2008 Soccer Player and Coach Look-Alikes

Some of the most popular posts I've done in the 10 months of The Best Eleven's existence have been the player and coach look-alike posts. Since 2008 is winding down I thought I'd recap those posts today. Click the links for many, many more look-alikes.

MLS Stunt Doubles in the UEFA Champion's League

Chad Barrett and Wayne Rooney

Euro 2008 Head Coach Look-alikes

Raymond Domenech and Borat

MLS Celebrity Look-alikes

Danny Dichio and Imhotep from the Mummy

African Players with 100+ Caps

These are the players from Africa that have been capped 100+ times in their international careers. As you can see, outside of Egypt, there are very few players who have reached the century milestone from Africa.

169 - Hossam Hassan (Egypt)
149 - Ahmed Hassan (Egypt)
125 - Ibrahim Hassan (Egypt)
124 - Hany Ramzy (Egypt)
124 - Rigobert Song (Cameroon)
115 - Noureddine Naybet (Morocco)
110 - Nader El-Sayed (Egypt)
107 - Abdel Zaher El-Saqua (Egypt)
102 - Geremi (Cameroon)


close....
99 - Henri Camara (Senegal)


If you were wondering, yes, Hossam and Ibrahim are twin brothers and two of the most accomplished Egyptian players of all time. Here is an interesting article about the Egyptian Football Gene.

Top Players Who Have Played at Lesser Known Clubs

These are all top players who now play at the biggest clubs in Europe that spent time earlier in their careers at lower divisions clubs that are somewhat unknown on a worldwide level.

• Petr Cech - FK Chmel Blšany (Czech Republic)
• Daniel Alves - EC Bahia (Brazil)
• Michael Ballack - Chemnitzer FC (Germany)
• Javier Zanetti - Talleres RE (Argentina)
• Florent Malouda - Châteauroux (France)
• Eiður Guðjohnsen - Valur Reykjavík (Iceland)
• Christoph Metzelder - Preußen Münster (Germany)
• Alexander Hleb - FC BATE (Belarus)
• Emmanuel Eboué - Beveren (Belgium)
• Park Ji-Sung - Kyoto Purple Sanga (Japan)
• Sami Hyypia - MyPa (Finland)
• Yossi Benayoun - Hapoel Be'er Sheva (Israel)
• Patrick Vieira - AS Cannes (France)
• Marco Materazzi - Marsala (Italy)
• Christian Chivu - CSM Reşiţa (Romania)
• Filippo Inzaghi - Piacenza Calcio (Italy)
• Franck Ribery - US Boulogne, Olympique Alès, Stade Brestois (France)
• Hamit Altıntop - Wattenscheid 09 (Germany)
• Luca Toni - Modena, U.S. Fiorenzuola 1922, A.S. Cisco Calcio Roma, Treviso (Italy)
• Miroslav Klose - FC Homburg (Germany)

This list is far from complete and I'll add to it when I get more time. If you have any players that belong, don't hesitate to leave a comment or send an email.

Soccer AM: I Love Football Videos

Videos featuring Emmanuel Adebayor, Ryan Giggs, Thierry Henry, Nemanja Vidic, and Wayne Rooney talking about their favorite grounds, clubs, heroes, etc.. and their love of the game.

Non-European Premiership Player Map since 1992-1993

This map and list show the number of players from nations around the world (excluding Europe) that have made at least one appearance in the English Premier League since 1992-93.

Criteria: If a player has been capped for a national team, that is the nation used. If they have not been capped, their nation of birth is used.

Click to Enlarge Map



# of Players from Non-European Nations
40 - Australia
36 - Brazil
30 - Argentina
28 - Jamaica
25 - United States
22 - Nigeria
17 - Cameroon
17 - Senegal
10 - Ghana
10 - South Africa
9 - Côte d'Ivoire
9 - Morocco
8 - Trinidad and Tobago
8 - Uruguay
7 - Canada
6 - Algeria
6 - Ecuador
6 - Mali
5 - China
5 - Egypt
5 - South Korea
4 - Colombia
4 - Congo DR
4 - Honduras
4 - Mexico
4 - New Zealand
4 - Saint Kitts and Nevis
3 - Barbados
3 - Chile
3 - Guinea
3 - Japan
3 - Peru
3 - Tunisia
3 - Zimbabwe
2 - Bermuda
2 - Costa Rica
2 - Iran
2 - Liberia
2 - Paraguay
2 - Sierra Leone
2 - Togo
1 - Angola
1 - Bolivia
1 - Congo
1 - Gabon
1 - Grenada
1 - Montserrat
1 - Oman
1 - Pakistan
1 - Zambia

08/09 Premiership Team Goal Statistics

Here are some Premier League goals scored/conceded statistics (as of 12/21/08). Interesting that Fulham makes both the Lowest scoring and Lowest conceded list with a 0.94 GFA and a 0.71 GAA.

Highest Average Goals Scored per Match

2.12 - Chelsea
1.72 - Manchester City
1.69 - Manchester United
1.67 - Arsenal
1.67 - Aston Villa

Lowest Average Goals Scored per Match

0.78 - West Bromwich Albion
0.94 - Fulham
0.94 - Stoke City
0.94 - Middlesbrough
1.00 - West Ham United

Highest Average Goals Conceded per Match

1.89 - Blackburn
1.83 - West Bromwich Albion
1.72 - Hull CIty
1.66 - Stoke City
1.56 - Portsmouth

Lowest Average Goals Conceded per Match

0.41 - Chelsea
0.63 - Manchester United
0.66 - Liverpool
0.71 - Fulham
1.18 - Wigan Athletic

December 2008: The Best Eleven Visitor Stats

I'm out of town for the holiday season so I've taken the easy way out and posted a nice premade statistics list from The Best Eleven's Google Analytics stats. I've seen other blogs list their visitor stats and have always found it interesting.  Here, I've put together the cities and nations that have visited this site the most in the last 3 months.  

USA

New York

Chicago

Los Angeles

Houston

San Francisco

Portland

Seattle

Columbus

Dallas

Minneapolis

Salt Lake City

Europe

London

Dublin

Birmingham

Manchester

Athens

Edinburgh

Oslo

Belfast

Stockholm

Sheffield

Asia, Australia, and Oceania

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Sydney

Melbourne

Singapore

Brisbane

Kuala Lumpur

Adelaide

Auckland

Perth

Ipoh, Malaysia

Africa

Lagos, Nigeria

Accra, Ghana

Cairo, Egypt

Pretoria, South Africa

Nairobi, Kenya

Cape Town, South Africa

Durban, South Africa

Johannesburg, South Africa

Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Dakar, Senegal

South America

Sao Paulo

Buenos Aires

Rio de Janeiro

Bela Horizonte

Vitoria

Goiania

Montevideo

Quito

Bogota

Caracas

Top Countries

United States

United Kingdom

Canada

Australia

Ireland

Saudi Arabia

Germany

Norway

India

Netherlands

Top 10 Cities Overall

London

Sydney

Melbourne

New York

Dublin

Toronto

Singapore

Manchester

Chicago

Riyadh

Video: Worst Soccer Misses

The players in this video should have spent a few extra minutes on the practice pitch working on finishing. There are some truly awful misses on display, I like the one at around the 1:00 mark where a 3 on 0 is completely botched.

All-Time American Players in the Premiership

This table shows all of the USA players who've played at least one game in the English Premiership since 1992.

John Harkes at Sheffield Wednesday, pic from JAMD.com

Player	Clubs	Years
Clint Dempsey	Fulham	2006-Current
Brad Friedel	Liverpool, Blackburn, Aston Villa	1997-00, 2001-Current
Tim Howard	Manchester United, Everton	2003-Current
Jonathan Spector	Manchester United, Charlton Athletic, West Ham United	2004-Current
Carlos Bocanegra	Fulham	2003-2008
Bobby Convey	Reading	2006-2008
Benny Feilhaber	Derby County	2007-2008
Marcus Hahnemann	Reading	2006-2008
Eddie Johnson*	Fulham	2007-2008
Kasey Keller	Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton, Fulham	1996-99, 2001-05, 2007-08
Eddie Lewis	Fulham, Derby County	2001-02, 2007-08
Brian McBride	Everton, Fulham	2002-2008
DaMarcus Beasley	Manchester City	2006-2007
Jay DeMerit	Watford	2006-2007
Oguchi Onyewu	Newcastle United	2006-2007
Claudio Reyna	Sunderland, Manchester City	2001-2007
Johann Smith	Bolton Wanderers	2006-2007
Jovan Kirovski	Birmingham City	2002-2004
Ian Feuer	West Ham United, Derby County	1999-00, 2001-02
Joe-Max Moore	Everton	1999-2002
John Harkes	Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham United, Nottingham Forest	1992-93, 1995-96, 1998-99
Juergen Sommer	Queens Park Rangers	1995-1996
Roy Wegerle	Blackburn Rovers, Coventry City	1992-1995
Cobi Jones	Coventry City	1994-1995
Preki	Everton	1992-1994

* Johnson is still a member of Fulham. He is currently on loan to Cardiff City in the Football League Championship

Complete Brazilians in Europe: December 2008

Following the recent posts of Brazilians in UEFA leagues 1-5 and 6-10, I decided to take the Brazilians in Europe idea as far as possible and find out how many of the South Americans are in every single top division league in Europe. I can't vouch for 100% accuracy in a few of the lesser known leagues and the leagues that play a summer schedule as the official rosters were not totally up to date, but overall, the majority of these numbers are accurate as of December 2008.


Total Top Division Brazilians in Europe = 700

Brazilian Players by Nation

130 - Portugal
42 - Italy
35 - Germany
34 - Greece
34 - Turkey
27 - Cyprus
27 - France
25 - Romania
24 - Bulgaria
23 - Spain
21 - Ukraine
20 - Russia
19 - Belgium
18 - Azerbaijan
16 - England
16 - Switzerland
14 - Netherlands
11 - Belarus
11 - Poland
10 - Malta
10 - Sweden
9 - Albania
9 - Norway
8 - Austria
8 - Denmark
8 - Montenegro
7 - Armenia
7 - Czech Republic
6 - Hungary
6 - Macedonia
6 - Serbia
6 - Slovakia
5 - Bosnia and Herzegovina
5 - Croatia
5 - Lithuania
4 - Israel
4 - Lichtenstein
4 - Moldova
4 - Slovenia
3 - Finland
3 - Faroe Islands
3 - Georgia
3 - Kazakhstan
3 - Latvia
2 - Andorra
2 - Estonia
1 - Luxembourg
1 - Republic of Ireland
1 - San Marino
0 - Iceland
0 - Northern Ireland
0 - Scotland
0 - Wales


European Clubs with at Least Five Brazilians on Their Roster

16 - CF Os Beleneses (Portugal)
12 - Vitória de Setúbal (Portugal)
10 - A. Naval 1º de Maio (Portugal)
10 - SC Braga (Portugal)
9 - C.S. Marítimo (Portugal)
9 - C.D. Nacional (Portugal)
8 - AS Roma (Italy)
8 - C.D. Trofense (Portugal)
8 - Paços de Ferreira (Portugal)
8 - Vitória de Guimarães (Portugal)
7 - Leixões S.C. (Portugal)
7 - FK Partizani Tirana (albania)
7 - Sporting Clube de Portugal (Portugal)
6 - FC Rapid Bucureşti (Romania)
6 - Rio Ave F.C. (Portugal)
6 - Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
6 - S.L. Benfica (Portugal)
5 - Fenerbahçe S.K. (Turkey)
5 - A.C. Milan (Italy)
5 - Académica de Coimbra (Portugal)
5 - Aris Thessaloniki FC (Greece)
5 - C.F. Estrela da Amadora (Portugal)
5 - CS Gaz Metan Mediaş (Romania)
5 - FK Khazar Lankaran (Azerbaijan)
5 - Hertha Berlin (Germany)
5 - Inter Milan (Italy)
5 - Lokomotiv Moscow (Russia)
5 - Lyon (France)
5 - Panathinaikos (Greece)
5 - Standard Baku (Azerbaijan)

USA v Mexico Video - Feb 28, 2001

US Soccer has announced that the Feb 11, 2008, USA vs. Mexico World Cup qualifier will be played in Columbus, Ohio at Crew Stadium. If you need a a few good reasons why, here is a throwback video of a classic wcq "border rivarly" game in that venue from 2001.




"We come to you live from the most partisan arena the US has. A chilly reception greets regional dynasty Mexico at sold out Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio."

About McBride's Injury...
"That looks like a scene out of Rocky, that is unbelievable."

"...Marquez, hacked hard by Armas in midfield..."

"....Campos, who loves to come off his line and make the dramatic play, ends up getting beaten by the speed of Josh Wolff....."

"WHAT A SAVE BY FRIEDEL..."

"...The temperature has dipped down all the way to 20 degrees, it has been a most uncomfortable second half for Mexico..."

"Josh Wolff is a star in the making......"

Brazilians in UEFA Ranked Leagues 6-10

Here is a list of all the Brazilians currently in the European leagues ranked 6 through 10 in the UEFA league coefficient (as of 12/16/08). It definitely goes from one extreme to the other in this list, with Portugal having the most Brazilians (130) and Scotland having the least with zero.



Russia (20)

CSKA Moscow - Ramón, Vágner Love, Ricardo Jesus

FC Khimki - Gabriel, Danielson

Krylia Sovetov - Leilton

Lokomotiv Moscow - Rodolfo, Fininho, Charles, Guilherme, Renato Silva

FC Luch-Energiya Vladivostok - Andre Alves, Leandro

Rubin Kazan - Jefthon

FC Saturn Moscow Oblast - Zelão

FC Spartak Moscow - Mozart, Rafael Carioca, Welliton

Spartak Nalchik - Felipe

FC Terek Grozny - David Júnior Lopes


Romania (25)

FC Braşov - Ezequias

CFR Cluj - Hugo Alcântara, André Galiassi, Didi

FC Dinamo Bucureşti - Alberto Thiago, Julio Cesar

FC Farul Constanţa - Willian Gerlem

CS Gaz Metan Mediaş - Grillo Edson, Rafael Pereira dos Santos, Eric de Oliveira Pereira, Eugênio da Silva Samuel, Victor da Silva Medeiros

CF Gloria 1922 Bistriţa - Danilo Pereira da Silva

Gloria Buzău - Everton

CS Otopeni - Jaime Junior

CS Pandurii Lignitul Târgu Jiu - Carlos Cardoso, Thiago Tremonti

FC Rapid Bucureşti - Césinha, Daniel Paulista, Júlio César, Juliano Spadacio, Cláudio Pitbull, Elinton Andrade

FC Timişoara - Éder Bonfim

FC Unirea Voluntari Urziceni - Ricardo Gomes Vilana


Portugal (130)

(5) Académica de Coimbra - Luiz Duarte, Cleber, Paulo Sérgio, Edson, Diogo Gomes

(16) CF Os Belenenses - Assis Giovanaz, Carciano, Matheus, Edmílson, Maykon Araújo, João Paulo Oliveira, Rodrigo Arroz, Baiano, Marcelo, Evandro Roncatto, Alicio Julião, Evandro Paulista, Vinicius Pacheco, Vanderlei, Júnior Negão, Wender, Júlio César

(6) S.L. Benfica - Luisão, Léo, Fellipe Bastos, David Luiz, Sidnei, Moretto

(10) SC Braga - Moisés, Evaldo, Márcio Mossóro, Paulo César, Jorginho, Alan, André Leone, Edimar, Vandinho, Matheus

(5) C.F. Estrela da Amadora - Jardel, Celsinho, Ney Santos, Marcelo Goianira, Têti

(7) Leixões S.C. - Sandro, Élvis, Roberto, Chumbinho, Roberto Sousa, Marques, Wesley

(9) C.D. Nacional - Rafael Bracali, Felipe Lopes, Alonso, Cléber, Juliano, Rafael Bastos, Nenê, Fabiano Oliveira, Luís Alberto, Fernando Cedrola

(9) C.S. Marítimo - Marcelo Boeck, Fernando Cardozo, Bruno Fogaça, Bruno Grassi, Olberdam, André Pinto, Marcos, Marcinho, João Guilherme

(10) A. Naval 1º de Maio - Tiago Rannow, Paulão, Fabrício Lopes, Bruno Lazaroni, Gilmar, Michel Simplício, Dudu, Marcelinho, Saulo, Diego Ângelo

(8) Paços de Ferreira - China, Ozéia, Cristiano, Leandro Tatu, Cássio, Kiko, Antonielton Ferreira, William

(4) F.C. Porto - Helton, Givanildo Vieira de Souza, Lino, Fernando

(6) Rio Ave F.C. - Evandro, Niquinha, Delson, Henrique, Wíres, Ronaldo

(7) Sporting Clube de Portugal - Ânderson Polga, Pedro Silva, Ronny, Derlei, Rodrigo Tiuí, Fábio Rochemback, Liédson

(8) C.D. Trofense - Paulinho, Valdomiro, Edu, Zé Carlos, Milton do Ó, Sidney, Edu Souza, Mércio

(8) Vitória de Guimarães - Nilson, Luciano Amaral, Roberto, Wênio, Danilo, Andrezinho, Jean Coral, Douglas

(12) Vitória de Setúbal - Michel, Robson, Danilo, Elias, Laionel, Bruno Moraes, Adalto, Auri, Paulinho, Leandro Branco, Leandro Lima, Mateus


Netherlands (14)

Ajax - Leonardo Santiago

AZ Alkmaar - Ari

Feyenoord - André Bahia, Darley, Manteiga

FC Groningen - Luciano

SC Heerenveen - Paulo Henrique, Pedro Beda, Lazaro

Heracles Almelo - Everton

PSV Eindhoven - Cássio

FC Twente - Douglas

Vitesse - Claudemir

Willem II - Léo Veloso



Scotland (0)

All-Time Unique Internationals in the Premiership

If you've been coming to the blog for long enough, you may remember the unique international posts for last season and this season in the Premiership. The idea was to identify players that are the only one from their home country represented in the league.

In this post I've taken the idea a step further and have listed the All-Time Unique Internationals since the Premiership began in it's current format in 1992. These players are the only ones from their home nation to ever play in the Premier League.

Jamie Moreno - Pic from BBC

Belarus
Aliaksandr Hleb - Arsenal (2005-08)

Bolivia
Jaime Moreno - Middlesbrough FC (1995-96)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Muhamed Konjic – Coventry City (1998-01)

Congo
Christopher Samba - Blackburn Rovers (2006-09)

Estonia
Mart Poom – Derby County, Sunderland, Arsenal (1996-03, 2006-07)

Gabon
Daniel Cousin - Hull City (2008-09)

Grenada
Jason Roberts – West Bromwich Albion, Portsmouth, Wigan Athletic, Blackburn Rovers(2002-04, 2005-09)

Lithuania
Tomas Danilevicius – Arsenal (2000-01)

Montserrat
Ruel Fox – Norwich City, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur (1992-00)

Oman
Ali Al Habsi – Bolton Wanderers (2007-08)

Pakistan
Zesh Rehman – Fulham F.C. (2003-06)

Zambia
Collins Mbesuma – Portsmouth (2005-06)



Almost.... Nations with only Two Players All-Time in the Premiership

Costa Rica - Mauricio Solis, Paulo Wanchope
Cyprus - Alexis Nicolas, Nicos Papavasiliou
Iran - Karim Bagheri, Andranik Teymourian
Liberia - George Weah, Christopher Wreh
Paraguay - Diego Gavilan, Roque Santa Cruz
Sierra Leone - Al Bangura, Albert Jarrett
Togo - Emmanuel Adebayor, Moustapha Salifou

Brazilians in the Top Five European Leagues

This is a list of all the Brazilians currently in the top 5 leagues in Europe (according to the UEFA Coefficient League Ranking). As of 12/14/08.

England (16)
Denilson - Arsenal
Alex - Chelsea
Juliano Belletti - Chelsea
Geovanni - Hull City
Fabio Aurelio - Liverpool
Lucas Leiva - Liverpool
Elano - Manchester City
Jo - Manchester City
Robinho - Manchester City
Anderson - Manchester United
Rodrigo Possebon - Manchester United
Rafael - Manchester United
Afonso Alves - Middlesbrough
Cacapa - Newcastle United
Gilberto - Tottenham
Heurelho Gomes - Tottenham

Spain (23)
Diego Alves - Almeria
Guilherme - Almeria
Iriney - Almeria
Michel - Almeria
Paulo Assunção - Atletico Madrid
Sylvinho - Barcelona
Dani Alves - Barcelona
Edú - Real Betis
Willian Lima - Real Betis
Filipe Luís - Deportivo de La Coruña
Nenê - Espanyol
Weligton - Malaga
Rossato - Malaga
Pablo Barros - Malaga
Cléber Santana - Mallorca
Marcelo - Real Madrid
Adriano - Sevilla
Luis Fabiano - Sevilla
Renato - Sevilla
Renan - Valencia
Edu - Valencia
Thiago Carleto - Valencia
Edmílson - Villareal

Italy (42)
Adriano Ferreira Pinto - Atalanta
César Aparecido Rodrigues - Bologna
Adailton - Bologna
Coelho - Bologna
Jeda - Cagliari
Luciano - Chievo Verona
Kerlon - Chievo Verona
Cesar - Chievo Verona
Jefferson - Fiorentina
Felipe Melo - Fiorentina
Rubinho - Genoa
Thiago Motta - Genoa
Maxwell - Inter Milan
Adriano - Inter Milan
Julio Cesar - Inter Milan
Maicon - Inter Milan
Mancini - Inter Milan
Amauri - Juventus
Francelino Matuzalem - Lazio
Emílson Sánchez Cribari - Lazio
Ângelo - Lecce
Leo - Lecce
Dida - AC Milan
Emerson - AC Milan
Alexandre Pato - AC Milan
Kaka - AC Milan
Ronaldinho - AC Milan
Inácio Piá - Napoli
Fábio Simplício - Palermo
Santos - Reggina
Cicinho - AS Roma
Juan - AS Roma
Rodrigo Taddei - AS Roma
Filipe Gomes - AS Roma
Julio Baptista - AS Roma
Artur Moraes - AS Roma
Julio Sergio - AS Roma
Alexander Doni - AS Roma
Rodrigo De Lazzari - Siena
Packer - Siena
Felipe - Udinese
Moreno - Udinese

France (27)
Carlos Henrique - Bordeaux
Fernando Menegazzo - Bordeaux
Jussiê - Bordeaux
Wendel - Bordeaux
Antonio Géder - Le Mans
Paulo André - Le Mans
Marcos Paulo - Le Mans
Michel Bastos - Lille
Tulio de Melo - Lille
Emerson - Lille
Cris - Lyon
Ederson - Lyon
Juninho - Lyon
Fred - Lyon
Fábio Santos - Lyon
Vitorino Hilton - Marseille
Adriano Pereira - Monaco
Helder - Nancy
André Luiz - Nancy
Douglão - Nantes
Ceará - Paris Saint Germain
Ilan - Saint Etienne
Carlão - Sochaux
Álvaro Santos - Sochaux
Paulo César - Toulouse
Rafael Schmitz - Valenciennes
Jeovânio - Valenciennes

Germany (35)
Henrique - Bayer Leverkusen
Renato Augusto - Bayer Leverkusen
Lúcio - Bayern Munich
Zé Roberto - Bayern Munich
Breno - Bayern Munich
Tinga - Borussia Dortmund
Dedê - Borussia Dortmund
Felipe Santana - Borussia Dortmund
Chris - Eintracht Frankfurt
Caio - Eintracht Frankfurt
Vragel da Silva - Energie Cottbus
Alex Silva - Hamburger SV
Thiago Neves - Hamburger SV
Vinícius - Hannover 96
Kaká - Hertha Berlin
Cícero - Hertha Berlin
Raffael - Hertha Berlin
Rodnei - Hertha Berlin
Lúcio - Hertha Berlin
Wellington - TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Luiz Gustavo - TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Carlos Eduardo - TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Antônio da Silva - Karlsruher
Pedro Geromel - 1. FC Köln
Marcelo Bordon - Schalke 04
Zé Roberto - Schalke 04
Rafinha - Schalke 04
Cacau - VfB Stuttgart
Élson - VfB Stuttgart
Naldo - Werder Bremen
Diego - Werder Bremen
Rodrigo Alvim - Wolfsburg
Josué - Wolfsburg
Caiuby - Wolfsburg
Grafite - Wolfsburg

FIFA Club World Cup: All-Time Player Goal Breakdown

Top Goalscorers

2000 - Romario (3, Vasco da Gama); Nicolas Anelka (3, Real Madrid)

2005 - Amoroso (2, São Paulo); Peter Crouch (2, Liverpool); Alvaro Saborio (2, Saprissa); Mohammed Noor (2, Al-Ittihad)

2006 - Mohamed Aboutreika (3; Al-Ahly)

2007 - Washington (3; Urawa Red Diamonds)




Asian Goalscorers
2 - Fahad Al-Husseini (Saudi Arabia), Mohammed Noor (Saudi Arabia)
1 - Fuad Amin (Saudi Arabia), Hamad Al-Montashari (Saudi Arabia), Kim Hyung-Bum (South Korea), Lee Hyun-Seung (South Korea), Mahmoud Karimi (Iran), Yuichiro Nagai (Japan), John Anastasiadis (Australia, Oceania), David Carney (Australia)

African Goalscorers
3 - Mohamed Aboutrika (Egypt)
2 - Quinton Fortune (South Africa), Flavio (Angola), Emad Mohammed (Egypt)
1 - Youssef Achami (Morocco), Ahmed Bahja (Morocco), Talal El Karkouri (Morocco), Bouchaib El Moubarki (Morocco), Geremi (Cameroon), Mustapha Moustaoudia (Morocco), Omar Nejjary (Morocco), Moussa Saib (Algeria), Joseph-Desire Job (Cameroon), Mohammed Kallon (Sierra Leone), Emad Moteab (Egypt), Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail (Egypt), Saber Ben Frej (Tunisia), Mohamed Amine Chermiti (Tunisia), Moussa Narry (Ghana)

CONCACAF Goalscorers
2 - Alvaro Saboria (Costa Rica), Dwight Yorke (Trinidad and Tobago)
1 - Christian Bolaños (Costa Rica), Salvador Cabrera (Mexico), Rónald Gómez (Costa Rica), Rafael Marquez (Mexico)

Brazilian Goalscorers
3 - Romario, Washington
2 - Edilson, Edmundo, Amoroso, Felipe, Fabio Luciano, Luizão, Savio, Mineiro, Rogerio Ceni, Adriano
1 - Luiz Adriano, Alexandre Pato, Ronaldinho, Ze Carlo, Kaka

South American (non-Brazilian) Goalscorers
2 - Cristinan Montecinos (Chile)
1 - Alex Aguinaga (Ecuador), Freddy Rincon (Colombia), Salvador Cabañas (Paraguay), Ricardo Francisco Rojas (Chile), Neri Cardozo (Argentina), Rodrigo Palacio (Argentina)

European Goalscorers
3 - Nicolas Anelka (France)
2 - Raul (Spain), Peter Crouch (England), Filippo Inzaghi (Italy)
1 - Nicky Butt (England), Fernando Hierro (Spain), Fernando Morientes (Spain), Steven Gerrard (England), Deco (Portugal), Eiður Guðjohnsen (Iceland), Alessandro Nesta (Italy), Clarence Seedorf (Netherlands)

There Have been Goalscorers Born in -
Algeria
Angola
Argentina
Australia
Brazil
Cameroon
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Ecuador
Egypt
England
France
Ghana
Iran
Italy
Japan
Mexico
Morocco
Netherlands
Saudi Arabia
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Spain
Tunisia
Trinidad and Tobago

Asian Soccer Players with 120+ Caps

This table show the players from the Asian Football Confederation that have accumulated a minimum of 120 caps in their career.

Player	Nation	Caps	Years
Mohamed Al-Deayea	Saudi Arabia	181	1990-2006
Adnan Kh. Al-Talyani	UAE	164	1984-1997
Sami Al-Jaber	Saudi Arabia	163	1992-2006
Ali Daei	Iran	149	1993-2006
Mohammed Al-Khilaiwi	Saudi Arabia	143	1990-2001
Majed Abdullah	Saudi Arabia	139	1978-1994
Myung-Bo Hong	South Korea	136	1990-2002
Bashar Abdullah	Kuwait	134	1996-2007
Kiatisuk Senamuang	Thailand	130	1993-2007
Hussain Saeed Mohammed	Iraq	126	1977-1990
Sang-Chul Yoo	South Korea	123	1994-2005
Masami Ihara	Japan	122	1988-1999
Abdullah Zubromawi	Saudi Arabia	122	1993-2002
Bum-Kun Cha	South Korea	121	1972-1986
Aide Iskandar	Singapore	121	1995-2007

Compiled from a post a RSSSF

England Player of the Year Awards since 1988

These are the Writers', Players', and Fans' Player of the Year selections in English soccer since 1988.

Football Writers' Association Player of the Year

The winner is selected by a vote amongst around 400 soccer journalists based in England from the Football Writers' Association (FWA).

1988 - John Barnes (Liverpool)
1989 - Steve Nicol (Liverpool)
1990 - John Barnes (Liverpool)
1991 - Gordon Strachan (Leeds United)
1992 - Gary Lineker (Tottenham Hotspur)
1993 - Chris Waddle (Sheffield Wednesday)
1994 - Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers)
1995 - Jürgen Klinsmann (Tottenham Hotspur)
1996 - Eric Cantona (Manchester United)
1997 - Gianfranco Zola (Chelsea)
1998 - Dennis Bergkamp (Arsenal)
1999 - David Ginola (Tottenham Hotspur)
2000 - Roy Keane (Manchester United)
2001 - Teddy Sheringham (Manchester United)
2002 - Robert Pires (Arsenal)
2003 - Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
2004 - Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
2005 - Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
2006 - Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
2007 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)


Player's Player of the Year

The winner is chosen amongst the members of the players' union, the Professional Footballers' Association.

1988 - John Barnes (Liverpool)
1989 - Mark Hughes (Manchester United)
1990 - David Platt (Aston Villa)
1991 - Mark Hughes (Manchester United)
1992 - Gary Pallister (Manchester United)
1993 - Paul McGrath (Aston Villa)
1994 - Eric Cantona (Manchester United)
1995 - Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers)
1996 - Les Ferdinand (Newcastle United)
1997 - Alan Shearer (Newcastle United)
1998 - Dennis Bergkamp (Arsenal)
1999 - David Ginola (Tottenham Hotspur)
2000 - Roy Keane (Manchester United)
2001 - Teddy Sheringham (Manchester United)
2002 - Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United)
2003 - Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
2004 - Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
2005 - John Terry (Chelsea)
2006 - Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
2007 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United


Fans' Player of the Year

A list is compiled by members of the Professional Footballers' Association, and a winner is voted for by the fans. (Since 2001)

2001 - Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
2002 - Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Manchester United)
2003 - Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
2004 - Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
2005 - Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
2006 - Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
2007 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Mancehster United)

Highest Active International Strike Rates

These are the highest active strike rates (goals per game) in world soccer on the international level (minimum 20 games played and strike rate of 0.50).

Strike Rate - Player - Nation - Games (Goals)

0.84 - Yasser Al-Qahtani - Saudi Arabia - 55 (46)
0.81 - Chan Siu Ki - Hong Kong - 26 (21)
0.79 - Commins Menapi - Solomon Islands - 33 (26)
0.74 - Sarayoot Chaikamdee - Thailand - 35 (26)
0.71 - Maksim Shatskikh - Uzbekistan - 42 (30)
0.70 - Baichung Bhutia - India - 57 (40)
0.70 - Archie Thompson - Australia - 30 (21)
0.67 - Ali Nasseredine - Lebanon - 32 (21)
0.66 - Stern John - Trinidad and Tobago - 104 (69)
0.65 - Luton Shelton - Jamaica - 31 (20)
0.64 - Ronaldo - Brazil - 97 (62)
0.64 - Didier Drogba - Cote D'Ivoire - 52 (33)
0.62 - Adriano - Brazil - 47 (29)
0.62 - Daniel Cousin - Gabon - 37 (23)
0.62 - Obafemi Martins - Nigeria - 21 (13)
0.62 - Dimitar Berbatov - Bulgaria 66 (41)
0.61 - Amr Zaki - Egypt - 48 (29)
0.59 - Eduardo - Croatia - 22 (13)
0.59 - David Villa - Spain - 41 (24)
0.59 - Karim Bagheri - Iran - 82 (48)
0.58 - Lomana Lua-Lua - Congo DR - 31 (18)
0.58 - Carlos Pavón - Honduras - 79 (46)
0.57 - Alexander Frei - Switzerland - 61 (35)
0.57 - Fernando Morientes - Spain - 47 (27)
0.57 - Sebastián Abreu - Uruguay - 47 (27)
0.55 - Emad Motaeb - Egypt - 49 (27)
0.55 - Francileudo Dos Santos - Tunisia - 40 (22)
0.55 - Hernán Crespo - Argentina - 65 (36)
0.55 - Bambang Pamungkas - Indonesia - 56 (31)
0.53 - Marcelo Salas - Chile - 70 (37)
0.53 - Peter Ofori-Quaye - Ghana - 32 (17)
0.52 - Jared Borgetti - Mexico - 89 (46)
0.52 - Lukas Podolski - Germany - 60 (31)
0.52 - Ruud van Nistelrooy - Netherlands - 64 (33)
0.52 - David Healy - Northern Ireland - 65 (34)
0.51 - Miroslav Klose - Germany - 87 (44)
0.50 - Jon Dahl Tomasson - Denmark - 102 (51)
0.50 - Jafar Irismetov - Uzbekistan - 36 (18)


Highest Strike Rate By Confederation
AFC - Yasser Al-Qahtani - 0.84
OCEANIA - Commins Menapi - 0.79
CONCACAF - Stern John - 0.66
CAF - Didier Drogba - 0.64
CONMEBOL - Ronaldo - 0.64
UEFA - Dimitar Berbatov - 0.62


Close.....
0.49 - Samuel Eto'o - Cameroon - 73 (36)
0.49 - Carlos Ruíz - Guatemala - 83 (41)
0.49 - Francisco Fonseca - Mexico - 43 (21)
0.49 - John Aloisi - Australia - 55 (27)
0.48 - Asamoah Gyan - Ghana - 27 (13)
0.48 - Mamadou Niang - Senegal - 27 (13)
0.48 - Roda Antar - Lebanon 48 (23)


I should note that many of these stats were gathered from wikipedia because, although I searched for a few days, I was unable to find quality, comprehensive, up-to-date, international goal stats anywhere. Can anyone point me to a good site for international caps and goals information? Thanks in advance.

One Appearance Nations: World Cup Results

These are the results of nations that have made it to the World Cup only one time. So far, no country has made it past the Quarterfinals in their only visit to the big time. The only nations to win the entire thing on the first try were Uruguay in 1930 and Italy in 1934. (Those countries obviously went on to make multiple appearances). In recent times, Turkey has made the most of limited appearances by finishing 3rd in only their second appearance in 2002. As you can see, a majority of the one appearance teams have crashed out in the first round.

Some of these nations have managed to make their mark in their one appearance in the tournament though. Senegal defeating France in 2002 and Korea DPR over Italy in 1966 are some of the most famous World Cup victories in the history of the tournament.

Quarterfinals
Cuba (1938)
East Germany (1974)
Korea DPR (1966)
Senegal (2002)
Ukraine (2006)
Wales (1958)

Round 2
Ghana (2006)

Round 1
Angola (2006)
Canada (1986)
China (2002)
Congo DR (1974)
Cote d'Ivoire (2006)
Greece (1994)
Haiti (1974)
Honduras (1982)
Indonesia (1938)
Iraq (1986)
Israel (1970)
Jamaica (1998)
Kuwait (1982)
New Zealand (1982)
Slovenia (2002)
Togo (2006)
Trinidad and Tobago (2006)
United Arab Emirates (1990)

Adidas Football TV

These creative Adidas Football TV "viral" shorts have been making the rounds recently. Here are the four most recent videos that have come out.

Ballack - Target
Uploaded by adidasfootballtv

Adebayor - Snake
Uploaded by adidasfootballtv

Steven Gerrard - Pigeon d'argile
Uploaded by adidasfootballtv

Arjen Robben - La chaussure magique
Uploaded by adidasfootballtv

Countries with Zero World Cup Appearances (min. 10 attempts)

This list includes countries that have made at least 10 attempts to qualify for the FIFA World Cup and have never made it to the World Cup final tournament.

Qualifying Attempts - Country - (First Attempt)

17 - Luxembourg (1934)
16 - Finland (1938)
13 - Netherlands Antilles (1958)
12 - Cyprus (1962)
12 - Guatemala (1958)
12 - Syria (1950)
11 - Suriname (1962)
10 - Iceland (1958)
10 - Malaysia (1974)
10 - Thailand (1974)
10 - Venezuela (1966)
10 - Zambia (1970)

European Capital City Clubs

I was watching the Paris Saint-Germain v Manchester City UEFA cup game and it reminded me of something I've always wondered. Why does a great city like Paris only have one large club? Well, that question sparked the idea for this post.



I've listed the many clubs in Europe that are based in Capital cities. In cases like Athens, Belgrade, Sofia, and Vienna, the capital city clubs win the title nearly every season. Then there are places like Ankara, Berlin, and Edinburgh where the title is hardly ever, or even never, won (I think Istanbul, Munich, and Glasgow might have something to do with that). Here is the list of capital clubs currently in their nation's highest division with their most recent title listed in parenthesis.


Amsterdam, Netherlands
Ajax (2003/04)

Ankara, Turkey
Gençlerbirliği
Ankaragücü
Hacettepe

Athens, Greece
Olympiacos (2007/08)
Panathaniikos (2003/04)
AEK (1993/94)
Panionios
Thrasivoulous

Belgrade, Serbia
Partizan (2007/08)
Crvena Zvezda (2006/07)
OFK Beograd (1938/39)
Rad
Čukarički

Berlin, Germany
Hertha Berlin

Bern, Switzerland
Young Boys (1985/86)

Bratislava, Slovakia
Artmedia Bratislava (2008)
Slovan Bratislava (1999)

Brussels, Belgium
Anderlecht (2006/07)

Bucharest, Romania
Dinamo Bucuresti (2006/07)
Steaua Bucuresti (2005/06)
Rapid Bucuresti (2002/03)
CS Otopeni

Budapest, Hungary
MTK Hungária FC (2007/08)
Újpest FC (1997/98)
Budapest Honvéd FC (1992/93)
Vasas SC (1976/77)
Rákospalotai EAC

Chisinau, Moldova
Zimbru Chisinau (1999/2000)
Dacia Chisinau
Academia Chisinau
Politehnica Chisinau

Copenhagen, Denmark
FC København (2006/07)
Brøndby IF (2004/05)

Dublin, Ireland
Bohemian (2002/03)
St. Patrick's Athletic (1998/99)
Shamrock Rovers (1993/94)
University College Dublin

Edinburgh, Scotland
Heart of Midlothian (1959/60)
Hibernian (1951/52)

Helsinki, Finland
HJK (2003)

Kiev, Ukraine
Dinamo Kiev (2006/07)
Arsenal Kiev

Lisbon, Portugal
Benfica (2004/05)
Sporting CP (1999/2000)
Belenenses (1945/46)
Estrela Amadora

Ljublijana, Slovenia
Interblock Ljubljana

London, England
Chelsea FC (2005/06)
Arsenal (2003/04)
Tottenham Hotspur (1960/61)
West Ham United
Fulham FC

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Racing FC Union Luxembourg (1992)
RM Hamm Benfica

Madrid, Spain
Real Madrid (2007/08)
Atletico Madrid (1995/96)
Getafe

Minsk, Belarus
Dinamo Minsk (2004)
Dinamo Minski Rayon
MTZ-RIPO

Moscow, Russia
CSKA Moscow (2006)
Lokomotiv Moscow (2004)
Spartak Moscow (2001)
FC Moscow
Dynamo Moscow
Khimki

Nocisia, Cyprus
APOEL Nicosia (2006/07)
Omonia Nicosia (2002/03)

Oslo, Norway
Stabæk (2008)
Vålerenga (2005)
Lillestrøm (1989)
Lyn (1968)

Paris, France
Paris Saint-Germain (1993/94)

Podgorica, Montenegro
FK Budućnost (2007/08)
Kom

Prague, Czech Republic
Slavia Praha (2007/08)
Sparta Praha (2006/07)
Viktoria Zizkov

Reykjavik, Iceland
Valur (2007)
KR Reykjavilk (2003)
FRAM (1990)
Throttur
Breidablik
HK Kopavogur
Fylkir
Fjolnir

Riga, Latvia
Skonto (2004)
FK Riga (1939/40)
JFK Olimps

Rome, Italy
AS Roma (2000/01)
Lazio (1999/00)

Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
FK Sarajevo (2006/07)
Željezničar (2001/02)
Slavija Sarajevo

Skopje, Macedonia
Rabotnički Kometal (2007/08)
Vardar (2002/03)
Metalurg Skopje
Makedonija Gjorce Petrov

Sofia, Bulgaria
CSKA Sofia (2008)
Levski Sofia (2007)
Slavia Sofia (1996)
Lokomotiv Sofia (1978)

Stockholm, Sweden
Djurgårdens IF (2005)
Hammarby (2001)
AIK (1998)

Tallinn, Estonia
Levadia (2008)
Flora (2003)
Kalev

Tirana, Albania
Dinamo Tirana (2007/08)
KF Tirana (2006/07)
Partizani Tirana (1992/93)

Vienna, Austria
Rapid Wien (2008)
Austria Wien (2006)

Vilnius, Lithuania
Žalgiris Vilnius (1998/99)
FK Vetra

Warsaw, Poland
Legia Warszawa (2005/06)
KSP Polonia (1999/00)

Zagreb, Croatia
Dinamo Zagreb (2007/08)
NK Zagreb (2001/02)
Inter Zaprešić

Famous Soccer Fans: Actors

Premiership

Arsenal
Jackie Chan (imdb) Rumble in the Bronx, Rush Hour
Kevin Costner (imdb) Field of Dreams, Dances with Wolves, Waterworld, The Postman
Colin Firth (imdb) Fever Pitch, Shakespeare in Love, Love Actually
Delroy Lindo (imdb) Malcolm X, Cider House Rules, Get Shorty
Michael Moore (imdb) dir. Roger and Me, Bowling for Columbine, Farenheit 9/11, Sicko
David Soul (imdb) "Hutch" in the original Starsky and Hutch

Aston Villa
Tom Hanks (imdb) Big, Forrest Gump, Philadelphia, The Green Mile, Cast Away, etc...
Oliver Phelps (imdb) "George Weasley" in the Harry Potter Movies



Chelsea
Sir Richard Attenborough (imdb) dir: Ghandi; actor: The Great Escape, Jurassic Park
Michael Caine (imdb) Italian Job, Cider House Rules, Batman, Children of Men
Ralph Fiennes (imdb) Schindler's List, Quiz Show, "Voldemort" in Harry Potter Movies
Will Ferrell (imdb) SNL, Old School, Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Elf



Everton
John Hurt (imdb) Midnight Express, Alien, Rob Roy, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Hellboy

Fulham
Hugh Grant (imdb) Notting Hill, About A Boy, American Dreamz
Daniel Ratcliffe (imdb) "Harry Potter" in the Harry Potter Movies

Hull City
Tom Courtenay (imdb) Doctor Zhivago, The Golden Compass

Liverpool
Daniel Craig (imdb) "James Bond"
Mike Myers (imdb) "Austin Powers", Wayne's World, Shrek, Saturday Night Live

Manchester City
Marsha Thomason (imdb) "Naomi" from Lost, "Nessa" from Las Vegas

Manchester United
Dominic Monaghan (imdb) "Merry" from Lord of the Rings, "Charlie" from Lost

Pic from manutdpics

Newcastle United
Honor Blackman (imdb) "Pussy Galore" in James Bond: Goldfinger

Sunderland
Peter O'Toole (imdb) "Lawrence" in Lawrence of Arabia

Tottenham Hotspur
Kenneth Branagh (imdb) Many Shakespeare Films, "Gilderoy Lockhart" in Harry Potter
Jude Law (imdb) Road to Perdition, Talented Mr. Ripley, Alfie
Ray Liotta (imdb) "Henry Hill" from Goodfellas
Marina Sirtis (imdb) "Deanna Troi" from Star Trek,

West Ham United
John Cleese (imdb) Monty Python, James Bond Films, Harry Potter Films
Keira Knightly (imdb) Bend it Like Beckham, Pirates of the Caribbean, Atonement
Elijah Wood (imdb) "Frodo" in Lord of the Rings, Green Street Hooligans
Ray Winstone (imdb) Cold Mountain, The Departed, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull



Championship

Crystal Palace
Bill Nighy (imdb) "Davy Jones" Pirate's of the Caribbean, Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Reading
Ricky Gervais (imdb) The Office (UK), Extras, Night at the Museum, Ghost Town
Kate Winslet (imdb) Sense and Sensibility, Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Sheffield United
Sean Bean (imdb) "Boromir" in Lord of the Rings



Swansea City
Catherine Zeta-Jones (imdb) The Phantom, Mask of Zorro, Entrapment, Chicago

League One

Crewe Alexandra
Michael Crawford (imdb) Phantom of the Opera

Huddersfield Town
Patrick Stewart (imdb) "Jean-Luc Picard" in Star Trek, "Professor Xavier" in X-Men

Millwall
Daniel Day Lewis (imdb) There Will be Blood, Gangs of New York, Last of the Mohicans

All-Time CONMEBOL Biggest Wins

These are the all-time largest blowout victories by each nation in CONMEBOL (South America).

Argentina 12-0 Ecuador
Montevideo, Uruguay; January 22, 1942

Bolivia 7-0 Venezuela
La Paz, Bolivia; August 22, 1993

Bolivia 9-2 Haiti
La Paz, Bolivia; March 5, 2000

Brazil 14-0 Nicaragua
Mexico City, Mexico; October 17, 1975

Chile 7-0 Venezuela
Santiago, Chile; August 29, 1979

Chile 7-0 Armenia
Viña del Mar, Chile; April 1, 1997

Colombia 5-0 Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina; September 5, 1993

Colombia 5-0 Uruguay
Barranquill, Colombia; June 6, 2004

Colombia 5 -0 Peru
Barranquilla, Colombia; June 4, 2005

Ecuador 6-0 Peru
Quito, Ecuador; June 22, 1975

Paraguay 7-0 Bolivia
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; April 30, 1949

Peru 9-1 Ecuador
Bogota, Colombia; August 11, 1938

Uruguay 9-0 Bolivia
Lima Peru; November 9, 1927

Venezuela 6-0 Puerto Rico
Barranquilla, Colombia; December 26, 1946

European Cup and Champions League Finalists Map

This map shows the locations of all the finalists in the European Cup and Champions League since 1955-56. Click view larger map for easier navigation options and a list of the finalist clubs with the years of their appearances.


View Larger Map

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Robinho Showboat Skills

First off, apologies for the lack of regular posts in recent days as the holiday weekend left me with little to no time the past few days.

So, here it is, another video. This recent clip from Soccer AM shows the tricky feet of C. Ronaldo and Robinho. Who has the better showboat skills?

Video: How Not to Do a Flip Throw-In

Here's a few examples of what happens when the flip throw-in doesn't quite work to plan.

The Dance Moves of Emmanuel Adebayor

Happy Thanksgiving to all of The Best Eleven's USA readers. I'm going to be basically taking today and possibly tomorrow off to spend time with the family and eat a bunch of good food. Here's some videos of Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor "Gettin Down" on the pitch to pass the time.

Egyptian Players in Europe

Here is a list of Egyptian players in Europe in 2008. When applicable, I've also included each player's prior association with the two big clubs in Egypt (Ahly or Zamalek).





Belgium (Second Division)
MF - Ahmed Samir - Lierse SK (Zamalek)
MF - Sherif El Baily - Lierse SK
DF - Mohamed Abdel Wahed - Lierse SK (Zamalek)
FW - Islam Shokry - Lierse SK

England
MF - Hossam Ghaly - Tottenham Hotspur (Al-Ahly)
DM - Mohamed Shawky - Middlesbrough (Al-Ahly)
ST - Mido - Middlesbrough (Zamalek)
ST - Amr Zaki - Wigan Athletic (Zamalek)
DM - Adam El-Abd - Brighton & Hove Albion
ST - Emad Meteb - will join Everton in Jan 08 (Al-Ahly)

France
DF - Ahmed Abou Moslem - RC Strasbourg (Al-Ahly)

Germany
ST - Mohamed Zidan - Borussia Dortmund

Netherlands
GK - Sherif Ekramy - Feyenoord Rotterdam (Al-Ahly)

Romania
ST - Tarek Amer - FC Gloria Buzău

Switzerland
GK - Essam El-Hadary - FC Sion (Al-Ahly)

Turkey
DF - Amir Azmy - Hacettepe Spor Kulübü (Zamalek)
DF - Abdel Zaher El-Saka - Gençlerbirliği

List of Soccer Club Nicknames in England

Arsenal - Gunners
Aston Villa - Villa, The Villans
Barnet - Bees
Barnsley - The Tykes
Birmingham City - Blues, Brummies
Blackburn Rovers - Rovers
Bolton Wanderers - Trotters
Bournmouth - Cherries
Bristol City - Robins
Bristol Rovers - The Pirates, The Gas
Bradford City - Bantams
Brentford - Bees
Bristol Rovers - Pirates
Burnley - Clarets
Burton Albion - Brewers
Charlton Athletic - Addicks
Chelsea - Blues, Chelski
Chester City - Blues
Chesterfield - The Spireites
Coventry City - The Sky Blues
Crewe Alexandra - The Railwaymen
Crystal Palace - Eagles
Dagenham & Redbridge - Daggers
Darlington - Quakers
Derby County - Rams
Doncaster Rovers - Rovers, The Vikings
Everton - Toffees
Fulham - Cottagers
Gillingham - The Gills
Grimsby Town - The Mariners
Hartelpool United - Monkey Hangers
Huddersfield Town - The Terriers
Hull City - The Tigers
Ipswich Town - Blues, The Tractor Boys
Leeds United - The Whites, The Peacocks
Leicester City - Foxes
Liverpool - The Reds
Luton Town - Hatters
Macclesfield Town - The Silkmen
Manchester City - Citizens, The Blues, City
Manchester United - Red Devils
Middlesbrough - Boro
Millwall - Lions
Milton Keynes Dons - Dons
Newcastle United - Magpies, The Toon
Northampton Town - Cobblers
Norwich City - Canaries
Nottingham Forest - Forest, The Reds
Notts County - Magpies
Oldham Athletic - Latics
Peterborough United - The Posh
Plymouth Argyle - Pilgrims
Portsmouth - Pompey
Preston North End - The Lilywhites, Northenders, PNE
Queens Park Rangers - Hoops, R's, QPR
Reading - Royals
Rochdale - Dale
Rotherham United - Millers
Scunthorpe United - The Iron
Sheffield United - Blades
Sheffield Wednesday - Owls
Shrewsbury Town - The Shrews, Salop
Stoke City - The Potters
Southampton - The Saints
Southend United - The Shrimpers
Sunderland - Black Cats
Swindon Town - Robins
Torquay United - Gulls
Tottenham Hotspur - Spurs
Tranmere Rovers - Super Whites, Rovers
Walsall - The Saddlers
Watford - Hornets
West Bromwich Albion - Baggies
West Ham United - Hammers
Wigan Athletic - Latics
Wolverhampton Wanderers - Wolves
Wycombe Wanderers - Chairboys
Yeovil Town - Glovers

Chad Marshall - The Headmaster

The Columbus Crew's Chad Marshall put in 6 goals this year including 2 important goals in the playoffs. Here's a video recap of all of the MLS defender of the year's goals from this season. Use your head Chad!

MLS Cup vs New York Red Bulls


Eastern Conference Championship vs Chicago Fire


September 27 vs New England Revolution


August 23 vs Real Salt Lake


July 17 vs KC Wizards


June 11 vs KC Wizards

Longest World Cup Absence since Last Appearance

This list consists of nations that have waited a long time to make their return to a FIFA World Cup since their previous appearance.

# of WC -- Nation -- Year of Last Appearance

15 - Cuba (1938)
15 - Indonesia (as Dutch East Indies: 1938)
12 - Wales (1958)
10 - Korea DPR (1966)
9 - Israel (1970)
8 - Congo DR (as Zaire: 1974)
8 - Haiti (1974)
6 - El Salvador (1982)
6 - Honduras (1982)
6 - Kuwait (1982)
6 - New Zealand (1982)
6 - Peru (1982)
5 - Algeria (1986)
5 - Canada (1986)
5 - Hungary (1986)
5 - Iraq (1986)
5 - Northern Ireland (1986)
4 - Egypt (1990)
4 - UAE (1990)


Which nations have the best chance to get themselves off this list in 2010? Honduras? New Zealand? Egypt?

EDIT: May 4, 2010
Algeria, Honduras, New Zealand, and Korea DPR can all remove themselves from this list, congrats to those nations for returning to the World Cup in 2010


Long Non-Appearance streaks that have been broken in the past 4 World Cups:
11 - Turkey (2002)
11 - Norway (1994)
10 - Bolivia (1994)
7 - Australia (2006)
6 - Switzerland (1994)
4 - Iran (1998)

MLS Lowest Paid Foreign Imports

Since I already had the information gathered from yesterday's Low-Paid Stats post, I thought I'd continue with the Major League Soccer's Lowest-Paid theme. These are all of the foreign players that somehow ended up in the US and Canada and decided to sign with the league for 'peanuts'. I've also included the last club the players played for prior to signing with MLS.

$12,900 annual salary

Stanley Nyazamba CLB - Zimbabwe (Richmond Kickers)
Roberto Nurse CHV - Mexico (Querétaro, Mexico)
Kevin Souter KC - Scotland (Des Moines Menace)
Guy-Roland Kpene HOU - Cote D'Ivoire (Brooklyn Knights)
Vardan Adzemian LA - Armenia (Ventura County Fusion)
Matthew Mbuta NY - Cameroon (Crystal Palace Baltimore)
Diego Jiménez NY - Mexico (UAG Tecos)
Sainey Touray NY - Gambia (Wallidan FC, Gambia)
Mikel Arce SJ - Spain (CD Lourdes, Spain)
Davide Somma SJ - South Africa (Olbia, Italy)
Killian Elkinson TFC - Bermuda (Upper Canada College)


$17,700 annual salary

Adam Moffat CLB - Scotland (Cleveland City Stars)
Ricardo Pierre-Louis CLB - Haiti (Cape Cod Crusaders)
Kosuke Kimura COL - Japan (Thunder Bay Chill)
Ibrahim Koroma DC - Sierra Leone (Kallon F.C., Sierra Leone)
Dan Stratford DC - England (Cape Cod Crusaders)
Kheli Dube NE - Zimbabwe (Michigan Bucks)
Danleigh Borman NY - South Africa (Rhode Island Stingrays)

MLS Lowest Paid Player Statistics in 2008

All of these stats are from Major League Soccer players that made either $12,900 or $17,700 in annual salary in the 2008 season.

At Least 1000 minutes
2396 - Nick LaBrocca (COL)
1438 - Kosuke Kimura (COL)
1252 - Kheli Dube (NE)
1219 - Justin Braun (CHV)
1093 - Jonathan Leathers (KC)
1036 - Brandon McDonald (LA)

At Least 10 appearances
30 - Nick LaBrocca (COL)
24 - Justin Braun (CHV)
21 - Kheli Dube (NE)
20 - Stephen King (CHI)
18 - Luke Sassano (NY)
18 - Kosuke Kimura (COL)
16 - Brandon McDonald (LA)
15 - Jonathan Leathers (KC)
12 - Ely Allen (LA)
11 - John DiRaimondo (COL)
11 - Jorge Flores (CHV)
11 - Mike Banner (CHI)
10 - Steven Lenhart (CLB)

Goals
4 - Steven Lenhart (CLB)
4 - Justin Braun (CHV)
4 - Kheli Dube (NE)
3 - Jorge Flores (CHV)
2 - Adam Moffat (CLB)
2 - Stephen King (CHI)
2 - Nick LaBrocca (COL)
2 - Danleigh Borman (NY)
1 - John DiRaimondo (COL)
1 - Daniel Woolard (CHI)
1 - Joe Vide (DC)
1 - Kevin Souter (KC)
1 - Danny Cepero (NY)
1 - Matthew Mbuta (NY)
1 - Brandon McDonald (LA)
1 - Ely Allen (LA)
1 - Bryan Jordan (LA)
1 - Tino Nunez (RSL)
1 - Tyler Rosenlund (TFC)

Assists
4 - Kheli Dube (NE)
2 - Justin Braun (CHV)
1 - Stephen King
1 - Kraig Chiles (CHV)
1 - Keith Savage (CHV)
1 - Ryan Cordeiro (DC)
1 - Diego Jimenez (NY)
1 - Brandon McDonald (LA)
1 - Josh Tudela (LA)
1 - Ely Allen (LA)
1 - Bryan Jordan (LA)

Total 'Low-Paid' Minutes by Team
5178 - Colorado Rapids
2843 - Chivas USA
2728 - Los Angeles Galaxy
2461 - New York Red Bulls
1990 - Kansas City Wizards
1907 - New England Revolution
1645 - DC United
1543 - Chicago Fire
1152 - Columbus Crew
704 - Toronto FC
425 - San Jose Earthquakes
263 - Real Salt Lake
58 - FC Dallas
0 - Houston Dynamo

Playoff Appearances
3 - Diego Jimenez (NY)
3 - Luke Sassano (NY)
3 - Danny Cepero (NY)
2 - Mike Banner (CHI)
2 - Stephen King (CHI)
2 - Justin Braun (CHV)
2 - Jonathan Leathers (KC)
2 - Kevin Souter (KC)
2 - Kheli Dube (NE)
1 - Bobby Burling (CHV)
1 - Roberto Nurse (CHV)
1 - Daniel Woolard (CHI)
1 - Steven Lenhart (CLB)
1 - Matt Marquess (KC)
1 - Chris Tierney (NE)

The Best Eleven's Top 5 Low Paid Legends of 2008

Nick LaBrocca ($12,900) - The young midfielder actually played more minutes than any other player on the Colorado Rapids this season (and almost 1000 minutes more than the high-paid Christian Gomez, who made $430,000 this season).

Kheli Dube ($17,700) - Dube filled in nicely during Twellman and Cristman's injury absences and beyond for New England, with 4 goals and 4 assists in just over 1200 minutes.

Justin Braun ($12,900) - Justin led Chivas USA in Shots on Goal this season and was second on the team with 4 goals.

Luke Sassano ($17,700) - Luke became a valuable player for New York this season, including the playoffs, where he filled in very well for the injured Seth Stammler in the Red Bull's huge upset of Houston. Not bad for a guy who was playing for the San Jose Frogs a year ago.

Steven Lenhart ($12,900) - I could have chosen Leathers, McDonald, Kimura, Flores or a few others for the last slot, but Lenhart made my list on how productive his limited minutes for the Crew were. He only played about 3 full games in combined minutes (278 min) and still managed to knock in 4 goals in the regular season. He also managed a very important second half stoppage-time goal against Kansas City in the playoffs with only 7 minutes of playing time.


Just for Fun, According to Forbe's.com, America's Worst-Paying Jobs: (with Mean Annual Salary)
Fast Food Cook: $15,230
Bus Boy: $15,560
Dishwashers: $15,670
Waiters $15,980
Shampooers: $16,200
Gaming Dealers: $16,210
Cafeteria Attendants: $16,290
Restaurant Host/Hostess: $16,310
Usher/Ticket Taker: $16,770
Cashiers: $17,200


Here's an interesting article that Ives Galarcep wrote for ESPN over a year ago about the sacrifices many of these low-paid players have to make to be professional soccer players. (Link)

Landon Donovan - Bayern Munich Video November 18

eyeP.tv released a new video of Landon Donovan practicing with Bayern Munich yesterday, and actually focused in on LD for a bit of the training.



Here is the Link:

Nov 18: Landon Donovan at Bayern Munich Video



Post with previous LD at BM videos

Asia All-Time Highest FIFA Ranking List

Here is a list of Asian nations ranked in order by their highest ever FIFA rankings.

Nations in Red have made a previous World Cup appearance



9 - Japan (Feb 98)
15 - Iran (Jul 05)
17 - South Korea (Dec 98)
21 - Saudi Arabia (Jul 04)
24 - Kuwait (Dec 98)
34 - *Australia* (Oct 08 since joining Asia, Highest Ever 31, Jul 97)
37 - China (Dec 98)
37 - Jordan (Aug 04)
39 - Iraq (Oct 04)
42 - UAE (Nov 98)
43 - Thailand (Sep 98)
44 - Bahrain (Sep 04)
45 - Uzbekistan
50 - Oman (Aug 04)
51 - Qatar (Aug 93)
57 - Korea DPR (Nov 93)
73 - Singapore (Aug 93)
75 - Malaysia (Aug 93)
76 - Indonesia (Sep 98)
78 - Syria (Aug 93)
84 - Vietnam (Sep 98)
85 - Lebanon (Dec 98)
86 - Turkmenistan (Aug 04)
90 - Hong Kong (Feb 96)
90 - Yemen (Aug 93)
94 - India (Feb 96)
97 - Myanmar (Apr 96)
110 - Bangladesh (Apr 96)
114 - Tajikistan (Jul 97)
115 - Palestine (Apr 06)
119 - Kyrgyzstan (Aug 06)
122 - Sri Lanka (Aug 98)
124 - Nepal (Dec 93, Feb 94)
126 - Maldives (Jul 06)
134 - Laos (Sep 98)
141 - Pakistan (Feb 94)
144 - Chinese Taipei (Aug 06)
145 - Brunei (Dec 92)
156 - Cambodia (Jul 98)
156 - Macau (Sep 97)
162 - Philippines (Dec 92, Nov 08)
173 - Afghanistan (Jul 06)
173 - Mongolia (Jul 07)
182 - Guam (Aug 96)
187 - Bhutan (Dec 03, Jan-Nov 04, Jul-Nov 06, Sep-Nov 08)
198 - Timor-Leste (Nov 06, Nov 08)



Nations that currently have their highest ranking: Philippines, Bhutan, Timor-Leste

*Australia became a member of Asia in 2006.

Foreign Born Players on UK and Ireland National Teams

Here are a few of the "foreign-born" players from recent times that have worn the shirts of Scotland, Wales, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and England. Some of the more interesting places of birth are Shaun Maloney (Malaysia), Boaz Myhill (USA), Maik Taylor (Germany), Tony Capaldi (Norway), and Owen Hargreaves and Alan Mannus (Canada).

As you can see, the list mostly consists of English born players playing for the other surrounding nations. Are any of these recent English "exports" good enough to play for England?


Scotland
James Morrison - England
Shaun Maloney - Malaysia
James McEveley - England
Graham Alexander - England
Graeme Murty - England
Steven Fletcher - England
Kris Commons - England

Wales
Boaz Myhill - USA
Lewis Price - England
Lewin Nyatanga - England
Sam Ricketts - England
Ashley Williams - England
Jack Collison - England
Andrew Crofts - England
David Edwards - England
Freddy Eastwood - England
Daniel Nardiello - England
Sam Vokes - England

Republic of Ireland
Dean Kiely - England
Keiren Westwood - England
Alex Bruce - England
Kevin Foley - England
Aiden McGeady - Scotland
Stephen McPhail - England
Darren Potter - England
Martin Rowlands - England
Sean Scannell - England
Kevin Kilbane - England
Andy O'Brien - England
Lee Carsley - England
Darron Gibson - Northern Ireland
Steven Reid - England

Northern Ireland
Maik Taylor - Germany
Alan Mannus - Canada
Martin Paterson - England
Tony Capaldi - Norway

England
Owen Hargreaves - Canada