Will the Saudi football take a U-Turn or continue sinking?

I could not find a better picture to represent the conditions of the Saudi football today better than this one

Saudi Arabia officially was the first team to exit Asian Cup 2011 after two defeats from Syria 1-2 and Jordan 0-1. It is not a big issue to lose a game or two, but, the way Saudi lost and the whole set-up of the team and the journey this team has taken since 1994 World Cup till today, is the real issue. 

(the links in this post are full of interesting videos)

Little Bit of History:

Let me go back to the Owairan goal in 1994, and the very good mondial for the Saudi team, it didn't come by a chance or just as an individual effort. It was a result of a lot of progress since 1984 when Saudi won their first Asian Cup.

By 1992, it was apparent that the Saudi team is heading towards something big, especially when you watch such wonderful goals vs. USA and Argentina in the first Confederation Cup. 

After the 1994 WC, Saudi football started to decline slowly. 1994 WC coach Jorge Solari quit the Saudi team. The Saudi federation kicked out the coach that won 1996 Asian Cup (Vengada) and next year the coach that reached 1998 WC (Pfister), only to hire Carlos Alberto Perreira, who himself was kicked out as a Saudi coach after failing to reach 1990 WC. Ironically, Perreira was kicked out during 1998 WC after losing to France 0-4. Saudi Arabia had to play last group games vs. South Africa with the joke local coach Mohammad Al-Kharashi.

All of this worked well, Saudi still had good talents from the past who managed to make the ship kept going, up and down.

Then, comes the worst event of the Saudi football history, the 0-8 defeat vs. Germany in 2002. After that Mondial, the Saudi Football Federation started to talk about big plans to have big change of the Saudi football. A lot of committees, consultants and real plans.

However, things only went worse. 9 coaches were changed, many players were kicked out of the national team, sidelines then returns. The story was almost the same. Yet, Saudi team fans had two things to remember:
- Qualifying to the 2006 WC.
- Playing the Asian Cup final in 2007.
Yet, the coach of both teams were kicked out. I was so sad about Calderon from Argentina, who lead the team to 2006 WC. It was the last time that the Saudi team played a decent good football.

Little Bit of Today:
Saudi football clubs and league started to decline slowly. Talents today are not rich like yesterday. And even the new promising talents, they peak only for 2 to 3 years. They earn millions of dollars which prevent them from being a good target for the small European Clubs that played big role in developing football in African countries.

So, Saudi football lost almost everything possible in recent years:
- AFC Champion League: Last time a Saudi team won was 2005. Before that, it was always a common factor in this league.
- Gulf Cups: Saudi team lost four last cups. Last time won was in 2003.
- Asian Cup 2011: Saudi team entered with already a have campaign against the Coach. Everyone was awaiting what will happen?
- After losing the first game vs. Syria, Saudi Football Federation changed the coach and appointed Nasser Al-Johar. (he is the same one who lead the 0-8 defeat). Changing the coach during the competition is something common, and was done for the fifth time.
- Now Saudi lost the second game on a row, vs. Jordan. Both teams used to be considered among the "piece of kick"  in the past.
- Today there was big announcement that six Saudi players quit international games. Something that was never happened before in Saudi football.

The talk about the Saudi Football Federation is the biggest topic (directly or indirectly) in all football channels in the region, the media, the forums, the cafes and everywhere.

The big question that everyone is awaiting:
- Will the Saudi Football Federation be changed totally? Which will mean the Saudi football might make a big U-Turn and repeat something of the 1994 WC memory?
- Or it will continue, and this means, Saudi Football and Titanic will have similar fates?

Dear Dunga: Felipe Melo did it again!

Felipe Melo received a very deserved straight red card when he kicked the face of Massimo Paci when Juventus lost to Parma 1-4. Melo got three games bans for his act, and Juvy punishing him with Euro 150,000. (source)



Now, I truely wonder what would be going in Dunga head when he read and see this news? Melo got a yellow card and was in a "BULL" mood during the game vs. Portugal when he had many encounters with Pepe.

Two games later, Melo did it again with Netherlands, he did everything in that game. He did the great pass to Robinho to score a goal. He scored the first goal in his own net. He lost focus and unmarked Scnijder before getting the red card after stamping Robben, and getting Brazil out.

Many analysts blamed Dunga for his selection of Melo, who is known to lose control when he gets angry.

Weather forecasts at Manchester City

Manchester City is doing one of the best seasons for them this year, they are having the second place after Manchester United, with only goal difference. However, there are a lot of bad signs in terms of what is going on inside the team. I remember reading an interesting article in Champions magazine, and it was talking about the signs of a collapse of a team. Some of them was fights between players, stress between coach and player, rumors from inside the team. All of them are already happening in Manchester City.

Boating fight with Bolatelli last December.

Yesterday, Kolo Toure and Adebayor had a fight during the training session. 

The Telegraph lists six such incidents from inside Manchester City:

4th Jan: Kolo Toure fight with Adebayor during training

4th Dec: Tevez angry at Mancini for replacing him.

3rd Dec: (The picture) Boating fight with Bolatelli

30th Oct: Adebayor vs. Vincent Kompany fight

24th Oct: James Milner and Yaya Toure fight in the tunnel

3rd Oct: Mancini and Tevez verbal fight at dressing room

Bad Ref stories from the 70s (2 of 2)

If you watch or read any documentary on 1974 WC Final, you will see so much praise for Jack Taylor the referee of the game. He gave Netherlands a penalty in the 2nd minute before the ball touching any German player, and the game was at Munich. It was one of toughest decisions ever for a referee.

...... and by the way, it was the first penalty kick ever to be awarded in a WC Final.

Yet, he was not free of mistakes. When I got the game on video, and from what I read on the orange side, I was waiting to watch Johan Cruyff magic and Netherlands great team. I thought Netherlands dominated the game and was very unlucky to lose.

Well, never trust journalists : )
Netherlands and Cruyff were great as said, no doubt. However, German side deserved the victory 100%, and Beckenbauer was more than amazing. For me, he was the man of the match. Add to that, that the real score should not be 2-1, but 4-1 to Germany.

Jack denied a very clear goal. When you watch it, you think it was an offside. Even players didn't object much.



But, if you see replays, and pause the clip, you can see it was 100% correct goal that was disallowed.

Later, Dieter Muller was fouled inside the penalty box, I seen it again and again, and it was a penalty no doubt. Unfortunately, I could not find the video on YouTube.

What is different, however, for this German side, and in many great teams, is to keep focus, stay in control and play strong football, irregardless of bad decisions. This what made Germany World Cup hero in 1974.

You can name many other incidents, in such situations, when players started to lose nerves and focus, and start to do the silly stuff and cry after that.

Bad Ref stories from the 70s (1 of 2)

Refereeing mistakes were always there since my grand father days. Human being has limitations. Today game has more cameras, so it is easier to spot mistakes, and the game is faster and tighter, which makes ref job a more challenging one.

The game cannot be fairer till video replays introduced.

I go with the opinion that most mistakes are of human nature, and few of them has some fishy things in the backstage. This one was either very bad refereeing or really something fishy.

This story is from 1975 European Cup Final (equivalent of CL today), where Leeds outperformed Bayern Munich. They dominated the game, and it is said the Ref did few bad decisions, missing two penalty for Leeds (as claimed).

Wait a moment to think about Bayern team those days. They won 1974 European Cup, then 1975 and 1976. Most of their players were like Barca players today, just won 1974 WC and they made most of Gemran national team. Great names like Muller, Sepp Mair and Beckenbauer were in that side.

It was something really big for Leeds to do that performance.

In the 62nd minute, Leeds scored a very clear goal, no one can deny it, except the ref. Leeds collapsed, and Bayern scored two goals in the 71st and 81st minutes.



Hooligans phenomena already started in English team, and this made riots to start at the Leeds side, it ended up in a disaster. Leeds were banned from European football for four years, then it was reduced to two years after appeal.

Mourinho continue his worst week

After having the worst defeat in his career, now UEFA made it up for Mourinho.
Remember the story of the two faked red cards for both Ramos and Alonso vs. Ajax??

Now, UEFA concluded that coach and players were guilty of misconduct and trying to play un-ethical game with the rules. Mourinho will miss 2 CL games and a Euro 40,000 fine.

There will be more fines:
The club (Real Madrid): Euro 120,000
Both players, Ramos and Alonso, Euro 20,000
Casillas: Euro 10,000
and Euro 5,000 for Jerzy Dudek 

Silly or smart red cards for Real Madrid in last 3 minutes????!!!!

Especially that Real Madrid was winning 4-0
there were no point of wasting time, but listen again to the analysis
very interesting

Eto brings memories of Zizou headbutt : )

Eto did a replica of Zizou headbutt when he did it for a Chievo player. He got a way with it during the game without even a yellow card, but he might get a suspension with three games now.



What's more interesting that this is apparently not the first time that Eto practice headbutting. Couple of years ago he headbutted a journalist before sending a public apology to him.

Apart from the headbutt, Chievo scored a wonderful first goal from a superior header.
Watch it together with all goals in this link.

C. Ronaldo paradinha penalty been punished

Before the last world cup, FIFA changed the rule of the penalty kicks, that the player cannot any more stop just before playing the penalty. A move called in Brazil as "Paradinha"

It is said that the one who invented that one was Pele, and he used to do it a lot. In my opinion, it is part of the football tricks and moves, and it should be allowed. This is the Paradinha,



And this is the Ronaldo contraversial "Paradinha" penalty

Old contraversial goal from Argentina

Old foottage from 1983,
cannot believe that the ref allowed it

Videos of the week

I am posting few videos without much words, all speaks about themselves, two great skills, and two very controversial

Was Nani crazy, or the ref? or may be the keeper?


amazing 35 yards free kick


clever skillful touch by Lavezzi vs. AC Milano


after that keeper from Morocco, we got another one from Tunisia

I don't think that football needs Video Replays

Nothing more ironic than what has happened lately in the semi-final of the African Cup for clubs. Al-Ahli from Egypt had a derby with Al-Tarraji from Tunisia.

In Tunis, Al-Tarraji player scored a goal by his hand, which makes Maradona goal or Henry hand looks kids play



It was the only goal of the game, that gave Al-Tarraji the road to the final.

The story didn't end here. What's more ironic, that in the first leg in Cario, Al-Ahli scored a goal by hand as well, and it was allowed. Game ended 2-1 for Al-Ahli, but Al-Tarraji qualified on aggregate.

So, half of the goals of the most important semi-final in Africa, came by hands



The goal from another angle

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. "

Maradona hallucinating again

Diego Maradona has accused the Argentine Football Association (AFA) of "lies and betrayal" after his contract as national coach was not renewed. Maradona claimed national team manager Carlos Bilardo "worked in the shadows" to oust him after Argentina's quarter-final exit at the 2010 World Cup. He also accused AFA president Julio Grondona of lying about his future.

"Grondona lied to me. Bilardo betrayed me," "When we were in mourning [after the 4-0 defeat by Germany at the World Cup], Bilardo was working in the shadows to get me fired."

I could not find a better picture to describe Maradona in this situation. After been widely known for best ever footballer in history, he is putting himself on a very low class situation.

The whole setup for the Argentinian team management was a bit of weird since Maradona came back to the spotlights.

When I first heard about it, I thought it was kinda a joke. Then, I heard that Bilardo is manager and Maradona is the coach. I started saying that this is a very smart setup. Bilardo for technicalities, and Maradona is for the inspirational factor. Kinda like Prime Minister and the Queen for Britain.

For the history, Maradona struggled so much under Menotti time in Argentina (sort of Messi today). Bilardo came, and brought sunshine to Maradona. He made a big bet. Fired all stars, including the WC winner captain Passarella, and assigned Maradona as the captain. In 1986, he rented a home in Napoli and made a setup for Maradona to have extra exercises, things that are not related directly to football. Focus, concentration, movements .... anything you can imagine without a ball.

This why Maradona in 1986 was very exceptional. So, I was sure Bilardo back again, this is a great bless for Argentina.

But, soon Bilardo resigned.

Now, Bilardo and Maradona are rivals.

 

If this is true, that Bilardo worked in the shadow to fire Maradona (the coach), then a big salute to him, to save Argentinian football and save the beautiful football in general for the world.

Interesting World Cup quotes

"But if you find the greatest tournament on earth boring, then you probably shouldn't be there." Mesut Ozil, hinting on Rooney comments that this World Cup is boring.

"World Cup: England has 'gone backward' under Fabio Capello"
Franz Beckenbauer

"They have become a great team, with incredible unity and they have some automatism that make the difference. It is the best team in the world. "
Joachim Low on Spain, after the semi-final:


"If it hadn't been me that brought everything to a head, it would have been someone else. It was a timebomb waiting to explode," Anelka told France-Soir newspaper in his first comments on the drama in South Africa. Everyone, and I really mean everyone, was as one," he said of the camaraderie amongst the players."
Nicolas Anelka

I was offered the chance to manage the England team on a couple of occasions but, of course, it was just out of the question," he said. "It's a poisoned chalice anyway – I think it's a terrible job – plus the fact that I would have had a tremendous handicap being Scottish; no matter which way you look it, that's important."

Sir Alex Furgeson

Flamengo keeper accused of killing his Girl Friend

Bruno Fernandez, Brazilian keeper of Flamengo club, is behind the bars after accusition of killing his ex-Girl Friend 25-year-old Eliza Samudio who disappeared last June.

Luis Suarez of 1978 World Cup

This incident, was not the first of its kind. In 1978 World Cup Quarter Final, Argentina needed to beat Poland. It was 1-0 when Poland got a Penalty Kick exactly the same way. Then Fillol saved it. Kempes scored the second and saved Argentina chances to play the final (QF that time was two groups of four teams)

What's so funny, that the referee didn't even give a yellow card to the player lol



here is the full episode of it, (the penalty is at 3 minutes 18 seconds)

Pele talks "bla bla bla bla"

I am watching currently Al-Jazeera sport channel, in the pre-match analysis, and here is interesting discussion about Pele negative comments on Brazil

Bebeto is saying "Pele is a player that won everything with Brazil. I am not sure why he is saying that, but it is better for him not to talk"

Tarek Dhiab (best ever Tunisian player, captain of 1978 golden team that did big hit in that Mondial) "trust me, Bebeto knows exactly what he is saying, and trust me, I am sure that Dunga and the players don't give any attention to Pele comments"

then Tarek adds "we saw Brazil 2006 with all the big stars, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Ronaldo and the others. what did they do? is this what you want as a beautiful football? I think Dunga is very smart and learned the lesson very well. Yes, Ronaldinho is a big star with a lot of skills. But, if he is with the team, he would kill something of the team spirit"

Nabil Maloul (another skillful midfielder Tunisian, played a lot with his mind) "who is saying that Brazil is not providing pleasure in watching, he is not watching or does not know how to watch football, even if he was Pele"

I add my voice to Bebeto, Tarek and Nabil, Pele is a wonderful player to watch, and has no clue what so ever when he open his mouth and start talking about football

for the record:
- Pele nominated Columbia to win 1994. Columbia left 1994 from round 1.
- Pele nominated Spain to win 1998. Spain left from round1.
- Pele nominated France to win 2002. France left from round1.
- Pele nominated German to win 2006. Geramny didn't do it.
- Pele nominated Spain to win 2010. What a bad news for Spain :)

Nigerian president freezes the national team for two years

Day after day, the Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan is proving that his IQ level is much far from average (but not above).

Not only he gave one of the most demotivating speeches ever a team like Nigeria can have just before the big Mondial:

"This is a call to national duty and I expect the Eagles to prepare well and win this trophy. That will be a birthday gift for our country and set the stage for a golden jubilee celebration of our independence as a nation" as Nigeria preparing for the 50th celebrations of the Independence day.

Nigeria lost to Ghana and Egypt in African cup, and could not beat Tunisia, its only real big team in the WCQ group.

Now, the president with very high IQ level has suspended the Nigerian national team from all international competitions for two years. If this really happened, it will be like committing suicide for the football game in Nigeria.

First, it is a very destructive action, that will make Nigerian players escape to Europe and wear a lot of European national teams shirts.

Second, this subject the whole Nigerian football into FIFA punishment, which means banning Nigerian football from any international competitions, on both clubs and national team levels. "We have no official information on this matter. However, in general, FIFA's position regarding political interference in football is well known."

We should call him Badluck Jonathan.

English keepers mistakes

England keeper Robert Green must be the saddest player in this World Cup after his fatal mistake vs. USA.
However, this type of mistakes are becoming a culture in the English national team.

England always had great keepers, which made 5 keepers to guard the English goal for about 5 decades
from Gorden Banks (since 1963) to Ray Clemence and Peter Shilton (starting 1972) and David Seaman (starting 1988).

Despite the golden ages of keepers, their mistakes in the past contributed good deal to England key moments.
It costed them to miss 1974 World Cup when they lost 0-1 to Poland after a very silly goal with a mistake by Peter Shilton. (England vs. Poland 0-1 -at 1:57)

Shilton had great career, and was really legendary keeper, one of my favoritess, but at his last international game at age of 40, he did another mistake that cost England to lose the third place in 1990 World Cup



Of course, we must mention Ronaldinho goal vs. David Seaman in 2002 World Cup



which was a replica of 1995 UEFA Cup Final at the 120th minute goal for Zaragoza vs. Arsenal from a similar mistake by David Seaman. Arsenal lost the final 0-1

But, then, it got just worse, with not a single impressive keeper that his name would ring a bell. Watch this goal by Austria in 2006 WCQ with a wonderful mistake by David James



Then, two years later, England could not qualify to Euro2008 as it lost to Croatia twice. First 0-2 with a silly goal vs. Paul Robinson



Then, in the second leg, England put another keeper, Scott Carson, who got a worse goal in my opinion. The first we might say it was luck and uneven ground, but there is no excuse for this goal



As I said, it looks like it is becoming a culture among English keepers