Bradley: Something special

Bradley: Something special
(AFP) Thursday 24 June 2010
Bradley: Something special
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Landon Donovan was moments from reliving his worst football heartache, a first-round FIFA World Cup™ exit, when he scored the most important goal of his life to send the United States into the knockout rounds.

The 28-year-old midfielder has battled divorce, unconvincing stints in Europe and first-round disappointment at the 2006 FIFA World Cup but netted the defining goal of his career in stoppage time on Wednesday to snatch a 1-0 victory over Algeria.

"I have been through a lot in the last four years," Donovan said, breaking into tears. "I'm so glad it culminated in this way. It makes me believe in the good in this world. When you try to do things the right way it's nice to get rewarded."

The US spent 90 minutes trying in vain to crack the Desert Foxes before Donovan led a counter-attack by flicking a pass to Jozy Altidore, then running onto an unguarded rebound to slide the ball home in the early seconds of injury time.

"The guys in the back did an unbelievable job of stopping counter after counter to give us a chance so we could get it," Donovan said. "A lot of us broke. I wanted to make a good touch forward. I chose Jozy and Clint [Dempsey] did a good job to get in front of the goalie and it just bounced there. Time kind of stopped. You can't miss from there."
When you try to do things the right way it's nice to get rewarded.
Landon Donovan, USA midfielder

A draw would have sent the Americans home early once again but victory allowed the US squad to finish top of Group C, edging England on goals scored, and book a Saturday match in the round of 16 at Rustenburg.

"Sometimes in soccer you have games like that where you get a lot of chances and they don't go in," Donovan said. "The only thing you can control is if you keep playing."

Such perseverance has summed up Donovan's career and life lately. He failed in three tries at playing in the Bundesliga, only to find success in England early this year during a loan spell at Everton, scoring twice in 13 matches for the Toffees.

Donovan split last July with actress Bianca Kajlich, but said last month that he learned from her and from his disappointment at the US first-round 2006 FIFA World Cup exit and that it has made him a better person. "There were two [lows] really. Soccer was after the 2006 World Cup. Personally was July of last year," Donovan said.

"These experiences can harden you and help you grow if you learn from them and look at them the right way. I've done something to get a lot out of those experiences and tonight it all came together."

US coach Bob Bradley was thrilled by Donovan's decisive intervention. "Without a doubt, Landon has grown in so many different ways," Bradley said. "These challenges came at a good time for him. In 2002, he was young - your first World Cup is really exciting - and 2006 is one where he learned a lot."

Donovan's goal brought an end to an afternoon at Loftus Versfeld that began with the Americans' bus being tapped and cheered by US supporters lining the streets. "To have that happen at a World Cup in South Africa, that was a really special feeling," Bradley said. "To finish the night off with a great win with the support we had, that was something special."

Playing the name game

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Rating: 3.7
Playing the name game
(FIFA.com) Monday 7 June 2010
Playing the name game
FIFA.com

Nicknames have always been an important part of football lore. Edson Arantes do Nascimento would never have rolled off the tongue so readily as Pele did after the teenage Brazilian became a household name following his exploits at the 1958 FIFA World Cup™ in Sweden. Over the next few weeks, there should be several more monikers etched into the global consciousness and FIFA.com takes a look at some of the players who could be making their names in South Africa, literally so.

All eyes will be on Argentina ace Lionel Messi to see if he can inspire La Albiceleste to their first world crown since Mexico 1986. Football reporters have been running out of words to describe the improbably gifted Barcelona wizard, and should La Pulga (The Flea) turn it on in South Africa, he will no doubt have them – along with bemused defenders – scratching their heads again.

Messi is far from the only player whose nickname comes from the natural world. Mexico goalkeeper Oscar Perez is known as El Conejo (The Rabbit), while Honduras striker David Suazo goes by the title of La Pantera (The Panther), a tribute to his predatory instincts. Italy's Gennaro Gattuso has never been afraid to throw his weight around on the pitch, which explains why fans call him Il Rino (The Rhino). No less imposing a presence is Brazil’s Julio Baptista, otherwise known as La Bestia (The Beast), although all these denizens of the animal kingdom have reason to fear 'The Hunter', aka Klaas Jan Huntelaar, the front man hoping to shoot the Netherlands to success.

Argentine tradition
Like Messi, most Argentinian players acquire a nom de guerre or two during the course of their careers. With El Apache, Carlos Tevez would not be out of place in a western, while Gabriel Heinze's German ancestry has led to him being dubbed El Gringo. Juan Sebastian Veron takes after his father Juan Roman in more ways than one: following in the footsteps of La Bruja (The Witch), the midfield sorcerer has been casting spells under the name of La Brujita (The Little Witch) for many years now. Gonzalo 'El Pipita' Higuain, meanwhile, is another chip off the old block. His father Jorge went by the name of 'El Pipa', Argentinian slang for nose.

Team captain Javier Mascherano's leadership qualities are reflected in his title of 'El Jefecito' (The Little Leader), the original 'Jefe' being his mentor, the River Plate legend Leonardo Astrada. If that were not enough, Argentina can also call on the regal presence of Diego 'El Principe' Milito and their very own madman in Martin 'El Loco' Palermo.

England are relying on the superhuman powers of the player dubbed by their media as 'Captain Fantastic', one Steven Gerrard. His fellow Liverpudlian and international team-mate Wayne Rooney is known as Wazza in the dressing room in deliberate homage to Paul Gascoigne's moniker 'Gazza'. He is also called 'The White Pele' for his barnstorming displays on the pitch.

Spain are investing their hopes in a pair of 'kids': Fernando 'El Niño' Torres and David 'El Guaje' Villa, while Australia will be looking for some inspiration from their resident magician Harry Kewell, also known as 'Harry Potter' or 'The Wizard of Oz'. Portugal have a conjuror of their own in Deco, or O Mágico to his fans and team-mates.

Cartoon character
There is no shortage of sobriquets elsewhere. Uruguay’s long-haired hitman Diego Forlan bears more than a passing resemblance to the well-known Argentinian cartoon character 'Cachavacha', hence his unusual moniker, while Robinho’s penchant for stepovers make him an obvious choice as 'O Rei Das Pedaladas' back in Brazil.

USA midfielder Clint Dempsey moonlights as hip-hop artist 'Deuce' in his free time and he could make quite a double act with team-mate DaMarcus Beasely, dubbed 'Jitterbug' for his dancing skills. Adding a sense of majesty to the world finals will be France's Franck Ribery, baptised 'Kaiser Franck' by his followers at Bayern Munich, and Mexico stalwart Rafael Marquez, similarly dubbed 'El Kaiser de Michoacán', in reference to his home state.

Flying the flag for Asia, meanwhile, are Korea Republic's Kim Nam-Il, whose ability to clean up at the back has made 'The Vacuum Cleaner' the obvious choice for his nickname. Few South Korean players will cover more ground in the tournament than his team-mate Cha Du-Ri, hence his moniker 'Autobahn' (German for motorway). Opponents of host nation South Africa, finally, will hope that defender Aaron Mokoena's nickname 'Mbazo' (The Axe) is not an accurate reflection of his tackling style.

Coaching royalty
It is not just the players who have picked up a nickname or two in their time. Argentina's Pibe de Oro (Golden Kid) is none other than national coach Diego Maradona, while Chile fans will be going crazy if his compatriot Marcelo 'El Loco' Bielsa (The Madman) can inspire La Roja to success. Mexico coach Javier Aguirre is 'El Vasco' on account of his ancestors in Spain’s Basque country.

Lastly, Algeria's players hold coach Rabah Saadane in such high esteem they address him as 'The Sheikh', and Otto Rehhagel has achieved so much with Greece that his status as 'King Otto' is undisputed. Should they or any of their peers attain footballing immortality in South Africa, their nickname is likely to lodge in the minds of football fans worldwide for many years to come.

Gazza weeps as Germans prevail

Gazza weeps as Germans prevail

“Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end the Germans win."

This famous Gary Lineker quote might have been uttered partly in jest, but it captured an expectation of failure in England that stems from plenty of painful experience. Drama and disappointment have tended to go hand-in-hand with the Three Lions’ major tournament experiences over recent decades, and none of their failures brought more despair than defeat in the semi-final of the 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™.

One hundred and twenty minutes of emotion, tension and passion combined for a match later described as “a Klassiker” by Franz Beckenbauer, and as Italy 1990’s “real final” by the then England captain Terry Butcher. Here, FIFA.com looks back at a game that paved the way for yet more German success and signalled the start of their opponents’ long-running penalty curse.

The Stakes
With Argentina having seen off the hosts the day before, these old rivals arrived in Turin with the carrot of settling an old score dangling tantalisingly before them. For West Germany, the challenge was to set up a rematch of the 1986 Final, and reverse the outcome; for England, it was to avenge Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ at the same tournament.

Yet the teams’ form in previous rounds suggested that there was only one likely winner. West Germany had, after all, been the tournament’s most accomplished side and highest scorers, comfortably topping their group before brushing aside the Netherlands, who were then European champions. England, on the other hand, had scored just twice in their three group games, and came into the match on the back of an ill-deserved extra-time victory over the gallant Cameroonians. “We’ve got here,” said Robson, “but I don’t know how.”

This was also the Three Lions’ first FIFA World Cup semi-final since 1966, whereas the Germans were competing in the last four for a record ninth time. The odds were stacked firmly against Robson’s men.

The Story
The England coach’s only hope was that his team would produce when it mattered most and, during the match itself, they did just that. Lothar Matthaus, hitherto the tournament’s leading player, had grown accustomed to dictating matches, but he was to meet his match that humid evening in the Stadio delle Alpi.

Paul Gascoigne was the joker in Robson’s pack, an ebullient but fragile character who also happened to be a midfielder of exceptional strength and skill. He had been England’s shining light prior to the semi-final, and was again the pivotal figure as the Three Lions produced their best performance of the tournament to subdue and, at times, dominate the favourites.

Yet, at half-time, the match remained goalless, with little hinting at the classic that was about to unfold. The spark that lit the touchpaper came on the hour mark, when Andreas Brehme's drilled free-kick took a huge deflection off Paul Parker and looped over the despairing Peter Shilton. If anything, the setback seemed to inspire England and Gascoigne to greater heights and, within five minutes, he had created chances for Lineker, Peter Beardsley and Chris Waddle, all of which went begging.

But Robson still had a tactical trick up his sleeve, and the gamble of withdrawing Butcher, his sweeper and captain, for midfielder Trevor Steven paid off with ten minutes remaining. The Germans had been put on the back foot, and when Jurgen Kohler miscued a hurried clearance, Lineker capitalised on the confusion to smash home his fourth goal of the finals.

The match could have gone either way in extra time, with both sides hitting the post, but penalties beckoned and it was West Germany who held their nerve. Brehme, Matthaus, Karl-Heinze Riedle and Olaf Thon provided a masterclass in power, precision and composure that their English counterparts simply couldn’t match, with Stuart Pearce the first to crack under the strain. Blasting the ball against Bodo Illgner’s legs left Waddle needing to score to keep English hopes alive, but the winger blazed over from 12 yards and the Germans were through.

"I went up and kicked the ball as hard as I could,” Waddle recalled later. “If I'd miskicked it, it would probably have gone in. But that's life."

The Star
For one English player, life would never be the same again. Gascoigne had been described by his coach as “daft as a brush”, but Robson’s faith in Gazza the footballer was fully justified in Turin by an outstanding display full of industry and invention.

Yet it was not the midfielder’s performance, but rather his reaction to earning a yellow card that would have ruled him out of the Final – and later to England’s defeat – that put him on the back pages of newspapers the world over. Holding back the tears proved impossible, and the public display of raw emotion that followed merely endeared Gascoigne further to the already besotted England fans.

Sadly for those same supporters, their hero’s tearful display also prompted Robson to relegate him to sixth place in the order of penalty takers. “I doubt if he could actually have taken one, he was so distraught,” the coach said later. “He broke down in the middle of the pitch when the penalties were being taken.”

What they said
“When I was a young kid playing at my youth club, every night I used to dream about playing football at the World Cup. I lived that dream in Italy, but when I was shown the yellow card I knew it had come to an end. When things are good and I can see they’re about to end I get scared, really scared. I couldn’t help but cry that night.”
Paul Gascoigne, England midfielder

"It was the best match of the World Cup for me… Everything was there in that game. Either team could have won. The players had real comradeship. Even now, if I meet one of the England players, we could go and have a drink and talk about it. I always enjoyed playing against England.”
Andreas Brehme, Germany defender

“My world collapsed. I had been taking penalties for as long as I could remember, but I’d missed the most important penalty of my life. It was my fault that England were not in the World Cup Final.”
Stuart Pearce, England defender

"I still remember Peter Shilton not diving towards the corner until the previous penalties from Riedle, Matthaus and Brehme had already gone in, so I said to myself: ‘Come on son, just hit the target, nothing too precise, nothing too risky.’ And that’s what I did. He went the right way, but he was too late."
Olaf Thon, Germany midfielder

What happened next...
England, with Gascoigne suspended, were beaten 2-1 by Italy in the third-place play-off, while their conquerors exacted revenge over Argentina in an ugly Final. A solitary Andreas Brehme penalty enabled West Germany to draw level with Brazil as the FIFA World Cup’s most successful side - for four years at least - while Franz Beckenbauer became the first and only man since Mario Zagallo to win the Trophy as player and coach.

Pearce, opting against retirement, was able to lay the ghost of Turin to rest six years later when he scored from the spot against Spain in the quarter-finals of UEFA EURO 96. England, however, went out on penalties in the last four to, you've guessed it, Germany, and have since gone on to lose crucial shootouts at EURO 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Liedson:

Liedson: It will be spectacular
(FIFA.com) Tuesday 9 March 2010

Undoubtedly one of the finest finishers to tread Portuguese turf in recent years, Sporting striker Liedson, the club’s leading scorer this century, has come a long way since juggling football commitments with a job in a supermarket. Indeed, the Brazil-born Portugal international is on the verge of fulfilling a childhood dream: appearing at the FIFA World Cup™.

A natural-born goal-getter, the slightly built but fiercely competitive Levezinho (Light One) has earned iconic status at Sporting since arriving seven seasons ago, with banners proclaiming 'Liedson wins games' commonplace around the Estadio de Alvalade. And though the 32-year-old is now an established European performer, his route to the top has been anything but orthodox, with the events of 1999 particularly life-changing.

Then 22, the forward was playing amateur football in Valenca in the Brazilian state of Bahia, while he earned a living stocking shelves at a local supermarket. The turning point in his footballing career came at an inter-city tournament, with Liedson’s speed, persistence and composure in front of goal earning him a trial at Pocoes. Having just been sacked from his job at the supermarket, he did not need any persuasion, going on to sign his first professional contract and enjoy spells at homeland clubs Coritiba, Flamengo and Corinthians.
I’ve got a lot of love and respect for Portugal. I’ve always been treated with a great amount of affection by the fans and what better way to thank them than with loads of goals?
Liedson

With a number of European sides interested in his services, it was Sporting who won the race for his signature, bringing him to Lisbon ahead of the 2003/04 campaign. Wearing the No31 jersey, a printing mishap meant the new boy first took to the field in the green and white stripes with the misspelling ‘Liedzon’ on his jersey - an error the player and the fans have since adopted as a lucky omen.

Now Sporting’s all-time top scorer in UEFA competitions, after six goal-packed years in Portugal, Liedson opted to take Portuguese nationality, thus becoming eligible for selection for the national team. His debut subsequently came in A Selecção das Quinas’ vital South Africa 2010 qualifier away to Denmark in September 2009. With his team a goal down and staring at a damaging defeat, Liedson came off the bench to grab a late equaliser with a typically opportunistic headed finish.

“I can barely wait for the World Cup to start,” Liedson told FIFA.com. “Any kid who likes football dreams of playing at a World Cup and I was no different. But to be honest I needed to work really hard and wait a long time to get that opportunity.”

And given that Portugal have helped him on the path to world football’s top table, O Levezinho is determined to repay that faith the way he knows best. “I’ve got a lot of love and respect for Portugal," he said. "I’ve always been treated with a great amount of affection by the fans and what better way to thank them than with loads of goals? And that’s what I try to do every time I take the field.”

Following the quirk of fate that has led Portugal to be drawn alongside Brazil in Group G of this year's showpiece, what are Liedson’s feelings about facing his nation of birth? “Of course it’s going to feel different," he explained.

"I was born in Brazil and I really love my country, but I’m going to give everything I’ve got to help Portugal win. That game is like a Final and I think it’s probably the most eagerly anticipated game of the entire group phase. It’s going to be spectacular.”
I was born in Brazil and I really love my country, but I’m going to give everything I’ve got to help Portugal win. That game is like a Final. It’s going to be spectacular.
Liedson

And how would it feel to score a goal against Dunga’s Seleção? “I’d get the same buzz I always get," Liedson said. "Of course I’d celebrate, the same way I always celebrate my goals. But of course I’d be very happy if both Brazil and Portugal manage to reach the Round of 16. I’d be even happier if the two countries met again in the Final. That would truly be a dream come true.”

Any thoughts of 11 July’s title decider in Johannesburg are somewhat premature, however, particularly given the demands of a hectic run-in to the season with Sporting and the sheer difficulty of Portugal’s FIFA World Cup group.

“I just want to keep my good form going and finish the season on a high," added Liedson, who grabbed all the goals in his side’s 4-0 league win over capital rivals Belenenses at the weekend. "One thing’s for sure: I’m not going to South Africa for the ride."

Home comforts and derby delight

Home comforts and derby delight
(FIFA.com) Wednesday 15 July 2009
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In many ways, football is a simple game: the team that scores the most goals wins. Yet in every single match, there are intriguing statistical sub-plots that help make the beautiful game the fascinating spectacle that it is. That's why, each week, FIFA.com takes a look at the numbers behind the results.

This week, we celebrate the return of international football to Iraq and pay tribute to USA's impressive home record, while also reflecting on a week to remember for Atletico Mineiro, Oita Trinita and Molde star Mame Biram Diouf.
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matches and eight years have now passed since USA were last beaten at home in a competitive fixture. The Americans' only loss on US soil during this time came in a 2007 friendly against Brazil, while their last competitive defeat came all the way back on 1 September 2001, when Honduras claimed a 3-2 FIFA World Cup™ qualifying win. The subsequent sequence, which comprises 45 wins and 11 draws, looked to be coming to an end on Sunday, with USA 2-1 down against Haiti heading into the final seconds of injury time. Stuart Holden had other ideas, however, and his stunning last-gasp volley not only salvaged a draw, but also secured top spot in Group B at the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
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straight defeats have left Japan's Oita Trinita with the longest losing sequence in world football - and left their erstwhile coach out of a job. Brazilian Pericles Raimundo Oliveira, who led the club to a shock triumph in last season's J.League Cup, yesterday paid the price for a dreadful start to the season that has left Oita anchored to the foot of the table with one win, one draw and 15 defeats from their opening 17 fixtures. While 11 points separate Oita from second-bottom Kashiwa Reysol, the gap at the top is almost as significant, with defending champions Kashima Antlers still eight points clear of the chasing pack.
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wins and two draws from their last 12 Minas derbies was the record with which Cruzeiro entered Sunday's showdown with old foes Atletico Mineiro. All they needed to do was avoid defeat at home to equal the longest-ever unbeaten record in the fixture, set by Atletico during the 1980s. Instead, with their team selection reflecting a preoccupation with the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final, A Raposa crashed to an emphatic 3-0 loss. O Galo's success was facilitated by Cruzeiro forward Ze Luis, who collected the fastest red card in the history of the Brasileirao after just 12 seconds. Thereafter, Junior, Alessandro and Eder Luis were all on target as Atletico regained pole position in the league and left their fierce rivals teetering on the edge of the relegation zone.
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years after they last played on home soil, Iraq celebrated their international homecoming in style with resounding back-to-back wins over Palestine. The northern town of Irbil played host to the first of these hugely symbolic matches on Friday, bringing to an end a period of exile that stretched all the way back to a 2-1 win over Syria on 22 July 2002. The Iraqi players also succeeded in producing a performance worthy of this historic occasion, claiming a comprehensive 3-0 win and then bettering that scoreline by putting four unanswered goals past the Palestinians in Bagdad two days later. Over 50,000 fans turned out to watch the latter encounter, leaving no doubt that Iraq's appetite for the beautiful game remains as strong as ever.
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goals in 27 minutes from Mame Biram Diouf kept Molde firmly in the hunt for the Norwegian title and confirmed their young Senegalese striker's status as a player well worth watching. The tall, pacy 21-year-old has been linked with a string of Europe's top clubs since arriving in Norway in 2007 and his burgeoning reputation will have only been strengthened by the role he played in Molde's 5-2 win over Brann. Diouf, who is the Norwegian top flight's top scorer this season with 12 goals, broke the deadlock after just 22 seconds, completed his hat-trick inside nine minutes and effectively ended the match as a contest just 18 minutes later. The win kept Molde four points off the pace in the Tippeligaen title race, although leaders Rosenborg have a game in hand and remain unbeaten after 17 rounds of fixtures.

Sports football : Real Madrid coach Schuster regrets under-rating Getafe

Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster should have known better, after all he was the coach at Getafe last season, but he paid the price for not taking his old club seriously on Sunday.

Getafe, now with another former Real player Michael Laudrup at the helm, beat the Spanish giants 1-0 to end their 100 per cent home record in La Liga this season.

Schuster had audaciously stated on Saturday, "I can't imagine waking up on Monday morning with our advantage over Barca down to two points."

However, after the Catalan club's 5-1 demolition of Levante that is exactly the situation.

"We threw away our opportunities despite defending much better. Our recent rivals have hardly had any chances but we've been making small errors which have let them win," said Schuster on Sunday, after Real's third loss in eight days.

"Up until now things have been going well but we seem to be having problems in the last few games which haven't been there before."

Lack of concentration or complacency might be one thing he could address.

Having started February with a nine-point advantage over second-placed Barcelona, Real's lead over their bitter rivals has now dwindled to two.

Getafe's bizarre goal, which could be said to have been as much Real's own fault as derived by the visitors' opportunism, will also provide Schuster with some sleepless nights in addition to his imprudent statement.

Arjen Robben thought he had put Real in the lead after 65 minutes but, as the Real players celebrated, referee Arturo Dauden Ibanez ruled that captain Raul Gonzalez had been offside before he passed to his Dutch team mate.

Getafe quickly took the ensuing free kick and executed a swift counter-attack, exploiting their opponents now under-manned defence.

Franceso Casquero broke free and laid the ball off to Manu Del Moral who, in turn, passed to Ikechuckwu Uche and the Nigerian coolly slotted the ball home with his right foot from 10 metres out.

"We've lost this game through one solitary incident. I've never seen a goal allowed like that before," said Schuster

"Now we've just got to put this behind us and carry on because things are still in our favour."

The reigning Spanish champions have 56 points from 25 games, with 13 games still remaining, with Barca on 54 points.

"Barcelona still have to depend on us (dropping points) and in the coming week we will have players back from injury and that means I'll have nearly all the squad at my disposal," added Schuster.

The recovering players include Brazilian striker Robinho and Portuguese defender Pepe, both of who were in impressive form prior to their recent injuries.



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