Archive for the ‘Soccer’ Category

What’s Brewing In English Transfer Scenario

Monday, May 18th, 2009


Since the English soccer season is about to come to an end to an end the hush hush has begun! Though the talks are still in the initial stages but the clubs are making big moves for the next season. Let’s take a look at the people who will probably dawn in new colors come the next season:

David Silva – This Valencia winger has been made a final offer £15m by Liverpool.

Diego Forlan – As Silva is not a certainty so Liverpool has approached the Athletico Madrid and Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan in a swap deal for Lucas Leiva. The only problem in this deal is the transfer fee.

Dodo – Manchester United have agreed on a £5.4m deal for the Corinthians center back Dodo. This 17 year old Brazilian footballer is a part of Manchester United future projects.

Bojan Krkic – Blackburn have expressed their desire to take the Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic on loan.

Antonio Valencia – To add to the miseries of Wigan Athletic manager Steve Bruce his star Antonio Valencia is in the shopping list of Real Madrid and Manchester United.


Mark Schwarzer – The star of the season for Fulham Mark Schwarzer has already been linked with a couple of clubs namely Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.

Emanuel Adebayor – Chelsea are in hot pursuit of this Togolese centre forward playing for Arsenal.

Ashley Young – In order to strengthen their team Guus Hiddink and Chelsea are looking to rope in Aston Villa’s Ashley Young.

Edin Dzeko – Bosnia and Wolfsburg forward Edin Dzeko has had primary talks with Chelsea bosses but his joining the club is still a distant possibility.

Roque Santa Cruz – Tottenham Hotspur are looking for sharp striker and they have set their eyes on Balckburn Rovers’ Santa Cruz. It seems that this will be a swap deal where Darren Bent would land up in Blackburn.

Paul Scharner – Newcastle United are trying to rope in Wigan Athletic’s centre back Paul Scharner to give boost to their week defence.

Gael Givet – This Marseille joined Blackburn Rovers on loan in January and has impressed one and all. Impressive performances are about to earn Givet a permanent signing.

Though there is still so much time to go before the next season starts that the whole scenario might change but many of these deals might also be finalized.

Tickets To 2010 World Cup

Saturday, April 4th, 2009

World Cup organizing committee members in South Africa should be over the moon with the sales of tickets in the first phase! There is a long way to go for the gala event but the World Cup fever has caught up in all almost every corner of the globe. Over 1.6 million ticket applications were sent to FIFA for tickets to World Cup 2010. The first phase of ticket sales ended on 31st March. FIFA sources informed that they received a whooping 1,635,136 applications from soccer fans across 205 nations.

Soccer Comes to African Shores

Soccer Comes to African Shores

The “impressive total underlines the extraordinary level of interest all over the globe,” said Danny Jordaan World Cup Local Organizing Committee (LOC) chief executive. Amongst the tickets applied for World Cup 2010 around 30% were from the South African residents while the rest of the 70% were from fans across the globe. Most of the overseas applications were from United States, Britain, Germany, Italy and Australia. However, most popular requests amongst the 64 matches came for the Inaugural match on June 11 and the final on July 11 both of which are to be played at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg.

With the outstanding success in the first phase itself the World Cup Organizing Committee is looking forward with fingers crossed to 4 May when the second phase will start.

Can Maradona Be a Successful Coach?

Friday, November 28th, 2008
Maradona with His Team before World Cup Qualifying match

Maradona with His Team before World Cup Qualifying match

The news didn’t take me by surprise, at all. Because this was the most natural outcome. Diego Maradona had taken over the baton of Argentina’s soccer team. It is a celebration time for soccer fans, especially those who love the Latin American spell. Maradona will coach the team for the FIFA World Cup 2010. I am sure, the world will wait with baited breath to see Diego’s team spewing fires on the field.

If I am asked to name a single sportsman who represents the entire game to me, it will be Diego Maradona without thinking twice. To me, Maradona is football and football is Maradona. I was a kid during the 1986 Soccer World Cup when Maradona almost single-handedly (well, yeah it wasn’t hand but foot though) took the team to win the World Cup. It wasn’t magic, but something more than that. People also talk about his association with drugs, his becoming obese and his behavioral inconsistencies. But when it’s football, this all-time great footballer’s name is pronounced with respect and admiration.

Do great players make great coaches – the doubt often plagues my mind. While the world is rejoicing that the arrival of Maradona will infuse an aura of invincibility in the Argentine soccer team the doubt hangs on. If history is something to go by, great players often fail when it comes to coaching.

Haven’t you seen a brilliant student getting confused when made to teach a below average student. The primary reason is the fact that since they are above the common players they fail to understand the psychology of an average footballer pushing him to greater heights. To be a good coach you have to be able to understand each everyone’s problem and solve them instantly.

As it is said that “deeds, not stones, are the true monuments of the great”, I hope that we can say the same for Maradona – the coach too! Since the man is Maradona the greatest footballer of the modern era we all expect him to turn the table. If there is any one who can change the common aphorism in the world football that “great players do not make great coaches” then it is him and only him.

Viva Maradona !!