It goes without saying, but the footballs of today are miles more advanced than those that were used in the early days of the beautiful game. But as advanced as they are, there are still some kinks with even the best and most advanced soccer balls out there.

But what if the perfect football could be created? What features would it have, and what issues facing current footballs would the perfect football eliminate?

Air Retention

This isn’t really a problem for major leagues, since balls are routinely replaced during matches. However, for the individual who has one ball and wishes to minimize the amount of times the ball has to be re-inflated over its lifetime, this is a more important issue.

Most current footballs use either latex or butyl bladders, with balls with latex bladders needing to be re-inflated at least once a week. However, balls with butyl bladders can go weeks or even months without needing to be re-inflated, which make them the best option if you were to construct the perfect football with things that are already in use.

But just as air retention has drastically improved in footballs over time, it will continue to do so in the future, and at some point, someone will create a ball that doesn’t need to be re-inflated at all over its lifetime.

Altitude

Playing at altitude not only has an effect on how the players behave, it also has an effect on how the ball behaves. As altitude increases, the air gets thinner, and as the air gets thinner, that means less drag, which means higher speeds, and less lift, which equals less swerve. So, that shot you think you got the perfect hit on ends up going faster, farther, and straighter than you’d like.

What can also occur, as was the case with the Adidas Jabulani at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where numerous games were played at higher altitudes, is a higher propensity for unpredictable movements. The same lack of lift that can cause a shot to be straighter, combined with the composition of the Jabulani itself, caused issues with knuckling.

With the perfect football, any of those altitude-related issues would be eliminated. So, that well-struck ball will be more likely to be on target instead of either ending up a few rows up into the stands, and a seemingly off-target shot will be less likely to swerve wickedly past a baffled keeper and into the net.

Curve

From an entertainment standpoint, seeing a free kick swerve around or over a wall and into the net or watching a long-distance or tight-angled effort curve in is always a highlight, unless you’re a fan of the opposing team.

That’s why there’s always a sense of anticipation when Cristiano Ronaldo steps up to a free kick, and it’s why there are free-kick highlight videos of David Beckham, Roberto Carlos, and Juninho that have seven-figure views on Youtube.

Roberto Carlos' free-kick against France

It requires a great amount of skill and practice – and perhaps a little good fortune as well, in some cases – to be able to curve the ball beautifully like some of those aforementioned stars of the set piece can. But the amount of panels a ball has on its surface can also be a factor, because the less panels a ball has, the less stable the cover is, which makes it easier to curve the ball.

Of course, you don’t want a ball that curves too much, because you don’t want that corner kick intended for a header at the far post to go sailing over and past that head and everyone else’s and harmlessly out of play. The Jabulani had only eight panels, which, when combined with the aforementioned altitude issues, likely further contributed to the ball’s unpredictability.

So, with that in mind, the perfect football must have the right amount of panels to produce the perfect curve, but not so few that extremely unpredictability – and major frustration for keepers and shooters alike – can become an issue.

Perfect for Passing

The perfect football must be able to produce the perfect pass, whether it’s through the air or on the ground, whether it’s a long ball down-field that takes just the right bounce to allow the recipient to beat the defender, control, and deliver an effort on goal, a chest pass, or a slick through ball along the ground that has the perfect mix of touch and pace to set its target up for a golden opportunity.

Along with the lining, which helps the ball keep its shape and bounce over time, the material the bladder is made of also has an effect on the feel and bounce of the ball. Balls with latex bladders provide superior feel and bounce, but as mentioned above, their air retention properties are far inferior to balls made with butyl bladders.

So, the perfect football must have the air retention properties of a ball with a butyl bladder but the feel and bounce of a leather ball.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

When you get relegated from the Premier League, it’s not easy to get back there quickly. And sometimes, it gets worse before it gets better. Just ask Southampton, who are headed back to the top flight after seven years away – and after being in League One only last year. Or Coventry City, who’ve never reached the Championship play-offs since being relegated in 2001 and are now headed to League One after a disastrous 2011-12 campaign.

And because the Championship is always fiercely competitive, with several teams capable of making a promotion run, you must take your chances when they come. Just ask Preston and Sheffield United, who were both in the play-offs just three years ago but are now in League One. Or Nottingham Forest, who were in the play-offs in consecutive seasons but were near the danger zone much of this season.

For West Ham and Blackpool, opportunity awaits a week from Saturday, as they will face off in the Championship play-off final at Wembley. One side will celebrate a lucrative, immediate return to the top flight. The other, meanwhile, will be left to hope that their wait doesn’t turn into a prolonged one.

West Ham

In their quest to get back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, West Ham replaced the sacked Avram Grant with an experienced manager in Sam Allardyce.

Allardyce‘s tenure didn‘t start well, as the Hammers opened with a home defeat to Cardiff. But their form picked up, and they spent most of the season in or around the automatic promotion places. In fact, they topped the table in January and February.

During that time at the top, they embarked on an unbeaten run that reached 11 matches. Unfortunately, that run consisted of only four wins and seven draws, including five straight stalemates in March. And despite a good finish, the mass of draws would prove costly. Red-hot Reading flew past them late in the season on the way to the title, and Southampton, who were top much of the season, secured second with a last-day rout of relegated Coventry City.

So, despite finishing with 86 points and the league’s fewest defeats with 8, the Hammers were the odd man out. In four of the previous five seasons, their point total would have been enough for automatic promotion. But this season, that total saw them finish two points behind Southampton and three behind Reading. However, they quickly put aside any disappointment, dispatching perennial playoff losers Cardiff City 5-0 on aggregate to reach the play-off final.

Big Sam isn’t known for producing prolific teams, but including the play-offs, the Hammers have scored 86 goals this season. At the same time, they were one of the strongest defensive sides in a goal-friendly league, finishing fourth in goals allowed with 48 and in clean sheets with 17.

A number of players with extensive Premier League experience, both new faces and old, have contributed to their promotion push.

Carlton Cole, with 14 goals, is once again atop the club‘s scoring charts, while midfielder Mark Noble, a stalwart in the side for the last several seasons, has been a regular scorer and provider. Meanwhile, former Bolton star Kevin Nolan, who left Newcastle last summer to join up with his former boss, is the club’s second-leading scorer with 12 goals, and former Portsmouth and Bolton star Matt Taylor, another summer signing, has had a productive season despite missing significant time due to injuries.

Defensively, Allardyce has recently gone with the trio of James Tomkins, Winston Reid, and former HSV man Guy Demel, who’s now fit after being sidelined for much of the season. And the trio has worked, as the Hammers have allowed only four goals in their last four matches. Of course, that’s partly due to longtime #1 keeper Robert Green, who has had another solid season.

Blackpool

There were many post-relegation changes for Blackpool as well, but keeping continuity in the right areas has helped fuel their push for a quick Premier League return.

Ian Holloway took the Seasiders to the promised land two years ago, and he has been the guiding force once again. Blackpool have had an up and down season, but they’re rounding into form at just the right time, just as they did two years ago.

Blackpool were fourth in the table with a third of the season remaining, but a run of only two wins in eight games saw them drop to eighth in late March. But they rallied, going unbeaten in their final seven matches of the season to pip Cardiff City to fifth on goal difference.

Finishing fifth instead of sixth might have helped their cause, as they were paired with Birmingham City, who finished only one point ahead of them, instead of West Ham. And after picking up only a point in two meetings against Birmingham during the season, Blackpool got the results when it really counted, eking out a 3-2 aggregate win thanks to a narrow 1-0 win at Bloomfield Road and a 2-2 draw at St. Andrew’s.

Blackpool weren’t fancied going into the play-offs two years ago, and the same can be said now. But many of this season’s key players either were a part of last season’s Premier League side or have Premier League experience, so they know what’s at stake.

In the summer, Charlie Adam, DJ Campbell, and David Vaughan all left for Premier League sides, and Luke Varney, a starter for much of last season, left for Portsmouth. But a solid core remained, and several of last season’s key players have remained in key roles this season, like midfielder Gary Taylor-Fletcher, who‘s had a very productive season, versatile defender Alex Baptiste, who leads the side in appearances, and left back Stephen Crainey, who actually leads the club in assists. Others have stepped into significant roles this season, like winger Matty Phillips, who scored what would prove to be a decisive goal against Birmingham.

Holloway has also made some quality signings, with the two most notable both having come from Birmingham. Former Rangers star Barry Ferguson signed in July after two seasons at Birmingham, and Holloway entrusted him with the armband from the start of the season. His experience and leadership has been key, and so have the goals of the ageless Kevin Phillips, who‘s still banging them in like he has for nearly two decades. The 38-year-old leads Blackpool with 16 goals this season, and if Blackpool are promoted and Phillips’s present one-year deal is extended, he’ll represent a fifth different club in the Premier League, following his stints with Sunderland, Southampton, Aston Villa, and Birmingham.

Final Outlook

There were high expectations on West Ham heading into the season, as they were considered favorites to win the Championship title this season. As they didn’t fulfill those expectations, despite a solid campaign, pressure and expectation for them to triumph at Wembley, are doubly high.

When it comes to consistency throughout the season, the Hammers were certainly the more consistent side, and their domination of Cardiff City in the semifinals was quite impressive. Also, when it comes to head-to-head results between the two finalists, the Hammers own two convincing wins in two matches against Blackpool this season, a 4-0 win at Upton Park in October and a 4-1 win at Bloomfield Road in February.

But previous meetings and form throughout the season don’t always matter in a match like this one, so even though the Hammers are clear favorites to win, Blackpool will fancy themselves to upset the odds in the play-off final once again.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Coming into this season, many expected the UEFA Champions League final to be an all-Spanish affair between Barcelona and Real Madrid. That hasn’t come to pass, as Bayern Munich and Chelsea had other plans.

However, La Liga is still assured of having a European champion this season, as domestic foes Athletic Club and Atletico Madrid will tangle in Wednesday’s Europa League final in Bucharest.

Spanish sides have had a lot of success in the UEFA Cup/Europa League in the last decade, as this year will mark the fifth time in nine seasons that a Spanish side has won Europe’s secondary club competition. Most recently, Atletico Madrid took home the title in 2010, downing Fulham 2-1 in extra time behind a Diego Forlan double.

Get your free football bets at www.freebets.org.uk.

Savior Simeone Spearheads Atletico Revival

This year’s Atletico Madrid side is much, much different than the one that made that successful run two years ago, with many changes coming just in the last year. Atletico sold some top names last summer, as Forlan, Sergio Aguero, and David de Gea all departed for prominent European clubs, and they invested a lot of money on new faces. The most notable of those new faces is Colombian goal machine Radamel Falcao, who will be looking for back-to-back Europa League crowns with two different sides. Last season, he scored a competition-record 17 goals – 18 including the playoff round – including the winner in the final against Braga, as Porto lifted the trophy.

Falcao has put together another fantastic campaign, notching 10 goals in the Europa League and 33 in all competitions, but some of the other new names have had significant roles as well. Forward Adrian, the Golden Boot winner at last summer‘s U21 Euros, has proven to be quite the bargain after moving from relegated side Deportivo La Coruna on a free. He’s matched Falcao‘s 10 Europa League goals, and he has 18 in all competitions. Brazilian playmaker Diego, on loan from VfL Wolfsburg, leads the competition in assists with six, reminding all why he was rated so highly a few years ago.

The most important signing, however, has been in the technical area. Former Atletico star Diego Simeone – yes, the Diego Simeone – replaced Gregorio Manzano as manager in December, and the change has paid big dividends.

In the league, Atletico head into the final weekend on a five-match unbeaten run and still in contention for a Champions League place, as they are only two points behind fourth-placed Malaga. And in Europe, Atletico have impressively won all eight of their matches in the knockout round. After dispatching Lazio, Besiktas, and Hannover 96 all home and away to reach the semis, they did the same to compatriots Valencia, following up a 4-2 home win with a 1-0 win at the Mestalla, recording their first away win of any kind against Valencia since 2003. That’s an achievement made all the more impressive by the fact that Atletico have all of three away wins in the league this season.

Their impressive run has booked the sixth European final in the club’s history, adding to one European Cup final, the victorious UEFA Cup final, and three Cup Winner’s Cup finals. But as impressive as they‘ve been in reaching the final, they’ve perhaps been somewhat overshadowed by Athletic‘s achievements.

Bielsa Brings Belief to Bilbao

Athletic’s only previous European final was in 1977, when they lost on away goals to Juventus in the UEFA Cup final, and they haven’t seen a ton of success since their domestic league and cup double under Javier Clemente in 1983-84. Cue former Argentina and Chile manager Marcelo Bielsa, who took the helm last summer. For much of the season, Athletic were in the thick of the race for a Champions League place, and after not winning a trophy since the Spanish Super Cup in 1984, Athletic now have a chance to win two in quick succession, as they will end their season against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final.

And what a season it’s been for the youthful side. Not only have they achieved as much as they have, they’ve done it with many an impressive attacking performance. The performances that catapulted them into the consciousness of many football fans came in the round of 16 against Manchester United, who were stunningly dispatched 3-2 at Old Trafford and 2-1 at San Mames. As impressive as those scorelines are, they could and perhaps should have been even bigger, as Athletic thoroughly dominated United over the two legs.

This side may not be filled with experience, but its fearlessness and confidence is to be admired. They weren’t intimidated against United, and they weren’t fazed by having to overturn first-leg losses in the round of 32 against Lokomotiv Moscow and in the semis against Sporting Lisbon. Those deficits were successfully negotiated, and they also came back from 2-1 down to win 4-2 at Schalke in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie.

It’s easy to be fearless and confident when you have the quality that Athletic have in their ranks. How long the side stays intact remains to be seen, as this run has only intensified the interest that top European clubs have in Athletic’s numerous bright talents. Seven of their primary starters are 24 or younger, and several of those young stars have been linked with elite clubs. Iker Muniain and Javi Martinez were already well on the radar before this season, but Oscar de Marcos, Ander Herrera, and Markel Susaeta have also seen their stock soar thanks in part to their excellent performances in Athletic’s Europa League run.

The emergence of their mass of young talent has helped make Athletic more of a complete team, and it’s also freed up one of their ‘old’ players to be even more dangerous than he already was. Fernando Llorente has been considered one of the top strikers in Spain for a while and has been linked with some big-money moves himself, but this is his best season yet. He’s scored 29 goals in all competitions, including seven in the Europa League. His most recent goal might be the most important one of his career, as it was the decisive goal in Athletic’s dramatic 4-3 aggregate win against Sporting. This could be a big, big few months for Llorente, as he could have a prominent role for Spain at the Euros and will almost certainly be a prominent name in this summer’s transfer rumors.

Final Prediction

With an abundance of attacking talent on both sides, we would seem to be in for a few goals on Wednesday, and the numbers are certainly in favor of such. Including the qualifying rounds, Atletico Madrid have scored 40 goals in the competition, while Athletic have scored 28. Of course, cup finals are often not nearly as entertaining as they should be, due to caginess or sloppy play, but it would only be right if these two play out an open, goal-filled game.

If they do, it will only further the positive attention the Europa League has garnered this season. The competition is often enough dismissed, but thanks in part to these two sides, this year’s edition has been well worth watching, even with Manchester rivals United and City, who came into the competition at the round of 32, both being dumped out in the round of 16. Tuesdays and Wednesdays will always be king, but there have been many thrilling Thursdays this season.

How will the competition be capped off? Will Falcao win back-to-back Europa League titles, or will Athletic end a memorable run with the club’s first European trophy? Atletico are slight favorites, but with what they’ve shown to this point, who can bet against Bielsa and the boys from Bilbao?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Given the very modest origins of the football, it’s amazing to think about what a modern-day one can do. More often than not, we think and talk about the people using it, which is understandable.

Look at football as art. The footballer is the painter, his body is the paintbrush, the pitch is his expansive canvas, and the football is his paint. When prominent painters are discussed, most conversations are about them and their creations, not what they used to create their masterpieces.

Many people can stick a paintbrush in paint and throw it up on a canvas, but the amount of people who truly have the skill to make a masterpiece, to set minds and emotions in motions, is minimal, thus why the artist gets the plaudits and why great paintings are remembered as they are.

The analogy can go much deeper, but that’s another subject for another time. But in short, that’s why Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are so revered, as they are masters of the art, and that’s why great goals are so celebrated, because they make people think and feel.

But the football can be looked at much the same way you look at an iPad/iPod/iPhone, a video game console, or a car, as technologically as footballs now are and how much they’ve evolved since the beginning, much like current automobiles, many of which come with a laundry list of features that would make Henry Ford’s head spin, is much different than the early models.

And though the conversation will naturally shift back in a flash to the artists, their talents, and their creations, it’s time for the tools to get some of the spotlight, to understand where they’ve come from, where they are now, and where they’re going.

History and Early Evolution of the Football

His surname might be more associated with the auto world, but the world of football has a lot to thank Charles Goodyear for.

Many early games that involved kicking some sort of an object were played with animal skins or bladders, and in some cases leather. Also, legend has it that some games were played with animal or human skulls! However, the common animal leather balls didn’t hold their shape well, weren’t easy to control, and couldn’t withstand the kind of beatings that footballs take now.

Then along came Goodyear, who discovered (accidentally, at that) and perfected the process of vulcanizing rubber. Vulcanization, which makes rubber stronger, more elastic, and more resistance to solvents, heat, and cold, really kick-started the evolution of the football.

In 1855, Goodyear created the first ball made from vulcanized rubber, and seven years later, H.J. Lindon went a step further by creating an inflatable rubber bladder, which made the ball easier to kick and allowed it to better maintain its shape.

As the ball became more developed and as the game of football became more developed, it was inevitable that standards for the balls would come about. And in 1872, the English FA decreed that the football must be spherical, have a circumference of no more than 27 to 28 inches, and weigh no more than 13 to 15 ounces.

To this day, the only deviation from those rules, which were adopted years later by FIFA, has been to change the maximum weight to 14 to 16 ounces.

Footballs in the 20th Century

By the turn of the 20th century, footballs had started to become mass produced by countries like Mitre (the current official ball supplier of the Scottish Premier League and The Football League), and by then, balls with rubber bladders were the norm. Balls at that time were stitched and paneled with heavy leather covers, and they were far easier to kick than previous balls.

However, heading the ball was painful and dangerous, in large part because water absorption during rain made the ball even heavier.

In time, the water absorption issues would be taken care of by using synthetic paints and other non-porous materials to coat the leather cover, and the laced slit that was once used for ball inflation was replaced by a valve.

Other changes would come as well. White balls were unofficially used as early as 1892, but they were officially permitted for use in 1951, to allow spectators to see the ball easier. Also in the 1950s, orange balls were introduced to allow the ball to be seen in the snow.

A Move to Synthetics

The first completely synthetic balls were made in the 1960s, but it’d be another couple of decades before synthetic balls fully replaced the leather ball. It’d been thought that leather balls were better for consistent bounce and flight, but synthetic balls have the same properties as the leather balls but with less water absorption.

Starting with the 1970 World Cup, the FIFA-approved ball design was based on the concepts of legendary American architect, author, and inventor R. Buckminster Fuller.

The ball featured a series of 20 hexagonal and 12 pentagonal synthetic leather panels that were sewn together to make a spherical surface, and it was used until the 2006 World Cup, when it was replaced by the 14-panel Adidas Teamgeist. The Adidas Jabulani, which was the match ball for the 2010 World Cup, features only eight panels.

The Who’s and How’s of Football Manufacturing

Nike and Adidas are the top two major players in the sporting goods industry, and they’re also the top dogs when it comes to football manufacturing.

The official balls for the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, and Italy’s Serie A are all made by Nike. Meanwhile, Adidas makes the official balls for Germany’s Bundesliga, UEFA’s major competitions (European Championships, UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and the Super Cup), and the FIFA World Cup.

As for major competitions who don’t use balls made by Nike or Adidas, as mentioned above, the Scottish Premier League and The Football League in England use Mitre balls, and Puma balls are used by France’s Ligue 1.

Present-day footballs are comprised of the surface, the stitching, the lining, and the bladder.

• Surface: The surface of the ball is made from synthetic leather, which is made from polyurethane and PVC. As mentioned, the surface is made of numerous panels, and it must be noted that balls with fewer panels generally curve more than other balls, as fewer panels mean a less stable cover.
• Stitching: Panels can be stitched, glued or thermally molded together. The primary method is stitching, which is often done with polyester thread. More expensive balls are stitched by hand, while other balls are stitched by a machine.

  As for the other methods, gluing is used for cheaper balls, whereas thermal molding was used for the Adidas Jabulani and the Adidas Roteiro, which was the match ball for Euro 2004.

• Lining: Multiple layers of lining, which are made of polyester and/or cotton, are used to help the ball maintain its shape, strength, and bounce. Professional balls usually have four or more layers of lining, and many balls also use a foam layer for better cushioning and ball control.
• Bladder: Bladders are usually made with latex or butyl, while some manufacturers use bladders made of polyurethane. Latex bladders have better surface tension, a soft feel, and a better bounce. On the other hand, butyl bladders, which are found in most of the better balls out there, provide superior air retention.

As time passes, the world evolves, and technology evolves with it, and with that in mind, the future will see even more changes to the composition of the football, all for the purpose of maximizing what it can do but limiting its negatives at the same time. It’s safe to say that we’ve come a long way from bladders, skins, and skulls, haven’t we?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Here’s a look at the most notable football family connections, past and present.

Fathers and Sons

The Ayews: Abedi Ayew, known more as Abedi Pele is considered the greatest player in Ghanaian history. He was a big part of Marseille’s success in the early 1990s, captained Ghana for six years, and scored 33 goals for his country. His sons, Andre and Jordan Ayew, are now both exciting young attackers at Marseille, and Andre, Jordan, and brother Ibrahim, who plays for Belgian side Lierse, have all represented Ghana at senior level.

The Bradleys: Bob Bradley coached the U.S. men’s national team from 2006 to 2011, and he’s coached his son at club (with the New York/New Jersey Metrostars in 2004 and 2005) and international level. Michael, a midfielder for Serie A side Chievo, has 63 caps and eight goals for the U.S., one of which was a dramatic equalizer against Slovenia in the 2010 World Cup.

The Chamberlains: Mark Chamberlain, a winger, earned eight caps for England from 1982-84 and starred for the likes of Stoke City and Portsmouth in his career. From early indications, it’s likely his son, exciting young Arsenal prospect Alex, also a winger, will earn many, many more than that.

The Cloughs: Father Brian is known as one of the greatest English managers of all time, primarily due to his success with Nottingham Forest, with whom he won the First Division in 1978 and back-to-back European Cup titles in 1979 and 1980. Clough also led Derby County to their first First Division title in 1972, and his son Nigel followed in his father’s footsteps by taking the reins at Derby in 2009 after managing Burton Albion for more than a decade.

The Forlans: Like the above, father Forlan was a defender, while his son has become a renowned attacker. Pablo Forlan, a defender, picked up 17 caps for Uruguay from 1966-76. His son, Diego, has suited up for the likes of Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, and Inter Milan, won the Golden Ball at the 2010 World Cup, and has scored 32 goals for his country.

The Gourcuffs: Another French father/son duo is Christian Gourcuff and Yoann Gourcuff. Christian has had three spells as the manager of Lorient (1982-86, 1991-2001, and 2003-present), while Yoann, an attacking midfielder, is now at Lyon after stints at Rennes, AC Milan, and Bordeaux and has four goals in 28 appearances for France.

The Djorkaeffs: Father Jean had a long career as a defender from the late 1950s to the mid 1970s, earning 48 caps for France and having spells at Lyon, Marseille, and PSG. His son, Youri, made his reputation as a great attacker, starring for AS Monaco, PSG, and Inter, among others, and earning 82 caps for France from 1993-2002.

The Koemans: Martin Koeman had a very respectable career as a footballer and earned a cap for the Netherlands, but his sons Ronald and Erwin are his biggest contribution to Dutch football. Ronald, now the manager of Feyenoord, starred for Barcelona from 1989-95 and for his country for more than a decade, and he’s completed the unique feat of both playing for and managing each of the Dutch ‘Big Three’ of Ajax, Feyenoord, and PSV.

Ronald also has the distinction of scoring more goals than any other defender in football history, with quite a few of his nearly 200 career goals coming from free kicks and long range shots, of which he was a master.

Older brother Erwin, a midfielder, starred for FC Groningen and PSV in his career and was capped by his country 31 times, and like his brother, he went into management, with his most notable stints being with Feyenoord and the Hungarian national team. Like a set of brothers below, the Koemans were both part of a major international tournament-winning side, as they were in the Dutch squad that won Euro 1998.

The Maldinis: Cesar Maldini recorded more than 400 appearances for AC Milan from 1954-66 and earned 25 caps for Italy between 1962-68 before going into management, managing his old side twice and Italy from 1996-98. Like his father, son Paolo, starred as a defender, and he spent his entire career with AC Milan, racking up more than 900 club appearances and 126 more for his country before retiring in 2009. Both father and son captained Milan to a Champions League title, Cesare in 1963 and Paolo in 2003.

The Reinas: Father Manuel was a goalkeeper for Barcelona (1966-73) and Atletico Madrid (1973-80), and he earned five caps for Spain. His son, known to most as Pepe, started out at Barca before moving on to Villarreal and then Liverpool, where he’s been #1 since arriving in 2005. The son hasn’t won a league title, which his father did with Atletico in 1977, but he has winners‘ medals from Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.

The Wrights: Ian Wright was a star striker for Crystal Palace and Arsenal in the 1980s and 90s, and he scored more than 300 goals in his career. His total of 33 England caps has been eclipsed by his adopted son, QPR winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, who has 36 caps and had two stints at Manchester City sandwiched around a spell with Chelsea, who bought him from City for £21m in 2005 and sold him back to City three years later for £8.5m.

Another of Wright’s sons, Bradley Wright-Phillips, who began his career at Manchester City, is now a star striker for League One side Charlton, while his cousin Jermaine, a well-traveled midfielder and defender who had stints with the likes of Ipswich, Leeds, and Southampton, retired from the game last year.

Brothers

The Charltons: Older brother Jack, a defender, spent his entire playing career with Leeds United, and he went on to take the Republic of Ireland to unseen heights as manager from 1986 to 1996, leading them to Euro 1988 (their first major international tournament), the quarterfinals of the 1990 World Cup, and the second round of the 1994 World Cup.

Younger brother Bobby, an attacker, spent the majority of his career with Manchester United, surviving the Munich disaster to set club records with 758 appearances (since broken by Ryan Giggs) and 249 goals.

Both brothers also starred for England and were part of the World Cup-winning side in 1966, and Bobby, who was capped 106 times, remains England’s all-time leading scorer with 49 goals. The two brothers were barely on speaking terms for quite some time, but it appears that any fences have since been mended.

The Da Silvas: Twin brothers Fabio and Rafael are both defenders for Manchester United. Fabio, who can play in either full-back slot or in midfield, has two senior caps for Brazil, while Rafael, who’s most at home at right back, has garnered more experience with United thus far.

The De Boers: Twins Frank, a defender, and Ronald, a midfielder, played together at five clubs during their career (Ajax, Barcelona, Rangers, Al-Rayyan, and Al-Shamal) and were regulars for the Dutch national team, with Frank picking up 112 caps and Ronald 67. Since retiring in 2006, Frank has gone into management and has managed Ajax since 2010, leading the club to the Eredivisie title last season.

The Laudrups: This Danish attacking duo was as talented as any set of brothers in any sport, as both were named in Pele‘s list of the 125 greatest living footballers in 2004. Older brother Michael, who starred for the likes of Juventus, Barcelona, and Real Madrid, is Denmark‘s greatest-ever talent. But Brian, who played for Bayern Munich, Rangers, and Ajax, has something his brother doesn’t have – a winners‘ medal from Denmark‘s Euro 1992 triumph, which Michael wasn’t a part of due to conflicts with the coach.

The Nevilles: Both Gary and Phil were integral to United’s success over the last two decades. Gary, capped by England 85 times, was one of the best right backs in United history and spent his entire career at the club before retiring last year to go into punditry. The versatile Phil, who picked up 59 England caps, moved to Everton in 2005, where he’s currently captain.

Socrates and Rai: Socrates, who died in December at the age of 57, is one of Brazil’s all-time greats, and the towering attacking midfielder scored 22 goals for Brazil in 60 appearances. Unfortunately, he never tasted World Cup glory, unlike his younger brother, also an attacking midfielder.

Rai, who starred at PSG in the 1990s, scored 17 goals in 51 appearances for his country, and was part of Brazil’s World Cup-winning squad in 1994.

The Toures: Brothers Kolo, previously of Arsenal, and Yaya, previously of Barcelona, have been together at Manchester City since Yaya joined in the summer of 2010. Both are key players for the Ivory Coast national side, and they also have another brother, Ibrahim, who plays professionally.

Cousins

Edin Dzeko and Emir Spahic: Manchester City and Bosnia striker Dzeko is first cousins with Sevilla center back Spahic, who’s the captain of Bosnia’s national side.

Alex Song and Rigobert Song:Arsenal and Cameroon midfielder Alex Song is the cousin of legendary Cameroonian defender Rigobert Song, who recorded 138 caps for his country between 1993 and 2010.

Same Family, Different Countries

The Boatengs:AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng and his brother Jerome, a defender for Bayern Munich, were born and raised in Germany and both rose through the ranks in Germany‘s youth system. But while Kevin opted to play for Ghana, their father‘s native country, Jerome stayed with Germany. And the two faced off in the 2010 World Cup group stage, the first time two brothers had been on the pitch for opposing teams in an international match.

Marcos Senna and Marcos Assuncao: Longtime Villarreal midfielder Marcos Senna was born and raised in Brazil and played there until he was well into his 20s, but he ended up recording 28 caps for Spain. Meanwhile, his cousin Marcos Assuncao, who played for AS Roma and Real Betis at one point in his career, earned 11 caps for Brazil, all from 1998-2000.

Mazinho and Thiago Alcantara: Mazinho picked up 35 caps for Brazil between 1989 and 1994 and was part of Brazil’s World Cup-winning side in 1994. However, his son, Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara, pledged his allegiance to Spain and has already picked up three senior caps.

Luka Modric and Mark Viduka:Tottenham and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric is a distant cousin of former Celtic and Leeds striker Mark Viduka, who captained Australia at the 2006 World Cup.

Multiple Generations, Relations by Marriage, and More

Diego Maradona and Sergio Aguero: Little Benjamin Aguero isn’t even three, but there are already high expectations for his future, due to his wonderful bloodlines. His father is Manchester City and Argentina star Sergio Aguero, and his mother, Aguero’s wife Giannina, is the daughter of none other than the Diego Maradona.

Along with taking his daughter, Aguero also took his future father-in-law’s record as the youngest debutant in the Argentine top flight when he debuted for Independiente in July 2003 at the age of 15 years, 35 days.

The Ferdinands: Brothers Anton and Rio Ferdinand have made their name as defenders, with Rio being a longtime stalwart for Manchester United and England, but their cousin Les, whose career included spells with QPR, Newcastle, and Tottenham, is known as one of the best strikers of the Premier League era, with 149 career Premier League goals.

Javier Hernandez, Javier Hernandez Gutierrez and Tomas Balcazar: Rio’s United teammate, striker Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, became the third member of his family to represent Mexico at the World Cup when he did so in South Africa in 2010, following in the footsteps of his father, Javier Hernandez Gutierrez, who represented Mexico at the 1986 World Cup, and his grandfather, Tomas Balcazar, who represented Mexico at the 1954 World Cup.

The Fergusons: Peterborough United manager Darren has followed in the footsteps of his father, legendary Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. Darren started his career at United and played for his father in the early 90s, while Sir Alex’s brother Martin is presently United’s chief European scout.

The Redknapps and the Lampards: Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is the father of former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Jamie, who was capped 17 times by England and is now a pundit for Sky Sports, and his nephew is Chelsea star Frank Lampard, who started his career under his uncle at West Ham. Lampard’s father, Frank Lampard, Sr., was teammates with Redknapp at West Ham in the 1960s and 70s, and his late wife was the sister of Harry Redknapp’s wife Sandra.

The Vladimir Weiss’s: The name Vladimir Weiss is a big part of Czechoslovakian/Slovakian football’s past and present. The first was a center back the Czechoslovakian team that won the silver medal at the 1964 Olympics. His son Vladimir, a midfielder who earned 31 caps for Czechoslovakia/Slovakia from 1988-95, is now a manager and led Slovakia to the round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup. On that team was grandson Vladimir, a talented young winger and a highly-rated Manchester City prospect who’s currently on loan at Espanyol.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Chelsea have quite a lot to look forward to in May. The thing undoubtedly at the top of their list is their 2012 Champions League final showdown with Bayern Munich, but they’re also pushing for a fourth-place Premier League finish (although that may be out of their hands now after losing to two splendid goals by Cisse on Wendesday night. And before that monumental match in Munich, the Blues have another cup final to contend with, as are set to take on Liverpool in the 2012 FA Cup Final this Saturday.

Liverpool likely can’t wait for their Premier League campaign to end, as it has been severely disappointing. But if they can add the FA Cup to the Carling Cup trophy they collected in February, the season can’t be looked at as a total failure.

So which one of these sides will be celebrating at Wembley next weekend? Here are a few reasons why each side should feel confident:

Chelsea

1. Juan Mata: In his first season in England, the Spanish sensation has been a star performer. To date, he’s had a hand in almost 30 Chelsea goals in all competitions. In the FA Cup, he’s either scored or assisted on at least one goal in five of Chelsea’s six ties. If he replicates his stat line from the semi against Tottenham – with a less controversial goal this time- Kenny Dalglish will see up close just what he missed out on last summer.

2. Fernando Torres: Perhaps his tie-clinching goal against Barcelona will spark a strong finish to the season. Perhaps it won’t. But El Nino has had made several notable contributions in the Champions League and FA Cup as both a scorer and a provider, scoring five goals and assisting on eight more. He’s far from a guarantee to start the final, but whether he plays 10 minutes or 90, he could be Chelsea’s match-winner.

3. Sky-high confidence: Good form and positive results in big games help breed confidence. While Chelsea haven’t been stellar every match under Roberto Di Matteo, they’re producing far more under him than they were under Andre Villas-Boas. What does that mean for the future? Who knows (perhaps Roman Abramovich does), but in the present, the Blues are clearly high on belief. And belief, as they showed against Barcelona, can take you a long, long way.

Liverpool

1. Recent success against Chelsea: Chelsea have the edge in quality, but Liverpool have the recent head-to-head edge. Liverpool have won the last four meetings between the two sides, including a league win and a Carling Cup quarterfinal win, both at Stamford Bridge, this season. Chelsea are in better form than at the time of those two November defeats, but that won’t dent Liverpool’s confidence in being able to down the Blues yet again.

2. Misfiring stars have stepped up in the Cup: Andy Carroll has only four goals in more than 30 Premier League appearances this season, but he’s scored three in five in the FA Cup, including a dramatic late semifinal winner against Everton. Stewart Downing has yet to record a goal or assist in the league, but he’s scored twice and notched an assist in the FA Cup. Luis Suarez‘s league tally is underwhelming, but he’s scored in each of his three FA Cup appearances. Suarez must show up against Chelsea, but a contribution from one or both of the other two could be equally important.

3. Steven Gerrard: Injuries have hampered Gerrard the last couple of seasons, and Father Time also isn‘t on his side. But he should be fit for Wembley, and his presence alone in such a big game is a plus for Liverpool. But while his memorable moments aren’t as frequent as they once were, he can still produce them from time to time. His performance in a classic 2006 final against West Ham will always be remembered, but this one could well be too.

Chelsea v Liverpool: Who’s your pick for winning the 2012 FA Cup final?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Contrary to popular belief, not all athletes have air or rocks for brains. In fact, there are quite a lot of athletes who defy the stereotype. For example, the late Brazilian legend Socrates earned a medical degree during his playing career, and after retiring, he made full use of the degree.

There are also a number of footballers who are knowledgeable about and care for the environment, about keeping the world clean and keeping themselves clean as well. Below are a few of the most notable examples.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto

The Tottenham defender loves his cars and has quite a few, including six classic Ford Mustang Shelby GT500s. He previously drove a Bentley, and he currently rolls around in an Audi A1, but the France-born Cameroon international used to drive the cute, compact, environment-friendly Smart Car. It was almost as much an economical decision (not that he has to worry about pinching pennies though) as it was an environmental one, but it’s a good deed nonetheless.

Also noteworthy is the fact that Assou-Ekotto is a supporter of the United Nations Millennium Campaign, which has goals to end global poverty by 2015 and to provide fresh drinking water for all, and he also made a large contribution to the London Evening Standard‘s Dispossessed Fund, which aims to fight poverty in London.

David James

The former England #1 keeper, who’s still going strong at 41 with Championship side Bristol City, has long been one of football’s unique personalities. There’s the many hairstyles he’s had over the years, some more of a hit than others. There’s his extremely well-written and insightful regular column for The Observer, in which he covers many subjects, from football, to life as a footballer, to life in general.

And he was also an environmental nut before some others in his profession jumped on the boat, with this article summing up his vast interests and endeavors quite well. And as with some of his hairdos, not all of his environmental experiments were a success.

Gary Neville

When it comes to Earth-loving footballers, it’s hard to top Gary Neville. The former Manchester United and England defender, who’s now on the other side of the screen for Sky Sports, gained a wealth of attention two years ago when it was revealed that he had applied for planning permission to build an eco-friendly home in rural Lancashire.

Unfortunately for Neville, that attention wasn’t all positive. Initially, he was given the go-ahead, but after objections from locals, his application was rejected at the final hurdle. But as the saying goes, it’s the thought that counts.

While his house plans didn’t come to fruition, he did have what was described as the most environment-friendly match in English football history when he had his testimonial against Juventus in May of last year. At his request, everything at Old Trafford that night was powered by 52 windmills across the UK, thanks to a firm named Ecotricity.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There are many, especially those who don’t have very much of an interest in sport, who think that top athletes are overpaid to do nothing more than ‘play a game’. However, there are many like Lionel Messi, Tom Brady, Derrick Rose, and others who are the best or among the best in their respective sports that look like they at least somewhat deserve the high salaries that they receive.

On the other hand, there are others who, well, don’t.

In some cases, the talent is there, but the production isn’t whether due to injury, lack of effort or confidence, or personal distractions, or other reasons, and in others, the talent may not be what it was or seemed to be at one time.

Here’s a look at ten footballers who top the list of well-paid disappointments. Not long ago, this list would have included Fernando Torres, but it’s hard to criticize the man after the week he had, and the likes of Diego, who’s been a vital part of Atletico Madrid’s run to the Europa League final, and Wesley Sneijder, whose form has picked up under new Inter manager Andrea Stramaccioni, also get a pass.

David Bentley, Tottenham

At one point, it looked like David Bentley was set for a big future with club and country. Unfortunately, his career has tailed off dramatically since his move to White Hart Lane.

Two excellent seasons at Blackburn Rovers saw Tottenham splash out £17m for the former Arsenal prospect in the summer of 2008. Has he repaid the investment? Not even close. An argument could be made that he’s never really been Harry Redknapp’s cup of tea, but he also hasn’t been fantastic, minus a few flashes.

After an unimpressive loan spell at Birmingham City in the second half of last season, he went on loan to Championship side West Ham early this season. However, that stint would last only two starts and three substitute appearances before he was ruled out for several months due to knee surgery.

At 27, there’s still some time to get his career back on the right path and maybe even get back into the England picture, but the last few years don’t offer much encouragement for the future.

Wayne Bridge, Sunderland

Bridge was one of the first new faces of the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea and was a regular starter early on. But for much of the last several seasons, he’s rarely been a regular starter, first at Chelsea, then at Manchester City, where he moved for £10m in January 2009.

After a loan stint at West Ham in the second half of last season, it seemed a given that he’d leave City last summer. However, he remained there, making only a solitary Carling Cup appearance before a January loan move to Sunderland. The perfect move, right? Not quite. Instead of establishing himself as a regular for the Black Cats, he’s made only three starts in almost three months.

He’s still carved out a respectable career, which includes 36 caps for England, and he’s set for life if he’s managed his money well. Still, one can’t help but look at his career and wonder if it‘s been what it could or should be.

Andy Carroll, Liverpool

At some point in the future, Andy Carroll could be worth £35m and high wages.

At present, however, he is not. The promise is certainly there, as shown by his back-to-back late winners against Everton and Blackburn this month. But the investment was too much, too soon for someone who hadn’t quite matured enough as a player or a person. And a return of only eight goals from more than 40 appearances this season wouldn’t quite cut it, even if his price tag was £15-20m smaller.

He turned 23 only in January, so he has time on his side, along with great talent and potential. But right now his paycheck is 75% potential and 25% production, at best.

Stewart Downing, Liverpool

If you were to cast a vote for the worst summer 2011 Premier League transfer, Downing would almost certainly top the list.

Downing is a quality player, but it’d have taken a lot for him to justify the £20m that Liverpool paid Aston Villa for him last summer. And thus far, it’d be a stretch to say he’s paid even a tenth of that investment. With only three league games left, Downing has yet to record a single league goal or assist. Zero, zilch, nada, nil. He has delivered two goals and an assist in Liverpool’s run to the FA Cup Final, but no matter how you shake it, he has been a tremendous, tremendous disappointment.

Edin Dzeko, Manchester City

Over the last few years, City have spent quite lavishly, to say the least. Some of their investments have panned out, and some haven’t.

Thus far, their £27m investment on Dzeko hasn‘t panned out as perhaps expected. After only six goals in 21 appearances last season after joining from VfL Wolfsburg in January 2011, he had a torrid start to this season, matching that total in his first three matches. But he hasn’t been able to keep it up, scoring only three goals in his last 19 league appearances after notching 10 in his first nine. Dzeko is no doubt a fine striker, but the presence of Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli, and Carlos Tevez certainly don‘t give one much margin for error, and there’s a high chance he leaves the club in the summer.

Andre-Pierre Gignac, Marseille

Where, oh where, to start with Monsieur Gignac? His long-term weight issues? The disrespectfulness to his manager that earned him a few days with the reserves earlier this season? Or his lack of goals?

To be frank, Andre-Pierre Gignac has had all of one great season, the 2008/09 campaign in which he scored 24 league goals for Toulouse. So it could be said that the £13m Marseille paid for him in the summer of 2010 was a bit much, especially when you consider PSG were able to land Kevin Gameiro this past summer for just a little more than £9m.

Gignac was a Marseille supporter since childhood, so this was supposed to be a dream move. But to this point, he‘s been a colossal nightmare. Last season, he netted 12 goals in all competitions, but he never found any consistent form. This season, he’s been downright atrocious. In more than 20 appearances – most of which have been from the bench – he’s scored only once, in a Coupe de la Ligue win over Lens in October.

Along with a failed last-minute move to Fulham in the summer, Gignac reportedly turned down a January move to Everton, saying he’d only leave Marseille for a club like Manchester United. However, he needs to do far better to have a chance at such a club. If he doesn’t step it up soon, he’ll end up low on salary and high on regret.

Yoann Gourcuff, Lyon

When Lyon forked out £18m for Gourcuff in August 2010, they were likely expecting more seasons like the two impressive campaigns he had for Bordeaux. To date, he’s fallen well short.

Last season, Gourcuff scored only four goals and notched five assists in 36 appearances for Lyon. This season, injuries prevented him from debuting until October, and an adductor injury in February against APOEL sidelined him until recently. When he has been on the pitch, he hasn’t delivered, producing only one goal and one assists in all competitions.

With all of the high fees that Lyon have received for star players over the last several years, their finances won’t be hurting if they have to take a sizable hit on Gourcuff. Still, Jean-Michel Aulas will be hoping that the former AC Milan starlet can at least somewhat show why he commanded such a high fee two summers ago.

Stephen Ireland, Aston Villa

Three seasons ago, Stephen Ireland looked like one of the English Premier League’s rising stars, as he was in stellar play-making form for Manchester City.

But City’s lavish spending, a dip in form, and the arrival of Roberto Mancini the next season brought his ascension to a screeching halt. He moved to Aston Villa as part of City’s move for James Milner in the summer of 2010, but he was dropped a few months into the season, and then-manager Gerard Houllier publicly called him out for a lack of all-around effort.

Ireland moved to Newcastle United on loan in January 2011, but he didn’t debut until mid-April and made only two sub appearances before a season-ending ankle injury. He’s returned to the Villa fold this season under Alex McLeish and has shone in spots, but he’s also had his bad moments, like telling McLeish to ‘fuck off’ during a February defeat at Newcastle.

He has the talent to be a difference-maker in Villa’s push to avoid the drop and delivered a quality performance against Sunderland a week ago. But if they fail to stay up, his high wages make it highly likely that he’ll be on his way out in the summer.

Jermaine Jenas, Tottenham

You never like to kick a man when he’s down, but Jenas has not been what he could be.

Jenas used to be a fairly regular scorer and provider, but since the start of the 2009/10 season, he has all of one goal and notched only a few assists. Spurs loaned him out to Aston Villa at the end of last August, and he didn’t make his debut until November due to thigh and Achilles issues. After two substitute appearances, he made his first Villa start at home to Manchester United in early December… and lasted a little more than an hour before being stretched off with what proved to be a season-ending Achilles rupture.

Worse yet for Villa, they’ve reportedly been stuck paying his wages, which are £45k per week, for the duration of the season. That means that they’ll fork out more than £1m in wages for someone who played less than 120 minutes of football for them. Ouch.

Luca Toni, Al Nasr

For several years, Toni was known as one of Europe’s deadliest strikers, banging in more than 150 goals for Palermo, Fiorentina, and Bayern Munich in a six-season stretch. But as his career winds down, he’s been getting paid a lot to do very little.

Last season, he joined Genoa on a free transfer from Bayern, and he scored only three league goals in 16 appearances before moving to Juventus for free in January 2011. That move didn’t pan out so well, as he scored only twice in 14 league appearances in the second half of last season. This season, he didn’t feature at all for Juve in the first several months of the season, so it wasn’t a surprise to see him depart in January. But he hasn’t been as much of a hit for UAE side Al Nasr thus far as they might have hoped for, with only four goals from his first 10 appearances.

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Everyone remembers the winners. Most know that Brazil have won a record five World Cups, that Real Madrid have won the European Cup/Champions League a record nine times, and that Manchester United have captured a record 19 English First Division/Premier League titles.

But how many people can name every runner-up in those competitions directly from memory? Not many.

This is not to say that losers are completely forgotten. In fact, there are quite a few losers who are as memorable as some winners, due to the catastrophic manner in which they fell. Football has certainly seen its share over the years, and someone, somewhere will add themselves to that long list of legendary capitulations this year. It’s almost a guarantee.

Given how long the list is, it’s a difficult task to narrow it down to ten, but here goes, and apologies in advance to those who are having to relive some painful memories.

1. Brazil – 1950 World Cup ‘Final’ v. Uruguay

In the annals of football and sport history, few results could compare to this one.

For the better part of the tournament, it looked every bit like Brazil would claim glory on home soil. They scored eight goals en route to topping their group in the first round, which booked them a place in the four-team final group stage. Then, in their first two matches in the final group stage, they trounced Sweden 7-1 and Spain 6-1. All they had to do secure their first World Cup title was draw against Uruguay in their final match. Meanwhile, Uruguay, who had drawn against Spain and defeated Sweden, needed an unlikely victory to win a second World Cup title.

Brazil had led 3-0 at halftime in their wins against Sweden and Spain, but Uruguay held firm in the first 45 minutes. However, their resistance was broken almost right out of the gate in the second half, as Friaca netted in the 47th minute to put Brazil ahead.

Game over, right? It turns out that Uruguay had other ideas, and in the 66th minute, they equalized through Juan Alberto Schiaffino. Still, it was Brazil’s title to lose…and lose they did, as Alcides Ghiggia gave Uruguay a shock lead in the 79th minute, and Uruguay held on to win the match and the World Cup, stunning the masses at the Maracana who expected to be celebrating a Brazil win.

Since then, Brazil have lifted the trophy five times, but that stunning defeat will always represent a dark, dark day in their storied football history.

2. AC Milan – 2005 UEFA Champions League Final v. Liverpool

It was less than seven years ago, but all that happened on that night in Istanbul will always live on, especially with Liverpool fans.

Favorites AC Milan were looking for a second title in three years, and they had a dream start, scoring inside the first minute through a rare Paolo Maldini goal. Late in the first half, they struck twice more, and with a 3-0 lead, Milan had one hand firmly on the trophy.

But all it takes sometimes is one well-timed goal to kickstart a comeback, and Liverpool did indeed pull one back inside the first 10 minutes of the second half, via Steven Gerrard, the talisman of talismans. In a flash, it was 3-2, with the mighty Vladimir Smicer pulling back a second, and on the hour mark, Liverpool were level, with Xabi Alonso slotting home the rebound after Dida had saved his penalty.

The match would go into extra time, and then it would go into penalties. Two years prior, Milan had defeated rivals Juventus 3-2 on penalties to lift the trophy at Old Trafford, with Andriy Shevchenko netting the decisive kick. Milan were fighting an uphill battle from the start of the shootout, as they missed their first two penalties.

They would make their next two, but Liverpool held a 3-2 lead with Shevchenko stepping up to try to keep the Rossoneri in it. But as he had beaten Gianluigi Buffon two years prior, he was unable to beat Jerzy Dudek this time, and somehow, someway, Milan had thrown it all away.

3. England penalty takers – since the dawn of time

The Netherlands are infamous for their penalty failures as well, and so are Italy, but the last couple of decades have seen England make their name as the shakiest from the spot. There are many reasons why England haven’t won a major tournament since their one and only triumph at the World Cup they hosted in ‘66, but among the top reasons is a lack of success in shootouts.

• In the 1990 World Cup semifinals, Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle missed England’s last two kicks in a 4-3 shootout defeat to West Germany.
• At Euro 1996, which they hosted, England advanced to the semis with a shootout win over Spain, but it was semifinal heartbreak at that stage against Germany yet again. Gareth Southgate was the only man to miss for England in the shootout, but his miss was the one that mattered in a 6-5 Germany win.
• Two years later at the World Cup, Paul Ince and David Batty missed in a 4-3 defeat to Argentina in the round of 16, but fortunately for them, it was David Beckham that would be considered the biggest goat on the night.
• In the Euro 2004 quarterfinals, there were bookend misses by Beckham and Darius Vassell in a 6-5 defeat to hosts Portugal.
• They again faced Portugal in the 2006 World Cup quarters, and the results were even worse, as Owen Hargreaves was the only man to convert in England’s four attempts in a 3-1 shootout defeat.

4. Hungary – 1954 World Cup Final v. West Germany

When you think of the greatest sides to not win the World Cup, Hungary’s 1954 team might hold the mantle for the nearly men.

Entering the final against West Germany, the prolific Hungarians, led by Ferenc Puskas and Sandor Kocsis, were heavily favored, and for good reason. Not only were they unbeaten for more than 30 games, they had crushed West Germany 8-3 in the group stage and had scored an astounding 25 goals in their four matches in the tournament.

And early on in the final in Bern, it looked like it’d be another beating, as goals from Puskas and Zoltan Czibor gave Hungary a 2-0 lead inside eight minutes. However, they wouldn’t score again for the last 80-plus minutes, and they wouldn‘t be able to hold their lead either. West Germany were level ten minutes later, and then, in the 84th minute, Helmut Rahn scored his second to give the underdogs a late 3-2 advantage.

There were multiple controversial calls that didn’t go Hungary’s way in the match, but in the end, a defeat is a defeat, and this remains one of football’s greatest upsets.

5. Real Madrid – 2003/04 La Liga season

Real Madrid were well on their way to capturing their 30th La Liga title before a stunning collapse in the final few months of the 2003/04 season.

Real, with their host of superstars, entered March eight points clear of Deportivo La Coruna with a dozen matches remaining. They opened the month with consecutive draws against Racing Santander and Real Zaragoza and a defeat at Athletic Bilbao, but they were still three points ahead of Valencia, who had moved into second.

The rot was seemingly stopped with consecutive wins to end March and open April, but then the wheels completely fell off. Real lost seven of their last eight matches, including four in a row at home and five in a row overall to end the season. Not only were they overtaken by Valencia, who won the title and finished seven points clear of Real, they were also passed by Barcelona and Deportivo, winding up an astonishing fourth after seemingly being in complete control.

And to make the league collapse sting even more, they were stunned in the Copa del Rey final by Real Zaragoza also capitulated in the Champions League quarterfinals against AS Monaco.

6. U.S. Women’s National Team – 2011 Women’s World Cup Final v. Japan

The U.S. women’s team entered the final of last summer’s tournament heavily favored to take home their third Women’s World Cup title, but they fell flat in Frankfurt. Going in, not only were the U.S. #1 in the rankings, but they had never lost to Japan in 25 previous meetings, winning 22 and drawing three times.

The U.S. dominated proceedings from early on, but they weren’t able to translate that domination into a lead until Alex Morgan’s goal in the 69th minute. But Japan didn’t buckle, and in the 81st minute, they drew level thanks in part to shambolic defending by the U.S. The match went into extra time, and again, the U.S. took the lead, with Abby Wambach scoring in the 104th minute.

It looked once again like the Americans were on the verge, but once again, Japan didn’t buckle, and they equalized in the 113th minute. The match went to penalties, and the shootout proved to be disastrous for the U.S., as they missed their first three penalties to fall behind 2-0 with two spot kicks remaining. Wambach converted to keep hope flickering, but Saki Kumagai snuffed it out, slotting home the winning penalty and leaving the U.S. to rue a litany of missed opportunities and an inability to twice hold a late lead.

7. John Terry, Chelsea – 2008 UEFA Champions League Final v. Manchester United

Roman Abramovich was moments away from having all of his hopes and dreams fulfilled. Then came the slip seen ‘round the world.

United had edged Chelsea out for the English Premier League title in the 2007/08 season, but Chelsea had an opportunity to get the last laugh and the biggest prize of them all in Moscow. Cristiano Ronaldo gave United the lead in the 26th minute, but Chelsea equalized shortly before halftime through Frank Lampard.

The match went into extra time, with both sides seeing great chances go begging. With time winding down in the second half of extra time, a skirmish broke out between the two sides, and Chelsea star Didier Drogba was sent for slapping United defender Nemanja Vidic.

Chelsea went into the shootout without their star striker, but they converted each of their first four penalties, whereas Ronaldo missed United’s second. Up stepped captain John Terry with a chance to deliver European glory to Chelsea. Destiny was calling, but it was a rainy, rainy night in Moscow, and as Terry struck the ball, he lost his footing, and his attempt struck the outside of the post.

Each side converted its next penalty, and after Ryan Giggs made it 6-5 in favor of United, Nicolas Anelka needed to score to continue the shootout. His shot went to the left, and United keeper Edwin van der Sar dived to his right, emphatically batting the ball away to crush Chelsea hearts.

8. Newcastle United – 1995/96 English Premier League season

Parity hasn’t exactly been prevalent in the Premier League era, as, to date, Blackburn’s title triumph in the 1994-95 season is the only time that the title has gone to someone not named Manchester United, Arsenal, or Chelsea.

But the season after Blackburn’s win, Kevin Keegan and Newcastle had an excellent chance of their own to take the title. The Magpies hadn’t won a title in the top flight since 1926/27, but under Keegan, they had gone from Second Division strugglers (now the Championship) to serious title contenders in a few short seasons.

Despite a 2-0 defeat at United in late December, Newcastle topped the table going into 1996, and they would increase that lead to as much as a dozen points in January. United began to pick up the pace, but Newcastle still led by eight points with a game in hand in February.

However, while United stayed hot, Newcastle went ice cold. A 1-0 defeat at home to United on 4 March allowed United to pull within a point, and United would wind up three points clear at the end of the month. Newcastle had two matches in hand and a realistic chance to turn momentum back in their favor, and they did indeed have a three-match win streak in April that sent them into May still in it, three points with two matches left to United‘s one.

However, they drew their last two matches at home against Aston Villa and Tottenham, and United wrapped up the title on the last day of the season, finishing four points clear by virtue of their 3-0 win at Middlesbrough. Newcastle would finish second to United again the following season, but the opportunity missed then was not nearly as momentous as the previous one.

9. Burnley – 1961/62 English First Division season

At present, Burnley are one of many Championship sides fighting for a chance at Premier League promotion, but half a century ago, they were one of England’s best teams. In the 1959/60 season, they edged Wolves and Tottenham out for the First Division title, and after finishing fourth the next season, they were back in the thick of the title hunt in the 1961/62 season.

In early March, Burnley had a four-point lead and a game in hand on Ipswich Town, who were First Division first timers but contending for the title under manager Alf Ramsey, who‘d lead England to World Cup success in 1966. But the Clarets won only two of their final 13 matches, which allowed Ipswich to claim the title by three points.

10. Arsenal – v. Newcastle, 2010-11 English Premier League season

Newcastle conceded inside the first minute, and inside three minutes, they were down 2-0 to the title-chasing Gunners. Less than 10 minutes in, it was 3-0, and before the clock had hit the half-hour mark, it was 4-0 to the visitors. It looked like game, set, match Arsenal at that point, but improbably and inexplicably, Arsenal gave Newcastle an opening, and the comeback of comebacks happened.

It all started in the 50th minute, when Abou Diaby was sent off for pushing Joey Barton and then Kevin Nolan after a crunching challenge from Barton. At that point, Newcastle still had a mountain to climb, but the climb was made even easier when Arsenal conceded a penalty midway through the second half, which was duly dispatched by Barton. On 75 minutes, Leon Best made it 4-2, and all of a sudden, hope had returned. Minutes later, it was truly alive and well, as Barton slotted home a second penalty. Time was still short for Newcastle, but all the momentum was on their side, and in the 87th minute, a cleared free kick went in the direction of Cheik Tiote, who let rip a volley that found its target and sent St. James’ Park into raptures.

In the end, Newcastle actually narrowly missed a chance to win it, but to have plucked a point from the unlikeliest of situations was amazing in itself. As for Arsenal, it proved to be a tremendous missed opportunity, as Manchester United went down at Wolves in the day’s evening kickoff, which meant that instead of being a mere two points back, Arsenal were four back. And just like they couldn’t keep it together at Newcastle, they couldn’t keep it together down the stretch and finished fourth, a dozen points behind United.

But really, who needs words when you have Jeff Stelling and Phil Thompson?

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It isn’t often that you’ll see a team throw away a three-goal lead in the second half as Chelsea did earlier this season in their 3-3 draw with Manchester United. But as wild as this English Premier League season has been, from 8-2, 1-6, 3-5, and beyond.

But as disheartening as it has to be to miss out on what would have been a huge win against a fierce rival, and at home no less, Chelsea could take a little heart from the knowledge that their wasn’t a historic one.

Football has seen some legendary chokes, both in the course of a match and in the course of a season, and across the wide, wide world of sports, there have been some catastrophic capitulations over the years.

Here are some of the greatest chokes among several of the major sports, failures that will be historic a decade, a century, even a millennium from now. But as colossal as they are, how do they stack up to the football’s greatest chokes?

American Football

Minnesota Vikings, NFC Championship Game v. Atlanta Falcons, 1998 season

The Minnesota Vikings had put together one of the best seasons in NFL history, going 15-1 and setting a NFL record for most points scored in a season, and they were on course for a berth in the Super Bowl until a series of late-game mistakes proved costly.

The host Vikings led 27-20 in the fourth quarter, the Vikings had a first chance to perhaps salt the game away when they fumbled deep in Falcons’ territory. After stopping Atlanta on defense, the Vikings drove once again, and with just over two minutes remaining, Gary Andersen stepped up for a 38-yard field goal that would’ve all but sealed the deal for Minnesota. But Andersen, who had been a perfect 35 for 35 on field goals in the regular season and four for four in the playoffs, missed the short kick.

The Falcons took full advantage of the reprieve, scoring the game-tying touchdown with less than a minute left to force overtime, and in overtime, they kicked a field goal to win it.

Baseball

Bill Buckner, Boston Red Sox – 1986 World Series v. New York Mets

After having not won the World Series since 1918, the Red Sox were on the cusp of ending their drought before letting it slip away in New York.

The Red Sox won the first two games in New York and had a chance to close the series out at home, as the next three games of the series were in Boston. But the Mets won the next two to tie the series at 2, and the series would go back to New York after Boston won 4-2 in Game 5.

In Game 6, Boston couldn’t hold 2-0 and 3-2 leads, as the Mets forced extra innings. The Red Sox scored twice in the top of the 10th inning to take a 5-3 lead, and in the bottom of the 10th, the first two Mets batters were retired to put the Red Sox within one out of victory.

But Boston couldn’t close the door, and after the Mets tied it at 5, first baseman Bill Buckner misplayed what appeared to be a routine ground ball, which allowed the winning run to score from second base.

Two days later, the two teams faced off in a Game 7 decider. The Red Sox led 3-0 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Mets would score three runs in each of the next two innings to take a 6-3 lead, and they would go on to win the game 8-5 and the series 4-3.

It’d be another 18 years before the Red Sox would finally claim that elusive title, and they followed it up with another one in 2007. Still, for many American sports fans, that 1986 World Series remains at or near the top of the list of greatest-ever chokes.

Cricket

South Africa, 1999 World Cup semifinal v. Australia

There are multiple options to choose from when it comes to South African chokes in the Cricket World Cup, but this one is the pick for how it happened and when it happened.

After bowling Australia out for 213, South Africa sat at eight runs behind with one wicket remaining going into the final over of the match, still alive after Paul Reiffel had dropped a Lance Klusener shot on the fifth ball of the previous over. On the first two balls of the final over, Klusener beleted consecutive boundaries to bring the scores level with four balls remaining.

South Africa needed to win the match to progress to the final, as a narrow loss to Australia in the previous stage meant that Australia held the tiebreaker, which was superior net run rate.

On the next ball, Australia narrowly missed a chance to run South Africa‘s Allan Donald out to end the match, with Darren Lehmann’s rushed toss missed the stumps after Klusener had miscued his shot. With three balls remaining, Klusener once again miscued his shot, but he sprinted to the other end in an attempt to score the winning run.

He made it, but Donald didn’t see him until it was much too late, and this time, Australia had an eternity to successfully complete the run out. Australia would convincingly defeat Pakistan in the final to start a run of three straight World Cup titles, while South Africa were made to rue a colossal lack of patience and awareness in crunch time.

Golf

Greg Norman, 1996 Masters

‘The Shark’ looked primed for a wire-to-wire victory in the 1996 Masters, until it all completely came apart in the final round. He led by two strokes after the first round and four after the second round, and going into the fourth and final round, he held a six-shot lead over Nick Faldo, who sat second.

But what should have been a Sunday stroll proved to be anything but. He did still have a four-shot lead over Faldo after seven holes, but that’s when the tide really started to turn. Faldo birdied the eighth to move within three, and Norman proceeded to bogey the next three holes, which saw the two tied for the lead with seven holes remaining. It’d go from bad to worse on the 12th, which Norman double bogeyed to fall two behind Faldo.

It wasn’t over, but it was over. Faldo wouldn’t relinquish the lead, and any remaining hope Norman had was squashed when he recorded another double bogey on the 16th to fall four back. When the disaster was complete, Norman’s final scorecard showed a six-over 78, and a second-place check of $270,000 was no consolation, as he finished a distant five shots behind Faldo when it looked like he all but had a maiden Masters win in the bag.

Jan van de Velde, 1999 Open Championship

While Norman’s horror show at Augusta is the worst final-round choke in golf history, Van de Velde holds the mantle for the worst final-hole choke. The unheralded Frenchman had led after the second and third rounds, and after starting the final round with a five-shot lead, he led by three going into the final hole.

All he had to do was play it safe and avoid disaster to close out a stunning win, but what followed is still inexplicable to this day. Instead of going for a safe shot, he used his driver, and he used it horribly, hitting it into the rough. Things would only get messier from there, literally, as he would end up having to take his shoes and socks off to play one of his many shots on the 18th.

He finished with a triple-bogey 7, and instead of celebrating as he should have been, he had to go into a three-man playoff with Paul Lawrie and Justin Leonard. The chance for him to put the 72nd hole behind him was there, but his momentum and confidence was shot, and he finished three strokes behind winner Lawrie in the four-hole playoff.

Hockey

Detroit Red Wings, 1942 Stanley Cup Finals v. Toronto Maple Leafs

Only three times in National Hockey League history has a team overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series. The most recent time was in 2010, when the Boston Bruins threw away a 3-0 series lead and a 3-0 lead at home in Game 7 against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but the only time it happened in the Stanley Cup Finals was in 1942, when the Red Wings blew it against the Maple Leafs.

The Red Wings won the first two games in Toronto, and they took Game 3 in Detroit 5-2 to move within a win of the title. But Toronto eked out a 4-3 win in Game 4, and the series returned to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs routed the Red Wings 9-3 in Game 5. Detroit once again had a chance to close the series out at home, but they were shut out 3-0 in Game 6, and Toronto completed the miracle comeback with a 3-1 in Game 7.

Tennis

Jana Novotna, 1993 Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles Final v. Steffi Graf

When you have a chance to take down arguably the greatest women’s tennis player of all time, you need to take it. Novotna was five points away from doing so, before a memorable, emotional collapse.

After losing the first set 7-6, Novotna took control. She won the second set 6-1, and she would eventually have a lead of 4-1, 40-30 in the third and final set. On game point, she hit her first serve into the net, and her second serve flew well wide. On the next point, she completely mishit and sent long what should have been a winner. Another error followed on the next point to give Graf the game.

In the next game, Novotna actually had a chance to break back and serve out the match, but Graf won four straight points after going down 15-40 to make it 4-3. Novotna led 30-15 in her next service game, but Graf would break to level the set at 4-4. Graf held her serve at love to take a 5-4 lead, and the capitulation would be completed in the next game, as she broke Novotna yet again to claim a 6-7, 6-1, 6-4 victory.

As memorable as the collapse was what transpired in the post-match ceremony, as Novotna broke down in tears as the Duchess of Kent consoled her as she went to accept her runner-up trophy.

However, the story would have a happy ending. After losing another three-set Wimbledon final in 1997, this time to teen sensation Martina Hingis, Novotna triumphed in straight sets over Nathalie Tauziat in the 1998 final for her first and only Grand Slam singles title.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News