Posts Tagged ‘Football World Cup’
Belgium’s win among the best
Among all of the Football World Cup highlights, one of my own favourite games came back in 1986 between two countries who failed even to make it to this summer’s finals in South Africa, Belgium and Russia (back then still known as the USSR).
The game came in the second round of that tournament in Mexico, a tournament most England fans of course remember for Diego Maradona and the ‘Hand of God’ incident, but one that was memorable right from the first game all the way through to Argentina’s eventual crowning as champions.
Two weeks before their 3-2 win over Germany, a game took place in Leon, which would be the tournament’s highest-scoring match and see a hat-trick scorer Igor Belanov end up on the losing side.
The Soviet Union had battled into the second round against the predictions of World Cup Football Betting experts as Group C winners ahead of France on goal difference thanks to their 6-0 hiding of Hungary, and would have fancied their chances against Belgium, who only advanced as one of the best third-placed teams back when the tournament included just 24 teams.
But despite their poor Group B record, this was a Belgium team with plenty of well-known stars and arguably one of their best international line-ups of all time.
Belanov gave the Soviets a first-half lead, and all was looking good for them until 10 minutes into the second period when Enzo Scifo, arguably Belgium’s best-ever player levelled the scores, apparently from an offside position.
Belanov again struck with 20 minutes to go, a cross shot past Jean-Marie Pfaff, but the ageless Jan Ceulemans, again appearing to be mysteriously offside, chested down a long ball and made sure there would be extra-time.
In the extra period, the Belgians took over with a powerful header from Guy Demol (no suspicions of offside this time) and a cracking volley from Spurs striker Nico Claesen before Belanov completed his hat-trick to make the final nine minutes a nervy one for Belgium.
However they managed to hold on for a 4-3 victory and knock out Spain on penalties in the quarter-finals before finally exiting to the eventual winners Argentina 2-0 in the last-four, both goals coming from that ‘horrible genius’ Maradona.
Tags: Belgians, Cambria, Diego Maradona, England Fans, Enzo, Extra Time, Fareast, Favourite Games, First Game, Font Definitions, Font Format, Football World Cup, Goal Difference, Hand Of God, Hat Trick, Jean Marie Pfaff, Line Ups, Mso, Offside Position, Orphan, Panose, Paper Source, Poor Group, Props, Sans Serif, Second Period, Soviets, Style Definitions, Style Name, Style Type, Theme Font, Times New Roman, Ups, Volley, World Cup Football
Dutch aim to mount challenge
After Spain cast-off their tag as serial under-achievers at Euro 2008, the only team apart from England who go into the World Cup in South Africa in serious need of proving a point is the Netherlands.
Winless in major tournaments since 1988 and yet to taste success in a Football World Cup final, De Oranje possibly come into 2010 with their most settled squad and a decent chance of lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy next month.
Bert van Marwijk’s men were perfect in qualifying, although a Group 9 including Norway, Scotland, Macedonia and Iceland did not take an awful lot of winning. But going eight wins for eight was impressive nonetheless, and conceding only two goals along the way was another achievement.
It was also rare, along the way, that they ever had their first choice XI out on the field, with Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder all missing games as they eased their way into a trip to South Africa.
Now, as they head off to the tournament as one of the top five World cup 2010 favourites to win, all of their stars are on board and van Marwijk’s biggest problem might just be finding a way to fit them all in. After all, most teams would usually have at least three defenders and he has six top class forward options at his behest.
Strangely for a side with so many options, the Dutch failed to score all that many goals in qualifying (17), but much of that comes down to the formation they use which stifles opponents and plays some hugely effective counter-attacking football.
Quality out wide comes from Robben and possibly Dirk Kuyt, while van Persie, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and youngster Eljero Elia are all adaptable forwards who could star in the tournament if getting the chances in front of goal.
Sneijder and Mark van Bommel will run midfield and there is more than enough solidity at the back, where the experience of the side lies, to protect keeper Maarten Stekelenburg from their Group E rivals; Cameroon, Denmark and Japan.
The group looks eminently winnable and with Group F to come as a second round opponent, if they avoid Italy in the second round, the road to the final eight looks fairly straightforward.
Afterwards, of course, things get a lot harder, but this team has more than enough quality and experience to cope with anything thrown at it, as long as it has some mental strength previous squads have been lacking.
Tags: Achievers, Arjen Robben, Behest, Bert Van Marwijk, Cambria, Decent Chance, Dirk Kuyt, Euro 2008, Fareast, Finding A Way, First Choice, Font Definitions, Font Format, Football World Cup, Forwards, Jules Rimet Trophy, Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Mark Van Bommel, Mso, Orphan, Panose, Paper Source, Rivals, Robin Van Persie, Sans Serif, Solidity, Style Definitions, Style Name, Style Type, Theme Font, Times New Roman, Wesley Sneijder, World Cup 2010, Youngster
Is debt scuppering Fergie’s transfer plans?
The announcement by Sir Alex Ferguson that he may only sign one more player this summer must have been met by bemusement by Manchester United fans.
After all, despite losing the Premier League title by just a point, a series of poor results during the campaign revealed a squad that relied too much on Wayne Rooney and the aging legs of Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes.
The United manager has already signed Mexican forward Javier Hernandez from Guadalajara and defender Chris Smalling from Fulham, but they are hardly the big buys acquisitions many United supporters were expecting.
However, at a recent press conference Ferguson said: “There may be one signing and maybe we’d like to get a good player to the club, of course, but it’s not easy in the present day climate.
“In the market today it’s very difficult and the structure of our squad is good in terms of ages, the balance, the numbers and there’s a lot of good young players.
“Sometimes you have to trust in all the development of the last few years and I’m going to stick with that, or most of it.”
Now this could be just a clever ruse from Fergie to lower expectations and hopefully stop other clubs from grossly overinflating the transfer fees of United targets.
Still, with the news that an interest rate increase could see the club’s debt increase by a further £75 million also breaking this week, it’s hard to imagine the two stories are unrelated.
At a time where Manchester City are rising as a credible Premier League force and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has pledged to fund a summer splurge, investment in the playing squad at Old Trafford has never been as crucial. The football odds suggest United will challenge for the title next season, but without new faces they could still struggle.
Worryingly, unless Ferguson gets his transfer dealings done before the start of the 2010 Football World Cup, he might find the targets he does have are even more expensive than before.
A summer of inertia could see the club slip further behind their London rivals, or worse fall behind local rivals City. If that proves the case, expect vociferous green and gold protests aimed at the Glazers when the season kicks off next August.
Tags: Alex Ferguson, Chelsea Owner Roman Abramovich, Clever Ruse, Debt Increase, Football Odds, Football World Cup, Fulham, Gary Neville, Manchester City, Manchester United, New Faces, Old Trafford, Owner Roman Abramovich, Paul Scholes, Premier League, Rate Increase, Ryan Giggs, Sir Alex Ferguson, Splurge, Wayne Rooney
Hammers slip towards the relegation trap door
West Ham have done little to draw attention to themselves this season. Their manager, Gianfranco Zola, is one of football’s nice guys and won’t bow to media pressure and say anything controversial.
His side try to play neat attractive football, as is the expectation of the fans, so red cards and dirty tackles happen infrequently at Upton Park.
In fact the loudest people at the club have been the new owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, who since their takeover in January have appeared in the press almost daily, talking about the dire financial situation at the club and their hopes to move into the 2012 Olympic stadium.
However, their support for Zola has been conspicuous by its absence. It is clear the new men at the top are not sure about the Italian’s long-term future at the club, believing he is just too nice to fight his way through a relegation scrap. Despite words to the contrary from Zola, the lack of public support bound to affect the Italian.
Judging by their performance on Tuesday that uncertainty is transmitting to the players too. The relegation encounter against Wolves, live on TV, was a great chance for the Hammers to pull clear of trouble. Instead they were humiliated on their own ground 3-1, with the game effectively over after an hour. The chorus of boos at the end would have been louder had more fans bothered to stick around to watch their side’s slow and painful death on the pitch.
The team lacked ideas, confidence and cohesion, with experienced heads like Matthew Upson, Allesandro Diamanti and Scott Parker failing to get to grips with the game, leaving youngsters like Junior Stanislas and James Tomkins to flounder. Tomkins himself was guilty of a horrendous error to gift Wolves their first goal, but in truth the away side were going to score at some point anyway. Carlton Cole also failed to shine and if he had any hopes of playing in the Football World Cup 2010 they seem to have evaporated.
Currently, the online football betting suggests West Ham will stay up. The Hammers should certainly be grateful for the poor form of Burnley and Hull below them, as well as Pompey’s points deduction, because on this evidence they are not going to win many games from now until the end of the season.
However, if The Clarets or Tigers muster any sort of form and drag themselves above the safety line they will be hammering a nail in West Ham’s coffin as well.
Tags: Allesandro, David Gold, David Sullivan, Diamanti, Football World Cup, Football World Cup 2010, Gianfranco, James Tomkins, Matthew Upson, New Men, Nice Guys, Olympic Stadium, Painful Death, Red Cards, Scott Parker, Stanislas, Trap Door, Upton Park, West Ham, World Cup 2010
English teams regain Eurovision
This might be the season that an English team finally wins the Europa League. There have been only three Premier League finalists in the UEFA Cup since English teams returned to Europe, with Liverpool’s victory in 2001 the first in the competition since Tottenham Hotspur’s in 1984.
An English champion in the first season – in the year of the 2010 Football world cup - of the Europa League would be appropriate. Spurs won the first ever UEFA Cup in 1972, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers in the final, and whilst it might be too much to expect both Liverpool and Fulham to go all the way, both teams have a good chance of glory.
English teams have struggled in the UEFA Cup recently due to their inexperience in Europe. The so-called big four monopolise the Champions League places to such an extent that no one else gets the chance to regularly sample continental football, because the battle for fifth and sixth places in the league is so competitive.
Liverpool’s presence in the event his term has changed that. They know how to win in Europe and their Champions League pedigree, combined with a recent upturn in domestic form, makes them worthy favourites. Steven Gerrard’s improving form should help favour England’s World Cup Betting Odds too.
Fulham do not have the same European experience, but their impressive victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the last 32 proves they can compete at this level. No one gets an easy game at Crave Cottage, so Juventus must be on their guard in the last 16.
Everton missed out after a late collapse at Sporting Lisbon, robbing the competition of the prospect of a Merseyside derby at some stage, but the Toffees neighbours will not be bothered – Liverpool know they cannot look down on the importance of any trophy at the moment and that the Europa League is there for the taking.
Tags: Ascii, Cambria, Champions League, Div, Donetsk, English Champion, European Experience, Eurovision, Everton, Font Definitions, Font Format, Football World Cup, Footer, Fulham, Good Chance, Impressive Victory, Inexperience, Lt, Merseyside Derby, Mso, Orphan, Panose, Paper Source, Pitch, Premier League, Props, Sans Serif, Sporting Lisbon, Steven Gerrard, Style Definitions, Style Name, Style Type, Theme Font, Times New Roman, Tottenham Hotspur, Uefa Cup, Upturn, Wanderers, World Cup Betting Odds