In eighteen days’ time, Euro 2012 will start. Twenty three days of international tournament football, with matches being played almost every day for the twenty-three day duration. If you didn’t know or understand football supporters you may think that there wouldn’t be much interest. I mean the club season started in July and in late May we still have two playoff finals to take place. International football is plainly not of the quality or excitement of modern club football. Also this season we’ve had the most dramatic Premier League finale in decades, a captivating Champions League and amazing matches and goals. You’d think fans were footballed out.

Is this true though? In my case anyway, not at all. I think World Cups and European Championships are wonderful and the actual football that takes place is only part of it. It all starts the week before.  Special previews in the papers, magazines do special editions, podcasts pop up from summer hibernation. Lots and lots of build-up. Lots of talk about new players to terrestrial TV screens who in days of yore you’d never have heard of but now, in this age of Football Manager and millions of TV channels you nod sagely at talk of Oliver Giroud’s breakout season for Montpellier, Christian Eriksen being Denmark’s new wonderkid and Jose Bosingwa’s self-imposed exile from the Portuguese team.

Then you get the wall charts. Most offices and work places I’ve seen have these. I remember once at school going to see some IT technicians over some petty computer problem I had and seeing a World Cup wall chart where Uruguay was spelt ‘Uraguay’. I found that symbolic for what it must be like to be an IT technician at a secondary school. I also at the last World Cup plonked one on the wall of the upstairs toilet in my house. I filled in the results while having my early morning dump

The group stages are the best. This is because you get two or three games a day. Having football around the clock I find is great. If you don’t like football and live with people who like football I can imagine how loathed and feared having constant football for days on end can be. But I always abide by the principle that any football is better than no football at all. You may not always watch football but as long as there’s football to be read, analysed and discussed I’m happy.

The World Cup was great in that respect because in 2010 at least you had games kicking off at lunchtime. I’d occasionally watch games in my school’s sixth form common room before afternoon lessons. On one occasion I put £5 on North Korea to beat Portugal at 10/1. When I stopped watching late in the 1^st half it was only 1-0 Portugal. Then in my lesson we were watching a film and someone in my class was given the job of updating us World Cup watchers with the score. By the time we were halfway through the film North Korea had lost 7-0 and my friends were in hysterics. The mockery was much worse than the lost £5.

Having constant football to watch and talk about is the main reason why I love World Cups and European Championships. I may be showing a shocking lack of ambition by having little desire to do anything other than watch football monotonously for weeks on end, but sod it it’s not as if I want to do anything else.  I even quit the subject of Economics while doing my A-Levels earlier than I was supposed to in the last World Cup. Partly because I was planning to quit it anyway but mainly because I wanted to watch Argentina-South Korea one afternoon and the match was on while I was supposed to be in an Economics lesson drawing endless supply and demand graphs I didn’t understand. I can still remember playing football at lunchtime and then watching the 2^nd half of Argentina-South Korea to see a couple of super Higuain goals and thinking all was right with the world.

Football on the TV doesn’t make you meet new people you’d rather avoid, laugh at you for not having a spouse, chide you for your lack of social life or lack of enthusiasm for dubstep and modern fashion trends. Neither do wall charts or special edition podcasts or discussions about the cracking goal Russia’s left winger scored the previous night. The more reassuring wall charts and live matches on BBC1 and constant football chat, the better as far as I’m concerned.

I’m not even enormously bothered if the football is shite. The last World Cup for example was dreadful. I remember using the World Cup as a motivating tool to work through my AS level exams (the other motivation tool was finding every episode of Twin Peaks for free on the internet and watching two of those a day) and there were about two good games in a month of football. But given that I got a month of constant football I wasn’t complaining. And when the football is good like it was at Euro 2008, the better. I remember Turkey’s miraculous comebacks and Turks in my part of North London beeping horns and having parties at their native country’s successes.

I guess the negatives are that there is an uncomfortable stench of jingoism and patriotism when England are involved. Samuel Johnson once said that patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel, and he wasn’t wrong. The England team give a mouthpiece to a minority of idiots (known as ‘England fans’) who don’t know what they’re talking about and can be nastily aggressive if you aren’t some flag toting national anthem singing stooge. There’s more chance of George Osborne renouncing capitalism and condoning Keynesian economic policies than some drunken loon with little flags of St George painted on his face not belting out some horribly nationalistic, probably anti-German chant.

Obviously FIFA and UEFA do their best to ruin tournaments by doing little less than pillaging the country or countries hosting the tournament. They demand new stadia that are not necessary and quickly become white elephants. They are ferocious in the manner of a totalitarian government on sponsorship and marketing issues. Tickets scandalously go to corporate people who’ve done nothing their whole lives except lick arse and screw people out of money and get rewarded for this with seats situated on the halfway line for the Euro 2012 final. They grant tournaments to countries who imprison political opponents (Ukraine and Russia) and to Qatar where it’s so hot they don’t have natural grass, and where they see homosexuality as a criminal offence. Money is God.

If I was more conscientious and more politically minded I’d possibly boycott and protest these tournaments and their injustices. But to protest against one thing, that would start a snowball effect of loads of other things I should protest about and I’d end up unable to do or watch anything. All football has injustices with its governance somewhere down the line. And well, I want to watch football.

I want to watch football. In my life that’s largely what I do. And with World Cups or the upcoming European Championships, all football fans will have the chance to watch more and more football. And thank god we have the opportunity to do so starting on June the 8^th.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The Samsung Galaxy Note is a powerful smartphone that doubles as a tablet – and when it comes to the London 2012 Olympics, it even has David Beckham using (and composing music with) the device.

The video, which demonstrates the unique features of the Samsung GALAXY Note, showcases Beckham’s incredible soccer skills as he reproduces the melody of Beethoven’s classic ‘Ode to Joy’ by kicking a series of soccer balls against a 15-foot wall of drums. Beckham uses the GALAXY Note’s large screen to plan his sequence of kicks against the drums. Then he uses the S Pen to annotate a photograph and post it on Facebook, capturing his experience and sharing it instantly with all his seventeen million fans.

GALAXY Note introduces a revolutionary new mobile device category. Retaining all the portability of a smartphone, its immersive large screen and advanced pen-input capabilities enable new possibilities for creating, rendering and sharing content with unique self-expression and spontaneity. GALAXY Note continues to win praise from consumers across the globe, recently surpassing 5 million sales in only 5 months since its launch.

Samsung, an Olympics sponsor since 1988, will be demonstrating the latest smartphones including GALAXY Note in the Olympic Village and throughout London for the duration of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The GALAXY Note – David Beckham full length video can be viewed on Facebook or Youtube.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With an exciting end to the Premier League campaign, the Champions League last four and the upcoming Euro 2012 championships in Poland and Ukraine this summer, football fans can be forgiven for forgetting about the Olympic Games and football’s involvement at the London event.

Attitudes in football to the Olympics are in stark contrast to how modern sports in general perceive the Olympics. As the video of Louis Smith (below) talking about his preparations for London 2012 shows, this is THE moment for professional sportmen and athletes – to compete and prove yourself at the highest level possible. For many sports the Olympics are a defining showcase moment, and for many sportspeople they are the ultimate test.

Football, however, is different. Club football has changed the dynamic to the extent that international football seems like an unnecessary luxury, reserved only for countries who lack a strong domestic league. You can even argue that the best football club could easily beat the best football team in the world – and since that would mean Spain v Spain + Messi + Alves, apart from the logistics the argument holds.

For track and field athletes the Olympics, held every four years, are of a similar importance as the football World Cup or Champions League (or indeed, Premier League survival). Football however is spoilt with one important game after the next, challenges spread out throughout the season and with more opportunities to succeed. As such, the Olympics has been tagged as just another tournament and from a club football perspective, lacking any benefits in an already- packed football calendar.

There is no doubt that the sheer amount of football played by the professional footballer in the modern day is startling, with their domestic leagues, cup competitions, European football, international friendlies and competitive national fixtures all taking their toll physically and mentally. More than the quantity of football is the intensity – playing at full tilt for 90 minutes 50 times a season will take it’s toll on you (just ask David Silva).

But cribbing about fixture congestion to miss the point of the Olympics entirely. For most other sports the Olympics, held every four years, is the pinnacle and the culmination of countless hours on the training ground and gym. Modern-day players are as professional as the game has ever seen, and therefore should want to play at the highest level possible, strive for victory and be the best that they can be. This attitude will be adopted by other sports represented at the Games, and should be treated as such by football.

The age limit on participants in Olympic football ensures that young players – whose footballing output needs to be managed far better than the case of Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere – get an early chance to appear in a major tournament and hone their skills against competitors of the same age group, if not always the same technical level.

A raft of leading Premier League players such as Jack Rodwell and Gareth Bale have been rumoured to be keen to represent Team GB this summer with clubs fuming over the possibility of losing star players in pre-season. The FA has had to assure Premier League clubs that players who take part in the Euros will not take part in the Olympics, there will undoubtedly be athletes who prioritise Euro 2012 and the upcoming 2012/13 Premier League season over involvement at the Olympics.

Despite this, Pearce has issued the rallying cry for all interested parties to come forward, and the modern day competitor should jump at the chance. Admittedly the Olympics will not carry the same following in football as Euro 2012, but the unique chance to play in the Great Britain team, at the sporting summit of the Olympics, on home soil, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The fact that the majority of competitors need to be 23 or under (there are three overage players allowed in each squad), should mean that up-and-coming superstars like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tom Cleverley, Phil Jones and Daniel Sturridge to name but a few should be clambering over themselves to be involved at the Olympics. With some of the higher-profile and older players not eligible or interested, a young prospect could shoot themselves to super-stardom with strong performances, and join a very small group of players to have an Olympic medal in their trophy cabinet.

The likes of Lionel Messi have competed in the Olympic Games before (against the wishes of his parent club), and won the gold. If you ask Messi, despite is embarrassment of titles he will still remember the Olympic gold and what it means to him. Most of the players likely to head to London 2012 under Stuart Pearce can only dream of getting close to Messi’s trophy count – and if the world’s best footballer wants to win everything on offer, if a football tournament at home presents your country’s best chance of international success in football for ages – then it’s only right that players and management (FA) make it a high priority.

Football fans in England tend to say that the Olympics don’t matter. They do to the people taking part, and especially to the people who give it their best shot, and win.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Understandably, European nations often decline to participate in Olympic football competition. The alignment of their respective four year rotations means that UEFA’s European Championships coincide with the Olympic Games.

In an already crowded summer of football, many Football Associations deem a further tournament undesirable and those who do enter inevitably send weakened teams.

Football being the national sport, however, it seemed necessary for Britain to field a team of some description at London 2012. And so, after much haranguing, England’s FA have been granted permission to select a team of Englishmen to compete under the banner of Team GB.

The one-off team, whilst born out of a need to keep up appearances, might just have an opportunity to achieve something meaningful. The tournament itself is an under-23 competition, with a maximum of three players in each squad exempt from age restrictions. In all likelihood, anyone included in England’s Euro 2012 squad will be precluded from selection for the Olympics.

Subsequently, the players assembled to compete at the London Olympics under the GB banner are likely to represent a youthful side with plenty to prove.

It’s probable they will confront some challenging opposition. Free from the aforementioned schedule conflicts which afflict European nations, South American, Asian and African teams typically field strong squads. Beijing’s 2008 Olympics featured the likes of Lionel Messi, Ramires, Alexandre Pato, Peter Odemwingie and Sergio Ageuro.

The tournament should thus be treated as a potential learning experience for a generation of young English footballers. A commendable recent record at Under 21 level ought to equip the squad with confidence that they might succeed at the tournament. England’s U-21’s reached the semi-final of the European Championships in 2007. Then in 2009 they went a step better by reaching the final. En-route, England even registered a 2-0 win over Spain, upon whose youth set-up onlookers frequently fawn.

What’s more, at London 2012, the squad might even be fortunate enough to evade the kind of media scrutiny which so frequently blights England teams. Football will be demoted to the recesses of the public consciousness, albeit temporarily, during the course of the Olympics, as rowers, cyclists, sprinters and alike adorn the spotlight.

The plan afoot to award David Beckam the captaincy next summer, however, threatens to be disruptive. English football’s much beloved darling is expected to return to these shores when his contract at LA Galaxy expires this winter. Common consensus suggests that, provided his fitness can be vindicated, the captain’s armband awaits him.

To include Beckam in the squad seems tempting. He is, after all, heralded from the very territory in which the Olympic stadium now stands. We could happily indulge a fond farewell to the golden boy, a fitting tear-jerker to pay homage to an ambassador who brought the Games to London. The resulting back-page jingoism would certainly make for a fine Olympic souvenir.

The glorified encore, though, an exercise in sycophancy and a concession to sentimentality, would be of little benefit.

The shadow of Beckam would surely loom large over the squad. His aura of celebrity and the accompanying paparazzi would reintroduce the aforementioned press attention. An unwelcome distraction, the inevitable media carnival would only hinder the squad’s capacity to focus on the task at hand.

Needless to say, of course, that the weight of Brand Beckam will also be a valuable marketing asset to the Games of the XXX Olmpiad. Naïve are those who believe that Beckam’s likely inclusion will be decided by the manager alone. What kind of lesson does this send to Britain’s young footballers?

More important than any of this, though, is the fact that there are plenty of eligible players who would offer more in a competitive sense. Of the over-23 brigade likely to be excluded from the Euro’s, Jonathan Woodgate, Phil Neville, Paul Robinson, Joe Cole and Danny Murphy, to name but a handful, all represent better choices. England ought to be teaching young players that merit alone is the sole arbiter of selection for the national team.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

On the surface, the argument makes perfect sense – football players, especially young football players – should not be asked to play competitive football 11 months out of 12. By asking UEFA to mandate the national European FAs to only select players for one international tournament per season, the European Club Association (ECA) feels that they well prevent burnout / injuries in young prodigies, and thereby not only having them available at the start of each season but also prolonging their careers.

Other requests made by the ECA include a minimum of seven weeks without international football following major tournaments (this would apply to the June friendlies as much as the early August friendlies) and a review of the international calendar to reduce ‘meaningless’ friendlies. In the words of AC Milan director and ECA vice-president Umberto Gambini:

“The national managers do not have the players for long enough and the club managers are left with three or four players for training before this weekend’s league matches and the restart of the Champions League next week.”

All fair points, and you could also make the argument that since the clubs pay the salaries, they should have a (limited) say in how much a player exerts himself throughout the season. Arsene Wenger has been going on and on about it for years, so has Alex Ferguson, and both of them have a good point.

The key factor here is to protect young players from burnout, but also to reduce international friendlies which give national managers little room to develop a coherent playing strategy (although they get to try out new players). The case of Lionel Messi in 2008 comes to mind, when Barcelona initially refused to release him for the 2008 Olympics saying they would interfere with his pre-season training and put an unnecessary risk on a player prone to injuries. The club relented, eventually, partly due to Messi’s insistence in representing his team at the national stage. The Messi case is important because Barcelona took the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and CAS ruled in Barcelona’s favor saying that they could keep Messi away from the Olympics if they chose to do so.

And therein lies the crux of the debate – football clubs and their managers have an over-riding priority to look after their success in domestic and continental competitions (as evidenced by Vidic’s withdrawal from the Serbia squad at United’s request, seeing as Rio Ferdinand is injured again), while national FAs and their managers are primarily concerned with their own fortunes. The friendlies generate revenue for the national FAs, so they keep getting scheduled. The Olympics offer a further chance of glory, so national team coaches will, given the chance, select the Messi’s of tomorrow for both the Euros and the Olympics if they deem it necessary for their chances of success.

The only solution is a compromise, and it would start with both football clubs (and domestic leagues / continental competitions by extension) as well as national FAs (and regional bodies like UEFA) to mutually reduce the demands made on players. Leagues can work with a reduced domestic calendar, cup competitions could be simplified and made shorter, while FIFA and UEFA can work on reducing the international commitments of players (especially friendlies) and working on a solution where, for example, European teams can send their under-23 OR B teams to the Olympics if they feel the need to, without submitting them to any sanctions a la Wolves and Blackpool.

It won’t happen, because both sides – the clubs and the countries – will not miss out on an opportunity to make money.

So while we talk about friendlies being boring, pre-season tours being pointless or debate the merits of a winter break (and let’s leave the Europa Cup format for another day), it’s worth keeping in mind that neither side is willing to concede an inch (or their profits) while making demands on the other side.

The ECA are right in saying that FIFA / UEFA should work with them in reducing the demands on footballers. But they need to do it themselves too, and it won’t happen as long as national teams and football clubs stand in opposite corners snubbing each other’s value to the sport.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Let us then begin with the long view, seeking the perfect goal on the larger world stage…

African Cup of Nations

This first major tournament of 2008 unfortunately went largely unseen outside the continent where it took place; in Europe and especially England, indeed, it was widely (if quietly) regarded as something of a nuisance, because it summoned major club players back to their home lands.  One article I saw even hinted that African nations should perhaps feel a bit guilty about this.  (But think for a moment: if many of the world’s best players were English–ah, fantasy!–and happened to play their club football in Africa, would England fans feel guilty about seeing them summoned back for a European Cup?)

You goal junkies who missed the tournament will now have a first chance to savor some of its scoring joys, in a fine compilation: African Cup of Nations Top 10 Goals.   The scorers on this clip:  Mohamed Zidan (Egypt) vs. Cameroon, Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) vs. Guinea, Sulley Muntari (Ghana) vs. Guinea, Geremi (Cameroon) vs. Tunisia, Chaouki ben Saada (Tunisia) vs. Cameroon, Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast) vs. Nigeria, Mejdi Traoui (Tunisia) vs. Senegal,  Eirio van Heerden (South Africa) vs. Angola, Hicham Aboucherouane (Morocco) vs.  Angola, Manucho (Angola) vs. Egypt.

http://www.footytube.com/category/videos/african-cup-of-nations-2008/

see also:
Manucho Goncalves (Angola) vs Egypt 2.10.08 (Notorious for his inconsistency, Manucho also made himself famous for this wicked best-of-tournament strike from way up top.)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LsutX4kWGy8&feature=related

Manucho Goncalves (Angola): Manucho O Artilhero “Miguxo” (All Manucho goals in this tournament.)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TqVin_Hjo7s&feature=related

2008 Beijing Olympics

This summer “soccer” tournament, unseen or ignored by many of those billions who saw all those hours of gymnastics,  swimming,etc., turned out to be much too good to have been missed.  A good deal of pride was at stake and a good deal of rising talent was on display.  And Argentina even smuggled in Juan-Roman Riquelme.  What more could one want?  (And don’t say, “An England side”.)

Angel di Maria (Argentina) vs Nigeria 8.23.08  (Final 1-0) (This clever chip by a rising world star, coming after a couple of hard tumbles seen at the beginning of the clip, was the tournament’s winning goal)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=v581iZtRIbw

Diego Buonanotte (Argentina) vs. Serbia 8.12.08  (On  Lio Messi’s day off in the tournament, the tiny youth who may one day succeed him in the role of el mago came brightly to the fore.)
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/diego%2Bbuonanotte/video/x6febl_gol-de-buonanotte-vs-serbia_sport

Royston Drenthe (Holland) vs. Japan 8.10.08   (This list’s candidate for near-miss of the year, the sizzling Drenthe free-kick off the bar against Japan, coming after a sympathetic three-minute documentation of this famously inconsistent young player’s awful struggles in the tournament, very nearly–but not quite–proves the assertion in the accompanying song-track that “What didn’t kill me can only make me/Stronger”)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rcJ70R65_eU

World Cup qualifiers and other internationals

Bafetimbi Gomis (France)(2) vs. Ecuador (friendly) 5.27.08 (A pair of acrobatic wonder strikes from a debutant callup, the first a twisting shot across goal, the second a flying volley–merveilleux!)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zHJgPZvjBWw&NR=1

Sergio Ramos (Spain) vs. Denmark (friendly) 20.08.08 (This Ramos goal comes as the culmination of a 26-pass move, the real quality of the goal consisting not in the sweet clinical finish but in the brilliant interplay of the buildup, so that it’s the teamwork and not the individual that finally deserves the credit: here we see the way Spain plays at its best, wonderful artistic football, inspiring to behold.)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=MJH1f_U-ezM

Andres Iniesta (Spain) vs Belgium (WC qualifier) 10.15.08 (Iniesta is the stutter-stepping fast-footworking impossible-angle finisher, but the interception and thrilling feed-pass are the familiar wonderstuff of Cesc Fabregas: again, Spanish football at its fancy-finest, moving coach Vicente del Bosques to superlatives later–”all of us in the  dressing room thought it was the best goal of the season; Iniesta himself was more modest: “nice goal, but I can do better.”)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl403YYrh08&NR=1

Pedro Morales (Chile sub-23) vs. Ivory Coast (Toulon Under-23 Tournament, semi-final)(5.23.08 (A heart-stopping moment from the Chilean prodigy:  long range strike of the year?)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=bmc4X1O8puQ&feature=related

Fabian Orellana (Chile) vs. Argentina  (WC qualifier)10/15/08 (This one deserves full honors not only for the end-to-end quality of the move preceding it–eight players touching the ball in a rapid, dynamic buildup of the sort normally associated with the other side in this match–but for the youthful debutant Orellana’s cool and poised finish: altogether a perfectly constructed goal stealing a page out of the albiceleste‘s own book, delighting a great crowd in Santiago and securing Chile’s first-ever international victory over Argentina.)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3bjMhapLxXQ

Salvador Cabanas (Colombia) vs. Paraguay (WC qualifier) 10.11.08 (“Quick thinking” by the bullish striker with the surprisingly lovely touch, Cabanas–this one, scored early at 9″, silences Colombia for good on a great away night for Paraguay.)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=N2jqF_eRTuI&NR=1
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3zfXJaQVV9Q&feature=related

Carlos Costly (Honduras) vs. Canada  (WC qualifier)10.11.08 (A swerving 38-meter howitzer blast into the top right corner from distance that proved costly indeed for the Canadians, whose World Cup hopes it terminated.)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=sWR0HYVLl3o&feature=related

Ronald Garcia (Bolivia) vs. Peru (WC qualifier) 10.11.08 (This powerful and deadly missile from distance leaves everyone in the La Paz stadium stunned, no one more so than the surprised shooter himself, who barely survives the emotional shock of his wonder goal.)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=o7BE813z2OM

Ali Gerba (Canada) vs. Mexico (WC qualifier) 10.15.08 (Starting Sven-Goran Eriksson off on another harrowing night in his troubled qualifying campaign at the helm of a team whose veteran players had spoken out boldly against his appointment, Gerba’s wonderfully weighted and lofted lob floats over the head of flabbergasted Mexican keeper Osvaldo Sanchez–and a fretful Sven anxiously paces the touchline, to an ominous music track.)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZHFDrNNrlI&feature=related

Jakub “Kuba” Blaszczykowski (Poland) vs Czech Rep. (WC qualifier) 10.12.08 (Don’t worry about pronouncing the name, this talented young player is known to those who love him simply as “Kuby”–and here he tricks the frantically advancing keeper, no less than Petr Cech mind you, with an audaciously cute chip.)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cxWRxdxfvzw&feature=related

Daniele de Rossi (Italy) vs Georgia  (WC qualifier) (9.10.08). A de Rossi missile from distance.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=paizCSnrJ5U

Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney (2) (England) vs. Belarus (WC qualifier) 10.16.08 (England’s two finest players working together very nicely:  Gerrard’s lethal 30-yard drive into the far corner, on the run, is fine, and even better is Rooney’s victory-clinching second on the night, lifted over the keeper after a brilliant feint and displaying a pure scorer’s instincts; Rooney’s post-game comment “it’s probably the best I’ve ever played for England to be honest” was no exaggeration)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pOqdOFH7_78&feature=related

Yohan Gourcuff (France ) vs. Romania  (WC qualifier) 10.11.08 (Last goal on clip: this coming star’s cannon-shot strike will take your breath away.)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YkZjHlgxszY&feature=related

Elano (Brazil) vs Portugal  (friendly) 11.19.08 (And a bit of finesse to go with all that high-calibre artillery.)
http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/1782122/

2008 World Club Cup

Cristiano (Adelaide United) vs Al Ahly 12.18.08 (A wicked blast from distance by the other Cristiano, this the Brazilian one– easily the best goal of the tournament.)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jEVVlhE5mw0

Daniel Mullen (Adelaide United) vs. Waitakere Utd  12.11.08 (The runner-up–second goal on this clip, the big header by the man in red creates another happy moment for Adelaide United fans everywhere.)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ehbjlVS2-Bk&feature=related

ESPN Top 5 Goals of 2008:
http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/1908656/

and should you like to choose views of the above from alternative clips:

5 Emanuel Adebayor (Arsenal) vs. Liverpool  4.08.08 (Champions League) (plus the Walcott run)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rF9dG6ag7qU

4 Sulley Muntari (Inter) vs. Napoli 11.22.08i

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=N5Mdmt5th9A

3 Ronaldinho (Barcelona) vs. Atletico Madrid 3.01.08
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=riAz8tzNpaE&NR=1

2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter) vs. Bologna 10.04.08
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=i3ogMVLShjk

1 Pablo Daniel Osvaldo (Fiorentino) vs. Torino 5.21.08
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ixVr3gWEaVg&feature=relatedr>

The Best Goals of 2008 – Navigation:

In Pursuit of the Elusive Perfect Goal: 2008
The Best Goals of 2008 – Part 1 (World Football)
The Best Goals of 2008 – Part 2 (England / Scotland)
The Best Goals of 2008 – Part 3 (Europe)
The Best Goals of 2008 – Part 4 (Americas)

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With the Euros behind us, July would start the transfer season and with it all the mindless speculation along with the few sensational transfers here and there.

Chelsea signed Deco, which seemed a risk at the time considering his age which gave him little time to ‘adapt’. Arsenal were signing kids left and right, pipping United to Ramsey, but there was no experience in sight as Flamini, Hleb and then GS made their exits, with Adebayor doing his best to upstage Ronaldo as THE wantaway kid of the year. There was also this whole ‘Lampard to Inter’ thing, but with Chelsea adamant that they would not sell, this would go nowhere despite France Football publishing a fake story on how a contract was signed and waiting.

While Barcelona and Milan chased Adebayor, Madrid kept up their pursuit of Ronaldo and the press corps followed Ronaldo all over Europe, with his beach vacation with Nereida Gallardo and his operation both given far more coverage than they deserved (although with Ms Gallardo I can understand why). As transfer season usually does, it got pretty ridiculous with stories like Henry moving to the MLS and Kaka moving to Chelsea given considerable airtime, amongst other strange stories.

When it comes to transfers, it may seem that clubs treat players like ‘goods’ to be bought or sold, but in reality players today have far more power than their clubs in making transfers happen. As Andy Greeves writes, the modern footballer can hold the game hostage with his demands, whether it’s for a move or for higher wages.

Tottenham’s eternal summer of rebuilding took a turn for the worse when both Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov indicated they wanted to move to clubs with an actual shot at winning trophies, i.e. Liverpool and Manchester United. Tottenham were understandably furious but for all their huffing and puffing they would have no choice but to milk the two clubs for all they were worth, with Robbie Keane costing Liverpool 20m and Berbatov eventually costing United a cool 30m.

The month ended with Ronaldo closer to staying at Old Trafford but the press would have none of it, creating false stories of ‘deals’ between Madrid and United and Ronaldo and United for a move next summer. Real Madrid may be the most successful club in European football but they couldn’t force another team to sell a player and once Ronaldo understood that as well, he would accept his position and commit himself to his contract.

Alongside the transfer season there was also the buildup to the Beijing Olympics, with clubs more than reluctant to release their best players for a tournament they didn’t value (the clubs, not the players). And there was still time in all this for Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini to declare war on club football as they sought to ‘redress the balance’ by proposing financial restrictions and player quotas on football clubs.

Also Read:

Manchester United 07-08 Season Review
The Offside’s Guide to the Transfer Season
Why Americans Suck At Soccer & Promoting Soccer In The US
Interview with Tonya Antonucci, WPS CEO

Back to Soccerlens’ 2008 Review.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

For those of us who are consumed by football every year brings new thrills and disappointments, a million what ifs and if onlys and ultimately a feeling of elation, satisfaction or despair, depending on where our unfailing loyalties lie. We laugh and cry, argue and debate, get over-emotional and sometimes regret what we say but what the hell! We’re all in it for the emotional roller-coaster ride in the first place, aren’t we?

If you support Chelsea you’ll be full of what ifs but optimistic. Manchester United supporters will be ecstatic but anxious. Liverpool: forever hopeful but maybe more so than usual. Arsenal and Spurs: WTF! Stoke and Hull: what a ride! Leeds: ‘I swear I didn’t run over a black cat’. Newcastle: isn’t it called the black-country? Manchester City: harem scarem.

And abroad…..Barcelona: on the brink. Real Madrid: 2 in a row, now for Europe! Inter: the Jose factor. Juve: past glories beckon. Milan: rebuild, and fast! Roma:WTF! Lyon: tiresome without CL success. Bayern: back and biting! Celtic: home thoughts, never from abroad.

Most of us judge each year’s success on where the trophies end up and, by extension, the player awards tend to be dominated by those that play for the year’s ‘winners’. God (insert Allah, Buddha, Ganesh, or whatever your personal choice is, if any) forbid we would all ever come close to agreeing on what the team of the year is but, unfortunately, I have been given the hospital pass this year and now must expose myself to ridicule, deserved or otherwise.

In order to establish some sort of a framework rough guidelines for the exercise are appropriate. And here they are. The ‘rules’ are set by me so don’t bother disputing them!

• Players are judged on performance and contribution at both club and international level. 2008 having been a EUFA Championship and Olympic year, this obviously has some bearing (Spain+, England-).
• Players already established as outstanding may not be chosen on the basis of a relatively ordinary year or having missed long periods through injury.
• Players who win the big awards nationally and internationally are very likely to be in with a chance, unless I decide otherwise!
• Players with the best stats for their position should obviously be in the frame but there are clearly other factors.
• There can NEVER be a perfect list so all contributions are welcome and, indeed, this is the whole point of the article.
• Bias should be kept to a minimum when voicing your opinions…….sorry! I’m now facing into a strong wind and pissing hard!

So here goes. My team of 2008 is:
.

Goalkeeper

Petr Cech (Chelsea): Excellent keeper but ultimately won nothing in 2008 and just fails to get across the line. (no pun intended)

Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus): Read Cech.

Iker Casillas (Real Madrid): La Liga and Euro 2008 winner. Three clean sheets in the knock-out stages of the Euros, including 2 decisive penalty saves against Italy in the QF.

Edwin Van Der Sar (Manchester United): PL and CL double and probably his last great season. Excellent!

Pepe Reina (Liverpool): Winner of the Golden Gloves Award but staying fit helps win the GGs and still 2nd choice to Casillas for Spain. But a quality keeper.

Winner: It has to be Iker Casillas this year. No dispute!
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Defenders

Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United): PL and CL winner and probably at his peak in a team that had an excellent defensive record.

Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United): PL and CL winner. Ruthlessly efficient.

Patrice Evra (Manchester United): Attacking excellence combined with quality defence and top honours.

John Terry (Chelsea): A hairs breath away from both PL and CL. Penalty miss deducts no points at all.

Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea): As for Terry. Unfortunately injury prone, but excellent.

Gael Clichy (Arsenal): Outstanding in 2007/8 season. The odd blip in 2008/9 so far.

Bacary Sagna (Arsenal): Brilliant young player in his position. His injury cost Arsenal dearly.

Jose Boswinga (Chelsea): Sought by many following his performances for Porto and Portugal and ended up at Chelsea. Great player, especially going forward. Lots more to come.

Daniel Alves (Barcelona): On all the lists last year. Can’t be ignored.

Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich): Solid and excellent going forward. Can play left or right. In the UEFA list of players of the tournament Euro 2008.

Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid): Outstanding season with Real Madrid and seems to be most peoples favourite choice at RB. Noticeably absent from the Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament

Carles Puyol (Barcelona): Aging, but vital to Barca last season, Euro 2008 winner with Spain and on EUFA’s best player list.

Winners: Boswinga, Ferdinand, Puyol, Evra
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Midfielders

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool): Despite no honours you can’t leave him out. Still the driving force at Anfield.

Javier Mascherano (Liverpool): Established himself as one of the best DMs in the business and won Olympic Gold with Argentina.

Michael Essien (Chelsea): Outstanding in Chelsea’s close call. Unfortunately injured for most of the current season.

Michael Ballack (Chelsea): Read Essien. Possibly Chelsea’s most influential player in the run in last season and in the UEFA squad of the tournament at Euro 2008.

Frank Lampard (Chelsea): Defines Chelsea. Reliable, consistent and a midfield goal machine. Weathered personal tragedy to drive his team so close last season. Has also held it together while so many have been injured this season.

Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal): Keeps getting better and the jewel in the crown amongst Arsenal’s wealth of young talent. Outstanding!

Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United): PL and CL winner and just about every player award available. 42 goals, what more can you say?

Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan): Quality player but out of the winners circle for club and country this year.

Rafael Van Der Vaart (Real Madrid): A surprise when he went to Hamburg but talent can’t hide and there is much more to come at Real. Exciting wide player with some spectacular goals.

Ricardo Quaresma (Inter Milan): Constantly the subject of transfer speculation before finally leaving Porto for Inter. Has excelled in a free roaming role.

Frank Ribery (Bayern Munich): Best left winger around at present and has started the season brilliantly with Bayern. German Player of the Year award. Much coveted.

Wesley Sneijder (Real Madrid): Can be beauty and the beast in the same game. Influential, quality and a real force at Euro 2008.

Marcos Senna (Villarreal): Brazilian/Spanish talent who has been excellent for club and country this year.

Xavier Hernández Creus (Xavi) (Barcelona): Outstanding defensive midfielder who was in the EUFA team of the tournament for Euro 2008.

Andres Iniesta (Barcelona): Versatile attacking midfielder. Another of the Spanish class of 2008 included in the UEFA squad of the tournament.

Winners: Ronaldo, Sneijder, Lampard, Ribery
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Forwards

Fernando Torres (Liverpool): Prodigious talent with 32 goals last season. Injury prone in the current campaign but sure to impress. Winner Euro 2008 and in EUFA best team of the tournament.

Karim Benzema (Olympique Lyonnais): Too good to last much longer at Lyon. French Player of the Year. Could be one of the greats.

David Villa (Valentia): Refuses to leave Valentia for now but 80 goals in 143 appearances says it all. Another in the UEFA list of Euro 2008′s best and the tournaments top scorer.

Francesco Totti (Roma): Dogged by injury but his absence as much as his presence for Roma says everything about how influential he is. Great talent!

Didier Drogba (Chelsea): Good first half to the year but has blotted his copybook of late and has been too injury prone to be a genuine contender.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan): Somewhat enigmatic striker with 44 goals in 85 games for Inter. Intuitive and spectacular on his day.

Lionel Messi (Barcelona): Led Argentina to Olympic glory. Potential to be one of the ‘greats’ of the game. Stands out by a mile even at a club like Barcelona.

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (Kaka) (AC Milan): Quieter year than in 2007 but remains a great talent, the envy of many.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid): Excellent goal scoring record for Real and a decent contribution at Euro 2008. Still a force.

Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich): Prominent star in the rising Bayern team and key striker for Germany. 44 goals in 87 appearances for his country.

Andrei Arshavin (Zenit St. Petersburg): Talk of the town at Euro 2008 and a key figure in Zenit’s UEFA Cup win this year. Coveted by many but yet to move. Has he been a flash in the pan?

Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid): New talent who has impregnated Maradona’s daughter (that’s not why he’s on the list but at least it shows he knows how to find the target!) Olympic winner and a growing influence at Atletico Madrid.

Winners: Messi, Torres
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So there it is! Undoubtedly the best 11 players from 2008! It’s a very fine line that separates many of the choices. While the exercise is aimed at selecting the best individual players this year it is also interesting to reflect on how they would combine as a team.

So we have two of the best attacking full-backs around, both of whom can also defend well. Two centre backs with bundles of experience and contrasting but complimentary styles. A top keeper. Two outstanding wingers who can both take on players at pace, come inside and score goals. Two central midfielders with a good balance between grit and finesse. Both can score goals and defend well.

And finally, the mouth watering prospect of Lionel Messi feeding Torres down the channels and inside the defenders where Torres excels at ‘coming off the shoulder’. Or how about the two double teaming in the box as Ribery or Ronaldo wreak havoc out wide and provide the ammunition? Enough to give any defence nightmares!

Yes, all in all I believe the selected 11 would make an outstanding side.

So I’m now off to a dark corner to continue the argument with myself (surely Rooney was worth a mention? No he wasn’t…Yes he was! etc.) and await the inevitable Rio v Terry and Gerrard v Lampard fiasco.
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The 2008 Soccerlens All-Star XI

GK: Iker Casillas

RB: Jose Bosingwa
CB: Rio Ferdinand
CB: Carlos Puyol
LB: Patrice Evra

RM: Cristiano Ronaldo
CM: Wesley Sneijder
CM: Frank Lampard
LM: Frank Ribery

ST: Lionel Messi
ST: Fernando Torres
.

Do you disagree with this list? What are you picks for the Best XI of 2008?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

So it is final – FIFA have announced that a football team from Great Britain will appear in the Olympic games at London 2012. Even if the Welsh FA, the Northern Irish FA, and the Scottish FA don’t want to happen it will; even if it means that only English players, coaches and the like compete.

I was dead against a Team GBFC from the start and I will tell you why? The media. The media had me believe that the big bad French authorities at FIFA and UEFA would take our home nations and form them as one football nation Great Britain. I had to make a stand I signed petitions joined activist groups on the Internet and for what? Listening to Blatter and Platini in particular they have promised not to fuse the teams for international matches and that this is a one off for the Olympics in London.

But I now believe that this could be fantastic, this could be like the Rugby Union we have the SRU and the British Lions. We will have the SFA and team GBFC for the Olympics. It works for the rugby why can’t it work for the football? I see no reason, and as it is going to happen we should embrace it if not we risk losing out. Scotland has a U21 rule to develop its youngsters and this is the place to show the rest of the world that we are bringing good prospects through the ranks.

Picture this, a product of Murray Park’s youth team taking to the field for Great Britain at London 2012. It would make my day. I will get behind the lads whoever they may be like I do the for the rest of Team GB, will you?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The following interview with Nigerian legend and captain of the national team Nwanko Kanu was conducted by African football magazine New African Soccer and reprinted here with their permission. The magazine is free to download.

Nigeria went into the Beijing Olympics football tournament confident that they will do well. They were confident that they will return with gold to emulate the exploits of their seniors in the 1996 edition in Atlanta. They were labelled the Dream Team IV.

The rest is now history. Nigeria flew the flag of Africa along with Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire.

Africa put in an impressive showing — presenting three of the final eight, and Nigeria outlasted the others, getting to the finals and losing narrowly to Argentina.

Captain of the Nigerian team that actually won gold in 1996 Nwankwo Kanu shares his views with us especially on the future of the game in his country, with this impressive showing.

New African Soccer: Your record still remains intact, Kanu. You are still the only captain to have won gold for Nigeria.

Kanu: That doesn’t even come to mind. I don’t mind my record equalled. In fact, I wanted it more than anything. I wanted Nigeria to win gold. We had the team that could have done it. I am proud of them and what they achieved. It is a pity that they won silver. I think we have proved to the world that 1996 was no fluke.

NAS: What did the team do that they should not have done? What cost them gold?

Kanu: Luck. They worked hard enough. They did very little wrong. They are humans so of course in the course of the tournament, there were mistakes here and there. But their mistakes definitely did not outweigh their good points, which was why the never lost a game going into the finals. No, I don’t think they could have tried any harder. They just needed that little bit of luck.

NAS: Chinedu Ogbuke was not in the final, and he has proved the talisman of the Nigerian team leading up to the finals…

Kanu: Every member of the squad was a talisman in his own right. They all played well, and yes, I agree that Chinedu was good, he had a great tournament, but so did many others. I am sure they coped well without him and if God has said we’d win gold, we would have, even without him. I have worked well with Chinedu the few times he was drafted into the senior squad and I like him. He works hard and he is a naturally gifted star but many others in the team were as well.

NAS: Would you say Ogbuke was your revelation of the Nigerian team in the tournament? Which player stood out for you?

Kanu: I am not trying to be diplomatic or anything here, believe me. I speak from my heart when I say they all did well. Ogbuke was good at what he did, and executed it well. I liked that. But who didn’t? Osaze (Odemwigie) was very good, and Obinna (Nsofor) played with purpose. In fact, if it hadn’t been for work permit issues, Obinna would be a Premier League player by now as Everton wanted to sign him. On the back of his performance, he was recruited by none other than Jose Mourinho to Inter Milan. He must have seen something in him. What can I say about the team? They were all superb. Dare I mention Kaita who marshaled the midfield so well that he’d give senior team officials sleepless nights as to which player to pick in the holding midfield position? Or the back four that comprised of ball stoppers in the centre and the wing backs of Okonkwo and Adefemi. They were all superb. In fact it gave us lots to ponder as to where we can fit all these boys in at the senior level.

NAS: I was just about to ask that, because, after Under-23 level, the next stage for most of these players is to graduate into the senior national team. But of course, players like yourself are still there so such graduation can not be automatic.

Kanu: Experience is also needed. They have had the right exposure but they need more big time experience. There is room for most of these boys to join the fold. What with the busy club schedules, one particular group of players can not be playing all Nigeria games. It is nice to know that we have more than enough players to fill the void. And even where everyone is fit, the competition is good. For me, I love it. It makes us all, myself included, conscious of the fact that our starting shirts in the national team are not secure, as we have to fight for it. And we love that. You can see that even me, despite being captain, have started quite a few matches with Nigeria from the bench of late. You need to see us in camp. It is a big happy family and we rally round the ones picked to play. This is part of what we want to impart on to the younger ones.

NAS: What about Samson Siasia…

Kanu: Phenomenal. He has proved himself once again. He’s done a good job with the Under-23 team. I think it was the best thing Nigeria had done in a long time — seeing how well Siasia handled the Under-20 crop in Holland, where once again, they got to the finals of the Under-20 World Cup, losing yet again to Argentina, and allowing him to continue working with the same set of players at Under-23 level. Now we can see what continuity can do. By now, the players know Siasia and look up to him, and he sees them all as his kid brothers.

NAS: So if we are talking about continuity, why can’t Siasia take this same crop of players and start coaching the senior team?

Kanu: There is no doubt that Siasia will do a good job for the Super Eagles. He has worked in the system before, as assistant to Austin Eguavoen. I have worked with him for years. He is a good man, a good coach and yes, he will be successful, but of course we know that the Super Eagles has a coach already. Shuaib Amodu is working and doing well too. We have played matches and are yet unbeaten under him. Do you change a winning team? I know Siasia very well. I am sure he is a down to earth person and I know that when his time comes, he will make a great manager for the Super Eagles, but for now, there is no point rocking the boat.

NAS: And you? People are starting to talk about the Siasia/Kanu partnership as managers of the future Super Eagles.

Kanu: People always say things, and it is funny that the only ones who hear these “people” are journalists (laughs). Why do people make such speculations? The reality on ground is fact. Any other thing is mere speculation. I am still a player. I play my football for Portsmouth FC and I am the captain of the Super Eagles. Samson is the coach of Nigeria’s Under-23 squad. Unless something to the contrary is announced, he is still the Under-23 coach. His job will be to nurture the current crop of Under-20s and build them up for Under-23 level. That is fact. That is reality. Any other thing is speculation.

NAS: Obviously with this display from the Under-23 team, we are right to be looking at the future of Nigerian football and saying there must be a chance that you guys would do well in the 2010 World Cup. How confident are you?

Kanu: Nigeria will always be Nigeria. We have over 140 million people. We are a football crazy nation and we have millions of footballers. We have that many people looking up to us to do well, and that is one of the main reasons we put in our best anytime we are wearing the green and white kit of the Super Eagles. Yes, we also hope to do well in 2010 and beyond. Our Under-17 team last year, our Under-23s in Beijing; they have all proved that the talent in Nigeria is not dried up. We have a good chance and we will do well. You can see that we have picked ourselves up from a dismal African Cup of Nations and are riding high with maximum points in our World Cup qualifying group. We foresee no problems in qualifying. We have to make sure we do things right: the admin, the nutrition, the medical aspect, other little things that can affect team performance. We will get there. When we get to South Africa for the World Cup, we can then proceed to focus on winning the competition.

NAS: You think you can?

Kanu: Why not? There will be 32 teams taking part. Believe me, all 32 will want to win. We have to approach these things with self-belief, and if we can win tournaments in age-group levels, and get to the finals in major global championships, we can push the best in the World Cup. But don’t let us get so carried away just yet. There is a job to be done — a job of qualifying for the World Cup and we need to do that first.

NAS: And will you still be around, as a player, in 2010?

Kanu: Only God knows the future, but I still want to be playing by 2010 and beyond. It will be a dream come true for me to play for Nigeria in an African World Cup — the first of its kind.

NAS: Digressing a little bit, we want to ask you about your club career. Many thought you’d be moving on from Portsmouth after your exploits of last season. They offered you a year’s contract and you accepted.

Kanu: Yes, I did. I love the club. The fans make me feel good. It was hard for me to turn my back on them. I could have quit on a high last season, especially after my goals in the semi-finals and the final of the FA Cup gave Pompey the Cup. But that is if I thought, for one minute, that it could be the pinnacle of my time here. I foresee many more ups and I want to be a part of it. We are playing in Europe this season. That is a high for Pompey fans. And I want to play a part in Portsmouth’s first UEFA Cup campaign in so many years.

NAS: But the arrival of Peter Crouch and Defoe surely puts your position as a striker under threat, especially as Harry Redknapp is so keen on using them as a partnership up front.

Kanu: I said to you earlier that I love competition. The gaffer (manager) has assured me that the arrival of Crouch and Defoe doesn’t undermine my importance to the club. I believe him. They are two good players but we have over 60 games to play this season. The most important thing is to work well in training and anytime I am called upon, for me to do my thing and give joy to Portsmouth fans and to restore the faith that the management have in me when they offered me a contract extension.

NAS: This time last season, Portsmouth was regarded as the Africa United of the English Premier League, with you and many other players here. Today it is a shadow of its old self. With Muntari gone and you and Utaka relegated to bench status, as well as Lauren, is that suggesting a change in Portsmouth’s outlook of African players, despite you guys having contributed immensely to the team’s success of last season?

Kanu: I don’t regard the situation as ‘relegation’ as you put it. Muntari left because Inter offered a lot of money for him. Don’t forget that Portsmouth FC, like many other teams in this country, is first and foremost, a business. They bought a player a year ago for a sum, and only 12 months later, got offered almost twice what they paid for him. Why would they hold on to such a player? As for John, Lauren and myself, there is no relegation. We are part of the first team. We are still in the early stages of the season. The manager is trying various different patterns, and we happen to be starting from the bench for now. That is not a problem. It is no indication of how unimportant we are. I am sure the manager will disagree with you. It is a long season — a long journey that has only just started. We should hang fire and see what happens.

Please visit New African Soccer for all the latest news on African football and footballers playing in Europe.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News