Just-Football

AZ Alkmaar Fall Back Down To Earth

2009-12-14T17:38:00.002Z

Heading out - Bolat adds to AZ's agony

When Standard Liege goalkeeper Sinan Bolat fired a bullet header past opposite man Sergio Romero in the dying seconds of his club's final Champions League group game against AZ Alkmaar to snatch a 1-1 draw, it automatically became one of the season's most memorable moments. The sight of this big burly keeper charging off jubilantly, shaking his glove-clad fists in part glee part disbelief, complete with semi-crazed glint in his eye was as priceless as it was significant. For Standard, Bolat's late goal also salvaged a Europa League place. It was a quite brilliant moment.

Unless you're AZ Alkmaar that is.

For the people of Alkmaar this was not a memorable and thrilling finale to a wonderful tale or a chance to chuckle at one of football's rareties - the goalscoring goalkeeper - but a continuation of the long and painful nightmare that is their season. Keeper turned goalscorer is all well and good when it's tucked away on a highlights reel somewhere that doesn't involve your team. When it knocks you out of Europe altogether the joke loses it's taste.

Bolat's bullet header was merely the latest in a long line of problems to strike AZ Alkmaar since they became Dutch champions last season. Poor form, financial strife, boardroom and managerial upheavals - AZ have had the lot. And with AZ's latest defeat to PSV Eindhoven leaving them some 22 points behind league leaders FC Twente at the season's halfway point it looks as though May's league title will not be the dawning of an era of sustained success AZ fans might have wished for.

Gold turns to dust

It was only a matter of months ago that AZ Alkmaar turned Dutch football on it's head, smashing the mighty Feyenoord-PSV-Ajax 'Big Three' hegemony with a fast-paced, counter-attacking, slick style that married ruthless forward play with rough, robust defending. As true to a Louis Van Gaal side as you can imagine.

But Van Gaal soon got itchy feet at the DSB Stadion and left in the summer to take over at Bayern Munich. Ronald Koeman was appointed AZ's new manager and handed the responsibility of overseeing the club's first ever Champions League campaign as well as a push to retain the title. Despite inheriting the bulk of that title-winning squad though (Demy de Zeeuw's departure for Ajax being one major loss), Koeman's impact in Alkmaar, just like in Valencia, was sub-standard.

He started well enough. AZ won the Dutch Super Cup, thrashing Heerenveen 5-1, and their early league form was punctuated by a 6-0 win away at RKC Waalwijk. But before long it all started to unravel for Koeman and players' performance levels began to drop markedly at a time when other teams were doubling their efforts to claim the newly-crowned champions' scalp. An opening day 3-2 defeat at Heracles looked less of a blip when tallied with three straight defeats in September. AZ then needed extra time to beat Ajax's reserve team Jong Ajax in the Dutch KNVB Cup, bringing further blushes, before their dreams of retaining the championship were dealt two crushing blows with consecutive defeats to title rivals FC Twente and Ajax.

The cracks that had started to appear became holes. By November, AZ were way behind pacesetters Twente and winless in the Champions League. Question marks arose over Koeman's style of management, with rumours his relaxed manner did not offer the strict regime or tough love the players needed.

Koeman's methods were ineffective at AZ

"Maybe we are not mature enough as a group to pick up results," AZ captain Stijn Schaars stated after a 2-1 home defeat to Vitesse Arnhem. "We should all look in the mirror but we need a strong man in front of us." The club's board took the apparent hint. Koeman was sacked the next day. Dick Advocaat was appointed his replacement. Advocaat will have to balance his job at Belgium with trying to steady the AZ ship in Holland. Eight defeats in seventeen games sees them 7th, way off the pace.

No money more problems

Unfortunately for AZ Alkmaar supporters, the problems are not merely restricted to the field of play. In fact if anything it gets worse off it. The claws of the global financial crisis have not evaded AZ's reach and it's impact proved particularly troublesome for both the club and backers DSB Bank, who were declared bankrupt at the end of October 2009.

Dirk Scheringa is the man behind both bank and football club. A former police officer, Scheringa founded DSB Bank in 1975 as a private financial services company. The bank flourished and Scheringa, a "soft-spoken an with a permanent smile," made a fortune, part of which he used to plough funds into AZ Alkmaar. He became owner and chairman in 1993 boasting AZ would win the league which, in fairness, they eventually did. The club's 2009 title win was sweet reward for Scheringa after he bailed AZ from the brink of financial meltdown in 2005, buying up the club's shares after they went into 67 million Euros worth of debt. DSB Bank became chief sponsor, including on shirts, and the stadium was renamed DSB Stadion.

DSB Bankrupt (photo: Bas Czerwinski)

NRC Handelsblad describes Scheringa as "an unscrupulous, tough business man. He is not one to look for compromise in a conflict situation; he chooses confrontation," and this confrontational style appears to have won enemies along the way. Associated Press reported that DSB were "well outside the corridors of political power [and] it's growth in recent years upset the status quo in a market with just a handful of competitors."

Recently, on the advice of a whistleblower who railed against the bank due to alleged financial mispractices, customers of DSB withdrew 1/6th of the bank's €4.3 billion worth of deposits, leaving DSB and Scheringa pretty much up shit creek. Scheringa had hoped for a private sale or a government bailout but neither were forthcoming, prompting him to question why DSB were beyond assistance but banks like ING and ABN Amro received multi-billion bailouts. Either way, the powers that be let DSB Bank fall and they were declared bankrupt at the end of October 2009. Scheringa promptly stepped down as AZ president.

AZ Alkmaar now face very testing times financially, particularly with the loss of Champions League and indeed all European revenue. With DSB and Dirk Scheringa no longer around debts are climing and it is thought the club will have to cash in on some saleable assets (i.e. their top players) in order to balance books. That could mean imminent moves away from the DSB Stadion for the likes of attacking sensation Mounir El Hamdaoui, whose 23 league goals last season were instrumental in AZ's title success, and Moussa Dembele, the 6ft 1in powerhouse Belgian international striker.

After AZ's last title win in 1981 the club, then named AZ 67, finished the following season 3rd and won the Dutch Cup. At the halfway point in the season after their recent 2008/2009 triumphs, even those achievements look out of reach. AZ Alkmaar lived the dream under Louis Van Gaal. Now they are waking up.

World Cup 2010 Managers' Salaries (aka Fabio Capello Is Getting PAID!)

2009-12-14T03:40:00.001Z

I get money

The game of football is a great leveller. For centuries the sport has brought together people from all ends of the spectrum. Kings play with paupers, friends with enemies, giants with minnows. In 19th century Britain, for example, football was one of the only mediums through which the well-oiled upper classes would even agree to associate with the working man. This uniting spirit is undoubtedly part of the game's enduring appeal and also a significant ingredient to the charm and success of the World Cup. The fact that an economically poorer nation like Honduras can face up against a powerhouse like Spain on ostensibly a level playing field is almost unique to sport, and a defining reason why so many love it.

Just as well really, because if matters of finance ever became the overriding factor in deciding a football match the World Cup would automatically be rendered a pretty lifeless, dull spectacle.

Argentinian sports daily Olé did some digging last week, collating and publishing the salaries of all 32 managers who led their side to the 2010 World Cup. Their results reveal a chasm so wide even the First Gorge would turn away, shaking it's head in visible disgust. First the figures. These are approximate annual salaries in US dollars:

- Fabio Capello (England): 9,900,000 USD/year
- Marcelo Lippi (Italy): 4,100,000
- Javier Aguirre (Mexico): 4,000,000
- Joachim Löw (Germany): 2,300,000
- Berter van Marwijk (Netherlands): 2,700,000
- Ottmar Hitzfeld (Switzerland): 2,600,000
- Vicente del Bosque (Spain): 2,200,000
- Carlos Queiroz (Portugal): 2,000,000
- Pim Verbeek (Australia): 1,820,000
- Carlos Parreira (South Africa): 1,800,000
- Dunga (Brazil): 1,250,000
- Diego Maradona (Argentina): 1,200,000
- Takeshi Okada (Japan): 1,200,000
- Ricki Herbert (New Zealand): 1,200,000
- Otto Rehhagel (Greece): 1,150,000
- Paul Le Guen (Cameroon): 960,000
- Marcelo Bielsa (Chile): 850,000
- Vahdi Halilhodzic (Cote d'Ivoire): 740.000
- Raymond Domenech (France): 720.000
- Hun Jung Moo (South Korea): 600,000
- Morten Olsen (Denmark): 570,000
- Milovan Rajevac (Ghana): 540,000
- Bob Bradley (USA): 400,000
- Radomir Antic (Serbia): 447,000
- Matjaz Kek (Slovenia): 360,000
- Gerardo Martino (Paraguay): 360,000
- Rabah Saadane (Algeria): 360,000
- Reinaldo Rueda (Honduras): 350,000
- Vladimir Weiss (Slovakia): 312,000
- Oscar Washington Tabárez (Uruguay): 300,000
- Kim Jong Hun (North Korea): 250,000
- Shaibu Amodu (Nigeria): 180,000

Now a few facts and observations about the figures:

1) The phrase 'I make more in a week than you do in a year' is readily and freely applicable for Fabio Capello should he ever wish to wind up Nigeria coach Shaibu Amodu. It would be whole and true.

2) South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira earns the same in one month as the nation's president Thabo Mbeki, a cause of some quite understandable recent furore in the Rainbow Nation.

3) Looking at the figures earnt by the other major Western European nations, Raymond Domenech might consider employing himself a new agent as soon as possible. Or, depending on your opinion of Domenech's coaching abilities, one might argue his agent has done a stellar job keeping the guy in a job at all.

4) If you need to borrow a fiver, Fabio Capello is your man.

5) The English FA knows a bargain when it sees one / should be ashamed and ridiculed for it's preposterous overspending (delete as appropriate).

So there you have it. In a World Cup of managerial salaries the final is England vs Italy. And England are world champions!

Comments, observations, shock and awe welcome below.

La Liga: Who Will Win The Pichichi 09/10?

2009-12-11T13:08:00.001Z

Will Forlán make it a hat-trick of Pichichis this season? (Photo: Phillippe Marcou)

Having delved earlier into the history behind Spain's prestigious Pichichi award, the obvious question to consider now is - who will win this season's Pichichi? In part 2 of this Pichichi special let's take a look at the Spanish Primera Liga's main candidates after 13 games played:

1) David Villa (Valencia / Spain)

With 11 goals so far this season David Villa has clearly not allowed the disappointment of last summer's botched move out of Valencia to get the better of him. A proven goalscorer in Spain Villa has once again been majestic for Los Che, linking up with David Silva, Pablo, Juan Mata and co to hit an incredible tally of 11 goals in 12 games. Carry on at that rate and Marca might have to consider renaming the whole trophy after him.

2) Zlatan Ibrahimovic (FC Barcelona / Sweden)

A newcomer to Spanish football, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has taken to life in the Catalan capital like the proverbial duck to H20. Banging in more goals than *insert generic Tiger Woods joke here*, the man they call Ibracadabra has thus far coped admirably with what appeared to be the daunting prospect of replacing Cameroonian goal machine and one time Pichichi Samuel Eto'o. The Swedish international striker boasts a formidable strike rate so far in 2009/2010 with 10 goals in 12 games played, including a memorable volleyed winner at Camp Nou to settle the clasico against Real Madrid.

3) Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona / Argentina)

With just over a third of the La Liga season gone, Ballon D'Or winner Lionel Messi is lurking menacingly around the top of the goalscoring charts looking to add further individual honours to what must already be a glistening mantelpiece. Messi has hit 9 league goals in 13 games for Barça so far this campaign, currently leaving him 3rd in the charts. Previous Argentinean winners of the Pichichi include Juan Antonio Pizzi, Alfredo di Stefano and Mario Kempes. Messi would be joining highly illustrious company indeed were he to end the season as La Liga's top scorer.

4) Roberto Soldado (Getafe / Spain)

A product of the Real Madrid youth system, Roberto Soldado burst onto the goalscoring scene on the opening day of La Liga 2009/2010 with a blistering hat-trick for current club Getafe at Racing Santander in a 4-1 away win. This did little to enhance Soldado's Pichichi potential in the eyes of Spanish bookmakers - he remained a rank outsider in the betting stakes, but the 24-year-old has kept the goals coming in his second season at Getafe and sits narrowly behind the aforementioned golden boot frontrunners. 6 of Soldado's 8 league goals have actually come in just two games via two hat-tricks, the other one against Xerez in late November. With Rubin Kazan heavily linked with a move for Soldado in the next transfer window however, the Spaniard's run for the Pichichi may not make it past January.

4=) Luís Fabiano (Sevilla / Brazil)

10 games, 8 goals for the Sevilla and Brazil frontman who has steadily but surely secured his status as one of the finest strikers in the world game over the last year or so. A hothead at times, Fabiano continues to be linked with a move away from the Andalucian outfit, with Milan continually touted as the most likely next destination. Either way his efforts on the pitch remain undiminished by the rumours and Luis Fabiano remains well in the hunt for the Pichichi.

6) Aritz Aduriz (Real Mallorca / Spain)

Signed by Real Mallorca in 2008 as a direct replacement for previous Pichichi winning striker Dani Guiza, who was Turkey-bound, Aritz Aduriz has done a good job for the islanders so far, making it understandable as to why Athletic Bilbao fans were so displeased to see him go. He was Mallorca's top scorer in 08/09 with a reasonable tally of 11 goals, and already has 7 in 10 appearances so far this season. Curiously, Aduriz hasn't managed a single away goal this season, scoring every one of his 7 goals at home. If he can start knocking them in away from home perhaps Real Mallorca will be able to proudly boast 2 Pichichi winners in 3 seasons come next May.

6=) Sergio Kun Agüero (Atletico Madrid / Argentina)

Atletico Madrid are having a miserable time of it in 2009/2010 what with their indifferent league form and the cruel way in which they were casually dispatched from the Champions League. But on a personal level, their number 10 Kun Agüero continues to shine. Tied joint sixth with Aduriz in the scoring charts, Agüero certainly seems destined for great things and 7 goals in 13 league games for a struggling side merely exemplifies his frightening potential. At a top club this guy would be truly lethal. Will he follow in teammate Diego Forlán's footsteps and bring Atletico a second consecutive Pichichi award?

Bubbling just underneath the surface of these seven major marksmen are 6 players on 6 goals. They are Cristiano Ronaldo, Walter Pandiani, Seydou Keita, Diego Forlán, Diego Costa and Gonzalo Higuaín. After 13 games here are the top 13 in chart format, click to enlarge:

So with all that in mind who are you backing to win the Pichichi in 2009/2010?

One Spanish bookmaker is dismissive of Soldado's and Aduriz's chances in particular from that list citing Villa, Ibrahimovic, Messi, Fabiano and Cristiano Ronaldo as the top 5 favourites in that order. Is that fair? Can you envisage any outsiders sneaking in to take the crown over the course of the season? I have to say Diego Forlán is definitely the one I'd pick for a cheeky outside bet. What do you think?

Tell us who you think will win the Pichichi and why, and don't forget to cast your vote in the poll down the right hand side.

Photo, Shoot: Colo Colo - Champions of Chile 2009

2009-12-10T20:33:00.001Z

Colo Colo are one of Chile's most popular clubs and the only one to have ever won the Copa Libertadores. Yesterday, after a 6-4 aggregate win over Universidad Catolica, Colo Colo became champions of Chile for a record 29th time. They also have a bad ass crest, as Gonzalez .-'s photo of this Colo Colo banner demonstrates in our latest edition of Photo, Shoot. (As ever, click to enlarge).

photo courtesy of Gonzalez .- on Flickr, in Just-Football's photo pool.

The Pichichi: Exploring The History Behind Spain's Pichichi Award

2009-12-10T05:54:00.000Z

If you follow Spanish football at all, chances are you've heard of the Pichichi. As an award it holds status as one of the most prestigious individual merits Spanish football has to offer. As a name it rolls off the tongue delightfully. But what is the Pichichi award and what is the history behind it?

The Pichichi - a history

Rafael Moreno Aranzadi was a Basque Spanish footballer who played for Athletic Bilbao in the early 1900s. Growing up as a youngster kicking a ball around in the dusty back streets of Vizcaya, Bilbao, Aranzadi was nicknamed 'Pichichi' at the age of 11 by the older kids he practised with. The tag stuck and then some.

Pichichi spent ten years as a player at Athletic between 1911 and 1921, writing his name into the history books of Spanish football as one of the most prolific strikers of his era. While the players of today might distinguish themselves by wearing garishly bright boots or sporting a specific haircut, in the 1920s Pichichi's own trademark was the white handkerchief he often tied around his head for games.

But it was for his performances on the field that Pichichi really stood out. During 12 seasons at Athletic, Pichichi scored 77 goals in 89 games at an unsurpassed ratio of 0.87 goals per game. With Pichichi around Athletic Bilbao won four Copa del Reys (King's Cups) and five regional championships. This was in the days prior to the establishment of the Spanish Football League (LFP) in 1929, when regional competition naturally assumed higher notability.

As if the sheer volume of goals wasn't enough to etch Pichichi's name into Bilbao folklore, the Spanish striker also stands as the first ever player to score at Athletic Bilbao's San Mames stadium, against Racing de Irun at a tournament held for the stadium's inauguration. English club Shepherd's Bush FC were also participants.

Pichichi retired from football in 1921 aged 29. He harboured ambitions of becoming a referee, but died suddenly just one year later after an attack of typhus. As one of Athletic's greatest ever goalscorers the club commissioned a sculptor to create a bust of Pichichi which now sits in the presidential box at San Mames.

While Bilbao's private tribute was most welcome it was not enough. As one of the greatest Spanish goalscorers of a generation Aranzadi's legacy deserved more, a wider tribute not merely restricted to Bilbao. Consequently, in recognition of his magnificent achievements, Spanish sports daily Marca named the trophy given to the top scorer in Spanish league football at the end of every season in his honour. The Pichichi was born. The first ever Pichichi trophy was awarded in 1952-1953 to Telmo Zarra - also of Athletic Bilbao.

Telmo Zarra - Spanish goal machine

Previous Winners

To date, the players with the most Pichichi awards in Spanish football history are:

6 - Telmo Zarra

5 - Enrique 'Quini' Castro
Alfredo di Stefano
Hugo Sánchez

4 - Ferenc Puskás

3 - Isidro Lángara
Jose Eulogio Gárate (nicknamed the 'penalty box engineer')

Eight players sit below this elite list on 2 Pichichi crowns, amongst them Ronaldo, Raul and Diego Forlán of the players still playing today. For those of a contemporary persuasion, here are the previous ten Pichichi winners going back to 1999-2000:

1999/2000 - Salva Ballesta
2000/2001 - Raul González
2001/2002 - Diego Tristán
2002/2003 - Roy Makaay
2003/2004 - Ronaldo
2004/2005 - Diego Forlán
2005/2006 - Samuel Eto'o
2006/2007 - Ruud Van Nistelrooy
2007/2008 - Daniel Guiza
2008/2009 - Diego Forlán

The maximum amount of goals ever scored to win a Pichichi is 38, a tally reached by 2 players only: Telmo Zarra in 1950/1951 (although technically the competition was not known as the Pichichi at this time) and legendary Mexican footballer Hugo Sánchez in 1989/1990. Unsurprisingly, Real Madrid are the club with the most Pichichi winners under their belt.

Now you know the history of the Pichichi, what about the here and now? Who are the frontrunners in this season's race? In part 2 we'll be assessing the outstanding candidates for the 2009/2010 Pichichi trophy, so don't forget to check back in on Just Football later or, alternatively, subscribe.

Agents, Transfers & The Love of the Game

2009-12-08T09:10:00.001Z

by Steve Candy

Like mineral water and volcanic rock it seems that all money in football must now be filtered through agents. I don’t want to attack agents; it happens often enough and in my opinion they thrive because football needs them to exist. In order to go back to ‘the good old days’ we would first have to remove 24/7 television coverage, the internet, mobile phones and players' inability to speak for themselves.

If anything I feel that agents need to become more visible so they could be more accountable for the things that affect the game we love. Imagine the build up to a game being enhanced by each player walking onto the pitch individually accompanied by a generic theme and their agent. The agents could be hooked up to a microphone so they could promote their players live and secure even greater image rights deals. The agents could be given an opportunity to interfere with matches thus furthering rivalries between teams and individual players. The most high profile of these rivalries could come to a head at a heavily sponsored and publicised showdown, why don’t we call it SoccerMania?

It could take place somewhere in the United Arab Emirates to maximise revenue opportunities. We also wouldn’t have to worry so much about the World Cup and all the continental prizes on the international stage because the smaller nations and clubs wouldn’t matter anymore. They could be the warm-up acts to Pini Zahavi's main event.

The scary thing is that I’m not so sure that a less exaggerated version of this isn't far away. The 39th game, European Super League and third party ownership of players are all too tangible facets of ways that the game is being taken forward. In it's purest form, football is essentially a simple yet beautiful game. That’s why we like it so much. I feel football has gone too far down a gold paved road and it can’t turn back.

I’m just scared that my cynicism is going to turn into resentment. When your team exit a domestic cup competition and you’re not too bothered or you can understand why a manager picks an under strength team in a European club competition are you being affected by the changes in the game? Are we guilty of having our cake and eating it?

I get excited watching the sports news channels on deadline day. I believe the reason for their continued life is the recently born phenomena of August and January 31st. The borderline hysteria generated is brilliant, particularly the fans that gather around the cameras perhaps wearing something that indicates the nationality of their rumoured star and the rumours that fly in from all quarters: ‘Djemba-Djemba to be player/assistant manager at Swindon’, ‘I swear I saw someone like Lionel Messi’s brother in Kensington’ ‘Mike Ashley has made a good decision regarding Newcastle’ etc.

However, it can be said that transfer deadline day is indicative of the rise and rise of the football agent. Would the multitude of signings even take place were it not for these high earning go-betweens? We know agents aren’t here for transfers alone, players can’t negotiate their own contracts, but they can’t happen these days with two clubs and the player alone. So what could be done to take some of the power away from agents that has been given to them by the game?

Steps to help reduce agents' influence

As written earlier we cannot go back to what is perceived as simpler, better times for the game. We need to continue moving forward but on a less destructive path. Is it reasonable to limit the amount of monetary transfers that take place between clubs a year? If any club could only make, say three, transfers with a fee between August 1st - July 31st would that lead to a more orderly system for clubs to operate without the need for outside assistance? If that is in place how about capping the maximum amount that any club can spend on agent’s fees? Subsequently their hold on the game would lessen.

What I am suggesting may seem like an attack on Manchester City’s financially assisted rebuilding and this is not the intention. I do think however that a significant number of young players that could have been brought through Manchester City’s excellent youth programme have been stopped because of it. Would a cap on transfer amounts and quantity have a positive effect on the development of youth, allowing home grown players a more substantial chance?

If only three players could enter and three leave a club during any August-July period would players and clubs be more willing to honour contracts? Would the need for renegotiation lessen and therefore negate the need for an agent’s involvement? By limiting transfers I imagine contracts would also be easier to thrash out and deal with. This could give players the confidence to go and speak to their managers about any concerns they have personally, which would then lead to players having the confidence to go to the shops to buy things for themselves and with this little dose of realism we would be safe in the knowledge that the human beings that many children want to emulate would have become a little more responsible.

When I was younger there was only one agent in football I could name. It was Eric ‘Monster’ Hall and I was under the impression that he was the uncle of Dennis Wise. Off the top of my head I think I could now name five. In a few years time that might double. As stated I am not laying the blame for football’s greed, lack of selflessness or questionable morality squarely at their door. Some have come out and said, and I agree, that they are an easy target. The poor souls needn’t be in that horrible position if we could erase their influence from the game. Unfortunately I have pictured two directions the game could go in and scarily enough I think the former and more dramatic is the more likely.

I’ve given out a lot of questions in regard to this subject. Hopefully they are all answerable and there is as fruitful a response as ever. I am aware that with an ‘ego the size of David Bentley’s’ (Anonymous 27th November 2009 15:03) I am running the risk of offering an opinion with my writing. Those of us that love the game, support a team and like to talk and/or write about it generally do have an opinion. My hope is that mine and those of other contributors on this site will allow others to share theirs.

Parabéns Flamengo! - Flamengo Crowned 2009 Brazilian Champions

2009-12-07T21:57:00.002Z

Black and red and joyous (photo: Alexandre Durão)

Flamengo were crowned champions of Brazil for the first time in 17 years last weekend after coming from 1-0 down to beat Gremio 2-1 in the Maracana stadium. A first half equaliser from David cancelled out Gremio's opener scored by Roberson, and the scores remained 1-1 through half time and into the middle of the second half.

With the teams around Flamengo doing their job the rubro-negro had to win and wracked nerves came as standard in a packed, 85,000 strong Maracana. However, in the 69th minute Ronaldo Angelim popped up to nick the winning goal with a header from a corner and Flamengo held on to win the sixth national league title in their history.

Joy, tears and celebration enveloped the stadium at the final whistle, as you will see in the below video, as coach Andrade's side carried out their part of the deal on the final day's proceedings in the 2009 Brazilian national championship. As I mentioned in the 2009 Campeonato Brasileiro final day preview, though facing the psychological difficulty of a must-win game, it worked in Flamengo's favour that they were up against a Gremio team with a bad away record and a fanbase desperate for their side not to create any upsets in Rio which might effectively hand the title to bitter rivals Internacional. However, Gremio put up a decent fight of it in the end and certainly didn't roll over for Flamengo. Andrade's men had to battle for this victory in front of their expectant fans and did so like the champions they now are.

Adriano, Pet, Ronaldo...

Flamengo's 6th league title brings to an end a near perfect season for striker Adriano, who won a championship with his boyhood club in the first year since he left Italy weary and depressed back in April. The powerful striker was a hero to the supporters and a talismanic presence in the side, notching 19 goals in 29 games to finish joint top scorer in the division alongside Atletico Mineiro's Diego Tardelli.

Another stalwart in the Flamengo team this season was Serb veteran Dejan Petkovic. Nicknamed 'Pet' by Fla supporters, Petkovic bucks the trend of players moving from South America to the holy grail of Europe by being one of the few to tread that path in the opposite direction. At 37 there were fears he was getting too old for the party in Rio, but Petkovic has been magnificent in recent months and got the assist for Angelim's title-clinching goal on Sunday. "He may not be a young man but Pet proved he is still young in head and heart," offered GloboEsporte in praise.

Another hero of the hour was Ronaldo Angelim, centre back turned goalscorer whose glancing header won Flamengo the title. On the back of that crucial goal, Angelim's popularity has already blown up amongst Fla fans to the extent that a t-shirt has been produced with Angelim's face on it and the words 'There's only one Ronaldo' written in English.

This is a clever play on a story that broke out months ago when Ronaldo (O Fenomeno) moved to Corinthians. Corinthians supporters weren't best pleased with t-shirts in Manchester that read 'There's only one Ronaldo' an ode to Manchester's own Cristiano while he was gracing Old Trafford, and so Corinthians fans made their own version championing their favourite Ronnie. Brazil's Ronaldo is not the most popular of characters amongst Flamengo fans anyway after stringing the club along for ages before joining Corinthians in December 2008, so this Angelim t-shirt gag works perfectly.

The last time Flamengo won a national championship, the Ronaldo of Brazilian superstardom was just an unknown youngster on the books at São Cristóvão. 17 years is a long time to wait for such a well-supported club - just part of the reason Flamengo fans were out in full celebratory mode in the streets of Rio after Sunday's game. In fact it was a pretty good day all round for football in Rio de Janeiro, as both Botafogo and Fluminense also did enough to avoid relegation and secure their positions in Brazil's top flight for another season. And, of course, Vasco da Gama will be back next season having cruised through their season in Serie B.

Congratulations to Flamengo then, six-time champions of Brazil. Or in Portuguese - Parabéns Flamengo, Hexacampeão!

Leo Moura receives the adulation of the Flamengo fans -
(Photo: Ivo Gonzales / Agencia O Globo)

2010 World Cup Finals Draw & Reaction: Groups, Gripes & Gaiety

2009-12-05T01:59:00.001Z

In case you weren't already aware, the draw for the 2010 World Cup finals took place in Cape Town a matter of hours ago. Here are the groups it conjured up:

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France

Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece

Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia

Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana

Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon

Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia

Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal

Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

My only real reaction now is commiserations to Côte d'Ivoire, Africa's finest handed a desperately tough draw for the second World Cup running. Last time they were thrown in with Argentina and the Netherlands. This time they face Brazil, Portugal and the unknown quantity that is North Korea, an extremely tough group that will be very very difficult to get out of. Meanwhile Italy, Spain and England will be very happy with their draws, in particular the world champions Italy who look to have an easily navigable group.

The intricacies of Fifa's seeding system meant that Africa's first two teams out of the hat were guaranteed to be put into groups with Brazil and Argentina. Sometimes I wonder about FIFA and it's methods. We've spoken about Fifa's seedings on here before, but at times I cannot help but avoid the uneasy feeling that these draws are orchestrated as best they can to help facilitate the paths of the bigger, more valuable nations. Or maybe I'm just being bitter. Either way, anyone hoping to see an African team lift the World Cup for the first time ever, on African soil, has seen those hopes take a huge hit with this draw in Cape Town. Cameroon too are in a far harder group than first glance may suggest bearing in mind they must face both Holland and a strong Denmark team that cruised to the top of a tricky qualifying group above both Sweden and Portugal.

Putting to one side Africa's chances for a moment, one thing you can definitely take from the draw in Cape Town is just how tantalisingly brilliant the 2010 World Cup is shaping up to be. Already there are some fantastic looking fixtures in the group stages in South Africa, and in terms of entertainment value groups A, D, E, G and H all look like setting the pulse racing.

Some games I'm really looking forward to already: all of group A (it is a really well matched group I feel, with all teams diverse in nature but attacking in style), England v USA, Germany v Ghana, Netherlands v Cameroon, Denmark v Cameroon, Brazil v Côte d'Ivoire, Côte d'Ivoire v Portugal, Brazil v Portugal and Spain v Chile (a dark horse in my opinion).

What are your reactions to the draw? Which games are you most looking forward to? With 187 days to go to the opening game (South Africa vs Mexico) there's a lot of discussion to be had.

Are Arsenal a One Man Team?

2009-12-04T11:39:00.001Z

by Mark Ferguson

Arsenal have hit a poor run of form in recent weeks, dropping points in games against West Ham, Chelsea, Sunderland and then losing to Manchester City 3-0 in the Carling Cup. The truth is you would have expected Arsenal to come out on top in at least two of those games and for Arsene Wenger's side to concede three each against Man City and Chelsea without reply is as much worrying as it was surprising.

This run of bad results has coincided with Arsenal's main striker, Robin van Persie, getting injured and came with many of Wenger's other options up front either only partly fit or out all together.

I have never heard Arsenal described as a one man team; they have some of the best players in the Premiership. However with Van Persie out the Gunners don't look like they have that cutting edge up front and they aren't creating quite as many chances as they did with the Dutchman in the team.

If Arsenal were ever going to be described as a one man team many would have looked towards Cesc Fabregas, but is it actually the 26-year-old Dutchman who stands tall as Arsenal's main man?

Hopefully Arsenal will get back to winning ways soon and I don't think Arsenal are in crisis like many will tell you, but it does seem that they are missing a lot up front with RVP reportedly out for five months. Wenger has already admitted he will likely dip into the transfer market in January.

Everything this season seemed to go through RVP - he has 8 goals in 15 games - and without him there some of the other players in an Arsenal shirt are going to have to step up. A lot of responsibility will be placed on the shoulders of Fabregas and Andrey Arshavin, both capable of creating and changing the course of a game.

Even with the poor run of form coinciding with RVP's injury I don't feel it is fair to describe Arsenal as a one man team. Arsenal have a whole host of top quality players at the club but now these players need to adapt to playing to a different striker's strengths. Eduardo is a top quality player who is still to get back to his best form, but he is a completely different attacker to Van Persie and Arsenal must adapt quickly to keep the pressure on league leaders Chelsea.

Written by Mark Ferguson, a sports writer who blogs about soccer kits.

Campeonato Brasileiro 2009 Goes Down to the Wire

2009-12-02T19:21:00.006Z

And when I say down to the wire, I'm not talking about McNulty, Bunk or Omar.

The Campeonato Brasileiro 2009, Brazil's top division, comes to a conclusion this weekend and, just like last season, the destination of the league title remains undecided. It was dramatic enough last year when just two teams (Gremio and São Paulo) vied for top spot. This year you can double that. Four teams - Flamengo, Internacional, Palmeiras and current holders São Paulo all have a chance of dancing jubilantly into the night, trophy in hand.

So what is the state of play heading into the season finale?

Well, here is the league table after game 37 last weekend: (P = points, J = games played, V = wins). (Full table here).

As you can see, Flamengo top the table by two clear points with Inter, Palmeiras and São Paulo all level on 62 points. And these are the four team's respective fixtures on the final day:

Flamengo vs Gremio
Internacional vs Santo Andre
Botafogo vs Palmeiras
São Paulo vs Sport

As is the beauty of football, all these games have their own little storylines that, when attempting to work out the destination of the title, make it far less straightforward than being a simple case of working out which team is better than which.

In Rio de Janeiro, Flamengo host the southerners of Gremio fully aware that the destiny of the league title lies in their own hands. A win for Mengo would crown them national champions for the first time since 1992 - too long for a club with such a colossal fanbase. Having climbed the table steadily in recent months after a run of form largely inspired by 37-year-old veteran Serb Dejan Petkovic and talisman striker Adriano, Flamengo went top of the league for the first time this season last week after beating Corinthians 2-0, and thanks to Sao Paulo's 4-2 loss against Goias. This prompted wild and rather premature celebrations in Rio from fans ecstatic at seeing their team come within touching distance of the championship.

Crazily, these celebrations have continued into what is a huge week for the club, prompting coach Andrade to relocate his squad to the CBF training site at Granja Comary in Teresopolis where the Brazil national team trains. A shrewd move from Andrade you feel, who has worked wonders in his first prolonged stint as a manager.

Flamengo coach Andrade has taken his club to the verge of a first title in 17 years (photo: Marcia Feitosa)

Having said that, maybe Flamengo's fans have reason to be confident ahead of the game against Gremio after all. Second place in the table, waiting in the wings for any slip-ups from Flamengo, are Internacional, who also happen to be Gremio's fierce cross-city rivals from Porto Alegre. In a country where players are regularly taken to task by exuberant fans, could Gremio's players actually face heading back south with a win knowing they had handed their biggest enemy the championship? That alone might be enough to drop the energy levels a notch or two and swing things in Flamengo's favour.

Internacional, for their part, go into the game with relegation-threatened Santo Andre knowing they lie in prime position to capitalise on any fortunes their closest adversary may bring them in Rio. In the event of a tie the league is decided on number of wins in Brazil, so if Inter win and Fla drop points Inter will be champions. However, their opponents Santo Andre must also win to have a fighting chance of avoiding relegation.

Just a few miles down the road from the Maracana, another season-defining game takes place at the Engenhão where Botafogo host Palmeiras. Again, both sides need the points for very different reasons. Palmeiras coach Muricy Ramalho has had all sorts of problems to deal with in recent weeks, from a drop in form to players from the same team fighting on the pitch to members of one of the club's ultras groups physically attacking Vagner Love, and this mini-implosion looks to have cost them their shot at the title.

"We had the trophy in our hands and then this team blew it with their shameful football," a member of the Ultras group 'Mancha Alviverde' told Brazilian sports daily Lance! in a statement regarding the attack on Vagner Love, and while certain members of this group clearly went way too far, the overwhelming anger at the team's complete capitulation is understandable to an extent. Botafogo must also win to escape relegation.

Another team for whom the word 'capitulation' is appropriate right now is São Paulo, current champions and kings of domestic Brazilian football for the last three consecutive years. Ricardo Gomes' men were in poll position and looked a good shout to win their fourth championship in a row a few weeks ago, until two straight defeats to Botafogo and Goias dropped them down to 4th. The Paulista's hopes of lifting another title are now fading fast. To win it, São Paulo must beat Sport by 3 clear goals at the Morumbi while hoping none of the other three teams above them win. Chances slimmer than Kate Moss on the Atkins diet, you feel. But, with Sport already relegated, a chance nonetheless.

If we're talking predictions, I'd have to say it is very much Flamengo's to lose. Andrade has acted very shrewdly in whisking his team away to a training camp to avoid all the hype in Rio, and with Adriano likely to be fit again after burning his foot in a domestic accident and missing the key victory against Corinthians last week, perhaps he will be the one to fire Flamengo to their first title in 17 years.

If you think differently let us know who you're going for. Stay tuned on Just-Football.com and we'll let you know how all the drama unfolds on Sunday.

(photo 4: Eduardo Viana)

2 Years of Just Football

2009-12-02T13:54:00.005Z

Following on from our cake theme yesterday on Photo, Shoot - a brief public service announcement. We passed a landmark on Just Football last week as the site made it to the two year anniversary. (Hooray!). It is quite strange for me reflect on the growth of this site between then and now. Back then I made a completely random decision to air my views on England's elimination from Euro 2008 at the qualifying stage in the form of an article. After making the effort to write it I wanted to put it somewhere a few friends and anyone else who wanted to could read it and discuss the arguments, so I set up a blog and slapped it on there.

Fast forward two years and just a cursory glance at the stats show me that, even as I wrote this at 2.26 am last night, there were people in Bristol, Portsmouth, Texas, Indiana, California, Zagreb, Utrecht, Christchurch, Casablanca, Konya, Islamabad, Montreal, Western Cape, Leeds, Saint Petersburg and Rio de Janeiro engaging with Just Football. I find that truly remarkable. Aside from the many followers of football reading our articles around the world, we now have a growing team of writers and contributors and it has been a pleasure to interact both with them and the numbers of visitors who do us the honour of coming on here and offering their own opinions on what we have to say.

According to statistics, the average lifespan of the 40% of blogs that aren't abandoned after 1 month is 126 days. I'm delighted to say therefore that Just Football has smashed the record on both those fronts. And hopefully, we're only just getting started. Here is what the experts at Fisher Price have to say about two-year olds:

"Two-year-olds are full of energy, enthusiasm, exploration—and growing independence. With so many new skills at age 2, your child can’t wait to use them!"

I'd say that just about captures where we're at with the site right now. While I'm not one for blowing trumpets, and I am aware of the many improvements that can be made, one thing I'm sure of is that, like the terrible two-year olds running around households everywhere, thrashing about and smearing crayons on your new wallpaper, Just Football will continue to operate with the energy, enthusiasm and exploration required to grow into year 3 and beyond.

However, we absolutely cannot do it without your help. So while I'm happy for this to be a brief moment of self-congratulation, really I want to turn this into an opportunity for you the reader to tell us what you think of Just Football. With that in mind I created a quick survey and I'd be really happy if you'd take a few minutes out of your day to help us improve Just Football for you. Here are some of the things I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts on:

Design - what do you think of the layout? Is the site easy to navigate and how might we improve it?
Content - are there any specific topics you'd like to read more or less of on Just Football in the coming months? What leagues or areas of the game would you like to read more about on the site?
Community - in what ways might we make our community areas better for you? If a subscriber, either by email, RSS or Facebook, do you have any observations about the way you receive our content?
Any other ideas or feedback - anything goes, big or small.

Feel free to give your thoughts either in the comments section or by shipping me an email or tweet. Please also do try and be as courteous and constructive as possible. Comments like 'this site is crap' really won't help achieve anything - I'd rather you told me why it's crap and then I can look at improving things for you. Here's the link to our quick survey:

Just as last year, we also have a gift for you in the form of a spectacular goal that will live through the ages.

So yeah, Happy Birthday to us - now over to you. I am listening...

Photo, Shoot: Hajduk Split Cake

2009-12-01T16:14:00.000Z

We're talking sweets in this our latest edition of Photo, Shoot. amoreta on Flickr is a pastry cook from Croatia. She makes and takes pictures of cakes. Her efforts here, one imagines, would taste pretty sweet to a Hajduk Split fan, but not so appetising for your average Dinamo Zagreb supporter.

Photo courtesy of amoreta on Flickr, in Just-Football's photo pool.

'You're (not) Fired!' - Premier League Sack Race Slows Down

2009-11-30T14:37:00.001Z

Safe...for now

Just-Football.com's latest contributor Jaymes Monte assesses the reasons behind the drop in managerial sackings in this season's Premier League:

Originally, this article was intended to look at the reasons behind the complete lack of any managerial changes in the top flight of English football this season. But news emanating from Fratton Park on Tuesday 24th November confirmed Paul Hart as the first managerial casualty of the season, 101 days after the opening fixtures of the Premier League season.

However, the issue still remains: why has it taken three months in a notoriously intolerant league for us to see the first departure from the hot seat? Have chairmen and boardroom members everywhere found a new level of perception? Are fans becoming more tolerant? Are financial constraints a major factor? Or simply has no manager deserved to be shown the exit door?

Deserving to be sacked is clearly a matter of conjecture and there are many factors which must be considered before castigating a manager of any specific club. However, if you take a step out of the world of day-to-day football and look at it from a purely league table perspective I think it would be fair to say that only Liverpool, Everton and West Ham are in a position which could be deemed as well below par.

Stepping back into the world of day-to-day football provides the answers as to why none of these teams have parted company with their man at the helm. David Moyes has performed wonders at Goodison Park in recent years and is rightly forgiven for a blip in form which is largely due to a horrendous list of injuries. Gianfranco Zola is knowingly working with his hands tied behind his back in terms of finances at his disposal, and Rafael Benitez, although under increasing pressure, has a connection with the fans which to this point has seen him keep his job.

The truth is that only four, possibly five managers have had or currently have cause for concern over their employment status. They are Benitez, Paul Hart, Phil Brown and Gary Megson whilst Mark Hughes is teetering on the edge and only a couple more bad results away from the spotlight.

Feeling the pinch

Football is now firmly entwined with the global recession and this most certainly has played a part. A couple of recent high profile cases involving Kevin Keegan and Alan Curbishley have highlighted the financial implications attached to parting company with a manager. However, there must be a tipping point where the cost of sacking a manager outweighs the potential monetary value of being relegated from the Premier League. For the Portsmouth board that point came on Tuesday, yet the fact that Hart was immediately offered another job within the club suggests that they could be looking to avoid paying a severance package.

Financial troubles at Hull City became apparent in recent weeks and a change of personnel in the boardroom offered Brown a stay of execution, during which time he has turned the corner and saved his job as well as a few pennies for the club. Ironically, the very reason Benitez is under pressure could be the same reason he remains in a job. Having just missed out on the millions attached to the Champions League knockout stages can Liverpool really afford to sack a man who has recently signed a lucrative five year contract?

That just leaves the curious case of Megson and Bolton. Ever since his induction as Bolton manager Megson has struggled to win over the fans, but once it became apparent that relegation would not be an issue in the 2008/09 season he was offered a new rolling contract and went on to finish the season in 13th position.

Now that they have slipped into the relegation zone the pressure will undoubtedly increase. Bolton chairman Phil Gartside is a notoriously patient man and is not accustomed to making hasty decisions or acting on a whim and that is clearly a major factor in why Megson remains in a job despite the fans’ distaste. However, Gartside is tolerant not stupid and if results continue to be of a negative nature I have no doubt that he would not risk the clubs Premier league status. For me Megson is the most likely to be collecting his P45 next.

The other issue which must be considered is the increasing trend of football club buyouts and the supporters’ reactions to this. I think it would be fair to say that a lot of attention has been shifted toward the men who sit in the front row of the upper tier of the main stand in the last 12 months. Ongoing sagas of boardroom takeovers have inevitably deflected attention away from both managers and players, and as a result there has been considerably less venom directed toward on-field inadequacies.

Liverpool are a prime example; the fans are adamant on attaching blame to George Gillett and Tom Hicks for the team's on-field failings. Meanwhile both Portsmouth and West Ham also have a great deal of uncertainty in their respective boardrooms and as discussed Hull saw fit to change chairman before considering ousting their manager.

It could be that the general public are becoming increasingly sympathetic toward people losing their jobs and that is subconsciously filtering down from the terraces. Or more likely is the fact that clubs simply cannot afford to sack mangers as readily as they once did. Whichever it is, one thing that is clear is that Premier League managers are one of the few benefactors of the global recession.

Jaymes Monte is the latest addition to the Just-Football.com writing team. He also runs thebettingblog.co.uk

The Kevin Keegan Award for Priceless Punditry, Volume 5 - Joe Royle

2009-11-29T13:15:00.000Z

"I love that smile."

A wistful Joe Royle lovingly reflects on referee Phil Dowd's pearly white grin as the man in the middle shares a joke with James Milner in Aston Villa's 1-1 draw with Tottenham.

The Nani State: Manchester United Star at a Crossroads

2009-11-27T17:18:00.004Z

It catches players out every time. They say you're most likely to let your guard down when feeling most comfortable, and it is a notion regularly backed up by the actions of players on international duty. Foreign players in England learn very quickly not to trust the quicksilver English media, and soon grow suspicious of the tricky interviewer looking to exploit language barriers to conjure juicier quotes. Consequently, where your average foreign player is concerned, not too many controversial, loud backpages actually originate from words spoken to the press on these shores.

But whatever it is about being back home for international duty - the sense of freedom, the familiarities, the home comforts - it all seems to loosen the tongue nicely, leaving the affable local journalist needing only the slightest bit of cajoling in a relaxed atmosphere to be able to grab that salacious blockbuster headline. A few weeks ago, the latest player to fall into this trap was Manchester United's Luis Nani, who felt relaxed enough while with the Portugal squad to let loose these comments about Sir Alex Ferguson to Portuguese newspaper I:

"Ferguson is a very complicated man," said Nani. "He's tough. If things are all right, then they are all right. But when he thinks something is wrong, everything is screwed. He can go from complimenting you to just plain trashing you in a matter of minutes. Has it happened to me? Hell, yes. He'll say 'Nani, how could you miss this or this'? He shouts at players in front of everyone. No-one escapes, everybody is the same."

"People expect more from me and it's not easy. But they are also not doing what they said they were going to," he said. "I know it would be better if I scored more goals. I can have a spectacular game but nobody guarantees me I will be starting the next match. It shatters your confidence. I did not play the important matches, against Liverpool, Manchester City or Tottenham. Not playing these games, I am a bit sad. But for now I am not considering leaving."

'Gotcha!' the journalists at I must have thought before shipping these quotes off to every English newspaper in the land. Before long, in a quiet international break, the headlines were out. Ferguson was 'killing Nani's career.' The papers had their filler.

Now usually I treat these sort of blockbuster back page exclusives with the deepest of mistrust. I'm still young, but already I've seen too many of them in my time to realise that often these so-called exclusives involve no more than someone at a desk in an office putting two and two together to make three thousand. Nani's case however is different.

Ferguson's actions since Nani went public highlight the authenticity of the Portuguese winger's words. First the United boss stuttered in a press conference about the trickery of local journalists on international breaks and how often players get caught out. Then he dropped Nani for the 3-0 win against Everton last weekend. Then he left him on the bench against Besiktas despite playing a team of fringe players, and neglected to bring Nani on even when United were 1-0 down and desperate for cutting edge. None of this bodes well for a player who is clearly coming to a crossroads at Manchester United.

A career in 3 parts

Unfortunately, Nani's Manchester United career hasn't really taken off on the trajectory his skills and talent would have you imagine it would. Part of that is Nani's own fault, of course. His decision-making remains as wildly desperate as it was when he joined the Red Devils in July 2007, his crossing hasn't markedly improved and his shooting still dances that fine line between jaw-droppingly brilliant and eye-rollingly erratic. Unfulfilled promise has been the order of the day for Nani at United so far, with a side portion of huge frustration.

But while the player must inevitably look at himself to rectify the situation, to my mind Nani has also suffered to an extent because of the circumstances in relation to players around him at Old Trafford. For me, Nani's United career equates to the classic play in three parts, where each part represents a different United player. The interconnections between player, Nani and the club's supporters then dictates how the story unfolds.

Part 1 in the story is Nani & Cristiano Ronaldo.

When Nani joined United in 2007, the club had just won their first league title in 4 years thanks in no small part to Ronaldo, who scored 23 goals and picked up a hat-trick of Player of the Year awards. The similarities between the two players meant comparisons were inevitable - both Portuguese, both Sporting Lisbon academy graduates, both pacy wingers, both two-footed, both immensely skilful. For most United supporters, this was Ronaldo mkII.

Nani lived in the shadow of his compatriot during this time, showing the odd glimpse of his own undoubted potential in sporadic cup and league appearances before clearing the way for his mentor to hog centre stage in important games. You always got the feeling that if Nani was ever going to make Old Trafford his own stage, it would not be with Ronaldo around.

So from a personal point of view, Nani must have relished the increase in responsibility at United when in summer 2009 Ronaldo left for Real Madrid. The player said as much himself: "Ronaldo was a very important player for us but now my opportunity has come," said the 23-year-old. "The time has come for United to put their trust in me."

Part 2 - Nani & Luis Antonio Valencia

United did as the Portuguese winger asked. Nani has made 6 league starts up to November 27. In the whole of 2008/2009 he only started 7 league games. Yet while Ferguson seemed keen to give Nani a chance early on in the 09/10 campaign, lately things have faltered and Nani has started just 1 of the last 5 league games.

With a discernible improvement in Nani's game not clear to most United supporters, the moans and groans of the terraces are growing in audibility. The tricks don't come off, the wasting of good wide positions still remains, decision-making hasn't markedly improved. Meanwhile, on the right hand side, Antonio Valencia adjusts to the art of wing play rather easily, his no-nonsense 'get the ball, run down the wing, put in a cross' style endearing himself to many while proving a distinct contrast to the stuttering twists and turns on the opposite flank.

All this seems to have knocked Nani's confidence. The new wing wizard was meant to be him, not Valencia.

Part 3 - Nani & Gabriel Obertan - The final curtain?

Pretender to the throne - Obertan gunning for Nani's wing role

In the final act, with Nani's position at the club now under the spotlight, and having talked his way into trouble with the boss, along comes another flying winger to add yet further scrutiny. That young pretender is Gabriel Obertan, a marauding French magician with numerous tricks up his sleeve but, importantly, an additional directness and decisiveness to his game that brings far greater innovation and clarity to United's attacks than Nani's unpredictable dallying. The worry for Nani now is that, having been prime candidate for the role of post-Ronaldo chief creator in wide areas, he has been usurped by Valencia and is currently seeing his position erode behind Obertan back to that of impact sub, where it all began two and a half years ago. His thunderous face when taken off against Blackburn Rovers, in place of Obertan, told the full story.

It seems wholly evident that Nani has arrived at a crossroads at Manchester United. He is an all-round more skilful player than United's other options in wide areas - Valencia, Ji-Sung Park et al, and offers a dazzling concoction of pace, trickery and unpredictability drawn from being comfortable with either foot. After his man of the match exploits for Portugal against Bosnia-Herzegovina, anyone in that part of the world will tell you he's a great player.

But alas, Nani's unpredictability is starting to get the better of him at Old Trafford, and one gets the impression Ferguson is starting to consider setting the stopwatch on the Portuguese winger's United career. It is up to the player to try and make sure there is added time.

Does Nani have a future at Manchester United? Or should he be sold and a replacement winger brought in? Comments welcome.

Supporting a 2nd Team - Acceptable Practice or Ultimate Fan Treachery?

2009-11-27T14:22:00.001Z

by Steve Candy

I am a Tottenham Hotspur fan. If that hasn’t been made clear when reading my previous columns I feel it should be stated now. Sometimes I wonder why the statement is greeted with colourful language and laughter. Then I remember we live in a world where Nicklas Bendtner got away with wearing luminous green boots.

Regardless of the banter, I am a Tottenham Hotspur fan. I worshipped Erik Thorsvedt, I used to nominate myself as Paul Stewart when kicking a tennis ball in the playground, I wanted to learn how to tackle like Tarricco and I really, really wanted Steffen Freund to score a goal. I even nodded in sober agreement when a nearby fan at White Hart Lane actually screamed in melodramatic protest when Wilson Palacios looked to angle the ball to an ineffectual Tom Huddlestone in our recent defeat to Stoke. As you can see I didn’t grow up with the famous ‘push and run’ team of Arthur Rowe or the glory days of Bill Nicholson but I am still a Tottenham Hotspur fan and am sure to still be when we are playing in the ‘Favourable Fried Chicken’ stadium from the middle of the next decade.

Everything you have read previously has been written with the deepest of sincerity (except the Mauricio Tarricco reference) but I wonder if, as a fan of football, I am finding it to be enough. I say this because over the years a small collection of clubs have been allotted a small place in my affections just underneath the lilywhites. It has not been adequate to restrict myself to my chosen club side and the national team to sate my footballing desires.

I don’t just seem to start liking teams, although I cannot pinpoint one definitive reason for me to ‘follow’ them in the classifieds on a Saturday evening or in Sunday’s newspaper to see how they’ve done. I also have never gone as far as wearing these teams' replica jerseys or other merchandise, though I have gone to see some of them play. Different factors appear to have contributed to my fondness for this disparate and ( if Tottenham’s travails over the twenty years I have been a fan are anything to go by) unfortunate group of teams:

1) My local team are Welling United. Throughout my youth they gave free tickets to my schools in order for attendances to be boosted by groups of children that only went along to run on the pitch after the final whistle. I watched Northwich Victoria beat them 5-1 on a Saturday once. They used to call their ground (Park View Road) the San Siro as a Fiat dealership was located opposite. Two years ago they played their evening games at a ground whose team were at least a league below them because they couldn’t afford to get theirs fixed.

I really started to follow Welling United when, in secondary school, a classmate came along in a full kit. After some tongue in cheek questioning I realised my narrow-mindedness in making my choice as a six year old. I had gone for Gazza over geography; I was still committed to my relationship with Christian Gross and his underachievers, but became slightly angry at the infant me.

Years later I saw the boy that brought out so much admiration from me and told him so. After paying more attention to the club I was able to converse with him and he imparted that the small group of loyal away fans were often bought a drink by then manager Adrian Pennock in the bar after a game. What a way to feel appreciated by your club.

2) My university education happily took me to Devon. It is not an area regarded for its footballing achievements like the North West. Being situated an almost equal distance from Exeter, Plymouth and Torquay allowed me to sit on the fence and follow all three teams.

I was living in the county when Plymouth Argyle rose through the leagues to be a constantly progressing feature of the Championship (sadly not the case now) and felt betrayed when Ian Holloway abandoned ship. Exeter City became a circus and went into non-league football with me being a spectator at (the still properly named) St. James Park in those bewildering times, but rose from that with an admirable supporter-led stewardship along with Alex Inglethorpe’s management (now, coincidentally, at Tottenham) to achieve a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford. And Torquay United…was very close to the sea. With each of these teams in a different tier of the football league I am allowed to watch out for them happily and equally until that changes. I really do not know what would happen if they came up against each other in cup competition.

Watching football in the pub was also an experience. Given the teams were so rarely chosen for television coverage, supporters of the three teams got over this by twinning their club. Liverpool was cheered on by Plymouth fans, Manchester United by Torquay and Arsenal by Exeter. This led to the majority of games in pubs feeling like local derbies and my affection for the three clubs grew.

3) I never thought I would look out for a team in Greece but it happened. The team is Aris Salonika; I follow them because I like to be able to talk with my Greek friend about his team rather than make him listen to me go on about Spurs’ weakness on the left hand side. The fact that their result forever seems to be 1-0, 0-1, 0-0 or 1-1 allows me to question whether or not they are called the binary codes by their loyalists.

For the exact same reason my team in France is Olympique Marseille. It is a lot easier to converse with my Gallic friend about his boys. Ligue Un obviously receives infinitely more press coverage and the team has had some of the world’s recent best footballers wear their shirt. I've also accompanied my friend to Marseilles and been in an ultras bar for a televised game. I never used to like Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ but will always be invigorated by fond memories when that song is played now.

When I was fourteen I was on a school trip in Holland and a group of us were taken to see Roda JC play. Roda won 3-0 and I have looked out for them ever since. For the record they came perilously close to relegation last season. What has reinforced my link with this club was the fact that the manager of Roda JC that day was none other than Martin Jol. I only realised this when I took a look through my old programmes and his chin led grin looked back at me. I felt affirmed.

There are other teams that I like to see do well. Burton Albion are one because I admired Nigel Clough for taking a, with all respect to Burton Albion, lowly job and almost seeing it through to the football league. I'd love to have seen Clough take them past the non-league post and then triumphantly start at Derby County this season. Managers and players I admire also usually lead me look out for their clubs - Dario Gradi’s Crewe Alexandra and Paolo Maldini at AC Milan being examples.

Is it right to follow clubs like this if you officially support just the one? Was it hypocritical of me to disrespect my friends who chopped and changed from Manchester United to Blackburn Rovers to Arsenal and then to Charlton Athletic when they got up to the Premier League for the first time in 1998, when I have just admitted my liking for others?

As always let me know what you think with questions, criticisms and advice. I thought about including Phil Jagielka somewhere as he always seems to crop up in comments to my columns. Would be great to see him mentioned again!

Why Does Nobody Want The Scotland Job?

2009-11-25T16:54:00.002Z

Craig Levein - Scotland's only answer?

by Mark Ferguson

Just under a fortnight ago, Scotland suffered an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Wales to signal the end of George Burley's Scotland career after only 22 months in charge. This was not the first time that Burley's position as Scotland manager had come under scrutiny. However, where he had been given more time previously, time had now well and truly run out for him.

The headline of nobody wanting the Scotland job may sound a little dramatic and inaccurate with some managers already putting their hat in the ring. It would probably be more precise to say: why does no one with the right credentials want the Scotland job?

The early favourites to land the job were Walter Smith and Craig Levein. However, Smith has already said he is not interested in the post and although Levein has not yet stated definitively whether he is interested or not, it is believed he will want to continue to manage at club level for Dundee United for the foreseeable future. That leaves Graeme Souness, who is said to be reluctant because he was turned down in favour of George Burley previously, and ex-players like John Collins and Gary McAllister who have had limited managerial experience.

The obvious next step would be to look to bring in a foreign manager to shake things up a little. But after Scotland's bad experience with Berti Vogts the Scottish FA are reportedly very unwilling to bring in a foreign coach and instead want to explore all avenues for a home-grown manager.

To answer the question regarding why no one wants the job, I suppose the lack of talent that Scotland have in their squad at the moment as well as the number of players who have recently said they will never play for Scotland again are two huge reasons. Anyone taking the reins has to deal with all the problems and rifts that occurred during Burley's time in charge while completely revamping the whole set up and going back to basics. A fresh approach is needed at this important time, but in modern day football time is something not often given.

There have been a number of managers linked with the job, but none have been big names that will truly command respect in the dressing room. This was also Burley's problem; he didn't command respect and was continually undermined until it got to the point where there was literally nothing he could do right. A strong coach, who the players will respect, is needed. Though with the most likely candidates already looking to have ruled themselves out it won't be easy to find Scotland a new manager.

Written by Mark Ferguson, a sports writer who blogs about cheap football shirts.

Who should the SFA appoint as Scotland manager next? Is Craig Levein the only man for the job? Or should another foreign manager be appointed? Comments welcome.

Barça v Inter: Can Mourinho, Swine Flu & Rubin Kazan Down European Champions?

2009-11-24T09:05:00.003Z

Will we see a huge early Champions League upset for Barça? (Manuel Montilla)

Jose Mourinho, as he is wont to do, has been speaking again. "Only Guardiola and I respected this [Champions League] group. Everyone thought Inter and Barcelona would be first and second and that it would be a stroll in eastern Europe. But the other two teams aren't here on holiday and, who knows, they may send one of us to the Europa League and the other one home."

This time however, one gets the feeling that the mischievous Portuguese coach is talking less smack and more sense. The east is rising in Group F, and it could be about to claim two European giants.

Matchday 5's Champions League games in this group pit FC Barcelona against former son Samuel Eto'o and Inter Milan, while in the depths of Russian winter newly crowned champions Rubin Kazan play Dynamo Kyiv. The situation is thus: if Inter Milan grab a win at Camp Nou and Rubin Kazan beat Dynamo, the European champions FC Barcelona go out of the competition as early as the group stage. It would be a huge upset.

Barcelona's task is far from straightforward. Even allowing for the possibility that they beat Inter, if Rubin Kazan win their game Barça would still need something from the final group game in Kiev to guarantee safe passage to the knockout phases. No wonder coach Josep Guardiola is calling on supporters to get fully behind the team on Tuesday.

In order to continue the defence of their Champions League crown past Christmas, Barcelona need safely navigate the following:

Jose Mourinho & Samuel Eto'o

Mourinho's relationship with the Catalan people is as special as his old moniker. But not in a good way. He goads them, they taunt him - everyone is happy in disharmony. Only Jose Mourinho, you feel, would wade proudly onto the Camp Nou turf prior to a crucial Champions League game to soak up the crowd's relentless jeers and boos, waving his arms frantically like a struggling orchestra conductor. He loves it.

The chance to be centre stage in Catalunya once again, this time by helping shove the European champions through the exit door, is highly likely to appeal to his ego. "I want to beat them with all my soul," Mourinho told journalists before Tuesday's game, and quite aside from victory being an appealing string for the coach's managerial bow, his team needs it. A win would send Inter into the next round.

Barça must also securely see off the attacking prowess of their former hero Samuel Eto'o, who Guardiola sold to Inter back in the summer. Eto'o spent five seasons with Barcelona, scoring 109 goals in 144 league appearances including 30 last season. In the Champions League he managed 18 in 43 games, and with goals in two winning finals Eto'o's name is forever etched into Barcelona history.

Now however, he poses a dangerous threat to his former club's current Champions League status. "He [Eto'o] will get the reception he deserves, and he deserves a good one," Guardiola said of his former No9. "The fans understand the player was not responsible for his exit, his coach was." Warm reception or not, Barcelona's defence needs to be on it's toes. Something tells me the Cameroonian hasn't forgotten how to score at the old stomping ground.

Swine flu & injuries

Though Barcelona remain unbeaten in La Liga this season, a string of injuries and a nasty outbreak of swine flu has hindered their recent progress. Deprived several players against Athletic Bilbao last weekend Barça scraped a 1-1 draw, and Guardiola will be without several players against Inter.

With Yaya Toure, Eric Abidal and Rafa Marquez all suffering from the H1N1 virus, swine flu looks to have plonked a massive pork chop in Guardiola's defensive plans for the game. Against Bilbao he lined up with Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Dmytro Chygrynskiy and Maxwell in defence, and a similar back four will have to deal with Eto'o, Diego Milito and co against Inter.

Barça also have problems in attack with key players Lionel Messi and former Inter hitman Zlatan Ibrahimovic doubtful. Hardly ideal ahead of a must-win game.

The rise of Rubin Kazan

Until they shocked the football world with a 2-1 win at the Nou Camp back in October, few people took Russian champions Rubin Kazan seriously in this competition. But now the Tatarstan outfit hold the keys to Barcelona's Champions Leage destiny in their hands. Rubin took four points from their two meetings with Barcelona. Consequently the Russians sit ahead of Guardiola's side in Group F by virtue of a better head-to-head record. Rubin have a big part to play in the outcome of this group.

Barça's future is still in their own hands at the moment, but if they can't beat Inter at home their progress will most likely depend on how Rubin fare. If Inter win and Rubin beat Dynamo Kyiv it'll all be over for the current European Cup holders.

Rubin Kazan became the first ever Russian team from outside Moscow to win their domestic league more than once last weekend. Having already stunned Barça twice this season they'll be feeling they can now help put the champions out to pasture.

Will Barça beat Inter Milan and qualify for the knockout stages or are we in for an almighty upset in Group F? Let us know your thoughts ahead of the game by leaving a comment.

Over-Protecting Owen: Dissecting A Popular Media Pastime

2009-11-23T17:03:00.005Z

Manchester United's overwhelming dominance of Everton in their 3-0 win at Old Trafford exposed more than just the obvious flaws in a Toffees side riddled with injuries and lacking zest. Sir Alex Ferguson's team put in a performance so energtic, so adept and so skilful that, nevermind Everton, even one of their own players couldn't keep up.

In the first half especially, the Red Devils played the sort of wonderful football that would raise a hearty grin from Roy Keane himself. As Everton sat contentedly with ten men behind the ball, United took to the task of carving them open like a butcher getting his turkeys ready for the festive season. The clever flicks, the fast-paced one and two touch passing, the intelligent runs into space, the relentless cutting edge in wide areas; it all came together for the champions as they played with a style and verve not seen arguably since playing Spurs off the park at White Hart Lane back in September.

Despite the overall brilliance though, one man in red looked well below the level of his teammates, the gulf in technical class so cavernous it was like watching a fan who has won a competition to play for Manchester United for a day.

That man was Michael Owen.

In the opening forty-five minutes against Everton, Manchester United managed 71% of the possession, a glowing symbol of their command on proceedings. Yet in the entire half, Owen managed just 14 touches of the ball. By contrast, striker partner Wayne Rooney saw the ball 52 times. When Owen did see possession his touches were laboured, his movements weary. Owen struggled to match the quick-thinking of his colleagues and United's repeated attempts to rev the engine towards a powerful crescendo stuttered visibly whenever the keys were in the hands of the former Ballon D'Or winner.

In comparison with his teammates, Owen was technically and physically exposed against Everton, and not for the first time in a red shirt. Owen has struggled to stand out several times now - Burnley being another prominent example, though fortunately for him the rest of the team was equally lacklustre in a timid 1-0 away defeat. And I can't help but feel that while obviously signed for the cutting edge he offers in front of goal, Owen's inability to tune into the same wavelength as his illustrious colleagues when United have possession makes him a questionable purchase even on a free transfer.

Press love-in

What transports Owen's underwhelming performances in a United shirt from slightly concerning to mildly irritating however, are the wild levels of protectionism offered the England striker by a media seemingly desperate to prop up the 29-year-old's fading hopes of boarding a plane to South Africa for the World Cup next summer.

It seems everywhere I turn at the moment lies a journalist or pundit in waiting, quip in hand, ready to absolve Owen any responsibility whatsoever in the time continuum commonly referred to as 'the present', because of the Chester-born striker's past achievements.

On ESPN, Kevin Keegan, Chris Waddle, Ray Stubbs and co nearly succeeded in turning a Premier League transmission of United v Everton into an extended, impassioned appeal to Fabio Capello to restore Michael Owen his place in the England squad. "In that final third there's no-one better," Keegan eulogised, ignoring the awkward fact that there were actually three better men on the pitch in that one game alone.

Meanwhile in the gantry, Waddle did all he could to defend Owen, excusing him any and every error over 90 minutes before eventually caving in and admitting the obvious - that he was dreadful. Prior to Waddle's final, reluctant concession that Owen had had 'an off-day', United's number 7 was exonerated blame for simple, misplaced passes because he's the one who 'gets on the end of chances', supported for a desperately weak left foot effort because he 'needs those to fall on his right' and defended his obvious tiredness towards the game's conclusion because he wasn't 'used to playing 90 minutes.' (A fair comment, but still worrying for a 29-year-old to be so short of fitness after a two-week international break, having made 16 appearances already this season).

Pundits have long since pointed to history and other irrelevant intangibles when it comes to assessing Michael Owen's present-day credentials, as if they somehow represent the trump card in any Owen-as-England-striker debate. See Alan Hansen's quotes in the Telegraph just last week:

"When it becomes a struggle against better opponents, you question who will score the goals. Owen is the one who has the proven track record.

He is not playing regularly for United and that is not ideal, but while [Peter] Crouch is a genuine threat with his height, if you asked any defender who he would rather see coming off England's bench in the final 15 minutes of a World Cup game, none of them would choose Owen."

Since when did hypothetical player surveys become acceptable, conclusive evidence of a footballer's ability? Unorthodox as it may be, Hansen might think to measure a striker on goals or form rather than imaginary opinion polls.

Then up pops Henry Winter on Twitter. "Poor Owen... didn't score v Everton but impressed with clever runs." With the greatest respect to Winter, an accomplished journalist, if Owen's runs were so clever, how was it he managed only three shots all game in a team that were offensively rampant? Winter's sympathetic tone only accentuates his part in this Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Owen that appears to be doing the rounds.

Now as most any pundit will tell you (alternatively you can check out his brochure), Michael Owen has 40 goals in 89 appearances for England. That is undeniably a remarkable record due high praise. But that is all it is now unfortunately, a record. Just as his efforts today should not be judged alongside it, neither should these statistics somehow pad his claims for an England place.

Owen v Defoe v Bent

Let's look at statistics though. Based on the 13 Premier League games so far this season, here is how Michael Owen compares to his two other main contenders for an out-and-out striker role in England's World Cup squad:

Darren Bent - Total Shots: 44, Shots on Target: 19, Goals: 9
Jermain Defoe - Total Shots: 44, Shots on Target: 21, Goals: 11
Michael Owen - Total Shots: 12, Shots on Target: 4, Goals: 2

Owen has far fewer minutes under his belt, granted. But if you assess the goalscoring ratios they still provide worthy insight:

Darren Bent - Shots on Target: 43%, Goals scored from all shots: 21%, Goals scored from all shots on target: 47%
Jermain Defoe - Shots on Target: 48%, Goals scored from all shots: 25%, Goals scored from all shots on target: 52%
Michael Owen - Shots on Target: 33%, Goals scored from all shots: 17%, Goals scored from all shots on target: 50%

These figures show that when Michael Owen gets an effort on target, his goal ratio does stand up favourably with other rivals. However, so far this season only 33% of Owen's shots have hit the target, a vastly lower number than both Bent and Defoe despite them having more efforts (and therefore more room for error). One might argue the oft-trotted out phrase that Owen knows better than any of his peers 'where the goal is' needs putting on temporary hold.

Now normally I don't like to get on players' backs unnecessarily. And I certainly don't want to write Owen off unfairly. He is one of this generation's finest England goalscorers, and is clearly trying hard to readjust to life in football's upper echelons after some troublesome years. And while I personally have my doubts, maybe in time he will adapt and measure up to the rest of the United squad's speed and technical mastery.

But in the meantime, the press and pundits need to tone down slightly the sugarcoating of this 'world-class-striker-reborn, triumphantly saves the day' narrative. There's already a brochure for that.

Robert Enke Remembered - Photo, Shoot Special

2009-11-20T16:03:00.005Z

Just over a week ago I was in Berlin. There chiefly to witness a moment of history, namely the celebrations to commemorate 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, I also made my way to the awe-inspiring Olympiastadion to see a struggling Hertha Berlin lose 1-0 at home to FC Köln. Whilst out there I was planning to write an in-depth piece on the state of German football right now, or on the grim prospect of one of Europe's great capitals having no team playing in the country's top division.

Then the news filtered through about Robert Enke.

News about Enke's tragic suicide hit the entire nation like a punch in the gut. People were left devastated and saddened that a man who had fought all his professional life to establish himself as Germany's number one keeper would take his own life just when it appeared he had finally achieved his goal. But, as this story exemplifies in the most distressing of ways, football is not everything and satisfying a career ambition is sometimes not enough.

Enke's problems were well-documented; the long-term illness and eventual passing away of his daughter from a heart condition at the age of two was a crushing weight to bear for both Robert and his wife, and pressures of a life in the spotlight had already dragged Enke's state of mind into an unenviable trough of despair and depression. Enke's father has since spoken publicly about the depression his son suffered from an early age.

"He did not have faith in himself. He was trapped within his own ambition," Dirk Enke, a sports psychologist, told the German media after Robert's suicide. "He was always very close to [seeking psychiatric treatment at a care institute], to being admitted, but then he would always say 'if I went into a psychiatric clinic, then that would be the end of football for me'," revealed his father. "That is the only thing I am good at and enjoy doing."

Ultimately what Enke enjoyed doing became a millstone around his neck that would eventually prove too much for him to bear. Following the death of his biological daughter he and wife Teresa adopted, but Enke worried that the adoption would be annulled by the authorities if his depression became public knowledge. "He thought there was no hope of a recovery on the horizon for him," his wife told a press conference. Trapped, Enke unfortunately chose what he could see as the only way out.

An aspect Robert Enke found most difficult about life in the spotlight was the constant weight of expectations, the fear of letting down the people around him, teammates and supporters alike. Enke's spells at FC Barcelona and Fenerbahce were brief and unhappy memories because any mistakes were vilified by a brutal press corps and amplified to an unforgiving public.

If there is perhaps one thing we can learn from this, I think, it is the importance of remembering what football really is - a game, to be shared and enjoyed. As journalists, writers, supporters and observers we all have a moral responsibility to treat the main protagonists of this game with an element of dignity and respect, keeping in mind the fact they, like us, are human beings prone to the same doubts, fears and grievances as anybody else.

To my mind, one of Robert Enke's most telling quotes is the following, to German magazine 11 Freunde: "When speaking with the press, I always have two opinions. My personal feelings, and those which I serve to the public." It portrays a man trapped in a bubble - wary and reluctant to air his real feelings to a cynical press and unsympathetic wider football world that loves you when things are going well but hisses, boos and spits you to one side at the first signs of struggle.

In this, a Photo, Shoot special, we look at some of the images captured around the time of Enke's passing as people gathered to pay their respects:

The scene at Eilvese station, Neustadt, where Enke's body was found: (click photos to enlarge)

In Hannover: (click photos to enlarge)

The wider football community also came together to remember Robert Enke:

A moving memorial service for Enke at Hannover's AWD-Arena:

And highlights of Robert Enke's last game before his death, a 2-2 draw against Hamburger SV.

Robert Enke, 24th August 1977 - 10th November 2009.

Photo credits: markunti, claudia z, Lasse Frei, hansiong, 112pix and goekce. nartekk on Flickr. Photos 1-3 courtesy of Christian Elsner - Neue Presse.

How It Feels To Reach The World Cup Finals...

2009-11-19T18:23:00.005Z

204 nations entered the running for a place at World Cup 2010. From Burundi to Guam to Tahiti, everybody wants to be involved in the planet's most popular spectacle. "Around half the planet watched the 2006 World Cup final," writes David Goldblatt in his seminal masterpiece The Ball Is Round. "Three billion human beings have never done anything simultaneously before." But only 32 nations make the finals. The other 172 can only watch and dream.

Qualifying, therefore, is an achievement as rich and fulfilling as it is uniting. It prompts wild outpourings of spontaneous glee and brings together millions in joyous unison. In some countries, warring factions down arms for ninety minutes only. Tribes divided by decades of bloody rivalry become allies, partners, compatriots. It means something.

So with the last few remaining places up for grabs tension was as high as it could possibly be. And for the victors, elation and relief combine to create a heady mix of emotions. Don't take my word for it - witness for yourself:

Algeria (played in Sudan):

Slovenia (Maribor):

(Ljubljana):

Uruguay (Montevideo):

These are just some of the scenes inspired by qualifying for a World Cup (not to forget the elated brilliance of radio commentators when Honduras made it). And that's just for getting there. Now I'm not sure how you feel about international breaks and the like. Perhaps you see them as inconvenient interludes interrupting the ebb and flow of the 'real' stuff at club level? It's an interesting point of view, held by many. And if we're talking of the grim, dull spectre that is the modern international friendly it's an opinion with a lot of merit.

But when it comes to the sharp end of qualifying for a major international tournament like the World Cup, few occasions in the sport are more thrilling, more poetic or more suspenseful than a do or die clash for entry into an event that occurs but once every four years. 203 days now remain until South Africa 2010 gets underway. Somebody start the countdown.

World Cup 2010 - Aviation Industry Geared for Take-Off

2009-11-18T17:06:00.004Z

Time for a special guest post on Just-Football.com now as we extend a warm welcome to Godfrey Pule Selepe, Chairperson of the FIFA 2010 Aviation Task Team in South Africa. With preparations for World Cup 2010 ongoing across all the country's major industries, Mr. Selepe agreed to give Just-Football.com readers insight into how the aviation industry is preparing to handle the increased demands of staging a World Cup finals.

During May 2005 FIFA, the world soccer governing body selected South Africa as the host of the 2010 World Cup. South Africa had missed hosting the 2006 event that went to Germany by a single vote. This is the first time that the World Cup tournament will be staged on the African continent. South Africa had dispatched heavy-weights that included president Nelson Mandela, president Mbeki and Archbishop Desmond Tutu to Zurich to lobby the FIFA executive. The entire continent of Africa had also thrown its weight behind that bid, making it an African bid. The rallying call was that Africa’s time had arrived.

Many people in Africa are looking at this event to show-case the continent and to help eradicate the unfortunate stereotypes holding back its development. In South Africa, it is anticipated that hosting this event will generate about R24,4 billion from direct, indirect and induced expenditure and a further R7,2 billion from taxes. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the event will create approximately 159 000 jobs. Hosting the World Cup also presents South Africa with a rare opportunity to kick-start some of the key programmes and objectives of government. It is expected that the tournament will leave a lasting legacy in terms of infrastructure and services in areas such as roads and public transport, sports, telecommunications and other important spheres of life.

Following South Africa’s selection as host country for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, the Department of Transport (DOT) initiated a process of consultation with the transport sector, which culminated in the development and adoption of the 2010 Transport Action Agenda. Through the Action Agenda the transport sector has committed to supporting the successful delivery of the 2010 football event by ensuring the efficient mobility of teams, FIFA Family and spectators.

It is anticipated that unlike during the previous World Cup, Germany 2006, the aviation sector will play a crucial role in the hosting and delivery of a successful tournament in 2010.

It is also generally accepted that whilst South Africa’s aviation sector has coped well with past events, the challenges in respect of both international and domestic air travel during the 2010 World Cup will place unprecedented demands on this sector. The Organising Committee (OC) estimates that approximately 350 000 to 450 000 international spectators will visit South Africa for the World Cup. This translates into approximately 1 285 full wide body aircrafts in one direction.

Soon after the launch of the 2010 Transport Action Agenda in 2006, the Aviation Sub-sector Task Team (ASSTT) was established to develop a framework and coordinate aviation sector operational planning for the World Cup. The ASSTT has brought under one umbrella, various stakeholders working for the successful hosting of World Cup 2010. Participants include regulators and service providers such as airports, airlines, air traffic management and related services. From the outset, it became clear that the need for intense co-ordination and collaboration would extend not only to these key components, but also to the myriad of auxiliary stakeholders such as ground-handlers and fuel suppliers.

Since its inception, the ASSTT has successfully undertaken many activities, including the following: (click to enlarge)

The aviation capability study, conducted by the ASSTT in 2008, gave an overview of available design capacity at the various airports, the anticipated passenger demand at these airports per route, per day, per hour, the levels of airline seat supply and the possible shortfall in terms of both airport infrastructure and air supply. This was a fairly comprehensive study. The aviation sector is currently plugging the gaps that were identified.

The aviation strategy for 2010, developed soon after the capability study, is informed by FIFA requirements and government guarantees relating to civil aviation. It seeks to achieve the following:

To ensure adequate airport infrastructure and the smooth handling of aircraft, passengers and baggage through the airports.

To ensure adequate and efficient air transport services to transport spectators to South Africa, to and from World Cup matches and back to their home countries.

To ensure the safe coordination and efficient movement of aircraft within the South African airspace.

To ensure that passengers are transported safely according to international standards and expectations.

To ensure maximum security for air transport passengers during the World Cup.

This strategy has also provided the overall operational planning framework for the aviation sector. Some of the draft operational plans were put to a test during the Confederations Cup in May/June 2009. Although the aviation sector handled this tournament fairly well, it is accepted that the Confederations Cup is too small when compared with the World Cup, and that therefore it has not sufficiently tested the ability and capability of the aviation sector. However, some operational procedures were tested and are being jerked up based on the Confederations Cup experiences.

In line with the understanding that FIFA 2010 is an African World Cup, only staged in South Africa, the African Civil Aviation Conference 2010 was convened in Boksburg, South Africa, during June 2009. The purpose of the conference was to create a platform where participants could explore possibilities for the involvement and participation of the African civil aviation community, particularly airlines. The conference was attended by key stakeholders including the African Civil Aviation Commission, African Airlines Association and numerous airlines on the continent. This forum provided the industry with relevant information by speakers representing organisations involved in the core planning for the World Cup.

At this stage of preparations we are confident that the aviation sector will live up to expectations elucidated in the strategy document. Admittedly, there are still many challenges and loose ends to tie up. But according to our determination, those are not insurmountable. In our preparations:

□ The main air traffic management company has upgraded air navigation infrastructure and has trained additional air traffic controllers for the World Cup.

□ The Airports Company South Africa and other airports operators have carried out massive airport infrastructure upgrades, resulting in an expanded state of the art airport network.

□ Airlines have embarked on elaborate plans, in some cases even trebling their schedules, for the World Cup.

In the next few days the qualifying rounds will be completed and teams which will participate in the World Cup in 2010 will be known. FIFA is scheduled to conduct the draw on the 4th of December 2009.

The process of updating and consolidating operational plans for the aviation sector will be accelerated after the draw with a view to finalising outstanding arrangements by the first quarter of 2010. After that it should be all systems go. And we are confident that the aviation sector in South Africa and the continent, working together with our international partners, will help the country and Africa deliver a memorable World Cup in 2010.

Godfrey Pule Selepe is Chairperson of the FIFA 2010 Aviation Task Team. He writes in his personal capacity.

Can Bosnia & Slovenia Upset FIFA's Applecart?

2009-11-18T14:00:00.002Z

Edin Dzeko - Bosnia's dangerman (AFP)

When FIFA announced back in September that they were going to seed the UEFA European playoffs for World Cup 2010 qualification, they instantly drew the ire of countless people collectively crying 'FIX!' Given the announcement came a matter of weeks before the end of the qualification process at a time when several of the bigger, more financially lucrative nations such as Portugal and France found themselves in perilous positions, FIFA had little comeback. A whimper here and there about how the 2006 World Cup qualification playoffs were also seeded and that was about it. Compared to the angry fire-breathing from the likes of Giovanni Trapattoni, FIFA's meek response on the subject merely crystallised the pervading sense that this was a scrappy, last-ditch attempt by Sepp Blatter and co to protect their investment.

A little further down the line and we know exactly what the playoff draw conjured up. Nations like Bosnia-Herzegovina, Europe's fourth highest scoring team despite being thrown in with relentless European champions Spain, and Ireland, unbeaten in qualification including two games against the world champions, were deemed statistically inferior to the Russias and Frances of this world and forced to endure yet another round of numerical dumbing down. No open draw said FIFA - minnows versus big guns instead.

That meant Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Portugal, Ireland vs France, Slovenia vs Russia and Ukraine vs Greece.

If we are to assume that, based on first leg outcomes, Ireland are all but out and the lines between Greece and Ukraine are too blurred to establish definable minnows and giants, this leaves Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina as the sympathetic neutral's last two chances to overcome the administrative odds and stick FIFA's seeding system right up Sepp Blatter's as...phalt-laden driveway.

The burning question then is - can Bosnia-Herzegovina and Slovenia defy the odds?

The answer, I would say, is quite straightforward. Yes. Both are in encouraging if not ideal positions and both will now feel that having lived with their more illustrious opponents in the first leg, they can move in for the kill in round two.

Bosnia vs Portugal

Standing just one game away from the nation's first ever World Cup since gaining independence from Yugoslavia in 1992, Bosnia are certainly not lacking motivation. In fact judging by their coach Miroslav Blazevic's comments the players are chomping at the bit. "Normally in my long career I have had to inject tension; this is the first time I have had to calm things down," said the outspoken coach who led Croatia to third place at World Cup '98. "We will launch an onslaught like hungry wolves from the start." Supporters are also doing their part to crank up the tension - scores of Bosnian fans greeted the Portuguese delegation with a none too welcoming reception at the airport in Sarajevo, prompting members of the Portuguese football federation to consider a complaint to FIFA.

Bruno Alves' effort settled matters in a 1-0 win for Carlos Queiroz's side in Lisbon at the weekend, but Bosnia were desperately unlucky not to come away with an away goal having more than held their own over the course of the match. Blazevic's side also hit the woodwork three times. Frustrating, but also strangely encouraging. If the players can put in a repeat performance surely they can't be as unlucky a second time around.

Getting to within one game from South Africa has been no fluke for Bosnia. Blazevic has a very gifted collection of players at his disposal. Edin Dzeko has been prolific for the last year and a half upfront for both country and his club, German champions VfL Wolfsburg, and the striker is supported by the likes of Miralem Pjanic, Zvjezdan Misimovic, Vedad Ibisevic and Elvir Rahimic. Unfortunately for Bosnia however Rahimic, Emir Spahic and Samir Muratovic are all injured which is a big blow to the team's midfield and defence.

Portugal of course will be without main man Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Queiroz has ample talent at his disposal. Nani seems to find national team duties a welcome respite from the pressures of club and thrived in attacking positions last Saturday, while Deco is in form for club and country at the moment and should shake off a muscle strain to start. One gets the feeling that an away goal for Portugal might be enough to kill off Bosnia here. One away goal would require the home side to score three which, unless Dzeko and Ibisevic have their shooting boots on, would appear unlikely. Tough one to call but Bosnia's chance is now and they will be desperate to grab it.

Slovenia vs Russia

Arshavin wriggles free (AFP)

For some reason I can't help shake the feeling that Slovenia might pull off an upset here. Russia were comfortably dominant for large spells of the home leg in Moscow, easing into a 2-0 lead before falling asleep and allowing Slovenia Nejc Pecnik an away goal late on. That could prove vital to the outcome of this tie, with Slovenia now having something to aim for. 2-0 down would have been nigh on insurmountable. Now though, a 1-0 win sends them to South Africa.

As groups go Slovenia's was a pretty navigable one really. Czech Republic and Poland aren't what they once were, San Marino are beyond the pale and Northern Ireland are Northern Ireland. The paucity of opposition allowed coach Matjaz Kek to steer his men into the playoffs and the step up in class when facing Russia seemed to affect the team in the first half. Andrey Arshavin, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Yuri Zhirkov in particular posed Slovenia a constant threat, and Bilyaletdinov took his two goals superbly. If CSKA Moscow star Alan Dzagoev shakes off an injury as is looking likely, that quartet definitely have the ability to do damage to the hosts in Maribor.

Russia boss Guus Hiddink believes the away goal "gives Slovenia an advantage" and given that the hosts only conceded one goal at home during qualifying he could be right. Slovenia have a track record when it comes to playoffs having won two of their last three in getting to Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup. I would question whether they have the necessary firepower to pose Russia real problems though. Apart from set pieces Kek's men scarcely proved troublesome in attacking areas in Moscow and though they managed 18 goals in qualifying, 8 of them came against San Marino leaving just 10 in the other 8 games. Hardly teeming with goals. Kek will again look to FC Koln's Milivoje Novakovic for goals.

One gets the feeling that, were it to happen, a Bosnia/Slovenia double-whammy would really get up FIFA's nose tonight. Ireland have a near impossible task given France's home record but if they too could pull off an upset you can imagine Sepp Blatter's face turning redder than the tape used to attempt to re-balance the odds in the bigger nations' favour. That would be a picture.

7 Best Young Players at the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2009

2009-11-17T17:27:00.006Z

The praise was Nigeria's but the prize was Switzerland's. Hot on the heels of the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt and sandwiched between that and the real thing next summer, the Under-17 World Cup 2009 has now drawn to a close in Nigeria. FIFA President Sepp Blatter, taking a moment out of his busy days spent working out how to most 'effectively' seed World Cup draws, praised Nigeria for a "successful and well-organised competition" in which the participating teams "all expressed their satisfaction" at the warm hospitality of their hosts. A relief for the country at large, who were forced to put up with all the doubts and negativity and patronising votes of confidence right until the first games kicked off in Abuja.

As ever, the U-17 World Cup offers a great opportunity to get an early heads-up on the stars of tomorrow. You need only look at standout performers from previous competitions to realise that. Young men voted the best players of the last three tournaments before this one go by the names of Toni Kroos, Anderson and Cesc Fabregas. All three have used success at U-17 level as a springboard to brighter things, so the tournament's role as useful window into the future is undeniable.

So as Switzerland etch their name into the competition's history with their first ever trophy at this or indeed any level, which young players look destined to carve their names most memorably into football's future? Here are Just-Football.com's 7 best players of the tournament:

1, Stanley Okoro (Nigeria)

As far as I'm concerned Stanley Okoro was the best player of the tournament in Nigeria and it was a big surprise not to see his name on the list when individual honours were handed out. Already vastly influential for his club Heartland FC in Nigeria, Okoro defined the word 'talisman' in this competition. When he played the Golden Eaglets ticked, and at times the mantra 'if in doubt, pass to Stanley' seemed to be the order of the day for Nigeria.

Most of the time it worked too as Okoro's pace, dynamism, direct running and immense drive powered the team relentlessly on. 3 goals and 5 assists in 7 games tells the tale. No matter what Spain tried in the semi-finals they absolutely couldn't handle him and in the final there was a telling moment when, having been skinned by Okoro down the wing only for the move to break down, Swiss defender Bruno Martignoni looked around desperately at his teammates as if to say 'come on guys, help me out here.'

Okoro is a modern forward in the sense that he can play either as striker, winger or attacking midfielder. Such technical versatility, alongside his superb dribbling skills, will doubtless see Stanley Okoro leaving Heartland FC before long.

2, Iker Muniain (Spain)

"Football only has one language," says Athletic Bilbao veteran Joseba Exteberria, "and Iker Muniain has mastered it. If he continues along this path I believe he will become a world class player." The faith Exteberria has in his fellow Basque teammate certainly doesn't appear misplaced. Iker Muniain looks the real deal.

A rising star in the Athletic Bilbao first team, Muniain is breaking records left, right and centre for the Basque giants. First he became the youngest player ever to play for Bilbao, then the youngest to score for the club, then the youngest player to play for Bilbao in a league game. On October 4th 2009 Muniain then broke another record when, at just 16 years and 289 days, he became the youngest player to ever score in a La Liga match, bagging a goal against Real Valladolid.

In Nigeria, Muniain's influence was obvious. The "Basque Messi" was the first port of call for many of his teammates, the standout player in a team of technically impressive talents, and they sought to give the ball to the winger-cum-forward wherever possible. It was a shame to see him limp off in the semis against Nigeria. Spain were already under the cosh, but their fleeting hopes faded for good the second Muniain left the field. Boasting an explosive burst of pace and a delicate touch, Iker Muniain was one of the tournament's stars.

3, Nassim Ben-Khalifa (Switzerland)

Four goals and three assists in seven games secured Nassim Ben-Khalifa the Silver Ball award for second best player of the tournament in Nigeria, and the Grasshopper Zurich youngster was worthy of his award. Defences regularly struggled to cope with his dynamic, attacking play for Switzerland and together with striker partner Haris Seferovic the pair shot the Swiss to U-17 World Cup glory.

One of the most striking of Ben-Khalifa's many attributes on the pitch has to be his composure. For one so young it was thrilling to see how calm the 17-year-old kept in pressure situations throughout the tournament, and in the box this cool manner paid dividends. Perhaps it explains why he's already playing in Grasshopper's first team. His abilities on the ball are also hugely impressive. Initially of Tunisian origin, Ben-Khalifa was born in Switzerland and has represented his country at youth level from U-15s up. It seems only a matter of time before he makes the step up to Under-20 and eventually full international level.

4, Sani Emmanuel (Nigeria)

16-year-old Nigerian Sani Emmanuel must have one of the best goals per minute ratios in FIFA tournament history after his exploits for the Golden Eaglets here. The striker consistently came off the bench to score, but couldn't force his way into the starting lineup until Omoh Ojabu's injury finally saw Emmanuel thrust into the first team, for the final. Where, predictably, he failed to score. Nevertheless, 5 goals in 221 minutes playing time amounts to a goal every 44.2 minutes - a superb scoring record that saw the My People FC frontman named Golden Ball winner for the player of the tournament.

Diminuitive yet solidly built, there was an odd 'scorned son trying to impress ultra demanding father' narrative going on between Emmanuel and Nigeria Under-17 coach John Obuh during the competition, which explains Emmanuel's role as perennial supersub. During the final Obuh was constantly barking orders at the young striker and after one glorious chance went begging at his feet the manager pillared Emmanuel relentlessly, pointing at the bench angrily as if to say 'this is where you'll end up if you waste any more chances.' He was then taken off in the second half.

Whether this hints at a lack of tactical discipline on Emmanuel's part breeding mistrust in the manager, isn't clear. But the evidence on the pitch shows the young striker as a real handful for defenders. Quick, opportunistic in front of goal and a good finisher, Emmanuel played the role of team secret weapon to perfection.

5, Haris Seferovic (Switzerland)

Scorer of five goals in Nigeria including the winner against the hosts in the final, Haris Seferovic is a striker with the type of killer instinct that terrifies defenders. Originally of Bosnian heritage, Seferovic names Zlatan Ibrahimovic (also from a Bosnian background) as his biggest influence and it is clear to see that the Grasshopper Zurich youngster models his game on that of the FC Barcelona frontman.

Seferovic has something of the Alan Shearer about him. Direct and strong, the Swiss youngster is a number 9 in the traditional sense. He likes to play off the shoulders of defenders, makes intelligent runs in behind his man and when a chance comes his way he is clinical. At 6.1ft Seferovic also poses an aerial threat, as Nigeria learnt to their dismay in the final. Haris Seferovic is already playing in the first team at Grasshoppers having made his debut last season. The 17-year old has a promising future.

6, Marc Muniesa (Spain)

A product of FC Barcelona's thriving La Masia youth academy, Marc Muniesa is a 17-year-old defender considered by sources within the club to be the heir apparent to club captain Carles Puyol. Both strong and athletic, Muniesa can play either at centre defence or left back and has already made his first-team debut for the European champions, appearing as a substitute against Osasuna back in May. It didn't go too well for Muniesa however. He was sent off.

That didn't deter Pep Guardiola though and Muniesa found himself on the bench for the Champions League final a week later. A natural defender, the youngster from Lloret de Mar has a good left foot and loves to throw himself into tackles. In Nigeria Muniesa looked determined and assured at the back, though another sending off against Uruguay means he might have to work on the not getting sent off part of his game. Still, with the full backing of the club's hierarchy and provided they can ward off persist interest from Chelsea, Marc Muniesa should be appearing more regularly at the Camp Nou pretty soon.

7, Sebastian Gallegos (Uruguay)

Uruguay have a promising young generation of talent coming through the ranks at the moment with players like Nicolas Lodeiro, Jonathan Urretaviscaya and Sebastien Coates all impressing. Add to that list now Sebastian Gallegos. A left back turned winger who can also operate as a number 10, Gallegos was an integral part of the Uruguay U-17 team in Nigeria, dazzling with his authoritative style, deft touch and powerful left foot.

Gallegos scored five goals in Nigeria and was awarded the Bronze Shoe for his efforts. Signed by Atletico Madrid for a fee rumoured to be around €7 million euros in the summer, Gallegos has a big reputation already at youth level and lived up to it proudly with his exploits for the junior Celeste. His goal against Algeria and his second of two against Iran in the last 16 were magical testaments of his creative qualities. Two footed, crafty and an incisive passer to boot, Atletico look to have signed a top class player in the making.

What do you think? Anyone you believe should have been included? Comments welcome.
(photos by Getty Images)

Kiwi Dreams Come True - New Zealand into World Cup 2010

2009-11-16T10:15:00.001Z

by Saxon Durrant

New Zealand have done it, a 1-0 win against Bahrain booking their passage to the prime time event on all football calendars, the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Rory Fallon will now be remembered in eternity by history, his headed goal in the last minute of the first half proving decisive in sending New Zealand to South Africa. I have no doubt that Fallon's goal will be the image New Zealanders everywhere will remember for years after the World Cup, and cherished even when the build-up to Brazil 2014 has begun.

Let’s also not forget the All Whites goalkeeper, Mark Paston. He saved a 51st minute Sayed Adnan penalty that could quite easily have gatecrashed the party before it had even started. What a tremendous achievement for a nation that has had few chances to prove itself in the limelight of world football. What does this mean to the people of New Zealand however?

The answer to that is in fact an awful lot. For a country which does not consider football a major national sport it is clear that rugby union may now face some fierce competition for that spot. A record crowd of 35,100 supporters packed into the Westpac Stadium in Wellington to cheer their side on to victory. “They were our 12th man today and they got us home. I've played in some incredible atmospheres but this is right up there,” said skipper Ryan Nelsen, who many will know from Blackburn Rovers. This quote is testament to the 4 million people of New Zealand that will now see their country in South Africa next year.

As an Australian writing this article about a fairytale triumph I can relate as it was only a few years ago, in 2005, that our whole country, all twenty million of us, were gasping for breath as John Aloisi stepped up for a penalty against Uruguay. This penalty would send us through to the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Aloisi of course scored it and from that day football in Australia changed. The new A-League had started up a year earlier and interest grew rapidly. People watched as Australia reached the second round only to be knocked out by the eventual winners, Italy. The World Cup will certainly be an interesting time for New Zealand.

This is only the second time New Zealand have ever reached the World Cup finals, the first coming in the 1982 competition held in Spain. The team ended up finishing last of a group which contained the USSR, Scotland and Brazil, with no points and a whopping -10 goal difference. Could this be the same in 2010?

My head thinks that it will all depend on the group they are placed in. This could throw up some interesting fixtures, especially if Australia, England and New Zealand get thrown together in a group one way or another. Many assume that the New Zealand squad have no players of great quality; no Ronaldo, Gerrard or Drogba to call their own. While this may be true it is not to say that New Zealand should be underrated, anything but in fact.

Any Blackburn supporter will be familiar with Ryan Nelsen, the rock in the centre of defence and I should say that he will be vital to New Zealand in every way, to keep out the Drogbas and Henrys of international football. Another starlet in the Kiwis' squad is Shane Smeltz. A rather unknown figure in world football, Smeltz is largely considered to be the best finisher in the Australian A-League. This season alone he has netted 11 goals in 13 appearances as well as winning the golden boot last season with 12 goals. The man certainly has an eye for goal. One more to look out for is Chris Killen. The 28 year old Celtic striker should prove very helpful to coach Ricki Herbert who is looking for a better World Cup than 1982, a tournament he played in.

With the World Cup fast approaching it is hard to say confidently how New Zealand will fare. As I mentioned earlier, it will depend on the group. If they are unlucky enough to draw a Brazil or an Italy then the second round will look unlikely, but then is that what they are really aiming for? I think New Zealand should be immensely proud of even getting to the World Cup. Anything else is a bonus.

Saxon Durrant is the latest addition to the Just-Football.com writing team, specialising in football in Oceania.

Photo credit - Mark Mitchell