World Cup 2010 South Africa Approaching

The wait is almost over with little more than 39 days left till the World Cup. As the world anticipates what looks to be an exciting summer of soccer I look at the real contenders for throne of World champions.
With the tournament being held in South Africa there is real hope that an Africa team will be crowned champions. The most likely teams are Ghana and Ivory Coast with many players playing across Europe with big teams. Players like Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) and Michael Essien (Ghana) with their big game experience could be the difference.
The usual suspects will be there with European powerhouses Germany, who no matter what state their side may be in prior to the tournament, they never fail in getting to the latter stages and must be a contender for the tournament. There is a real feel-good factor in Germany at the moment with the rise of Bayern as one of the finest teams in Europe again as they reach the final of soccer’s biggest club tournament.
Having one the European championship two years ago, Spain is seen by many to be the favorites for title. The crafty midfield they have makes them one of the best teams in the world. In midfield with maestros Fabregas, Iniesta, and the equivalent of a quarter back where this guy really makes this side tick is the little genius Xavi. To finish things off they have the potent strike force of Torres and Villa who are a handful for any side. Only problem they may have is that they are sweating on the fitness of some of these big players which will help their rivals. Italy, reigning champions of the World Cup have a real hard task of holding on to their title. Although struggling for form and an aging side the Azzurri again will be keen to prove doubters wrong and the experience they possess could be key and can’t be written off.
Argentina and Brazil will be up there also. Current World Player of the year Lionel Messi, proving why he was awarded with this accolade with some scintillating performances this year, poses the question in this form whether he can be stopped? If he provides the goods and manages to bring the World Cup to Argentina many believe he will be held in the same breath as some of the best ever soccer players such as Maradona and Johan Cruyff. He will be eager to do this. Brazil have always be renowned for their silky brand of soccer that is played like no other but what this current Brazilian side has added is something a little different, with them being able to grind out results and have a real steel about making them a difficult to beat.
With so many contenders it sets up what could be an exciting month of soccer ahead of us. No matter who wins hopefully we all see an entertaining and exciting tournament. Although I am not American it would be nice to see them go far like they did in Korea in 2002 in order to help raise the profile of the game to hopefully one day see this country get excited as much as the other countries do about this wonderful tournament. May the best team win!

The Worst Dive Ever in History?

Wow, this is just unbelievable. During a game in the Faroe Islands, defender Kaj Ennigarð of ÍF Fuglafjørður, had quite possibly the worst dive I have ever seen. He blatantly makes it seem like he got hit in the face and falls to the ground like a sack of potatoes, but clearly he wasn't touched at all. Look at this clip to see for yourself, you will definitely have a good laugh at this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22fYEk_eeLk&feature=player_embedded

Inter and Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final

The Champions League Final is going to be quite the exciting one. Inter Milan have not won the cup since 1965, so this final will be a special one for them. Speaking of "special ones", Jose Mourinho, the coach of Inter guided them to the final after beating the current European Champions, Barcelona. In the first leg, Inter won 3-1 at home, therefore meaning that Barcelona had to win 2-0 at home in order to go through to the final. After an intense game where Inter spent the majority with 10 men, Barcelona couldn't do enough to get past Inter and only beat them 1-0, meaning that Inter went through. A tough battle between the two teams only lead to one going on, and it was Inter who deserved to go through. In the other semi-final, it was Bayern Munich against Olymique Lyon. Bayern cruised through to the final having had beaten Lyon at home 3-0 and away 1-0 having a 4-0 aggregrate over the French team overall. Bayern Munich haven't made an appearance in the European final since 1999 when they lost against Manchester United. The German giants will be hungry for the trophy this year as they have had a successful campaign in both the German Cup and German Bundesliga, winning both. If they win the Champions League final, they will have completed the prestigious Treble (Winning all three major competitions). The final, held in Madrid, will definitely be one to watch!

New Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly

Purple shoes?! Never has their been such a flamboyant color, but with Nike releasing this boot, it will be selling like hot cakes despite being $400 dollars!
Worn by the greatest player's in the game today being Drogba, Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic, Pato, and many many more, this shoe has got a lot to offer.
The Nike Vapor Superfly II has a revolutionary outsole that combines with Nike's Flywire engineering for an utterly mind-blowing boot. Nike has developed a new stud that extends 3 mm when ground is soft for increased toe-off acceleration and traction. These two longer studs in the forefoot also prevent slippage and create the most comfortable feeling Mercurial ever.
It weighs a mere 7.8 ounces and thats why the hence the name "SupeFly" as if you're "flying" on the field. This boot will be a huge hit this summer, but for me, I'll be waiting for some new color waves, as the purple just doesn't appeal to me that much!

Cristiano Ronaldo and Kim Kardashian "Dating?"

The rumors circulating whether Cristiano Ronaldo is indeed dating Kim Kardashian is sure to break girl’s hearts all over the world. The pair were spotted getting close in a restaurant in Madrid, where the former World Player of the year is plying his trade with Real Madrid. Although it is suggested they are only “semi dating,” rumors will no doubt continue to persist as to whether these two good looking people will see each other officially. Kardashian just recently split with NFL star Reggie Bush, so could this be her new boy toy?
With the World cup looming Ronaldo will carry the weight of expectancy from his country Portugal, with so much expected of him, much of his focus will be turned to the World Cup.

Unbelievable Goals Scored!

Wow, that is all I can say to the video link I am about to post. These are the best goals of the week scored this past week. I am going to have to say that for me, Maicon, the Brazilian wing-back of Inter Milan definitely scored the best goal. This goal could potentially be the goal of the year as well. Maicon produced that wizardry during the much heated Italian derby against Italian giants, Juventus F.C. This goal proved to be the game winner having had came in the 75th minute.
Also, the goal from Independiente's Leandro Gracian is also a scorcher and could compete with Maicon. Check out this link and let me know who YOU think had the best goal of the week! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I9unYlb-uc

Neymar Dos Santos: The New Brazilian Sensation

Neymar and Brazilian legend, Pele

Brazilian soccer is renowned for producing players of the highest quality. The latest to come of Brazilian talent is in the figure of Brazilian club Santos' Neymar. The talented striker at the tender age of 17 has alerted several of Europe’s top clubs including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United with some stellar performances this season including 5 goals he scored in the 8-1 thrashing of Guarani.
With the World Cup looming, there has been calls from the Brazilian public for the inclusion of the youngster in the 23 man squad. With the abundance of quality that Brazil possesses it may be a little of bit of a stretch for Neymar this time around but there is no doubt that he will be a prominent figure in the future of the Brazilian National team and spearhead the side in future tournaments.
I hope over the next few years we see the continued progress of Neymar and lighting up whether to be this World cup or future tournaments with his obvious ability.

Heartbreak for Beckham

Soccer Icon David Beckham’s bid to become the first England player to represent his country in four world cups has ended in tears. His dream of achieving this goal was left shattered along with his Achilles tendon leaving him visibly upset both mentally and physically as he was carried off on a stretcher for his current side AC Milan in the 1 -0 victory against Chievo Verona. The time scale of recovery from this particular injury is about seven to nine months leaving him no chance of making the finals. In the twilight of his profession questions have been raised whether this is indeed the end of his career. But in typical Beckham fashion his mood was defiant that he will yet return and prosper to help aid the L.A. Galaxy and the bid to raise the profile of the game in this country.
Despite the disappointment David Beckham has had a tremendous career spanning over 15years at the highest levels with some of Europe’s elite clubs such as Manchester United, Real Madrid and A.C. Milan. His attitude and determination to bounce back from the disappointments he has had to again excel in soccer had lead many to admire and laud praise on the ultimate professional and the iconic figure he is to everyone in the game.

Champions League Match Round-Up: Olympique Lyonnais vs. Real Madrid

Los Merengues, Real Madrid, were looking forward to this match-up against Les Gones (The Kids), Olympique Lyon, in this intense round of 16 match. The star-studded Real Madrid, with a line-up consisting of fierce attacking power with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, and Gonzalo Higuain leading the pack, were much anticipated to be winners this evening. Unfortunately, the underdogs in this match came through, with the French side keeping their 100% home record at the Stade de Gerland in this 1-0 win.

The game was pretty even overall, both sides making an impression on each other and wonderful saves by Lyon keeper, Hugo Lloris, who won man of the match honors, keeping the momentum up for the home side. The key moment in this match came in the second half when midfielder, Jean Makoun provided a sensational effort that was a screamer as it made its way past Madrid keeper, Iker Casillas. The only goal of the game was scored at the beginning of the second half where Lyon caught the Galacticos sleeping.

Real Madrid brought on former Lyon hitman, Karim Benzema, to make a difference, but the young Frenchman couldn't provide the extra edge against his former teammates to bring the spark that Madrid needed. The only key chance in the second half for Real Madrid came from Cristiano Ronaldo, who had an audacious shot saved by Lloris, keeping Lyon in the match throughout. This was a great result for the French side, who now need to go to the Bernabeu in Madrid hoping for a win or tie and nothing short of a 1-0 loss to keep their hopes alive. As for Real, they must win at home, and they will do everything capable of winning as this year's Champions League final will be hosted in their home stadium and they want to make it more than anyone else at this stage in the competition!
The next leg in this encounter will be a very exciting one!

Champions League Match Round-Up: A.C. Milan vs. Manchester United

A much anticipated game was played this evening between two of soccer's most powerful teams in Europe, Italian giants, A.C. Milan, versus, the glorious Manchester United from England. The rivalry between these two teams is exciting as each game is filled with intensity, passion, and grit, with both teams vying for the desperate win ahead of the next leg which will be held at Old Trafford, United's home ground.

The San Siro in Milan was beaming with pride and anxiety as fans witnessed to see which team would prevail in the first encounter. This was also a special game for David Beckham, who was keen on showing flashes of his former glory he demonstrated during his prolific time spent at the club that made him, Manchester United.
The Rossoneri (Milan) took advantage of that in the first three minutes of play when Ronaldinho converted a powerful volley which deflected of United's, Michael Carrick, into the back of the net. Pictured is Ronaldinho celebrating his goal with his trademark Brazilian "samba" dance.
The dream start for the Rossoneri soon came to an end when midfielder, Paul Scholes luckily pulled a goal back for the Red Devils at the 36th minute mark. The first half ended one-a-piece with the Rossoneri playing the better of the two teams on the park. They should have been up four goals with the chances they had!

The second half deemed to be the end of the night for Milan though. Pushing for the go-ahead goal, the Rossoneri were too unlucky with a well hit free kick by Andrea Pirlo being parried away by the United keeper, and Brazilian striker, Alexandre Pato missing some quality chances. Wayne Rooney brought United back to life on a wonderfully lobbed header over Milan keeper, Dida, off a beautiful cross by winger, Antonio Valencia, on the counter-attack. In attempt of gaining the equaliser, Milan once again found themselves on their heels when Darren Fletcher delicately threaded a cross to the unstoppable Wayne Rooney, who once again powered a header past Dida to put the Red Devils up 3-1 away from home. Milan pressed United throughout the remainder of the match, and with a few changes in introducing midfielder, Clarence Seedorf, and striker, Pippo Inzaghi, Milan was brought to life. Seedorf pulled a goal back for Milan with a cheeky back-heel effort late into the match (86') and Inzaghi almost put the icing on the cake in the final minutes to tie the game, but his effort missed the net by an inch!
The game finished 3-2 in United's favor and the away goals will be precious for them heading home for the second-leg to be held in Manchester. Milan must sort some tactics out to prevail in this match-up as it will be very difficult to pull through with three goals at Old Trafford.

Scandalous John Terry Has Jumped Off The BRIDGE!

John Terry (6), pictured with former best-friend and teammate, Wayne Bridge, is paying the price for a scandalous four-month affair he had with Bridge's former girlfriend, French model and actress, Vanessa Perroncel (pictured below).



A married man and father of two, Terry has consequently made one of the stupidest and biggest mistakes of his life, as this has cost him in being stripped of England national team captaincy by manager, Fabio Capello, ahead of the World Cup in South Africa this summer. "As a captain with the team, Terry has displayed extremely positive behaviour," said Capello. "However, I have to take into account other considerations and what is best for all of the England squad. What is best for all of the England team has inspired my choice and Terry was notified first." Rio Ferdinand of Manchester United will now fill in his boots as England captain.

In looking at this scandal, the conduct of John Terry is ridiculous. He has branded himself as the "Tiger Woods" of soccer, and this will take a toll on the rest of his career as he will be known as a "cheat". Not only has he lost captaincy of the England squad, but he has lost his best-friend, has lost the respect and support of friends, teammates and fans, and has put himself in jeopardy with his personal life and family. I personally think he is foolish and it disgusts me to see that he would do that to his best friend and wife and kids.

It is more than obvious to see that Terry has gone over the BRIDGE on this one. It will be a difficult time ahead for him, and he must remain focused on the pitch. Let's see how the next few months go for Terry on and off the field and what speculation may arise next!

Adidas Releases Official Matchball of the 2010 World Cup

Adidas has recently released the official matchball for the upcoming 2010 World Cup which will be hosted by South Africa. They have named the ball Jabulani, which translates to mean 'Celebrate.' Adidas used this name by deriving it from Zulu, which is one of the 11 languages of South Africa. The number 11 is pretty fundamental for the ball as its design has 11 colors to honor the 11 languages and it also adds on to the 11 communities of South Africa.

This is Adidas' most advanced soccer ball made to date. With new "Grip'n'Groove" technology, this provides player's with great ability in range of striking the ball, allowing for the best accuracy possible. It also applies players with perfect grip in all conditions due to the texture of the integrated grooves on the ball's surface. The Jabulani has been designed for impeccable swerve, control, and power in striking the ball. It is the complete ball and will play a fantastic role in this summer's World Cup.

Although the ball seems pricey, selling at $150.00, it will still be a huge seller with buyers wanting the best quality in which it has to offer.