WC2010: Club Teammates on Opposing Group Stage Teams (A-D)

This is a potential* list of club teammates who will face off against each other in the group stages at WC2010. (Groups A-D)

GROUP A

ARSENAL
Carlos Vela (Mexico)
Bacary Sagna (France)
William Gallas (France)
Abou Diaby (France)
Gael Clichy (France)
Mikael Silvestre (France)
Samir Nasri (France)

BARCELONA
Rafa Marquez (Mexico)
Jonathan Dos Santos (Mexico)
Eric Abidal (France)
Thierry Henry (France)

WEST HAM UNITED
Guillermo Franco (Mexico)
Benny McCarthy (South Africa)

GROUP B

BOLTON
Lee Chung-Yong (South Korea)
Danny Shittu (Nigeria)

LIVERPOOL
Emiliano Insua (Argentina)
Javier Mascherano (Argentina)
Maxi Rodriguez (Argentina)
Sotirios Kyrgiakos (Greece)

MARSEILLE
Taye Taiwo (Nigeria)
Lucho Gonzalez (Argentina)
Gabriel Heinze (Argentina)

MONACO
Park Chu-Young (South Korea)
Lukman Haruna (Nigeria)

PORTSMOUTH
Angelos Basinas (Greece)
Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)

GROUP C

RANGERS
Madjid Bougherra (Algeria)
DaMarcus Beasley (USA)

BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH
Karim Matmour (Algeria)
Michael Bradley (USA)

HULL CITY
Kamel Ghilas (Algeria)
Jozy Altidore (USA)

PORTSMOUTH
Nadir Belhadj (Algeria)
Hassan Yebda (Algeria)
David James (England)

VfL BOCHUM
Antar Yahia (Algeria)
Zlatko Dedic (Slovenia)

PAS GIANNINA (Greece)
Salim Arrache (Algeria)
Mirnes Sisic (Slovenia)


GROUP D

1899 HOFFENHEIM
Andreas Beck (Germany)
Prince Tagoe (Ghana)
Isaac Vorsah (Ghana)

1. FC Köln
Lukas Podolski (Germany)
Zoran Tošić (Serbia)

FC BASEL
Scott Chipperfield (Australia)
Samuel Inkoom (Ghana)

BAYER LEVERKUSEN
Rene Adler (Germany)
Simon Rolfes (Germany)
Toni Kroos (Germany)
Hans Sarpei (Ghana)

FULHAM FC
Mark Schwarzer (Australia)
John Pantsil (Ghana)

HERTHA BSC
Arne Friedrich (Germany)
Gojko Kačar (Serbia)

INTER MILAN
Dejan Stanković (Serbia)
Sulley Muntari (Ghana)

LAZIO
Thomas Hitzlsperger (Germany)
Aleksandar Kolarov (Serbia)

UDINESE
Aleksandar Luković (Serbia)
Kwadwo Asamoah (Ghana)

VFB STUTTGART
Serdar Tasci (Germany)
Zdravko Kuzmanović (Serbia)

WIGAN ATHLETIC
Vladimir Stojković (Serbia)
Richard Kingson (Ghana)









*In hindsight, I probably should have waited for the World Cup 2010 squad lists to come out before doing a post like this, but I was already more than halfway done by the time I thought of it so I decided to finish it. When the final squad lists are released I plan to revisit the topic (and see how close I came).

WC2010: Club Teammates on Opposing Group Stage Teams (A-D)

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FIFA Ranking Analysis of Euro 2012 Qualifying Groups

Here's a brief FIFA ranking analysis of the EURO 2012 qualification draw.

When averaging the current FIFA rankings of the groups from top to bottom, England and Portugal's groups are definitely the toughest. This is due to the tough 'minnows' in those groups with the likes of Wales, Montenegro, Iceland, and Cyprus. These groups also have the closest rank difference between the top and bottom teams.

The toughest groups when averaging only the top three teams are Croatia and Italy's Groups. Croatia will have it tough with Greece and Israel to contend with, while Italy has been grouped with fellow world cup qualifiers, Serbia and Slovenia. The Italian group also has highest ranked 'fourth' team with a quality Northern Ireland team who could definitely cause problems for the top 3.



GROUP A
(6) Germany
(42) Turkey
(61) Austria
(66) Belgium
(114) Azerbaijan
(123) Kazakhstan

GROUP B
(13) Russia
(36) Slovakia
(37) Republic of Ireland
(64) Macedonia
(102) Armenia
(202) Andorra

GROUP C
(3) Italy
(19) Serbia
(33) Slovenia
(40) Northern Ireland
(104) Estonia
(118) Faroe Islands

GROUP D
(7) France
(38) Romania
(48) Bosnia-Herzegovina
(80) Belarus
(97) Albania
(124) Luxembourg

GROUP E
(2) Netherlands
(43) Sweden
(52) Hungary
(54) Finland
(96) Moldova
(203) San Marino

GROUP F
(11) Croatia
(12) Greece
(27) Israel
(49) Latvia
(122) Georgia
(144) Malta

GROUP G
(9) England
(18) Switzerland
(30) Bulgaria
(72) Montenegro
(76) Wales

GROUP H
(5) Portugal
(26) Denmark
(32) Norway
(68) Cyprus
(94) Iceland

GROUP I
(1) Spain
(25) Czech Republic
(46) Scotland
(62) Lithuania
(153) Liechtenstein

AUTOMATIC QUALIFIER
(24) Ukraine
(57) Poland


GROUP RANK AVERAGE
41.00 - GROUP G (England)
45.00 - GROUP H (Portugal)
52.83 - GROUP C (Italy)
57.40 - GROUP I (Spain)
60.83 - GROUP F (Croatia)
65.67 - GROUP D (France)
68.67 - GROUP A (Germany)
75.00 - GROUP E (Netherlands)
75.67 - GROUP B (Russia)

GROUP TOP 3 TEAMS - RANK AVERAGE
16.67 - GROUP F (Croatia, Greece, Israel)
18.33 - GROUP C (Italy, Serbia, Slovenia)
19.00 - GROUP G (England, Switzerland, Bulgaria)
21.00 - GROUP H (Portugal, Denmark, Norway)
24.00 - GROUP I (Spain, Czech Republic, Scotland)
28.67 - GROUP B (Russia, Slovakia, Republic of Ireland)
31.00 - GROUP D (France, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina)
32.33 - GROUP E (Netherlands, Sweden, Hungary)
36.33 - GROUP A (Germany, Turkey, Austria)

RANK DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TOP AND BOTTOM SEEDS IN EACH GROUP
67 - GROUP G (ENGLAND-WALES)
89 - GROUP H (PORTUGAL-ICELAND)
115 - GROUP C (ITALY-FAROE ISLANDS)
117 - GROUP A (GERMANY-KAZAKHSTAN)
117 - GROUP D (FRANCE-LUXEMBOURG)
133 - GROUP F (CROATIA-MALTA)
152 - GROUP I (SPAIN-LIECHTENSTEIN)
189 - GROUP B (RUSSIA-ANDORRA)
201 - GROUP E (NETHERLANDS-SAN MARINO)

GROUP WITH THE HIGHEST RANKED 'MINNOWS' (AVG. OF 2 LOWEST RANKED TEAMS)
74.00 - GROUP G (MONTENEGRO, WALES)
81.00 - GROUP H (CYPRUS, ICELAND)
107.50 - GROUP I (LITHUANIA, LIECHTENSTEIN)
110.50 - GROUP D (ALBANIA, LUXEMBOURG)
111.00 - GROUP C (ESTONIA, FAROE ISLANDS)
118.50 - GROUP A (AZERBAIJAN, KAZAKHSTAN)
133.00 - GROUP F (GEORGIA, MALTA)
149.50 - GROUP E (MOLDOVA, SAN MARINO)
152.00 - GROUP B (ARMENIA, ANDORRA)

FIFA Ranking Analysis of Euro 2012 Qualifying Groups

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Videos: Freddy Adu vs. Famous World Teams

Has anybody ever noticed that when Freddy Adu plays against world class opponents, he turns up the style-o-meter? It's probably because these matchups are either youth tournaments or exhibition matches, but he sure is a fun player to watch when he's on. Hopefully Freddy gets his chance to show what he can do regularly in Greece and can get his name in the mix for US National Team consideration.

Here are a few video examples of the skills of Freddy against Boca Juniors, Juventus, Celtic, Spain, Argentina, Netherlands, and Brazil.

Videos: Freddy Adu vs. Famous World Teams

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MLS Western Conference: 'New' Foreign-Born Players

Here are the MLS Western Conference's 'new-to-the-league' foreign-born players for the upcoming 2010 season. If you missed it, the Eastern Conference list is here (link).

CHIVAS USA

Osael Romero - El Salvador
Salvadoran player on loan from Vista Hermosa in El Salvador. Osael has scored 8 goals for the El Salvador National Team including 2 against Trinidad and Tobago in World Cup 2010 Qualifying

Isaac Kissi - Ghana
42nd overall pick in the SuperDraft. Kissi was a standout player at the University of Dayton.

COLORADO RAPIDS

NONE

FC DALLAS

Aziz Ansah - Ghana
Aziz has played much of his career in the Ghana Premier League, but also had stints in Belgium, Italy, Bahrain, Israel and most recently Nigeria, with Nigerian Premier League club Heartland FC. He was also in the Ghana squad at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations.

HOUSTON DYNAMO

Samuel Appiah - Ghana
The 46th overall pick in the SuperDraft from Boston University. Samuel was selected to the America East All-Conference Team in 2009, with 4 goals and 5 assists as a midfielder.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY

Alex - Brazil
21 year old left back on loan from Brazilian club, São Paulo.

Juninho - Brazil
21 year old, creative central midfielder on loan from Brazilian club, São Paulo.

Leonardo - Brazil
21 year old 6-foot-2 central defender on loan from Brazilian club, São Paulo.

Note from MLSnet.com
All three Brazilian players have come through the youth ranks at São Paulo, having played on the team that won the Super Group of the 2007 Dallas Cup, defeating Real Madrid and Chelsea en route to the title.

REAL SALT LAKE

NONE

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

NONE

SEATTLE SOUNDERS

NONE


Feel free to leave a comment if I missed anybody or if these lists need to be updated with new signings.

MLS Western Conference: 'New' Foreign-Born Players

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Slovenia National Team: Interactive Club Map

This interactive google map shows where the potential World Cup 2010 players from Slovenia play their club soccer. Click the green icons for club names, player names, caps, and goals scored. Zoom all the way in to see their home stadiums. Click the link below the map for easier navigation options.


View Slovenia National Team - Club Map in a larger map

Slovenia National Team: Interactive Club Map

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MLS Eastern Conference: 'New' Foreign-Born Players

This is a list of new foreign-born players that have joined MLS Eastern Conference teams for the upcoming 2010 season. I'm sure the list will grow by the time the season starts and I'll try to stay on top of it. I plan on doing the Western Conference version in the coming days, stay tuned for that.

CHICAGO FIRE

Krzysztof Król - Poland
On Loan from Jagiellonia Białystok in Poland. Was once a member of Real Madrid's C team.

Julio Enrique Martínez - El Salvador
On loan from León in Mexico. Julio scored a goal in both of El Salvador's fixtures with Mexico in World Cup 2010 Qualifying.

COLOMBUS CREW

Kwaku Nyamekye - Switzerland
Drafted 60th overall in the 2010 SuperDraft. Kwaku was named All-Ivy League First Team at Harvard in both 2008 and 2009.

Shaun Francis - Jamaica
Drafted 63rd overall in the 2010 SuperDraft. Shaun captained Lindsey Wilson College (Kentucky) to the 2009 NAIA National Championship.

DC UNITED

Floribert N'Galula - Belgium
Most recently played with Rotterdam in the Netherlands. N'Galula also spent five years at Manchester United with the youth and reserve sides and earned two first team appearances.

Danny Allsop - Australia
Danny is currently ranked as the Australian A-League's 3rd all-time leading goalscorer, scoring 36 goals in his four years with the Melbourne Victory. He also spent time in England with Manchester City, Notts County, and Hull City from 98 to 05. He came to DC United from Qatari side Al-Rayyan Sports Club.

Cristian Castillo - El Salvador
On Loan from León in Mexico. Cristian scored one of the goals against the USA in the World Cup Qualifying game in El Salvador.


KANSAS CITY WIZARDS

Olukorede Aiyegbusi - England
Drafted 20th overall in the 2010 SuperDraft. Defender moved from England to the US in '06 to play at Essex Community College in Maryland. in '08 transferred to NC State and made 41 appearances.

Stéphane Auvray - France
Auvray is a Guadeloupe international who moved to KC wizards from Ligue 2 club Nimes in France.

Pablo Escobar - Colombia
Central Defender on loan from Deportivo Cali in Colombia


NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

Jason Griffiths - England
Bracknell, England native, Jason was drafted 48th overall in the 2010 SuperDraft from the University of Kentucky.

NEW YORK RED BULLS

Tony Tchani - Cameroon
Drafted 2nd overall in the 2010 SuperDraft. Was a standout midfielder at the University of Virginia.

Joel Lindpere - Estonia
Estonian International who has played in Estonia, Bulgaria, and Norway in the past few seasons.

Roy Miller - Costa Rica
Costa Rican international who has spent the last 5 seasons in Norway with Bodo/Glimt and Rosenborg.

Giorgi Chirgadze - Georgia
Giorgi is the first Academy player to be signed from the Red Bull Academy, which he has been a part of since 2005 with the U-15 squad.


PHILADELPHIA UNION

Toni Ståhl - Finland
Drafted 17th overall in the 2010 SuperDraft. Toni was in the youth system at Finnish club HJK Helsinki. He came to the US and played for UCONN, eventually gaining a semifinal nomination for the Hermann Trophy.

Danny Mwanga - DR Congo
Drafted 1st overall in the 2010 SuperDraft. In 2006, Danny moved to Portland, Oregon, eventually attending Oregon State University, where he was a Pac-10 standout.

TORONTO FC

Nane Joseph - Cameroon
Drafted 53rd overall in the 2010 SuperDraft. Attended University in Cameroon before coming to the US. Played College ball at Old Dominion University and PDL with Hampton Roads Piranhas.

MLS Eastern Conference: 'New' Foreign-Born Players

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HD Video: Adu to EJ, Goal in Greece

I'm a little short on time today, so in the meantime, enjoy Eddie Johnson's first goal in Greece assisted by Freddy Adu. Hopefully it's the first of many to come.

HD Video: Adu to EJ, Goal in Greece

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Pictures and Videos: Stadiums of the Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands Premier League (Vodafonedeildin) is home to some of the most spectacular stadium settings in the entire world. Here are a few scenic stadium pictures and videos from the first and second divisions of the Faroese leagues.

Svangaskarð - B68 Toftir




Fløtugerði - ÍF Fuglafjørður


Gundadalur_Stadium - B36 Tórshavn and Havnar Bóltfelag


Injector Arena - KÍ Klaksvík



Inni í Dal - B71 Sandoy


Runavík Stadium - NSÍ Runavík


Sevmýri Tvøroyri - Tvøroyrar Bóltfelag



Vesturi á Eidinum Stadium - VB Vágur


Við Margáir - EB/Streymur




Vika Stadium - Argja Bóltfelag




Pics from: [HB.FO] [Lorentzen Consult] [Panoramio] [Flickr/Felix Gein] [Flickr/Pauli Leppänen] [Soccerway] [Blaabylgjan]

Pictures and Videos: Stadiums of the Faroe Islands

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Videos: Goals with 'Alternative' Body Parts

In general, soccer goals are scored with the foot or the forehead, but on occasion a chest, knee, face, top of the head, shoulder, illegal hand, etc. is used to knock it into the back of the net. Here is a small sample of 'alternative' body part goal videos (the last two are pretty funny if you haven't seen them before).

Videos: Goals with 'Alternative' Body Parts

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Tallest Soccer Players in the World

This is a list of the tallest players currently playing professional soccer around the world.




Kristof van Hout - 2.08m - (6ft10)
Belgian Goalkeeper who plays for the Belgium Jupiler League club, Standard Liege.

Yang Changpeng - 2.05m - (6ft8½)
Chinese striker (pictured above) who currently plays for the club Three Gorges Kangtian in China. He had a one month trial with Bolton Wanderers in 2006.

Vanja Iveša - 2.05m - (6ft8½)
Croatian goalkeeper playing with Turkcell Super Lig club Eskişehirspor

Tor Hogne Aarøy - 2.04m - (6ft8)
Norwegian Striker who plays with Aalesund FK in the Norwegian Tippeligaen.

Øyvind Hoås - 2.03m - (6ft8)
The Norwegian striker plays in the second tier in Norway with Sarpsborg Sparta FK. He is also a former Norway U21 player and has been linked to Norwich City.

Kjell Petter Opheim (GK) 2.03m - (6ft8)
The Norwegian keeper currently plays for Stryn Fotball in the Norwegian 3rd division after recently playing for FC Lyn Oslo in the Tippeligaen.

Even Iversen - 2.03m - (6ft8)
The 26 year old Norwegian Defender is, as far as I can tell, currently without a club, after leaving Arctic Circle based Bodø/Glimt in the Norwegian Tippeligaen in June 2009.

Jan Koller - 2.02m - (6ft7½)
The Czech Striker is currently playing in the French 3rd division with AS Cannes after recent years with Krylya Sovetov Samara, 1. FC Nuremberg, AS Monaco and Borussia Dortmund.

Nikola Žigić - 2.02m - (6ft7½)
Serbian striker who is currently playing for Valencia in Spain. Many clubs have reportedly gone after the big man, including Tottenham Hotspur, Fenerbahçe, Man City, Werder Bremen, Barcelona and Juventus.

Paolo Acerbis - 2.02m - (6ft7½)
Italian Goalkeeper currently playing with Grosseto in Serie B after a short spell with Livorno in Serie A.

Zeljko Kalac - 2.02m - (6ft7½)
Australian Goalkeeper who was up until last season, with AC Milan in Serie A. He now plays for recently promoted Kavala in the Greek Super League. Kalac made three appearances in 1996 for Leicester City in England while playing for current Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill.

Stefan Maierhofer - 2.02 m (6ft7½)
Maierhofer is a striker currently with Wolverhampton Wanderers in the EPL after a successful time at Rapid Wien in the Austrian Bundesliga. In 2007, Stefan was with Bayern Munich but he only managed two sub appearances before moving on.

Lazar Jovisić - 2.02m (6ft7½)
The 21 year old Serbian goalkeeper transferred to CD Nacional in Portugal in 2008.

Kevin Vink - 2.02m (6ft7½)
The 25 year old Dutch Striker plays for RKC Waalwijk in the Netherlands

Wojciech Kaczmarek - 2.02m - (6ft7½)
Polish goalkeeper who plays for Śląsk Wrocław in the Ekstraklasa

Jurgen Wevers - 2.02m (6ft7½)
Jurgen is a Goalkeeper who also plays for RKC Waalwijk in the Netherlands

Peter Crouch - 2.01m - (6ft7)
Random Fact: The Tottenham striker and his family moved to Singapore when he was 4 and lived there for a year. Early in his career he played for IFK Hässleholm in Sweden.

Dennis Lawrence - 2.01m - (6ft7)
After many years in England at Wrexham, Swansea City, and Crewe Alexandra, Dennis has moved back to his native Trinidad to play for San Juan Jabloteh.

Rob Jones - 2.01m - (6ft7)
English born Defender who recently transferred to Championship side, Scunthorpe United, after most recently playing for Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League.

Morike Sako - 2.01m (6ft7)
Sako is with 2.Bundesliga club FC St. Pauli in Germany after short stints in the lower divisions of England at Torquay United and Rochdale.

Stefan Postma - 2.01m - (6ft7)
Dutch Goalkeeper currently with AGOVV Apeldoorn in the Dutch Second Division. He had previous stints with Aston Villa and Wolves in England.

Ben Futcher - 2.01m - (6ft7)
The 28 year old Englishman made over 100 appearances for Lincoln City before moving around to various lower league clubs. He is current playing with League Two club Bury FC.

Bertrand Bossu - 2.01m - (6ft7)
The French-born keeper has played in the lower leagues in England for many years. He signed with Scottish club Aberdeen in 2008 and has signed with Crewe Alexandra for this season.

Robert Egbeta - 2.00m - (6ft7)
U20 Nigerian Defender who is playing with Dolphins F.C. (Port Harcourt) (I Think?) in the Nigerian Premier League

Lungisani Ndlela - 2.00m - (6ft7)
Ndlela is a South African International (9 caps) who plays in the South African Premier Soccer League with Moroka Swallows.

Marcin Krzywicki - 2.00 m - (6ft7)
Krzywicki recently move to Flota Świnoujście in Polish second division.

Jakub Dziółka - 2.00m - (6ft7)
The big defender plays with Polonia Bytom in Poland's Orange Ekstraklasa.

Adrian Rolko - 2.00m - (6ft7)
The 30 year old Central Defender plays with Czech Gambrinus Liga club FK Mlada Boleslav.

Bo Antal - 2.00m - (6ft7)
Antal, a young Hungarian goalkeeper, has recently made the leap to the Watford first team after spending a couple of years in The Hornets academy.





It was tough to find a good source for this list so, once again, feel free to let me know if there are any current professional players that should be included (2.00m or taller).

Original Post: 3/30/08
UPDATE 1/01/09: Kristof van Hout added; THANKS to commenter NKANU
UPDATE 1/07/09: Krzywicki, Maierhofer, and Sako added; THANKS to commenter NKANU
UPDATE 3/10/09: Rolko, Opheim, Iversen, Ndlela, Bossu added; THANKS to commenters NKANU and ANONYMOUS
UPDATE 10/29/09: Vink, Wevers; THANKS to commenter HEGGERS, Also updated current clubs
UPDATE 1/27/10: Antal, Kaczmarek; THANKS to HEGGERS; Updated Club info

Tallest Soccer Players in the World

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CONCACAF Players in Spain since 1980

Here is a list of CONCACAF players who, since 1980, have appeared in at least one game for their respective La Liga clubs in Spain.


CANADA
Julian de Guzman – Deportivo de La Coruña – 2005-09



COSTA RICA
Luis Gabelo Conejo – Albacete – 1991-92, 1993-94
Rónald Gómez – Sporting de Gijón – 1996-97
Paulo Wanchope – Málaga CF – 2004-05



EL SALVADOR
Norberto Huezo - Valencia CF - 1984-85
Mágico González – Cádiz CF, Real Valladolid – 1983-85, 1986-91

HONDURAS
Gilberto Yearwood – Real Valladolid – 1980-83
Julio César Arzú – Racing de Santander – 1982-83
Allan Costly – Málaga CF – 1982-83
Roberto Figueroa – Real Murcia – 1983-85
Amado Guevara – Real Valladolid – 1995-96
Carlos Pavón – Real Valladolid – 1995-96

MEXICO
Javier Aguirre – CA Osasuna – 1986-87
Manuel Negrete – Sporting de Gijón – 1986-87
Luis Flores – Sporting de Gijón, Valencia CF – 1986-87, 1988-89
Francisco Javier Cruz – CD Logroñés – 1988-89
José Manuel de la Torre – Real Oviedo – 1988-89
Hugo Sánchez – Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano – 1981-92, 1993-94
Luis García – Atlético Madrid, Real Sociedad – 1992-95
Germán Villa – RCD Espanyol – 1998-99
Cuauhtémoc Blanco – Real Valladolid – 2000-02
Francisco Palencia – RCD Espanyol – 2001-02
Carlos Ochoa – CA Osasuna – 2002-03
Antonio de Nigris – Villarreal CF – 2002-03
Manuel Vidrio – CA Osasuna – 2002-03
Gerardo Torrado – Sevilla FC, Racing – 2001-05
Giovani dos Santos – FC Barcelona – 2007-08
Carlos Vela – CA Osasuna – 2007-08
Omar Bravo – Deportivo de La Coruña – 2008-09
Guille Franco – Villarreal CF – 2005-09
Andrés Guardado – Deportivo de La Coruña – 2007-Current
Rafael Márquez – FC Barcelona – 2003-Current




PANAMA
Rommel Fernández – CD Tenerife, Valencia CF, Albacete – 1989-93
Julio Dely Valdés – Real Oviedo, Málaga CF – 1997-03

UNITED STATES
Tab Ramos - Real Betis - 1992-1995
Kasey Keller – Rayo Vallecano – 1999-01
Jozy Altidore – Villarreal CF – 2008-Current (on loan at Hull City)




SOURCES: WIKIPEDIA, LFP.es, Blanquivioletas, Costa Rica Pages, Mexicans Abroad - Goal.com

CONCACAF Players in Spain since 1980

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Cyprus First Division: Nationality Breakdown

The Cypriot Championship First Division, or officially, the Marfin Laiki League, has an amazing variety of world talent. An incredible 58 different nations are represented from nearly every corner of the globe. Costa Rican and former Chicago Fire/MLS defender Gonzalo Segares recently moved to Apollon Limassol FC in Cyprus and became the only CONCACAF player currently in the league.

The following list is a breakdown of the many International players that make up the Cypriot League.

# of Players by Nation:

1 - Afghanistan
6 - Albania
2 - Algeria
1 - Angola
8 - Argentina
2 - Armenia
1 - Austria
5 - Belgium
3 - Bosnia and Herzegovina
29 - Brazil
1 - Bulgaria
1 - Burkina Faso
2 - Cameroon
3 - Cape Verde
1 - Chile
1 - Costa Rica
1 - Croatia
129 - Cyprus
4 - Czech Republic
1 - Denmark
11 - France
3 - Georgia
5 - Germany
2 - Ghana
21 - Greece
1 - Guinea-Bissau
7 - Hungary
1 - Iran
1 - Ireland
2 - Israel
2 - Italy
1 - Ivory Coast
1 - Kosovo
2 - Latvia
9 - Macedonia
1 - Mali
1 - Mozambique
3 - Netherlands
3 - Nigeria
1 - Paraguay
1 - Peru
4 - Poland
43 - Portugal
2 - Romania
3 - Rwanda
1 - Scotland
3 - Senegal
8 - Serbia
5 - Sierra Leone
3 - Slovakia
6 - Slovenia
1 - South Africa
3 - Spain
1 - Sweden
1 - Switzerland
1 - Uruguay
3 - Venezuela
1 - Zambia
2 - Zimbabwe

Nations Represented by Region:
32 - Europe
16 - Africa
7 - South America
2 - Asia
1 - CONCACAF


Recent European Success

*Anorthosis Famagusta qualified for the Group Stages of the Champions League in 08-09 over teams like Rapid Wien and Olympiakos in the Qualifying Rounds. In the group stage, they earned an away point at Werder Bremen, Beat Panathinaikos, and earned a point at home against Inter Milan with a 3-3 draw.

In their win against Panathinaikos, Hawar Mulla Mohammed (who now plays with Persepolis in Iran), became the first player from Iraq to score a goal in the UEFA Champions League.

*In the 09/10 Champions League, APOEL reached the Group Stages and picked up 3 points with a draw at Atletico Madrid and two home draws against Chelsea and Atletico.

NOTES:

The Cypriot League is currently ranked 23rd by the UEFA League Coefficient, similar to leagues in Sweden, Israel, Austria, Serbia, Poland, Croatia, and Norway

In the last 10 years, players from Brazil, Argentina, Poland, Slovakia, Germany, and Cyprus have led the league in goals scored.

Cyprus First Division: Nationality Breakdown

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Meanings of World Football Club Initials

Ever wonder what the VfB or RCD or SK or TSG stood for in the names of soccer clubs around the world? Here's a list of a few of the most widely used initials in official club names around the world with their meanings and English translations.

1. FC - First Football Club

1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. FC Köln
1. FC Nuremberg

AC - Associazione Calcio ("Football Association")

AC Milan
AC Siena

AIK - Allmänna Idrottsklubben ("General Sport Club")

AIK (Sweden)

AFC - Association Football Club

Leeds United AFC
Sunderland AFC

AS - Associazione Sportiva or Association Sportive ("Sport Association")

AS Roma
AS Livorno
AS Monaco
AS Saint-Etienne

AZ - Alkmaar Zaanstreek (Dutch teams Alkmaar '54 and FC Zaanstreek merged in 1967)

AZ Alkmaar

BK - Boldklub ("Ball Club")

Aalborg BK
Halmstads BK
Rosenborg BK

CD - Club Deportivo ("Sports Club")

CD Chivas USA
CD Guadalajara
CD Aguila

CSKA - Central Army Sports Club

CSKA Sofia
CSKA Moscow
CSKA Kyiv

IF - Idrottsförening or Idrætsforening ("Sport Society")

Brøndby IF
Hammarby IF
Helsingborgs IF
Vålerenga IF

JK - Jimnastik Kulübü ("Gymnastics Club")

Beşiktaş JK

PSV - Philips Sport Vereniging ("Philips Sport Union")

PSV Eindhoven

RC - Racing Club

RC Strasbourg
RC Lens

RCD - Real Club Deportivo ("Royal Sporting Club")

RCD Mallorca
RCD Espanyol

RSC - Royal Sporting Club

RSC Anderlecht

SK - 'Sporting Club' in Various Languages

SK Brann
Lierse SK
Fenerbahçe SK
Galatasaray SK
SK Rapid Wien

SS - Società Sportiva ("Sport Society")

SS Lazio

TSG - Turn- und Sportgemeinschaft ("Gymnastics and Sport Community")

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

VfB - Verein für Bewegungsspiele ("Association for Exercise/Movement Games")

VfB Stuttgart

VfL - Verein für Leibesübungen ("Association for Physical Exercises")

VfL Bochum
VfL Wolsfburg

RANDOM NUMBERS - Year of Establishment

1860 München
Hannover 96
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Schalke 04
Mainz 05

Meanings of World Football Club Initials

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EPL: Most Substituted Players since 2000

These are the most substituted players in the Premier League since the 2000/2001 season. (Minimum of 20 substitutions in a season or the league leader if less than that). In the current season, Steed Malbranque has already been substituted out 15 times and Kanu and Scott Sinclair have entered games as a substitute 12 times each to lead the way.


MOST TIMES SUBSTITUTED OUT OF THE GAME AFTER STARTING

08/09
22 - Steed Malbranque (Sunderland)
20 - Albert Riera (Liverpool)

07/08
23 - Elano (Manchester City)

06/07
22 - Kanu (Portsmouth)

05/06
19 - Peter Crouch (Liverpool)

04/05
21 - Eidur Gudjohnsen (Chelsea)
21 - Marcus Bent (Everton)

03/04
21 - Freddie Ljungberg (Arsenal)

02/03
22 - Nolberto Solano (Newcastle United)

01/02
19 - Eidur Gudjohnsen (Chelsea)

00/01
19 - Stefano Eranio (Derby County)



MOST TIMES SUBSTITUTED INTO A GAME FROM THE BENCH


08/09
21 - Ryan Babel (Liverpool)

07/08
22 - Marlon Harewood (Aston Villa)
22 - Shane Long (Reading)
20 - Antoine Sibierski (Wigan Athletic)
20 - Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal)

06/07
22 - Ricardo Vaz Te (Bolton Wanderers)
20 - Georgios Samaras (Manchester City)

05/06
20 - Duncan Ferguson (Everton)

04/05
29 - Duncan Ferguson (Everton)
20 - Luke Moore (Aston Villa)

03/04
22 - Stern John (Birmingham City)

02/03
21 - Jonatan Johansson (Charlton Athletic)
21 - Scott Dobie (West Bromwich Albion)

01/02
22 - Dean Holdsworth (Bolton Wanderers)
21 - Jermain Defoe (West Ham United)
21 - Serhiy Rebrov (Tottenham Hotspur)
20 - Mikael Forssell (Chelsea)

00/01
18 - Darius Vassell (Aston Villa)
18 - Lomano LuaLua (Newcastle United)



Stats Compiled from Statbunker

EPL: Most Substituted Players since 2000

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Videos: Clint Dempsey

A few random 'behind the scenes' videos from a few years back and a couple of goal compilation videos of 'recently-injured-but-back-in-time-for-the-world-cup' Clint Dempsey. (Get well soon!)












Credit to the blog, Climbing the Ladder, for putting this goal video together

Videos: Clint Dempsey

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