April 2006 Archives

Your mouth is open! Don't forget to breathe...

United just issued a short statement: "Wayne Rooney has fractured the base of the fourth metatarsal on the right foot and he will be out for six weeks."

We know all about metatarsals at soccerblog.com thanks to our very own soccer-mad blogger Dr. Shourin Roy.

Now what?

Sven-Goran Eriksson must now decide whether to take the biggest gamble of his life...

Read all about it >>

For many Croats, the war began not in June 1991 but on the soccer field on 13 March 1990. That day Red Star Belgrade met Dinamo Zagreb at the Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb to settle a long standing disputed league title. The Red Star Delije were led by Arkan, the notorious warlord and Serbian ultranationalist.

Ozren Podnar reports that the Delije held up signs in the north stands saying "Zagreb is Serbian", and "We'll kill Tudjman" . A reference to Franjo Tudjman, the pro-independence Croatian leader. Even before the match, the Delije were tearing the plastic seats of the Maksimir Satdium and hurling them. They then attacked Dinamo fans with knives, tearing down a fence that separated them from the field and the North stands. The Yugoslavian riot police, who were mostly Serbs stood by and took no action. Incensed by the Delije aggression and the police inaction, thousands of DInamo fans, the Bad Blue Boys took to the field en masse. It was the biggest invasion of football fans in history. They quickly tore down the North stand which buckled under their weight and made after the Red Star fans.

The Red Star football team made a quick exit along the sidline but left in the middle were a few of the Croatian players, including Zvonimir Boban. That day, Boban became a folkhero to the Croats. Seeing a policeman thrash a prostate Bad Blue Boy with a rubber truncheon, Boban ran over and felled the officer with a kung fu kick. The fan escaped and Boban himself was quickly surrounded by a protective chain of Bad Blue Boys who escorted him out of the stadium.

"The game that was never played will be remembered, at least by the soccer fans, as the beginning of the Patriotic War, and almost all of the contemporaries will declare it the key in understanding the Croatian cause," wrote Zagreb daily Vecernji list marking the 15th anniversary of the event. It must be, the historians claim, that the Croats saw in the fans' actions and Boban's intervention a symbol of the resistance against the 70-year long Serbian domination.

In 1998, Zvonimir Boban captained Croatia to its best third place finish in the World Cup.

Almost six minutes long:

The drama never ends: Wayne Rooney was stretchered off in Manchester United's 3-0 defeat at Chelsea. He left the stadium on crutches. Apparently he injured the same right foot he broke two years ago.

The list of the walking wounded:

- Rooney
- Michael Owen
- Sol Cambell
- John Terry
- Gary Neville

England, we might be in trouble!

One thing is clear. Chelsea deserves the Premiership title and they proved it with three goals. Two years in a row, and still going. Will they get a hat-trick next year? With Ballack in the mix, they've got excellent prospects of repeating yet again!

Zico gets defensive (for the first time in his life):

"I don't think that it would be an abnormal result if Japan lost against Australia. It might happen."

Japan coach Zico on Thursday denied recent reports that said he was on the verge of inking a contract to become the next manager of South Africa, telling reporters at a Tokyo luncheon that it would be unprofessional to enter into such negotiations while still under contract with the Japan Football Association.

Too funny! What is it with these coaches? First Scolari, now Zico. Maybe it's a Brazilian thing!

FC Barcelona have signed an agreement with Chinese computer giants Lenovo to work together over the next six months in a deal that will see Ronaldinho advertise the firm's products.

First Nike, now Lenovo. This is Joga Bonito!

OK- it's clear now. The Portuguese told Scolari to cease and desist.

Here's what Scolari had to say:

"I would like to definitively put an end to this situation right now. I know that I was one of the five, six, seven, eight, 10 -- I don't know how many names were mentioned to be the England coach -- and that there would be the possibility that there could be a possible contract.

"I was very happy to have been mentioned but I want to put an end to this situation, definitively right now. I'm not the coach. I won't be the coach, because the England federation is still going to pick a name and my name is not among these names because I want to close this matter now, here.

"Portugal...does not have the situation where the coach can negotiate with other clubs or federations or anything of that sort.

"I'd like to thank those people who were with me last night at a dinner and they reminded me with sensitivity of the situation involving the Portuguese people, and involving Portugal, and that led me to reflect.

"I'd like to thank them for inviting me to the dinner last night and having the opportunity of socialising together and...reminding me of all those moments in which people were showing their support and that gave me the impression that I was leaving a family, that I was heading the national team as if I was leading my own children.

"One of the people who was there asked me to take Portugal to the World Cup as if it was the last act of my life. So I got the message loud and clear.

"Right now I want to make an appeal to all of you. Mostly those of you who are from Portugal. We're going forward together. We're going to go out of here to the World Cup together. We're all here together in this beautiful site and all the wonderful people who received us here and we could all be joined together in going towards the World Cup.

"I'd also like to thank the president of the federation. He understands my position perfectly and I understand his. I understand that there is still a relationship. And right now I'd like to thank him for the freedom that he gave me, to speak with the English federation.

"I'd like to return the favour by telling him that he can talk with whomever he wants and he can contact whomever he wants after the contract runs out on July 31. And that our contract through July 31 will be completed by both sides. And after that, no one knows what's going to happen.

"I don't want to deal with the situation involving England any more because in the two days in which I was never the coach, I never concluded anything, my life was invaded, my privacy was completely besieged. Today alone I had 20 reporters in front of my house. Today alone there were absurd comparisons between couples, on how they dress. This has no part in my life. It's never going to be part of my life. If this is part of another culture, it's not part of my culture."

Christian - now this ad I can tell you, we appreciate in Brasil.

Here's a "red meat" ad for Brahma Beer, the "official beer" of the Brazilian team.

Cruzeiro - tell us - is the beer any good?

I don't put this ad in the same league as the Maradona nightmare.

I used to admire Oleg Blokhin, until now.

Listen to this junk:

Blockhin: "The more Ukrainians who play in the national league, the more examples for the young generation.

"Let them learn from Andriy Shevchenko or Blokhin and not some Zumba-Bumba whom they took off a tree, gave him two bananas and now he plays in the Ukrainian League.

"I remember when I played football, if we lost a game it was not easy to walk the Kiev streets - there were many friends out there who could beat you up for that.

"But is there any sense in beating up a foreigner? Okay, you beat him up - next thing he does is pack up and go."

Ouch. FIFA, we have a problem.

And it's not just in the Ukraine!

The usual excuse is that these are just a few rotten apples. Well, toss 'em out.

What Blokhin said may get him re-elected to parliament, but it's inexcusable, and FIFA has got to kick him out. I'm not holding my breath, however.

Maybe Merkel can step in and sort this one out...

From itv:

Bolton Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce does not believe that any of the major candidates for the England job should give up hope of succeeding Sven-Goran Eriksson.

and

"I said from the outset that in my opinion it should go to an Englishman."

Turns out they're right!!

Read between the lines, the three lions that is! :-)

"The main problem is that apart from Sir Alex Ferguson and Martin O'Neill, British managers have not won anything. I think if people were winning things, like Sir Alex has done, it would be different. They might be offered the job. Scolari has won the World Cup and is the ideal choice for me. English managers are not winning much so I think the foreign route is a good one."
Norman Hunter - former England international

"I'm a bit surprised he's not English, but the FA have been bold and I have no problem with Scolari. He wasn't afraid of taking off a big star like Figo in 2004, and that's exactly what he needed to do. He will ruffle a few feathers. He is everything Eriksson is not."
George Cohen – former World Cup winner

"I've said from the outset that it should be an Englishman. I'm not going to change my mind. All of us working at this level will be behind him, but we want to make coaching badges worthwhile so if we're not going to give it to an Englishman, then personally I think it's disappointing."
Steve Bruce – Birmingham City boss

"This is disappointing for everybody from a British point of view. It doesn't do a great deal to encourage the up-and-coming English bosses. Has Scolari ticked all the right boxes, has he worked with British players, has he dealt with our mentality and culture? Alan Curbishley and Sam Allardyce have worked at this level for a long time. How will you know if they will be a success unless you give them a chance?"
Mark Hughes – Blackburn manager, and former Wales boss

"He was tactically good at the World Cup and if he is good at handling experienced international players, with the big names they have in Brazil, then so be it. He was very good at seeing things on the pitch. He would be on his feet and pull and push these great players around. That was very impressive."
Don Howe – ex-England No.2

"He has my full support and I hope he does well. The FA has spent a long time going through the process and that suggests they have given it a lot of thought. They haven't just gone for a gut reaction."
Stuart Pearce – Manchester City boss

"It's the difference culturally between English and Brazilian football that worries me. It is going to take four years for Scolari to work out our game. I thought if the FA were interested internationally they would go with someone with connections in Europe. Perhaps they should have knocked down Arsene Wenger's door."
Gary Lineker – former England striker

"If Scolari has had success with Brazil and is doing well with Portugal, then why should he not do it with England? I would prefer that he stayed with Portugal after the World Cup, but it is his decision. He is a great coach and a good psychologist. One of his great qualities is his interaction with players."
Deco – Barcelona and Portugal midfielder

"It will be a popular decision but it's not good for English football. It sends out the wrong message to English coaches. The FA have a responsibility to do what they think is in the best interests of English football. In my opinion, this would not be it."
Howard Wilkinson – former England caretaker boss

Luiz Felipe Scolari has withdrawn his candidacy for the England head coach's job.

Something's fishy... stay tuned.

Ronaldinho will stamp himself as the greatest player in this World Cup. Lionel Messi will be declared the next Maradona in the making. Ronaldo will surpass Pele's record of appearing in 3 World Cup winning squads and overtake Gerd Muller's record of most goals in the World Cup. Brazil will win for a record 6th time and in a way that will make the 2002 World Cup final look pedestrian.

England will enjoy its best finish since World Cup 1966. The opposition will wish that they had never seen Wayne Rooney and a resurgent Michael Owen. David Beckham will fade; John Terry will rise. The Barmy Army will be in Europe screaming their guts out. The Dutch coached teams of Trinidad and Tobago and Australia will show mettle and unselfish teamwork that will make them hard to be beaten but they will be at the nth minute. But the Soca Warriors and the Socceroos will make sure that nary an eyebrow is raised when Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting crush Pakistan and India by a thousand runs and three innings and two thousand and sixty three runs and three and a half innings, respectively. At least for a couple of weeks before Cricket returns as God.

Portugal will find its teeth and score some fabulous goals through Cristiano Ronaldo and Figo. And on the way, Africa through Cote D'Ivoire, Togo, Angola, Ghana, and Tunisia will announce a paradigm shift in the way that soccer is played, serving notice that the most serious opposition to Brazilian samba and favela in the years to come will be the makossa, griot , and rai of Western Africa and the Maghreb. Look for the names Adebayor, Essien, Akwa and Drogba to roll of the tongues of people who will tongue of their drool when they see them play. Spain will have its moments of Rock n' Raul but will wear the badge of perennial underachievers again.

Italy will win ugly as they usually do but will come a cropper with their star players showing hissy fits of petulance and theatrical abilities in diving and playing victim just like poor loser, Silvio Berlusconi that that will endear them to no one except to the Tosca loving crowd at the Lincoln Center.

And the Germans will rally behind Jurgen Klinsmann and raise their Teutonic spirit to another level but the lack of talent will show in the matches that really count. Angela Merkel will declare a state of emergency on the advice of the Bayern Munich cabal. And Franz Beckenbauer will be appointed Interior minister and will promptly subpoena Jurgen Klinsmann for California dreamin'. The Czech Republic through MIlan Baros, Pavel Nedved, and Jan Koller will overtake the French duo of Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet in their sharpshooting abilities. Zizou will grit his teeth playing through pain, showing flashes of his brilliant playmaking. But the French will fade. Poland will bring its hooligans. And the US-Poland match will show why El Jogo Bonito is muy dificile for some teams.

Japan, South Korea and Turkey shot their load in the last World Cup and a repeat will not be in sight. Look for bruised ankles when the South Koreans play. They will run you right to the ground. Those Gatorade and IV infusions will be adminstered aplenty in those games to their opposition.

Iran wil be the most scrutinized team as every player will be suspected of being radio-active. But they will surprise and when they do, there will be a diplomatic row with Mahmoud Ahmedinejad planning to watch the matches and the US and Israel reminding Germany of past consequences in allowing anti-Semitism to go unchecked.

Saudi Arabia but not the team, will make news with oil prices crashing through the roof. Ukraine will impress through Andrei Shevchenko, the one man demolition squad and they should make it to the second round but the Orange revolution will stall. And Gavrilo Princeps will still be the star of the historiography of Serbia and Montenegro whose team should create no hysteria in that region.

Davor Suker did Croatia proud in the 1998 World Cup but who will provide their succour in this edition? Switzerland and Phillipe Senderos will perform as efficiently as a Philip Patek watch but Roger Federer will still be the one to make headlines. Look for him in the stands. Ingmar Bergmann's reputation as the most famous Swede will remain unvarnished and the Karolinska Institute will still award the Nobel in Medicine and Physiology to the doctors in Baghdad's Yarmouk hospital for finding the association between excavating the maximum amount of shrapnel in a lunar calender year and Laxmi Mittal's interest in acquiring the Iraqi iron and steel industry, and not to Henrik Larsson for research into his synaptic connection with a football.

And what of Ecuador and Paraguay? Do they come with the pessimism that they just filled two of the four spots in the South American zone on a rotational basis, Brazil having qualified in all 18 World Cups and Argentina in 14, or the optimism that they are amongst the best teams in the world. Ecuador having beaten both Argentina and Brazil in the prelimns and Paraguay rendering Colombia's quest futile two World Cups in succession. We will miss Jose Luis Chilavert and his schizophrenic talent in playing striker as well as goalkeeper for Paraguay. But they have plenty of talent with their new players

Bunny hop man is missing from the Mexican squad but his team mate Jared Borgetti is there along with Rafael Marquez. With the immigrant issue hottening up here in the USA, does it make matters worse if the immigrants legal or otherwise throw in their lot south of the border rather than trying to find a resonance with a fairly monochromatic US team? The US is fourth in the FIFA rankings. This after losing to Germany and drawing with Jamaica. But as they say FIFA-FO-FUM, I smell the blood of a flatterer waiting to deceive. If past matches are any indication then the US will vault over the Czech Republic after being beaten or drawn in their next friendly with Morocco. And by the time the US plays its opener in the World Cup with the Czech Republic, we will have elbowed our way past Brazil. Even Karl Rove could not have spun this better. But maybe after their early World Cup exit, the US team will disappear into the leafy suburbs of Connecticut to play XBox soccer and hakke sack. Paulo Wanchope and Costa Rica will return to a heroes welcome when they draw with Germany.

And what of the Netherlands? How rude of me to put them at the last minute. The creators of total football. But that way they get attention. And here is hoping that they get there to the top. A Brazil- Netherlands final would be sublime. The Dutch Masters against the Samba Kings.

These are the best 32 teams in soccer in the World, barring a few exceptions and getting there is no mean feat! And of these are eight new entrants in this World Cup, which should make it all the more exciting.

Ronaldinho overtook David Beckham as the richest soccer player with his salary, sponsorships, and endorsements reaching an annual revenue of 23 million euros ($28.47 million)

Beckham dropped to second with 18 million euros, down from 25 million the previous year. Ronaldo followed with 17.4 million euros. Wayne Rooney, Man U striker and PFA Young Player of the Year two times in a row was fourth with 16.1 million euros. Not bad for a 20 year old.

For more of the filthy lucre that soccer players and managers earn

You decide. I think Shevchenko's goal should have stood. That was no foul, just two players having a 50-50 getting to the ball.

Barca reached the Championship finals holding AC Milan to a draw. Both teams failed to score but the game was dominated by Barca with Ronaldinho and Ludovic Guily combining well again. Only some fine goalkeeping by Dida kept AC in the game.

But the Milanese felt that they were robbed 20 minutes before the final whistle when Andrei Shevchenko's header was disallowed because he had committed a foul against Barca defender Carlos Puyol. Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said he saw no reason why Shevchenko's goal should have been disallowed and stressed that the game could have gone either way.

"Shevchenko's goal was absolutely legal," he said. "He jumped and hardly touched Puyol when he headed it.

Paulo Wanchope has a name that would fit right up there in a Tibetan monastery, for e.g., Sonam Gyatso. And his game veers between the mystical to the utterly banal.

He is Costa Rica's all time goal scorer having scored 43 goals in 67 international matches and its most famous overseas player playing for West Ham, Manchester City, and Malaga. On October 8, 2005, Wanchope became the all-time leading goal scorer for Los Ticos when he scored the first goal in a home win over the USA in the qualifying match that sent Los Ticos to the 2006 World Cup.

Paulo Wanchope will forever be remembered in England for the remarkable goal he scored on his debut for Derby County against Manchester United in 1997. A magnificent solo run and cool finish summed up the very best elements of one of the game's most erratic performers.

Costa Rica is coached by Brazilian Alexandre Guimaraes and they play an attacking brand of soccer with sloppy defense. In World Cup 2002, Brazil beat them 5-2 and topped the table but the Ticos covered themselves with glory being pipped from the last 16 by eventual semi-finalists Turkey on goal differential. They beat China 2-0.

Provisional Costa Rica World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:
Gabriel Badilla (Deportivo Saprissa)
Adrián de Lemos (Brujas)
Álvaro Mesen (Herediano)
Wardy Pizarro (Alajuelense)
José Porras (Deportivo Saprissa)
Defenders:
Jervis Drummond (Deportivo Saprissa)
Leonardo González (Herediano)
Carlos Johnson (Herediano)
Luis Marín (Alajuelense)
Gilberto Martínez (Brescia)
Roy Miller (Bodø/Glimt)
Cristián Montero (Alajuelense)
Michael Rodríguez (Alajuelense)
Douglas Sequeira (Chivas USA)
Michael Umana (Brujas)
Harold Wallace (Alajuelense)
Midfielders:
Randall Azozeifa (Deportivo Saprissa)
Christian Bolanos (Deportivo Saprissa)
Walter Centeno (Deportivo Saprissa)
Danny Fonseca (Cartagines)
Carlos Hernández (Alajuelense)
Mauricio Solís (Comunicaciones)
Forwards:
Kurt Bernard (Puntarenas)
Ronald Gómez (Deportivo Saprissa)
Víctor Núñez (Cartagines)
Bryan Ruiz (Alajuelense)
Álvaro Saborio (Deportivo Saprissa)
Paulo Wanchope (Herediano)

The geeks at UBS Wealth Management Research have caught World Cup fever, and have made some interesting predictions about how this year's soccer World Cup will pan out.

Based on a simulation, the analysts have determined that Italy will win. The simulation was carried out using scientific methods comparable to those used by experts to make economic and financial-market forecasts. The model developed by analysts was then tested for reliability by applying it to past football World Cup and European tournaments, with remarkably precise results: the simulation correctly predicted 89 percent of all of the semi-final winners of the previous nine World Cups.

The simulation

According to the UBS simulation, further results will be as follows: Germany will lose to Argentina in the 3rd round and Italy will beat France at the same stage. They will be closely followed by the Netherlands, who will send England home. In the fourth pairing, the Brazilians will dominate the Spaniards. The semi-finals will then be down to the favorites: the Netherlands will draw the short straw against the Brazilians, the Italians will beat Argentina. In the final, the Brazilians will be forced to accept the fact that the Italians are the better team in this tournament.

Many influencing factors

Along with "football fever", the team around UBS Wealth Management Chief Economist Klaus Wellershoff was interested to find out what variables are important in predicting World Cup success. In doing so, they discovered that many things that appear to be obvious are, in fact, not crucial to winning the World Cup. An example of this would be the size of a country's population, which is often incorrectly correlated to the amount of potential athletic talent. The FIFA rankings, which list the top national soccer teams, also prove to be of limited use when it comes to making a prediction: the FIFA list compiles the sporting success of the individual teams but assigns equal value to all wins, no matter how strong the opponent.

Reality wins

The creation of the World Cup prediction was an intellectual change of pace for the UBS analysts, but it also delivered additional insights. The exercise, for example, gave the experts the opportunity to demonstrate the flexibility of their methods outside their typical parameters.

Of course, there are also limits. According to the model, Greece would never have become European champion in 2004. Sports do still follow their own rules - and are more attractive than any simulation.

Question: If Italy loses, will the billionaires take their money away from the managers at UBS Wealth Management?

The rumors were true.

Brazil's Big Phil takes over after Sven.

The Guardian says so, as does the Telegraph.

Prediction: England will win the World Cup in 5 years. :-)

Good for England. The FA has got the guts to get the right man for the job.

The Big Phil story [from the Guardian]

1948 Born November 9 in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

1991 After a playing career at Gremio in the 70s takes over as coach of Criciúma, in Santa Catarina, and wins the Brazilian Cup

1994 Takes over at Gremio and again wins the Cup (1994), the Libertadores da América (1995) and the title (1996). Follows up with successful spells at Palmeiras and Cruzeiro

2001 Coach of Brazil. Qualifies them for the 2002 World Cup and wins it

2003 Takes over as coach of Portugal and leads them to the final of Euro 2004, which they lose to Greece. Still in charge until after 2006 World Cup

No fear. For Euro 30 you can see all the matches.

Only this is RoboCup2006 in Bremen, Germany from the 14-20 June, 2006.

In the Humanoid league of Robocup2006, humanoid robots, which are robots with a human-like body plan and human-like senses, compete. One particular challenge in the Humanoid League is maintaining the balance while the robots are walking and kicking the ball. If the robots go to the ground, they must get up by themselves again.

The mission of RoboCup is
by 2050, develop a team of fully autonomous humanoid robots that can win against the human world champion team in soccer.

The Humanoid league is described thusly,

"In the Humanoid League, autonomous robots with a human-like body plan and human-like senses play soccer against each other. In addition to soccer games, penalty kick competitions and technical challenges will take place. The robots are divided into two size classes: KidSize (30-60cm height) and TeenSize (65-130cm height). Dynamic walking, running, and kicking the ball while maintaining balance, visual perception of the ball, other players, and the field, self-localization, and team play are among the many research issues investigated in the Humanoid League."

No US team qualified. Well, I guess that is another avenue closed to the US winning the World Cup. We will just have to wait for Christian's model to bear fruition.

But the more encouraging thing is that in future we could replace FIFA officials with humanoids and get more realistic rankings from FIFA. USA at no:4???

And India could actually win the World Cup with its all humanoid team without subjecting their soccer players to tiresome drills and sliding tackles. I really look forward to the India - Brazil final in World Cup 2050.

Can you imagine a humanoid doing the Roger Milla soul makossa celebration? It's hind boggling.

Julie Foudy, the hard running veteran of women's soccer is starting an academy that will teach soccer skills and leadership to girls from the ages of 12 to 18. The theme is bigger than just soccer and is focused on developing one's outlook towards life taking the lessons learned through soccer. (NY Times, Apr 26)

Remember those glory days of Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain, Michelle Akers, Shannon McMillan and Briana Scurry.

For those interested, you can learn more at Juliefoudyleadership.com

Julie Foudy will be speaking at the Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J. this Friday at 7:30 PM. For reservations call:
(609)490-7550

Fabian Barthez enjoyed his fame in the 1998 World Cup with his celebrated moments alongside some real inexplicable flubs. A real doppelganger!

But having Linda Evangelista as your companion should make it easier for Barthez to contemplate retirement

Alecko Eskendrian of DC United after being voted as MLS player of the week was fined $250 yesterday for inappropriate conduct. Eskendrian scored in the 41st minute against the Red Bulls last Saturday, then took a swig of Red Bull from a can and spat it out onto Giants stadium turf. (NY Times, Apr 26)

This is known as product placement

Seriously, what are cans of Red Bull doing on the sidelines? The players don't need to get wired, they need hydration. Out of shape bar and clubhoppers drink vodka and Red Bull so that they can go blotto till the wee hours of the morn.

We had to go back to the last World Cup to find a funny ad from Pepsi:

The Jens Lehmann and Oliver Kahn runaround ended a few weeks ago with Lehmann getting the nod to keep Germany's goal. But the French who are never short of drama are still undecided as to their sentinel.

Coach Raymond Domenech still has not made up his mind. Recently Domenech favoured the Olympique Marseille gardien Barthez- who will be 36 in June- but the French supporters recently booed and jeered the ex-Manchester United man in the shock friendly defeat to Slovakia. It will be interesting to see whether or not Domenech bows to pressure from the supporters and installs Coupet as his number one.

Fabian Barthez is still flamboyant but he made some terrible blunders that did not endear himself to Man U fans who still smart from their loss to Deportivo Coruna in the European Cup in 2001.

A poem by B.Hind captures the Man U angst against Barthez

Fart hez a ‘mare

Poor old Fabian Barthez?
“It’s all my own fault”, he says
And don’t we all agree, that’s every man, jack and Jez (ebel)
He just needed Tommy Cooper’s fez
To complete the look of a clown
He certainly brought a frown
To the young defender, Brown
Never again, warns Wes
From his new des res
Perusing the morning papers (avec pince-nez?)
Mawkishly musing, had he actually been playing in front of Brian Glover, the teacher from Kes!?

David Trezeguet and Beatrice

Thierry Henry and Nicole Merry

Thierry Henry's best buddy is David Trezeguet of Juventus. Both are sharpshooters extra-ordinaire. And with these two, goals should come by easily for France in this World Cup. Henry and Trezeguet have each scored 31 goals in 75 and 60 international caps, respectively for France.

And judging by what we see of their companions, they have scored big time there too.

The latest from Bob at worldcupblog.org - Polish madness.

I just hope the Euro-trash can be held in check by the German police...

For more of the ugly side of the beautiful game see here >>

Ghana manager Ratomir Dujkovic says Ghana is capable of upsetting the favourites at the World Cup.

I agree - there's no shortage of talent. The Italians, Americans, and Czech Republic all need to watch out.

Warning: the video below has some lame lyrics so turn your volume down. The action begins halfway through the cut (look for the cool goals by Matthew Amoah):

Amongst the jubilation at Highbury and the financial windfall following Arsenal's entry to the Champions League final, reportedly a cool £19.9m. That figure may reach £21.7m if they beat Barcelona or Milan in Paris on May 17, is a note of worry and real concern.

That match might be the last time Thierry Henry plays for Highbury. His future plans are something of an enigma but what is certain is that Barcelona and Real Madrid are duking it out to get him to their ball clubs. And we are talking serious money, the likes that Arsenal cannot afford.

Madrid are reportedly willing to offer the Premiership's top scorer £154,000 a week, £4,000 a week less than Ronaldinho earns at Camp Nou. And Barca has made a commitment of £30 m for his services.

With both these clubs he enters the rarified world of Brazilian samba and African makossa soccer. With Barca he will have Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o and Real will give him Ronaldo and Kaka. Not to trivialize EPL soccer but these are really the big boys. And what striker worth his salt will spurn this chance.

Look for the Queen's birthday honors that might bestow Thierry Henry with the coveted OBE or KCMG. Or at least a street or square in London named after him. C'mon! Sir Thierry Henry sounds pretty damn good. It is a small price to pay for keeping a player that has taken the first London club to a Championship final.

Ronaldinho, April 24th 2006

"A decisive week is beginning for Barcelona. In fact, it’s another decisive week because each game has been a decision for us both in La Liga and the Champions League.

It will start on Sunday in the game against Sevilla away from home. Our aim is to try to get a good result to keep the point difference on the league table and then, on Wednesday, it’s the return game against Milan. What a game."

For more Ronaldinho's diary

The official Ghana anthem is 'Faith in the Black Stars' by a six man group called G-Force.

Morons!

The true, 100% authentic anthem for Ghana has got to be "Jammin Nation" by Rocky Dawuni (or perhaps, "In Ghana" - video here).

What is it with the politics of the World Cup that brings out the worst music sanctioned by the soccer bureaucrats from Ghana to England.

Barring injury, there's no stopping him [warning- the music is terrible, so turn your volume down loooow!]:

Thanks to Klinsmann's goalkeeper, Jens Lehmann:

Looks like Klinsmann knows what he's doing!

Arsenal didn't deserve to win this game, as far as I could see, but I think the finals are going to be great!

Christian's concern was well founded but we will get to see the maestro in action during this World Cup one last time. Zenedine Zidane had announced his retirement previously in August 2004. His retirement at the time came in the wake of unsubstantiated reports that several of his teammates on the French squad had protested against his captaincy of the team. Thierry Henry, Patrick Viera and Robert Pires are alleged to have said Zidane should leave the captaincy to somebody more deserving.

But he was persuaded by Raymond Domenech, the French coach to play for France in this World Cup. Zizou's announcement in August 2005, that he was returning spurred Claude Makélélé and Liliam Thuram to also give up their retirement and return to the field. The trio played their first game against the Faroe Islands. Zidane's return helped inspire the team to World Cup qualification.

Zizou's family comes from the same Berber village in Algeria as one of my neighbors and though he plays for France, he is held in great pride in the Berber community, a minority in Algeria. They have fought a long and hard war to make Tamazghit, their language equal in status to Arabic, the official language.

In the 1998 World Cup, angered by a challenge during the 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia, Zizou lost his cool completely and stamped on Saudi skipper Fuad Amin. He was red-carded and banned for two matches, including the last-16 win over Paraguay.

France went on to win the World Cup of course. But for a Berber woman living in a Marseilles tenement the defining moment of that match, and perhaps of the Cup, was the one in which Zinedine's studded boot smashed down on to an Arab leg. ``That was Zinedine's revenge against the Arabs,'' she was to tell a reporter.

In 2001 Zidane moved to the world's richest club, Real Madrid, becoming the most expensive player in the game's history. The Spanish club signed him for $64.45 million, a record that still stands. In 2002, he helped the Spanish team to the European Champions League after beating Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 in the final. Few can forget the historic left-foot volley he delivered from the edge of the area to seal his team's victory. The goal was selected by experts as one of the best 10 in history.

Hopefully, Zizou will go out in style in this World Cup. He heads a strong French midfield with Claude Makelele, Patrick Viera, Robert Pires, and Vikash Dhorasoo.

Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said Germany will suspend the passport-free travel arrangements of the Schengen Treaty during the 2006 World Cup.

I think this is probably a good thing. France reimposed border controls when it held ceremonies to mark the 60th anniversary of D-Day in June, 2004. That same year, Portugal reintroduced checks during the European Football Championships. Finland did the same during the 2005 World Championships in Athletics, held in Helsinki last August.

This soccer war has endured over six decades: Adidas versus Puma.

A brilliant article by Ruth Elkins of the Independent.

Rudi and Adi Dassler must have fought over a girl, is all I can say.

ADIDAS:
Founded: 1949
HQ: Herzogenaurach, Germany
Employees: 17,023 (2004 figure)
Pre-tax profits in 2005: €768m (£531m)
Sales in 2005: €6.9bn (£4.8bn)
2006 World Cup teams sponsored by Adidas: Germany, France, Spain, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina

PUMA:
Founded: 1948
HQ: Herzogenaurach, Germany
Employees: 3,910 (2004)
Pre-tax profits in 2005: €286m (£197m)
Sales in 2005: €2.4bn (£1.7bn)
2006 World Cup teams sponsored by Puma: Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Iran, Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Paraguay, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Angola

I still have my Maradona Pumas in the basement somewhere, along with my adidas Tango!

I just thought our readers would enjoy this video. Romario's effortlessness is what this is all about. You never see him sprinting!

In this video, the 1993-94 Barcelona Dream Team (coached by Johan Cruyff) beats Real Madrid 5-0, with a hat-trick from Romario:

The old horse is now in Miami.

The Germans have printed 3.07 million tickets for the World Cup and it has already been oversubscried 20 times. Fraudsters are finding new ways to dupe soccer fans desperate to make the trip to Germany. The latest involves selling tickets through e-Bay by people that claim that they have won these tickets through Coca Cola promos. They provide the documents online to prove that these tickets are legitimate.

The fans then transfers money only to be told by Coca- Cola that these documents are fake. The German organizers have repeatedly told e-Bay not to sell tickets on the black market but the internet auction portal refuses to comply. There are no laws forbidding this sort of trade," said eBay spokesman Nerses Chopurian.

e- Bay was in the news recently when a court upheld that a fan had bought legitimate tickets through them.

The German organizers have advised all football fans to buy tickets through the official Web site -- www.FIFAworldcup.com -- and avoid all black market channels.

It's pretty abysmal when we consider the mark that Indian athletes have left on the world. We literally have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find some redemption. We can claim 500 million gold medals in the South Asian Federation games because we go up against Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Maldives.

Not exactly world powers!

Even Sri Lanka has a better track record in the premier sporting events when Susanthika Jayasinghe claimed a bronze in the women's 100 meters at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. India's last medals in track came in the 1900 Paris Olympics when Norman Pritchard won silver in the 100 meters and 200 meter hurdles.

The story gets a bit better when we consider the Indian diaspora. Alexei Grewal, 1984 LA Olympics gold medalist in the road race and Mohini Bharadwaj, US Women's gymnastics team captain and silver medalist in the team event at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

And now with Michael Chopra, Newcastle striker taking over Alan Shearer's role (Disclaimer: I have not compared him to Alan Shearer) things are looking up a bit for football players of Indian origin.

But the big news is that Vikash Dhorasoo is going to be in the line up for France. The Paris St. Germain midfielder who has often been compared to Zinedine Zidane all these years may finally get playing time in this World Cup. Dhorasoo has been slated to share time on the left flank along with Sylvain Wiltord.

Vikash Dhorasoo
(Paris St. Germain midfielder)

Vikash Dhorasoo became the first player of Indian origin to win a major football medal when his club Olympique Lyonnaise won the French First Division title. In the 2003-04 season he was named The Best Player of Ligue 1.
"And Dhorasoo wasn't some substitute playing cameo roles; he is acknowledged as the team's creative spark - he was their player of the 2003-2004 season - and has made it to the division's all-star XI. Born in Mauritius to Indian parents, Dhorasoo has been making waves in French football for six-odd years now, likened in style to Zinedine Zidane and linked with transfers to Arsenal, Juventus and Liverpool, among others. "

Vikash Dhorasoo
Vikash Dhorasoo profile and stats

I was being facetious when I said that Indian athletes have left no imprint on the world. Karnam Malleshwari got the bronze in the women's 69 kg weightlifting at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and Rajyavardan Singh Rathore won a silver in the Athens Olympics in the men's double trap event. Before that Leander Paes received a bronze for his third place finish in men's tennis in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. This medal finished almost four decades of individual futility since KP Jhadav's boxing bronze in the bantamweight division at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.

But you have to agree its pretty slim pickings. So Vikash score a goal in this World Cup so that you can enhance your Wikipedia entry as the first goalscorer of Indian origin in the World Cup.

Injuries have hit the Aussie squad hard in recent days. Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer suffered a broken cheekbone in the FA semifinal game between Middlesborough and West Ham following a collision with Dean Ashton.

Harry Kewell aggravated an old groin problem in Liverpool's FA semifinal with Chelsea and had to limp off. Tim Cahill, Everton striker twisted his knee in a match against Birmingham City. Mark Viduka, Middlesborough and captain of the Socceroos did not start against West Ham because of a thigh problem.

Mark Schwarzer is the most serious of the lot, as it takes at least 4 weeks for a facial fracture to heal. The long EPL season has taken its toll on many players and is coming to a close, giving time to heal, mercifully for the first squads of many teams.

'I'm a street cat, and I've always said the night is my friend, but now that I'm 40, I'm going a little slower,'' he conceded. ``When I think back to myself between the ages of 18 and 30, I don't remember sleeping. I'd go out dancing, have breakfast and go straight to training. A lot of guys can't do that, but for some reason, I could and it didn't seem to affect me. But I can't do that anymore, at least not if I want to keep scoring goals, which I do. That's what I live for. Goals.''

Here'e the full story.

A visa hold-up kept Romário from playing this weekend. Don't worry, Miami. He will be there soon enough!

From Reuters:

AC Milan's fitness worries ahead of their Champions League semi-final, second leg at Barcelona have eased slightly with Brazilian Cafu and striker Filippo Inzaghi declaring themselves fit for Wednesday's game.

Brazilian Kaka and Italy defender Alessandro Nesta were both substituted with injuries and then midfielder Massimo Ambrosini, who had replaced Kaka, also had to go off.

A pity. Club teams today are playing far too many games, and the players end up hurting themeselves and their teams. All for the money.

What will Brazil be like without Cafu? or Ronaldo? or Kaka? Not a nice picture, for sure.

Steven Gerrard who helped beat Chelsea in the FA semifinals 2-1 and has taken Liverpool to an impressive third place finish in the EPL was named Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year.

Premiership Team of the Year

Shay Given (Newcastle), Pascal Chimbonda (Wigan), John Terry (Chelsea), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), William Gallas (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Thierry Henry (Arsenal), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

Alan Shearer played his last game against Sunderland and went out in style scoring a goal in Sunderland's defeat 4-1. The former England captain spurned Manchester United to sign up with Newcastle in 1996 and gave his all to his new club for the next decade.

Suffering through numerous knee injuries including an anterior cruciate ligament tear that would have surely wrecked his career, Shearer soldiered on and became Newcastle's leading scorer with 206 goals.

Dave Crossan describes the moment that earned Shearer a permanent place in the hearts of Newcastle fans.

The impossible dream appeared set to become reality when Shearer, playing with the likes of Ferdinand, Beardsley, Ginola and Lee, scored the 4th in a 5-0 rout of Manchester United at St. James' in October 1996.

His actions that day sealed his place in Geordie affections.

From an unsolicited email I found in my inbox... very Tom-Brown's-School-Days or something:

Ever thought of soccer as an extreme sport? If not, you've never heard of Royal Ashbourne Shrovetide Football (or simply "Shrovetide").

I was introduced to Shrovetide when first I met my husband, a determined Shrovetider, and asked him how he'd broken his nose. [editor's note: no, his name is not Sol Campbell]

Shrovetide is played in the town of Ashbourne in Derbyshire, England, on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. It's been played every year since at least the 12th century (not even the world wars stopped play).

The pitch is the town, including surrounding fields and the Henmore River. The goal posts are three miles apart, at the sites of two medieval mill wheels, one upstream, and the other, downstream. There is no limit to the number of players on each side, and few rules, so the game is rough and tumble. It is all played in good humor, so deaths are unlikely, but it is a great spectacle to watch.

The ball (brightly painted leather, about the size of a medicine ball) is ritually thrown to the mob (known as "The Hug") at 2 p.m. each day, and is then fought over by two teams: The Uppards, who try to score it at the upstream goal; and the Downards, who try to score it at the downstream goal. Play continues until 10 p.m. Loyalties are decided by birth--if you're born upstream, or from an upstream family, then you're an Uppard; everyone else is a Downard.

As the field of play is the whole town, spectators can get caught up in the play, but it's quite safe--you'll find refuges in enclosed areas. However, be prepared to see 500 men in rags and hobnail boots rampaging toward you.

It can be cold, but luckily Ashbourne has many historic pubs, cafés, and restaurants to keep you warm. Dinner for two--with wine--costs around $70, but you can find good fish and chips for two for about $12.

The riverbanks form the best viewing platform for watching river play, and cheers go up from the crowd whenever the ball is seen. Expect a warm welcome form the locals, and someone in the crowd will always explain the finer points of play, as they're intensely proud of their unique heritage.

- Kathryn Burton
For International Living

Sol Campbell looks set to play his first Champions League match for five months at Villarreal tomorrow because Philippe Senderos is likely to be ruled out with a knee injury.

How does one return to action after breaking one's nose 12 days ago? This is Campbell's last chance to make the England squad, that's how. And the stakes couldn't be higher.

Sorry Yanks, the commentary is in German...

Here's what the game was like in the stands.

For those of you who like to read.

A fan's-eye-view:

Atmosphere.

Now you know what it's like, yanks!

What happens when Ronaldinho's opponents fall asleep :

August 5, 2006.

The score? Chelsea 5, MLS All Stars 1.

That's my prediction.

But the MLS will make some money and beat their 15,000/game average attendance...

Well I never! Now it seems like Big Phil has the inside track to take over Eriksson's job as England's coach after the Cup.

Apparently, Middlesbrough's Steve McClaren is fading fast.

And the winner is ---------- !

We'll know in 48 hours.

Can Scolari coach the Three Lions? I understand Portugal, but England?

Fabrice Akwa who captained Angola's football team to their first ever World Cup won the top honors as his country's sportsman of the year. He scored the match winner against Rwanda that enabled Angola to top their league ahead of Nigeria. Akwa combined well with veteran Mantorras (Benfica), Gilberto (Al- Ahli) and the sensational Ze Kalanga (Petro Atletico) to get Angola a coveted spot in the World Cup over favored Nigeria.

Angola have Portugal, Mexico, and Iran in their group.

With Sven Goran Eriksson's days as England manager coming to a close after the World Cup, the jockeying for his position has become quite intense. Guus Hiddink, Stuart Pearce, Martin O' Neill, Sam Allardyce, Alan Curbishely, Steve McLaren, Luis Felipe Scolari have all been interviewed.

The FA has apparently made it clear that this years choice would be a Brit. That would mean that ex-Celtics manager Martin O' Neill chances rests much on whether he is willing to drop his brogue and drink Newcastle ale. Guus Hiddink is now close to signing on as Russia's new manager. And Luis Felipe Scolari is out.

The front runners are Sam Allardyce, Bolton Wanderer's manager, Steve McLaren of Middlesborough and Alan Curbishley, of Charlton Athletic.

As of this moment there is speculation that Curbishley's chances are waning.

The recent Bolton- Charlton Athletic encounter that Bolton won easily 4-1 had lots of impilcations for the manager's position. In the match Allardyce took a gamble and inserted Ricardo Vaz Te and Jared Borgetti who responded with goals, along with a brace from Kevin Davies. Warming the bench was captain Kevin Nolan and potential match-winners Stelios Giannakopoulos and Jay-Jay Okocha. Curbishley was caught flat footed with an injury depleted side and the late insertion of substitutes Jonathan Fortune and Jay Bothroyd. Charlton Athletic has failed to win away from home in 13 matches.

My opinion is that this current line up of Brit managers is they have pretty thin CVs when it comes to international matches. The FA is supposed to be close to making its decision but I would think that if they let Gus Hiddink get away, they're brain dead.

Jonathan Spector's chances of making it to the US squad for the World Cup is over. He suffered a shoulder dislocation in the match against Portsmouth.

Spector's absence was immediately felt in Charlton Athletic's next match against Bolton, where they tamely went down 4-1.

Spector was considered a long shot for the US squad but having seen him play, I would think he would merit a closer look if injury free. He defends aggressively and is not afraid to come out on the right flank to take chances with his crosses. His decision making might require some refinement but Man U must have seen lots of potential. He was loaned to Charlton Athletic a year ago.

Man U have him back and he will undergo shoulder surgery and rehabilitation this Tuesday.

The real story is that only 8,475 fans showed up at Giants Stadium to watch DC United demolish the New York Red Bulls 4-1.

Alecko Eskandarian scored a pair for the black and red. Apparently he rushed over to the sidelines after a goal and took a swig of Red Bull, spat it out and shook his head. That's what they call product placement.

Side story: Adu was scoreless. I feel sorry for him right now - he just can't buy a goal. Last week in Houston he was spectacular, but still no goals...

Real Madrid midfielder Zinedine Zidane has called a press conference for next Wednesday. There is some speculation that he might announce his retirement after the World Cup.

I'm worried he may just say he's done, and not go on to the World Cup this summer. '

We know he's been injured and looking a bit slow, but c'mon, the entire French team is counting on you, man.

Don't quit now!

For the context go here

The 1994 World Cup final between Italy and Brazil, turned out to be in my mind the least interesting match of the whole tournament. Gone was the dazzling flair and showmanship of previous Brazilian squads. In place was this team whose only intention was ball possession. There were spells that one slept through. I remember being absolutely livid with the type of play that was going on. And the Italians whose best offence is their defence were only to happy to see this Brazilian side. The match dragged on and on and ended in a penalty shoot out, mercifully ending the snoozefest. Brazil won playing German football. It was a terrible sight to see.

It was all part of a new thinking introduced by Mario Zagalo and Carlos Alberto Parriera, following the defensive breakdowns of the Tele Santana coached Brazilian squads of 1982 and 1986, that played exhilarating offense, sweeping all opposing teams aside only to be let down by a porous defence. It was a joy to see the talents of players like Zico, Eder, Falcao, Junior, Socrates being let loose and unfettered on the field.

But the memory of those defeats cut deeply into the Brazilian soccer psyche. And so began the evolution to ball possession and efficiency. And at all costs winning the World Cup. Carlos Alberto Parreira and his assistant, Mario Zagalo were given the task of introducing those changes. Artistry was kept in check, no more exuberant displays of ball skills. It was better to be pedantic and pedestrian. And the enforcer was Dunga, the 1994 Brazilian captain, the archetype of the new Brazilian player. Dunga famously declared that the days of El Jogo Bonito was over. "This is the Brazil of sweat and sacrifice." Dunga even looked the part with his close cropped hair and hatchet features. The Howie Long of soccer.

And so the days of Tele Santana inspired football was over. "I would rather win playing well than lose playing badly," was his catch phrase. Under Parreira and Zagalo, it was, "Take the ball to the bank and keep it under lock and key."

And for soccer purists the dark days began. For Brazilian soccer it was a transition. The 2002 World Cup showed a tentative Brazil playing a hapless German squad. But even the occasional flair and showmanship that Ronaldinho and Ronaldo brought was enough to overcome the Germans.

But nobody can keep the Brazilians down for long. And Tele Santana's mantra resonates pretty deeply with the current crop of players like Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cafu, and Kaka. So look out for El Jogo Bonito in this World Cup. There is no better way to remember Tele Santana's legacy. And I am sure Zico is doing the same with the Japanese squad.

We at Soccerblog, think that amongst other ways of honoring the man who best exemplified The Beautiful Game, soccer lovers all over the world should observe a two minute silence before kick off in the inaugural match of the 2006 World Cup.

We encourage soccer lovers to write to FIFA making this observance official.

Email: contact@fifa.org

Brasil and the world will miss you, Telê Santana.

We are thankful that you were here to guide Brasil through the dark ages. You kept the light of the game burning when everyone was ready to give up. Without you there would be no chance for the Hexa! Thank you Telê Santana.

Zico said that of all the coaches he played under Santana was the only one who banned his players from committing fouls. You can read the real story here.

"It's entertaining to watch Ronaldinho play. I think he's one of the best players around at the moment, if not the best of them all. He has a technique that few others have, and technique is fundamental in football. Ronaldinho enjoys himself when he's playing because technically he's extraordinary. If I had to compare him to a great player of the past? It's always difficult to compare great players, but if you put things into proportion, it's like watching Maradona. You could see that Maradona had fun playing. Is he (Ronaldinho) more a striker or a midfielder? A striker, but he's intelligent and he always finds the right position on the pitch for the good of the team." -- Roberto Mancini

Ronaldinho: how does he hit the crossbar four times in a row?

Believe it or not, I'm ready for this summer! :-)

Owen's back, lads!

Newcastle United's surprise naming of Michael Owen in their squad for Saturday's home game against West Bromwich Albion is also a big boost for England's World Cup hopes, reports Reuters.

For those of you who forgot, here's Owen's first goal for Newcastle against the Rovers:

Remember the flap over Klinsmann's decisionmaking?

The French make Klinsmann look organized:

National coach Raymond Domenech will wait until the last minute before announcing whether Fabien Barthez or Gregory Coupet will be France's first-choice goalkeeper at the World Cup.

"My decision will turn out to be a normal and logical one at the best possible moment," Domenech said.

"This should not be felt as a punishment for either of them, but a choice will have to be made and the deadline for it is June 13 at 6pm."

Maybe Domenech will flip a coin at 5:59pm. The French are fun.

Bayern Munich midfielder Michael Ballack has agreed to sign a four-year contract with Chelsea, the German public broadcaster ZDF said on Wednesday.

My grandmother knew this was a done deal.

Read this and see how messed up FIFA is. This is NOT Joga Bonito as they say at Nike. Incidentally, NIKE is not a FIFA sponsor.

Lentze: ...The cities and stadiums are getting international attention. I don't think they want to be seen surrounded by salesmen, huge banners and posters.

Lentze: Obviously, our partners are subject to the same regulations.

Hypocrites.

FIFA messes up again. Why they can't figure out how to didtribute tickets is beyond me.

Now they're up in arms about e-Bay tickets.

Ticketing arrangements for this summer's World Cup were in chaos yesterday after a court ruled that a fan who bought tickets on eBay was entitled to use them, even though his name was not printed on the ticket face.
The tournament's organisers had insisted that the German Björn Kracht had acquired the tickets unfairly, but a Frankfurt court decided against them. Although the court said its ruling applied only in his case, the judgment opens the way for thousands of England fans to try to acquire tickets on the black market.

In my opinion, FIFA's greediness is overshadowed only by its incompetence.

History repeats itself, again and again and again.

You're the first in my life
To make me think
That we might just go all the way
And I, want you to know we're all hanging on

They'll come and yes they'll try
To break us down
But we know that we'll never lose
If we keep moving forward and don't look back

Is this is the best we can do in England?

Lame, lame, lame- and it's not just the lyrics that suck. Listen here.

The Soca Warriors leave us in the dust.

What a farce. Let's hope we're better on the field than in the studio!

Sol has not yet recovered from surgery on the broken nose he suffered at Portsmouth last week. However he is expected to be back in the squad for the Champions League Semi-Final second leg at Villarreal on Tuesday.

I don't see how Cambell will be ready by Tuesday, when he can't be ready for Saturday.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday, MasterCard has asked the U.S District Court in Manhattan to stop FIFA from allowing archrival Visa to sponsor the 2010 and 2014 World Cup events.'

Greedy buggers.

Foot loose; fancy free? The English squad would strongly disagree.

In World Cup 2002, the England squad became more notorious for its injuries than its on field exploits. One by one David Beckham, Gary Neville, and Danny Murphy fell prey to the broken foot. At fault were these five little bones called the metatarsals. The trio of injured midfielders became emblematic of England's botched efforts in the last World Cup. Although Beckham recovered in time for the World Cup matches, he was out for more than two months rehabing and it showed as he struggled on the field.

What are the metatarsals?

The metatarsals are the five bones in the foot structurally analogous to the metacarpals in the hand. The metatarsals as a unit in the forefoot provide a broad plantar (on the sole) surface for load sharing. They are mobile in the sagittal plane (up and down) and individually the metatarsal heads can alter position to cope with uneven ground.
Stress fractures of the metatarsals are common in footballers and occur mostly in the second and third metatarsal necks and at the proximal portion of the shaft of the fifth metatarsal. Pain, deformity, crepitus, swelling, bruising and increased pain on weight bearing are the cardinal signs and symptoms.

Stress fractures are thought to be caused by overloading of the metatarsals through repeated weight bearing as seen in football. They lead to microfractures of the metatarsals. Another theory is that excessive muscular fatigue of the foot musculature lead the metatarsals to being vulnerable to fractures, especially the second metatarsal. The dreaded carpal tunnel syndrome that has led many to wring their hands in distress, is also attributed to the repetitive motion of keyboarding. So secretaries and English Premier league players have something in common, although the damage done through loss of business due to CTS is far greater than a landed football player missing out on squad duty through injury. But somethings are more sacosanct than the economy and rightly so.

So far the dreaded metatarsal virus this season has claimed Michael Owen, Ashley Cole, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, and most recently Ledley King.

We, at Soccerblog did a check on the football injuries of all the Premiership League teams. Of the 70 currently injured players, five had metatarsal fractures. Significantly, Michael Owen and Ledley King, who are England squad sureshots are sidelined by these injuries.

12 had knee injuries (mostly ACL sprains or tears), 11 ankle sprains, 7 hamstrings, 6 groins, 4 ankle fractures, and 15 assorted injuries including Sol Campbell's broken nose. There was also a sports hernia and a case of glandular fever. So metatarsal fractures accounted for about 7% of the total injuries. In a study examining military recruits, about 7.6% of lower extremity (leg) injuries were metatarsal in nature (Milgrom, et al., 1985).

The reason attributed to metatarsal fractures as compared to the other injuries that are more traumatic in nature, is the long Premiership season. It is quite remarkable that the more successful clubs had more metatarsal injured players on the roster as they played more matches. David Beckham, Gary Neville, and Danny Murphy all sustained injuries at the latter part of the season lending credence to the theory of cumulative overloading of the metatarsal bones and fatigued foot musculature.

Sven Goran Ericksson and Arsene Wenger have rightly called for a winter break during footie season.

No reports on bruised egos but I am sure there are plenty.

More about metatarsal injuries
Metatarsal injured football players
Anatomy and management of metatarsal injuries

UPDATE: in case you're interested in repetitive stress injury (RSI), here's what the Google doctor says. Maybe the good doctor can give us some tips on avoiding the agony of de feet!

White men can't jump and South Asians can't play football

South Asians playing professional league football. Nah! You must be joking. Its cricket and software engineering for these lads. True, its been a dismal showing so far but things might be perking up a bit.

Michael Chopra - Newcastle Utd striker
For starts, we have Michael Chopra, the Newcastle striker who has an English mother and an Indian dad.

Zesh Rehman- Fulham midfielder
And then there is Zesh Rehman, Fulham midfielder with Pakistani roots. In an interesting twist, Zesh who is English decided to play for Pakistan in their international matches. This because his chances of making the English squad were pretty dim.

These are the only two South Asians playing Premiership League soccer but there are more in the first and second division clubs. Last year, ASPA and Sporting Bengal became the first Asian clubs to play in the FA cup.

Michael Chopra and Zesh Rehman profiles

For more on the South Asian state of affairs in soccer

A comprehensive report on Asians in football (pdf file)

Before he became the fat boy in the Nike Joga Bonito ads and a third-rate actor, Eric Cantona had real talent.

He was far better than Beckham. Exhibit A:

Kolo Toure's first-half goal edged Arsenal towards the Champions League final with a narrow victory against Villarreal at Highbury, reports the Beeb.

Here's the video:

Great pass by Henry - reminded me of Ronaldinho's pass in the other clash of titans.

Another smart ad by Nike:

Samba 365-24/7 - right, Cruzeiro?

1 Brazil
2 Czech Republic
3 Netherlands
4 USA
5 Spain
6 Mexico
7 France
8 Portugal
8 Argentina
10 England
11 Denmark
12 Nigeria
13 Turkey
14 Italy
15 Cameroon
16 Sweden
17 Japan
18 Egypt
19 Greece
19 Germany

Really?

This makes sure the US will NOT get into the next round...

Emirates Airline said today it has signed an eight-year, $195 million deal to become a global sponsor of FIFA, soccer’s international governing body.

The agreement, which runs from 2007-2014, is the sixth and, per FIFA, final global partner to be signed. The others are Visa, Coca-Cola, Adidas-Salomon, Sony and Hyundai.

Kaching! FIFA just reels in the bucks...

Sit tight and watch keenly:

I believe he will. He's had a great year with Reading and seems ready for his 15 minutes of fame on the world stage.

Here's what Bruce Arena has been saying about the Yank: "He got put in his place his first year. I don't think he was fully prepared for that move because he's been a kid who as a player has been somewhat spoiled. His days at D.C. United, he didn't have to earn a whole lot. And in that environment in England, you're given nothing. He had to earn his standing and learn how to be a team player, which wasn't one of Bobby's top priorities. He learned how to earn a place on a team and keep that place and because of that he's a likely addition to our World Cup roster."

And take a look at this fluid goal (the US could use more of them this summer):

What's cool is his friendship with the other Yank at Reading - goalie Marcus Hahnemann.

The US media is waking up to soccer, maybe.

"Ronaldinho's juggling act" in USA Today is a typical US-style story:

A little more than a year ago, he fathered a son with a Brazilian dancer. He has since split with the boy's mother and admitted paternity. The boy continues to live with his mother in Brazil. Ronaldinho's role is unclear because he declines to discuss the matter, preferring to keep it private.

They try to make something controversial instead of chasing the real story. The real story is that Ronaldinho is the best player in world, and Brasil will be hexa-campeon!

Deutsche Welle reports:

"A special effort will be made to ensure that Portugal's soccer stars don't miss home too much, particularly in their diet, when they come to Germany for the World Cup in June. The national team's top chef Helio Loureiro is banking on chicken soup and wine to recreate a familiar culinary atmosphere for Luis Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo and the rest of the team."

What a joke. How are these players homesick? Cristiano Ronaldo plays for ManU - I assume he eats his meals in England!

And Figo is now in Milan, eating Italian food.

How can these boys be homesick? Shows you how these chefs think they're too important.

Now if we were talking about Ghana or Ivory Coast, the chefs for those teams may have a point...

Sven Goran Eriksson makes as much noise off the field too. His big move after England's World Cup appearance is still a mystery but he definitely is stepping down as England manager.

He was quite indiscreet with his remarks when interviewed by a undercover reporter posing as an Arab planning to open up a football academy. He was interested in managing Aston Villa after the reporter spun a story of a fictional Arab buyout of the club. In other comments, Rio Ferdinand was called "lazy sometimes" and Michael Owen was only interested in playing for Newcastle United because of the money.

Sven has also been caught with his pants down after revelations of affairs with TV personality Ulrika Jonsson and FA Secretary Faria Alam.

The Scotsman has more

Spain coach Luis Aragones said his team can advance past the World Cup quarterfinals, its traditional stumbling block in recent tournaments.

Spain has been eliminated in the quarterfinals twice in the last three World Cups. It was beaten on penalties by host South Korea four years ago and fell to Italy in the United States in 1994.

"This time the myth will be ended. We'll get past the quarterfinals," Aragones told TV channel La Sexta late Monday.

We know that Aragones is racist. Now we know he's a fool too!

Former World Cup winner and England national Martin Peters compared Wayne Rooney to soccer legend Pele, predicting that the English striker will be unstoppable this summer.

"At the European Championships, Wayne Rooney was fantastic but two years on people are aware of his ability," said Peters, according to Ananova.com. "They will know about Wayne but that does not mean they will stop him."

Rooney's good, but he's no Pele. My guess is Peters was missing that limelight from 1966, and wanted to get in the news again.

Good job, it worked.

At the start of the footie season I agreed to marry my missus if her favourite team West Ham won the FA Cup. As a Spurs supporter, I thought they would have no chance and would get knocked out early. But now they’re in the Semi Finals and she's getting all excited while I'm thinking I'm not ready - and nor is my bank balance! I can’t let her down. -- Craig, Basildon

Hi Craig. Ha ha, that's so funny! But seriously, you shouldn’t make bets to get married.

After all this fuss you at least owe her a romantic holiday ... so start saving and watch what you bet on next time!

Daft!

Real Madrid is going through some testing times. Apparently the new chairman, Fernando Martin has not even called a meeting even after two months of being elected. He has not called for elections and neither has he made a decision on who will coach Real Madrid next.

Beckham's injuries and poor form are not the only things worrying Real Madrid

Christiano Ronaldo models Pepe Jeans

We all know that David Beckham and Victoria Adams have a big empire, with their many creations under the David Beckham Designer Products logo, which is a million-dollar spinner especially in the Far East.

But it was the 'Beckham jacket' designed by Giorgio Armani that gave David Beckham the sobriquet of the sartorial prince of the footy world.

Giorgio Armani, a renowned leader in the fashion world, who recently turned seventy, pioneered the marriage of fashion and football. He understood the real values of such a twinning combination years ago. Armani employs 5,000 people worldwide and his empire has a turnover of 1.3 billion euros a year!. He designed football wear for teams like Chelsea, Newcastle United, and the Italian National team. The present England squad's off field and formal wear is designed by him.

It started in 1995 when Armani brought on David James then of Liverpool, as a catwalk and advertising face. Since then world stars were turned into models!

David James, now Manchester City's goalkeeper models H&M' s tailored spring collection for men in the Swedish company's newest advertisements. 21-year-old Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo who plays for Manchester United is the new face of Pepe Jeans. Brazil's Kaká, is the new star of Armani Jeans. Rio Ferdinand of Manchester United who signed a three-year contract with shirt brand Ben Sherman. Arsenal star Freddie Ljungberg who appeared in sexy underwear ads for Calvin Klein.

Football stars have also turned fashion entrepreneurs spurred by Armani's success. Andreij Shevchenko of AC Milan has opened an Armani franchise in his home city of Kiev, Ukraine. A couple of years ago, Christian Vieri and Paolo Maldini launched their ‘Sweet Years,’ while Francesco Totti and Ilary have their own brand ‘Never without you.’ Japanese player Hide Nakata recently introduced his own stylish tops after establishing a big market of his team’s colours, in Japan when he played for Perugia, Roma and Parma.

George Best was the natty style icon of the 60's and 70's but Giorgio Armani was the first to take the present day soccer stars to a different level of haute couture altogether.

Ronaldinho showboats!!

Barcelona midfielder Ludovic Giuly says he deserves a place in France's World Cup squad despite being out of favour with coach Raymond Domenech.

Even though he scores the only goal (see the video) giving Barca a 1-0 win over AC Milan, he's not going to Germany... More soccer politics?

Well, that is a dream having Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o as team mates. Just imagine the Ronaldinho- Eto'o- Henry tandem mesmerizing everybody with their skill and speed.

There are controversies pretty much everywhere with the Michael Ballack- Chelsea dance and now the Thierry Henry- Barcelona rumors. Of the two, the Michael Ballack- Chelsea deal looks like a done deal with all the accusations of being mercenary levelled by Uli Hoeness against Ballack.

Frank Lampard is also being felt out by Barca. If he leaves Chelsea then the Ballack - Lampard jousting for the role of libero will be moot. But that is a long shot. The Henry rumors seem to be more the sort of "It will be exciting to play with Ronaldinho and Eto'o because I have done it all with Arsenal." If Henry leaves it will be a greater loss to Arsenal then that of Man U without Beckham. Henry is Arsenal's all time goal scorer with 207 goals.

Plus £30 million does not hurt at all. But Henry denies that he is thinking of leaving although he says he owes the Arsenal fans nothing.

A power play is going on between the Bayern Munich cabal and FIFA. Franz Beckenbauer effectively told Sepp Blatter, FIFA president to shut his piehole with his criticism of Germany's preparation of the World Cup. Apparently the FIFA president does not care too much for the way the Germans are going about their ticketing.

At issue are the 3.3 million tickets that are embedded with microchips and issued to individuals, who will face recognition scanners at the stadiums' turnstiles.

Blatter thinks the ticketing is too intricate and has been unhappy about FIFA losing control over the ticketing system. He wants to take it back for the 2010 World Cup.

German organizers say that the idea is to eliminate stolen or counterfeit tickets as well as keeping ticket brokers or others from inflating the price.

It's infighting between two micromanagers. Beckenbauer is as hands on with his organizing as he was feet on playing libero in his heydays.

Deutsche Welle interviewed Ronaldinho on the World Cup, family and racism -

"I think the whole world has it [World Cup fever]. Everyone is already excited. I already have World Cup fever. We hear and see so much about it that it's impossible not to think about it.

"The most important thing is that Brazil reaches the final and wins. That is our goal. I am not concentrating so much on our opponent, but on our own team.

"I simply feel at home here {Barcelona]. I play soccer here like I would in my own backyard with my whole family watching. My family consists of 100,000 people. There is nothing better than to feel loved by 100,000 spectators and to make them happy every match. Nothing is missing here. I do what I love to do most. And I make very many people happy doing it.

"What happened to Eto'o made us very sad in Barcelona. The right thing is that fans go to the stadium to have fun, to support their club and to leave the stadium happy. All people are equal, regardless of skin color, race or whatever. Everyone does their best to make lots of people happy.

"I think that it will be Brazil's World Cup. I don't think about standing out myself or being more or less the best. I simply want to do my best so that Brazil will be the World Cup champions."

An interesting interview!

Don't tell your boss, but you can watch the Champions League semi-final between AC Milan and Barca on your PC at work.

Kickoff: 19:45 GMT (that's 3:45 EST, I believe).

Go Ronaldinho!

Pele, the most famous footballer ever, once said that an African team would win the World Cup by the end of the twentieth century.

Didn't happen.

Could 2006 be the year? Yes, it could... I believe in the brilliance and talent of the individuals on our African teams - particularly Ivory Coast and Ghana. But what is needed most now is teamwork and discipline, not soccer politics.

The history of Nigerian soccer stands as a testimony to the destructive power of soccer politics. Arguments, money, team selection, coach selection, government intervention- you name it.

What do you think?

England captain David Beckham insists there are no rifts in the squad caused by card schools or other gambling, reports the BBC.

Beckham: " I have never been a card man in my life. The only thing I have played is snap."

Maybe Becks can't play anything more complicated... but I'm glad to hear he doesn't gamble.

There's a new trend in offshoring- apparently China will get Chelsea's help for it's beleaguered national team as they prepare for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

This is China's way of getting what it does not have - the coaching skills required to compete at a global level.

Beyond Chelsea, Real Madrid last year signed on to provide sporting, commercial and managerial support to Beijing Guo'an, while Scotland's Glasgow Rangers has a coaching and management partnership with former Chinese champion Shenzhen.

Ledley King, Spurs captain and England defender may make it to the World Cup after all. He has a stress fracture of his metatarsal but it appears that it is not a severe one. Sven Goran Erickson has till May 15th to submit his roster of 23 players and King might be able to rehab his foot by then. But this England defense is having problems with injuries. Sol Campbell out with a broken nose that will be managed surgically. Ashley Cole is still not back from the metatarsal fracture sustained three months ago.

The Guardian has more

Well, Becks had to sit out another game.

Juan Roman Lopez Caro refused to explain why he sent midfielder David Beckham to the bench for Real Madrid's scoreless draw with Real Betis.

"I do not have to give explanations for my decisions," said Lopez Caro. "There are many players who remain outside the team, not only Beckham.

"But I must say that David is an exceptional professional, I am very happy with his work, but there is much competition and Cicinho is at a good level."

Doesn't sound too good to me. Maybe it was the bruised ribs, or maybe Beckham's form is slipping - in which case it was a bruised ego!

Maradona could have had another career. Actor de cine, no?

I have to hand it to Arsene Wenger; if Arsenal does win the Champions league which is a distinct possibility as they seem to thrive against club opposition from other countries, then he will have done it without a single English player playing in the first eleven (Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole are out with injuries). The other injured players are Lauren, Pascal Cygan, and Gael Clichy

Lets run down the list

Jens Lehmann- Germany
Thierry Henry- France (captain)
Roberto Pires- France
Abou Diaby- France
Mathieu Flamini- France
Dennis Bergkamp- Netherlands
Robin Van Persie- Netherlands
Phillipe Cenderos- Switzerland
Emmanuel Adebayor- Togo
Kolo Toure- Ivory Coast
Emmanuel Eboue- Ivory Coast
Francesc Fabregas- Spain
Jose Antonio Reyes- Spain
Frederik Ljungberg- Sweden
Alexander Hleb- Belarus
Gilberto- Brazil

Arsenal play Villareal on April 19th at Highbury in the first leg

More Arsenal

Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen are going to be fine. I understand the need for being more careful about gambling but by the time the World Cup starts this thing will be over and done with. This England team has the most exciting talent in years and once Rooney and Owen trot out it will be football all the way.

Read more on the Wayne Rooney- Michael Owen spat

Spurs defender Ledley King could have broken his ankle in the game between Tottenham and Everton. If that is indeed the case then his chances making it to the World Cup are almost non-existent. Sven will have to fall back on Sol Campbell and hope that his broken nose recuperates quickly. More importantly, Sol needs to get his focus back on playing and not partying

I love these two teams but they invariably disappoint. On a talent level they are 8 out of 10 but their World Cup efforts leave them at a 3. On the other hand the German and Italian squads are 4 of 10 in talent but they end up with an 8 when the end results come in.

I hope the Portugese and Netherlands team go far. Brazil vs Netherlands. Delicioso!

Ali Daei will captain the Iran squad to the World Cup. He is a legend in Iran and one of Asia's best footballers. Daei was hailed worldwide for bringing his already world's best record to 102 international goals as he hit four in 2006 World Cup qualifier against Laos in mid-November.

The 35-year-old wrote history in his 133rd cap by scoring the 100th goal in a 7-0 rout of Laos, outnumbering the previous records of two international football legends, Hungary's Ferenc Puskas with 85 goals and Brazil's Pele with 77 goals.

Team Melli was missing in the last World Cup and this time around they have a great squad with talents like Ali Karimi, Vahid Hashemian, and Mehdi Mahdavikia. Iran is in a fairly tough group with Portugal, Angola, and Mexico. But there are very good chances that Iran could qualify for Round II. Portugal and Mexico are veteran teams but have never played to potential. Coach Branko Ivankovic was predicting that Iran could "surprise the world" in Germany in June. "We want to surprise the world and I am sure the players will prove this during the World Cup," said Ivankovic. "You should not forget the performances of Korea Republic and Japan in the last World Cup. Anything can happen in football."

On a worrisome note is the ankle fracture sustained by Ali Karimi, Bayern Munich midfielderin early March. Iran hopes that his exceptional speed and ball skills will be back to par when they open against Mexico.

Goleo wandered out into the cool April evening disconsolate but full. He was stared at by quite a few people and he knew it was his leonine mane. He was being mistaken for someone else, when approached by many strangers including a athletic gentleman with quick darting eyes enquiring "Rudi, where the devil have you been? You should be on the field." Who was this Rudi? He wondered; eventually dismissing it as one of those unsolvable mysteries. Like where do all the socks in the laundry disappear? Anyways, he never wore socks. So there.

Women found him attractive and before he knew it he was being seen in dance clubs boogeying to Kraftwerk and BoneyM with the most beautiful women. He went through a series of intense relationships going from woman to woman like a drunken badger. Heidi Klum, Ute Lemper, Angela Merkel, and Bridgid the stork at the Berlin Zoo. But he soon got disillusioned finding out that they loved him for his body and not his brains. With one roar he would get rid of the drunken sleazebags trying to schmooze his date. Women fell for that all the time. That and the fact that he gave the best tips on hair in the world. Tina Turner collect called him on her new hairdo. Ike called him up too but it was not a hair related question. He still felt empty and used. "What's love got to do with it?" He again wondered.

Confused and heartbroken he found solace in music. And Germans took notice. With one stroke of his paw he could play the whole 5th of Beethoven on the piano and purr out Winter Wonderland at the same time. They loved him. The concert would be over in less than a few minutes, giving the audience more time at home to gorge on bratwurst and lager while watching endless reruns of "Hogans Heroes." It was a good deal and marked the beginning of Post Modernism in Germany.

Something, however was still missing in all that Sturm und Drang. Goethe the idea? He auditioned for the "Lion King" but Disney turned him down because he was not animated enough. Goleo suffered from an existential crisis and checked himself into the Betty Ford clinic. He was shown countless pictures of lions by a well meaning psychologist and he would tense up breaking out in a cold sweat, leaving claw marks on the mahogany table. Ebony and Ivory became a hit. A podiatrist was called. Goleo knew it was time to check out.

Look for Part III: Goleo finds Pille

For a look back, here is Part I

No, don't rub your eyes in disbelief. India did make it to the 1950 World Cup finals. Well sort of. Four countries from Asia were invited to participate in the qualifiers. Burma, Philippines and Indonesia all withdrew, so India qualified automatically.

India was placed in Group 3 with Sweden, Italy, and Paraguay. But their request to play barefoot was turned down by FIFA and they withdrew!

Abibi Bikila, the great Ethiopian runner ran barefoot winning the marathon gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Who knows what India could have done playing barefoot at the 1950 World Cup???

Christian and I have been going back and forth on the state of soccer affairs in the US. His view is more optmistic than mine. Both of us agree that soccer will never supplant basketball as the sport that most provides stories of redemption and success in the US. The Allan Iversons and Kareem Abdul Jabbars who grew up in rough, drug infested, violence prone neighborhoods and turned to basketball, using their talent making themselves a success; in turn inspiring other youngsters in similar situations to take up basketball. I think basketball leagues in inner cities have done wonders in providing a level of social justice and self esteem that not many other games can claim. I live not too far from Riverside Church and their youth basketball league has turned out quality players from the most economically downtrodden parts of New York. Basketball has leavened the polarization of the have and have nots, seen in the increasing gentrification and ghettoization in cities.

Soccer does the same thing in many other countries especially South and Central America. In the favelas and barrios. To expect that to happen in the US is probably too naive and optimistic. But Christian believes that better times are to come for soccer. I'm not so sure. I think soccer has gone through a period of rebuilding and is played by more and more people. The introduction of the MLS has done a lot to popularize the sport and create a career for budding players.

But what soccer really has is an image problem. And to permeate further as a sport that creates the kind of opportunities that basketball does, it has to revamp its image. The most damaging thing to soccer that ever was done was the coinage of the term 'soccer mom'. With a single stroke of the pen, the sport of soccer was reduced to an electoral demographic with a manipulative intent, to woo the suburban or exurban home maker mom. And the term was not a very flattering one either. It conjures up pictures of wealthy tony suburban neigborhoods of houses with enclosures, with SUV's packed wth children of all shapes and sizes being ferried from home or school to play in emotionally charged matches where the mother screams her guts out when her child gets fouled or scores a goal. The parents of these kids are usually wealthy and white. Their children wear $150 pairs of shoes and wear protective headgear. Their backpacks are busting full with power bars and gatorade. They are equally likely to attend horse-riding and piano playing through the week. Soccer is commodified to fit a package of percieved requirements that will send these kids to an Ivy League school. Like lacrosse, soccer is altogether elite and not at all egalitarian. It is a story of surfeit, not of survival.

This is the story in the narrow side streets of Tehran, where children play soccer with every inch of space available to them dreaming of becoming the next Ali Daei; or in the beaches of Rio where future Ronaldinhos will come out and lead their club and country. Or over here, children playing basketball with makeshift hoops of milk crates hanging precariously from electric poles on street intersections of the Lower East Side.

There are some commendable efforts spearheaded by Sunil Gulati and the Olympic Development Program (ODP) that have done quite a bit to develop and extend the sport from the leafy confines of exurban Connecticut to less privileged spaces. DaMarcus Beasley is a product of the ODP. But he remains an exception.

What I have said is may not be particularly original but maybe I have done a bit to reframe the problem. The idea is to recast the story of contemporary soccer from exclusion to inclusion. With the influx of immigrants from South and Central America where soccer is a part of everyday life, the story of soccer in this country lies in their hands and the powers to be should do everything to encourage that. The vision of soccer should be assimilative, one that enhances the redemptive strength and qualties of soccer. Till then this vignette serves as a reminder of the problems soccer in this country faces. A friend of mine living in Houston recently told me that a soccer league operated by Brit expats working in the oil industry shut down because the soccer fields that they were playing on through the week, would become the site of pick up soccer matches over the weekend for lots of Hispanic immigrants driving up in their battered Chevy trucks . Worried that the immigrants and their after match carousing would drive down the prices of their million dollar homes in the enclave they lived in, they successfully lobbied the residents council to shut down soccer on that field and removed the goalposts. Now it is a pretty park that residents use to walk their dogs and play frisbee.

For more of a personal insight into the problems soccer faces, please read this excellent article by Fred Guzman

The NYTimes article on Sunil Gulati made me think about the global business model required for US Soccer to succeed.

When asked about the success of Major League Soccer. "It comes down to two things: one is economics and the other is the quality of the league itself, which is obviously related to economics."

It also depends on Sunil Gulati, the strategy he develops,and of course, execution.

From the article:

Though M.L.S. is not yet attractive enough for the best Italian or English players in their prime, Gulati pointed out, it is a magnet for good players from Latin America on their way to Europe. "I think that's going to continue to be a pattern," he added.

"We're not going to re-create the beaches of Copacabana and we're not going to create a ghetto somewhere else where kids are going to learn it in the street," he said. "American society is different. The role of education is extraordinarily important in the United States."

Which led me to think of a global talent management system for US Soccer.

Here's how it works:

The MLS teams with colleges and sponsors (Red Bull) to create a global recruiting system to bring the best talent to the US for training and development. We focus on Latin America and Africa. The system also recruits US-citizens - kids with promise - and brings them into this "global soccer academy."

That's step one. Step two is at the club level, where MLS teams bring back "past prime" stars from Europe (like Beckham) to add some glamour to the game combining veterans with the new talent from the global soccer academy.

Step three: MLS makes money by selling quality young stars to Europe (eg. Freddy Adu). Enjoy Chelsea- Freddy!

Pretty simple?

In the meantime, Bruce Arena and gang need desperately to get past the first round in Germany.

Expect some drama this summer!

"Soon after the kick-off (fog) began to thicken rapidly at the far end, travelling past Vic Woodley in the Chelsea goal and rolling steadily towards me. The referee stopped the game, and then, as visibility became clearer, restarted it. We were on top at this time, and I saw fewer and fewer figures as we attacked steadily.

I paced up and down my goal-line, happy in the knowledge that Chelsea were being pinned in their own half. "The boys must be giving the Pensioners the hammer," I thought smugly, as I stamped my feet for warmth. Quite obviously however, we were not getting the ball into the net. For no players were coming back to line up, as they would have done following a goal. Time passed, and I made several advances towards the edge of the penalty area, peering through the murk which was getting thicker every minute. Still I could see nothing. The Chelsea defence was clearly being run off its feet.

After a long time a figure loomed out of the curtain of fog in front of me. It was a policeman, and he gaped at me incredulously. "What on earth are you doing here?" he gasped. "The game was stopped a quarter of an hour ago. The field's completely empty."

And when I groped my way to the dressing-room the rest of the Charlton team, already out of the bath, were convulsed with laughter."

From Sam Bartram, by himself, 1956.

Lowly, relegated Sunderland made Wayne Rooney and the lads in red look a step slow. Sure they had some great saves, but tying Man U 0-0 was a moral victory for the relegated club.

And now Chelsea has some breathing room.

All I can say is good job Sunderland and get back next year!

In Oz they've got their own soccer reality TV- just trying to choose an anthem for the team. The TV series began with 12 finalists, selected from over 700 entries...

Check out the madness.

What's wrong with Waltzing Matilda?

They could do it reggae style and patton!!

We'll find out this summer!

Brilliant:

Bobby Robson manages a pub football team filled with former England legends, including Bobby Charlton, Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle, in the latest ad for Carlsberg in the run up to this summer’s World Cup.

Carlsberg, a founding partner of the new Wembley Stadium, is embarking on a huge World Cup marketing push in order to capitalise on the tournament. The brand is already the official beer of the England team and a sponsor of the FA Cup.

Group A
Costa Rica - Holiday-Inn, Walldorf/Heidelberg
Ecuador - Bristol Hotel, Bad Kissingen
Germany - Schlosshotel, Berlin
Poland - Sportschule Barsinghausen, Barsinghausen

Group B
England - Schlosshotel, Bühlerhöhe/Baden-Baden
Paraguay - Sportschule Oberhaching, Oberhaching
Sweden - Park Hotel, Bremen
Trinidad and Tobago - Landhaus Wachtelhof, Rotenburg/Wümme

Group C
Argentina - Herzogspark-Hotel, Herzogenaurach
Holland - Parkhotel Adler, Hinterzarten
Ivory Coast - Klostermannshof, Niederkassel
Serbia and Montenegro - Hotel Weißenburg, Billerbeck

Group D
Angola - Ring-Hotel Celle, Celle
Iran - Hotel Schnetzenhausen, Friedrichshafen
Portugal - Sporthotel Klosterpforte, Marienfeld
Mexico - Hotel Freizeit Inn, Göttingen

Group E
Czech Republic - Lindner Hotel Wiesensee, Westerburg
Ghana - Hotel Maritim, Würzburg
Italy - Landhaus Milser, Duisburg
USA - Hotel Park Hyatt, Hamburg

Group F
Australia - Wald- und Schlosshotel, Zweiflingen
Brazil - Kempinski-Hotel, Königstein/Taunus (first round)
Brazil - Schlosshotel Lerbach, Bergisch Gladbach (after first round)
Croatia - Dorint Ressort & Spa, Bad Brückenau
Japan - Hilton Hotel, Bonn

Group G
France - Schlosshotel Münchhausen, Aerzen/Hameln
South Korea - Schloss-Grandhotel, Bergisch Gladbach
Switzerland - Kurhotel Fürstenhof, Bad Bertrich
Togo - Hotel Waltersbühl, Wangen

Group H
Saudi Arabia - Hotel Dolce, Bad Nauheim
Spain - Sportschule Kaiserau, Kaiserau
Tunisia - Mercure Hotel, Schweinfurt
Ukraine - Seehotel am Templiner See, Potsdam

Where will you be staying?!

"You shouldn't make a move because of the money. It's great to earn so much as a professional football player but money doesn't mean anything when you're going about your profession day in and day out. The only thing that counts is sport."

That's Michael Ballack trying to tell us that the move to Chelsea is not about the money, but about the sport of football.

I just wish these people would all stop being such hypocrites. If it was about the good of the game, Ballack should take a pay cut and go play in the United States. He would have a bigger impact on the future of the game there, than say, Chelsea.

One good thing- Ballack hopes the transfer could be completed before World Cup so that discussions or speculation about his future would not interfere with Germany's preparations for the tournament.

Mexican coach Ricardo Lavolpe has threatened to walk out of the job if someone tries to include Cuauhtemoc Blanco in his World Cup squad against his will.

Lavolpe: "My players already know what my idea for the World Cup is, but if in the Federation they think that I haven't announced the best players, I think that they still have time to end my contract and hire a new coach.

"From the list of 26 players that I have announced, three will not be travelling to Germany and there will not be any other recall for new players that haven't been included in the list that I have already announced."

Mexican soccer is beginning to look like Nigerian soccer.

Too much politics, and the game suffers.

Prediction: Mexico will not make it past the first round. They will lose to Iran and Portugal. Maybe even Angola!

Barça's Messi to continue recuperation in Argentina- the headline says it all.

Let me tell you what is happening. Messi is in Argentina getting ready for the Cup - probably doing some strategic training (behind closed doors, of course) with Pekerman and company.

I'm sure Messi's not even injured!

This is Reggaeton going global. I wonder how the planet will react when she sings this 10 minutes before the Finals!

Shourin, thanks for giving me an excuse to post this video on the site!

No World Cup is without controversy. But FIFA awarding this year's World Cup to Germany became an ugly exercise rife with accusations of racism and colonialism . It exposed the cartel like character of FIFA, where the influential traditional soccer powers (from Europe) form blocs and vote together to undermine the efforts of other countries that are bidding to host the World Cup. In this year's World Cup, FIFA representatives voted 12-11 in favor of Germany over South Africa.

One official, A Mr. Charles Dempsey, the Oceania Football Committee (OFC) president abstained. He was under explicit orders from the OFC to vote for South Africa but due to death threats to him and his family and supposed bribes he backed out.

If he had voted it would have been 12 all and Sepp Blatter, FIFA president with his tie-breaking vote would have given it to South Africa. It would have been the first time that Africa would have hosted a spectacle as mammoth as the World Cup. A time of pride and prestige for South Africa coming out of the shadow of apartheid announcing that it was ready to join the world as one of the many new vibrant African democracies and welcome people of all nationalities, religion, and color.

The decision did not go down well in South Africa, where thousands and thousands of people were waiting to break out in celebrations after the announcement. Even Nelson Mandela got into the act, when he argued South Africa's case, "it's Africa's time". After the disappointment popular talk radio stations were inundated with callers crying foul and accusing FIFA of being Eurocentric and even racist. South African President Thabo Mbeki described the result as a setback in Africa's efforts to gain international sporting recognition.

Charles Dempsey's abstention displeased other OFC officials who saw this as an embarrassment to themselves and in direct contravention to their orders and he was forced to resign from his post two years prematurely. South African bid officials were infuriated by Dempsey's decision and bid chairman Irvin Khoza said he had "betrayed the South African people".

Charles Dempsey: A Profile

There I knew I would get your attention.

Actually, it is not the team but one Colombian who is bringing the curtain down on the World Cup before the final match. Yes, it is Shakira and she is going to do one of her sinuous numbers along with Wyclef Jean to get all the fans boogeying in the stands.

Too bad her ever underperforming country is not going to be there. Any Valderrama sightings recently??

Ever wondered about that pony tailed soccer player for Liverpool flying in from the left midfield, unleashing a powerful 25 footer that won the game recently for them against Everton, 3-1
Well, that's Oz midfielder Harry Kewell.

He was controversially transferred from Leeds United to Liverpool, when United went bust. It was alleged by Gary Lineker that Kewell's agent had been paid £2 million of the £5 million that Liverpool paid for Kewell.

Kewell sued Gary Lineker in 2005 for defamation around such claims made by Lineker, but after the jury failed to agree a verdict, the two parties settled out of court.

Kewell's entry into Liverpool was marred with injuries and the fans were critical of his efforts for the club. But LIverpool's new manager Rafael Benitez showed great confidence in him and Kewell openly ackowledged his manager's support as the reason he found his form. He was instrumental in getting Australia into the World Cup after 32 years and so far this season he has played outstandingly for Liverpool. Along with Everton midfielder Tim Cahill and Middlesborough striker Mark Viduka, they form the nucleus of Australia's attack this summer.

Australia is in a tough group with defending champs Brazil, Asia cup winners Japan, and the ever unpredictable but supremely talented Croatia. But Kewell and his team mates fancy their chances. And if I know the Aussies well, they'll be no pushovers.

Harry Kewell's stats

Frank Lampard is a goal shy of setting a new record for the maximum number of goals scored by a mid-fielder in an English Premier League season. He is on 14 along with Paul Scholes and Robert Pires's record. There are four more matches to do this before the Premiership ends. Chelsea play Bolton next.

Sol Campbell's bloody nose- Insult to Injury (Arsenal vs Portsmouth)

I think Rio Ferdinand is being a bit tongue in cheek
when he says that Sol's experience should be enough for Sven to overlook the MIA Arsenal defender. Sol's poor defence against the loss to West Ham on Feb 1st and his subsequent bizarre behavior just won't go away. I think he would be the first to admit that he just blew his chances

Rio will probably have to do duty with new buddies John Terry, Ledley King, or Jamie Carragher. There is an awful lot of good talent in defense for England and Sven might bite the bullet and drop Sol altogether.

3-0.

Enough said.

Ok, maybe I should shut my mouth as well.

Darren Bent deserves a spot in Eriksson's squad for Germany after scoring 20 league and cup goals in his first season at Charlton.

With Owen's foot problems, we'll need him on the squad!

You thought I was joking!

Look what this says:

Ronaldo's fiancé, Raica Oliveira, admits she doesn't want to live in Milan and would prefer to see Ronaldo playing for a club by the sea. Raica said: "I just don't like Milan. He goes where the job takes him, but it's not a pretty city. I much prefer the sea."

Poor Ronaldo (he, he).

What a disaster. Sol Cambell comes back after ten weeks and breaks his nose.

Bloody hell.

Hey Christian! Here's why Ronaldo has been having all those problems - it's his girlfriend, Raica:

I'm amazed he's still playing soccer :-)

You know I'm joking.

"I’m a fan, but I’m not like a… I don’t know it like football, baseball, and basketball, but I can see the beauty of the game. Soccer is a great game, man. Hopefully it will grow here in the States. I follow it as much as I think I can. I got the satellite. It’s hard. You watch ESPN, and you don’t even get the scores. So what, it’s going to be every four years? But I look forward to going to Europe or South America. Just going to games is exciting. I went when Baggio missed that penalty kick. I’m hoping to go to Germany, but when I go, I roll Brazil. I mean, look. I know I’m African American, but I got a little Brazil. I’m not with the winners, I just love the way they play. You look at Italy, and I hate the way they play. I hate anything or athlete where you don’t play to win, but you play not to lose. I don’t like that. But I love soccer. My kid plays. Jackson. He’s eight. He plays at Chelsea Piers. I’m the assistant coach. We’re undefeated so far. Our team is Arsenal."

- Spike Lee

from Adam Spangler's wonderful blog >>

Some of the best goals in the history of the game. Viel spass:

I respect Bruce Arena. I hope he can figure it out in time- the US team that is...

At least they're going to have a month to practice together.

And they'll need it. The Jamaica game shows how far we have to go.

The one key point I got from the game is that Arena is going to use Landon Donovan as the midfield playmaker- in case Reyna isn't ready. This is not a bad move at all. Donovan will be put through the paces and I believe he'll emerge as a midfield general.

If Reyna does get back, then the US have two solid people in midfield. That's where games are won, and in the case of the US. most often lost.

I hope Arena has enough time and talent. Here's the straight-talk:

"In all honesty, I don't want to be critical of (MLS)," Arena said after the match. "Some of our guys have lost fitness and sharpness since we saw them in February. We are going to look at the next three (weeks of) MLS games before we finalize the roster. Some players haven't played much recently. Unfortunately for us, our domestic players need more time."

No duh. Maybe Freddy Adu should've gone to Chelsea - at least he'd get better there.

Finally, the mainstream press did a lousy job covering the game. For them the story was Meola's 100th cap. The real story was the US team's dismal showing. And who reported that? Not the press, it was the bloggers:

- Bob from WorldCupBlog: " The more I watch the US the more I think they are screwed if Claudio Reyna isn’t able to play at the World Cup..." and "For those just joining us it is 1-1. You are lucky you missed the first 35 minutes of this one."

- a comment on the WaPo blog: "Who looked good? Hardly anybody. Our backline is a disgrace. Allbright was miserable (though he was better when shifted to his normal side for the 2nd half). Hejduk roams the field like a buffalo on the great plains; its a miracle that he didn't at least get a yellow for a brutal 2-foot, studs up tackle in the first half. Obrien was understandably rusty. Noonan was not really impressive. Ralston performed about usual before leaving with a groin tweak. Twellman and Wolff did marginally with what little service they got. Ching teased a little and Eddie Johnson's touch seemed just off."

Oh well. Disappointed is too nice a word.

The violence we see at soccer games is turning the beautiful game into a rather ugly one.

AC Milan's Ukrainian striker Shevchenko has it right when he says: "The fans have the right to protest but it is out of order to attack people. Whoever plays this game gives all they can and tries to win, I am convinced of that. I don't know of any footballers who play for any other reason."

and:

"I don't understand it. If you win then you are a superstar and if you lose you are a cretin, it happens at Inter, to us, at Juventus and others. It's not like that in Ukraine or in other countries, I know that. There needs to be a sense of balance from everyone."

Another insight into the problem comes from Joanna Taylor (wife of Danny Murphy):

"What I find truly shocking is that people would choose to stone an ambulance. Alan Smith had just suffered an awful leg-break and dislocated ankle and must have been beside himself. He had been playing well, doing a good job for Manchester United in midfield, and was looking to the World Cup. That all disappeared in one second and he then had to suffer some idiots attacking his ambulance."

Read her column - "Monster gets out of control."

Make it unacceptable to chant racist stuff at games as well. Spain has a problem here. Spain's coach, Luis Aragones is an example of the problem, and should be disciplined for his stupid attitude. Why doesn't FIFA do something with this moron of a coach?

Overall, this is a European problem and needs serious attention. The issues behind this kind of stupidity are societal issues and need to be taken care of by society. Penalize the jerks by throwing them in jail for a few months.

Save Joga Bonito!

Bob over at WorldCupBlog is a funny guy:

"1-1 final. US looks dreadful. Jamaica looks dreadful. Tony Meola should never, ever play for the US again. After losing 4-1 to Germany and drawing against Jamaica the US is now ranked 3rd in the world. Thanks for joining in folks. I’m sorry that you spent the last 90 minutes watching that."

I loved his minute-by-minute description of the US-Jamaica "friendly."

Check it out. Pretty good quality, too!

The folk at FIFA have no class. Now we have a cheesy golden ball for the finals. Wonder how much adidas paid them for this?

Read the Times story here: "Balls to tradition as Fifa enters sphere of bling"

David Gill says "We're not going to rename Old Trafford. We can go on record and say that won't happen. I don't think there's value there and it's not something we, or they (the Glazers), want to do."

Famous last words...

Here are some possibilities, based on the American tradition of "branding" -

- ExxonMobil Park
- McDonald's Stadium
- Houlihan's Hooligans
- Nikeland

...you get the picture!

Sol Campbell will start for Arsenal on Wednesday in their Barclays Premiership trip to Portsmouth.

Hopefully Sol will make it back on the squad for this summer!

Beckham, who still has one year to run on his contract at Real Madrid, said he was attracted by the country's passion for sport.

"At some stage, playing in America is possible," said the 30-year-old, who recently opened a football academy in Los Angeles.

"For me, America's so passionate and I'd like to be a part of that."

Are you daft, Becks? No one cares about soccer in the US!! They're passionate about football, basketball, and NASCAR, not footy.

(Read the story in the Beeb!)

"Down in the street, they call it murder!"

The Jamaicans don't lack talent. If Bruce Arena was the Jah-mekyan coach, they'd be going to Germany.

The news is Tony Meola's 100th cap!

His coach calls him the next Romario.

Maradona is lobbying to get him on the team to Germany. I think his case is similar to Freddy Adu - a bit young, but I think he has done a better job on the pitch than Adu.

Ronaldo is out for three weeks with a muscle tear in his right thigh. Not exactly what we need to hear in Brasil.

I don't care about Real Madrid. I just hope Ronaldo takes this very very seriously and recovers quickly.

I'm secretly hoping its a fake injury!

You asked for it:

Goleo VI was born in Botswana, a country that has never qualified for the World Cup. He was an early immigrant into Germany having decided that there was too much competition and not enough work. No wait! He was captured by poachers and transported by ship to Germany. At sea, he read the Life of Pi, and thought Cool! But he was determined not to just be a literary character but a living, breathing creature taken seriously. After deshipping at Hamburg, he joined a guy called Stu Sutcliffe and four other musicians from Liverpool. In the seedy Reeperbahn district they sang scratchy songs and wore tight black leather trousers. Goleo fell in love with Stu's girlfriend, Astrid and made advances at her (it might have something to do with the fact that she wore a leotard). She was confused and vacillated berween the two. Stu stewed. And things came to a head one April evening when they both went at each other. Goleo remembered he was a lion and ate Stu. Besides he was feeling hungry and was out of money. He had just been being kicked out by the band for swatting them constantly with his tail and marking his territory. Their laundry bills skyrocketed. As much as they liked him, he had to go. Goleo wandered into the cool April night disconsolate but full.

Look for Part II (Goleo finds employment)

A recap - presented for the record:

That's 5 months and 4 days remaining to the Homeless World Cup at Cape Town from Sep 24 to the 30th.

What is the Homeless World Cup?

The Homeless World Cup is an international event that uses the positive power of football to raise the issue of homelessness and poverty worldwide. The concept was developed by Harald Schmied and Mel Young. The next Homeless World Cup will be hosted in Cape Town in 2006. Kick off homelessness! Viva el futbol!

For more details and to support this cause, go to
Streetsoccer.org

One reason, and one reason alone. This is the kind of governance that destroys a nation. And Nigeria is not alone in this stupidity.

In four years' time we hope to see the Eagles again - if the politics can be taken care of, that is.

Shourin and I came up with this while discussing the chances for India to ever make it to the World Cup...

On July 14, 1969, Honduras and El Salvador went to war. The 100 hour war took 6000 lives, 12,000 were wounded, and 50,000 people rendered homeless The cause was ostensibly the World Cup matches between Honduras and El Salvador qualifying for Mexico '70.

The bitterly contested first match played at Tegucigelpa, Honduras saw the Hondurans beat the El Salvadorans during the last minute of play, giving them a 1-0 win. The populace went wild. Fights broke out between the respective loyalists. The stadium was set afire. Newspapers on both sides before the match waged a campaign of hate, slander and abuse, calling each other Nazis, dwarfs, drunkards, sadists, spiders, aggressors and thieves.

In the return match that took place in El Salvador, things got quickly out of control. The hotel where the Honduran team was sleeping was put to the torch during the early hours of the night. Luckily, everyone got out unharmed. After escaping from a burning hotel, the visiting team took to the field like a bunch of zombies. Needless to say, Salvador won the game.

After the game, cars were set afire in the streets. Store windows were broken. Local hospitals set new attendance records. Miraculously, the Honduran team slipped back across the border without actually losing a single man.

With Salvador and Honduras having won one game apiece, there were no illusions about what was going to happen when they met in Mexico City for the final confrontation. Radio, television and newspapers in both countries screamed for blood. The final meeting promised to be a soccer game the like of which hadn’t been seen since “the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton and Harrow.”

In the end, that’s exactly what it turned out to be — a war.

Early on the morning of July 14, 1969, concerted military action began in what came to be known as the Soccer War. The Salvadoran air force attacked targets inside Honduras and the Salvadoran army launched major offensives along the main road connecting the two nations and against the Honduran islands in the Golfo de Fonseca. At first, the Salvadorans made fairly rapid progress. By the evening of July 15, the Salvadoran army, which was considerably larger and better equipped than its Honduran opponent, pushed the Honduran army back over eight kilometers and captured the departmental capital of Nueva Ocotepeque. Thereafter, the attack bogged down, and the Salvadorans began to experience fuel and ammunition shortages. A major reason for the fuel shortage was the action of the Honduran air force, which--in addition to largely destroying the smaller Salvadoran air force--had severely damaged El Salvador's oil storage facilities.

A ceasefire was called by the OAS the next day but El Salvador resisted the call and the war went on. Finally, with the Salvadoran army bogging down, a cease-fire was arranged on the night of July 18; it took full effect only on July 20.

The causal aspects of what is now called the Soccer Wars is complex but the manifestation took place in the most overtly nationalistic setting, a series of soccer matches between both countries. It was the effect of a deteriorating situation between Honduras and El Salvador that had gone on for a long time and involved the lack of land reform and trade imbalance, primarily on the part of El Salvador with its small size, high population density, and relatively developed economy. The fuedal structure of El Salvadoran society saw land in the hands of a few prominent families. The rest of the populace was largely landless. The years saw an influx of thousands of illegal Salvadorean immigrants into the border areas of Honduras where land was relatively unclaimed.

By the late 1960s, more than 300,000 Salvadorans had settled in Honduras, and many Hondurans resented losing their jobs to the hard-working immigrants. In addition, the two countries differed on how to apply rules relating to the emerging Central American Common Market. Salvadoran companies competed strongly against their Honduran counterparts, which slowed Honduran efforts to industrialise.

Throughout the 1960s, Honduran peasants became more politicized and demanded agricultural reform and land redistribution. The Honduran government passed an agricultural reform act, though it did not intend to break up the land of either the oligarchic ruling class or of the United Fruit Company, a U.S.-based banana company. The only alternative left, therefore, was to repossess the land of the more than 300,000 Salvadoran immigrants who had resettled in Honduras. The possibilities of the repatriation of land and deportation of these immigrants alarmed El Salvador as it shuddered at the possible return of more than 300,000 landless, restless peasants.

Honduras began to expel Salvadorans in the late 1960s, causing the Salvadoran press to trumpet allegations of mistreatment. Tensions peaked around the June 1969 World Cup playoffs between the two countries, and erupted into war on July 14. This was the context in which the Soccer Wars took place, a use of soccer for nationalistic purposes that had a destructive and divisive impact in Honduras and El Salvador.

References to the Soccer Wars:

Onwar
Daily Times
'The Ambiguities of Football, Politics, Culture, and Social Transformation in Latin America' by Bar-On, T. (1997)
Scarcity and Survival in Central America: Ecological Origins of the Soccer War William H Durham (Stanford University Press, 1979)
ICE Case Studies
The Soccer War by Ryszard Kapuscinski (Vintage International) (Paperback)

"It was always clear that Michael was not interested in learning a new language or a new culture, but a new currency," - Uli Hoeneß

So what? Wouldn't you do the same, Uli?

I'm sick and tired of Hoeneß criticizing everyone- from Klinsmann to Ballack.

The Bayern dinosaurs are just getting old. Since they can't do anything, they just criticize.

Genug, Uli. Your job is to find the next Ballack, not whine about losing him. Do your job, and stop worrying about everyone else.

"England are not going to lose the World Cup if Wayne Rooney has lost a couple of bob on the horses." says Steve Claridge.

Great. Now we have a loser like Claridge setting us all straight.

What's wrong with you Rooney?

Play ping-pong, man. Go feed a few poor people. Get a girl friend or two. Read a Beano annual!

But keep your shirt on, lad.

United estimate that 43% of their matchday receipts next year will be generated by their 8,000 'executive' fans, a rise from 36% for the present campaign.

This is what happens when the American business model of corporate sports is applied to British football.

It's not cricket! Pretty soon the only thing we'll be able to do is watch the game on telly. That's how it is in the US, from what I've heard.

I hate this >>

I love YouTube, except when it's down. If you're rummaging through our archives, and notice whitespace where a video should be, it's because the YouTube feed is down.

Thanks for you patience! :-)

UPDATE: Looks like the Tube is back!!

With all the criticism that Klinsmann has been getting, this interview (int two parts) shows he is not going to be a pushover.

Who have been the biggest influences on you as a player and as a coach?

I was very lucky. For almost 18 years as a professional player, I worked with people like Franz Beckenbauer and Berti Vogts, both World Cup winners and successful coaches. I also worked with Otto Rehhagel, Giovanni Trapattoni, Ossie Ardiles, Cesar Luis Menotti, Arsene Wenger - an amazing number of high-profile coaches. And I picked up something from them all I learned a lot from Arie Haan during my time in Stuttgart, and with Arsene Wenger at Monaco, such as the way to handle people and to be respectful because the person comes first. I am very thankful for the opportunities I have had. Each coach had his own style and I learned from them that it is much more than just thinking about the result at the end of the week. If I think back to my time in the national team, I was impressed by Franz BeckenBauer's easy way of handling things and how he was always positive. Above all, he was incredibly charismatic. Berti Vogts was such a detailed worker - he was extremely well prepared for every training session. Arie Haan was very influential in my early years, but all the others gave me something. The way Arsene Wenger developed players was very impressive - at the time in Monaco, I often wondered why he did certain things but then later I would see the positive results of his work with particular players.

and

You were a great striker -to what extent has that background influenced your philosophy as a coach?

It definitely has had an influence on my coaching philosophy because I am definitely more attack-minded than I might have been. To make sure I was not on the wrong track, I asked the national team coaching staff and the players if they agreed with my view. They accepted that it is our mentality to put people under pressure, to be very physical, to be very dynamic and attack-orientated. We defined our style in discussions with the team. The key players, that is the leaders in the team, have a big influence on how we play, especially with so many youngsters in the squad. In my day, we were more playful, probably because we learned to play in the streets. Today's young players are more focused - they are planners. They are more calculating in their attitude towards their performance and careers than we were.

Read the fascinating interview here: part 1 >> and part 2 >>

The man has substance, right Gerd?

Deutsche Welle - World Cup 2006 | 28.03.2006

Steve Cherundolo plays right defender for the US national team and Bundesliga club Hanover

Sean Sinico interviewed Steve Cherundolo on the US chances at the World Cup

The US team reached the quarter-finals four years ago. What do you expect of this World Cup in Germany?

It's going to be a great event. It's going to be better than the last World Cup as far as organization and fan support go. I expect three very tough games for us. I'm looking forward to getting all the preparation over with and just get on the field against the Czech Republic in the first game in Gelsenkirchen. We're concentrating on the preparation for the first round and that's going to be tough enough to get through as it is. If we do get through, we'll look to see who we play in the second round and go from there.

You have Italy and Ghana in your group as well. Is that one of the hardest groups?

Everybody says it's one of the hardest. I think one of the reasons why it's a difficult group is because we're there, too. And Ghana is no pushover either. For most people there are two favorites in the group, for me there are four very strong teams.

After your game against Poland in Kaiserslautern, US fans at the nearby Ramstein Air Base said they wanted to make your match against Italy in Kaiserslautern like a home game for the US. How big do you think the fans support will be and how important is it for the team?

I think it's very important. A pro-US crowd is something that we rarely have, even in the United States. If we could have that at the world's biggest stage, at a World Cup, at one of the most important games for us, that would mean all the world to us. I think against Poland in the second half when we went ahead, you heard the fans and you saw a difference in our play. The guys were more confident on the ball and we really, really played well in the second half against Poland. If we could have that kind of atmosphere against Italy that would be fantastic.

The whole interview

This picture says it all. Mancs are disgusted with this man. He won't discuss them.

Look for his interview with the Beeb on Tuesday

Just a few days after announcing the biggest shirt sponsorship deal in English football by signing a four-year contract for £56.5m with US insurance company American International Group, there is now talk of Man U going into the mobile telephony business.

Thats right. Man U will be selling specially branded mobile phones and eventually take over providing the service too. Man Utd already runs a financial services and credit card arm, which is highly profitable.

Here is what is happening: Bottom Line: The club's relative failure on the pitch in recent seasons has cost them tens of millions of pounds in lost revenue. United was recently overtaken as the world's richest club by Real Madrid. The club's profits fell by £12.3m to £46m in its 2004-05 financial year.

So tell me when will this madness end? Man U is now not just football, its a financial conglomerate. With the football division losing money enough to make attracting new players difficult, the management is making Man U a one stop store. You may not care about football but you can come away with a credit card, a mobile phone, and a mortgaged house. Glazer is just a greedy corporate raider who cares very little about soccer and even less about Manchester.

The Guardian has more

Rooney scores. Rooney passes. Park Ji Sung scores. It was Man U over Arsenal and Wayne Rooney showed why he is the player to watch in this England side. On the other end Jens Lehmann had his hands full keeping the Man U attack away. And he did it ManUfully. But there was no answer to Rooney.

More on the match

84 minutes into the Chelsea- West Ham game and I am looking at how John Terry marshalls his players. Chelsea down by a goal within 10 minutes. Maniche ejected in the 16th minute. It just couldnt get worse. And then Chelsea steps it up a notch or two. West Ham look like they are playing a man down...... make that two men down. What impressed me was Terry's calm demeanour. Rallying the troops. Getting Drogba to fall back and help out with the defence. Essien and Makalele stepping up with Terry himself pushing up front. There is strength in this man. Plus, he is just a solid all round defender, who can score as he did this afternoon. Reminds me of Bobby Moore. What England need is a solid defender, a man with his head on his shoulders, a liked and well respected player. For someone who got into a few tiffs in his past he has shown an amazing level of maturity the last few seasons. Low key and leads with his playing.

Forget Beckham. He has never delivered when England needed him. And whose judgement leaves a lot to be desired. Remember that atrocious foul against Simeone at the 1998 World Cup for which Beckham was ejected.
England lost the match on penalties and Beckham was subsequently pilloried by the British press and many English supporters, who blamed him for England's elimination from the tournament. He does not seem to have matured in these years and I dont see him command the same level of respect that Terry does. And Beckham's off field distractions are just a lot of baggage that England cannot afford at this time.

US captain and midfielder Claudio Reyna was back from his injury timeout and gave a pretty good account of himself in Manchester City's loss to the Spurs yesterday. I saw the game on FSC and Reyna was quite impressive teaming up well with Kiki Musampa to give City's midfield a boost. But they just did not have the quality forwards to pass the ball to. The Spurs were everywhere with the Keane and MIdo show taking over.

David James used his large and gangly frame to make some gravity defying saves keeping City in the game. There was an unforgettable moment where he came charging out of goal trying to outdribble Mido, only to be stranded way out in front. He was lucky that Mido flubbed the chance. But I can see why England is excited about James being their goalkeeper. He is a great athlete. Just a bit unpredictable.

Tony Meola, US goalkeeper in the '90 and '94 World Cup will make his 100th appearance in Tuesday's friendly against Jamaica. He is the USA’s all-time leader in appearances for goalkeepers and is second to Kasey Keller in both wins (37) and shutouts (32).

Both Landon Donovan and Frankie Hejduk are back from injuries that depleted the US team against Germany on March 22nd.

Houston Dynamo striker Brian Ching is in the team after scoring four goals in the 5-2 win against Colorado.

The 18 man roster:

Goalkeepers (2) – Tony Meola (New York Red Bulls), Matt Reis (New England Revolution)
Defenders (5) – Chris Albright (Los Angeles Galaxy), Nick Garcia (Kansas City Wizards), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), Eddie Pope (Real Salt Lake)
Midfielders (7) – Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Pat Noonan (New England Revolution), John O’Brien (out of contract), Ben Olsen (D.C. United), Steve Ralston (New England Revolution), Kerry Zavagnin (Kansas City Wizards)
Forwards (4) – Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution), Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)

The Gunners head to Old Trafford for the showdown with Man U. Both teams are resurgent. Man U is just 7 points behind Chelsea and those could shrink with a Chelsea loss this afternoon to West Ham and a Man U win. Arsenal is riding high after beating Juve to get to the European Cup semifinals.

Thierry Henry is going against Ruud Van Nistelrooy for the best striker in the EPL. Both are at 21 goals.

And then there is Jens Lehmann's keeping in goal.

I'm sure the Bayern Munich cabal is looking to this match with great interest. And a certain Olli Kahn. If Lehmann can bring off some spectacular saves against quality strikes from the Man U attack, it would take the edge off this bitter feud between Kahn and Lehmann, that is more emblematic of the power struggle going on in the German soccer establishment right now. It would go a long way in vindicating Klinsi's choice and get the Bayern people off his back. Should he perorm under par, look to Kahn getting more pugnacious and the Beckenbauer's becoming more conditional with their support of Klinsi.

Or is he going to make his situation worse? Will he quit?

Amy Lawrence of Guardian Unlimited has the best insight into what ails Brazil:

"Some might call it a crisis. Brazil, clear favourites to retain the World Cup in Germany this summer, have several key players out of form and under fire from the media. They have problems in goal, central defence, midfield and attack - and their manager is even worried about the world's best footballer, Ronaldinho, being over-played. Can they put everything right in the next two months?"

It really is the best analysis on the state of the Brazilian team I've seen to date, including the scoop on Adriano, Kaka, Ronaldo, Cafu, Lucio, Roque Junior, et al.

I urge you to read every word.

Jose Mourinho dismissed the threat of Man U overtaking Chelsea for the EPL title. The Reds are just 7 points behind the Blues and face Arsenal in a pivotal match on Sunday. Seems like Chelsea has hit the ropes with his key players not performing well. But what worries Mourinho is an attack of bird flu from Scotland.

Its the Scots that will do Chelsea in.

Adebayor (Arsenal/ Togo)

Selim Benachour (Vitoria SC/ Tunisia)

Mantorras (Benfica/ Angola)

Didier Drogba (Chelsea/ Ivory Coast)

Michael Essien (Chelsea/ Ghana)

Samuel Eto'o (FC Barcelona/ Cameroon)

Italia '90

So it was that at the age of 38, Roger Milla enjoyed his finest hour as a footballer. His bursts of pace, dribbling and great vision lit up Italia 90, winning him a place in the hearts of football fans the world over. He scored four goals that year, marking each one with a Makossa dance around the corner flag, a celebration that has been imitated around the world ever since. His two goals in extra-time against Colombia sent Cameroon into the quarter-finals, the furthest an African nation has reached in the tournament's history.

Read more about Milla and watch his videos

World Cup 2006 | 03.01.2006 Deutsche Welle

Daniel Martinez interviewed Oliver Kahn

DM: Who will be number one in the German goal at the World Cup?

OK: I have no reason to doubt I will be number one and stand in the goal at the World Cup. Jürgen Klinsmann has said it clearly. I am number one; there's nothing there to discuss.

The interview in full

Have the Germans got the jitters? You bet. Its palpable. Angela Merkel is in the midst of separating the bickering Franz Beckenbauer, Karl Heinz Rummenigge and Felix Magath from the beleaguered coach Jurgen Klinsmann. All these heavyweights are throwing punches at him. Make nice, boys. She also has a country to run. Some of the pressure seems to have paid off as Beckenbauer threw Klinsmann a bone recently.

You can say that Klinsi has not engendered much confidence in the German establishment with his image problem.But lets take a look at this team and you will see that the problems are not an indifferent coach, a bickering establishment, or just good old schaudenfreude. Its fundamental.

Germany just does not have a good enough team. Too much rides on Michael Ballack, the team captain and a classy midfielder.

Strikers Lukas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger are talented but untested. Miroslav Klose has his moments. Christian Wörns is out.

The German public senses this. Only 5 percent believe that they will win the World Cup.

But then again there is the Teutonic spirit. The German team of 2002 was no better but they pulled it off somehow.

Soccer is life. Apparently it's after-life as well:

Die-hard Boca Juniors fans can buy their own coffins decorated in Boca colors and symbols for between 2,000 pesos and 2,500 pesos ($650 to $800), a small fortune for many of Boca's working-class followers.

Marini, 24, is buying a blue coffin etched with the team's shield on its lid -- the subtlest of three official Boca Juniors caskets made in a factory outside Buenos Aires.

Read all about it >>

Not exactly a cheerful business model. I wonder if you get to wear a full team kit? And is it home or away?

This is really big news. Olli Kahn who was memorable in getting Germany to the finals of the 2002 World Cup is out. Kahn was also voted as the best player and goalkeeper of the World Cup. Jens Lehmann, his long time understudy is in the German starting line up.

I think this is Klinsmann's way of saying that he can be strong and decisive against the recent criticism that he has had to endure from luminaries like Beckenbauer, Magath, and Rummenigge in appearing callous by postponing his decision to name the goalkeeper till May. It also appears to be a poke in the eye of Rummenigge, the Bayern Munich manager, that Kahn his goalie was ousted from the starting line up.

But it also might be that Klinsmann is looking to the future. Olli Kahn has been magnificent in the past but the last few seasons at Bayern have been very average from his perfectionist level of play. Germany also made a very early exit in Europe 2004 with Kahn at goal. Many have not forgetten his flub trying to save Ronaldo's goal in the Brazil- Germany final in the 2002 WC. On the other hand, Lehmann has been stellar for Arsenal impressing everyone with his acrobatic and instinctive saves.

Look to the world paying a little more attention to the forthcoming Arsenal- Man U showdown with Lehmann in goal.

Catchy title from the Bild.T-Online:

Klinsmann had a difficult choice, but I think he made the right one.

The dinosaurs at Bayern are having a bad time - first Ballack now Kahn.

After scoring three goals in three matches, Ronaldo is feeling more positive: "When goals are scored everyone is happier and calmer and there are no problems. Goals are the answer to everything."

Here's the goal which signaled Ronaldo's return:

Includes Ronaldinho's missed penalty!

Well, I'm impressed.

Klinsmann made a gusty move, taking on the dinosaurs in the Bundesliga and picking Lehmann.

According to Reuters:

One of Klinsmann's first acts as coach after taking over in 2004 was to strip Kahn of the captaincy and inform the Bayern keeper he faced a battle with Lehmann for the first choice position. The coach has since alternated the two players, saying he would make a final decision at the start of May.

"To tell Oliver Kahn today that he was not going to be the number one was the toughest and hardest decision in my somewhat fresh career as a coach," Klinsmann said.

Thanks to his behavior, we all know Veron isn't going to Germany this summer.

Mexico's Cuauhtémoc Blanco is another story. Even though La Volpe left him off the list, he is behaving like a true professional.

The worst kept secret in the Bundesliga:

The possibility of Michael Ballack securing a summer move to Chelsea increased this week after the German star signed a bumper new deal with sportswear giants adidas, reports SkySports.

Hat tip to Beckhead for pointing out that David Beckham's book is doing better in the UK. It has a different title and is called David Beckham: My Side - The autobiography. Amazon co.uk. Sales rank 23,989

Robbie Fowler's autobiography:

Fowler: My Autobiography Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 979

An unvarnished account of a gutsy, gritty player with no illusion of star power. He does it all.

Here is a review:

This book is a lot more than your typical football autobiography. This is Robbie's attempt to tell his remarkable story from Toxteth to Anfield and beyond, as well as putting to bed the rumours about drug addiction that have plagued his career since the early days, exposing the truth behind how he was very deceitfully forced out of the club he gave everything to and ultimately standing up to those who said he was finished as a footballer.

A great read for anyone who is a Robbie fan, a football fan, or even a fan of a fascinating story well told.

According to Reuters, Aston Villa has conditionally agreed a two-year sponsorship deal with internet company 32Red. 32Red will pay Villa a "basic six figure sum per season" and Villa players will wear the company's logo on their home and away shirts starting next season.

The "arrangement" secures initial seasonal payments and a potential share in revenue drawn from 32Red's "online services."

Poor Villa. Just when Man U gets the big one... Not exactly the smartest move, but Villa must be desperate.

Defeat to Arsenal on Sunday would almost certainly end Man U's title challenge. Chelsea can only hope!

Chelsea's seven-point lead is evaporating, and they face second-placed United themselves before the end of the season...

Arsenal could save Chelsea. But will they? Or are they looking ahead to the semis in the Champions League?

United hopes it can cut Chelsea's lead to four points by getting the Gunners.

Here are the results from the past six meetings between the teams:

Season 2005-06
Barclays Premiership, Tuesday 3 January 2006
Arsenal 0 Man Utd 0

Season 2004-05
FA Challenge Cup Final, Saturday 21 May 2005
Arsenal 0 Man Utd 0

Barclays Premiership, Tuesday 1 February 2005
Arsenal 2 Man Utd 4

Carling Cup Quarter Final, Wednesday 1 December 2004
Man Utd 1 Arsenal 0

Barclays Premiership, Sunday 24 October 2004
Man Utd 2 Arsenal 0

FA Community Shield, Sunday 8 August 2004
Arsenal 3 Man Utd 1

Will Wayne Rooney prove Sir Charlton right?

that made him say what he said about Wayne Rooney...

Growing up in India where being 'good in sports' was an euphemism for underachieving, we neverthless followed with passion games like cricket, field hockey, and every four years world cup soccer too. We were very up on Brazil, Argentina, France, Italy, W. Germany, and England. Name dropping was in: Gary Lineker, Karl Heinz Rummenigge, Lotthar Matthaus, Paolo Rossi, Dino Zoff, Mario Kempes, Gabrielle Batustita, Diego Maradona, Zico, Rivaldo, Bebeto, Cesar Sampaio, etc. When the telly finally started beaming those world cup matches, we would stay up all night watching and then argue endlessly on who was better. The verdict was clear: Indian soccer sucked.

Australia was a country very well known to us through cricket and field hockey. At that time the Indian field hockey team was considered pretty good till Ric Charlesworth and Colin Bell's team with the boys from Down Under came and began regularly pasting us. Right now we're pretty much shambolic. In cricket we had our moments against Oz. But there is only so much one can do with teams led by Greg Chapell, Allan Border,Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, and now Ricky Ponting.

What impressed us with Oz was the no prisoners taken attitude of all their players. Indians only like batting and bowling but when it comes to fielding, no one gives a damn. But here were the Aussies diving all over the place, cutting of runs, stopping 4s, making impossible catches, and running players out.They won matches through their fielding. A concept unheard of in Indian cricket. For us It seemed like all out war. For the Aussies it was a day in the office. That was the way they played the game.

I don't doubt for a single moment that this will be the way that they'll play their soccer too in this World Cup. It has been 32 years since they last played but if I've seen what I've seen of their cricket and field hockey teams, then the world better be grateful that it has been given that pause.

According to Sir Bobby Charlton:

"Every World Cup produces a great star. In my time I have seen Pelé, Cruyff, Maradona and Ronaldo, and this summer it could be Ronaldinho, though I have a sneaking feeling that Wayne Rooney will give him a real battle for it.

"It depends how well England do in the tournament, but Wayne is a player who thrives on pressure. The bigger the game, the better Wayne plays.

"Wayne and Ronaldinho both have amazing skill and control, but the Brazilian has a bit more experience than Wayne at the moment, but don't forget Wayne is just 20 while Ronaldinho is 26. I would be prepared to bet that Wayne Rooney at 26 will be an even more effective player than Ronaldinho."

Wow. Hold on to your toupee!

If you liked Part 1, you'll love this.

Helpful hint: It is 20 minutes long, so make sure your boss isn't around.

David Beckham could be out of action for three weeks after suffering a rib injury during Real Madrid's Spanish Primera Liga 1-1 draw against Barcelona last weekend.

Details:
CNN, Supersoccer, Ireland Online, and the BBC.

What next? Will he be fit for June 9?

Michael Ballack has renewed his personal contract with adidas, which effectively narrows down the options of his future club to favoured Chelsea and Real Madrid.

Ballack's manager Michael Becker said on Wednesday it was "permissible" to assume that Ballack will play for an adidas-equipped club.

It's interesting: the shoe you wear decides what team you play for... but we should always remember that football is a business.

The 31-year-old England international has not played for the Gunners since 1 February but was on the bench for his side's draw with Juventus on Wednesday, reports the BBC. '

I'm a little worried that Campbell won't have enough time to impress Sven for Germany. C'mon Sven!

Just for kicks- here's the controversial Sol Campbell goal from 2004:

Manchester United have agreed to a British record £56.5million shirt sponsorship deal with US finance giant American International Group (AIG). Not bad, ha?

Quick history: Man U has been "sponsored" by Sharp, Vodafone, and now AIG.

Man U were seen to be in a bind when Vodafone decided to terminate their £9million-a-year deal two years early. The real story here is that United chief executive David Gill and his business team were able to pull this deal off apparently without any hitches...

Frankly, we're not surprised. I mean Juventus nets £15million-a-year from Tamoil, a Libyan oil company. And Chelsea's deal with Samsung is worth £10million-a-season.

So who'll jump into the shirt sponsorship game next? BP? Exxon-Mobil?

Compare this to a FIFA sponsorship, and I think it's a good deal for businesses.

"Music Video" UPDATE:

He cannot kick with his left foot, he cannot head a ball, he cannot tackle, and he doesn't score many goals. Apart from that he's alright." — George Best

In June 2003, David Beckham was traded from Man U to Real Madrid for a whopping 24.5 million pounds. He was supposed to put teeth into a team that featured superstars Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Ronaldo and Raul.

Real which had lost ground to Barca in the last few years were ecstatic. News of Beckham's move to Real Madrid came as a bitter blow to fierce rivals Barca - and new president Joan Laporta in particular.

So did it make any difference? Not Really.

Although Beckham scored five goals in sixteen games, the 2003-2004 season saw Real come in fourth place and bow out in the UEFA quarterfinals. The following 2004-2005 season Real finishied second behind Barca. And so far in the current season Barca is leading Real Madrid by 11 points. In the last match, Real escaped with a respectable draw 1-1 against Barca, although thoroughly outclassed.

How has he fared this season? One goal in 24 matches. And he is injured again.

This site just got some praise from two people I hold in high esteem:

John Hagel: Joga.com and the Return of Community

William Dunk's Global Province: Agile Companies #281

Meanwhile, Nike and Google: I love you guys, but c'mon - soccer is to sport as open-source is to software. Get it?

I talk about that just a bit on my site >>

The cutest Adidas ad ever!

Ronaldo has told Real Madrid president Fernando Martin he'll stay next season - if the club sells Raul.

DiarioSport says the rift between the pair is as wide as ever and the Brazilian is using his recent good form to make the stunning demand.

Ronaldo has held two meetings with Real president Fernando Martin in recent days and sources close to the player say he's informed the club supremo he'll stay - but only if Raul is sold.

Woah!

Stay tuned for more on the saga of Ronaldo and Real!

David Beckham and Tom Watts wrote Both Feet on the Ground: An autobiography with Tom Watts (Harper Paperbacks; November 1, 2004). Today's Amazon sales rank 168,602

A little perspective.

The top selling sports books on the Amazon top 100 list. No soccer book made it (updated every hour)

27) Games of Shadows: Barry Bonds, Balco, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked the World by Mark Fainaru-Wada, Lance Williams
35) Baseball between the Numbers by Baseball Prospectus Team of Experts, et al

The top selling soccer books in the Amazon top 100 sports list (updated every hour)

46) Soccerhead: An Accidental Journey into the heart of the American Game by Jim Haner Sales Rank: 2,415
71) Coaching Youth Soccer: A baffled parents guide by Bobby Clark Sales Rank 3,409
77) How Soccer explains the World: An unlikely theory of Globalization by Franklin Foer Sales Rank 3,687

This reviewer seems a bit critical of David Beckham

"It has been many years since this guy stopped worrying about playing soccer, and focused solely in his obligations with sponsors, in posing for photos, etc. He has won absolutely nothing in Real Madrid, a team so engulfed by its millionaire stars that no coach can make it work as an efficient soccer team.

It's useless to read a book about this narcisist (sic) guy."

Cuauhtemoc Blanco did not make the 26 man roster that coach Ricardo La Volpe announced today, from which Mexico will choose its final 23 players for its World Cup campaign. Blanco had many run ins, showing a strong disdain for Volpe's coaching style.

Blanco is best known for introducing the 'Bunny Hop' style of dribbling, in which he would scoop the ball between his feet and leap over tackling players with the ball still ensconed in that position. This unique move was introduced against South Korea in the 1998 WC.

He was also a bit old school, one of the rare players to still wear snow-white boots. He was also an exceptional player, one of Mexico's best and a colorful personality.

Next - AC Milan.

Ronnie missed a penalty on a great save by Moretto, but scored the first goal anyway!

Koeman's Benfica were left wondering what happened (and blaming the ref: "It's hard enough to play against Barcelona. It's harder when you've got the referee against you.")

See also: Ronnie inspires Barca win

Looks like Veron has lost his mind.

Reuters: "Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron's remote chances of playing at the World Cup dwindled further after his ugly clash with captain Juan Pablo Sorin during Tuesday's Champions League match."

Eurosport: "Argentina Football Association (AFA) president Julio Grondona said in a television interview he did not think Veron would be going to Germany."

This is a very sad end to Veron's national team career. Maybe he can go play in England again!

Didn't we all sense this was going to happen? Youth dethrones the old lions...

"A gleaming new reputation is always erected on the rubble of former grandeur. Arsenal have reached a semi-final with Villarreal by demolishing the pride of Juventus. The Italian champions were made to seem superannuated and the attempt to claw back a 2-0 deficit was never undertaken in earnest. They could not even maintain a full complement of players since Pavel Nedved was sent off with a second booking for his bad tackle on Emmanuel Eboué in the 77th minute."

- from the Guardian

Top 10 signs you are a soccer-geek:

10. You wear your Brazilian team shirt under your work clothes.

9. You have all the world cups in video (VHS) but now you went and bought the DVDs.

8. The soccer channel is your primary source of international news.

7. You have mastered the Spanish language via Univision and Telemundo.

6. Your newly-born's middle name is Adu (the baptism was held at a pub).

5. Sometimes you wake up in the middle of the night because your leg was twitching- from the penalty kick you were taking in your dream.

4. Maradona and Pele are more important to you than Bush and Blair.

3. You will be sick for the entire World Cup tournament this summer (the question: what excuse can you give your boss?)

2. Your wife has joined a cult of feminist, radical soccer-hating moms.

1. You visit www.soccerblog.com daily, sometimes on the hour.

I'm not too worried about VISA or MASTERCARD...

Visa is to sign a 150-200 million pounds ($260-350 million) sponsorship deal for the World Cup from 2007 as FIFA's new financial services partner, sources close to the deal told Reuters on Wednesday. Out goes Mastercard.

Does anyone care?

In an interview with Sport-Bild newspaper on Wednesday, Bayern's Uli Hoeness accused Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann of waging a campaign of 'psychological terror' on Oliver Kahn that he says is to blame for the goalkeeper's recent blunders.

Hoeness lambasted Klinsmann for his decision to wait until May before picking either Bayern's Kahn or rival Jens Lehmann of Arsenal to be Germany's number one goalkeeper for the World Cup. 'Not making a decision on the starting goalkeeper after the last friendly against the United States (on March 22) was irresponsible,' said Hoeness. 'It's psychological terror, absolute psycho terror.'

Read the story in German here, and in English here >>

Meanwhile, a survey by the Forsa polling institute on Tuesday found backing for Bayern Munich's Kahn fell to 36 percent from 49 in February while backing for Arsenal's Lehmann jumped to 30 percent from 19 two months ago. At least that's what Reuters is reporting.

What's keeping us up all night?

Barcelona vs. Benfica, who meet at the Nou Camp on Wednesday after a goalless first leg. The winner plays AC Milan in the semis.

The big news here is that Argentine teenager Messi will be on the bench. Althoough Barcelona are favored, Ronald Koeman has other plans!

Arsenal vs. Juventus, with Arsenal holding a 2-0 lead going into Wednesday`s second leg in Turin. Villarreal awaits the winner. It'll be a game of nerves, with the younger Arsenal trying to put away the old lions of Juve.

Here are the two goals from the first Arsenal-Juve meeting:

Fun, fun, fun.

Goals by Ronaldinho, Romario, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Cruyyf, Maradona, Puyol,Geovanni, Luis Enrique, Guardiola, Koeman, Luis Figo, Nadal, Eto, Stoichkov, Puskas, Laudrup, De La Pena, Kluivert, Denilson and many more...

If Barça was a British club, they would beat Man U in their business valuation... So would Real Madrid!

Sweet:

Goalkeeper Tony Meola was included in the U.S. roster for next week's exhibition game against Jamaica in Cary, N.C., and will make his 100th international appearance.

The 37-year-old Meola was the starter for the United States at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups and was the No. 3 goalkeeper for the Americans at the 2002 tournament. Meola, who plays for Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls, has not appeared for the national team since May 16, 2002, when he came in after Kasey Keller got hurt in the 51st minute of an exhibition game against Jamaica.

Jah-mek-ya! Go Meola. Read all about it >>

In a way I wish he'd be on this summer's team as well... if only because of his experience.

1) He is 17 years old this June, the same age at which Pele debuted at the World Cup. The rest as they say is history.

2) He was being pursued by Chelsea, Man U, PSV Eindhoven even before DC United bagged him. If its one thing that European clubs recognize, it is talent.

3) He'll be the first US soccer superstar with a three syllable name. Adu. It's simple and short. For a sport to permeate through attention deficit US, this is the first pre-requisite. Mia Hamm: Women's soccer.

4) The entire country of Ghana will not just be watching their team at the World Cup but they'll be following the US team too. If it is not Essien and his men then it will Adu.

5) See the video below

With the Socceroos getting into the World Cup for the first time in 32 years under the tutelage of Guus Hiddink and Leo Beenhakker taking the Soca Warriors to the World Cup, there seems to be a definite trend.

Go Dutch and you can't go wrong.

The story of Gus Hiddink taking South Korea to the semi-finals in the last World Cup needs no telling. But after his success, the soccer people in Oz took notice. Think Oz and its cricket and rugby all the way. But soccer has dug its way into the national conscience and the Aussies are really excited about their chances in this World Cup. Even Pele took notice!

Guus Hiddink was brought in four months before the world cup qualifiers and it culminated in Australia beating Uruguay to book a spot in 32 years of being pipped at the post.

Here are excerpts from an interview with David Marks and Guus Hiddink

But if Guus Hiddink is feeling the pressure of achieving what his predecessors, Frank Farina, Terry Venables and others couldn't achieve, he's not showing it.

GUUS HIDDINK: Coming here, coming here now with my past is not a guarantee for success. The only thing I can contribute, with all my efforts, is some knowledge, some experience, but at the end the players, they have to do it.

So I don't say that all of a sudden the solution has come to Australia. Now we are qualified, we can lean back, we can sit back. The experience of 30 years is not good.

DAVID MARK: How much pressure do you feel to get Australia to the World Cup?
GUUS HIDDINK: No, I don't feel the wrong pressure. It is always the nice tension, when the games are coming up, the real games, and it will be the games, of course, in the two games in November.
But pressure? If you feel pressure, then it will kill you, the pressure, then I should have quit already 20 years ago.

Yeah, that's part of the... if the pressure gives more energy, then it's okay.
DAVID MARK: For Australia to make the World Cup Finals they will have to beat the Solomon Islands in September and then beat the fifth best South American side over two legs in November.

Guus Hiddink has been given just four months to achieve what he calls "a miracle."

GUUS HIDDINK: When you look at the outside world, outside football world, then I think many people they think, yeah, Australia doesn't have any chance to qualify.
If you go and mention that in Europe, playing against a South American team who is experienced, and whatever, many people will say that that's impossible. But that, I think, is the challenge for me to make the impossible possible.

DAVID MARK: Football Commentator and Chief Executive Officer of the new A-League club Sydney FC, Andy Harper, says Guus Hiddink, who's also coached one of the famous club teams in the World, Real Madrid, has the pedigree to achieve Australian soccer's holy grail.

ANDY HARPER: You're talking about one of the key operators in world football in Guus Hiddink. He's seen it all before, he's done it all before, he knows exactly how difficult this is going to be, and I'd be very surprised if he would have accepted the position if he really thought it was an unachievable goal.

These guys have just got, quite frankly, better things to do. And I'm enormously encouraged by the sheer virtue of the fact that someone of his stature believes in the project enough to steer the ship, and I think that should really be taken on board by our entire footballing community.

Now it's not going to be easy, there's going to be significant hurdles along the way, not a lot of margin for error, not a lot of time to get ready, but heck, that's the cards that he's been dealt, and really you can think of few better people to play the hand that's been given.

PETER WILKINS (archival): Iran, jubilant! Australia, shattered, absolutely shattered.

MARK COLVIN: Peter Wilkins, calling Australia's World Cup Qualifier against Iran in 1997. Thanks for reminding us.

Here's a fun interview we found via the official Soca Warriors site:

Beenhakker: "In Football 2+2 is not always 4"
by: Alexander Laux (Hamburger Abendblatt)

Leo Beenhakker coaches World Cup side Trinidad &Tobago. The Caribbean country is especially fired-up for the match versus England.

Abendblatt: Mr. Beenhakker, your team is considered a rank outsider...

Beenhakker: ... We certainly aren't the favorite for the title. But we should also be respected. 196 countries wanted to get to the World Cup, and we belong to the group of 32. My players have the same ambitions and dreams as all the others: To execute good matches and to be successful. Besides: I am able to field predominantly professional players from England and Scottland.

Abendblatt: In your group you face Sweden, England, and Paraguay. What would you consider a success?

Beenhakker: Our dream is to surprise these opponents. In football two and two don't always add up to four. Sometimes five. No one can be sure, not even the big sides. In football you always have a chance. It's that simple.

Abendblatt: What would a point against England unleash in the former British colony?

Beenhakker: The general concensus in Trinidad is: It doesn't matter what else we do, the main thing is to beat England. After our qualification we had three months of carnival. If we don't lose against England we would well have carnival for a whole year.

Abendblatt: Is your squad set? Lately you have been doing a lot of tests.

Beenhakker: Potentially we may add four, five new players. The phenomena after our qualification was, that we got a lot of mail from players who had a grandmother in Trinidad.

Abendblatt: Theoretically, you could meet Germany in the group of 16. As with Holland in 1990...

Beenhakker: ...yeah, I've already spoke to Jürgen about that.

Abendblatt: Do you still remember the World Cup of 1990?

Beenhakker: No. Yes, of course I remember. I was coaching at Amsterdam, and took over three weeks before the tournament. But it brought no joy. It was a good lesson for me how not to play in the World Cup.

Adendblatt: Is working with Trinidad now different?

Beenhakker: The difference is not that great. It's football! The pressure may be great on the favorites, but that is a superficial difference. Within the teams everything it's always the same: every player wants to profile himself, wants to be a star, wants to win.

Abendblatt: Trinidad stuttered its way through qualification. What did you change once you arrived?

Beenhakker: In general the problem in the "small" countries is playing football together [as a team]. So we attempted to establish a discipline, an organization, and coordination amongst the players. Also we changed the offensive philosophy. Everyone wanted to attack enthusiastically.

Abendblatt: What excites you personally about coaching an "underdog"?

Beenhakker: I've heard this question a lot. It has never been my motivation in the past 40 years, to only work with big sides. My life, my love is football. If I train a U-17 selection tomorrow, I will be happy. It is always the task to create a team out of a cadre of 20 people with different personalities and abilities.

Abendblatt: How long do you want to coach in Trinidad?

Beenhakker: As long as I have fun doing it. That's the thing. I don't tell myself that I should quit at a certain age.

Abendblatt: Why are there so many Dutch coaches in the World Cup?

Beenhakker: Because we're good! Seriously, we are proud that there are about 80 Dutch coaches working around the world today. Maybe it has something to do with our philosophy. We always want to play football proactively, to take initiative, and have the match in hand, in combination with organization and discipline. Exemplary was how Guus Hiddink created a first class team out of South Korea in 2002.

Abendblatt: Who are your favorites for 2006?

Beenhakker: From a talent standpoint, Brasil. England has an outside chance. And Germany, naturally. I don't know what's going on there at the moment. I now heard that Ms. Merkel [German chancellor] is going to choose the squad. That's not bad. If she does that well she could help me, too. ... But really, Germany has very good players.

Abendblatt: You are an experienced coach. Germany is trying it with a rookie. Is that a big risk?

Beenhakker: Van Basten was a also a novice, but he played a superior qualification. It's not only about Klinsmann. The whole country is a little nervous. The most important thing is that first game. If they can handle the pressure and win, they will be a major candidate for the title. I'm sure of that.

Abendblatt: Do you commute between Europe and the Caribbean?

Beenhakker: No, I live and work in Trinidad. But I know what you're getting at. The German federation acknowledged the fact that Klinsmann would travel between California and Germany to begin with. So what's the problem? If he had beaten Italy 4 to1, no one would be talking. That's how opportunistic football is. Everything is oriented around the last result. One should look beyond that.

Great interview!!

"I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi," says Maradona.

"Messi is the best player in the world, along with Ronaldinho. I see him as very similar to me," Maradona told the BBC referring also to Barcelona's Brazilian playmaker.

It's a long story, full of emotions. Messi had to go to Barca because of his hormone deficiency that was extremely expensive to treat in Argentina. His boyhood club, Newell’s Old Boys, would not pay for the daily injections, but Barcelona would...

Let's see what will happen at the Cup!

From Spiegel: Chancellor Angela Merkel plays peacemaker as she tries to clear the air >>

Spiegel reported this story a few days ago: Is German Soccer for Sale?

I'm rooting for the Soca Warriors! This German corruption is just destroying the game.

Here are some excerpts:

State prosecutors in Cologne said they were investigating whether the former manager of Bundesliga club Bayer 04 Leverkusen, ebullient heavyweight Rainer Calmund, paid cash to bribe soccer players to help his team avoid relegation in 2003. Calmund, who has denied the allegations, was questioned by prosecutors on Monday about cash payments totalling €580,000 which he says were used to hire new players.

Cologne public prosecutor Günther Feld said in a statement on Sunday: "We have serious indications that the €580,000 wasn't used for options on player purchases as Herr Calmund stated, but to bribe players."

Clean it up, Merkel!

The anthem for the Soca Warriors - thanks, Stacy-Marie!

Take a listen>>

Now let's find the video!!

Remember this from the last World Cup?

Pretty lax security-wise...

I'm pissed. Freddy's not going to be on Arena's squad.

Take a risk, for once in your life - Bruce!

From the NY Times - 30 Seconds w/ Freddy Adu:

WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU WERE NOT PLAYING PRO SOCCER? That's a tough question. I'm only 16 years old. I would probably be some type of businessman.

IN 5 TO 10 YEARS I see myself playing for a big club in Europe.

FAVORITE PLAYER GROWING UP Pelé was and is my favorite player. That said, Ronaldinho is my favorite player currently playing.

FAVORITE SPORT BESIDES SOCCER Golf. I took up the game when I was 10. I shot a par on my first hole and I was hooked.

SOCCER ON TV I like to see the best players in the world, see what makes them special and try to incorporate that into my game.

CURRENT CAR I have a BMW 330i. I had it customized with 20-inch rims. I'm very proud of it.

DOES YOUR MOM STILL TELL YOU TO CLEAN UP YOUR ROOM OR SPEND LESS TIME ON THE COMPUTER? It's both. It's hard because I can't do a lot of the normal teenage stuff. However, I'm able to see and experience a lot of great things that other people my age don't.

WHO WILL WIN THE WORLD CUP? You've got to say Brazil. They're easily the favorites, but I would love to see the U.S. win.

Note: no mention making the World Cup squad...

Well, maybe this should decide the debate - Pele makes Eusebio look bad in this video...

Japan coach Zico left hospital on Monday after spending the night under observation because of severe stomach pains, the Japan Football Association (JFA) said.

It was initially feared Zico would need surgery, but the 53-year-old Brazilian was diagnosed with gastroenteritis and would take a week off work, according to JFA officials.

Whew. Take it easy Zico!

Brazil!

Watch Marley play soccer in this video (he ain't Ronaldo, but you can tell he's a soccer-geek):

Trinidad and Tobago captain Dwight Yorke claims his team have a 50-50 chance of qualifying from Group B at this summer's World Cup.

It's football, island-stylee!

Here's how the Soca Warriors made it to the Cup (by beating Bahrain!). Check the soca!

The Soca Warriors are coming over the hills, and Shell doesn't grasp the PR opportunity...

According to Bloomberg (hat-tip to Media Orchard):

Royal Dutch Shell PLC has one word to offer on the subject of its musical oil barrels.

"It's officially against corporate policy for us to hand out oil barrels," the 37-year-old Mitchell frets. "We really don't know what to do about all this."...

The folks at Idea Grove ask: Why doesn't Shell make a separate version of its barrels expressly for the drummers?

No duh!

Manchester United are back in the race to catch Chelsea, thanks to the return of Ruud van Nistelrooy!

Coming in after warming the bench, van Nistelrooy scored his 150th Manchester United goal - warming everyone's heart- and justifying Sir Alex Ferguson's gamble (what else was he going to do?)!

Too Ruud! Check this out:

Ferdinand's form was extremely patchy last autumn and Eriksson opted to omit the Manchester United man for the World Cup qualifier against Austria in October.

The defender claims the decision 'left a bad taste in his mouth', but he clearly did not wallow in self pity, as he has performed superbly of late.

Interesting case of psychology- is Ferdinand trying to psych out Sven or vice-versa?

The Germans are trying to get everyone, even the Americans, to speak soccer. Here, the folks at DW have spelled out the vocabulary words we all need to know... (especially American TV commentators!)

How is it that in America you don't need to be competent in your subject to rise to the top? Your commentators barely know the game! Oh, I forgot - look at your president!

The Basics

Offsides: When the player with the ball on the attacking team passes the ball to a teammate closer to the goal line than the opposing team. In other words, there is no defending player between the guy who receives the pass and the goalie. If the teammate is level or slightly behind the defending player, it is not offside. New rules also state that a player can be offside at the point when he receives the ball. Complicated, but true. Offsides is also the most basic element of any sort of "women don't understand football" joke.

Free kick: A kick that is awarded by the referee after a foul. The kicks can be either direct, or indirect. A direct kick is awarded for particularly serious fouls, like a hard tackle, tripping, or a hand ball. The direct kick means a ball can be kicked directly into the goal. An indirect kick needs to touch another player before going into the goal. Lesser fouls like tripping, or a high kick near an opponent's head typically earn indirect free kicks.

Penalty kick: When a defender or a goalie fouls an opponent in their own penalty box. The referee then awards a penalty kick, which is taken from a spot 12 yards from the goal line in the penalty box. Anyone on the team that has taken the foul can take the penalty kick, which pits the attacker against the goalie.

Throw-in: A throw-in is awarded when the opposing team causes the ball to go out of bounds over one of the sidelines. The player throwing the ball must do so with both hands, over his head and with both feet firmly on or inside the sideline. A goal may not be scored on a throw-in, unless it touches another player.

Corner kick: A corner is awarded when the ball goes out of bounds behind the end line and was last touched by the defending team. The attacking team kicks it inbounds from either one of the corner arcs. The defending team needs to be at least 10 yards away from the corner arcs.

Cross: When Philipp Lahm smacks a beautifully struck ball from the wings right onto the foot of his striker, and defensive players are left paralyzed in their positions, that's a cross.

Penalty box: Measures 18 yards from the goal line and 44 yards wide. While in the penalty box, the goalie may touch the ball with his hands. The goalie has six seconds after he has picked up the ball to either throw or kick it out of the penalty box. In matches where one team desperately needs a goal, the penalty area can play host to some of soccer's more theatrical performances as players look for a penalty kick.

Goal kick: When the ball crosses the end line (goal line) and was last touched by the attacking team. The defending team can set the ball up anywhere within their goal box and kick it out. The ball must exit the penalty box before it can be touched by either team.

Regulation time: Each half lasts 45 minutes. The clock ticks without stopping throughout the entire half. At the end, stoppage time is often awarded if the referee has taken note of stoppages in play due to injury or incident.

Substitutes: A list of possible substitutes must be handed to the referee before the game. One team can only make a total of three substitutes plus the goalkeeper in each game. This includes overtime, when the players are huffing around on their last legs, about to pass out.

Technical Area: The technical area extends 1 meter (1 yard) on either side of the designated seated area and extends forward up to a distance of 1 meter from the touch line. This is the area in which the coach is allowed to pace nervously, bellow instructions, shout abuse, issue instructions to players and jig with joy. The technical area also acts as a protective shield for match officials who are more often than not the target of manager's ire. If the coach/manager strays from the area in an attempt to harangue referee or lineman, he can be cautioned and, in extreme situations, "sent off" to watch the rest of the match from the stands or on television in the changing room.

Referees: The men in black, or now more often than not in green, yellow or red, who have final say on player conduct during the game. With the referee are two assistants, who patrol the sidelines and call offsides, which team gets a corner kick or throw-in and notify the head referee of substitutions.

Foul: An illegal action intended to sway advantage to one's team. This could range from the felling of an opposing player in an attacking situation to a deliberate hand ball which prevents the opposition gaining possession. A professional foul -- one which is deemed to be premeditated or physically dangerous -- can result in an instant dismissal. Others can be dealt with at the referee's discretion.

Stoppage time: Time added at the end of regulation time for penalties, injuries, substitutions, or when players whine about a foul or any sort of injustice done to them. Typically around 3 minutes.

Yellow card: One of two cards that can be pulled by the referee on a player for fouls ranging from unsporting behavior, to trash-talking the ref, delaying the restart of play, etc. A direct or indirect kick is always awarded. Two yellow cards in one game equal a red card and the player is immediately sent off the field and has to miss the next match.

Red card: Awarded by a referee when a foul has been particularly brutal, or the player spits, hits, curses, etc at another player or the referee. The player carded is immediately sent off and, depending on the severity of the foul, can be suspended for one or many games at the discretion of the DFB disciplinary panel.

Here are the Laws of the Game.

But can they actually make a difference?

The rules, approved by FIFA last month, went into effect on Thursday and dictate that an "official or spectator behaving in a discriminatory or contemptuous manner (that) can be attributed to a certain team" could cost the team three points for a first offense, six for a second and relegation for further violations.

Let's see what happens... I'm not holding my breath. This is a serious cultural problem with Europe more than anything else.

UEFA president Lennart Johansson believes Franz Beckenbauer is too preoccupied with this summer's World Cup finals to run for the UEFA presidency in 2007. (His main rival is Michel Platini!)

Another example of FIFA politics...

From the streets of Amsterdam. Dang, sign him up!!

Just in time for the World Cup - Ronaldinho kicks Beckham off the branding pedestal.

Full list:

1 Ronaldinho (Barcelona) £32.6m
2 David Beckham (Real Madrid) £31.2m
3 Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) £30.4m
4 Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona) £21.3m
5 Lionel Messi (Barcelona) £21.1m
6 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Juventus) £20.9m
7 Ronaldo (Real Madrid) £20.4m
8 Frank Lampard (Chelsea) £20m
9 Thierry Henry (Arsenal) £19.95m
10 Michael Ballack (Bayern Munich) £19.9m
11 Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) £19.2m
12 Raul (Real Madrid) £18.9m
13 Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid) £18.8m
14 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) £18.6m
15 Didier Drogba (Chelsea) £18.3m
16 Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) £12.9m
17 Ryan Babel (Ajax Amsterdam) £12.6m
18 Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United) £12.1m
19 Lukas Podolski (Cologne) £11.3m
20 Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan) £9.9m

According to brand agency BBDO Germany:

"Mit 47 Millionen Euro verfügt der 26-jährige brasilianische Spieler Ronaldinho über den höchsten Markenwert unter den weltweit erfolgreichsten Fußballern. Auf Platz 2 folgt mit 44,9 Millionen Euro Englands populärster Spieler David Beckham. Platz 3 belegt Nachwuchs-Kicker Wayne Rooney, der 2003 als jüngster Spieler aller Zeiten von Nationaltrainer Sven-Göran Eriksson in die englische Nationalmannschaft berufen wurde."

How you like my German, Gerd?

More from the BBC >>

Frankly, these numbers don't mean anything until after the World Cup. Let's see who's on top in July!

The midfielder was rumored to have been approached for a Calvin Klein deal after he revealed he buys 60 pairs of C.K. underwear each month.

I didn't want to hear this, Forbes! Aargh!

Thanks Forbes!

Don't think Ronaldo is just sitting there waiting for the World Cup to come to him. I believe what we are seeing is the resurgence of Ronnie!

In today's game, Ronaldo showed why he is still great. Down with just 10 men (after Roberto Carlos got sent off for being foolish) he scored a beautiful goal - manufactured in Brasil!

This was funny - Ronaldinho says goodbye to Roberto Carlos:

Bayern München had to come from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw at home to league bottom FC Köln.

Bayern are getting too comfortable. Still, with six games left to play, Bayern have 66 points and a 10-point lead over Bremen, which is in second place with a 1-0 win away gegen Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bayern remain on course for a 20th German title. If Bayern loses next week to Bremen, we could have some fun!

Makes you wonder what will happen next year without Ballack?

Beckham does not even come close.

Ever wondered about Roberto Carlos and his wicked free kicks? Where does he get it from? The ball has gone past, bent away from the wall of defenders jumping mortal inches off the ground clutching their goolies in an absurdly self indulgent gesture. The ball is on its way to Alpha Centauri on booster rockets overcoming the G force in the stratosphere. Just when Joe Miller sitting in NASA, Houston is whooping it up, high fiving his team mates having identified the object as an asteroid, calling it Millie 58 after his estranged wife (The number refers to her age. Not nice, Joe!!); the ball stops on a dime and swoops down bending towards earth, like a hawk spotting its prey. The goalie who has given up and has already called his resignation through satellite phone conceding 25 goals to this Brazilian side, sees this gnat coming through his peripheral vision. It's a gnat; it's a bumble bee; it's a soccer ball; it's a GOAL!! I shall flail my arms uselessly and pretend that I care.

What Roberto Carlos does with that extraordinary sideways bend of that ball is described as the Magnus effect by projectile physics eggheads. The spinning projectile be it a soccer or cricket ball creates a different airflow speed on both sides of the ball. As the ball spins around its vertical axis, the air perpendicular to its spinning side flows faster, e.g., a counterclockwise spin. The air opposite the side of the spin flows slower. An imbalance of forces is created, causing the ball to bend. Techies delight in calling this phenomenon, Bernouillis principle. In Washington politics, spinmeisters use this principle to bend reality.

To impart this type of spin one has to kick the ball away from its center of gravity. But the key is not just gravity; its levity. The ball has to be kicked hard enough to clear the wall of defenders away and up. This to minimize what are known as the drag forces. We are familiar with these forces, wakening to them every Monday morning. To lessen the drag we ingest caffeine and sugar. This to create a tumult in the system. The more tumult; less the drag. In the exact way, if the ball is kicked hard enough, it creates a turbulence in the airflow, lessening the drag forces. The ball speeds up. It catches a thermal. The wall of defenders jump up as the ball whizzes past. Goombye! Did I say that they clutch their goolies in a futile gesture??

But to bend the ball, it needs to slow down appreciably and this happens because the airflow becomes smooth or laminar. The drag forces increase and the ball bends. At a point in time and space, sometime soon after the ball deviates away from the defenders, it slows down and bends back in towards goal. The slower the ball, the greater the width of the bend. This is the equivalent of your officemates saying, "Chill dude, you flyin' high." As the caffeine wears off, the more amenable you become to reason. People make plans that include you. Social ones.

Roberto Carlos does not know these physics in the declarative sense. But he is a superb athlete. And all superb athletes are procedural physicists. Which gives rise to this question. Why aren't more physicists, soccer players? Well, there is more to soccer than the free kick. And when the Brazilians play, you have to go Whoa!!! And not Why??

Roberto Carlos free kick deconstructed