Wonderful goals from Saudi League

Al-Hilal beat Al-Faisali 5-1 in a wonderful feast of goals, for all six goals.
I will start with the second goal of Yasir Al-Qahtani with nice clever piece of team work skills


and here is the rest of goals. the single goal of Al-Faisali reminds me a lot with Ibra goal in Arsenal last season.

Goal of the week: Theo Walcott team work goal

Arsenal beat Blackpool 6-0. Theo scored a hat trick, and the first goal was more than wonderful, and I give it the title goal of the week. It was a wonderful team work move, like a wave.

If you know me, you know that my favourite goals are the team work, as all skills mold into a wave of a wonderful move



it is also worth highlighting this wonderful volley

I am back and Messi back with a Hat trick : )

I was bit busy with Ramadan month! I thought of taking vacation from the blog, but now, the season got a beautiful start.

Messi got a hat trick when Barca smashed Sevilla 4-0 to win the Super Cup, and start the season with a wonderful start. Well, honestly, Sevilla played a bad game, and allowed so many spaces.



One day earlier, Bayern Munich beat Wolfsburg 2-1 with a wonderful game in the first day of the Bundesliga.

International friendlies: good start for Brazil

This week was one of the FIFA days with a lot of friendly games. Brazil managed to beat USA 2-0 in NY with a goal from Eymar and another from Pato. This is the first game with the new coach Mano Menezes. I didn't see the game but from what I read, Brazil had better attacking strategies, with quick plays but defence still a question mark.



Both Italy and Ivory Coast were consistent with their WC performance. Ivory won 1-0
For me, Ivory was the best team that didn't qualify to the second round.


England beat Hungary 2-1
Egypt beat Congo 6-3

Spain tied with Mexico 1-1



Also Ibra return to the Swedish national team was a good one, it took him only four minutes to score a gaol.
Sweden beat Scotland 3-0

Three amazing volleys

Very bold super goal from Dejan Stankovic in a 5-0 victory vs. Genoa in 2009.



another dream goal from Brazil, the scorer Cuevas is from Paraguay



The third is from UAE goal vs. Jordan (Subait Khater, who was such a skillful player)

and here is another link for the goal with all the replays

Two wonderful passes to watch

I still remember this wonder play and pass by Juninho in Copa America 1995 QF Brazil vs. Argentina. Brazil won by PK after a 2-2 draw




and this recent wonderful pass was in the Saudi league by a small club

When both teams compete to lose! (no joke)

What if a defender wants to score in his own net, and the opponent strikers tries to stop him?!!
This is not a joke, it happened.

In the first round of the 2nd ASEAN Football Championship last decade, Thailand faced Indonesia in the last game of their group phase. No one wanted to win to avoid the host, Vietnam, in the semi-final.

There were lousy goals. Then, in the injury time, Indonesia's defender Mursyid Effendi(White kit -no.8) scored the own goal intentionally in his own net. Thailand were forced to win 3-2 and faced Vietnam in the semi-final. Thai players were trying to stop him.

Both teams were fined for "violating the spirit of the game" and Mursyid Effendi was banned from football for life. "

Long range goal for Hull City

Recent goals you don't want to miss

Yesterday, Alessandro Del Piero scored an amazing free-kick in Europa League match against Shamrock Rovers



Raul Gonzalez with his new club Schalke vs. Bayern Munich



Michel Bastos who had a terrible world cup this year, and both Dutch goals came from his side, returned back to his hobby in the direct free kicks. Wonderful goal vs. Celtic



sigh! why didn't he practice his hobby so well in the world cup?

finally, Huddersfield goal vs. Blackburn in a friendly pre-season

Fabregas to stay at Arsenal

Usually I don't follow all gossips of transfers till the official deadline for transfers is over. But, Cesc story was an interesting one.

'I cannot deny that joining Barcelona was attractive for me, I will respect Arsenal's decision and be 100% focused'

Fabregas originally came out of Barcelona academy playing together with Xavi, Messi, Iniesta and many other stars. There is no doubt, the Barca side would be much more fun and enjoyable and more under the spotlights than the Arsenal one. Barca was very keen to get Fabregas and Arsenal was more keen to keep him.

There is nothing more a star can dream on, than two such clubs fighting over him.

Full story here

1974 final = 2010 QF

I was reading World Soccer pre-World Cup 2010 special issue, and I read Franz Beckenbauer memories of the 1974 WC final against Netherlands that ended 2-1 before Franz raised the trophy as a captain.

When I read it, it was so interesting to me, it was like reading Robben or Sneijder talking about their game vs. Brazil:

Franz said:

"As regards to the final, after Muller made it 2-1 it was relatively certain we'd protect our lead. Perhaps it was a good thing Holland took the lead in the first minute, perhaps they weren't as focused for the rest of the match as they had been before. That gave us a chance to come back into the match.


It was a great psychological advantage for us to take the lead. Then Johan Cruyff was shown a yellow card for dissent. There were all signs that made me think the Dutch were getting nervous and that we'd survive the second half.


Paul Breitner reckons the Dutch became arrogant after scoring the first goal and fell victim to overconfidence. I'm not sure, after taking that early lead, they may have thought things were going to plan and that it was their day. They weren't as determined after that"

You can just take out the Dutch names and put Brazilian names, and you can read an analysis of Netherlands Brazil 2-1 in last Mondial.

Valderrama would fit Barca style

Sometimes it is very important for the player to be in the right place at the right time to star. A player can be a world star with one team that needs his style, and can be just okay with another team.

From 1987 to 1994 the world would remember a very interesting phenomena from Columbia with long crazy blond hair, called Carlos Valderrama. Today, whenever I watch Barcelona or Spain playing, I remember him.

First, let's watch some of his beautiful moments:



Carlos had certain abilities that made him star a lot with Columbian golden team that era:
- Outstanding short thourough passes
- Beautiful one touch football
- Extraordinary skills in keep the ball
- Taking great positions and dictate certain pace in the midfield
- Ability to win any one-to-one challenges and maneuvering in small spaces

all of that made him the best star for Columbia, it was a joy to watch him.
Jorge Valdano said about him in a game of Columbia vs. England in 1987
"I remember the one of Colombia against England at Wembley, where the least English player in the world, which was Valderrama, made himself the owner of the match with his short passing football, permanently dictating the rhythm with his enormous personality"

yet, he was bit slow, didn't score a lot, which made him struggle in club levels at Europe. He left to Montpellier, and didn't make it big, ended many times in the sub bench.

Laurent Blanc, his teammate said about him:
"Down there it’s all about passing. Here it’s more physical and there’s less space. It wasn’t easy for Carlos"

But, isn't it what today Barca or Spain are looking for? and this style will start appearing more and more in the world of football today. To keep possessions of the ball in the midfield. Carlos style would fit best Barca today. Carlos Velderrama style came almost two decades later to be called "Tiki Taka" to be the new buzz word in football.

In other words, if Xavi came one or two decades ago, and in France or England, he might retire unnoticed and without much noise.
Here is another wonderful video for him with amazing skills:

A wonder goal by AC Milan at its best (88/89)

Many fans who witnessed AC Milan in 1989 to 1992 believe that could be best ever club they seen in their life. I am one of them. (I add to the list MU99 and Barca09).

Watch this goal, which mold all individual skills into great team work, and you will know why.
By the way, this wonderful goal by Mannari vs. Juventus was his first ever in the Seria-A.

Barcelona Korea-League 5-2

In a pre-season preparations, Messi scored two goals, typical his style. The second at least worth watching.

Reasons behind England exit of World Cup

Sometimes ago, this blog indicated that this year won't be any better than the previous world cups for the English side. It is not about the technical performance as much as the discipline of players from one side and long English exhausting season from the other side.

Dailymail wrote a story about:
"Wayne Rooney smoking and urinating in the street: it's no wonder United hero is out of puff "
on how Rooney is getting discipline problems, and this might risk his future. Not only him, but many players of the English team.


If we talked about their typical rival, Germany, and the 4-1 defeat, one thing that was very clear and different with the German side is discipline, winning attitude and commitment.
 
Somehow, that was lacking between the fame and flashes of English side.

Maradona: "asta la vista"

Crazy news lying in the horizon that Maradona might be back to coach Argentina again.

And who's saying that? Carlos Bilardo.
"If Diego comes and talks, I don't know what can happen. It's all a question of talking," Bilardo told the news channel Todo Noticias. "I would not close any door. We are awaiting the outcome. Anything can happen."

If this happened, then I believe that AFA is one of the worst Football Associations in the whole world.
I think Maradona won't come back, and all of these comments are just to let him exit in a nice way. He is a people figure and no one wants to be seen as a rival to Maradona.

Poor fan

Before watching this video, you need to know that in Egypt, slapping someone on the back of the neck is a very big insult. I don't know why lol

This is during an interview after a local game in Egypt

Strange beautiful goal

a goal to enjoy

Chinese Billionaire to buy Liverpool

A lot of news, gossips and speculations in the news these days on the possibility that Liverpool will have a new owner, Kenny Huang, who is a Chinese billionaire. The offer is for 325 M Pounds. Huang turned down an offer in 2008 for 650 M Pounds as he saw it as over valued. He was right.

Interesting profile, information and Haung links to sport in this report.

He has a history of penetrating to the American sports and linking them to China market. Also linking big sponsors from China to some teams. This might mean good news for Liverpool financially, but also, a big news for Chinese almost a virgin football market.

China was always underperforming in the Asian continent, if we compare them to South Korea and Japan and the population power that they have. Chinese team was much better than Japanese in the 1980s, but didn't do serious steps to raise up the level of sports.

China always produced very nice peices of skills, but not very powerful teams.

Personally, I always thought it is only a matter of time before China invade the world of football with very strong teams, and they will do much better job than Korea or Japan.

Another interesting development is in the Spaniard striker Fernando Torres, whose future hinges on quick sale of club. Haung is interested to have Torres in and considered him as part of the value of the club.

Rud Gullit

He won the player of the year for the France Football award in 1987 while he was playing for AC Milan.
Watch this video to know why,

also, keep in mind that his real role was not in scoring, but many other things during the game

WC Notes3: The fall and rise of Europe

One of the most important observations of this World Cup is the role of Europe in it. It is less critical from one side, and more important from other side.

When the first round finished, it was the worst ever mondial for European countries in the modern history fo the World Cup.

1986 was the first tournament that had 16 teams to qualify to the second round, Europe always dominated the lucky teams. In 2010, Europe had the worst mondial:

# of European teams qualified to the second round:
1986: 10 teams
1990: 10 teams
1994: 10 teams
1998: 10 teams
2002: 9 teams
2006: 10 teams
2010: 6 teams

Not only that, we seen some remarkable results from Afro-Asian teams beating European sides:
South Africa France 2-1
S Korea Greece 2-0
Japan Denmark 3-1

In some groups, a European team was able only to beat a European team, and nobody else outside Europe:
- Serbia could not beat either Ghana or Australia and only managed to beat Germany.
- Slovakia too could not either of New Zealand or Paraguay, but managed to beat Italy
- Switzerland as well could not beat either of Honduras or Chile but managed to beat Spain

The final result was that European teams played 29 games against non-Euopeant teams in the first round:
they won 11, tied in 10 and lost 8. That is a very low record for Europe.

But in the second round, European teams never been defeated by non-European side.
The draw had a verdict that the 6 European teams will play each others, they must be down to 3.
People started to talk about a semi-final without any European team.

At the end of the Mondial, the top three places were reserved only for Europe.
It was the first time ever that a European team win the cup outside their continent.
And the first time since 1958-1962 that a continenet win the cup twice in a row.

So, what happened?
- I think Europe is dominating more and more the global football. And this does not only include the European sides, but the Champion League role in the World Cup. CL became a university for footballers to get trained in the best performance and most sever pressure and conditions. This goes for all teams around the world.

- From one side, smaller teams from the world are improving. I think this Mondial was the tightest in its result. There was one bizzare result only (7-0). Other than that, it was reasonable results all over.
Asian teams in particular showed big improvement.
Two african sides were very competitive (Ghana and Cot Devoir)
Teams like New Zealand and Honduras showed big improvement. Even biggest teams in the world need a real big effort to beat them.

- That made it very difficult for European teams to find its way to the second round.

- From the other side, we seen slow down of Africa, and the two big sides in SA: Brazil and Argentina.

- I don't think that Europe had a big jump as much as Brazil and Argentina were not present at their best (especially Argentina).

Only future will tell us if the world of football will be dominated by European sides, or it was just an exceptional year?