to all those present so they could join in. Those present to a man (well almost) joined in the festivities.
At the stadium the same organisation was shown as they displayed a banner with a message (sorry it was in Korean) and then for the anthem unfurled the national flag, which they then swayed from side to side. At the other side of the stadium another flag was unfurled and I could swear it was swaying in time with the other flag. Throughout the game the coordinators of this support could be seen giving orders as to what was to happen next and the provided a wall of sound that continued throughout the game, no matter how their team were faring.
The fans appeared to be an inspiration to their side who grew stronger as the game wore on, and rewarded their enthusiasm with a late equaliser. Definitely the best supporters of the tournament.
Buy South Korean soccer jerseys
Monday 19th June Leipzig. Hamburg
The FIFA stadium announcer was delighted to announce once again that the World Cup Stadium was "Sold Out". This announcement was greeted with ironic cheers as seats were clearly visible around the Saudi fans. Despite the fact that Emirates Airlines gave free tickets to passengers and the Saudi Embassy gave tickets to people who applied for visas. The situation was similar at other games I have attended most notably Italy v Ghana and last night at France v Korea.
The Germans take great pride in announcing games as "ausverkauft" and in the press they state this along with the attendance for their Bundesliga games. FIFA seem determined to announce that this World Cup is a resounding success and will point to the highest ever % attendance to back up their point. (Surely the Costa Rica v Poland game will not be fully attended as it clashes with the Germany v Ecuador game and a lot of Poles have already gone home.)
But the damage has been done. Allocating more tickets to sponsors than the competing teams has alienated the real fans and the atmosphere is suffering. The difficulty supporters have encountered in obtaining tickets has left a bad taste when they see the empty seats.
Regularly after the half time interval vast banks of seats can be seen empty as those in corporate hospitality do their best to get value for money as they gorge themselves on freebies. How long is it before FIFA announce that the half time break will be extended to allow hospitality guests to get through 3 courses before the second half can resume?
The news that 1,700 tickets were not returned by sponsors for one game resulted in a message to be sent out asking for all sponsors to ensure that any unused tickets they have are returned in order that they can be resold.
As a result of this I am aware that at the Togo v Switzerland game an employee of a German sports shoes company sold 25 tickets outside the stadium at face value. Actions like this are too little and too late.
Copyright © Ross Clegg & Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
One man and his log Leipzig
Sunday 18th June Mannheim. Leipzig
My last memories of seeing Korea were dashing from the stadium in Daejon as fireworks lit up the sky and 40,000 Koreans went crazy after they defeated Italy. Arriving in the early hours back in Seoul the whole city was out on the streets celebrating. Moving on four years and a lot of those present then have caught football fever and they are over here in Germany. I didn't realise the relevance back in 2002 but I now suppose that the country's name is derived from its passion for choreography.
In Leipzig town centre two troupes entertained the "reds" gathered and encouraged everyone to join in their singing and dancing routines. Before each song the words were clearly recited and the dance moves to be used were demonstrated to all those present so they could join in. Those present to a man (well almost) joined in the festivities.
At the stadium the same organisation was shown as they displayed a banner with a message (sorry it was in Korean) and then for the anthem unfurled the national flag, which they then swayed from side to side. At the other side of the stadium another flag was unfurled and I could swear it was swaying in time with the other flag. Throughout the game the coordinators of this support could be seen giving orders as to what was to happen next and the provided a wall of sound that continued throughout the game, no matter how their team were faring.
The fans appeared to be an inspiration to their side who grew stronger as the game wore on, and rewarded their enthusiasm with a late equaliser. Definitely the best supporters of the tournament.
Buy South Korean soccer jerseys
Monday 19th June Leipzig. Hamburg
The FIFA stadium announcer was delighted to announce once again that the World Cup Stadium was "Sold Out". This announcement was greeted with ironic cheers as seats were clearly visible around the Saudi fans. Despite the fact that Emirates Airlines gave free tickets to passengers and the Saudi Embassy gave tickets to people who applied for visas. The situation was similar at other games I have attended most notably Italy v Ghana and last night at France v Korea.
The Germans take great pride in announcing games as "ausverkauft" and in the press they state this along with the attendance for their Bundesliga games. FIFA seem determined to announce that this World Cup is a resounding success and will point to the highest ever % attendance to back up their point. (Surely the Costa Rica v Poland game will not be fully attended as it clashes with the Germany v Ecuador game and a lot of Poles have already gone home.)
But the damage has been done. Allocating more tickets to sponsors than the competing teams has alienated the real fans and the atmosphere is suffering. The difficulty supporters have encountered in obtaining tickets has left a bad taste when they see the empty seats.
Regularly after the half time interval vast banks of seats can be seen empty as those in corporate hospitality do their best to get value for money as they gorge themselves on freebies. How long is it before FIFA announce that the half time break will be extended to allow hospitality guests to get through 3 courses before the second half can resume?
The news that 1,700 tickets were not returned by sponsors for one game resulted in a message to be sent out asking for all sponsors to ensure that any unused tickets they have are returned in order that they can be resold.
As a result of this I am aware that at the Togo v Switzerland game an employee of a German sports shoes company sold 25 tickets outside the stadium at face value. Actions like this are too little and too late.
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
My last memories of seeing Korea were dashing from the stadium in Daejon as fireworks lit up the sky and 40,000 Koreans went crazy after they defeated Italy. Arriving in the early hours back in Seoul the whole city was out on the streets celebrating. Moving on four years and a lot of those present then have caught football fever and they are over here in Germany. I didn't realise the relevance back in 2002 but I now suppose that the country's name is derived from its passion for choreography.
In Leipzig town centre two troupes entertained the "reds" gathered and encouraged everyone to join in their singing and dancing routines. Before each song the words were clearly recited and the dance moves to be used were demonstrated to all those present so they could join in. Those present to a man (well almost) joined in the festivities.
At the stadium the same organisation was shown as they displayed a banner with a message (sorry it was in Korean) and then for the anthem unfurled the national flag, which they then swayed from side to side. At the other side of the stadium another flag was unfurled and I could swear it was swaying in time with the other flag. Throughout the game the coordinators of this support could be seen giving orders as to what was to happen next and the provided a wall of sound that continued throughout the game, no matter how their team were faring.
The fans appeared to be an inspiration to their side who grew stronger as the game wore on, and rewarded their enthusiasm with a late equaliser. Definitely the best supporters of the tournament.
Buy South Korean soccer jerseys
Monday 19th June Leipzig. Hamburg
The FIFA stadium announcer was delighted to announce once again that the World Cup Stadium was "Sold Out". This announcement was greeted with ironic cheers as seats were clearly visible around the Saudi fans. Despite the fact that Emirates Airlines gave free tickets to passengers and the Saudi Embassy gave tickets to people who applied for visas. The situation was similar at other games I have attended most notably Italy v Ghana and last night at France v Korea.
The Germans take great pride in announcing games as "ausverkauft" and in the press they state this along with the attendance for their Bundesliga games. FIFA seem determined to announce that this World Cup is a resounding success and will point to the highest ever % attendance to back up their point. (Surely the Costa Rica v Poland game will not be fully attended as it clashes with the Germany v Ecuador game and a lot of Poles have already gone home.)
But the damage has been done. Allocating more tickets to sponsors than the competing teams has alienated the real fans and the atmosphere is suffering. The difficulty supporters have encountered in obtaining tickets has left a bad taste when they see the empty seats.
Regularly after the half time interval vast banks of seats can be seen empty as those in corporate hospitality do their best to get value for money as they gorge themselves on freebies. How long is it before FIFA announce that the half time break will be extended to allow hospitality guests to get through 3 courses before the second half can resume?
The news that 1,700 tickets were not returned by sponsors for one game resulted in a message to be sent out asking for all sponsors to ensure that any unused tickets they have are returned in order that they can be resold.
As a result of this I am aware that at the Togo v Switzerland game an employee of a German sports shoes company sold 25 tickets outside the stadium at face value. Actions like this are too little and too late.
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Monday, June 19, 2006
Portugal Progress Without Persian Protest
It was something of a wrench to leave Frankfurt, a cosmopolitan city that had really thrown itself into hosting the World Cup. It is not only the main entry point by air for visitors to Germany, its location makes it a convenient staging point for many other venues – leading to a real sense of being in the middle of the world’s greatest tournament.
After spending time in the rather isolated host city of Leipzig and the even more isolated non-World Cup venue of Dresden, it felt good to be coming back to Frankfurt for a flying visit, one that featured not only the Portugal – Iran fixture but also a welcome recharge of those World Cup batteries.
Unfortunately, there was little time to head to Frankfurt's 'Fan Fest', a gallery of riverside seats looking out onto a giant screen in the middle of the Main. Nearby were lots of amusements and stalls to keep Frankfurt families and football fans alike well-entertained and well-refreshed.
Not being able to head to the river or any of the seemingly thousands of friendly bars and pubs that had big-screen televisions, friendly atmospheres and great beer wasn't too much of a hardship as my route from the main station led in the opposite direction – the WaldStadion - as did those of thousands of fans from around the world.
The Iranians on the concourse and platforms could be heard first and then seen but only as a jumble of flags and a mass of white-shirted bodies jumping up and down. Their opposite numbers were there in similar numbers but with the difference in volume being that of sound.
As I had only decided to come to the game at the last minute, I was on the waiting list for a press ticket. That wasn't going to be a big problem after checking FIFA’s official media website and learning that only two other people were in a similar position. With an average of over 500 press seats per venue, there was always a number of no-shows, leading to tickets to be redistributed an hour before kick-off.
Not showing up is not a problem for the world governing body as long as the tickets are cancelled before hand so people can be upgraded from the waiting list. Not showing up and not letting FIFA know is a big no-no and the fact that over 250 people had, probably wisely as it turned out, in England’s opening game with Paraguay led to every media organisation receiving e-mails that warned of future repercussions for repeated offences.
Possible withdrawal of accreditation privileges wasn’t on the minds of Iranian fans that were in massing outside the stadium, they were more concerned about their beloved national team crashing out of the tournament after only 180 minutes of play.
Portugal's laboured victory over Angola in the opening game may not have impressed the watching world but it did earn a valuable three points in a group that may not have had any death-like connotations but was not straightforward with teams from widely differing geographic locations.
That win and Iran’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of Mexico six days earlier in Leipzig meant that the situation was fairly simple. A Portugal win sent the European team into the second round and Team Melli out.
Portugal were on top from the outset and remained that way for the majority of the ninety minutes. Christiano Ronaldo was at times wasteful (failed tricks that had the nearby Jorge Baptista throwing his arms up in frustration) but his direct running, shooting and crossing caused problems for a slow Iranian defence and Deco was impressive in midfield.
Iran seemed reluctant to move the ball forward quickly, preferring to walk the ball from one end of the pitch to another and it was little surprise that they rarely troubled the Portuguese defence and goalkeeper.
Still, Branko Ivankovic’s team defended well for most of the game with the under-fire Ebrahim Mirzapoor making some good saves but it was a touch of class from Deco in the second half with a smart shot from outside the area that did the damage.
Iran really should have been back on level terms but substitute Rasoul Khatibi held on to the ball too long in a one-on-one situation and dragged his shot just wide and soon the Iranians were two down and heading home.
Copyright © John Duerden and Soccerphile
Iran Team Profile
Portugal Team Profile
COMMENT: Reputations count for nothing as Socceroos level out FIFA's playing field
There's a football advert doing the rounds in Australia starring Socceroos Marco Bresciano and John Aloisi.
While the pair train in an empty stadium, they are barracked by a lone voice yelling from the stands.
"How do you think you are going to beat Brazil, Socceroos," the geriatric figure baits. "You haven't even kicked a goal in the World Cup."
"Brazil have kicked 191 goals," the old-timer ridicules with a laugh.
"Here Johnny," Bresciano prompts and from Aloisi's pass, the Parma midfielder thrashes the ball into the stands and knocks the groaning figure out cold.
"History's Against Us," reads the tagline. "Stuff History."
Whether Nike are claiming any credit following last night's display against the reigning world champions will likely be determined by the company's next ad campaign.
But one thing's for certain - reputations count for nothing for Guus Hiddink's men.
The simple truth is Brazil might have lost to 42nd-ranked Australia after Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka wasted glorious chances in the second-half in Munich.
The former Leeds United pair will relive their individual moments of promise a hundred times over.
Once again, a World Cup match was decided by mere inches.
While Viduka's second-half lob over goalkeeper Dida landed fractionally over the bar, Robinho's 90th minute strike ricocheted off the inside of Mark Schwarzer's post straight to the feet of grateful striker Fred.
"It was a deserved win," coach Carlos Alberto Parreira maintained after presiding over an anxious second-half performance from the five-times champions. "We imposed both our style of playing, passing the ball around, and also imposed ourselves physically."
Australian central defender Lucas Neill saw it rather differently.
"We’re really frustrated and disappointed," Neill, a player growing in stature with each passing international, said. "But we played very well and I’m really happy to be a part of this Australian team."
Neill's proud Socceroos concocted about as many shots as their lauded rivals in a pulsating encounter but will rue a lack of tactical nous from midfielder-turned-defender Scott Chipperfield four minutes after the break.
The FC Basel man, forced back into defence following injury to Tony Popovic, stood too far off Adriano as the burly left-footer shaped to thread a shot goalbound after a neat set-up from Ronaldo.
The result was too much time for the Inter Milan striker and too little view for Schwarzer - a deadly combination.
The ball rolled through Chipperfield's vulnerable gait and eluded the stranded Middlesbrough 'keeper for the gamebreaker.
Fred's last-gasp decider only served to flatter the Brazilians, a side talked about in terms of Pele's 1970s superstars pre-tournament but on current form a million miles away.
For the Aussies, they might have fallen narrowly short of South America's football kings but can take satisfaction that a draw with Croatia on Friday should be enough for a knockout spot.
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football
While the pair train in an empty stadium, they are barracked by a lone voice yelling from the stands.
"How do you think you are going to beat Brazil, Socceroos," the geriatric figure baits. "You haven't even kicked a goal in the World Cup."
"Brazil have kicked 191 goals," the old-timer ridicules with a laugh.
"Here Johnny," Bresciano prompts and from Aloisi's pass, the Parma midfielder thrashes the ball into the stands and knocks the groaning figure out cold.
"History's Against Us," reads the tagline. "Stuff History."
Whether Nike are claiming any credit following last night's display against the reigning world champions will likely be determined by the company's next ad campaign.
But one thing's for certain - reputations count for nothing for Guus Hiddink's men.
The simple truth is Brazil might have lost to 42nd-ranked Australia after Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka wasted glorious chances in the second-half in Munich.
The former Leeds United pair will relive their individual moments of promise a hundred times over.
Once again, a World Cup match was decided by mere inches.
While Viduka's second-half lob over goalkeeper Dida landed fractionally over the bar, Robinho's 90th minute strike ricocheted off the inside of Mark Schwarzer's post straight to the feet of grateful striker Fred.
"It was a deserved win," coach Carlos Alberto Parreira maintained after presiding over an anxious second-half performance from the five-times champions. "We imposed both our style of playing, passing the ball around, and also imposed ourselves physically."
Australian central defender Lucas Neill saw it rather differently.
"We’re really frustrated and disappointed," Neill, a player growing in stature with each passing international, said. "But we played very well and I’m really happy to be a part of this Australian team."
Neill's proud Socceroos concocted about as many shots as their lauded rivals in a pulsating encounter but will rue a lack of tactical nous from midfielder-turned-defender Scott Chipperfield four minutes after the break.
The FC Basel man, forced back into defence following injury to Tony Popovic, stood too far off Adriano as the burly left-footer shaped to thread a shot goalbound after a neat set-up from Ronaldo.
The result was too much time for the Inter Milan striker and too little view for Schwarzer - a deadly combination.
The ball rolled through Chipperfield's vulnerable gait and eluded the stranded Middlesbrough 'keeper for the gamebreaker.
Fred's last-gasp decider only served to flatter the Brazilians, a side talked about in terms of Pele's 1970s superstars pre-tournament but on current form a million miles away.
For the Aussies, they might have fallen narrowly short of South America's football kings but can take satisfaction that a draw with Croatia on Friday should be enough for a knockout spot.
Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football
Korea Frustrate France
Meeting Kevin Gallacher wasn’t quite the highlight of the evening – especially for the amiable Scot after I told him that I had been present when he had broke his leg on two occasions - but it came close to matching a dull game between France and South Korea in Leipzig.
Lunchtime was spent with a group of L’Equipe journalists who were convinced that the team was on its last legs and was about to be put out of its misery. Their pessimistic mood was in marked contrast to that of a group of Swiss sports scribes I had dinner with five days previously, after the Korea-Togo match. Upon witnessing that Korea victory and the subsequent turgid 0-0 draw between their team and France, the writers upgraded their team’s expected finishing position from second to an unequivocal first.
On the afternoon of the game, it was hard to navigate the narrow streets of Leipzig’s historic city centre, filled as they were with people packed taking advantage of the many outside bars and pubs.
The Koreans were louder –they almost always are – as they proved in the stadium. The communist built ZentralStadion looked to be mostly blue upon entrance but the sound that could be heard on a warm Saxony evening came from the red section – one that never stopped singing and dancing.
Desperate to avoid more barbs from the likes of L’Equipe, the French started brightly and it was little surprise when Thierry Henry put the team ahead in the ninth minute. On the half-hour it should have been two as Patrick Viera’s header certainly crossed the line before being beaten away by Lee Woon-jae in goal - the ‘keeper has answered his critics with two fine performances so far in Group G.
The Taeguk Warriors offered little as an attacking force but improved in the second half as Park Ji-sung was moved into the midfield from the wing. His energy in the middle redressed the balance somewhat, especially as France seemed satisfied with the scoreline as it was. Korea’s attempts to break through the excellent defensive pairing of William Gallas and Lilian Thuram were helped by the introduction of Ahn Jung-hwan with 20 minutes remaining. For the second time in a week, the Lord of the Ring changed the pace of the game and Korea came more and more into it.
The equaliser was a fairly shambolic one from a French point of view though the sight of the ball looping over a hitherto unemployed Fabian Barthez was a delicious one from the Korean point of view – one not shared by the obviously furious Gallas who booted the ball to Dresden.
There was no doubt which set of fans and players were happier after the game. The Koreans stayed on the pitch to salute their wonderful fans while the French players showed more urgency in leaving the field than they did for most of the second half – a speedy exit matched by their fans. The Koreans stayed to sing and judging by the sounds coming out of Leipzig city centre in the early hours, their numbers were swelled by a number of new Red Devils.
The French were disappointed but not overly so, in the mixed zone their players pointed out that they only had to defeat Togo to reach the second round while the Switzerland defeat of the Africans by two goals mean that South Korea also have to win in Hanover on Friday night to be sure of progressing.
It should be some night.
Copyright © John Duerden and Soccerphile
Sunday, June 18, 2006
One man and his log Hannover
One man and his log
Friday 16th June Berlin. Elze. Hannover. Elze
Off to see Mexico again. This time meeting my friend Manuel would be no problem. Or so I thought. Boarded the train at Berlin, checked the train number, the TV monitor onboard and the on train leaflet that shows the stops and all the connections. Heard different announcements on the train reeling off what I thought were the connections from the forthcoming stations throughout the journey.
All of a sudden we stopped at a station that wasn't on the schedule! We were at Wolfsburg, and we were meant to be slightly further north at Braunschweig. I quickly found a map and realised that the connections I needed to make were in jeopardy. I approached a conductor about my predicament, he was sympathetic at first, but when I told him where I wanted to go he offered a simple shrug of the shoulders. Decided I would get off at the next station and work things out from there. Arriving at what to me was the middle of nowhere, it seemed like a ghost station, and that the conductor had been right. The train I had just departed showed as running 30 minutes late, but after a frantic few minutes working out exactly where I was and finding a train timetable, all was well, I would arrive a mere four minutes later.
Once again there were thousands of Mexicans all over the city and as before a large number did not have tickets. News had now got out about the number of Mexicans and the chance to make some money. The going rate 30 minutes before kick off - €800!
Saturday 17th June Elze. Mannheim. Frankfurt. Kaiserslautern. Mannheim
This World Cup has seen a number of entrepreneurs join in the proceedings. The usual people offering bed and breakfast have been seen at the train stations, and around the stadium, locals are selling cold drinks. Added to this FIFA have now joined in, offering resale tickets at 15% above their face value and offering to change the name on tickets for €10.
In the Stadium Ticketing Centres, there has been a constant stream of people paying to have their name put on the ticket in order that they can enter the stadium. I felt like joining in the spirit of making money by charging them €5 to tell them not to bother.
However today, in Frankfurt a friend had his ID checked and of course it did not match the name on his ticket. They explained that he had to have the name changed on the ticket and he was forced to go through this administrative process. They did not charge him for this! I wondered what they would do if he already had the maximum number of tickets (seven) allocated in his name.
Later that evening, as I approached the stadium at Kaiserslautern an announcement was made stating that everyone should have their tickets and I.D. ready for presentation at the turnstile. If they did enforce this regulation, this would make the sale of different Football Associations' tickets even more attractive to touts and buyers, a worrying thought as already large numbers find there way on to the black market. I had bought my ticket that evening from an American so I just had to be observant and avoid any turnstiles where they appeared to be checking I.D. No checks were carried out as I entered the stadium.
Despite having to put up with being surrounded by Americans, I enjoyed the game. Of course the comments made around me did put me off. For one of the sendings off I heard that the player "put his spikes up, and deserved to go". And then talking to an American about Kasey Keller's goal kicks which were going to his opposite number, I suggested that he would be better trying to put the ball out for a throw in. "Wow, can he do that, is that allowed, putting the ball out of play deliberately?" was the response I got. How long have they been playing football!
Copyright (c) Ross Clegg & Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Friday 16th June Berlin. Elze. Hannover. Elze
Off to see Mexico again. This time meeting my friend Manuel would be no problem. Or so I thought. Boarded the train at Berlin, checked the train number, the TV monitor onboard and the on train leaflet that shows the stops and all the connections. Heard different announcements on the train reeling off what I thought were the connections from the forthcoming stations throughout the journey.
All of a sudden we stopped at a station that wasn't on the schedule! We were at Wolfsburg, and we were meant to be slightly further north at Braunschweig. I quickly found a map and realised that the connections I needed to make were in jeopardy. I approached a conductor about my predicament, he was sympathetic at first, but when I told him where I wanted to go he offered a simple shrug of the shoulders. Decided I would get off at the next station and work things out from there. Arriving at what to me was the middle of nowhere, it seemed like a ghost station, and that the conductor had been right. The train I had just departed showed as running 30 minutes late, but after a frantic few minutes working out exactly where I was and finding a train timetable, all was well, I would arrive a mere four minutes later.
Once again there were thousands of Mexicans all over the city and as before a large number did not have tickets. News had now got out about the number of Mexicans and the chance to make some money. The going rate 30 minutes before kick off - €800!
Saturday 17th June Elze. Mannheim. Frankfurt. Kaiserslautern. Mannheim
This World Cup has seen a number of entrepreneurs join in the proceedings. The usual people offering bed and breakfast have been seen at the train stations, and around the stadium, locals are selling cold drinks. Added to this FIFA have now joined in, offering resale tickets at 15% above their face value and offering to change the name on tickets for €10.
In the Stadium Ticketing Centres, there has been a constant stream of people paying to have their name put on the ticket in order that they can enter the stadium. I felt like joining in the spirit of making money by charging them €5 to tell them not to bother.
However today, in Frankfurt a friend had his ID checked and of course it did not match the name on his ticket. They explained that he had to have the name changed on the ticket and he was forced to go through this administrative process. They did not charge him for this! I wondered what they would do if he already had the maximum number of tickets (seven) allocated in his name.
Later that evening, as I approached the stadium at Kaiserslautern an announcement was made stating that everyone should have their tickets and I.D. ready for presentation at the turnstile. If they did enforce this regulation, this would make the sale of different Football Associations' tickets even more attractive to touts and buyers, a worrying thought as already large numbers find there way on to the black market. I had bought my ticket that evening from an American so I just had to be observant and avoid any turnstiles where they appeared to be checking I.D. No checks were carried out as I entered the stadium.
Despite having to put up with being surrounded by Americans, I enjoyed the game. Of course the comments made around me did put me off. For one of the sendings off I heard that the player "put his spikes up, and deserved to go". And then talking to an American about Kasey Keller's goal kicks which were going to his opposite number, I suggested that he would be better trying to put the ball out for a throw in. "Wow, can he do that, is that allowed, putting the ball out of play deliberately?" was the response I got. How long have they been playing football!
Copyright (c) Ross Clegg & Soccerphile.com
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Portugal Progress Without Persian Protest
It was something of a wrench to leave Frankfurt, a cosmopolitan city that had really thrown itself into hosting the World Cup. It is not only the main entry point by air for visitors to Germany, its location makes it a convenient staging point for many other venues – leading to a real sense of being in the middle of the world’s greatest tournament.
After spending time in the rather isolated host city of Leipzig and the even more isolated non-World Cup venue of Dresden, it felt good to be coming back to Frankfurt for a flying visit, one that featured not only the Portugal – Iran fixture but also a welcome recharge of those World Cup batteries.
Unfortunately, there was little time to head to Frankfurt's 'Fan Fest', a gallery of riverside seats looking out onto a giant screen in the middle of the Main. Nearby were lots of amusements and stalls to keep Frankfurt families and football fans alike well-entertained and well-refreshed.
Not being able to head to the river or any of the seemingly thousands of friendly bars and pubs that had big-screen televisions, friendly atmospheres and great beer wasn't too much of a hardship as my route from the main station led in the opposite direction – the WaldStadion - as did those of thousands of fans from around the world.
The Iranians on the concourse and platforms could be heard first and then seen but only as a jumble of flags and a mass of white-shirted bodies jumping up and down. Their opposite numbers were there in similar numbers but with the difference in volume being that of sound.
As I had only decided to come to the game at the last minute, I was on the waiting list for a press ticket. That wasn’t going to be a big problem after checking FIFA’s official media website and learning that only two other people were in a similar position. With an average of over 500 press seats per venue, there was always a number of no-shows, leading to tickets to be redistributed an hour before kick-off.
Not showing up is not a problem for the world governing body as long as the tickets are cancelled before hand so people can be upgraded from the waiting list. Not showing up and not letting FIFA know is a big no-no and the fact that over 250 people had, probably wisely as it turned out, in England’s opening game with Paraguay led to every media organisation receiving e-mails that warned of future repercussions for repeated offences.
Possible withdrawal of accreditation privileges wasn’t on the minds of Iranian fans that were in massing outside the stadium, they were more concerned about their beloved national team crashing out of the tournament after only 180 minutes of play.
Portugal’s laboured victory over Angola in the opening game may not have impressed the watching world but it did earn a valuable three points in a group that may not have had any death-like connotations but was not straightforward with teams from widely differing geographic locations.
That win and Iran’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of Mexico six days earlier in Leipzig meant that the situation was fairly simple. A Portugal win sent the European team into the second round and Team Melli out.
Portugal were on top from the outset and remained that way for the majority of the ninety minutes. Christiano Ronaldo was at times wasteful (failed tricks that had the nearby Jorge Baptista throwing his arms up in frustration) but his direct running, shooting and crossing caused problems for a slow Iranian defence and Deco was impressive in midfield.
Iran seemed reluctant to move the ball forward quickly, preferring to walk the ball from one end of the pitch to another and it was little surprise that they rarely troubled the Portuguese defence and goalkeeper.
Still, Branko Ivankovic’s team defended well for most of the game with the under-fire Ebrahim Mirzapoor making some good saves but it was a touch of class from Deco in the second half with a smart shot from outside the area that did the damage.
Iran really should have been back on level terms but substitute Rasoul Khatibi held on to the ball too long in a one-on-one situation and dragged his shot just wide and soon the Iranians were two down and heading home.
Copyright © John Duerden and Soccerphile
Iran Team Profile
Portugal Team Profile
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
