Monthly Archives: May 2010

Soccer On the Big Screen: New York Film Festivals & Screenings For the Soccer Obsessed

“Soccer has indeed made tremendous inroads in the United States, moving beyond the field and into the arts. Filmmakers are beginning to make some incredibly dynamic soccer films. Thankfully, we’ve reached a point in the United States where soccer is now inspiring film festivals solely devoted to the game so at least some of us no longer have to sneak around back alleys to find the films we hear so much about. In the build up to the 2010 World Cup, New York-based soccer cinephiles will have the opportunity to spend their afternoons and or evenings endulging in soccer-inspired films at the following festivals…” (Nutmeg Radio)

World Cup Preview – The rest of Group C

“So we’ve had a look at the 3 Lions, but how will the other three teams in Group C do. The USA side have finally hit their potential by making the Confederations Cup final last year. Algeria have surged up the FIFA rankings in recent years, and had a good African Cup of Nations campaign. Slovenia could be a dark-horse in this competition. England better not get overconfident here then.” (Six Pointer)

Jozy Altidore: The Next Haitian Hero of U.S. Soccer?

“The New York Times just published a nice profile of Jozy Altidore — thanks to my friends at Duke’s FHI for a tweet about this! — and, despite the fact that I know seeking historical and social redemption in football matches is a dangerous game, I can’t help dreaming that this summer will bring us a little echo of 1950. In that year, Joe Gaetjens — a Haitian national recruited onto the U.S. team, in the days when FIFA was a rather easy-going about citizenship requirements — brought the U.S. perhaps it’s greatest footballing victory, a story told a few weeks back in a nice Sports Illustrated story, when he scored a goal against the English team.” (Soccer Politics)

I Scored A Goal

Carlos Alberto
“Here are the stories of men who scored in a World Cup final.” (ESPN)

World Cup Tales – Overcoming The Great Humiliation: Brazil, 1958

“As the second favourites to win the 2010 World Cup after Spain, Brazil are used to the pressure that comes with the eyes of the world being upon them. No other country on earth’s identity is so closely associated with football, yet much of the mythology that surrounds the Brazilian national team stems their failure to win the tournament that they hosted in 1950. It was this national trauma that was to provide the inspiration for what would become the most successful international team on earth, both stylistically and tactically. As such, the story of how Brazil won the 1958 World Cup began eight years earlier, in Rio de Janeiro.” (twohundredpercent)

South Africa Pushes to Make the Cup Its Own

“The official mascot of Africa’s first World Cup — a stuffed leopard with spiked green hair — was made in China. The official World Cup anthem, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” was written by the Colombian pop star Shakira. The official restaurant? McDonald’s. And with less than three weeks before the world’s most watched sporting event, only 36,000 of the almost three million tickets have been sold in Africa outside of South Africa itself, the host. On a continent whose people mostly live on the wrong side of the digital divide, tickets were mainly marketed online.” (NYT)

Inter 2-0 Bayern: Milito the master of Madrid

Jan Massys, Loth et ses filles
“Inter have deservedly won the Champions League – beating this season’s champions of England, Spain and then Germany on the way to collecting the trophy. Jose Mourinho has conquered Europe again, Inter have won the treble for the first time in the history of Italian football, and Italy retains its four Champions League places ahead of Germany.” (Zonal Marking)

How Inter Milan Won its Treble
“Bayern Munich manager Louis Van Gaal is not generally a man prone to hyperbole. On the eve of the Champions League final between his team and Italy’s Inter Milan he was asked whether the two finalists were the best sides in Europe. ‘No,’ he said, pausing a moment for the briefest of frowns. ‘No, these are not the best teams. The three best teams in Europe this season were Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United.'” (WSJ)

Bayern Munich 0-2 Inter Milan (Internazionale) – Video Highlights and Recap – Champions League – 22 May 2010
“The UEFA Champions League ended the 2009-10 season with the final of Bayern Munich v Inter Milan aka Internazionale. The two sides made improbable runs to the final which included beating FC Barcelona, Chelsea, and Manchester United. The final was play at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu which is the home of Spanish La Liga side Real Madrid.” (The 90th Minute)

Official FIFA 2010 World Cup Song – Wavin’ Flag by K’Naan

“The official song of the FIFA 2010 World Cup, Wavin’ Flag by K’Naan.” (The 90th Minute)

The Dreaded Penalty Shootout

Roberto Baggio
“The dreaded penalty shootout. After 120 minutes of exhausting play finishing in a draw, 10 players are chosen to step up to the penalty spot and try to beat the goalkeeper from 12 yards. It sounds simple, but it isn’t. Each player is under immense pressure. The world is watching him kick the ball. The weight of a nation is on his shoulders. And because of this, sometimes the best players miss penalty kicks. It’s all about staying calm under pressure.” (World Cup Blog)

The Map of the Road of the Future

“The day of the Champions League final is, as they say, finally upon us, which means it’s time for a couple of announcements in the way-of-the-future vein. Like, what are we going to do about it, and what to expect for this little festival of truces they’ve got set up in South Africa this summer.” (Run of Play)

Argentina coach Diego Maradona interviewed

“World Soccer: How different is the feeling of going to the World Cup as a player before and now as a coach?
Diego Maradona: It’s been so long ago that I can’t remember, but I feel proud when I see my players killing themselves on the field to gain a place. They are the ones who translate their excitement to me. But of course it was easier as a player. I only thought of getting the ball and having fun. Now I have to control 20-odd players. The other day in training a shot bounced off the crossbar to me and I took a shot at goal. Some must have noticed from my happy face that the player in me came out!” (World Soccer)

What Blogs Should I Read For the World Cup?

Cape Town
“This is the first part of a group of recommended blogs (in no particular order) that I will be introducing non-regular soccer readers to in the weeks before the World Cup. While long-time blog readers might sort of chuckle at themselves softly in the deep recesses of their suburban basements, old Leeds matches from the early seventies playing on a VHS loop on a lonely TV in the corner, this is really meant for the johnny-come-latelies who might not want all their World Cup info coming from John Molinaro. Or anybody attached to Sports Illustrated with the exception of Grant Wahl.” (A More Splendid Life – Part 1: Futfanatico), (Part 2: Treasons, Strategems & Spoils), (Part 3: The Run of Play)

The Manchester United War Of Words

“Never has a football club’s ‘official wine partner’ seemed so important. And while you’re pondering the concept of a football club having a wine partner at all (what next, “prawn sandwich partner”?), I shall explain. Like Wayne Rooney’s Manchester United goals, before he had to score most of them himself, articles about the latest Manchester United takeover battle are coming in clusters. The main story is well told, especially by a very impressive set of Manchester United supporters’ groups. Manchester United’s Supporters Trust (MUST) has run a fluent visual and audible protest against the Glazer family, backed by a proper understanding of how loudly money talks to them.” (twohundredpercent)

David James should note managerial life expectancy

“David James is said to be interested in taking over from Avram Grant as Portsmouth manager. James could be a good fit for the club – if anyone is likely to know what the Portsmouth players need to do, it could be the man who has been standing behind them for the past four years. For the player, however, taking the job could be a disastrous career move. James is not short of job prospects.” (WSC)

Inter v Bayern: Champions League final preview

Jose Mourinho
“This is what the Champions League is all about: England’s best side against Spain’s best side in last season’s final in Rome, Italy’s best side against Germany’s best side this season in Madrid. This is an intriguing match-up between two sides who have underachieved in Europe in recent years, and between two of the greatest tacticians in modern times. The Italy v Germany clash is emphasized when you consider the situation regarding both countries’ UEFA coefficients (which determines the number of European places each national league is allocated) where Germany currently leads Italy by 0.155 points.” (Zonal Marking)

Champions League Final Preview
“The most anticipated event of any European season, this year’s Champions League final looks set to be yet another intriguing battle both on and off the field, with several fascinating plot lines running through the pre-match build-up to further stoke the fire of what should be a wonderful spectacle and, perhaps more appealingly, a struggle for tactical supremacy between two of the game’s most astute Coaches. As one-time Barcelona manager Louis van Gaal’s Bayern Munich and his former translator, Jose Mourinho’s Inter prepare to face off in the magnificent surrounds of Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, The Equaliser looks at the potential line-ups of both sides and tries to get the measure of the personnel and systems these two prestigious sides may look to use on Saturday evening.” (The Equaliser)

CL Comment: Five Ways Inter Can Beat Bayern Munich
“Keep The Tempo Running High. Inter are not a team generally linked with fast flowing football, and many believe that they’d struggle were they plonked straight into a Premier League fixture list. Besides that being a pointless argument, it also overlooks the fact that some of Inter’s better performances this season have come against teams who like to play the ball around at speed (see Chelsea, Barcelona, Genoa, Milan, Palermo…) Therefore, should they go for the spoiling approach in trying to deal with Arjen Robben et al, they may be on the wrong track. By allowing the game to be played at a decent pace it will give them extra opportunities to punish Bayern on one of their notorious counter-attacks.” (Goal)

Champions League Final Is Clash of Coaches
“As Bayern Munich and Inter Milan take the field for Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final, even the most ardent football fan could be forgiven for taking a second glance at the match program: Just who are these guys? In a tournament that’s supposed to be dominated by the world’s greatest players, the 2010 final is conspicuously short on star power.” (WSJ)

Book Review: Soccer, Passion, Politics and the First World Cup in Africa

“Ahead of the World Cup in South Africa, a spate of books on African football was to be expected. Africa, after all, has traditionally been underserved as far as football writing goes. Until last year, the genre could more or less be summed up in three books: Peter auf der Heyde’s Has Anybody Got a Whistle?, Filippo Ricci’s Elephants, Lions and Eagles, and a brilliant chapter by David Goldblatt in his magisterial The Ball is Round.” (Pitch Invasion)

World Cup Preview: Group F

“The 2010 World Cup kicks off in just three weeks time, so by this point the majority of football fans everywhere are only using products made by official tournament sponsors and eating impala for breakfast. Our intrepid Wikipedia monkey Dotmund has once again put his vuvuzela aside for just long enough to take a look at another of this summer’s groups. Today we find out about the reigning champions, a South American dark horse, a team from a very long way away and a European team who have only ever been in the World Cup before in disguise.” (twohundredpercent)

32 Teams: One Dream

The Joy of Six: Things we miss about the World Cup

“The Goddess of Victory. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the Fifa World Cup Trophy. As five-kilo dods of solid 18-carat gold with two malachite layers go, it’s as serviceable as they come. But just look at the name of it again. The Fifa World Cup Trophy. A functional and corporate monicker betraying a complete lack of invaluable – and dear God how they’d love to buy some of this – old-school glamour.” (Guardian)

World Cup Tales: The Battle Of Santiago, 1962

“We hear a lot about the decline and fall of western civilization these days, but moral outrage at the behaviour of footballers is nothing new and, indeed, players at the World Cup finals this summer will have to go a long way to outdo the most serious incidents of player-on-player violence in the history of the tournament, many of which considerably predate the coming of colour television, to say the least. In this respect, the group match between Chile and Italy at the 1962 World Cup finals probably remains the most infamous example of a World Cup match that became something else. It wasn’t the first – three players, for example, were sent off during a quarter-final match between Hungary and Brazil at the 1954 tournament in Switzerland – but, even now, it sets the high water mark for outright violence on the pitch during what is supposed to be football’s showpiece tournament.” (twohundredpercent)

Indy to join with Carolina RailHawks in celebrating soccer with new and classic films

“We’re just three weeks away from the start of a little soccer competition in South Africa. The 2010 FIFA World Cup begins June 11, and to mark the month-long occasion, the Independent Weekly and the Carolina RailHawks will partner to sponsor a series of soccer-themed films.” (IndyWeek)

Scottish Football: A Season Review

Newlandsfield Park, Shawlands“With the Cup Final and the play-offs finishing at the weekend – and no Scottish involvement in any other football that may be taking place in the next few weeks – that’s another season over. It’s been a year that’s seen more nationl team failure, the depatures of George Burley and Gordon Smith, and even more soul-searching than usual about the future of the domestic game. So what’s been happening and where does it all go from here?” (twohundredpercent)

England coach Fabio Capello interviewed

“World Soccer: You have experienced everything in your career as player and manager but never as coach at a World Cup. How are you approaching that? Fabio Capello: Of course a World Cup itself is not a new experience because I was there as a player. Right now we are preparing everything, studying all the different situations which will arise between here and South Africa including during our training camp in Austria. We are working very hard together – not only the players but also everybody else who has to work for us with the media, with the kit, the travel, the logistics, the accommodation and so do.” (World Soccer)

World Cup Moments: Maradona & Saeed Owairan Do Solos, ‘86 & ‘94

“That goal? Surely not. Many forget that Maradona didn’t take one off after his dazzling heroics and choice words from the English in ‘86. In between the quarterfinal of legend against England and final against West Germany, there was a semifinal against Belgium. Sure, Belgium has scraped through twice by the very skin of their teeth and Maradona’s Argentina was Maradona’s Argentina, but one doesn’t make a World Cup semifinal entirely undeserved. (We know, England.)” (World Cup Blog)

ZM’s European Team of the Season

Pepe Reina
“With only one game left of the 2009/10 season, it’s time to create that inevitable, impossible-to-please dream team from across the major European leagues. Playing in a fluid 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1 system that remains the most popular formation throughout Europe, it also reflects the current emphasis upon centre-backs who can pass the ball, attacking full-backs, ball-playing central midfielders and versatile attacking players.” (Zonal Marking)

La Liga title the least Barcelona deserve as Madrid again finish empty handed

“Javier Clemente squeezed into blue tights, pulled red knickers over the top and slapped a big yellow S on his chest. A quick fiddle with Photoshop and the amazing transformation was complete. Real Valladolid’s manager had, in his own words, gone into the phonebox Scum and come out a Saint; he had, in Athletic Bilbao manager Joaquín Caparrós’s words, gone from whore to nun in five minutes.” (Guardian)

23 for 2010 – Italy: World Cup squad analysis

“Italian head coach Marcello Lippi has named his 28-man provisional squad for this summer’s World Cup in South Africa, with some surprise omissions (Totti, Cassano, Balotelli) and some not so surprise omissions. Let’s dissect Lippi’s selection and predict the 23 that will board the plane for Cape Town in June.” (Just Football)

Iconic Grosso bows out with fistful of heaven

Fabio Grosso
“The naming and subsequent pruning of provisional World Cup squads in recent days has yielded a number of high-profile casualties, among them Ronaldinho, Francesco Totti, Antonio Cassano, Esteban Cambiasso, Javier Zanetti and Karim Benzema, and the tournament will undoubtedly be poorer for their absences. Young stars including Italy’s Mario Balotelli and the extravagantly gifted Brazilian pair of Neymar and Paulo Henrique Ganso have also missed out on the call-ups that many purists had hoped they might receive.” (Football Further)

Heartache for Fulham and Blackpool’s superstar DJ

“Raphael Honigstein, Barry Glendenning and John Ashdown help James dissect the week’s football action. As Fulham narrowly lose in the Europa Cup final, the pod ponder why they are patronised so much, and what the future holds for Roy Hodgson’s men. There were amazing scenes in Madrid where 40,000 Atlético fans danced the night away and Sid Lowe explains just why it means so much to the people’s club of Spain’s capital city.” (Guardian – James Richardson)

Real Madrid & Barcelona – Giants in a troubled league

“A question: What defines a league as strong and what classes it as weak? Should a league’s overall strength be measured on the successes of it’s most powerful constituents? Or on the sum total of all parts? If your answer is the former, then based on the 2009/2010 season’s outcome Spain’s La Liga is undoubtedly one of the strongest in world football. If you lean to the latter answer however, then La Liga may be classed as a league in serious structural trouble.” (Just Football)

Jose Mourinho: the cases for and against

“You can expect to hear a lot about Jose Mourinho over the next few weeks. Playing in the Champions’ League final and possibly moving to the world’s biggest football club will do that. Plus, of course, there is nobody – and I mean nobody – in the game who has such a talent for putting his point across and turning the media into some kind of megaphone (for better or worse, sometimes it backfires).” (TimesOnline)

Creative Feet of Texas Key for U.S. in S. Africa

“He prefers bass fishing in the United States to carp fishing in England. Otherwise, Clint Dempsey, a young man from East Texas, is quite comfortable in southwest London. A season at Fulham that included an injury scare ended with an embrace, not a knee brace, as Dempsey delivered one of the Premier League team’s most celebrated goals and became the first American to play in a European club soccer championship.” (NYT)

Video Of The Week: Brazil vs Uruguay, 1970 World Cup Semi-Final

“This week’s Video Of The Week takes us back forty years to one of the greatest matches in the history of the competition – the semi-final match between Brazil and Uruguay from Guadalajara in 1970. In some respects, this was the match that started to cement reputation of this Brazil team as the greatest of all time. They had blown hot and cold in their previous matches, outstanding against Peru and Czechoslovakia but less than inspired against England and Romania, but set up against their South American rivals with a place in the final at the Azteca Stadium against Italy at stake, the watching audience finally got to see the very, very best of the Brazilians, and against top class opposition. There was a crowd of over 50,000 at the Estadio Jalisco to watch it and your commentary team are ITV’s Gerald Sinstadt and Bobby Moore. As the match is from YouTube, it is divided into ten minute sections, as ever.” (twohundredpercent)

1970: The definitive World Cup…
“Which is your World Cup? One of my pet theories is that we all have a mundial that, as it unfolds, feels less like a football tournament than a rite of passage, introducing us to idols, emotions and intrigue we will remember for the rest of our lives. Mine was 1970. I was nine then.” (FourFourTwo)

A World Cup Miscellany: Group B

“In trying to think through the nations and the teams of Group B, I could not shake from my mind the word diabolical. And I mean that in the best possible way. Argentina with its strangely alluring combination of Latin style and ruthlessness; its claim to having hosted perhaps the most politically dubious World Cup of them all in 1978. Nigeria with its 4-1-9 scammers and its prize winning writers; its enigmatic and brilliant Super Eagles dominating FIFA age-group competitions with players of uncertain age. Greece with its recent protests for the workers of a bankrupt state; its cynical and magnificent 2004 European Championship on the back of 7 goals in 6 games. South Korea…well, they seem ok. It is a “random draw” after all. But I admire them each in their ways.” (Pitch Invasion)

The Toughest Call for Serie A

“The most important result in Italian football right now isn’t the upshot of the Serie A title race, which saw Inter Milan secure a fifth consecutive championship on Sunday, or even the outcome of this weekend’s UEFA Champions League final. It’s actually the decision from a Milan appeal court judge scheduled for later this week over the league’s television broadcasting rights deal. Late last week, Claudio Marangoni heard an appeal from Conto TV, a small satellite operator, which contends that an agreement between pay-TV network Sky Italia and the Italian football.” (WSJ)

World Cup Preview – England

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“44 years of hurt now and it’s made England the laughing stock of world football. Several world-class teams and managers have passed by. But now under Fabio Capello, the ingrained pre-tournament hype has resurfaced again:England will do it this time.” (Six Pointer)

Brazil’s Dunga unfazed by critics

Simone Martini
“Abroad, the focus on Brazil’s World Cup squad fell on the absences of Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato. In Brazil, this raised barely a murmur. No one expected Pato to be in and few held out hope for Ronaldinho. The Brazilian media had campaigned for his inclusion earlier in the year, but as his form dipped they largely gave up on him — and instead switched generations.” (SI – Tim Vickery)

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque interviewed

“World Soccer: Are Spain favourites for the World Cup? Vicente del Bosque: Being favourites is a terrible trap. Spain are definitely amongst the group of countries that can be considered favourites but the risk is creating a dichotomy in which you either win the World Cup or you’re a failure. It should not be seen as an obligation for us to win the tournament. The Confederations Cup is a good example: we were favourites there and one bad game saw us get knocked out.” (World Soccer)

World Cup Tales: When The Two Germanies Collided, 1974

“The Cold War spread insiduously into every aspect of life between the end of the second world war and the end of the 1980s, and sport was no exception to this rule, whether it was the Soviets and Americans boycotting each others’ Olympic Games or Bobby Fischer facing off against Boris Spassky at chess in Rekjavik in 1972. Football was no exception to this rule, and perhaps the definitive meeting of captialism and communism on the football pitch came at the 1974 World Cup finals, when West Germany played East Germany in the group stage of the competition.” (twohundredpercent)

Play Off Nostalgia: Reading Vs Bolton (1995)

“Reading have ever been a club that have relied on momentum; in 2003 and 2007, they followed promotions with trailblazing seasons, but 1994-95 was just as monumental. The silky passing side constructed by Mark McGhee, Second Division Champions in 1994, immediately launched a challenge to go one better. ‘And now you’re going to believe us…we’re going up AGAIN’ was the refrain from the Elm Park terraces and not even the Scotsman’s Yuletide departure for Leicester, nor the initially underwhelming purchase of Lee Nogan – ‘no discernible attributes’, I remarked to a mate one March evening at the New Den – could stop the Royals reaching the play offs by season end.” (thetwounfortunates)

Real Films Meet Reel Football

“Abas Suan’s life straddles two worlds that seem inexorably locked in eternal conflict. Suan is an Arab citizen of the state of Israel, one of 1.4 million Muslim citizens of the Jewish state. Suan is a hero to the people who support his hometown club team, Bnei Sakhnin. Suan is also a beguiling figure among Israelis — an Arab who played on the country’s national soccer team and scored a crucial goal in a World Cup qualifying match against Ireland in the country’s abortive attempt to advance to the 2006 World Cup in Germany.” (NYT)

South American trio count down to World Cup

“Four years ago, in the build-up to the World Cup in Germany in 2006, there was a real buzz about South America’s big two. Brazil could boast a dazzling collection of individual talent. Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira had such riches at his disposal that, as he later confessed, he felt obliged to go against his own principles and select a team that was almost a throwback to 4-2-4.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

Barcelona 2009/10: fewer trophies, better team

“Barcelona’s 2008/09 season was the most successful in their history; the most successful in any club’s history. Surely they couldn’t have an equally good campaign this time around? The most immediate answer to that question is no. Out of the Copa del Rey to Sevilla on away goals, eliminated from the Champions League in desperate circumstances at home to Inter – a repeat of the treble was not achieved. But in the league, Barcelona have exceeded their achievements from last year.” (Zonal Marking)

MRS Original: Dunga Ruins My Marriage (Again)

“Brazil 1994 — that most unBrazilian of Brazil sides, exemplified by Dunga, ‘the fart aimed at futebol-arte,’ who belied everything a future husband told his future wife about Brazilian football as grace, as style, as art. And here we go again — this time with a 10-year-old’s happiness in the balance… An MRS original.” (Must Read Soccer)

Serie A Team of the Season

“The third of our end of season awards, in association with Castrol Rankings, is the Serie A Team of the Season. The formation of 4-2-1-3 worked for Jose Mourinho and Inter Milan as they won the title, so let’s stick with that.” (ESPN)

23 for 2010 – Holland: World Cup squad analysis Pt.1 (Keepers & Defenders)

“Much has changed in the Dutch national team since Euro 2008. Marco van Basten is gone as national coach and after a failed stint at Ajax all but forgotten. His successor, Bert van Marwijk, is probably best known for managing Feyenoord (with whom he won the UEFA Cup in 2002) and Borussia Dortmund, and is a more conservative manager than Van Basten in that he is far less inclined to experiment with tactical formations and his selection of players.” (Just Football: Pt. 1 – Keepers & Defenders), (Pt.2 – Midfielders & Strikers)

Bursaspor claim their place in history

“It has been quite a long wait – 26 years to be exact – but finally Turkey can claim to have a league that is not completely dominated by the big boys. Besiktas (in the early 90s) and Trabzonspor (in the late 70s/early 80s) have offered resistance to the dominance of Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe in the past, but all too often a smaller side’s challenge for glory has fallen short. Lowly Sivasspor, last year, were the ones to fail at the final hurdle and, just 12 months on, found themselves fighting a relegation battle which they only just won.” (ESPN)

Team USA and the State of the (Soccer) Nation

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“Among the many common critiques of American soccer is the idea that we’ve managed to invert the traditional roots of the game: in most parts of the world football is a diverse sport of the people, but in the US soccer is a homogenous ‘country club’ sport for the suburban elite. The US soccer system, according to this popular narrative, restricts the sport’s power structures in ways that exclude our best ‘athletes’ (which is often code for low-income minorities). I’d like to suggest, however, that after carefully considering the US’s preliminary World Cup roster—the 30 men that ostensibly best ‘represent’ the American system—the actual story is a bit more complicated.” (Pitch Invasion)

Defending champs draw soft group

“No group in the World Cup is easy. But if Group G, which we’ll tackle next week, is the Group of Death, Group F might be as well be the Group of Life. Indeed, as far as SPI is concerned, this is about the weakest possible permutation of teams that might have been drawn into competition together.” (ESPN)

League comparison by points

“An interesting (if ultimately pointless) graph that shows the points tally of equivalent clubs from the Premiership, La Liga and Serie A (all of which play with a 20-team, 38-game season).” (Zonal Marking)

The World Cup, in 32 Murals

“You may soon begin to notice—as you wander the streets of New York, read your favorite magazine, or surf the web—a series of brightly colored murals depicting men on horseback, eagleback, and elephantback; men dressed as supermen or samurai; men sprouting wings or plated with armor. Do not be alarmed. These are not new comic book characters, created to kick Batman, the Fantastic Four, and Transformers to the curb. No, they are much bigger than that. These are the heroes of the 2010 World Cup, each of them en route to South Africa as they prepare to vanquish their foes and bring glory to their homelands.” (Vanity Fair)

Spain’s World Cup selection dilemma

“Spain coach Vicente del Bosque doesn’t have many tough squad choices to make going into this summer’s World Cup. Even casual fans can guess the outline of his ideal team, which includes such outstanding talents as Xavi Hernández, Cesc Fábregas, Fernando Torres and David Villa. Only one decision has threatened to undermine Spain’s unity of purpose ahead of a promising summer campaign – who will be called up as third goalkeeper?” (WSC)

The Power Of The Premier League

“I am not going to pass any moral judgment on the grubby Melissa Jacobs, who secretly recorded a private conversation with the now ex-FA independent chairman, in order to make him the ex-FA independent chairman. I’m sure she had her reasons – quite possibly tens of thousands of them. Nor am I going to pass any moral judgment on the Mail on Sunday newspaper, which facilitated that recording and published the results. I’m sure there is some philosophical argument that moral judgment cannot be passed on something without morals.” (twohundredpercent)

My place in Fabio Capello’s kit bag

“For most people the World Cup is an experience that steadily recedes. As a kid you believe there is a pretty reasonable chance you will one day score the winning goal in the final. Over time, the World Cup becomes more distant, a four-yearly jamboree only obliquely consumed. Outside of a successful playing career, this seems to be an irreversible process.” (Guardian)

Master and the apprentice

“Confidence is something José Mourinho has probably never lacked, but if one man more than any other helped the FC Internazionale Milano coach believe in himself, it could be the one who will try to deny him a second UEFA Champions League title on Saturday: FC Bayern München’s Louis Van Gaal.” (UEFA)

Five Reasons Why Brazil Won’t Win the World Cup and Five Reasons Why England Could

“Predictions, right or wrong go hand in hand with the World Cup like some beautifully ironic couple you see walking down the street. At first glance, the awkwardly short man who’s pulled a 5′8 blond model strikes a questionable chord with your intellect. You immediately resort to predicting and analyzing (if you’re honest with yourself) how you can land said women and how short man has figured out the secret. Your thoughts escape all rationality as you assume he’s either A. loaded and she’s with him for his money, or B. he’s loaded somewhere else.” (EPL Talk)

Siena 0-1 Inter Milan (Internazionale) – Video Highlights and Recap – Serie A – 16 May 2010

“Inter Milan were one win away from clinching the Italian Serie A title as they traveled to play Siena in the last weekend of the season. Siena were already relegated to the Serie B for next season but could play the role of spoiler if they were to get an upset. Inter Milan had a two point lead over AS Roma heading into the match.” (The 90th Minute)

France coach Raymond Domenech interviewed

“World Soccer: Do you think that France’s difficult World Cup qualification campaign – including the infamous play-off against Ireland – has helped make the French squad and technical staff a more united group? Raymond Domenech: The qualification a bit tense from France for the World Cup 2010 has been much ink. What do you remember this qualifier and do the problems you have discussed the close-knit staff and staff alike?” (World Soccer – Part 1), (Part 2)

Chelsea and Avram Grant

“It’s something I think murderers struggle with; there are defining acts. It’s possible to do something that becomes more you than you are. I have no idea whether you live in the Middle Ages, but if you do, and you buy an indulgence, can you ever stop being the guy who bought an indulgence? You had twenty florins, and you thought they were the same as your soul. That’s a forever-type deal, as a priest once said to me. Now, maybe the world is a vale of soul-making, and maybe you’d like that to mean that you’re always freely forging your identity. But at some point, if you do a thing finally enough, it means your soul is already made.” (Run of Play)

Conspiracy theories and intrigue abound on La Liga’s final weekend

“Desperation makes for strange bedfellows. And no, we’re not talking about David Cameron and Nick Clegg coming together to find the keys for No. 10 Downing Street after a British general election that left a hung parliament and no outright winner — although there is certainly plenty of politics involved.” (SI)