“This slim volume, from a scholar fast developing a reputation as a leading expert on the history of African soccer, has hallmarks of a high level research monograph but transcends the genre with its impeccably researched trawl through the development of the game on the continent. Football is important for Africa.” (thetwounfortunates)
“Millions around the world are counting down to June 11, 2010. That’s the date the first soccer World Cup ever to be played in Africa will kick off in Johannesburg, South Africa. If you haven’t taken notice beyond Charlize Theron’s antics at the drawing or just don’t care, it’s time to become a fan or at least pay attention. Pay attention because South Africa hosting the World Cup will be a historic moment of first black president proportions.” (nutmeg radio)
“This is the age of permanent record, and as such there is now a growing desire for the sort of personalities that will somehow lift the banal stream of day-to-day news roundups into capital H ‘History.’ It is a yearning for the age of “Great Men”. You can see it as pundits react to President Obama signing an inadequate health bill through the House of Congress the other day.” (A More Splendid Life)
Nicolas N’Koulou
“‘When Sochaux’s Martin, Ideye and Maurice-Belay found themselves in a three-on-one against Nkoulou with a match-winning 4-2 goal at their feet right at the end of the game, the goose looked well and truly cooked for Monaco,’ wrote L’Equipe’s Jean-Pierre Rivais in his match report on Monaco’s Coupe de France quarter-final with Sochaux on Wednesday. ‘But the young Cameroonian somehow recovered the ball and, at the end of Monaco’s counter-attack, Pino popped up at the right moment to beat Richert and make it 3-3…’ ” (Football Further)
“Wall charts are a World Cup tradition. I’ve had one either pinned, Blu-Tacked or taped to a wall (and one time attached to a fridge with magnets) for every tournament I can remember. They’re useful for two things…” (World Cup Blog)
“For many people, major sports tournaments are the only occasion that national anthems are heard. These peculiar tunes have become a genre of their own, transcending the mere hymns that many of them were in first place, and they range from the gloriously uplifting to mournful dirges. The selection of words has, in many countries, brought about national debate that has been all-encompassing. In the case of Spain, it was decided that it would probably be for the best just to not bother having any for the sake of national unity.” (twohundredpercent)
“David Beckham might not be going to the World Cup in South Africa this year, but 40,000 hookers will be. That is literally what a headline on the NBC sports website claims: ‘40,000 hookers making their way to South Africa for World Cup.’ Other media outlets have been a bit more PC: ‘40,000 prostitutes to enter South Africa’, says the UK Daily Telegraph; ‘40,000 prostitutes bound for South Africa’, says the New York Daily News. Apparently many of these hookers will be trafficked into South Africa against their will, forced into a life of grimy prostitution for the satisfaction of drunken football fans.” (Spiked), (Must Read Soccer)
“A World Cup campaign is usually a four-year process that starts when a national team engages in torturous self-examination immediately after its ouster from the last championship. Coaches are fired (or their contracts are not renewed) and aging players retire from the international scene. Even the winner is often in need of a new manager to enliven the roster and refresh tactics for the interspersed continental championship and next phase of World Cup qualifying.” (NYT)
“Eighty days before the World Cup finals and not more than a year after he took the job in the first place, Ian Watmore has quit as the Chief Executive of the Football Association. When Watmore spoke at the Supporters Direct annual conference in Birmingham last October, he didn’t inspire a great deal of confidence. His with the Premier League’s Richard Scudamore’s comment that, ‘You can’t bar people because you don’t like the cut of their jib’ seemed ill-placed, considering the audience that he was addressing that he may even have already been in the pocket of the Premier League to some extent. That the rumours are that he is leaving because he has been unable to bridge the implacable gap in values between the FA and the Premier League comes both as something of a surprise and no surprise at all.” (twohundredpercent)
Jonathan dos Santos
“Fraternal similitude is a difficult thing to predict in football. For every pair of brothers like Kolo and Yaya Touré or Gabriel and Diego Milito playing at the very highest level, there’s a John and Paul Terry (currently at Rushden and Diamonds) or a Ryan and Rhodri Giggs (last seen playing for Bacup Borough in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division).” (Football Further)
“With just under 100 days to go until Brazil’s 2010 World Cup gets under way against North Korea, coach Dunga stomped away from Emirates Stadium in London aware that, for at least half of it, that time will be dominated by appeals for the recall of Ronaldinho.” (World Soccer – Tim Vickery)
“For many people, major sports tournaments are the only occasion that national anthems are heard. These peculiar tunes have become a genre of their own, transcending the mere hymns that many of them were in first place, and they range from the gloriously uplifting to mournful dirges. The selection of words has, in many countries, brought about national debate that has been all-encompassing. In the case of Spain, it was decided that it would probably be for the best just to not bother having any for the sake of national unity.” (twohundredpercent)
World Cup 2010 National Anthems: South Africa, France, Mexico, Uruguay
“Seems like the most popular part of our World Cup 2010 preview podcast was the national anthems segment. I would agree, in that any segment where we’re not talking is instantly preferable to the segments where we are. But since those podcasts contain only 10-15 second lyric-less samples, I thought it was worth expanding the idea into a full series of posts about national anthems.” (World Cup Blog)
“Spain’s last game before they name their final squad in June could be summed up in a single word. The same word that could also be used to sum up their qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup. The same word could be used again for their Euro 2008 campaign.” (World Soccer)
“Brazilian midfielder Mauro Silva checked in his luggage to travel to to Colombia for the 2001 Copa America, and then had second thoughts. Scared by the country’s reputation, he decided not to go. I remember feeling a similar trepidation at exactly the same time when I boarded the plane in Rio to fly up and cover the tournament. What on earth was I letting myself in for?” (SI – Tim Vickery)
“Following the international friendlies, I wrote last time that the week’s big winner was Argentina coach Diego Maradona. Seven days later, perhaps his Brazilian counterpart can crack the biggest smile. As Andre Kfouri wrote in the sports daily Lance!: ‘Dunga must have loved the elimination of Real Madrid and Milan from the Champions League. The Spanish giant, because Kaka will have a lighter fixture list in the build up to the World Cup. And the Italian giant because the pressure to recall Ronaldinho will diminish. And the national team coach will be cheering for Chelsea to knock out Internazionale – a rest for Julio Cesar, Lucio and Maicon, more work for Drogba’.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)
“Come June, soccer’s World Cup will be hosted by South Africa. Though only 4 of the 64 games are to be played here in Nelspruit, a $137 million stadium was built for the occasion. The arena’s 18 supporting pylons reach skyward in the shape of orange giraffes. At nightfall, their eyeballs blink with flashes of bewitching light.” (NYT)
“David Beckham checked into a hospital Monday for surgery on his torn left Achilles’ tendon, hoping for a ‘swift and full recovery’ from an injury that will keep him out of the World Cup. Beckham left a private jet on crutches at Turku airport and was whisked away in an SUV. Minutes later, he arrived at the Mehilainen hospital surrounded by security guards amid cheers from hundreds of fans who had gathered outside the entrance. Surgery is set for later Monday or Tuesday.” (ESPN)
David Beckham Ruptures Achilles Tendon
“Video of David Beckham suffering a ruptured achilles tendon while playing for AC Milan in their 1-0 win over Chievo Verona in the Italian Serie A on Sunday, March 14, 2010.” (Free Soccer Highlights)
“Italian coaches will be everywhere at the Bridge. The Impossible Job has become the Italian Job. Marcello Lippi has won the World Cup while Giovanni Trapattoni wins friends with the Republic of Ireland. Zola, though, is under pressure. Widely considered one of the nicest men in an often heartless profession, the Sardinian who made the ball smile as an elegant maestro with Napoli, Parma and Chelsea, among others, now battles to keep West Ham United in the Premier League.” (Telegraph – Henry Winter)
“Coaches could do worse that scan their opposition for signs of the mental state of their opposition and call their players back in. You can almost imagine Fabio Capello in the middle of a huddle of England players, explaining that they should push the ball wide early on because the opposing full-backs stood like rabbits caught in the glare of a car’s headlamps throughout the duration of, ‘Turks and Caicos, Sweet Home of the Parrot’. Today we sent noted musicologist and patriot Dotmund to cast his ear over the funky fresh sounds of Groups C and D.” (twohundredpercent)
“The lasting image from France’s anemic, controversial, but ultimately successful campaign to qualify for the 2010 World Cup will be the un-penalized handball by Thierry Henry that helped Les Bleus slip by Ireland in a two-match playoff last November.” (NYT)
Marcello Lippi
“At the start of the season, looking forward to the World Cup finals in June, Italy coach Marcello Lippi said he was ready for any number of tormentoni (literally, pest or nuisance) on the run-in to South Africa. The tormentoni in question, let’s be clear, do not concern player injuries, match schedules or training facilities. No, these torments are media and fan inspired and take the form of pretty forthright “advice” as to who he should take to the finals this summer. In particular, Lippi was bombarded with suggestions for his attack.” (World Soccer)
“For many people, major sports tournaments are the only occasion that national anthems are heard. These peculiar tunes have become a genre of their own, transcending the mere hymns that many of them were in first place, and they range from the gloriously uplifting to mournful dirges. The selection of words has, in many countries, brought about national debate that has been all-encompassing. In the case of Spain, it was decided that it would probably be for the best just to not bother having any for the sake of national unity.” (twohundredpercent)
“The England manager will call a team meeting of all 30 players in his provisional World Cup squad after the May 30 friendly with Japan to announce which seven players will miss out on the trip to South Africa. Rather than tell each of the seven dropped players on an individual basis, Capello will read out his 23-man squad list to the group either at the team hotel after the game or possibly even on the flight back to London that evening.” (Telegraph)
“Nigeria has appointed Swede Lars Lagerback as their new national team coach on a five-month contract. I’m still trying to figure out why. I wrote an earlier piece about African nations’ perpetual need to hire foreigners to lead African teams. With the firing of Nigerian Shaibu Amodu, there’s only one remaining African coach poised to lead a side at Africa’s first World Cup, Algeria’s Rabah Saadane.” (Nutmeg Radio)
“It’s been a week of bizarre contrasts in preparing for World Cup commentaries without forgetting the pressing need to keep on top of the Premier league scene. Michael Owen’s latest injury nightmare took me back to a hot evening in St Etienne 12 years ago. England’s penalty shoot-out defeat by Argentina remains one of the most dramatic games I have ever covered. Owen’s scintillating goal had the tournament gasping in awe – he had the world at his feet.” (BBC)
“The halcyon days of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s were apparently a boom time in England’s glorious history of great goalkeepers. From the benchmark that was the great Gordon Banks and his understudy, Peter Springett, to the rotation of Ray Clemence and Peter Shilton in the 70’s and early 1980’s, England always had a top class goalkeeper.” (EPL Talk)
“The German shoe and sportswear company, Puma, sponsors at least 12 African national football teams–five of which qualified for the 2010 World Cup. To commemorate the World Cup year (and because it is good PR and to sell shirts), Puma commissioned artist Kehinde Wiley to create four new works of arts inspired by the footbal stars Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon, John Mensah of Ghana and Emmanuel Eboué of Ivory Coast.” (Football is Coming Home)
“Roll up, roll up. It’s the biggest circus in town. This year, without a single ball having been kicked, hasn’t been a terribly successfully one for England so far. On the one hand, there were the varying discretions of members of the England team – John Terry offering his own special brand of comfort to Wayne Bridge’s recently separated former partner and Ashley Cole reportedly sending pictures of “Little Ashley” to some poor girl – which led to national hand-wringing in the press, followed by Ashley fracturing a bone (no, not that one) and Wayne deciding that he couldn’t bear to be in the same England team as John.” (twohundredpercent)
“Just as Italian football will always be synonymous with a certain degree of cynicism and Hungary, no matter how far they tumble down the world rankings, will always stir the soul of the romantic, so Greece’s gritty triumph at Euro 2004 means their football will forever be associated with pragmatism and dogged determination.” (Football Further)
“Think of the greats of Brazilian football and you will probably come up with Pele, Garrincha, Rivelino, Socrates – players full of flair, skill and vision. In short, geniuses. The name of Dunga, however, wouldn’t necessarily be on the tip of your tongue. A nuggety defensive midfielder who cut his teeth in Italian football and prizes tactics above flamboyance does not quite fit the Brazilian stereotype.” (BBC)
“Kris Boyd ended his self-imposed international exile but it was Scott Brown who was the unlikely goal hero as Craig Levein claimed a win from his first game as Scotland manager. Brown grabbed the only goal of the game against Czech Republic to hand the Scots their first friendly win at Hampden Park since victory over Australia back in 1996.” (ESPN)
Levein starts as he means to go on
“It was by no means a textbook performance but Craig Levein’s reign as Scotland manager is off to a winning start and that is all that counts. The members of the Tartan Army who braved a cold March evening to make it along to Hampden Park will never remember the friendly encounter with Czech Republic as a classic but it is the result that matters.” (ESPN)
“DaMarcus Beasley may have boosted his World Cup chances. Jonathan Bornstein and Robbie Findlay did nothing to help theirs. And Stuart Holden joined the long U.S. injured list. The United States fell flat in Europe once again, losing to the third-ranked Netherlands 2-1 Wednesday night in the Americans’ last match before coach Bob Bradley picks his World Cup roster.” (NYT)
“England played Egypt as a way of warming up for their World Cup clash with Algeria on 18 June, so one wonders what exactly coach Fabio Capello learnt about North African opposition after his side’s 3-1 win. For his players, the experience would have been invaluable because England haven’t faced such opposition since beating Morocco 1-0 in 1998 – a game only Michael Owen is likely to remember from among the current squad.” (BBC)
Landon Donovan
“The United States on Wednesday will be decked out in its new threads, courtesy of Nike, for its friendly match against the Netherlands at the Amsterdam Arena. The day before, the calendar clicked below 100 days until the start of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.” (NYT)
“On March 3 Slovakia play Norway in a friendly. There should be a sell-out crowd in Zilina in full patriotic voice since the match will be Slovakia’s last at home before their first appearance as an independent nation at the final stages of a major tournament. That they are going to the 2010 World Cup is in no small measure down to the hard work and occasional genius of their coach, Vladimir Weiss Senior.” (WSC)
“Fabio Capello urgently needs the supporters to back all the players against Egypt, resisting any temptation to boo John Terry. Welcome to the 90 minutes that will define the mood surrounding England going into the World Cup. Judging by the critical disposition of certain sections of England’s support, there is a desire to voice, however briefly, some disapproval of Terry’s conduct.” (Telegraph – Henry Winter)
“I know I’m not the only one who isn’t really looking forward to the World Cup. But your reasons will be different from mine. I don’t enjoy tournaments which feature home nations – too tense, too much hoopla. And I enjoy ones with only England in even less – the loneliness leaves them even more exposed than they already were. Oh, to be in 1998, in the summertime, with a beer.” (More Than Mind Games)
“Eljero Elia is a tricky wing player who can take advantage of the slightest leeway from a defender and turn it into a goal-scoring opportunity — making something from nothing. After just five games with the Dutch national team, he may already have snatched a spot in its World Cup squad.” (NYT)
“Everything Barcelona’s Lionel Messi touched at club level in 2009 may have turned to gold but Juan Sebastian Veron wasn’t too far behind his countryman, leading Estudiantes to the Libertadores Cup and retaining his personal crown as South America’s footballer of the year.” (World Soccer)
“Officials at England’s likely World Cup base in South Africa have dismissed reports suggesting the facilities will not ready for the June deadline. Photographs appeared today showing a building site that awaited the England coach, Fabio Capello, when he arrived in South Africa. One report described it as ‘a landscape more suited to a scene from Auf Wiedersehen, Pet than a multimillion-pound training camp’.” (Guardian)
“Tournaments are like time speeded up – teams can suddenly come together, or fall apart. Each tournament has its own dynamics, so it would be unwise to draw definitive conclusions for the World Cup from a competition taking place six months earlier. But if the Africa Cup of Nations is a good opportunity for five World Cup-bound teams to get some competitive match practice, it is also a great chance for their future opponents to do some reconnaissance. From a South American point of view, there’s the possibility of Uruguay meeting Nigeria in the second round, just as Paraguay might face Cameroon, and Chile could come up against Ivory Coast.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)
Scissors Kick 