“Whittling the best footballers of the decade down to just ten representatives was something of an arduous, if enjoyable, task here at Soccernet towers. But, following plenty of arguments, rolling of eyes and whistles of disbelief we eventually settled on the final ten…” (ESPN)

“The long and arduous Premiership journey has reached the halfway point, as a handful of teams gaze upon the summit and the rest fear a crashing fall back to Earth. But how can we quantify such a qualitative championship? With our best efforts, that’s how. And a little inspiration. David Bowie’s glower has already helped us in ranking the top of the premiership, as has Cantinflas, the flower of 1950’s Mexican cinema. And, well, we are running out of words that rhyme with power. Please email suggestions. In the meantime, enjoy a look at the great towers of legendary architect Gaudi. We present your EPL tower rankings.” (futfanatico)

“Pep Guardiola is piling up the titles with Barcelona, and doing it in style – but he must surely face some competition for any coach of the year award from the man whose team gave him a scare on Saturday – Alejandro Sabella of Argentine side Estudiantes. Like Guardiola, Sabella is a first-time coach – though the Argentine does have many years experience as assistant to Daniel Passarella before being tempted to fly solo with Estudiantes, who are one of the clubs he played for, along with Leeds and Sheffield United.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

Diana and Actaeon. 1556-1559. Titian.
“The first thing Capello said on becoming England manager was that when an Englishman pulled on his international shirt, he lost all the confidence he felt at his club: he played in fear. The task for Capello was to create the conditions for confidence that already existed at Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool. And in that he succeeded, but could he have done it for Scotland? I argue not. The Scottish job, for the time being, is beyond the power of a single man. If the Scotland team are to experience what England experienced in 2009, change has to come from the Scottish FA, the Scottish press, the Scottish clubs, and, especially, in Scottish fan culture itself.” (More Than Mind Games)

“In August, I looked at a clutch of five once famous clubs currently biding their time in various European second divisions, in the same way that Newcastle and Nottingham Forest among others are being forced to do so in the Championship. With both Magpies and Tricky Trees primed for an exit from purgatory, I thought it would be interesting to assess the progress of these additional five exiles…” (thetwounfortunates)

“The battle of the billionaires has developed into a Cold War at Arsenal Football Club. E. Stanley Kroenke, a U.S. real-estate and sports mogul, and Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov are the two superpowers locked in a tussle for outright control of the Premier League team. The latest flashpoint in their power struggle came Friday when Arsenal disclosed that after months of inactivity, Mr. Usmanov—through his investment vehicle Red & White Holdings—had acquired 668 shares in the North London club, increasing his stake to more than 26%.” (WSJ)

Rafik Saifi
“Saifi’s 18 goals put him sixth on Algeria’s all-time goalscoring list and he registered crucial goals in both games against Zambia during qualifying. He joined Qatari side Al-Khor Sports Club in August, but has spent most of his career in the French and Belgian leagues.” (Guardian)

“When Rangers chairman Alastair Johnston extolled the virtues of shareholder democracy over supporter-led democratic ownership at his club’s recent annual general meeting, he could never have imagined how utterly his arguments would be undermined by other events during the meeting. Not even the latest shenanigans (for that is what they are) at Watford could provide such a compelling manifestation of the flaws of such a system, although even as I type they are trying very hard.” (twohundredpercent)

“The UEFA Champions League draw in Nyon, Switzerland, today could throw up some tantalizing storylines: just don’t expect a surprise ending. The prospect of David Beckham returning to Old Trafford with AC Milan, or Carlo Ancelotti heading back to the San Siro with new employers Chelsea will lend intrigue to the knockout-round match-ups, but whatever the outcome of the draw, look for England’s dominance of the tournament to continue.” (WSJ)

“Right, time to take it upon myself to cheer up Derby County fans because the second coming of Clough was supposed to point to more promising things than being 17th in the second tier and below the likes of, well, us. It might be something of a cliché but there is genuine potential for a club like County. They appear to have happened on upon one of the more down to earth of club owners and of course continue to attract significant crowds to Pride Park regardless of league form. And then of course, there is the precendent of history.” (Viva Rovers)

“Lionel Messi struck an extra-time winner as Barcelona fought back from the brink against Estudiantes to win the Club World Cup and complete an incredible year with a sixth piece of silverware. Barca’s hopes of adding a maiden Club World Cup crown to their Primera Division, Champions League, Copa del Rey and European and Spanish Super Cup titles looked to have been crushed as Argentinians Estudiantes led heading into the final minutes thanks to Mauro Boselli’s 37th-minute header in Abu Dhabi.” (ESPN)

FC Barcelona Defeats Estudiantes 1-2 – Video
“SFS has taken this impressive photo from Spanish sports daily ‘Marca’ to celebrate with all FC BARCELONA fans around the World a historic 1-2 victory over Argentine team ESTUDIANTES DE LA PLATA to take the FIFA WORLD CLUBS CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE 2009.” (Spanish Football Sports)

“Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez suffered a disastrous trip to Portsmouth after Javier Mascherano was dismissed during a miserable defeat at Fratton Park. Pompey’s victory, with the goals coming from Nadir Belhadj and Frederic Piquionne, will ignite hope of survival in the Premier League. However, Liverpool’s chances of finishing in the top four are uncertain – they missed a chance to record back-to-back league wins for the first time since September.” (ESPN)

Portsmouth glimpse hope as win over Liverpool piles pressure on Benítez
“Just when Rafael Benítez most needed a break from scrutiny, his team hit rock-bottom away to the club bottom of the league. Benítez’s prediction last week that his side would finish in the top four come the end of this season is looking ever more out of touch with reality. The body language of the team lacked optimism as Liverpool’s big-name stars reluctantly dragged themselves about the icy pitch for much of the game, thrashing about in frustration when things did not go their way.” (Guardian)

Benitez joins opposition over ‘unfair’ scheduling
“Rafael Benitez became the latest manager to voice displeasure at fixture scheduling yesterday, complaining that Liverpool should not be facing Avram Grant’s Portsmouth away in a lunchtime kick-off in the depths of winter having played on Wednesday night.” (Independent)

“Club Atlético Banfield are champions for the first time in their 113 year history. On Sunday, Banfield failed to get a result versus Boca Juniors at the Bombonera, losing 2-0, but second-place Newell’s Old Boys also lost, to San Lorenzo 2-0. As champions, Banfield will be making their third appearance in the Copa Libertadores next year. Holders Estudiantes de La Plata will also be part of the 2010 Copa Libertadores, along with Primera División 2009 Clausura champions Vélez Sársfield, and the three clubs with the best average from the 2009 Clausura and 2009 Apertura…Lanús, Colón, and Newells’ Old Boys.” (billsportsmaps)

“Liverpool will take on Romanian side Unirea Urziceni at the round of 32 stage in the Europa League. Unirea, like Liverpool, dropped into the competition after finishing third in their Champions League group but defeated Glasgow Rangers and Sevilla. Fulham face a tricky tie against Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk. Everton take on Sporting Lisbon, who play in the same city where David Moyes’ team were defeated 5-0 by Benfica during the group stage.” (BBC)

Sophonisba Receiving the Poisoned Chalice, Simon Vouet
“Those of us brought up in the high-rise, low-expectation housing projects surrounding Paris will have our very own Norman Tebbit-style nationality test this summer. Thanks to both France and Algeria qualifying for the football World Cup finals it’s going to be a straight choice between blue and green – Les Bleus representing our parents’ adopted homeland, or Les Verts from the former colony where they were born.” (Guardian)

“Is Ronaldinho finally about to deliver? When the Brazilian ace was formally ‘presented’ to the AC Milan faithful last year, he was greeted at the San Siro like some sort of all-conquering hero, wooed by pulsating samba rhythms, a firework display and a 30,000-strong crowd.” (SI)

“Forty-two pounds is a lot of money. It’s more than someone working full-time on the minimum wage earns in a day. It was also the cost of a ticket for Wolverhampton Wanderers supporters that wanted to go to see their team at Old Trafford in the Premier League last night. They may now be wondering why they bothered. Part of the rationale that is frequently given by managers that a desperately scrapping to get there in the first place is that they want the experience of “playing the best as equals” (or variants thereupon), but that can hardly be said to have been what happened last night as Wolves played supine rather than lupine in fielding a second string team to take on a Manchester United side that was off colour but still allow to stroll to a 3-0 win.” (twohundredpercent)

“I’m sure Johan Cruyff (or Cruijjff, if you prefer) had performed his famous Cruyff Turn long before the 1974 World Cup. He was probably Cruyff Turning all over the place while playing football for Ajax in the ’60s and ’70s. But that was long before YouTube, long before footage from any league in the world could be uploaded and shared globally. So the world didn’t see the Cruyff Turn in all it’s glory until the 1974 World Cup.” (World Cup Blog)

“Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Wigan in the week of the 50th anniversary of Bill Shankly’s first match at the club would not have impressed the legendary manager but it was a welcome relief for current boss Rafael Benitez. Young French striker David Ngog’s 10th-minute glancing header from Fabio Aurelio’s cross and Fernando Torres’ second-half scrambled effort proved enough to see off a Latics side, for whom Charles N’Zogbia scored an injury-time consolation.” (ESPN)

Liverpool 2 Wigan Athletic 1: match report
“Even at Liverpool, the club which cherishes its heroes more than most, there are times when the past can be an unwelcome guest. Fifty years on from his arrival, Anfield last night remembered Bill Shankly, the man who made the people happy. The present heir to the Scot’s legacy, Rafael Benítez, may not have appreciated the uncomfortable reminder of what Liverpool once were, and what they are now.” (Telegraph)

Fernando Torres seals victory to ease pressure on Rafael Benitez
“The 50th anniversary of the arrival of Bill Shankly at Anfield could have provided the inspiration for Liverpool to put on a performance in keeping with his legendary feats. Instead, it simply served to underline how far the club the Scot revolutionised have fallen from the standards he famously set.” (TimesOnline)

Liverpool beats Wigan Athletic 2-1 in the English Premier League – Recap and Video Highlights
“The English Premier League resumed with several midweek matches including Liverpool v Wigan Athletic on Wednesday, December 16, 2009. Liverpool continues to struggle in all competitions and needs a top four finish to be in the UEFA Champions League next season. Who won the match and happened? Were Liverpool able to get a win and get back in track for a top four finish? Here’s a recap along with video highlights of the match.” (The 90th Minute)

“It can’t be easy to focus on an extremely unusual World Cup play-off when you are worrying about security. After Algeria players were injured by stone-throwing Egypt fans in Cairo, 32 supporters from both sides were hurt in post-game clashes and Egyptian-owned businesses were attacked in Algiers in retaliation, safety was on everyone’s mind in Sudan.” (World Soccer – James Copnall)

“It’s been almost six years since Serbia passed a law aimed at preventing violence at sports venues. Yet hooliganism still remains one of the biggest problems in Serbian football. During the Belgrade derby two weeks ago Partizan ultras ripped out seats, hurled smoke bombs and flares, and started fires inside the stadium. The troublemakers don’t fear the police, public prosecutors or judges because they see how inefficient the courts are when processing cases.” (WSC)

“In the tapes he made with John Roberts for his autobiography, Bill Shankly’s voice suddenly leaps to great oratorical heights when the talk moves round to the abject state Liverpool were in when he joined in 1959. The exchange would haunt the Kop as they gather to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Shankly’s arrival during tonight’s home game against Wigan.” (Guardian)

Benni McCarthy
“The thought of the World Cup probably has David Beckham gasping for air. Not just because his recently revealed asthma impairs his ability to breathe, but because England’s second-most capped player ever and proud onetime captain might not make it there. Competition for spots on the England squad is fierce, and no position is as well-covered as Beckham’s out on the right. With at least three strong candidates (Aaron Lennon, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Theo Walcott) standing a reasonable chance to be deployed there, and several controlling players already certain to make the squad, Beckham has a lot to overcome.” (ESPN)

“Lionel Messi and Pedro Rodriguez shared the limelight as Barcelona hit back from an early deficit against Atlante to progress through to the final of the Club World Cup and stay on track for a remarkable sixth trophy in 2009. Messi had been struggling with an ankle injury prior to the game and started among the replacements but his introduction in the 53rd minute paid immediate dividends as within 60 seconds he had put Barca 2-1 in front.” (ESPN)

“Last week Manchester City came from behind to beat Chelsea by two goals to one and many a football pundit saw that as proof that, despite all the draws and flattering to deceive, the Eastlands Billionaires could be a real threat to the ‘big four’ this season. Thus, after Everton’s injury-decimated side also matched Chelsea with a 3-3 draw yesterday, the same logic could be used to suggest that my beloved Toffees too, could realistically hope to breach the big four this season.” (They Think Its All Over)

“This week’s Video Of The Week takes us back to the 1972/73 (the football season during which, fact fans, I was born) football season, with another episode of ‘Match Of The Seventies’. The 1972/73 season featured a prototype version of the Liverpool team that would go on to rule Europe later on in the decade and in the 1980s pipping Arsenal and Leeds United to the First Division championship, while Sunderland surprised Leeds in the FA Cup final, whilst Spurs won the Football League Cup at Wembley against Norwich City.” (twohundredpercent)

Most over the top pre-match
“In the rare moments when we are not picking up awards here at EFW, we like to dish them out ourselves. Following the relative success of our 2008 ceremony, we had a little think tank here at EFW Towers and decided that we should end the year with a look back on 2009. Why change a winning formula!? So, without further ado, roll up and enjoy the 2009 EFW Awards…” (European Football Weekends)

“Please don’t split on me, but I was moonlighting during the World Cup draw. I had been invited to supply running commentary (read: incoherent ramblings made bearable only by the odd hilarious typo) for another website alongside roughly a dozen other writers from all over the world, including Englishmen exiled in Bangkok and Berlin.” (ESPN)

“The above is not a portrait of a footballer, clearly, but rather the West Indian cricket player Daniel Lara. The painting is by Goan artist Yolanda Sousa Hammermeier. I love it, just for the colors & graphic sensibilities. She’s also done fantastic paintings in response to 2002 World Cup matches. Turns out she made headlines in the late 70s and (very) early 80s as a prolific striker – I came across her name as I was looking for women footballers in Goa, and was thrilled to learn she was also an artist.” (From A Left Wing)

“The Argentine Apertura went down to the final day of matches, and did not involve any of the big-name clubs, and the names of the clubs battling at the top came straight from England. Britons built much of Argentina’s infrastructure (and the trains still run on the left) and planted the seeds of the game.” (NYT – Jack Bell)

“The protagonist glares at himself in a hand-held mirror, snarling then poignantly asking: “who am I?” He then shatters the mirror against the wall and stomps off. The camera fades to black. What is Edgar Davids? A great player – I would argue so. Even if his exact position on the field defies the principles of scientific certainty, the holding/attacking midfielder provided his fair share of probing passes and pulsating tackles. And he also won a few titles.” (futfanatico)

“Last week, we wrote that the six months before the World Cup in South Africa would be filled mostly with banter and speculation, plus a few friendly matches between national teams preparing for the 2010 tournament. Add another match to that list: U.S. Soccer announced a Jan. 23 friendly against fellow Concacaf World Cup participant Honduras at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.” (NYT)

“As we near the end of the year, it is time to take stock and review the state of the game in a rational and moderate way by searching for SCOTLAND’S PLAYER OF THE CENTURY. Yes, let’s take a look back through the first ten years of the millennium and determine who is the player who best represents our very own lost decade. I’ve picked my top ten… so in the memorable words of a kid in my brother’s year at school, “see you dae better”. In the comments, during playtime or after school.” (First Touch Online)

Astronomers Studying an Eclipse, Antoine Caron
“Liverpool suffered their second home embarrassment in five days as Arsenal grabbed a 2-1 victory in a game which was supposed to be a new beginning for the Anfield men. Manager Rafael Benitez had insisted the season started again for his side after their midweek Champions League defeat to Fiorentina. But he did not get his wish even though Liverpool led at the break through Dirk Kuyt and should have had a penalty when William Gallas felled Steven Gerrard.” (ESPN)

Lee Dixon’s analysis of Arsenal’s win at Liverpool
“In the six years I played under Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger I only once saw him lose his rag in the dressing room. Just like Sunday’s game we were 1-0 down to Liverpool at half-time. Wenger came in, threw a cup on the floor and started ranting and raving. The players were all wondering what was going on but the funny thing was he threw the cup and got a reaction, but then, being the nice bloke he is, bent down and picked it up because he had missed the bin.” (BBC)

Rafael Benítez powerless as Liverpool’s emotional energy ebbs away
“When all else failed, Rafael Benítez could cling to the belief that sheer desperation would galvanise his Liverpool team. Their backs against the wall, with the enemy’s knives at their throats and their manager gesticulating from the touchline, his players sprang to life. It was a response that fuelled their famous win against Milan in Istanbul in the spring of 2005 and it was effective against Manchester United as recently as late October. For Benítez the most worrying aspect of defeat by Arsenal was that the emotional energy ran out at half-time.” (Guardian)

Liverpool fall away as Andrey Arshavin re-ignites Arsenal’s charge
“The contest for the Premier League is more of an enigma than a spectacle. A fortnight ago Arsenal were 11 points off the top of the Premier League, with a game in hand, following a jarring 3-0 loss to Chelsea at home. Now the Stamford Bridge club are merely six points in front of Arsène Wenger’s team. It would still be a mistake to speak of resurgence or transformation just yet.” (Guardian)

Benitez calls for Liverpool passion
“An exasperated Rafael Benitez has pleaded with his players to show backbone as Liverpool’s crisis worsens. The Anfield chief witnessed another distressing display as his side lost 2-1 at home to Arsenal, having been ahead at the break on Sunday after a vibrant first-half display. Benitez was clearly shocked by the Liverpool capitulation when a Glen Johnson own goal wiped out Dirk Kuyt’s early goal before Andrey Arshavin cracked a stunning winner and the Anfield men crumbled under the pressure.” (Independent)

Henry Winter: Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas can give a Spanish lesson
“At a time when the Football Association commendably employs more and more skills coaches to teach children the techniques already learnt by their continental counterparts, Sunday’s meeting between Liverpool and Arsenal will highlight the gifts of two special Spaniards. English fans will admire the power of Steven Gerrard and pace of Theo Walcott but it is the subtlety of Torres and Fabregas that could light up Anfield.” (Telegraph)

Jamie Carragher praying for reversal of Liverpool’s fortunes
“Jamie Carragher has admitted he ‘prays to God’ every night to help Liverpool win some silverware this season. The 2-1 defeat by Arsenal at Anfield leaves Liverpool five points adrift of Aston Villa in the fourth Champions League qualification spot, while the FA Cup or the Europa League remain the club’s only realistic chance of winning a trophy.” (TimesOnline)

“A few weeks ago I subtly hinted at a new project that was going to revolutionize the site, bring the planets into harmony, and redeem all the time we’ve wasted on cheap North Korea jokes. It’s still a few weeks away, but I’m toiling away in the background getting all the parts in readiness. Sadly, this means the foreground is going to continue to be a bit sparse for a while, but don’t worry.” (The Run of Play)

Marc-Vivien Foe
“Over the past decade, football has thrown up its fair share of controversy, comedy and tragedy, so here are ten of the decade’s most noteworthy events.” (ESPN)

“One of football’s strongest characteristics – often a blessing, occasionally a curse – is that the best side does not always win. One example of this weekly phenomenon came 10 years ago, when Manchester United met Palmeiras of Brazil in the annual match then played in Japan between the champions of Europe and South America. A moment of Ryan Giggs magic set up the only goal for Roy Keane – one of the very few chances United had. Palmeiras created many more, but the only time they got the ball into the net the goal was disallowed.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

“On Sunday’s BBC 606 Football Phone In, co-host Gabriele Marcotti made an interesting point that I believe Fabio Capello has already considered. Baring match fitness and current form, the starting outfield ten for England will mostly pick themselves for the group stages of next summer’s World Cup, and more importantly for now, the June 12th clash with the U.S.A.” (EPL Take)

“FC BARCELONA defeated RCD ESPANYOL 1-0 with a controversial penalty on Xavi that was converted by IBRAHIMOVIC.” (Spanish Football Sports)

FC Barcelona vs Espanyol Highlights on 12/12/09
(All About FC Barcelona)

“A strange midwinter settles across European soccer. The bigger the club, it seems, the more vulnerable the players to injury or early fatigue. In England on Saturday, Manchester United lost at home against Aston Villa for the first time in a quarter of a century, and Chelsea three times surrendered a lead and could only draw, 3-3, in London against Everton. In Germany, Bayern Munich plays on without its star names Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben, but has just scored nine away goals in four days — four in the Champions League at Juventus and five in the Bundesliga at Bochum on Saturday. Munich is resurgent just as the leading teams Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen are running out of steam in the Bundesliga.” (NYT)

“A short while ago, When Saturday Comes asked readers to nominate their favourite football websites, blogs and Twitter feeds, and January’s issue, released last Wednesday, presents the results. This blog tendered a syndicate of Championship-related blogs, and one of them, Viva Rovers, as relishable as the football Doncaster play, won a Bronze. Ever faithful to our posse of 24, thetwounfortunates was sorry to see no mention of Black & White & Red All Over, BHaPPY, Smog Blog, or Through the seasons before us, good reads all, but the competition was tough.” (thetwounfortunates)

“On Sunday morning, July 11, 1999, I listened to my pastor, down the street from our home in Decatur, Georgia, warn parishioners about the dangers of nationalistic revelry. The occasion was the aftermath of American victory over China the previous afternoon in the Women’s World Cup final. The game finished 0–0, with the United States prevailing 5–4 in the penalty phase. ‘Let’s not forget the Chinese players,’ our pastor said. It was the only time I have heard him, in 13 years, mention soccer within the worship context. ‘The TV cameras did not let us see their faces. What were their players thinking? What were they feeling as they watched all the American flags?’” (The Global Game – July 18, 2009), (The Global Game – 19 July 2009)

“Egypt and Algeria’s World Cup play-off caused the biggest international diplomatic incident sparked by football since the ‘Soccer War’ between El Salvador and Honduras in 1969.” (World Soccer)

Mansour
“On Friday, a glittering draw ceremony in Cape Town will unveil the opening rounds for the African continent’s first FIFA World Cup. When the tournament kicks off on June 11th, it will mark the culmination of a long journey for African nations to take part in sport’s biggest tournament on an equal footing with nations from North and South America, Asia, and Europe, continents which have all previously hosted the Finals. During the build-up to the draw, I thought I’d look at the history of African teams in the tournament, starting with the origins of the World Cup in the 1930s.” Currybet – The thirties, The wilderness years, The seventies, The eighties, The nineties, The noughties and beyond….

“One of my favorite Web site’s is Sports Illustrated’s SI Vault. If you’re not familiar with it, the SI Vault has every article ever published by Sports Illustrated; it’s a heavenly digital oasis for avid sports fans. A few weeks ago, on one of my endless surfing sessions of The Vault, I came across an intriguing feature story on an emerging young American soccer player in Germany named Landon Donovan.” (Intelligent Soccer)

“Fancy going to see the Boca Juniors v River Plate Superclásico in Argentina? Of course you do. It’s the one match every football fan must see before they die. Well, how about seeing that match and then staying on in Argentina to capture loads more fanatical fan behaviour on film before moving onto Brazil, South Korea, Serbia and pretty the rest of the free world watching football – sounds alright doesn’t it!?” (European Football Weekends)

Rivaldo
“The decade has witnessed all manner of great goals and sublime strikes. It may be faintly ridiculous to restrict a selection to ten, but such events demand a nice, neat list. Feel free to add your own favourites at the bottom of the page if they do not appear in this collection.” (ESPN)

“I’m more nervous about this Arsenal match than any other time I’ve awaited Liverpool taking on the Gunners. Well: outside of a European quarterfinal, anyway. It’s the context of this season that has me all wound up. The injuries. The results. The fall from the Champions League. With Liverpool following their best season in nearly two decades and with the series of heartbreaks that defines the current campaign, this match has become bigger than ever.” (EPL Talk)

ESPN – Dec. 12, Dec. 13
ESPN – Dec. 12
ESPN – Dec. 12

“Age in soccer is a funny thing. On the one hand, we’re endlessly bombarded with praise for the latest teen sensation and seemingly every other issue of World Soccer or Four-Four-Two magazine includes a special on ’25 rising stars’. On the other hand, football clubs take great pride in their years of origin – the older the better. A great many teams feature their foundation year in their logo and a large percentage of fans can tell you the year their favorite team was founded. I doubt that more than a tiny percentage of baseball or basketball fans could do the same.” (Pitch Invasion)

“The remarkable thing about Flamengo’s Brazilian national championship success last weekend is not the 17-year wait nor the indian summer enjoyed by 37-year-old Serbian midfielder Dejan Petkovic. The real surprise is that, in Jorge Luís Andrade, the club has a black coach. SporTV pundit Telmo Zanini called it a “landmark” and stated: ‘Hopefully this will become a symbolic day for Brazilian football and help to open doors for black coaches’.” (WSC)

“It’s five years since WSC last handed out any awards to worthy websites. And even then, we didn’t actually hand anything out. These are virtual awards that reflect the cyber-realistic nature of the internet and so will be better appreciated by the keyboard-bound phalanx of dedicated writers who would never desert their terminals just to attend some fancy web awards dinner at the Savoy. Besides, they were fully booked until next Christmas.” (WSC)

“It’s not what you know. It’s not even who you know. It’s what you know about who you know. Jerome Valcke was the embarrassing guy in the specs who got turned all nerdish by the sight of Hollywood actress Charlize Theron at the World Cup draw. The draw was a success simply by not being an unwatchable embarrassment, except for Valcke. The event did, however, go all Eurovision Song Contest on us, although I don’t remember Katie Boyle looking that good (one for the teenagers, there). At Eurovision, the male and female co-presenters would present a chemistry-free comedy double act in what would, usually have been their second and third languages. That much fun. And Valcke, if not Theron, was a dark reminder of those days.” (twohundredpercent)

“As part of our World Cup 2010 build up, we’re getting a little more familiar with each of the 32 teams that qualified for South Africa by looking back at their World Cup history. First up, it’s the Desert Foxes of Algeria. South Africa 2010 will be Algeria’s third World Cup. The team has qualified twice before, in 1982 and 1986. On one of those occasions, they were very possibly robbed. Read on to find out what happened.” (World Cup Blog)