Some People Are On The Pitch

The Fantasy League is back!

2009-07-12T16:04:00.009+01:00

We know, we know... it is only July but hey - you weren't doing anything else during the Summer break were you?

Yes, it's the wonderful return of the official Fantasy Premier League competition for 2009/10 and more specifically SPAOTP's very own mini-league, custom-made just for you.

This'll be the third year SPAOTP has had a Fantasy Premier League running and we're hoping to attract even more competitors than the 67 we had in 2007/08 and the 121 we had in 2008/09. Chris Gordon was our winner last year with his team Leeds From The Front, but perhaps you can knock him off his perch?

If you think you can, here's what you do. First, take a trip to the FA Fantasy Premier League website and register to play. It's absolutely free and no harm will come to you.

Once you've done that, you need to pick a squad of fifteen players that you think will play well enough to score a hatful of points for you every week (more of which in a moment). From that fifteen, you'll choose eleven to play in your starting line-up whenever there's a match on and it'll be those eleven that will get you the points (hopefully).

The trick is to have enough decent players in your squad while not sending its overall value higher than the virtual sum of £100 million. Each player has a 'fantasy' value, and that generally reflects how good he is, so bear that in mind when you're about to pick Gerrard, Lampard and Robinho as it might leave you with no money left to buy any defenders or a goalkeeper.

And how are the points scored? Well your goalkeeper and defenders pick up four points for keeping a clean sheet (providing they've played for an hour or more in any given match), plus they'll pick up an extra six points for scoring a goal at any point. Midfielders score five points for every goal scored plus one for keeping a clean sheet and Attackers score four points for every goal they stick in the back of the net.

There are also added points if your player's voted one of the best in a match or has assisted a goalscorer, just as there are points deducted for missing a penalty or receiving a red or yellow card. Oh and if your nominated captain scores any points, they'll be doubled - a handy tip worth remembering, if you want our opinion...

Once you've had a quick look at all the rules and regulations that are available on the site, all you need to do is to name your team, give them an appropriately coloured strip (utterly pointless, but it gives your team some sort of identity) and find the option to 'Join a private league'. You'll be prompted to enter a code number, and that's where you'll type in 119473-33332 in order to be part of the SPAOTP Fantasy League experience.

And that's about it. All you need do then is sit back and wait for the action to begin on August 15th, assured in the knowledge that dozens of other players will soon be bowing to you as you race to the top of the league table. Well that's the theory anyway.

Feel inspired? Want to take part and help us make it an even bigger and better competition than last year? Then what are you waiting for - get along to the Fantasy League site and register your team now!

Oh and before we go - watch this space for more news about our other great games that you can play during the course of the season. We don't want you getting bored now, do we?

The Friday List of Little or No Consequence #121

2009-07-10T11:19:00.007+01:00

LOAD "football"...
17 Computer Games Endorsed By Famous Players

1. Brian Clough's Football Fortunes (ZX Spectrum/C64, 1987)
2. Diego (Amiga, 1992)
3. Emlyn Hughes International Soccer (ZX Spectrum/C64, 1989)
4. Franco Baresi's World Cup Kick Off (Amiga, 1992)
5. Gary Lineker's Hot Shot (C64, 1989)
6. Gazza's Superstar Soccer (Amiga/C64/Atari ST/ZX Spectrum, 1989)
7. Graeme Souness Soccer Manager (ZX Spectrum, 1992)
8. Graham Taylor's Soccer Challenge (Amiga, 1992)
9. John Barnes European Football (Amiga CD32, 1994)
10. Kenny Dalglish Soccer Manager (ZX Spectrum, 1990)
11. Kevin Keegan's Player Manager (Super Nintendo, 1993)
12. Michael Owen's WLS 2000 (Nintendo 64, 2000)
13. O'Leary Manager (Game Boy Color, 2000)
14. Peter Beardsley's International Football (ZX Spectrum/Amiga 1988)
15. Peter Schmeichel Soccer (Amiga, 1994)
16. Peter Shilton's Handball Maradona (C64, 1986)
17. Ronaldo V-Football (Playstation, 2000)

Football Americana Week 16: Happy Days for Cunningham

2009-07-08T11:00:00.002+01:00

Another stunted week in Major League Soccer, and another week of surprising results and solid if unspectacular footballing goodness Stateside. The focus was very much on the Eastern Conference as DC, Chicago and Columbus were all in action looking to cement their playoff challenge.

Week 16 kicked off at the altitude of Rio Tinto on Friday. San Jose Earthquakes went ahead just after the hour with a brilliantly taken goal by Arturo Alvarez, darting through with the ball on a string to finish past Nick Rimando in the Real Salt Lake goal. Fabian Espindola had seen plenty of the ball for RSL and created a sackload of chances, but the frustration got to him more than anyone - he was dismissed for scything down Brandon McDonald with 14 minutes to go. RSL still bagged the point, Chris Leitch pinching the ball off Yura Movsisyan's toe but placing it beyond his goalkeeper Joe Cannon.

On Saturday, DC United took their lead in the East to Columbus Crew, for whom a win would be enough send them above United. Tommy Soehn's men took the lead thanks to Christian Gomez who pounced to sweep in a loose ball after 33 minutes. United had enough chances to be home and dry, but it was Crew who found the net, Alejandro Moreno equalising from close range.

With United and Crew sharing the spoils, Chicago Fire had a chance to close the gap. They led Colorado Rapids 2-0 after just 37 minutes. Marco Pappa (left) got the first, bending it confidently into the corner from 12 yards. A towering Wilman Conde header converted a Cuauhtemoc Blanco corner for the second. Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch made a difficult save from a Conor Casey header in the 76th minute but was unable to make the ball safe, allowing Jacob Peterson to tap in the Rapids' consolation.

One goal was enough for Houston Dynamo at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Kei Kamara headed in a Mike Chabala cross to defeat Kansas City Wizards before whipping a white glove out of his shorts and paying tribute to deceased popstar Michael Jackson, chamone.

Pizza Hut Park hosted the Battle of Ineptitude between FC Dallas and New York Red Bulls, and FCD emerged victorious thanks to a lightning brace from Jeff Cunningham (right), playing up front to cover for USA Gold Cup pick Kenny Cooper. He got two goals in three minutes, the first a neat finish after a poor backpass by Luke Sassano and the second a tap-in from a pinpoint cross by Dave van den Bergh. Juan Pablo Angel almost missed from a yard, but the cross which he controlled towards the net just squeezed in for 2-1. He thought he'd levelled after half time but was ruled offside, a sight familiar to supporters of Aston Villa.

Alecko Eskandarian stole the headlines after moving to Los Angeles Galaxy from Chivas USA last week and scoring on debut against New England Revolution. The finish was simple but assured, Eskandarian turning a deep, diagonal cross into a gaping net to give the Galaxy all three points at HDC.

Results in the East leave DC United top from Chicago Fire, but both have 24 points. Houston Dynamo (31), Chivas USA (27) and Seattle Sounders (25) head up the West. Columbus Crew, Toronto FC and Colorado Rapids currently occupy the remaining playoff spots.

Full results and standings here.

(PHOTOS: ISIphotos.com, Vernon Bryant / DMN Photo Staff)

For more great football writing by Chris Nee, visit TwoFootedTackle.com...

Obscure Kits From British Football History #10

2009-07-08T09:12:00.005+01:00

Sheffield Wednesday (home)
1965 - 1972

As a football fan of some advanced years there comes a point in your life when you find yourself pondering some of the quirkier aspects of the game's history. Things like 'When was the last time Ron Atkinson was a colour other than orange?' or 'Was Bryan Robson born injured?'

One such question that recently crossed my mind (and frankly didn't have far to travel) was "Why are Arsenal the only team to wear a shirt that has white sleeves contrasting another main colour?" It did, honestly.

The answer I arrived at was a simple one. Arsenal's white sleeve motif is not unique in the history of world football. North of the border, Hibernian have worn green shirts with white sleeves for many years while other teams such as Middlesbrough and Manchester City have had brief dalliances with the same white-sleeved approach in the not-so-distant past.

One team, however, abandoned the longest traditions of their football kit history for seven long years back in the mid-60's as they opted for white sleeves on a blue shirt. They were Sheffield Wednesday.

If ever a club remained unflinchingly attached to the uniform they wore, it was this one. For as long as anyone can remember, Sheffield Wednesday have always entered the field of play wearing blue and white striped shirts - even going back to the late-19th century when they were simply known as 'The Wednesday'.

So many players have been seen wearing those stripes over the years: Tommy Craig, Terry Curran, Carlton Palmer (OK, perhaps not Carlton Palmer...) The team's on-field identity remained strong and resolute throughout, yet between 1965 and 1972 it was all thrown away in favour of the strip you see here.

And make no mistake - this wasn't a 'here today, gone tomorrow' affair either. This was a genuine attempt at injecting some life into a famous old club at a time when they were on something of a high.

Having established a foothold in the old Division 1 in the late-1950's, The Owls pushed on and reached the FA Cup Final in 1966, although sadly this kit wasn't seen at Wembley thanks to Everton having first choice of shirt colours. No matter - Wednesday's kit was seen by a great many people before it disappeared without trace in 1972, never to be seen again.

From that point onwards it was back to the tried and trusted blue and white stripes, but distinctive though they are, who here would like to see the white sleeves return? I would, but then that's because I have a mind that ponders on quirky stuff like Ron Atkinson's skin colour and Bryan Robson's medical record.

EPL Talk: Legends of English Football

2009-07-07T11:50:00.002+01:00

It's now our great pleasure to point you in the direction of a new series of articles over at EPL Talk that focus on the great players to emerge from the home of football.

Legends of English Football by Paul Bestall gives us a timely reminder of the icons that emerged in England while the sport still retained an innocent joy among its millions of followers.

Long before football went truly global and the money men moved in, England was a land where some of the finest players in the world could be seen every Saturday afternoon up and down the country. Epitomising all the skill and flair we still appreciate to this day, these legends of the English game would carry the dreams of young and old alike with their brilliant playing ability - and all before TV became the norm and decent wages were handed out in abundance.

Legends of English Football gives us the chance to remember some of those great and often overlooked players in history, and Part 1 of the series begins with arguably the best of them all - Sir Stanley Matthews.

For more of the same, keep checking back to EPLTalk.com as the series continues.

World Cup Bid 2018: Indonesia

2009-07-04T21:02:00.006+01:00

Think of the countries that have hosted World Cups in the past and you'll soon find yourself contemplating some of the legendary names from football history. Brazil, England, Germany, Italy, Argentina… the list goes on, but can you imagine that same list featuring Indonesia? If FIFA's committee of representatives decide to take a more adventurous and imaginative line, you might just find them on it in the years to come.

It's only been seven years since the World Cup first decamped on the Asian continent and if truth be known Indonesia may be overlooked in favour of near neighbours Japan for 2018. That said, many may find it an affront to return to Japan again so soon, so it’s possible Indonesia will benefit from playing the novelty card.

As it is, Indonesia can rely on rather more than just novelty to convince their doubters. Its population of 235 million are football mad and television audiences regularly top everything else on offer. It has one of the fastest growing football markets in the world, and the Indonesian Super League (Indonesia's top flight football competition) is expanding more and more with every passing year.

If FIFA wanted to ride the wave of outright passion and enthusiasm for the game over there, the 2018 World Cup might be the best excuse to do so. There are, however, many question marks hanging over key aspects of Indonesia's bid which FIFA will need some assurances over.

Stadia
As far as stadia are concerned, there are only three of any note which could be used if a World Cup had to be held in Indonesia tomorrow. The government-owned Bung Karno Stadium (left) in Jakarta is where the national team play. It has a capacity of 88,000 and was the setting for the Final of the 2007 Asian Cup competition. Elsewhere there's the 60,000-seater Palaran Stadium in Samarinda where local team Persisam plays, plus the multi-use Sriwijaya Jakabaring Stadium in Palembang which can seat 40,000.

Many other stadia in Indonesia have capacities between 25,000 and 30,000 and some of these will be upgraded to meet FIFA's minimum limit of 40,000. In addition, many venues have a running track which the world governing body generally frowns upon and would like to see used only sparingly.

So once the existing stadia are upgraded and the new ones are built, Indonesia will have a decent selection of venues available for the tournament, but with so much work to do to turn them into the finished article, FIFA's bid committee will need a lot of convincing that such a huge project can be completed on time.

Transport
Of course it's all very well having the stadia, but what if you can't travel easily between them? Here lies another issue for the Indonesian bid. Made up of over 17,500 islands, the country relies heavily on air travel to shuttle anyone affluent enough in and out of the country and between any of its major cities. Here, however, Indonesia is well set up with 161 airports and an extensive domestic airline network. What isn't so impressive, though, is the fact that Indonesia has one of the worst air travel safety records in the world. Hardly inspiring, you'll no doubt agree.

Elsewhere, the only decent rail facilities can be found on Java and Sumatra and all the motorways are tolled - not that that'll be a concern as the cost of privately owning a car makes them a rarity on Indonesia's roads.

Passenger ships run regularly between the islands and the best way to get from A to B is undoubtedly by bus but when half the world descends on this place for a World Cup, you have to wonder whether the existing transport infrastructure will be able to cope.

Dishonesty and devastation
Aside from the stadia and transport issues are some altogether more sinister concerns. Indonesia, like several other south-east Asian countries, has a problem with corruption that infiltrates various aspects of everyday life such as politics, economics and, specifically, football.

Anyone hoping to make a living from coaching can expect to be frustrated and put off reaching any level of greatness. Many of the people that run football in Indonesia are administrating the sport to their own financial benefit, as has been reported by foreigners that have witnessed this first-hand.

Peter Butler (left), a former West Ham player and coach in Asia was recently quoted as saying: “I myself am owed over $45,000 by my ex-club, Persiba Balikapapan, and over 50 players are presently fighting their cases with FIFPro at FIFA to receive what they are owed.

“There is no protection for coaches and players, and sadly many club officials manipulate the system for their own personal gain, sack coaches and players at will and refuse to pay what is owed on their contracts. The Indonesian FA turn a blind eye."

Whether FIFA choose to turn a blind eye remains to be seen, but the spectre of terrorism is one issue that you can be sure they won’t dismiss. In 2002, the island of Bali was rocked by a bomb explosion which killed 202 people and injured a further 209. The bombing was said to be the work of a violent Islamist group and though several people were convicted, a second incident three years later resulted in 20 more people dying from the work of three suicide bombers.

Indonesia has witnessed several other bombing incidents over the years that may or may not have been carried out by the same terrorist organisation, and security has naturally been stepped up to counter this threat. Only a sustained period of calm, however, will assure FIFA that a World Cup can forge a more peaceful path if it arrives in nine years time.

Summary
Let’s not delude ourselves then. Indonesia is without question the rank outsider of all the bidding nations for the 2018 World Cup, and though it isn’t a complete impossibility that the competition will be held there, it is difficult to look beyond the negative issues that need to be resolved.

Yet Indonesia have cleared the first hurdle on the road to hosting glory: believing that they have a right to be ambitious and to submit a bid in the first place. They know that on the football map they are a small entity with an incredibly low profile, but that needn’t always be the case. They are a nation of football-loving people and their appetite for the game deserves to be recognised. FIFA’s body of decision makers will certainly be quick to acknowledge that fact, but the less-palatable realities of Indonesia’s bid will be probably prove a little too hard to swallow.

(PHOTOS: jakmania.org, soccerphile.com, mysinchew.com)

The Friday List of Little or No Consequence #120

2009-07-03T14:26:00.002+01:00

Poor ex-samples
19 Players That Failed Drugs Tests

1. Frank de Boer
Former Dutch international defender. Tested positive for nandrolone while playing for Barcelona in 1994. Joined Rangers in 2004.

2. Lee Bowyer
Formerly of Leeds, Newcastle and West Ham. Tested positive for cannabis in 1995 and banned for several months. Made one appearance for England in 2002.

3. Chris Armstrong
Formerly of Tottenham, Crystal Palace and Bolton. Tested positive for cannabis in 1995 and banned for four matches.

4. Mark Bosnich
Former Australian international goalkeeper. Tested positive for cocaine while playing for Chelsea in 2002 and banned for nine months. Claims he'd drunk someone else's drink which had been spiked.

5. Danny Cadamarteri
Formerly of Everton, Bradford and Sheffield United. Tested positive for ephedrine in 2005 and banned for six months. Claims the substance formed part of a flu remedy he'd taken.

6. Fernando Couto
Former Portuguese international. Tested positive for nandrolone in 2001 while playing for Lazio and served a four month ban.

7. Edgar Davids
Former Dutch international midfielder. Tested positive for nandrolone in 2001 while playing for Juventus. Served a four month ban.

8. Rene Higuita
Former Colombian international goalkeeper and Scorpion Kick specialist. Tested positive for cocaine in 2004 while playing in Ecuador. Banned for six months before being caught again.

9. Willie Johnstone
Former Scotland international winger. Tested positive for the stimulant Fencamfamin during the 1978 World Cup. Accidently taken as part of an over-the-counter medicine.

10. Bernard Lama
Former French international goalkeeper. Tested positive for cocaine in 1998 and banned for two months. Was briefly coach of the Kenyan national football team in 2006.

11. Stan Lazaridis
Former Australian international. Tested positive for Finasteride while playing for Perth Glory in 2007. Finasteride is a prescription anti-alopecia medication but can be used to cover other performance-enhancing substances.

12. Diego Maradona
World football superstar and currently Argentinean national team coach. Tested positive for cocaine in 1991 while playing for Napoli and suspended for 15 months. Tested positive for ephedrine during the 1994 World Cup and was sent home.

13. Adrian Mutu
Romanian international striker. Tested positive for cocaine in 2004 while playing for Chelsea. Banned for seven months by the Football Association before joining Juventus.

14. Shaun Newton
Formerly of Charlton, Wolves and West Ham. Tested positive for cocaine in 2006 following The Hammers' FA Cup semi-final against Middlesbrough and banned for seven months.

15. Quim
Portuguese international goalkeeper. Tested positive for Nandrolone and consequently missed the 2002 World Cup Finals.

16. Romario
Former Brazilian international striker. Tested positive for Finasteride in 2007 despite claiming he was taking the substance as part of an anti-baldness treatment. Banned for four months.

17. Euzebiusz Smolarek
Formerly of Feyenoord and Borussia Dortmund. Tested positive for cannabis in 2002 and banned for two European matches by UEFA. Consequently nicknamed 'The Hash Bomber' by Feyenoord fans.

18. Jaap Stam
Former Dutch international defender. Tested positive for Nandrolone while playing for Lazio in 2002. Went on to join Milan.

19. Abel Xavier
Former Portugal international defender. Tested positive for anabolic steroid Methandrostenolone in 2005 and banned by UEFA for twelve months. Joined Middlesbrough in 2006.

Football Americana Week 15: Landon who? (just kidding!)

2009-06-30T22:46:00.004+01:00

Wow, what a week for American football! The national team rose from the dead in South Africa to stun Spain and Brazil in the Confederations Cup, eventually running out of steam in the final against Dunga's men. Make no mistake, it was an historic tournament for the USA - but while Landon Donovan was impressing us all with some fine performances for Bob Bradley, the Galaxy did some impressive business without their talismanic captain.

A truncated week was made all the more stunted by a Wednesday start. Two games took place, with two goals apiece. In Canada, struggling New York Red Bulls went down 2-0 against Toronto FC. Pablo Vitti opened the scoring, nodding over a stranded (through his own fault) Danny Cepero, and Dwayne DeRosario sealed the win with a delightful lob.

The points were shared at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, where David Ferreira (left) put FC Dallas in front, dinking the ball over the goalkeeper against the run of play. The first half hour saw some excellent goalkeeping by FCD's Ray Burse. The in-form Omar Cummings missed a sackful of chances for Colorado Rapids, but finally equalised with a more difficult opportunity with six minutes to go.

On Saturday, New York and Toronto were back in action. The Red Bulls travelled to Ohio to face Columbus Crew but were beaten 1-0 thanks to Chad Marshall, who headed in a corner on the stroke of half time.

Toronto were also on the wrong end of the result, slumping to a 3-0 hiding by Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto. RSL took the lead with a a cool Yura Movsisyan finish after he pounced on a stray backpass. Dreadlocked captain Kyle Beckerman made it two before half time, and Clint Mathis killed off Toronto by driving in a third.

The Rapids were back in action on Sunday, travelling to Qwest Field to face Seattle Sounders. Fredy Montero took the credit after glancing in a Nate Jaqua header, but he more than made up for it. First he acted as the wall in a one-two which Jaqua finished for 2-0, and then mis-controlled to tee Jaqua up perfectly to thump in his second. Cummings had missed a penalty for the Rapids at 1-0.

But it was Los Angeles Galaxy who provided the week's big surprise. With skipper Landon Donovan putting in a couple of brilliant shifts for the national team, the Galaxy still upset league leaders Houston Dynamo in Carson. Todd Dunivant (right) won it, turning a Mike Magee cross past Pat Onstad and into the corner to earn all three points for the Galaxy.

The Dynamo remain at the top, looking down on the rest of the West on 28 points along with Chivas USA on 27. DC United lead the East with 23 points from Columbus Crew who move up to 22. The next four are Seattle (West, 25), Toronto (East, 22), Colorado (West, 21) and Chicago Fire (East, 21). RSL and LA closed the gap on the Rapids, while Toronto's weekend defeat leaves them vulnerable to the Fire and Kansas City.

Full results and standings here.

(PHOTOS: R Yeatts/Getty, AP)

For more great football writing by Chris Nee, visit TwoFootedTackle.com...

Confederations Cup Final: Review

2009-06-29T22:43:00.004+01:00

Final
USA 2 Brazil 3
Johannesburg

The 2009 Confederations Cup Final lived fully up to expectations last night. From the moment we heard the distinctive sound those vuvuzelas to the moment when Brazil lifted the trophy for a record third time, everything seemed to be perfectly predictable and ultimately satisfying.

The USA, fresh from their outstanding 2-0 semi-final win over Spain, arrived intent on making the world sit up and take notice. Brazil merely had their reputation as purveyors of fine football to protect, although the prospect of a defeat to their North American neighbours was also something worth trying to avoid.

Bob Bradley’s USMNT disappointed none of their home fans by being up and out of the blocks first. Fulham’s Clint Dempsey flicked home a Jonathan Spector cross to put the Americans 1-0 up after just ten minutes and a repeat performance of the Spanish win was once again on the cards.

Yet Brazil didn’t sit back as Robinho tried and failed to grab an equaliser only moments later, his shot saved well by Tim Howard. In fact the US keeper had to be on his mettle again on two subsequent occasions when Maicon and Felipe Melo tested the Everton number 1, and to his credit he remained consistently strong.

It would prove vital in enabling the US to extend their lead and extend it they did when Charlie Davies counter-attacked with speed and crossed for Landon Donovan to drive neatly past Julio Cesar. The Americans led 2-0 and with Howard blocking anything the Brazilians could throw at them, the half time lead was certainly deserved.

Brazil came out in the second half knowing that they had to convert their greater possession and better chances into goals, and within moments of the restart, they got one. Maicon managed to get the ball to Luis Fabiano and with a deft turn and shot, the ball was in and finally past Tim Howard.

With the game standing at 2-1 to the USA, Brazil needed to push on and they thought they had an equaliser just after the hour mark when Kaka’s header was cleared from behind the goalline by Howard – out of sight from any of the officials.

After 74 minutes, the equaliser did arrive. Kaka played a firm, low cross into the area which found Robinho who could only shoot onto the underside of the bar. When the ball bounced out, it was tournament top scorer Luis Fabiano that was first to reach it, heading in from close range to make it 2-2.

With only six minutes remaining and US spirits (and energy levels) flagging, Brazil did what they always seem to do – grab a winning goal when it matters. Elano’s corner was met by Lucio who deftly powered in a header off the inside of the post to win the game 3-2.

It was cruel on the Americans and a great shame for a team that had tried so hard to transform itself from tournament non-achievers to potential tournament winners. In the end, however, our words from the second semi-final rang true again: Brazil are devilishly difficult to beat and can never be written off.

Here in the Final, the US had come out with a plan in mind which so very nearly worked. They defended well, played efficiently on the break and scored important goals, but critically only for one half of the match. It was always going to be difficult to maintain that level of proficiency over the full 90 minutes, and Brazil exposed that harsh truth all too well.

Dunga’s team are to be applauded for their trophy win. They looked professional without really trying to be on occasions, and that in itself requires great skill and technical ability, but let’s acknowledge America’s role in all this.

Not so long ago, they were heading home in something approaching shame for the way they started this competition, yet here they were asking Brazil to score three in 45 minutes to prevent them from being proclaimed the victors. They almost made it, but the fact that they didn’t doesn’t matter. They played their part in entertaining and inspiring all those who watched them and that must also be recognised as adding great value to what has been a very enjoyable tournament indeed.

Confederations Cup Review: Brazil v South Africa

2009-06-27T13:28:00.003+01:00

Semi Final
Brazil 1 South Africa 0
Johannesburg

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the fireworks we saw in the previous match between Spain and the US were unsustainable. When the host country South Africa played Brazil on Thursday evening there was little in the way of eye-catching surprises or extraordinary upsets, but it's fair to say we came relatively close to one.

One gets the feeling that Brazil often play on auto-pilot and evidence of this was seen here against their African opponents. Without the need to make any rash, ill thought out gestures, they have the innate ability to pass the ball around until fate decrees that an opportunity presents itself. When it does, they try to score, but if they don’t, no worries – another chance generally comes along shortly after anyway.

The downside to this approach (if indeed there is one) is that the Brazilians sometimes give the impression they’re not bothered about scoring goals and winning matches. Far from the truth as that may be, it certainly gives teams like South Africa the belief that they can win and there were signs in this match that they might.

In the first half, the hosts went straight for the jugular with several decent chances that left Brazil in no doubt they’d have to fight for their place in the Final. Siboniso Gaxa went close early on with a decent 30-yard effort that was only just wide, while new Portsmouth signing Aaron Mokoena headed just over the bar with 20 minutes on the clock. Tsepo Masilela watched his shot tipped over by Julio Cesar shortly after and, for a while, there looked like being only one team in this match.

Brazil, however, managed to rally round as the end of the first half approached and it was Kaka that seemed most intent on engineering something with a range of passing and shooting that briefly threatened a goal against the run of play.

Into the second half and Brazil picked up from where they left off – Kaka heading over the bar – but the South Africans were soon back in the game as Everton’s Steven Pienaar pulled more and more strings in midfield. Shortly after one of his own shots was saved, Teko Modise went close to opening the scoring when his deflected effort had to be tipped wide by Julio Cesar.

With Brazil showing signs of laxity in the way they were converting their chances, the South Africans would have been justified in thinking they’d at least force the game into extra time. Sadly for them it was not to be. In the 82nd minute, Barcelona right back Daniel Alves came on to replace Andre Santos and the effect was emphatic. Only six minutes later, a Mokoena foul led to Alves curling a beautiful free kick beyond the reach of Itumeleng Khune to effectively seal the win for the South Americans.

The defeat must have been hard to take for Joel Santana’s men after they’d showed so much spirit and determination throughout the game, but the Bafana Bafana can take great succour from their performance. But for a better choice of top quality finishers, they’d have probably wrapped the game up by the early part of the second half, but at least the end of their Confederations Cup campaign isn’t entirely shrouded in despair.

After a dismal run of form over the last year or two, they’ve finally instilled a sense of optimism and respect in their fans and observers worldwide, and many now think they’re capable of a decent run in the World Cup when it arrives next year.

As for Brazil, they’ll no doubt go most (if not all) of the way towards lifting the trophy on this basis. Despite being well short of the classic Brazilian teams of the past, they’re at least capable of achieving much while just in auto-pilot, and that in itself is quite something.

The Friday List of Little or No Consequence #119

2009-06-26T08:00:00.001+01:00

Missing in action
14 Penalties Missed By England Players In The Last Fifty Years
(not including penalty shoot-outs)

1. Bobby Charlton (v Scotland, 1960)
2. Alan Ball (v Finland, 1966)
3. Francis Lee (v Wales, 1969)
4. Allan Clarke (v Malta, 1971)
5. Kevin Keegan (v Switzerland, 1975)
6. Trevor Francis (v Australia, 1983)
7. Glenn Hoddle (v USA, 1985)
8. Gary Lineker (v Brazil, 1992)
9. David Platt (v San Marino, 1993)
10. Alan Shearer (v Poland, 1997)
11. David Beckham (v Turkey, 2003)
12. David Beckham (v France, 2004)
13. Frank Lampard (v Hungary, 2006)
14. Peter Crouch (v Jamaica, 2006)

Confederations Cup Review: Spain 0 USA 2

2009-06-25T14:43:00.019+01:00

"This is no fantasy - no careless product of wild imagination." - Marlon Brando

You could argue that the Confederations Cup is the least important of the senior competitions and had last night's game been a World Cup match, Spain would have ramped up the intensity and pulled the win out of their collective behinds. You could also say that the European champions had a bad day at the office and on any other occasion would have done to the US what pretty much everyone expected and reduce them to a smear. And you'd be right.

But these factors don't tell even half the story behind the Yank's win over Spain so it would be unfair to dwell on them further. If you did not see the game be under no illusion - this was not a freak result made up of a bizarre set of circumstances that contrived to deny a Spanish victory. The US won this game fair and square.

It would be difficult to find anyone who would argue that, player for player, Spain are the better side. I can't be alone in the belief that the current Spanish team is one of the best international football teams ever. I still believe that now. This makes the US' victory even more special and even more important.

In the midfield, Dempsey and Donovan provided attacking dynamism, while the excellent Michael Bradley and Ricardo Clark disrupted Spain's diamond formation just enough to keep them off balance. There were times when you felt that Spain were about to swamp the US but in fact, looking back, they were reduced to only a few chances which Tim Howard was equal to. The back four were extremely well disciplined and I would never have believed that Jay DeMerit was capable of playing as well as he did had I not seen it with my own eyes.

Jozy Altidore is clearly a decent player and performed like a man desperate to prove his worth. His pace, strength and directness are the definition of a modern European striker and his lung-bursting display will surely force the coaching staff at Villareal to reassess him come pre-season.

Also, any doubts about Bob Bradley's ability to coach under these conditions must be put to one side. To reach the final after such a shocking start to the competition required the team to draw on some serious reserves. It is impossible to believe that Bradley did not play some part in that and his tactics were absolutely spot on.

On the basis of last night's performance, my earlier description of the US team as journeymen seems harsh. And while one swallow does not make a summer, it is clear that some of these players are much better than they are given credit for -perhaps even better than they give themselves credit for. Their combination of industry, guts and dynamism going forward contributed to a match that has set a new marker in the progress of the game in the States and increased their standing in the global football community. They have given us a life affirming result that was a triumph for the game in general and for international football in particular. If anyone asks why you love football so much, the answer is simple:

Spain 0 USA 2

If they play like that in the Final, they stand an excellent chance of winning.

(PHOTO: Martin Meissner and Paul Thomas / Associated Press)

Confederations Cup - Day 6 Review

2009-06-23T14:12:00.006+01:00

Group B
Italy 0 Brazil 3 (Tshwane/Pretoria)
Egypt 0 USA 3 (Rustenburg)

The term "swing" is not one used readily outside the world of politics or non-conformist sexual practice, but it was a word that could be heard above the vuvuzelas with regularity on Sunday during the extraordinary events in Rustenberg and Bloemfontein. The swing of course refers to the extraordinary and unlikely six goals that needed to be conceded and scored to allow for the current line up of the Confederations Cup semi-finals.

It seems that the hotels in South Africa aren't the only places providing wake up calls. Both Italy and Egypt have been dining out on their recent achievements but this tournament is proving to be a bridge too far for their respective squads.

Italy's collapse against the Brazilians in their final Group B match has confirmed what many suspected, i.e. (1) there needs to be some changes, and (2) no-one's quite sure if those changes will be good enough. Their midfield still benefits from the industrious Pirlo but Iaquinta and Luca Toni were not convincing throughout the tournament and coach Lippi was weighed down by his conservative selection and did not use this competition to bring the outstanding Giuseppe Rossi through by playing him from the start. Brazilain centre back Lucio proved to be a match for the Italian forwards and the brilliant Luis Fabiano turned the world champions inside out reducing the great Fabio Cannavaro to ashes and surely considering his position.

As the carnage ensued at Loftus Versfield, Italy's early exit was being sealed in Bloemfontein but not quite in the way we expected. The African champions must have been supremely confident by their narrow defeat to Brazil and famous victory over the Italians. With the two tough games out of the way, the Egyptians had supposedly done the hard part and surely a win was doable against a frankly dreadful US team.

Sadly for them and astonishingly for the US, the team imploded. You could put the States' opening goal down to a touch of good fortune if you wanted to be charitable but the reality is that Egypt got it badly wrong and allowed their opponents, who themselves weren't living up to the expectations of their supporters, into a semi-final game against the European champions. For their part, the US, buoyed by outside events, seized their moment brilliantly and presented their coach Bob Bradley with a signature moment that he scarcely deserves. But hey, that's football.

So while Egypt and Italy are sent home to face their respective media and scratch their heads, we are down to the final four. US fans will love their shot at the Spanish and South Africa get a mouthwatering dream match against Brazil. Both games may be a touch one sided but they'll be intriguing nonetheless.

Football Americana Week 14: Double-header too much for DC

2009-06-22T23:25:00.004+01:00

With the US national team storming to victory over Egypt this weekend, domestic matters may have snuck under the radar. But plenty happened in Major League Soccer in Week 14, and where better to bone up on yo' skillz than right here at SPAOTP?

The week got underway at Qwest Field on Wednesday, where DC United faced Seattle Sounders in their first of two games. "Party Boy" Chris Pontius poked United into the lead only for the Sounders to roar into a 3-1 lead with goals from Nate Jaqua (sort of) and Fredy Montero after a thumping top corner finish from Osvaldo Alonso had levelled the game. But United weren't having any of it - Christian Gomez found the bottom corner for 3-2 and a late Tyrone Marshall own goal made it 3-3. At the other end, we'd have been comparing Marshall to Papin.

No such luck second time out. United visited Colorado Rapids on Saturday and Omar Cummings netted a double as the Rapids thumped United 3-0 at altitude. Both goals demonstrated great pace and cool finishing as Colorado triumphed in a thrilling first half. Colin Clark added a third after another run by Cummings, who dominated a tired United defence throughout.

The Sounders also had a second game on Saturday, drawing 1-1 with New York Red Bulls at a drenched Giants Stadium. Juan Pablo Angel (left) took advantage of calamitous defending to put RBNY in front. The Sounders benefited from even worse defending at the other end as Fredy Montero mugged Jeremy Hall in the corner, strode into the box and blasted in his seventh of the season.

Houston Dynamo lost their wonderful winning streak at home on Saturday. Tony Beltran was fortunate to stay on the field for Real Salt Lake after a professional foul, but it was RSL who took the lead thanks to a Fabian Espindola finish which should go down as an own goal by Bobby Boswell. Dynamo had one disallowed before Jamison Olave's second yellow card stupidly earned him a deserved sending off. RSL's Nick Rimando saved an awful penalty from Brad Davis, and it was substitute Brian Ching who earned the draw for Houston, heading home with less than a minute to go. The refereeing in this one was... unusual.

Los Angeles Galaxy visited San Jose Earthquakes in Oakland and fell to a 2-1 defeat. Greg Berhalter fouled Pablo Campos in the box and the same man tucked in an assured penalty to put the Quakes in front. Ryan Johnson poked in the second before Jovan Kirovski headed in his first of the season to drag a Donovanless Galaxy back into the game. The Earthquakes held out for the win.

And it was a freak occurrence at Pizza Hut Park, as FC Dallas picked up all three points (just kidding, Dallas fans). Eric Brunner put Columbus Crew in front, though there's a case for the goal being awarded to FCD's skipper Pablo Richetti. Eric Avila picked out a wonderful curling shot to pull Dallas level, and Kenny Cooper (right) bagged the winner with a late, late penalty after Chad Marshall and David Ferreira came together in the area.

The week's action sees San Jose and Dallas edge a little closer to the Galaxy at the bottom of the West, while New York failed to make up much ground on New England. DC United still lead the East from Chicago Fire and Houston go a point clear of Chivas USA at the top of the West. Seattle, Colorado, Kansas City Wizards and Columbus hold the four remaining play-off spots at this early stage.

Full results and standings here.

(PHOTOS: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America, Wikimedia)

For more great football writing by Chris Nee, visit TwoFootedTackle.com...

Confederations Cup – Day 5 Review

2009-06-21T15:20:00.007+01:00

Group A

Spain 2 South Africa 0
Mangaung/Bloemfontein

Hosts South Africa needed a draw against Spain last night to progress to the semi-finals, but in the end even that wasn’t necessary. With Iraq and New Zealand playing out a goalless draw at the same time in Johannesburg, South Africa could afford their defeat at the hands of the European champions.

Spain, as we’ve seen before in this Confederations Cup, set off at a great pace, testing South African ‘keeper Itumeleng Khune on several occasions. Their slick passing and movement remain a delight to watch and against a weak defence they can be devastating, but in Khune they found someone between the sticks that was determined to shut them out.

Six minutes into the second half and the South African number 16 made his main claim for the Man of the Match award after Cesc Fabregas was felled in his penalty area. Not satisfied with saving David Villa’s penalty, he also caught the resulting follow-up shot from Carles Puyol to keep the score at 0-0.

Sadly for Khune, that scoreline would only be the case for a further minute as Spain launched another attack. Riera chipped through a harmless ball into the penalty and with his back to goal David Villa deftly turned and shot in one movement to give his side a 1-0 lead.

Joel Santana’s men fought back but up front they looked blunt in comparison to the Europeans. With 72 minutes gone, Spain showed their class again when substitute Fernando Llorente managed to divert Cesc Fabregas’ wayward shot into the net and with that a victory was pretty much assured.

The game ended 2-0 to Spain and they were through to the semis, but South Africa’s fate wasn’t immediately apparent as they had to wait for the result to come through from Johannesburg. When it did, both sets of players were able to celebrate following a decent First Round campaign – particularly so for the Spanish.

(PHOTO: Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

Group A
Iraq 0 New Zealand 0
Johannesburg

Given the chances of either side to progress to the semi-finals, it was perhaps surprising that they managed to put on the show they did. Obviously the 23,295 supporters inside the Ellis Park Stadium thought there was the potential for a good game, and though there were no goals, both teams did their best to notch up a goal or two.

To be brutally honest, both Iraq and New Zealand were guilty of not putting away the chances they generated, but at least there were chances in the first place. The All Whites (playing in all black on this occasion) have particularly tried to play defensively in this competition, but they created a few good openings here.

Celtic’s Chris Killen had a couple of first half opportunities which he saw fit to put over the bar while Shane Smeltz twice opted for the wide-of-the-post option instead. The Kiwis were undoubtedly creating the better chances before the break, but after it they had to defend sternly as Iraq came back on the front foot.

Iraqi coach Bora Milutinovic threw on a couple of forwards during the second half in an attempt to gain advantage from South Africa’s demise against Spain, but New Zealand defended well and the threat of either team scoring was neutralised long before the final whistle went.

The game ended goalless, but both teams had shown good spirit and the All Whites even picked up their first Confederations Cup point in the process. No-one, however, could deny that the best two teams had progressed to the semis and it’ll be interesting seeing how they deal with the might of their Group B counterparts next Wednesday and Thursday.

(PHOTO: nzsoccer.com)

Confederations Cup – Day 4 Review

2009-06-19T22:29:00.005+01:00

Group B
Egypt 1 Italy 0
Johannesburg

Let’s lay our cards on the table first of all. We’re more than well aware that we predicted Italy to come second in Group B and go on to play Spain in the semi-finals, but that’s because, like you, we thought Italy would beat Egypt. Just goes to show how wrong you can be, doesn’t it?

Of course it could yet happen, but the Egyptians are now level on points with Italy prior to the last round of games in Group B. Having scored three against Brazil and beaten the Italians, Egypt must surely now fancy their chances of picking up another three points against the USA. Not that we’re making an official prediction, mind you.

Italy easily made the better start of the two teams, Rossi fashioning a couple of good chances in the first half hour. Meanwhile at the other end, Egypt’s goalscoring hero against Brazil, Mohamed Zidan, had been virtually marked out of the game by a resolute Italian defence. It didn’t put off Zidan’s compatriots from attacking, however, and Aboutrika was once again a key figure for the Egyptians.

Five minutes before half time, the deadlock was broken. Egypt had a corner kick and surprise surprise, it was Aboutrika that delivered it direct to the head of Mohamed Homos who powered it into the Italian net.

Keen to avoid a shock upset, Italy ploughed forward with more attacking moves but chance after chance was wasted – most notably by Vincenzo Iaquinta who should have done better with one particular one-on-one with Egyptian ‘keeper El Hadary.

In fact the further the game went on, the more El Hadary was called upon to rescue the African champions on a number of occasions, but ultimately it was the woodwork that saved Egypt from dropping two points. With four minutes remaining, Iaquinta’s speculative shot eluded the Egyptian keeper only to bounce back off the post, and that was pretty much the last chance Italy had of rescuing a point from the game.

Egypt ended the match 1-0 winners and with Italy needing to beat Brazil on Sunday, the smart money will surely be on Spain facing the Pharaohs in the semi-finals. Watch this space to find out more…

(PHOTO: AFP)

Group B
USA 0 Brazil 3
Tshwane/Pretoria

Where last time Brazil scored the goals but failed to prevent them going into their own net, this time there was no such otiosity. Against the Americans they were ruthlessly efficient and had the game effectively sown up in the opening half-hour or so.

Brazil flew out of the blocks first and were 1-0 up after just seven minutes. A foul by Michael Bradley gave Maicon the chance to steer a free kick towards Felipe Melo who headed it in.

Brazil could have doubled their lead five minutes later were it not for Onyewu’s vital tackle to deny Robinho scoring his first goal of the competition. Yet the Americans were powerless to stop the Man City forward scoring with 20 minutes on the clock. When DaMarcus Beasely allowed the ball to slip under his foot near to the Brazilian goal, Kaka was nearby to initiate a swift and clinical counter-attack which resulted in Robinho slotting past Tim Howard at the other end of the pitch.

When half time came, a huge victory looked highly likely for Brazil and indeed could have already been achieved, but at 2-0 there was a little more work to be done to snuff out the USA’s chances.

In the second period, Brazil launched attack after attack on the American goal, and Tim Howard was easily the busier of the two goalkeepers. The key moment, however, came when American midfielder Sacha Kljestan was sent off in the 55th minute for a bad tackle on Ramires. After that, Bob Bradley’s side were even weaker and paid the ultimate price when Maicon’s slick one-two with Kaka in the box led to a fine shot past Howard to make it 3-0.

In the interests of balance, the USA did hit the crossbar late on in the game, but it would have made little difference had it gone in. They were well beaten by a much more diligent Brazilian side and an imminent exit from this competition now looks almost certain.

Brazil, however, were impressive in the way they controlled the game from start to finish, and their encounter with Italy on Sunday now looks to be nothing short of a mouth-watering prospect.

(PHOTO: AP/Rebecca Blackwell)

The Friday List of Little or No Consequence #118

2009-06-19T10:49:00.003+01:00

Finals Scores
29 World Cup Matches That Took Place On June 19th In Years Gone By

1. Brazil 4 Sweden 2 (Third Place Play-Off, 1938)
2. Italy 4 Hungary 2 (Final, 1938)
3. Brazil 1 Yugoslavia 1 (a.e.t, First Round, 1954)
4. France 3 Mexico 2 (First Round, 1954)
5. Uruguay 7 Scotland 0 (First Round, 1954)
6. Austria 5 Czechoslovakia 0 (First Round, 1954)
7. Brazil 1 Wales 0 (Quarter Final, 1958)
8. France 4 Northern Ireland 0 (Quarter Final, 1958)
9. West Germany 1 Yugoslavia 0 (Quarter Final, 1958)
10. Sweden 2 USSR 0 (Quarter Final, 1958)
11. Netherlands 0 Sweden 0 (First Round, 1974)
12. Bulgaria 1 Uruguay 1 (First Round, 1974)
13. Haiti 0 Poland 7 (First Round, 1974)
14. Argentina 1 Italy 1 (First Round, 1974)
15. Poland 0 Cameroon 0 (First Round, 1982)
16. Belgium 1 El Salvador 0 (First Round, 1982)
17. USSR 3 New Zealand 0 (First Round, 1982)
18. Italy 2 Czechoslovakia 0 (First Round, 1990)
19. Austria 2 USA 1 (First Round, 1990)
20. West Germany 1 Colombia 1 (First Round, 1990)
21. Yugoslavia 4 UAE 1 (First Round, 1990)
22. Cameroon 2 Sweden 2 (First Round, 1994)
23. Norway 1 Mexico 0 (First Round, 1994)
24. Belgium 1 Morocco 0 (First Round, 1994)
25. Nigeria 1 Bulgaria 0 (First Round, 1998)
26. Spain 0 Paraguay 0 (First Round, 1998)
27. Togo 0 Switzerland 2 (First Round, 2006)
28. Spain 3 Tunisia 1 (First Round, 2006)
29. Saudi Arabia 0 Ukraine 4 (First Round, 2006)

Confederations Cup – Day 3 Review

2009-06-18T19:02:00.008+01:00

Group A
South Africa 2 New Zealand 0
Rustenburg

The home fans finally got a taste of glory in Bafana Bafana's second game of the 2009 Confederations Cup as New Zealand were defeated 2-0.

Once again, New Zealand were disappointingly poor just as they were against Spain and if it's any consolation they did at least defend a little better. That said, South Africa were determined to get three points from this match, and with lots of good attacking moves coming via the left wing they were able to claim them comfortably.

Everton's Steven Pienaar was instrumental in much of what the home side produced - indeed he instigated the move that led to the first goal after 21 minutes for Bernard Parker.

Parker, you'll remember, gained international fame and superstardom by accidentally blocking a goal-bound shot from his own team-mate in South Africa's first match against Iraq. This time, there were no such blunders as he flicked the ball past Kiwi 'keeper Glen Moss to put South Africa 1-0 up.

Bernard Parker had another great chance to score later in the first half when he ran straight for goal up the centre of the pitch, only to see his shot deflected wide by the outstretched leg of Moss.

South Africa were all over their opponents, but it wasn't until the 52nd minute that they were able to double their lead. Once again, Pienaar was involved, crossing the ball into the box for Parker to flick in, and that was about all as far as meaningful goal opportunities were concerned.

New Zealand again failed by their inability to keep possession and pass accurately amongst one another. It's actually a wonder they managed to get even one goal against Italy in their pre-competition friendly, let alone three on this basis.

By the time South Africa had scored their second last night, New Zealand were in no position to counter their opponents' new-found confidence and can now only look forward to picking up a consolation point or three in their last match against Iraq on Sunday. If they're lucky.

For South Africa, a draw against Spain will be of benefit to both teams, and given the Spanish team's easing down through the gears against Iraq yesterday, that could be what we end up getting.

(PHOTO: nzsoccer.com)

Group A
Spain 1 Iraq 0
Mangaung/Bloemfontein

Iraq decided to try and win a game at this Confederations Cup competition which, following their performance against South Africa on Sunday, was quite a shock. The trouble was, they were up against a Spain side who were looking for their 14th win on the trot and were totally skilled up to get it.

Iraq looked a much more focused unit this time around and were a decent match for the Spaniards, even carving out an early chance through Alaa Abdul Zahra who managed to test Iker Casillas from 20 yards out.

So efficient, in fact, were the Iraqis at containing their opponents that Spain's usual slick passing and movement amounted to very little in the first half. Iraq defended diligently and Vicente Del Bosque's team couldn't find a way through, much to many people's surprise.

Ten minutes into the second half, however, Spain's patience paid off when Joan Capdevila produced another incisive cross which David Villa expertly flicked in with his head. It was the cue for Spain to press on with more possession and self-confidence but a second goal failed to arrive. In fact they almost conceded a late equaliser when Nashat Akram went close with a 25-yard effort which would have easily beaten Casillas in the Spanish goal.

As it is, Spain held on to claim their second victory of the campaign and a record-equalling 14th consecutive win. They're now assured of a place in the semi-finals (as if that were ever in any doubt), and if they draw their last match against South Africa it'll be against the runners-up in Group A - probably Italy, if our guess is anything to go by.

(PHOTO: france24.com)

World Cup 2010 Qualifying Report: Asia

2009-06-18T11:06:00.009+01:00

Group 2

North Korea have become the fourth and final team from Asia to win an automatic qualification spot for World Cup 2010.

The North Koreans went into yesterday’s final round of matches in Group 2 already occupying second place behind South Korea and only needed a draw to confirm their place in South Africa next year.

After a competitive battle in near 40 degree heat, the Saudis were unable use their home advantage to break down a resolute North Korean defence and the game finished 0-0.

That draw means North Korea have confirmed only their second ever qualification to the World Cup Finals, the previous occasion being the famous campaign of 1966 which featured a famous win over Italy and an exciting 5-3 defeat against Portugal.

As for Saudi Arabia, they finish in third place which confirms their place in the play-off against the third-place team in Group 1, Bahrain. The winner of that match will go on to play Oceania champions New Zealand later in the year for a place in the Finals.

Iran started the day knowing that a win over South Korea in Seoul would have given them a great chance of taking second spot in the group but they could only draw 1-1. The Iranians, to their credit, took the lead after 52 minutes thanks to Masoud Shojaei but they struggled to extend their lead and when Park Ji Sung equalised with eight minutes remaining, they had little left to offer.

The North Koreans consequently went into their match knowing a draw would be good enough for them, and as Saudi coach Jose Peseiro said “[they] just came here to bag one point, and they did.”

So the North Koreans become the sixth team on the list for South Africa 2010 and complete a marvellous achievement in their country’s sporting history. Congratulations to them…

(PHOTO: The Canadian Press)

Group 1

Meanwhile in the altogether calmer waters of Group 1, the focus was also on third place. Australia and Japan had already taken the automatic qualification places, but it was up to Bahrain (placed third going into yesterday’s games) to earn the draw they need to enter the inter-group play-off.

That they did by beating bottom-of-the-group Uzbekistan 1-0 in Manama. Mahmood Abdulrahman’s 74th-minute strike came after an evenly balanced and tense opening to the game, but in truth the Uzbekis had offered little in the way of decent chances and were unable to find an equaliser when it mattered.

The margin of victory, though small, was good enough to see Bahrain through to a September play-off against previous Finalists Saudi Arabia and it looks to be a tough match to call. More news on that in a few months time.

Also for the record, Australia and Japan played in Melbourne yesterday. The match ended as a 2-1 win for the Aussies, both goals coming from Everton’s Tim Cahill in the second half after Tulio Tanaka had given Japan the lead after 39 minutes.

(PHOTO: AFP)

Premier League Fixtures 2009/10

2009-06-17T09:38:00.006+01:00

For those of you that weren't already aware, today's the day the Premier League releases it's fixtures for the 2009/10 season.

It's a day of great excitement but one that's somewhat stifled by the inability of blogsites like us to display any of those fixtures. We'd like to show you who your favourite team's playing in the opening weeks of the season, who they're playing over the Christmas period and who they're playing when the excrement hits the fan as the season's ending in May, but we can't.

We've already discussed the frustration we feel about the Premier League's strict copyright laws in the past, so let's not get too bogged down in all of that now. Instead, let us point you in the direction of the Premier League website where full details of all the important fixtures will be displayed for your viewing pleasure from 10:00 BST today.

(Oh and let's not forget the Football League fixtures too - they're avaiable via the Football League website...)

Confederations Cup – Day 2 Review

2009-06-16T15:51:00.004+01:00

Group B
Brazil 4 Egypt 3
Mangaung/Bloemfontein

If Group A provided a soporific opening to the 2009 Confederations Cup, Group B was the wake up call everyone must have been hoping for.

The first game of the day was an exciting encounter between the champions of South America and Africa which proved to be a lot closer than expected. Brazil, for their part, entered into battle in familiar fashion, passing the ball well in midfield and generally out-muscling the opposition.

In fact so efficient were they that they took the lead after only five minutes thanks to some nifty ball juggling in the area by Kaka who calmly slotted past Egyptian keeper Essam El Hadary to make it 1-0. Yet it was here that Brazil were to learn their lesson for the day – that Egypt are not a team to dismiss easily.

Just four minutes later, Borussia Dortmund striker Mohamed Zidan was on hand to head in a cross from Mohamed Aboutrika which highlighted Brazil’s defensive frailties no end. But we all know that Brazil play best when on the attack, and so it was proven when a further three minutes later Elano’s free kick found Luis Fabiano in the box who deftly flicked the ball home beyond the reach of El Hadary.

Brazil were back in front 2-1 and they extended their lead eight minutes before the break. Elano executed another perfect set-piece when his corner was headed in from close range by Roma defender Juan.

So far, so predictable perhaps, but Egypt burst out of the blocks at the start of the second half as if they meant business. With 54 minutes on the clock, African Player of the Year Aboutrika showed his ability to pass and move with the best of them when he set up Mohamed Shawky who scored with a fine finish from the edge of the penalty area.

Then, almost straight from the restart, Aboutrika played a through-ball in to FIFA Man of the Match Zidan who only had to slot the ball past Julio Cesar to make it 3-3.

Brazil were reeling from Egypt’s swift fightback but their lack of organisation at the back was entirely the reason why they’d lost their lead for the second time – that, and the fact that Egypt were giving as good as they got offensively.

With the game evenly poised, the defining moment came in the 90th minute when a free kick was volleyed goalwards by Brazilian captain Lucio only for the ball to be cleared off the line. Though referee Howard Webb initially awarded a corner, he later changed his decision to a penalty having been informed that Ahmed Al Muhamadi had used his arm to deliberately block the ball. Al Muhamadi was subsequently sent off and Kaka scored his second from the spot to win the game.

So Brazil pick up the three points from their first game, but it wasn’t a cakewalk for them. Furthermore Egypt’s next opponents, Italy, may now be revaluating Egypt’s chances of winning following their own first game of the competition.

Group B
USA 1 Italy 3
Tshwane/Pretoria

Italy also had a rude awakening as they reignited their tetchy relationship with the Americans in Group B. Almost two years ago to the day, both teams played out a feisty World Cup First Round match in which three players were sent off – two of them for the US team.

This time around, tempers weren’t quite so high although the Americans did lose a man again. Just past the half-hour mark, Ricardo Clark petulantly lashed out at Gennaro Gattuso after losing the ball and the referee decided he didn’t want to see any more of that, thank you very much.

It was all rather unfortunate given the great start Bob Bradley’s men had made to the match. They’d been very organised, were strong at the back and had the best of the chances, if truth be known. Italy, wearing their new pale blue shirts and brown shorts, were left frustrated – particularly when the USA were awarded a penalty four minutes before half time.

Curiously, Giorgio Chiellini’s kick at Jozy Altidore and the subsequent holding back that caused him to fall in the box were not deemed serious enough to warrant a red card, but a penalty was awarded. Landon Donovan, the US captain, stepped up to give his side a 1-0 lead which few could argue hadn’t been hard earned.

Going into the second half with a man down, the Americans had it all to do in order to retain their lead. Playing with only Altidore up front, Italy had every chance to find an equaliser, but it didn’t arrive until former Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi came on as a 57th-minute substitute.

Only a minute later, Rossi picked up the ball on the edge of the centre circle in the American half, ran straight at goal and unleashed an unstoppable shot from 30 yards out that eluded Tim Howard’s right hand. Italy were back in the game and full of belief once again.

After 72 minutes, Daniele De Rossi (the Italian sent off when both sides played in the 2006 World Cup) scored a second from long range when he shot across the face of goal beyond Howard’s left hand. Now 2-1 up, Italy looked in control but the final nail in the coffin wasn’t banged in until the fourth minute of injury time.

With the game almost over, Andrea Pirlo danced past Jay DeMerit on the wing, reached the by-line and chipped a neat ball into the area for American-born Rossi to half-volley into the back of the net. The game ended 3-1 to Italy but the USA will be rueing the chances Altidore and Michael Bradley had early on which, if finished better, could have earned them at least a point.

That said, Italy showed enough steel to edge it on the night and they now lead Group B ahead of their game against Egypt on Thursday. The USA play Brazil in the day’s early kick-off.

(PHOTOS: adobhost.com and ballhype.com)

Football Americana Week 13: No problem for Houston

2009-06-15T15:12:00.011+01:00

It's all change at the top of Major League Soccer after a big week for United and the Dynamo.

Cam Weaver, traded from the Earthquakes, picked up his first Houston Dynamo assist to create a simple finish for Stuart Holden last Wednesday as the Dynamo defeated Chivas USA. He then poked in his first goal on Saturday against FC Dallas as the Dynamo won 3-1. A masked Richard Mulrooney drilled in a wonderful goal from 25 yards before Weaver grabbed the third. Drew Moor bagged a consolation for Dallas as Houston went top of the table.

It wasn't nearly as pleasant for Chivas, whose double header ended pointless. Eduardo Lillingston put them ahead at Crew Stadium on Sunday, but Columbus Crew won 2-1 thanks to two very composed finishes from Guillermo Barros Schelotto, the second being his 10th of the season.

Over in the East, it was a joyous Saturday for DC United. Tommy Soehn's side defeated Chicago Fire thanks to a double showing from the old masters. Jaime Moreno (left) coolly fired in a controversial(ish) penalty to put United ahead, but a lovely shift and shot by Marco Pappa pulled the Fire level. Christian Gomez won it with an impressive first half free kick to put DC top of their half of the table. United keeper Josh Wicks put in a fine performance including a penalty save.

2009 expansion club Seattle Sounders predictably got back to winning ways against San Jose Earthquakes in a game with a double dose of interest for UK fans. Freddie Ljungberg dinked the ball cheekily over Joe Cannon to put Seattle ahead, and Fredy Montero doubled the lead on the hour with an easy finish. Darren Huckerby dragged the Quakes back into it with a simple tap-in past Kasey Keller, but it wasn't to be for San Jose.

The appalling New York Red Bulls visited BMO Field on Saturday to face Toronto FC, with unsurprising results. Danny Cepero saved an early TFC penalty, but Sam Cronin poked home the rebound. Danny Dichio, celebrating the news that his wife is expecting their third child, found the empty net from distance after more impressive but unsupported goalkeeping from Cepero. Albert Celades scored for RBNY but they were unable to get back into the game.

David Beckham's return is the talk of MLS at the moment, at least officially, and it looks like Los Angeles Galaxy could do with him. Real Salt Lake hit them with a 2-0 defeat at HDC on Saturday thanks to Yura Movsisyan who beat Donovan Ricketts way too easily, Nat Borchers who found the bottom corner to score the second, and a superb performance from goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Temporary Galaxy skipper Eddie Lewis (right) was dismissed in the 65th minute for throwing the ball at Javier Morales.

And at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, Kansas City Wizards beat New England Revolution 3-1. Davy Arnaud tapped in his fifth of the season to put the Wizards in front, but makeshift striker Shalrie Joseph bundled home a header to level for the Revs. Emmanuel Osei saw red for kicking out at Claudio Lopez before the ball bounced off Jeff Larentowicz and into his own goal for 2-1 and Aaron Hohlbein stabbed in the third.

Another entertaining MLS weekend sees Houston Dynamo top the table on goal difference from Chivas USA (both in the West, both on 27 points). DC United and Chicago Fire (East) follow on 22 and 21 respectively, and the next four are Seattle Sounders (20), Kansas City Wizards (19), Columbus Crew (19) and Toronto FC (19). Crew's Schelotto now leads the scoring with 10 from Conor Casey of Colorado Rapids with 8.

Full results and standings here.

(PHOTOS: mls-rumors.net / isiphotos.com)

Confederations Cup – Day 1 Review

2009-06-15T11:35:00.009+01:00

Group A
South Africa 0 Iraq 0
Johannesburg

As far as the South Africans are concerned, the Confederations Cup provides the ideal opportunity to fine tune their preparations for next year’s World Cup Finals. Following yesterday’s 0-0 draw that opened this year’s competition, you can’t fail to be impressed by their attention to detail given the number of goalless draws that have opened World Cups in the past.

As predicted in our TV Guide on Friday, this match was high on pathos rather than quality. You have to bear in mind, though, that all the matches in South Africa will be played at altitude, but that’s no excuse for the hosts who just lack anyone that can put the ball in the back of the net.

Macbeth Sibaya had one of the best chances of the match, shooting from well outside the box to force Iraq ‘keeper Mohammed Kassid into a fine save, but that was a bit of a collectors’ item where this match was concerned.

Thembinkosi Fanteni glanced a header over the bar from a corner later on in the game and substitute Katlego Mashego squandered a great chance to finish off a Route One clearance by his keeper, but the worst missed opportunity came just six minutes before the end.

Siboniso Gaxa crossed a high ball into the Iraqi penalty area which Kassid came out to catch and missed. The ball dropped behind him allowing Kagisho Dikgacoi to divert it towards the goal line, however Bernard Parker was loitering in the wrong place at the wrong time and was unable to get out of the ball’s path (left). His inadvertent block ensured that the game finished 0-0.

That farcical display of non-scoring pretty much summed up South Africa’s potency in this match and indeed the match in general. Iraq lacked ambition and though their passing in midfield was good, their attack lacked any teeth – much like their opponents. Benni McCarthy must have been watching the match from home knowing only too well the difference he could have made to the scoreline.

Group A
New Zealand 0 Spain 5
Rustenburg

The simple fact of the matter is that this match could have ended embarrassingly for the All Whites. Predictably, Spain were all over New Zealand and were 4-0 up with only 24 minutes on the clock.

Fernando Torres was undoubtedly the star man for Spain. His hat-trick began with the game only six minutes old following a delightful curled shot from the edge of the penalty area. Eight minutes later, David Villa pulled the ball back from the by-line allowing Torres to side-foot into the net with ease. Three minutes after that, he powerfully headed in a cross from Joan Capdevila to complete an emphatic early display that dominated the scoring.

The game was all over as a contest before Cesc Fabregas added a fourth half-way through the first half. His tap-in was the climax to a brilliant 16-pass move that was as much an advert for Spain’s superb passing game as it was for New Zealand’s inability to mark their opponents efficiently.

Three minutes into the second half, David Villa got a goal of his own when New Zealand defender Andy Boyens produced an air shot of the highest quality which was meant as a clearance. Fernando Torres’ ball into the box ran through to Villa and a simple finish was enough to give the Spaniards their fifth and final goal of the match.

A series of substitutions and a definite intent to ease up on the part of Spanish coach Vicente Del Bosque allowed the Kiwis to hold the ship steady for the rest of the game, but the damage had already been done. Though they often had plenty of men behind the ball, none of them ever troubled their opposite number and when you can pass the ball around as well as Spain can, you’re always in danger of losing heavily.

So it turned out to be. Spain looked every inch the pre-tournament favourites and with such a sublime ability to pass and move to devastating effect, it’s difficult to see where they can go wrong.

New Zealand therefore go into Wednesday’s match against South Africa knowing that a win will all but ensure a place in the semi-finals while a repeat performance by Spain against Iraq is something you can virtually put your house on. The only uncertainty will surround the number of goals that will be scored.

(PHOTOS: Laurence Griffiths / Jamie McDonald, Getty Images)

Confederations Cup Group Stage TV Preview

2009-06-12T13:42:00.008+01:00

(All times - UK)

Sunday 14 June

15:00 South Africa v Iraq, FIFA Confederations Cup Group A, BBC Interactive
Expect this match to be high on pathos but low on quality. Neither team is in great shape but it's nice to see the Asian champions taking centre stage along with the hosts in front of a packed house and a global(ish) audience.

Chris O: Iraq; Redduffman: Draw; Sp3ktor: Draw; Seb: Iraq; Chris Nee: South Africa

19:30 New Zealand v Spain, FIFA Confederations Cup Group A, BBC3
New Zealand pushed Italy right to the edge last Wednesday in a ding-donger which saw the world champions scrape through 4-3! The All Whites may have brought their shooting boots but will miss Ryan Nelsen. The European champions are a far more complete side and are unlikely to tolerate any shenanigans from Shane Smeltz and his chums. Could be a giggle if Spain start slowly.

Monday 15 June

15:00 Brazil v Egypt, FIFA Confederations Cup Group B, BBC Interactive
Brazil's latest round of World Cup qualifiers puts them top of their group. Add to that a rare win in Montevideo against Uruguay and you have a tooled-up and confident Brazil. Egypt, for their part, are desperate to wash off the stench of failure having lost to their hated rivals Algeria. Expect more pain for the North Africans.
(PHOTO: AFP)

19:30 USA v Italy, FIFA Confederations Cup Group B, BBC3
On paper, this should be Italy's game. However, the world champions' form has been patchy of late so if the US can overcome their own recent shortcomings, they could cause an upset.

Chris O: Italy; Redduffman: Italy; Sp3ktor: Draw; Seb: Italy; Chris Nee: Italy

Wednesday 17 June

15:00 Spain v Iraq, FIFA Confederations Cup Group A, BBC Interactive
If Spain field a full strength team against their Asian counterparts, this should be a pretty one-sided affair. If they don't...

19:30 South Africa v New Zealand, FIFA Confederations Cup Group A, BBC3
The hosts best chance to get a result. However, if NZ managed to carry their goal scoring form this far we could be in for a flawed classic.
(PHOTO: AFP)

Thursday 18 June

15:00 USA v Brazil, FIFA Confederations Cup Group B, BBC Interactive
A fantastic opportunity for the US to test themselves against some of the best attackers on the planet. The competition will be in full swing and Brazil will be sure to test the US defence's resolve.

19:30 Egypt v Italy, FIFA Confederations Cup Group B, BBC3
If Egypt start the tournament as badly as I fear, this could be a bit of a procession. On the other hand, if the ANC champions can muster some spirit then a classic battle of pace versus guile is in store.

Saturday 20 June

19:30 Iraq v New Zealand, FIFA Confederations Cup Group A, BBC Interactive
Group A is pretty open so there is every chance that there will be something to play for in the final round of fixtures, even if it is the wooden spoon.

Chris O: Iraq; Redduffman: New Zealand; Sp3ktor: Iraq; Seb: Iraq; Chris Nee: Iraq

19:30 Spain v South Africa, FIFA Confederations Cup Group A, BBC3
Assuming Spain get maximum points from their first two games they will be able to take their foot off the gas somewhat. This should play into the hands of the hosts as you can be certain that they will slip up somewhere. Could be tense and possibly farcical.
(PHOTO: AFP)

Sunday 21 June

19:30 Egypt v USA, FIFA Confederations Cup Group B, BBC Interactive
By rights this will be the battle to avoid the bottom. Any slip-ups from the two favourites could make things interesting but unless you have a direct interest, the game to watch is...

19:30 Italy v Brazil, FIFA Confederations Cup Group B, BBC3
... which could also be a dead rubber depending on previous results. Either way, an entertaining contrast in styles is on the cards. This pair got together in February at the Emirates and Brazil handed the Italians a bit of a tonking. Let's see what happens this time.

Chris O: Draw; Redduffman: Draw; Sp3ktor: Brazil; Seb: Brazil; Chris Nee: Italy

The Friday List of Little or No Consequence #117

2009-06-12T13:26:00.003+01:00

Best of three?
15 Matches Whose Outcome Was Decided By The Toss Of A Coin

1. FC Zurich 4 Galatasaray 4 (on agg.)
Won by FC Zurich, European Cup First Round, 1963/64

2. Racing Strasbourg 2 Barcelona 2 (on agg.)
Won by Racing Strasbourg, Fairs Cup Second Round, 1964/65

3. 1FC Cologne 2 Liverpool 2 (on agg.)
Won by Liverpool, European Cup Quarter Finals, 1964/65

4. AC Milan 3 Racing Strasbourg 3 (on agg.)
Won by AC Milan, Fairs Cup First Round, 1965/66

5. Hannover 96 3 Barcelona 3 (on agg.)
Won by Barcelona, Fairs Cup Third Round, 1965/66

6. AC Milan 4 Chelsea 4 (on agg.)
Won by Chelsea, Fairs Cup Third Round, 1965/66

7. Rangers 2 Real Zaragoza 2 (on agg.)
Won by Rangers, European Cup Winners Cup Quarter Finals, 1966/67

8. Spartak Brno 2 Dynamo Zagreb 2 (on agg.)
Won by Dynamo Zagreb, Fairs Cup First Round 1966/67

9. Porto 3 Bordeaux 3 (on agg.)
Won by Bordeaux, Fairs Cup First Round 1966/67

10. Italy 0 USSR 0
Won by Italy, European Championship Semi Finals, 1968

11. AS Roma 1 PSV Eindhoven 1 (on agg.)
Won by AS Roma, European Cup Winners Cup Quarter Finals, 1968/69

12. Athletic Bilbao 3 Liverpool 3 (on agg.)
Won by Athletic Bilbao, Fairs Cup First Round, 1968/69

13. Lyon 1 Academica Coimbra 1 (on agg.)
Won by Lyon, Fairs Cup First Round, 1968/69

14. Goztepe Izmir 2 Marseille 2 (on agg.)
Won by Goztepe Izmir, Fairs Cup First Round, 1968/69

15. Leeds United 2 Napoli 2 (on agg.)
Won by Leeds United, Fairs Cup Second Round, 1968/69