Soccer-Gate

Kaka wins Ballon d'Or award

2007-12-05T13:44:00.000-08:00

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AC Milan's Brazilian attacking midfielder Kaka was named on Sunday as France Football's Player of the Year, winning the prestigious Ballon d'Or award.
Born under the name of Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, he succeeds Italy's FIFA World Cup™-winning captain and defender Fabio Cannavaro and comes two years after the last Brazilian winner of the trophy, Barcelona's Ronaldinho.
The 25-year-old Kaka notably played a starring role in AC Milan's triumphant UEFA Champions League campaign, scoring ten goals and setting up the winner for Filippo Inzaghi in the final against Liverpool.
He received 444 points in the France Football vote, easily ahead of Manchester United's Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo, who had 277, with Barcelona's Argentinian star Lionel Messi in third with 255 points.
"This is very special for me - it culminates an astonishing year for me," Kaka said. "The only way to win something like this is to play for a team like AC Milan. It's great to be part of a team that wins."
Born in the capital Brasilia, Kaka started off with Sao Paulo before moving to Europe with AC Milan in 2003. He has been capped 54 times for his country and scored 19 goals. He was a member of Brazil's 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cup squads.

Ronaldo double lifts United

2007-12-05T13:41:00.000-08:00

Cristiano Ronaldo made up for missing out on the European Footballer of the Year award by scoring both goals as Manchester United moved to within three points of leaders Arsenal with a 2-0 win against Fulham at Old Trafford on Monday.
Ronaldo, who was overlooked in favour of AC Milan's Brazilian forward Kaka for the Ballon d'Or award that was announced on Sunday, proved too good for Fulham, who saw their woeful Premiership away record stretch to 24 games without victory as Sir Alex Ferguson's team cruised to the win.
United had allowed themselves to fall off the Premiership pace by losing 1-0 at Bolton in their last league outing and nothing but three points against Fulham would do for the champions with Arsenal stretching their lead to six points with a weekend victory at Aston Villa.
Manager Ferguson had made the point in his match programme notes that further slip-ups would not be tolerated and the message appeared to have hit home loud and clear as United tore at Fulham inside the opening ten minutes.
Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez should have hit a hat-trick during that period as three golden chances fell into his path, but the former West Ham forward failed to take any of them.
Tevez first let Fulham off the hook when he headed Anderson's cross wide from three yards after beating the offside trap to take his chance at the far post.
Moments later, he was then denied by a brilliant save from goalkeeper Antti Niemi, who dived low to block Tevez's snapshot from 12 yards.
His luck clearly wasn't in and Tevez had another near miss on eight minutes when his right foot strike from the edge of the penalty area was deflected over the crossbar by Fulham captain Aaron Hughes.
Where Tevez was wasteful, however, Ronaldo was lethal and the Portugal international gave United the lead on ten minutes with a thunderous volley that left Niemi completely helpless.
On this occasion, poor defending by Fulham unlocked the door for United. Lawrie Sanchez's team failed to properly clear Ryan Giggs's corner and the ball ultimately fell to Ronaldo on the edge of the six yard box after a flick-on from defender Nemanja Vidic.
Unmarked, Ronaldo simply lashed a right-foot volley into the roof of the net to put United ahead and claim his twelfth goal of the season.
That should have been the start of a goal avalanche, but Fulham managed to stifle United and they even went close to levelling the scores before the break when former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy forced keeper Edwin van der Sar into action with a well-struck effort from 20 yards.
Fulham never looked like dragging themselves level, though, and United merely needed to find a second goal to put the game beyond the Londoners.
It took a while in coming, however, as the chances dried up following the lightning start.
Sanchez's team could not hold out until the end of the game, though, and Ronaldo doubled United's lead when he headed in John O'Shea's cross from close range on 58 minutes.
A stunning volley in one half and a centre-forward's header the next. There is little that Ronaldo cannot produce and Ferguson's assertion that the 22-year-old is one of the world's best players is difficult to contest.

Rangers granted Gretna delay

2007-12-05T13:38:00.000-08:00

Rangers's Scottish Premier League match against bottom-of-the table Gretna, due to take place on Sunday, has been postponed until next month in a bid to help the Glasgow giants prepare for their make or break Champions League match against Lyon.
Rangers wanted a fresh date for the Gretna game so their players were as fit as possible for the match against French champions Lyon a week on Wednesday here at Ibrox.
The Gretna fixture will now take place on Wednesday 16 January.
Rangers need just a draw from what will be their final Champions League group match to make it through to the lucrative last 16 of European football's premier club competition.
Team officials had said players could risk injury or fatigue if they had to play two games in three days and they pointed to the example of the decision to give Rangers and Celtic players the weekend off ahead of last month's UEFA EURO 2008 qualifier against Italy.
"We all know what is at stake with a place in the last 16 up for grabs," Rangers midfielder Charlie Adam said before the postponement was announced.
"Scotland were given help when four clubs agreed to put their games off the weekend before the Euro 2008 qualifier with Italy.
"They knew then that the main players were going to be rested up in advance of the match and that they were not going to get injured.
"That was beneficial and this should be seen as being something for the good of Scottish football in the long run.
"If it was called off then we'd have nobody injured barring an accident in training. Touch wood, that won't happen but in a game situation you never know what might happen.
"We went to Motherwell in September and Darche (Jean-Claude Darcheville) was injured immediately before the last Lyon match."
Rangers have suffered injury setbacks in recent weeks, with DaMarcus Beasley the latest Ibrox star to face a lengthy spell on the sidelines after sustaining a knee ligament injury against Stuttgart last week.
Darcheville then limped out of Saturday's win against Kilmarnock with a hamstring strain, paving the way for Adam's return.

Torres scaling new heights

2007-12-05T13:33:00.000-08:00

Ever since making his first-team debut at just 16, Fernando Torres enjoyed 'prodigal son' status at boyhood club Atletico Madrid, where he wasted little time becoming the first name on successive coaches' team-sheets. Boasting a keen eye for goal and bursting with commitment, he became a hero to the Colchonero fans, who viewed him as the player to finally drag them out the shadow of neighbours Real Madrid.
Yet after five trophyless years in Spanish football's top flight, the lure of a new challenge in England's Premier League proved too strong. Leaving behind the security of a club where the team was built around him, Rafael Benitez's Liverpool offered El Niño a golden opportunity to prove his quality far from the Estadio Vicente Calderon.
Though many doubted his ability to successfully adapt to his new surroundings, Torres has begun his English adventure in fine style, silencing the doubters and letting his goals do the talking.
And if the words of fellow Red Jamie Carragher are anything to go by, he has already earned the respect of his team-mates: "He's a world-class striker and he's probably up there with the best of them. He's incredibly fast and strong. It's just as well that I only have to mark him in training!"

Champions League goals have a very special flavour
Fernando Torres
Torres' latest victims were struggling Bolton Wanderers, the Spaniard scoring the sixth league goal of his fledgling Liverpool career at the weekend to move to the top of the club's goalscoring charts and earn a rapturous ovation from the Anfield faithful. That performance capped a memorable week for the prolific front-runnner, who four days earlier had grabbed his first UEFA Champions League goals with a brace in his side's 4-1 win over 2004 winners FC Porto. "I've been waiting so long for that day," said the man of the moment. " Champions League goals have a very special flavour."
The Madrid-born player has adapted remarkably quickly to the demands of English football, the process clearly smoothed by Liverpool's sizeable Spanish contingent. "It always takes time to get used to a new style of football, but he's found it much easier than many others," says team-mate and compatriot Jose Reina. "But he needs to keep on learning. He's still got a long way to go."
It is an opinion shared by the man responsible for bringing him to Liverpool, Benitez. "Fernando has brought a lot to the team but he still needs to improve and he knows it. The most important thing is that he has a positive attitude and he never stops trying," said the former Valencia gaffer.
After being stuck in something of a rut at his childhood club, the change of scenery has clearly aided Torres' footballing progression. Such was the weight of expectation heaped on El Niño's young shoulders at Atletico, it is perhaps no surprise to see him playing with a new-found sense of freedom.
The move to English soil has also freed Torres off the field, his iconic status with the Atletico fans preventing him from leading anything resembling a normal life in Madrid. Now able to focus solely on playing football, Torres appears to have found the ideal environment to unleash his limitless power and potential.
For club and countryAn early developer at club level, Torres also boasts a vast wealth of international experience for one so young. Having helped Spain to European U-16 and U-19 titles, he made the step up to the full national side at just 19. Boasting a respectable tally of 45 caps and 15 goals for the senior team, Torres can also point to appearances at UEFA EURO 2004 in Portugal and the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™.
Introduced to senior international football by his former mentor at youth level, Inaki Saez, Torres would cement his place as a Furia Roja regular under Saez's replacement, Luis Aragones, who coached him at Atletico. And it was at Germany 2006 that Torres hinted at becoming a true world-class performer, grabbing a stunning late strike in Spain's 4-0 reverse of Ukraine and firing a brace in a 3-1 win over Tunisia. With Spanish fans in euphoric mood, along came a Zinedine Zidane-inspired France to cut short the celebrations and end La Selección's campaign in the Round of 16. For El Niño, missing from Aragones' squad recently through injury, next summer's UEFA EURO 2008 finals could be Spain's chance to set the record straight.
In the meantime, he is set to continue honing his talents in the English game, which he feels is well-suited to his style of play. Out of his Atletico comfort zone, Torres believes the switch has improved his all-round game and in particular his finishing. Not that he is resting on his laurels: "The match that I dream of playing, my best-ever performance, is still to come," he promises.

Van Basten to quit after EUROS

2007-12-05T13:31:00.000-08:00

Marco van Basten is to quit as coach of the Dutch national team after the UEFA EURO 2008 finals it has been announced by Henk Kesler, managing director of the Dutch Football Federation (KNVB). Van Basten's assistant John van't Schip will also leave his post with the former - whose contract runs till July next year - being hotly touted to become coach of Dutch giants and one of his former clubs Ajax.
"By the end of EURO 2008 I will have been national coach for four years, which has given me a lot of pleasure," van Basten told Dutch agency ANP.
"John and myself have no idea what our future holds," added the 43-year-old, refusing to confirm the Ajax rumours.
Van Basten, who was thrice named European Footballer of the Year and collected the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 1992, guided Netherlands to the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ finals, where they were beaten by Portugal in the Round of 16, and then the EURO 2008 finals.
The Dutch, though, face a tough task of emulating their coach's win as a player in the 1988 edition as they have been grouped with world champions Italy, France and Romania.

Boca's good luck charm

2007-12-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

Statistics may not win matches but they can certainly play their part in the psychological battle. One stat Boca Juniors will be hoping to use to their advantage when they step out at the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2007 is Hugo Ibarra's incredible record in finals. The Xeneize talisman has played in eight in the distinctive blue and gold jersey and has been on the winning side every time.
"How do you explain it? Well, there's a bit of good fortune for sure, but you need to work hard to be lucky," the man himself explains to FIFA.com. "I do my bit as part of the team, and you have to remember a lot of teamwork goes into winning tournaments. Football's getting more and more competitive all the time and if you don't work hard and have a good unit, then you've got no chance of reaching finals. Fortunately, those are things Boca have had for years now."
A born winnerA native of El Colorado in the province of Formosa, the 33-year-old started his professional career with Colon of Santa Fe in the Argentinian second division. In 1995 he helped his team earn promotion to the top flight where he quickly acquired a reputation as "the most Brazilian of Argentinian full-backs".
It was an apt description. Despite his relatively slender build, Ibarra regularly demonstrated the very same qualities that have today made him one of the most outstanding performers in his position. A tight marker, comfortable on the ball and adept at getting forward at the right time, these were the qualities that prompted Boca to sign him in 1998.
In the first of his three spells at the Bombonera he helped the club to three league championships, two Copa Libertadores (2000 and 2001) and the Intercontinental Cup in 2000. His displays caught the eye of Portuguese powerhouses FC Porto, who invested nearly eight million euros in him in the middle of 2001. Denied Ibarra's services for the Intercontinental Cup match with Germany's Bayern Munich that same year, Boca duly lost.
By early 2003 the wanderer had returned on loan to his old stomping ground and promptly picked up his third Copa Libertadores winners medal. Within a matter of months, however, he crossed the Atlantic again to turn out for Monaco in France before moving on to La Liga outfit Espanyol. In 2005 he was back in blue and gold once more and has stayed put ever since, raking in yet more silverware in the shape of two further league titles, two Copa Sudamericanas, two Recopa Sudamericanas and a fourth Libertadores crown in 2007.
Sights set on Japan"I left on a high and I went to Europe to win more trophies," says Ibarra when asked about his reasons for leaving Boca not once but twice. "Luckily I performed well and had the chance to play in a Champions League final [he was a member of the Monaco side that lost to Porto in 2004]. But then I felt the need to come back and experience everything Argentinian football has to offer."
In a long career stretching back 14 years, the veteran defender was called up for international duty at the 1997 and 2007 Copa Americas and has already featured in the squad for the South Africa 2010 qualifying matches. With that kind of experience and his intimate knowledge of the European scene, Ibarra is better placed than most to analyse the reasons behind South America's continued success in the FIFA Club World Cup. "It's just one of those things. I don't think it's because the European sides don't take it as seriously. Both the clubs and the fans want to win it and I'm sure they don't like losing out and seeing their opponents take the trophy."
With the big kick-off just a couple of days away, the versatile full-back is guarding against complacency. "Everyone is expecting a Boca-Milan final and I suppose the Italians are too. I'm sure they'll want to get revenge for losing in 2003. We're up for the challenge of playing one of Europe's biggest teams but we've got another game to play first, and no matter who we come up against we need to be very focused to win it."
Even so, Ibarra is at ease with the fact most people have Boca down as one of the favourites. "The club knows how to win tournaments like this. It's all about selecting the right coaches, finding the right players and having good leaders in the side. It's natural that people see us as favourites but we need to keep our feet on the ground. I just hope the trophies keep on coming and we can win the title in Japan."

An Italian renaissance

2007-12-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

In a turn of events bordering on footballing fairy tale status, Christian Panucci is back at the forefront of the Italian game at the age of 34. The international defender must have thought he had seen and done it all, but over the course of a spectacular week recently, he experienced "a night like none [he] had ever known" and discovered goalscoring powers he never thought he possessed.
Solid and versatile, the well-travelled full-back has slipped on the shirt of some of Europe's biggest teams, and he has looked to be enjoying a second youth since joining AS Roma at the start of the 2001/02 season. As Francesco Totti's trusted lieutenant, he serves as a leader both on and off the pitch, and despite his northern roots the fiery Savona native has earned a cherished place in the hearts of the Roman tifosi.
Panucci's relations with his various coaches down the years have been far less amicable, on the other hand, and his outspoken nature goes a long way to explaining his fairly regular change of clubs. Having turned out for AC Milan, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Monaco, he touched down in the Eternal City with the impressive record of an experienced old soldier. Since then, he has made light of the 'old' and put all the accent on his combative qualities - not least by forcing his way back into the national set-up. After winning nearly 50 caps between 7 September 1994 and Italy's group-stage elimination at UEFA EURO 2004, the former Madrid man must have thought his international career was a finished chapter. Indeed, previous coach Marcello Lippi clearly had no faith in him and three long years had passed since he last wore his country's colours. 'I couldn't say no to a friend'That all changed at the end of September, when an injury to Marco Materazzi and the retirements of Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta left trainer Roberto Donadoni facing a defensive crisis ahead of crucial EURO 2008 qualifiers against France and Ukraine. Needing to fill the breach, Donadoni turned to Panucci, his old pal and colleague from their days together at Milan.
"Three years after my last appearance, I thought it was all over for me with the national team because of my age," admitted the Giallorosso defender. "But I couldn't say no to a friend."

Football is like life. A wheel turns and a train doesn't just go by once, whatever people may think.
Christian Panucci
Two months later, on 18 November, he made it look as if he had never been away as he silenced the strident crowd packed into Glasgow's Hampden Park by scoring Italy's last-minute winner in the 2-1 victory over Scotland. Powering the ball in with his head, he guaranteed his team a berth at UEFA EURO 2008 in the process. "I've experienced plenty of wins and happy moments, but that was a night like none I'd ever known!" he said afterwards, also celebrating his 51 st cap. " Football is like life. A wheel turns and a train doesn't just go by once, whatever people may think."
If that performance left Panucci feeling philosophical, he soon had even more reasons to contemplate his renaissance. Roma's very next Serie A outing took them to Genoa and their veteran defender once again hit the target, notching the only goal of a 1-0 win. Then, still floating on a cloud, he struck Roma's first in their 4-1 triumph away to Dynamo Kiev, a result that wrapped up qualification for the UEFA Champions League last 16. That capped a stellar week for the seasoned campaigner and it is one he is unlikely to forget in a hurry. "It's true that everything is going right for me at the moment," he said. "But above all it's important for the team. In life, I've always known how to look after myself, while always trying to give everything."
Club and country goalsUnder contract with Roma until 2009, Panucci would love to end his career in the Italian capital. "I'm nearly 35 years old (12 April) and I feel very good at Roma," he said, before acknowledging that the years are catching up with him. "The problem is that I can no longer play 70 matches a season and my age means I have to pace myself physically."
That policy could very definitely bear fruit this term, with a number of important clashes on the horizon for a team Panucci feels is ready to compete. "I think Roma are at the same level as Milan or Real Madrid, with whom I won two Champions League medals," he explained. As proof of their quality they have hardly suffered at all during the long absence of captain and goalscorer-in-chief Totti, thanks in large part to the fierce efforts of their No2. But Panucci is also conscious that they are not the finished article: "On the other hand, we have to learn to be smarter and if we do that we can still improve a lot."
As for the challenges awaiting the Azzurri, he hopes his friendship with the man calling the shots will help keep him back in the limelight until next summer at the very least. After all, he has another dream to fulfil: the dream of lifting a trophy with the national side.

Dudek eyes exit as EUROS approach

2007-12-05T13:22:00.000-08:00

Goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek wants to leave Real Madrid in the January transfer window in search of regular first-team action for the rest of the season, so he can win a place in the Polish national team for UEFA EURO 2008. "I've got a three-year contract with Real Madrid but I want to look at the possibility of leaving," the 34-year-old told Spanish sports daily Marca on Wednesday.
"Poland have qualified for the European championship for the first time and I have received an important call from the coach Leo Beenhakker, who told me that if I played regularly I would be his keeper at EURO 2008. I want to play at the European championship because it will be a historic moment for our country and I haven't played at all in Madrid. I think the best thing now is that we sit down and talk."
Dudek joined Real as a free agent from Liverpool in the close season to provide cover for first-choice keeper Iker Casillas, but the Pole has yet to play for the club in either La Liga or the UEFA Champions League. "I would like to leave," Dudek added.
"If I were 26 I would never leave Real Madrid even if I was second choice, but things have changed with the call from Poland. I'm 34 and they have given me hope of playing in an important tournament.
"I know I will only have a chance if I play regularly in the next few months. Real have the final word... but I want to be totally honest with them about this."
Poland have been drawn alongside Germany, Croatia and co-hosts Austria in Group B at the EURO 2008 finals.

Wolfsburg confirm interest in Lehmann

2007-12-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

Felix Magath, coach of Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg, says he is interested in signing Arsenal's disgruntled goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.
German international Lehmann has fallen out of favour at the north London club and hinted of a desire to leave the Premier League giants unless he wins back his first-team place.
Lehmann's position at Arsenal is looking less and less tenable after the German criticised both first-choice shot-stopper Spaniard Manuel Almunia and manager Arsene Wenger earlier this season.
"Jens Lehmann is one of the top people in his position," Magath told German television channel DSF.
"He is a man with vast experience and he would be a welcome addition to the team.
"Of course we are interested in signing someone like him, we want to improve our position both in Germany and Europe."
Both Lehmann and Germany's reserve goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand, who is struggling for first-team football at Valencia, have been targeted by Magath.
"Everyone knows that I am a big fan of Timo Hildebrand, I coached him at Stuttgart and I would be interested in hearing from him."

Real Betis sack coach Cuper

2007-12-05T11:35:00.001-08:00

Struggling Real Betis sacked their coach Hector Cuper after Sunday's 2-0 home defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Primera Liga on Sunday.
The result left the side, who avoided relegation by a point last season, second-bottom in the standings with two wins from 14 matches.
"Cuper has proven himself to be a gentleman throughout his time at the head of the team. It is the results that have been the reason for his departure," Betis said in a statement on their website (www.realbetisbalompie.es).
The 52-year-old Argentine, who has also coached Valencia and Inter Milan among others, had been in the post since July.
Youth team coach Francisco Chaparro will take charge of side.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka or Messi? Cristiane, Marta or Prinz?

2007-12-05T11:32:00.000-08:00

The three remaining contenders for this year's FIFA World Player title are Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Kaká (Brazil) and Lionel Messi (Argentina), whereas Brazilian duo Cristiane and Marta will contest the FIFA Women's World Player award with Germany's Birgit Prinz.
These two trios (each listed in alphabetical order) can now be confirmed after a poll of the coaches and captains of men's and women's national teams around the world, who cast their votes on the basis of two lists of candidates drawn up by FIFA - comprising 30 players for the men's award and 26 for the women's.
While Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, Messi and Cristiane will all be looking to claim a FIFA World Player crown at their first attempt, Marta (2006) and Birgit Prinz (2003, 2004, 2005) are familiar faces who have already won the prestigious award.
The identities of the winners of the gold, silver and bronze awards will be revealed on Monday, 17 December, when the FIFA World Player Gala is held at Zurich's world-famous opera house for the fourth consecutive year.
In addition to the customary FIFA Presidential Award and FIFA Fair Play Award, the 17th FIFA World Player Gala will also honour the best players of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Korea 2007 (Germany's Toni Kroos), the FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007 (Argentina's Sergio Agüero) and the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Rio de Janeiro 2007 (Brazil's Buru).

German women receive top honour

2007-12-05T11:30:00.000-08:00

Germany's women's national team was presented on Wednesday by German President Horst Koehler with the Silver Laurel Leaf, the highest national honour for sporting achievement.
The team received the honour after winning the FIFA Women's World Cup China 2007. By beating Brazil 2-0 in the final, they became the first side to retain the title.
President Koehler presented the honour at Berlin's Bellevue Castle. "You represent everything this award stands for with your outstanding achievement and personalities," he said.
Germany's coach Silvia Neid was presented with the Distinguished Service Cross for her services to football.
Germany will host the next FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011.

Inzaghi delighted at breaking record

2007-12-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

Record-breaking Italian striker Filippo Inzaghi has spoken of his joy following the moment he scored his record 63rd goal in European competition against Celtic on Tuesday. The AC Milan marksman's winner in the 1-0 UEFA Champions League win made sure Milan finished top of Group D, and allowed Inzaghi to surpass German great Gerd Muller as the all-time top goalscorer in European competition.
As as was the case with so many of his 62 previous strikes, Inzaghi's goal was laid on a plate for him after sterling work down the right from Brazilians Kaka and Cafu. Inzaghi was in the right place at the right time and tapped home from five yards out before wheeling away to celebrate beating Muller's strike tally.
"It was a strange feeling, like inner peace," he told the Gazetta dello Sport. "In one moment I relived every one of my 62 previous goals, the training environment, hundreds of matches, the pain and the joy of this fabulous job which, frankly, for me is not a job but a passion.
"That's my only secret: the desire to run, to enjoy myself, to score, to cheer. I had a tear in my eye and I feel no shame. At 34 years of age I feel like a child: that's my strength."
Celtic needed a point to secure their passage to the next round for the second year in a row, but in the end it was Benfica's win at Shakhtar Donetsk that ensured the Scots' qualification. For their part, AC Milan achieved their aim of finishing top of the group, Inzaghi's winner brought back memories of his double strike at the Champions League final in Athens last year when AC Milan outclassed Liverpool 2-1.
"After the triumph in Athens, I couldn't have asked for anything more but fate gave me another incredible evening, and amazingly, this was in front of our own fans," he said. "I'm delighted to have beaten the record at the San Siro.
"I've had a difficult week with a fever and taking antibiotics and, at the end of it all, I had cramps. But I'm really so happy. Firstly I thought about my family, who have been through so many tough times with me when I was injured. "I've got to thank all my team-mates in every team that I've played, especially those at Milan. Without my teammates I wouldn't be top of the European goalscorers' charts. I'm a striker, I feed off the team, their crosses, their passes.
"In my career I've always had the good fortune to play in great teams with great players. But this Milan team is truly special, that's the truth."
And he had a special word of thanks for his fellow veteran Cafu, who played the decisive pass for that 63rd successful strike on goal. "I also want to thank Cafu who gave me a golden pass which I just had to push into the goal."
World title tilt On Wednesday, Inzaghi was due to head out to Tokyo with his team-mates to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2007, where Milan will be aiming to become the first Europeans to claim the title in the competition's fourth edition.
"You feel great wearing this jersey (Milan's) and I hope that we can win the World Club Cup to round off the cycle that began in Athens," he added.
With Ronaldo due back in the side soon and Alberto Gilardino usually preferred to Inzaghi in the lone striking role, Inzaghi is taking a humble approach to his future chances of scoring. "Scoring in Tokyo? That would be too much, I can't ask for another goal in a huge match."

Yamada hopeful for Urawa

2007-12-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

On 14 November 2006, Urawa's Saitama stadium was a sea of jubilant red after the club secured the AFC Champions League title for the first time. Among the many memorable images that day was that of veteran captain and midfielder Nobuhisa Yamada embracing his joyous team-mates on the final whistle before raising the trophy aloft to an earth-shaking roar by appreciative fans.
Of course, there was nothing unusual about Nobuhisa Yamada hoisting another trophy aloft - the captain has been doing so on a regular basis in recent years for the club, including after their maiden title win at the 2003 Nabisco Cup, their J.League title success in 2006 and the Emperor's Cup triumphs of 2005 and 2006. What was different on this occasion, however, was the Yamada had to watch proceedings from the dugout and wait his turn to lift the coveted prize.
The right-sided midfielder was denied a place in the final against Iran's Sepahan after picking up a muscle strain in a J.League fixture against Nagoya on 28 October. Ironically, the injury, which meant four to five weeks on the sidelines, came just days after Yamada and his team-mates had heroically overcome Korea's Seongnam Ilhwa in the Champions League semi-final.
Yamada was born on 10 September 1975 in the Shizuoka prefecture of Fujieda, one of the country's footballing hotbeds. He graduated from the prestigious Fujieda Higashi football school and joined Urawa in 1994. Since then he has shared many ups and downs with the Saitama outfit without previously suffering a serious injury in more than 500 appearances. Indeed, such was the midfielder's durability that he earned a reputation for being an "iron man" among the fans.
Despite their pursuit of both domestic and continental honours and the punishing schedule this would entail, the one eventuality the club did not foresee was the loss of their stalwart captain. Yamada explained to FIFA.com the sacrifices needed for such an assault on two fronts: "It was the first time we had to combine the demands of domestic and international competitions and so, obviously, accumulated fatigue affected all the players. As well as a tight schedule, the travelling was punishing and the matches themselves were very tough. In spite of all this, we became Asian champions because we were hugely motivated and never gave in."
Reflecting on the final against Iranian team Sepahan, the player said: "It was a pity I missed the decider, but I'm really glad that the team won the title. The current Urawa squad are capable of achieving results even when players are missing. We were typically resilient in the second leg as well, even though we were pushed back after the break. I must admit I was a bit nervous until we scored our [second] goal."
Since the current format of the Asian Champions League was introduced in 2002, no J.League team had managed to get past the group stage until this year. It came as no surprise then to see the progress to the knockout phase this year of Urawa and compatriots Kawasaki Frontale immediately raising expectations. With Urawa's coach Osieck insisting his side take it one game at a time, it was not until they defeated their Korean opponents in the semi-final that Yamada felt the Asian title was within their grasp. "Looking back at the Champions League, the toughest match was against Seongnam Ilhwa. So we were determined to win the title after beating them."
Urawa had floundered in the lower reaches of the league table for a while after the club's formation, finishing rock-bottom in 1999 and suffering the ignominy of relegation to Japanese football's second tier. Yamada, who experienced Urawa's "Dark Age" first-hand, is visibly moved by how the club has gone from strength to strength since then. "I'm certain that the team are at the peak of their powers, though my best days are behind me unfortunately," he says with characteristic modesty. "Every player is extremely gifted and, though they all have strong characters, they are able to work together for the good of the team."
The 32-year-old veteran, known for his humility and rare displays of emotion, was asked what part he has played in the club's success in his role as captain. Typically understated, the experienced skipper replied that "I haven't done anything special. They all come together naturally." He went on to add: "Appearing at a FIFA Club World Cup is an important starting point for the team. It's not an ultimate aim, it's just the beginning. We need to keep the momentum going into next year and the year after that."
As a child, he was there to witness a Michel Platini-inspired Juventus defeat Argentinos Juniors on penalties in the 1985 Intercontinental (Toyota) Cup final. A great admirer of Italian football, Yamada says he would "love to win our first match and play against AC Milan. I'm looking forward to seeing how far we can go." He went on to add that "I've only watched Milan from a fan's perspective and I've never observed or studied them as potential opponents. To be honest, it still hasn't quite sunk in, but given where I play on the pitch I might be up against [Paulo] Maldini. I'm really looking forward to it because it's not often you get to play against such an experienced player."
Also eager to see him take on such luminaries of the global game are the Urawa Red Diamonds supporters, who have been willing their hero on in his race back to full fitness. For the tens of thousands of "Red Devils" who are expected to pack the stadium come December's showpiece, seeing their inspirational captain grace the world stage will be a poignant reminder of just how far their club has come.

Kaka: A burning desire

2007-12-05T11:09:00.000-08:00

Kaka: A burning desire
(FIFA.com) Monday 3 December 2007

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Sitting opposite Kaka, the first thing that strikes you is the contrast between the tranquil person in front of you, and the driven, powerful, often unstoppable player who incites passions the world over with his skill, speed and elegance.
One cannot but think of the numerous spectacular goals the newly-crowned Ballon d'Or winner and FIFA World Player of the Year nominee has scored, in particular the ten netted in last season's edition of the UEFA Champions League, including three in Milan's semi-final victory over Manchester United. Unsurprisingly, this goal haul made him the competition's top scorer and went a long way to helping his side claim the continent's top trophy, and with it UEFA's coveted slot at Japan 2007.
Listening to his down-to-earth answers and intelligent reasoning, you quickly realise that Kaka is no ordinary individual, but instead a young man perfectly suited to the environment and era in which he finds himself. The only question now is whether he and Milan can go on to conquer the world.
FIFA.com: Kaka, with Japan 2007 just around the corner, what are your expectations?Kaka: I must admit I have a burning desire to win the Club World Cup, especially with it being my second crack at this title. I first played in it in 2003 - the format was different then - and I haven't forgotten our defeat that year to Boca Juniors. This time, my team-mates and I will be hugely motivated to see that things work out right for us. I'm sure we are up to the challenge.
Now that you mention Boca. Can you envisage another final against the Argentinians?Let's take it one step at a time. First we have a semi-final to contest, even if we don't know yet who we'll be facing in it. I think it would be really nice but also risky if we came up against the home side [Urawa Red Diamonds] in our opening game. With them enjoying home advantage, they'd be sure to have a huge backing. If I'm honest, though, I love performing to packed stadiums in front of an enthusiastic and passionate fans, even when it's at our opponents' grounds.
Staying with Boca for a moment, it augurs well for a possible clash with the Argentinians that their nickname is the Xeneizes (the Genoese). This year in Serie A, Milan have fared very well against the teams from Genoa, who they have often struggled against in the past.Let's hope that little coincidence brings us luck in Japan. But yes, we played magnificently away to Sampdoria and Genoa and won comprehensively on both occasions. That said, we've been lacking a bit of consistency in the league, although I'm convinced we'll arrive in Japan in excellent condition. If we make the final and end up facing the Argentinians, we'll have to reproduce the best form we've shown this season; in other words decisiveness as well as quality and creativity. The same would apply if we were to meet the Tunisians (Etoile Sahel) or the Mexicans (Pachuca).
Milan will play their semi-final on 13 December at the International Stadium Yokohama, which is also the venue for the final. It's a stadium you have fond memories of we imagine. Very much so. It was there that Brazil won the World Cup in 2002 after beating Germany in the final. It's a day I'll never forget and one I hope to experience again at South Africa 2010.

I hope to be able to help my country finally heal the wound left by one of the most painful defeats in the history of football: our defeat to Uruguay at the 1950 World Cup.
Kaka
Perhaps even at the edition after that, which will take place in your native Brazil.By then, I'll be 32, but I hope to be able to help my country finally heal the wound left by one of the most painful defeats in the history of football: our defeat to Uruguay at the 1950 World Cup. Before that, however, I have my sights set on winning other titles. Apart from the 2010 World Cup, I'd dearly love to win the gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, as it's missing from the Seleção's list of honours. And let's not forget the Confederations Cup in 2009.
Getting back to the FIFA Club World Cup, after winning the last three editions, Brazil's teams are conspicuous by their absence this year. Another way to look at it is, with an Argentinian side as our main rivals this year and so many Brazilians at Milan, it will be down to our team to continue the success enjoyed by my compatriots in recent years. Sure, there are other Serie A sides with Brazilians in their ranks, but at Milan, with Cafu, Emerson, Ronaldo, Dida and the rest, I feel like I'm part of a mini-national team.
If the Rossoneri do reach the final, club president Silvio Berlusconi plans to jet out to Japan ahead of the big day. Is this a measure of the importance the club are placing on this competition?The expectation is building by the day. I only need to think of the courage of [Rino] Gattuso or the desire and willpower of [Paolo] Maldini to realise we're going to win it. We're a tight-knit group and the squad is made up of genuine champions with the experience that comes with winning everything the game has to offer. There is no sense of envy among us. From the moment I arrived here four years ago, I've never had the slightest problem. I feel I've blended in well and I know I play a very significant part out on the pitch. On the other hand, I'm well aware that individuals rarely win you things; it's always the team.
For AC Milan, and even yourself, victory in Japan could be the culmination of a fantastic era. Can you see yourself leaving Milan some day? I have a contract with Milan with a long time still to run on it, and I feel happy here. I belong to an institution that has enabled me to realise my dreams. Moreover, in a few months time, my wife is due to give birth to our baby. Here I feel appreciated and I'm surrounded by fellow Brazilians, with whom I share a small but very unified community. To tell you the truth, the thought of leaving has never even entered my head, even though in football, there are not many things you can be really sure about. Even with something as simple as food, here in Italy you eat exceptionally well. My favourite dish is pasta, and I can't imagine there's anywhere where they do better pasta dishes.
Would you consider returning to play in your homeland one day, what with the economy starting to recover again?It would be wonderful to have such an opportunity in the years to come. In Brazil, there are many, many players, and they all want to come to Europe, as here we have the richest and most prestigious leagues in the world. Nevertheless, I think it will be many years before the current situation changes.

In Brazil, players learn very quickly that the Club World Cup is the most important [club] title.
Kaka
To sum up, what does the FIFA Club World Cup mean to you?In Brazil, players learn very quickly that the Club World Cup is the most important [club] title. You have to win the Copa Libertadores to earn the right to take part. However, in Europe it's the opposite. The highest aspiration is to win the Champions League, and the Club World Cup is a bonus. That said, for a variety of reasons, things are different this year. At Milan, there are veterans like Maldini, who will shortly hang up his boots, and others like myself who have never won this trophy. In addition, there are players like Ronaldo who have on the sidelines for a while and therefore are hungry to shine again on a big stage. In brief, we're 100 per cent focused on the job in hand and we want that Cup.

Reds savour famous win

2007-03-31T17:29:00.000-07:00

Seldom can a 1-0 reverse have been received so rapturously. As a sea of scarves engulfed Anfield and a suitably reverential version of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' echoed around it, Barcelona's victory on the night appeared an irrelevance. Theirs was a hollow triumph, Liverpool's a heroic defeat.
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Steven Gerrard hails the Liverpool fans as they celebrate a famous win at Anfield.
If the loss to Manchester United by the same scoreline seemed unfortunate, this was an injustice. But as the 2006 Champions League winners exited at the hands of the predecessors, the result on the night mattered not. The significant score was Liverpool 2 Barcelona 2; the away goals rule will be cherished on Merseyside for years to come.
The performance should be, too. For the second time in a fortnight, Rafael Benitez out-thought Frank Rijkaard, Steve Finnan subdued Ronaldinho, Momo Sissoko covered untold miles and Jamie Carragher defied anyone and anything that crossed his path.
While Ronaldinho struck the post before Eidur Gudjohnsen handed Barcelona their pyrrhic win, perhaps the most gifted team since AC Milan a decade and a half ago were some way less than the sum of their remarkable parts.
'We were a little bit lucky to win tonight,' Rijkaard said. 'I'm very proud of this fighting spirit shown by my team. It's the result that we didn't want, we're to blame for our own destiny. The overall tie has been decided not by tonight but by the result in the Camp Nou.'
Benitez, with his usual understatement, said: 'I am really pleased and I am proud of my players. I don't like to talk about tactically battles between managers. I think it's all about players and what they do on the field.
'Sure, I think I set up my players nicely tactically.'
Rijkaard, too, acclaimed the home side, but with a caveat. 'Congratulations to Liverpool, they put in a great performance. Let's not forget it's difficult to play against Liverpool in the style they play.'
However, he also used the word 'direct' twice which, given Barcelona's tradition of expansive attacking, sounds like damning Liverpool with faint praise. It was also unfair; if Liverpool were not a freeform ensemble like their visitors, organisation did not prevent them from playing some attractive football, especially on the counter-attack.
But while Rijkaard possessed the more flamboyant attacking talents, Benitez had the more coherent tactics. At times Andres Iniesta, essentially a creative midfielder, occupied the left-back role; an indication of Barcelona's attacking intent and Rijkaard's devotion to playmakers, yet meaning that Gianluca Zambrotta, the finest full-back in the World Cup, was stationed on the bench.
It is safe to assume Benitez noted it. The second half began with Steven Gerrard exploiting the spaces Iniesta vacated on Barcelona's left flank, before the introduction of Jermaine Pennant, a specialist right winger. Both created opportunities that could have hastened Barcelona's exit.
With Xavi Hernandez producing a wonderful exhibition of passing, the possession, predictably, was monopolised by Barcelona. Yet the majority of the chances were created by Liverpool, swift and incisive on the counter-attack and bold in their long-range shooting. John Arne Riise, whose prowess from distance is undisputed, fizzed a shot narrowly wide and then struck a wonderful half-volley that rebounded back of the bar.
The upright was rattled, too, by Sissoko, meeting Victor Valdes' misplaced clearance with a first-time shot. The product of quick thinking, it merited a goal and it surely would have been the first the Malian midfielder had scored from 40 yards.
And yet Barcelona were most fortunate to preserve parity on another attack when Craig Bellamy, Dirk Kuyt and Riise were all denied, the two strikers by Valdes. The goalkeeper kept out a brace of shots from Gerrard, while Kuyt volleyed just wide.
They may provide further evidence that Benitez would be well advised to sign a striker in the summer, though Kuyt's work ethic was phenomenal. Peter Crouch, his replacement, was guilty of a glaring miss in injury time. Yet the close shaves preserved the intensity of a compelling contest; Gudjohnsen's goal merely increased it.
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Reds' defender Jamie Carragher kept Ronaldinho and company at bay.
While Kuyt had been the most prominent striker on display. Samuel Eto'o, the most significant absentee for the first leg, returned but lacking the sharpness and the remit he required. 'Eto'o wanted to be out there fighting with his team-mates tonight so we had to give him a chance to take part,' Rijkaard rationalised.
But, as he had in the Champions League final, the Dutchman opted to begin with Ronaldinho as his main striker and Eto'o on the left flank. It remains a baffling tactic, even though the Brazilian ghosted past Alvaro Arbeloa to whip a shot against Jose Reina's post in the second half.
It was Barcelona's first shot of note. The second resulted in a goal, the substitute Gudjohnsen strolling around Jose Reina to sidefoot in.
Yet the paucity of chances otherwise reflected on a fantastic defensive effort. At its heart was a colossal performance by Carragher, the power of his tackling matched by immaculate timing; Finnan was second only to him for invaluable interceptions, but the recovery powers and anticipation of the centre-back made his the stand-out performance.
His mastery of the last-ditch challenge brought a chorus from the Kop of 'We all dream of a team of Carraghers'. They may not score often, but they would be unbeatable nonetheless.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Jamie Carragher - Absolutely immense. A display to rival those in the final and semi-final two years ago.
MOAN OF THE MATCH: Referee Herbert Fandel was card-happy in a match lacking entirely in malice. Such bookings could eventually rule someone out of a Champions League final.
LIVERPOOL VERDICT: This was evidence of their aptitude for knockout games, especially on European nights. Benitez's reputation will, rightly, be enhanced and, while Liverpool are not the most able or penetrative team remaining in the Champions League, they will take some stopping. And yet - for this is the paradox of Liverpool now - back-to-back 1-0 defeats at Anfield suggested further investment is required to assemble a clinical forward line.
BARCELONA VERDICT: Rarely is a team so blessed with technique and natural ability, yet the feeling persists that all is not right with Barcelona. Arguably the three most ineffective players that started were Eto'o, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi. That reflects on the Liverpool defence, but must represent a cause for concern for Rijkaard nonetheless.
WHO'S THAT SNEAKING OUT? Luton manager - and lifelong Liverpool fan - Mike Newell was in the crowd, rather than the directors' box, but opted to leave in the 89th minute. Few others were willing to tempt fate by doing likewise.

Tottenham's Lennon looking for Euro ticket

2007-03-31T17:26:00.000-07:00

Aaron Lennon believes Tottenham need to qualify for Europe next season to continue their progress since he arrived at White Hart Lane.
Spurs have reached the latter stages of three trophies this season which boss Martin Jol feels is improvement as they are still in the top half of the Premiership, but reaching the UEFA Cup again through their league place is far from certain.
Manchester United and Chelsea remaining in the FA Cup means finishing seventh could be enough, and defeating Reading at home tomorrow will keep them on track.
'It will be a step back if we don't qualify for the UEFA Cup,' said Lennon. 'With the team we have and how well we've done this year it would be a step back.'
Spurs were a win away from a Champions League place in Lennon's first season at the club, a campaign that ended with the winger being called into England's World Cup squad.
'In the first season people didn't know who I was, this season teams have been doing their homework on me and a lot of times I'll have a couple of players marking me, maybe even three,' he added.
Despite the extra attention, Lennon has helped Spurs into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, their consolation for dropping out of the top four on the final day of last season with defeat at West Ham.
'It hurt the lads a lot,' admitted Lennon. 'Especially when they were celebrating after the game.'
After the Reading game, Spurs face Sevilla on Thursday in Spain before switching their attention back to the Premiership with a clash at champions Chelsea.
Lennon moved in from the flanks and had a central role in the 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup, one of the recent high-scoring games when the Spurs attack has impressed.
'With Spurs I want to win the UEFA Cup and qualify for Europe,' Lennon said. 'The Champions League will obviously be difficult but we definitely want to qualify for UEFA Cup again.'
He added: 'The players we have are always capable of scoring goals, so we've had some exciting matches this season.

Makaay scores 100th Bayern goal in Schalke win

2007-03-31T17:22:00.000-07:00

BERLIN, March 31 (Reuters) - Roy Makaay scored his 100th goal for Bayern Munich as the champions roared back into the Bundesliga title race with a 2-0 win at home to leaders Schalke 04 on Saturday.
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Makaay put Bayern ahead in the third minute when he took a Mark van Bommel pass and crashed in. The home side kept control and Hasan Salihamidzic squeezed in a shot 12 minutes from time to complete the victory.
Werder Bremen missed the chance to replace Schalke at the top as they were held to a goalless draw at Energie Cottbus.
With seven games to play, Schalke are top on 53 points, followed by Werder on 51.
VfB Stuttgart are still in the running after they won 3-1 at home to Alemannia Aachen to remain third on 49 points.
Bayern, who take on AC Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals next week, are in fourth on 47, back within six points of the leaders and still in with a chance to claim a third successive league title.
'We deserved the win because of all the chances we created,' Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld told reporters. 'We were also solid at the back and that will give us confidence for the next game.'
Bayern, struggling to keep up in the league after taking just one point from their two previous games, were given the perfect start with Makaay's 13th Bundesliga goal of the season. It was his 75th in the Bundesliga and his 100th in competitive matches since joining Bayern in 2003, the club said.
Bastian Schweinsteiger took the ball in from the left and found Van Bommel. He then teed up fellow Dutchman Makaay to run in and clatter a shot into the top corner.
The rest of the first half was largely free of chances, as Bayern kept possession well without really threatening a second.
There was much more urgency from both sides after the break.
Makaay should have made it 2-0 in the 48th minute when he was put through on goal but this time Manuel Neuer saved brilliantly.
Neuer did well again to keep out a Lukas Podolski effort in the 56th minute and Bayern kept pushing until eventually the second arrived, with Lucio's pass setting up Salihamidzic to smash in.

Pelé: The Ultimate Number 10

2007-03-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

He is soccer's global icon. A figurehead for the sport, generally acclaimed as the greatest player to have ever laced up his boots. He's had audiences with five Popes, seventy presidents, served as a minister in the Brazilian government and even found the time to play the odd game of football.
Gloria Books/Soccernet
His name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, but you will know him as Pelé.
Gloria Books have created a definitive tribute to the man, the largest, most comprehensive and first ever 'big book' of soccer, and this truly is a collectors item.
Weighing in at 16kg, and measuring 45cms by 35cms, every copy is personally signed by Pelé and consists of 720 pages in rich colour. The downside? There are only 2,500 copies available, and it will cost at least £1,600 ($3,000) to get hold of one.
That said, you are buying a work of art rather than just a book. It has 1,700 images and over 300,000 words from sixty years worth of interviews, articles, biographies, programmes and personal memorabilia.
As well as some newly commissioned work from sportswriters of the likes of Hugh McIlvanney and Brian Glanville.
The publishing team spent two years researching the material and enlisting the help of 220 contributors in order to cover every key moment of Pelé's life, from early childhood to the modern day.
While the team's exhaustive research at libraries across the globe has uncovered some photos that have lain hidden for decades. With photographers including Allan Tannenbaum, Marvin Newman, Neil Leifer, William Klein, Juergen Teller and Lord Litchfield, and some rarely seen art by Andy Warhol.
It was never going to be an easy task to put together, but what a job they've done.
Charting the life of a man who scored 1,281 professional goals and picked up three World Cup winners' medals, the book is an incredible tribute for the ultimate number 10.
Without being the best at passing, heading, or dribbling, Pelé became the embodiment of all footballing virtues for millions across the world and is still seen as the greatest player of all time.
As Joao Maximo says of him: 'In the eyes of the world, he is the epitome of truth in football: the great player is not necessarily the specialist, but someone who, without being the best in anything, is excellent at everything.'
Not only an icon in his native Brazil, the book shows how Pelé was able to break America in 1975, kick-starting the North American Soccer League with the New York Cosmos team and winning the league in 1977.
Gloria's 'Pelé' is available in two editions. The 'Super Samba' edition is bound in rich brown silk and limited to only 250 copies, at £2,000 ($3,750), with a signed photo from all the surviving members of the great 1970 Brazilian World Cup winning side. You can also get a display unit and presentation case to boot.
The 'Samba' edition is limited to only 2,100 copies, but comes in at a more reasonable £1,600 ($3,000). It also features an introduction by FIFA President Sepp Blatter, and each copy is individually numbered and signed by Pelé himself.
Both editions are made in exquisite quality and the design and production are simply breathtaking, as you would expect for something that costs that much.
Obviously the downside is the price, and the availabilty, but if you're a collector with a lot of money then you'd better act quickly, because they won't be around for long.

Is this the season for FIFA 07?

2007-03-31T17:07:00.000-07:00

You know the new footballing season is well underway. Why? Because the gaming companies have released their new football games, fresh for 2007. Traditionally, the battle for perfection has always been between the new FIFA game and Pro Evolution Soccer; whatever the platform, these two have dominated the football genre for the past few years and nothing looks to have changed this time around.
EA Sports/Other
Ronaldinho gets his own tricks in this years new FIFA 07 game.
FIFA 07 got off the mark first, releasing the new game at the end of September 2006 with the slogan 'This is the Season'. And it was worth the wait. This season the EA Sports team have made all the necessary changes from its predecessor and thrown in a few new touches which will take your breath away.
While the game looks great and has an excellent soundtrack, backed up by the likes of Muse and Keane providing the pre-match tunes, FIFA 07 has teamed up with ESPNSoccernet to provide the very best online experience you can find.
The Interactive Leagues not only allow you to mimic your team's fixtures in real-time, and play against other online gamers, they also provide a Live Anywhere option which gives you special podcasts from EA UK and our very own ESPNSoccernet online news, live scores and results ticker.
The gameplay is smooth, with passing that depends on the position and balance of the player. Long shots at goal are also dependant on the player's situation, with the ball reacting more realistically to hitting a post or swerving in the air. Star players like Ronaldinho and David Beckham also get their own signature moves.
However, the game is almost too easy. AI Goalkeepers rarely come off their line in a one-on-one situation and free kicks can be bent around the wall far too easily. Players jostle and fight for possession in the air, but the strikers are too often able to receive the ball to feet without being challenged.
That said, there are some excellent features that really make playing a joy. The fans begin to chant 'Ole' when your team are three goals up, you can occasionally hear the players calling to each other and the spectacular goals are still breathtaking when you can pull them off. A personal highlight was to lob the 'keeper from the halfway line when he'd fluffed a clearance, and a free kick that bounced off the bar and over the line before being given as a goal.
There are simply tons of little touches that you will keep noticing even after months of playing. The 'morale' indicator is great, making your side confident when they score and sluggish and inept when you concede- just like real life! And there is an excellent Manager Mode which gives you control of the club's finances, transfers as well as the performances on the pitch.
THE GOOD: Slick passing, fast paced and excellent graphics with a great choice of 27 Leagues from around the world. Top quality music and online capabilities, with all registered players and names, and a brilliant Manager Mode.
THE BAD: Almost too easy, leading to high scoring games and could use another difficulty level. Bad goalkeeping and defence don't help this issue, and the editor isn't fully up to date which is annoying (although this can be remedied).
THE VERDICT: If you're an online gamer you'll love it. If you're not, you'll still love it as there are plenty of Leagues to win and loads of little improvements to keep you happy, although you may get bored of winning 5-0 once you get the hang of it.

The Fall and Rise of Alain Perrin

2007-03-31T17:02:00.000-07:00

Sacked by Portsmouth two years ago, Alain Perrin - unlike his 1970s BBC comedy counterpart Reginald - didn't quite fake his own suicide, even if he did disappear off the footballing radar for a spot of gardening leave after Milan Mandaric wielded the axe.
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Sochaux manager Alain Perrin has surprised many with his side's success this season in Ligue 1.
But after a six-month spell of fuscia-fondling, Perrin - the man who rescued Pompey from scraping by on parachute payments in the Championship during the honeymoon period of his eight months in charge - is back on the bench and blooming at Sochaux.
Arriving in eastern France last summer, Perrin took charge of a team which finished 15th in the 20-team Ligue 1 and began the current campaign with no greater ambition than creeping into the top ten.
After a good start, like so many surprise packages, this modest club appeared to be in their place when they slipped down to 13th at the end of September when they succumbed to Lyon.
But they surprisingly recovered, and have not left the top six since the end of November, currently sitting prettily in sixth despite last weekend's defeat to Bordeaux, just three points off third and what would be a shock Champions League place.
'We're agreeably surprised,' admitted Perrin. 'There's a good understanding within the team, a good quality of play. There's the new players and the young players who have shown that they have a lot of quality.'
At one of France's most modest outfits, Perrin has had to work with a budget so shoestring you would barely be able to lace up a pair of flip-flops.
He cannily negotiated his way through the transfer market last summer, picking out a few talented Ligue 1 journeymen and number of youngsters who may, or may not, make the grade.
Jerome Leroy, who counts Paris Saint Germain, Marseille and Lens on his lengthy CV, arrived from Beitar Jerusalem, while another PSG old boy Stephane Pichot gave up the glitz of the capital to be reunited with Lionel Potillon in defence alongside former Lyon, Inter Milan and Real Sociedad left-back Jeremie Brechet.
Karim Ziani, who Perrin brought to prominence in his spell as boss of Troyes between in the 1990s and early noughties, was plucked from the second division and has hit eight valuable goals this season, making him the club's joint-top scorer with Alvaro Santos, a little-known Brazilian who'd been finding the net regularly in Denmark.
If you throw into that the seasoned Philippe Brunel and Mikael Isabey, as well as youthful Liverpool flop Anthony Le Tallec and fresh-faced strikers Julien Quercia and Slovenian Valter Birsa, it is a disparate blend which Perrin has somehow moulded into an effective unit.
'We had to take a risk on young players,' said Perrin, who needed to factor in the club's lack of financial wallop when compensating for the summer departures of offensive midfielder Jeremy Menez and last season's top scorer Ilan to Monaco and St Etienne respectively.
'We took Birsa, who had shown some interesting things in Slovenia. We had to wed the young players with experienced players.
'There were also experienced players who had stayed from last season. Isabey, [Romain] Pitau amongst others. There were some very good attackers like Menez or Ilan, who left. So we had to rebuild the team.'
While the line-up might look cobbled together, the results have been far from down-at-heel.
Only the top three - Lyon, Lens and Lille - have lost fewer Ligue 1 matches this season. They have reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup and are in with a great chance of reaching the French Cup final as they face a team of butchers, bakers and candlestick-makers in the semi-finals.
If a smattering of the ten draws Perrin's side have earned had been transformed into victories, they would have been a shoe-in for second rather than flirting with the top four.
'We've not really taken our chances,' grumbled the 50-year-old, whose team have ruffled the opposition onion bag on just 31 occasions in 28 games - their stats not helped by the lengthy, injury-enforced absence of Moumouni Dagano, who hit 13 goals last season.
'I don't think we're defensive. We've played really well, we've created a lot of chances but we've lacked a little clarity in front of goal, due to the inexperience of some of the players and the absence of men like Dagano.
'If we'd had players like him, I think we would have been better placed in terms of attack. We've missed him a lot. And there are the young players who need to play and need experience.'
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I've always maintained that esprit of an educator. I'm not afraid to work with young players, to bring them through to the top level ”
Alain Perrin
Perrin though has never been afraid to test the validity of the infamous Alan Hansen quote 'You'll never win anything with kids'.
Having failed to cut the mustard as a professional, Perrin's footballing philosophy was - like Lille's Claude Puel - shaped by Arsene Wenger with Perrin taking charge of the youth academy at Nancy in 1983 while the current Arsenal boss was exhibiting the first signs of pitch-side myopia with the club's first team.
'I've always maintained that esprit of an educator. I'm not afraid to work with young players, to bring them through to the top level,' said Perrin, who had the nous to convince former club Marseille to pay a club record fee for one Didier Drogba.
'Wenger was at Nancy when I was there, but of course he's now on a different level as he's looking to challenge in the Champions League and Premiership.'
Perrin's reputation has been forged on less glamourous stages.
Newcastle United fans will have painful memories of the climax of Perrin's decade in charge at Troyes as he won an Intertoto Cup at the Magpies' expense in 2001 having steered the side from the Champagne region through three divisions into the French top flight.
That record earned Perrin his first shot at a 'big club' as Marseille came knocking in 2002, only for it to all end in tears in January 2004.
Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates was the next port of call for a turbulent and ultimately deflating four months, before his arrival on the English Riviera.
Despite his Premiership experience being short and not particularly sweet - four wins in 20 games in charge hardly the stuff Manager of the Year awards are made of - Perrin has not been put off plying his trade on foreign shores.
'I was happy in the Premiership,' he insisted. 'I think that the job of a coach is one of experience, where you have to accumulate experience abroad. It gives you another context, another culture, brings you on as a coach in many essential ways.
'The priority now is to put the experience that I had there to good effect before heading for pastures new. I think I'll go abroad next, perhaps to take charge of a national side. But it's true I was pleased to come back to Ligue 1.'
If the rumour mill is to be believed though, Perrin may have to keep his wanderlust in check for a while longer - he's tipped as a potential successor to the 'unsettled' Gerard Houllier at Lyon come the season's end.

ZZ top of the bill?

2007-03-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

This is without doubt one of the strangest films I have ever had the pleasure to watch, it was a real task to decide between giving it five stars, or just one.
Soccernet
The 'film' follows Zidane around the pitch all game.
A true 'Marmite' moment. You will either love or hate this film, and there's very little in between.
If you believe the hype, and the national newspapers, this film is 'one of the highlights of the cinematic year', 'mind-blowing' and 'the greatest film about football ever made'.
Considering the recent rivals in this category include some less than impressive book adaptations, 'GOAL!' and, indeed 'GOAL! 2', 'Zidane: a 21st Century Portrait', is probably up there, but it has been done before, most notably in the 1971 film 'Football As Never Before' with George Best.
Art and football crossing paths again over 30 years later, but Zidane's film does have its faults.
For starters there's the lack of action. Essentially the film is little more than a 'player-cam' of the great man running around the Bernabeu against Villareal in a Spanish league match from April 2005.
And ok, it is shot with artistic excellence (directed by Turner prize winner Douglas Gordon) and has 17 different cameras to capture his every move; but seeing Zizou spit, shuffle and gesticulate for the twentieth time becomes is a little boring.
However, the parts where he has the ball are fascinating. The touch, movement and ability of the man are there to see, stripped bare in front of the cameras, the focus is on Zidane doing what he does best - playing football.
The trouble is that these moments come far too sporadically and 90 minutes, as anyone who has ever watched 'player-cam' will tell you, is just too much.
Backed by an impressive soundtrack from Scottish band Mogwai, the film also feels a little pretentious in its subtitled content and veers off on a bizarre tangent at half-time, rounding up the day's news in a rather uncomfortable compilation.
It is typical of contemporary art. If you were someone who found Tracy Emin's 'Unmade bed' a piece of brilliance, then this is also something that you may like. However, if you were expecting a film containing a great deal of footballing action, by now I would imagine you will have switched off and won't be visiting the Tate Modern art gallery anytime soon.
When it does work, the film is exceptional and you won't find anything else around that can mirror it. Not only does it show Zidane under the microscope, it also acts (or claims to) as a study of an athlete at work and you are left with a greater understanding of the game.
Watching from afar you often miss the detail of what a player goes through on pitch, the distance, the comments and the resilience of the human body. But this film covers them all.
Whether or not your aim is develop a deeper understanding of football, or just to watch Zidane close-up, this film is still enjoyable, although by no means perfect.
What it may do is change your perception of a footballer whose legacy in the game was tainted by a moment of madness in the 2006 World Cup Final. Then again, given the ending, maybe not.

Romario's celebrations mark fool's goals

2007-03-31T16:53:00.000-07:00

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Sometime over the next few days, Romario will cap a brilliant career by scoring his 1,000th 'first-class goal'. When he does so, Brazil will erupt with celebrations and tributes to the man considered by many to be the greatest penalty box striker the game has ever seen.
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A greying and creaking Romario now prowls the penalty boxes for Vasco Da Gama.
So why the inverted commas?
Because Romario counted his goals using the same quintessentially Carioca mix of stealth and cunning that made him such a danger to defenders the world over. Perhaps no one except the little man himself really believes he has scored anything like as many.
An enquiry by top football magazine Placar cast considerable doubt on Romario's claims.
According to Placar, Romario has not yet reached 900 official first class goals, with the magazine accusing him of including 71 goals scored as an amateur and another 18 in unofficial friendly matches played against teams of amateurs and retired pros.
The magazine also said they could not find any record of nine first-class goals he alleges scoring for PSV Eindhoven and said another eight supposedly scored for Vasco actually took place in exhibition matches or league games whose results were later declared void.
All in all, Romario added 101 questionable goals to his total, Placar said.
To anyone who has followed the life and times of Romario de Souza Faria it should come as no surprise that he adopted dubious means to get his name on that very exclusive list of players alleged to have netted more than 1000 times. For the man affectionately known as Shorty has made a career out of fooling people.
The most sublime examples come on the pitch, where his ability to drift past defenders, control the ball in tight spaces and finish from the most unlikely places is unrivalled. Ever since he burst on the scene with Vasco da Gama in 1985 he has shown an exceptional aptitude for putting the ball in the net.
First it was Vasco as a tiny 19-year old but even as he stepped up level by level, going to Europe and then on the international stage, he has continued to put them away.
After Vasco it was PSV Eindhoven, where he won three Dutch League titles and was top scorer each year. Then it was Barcelona, where he won the Spanish championship alongside Michael Laudrup, Hristo Stoichkov and Ronaldo Koeman and scored 30 goals in 33 games. And not forgetting Brazil, who relied on his goals to help them end a 24-year drought and win the 1994 World Cup.
The years since have been only slightly less fruitful. As he played out his career in search of the goals that would take him to the magic number he has gone backwards and forward from a host of clubs in Brazil to places as diverse as Spain, Qatar, Adelaide and Miami. Everywhere he played, he scored.
Just last week he showed that even at the grand old age of 41 the formidable brilliance is still there. Two hat-tricks in two games in the Rio State Championship, even against modest opposition, were proof of his greatness.
The problem with Romario is that he has employed the same sneakiness off the field as on it. The consummate individual in a team game, almost everywhere he went he brought trouble. The most famous battles were with Edmundo while at Vasco back in 2000 but he has also needlessly insulted all-time greats like Pele, Zico, Mario Zagalo and Johan Cruyff.
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Romario's last venture outside of Brazil was in the A-League with Adelaide United.
He leaves a string of ex wives and paternity suits in his wake and he punched or slapped opponents and team mates on more than one occasion. At Fluminense he even waded into the stand to attack supporters of his own team.
He considered himself above training at any number of clubs and the effects have been clear for years. At Vasco he now shuffles about the penalty box like a comatose grandfather who's lost his zimmer.
He abused fans at several clubs and disdained them at others but they turned a blind eye to such behaviour in Brazil, particularly when he was scoring goals. Brazilians treat people who can get round the system using that uniquely Brazilian blend of charm, cunning and dishonesty, as heroes. And no one was better at doing that than Romario.
A friend of mine met him when he opened his sports bar a few years ago here in Rio and being from the US he told the Brazilian striker how much it reminded him of Michael Jordan's bar and restaurant in Chicago.
It was a measure of Romario's sense of self worth that he just nodded knowingly at the comparison. Romario certainly believed - and still believes - he is every bit as legendary as the basketball star who could fly.

Drogba set for continental domination?

2007-03-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

African football has never been in a more impressive state. With Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Togo showing well at the World Cup, and the likes of Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o setting their respective divisions alight, the future of football on the world's second largest continent looks promising.
AdamDavy/Empics
Didier Drogba celebrates his penalty spot winner over Cameroon.
For the past few years it has been Cameroon and Barcelona marksman Eto'o who has been the outstanding performer, and he has won the coveted African Player of the Year award three times in the last three years. This season however, due largely to a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee injury, Eto'o has been outshone by Chelsea's Ivorian international Drogba.
It was clear from last year's voting that these two were the dominant forces in African football. Eto'o pipped Drogba by just two votes in 2005, and only five separated them this time around, with the Chelsea striker denying Eto'o a record breaking fourth successive title.
While Eto'o's season has been blighted by in-fighting with his Barcelona brethren and a five month recovery after rupturing the meniscus in his right knee, Drogba's has gone from strength to strength.
Expected by many to fail at the beginning of the season, after a year of criticism, the arrival of Andriy Shevchenko actually galvanised the powerful striker into action and he hasn't looked back since. Currently leading the Premiership with 17 goals, Drogba has netted 28 times in all competitions, and won the Carling Cup on his own against an inexperienced Arsenal side.
Arguably the best striker in the league so far this season, he will surely be up against Cristiano Ronaldo at the end of the season in the running for the Premiership Player of the Year; but even as early as January, Drogba showed signs that he would get the better of Eto'o this year.
The African Nations Cup was the showcase, and in a thrilling 12-11 penalty shoot-out between Eto'o's Cameroon and Drogba's Ivory Coast, the Ivorian would net the winning penalty, after Eto'o had missed. Although Eto'o left the tournament as the leading scorer, it was Drogba who left with the accolades.
A World Cup without Cameroon or Eto'o gave Drogba the chance to impress, although the Ivory Coast were not able to rival Ghana's achievement of making it to the knockout stages and the striker left with only one goal.
Upon his return to Chelsea, Drogba's position was put under threat by the arrival of Shevchenko for £30.1million. However, Drogba capitalised on his new team-mate's slow start, and his transformation was completed when he scored a stunning goal to beat an Eto'o-less Barcelona in the group stages of the Champions League.
While Eto'o can claim to have helped Barcelona win the 2005/06 competition in May, as well as finishing top scorer of La Liga, his off-pitch actions and speculation over his future at the club in the latter part of the year let him down and Drogba was rightly the firm favourite once the voting got underway.
The duo, who could be playing in the same league next season if reports in Spain are to be believed, led the line in this respect but there are plenty of other Africans plying their trade in Europe with a great deal of success, who could feature heavily in the future.
Ghana's Michael Essien, on the back of a £24million move from Lyon to Chelsea, has proven himself to be one of the best players in the Premiership. The combative midfielder came third in the voting for this year's award, but has every chance of picking it up in the future if he can continue the kind of form he has shown this season.
Senegal's El-Hadji Diouf has won the award twice, and has a great deal of criticism to overcome before he has a chance of winning it again. Now at Bolton after an unsuccessful spell at Liverpool, the controversial striker has become a fans' favourite under Sam Allardyce and is a consistent performer in the Premiership, when he doesn't let his temperament get the better of him.
Obafemi Martins is another proving his worth in the Premiership, and the initials signs are good. A £10.1million signing for Newcastle from Inter Milan, the Nigerian has shown his pace and power, notching up ten goals already this season and is considered one of the best prospects to have come out of Africa.
Adam Davy/Empics
Martins is one of Africa's most promising talents.
Despite their misdemeanours in the Carling Cup, Arsenal's Ivorian duo of Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue are sure to have big futures in the game, while Abdoulayes Meite and Faye have been important in Bolton's rise up the table, although you have to go a long way back to find a defender who last won the award.
Elsewhere in Europe there are a number of stars making their names at their respective sides. Mali boast the leading scorer in Spain's La Liga, ex-Spurs and West Ham striker Freddie Kanoute and Mahamadou Diarra, who cost Real Madrid £17million from Lyon but has yet to adapt fully to conditions in Spain.
Stephen Appiah, after a great World Cup partnership with Essien for Ghana, attracted a great deal of attention but chose to move from Juventus to the relative obscurity of the Turkish league with Fenerbache and will suffer from being out of the spotlight. Lens' Aruna Dindane has set the French Ligue 1 alight and Arouna Kone has impressed in the Champions League with PSV Eindhoven, and both can take solace in the fact that Diouf won the 2001 award while still playing in French league. They also both have youth on their side.
Marseille's Taye Taiwo picked up this year's Young Player of the Year award for his impressive performances for Nigeria and the French club, and has been linked with a summer move to Inter; although he will do well to break the striking monopoly and overcome the pressure of being at the same club as African legend Abedi Pelé.
Pelé won the award for three successive years in the early 90's and indeed only two players had won the award in the recent five year's previous to Drogba's success. Previous history suggests that it could take a lot for Chelsea's marksman not to win it again next year.
That said, with a conveyor belt of talent finding its way into Europe from Africa, it may not be long before the award has a less predictable outcome.

Rae's Say: Benitez the tactician

2007-03-31T16:33:00.000-07:00

Recently on the twice weekly ESPNSoccernet Press Pass programme, which I present for viewers in various parts of the world, we discussed the matter of Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez and his tactical acumen. As always on this debating bonanza, opinions differed as to exactly where the Spaniard ranks in the pantheon of world football thinkers.
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Rafa Benitez shouts instructions to his side against Barca.
As chairman of these televised discussions, my own thoughts on such topics come into play less frequently than those of the studio pundits. I suppose that's one reason why someone invented internet columns!
Let me place my cards on the table as regards 'Rafa the Gaffer.' I have felt for years, through watching Benitez manage at Valencia and now Liverpool, that there aren't many better readers of a football match. Tuesday night's managerial masterclass in the UEFA Champions League at Anfield merely reinforced this view.
Wait a minute - I hear you say. Aren't players, rather than managers, generally the qualitative difference between who progresses and who falls in European football's premier club competition?
If that were true, Barcelona would probably have eliminated Liverpool. That they didn't, certainly owes much to the high level of performance put in by Steven Gerrard and his teammates in both legs. However, the X Factor for me on Tuesday was Benitez.
It can be awkward for any team trying to defend an unlikely first leg lead, secured away from home. The temptation is to become too cautious, too deep, thus surrendering the initiative.
Against Barcelona, Benitez correctly guessed how the opposition would line up. The three Barca defenders, Oleguer, Puyol and Thuram, went from having no one to mark, to suddenly having two or three Liverpool players running hard at them, as a result of quick balls played forward for Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt to chase.
Liverpool stood off the defending European club champions when the blaugrana had the ball in their own half. They could keep it as much as they wanted in that sector of the pitch. Only once Barcelona entered Liverpool territory did they find themselves engulfed by a red sea.
The result of all this was a first half dominated by Liverpool. Both John Arne Riise and Momo Sissoko bruised the woodwork. Indeed the tie should have been out of the visitors' reach by half-time. Barcelona didn't know which way to look.
Detractors might say that Liverpool's eventual aggregate triumph was too close for comfort. I don't for one moment believe that was due to any strategic error of the manager's part. He must rightly regard Tuesday as a tactical triumph over Frank Rijkaard.
As was the case in 2004 with Valencia and the following year with Liverpool, the quiet man is again demonstrating his value on the European stage.
Given the fact that Benitez has Real Madrid connections, Liverpool's new owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks ought to make retaining the gaffer's services, their top priority.
The three Premiership clubs left in the UEFA Champions League won't say so in public, but the draw for the last eight has been kind to Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United. That doesn't mean, of course, that they're all guaranteed to reach the semi-finals. It's just that it could have been an awful lot more exacting.
Of the three Premiership standard bearers, Chelsea face the most difficult task. Valencia are in many ways similar to Jose Mourinho's team in their approach. They like to squeeze the game and rely on the predatory instincts of David Villa and Fernando Morientes.
Manchester United and Liverpool will not be disappointed to have drawn Roma and PSV Eindhoven respectively. Roma, while technically excellent, are not battle-hardened in this competition. PSV rarely looked like scoring in their two group stage matches against the Merseyside club back in the autumn.
AC Milan (who'll play Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals) would seem to me to represent the most potent threat to an English victory in this season's Champions League.
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Sydney FC celebrate a great start to their AFC Champions League against Shanghai Shenhua.
Moving on to Asia's version of the Champions League now. Sydney FC could scarcely have asked for a better start to their inaugural campaign.
The 2-1 win away to Shangahi Shenhua thanks to goals from Steve Corica and Ufuk Talay was not a result anyone connected with the club had taken for granted.
On a cold night in eastern China, Branko Culina's team successfully bridged a considerable gap in resources.
As caretaker manager Culina said later, thankfully it's not always the richest teams who prevail.
The fledgling Hyundai A-League needs a competent team in Sydney.
Last season was one of turmoil under Terry Butcher. A strong Asian Champions League campaign could be the springboard for much better times at Aussie Stadium.