 |
|
Heading is a skill unique to football. For a power header, the player meets the ball at the
top of the jump. Good timing is important, and contact should be made with the forehead.
|
Jose Mourinho has agreed to become the new manager
of Manchester United, according to British media reports on Thursday.
Champion League
Cristiano Ronaldo insists personal goals will be
put to one side as Real Madrid seek to embellish their incredible European
record with...
FA Cup
FA Cup
quarterfinal replays will be scrapped from next season, the Football
Association announced on Thursday.
Europa League
Liverpool
have been hit with a second Uefa fine in less than a week for their fans
letting off fireworks during their Europa League quarterfinal against Borussia
Dortmund in April.Soccer/Football Popularity
After Beckham,
What Next for North American Soccer? There
can be little doubt that the departure of David Beckham from Major League
Soccer leaves a large vacuum to be filled in the league’s marketing strategy.
It is perhaps an even larger vacuum than the one he leaves in the Los Angeles
Galaxy midfield…Read more>
Soccer Is Booming
But That Presents Unionized Writers With Choices and Dilemmas. As Soccer has evolved into an
industry, its journalistic fraternity has tried to move with the times....Read more>
10 Data Points That Prove That Soccer
Has Finally Made It In America. This question has been asked many
times before. Has soccer finally made it as a mainstream American sport? In the
U.S., soccer’s popularity has been eclipsed by American football, basketball,
baseball, hockey and even golf for decades. But that’s about to change...Read more>
Top 25 Soccer/Football Websites
Telegraph Sport takes a look at the 25 best football websites for videos, pictures, statistics, news, blogs and gossip…Read more>
Telegraph Sport takes a look at the 25 best football websites for videos, pictures, statistics, news, blogs and gossip…Read more>
Sports Sponsorship is Big Business
By engaging consumers on an emotional level, sports sponsorship can drive sales and increase market share, resulting in huge revenues…Read more>
Sports Corruption.
How FIFA (via Interpol) turned to academia to clean up the ‘beautiful game’. The inside story of an Interpol conference (sponsored by FIFA) on how to use education and research to tackle match fixing and corruption in soccer…Read more>
Football/Soccer Coaching
FIFA Education and Training
Coach Training Certificate
GrassRoots Coaching
Football Coach Online
Football of Malaysia Association (FAM)
By engaging consumers on an emotional level, sports sponsorship can drive sales and increase market share, resulting in huge revenues…Read more>
Sports Corruption.
How FIFA (via Interpol) turned to academia to clean up the ‘beautiful game’. The inside story of an Interpol conference (sponsored by FIFA) on how to use education and research to tackle match fixing and corruption in soccer…Read more>
Football/Soccer Coaching
FIFA Education and Training
Coach Training Certificate
GrassRoots Coaching
Football Coach Online
Football of Malaysia Association (FAM)
Record numbers of Americans are tuning in to the U.S.'s World
Cup games. But history
suggests it's too early to declare that the sport has "arrived" here.
suggests it's too early to declare that the sport has "arrived" here.
When
FIFA’s corruption scandals first erupted in May, there were calls by
some
in Europe to end the organization as we know it. To save football,
Europe needs to break away, they said.
in Europe to end the organization as we know it. To save football,
Europe needs to break away, they said.
About Soccer/Football
Soccer/Football is the world's most popular sport Action-packed goalmouth play makes it a thrilling game. Tens of thousands of spectators attend the big matches. In the incident above, defenders try in vain to keep the ball out of their goal in an English cup final.
Soccer/Football is the world's most popular sport Action-packed goalmouth play makes it a thrilling game. Tens of thousands of spectators attend the big matches. In the incident above, defenders try in vain to keep the ball out of their goal in an English cup final.
The football pitch. The
field of play is rectangular. Its size may vary considerably, but for
international matches must be 100-110 metres long by 64-75 metres wide.
The
referee indicates a caution by displaying a
yellow card. A player is sent off when shown a red card.
The
one-two, or "wall pass", is an attacking move used to pull
the opposing defence out of position and create a goal chance. Player 1 passes
to player 2, and moves past the opponent into position 3 to take the quick
return pass.
Free kicks. just outside the opponents'
penalty area offer good goalscoring opportunities. Opposing players may line up
in a "wall" to cover one side of the goal while the goalkeeper covers
the rest of it.
Football skills.
Footballers must control
the ball without using their hands or arms. Players use their feet, thighs,
chest, head, and other parts of their body to control the ball and to move it.
When shooting for goal, players place their nonkicking foot by the side of the
ball. (1) Controlling the ball with the foot (2) Chest control, and (3) Shooting…follow
through.
Heading is a skill unique to football. For a power header, the
player meets the ball at the top of the jump. Good timing is important, and contact should be made with the forehead.
Dribbling calls for balance and
close control. The player twists and turns to deceive opponents, while keeping the ball close to the feet. The legs and body are used to "screen" the ball.
Goalkeeping needs agility, judgment, and good ball-handling
ability. It takes courage to dive at an opponent's feet or to punch the ball
away under pressure.
League
competition is the backbone of football. Players from Arsenal and
Chelsea league clubs, above, battle for the ball in an
English First Division match.
Soccer/Football in England. Soccer/Football was played in English independent schools in the mid-1800's. It was in these upper-class schools and the universities that the rules of football were first drawn up.
Soccer/Football in England. Soccer/Football was played in English independent schools in the mid-1800's. It was in these upper-class schools and the universities that the rules of football were first drawn up.
Soccer/Football terms
Advantage. A referee may choose to ignore a foul, judging that
to stop play would give the offending side an advantage.
Bend is to kick the ball so that it swerves in flight.
Bend is to kick the ball so that it swerves in flight.
Caution, or booking, is an official warning
by the referee to a player, accompanied by the display of yellow card.
Centre, or cross, means to play the ball
to a fellow attacker from the wing into the goalmouth.
Charge is the legal shoulder-to-shoulder contact made
on a player with the ball.
Chip is a lofted pass or shot made by kicking the ball from the
ground over an opponent.
Close down means to approach an opponent who has the ball
in such a way that the opponent finds it hard to make good use of the ball.
Cover means either to support a team-mate who is under
pressure or to mark an opponent.
Dead ball occurs when the ball goes out of play or the
referee stops the game.
Dissent, an offence, means showing disagreement with the
referee's decision.
Dribbling means running with the ball under close control
at the feet, nudging it along.
Goalmouth is an undefined area
close to the goal.
Lay off means to take a pass, usually facing the
direction of play, and transfer it back or sideways to a team-mate.
Marking means guarding an opponent.
Marking means guarding an opponent.
Obstruction is an offence that
occurs when a player deliberately gets in the way of an
opponent
without attempting to play the ball.
One-two is a quick exchange of
passes between two players usually made to get past an opponent.
Overlapping is a move in which a
defender, usually a fullback comes into the attack along the wing.
Restart is any method used to start the game after a stoppage
Restart is any method used to start the game after a stoppage
Running off the ball means moving into
positions to support team-mates or distract opponents.
Screening is keeping body and feet
in the way of an opponent while playing the ball.
Wall is a defensive barrier formed by two or more players, usually
to block shots at free kicks.
The
World Cup is held every four
years. Here, England (white shirts) and Cameroon contest a quarter-final match
in the 1990 competition in Italy. Cameroon were the first African team to reach
this stage of the finals. They lost 3-2 to England, but confirmed the emergence
of Africa as a new power in international football.
1930 Uruguay 4 Argentina 2 (Montevideo)
1934 Italy 2 Czechoslovakia 1 (Rome)
1938 Italy 4 Hungary 2 (Paris)
1950 Uruguay 2 Brazil 1 (Rio de Janeiro)*
1954 West Germany 3 Hungary 2 (Berne)
1958 Brazil 5 Sweden 2 (Stockholm)
1962 Brazil 3 Czechoslovakia 1 (Santiago)
1966 England 4 West Germany 2 (London)
1970 Brazil 4 Italy 1 (Mexico City!
1974 West Germany 2 Netherlands 1 (Munich)
1978 Argentina 3 Netherlands 1 (Buenos Aires!
1982 Italy 3 West Germany 1 (Madrid)
1986 Argentina 3 West Germany 2 (Mexico City)
1990 West Germany 1 Argentina 0 (Rome)
1994 Brazil 0 Italy 0 (Pasadena). Brazil won 3-2 on penalty kicks.
*Deciding match of final
pool.
Useful Links
Sports Football
About FIFA.com, About UEFA.com, About AFC.com
The Guardian - Football Matches
Soccer Coaching Skills
“Football/Soccer” is now
a multibillion-dollar global industry.
Association Football, is the world's most popular sport. It is the national sport of most European and Latin-American countries, and of many other nations. It is known simply as football in most English-speaking countries. It is also often called by its popular name, soccer.
Millions
of people in more than 160 countries play football. The game's most famous
international competition, the World Cup, is held every four years. The finals
are watched by a worldwide television audience of hundreds of millions.
Two
teams of 11 players take part in a football match. They attempt to send the
round ball into their opponents' goal. A successful attempt is called scoring a goal. The team scoring the most goals in the two
45-minute periods wins the game. Players use their feet, head, or any other
part of their body except hands and arms to propel or control the ball. One
player from each side, the goalkeeper, may handle the ball, but only in a restricted
area around the goal. There is considerable physical contact as opposing
players contest possession of the ball.
Football as it is played today began in England
in the mid-1800's. The game grew rapidly in England and Scotland, and soon
spread to other parts of the world. The governing body for world football, the
Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was established in
1904. FIFA staged the first Olympic football competition in 1908, and the first
World Cup in 1930. At the highest level, football is a professional game. It is
played mainly by boys and men. But it is becoming increasingly popular with
female players, especially in Scandinavia and some
other European countries.
 |
| Standard Soccer Field Dimensions and Markings
Identify the different parts of a football pitch,
their
measurements and what their markings are for.
|
Football rules lay down dimensions for the field
of a play, the goals, and the ball. These may be modified for players under the
age of 16. The size, weight, and material of the ball may also be modified for
women players. The football field, or pitch, is rectangular
and may vary in overall size. The field is marked out by lines not more than 12
centimetres wide. At each corner is a flag, on a post not less than 1.5 metres
high with a nonpointed top. Flagposts may also be placed opposite the halfway
line on each side of the field, at least metre from the touch lines.
The goals stand on the centre of
each goal line. They consist of two upright posts joined at the top by a horizontal
crossbar. The posts must be white, and are made of wood, metal, or other
approved material. The inside measurements of the goal are 7.32 metres wide by 2.44 metres high. The widths and depths of the posts and crossbar
must
not exceed 12 centimetres. In section, the nosts and crossbar must be square, rectangular,
round, half-round, or elliptical. Nets are attached to the posts, and
crossbar, and fixed to the ground behind the goal.
The ball is sphericai, with an outer casing of leather 0r
other approved material, it must have a circumference of 68 to 71 centimetres,
and must weigh from 396 to 453 grams at the start of the match. The pressure inside
may be from 0.6 to 1.1 atmosphere (600 g/cm2 to 1100g/cm2).
players' equipment consists of a jersey or shirt, shorts,
socks, shinguards, and footwear. All of these items are compulsory. The colour
of the goalkeeper's jersey must be different from the shirts of players of either
side, and from the referee.
A player must not wear
anything likely to be dangerous to another player, such as sharp studs or a
plaster cast. In international competition, the referee inspects the players'
equipment before the game to ensure that it conforms to the rules. The rules of
any competition may include a similar provision.
Football is played
11-a-side with a maximum of two substitutions. Depending on the rules of the
competition, the substitutes may be chosen from a pool of not mere than five
nominated players. A player whose part in the game has been taken by a
substitute may not return to the field.
The duration of the game
is 90 minutes, split into two halves, with an interval of at least 5 minutes.
The referee must add time lost for stoppages at the end of each half. Stoppages
include substitutions, injuries, and deliberate time-wasting. At some levels of
the game, including under-16 and women's football, shorter periods of play may
be agreed. In some competitions, two extra periods of 15 minutes each may be
played at the end of 90 minutes, in an attempt to break a tie.
The ball is in play at
all times, unless the referee stops the game or judges the ball to have
completely crossed the goal line or touch line. For a goal to be scored, the
ball must completely cross the goal line between the posts. The side scoring
the greater number of goals wins the game. If the two sides have an equal
number of goals at the end of the game, the result is a draw.
Starting play. The team captain winning the toss may choose
which goal to defend or may decide to kick off (start the game). At the
start of the game, all the players must be in their own half of the field. The
player kicking off must play the ball into the opposing half at least the
distance of its own circumference. The player kicking off may not play the ball
again until it has been touched by another player. No opposing player may be
within 9.15 metres of the ball, as determined by the centre circle, until it is
in play.
The game is restarted in
the same way after a goal has been scored, by the team against which it was
scored.
At the start of the
second half, the game is restarted by the team that did not kick off at the
start. The teams change ends at half-time.
The officials. A single
referee controls the game, with the assistance of two linesmen. The referee patrols the field diagonally, and must be fit
enough to keep up with the fast-moving play. The referee uses a whistle to
start and stop play, and hand signals to indicate decisions. The referee holds
up coloured cards to show punishments for players' offences. A yellow card indicates
an official caution, or booking; a red card indicates
that the offending player sent off and must leave the field.
The
referee punishes infringements of the rules by awarding a free kick to the
other side. In the case of foul play, he or she has to decide
whether the foul (a violation of the
rules) was intentional. The referee must also refrain from stopping play for a
foul in cases where he or she is satisfied that, by stopping play, the
offending team would gain an advantage. However, the referee cannot allow play
to continue, and then blow the whistle for a foul if the offending team is seen
to benefit from the infringement. The referee must make a decision immediately.
In
addition to enforcing the rules, the referee keeps a record of the game's scores
and acts as timekeeper.
The linesmen patrol the touch lines.
The linesmen's chief duties are to flag when the ball goes out of play. The
linesman indicates which team is entitled to put the ball back into play, and
also informs the referee when either team wishes to substitute a player.
Linesmen also help the referee to control the game, flagging to draw attention
to any breach of the rules the referee might have missed, or when they judge a
player to be offside (see Offside, below).
Restarts. The game is restarted
after the ball has gone out of play, or the referee has stopped play, by a kick,
a throw, or a dropped ball. A kick is taken when the ball goes out over the
goal line. A throw is taken when the ball goes out over the touch line. The referee
also awards a kick against a side for a foul or for
misconduct. The player restarting play with a kick or throw may not play the
ball again until it has been touched by another player. After a stoppage for
some other reason, such as the urgent treatment of an injured player, the
referee drops the ball into play between two opposing players.
Free kicks are awarded after an
infringement by one team. Free kicks may be direct or indirect, according to the
infringement. A player can score a goal from a direct free kick, but an indirect free kick must touch, or be touched by, another
player before a goal can be scored. A free kick must be
taken from the spot where the offence took place. When a player takes a free
kick, no opponent may be within 9.15 metres of the ball.
A penalty kick is a direct free kick
awarded for an offence, such as a deliberate foul or handling of the ball,
committed in a player's own penalty area. A player from the other team takes a
free kick at goal from the penalty spot (see field of play diagram). All other
players, except the opposing goalkeeper, must be at least 9.15 metres from the
penalty spot, and outside the penalty area. The goalkeeper must stand on the
goal line, and must not move his or her feet until the kick is taken.
A corner kick is awarded to the
attacking team when the ball goes out of play over the goal line, and was last
touched by a member of the defending team. The kick must be taken from within
the quarter-circle at the nearest corner flag post, and no opposing player may
be within 9.15 metres of the ball. A goal may be scored directly from a corner
kick.
A goal kick is awarded to the
defending team when the ball goes out of play over the goal line, and was last
touched by a member of the attacking team. The kick is taken from within the
goal area on the side nearer where the ball went out of play. No opposing
player may be inside the penalty area when a goal kick is taken. The ball must
travel outside the penalty area before it is in play again.
Throw-ins are awarded when the
ball goes out of play over the touch line. A player from the team opposing that
of the player who last touched the ball takes the throw from the point where it
crossed the line. The thrower must use both hands to deliver the ball from
behind and over his head. The player must face the field of play, and part of
each foot must be grounded on or behind the touch line. If the ball is
improperly thrown in, or taken from the wrong place, the throw goes to the opposing
side. A player cannot score a goal directly from a throw-in.
Dropped ball. When the referee has to
stop play temporarily, other than to award a kick or throw, the game is
restarted by dropping the ball between two players from opposing sides. The referee
drops the ball at the spot where it was when play was stopped. The players may
not play the ball until it touches the ground.
Fouls
and misconduct. The referee punishes offences by awarding a free kick or penalty (free shot at goal) to the other side. For
serious offences, the referee may also caution or send off the offending
player.
Team
tactics
Team
tactics are often described by using numbers to relate to the players
(excluding the goalkeeper). For example, a 4-3-3
formation
means that a team is playing with four defenders, three midfield players, and
three attackers, or forwards.
Defence. The chief role of defenders is to break up opposing attacks by intercepting
opponents' passes, or by tackling opponents to win the ball from them. There
are two basic defensive systems, zonal marking and "man-for-man"
marking. In zonal marking, each defender is
responsible for one zone, or strip of the pitch.
(These zones are not marked.) Each defender marks (stays close to) any
attacker who moves into this zone. Zonal marking is usually operated with four
defenders, two fullbacks and two centra!defenders. In "man-for-man"
marking,
each defender is responsible for marking a particular opponent, and following
wherever he goes. Teams playing this system usually have a sweeper, a player who does not mark any one opponent,
but instead covers the other defenders from behind whenever an opposing
forward threatens to break through. The "man- for-man" system can be
used with four defenders plus a sweeper so that, if there are only two
attackers to mark, the spare defenders can attack along the touch lines.
Midfield. The midfield is the link between defence and attack. Most
teams operate with three or four midfield players. Midfielders require
considerable stamina, as they are expected to play a part in both defence and
attack.
The
midfield is a busy area of play, and there are several types of midfielders.
The chief role of the anchorman is to win the ball. The
midfield general, or play- maker, tries to dictate the pattern of play and set up
attacks. Through-runners make runs at goal from
deep positions, aiming to arrive unmarked to meet a long pass from a team-mate.
Some teams operate with one of each of these types of midfielders. Many
midfielders perform more than one role. Another type of midfielder is the withdrawn winger, who attacks along the wings, near the touch
line, but also tackles back in defence.
Attack. The chief attacking players
are centra!striker and winger. Teams may operate with two of each. There is
usually at least one central striker. Some teams play without wingers. For
example, in a 4-4-2 formation, there might be just two central strikers, with
wing positions taken up by other players making runs to, or along, the touch
lines.
The
main function of some strikers is to act as target players. Such a player
should be available to accept passes from midfield or defence, and to lay the ball off (pass back or sideways) to fellow forwards or to
midfielders running forward. In most teams, one striker is the chief
goalscorer, always looking to take up good scoring positions and ready to make
an attempt at goal. A winger's chief job is to pull defenders out of position
by taking the ball to the goal line, and to set up goal chances for team-mates
by sending the ball across into the goalmouth. Wingers should also be prepared
to run toward the penalty area to attempt to score a goal.
Team play. An important part of team play is off-the-ball running—that is, players without the ball taking
up positions to give a team-mate more options for making passes, or to draw
defenders out of position. Set-pieces are tactical manoeuvres
involving two or more players, especially at restarts, or dead-ball situations, such as free kicks, corners, and
throw-ins. Teams practise set-piece plays, and players often use signals to let
teammates know which particular play they intend to use.
Skills
Playing
the ball with the foot involves a variety of skills—controlling the ball,
passing, shooting, dribbling, and tackling. Heading is a skill unique to
association football. Coalkeeping calls for special techniques not required by
the outfield players.
Control. Players can control the
ball with any part of their body except hands and arms. A player receiving the
ball usually has to take the pace off it (slow it down) by
skilful movement of foot, thigh, or chest, which brings the ball under control
at his or her feet. He or she then has to push the ball in the right direction
with just enough force so as not to lose control of it.
Passing is the most important team skill. Players
pass the ball in many ways. They make long and short passeis, direct, swerved,
and chipped passes. They pass the ball with their feet, their head, and their
chest. The object is to pass the ball to a team-mate who is in a better position
to use the ball, to build up an attack, or perhaps to shoot, just as important
as passing is the support players give to a team-mate who has the ball. When
seven players make themselves available to receive a pass, they give the player
in possession more options.
Accuracy is important when making a pass. So too
are weighting (the strength of a pass) and timing.
Played too hard, a pass might be difficult for the receiver to control. If the
pass is not strong enough, it may be intercepted by an opponent. A quick,
"first-time" pass can open up a defence before the defenders have
time to position themselves. But a pass may have to be delayed to allow a
team-mate to move into a better position.
A
player uses different parts of the foot to pass the ball. Short passes may be
made with any part. Passing with the inside of the foot, using a sideways
movement, is the most reliable and accurate method for making a straight pass
over short distances. But there is often a need to bend (swerve) the ball, in order to avoid an opponent or to
curl the ball into the path of a teammate. Players bend the ball by striking it
with the side of the foot.
Using
the outside of the foot bends the ball away from the player; using the inside
of the foot bends it across the player's body. To chip the bali, in order to loft it over the opposition, a
player's foot makes contact with the underside of the ball and the ground at
the same time, while the player is leaning slightly back. This technique is
often used when crossing (centring) the ball
from the wing to the goalmouth. When crossing, a player can bend the ball out
of reach of the goalkeeper by using the inside of the foot.
Shooting (kicking toward the
goal). Players kick with the instep to strike a ball powerfully and accurately.
The nonkicking foot should be placed alongside the ball, the head kept down,
and the body well over the ball. After the ball is kicked, the kicking foot
should follow through. A player can impart swerve to a shot by using the same
techniques as in passing. Not all goals are scored by powerful kicks or shots.
Many goals are scored by deflections, short-range "prod-ins", or
chips
over the goalkeeper. Players normally use the
instep for volleying the ball—that is,
striking it while it is in the air.
Heading. With good timing and the
correct use of the neck muscles, a player can head the ball accurately and
powerfully. Contact should be made with the forehead. The neck muscles are
used to "punch" the ball.
When
defending, players try to head the ball up and away from danger, preferably to
a team-mate, in attack, a player heads powerfully for goal, often twisting the
head round to meet a cross and deflect the ball at an angle towards the goal.
Downward headers are the most difficult for goalkeepers to stop.
Allowing the ball to hit directly any other part
of the head apart from the forehead can be painful and even dangerous. An
exception is when a player glances the ball off the top of his head. If this is
done while standing at the near post when a corner kick is taken, the defence
finds such a "flick-on" difficult to deal with. A player heading the
ball usually aims to meet it at the top of the jump, especially when competing
with opponents for it.
Dribbling is one of the most
exciting features of football. Players run with the ball at their feet,
nudging it along. They use speed, skill, and trickery to keep possession and
to avoid the tackles of their opponents. Running at opponents with the ball
can break even a well- organized defence.
Players
use all kinds of deceptive movements to confuse and unbalance opponents. They
may feint (pretend to go one way but go another), dummy (pretend to kick the ball but not do so), or use swivelling
movements of hips or shoulders to send defenders the wrong way. Good dribbling
calls for balance, acceleration, body swerve, and the ability to use each side
of either foot to control the ball. A player must also know when to release
the ball, to shoot for goal, or pass to a team-mate who is in a better
position.
Tackling is an important aspect
of the wider skill of ball-winning. Gaining possession
calls for good positional sense, timing, and the ability to "read the
game". Good defenders will often win the ball by intercepting a pass or dosing down an opponent so that he or she loses control.
Physical tackling with the foot is often a last resort, because missing the ball
may leave a player's defence open or foul an opponent.
The
two basic tackles are the block tackle and the sliding tackle. To make a block tackle, a player approaches the player in possession
square on and goes for the ball with the inside of his or her foot. Keeping the
rest of that leg and the bodyweight behind the ball, the player tries to wrench
or hook it away cleanly to gain possession of the ball. The sliding tackle is usually made from the side, typically when
an opponent is close to the touch line or goal line. The aim is to push the
ball to safety—in touch or for a corner—as the tackier finishes up on the
ground and is rarely in a position to take possession. In making the tackle,
the player slides the foot along the ground, while the knee of the nontackling
foot approaches the ground.
Goalkeeping calls for sharp
reflexes, agility, speed off the mark, good ball-handling ability, and fine
judgment. The ability to read a situation is essential for a keeper who must
decide whether to stay on the goal line as play approaches, or come out to meet
a high cross or a through ball.
Goalkeepers
must be fairly tall to cover the goal. They aim to make the target as small as
possible for an attacker trying to shoot. Courage and confidence are also
important. Keepers are exposed to physical contact when they stretch high to
catch a ball or dive at the feet of an onrushing attacker.
Keepers must also develop a good understanding
with their team-mates. They should be master of their penalty area, calling to
claim the ball when necessary. When keepers gain possession of the ball, they
should be able to make quick, accurate throws and long kicks to set up attacks.
Other football skills include screening the
ball and turning with the ball. Screening is a skill that
footballers should develop and use naturally in their play, especially when
dribbling or controlling the ball. !t involves keeping the body between an
opponent and the ball, to make it difficult for the opponent to make a fair
tackle.
Turning is a skill used chiefly
by forwards with their back to goal. An attacking player takes a pass and turns
at the same time to deceive his marker, and gain valuable space.
Leagues and cups
Football
is organized in league and cup competitions. Teams also play so-called
"friendly matches."
In
league football, the teams in the league (group) usually play each other twice—at home (their own ground) and away (their opponents'
ground). In most leagues, a win is worth two points, a draw one, and a defeat
none. Some leagues award three points for a win or give bonus points for goals
scored. When all the teams have played each other, the champion team is the one
with the most points. Teams equal on points are separated by goal difference (the difference between goals scored by a team
and goals scored against them). When goal differences are equal, the team
scoring more goals takes precedence.
In
most major footballing countries, leagues are structured in several divisions.
There is usually a system of promotion (upward movement) and relegation (downward movement) between the divisions for
the top and bottom teams, respectively.
Small
leagues are often used to eliminate teams in major tournaments, such as the
qualifying stages and the finals of the World Cup. Again, goal
difference is used to separate teams with equal points. If two team cannot be
separated, and there is no time in the schedule for a play-off, they may have
to draw lots.
Cup competitions are organized on a
knock-out. The cup draw (lottery) determines
whether a team plays at home or away, and who the opponents will be. If the match
is drawn, it is replayed on the other side's ground. If the sides are still equal
at the end of this second game, extra time (15 minutes each way) may be played,
and further replays may have to take place.
A round of
some knock-out competitions involves a home and away game, each called a leg. The winner of each tie (a match in an eliminating
competition) is then determined on the aggregate, or combined total, score over
the two legs. If the teams are level after the 90 minutes regular play in the
second leg, extra time may be be played. If the teams are still level after
extra time, the tie may be decided on the away goals
rule.
By this rule, all goals scored by the team playing away from home count double.
Otherwise, the teams might have to break the tie by taking a series of
penalties.
In
penalty deciders, also called penalty shoot-outs, each team has five penalties,
taken alternately, no player taking more than one shot. If the penalty score is
equal after the series of five penalty kicks by each side,
further penalties are taken by different players until one side has a goal lead
after both sides have taken an equal number of kicks.
The world game
The world governing body for football is the
Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), with headquarters in
Zurich, Switzerland. FIFA organizes the World Cup and other international
competitions, such as world youth and junior championships. FIFA recognizes
six continental groupings, which organize the game in their regions.
The World Cup is held every four years. Countries qualify for the finals
over the previous two years through elimination groups in their continental
zones. Twenty-four nations contest the finals. The titleholders and the host
country qualify automatically. Of the other 22 places, 12 are currently
allocated to Europe, with 3 each to South America and Africa, 2 to Asia, and to
North and Central America. Oceania's champions have to play off with the
runners-up from the North and Central American
zone and a South American country for the last place in the finals. The World
Cup finals take place over a period of about a month at several venues in the
host country. The qualifying nations are divided into six groups of four, from
which eight teams are eliminated. From the last 16, or eighth-finals, the
competition becomes a straight knock-out contest.
Brazil
are the only country to have appeared in every World Cup finals competition.
They
won their fourth trophy in 1994.
Individual
players who have starred in competitions from 1958 to 1970, and West Germany's Uwe Seeler,
who scored 9 over the same period. The record for the most goals in World Cup
competition was set by Gerd Muller of West Germany, with 14 in 1970 and 1974.
just Fontaine of France set the record for a single competition, with 13 in
1958. The only player to score three goals in a World Cup final was Geoff
Hurst, for England, in 1966.
Europe. The governing body for
Europe is the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The European
Championships are held every four years. More than 30 countries take part,
eight qualifying for the finals. UEFA also organizes under-21 and youth
competitions, and three major club competitions. The club competitions, which
take place annually, are the European Cup, for champion clubs; the European
Cup-Winners Cup, for national cup holders; and the UEFA Cup for other leading
teams. They are run on a knock-out basis with home and away legs in each round
except the finals of the European Cup and the Cup-Winners Cup.
The four United Kingdom countries - England,
Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland - have their own Football Associations
and compete separately at both country and club level.
South America
has
fewer footballing nations than Europe, but has won equal honours in
international competition over the years owing mainly to the strength of
Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. Football in South America is run by the
Confederacion Sudamericana de Futbol (CONMEBOL). The chief competitions are the
South American Championship for countries, and the Copa de los Libertadores for
clubs.
Africa
is the emerging continent in world football. The game there is run by the
Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF). Twelve countries take part in the
African Nations Cup, held once every four years. There are also international
club championships. In international competitions African teams have produced
encouraging performances against countries from the traditional strongholds of
the game. The game is South Africa's most popular sport. In the early 1990's,
the country's isolation from international sport ended. South Africa formed a
national team and began competing against other countries.
North and Central
America. Mexico,
twice World Cup hosts, have dominated this group, which includes the Caribbean
countries. The governing body is the Confederacion Norte-Centro-Americana y del
Caribe de Futbol (CONCACAF). In the United States, despite the traditional
popularity of American football and several false starts at professional level,
soccer has grown in popularity in the schools. The United States team qualified
for the 1990 World Cup finals, and the United States hosted the 1994 World Cup
finals.
Asia. Football is a major
sport in the Asian Games, held every four years. The Asian Football
Confederation (AFC) also stages the four-yearly Asian Football Championships.
The game is particularly popular in the Arab states and in Southeast Asia,
China, and japan.
Oceania. The Oceania Football
Confederation (OFQ is the smallest continental association, and is dominated by
Australia and New Zealand. It has included countries such as Israel and Taiwan
in its World Cup qualifying group, for political reasons. In Australia, soccer
has to compete with the rugby codes and Australian Rules football, but several
leagues flourish, supported largely by immigrant communities. Australia (1974),
and New Zealand (1982), have played in World Cup finals.
 |
|
Germany celebrate their victory during a parade
after winning
the FIFA World Cup against Argentina in Brazil
|
Historians believe that about 2,000 years ago
the Chinese played a game that involved kicking a ball. The Ancient Romans
are said to have encouraged a kind of football as part of military training.
This game was probably introduced into the British Isles, either by the Romans
or much later by the Normans.
There
is a historical account of a football game played near London on Shrove Tuesday
in 1175. Shrove Tuesday games became notorious as "mob football", in
which hundreds of youths chased a ball through the streets, with little regard
for people or property. This led to the banning of football by Edward II in
1314.
Later kings resented the game because it
interfered with archery practice. But football survived and had become popular
all over England by the early 1800's.
Unifying the rules. Football clubs began to
be formed in the 1820's. Several kinds of football developed, particularly in
the English independent schools.
When
students went to university, they needed a unified set of rules. A standard
code was drawn up at Cambridge University in 1846, and revised in 1862 as The Simplest Came, with 10 rules. A year later, representatives
of English clubs got together to form the Football Association (FA).
Clubs
and competitions. In 1871, the FA Cup was introduced, the first competition of
its kind in the world.
In
1872, Scotland played England at Glasgow in the first international match. The
first professional footballers were Scots enticed to play for reward by clubs
in Lancashire, in northern England. This had the effect of transferring the
stronghold of the game from the amateur clubs in the south to the north of
England. In 1885, the FA legalized professionalism. Three years later, 12 English
clubs formed the Football League. The rest of Europe soon followed the United
Kingdom's (UK) lead in establishing league and cup competitions. Football also
flourished in South America where, as early as 1867, a group of Englishmen
founded the Buenos Aires Football Club in Argentina.
Governing bodies. FIFA was established in
1904 by seven European nations, although England did not join until 1906.
Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland joined several years later. The UK
countries withdrew from FIFA twice in the 1920's, the second time staying out
until 1946. None of them competed in the World Cup until England took part in
1950.
However,
the UK continued to play a leading role in the rule-making body, the
International Football Association Board (IFAB). The four UK countries had
founded IFAB in 1886, and FIFA members were admitted to the Board in 1913. IFAB
is still the rulemaking body, with four voting members from FIFA and one each
from the four UK Football Associations. A three-quarters majority is needed to
make changes in the rules.
The modern
game. No
major changes have been made in the rules of football since the 1920's.
However, the speed and tactics of the game have developed considerably due to
improved equipment and training. Television has brought football to a much
wider audience, and sponsorship has pumped a great deal of money into the
professional game. Top footballers are among the highest-paid sports stars, and
may be transferred between clubs for millions of pounds sterling.
Football hooliganism (violence among
spectators) became a serious problem in the late 1960s. It began in England,
with rival gangs of football followers fighting, destroying property, and
generally creating havoc both inside and outside football stadiums. This
so-called "English disease" spread to other European countries, and huge
police operations became necessary to contain the rival gangs.
In
1985, the Heysel Stadium in Brussels was the venue for the European Cup final
between English champions, Liverpool, and Italian champions, Juventus. The
uncontrolled rampaging of Liverpool fans, together with faulty terracing; led
to the deaths of 39 spectators, mostly Italians. This incident, together with
further crowd tragedies in England, resulted in government action designed to
improve safety at grounds. FIFA has also brought in legislation to encourage
conversion of grounds to all-seater stadiums.
In 1991, the United States won the first FIFA-
sponsored women's world football championship. In England, a new FA Premier
League started its first season in 1992. The league was basically the same as
the old First Division of the Football League. The United States hosted the
1994 World Cup finals. Brazil won the Cup for a record fourth time.
Outline:
Field
and equipment: The football field, The goals, The
ball, and Players’ equipment
Rules:
Starting play, The officials, Restarts, Fouls and misconduct, and Offside
Team
tactics: Defence, Midfield, Attack, and Team
play
Skills:
Control, Passing, Shooting, Heading, Dribbling, Tackling, Goalkeeping,
and Other football skills.
Leagues and cups: The world games, The world
cup, Europe, South America, Africa, North and Central America, Asia, and Oceania.
Questions:
How is a football game
restarted if the ball goes out of play? What is the World Cup?
What do the numbers
refer to in a tactical formation such as 4-3-3?
What organization
governs football competition around the world?
When does the referee award a penalty kick?
What is a sweeper?
How many substitutions
can a team make under international football rules?
What are dribbling; tackling?
What organization governs the rules of football?
Which part of the foot should be used for
shooting?
Freekicks, Skills and Goals
Freekicks. Just
outside the opponents' penalty area offer good goalscoring opportunities.
Opposing players may line up in a "wall" to cover one side of the
goal while the goalkeeper covers the rest of it.
Four Steps to Striking the Perfect Freekick. Make ’em all count with tips from Brazilian specialist Juninho
Pernambucano.
“Before you do anything, decide where you’re going
to hit the ball. Take your time – consider the positioning of the free-kick,
the placement of the wall and where the goalkeeper is standing. Do you have any
previous knowledge of the goalkeeper? This will help you make the right
decision. Then your main aim should be to hit the target, no matter what.”
Best
Free Kick Takers in Football History featuring goals from Ronaldinho, Roberto
Carlos, Andrea Pirlo, David Beckham, Juninho and more.
Useful links
Legendary Dribbling Skills
Dribbling calls for balance and close control. The player twists and turns to deceive opponents, while keeping the ball close to the feet. The legs and body are used to "screen" the ball.
Useful links
Skills, Tricks and Dribbling
Top 100 - Skill/Dribble
The one-two, or "wall pass", is an attacking move used to pull the opposing defence out of position and create a goal chance. Player 1 passes to player 2, and moves past the opponent into position 3 to take the quick return pass.
Useful linksOne-Two Passing By Barcelona
How and When to Use It
One-Two Passing Tutorial
Heading
Heading is a skill unique to
football. For a power header, the player meets the ball at the top of the
jump. Good timing is important, and contact should be made with the
forehead.
In this video you will learn how
to head a soccer ball with power. Heading a soccer ball is a great method to
learn how to drive and improve your soccer ability.
Useful Links
Goalkeeping needs agility, judgment, and good ball-handling ability. It takes courage to dive at an opponent's feet or to punch the ball away under pressure.
Useful links
Sport
is Big Business
Useful links
Is big money and big business killing sports? Sports is now big business
worth hundreds of billions of dollars and provides jobs to millions of people.
Take Michelle Wie, for instance. She announced she was turning pro and received
commercial endorsements worth RM38 mil, making her the richest 16-year-old in
sports. She even made it to the cover of Fortune magazine.
However, Joseph Blatter, president of
the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA),
believes big money and big business pose a danger to the future of football,
and by extension to other sports as well. “Football is now a
multibillion-dollar global industry. Unfortunately, the haphazard way in which money
has flowed into the game is having some seriously harmful effects he
wrote.
Blatter is concerned with immensely
rich individuals with little or no history of interest in the game buying up
football clubs; of players abetted by greedy agents demanding (and getting)
huge sums of money to join clubs and play; of clubs that are more interested in
the players’ performance on the pitch rather than their welfare; and of the
huge disparity between earnings of ‘star’ players and the rest of the team, not
to mention the many thousands of players in other teams and clubs around the
world who earn a pittance.
“What we are faced with today is a
football society of haves and have-nots. This cannot be the
future of our game. FIFA cannot sit by and see greed rule the football in the
world,” he said. Blatter said the world body has set up a task force to deal
with the kind of excesses listed above and hoped this initiative would bear
fruit “quickly and decisively”.
FIFA is concerned with some unhealthy
trends in football, particularly at club level, and wants football to be truly
a people’s game, shared and enjoyed by everyone around the world. As a result,
FIFA is ploughing 75% of its revenue into the development of the sport. Two
areas where FIFA is focussing: Asia - first China, then India with a combined
population of 2.3 billion - and women; an increasing number of whom are playing
and enjoying the game.
Blatter also lamented there is too
much club football in Europe and is against European clubs making forays into
Asia because they undermine the development of local Asian clubs. He feels that
big money and big business is spoiling a beautiful game and looks forward
to the recommendations of the FIFA task force.
But can this trend of commercialisation of sports
be checked or reversed? According to New York Times columnist and Pulitzer
winner, Tom Friedman, this trend is unstoppable. He argues that this is the
result of globalisation. The proliferation of technology has made the world
smaller and closer. Globalisation and the spread of technology resulted in the
decline in the power of governments and the empowerment of the individual. Not
only does the individual have more control of his own life, he also has access
to technology to impact the lives of many other people in ways not possible
a decade or two ago.
Technology and television have also made it possible to bring sports to
hundreds of millions of homes worldwide, just as they have helped reduce
stadium attendances. Television has transformed sports, just as it has
transformed entertainment.
And with it the emergence of superstars, be they singers, basketball
players, golfers or footballers. Often the popularity and success of a
performance or game is anchored around one or two superstars.
Friedman argues that there is no stopping this phenomenon - superstars
will earn megabucks in their industry, while members of their team will have to
be content with decent but unspectacular salaries.
So have FIFA and Blatter lost the battle even before it begins? We shall
see.
(Footballer, David Beckham earns £17 m a year, while a footballer in
Brazil earns less than £100 a month).
(Adapted from The Star, 14 December, 2005)
Questions:
The Fortune magazine is probably a…
A teen magazine
B gossip magazine
C sports magazine
D Business magazine
haphazard in line 15 means…
A generous
B dangerous
C disorganised
D uncontrollable
The harmful effects (lines 16 to 17) mentioned by
Blatter include
I low salaries of players in general
I clubs ignoring players’ welfare
II individuals buying up football clubs
III the future of football becoming dangerous
A I and II only
C I, II and III
B I and III only
D All of the above
This in line 29 refers to the disparity between the…
A salaries of the agents
B incomes of football clubs
C incomes of football palyers
D performances of football players
What does FIFA plan to do about the unhealthy trends in football?
I Focus on China
II Focus on women’s football
III Invest in the development of the sport
IV Control the rampant sale of football clubs
A I, II and III
B I, II and IV
C I, III and IV
D II, III and IV
Which of the following is the impact of globalisation on individuals?
A They are able to have a say in governments.
B They have greater control over themselves and others.
C They are able to participate in the commercialisation of sports.
D They have a role to play in making the world smaller and closer.
Blatter hopes that FIFA will be able to…
A curb club football in Europe
B restore football to its past glory
C increase the involvement of women in football
D prevent European clubs from making forays into Asia
How has television transformed sports?
What is the impact of superstar players on football?
“So have FIFA and Blatter lost the battle even before it begins? We
shall see.” (line 65) What do you think is the writer’s opinion?
Real Madrid Legends
Updated/Latest
MALAYSIA LEAGUE 2016
FA Cup Final 2016: Full Match (14.052016)
The Premier League is an English professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition…
The Premier League is an English professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition…
The UEFA Europa
League
The UEFA EuropaLeague, previously called the UEFA Cup, is an annual association football club
competition organized by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs…
Europa League Final 2016
Liverpool vs Sevilla - Liverpool
vs Sevilla (1/3): All Goals & Highlights
Football Shoes
EURO 2016
Wide Open Affair
Hard to predict the outcome of expanded
Euros
THE European Championship enters a new era with Spain seeking to reassert their old
supremacy.
Invincible
between 2008 and 2012 while claiming back-to-back European titles and finally
tasting World Cup glory, the Spanish halo slipped two years ago with a
humiliating blowout in Brazil.
How better to
show that the first-round elimination in 2014 was just a blip than by
completing a hat-trick of European titles in Paris today. It will be a tougher
challenge than before, with the Euros growing by eight teams to 24 in France.
Although
Spain’s national team have not collected a trophy since Euro 2012, domestic
clubs have swept up continental trophies for three seasons.
The Champions
League has been won by Real Madrid (twice) and Barcelona while Sevilla
completed a hat-trick of Europa League titles in May.
The sternest
challenges in France for Vicente del Bosque’s team are likely to come from
World Cup holders Germany and the host nation, boasting a talented young squad
but whose plans have been derailed - as so often - by off-field controversy.
Then, there is
the next rung of contenders yet to conquer the continent, just the type of
teams Del Bosque fears.
A golden
generation of Belgium players, embodied by Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard, has
to live up to their promise and start delivering on the international stage
for the world’s second-ranked team. England are defensively susceptible but
have a plethora of fresh attacking options, including Harry Kane and Marcus
Rashford, capable of challenging if not emerging with winners’ medals.
“Ifs very
difficult, very difficult because there are
other teams
who have been far from big titles for the last few years and need to win this,”
said the 65-year- old Del Bosque, who could be entering his last tournament as
Spain coach.
“We want to
get rid of whatever happened in the past and face the future as a big
challenge.”
Unlike at the
World Cup, Spain’s title defence can surely not end at the first hurdle in
France.
Croatia, the
Czech Republic and Turkey await in Group D and even a third-place finish could
be sufficient to advance in the reconfigured tournament’s new round of 16.
Germany are
more anxious than Spain about the group stage following setbacks in qualifying
and friendlies since lifting the World Cup and veterans like former captain
Philipp Lahm retiring.
After games
against Poland and Ukraine, Germany face Northern Ireland, a first-time
Finalists who qualified as group winners.
“I’m a player
who likes to play against big names, big opponents, because you always know who
is approaching,” Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said.
“And so it is
a little inconvenient. Most times you can only lose against such (smaller)
teams.”
And underdogs
can thrive at the Euros. Just look at Denmark winning in 1992 and Greece
lifting the trophy 12 year later. Neither nation made it to France.
What chance
another surprise champions 12 years on? Albania, Iceland, Slovakia and Wales
joined Northern Ireland in qualifying for the first time.
Only Wales
boast a true world-beater in their ranks. Ifs more than Gareth Bale’s goals
that have powered the Welsh to their first major tournament since the 1958
World Cup.
Ifs the
dedication of the world’s most expensive player to commit to the national cause
when Real Madrid provides the status, silverware and salary.
“He sets the
level and the bar for everybody eke to try to aspire to,” Wales coach Chris
Coleman. “Because his standard is so high, it brings the best out of the rest
of us, me included.”
Just as Real
team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo does for Portugal. For the 31-year-old Ballon d’Or
holder, who has won every significant club and individual honour, a title with
Portugal is all that is missing.
The French are
seeking the support of a nation still reeling from a 2015 scarred by attacks on
Paris where the Stade de France was targeted by suicide bombers as France
played Germany in November.
Preparations
for Didier Deschamps’ team have not been smooth. Striker Karim Benzema was cut
due to his involvement in an alleged extortion scam over a sex tape.
France,
however, can still deploy one of the most sought-after midfielders in Paul
Pogba.
Deschamps, who
captained France to glory at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, sees a need to
build trust with his players.
“The new
generation of players has flaws but also many good qualities,” the coach said.
“This French
national team is rather young, but these young players play for the best
clubs.”
Italy have a
challenging first round, with Belgium and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden in Group
E alongside Ireland.
“We are
experiencing a time of transition, especially regarding talented people in
Italian football,” said Italy coach Antonio Conte, who moves to Chelsea after
the Euros. — AP
FRANCE
FIFA ranking: 17
Appearance: 9
Winners: 2 (1984, 2000)
R
|
ATHER like 1998
World Cup-winning coach Aime Jacquet, Didier Deschamps is using a pragmatic,
all-about-the-team approach to Euro 2016 as hosts France look to capture their
first major title since Euro 2000.
Deschamps, who
captained Les Bleus in 1998 and 2000, left out Karim Benzema after the Real
Madrid striker was embroiled in an alleged blackmail scandal and did not even
consider Franck Ribery after the Bayern Munich forward hinted he could be
willing to come back.
Defender Mamadou
Sakho 'was not considered, either, as Deschamps would not risk losing the
Liverpool player to a suspension after he was provisionally banned for failing
a dope test. France will kickoff the month-long tournament today with their
Group A opener against Romania before taking on Albania and Switzerland.
“My aim was not
to pick the best 23 players but to go for a group capable of going very far in the
tournament together,” said Deschamps, who took France to the 2014 World Cup
quarterfinals.
It was the same
philosophy that guided Jacquet in the late 1990s, when he omitted Eric Cantona
from his Euro 1996 squad before France reached the semi-finals and, with a
similar group, won the following World Cup.
While France
built their 1998 World Cup success on a rock-solid defence, notably 4S2 because
they were lacking firepower at the other end, the current squad have a tendency
to be shaky at the back.
Fullbacks
Patrice Evra and Bacary Sagna are no longer at their best while Real centreback
Raphael Varane is out injured.
They will,
however, be guarded by a formidable midfield in Blaise Matuidi, Lassana Diarra
and Paul Pogba, with Deschamps hoping Pogba will have as much influence as he
has had with Tuventus. — Reuters
Coach: Didier Deschamps
Player to watch
Paul Pogba
FRANCE built their greatest triumphs on
midfield and in Paul Pogba they may have what it takes to win a third title on
home soil.
Thejuventus midfielder has been a key
element of Didier Deschamps' squad since winning the first of his 29 caps three
years ago.
Nicknamed 'The Pickaxe", the
23-year-old, who has scored five goals with Les Bleus and was named the 2014
World Cup's best young player, left Manchester United forjuventus in 2012,
feeling he had been snubbed by Alex Ferguson at the age of 19.
Withjuve, he matured into a versatile
midfielder with an elegant way of shielding the ball, whose ability to score
long-shot goals can prove devastating.
This season, he scored eight goals from 35
Serie A games as he inspired the club to a S* fourth successive Serie A title.
have played with some great young players
but Pogba was the best young s-player I have ever seen," said former
teammate and Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo.
"We saw from his first training
session with Juventus that he was special. You can build a team around
him."
Deschamps has perfectly understood that
and has been doing his best both to protect Pogba and keep his feet on the
ground.
"He's been doing very well but he can
improve, like everyone. I can be tough on him if needed, that's for his own
good," Deschamps said.
"I have great faith in him."
France prevailed at Euro 1984 at home with
their "Carre Magique" (Magic Square) of Michel Platini, Alain
Giresse, Luis
Fernandez and Jean Tigana. Thirty-two
years on, Pogba could well lead Les Bleus to another European title. — Reuters
ROMANIA
FIFA ranking: 22
Appearance: 5
Quarter-final: 2000
VLAD CHIRICHES stands at
the centre of Romania's impressive stonewall defence, a pentrehalf who proves
the old adage that some players are more important to their countries than
their clubs.
Great things were expected of the Romanian
at Tottenham Hotspur when he arrived as part of the £86mil (RM517mil) they
received from the sale of Gareth Bale.
However, after two forgettable seasons in
which he was dismissed as too error-prone and sent off in his final game
against Stoke,
Chiriches was offloaded in 2014 to Serie
Aside Napoli.
Once again he has struggled to secure a
first-team place, appearing fewer than 20 times in all competitions for the
Italian club.
With three more years on his contract,
Chiriches has time on his side. With Romania however, the 38-time capped totem
is long established as the pivotal force in a defensive side whose strategy
seldom varies from securing clean sheets at one end and hoping for luck at the
other.
That combination was effective enough to
see just two goals conceded in qualifying for Euro 2016, an achievement in no
small part down to the 26-year-old.
Chiriches'game is based on speed but he is
also an accomplished distributor of the ball from the back and his aerial
dominance and an up-and-at- them attitude mark him out as one of the country's
great defensive talents. Around him stand the experienced Razvan Rat, Dragos
Grigore and Gabriel Tamas, a formidable foursome who will let little past them
in France. — Reuters
Coach
Anghel lordanescu
Player to watch
Vlad Chiriches
WITH a team
ethic built on discipline plus a strong defence, Romania bear more than a
passing resemblance to the Greece team who sprang out of nowhere to win Euro
2004.
While few
observers expect Anghel Iordanescu’s side to emulate that success, their
ability to prevent other teams scoring ensures they will be one of the most
difficult sides to- break down in France.
Undefeated in 15
matches since June 2014, they kept clean sheets in 12 of those games including
a goalless friendly against Spain last March.
So Group A
rivals France, Albania and Switzerland know that even scoring against them will
be an achievement when the action kicks off today.
“We’re
tactically astute at the back,” captain Razvan Rat said after the draw.
“The idea is to
not concede and from there create our own chances and score. The most important
thing is the defence, to work at the back together and then attack together.
You could compare it to the (Afletico) side of (Diego) Simeone.
“The most
important thing in football is not to concede.”
Critics accuse
Romania of predictability, perhaps a byproduct of Iordanescu’s refusal to
replace ageing players who have been marginalised by their clubs.
He is at least
trying to introduce new blood with highly promising players such as Nicolae
Stanciu, Florin Tanase and Andrei Ivan being given a chance. — Reuters
Coach:
ENGLAND
FIFA ranking: 11
Appearance: 9
Semi-finals:
1968, 1996
WHEN England
fans sang about “30 years of hurt” at Euro 1996 they had high hopes of ending
the pain with a first trophy since the 1966 World Cup but 20 years on from that
agonising near miss there is precious little optimism in the air.
To a buoyant
chart-topping Three Lions soundtrack of “football’s coming home”, England came
within the width of Paul Gascoigne’s bootlace of securing a place in the Euro
1996 final on home soil.
The midfielder’s
extra-time, open-goal miss against Germany led to penalties, which England
lost, just as they did in their only other semi-final appearance since 1966 at
the 1990 World Cup.
Since then
England have been serially unsuccessful despite the virtually biennial routine
of excitable build-up followed by dispiriting exit.
That see-saw
frustration was summed up in the space of four days by England’s two most
recent friendlies in March.
Having reached
the Euro 2016 Finals by winning all 10 qualifiers, scoring 31 goals and conceding
three, England put the icing on the cake with an uplifting 3-2 away win over
world champions Germany.
However a 2-1
Wembley defeat by a Dutch team who did not even make the Euros brought everyone
down to earth. Since John Terry left the scene England have looked horribly
vulnerable in the centre of defence and they were caught out in both friendlies
in exactiy the same way.
Manager Roy
Hodgson is taking John Stones, Chris Smalling and Gary Cahill to France and
mobile opposition attackers must be licking their lips in anticipation.
Despite their
defensive shortcomings, it would still be a monumental shock if England failed
to advance from a group containing Russia, Wales and Slovakia, and should they
top the standings to face a third-placed qualifier they would also expect to
reach the quarter-finals. — Reuters
Coach: Roy Hodgson
Player to watch
Harry Kane
TOTTENHAM Hotspur fans love to serenade
local lad Harry Kane with the chant "He's One of Our Own" but the
whole of England will be singing his name if his rich scoring streak takes his
country deep into Euro 2016.
Kane has emerged as his country's most
natural goalscorer since Alan Shearer and scooped the English Premier League's
Golden Boot prize this season with 25 goals, the first English striker to lead
the charts for 16 years.
He scored one more than Leicester's Jamie
Vardy and Manchester City's Sergio Aguero and while Vardy has bagged a Premier
League winners' medal, Kane is most likely to lead
England's attack when they kick off
against Russia tomorrow.
His rise has been meteoric.
Two years ago his future at Tottenham
looked uncertain after a series of loan spells, including one at Leicester.
However, Tottenham manager Mauricio
Pochettino's faith was rewarded last season when Kane established himself in
the first team and scored 21 league goals.
After a sluggish start to this season, he
took his game to a new level, scoring 25. He now has 49 goals in 81 league
games.
Kane marked his England debut last year
with a goal 80 seconds after coming on against Lithuania and has five goals in
11 appearances for his country. — Reuters
RUSSIA
FIFA ranking: 29
Appearance: 11
Winners: 1 (1960)
RUSSIA travel to
France with a line-up that has few world names but plenty of ambition and head
coach Leonid Slutsky sees qualifying from the group stage as the bare minimum
to expect.
Though they have
made it to the Finals on four previous occasions, the only time Russia made it
beyond the groups was in 2008 when, under Guus Hiddink, they reached the
semi-finals where they lost to Spain.
Though a
semi-final repeat might be beyond them, Russian football chief Vitaly Mutko
expects them to emerge from a Group B that includes England, Wales and
Slovakia.
Slutsky largely
benefits from a clean bill of health - with the exception of Denis Cheryshev who
has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury - as he
prepares his
squad for their opening game against England tomorrow in Marseille.
Russia’s minimum
task is to try to qualify from the group stages.
“If we don’t
make the knockout stages, this will be failure,” Vitaly Mutko, the Sports
Minister and Russian Football Union (RFU) president, said.
“I think that
our team have the potential to have a good tournament,” he added.
Russia’s weak
spot is a lack of pace in the centre of defence, with Sergei Ignashevich, who
turns 37 during the summer and the 33-year-old Vasili Berezutski the
first-choice pairing.
The Euros are
likely to be their last tournament at international level, with Russia looking
to young players ahead of the 2018 World Cup, which they will host. — Reuters
Coach: Leonid Slutsky
Player to watch
Artem Dzyuba
A summer move to Zenit St Petersburg and a
new national head coach transformed Artem Dzyuba from outspoken international
outcast to the spearhead of Russia's Euro 2016 campaign.
The 27-year-old striker has long struggled
to deliver on early promise amid suggestions of a difficult personality. Some
took offence at his wit and former coach Fabio Capello ignored him altogether
for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil even though he had scored 17 league goals for
Rostov that season.
The arrival of Leonid Slutsky as the
Italian's replacement changed Dzyuba's international fortunes and the player
responded to being first choice by scoring eight goals as Russia booked their
place in Euro 2016.
Part of the credit for Dzyuba's
transformation must go to Andre Villas-Boas, who signed him for Zenit to end
the cycle of what seemed like endless loan moves from Spartak Moscow.
Dzyuba clearly feels valued by his club
and international managers and the goals have flowed. For someone so tall, at
1.96m, he has excellent technical ability and is a fine finisher.
There are still signs of his old
cockiness, however, and Dzyuba celebrated his 100th career goal last month by
taking off his shirt to reveal a T-shirt with the writing "Only 100".
In France he will hope to add to this
tally.
"I hope I haven't lost all my
bullets," he said. — Reuters
BELGIUM
FIFA ranking: 2
Appearance: 5
Best finish: Final 1980
BRIMMING with
talent and buoyed up by a I quarter-final place at the 2014 World Cup,
"Belgium will be a popular choice as an outside bet but need key players
to be on form after they lost captain Vincent Kompany to injury.
The Red Devils
return to the tournament for the first time since co-hosting the event with
Holland in 2000 but an exciting generation of talent will be no demure
debutants, having already had a taste of the big time in Brazil two years ago.
Their
performance in reaching the quarter-fi- nals - they exited after a 1-0 loss to
Argentina - plus a convincing qualifying campaign for Euro 2016 led to a
five-month stint at the head of the FIFA world rankings.
Belgium would be
the first to scoff at the idea that they are the world’s best team but they are
strong in all departments. Coach Marc Wilmots has an abundance of talent, led
by Kevin De Bruyne, Axel Witsel, Thibault Courtois and the mercurial Eden
Hazard, who is set to become the new captain after a groin injury sidelined Kompany.
Belgium will
need Hazard to emerge from the funk that has characterised his club season with
Chelsea and show more than just the occasional moment of magic if they are to
emerge from the opening-round group they share with Italy, Ireland and Sweden.
If Hazard is on
song, and working well in tandem with De Bruyne, then Belgium will have two
much-feared players, capable of dictating the outcome of most matches. Wilmots
has sought to keep his side under the radar and away from the spotlight the
traditional favourites will attract.
Only days ago he
proclaimed his side were nowhere near favourites.
“We hope to do
as well as we did at the World Cup and maybe a little better. A place in the
last four would be fantastic,” he told Belgian media.
“France, Germany
and Spain are the favourites for me.” — Reuters
Coach: Marc
Wilmots
Player to watch
Kevin De Bruyne
THE playmaking abilities of a fit-again
Kevin De Bruyne, who has made a strong recovery from a knee injury, will be key
to Belgium's hopes of success.
De Bruyne, who will celebrate his 25th
birthday during the tournament in France, has turned in a series of impressive
performances for Manchester City since returning from injury at the start of
April and, together with Eden Hazard, presents a dynamic attacking force for
the Red Devils.
A teenager when he made his international
debut, De Bruyne is delivering on the potential first spotted at Racing Genk,
where he was a regular in the team that won the championship in 2011.
De Bruyne is approaching 40 caps, four of
which came in the World Cup Finals in Brazil two years ago. His five goals for
Belgium in the Euro 2016 qualifiers, as they finished top of Group B, were
equalled only by Hazard.
In England his injury earlier this year
led to him missing out on a medal as City won the League Cup but it has still
been a satisfying season, if only for the way he proved Jose Mourinho wrong.
His spell at Chelsea after signing from Genk in 2012 had been frustrating. He
was immediately sent on loan to Werder Bremen for a season before incoming Chelsea
manager Mourinho decided he was not part of his plans after just three
appearances.
De Bruyne returned to the Bundesliga at
Wolfsburg, where last year he was named German football's Player of the Year.
City took De Bruyne back to England where his quality has been quickly evident
- Reuters
ITALY
FIFA ranking: 12
Appearance 9
Winner: 1 (1968)
ITALY coach
Antonio Conte goes into the Finals with questions hanging over his team after
injuries disrupted his selection plans and a lack of punch was exposed up
front.
Adding to the
frustrations of only occasional get-togethers with his players has been the
distraction of his impending move back to club football with Chelsea.
The passionate
Conte showed his frustration with managing a national team when he graphically
described his displeasure with the long spells “in the garage” and far from the
track.
That will not
lessen his desire to bow out in glory in France and he has the tactical nous
and motivational powers to succeed.
“I’m very tired
of spending so much time in the garage,” he said before two March friendlies in
which Italy drew 1-1 with European Championship holders Spain and were beaten
4-1 by World Cup winners Germany.
“In the garage,
I smelt the smell of the machine,
or rubber and
motor oil, not the grass of the pitch.”
Injuries have disrupted
Conte’s midfield plans with Paris St Germain’s Marco Verratti and Claudio
Marchisio of Juventus both out of the tournament after injuries requiring
surgery.
He is sure to
turn to PSG’s Thiago Motta, whose only appearances under Conte were in the two
March friendlies, to fill the breach.
Italy can field
an impressive all-Juventus defence with Gianluigi Buffon in goal and Leonardo
Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and even 2006 World Cup veteran Andrea Barzagli in
the back line.
Up front, Conte
will be looking to talented little Napoli winger Lorenzo Insigne and striker
Stephan El Shaarawy, who has spent the season at AS Roma on loan from AC Milan,
for flair and goals.
Italy open their
Group E campaign on June 13 in Lyon against second-ranked Belgium, who beat
Conte’s team in a friendly last year, and also face Ireland and Sweden. —
Reuters
Coach: Antonio Conte
Player to watch
Gianluigi Buffon
THERE is no stopping master goalkeeper
Gianluigi Buffon in his ambition to add more major titles to his collection of
the 2006 World Cup and seven Serie A championships.
Buffon, who will lead Italy in France when
they look to end a 48-year wait for their second European Championship crown,
has extended his contract with Juventus beyond his 40th birthday as he also
seeks the equally elusive Champions League.
He has been a runner-up in both, finishing
on the losing side in the Euro 2012 final against Spain in Kiev.
The question is whether Antonio Conte's
Italy will be good enough to go one better even with record holder Buffon,
ripening with age like a vintage Chianti, between the posts. Buffon, Italy's
most capped player with 156 appearances, set a Serie A record in March of 974
minutes without conceding a goal.
"I was born for this type of work and
to be the exception," Buffon said.
"If it could happen that I’d be the
first player to compete in six World Cups, it would certainly mean something
because of its rarity," he added with the 2018 tournament in his sights.
He has seen action at the last four tournaments after being an unused reserve
at France 1998. Any goalkeeper keeping a string of clean sheets needs the help
of a good defence and Buffon has that at Juventus with Italy team-mates Leonardo
Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli, but he also has to be a rounded
performer.
Buffon is a remarkable shot stopper,
commanding in the air, a fine reader of opposition attacks and organiser of the
defence and a respected voice. — Reuters
ALBANIA
FIFA ranking: 42
First appearance
ALBANIA have already achieved their dream
by simply qualifying for their first major tournament and they hope that the
lack of psychological pressure in France might even take them beyond the group
stage.
Seemingly the eternal also-rans, Albania
had never previously reached the World Cup or European Championship and the 3-0
win over Armenia that clinched their place in Euro 2016 sparked wild scenes at home
and among thousands of Albanians abroad.
Albania will play hosts France, Romania
and Switzerland in Group A and, outgunned by rivals with more experience and
international stars, no-one is setting their sights absurdly high.
All the same, Italian coach Gianni De
Biasi and football federation chief Armando Duka harbour hopes of making it
through the group stage.
“We’ll go to France to play football, not
as tourists, n but we are not making plans... we have proved we B ran heat anvnnp ” sairl Duka
The Albanian diaspora in Europe, home to
most of the team’s players from Kosovo and Macedonia, have already bought
26,000 tickets for the group matches.
However, it will be understandable in
Albania’s first match against Switzerland if some supporters feel a clash of
loyalties.
Almost half of Switzerland’s main line-up
are of ethnic Albanian origin from Kosovo and Granit Xhaka, a pillar of the
Swiss team, is likely to be playing against his own brother Taulant.
In his four years as coach, De Biasi has
tried various players to find the perfect combination. Albania play a
defensive game and their attack lacks punch.
With those limitations in mind, Astrit
Hafizi, who coached the national side from 1996 to 1999, offered a more
realistic appraisal of their prospects.
“If our rivals are at the top of their
game, our weaknesses will be revealed,” said Hafizi.
“We tend to be very dangerous for those who
underestimate
us.” – Reuters
Coach: Glanni De Biasi
Player to watch
Etrit Berishsa
ALBANIA'S Italian coach Gianni De Biasi
never tires of saying his star player is the team but goalkeeper Etrit Berisha
stands out from those around him, not only because of his 1,94m height.
Berisha became a fan favourite from the
moment a string of memorable saves in his first game earned him the jersey for
the Euro qualifiers.
"We were really very lucky he played
in all the games," said Astrit Hafizi, Albania's former coach.
"He is one of the stars, probably the
star. I am fully convinced when I say that we would have had great difficulties
if he had not played in any of the matches."
At club level, Berisha has also produced
at the other end of the pitch and he was a regular penalty-taker for Swedish
side Kalmar where he effectively began his career after moving from his native
Kosovo.
In 2013 he signed for Italian club Lazio
where he has faced a battle with Federico Marchetti for a starting spot.
In Albania, though, he has few peers and
he is expected to provide a solid platform on which the side can build in
France.
"He is excellent, the key, he
provides security. I don't recall any of his mistakes; if there is someone in
our team who does not make mistakes, Berisha is that player," said sports
writer Denion Ndrenika.
"His own performance has been
spotless but he should shout aggressively in managing the defenders. He often
leaves that role to (captain Lorik) Cana but it is him who has the best view of
the defence so the goalkeeper should show determination," Ndrenika added.
— Reuters
SWITZERLAND
FIFA ranking: 15
Appearance: 4
Best finish: Group stage – 1996, 2004,
2008
SWITZERLAND’S young, multicultural team
are often regarded as a success story both in sporting and political terms, yet
a cloud has descended over them as they head to France.
The future certainly looked bright for
Switzerland two years ago when they beat Ecuador and Honduras at the World Cup
and took Argentina to within a minute of a penalty shootout.
However, the Swiss seem to have lost their
way since veteran coach Ottmar Hitzfeld retired and was replaced by Vladimir
Petkovic.
Petkovic said when he took over that he
wanted Switzerland to dominate their matches against all opponents with an
aggressive, attacking game, yet has struggled to impose that style.
Instead, Switzerland still look more
comfortable when the opposition take the initiative.
The club form of many players, a perennial
problem, has also dipped.
The qualifying campaign was patchy with
Switzerland failing to put up much of a fight in two defeats to England.
In the end, it basically boiled down to
the last 10 minutes of their tie at home to Slovenia when they hit back from
2-0 down to win 3-2.
Had Slovenia won, Switzerland would have
finished second and been forced into a playoff.
Even their reputation as a glowing example
of integration suffered a setback when fullback Stephan Lichtsteiner suggested
there were too many “Secondos” (second-generation Swiss without citizenship)
in the squad.
Switzerland’s miserable performances in
their friendlies suggested they could struggle to even make it beyond the first
round in France. — Reuters.
Coach: Vladimir
Petkovic
Player to watch
Granit Xhaka
SWISS midfielder Granit Xhaka stands out
with his intelligence, technique and superb distribution, yet for such an
elegant player he also has a surprising volatile streak.
Xhaka has been sent off three times for
Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Bundesliga this season, five times overall,
and he is still only 23.
Critics say he is too easily provoked and
he will clearly need to avoid trouble if Switzerland are to have any chance of
making it past the first round of the European Championship. The player himself
believes opponents are under orders from managers to deliberately provoke him.
Born in Kosovo to a family of ethnic
Albanians, Xhaka was compared to Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger by previous
Swiss coach Ottmar Hitzfeld for the way in which he dictates the Swiss
midfield. He remains their key player.
Nicknamed "Little Einstein"
because of his interest in science, Xhaka initially considered playing for Albania
but said he was shunned by that country's football federation.
Switzerland and Albania have been drawn in
the same group and Xhaka is likely to line up against his brother Taulant in
their opening match.
Xhaka has openly supported Kosovo's
successful campaign to be allowed to play international matches and has said he
would consider switching. — Reuters
IRELAND
FIFA ranking: 33
Appearance: 3
Best finish: Group stage 1988, 2012
A STUNNING home victory over world
champions Germany in qualifying suggested a rejuvenated Ireland side could
cause the sort of upset in France that would banish memories of their woeful
Euro 2012 campaign.
Drawn with Sweden, Belgium and Italy in
Group E this time, the Irish will be confident of containing Zlatan Ibrahimovic
in their opening game and giving themselves a good shot at making the knockout
stages.
A stuttering qualifying campaign exploded
into life when striker Shane Long latched on to a long ball in the home game
against Germany and smashed in an unstoppable swerving shot, reig- niting Irish
hopes.
That goal went a long way to restoring the
wounded pride of Irish football after a disastrous Euro 2012 in which Giovanni
Trapattoni's team scored once and conceded nine goals as they were humiliated
by Croatia, Spain and Italy.
In 2016 qualifying, Ireland took four
points off the Germans but defeat by Poland in their final group game sent them
to the playoffs, where they comfortably beat Bosnia 3-1 over two legs.
It was all so different from the failed
2014 World Cup qualifying campaign under Trapattoni which heralded the end of
the Italian's reign.
He was replaced by Northern Irishman
Martin O'Neill who, together with former Ireland international Roy Keane, was
brought in to breathe fire into the side.
The rediscovery of the fighting Irish
spirit was epitomised by the energy of bustling forward Jonathan Walters but
the duo also found room for the creative spark provided by Norwich midfielder
Wes Hoolahan.
Despite being some of the loudest, most
passionate fans in Poland in 2012 the Irish had little to cheer but Euro 2016
will give the side a chance to restore their reputation as a team full of
strength, spirit and surprises. — Reuters
Coach: Martin O’Neill
Player to watch
Robbie Keane
ROBBIE Keane faces a race against time to
prove his fitness as Ireland's record goalscorer eyes a glorious last hurrah at
Euro 2016.
Keane missed Ireland's two friendlies
against Switzerland and Slovakia in March after being forced to withdraw from
the squad with a knee injury suffered while playing for LA Galaxy.
Ireland manager Martin O'Neill was
initially uncertain how severe the problem was, but Keane eventually underwent
orthoscopic surgery on his right knee in California at the start of April.
The 35-year-old forward was expected to be
sidelined for up to six weeks, leaving him with precious little game-time.
However, Keane's value to Ireland remains
immense even in the twilight of his career.
While Keane's lack of football in advance
of the tournament may be a concern for O'Neill, there is little chance O'Neill
will turn his back on a player with a record 143 caps and 67 goals for Ireland.
Keane is almost certain to retire from
international duty after the Euros, and could even hang up his boots entirely
after starting to study for his coaching badges, so O'Neill would even consider
taking the much-travelled striker as a non-playing member to provide advice and
encouragement to the squad.
Ideally, Keane will return to fitness in
time for Ireland's Group E opener against Sweden at the Stade in France in
Paris on Monday. — AFP
SWEDEN
FIFA ranking: 35
Appearance: 6
Best finish: Semi-final 1992
HAVING secured their spot by beating
Scandinavian rivals Denmark in a thrilling two-leg playoff, Swedish fans hope
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and company will hit the ground running in France.
The Swedes crashed out at the opening
stage of Euro 2012 and, with Italy and Belgium in their group this time round,
a victory in their opening Group E game against Ireland on June 13 would go a
long way towards helping them to make the knockout stages.
“The team that wins that game has a good
chance of advancing. A victory there might be enough to go through,” said
Sweden coach Erik Hamren.
The Swedes struggle against higher-ranked
teams and managed just two points from a possible 12 in qualification against
group winners Austria and runners-up Russia to finish in third spot.
To make an impact at Euro 2016 they will
need
captain and record international
goalscorer Ibrahimovic to continue to find the net on French soil.
Virtually unstoppable in four seasons in
Ligue 1, the 34-year-old Paris St Germain striker netted 11 of Sweden's 19
strikes in qualifying, including three of the four goals that downed Denmark
4-3 on aggregate.
However, Ibrahimovic's heroics in front of
goal have been frequently wiped out by a soft-centred defence that struggles
against pace and counter-attacks.
Known for his loyalty, Hamren still
includes ageing stalwarts such as Sebastian Larsson and Kim Kallstrom in his
squad but he is gradually introducing new players. They also have plenty of
cover on the wings and at fullback but it is choosing the best pairings at the
centre of defence and in central midfield that will give Hamren his biggest
headaches. — Reuters
Coach: Erik Hamren
Player to watch
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's
COACH Erik Hamren may scoff at the
suggestion but if any side at Euro 2016 are a one-man team it is Zlatan
Ibrahimovic's Sweden who at times seemed to be dragged through qualifying by
the sheer force of the giant striker's will.
The 34-year-old with the spectacular
skills and lethal finishing ability netted 11 of Sweden's 19 goals in
qualifying, including three of their four in the playoff win over Denmark that
booked their place in France.
His goalscoring prowess almost
overshadowed his enormous defensive effort in the second leg in Copenhagen that
set the tone for his side's success.
"I think he's a great player and a
fantastic person," said Hamren. "I made him captain with a view to
him taking a lot of responsibility for: the team and he has done that."
His country's all-time leading scorer, Ibrahimovic's
importance for Swedish football is; not limited to his achievements on the
pitch.
His participation in home games at the Friends Arena has a huge effect on ticket
sales and his influence on the country's youth is enormous, not least on the
junior members of the Sweden squad.
"Many of the younger players listen
to him very carefully and follow his example. He has done a great job there, an
enormous job," Hamren said.
"But he's also one of the lads, he
gives a lot of himself and there's a lot of jokes and laughter." — Reuters
PORTUGAL
THEY may be over
dependent on Cristiano Ronaldo and struggling to replace old faithfuls, yet
under the wily leadership of Fernando Santos, Portugal can still be a threat.
Semi-finalists
four years ago, Portugal suffered a miserable first-round exit at the World Cup
in 2014 and followed that up by losing at home to Albania in their opening
qualifier for Euro 2016.
Tempestuous coach
Paulo Bento, who had steadfastly refused to replace Portugal's old guard, was
sacked and replaced by Fernando Santos, who made an instant impact as Portugal
reeled off seven successive wins in the Euro qualifiers, all by single-goal
margins, to steer themselves safely to France.
Santos has found
the rebuilding process as difficult as his predecessor and has also relied
heavily on more experienced players, even recalling veteran central defender
Ricardo gets under way in France.
At least there
has been a willingness to give the new generation a chance.
More than 50
players have been called up under Santos who has given 17 their full international
debuts and fielded 33 players in the qualifiers.
His boldness to
experiment has paid off, unveiling highly promising players such as winger
Bernardo Silva and midfielders William Carvalho and Joao Mario.
Possibly the
most exciting of all is 18-year-old Renato Sanches, who has just signed for
Bayern Munich from Benfica months after making his professional debut.
Portugal’s
biggest failure is their inability to convert chances into goals with former
Manchester United winger Nani, who remains a regular at international level,
one of the main culprits. - Reuters
Coach:
Player to watch
Cristiano Ronaldo
CRISTIANO Ronaldo owes most
of his fame and fortune to his exploits with Real Madrid, yet he also remains a
hugely influential figure when representing his country.
Portugal's results have improved
enormously since Ronaldo made his international debut against Kazakhstan as an
18-year-old in 2003.
Their recent record at major tournaments
is the envy of many bigger countries after they reached the Euro 2004 final,
2006 World Cup semi-finals and the Euro 2012 semi-finals, where they lost to eventual
winners Spain in a shootout.
Portugal have suffered when Ronaldo, who
has captained them since he was 22, has been off-form such as at the last World
Cup _ when he suffered a bout of
tendinosis in his left knee in the run-up to the competition.
The Madeira-born forward, who makes a
point of breaking records, is Portugal's all-time leading scorer with 56 goals
in 125 appearances and needs three more caps to beat Luis Figo's record.
Nevertheless, the three-time World Player
of the Year has not been above criticism, with most of his goals coming in
qualifying matches against weaker opponents and many supporters wondering why
he did not take a penalty in the 2012 shootcut against Spain. - Reuters
ICELAND
HAVING qualified
for the Finals of a major tournament for the first time, Group F hopefuls
Iceland will not be content to make up the numbers and sides who underestimate
them could be in for a nasty surprise.
The tiny island
nation of around 330,000 inhabitants dominated their Euro 2016 qualifying group
for much of the campaign, turning their home ground Laugardalsvollur in
Reykjavik into a fortress.
While many sides
would be loath to meet Portugal and Austria, Iceland will be happy to concede
possession for long periods with a view to hitting decisively on the break.
Iceland’s recent
success is no flash in the pan. For many years the football association have
invested in coaching and facilities to enable young players to practise skills
all year round.
Iceland are
compact, disciplined and aggressive in defence, launching lightning-fast
counter-attacks when they win the ball.
Despite the
Cinderella nature of their qualification, they are physically tough and not
averse to a cynical foul.
At the helm is wily
Swedish coach Lars Lagerback, who will step down at the end of the Finals. His
players are spread throughout Scandinavia and the lower reaches of some of
Europe’s top leagues. Despite the small talent pool, there is plenty of
competition for places.
One certain
starter if fit is Swansea’s attacking midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, who will be
the side’s fulcrum in France.
There is also
room for record goalscorer Eidur Gudjohnsen in the squad. Helping to track a way
out of a tough group could provide a fairytale ending to the 37-year-old’s
international career. Reuters
Coach
Lars Lagerback
Player to watch
Gylfi Sigurdsson
GYLFI Sigurdsson's road to
football success has been winding, with the latest twist taking the Swansea
player to France where he will govern Iceland's midfield as they aim to make a
mark.
Sigurdsson's six goals in qualifying
proved instrumental in his side qualifying for a major tournament for the first
time, but his impact is felt beyond the scoresheet.
In coach Lars Lagerback's team the
collective is always more important than the individual but without Sigurdsson
it is hard to imagine Iceland beating teams such as Turkey, Czech Republic and
Holland, as they did in qualifying.
Now 26, Sigurdsson arrived at the academy
of English club Reading as a teenager in 2005 and played for Shrewsbury and
Crewe on loan before moving to 1899 Hoffenheim in Germany.
From there he was loaned to Swansea where
his performances caught the eye of Tottenham Hotspur, whom he joined in July
2012 before returning to Swansea two years later.
A powerful runner with the ball,
Sigurdsson is essential to Iceland's successful style of defensive containment
and quick counterattacking. With his strong engine, coolness from the penalty
spot and power and accuracy from dead balls, Sigurdsson will be one of the
first names on Lagerback's team sheet in France. — Reuters
AUSTRIA
FIFA ranking: 10
Appearance: 2
Best finish: Group stage 2008
When UEFA
decided to expand the European Championship Finals from 16 to 24 teams, Austria
were seen as one of the teams most likely to benefit.
By no means
among Europe's weakest teams, Austria were never quite good enough to make the
final 16 and their only appearance in the Finals came in 2008 when they
co-hosted the event.
Such has been
Austria's improvement that they would have qualified for France had it been a
16, or even eight-team, tournament.
After drawing at
home to Sweden in their opening game, Austria stormed through their qualifiers
as they won all their remaining games, beating Russia at home and away and
thrashing Sweden 4-1 to clinch their place in style.
Coach Marcel Roller,
given a tepid reception when he was appointed in 2011, has received IPK most of
the credit for lifting Austria from 70th in the world rankings to the top 10.
Roller has given
the team a new tactical identity and has also proved a master at getting the
most out of his players, including temperamental forward Marko Amautovic.
He has also
brought remarkable stability, fielding an unchanged starting line-up in the
last six qualifiers.
The turnaround
had been in the making even before the low-profile Swiss, whose last club job
ended with him being ignominiously sacked by German club VfL Bochum, took over.
The Austrian
federation had already implemented a new youth development programme and, like
neighbouring Switzerland, begun to tap into the country's large pool of
immigrant talent, something they had previously failed to do.
Most of the
players are based in the Bundesliga or the English Premier League, giving
Austria plenty of top-level experience despite their past failures to qualify
for major tournaments. Reuters
Coach: Marcel Koller
Player to watch
David Alaba
BORN to a Nigerian father and a Filipino
mother, David Alaba is an unlikely poster boy for an Austrian national team
soaring unprecedented heights.
Raised in Vienna, Alaba left his hometown
just after turning 16 to join Bayern Munich's youth academy.
As a youngster he idolised Patrick Vieira
and dreamed of playing for Arsenal, but Bayern's persistence lured him to
Germany where Alaba has blossomed into a world-class talent Pep Guardiola has
tipped him to become "a future all-time best in the club's history."
Quick, versatile and deadly from set- pieces, he is also the undisputed star of
an Austrian side that had until recently spent years languishing in the
international wilderness.
"He's just incredible, he's just...
wow. He can play absolutely everywhere," purred Guardiola.
A precocious talent, Alaba was also
eligible to represent Nigeria, the Philippines and Germany but was thrust into
the Austrian national team aged just 17 years and 112 days to become the
youngest player to represent the country.
Far from a prolific scorer at club level,
Alaba has proven much more of a threat for his country with 11 goals in 44
appearances, including four during Austria's impressive Euro 2016 campaign in
which they reeled off nine straight wins after opening with a 1 -1 draw at home
to Sweden. Not since the days of Toni Polster, the country's record goalscorer
from the 1980s and 1990s, have Austria fielded talent quite like Alaba. He will
shoulder a growing weight of expectation in France, but he says it will not be
a strain.
"I'm living my dream. Every morning I
wake up and think to myself, cool, it doesn't get better than this!" he
said. — AFP
HUNGRY
FIFA ranking: 20
Appearance: 3
Best finish: Third place 1964
STORY always
hangs heavy on the Hungarian national team, whose decades of under-achievement
are contrasted with the sepia glory of the 1950s when ghttering talents such
as Ferenc Puskas and Jeno Buzanszky reshaped football’s landscape.
Whatever else
Bernd Storck’s team achieve - and nobody expects very much - they at least have
the opportunity to bring the story up to date when they rejoin football’s elite
in France.
“We want to play
good football and to prove, that we are worthy members of the championship.
Making the second round is not an expectation, rather a dream,” said Storck in
an assessment that few fans will disagree with.
Hungary have not
appeared in a major tournament since the 1986 World Cup and their last
European
Championship appearance was in 1972. So just being there in 2016 ranks as a
major achievement for a team who finished only third in their group, eventually
qualifying via a 2-1 aggregate playoff win over Norway.
Their campaign
was troubled, with one coach sacked and another leaving for club football in
Germany before Storck delivered unexpected qualification on an unforgettable
night in Budapest.
Where Hungary may
struggle is up front after managing just 11 goals in 10 qualifiers but the
group draw in France has been kind to them and, Portugal apart, they will look
to games against Austria and tournament debutants Iceland as offering the
chance to sneak a result. Reuters
Coach: Bernd Storck
Player to watch
Balazs Dzsudzsak
ALTHOUGH he has probably passed his peak,
Balazs Dzsudzsak is Hungary's undisputed leader and will be a danger from
set-pieces with his free-kicks.
The 29-year-old winger has been the
brightest star in Hungarian football for the last decade without living up to
expectations at international level.
At Debrecan he was voted the best player
of the 2006-2007 season before moving to PSV Eindhoven where he enjoyed three
productive years that yielded 44 goals from 114 league . games.
I His deadly left foot and ability to
create goalscoring chances with inch-perfect crosses made him one of the
European game's hottest prospects with Liverpool and Inter Milan reportedly
tracking his progress.
To the surprise of many, he instead opted
for a move to Anzhi Makhachkala before joining another Russian team, Dynamo
Moscow. However, Dzsudzsak failed to reproduce his Eindhoven form at either
club and 2015 saw him move to Turkish side Bursaspor.
At international level Hungary's captain
knows he must lead from the front in France to prove there is substance to all
that early promise. After 76 caps and 18 goals, this could be his moment. —
Reuters
LIFE’S A PITCH
Do you rely too much on Your Star Players?
One-Man show companies don’t know what to
do next the moment their leader steps down or passed away.
By Jonathan Yabut
The Star/Saturday, 6 August 2016
N the 2014 World Cup, it was devastating
to see Brazil, a country strongly branded as a "football nation,” get
butchered by Germany with a heart- wrenching goal tally of seven to one. If
there’s anything obvious about this loss, coaches and managers can easily
pinpoint one thing: the absence of leadership.
In football, the team captain or the star
player sets up the team’s defence, organises the calculation of the
goalkeeper’s next shot, or delivers the shots himself (and scores). We’ve seen
this act celebrated many times with Neymar Jr of Brazil, Lionel Messi of
Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal.
Indeed, whether it’s in the corporate or
sporting world, someone calls the final shot. Someone leads the pack, makes
critical decisions, and has the final say.
He is the team captain, the commander, the
chief executive officer (CEO), and the president.
Have you ever experienced that feeling
when one type of success begets another success? When money begets more money?
When a score magically rushes you to make another score after another score?
In that particular match, Germany was on
that same cloud. When the tally progressed to four - zero in favour of Germany,
Brazil’s fans had totally given up and lost any hope of catching up.
They lost the World Cup hosted in their
own country.
Brazil’s loss teaches us that relying too
much on star players to make a team win is not sustainable, and is never enough
to win the coveted cup. The team captain or the star player may be the best
performer in the team, but he alone cannot carry an entire team to victory.
Similarly, no company will succeed if it
is being run like a one-man show. As a company grows and becomes more complex,
power naturally disintegrates and gets divided to more and more leaders.
Resisting this by continuing to monopolise decision-making will only lead to a
power vacuum.
Henceforth, I’ll say it cold and straight:
I hate companies that feature a one-man show.
These are organisations that perform
extremely well only because the leader dominates the power to strategise and
execute everything. These are companies where managers are afraid to vocalise
their own concerns, or suggest their own brilliant ideas out of fear that the
CEO will shut them down, or because the CEO "will have the last say
anyway.”These are companies that feature a small group of star players that
drive 80% of the companies’ sales but instantly crumble to bankruptcy the
moment their star players leave.
One-man show companies don’t know what to
do next the moment their leader steps down (or in some cases, dies).
Effective leadership, in its purest sense,
means clearing the path and not dictating the path for your people. It entails
empowerment and delegation of power to managers who are capable of calling the
shots, especially when the leader is out.
And why would the leader be out? Because
he’s probably out there in the vast ocean looking for new sources of growth
while his team digs into current sources of growth.
Effective leadership means trusting your
team to deliver the same quality of craftsmanship you would uphold for
yourself.
GAME OBSERVATION
Neymar is a good player. Imagine what he
can do in the next World Cup as he’s only 24! But he cannot win for Brazil
alone. He needs teammates who are as reliable and strong as he is. The same can
be said forThiago Silva who probably had less sleep that day as he took
accountabilily for Brazil’s loss.
Personally, I think that other team members
should have also stepped up in these times of “national distress."
In contrast, Germany slayed teams in the
last World Cup because its players were generally reliable. Every German
player possesses the mentality of stepping up and owning the responsibility to
organise defence, demand the ball, and drive a score - with or without the star
players’ initiatives. Everyone is empowered and encouraged to lead in his own
right.
Brazil had Neymar but Germany had a team.
POLISHING YOUR NEXT
DIAMOND TALENT
Successful leaders don’t just continue
leading to achieve more success. They also think about succession planning.
They are always on the prowl, and are always on the hunt to look for those
diamond-in-the-rough talents who can continue their legacy the moment they step
down. They feel secure of their positions, and are willing to transfer their
knowledge and skills to a new breed of leaders.
They are unselfish. They always “wear a
corporate hat” and think of the organisation’s interests even after their exit,
even if they have nothing to do with the company anymore (because that’s just
what good leaders do).
Unfortunately, successful leaders get
blinded and complacent such that the agenda of searching for the "next big
talent” gets shelved. We've seen this happen painfully too many times. We’ve
seen countries collapse when their uncorrupted leader gets replaced by a rotten
one. We’ve seen some companies crash the moment their CEOs die and get replaced
by an irrelevant one.
PARTING THOUGHTS
Brazil’s loss in the 2014 World Cup will
be one for the books and will never be forgotten. If there’s any valuable
lesson I will tell my grandchildren about this sport, it would be about
leadership. I will tell them that in leadership (be it football or in class or
at work), there is no such thing as carrying your team all by yourself to
greatness.
After all, there is no “I” in “team”.
Jonathan is the winner of The Apprentice
Asia and is currently based in Kuala Lumpur as the managing director of his own
consultancy company. He is also an author of the book From Grit to Great, and a
Leaderonomics faculty partner.
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