This Day In Football History

14 February 2010 - No Love For The League Leaders

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 14 February 2010, Atlético Madrid did something no other La Liga team was able to do that season--beat Barcelona.

It was a result few could have anticipated. Barcelona were at the top of the league table, unbeaten on the season, while Atlético were in thirteenth, just six points above the relegation zone. When the two teams met earlier in the season at Camp Nou, Barça cruised to a 5-2 victory.

But after only eight minutes in Madrid, striker Diego Forlán (pictured) put the hosts up 1-0 after picking up a pass from José Antonio Reyes and putting it past Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes. Fifteen minutes later, Atlético doubled their lead with a free kick from Simão, taken at the edge of the box.

Despite going down 2-0, Barcelona quickly regained their composure, getting a 27th-minute goal from Zlatan Ibrahimović. Later, the Swede had two opportunties for an equalizer, but was twice denied by keeper David de Gea. The young Spanish keeper also stopped a shot by Lionel Messi near the break.

Barcelona's momentum had been rising at the end of the first half, but they could not maintain it in the second and the match ended 2-1. As consolation, it was their only loss of the season which ended with the league title. Atlético, meanwhile, improved their own fortunes and finished the season in eighth place.

13 February 1960 - The Most Incorruptible Man In Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 13 February 1960, Italian referee Pierluigi Collina was born in Bologna. A six-time World Referee of the Year award winner, he went on to officiate some of the sport's biggest events, including Champions League and World Cup finals.

He got his start as a referee in 1977 and quickly rose through the hierarchy, taking charge of Serie C1 and C2 matches in 1988. Three years later, he was promoted to Serie A and B matches. In 1996, he took charge of his first major final, overseeing the Olympic final between Argentina and Nigeria, then, in 1999, he refereed the Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Manchester United. He reached the pinnacle of his profession in 2002, when he was top official for the World Cup final between Brazil and Germany. Meanwhile, the IFFHS named him their World Official of the Year for six straight years, from 1998 to 2003.

Throughout his career, he remained above reproach, maintaining a high standard of professionalism and objectivity. When Italy was rocked by the 2006 match-fixing scandal, Collina's reputation was actually improved as police recordings of Juventus director Luciano Moggi, one of the primary conspirators, revealed that Collina refused to cooperate with any efforts to fix matches.

He retired in 2005, but continues to be involved in the sport, serving as an official for the Football Federation of Ukraine.

12 February 1949 - Rowley Handles The Glovers

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 12 February 1949, Manchester United got their record FA Cup victory, beating Yeovil Town 8-0, with five of the goals coming from center forward Jack Rowley (pictured).

United were the defending cup holders, then in their fourth season under manager Matt Busby. Non-League side Yeovil Town had done an impressive job just to make it to the Fifth Round meeting against United, having advanced with wins over Romford (4-0), Weymouth (4-0), Division Two side Bury (3-1), and Division One side Sunderland (2-1, aet).

But that's where their good fortune ended, as they ran into a buzzsaw against United. Playing at Maine Road (because Old Trafford was still unusable after being bombed in World War II), the Red Devils destroyed the Glovers with Rowley's five goals, two from Ronnie Burke, and one from Charlie Mitten. The 8-0 margin is United's best in the FA Cup and Yeovil Town's worst across all competitions.

Manchester United went on to beat Hull in the next round, but fell to Wolves, the eventual winners, in the semifinals. Rowley left United in 1955 as the club's leading scorer with 211 goals in all competitions, though that total was later passed by Bobby Charlton (249) and Dennis Law (237).

11 February 1981 - No Little Victory For Victorino

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 11 February 1981, Nacional edged Nottingham Forest in the Toyota Cup to claim a 1-0 win.

Established in 1960, the Toyota Cup/Intercontinental Cup paired the reigning Copa Libertadores champions against the current European Cup winners. Originally played as a home-and-away two-legged tie, the 1980 edition (played in February 1981) was the first to decide the winner with a single match and the first to be played at the neutral location of Tokyo's National Stadium.

Forest entered the match on an unbeaten run of 42 matches and had collected international honors at a rapid pace, winning the 1979 and 1980 European Cups as well as the 1979 UEFA Super Cup. Nacional, meanwhile, had won the 1979 Uruguay Primera División along with that year's Copa Libertadores.

Playing before a crowd of 62,000, Nacional took an early lead with a 10th-minute goal from forward Waldemar Victorino (pictured at right). The attack was started near the midfield line by right back José Hermes Moreira, who passed the ball, then charged down the right side, got the ball back, and sent in a cross. Victorino received it in front of the goal, avoided a tackled, then drove the ball into the roof of the net.

It was Nacional's only real chance of the match, but it was enough. Nottingham Forest came close a couple of times, once sending the ball just wide of goal and then heading it off the post, but could not crack the Nacional defense. The day ended 1-0, with Victorino as the man of the match.

10 February 2006 - The Pharoahs Reign Again

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 10 February 2006, Egypt won their fifth African Cup of Nations trophy, beating Côte d'Ivoire on penalties, 0-0 (4-2). The match came forty-nine years to the day after their first win in an ACN match.

The two teams met earlier in the tournament's group stage, with hosts Egypt winning 3-1 on their way to topping the group. Côte d'Ivoire finished second to join them in the knockout rounds, where they upset Cameroon in a penalty shootout, 1-1 (11-12).

The final, played before a crowd of 80,000 at Cairo International Stadium, was not without controversy. After Côte d'Ivoire striker Didier Drogba missed a chance to win the match in regulation, Egypt had an 83rd-minute goal disallowed. Then, in extra time, Egypt won a dubious penalty kick for what appeared to be a fair challenge on Mohamed Barakat, but captain Ahmed Hassan sent his attempt off the bar and the match headed into penalties.

There, Hassan converted the first kick, while Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary saved Côte d'Ivoire's first kick, taken by Drogba. After Egypt's Abdel Halim Ali missed his attempt, El Hadary saved another to put Egypt ahead 2-1 after three kicks each. Emmanuel Eboue made his shot to bring the teams level, but Mohamed Aboutreika made the last kick for Egypt to claim the victory.

9 February 1931 - And All He Wanted Was A Dukla Prague Away Kit

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 9 February 1931, midfielder Josef Masopust was born in Czechoslovakia. After leading the national team to a World Cup final, he was voted European Footballer of the Year and was later named the country's greatest player.

Masopust started his professional career in 1950 at the age of 19, signing with ZSJ Technomat Teplice. He played there for two seasons, then moved to ATK Praha (later renamed Dukla Prague) in 1952 and remained there for the majority of his career, scoring 79 goals in 386 appearances and winning eight league titles.

He rose to international prominence with the Czechoslovakian national team, earning 63 caps between 1954 and 1966. After a first-round exit in the 1958 World Cup, Masopust helped the team to a third-place finish at the 1960 European Championship, then reached the final of the 1962 World Cup. There, Masopust scored his only goal of the tournament to give Czechoslovakia a 15th-minute lead, though they went on to lose 3-1. Later that year, Masopust became the first Czech player to win the Ballon d'Or.

He continued to play until 1970 (spending his last two seasons in Belgium with Crossing Molenbeek), then moved into management, including spells with both Dukla Prague and the national team.

In 2003, when UEFA, in preparation for their 50th anniversary the following year, asked each of their member nations to name their best player of the past fifty years, the Czechs chose Masopust.

8 February 1998 - Made Their Name Kind Of Ironic, Didn't It?

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 8 February 1998, Sporting de Gijón ended a record run of futility with their first win in 25 matches.

After ending the previous La Liga season on 22 June with a draw at Oviedo to claim a 15th-place finish, Sporting started the 1997-98 season by losing their first six matches. They claimed their first point of the new season in their seventh match, then proceeded to lose their next five. Counting the one from the previous season, they stretched their winless streak to 24, with 20 losses and only three draws, setting a Spanish record in the process.

They finally broke the run with a 2-1 victory over Racing Santander on 8 February. Unfortunately, it was one of only two wins for them all season and they finished the year at the bottom of the table and were relegated to the Segunda División. They remained there for a decade, eventually winning promotion back to the top flight for the 2008-09 season.

7 February 1997 - Two Nations Weren't Big Enough To Hold Him

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 7 February 1997, USSR-born defender Akhrik Tsveiba joined an exclusive group when he made an appearance for his third national team.

In 1990, at the age of 33, Tsveiba (pictured) started his international career with the Soviet team, making 25 appearances for them through the summer of 1992 (the last seven of those appearances were with the Soviet Union's successor team, the Commonwealth of Independent States).

On 26 August 1992, after the dissolution of the CIS team, he made a lone appearance for Ukraine in a 1-2 friendly loss to Hungary. Then, just over five months later, he switched his allegiance to Russia. His first appearance for them came on 7 February 1997 in the opening match of the Carlsberg Cup, which Russia won over Yugoslavia on penalties, 1-1 (6-5). (Russia went on to win the tournament with a win over Switzerland in the final.)

He proceeded to make another seven appearances for Russia, bringing his career total to 34 before retiring from international play in 1997.

While players with caps from two different national teams are not uncommon, Tsveiba is one of only seven who have played for three different teams. Three of the others--Yury Nikiforov, Andrei Pyatnitskyi, and Sergei Mandreko--were former USSR players in similar situations to Tsveiba. The other three are Josef Bican (Austria, Czechoslovakia, and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia), Laszló Kubala (Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Spain), and Karel Burkert (Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, and Bohemia and Moravia).

6 February 1945 - I Don't Care Why They Chose The Name, I Like It

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 6 February 1945, SV Robinhood was founded in the Surinamese capital of Paramaribo. They have since become the country's most successful club, with a record 23 league titles.

The club was originally organized as a recreational outlet for the area's poorer citizens, which perhaps explains the unusual name, though no record of the reason survives. They joined the league in 1946, starting in the third division, and rose quickly through the ranks, winning the first of four consecutive titles in 1953.

They continued to accumulate silverware in the '60s and '70s, but really hit their stride in the '80s, winning the league nine times in that decade--every year but 1982, when they lost out to derby rival Leo Victor.

Robinhood won their last league title in 2005, and have struggled since. In 2010-11, they finished seventh out of ten teams and remained in the top flight only by winning the relegation playoffs.

5 February 2011 - Presto, He's Gone

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 5 February 2011, Ebbsfleet goalkeeper Preston Edwards became an internet sensation after getting sent off in a match after just ten seconds.

Ebbsfleet, who were sitting in second place in the Conference South table, were at fourth-placed Farnsborough, whom they had beaten 2-1 earlier that season. The visitors kicked off and promptly sent the ball down to their left back, who--under pressure from a Farnsborough player after a failed clearance--tried to pass it back to Edwards. But the pass was too slow, allowing another Farnsborough player to get to it instead.

In order to prevent the goal, Edwards brought the attacker down in the box, resulting in a straight red--the fastest ejection in history for a goalkeeper. With no substitute keeper on the bench, Ebbsfleet were forced to replace him in goal with midfielder Tom Phipps, who made a valiant effort, but failed to stop the ensuing penalty kick. It was the first goal toward the final score of 3-0 for Farnsborough.

Video of the incident went viral soon afterward, making Edwards an overnight celebrity. Speaking to BBC Radio Kent, he said "I'd like to be known for better, different reasons, but it's happened. I've got to take it on the chin. At least I've got something in history." He ultimately got payback, however, as Ebbsfleet beat Farnsborough at the end of the season in the promotion playoffs, earning a spot in the Conference National.

4 February 1937 - Stanley And Steele Strike For Stoke

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 4 February 1937, Stoke City recorded their record victory, beating West Brom by the score of 10-3. It is also West Brom's record loss.

The teams met at Stoke's Victoria Ground separated by six spots in the table, with Stoke in fourteenth and West Brom sitting in twenty-first, only one place above the bottom. Their previous match ended as a 2-2 draw, so few people expected what happened next.

Powered by their star forward Stanley Matthews (pictured, left), Stoke took the lead in the 10th minute (scored by Freddie Steele (pictured, right) from a Matthews cross), but West Brom equalized one minute later. They scored again in the 20th minute and never looked back. Steele converted a 32nd-minute penalty to extend the lead to 3-1, then scored again to push the lead to 4-1 by the break.

In the second half, Stoke continued to surge and were up 5-1 before West Brom got their second goal. But Steele continued to torment the Baggies, scoring twice more to push the score to 7-2 en route to the final score of 10-3.

Steele went on to score a club record 33 league goals that season, part of his career total of 140 in 224 league appearances.

3 February 1908 - I've Always Wondered About That Shamrock

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 3 February 1908, Panathinaikos were founded in Athens. They have since gone on to become one of the most successful teams in Greece, with 20 league titles and one European Cup final to their name.

The club's founder, Giorgios Kalafatis, led forty others in a breakaway from their previous club, who had decided to drop football. They originally adopted the name Podosferikos Omilos Athinon, but changed it to Panathinaikos in 1924. Along the way, they fixed green and white as their colors and chose a shamrock as their club emblem (taking it from Chalcedona of Constantinople, the former club of Panathinaikos star and subsequent club president Michalis Papazoglou).

They won their first league title in 1930, but enjoyed their greatest run of success in the 1960s, winning six championships in the decade. In 1971, under manager Ferenc Puskás, they finished as European Cup runners-up, losing to Ajax in the final (it was the first of three consecutive European Cups for the Dutch side).

Panathinaikos won their most recent league title--their 20th--in 2010, adding it to their collection that includes 17 Greek Cups and four Greek Super Cups.

2 February 2011 - Corinthians Get The Tolima Take-Down

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 2 February 2011, Brazilian giants Corinthians were dumped out of the Copa Libertadores in the first round by Colombian side Deportes Tolima.

The two sides met over two legs and played the first one to a scoreless draw in São Paulo on 26 January. One week later, they reconvened at Tolima's Estadio Manuel Murillo Toro to decide the contest. There, playing before a crowd of 15,000 the hosts took control of the match early and were denied a quick lead only by the brilliant play of Corinthians goalkeeper Júlio César and the referee's decision not to award what looked like a certain penalty for an 18th-minute foul by Corinthians in the box.

Corinthians did better in the second half, getting a great chance in the 50th minute with a powerful blast from striker Ronaldo (pictured), but Tolima keeper Anthony Silva managed to parry it. They then fell victim to a controversial goal on a Tolima counterattack in the 66th minute when forward Danny Santoya beat César after getting the ball in a marginally offside position.

Tolima's second goal left no room for doubt, however, as unmarked striker Wilder Medina connected on a cross and headed the ball home. The 2-0 loss continued Corinthians' frustration in the tournament, which they have never won. Tolima advanced to the group stage, but were eliminated there.

1 February 1958 - Will The Real Luther Blissett Please Stand Up

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 1 February 1958, Luther Blissett, who holds the Watford records for appearances and goal, was born in Jamaica.

The striker, who moved to England at a young age, joined Watford's youth team in 1974, then signed a professional contract with the Fourth Division side one year later. His first two seasons were unremarkable, but he began scoring at a rapid pace in the 1977-78 season and helped Watford climb the league table all the way to the First Division by 1982. That season in the top flight--the club's first--was Blissett's best with a total of 27 goals in 41 appearances.

His performance caught the eye of Italian giants AC Milan, who signed him in June 1983 for £1M. But his form remained in England and he scored only six times in 39 appearances across all competitions before Milan sold him back to Watford for £550,000 in the summer of 1984. He remained there for another four years, then moved to Bournemouth for three seasons before returning to Watford for a third and final time. By the time he left again in 1992, he had set club records for appearances (503) and goals (183).

He retired 1994 after brief spells with Bury and Mansfield Town and also made a total of 14 appearances for England.

In 1994, a group of political and cultural activists in Italy adopted Blissett's name as a collective pseudonym for a series of pranks, saying "anyone can be Luther Blissett simply by adopting the name Luther Blissett." Use of the name quickly spread across Europe and the United States and was attached to a variety of activities, including one novel written under Blissett's name. The real Luther Blissett joked about participating, but is not actually a part of the project.

31 January 2011 - All Those Pounds Bring A Lot Of Pressure

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 31 January 2011, the last day of the British transfer window saw a flurry of activity that resulted in two records being broken for the sales of strikers Fernando Torres and Andy Carroll.

The transfer domino was started by Chelsea, who bought Spanish striker Fernando Torres (center) from Liverpool. Torres, who joined Liverpool in 2007, had scored 65 goals in 102 league appearances for the Merseysiders. His performance drew the attention of defending league champions Chelsea, who made a bid of £35M which Liverpool rejected, even though Torres had submitted a transfer request. But faced with an impending release clause due to be triggered in the summer, they eventally accepted Chelsea's second bid, reported to be approximately £40M--a record amount paid by a British club.

In order to fill the void left by the departure of Torres, Liverpool acted quickly to sign strikers Andy Carroll (right) from Newcastle for £35M and Luis Suárez (left) from Ajax for £22.7M, to reach a grand total of £94.7 spent on the three players. Carroll's fee was the highest ever paid for a British player.

But although Torres and Carroll set the records, Suárez turned out to be the best purchase of the trio, providing four goals and five assists for the remainder of that season. To date, he has twelve goals and eleven assists for Liverpool in 35 appearances across all competitions. Both Torres and Carroll have struggled at their new clubs, scoring a total of eleven goals between them (six from Carroll and five from Torres).

30 January 2008 - Eto'o Takes The Title

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 30 January 2008, Samuel Eto'o scored twice in Cameroon's win over Sudan in the African Cup of Nations. In the process, he became the tournament's all-time leading scorer.

The striker had just recovered from a lengthy injury the previous month, but took little time to recover his form, scoring both of Cameroon's goals (including one penalty) in their tournament-opening loss to Egypt on 22 January, then converting another penalty in their 5-1 win over Zambia four days later. That was his fourteenth career goal in the competition, bringing him level with Côte d'Ivoire's Laurent Pokou for the top-scorer honor.

Cameroon returned to the pitch on 30 January for their last group-stage match against Sudan. A crowd of approximately 10,000 watched as Eto'o took sole possession of the scoring title with a 27th-minute penalty that put Cameroon up 1-0. An own goal by Sudan in the 33rd minute extended the lead to 2-0, then Eto'o added another for good measure in the 90th minute to push the all-time record to sixteen and end the day as a 3-0 win.

Unfortunately for Eto'o, it was his last goal in that year's tournament as Cameroon fell to Egypt in the final. But he returned in 2010 and scored twice more to set the current record of eighteen. He was denied the opportunity to extend it even further in 2012, as Cameroon did not qualify for that year's edition.

29 January 2011 - Geographically Speaking, It Was The Right Result

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 29 January 2011, Japan won their fourth Asian Cup, beating Australia with an extra-time goal from substitute striker Tadanari Lee.

It was only the second Asian Cup for Australia, who previously played in the Oceania Football Confederation. In 2006, they switched to the Asian confederation in the hope that the stronger competition there would improve their World Cup fortunes by improving their team. They took their first crack at the Asian Cup in 2007, but fell to Japan on penalties in the first knockout round. Japan, meanwhile, were old hands in the competition, winning it in 1992, 2000, and 2004.

They played the final before a crowd of 37,174 at the Khalifa International Stadium in the Qatari capital of Doha. Although it featured two of the tournament's top scorers in Australia's Harry Kewell and Japan's Ryoichi Maeda, goals proved difficult to find. At the end of regulation, the match remained stuck in a scoreless draw.

In the first period of extra time, Japan manager Alberto Zaccheroni subbed Lee in for Maeda. Lee had made only one other appearance in the tournament, coming on for Maeda in the 46th minute of Japan's opening match against Jordan, and had not scored a goal. But he rewarded Zaccheroni's faith by scoring from a cross in the 109th minute. Japan held on for the remainder of the match to claim the cup.

28 January 1967 - The Great Scottish Cupset

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 28 January 1967, Second Division Berwick Rangers delivered one of the greatest upsets in Scottish football by knocking Glasgow's Rangers out of the Scottish Cup.

At the time, Rangers were the defending Scottish Cup champions and were sitting in second place, while Berwick, playing under manager Jock Wallace, were in tenth place of Division Two. Rangers had won all three of the teams' previous meetings by comfortable margins of 3-1 (twice) and 4-0.

Still, a club record crowd of 13,365 turned out at Berwick's Shielfield Park and were rewarded with an unlikely result. The visitors dominated the early going and earned an overwhelming ten corner kicks by the 30-minute mark due to their attacking play. But Berwick claimed the advantage just two minutes later, with inside forward Sammie Reid scoring off the post.

Not content to sit on their lead, Berwick exchanged attacks with Rangers for the remainder of the match and nearly extended the margin with a handful of close chances. Rangers, for their part, scrambled forward in desperation but could not find the equalizer they needed and fell, 1-0.

It was a humbling loss for the Glasgow giants, marking their first defeat to a Second Division side and their first opening round elimination from the Scottish Cup in thirty years. Unfortuately for Berwick, they failed to capitalize on the win, losing to Hibernian in the next round.

In 1970, Wallace moved to Glasgow as an assistant coach for Rangers, then took over as their top man from 1972 to 1978, winning three Scottish Cups in the process, then again from 1983 to 1986.

27 January 1976 - "Ruined" May Have Been Overstating Things A Bit

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 27 January 1976, South Korean World Cup hero Ahn Jung-Hwan was born in Paju. He was once described as "the man who ruined Italian football."

He started his professional career in 1998 with Pusan Daewoo Royals, but moved to Italy in 2000 to play for Perugia, where he made a total of 33 appearances in two seasons and scored five goals. But it was the summer of 2002 that made him an international name, as he scored the golden goal for South Korea that eliminated Italy in the World Cup Round of 16. The day after the match, Perugia owner Luciano Gaucci cancelled Ahn's contract, reportedly saying "I have no intention of paying a salary to someone who has ruined Italian football."

Gaucci later had a change of heart, but Ahn was so offended by the slight that he refused to consider a return. He moved instead to Shimizu S-Pulse for a season, starting a series of short stays that included spells at Yokohama (2004-05), Metz (2005-06), and Duisburg (2006), before returning to South Korea with Suwon Bluewings in 2006. Most recently, he played for Chinese side Dalian Shide from 2009 to 2011.

In the meantime, he continues to play for the South Korean national team, scoring 17 goals in 77 appearances.

26 January 1992 - It's Almost Like Nobody Wanted To Win It

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 26 January 1992, every player on the pitch at the end of extra time in the African Cup of Nations Final got to take a penalty kick as Côte d'Ivoire beat Ghana, 0-0 (11-10).

Ghana entered the tournaments as favorites, based on the presence of their star midfielder and captain Abedi Pele, the reigning African Player of the Year. He was the team's high scorer through the earlier rounds and provided the match winner against Zambia in the group stage, but was suspended for the final after picking up a second yellow card against Nigeria in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, Côte d'Ivoire advanced to the final on the back of their outstanding defense, having not conceded a single goal in the tournament. On offense, the team was well-balanced, with each of their goals scored by a different player.

In the final, the day's best chance fell to Ghana, as striker Tony Yeboah chipped the ball over keeper Alain Gouaméné (pictured) and into the path of Ghana midfielder Prince Polley Opoku, but Opoku sent his shot over the bar. The match remained scoreless through extra time, setting up the penalty shootout.

There, the balls flowed into the goal until Ghana's Isaac Asare missed his shot, but Côte d'Ivoire's Joël Tiéhi did the same with the next attempt. The teams went through twelve kickers each, with the last shot taken by Ghana defender Anthony Beffoe. He drove the ball into the waiting hands of Gouaméné to end the match at 0-0 (11-10).

25 January 2010 - The Shooting Of Salvador Cabañas

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 25 January 2010, Paraguayan striker Salvador Cabañas was shot in the head during a confrontation at a bar near Mexico City. Miraculously, he survived the shooting and continues to play football.

At the time, the 2007 South American Footballer of the Year was in his fourth season with Club América and had gotten off to a strong start, with 18 goals in 24 matches. He was enjoying a night out with friends and family at the Bar Bar nightclub when, at approximately 5:00 am, he was shot by José Balderas Garza, later identified as a Mexican drug lord. According to some witnesses, including Cabañas's wife, the assault began as a robbery, while others claimed the two men had been involved in a heated exchange of words.

He was rushed to the hospital and remained in intensive care until early February, with doctors saying his survival had defied overwhelming odds. His career, however, appeared to be over.

Then, in late 2011, he appeared in a testimonial match held in his honor between América and the Paraguayan national team. Then, in January 2012, he signed a contract with his former club 12 de Octubre, now in the Paraguayan third division.

24 January 2011 - Sky Sports Does All Of Us A Favor

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 24 January 2011, Sky Sports suspended commentators Andy Gray and Richard Keys for making sexist remarks. Although the suspension was originally announced as indefinite, it proved to be permanent, as their contracts were terminated soon afterward.

The pair had provided commentary for Sky Sports since the start of the first Premier League season in 1992. On 22 January 2011, they were covering a match between Wolves and Liverpool that included a female assistant referee, Sian Massey. When they believed their microphones were turned off, they discussed their belief that women "don't know the offside rule." Keys went further, anticipating a mistake by Massey (she did not make one, as her only offside call was correct). Keys then criticized a recent column written by West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady, saying "The game's gone mad. See charming Karren Brady this morning complaining about sexism? Yeah. Do me a favour, love."

After the recording leaked, their comments drew widespread condemnation. The pair were scheduled for the Chelsea-Bolton match on 24 January, but before kick-off Sky Sports announced their suspension, saying the comments were "totally inappropriate" and "inexcusable from anyone at Sky Sports." One day later, the network ended their relationship with Gray, citing a separate incident from the previous December. Keys, meanwhile, resigned on 26 January after the release of previous comments of his own.

The two have since moved on and now provide commentary and analysis for Talksport.

23 January 1939 - The Mysterious Death Of Matthias Sindelar

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 23 January 1939, 35-year old Austrian star forward Matthias Sindelar was found dead, along with his girlfriend, Camilla Castagnola, at her Vienna apartment. Although the official records attribute their deaths to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, rumors persist of murder and suicide.

Nicknamed "the Paper Man" due to his height and slim build, Sindelar spent his entire professional career with FK Austria Vienna, joining them in 1924. He debuted for the Austrian national team in September 1926, scoring a goal in a 2-1 win over Czechoslovakia. He soon became an integral member of the Wunderteam, winning the 1932 Central European International Cup, taking silver in the 1936 Summer Olympics, and finishing fourth at the 1934 World Cup. In all, Sindelar made 43 official appearances for Austria, scoring 27 goals.

Following Austria's annexation by Germany in 1938, Sindelar declined to play for the new unified team despite repeated requests by German manager Sepp Herberger. Although he cited age as the basis for his refusal, others took it as a sign of protest against the Nazi regime. Thus, when he was found dead a few months later, conspiracy theories ran rampant. Some suggested that he committed suicide in order to avoid Nazi persecution, while others suggested that he and Castagnola had been murdered by the Nazis for harboring Jewish sympathies.

While one the two chimneys in Castagnola's apartment was known to be defective, making carbon monoxide poisoning the most likely explanation for their deaths, one of Sindelar's friends gave a 2005 interview suggesting otherwise. In 2005, a BBC documentary crew spoke with Egon Ulbrich, a longtime friend of Sindelar's, who claimed that a Vienna official had been bribed to record the deaths as accidental. According to Ulbrich, Nazi rules prevented state funerals for victims or murder or suicide, so the declaration of Sindelar's death as accidental ensured that he could be buried with full honors.

[For more on the deaths of Sindelar and Castagnola, see the excellent Soccernet story by Uli Hesse-Lichtenberger here.]

22 January 1994 - A Drawful Day For Football (Sorry)

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 22 January 1994, the full slate of six Scottish top flight matches resulted in a point for everyone as all six matches ended in draws.

The day featured match-ups at both ends of the table, as league leaders Rangers were held to a scoreless draw at second-place Aberdeen, while bottom club Dundee held off second-bottom Raith Rovers, 2-2. Elsewhere, Celtic and Dundee United played to another scoreless draw, as did Partick Thistle and Motherwell, while Hearts battled Kilmarnock to a 1-1 draw at Tynecastle.

The day's most surprising result came at St. Johnstone, where the tenth-place side survived their encounter with third-place Hibernian, 2-2. It was part of a seven-match unbeaten streak for the hosts, but it proved to be a brief respite--three teams were relegated at the end of the season to clear the path for a ten-team top flight the following season, and St. Johnstone were the last to go, joining Raith Rovers and Dundee.

Rangers went on to win the league, while Dundee United lifted the Scottish Cup and Hibs took the Scottish League Cup.

(For more draw-filled days, see the Guardian.)

21 January 1997 - Shilton Finally Stops

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Seal) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On 21 January 1997, goalkeeper Peter Shilton played in his last match, setting the current League record of 1,005 appearances.

Shilton, who set the England cap record at 125 seven years earlier, started his club career in 1966 with Leicester City, where he soon ousted England's World Cup-winning keeper Gordon Banks. He went on to make 286 appearances for Leicester before leaving for Stoke City in 1974. There, he added another 110 appearances to his total, then moved on to Nottingham Forest (202), Southampton (188), and Derby County (175).

By the time he left Derby in 1992, his career was in decline, but he made another 34 appearances in three seasons for Plymouth Argyle. Between 1994 and 1996, he spent brief periods with Wimbledon, Bolton Wanderers, West Ham, and Coventry, but played in only a single League match for the lot of them.

In 1996, he joined Leyton Orient, where he made his last nine appearances. The final one was a Division Three contest at home against Wigan, but it wasn't a storybook ending for the 47-year old Shilton. The hosts took a first half lead with a goal from Scott McGleish (33'), but surrendered late strikes to Ian Kilford (62') and Graeme Jones (77') to lose 1-2.