Six more taste Europa joy

Six more taste Europa joy


Ryan Donk's injury-time winner capped a stunning comeback by Club Brugge, who hit back from 3-0 down to win 4-3 at Maribor and boost their chances of qualifying from UEFA Europa League Group H.

The visitors looked down and out when the Slovenians stormed ahead with Dalibor Volas opening the scoring in the 11th minute and a Donk own goal and a second from Volas making it 3-0 with 68 minutes gone.

But two goals in three minutes from Moroccan Nabil Dirar gave Brugge hope and after Joseph Akpala equalised on 81 minutes, Donk fired home in added time to give his side a famous win.

The dramatic victory means Club Brugge go into their final group match against Braga knowing a draw will be enough to earn them a place in the knockout phase at the expense of Birmingham. Braga secured their qualification with a 1-0 win over the Championship side with Hugo Viana striking a 51st-minute winner. However, Birmingham will still go through if they beat Maribor in their last game and Brugge are beaten.

Ukrainians Metalist confirmed their qualification at the top of Group G with an emphatic 4-1 win over Austria Vienna, who still have a chance to join them after AZ slipped up against group whipping boys Malmo. Metalist made no mistake in Kharkiv with Marko Devic opening the scoring in the 19th minute and hitting back after Florian Mader's equaliser, with Edmar, Papa Gueye and Jose Sosa wrapping up victory.

AZ would have joined Metalist in the knockout stage with a win in Malmo, but gifted the Swedes their first point in a goalless draw. AZ still know a win in their final game at home to Metalist will be enough.

Atletico Madrid booked their passage from Group I with a 1-0 win over Celtic in Glasgow. Arda Turan scored the winner on the half-hour for the visitors, but Celtic were handed a lifeline with the news Udinese slipped up at Rennes. The already-eliminated French side clung on for a goalless draw against the Serie A title contenders, meaning Celtic will head to Italy for their final group game next month in the knowledge that a win will send them through.

Tottenham's hopes in the balance
Jermain Defoe had a late goal disallowed for Tottenham as 10-man PAOK Salonika secured qualification for Group A with an action-packed and controversial 2-1 win at White Hart Lane. Dimitris Salpigidis and Stefanos Athanasiadis put the Greeks 2-0 in upside the opening quarter of an hour but Spurs hit back with Luka Modric's 39th minute penalty after Konstantinos Stafylidis was harshly sent off for handball.

Spurs poured forward and laid siege to the visitors goal with Defoe bundling home in the 80th minute amid chaos, with Pablo Contreras lying injured on the goal-line and Dutch referee Bas Nijhuis taking some time to make his decision. The defeat, coupled with Rubin Kazan's 4-1 stroll against pointless Shamrock Rovers, leaves Harry Redknapp's men needing to beat Rovers in their final game and hope PAOK beat the Russians with a six-goal swing.

Earlier, Rubin made it look all too easy against the outclassed Irishmen, with two goals from Nelson Valdes and one each for Bibras Natcho and Obafemi Martins, while Ken Oman scored for the visitors.

Standard Liege beat Hannover 2-0 in Belgium on a night which earned both clubs qualification from Group B, with Copenhagen blowing their chance after being held to a 1-1 draw at Vorskla. Goals from Mohamed Tchite and Gohi Cyriac earned Standard their win, while Copenhagen's Dame N'Doye cancelled out an earlier own goal with a strike at the right end, but it did not prove enough to keep the Danes in the hunt.

PSV Eindhoven guaranteed top spot in Group C with a 3-0 win over Legia Warsaw in Poland. Stanislav Manolev, Dries Mertens and Zakaria Labyad scored to keep the Dutchmen's unbeaten record intact.

Legia also qualified after Rapid Bucharest fell to a 3-1 home defeat to Hapoel Tel Aviv. Nosa Igiebor and Toto Tamuz put Hapoel 2-0 ahead and despite Ciprian Deac's penalty, Salim Toama secured the Israeli's first group win.

Six more taste Europa joy

Six more taste Europa joy
(

Ryan Donk's injury-time winner capped a stunning comeback by Club Brugge, who hit back from 3-0 down to win 4-3 at Maribor and boost their chances of qualifying from UEFA Europa League Group H.

The visitors looked down and out when the Slovenians stormed ahead with Dalibor Volas opening the scoring in the 11th minute and a Donk own goal and a second from Volas making it 3-0 with 68 minutes gone.

But two goals in three minutes from Moroccan Nabil Dirar gave Brugge hope and after Joseph Akpala equalised on 81 minutes, Donk fired home in added time to give his side a famous win.

The dramatic victory means Club Brugge go into their final group match against Braga knowing a draw will be enough to earn them a place in the knockout phase at the expense of Birmingham. Braga secured their qualification with a 1-0 win over the Championship side with Hugo Viana striking a 51st-minute winner. However, Birmingham will still go through if they beat Maribor in their last game and Brugge are beaten.

Ukrainians Metalist confirmed their qualification at the top of Group G with an emphatic 4-1 win over Austria Vienna, who still have a chance to join them after AZ slipped up against group whipping boys Malmo. Metalist made no mistake in Kharkiv with Marko Devic opening the scoring in the 19th minute and hitting back after Florian Mader's equaliser, with Edmar, Papa Gueye and Jose Sosa wrapping up victory.

AZ would have joined Metalist in the knockout stage with a win in Malmo, but gifted the Swedes their first point in a goalless draw. AZ still know a win in their final game at home to Metalist will be enough.

Atletico Madrid booked their passage from Group I with a 1-0 win over Celtic in Glasgow. Arda Turan scored the winner on the half-hour for the visitors, but Celtic were handed a lifeline with the news Udinese slipped up at Rennes. The already-eliminated French side clung on for a goalless draw against the Serie A title contenders, meaning Celtic will head to Italy for their final group game next month in the knowledge that a win will send them through.

Tottenham's hopes in the balance
Jermain Defoe had a late goal disallowed for Tottenham as 10-man PAOK Salonika secured qualification for Group A with an action-packed and controversial 2-1 win at White Hart Lane. Dimitris Salpigidis and Stefanos Athanasiadis put the Greeks 2-0 in upside the opening quarter of an hour but Spurs hit back with Luka Modric's 39th minute penalty after Konstantinos Stafylidis was harshly sent off for handball.

Spurs poured forward and laid siege to the visitors goal with Defoe bundling home in the 80th minute amid chaos, with Pablo Contreras lying injured on the goal-line and Dutch referee Bas Nijhuis taking some time to make his decision. The defeat, coupled with Rubin Kazan's 4-1 stroll against pointless Shamrock Rovers, leaves Harry Redknapp's men needing to beat Rovers in their final game and hope PAOK beat the Russians with a six-goal swing.

Earlier, Rubin made it look all too easy against the outclassed Irishmen, with two goals from Nelson Valdes and one each for Bibras Natcho and Obafemi Martins, while Ken Oman scored for the visitors.

Standard Liege beat Hannover 2-0 in Belgium on a night which earned both clubs qualification from Group B, with Copenhagen blowing their chance after being held to a 1-1 draw at Vorskla. Goals from Mohamed Tchite and Gohi Cyriac earned Standard their win, while Copenhagen's Dame N'Doye cancelled out an earlier own goal with a strike at the right end, but it did not prove enough to keep the Danes in the hunt.

PSV Eindhoven guaranteed top spot in Group C with a 3-0 win over Legia Warsaw in Poland. Stanislav Manolev, Dries Mertens and Zakaria Labyad scored to keep the Dutchmen's unbeaten record intact.

Legia also qualified after Rapid Bucharest fell to a 3-1 home defeat to Hapoel Tel Aviv. Nosa Igiebor and Toto Tamuz put Hapoel 2-0 ahead and despite Ciprian Deac's penalty, Salim Toama secured the Israeli's first group win.

Muricy: We need to use our heads

Muricy: We need to use our heads


Regarded by some as gruff, ill-tempered and possessing a short supply of patience, Santos coach Muricy Ramalho is nevertheless an authority on the game, as you would expect of a man who has won four Brazilian championships and who steered O Peixe to their third Copa Libertadores title earlier this year.

Expounding on his side’s bid for glory at the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2011, the vastly experienced coach spoke to FIFA.com about the challenges that await them in the Far East.

FIFA.com: Everyone’s talking about a potential FIFA Club World Cup final between Santos and Barcelona, but you’ve got a semi-final to play first of all. How have you been approaching that with your players?
Muricy Ramalho: In football you always have to give an example whenever you want to get a message across. It’s not enough just to speak to players. You have to give them an example or they won’t believe in what you’re saying. And the most recent example we’ve got is Internacional last year (Inter lost 2-0 to Congo DR’s TP Mazembe Englebert in the semi-finals at UAE 2010). It goes without saying that people are only asking about Barcelona, but all we know is that we’ve got a very tough opening game, and opening matches are always incredibly stressful.

Barcelona might be the only topic of conversation out there, but I can tell you that the team’s talking about the first game and nothing else. I spoke to the people at Inter, where I’ve coached before and I’ve still got friends, because I wanted to find out what went on. They told me that’s more or less how it was. All the talk was about the final and they forgot about the first game. We can’t have a Brazilian team messing up again.

Does that mean you’re focusing more on the psychological than the tactical side of things?
I’m trying to make sure we’re in the right frame of mind before we go on to the pitch. Once we’re on it there’s not the slightest possibility we won’t have done our homework on the team we’ll be up against, because we really have a close look at all the teams we play. I could tell you something about any team anywhere in the world. It’s an essential part of my job and it’s a way of getting across to your players that the other side’s really good and that you’re on the ball. I’ve always worked like that. You can’t go and play a Bolivian team in the Libertadores and say, like I’ve heard some coaches say, “Ah, I don’t know anything about them’. You can’t say that these days, not with all the resources we’ve got.

Presumably you’ve seen Barcelona a few times already. Have you been watching them more closely since qualifying for Japan 2011?
I’ve heard a lot of people in Brazil say that when there’s a lot of games on at the same time they’ll watch the Santos match. And it’s the same with Barcelona. If there are three European matches on I’ll watch the Barcelona one. I was doing that even before we qualified, so you can guess who I’m watching now.
We need to be patient when we’re not in possession and be able to deal with it.
Santos coach Muricy preaches patience

What’s your view of Barcelona’s possession-based game and how do you plan to combat it?
Real Madrid, Valencia and Manchester United have all tried to get more possession of the ball and none of them have managed it. So what you have to do is use your head and tell the players that that’s the opposition’s strong point. If you try and stop it, not only will you fail but you’ll also be unable to play the way you want to play. We need to be patient when we’re not in possession and be able to deal with it. You feel like saying, ‘Come on, let us have the ball for a bit’. We Brazilians don’t like not having the ball, but we’ll just have to wait for the right time to get hold of it and then play our game, which is not a possession game. It’s the exact opposite to what Barcelona do. We play at pace and go straight for goal and we don’t control the play, whereas Barça move the ball around and try and knock the opposition off balance, pull players out of position so that Pedro, [David] Villa and the midfielders can exploit the gaps. And that happens because their opponents lose patience, which is when the spaces start opening up.

If you freeze the screen when Barcelona are playing you never see anyone up front. You only see the opposing centre-halves standing there on their own, and you ask yourself, ‘How the heck is this team going to score?’ Their penetration’s the key, the patience they’ve got when they’re on the ball. Opposition centre-halves start to want to chase the ball and that’s when they move out of position and someone nips in behind them. We have to be aware that when they’re in possession, someone’s going to try and get into space. We need to make sure the spaces are filled in.

Ganso becomes an even more important player in games like that, doesn’t he?
He’s essential because we don’t have many passers of the ball. We’ve got finishers like Neymar, Borges and Alan Kardec, but we never have much possession. Even when our defensive midfielders get forward their job is to score. Not Ganso though. He’s the only ballplayer we’ve got. He slows the game down when we need to and that’s why we take so much care of him and wrap him up in cotton wool between games.

You've only been at Santos for a little more than six months. Does it feel like more?
It does. I’ve settled down so well it feels like years. I won a trophy straightaway and I’ve adapted to the players and the club’s philosophy and its outlook. I always adapt wherever I go. When I go to a new club I keep the people who’re already there. It’s very rare that I’ll make a change. Some coaches take 12 or 15 people with them when they start a job and get rid of everyone. That’s a big mistake. I didn’t know Santos when I came in, but the people I kept on did. And they’ve helped me settle in and get used to things.

It must have felt strange to go down in Santos' history by winning the Copa Libertadores after just two months.
It was an historic achievement because it was a title the club had been after for a long time. The Libertadores was fundamental to our continued survival in every respect and to our media profile, so much so in fact that we’re getting invitations to go on pre-season tours in China and Africa. It’s been a while since Santos were in such demand and the Libertadores was vital to getting the club back in the spotlight again. And the Club World Cup’s only going to help with that.

Universidad into first Sudamericana final

Universidad into first Sudamericana final


Universidad de Chile reached their first Copa Sudamericana final by beating Vasco da Gama 2-0 in the second leg of their semi-final on Wednesday.

Goals from Gustavo Canales and Eduardo Vargas carried Universidad to their victory, and a 3-1 aggregate success over their Brazilian opponents.

Universidad will be competing in their first continental final when they take on Ecuadorian giants Liga de Quito. The first leg takes place in Quito next Thursday followed by the return leg in Santiago on 12 December.

Canales put Universidad ahead in the 30th minute after Vasco goalkeeper Fernando Prass parried a shot from Charles Aranguiz.

Vasco defender Fagner was sent off after 70 minutes for elbowing Canales, with Uruguayan referee Dario Ubriaco brandishing the red card.

Universidad took advantage of their extra man two minutes later when Vargas finished off a Eugenio Mena cross for his seventh goal in this year's competition.
"We want to clinch glory for the club. We have already made history by getting into the final.
Universidad midfielder Marcelo Diaz

Universidad midfielder Marcelo Diaz told Fox Sports: "We want to clinch glory for the club. We have already made history by getting into the final. Liga will be very tough rivals. Playing at high altitude in Quito will not be easy and they are a team who have won a lot of international titles recently. Anything can happen."

Vasco midfielder Juninho Pernambucano said the beaten Brazilians would quickly focus on their domestic league duties as they challenge for the title. He told Globo TV: "It's time to forget this defeat. It hurts a little bit, but we must beat Flamengo. Universidad are a good team, but not better than us."

Guardiola: We must raise our level further

Guardiola: We must raise our level further


Spanish champions Barcelona are playing very well but they have to step up a gear said coach Pep Guardiola on Monday.

Barcelona trail bitter rivals Real Madrid by six points after a surprise 1-0 loss to Getafe on Saturday and Guardiola called on his players to show they had taken on board his advice as they look to get back to winning ways on Tuesday against Rayo Vallecano.

"We have been playing very well already this season," said the 40-year-old, who in three years at the club has guided them to three league titles, one Spanish Cup and two UEFA Champions League trophies.

"But apparently that is not good enough. Therefore it is imperative that we raise our level. Will that be sufficient to be champions? That I cannot answer."
Our away form has cost us. But even away we have not always deserved to drop points.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola

Guardiola, who enjoyed a stellar career as a player with Barcelona collecting six league titles and the 1992 European Cup among other trophies, did however concede that Real Madrid have been the better side so far this season.

He also admitted that his team had struggled with results away from home, where they have taken just nine points from a possible 18. "Our away form has cost us," he said. "But even away we have not always deserved to drop points.

"In all our matches away from the Camp Nou, we created more chances than our rivals. But again that wasn't good enough. We will therefore have to do better from now on."

Favourites stumble in North Africa

Favourites stumble in North Africa


Tusker FC won their first title since 2007 on the final day of the season in Kenya, denying Ulinzi Stars successive titles. In Madagascar, there was a first-ever championship for Japan Actuel’s from Manjakaray. Tunisia’s Esperance, headed soon to the FIFA Club World Cup, already seemed to have their minds in Japan as they lost their first league match in 10 months in Tunisia. Algerian leaders USM Alger also lost but in Ghana Asante Kotoko kept up their slender advantage.

Kenya Premier League: Joy for Tusker
Tusker had to be awoken from a first half slumber but got the win they needed - 1-0 over bottom-placed Congo United - to take back the league crown. Defending champions Ulinzi Stars had the advantage going into the final week of the race but lost their catch-up match against Sofapaka in midweek, handing Tusker the initiative on the last day of the campaign.

Big game: The big occasion threatened to overwhelm the Tusker players as they battled against already relegated Congo United, but it seemed a half-time talk from coach Sammy Omollo energised their efforts. Just three minutes after the break, Joseph Shikokoti scored a diving header to put one hand on the crown, and there was a heart-stopping late save to ensure the championship.
Headline-grabbers: Stephen Waruru bagged a consolation prize after the weekend without much effort. He did not score in the last game of the season for Ulinzi Stars but his 12-goal haul for the season saw him end as the leading scorer. On the last day of the campaign team-mate Anthony Ndirutu grabbed a hat trick for Stars in a 3-0 win over Posta Rangers, but it was too title, too late for the outgoing champions.

Tunisia Ligue 1: African champions suffer rare setback
New continental champions Esperance suffered their first defeat in a league for almost a year as they went down to CA Bizertin away from home at the weekend. Bizertin are in a three-way tie at the top of the standings after the first three rounds of the new season. Also on seven points are Etoile Sahel and Club Africain, who beat JS Kairouan. Etoile were held to a 2-2 draw at home by AS Gabes

Big game: Esperance last lost a game away at Etoile Sahel in January but after the euphoria of winning the CAF Champions League they came back down to earth with defeat in the north of the country. Esperance had the lead in the first half after Youssef Msakni scored in the 21st minute but conceded two goals in the second half as Hassan Herbawy scored an equaliser just after half-time and Nour Hadhria netted the 70th-minute winner from the penalty sport.
Headline-grabbers: AS Gabes have drawn their three games in the new season, but a 2-2 tie at Etoile Sahel will have felt like a win for the side, who finished second from bottom in the last campaign but were granted a reprieve and kept their top flight status. Anis Boucharbia grabbed all the headlines with his last gasp equaliser after the home team had fought back from conceding a first-minute penalty.

Ghana Premier League: Kotoko keep the beat
Asante Kotoko have a one point lead at the top of the table as they kept up their unbeaten start to the season with a 4-1 home win over newly promoted Wassaman. They have 18 points after eight games, one more than champions Berekum Chelsea and long-standing rivals Hearts of Oak, who have both lost once in their first eight outings of the season.

Big game: Four goals in the first half suggested a rout in Kumasi for Kotoko as they took on rookies Wassaman. Ahmed Toure, the Ivorian-born striker who recently took out Ghanaian citizenship, and Nathaniel Asamoah scored two apiece but the master class did not continue as expected after the break as the home side lost the momentum.
Headline-grabbers: After changing their coach at the start of the season, champions Berekum Chelsea have now won four games in a row and are right back near the top of the table. Their latest success at home came with a convincing 4-0 win over AshantiGold, including two goals for Emmanuel Clottey, a penalty to start from captain Abdul Basit and one for Moro Awudu.

Algeria Premier Division: Derby defeat but still top
USM Alger lost the capital city derby to struggling Mouloudia Alger but maintained the one-point advantage they have in the league. Entente Setif won for a fourth successive game to jump to second on 20 points while the trio of CR Belouizdad, ASO Chlef and USM El Harrach are just two behind the leaders on 19.

Big game: New USMA coach Didier Olle-Nicolle came face to face with intensity of the Algerian league as his side went down in the derby to 72nd-minute goal from Hamza Zeddam. It was a battling performance from MC Alger, who had won just twice before in the season. But their coach Francois Bracci refused to get carried away. “The sweetest win for us will be our next one,” he said after the game.
Headline-grabbers: ES Setif lost three of their first four games of the new season and were near the bottom at the start of the new campaign. But then came a win over champions ASO Chlef and they have not looked back since with a haul of 17 points out of a possible 21. Their latest win came at home to WA Tlemcen with two goals in the first six minutes.

Elsewhere
Japan Acteul’s FC have been crowned champions in Madagascar after securing the Champions League with a 2-0 win over ASJF Capricorne on Sunday. Defending champions Coffee FC were held to a 2-2 draw by Harar Brewery on the opening day on Sunday of the new Ethiopian season. Black Africa’s Jerome Louis scored his sixth goal of the season as his club consolidated a six point lead in Namibia.

Agent predicts Drogba exit

Agent predicts Drogba exit
(

agent has revealed he has snubbed Chelsea's offer of a one-year contract extension and vowed to "go where he is offered the most money" after turning down a loan move to AC Milan.

The 33-year-old Ivory Coast striker looks increasingly set to walk away from Stamford Bridge for nothing when his contract expires next summer. And his agent, Thierno Seydi, is weighing up lucrative options including possible moves to America, Russia or Asia.
Didier Drogba's
"Didier has had the offer of a one-year extension from Chelsea. That does not suit us," Seydi is quoted as saying by The Sun. "We know what we want, where we want to go and what offers we have.
It could be the United States, Russia, Qatar or somewhere else in Asia... You have to go to a club where you can be certain you'll be able to pay your bills.
Didier Drogba's agent on the Ivorian's next move

"AC Milan came in for Didier on loan with an option to buy but I said 'No' straight away. Their offer did not interest us. At Didier's age, he has nothing left to prove as a player. He will go where he is offered the most money.

"It could be the United States, Russia, Qatar or somewhere else in Asia. Once you are well into your thirties you have to go to a club where you can be certain you'll be able to pay your bills.

"LA Galaxy are a possibility among many others. He has been linked with Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia, as they pay well. But neither Didier nor I have had an offer from them."

Ten corkers, one crown

Ten corkers, one crown


“Scoring any goal always gives you a nice feeling, but scoring a beautiful one like that is an incredible buzz. You know that people will want to come up to you and talk about it for years and years.”

Those were the words of Ferenc Puskas about his marvellous goal in Hungary’s historic 6-3 defeat of England in 1953. It was one of the most breathtaking in the collection of a man so revered as a serial scorer of wonder goals that, when FIFA decided to create an award to honour the best goal of each year, they named it in honour of ‘The Galloping Major’. Cristiano Ronaldo was the first to get his hands on the FIFA Puskas Award, courtesy of his violent thunderbolt for Manchester United against Porto, while Hamit Altintop emerged triumphant last year thanks to a sensational volley for Turkey in Kazakhstan.



Several of the ten candidates vying to succeed the pair are renowned for scoring breathtaking goals. Dejan Stankovic, once lauded by Roberto Mancini as the greatest scorer of wonder goals on the planet, earned inclusion due to an exceptional volley from the halfway line against Schalke in the UEFA Champions League, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s 30-yard cracker earned AC Milan a point at Lecce in January. “It was such an amazing goal but he made it look so easy,” said Rossoneri coach Massimiliano Allegri thereafter.

Should Lionel Messi add another trophy to his enviable collection, he’ll owe a debt of gratitude to Andres Iniesta. With Barcelona trailing 2-1 on aggregate to Arsenal in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie, the 27-year-old Spain midfielder employed sumptuous footwork to beat one Arsenal opponent, glided past another and sent a gorgeous pass into the path of the little Argentinian. Messi still had work to do, but he masterfully lofted the ball over goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and volleyed home to make it 1-0 on the night and put Barça en route to a place in the quarter-finals.

“I still don’t know how he got past me,” a shocked Almunia reflected. "Messi is from a different planet.” Pep Guardiola said: “Iniesta did fantastically, and what a brilliant piece of play from Messi.”
Sometimes you hit shots like that on the training field, but to see it translate into a game of that magnitude was a very rewarding feeling.
Heather O'Reilly

Giovani dos Santos, who rose to fame by scoring some corkers for the Mexico U-17s, produced his effort in an actual final. With El Tri 3-2 up against USA in a thrilling colnclusion to the CONCACAF Gold Cup, he left goalkeeper Tim Howard grounded and desperately flapping at thin air, before chipping home to seal a 4-2 win.

USA are nonetheless represented in the FIFA Puskas Award running, thanks to the Heather O’ Reilly piledriver that broke the deadlock in their 3-0 defeat of Colombia at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™.

The 26-year-old midfielder said: "Sometimes you hit shots like that on the training field, but to see it translate into a game of that magnitude was a very rewarding feeling. It's an amazing honour to be nominated among all these great players, and I'm really proud there is a woman on the list."

Neymar caused jaws to drop with an exceptional goal to put Santos 3-0 up against Flamengo in a match O Peixe ultimately lost 5-4. The teenage phenomenon collected the ball on the left wing, expertly navigated his way past a number of defenders, produced an extraordinary piece of skill to move into the penalty area and poked the ball home under pressure.

Another stupefying piece of skill enabled Benjamin de Ceulaer to enter the FIFA Puskas Award running. In a Jupiler League match against Club Brugge, the Lokeren winger controlled a cross into the box with a flick, which got him past an stunned opponent and allowed him to fire into the roof of the net.

Wayne Rooney’s breathtaking 78th-minute bicycle kick snatched Manchester United victory over fierce rivals Manchester City, and Sir Alex Ferguson saluted it as the best goal he’s ever seen in his 25 years at Old Trafford. "It was stunning," said the Red Devils manager. "The execution was exceptional.”

Julio Gomez is also on the list because of an overhead-kick, and a crucial on at that. The Mexico winger’s effort came in the last minute of a FIFA U-17 World Cup semi-final to snatch his nation a 3-2 win over Germany – and this after he’d been told he couldn’t carry on playing due to a clash of heads.

Gomez told FIFA.com: “The doctor told me, ‘you have to stop now, you can’t carry on’, but I knew we didn’t have any substitutions left and I wasn’t prepared to let the team play with ten men. So, I said to him, ‘bandage me up, do whatever you want, but I am going to continue’. You always dream of scoring important goals, but this one tops them all.”

Rooney and Gomez are not the only players on the list courtesy of bicycle-kicks, though the other nominee’s inclusion is far more surprising. For although the name Lisandro Lopez is associated with goals, this scorer of this one was not the Lyon forward but an Argentinian better known for his crunching tackles. Lopez, the young Argentina centre-back, performed his masterpiece for Arsenal against Olimpo.

“I am proud and very happy that my goal is among the best ten in the world this year,” the 22-year-old told FIFA.com. “When I found out, I was surprised, because hundreds of goals are scored every week across the globe and having mine nominated feels incredible, especially as I’m a defender. It was a high cross and was too strong for the back post. When I realised there was no way I was going to head the ball, I thought about trying an overhead-kick – thank God it went in!

“If I had to pick one, I would pick mine, but I will go with Messi’s because of the way he decides on something and executes it in a second, and because he is the best player of the world.”

Lopez will not decide the outcome. That, of course, is down to you, the users of FIFA.com, and francefootball.fr. So, what are you waiting for? Check out the ten goals and get voting!

Trapattoni

Trapattoni signs contract extension


Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has agreed a contract extension which will run until the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.

The Football Association of Ireland have rewarded the Italian coach for his recent success in securing the Republic's place at next summer's UEFA EURO 2012 finals following victory over Estonia in their qualification play-off.

"I am very happy to continue my job with the FAI," said Trapattoni, whose assistant Marco Tardelli has also signed a new deal.

Trapattoni, who will travel to Kiev for Friday's EURO 2012 draw ahead of the tournament in Ukraine and Poland, said: "I have always said that Marco and I believe very strongly in the work that we are doing to grow and develop the Irish team.

"It is a huge honour and a privilege to represent the Irish team and we look forward to continuing this important task."
I have always said that Marco and I believe very strongly in the work that we are doing to grow and develop the Irish team.
Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni

Trapattoni's deal will again be part-funded by business Denis O'Brien, who played a significant part in the FAI's original acquisition of the former European Cup winner.

FAI chief executive John Delaney said: "On behalf of the FAI board of management, we are very happy to agree a contract extension with Giovanni Trapattoni and his team of Marco Tardelli and Fausto Rossi.

"They have done fantastic work with the squad, bringing us to qualification for a major tournament for the first time in ten years, increasing our world ranking to 21st and introducing many new players for the future. Giovanni's experience, professionalism and achievement in qualifying for EURO 2012 has impressed everyone including the players and the FAI board.

"The FAI board of management are particularly grateful to Denis O'Brien for his continuing contribution which gives the Irish team and supporters the benefit of Giovanni's services into the next World Cup campaign."

The Italian's brief had been to steer the national team to the EURO 2012 play-offs, which he achieved before securing the Republic's first appearance at a major finals for a decade with a 5-1 aggregate win over Estonia.

The 72-year-old said after the play-off success: "I have said I think we deserve a new agreement, Marco and myself. We are now happy with the squad. We find new players in almost every game.

"We have done what we were asked to do by the FAI and the Irish people. They chose us for this reason and I think we have given the perfect answer with qualification."

The Italian and his staff have previously taken two pay cuts with Ireland's financial difficulties biting hard, and there had been speculation that a significantly reduced package could be on the table.

Djeparov:

Djeparov: We can reach Brazil 2014


When he pipped the likes of Ismael Matar and Sebastian Soria to the AFC Player of the Year award in 2008, it seemed that Server Djeparov had come from nowhere to clinch the coveted Asian crown. Three years later, however, the Uzbekistan talisman stepped onto the podium in Kuala Lumpur for his second individual accolade to significant continental acclaim.

Indeed, it was a fitting end to a year in which Djeparov has been turning over new ground with the national team. He excelled in his captaincy and playmaking role as the Central Asians stormed into the last four for the first time in January's AFC Asian Cup, before going on to help his side seal early progression to Asia's final qualifying round for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. Now, he is the first player to twice reign in Asia since the back-to-back wins of Japan icon Hidetoshi Nakata's in 1996 and 1997.

"I am very happy to win the title for a second time," the 29-year-old told FIFA.com after Wednesday’s ceremony. "It is every Asian player's dream to win the continent's top individual title so this is important to me. When I was first named the AFC Player of the Year three years ago, it showed that I had reached the level where I can compete against Asia's best. By recapturing it this time, I have proved I have maintained my performance level throughout the years."

Memorable moments
Recent years have seen Djeparov develop from an emerging star into Uzbekistan's leading player, a fact underlined when he inherited the captain's armband from White Wolves maestro Maksim Shatskikh. The midfielder excelled so well in his new role that Uzbekistan coach Vadim Abramov has paid tribute to the progress he has made.

"Djeparov has grown into a key player of the team," the 58-year-old tactician told FIFA.com in a recent interview. "He is the team's playmaker and with the experiences he has reaped over recent years, he is capable of the skippering duties."
We have a high-quality side, which should be the best squad in [our] history... we can fulfil the World Cup mission this time.
Uzbekistan captain Server Djeparov

He may have captained his team through many tough battles throughout the year, including opening the scoring in their 1-1 draw against Asian champions Japan and providing the leadership as his side secured successive victories over South Africa 2010 finalists Korea DPR. Despite these showings, however, he singled out their 2-1 defeat of Kuwait at Qatar 2011 as his most memorable game of the past year.

"I chose this game because I think it was a good game during which I scored a good goal," he said. It was Uzbekistan's second group match, having overcome hosts Qatar 2-0 in the opener where Djeparov was also on target. Shatskikh put Uzbekistan ahead with a deflected free-kick and, although Bader Al Mutawa levelled for the rivals with a penalty, Djeparov scored the match-winner through a thunderous long-range strike.

Chief goal
Having twice won the Asian individual title, it is natural that Djeparov has switched his sights to the FIFA World Cup stage. After enduring the failed campaigns of Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010, he believes that the team's past experiences will stand them in good stead during the next qualifying stage.

"My chief goal is to help my country secure our first-ever qualification for the FIFA World Cup at Brazil 2014," he went on. "We failed at the final hurdle on the road to the last World Cups so I think we won't miss it for the third consecutive time. We have proved we are capable of the task and we must now realise it."

His confidence is not without basis, given their campaign in Asia's third qualifying phase saw them amongst the first group of teams to book passage to the last ten.

"Obviously we have developed into a highly competitive team in Asia. We played well against Japan and we dominated both legs against Korea DPR. We have a high-quality side, which should be the best squad in [our] history, with a host of overseas-based players and talented youngsters. In one word, we can fulfil the World Cup mission this time

Germans close on Dutch, England go fifth

Germans close on Dutch, England go fifth


World and European champions Spain remain unchallenged atop of this month’s FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Although La Roja’s defeat by England and draw with Costa Rica lost them points, their place on the global ladder remains unchanged.

Just behind them, an intriguing three-way tussle is under way, with Germany edging dangerously close to the second-placed Netherlands following their 3-0 victory in the match between the two sides.

Hot on their heels are Uruguay, who are continuing to make progress following their convincing 4-0 win over Chile in the South American Zone qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ and a friendly defeat of Italy, which brought Cesare Prandelli's team's 13-game unbeaten run to an end.

Within the top ten, England (5th, up 2) have climbed up the Ranking, as have Portugal (7th, up 1) and Croatia (8th, up 4) thanks to recent successes in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying.

In the top 50, meanwhile, Czech Republic (33rd, up 14) and Ecuador (42nd, up 10) have made the biggest jumps.

Three teams are currently in their highest-ever position since the launch of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking in August 1993: Venezuela (39th, up 1), Cape Verde Islands (57th, up 9) and Antigua and Barbuda (83rd, up 7).

Interestingly, Sao Tome e Príncipe (192nd, new) have been ranked for the first time in four years following their two FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Congo in November.

In all, 131 international 'A' matches were played in the past month, of which 72 were Brazil 2014 preliminaries, eight were EURO 2012 qualifiers and the remaining 51 were friendlies.

Neymar rues Adriano loss, discusses stopping Messi

Neymar rues Adriano loss, discusses stopping Messi

Neymar has lamented the fact Santos marking master Adriano will miss the FIFA Club World Cup 2011 through injury, and joked that his side will therefore have to knock Barcelona’s hypersonic ball wizard Lionel Messi off balance to stop him.

Having done excellent man-to-man jobs on a couple of dangerous opponents during O Peixe’s triumphant Copa Libertadores campaign in the first half of this year, Adriano had been earmarked to perform a similar function on Messi in Japan, provided the respective champions of South America and Europe advance to the Yokohama final.

However, the 24-year-old defensive midfielder suffered an ankle injury against Atletico Goianiense last week that will require surgery and keep him on the sidelines until next year.

“Adriano has been very important this season, acting as a piano charger and never stopping to run,” said Neymar. “We call him 'iron lung' because he never stops! He will be sorely missed. It is a big loss, especially for him because he was enjoying a wonderful moment in his career.”
I’ve already said that Messi is the best [in the world], and that stopping him is very difficult.
Neymar

Neymar acknowledges that Adriano’s absence will make the already towering task of nullifying the 24-year-old Argentinian an even taller one.

“I’ve already said that Messi is the best [in the world], and that stopping him is very difficult,” the 19-year-old forward said, before joking: “I don’t know how but we are studying really hard for a way for someone to, at the very least, manage to give him a push to slow him down!”

Adriano’s injury aside, Neymar revealed that Muricy Ramalho’s team’s build-up to the tournament has been ideal: “The preparations have been going really well and we hope to arrive there and have a great World Cup.”

Santos won successive Intercontinental Cups in 1962 and ’63, with a legendary side comprising the likes of Gilmar, Zito, Pepe, Coutinho and Pele.

Brazilian teams - namely Corinthians, Sao Paulo and Internacional - won the first three instalments of the FIFA Club World Cup, but the trophy has gone to Europe in each of the subsequent four years.

Czechs look to the future

Czechs look to the future


For most of the year, Czech football fans had their heads in their hands in despair. Their team won a grand total of five of the 12 matches they played, two of those against Liechtenstein and Lithuania. The other games brought four defeats and three draws.

Yet if you were to run a straw poll now among the Narodny Tym fans, optimism would currently be running high. Coach Michal Bilek's men managed to pull the iron out of the fire with two play-off wins over Montenegro (2-0 and 1-0) in mid-November, meaning that the Czechs have qualified for UEFA EURO 2012 – a tournament they won back in 1976.

These good results at the end of the year in international terms have also had a positive effect on the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, with the Czechs making the most progress of any country in the top 50 in November, moving up 14 places to 33rd, the best ranking since May 2011 when they were 32nd.

'Done what we set out to'
Czech Republic are still a long way off reliving the glory days when, firstly in 1999 and then in 2005, they got as high as second in the Ranking. Since making it all the way through to the final of EURO 1996 where they lost to Germany, the eastern Europeans have had little in the way of success.

They failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cups™ in 1998, 2002 and 2010, and while they were present at the UEFA EURO 2000 and 2008, they had to pack their bags at the end of the group stage. Their best achievement in recent years came at EURO 2004 when they made the semi-finals, only to lose to eventual winners Greece.

It will come as no surprise therefore to learn that the Czechs are managing expectations ahead of next year's tournament. "We'll see what kind of draw we get and then work out what we want to achieve. We've got nothing to lose in Poland and Ukraine since we've done what we set out to do," said Chelsea's Petr Cech, voted FIFA World Goalkeeper of the Year in 2005, with regard to his country's fifth successful EURO qualifying campaign in a row.

"The tournament is still another six months away," added Czech captain Tomas Rosicky of Arsenal. "We'll have time to think about it more later on, but for the moment we're just pleased that we've earned our place among the top teams in Europe."

Last chance saloon
While plenty of Czechs ply their trade among the elite of European club football - including Cech, Rosicky, Milan Baros (Galatasaray) and Jaroslav Plasil (Bordeaux) - the national team have only sporadically shone on the international stage. All of which means that, for a number of the squad's older performers, EURO 2012 may be their last chance to achieve something significant for their country.

As Michal Kadlec said in an interview with FIFA.com last year: "None of us are getting any younger. I think that the problem we have is that the younger players weren't brought into the squad with any consistent plan in mind, and now it's tough to sort this out."

'You never know'
The new generation finally appears ready to make the next step however, and none more so than Nuremberg's Tomas Pekhart. "I can still see myself back in 1996 with my parents, sitting in front of the TV in the lounge watching the final of the EURO," said the 22-year-old in an exclusive interview with FIFA.com just a few days ago. "And now I will be playing at the same tournament, which is incredible. I know that my moment will come."

Competition for places means that Pekhart has yet to gain much experience in international terms. "Milan Baros – one of my heroes – plays the same position as me, which is great as it means that I can simply watch and learn." His time with the Czech squad has also enabled him to play alongside Rosicky, whom he describes as "the most technically-gifted player of all time. I had posters all over my bedroom walls of him when I was a kid."

This positive attitude will hopefully rub off on some of the veterans next summer as they face up to the dizzying challenge of taking on the likes of Germany, holders Spain and the Netherlands. But as the ever-optimistic Pekhart puts it: "You never know what might happen at a tournament!"

Samoa draw sets up decisive final contest

Samoa draw sets up decisive final contest

Samoa and Tonga have played out a 1-1 draw on day two of the Oceania Round One 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers in Apia, setting up a winner-take-all match between the hosts and American Samoa on Saturday (Sunday GMT).

Samoa’s marginally superior goal difference means they just require a draw from the match to stay top of the section and progress to next June’s Round Two in Fiji alongside the seven remaining Oceania nations.

The earlier match between American Samoa and Cook Islands was also a 1-1 draw. Today’s two results means the end of the road for both the Cook Islands and Tonga.

The latter match saw hosts Samoa denied by a Tonga equaliser nine minutes from full time scored by Lokoua Taufahema, who headed a loose ball home just seconds after coming off the bench.

A solid defensive display from Tonga against their traditional rivals frustrated the home side for the majority of the first half, but Samoa finally broke through just before the break after Folio Moeaki brought down Desmond Fa’aiuaso in the penalty area.

Midfield playmaker Shaun Easthope gave goalkeeper Kaneti Felela no chance with his spot kick, to the delight of the hundreds of locals who had descended on the J.S. Blatter Field in the capital.

“They put up a good fight to get back into the game and managed to score the equaliser,” said Samoa coach Tunoa Lui. “I thought our boys worked really hard and we did everything we could.”

Tonga coach Chris Williams was delighted at the way his charges bounced back from the opening day defeat to American Samoa.

“I’m really proud of the boys after what happened two days ago,” he said. “We were playing probably the best team in the tournament today and responded very well.”

Having never claimed a point before in their 12 previous FIFA World Cup qualifiers, American Samoa now go into Saturday’s match on the back of a win and a draw in optimistic mood, having improved significantly under new coach; former USA U-20 mentor Thomas Rongen.

“Our game plan was to win but the draw has gotten us to four points and puts us into a position on Saturday to play for a championship,” Rongen said.

“I think we should have put the game away in the first half and scored two or three with the chances we had. We made it very hard for ourselves again but we got the result we needed to make the game against Samoa, who I consider the best team, a meaningful contest. It’s going to be great – Samoa and American Samoa is like a dream match-up.”

Kuranyi: I've matured in Russia

Kuranyi: I've matured in Russia


Many an eyebrow was raised some 18 months ago when goal-getter Kevin Kuranyi swapped the home comforts of Gelsenkirchen-based Schalke for the exotic shores of Dynamo Moscow in the Russian top flight. Cynics thought the adventure would go wrong, but instead, it has proved a highly productive transfer.

The striker with Brazilian, German and Panamanian roots has just extended his stay in the Russian capital until 2015, and his goals have earned him hero status among the Dynamo loyalists. Some have even started a petition to support the player’s return to the Germany squad, from which he was ejected by coach Joachim Low for disciplinary reasons some years ago.

However, Kuranyi is currently wasting no time contemplating a resumption of his international career, because he is pursuing ambitious targets at club level. “We want to finish in the top five and earn a place in Europe next year," he exclusively told FIFA.com.

Boost to mental strength
The target is far from unrealistic. Kuranyi has ten goals to his name this season, a significant contribution to Dynamo’s ascent to third place in the Russian Premier League, just a point off CSKA Moscow and four adrift of leaders Zenit St Petersburg. “The decision to move to Russia was absolutely the right one for my future. I'm mentally a lot stronger than I was a couple of years ago," the player said.

The 29-year-old rates as one of the league's biggest names, but fame from goalscoring has a price, as opposing defences now keep a much closer eye on him. However, the special attention has helped him develop and improve his all-round game, as he adds new attributes to his raw finishing skill. “It's even more difficult for me here than in the Bundesliga, because I’m generally double marked. But that means there's more space for my team-mates, so I turn provider far more often."

In his 45 league appearances in Russia so far, Kuranyi has either scored or set up 29 goals, a prolific figure which explains his popularity among the fans and the willingness of the club to retain his services for longer. The former Schalke player has teamed up with fellow ex-Bundesliga men Andriy Voronin and Zvejzdan Misimovic, and with home-grown schemer Igor Semshov, to form a potent quartet. “When I arrived in Moscow the club was in turmoil and we weren't successful. But we've steadily improved over recent months, and we're following a successful course now," said the man capped 52 times by his country

Rapid personal development
Kuranyi feels he has come on not merely as a player but also as a person. In Germany, he recalls, he would sometimes worry more about his appearance than his football, even if the goals had dried up at the time. “And I think there are still people out there who have the wrong image of me. They've never got to know me, and can't possibly properly understand my personality," the player reflected.
I'm mentally a lot stronger than I was a couple of years ago.
Kevin Kuranyi, Dynamo Moscow striker.

A stain which may remain for ever was Kuranyi’s grave error in storming out of a Germany fixture and going home on learning he had not been named in the matchday squad. He was branded selfish after the incident, but he now takes a different view of the matter. “I know it was the wrong thing to do, but I've learned from it and grown a lot as a person and a character. Moving to Russia has helped me mature.”

Aiming for the top
The striker need not worry about negative headlines for the time being - quite the opposite in fact: a group of Dynamo loyalists has raised a petition trying to persuade Germany boss Low to recall the expelled player. “Obviously, I was thrilled when I heard about what the fans were doing, because it showed how well I've been playing for Dynamo, and the reputation I’ve earned among the fans. But personally, I regard the matter as closed. I'm not wasting any time thinking about the national team for now."

Instead, he is totally focused on his new first love, as his goal is to help Dynamo return to Europe's biggest footballing stage. “We're in good form and working hard for our success, but we're not consistent enough to mix it right at the top, and that's the main area for improvement. Our target is to finish in the top five and play European football in the coming year. If we manage it, it would represent a massive success - and if we do even better, then so be it."

‘Even better’ would be a place in the UEFA Champions League, in which case Kuranyi would have completed his personal rehabilitation, and would be in a position to test his skills against the best players in the world, which would certainly up the pressure on Low to take another look at one of the country’s forgotten sons.

A new beginning for Guyan

A new beginning for Guyana

“We came from all over the world,” enthused Leon Cort about Guyana’s Golden Jaguars, the national team he’s captained to unprecedented success in recent months. “From England, from Canada, Suriname, the USA, Trinidad, Antigua, Puerto Rico – we’re coming from everywhere!”

Guyana is plagued by massive waves of emigration; the tiny, underdeveloped country’s population grows smaller every year. But the sons and grandsons of those who fled are returning, and are making a big impact on the football pitch.

There are six players in the team from the various tiers of England’s professional football leagues. “We bring experience and organisation from the Premier League, League One and Two," said Ricky Shakes, the 26-year-old winger who plays his club football for Ebbsfleet United. Captain Cort, 32, is on loan from Burnley at Charlton Athletic – and his older brother Carl is a former EPL standout with Wimbledon and Newcastle.

A football blend
A handful in the side are native-born Guyanese, but many were born in Canada, USA, England and various ports in the Caribbean. “It’s a blend of football flavours,” added Shakes, the speedy wide man who scored two of Guyana’s goals in Brazil 2014 qualifying so far. “The cultures and styles seem to blend.”

There is another foreign influence guiding Guyana, a side devoid of any real international pedigree. “He is an organised man,” said Brixton-born Shakes about coach and Trinidad native Jamaal Shabazz. “He comes up with the patterns and we adjust to them.” Cort is quick to claim the coach as a major factor in the side’s triumphant run in the region’s second round of qualifying. “He’s brought a real discipline, a European ethic, to the team.”
We’ll be up against some of the top players in the world, like Chicharito [Mexico and Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez] at the famous Azteca stadium, and Costa Rica just tied world champions Spain in a friendly.
Ricky Shakes on Guyana's coming tests



“We might not have the talent of some of the region’s big guns,” the coach said. “But we believe in ourselves and work hard on being organised, professional and disciplined.”

A former British colony, Guyana is a dense tangle of jungle in the north-east corner of South America. Due to its small size and long-standing cultural ties to the Caribbean, they play their football in the CONCACAF zone. “Guyana’s footballing roots are somewhere between South America and the Caribbean,” said Shabazz, who now has the double-edged pleasure of taking on the likes of Costa Rica and mighty Mexico in the next round.

Conquering hardship, Trinidad
There are precious few direct flights to the capital of Georgetown, making travel to the country, from any port, a complicated affair. “It’s tough to get any national team to gel, to understand each other on the field” said Cort to FIFA.com. “And here, with all the travel and the guys coming in from so far, and having to get used to the heat, we had a big job to do.”

Over the last few months, Guyana have electrified the New World football scene, a run of four wins from six booking their place in the penultimate round of qualifying. It all culminated in an historic game. “Everyone thought Trinidad would stroll to first place,” said Cort of the T&T side, led by Premier League sensation Kenwyne Jones and tipped for an easy ride in a group that also contained Bermuda and Barbados. “People thought we were there just to make up the numbers,” added Cort, a long way from his birthplace in south London.

A 2-1 win put Guyana through and T&T out in front of a capacity crowd at the National Cricket Stadium in Georgetown. Cort and Shakes scored the goals on that momentous night.

“We knew what was at stake, and we were at home,” said Shakes who, along with Cort, was playing his first game in Georgetown. “If we won, we’d put it to bed.” Cort picked up the story: “T&T’s coach [Otto Pfister] put only one striker out, he was playing for the draw. So since they invited us to go forward, we bombarded them.”

Mexico, Costa Rica await
The final whistle triggered wild celebrations. “Before the game, the atmosphere was incredible,” remembered Shakes. “The passion, the atmosphere was so special even before the game. When the whistle finally went, it just increased by three,” added Cort, a seasoned pro unable to resist the cheerful call of his ancestral home. “It really meant something to walk off winners that night.”

For Guyana’s Golden Jaguars, the dream continues. Their recent fortunes have landed them in a ferocious group in the next stage, alongside CONCACAF champions Mexico, three-time FIFA World Cup™ participants Costa Rica and El Salvador, winner of all six of their qualifiers to date. “We’ll be up against some of the top players in the world, like Chicharito [Mexico and Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez] at the famous Azteca stadium, and Costa Rica just tied world champions Spain in a friendly,” concluded Shakes, before calm captain Cort has the final word on what seems another mission impossible.

“If we don’t think we can win, we might as well pack it in now,” he said. “We’re a small country, but we believe.”

rivals reach for London tickets

London tickets


Half of the field at the upcoming African qualifying tournament for the 2012 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament have a chance to compete in London, meaning there will be tense action from the start of the tournament in Morocco.

The top three finishers in the eight-team, two-week event are guaranteed automatic entry to the games while the fourth-place nation will take on an Asian qualifier in a one-off play-off match in Coventry, England next April. Play gets underway on Saturday with a double-header kicking off the Group A action in Tangiers while the other venue is Marrakech where Group B starts on Sunday.

The two top finishers in each group go through to the semi-finals on 6 December, and the winners of those games are ensured places in London. The semi-final victors will be in the first-ever CAF U-23 Championship final, but there is likely to be just as much focus on the third-place play-off game in Marrakech on 10 December. The winner of that encounter also goes to the finals while the loser gets another opportunity in the cross-continental play-off.

The match
Morocco-Nigeria
Despite taking over hosting duties from Egypt relatively recently, Morocco showed their serious intent last year by hiring Dutch coach Pim Verbeek to oversee their Olympic dreams. Verbeek actually took the position before leading Australia at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, and the Lionceaux have been preparing resolutely in Rabat for these matches. Their key contest could be this weekend’s Group A opener against Nigeria, who have had the most Olympic success of any African nation. Known to Nigerians as The Dream Team, their Olympic side made history by winning a gold medal at Atlanta 96 and followed that up with silver at Beijing 2008. Whichever team seizes the impetus in the first match will undoubtedly have the momentum going up against Algeria and Senegal in the next two matches.

Other attractions
It is never easy in age group competition to draw any form from history, but Nigeria’s pedigree in previous qualifiers dictates they will command respect from their opponents. Although he will be missing many big name stars - including Joel Obi, Lukman Haruna and Ahmed Musa - coach Austin Eguavoen says six weeks together in preparation has built up a potential winning team spirit. “I have confidence in the squad we are taking to Morocco, and there is a growing confidence in the team that we can secure a ticket to London,” said the former Super Eagles defender. In total, Nigeria’s men’s team has been at six separate Olympic finals, the same with Morocco, who will also be counting on a massive boost from the home atmosphere.

South Africa were runners-up at September's All-Africa Games in Mozambique, where Senegal also competed and won bronze. Both therefore have some form and extra practice to take to the tournament in Morocco. South Africa’s top league clubs are allowing one player per club to travel to North Africa with the squad while Senegal have managed to obtain eight players from French clubs despite the qualifiers not being played on dates on the co-ordinated international calendar. All-Africa Games gold medallists Ghana went out early in the Olympic qualifiers to Sudan.

Egypt have played in ten Men’s Olympic Football Tournaments dating as far back at 1920, so they figure to be in the mix, while Algeria (1980), Côte d’Ivoire (2008) and South Africa (2000) have each gone to one previous tournament. Only Gabon and Senegal have no prior Olympic experience. Hani Ramzy, who played for Egypt at the 1990 FIFA World Cup™, leads the Egyptian side while Algeria have put in some quality preparation under Azzedine Ait Djoudi.

Players to watch
Levy Madinda of Celta Vigo in Spain played for Gabon’s senior side in midfield against Brazil earlier this month and is one of four foreign-based players in his country’s unheralded squad. Algeria’s captain Mohamed Chalali scored twice in friendlies last week against South Africa and comes from Scottish club Aberdeen. Imad Najah is Dutch born and the captain of the PSV Eindhoven side, and he will be among Morocco’s star attractions.

Football memories fighting Alzheimer’s

Football memories fighting Alzheimer’s


It’s often said that football is in our blood. It is said so often, in fact, that the phrase has become trite, long ago entering the realm of the cliché.

At its heart, however, remains a fundamental truth that, for most supporters, football is central to our very identity. And as well as representing a lifelong passion in itself, the game becomes closely interwoven with our families, home towns, childhood dreams and much besides. None of this is news, of course. But in Scotland, a new way of harnessing this unique power has been unearthed, and is achieving spectacular results by breathing new life into Alzheimer’s sufferers.

A rapidly aging population has established this condition, which brings about a corrosive mental decline, as one the developed world’s most pressing health issues. Sufferers endure confusion, memory loss, mood swings, and are robbed of much that is familiar and dear to them, such as the names of loved ones and treasured recollections. Confidence is dented as a result, and a steady withdrawal from society invariably follows.

Where football enters the fight against Alzheimer's is in reviving some of those memories, with photos and memorabilia from patients’ favourite clubs used to reconnect them, for a while at least, to a lost personal history. This work is now known as the Football Reminiscence Project, but it began in 2009 when Michael White, the Falkirk Football Club historian, embarked on an experiment in hope rather than expectation.

As he told FIFA.com: “I think a lot of people, probably myself included, felt it was too simple an idea to work as well as it does. Reminiscence therapy is nothing new in treating Alzheimer’s, but I noticed when I went in to do talks in care homes that, of a group of 20, you’d only have two or three really getting something from it. Most reminiscence therapy was also aimed more at women because it focused on things like clothes and music. I always felt football was the best way to reach men, but it’s been using photos from their era and favourite teams that’s really made a big impact.

“You’ll have someone come in - head down, seeming totally withdrawn - and then you’ll show him a picture and his face will just light up. I had one guy in our group recently who I showed a general shot of a Falkirk-Celtic game from the ‘50s. Immediately, he shouted: “That’s the match where Charlie Tully scored twice from a corner!” And he was right! That kind of thing happens in every group, and other memories will come back as a result. For ourselves and the carers, it’s incredible to see.”
He’s a different person when he comes out... It’s put new life into him, and you can see that with all the men there.
Irene Gray explains the project's impact on her husband

White’s experiment quickly spread, gaining the support of Alzheimer Scotland and the Scottish Football Association as it was rolled out nationwide. The Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park became a focal point, with the sound of clicking turnstiles and scents of the museum’s restored dressing room capable of stirring a multitude of memories.

Stories of the fledgling project’s seemingly miraculous successes also alerted the academic community, and soon a team of cynical dementia researchers were attending sessions, analysing the facts behind an ever-increasing mass of anecdotal evidence. There was enough to justify a year-long study by Glasgow Caledonian University, and the results supported everything the sufferers’ families and carers had been raving about.

Its final report recounted stories of patients being moved to tears of joy, and went on to conclude that those attending the project were “more confident, calmer, more talkative within the group and, afterwards, more communicative with their spouses”.

One of the co-authors, professor Debbie Tolson, recalls how her initial scepticism was overcome. “I’m not actually a football fan, so I wasn’t aware – although I certainly am now – of how important football is in people's lives,” she told the BBC. “But our researchers went into the groups, spent many hours observing their impact and, to be honest, I was astonished. I don’t believe anything until I see the evidence, and what struck me as amazing was how people who were so withdrawn would suddenly shine.”

For Irene Gray, wife of one of the project’s beneficiaries, the university’s findings merely confirmed what she already knew. “He’s a different person when he comes out,” she said of her husband. “He’s animated and he’ll talk all the way home, and not necessarily about football. I know I can leave him there and, when I come back, he’s going to be in a happy mood. It lightens my day too. It’s been a Godsend. It’s put new life into him, and you can see that with all the men there.”
It’s not just the football, it’s everything surrounding it: the build-up to the game, who you go with, where you go for a pint beforehand, the banter you’ll have with your pals on a Monday morning.
Michael White of the Football Reminiscence Project

So what is it about football that enables the game to connect with these men in ways that other, seemingly more significant elements of their lives seemingly can’t? “It’s so central to who we are, certainly in this country," is White's view. "And it’s not just the football, it’s everything surrounding it: the build-up to the game, who you go with, where you go for a pint beforehand, the banter you’ll have with your pals on a Monday morning. For so many people, it’s a massive part of their overall lives and their own identity.”

Given the project’s success, the next step will be to extend it beyond Scotland, and to those suffering from conditions other than Alzheimer’s who can benefit. Its message is also being spread through Alzheimer Scotland’s Football Memories website, which was launched recently with the aim of raising funds and awareness, not to mention accruing an unprecedented bank of fan recollections.

As the project’s Martin Greig explained: "Our aim is to make it the biggest collection of fans' memories ever collated. We have some great memories on the site from celebrities, authors, journalists and footballers - including Zinedine Zidane - to catch people's interest. But this is all about the fans. First and foremost, we want fans to browse the site and feel inspired to leave their favourite football memory. While doing so, it would be great if they read up about the life-changing work Alzheimer Scotland are doing in the Football Reminiscence groups. The site’s for every football fan around the world."

For White, the website serves a purpose of “bridging the gap between the people we’re treating, who’re clearly not the internet generation, and those who can carry this project forward”. And while the work of this devoted historian and his fellow volunteers can only be applauded, just as impressive is the fact that he derives as much pleasure from reminiscing as the patients.

“The most satisfying thing is the way their faces light up when you bring out the photos,” he said. “One of the men in my group, who played for Celtic just after the Second World War, passed away recently. But I always remember the last time I saw him. As he was taken out of the room in his wheelchair, he gave me a thumbs-up and shouted back: “Son, that was the best day of my life!” I thought then, you can keep all your university studies – that’s good enough for me.”

American Samoa break new groun

American Samoa break new ground

Oceania qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ has commenced with American Samoa creating a slice of history with a 2-1 victory over Tonga in Samoa.

A goal in each half from Ramin Ott and Shalom Luani ensured American Samoa, who had lost all of their previous 12 FIFA World Cup matches, kicked off their Brazil 2014 campaign in the best possible fashion.

The match was played in humid conditions at J.S. Blatter Field in Apia, with Round One of Oceania qualifying also featuring Cook Islands and Samoa who played later in the day. And it was the host nation that took a narrow lead at the top of the standings thanks to a 3-2 injury-time win against Cook Islands.

An action-packed encounter saw Ott - who scored one of American Samoa's two previous FIFA World Cup goals - thump a shot against the crossbar just past the half-hour mark, before breaking the deadlock two minutes prior to the interval. Ott’s speculative long-range effort somehow evaded goalkeeper Kaneti Felela for the opening goal.

Shalom Luani then doubled American Samoa’s lead midway through the second half when he ran onto a through ball and lobbed the oncoming Felela.

Tonga gave themselves a lifeline with two minutes remaining when Unaloto Feao headed home a Lafaele Moala cross at the back post.

Tonga were desperate to take something from their opening match but goalkeeper Nicky Salapu, a veteran of American Samoa’s FIFA World Cup debut in 2001, pulled off several crucial stops in a frantic finish to the match.

Safe passage for Bayern, Inter, Benfica

Safe passage for Bayern, Inter, Benfica(FIFA.com)

Former European champions Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Benfica secured the results they needed to check into the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, where they join the already qualified Real Madrid, AC Milan and Barcelona. In the process the Germans and Italians, the 2010 finalists, clinched first place in their respective sections.

Manchester City were the big losers on an evening when 28 goals were scored in the eight games, the Premier League leaders going down 2-1 at Napoli to relinquish their grip on second place with just one game remaining.

The big game
Manchester United 2-2 Benfica
Goals: Dimitar Berbatov 30, Darren Fletcher 59 (Manchester United); Phil Jones 3 og, Pablo Aimar 61 (Benfica)
This meeting between the section’s two unbeaten teams began in dramatic fashion when Phil Jones turned in Nico Gaitan's cross on the visitors' first foray forward. Struggling to recover from the blow, the United rearguard creaked under the pressure exerted by the Benfica front line, expertly supplied with possession by the artful Nico Gaitan and Pablo Aimar. Yet, as the minutes passed the English giants came back into the game, and pulled level when Dimitar Berbatov, standing in for Wayne Rooney, glanced home a fine cross by Nani, the only Portuguese player on the pitch. Played in by a well-timed Patrice Evra centre, Scotland captain Darren Fletcher kept his cool to prod the home side in front, reward for their high-tempo pressing game. Their lead was short-lived, though, Pablo Aimar thumping in from close range after United keeper David de Gea had failed to clear his lines properly. And though the chances continued to flow at both ends, there was no further scoring, leaving the Portuguese to celebrate their progress to the next round and United to sweat on their final-day trip to Basel.

The other games
Group A
Bayern Munich 3-1 Villarreal
Napoli 2-1 Manchester City
Franck Ribery stole the show as Bayern cantered into the knockout phase, the French ace scoring twice and displaying all his attacking prowess. Surging into a 2-0 lead after 23 minutes, the Bavarians then eased off the accelerator, allowing Jonathan de Guzman to cut the deficit with a fine volley before Ribery restored their two-goal advantage midway through the second half.

Napoli brought City’s nine-game winning streak to a grinding halt on a typically passionate night at the San Paolo, one that brought back memories of Diego Maradona’s glory nights. Taking the lead when Edinson Cavani got the merest of touches on an inswinging corner, the Italians were pegged back when Mario Balotelli tapped home after a defensive error. The Uruguayan striker settled the issue with a classy finish just after the restart, rounding off a move also involving Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marco Dossena. In holding off City’s late onslaught and with a final game at pointless Villarreal to come, Napoli have given themselves an excellent chance of going through, while Roberto Mancini’s men will be pondering their failure to make sure of second place.

Group B
CSKA Moscow 0-2 Lille
Trabzonspor 1-1 Inter Milan
Lille’s first ever win on Russian soil meant Inter went through without even kicking a ball, though the Italians will be disappointed not to have avenged their shock home defeat to the Turkish side on Matchday 1. The draw was enough to move Trabzonspor into second, a position they will seek to defend in next month's visit to the French champions, who lie a solitary point behind them.

Group C
Otelul Galati 2-3 Basel
Basel’s ultimately nervy win in Romania kept them in with a chance of overhauling second-placed Manchester United. All will be decided on the final matchday, when the Swiss host Sir Alex Ferguson's side in a game they must win.

Group D
Real Madrid 6-2 Dynamo Zagreb
Lyon 0-0 Ajax
There were only 83 seconds on the clock when Karim Benzema put Real Madrid ahead, their fastest ever goal in the competition. More landmarks tumbled shortly afterwards as the Spaniards put their Croatian guests to the sword in ruthless fashion. In taking a 3-0 lead after nine minutes, Madrid eclipsed the previous competition best of three goals inside the opening 11 minutes, held by Stuttgart, and then became the first club in Champions League history to bag four goals inside the opening 20 minutes. To their credit, Zagreb kept fighting, and earned some reward with two late consolation goals.

Lyon’s chances of joining the nine-time champions in the next round were severely dented by their failure to break down Ajax, who remain three points clear of the French club and boast a far superior goal difference.

The player
A goalscorer when the two sides met earlier in the group, Edinson Cavani once again proved too hot for the Manchester City defence to handle. In hitting a match-winning brace, the second of his goals coming when he coolly cushioned a half-volley into the back of the net, El Matador took his Napoli account to an impressive 42 goals in 54 appearances since his arrival in 2010. Part of the reason for that bulging haul is the understanding he has struck up with Argentinian sidekick Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Goal of the night
Real Madrid 3-0 Dynamo Zagreb, Gonzalo Higuain 9
The hosts were already two goals to the good when Gonzalo Higuain was set free down the right side of the box by Lassana Diarra. Leaving his marker sliding on his back as he spun back from the by-line, the Argentinian then made light of the narrow angle by nonchalantly dinking the ball over the advancing Ivan Kelava.

The stat
7 - The number of goals Basel’s unrelated namesakes Fabian and Alexander Frei have scored in Group C, all but two of the Swiss team’s tally. The duo were both on the scoresheet in Romania and will out to augment their accounts when Manchester United come visiting in December.

Have your say
Will it be United, Benfica or Basel who come out on top in Group C?

Your thoughts on EA SPORTS™ FIFA 12

Your thoughts on EA SPORTS™ FIFA 12
(
Since its release in late September, EA SPORTS™ FIFA 12 has broken sales records and won critical acclaim all over the world. Now that gamers have had ample opportunity to try the game for themselves, what we would like to know is: What do you think of EA SPORTS™ FIFA 12?

Almost a million gamers were able to experience the most realistic football simulator out there by taking part in the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2011. The next season of the tournament will, of course, feature the latest version of the groundbreaking series. Prepare to be amazed by the tactical depth and lifelike graphics of EA SPORTS™ FIFA 12 at the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2012. FIWC12 kicks off on 1 December!

Tactical defending, mesmerizing runs and battles for every ball
One of the key features of the game which developers endeavored to improve for the 2012 version was the overall match dynamic. Defenders now focus on the player with the ball, shifting accordingly and blocking off potential passes. Naturally this demands increased creativity, ideas and intelligent passing from attackers, though tricksters can still turn their opponents inside-out by using the many Special Moves incorporated into the game. Tackles also feel more authentic thanks to the brand-new impact engine, which features players barging, shoving and lunging to win the ball.

Your thoughts on SPORTS™ FIFA12?
The long wait is almost over. The FIFA Interactive World Cup 2012 season kicks off on 1 December 2011! Follow the FIWC on Twitter to be the first to receive important news and information regarding the FIFA Interactive World Cup. Until then, there's still plenty of time to get some intensive training in for the new season.

We are eager to hear your thoughts on EA SPORTS™ FIFA 12. Is the latest version of the record-breaking series the most realistic ever? Which new features do you like most? Use the 'Add your comment' function below to share your views.

Brasileirao keeps everyone guessing

Brasileirao keeps everyone guessing


The 2011 Brazilian championship has proved to be one of the most unpredictable of recent times, throwing up a succession of surprise results that have confounded the pundits, with more than one title challenge coming unstuck in a frenetic run-in.

As recently as 11 days ago only three points separated the top five teams, with every expectation that the season’s finale would be even more nerve-wracking than in the last two years, when three sides went into the final day still harbouring championship aspirations.

Much has changed since then, however. And the main reason for that has been the spectacular form of America-MG, who have climbed off the bottom of the table by first of all beating leaders Corinthians and then conjuring up two more unlikely wins to spike the title bids of Fluminense and Botafogo.

O Timão promptly recovered their poise with back-to-back victories over Atletico-PR and Ceara, two other teams stuck in the relegation zone. With three games remaining, they hold a two-point lead over Vasco da Gama, who beat Rio rivals Botafogo last weekend, but have themselves been on the end of some shock scorelines, the most notable a 4-1 mauling at the hands of America-MG in September.

Now five points off the pace in third, Flu have been left to rue points dropped against supposedly inferior opposition, while Flamengo and Botafogo, who are both four points further adrift, have similar cause for lament.

Rollercoaster ride
Having burst into title contention with a spectacular run of six wins in eight games as the season entered its second half, Fluminense have better reason than anyone to ponder what might have been. No sooner had they staked their championship claim than they lost 2-0 at home to Atletico-MG in October, compounding the felony by going down 2-1 to America-MG at the Engenhao last Saturday, a result that left coach Abel Braga scratching his head.

“It’s been anything but an ordinary championship,” he said. “Fluminense, Vasco and Botafogo have all had chances to move to the top and pull clear but they haven’t taken them. Sao Paulo have had their opportunities too.”

The loss of form suffered by O Tricolor Paulista has been dramatic to say the least. Firm candidates a few short weeks ago, a slew of draws and defeats to the likes of Goianense and Atletico-PR has seen them drop out of the title running and even lose ground in the race for Copa Libertadores places.

Flamengo have been equally erratic. Buoyed by the arrival of Ronaldinho, O Rubro-Negro led the table in the first half of the season before inexplicably going ten games without a win. Despite recovering some momentum, Fla have run out of steam once again in the final stretch.
It’s been anything but an ordinary championship.
Fluminense boss Abel Braga

Teams react to Japan 2011 draw

Teams react to Japan 2011 draw


The path to glory for th hopefuls was set out earlier today when the official draw took place in Nagoya.

What it threw up were two intriguing quarter-final duels, the first of which will see Africa take on Asia in a clash between Esperance Sportive de Tunis and Al-Sadd Sports Club on 11 December. Later the same evening, Mexico’s CF Monterrey will square up to the winner of the tournament curtain-raise FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2011er between Oceanian champions Auckland City and the as yet undecided J.League champions.

The winner of this latter quarter-final will then take on South American champions Santos in the last four, while Barcelona await for whoever emerges triumphant from the Esperance-Al-Sadd showdown. Representing FIFA at the draw was Organising Committee member David Chung, who expressed a collective sense of excitement as the global club showpiece draws ever closer.

He said: “This is the eighth edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, and this year once again we have some mouth-watering talent ready to excite football fans in the stadium, and also those watching on their televisions around the world. Like many of you here today, I can’t wait now for the games to start."
Any of the teams would have been difficult but Monterrey are the best of that trio.
Auckland City coach Ramon Tribulietx

The wait will end on 8 December with that opening fixture between Auckland City and whichever of the three remaining contenders from the J.League crown finishes up on top next weekend. For the New Zealanders, seeing off the host representatives – as they managed to do at their last FIFA Club World Cup in 2009 – would create a familiar scenario, as they also faced Mexican opposition in the quarter-finals two years ago.

Atlante proved too strong for the Kiwis on that occasion, winning 3-0, and Auckland coach Ramon Tribulietx conceded that he would have preferred to avoid the CONCACAF champions. “Any of the teams would have been difficult but Monterrey are the best of that trio,” he said. “Two years ago we played Atlante and they were top class. Monterrey are a fantastic team.”

The Mexicans, for their part, are taking nothing for granted, although sporting director Luis Miguel Salvador evidently enjoyed his participation in the ceremony. “It was a unique experience,” he reflected. “This was the first time I’ve had the chance to assist at a draw ceremony at this level and it was very emotional. As for our debut, the only advantage we could have is that we will have the chance to see our opponents’ first match. Apart from that, there is no advantage. Teams in this competition have great quality and are all tough opponents.”

For Al-Sadd and Esperance, the prospect of a semi-final meeting with Barcelona is predictably tantalising, with the Asian champions’ director of football Jafal Rashid barely able to conceal his delight. He said: “We are very happy we the draw result and want to give ourselves the opportunity to play against the best team in the world. But the main objective for us is to give the best impression of our football.”
Everyone is expecting to see a final between Santos and Barcelona but maybe they can watch a final between Esperance and Santos instead!
Riadh Bennour, president of the Esperance's football section

Esperance’s reaction was even more bullish, with Riadh Bennour, president of the club’s football section, suggesting that the Tunisians could even emulate last year’s African representatives, TP Mazembe Englebert, by reaching the final. “It’s a good draw,” he said. “Everyone is expecting to see a final between Santos and Barcelona but maybe they can watch a final between Esperance and Santos instead! We will try to make it happen, that’s for sure.”

The European champions will have something to say about it, of course, and Amador Bernabeu, Barcelona’s delegate for UEFA/FIFA matters, exuded an air of quiet confidence following the ceremony. “The draw was fine,” he said. “We are looking forward to playing against Esperance or Al-Sadd. We hope that we can contribute with good football but of course our main hope is to reach the final”.

While Barcelona’s semi-final will take place in Yokohama, Santos will negotiate their last four clash in Toyota City, a venue in which director of football Pedro Luiz Nunes Conceicao believes Neymar and Co will feel particularly at home.

“We are very happy to play in Toyota, where we have the biggest community of Brazilians,” he explained. “With them and the 5,000 we are expecting to make the journey from Brazil, we will have excellent support. We think it’s going to be a great tournament. The draw was ok for us but we don’t think is going to be easy to reach the final, although we remain focused on that objective.”

For full details of the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2011 draw and match schedule, please refer to the pdf linked on the right.

Year of high drama wraps in CONCACAF

Year of high drama wraps in CONCACAF
(FIFA.com)

For teams from the North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone, there can have been few years as intense as 2011. With new-look sides, a pulsating CONCACAF Gold Cup and a dramatic start to qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, the region has had more than its share of excitement these last 12 months.

The range of protagonists covers the complete spectrum, from regional champions Mexico to the tiny nation of Antigua and Barbuda who, despite a population of less than 90,000, are among the last 12 teams still in the hunt for a ticket to Brazil 2014.

With the international action now completed there for the year, FIFA.com takes a look back at how the region’s main sides fared in 2011.

Standout performances
If there is one CONCACAF nation that deserves to be singled out this year, then it is Mexico. Under the stewardship of Jose Manuel de la Torre, El Tri lost just one game all year. Moreover, they retained the Gold Cup after a pulsating 4-2 defeat of eternal foes USA in the decider. It came as no surprise then to hear wing wizard Andres Guardado sum it up thus: “This year we were beyond reproach, although the real test is yet to come with the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.”

Another team who will look back fondly on 2011 are Panama. Los Canaleros beat USA [2-1] for the first time in their history at June’s Gold Cup, where they went all the way to the semi-finals. The Central Americans then built on that success by easing into the second group stage of qualifying for Brazil 2014 with a 100 per cent record. Just last month, striker Blas Perez spoke of his optimism in an interview with FIFA.com, saying: “We’re all pulling in the same direction, and our goal is to make history.”
This year we were beyond reproach, although the real test is yet to come with the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Mexico's Andres Guardado



Two countries that delighted and surprised their fans in equal measure were Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda. Widely predicted to be mere also-rans in the first group stage of Brazil 2014 qualifying, the duo progressed at the expense of regional powers Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti respectively. Having upset the form book so spectacularly, Los Jaguares Dorados and the Wadadli Boys will be hoping to spring more surprises when the third round gets underway in mid-2012.

Also taking a lot of positives from this year will be Honduras. After an uncertain start under coach Luis Fernando Suarez, Los Catrachos took a richly deserved third place at the Gold Cup after their march to the semis. The team also finished the year on a high with this week’s 2-0 friendly win against Serbia, a result the coach greeted by saying: “We feel good about the road we’re on and can look to the future with optimism.”

Mixed fortunes
Jamaica and Canada experienced both highs and lows in 2011. The Reggae Boyz impressed at the Gold Cup but lost each of their subsequent four friendlies. For the Canucks, meanwhile, it was the opposite scenario, recovering as they did from a disappointing showing at the regional championship to progress undefeated into the second group phase of Brazil 2014 qualifying. It was a similar story for El Salvador, who cruised through Group A with six wins from six, but who will nonetheless have to improve if they are to secure a second-consecutive appearance in the hexagonal final qualifying round.

For regional powerhouses USA, it was a difficult 12 months to say the least. The Stars and Stripes not only lost the continental title to arch-rivals Mexico for the second time running but, under new coach Jurgen Klinsmann, have had a disappointing return of two wins, four defeats and one draw from seven games.

Costa Rica, for their part, brought the curtain down on an inauspicious year in the best manner possible. Their impressive 2-2 draw this week with world champions Spain had many positives, especially after the disappointing showings at the Gold Cup and the Copa America that cost coach Ricardo La Volpe his job. His replacement, Jorge Luis Pinto, left no one in any doubt about the mood in the camp after Tuesday’s friendly against the Spanish. “Everyone thought they’d run rings around us, but in the end we ran a few rings ourselves,” he said with good humour afterwards.

The two most dissatisfied teams in the region have to be Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti. Just five years after a memorable adventure at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, the Soca Warriors need to start again from scratch after being pipped to the Group B qualifying berth by Guyana. “We have to come back from this and try again,” said their dejected coach Otto Pfister after his side’s decisive defeat to Guyana in Georgetown last weekend. Equally frustrated were Haiti, who made it a year to forget after earlier qualifying-round eliminations at the Caribbean and Gold Cups and have much to do to recapture their former glories.

Teferra: Mentality is key for Ethiopia

Teferra: Mentality is key for Ethiopia


The excitement of a positive start to their FIFA World Cup™ qualifying campaign has Ethiopia believing they could return to the glory days when they were one of the continent’s dominant teams. Past winners of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, albeit almost 50 years ago, the east Africans have slid down the rankings in recent years, and being ranked at 136 in the world they were forced to participate this month in the first phase of African qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.

But despite a surprising scoreless first leg, the ‘Walyas’ successfully negotiated the opening hurdle, beating Somalia 5-0 in the second leg and on aggregate, and they now look forward to the challenge of the second phase where they will be joined by the big boys of the continent. In a challenging Group A, which starts next June, the Ethiopians will be faced by 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa, 2012 Cup of Nations qualifying surprises Botswana and the massively improved Central African Republic.
We are similar style to South Africa, physically and in the way we play. For me personally it is going to be a real thrill.
Fikru Teferra on playing his 'second home' in Brazil 2014 qualifying

For the team’s most experienced player, striker Fikru Teferra, the current preliminary cycle presents a window of great opportunity. Ethiopia's group, says the 25 year old, will not be easy to navigate, but it does offer the national team an outside hope of advancing to the final stage of play-off matches at the end of 2013. “I think we have a very good chance to qualify for the last round of qualifiers and go onto the World Cup,” said the optimistic forward, who is a rare east African to have played professionally in Europe after stints in the Czech Republic, Finland and in South Africa.

“I think it is going to be a very good competition between some evenly balanced teams,” he said, explaining that Ethiopia have not had better odds to make major progress in recent qualifying competitions, because they have invariably been grouped with some of the continent’s heavyweights. However, this time around the mood is positive, both within the team and across the nation. “Our federation has told us a lot about their plans to take this campaign very seriously, and the players are holding out a lot of hope. Our hope is to do better with each game we play,” explained the athletic forward.

Attitude and good start are vital
Included in those plans is the possibility of appointing a new foreign coach. Anglo-Nigerian Iffy Onoura and the Belgian Tom Saintfiet have recently been in charge of the national side, but Sewnet Bishaw returned to the post to take charge of the two matches against Somalia. The key, says Teferra, will be the opening Group A game on the first weekend in June against South Africa, which Teferra is well acquainted with. Up until May he was on the books of South African club SuperSport United, before a short spell in Finland with KuPS. “We are similar style to South Africa, physically and in the way we play. For me personally it is going to be a real thrill. South Africa is my second home and I’m going back there now to see if I can get a new club from January onwards,” he said. “For [Ethiopia] it will be a lot about the mental side and believing we can do it,” he added.

Along with Salahedin Said, who plays at Wadi Degla in Egypt, Teferra is the only foreign-based player, which he says does present a burden. “People do expect a lot of things from me, many things that I cannot change,” he explained. “I have to remind them that football is a game of 11 players not just one. But I do feel that I can assist the team with my experience from playing in other countries, especially in training and preparing. I don’t really mind the pressure on me. If I can do it, I’ll do it.”

Goalkeepers who belied their size

Goalkeepers who belied their size


Many believe size matters when it comes to a goalkeeper, and it is hardly rare for an aspiring youngster to get overlooked because he doesn't tower over his opponents. However, history tells us that height isn’t everything, with FIFA World Cups™ being won by many a smaller No1. FIFA.com takes a look back at some of the outstanding keepers who measured under 6ft.

Among them is Jorge Campos, who, with 130 caps to his name, sits fourth on Mexico's list of all-time appearances. He won back-to-back CONCACAF Gold Cups in 1993 and 1996, conceding just two goals in the former and zero in the latter, and also claimed the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1999.

Perhaps best remembered for his flamboyant shirts at USA 1994 and France 1998, the 5ft 8ins shot-stopper began his career up front, scoring 14 times in his first full season, before repositioning himself between the sticks to help Pumas to the 1990/91 Mexican title. Not that Campos's striking spirit ended, as he was thereafter sent outfield as part of substitutions or seen dashing forward while still the designated keeper, causing havoc for both defences.

Goalkeepers are often remembered for the goals that don’t go in, but none so in the way Ladislao Mazurkiewicz is, playing a role in the greatest goal that almost was. A Uruguayan of Polish decent, the moment came when the 5ft 10in keeper was playing in the Mexico 1970 semi-finals. As La Celeste faced Brazil in Mexico City, Pele ran to latch on to a Tostao pass, and as Mazurkiewicz advanced, O Rei let the ball run past them both before rounding the stranded Uruguayan to fire back across goal, narrowly missing.

However this single event unfairly defined a fantastic goalkeeper’s career. A superbly athletic shot-stopper with magnetic hands who wrote his name in Penarol’s history, winning five league titles during two spells at the side, including back-to-back national championships. The fact he sits 12th on the International Federation of Football History and Statistics’ (IFFHS) goalkeeper of the century standings says it all.

Italian world champion
Being regarded as Italy’s third-best goalkeeper, behind Dino Zoff and Walter Zenga, is a huge accolade for anyone, but with Giampiero Combi only measuring 5ft 8in he can take it with particular pride. He shone as the goalkeeper who took Italy to their maiden FIFA World Cup title in 1934.

In fine form throughout the tournament, Combi captained the side to glory and collected a bronze medal at the 1928 Olympics, but his records at club level are similarly notable. Not only does he hold the Serie A record for the longest run without conceding at 934 minutes, he also helped Juventus, his only club, win five Scudetti, including four successive ones between 1930 and '34.

The smallest member of this list is also arguably the best. Frantisek Planicka reached his pinnacle during numerous stirring performances at the 1934 FIFA World Cup with Czechoslovakia, where he faced off opposite Combi. Sitting at ninth in the IFFHS goalkeeper of the century poll, to be so well revered at just 5ft 7in is a wonderful achievement.

In only the second edition of the FIFA World Cup, Planicka was in sensational form throughout before ultimately losing 2-1 to Italy in the final. On that defeat he said: “Even though we lost, we returned home as heroes. We travelled back by train and there were thousands of fans applauding us at every station.”

He showed his commitment to his national side four years later as, during one of his 76 caps in the quarter-final against Brazil, then captain Planicka battled through to a 1-1 extra-time draw, known as ‘the Battle of Bordeaux’, despite spending much of the game with a broken arm. He had a reputation for this, having soldiered on through a semi-final of the Eastern European Mitropa Cup in 1932 with Slavia Prague having been hit in the head by rock thrown from the crowd.

As keeper for the great Mighty Magyars side of the 1950s, Gyula Grosics would have gone down in Hungarian football history just for being on the pitch with the likes of Ferenc Puskas, Sandor Kocsis and Jozsef Bozsik. However, the 5ft 10in stopper, nicknamed the Black Panther, was a talent in his own right. Not only did he help the side to four years and 33 games without defeat, he was also good with his feet, being credited with helping create the sweeper-keeper role, playing the ball out from the back.

However, he will always be part of footballing folklore thanks to his exploits in that team’s greatest achievements. First they defied the status quo by beating England 6-3 at Wembley, and then he helped take the Golden Team to the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final, missing out on the title courtesy of a 3-2 defeat by West Germany.

Argentine great
Arguably Argentina’s greatest-ever goalkeeper, Ubaldo Fillol played for over two decades between the sticks at club level and more than half of that period as part of the national team set-up. The tallest of this selection at 5ft 11in, but still dwarfed by many opponents, he played in three FIFA World Cups, getting his hands on the Trophy in 1978. Fillol was voted the goalkeeper of that tournament having kept clean sheets in all three of Argentina's second-round group matches and made a brilliant penalty save against Poland.

He began his career at 19 with Quilmes, but started to stand out during a two-year spell at Racing Club, where at the age of 21 he saved six spot-kicks in a season - a league record - and was snapped up by River Plate. He went on to play his way into the hearts of Los Millonarios’ fans during an 11-year spell, encompassing more than 350 games. Fillol won seven titles - including three national championships - with River and helped end an 18-year barren spell for the club in the process.

An eccentric in every sense of the word, Rene Higuita was able to command his area despite being just 5ft 9in. Known as 'El Loco' (The Crazy One), his most memorable moment will always be his scorpion kick against England, clearing the ball off the line with his heels while airborne. It was with Colombia where his legacy stands tallest, claiming 68 caps and eight goals, mostly from free-kicks. He was part of the side that reached the Round of 16 at Italy 1990, but was hugely at fault for their exit, losing the ball on the halfway line to Roger Milla of Cameroon, who subsequently scored.

At club level his finest achievement was undoubtedly winning the Copa Libertadores in 1989 with Atletico National, triumphing on penalties over Olimpia of Paraguay.