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Terry pursuit parallels Gerrard chase

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fox) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 03:20:59 PDT

The irony of Manchester City's chase of John Terry will not have escaped the attention of Liverpool supporters still bitter over Chelsea's pursuit of Steven Gerrard before the 2004/05 season.

The parallels with Terry's rumoured switch away from the Blues are uncanny, as any Reds fan will have already pointed out.

Then, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was spending money like it was going out of fashion and used every inch of his financial muscle to tempt the Liverpool captain into leaving the club he joined as a youngster, with some locals having already burned their team shirts before Gerrard 's about face.

The England midfielder may have believed his switch to Jose Mourinho's Stamford Bridge revolution would provide a greater chance for silverware, but the potential to earn a staggering amount more than he was already collecting on Merseyside was another clear motivating factor.

And now to Terry, whose silence over a double-your-money transfer to Eastlands is deafening. Like Gerrard at Liverpool, he's been raised by Chelsea, becoming the England captain and the heartbeat of his club.

But judging by the weekend's round of one-on-ones with Abramovich and other senior Chelsea officials Terry's isn't convinced of the merits of seeing out the remainder of his five-year contract with last season's third-placed finishers.

Already 28, and with a recent catalogue of back complaints, Terry would be short-sighted not to be eyeing one final giant payday as well as the lure of helping establish City as one of Europe's grandest.

While it is debatable whether Chelsea are a club on the rise or decline, he will doubtless have cast an envious glance at Mark Hughes's signings of Roque Santa Cruz and Carlos Tevez while his own club have scratched around to add goalkeeper Ross Turnbull from Middlesbrough and Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow, not to mention 19-year-old Daniel Sturridge from City.

Sturridge's arrival for a tribunal fee perfectly encapsulates the cyclic nature of modern football. Only a handful of years ago it was Chelsea doing the raiding, paying over the odds to take Shaun Wright-Phillips to the Bridge for a mammoth £21 million.

But Wright-Phillips is already back in Manchester, as is England full-back Wayne Bridge – a close friend of Terry – who joined City from the Blues in the January transfer window.

Some Chelsea fans can't stop themselves wondering whether £40 million wouldn’t be such a bad exchange for Terry. He's even been branded a mercenary by those who suggest his standing with the Chelsea faithful has taken a battering over recent contract negotiations, including his latest tight-lipped stance on leaving.

Chelsea chief Peter Kenyon has claimed Terry is not for sale at any price, which means a player popular with his team-mates must go out on a limb and place a written transfer request before City's interest can be taken to the next stage.

What's certain is Terry's involvement in Chelsea's 10-day tour of North America is meaningless. City have already significantly bolstered their attack but their defence remains relatively fragile and Terry is one of England's top three central defenders.

They will not simply roll over and forget all about it.

Intriguingly, Hughes already has two of England's finest up-and-coming centre-halves at his disposal in Nedum Onuoha and Micah Richards.

England's under-21 central defensive pairing for the recent European tournament in Sweden are certain to benefit from Terry's tutelage in the long-term, as would Fabio Capello as he casts his mind forward to the 2014 World Cup, should the most expensive transfer involving a defender come to fruition.

Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com

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Déjà vu for Dragan

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Tuckerman) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:48:42 PDT

"It's Groundhog Day!"

There's no sign of Punxsutawney Phil, but Nagoya Grampus coach Dragan Stojkovic must be checking his calendar in disbelief as the Aichi-based side prepare to face FC Tokyo at Ajinomoto Stadium for the second time in three days.

Naohiro Ishikawa looks set to play the Ned Ryerson role to the Serbian coach's Phil Connors, with Ishikawa causing opponents plenty of irritation with some career-best form.

The diminutive winger was the catalyst for FC Tokyo's 3-0 thrashing of Nagoya at Ajinomoto Stadium in the J. League last weekend, scoring his 10th goal of the campaign and taking himself level with Davi and Edmilson at the top of the goalscoring charts.

The two sides meet up to do it all over again on Wednesday night, only this time they're not battling for league points. Instead it's the quarter-finals of the League Cup that take centre stage, with FC Tokyo looking to add to their solitary piece of silverware - the 2004 League Cup crown.

The capital club are in a bullish mood after a stunning rejuvenation under former Japan youth coach Hiroshi Jofuku, with FC Tokyo turning around a poor first half to the season to become the most eye-catching team in the league.

Much of their success is down to the stellar performances of Ishikawa, whose outstanding form has lead to calls for the two-time Japan international to be restored to the national team.

"I don't know how he feels about me, but what I have to do on the pitch is pretty clear," Ishikawa told The Daily Yomiuri after Japan coach Takeshi Okada watched him tear Nagoya apart.

"If I do my job the way I'm expected to, then the opportunities will naturally open up."

How Dragan Stojkovic must wish he had a player like Ishikawa on his books, with the tempestuous Serb railing at his players in the wake of their latest league defeat.

"If I start to analyse player by player, I'm scared the results will be very bad," Stojkovic snarled to The Daily Yomiuri.

"And definitely I have to make some changes for the next game. Some players will be on the bench."

One of those changes is unlikely to be Australian international Josh Kennedy, with the 1.94 metre striker not expected to make his Nagoya debut until the J. League clash against Kyoto Sanga at Toyota Stadium on July 18.

The pressure on former Karlsruher SC striker Kennedy to perform was ramped up a notch last week, with Nagoya announcing that top-scorer Davi is set to depart for Qatari outfit Umm Salal.

Nagoya are well off the pace in the J. League, but the Toyota-backed side face Kawasaki Frontale in the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League in September.

The remaining League Cup quarter-final, first leg fixtures sees Kashima Antlers host Kawasaki Frontale at Kashima Stadium, Gamba Osaka welcome Yokohama F. Marinos to Expo '70 Stadium, while Urawa Reds take on Shimizu S-Pulse at Saitama Stadium.

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Thank you for the music - a tournament review

noreply@blogger.com (Sean O'Conor) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:35:48 PDT

The UEFA u21 Championship gets slowly bigger every two years, but remains half in shadow, a curious sideshow to the bigger tournaments.

Clashing with the FIFA Confederations Cup meant more international eyes were focused on South Africa, even in UEFA's backyard, since two European nations were involved (Italy & Spain). In Britain this led to an interesting media rivalry between Sky, the tournament rights holders, and the BBC, who were showing the Confederations Cup and did their best to ignore the U21s, even waiting until the following day to post results on their website, despite England's participation.

The attendances in Sweden ranged from 3,000 to the 20,000 capacity of the new stadia in Malmo and Gothenburg when the hosts were playing. Clearly, the show is not big enough yet to take to the super stadia of the continent. Should England for instance host it, Millwall's The New Den (20,000) would make more sense than Arsenal's Emirates (60,000) as a capital venue. Malmo's new stadium is an interesting exercise in dark minimalism, a brooding hulk of a spacecraft against the long Scandinavian summer evenings, as if from '2001 A Space Odyssey', or as UEFA described it 'something out of Star Wars'.

It and the New Gamla (old) Ullevi in Gothenburg had perfect sightlines inside though lacked character like all new venues do. Compared to its iconic older brother, a feature of the skyline of Sweden's second city, it is hidden away between buildings and hard to spot. Both arenas' size reminded me of MLS stadia, although unlike those American examples, both were roofed for Northern Europe. Happily, the familiar eliptical rooves of the old stadia in both cities remain, with the new grounds built cheek by jowl.

The two other venues, Helsingborg (12,500) and Halmstad (7,500) were real charmers, especially the tranquil forested riverside stadium in Halmstad. Both used for the 1958 World Cup, they dated originally from 1898 and 1922.

You would have known a tournament was on in Sweden as UEFA repeated their FanZone experiment of Euro 2008 in the host cities, although as in the beer tents of Euro '92, most locals were probably there for the cheap ale and sausages. It was midsummer in Sweden, their biggest national fest and a time for relaxation more than enthusiasm anyway. But no complaints about the host. Everything went smoothly as far as I could see, although scheduling late kick offs in small cities without enough hotel beds was not kind to the fans.

As for the football, what U21 players do is intrinsically less important than what they will do next. It remains, in the words of UEFA's Technical Director Andy Roxburgh, 'the final stepping stone' for footballers on their way to the big time. That was at the back of the mind of everyone watching, knowing that the teams on show were about to break up and that only a smattering of those in Sweden will be there in the next u21 tournament in two years' time. Perhaps for that reason, tactical innovation seemed absent, too.

It is hard to know what to read into the different teams' performances given the lack of a clear correlation over the years between this competition and the big ones. France were world and European champions at the end of the 1990s but never reached a u21 final in that decade. Ditto Spain in the noughties. If there is a pattern to pick out here it is that Germany have won the most recent u17, u19 and now u21 competitions.

And what is also notable about Germany is that for the first time their team is predominantly non-Teutonic. A few years ago a Deutsche Elftal would never have had a Mesut Ozil, Gonzalo Castro, Anis Ben-Hatira, Ashkan Dejagah, Sami Khedira and Chinedu Ede on the same field. Are Germany's immigrant offspring propelling them to greater heights? Could be.

The national styles were clearly embossed on the young players: Germany were ruthlessly efficient, the Italians solid and skilful throughout, Serbia were tough and England talented but reckless.

The scouts, over 100 official ones, were buzzing around as usual, but most stars have already been spotted by their late teens. Take Finland's jaunty young striker Teemu Pukki for instance, 19 years of age and playing for Sevilla in Spain.

In my earlier post I listed the 15 or so players we will be hearing more of in years to come who played in Sweden, but it is still too early to be sure who will be the greatest. Michael Ballack, Raul and Zinedine Zidane graced the U21s previously, although no-one probably foresaw all that they would achieve then. If I had to stick my neck out I would go for Marcus Berg, Mesut Ozil and Mario Balotelli as seasoned international stars of the future.

The promotional literature included Giuseppe Rossi and Theo Walcott prominently, but the former was at the Confederations Cup and the latter disappointed in Sweden, cryingly isolated alone up front in the final.

England arrived as favourites and were still the bookies' tip up until the final, before they collapsed humiliatingly 0-4 to a tactically astute Germany. Three key suspensions in the semi-final killed their chances, exposing Stuart Pearce's decision to bring only three forwards (two of whom were ruled out by cards), while replacement goalkeeper Scott Loach echoed Peter Bonetti's calamity replacing Gordon Banks in Mexico 1970.

If Pearce can take some succour from this setback it is that England have been genuine contenders for the last two U21 tournaments and could have won this one with some better discipline in the semi-final.

Other nations have more worries, particularly Spain, who left with a whimper and, as if in a timewarp, played exactly like their national team always used to pre-Euro 2008.

All in all a successful tournament for fans and football and UEFA were happy too. Euro 2012 remains their big headache, although a blazered official assured me it will go ahead in Ukraine even with one venue, because of political pressures regarding Europe's gas supplies pumping from Russia via their neighbour.

The 2011 edition of the U21s will be in the Jutland peninsula of neighbouring Denmark at Viborg (9,566), Aalborg (10,500), Herning (11,800) and Aarhus (21,000).

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Lion King Set For Revival?

noreply@blogger.com (John Duerden) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:16:31 PDT

East Asia has long struggled to produce prolific goalscorers and most clubs import attackers from Brazil, Africa and Eastern Europe.

It is a chicken-and-egg situation. Do clubs buy foreign forwards because there isn’t enough local talent or is there not enough local talent because clubs pack their offensive lines with overseas stars? Whatever the reason, in Japan, China and South Korea, imports usually top the goalscoring charts.

In 2008, the top four scorers in the K-league all hailed from outside the land of the Morning Calm. Things are different this time round. At present, only three foreigners make it into the top ten.

Lee Dong-guk leads the charge. The former Middlesbrough marksman didn’t score a single league goal in 18 months, from the start of 2007 to the summer of 2008, in the English Premier league. The memory of that barren spell is fading by the week as in 2009 he has found the target 11 times in just 12 matches for Jeonbuk Motors in the K-League. Every time he scores, there are more headlines about a possible return to the national team ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

That chorus reached a crescendo last weekend as Lee grabbed his second hat-trick of the season as Jeonbuk won 3-2 at the home of league leaders Gwangju Sangmu in an entertaining Jeolla province derby.

"There is lots of time left (before the World Cup) and the national team is watching,” said the man himself. “If I keep doing well then good things could happen.”

Others agree.

"Lee Dong-gook is ready to play for the national team at any time," said Jeonbuk coach Choi Kang-hee.

It is a testament to Lee’s mental strength that he has bounced back after a fairly terrible three years. In fact, it even goes back further than that. As a youngster, he was the star of the 2000 Asian Cup and it was expected that he would lead the Korean frontline at the 2002 World Cup. Guus Hiddink had other ideas and surprisingly omitted the Lion King.

It was a tough blow. Not only did Lee have to watch his former team-mates become heroes at home and stars abroad, he had to start his military service just after the competition finished in the knowledge that national team members had been granted exemption for their legendary run to the semi-finals.

With the departure of Hiddink, it wasn’t long before Lee was back in the team and six months before the 2006 World Cup, he was Dick Advocaat’s main striker. Then, just two months before the tournament was due to start, he tore a cruciate ligament and dreams of Germany were over.

The following year however, things were looking up. A dream move to the most popular league in the world came Lee’s way and he became a Middlesbrough player. A hit post in his first game was the closest he came to a league goal and after his 16-month spell, there were few ‘Boro’ fans sorry to see him depart.

He ended up back in Korea with championship-chasing Seongnam at the end of last season. The short spell was not a success as the team crashed out of the title race in the play-offs. Departing coach Kim Hak-beom even said that he hadn’t wanted Lee to join the team at all.

Whatever the truth, Lee was on the move once again in January 2009 as he became a Jeonbuk Motors player. He hasn’t looked back since scoring twice in his second game with the Jeonju team. The greens are a good team to watch and offer attacking options all over the field and for the first time in three years, Lee, who is leading the line as well as ever and bringing others into attack to a much greater extent than before, is evidently enjoying his football.

After missing 2002 and 2006, Lee could just be third-time lucky when it comes to the 2010 World Cup. It is only a matter of time before he receives a recall and while he won’t be counting any chickens, the Lion King revival could be complete in South Africa next summer.

Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile.com

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Sweden u-21 Euros

noreply@blogger.com (Soccerphile) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:06:42 PDT

See a slideshow of images of the u-21 European Championships in Sweden. The tournament was won 4-0 by Germany against England in the final.

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Carlos Ruiz Zafón - bestselling man but not a Barça fan

noreply@blogger.com (Sean O'Conor) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:13:31 PDT

One well-known Barcelona man who was certainly not thrilled by the Blaugrana's Champions League triumph against Manchester United was Carlos Ruiz Zafón, author of international publishing phenomenon The Shadow of the Wind
and the biggest-selling contemporary writer in Spanish.

The Catalan capital is the setting for Zafon's works, which have been translated into 45 languages, but the 'mes que un club' (more than a club) mantra has never been one of his.

"I don't take it too seriously," Barcelona-born Zafón told Soccerphile about the club's cultural grip on the city and region. "I take it more with a pinch of salt. It's not a matter of life or death is it, eleven men against eleven kicking around a ball."

The horror! I was shocked that anyone from Barcelona could fail to be taken in by such a big event as their city's famous club winning the ultimate club prize. I like to think football is the world's greatest unifying force, a tidal wave of popular feeling at times like this. And that no club breaches the boundaries of the stadium to define its wider community more than Barcelona does. Have you been to the Camp Nou and its museum? It is a cathedral for a mass faith, isn't it? Maybe not.

Meeting Zafón, in London to promote his new title, 'The Angel's Game', I was reminded of the first time I went to Liverpool to see a match at Anfield. I had been expecting every Liverpudlian to be a mine of soccer knowledge and a world away from the snobbish middle-class folk of my southern home county for whom a knowledge of football was a real rarity...I was rebuffed when the first Scousers I spoke to told me they weren't really interested in football and preferred to watch horse-racing...To each his own, I shrugged, but what a comical let-down.

Of course, when football gets really big it is a national TV event which reels in all but the most die-hard curmudgeons, and even Señor Zafón, who now resides in Los Angeles, cannot escape that.

Was Zafón interested at all in FCB's Champions League victory in Rome? "I was a little bit," he conceded. I am happy for them when they win as it is such a big thing in Barcelona."

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Fifa World Rankings July 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Soccerphile) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:41:59 PDT

Brazil go back to the top of this month's Fifa world rankings after winning the Confederations Cup in South Africa. Brazil are followed by Spain and the Netherlands England are down one in 7th place.

France are in 9th. Côte d'Ivoire are the highest African team in 18th. Russia are 6th, with the USA in 12th.

1 Brazil
2 Spain
3 Netherlands
4 Italy
5 Germany
6 Russia
7 England
8 Argentina
9 France
10 Croatia
11 Greece
12 USA Turkey
13 Switzerland
14 Serbia
15 Denmark
16 Australia
17 Portugal
18 Côte d'Ivoire
19 Ukraine
20 Uruguay

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United Sign Valencia While Ronaldo Completes Record Move

noreply@blogger.com (Soccerphile) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:48:10 PDT

It's all change at Old Trafford as one winger leaves and another is brought in to take his place. As Cristiano Ronaldo completed his world record £80million transfer to Real Madrid, Sir Alex Ferguson wasted no time licking his wounds and has instead snapped up Ecuador star Antonio Valencia.

The former Wigan Athletic winger put pen to paper on a four-year deal on Tuesday night, in a transfer believed to have cost United around £16million. Valencia had been linked with a move to Old Trafford for the last 12 months and Ferguson said: “Antonio is a player we have admired for some time now, having spent the last two years in the Premier League with Wigan.

“I am sure his pace and ability will make a significant contribution to the team.”

The 23 year old is one of a number of foreign players to have made their name at Wigan in recent years and he was quick to thank his former employers. He said: “I hope the fans at Wigan can understand that I am an ambitious guy and a chance like this might never come again for me.

“I am happy that the club has benefited from the move financially because I owe them such a lot. I have had a great time here.”

Many have been impressed by the way Valencia has adapted to the English game, however he will need to continue improving if he is to fill the sizeable void left by Ronaldo. Up for particular scrutiny will be his goalscoring prowess - while Ronaldo regularly scored upwards of 20 goals a season, Valencia managed just three last term.

With the World and European Player of the Year now firmly planted in Madrid, the pressure is on both Valencia and Ferguson to come up with the goods. There is no doubt that the United boss has acted quickly and decisively in finding a replacement but will it be a case of true love or has Alex been caught on the rebound? Football betting on that one would certainly be interesting!

Jets fume at Van Egmond defection

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fox) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:21:30 PDT

You have to think that Gary van Egmond had endured enough turmoil in his 32-month stint at the helm of the Newcastle Jets.

To some, it was no huge surprise when Van Egmond, an affable 44-year-old and former A-League coach of the year, this week handed in his resignation to outspoken Jets owner Con Constantine.

Any brownie points his side had earned from reaching the knockout phase of the AFC Champions League had evaporated in Pohang as the Steelers ran out 6-0 victors last week, eliminating them from the competition.

Such a heavy defeat would often be enough to prompt many trigger-happy chairmen to act or noncommittal managers to walk away - notwithstanding Van Egmond had recently penned a contract extension tying him to the Jets until 2013.

But revelations since that Korean nightmare have revealed Van Egmond's hasty resignation wasn't prompted solely by his under-prepared team's ACL humiliation.

He already had his eye on exiting the club he helped transform from cellar dwellers to champions and had formally applied for a coaching position within Football Federation Australia, the game's governing body.

As the application process proceeded, it became clear Van Egmond was the outstanding candidate for the role of working with some of the country's finest rising stars, as Australian under-17 assistant coach and with a remit to guide the youngsters at the Australian Institute of Sport.

But whatever the ramifications of bringing Van Egmond into the FFA stable with an eye on his long-term coaching development within the national body, from the outside it appears unusual to move from a head coach's position in the A-League to the lower ranks of the national side.

Van Egmond has been earmarked for a larger job since making an immediate splash when he took over at Newcastle in October 2006. The man known to all as 'Dutchy' led the Jets from the basement to the championship within 18 months and was labelled the brightest young manager in the Australian game.

But Newcastle's title defence was a disaster. They finished bottom, yet sympathy was shown for Van Egmond's position as his championship side was ripped apart by a combination of dubious incoming and outgoing transfers.

The coach would have tired of the revolving door at the Jets, particularly when it was clear a number of those coming and going did so against his wishes.

Newcastle have endured the biggest turnover of players of all eight foundation clubs with Van Egmond this season facing the prospect of managing without full internationals Jade North, James Holland, Joel Griffiths, Adam Griffiths, goalkeeper Ante Covic and Mark Milligan.

The Jets hierarchy brought in only journeymen and youngsters as replacements.

Still, Constantine had little sympathy for Van Egmond on his controversial departure, saying he blamed the defector more than the FFA, who he claimed poached his employee behind the club's back.

"He forgets that if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't be where he is now. He was selling Pepsi to me eight years ago. He pleaded then to help him get involved in coaching in the game," Constantine told The Australian.

He added: "If the FFA want to fine me (for his public condemnation of their actions), well, it would be like fining Jesus Christ because of the treachery of Judas."

Branko Culina, Van Egmond's replacement, is seen by the Jets movers and shakers as Newcastle's saviour.

Culina, a former Sydney FC coach, became the Jets' technical director earlier this year, a kind of guiding hand for Van Egmond.

He had said that his axing by Sydney in 2007 had left a bad taste, but the TV pundit couldn't resist another crack at frontline coaching after Constantine asked him to fill the breach, certainly for the medium term.

Culina signed a two-year deal, immediately jetting off to Europe to scout a pair of imports to change the Jets' fortunes this forthcoming season.

“I think that Branko is the best man for the job," trumpeted CEO John Tsatsimas. "He has been here since February and he has seen the club, he knows the players first-hand. He is an experienced coach, he is a very technical coach as is (assistant) Mark Jones and we believe that they will work well together. We also believe that it will provide the foundation for rectifying us results-wise and it will lead us into the finals.”

Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com

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Kawasaki gear up for epic Kashima showdown

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Tuckerman) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:37:31 PDT

If there's one team that can stop the Kashima Antlers juggernaut from steam-rolling to a third successive J. League title, it's Kawasaki Frontale.

The Kanagawa side geared up for an epic showdown with Kashima on Sunday by beating Gamba Osaka 1-0 at Todoroki Stadium in a rescheduled Round 10 fixture overnight.

Youngster Yuji Yabu scored the only goal of the game, setting up a highly anticipated clash with runaway league leaders Kashima in four days time.

Kawasaki can cut the deficit at the top of standings to just five points with a win over Kashima, but Gamba's title hopes look all but over after they lost to Kawasaki for the second time in a week.

The reigning Asian champions were knocked out of this year's Champions League after Kawasaki beat Gamba 3-2 in a thriller at Expo '70 Stadium on July 24.

Kashima Antlers were also knocked out of the Champions League on the same night - losing on penalties to South Korean club FC Seoul - but unlike Gamba, the Antlers look well placed to pick up another piece of silverware this season.

They hammered a disappointing Nagoya Grampus 3-0 in the evening's other rescheduled fixture overnight, with midfielder Takuya Nozawa scoring either side of goals from strikers Shinzo Koroki and Marquinhos.

A full round of top flight fixtures takes place on the weekend of July 4/5, with the highlights seeing Omiya Ardija welcome Yokohama F. Marinos to Omiya Park, while the bottom two clash at Kyushu Oil Dome when Oita Trinita host JEF United in a relegation six-pointer.

On Sunday night, Nagoya Grampus host Gamba Osaka in a Toyota Stadium blockbuster, injury-riddled Sanfrecce Hiroshima take on Jubilo Iwata at Big Arch Stadium, while all eyes will be on Todoroki Stadium as Kawasaki Frontale welcome Kashima Antlers to town.

Caio Junior becomes the season's first casualty

Vissel Kobe coach Caio Junior became the first J. League coach to exit his post this season when stepped down following the Kansai club's latest 2-0 defeat away at Urawa Reds.

The Brazilian tactician arrived with impressive credentials, but the man last in charge of Brazilian giants Flamengo failed to endear himself to the Kobe faithful for his inability to win with a side that includes former Japan captain Tsuneyasu Miyamoto.

The disastrous signings of compatriots Alan Bahia and on-loan Benfica forward Marcel contributed to Caio Junior's unpopularity, and the Brazilian jumped before he was pushed, with Vissel Kobe currently lying fourteenth in the standings.

Masahiro Wada has stepped in to take charge on an interim basis, and his first match is the home clash with FC Tokyo this Saturday night.

Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com

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UEFA u21: Scouting Report

noreply@blogger.com (Sean O'Conor) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:28:59 PDT

Over 100 scouts registered to attend the UEFA u21 Championship which has just finished in Sweden. Previous participants have included Raul, Michael Ballack, Luis Figo, Frank Lampard, Henrik Larsson, Eric Cantona and Zinedine Zidane.

Here are the rising stars who caught my eye -

#1 - MARCUS BERG, 22, Groningen & Sweden The hottest shot of the tournament began with a hat-trick and ended with seven goals in four games. A class apart from his rivals with two deadly feet and immaculate off the ball running. What are the big clubs waiting for?

#2 - ZORAN TOSIĆ, 22, Man Utd & Serbia. Signed by Sir Alex in January, he has only made two cup appearances for the Red Devils so far but with his high-speed dribbling, free kicks and ability to play on both wings, expect to see more of this Serbian starlet in the EPL soon.

#3 - MESUT ÖZIL, 20, Werder Bremen & Germany. Germany's ace in the pack destroyed England in the final and with his speed and pinpoint vision has the potential to be his country's greatest attacking midfielder since Lothar Matthaus.

#4 - MARIO BALOTELLI, 18, Inter & Italy. Astonishingly good for his age, he will likely be one of Europe's most feared forwards across the next decade. Balotelli is fast, strong, difficult to mark and shoots with abandon. Looks dangerous whenever he is on the ball.

#5 - ANDREW DRIVER, 19, Hearts & England. Driver by name and by nature, the Hearts teen made his u21 debut against Germany in the group stage, but what a debut. A revelation on the right wing, unlike his first-choice colleagues, he caused no end of problems to the eventual winners with his penetrative surges.

And the best of the rest:

Sebastiano Giovinco 22, Juventus & Italy. Blessed with speed, strength and skill, the young Juventino has that knack of being the protagonista in the middle, dominating proceedings and threatening to score with his deft shooting.

Nikola Petković, 23, Eintracht Frankfurt & Serbia. A wise head on young shoulders, Petkovic looks the finished article at left-back: Strong, quick feet & thinking and top-drawer distribution.

Jack Rodwell, 18, Everton & England. A classy midfielder with an silky touch, direct running and a range of passing; broke into Everton's team last year; expect to see him in feature in full England squads in years to come.

Ola Toivonen, 23, PSV & Sweden -a dangerous and intelligent deep-lying support striker who notched three goals in four games in the finals.

Teemu Pukki, 19, Sevilla & Finland. Looks like a young Jonathan Spector, the wiry, mulleted striker plays with fearlessness and shoots on sight. With a bit more game-savvy and some time with the weights, he could follow in the footsteps of Mikael Forssell and Jari Litmanen.

Gojko Kačar, 23, Hertha Berlin & Serbia. A tough-as-nails midfield anchor who breaks up and kick-starts attacks with consummate ease.

Sergei Kryvets, 23, BATE Borisov & Belarus - An elegant playmaker the like of which the modern game should find a place for. Like the best orchestrators, Kryvets creates space and time on the field and neutralises quicker and more muscular opponents.

Rasmus Elm 21, Kalmar & Sweden - A clever passer with vision from left midfield.

Javi Martinez 21, Atheltic Bilbao & Spain - A skilful attacking midfielder who would not look out of place in the European Champions' 16.

Gustav Svensson, 22, Gothenburg & Sweden - a solid holding midfielder assured in every way and with sound distribution.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Germans trounce favourites to win the prize

noreply@blogger.com (Sean O'Conor) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:03:45 PDT

UEFA u21 Championship Final
Germany 4:0 England

Germany pricked the bubble surrounding Sturat Pearce's England u21s by blanking them 4-0 in the UEFA u21 final in Malmo.

Werder Bremen's Mesut Ozil, one of the best midifielders in the tournament, was the ringleader of the tormentors as Pearce's dream of Euro glory once more foundered at Teutonic feet.

Leading 1-0 at the interval from an almost copycat goal of the one they scored against England in Halmstad, the Germans sat back in the second half and let the Three Lions monopolise possession, but picked them off with three killer counter-attacks, which left the final score appear like a rout had happened.

It had not. England enjoyed 60% of the ball and dominated proceedings in the second half, but had lost the verve they showed in the group stages and semi-final when leading Sweden 3-0 at half time. The yellow cards shown to Gabriel Agbonlahor, Fraizer Campbell and Joe Hart cost them dear in Malmo.

With no recognisable strikers left, Theo Walcott, baptised star of the show before the first game, was left forlorn up front in the middle, unable to physically dominate the defenders around him and shorn of decent through-balls to sprint after.

Then at the back, Watford's Scott Loach was a less than adequate replacement for Hart. He was wrong-footed for Ozil's swerving goal in the 48th minute and let Sandro Wagner's 79th minute strike fly through his legs.

Germany however, played a tactically sound game, marked closely, defended en masse and did a textbook job in frustrating their more fancied opponents, waiting until England lost possession before raiding upfield.

A surprise then, as Sweden, Belarus and Italy had looked more impressive than the Germans beforehand, and a devastating loss for England, who had looked all set from day one to bring home their first u21 trophy since 1984.

After Italia '90 and Euro '96, Pearce's run of misfortune against the Germans goes on.

GER - Castro 23'
GER - Ozil 48'
GER- Wagner 79'
GER - Wagner 84'

Germany- Neuer, Beck, Howedes, Boateng, Boenisch, Hummels (Aogo 83'), Johnson (Schwaab 68''), Castro, Khedira, Ozil (Schmelzer 89), Wagner.

England - Loach, Cranie (Gardner 80'), Richards, Onuoha (Mancienne 46'), Gibbs, Cattermole, Muamba (Rodwell 77'), Noble, Milner, Walcott, Johnson.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Euro u21 Final: England's great chance

noreply@blogger.com (Sean O'Conor) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:11:47 PDT

UEFA u21 Championship Final, Malmo, Sweden

England v Germany

After a ding-dong semi final in which they threw away a three-goal lead before winning 5-4 on penalties, England return to Malmo for the final of the UEFA u21 Championship.

Stuart Pearce will be missing three key players through suspension - goalkeeper Joe Hart and forwards Gabriel Agbonlahor and Fraizer Campbell, which means Theo Walcott should take on a central striking role against the Germans, who edged Italy 1-0 to reach the final.

Pearce will be confident of victory, after his selection with ten changes outplayed the Germans and fought to a 1-1 draw in the group stage in Halmstad. Despite the suspended absentees, England's squad remains deeper and more battle-hardened than any other.

While England's Premier League is generally considered detrimental to youth development, its academies temples of cultural globalisation instead of national breeding grounds, a victory for the u21s in Sweden tonight will reassure doubters.

Germany have not looked as impressive as Serbia or Sweden overall but like all German elftals they are game-savvy and tournament-savvy enough to reach the final even when they are not one of the best two teams.

Plus, coach Horst Hrubesch has a couple of aces in talented playmaker Mehsut Ozil of Werder Bremen and attacking midfielder Gonzalo Castro of Bayer Leverkusen England must beware.

Win or lose, Pearce has come through this tournament with flying colours. The former England captain has been an engrossing communicator at press conferences, impressing journalists with his acute analysis of games and tournament issues. Pearce's progress from mediocre Man City coach to being a favourite to succeed Fabio Capello as England coach has been meteoric.

But a second successive failure to bring home the silverware will wound his reputation. England began the tournament as hot favourites with their arsenal of Premier League stars. Tonight in Malmo they have their best chance in years of winning a tournament.

Interestingly, England's two penalty villains of Italia '90 against Germany are in the stadium - Pearce and Chris Waddle, who is working as a radio summariser.

After the fright against Sweden, another shoot-out defeat to the Germans is just too much for Pearce to contemplate.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Brazilian blowback ends American dream

noreply@blogger.com (Sean O'Conor) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:02:25 PDT

FIFA Confederations Cup Final, Johannesburg
BRAZIL 3:2 USA

USA - Dempsey 10'
USA - Donovan 27'
BRA- Luis Fabiano 46'
BRA- Luis Fabiano 74'
BRA- Lucio 84'

Brazil retained the Confederations Cup after a real game of two halves at Ellis Park saw the United States take a shock 2-0 lead before succumbing to a Brazilian tempest in the second half to lose 3-2.

After dismissing the Spanish in the semi-final, the US were all set to replicate the Miracle of Bloemfontein with a two-goal lead, until Brazil remembered their status and blitzed them with three goals in the second half.

The US' solid 442 had frustrated the selecao enough to knock them out of their stride. Increasingly bereft of ideas and lacking any zest, the five-times World Cup winners had relied too much on individual magic to breach the white wall in front of them, which for the second game in a row was not giving way.

After less than ten minutes the Americans were ahead as Jonathan Spector's deep centre from the right wing curled into the path of Clint Dempsey who had pulled clear of the yellow shirts before tapping the ball past a despairing Julio Cesar into the far corner. America, on their way home after two miserable group defeats and with their coach on deathwatch, were instead heading towards the trophy itself.

The dream was surely on, a shock to be heard around the world. Brazil were struggling, like Spain had, to contend with the two lines of four, massed like robots in front of Tim Howard. After 27 minutes it got worse for them, as the US leapt into a two-nil lead. Four touches were all it took for the Americans to score after robbing Brazil of the ball close to their own box. Charlie Davies and Landon Donovan played a textbook wall-pass move which Donovan finished with real aplomb.

Half-time and the Americans deservedly led. Not only had they worked hard to frustrate Brazil and keep their shape come what may, Dempsey and Donovan had stayed upfield while their colleagues had toiled to keep the yellow army at bay, but the gamble had worked. Not only had they posed a threat on the break which produced two goals, but they had also kept the Brazilian full-backs from overlapping. The US were winning the tactical battle. The soccer world was topsy-turvy.

What a difference half time made. Brazil were unrecognisable from their first half shadows and cranked up the samba as soon as the second half kicked off, pulling a goal back within a minute. Luis Fabiano, the tournament's premier marksman, swiveled and fired home from the edge of the box in a split-second, a goal of international calibre.

The quick strike put wind in their sails. It was all Brazil now, pressing, fast, furious and inventive, everything they were not in the first half, the old selecao rejuvenated.

What magic must Dunga have worked in the dressing room. His players were defending higher up the field and their fullbacks, neutered previously, now overlapped with abandon. Six minutes later they were unlucky as a Kaka header crept over the line but was punched clear by Howard before the officials noticed. Could the US hold out? It looked unlikely, but just maybe their never-say-die and all-hands-to-the-pump team spirit might see out the clock.

Sixteen minutes from time disaster struck again. Kaka, a wandering assassin hungry for a kill, popped up on the left flank and steamed past Spector like an express train, before pulling back a deadly cross which Robinho hit goalward before Fabiano converted: 2-2 and Brazil clearly in the driving seat. The brave American challenge was wilting in the cool Johannesburg night.

Bradley did what he could, throwing on three fresh pairs of legs for his tiring troops but the MLS substitutes made no impact, a reminder of the need for 23 international class players in your squad.

Lucio rose highest to a cross five minutes from time to head Brazil into a deserved lead and an uncluttered path to the tournament. The goalscorer was in tears of joy. At the final whistle Dempsey cried in sorrow. So near, but still so far, the US had almost completed an incredible dream, but could have few complaints about the final score.

While they surprised the world by beating Spain and leading Brazil, it will still be a while before the US can mount a credible challenge for the big prize. Still, results like these will win them more respect worldwide and inspire more American kids to aim high in the Beautiful Game.

It was in Brazilian town of Belo Horizonte where the US shocked the football world by beating England in the 1950 World Cup Finals. Their future is still a beautiful horizon, but for now God is still a Brazilian.

In the earlier game, Spain grabbed third place by beating South Africa 3-2.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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The strange case of Psycho & Theo

noreply@blogger.com (Sean O'Conor) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:58:40 PDT

Any coach who can afford to leave Theo Walcott out of his team is a lucky one.

But when that team is the England U21s and Walcott has started the last two games for the National Team, the manager opens himself up to scrutiny. Is the team really that good? Or is there another reason?

Predictably, journalists have latched onto Pearce's sporadic use of his best player as a story to run with and them to interrogate him on at every opportunity. Pearce denies any exceptionalism at every turn, but the hacks are still baffled.

Is the FA trying to keep the big clubs on board by tacitly acquiescing to Arsene Wenger’s request that Walcott should not travel to Sweden? Is Pearce trying to prove to others, or even to himself, that star names cannot be allowed to outshine the team’s identity? Or is he secretly playing games with his opponents by naming unexpected lineups only to unleash his talisman as an impact substitute?

It would seem absurd to suggest England could do without Walcott when he is good enough to play for the National Team and was explosive against Spain.

The promotional posters and literature for the UEFA u21 Championship all seem to have Walcott prominently displayed on them. English football is closely watched in Scandinavia and Arsenal have strong support across Sweden. Attracting crowds to U21 football during the Midsummer Holiday here was never going to be easy, so the organizers must have breathed a sigh of relief when England refused to bow to Wenger’s predictable request that they rest his scarcely-used 20-year-old this summer. If there is one thing Wenger has no appreciation of it is the international game and it should not bow to his selfish and club-centric demands.

True, Walcott did not impress for the first 45minutes against Finland in Halmstad and was unsurprisingly replaced. Coach Stuart Pearce justified his substitution of the Arsenal starlet by pointing to the fact England won the game after he departed, but the media interrogation is not about to stop. He is the star name of the tournament, just ahead of the now disappointing Bojan Krkic of Spain, and the show must go on.

When Walcott was not named to the starting eleven against Spain in England’s second game there were baffled looks all around. ‘Is he injured?’ everyone wondered. Not as far as anyone knew.

At last! was the collective feeling in Gothenburg’s new stadium when Walcott stepped onto the field after an hour and the effect was immediately catalytic. England scored within two minutes and added a second soon afterwards following a typical roadrunner raid by Walcott on the Spanish defence.

With that victory England qualified for the semi-finals, leaving the clash with Germany in Halmstad little more than a training game. The one thing Pearce will not want is for his best players to get injured and/or suspended in that game. But there was Walcott, coming on as a second-half sub….?!?!?

Without Walcott, England still appear to have the quality to defeat any team in this competition, but if they struggle to make headway after an hour, an injection of the Arsenal man into the cocktail should prove too potent for anyone, so Pearce’s thinking goes. Psycho remains unconvinced of the need for 90 minutes of Theo. But in the knock-out stages there is no room for experimenting or for making the sort of errors you have time to make amends for in the group stage.

Come the semi-final on Friday, Pearce must be tempted to give in and field Walcott from the start, although his return against Spain might tempt him into using him as sub again. It is a risk which could backfire should England leave it too late to do too much catching up, but results so far have backed Pearce.

Whatever his insistence on treating all his players the same as each other, the former England skipper knows well that some players are more equal than others.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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In the Driver's seat

noreply@blogger.com (Sean O'Conor) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:39:11 PDT

Soccerphile Exclusive:
England u21 revelation Andrew Driver

Andrew Driver is not exactly a name on many fans' lips, but after a stellar debut for the England u21 side against Germany on Monday, expect to hear more of this young talent soon.

The 21 year-old from Lancashire, who plays his football north of the border with Heart of Midlothian, was a sensation on the right-wing, storming up the flanks and leading the Germans a merry dance with his penetrative runs, until coach Stuart Pearce decided to rest his ace after 71 minutes' of a more than satisfactory debut.

"Obviously it was a dream to get my first cap," Driver told Soccerphile. "It was the first massive game for me, and one of the biggest of my career. I really enjoyed it," he went on, "and am really pleased with how it went. I wanted to get the ball at every opportunity and it is good when you are in that mood."

Watching Driver lead the line against Germany so confidently, it was eye-opening to think it really was his first game for his country at any level.

Of course, England had taken notice already, as had Burnley and Coventry, who had both been rebuffed in efforts to sign the precocious midfielder, the Sky Blues offering one million pounds back in January's transfer window.

Edinburgh might not be the most usual port of call for English u21s, but Driver has lived in the Scottish capital since nine years ago when his father took the family north of the border for work.

Joining the Tynecastle youth system, the young Englishman worked his way through the ranks until he made his first-team debut for the Jam bos in a pre-season tour of Austria in 2006.

Driver speaks with Lancastrian vowels and a hint of that county's unmistakable burr, but confesses it is all a bit of a ruse to hide his subsequently-acquired Scottish accent.

"I just sound English because I have been with English people here for a while!," he joked. "When I arrived all the boys said I sounded Scottish. I have been taking quite a bit of stick as you can imagine. I just say a few words and get slagged!"

And joining a team including some household names with World Cup and Champions League experience was not easy.

"It was really nerve-racking the first time I entered the England dressing-room not knowing everyone," he admitted, "because these guys are at the top of their game. I have never played against them and have never been near them so they would not know who I am. But the boys have made it really easy and I feel like I have settled in quite well. Football is football when you are out on the pitch and everyone is the same."

Overlooked for the first two games in Sweden, Driver is pressing for inclusion against the hosts in the semi-final, but his lack of caps will count against him making the starting eleven.

"There are boys in the squad who are very experienced," he said.

"In my position you have Milner and Walcott in my position and Johnno (Adam Johnson) on the left so obviously I am just happy I went out and showed everything I could and put myself in the mix. It is a team game so if I am not selected I will just be happy to support the team. It is a massive tournament for us and however the manager decides to win it I will be very happy to go along with him. Stuart has been very supportive of me and the training has been brilliant. He is brilliant with the players."

Win or lose in Gothenburg tonight, Driver will not forget the first time he played for his country, and this is surely not the last time we will have heard of him either.

"For me the experience is something I have never done before. This is my first international squad outing. I have not always been the best traveler in the past but I have really enjoyed this trip. I just hope to take as much from it as possible and I am enjoying doing that."

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Semi-final day in Sweden

noreply@blogger.com (Sean O'Conor) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:50:12 PDT

It's do or die now as the UEFA U21 enters its semi-final stage.

Germany tackle the Italians in Helsingborg while a tasty clash is on the menu in Gothenburg, where a sell-out crowd is expected for Sweden v England.

A united Germany has yet to reach the finals while Italy have featured in five of the last nine u21 finals, winning four of them.

Sweden will be hoping to maintain the momentum which saw them win a bruising battle (the referee flashed two red and ten yellow cards) against the highly-rated Serbs 3-1 in their final group game. The crowd in Malmo was almost 20,000, raising hopes that the New Gamla Ullevi in Gothenburg, with its 18,800 seats, will be the first venue in the competition to witness a sell -out.

England must beware the telepathic Dutch-based striking duo of Marcus Berg and Ola Toivonen, who have bagged seven goals in three games, but England's aces look more than capable of eliminating the hosts.

Stuart Pearce witnessed his B-team, with ten changes from the eleven who had beaten Spain, outplay Germany's first team in Halmstad and fight to a 1-1 finish to qualify as group winners.

"Other than they goal they snatched we had the game in control and were comfortable that whole match," England right-winger Andrew Driver told Soccerphile. "We came to this tournament with a strong 23 and I think we showed tonight that no-one will disappoint. The boys are very confident. You have to take every game as it comes obviously and take that momentum into the next game but we are brimming with confidence."

"The team has done really well and we have shown that there is a lot of depth in the squad." Chelsea's England centre-back Michael Mancienne told Soccerphile.

Mancienne was sent off in England's opener against Finland but after serving his one-game suspension and playing 90 minutes against Germany, he is now relishing the showdown with the Swedes.

"The momentum is good and we are looking forward to the game," he said. "It has been a really good camp for us. All the boys are really close. Having been a great defender, Stuart Pearce gives me a lot of good advice so he has been really great to work under too.

Obviously Sweden are the home nation but they are all tough teams from now on."

The final is in Malmo on Monday.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Sir Alex turns to Latin America for the next Ronaldo

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Sturtridge) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:52:44 PDT

With Cristiano Ronaldo off to join the new galáctico era at Real Madrid leaving Sir Alex Ferguson with £80 million burning a hole in his pocket here is a selection of South American starlets who could fill the vacant number seven shirt at Old Trafford.

Despite assuring Nani that he has a future at the club, having Serbian Zoran Tosic in the wings as well as pursuing Franck Ribéry and Karim Benzema do not be surprised if one or more of the names below show up in a Manchester United shirt sooner rather than later.

In fact with the money raised by the sale of Ronaldo alone Fergie could bring all four of the Latin wing wizards he is linked with and still have enough left over for a sizable punt on the nags.

So lets have a look over the runners and riders…

Name: Alexis Sanchez

Age: 20

Nationality: Chilean

Current Club: Udinese

International Record: 22 caps, 7 goals

Possible Cost: £30 million

Both Udinese and Chile have benefitted this season as Alexis Sanchez continues to polish up his act and produce the goods on the pitch.

El Niño Maravilla has grabbed his chance in Italy by making 32 appearances for Udinese this term and his performances for Chile, including a brace last time out against Bolivia, have fired his nation to within touching distance of the World Cup.

Despite Udinese’s president Sergio Gasparin issuing a hands off warning to Manchester United speculation is still rife that Alexis Sanchez will be swapping Stadio Friuli for Old Trafford in time for next season.

Gasparin is obviously keen to be seen as protecting his prize asset and has turned to the press to voice his concerns about Sanchez even though the player himself has stated he would love to play for Manchester United one day.

“Alexis Sanchez is not for sale,” Gasparin told the Italian press. “From a technical standpoint, this player means a lot to us.”

“He has a four-year contract with Udinese and there is no contact with Manchester United,” bluntly added the club’s president. “We do not have any intention of selling Alexis.”

Gasparin has already turned down a €25 million bid from Bayern Munich who appear to view Sanchez as a perfect replacement for want away Franck Ribéry.

However the player’s agent appears not to be heeding Gasparin’s warning and continues to put his player in the shop window. Fernando Felicevich went as far to reveal that meetings were taking place with Old Trafford officials to get a deal off the ground.

“My partner is currently in England working on the transfer of Alexis," Felicevich told Setanta.com. “Yes, we have spoken to Manchester United, but not just to United. We have also held talks with other English teams. We are trying to do the transfer this summer.”

Sanchez first appeared in the Chilean league with Cobreloa and was snapped up shortly after by Udinese for around £2 million. Sanchez was then loaned to Colo-Colo and then River Plate where he picked up an Argentine league winners medal.

After a successful debut season in Serie A Alexis Sanchez has proven his ability in one of Europe’s top leagues and the high asking price represents the relatively low risk factor of this transfer with the player primed to make an instant impact in the Premier League.

Name: Antonio Valencia

Age: 23

Nationality: Ecuadoran

Current club: Wigan Athletic (ENG)

International record: 34 caps, 4 goals

Probable cost: £17 million

Sir Alex doesn’t have to look to far for one Latin America option with Ecuadoran Antonio Valencia plying his trade just up the road at Wigan Athletic.

Valencia has just completed his third Premier League term and did his chances of a move to Old Trafford no harm with a man of the match performance there this season as Wigan lost by a single goal.

Steve Bruce knows what it takes to succeed at Manchester United and he gave a frank assessment of the player when he eventually signed Valencia on a permanent bias from Villarreal last year.

“He has pace, trickery, he is as strong as an ox and has a great work ethic,” said the former United captain. “I want him to focus completely on his football and keep improving because I believe he has the potential to be a top, top player.”

Valencia certainly stepped up to Bruce’s challenge as he helped in his manager’s transformation of Wigan from basement battlers to Europa League contenders.

However as Wigan’s chairman Dave Whelan freely admits just like Wilson Palacios, Emile Heskey and Leighton Baines before him, Valencia has his price.

That price is believed to be in the region of £17 million but could be pushed up as joint interest from Real Madrid sparks a bidding war for the Ecuadoran. Another factor which could add a few quid on to Valencia’s transfer is a 20% sell-on fee owed to Villarreal.

Whelan explains the latest state of play concerning Manchester United’s approaches.

“They have been in touch with us and we will be starting negotiations very shortly, I would imagine,” the Wigan chairman said. “United have been in touch with us over Antonio over the last two or three months, expressing an interest and putting cash offers on the table.”

Manchester United were forced to act on Valencia after they learnt of Real Madrid putting in an £18 million bid back in January despite seemingly to have already secured the services of Ronaldo.

While Whelan would like to strengthen his ties with the current Premier League champions he concedes that the eventual decision will be in the player’s hands.

“We have had offers that are acceptable to Wigan Athletic, around the £14-£18m mark, said Whelan. “One club could offer £2m more than the other, but if Antonio says he doesn't want to go there then there is no point.”

Name: Douglas Costa

Age: 18

Nationality: Brazilian

Current club: Grêmio (BRA)

International record: Under-20 11 caps, 3 goals

Probable cost: £21 million

After getting his fingers burnt with Brazilian talent in the past Sir Alex looks now to have found a way to harness players from the most successful footballing nation in the world.

Fergie plucked Kleberson straight from the Brasileirão after his performances in the 2002 World Cup singled him out as star performer in the middle of the park. However, an injury in only his second appearance for Manchester United set the tone for two disappointing seasons with the club.

A look through the Manchester United squad now though reveals a healthy Brazilian contingent including first team regular Anderson as well as Rodrigo Possebon and the Da Silva twins on the fringes.

No surprise therefore that Fergie has used his considerable scouting network in Brazil to identify a possible successor to Ronaldo. It appears all his sources have come back with the same name, Douglas Costa of Grêmio.

Now after a year of monitoring the player’s progress which has seen Douglas establish himself in the Grêmio side and guide Brazil to success at the South American under-20 championships the time has come to act.

Inter Milan and Real Madrid are reported to be interested but Manchester United hope that Douglas will be swayed by the prospect of joining up with Fergie’s current boys from Brazil.

The left-footed Douglas is rumoured to have a £21 million release trigger in his contract with Grêmio plus United would have to jump through a few hoops on the work permit front in order to secure his signature.

These hurdles however have not prevented officials from Old Trafford starting a dialogue with Douglas’ agent Cesar Bottega.

“There have been informal conversations and I believe United would match [the release price],” Bottega said. “At the end of the Brasileirão in December, Douglas will be worth at least twice that.”

Bottega also added that the reported £6.7 million that Manchester United have already tabled for Douglas was laughed off by Grêmio president Duda Kroeff.

One person who is not happy with United’s interest in Brazilian youngsters is the 1970 World Cup winning captain and scorer of that goal, Carlos Alberto. After seeing so many talented youths tempted away from his homeland Carlos Alberto has accused Manchester United in particular of “raping Brazilian football”.

As well as employing two full-time scouts in Brazil Manchester United also have a deal with Desportivo Brasil, a youth club owned by Traffic Football Management. A move which be seen as at odds with some of the club’s comments concerning third party ownership which arose as Carlos Tevez left the club.

Name: Javier Pastore

Age: 20

Nationality: Argentine

Current club: Huracán (ARG)

International record: Unreleased by Huracán for under-20 duty

Probable cost: £11 million

Last weekend I went along to watch Huracán go top of the Argentine league with a 3-0 win over Arsenal. The star of the show without doubt was Javier Pastore, a midfielder equally adept in creating as well as taking goalscoring chances.

It was looking likely that Pastore would be available in the coming months as his complicated contract with Huracán drew to a close but before last week’s match it was announced to the great delight of the crowd that Pastore has signed up for another six months on loan.

However, if a big bid was to come in who is say that Pastore would be sticking around in Buenos Aires for another season. Any deal would have to suit the investment group would paid £200,000 for 55% of his registration and Talleres, the Argentine lower league club who own the remaining 45%.

It has been quite the coup by Huracán chairman Carlos Babington, nicknamed El

Ingles for his English sounding name, to secure Pastore’s services as the cash strapped club stand one game away from an historic league title.

Pastore has benefitted from working under Huracán's manager Angel Cappa, a staunch football purist whose style of play demands the ball is played to feet. Cappa has urged Pastore to explore his talents on the pitch as he gives his players free range to express themselves in pursuit of goals.

This freedom has seen Pastore head and shoulders above his fellow tricksters in Argentina’s weekly showboating feature on a television program and what makes him such an attractive proposal is the final product he has delivered time and time again.

Braces in recent wins against River Plate and Rosario Central have kept his team in a title race as well as cementing the interest of Manchester United.

“I'm very proud that a club like United are interested in me,” Pastore said. “The thing is that at clubs like Manchester United there are a lot of great players, and they are all internationals. I know that if I moved to a club like that, I'd have to wait to get my chance to play.”

In the meantime a little wrinkle for Pastore to iron out is his apparent snub of international duty which has recently seen him frozen out of Diego Maradona’s plans with the national team.

Pastore was selected to represent Argentina at the South American under-20 championships but Huracán refused to release him and this has led to a feeling that he let his country down.

When reacting to his exclusion from Argentina’s recent B international against Panama the talented youth took the opportunity once again to remind people that it was not him who made the decision to withdraw.

“I didn't refuse to travel with the national team,” Pastore said, before adding. “The players who are in the national team are there because they deserve to be.”

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Tosic - I want to fill Ronaldo's boots

noreply@blogger.com (Sean O'Conor) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:13:58 PDT

Soccerphile Exclusive:
Manchester United & Serbia's Zoran Tosic

Manchester United’s Serbian u21 star Zoran Tosic has said he will leap at the chance of replacing Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford next season if given the opportunity.

The skilful winger, signed by United from FK Partizan in January’s transfer window, has been wowing the crowds in this summer’s UEFA u21 tournament in Sweden, leading to talk that he might be about to step into Ronaldo’s shoes now the Portuguese star has left for Real Madrid.

“I have read that,” Tosic told Soccerphile. “I came to Manchester United to get better and get stronger in every way and it will be six months in July since I came. In the next six months I hope I am going to get a chance and I have to use that chance.”

22-year-old Tosic debuted for the Red Devils as a substitute for Ronaldo in an FA Cup fourth-round tie against Tottenham on the 24^th of January, then made his league bow three days later, replacing Dimitar Berbatov against West Brom, but saw no more first team action in 2008-’09.

Like another flying winger in the U21 tournament, Theo Walcott, Tosic has experience with the National Team, for whom he has clocked up 13 appearances since 2007.

Standing only 5’7” (1.71m), his low centre of gravity makes him a natural dribbler. Add to that his quick feet, rapid acceleration and ability to play on both wings and he seems a potentially tailor-made replacement for Ronaldo, albeit with less prowess in the air.

He is also a free-kick specialist, but was devastated after failing to find the target with his set-piece against Belarus, the last kick of the game. Tosic collapsed crestfallen at the final whistle and did not get up from the ground for a long time.

“I was disappointed because I did not score at the end from a free kick and I am practising them every day, every day!” he explained. “And the only reason I practise is so I can get a chance like that in the 95^th minute. In that moment you show the entire world you are a player that can score from just one chance and unfortunately I did not score.”

Serbia exited the competition after losing 3-1 to the hosts in Malmo on Tuesday, after registering successive 0-0s from their first two games against Italy and Belarus. But Tosic's impressive showings in Sweden have not gone unnoticed and will mean more eyes than before will be focused on the young Serb when United kick off their Premier League defence in August.

“Of course it has been a great experience so far,” he said about playing in England. “It is the strongest league in the world and every player who can play in England can play in every country.

All I know is if I get the chance I am going to use it and do my best - Who knows, maybe some day I am going to pick up Ronaldo’s place!”

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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UEFA u21: Sweden & Italy in the semi-finals

noreply@blogger.com (Sean O'Conor) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:00:07 PDT

UEFA u21 Championship, Sweden 2009

Sweden 3-1 Serbia, Malmo, 19,820
Italy 2-1 Belarus, Helsingborg, 3,014

Sweden and Italy advanced to the semi-finals tonight leaving Belarus and Serbia to pack their bags.

The hosts downed Serbia 3-1 in front of almost 20,000 fans in Malmo, the championship's biggest crowd yet, with tournament top gunner Marcus Berg scoring twice in the first quarter of an hour to lift his goal tally to five. Serbian skipper Gojko Kacar pulled one back after 26 minutes before Ola Toivonen scored Sweden's third just short of the half hour. A fiery evening saw the referee brandish ten yellow cards and send off two Serbs, Nikola Petkovic and Nenad Tomovic.

In Helsingborg, Italy and Belarus fought a ding-dong battle for the last semi-final spot, with the Azzurrini triumphing 2-1 in the end. Sergei Kislyak fired Belarus into a 45th minute lead only for Robert Acquafresca to equalise for the Italians from the spot in added-on time.

Both sides had chances to score before Acquafresca gave Italy the lead in the 75th minute with his second goal of the evening, a lead PierLuigi Casiraghi's team held until the final whistle.

Sweden play England in Gothenburg on Friday for a place in the final, while Italy tackle Germany in Helsingborg.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Iranian Stars Banned For Green Protest

noreply@blogger.com (Soccerphile) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:33:57 PDT

Four of the six Iranian footballers who wore green armbands in Iran's 1-1 draw with South Korea in a recent World Cup qualifier have been handed life bans from the national team.

Ali Karimi, 31, team captain Mehdi Mahdavikia, 32, Hosein Ka'abi, 24 and Vahid Hashemian, 32 have been "retired" from national team duty and are reported to have had their passports confiscated.

Karimi, Mahdavikia and Hashemian have all played with top clubs in Germany. Karimi with Bayern and Mahdavikia and Hashemian with Eintracht Frankfurt and Bochum.

Confederations Cup In Full Swing

noreply@blogger.com (John Duerden) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:35:23 PDT

With South Korea safely qualified for the 2010 World Cup, it was time to head to South Africa and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. This competition is a rehearsal for the massive festival of football that comes next summer. It features the champion of each of the six continental confederations as well as the World Cup host, South Africa obviously, and the world champions, Italy.

The eight-nation quadrennial tournament is one of the better ideas that the world governing body has had over the years. It gives everyone a chance for a dry run and to iron out any rough spots.

The teams that make it get a great opportunity to check out training facilities in South Africa but even the pioneers often have to fight for their favored spots. The United States and Italy have fallen in love with one pristine training park in Centurion just outside Johannesburg. The Europeans used it for this competition but have been shocked as the Americans slipped in behind their backs to do a deal with the authorities. Italy are not happy - in fact, the Azzurri have not had the best of times this summer/winter.

The organizers get a dress rehearsal in logistics and in making sure that the whole thing, and even the Confederations Cup is no small affair, works for most. There have been a number of complaints about Johannesburg’s Park and Ride system that buses fans in from designated car parks around the city but plans are in place to improve this system as well as public transport for next year. For the media too, it is a great chance to become familiar with the country, the football scene, make contacts as well as more prosaic parts like accommodation and transport.

South Korea will be here in 2010 but have to wait until the draw is made in Cape Town in December to find out locations and opponents. The coastal city is one of nine World Cup hosts but not one of the four Confederations Cup sites.

The current quartet comprises of Johannesburg, neighboring Pretoria, Rustenburg to the north-west and Bloemfontein to the south.

Johannesburg - call it Joburg or Jozi as the locals do - is a sprawling metropolis of leafy avenues and shopping malls with little in the way of public transport. The first thing that every single business traveler does upon arriving at OR Tamba International Airport is first rent a car and secondly, rent a navigational system because with the former you can’t go anywhere and without the latter, you can’t find anywhere.

Outside the big cities of Joburg, Cape Town and Durban, accommodation could be hard to come by. Even in the lower profile Confederations Cup, hotels in the Free State city of Bloemfontein were fully-booked. So organization is also key.

Crime is never far from a conversation when you talk about South Africa and especially in a city like Johannesburg, it is something to be considered. Locals warn of going to the downtown area, most businesses upped and moved to the suburbs over a decade ago. There are other parts that are deemed unsafe, and unnecessary, to visit.

Caution is advised but on the whole, the locals are friendly and while any World Cup will struggle to match the smooth convenience of Germany 2006, one part in which South Africa can stand out is in the warmth of its people and the delight they feel at the prospect of being hosts to the world in the summer of 2010.

Ke Nako is the slogan which means ‘The Time Is Now’. It isn’t time yet but the countdown has now broken the one-year barrier. When the clock stops in the summer of 2010, South Korea, as well as 30 other visitors are going to have a great time in the Rainbow Nation.

Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile

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Britain’s best, but best for Liverpool?

noreply@blogger.com (Marc Fox) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:51:34 PDT

Liverpool have wrapped up their signing of Glen Johnson from Portsmouth. The lingering doubt, though, is how much of a role can arguably Britain’s finest full-back play in transforming Liverpool into Premiership champions.

On last season’s form, Johnson is certainly England’s best full-back. His attacking raids invariably result in finer distribution than, say, Ashley Cole, he’s more trustworthy than Micah Richards and probably now edges a fully fit Gary Neville for his country’s No.2 shirt.

Whether he is the best full-back in England, however, is a far more complex debate.

Chelsea must believe so or why would they risk losing Portuguese Jose Bosingwa (who cost £16m from Porto last summer). Meanwhile, it is Arsenal’s Bacary Sagna who this month took steps to deny publicly reported interest from Real.

What’s certain is Johnson appears a more supreme Premier League athlete than Liverpool’s current first choice right back Spaniard Alvaro Arbeloa, who now looks destined to return to Spain as a makeweight in the Johnson deal.

But, £18.5m remains an incredible transaction for Liverpool’s first piece of transfer business of the summer. Of deals involving right-backs, only Barcelona's purchase of Dani Alves from Sevilla for £24m and Lilian Thuram’s move to Juventus for £23m have come at a greater cost.

(Intriguingly, Sevilla agreed to sell Alves to Liverpool three years ago, but Benitez refused to stump up the £10m asking price.)

When it’s remembered that Liverpool refused to meet Aston Villa’s £18m asking price for national team midfielder Gareth Barry a year ago – a player that has since moved for two-thirds of that amount – spending more than £18m on Johnson seems generous.

The Indepedent's Ian Herbert branded the amount "extraordinary", although like others did concede that the financial blow is softened by the remaining debt, thought to be £7m, for Peter Crouch’s move in the opposite direction last summer.

In a transfer market within a constant state of flux, and one so currently dependent on the financial clout of clubs’ foreign owners, recent deals perhaps provide the only prudent comparison.

In pre-season to date, Johnson’s sum mirrors the price Manchester City splashed out on Roque Santa Cruz while Arsenal are thought to have spent £11m on Ajax defender Thomas Vermaelen.

It’s been said that Liverpool’s bold move for Johnson shows a statement of intent.

They haven’t been prepared to wait and miss out such as in the Barry saga. They’ve moved swiftly in the wake of champions Manchester United losing first Cristiano Ronaldo and then Carlos Tevez.

The Reds have also purchased a player at the top of his game, but still with plenty of scope for improvement.

The 24-year-old was man-of-the-match in England’s 6-0 hammering of Andorra earlier his month, setting up goals-a-plenty against the amateurs.

But following the national side’s win in Kazakhstan, his defensive acumen had been questioned and his place on the right debated.

Benitez has placed an enormous amount of faith in Johnson. With the club under some financial uncertainty, the manager was only expected to enter the transfer market for two major acquisitions, and a second striker appears top of the Spaniard’s shopping list.

But the outlay on Johnson doesn’t stop with his purchase. He is reportedly commanding a £80,000 per week wage at Anfield, an amount only eclipsed by Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. The Sun said Johnson's weekly earnings would be closer to £100,000.

That’s left some Liverpool fans wondering whether his expensive signature adds any great dynamic to the squad pipped to the post last season.

"Sometimes you have to spend a little more," Benitez argued. "You can't compete in the top four of the Premier League unless you spend some money.

"We were looking for a player of quality and also somebody who is British because of the new Champions League rules.

"Glen Johnson fits both categories."

Chelsea decided that such an outlay for a player they sold to Portsmouth for £4m two years ago was too high. Manchester City were never interested.

So, Johnson’s arrival at that price is a calculated gamble. As a teenager, he failed to secure a regular first team place during Jose Mourninho’s reign at Chelsea after being signed for £6m by Claudio Ranieri.

He made only 41 appearances in his Chelsea career and was loaned to Portsmouth before making the move permanent in 2007.

Copyright © Marc Fox and Soccerphile.com

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UEFA u21: Germans join England in last four

noreply@blogger.com (Sean O'Conor) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:13:39 PDT

UEFA u21 Championship, Group B

England 1:1 Germany

Halmstad, Sweden - Germany booked their place in the semi-finals after drawing 1-1 with a second-string England in Halmstad this evening.

When Gonzalo Castro fired Germany into a fourth-minute lead, it looked like Stuart Pearce's weakened team selection would backfire into humiliation, but England fought back and deservedly equalised through Everton's Jack Rodwell on the half hour.

After Rodwell's goal, England had other chances to bag a second, which would have sent Spain, 2-0 conquerors of Finland in Gothenburg, through instead of Germany. But as the minutes wore on in the second half, it seemed as if both teams were content to settle for a draw.

"I expect a big performance and to win," said Stuart Pearce before the game, stressing his personal, painful experiences of losing to Germany as an England player, but his starting eleven showed ten changes to the team which had beaten Spain. Actions speak louder than words.

Inside the charming little riverside ground the Orjans Vall, German fans, chanting obscenely and belligerently, exploded flares and firecrackers before kick-off, one landing not far from England goalkeeper Scott Loach and the others fogging up the field of play. There were no visible police on show. The Swedes had expected everyone to be friends at the u21s but had not anticipated this.

Once the smog had lifted after four minutes, Germany saw clearly enough to snatch the lead in the game. Gonzalo Castro, a 22 year-old Spanish-German attacker from Bayer Leverkusen, outran Michael Mancienne and nutmegged Loach.

Germany had the lead and the psychological advantage. But as the succeeding minutes proved, they were not up to dominating their B-team opponents. Both teams slipped up and sprayed passes wildly. Then England replied.

Andrew Driver, who plays his club football in Scotland for Hearts, was England's most impressive player, driving attacks from his right-wing berth in a highly-impressive debut.

Gardner got his head onto one of his crosses and should have scored after a quarter of an hour before he and Richard Stearman got entangled in the German box five minutes later and failed to get a shot off. Promising stuff after a horrible start.

Just short of the half hour, Gardner curled over a corner from the left and Jack Rodwell, Everton's young find of the season, rose to power his header into the German net.

Panic over, England started to open up and play with more fluency. Germany, up against a B-team and having to avoid defeat, were pinned back and having to play on the counter, though they still posed a threat via Castro's energy and the mesmeric dribbling of Mesut Ozil, their ace in the pack.

But the first half ended with the red shirts of England dominating.

At 1-1, neither side needed to do anything, but any suspicions of a gentlemen's agreement had no wings, though England were clearly experimenting.

Three minutes short of the hour mark, Pearce replaced his lone striker Fraizer Campbell, who had worked well up front, with Theo Walcott, in another enigmatic employment of his star man. His retirement of the penetrative Driver with 20 minutes left for the defensive Kieran Gibbs was a sure sign that winning was not Pearce's top priority tonight.

Germany made their first switch ten minutes later, replacing their ineffective left-winger Anis Ben-Hatira with a zippier performer Marko Marin, a pint-sized midfielder reminiscent at times of Thomas Hassler.

As the clock ran down so did each side's enthusiasm for three points, Germany especially knowing only one would do. With Spain leading Finland 2-0 in Gothenburg, an England goal would eliminate the Germans, but by the end they had lost all stomach for a fight.

In the semi-finals, England play the Group A runners-up in Gothenburg on Friday, while Germany play the Group A winners in Helsingborg the same day.

Scoring:

GER - Castro 4'
ENG - Rodwell 29'

ENG- Scott Loach (Joe Lewis 45'), Andrew Taylor, Richard Steadman, Craig Gardner, Adam Johnson, Jack Rodwell, James Tomkins, Michael Mancienne, Andrew Driver (Kieran Gibbs 71'), Fraizer Campbell (Theo Walcott 57'), Danny Rose

GER-Manuel Neuer, Andreas Beck, Bendikt Howedes, Jerome Boateng, Patrick Ebert (Dennis Aogo 85'), Sami Khedira, Ashkan Dejagah, Mesut Ozil, Anis Ben-Hatira (Marko Marin 67'), Gonzalo Castro, Marcel Schmelzer

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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UEFA u21: Group B deciders

noreply@blogger.com (Sean O'Conor) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:04:24 PDT

Gothenburg: Finland v Spain
Halmstad: England v Germany

The second semi-finalist will be decided today, with England already through to the knock-out stages. After a two-day hiatus to coincide with Sweden's national midsummer holiday, the football begins again in earnest.

Stuart Pearce's men face Germany in Halmstad, scene of their opening win over Finland, with nothing but pride and no injuries or bookings to play for. A draw will be enough for the Germans to qualify, but a defeat may just let in Spain, who tackle the eliminated Finns in Gothenburg. Spain trail the Germans by three points and four goals at start of play.

Group A, which concludes tomorrow, is much more open, with any of Sweden, Italy, Serbia and Belarus in contention for the last four.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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