He’s one of the greatest players in the world and has now taken over as coach of the Argentinean national team. The legendary wearer of the number 10 soccer shirt, Maradona, is back in action for this country. He dreams of winning the FIFA World Cup one more time – this time from the sidelines as he steers his team to victory and makes soccer history…
Now, 48 years of age, Maradona is a seasoned man with a look of having been through it all and survived it. Beset by addiction problems, he seems to have fought his demons hard and won over them. He’s even cheated death on occasion! As Maradona himself admits, the worst has already happened… His daughter actually pulled him out from the bottom of the sea… His fans and countrymen have every reason to rejoice as he takes the field again to teach the younger lot. After all, who can forget this legend’s on pitch skills?
Maradona enjoyed the years when he was playing for Argentine the most, but now duty calls, duty to his country, to his team and to himself. A confident Maradona is sure that Argentina will sail through the 2010 World Cup qualifications. He considers coaching his country a dream come true, though explains that he’s only had the boys together for about 40 days since he joined. But Maradona being who he is, he plans to make the most of it. He should have all his players together for 20 days before the World Cup and that’s when he plans to lay the foundation and work towards becoming world champions. So, if you’re an Argentinean fan, get your world cup soccer jerseys ready for the big event in South Africa!
Coach Maradona’s strategy for the team is to vigorously press up front, thereby decreasing the space between attack, midfield and defense. And he’s quick to point out that when his team loses the ball, it should be on top of the other team right away without losing precious time. Considering Argentina has an enviable possession rate, it needs to make the most of it.
This soccer uniform number 10 is driven by a dream to win the World Cup once again and to meet Nelson Mandela while in South Africa! He fondly remembers the first time he held the World Cup Trophy… He touched it kissed it and wouldn’t let go! That according to Maradona is the ‘most beautiful thing’. And that’s what he’s been telling his players – 30 days of sacrifice to win the World Cup are nothing in a man’s life… kissing that trophy is like touching the sky…
Which brings us to something else in Maradona’s life that makes him feel like he’s touching the sky – his grandson. Yes, this legend is a grandfather! And for him, nothing compares to watching his grandchild… Maybe, it’s Maradona’s turn to live a calm and smooth life after much struggle and adversity. We are with him… Go Diego!
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Soccer Power Takes Over the US
It’s football, not soccer that rules in America. All around the world, soccer is known as football, but in the US the word is reserved for all American football. And soccer gets relegated to the background. Not anymore! Soccer has steadily grown in popularity since the 70s, and with USA’s national team reaching the much respected finals of the 2009 Confederation Cup, Americans sat up and let out a collective ‘YES, WE CAN!’
If you go by FIFA World Rankings, USA is ranked 12th in the world and first in CONCACAF. The national team has played the last five FIFA World Cups though they’ve never really got far in tournament. During the Confederation Cup, interest in soccer peaked and text messages were flying thick as Americans got into the spirit of the game, a game that can’t be denied its infectious enthusiasm and inherent vigor. Better late than never, USA! Welcome to the world soccer fiesta! The more the merrier!
As the FIFA 2010 World Cup nears, the excitement in the US is palpable. Newly turned fans are eagerly awaiting the national team’s next World Cup qualifier against El Salvador that will take place on the 5th of September. For decades, soccer was no where close to entering mainstream American sports. But the 2009 Confederation Cup and the media attention it received has converted many casual fans into soccer lovers. Host of ESPN Radio’s ‘The Herd with Colin Cowherd’ is among the many to have jumped onto the soccer bandwagon. After all, the national team made it to their first ever FIFA final recently! They can be proud of their performance considering this isn’t a nation of hardcore soccer lovers like most of the world! I mean, it takes real skill to beat Spain during the Confed Cup semifinals. This was no small victory! Spain topped the FIFA World Rankings and had a record of 15 straight wins and 35 undefeated games before the Americans upset their winning spell. And the US sure did give their best during the finals even though they eventually lost 2:3 to Brazil. As far as any diehard soccer fan is concerned losing to Brazil in a final is an honor by itself!
The US national team has won 7 out of 8 qualifying matches against Cuba, Barbados, Guatemala and Trinidad and Tobago during the second and third rounds of qualification for the 2010 World Cup. This put the US into the fourth round, where it faces El Salvador, Costa Rica, Mexico, Honduras, and Trinidad and Tobago.
It began the fourth round by defeating Mexico 2:0, and went on to draw against El Salvador. The next game saw the US enjoy a 3:0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago, with soccer shirt number 17 Jozy Altidore becoming the youngest US player to score a hat-trick. And then came a 3:1 defeat against Costa Rica, followed by a 2:1 win against Honduras. Though the US team’s recent 2:1 defeat against Mexico during the 2010 World Cup fourth round qualifiers sure was disappointing, it’s been a pretty good season for US soccer.
As things stand right now, the United States has won 3 games, lost 2 matches and has drawn one in the fourth round, taking it to the second place with two points behind Costa Rica and four games to go. The players to look out for are soccer uniforms number 10 Landon Donovan, number 17 Jozy Altidore, number 1 Tim Howard, number 8 Clint Dempsey and number 3 Carlos Bocanegra.
Let’s hope the game we love to play and watch catches on in the US and generates the same amount of love and enthusiasm as it does across the world.
Read More!Meet FIFA’s Soccer Ambassadors
Ambassadors of soccer uphold FIFA’s vision, “Develop the game, touch the world, build a better future.” They were dynamites on the soccer pitch and are now humanitarians off the field. They believe in making the world a better place through soccer, by uplifting the less haves and giving them a dream to strive for. Meet the Ambassadors…
Abedi Pele, former Ghanaian international soccer player and captain, is regarded as the greatest player in Ghana’s history and amongst the best in the African continent. As a pioneer of African soccer in European clubs, Pele played for Italian, Swiss, German, and French teams. He also played 67 times for his country in the 80’s and 90’s. Named African Footballer of the Year in 1991, 1992 and 1993, his name was also included as one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers in March 2004. Though he never got to play a World Cup, he dominated African soccer for nearly a decade. Today, Pele owns a club that nurtures young talent to join the fledgling league of Ghana. This legend is deeply involved with charity work and is one of the continent’s most respected Ambassadors. As a member of FIFA’s Football Committee, Pele has the honor of taking part in the maximum number of charity matches than any other African player.
Jomo Sono lost his soccer star father in a car crash at the age of 8. His mother abandoned him and Sono was looked after by his ailing grandparents. At the age of 10, he sold apples and peanuts during soccer matches. During a soccer match one of the players was absent and Sono was asked to quickly put on a soccer shirt and stand in for the player! That was the beginning of Sono’s illustrious career. He soon became known for his incredible dribbling and accurate passing skills. A fan gave Sono the nickname Jomo, or burning spear, since he saw in him the same leadership qualities as the President of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta. And Sono sure did live up to his name! Having played for Orlando Pirates, he went to play for New York Cosmos alongside Brazil’s Pele. On his return, he bought the Highlands Park Club and renamed it Jomo Cosmos in honor of his old team. The club achieved great success and Sono developed new talent for Bafana Bafana, South Africa’s national team. Today, the Black Prince is the longest serving coach in South Africa’s Premier League and is also on the board of the Premier League.
Former Cameroonian forward, Roger Milla, is one of the first African players to become a major international soccer star. Having represented his country in three World Cups, Milla attained international stardom at the age of 38 when most footballers retire! Wearing the famous number 9 soccer shirt, he went on to score 4 goals in the 1990 World Cup, which got Cameroon into the quarterfinals. He also made it to Pele’s list of the 125 greatest living footballers. Besides winning numerous distinctions on the soccer field, Milla serves as an Ambassador for Cameroon and UNAIDS.
Liberian George Weah played for clubs in France, Italy and England for 14 years. The year 1995 saw him become the FIFA World Player of the Year, European Footballer of the Year, and African Footballer of the Year. Considered as one of the best African footballers ever, Weah has since taken up humanitarian and political causes in Liberia. Through soccer he spreads joy and promotes education among children. As President of the Junior Professionals, Weah discovered many a talent who have gone on to play for the Liberian national team.
Lucas Radebe, former South African player and national team captain, began his career as a goalkeeper. He later moved to the Kaizer Chiefs where he played as a midfielder. Radebe then joined the South African National Team in 1992. The year 1994 saw him move to wear the Leeds United soccer uniforms, where he became a huge soccer star and captain. Radebe was also captain of the South African national team during the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. Radebe is FIFA’s Ambassador for the SOS Children’s Villages.
Read More!Countdown to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa
With less than 300 days to go to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa is in top gear in terms of preparation and spirit. Receiving a shot in the arm for successfully hosting and organizing the recently held Confederations Cup, the country is all set to deliver on its promise to host a spectacular World Cup for fans worldwide. Even US President Obama is expected to attend the opening ceremony! Wonder if he’ll get into the spirit of the game and wear a soccer shirt or the South African makaraba hat?! Or, who knows, maybe he’ll even have his own vuvuzela to blow on!
Dr Danny Jordaan, Chief Executive Officer of the Organizing Committee, stressed that the 300 day mark should serve as a reminder of the important work completed and more that still needs to be done in the build up to the tournament. “It is important to record this milestone as a significant one in our country’s history, but for those involved in organizing the tournament – from the construction worker to the marketing executive – it is just another marker along the route to ensuring the World Cup is a success,” said Dr Jordaan. The completion of the stadiums, infrastructure and transportation projects, the initiation of the volunteer program and the World Cup Final Draw are some milestones to cross on the way to 2010.
Fourth of December, 2009, is a big day for the country and Cape Town in specific as it will host the World Cup Final Draw. The 32 teams who qualify for the World Cup will be drawn into groups for the first round of the tournament. South Africa took another step towards World Cup readiness by launching its first visitor information centre. This and other Visitor Information Centers is the government’s initiative to boost tourism in the host cities of Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth, Nelspruit, Polokwane and Mangaung/Bloemfontein. Developed at a cost of 6.7 million rand, the centers will be a one-stop, centralized service to assist fans with information regarding tourism products.
Another shot in the arm for South Africa is President Obama’s expected attendance at the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Cup that will take place in Johannesburg on the 11th of June. FIFA’s president, Sepp Blatter, revealed Obama’s acceptance of the invitation during a special media discussion in Johannesburg. This would mark Obama’s first visit to Africa since he was elected President of the US.
The opening ceremony will kick off at Soccer City, the ultra modern 100,000 capacity stadium, with either hosts Bafana Bafana or former world champions Italy playing. Blatter emphasized that the world should trust South Africa, which will deliver one of the most memorable World Cups ever! After all, the country passed the test of hosting the Confederations Cup with flying colors. And that bodes well for the 2010 World Cup. So, book your tickets, buy your soccer uniforms and other soccer merchandise and make your way to the centre stage of world soccer – South Africa 2010!
Read More!All About The Premier League
Known as ‘The Greatest Show On Earth’, the Premier League is the world’s most watched, most popular and most profitable sporting league. Nearly half a billion soccer fans across 202 countries wear their custom soccer jerseys as they closely follow their favorite English teams from August to May each year. Officially called the Barclays Premier League, it has 20 clubs playing 38 games each, with the ‘Big Four’, namely Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, dominating the competition.
Attracting some of the best players in the world, it’s hard to believe that the first Premier League competition kicked off as recently as 1992! The competition was formed when leading clubs in the Football League First Division decided to break away from the Football League in order to reap the benefits of a lucrative television rights deal. The combined club revenues stood at a staggering £1.93 billion in 2007–08.
The Barclays Premier League also ranks first, ahead of Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s La Liga. Though 43 clubs have participated in the Premier League until now, only Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Arsenal, and Chelsea have managed to win the title. Man U are the current champions with eleven Premier League titles to their credit.
But back in the 80s English football was at its lowest. Stadiums were falling apart and violence among fans led to a ban of English teams in European competitions. This led to the resignation of the first division clubs from the Football League on the 20th of February, 1992. Three months later, the Premier League was born… It gave television rights to Sky TV, which was a huge step considering fans were not used to being charged to watch televised soccer at the time. But high quality soccer, Sky’s effective marketing strategies and sponsorship deals saw the popularity of the Premier League rise beyond expectation.
Initially dubbed the FA Carling Premiership in 1993, sponsorship changed hands in 2001 with Barclaycard dishing out £48million for a three year funding. Sponsorship was renewed in 2007 for a price of £65.8million! Profitable revenues saw the best world players joining the Barclays Premier League. And over the years, it became the most competitive tournament in Europe.
But of late, with Barcelona winning the European Cup and Man U spending huge amounts on transfers, there is an element of doubt as to which competition ranks first. Another criticism faced by the Premier League is the increasing dominance of the big four clubs, which has led to a huge gap between them and the rest of the clubs. Newcastle United’s manager Kevin Keegan feels that the Big Four’s dominance threatens the division: “This League is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great Leagues in the world.”
But criticism aside, there is no doubt that when the Premier League club players take the pitch in their soccer uniforms, the whole world sits up and takes notice. Emotions run high and life gets rescheduled according to match timings! So, get your soccer shirts out as a new season is ready to kick off!
Read More!Ronaldo to Replace Brand Beckham?
You’ve seen him in advertising campaigns for Nike, Coke, FIFA Street 2, Extra Joss, and of course, his bare-chested appeal in the Pepe Jeans ad. According to advertising and marketing experts and football agents, Cristiano Ronaldo has the ‘X factor’ that could well replace David Beckham as the footballer who earns the most from endorsements. Considering Ronaldo’s teenybopper appeal and this age group’s importance as the advertisers’ main target audience, it might just happen… and soon.
Experts feel there is currently a need for a central soccer brand. Beckham’s 34 years of age and current career phase doesn’t exactly make him a hot youth icon anymore. Sure, no one can deny his good looks and knee weakening ability among adults, but he’s past the stage of driving 13 year olds crazy. And that’s where Ronaldo can step in and fill Beck’s shoes. The 24 year old Portuguese has all the right qualities to appeal to kids and teens – he’s a looker, has a great body, plays well and is part of an extremely popular and successful team.
If Becks raked in $42.5 million through product endorsements last year, Ronaldo earned $19.6 million. But now that this 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year has become the world’s most expensive player after his transfer from Man U to Real Madrid, his worth has sky rocketed. When Ronaldo was ‘unveiled’ on the 6th of July at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium wearing Real’s soccer uniforms, nearly 80,000 screaming teens and young adults were there to greet him!
Actually, Ronaldo seems to be following in Beckham’s footsteps in more ways than one! Becks left Man U for a successful stint with Real, so did Ronny boy! Becks wore the number 7 soccer shirt at Man U, as did Ronaldo after him! Becks was the ultimate youth icon, as Ronaldo is slated to be! If there’s anything that can go against this young man, it’s his lack of ‘family life’ and the accusation that he’s not much of a team player. This could bring his appeal down among advertisers. Beckham continues to shine in that arena with his image of a happy family man and his reputation as a great team player. For this reason, some experts would like to see Ronaldo settled and married to a nice girl!
But, at the end of the day, it’s his on field performance that will determine his success as brand Beckham’s successor. After all, you’re only as good as your last match… And companies are looking for endorsements from soccer stars so they can associate their product with the star’s phenomenal success. As far as veteran football agent, Jon Holmes, is concerned, “Ronaldo is a good looking guy and I would say his level of articulateness is about the same as Beckham’s… He is probably a better player than Beckham in that he is more versatile. Beckham is a workhorse of a player, Ronaldo seems to be a more natural player.”
Well, let’s see if Ronaldo is going to be the next big clothes horse after Becks! Time will tell…
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