Confederations Cup Match Report: South Africa 0 – 0 Iraq

image from Associated Press

Bafana Bafana can consider themselves unlucky not to have picked up three points against Iraq in the opening game of the Fifa Confederations Cup at Ellis Park Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Joel Santana opted to go with a similar starting 11 that defeated Poland 1-0 last weekend, with left back Tsepho Masilele coming in for Innocent Mdledle and Teko Modise for Pienaar being the only changes.

The game got off to a lively start as striker Tembinkhosi Fanteni picked up a yellow card in the first minute after a crunching tackle on Karrar Jasim. It soon settled down though, with Bafana struggling to string together passes as the Iraqi players quickly closed down the space. Jasim had the first chance of the game with a speculative shot from distance which Khune comfortably saved.

Bernard Parker had South Africa’s first effort on goal with a weak shot from outside the box. Holding midfielder Macbeth Sibaya had our best chance of the opening 45 minutes when he unleashed a powerful shot from 30 yards out which the Iraqi keeper did well to tip over for a corner in the 13th minute. That was the only real highlights of a dull and uneventful first half which ended 0-0 at the break.

Bafana started the second half much better...{Read more about the frustration of South Africa}

This report is featured at SA Football Fans

Ronaldo Leaving: His Possible Replacement

So...Ronaldo is finally going. And to his favoured destination - Real Madrid. At 9.33am Thursday morning, the media and football blogging world started to report the breaking news of an accepted ₤80m bid for the World Player of The Year. The deal looks to be a formality with most papers saying that it is just a question of when. A deadline date of June 30th has been set.

This puts an end to a season-long saga surrounding Ronaldo and Real Madrid. Fortunately for Man Utd fans worldwide, Sir Alex would not have let his most important player go without having a or two backup plan. But how do you replace a player who is lightning fast, have flair, a freekick specialist and scores vital goals?

All of us would like to think that Sir Alex has a plan in place already and is currently executing that plan. We know about the supposed potentials of Nani and Zoran Tosic within the United reserve squad. Ongoing discussions with Wigan Athletic will indicate a logical one-to-one ₤15m replacement in Ecuador winger Luis Antonio Valencia.

Across the English channel, rumours about interest in Franck Ribery refuses to go away but Bayern will not let him go without an inflated transfer price. Manchester United had in May 2009 made an initial inquiry to Bayern offering ₤63m for Ribery on condition that Ronaldo leaves. So now could be the time to exercise this Ribery option. The fans will be appeased if Ribery comes. The Premiership will welcome his direct running and quick footballing brain.

In my opinion, one particularly world-class right-sided midfielder has slipped off the radar. Alessandro Mancini has been warming the bench at Inter this season and he has publicly claimed that he is unhappy about this. Mancini could be tempted by a Manchester United link. The stepover king has the ability to be the Red Devils most exciting flair player. He could be available for cheaper ₤15m. The fans may prefer Ribery but Mancini should be the better option simply because there will be additional funds left for a badly needed defensive midfielder.

If Ronaldo does agree personal terms with Madrid, then he will be hard to replace. Alessandro Mancini, however is well-capable to be his possible replacement. His pace, dribbling skills and flair will thrill and bring the Man United fans to their feet.

Good bye Ronaldo, the EPL will be much poorer viewing without you.

Ronaldo - away from the pitch

Bentley For Sale

Fancy a Bentley, anyone? David Bentley, that is. After a season at his boyhood club, Spurs boss, Harry Redknapp is ready to cut the midfielder loose. It looks like yet another player's boyhood dream will be crushed. We all have seen how Robbie Keane was shown the exit door at his boyhood club, Liverpool.

David Bentley at Spurs was a completely different player than the one who had performed so sterlingly at Blackburn Rovers. Ewood Park faithful were entertained by a football artist who had finally shown maturity and consistency to match his early Arsenal promise. He even added industry to his game.

In the three years at Blackburn, David Bentley has shown that he is a footballer who can change a game with an accurately flighted cross or a defence-splitting pass. More importantly he evolved into that type of player that a team could rely on to win hard-fought games. He was, at Blackburn, what David Dunn had threatened to be had he stayed on at the Lancashire club.

After learning how to be a footballer in Blackburn, Bentley this season, has seemingly forgotten all that and reverted to being just a show-pony. Nevertheless, the man is an obvious talent and therefore his availability on the transfer window should not be overlooked by Premiership managers. Transfer rumours are already abound, with 'Arry reportedly trying to offload Bentley and ₤8m to Aston Villa in exchange for Ashley Young. Atletico Madrid also has been rumoured to offer ₤10m for Bentley's services.

Looking at Bentley's Spurs season, he scored arguably the goal of the season against Arsenal this term. A beautifully executed volley. But that was the only contribution of note. He ended the season with that one goal and two further assists in the Premiership. Crosses-wise, he had whipped in 37 crosses with an accuracy of 20.9%

Compare that with his previous 2007-08 season with Blackburn, where he scored six goals and assisted in seven others. His crossing percentage was 25.7%, swinging in 11.24 crosses per game. Crosses and corners attempted were 416, the highest for that season. Bentley's chances created per game was 2.45. All this suggest that David Bentley has tremendous ability and this season is not a true representation of him.

So what went wrong?

Perhaps he started to believe in his own hype. Perhaps Bentley thought that he had become a marquee player, a superstar. The ego had inflated so much that he had forgotten about effort and commitment on the pitch. In Spurs, that was the complaint...that he did not work hard enough for the team. Two stunning seasons and a big-money transfer can do that to a person.

Furthermore, playing for a club which Bentley had supported as a boy introduced unnecessary pressure on the player resulting in him trying too hard to please. In the end, the flicks did not come off and the crosses failed to find their targets.

Now where should he go?

Liverpool could be that club who can put Bentley's career back on track. Rafa Benitez had a ₤12m bid rejected last season for Bentley so he clearly rates the player. With Liverpool in serious financial debt, a cut-price Bentley ₤10m may be attractive to Rafa. The right side of Liverpool's midfield is a weak area and Liverpool should be looking to strengthen that side of the pitch.

With Bentley in the team, the crossing into the penalty area will add another offensive dimension into the Liverpool attack. A 4-3-1-2 formation will accommodate Mascherano, Bentley, Riera/Alonso and Gerrard with Kuyt and Torres upfront. Both Kuyt and Torres are fantastic headers of the ball and Bentley, with his crossing ability, can surely enhance the aerial potency of the two Liverpool strikers.

With a change of surroundings and going back to the basics of playing football, I am convinced that the old swagger will be back. The beneficiary could be Liverpool and England. In Liverpool, Bentley will not be the superstar that he might have been at Spurs. Instead with the spotlight once again away from him, he could regain the form he showed in the 2007-08 season.

If Bentley can return to some semblance of his Blackburn form, then the heir apparent to David Beckham can once again make Don Fabio sit up and take notice. Doing the business at Liverpool would further reinforce the notion that David Bentley is worthy of a place in Capello's England World Cup squad.

The question is, would Liverpool be willing to gamble on this Spurs misfit? I hope they do.

John Barnes: From Jamaica to Merseyside

Soccernet reported another interesting bit of news. It would seem that Liverpool legend John Barnes is set to be named manager of Tranmere Rovers in the next few days.

This is what was reported:

"Former Liverpool and England player John Barnes is set to return to club management with League One side Tranmere Rovers. The 45-year-old, who has been in charge of the Jamaica national team since September last year, has been eager to return to the domestic game after an ill-fated and infamous spell in charge of Celtic in 1999-2000 which ended after a humiliating Scottish Cup defeat to minnows Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He applied for the Port Vale job last month but that position went to Micky Adams. Now it appears he will be reunited with former Liverpool team-mate Jason McAteer at Prenton Park. McAteer is an ex-Tranmere player and youth coach..."

Full ESPN report is available here: Barnes set to be appointed new boss of Tranmere

Now I am not really sure about this. The man is a legend but his club management has been terrible. The1999/2000 appointment at Celtic was a much-hyped affair which backfired on Barnes. Perhaps he brought too many ideas too soon. While at Celtic, Barnes' record stands at 29 games played, 19 games won, eight (8) drawn and lost two (2). At the time of sacking, he had a win percentage of 65.5%. Not bad, but he made some strange decision then, notably playing with a 4-2-2-2 formation. There were also a slew of bad signings, an old Ian Wright and an absent Rafael Scheidt comes to mind. Finally, the Scottish Cup defeat at the hands of Inverness broke the camel's back. Barnes was promptly sacked.

It would take him eight years to step back into management as he took over in September 2008 as the coach of Jamaica. Jamaicans were looking for a hero and Barnes provided it - guiding the team to a Carribean Cup victory that same year. Thus he has proven himself to be a good manager (learning from mistakes at the cauldron that is Parkhead). One point to note, coaching Jamaica has been a success but that was after they had failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup when the pressure was off. Barnes performance as coach of Jamaica? Six(6) wins, four(4) draws and no defeats thus far. Very impressive stats. The timing of this news is unfortunate as the Jamaican squad had been preparing for the Gold Cup tournament coming up next month.

Survey Results - GlowDay.com

So I am undecided on this. On one hand, as a Kop legend, I would like to see him succeed at Tranmere. On the other, I am not sure if he can. For sure, he will raise the profile of Tranmere Rovers. Hopefully Barnes will be the man who will guide Tranmere back to the Championship and beyond. The Rovers fans have missed the heady days of Pat Nevin and John Aldridge and would love to see a revolution take place.

I will always remember Barnes as a Kop hero and an amazing football player. Supremely talented players do not make great managers - they just don't. The glare of the football media may not be on Digger Barnes but the eyes of Prenton Park will sure be watching this manager's every move.

South Africa 2009: Confederations Cup Preview

The FIFA Confederations Cup is a tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships (CAF, CONMEBOL, UEFA, AFC, OFC, CONCACAF), along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host country.

This year, the Confed Cup will be held in South Africa - sort of a sneak preview of what's to come in the soon approaching 2010 World Cup Finals. This tournament will start on June 14th and end with the final on June 28th 2009.

Group A
Spain (UEFA European champions)

Coach: Vicente Del Bosque
Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas, Jose Reina, Diego Lopez
Defenders: Raul Albiol, Alvaro Arbeloa, Joan Capdevila, Carlos Marchena, Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Sergio Ramos
Midfielders: Xabi Alonso, Sergi Busquets, Santi Cazorla, Cesc Fabregas, Xavi, Pablo Hernandez, David Silva, Juan Manuel Mata, Albert Riera
Forwards: Daniel Guiza, Fernando Llorente, Fernando Torres, David Villa

Probable starting formation:

(GK) Casillas — (D) Ramos, Pique, Marchena, Capdevila — (M) Alonso, Silva, Xavi, Fabregas — (F) Torres, Villa

Current FIFA Ranking: 1

Strengths:
Spain has strength, quality and depth in their squad. Virtually any player in the 23-man squad can be thrust into the team and will do well. Del Bosque has enough quality in this squad to field two similar strength teams. The confidence of this squad is well high right now having won the European championships. It is a team that has played together for two years now and so the players know each other's game very well.

Weaknesses:
No glaring weaknesses. A hint of the Arsenal about Spain i.e. because they are so good, there is that tendency to want to walk the ball into the net. Midfield is lightweight so opposition may want to stop the Spanish midfield by deploying a spoiler's game in the middle of the park.

Player to Watch: Xavi, Cesc Fabregas

Tournament Prospects:
Vicente Del Bosque and Spain have not lost a match since the 2008 European championships. Del Bosque have already stated that "we are here to win" and the confidence is sky high. An easy group A means that Spain will top this group and will face either Brazil or Italy in the semifinal. Spain will be favourites to win this tournament.

The Fans:

Iraq (AFC Asian champions)

Coach: Bora Milutinovic
Goalkeepers: Mohammed Kasid, Nour Sabri, Uday Talib
Defenders: Basim Abbas, Muayad Khalid, Isam Yaseen, Samir Saeed, Farid Majeed, Salam Shaker, Ali Hussein Rahema, Mohammed Ali Karim, Dara Mohammed Habeeb
Midfielders: Halgurd Mulla Mohammed, Mahdi Karim, Nashat Akram, Hawar Mulla Mohammed, Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail, Salih Sadir
Forwards: Karrar Jassim, Emad Mohammed, Alaa Abdul-Zahra, Younis Mahmoud, Luai Salah

Current FIFA Ranking: 77

Strengths:
Although relatively inexperienced in the international arena, this Iraq team makes up for it through the experience of their Serbian coach. The core of this team have remained the same since they won the Asian Youth championship. As with Spain, these players are very familiar with the way each other like to play. Iraq plays well when the trio of Nashat Akram, Younis Mahmoud and Emad Mohammad combine well.

Weaknesses:
They may have won the 2007 Asian Nations Cup but they will not be representing Asia in the 2010 World Cup. The confidence is not high, they have not performed well since that unexpected Asian Nation Cup win in Malaysia.

Player to Watch: Nashat Akram

Tournament Prospects:
Cannon fodder for the Spanish Machine, may beat South Africa and will get 3 points against New Zealand.

The Fans:

New Zealand (OFC Oceania champions)

Coach: Ricki Herbert
Goalkeepers: James Bannatyne, Glen Moss, Mark Pasto
Defenders: Andrew Boyens, Tony Lochhead, David Mulligan, Steven Old, Aaron Scott, Ben Sigmund, Ivan Vicelich
Midfielders: Andy Barron, Leo Bertos, Tim Brown, Jeremy Christie, Simon Elliott, Chris James, Duncan Oughton
Forwards: Kris Bright, Jeremy Brockie, Chris Killen, Shane Smeltz, Jarrod Smith, Chris Wood

Probable starting formation:

(GK) Paston — (D) Mulligan, Lochhead, Old, Sigmund — (M) Elliott, Oughton, Brown, James — (F) Smeltz, Killen

Current FIFA Ranking: 82

Strengths:
The strike partnership of Chris Killen and Shane Smeltz have produced 25 goals for the national team. The duo are arguably the two best players in this Kiwi side. They will be looked upon to drive the team forward in this competition.

Weaknesses:
New Zealand lack world class players and so will look to build on team experience here. They will use this tournament to prepare for the World Cup play-off with the fifth best Asian nation. The loss of the excellent Ryan Nelsen will not help the Kiwi's cause or hopes.

Player to Watch: Shane Smeltz, Leo Bertos

Tournament Prospects:
No chance and no points in this tournament.

The Fans:

South Africa (Host country)

Coach: Joel Santana
Goalkeepers: Brian Baloyi, Itumeleng Khune, Rowen Fernandez
Defenders: Matthew Booth, Siboniso Gaxa, Morgan Gould, Tsepo Masilela, Aaron Mokoena, Bryce Moon, Bongani Khumalo
Midfielders: Lance Davids, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Teko Modise, Steven Pienaar, Macbeth Sibaya, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Benson Mhlongo, Elrio van Heerden, Innocent Mdledle
Strikers: Bernard Parker, Katlego Mphela, Thembinkosi Fanteni, Katlego Mashego

Probable starting formation:

(GK) Baloyi - (D) Masilela , Moon, Booth, Gaxa - (M) Modise, Mokoena, Pienaar, Sibaya - (F) Mashego, Mphela

Current FIFA Ranking: 72

Strengths:
South Africa will have home ground advantage for this tournament. The fans will definitely get behind the team and spur them on. The team can rely on Steven Pienaar's industry and hard running in midfield, giving them a creative outlet. Aaron Mokoena provides protection for the back four by breaking up opposition plays in midfield with his tough tackling and physical style.

Weaknesses:
Not recalling Benni McCarthy leaves the South Africans short of attacking options. There is no recognised striker within the team squad. Goals may be hard to come by.

Player to Watch: Steven Pienaar

Tournament Prospects:
Being in the easier group A will surely help the Bafana Bafana. Joel Santana will want to use this tournament to prepare and assess his squad's capability for the 2010 World Cup. The team has the quality to beat New Zealand and Iraq to finish second and qualify for the semifinals. That's when the journey ends for South Africa. Unless witchcraft is used....

The Fans:



Group B
Brazil (CONMEBOL South American champions)

Coach: Carlos Dunga
Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar, Victor, Heurelho Gomes
Defenders: Maicon, Daniel Alves, Alex, Juan, Lucio, Luisao, Kleber, Andre Santos
Midfielders: Anderson, Gilberto Silva, Josue, Ramires, Elano, Felipe Melo, Julio Baptista, Kaka
Forwards: Alexandre Pato, Luis Fabiano, Nilmar, Robinho

Probable starting formation:

(GK) Cesar — (D) Maicon, Juan, Lucio, Alves — (M) Kaka, Silva, Baptisa, Elano — (F) Pato, Robinho

Current FIFA Ranking: 5

Strengths:
A squad which has quality, strength, skill and depth. Like Del Bosque, Dunga has a squad in which he could field two teams capable of winning the Confederations Cup. That's the level of strength that Brazil possesses. For once, goalkeeping is no longer a weakness with the formidable Julio Cesar in goal. Defence is solid and physical. The team is packed with creativity and flair both in midfield and in attack. A magical team.

Weaknesses:
Overconfidence is a worry for Brazil. No doubt, they can beat anyone on paper but it's about getting it done on the pitch as well.

Player to Watch: Alexandre Pato

Tournament Prospects:
Need to fight it out with Italy for the group B leadership. Semifinalist for sure but may not be able to beat the Spaniards. Losing finalists this time around. At least the fans will enjoy a dream final - Brazil vs. Spain.

The Fans:




Italy (World champions)

Coach: Marcello Lippi
Goalkeepers: Amelia, Buffon, De Sanctis
Defenders: Cannavaro, Chiellini, Zambrotta, Dossena, Legrottaglie, Gamberini, Grosso, Santon
Midfielders: Camoranesi, De Rossi, Pirlo, Gattuso, Montolivo, Palombo
Forwards: Gilardino, Iaquinta, Pepe, Quagliarella, Toni, Rossi

Probable starting formation:

(GK) Buffon — (D) Cannavaro, Chiellini, Zambrotta, Grosso — (M) Camoranesi, De Rossi, Pirlo — (F) Quagliarella, Toni, Gilardino

Current FIFA Ranking: 4

Strengths:
An Italian squad filled with experience and world class talent. This team know how to shut out a team, stifle an opposition's creativity and win a game the Catenacchio style. Strong at the back, creative and tough to get past in midfield and sharpness in attack. All these are hallmarks of a tactically well organised Italian side.

Weaknesses:
Lippi takes with him an aging squad for this competition. A better option for him was to inject some youthfulness into the team. Athleticism and mobility are areas lacking in this Italian squad.

Player to Watch: Giorgio Chiellini

Tournament Prospects:
A first-time semifinal appearance for the Italians in South Africa. Will have to negotiate past the unpredictability of Egypt and the athleticism of USA.

The Fans:

USA (CONCACAF North American champions)
Coach: Bob Bradley
Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Luis Robles
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector, Jonathan Bornstein, Marvell Wynne, Jay DeMerit, Danny Califf, Heath Pearce
Midfielders: Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Sacha Kljestan, Jose Francisco Torres, Benny Feilhaber, Ricardo Clark, DaMarcus Beasley, Freddy Adu
Forwards: Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore, Conor Casey, Charlie Davies

Probable starting formation:

(GK) Howard — (D) Hejduk, Bocanegra, Onyewu, Pearce — (M) Bradley, Beasley, Kljestan, Dempsey — (F) Ching, Donovan

Current FIFA Ranking: 14

Strengths:
Bob Bradley have forged a team with defensive solidity marshalled by the excellent Tim Howard in goal. Midfield will be infused with discipline and positional responsibilities. Freddie Adu's brilliance on the ball can make a difference in tight matches. Athleticism, stamina and endurance are the key qualities of this USA team.

Weaknesses:
This is a USA team that will work hard and chase every ball. Unfortunately at the highest level of international football, a creative spark is required. The Americans do not have this creative or unpredictability element in their ranks.

Player to Watch: Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley

Tournament Prospects:
USA should not be expected to shake up the competition. They have traditionally performed well in the Confed Cup but this will not be the same. Third placing in the group could be a possibility.

The Fans:

Eqypt (CAF African champions)
Coach: Hassan Shehata
Goalkeepers: Essam Al Hadari, Abdul Wahed Al Sayed Mohamed Sobhi, Al Hani Soliman
Defenders: Hani Said, Mahmoud Fathallah, Wael Gomaa, Sherif Abdul Fadhil, Ahmed Said, Ahmed Al Muhammadi, Sayed Moawad, Hazem Emam, Ahmed Samir Farag
Midfielders: Ahmed Fathi, Mohamed Shawki, Hosni Abd Rabu, Ahmed Khairy, Mohamed Soliman, Abdul Aziz Tawfiq, Ahmed Hassan, Mohamed Aboutrika
Forwards: Ahmed Eid, Mohamed Zidan, Mohamed Abougreisha, Ahmed Abdul Ghani, Ahmed Raouf, Ihab Al Masri, Amr Zaki

Probable starting formation:
(GK) Al Hadari - (D) Al Muhammadi, Moawad, Said, Gomaa - (M) Fathi, Hassan, Shawki, Aboutrika - (F) Zaki, Zidan

Current FIFA Ranking: 40

Strengths:
A very talented Egyptian side combining youth and experience. The Egyptians are familiar with this tournament and will have the desire to prove that they are more than just confederations winners. There are a number of European-based Egyptians in this squad, they will be expected to use their big-game experience to inspire the team.

Weaknesses:
Due to behavioural problems, Mido was omitted from this squad. Egypt's attack is greatly diminished without Mido. Amr Zaki will be asked to shoulder a lot more responsibility which may reduce his goal scoring abilities.

Player to Watch: Mohamed Zidan

Tournament Prospects:
Unpredictable. A giant in African football but hardly produce the goods on the world stage. Will be challenging for the group third placing with USA.

The Fans:

TheFlatBackFour prediction:
Winner: Spain
Runners-up: Brazil
Third Place: Italy
Semifinalist: South Africa

Birmingham Prepares for Premier League Survival By Signing Hitman Benitez

Alex McLeish and Birmingham celebrated their return to the Premier League by breaking the club's transfer fee record. The recipient of this fee is a Mexican Primera Division club, Santos Laguna. The player, Ecuadorian international striker Christian Benitez. The fee, £9million surpassing the previous £6.25million paid for the services of Emile Heskey in 2004.

This is clearly a statement of intent. Birmingham is desperate to shed the yo-yo tag that the club currently bears. Since the 2005-06 season, Birmingham had been going up and down the division and so getting off the starting blocks early (as Hull had shown this season) must be at the utmost importance of McLeish's strategy and tactics next season. Is Christian Benitez that one signing that can turn the fortunes of Birmingham? Yes, I say.


Christian Benitez is one of the hottest prospects in world football. Only 23, he is already the best player in the Mexican Premier Division. He has scored 31 goals in 58 games in Mexico and bagged ten goals in 17 international matches. He was awarded Most Valuable Player 2006 in Ecuador while with El Nacional and more recently was named also MVP 2008 in Mexico.

Clearly the boy has talent. Although 5ft 6in, he has a great leap and can score goals with his head. Benitez possesses a great change of pace which typically leaves defenders on the floor. He can shoot with both feet, something which is very rare these days. As with all South American players, he has the technical skills and flair.

His agent has touted Benitez as the Ecuadorian "Lionel Messi". Sure, he can run at, run past and skin defenders but he is no Messi. Instead, I will label him as the alternative Obafemi Martins. He has similar physique, quick and strong and more pertinently, is more prolific in front of goal than Martins. Benitez will have taken heart from the success of Luis Valencia in the English league. Make no mistakes, he has the tools to succeed. With the right nurturing, he will succeed.

Tim Vickery once wrote in an article that the main reason for South Americans failing in England is the lack of club support to look after them and help them ease into life in England. Brazilian striker, Jo came over to England on a reputation of a goal in every two games but could not settle in Manchester City. When he was loaned out to Everton, he recaptured his scoring form and attributed that to the way Everton and in particular, Phil Neville had taken the time to care and help him adjust to life in England.

If Birmingham can make him feel at home and form a proper support group around him, then Christian Benitez will be able to focus on the real task at hand. The task of firing the goals that will lift Birmingham into mid-table security next season.

Serie A Statistics and the little Brazilian called Diego

Serie A will get a major lift when the brilliant Diego starts pulling the strings for the "Old Lady" of Juventus. Here are some highlights of the dazzling skills and strengths of Diego Ribas da Cunha for your enjoyment, specially created by Ctheoson.


The closest I have seen to the great Diego Armando Maradona...there is no doubt that Diego can spark the same inspirational effect in Juve that Maradona had on Napoli.

This little gem was found in TheOffside site which has great news on world soccer as well as individual teams. Excellent stuff for a quick read on what's happening in world soccer, when things are slow on the EPL front. Just thought I’d share this.

Written by Francesco on TheOffside
So we all know in American sports there are statistics for everything. On base percentage, field goal percentage, runs batted in, how many times a player blows his nose at half-time, etc. Soccer as a whole is relatively new to statistics, and especially Italian calcio. Up until a few years ago assists weren’t even recorded. The only stats you had on calciatori were ‘games played’ and ‘goals scored’. But with the modern era came technology and therefore statistics started to become recorded. So now that the season is over, let’s go through which player or which team was the top in certain categories.

GOALS AGAINST
Defense wins championships they say. And according to this stat, they are right. It actually reflected how the table finished, the top 5 at least. Inter were top with 32 goals conceded, follwed by Milan (35), Juventus (37), Fiorentina (38), and Genoa (39). But who follows the top 5? No, it’s not Roma, it’s Siena. Yep, Siena only allowed 44 goals to have the 6th best defense in Serie A. Their problem was scoring goals, not conceding them. Imagine they had a prolific strikeforce? They would probably be in the UEFA zone. And that’s why Marco Giampaolo is so highly rated. On the other side of things, Roma conceded 61 goals, the same amount as relegated Torino and one less then relegated Reggina. If they didn’t have such a great strike force, they’d potentially be in relegation trouble. Lecce had the most porous defense, allowing 67 goals.

GOALS SCORED
On the other side of things, attack proved to win a championship too, as Inter led the league with 70 goals for (25 from Ibra), but Milan also scored 70. Juventus followed with 69, while Roma were 4th with 64 ahead of Udinese (61), Palermo (57), Genoa (56), and Fiorentina (53). So that clearly shows Roma have some work to do in defense. At the bottom are Reggina with 30 goals. Second to last are Siena with 33 goals. If Siena didn’t have such a good defense they would be surely going down to Serie B. All the relegation zone teams scored more goals than the Tuscan club.

YELLOW CARDS AND RED CARDS
Torino was the most yellow-carded team with 101 cards. Siena was the ‘nicest’ team, with only 62 yellow cards. In the red card category, Roma win the award for least disciplined team with 12 red cards. Siena were once again the ‘nicest’, with only 3 expulsions.

ASSISTS
We already know Ibra scored the most goals, but let’s see who supplied the most. Michele Fini of Cagliari was the best assist man this year, providing 13 killer passes. Antonio Cassano followed with 11 (probably would’ve been a lot more if Pazzini had been at Samp all season), and another Rossoblu player, Andrea Cossu, rounded out the top 3 with 10 assists.

FOULS SUFFERED AND FOULS COMMITTED
Who was the most fouled player in Serie A this season? It was Antonio Cassano, who was taken down a good 153 times. Ezequiel Lavezzi comes close at 133, followed by Sergio Floccari (123), Sergio Pellissier (114), and Bernardo Corradi (105). But who causes the most fouls in Serie A? It’s Chievo’s defensive midfielder Giampiero Pinzi, who fouled his opponents 116 times. Napoli’s Manuele Blasi follows at 111, and the top 5 is rounded out by Gaby Mudingayi (108), Bernardo Corradi (96) [so he fouls almost as much as he is fouled], and Felipe Melo (90).

PASSES, SHOTS, AND OFFSIDES
Of course the top 5 of the passes category are all players that play a deep playmaker role in front of the defense. Palermo’s Fabio Liverani shared the ball 2,338 times (and it would’ve been more if he didn’t get injured. Gaetano D’Agostino of Udinese follows with 2,139 passes, and then there’s space for Daniele De Rossi (2,032), Andrea Pirlo (2,031), and Christian Ledesma (1,925).

Zlatan Ibrahimovic took the most shots on net, firing away 158 times. Mauro Zarate follows with 133 tries, and then there’s Fabrizio Miccoli (132), Alessandro Del Piero (125), and Marco Di Vaio (117).

However who were the most accurate shooters?

Zlatan had the most shots on net with 68 (25 of which were goals), followed by Mauro Zarate with 59, Diego Milito, Fabrizio Miccoli, and Marco Di Vaio all with 55, and Antonio Cassano with 53.

And then there’s offside.

There’s no doubt about it, if Pippo Inzaghi played a full season he would be first place by miles. However, his crown was overtaken by his former teammate Alberto Gilardino, who was on the wrong side of the defense 94 times this season. Simone Tiribocchi followed with 85 offside calls. Sergio Pellissier (79), Marco Di Vaio (78), and and Diego Milito (76) round out the top 5.

Inzaghi? Despite not playing that much the first part of the year he managed to finish in 8th place with 53 offside calls.

TACKLES WON, INTERCEPTIONS, AND PLAYER DISCIPLINE
So the best tackler in Serie A is a defender right? Nope, it’s Gaetano D’Agostino, who made 109 clean tackles. Genoa’s Domenico Criscito follows at 106, while Chievo’s Mario Yepes is a close third at 103. Esteban Cambiasso and Manuele Blasi are tied for 4th at 98 and Christian Ledesma is 5th with 95.

In the interception category, we see who did the best job of anticipating the play. Daniele Conti made the most interceptions with 136, while Fabiano Santacroce just missed out with 135. Esteban Cambiasso and Salvatore Bocchetti are tied for third at 120, while Matteo Brighi is 4th with 116 and Felipe Melo 5th with 114.

While Daniele Conti intercepted balls the most, he also was yellow carded the most (15). Bruno Cirillo of Reggina and Cesare Bovo of Palermo follow with 14. Andrea Cossu is third with 13, and that’s a lot of yellow cards for a fantasista.

In the red card column, Felipe Melo, Diego Lopez, and Guillermo Giacomazzi were all sent off 3 times throughout the season. Matteo Sereni is the only goalkeeper with more than 1 red card with 2 sending offs.

GAME RECORDS
Most goals: 8 in Udinese-Cagliari 6-2 (Giornata 38)
Most fouls: 59 in Lazio-Torino 1-1 (Giornata 24)
Most yellow cards: 11 in Sampdoria-Genoa 0-1 (Giornata 15)
Most red cards: 4 in Fiorentina-Cagliari 2-1 (Giornata 31)
Most chances to score: 16 in Fiorentina-Udinese 4-2 (Giornata 13)

Finally, I just want to add some further stats,

MOST SAVES, SGOF, GAA, SHUTOUTS
Bologna's Francesco Antonioli made the most saves (197) this season, followed by Albano Bizzarri (154) and Julio Cesar (147) of Inter. Most shots on goal faced (SOGF) also belonged to Antonioli (253) and Bizzarri (191) followed by Marchetti (184).

Perhaps a better measure of goalkeeping excellence are the next two.
Julio Cesar (0.78) has the best Goals Against Average. Christian Abbiati (0.96) and Sebastian Frey (1.00) are the next best duo. In the shutouts category, Julio Cesar is again tops with 17. Genoa's Rubinho has 14, Sebastian Frey and Federico Marchetti are joint third on 12 and in joint fifth place is Abbiati and Gianluca Curci with 11.

Fulham's Player of the Season: Clint Dempsey

Clinton "Deuce" Dempsey joined Fulham in January 2007 from MLS New England Revolution for $4million. Dempsey's dream of playing in Europe was achieved. Fulham was the ideal club at the time for an American trying to find his way in Premier League waters. Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra had made Fulham their home. Clint Dempsey came into a club where Americans are well received by the fans.

Prior to his arrival to the English Premier League, Clint Dempsey established himself as a superstar in the MLS. He was drafted by the New England Revolution in 2004. Playing in his favoured attacking midfield position, he scored seven goals in his rookie season and was promptly named MLS Rookie of The Year 2004.

He followed that rookie season with an equally eye-catching second season. In 2005, he scored 10 goals and had nine assists, including five game-winning goals (which was the third best in the MLS). He was named to the MLS Best XI.

After the 2006 World Cup, where he scored the side's only goal against Ghana, Dempsey won United States men's soccer highest individual honour when he was named Honda Player of the Year for 2006.

Dempsey announced his arrival to the Premier League in dramatic fashion. Primarily used as sub in his first season in the EPL, he came off the bench and scored the only goal in a must-win match against Liverpool in the penultimate game of the season. That win virtually guaranteed Fulham Premier League status for another season.

2007/2008 saw another season of struggle for Fulham as they battled relegation yet again. Clint Dempsey contributed six goals and two assists, playing a key role as Fulham negotiated an unlikely escape to stay in the Premier League. He ended the 2007/08 season as Fulham's top scorer with eight goals.

This season, Dempsey has again proven indispensable amid an uncertain start to the season. Nevertheless, he has started 28 games, made 835 successful passes (79% accuracy), and made 62 successful tackles (67% success rate). He has scored seven goals and made 2 assists, making him joint-top scorer at Fulham alongside Andy Johnson.
With Dickson Etuhu providing the needed defensive solidity and Danny Murphy as the creative fulcrum of Fulham's midfield, Dempsey is able to do what he does best i.e. harassing opposition into mistakes and making late runs into the box. Possessing bags of energy and immense athleticism, he has been a tireless workhorse in midfield.

He has superb close control and excellent technical abilities. His anticipation and late arrivals into the box enable him to score close-range goals, toe-pokes or tap-ins. He is an exceptionally good header of the ball, scoring headed goals ala Tim Cahill. His tenacity in midfield combined with his dribbling skills frequently results in opponents fouling him (49 fouls won).

When Fulham need energy and enthusiasm from someone, the team looks to Clint Dempsey to provide it this season He has assumed the high energy playing style of Jimmy Bullard ensuring that Bullard's absence is not missed in Craven Cottage. He has a very charismatic and infectious personality and that has endeared him to the Fulham fans and players alike.

With a gunslinger's name, Clint Dempsey is ready to lead Fulham's challenge in the new Europa League. The impact of Brian McBride's departure has been significantly reduced by the emergence of another talented American soccer star.

For me, Fulham's Player of The Season 2008/09 is...Clint Dempsey.