June 2011
2 posts
pure football: The Europa League is about to start... →
purefootball:
First qualifying round draw (30 June and 7 July) 1 KR Reykjavík (ISL) v ÍF Fuglafjørdur (FRO) 2 FC Daugava Daugavpils (LVA) v Tromsø IL (NOR) 3 IL Elfsborg (SWE) v CS Fola Esch (LUX) 4 The New Saints FC (WAL) v Cliftonville FC (NIR) 5 FC Honka Espoo (FIN) v JK Nõmme Kalju (EST) 6 Fulham FC…
pure football: The Champions League is about to... →
purefootball:
First qualifying round draw (28/29 June and 5/6 July) SP Tre Fiori (SMN) v Valletta FC (MLT) FC Santa Coloma (AND) v F91 Dudelange (LUX)
Second qualifying round draw (12/13 and 19/20 July) Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR) v FK Borac Banja Luka (BIH) FK Mogren (MNE) v PFC Litex Lovech (BUL) NK Maribor…
May 2011
1 post
AC Milan's recipe for winning the Scudetto?...
afootballreport:
By Mirko Corli, writing from Torino.
For the first time since 2004, the Scudetto is a rossoneri trophy. And let me say as an Inter Milan supporter it is fully deserved.
As I told you many times here on AFR, to win Serie A you do not always have to be at your best in the biggest matches, but simply whenever it becomes vital to perform. AC Milan was able to manage a constant...
March 2011
7 posts
4 tags
Kevin Volland
Take a look at the first and the fourth goal. And take also a look at the assist for the fifth.
The young lad is Kevin Volland, plays in 1860 Munchen, Zweite Bundesliga.
Just 18 years old, pure talent. I suggest you to follow him closely.
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St Pauli: a socialist football club in Hamburg's...
guardian:
Marcel Theroux goes in search of the rebel spirit of Hamburg’s St Pauli football club, and finds fans fighting for the club’s soul.
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A man to look for
The Meistrilliga started a couple of weeks ago, and i’d like to tell you there’s a lad to keep an eye on: Jüri Jevdokimov, 22 years old, plays in Kalju.
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February 2011
1 post
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January 2011
6 posts
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Serie A starts in 2011 with a Melo-dramatic...
matchcentre:
By Mirko Corli, writing from Torino
The first round of 2011 Serie A action came with a couple of surprises.
First and foremost, Juventus.
The bianconeri lost 4-1 at home against Parma, and this is a big surprise not only because Juve closed 2010 in good shape and with the will of doing something more in the upcoming year, but also because it is a defeat that can mean more....
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With all the changes in Serie A, what is going on...
philosofooty:
By Mirko Corli, writing from Torino
Championship leaders AC Milan just let Ronaldinho go back home, putting and end to a story that never looked a masterful one. Dinho joined the Rossoneri two years ago for a fee of €25m and he simply did not make it here in Italy. The player is outstandingly gifted, but the attitude he puts on the pitch and in training is not the right one to...
December 2010
14 posts
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Benitez back to Liverpool →
His daughter back to school in Liverpool, means Rafa’s far from Milano and FC Inter.
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Bologna's crisis is only a financial one... for...
matchcentre:
By Mirko Corli, writing from Torino
Bologna is now facing a huge financial crisis. The club has not been able to pay wages to the players since last August. According to the Italian regulations, after three months of unpaid salaries, the players have the right to put the club into administration.
The players waited until the last possible day to send the official complaints to...
RT @FourFourTwo: CONFIRMED NEWS: Rafael van der Vaart will not be fit to return for Spurs against Chelsea on Sunday due to hamstring problem
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Elmander rumors →
Ok, Elmander is doing very good this season, but…do you seriously think he’s as good as others Liverpool’s or Spurs’ strikers?
RT @Metro_Sport: Andy Carroll linked with Chelsea move as Ancelotti attempts to end poor run http://bit.ly/i8WVJk
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The best 10 goals of the Champions League so far →
RT @skyfooty: Out-of-contract Nicky Butt has signed a three-month deal to play for Hong Kong side South China. http://dlvr.it/9zkqc
RT @Metro_Sport: Keane and Crouch will both be sold by Spurs says Pavlyuchenko’s agent http://bit.ly/faLYOr
RT @FourFourTwo: Prosinecki poised to become Red Star coach http://tinyurl.com/33y2p8y
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What's going on in Italy?
philosofooty:
By Mirko Corli, writing from Torino If you are into Italian football you may be slightly confused nowadays. Why? Well, because everything looks so different from, let’s say, six/seven months ago.
Just go back and think about the end of May 2010: Inter on top of the Serie A and graduated as European Champions; Juventus struggling after a dramatic season with Ferrara (first) and...
RT @cahiers_dusport: Morning. Most of the chatter in the Portuguese press is about Benfica & their slightly meaningless CL tie with Schalke.
RT @football_league: #Championship Team of the Week is out (no #League1 or #League2 due to all that snow!) http://bit.ly/blXiYS
November 2010
2 posts
3 tags
José's Legacy: Is he responsible for Inter's...
philosofooty:
By Mirko Corli, writing from Torino
My answer? Yes, yes indeed. But it is not as simple as it seems. First, history. Think about Mourinho’s teams: Porto, Chelsea and Inter. All three teams were led to success by the Portuguese manager in a legendary way: Porto won the UEFA Cup and the Champions League, Chelsea won the English title after more than 50 years without it, and...
October 2010
3 posts
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September 2010
1 post
1 tag
August 2010
32 posts
8 tags
Yacine Brahimi, learning from Zidane [YTP]
1990 is a great year if you look after young football talents born at that time.
Yacine Brahimi (currently playing for Rennes) is one of those talents: he’s quick, has a wonderful technique, did all the young national team caps he could (12 goals in 18 caps in the Under 19 team). Of Algerian descent, he plays for France and his target is - quite obviously - becoming the new Zinedine...
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Seydou Doumbia, is he the new Drogba?
Is it possible that a striker who played a large part of his career in Japan (even in Second Division) and Switzerland is compared by someone to Didier Drogba?
Yes, it is. And his name is Seydou Doumbia. Born in 1987, he comes from Yamoussoukro in - of course - Ivory Coast.
He did great in Switzerland at Young Boys by scoring 50 goals in 64 games across two seasons. Bringing Young Boys to play...
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Italian Serie B begins with fireworks →
Awesome goals In the first rounds of Italian Second Division: check them out and pay attention to:
Catellani’s authentic masterpiece in Livorno vs Sassuolo
Giuseppe Santoruvo’s diving header
Sansovini’s equaliser for Pescara
Fabbrini’s wonderful long-distance shot
Bombardini’s beautiful assist for Omar Torri in Triestina vs Albinoleffe
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Giampaolo Pazzini: the Perfect Striker's move...
UC Sampdoria probaly will not join the Uefa Champions League round stage: winning 2-0 at home next week against Bremen sounds quite difficult.
But there’s hope, and it all lies in the goal scored by Giampaolo Pazzini. Look at this goal (point video to 1:22), and just focus on the move Pazzini makes to score: how he frees himself from the defending opponent and how he hits the ball.
It may...
6 tags
The best defending play ever [WTM]
I guess we do not need to add words to the video, do we?
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Balázs Dzsudzsák: will he be good also outside...
Balázs Dzsudzsák is amazing to see, no doubt about it.
This young lad has quality, pace, nice technique, but...is this enough to be a top player outside the Eredivisie?
Nothing against the awesome Dutch championship but we have to admit defensive lines out there are not the best you can see around, aren’t they?
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Jeanvion Yulu-Matondo: a classy winger [YTP]
Jeanvion Yulu-Matondo is supposed to be a right winger or a quick and classy striker.
Playing in Roda Kerkrade (Eredivisie), he did not score too much to be honest since joining them in 2007, but revealed to have a nice attitude while facing crosses in the box: quite strange for a winger you suppose to stay on the sideline and cross himself.
In this video you will appreciate his nice timing...
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Why Lionel Messi does not deserve UEFA's Player of...
I know this may sound a little unpopular.
I was involved in a discussion on Twitter with guys from The Equaliser and Zonal Marking about this: does Lionel Messi deserve the UEFA Player of The Year Award? They (and many others i guess) say yes, i say no. Here’s why.
Messi had an impressive season in Barcelona: 35 games in the Spanish Liga (30 starting from the lineups) and 34 goals, lots of...
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The best of Stjarnan celebrations [CFF]
Stjarnan lads are awesome when celebration comes into the game.
Those guys from the little Icelandic village of Garðabær really know ho to have fun.
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Caen tops the Ligue 1 [ILF]
Caen is on top of French Ligue1 after defeating defending champions Marseille last week and long-term winners Lyon tonight. What a start from them!
Young talent Youssef El-Arabi has a big part in that.
Look at this opener he scored tonight, amazing chip (min: 1:37).
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Henri Anier: from Estonia with goals [YTP]
Henri Anier is a young and talented Estonian striker.
He has already got the attention of top football: Italian side UC Sampdoria already bought him and placed him in the reserve squad last year.
Now he’s playing in the homeland championship Meistrilliga for Flora Tallinn. Four appearances so far, five goals scored, with a hat-trick during last round.
Keep an eye on this boy.