Women’s round-up: February 2011

Women’s round-up: February 2011
(FIFA.com) Friday 25 February 2011
Print
Email my friend
Share

While there is a sense of calm before the coming storm on the international front as teams limber up for the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, the club scene is just hotting up, with a title decided in Australia and Germany’s big two battling it out. As February draws to a close, FIFA.com rounds up the main events in the female game.

Club Football
Roar on top Down Under
Brisbane Roar claimed their second Australian W-League title in three seasons with a 2-1 grand final victory over arch-rivals and reigning champions Sydney FC. The Sky Blues had finished the league season three points clear at the top of the table but it was the Roar who edged the play-off decider, exacting revenge for a 3-2 defeat in last season’s final. Matildas star Lisa De Vanna grabbed the winning goal midway through the second half while the Roar’s other goalscorer, Tameka Butt, was named player of the match.

Dominant duo do battle, Duisburg wield the axe
The race for the Frauen Bundesliga title is developing into one of the tightest and most dramatic in recent memory, with no room for error between the leading duo of Turbine Potsdam and FFC Frankfurt. Turbine are in pole position to successfully defend their title, but their rivals remain just a point behind after a month in which neither has dropped a single point. Frankfurt, in fact, have racked up an aggregate score of 26-0 in their February matches thus far, and boast a goal difference 36 superior to the leaders. Four points further back in third place are FCR 2001 Duisburg, who despite reaching the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-finals, sacked coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg earlier this month following back-to-back domestic defeats to Turbine and Bayern Munich.

Ground broken in Palestine
The female game’s growth around the world continued earlier this month with the launch of a first-ever 11-a-side league in Palestine. Previously, women’s football in the troubled nation had only ever been played on an indoor, five-a-side basis, but a crowd of 11,000 turned out to give enthusiastic backing to the opening match of this new division. Deyara Bethlehem beat Sareiat YMCA Ramallah 2-0 in this historic encounter, and with the national team competing in ever more regional and continental tournaments, Palestinian women’s football looks set for a bright future.

National Teams
Hopefuls set off for Algarve and Cyprus
The Algarve and Cyprus Cups have become well-established fixtures in the women’s football calendar over recent times, and both will carry even greater interest this year. That’s because, with the FIFA Women’s World Cup just a few months away, these fiercely-contested tournaments are sure to be seen as an indicator of what we can expect from the various contenders at Germany 2011. Teams began arriving in Portugal last week for the Algarve event, which kicks off on Tuesday, with holders USA up against the likes of Japan, Norway and 2009 winners Sweden. Another five Germany-bound teams are heading to Cyprus, meanwhile, where Canada, England, France, New Zealand and Mexico will be aiming to signal their intent ahead of the female game’s showpiece event.

Germany 2011 hits the road
While tickets continue to sell like proverbial hotcakes at home, Germany have been taking the FIFA Women’s World Cup on the road with their Welcome Tour of the other 15 participating nations. The tour has taken in stops at Oslo, Paris and London since our last monthly round-up, with Organising Committee chairman Steffi Jones leading the efforts to promote not only the tournament but also women’s football as a whole. More information on the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Welcome Tour events can be found by clicking the links on the right.

The stat
510,000 – The incredible number of tickets that have now been sold for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany. The fourth phase of ticket sales came to an end on Sunday with 80,000 fresh orders having been received, and all tickets for Germany’s group games – save for restricted view seats – have been sold out.

The quote
“The biggest [area of] development has been in technique. There are no longer huge gaps between teams in terms of performance, which wasn’t the case before... The next step will be tactics. Reading the game and making decisions when play is in full flight will be the next challenge,” USA coach Pia Sundhage on women’s football’s progress and main area for improvement.

Claudio Borghi's vital statistics

Claudio Borghi's vital statistics
(FIFA.com) Friday 25 February 2011
Print
Email my friend
Share

Appointed Chile coach yesterday, the Argentinian Claudio Borghi is nothing if not his own man. Witty, blindingly honest and hardworking, the former attacking midfielder was once touted as the next Diego Maradona, but enjoyed most success in Chile, first as a player and then as a coach. Now, as Borghi takes the helm of La Roja, FIFA.com brings you some of the key stats from his distinguished career.
46

- Claudio Borghi’s age, making him the third youngest national team coach in South America. Born on 28 September 1964, the Argentinian is only senior to Gustavo Quinteros (15 February 1965) and Cesar Farias (7 March 1973), the coaches of Bolivia and Venezuela respectively.
18

- Borghi is the 18th foreigner and fourth Argentinian to coach Chile, Jose Salerno, Alejandro Scopelli and Marcelo Bielsa being the three former supremos from across the border.
15

- The number of clubs Borghi ran out for during his 18-year playing career. In addition to spells with homeland sides Argentinos Juniors, River Plate, Independiente, Union de Santa Fe, Huracan and Platense, the nomadic midfielder played for Italian sides AC Milan and Como, Swiss outfit Neuchatel, Brazilian giants Flamengo, Chilean clubs Colo Colo, O’Higgins, Audax Italiano and Wanderers, as well as Correcaminos of Mexico. “I was always a footballing wanderer. I used to enjoy moving on and getting to know new places. If someone offered me the chance to live in Switzerland or Brazil, I always said yes,” he said recently.
13

- The number of major titles Borghi won: eight as a player and five as a coach. In the former category, four came with Argentinos Juniors, two with Colo Colo, one with Flamengo. Most famously though, he was part of the Argentina team that won the 1986 FIFA World Cup™ in Mexico. From the bench, he guided Colo Colo to an unprecedented four straight league championships, before steering another former club, Argentinos Juniors, to the Clausura title last year.
7

- The number of siblings with whom Borghi grew up in Castelar, a district in the western suburbs of Buenos Aires. “We never went hungry, but the food didn’t go much beyond soups, stews, boiled cornmeal, and sandwiches with mate”, recalls El Bichi, who lost his father to a heart attack when he was just ten.
5

- The number of clubs he has coached: Audax Italiano, Colo Colo, Independiente, Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors. His most successful spell was with Colo Colo, whom he led to 83 wins, 27 draws and 27 defeats in 137 games.
4

- The shirt number he used at Mexico 1986 – rather unusual for an attacking midfielder. During that victorious campaign, Borghi accumulated 119 minutes of playing time from the group games against Bulgaria and Italy. All told, he won nine caps with La Albiceleste, scoring once.
1

- Borghi is a former winner of the Americas’ Coach of the Year award given by the Uruguayan daily El Pais. He took the accolade in 2006 after winning the opening and closing league titles with Colo Colo, beating off competition from the likes of Alfio Basile, Abel Braga, Luis Suarez and Diego Simeone.

Rejuvenated Nolan awaits Bolton reunion

When news broke in January 2009 that midfielder Kevin Nolan was discussing a move from Bolton Wanderers to Newcastle United, there was surprise among football followers across the land. The Liverpudlian had spent ten years at the Reebok Stadium and been a part of the team’s European adventures, while the Magpies were stuck in the quagmire of a relegation battle. But despite a tumultuous opening six months at St James’s Park – which ended with relegation to the Championship - Nolan is now club captain and having arguably his finest Premier League season to date.

The 28-year-old will face his old club tomorrow when Newcastle host Bolton, with both sides in the top half of the table and harbouring ambitions to qualify for European football next season. Newcastle have settled after a difficult two months which saw the club controversially replace the popular Chris Hughton as manager with Alan Pardew, and suffer the loss of star centre-forward Andy Carroll – a close friend of Nolan’s – who was sold to Liverpool for £35 million.

Nolan broke into the Bolton first-team squad under Sam Allardyce in 1999 and two years later found himself playing in the Premier League alongside the likes of Fredi Bobic, Youri Djorkaeff and Bruno N’Gotty. Nolan scored eight goals from midfield as Bolton retained their top-flight status, finishing 16th. Allardyce’s policy of recruiting experienced players with a touch of flair continued and Nolan excelled as he learnt from those around him, including Ivan Campo, Jay Jay Okocha and Gary Speed.

Wanderers finished in the top half of the Premier League for four consecutive seasons between 2004 and 2007, reaching sixth in 2004/05. Nolan’s goals were a key part of that success and a call-up to the England squad was expected, with then manager Allardyce leading the calls for Nolan to be given international recognition.
The stadium, the city, everything just breathes football, and to be a part of it and be captain of this club is such a massive privilege.
Kevin Nolan, Newcastle United captain

The England call has never arrived but Nolan is doing his chances no harm with his current form for Newcastle. It did not start well on Tyneside, however. Nolan was sent off for a reckless challenge on Everton’s Victor Anichebe just three weeks after signing, and failed to score a goal as United were relegated on the final day of the season. Nolan rejected links with a move away that summer and was clear about his intention to guide Newcastle back to the Premier League.

True to his word, the midfielder was an inspiration for Newcastle throughout 2009/10, scoring 17 goals and occasionally captaining the side in the absence of Nicky Butt. In March 2010 he was named Championship Player of the Year and the following month Newcastle sealed promotion back to the top flight. Nolan has not looked back since and was handed the captaincy permanently at the beginning of the current campaign following the retirement of Butt.

Starting as he clearly meant to go on, Nolan scored twice in Newcastle’s first home game back in the Premier League as the Magpies hammered Aston Villa 6-0. In October he wrote his name into Newcastle folklore by hitting a hat-trick against great rivals Sunderland to inspire a 5-1 success. He set the side on their way to a 3-1 win over his boyhood club Liverpool in December before grabbing another goal against their Wearside foes in January. He currently has ten for the season – the first time he has reached double figures in the Premier League – and would dearly love to add to that against his former club tomorrow.

Nolan recently revealed to the club’s website just how happy he is: “The stadium, the city, everything just breathes football, and to be a part of it and be captain of this club is such a massive privilege. The sheer volume of support we get is fantastic. The fans are starting to get what they deserve, and that's a team who truly love this club and who want to do the best for Newcastle. With them I'm sure we can get to where we want to go.”

Planet football hails O Fenômeno

Planet football hails O Fenômeno
(FIFA.com) Friday 25 February 2011
Print
Email my friend
Share

As part of our regular ‘The things they say’ series, FIFA.com has brought together selections of the choicest phrases ever uttered by such footballing luminaries as Romario, Diego Maradona and Eric Cantona, to name just three. We have decided to mix things up a little in the case of Brazilian goal-getter Ronaldo, who last week announced his retirement, choosing to highlight one of his final statements as an active pro as well as a host of tributes from some of planet football’s biggest names.

“After yet another groin injury, I gave it a lot of thought and decided I’d reached a point where I had nothing more to give and that the sacrifices were too great, something I never thought would happen. Once I’d made the decision it felt as if I was in Intensive Care with a terminal condition, and that this announcement would be like passing away. Giving up something that’s made me so happy is very tough, I’ve always loved the game and would give anything to carry on. But you can’t win them all and I’ve been beaten by my own body.”
Ronaldo

“He’s the best striker I’ve ever seen.”
Lionel Messi

“Ronaldo is the man and I don’t care what y'all say. [He’s the] best striker ever, hands down, and anyone who doesn’t agree has problems.”
Jozy Altidore

“He went to Holland, Spain and Italy and enhanced the reputation of Brazilian football in all three countries. He came back home and breathed new life into the Brazilian championship and Corinthians. Brazilian people should be grateful for what he’s done for our football.”
Pele

“He was a one-off in terms of ability and had the skill to turn a half-chance into an incredible goalscoring opportunity. He was phenomenal when one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Those who saw him play know what I’m talking about. It’s not easy to put it into words, but I’m not exaggerating by any means.”
Zinedine Zidane

“I’d like to have played alongside him, because I’d have been able to put him through on goal all the time. He’s always in the right place to receive the ball and he thinks really quickly. It wasn’t by chance that he was the world’s best player on several occasions. He also did his bit for A Seleção, being a part of two World Cup wins and one second place. He even went on to become the highest scorer in World Cup history. That was a phenomenal feat, in keeping with his nickname.”
Zico

“I didn’t need any time to gel when playing alongside Ronaldo. He knew how I played and I knew where he liked to receive the ball. It was very easy to play with him because he was great at finding the right positions both inside and outside the box. As soon as I picked up the ball, he already knew what I was going to do with it.”
Rivaldo

"He was always an example for young people to look up to, for the way he overcame adversity. I was fortunate enough to play alongside him, my idol, for many years and we had so many great times together. He was always an idol of mine and will always be a friend.”
Ronaldinho

“Just as I’d believed he’d be one of the best players in our Seleção back then, I believe that he’s made the right decision now. I understood that if I backed him he’d be an important player for us (in Korea/Japan). I wish him the very best because he remains one of my best and closest friends, and he was a vital player in a triumph that had a huge impact on him and us.”
Luiz Felipe Scolari

“I’m a huge fan of Ronaldo, I’ve followed his career since his time at Barcelona. I once asked my uncle Miguel Angel [Nadal] if I could get a photo with him. So I even got to go in the dressing room and have a photo taken with one of my biggest idols. There’s no doubt that overcoming adversity, making it back to the very top of the game and winning trophies deserves huge credit.”
Rafael Nadal, the tennis superstar whose uncle was a team-mate of Ronaldo’s at Barça

“One of the most talented footballers ever, Ronaldo won two World Cups with A Seleção and remains the leading scorer at World Cup finals. He was already a genuine legend, even while still playing, and exemplified how to overcome adversity. All of us will be eternally grateful for the joy he gave us and what he did to boost Brazil’s prestige.”
Dilma Rousseff, Brazilian President

Diego brace wins it for Wolfsburg

Diego brace wins it for Wolfsburg


Diego made amends for missing a penalty as his two goals guided Wolfsburg to a narrow victory over bottom side Borussia Monchengladbach in an eventful match in the Bundesliga. Diego blazed the ball over the bar when a spot-kick was awarded for a foul on Sascha Reither in the 28th minute, but made up for it seven minutes later when he put the hosts ahead.

The Brazilian scored his second in first-half injury time with an unstoppable curling free-kick before Gladbach pulled one back with a contentious penalty. Mike Hanke had a great chance to equalise in the 89th minute but squandered the opportunity as Wolfsburg moved three points clear of the relegation zone.

Wolfsburg were dominant from the outset, Cicero shooting just wide before Dieumerci Mbokani headed against the bar. Borussia goalkeeper Logan Bailey parried a shot from Diego with Mbokani sending the follow-up wide before Borussia even managed their first shot. On that occasion, Mohamadou Idrissou headed the ball tamely into Marwin Hitz's arms.

Pierre Littbarski's side had a chance to go ahead when Reither was brought down by Juan Arango, but Diego sent his penalty well over. Borussia almost took advantage with Marco Reus squaring to the onrushing Roman Neustader but his left-footed shot went high and wide.

Just three minutes later Wolfsburg were ahead. Reither rolled the ball across the box and Mbokani dummied for Diego to slot home. Diego then followed up with a second when he whipped a shot into the net to put the hosts firmly in control.

With a little less than 15 minutes remaining, Gladbach reduced the deficit when the referee decided Jan Polak climbed above Hanke in the box. Filip Daems then converted the penalty.

Reus forced Hitz to tip over before the hosts had a goal disallowed when Simon Kjaer was deemed to have pulled down Daems. Martin Stranzl inexplicably missed from five yards for the visitors, while replays showed Wolfsburg's Arne Friedrich had likely handled the ball. Gladbach then passed up a great chance to draw level when Hitz dropped a cross only for Hanke to hit the ball straight at the Wolfsburg goalkeeper.

Leonardo: Inter can match anyone

Leonardo: Inter can match anyone


Leonardo has made light of Inter Milan's lack of attacking options as he prepares them to face Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League tomorrow. The Nerazzurri coach is without the injured Diego Milito and Giampaolo Pazzini, who is ineligible having already played for Sampdoria earlier in the competition.

It means Samuel Eto'o will likely be partnered by Goran Pandev, with playmaker Wesley Sneijder in the hole behind the front two and inexperienced Brazilian Coutinho as back up from the bench. But Leonardo doesn't believe that will hamstring his side in the last 16, first leg tie at the San Siro.

"If we think about the foundation of the team, it's there," he said. "The league is one thing and the Champions League is another. We have options, less than we have in the league, but we do have some."

The Brazilian also believes that Europe provides a more attacking platform than Serie A, where most teams play with a safety-first policy. "The Champions League brings together great players and great teams with great ambitions," Leonardo said. "That makes the desire to play take precedence over the desire to contain, and I like this attacking mentality in the Champions League."
This team are the reigning champions, they can match anyone. We will behave like champions should.
Leonardo, Inter Milan coach

Although Inter have not shown the kind of all-conquering dominance this campaign that they enjoyed under Jose Mourinho last season, Leonardo believes they still have what it takes to go far in the competition.

"This team are the reigning champions, they can match anyone," he vowed. "We'll fight with all our strength. We have the ability to overcome any difficulties and that makes me feel strong. We will behave like champions should."

Inter beat Bayern 2-0 in the 2009/10 Champions League final, but could only finish second to Tottenham Hotspur in the group stage and therefore received a tougher draw in the first round of the knockout phase. However, captain Javier Zanetti doesn't believe the Madrid final will have much bearing on the outcome of this tie.

"There will be 180 minutes, that's the first difference to when we played Bayern in May," said the veteran Argentinian. "They're different to what they were and tomorrow's will be a different game, but we know that we're in great form, as we were then.

"Bayern are a great team but we need to try to win the game, to think as a team, to keep it tight, and then counter. We must make sure we don't leave them much space. We're ready, we know our strengths and this is the Champions League, we want to progress."

USA, Panama push through

USA, Panama push through


The USA had to work hard to keep up their record as the only side ever to qualify for every instalment of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, requiring extra-time on Tuesday to down a rugged El Salvador in the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

A foul-littered regular time ended 1-1 after Alejandro Guido’s fourth-minute opener for the USA was cancelled out by Jose Pena just five minutes later. The extra-time period proved as eventful as regular time was laboured, with the USA’s star performer Marc Pelosi taking control of proceedings. He set up Mario Rodriguez in the 95th minute and then made it 3-1 himself, finishing off a fine bit of approach work by Guido.
This is a big moment for Panama and I am proud of my players.
Panama coach Jorge Dely Valdes


Salvadoran ace Gerardo Iraheta pulled one back from the spot to make it 3-2 in the fading moments, but the USA – the better team on the day – never looked like conceding a late equaliser. The tense contest saw three late sendings off and produced no less than 52 fouls.

Hurrah for Panama
Panama surprised Costa Rica in the earlier quarter-final at the Montego Bay Sports Complex to reach the semi-finals of the CONCACAF qualifiers and, in the process, booked their passage to the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup this June and July in Mexico.

The balanced quarter-final was eventually decided by Alfredo Stevens, who scored the only goal of the contest in the 76th minute to put former playing idol Jorge Dely Valdes’s side into the junior world finals for the first time in their history. Panama, whose strike against the fancied Costa Ricans had a decidedly fortuitous feel to it, only squeaked into the last eight after losing to the USA and drawing 0-0 with Cuba in the group stage.

"This is a big moment for Panama and I am proud of my players," said coach Dely Valdes. "Now we have to focus on the next game and see what we can do."

Two more sides from the CONCACAF region will stamp their tickets to Mexico tomorrow when Canada take on Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica host Honduras.

Roberto BAGGIO

Roberto BAGGIO

Few players have contributed as much to the Italian and world game as Roberto Baggio. Sublimely gifted and fiercely driven with it, Il Divino Codino (The Divine Ponytail) enjoyed an exceptional career on both the domestic and international stage, a career he came agonisingly close to capping with the ultimate prize.

Troubled throughout his playing days by recurring problems with his right knee, Baggio lacked nothing in courage in attempting to overcome his injury curse, and made up for a relative lack of stature with flawless technique and an instinctive ability to read the game.

Though he spent his entire club career in Italy, starting with Vicenza in the third tier in 1982 and ending with Brescia - 204 Serie A goals later - in 2004, Baggio had legions of admirers around the world, among them current UEFA President Michel Platini, one of his predecessors as a lethal creator and taker of chances for Juventus. “Baggio is neither a typical No9, nor a typical No10," explained the Frenchman. "He’s more of a No9 and a half."

A country at his feet
Born in the small town of Caldogno, near Venice, Baggio learned his trade in the youth ranks at Vicenza, scoring a hugely impressive 110 goals in 120 matches to earn a place in the first team at the age of only 15. In the final game of the 1984/85 season, against a Rimini side coached by one Arrigo Sacchi, disaster struck when he suffered a serious injury to his right knee. It caused the first of many lay-offs that would dog him for the rest of his career.

Plunged into a deep spiritual crisis during those first 18 months on the sidelines, he decided to convert to Buddhism. “It helps me gather my thoughts better,” said Baggio, who would prepare for every game with a bout of solitary meditation.

Baggio had signed for Fiorentina prior to picking up that initial injury, and would always be grateful that the club did not go back on the deal. He went on to score 39 goals in 94 appearances for La Viola over five seasons before leaving in controversial circumstances for Juventus. Such was his depth of feeling for the Florence club and its passionate fans, however, that when he returned with Juve for a league game in April 1991, he refused to take a penalty and turned to the stands to salute the tifosi who once idolised him.

It was in Turin that he reached the pinnacle of his club career, inspiring I Bianconeri to the Serie A, Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup trophies in a five-year stay in which he also made the captain’s armband his own, collected the FIFA World Player award and scored 78 goals.
Baggio is neither a typical No9, nor a typical No10. He’s more of a No9 and a half.
Michel Platini

However, misfortune would befall him once more after the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™, Baggio succumbing to his injury problems yet again in scoring a wonder goal against Padova. Out of action for five months, he looked on helplessly as new Juve coach Marcello Lippi promoted rising star Alessandro del Piero into the first team at his expense.

Sold on to rivals AC Milan in 1995, to the immense displeasure of the Juventus fans, Baggio dovetailed to perfection with the likes of George Weah and Dejan Savicevic to win the Scudetto for the second year in a row. While the goals kept on coming and his technique remained as flawless as ever, the playmaking genius continued to battle against his unreliable right knee and the lack of understanding of his coaches. “There is no place for poets in modern football,” observed Oscar Tabarez when Baggio complained about a lack of first-team action at the start of the 1996/97 season.

Leaving Milan behind, he enjoyed a fruitful, season-long stay at Bologna, scoring a career-high 23 goals for I Rossoblu in 1997/98, before returning to the San Siro for a stint with Inter Milan. In 2000 he made one last move, seeing out his last four years as a professional footballer with Brescia, helping the unfashionable outfit maintain their top-flight status with a handsome return of 45 goals in 95 games. Making his final league appearance in the fitting surroundings of the San Siro against AC Milan on 16 May 2004, he was substituted five minutes from time and left the field to a rousing standing ovation.

Penalty curse
Like some of his club relationships, Baggio’s long-running liaison with the national team was a love-hate affair. After making his debut for La Nazionale in a 1-0 defeat of the Netherlands in November 1988, he scored the first of many trademark free-kicks six months later against Uruguay.

Sitting out the hosts’ opening two matches at the 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™, he was given a starting place for the third and final group game against Czechoslovakia. He made an instant impact, slaloming past a string of Czech defenders to score the goal of the tournament and one of the finest in FIFA World Cup history.

Disappointment was to follow in the semi-final against Argentina, with Baggio once again relegated to the bench and only coming on 17 minutes from time in a match Gli Azzurri lost on penalties. “[Italy coach Azeglio] Vicini said to me that I looked tired but I was only 23,” he later recalled. “I’d have given anything to have started that match.” Some consolation would come his way when he scored in Italy’s 2-1 win over England in the match for third place.

The man with the most distinctive ponytail in football reached the peak of his art in the USA four years later, his goals against Nigeria and Spain and a match-winning brace against Bulgaria sweeping the Italians into the Final against Brazil. Baggio’s injury problems were resurfacing once more, however. He needed a painkilling injection prior to the game and failed to shine on a gruelling afternoon in the heat of Pasadena.

After two hours of largely uneventful football, he lined up to take Italy’s fifth spot-kick in the penalty decider, with the Brazilians 3-2 ahead. A fatigued Baggio could not afford to miss, but miss he did, sending the ball soaring over the crossbar. “I knew what I had to do and my concentration was perfect,” he said afterwards. “But I was so tired that I tried to hit the ball too hard.”

He would enjoy better luck from the spot in a 2-2 draw with Chile in the group phase at France 1998, having earlier set up Christian Vieri for the opening goal. Yet, in a repeat of the Sandro Mazzola-Gianni Rivera selection conundrum that undermined Italy’s hopes at Mexico 1970, Nazionale coach Cesare Maldini decided Baggio and Alessandro del Piero were incompatible on the pitch and opted to rotate them instead.

Baggio nevertheless scored his ninth FIFA World Cup goal against Austria and went on to convert his penalty in the quarter-final shoot-out against hosts France. Sadly for him, team-mates Demetrio Albertini and Luigi di Biagio fared less well as Italy’s spot-kick curse continued.
I knew what I had to do and my concentration was perfect. But I was so tired that I tried to hit the ball too hard.
Roberto Baggio on his penalty shoot-out miss in the USA 1994 Final

On the back of his prolific form with Brescia, Italy’s comeback king almost earned a fourth FIFA World Cup appearance at Korea/Japan 2002, only for coach Giovanni Trapattoni to ignore public opinion and exclude him from the squad. In Baggio's absence, the three-time global kings bowed out to Korea Republic in the Round of 16.

Appointed FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) Goodwill Ambassador following his retirement, the Italian legend now travels the world in support of a number of humanitarian causes. It was in recognition of this work that Baggio travelled to Hiroshima in November 2010 to collect the prestigious World Peace Award, presented by the Nobel Peace Prize laureates. “My personal and professional achievements pale in comparison to this award,” he said at the time.

Nevertheless, his links with the game he graced remain strong, and following La Nazionale’s early exit at South Africa 2010 he accepted the Italian Football Association’s invitation to become their Technical Director, a post with a special emphasis on the development of young players.

For once, the whole of the Italian footballing community was in agreement with Baggio’s appointment, an indication of the high esteem in which this diminutive giant of the game is still held.

Cruzeiro continue winning ways

Cruzeiro continue winning ways

Cruzeiro moved to the top of Group 7 in the Copa Libertadores as they hammered Paraguay's Guarani 4-0.

The Brazilian giants once again showed their impressive home form, having defeated the reigning Argentinian champions Estudiantes 5-0 last week. A brace by Wallyson put Cruzeiro ahead. He ticked home a rebound from a Walter Montillo corner in the 30th minute, before doubling the lead 19 minutes after the interval. Argentinian striker Ernesto Farias made it 3-0 with five minutes to go before Thiago Ribeiro completed the rout.

But Cruzeiro boss Cuca believes there is more to come from his team. "I'm satisfied with the result but we have to improve, especially our first-half form," he said. "We have to make the ball go faster, be more dynamic, fill empty holes in attacking roles. If we can do that, we'll be a better team."

Meanwhile in Peru, Universidad San Martin went top of Group 1 thanks to a 2-0 home win over Mexico's San Luis. The goals came late for the hosts as Gianfranco Labarthe put them ahead in the 84th minute after being set up by Carlos Marinelli. Labarthe then returned the favour by passing for Marinelli to get the second in the final minute.

Paraguay's Libertad got a late equaliser as they drew 1-1 with Once Caldas in Colombia. Dayro Moreno opened the scoring for the Colombian side in the 29th minute, but Victor Ayala struck from long range in injury time to equalise. Libertad have collected four points out of the two opening rounds in Group 1, two less than San Martin.

Finally, in Ecuador, hosts Emelec claimed their first win in the tournament with a 1-0 victory over Bolivia's Wilstermann as Eduardo Morante headed the only goal in the 33rd minute.

Ancelotti: Blues attack can conquer Europe

Ancelotti: Blues attack can conquer Europe

Carlo Ancelotti believes Chelsea's 2-0 win over Copenhagen proved his forwards are capable of firing the team to UEFA Champions League glory.

After the misery of last weekend's FA Cup exit against Everton, Nicolas Anelka gave Blues boss Ancelotti some much-needed breathing space as his double-strike put Chelsea within touching distance of the Champions League quarter-finals. Defeat against the Danish minnows in the last 16 first leg at an icy Parken Stadium could have proved fatal for the under-pressure Ancelotti, but Anelka's lethal finishing ensured the Italian won't have to worry about being frozen out just yet.

Ancelotti opted to leave Didier Drogba on the bench as he played a 4-4-2 formation with Anelka and Torres spearheading the attack. Anelka showed his class as he netted two clinical finishes to take his tally in Europe this season to seven goals in six games, while Torres went close to breaking his duck following his blockbuster move from Liverpool.

Drogba has been out of form lately but he remains a formidable option to have on the bench and Ancelotti insists the trio won't complain about being rotated to keep them fresh for an assault on the Champions League. Asked if they were the best in Europe, Ancelotti said: "Yes, I think so. We want to maintain their fitness, but rotation could do them good with the Premier League and the Champions League.
We have fantastic strikers. Torres and Anelka were fresh and, together, they played well.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti

"They are accepting my decisions without problems, and this is important. To have them available at the moment, it's important at this time of year. We have fantastic strikers. I have to make a decision about the games, to put them in or not. Didier played for two hours against Everton. Torres and Anelka were fresh and, together, they played well."

Although Torres was unable to convert three good chances, Ancelotti insisted the Spain striker's movement and commitment more than made up for his wayward finishing. "His performance was really good," Ancelotti said. "There's a little bit of disappointment because he could have scored. But it doesn't matter. His movement with Anelka was so good. Anelka was able to score and Torres had a lot of opportunities that he created with his movement. He will score in the next game."

Chelsea's display was a vast improvement on Saturday's shock FA Cup defeat to Everton but Copenhagen also looked every inch a side who had not played a competitive game for two-and-a-half months. Anelka opened the scoring in the 17th minute when he pounced on a poor pass by former Chelsea winger Jesper Gronkjaer and drove home a fierce strike from the edge of the area. The former Arsenal forward struck again in the 54th minute as he drilled Frank Lampard's pass into the bottom corner.

Ancelotti had insisted this week that Chelsea's season wasn't dead despite their poor form and this result underlined his belief. "We played with intelligence, showed good football, good efficiency, playing quick attacking play," Ancelotti said. "We had a lot of opportunities to score. We are still alive. I had an idea before the game, and I maintain the same idea now. We are not dead. It's just one game, though. I want to see my team play again, again, again."

Copenhagen boss Stale Solbakken added: "We lost to a better team. They were stronger than us and we made too many technical errors. To be honest, some of my best players maybe didn't have their best days. Chelsea looked sharper and were quicker. Some of my players played very well and should have a positive feeling in a few days, but others didn't live up to what they achieved before."

Mourinho: History doesn't matter

Mourinho: History doesn't matter


Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho believes home advantage will be enough for Real Madrid to advance to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of bogey side Lyon after the pair played out a 1-1 draw at the Stade Gerland in their last 16 first leg tie on Tuesday.

Bafetimbi Gomis's well-taken volley in the 83rd minute enabled Lyon to avoid losing to Real for the first time in seven encounters, after a Karim Benzema goal had appeared destined to consign his former club to defeat.

Mourinho agrees that Real are well placed to end a seven-year wait to make it beyond the first round of the knockout phase. "Of course I'm hopeful, but everything is open," he said. "Lyon are a good team with good players and a good coach. They have European experience. The second match will be hard.

"But it's 1-1, we will be at home and, just as it was here, the stadium will be behind us. At kick-off we will be in a strange situation because we will be almost qualified but there will still be lots of work to do. We won't be scared though. We're not afraid of history because we're writing a new history. We scored here (Stade Gerland) for the first time and we got a draw here for the first time."
We're not afraid of history because we're writing a new history. We scored here (Stade Gerland) for the first time and we got a draw here for the first time.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho

Real made a strong start to the second half, with Sergio Ramos finding the crossbar with a header moments after Ronaldo had rattled the post, but the nine-time champions were second-best for much of the opening 45 minutes.

Lyon's best opportunity of the first half saw Gomis shoot over an open goal after Iker Casillas had pushed away a Michel Bastos cross and Lyon coach Claude Puel lamented his side's failure to drive home their early dominance. "At home in the first leg, we would have preferred them not to score. It's a bit of a shame, especially because we played a great first half," said Puel.

"At times we were a bit lacking in the final ball, be it the final pass or the final shot. We didn't start the second half well. We allowed them to get on top a bit too much and that coincided with a good spell for Real. But after 15 minutes we got going again and finished much more strongly than them. It's good to have competed with such a strong team, but winning the match would have been good.

"In the first half they created very few chances. We were less solid defensively at the beginning of the second half, but we were able to pull the game back at the end. It will give us confidence ahead of the return leg, even though we would obviously have preferred not to have conceded a goal to them."

A keeper, a collapse and the special run

A keeper, a collapse and the special run


Dani Aranzubia’s historic goal, Roma’s costly capitulation and Jose Mourinho’s invincibility feature alongside a long-awaited home win for Borussia Dortmund and a landmark occasion for Matias Almeyda in FIFA.com’s latest statistical review.
317

days after their last home league victory, Borussia Monchengladbach finally gave their supporters something to cheer with a 2-1 defeat of visiting Schalke. The Bundesliga’s bottom club hadn’t won in their own stadium since a 2-0 reverse of Eintracht Frankfurt on 9 April, with 13 subsequent attempts yielding eight defeats and five draws. Die Fohlen’s success in ending this long wait in Lucien Favre’s debut as coach was all the more impressive as they had to come from behind to do so, battling back from a goal down to edge Felix Magath’s UEFA Champions League hopefuls. This was also the first time this season that Schalke had dropped points after being in a winning position.
94

minutes and 12 seconds were on the clock when Dani Aranzubia saved his Deportivo La Coruna side from defeat and, in the process, became the first keeper in La Liga history to score from open play. Five had previously found the net in Spain’s top flight, but four of them – Jose Luis Chilavert, Juan Santamaria, Carlos Alberto Fenoy and Nacho Gonzalez - scored from the penalty spot, while the other, Toni Prats, managed the feat from free-kicks. Aranzubia is, in fact, the first keeper to beat his opposite number in any of Europe’s top five leagues since Paul Robinson scored from his own half for Tottenham Hotspur against Watford three years and 11 months ago. Nor was the Depor No1’s historic headed goal inconsequential to the division's relegation battle, with the Spanish strugglers only saved from a fifth defeat in seven games by the 31-year-old’s stoppage-time intervention.
33

second-half minutes was all it took for Roma to turn a three-goal lead into a one-goal deficit and bring Claudio Ranieri’s time as coach to an end. The 60-year-old’s subsequent resignation was in itself a first as, during his entire coaching career – which spans 24 years and ten clubs – he had never before fallen on his own sword. Ranieri felt compelled to quit after witnessing the worst collapse from any team in Serie A since Bari threw away an identical advantage to lose 4-3 against Perugia on 29 April 2001. Roma have now lost four games in succession, while Genoa’s remarkable comeback has left them protecting a four-match unbeaten run.
19

years on from his River Plate debut, Matias Almeyda continued his fairy tale resurgence by helping Los Millonarios ease themselves away of the relegation precipice on Sunday. The 37-year-old, who first turned out for River on 21 February 1992, is continuing to defy logic having returned from a three-year period of retirement to become one of the most influential players in Argentinian football. Almeyda would not, however, have had much luck in attempting to share memories of his debut – a 2-1 win over Union Santa Fe - with Erik Lamela, the star of River’s 2-0 win over Huracan at the weekend. After all, Lamela was born on 4 March 1992 – a couple of weeks after the River fans were given their first glimpse of his future team-mate.
9

years exactly have now passed since Jose Mourinho lost a league match at home. This incredible run, which encompasses 148 matches in four different countries, dates back to 23 February 2002, when his nine-man Porto side went down 3-2 to Beira Mar. The time since has brought 38 games without defeat at Porto, 60 at Chelsea, 38 at Inter Milan and 12 at Real Madrid, the most recent of which arrived on Saturday with a comfortable 2-0 win over Levante. Of those 148 matches, 123 have been won, and Mourinho's teams have scored 333 goals with just 87 conceded in reply. Yet the Special One will have noted that his was not the only landmark over the weekend. Pep Guardiola also celebrated his 100th La Liga match as Barcelona coach, and the fact that 79 of those have ended in victory for the Blaugrana reminds everyone of why Mourinho’s side remain five points behind in the title race.

Clarification regarding 2022 FIFA World Cup dates

Clarification regarding 2022 FIFA World Cup dates
(FIFA.com) Monday 7 February 2011
Clarification regarding 2022 FIFA World Cup dates
AFP

Following some media reports today, FIFA and its President would like to clarify the following about the 2022 FIFA World Cup dates:

- The 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups are based on FIFA’s international match calendar and this applies also to Qatar. This is what is written in the relevant documents signed by Qatar as hosts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

- As such, as it stands today, the 2022 FIFA World Cup is planned to be staged in Qatar, in summer.

- Any potential change to the above should first be requested by the competition organizers, ie Qatar, and presented to the FIFA Executive Committee for analysis.

- The FIFA President has not said whether or not the 2022 FIFA World Cup will take place in winter or in summer, but has simply explained what would be the process for any potential changes to the current status.

Obinna: A fresh start for Nigeria

Obinna: A fresh start for Nigeria


Last night, Nigeria and their new coach, Samson Siasia, played their first match in seven years in Lagos, the country’s commercial capital and one of its most notable football hotbeds.

Siasia gave first caps to seven players including Joel Obi, the exciting Inter Milan midfielder, and domestic top scorer Ekigho Ehiosun, who made a goalscoring debut. Despite some booing by the ever-demanding Lagos crowd late on, there were several positives for the 43-year-old Siasia to take from the absorbing 2-1 win over fellow west Africans Sierra Leone.

For his part, West Ham United striker Victor Obinna told African Football Media that the match signalled nothing less than a new beginning for a senior team whose last major piece of silverware came 17 years ago at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. “There is a new atmosphere, a new backroom staff, new players and a new manager. This is a fresh start for all of us,” remarked the 24-year-old Obinna, one of several key stars who watched the game from the stands because of a slight injury.

Obinna first worked with Siasia in the Nigeria Under-20 team six years ago and he is in no doubt the charismatic former international is the right man to get the Eagles flying again. “Siasia is one of the best coaches I have worked under, and he has already proved himself by getting to the finals of both the U-20 World Cup in Holland in 2005 and the Beijing Olympics in 2008,” said Obinna, who is on loan at Upton Park from Inter Milan.

Capello keen to monitor Wilshere progress

Capello keen to monitor Wilshere progress


Fabio Capello is looking forward to watching the next stage of Jack Wilshere's footballing education.

After turning in a pleasing performance on his full England debut on Wednesday, Wilshere's attentions are now turning back to the club scene at Arsenal. And whilst the Gunners have an important Premier League encounter with Wolves to negotiate first, already attention is turning towards Wednesday's UEFA Champions League duel with Barcelona.

Few expect Arsene Wenger's men to come out on top against the team widely acknowledged to be the best in the world, even though they relinquished their European crown to Inter Milan last term. But for Wilshere in particular, it will be an opportunity to measure himself against true greats of the game such as Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.

"Wilshere is really young. He has to learn and he has to improve," said Capello. "It is not easy to find a player who can play with so much confidence in the first game you start for the national team.

"But the games against Barcelona will be really strong. It will be really interesting for me to see what happens, just as it was really interesting for him to play against Denmark. They played a lot of passes and had a lot of ball possession, a bit like Barcelona. But the quality of Barcelona is a little bit higher."

Attacking options
Wilshere's emergence is just one of the many plus points to come out of the friendlies England played either side of Christmas. Along with Andy Carroll, he remains the most likely newcomer to force his way into Capello's plans on a regular basis but options are starting to emerge in many areas.

Even Wayne Rooney's position is no longer guaranteed following Ashley Young's second-half cameo, whilst Peter Crouch, missing with a back problem last night and someone Capello has always given the impression he would be happy to drop at the first available opportunity, is now looking very vulnerable.

Capello must wait five weeks before England reconvene, ahead of the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier with Wales in Cardiff on 26 March, and the friendly with Ghana three days later. But if he is lucky with injuries, the Three Lions chief faces a few dilemmas. And he cannot wait.

"I hope it will be difficult for me," he said. "It means there are new possibilities. It means we are really strong. It means I have decisions to make. I just want them in the same physical situation as they are now because everyone could see those who were here were in the top physical condition."

Van Nistelrooy committed to Hamburg

Van Nistelrooy committed to Hamburg


Ruud van Nistelrooy insists he remains a "hundred-thousand per cent" committed to the Hamburg cause ahead of what could be a pivotal week in the club's season.

Saturday's clash with Wolfsburg kicks off a busy sequence for Hamburg with a city derby against St Pauli, rearranged due to heavy rain last weekend, scheduled for next Wednesday. They round out next week with another derby against Werder Bremen.

Van Nistelrooy has said he can be counted on to give his all after weeks of speculation about his future. The 34-year-old has announced that he will leave the club when his contract expires in the summer after having his dream return to Real Madrid blocked over the winter.

But he insists he will honour his last 13 league games with the club and will do all he can to ensure Hamburg end the season on a high.

"The important thing is what we have now, and we have a really exciting week," said Van Nistelrooy. "There has been an issue which, in truth, isn't really an issue for me since I had forgotten about Real Madrid a fortnight ago and have been fully focused on HSV.
I will give all I have got in these three months to have the best possible success here.
Ruud van Nistelrooy

"I am a hundred-thousand per cent committed to HSV and will give all I have got in these three months to have the best possible success here. We can still achieve a lot this season. There is a lot of quality in this team and the important thing is the club heads where it wants to go," Van Nistelrooy added.

Dortmund one step closer Victory over Wolfsburg, who will be coached for the first time by Pierre Littbarski following the dismissal of Steve McClaren earlier in the week, would take Hamburg back into the hunt for a place in Europe next season.

That hunt seems to be reduced to just eight clubs, although after last weekend's results, the league title seems to be heading to only one of them - Borussia Dortmund.

Dortmund's draw with Schalke enabled them to extend their lead at the top to 12 points over Bayer Leverkusen, and they travel to struggling Kaiserslautern on Saturday looking to move one step closer to their first title since 2002.

Even Bayern Munich appear to have lost hope of catching them given their 15-point deficit, but a win over Hoffenheim on Saturday is nevertheless essential for them to put the pressure on Leverkusen and third-placed Mainz for a place in the UEFA Champions League next season.

Mainz are not in action until Sunday, when they travel to Cologne, while fourth-placed Hannover could also have dropped a position by the time they visit Werder Bremen's Weser Stadion on Sunday.

At the bottom of the table, Michael Frontzeck's job appears to be on the line as Borussia Monchengladbach travel to fellow strugglers St Pauli while Stuttgart will be aiming to finally move out of the bottom three on Saturday when they host Nurnberg.

Schalke also need three points to ensure they do not get dragged back down into danger when they host in-form Freiburg. Finally, Eintracht Frankfurt welcome Leverkusen to the Waldstadion.

United relish derby clash

United relish derby clash


Manchester United will look to avenge their shock defeat by struggling Wolves when they host neighbours City at Old Trafford this weekend. The 2-1 loss last week was the Red Devils' first league defeat of the season, although its impact was slightly diminished when closest rivals Arsenal squandered a four-goal lead to draw 4-4 at Newcastle and Chelsea lost 1-0 at home to Liverpool.

It means Sir Alex Ferguson's men are four points clear of the Gunners at the top of the English Premier League with Saturday's opponents a further point behind.

Midfielder Darren Fletcher told the club's official website: "We've got to go to Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal and we play Manchester City this weekend. There are a lot of big matches ahead. But we enjoy big games here. This club is all about performing and rising to those challenges."
We enjoy big games here. This club is all about performing and rising to those challenges.
Darren Fletcher

Patrick Vieira has warned Manchester City to expect a United backlash. "We must expect a backlash and a battle," Vieira told Abu Dhabi-based paper The National. "Big clubs like United always talk about the importance of never losing two times in a row. They will want to bounce back to winning ways immediately."

Arsenal will be ruing last week's capitulation which would have taken them within two points of United. The Gunners now face United's conquerors Wolves at the Emirates Stadium. While Wolves have a good record against the top sides with wins over Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City, as well as United, they are still second bottom.

Defender Roland Zubar told the club's official website: "I know a bit about Arsenal with there being some French players there. They were very disappointed about the draw with Newcastle and having been 4-0 up it felt like a loss. They will want to put that right by beating us and it's their home game with the chance to show something positive to their fans."

Reds, Spurs seek more of the same
Tottenham, in fifth, have won their last two league games but face a tough trip to seventh-placed Sunderland as they look to leapfrog Chelsea, who do not play until Monday. Liverpool are the form team and will seek their fifth successive victory when they host Wigan in a vital game for both sides.

The Reds have climbed to sixth under Kenny Dalglish and are six points adrift of Tottenham and Chelsea, who occupy the fourth UEFA Champions League spot. The Latics have taken four points from the last two games but they occupy the third relegation place.

West Brom and West Ham meet in a huge relegation clash. The Baggies are outside the drop zone on the narrowest of goal difference margins while the Hammers are bottom, albeit just two points from safety. Blackpool are on a desperate dip having lost eight games out of nine in all competitions in 2011 and host Aston Villa who are steadily improving.

In Saturday's other games, Birmingham - two above the drop zone - host Stoke while Newcastle visit Blackburn. Sunday's game pits Bolton against Everton while Fulham and Chelsea meet at Craven Cottage on Monday.

Juventus VS Internazionale

Juventus VS Internazionale

Nation divided by Derby d'Italia

, enjoy pride of place in the Italian football calendar, with the classic match-ups usually rooted in geographical rivalries. Cities such as Milan, Rome, Genoa and Turin have enjoyed epic jousts between neighbours down the years, while the Sicilian derby between Palermo and Catania sparks sentiments no less fervent. Serie A nonetheless boasts a whole series of duels born of long-simmering competitive rivalries, with one of the most glamorous being that of giants Inter Milan and Juventus. Or, as the locals call it, Il Derby d'Italia.

Origins
No one knows for sure when the term Il Derby d'Italia was originally coined, but a marker was laid down in the 1967/68 season when Italy’s most influential sports journalist of the last century, Gianni Brera, first added it to his lexicon. Brera tended to be a trendsetter in the Italian game and it was he too who conjured up the term catenaccio (door bolt) to describe the prevailing defensive strategy of the 1960s.

An Italian football championship was first established in 1898, though it was only with the creation of a single, unified division in 1929 that it took on the recognisable form of today. Founded in 1897, Juventus quickly covered themselves in glory in the new-look league by stacking up a collection of titles, though it was Inter who claimed the first Serie A championship in 1929/30. Brought into existence after a split among AC Milan supporters, I Nerazzurri were another powerful force in the early years, as well as being the only Italian club never to have been relegated. Together, they and Juve left their rivals feeding off scraps, and it was doubtless their impressive grip on proceedings during the 1930s that prompted Brera to choose them as Derby d'Italia protagonists.

Since that era, of course, AC Milan have crammed their own trophy cabinet full of honours, and they argue that they have earned the right to ‘derby of Italy’ status. As far as supporters around the country are concerned, however, the high-profile encounter has always brought together Milan’s city rivals and I Bianconeri.

Facts and figures
The very first meeting between the sides took place over 100 years ago, on 14 November 1909, when Juventus picked up a 2-0 win in Turin thanks to two goals by Ernesto Borel. Since then, the teams have crossed paths 215 times in competitive fixtures, with the next instalment due in Turin on Sunday.

Hosts Juve will go into that match with history very much on their side, having racked up 95 victories to Inter’s 67, with another 53 drawn. The Old Lady also lead the way on the goalscoring front, boasting 307 strikes in derby matches to Inter’s 270, while the same is true even if Serie A contests alone are taken into account. Although they have been closing the gap in recent seasons, I Nerazzurri have managed just 56 wins against their old rivals in the league, losing 81 and drawing the other 46.

The highest-scoring encounter dates back to 10 June 1961, when Juve beat an Inter reserve team 9-1, and the victors on that occasion can likewise pride themselves on the biggest away success, a 6-2 win in Milan on 19 June 1975. For their part, Inter can at least lay claim to the only player to have plundered four goals in a single derby game, Italian-Swiss midfielder Ermanno Aebi, who accomplished that feat during a 6-1 victory for his side in November 1911.

Tales of derbies past
The largest career haul in the fixture stands at 12 goals, a figure reached by a select band of players including the great Giuseppe Meazza, who ran up his tally over three decades. He opened his account with a double in the last derby of the 1928/29 season as Inter prevailed 3-1, and I Nerazzurri won 4-0 when he netted a hat-trick in 1935/36. He then marked his only season in Juve colours (1942/43) by registering in a 4-2 away win and a 3-1 away loss.

Roberto Boninsegna was another player to find the net for both clubs and also signed off with 12 strikes in Derby d'Italia assignments, including seven for Inter in Coppa Italia tussles and a hat-trick for Juventus. Although he eventually developed a strong attachment to the Bianconeri cause, he was less than impressed when told by Ivanoe Fraizzoli that he had been transferred to the Turin side, snapping at the then Inter president: “Go to Juve yourself!”

Another man to have left his mark on the fixture is Omar Sivori, scorer of 135 goals in 215 outings for Juve. Six of those came in unusual circumstances after the two clubs initially met at a packed Stadio Communale in Turin on 16 April 1961 for a match crucial in the destination of the title. “There were people everywhere, even on the bench next to [Inter coach] Helenio Herrera, but there wasn’t any real danger,” recalled Inter’s Aristide Guarnieri.

The referee nonetheless abandoned the match with 31 minutes played after an Inter shot against the woodwork prompted some fans to take to the pitch. Inter were handed a 2-0 win by the authorities which took them to the top of the standings, but on 3 June – and with just one match of the season remaining – Juventus succeeded in their appeal for a replay. Nerazzurri president Angelo Moratti – the father of current president Massimo – was absolutely furious and decided to send a youth line-up in protest. Thus, on 10 June, Juve recorded a merciless 9-1 rout to seal the title, Sivori helping himself to six of their goals.

That historic encounter also marked the final appearance of Juventus icon Giampiero Boniperti, who struck 178 times in 444 matches for the club he now serves as honorary president. After the final whistle, the forward reportedly took off his boots and handed them to the club physio, saying: “Take them. They’re no use to me anymore. I’m quitting football today.”

While one legend said his goodbyes, another was introducing himself to top-flight football, the Inter team that day featuring a certain Sandro Mazzola. “I was only just able to play that game as I was supposed to take an end-of-year accounting exam at the same time,” said Mazzola, who went on to net the visitors’ consolation effort. “My parents believed that studies should take precedence over football, but thankfully they gave in eventually and I was able to take my exams in the morning before a club car drove me to Turin.”

As for Pietro Anastasi, the Bianconeri marksman displayed a remarkable knack for giving his team the perfect start to derby meetings. He registered twice in a 2-1 win at San Siro in 1968/69, hitting the target in the second and tenth minutes, and the following season he got on the scoresheet in the opening minute of a 2-1 victory in Turin. Not satisfied with those goals, Anastasi went on to conjure second-minute strikes in a 3-1 loss in 1972 and a 6-2 success in 1975.

While the fixture itself has long been critical in the Serie A title race, it has traditionally roused passions without ever being scarred by unseemly incidents. Tensions have nonetheless been raised since 2006, when Juve were stripped of two Scudettos due to the Calciopoli affair and had their 2006 crown handed to I Nerazzurri.

For Massimo Moratti, today the teams share “a pathological rivalry, in sporting terms, which has always existed and will always exist”, adding that: “the derby is football itself: the memories, the emotions, the anguish, the joy, the pain. It’s got football’s charm and spectacle too. The derby is about all of those things.”

The rivalry today
Since 2006, Inter have reigned supreme in Serie A, stringing together five consecutive titles. The departure of coach Jose Mourinho in the summer proved something of a watershed, though, and the club struggled in the early part of the season, not helped by an incredible list of injuries to players. Under Rafael Benitez, the club were nonetheless still able to win the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup, and since Leonardo replaced the Spaniard in the dugout they have settled into an impressive rhythm in the league, hauling themselves to within five points of leaders AC Milan with a game in hand.

Out of the running for championship honours this term, Luigi Del Neri’s Juve have also had to cope with numerous injuries. For all their problems, however, they lie just four points out of the UEFA Champions League places and six behind Inter in a tight table – and having recorded a goalless draw in the away fixture they intend to close that gap even further when they tackle the Old Lady in Turin on Sunday.

Ivanovic signs new Chelsea deal

Ivanovic signs new Chelsea deal
(
Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic has signed a new five-and-a-half-year contract with the club.

Ivanovic will remain at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2016 after agreeing the new deal. The Serbian, who can play at right-back or centre-half, has made 99 appearances for the Blues since arriving from Lokomotiv Moscow in 2008.

There is increased competition places in Carlo Ancelotti's backline after the £25million arrival of David Luiz, but Ivanovic's new deal bodes well for his future. "It is good news for me, it is a very big step for me in my career and I want to give my maximum and try to help Chelsea win a lot more trophies," he told the club's official website.

"These things take a little time but my first vision was always to stay with Chelsea. There were not a lot of problems because I wanted to stay, the club wanted me to stay and I want to thank everyone who helped with the deal, I am very happy with that."
There were not a lot of problems because I wanted to stay, the club wanted me to stay and I want to thank everyone who helped with the deal, I am very happy with that.
Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic on agreeing a new deal

Ivanovic shifted from centre-back to the right of defence to accommodate Luiz as a second-half substitute in the 1-0 defeat by Liverpool last week, but it is another match against the Reds that represents his finest moment in a Chelsea shirt.

He scored twice in their 2008/09 UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg, a day which provided the catalyst for his extended first-team run.

"I don't like to think too much about the past because in football you have to get better every day, concentrate on small details of every game, but from my side maybe the two goals against Liverpool gave me confidence," he said.

"For every player coming to a new country you have to adapt and then you become better and better, but I now feel so comfortable here and I really enjoy being a Chelsea player. Now I think I can give many more good games. The three years have gone very quickly and I think it has been a success so I hope to carry on getting better and better with Chelsea."

Villa revels in Barça 'harmony'

Villa revels in Barça 'harmony'

A harmonious dressing room is the secret to Barcelona's record winning run, according to striker David Villa. The Catalans will look to extend their streak to 17 matches when they take on Sporting Gijon - former employers of Villa - in a Saturday evening kick-off at El Molinon.

Villa is perfectly placed to offer an insight into what makes the Barça winning machine tick having only joined the club this past summer. "When I arrived, the coach and my team-mates gave me their support and confidence," the 29-year-old told Sky Sports News.

"They let me know they had chosen me and that they hadn't made a mistake in doing so and that we would end up achieving success. That's how it's panning out, little by little. I knew a lot of people in the dressing room already. It's not a fairy tale; it's a normal, relaxed place where everyone is in harmony."
They let me know that they hadn't made a mistake and that we could end up achieving success.
David Villa

Villa played for the better part of an hour in Spain's 1-0 friendly win over Colombia yesterday but is expected to be fit for Saturday's match. Real Madrid, in second place behind Barça by a daunting seven points, travel to the Catalan capital on Sunday to take on Espanyol, buoyed by a 4-1 win at home to Real Sociedad - a game which saw Emmanuel Adebayor score his second goal for the club following his loan move from Manchester City.

Adebayor right at home at Real
"I'm very happy for scoring two goals," said Adebayor. "I will work hard every day to help win our games. It is very easy to work with (coach Jose) Mourinho. He is an excellent person and he enhances my game. He has his own way of dealing with people. He tells you what he expects you to do."

Villarreal, who lead the best of the rest behind La Liga's two dominant clubs, take on Deportivo La Coruna hoping for better luck than they got in their surprise 1-0 defeat to Levante last time out. That win took Levante to one point from safety and they can climb out of the relegation spots altogether if they can win against fellow strugglers Almeria and Deportivo drop points.

Malaga, bottom of the division, eked out a point from their 0-0 draw with Sevilla last time out and are at home to Malaga. Atletico Madrid, taken apart 3-0 by a Lionel Messi-inspired Barça last time out, take on UEFA Champions League hopefuls Valencia, Racing Santander host Sevilla, Hercules meet Real Zaragoza, and Athletic Bilbao travel to Real Mallorca on Monday.

Mosimane: We must focus on Africa

Mosimane: We must focus on Africa


Stepping out of the shadows of Carlos Alberto Parreira was never going to be an easy task for Pitso Mosimane, but after six months in the job South Africa’s coach has proven to be very much his own man. The passionate and thoughtful 46-year-old is a former international himself, having made his Bafana Bafana debut in 1993. He also spent several years as coach for SuperSport United, who won their first silverware under his tutelage, and in 2007 he was interim national team coach until the appointment of Parreira.

He then worked as assistant to the FIFA World Cup™ winner, as well as with his replacement, fellow Brazilian Joel Santana. It has provided a rich education for Mosimane, whose immediate aim now is to qualify South Africa for the 2012 CAF Africa Cup of Nations finals, to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. African Football Media spoke to Mosimane about life as South African coach in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and his ambitions and targets for the country’s top footballing side.

African Football Media: Is this really the dream job you always hoped it would be?
Pitso Mosimane: It’s a dream profile-wise, because you are coach of the country. It’s a dream to say that you’ve reached the top, that it’s the best job you can have as a South African. You want to be among the top. You get to mix with top coaches, top personalities, top personnel. It’s a job that has a lot of perks and it leaves you with a feeling that you are among the elite coaches. That’s the positive side. But it has its challenges... I’d rather use that as a word than ‘negative’. The challenges are accountability, responsibility, man-management of the players and your bosses; dealing with hierarchy; relationships with the media; how people perceive you; working relations with other coaches. You are trying to make everyone happy.

But you go into the job knowing the pitfalls and the perks, right?
For sure, you know what you are going to be faced with, but even when you know it is going to be difficult, it’s a temptation you cannot resist. Often, it’s a no-win job. It’s a good job but it can be thankless. It is a seven-day-a-week job, and there is little time for anything else.

Do you feel that after six months, your job hasn’t really started yet because the first real test for you is still to come, against Egypt in March?
It hasn’t started yet. These first six months have felt to me like an introduction phase. But the sure part about football is that you know that if you don’t qualify for the next tournament, you are almost out. That’s the sad part about South African football, in that we don’t have realistic expectations. We don’t have the right programmes in place, we don’t have a thorough infrastructure, and yet people believe we should be up there achieving what has taken countries like Spain and Holland decades to do.

How tough is it to take over the job of a man with a massive international reputation like Carlos Alberto Parreira?
Look, with Parreira, there are two things: life with him and life after him. He was a teacher and an educator. Parreira has left me with great knowledge, but I’ve put my own ideas in place since he’s gone. I’ve put more pace and tempo into the style of the team, whereas Parreira liked to build-up slowly during the game. I believe in two quick strikers forcing the opposing centre backs to really work.
Oh yes, and I’m very cognizant of that. Hence, I’ve changed the focus. We’ve had proposals to play teams from all around the world, but now we must focus on Africa. I’ve got a vision.
Pitso Mosimane on whether South Africa's goals have changed after the World Cup

Do you feel empowered after the time you had spent working with Parreira?
I had been coach of a local club for seven years, and I played the same teams season after season. You do reach a ceiling. I’m young, I love challenges, tactics, I love all the innovations and the new things in football. It was a thrill to learn from him. I feel now I’m adding to the good background he gave me.

In some ways this era of yours now is not as exciting as that just passed, given the World Cup is gone and now the focus is on the continent earlier than the globe.
Oh yes, and I’m very cognisant of that. Hence, I’ve changed the focus. We’ve had proposals to play teams from all around the world, but now we must focus on Africa. I’ve got a vision. My major focus now is the next Nations Cup. Then we have the 2013 edition and then the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. For the next three and a half years it’s Africa, so I must focus on Africa. Why study biology when you are going to write a geography exam? There is no need now to chase international opponents. People might want us to play the big profile teams but we need to get our priorities right. It is a thrill to coach now in the sense that we are playing many teams that are closed books and the challenge is to prepare properly for them.

The top priority is to qualify for the 2012 CAF Africa Cup of Nations?
I think South Africa can do well at the tournament, but the problem is to qualify. The qualifying groups are tough. There is no free lunch, and as an unseeded side, we always had the possibility of a tough team up against us. I accept that. We should write history now. No one has a free passage to the finals. And we must learn to overcome. I think that on the day, and if the team is playing to its full potential, we are capable of winning [the Nations Cup]. Why not?

McClaren out at Wolfsburg

McClaren out at Wolfsburg


Steve McClaren has today parted company with German side Wolfsburg following a string of poor results.

The Wolves' 1-0 loss to Hannover on Saturday was the club's second on the spin and continued a miserable sequence of just one win in 11 in the German top flight. In 21 games at the helm, McClaren managed just five wins.

The former England boss leaves with the club, champions just two seasons ago, sitting 12th in the 18-team Bundesliga, just one point above the relegation zone. Pierre Littbarski, McClaren's former assistant and a one-time German international, has been named as his replacement.

Wolfsburg chief executive Dieter Hoeness said: "We were not convinced that we could have a stable collaboration with Steve McClaren until the end of the season. We tried it, but unfortunately we have now lost the belief. Following the recent negative results we cannot underestimate our situation in the table."

"Being only one point clear of the relegation places, we are alarmed," he went on. "Now it's just a question of increasing the gap to the relegation places as soon as possible."
Being only one point clear of the relegation places, we are alarmed.
Chief Executive Dieter Hoeness

Explaining Littbarski's elevation to the hot seat, Hoeness added: "We talked at great length with him. He has convinced us that he will take the necessary measures in our situation."

McClaren has seen his stock plummet in German football after joining Wolfsburg amid much expectation in May last year, fresh from guiding FC Twente to their first ever Dutch title. In joining the Wolves the 49-year-old became the first Englishman to manage in the German top flight, but quickly found that he was unable to replicate the success he had enjoyed in the Netherlands, with Wolfsburg losing his first three league games in charge.

Although the team recovered slightly, wins remained hard to come by and a recent sequence of seven straight league draws underlined their lack of cutting edge. Wolfsburg chairman Dr Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz revealed the club gave McClaren every opportunity to turn their season around, but in the end were forced to act with the Yorkshireman just nine months into a two-year contract.

"We have not seen any alternative," he said. "Of course we all want to see continuity, particularly in the coaching position. Therefore, we have been waiting a long time with the decision. The supervisory board and management now believes, however, that the team cannot continue under Steve McClaren."

McClaren began his managerial career at Middlesbrough in 2001 having earlier had spells as assistant to Jim Smith at Derby and Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. He enjoyed much success at Middlesbrough, winning the League Cup in 2004 and reaching the final of the UEFA Cup in 2006.

He was subsequently appointed as Sven-Goran Eriksson's successor as England boss in August 2006 but was sacked when the team failed to qualify for UEFA EURO 2008.

Walcott: Capello's explanation helped me

Walcott: Capello's explanation helped me


Theo Walcott admits a heart-to-heart chat with England manager Fabio Capello about his shock 2010 FIFA World Cup™ omission has played a key role in his fine form this season.

Walcott, who is expected to start Wednesday's friendly against Denmark in Copenhagen, was stunned when he heard Capello had decided not to include him in England's 23-man squad for last year's FIFA World Cup. But the Arsenal winger had to wait until he regained his place in the squad earlier this season before he could discover the reason why he was axed.

Walcott is generally perceived as the shy, retiring type because he is so polite off the pitch, but the 21-year-old has a determined streak as well and he summoned up the courage to seek out the notoriously stern Capello for an explanation. "I wanted to know why I didn't go so I asked him after training on the pitch," Walcott said.

"It was just about waiting for the right time. I kept my head down for a bit first. You don't want to play bad and then ask the manager! I was happy with the answer. Those are the sort of things you want to keep between yourself and the manager but it has helped me so much."

Capello has since confessed that he was wrong to leave out Walcott, so the Italian's message to his winger may have been along similar lines. Whatever he said has clearly helped Walcott move on from the FIFA World Cup snub and he is once again displaying the electric pace and cool finishing that persuaded Sven Goran Eriksson to take him to Germany 2006 as a raw teenager.

He added: "I didn't dwell on it because that would kill me. I needed a mental break as well as a physical break. That has helped me this season. It's nice to hear the manager say he was wrong but I didn't point any fingers. I just want to prove people wrong and hopefully I am doing that. The psychological scar has gone. It is in the past and I just want to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Gunners' mood
While Walcott will be focused on England for a few days, Arsenal's form was still at the forefront of his thoughts before boarding the plane to Copenhagen. The memory of the Gunners' meltdown at Newcastle, where they blew a 4-0 lead in an astonishing 4-4 draw, remains fresh.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was so angry with the result that he couldn't speak to his players after the match, but Walcott says Manchester United's defeat at Wolves just hours later helped lift morale among the shell-shocked squad. Instead of trailing United by seven points, Arsenal got off the plane after their flight back from Newcastle to discover the gap was still just four points and Walcott said: "We heard Man Utd lost when we landed at Luton and got off the plane.

"Everyone got their phones out to check the result and had a few grins. It changed the mood, it definitely changed the boss's. You didn't want to look the boss in the eyes before that, it was such a disappointment. When you are 4-0 up, you want to win the league, it shouldn't happen even if you do go down to ten men."

Arsenal's failure to deal with the second half dismissal of Abou Diaby raised questions about Arsenal's character. Walcott, however, is adamant the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie provide all the leadership Arsenal need to chase down United. "There's definitely character in the team without a doubt. Cesc always stands up, Robin as well," Walcott said.

"The result hasn't damaged me. I hope it hasn't damaged anyone else. It's still looking good. We are only four points behind and they have to play Chelsea twice. We don't want to rely on other teams but if we keep winning it will be a good end to the season. The league would be massive for us but anything would be great just to break that five years without a trophy."

Walcott: Capello's explanation helped me

Walcott: Capello's explanation helped me


Theo Walcott admits a heart-to-heart chat with England manager Fabio Capello about his shock 2010 FIFA World Cup™ omission has played a key role in his fine form this season.

Walcott, who is expected to start Wednesday's friendly against Denmark in Copenhagen, was stunned when he heard Capello had decided not to include him in England's 23-man squad for last year's FIFA World Cup. But the Arsenal winger had to wait until he regained his place in the squad earlier this season before he could discover the reason why he was axed.

Walcott is generally perceived as the shy, retiring type because he is so polite off the pitch, but the 21-year-old has a determined streak as well and he summoned up the courage to seek out the notoriously stern Capello for an explanation. "I wanted to know why I didn't go so I asked him after training on the pitch," Walcott said.

"It was just about waiting for the right time. I kept my head down for a bit first. You don't want to play bad and then ask the manager! I was happy with the answer. Those are the sort of things you want to keep between yourself and the manager but it has helped me so much."

Capello has since confessed that he was wrong to leave out Walcott, so the Italian's message to his winger may have been along similar lines. Whatever he said has clearly helped Walcott move on from the FIFA World Cup snub and he is once again displaying the electric pace and cool finishing that persuaded Sven Goran Eriksson to take him to Germany 2006 as a raw teenager.

He added: "I didn't dwell on it because that would kill me. I needed a mental break as well as a physical break. That has helped me this season. It's nice to hear the manager say he was wrong but I didn't point any fingers. I just want to prove people wrong and hopefully I am doing that. The psychological scar has gone. It is in the past and I just want to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Gunners' mood
While Walcott will be focused on England for a few days, Arsenal's form was still at the forefront of his thoughts before boarding the plane to Copenhagen. The memory of the Gunners' meltdown at Newcastle, where they blew a 4-0 lead in an astonishing 4-4 draw, remains fresh.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was so angry with the result that he couldn't speak to his players after the match, but Walcott says Manchester United's defeat at Wolves just hours later helped lift morale among the shell-shocked squad. Instead of trailing United by seven points, Arsenal got off the plane after their flight back from Newcastle to discover the gap was still just four points and Walcott said: "We heard Man Utd lost when we landed at Luton and got off the plane.

"Everyone got their phones out to check the result and had a few grins. It changed the mood, it definitely changed the boss's. You didn't want to look the boss in the eyes before that, it was such a disappointment. When you are 4-0 up, you want to win the league, it shouldn't happen even if you do go down to ten men."

Arsenal's failure to deal with the second half dismissal of Abou Diaby raised questions about Arsenal's character. Walcott, however, is adamant the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie provide all the leadership Arsenal need to chase down United. "There's definitely character in the team without a doubt. Cesc always stands up, Robin as well," Walcott said.

"The result hasn't damaged me. I hope it hasn't damaged anyone else. It's still looking good. We are only four points behind and they have to play Chelsea twice. We don't want to rely on other teams but if we keep winning it will be a good end to the season. The league would be massive for us but anything would be great just to break that five years without a trophy."

Philippines aim to build on recent success

Philippines aim to build on recent success

Philippines will be aiming to build on their recent unprecedented success at the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup when they commence qualifying for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup on Wednesday. The Suzuki Cup semi-finalists will match-up against Mongolia for the first time in a preliminary round first-leg tie at Bacolod's Panaad Stadium.

For the hosts, an opening win will underline their incremental improvement showcased during December's 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup, where the south-east Asians stormed into the last four for the first time in their history. The Filipinos will be searching for a hefty first-leg winning margin ahead of a challenging trip to Ulan Bator on 15 March as they seek to book passage to the group stage qualifiers for Asia’s second tier tournament.

“To win the first leg is important in qualifying,” Philippines’ German coach Michael Weiss told FIFA.com. “After three weeks’ training the team are in good form and are looking forward to the match. Mongolia have been inactive for the past couple of years and they come from cold weather, so we will try to catch them out by pushing forward and trying to score goals early on.”

The well-travelled 45-year-old coach, whose experiences include assisting Eckhard Krautzen with the China U-20 side from 2004 to 2006, and more recently nurturing the Rwanda U-17 team, has warned his players about complacency against a side that are 30 places lower than them in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. “In international competition we can’t underestimate any team,” stated Weiss. “Most think Mongolia are underdogs but we must respect the opponents and focus our attention on the game.”

Suzuki Cup boost
One of Asia’s footballing pioneers, Philippines were among the continent’s undisputed elite during the first three decades of the last century, winning football gold in the inaugural Far East Games in 1913. Their glorious era, however, came to an end in the 1930’s and they have made little impression on the international stage since. In many parts of the country, basketball, perhaps due to USA’s historical influence across the Philippine archipelago, has become the dominant sport during recent decades.

However the Azkals, as the national team is affectionately nicknamed by its fans, did gain some lost ground via their showing at the Suzuki Cup, where they drew against three-time winners Singapore 1-1 in the opener before stunning holders Vietnam 2-0. A goalless draw with Myanmar sent them into the semi-finals, where they were defeated by regional power Indonesia after narrowly losing over two legs in Jakarta.

“A good result against Mongolia will help attract further attention and support from our fans," said Weiss. "I hope the team’s performance on the pitch will encourage the youngsters to return to the stadium away from basketball and pop stars."

While an opening triumph should be within their grasp, the German tactician remains wary of the challenge the Mongolians can pose in the away game. “It is expected that they will battle hard on home soil but we also have to prepare the team for the cold weather there. We will arrive there one week early to help acclimatise to the local environment.”

Should the Philippines advance to the qualifying group phase, where they will slot into Group A alongside Myanmar, Palestine and Bangladesh, Weiss predicts that his side will be hitting top form as the seek just their second appearance at the AFC Challenge Cup finals. “If we go through we will fly to Myanmar directly for the opening qualifier. The play-off victory will provide a boost for our players so we will strive hard to get the results we deserve.”

Philippines aim to build on recent success

Philippines aim to build on recent success


Philippines will be aiming to build on their recent unprecedented success at the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup when they commence qualifying for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup on Wednesday. The Suzuki Cup semi-finalists will match-up against Mongolia for the first time in a preliminary round first-leg tie at Bacolod's Panaad Stadium.

For the hosts, an opening win will underline their incremental improvement showcased during December's 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup, where the south-east Asians stormed into the last four for the first time in their history. The Filipinos will be searching for a hefty first-leg winning margin ahead of a challenging trip to Ulan Bator on 15 March as they seek to book passage to the group stage qualifiers for Asia’s second tier tournament.

“To win the first leg is important in qualifying,” Philippines’ German coach Michael Weiss told FIFA.com. “After three weeks’ training the team are in good form and are looking forward to the match. Mongolia have been inactive for the past couple of years and they come from cold weather, so we will try to catch them out by pushing forward and trying to score goals early on.”

The well-travelled 45-year-old coach, whose experiences include assisting Eckhard Krautzen with the China U-20 side from 2004 to 2006, and more recently nurturing the Rwanda U-17 team, has warned his players about complacency against a side that are 30 places lower than them in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. “In international competition we can’t underestimate any team,” stated Weiss. “Most think Mongolia are underdogs but we must respect the opponents and focus our attention on the game.”

Suzuki Cup boost
One of Asia’s footballing pioneers, Philippines were among the continent’s undisputed elite during the first three decades of the last century, winning football gold in the inaugural Far East Games in 1913. Their glorious era, however, came to an end in the 1930’s and they have made little impression on the international stage since. In many parts of the country, basketball, perhaps due to USA’s historical influence across the Philippine archipelago, has become the dominant sport during recent decades.

However the Azkals, as the national team is affectionately nicknamed by its fans, did gain some lost ground via their showing at the Suzuki Cup, where they drew against three-time winners Singapore 1-1 in the opener before stunning holders Vietnam 2-0. A goalless draw with Myanmar sent them into the semi-finals, where they were defeated by regional power Indonesia after narrowly losing over two legs in Jakarta.

“A good result against Mongolia will help attract further attention and support from our fans," said Weiss. "I hope the team’s performance on the pitch will encourage the youngsters to return to the stadium away from basketball and pop stars."

While an opening triumph should be within their grasp, the German tactician remains wary of the challenge the Mongolians can pose in the away game. “It is expected that they will battle hard on home soil but we also have to prepare the team for the cold weather there. We will arrive there one week early to help acclimatise to the local environment.”

Should the Philippines advance to the qualifying group phase, where they will slot into Group A alongside Myanmar, Palestine and Bangladesh, Weiss predicts that his side will be hitting top form as the seek just their second appearance at the AFC Challenge Cup finals. “If we go through we will fly to Myanmar directly for the opening qualifier. The play-off victory will provide a boost for our players so we will strive hard to get the results we deserve.”

Familiar foes face friendly tests

Familiar foes face friendly tests


International football makes a comeback on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a fixture list boasting 52 friendly games, many of which are not lacking in intrigue or star quality. Six weeks prior to the next round of UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying matches and four months before the kick-off to the 2011 Copa America, national sides will be looking for a welcome morale boost ahead of a return to competitive business.

Among the highlights this week are repeats of the 1982 and 1998 FIFA World Cup™ Finals, between Germany and Italy, and France and Brazil respectively. Elsewhere, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi take their rivalry on to the international stage as part of a highly anticipated clash between Portugal and Argentina. Out-of-form world champions Spain are also in action, as are England, who face a tricky trip to Denmark.

The big match
Germany-Italy, Dortmund, Signal Iduna Park

While this match will conjure up memories of Spain 1982, it also offers the home side an opportunity to gain some revenge for their epic 2-0 extra-time defeat at the hands of the Italians in the semi-final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in the very same stadium. The meeting between two of Europe’s big guns on Wednesday is the latest in a long line of highly contested affairs; the countries have played 29 times, with Italy winning 14, Germany seven and eight matches ending in draws.

Both coaches have put faith in players currently displaying excellent domestic form, hence Joachim Low’s decision to once again leave out Michael Ballack and include five players from high-flying Borussia Dortmund: Mario Gotze, Mats Hummels, Kevin Grosskreutz, Marcel Schmelzer and Sven Bender, who could make his international debut.

Opposite number Cesare Prandelli has the double satisfaction of welcoming back experienced goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who has not turned out for La Nazionale since sustaining an injury at South Africa 2010, as well as the eternally contentious figure of Antonio Cassano, who appears to have found a new lease of life at AC Milan, despite not playing for two months prior to joining the Rossoneri.

Prandelli has also brought two new faces into his squad, namely Thiago Motta, the Brazil-born naturalised Italian, and on-song forward Alessandro Matri, who moved on loan from Cagliari to Juventus during the transfer window.

Elsewhere
Brazil coach Mano Menezes, whose recent selection decisions have seen the average age of the South Americans’ squad drop from 28 to 25, continues his quest for the perfect playmaker. To this end, he has called up both Jadson from Shakhtar Donetsk and Bayer Leverkusen’s Renato Augusto and has offered Alexandre Pato another chance to show he belongs on the international stage.

While the Canarinho coach has strengthened the team’s defensive and ball-winning qualities, he is still looking for the right formula going forward. That said, fans’ demands for a return to o jogo bonito (the beautiful game) appear to have been heeded, following the less expansive game practiced during Dunga’s time in charge.

In the opposing dugout, France supremo Laurent Blanc has begun to reap the rewards of moulding a close-knit, confident squad, even though some of the players he has called up, such as Yoann Gourcuff and Karim Benzema, are presently exhibiting some patchy form at club level.

Another coach in the process of rebuilding is Sergio Batista, who has made it clear to his Argentina players that winning the upcoming Copa America should be viewed as a top priority. The former FIFA World Cup-winner has left out a host of big names for the match against Portugal in Geneva, including Carlos Tevez, Martin Demichelis, Gabriel Heinze, Sergio Aguero and Mario Bolatti, as well as the injured Gonzalo Higuain.

Two players who are sure to play a part – on opposite sides of the pitch – are Ronaldo and Messi. With 24 goals apiece in the Spanish top tier this season, both defences will need to be at their most alert to subdue the talented pair.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque, who was awarded the honorary title of Marquis by King Juan Carlos on Friday, has seen his world champions fall from grace in recent months, as they succumbed to resounding 4-1 and 4-0 defeats to Argentina and Portugal respectively. Despite the absences of Carles Puyol and Cesc Fabregas, the Spanish squad, which contains seven Barcelona players and five from Real Madrid, should still have too much strength in depth to be troubled by midweek opponents Colombia.

England, deprived of the services of Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard through injury, and coming off the back of a 0-0 draw with Montenegro and a 2-1 defeat to France, will look to turn things around away to Denmark.

The Three Lions’ fitness problems pale in comparison to those affecting the Dutch squad, which have seen Nigel de Jong, Robin van Persie and Rafael van der Vaart all pull out, this with coach Bert van Marwijk having already decided to rest the recently recuperated Arjen Robben. The game against Austria will consequently provide 20-year-old Utrecht midfield man Kevin Strootman with a chance to stake his claim for a place in the team.

Player to watch
Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari, previously expelled from the national side for disciplinary reasons, has been recalled by new Serbian coach Goran Stevanovic for the Black Stars’ friendly encounter with Togo on Tuesday. The match represents a pivotal moment in the career of the combative midfielder, who, having been dropped from Ghana’s 2010 CAF Africa Cup of Nations squad, was then disciplined following the defeat to Uruguay in the FIFA World Cup quarter-final in South Africa a few months later.

The stat
1992 – The year of Brazil’s last triumph over France (a 2-0 friendly win). Since then, Les Bleus have notched up four victories and two draws in fixtures between the sides. Their last defeat to the Brazilians in a competitive match dates all the way back to the semi-final of the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden, won 5-2 by A Seleção.

What they said
“I certainly don’t want to see a repeat of what happened against Portugal. The players have to realise that they should always try to give the best possible account of themselves when they are representing their national side, and never view it as just another match, because there are a lot of players waiting in the wings who would be glad to take their place.” Spain coach Vicente del Bosque.

Have your say
When, if ever, will Michael Ballack regain his place in Germany’s starting XI?