England’s World Cup Qualifying Campaign
October 15, 2008
England’s 5-1 win against Kazakhstan at Wembley on Saturday was their third consecutive win in their quest to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010. By winning on Saturday they joined Spain and Greece who beat, Estonia and Moldova on the weekend, as the only three teams left in the qualifying stages to have won all three games so far, showing how world football is on the up.
If England were to win against Belarus at the Dinamo Stadium on Wednesday night, it will be the first time that England have won their four opening matches for any qualifiers (either European Championship qualifiers or World Cup Qualifiers) for the first time since 1972, when Bobby Moore captained England to wins against Malta (0-1 at the Empire Stadium, Gzira and 5-0 at Wembley, London), Greece (3-0 at Wembley, London) and Switzerland (2-3 at St. Jakob Park, Basel). This goes to show how Fabio Capello has re-instated the winning mentality back into the English national team.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Turkey ranked 13th in FIFA’s ranking
August 7, 2008
Turkey has climbed from 14th into 13th place in the latest world soccer ranking published by the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA).
IFA released its world rankings for August 2008. European champions Spain remained at the top of the list.
The first twenty teams in FIFA’s latest world ranking are as follows (previous position shown in brackets):
1. Spain (1) 1,557
2. Germany (3) 1,343
3. Italy (2) 1,320
4. Netherlands (5) 1,299
5. Croatia (7) 1,282
6. Brazil (4) 1,242
7. Argentina (6) 1,219
8. Czech Republic (8) 1,146
9. Portugal (9) 1,122
10. Russia (11) 1,023
11. Romania (12) 1,021
12. France (10) 1,012
13. TURKEY (14) 1,010
4. England (15) 1,003
15. Cameroon (13) 994
16. Scotland (16) 988
17. Bulgaria (17) 930
18. Greece (18) 896
19. Ghana (20) 892
20. Israel (21) 876
futbol, soccer, fussball, football, gol, goal, live scores, canl, live, puan durumu, puan cetveli, standings, results
Popularity: 1% [?]
2008-06-29 - Germany v Spain
June 28, 2008
UEFA Euro 2008 - Final
Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna
Sunday 29th June 2008 - KO 19:45
After 30 games over 3 weeks, Euro 2008 reaches its climax on Sunday as Germany take on Spain in Vienna at 7:45pm.
Despite being labelled a ‘poor’ German team by many pundits, they have, as they did in 2002 and 2006, overcome these criticisms to show you can never write of the Germans.
As always Spain entered the competition with great expectations, but this time there was also a real belief amongst both the squad and the fans that this side had the resilience needed to win a major tournament.
GERMANY 4-0-1 10:6
Three times champions Germany look to continue their impressive form in this competition as they enter their sixth final, but their first in twelve years.
Although they started the tournament as favourites, due in part to the relative weakness of Group B, many people believed their workman like team would struggle against more skilled outfits once they reached the knockout stages.
Their first real challenge came against a fancied Portuguese team, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, who had been impressive in their first two group games.
However, early goals from Bastain Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose gave the Portuguese a shock they could not recover from, despite Nuno Gomes’ reply five minutes from half time. Germany were never truly stretched, and in the 62nd minute Ballack sealed it with a header from a Schweinsteiger free kick, despite Postiga’s consolation goal three minutes from time.
The semi final win over a depleted Turkey was not as comfortable, as first they had to come from behind, and then score in injury time to seal their place in Vienna.
Germany were big favourites to beat the injury ravaged Turks, but were outplayed in the first half, and were fortunate to be level at half time. Ugar Boral had given Turkey a deserved lead after they dominated the opening twenty minutes, but that lead lasted just five minutes as Schweinsteiger flicked in a cross from Podolski.
In a tight second half Klose looked to have won it for the Germans ten minutes from time as he capitalised on a mistake from Rustu to head Germany into the lead.
However the Turks have made scoring late goals their speciality in this tournament, and did it again for the fourth game in a row, thanks to Semih Sentruck, and everyone prepared for extra time.
Everyone except Phillip Lahm that is, as his surging run from full back caught the Turks napping, and he lashed home Hitzlspe rger‘s pass from six yards to seal Germany’s place in the final.
SPAIN 4-1-0 11:3
Spain have been the neutral’s choice due to their open and exciting approach, and are the tournament’s top scorers with 11 goals, one more than the Germans, while David Villa is the top scorer so far with four, three of which came in their opening game, where they swept aside the Russians 4-1.
Consecutive 2-1 wins in their final two group games against Sweden and Greece earned them top spot in Group D, and a quarter final clash with the Italians.
The two sides took very different approaches to the game, resulting in Spain dominating the 90 minutes as their attacking brand of football was restrained by the Italians typical defensive position.
Spain had the best chances in normal time, coming closest to scoring when Buffon spilled Marco Senna’a shot, only to see it hit the post and come back into his arms. The match inevitably went to penalties and looked set to favour the Italians, as it looked as though they had played for that outcome since the start.
History was also not on Spain’s side, as they had previously lost three quarter finals by penalty shot outs, all on the 22nd June. However, this time they held their nerve to win the shoot out 4-2, Casillas saving two kicks to give Fabregas the chance to shoot the Spanish into the semi-final.
Their semi final pitted them against their opponents from the first round, a Russian team this time with Andrei Arshavin. The opening half was tight, with both teams predictably cancelling each other out following their opening group game.
The second half saw the attacking Spain of the last three weeks emerge, with Fabregas, who had come on for an injured David Villa, and Xavi opening the scoring on 50 minutes. Guiza and Silva then put the game beyond the Russians with strikes in the 73rd and 82nd minute respectively, to seal Spain’s first tournament final place since the Euros of 1984.
HEAD TO HEAD
Germany and Spain have met each other 19 times, and Germany have won eight of these contests, while Spain proved the strongest on five occasions.
At the World Cup and European Championship, the two teams have played each other five times, with Germany winning three times and Spain having the upper hand only once.
The last time these two met was a friendly in February 2003, which Spain won 3-1.
TEAM NEWS
Germany coach Joachim Low must decide whether to recall Torsten Frings for Sunday’s Euro 2008 final against Spain.
The midfielder has declared himself fit after recovering from a broken rib and could replace Simon Rolfes (cut eye) in the only change to the side.
Spain striker David Villa will miss Sunday’s Euro 2008 final against Germany, the Spanish football federation have confirmed.
Villa, 26, injured a thigh muscle in Thursday’s semi-final win over Russia.
THE VERDICT
Looking at the tournament as a whole, Spain have produced the better record and against tougher teams - and with the semi-final in mind it’s easy to see why Spain are considered warm favourites.
Taking each round seperately, there would only be one occasion so far when I would give Germany the nod, and that would be in the Quarter-finals when I felt the 3-2 win over Portugal was a better performance than Spain’s 0-0 draw with Italy.
The absence of David Villa is a "headline" blow, but in truth Villa only scored in the group games, and if his absence means that Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas starts then I would argue that it actually makes Spain stronger.
The only concern might be if Aragones takes a cautious approach and decides to revert to a 4-5-1 with Torres upfront as a lone striker - because that’s a plan that might result in a DRAW at 90 minutes.
Given my estimated percentages, I’m looking for prices of 3.30 on Germany or the Draw and a price of 2.50 on Spain - and the bookmakers are also pitching the game around that level.
The Pick :
PERCENTAGE ESTIMATE :
FIXED ODDS BETTING :
I see this game as being much like the 2002 World Cup final - with a hardworking German team up against a more skillful opponent. It was close for a long time but eventually Brazil won 2-0.
So I’m going to oppose my percentages a bit and take SPAIN to win here - assuming that having Fabregas on from the start might actually raise that winning chance a bit and make the prices fair value.
Beware the German experience and craftiness though - you can never write them off - so a correct score saver of 1-1 DRAW might be worth a play.
(or else check out that "cash-back" page - to see which bookmakers are offering an angle to give you a bit of "insurance" if the bet goes wrong)
Good luck - and I hope the previews have been helpful for you this month!
Popularity: 2% [?]
I´ve lost one major final, I don´t want to lose another: Cesc
June 27, 2008
VIENNA (AFP) - Spain’s Cesc Fabregas says that he has no intention of letting Sunday’s Euro 2008 final against Germany slip through his hands.
 |
The Arsenal midfielder, who set up Spain’s last two goals in Thursday’s 3-0 semi-final win over Russia, knows all too well what it’s like to fall at the final hurdle having lost out to Barcelona with the Gunners in the 2006 Champions League final.
And after the Russian rout which set Spain up for a tilt at their first major honour in 44 years he insisted: "Listen I know what it’s like to lose a major final, I don’t want to lose another one."
Coach Luis Aragones has preferred to start Xavi in midfield throughout this Euro with Fabregas coming on as a super sub late on in the game.
But here at the Ernst Happel stadium Fabregas got called up sooner than expected when striker David Villa had to come off injured in the 34th minute.
Fabregas, who scored the winning penalty in the spot kick shoot out over Italy in the quarters, made what many regarded as a match winning contribution.
After Xavi had set Spain on their way the 21-year-old Fabregas was at the heart of goals from Daniel Guiza and David Silva.
Asked if this was the best game of his life he shrugged: "Maybe, but I’ll have to watch it on video again to have a better opinion.
"I don’t think I changed the game though when I came on, I just played the way I could."
He said converting the penalty that secured Spain’s 4-2 victory over Italy in the last eight had been crucially important to him and the team.
"It was a defining moment, one of the most important of my life. Everything went well, it could have gone wrong."
History now beckons for Spain who have fallen at the quarter-final stage of the World Cup or Euro three times in recent years, with their sole major honour the European championships of 1964.
"History is waiting for us, hopefully! We’ll have to try to play our best game of the tournament (against Germany)," said Fabregas.
"The Germans are very experienced and very competitive but if we play like we did tonight we have a good chance."
He’ll be coming up against an old adversary from the Premier League in Germany’s Chelsea captain Michael Ballack.
"Ballack’s doing an amazing job for Germany and for me he is one of the players of the tournament."
One key to Spain’s run of success which has seen it brush aside the Russians twice, Greece, Sweden and Italy, is their mental fortitude, a point underlined by Fabregas.
"We forged this team spirit in qualifying. There’s always this doubt in Spain. We’ve got through the semi-final and now the final but no one was expecting us to be where we are now.
"We’ve displayed great mental strength, that’s the key."
After this latest starring role Fabregas, who scored his first international goal in the opening 4-1 win over Russia, could quite understandably expect to be named in the starting XI against the Germans back here at the Ernst Happel stadium on Sunday.
But he said: "If the boss says I can play that’s better for me, but I just want to help my team."
Popularity: 1% [?]
Arshavin in debt to Dutch duo
June 26, 2008
Vienna
Everyone’s talking about Andrei Arshavin, how he’s lighting up Euro 2008 with skills that have earned praise from the great man himself, Zinedine Zidane. Yet Arshavin is not some boy wonder. He’s 27 and made his international debut on 17 May, 2002,
So why has it taken six years for the Russian ‘Ronaldinho’ to show the world just how good he is? It’s a fair question, one that I put to Konstantin Kleshchev, a man who knows a bit about the burgeoning star of Euro 2008.
"We’ve always known he’s a very good player," said Kleshchev, a reporter on Russian football for 25 years. "But not everyone has believed in him and could see what he was capable of."
Crucially, those people with the doubts have been the ones who mattered most. Previous coaches at both club and international level wanted Arshavin to fulfil a specific - and perhaps restrictive - role on the pitch, one that didn’t suit him at all.
Kleshchev admits that Arshavin is something of a free spirit and not easily dictated to. "He is a strong character," he said. "He is a person who says what he thinks. Sometimes he’s a bit crazy."
Like when he kicked an Andorran player towards the end of Russia’s final Euro 2008 qualifier, a moment of madness that ensured he missed the first two matches of the Finals.
According to Kleshchev, Arshavin is not a big fan of journalists either, although he is more than happy for his face to be splashed across the front and inside pages of Russia’s glossy magazines. This is a man who, after all, has a diploma in fashion design.
And he can expect even more interest in his life following his dazzling exploits in Austria and Switzerland. But how did he suddenly become football’s hottest property? Well, according to Kleshchev, the catalyst was the arrival on the Russian football scene of two Dutchmen, Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat.
Hiddink became national coach in April 2006, with Advocaat taking over at Zenit St Petersburg just three months later. Both men quickly made their presence felt, although Advocaat’s influence was initially more telling in respect of Arshavin.
Recognising he was a rough diamond in need of a little polishing, Advocaat made sure Arshavin got the TLC he required. Then he let Hiddink know just how good Arshavin was, too.
"Hiddink has a close relationship with Advocaat, and Advocaat told him Arshavin was the best," said Kleshchev. "Hiddink, who we call the magician in Russia, trusts Advocaat."
With the backing of Advocaat and Hiddink, Arshavin began doing what he does best - terrorising defences. It’s not quite a licence to roam but he certainly pops up in all kinds of places, his close control and quick feet making any defender wary of diving in.
It’s not only Arshavin who has benefitted from the nurturing instincts of Advoccat and Hiddink. Konstantin Zyryanov has also flourished under the Dutch duo’s guidance. "He spent six years at Torpedo Moscow without showing any promise, but Adocaat saw Zyryanov as a star," said Kleshchev.
Zyryanov was named Russian Football of the Year in 2007 and scored the second goal in the 2-0 win over Rangers in the Uefa Cup final back in May. He also scored the only goal in Russia’s crucial 1-0 win over Group D rivals Greece.
It’s a remarkable turnaround, especially when you consider he has had to cope with tragedy too many times in his life. A couple of years after losing his father and brother, his wife and four-year-old daughter were killed after they fell from the eighth floor of their apartment block. The coroner returned a verdict of suicide.
While Zyryanov has won plaudits for the way he has rebuilt his life and his career, it’s Arshavin who has grabbed most of the headlines. He is also attracting the interest of Europe’s top clubs, with talk of Barcelona leading the race for his services.
Kleshchev thinks any potential suitor, including the Spanish giants, may have to wait another year before getting their man. "For Zenit, the big thing now is the Champions League," he said. "They have already won the Russian Premier League and the Uefa Cup, so I think they will hold on to Arshavin for one more season."
Even then, Zenit might not want to sell. They certainly don’t have to. Gazprom, who own a majority stake in the club, have already pumped in £80m and, as Russia’s largest company, have many more millions at their disposal.
In the end, it will probably come down to what Arshavin wants. He currently earns £2m a year, so he’s already a wealthy man. But if he can inspire Russia to Euro 2008 success, he will probably be able to command at least twice that.
Popularity: 1% [?]
