Hiddink linked with permanent Chelsea move
February 27, 2009
Even though Guss Hiddink has constantly stated that he is only at Chelsea until the end of the season, saying he plans to lead Russia to the 2010 World Cup, the rumours will not go away that he is going to take the job permanently.
Reacting to speculation he will sign a permanent deal, Hiddink said: “If there is something new I will announce it.
“But there is nothing new. It is not an everyday issue and we stick to what we have said recently.”
Rumours are circulating that current Zenit manager Dick Advocaat is being lined up as the man to take over the Russia job and free Hiddink from his commitments.
“I have settled in quickly,” he said. “I knew a bit of Premier League, English football and this club, and I am the kind of person who tries to adapt as soon as possible.
“This is high-level football and we have to keep up with the demands for this. I was very well received and have been backed up by all the departments assisting the first team.
“I am also very happy with the contribution of (assistant coach) Ray Wilkins.”
Hiddink rejected claims he has introduced a tougher disciplinary regime, with players fined for turning up late to training as well as wearing club suits to matches.
“In my previous club, players were fined for being late for training and at the end of the season, we donated that money to a charity,” he said.
“It is standard to a club, especially a big club, that everyone is living up to a normal discipline. It is nothing I have invented.”
More positive news for Chelsea was that Essien is back in training after being out for nearly 6 months and looks set for a reserve game soon.
“We worked with him in some tough five and eight-a-side games and we plan to play him in the reserves at Aston Villa on Monday,” added Hiddink.
English teams take first blood in Champions League
February 26, 2009
The first games of the second round of the Champions league took place this week with all 4 English teams making a good start.
Three English teams are playing Italian teams in this round with the remaining English team , Liverpool, playing Spanish champions Real Madrid. All the Premiership teams did well in the first match with Arsenal beating Roma 1-0 at the Emirates but they missed a lot of chance . Whether they are able to hold onto the narrow lead when they travel to Rome we will have to wait and see but it was a bright start for the gunners who are still feeling the effects of a number of injuries to their star layers.
Manchester United drew with Inter Milan in the San Siro with United having much of the game their own way in the first half, Inter were better in the second without really causing too many problems.
Chelsea got a 1-0 win at home to Juventus who is now managed by former Chelsea manager Ranieri. Chelsea are starting to look like the team of old but there is a way to go yet if they are to be serious contenders for the tournament.
Liverpool on paper had possibly the toughest match of the week facing an on form Real Madrid on their own patch. Real Madrid controlled the game for long periods but without too much activity in front of goal then with the match looking like it is heading for a goalless draw Benayoun pops up with a late winner to give Liverpool a 1-0 lead and an away goal.
All the ties are very much in the balance but it has certainly been a successful week for English football.
Australia’s focus shifts from South Africa to Asia
February 26, 2009
With the next game not until April, Australia’s World Cup qualification takes a back seat. Qualifying for the 2011 Asian Cup is the priority for now with a game against Kuwait in Canberra next week.
This is the second match in the qualifying campaign after the Socceroos opened 0-0 away to Indonesia a month ago. This is the final match which will intersect with Australia’s World Cup qualification as the next game won’t be until November, well after Australia’s World Cup qualification campaign will be over.
Pim Verbeek has picked a squad consisting entirely of players from the local soccer league. He has made his feelings known about the standard of soccer in the A-League and it will be up to the players to impress after the lackluster showing in Jakarta.
A win would nicely set Australia up and against a less than formidable Kuwait, this shouldn’t be asking too much. Australia is a huge favorite in the soccer betting market. Kuwait football hasn’t been traveling too well lately with FIFA suspending it twice in the last two years.
Kuwait finished last in their group for World Cup qualifying and won’t be thrilled to be traveling all the way to Australia. Australia were in their group for the 2007 Asian Cup and it’s a good soccer bet that Australia will put a huge dent in Kuwait’s qualification hopes.
The top two in the group qualify and after Kuwait lost their first game to Oman, a loss here to Australia would prove just about fatal. Many of the Australians won’t just be concerned on winning the game which is nothing short than what is expected. They will be hoping to win a place in Pim Verbeek’s good books and a possible spot on the World Cup roster.
David Wiseman is a sports journalist, who writes about cricket and tennis for Betfair Australia. He is particularly looking forward to the remaining World Cup qualifiers, and is keeping himself occupied with afl results until they begin.
Shilton doesn’t expect Becks to beat record
February 25, 2009
David Beckham reached 108 caps to go joint with Bobby Moore so he is now joint second behind Peter Shilton but Shilton is not worried and is confident he will keep his spot as number 1 with 125 caps.
“I don’t think he’ll beat my record. If he does it I’ll congratulate him.
“But I hope he does it in style, rather than by the back door. There’s a bit of debate about whether there should be caps given for substitute appearances.”
The former goalkeeper, who retired in 1997 at the age of 47, elaborated: “Like the game against Belarus recently, it was a bit of a joke for a player of his quality, in the situation of the game, to come on for a minute.
“Against Kazakhstan he came on with 15 minutes to go and made a difference against a team that was tiring badly, and that was a good ploy at that stage.
“To maintain his fitness levels for so long, you have to admire him, and you don’t get over 100 caps if you’re not a good player.”
Shilton won the last of his 125 England caps at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
But Beckham, who is currently on loan at AC Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy, will break Shilton’s record in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 if he plays a part in every England qualifier and friendly match to that point.
Messi and Benzema face to face in Champions League
February 24, 2009
Two of the world brightest young players and the players that their respective countries will be hoping lead their team to glory in next year’s 2010 World Cup clash tonight in the Champions League. Barceloans Lionel Messi and Lyons Karim Benzema both have 5 goals in this year’s competition and sit joint top with Steven Gerrard and Miroslav Klose.
Argentine ace Messi likes coming up against the seven-time French champions.
Last season, he scored in both group games which finished 2-2 in France and a comfortable 3-0 win in Barcelona as the Spanish giants, twice European champions, made it as far as the semi-finals.
However, Barcelona did not have the best preparation for Tuesday’s clash, losing 2-1 to city rivals Espanyol. It was their first defeat since the opening day of the season, ending a 22-match unbeaten run.
“Nobody said this was going to be easy,” said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. “It was a demanding match and we need our players to recover from it.”
Like Barcelona, Lyon are on top of their domestic league, but coach Claude Puel believes his side have the toughest assignment of the entire Champions Legaue second round draw.
“It?s the most difficult draw we could have faced, given that Barcelona is the best team in the world at the moment,” said Puel.
“It?ll be difficult for us, but I think we have a chance if we play as a team and produce good football. Barcelona have some great individual players, but we have a great team.
“We can produce some great football, and we need to play as a team in order to win.”
Lyon, for whom the sought-after Benzema hit his 12th league goal of the season in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Nancy, will need to shore up a leaky defence having conceded ten goals in the group stage, more than any other side left in the last 16.
In stark contrast, no other team scored as many goals as Barcelona in the group stage with 18 in six matches.
Barcelona will be without French international defender Eric Abidal, a former Lyon star, for the both legs of the tie after injuring his leg in Saturday’s defeat.
Barcelona paid Lyon 15 million euros for Abidal in June 2007 after the player made his mark for France at the 2006 World Cup finals.
FIFA South Africa 2010 Volunteer Opportunities
February 24, 2009
There are other ways of sharing the enthusiasm for the World Cup 2010 than watching the action on TV or entering the ticket ballot.
If you would like to get truly involved in the excitement of FIFA 2010 South Africa, there are countless volunteer opportunities available in all the major FIFA World Cup cities of Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, Nelspruit and Polokwane. A total of 15 000 volunteers will be required to fulfill diverse roles in 2009 and 2010.
“The Soccer World Cup in Africa reaffirms our common humanity and proves we all belong to one family.” - Former South African President Thabo Mbeki on the culture of community service pervading South Africa
What will volunteers do?
A range of volunteer responsibilities are directly related to the football matches and additional administrative proceedings such as the FIFA World Cup final draw on 4 December 2009 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Many of the volunteer duties are focused on hospitality – making the tourists feel welcome and assisting them throughout their stay in South Africa.
Skilled and unskilled FIFA 2010 volunteers will help out with numerous activities and receive venue or job specific training. These jobs include:
· Providing spectator services
· Team liaison duties
· Assisting with transport, travel and information
· IT, Logistics and administrative work
· Driving
· Translating foreign languages
· Medical aid support
Who is allowed to volunteer?
A number of criteria need to be met and all prospective volunteers will need to follow the recruitment process and sign a volunteer agreement with the Local Organizing Committee. On the other hand, the most essential requirement is a motivation to help the community and supply first-rate service to the millions of bewildered tourists and football fans that will flock to the South African cities.
Volunteers may be from other African countries as well as the rest of the world.
FIFA 2010 South Africa Volunteer Program Requirements
Volunteers must:
· Be 18 years or older by March 2010 (retired folks and students are most welcome)
· Reside in the host city they will be working throughout the duration of the 2010 World Cup
· Agree to the stipulated code of conduct
How do I register to volunteer?
Registration will open in July 2009. Applications will be processed by South Africa’s 2010 Local Organizing Committee (LOC). Watch the press, media and this website for details as they become available.
What do I gain from the experience?
Please note that all volunteer labor is unpaid. However, 2010 World Cup will receive free meals while they are on duty, an official FIFA uniform designed by Adidas and a specified travel allowance.
The focus of this opportunity is to educate people and help them develop useful skills which can later be used in fields and industries such as healthcare, media, tourism, transport and security.
For more information on the 2010 FIFA World Cup check out the Football World Cup Guide which offers a huge variety of information on the event including details on World Cup betting opportunities, live betting odds and the best free bet offers for the world’s biggest sporting event.
FIFA receive applications from 128 countries for tickets
February 23, 2009
After the 2010 World Cup tickets went on sale on Saturday FIFA received applications from 128 countries for tickets for the tournament with 216,975 applications received.
The number of applications excludes those applications made via hard paper by the local South Africans.
The biggest number of orders came from South Africa, the host, followed by Britain, the United States, Germany, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Switzerland, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain and Argentina.
“These are fantastic numbers, underlying yet again the fervour taking hold around the world for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first on the African continent,” David Will, chairman of the FIFA ticketing sub-committee, said.
“It is very exciting and further evidence that the global football family wants to be part of this unique event on this very special continent,” the statement quoted him as saying.
Fans have until midnight on March 31 to make their ticket applications on the www.FIFA.com website.
“We are absolutely ecstatic with the phenomenal response of football fans around the world to the start of ticket sales for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa,” chief executive officer of the FIFA local organising committee, Danny Jordaan, said.
“It reinforces the faith of the global football fraternity in South Africa. We stand ready as a country and a continent to warmly welcome the world in 2010,” he added, according to the statement.
In case of over-subscribed matches, a random selection draw will be organised on April 15 to allocate tickets for those matches and all applicants will know by the end of that month whether they have been successful or not, it added.
Luka Modric - The Croatian Inspiration
February 23, 2009
Luka Modric started his footballing career by playing in the streets of his country, Croatia. His father later took him another step by enrolling him in a football school. From there, Luka grew as a player and sooner than later signed his first professional contract with local team, NK Dinamo Zagreb at the young age of seventeen. When he began, he had difficulty establishing his place in the first team and was loaned out with two friends to Bosnian side Zrinjski Mostar. During his one season at Mostar, he was named “Bosnian Player of the Year.” When he returned to Croatia, he had become an even more talented, stronger player. He was once again loaned out though, this time to another Croatian side, Inter Zepresic. In his one season, he helped them to second place in the league table. However, he was so impressive that Dinamo brought him home early.
Realizing the pure talent that they had, Luka became the heartbeat of the team. At this point everyone was beginning to recognize just how much passion and skill that the young footballer contained. Luka went on with Dinamo to win 2 Croatian cups and 3 league titles. At the same time, Luka represented his country in the U-21 side, and when time came for the World Cup 2006 in Germany, he was called to join the first team in one of the most important competitions in football. Later, when Slaven Bilic took over the national team as first coach, Luka was given the opportunity to flourish. From the moment Bilic took over, Luka was handed the same role that he was playing for Dinamo. He was and still is the heart of the Croatia national team.
Playing on the first team for his country now, qualifying for the UEFA Euro 2008 was his next challenge. Despite his small size for a professional footballer, he has the ability to pick apart an opposing side’s defense and did so when Croatia met England in their qualifying campaign. He broke down the English side in order for Croatia to gather a winning 3 points and proceed to the tournament, leaving England disqualified. During the Euro 2008, Luka not only scored the first penalty kick of the tournament, but he converted the fastest ever penalty kick in the entire history of the tournament. Keeping his side ticking, they accomplished a great achievement as they brought down Germany in the group stages and made it to the quarter finals where they unfortunately fell to Turkey. Throughout the tournament, his talent, passion, and personality absolutely shone for the world to see as he was named the “Best Young Player at Euro 2008.”
Luka has since been compared with great legends such as the Dutchman, Johan Cruyff and the Croatian, Zvonimir Boban; he has even been given the nickname “the Croatian Cruyff.” After the Euro 2008, Slaven Bilic told the media that “Luka is the best midfielder in the world,” and went on to later say that the only footballer in the world that is better than Luka is AC Milan’s Kaka.
Recently, Luka has become more and more popular in North London, as he transferred from Dinamo to English side Tottenham Hotspur FC, completing one of the biggest transfers of the summer. However, since the English Premier League is the best quality and strongest league in the world, some doubted Luka because of his rather small stature. In particular, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insisted that Luka would not last in the big league. Due to Spurs’ slow start into the season, Luka had yet to find his form at the club and others were beginning to think in the same way. Though, in time, Luka has shown that heart can withstand the strongest of challenges. Now being a favorite at the North London club, Luka is again at the heart and soul of the team.
The passion and creativity Luka puts into every performance is outstanding, and it is beautiful to watch him play because with every touch of the ball he conveys his love for the game. Since his time at Spurs, manager Harry Redknapp has built the team specifically around him and as many times as you will ask Harry, he will tell you what a “top-top player” and “world class player” Luka is. Now, Luka can be recognized as the “Midfield Magician” and the “Croatian Inspiration”, and both names suit him well. Much pressure has been placed upon his shoulders and many huge compliments. But he has promised not to let it go to his head and it surely won’t as his best friends say that “Luka is a level headed, modest, genuine, honest guy.”
Everyone who says something about “the little footballer” says something wonderful, as it is hard to keep from it. He really puts things into great perspective and is an inspiration. He truly is one of a kind.
Jill Guthrie
475 days to go till the 2010 World Cup
February 20, 2009
Excitement has already started to build as the first set of tickets for the World Cup went on sale today and although the event is still over a year away World Cup fever is starting to take over South Africa.
Some 450,000 cheaper tickets are being reserved for South African residents of which 120,000 will be issued free to stadium construction workers.
Overall prices range from $20 (£14) for a category four ticket reserved for South Africans to $900 for a category one ticket for the final.
The stadium building hasn’t gone to plan of late with 400 builders getting sacked this week for going on strike this coupled with the big doubts that have been hanging over the tournament from the start have started to install further doubts that the tournament will run smoothly but the South African authorities have assured everyone everything will be ready in time.
Danny Jordan, the chief executive of South Africa’s World Cup Organising Committee, says security should not be a concern despite the country’s crime rate.
“When you organise an event, you have maximum information” about the teams’ movements, he told the BBC.
“You know where the fans are going to stay, you know when they are going to the match, you know when and where they’re going to celebrate.
“So, if I have 100% information on your movement, I can give you the guarantee that you will be 100% safe.”
At least 400,000 visitors are expected in South Africa next year.
Fifa has said it hopes every single match will be sold out.
The draw for the 32 teams that qualify for the World Cup will be held in Cape Town in December 2009.
Bolton pair came close to England call-up
February 20, 2009
It seems as though
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