Why does Chelsea merchandise always seem to be on the must-have list for souvenir collectors and soccer fans from all over the world? Why is Chelsea memorabilia right near the top of this list? What is so special about Chelsea?

Those who have been following soccer closely will know that one of the reasons is the never give up, never say die attitude at the club. Indeed when you consider all the things that have happened at Stamford Bridge over the years, you will quickly realize that, by now, lesser clubs would have collapsed under the pressure. The reality is, Chelsea, much-loved by so many fans, are still one of the top clubs in the world. They are one of the best.

For example, when former manager Jose Mourinho joined the club, he seems to have arrived with plenty of new enthusiastic fans and admirers of the club. These were people who had followed Mourinho’s career up to that point and were great admirers of the man. When he left, under extremely controversial circumstances, there were a few people who predicted the downfall of this great club. At the very least, relegation from top flight soccer, they said. Obviously, these were people had no idea what Chelsea FC is all about. These prophets of doom were proved wrong. The club has never sunk anywhere near the bottom, let alone in the relegation ranks. There are no signs of that happening in the near future, either.

That is why Chelsea merchandise and the replica team shirts are still a very valued collector’s item and something no serious supporter of the club can do without.

Why do soccer fans love the memorabilia and souvenirs so much? There are many reasons, but one of the main ones has to be the fact that these keepsakes can last a long time and are a great way to remember various victories and memorable eras of the Blues. The domination of the Premiership during Mourinho’s first two seasons at the club is something many fans like to remember and the shirts from that time would make a great gift to a Chelsea fan that doesn’t already have them.

However, a great club does not have just a single victorious memory. The truth is that there are numerous great moments for fans to savor, with the help of Chelsea merchandise and the very colourful and eventful past of this club.

Long before Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich purchased the club in 2003, there have been numerous legends, including Peter Osgood who scored 150 goals in 380 first team appearances, starting in 1964. Another legend was Ron Harris who is one of the most feared defenders to have played in the English First Division.

These old timers join current players like Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba (both still playing for Chelsea) as the players whose shirts are most sort after by fans from all over the world.

In other words, you can get the story of the club, told very effectively and poignantly, through Chelsea merchandise.

Eddie Stone owns and runs 4FootyFans a PREMIER UK online, Officially Licensed, Football/Soccer Gifts, Memorabilia and Merchandise Store.

It has around 2500 items in stock at any time, including a full range of top Chelsea F.C. and other Top Clubs products

The store ships worldwide.

There are many aspects that set us apart from our competitors:

Low prices
Top quality, licensed products
Range ever-changing
Years of personal football fan experience

Author: Ed Stone
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

Carragher had already won the FA Youth Cup 1996 before progressing to the senior team and he made his debut as a substitute in 1997 against Middlesbrough but it wasn’t until 1998 that he made his first start in the Premier League when he played against Aston Villa and he marked the occasion by scoring a goal. Soon established in the first team it wasn’t uncommon to see the versatile defender playing on the right, left or his preferred central defensive role.

The Liverpool man’s talents didn’t go unnoticed and he soon earned his first full England cap in 1999, having already been an established member of the England under 21 squad, for whom he made a record 27 appearances. Injury forced Carragher to miss the 2002 World Cup Finals and although he was in the squad for the European Championships in 2004, he didn’t make an appearance.

Domestically things were much better as he played an important role in the Reds treble winning team of 1991, winning the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup, and making a total of 58 appearances for the team that season. With so many great performances for the Reds the 2005 Champions League Final will be remembered as one of Carragher’s finest, with one of the finest displays of defending and commitment imaginable, he was also voted Liverpool’s player of year during 2005 and later that year captained the side when winning the European Super Cup against CSKA Moscow.

More silverware was to follow in 2006 when the Reds beat West Ham in a dramatic FA Cup Final, after the game ended 3-3 Liverpool won after a penalty shoot out, and then captain the side as they beat Chelsea in the Charity Shield match. More international disappointment was to follow in the World Cup Finals however, although selected to play, England lost in the quarter final penalty shoot out.

The following season saw Carragher make his 89th European performance, a record for the club, and he was also voted as the highest placed defender in a list of Liverpool’s greatest 100 players, he also surpassed 500 appearances for the Reds in 2008, only the 12th player ever to do so.

Steve Goodwin is an expert author, football fan and retailer of Liverpool merchandise available from the Liverpool Shop all products from the Liverpool Store are available to ship worldwide.

Author: Steve Goodwin
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

10. Roy Evans (Liverpool) Averaged 1.72 points per game
Replaced Grahame Souness, who resigned after a humiliating FA Cup defeat to Brisol City, Roy Evans rescued a dour Liverpool and restored them to the top three of English football. He brought through the likes of Jamie Redknapp and Robbie Fowler. His Liverpool career came to an ignominious end when he was forced to share the management duties with Gerard Houllier, later resigning.

9. Gianluca Vialli (Chelsea) 1.74 PPG
A player manager who would continue to push Chelsea’s continental drift from the mid-table to the upper echelon of the league. Finishing 3rd and 5th in his only 2 full seasons at the club he eventually left because of disagreements with some of the major stars at the club.

8. Kenny Dalglish (Blackburn, Newcastle United, Liverpool) 1.78 PPG
Only the 3rd manager to win the top-flight league with two different clubs. Kenny Dalglish was one of the first to demonstrate what could be achieved if you were willing to throw money at a Premier League club. Finishing 4th in their first premier league campaign then following it up by being the first club to wrestle the title from the grip of Manchester United, Kenny Dalglish along with the money of Jack Walker took Blackburn to the top. This was followed by a disappointing spell at Newcastle United. Presently he is managing Liverpool back to where they belong.

7. Claudio Ranieri (Chelsea) 1.82 PPG
Affectionately known as ‘the tinkerman’, Claudio was in charge when Roman Ambrovich bought the club and offered a blank checkbook to sign players. His highest finish was 2nd to Arsenal’s ‘invinicibles’ and he was responsible for Chelsea having the backbone of John Terry, Frank Lampard, Petr Cech and Claude Makelele that would support their forthcoming sucesses.

6. Rafal Benitez (Liverpool) 1.9 PPG
Turning Liverpool into a home from home, Rafal Benitez signed eight players from his birth country when he first took over Liverpool. He managed to steadily improve Liverpool’s position in the league from fifth spot to a close second to Manchester United in 2009. His following season was to be his final, regressing to a seventh place finish, following a falling out with key players and the board.

5. Arsène Wenger (Arsenal) 1.99 PPG
Wegner’s quiet intelligence has sometimes been invaded by the infectious passion and madness of the Premier League. Resurrecting an old side who were in a decline from their glory days and introducing a policy of signing young foreign talent. Wegner built the modern Arsenal: lavish and continental but also financially responsible. Winner of the league 3 times he also oversaw the famous invincibles who went for a full Premier League season undefeated.

4. Roberto Mancini (Manchester City) 2.01 PPG
A toned down Jose Morihno: intelligent but not arrogant, reserved but not awkward, Mancini has come to oversee the latest bankrolled ascent to the Premier League summit. Finishing 3rd in his first full season, largely instructing his team to play in a negative manner, he is at present trying to turn Manchester City into the most dominant exciting team to ever grace the Premier League.

3. Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea) 2.07 PPG
Winning the FA Cup and league in his first season with a team that scored a record 103 goals, you have to wonder: where could they go from there? Starting the next season in the same fashion, five straight wins (two of them 6-0), the hangover of the previous season double kicked in towards Christmas. A late season recovery saw them march on to 2nd place, 6 points off the title.

2. Alex Ferguson (Manchester United) 2.16 PPG
On all other scales, demonstrably the greatest manager the English Leagues have ever seen. 12 titles out of 19 Premier League seasons. He built a series of teams that have defined the Premier League, nurturing the best of talent and coming out on top in the mental battle against a series of contenders, Alex Ferguson is probably the biggest contributor to the success the Premier League has become.

1. Jose Morinho (Chelsea) 2.33 PPG
Winning the league two out of his three seasons in charge, his place at the top is brought about by Chelsea’s phenomenal points tally of 95 (averaging 2.5 points per game) and 91 (2.4) in his first and second season respectively. Shevchenko, supposedly brought in by the chairmen as a vanity signing, seem to sour both the teams efficacy and Morinho’s relationship with his employer, leading to a downward trajectory and a mutual parting. Would Jose Morinho be able to manage the sustained success of Alex Ferguson? It remains unknown. He seemingly induces glory where ever he manages and currently holds the highest points per average manager of any Premier League Manager. Morinho ceases to be controversial, even in bare statistics.

All 95 managers who have managed more than 37 Premier League games are ranked on www.statsonthegame.com. This includes number of home and away win, draw and losses.

Written by Sean, who oversees http://www.statsonthegame.com. A site dedicated to the Premier League: with news links, the best of players tweets, in depth unique statistics, analysis and manager ranking.

Author: Sean Jennney
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

The goal was scored from a free kick by Ronald Koeman in extra time and in the squad was one Pep Guardiola, now the coach who has created his own dream team based on the “total football” introduced by Cruyff.

Barcelona’s second Champions League title was won against Arsenal in 2006 when Frank Rijkaard was coach; but it is Guardiola who has really built on the work of Rijkaard and won the title in 2009 and 2011, both times against Manchester United.

While Manchester United are already out of the 2012 competition after not progressing beyond the group stages, Barcelona will face Bayer Leverkusen in the next round; in the group stage they played Milan who they drew against in September at home and went on to beat 3-2 in the return match in Italy. You can buy tickets for FC Barcelona versus Bayer Leverkusen online from Simply Barcelona Tickets.

They also played Bate Borisov who put up little resistance against the might of Barcelona, who beat them 5-0 away and 4-0 at home; and Viktoria Plzen, who Barcelona first beat 2-0 at home and then 4-0 away. The results left them at the top of their group, with Milan in second place and both teams go through.

This year Barcelona’s main rival so far is Real Madrid, who they have a longstanding and extremely bitter rivalry. The arrival of Jose Mourinho at Madrid has ensured that the rivalry has been really turned up, but so far Barcelona has usually come out winning. Last year Madrid lost to Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final, who beat them 3-1 on aggregate.

And this year Mourinho has set his mind on beating Barcelona whenever he can. If they face each other in the Champions League he will need to overcome a massively talented rival whose home-grown talent is usually too much for his own team. Only time will tell.

In the next round against Bayer Leverkusen is to be played in February and March. The first leg is in Germany on Valentine’s Day, while the return is on March 7th. Meanwhile Real Madrid will play CSKA Moskow from Russia.

For more information on Barcelona v Leverkusen or if you’d like to order Barcelona tickets for the Champions League or any other match see Simply Barcelona Tickets.

Author: David Leigh
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

Of course, there is always the bus or the train, but where do they stop and how often do they run? You saw it in your guidebook, but which page was it? Or maybe it was the other guidebook, the one you left at home.

At last you make it to your hotel and unpack a few things before getting on with the important business of enjoying your weekend in Barcelona. There is so much to see and do, you have to go and see the great cathedral by Gaudí of course. And a walk down the Ramblas to see what’s going on and see some of those human statues and other entertainment.

And you promised her some shopping time, but that’s so she said yes to the football – what a great team FC Barcelona is this year, much too good to miss. But that means going to the stadium, and you’ve heard it can be tricky getting good tickets for the big matches. But there is an answer!

You can order your tickets online before you depart for Barcelona and have them delivered to your hotel. No going to the stadium beforehand to buy tickets and no wasting those precious hours that you have in Barcelona.

Your tickets will be delivered by courier in time for you to collect them from the hotel reception desk and all you need to do is get to the Nou Camp stadium on the evening of the match and enjoy some great football.

You also have the option of visiting the museum and stadium tour. You can go around the fantastic stadium tour and see what it’s like from all positions, rather than being sat in one spot where your gaze should be aimed at the pitch anyway rather than admiring the architecture of the stadium

The stadium dates back to 1957 and holds 98,000 people when it’s at capacity. The noise of the supporters can be overwhelming when it’s full with people really out to see their team win.

And with Barcelona just having won the Spanish League and Champions League titles in 2011 they are sure to provide more entertaining and exiting football, with players such as Messi, Iniesta, Xavi and Puyol on the pitch and giving their all for Barça.

Make sure you see the best of Barcelona and allow yourself time to enjoy the football too. For more information on obtaining FC Barcelona Tickets visit the website of Simply Barcelona Tickets, where you get a choice of categories to experience the excitement of a Barça match.

Author: David Leigh
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

Probably the most common play on kickoffs is also one of the most ineffective. Most teams simply turn and kick the ball back to their defence and then push their forwards up. This strands their defence back in their defensive zone and ensures that you won’t get an offensive push going. I really don’t recommend you do this – it doesn’t do much for you and really wastes the opportunity.

A slightly better solution is to have two players near the ball at the kickoff. One player hits it to the other, who then dribbles forward and either tries to dribble around the other team or passes it off. This really isn’t very good either – it puts all the pressure on one player, and unless he is vastly better than the other team, is a very low percentage play. Most of the time, the ball will get taken away from him and the other team gets the ball near midfield. I don’t recommend this either.

If you have a very, very fast person on the wing, you’ve got an interesting and surprising option. The center can kick the ball in the air to the opposing corner and have the fast player sprint down their. If they’re fast and catch the other team by surprise, they can get the ball and have an excellent scoring chance. Don’t use this often, though, because the other team will get used to it and start to anticipate it.

The play that I like most is to hit the ball to one of your wings through a gap. Usually the opposing wing is lined up right on the line across from your wing, and their defender is very far back. This creates a gap between the defender and wing that you can hit the ball into. Since this will catch the wing by surprise, he usually won’t be able to turn quickly enough and your player can take the ball in stride up the sideline. Then the rest of your forwards push up and the opposing team is thrown into disarray. The player with the ball can dribble, cross, or pass – they have plenty of options. This is the play I like most because it creates the greatest opportunity for a goal and uses the kickoff most effectively.

Now that you know what your choices for kickoffs are, go out there and practice! If you don’t practice them with your team, it doesn’t matter if you use the worst or best option – either would fail. You need to do it until everything works perfectly!

John Weinstein is in indoor soccer expert who is always trying to help people learn how to play or improve their skills for indoor soccer. The first thing he recommends any player gets is a good pair of indoor cleats. After that, you should check out the articles he’s published on this site or look at this fantastic indoor soccer resource. Good luck!

Author: John Weinstein
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

As relieving as the victory might have been, and Villas Boas’ post match interview clearly indicated relief, there are still some issues that need to be addressed to make sure that a stylish victory to ensure qualification is not a false bliss. Chelsea managed an extremely lucky victory this weekend against Newcastle, and although the scoreline read 3-0, it could have been very different had David Luiz been sent off in the 4th minute and Newcastle’s three shots that hit the post would have gone in. But, since no sport derives points from a case of Ifs and Buts, Chelsea’s victory can not be taken away from them. There are some definite positives and some glaring negatives that can be derived from these two victories.

Among the positives, Villas Boas has finally learnt from his mistakes and realised that the high backline that worked so well at Porto isn’t going to cut in at Chelsea, at least with the playeres that he has at his disposal. In both the matches Chelsea played with a deeper backline, so even though there were defensive lapses, the players did not have to make up ground to cover the attacking player. Secondly, Villas Boas finally seems to have found out the striking combination that works. Didier Drogba might leave next summer, but there is no lack of commitment from his part. Daniel Sturridge was absolutely frightening against Newcastle at the weekend, wrecking havoc every time he cut inside from the right hand side. He is definitely the future of the English national team, with the only thing that needs to be adjusted – his attitude.

For the negatives, David Luiz still plays like he is being controlled using a PlayStation controller by a 10 year old kid (Gary Neville said so). Frank Lampard and Mr. Chelsea – John Terry, still control the Chelsea locker room, with the latter deemed almost untouchable, however poor the performance may be. For example, against Newcastle, John Terry made a goal line clearance. As heroic as it may sound, a point can be made that his lack of positioning in the first place forced him to make the goal line clearance. A misfiring Fernando Torres is a concern as well, as Abramovich certainly did not spend 50 million pounds to keep him on the bench. Villas Boas needs to feed him some confidence and get him up, running and scoring to keep the Boss happy.

As delighted as Chelsea fans may be, because of these twin victories, they need to look no further than the weekend. Manchester City. A victory against the Citizens can certainly spur the Blues to push for the title but a defeat can be equally demoralising, especially after such a monumental week. Villas Boas and Chelsea are safe for now, but one wrong turn at this juncture can steer the club towards a downhill spiral and as everyone including Villas Boas knows, Roman doesn’t tolerate that.

Author: Siddharth Modak
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

Following a terrible start to the season, the team began to win a few matches and by the beginning of 2010, supporters started to believe the squad were finally beginning to turn the corner. However, results took a turn for the worst again and expensive players weren’t making the influence their price tags demanded.

Hungarian frontman Tamas Priskin had cost £1.7m yet was sent out on loan to Queens Park Rangers and another big money signing, Lee Martin scarcely played. Carlos Edwards demonstrated little of the talents Keane had seen while he played for him at Sunderland and the 2009 / 10 season faded away to nothing.

Summer time saw long established footballers Pablo Counago and Owen Garvan depart to join former manager George Burley at cash strapped Crystal Palace. Million pound failure Lee Martin ended up being sent out to League One Charlton although there were major hopes for young striker Connor Wickham.

The new season started off superbly with a 3-1 win away at Middlesborough. New Zealand defender Tommy Smith scored his very first goal for the Ipswich following experiencing a fantastic World Cup Tournament. Results carried on flowing and things were looking good until a midweek visit by leaders QPR saw Ipswich endure a 3-0 defeat. From there, things got worse with a string of very poor results including the worst run of defeats for many years.

Will 2011 be any better for Ipswich Town? Supporters would like to believe that it couldn’t get any worse but with the team merely 3 points above the drop zone, they have a lot of tough games ahead to make sure Ipswich don’t leave the Championship from the wrong end.

Rob Atherton
http://www.robatherton.com

Author: Rob Atherton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

The first leg game between the sides hosted by Fulham at Craven Cottage on October 30, went 2-0 in the hosts’ favour. Dempsey scored both the goals, the first on the half-hour and the second a minute before the interval.

The Cottagers dominated throughout in what was a clinical performance, and the battle remained even initially, with neither team ready to concede space in midfield, until Fulham decided on a flank attack. They got immediate results when Salcido found Dempsey with a cross.

Wigan were beaten by a better team on the day, and missed James McCarthy in midfield owing to injury. They were beaten to the ball by Hughes’ wards, and clearly lacked  a right winger to counter Fulham’s flank charge.

Where there was a frenzy to Fulham’s intent before the break, they eased the pace somewhat in the second half.

Head to head, in the last 11 league matches played between the sides, Fulham have established a 4-2 lead over Wigan.

Nineteenth-placed Wigan have won just 2 of 11matches hosted this season, while drawing 5 and losing remaining 4. Placed 14th in the points table, the Cottagers have won just one of their 10 games on the road, while drawing 5 and losing 4.

Wigan have won just 2 of their 10 games while losing 3 and drawing the rest. Fulham have done worse, losing 5 and drawing 3 while also winning 2 of their last games in the league. But importantly, Mark Hughes’ squad have won 2 of their last 3 games and have some momentum going for  them ahead of Saturday’s game. Their last win in match week 22 was a 3-0 thrashing of West Brom at home.

In contrast, the Latics’ last win came four games ago. Their game in match week 22, away against Bolton, ended in a 1-1 stalemate.

Current form favours Fulham, but Wigan are capable of neutralising that advantage in front of their home fans.

Wigan had the following men in their starting eleven against Bolton: Kirkland, Gohouri, Alcaraz, Caldwell, Stam, Figueroa, Thomas, Watson, Cleverley, McArthur and Rodalegga. Diame, Pollitt and McManaman featured as substitutes.

Fulham’s starting eleven against West Brom comprised Stockdale, Pantsil, Hangeland, Hughes, Baird, Davies, Murphy, Etuhu, Duff, Dempsey and Kamara. Gera, Johnson and Riise were used as substitutes.

For the latest sports gossip, including the Premier League, click http://www.sportingattitude.com.

Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.

Author: Suresh Iyer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

Soccer is a passionate sport that can literally create an urgent need to own something. Consider a match seen by thousands where a soccer star scores an extraordinary goal. He signs an autograph for a fan who then goes online and tries to find out if anyone was interested in a handkerchief signed by the star. Guess what. Thousands would respond and actively bid to pay for it.

A local store may have limited stocks which may not be a running item. Wouldn’t you rather have a choice of say a hundred different varieties to choose from when you have to buy the best soccer shoes? It is possible by going to a soccer planet that displays them with pictures and video allowing you to make a measured decision.

Players create a sacred place for themselves. The center of it all is the ground where they spend hours practicing to perfect skills that would one day make them famous. Coaches always combine their talk with coaching drills right there on the ground. It is the arena where techniques and tactics are understood in detail.

The kit bag is an essential part of a player’s planet. They spend hours deciding on the kind of shoes that suit them or searching for one worn by their favorite player. Online soccer stores have made it possible to get it when they want it and at prices that are hugely discounted.

No wonder most soccer malls are virtual in nature. Imagine a famous soccer player getting into a real world mall to buy a pair of shoes. It would create a stampede, and he would probably not get what he came there for. Others can have the same experience online. There are usually heavy discounts offered on soccer items and there’s a mad rush to buy stuff not available elsewhere.

Stars usually have the best brands offering them millions just to use their product. They get an entire kit made especially for them. It is now possible to get the same kit online. People have to visit the online store, and the big brands would offer the exact endorsed product.

Quality is never an issue, so a soccer planet is the ideal place to spend time at. It online, and it just takes a few minutes to browse through the entire website.

A Soccer Planet can be the sacred place for a player and fan. Derek Anchan writes about the many options open to them at eSoccer Stores and how it can make a considerable difference.

Author: Derek J. A.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

The first actual season of the MLS happened way back in 1996 meaning the league has been in operation for 15 years. I do not own one piece of Los Angeles Galaxy merchandise (I own plenty of USC, Dodger and Laker gear) and I have not watched a single game (I have seen highlights). I was never into soccer before though I did play for a season or two when I was 7 or 8. I have caught on to Hockey since 1996 and though I’m not a huge fan I will watch a game if it’s on.

I never seem to catch a Galaxy game though.

I know for a fact that if basketball season was happening I would’ve been watching the Lakers Sunday night when they dress in their Sunday whites. If it was still baseball season I’d probably hit Dodger stadium and have a BBQ in Elysian park before hoofing it to the stadium right up the street. If nothing else was happening I’d do what I did the Sunday night the Galaxy won the title. Catch up on episodes of my current favorite TV show.

Honestly I do feel kinda bad for missing it. I can’t for the life of me figure out how I didn’t know. I have plenty of friends on Facebook who enjoy the game. I watch the news. I am online a lot. Yet I didn’t even know it was happening. Maybe it was a small blip on my screen, but when the Dodgers or Lakers are in the championship game you can’t help but notice it. The flags on the cars, the added police presence, the crazy amount of jersey’s you see people wearing everywhere you go. I didn’t see or feel any of that.

Before I go any further the Galaxy won on Landon Donovan’s second-half goal which lifted the Galaxy to a 1-0 victory over Houston and an MLS title.

How long is a soccer match? Only 1 score? I watched some highlights and that took all of 5 minutes and most of that was an interview with David Beckham who will not be coming back next season. That doesn’t seem right seeing as how this was the MLS Championship game.

So my question is what is wrong? Is it the MLS? The culture in the United States? Or is it that soccer is just flat out boring?

I know the NBA went through a similar phase and the league took steps to make the game more exciting. Is that what the MLS has to do? I understand that soccer is a game played throughout the world, but so is basketball and a couple different rules don’t seem to hurt the U.S.A.’s basketball team in international competitions.

Overall I know the MLS has taken some big steps. I recently walked into a Big 5 sporting goods store to get my daughter softball stuff and the amount of soccer related merchandise drastically outweighed all the baseball stuff. My high school aged daughter still commented that no one plays soccer. The MLS has a huge mountain to climb still!

Matthew Jones is the creator of the Heavenly Devils Network of sites which is geared towards men of all ages. Featuring sports, news, and men’s issues, Heavenly Devils is the blog network every man should have bookmarked! Vist http://heavenlydevils.com for more.

Author: Matthew C Jones
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

Perhaps due to the influence of his family, the young David Beckham always wanted to play for the Red Devils. His chance came on July 8, 1991. Upon reaching his fourteenth birthday, David was talented enough to be selected for the Manchester United Youth Program. He would step onto the football pitch at Old Trafford for the first time, but only as a mascot next to members of the senior team.

Later on, he would step on the pitch when he came on as a substitute for Andrei Kanchelski on 23rd September 1992. The match was Manchester United against Brighton and it also marked David Beckham’s Debut as a senior Manchester United player.

David was subsequently part of the famous Manchester United Youth Team that won the FA Youth Cup in 1992 and the runner up subsequently in 1993. At just a tender age of 18, David signed a professional player’s contract in January 1993 and further build up his stature as a professional player. He scored a goal in his first Champions League match which Manchester United won.

David played regularly on the right side of the midfield during the 1996-1997 season. The whole of England bore witness to David Beckham’s crossing, curving free kicks and long shot abilities. With Beckham featuring regularly in the squad, Manchester United won the treble as they swept the FA Premier League, FA Cup and the Charity Shield. Soon, Beckham would be called up into the national setup and made his international debut in a game against Moldova.

In both the World Cup 1998 and European Cup 2000, David was included into the 23-man squad and played his heart out for England. Later on for the World Cup 2002, he was officially handed the role of the captain and led the national team out during the World Cup games.

By June 2003, David has amassed an impressive total of 61 caps for his country. Along with his former teammates from the Youth Team, which includes Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers, David would collect the medals of the treble of the FA Cup, Premier League and the European Cup during the 1998-1999 regular season.

After Manchester United, David signed for Real Madrid for the 2003-2004 season. After helping them to win the Spanish league, he decided to have a new challenge and signed for the LA Galaxy in the United States. It took a while for him and LA Galaxy to contest for the honors of the MLS cup, that is until 2011. On Sun, 20 Nov, 2011, David and LA Galaxy will face Houston Dynamo for the final showdown to decide who will be champions of all of North America.

Terence Becker is a fan of David Beckham and LA Galaxy, follow his blog posts for more expose of David Beckham at Beckham Galaxy.

Author: Terence Becker
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

This is only the first-leg of a two-leg contest; originally scheduled to be held on December 18, 2010, the game was postponed owing to inclement weather, read ”snow’.

Birmingham are coming off a 1-0 win against Stoke at home, in match week 27. The game appeared to be heading for a goalless stalemate until Zigic scored in the third minute of injury time. Zigic was perfectly placed to head Jerome’s cross into the Stoke net after Jerome latched on to a dropped ball by keeper Begovic off a Bentley shot.

The game was a dull affair between stodgy sides, to understate things a bit. If anything Stoke made Birmingham look exciting by comparison.  Birmingham deserve to be commended for standing up to a rough and ready Stoke squad, whose sole aim appeared to be to win throw ins. For Birmingham, Jiranek had a good game. The big-built centre half  used his height to good effect in aerial battles.

Newcastle held Blackburn away to a 0-0 stalemate, in match week 27. In  a game in which Blackburn were expected to assert their home advantage, the hosts were gradually strangled by Newcastle. In the end, Rovers were lucky to salvage a point as the Magpies  failed to cap their ascendancy with a match winning goal. Newcastle dictated the midfield even as they took charge on the ground after Blackburn stayed dominant with aerial battles, in the first 15 minutes. The game underlined Newcastle’s need of a striker, in the absence of Ameobi.

Head to head, Newcastle have had a 3-0 advantage over Birmingham in the last 7 league games played between the sides.

Of the last 6 matches this season, Birmingham have won 3, drawn 2 and lost 1; in their last 6, Newcastle have registered 1 win, 1 loss and 4 draws. In 13 home games this season, Birmingham have had 4 wins, 7 draws and 2 losses; Newcastle have won 4 games on the road, while drawing  5 and losing the remaining 4.

On current form, this should be a hard fought game, with Birmingham enjoying an edge on the back of home advantage.

Birmingham had the following starting eleven against Stoke: Foster, Carr, Johnson, Jiranek, Ridgewell, Larsson, Ferguson, Gardner, Bentley, Zigic and Martins. Jerome played as a substitute.

Newcastle’s starting eleven against Blackburn comprised Harper, Simpson, Williamson, Colccini, Jose Enrique, Barton, Tiote, Nolan, Gutierrez, Best Lovenkrands. Ranger, Perch and Kuqi were used as substitutes.

For the latest sports gossip, including the Premier League, click http://www.sportingattitude.com.

Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.

Author: Suresh Iyer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

This is the second of a two-leg contest between the sides, this season, with the first leg, hosted at Goodison Park by Everton on November 10, ending in a 1-1 stalemate. But for Jermaine Beckford’s last minute equaliser for Everton, Bolton should have banked full points on the back of Klasinic’s 79th minute goal.

Everton fans would have faulted Moyes for questionable tactics on the day. Billy Idol and Saha were misfits against a physical Bolton, as was Cahill. Fellaini who had a good game in the back-line got red-carded after a foul on Robinson. There was perhaps a case for starting Coleman instead of Fellaini. Rodwell is another promising player who merits a few starts.On the whole, while Everton had the better possession, Bolton created the better opportunities. Jagielka and Arteta had a mediocre game. Arteta in particular took some poor corners, and Everton would be better served in that department by Baines. Bilyaletdinov was another player who had not capitalised on the many starts given to him.

Zat Knight was fortunate to go unpunished after elbowing Beckford in Bolton’s area. From Bolton’s point of view, Everton’s equaliser resulted from a sequence following a defensive lapse when Lee Chung-yong lost the ball to Baines. Everton’s back-line was sorely tested by Kevin Davies and Elmander. Only Howard’s pulling off a brilliant save kept Stuart Holden from scoring. Matt Taylor had an opportunity from a corner and he headed the ball over.

Head to head, Everton lead Bolton 11-5 in their last 20 league games with 4 matches drawn.

Of their last 10 games, Bolton have won 3, lost 6, and drawn 1. Everton have won 3 of their last 10, while drawing 5, and losing 2. In 13 home matches this season, Bolton have registered 6 wins, 5 draws and 2 losses; of 13 games on the road, Everton have won 2, lost 7 and draw the remaining 4.

In match week 26, Everton beat Blackpool 5-3 at home, while Bolton lost 2-1 away at Tottenham.

On current form, I would back Everton to win at least a point from the game.

Bolton’s starting eleven against Tottenham comprised: Jaaskelainen, Ricketts, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Elmander, Davies, Holden, Taylor, Davies and Sturridge. Lee, Muamba and Petrov were used as substitutes.

Everton had the following starting eleven against Blackpool: Howard, Neville, Distin, Heitinga, Baines, Coleman, Arteta, Rodwell, Bilyaletdinov, Fellaini and Saha. Beckford, Cahill and Jagielka featured as substitutes.

For the latest sports gossip, including the Premier League, click http://www.sportingattitude.com.

Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.

Author: Suresh Iyer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

The first leg, hosted by Tottenham, at White Hart Lane, on November 9, ended in a 1-1 draw. Van der Vaart put the hosts ahead on 64 minutes, and three minutes later, Gyan brought the game back to level terms for Sunderland.

Post-match talk centred around Van der Vaart’s perceived handling of the ball before scoring his goal for Tottenham. Spurs’ fans might well have retaliated that Sunderland captain Cattermole had been let off for a similar offence the previous week, and what goes round, comes round.

It was an ordinary game, especially for Spurs, whose manager Redknapp had been tom-tomming his side’s title pretensions. Their 18 million pound signing Bentley was particularly disappointing. Gareth Bale was another player from whom much was expected; oin the day, Onuoha had the measure of the Welshman. Gallas was another Spurs player who had a mediocre day. In fact, Sunderland were dominant in the last 10 minutes, and Spurs hung on to salvage a point.

Some of Redknapp’s decisions were questionable. For instance, he took off Pavlyuchenko, one of his few players to have had a good game, after the first half. In comparison, Crouch has been a non-performer for the most part, but makes it more starting elevens.

For Sunderland, Gyan underlined his importance to the team after having been ignored in his starting elevens by Steve Bruce.

Head to head, Tottenham have established a 12-5 lead over Sunderland in the last 20 league games between the sides.

In their last 10 league games, the Black cats have won and lost 4 each, while drawing the remaining 2. Tottenham have won 5 of their last 10, while drawing 4 and losing just the one. In 13 home games this season Sunderland have registered 6 wins, 5 draws and 2 losses; of 12 away games, Tottenham have won 5, drawn 3 and lost 4.

In match week 26, Sunderland lost 3-2 away at Stoke; Tottenham beat Bolton 2-1 at home.

On current form, Sunderland will need home advantage and more to cope with Tottenham’s attack.

Sunderland’s starting eleven aganst Stoke comprised: Gordon, Onuoha, Mensah, Ferdinand, Bramble, Bardsley, Henderson, Muntari, Sessegnon, Richardson and Gyan. Malbranque and Zenden played as substitutes.

Tottenham had the following men in their starting eleven against Bolton: Gomes, Corluka, Gallas, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Jenas, Van der Vaart, Crouch and Defoe. Pienaar, Kranjcar and Pavlyuchenko featured as substitutes.

For the latest sports gossip, including the Premier League, click http://www.sportingattitude.com.

Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.

Author: Suresh Iyer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

This is a second leg match between the sides who first met this season on November 10, a game hosted by the Magpies and won 2-1 by the Rovers.

The game itself was a typical mid-table affair with long balls the norm. Pedersen put Blackburn ahead on 3 minutes, and Carroll returned the compliment for Newcastle, 3 minutes after the interval, and Roberts ended the stalemate for the visitors with 7 minutes of regulation time left.

Blackburn’s first strike resulted from a loss of concentration by Tiote in Newcastle’s defence, resulting in the ball being snatched by Emerton and fed to Pedersen to do the rest.

And till the equaliser, Blackburn fell back on an organised defence to keep the Black Cats at bay. Though their efforts were not sufficient to keep Carroll away from scoring his seventh goal of the season. Carroll latched on to a free-kick from Barton to head the ball home.

Christopher Samba was a towering presence in the Blackburn back-line and he effectively neutralised Carroll for much of the game.

Much post-match discussion revolved around the behaviour of Barton who was involved in an off-field brawl with Pedersen, but did not attract any form of adverse attention from the referee.

Newcastle are on a high, coming into this game after an amazing come-from-behind draw against Arsenal in match week 25. But it will be interesting to see how the Magpies cope for the rest of the season without Carroll.

Head to head, Blackburn have won all 6 league matches that have taken place between the sides.

In their last 10 games this season, Blackburn have won 3 and lost 6 while drawing the remaining one. Newcastle have won 3 of their  last 10 losing 4 and drawing the remainder. Blackburn have won 6 of 13 games hosted while losing 4 and drawing the remaining 3; Newcastle have won 4 of 12 games on the road, while losing 6 and drawing the remaining 2.

Blackburn are coming off a 4-3 loss away at Wigan in match week 25; Newcastle drew 4-4 at home against Arsenal.

On current form, this appears like a well-matched contest with Blackburn holding a slight edge, playing before home fans.

Blackburn had the following men in their starting eleven against Wigan: Al Habsi, Boyce, Gohouri, Alcaraz, Figueroa, Diame, N’Zogbia, Watson, McCarthy, Moses and Rodallega. McArthur, Cleverley and Di Santo were used as substitutes.

Newcastle’s starting eleven against Arsenal had Harper, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Barton, Tiote, Nolan, Guttierrez, Best and Lovenkrands. Guthrie and Ranger featured as substitutes.

For the latest sports gossip, including the Premier League, click http://www.sportingattitude.com.

Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.

Author: Suresh Iyer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

This is a second leg game between the sides who met in the first leg on November 7, with City winning the game hosted at the Hawthorns, by Albion, 2-0.

Balotelli scored both goals, on minutes 20 and 26, and is fast emerging as a perfect replacement for Tevez should the star striker decide to quit the team. West Brom wiorked hard, but in the end City’s class was a shade too good for Albion. Balotelli’s anticipation and movement were impeccable, as were his aggression, ball skills and touch. That said, the Italian striker is temperamental and got sent off with a direct red card, after earning a yellow earlier in the game. West Brom were also reduced to 10 men when Mulumbu was sent off.

Mancini later admitted that he had wanted to bring on Johnson in place of Balotelli when the Italian striker earned his yellow card, but before Mancini coudl take action Balotelli had been sent off.

Silva displayed great passing skills, while Yaya Toure was arguably the man of the match for his brilliance in midfield, rivaling Essien in terms of ability. Adam Johnson is another player who had a great game on the day. The trio of Barry, De Jong and Yaya Toure are emerging as a midfield force for Man City and could play a vital role in how far the squad go this season.

Head to head, City have established a 9-5 advantage in 17 league games with West Brom.

Of their last 10 games, City have won 6 while drawing and losing 2 each; Albion have won and drawn 2 each of their last 10, while losing the remaining 6. In 12 home games, Man City have won 7, this season, while drawing 3 and losing 2; Albion have won just 2 of 12 games on the road while losing 8 and drawing the remaining 2.

In match week 25, Man City drew 2-2 away at Birmingham; Albion played out a 2- stalemate at home with Wigan.

On current form, City have a decisive edge over West Brom.

Man City had the following men in their starting eleven against Birmingham: Hart, Boateng, Richards, Kompany, Kolarov, Milner, De Jong, Barry, Silva, Tevez and Dzeko. Toure and Vieira played as substitutes.

West Broms starting eleven against Wigan had Myhill, Jara, Scharner, Olsson, Cech, Mulumbu, Brunt, Cox, Vela, Thomas and Odemwingie. Fortune, Tchoyi and Reid were used as substitutes.

For the latest sports gossip, including the Premier League, click http://www.sportingattitude.com.

Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.

Author: Suresh Iyer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

Alex Ferguson was appointed as the Manchester United manager on the 6th November 1986 when he replaced former manager Ron Atkinson. Sir Alex began his managerial career in Scotland in which he enjoyed a successful period, notably as the manager of Aberdeen, winning three Scottish Premier League titles, four Scottish Cups and the UEFA Cup winners Cup in 1986.

In the twenty five years Ferguson has spent at United he has enjoyed unprecedented success, including twelve Premier league titles, five FA (Football Association) Cups, four League Cups, ten Charity Shields and two UEFA Champions League titles.

The average time a Premier League manager spends at a club is just four years and a total of 1,052 managers have either been sacked or left by mutual consent in the entire English leagues since Ferguson’s appointment in 1986. Many analysts believe the amazing longevity he has had as the United manager is due to his desire, professionalism and his love of the game, Sir Alex has presided over an amazing 1,409 games at the club, recording 836 wins and 326 draws and losing 247, united have scored 2,579 goals while conceding 1,262.

A few serving managers remain from the 1986, but they have either changed clubs or taken a break from the game, Kenny Dalglish took a ten year break from football altogether, while other serving managers such as Roy Hodgson Neil Warnock and Harry Redknapp have managed several clubs in that time. While Ferguson holds the record for being the longest serving manager with the same club in top flight English football, he is unlikely to match the record set by Fred Everiss, who managed West Bromwich Albion for forty six years from 1902 to 1948.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s success is unrivalled in English football and his team’s dominance in the league and their continual threat in all competitions is a reflection on a great manager who has always had the ability to sign talented players and regenerate his team over the years in order to challenge for honours season after season.

Steve Goodwin is an expert author, football fan and retailer of football gifts from the English Premier League, available from the football shop and all items are available to ship worldwide.

Author: Steve Goodwin
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

When Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA joined the league in 2005, there was still some pretty poorly played soccer going on. Now, just 6 years later we have teams that could arguably play in some higher leagues around the world. Players like David Beckham and Thierry Henry have joined MLS clubs and are making an impact. Cuauhtemoc Blanco joined the Chicago Fire for a few years and really increased the popularity of soccer in America, especially for Mexican soccer fans.

In 2011 Real Salt Lake participated in the Concacaf Champions League final, only losing by 1 goal to a strong team from Mexico. Now in the same tournament and although in still in the group stages for this year, the MLS has teams making a strong statement to the other teams in the tournament.

If you want to see the passion of the supporters of Major League Soccer, I suggest you watch a Portland Timbers or Seattle Sounders game. The fans come out in large numbers and are energetic and loud throughout the match. If you think that they are loud when watching them on TV, imagine actually going to a game! It is amazing to see 30,000 people erupt in excitement when the home team scores.

There are currently 18 teams in the league, with another set to join in 2012, and plans for a 20th to join in the near future. Sporting Kansas City just opened a brand new, state of the art stadium that joins several other soccer specific stadiums around the league, with many more teams looking to have their own soccer homes soon.

Although soccer is not the number one sport in the United States and Canada, it is starting to make it’s mark. While we see other sport leagues struggling with lockouts and unhappy players, Major League Soccer has been moving in a positive direction for years. Big names players are attracted by the Major League Soccer and even big names from North America are getting involved. When the Vancouver Whitecaps joined this in 2011, it is because Steve Nash was a big part of that. He is a a partial owner of the club. Drew Carey is a minority owner of the Seattle Sounders, one of the most exciting teams to watch.

Author: Wesley G Moss
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

You may also know that Spain’s La Selección (another name for the national team) are the reigning UEFA 2008 European Cup champions, having defeated Germany in the final by 1-0.

Only West Germany (Euro Cup in 1972, World Cup 1974) and France (World Cup in 1998, Euro Cup in 2000) have held these two most important international trophies simultaneously. Spain has a chance to be the first soccer nation to win three consecutive major international trophies if it manages to defend its title and win the 2012 European Cup.

How have they been able to do it? By perfecting the possession, quick pass, often one-touch style of play that wears down a defense. What the Spanish media calls tiqui-taca.

It almost sounds like the name of a child’s game, but right now, and for the past several years, there is no more deadly style of play in the world of international soccer.

Other teams have tried to practice this possession game, but against Spain no one has succeeded. The style requires highly skilled intelligent players who work and think as a team, rather than as individuals. The style requires immense patience, confidence, and a spirit of sacrifice. And this generation of Spanish footballers has many such players.

If you look at the rosters of both Spanish championship teams, you will notice there are no immense soccer names on the list, no Pelé, no Beckenbauer, no Maradona, no Zidane, no Messi.

But Spain does have excellent players, and great depth at most positions. Goalie Iker Casillas may be the best in the world between the posts, and David Villa, the historical leading goal scorer for La Roja, is a lethal player who performs his best when matches hang in the balance. Defenders Puyol, Ramos, Capdevila, and Piqué were almost unbeatable after the opening match loss to Switzerland in South Africa 2010.

But it is the little midfielders, Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta, who are the blood of La Roja. Their playmaking makes it possible for strikers Villa and Fernando Torres or Fernando Llorente, to score goals. Or when needed, they themselves take on the responsibility. Who could forget Iniesta’s championship-winning goal against the Dutch late in extra time?

Tiqui-taca has a funny, child-like sound to it, like something we shouldn’t take all that seriously. Opponents of La Roja know better.

It is true the Spaniards have lost a pair of international friendlies since raising the World Cup, but when it has mattered most, they have called upon the focus, humility and spirit of sacrifice that has made them dual champions of Europe and the World.

It is noteworthy that they have won all of their group qualifying matches leading up to Euro Cup 2012 and they are a cinch to qualify for that tournament. They will be looking to not only defend their crown, but to continue their international soccer reign and become the first nation to win three consecutive major international championships.

The 2010 World and 2008 European champion Spanish national soccer team goes for an unprecedented third consecutive major international trophy in the 2012 European Cup. Visit Spain Soccer Team for all the news about La Roja and the beautiful ball possession style of play the Spaniards have perfected, tiqui-taca.

Author: John Vazquez
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

Spain’s team has tied the 50-year-old record for most consecutive wins in league history, a statistic that may be broken in the upcoming match. Uefa.com has released a detailed report of FC Barcelona’s strategy, which fans and players of Arsenal are sure to study in the coming days.

Countering the offense is key – football coach Josep Guardiola generally favors a 4-3-3 formation that can rapidly transform to a 3-4-3, which leaves some space behind the wing backs as Sergio Busquets moves in front of Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué.

Of course, the biggest threat may be bound to come from Lionel Messi, last year’s top scorer in the UEFA. He boasts 27 goals altogether from the Liga and Europe in the 2010-11 season. Pedro Rodríguez and Daniel Alves, with 17 goal assists between them, shouldn’t be forgotten either. If Arsenal is planning to stop FC Barcelona’s advancement in round 16, they have to be prepared to deal with these key players.

Fans of the upcoming teams will send money to make bets with loved ones and professional associations around the world. One should be sure to use a secure organization to ensure that the transferral is safe.

A separate article from Uefa.com reports that FC Internazionale Milano and FC Bayern München will be pitted against each other again, although last year the match was in Madrid, instead of London’s Wembley Stadium.

While the news source suggests that Real Madrid CF had a somewhat “empathetic” tour through the group stage, they will now be facing Olympique Lyonnais. If they manage to win it this year, it will be the first time in seven years that the team has gotten past the first knockout stage.

The teams that have qualified for this high-pressure round are AC Milan, Arsenal FC, AS Roma, Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona, FC Bayern München, FC Internazionale Milano,FC København, FC Schalke 04 FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Manchester United FC, Olympique de Marseille, Olympique Lyonnais, Real Madrid CF, Tottenham Hotspur FC and Valencia CF.

Fausto Gortaire is a writer specializing in money transfers and international affairs for Xoom.

Author: Fausto Gortaire
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

The challenge, of course, is keeping him encouraged at those times when he’s too aware that others are better than he is. How do you keep a child feeling good about how they’re playing soccer, even when they aren’t the star?

Remember It’s For Fun

Children’s soccer, especially at younger ages, should mostly be about having fun. It doesn’t matter that much if your child is gifted in the sport. Keep it fun.

Be kind in the ways you help your child learn to play the game. Don’t yell harsh criticisms during games or even at practice. Being too harsh is a great way to kill the love of the sport.

Also remember the physical limitations of children and teens. Their bodies are still growing and developing, and pushing them too hard in soccer can be physically damaging for the rest of their lives. Keep things fun and they’re less likely to overdo so badly.

Don’t go overboard and expect more out of your child than he or she can give. If you haven’t seen them already yourself, you’ve probably heard of the parents who expect sheer excellence of their child in soccer, screaming about any mistakes, being abusive toward coaches, referees and other parents, and generally making their child miserable. That’s no way to make your child love any activity, even if they thought they loved it at first.

Just remember that you have no idea where your child will go with soccer, whether it will be nothing more than a hobby or a sport they play professionally. Leave that for the future and focus on allowing your child to enjoy the present.

Have the Soccer Ball Available As Much As Possible

If you want your child to do well in soccer, make sure they get plenty of time to play with the soccer ball at home, not just at practice. Kicking the ball around at home and learning how to better control it can be a much lower pressure situation, and your child will be more free to try new things out.

Play Soccer With Your Child

Kids love it when their parents get involved. Make a little time in the evenings, on weekends or whenever you have spare time to play a little soccer with your child. You don’t have to get fancy about it, no need to buy goals and such, or keep score unless you want to. You don’t even have to know much about the game. Just get out there and kick the ball around with your child.

The More, The Merrier

We have a strict rule about soccer games and other events any of our kids have. All available family members attend. Mom, dad, siblings, visiting relatives.

Kids love having a cheering section, and they know that it matters to you how they play their games or how they do in other parts of their lives. Having both parents there whenever possible is important, as is having siblings come along when possible. Siblings tend to express boredom quickly if they don’t enjoy the sport themselves, but it’s good for them to understand that family does these things for each other.

One thing I do is send a game schedule out to all local relatives at the start of the season. This makes it easy for grandparents and other relatives to think about attending games. It’s pretty exciting for kids to have more people cheering them on as they play.

Stephanie Foster runs Encourage Their Talents to help parents encourage their children to make the most of their natural talents. Learn more about how to encourage your child in sports at her site.

Author: Stephanie Foster
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

The first leg, hosted by Bolton on September 26, 2010, ended in a 2-2 stalemate. Bolton drew first blood when Knight gave them an early lead on 6 minutes. But Nani found a first half equalizer for Sir Alex’s squad, on 23 minutes, and at the interval, the teams were level at 1-1. Bolton regained the lead, 7 minutes after the hour, when Petrov found the rivals’ net. As they have done so often, United proved that they are never beaten till the final whistle, and their old war horse Owen brought them back to level terms with a 75th minute strike that marked Owen’s 200th club goal.

In fact, United were lucky not to be staring down the barrel at a 3-1 deficit. That would have been the case had Elmander scored in the 73rd minute, for Bolton. Presented with a point blank opportunity, in which the striker had got past Vidic in the United back-line, and with only keeper Van der Sar to beat, the Bolton forward shot over the post.

In the final analysis, the honours from the game belonged solely to Bolton, as players like Rooney and Evra in the United line-up were well below par. But that was early in the season, and United have since gone to the top of the table, and with nine games left in their Premiership campaign are In the final lap of what could be a record breaking 19th league triumph.

Head to head, Manchester United have established a 13-3 advantage in the last 20 league games played between the sides, with the remaining 4 matches drawn.

In their last 10 league games, Manchester United have registered 6 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses; Bolton have won 3 of their last 10, while losing 6 and drawing the remaining 1. Of their 14 home games this season, Manchester United have won 13 and drawn 1, while Bolton have won 2 of their 14 games on the road, while losing 7 and drawing the remaining 5.

In match week 29, Manchester United lost 3-1 away at Liverpool; Bolton won 3-2 at home against Aston Villa. United’s record at home should give them a decisive edge in this game.

Manchester United’s starting eleven against Liverpool had the following players: Van Der Sar, Da Silva, Smalling, Brown, Evra, Nani, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Berbatov and Rooney. O’Shea, Hernandez and Fletcher were used as substitutes.

Bolton had the following men in their starting eleven against Aston Villa:Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Wheater, Cahill, Robinson, Elmander, Holden, Muamba, Petrov, Davies and Sturridge. Lee, Davies and Klasnic featured as substitutes.

For the latest sports gossip, including the Premier League, click http://www.sportingattitude.com.

Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.

Author: Suresh Iyer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

In match week 28, Wolves prevailed 4-0 over Blackpool, playing at home. Tottenham’s last game against Blackpool, nede 3-1 in the hosts favour. On current form, Tottenham have a fiht on their hands, and should be happy if they can salvage a point from the game.

The first leg, hosted by Tottenham on September 18, 2010, ended 3-1 in Tottenham’s favour. Wolves drew first blood on the break when Fletcher struck for the visitors. Thereafter, Tottenham swamped the hosts in the second half, and their persistent efforts paid diviedend when Van der Vaart equalised off a penalty on 76 minutes. Theaftere, there was no let up in Tottenham’s aggression and Pavlyuchenko made it 2-1 on 87 minutes and injury time strike by Hutton completed the tally. For Tottenham, Robbie Keane had a bad game and looked out of his depth in the top flight. Lennon replaced in the first eleven by Van der Vaart on the right wing, shone in the brief cameo he was afforded when he came in as a late second half substitute.

Tottenham came into the game off a mid-week draw againsrt Werder Bremen and the score-line should have quelled any talk about post-Champions League fatigue. That said, Wolves put in a disciplined effort that kept them ahead for the best part of the game. Wolves goal resulted from a concereted move, a Jones pass to Foley relayed in turn to Fletcher. Karl Henry was the stand out performer for Wolves in midfield.

Head to head, in the last 5 league games between the sides, Tottnham have established a 3-2 lead over Wolves.

In their last 10 league games this season, Wolves have registered 4 wins and 6 losses; Tottenham have won 6 of their last 10 games, while drawing and losing 2 each. In 14 home games, Wolves have ended on the winning side on 7 occasions, while drawing 2 games and losing 5; Tottenham have won 6 of 14 games on the road, while drawing 3, and losing 5.

In match week 28, Wolves prevailed 4-0 over Blackpool, playing at home. Tottenham’s last game against Blackpool, nede 3-1 in the hosts favour. On current form, Tottenham have a fight on their hands, and should be happy if they can salvage a point from the game.

Wolves had the following men in their starting eleven against Blackpool: Hennessay, Zubar, Stearman, Berra, Elokobi, Hammill, Henry, Edwards, Jarvis, O’Hara and Doyle. Ward and Ebanks-Blake were used as sustitutes.

Tottenham had the following players in their startng eleven against Blackpool: Gomes, Gallas, Dawson, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Modric, Pienaar, Pavlyuchenko and Defoe. Kranjcar, Jenas and Crouch featured as substitutes.

For the latest sports gossip, including the Premier League, click http://www.sportingattitude.com.

Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.

Author: Suresh Iyer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

Scott Parker gave West Ham the lead on 32 minutes. Behrami was fouled near the Stoke corner and the resultant free kick from Obinna curled in and Parker capitalized on Delap’s failed clearance after it ricocheted off Shawcross’s head.

Kenwyne Jones cancelled the lead out three minutes after the interval. Stoke nearly took away three full points at the end when Fuller almost scored with a header. For Stoke, Jermaine Pennant was outstanding, and assisted Jones with his goal. Etherington was also impressive on the other flank.

In the end, the draw was a fair result, with neither team playing particularly well. Scott Parker has emerged a talisman for the Hammers and their hopes of avoiding relegation must rest on Parker’s continued good performance. Green had a bad day between the posts but his team got their first point giving their beleaguered manager Avram Grant something to build on. Ironically, Grant was absent on the sidelines, away on leave for the Jewish festival of Yom Kippur.

Head to head, West Ham have established a 5-3 lead over Stoke, in nine league games between the sides, with one match ending in a draw.

In their last 10 league games, West Ham have registered 4 wins, along with 3 each of draws and losses. Stoke have won 4 of their last 10 games, while having lost and drawn 3 each. Of 14 home games, West Ham won and drawn 4 each while having lost 6. Stoke have won 3 games on the road this season while having lost 10 and drawn the remaining one.

In match week 28, West Ham beat Liverpool 3-1 at home, while Stoke and West Brom were involved in a 1-1 stalemate. On current form, West Ham should edge this one.

West Ham had the following men in their starting eleven against Liverpool: Green, Jacobson, Tomkins, Upson, Bridge, O’Neill, Parker, Noble, Hitzlsperger, Ba and Piquionne. Spector and Cole featured as substitutes.

Stoke’s starting eleven against West Brom had Begovic, Wilson, Huth, Shawcross, Pugh, Pennant, Whitehead, Delap, Walters, Jones and Carew. Whelan, Fuller and Etherington were used as substitutes.

For the latest sports gossip, including the Premier League, click http://www.sportingattitude.com.

Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.

Author: Suresh Iyer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

In international soccer, Fútbol Club Barcelona has achieved unparalleled success in recent years. Two years ago, the team became the first ever to to win all six major competitions in a single year: the 2008-09 La Liga, 2008-09 Copa del Rey, 2009 Supercopa de España, 2008-09 UEFA Champions League, 2009 UEFA Super Cup, and 2009 FIFA Club World Cup. Barcelona won the Spanish Premier League again last year and is this season’s current leader, as well as a contender for other titles. The team also set a record for 16 straight victories in league games this season. Such statistics certainly warrant a growing fan base, but they only tell part of the story.

Fútbol Club Barcelona’s style of play is markedly different from other teams. They exhibit an outstanding control of the ball, usually with only one touch. From that base, their game develops through quick, accurate passes and coordinated movement with and without the ball. Triangulations abound and players almost always have several options available when looking to pass. Barcelona consistently dominates matches in terms of possession of the ball and when they lose possession, every player is involved in pressuring the other team in order to recover the ball quickly. Most of Barcelona’s goals come as a result of their tremendous passing game, their patience in executing this style of play until a scoring opportunity becomes available, and the unselfishness of their players. Technical precision, accurate passing, coordinated movement, and team play are the priorities of coach Pep Guardiola. From the sideline he brilliantly orchestrates a controlled yet fluid game that is a joy to behold.

It’s impossible to discuss how Fútbol Club Barcelona plays without examining briefly who is on the field, for these athletes make Barcelona’s style of play possible. The three finalists for this year’s Ballon d’Or, the trophy awarded to the world’s best soccer player, all play for Barcelona: Leo Messi, Xavi Hernández, and Andrés Iniesta. Messi and two other teammates, David Villa and Pedro, comprise three of the top five league scorers so far this season. Messi and teammate Dani Alves lead the league for most assists by a significant margin. While individual talents at other positions are not so easily measured, the fact that Fútbol Club Barcelona has a host of star players is readily apparent. Yet they do not play as a group of stars, nor do you find the arrogance or theatrics that characterize some of their peers on other squads. This team has many players who bring prodigious abilities to their positions, but it is how their individual talents serve a greater, collective vision that creates the style of soccer for which Barcelona is becoming renowned worldwide.

Fútbol Club Barcelona is proving time and again that it really is about how you play the game, as much for winning matches as for winning fans.

Stephanie Tuttle is a teacher and freelance writer whose areas of interest include fun activities to share with children, baking, teaching and learning Spanish, travel, soccer, and structuring a daily writing practice. Browse her other articles by clicking on the link below.

(c) Copyright – Stephanie J. Tuttle. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Author: Stephanie J. Tuttle
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

The game of football can be so intense that emotions may spill over like it occurred in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final held in Germany when French star Zinedine Zidane head-butted Marco Matarazzi of Italy in a moment of rage. He was instantly shown the red card and his exit paved the way for the eventual triumph of Italy.

The game is played by eleven players from two teams and each team is usually allowed to have substitutes players who are expected to sit at the reserve bench together with the team officials. Three substitutes are normally allowed in an organized game of football including the goalkeeper.

A game of football can either end in a win or a scoreless/score draw. The center referee, assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and the fourth referee are usually in charge of officiating in the round leather game from the start to the end of the game.

In some countries like the United States of America and Canada, the game is referred to as Soccer, while it is popularly called Football in the rest part of the world. This popular sport consists of four departments- goalkeeping, defence, midfield and attack. The ability to coordinate all four departments will determine the success or failure of a team.

The English Premier League is presently the most glamorous and lucrative football league in the world while the Brazilian national football team- The Samba boys, are the most successful football nation in the history of the game.

Some common features that must be present in a standard field of play include: the center circle, the goal post, the corner flag post, the corner arc, the half way line, the penalty area and the penalty arc. These important features are usually marked with white paint to ensure that players see them properly in the course of a match.

Some popular football leagues in the world include the Spanish La Liga, the German Bundesliga, the French Ligue 1, the Italian Serie A and the Portuguese Liga. Some notable football players include:

• Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele)
• Diego Armando Maradona
• Cristiano Ronaldo
• Lionel Messi
• Augustine Okocha
• Luis Figo

Clement Sadjere is an Author, a motivational speaker and an information product sales/ marketing expert. He can be reached via telephone on +2347053925751

Visit his website at http://www.grelohi.com

Author: Clement Sadjere
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

The first leg game, hosted by West Ham on September 25, 2010, ended 1-0 in the hosts’ favour. The Upton Park squad began the season disastrously and a string of defeats saw the London club in the cellar on the points table. The win against Tottenham was the first of their Premiership campaign, more than a month after the season began.

The win confirmed that the Hammers were finally on an upswing, coming as it did in the wake of a Carling Cup victory over Sunderland in mid-week, preceded, in turn, by a draw at Stoke. Frederick Piquionne gave the starved Hammers fans cause for celebration, when on the half-hour, the striker scored what was to prove the match-winner. The goal itself was the culmination of a sequence of events that began with a run down the flank by West Ham’s Dyer. A tackle by Hutton in the Tottenham back-line yielded a corner that Mark Noble took. As the ball drifted in, Piquionne beat Corluka in an aerial battle for the ball and the West Ham striker’s header lodged itself in the left corner of the Tottenham net, past a hapless Cudicini.

Grant’s men are finally out of the relegation mine and will want to stay out, and any points from the forthcoming second leg game will help their cause.

Head to head, Tottenham have registered a 10-5 advantage in the last 20 league games played between the sides, with the remaining 20 matches drawn.

In their last 10 league games, Tottenham have registered 6 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss; West Ham have won 4 of their last 10, while losing 3 and drawing the remaining 3. Of their 13 home games this season, Tottenham have won 7, drawn 5 and lost 1, while West Ham have won 2 of their 14 games on the road, while losing 6 and drawing the remaining 6.

In match week 29, Tottenham drew 3-3 away against Wolves; West Ham won 3-0 against Stoke at home. On current form, Tottenham have an edge, owing to home advantage.

Tottenham’s starting eleven against Wolves had the following players: Gomes, Hutton, Dawson, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto, Pienaar, Jenas, Sandro, Modric, Defoe and Pavlyuchenko. Bale, Lennon and Kranjcar were used as substitutes.

West Ham had the following men in their starting eleven against Stoke: Green, Tomkins, Upson, da Costa, Bridge, Noble, Parker, Hitzlsperger, Piquionne, Cole and Ba. Gabiddon, O’Neil and Obinna featured as substitutes.

For the latest sports gossip, including the Premier League, click http://www.sportingattitude.com.

Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.

Author: Suresh Iyer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

This is the second of a two-legged contest, with the first, hosted by Wolves on September 26, 2010, having ended 2-1 in Aston Villa’s favour. Downing gave Houllier’s wards the lead on 25 minutes, and the sides went into the break, with the score stationary on 1-0 in the visitors’ favour. Jarvis brought the hosts level at 1-1, in the 62nd minute and the game appeared headed for a draw until two minutes of regulation time.

Heskey’s 89th minute goal gave his side three full points from the game, thereby justifying manager Houllier’s faith in the battle scarred striker. That faith goes back a long way to Houllier’s days at the helm at Liverpool when Heskey was his most prolific ally at the Anfield club.

Villa dominated the first half, but to Wolves’ credit, they came back strongly after the interval. They were helped by a change of tactics from manager McCarthy who changed from a 4-4-2 formation that had proved vulnerable in the first half to a 5-4-1 organization in the second. This was so effective that Villa found themselves back-pedalling after the break, as Wolves attacked in numbers. But just as it appeared that Wolves would script a famous come-from-behind win, Heskey had the last laugh, for Villa.

Head to head, Aston Villa hold 3-0 advantage in the last 5 league games played between the sides, with the remaining 2 matches drawn.

In their last 10 league games, Aston Villa have registered 2 wins, 4 draws and 4 losses; Wolves have won 4 of their last 10, while losing 5 and drawing the remaining 1. Of their 14 home games this season, Aston Villa have won 6, drawn 5 and lost 3, while Wolves have won 1 of their 14 games on the road, while losing 11 and drawing the remaining 2.

In match week 29, Aston Villa lost 3-2 away against Bolton, while Wolves drew 3-3 against Tottenham at home. On current form, expect a hard-fought game, with Villa’s home advantage giving them an edge.

Aston Villa’s starting eleven against Bolton had the following players: Friedel, Walker, Clark, Baker, Young, Reo-Coker, Delph, Albrighton, Young, Downing and Bent. Agbonlahor and Petrov played as substitutes.

Wolves had the following men in their starting eleven against Tottenham: Hennessey, Foley, Stearman, Berra, Elokobi, Hammill, Henry, Ward, Milijas, Jarvis and Doyle. Fletcher and Ebanks-Blake featured as substitutes.

For the latest sports gossip, including the Premier League, click http://www.sportingattitude.com.

Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.

Author: Suresh Iyer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts

A unique observation about soccer is that about 90% of goals are the result of a goalkeeper’s mistake or fatigue. Improving one’s stamina helps to correct an outstanding problem most goalkeeper’s wish they had a perfect resolution to. Doing endurance training to help you last the entire match is the primary way of improving your performance as a goalkeeper, especially if you feel that your defence does not do a good job stopping oncoming attackers. If the goalkeeper is overworked, chances are he or she will be more likely to let in a few goals.

In contrast to all the emphasis on lower body strength, goal keepers should focus mostly on upper body strength since most of the saves they will be performing involve their arms and torso. Hard shots that come at the goalkeeper are hard to handle if they have a soft frame which does not allow them to effectively grab or push them off into safety. Also, your reach and reaction speed (reflex) are important especially for goalkeepers have a disadvantage in height. Just because someone is tall does not mean that they will be an exceptionally good goalkeeper. In fact, a goalkeeper with a huge frame but less than satisfying physical condition can be deadweight on the team.

Finally, goalkeepers should always prepare themselves for the mental task ahead. The most mentally pressured player on the field is the one that has to accept the fact every single game that their performance determines whether the opposing team wins or not. A goalkeeper can win a match with many saves but it takes one mistake to lose a match. As a goalkeeper, you must not be intimidated by skilful strikers and attacking players and be consistent for 90+ minutes of the match.

Remember, dependable goalkeepers receive as much honour and recognition as the attacking players with the most flair. Sometimes, superstar forwards such as Lionel Messi may have their morale damaged when a skilful Iker Casillas pulls of an incredible save against a shot that looked all too promising.

I hope that anyone who has read this article found simple ways to improve their performance inside the net. Fitness is important especially for a goalkeeper, even if he does not run around as much as the other outfield players. If you want more ways, information and professional advice for how to be a better goalkeeper, go to:

http://tinyurl.com/3prf8cj & http://tinyurl.com/3sokcz4

Author: J. Ennin
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Random Posts