Sunday, November 30, 2008

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?

Friday, November 28, 2008

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.





Thursday, November 27, 2008

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.



Wednesday, November 26, 2008

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

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

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

Monday, November 24, 2008

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

Sunday, November 23, 2008

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)

Saturday, November 22, 2008

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)

Friday, November 21, 2008

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)

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

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.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

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

Monday, November 17, 2008

The Best Soccer Movies Ever

Here's my list of the Best Soccer Movies Ever in no particular order.

ESPN Films 30 for 30: The Two Escobars (SE)
While rival drug cartels warred in the streets and the country's murder rate climbed to highest in the world, the Colombian national soccer team set out to blaze a new image for their country. What followed was a mysteriously rapid rise to glory, as the team catapulted out of decades of obscurity to become one of the best teams in the world. Central to this success were two men named Escobar: Andrés, the inspirational captain of the National Team, and Pablo, the infamous drug baron who pioneered the phenomenon known in the underworld as "Narco-soccer."

The Great Match
This film tells the adventurous story of three heroes, none of whom have ever met, but who nevertheless have two things in common: firstly, they all live in the farthest-flung corners of the planet and, secondly, they are all three determined to see on TV the final in Japan of the 2002 World Cup between Germany and Brazil.

Offside
Offside puts most of the action at a large soccer stadium in Tehran, Iran, where a group of young women--banned from the game on the sole basis of their sex--have been captured by stadium guards after sneaking inside.

Kicking It
In the summer of 2006, thousands of players around the globe were training hard to compete in the World Cup...The Homeless World Cup.

Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team
Documentary chronicling the rise of U.S. women's soccer. Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, and other players are profiled.

Goal! - The Dream Begins
The exploits of a young Mexican-American who gets a dream opportunity to try out at Newcastle United.

A Shot at Glory
Robert Duvall plays Gordon McCloud, the manager of a second tier Scottish soccer team.

Once in a Lifetime - The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos
The rise and fall of the N.Y. Cosmos against the backdrop of N.Y. City in the 70's.

Shaolin Soccer
A young Shaolin follower reunites with his discouraged brothers to form a soccer team using their martial art skills to their advantage

Victory
As allied POWs prepare for a soccer game against the German National Team to be played in Nazi-occupied Paris, the French Resistance and British officers are making plans for the team's escape. With Sylvester Stallone, Pele, Michael Caine, Bobby Moore, and others.

The Cup
While the soccer World Cup is being played in France, two young Tibetan refugees arrive at a monastery/boarding school in exile in India. Its atmosphere of serene contemplation is disrupted by soccer fever.

Green Street Hooligans
A wrongfully expelled Harvard undergrad (Elijah Wood) moves to London, where he is introduced to the violent underworld of football hooliganism.

The Miracle Match
Based on a true story, this film tells the tale of the 1950 US soccer team who, against all odds, beat England 1 - 0 in Brazil. The story is about the family traditions and passions which shaped the lives of the players who made up this team of underdogs.

Mean Machine
A funny Burt Reynolds, Longest Yard knockoff where a former soccer star is jailed for assault and leads a group of inmates in a match against prison guards.


Honorable Mention:
The Firm/Elephant
Bend It Like Beckham
Kicking and Screaming
Gracie


Feel free to contribute if I left out your favorite footy film.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

MLS Players Born in the former Soviet Union

While watching Dema Kovalenko and Yura Movsisyan in the Real Salt Lake game last night, I wondered how many other Soviet Union-born players have played in Major League Soccer's history (with at least one senior league appearance). Here is the list.




Armenia
Harut Karapetyan - Los Angeles, San Jose, Tampa Bay - 1996-2000
*Vardan Adzemian - Los Angeles 2008-

Azerbaijan
Yura Movsisyan - Kansas City, Salt Lake - 2006-

Belarus
Sasha Gotsmanov – Colorado – 2005

Russia
Igor Simutenkov – Kansas City – 2002-04
Sergei Raad – Kansas City – 2006
Rod Dyachenko – DC United – 2006-

Ukraine
Dema Kovalenko – Chicago, DC United, New York, Salt Lake – 1999-
Sergi Daniv – Dallas, Chicago – 1999-2002
Ihor Dotsenko – Kansas City – 2000
Yuri Lavrinenko – Chicago – 2000
Aleksey Korol – Dallas, Chicago – 2000-02


* Signed with LA Galaxy but yet to make a league appearance


Map from Theodara

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Oceania All-Time Fifa Ranking Order

Here is the all-time ranking order of the Oceania region using the highest position ever achieved in the FIFA rankings by each nation.



31 - *Australia* (July 1997)
47 -New Zealand (August 2002)
94 - Fiji (July 1994)
95 - New Caledonia (September 2008)
111 - Tahiti (August 2002)
127 - Solomon Islands (October 2007, April-May 2008)
131 - Vanuatu (October 2007)
146 - Samoa (December 2007 - January 2008)
160 - Papua New Guinea (June 2004)
163 - Tonga (October 1998)
169 - Cook Islands (July 2000)
192 - American Samoa (October 1998)

*Australia is now part of the Asian Football Confederation

Friday, November 14, 2008

Career Domestic Brazilians on World Cup Rosters



I was curious to know how many players on the last 10 Brazilian World Cup rosters have never played for a club outside of Brazil in their careers (before or after their WC selection). In recent times the answer is not many. Back in the Pele days there were quite a few more career Brazilian League players. Perhaps not surprisingly, there are 9 different Goalkeepers on the list, and in the last 6 World Cup rosters, 5 of the 7 career domestic players were in the GK position.


2006 World Cup
GK - Rogério Ceni - Sinop, São Paulo

2002 World Cup
GK - Marcos - Palmeiras

1998 World Cup
DF - Zé Carlos - São José, Nacional, São Caetano, Portuguesa, União São João, São Paulo, Juventude, Matonense, Ponte Preta, Grêmio, Joinville, Portuguesa

1994 World Cup
GK - Zetti - Toledo, Palmeiras, Londrina, Guarani, Palmeiras, São Paulo, Santos, Fluminense, Barbarense, Sport Recife

1990 World Cup
NONE

1986 World Cup
DF - Édson - Ponte Preta, Corinthians, Palmeiras, Guarani, Noroeste, Paysandu, Remo Para, Botafogo, São José do Rio Pardo

GK - Paulo Vitor - CEUB, Operario de Varzea Grand, Brasilia, Vila Nova-GO, Vitoria-ES, Fluminens, America-RJ, Coritibia, Sport Recife, Sao Jose, Gremio de Maringa, Remo Para, Paysandu, Volta Redonda

GK - Leão - Comercial-Ribeirao Preto, Palmeiras, Vasco da Gama, Gremio, Corinthians, Palmeiras, Sport Recife

1982 World Cup
GK - Valdir Peres - Garca, Associacao Atletica Ponte Preta, Sao Paulo, America, Guarani, Corinthian, Portuguesa de Desportos, AA Ponte Preta, Santa Cruz FC

DF - Leandro - Flamengo

MF - Paulo Isidoro - Atletico Mineiro, Gremio, Santos, Gurani, XV de Jau, Cruzeiro, Atletica Internacional (Limeira), Valeriodoce Esporte Clube

GK - Paulo Sérgio - Fluminense, CSA, Volta Redonda, Americano, Botafogo, Goias, Vasco da Gama, America-RJ

1978 World Cup
MF - Polozzi - Ponte Preta, Palmeiras, Botafogo, Bangu, Operario, Bandeirante

FW - Jorge Mendonça - Bangu, Nautico, Palmeiras, Vasco da Gama, Guarani, Ponte Preta, Cruzeiro, Rio Branco-ES, Colorado-PR, Paulista

MF - Chicão - XV de Piracicaba, Uniao Barbarense, Sao Bento, Ponte Preta, Sao Paulo, Atletico Mineiro, Santos, Londrina, Corinthians Presidente Prudente, Botafogo, Mogi Mirim, Goias, Lemense

1974 World Cup
GK - Leão - Comercial-Ribeirao Preto, Palmeiras, Vasco da Gama, Gremio, Corinthians, Sport Recife

DF - Zé Maria - Portuguesa, Corinthians, Internacional de Limeira

DF - Piazza - Renasença, Cruzeiro

FW - César Maluco - Flamengo, Palmeiras, Corinthians, Santos, Fluminense

DF - Marco Antônio - Portuguesa, Fluminense, Vasco da Gama, Bangu, Botafogo

MF - Carpegiani - Internacional, Flamengo

MF - Ademir da Guia - Palmeiras

GK - Valdir Peres - Garca, Ponte Preta, Sao Paulo, America, Guarani, Corinthians, Portuguesa, Santa Cruz

1970 World Cup
GK - Félix Miéli Venerando - Juventus (BR), Portuguesa, Nacional, Fluminense

MF - Gérson - Flamengo, Botafogo, Sao Paulo, Fluminense

MF - Tostão - America, Cruzeiro, Vasco da Gama

GK - Ado - Londrina, Corinthians, America, At-Mineiro, Portuguesa, Velo Clube, Fortaleza, Ferroviario, Bragantino

FW - Roberto - Botafogo, Flamengo, Corinthians, America

DF - Baldocchi - Batatais, Botafogo, Palmeiras, Corinthians, Fortaleza

DF - José de Anchieta Fontana - Vitoria, Rio Branco, Vasco da Gama, Cruzeiro

DF - Everaldo - Juventude, Gremio

FW - Dario - Campo Grande, Atletico-MG, Flamengo, Sport, Internacional, Ponte Preta

DF - Zé Maria - Portuguesa, Corinthians, Internacional de Limeira

GK - Leão - Comercial-Ribeirao Preto, Palmeiras, Vasco da Gama, Gremio, Corinthians, Sport Recife

DF - Piazza - Renasença, Cruzeiro

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Landon Donovan - Bayern Munich Practice Video


I was reading about Landon Donovan at Bayern Munich on Soccer By Ives this morning and in the comments there were a couple of excellent links to High Quality (and long) videos of LD practicing with Toni, Ribery, and company. I thought I'd share the links here since I found them quite entertaining.

Link 1
Link 2

Good find Jamie Z. (SBI commenter)

2008 Asian Champions League Stats

Picture from Telegraph


The Asian Champions League came to an end recently with Japan's Gamba Osaka coming out on top having defeated Australia's Adelaide United 5-0 on aggregate in the final. The win marks the second year running that a J-League side has won the competition after Urawa Red Diamonds won last years tournament. Here are a few statistics from this years ACL.

Official Asian Champions League Page

2008 Winner:
Gamba Osaka (Japan)

Attendance Low: 100
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (Iraq) v Al Wasl (UAE)
Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium, Kuwait City

Attendance High: 53,287
Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) v Gamba Osaka (Japan)
Saitama Stadium, Saitama, Japan

Most Goals for one team in a Single Game: 9
Krung Thai Bank (Thailand) 1-9 Kashima Antlers (Japan)
Krung Thai Bank (Thailand) 9-1 Nam Dinh (Vietnam)

Highest Overall Team Goals Scored Total
29 - Kashima Antlers (Japan)

Lowest Overall Team Goals Scored Total
3 - Al-Gharafa (Qatar)

Total Group Stage Goals For by Clubs from:
42- Japan
27 - Thailand
24 - China
21 - Uzbekistan
19 - Australia
14 - South Korea
12 - Iran
12 - Kuwait
11 - Saudi Arabia
11 - UAE
09 - Iraq
09 - Qatar
08 - Vietnam

Total Group Stage Goals Against by Clubs from:
08 - Uzbekistan
11 - Iran
11 - Japan
12 - China
12 - Saudi Arabia
13 - Australia
13 - Iraq
13 - Kuwait
14 - UAE
16 - Qatar
17 - South Korea
37 - Thailand
44 - Vietnam


Leading Scorers

Goals - Player - Club - Nationality
9 - Nattawat Thansopa (Krung Thai Bank, Thailand)
6 - Lucas (Gamba Osaka, Brazil)
5 - Marquinhos (Kashima Antlers, Brazil)
5 - Masato Yamazaki (Gamba Osaka, Japan)
5 - Kassim Kone (Krung Thai Bank, Cote d'Ivoire)
5 - Yuso Tashiro (Kashima Antlers, Japan)
5 - Danilo (Kashima Antlers, Brazil)

Note:
Diego Walsh, the former Columbus Crew, KC Wizards, Real Salt Lake, and Miami FC player knocked in 4 Asian Champions League goals from a central midfield position for beaten Australian finalists, Adelaide United.


Tournament Hat Tricks
Player - Nationality
Nantawat Thansopa (Thailand) - Krung Thai Bank (Thailand) vs Beijing Guouan (China)
Kassim Kone (Cote D'Ivoire) - Krung Thai Bank (Thailand) vs Nam Dinh (Vietnam)
Tiago (Brazil) - Beijing Guouan (China) vs Krung Thai Bank (Thailand)
José Luis Villanueva (Chile) - FC Bunyodkor (Uzbekistan) vs Saipa FC (Iran)
Luay Salah (Iraq) - Arbil FC (Iraq) vs Al Qadisiya Kuwait (Kuwait)
Marquinhos (Brazil) - Kashima Antlers (Japan) vs Krung Thai Bank (Thailand)

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

CONMEBOL All-Time FIFA Ranking Order

This is the rank order of all the nations in South America based on their all-time highest FIFA ranking.

Rank - Nation - Time of Rank

1 - Argentina (March 2007, Jan-June 2008)

1 - Brazil (Sep 93, Apr-Aug 94, Feb-Aug 95, Jan-Aug 96, Feb-Aug 97, Feb-Aug 98, Jan-Aug 99, Jan-Aug 00, Jan-Aug 01, July-Aug 02, Jan-Aug 03, Jan-Aug 04, Jan-Aug 05, Jan-Aug 06, Jan-Aug 07

4 - Colombia (December 1996, Apr-May 2002)

6 - Chile (April 1998)

8 - Paraguay (March 2001)

14 - Uruguay (May 1994, Jul-Aug 2006)

18 - Bolivia (July 1997)

24 - Ecuador (March 2007)

34 - Peru (September 1997)

48 - Venezuela (April 2004)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Journeymen: Lutz Pfannenstiel

I would guess that most average soccer fans have never heard of the player Lutz Pfannenstiel. The German goalkeeper is not really known for the impact he's made on the field, but rather for his journeymen ways throughout his long career. Lutz has played professionally on 6 continents with 23 different clubs in the countries of Germany, Malaysia, England, Belgium, Malta, Singapore, South Africa, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Canada, Albania, and Brazil.

Interestingly, Lutz has only made more than 20 appearances for 5 of the 23 clubs he's played for and in 17 years, has never been with a single club for more than two years in a row.

Do you think his arms are getting tired from doing this so many times?


After I finished the map and began to research a bio, I ran into a nice article on The Bleacher Report that chronicles Pfannenstiel's interesting career. From match fixing with the Asian mafia in Singapore to a "stopped-breathing" incident in England, Lutz has definitely led an interesting life.

There's also an interesting interview with Lutz on the site Prost Amerika, where among other things, he talks about the standard of the USL (he spent time with Vancouver and Calgary) and his favorite countries that he's played in.


The map icons are placed at each home stadium that Lutz played at in his long career. Click view larger map for better navigation options and more information.


View Larger Map




Here's some video of Lutz in action:

Monday, November 10, 2008

08/09 African Players in the Premiership

By Club

Arsenal
Kolo Touré - Cote d'Ivoire
Emmanuel Eboué - Cote d'Ivoire
Alexandre Song - Cameroon
Emmanuel Adebayor - Togo

Aston Villa
Moustapha Salifou - Togo

Blackburn Rovers
Christopher Samba - Republic of the Congo
Benni McCarthy - South Africa
Aaron Mokoena - South Africa

Bolton Wanderers
Danny Shittu - Nigeria

Chelsea
Michael Essien - Ghana
John Obi Mikel - Nigeria
Salomon Kalou - Cote d'Ivoire
Didier Drogba - Cote d'Ivoire

Everton
Joseph Yobo - Nigeria
Yakubu Aiyegbeni - Nigeria
Victor Anichebe - Nigeria
Steven Pienaar - South Africa

Fulham
John Paintsil - Ghana
Diomansy Kamara - Senegal
Dickson Etuhu - Nigeria

Hull City
Kamil Zayate - Guinea
Daniel Cousin - Gabon

Liverpool
Nabil El Zhar - Morocco

Manchester City
Benjani Mwaruwari - Zimbabwe
Kelvin Etuhu - Nigeria

Manchester United
Manucho - Angola

Middlesbrough
Mido - Egypt
Mohamed Shawky - Egypt

Newcastle United
Obafemi Martins - Nigeria
Geremi - Cameroon
Habib Beye - Senegal
Kazenga LuaLua - DR Congo

Portsmouth
Lauren - Cameroon
Papa Bouba Diop - Senegal
John Utaka - Nigeria
Nwankwo Kanu - Nigeria
Djimi Traoré - Mali
Nadir Belhadj - Algeria

Stoke City
Seyi Olofinjana - Nigeria
Mamady Sidibe - Mali
Vincent Péricard - Cameroon
Salif Diao - Senegal
Amdy Faye - Senegal
Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye - Senegal
Ibrahimo Sonko - Senegal

Sunderland
El-Hadji Diouf - Senegal

Tottenham Hotspur
Didier Zokora - Cote d'Ivoire
Hossam Ghaly - Egypt
Benoît Assou-Ekotto - Cameroon

West Bromwich Albion
Pelé - Cape Verde
Abdoulaye Méïté - Cote d'Ivoire

West Ham United
Hérita Ilunga - DR Congo

Wigan Athletic
Amr Zaki - Egypt
Richard Kingson - Ghana
Henri Camara - Senegal


By Nation

Angola (1)
Manucho

Cape Verde (1)
Pelé

Cameroon (5)
Alexandre Song, Geremi, Lauren, Vincent Péricard, Benoît Assou-Ekotto

Cote d'Ivore (6)
Kolo Touré, Emmanuel Eboué, Salomon Kalou, Didier Zokora, Abdoulaye Méïté, Didier Drogba

Democratic Republic of Congo (2)
Kazenga LuaLua, Hérita Ilunga

Egypt (4)
Mido, Mohamed Shawky, Hossam Ghaly, Amr Zaki

Gabon (1)
Daniel Cousin

Ghana (3)
Michael Essien, John Paintsil, Richard Kingson

Guinea (1)
Kamil Zayata

Mali (1)
Mamady Sidibe

Morocco (1)
Nabil El Zhar

Nigeria (11)
Danny Shittu, John Obi Mikel, Joseph Yobo, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Victor Anichebe, Dickson Etuhu, Kelvin Etuhu, Obafemi Martins, John Utaka, Nwankwo Kanu, Seyi Olofinjna

Republic of the Congo (1)
Christopher Samba

Senegal (9)
Diomansy Kamara, Habib Beye, Papa Bouba Diop, Salif Diao, Amdy Faye, Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye, Ibrahimo Sonko, El-Hadji Diouf, Henri Camara

South Africa (3)
Benni McCarthy, Aaron Mokoena, Steven Pienaar

Togo (2)
Emmanuel Adebayor, Moustapha Salifou

Zimbabwe (1)
Benjani Mwaruwari

Sunday, November 9, 2008

MLS All-Time 15 Regular Season Goals or Assists

These are all of the players in the history of Major League Soccer that have notched at least 15 goals or assists in a single regular season.

2008
Goals
20 - Landon Donovan (LA)
18 - Kenny Cooper (DAL)
15 - Edson Buddle (CLB)

Assists
19 - Guillermo Barros Schelotto (CLB)
15 - Javier Morales (RSL)

2007
Goals
20 - Luciano Emilio (DC)
19 - Juan Pablo Angel (NY)
16 - Taylor Twellman (NE)
15 - Eddie Johnson (KC)

Assists
NONE

2006
Goals
16 - Jeff Cunningham (RSL)

Assists
NONE

2005
Goals
17 - Taylor Twellman (NE)
16 - Jaime Moreno (DC)

Assists
NONE

2004
Goals
NONE

Assists
NONE

2003
Goals
15 - Carlos Ruiz (LA)
15 - Taylor Twellman (NE)

Assists
17 - Preki (KC)

2002
Goals
24 - Carlos Ruiz (LA)
23 - Taylor Twellman (NE)
16 - Jeff Cunningham (CLB)

Assists
19 - Steve Ralston (NE)
16 - Carlos Valderrama (COL)
15 - Andy Williams (NY)

2001
Goals
19 - Alex Pineda Chicon (MIA)
15 - Diego Serna (MIA)

Assists
15 - Diego Serna (MIA)
15 - John Wilmar Perez (CLB)

2000
Goals
26 - Mamadou Diallo (TB)
18 - Ante Razov (CHI)
16 - Clint Mathis (NY)
16 - Diego Serna (MIA)
16 - Adolfo Valencia (NY)
15 - Ariel Graziani (DAL)
15 - Dante Washington (CLB)
15 - Wolde Harris (NE)

Assists
26 - Carlos Valderrama (TB)
17 - Steve Ralston (TB)
16 - Martin Machon (MIA)
15 - Preki (KC)

1999
Goals
18 - Stern John (CLB)
18 - Roy Lassiter (DC)
18 - Jason Kreis (DAL)
15 - Joe-Max Moore (NE)
15 - Ronald Cerritos (SJ)

Assists
18 - Steve Ralston (TB)
17 - Marco Etcheverry (DC)
17 - Mauricio Cienfuegos (LA)
15 - Carlos Valderrama (TB)
15 - Jason Kreis (DAL)

1998
Goals
26 - Stern John (CLB)
19 - Cobi Jones (LA)
18 - Roy Lassiter (DC)
18 - Raul Diaz Arce (NE)
17 - Welton (LA)
16 - Jaime Moreno (DC)

Assists
19 - Marco Etcheverry (DC)
16 - Mauricio Cienfuegos (LA)
15 - Joe-Max Moore (NE)
15 - Eduardo Hurtado (NY)

1997
Goals
16 - Jaime Moreno (DC)
15 - Raul Diaz Arce (DC)

Assists
19 - Carlos Valderrama (TB)
17 - Preki (KC)

1996
Goals
27 - Roy Lassiter (TB)
23 - Raul Diaz Arce (DC)
21 - Eduardo Hurtado (LA)
18 - Preki (KC)
17 - Brian McBride (CLB)

Assists
19 - Marco Etcheverry (DC)
17 - Carlos Valderrama (TB)


Players who've had both 15 goals and assists in a season at some point in their MLS Career:
Eduardo Hurtado (LA,NY), Preki (KC), Jaime Moreno (DC), Diego Serna (MIA, Same Season), Jason Kreis (DAL, Same Season)

Friday, November 7, 2008

Standard Liege Player Gets His Head Stuck

Here is an interesting video with Oguchi Onyewu's Standard Liege teammates, Dieumerci Mbokani and Steven Defour, getting into a predicament on a roller coaster ride.



Spotted at [Off The Post]

Geographical Extremes in European Football

I found an interesting document over at RSSSF (Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation) that I thought I'd share today (with all credit to the original author Sondre Zachiarassen and RSSSF).

They've put together a listing of Geographical Extremes in Europe in First Level leagues and European Cups. The list includes the northernmost, southernmost, easternmost and westernmost clubs to participate in and to win European cups and first level competitions.


First Level - Participation
North: Tromsø IL, Norway
South: UD Las Palmas, Spain
East: Okean Nakhodka, Russia
West: CD Santa Clara, Portugal

First Level - Winner
North: KA Akureyri, Iceland
South: Hapoel Beer Sheva, Israel
East: Yelimay Semey, Kazakhstan
West: IB Keflavík, Iceland

European Cup - Participation
North: Tromsø IL, Norway
South: UD Las Palmas, Spain
East: Irtysh Pavlodar, Kazakhstan
West: IB Keflavík, Iceland

European Cup - Winners
North: IFK Göteborg, Sweden
South: SL Benfica, Portugal
East: Dinamo Tbilisi, Georgia
West: SL Benfica, Portugal

Thursday, November 6, 2008

2008 MLS In-Depth Goal Stats

Forwards who played at least 500 minutes with 0 goals:
529 minutes - Andy Herron
581 minutes - Oscar Echeverry
590 minutes - Clint Mathis (M-F)
726 minutes - John Wolyniec

Players who Played at least 2500 minutes with 0 goals:
2700 - Jay Heaps
2610 - Nat Borchers
2589 - Chris Wingert
2520 - Michael Parkhurst
2514 - Bakary Soumare

Players who played less than 1000 minutes with at least 5 goals:
642 minutes - Fabian Espindola (5)
656 minutes - Alecko Eskandarian (5)
932 minutes - Brian Mcbride (5)
992 minutes - Dominic Oduro (5)

Players with less than 180 minutes who scored a Goal:
86 - Matthew Mbuta (1)
128 - Jason Garey (3)
128 - Dejiar (1)
135 - Quavas Kirk (1)
159 - Patrick Nyarko (1)

Midfielder Goal Leaders (min. 5)
8 - Steve Ralston
7 - Cuauhtemoc Blanco
7 - Dwayne De Rosario
7 - Dave van den Bergh
7 - Davy Arnaud (M-F)
6 - Robbie Rogers
6 - Javier Morales
6 - Darren Huckerby
5 - John Thorrington
5 - Sacha Kljestan
5 - Colin Clark
5 - Santino Quaranta
5 - David Beckham

Defender Goal Leaders (min. 2)
6 - Jimmy Conrad
4 - Chad Marshall
2 - Gonzalo Segares
2 - Jonathan Bornstein
2 - Mike Petke
2 - Drew Moor
2 - Michael Harrington
2 - Kevin Goldthwaite
2 - Jamison Olave
2 - Ryan Cochrane
2 - Marco Velez
2 - Marvell Wynne

Game Winning Goal Leaders
4 - Juan Pablo Angel
4 - Chad Barrett
4 - Kenny Cooper
4 - Luciano Emilio
4 - Steve Ralston

Multi-Goal Games
6 - Landon Donovan
4 - Kenny Cooper
2 - Juan Pablo Angel
2 - Chad Barrett
2 - Edson Buddle
2 - Conor Casey
2 - Brian Ching
2 - Luciano Emilio
2 - Rohan Ricketts
2 - Robbie Rogers
2 - Chris Rolfe

Consecutive Games with Goals
6 - Luciano Emilio
4 - Conor Casey
4 - Edson Buddle
4 - Landon Donovan

Team Most Goals in Time Intervals

1-15
8 - FC Dallas, Chicago Fire

16-30
13 - Houston Dynamo

31-45
15 - Columbus Crew

46-60
9 - Chicago Fire, DC United, Real Salt Lake

61-75
12 - Columbus Crew, Colorado Rapids

76-90
15 - Los Angeles Galaxy

Team Goals Scored per game Average
1.83 - Los Angeles Galaxy
1.67 - Columbus Crew
1.50 - FC Dallas
1.50 - Houston Dynamo
1.47 - Chicago Fire
1.47 - Colorado Rapids
1.43 - DC United
1.40 - New York Red Bulls
1.33 - Chivas USA
1.33 - New England Revolution
1.33 - Real Salt Lake
1.23 - Kansas City Wizards
1.13 - Toronto FC
1.07 - San Jose Earthquakes

Most Home Goals Scored
35 - Los Angeles Galaxy
Most Away Goals Scored
22 - FC Dallas, Colorado Rapids
Most First-Half Goals Scored
28 - Houston Dynamo
Most Second-Half Goals Scored
29 - Los Angeles Galaxy

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

FIFA 09 Advanced Skills Tutorial Videos



Here are a couple of videos from youtube that show you how to do some advanced moves in the FIFA 09 video game. If you want to impress your friends, learn a few of these moves and go to town.

XBOX 360


PS3

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Funny Soccer AM Clips



I'll be short on time for the next couple of days so I will probably be taking the easy way out and posting some videos. Here are a couple of fun clips from Soccer AM, a British Saturday-morning football show. I laughed out loud at the Chris Kamara announcing clip near the end of the first video. Funny stuff.



Monday, November 3, 2008

08/09 Premiership Tallest and Shortest Players

These are the tallest and shortest players playing in the premiership this season. I put the list together from the official premier league site, but upon double checking with the official club sites found many of the heights to be different. In the end I used the heights listed at the individual club pages when there was a discrepancy.



Conversion
2.01m = 6ft7in
1.65m = 5ft5in


Tallest
2.01m -- Peter Crouch - Portsmouth
1.98m -- Zat Knight - Aston Villa
1.97m -- Pascal Zuberbuhler - Fulham
1.96m -- Marton Fulop - Sunderland
1.96m -- Petr Cech - Chelsea
1.96m -- Matt Duke - Hull City
1.96m -- Anthony Gardner - Hull City
1.96m -- Kanu - Portsmouth
1.96m -- Carlo Nash - Everton
1.96m -- Thomas Sorensen - Stoke City
1.96m -- Stuart Taylor - Aston Villa
1.96m -- David Wheater - Middlesbrough

Shortest
1.65m -- Aaron Lennon - Tottenham
1.66m -- Shaun Wright-Phillips - Manchester City
1.68m -- Miroslav Stoch - Chelsea
1.69m -- Carlos Tevez - Manchester United
1.69m -- Jermain Defoe - Portsmouth
1.69m -- David Di Michele - West Ham United



Peter Crouch is listed at 1.98m at the official premier league site, but at every other site I checked, included Portsmouth FC's site, he is listed at 2.01m.



Shortest Players in the World
Tallest Players in the World

Sunday, November 2, 2008

2008 MLS Goal Breakdown by Nation of Birth

Here are the foreign goal scoring totals from the 2008 MLS regular season broken down by the player's nation of birth.



35 - Argentina (Erpen, Gomez, Schelotto, Gallardo, Peralta, Lopez, Espindola, Morales, Caraccio)
24 - England (Cooke, Iro, Beckham, Cunliffe, Huckerby, Dichio, Ricketts)
22 - Brazil (Dejair, Nagamura, Fred, Emilio, Guarda, Rocha, Saragosa, Pires)
22 - Jamaica (Cummings, Cunningham, Richards, Johnson)
21 - Colombia (Conde, Martinez, Trujillo, Angel, Olave, Toja)
14 - Scotland (McManus, Moffat, Holden, Souter, Deuchar)
12 - Canada (Brennan, De Rosario, Johnson, Williams, Rosenlund)
10 - Bolivia (J Moreno)
9 - Venezuela (A Moreno)
8 - Netherlands (Sikora, Van den Bergh)
8 - South Africa (Thorrington, Khumalo, Borman)
7 - USSR (Movsisyan)
7 - Mexico (Blanco)
6 - Ghana (Nyarko, Oduro)
6 - Trinidad and Tobago (Sealy, James)
5 - Gambia (Nyassi, Mansally)
5 - Honduras (Guerrero, Espinoza, Guevara)
4 - Republic of Ireland (O'Brien)
4 - Sierra Leone (Kamara)
4 - Zimbabwe (Dube)
3 - St Kitts and Nevis (Harris)
2 - Bermuda (Smith)
2 - Costa Rica (Segares)
2 - Ethiopia (Ibrahim)
2 - Liberia (Doe)
2 - Nigeria (Ekpo)
2 - Poland (Frankowski)
2 - Puerto Rico (Velez)
1 - Bosnia and Herzegovina (Ubiparipovic)
1 - Cameroon (Mbuta)
1 - Cuba (Galindo)
1 - France (Robert)
1 - Grenada (Joseph)
1 - Guatemala (Ruiz)
1 - Morocco (Ballouchy)
1 - New Zealand (Smith)
1 - Senegal (Kandji)
1 - Ukraine (Kovalenko)
1 - Wales (Robinson)


American-Born goal breakdown by state