Jul
28
One-of-a-kind penalty
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The World Cup may be over, but the summer international tournaments continue – and so do the world class displays. In the UEFA Under-19 Championship quarterfinal match between Spain and Italy, the new world champions showed they are extending their dominance to all age levels by beating the Italians 3-0 and progressing through to the semi-finals.
What really stood out about this match was a very special penalty kick by Ezequeil Calvente to put Spain 3-0 up. The video shows the penalty in question, and at first there doesn’t seem to be anything that remarkable about it – the goalkeeper just goes the wrong way, and Calvente puts it in the right corner. The replay, however, shows just exactly he managed to trick the goalkeeper – by stepping over to his left foot in the last moment and completely fooling his opponent about where he’s going to put it. This is a trick one tries sometimes in training, but it rarely pays off. It is very hard to keep your balance and produce a powerful shot with this trick, but Calvente does it perfectly. In fact, it’s a better penalty that anything we saw at the World Cup this summer. One wonders if Ghana’s Gyan is still having nightmares about his infamous miss…
Looks like Spain already have their sights set on defending their title in four years time. With upcoming talent and confidence like this, it will take something amazing to stop them.
Jul
27
The Great Raul Departs
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With over 15 years at the club, from a youth player to the age of 33, and 228 league goals in the Spanish La Liga, the great Raul Gonzalez has left Real Madrid. He is/was one of the most prolific strikers in all of Europe, and not too many clubs can boast a talisman as valuable as he. He was in that select league of strikers that elevated his team with his class and leadership, a league in which I would include such players as Jurgen Kilnsmann, Alan Shearer and Dennis Bergkamp.
Raul is only 33, so he is not quite retiring. There are rumors he might go to Shalke, while others link him to the Premiership, and he has himself admitted he would only consider a move to one of those two countries. Last season he didn’t start as many games for Real, and with Jose Mourinho taking charge, it became clear that his time at the top of the game may be coming to an end. I’m sure he can still bang a lot of goals for whoever he signs for, so we haven’t heard the last of him. He admitted he would like the challenge of a new culture and a new league, so he still seems hungry for more. Raul departed with the words “I will always be available to Madrid for whatever it needs me”, which was a nice touch.
As a reminder, another long-serving player to leave Madrid this summer was midfielder Guti, so Mourinho’s vision for a new, younger team is already taking shape.
Jul
26
Cruise recruiting Beckham for Hollywood
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David Beckham may already be in LA playing for the LA Galaxy, but one of his closest friends, actor Tom Cruise, wants him to become an actor himself. The megastar was quoted as saying: “I’ve been encouraging him to become an actor. He’s got the looks, he’s got everything. He’d be terrific.” The two have been buddies for a long time, and Cruise has made such comments in the past as well.
It’s funny because at the same time, transfer rumors have come out linking him with a return to England. West Ham United want the former England captain to play for them, and believe they have the money to lure him. Still, Hollywood or West Ham for Becks? I can’t say I’d blame him too much if he chooses the former. He has achieved everything there is to achieve in club football, and I think he wouldn’t mind spending his last few years as a player in the States.
Beckham has been apart of hundreds of commercials and photo shoots around the world, but does this mean he can act? I guess we’ll find out one day, but I’m certain everyone remembers the Adidas Star Wars commercial released in the summer. He only has a few words to say, but contributes to a highly amusing piece of work. Maybe comedy can be his thing – I don’t think he can quite match up to the dramatic work Tom Cruise does.
Jul
25
Spanish La Liga side Real Mallorca were kicked out of the Europa League due to “financial reasons”, and their place was given to Villarreal, who finished 7th last season. The decision was made due to the fact that they have debts close to 70 million Euros, and that is not allowed under UEFA’s rules. Mallorca replied that they have further investment coming in that will help reduce these debts, but Platini’s men were not to be denied.
70 million is indeed a lot of money, but still, this decision is a little bit ridiculous. Club finances throughout Europe are a mess, and punishing singular clubs like this won’t achieve anything. Other clubs spend hundreds of millions a season just on new players, with investment coming in from banks or owners who borrow and gamble heavily, yet they are allowed to go on without a problem. But it’s not that big of a surprise, as a club like Real Mallorca does not hold the same commercial value to UEFA as others.
Of course, the people who this will hurt the most will be the club’s fans, who have waited a long time to get into a European competition. It hardly seems fair that they should be paying the price for UEFA’s shady rules or their club’s faulty administration. But on the other hand – Villerreal must be unable to believe their luck right now. Who’s betting on them to go on and win it now?
Jul
21
The race to host the two World Cups following the next one in Brazil has began, and FIFA officials will now start visiting a number of the candidate countries to take a look at their sports facilities. This is perhaps the most important stage of the process, as it gives the judges a direct insight into the strengths and weaknesses each country possesses. For all of FIFA’s problems, I think they have shown great judgment in picking the host nations and giving new ones a chance, as the recent tournaments in South Korea, Japan and South Africa turned out to be a big success.
As a reminder, the candidates are South Korea, Australia, Netherlands/Belgium, Russia, England, Spain/Portugal, Qatar, Japan and the United States. Half of those have never hosted the WC before, and it would really be interesting to see the competition in a country like Qatar or Australia, although, to be fair, I expect them to have the smallest chances too. South Korea and Japan may also be at a little bit of a disadvantage, having hosted the competition last decade, but they did it so well that they might still be in the running. England are being placed as favorites for the 2018 WC, but then we all know how the story goes when the English have big expectations.
The final decision for both tournaments will be made in December of this year, so interesting times are ahead.
Jul
20
Thuram blames racism for French disgrace
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As the investigation to find out what really caused France’s grave problems at the World Cup continues, the most capped player in their history, Lilian Thuram, has come out claiming that the revolt underlines the racism still existing in society.
He resigned as board member of the football federation after the scandal, but has continued to be a harsh critic of the squad, and has asked for those responsible to be heavily sanctioned. He fears that to let them go unpunished would put a stain on the country that will be hard to wash out. Thuram has said that many people blamed the fact that there are too many black players in the French squad, and that they do not fully represent French society.
That is a rather silly accusation in my books, as it is nothing new, and shouldn’t be a contributing factor anyway. Yes, France have for some time been one of the most colored teams in Europe, but that has not stopped them from achieving unity in the past, and even winning the World Cup in 1998. It would be absurd that after such glory petty differences like this would still resurface and cause such problems, but you never know. At the end, I think the only thing that can help the French move on is if they get to the bottom of the problem and try to eliminate it – be it racism, player egos, or whatever.
Jul
19
Post-World Cup Transfers Boom
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The hottest time for transfers is always the window after the world cup, when clubs do their best to attract the stars that shined at the biggest competition on Earth. The problem with this World Cup is that it was more of a team-effort story for many teams, and there weren’t that many individual performances. The Golden ball winner, for example, is 32 years old, and I don’t think Forlan would want to leave Atletico Madrid anyway.
Nonetheless, many German players have understandably caught the eye of prospective buyers. Werder Bremen’s Ozil is the most wanted man, with top clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona reported to be interested in him. The golden-boot winner, Muller, along with the other strikers like Klose and Podowski, are also fancied by many teams. Which to be is honest is a bit funny, since these players rarely perform that good at club level. They have technical ability, there’s no denying that, but I don’t think any of them have the potential to be world superstars. They get motivated and organized for the national team, but don’t offer that much at club level. It’s a fact that has been true for some time now, and I would be surprised if it changes soon.
I for one am interested to see if anyone will take a chance at North Korea’s players. They certainly showed they were no pushovers, at least in the Brazil game. Currently only one of them plays outside his home country, but I’d like to see a few of them in the Champions League (for smaller clubs) this coming season.
Jul
18
Henry to the Red Bulls
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People keep saying soccer in America is just about to blow up, it will rise in popularity, the time is coming etc. etc. – but if one is to look at the facts, it is still a long way off from displacing or even equaling other top American sports, such as baseball, American football, or basketball.
However, the MLS continues to grow, and it is inevitable that new fans will be attracted by that development. David Beckham was a huge hit when he signed for the LA Galaxy a couple of years ago, and now it looks like the top French goal-scorer of all time, Thierry Henry, is heading to the East Coast to represent the New York Red Bulls. Even though he had mostly been confined to the bench last season for Barcelona, he is still a superstar player that most top clubs in Europe would love to have. The fact that he has chosen New York speaks volumes.
Now, is this any different than a player going to a Middle Eastern club for a nice last paycheck? It is, I would argue. As seen by the US’s performance at the World Cup, they are definitely going up, and are riding a wave of momentum that shouldn’t stop any time soon. Not to mention that the more top players go to the States, the easier it will be for others to follow. These are exciting times for MLS fans for sure.
Jul
13
Golden Ball to Diego Forlan
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The World Cup Golden Ball, which is awarded to the best player of the competition, has gone to Diego Forlan. FIFA had submitted 10 nominees, but by all accounts the favorites to win it were 3 – Forlan himself, Wesley Sneijder and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Sneijder and Schweinsteiger have done very well in this World Cup, and have probably been the main reason their sides have done so well. Schweinsteiger has marshaled German’s midfield, creating many chances on those devastating counters that saw Germany crush good sides like England and Argentina. He has no goals to his name, though, so it’s not too hard to see why he didn’t get the award. Sneijder has done much of the same job for Holland, but he has no fewer than 5 goals to boast about. He almost single-handedly beat Brazil and took his country to their third-ever final, so he would have definitely deserved the prize should he have gotten in.
My man of the tournament, and rightful winner, however, has been Uruguay’s Diego Forlan. In a competition which has been more about team-work than stars, few have shined as brightly as the Atletico Madrid star-man. Besides his 5 goals, he has inspired and carried on his back the entire team in some games, creating something out of nothing and never allowing them to give up. He lead Uruguay to another great achievement for such a small nation, and will be the biggest hero for some time back home.
Jul
12
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Spain’s hero at the World Cup final, captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas, sure knows how to celebrate. He saved two clear-cut chances by Robben during the game, burst into tears as his team won in extra-time 1-0, became the first Spaniard to officially lift the golden trophy, and then went over for a short interview with his girlfriend Sara Carbonero, which he quickly ended with a kiss.
It was the perfect way to bring things full-circle, as the tournament had started so differently for Spain and Casillas. They lost their opening game 1-0 to Switzerland, with the captain making a mistake in the game’s only goal. After that, he was interviewed by Carbonero, where he didn’t have any answers for the defeat, and looked quite downbeat. The reporter was even blamed for “distracting” Casillas and costing Spain the game, as she was allowed to stand close behind the Spanish goal during the game.
It really was a ridiculous accusation, and Spain and Casillas responded in style. They won every single match after that, not allowing a single goal in any of their knockout matches. Casillas had a big part to play in that, stopping a crucial penalty against Paraguay, and of course his saves vs. Robben in the final. Spain rarely gave the ball away in any of their remaining matches, waited patiently to score their goals, and can now deservedly call themselves World Cup champions. And Casillas can celebrate in any way he wants.