Can history repeat itself? England versus the USA 1950 remembered.

Soccer is a sport with a very rich history, and there will be those in the England camp will be seriously hoping that it doesn't repeat itself when the national team steps out in their famous red, white and blue soccer uniforms in the Rustenburg Stadium, South Africa against the United States national team. For in one of the greatest coincidences in the rich annals of soccer history, the two teams meet in their first competitive match since the USA defeated England almost 60 years ago to the day. The game was a wakeup call for the English team, which had the feeling that all they needed to do was to turn up and win the game, and eventually the World Cup would fall into their hands. After all facts and statistics were on their side as English, self crowned "Kings of Football",, had won 23 three of their last 30 matches, while the US had lost their last seven and against weak opposition, conceding no less than 45 goals in the process.

The England team on paper looked very strong and likely to sweep the USA aside by a record score. So complacent were they, that the rested their undoubted superstar, master dribbler Stanley Matthews on the bench, with no substitutes allowed in those days. Without Matthews, England's team were still no slouches, containing stars of the ears such as Billy Wright, Tom Finney, Stan Mortenson and a young full back called Alf Ramsey, who went on to manage the World Cup winning England team in 1966. On the other hand the USA was filled by a group of enthusiastic amateurs as interest in soccer in the US was very limited, and most of the team members were expatriates from Europe, with one or two of them still not holding full US Citizenship, ( or so it was claimed) . Before they took the field for this historic encounter the USA squad had managed to train together just once, so to say that they were unprepared to make soccer history would be a bit of an understatement.

So the biggest worry that must have been on England manager Walter Winterbottom's mind was who would be keep counting of the score as the history making encounter kicked off on the 29th June 1950 in the at Estádi Independência in the town of Belo Horizonte in a pleasant summer evening.
It certainly looked that way as England began to apply pressure on the US goal from the kick off, and the largely neutral crowd sat back awaiting the goal feast. The problem appeared that the England team also sat back as well, and any shots that didn't go high and wide r hit the posts, were handled by the US goalkeeper Frank Borghi, playing the game of his life.
As the game progressed, and England's efforts seemed to be getting more and more desperate, the US team began to grow in confidence, and even launched the occasional counter attack.

The crowd began to get behind the USA team who were putting up a very brave struggle, and went wild n the thirty-seventh minute, when the US's star player Walter Bahr tried a speculative long shot which the England keeper Bert Williams obviously taken by surprise, could only palm out to Joe Gaetjens who headed it straight back into the net. England were stunned as they went in for half time, and as they came out for the second half, expectations were that that they would push the USA team aside and gain the victory that was so rightly theirs against this team of upstarts. However they continued to fall over their own feet, and a clear lack of team play and understanding saw them continue to waste chances till time ran out for them not just for this game, but same say or English football, at least at national level.

Although interest in the soccer and the World Cup was nowhere near the level that it is today, the result sent shock waves around the globe, and England and the other top level international teams learned a valuable lesson that day, Never treat the opposition team lightly! Read More!

A week in the life of David Beckham

A glorious career spanning more than fifteen years at the top looks like it is being drawn to a close.Two tumultuous events coming within five days, almost symbolically signal the fact that we are unlikely ever to see superstar David Beckham feature again on the World soccer stage, at any kind of major level.
The standing ovation that Beckham accepted gracefully at Old Trafford on Tuesday as he and his teammates at AC Milan were humbled by the red soccer uniforms of Manchester United.

Milan were a team of aged superstars with many of them in the twilight of their careers and will like be moving on to soccer pasture when Milan's season draws to a close, more than likely without a single trophy to grace their cupboard. Among these tremendous players whose best years are far behind them are Dutchman Clarence Seedorf who holds the record of winning a Champions League trophy with three different clubs Ajax, Real Madrid and Inter. Milan. Now 34, Seedorf's career is very much on its last legs, and he looks unlikely to be included in the Dutch squad for this summer's World Cup.
Another player with a rich history who won't be going to South Africa with is Italian national squad is Milan legend Pipi Inzaghi. Inzaghi has been with Milan since 2001, joining them after a short and unsuccessful spell with Juventus. Fillipo (or Pippo as he became generally known) holds some very impressive records from his very successful records from his time at Milan, among them becoming the first player ever to score in all of the international club competitions. A possibly more impressive record that
Inzaghi holds, but this jointly with Raúl of Real Madrid is the 68 goals scored in European club competitions with all clubs. . An indication of the striker's significant contribution to Milan's titanic soccer struggles in Europe is that he remains the team's goal scorer in the club's history with 39 goals. At 37, Pippo's sporting legs, like Clarence Seedorf's, appear to have deserted him, and it looks like both of these tremendous player's will gradually wind down.

The likely end of David Beckham's career sadly looks like being a lot more dramatic and painful than his two colleagues. Playing at Milan to keep himself in contention to be included in Capello's World Cup squad, David suffered a rupture to his Achilles tendon in the last minute of their fairly uneventful single goal Serie A win over Chievo on Sunday.

Beckham was on his run up to take yet another trademark free kick, when he suddenly pulled up. The look on this much loved superstar's face told it all. The realisation that he wouldn’t be making it to his fourth World Cup finals and that’s his waning career had suffered a very severe blow.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid ace, who is also England's most-capped outfield player with 115 appearances, underwent surgery on his Achilles tendon the following day in far of Finland, With his foot liable to be in a cast for around six to eight weeks, the 35 years old's World Cup dream is over. Read More!

Liverpool and Fulham have rough nights in Europe, but what do you expect

Last night saw the first legs of the eight round of the Europa League, which some of the crueler soccer commentators compare to a poor man's Champions League. There are teams still competing who shouldn't be there and others that are just happy to be there. There are no truer examples than England's two remaining representatives, Liverpool and Fulham.
Liverpool, who is having a very disappointing season by their standards, lost narrowly 1-0 away to Lille, while Fulham were very lucky to escape with only a 3-1 defeat against Juventus.
Liverpool went into the tie last night with a history as rich as any English club in European competition. Their famous red soccer uniforms have graced the European soccer stage since in 1964, and they have won the European Cup or European Champions League no less than five times, as well as taking part in two losing finals, the most recent three years ago against Barcelona, and the other, the infamous final against Juventus in Brussels in 1985. The Reds have also won the UEFA cup and the UEFA Super cup three times, a record which puts them up there among the European greats.
So why is it that you feel almost uncomfortable seeing Liverpool play in the Europa League, while you seem almost surprised to see lowly Fulham still there and holding their own?
When comparing the clubs, you can't help comparing the record of their respective managers. Liverpool's Rafa Benítez came to Annfield as a relatively young man, yet with an already proven pedigree in Europe, having taken Valencia to the La Liga championship in 2002 and 2004 and the UEFA cup the same year.
His first season in Merseyside was one that legends were made of, and he led Liverpool to victory in that remarkable final of 2005, where they came back from 3-0 down to Milan, to win on penalties. It looked like the glory days of Shankly and Paisley were back from Liverpool and the championships would begin to roll in again. Yet since then, the Reds have failed to reach their potential and Benitez's ability to take them there has been increasingly under question. Speculation has it that Liverpool would like to try someone new in the manager's role but the club's hapless owners can't afford to pay Benitez the almost £20 million that they would have to if they let him go. These days Benitez looks increasingly more like a manager with a plan that he only understands.

On the other hand, Fulham manager 62-year old Roy Hodgson knows exactly where he came from and possibly where he is going too, Hodgson is a real journeyman manager, had managed teams all over Europe and the World, including Inter Milan and even the Swiss National Team. He was brought to Craven Cottage by Fulham's millionaire chairman, Mohamed Al-Fayed, when the club were struggling, probably as a stop gap. Since then Hodgson has turned the club's fortunes around considerably. Today they are a solid middle of the table team in the English Premier League and in the eighth round of Europa League. To some teams that a great position to be in, and to others it’s a disaster. It's all a case of what you expect and the difference is that football expects a lot from Liverpool and a lot less from Fulham. Read More!

A tale of two superstars as Real crash out of Europe.

In a scenario that was so dramatic that it was almost expected, Real Madrid once again failed to produce the goods in the European Champions League. After spending around a quarter of a billion dollars in the summer for the cream of Europe's players, Real in their traditional white soccer uniforms put up a limpid performance in front of 100,000 home fans to be held to a 1-1 draw, and go out 2-1 on aggregate. Irrespective of the hype surrounding the "new Galacticos", the cruel hard facts are that Real are out of the Champions League at the first knockout round for the sixth year in succession, and someone has a lot of explain to do why, when it came to the crunch, Real failed to produce the goods.

Yet it all looked so different in the sixth minute at the Bernabeu, when super expensive signing Christian Ronaldo put Real ahead on the night, and meaning that the tie was all over. In an ideal World, Real would then have gone on to add one or two more goals just to seal the victory, put on a show for the fans and confirm their role as the top team in Europe, and put these upstarts in Barcelona and Manchester in the their place.

And as the first half wore on, and Real Madrid, playing some lovely football, failed to find the net and that feeling of déjà vu began to creep in for the home fans. At half time in the dressing room, the team talks must have been interesting, and it appeared that real had come out for the second half with a siege mentality while Lyon's manager Claude Puel had managed to convince his players that this tie was theirs for the taking. And they went on to prove him right by equalizing through the Bosnian Miralem Pjanić who slammed a crisp shot home from 12 yards as the Madrid superstars looked on in wonder. The goal appeared to crush real's resolved altogether, and the tie petered out to a draw. As the Lyon players celebrated their victory, and superstar Christiano Ronaldo slipped quietly from the field you can't help wondering what his thought were, and especially what it might feel like to go back to Old Trafford.

David Beckham, also a modern hero who learned his trade under the watchful glare of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester, made an emotional return to the scene of most of his former glories last night. David, despite his superstar status has always retained his humility, was obviously moved by his welcome from the Old Trafford faithful when he came on as a substitute in the 73rd minute. He might not have been so welcome if Manchester were not ahead 3-0 at the time with the tie well and truly in the bag.
And once again it was Wayne Rooney who put them there. He put united ahead in the 15th minute with yet another fabulous headed goal, and added a second soon after the start from a fine pass by Nani. The hyper-active Ji-Sung Park drilled in the third on the hour to put Milan out of their misery, and after that it was a stroll for the Reds and an opportunity for Beckham to bid his fond farewell to the European soccer stage that he has graced so well for years. Darren Fletcher put even more icing on the cake with a late fourth. What stood out on the night was the total lack of contribution from Ronaldhino who not so long ago was also a World superstar but at only 28 looked very much like a spent force.
And the showdown between Rooney and Ronaldo won’t be happening this season, at least not at club level, and Real will be left to ponder what went wrong, especially when this year's Champion's League final is due to be played at the Bernabeu Stadium. Read More!

Bayern squeeze through while Bendtner forces Arsenal fans to eat their words.

The first bout of the deciding games in the eighth round of the Champions League kicked off last night with lots of goals and drama.

The first match in the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence saw
Bayern Munich makes it through to the quarter-finals, but only by virtue of the away goals ruling, as they lost 3-2 to Fiorentina. After their narrow
2-1 first-leg victory Bayern looked to be in for a tough test, and their fears were rapidly confirmed as Vargas put the home into the lead, which meant that the Germans were on their way out on the away goals rule. Things went from bad to worse for Bayern at the start of the second half as midfield star Stevan Jovetic put Fiorentina two goals ahead, with a crisp drive from 12 yards.

However the Germans never give up easily and when Mark van Bommel shot home for twenty yards in the sixtieth minute, then the tie was a complete draw and extra time seemed more than likely. However that particular possibility was nipped in the bud, as Jovetic popped up a few minutes later to put Fiorentina 3-1 ahead on the night and, on paper at least, through to the next round. No sooner had the celebrations died down, when Bayern again demonstrated why that have remained at the forefront of European soccer for so many years, with their highly experienced and super talented smashed in a long range shot to put Bayern through to the next round, despite some frantic efforts by the purple soccer uniforms of Fiorentina to decide the tie yet again with a late winner. What made the difference at the end of the day was
Bayern's impressive Champions League record of scoring in away ties, with no less than 18 of their last 19 goals coming away from home. .
Bayern's defeat was their first in 19 games in all competitions.


In the other tie in London Arsenal swept Porto aside with an impressive 5-0 win against former European Champions, Porto. Arsenal also had to overcome a 2-1 defeat on the first round, and home fans were skeptical of their chances, especially as midfield powerhouse and team Captain Cesc Fabregas was out with a hamstring injury and Swiss striker Nicklas Bendtner was playing. The reason for the fan's cynicisms was that Bendtner had had an absolute howler of a game on Saturday against lowly Burney in the Premier League. The word was Bendtner should have scored about five, but missed them all, eventually being substituted to cries of relief from the home fans. Something must have hit home because Bendtner was a different player last night at the Emirates, putting Arsenal ahead as early as the sixth minute, and through on the night. He went on to confirm the gunners ascendancy with another well-taken strike before the break, with Porto finding it difficult to keep track of Arsenal's typically slick passing play and looking already down and out.

The goal of the night was not from Bendtner but from Frenchman
Samir Nasri, playing in Cesc Fabregas' midfield role, who notched up a fine goal after a beautiful solo run, and substitute Emmanuel Eboue made it four just a few minutes later after a counter-attack with the ever impressive Arshavin providing the final pass. To put the icing on the cake for Arsenal and for Nikolas Bendtner in particular was converting a very late penalty and completing his hattrick. The crowd roared in appreciation as the man who looked like he couldn't hit a barn door from three yards just three days ago stepped up and slotted the ball home with complete professionalism. Read More!

Real go top in Spain as Barca falter under strange circumstances.

The race for the La Liga title is gaining pace with Real Madrid coming back from a two goal deficit to beat Sevilla in a thrilling game. The victory saw Real ease past Barcelona by virtue of an improved goal difference. Ex-Liverpool ace Xabi Alonso was kind enough to give the visitors an early lead, putting the ball into his own net. Bernabeu was stunned into silence when a rare mistake from keeper Iker Casillas saw Ivica Dragutinovic's free-kick float into the top left corner as the Real defence looked on in dismay.
It was a rare site to see the white soccer uniforms go down the tunnel two goals behind at half time.

As was the case in many of the weekend fixtures in Europe, the second half told an entirely different story. Cristiano Ronaldo slammed the first nail into Sevilla's coffin when he coolly side-footed the ball home after a neat inter-passing move. The whites were level just four minutes later, with midfielder Sergio Ramos heading home powerfully from a corner. The pressure on Sevilla's goal was unrelenting with both Gutti and Higuain hitting the woodwork, and Raul getting in the way of a goal bound Ronaldo shot. The was fire in the eyes of the Madrid player's eyes as the pushed for victory and it came from a very late goal from substitute Rafael van der Vaart.

Real went into the game knowing that a victory, and even a narrow one, would take them to the peak of the table. In the early game champions Barca struggled slightly, away to Almeria. It was a very unbalanced game, marked by some strange refereeing decisions more than good football. Barca came back twice to equalize with both goals coming from Lionel Messi.

However Messi's star was eclipsed but not by any of the players, instead by referee Carlos Clos Gomez. First he sent Barca coach Pep Guardiola to the stands in the first half, and Swedish Zlatan Ibrahimovic to an early bath with half an hour to go.

Gomez also succeeded in upsetting everyone in the ground by delaying the match's kick off for around fifteen minutes. He apparently took exception to the Almeria player' soccer uniforms, which offered support to the people of Chile after the recent earthquake.
When the game eventually got under way Domingo Cisma had put the Almerians ahead after just 12 minutes, and leaving Barcelona on the lookout for an equalizer. It finally came three minutes before half-time, and again referee Gomez was involved in another controversial decision. This time he awarded a free kick for the visitors, which looked dubious in the extreme. A grateful Messi stepped up to beat keeper Alves with an exquisite free-kick.
That's how the score remained at the break, but Barca went behind soon after the match resumed. . Captain Carles Puyol feeling as generous as his counterpart Alonzo at Real, gifted the home side a really soft own-goal.
However Messi came up with the goods scrambling a late equalizer, to keep the champions in close sight of Real.
With the title race in La Liga finely poised, El Clasico on 11 April looks like being a bit of a league decider.

In Italy at the weekend Serie A leaders Inter Milan were surprisingly held to a stuffy goalless draw by Genoa away. Inter, and especially Jiao Mourinho were disappointed to lose the chance to pull further away from AC Milan who were also held to a no-score draw by Roma on Saturday. Read More!

Villa win it in Second

The last two games of the FA Cup quarter finals were played on Sunday with the most exciting game of the two being at Reading. The home team, struggling in the Championship had been having a great run in the cup, and it looked like continuing as they went in at the interval 2-0 ahead, with both goals coming from promising young striker, Shane Long. Things looked down and out for Aston Villa at the break, but they came out for the second half with a whole load of fresh vitality. Vitality that saw them shatter Reading' s hopes for a place in the semis with three goals in the space of ten minutes early in the half that saw Reading's lead disappear as fast as it had come. England World Cup Squad hopeful Ashley Young notched up the first, and then Villa's giant Norwegian born striker made his indelible mark on the game by scoring a rapid brace to put the amber and claret soccer uniforms very much in the driving seat. Villa's amazing comeback was sealed in stoppage time as Carew completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after he had been fouled by Reading's Ingimarsson.

Villa are having a great season by their standards, in the Semi Finals as well as very much in the running for that highly important fourth place in this season's Premier League. March will be a very decisive month for them, and things are looking good for them. Yesterday's win was amazingly the first that the club had had in the month of March since Martin O'Neil became manager of the club in 2006.

The other semi saw John Terry and Chelsea taking on the less glamorous but hard working Stoke City side at Stamford Bridge. Terry has been very much in the headlines in the last few weeks and for all the wrong reasons. His performances on the field in the last few weeks have also been less than impressive, but yesterday he put in a solid performance and even scored the decisive second goal in Chelsea's relatively easy 2-0 win.

Frank Lampard, who is hitting some pretty good form as the season progresses, opened the scoring for Chelsea, hammering in a powerful drive form more than twenty yards. Chelsea created a number of chances, some of which they should have taken advantage of before Terry sealed the victory with a typical header from Lampard's corner. Stoke rarely threatened, with the only real chance coming from one of Rory Delap's famous long range throw ins. Ex-Chelsea player Robert Huth's headed it on, and Mamady Sidibe flicked his header in from close range when it looked easier to score. What was obvious to all in attendance is that Chelsea have a real problem with their replacement keeper Hilario, in for the injured Peter Cech. Better teams will give this Portuguese veteran a really difficult time, and one of them will surely be Aston Villa who will meet Chelsea at Wembley in the first semi-final. Portsmouth will play either Tottenham of Fulham in the other.

There was also some Premier league action yesterday with Everton pushing Hull below the red line with a crushing 5-1 home win. Spanish star Mikel Arteta marked his recent return from injury by scoring two goals for the Toffees. Other scorers for the Goodson Park Club were American Land on Donovan, and promising young player Jack Rodwell. Hull's Richard Garcia also chipped in with an own goal for the blues, while teenager Tom Cairney scored Hull's solitary effort at the right end of the park, equalizing with a superb volley Read More!

United go top in England as "the Carrot Top" scores his hundredth.

United go top in England as "the Carrot Top" scores his hundredth.

Paul Scholes, one of the three remaining "wonder babes of the nineties" of Old Trafford, has never been known as a loud or outgoing personality,
Yet he seemed to be turning more and pinker yesterday at the Moulineux stadium in Wolverhampton, as he danced along, celebrating his hundredth Premier League goal. Scholes, who normally shuns interviews, said after the game the his goal, and the resultant 1-0 victory against Wolves, could be the one that will make United the Premier League champs for the fourth successive campaign. Wolves put up a tremendous struggle and a draw was looking very much on the cards till Scholes got on target in the 73rd minute when he met a deflected cross from Nani to nudge the ball home. Yet Wolves could have still snatched a draw in the dying seconds of the game, had not
Sam Vokes missed a tremendous chance to score than not but blasted well over the top. Very conspicuous by his absence was Wayne Rooney, while Berbatov continues to flatter to deceive. With Rooney looking doubtful for Wednesday's return match against Milan in midweek, the realization seemed to cause Sir Alex Ferguson's face to gradually become the same colour as the United soccer uniforms.

Earlier in the day, Arsenal provided their usual display of wonderful football, without the ability to take their chances , This time among the spectators were struggling Burnley, who could only look on in dismay as Arsenal squandered chance after chance to go ahead. Particularly at fault was Nicholas Bentdner who missed a barrowload of chances, before being substituted to the relieved cheers and applause of the Emirates crowd. Arsenal appeared to have the points in the bag, as Cesc Fabregas put them in the lead with a typical double passing move with Samir Nasri. That appeared to be that, as Burnley, whose away record is the worst in the Premier League, never looked like coming back. But come back they did, with a fine equalizing strike from David Nugent. However the Gunners stepped up a gear after that and won the game with two late goals from Walcott and Arshavin. Wenger was left with some worries as principal playmaker Fabregas limped off with a recurrence of a hamstring injury. With Porto in midweek in the Champions League, Arsenal will sorely miss their midfield dynamo.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Bolton succeeding in pulling away slightly from the relegation zone. They did so with a deserved 2-1 victory against the under-achieving West Ham in London. South Korean midfielder Lee Chung-young and Jack Wilshere got the goals for Bolton, while Alessando Diamanti pulled a goal back for West Ham late on, and even later Junior Stanislas hit a shot off the woodwork, as the referee was looking to blow the final whistle.

It was also cup day in England yesterday, and Portsmouth, who have bigger problems off the field that on it these caused a bit of a shock by beating the Birmingham 2-0 in the first of the quarter final games played. Portsmouth victory was sealed by two excellent goals, both coming in rapid succession, late in the game; they came from Frederic Piquionne, who is proving to be a shrewd loan signing by manager Avram Grant. The other tie, between Fulham and Tottenham, ended in a tight goalless draw, meaning a replay at White Hart Lane in about ten days time. Read More!

Will the Italian Invasion of England succeed?

For the first time in history, three of the most pivotal roles in English soccer are being held by Italian soccer managers. And during the coming few months, their names may become embellished in the annals of soccer history. The question is whether they will achieve the tough goals that have been set for them, or they will unfortunately go the same way as their predecessors. Lots of potential but no awards. The three managers in question come with tremendous credentials and all have won awards both as players in their Italy as well as managers. In case you haven't guessed the three managers who will be under the spot lamp till the end of the summer are Roberto Mancini of Manchester City, Carlo Ancelotti of Chelsea and Fabio Capello, the England International team manager. While none of them ever played together or even outside Italy, all of them pulled on the national soccer uniform with considerable distinction.
Mancini comes up first, because he was the last to arrive on the English scene to manage Manchester City. He arrived somewhat under a cloud, not of his own making, after the acrimonious sacking of Mark Hughes. The appointment of Mancini initially looked like a good idea as City began to win games instead of drawing them, which they did with remarkable regularity. Roberto started well with a few wins, but City's form has slipped recently, and they were ousted from the FA cup by lowly Stoke City. City's and Mancini's only hope for glory remaining this season is to book that hard fought for fourth place in the Premier League and with it a ticket to next season's Champions league. Competition will be tough, with Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham all in with a chance. If Mancini succeeds in steering City into fourth place, he will surely be around to guide them next season, and even if he doesn't him might well still be.
Also feeling the pressure just now will be Carlo Ancelotti of Chelsea. Chelsea go into action tomorrow in what will be a very significant month for them, and one which may well decide if Carlo will make it past his first season. Which is something of an achievement at a club who has gone through five managers in the last three seasons (if you count Butch Wilkins who managed them for a single game)? Carlo's and Chelsea's challenge begins tomorrow with a cup game against Stoke at home. A week on Tuesday, Chelsea face Inter Milan in the second leg of their Uefa Champions League at home. They will have to overcome a 2-1 away defeat as well as the mind games of their former iconic manager José Mourinho. The crunch time for Chelsea's season draws to an end on the third of April when they head to Old Trafford for what could well be the Premier League Championship decider. Depending on how Chelsea fare in the coming month, and even more so in the following one, will determine whether Ancelotti's stay in England will be considered a success or not. Lifting the Champions League Trophy at the Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid in May might be the only real guarantee that the Carlo will become the first Chelsea manager in years to keep his job for more than one season.
Looking down on his two younger colleagues from above is Fabio Capello, the England team manager. Capello has worked wonders in reshaping the England team squad and restoring their somewhat faded prestige. He led them to South Africa with a lot of class and aplomb, and a relatively easy draw should see them through the group stages, after that, it's all down to the luck of the draw,
What's for sure is that the next few months are going to be hot for these sons of Italy and for all of England. Read More!

Is there an Arsenal injury curse?

It's no secret that Arsenal are not everyone's favorite football team, which is difficult to understand as they play some very attractive football, and their manager Arsene Wenger is one of the most respected and knowledgeable in the game. His ability to spot a young talent to don the famous red and white soccer uniform and nurture them to greatness is renowned. At the helm at Arsenal since 1996, Wenger has recognized talent in many players and his current squad bears witness to his ability. Despite the fact that Arsenal was up there and winning trophies up till 2005, they have won nothing since and not even got close in the UK. They did have the distinction of being the first London club to reach a European Champions league final, losing out to Barcelona in 2006
Since the (some say) premature departure of Thierry Henry to Barcelona in 2007, Arsenal appears to have lost their edge in the last third of the pitch. To watch them play some times can be very frustrating as they have some really skilful players, and a creative gem in Cest Fabregas, but they just don't seem to score enough goals, especially against the other members of the big four ( Chelsea, ManUtd. or maybe Liverpool)
Unfortunately where Arsenal does appear to lead the field is in the number of horrific injuries that their players have suffered over the last few years. Every team going through a tough season, and especially those who are playing a lot of games, are liable suffer injuries to their key players. However very few see their players being stretchered off with career threatening injuries the way Arsenal have, especially in the last few years.
The recent terrible injury blow that Arsenal suffered was with their young Welsh talent, Aaron Ramsey who was a victim of a studs up tackle by Stoke's Ryan Shawcross which left Ramsey with seemingly no less than six fractures to his shin. Shawcross left the field in tears, and the Arsenal and Stoke players were obviously shaken as nineteen year old Ramsey was stretchered of, and is not likely to feature again on a soccer pitch till 2011.
It must have been like déjà vu for Wenger as he recalled the day in February 2008, in a match against Birmingham City, where another one of his protégés, Croatian born Eduardo suffered a badly broken left fibula as well as an open dislocation to his left ankle. The injury was caused by an over the ball tackle by Birmingham's captain Martin Taylor, who was promptly sent off. It took Eduardo almost exactly one year to get back to proper match fitness.
As Arsenal's season continues and they still remain in contention for the two major trophies ( Premier League and Champions League) how will Ramsey's injury affect the rest of the players' ability to get stuck in around the opposition's penalty area when the tackles start to fly. Read More!

Mixed fortunes for World Cup teams in a night of International friendly action.

There was a definite taste of the fast approaching World Cup finals in the air last night as the cream of the national teams were testing each other’s abilities across Europe and the globe. No less than 33 friendly internationals took place on Wednesday evening, with many of the countries who will be taking part in the finals in action, with some of them even playing against each other.
Last night, most eyes in the UK were on Wembley, and England’s friendly with African champions, Egypt. Before the action could begin, there had to be some kind of off-field drama. This time it was, how would the crowd greet recently deposed captain, John Terry and to everyone’s surprise, the reaction was subdued. England looked very smart in their World Cup winning red soccer uniforms.

On the field too, things were also pretty subdued, at least in the first half, Egypt showed why their second successive African cup of nations was not a fluke. They went down the half time tunnel leading 1-0 and justifiably too. If Sir Alex Ferguson has his effective “hair dryer” treatment, than Fabio Capello has his stony glare, which most people might find even more frightening. He must have been doing some glaring at half time, as England came out looking a different team in the second half. That most unlikely looking of soccer heroes Peter Crouch grabbed a brace and Sean Wright-Phillips slipped in a soft goal, to make for a fairly incisive 3-1 victory.

Elsewhere Scotland succeeded in winning 1-0 at Hampden against the Czech Republic. Neither team will be at the World Cup finals, and the only significant thing about the game was that it was new manager Craig Levien’s first in charge. Elsewhere Wales lost at home to Sweden and Northern Ireland had a very disappointing away defeat to lowly Albania.

Across the rest of Europe, there were some interesting matches taking place with probably most interest being in how Diego Maradona’s Argentina would fare against Germany. And they answer was that they did very well. In what will be their second last friendly before boarding the plane to SA, Argentina won 1-0 with a strike from Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain. Argentina looked a lot stronger in all departments than the lack luster German side.

Probably the most significant game of the night took place in Paris, where World Cup 2006 runners up took on Spain, the Euro 2008 Champions. Spain took the spoils, with goals from David Villa and Sergio Ramos in Spain’s first away victory over France for more than forty years. The victory showed why the Iberian superstars have now won 42 out of their last 45 internationals and have to be taken very seriously in the summer in South Africa.

Elsewhere Netherlands won over the United States by two goals to one, while reigning World Champions Italy were held to a tame goalless draw at home to Cameroon.

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Real Madrid tops the money league as Man Utd fans get despondent about the Glazers

Whoever tells you that football is not big business will find it difficult today, with the release of figures showing the turnover of Europe's top clubs. For the fifth consecutive year, Real Madrid have won the title as being the World's richest club, which is about the only title that they have won during that period. The Madrid club, who are so hungry for glory actually made a profit of $525 million (£350 million, €385 million) for the 2008/09 season. However that was before they paid out no less than $475 million (€350 million, £318 million) on the cream of players from all over Europe to make a squad that would try and take some of the glory from their arch rivals Barcelona.

Barcelona had a great season last year, winning every competition that they took part in; including La Liga and the Champions League, leaving Real's trophy room completely bare. In third place was Manchester United who lost out in the Champions League final to Barcelona, but gained a healthy £55 million profit when they sold superstar Christiano Ronaldo. Christiano has now donned the famous all white of Real Madrid, one of the most well known soccer uniforms on the global stage. Filling his boots as the king pin of Manchester United these days is Wayne Rooney, who looks like he might be knocking both Christiano and Lionel Messi of their perch to become the World's top footballer.

Manchester's season seems to be moving into top gear just at the right time, and last Sunday's Carling Cup final win as again a fine display of not so silky football, played with a lot of grit. The icing on the cake was Wayne Rooney coming off the bench to score the winning goal with a header. While statistics are not readily available, soccer pundits are saying that Wayne has scored more goals with his head in the last month than in all the rest of his career put together.

While there are happy times on the field for Man-U these days, they certainly don't have their problems to seek off it. And it all comes down to money. The problems began in 2005, when the club was taken over by US billionaire Malcolm Glazer who had made his fortune running American football teams. Glazer paid out around $1.2 billion ( £800 million) for the club, which was largely financed by borrowing, meaning that huge amounts of interest has being paid out every year since then. According to the most recent accounts released in January, United's debt burdens have increased to around one billion dollars (£716.5 million) with close to $100 million (£68.5 million) paid out in interest during 2009 alone.


The fans say that these huge interest payments has begun to sap the club's ability to buy the top players that will keep them at the forefront, both at home as well as in Europe. Signs of the fan's dissatisfaction at the Glazer's running or the club have become increasingly apparent with many fans giving up wearing their favourite red soccer uniforms. Instead they have begun to wave green and gold scarves and banners, which were the colours of Newton Heath. Newton Heath was a simple football club who changed their name to Manchester United more than a century ago. United's fans are calling out for a return to the days where soccer was more a sport and less of a business. Let's hope they succeed! Read More!

The Under 20 World Cup‘s Most Promising Players

Some of the most talented players under the age of twenty are showcasing their talent at FIFA’s Under-20 World Cup taking place in Egypt. This Championship has brought soccer greats like Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho into the limelight. Here’s who to look out for this year:

• Soccer Shirt No. 18 Ransford Osei (Ghana)

Eighteen year old Osei is already an international player, with seven goals to his credit at the African Youth Championship. This deadly striker is known for his speed and is currently on loan to Twente in the Dutch league.

• Soccer Shirt No. 13 Douglas Costa (Brazil)

This left midfielder played a big role in Brazil’s success at the South American U-20 Championships. Already playing for Gremio, it is rumored that Man U and Real Madrid are both keeping an eye on him. As a free-kick specialist, it comes as no surprise that Douglas is being called the ‘new Ronaldinho’!

• Soccer Shirt No. 9 Richard Sukuta-Pasu (Germany)

Sukuta-Pasu, under contract with Bayer Leverkusen, got the world’s attention at the UEFA U-19 tournament in 2008. This quick paced striker runs with the ball and has his eyes focused on the goal. Standing tall at 6 feet 2 inches, Sukuta-Pasu plays for Bayer Leverkusen at present.

• Soccer Jersey No. 8 Hernan Perez (Paraguay)

Midfielder Perez was signed up by Villarreal until 2014 after playing s single game for his former team! He finished as joint top scorer at the South American U-20 Championships with five goals. Perez is central to Paraguay’s hopes of delivering a surprise at the Under-20 World Cup this year.

• Soccer Jersey No. 9 Krisztian Nemeth (Hungary)

Nemeth has already been signed up by Liverpool for his excellent striking skills. Though not too tall, Nemeth is good with the ball in the air and on the ground, and it’s just a matter of time before he is recognized as a class act.

• Soccer Shirt No. 17 Fran Merida (Spain)

As part of the talented Spanish team, Merida has already got a taste of action while playing for Arsenal. Having started with the youth team at Barcelona, Merida moved on to Arsenal where he has made his presence felt with his innovative passes.

• Soccer Shirt No. 11 Paolo Henrique (Brazil)

Attacking midfielder Paolo plays for the Brazilian club Santos, as well as, his country’s Under-20 team. You can expect to see him in action in Brazil’s senior national team after some years. Expectations are high that Paulo Henrique and Douglas Costa will form a deadly pair in the midfield, upping Brazil’s chance to secure its fifth title.

No matter which teams reach the finals, you can be sure these players with those soccer uniforms, will become household names before the Under-20 World Cup ends, so remember these names!

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Under-20 World Cup at Egypt

This year’s top youth soccer competition kicked off on 24 September in Egypt and we’re in the thick of the action, with teams in their youth soccer uniforms vying for the title and players looking out to impress. As of now, ten nations have made it to Round 16 – Brazil, Germany, Spain, Egypt, Venezuela, Ghana, Italy, Paraguay, Uruguay and UAE. Let’s take a look at the teams and the history of this tournament…

The FIFA Under-20 World Cup has been around in various forms since the year 1977. As we know it today, 24 teams with 21 players each, born on or after January 1, 1989, are eligible to compete. The Championship takes place every two years, with Argentina holding the record with six titles. Though, sadly enough, they failed to qualify this year. Brazil follows with four titles and Portugal with two titles. Spain, Germany, and the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia have won one title each.

Without Argentina to defend its 2007 title, the title could belong to anyone, though bookmakers consider Brazil, Germany and Spain as favorites. But Egypt, who automatically qualify as hosts, Ghana and Italy cannot be ruled out to deliver a surprise! Spain, Venezuela, Ghana and Uruguay have six points each from two matches, so their place in one of the top two spots in their respective groups is secure. While Germany, Italy and Paraguay have four points each from their two matches. Now, the battle is on for the remaining places.

Here’s a look at the groups: In Group A, there’s Egypt, Paraguay, Italy and Trinidad and Tobago. Group B has Spain and Venezuela through to Round 16, with Nigeria beating Tahiti in a not so impressive game, though keeping their hopes alive. The situation in Group C seems tighter, as both Korea Republic and USA bounced back in style. The Koreans managed to draw against Germany, and the US crushed Cameroon 4-1. Group C sees Germany securing 4 points to make it to the knockouts, with the US, Cameroon and South Korea in need of victories to make it.

Group D comprises of England, Uruguay, Ghana and Uzbekistan, out of which Ghana and Uruguay convincingly sealed their berths in the last sixteen. Ghana’s Black Satellites, who won the 2009 African Youth Championship, are in good playing form, so watch out for them! Both Ghana and Uruguay have secured six points and can no longer be dislodged. The defeated teams, England and Uzbekistan, will now meet in the final group match, with England hoping to salvage its pride and avoid elimination.

The action now shifts to Group E and F, with Brazil, Australia, Costa Rica and the Czech Republic in Group E. This Group remains open since Brazil failed to beat the Czechs, ending in a draw, resulting in both teams going through to the knockouts. Group F has South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Honduras and Hungary, with UAE going into the last Round 16 after defeating Honduras. Favourites Brazil are looking to claim their fifth title, and as usual, expectations are high. It remains to be seen which team takes centre stage wearing their national youth soccer uniforms with pride in the finals on October 16 at the Cairo International Stadium.

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World Cup 2010 – South Africa is Ready, Are You?

Keep your soccer shirts ready, South Africa is all set to give you an unconventional and truly memorable World Cup next year. Working full throttle, the country is ready to launch its first wildlife soccer venue, the Mbombela Stadium in the province of Mpumalanga. Besides the friendly local population, there’ll be giant, orange shaped giraffes to welcome you from the roof and black and white zebra print seats!

There’s wildlife strewn all around the Mbombela Stadium with traditional paintings in the foyer, and psychedelic colors in the corridors! With its vivid paints and flamboyance, this stadium is a dramatic and modern football venue that offers great views and 43,540 seating capacity. A freshly laid pitch only adds to the vibrant colors! The only thing missing are equally vibrant spectators in their world cup soccer jerseys, holding up their country’s flags. Guess that’ll have to wait until June next year!

The city’s mayor, Lassy Chiwayo, is thrilled with this achievement, “For us this is a story of commitment, resilience and hard work. There are many unsung heroes who have made this possible. I want to pay tribute to the construction workers and to the community, who threw their weight behind us. This new baby towering above us symbolizes hope. We’re hoping this tournament will act as a stimulus for economic and social development,” declared Chiwayo.

Even Durban seems almost ready to open its doors with its new multi-purpose 69,000 capacity Moses Mabhida Stadium. Scheduled to host seven World Cup matches, and a semifinal, the stadium is just weeks away from completion. And the excitement is palpable. Once ready, the finalists of a local school competition will be the first to walk onto the newly laid turf to mark its official opening along with Durban’s citizens. This will be followed by a Premier Soccer League match the next day. January to May 2010 will see a line-up of more PSL matches and concerts at the venue, ironing out any possible rough spots before soccer’s greatest competition in June 2010, the FIFA World Cup.

Durbanites are known to make the most of match days, be it soccer, rugby or cricket. They reach the stadium hours before and set up barbeques in adjacent fields as pre and post match festivities that go on into the wee hours of the morning. In keeping with this festive spirit, the authorities are planning on investing R250 million to upgrade the area and develop a people’s park near the stadium with training fields, a running and cycling track, playground and tea garden! An official explained, “For us as a city it was always very important that the stadium is financially viable after 2010… We have worked hard to ensure that the entire precinct becomes an area used by the residents of the city.”

The idea is to make it a well utilized asset that’s buzzing with activity before and after the World Cup. And, of course, it’s part of a promise to deliver a uniquely African World Cup!

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World Cup 2010 – Who’s In, Who’s Out?

Well, England, Netherlands, Spain, Brazil, Paraguay, Ghana, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Korea DPR have qualified, so has host South Africa, for the 2010 World Cup. That’s 11 teams with dreams to win the title so far… What about Argentina? Does it have a chance or will it miss the soccer fiesta for the first time in 40 years? Let’s take a look…

Argentina’s coach, former legend Diego Maradona, who gave the soccer shirt 10 an iconic status back in the day, prayed for divine intervention hoping that his team reaches the 2010 World Cup at South Africa. After a 3-1 defeat against rival Brazil, that too, on home ground, things don’t look too good for the Argentineans. It was their first defeat at home after being defeated 5-0 by Colombia 16 years back. But Maradona stood his ground, repeating, “The bearded one (God) saved me many times before – and I hope he will do so this time.”

Having lost to Paraguay as well, Argentina now stand fifth in the continental group, a place below the final qualifying berth. Ready to take on Peru on home ground, plus a make or break match against Uruguay, Argentinean fans are keeping their fingers crossed, as is their coach. “We have to get it into our heads that these two games are crucial to our hopes and we can’t keep giving things away such as we did against Brazil,” said Maradona. Recently, while on a slimming course in Italy, fans surrounded him, complaining that a World Cup without Argentina just wouldn’t be the same… He is said to have responded, “Don’t worry, Argentina will be there.” So, it’s a match against the Peruvians and another crucial game against arch rivals Uruguay that’ll decide Argentina’s fate. Both Argentina and Uruguay could be vying for fifth place in the South American qualifying group, making it a critical match.

Meanwhile, Brazilian coach Dunga has earmarked a 24 man team before the South American group’s final two games, hoping to give more players experience. Brazil will soon play Bolivia, followed by Venezuela. Dunga explained, “We have two games ahead and the first one is very wearing, but we’ll try to do our best in Bolivia… Despite we have already qualified, we’re Brazil and we have to win always. We try to keep the group and give chances to some new players.”

Spain’s soccer uniform number 6, Xavi Hernandez, feels that England is a strong candidate that can come in the way of Spain’s World Cup dreams. Backing England as one of his favorites to win the 2010 World Cup, the midfielder feels that, “England were the big absence from Euro 2008 and I expect they are itching to show they can win the World Cup. They will be among our biggest rivals along with Brazil, Italy and Germany. And we might see a surprise this time from an African country like Ivory Coast. They look very strong to me right now.” Let’s see how the cookie crumbles… Only time will tell.

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Soccer Fathers & Sons!

Soccer fever runs high among fans from different countries, it also runs among siblings and friends. But did you know it also runs in the genes, with fathers and sons both taking the pitch? Here’s a look at some famous father and son duos taking centre stage on the pitch, though separated by a decade or more…

Cha Bum-Kun and Cha Doo-Ri
Cha Bum-Kun is regarded as the greatest South Korean player ever and one of the best soccer talents to be imported into the German Bundesliga. Awarded the title ‘Asia’s Player of the Century’, he first played for Frankfurt before moving on to Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. Having played more than 100 games for Korea Republic during his career, including the 1986 World Cup, Cha Bum-Kun is now the manager of the Suwon Bluewings. While playing for Bayer Leverkusen, he scored 52 goals and played an important role in Leverkusen winning the UEFA Cup in 1988.

His son, Cha Doo-Ri has large shoes to fill. Born in Germany while his father played for Frankfurt, Doo-Ri spent his growing years in Germany, and currently plays for Freiburg. Doo-Ri has huge expectations from himself and hopes to follow his famous and gifted father’s footsteps. Learning from Bum-Kun’s experience as a seasoned soccer player, Doo-Ri feels his father’s insights have helped him make the transition as a professional player. Known for his killer instinct in front of the goal, Leverkusen’s manager Ilja Kaenzig is waiting for Doo-Ri to acclimate himself to the rigors of the Bundesliga and join the team in the near future. Doo-Ri is equally eager to wear the Leverkusen soccer shirt, just like his father once did…

Cesare and Paolo Maldini
Which soccer fan doesn’t know the Italian Maldini’s? Father Cesare, and son Paolo, have had the honor of lifting the European Cup as AC Milan’s captain. Cesare, who wore the number 25 soccer shirt, represented his country during the 1962 and 1966 World Cups, and went on to become coach after retirement. His son, Paolo, ended his 25 year long career after winning numerous club and international honors, including the Champions League title in 2003. The same title was won by his father 40 years ago. Today, Cesare’s grandson, Christian, carries on the family tradition of playing for AC Milan, though he’s still in the youth team.

Johan and Jordi Cruyff
If you’re not familiar with the name Johan Cruyff, you don’t know your soccer! That’s the legendary status of this Dutch soccer star. Recognized as the greatest footballer from Netherlands, and one of the best in the world, Johan sadly couldn’t win a World Cup though he enjoyed great success at clubs like Barcelona, Ajax and Feyenord. His son Jordi, had a fairly successful career as attacking midfielder at Barca and Man U, and is now at Valletta, a Maltese club. As for his father, the thrice named ‘European Footballer of the Year’ went on to manage Ajax and Barca. Johan Cruyff is remember for introducing Total Football to the Dutch team. In 2007, Ajax retired the number 14 soccer uniforms in honor of Johan Cruyff…

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Amazing Soccer Trivia

Since you enjoyed reading the wild soccer facts so much, here are some amazing firsts:

 Pele, the king of football, is said to have stopped two factions fighting a civil war in Nigeria during the year 1967. Both sides actually held a 48 hour ceasefire to watch Pele play in Lagos! That’s the power of football and Pele!

 Gerd Muller managed to score 68 goals out of the 62 games he played for West Germany.

 Tommy Docherty was sacked as Manchester United’s manager for sleeping with the physiotherapist’s wife!

 Before he joined Barcelona, Luis Figo had actually signed illegal contracts with Parma and Juventus!

 Brazil’s striker Ronaldo was declared the Most Valuable Player of the 1998 World Cup, even though Brazil lost the championship final to France. Ronaldo has also been named World Player of the Year thrice!

 Lilian Thuram is France’s most capped player with 137 caps and 2 goals.

 Hungary has won the most gold medals in the Olympics for soccer since the year 1952!

 Robbie Fowler signed for Manchester City from Leeds United with the understanding that his former team would continue to pay him a salary!

 During the largest soccer tournament ever held, as many as 5,098 teams and 35,000 players competed for the second Bangkok League Seven-a-Side Competition in 1999!

 Germany’s Oliver Kahn is the first goalie to win the Most Valuable Player of the World Cup in the year 2002.

 Brazil happens to be the only country that has made an appearance in every single World Cup final! And it is also the only country to have lifted the trophy five times.

 The fastest goal in a World Cup match was scored by Czechoslovakian Vaclav Masek after just 16 seconds into the game against Mexico in 1962!

 American Bert Patenaude was the first to score a hat trick in World Cup history while playing against Paraguay in 1930.
 Sweden’s Erik Nilsson and Switzerland’s Alfred Bickel are the only players to have played in a World Cup before and after World War II. They both wore their national team’s World Cup soccer jerseys in 1938 and 1950!

 Germany lost two World Cup finals in 1982 and 1986, making soccer uniform number 11 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge the only captain to have lost two finals!

 The first own goal during a World Cup was scored by Paraguay’s Ramon Gonzales in a first round match against the United States in 1930.

 Soccer legend Eusebio scored as many as 46 goals in the European Cup for his team Benfica!

 The fastest hat trick was made by Hungarian Laszlo Kiss during a match against El Salvador in 1982. He scored during the 70th, 74th and 77th minute of the game, which also makes him the only substitute to have ever scored a hat trick!

 The largest attendance for a soccer match saw a whopping 199,854 fans turn up for a match played by Brazil and Uruguay during the 1950 World Cup at the Maracana Municipal Stadium at Rio de Janeiro! Read More!

Wild Soccer Facts!

Wild Soccer Facts!

Soccer, the most watched and played sport in the world, has some amazing and weird facts that are truly fascinating! Here are some you might enjoy:

 During the first World Cup in 1930 at Uruguay, the soccer balls used were monkey skulls wrapped in paper and leather!

 Soccer as we know it originated in Britain.

 Soccer shirt number 10, Diego Maradona, was just 16 when he made his debut for Argentina.

 Talking about number 10, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious numbers in soccer. Number 10 soccer jerseys have been worn by legends of the game, such as Michel Platini, Pele, Zico, Zinadane Zidane, Rivaldo, Mario Kempes, including Maradona, of course.

 Sheffield Wednesday’s goalkeeper Kevin Pressman was actually sent off after 13 seconds against Wolverhampton Wanderers, making it the fastest red card in English soccer!

 Goalkeepers were not required to wear different colored soccer uniforms from their teammates until 1913.

 Soccer became an Olympic sport in 1908.

 Former England international, Paul Gascoigne, was arrested and sectioned under the Mental Health Act in Newcastle.

 Sheffield FC is the world’s oldest club, going back to the year 1857!

 Ronaldinho scored all 23 goals for his youth team, during which his team beat the opposition 23:0. He was only 13 at the time!

 Italian goalie, Walter Zenga, holds the record for the longest unbeaten run in World Cup history. He played 517 minutes without letting in a goal during the 1990 World Cup tournament!

 Pele is the youngest player to score a goal in the World Cup. He was 17 years and 239 days old when he scored against Wales in 1958.

 Cameroonian, Roger Milla, is the oldest player to play in the World Cup. He was all of 42 years and 39 days when he played against Russia in 1994! During that game, he also scored, making him the oldest goal scorer in the World Cup!

 In 1990, the United Arab Emirates qualified for the World Cup for the first time. Although they were knocked out during the group stage, two players managed to score goals. Both of them received a Rolls Royce for the goals!

 The 1970 World Cup held in Mexico was a landmark tournament since yellow and red cards were used for the first time in its history. Yellow cards were given as a warning, while red cards were used to eliminate players from matches. If a player received two yellow cards, it counted as a red card.

 According to video evidence, one of the fastest ever goal scored was in 2.8 seconds by Uruguayan Ricardo Olivera in 1998!

 Sweden has actually played against Brazil seven times in World Cup history. No other country has faced Brazil that often.

 No host country has ever been eliminated during the first round of a World Cup tournament.

 Pele scored as many as 589 goals in only 605 matches for his team Santos! Read More!

Double Trouble for Adebayor

Emmanuel Adebayor, from Manchester City, has done it again. He has now been charged by the FA for violent conduct against former Arsenal team mate, Robin Van Persie. Earlier, Adebayor was charged with improper conduct, which saw him run the length of the pitch while celebrating his goal against Arsenal, provoking the opposing team! For more details, read on…

Adebayor is looking at a three match ban for shoving his studs down Dutchman Van Persie’s face during a match against Arsenal that saw him score in his fourth consecutive match. Though Manchester City won 4:2, the victory was marred by Van Persie’s accusation of Adebayor deliberately kicking him in the face. This three match ban means Adebayor, also a Togo international, will not to be able to play for Manchester City until October 19.

According to an FA statement, ”Under the fast track disciplinary process, Adebayor has been charged with violent conduct following an incident with Robin van Persie, which resulted in the Arsenal player receiving facial injuries.” Referee Mark Clattenburg advised FA that though he wasn’t privy to the incident, had he been, he would’ve sent Adebayor off.

The stormy Togolese joined Manchester City on 18 July 2009 after signing a five year contract for a transfer fee somewhere in the region of £25 million. Adebayor scored during his debut against Blackburn Rovers, smashing a shot from 18 yards in the third minute! His second match saw him score the only goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers, giving his team a 1:0 win. He headed the ball into the goal during his third consecutive league match versus Portsmouth, which again saw Manchester City win by 1:0. And then came the fourth consecutive goal during the fateful match…

Prior to this, Emmanuel Adebayor was criticized for celebrating a goal by running the entire length of the pitch in front of Arsenal supporters, who almost invaded the pitch and threw objects towards him in anger. He was booked for this, but later apologized. Mark Hughes suggested that Adebayor did this in order to be loved by Manchester City fans.

Adebayor, who was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008, also plays for his birth country Togo, though he was also eligible to play for Nigeria. He helped Togo to qualify for the 2006 African Cup of Nations, during which he scored 11 goals in the qualifiers! He also played a leading role in Togo’s 2006 World Cup qualification. Though Adebayor failed to score a single goal in the World Cup, and Togo was eliminated during the group stage, he was made team captain after the qualification.

This is not the first time that Adebayor has got into trouble for his impetuosity and temper. During the 2006 African Cup of Nations, he almost left the tournament after a fight with his coach and was once dropped from the team after a row over bonus payments! But Adebayor was brought back into the national Togo team in 2007.

Adebayor wears soccer uniform number 25. Read More!