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Messi Remains Modest Ahead of World Cup

Tom — Fri, 28 May 2010 10:28:29 +0000

The one thing everybody learned from the 2009/2010 Spanish football is season, and for those who didn’t already know, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is a world class player and probably the best in the world at the moment.

During the height of his form in Barcelona’s league winning season it seemed Messi was scoring a hat-trick every other game as well as some breath taking individual goals.

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The comparisons to Maradona began to follow, and in this World Cup year people are going to be expecting a starring role of Messi in South Africa.
Messi (10.00 to be top scorer) scored 47 goals in all competitions in 2009/2010 and even away from the familiar surroundings of the Nou Camp, the man they call “The Flea” could genuinely could win the competition all on his on his own.

But the Argentina star has remained grounded and has said that he is embarrassed by comparisons to World Cup legend and coach Diego Maradona.

The Barcelona player and current FIFA World Player of the Year is often judged by the abilities of Maradona but Messi has said that he finds these comparisons to be “offence”.

The 22-year-old also said that in orders to be considered amongst the greats he still needs to prove himself in a World Cup Finals match.

“I do not like it. I’m embarrassed that I get compared to Diego. It’s an offence [to him]. To be the best player in the world I have to prove it at the World Cup,” Messi is quoted in Sport before adding that he is proud to represent his country.

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“I am Argentine and I like to play for my country.”

Argentina are 8.00 to win the World Cup and kick off their campaign against Nigeria on June 12.

Inter’s Maicon Hoping To Make It A Quadruple Winning Season

Tom — Fri, 28 May 2010 10:20:40 +0000

Inter Milan’s Brazilian right back Maicon is one of the most respected right-backs in the world and has just played a crucial role in the treble winning Jose Mourinho Inter side.

Maicon’s ability has meant he was able to successfully replace a World Cup legend in the Brazilian team. The gap left by Cafu’s retirement from the Samba Boys was big, but Maicon is up to the task.

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The 28-year-old was already a big part of the success of Roberto Mancini’s Inter when he finally established himself as the starting right-back of the national team. Now, Maicon is one of the main players of Dunga’s Brazil and won the stiff competition with Daniel Alves to play in the right back role for the national side.

More than that, he hopes to be as successful as his predecessor, one of the players with most titles in the history of football.

According to reports in Italy, Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is hoping to be reunited with the Brazilian and is preparing to offer Inter £30million for the right-back as the Italian hopes to improve his back line during the summer.

It’s also widely reported that Jose Mourinho wants to take Maicon with him from Inter to Real Madrid and intends to make the Brazilian a top transfer target in the summer.

The 28-year-old is unsure as to where he will be playing next season but Maicon is not too worried as his full focus at the moment is on winning the World Cup as part of the Brazil squad.

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“My only thought is about doing the quadruple,” Maicon told the press.

“I dream of winning the World Cup after having won the Champions League, Scudetto and Coppa Italia.

“When the World Cup is over, they will tell me where I’ll play next year.”

As always, Brazil are strong favourites to lift the World Cup again in South Africa. Currently they are 5.50 to do so for the sixth time.

Will Fabio Capello Play His First Eleven Against Japan?

Tom — Fri, 28 May 2010 10:16:50 +0000

England play their final warm-up game before the World Cup against Japan in Graz on Sunday. After the mixed performance in Monday’s game with Mexico, the speculation is that the Italian will send out his preferred eleven.

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At least one will be missing though because Gareth Barry has not recovered from his ankle injury- and may not make it to South Africa at all. The absence of the Manchester City man- and the long-term problems of Owen Hargreaves- has left a midfield conundrum.

Very few teams have success at the highest level without a defensively-minded central midfielder. As a former defender, Barry converted to the role with England when Hargreaves fell out of contention. Without either man, Capello has a big problem.

Michael Carrick is out of form and Tom Huddlestone and Scott Parker are both very inexperienced at international level. James Milner looked uncomfortable there against a slick Mexico and the Steven Gerrard- Frank Lampard pairing has never really gelled.

There are cases of players suddenly propelled into a major tournament from nowhere and Parker might just get a chance to play himself in on Sunday alongside Lampard, with Gerrard retaining his roving role.

Outside central midfield, fans will be eager to see if Theo Walcott or Aaron Lennon starts on the right. Ashley Cole and John Terry should return to the defence and the other questions are who supports Wayne Rooney up front and who gets the nod in goal.

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Robert Green did himself no harm against Mexico but David James and the youthful Joe Hart both have greater presence in the nets.

Japan are unlikely to be as testing as Mexico, although they are always well-organised and play at a formidably high tempo. They have made it to the World Cup Finals again and soccer continues to improve in Asia. Japan have twice played in England in friendlies and managed a 1-1 result in 2004.
England will go into the match as hot favourites but much depends on the side that the manager selects. It is still possible that experimentation will be the order of the day, offering an opportunity to Japan.

Their last two outings have been none too impressive though, losing to Serbia by three goals and going down 2-0 to South Korea. England should be able to post a victory but it will be the manner of the performance that really matters.

Premiership Contingent Crucial To Ivory Coast Challenge

Tom — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:32:56 +0000

The Ivory Coast reached their first World Cup Finals in 2006 but were unfortunate to end up in a hideously tough group. They have another difficult task in South Africa but the Elephants have the potential to be Africa’s best hope.

The Elephants will rely heavily on Premiership influence with five players who appeared regularly in this season’s competition and all of them very experienced internationals.

Didier Drogba, Kolo Toure, Aruna Dindane and Emmanuel Eboue all have over fifty international caps and the youngest, Chelsea’s Salamon Kalou, has a respectable twenty-four.

Most of the Ivorian squad play in Europe but many are outside the really big leagues- England Spain, Italy and Germany. The five Premier League men form the biggest contingent from an elite league- there are four from Spain but one of those, Didier Zokora, used to play in England.

Drogba is the talisman of the side with 43 goals in just 66 matches. Even more than that, the striker is the on-field leader of the team and major source of inspiration. His slightly below par form in Germany 2006 was a key factor in their demise.

Toure and Zokora form the anchors of the defence and midfield respectively and are the two most capped players in the squad. Each will be vital to handling the attacking challenge that they will face from the Brazilian and Portuguese sides. It helps that both are well versed in playing against Christiano Ronaldo.

Beating Portugal- or at least forcing a draw- is the key to the group as Brazil are expected to lead the way and North Korea ought to finish at the bottom. The two teams clash in the opening fixture of the group and Ivory Coast end against the Koreans. If all goes well they will know what they need in that last game.

Dindane and Kalou could be competing to play alongside Drogba, although if goals are needed to edge out Portugal, new head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson might deploy all three Premiership forwards against North Korea.

Eboue is a valuable utility man for a tournament squad with his ability to play right side midfield and right back. Eriksson is likely to start him in the back four but the Arsenal man could find himself pushed further forward at times.

Italy’s Old Men Attempt To Roll Back The World Cup Years

Tom — Wed, 26 May 2010 11:58:44 +0000

The World Cup is just around the corner now and the anticipation is already building for the greatest show on earth.

The Italian team have been getting rather annoyed however, with suggestions by various punters and commentators alike that collectively the squad is too far over the hill in the age department to be able to win this summer’s show piece in South Africa.

The Azzuri defender Gianluca Zambrotta has attacked the doubters regarding their World Cup chances, he said:

“In 2006 we knew it would be difficult, but we won. We are here to get to the end once again,” he said at a press conference.

“We are old? We have nine winners from the World Cup in Germany, but that’s just a percentage. This is an Azzurri side with a mix of younger and experienced players, they have just as much desire to do well and want to bring home a major trophy like the World Cup.”

“There has always been scepticism surrounding the national team, but we have gotten used to it and all know how to deal with the situation,” he concluded.

The Italians are currently training in Sistriere as Marcello Lippi looks to fine tune his squad before their opening game against Paraguay on June 14th.

If you fancy the Italian granddads to retain their trophy in South Africa, you can back them at a very long 15.00 – this is well worth a punt considering France are also 15.00 to win the World Cup even though they have looked an awful side in recent years.

Torres’ Return To Fitness Boosts Spain’s World Cup Chances

Tom — Wed, 26 May 2010 11:41:04 +0000

Spain striker Fernando Torres has revealed he is optimistic of being fit to play in Spain’s opening game of the tournament on June 16 against Switzerland.

“I’m very well, happy with the progress of the injury. Since January I’ve had two operations, and that isn’t easy,” he told Marca.

“Everything went very well with the first and in the second the objective was to be ready between six and seven weeks, and I’m at the start of the sixth.

“I will do a few more days of specific work and, God willing, I’ll be 100 per cent for the first game of the World Cup for sure.”

Torres was asked if he feels any additional pressure to become the tournaments leading goalscorer and claim the golden boot.

“No, but I know that, along with (David) Villa, I’m lucky enough to be one of the strikers in a team that are among the favourites, and that brings certain privileges,” he explained.

“It’s been a very difficult season. When you start a campaign you hope you will be able to fulfil your dreams, winning titles, not having injuries, enjoying yourselves, and it has been just the opposite,” he added.

“But there is always a tomorrow in football and this summer, the World Cup.

“I’ve put aside the club, the bad season, and I want to finish in the best way possible way by making history with my county.

Spain are currently favourites to win the World Cup at 5.25 with Fernando Torres available at 21.00 to win the Golden Ball. Be sure to catch those odds as Torres is bound to attract a lot of interest in the Golden Ball stakes with the news of his recovery.

Can Rooney And Drogba Top the Scoring Charts In South Africa

Tom — Tue, 25 May 2010 10:03:27 +0000

Didier Drogba and Wayne Rooney fought a season long battle to finish as the Premier League’s top goal scorer. The Chelsea striker just managed to pip the Manchester United man but the two might be back in competition in less than three weeks.

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Both players will be selected as the main striker for their respective countries and if they carry their stunning form into the World Cup, each man is a good bet to win the competition Golden Boot.

Rooney and Drogba both play for teams that have every chance of having a strong competition- an essential to win the Golden Boot. England have one of the easiest groups and while the Ivory Coast are in a tough line up, they will feel it can’t be worse than the ‘Group of Death’ they endured in 2006.

This is the second successive World Cup for the Ivorians and the Elephants have been consistently one of the top African sides for the past decade. They have a group of players who have been together for some time and for the likes of Drogba- who takes huge pride in playing for the national squad- this is a final chance to make an impact in this tournament.

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Rooney is currently second favourite to be top scorer at 12/1; only the peerless Lionel Messi stands above him. It reflects Rooney’s stellar form this season and England’s status as a team expected to go deep into the knockout rounds.

Drogba is an excellent each way value bet at 40/1. The long odds reflect the fact that the Ivorians have to come through a group that includes Brazil and Portugal. However, Drogba and his team mates are well capable of taking on a Portuguese squad that struggled all through qualifying.
If the Ivory Coast do come through it will probably be thanks to goals from their star man. Judged by his late form for Chelsea, Didier Drogba looks ready to give it everything and he’s likely to take all the free kicks and penalties too.

Wayne Rooney has added to his game this season and England will be set up to allow him to roam as he sees fit. Messi may head the odds but Argentina threaten to be a dysfunctional outfit under Diego Maradona, so the England talisman could follow in the footsteps of Gary Lineker in 1986.

Inter Milan Win Champions League

Tom — Mon, 24 May 2010 10:06:54 +0000

Inter Milan are the new champions of Europe after they finished victorious against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. Diego Milito was the hero scoring twice either side of half time.

The Nerazzurri started on offensive, but the danger of FCB was clear when Arjen Robben instigated a counter-attack in the third minute and was swiftly brought down by Walter Samuel.

Bayern looked more comfortable in possession than Inter. Robben continued to pose a threat every time he got the ball but Inter were looking threatening on the counter attack.

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With 35 minutes gone, the deadlock was finally broken, Julio Cesar’s long ball was flicked to Sneijder by Milito. Sneijder played it back to the Milito who then raced into the penalty area and held off two players before clipping the ball over Butt into the net to produce a stunning finish.

Bayern continued to search for an equaliser producing some great openings but continually failing to find a way past the excellent Julio Cesar.

Van Buyten could do little in the 70th minute as Inter doubled the lead. Eto’o spotted Milito 30 yards from goal, and the Argentine dashed past the defender before curling his shot past Butt and into the far corner.

As the game entered injury time, Diego Milito was replaced and received a standing ovation from the Inter fans. The match winner expressed his delight after his brace earned his side the biggest trophy in club football.

“It’s a great joy for me. I have never experienced this and I am really happy for Inter,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

“The president [Massimo Moratti] deserves this and I am really happy for everyone tonight.

“This is football and I am really happy. I have always fought hard for this and I have always given the maximum.

“We deserve this trophy, the team, the club, the president and everyone. I am very happy. I want to thank Inter, and the president.”?

But, it wasn’t all smiles though as Milito revealed he could be leaving.

“Will I stay? I don’t know. I have important offers,” he concluded.

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One person who will now be definitely leaving Inter Milan is boss Jose Mourinho who has concluded that his work at Inter is now done and will become the next manager of Real Madrid.

Inter’s José Mourinho to Real Madrid

Tom — Mon, 24 May 2010 09:56:31 +0000

Although it has not been made official yet, it is no secret that José Mourinho will be managing Real Madrid next season in what can only be bad news for Barcelona as Mourinho has developed a taste for victory over the Catalan side.

‘The Special One’ has already issued a harsh warning to los Galacticos by saying that there are no stars in his team and adding that he envisions a deal to be completed after meeting officials in Madrid.

Mourinho told a Portuguese television station that Jorge Mendes, his agent, has met with Madrid representatives and as a result a deal is almost certain but added that he wants to meet with the representatives from Madrid first so as to get a full understanding of the role.

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It is rumoured that Mourinho will join Madrid on a four year deal worth €10 million per season.

“I want to meet people, know exactly what they want from me and the conditions, not the structures, because these I already know, to avoid any doubts when I begin my work. I think all will be consummated.”

“The stars now are Inter, they are the European champions. My message to the players of Real Madrid, if I train them, is that they are not stars, the star is not the coach, the star is the team. If they all accept this like when I was at Porto, Chelsea or Inter, the victories will come.”

Mourinho, who led Inter to glory in the Champions League on Saturday night, said that there are a number of reasons for taking over the role.

“It will be a huge challenge to contest the League against Barcelona. They are a great team and have proved it by almost reaching 100 points. Trying to win the Champions League is an incentive as they have not won it in eight years,” he added.

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“It’s an incentive because everyone says it’s a lost cause because my profile doesn’t fit Real Madrid or the club does not have the profile that I think a club must have.”

One thing is for sure though, Madrid will hand Mourinho a massive cheque book and Mourinho will spend it. Expect next season’s La Liga title race to be another fascinating battle between two of Europe’s elite clubs.

Blackpool Win The £90 Million Match

Tom — Mon, 24 May 2010 09:39:12 +0000

Ian Holloway’s Blackpool side won the final ticket to next season’s Premier League by beating Cardiff City 3-2 at Wembley in yet another pulsating Championship Play Off Final.

The amount riding on this game has been creeping up year by year. When Derby County beat West Bromwich Albion in 2007 the game was called the ‘£90 million match’. Inflation and extra parachute payments have quickly added to the value.

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Like Burnley a year ago, Blackpool have come from an unlikely position to snatch promotion. The club pay some of the lowest wages in the division and have a capacity of only 13,000 at Bloomfield Road. A new stand is required behind one end.

The Tangerine success story has been based on team spirit and fearless attacking style; the 3-2 scoreline was no accident because Holloway has employed an adventurous 4-3-3 all season.

It could have gone badly wrong- Cardiff were twice in front but each time the Welsh club were pegged back before Brett Ormerod put the Seasiders in the lead.

All the goals came before half-time and it was a surprise that the second period remained goalless. Whether Blackpool can get away with their attacking style in the Premiership is another question.

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The town should make a lot of money- more so than most newly promoted clubs- by pushing weekend packages combining a Premiership fixture and an overnight stay.

Holloway is going to be good value for the media and journalists because he couldn’t be boring if he tried. However, he will be aware that there is little sentiment in football. Derby boss Billy Davies was shown the door less than four months into the campaign in 2007/08.

Phil Brown took Hull City up to the top flight for the very first time but he is no longer managing the Tigers, despite keeping them up in their first season.

The word is that Blackpool- like Burnley-won’t be breaking the bank to stay up. At least Holloway can call on Charlie Adam whose purchase from Rangers was so influential. His success will encourage other players to take a chance under Ian Holloway’s idiosyncratic methods.

The Tangerines will struggle for points next season but it is worth remembering that they were a big club in the 1940s and 1950s- Blackpool may be small fish but they will be difficult to beat at home and may yet cause a few more surprises.