FIFA WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA 2010

Fates learned amid island rhythms

2010-05-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

The main ballroom of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Port of Spain, teetering on the edge of Trinidad’s brilliant western coast, was packed full of eager coaches, officials and even a few players as the balls came out for Wednesday’s official draw for the upcoming FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
“Not long ago FIFA President Blatter said ‘the future of football is feminine,’ and although I think that it was a bit of an overstatement, it was essentially true. I think that it is still true today,” was the direct assessment of one bound to know a bit about football, Franz Beckenbauer, FIFA World Cup™ winner and Chairman of the Organising Committee for the FIFA U-20 and U-17 Women’s World Cups. The establishment of a U-17 Women’s World Cup is a great and necessary platform to help promote the women’s game, and that’s why I wanted to be a part of it. There is much potential in women’s football and it begins with the young ones. That is why I am here on this beautiful island in the Caribbean.”

The establishment of a U-17 Women’s World Cup is a great and necessary platform to help promote the women’s game, and that’s why I wanted to be a part of it.

Franz Beckenbauer, Chairman of the Organising Committee for the FIFA U-20 and U-17 Women’s World Cups

Local music rang through the cavernous room at the start of the festivities. Eight-piece band Mungal Patasar and Pantar, featuring steel pan, sitar and hand drums, highlighted the cultural crossroads that is Trinidad and Tobago. A rousing speech followed from Beckenbauer, who focussed on how impressed he was by the first FIFA U-17 finals in New Zealand two years ago, calling it a “fantastic surprise and success.”
FIFA Vice President and CONCACAF president Jack A. Warner kept on with the theme, pointing to “the tremendous achievement of my small country, Trinidad and Tobago – the smallest nation ever to host two FIFA World Cup tournaments – to have coordinated and prepared what is bound to be a successful event.” And after the ceremonial handover of the official FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup trophy and some more whimsical local rhythms from renowned steel pan man and national treasure Ray Holman, the decks were cleared for the main event.
Out came the bowls and the balls. So too did Tatjana Haenni, FIFA’s head of women’s football, to coordinate the process.
Former German international Steffi Jones was among those four charged with pulling the balls from the bowls, and in so doing, sealing the first-round fate of 12 of the 16 teams who will take part in the second FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup from 5 to 25 September in the host cities of Arima/Malabar, Couva, Marabella, Port of Spain (Trinidad) and Scarborough (Tobago).
As the names were pulled, a hush descended on the gathered crowd. However, it didn’t take long before a few chuckles were heard in the dark as Group A took shape, a light-hearted acknowledgment that the debutant hosts were in for a tough go up against holders Korea DPR, Chile and Nigeria in the opening stages. “It is a very balanced group,” said Trinidad and Tobago boss and women’s football legend Even Pellerud in the understatement of the evening. “We will set our sights on getting out of the group stages and I believe in my players and the efforts they will put in.”
Group A: Trinidad and Tobago, Chile, Nigeria, Korea DPR
Group B: UEFA 3, Mexico, CAF 3 (Tunisia or South Africa), Korea Republic
Group C: New Zealand, Venezuela, UEFA 1, Japan
Group D: UEFA 2, Brazil, Canada, Ghana
As the affair wound down and hungry guests began to eye the kitchen doors, the rhythms of the islands once again rang and local dancers swung their hips. Representatives from the gathered teams pondered their fate and began the pain-staking process of planning their course to Korea DPR’s crown.

Messi lifts Barça closer to title

2010-05-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Lionel Messi netted his 30th and 31st league goals of the season as Barcelona inched closer to retaining their La Liga title with a 4-1 home win over relegation-threatened Tenerife at Camp Nou on Tuesday.
The Catalans are now four points clear of Real Madrid at the summit with just two games left, but Real have a game in hand and must win at fourth-placed Real Mallorca on Wednesday to keep their title hopes alive.
Messi put Barcelona ahead on 17 minutes and added a second in the final minute to stay on course to win the Pichichi crown for the league's top scorer, as he is currently six goals ahead of his nearest rival, Real striker Gonzalo Higuain.

It is a very competitive league and we have won our game and now we just have to wait.

Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes ahead of Real Madrid's match with Mallorca on Wednesday

Argentine Roman Martinez stunned the champions by equalising for Tenerife shortly before half-time following an error from home captain Carles Puyol. But second-half goals from Bojan Krkic (in the 63rd minute) and substitute Pedro Rodriguez (77) turned the game in Barça's favour before Messi rubbed salt in the wound with his late strike.
"It was a difficult night due to the weather and the fixture list is already taking its toll but we gave our all," said Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes. "It is a very competitive league and we have won our game and now we just have to wait."
Barcelona will hope Mallorca can do them a favour against Real as they turn their focus to Saturday's tough trip to UEFA Champions League hopefuls Sevilla. Promoted Tenerife, who have won just once on their travels all season, stay third from bottom, although they are level on points with Malaga above them.
Valencia sealed a place in the Champions League qualifying round after coming from behind to defeat bottom side Xerez 3-1 at the Mestalla later on Tuesday. Spain international winger Juan Mata scored a brace before setting up David Silva for a third as third-placed Valencia made sure of a top-four finish and moved to within a point of an automatic place in next season's UEFA Champions League. Xerez prop up the table, as they have done for most of the season, lying five points from safety and could be relegated on Wednesday if results go against them.
Early goal
Barcelona once again started with Xavi despite the midfielder carrying a calf injury while Zlatan Ibrahimovic was back in the fold after recent criticism. A rain-soaked night and the mid-week fixture kept some fans away and the wet surface made passing tricky for both sides.
On 12 minutes Barcelona right-back Dani Alves had the first real opening but chose to pass when shooting seemed the best option and the chance went begging. Barça got the early goal they craved on 17 minutes with Ibrahimovic heading down an Alves cross and Messi chipping in from close range for his 30th league goal of the campaign.
The hosts should have made it 2-0 on 34 minutes but Brazilian Maxwell chose to shoot from an acute angle rather than squaring to Ibrahimovic, who was not impressed with his team-mate. The miss was punished six minutes before half-time when captain Puyol produced a rare stray pass to gift possession to Tenerife and Argentine Martinez slotted the ball past Victor Valdes.
Guardiola replaced the injured Pique with winger Pedro in an attacking move. However, it was Bojan, another youth-team product, who restored Barça's lead just after the hour, latching onto a neat pass from the active Alves before finishing coolly into the bottom-left corner.
A lighting counter-attack then released Pedro, who chipped his shot just wide, but on 77 minutes the substitute found the net after racing onto Messi's pass and sliding a shot under the goalkeeper. In the dying seconds of the game Messi controlled Alves's lofted pass in the penalty area before dinking in to cap an ultimately comfortable win.

Elsewhere, Almeria defeated Villarreal 4-2 to den the visitors' hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Europa League. Villarreal had Argentine centre-back Mateo Musacchio sent off after just 16 minutes and Almeria took full advantage, racking up a 3-0 lead by half-time. Villarreal fall to seventh, behind Getafe on goal difference after the Madrid-based side drew 1-1 at home to strugglers Sporting Gijon.

Ribery: France can win it

2010-05-03T18:46:00.000-07:00

AFP

France superstar Franck Ribery is one of the most sought-after footballers in the world. As rumours continue to circulate about the Bayern Munich player's future, the skilful winger finds himself the centre of media attention on a constant basis.

Ribery in even greater demand out on the pitch, with Bayern on course for a domestic double and Inter Milan waiting in the UEFA Champions League final. And that is not to mention 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, where the 27-year-old is hoping to challenge for football's biggest prize. Despite his busy schedule, the diminutive No7 took the time to answer questions posed to him by FIFA.com users.

german2010: Bayern Munich are the team to beat in the Bundesliga, but how do you see the club's chances in the Champions League? Also, what can you achieve with Bayern in the future?Franck Ribery: It's true that Bayern Munich is the biggest club in Germany and that we have the strongest squad. I think we have a team capable of winning the Champions League this year.

googlesu: Is there goal you've scored which you remember in particular?
One goal that has stayed with me was in the quarter-finals of the German Cup during the 2007/08 season. It was the last minute of extra time, and I scored a penalty against our local rivals 1860 Munich to win the tie. We went on to win the cup that year.

Of course there are teams you dream of playing for, like Real Madrid or Barcelona. I'd like to play with Xavi. He's a very good player who directs and organises his team, and his passing is superb.

Franck Ribery

toutenkhagoa: Which club would you say has helped you the most in terms of becoming the player you are today?
I've been happy with all the clubs I've played for, they've always treated me well. They've all done everything they can for me - the same goes for Bayern at the moment and Marseille and Brest before that.

FooooFa: Who do you think is the best player in the world at the moment and who would you most like to play with? Also, do you have a dream club? At the moment I think Lionel Messi is the world's best player. I'd like to play with Xavi. He's a very good player who directs and organises his team, and his passing is superb. He's in incredible form at the moment. Of course there are teams you dream of playing for, like Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Slovensko: You're a very versatile player who can operate anywhere across the midfield or up front. What is your preferred position?
I wouldn't like to say. I'm a player who likes to have freedom out on the pitch, especially in attack. I need to have freedom because I run and move around a lot. I think I prefer coming from the left-hand side.

Abado89: How far can France go at the World Cup?
I'm expecting us to have a very good World Cup because it's very important for France to perform well. It's imperative for us to get past the group stage and then hopefully we can make the Final.

ahmed_201096: Who's your favourite to win the World Cup and why?
Obviously I hope it's us who win the World Cup in South Africa. We have a very good team who are more than capable. There are several other teams who are just as good, though, and at the moment I think England and Spain are both very strong.

egyptman10: What's it like playing at a World Cup?
The World Cup is the biggest event in any player's career. They are very special matches in a very special tournament. It's just a wonderful experience with plenty of exciting games. 2006 was fantastic. We made it to the Final but unfortunately we lost on penalties.

igui87: Who is/was the best French player ever and why?
It has to be Zinedine Zidane. He was a great player but also a great person. He was a player who had a lot of trust in his team-mates and he always spoke to them a lot. When he was on the ball, he was like a magician, he could do some wonderful things.

Arcegallup: A lot of experts are saying that you are Zidane's successor. What do you make of that suggestion?
I don't know if I'm his successor, but if people think that then it makes me very proud and obviously I'm flattered. Zizou was a great player and a wonderful person. I try to do my best out on the pitch and to be as friendly to people as possible.

We have a very good team who are more than capable. There are several other teams who are just as good, though, and at the moment I think England and Spain are both very strong.

France's Franck Ribery on the teams to beat at South Africa 2010

Dimidergriec: Who was your football idol when you were younger?
When I was little, my idol was Jean-Pierre Papin. He was always calm in front of goal and scored a lot.

Luigijav: What have been the best/worst moments of your career so far?
The worst moment of my career would have to be the first six months of this season when I was out with a knee injury. It was very hard for me and it's been my most difficult season to date. The best moment would have to be the 3-1 victory over Spain at the 2006 World Cup. I scored a goal and we beat a very strong team that day.

Tomcat1987: Has there been a defender who you've found particularly difficult to play against?
I can't remember to be honest. I don't think there has been anyone in particular.

Of all the users who posed questions to Franck Ribery, one can look forward to a fantastic prize: Arcegallup from Mexico wins a Bayern Munich kit signed by the French midfielder himself for his question: A lot of experts are saying that you are Zinedine Zidane's successor. What do you make of that suggestion?

THE BIGEST PRIZE IN THE WORLD

2010-04-30T01:59:00.000-07:00