Into Row Z - Liverpool’s Midfield Problem

 Liverpool’s opening transfer of the summer took everyone a little by surprise, taking Sunderland’s rising star Jordon Henderson away from the Stadium of Light. The second player to join the Reds was anything but a surprise, with the seven month chase of Charlie Adam finally resulting with the Scot signing a 4 year deal with the Reds. Both Henderson and Adam go into pre-season training with Liverpool on the backs of two fantastic seasons, but no matter their quality, adding two new central midfielders to a squad so clearly lacking in depth in other areas is going to be seen as a strange move.         

Speaking to many Liverpool fans over the past few months, the number one thing that they consider the team to lack is width. The arrival of Stewart Downing will go a long way to rectify this, but the team is still in desperate need of an opposite player to go on the right – a true winger – not a forward or midfielder forced to play out of position. Equally, if Liverpool want to catch the teams above them in the league, they need some way to replicate the attacking fullbacks that are becoming so important in recent seasons, and a left-back has to be a priority buy.     

So why was the first £47 million of Liverpool’s summer cash spent on an area which looks saturated already? Let’s take a look at who the Liverpool squad contains, and who is likely to make-it or break-it this season.  

It’s been a while since we saw Steven Gerrard smash a goal in from 30 yards out, and while his influence on the pitch has certainly diminished, his inspiration and leadership remain intact. He is, and will be for several more years, the heartbeat of this team, and when he’s fit will be first first name on the team-sheet. Perhaps second, but only behind Pepe Reina.

But here is where the certainty ends. With a combined total of £78 million spent on Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez in January, we can predict that Kenny Dalglish sees these two playing the majority of matches together. Assuming (fairly confidently) that Liverpool play with four at the back, this leaves just another four spaces in midfield, three when you place Gerrard into his preferred central role. Add to that the £20 million acquisition of Stewart Downing to run down the left wing, the spaces may be limited to two. For a team which currently houses Adam, Henderson, Lucas, Meireles, Aquilani, Shelvey, Spearing, Poulsen, Joe Cole and Maxi Rodriguez, the problem of keeping a steady and reliable team becomes apparent. 

Charlie Adam can feel more confident than the others of a starting position. With set-plays contributing to some 30% of all goals scored in the Premier League last season, his left foot will likely see him starting a high number of games, especially while Fabio Aurelio remains perennially injured.        

Lucas is another who is unlikely to miss too many games. Winning Liverpool’s Player of The Year by a massive margin, Lucas achieved some 172 successful tackles last season, more than any other player in the league. As well as this he completed over 300 passes more than any of his team-mates. Lucas is completely unspectacular in what he does, but he does the job that needs to be done extremely well, and the Liverpool midfield would miss him far more than they realise were he to be replaced by someone with a little more flair.    

Meireles enjoyed a decent first season at Liverpool, but there’s already talk of him leaving, and this is simply because he is too good not to start thirty or forty games a season.  It would be through no fault of his own if his Anfield career was limited to just a year, but he suffers greatly from the fact that his best position is the same attacking midfield position as Gerrard and Aquilani. Aquilani had a successful loan spell at Juventus and looks to have shaken off his injury problems which caused his season in a Liverpool shirt unfairly labelled as a “flop”. So far in pre-season he has continued his Italian form with Liverpool. Against a Malaysia XI, there were times when Aquilani looked visibly angry at the lack of performance by his team-mates, and in the 45 minutes he played, he single-handedly dragged a lacklustre team and pushed them forward into one that scored 6 goals. Aquilani himself was instrumental in 3 of the 5 goals he was on the pitch for.        

Along with Downing, this probably sums up the men that are realistically fighting for a genuine chance of starting the majority of the games. It’s hard to imagine that both Aquilani and Meireles will both be at the club next season, and perhaps what will be most interesting is who will play opposite Downing on the right wing – a position which has been given to Dirk Kuyt in recent seasons. However, now with the wealth of talent the Liverpool Midfield possesses, it’s highly likely that Kuyt will be pushed back into being a striker, swapping in and out with Carroll and Suarez. Henderson has played on the right before for Sunderland, but Liverpool have already stated that he is “one for the future”, and it’s doubtful whether he’ll start too many games in his first season – another suggestion that Liverpool could well buy a right winger.  After this, there are a number of fringe players to consider. Jovanovic looks to be close to a move away from Anfield, while Joe Cole has been promised he still has a future at the club. And we can say what we want about Poulsen’s performances at Anfield so far (and they have been poor at best), but he remains the only rough, combative midfielder that Liverpool have, and so continues to offer something different to those around him.    
       
What is certain however, is that this collection of similarly positioned players cannot be good for the youngsters in the squad. The emergence of Jay Spearing as a real first-team player last season will surely come to an abrupt end if there aren’t a couple of departures elsewhere – a shame as he is a real favourite among the crowd. Similarly Jonjo Shelvey, Joe Cole and Maxi Rodriguez are going to struggle for game time, and it will almost certainly mean the end of Anfield careers for the players even further on the fringe such as young Dani Pacheco.

It’s close to impossible to predict just how Liverpool plan to cope with this problem, but a lot of it is down to other clubs. Fiorentina continue their interest in Aquilani, while Meireles has certainly gained some fans in Milan. There’s no guarantee of either leaving, but it’s likely as least one will.
              
It is certain that while Andy Carroll is on the pitch, Liverpool need wide men to feed him, meaning that Downing is likely to get a lot of regular game time. After this, the rest could be down to form. With many of the fringe players desperate to have one final chance to prove themselves at a big club, it’s possible that a few may wait until January before making a final decision, and Liverpool could find themselves with a very large squad at the beginning of this season.

By David Astley

Diego, Wolfsburg Outcast and Former Juventus Player: What Happened?

Rewind two seasons. Italian giants Juventus had just completed a €24.5 million deal for Weder Bremen's Brazilian star Diego, he was set, ready to link up with a host of players and take Juve back to the top of Europe.

He arrived at Juventus full of passion, quickly became popular with the fans (and still is to some extent today) he made his debut in the Serie A against Chievo and grabbed an assist in his first game, going on to score a double against Roma not long after.

It all seemed to be going well for Diego, the Brazilian trio of Amauri, Melo and himself were working well together, Juventus were sitting top of the table in Italy (undefeated).

A loss to Napoli triggered a bad slump in form for the Bianconeri and just months later they were down 4-1 in a Champions League clash against Bayern Munich.

Out of the Champions League, sitting poorly on the table and having a host of players out saw Diego pushed to a central forward role for Juventus. Although he scored a few more goals for Juventus, they would not qualify for the Champions League for 2010/2011.

Diego's last game for Juve proved to be a 3-0 loss against Milan. Although Juventus had one of their worst seasons in the history of the club, Diego didn't fully disappoint. Fans agreed he needed a season to settle in at Juve and didn't do too badly in comparison to the performances of some of the other signings (Felipe Melo most noticeably).


After spending big in the 2010 transfer season again, Juventus surprisingly decided to part ways with the Brazilian central attacking midfielder, selling him to German side Wolfsburg in a move that would see him return to the league that made him one of Europe's most feared attackers.

The fee of €15.5 million was a record for Wolfsburg, but proved to be a €9 million loss for Juventus. Much was made in the media of Juventus' treatment of Diego, many questioned whether Juventus really understood the potential of the player they had at hand, especially because it was only his first season in the Serie A.

Nevertheless he returned to Germany with Wolfsburg. His first game in the German outfit saw him score a debut goal, even though Wolfsburg went on to lose 4-3.

He continued to shine in a below-average Wolfsburg side, who had come to the conclusion that they were fighting to stay in the Bundesliga, rather than contest the title as they so brilliantly did the year before.
On the Feb. 5, 2011, Diego won a penalty in a league match, that ultimately proved to decide the future of Steve McClaren. Instead of allowing the designated penalty taker (Patrick Helmes) to step up and attempt to convert, Diego subsequently hit the crossbar and Wolfsburg went on to lose the match by a single goal.


He was fined and dropped for his actions, and from here Diego never really got another look into the squad. A combination of not following team orders off the field and not being given any playing time have seen him dropped to the fringes of the squad, in essence looking for a new club.

So where to now for this talented player? A stay at Wolfsburg isn't on the cards, but a return to Brazil? Perhaps. Many clubs have tried to lure him away from Wolfsburg, including Malaga and a couple of Premier League sides (Aston Villa and Liverpool); whether it will eventuate into anything will be determined in the coming weeks.

One thing is for certain though, Diego's great talent will go to waste if he cannot secure a transfer to a club that needs him equally as much as he needs them.

Falling Like Dominoes: Allegations of Matching Fixing in Football

By Marcel Abboud

Betting is (for some) an added item of luxury and excitement that's brought to the game of football. Many fans will bet on their favourite teams to win games and/or leagues, or perhaps who's going to score the first goal. There's literally thousands of options that a fan can bet on. Who knows, a five dollar multi-bet could reap dividends and make one lucky fan a quick buck in a very short return. With advancement in technologies and greater access to live scores from all over the world, it would be hard to disagree that betting is something that can't be avoided in the game of football.


But with every positive aspect that's in making money (especially when it's a quick dollar for little or no effort) there's always bound to be a negative, ugly connotation that's attached to it. In sport, there is always the sneaky suspicion (whether fabricated or not) that who knows, perhaps that a game/s can be fixed and the results already pre-determined (known as match fixing). It's as of late (the past few years or so) that match fixing has reared it's ugly head in the game of football (but this isn't to say that it hasn't always been around).



Recently, the Italian footballing world has been rocked (once again) by allegations of match fixing after calls for Inter Milan to be stripped of the 2006 Scudetto (title) due to evidence not originally included in the 2006 Italian football scandal (known as Calciopoli in Italian). These allegations are based on wiretapped phone calls by late Inter Milan president Giacinto Facchetti who FIGC chief investigator Stefano Palazzi claims tried to influence the referring sector. For those who don't recall, Italian football was rocked with a massive betting scandal in May 2006 (Calciopoli) involving its top leagues, Serie A and Serie B. The Italian police current league champions at the time Juventus as well as other teams including AC Milan, Lazio, Fiorentina and Reggina were accused of rigging games by selecting favorable referees to determine favourable outcomes for games. After all was said and done, Juventus were stripped of the 2006 and 2006 titles, relegated to Serie B , withdrawn from the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League and forced to play three home games behind closed doors. The other teams who were found guilty received various punishments ranging from point deductions to massive fines and withdrawal from continental competitions.

Turkey is the latest country to be rocked by betting scandals. Reports suggest that various league matches have been staged and fixed in the last Turkish football season, with a number of high profile clubs such as Fenerbache and Eskisehirspor being implicated, with around 30 people being held in this match fixing probe. Whether they are found guilty of match fixing is yet to be seen, but the investigation is still on going.


Even in the European lower leagues, suspicious activity involving clubs is active. In 2009, UEFA investigated three Macedonian clubs (FK Pobeda, FK Milano and Rabotnicki) in their losses in their Europea League ties against various opposition. FK Pobeda were banned by UEFA from continental competitions for eight years after being convicted of match fixing. In June 2011, the Finish top flight had its own match fixing scandals when Finnish officials opened up a criminal investigation against clubs suspected of money laundering.

This kind of scandals aren't limited to European leagues, in fact it can happen anywhere and in any country. In September 2010, the national team of Bahrain took on a supposed Togo national team and won 3 - 0. After total domination of the African side and having numerous goals ruled out, this supposed Togo team was found to be entirely "fake" and not even the Togo Football Federation knowing of this match that took place in Bahrian. This Togo team was linked to a match fixing allegation, who placed a lot of money on the result of the game.

This type of activity is deplorable and is a detriment to the beautiful game of football. It takes out the passion, excitement and anticipation that fans crave when they go watch a game. What is the motivation for these activities? Above all, it always comes down to money because in plain and simple terms, money makes the world go around (especially in the footballing world).


Betting is a quick and easy way to make money (and if you're good at it lots of of) and if you can fix the results to make lots of money and you can pull it off, then you're going to be rich and then-some. But when you know that your team has won a game/league/championship because results "fell" your way, it makes many fans sick and ashamed to be following that club.

Match fixing is a scar of the game of football and more must be done (both by local federations in conjunction with their governments and along with FIFA) to help stamp out such disgraceful activities.

What needs to be done in such circumstances, as always, remains to be seen.

Can Juventus rebuild?

Turin giants Juventus have all but ended their hopes for another Champions League birth after being defeated 1-0 by Parma in a clash which saw loanee Giovinco score yet again against his parent club. Juventus sit 7th on the table just one point ahead of Palermo and three points behind Roma.

Juventus began the season in poor form losing 1-0 to Bari in the opening matchday. From here the Bianconeri seemed to improve going on a long unbeaten streak, just before the Christmas break, where they lost to Chievo and lost Quagliarella for the season. Winger Milos Krasic found his form and last season flop Felipe Melo began to take leadership in the middle of the park, brutally dominating any midfield that stood in the way of the Bianconeri.

The men from Turin alo had a brief spell in the Europa league, bowing out on the group stage after scoring six consecutive draws and equalling a record set by AEK Athens. Lively games against Manchester City brought out the best in the Bianconeri, who were unlucky to have done better in both legs against the Sky Blues.

It would be fair to say that the Bianconeri have the team to win the Serie A, when compared against the top seven in head to head the Bianconeri come out on top beating Milan, Inter and Roma this season. Where they have really lacked quality though, is in the area of consistency. Due to consecutive injuries and constant formation changes, Juventus never really developed into a team you would put your money on - so to speak. Even Del Neri's usually "set in stone" 4-4-2 merged into a 4-3-3 as less and less first team players became avaliable for selection.

So where to now for the Bianconeri?...... The transfer market?......... Again? In the last two season campaigns big name players have failed to make an impact with Juve, most notably Diego and Felipe Melo. But with the Juve board stating that they are keen to sign one or two big names, Juventus may just be turning to the cash once again as a solution.

In this constant spiral of buying and selling, Juventini around the world will be asking, when will we start to see results? Hope may just be on the horizon. Juventus' new stadium is nearing completion and will be in operation for the 2011/2012 season, this feat will see Juventus be the first Italian club to own their own stadium, also meaning they are the first Italian clubs to reap the benefits of owning their own stadium. With the new financial fair play system coming into play, the stadium could just be the saving grace for Juve, allowing them to sign high profile names, without falling beneath benchmarks set by FIFA and UEFA.

Juventus will, for a long time, be regarded as the best team in Italian history, but if they wish to hold that mantlepiece, they will need to prove that they have rebuilt from Calciopoli. Beating Milan, Inter and Roma all within the one season is a start, but qualifying for the Champions League for successive seasons, and progressing through the knockout will highlight that Juventus are back...... to their best!

No More Lustre: Has The UEFA Champions League Lost Its Glamour?

So as FC Barcelona managed to sweep their bitter rivals Real Madrid and Manchester United FC brush aside German hopefuls FC Schalke 04 in the 2010/11 edition of the UEFA Champions League, there’s one thing that creeps into mind when you look at the two finalists for the final at Wembely: Normalcy.

The Champions League is European football’s (nay, the world’s ) most elite and prestigious club footballing tournament, where the very best of European clubs get the chance to cut their metal and test their grit against other European footballing elite. It’s literally the stuff dreams are made of. Mouth-watering group stage encounters, nail-biting semi-finals and a melting pot of the world’s footballing elite players competing to lift the coveted trophy at the end of the tournament.


Quite romantic when you think about it. After all, imagine the prospect of a (say for example) Marseille taking on Juventus in the quarter-finals to see who will take on the winner of Chelsea FC and Valencia in the final. It could be about the “little clubs” fighting and battling against European royalty and brushing them aside to hold that illustrious trophy at season’s end.

But as recently history will tell you, it’s been far from that. The romance and the thrill of the ties in the Champions League is slowly and surely fading away. This season’s edition sees FC Barcelona take on Manchester United in what no doubt should be a very entertaining affair. But it’s become all too typical. For the past few seasons (since 2000) the Champions League trophy has only been placed in the trophy cabinets of four different footballing nations (England, Spain, Portugal and Italy), with Germany’s Bayern Munich making the final twice but losing to Inter and almost to Valencia on penalties(Valencia CF in 2000/01 and Inter Milan 2009/10).


So you can only imagine the lack of variety when it comes to the passing of the trophy. The only season when the trend was bucked was when a Jose Mourinho led Portuguese outfit FC Porto to a 3 – 0 victory over French side Monaco in 2003/04. But a tie like that hasn’t been had in a while because of the dominance in this point in history has been confined to the four footballing nations, but yet more specifically to FC Barcelona and Manchester United. Kudos to both teams making the final, an achievement for any fan of the sides to be proud of. It’s been labelled as the rematch of 08/09 final where FC Barcelona ran riot over Manchester United, beating them 2 – 0 in style.

It’s great prospect to watch. If you’re a Manchester United or FC Barcelona fan. But what about to the footballing neutral? Can it be that Europe’s prestigious club competition has become too top heavy? Or that the game of football has become the play thing of billionaires and global brands as opposed to actual teams? It would be stupid to say or even think that the game between two of Europe’s biggest teams would be anything short of entertaining. But it’s the same old thing again and again.


It’s a sad thing to say, but it seems there cannot be a variety in the Champions League anymore. Those with some of the deepest pockets in Europe can only be successful and simmer to the top of the European footballing stew.

How great would it have been to be a FC Schalke 04 or a Tottenham Hotspur fan during this season of the Champions League. Just a few mere wins away from reaching the grandest of all club footballing finals the world over. But yet look at their games in which they were knocked out. Tottenham lost a crushing 0 – 5 on aggregate (losing 4 – 0 in the opening leg) and FC Schalke, the team from Gelsenkirchen who carried the imaginations of many (including myself) were systematically thrown out of the Champions league by Manchester United 6 -1 on aggregate, despite the heroics of goalkeeper Manuel Neurer . The fairy tale run of the underdogs came to a screeching halt and those romantics who dream, dreamt for too long.


But this isn’t to take away from the skills and talents of Manchester United or FC Barcelona. They both have incredibly talent squads, brilliantly tactically minded coaches with both an arsenal of attacking weapons and an inventory of defense strategies to complement their playing styles. Both squads should be commended on their achievements because after all, you don’t become champions of your leagues by sheer luck and chance.

But on that night on the 28^th of May when both teams grace the grass of Wembley Stadium in London, one team will come out the victor. But who really loses here? Without pointing out the obvious (the team who loses), it’s the imagination of many a footballing fan who has grown tired of seeing the “topheavyness” of European football battle it out. Again.


Is there space for the imagination for the footballing romantic? Yes, but it can only exist in that form, in the imagination. Reality can deal a cruel blow for many a fan.

By Marcel Abboud

The Brazilian Hope - Neymar

Brazil have long been a huge footballing nation with a fiery passion for the beautiful game and a hotbed of talent. The likes of Pelé, Romário, Jorginho and until more recent times, Ronaldinho and El Fenómeno himself have all called Brazil their home.

With the national team boasting a pedigree of 5 World Cups, 3 Confederations Cups and 8 Copa América titles, it is no wonder that the biggest clubs in the world invest heavily in young Brazilian talent in the hope of uncovering the latest of a long, illustrious line of Brazilian legends. However, not every player from makes that exclusive list.

One may remember a certain Kerlon, made infamous by his audacious seal dribbles. He was plagued by a series of knee injuries which hampered his progress at Inter and Ajax. Touted as the new Ronaldinho, he has looked nothing like that part ever since.

Similar hype is now surrounding Neymar da Silva, who spearheads Brazilian side Santos' formidable attacking line-up. He has already been linked to high-profile moves to European soil over the past two years. The pursuit of his signature has now been stepped up following the string of international friendlies over the past week. But will he go on to match the success of his legendary predecessors before him? Or will he flatter to deceive and end up with no more than burgeoning potential?

Comparisons to Pelé and Robinho, both of which featured for Santos at some point in their respective careers, are simply inevitable. With bags of tricks and shimmies, blistering pace and a killer eye for goal, he has been deemed ready for the huge hurdle of European football by many in the business. Some have even gone so far as to claim that he already is of more quality than Robinho. But his lean frame will pose a problem to maximising his effectiveness on the pitch, as has been the problem with most Brazilian players. It will be something he definitely has to work on before heading abroad for greener pastures.

What Neymar needs now is to make an educated decision. The promise of a lavish lifestyle, as part of liberation from the favelas, is especially alluring for the new generation of Brazilians. The rise of the real (local currency) allows them to set their sights even further abroad. Brazil's improving economy injects quality into the local leagues since clubs enjoy more purchasing power and are empowered to build better facilities. But it also drives some of the best members of the next wave of talents away from their homeland in a gold rush-esque chase for a better quality of life. Players such as Neymar run the risk of failing to adapt, being subjected to negative influences abroad and suffering from homesickness; all of which more than able to deal him a crippling blow at this premature stage in his career.

At the age of 19, the diamond that is Neymar is still raw and uncut. The elements of his game are slowly starting to fall into place and the outlook is exceptionally promising. However, he is plagued by a plethora of bad habits. These include florid dribbling, excessive showboating and a hazardous penchant for taking goalscoring opportunities casually. He has a worrying history of fluffing penalties, with his audacious chipped shot against Vitoria in the Copa Do Brasil Final ending horribly in the keeper's grateful arms and lazy attempt against Ceara going nowhere near the net. He is more than happy to theatrically hurl himself to ground with the slightest contact. He treats a football match like a kickabout in the local park. He hogs the ball with a childish insistence on taking on defences all on his own. He vents his frustration with hissy fits and a words that could only be politely described as “colourful”. The imperfections that threaten to compromise the player that he can become.

That said, his maiden outing in the yellow of the Seleção was nothing short of a success. His single goal against the USA in a friendly doesn't even come close to illustrating the brilliant show he put on against robust resistance. Over a few days ago, he gave what was a definite man-of-the-match performance against Scotland, contributing a goal in each half- enough to secure a victorious trip for Brazil. Running this way and that down both wings with guile and lethal attacking intent, he proved to be simply unplayable. With a grin of enjoyment on his face and a spring in his step, he darted in and out of defences and danced around defenders with such flair that Brazil's failed “six appeal” in the World Cup seemed little more than a bad dream. A sign perhaps, that backlines of tough-tackling defenders and midfield destroyers just won't be enough to stop the boy wonder from weaving his beautiful magic.


Neymar's precocious talent and promise means he has to be handled and nurtured carefully. He is one of a select bunch of players that come once a blue moon to set the world stage alight with their craft. It is in his destiny to bear the torch that has been set alight since the days of Garrincha. But the question is, how will he play his cards from here on?

Carlo Ancelotti has recently dispelled rumours of Chelsea's interest in the young Brazllian and Neymar himself has expressed interest in playing for Juventus and Barcelona. Even Manchester United, long peripheral figures in the transfer market, have reportedly been involved in talks with his representatives. A transfer at this point to clubs of such a calibre would surely be an impulsive gamble. It would simply be irrational for a player as young as he to vie for the first-team football in some of the biggest sides in the pantheon of European football.

The direction in which Neymar plots his path from here on can only be left to wild speculation. But all we have to do, really, is to sit back, marvel and enjoy as he grows to become even more devastatingly adept with the ball at his talented feet each passing day and writes his own history as he goes along.

By Joshua Tong Lok

Goalkeepers: All Guts But Not Enough Glory?

It's perhaps the most underrated position on the football field, the least talked about in terms of importance for the team, perhaps the most vital position but yet, it's the hardest to replace when they leave/get injured.

I'm of course talking about the goalkeeper.


Go up to any football fan and ask them to name their favourite players. Most likely than not, you'll get names like Zlatan Ibrahamovic, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas etcetera. What's one thing these players all have in common? They're all attack minded goalscoring players.

When a team wins a game, who are the names that grab the headlines? It's the strikers/midfielders (and sometimes depending on how they played during the game, defenders). All with chances during the 90 minutes of play to score goals and win the game for their team, and yes defenders do score (just ask David Luiz of Chelsea FC, Roberto Carlos for Real Madrid/Fenerbache and Jamie Harnwell for Perth Glory FC). But more often then not, the main defensive stalwart of the team gets little to no recognition for their part in the game: the goalkeeper.



Goalkeepers are the "commanders" of the defensive backline for their team. Granted they may not be running for 90 minutes, but they are just as athletic as any other player on the field. Great examples of goalkeepers who come to mind: Iker Casillas of Real Madrid, Petr Cech of Chelsea FC, Oliver Kahn of Bayern Munich/Germany fame, Mark Schwartzer of Fullham FC/Australia (just to name a few amongst many). What's common about these keepers? They are a main part of their club's/national team's success on the field. They are there pulling off the incredible, athletic dives to keep their teams in the game, they launch the counter attacks that lead to goals (ala Manuel Neuer and Miroslav Klose for Germany in the 2010 FIFA World Cup) and has the wieght of the world on their shoulders during a penalty shootout, just like the 2005 FIFA World Cup playoff spot between Australia and Uruguay. The headlines don't read that the penalty kick taker missed their shot, it reads that the goalkeepers have been beaten.


This is not to diminish the importance to what the other players bring to the team, far from it. Besides, we need strikers to score goals, midfielders to feed the ball through and defenders to become walls to defend the goal. But who is the "last line of defense?" Who has it all to to when the offside trap fails and its 3 v 1? Who has to put their body on the line to save a shot going 100km/h?

The goalkeeper.

So next time you're playing football, remember to thank your keeper. They'll be thankful for it.

By Marcel Abboud

You want 10 sprints ? I'll do 11... - Alan Shearer

It was his first full match debut. It was a match against Arsenal. He was just 17 years and 240 days. He was nervous. He was tensed. He was how a 17 year old normal kid should be. Yet what he did that day was truly remarkable and abnormal. He scored a hat-trick against a formidable opponent and won his team the match 4-2. Was this an indication of things to follow?

Commitment, Passion, Finesse, Creativity, Strength are just a few words that have been used to describe this Legend. All these seem to be small in front of the achievements this guy has made. He’s also known as the “Galloway Giant”. He was not called a “giant” just because he was six feet. The gigantism laid in the terror he created amongst the defenders of his time, the ease with which he over powered them and the simplicity with which he celebrated his goals. This “Galloway Giant” is ALAN SHEARER.


Shearer believed that you need to give 100% every time so that no one could ask anything more from you. Shearer was quoted as follows- “Someone once said to me as a kid, if you’re asked to do ten sprints, do eleven. Never do nine because that would be cheating yourself. ”
At school-level he began playing on the streets just like most of the kids. He preferred playing in the midfield as he believed that he could “get more involved in the game”. Perhaps it is this stint in the midfield which has made him a brilliant creative forward, who not only scored goals but also created opportunities for his team-mates. Later, he spent the summer training with Southampton’s youth team. This, according to Shearer, was the “making of Shearer”. After scoring the hat-trick against Arsenal in 1988, Shearer had a successful stint at Southampton. He went on to make the then manager, Branfoot “the most popular manager” at that time as he kept getting calls from various clubs trying to buy Shearer. Despite a strong interest from Manchester United, Shearer rejected the move and decided to stay with Southampton.


Later, he would go on to join Blackburn with whom he won the Premier League on the final day of the season , tipping Manchester United. He went on to win the PFA Player of the Year in 1995. After the European Championships of 1996, Manchester United tried to sign Shearer for a second time. Shearer just said, “I am getting offers from various clubs. I must be doing something right.” .The fees was agreed and the deal was almost done when Shearer’s Hero- Kevin Keegan came up with an offer from Newcastle United and “hijacked” Shearer’s move to Old Trafford. Shearer continued his brilliant goal scoring form in the following years, winning many accolades and fans throughout the world. He could have easily gone to Manchester United and won many trophies.

Especially the 1999 season, where Manchester United won the treble. But he chose his childhood club managed by his childhood hero. From this perspective it seemed obvious why he chose not to go to Old Trafford. Whatever maybe the reason, but it sure pictures the beauty of commitment, love and loyalty towards your club which is lacking in the modern-day footballers. Ten years later, Shearer was again seen showing his love for Newcastle, who were in dire straits. He turned into a manager for 8 games and took charges from the caretaker manager, Hutton, as Newcastle attempted to beat the drop from the Premier League. During an interview, he was quoted saying, “I’ve never wanted to leave. I’m here for the rest of my life and hopefully after that as well.” .Though he failed to perform the task due to his inexperience and the lack of time, he had proved his love for the club where he became a Legend.


Another memory that comes to the mind of any Shearer fan is the altercation between Roy Keane and Shearer in the 2001-02 season. The match was in favour of Newcastle 4-3 and the Red Devils captain, Roy Keane, as we all know was a “dynamic” character to say the least. Shearer was preventing Man United from taking a throw-in. Roy Keane threw the ball at him and aimed a strike at the striker. Shearer stood firm and didn’t react to it. Keane was sent off and he tried to charge onto Shearer, who looked at Keane fearlessly. This fearless nature was visible during the numerous goals he scored for both club and England. Shearer once said, “I never get fed up of scoring goals. That’s a striker’s secret.”


Shearer has not won the World Cup, The European Championships, The Champions League, The FA Cup. But he has won the hearts of every Newcastle supporter and that of many other budding footballers throughout the world. He went on to be the highest ever premier league goal-scorer, scoring 260 goals, of which 206 were scored for Newcastle United, which was another record .He was inducted in the English Hall Of Fame in 2004 and also in the 125 Greatest living footballers by Pele.
Many Newcastle fans would love to see Shearer back playing football. You can find him in Classic Players in FIFA 11.


In a charity match organised against Celtic to bid farewell to Shearer, who was unfortunately injured, he would make a last minute entry on the field as a substitute which could be described as “The Last Entry of the Gladiator”. He scored a penalty and the commentary went as follows:
“And the curtain comes down so fittingly with a winning goal in front of his beloved fans...Alan Shearer ... Legend.”

By Nikhil Kulkarni

When is enough, enough?

How many mistakes do you think you would be given in your job before you were shown the door? How many times could you say sorry before the word becomes meaningless and empty?

How many times can you bawl red faced and spitting in anger towards a referee before it goes too far? How many times can you get away with murder?

This week has been a shameful one for English football. Two incidents, with two Englishmen caught red handed will go by without reprimand as the reputation of the game suffers.

Manchester United’s assistant coach Mike Phelan’s assertion that it is unfair to question the referee’s decision to not award more than a free kick to Wigan for Wayne Rooney's elbow on James McCarthy, is an outrageous act of hypocrisy.

“We can’t dispute the referee’s decision” said Whelan as he somehow managed to keep a straight face after the game.

Luckily he has never spoken out, outraged by a perceived slight from a referee against his side. Ever.

“You expect officials to get that one right. It was not even close. Their job is to keep their composure and they failed to do that." Said Phelan after Man Utd lost to Chelsea last April.

So you can’t question the referee’s decision if the decision goes in your favour you mean, Mike?

His boss, Sir Alex Ferguson also defended Wayne Rooney’s clear elbow on Wigan’s James McCarthy, claiming the media wanted the striker “electrocuted" for his actions. An attempt to find a quote where he has turned a blind eye to his own team’s thuggery while lamenting the performance of a referee that awarded a decision against him would have taken too long, there was just too many to sift through.

Carlo Ancelotti was equally as indignant after revelations in the News of the World about Ashley Cole shooting a university student at the club’s training ground with an air rifle.

“He said sorry, said it was a mistake, an accident, we will take the proper action, but tomorrow he will play.” He also suggested he should be allowed off because he had admitted to making a mistake, and who else doesn’t make a mistake after all? We don’t know the ins and outs of the goings on at Cobham, so how can we judge?

Anyone willing to place a free bet on the outcome being a ticking off? Every action does not have an equal and opposite reaction, apparently.

When did football become so removed from the realities of the world? When did it become an inclusive bubble, separate from the rights and wrongs of the world?

Rooney and Cole have proved themselves to be devoid of common sense, morality and class before, and their action only serves to add to their quickly growing reputation for idiocy, and worse, sleaze. But why managers have become PR representatives, spinning a story to coerce others to see their point of view? Win hearts and minds, boys and you will win the war.

Ancelotti, Ferguson and Phelan are blinded by their own cause, and look foolish because of it.

Two of these are managers with excellent records in the game, both Champions League and Premier League winners. Supporters should expect and demand not to be treated like idiots by them.

You elbow someone in the head, you are punished. You shoot someone with an air-rifle, you are punished. Nothing a manager suggests afterwards will ever change that fact. It is only a major flaw in the laws of football that protects Rooney. In your next Sunday league fixture, smash someone in the temple and see if they will accept a free-kick as an appropriate punishment, and that no further action is necessary.

Or shoot someone in broad daylight during a training session and see how many people you are able to convince that it didn’t happen.

Free bets for anyone who is able to get away with it with just a clip round the ear like Rooney and Cole.

But hopefully these two will face a more severe punishment that a three match ban, or a slap on the wrists by a manager. Rooney in particular has completed a quite spectacular fall from grace since the World Cup, while the closest Cole will have been to grace would have been in a nightclub with a girl of the same name draped over him.

Supporters will judge and punish them accordingly, even if those in power have shown an inability to do so.

Make no mistake, football hasn’t been a game of the people for some time, the money men took care of that, but is it too much to expect a level of decency and honesty? The sheer level of unaccountability defies belief; It makes you wonder why you watch the game in the first place.

Indonesia Premier League (IPL) - A Change for the Better?

The need for change has always constituted the catalyst for a revolution. This doesn’t just stop in the field of politics, it can span its wings into the football pitch. Numerous examples have been shown worldwide: the formation of the A-League in 2005 in Australia, the breakup of the Yugoslavia to form the various Balkan national leagues, the introduction of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1993 which saw the rise of professionalism of football in the United States.

Fast forward to 2011 and a breakaway league is underway. Not it’s not in a major league in Europe, but in the South East Asian nation of Indonesia. A new, 19 team league has formed, known as “Indonesia Premier League” or in Indonesian “ Liga Primer Indonesia (LPI)” It is a separate independent league not run under the supervision of the Indonesia’s governing football body Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI). In turn, many punters believe that no footballer who plays in a team which competes in the LPI is allowed to be selected and join the country’s national team. As this league is run independently and not under the auspices of the PSSI, it is therefore not affiliated with the world footballing governing body, FIFA.


But why the breakaway? An idea of oil and gas company Medco chairman Arifin Panigor, the league was established amongst allegations of corruption in the PSSI and the neglect of the PSSI towards the state of the league, as well as games being played behind closed doors and issues with referees. The league has a spectacular television deal, as LPI clubs are also entitled to receive revenues from match broadcasts.


As mentioned, 19 teams will compete in the LPI, including three teams (PSM Makassar, Persema Malang and Persibo Bojonegoro) who were apart of the Indonesian Super League (ISL). Each team is allowed to sign up to five foreign players from any of the FIFA confederations, with many teams making some very adventurous signings. Players have come from everywhere, including the A-League and various state leagues in Australia (Aleks Vrteski and Andrija Jukic from Perth Glory FC to name a few) as well securing the high profile regional signings of Filipino brothers Philip and James Younghusband. Former Aston Villa and Derby County midfielder Lee Hendrie has turned out for Bandung FC as their marquee signing.

The teams that will be competing in the inaugural 2011 season are:

Atjeh United Bali Devata Bandung F.C. Batavia Union Bogor Raya F.C. Cenderawasih F.C. Jakarta F.C. 1928

Manado United Medan Bintang Medan Chief Minangkabau F.C. Persebaya 1927 Persema Malang

Persibo Bojonegoro PSM Makassar Real Mataram Semarang United Solo F.C. Tangerang Wolves

This league is hoped to raise the level of quality and entertainment in Indonesian football as well as trying to improve the overall status and overall game in this country of around 238 million people. The LPI hopes to improve the football’s level in the country ranked 129th by FIFA and is backed by the country's sports minister. So will the IPL improve the standard of the game in this football loving nation?
We’ll just have to wait and see…

Football Managers - It's a Hard Enough Life For Us...

Managers have a tough job sometimes.

Dealing with egos within the squad, developing team unity and unity towards the goals of the club and all this to do with club owners breathing down their necks. With Steve McClaren and Roberto Di Matteo being axed from Vfl Wolfsburg and West Bromwich Albion respectively, here is a look at some (of many) of the more odd/controversial managerial sackings of years gone by:

1) Leroy Rosenior – Torquay United (2007)
A former striker for variety of clubs including West Ham United, Fulham FC and Queens Park Rangers, Rosenior has the perhaps most dubious record of the shortest managerial position ever held. In 2007 he returned to Torquay United for whom he coached for between 2002 – 2006, when after being in charge for a whole 10 minutes, he was let go by the club. This was due to a new consortium taking over at Torquay, something that Rosenior was aware of but not thinking that it would happen only 10 minutes after he was unveiled as the then League Two’s new manager.

2) Jose Peseiro/Nasser Al-Johar – Saudia Arabia National Football Team (2011)
The Arabian powerhouse Saudi Arabia entered the 2011 AFC Asian Cup as perennial pre-tournament favourites to lift the coveted trophy with expectations running high for the Green Falcons. But after losing 2 – 1 to a lowly but determined Syria in the groups opening game, Portuguese coach Peseiro was told to pack his bags by the Saudi FA. Replacing him for the remainder of the tournament was technical advisor Al-Johar, but his fate was soon sealed just under a week later. The Saudis failed to pick up any points in the group stages (losing 1 – 0 to Jordan and being destroyed by Japan 5 – 0), exiting the Asian Cup in disappointing fashion and Al-Johar not even having the highest position in Saudi football for a week.

3) Chris Hughton– Newcastle United FC (2010)
After taking charge a dominant Newcastle United from the Championship in 2009 back to the promised land of the Premier League, things were looking good for Hughton. The Magpies were exceeding everyone’s expectations in the league and managed to put on some great attacking performances, including a 4 – 0 hammering of a sorry Aston Villa on the opening round of 2010/2011.


Owner Mike Ashley who had overseen many a sacking during a turbulent time at St James’ Park, decided to let go of the popular Hughton (seemingly out of nowhere) citing “an individual with more managerial experience was needed to take the club further”. Many of the St James’ Park faithful were in disillusion at such a decision, but yet came as little surprise if one looks back at the recent managerial merry-go-round for Newcastle United. Former Southampton and West Ham manager Alan Pardew was chosen to replace Hughton, but the Toon Army will never let down the importance that Hughton had in his short spell at the top.

4) Pierre Littbarski (2005/2006)
The Australian footballing scene had died a terrible, terrible death in 2004 due to the financial fumblings of those in charge at the former Soccer Australia and the dissolution of a national league (known as the National Soccer League) made matters worse. Coming from a yearlong recess in 2005/2006, the A-League was launched under the auspices of Football Federation Australia and Chairman Frank Lowy. New teams were established and football in Australia was given another shot at life.


A Sydney FC side, coached by charismatic German Pierre Littbarski took out the A-League Grand Final against the Central Coast Mariners thanks to a lone Steve Corica goal in the 63^rd minute. Once known as “Bling FC” due to their financial flair and high profile signing of former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke, the Sky Blues somewhat shockingly let go of their inaugural manager after leading them to the first ever piece of silverware due to his non-acceptance into taking a major paycut. It would be another four seasons before Sydney saw any silverware (winning the A-League double of both the minor premiership and grand final) under Czech coach Vítězslav Lavička. Littbarski had spells managing various sides in Asia and in Europe before setlling with German side Vfl Wolfsburg in 2010 as an assistant coach, before being assigned caretaker manager of Die Wölfe in 2011 after the sacking of Englishman Steve McClaren.

Comeback Kids - Great Footballing Comebacks in Recent Times

Comebacks have been the talk of the footballing weekend, particularly as Newcastle United FC managed to claw their way back to draw 4 – 4 against an Arsenal side that managed to put three goals past them in under 10 minutes.

Here we look at just a few of thousands of remarkable comebacks in recent footballing memory:

1) Manchester United FC v Bayern Munich FC (2 – 1) 1999 UEFA Champions League Final

In what would go down as a memorable moment forever etched into any Manchester United fan’s memory, this enthralling final saw a resilient Manchester United trounce a rampant Bayern Munich. What made this result more remarkable was the fact that both of Manchester United’s goals came in stoppage time.

After Mario Basler put the Germans ahead in the 6^th minute of play, Bayern Munich looked almost definite to hold up the UEFA Champions League trophy that is until England striker Teddy Sherringham had his say. Coming off the bench in the 67^th minute, the English marksman levelled the game in the first minute stoppage time before another substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjær won the game for the Red Devils in the third minute of stoppage time, poking the ball in the top of the net.


By Manchester United winning, this cemented their place in footballing echelons by completing an unprecedented treble (EPL, FA Cup and Champions League) and the players of this legendary team (despite having lost their captain Roy Keane and Paul Scholes due to suspension) have forever etched their names in footballing history.

2) Central Coast Mariners FC V Sydney FC (5 – 2) 22nd Dec, 2007 (Round 15)

Labelled as the greatest game in the A-League’s short history, a rescheduled game at the Bluetounge Stadium saw these two teams contest the South NSW Derby but with entertaining results. In a very fluid and attacking game, Central Coast keeper Danny Vukovic was given his marching orders in the 16^rd minute as he was to have judged to handle the ball outside his box, but this didn’t stun the boys from the coast. The Mariners had taken the lead in the 3^rd and 15^th minute thanks to goals from Mile Jedinak and John Aloisi respectively.

The Sky Blues then bounced back thanks to goals from popular defender Ian Fyfe in the 33^rd minute before Northern Irishman Terry McFlynn levelled the scores at the 49^th minute. In what is possibly the most exciting second half in the A-League’s history, Greg Owens for the Mariners restored parity in the 63^rd minute (courtesy of a penalty). This did little to dampen the Sky Blues attacking prowress as youngster Adam Biddle nutmeged defender Dean Heffernen and put Sydney FC ahead in the 71^st minute. Before Sydney fans had a chance to catch their breathes back, they were treated to a moment of true class as Brendon Santalab stunned the masses with a fantastic spin-come-strike from just inside the box to thunder Sydney further into the lead. A terrific goal was made better by the fact that this was his first A-League goal for Sydney FC.


In a tense final ten minutes, Adam Kwasnik levelled the scores before, remarkably, Kwasnik handeled the ball in the penalty box. With Kwasnik sent off, Ufuk Talay slotted away the spot kick to send Sydney FC 5 -4 winners and put and end to was has been and since unmatched, the greatest game of the A-League so far.

3) Liverpool FC v West Ham United (3 – 3, 3 – 1 penalties) 2006 FA Cup Final

What is it about a cup final that produces some of the greatest comebacks?

Going down in the 21st minute thanks to a Jamie Carragher own goal, West Ham were sent further ahead when Dean Ashton in the 28nd minute tucked in a loose ball from a West Ham’s Matthew Etherington shot, which Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina failed to hold on to properly.

Liverpool managed to peg one back thanks to French international Djibril Cissé’s goal in the 32^nd minute. West Ham had the lead going into the second half before the Gerrard show kicked in. A Peter Crouch knock down is volleyed in by the Liverpool captain in the 54^th minute, levelling the scores at 2 – 2. Paul Konchesky’s goal in the 63^rd minute had the Hammers thinking they had done enough to win the FA Cup but a thunderous Steven Gerrard 30 yard strike into the back of the net levelled the score on the 90^th minute, leaving Hammers keeper Shaka Hislop doing nothing more than pick the ball out.


Extra-time passed without much incident which led the game into penalties. With three misses from Zamora, Konchesky and Ferdinand for the Hammers (only Sherrigham managed to put one in), Liverpool were handed the 2006 FA Cup when John Arne Riise stepped up and slotted the ball in the back of the net.

This game was truly one of the greatest FA Cup finals to be had and it was truly the Steven Gerrard show for all to see.

4) Arsenal FC V Tottenham Hotspurs FC (4 – 4) 28^th Oct, 2008 (English Premier League)

Tottenham scored twice in the dying minutes of the game to level with their London arch-rivals in an enthralling game of skill, entertainment and football.

After David Bently had put the Spurs ahead on the 13th minute, the Gunners fought back and scored and seemingly had the game wrapped up with thanks to goals from Mikael Silvestre (37), William Gallas (46), and Emmanuel Adebayor (64). Even though Spurs managed to get one back in the 67th minute with a Darren Bent goal, Arsenal responded immediately with a goal from Robin van Persie in the 68th minute of the game.

For any fan that left with five minutes to go, they sure are kicking themselves now. In a display of utter skill and scenes that you can only imagine, Tottenham managed to score when a Luka Modric rocket hit the woodwork with Jermaine Jenas there to put in the rebound in the 89^th minute, making the ledger at 4 – 3. With Arsenal shelshocked, the damage wasn’t over as Aaron Lennon sent the white half of the Emarites Stadium into raptures when in the 90^th minute managed to level the scores from just outside the box.


So the game ended 4 – 4, a highly attacking display from both sides that saw the Gunners capitulate their lead into a 4 – 4 draw. Scenes like this against Arsenal weren’t repeated until an understrength Newcastle United FC managed to come back from 4 – 0 down in the first half to draw 4 – 4 in the dying stages of the game in 2011.

By Marcel Abboud

Football in Lebanon...Fair Play for None…

It’s been well documented in the media that the A-League crowds for the 2010/2011 season are drastically lower than previous seasons, with fans not turning up to games for one reason or another. Many say its due to the league being “stale” or the level of play isn’t “exciting enough” or they blame it on the timing, weather and the lack of promotion. While football in Australia tends to fair not as well as an Australian football fan would like in comparison to other national leagues, it certainly has made an impact since the sport’s overhaul in 2005.

But while many tend to complain about the crowd numbers but yet lack the “proactiveness” to do anything about it, spare your thoughts for the Middle Eastern nation of Lebanon.

It’s certainly a country that loves its football, but in Lebanon the sport is in trouble, thanks largely to the politicisation of the game and fears for the security of spectators.

In this tiny nation of just over four million people, football is one of the most popular sports, and any game played could easily fill up any stadium. Unfortunately for the fans of the world game, due to the tense and sometimes violent political atmosphere, they are forced to either watch from nearby apartments, wait outside their stadium, or view proceedings on live television.

Introduced to the country in the late 1800’s by foreigners and made popular by the immigration of Armenians to Lebanon and while under the French Mandate, The first competition was played out in 1934 and in 1936 Lebanon joined football’s governing body, FIFA.
Football is played everywhere: from the parks to the streets, it’s not uncommon to see a game being played amongst friends and youth. But while the playing of the sport is widespread, its active support of its league is dwindling.

For more than three years now, the Lebanese Football Association (LFA) has imposed a ban on spectators out of fears that sectarian violence could break out. This decision was made in the aftermath of the 2006 Israeli war as the government concluded that large gatherings of football fans, many of whom are divided amongst religious and political affiliations, would be best avoided due to the prevailing tensions.

In Lebanon, where politics dominates life, many teams are backed by political parties or religious groups. For example, Al-Ahed is backed by the political party Hezbollah through their television station Al Manar; former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri supported both Al-Nejmeh and Al-Ansar; Shabab al Ghazieh is a Shia Muslim team from the south; Druze politicians support Safa Beirut while Christian majorities support both Club Sportif La Sagesse and Salam Zgharta. The lack of funding of the game has paved the way for such groups (whether for noble or other purposes) to step in and take control of the clubs.

“There are always political problems because every team belongs to politicians and the fan starts to hit each other with cans, sticks, guns or anything else,” says Badwi Al-Maarrawi, a Salam Zgharta fan in the northern town of Zgharta. “The soccer in Lebanon is going down, there is no advertising, no money and no government support.”

Many teams choose players not on their skill and ability, but on their political backing and religion. “There are a lot of good players [in Lebanon]. Some of them go to Germany to play in the Bundesliga, but here there is no support for teams, no budget…” explains Mr Al-Maarawi. Many parties use the teams as a form of political propaganda, with the stronger teams paying bribes to politically aligned teams to roll over and lose, a sign of the political tug-of-war in Lebanon. A victory against a rival team is a victory over a team’s political and religious foes.

For many, the only way to watch their teams play is either through live television, listening to it on radio or for the die-hard ones, sneaking past security to watch it live.

Violence has broken out in the past as gun incidents and fan troubles are common, with players and coaches sometimes targeted. In 2007, Hussein Dokmak and midfielder Hussein Neim (both of Al-Nejmeh), along with Serbian manager Nenand Stavric were all killed in a roadside bomb blast on their way back from training, the very same bomb that killed politician Walid Eido.

Information about the sport inside Lebanon is scarce on the internet. The LFA doesn’t have an operating website; the only official link to FIFA is the organisation’s webspace on the FIFA website. A Google search comes up with either out-dated match reports about various club exploits or of American football being played in Mt Lebanon in Pennsylvania, USA.

Any curious-minded individual would in their first instance turn to Wikipedia to satisfy their curiosity about the sport, but yet the information on some of the various clubs/players/seasons are horribly outdated (with some information still up from 2007) or are incomplete. Most websites that do provide weekly updates are (rightly so) in Arabic, but even some of the clubs websites like Al-Nejmeh haven’t been updated since 2007.

Even though the fan ban doesn’t extent to the national team, support is still not as strong as it could be. While football is a passion for many, the Lebanese team, currently ranked 154 with fellow minnow teams like Chinese Taipei and Myanmar further up the ratings ladder, suffers from lack of funds and lack of support from its own people. Teams like Brazil and Germany are followed passionately by the whole nation due to their international exploits, with towns littered in their colours and flags. Yet fewer than 800 turned up to see Lebanon face Uzbekistan in a qualifier for the FIFA World Cup at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut, which can fit just under 50,000 people.

“Many people follow teams like Brazil and Italy in Lebanon and whenever they play, it’s like a carnival atmosphere,” says Nicholas Toubia, an architectural student and a Lebanese football fan. “There are many flags put up on homes when they play, but when Lebanon plays many people either don’t know or don’t care. For many, Brazil is their national team.”

So as the war wounds in this tiny nation are slowly healing, its football continues to die a slow death. So next time the fans of Australian football berate each other for not turning up to games and conjuring up excuses for not turning up, just spare a thought for their Lebanese counterparts sitting on the fence trying to watch their team play.


By Marcel Abboud - (Facebook Follower) - Football Correspondant

Spanish La Liga, has it become too uncompetitive?

During the Christmas break we take time to evaluate how each of the several leagues across Europe and the world have faired both competitively and financially. The first league we take a look at is Spain's premier league the La Liga. The La Liga is rated by FIFA as the second most successful league in the world after the English Premier League. However, in recent times the league has come under much pressure to offer something new both in terms of marketing and football.

One of the biggest problems in the La Liga is that the league has seemingly divided itself - overtime - into four different tiers.

One tier is played between Barcelona and Real Madrid to win the title.

Just under them is the second tier which consists of Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia and Villarreal, fighting for places in the champions league and the Europa league.

The third tier varies, but usually consists of teams like Atletico Bilbao, Espanyol, Getafe and Deportivo la Coruna, who are quite happy to stay out of trouble, but still play to achieve that elusive Europa League spot.

The fourth tier, of course is that between the teams trying to avoid relegation. Although the quality of the teams do not match those in the "first tier" the competition between these teams is quite exhilarating especially towards the end of the season.

These "tiers" or leagues are divided greatly by the level of football acustomed to each of the clubs. One big example of this was the recent match between Real Madrid and Levante - a team just sitting above relegation-  in the Spanish Cup , the 8-0 victory to Madrid including two hattricks to both Benzema and Ronaldo shows the difference in footballing ability between the two clubs. 

The fact that Madrid and Barcelona are always increasing the gap between all the tiers below them - mainly for money. Shows that the La Liga is bound to become more uncompetitive unless the influence of lesser known clubs becomes greater. Through both transfers and media publicity. Although everything is possible with newly promoted club Hercules putting up stiff challenges against Barcelona (1-0 Victory) and Real Madrid.



By Isidoro Munoz Mendoza our Spanish Correspondant
(Born in the Bernabeu) - Facebook follower