The hometowns of the 23 players on the USA World Cup squad (from the hometowns listed at ussoccer.com)
View USA 2010 World Cup Team Hometown Map in a larger map
Monday, May 31, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Final FIFA Rankings of World Cup 2010 Teams
The final FIFA rankings before the 2010 World Cup begins came out yesterday. This is a list of the national team rankings by group and the average FIFA ranking of each group. It'll be interesting to see how close the rankings come to predicting the final group positions.
GROUP A - 31.25
9 - France
16 - Uruguay
17 - Mexico
83 - South Africa
GROUP B - 22.00
7 - Argentina
13 - Greece
21 - Nigeria
47 - Korea Republic
GROUP C - 19.25
8 - England
14 - United States
25 - Slovenia
30 - Algeria
GROUP D - 18.25
6 - Germany
15 - Serbia
20 - Australia
32 - Ghana
GROUP E - 26.00
4 - Netherlands
19 - Cameroon
36 - Denmark
45 - Japan
GROUP F - 37.00
5 - Italy
31 - Paraguay
34 - Slovakia
78 - New Zealand
GROUP G - 34.00
1 - Brazil
3 - Portugal
27 - Cote d'Ivoire
105 - Korea DPR
GROUP H - 20.50
2 - Spain
18 - Chile
24 - Switzerland
38 - Honduras
GROUP A - 31.25
9 - France
16 - Uruguay
17 - Mexico
83 - South Africa
GROUP B - 22.00
7 - Argentina
13 - Greece
21 - Nigeria
47 - Korea Republic
GROUP C - 19.25
8 - England
14 - United States
25 - Slovenia
30 - Algeria
GROUP D - 18.25
6 - Germany
15 - Serbia
20 - Australia
32 - Ghana
GROUP E - 26.00
4 - Netherlands
19 - Cameroon
36 - Denmark
45 - Japan
GROUP F - 37.00
5 - Italy
31 - Paraguay
34 - Slovakia
78 - New Zealand
GROUP G - 34.00
1 - Brazil
3 - Portugal
27 - Cote d'Ivoire
105 - Korea DPR
GROUP H - 20.50
2 - Spain
18 - Chile
24 - Switzerland
38 - Honduras
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Videos: Nations with One World Cup Goal All-Time
Israel (goal at 2:28) v Sweden 1970 (Mordechai Spiegler)
El Salvador (goal at 1:40) v Hungary 1982 (Luis Ramírez Zapata)
Iraq v Belgium 1986 (Ahmed Radhi)
Bolivia (goal at 2:00) v Spain 1994 (Erwin Sanchez)
Togo v South Korea 2006 (Mohamed Kader Touré)
Angola (goal at 1:55) v Iran 2006 (Flavio)
El Salvador (goal at 1:40) v Hungary 1982 (Luis Ramírez Zapata)
Iraq v Belgium 1986 (Ahmed Radhi)
Bolivia (goal at 2:00) v Spain 1994 (Erwin Sanchez)
Togo v South Korea 2006 (Mohamed Kader Touré)
Angola (goal at 1:55) v Iran 2006 (Flavio)
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Look-Alikes: TV's "Lost" with MLS and WPS Players
Note: This was originally posted on 4/24/09.
It's been a while since the last Look-Alike Post so I thought I'd get back to it with the TV show Lost as the theme this time around. I used past and present players from Major League Soccer and also from the Women's Professional Soccer league for the female characters.
Dwayne De Rosario (TOR) as Sayid
Brad Davis (HOU) as Benjamin Linus
Nico Hernandez (ex-COL) as Sawyer
Hong Myung-Bo (ex-LAG) as Jin
Kyle Martino (ex-CLB and LAG) as Jack Shephard
Lisa Stoia (St.L) as Kate Austen
Matt Reis (NE) as John Locke
Clyde Simms (DC) as Michael Dawson
Sigi Schmid (SEA Head Coach) as Others "Tom"
Duncan Oughton (CLB) as Desmond
Natalie Spilger (CHI) as Charlotte
Jack Jewsbury (KC) as Martin Keamy
Johanna Frisk (LA) as Claire
Stefani Miglioranzi (PHI) as 'Young' Charles Widmore
Matt Reis (NE) as Hurley's Imaginary Friend 'Dave'
Thanks to commenter
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Bonus: Hurley - Diego Maradona
If you have MLS/WPS look-alike ideas for any of the other Lost characters that I couldn't find a suitable body double for (Mr. Eko, Faraday, Juliet, Boone, Charlie, Richard Alpert, etc...), let me know and I'll add them into the post.
Lost Soccer Notes:
The real name of the actor that plays Christian Shephard (Jack's Father) on the show is John Terry.
Rodrigo Santoro, who played Paolo on the show, participated in the UK's Soccer Aid which raised money for Unicef. He played alongside legends such as Alan Shearer and Luis Figo at Wembley Stadium.
"We dated for 6 years and the closest you ever came to a religious experience was Celtic winning the cup." said by Ruth to Desmond Hume
Young Mr Eko with a soccer ball
It's been a while since the last Look-Alike Post so I thought I'd get back to it with the TV show Lost as the theme this time around. I used past and present players from Major League Soccer and also from the Women's Professional Soccer league for the female characters.
Dwayne De Rosario (TOR) as Sayid
Brad Davis (HOU) as Benjamin Linus
Nico Hernandez (ex-COL) as Sawyer
Hong Myung-Bo (ex-LAG) as Jin
Kyle Martino (ex-CLB and LAG) as Jack Shephard
Lisa Stoia (St.L) as Kate Austen
Matt Reis (NE) as John Locke
Clyde Simms (DC) as Michael Dawson
Sigi Schmid (SEA Head Coach) as Others "Tom"
Duncan Oughton (CLB) as Desmond
Natalie Spilger (CHI) as Charlotte
Jack Jewsbury (KC) as Martin Keamy
Johanna Frisk (LA) as Claire
Stefani Miglioranzi (PHI) as 'Young' Charles Widmore
Matt Reis (NE) as Hurley's Imaginary Friend 'Dave'
Thanks to commenter
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bonus: Hurley - Diego Maradona
If you have MLS/WPS look-alike ideas for any of the other Lost characters that I couldn't find a suitable body double for (Mr. Eko, Faraday, Juliet, Boone, Charlie, Richard Alpert, etc...), let me know and I'll add them into the post.
Lost Soccer Notes:
The real name of the actor that plays Christian Shephard (Jack's Father) on the show is John Terry.
Rodrigo Santoro, who played Paolo on the show, participated in the UK's Soccer Aid which raised money for Unicef. He played alongside legends such as Alan Shearer and Luis Figo at Wembley Stadium.
"We dated for 6 years and the closest you ever came to a religious experience was Celtic winning the cup." said by Ruth to Desmond Hume
Young Mr Eko with a soccer ball
Monday, May 24, 2010
African Players in MLS (2010)
A list of African born players in Major League Soccer (2010)
CHICAGO FIRE
Patrick Nyarko (Ghana)
John Thorrington* (South Africa)
CHIVAS USA
NONE
COLOMBUS CREW
Emmanuel Ekpo (Nigeria)
COLORADO RAPIDS
Mehdi Ballouchy (Morocco)
DC UNITED
Thabiso Khumalo (South Africa)
FC DALLAS
Ugo Ihemelu* (Nigeria)
HOUSTON DYNAMO
Dominic Oduro (Ghana)
Samuel Appiah (Ghana)
Joseph Ngwenya (Zimbabwe)
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
Kei Kamara (Sierra Leone)
Birahim Diop (Senegal)
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
NONE
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
Emmanuel Osei (Ghana)
Joseph Niouky (Senegal)
Kenny Mansally (The Gambia)
Sainey Nyassi (The Gambia)
Kheli Dube (Zimbabwe)
NEW YORK RED BULLS
Tony Tchani (Cameroon)
Salou Ibrahim (Ghana)
Macoumba Kandji (Senegal)
Bouna Coundoul (Senegal)
Danleigh Borman (South Africa)
PHILADELPHIA UNION
Danny Mwanga (DR Congo)
REAL SALT LAKE
Alex Nimo (Liberia) Currently on loan with the Portland Timbers
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
Omar Jasseh (The Gambia)
SEATTLE SOUNDERS
Steve Zakuani (DR Congo)
Sanna Nyassi (The Gambia)
TORONTO FC
Nane Joseph (Cameroon)
Fuad Ibrahim* (Ethiopia)
Gabe Gala* (Nigeria)
Amadou Sanyang (The Gambia)
Emmanuel Gomez (The Gambia)
6 - The Gambia
5 - Ghana
4 - Senegal
3 - Nigeria
3 - South Africa
2 - Cameroon
2 - DR Congo
2 - Zimbabwe
1 - Ethiopia
1 - Liberia
1 - Morocco
1 - Sierra Leone
Notes:
*John Thorrington (Chicago Fire) was born in South Africa but has played with the USA National Team
*Ugo Ihemelu (FC Dallas) was born in Nigeria but has played with the USA National Team
*Fuad Ibrahim (Toronto FC) was born in Ethiopia but has played for the USA at U17 and U20 levels
*Gabe Gala (Toronto FC) was born in Nigeria but has played for the Canada U20 team.
CHICAGO FIRE
Patrick Nyarko (Ghana)
John Thorrington* (South Africa)
CHIVAS USA
NONE
COLOMBUS CREW
Emmanuel Ekpo (Nigeria)
COLORADO RAPIDS
Mehdi Ballouchy (Morocco)
DC UNITED
Thabiso Khumalo (South Africa)
FC DALLAS
Ugo Ihemelu* (Nigeria)
HOUSTON DYNAMO
Dominic Oduro (Ghana)
Samuel Appiah (Ghana)
Joseph Ngwenya (Zimbabwe)
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
Kei Kamara (Sierra Leone)
Birahim Diop (Senegal)
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
NONE
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
Emmanuel Osei (Ghana)
Joseph Niouky (Senegal)
Kenny Mansally (The Gambia)
Sainey Nyassi (The Gambia)
Kheli Dube (Zimbabwe)
NEW YORK RED BULLS
Tony Tchani (Cameroon)
Salou Ibrahim (Ghana)
Macoumba Kandji (Senegal)
Bouna Coundoul (Senegal)
Danleigh Borman (South Africa)
PHILADELPHIA UNION
Danny Mwanga (DR Congo)
REAL SALT LAKE
Alex Nimo (Liberia) Currently on loan with the Portland Timbers
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
Omar Jasseh (The Gambia)
SEATTLE SOUNDERS
Steve Zakuani (DR Congo)
Sanna Nyassi (The Gambia)
TORONTO FC
Nane Joseph (Cameroon)
Fuad Ibrahim* (Ethiopia)
Gabe Gala* (Nigeria)
Amadou Sanyang (The Gambia)
Emmanuel Gomez (The Gambia)
6 - The Gambia
5 - Ghana
4 - Senegal
3 - Nigeria
3 - South Africa
2 - Cameroon
2 - DR Congo
2 - Zimbabwe
1 - Ethiopia
1 - Liberia
1 - Morocco
1 - Sierra Leone
Notes:
*John Thorrington (Chicago Fire) was born in South Africa but has played with the USA National Team
*Ugo Ihemelu (FC Dallas) was born in Nigeria but has played with the USA National Team
*Fuad Ibrahim (Toronto FC) was born in Ethiopia but has played for the USA at U17 and U20 levels
*Gabe Gala (Toronto FC) was born in Nigeria but has played for the Canada U20 team.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Oceania National Soccer Stadiums
American Samoa - Memorial Stadium
Cook Islands - BCI Stadium
Fiji - TFL Stadium
New Caledonia - Stade Numa Daly
New Zealand - Westpac Stadium
New Zealand - North Harbour Stadium
Papua New Guinea - Hubert Murray Stadium
Samoa - Toleafoa JS Blatter Soccer Stadium
Solomon Islands - Lawson Tama Stadium
Tahiti - Stade Pater Te Hono Nui
Tonga - Teufaiva
Vanuatu - Korman Stadium
Pictures From:
Sporting Pulse - OleOle - Ville-Noumea - Picasaweb (John Nicholls) - Fussball Tempel - Zero Zero Football - Cafe Futbol - Football News - FIFA
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Videos: World Cup Records
Oleg Salenko (Russia) scores a record 5 goals against Cameroon in the 1994 USA World Cup - also Oldest ever goalscorer 42 years and 39 days, Roger Milla (Cameroon) happened during this game
Geoff Hurst (England) scores the only hat trick in a World Cup Final (1966)
Hungary 10-1 El Salvador (1982)
Most Team Goals in a Game (10), Tied for largest margin of victory (9), Fastest hat trick by an individual 8 minutes, László Kiss (Hungary), scored at 69', 72', and 76'. -
11 seconds - Fastest goal from Kickoff - Hakan Şükür (Turkey v South Korea 2002)
Yugoslavia (9) v Zaire (0) 1974 - Tied Largest Margin of Victory (9)- Most individual goalscorers for one team, one match (7) (Bajević, Džajić, Šurjak, Katalinski, Bogićević, Oblak, Petković)
Only player to score for both teams in the same match
Ernie Brandts (Netherlands vs Italy 1978 – own goal in the 18th minute, goal in the 50th minute)
Fastest Red Card
56 seconds, José Batista - Uruguay vs Scotland, 1986.
Fewest goals, penalty shootout, one team
0, Switzerland 2006 vs Ukraine
Youngest goalscorer
17 years and 239 days, Pelé (Brazil, vs Wales, 1958)
Fastest goal by a substitute
16 seconds, Ebbe Sand (60th minute - Denmark, vs Nigeria, 1998)
Geoff Hurst (England) scores the only hat trick in a World Cup Final (1966)
Hungary 10-1 El Salvador (1982)
Most Team Goals in a Game (10), Tied for largest margin of victory (9), Fastest hat trick by an individual 8 minutes, László Kiss (Hungary), scored at 69', 72', and 76'. -
11 seconds - Fastest goal from Kickoff - Hakan Şükür (Turkey v South Korea 2002)
Yugoslavia (9) v Zaire (0) 1974 - Tied Largest Margin of Victory (9)- Most individual goalscorers for one team, one match (7) (Bajević, Džajić, Šurjak, Katalinski, Bogićević, Oblak, Petković)
Only player to score for both teams in the same match
Ernie Brandts (Netherlands vs Italy 1978 – own goal in the 18th minute, goal in the 50th minute)
Fastest Red Card
56 seconds, José Batista - Uruguay vs Scotland, 1986.
Fewest goals, penalty shootout, one team
0, Switzerland 2006 vs Ukraine
Youngest goalscorer
17 years and 239 days, Pelé (Brazil, vs Wales, 1958)
Fastest goal by a substitute
16 seconds, Ebbe Sand (60th minute - Denmark, vs Nigeria, 1998)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Second Division Players on Preliminary World Cup Squads
A list of World Cup 2010 preliminary squad players that did not play in a top division league during the 2009/2010 season.
GROUP A
SOUTH AFRICA
Rowen Fernández (Arminia Bielefeld; Germany)
MEXICO
Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Veracruz; Mexico)
URUGUAY
NONE
FRANCE
NONE
GROUP B
ARGENTINA
Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle United; England)
Jonás Gutiérrez (Newcastle United; England)
NIGERIA
NONE
SOUTH KOREA
Kim Bo-Kyung (Oita Trinita; Japan)
GREECE
NONE
GROUP C
ENGLAND
NONE
UNITED STATES
Jay DeMerit (Watford; England)
ALGERIA
Carl Medjani (Ajaccio; France)
Rafik Saïfi (Istres; France)
Djamel Mesbah (Lecce; Italy)
SLOVENIA
Jasmin Handanovič (Mantova; Italy)
Matej Mavrič (TuS Koblenz; Germany)
Robert Koren (West Bromwich Albion; England)
GROUP D
GERMANY
NONE
AUSTRALIA
Brad Jones (Middlesbrough; England)
Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough; England)
Scott McDonald (Middlesbrough; England)
Adam Federici (Reading; England)
Nick Carle (Crystal Palace; England)
Dario Vidošić (MSV Duisburg; Germany)
Mark Milligan (JEF United; Japan)
Carl Valeri (Sassuolo; Italy)
SERBIA
Antonio Rukavina (1860 Munich; Germany)
GHANA
André Ayew (AC Arles-Avignon; France)
GROUP E
NETHERLANDS
NONE
DENMARK
Søren Larsen (MSV Duisburg; Germany)
JAPAN
NONE
CAMEROON
Marcel Ndjeng (FC Augsburg; Germany)
Geroges Mandjeck (Kaiserslautern; Germany)
GROUP F
ITALY
NONE
PARAGUAY
Denis Caniza (León; Mexico)
NEW ZEALAND
Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town; England)
Chris Killen (Middlesbrough; England)
Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion; England)
Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle; England)
Jeremy Christie (Tampa Bay Rowdies; USA)
SLOVAKIA
Ľuboš Kamenár (Nantes; France)
Marek Čech (West Bromwich Albion; England)
Ľubomír Michalík (Leeds United; England.3)
Martin Petráš (Cesena; Italy)
Erik Jendrišek (Kaiserslautern; Germany)
GROUP G
BRAZIL
NONE
KOREA DPR
NONE
COTE D'IVOIRE
Abdoulaye Méïté (West Bromwich Albion; England)
PORTUGAL
NONE
GROUP H
SPAIN
NONE
SWITZERLAND
NONE
HONDURAS
Julio César de León (Torino; Italy)
CHILE
Claudio Bravo (Real Sociedad; Spain)
Gonzalo Jara (West Bromwich Albion; England)
Carlos Carmona (Reggina; Italy)
Players that are on recently relegated teams are not included in this list. Only players who were on 2nd division sides during this past season are included.
GROUP A
SOUTH AFRICA
Rowen Fernández (Arminia Bielefeld; Germany)
MEXICO
Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Veracruz; Mexico)
URUGUAY
NONE
FRANCE
NONE
GROUP B
ARGENTINA
Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle United; England)
Jonás Gutiérrez (Newcastle United; England)
NIGERIA
NONE
SOUTH KOREA
Kim Bo-Kyung (Oita Trinita; Japan)
GREECE
NONE
GROUP C
ENGLAND
NONE
UNITED STATES
Jay DeMerit (Watford; England)
ALGERIA
Carl Medjani (Ajaccio; France)
Rafik Saïfi (Istres; France)
Djamel Mesbah (Lecce; Italy)
SLOVENIA
Jasmin Handanovič (Mantova; Italy)
Matej Mavrič (TuS Koblenz; Germany)
Robert Koren (West Bromwich Albion; England)
GROUP D
GERMANY
NONE
AUSTRALIA
Brad Jones (Middlesbrough; England)
Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough; England)
Scott McDonald (Middlesbrough; England)
Adam Federici (Reading; England)
Nick Carle (Crystal Palace; England)
Dario Vidošić (MSV Duisburg; Germany)
Mark Milligan (JEF United; Japan)
Carl Valeri (Sassuolo; Italy)
SERBIA
Antonio Rukavina (1860 Munich; Germany)
GHANA
André Ayew (AC Arles-Avignon; France)
GROUP E
NETHERLANDS
NONE
DENMARK
Søren Larsen (MSV Duisburg; Germany)
JAPAN
NONE
CAMEROON
Marcel Ndjeng (FC Augsburg; Germany)
Geroges Mandjeck (Kaiserslautern; Germany)
GROUP F
ITALY
NONE
PARAGUAY
Denis Caniza (León; Mexico)
NEW ZEALAND
Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town; England)
Chris Killen (Middlesbrough; England)
Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion; England)
Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle; England)
Jeremy Christie (Tampa Bay Rowdies; USA)
SLOVAKIA
Ľuboš Kamenár (Nantes; France)
Marek Čech (West Bromwich Albion; England)
Ľubomír Michalík (Leeds United; England.3)
Martin Petráš (Cesena; Italy)
Erik Jendrišek (Kaiserslautern; Germany)
GROUP G
BRAZIL
NONE
KOREA DPR
NONE
COTE D'IVOIRE
Abdoulaye Méïté (West Bromwich Albion; England)
PORTUGAL
NONE
GROUP H
SPAIN
NONE
SWITZERLAND
NONE
HONDURAS
Julio César de León (Torino; Italy)
CHILE
Claudio Bravo (Real Sociedad; Spain)
Gonzalo Jara (West Bromwich Albion; England)
Carlos Carmona (Reggina; Italy)
Players that are on recently relegated teams are not included in this list. Only players who were on 2nd division sides during this past season are included.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
World Cup Videos: Group C Qualifying Highlights
SLOVENIA
USA (Some goals are from the Gold Cup and Confederations Cup)
ENGLAND
ALGERIA
USA (Some goals are from the Gold Cup and Confederations Cup)
ENGLAND
ALGERIA
Monday, May 17, 2010
If There was a USSR National Team...
I enjoyed putting together the 'If there was a Yugoslavia National Team' post a while back, so I thought I'd try another hypothetical National Team, this time combining players from the former Soviet Union.
If there was a USSR national team today it would most likely consist of the current Russian National Team with a couple of Ukrainians thrown in the mix.
In this list, I attempted to come up with some other players from the former USSR (not including Russia) that would potentially be called in for a Soviet National Team. I don't know if any of these players would crack the starting lineup over the Russians, but they are quality players that could potentially make the team.
ARMENIA
NONE
AZERBAIJAN
NONE
BELARUS
GK - Yuri Zhevnov (Zenit St. Petersburg)
MF - Alyaksandr Hleb (Stuttgart)
ESTONIA
NONE
GEORGIA
DF - Kakha Kaladze (AC Milan)
FW - Alexander Iashvili (Karlsruher SC)
KAZAKHSTAN
NONE
KRYGYZSTAN
NONE
LATVIA
FW - Māris Verpakovskis (Ergotelis, Loan from Dynamo Kiev)
LITHUANIA
DF - Marius Stankevičius (Sevilla)
DF - Marius Žaliūkas (Hearts)
MF - Edgaras Česnauskis (FC Dynamo Moscow)
FW - Tomas Danilevičius (Livorno)
MOLDOVA
NONE
TAJIKISTAN
NONE
TURKMENISTAN
NONE
UKRAINE
GK - Andriy Pyatov (Shakhtar Donetsk)
DF - Dmytro Chygrynskiy (Barcelona)
MF - Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (Bayern Munich)
MF - Oleg Gusiev (Dynamo Kyiv)
FW - Artem Milevskiy (Dynamo Kyiv)
FW - Andriy Shevchenko (Dynamo Kyiv)
FW - Andriy Voronin (Dynamo Moscow)
UZBEKISTAN
MF - Server Djeparov (FC Bunyodkor)
FW - Maksim Shatskikh (Arsenal Kyiv)
EDIT: I had a minute and made an attempt at putting together an 18-man USSR game day roster. This lineup is assuming everyone is healthy.
Starting Eleven
GK - Igor Akinfeev (Russia; CSKA Moscow)
RB - Aleksandr Anyukov (Russia; Zenit St. Petersburg)
CB - Denis Kolodin (Russia; Dynamo Moscow)
CB - Dmytro Chygrynskiy (Ukraine; Barcelona)
LB - Yuri Zhirkov (Russia; Chelsea)
RM - Alyaksandr Hleb (Belarus; Stuttgart)
CM - Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (Ukraine; Bayern Munich)
CM - Konstantin Zyryanov (Russia; Zenit St. Petersburg)
LM - Andrei Arshavin (Russia; Arsenal)
ST - Roman Pavlyuchenko (Russia; Tottenham Hotspur)
ST - Andrei Shevchenko (Ukraine; Dynamo Kyiv)
Bench
GK - Vladimir Gabulov (Russia; Dynamo Moscow)
DF - Kakha Kaldaze (Georgia; AC Milan)
DF - Aleksei Berezutski (Russia; CSKA Moscow)
MF - Oleg Gusiev (Ukraine; Dynamo Kyiv)
MF - Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Russia; Everton)
FW - Aleksandr Kerzhakov (Russia; Zenit St. Petersburg)
FW - Artem Milevskiy (Ukraine; Dynamo Kyiv)
If there was a USSR national team today it would most likely consist of the current Russian National Team with a couple of Ukrainians thrown in the mix.
In this list, I attempted to come up with some other players from the former USSR (not including Russia) that would potentially be called in for a Soviet National Team. I don't know if any of these players would crack the starting lineup over the Russians, but they are quality players that could potentially make the team.
ARMENIA
NONE
AZERBAIJAN
NONE
BELARUS
GK - Yuri Zhevnov (Zenit St. Petersburg)
MF - Alyaksandr Hleb (Stuttgart)
ESTONIA
NONE
GEORGIA
DF - Kakha Kaladze (AC Milan)
FW - Alexander Iashvili (Karlsruher SC)
KAZAKHSTAN
NONE
KRYGYZSTAN
NONE
LATVIA
FW - Māris Verpakovskis (Ergotelis, Loan from Dynamo Kiev)
LITHUANIA
DF - Marius Stankevičius (Sevilla)
DF - Marius Žaliūkas (Hearts)
MF - Edgaras Česnauskis (FC Dynamo Moscow)
FW - Tomas Danilevičius (Livorno)
MOLDOVA
NONE
TAJIKISTAN
NONE
TURKMENISTAN
NONE
UKRAINE
GK - Andriy Pyatov (Shakhtar Donetsk)
DF - Dmytro Chygrynskiy (Barcelona)
MF - Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (Bayern Munich)
MF - Oleg Gusiev (Dynamo Kyiv)
FW - Artem Milevskiy (Dynamo Kyiv)
FW - Andriy Shevchenko (Dynamo Kyiv)
FW - Andriy Voronin (Dynamo Moscow)
UZBEKISTAN
MF - Server Djeparov (FC Bunyodkor)
FW - Maksim Shatskikh (Arsenal Kyiv)
EDIT: I had a minute and made an attempt at putting together an 18-man USSR game day roster. This lineup is assuming everyone is healthy.
Starting Eleven
GK - Igor Akinfeev (Russia; CSKA Moscow)
RB - Aleksandr Anyukov (Russia; Zenit St. Petersburg)
CB - Denis Kolodin (Russia; Dynamo Moscow)
CB - Dmytro Chygrynskiy (Ukraine; Barcelona)
LB - Yuri Zhirkov (Russia; Chelsea)
RM - Alyaksandr Hleb (Belarus; Stuttgart)
CM - Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (Ukraine; Bayern Munich)
CM - Konstantin Zyryanov (Russia; Zenit St. Petersburg)
LM - Andrei Arshavin (Russia; Arsenal)
ST - Roman Pavlyuchenko (Russia; Tottenham Hotspur)
ST - Andrei Shevchenko (Ukraine; Dynamo Kyiv)
Bench
GK - Vladimir Gabulov (Russia; Dynamo Moscow)
DF - Kakha Kaldaze (Georgia; AC Milan)
DF - Aleksei Berezutski (Russia; CSKA Moscow)
MF - Oleg Gusiev (Ukraine; Dynamo Kyiv)
MF - Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Russia; Everton)
FW - Aleksandr Kerzhakov (Russia; Zenit St. Petersburg)
FW - Artem Milevskiy (Ukraine; Dynamo Kyiv)
Friday, May 14, 2010
England Based Players on Preliminary World Cup Squads
100+ players that are with clubs based in England have been called up to their World Cup preliminary squads and that's not including the 30 players from the England squad itself. Here is the preliminary list of England based players as it stands before the squads are cut down to 23 on June 1st.
Australia (11)
Shane Lowry (Aston Villa)
Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers)
Vince Grella (Blackburn Rovers)
Nick Carle (Crystal Palace)
Tim Cahill (Everton)
Mark Schwarzer (Fulham)
Richard Garcia (Hull City)
Brad Jones (Middlesbrough)
Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough)
Scott McDonald (Middlesbrough)
Adam Federici (Reading)
Nigeria (8)
Danny Shittu (Bolton Wanderers)
John Obi Mikel (Chelsea)
Joseph Yobo (Everton)
Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton)
Victor Anichebe (Everton)
Dickson Etuhu (Fulham)
John Utaka (Portsmouth)
Nwankwo Kanu (Portsmouth)
France (7)
Gaël Clichy (Arsenal)
William Gallas (Arsenal)
Bacary Sagna (Arsenal)
Abou Diaby (Arsenal)
Florent Malouda (Chelsea)
Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea)
Patrice Evra (Manchester United)
United States (7)
Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers)
Tim Howard (Everton)
Clint Dempsey (Fulham)
Jay DeMerit (Watford)
Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Côte d'Ivoire (6)
Emmanuel Eboué (Arsenal)
Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
Salomon Kalou (Chelsea)
Kolo Touré (Manchester City)
Abdoulaye Méïté (West Bromwich Albion)
Steve Gohouri (Wigan Athletic)
Serbia (6)
Branislav Ivanović (Chelsea)
Nemanja Matić (Chelsea)
Nemanja Vidić (Manchester United)
Zoran Tošić (Manchester United)
Vladimir Stojković (Wigan Athletic)
Nenad Milijaš (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Argentina (5)
Javier Mascherano (Liverpool)
Maxi Rodriguez (Liverpool)
Carlos Tévez (Manchester City)
Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle United)
Jonás Gutiérrez (Newcastle United)
Ghana (5)
Michael Essien (Chelsea)
John Paintsil (Fulham)
Kevin-Prince Boateng (Portsmouth)
John Mensah (Sunderland)
Richard Kingson (Wigan Athletic)
Netherlands (5)
Robin van Persie (Arsenal)
John Heitinga (Everton)
Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool)
Ryan Babel (Liverpool)
Nigel de Jong (Manchester City)
New Zealand (5)
Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers)
Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town)
Chris Killen (Middlesbrough)
Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle)
Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion)
Slovakia (5)
Miroslav Stoch (Chelsea)
Ľubomír Michalík (Leeds United)
Martin Škrtel (Liverpool)
Vladimir Weiss (Manchester City)
Marek Čech (West Bromwich Albion)
Denmark (4)
Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal)
Lar Jacobsen (Blackburn Rovers)
Daniel Agger (Liverpool)
Thomas Sørensen (Stoke City)
Portugal (4)
Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea)
Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea)
Deco (Chelsea)
Nani (Manchester United)
South Africa (4)
Steven Pienaar (Everton)
Kagisho Dikgacoi (Fulham)
Aaron Mokoena (Portsmouth)
Benni McCarthy (West Ham United)
Algeria (3)
Nadir Belhadj (Portsmouth)
Hassan Yebda (Portsmouth)
Adlène Guedioura (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Cameroon (3)
Alexandre Song (Arsenal)
Benoît Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur)
Sébastien Bassong (Tottenham Hotspur)
Honduras (3)
Wilson Palacios (Tottenham Hotspur)
Maynor Figueroa (Wigan Athletic)
Hendry Thomas (Wigan Athletic)
Mexico (3)
Carlos Vela (Arsenal)
Javier Hernandez (Manchester United)
Guillermo Franco (West Ham United)
Spain (3)
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
Pepe Reina (Liverpool)
Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
Brazil (2)
Alex (Chelsea)
Heurelho Gomes (Tottenham Hotspur)
Paraguay (2)
Roque Santa Cruz (Manchester City)
Paulo da Silva (Sunderland)
South Korea (2)
Lee Chung-Yong (Bolton Wanderers)
Park Ji-Sung (Manchester United)
Switzerland (2)
Philippe Senderos (Everton)
Valon Behrami (West Ham United)
Chile (1)
Gonzalo Jara (West Bromwich Albion)
Germany (1)
Michael Ballack (Chelsea)
Greece (1)
Sotirios Kyrgiakos (Liverpool)
Slovenia (1)
Robert Koren (West Bromwich Albion)
No England based Players:
Japan
Uruguay
Italy
North Korea
Australia (11)
Shane Lowry (Aston Villa)
Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers)
Vince Grella (Blackburn Rovers)
Nick Carle (Crystal Palace)
Tim Cahill (Everton)
Mark Schwarzer (Fulham)
Richard Garcia (Hull City)
Brad Jones (Middlesbrough)
Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough)
Scott McDonald (Middlesbrough)
Adam Federici (Reading)
Nigeria (8)
Danny Shittu (Bolton Wanderers)
John Obi Mikel (Chelsea)
Joseph Yobo (Everton)
Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton)
Victor Anichebe (Everton)
Dickson Etuhu (Fulham)
John Utaka (Portsmouth)
Nwankwo Kanu (Portsmouth)
France (7)
Gaël Clichy (Arsenal)
William Gallas (Arsenal)
Bacary Sagna (Arsenal)
Abou Diaby (Arsenal)
Florent Malouda (Chelsea)
Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea)
Patrice Evra (Manchester United)
United States (7)
Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers)
Tim Howard (Everton)
Clint Dempsey (Fulham)
Jay DeMerit (Watford)
Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Côte d'Ivoire (6)
Emmanuel Eboué (Arsenal)
Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
Salomon Kalou (Chelsea)
Kolo Touré (Manchester City)
Abdoulaye Méïté (West Bromwich Albion)
Steve Gohouri (Wigan Athletic)
Serbia (6)
Branislav Ivanović (Chelsea)
Nemanja Matić (Chelsea)
Nemanja Vidić (Manchester United)
Zoran Tošić (Manchester United)
Vladimir Stojković (Wigan Athletic)
Nenad Milijaš (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Argentina (5)
Javier Mascherano (Liverpool)
Maxi Rodriguez (Liverpool)
Carlos Tévez (Manchester City)
Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle United)
Jonás Gutiérrez (Newcastle United)
Ghana (5)
Michael Essien (Chelsea)
John Paintsil (Fulham)
Kevin-Prince Boateng (Portsmouth)
John Mensah (Sunderland)
Richard Kingson (Wigan Athletic)
Netherlands (5)
Robin van Persie (Arsenal)
John Heitinga (Everton)
Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool)
Ryan Babel (Liverpool)
Nigel de Jong (Manchester City)
New Zealand (5)
Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers)
Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town)
Chris Killen (Middlesbrough)
Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle)
Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion)
Slovakia (5)
Miroslav Stoch (Chelsea)
Ľubomír Michalík (Leeds United)
Martin Škrtel (Liverpool)
Vladimir Weiss (Manchester City)
Marek Čech (West Bromwich Albion)
Denmark (4)
Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal)
Lar Jacobsen (Blackburn Rovers)
Daniel Agger (Liverpool)
Thomas Sørensen (Stoke City)
Portugal (4)
Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea)
Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea)
Deco (Chelsea)
Nani (Manchester United)
South Africa (4)
Steven Pienaar (Everton)
Kagisho Dikgacoi (Fulham)
Aaron Mokoena (Portsmouth)
Benni McCarthy (West Ham United)
Algeria (3)
Nadir Belhadj (Portsmouth)
Hassan Yebda (Portsmouth)
Adlène Guedioura (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Cameroon (3)
Alexandre Song (Arsenal)
Benoît Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur)
Sébastien Bassong (Tottenham Hotspur)
Honduras (3)
Wilson Palacios (Tottenham Hotspur)
Maynor Figueroa (Wigan Athletic)
Hendry Thomas (Wigan Athletic)
Mexico (3)
Carlos Vela (Arsenal)
Javier Hernandez (Manchester United)
Guillermo Franco (West Ham United)
Spain (3)
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
Pepe Reina (Liverpool)
Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
Brazil (2)
Alex (Chelsea)
Heurelho Gomes (Tottenham Hotspur)
Paraguay (2)
Roque Santa Cruz (Manchester City)
Paulo da Silva (Sunderland)
South Korea (2)
Lee Chung-Yong (Bolton Wanderers)
Park Ji-Sung (Manchester United)
Switzerland (2)
Philippe Senderos (Everton)
Valon Behrami (West Ham United)
Chile (1)
Gonzalo Jara (West Bromwich Albion)
Germany (1)
Michael Ballack (Chelsea)
Greece (1)
Sotirios Kyrgiakos (Liverpool)
Slovenia (1)
Robert Koren (West Bromwich Albion)
No England based Players:
Japan
Uruguay
Italy
North Korea
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Videos: World Cup 2010 Qualification Celebrations
A few videos of the celebrations from around the world after qualification to the World Cup in South Africa.
Algeria
Honduras
Chile
New Zealand
Korea DPR
Algeria
Honduras
Chile
New Zealand
Korea DPR
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Final League Positions of UEFA Cup Finalists (since 99/00)
A look at the final league positions and average points per game of the UEFA Cup (now Europa League) finalists since 1999/2000.
Format:
Year (combined avg points per game; combined avg league position)
League Position - Team (Record; pts) Average points per game
Winner is listed first
UEFA CUP
1999/2000 (2.12; 1.5)
1st - Galatasaray (24W-7D-3L; 79pts) 2.32
2nd - Arsenal (22W-7D-9L; 73pts) 1.92
2000/2001 (1.56; 6.5)
3rd - Liverpool (20W-9D-9L; 69pts) 1.82
10th - Deportivo Alavés (14W-7D-17L; 49pts) 1.29
2001/2002 (1.97; 2.0)
3rd - Feyenoord (19W-7D-8L; 64pts) 1.88
1st - Borussia Dortmund (21W-7D-6L; 70pts) 2.06
2002/2003 (2.51; 1.5)
1st - Porto (27W-5D-2L; 86pts) 2.53
2nd - Celtic (26W-4D-3L; 82pts) 2.49
2003/2004 (1.77; 4.0)
1st - Valencia (23W-8D-7L; 77pts) 2.03
7th - Olympique Marseille (17W-6D-15L; 57pts) 1.50
2004/2005 (1.84; 2.5)
2nd - CSKA Moscow (17W-9D-4L; 60pts) 1.88
3rd - Sporting CP (18W-7D-9L; 61pts) 1.79
2005/2006 (1.49; 9.5)
5th - Sevilla (20W-8D-10L; 68pts) 1.79
14th - Middlesbrough (12W-9D-17L; 45pts) 1.18
2006/2007 (1.58; 7.0)
3rd - Sevilla (21W-8D-9L; 71pts) 1.87
11th - Espanyol (12W-13D-13L; 49pts) 1.29
2007/2008 (2.21; 1.0)
1st - Zenit St. Petersburg (18W-7D-5L; 61pts) 2.03
1st - Rangers (25W-4D-4L; 79pts) 2.39
2008/2009 (1.73; 6.0)
2nd - Shakhtar Donetsk (19W-7D-4L; 64pts) 2.13
10th - Werder Bremen (12W-9D-13L; 45pts) 1.32
EUROPA LEAGUE
2009/2010 (1.23; 10.5)
12th - Fulham (12W-10D-16L; 46pts) 1.21
9th - Atlético Madrid (13W-8D-16L; 47pts) 1.24
NOTES:
The 09/10 Europa League final has the worst combined league position and points per game average of the past decade, with Fulham and Atlético Madrid being the 2nd and 3rd lowest ppg teams after Middlesbrough in 05/06. This is also the first time that the finalists' combined records have more losses than wins (25W-18D-32L)
Only once have two league winners faced off in the UEFA cup final since 99/00. That happened in 07/08, with Zenit St. Petersburg defeating Rangers.
The lowest league position team to win the cup was Sevilla, who finished 5th in La Liga in 05/06.
Of the 22 cup finalists listed, 6 of them have had more losses than wins in their respective leagues.
The 02/03 final was a face off between two very successful league teams in Porto and Celtic. The two teams had an impressive combined record of 53W-9D-5L (an average of over 2.50 points per game).
Feyenoord (3rd) is the only lower league position team to win the cup by defeating Borussia Dortmund (1st) in 01/02
Format:
Year (combined avg points per game; combined avg league position)
League Position - Team (Record; pts) Average points per game
Winner is listed first
UEFA CUP
1999/2000 (2.12; 1.5)
1st - Galatasaray (24W-7D-3L; 79pts) 2.32
2nd - Arsenal (22W-7D-9L; 73pts) 1.92
2000/2001 (1.56; 6.5)
3rd - Liverpool (20W-9D-9L; 69pts) 1.82
10th - Deportivo Alavés (14W-7D-17L; 49pts) 1.29
2001/2002 (1.97; 2.0)
3rd - Feyenoord (19W-7D-8L; 64pts) 1.88
1st - Borussia Dortmund (21W-7D-6L; 70pts) 2.06
2002/2003 (2.51; 1.5)
1st - Porto (27W-5D-2L; 86pts) 2.53
2nd - Celtic (26W-4D-3L; 82pts) 2.49
2003/2004 (1.77; 4.0)
1st - Valencia (23W-8D-7L; 77pts) 2.03
7th - Olympique Marseille (17W-6D-15L; 57pts) 1.50
2004/2005 (1.84; 2.5)
2nd - CSKA Moscow (17W-9D-4L; 60pts) 1.88
3rd - Sporting CP (18W-7D-9L; 61pts) 1.79
2005/2006 (1.49; 9.5)
5th - Sevilla (20W-8D-10L; 68pts) 1.79
14th - Middlesbrough (12W-9D-17L; 45pts) 1.18
2006/2007 (1.58; 7.0)
3rd - Sevilla (21W-8D-9L; 71pts) 1.87
11th - Espanyol (12W-13D-13L; 49pts) 1.29
2007/2008 (2.21; 1.0)
1st - Zenit St. Petersburg (18W-7D-5L; 61pts) 2.03
1st - Rangers (25W-4D-4L; 79pts) 2.39
2008/2009 (1.73; 6.0)
2nd - Shakhtar Donetsk (19W-7D-4L; 64pts) 2.13
10th - Werder Bremen (12W-9D-13L; 45pts) 1.32
EUROPA LEAGUE
2009/2010 (1.23; 10.5)
12th - Fulham (12W-10D-16L; 46pts) 1.21
9th - Atlético Madrid (13W-8D-16L; 47pts) 1.24
NOTES:
The 09/10 Europa League final has the worst combined league position and points per game average of the past decade, with Fulham and Atlético Madrid being the 2nd and 3rd lowest ppg teams after Middlesbrough in 05/06. This is also the first time that the finalists' combined records have more losses than wins (25W-18D-32L)
Only once have two league winners faced off in the UEFA cup final since 99/00. That happened in 07/08, with Zenit St. Petersburg defeating Rangers.
The lowest league position team to win the cup was Sevilla, who finished 5th in La Liga in 05/06.
Of the 22 cup finalists listed, 6 of them have had more losses than wins in their respective leagues.
The 02/03 final was a face off between two very successful league teams in Porto and Celtic. The two teams had an impressive combined record of 53W-9D-5L (an average of over 2.50 points per game).
Feyenoord (3rd) is the only lower league position team to win the cup by defeating Borussia Dortmund (1st) in 01/02
2010 World Cup Finalists: Bad Qualifying Losses
A list of poor World Cup qualifying results by teams who made it to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa (against nations who did not make the final 32). The rankings listed were from the date the games took place (minimum rank difference of 25).
AFRICA
06/14/08 - Sierra Leone (163) 1:0 South Africa (68)
06/14/08 - Gabon (94) 2:0 Ghana (46)
03/29/09 - Togo (91) 1:0 Cameroon (16)
10/10/09 - Benin (78) 1:0 Ghana (32)
ASIA
03/26/08 - Bahrain (82) 1:0 Japan (36)
06/07/08 - Iraq (73) 1:0 Australia (35)
06/22/08 - China (79) 1:0 Australia (35)
CONCACAF
10/11/08 - Jamaica (116) 1:0 Mexico (24)
10/15/08 - Jamaica (116) 1:0 Honduras (50)
10/15/08 - Trinidad and Tobago (88) 2:1 USA (21)
06/03/09 - Costa Rica (41) 3:1 USA (14)
06/06/09 - El Salvador (100) 2:1 Mexico (26)
EUROPE
09/06/08 - Austria (101) 3:1 France (11)
09/10/08 - Luxembourg (152) 2:1 Switzerland (43)
10/14/09 - Lithuania (62) 2:1 Serbia (13)
10/14/09 - Hungary (47) 1:0 Denmark (16)
OCEANIA
11/19/08 - Fiji (137) 2:0 New Zealand (60)
SOUTH AMERICA
06/18/08 - Bolivia (90) 4:2 Paraguay (28)
04/01/09 - Bolivia (56) 6:1 Argentina (6)
09/05/09 - Peru (91) 1:0 Uruguay (28)
10/10/09 - Bolivia (59) 2:1 Brazil (1)
10/14/09 - Colombia (48) 2:0 Paraguay (23)
AFRICA
06/14/08 - Sierra Leone (163) 1:0 South Africa (68)
06/14/08 - Gabon (94) 2:0 Ghana (46)
03/29/09 - Togo (91) 1:0 Cameroon (16)
10/10/09 - Benin (78) 1:0 Ghana (32)
ASIA
03/26/08 - Bahrain (82) 1:0 Japan (36)
06/07/08 - Iraq (73) 1:0 Australia (35)
06/22/08 - China (79) 1:0 Australia (35)
CONCACAF
10/11/08 - Jamaica (116) 1:0 Mexico (24)
10/15/08 - Jamaica (116) 1:0 Honduras (50)
10/15/08 - Trinidad and Tobago (88) 2:1 USA (21)
06/03/09 - Costa Rica (41) 3:1 USA (14)
06/06/09 - El Salvador (100) 2:1 Mexico (26)
EUROPE
09/06/08 - Austria (101) 3:1 France (11)
09/10/08 - Luxembourg (152) 2:1 Switzerland (43)
10/14/09 - Lithuania (62) 2:1 Serbia (13)
10/14/09 - Hungary (47) 1:0 Denmark (16)
OCEANIA
11/19/08 - Fiji (137) 2:0 New Zealand (60)
SOUTH AMERICA
06/18/08 - Bolivia (90) 4:2 Paraguay (28)
04/01/09 - Bolivia (56) 6:1 Argentina (6)
09/05/09 - Peru (91) 1:0 Uruguay (28)
10/10/09 - Bolivia (59) 2:1 Brazil (1)
10/14/09 - Colombia (48) 2:0 Paraguay (23)
Monday, May 10, 2010
Average Squad Age in Top European Leagues
Average squad ages in England, Italy, Germany, Spain, and France.
ENGLAND
29.09 - Fulham
28.98 - Portsmouth
27.87 - Birmingham City
27.40 - Blackburn Rovers
27.33 - Aston Villa
27.27 - Hull City
27.20 - Stoke City
27.14 - Chelsea
27.13 - Bolton Wanderers
26.72 - Wigan Athletic
26.63 - Burnley
26.28 - Manchester City
26.28 - Tottenham Hotspur
26.19 - Manchester United
26.05 - West Ham United
26.03 - Sunderland
25.93 - Everton
25.09 - Wolverhampton Wanderers
24.79 - Liverpool
24.62 - Arsenal
ITALY
28.96 - AC Milan
28.79 - Bologna
28.70 - Roma
28.54 - Chievo Verona
28.40 - Atalanta
28.25 - Juventus
28.22 - Napoli
27.41 - Lazio
27.33 - Bari
27.00 - Livorno
26.78 - Inter Milan
26.29 - Sampdoria
26.21 - Catania
26.21 - Siena
26.11 - Fiorentina
25.96 - Parma
25.73 - Palermo
25.65 - Udinese
25.52 - Cagliari
25.17 - Genoa
GERMANY
27.07 - VfL Bochum
27.04 - FSV Mainz 05
26.93 - Hannover 96
26.63 - Bayern Munich
26.20 - Eintracht Frankfurt
26.19 - VfL Wolfsburg
26.03 - Borussia Mönchengladbach
25.59 - 1. FC Nürnberg
25.58 - Hamburger SV
25.57 - Bayer Leverkusen
25.50 - 1. FC Köln
25.46 - SC Freiburg
25.31 - Hertha BSC
25.20 - Werder Bremen
24.91 - Borussia Dortmund
24.86 - VfB Stuttgart
24.69 - Schalke 04
23.75 - TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
SPAIN
27.93 - Xerez
27.65 - Osasuna
27.46 - Tenerife
27.40 - Mallorca
27.22 - Villarreal
26.96 - Valencia
26.95 - Almeria
26.87 - Sporting Gijón
26.82 - Deportivo La Coruña
26.64 - Getafe
26.60 - Real Zaragoza
26.58 - Sevilla
26.43 - Racing Santander
26.23 - Real Valladolid
26.15 - Athletic Bilbao
25.80 - Málaga
25.56 - Real Madrid
25.38 - Espanyol
25.08 - Barcelona
25.00 - Atlético Madrid
FRANCE
27.83 - PSG
27.19 - Grenoble Foot 38
27.11 - Valenciennes
27.05 - Olympique Marseille
26.82 - Lorient
26.56 - Bordeaux
26.31 - Montpellier
26.01 - Nice
25.89 - Boulogne
25.80 - Monaco
25.79 - Nancy
25.62 - RC Lens
25.60 - Stade Rennes
25.44 - Auxerre
25.08 - Saint Etienne
24.73 - Lille
24.53 - Toulouse
24.28 - Olympique Lyon
24.16 - Le Mans
24.11 - Sochaux
TOP 5 OLDEST SQUADS
29.09 - Fulham
28.98 - Portsmouth
28.96 - AC Milan
28.79 - Bologna
28.70 - Roma
TOP 5 YOUNGEST SQUADS
23.75 - TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
24.11 - Sochaux
24.16 - Le Mans
24.28 - Olympique Lyon
24.53 - Toulouse
Age stats from soccerway.com
ENGLAND
29.09 - Fulham
28.98 - Portsmouth
27.87 - Birmingham City
27.40 - Blackburn Rovers
27.33 - Aston Villa
27.27 - Hull City
27.20 - Stoke City
27.14 - Chelsea
27.13 - Bolton Wanderers
26.72 - Wigan Athletic
26.63 - Burnley
26.28 - Manchester City
26.28 - Tottenham Hotspur
26.19 - Manchester United
26.05 - West Ham United
26.03 - Sunderland
25.93 - Everton
25.09 - Wolverhampton Wanderers
24.79 - Liverpool
24.62 - Arsenal
ITALY
28.96 - AC Milan
28.79 - Bologna
28.70 - Roma
28.54 - Chievo Verona
28.40 - Atalanta
28.25 - Juventus
28.22 - Napoli
27.41 - Lazio
27.33 - Bari
27.00 - Livorno
26.78 - Inter Milan
26.29 - Sampdoria
26.21 - Catania
26.21 - Siena
26.11 - Fiorentina
25.96 - Parma
25.73 - Palermo
25.65 - Udinese
25.52 - Cagliari
25.17 - Genoa
GERMANY
27.07 - VfL Bochum
27.04 - FSV Mainz 05
26.93 - Hannover 96
26.63 - Bayern Munich
26.20 - Eintracht Frankfurt
26.19 - VfL Wolfsburg
26.03 - Borussia Mönchengladbach
25.59 - 1. FC Nürnberg
25.58 - Hamburger SV
25.57 - Bayer Leverkusen
25.50 - 1. FC Köln
25.46 - SC Freiburg
25.31 - Hertha BSC
25.20 - Werder Bremen
24.91 - Borussia Dortmund
24.86 - VfB Stuttgart
24.69 - Schalke 04
23.75 - TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
SPAIN
27.93 - Xerez
27.65 - Osasuna
27.46 - Tenerife
27.40 - Mallorca
27.22 - Villarreal
26.96 - Valencia
26.95 - Almeria
26.87 - Sporting Gijón
26.82 - Deportivo La Coruña
26.64 - Getafe
26.60 - Real Zaragoza
26.58 - Sevilla
26.43 - Racing Santander
26.23 - Real Valladolid
26.15 - Athletic Bilbao
25.80 - Málaga
25.56 - Real Madrid
25.38 - Espanyol
25.08 - Barcelona
25.00 - Atlético Madrid
FRANCE
27.83 - PSG
27.19 - Grenoble Foot 38
27.11 - Valenciennes
27.05 - Olympique Marseille
26.82 - Lorient
26.56 - Bordeaux
26.31 - Montpellier
26.01 - Nice
25.89 - Boulogne
25.80 - Monaco
25.79 - Nancy
25.62 - RC Lens
25.60 - Stade Rennes
25.44 - Auxerre
25.08 - Saint Etienne
24.73 - Lille
24.53 - Toulouse
24.28 - Olympique Lyon
24.16 - Le Mans
24.11 - Sochaux
TOP 5 OLDEST SQUADS
29.09 - Fulham
28.98 - Portsmouth
28.96 - AC Milan
28.79 - Bologna
28.70 - Roma
TOP 5 YOUNGEST SQUADS
23.75 - TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
24.11 - Sochaux
24.16 - Le Mans
24.28 - Olympique Lyon
24.53 - Toulouse
Age stats from soccerway.com
Friday, May 7, 2010
Previous Clubs: Atlético Madrid
A list of the previous clubs that the Atlético Madrid first team players were signed from.
Sergio Agüero - Independiente
(pic: eresmas)
ARGENTINA
Boca Juniors - Luis Perea
Independiente - Sergio Agüero
Lanús - Eduardo Salvio
Vélez Sársfield - Ibrahima
ENGLAND
Arsenal - José Antonio Reyes (played a season on loan at Real Madrid in between)
ITALY
Fiorentina - Tomáš Ujfaluši
PORTUGAL
Benfica - Simão Sabrosa
Porto - Paulo Assunção
SPAIN
Albacete - Pablo Ibáñez
Getafe - Mario Pernia
Osasuna - Raúl García
Real Betis - Juanito
Real Madrid - José Manuel Jurado
Real Murcia - Juan Valera Espín
Valladolid - Sergio Asenjo
Villarreal - Diego Forlán
URUGUAY
Defensor Sporting - Leandro Cabrera
Atlético Madrid YOUTH
Antonio López
Ignacio Camacho
David de Gea
Álvaro Domínguez
LOAN
Juventus - Tiago
For comparison, here is the previous club link for fellow Europa League finalists, Fulham FC. (link)
Sergio Agüero - Independiente
(pic: eresmas)
ARGENTINA
Boca Juniors - Luis Perea
Independiente - Sergio Agüero
Lanús - Eduardo Salvio
Vélez Sársfield - Ibrahima
ENGLAND
Arsenal - José Antonio Reyes (played a season on loan at Real Madrid in between)
ITALY
Fiorentina - Tomáš Ujfaluši
PORTUGAL
Benfica - Simão Sabrosa
Porto - Paulo Assunção
SPAIN
Albacete - Pablo Ibáñez
Getafe - Mario Pernia
Osasuna - Raúl García
Real Betis - Juanito
Real Madrid - José Manuel Jurado
Real Murcia - Juan Valera Espín
Valladolid - Sergio Asenjo
Villarreal - Diego Forlán
URUGUAY
Defensor Sporting - Leandro Cabrera
Atlético Madrid YOUTH
Antonio López
Ignacio Camacho
David de Gea
Álvaro Domínguez
LOAN
Juventus - Tiago
For comparison, here is the previous club link for fellow Europa League finalists, Fulham FC. (link)
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Foreign-Born World Cup Winners
A list of Foreign-Born Players from World Cup winning nations since the first WC in 1930.
2006
Italy
Mauro Camoranesi
Tandil, Argentina
Simone Perrotta
Ashton-under-Lyne, England
1998
France
Patrick Vieira
Dakar, Senegal
Marcel Desailly
Accra, Ghana
Lilian Thuram
Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe (technically considered an overseas region of France)
Christian Karembeu
Lifou, New Caledonia (overseas territory of France)
1982
Italy
Claudio Gentile
Tripoli, Libya
1974
West Germany
Herbert Wimmer
Eupen, Belgium
1954
West Germany
Josef Posipal
Lugoj, Romania
Richard Herrmann
Katowice, Poland
1950
Uruguay
Ernesto Vidal
Buie d'Istria, Italy
1938
Italy
Michele Andreolo
Montevideo, Uruguay
1934
Italy
Attilio Demaria
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Enrique Guaita
Lucas González, Argentina
Anfilogino Guarisi
São Paulo, Brazil
Luis Monti
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Raimundo Orsi
Avellaneda, Argentina
Mario Varglien
Fiume, Austria-Hungary (modern day Rijeka, Croatia)
1930
Uruguay
Lorenzo Fernández
Redondela, Spain
2006
Italy
Mauro Camoranesi
Tandil, Argentina
Simone Perrotta
Ashton-under-Lyne, England
1998
France
Patrick Vieira
Dakar, Senegal
Marcel Desailly
Accra, Ghana
Lilian Thuram
Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe (technically considered an overseas region of France)
Christian Karembeu
Lifou, New Caledonia (overseas territory of France)
1982
Italy
Claudio Gentile
Tripoli, Libya
1974
West Germany
Herbert Wimmer
Eupen, Belgium
1954
West Germany
Josef Posipal
Lugoj, Romania
Richard Herrmann
Katowice, Poland
1950
Uruguay
Ernesto Vidal
Buie d'Istria, Italy
1938
Italy
Michele Andreolo
Montevideo, Uruguay
1934
Italy
Attilio Demaria
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Enrique Guaita
Lucas González, Argentina
Anfilogino Guarisi
São Paulo, Brazil
Luis Monti
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Raimundo Orsi
Avellaneda, Argentina
Mario Varglien
Fiume, Austria-Hungary (modern day Rijeka, Croatia)
1930
Uruguay
Lorenzo Fernández
Redondela, Spain
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
League Winning Point Totals (2000-2010)
A ranking list of league winning point totals (by season) in the top European leagues that play 38 games in a season (England, Spain, Italy, France - excludes Germany which has 34 game seasons) -- since 1999/2000
Interesting that in the current season both Real Madrid and Barcelona have a chance at the highest league winning point totals of the decade and one of them will still lose out on the title.
97 - Inter Milan (2006/2007)
95 - Chelsea (2004/2005)
91 - Chelsea (2005/2006)
91 - Manchester United (1999/2000)
90 - Arsenal (2003/2004)
90 - Manchester United (2008/2009)
89 - Manchester United (2006/2007)
87 - Arsenal (2001/2002)
87 - Barcelona (2008/2009)
87 - Manchester United (2007/2008)
86 - Juventus (2004/2005)
85 - Inter Milan (2007/2008)
85 - Real Madrid (2007/2008)
84 - Barcelona (2004/2005)
84 - Inter Milan (2008/2009)
84 - Olympique Lyon (2005/2006)
83 - Manchester United (2002/2003)
82 - Barcelona (2005/2006)
81 - Olympique Lyon (2006/2007)
80 - Bordeaux (2008/2009)
80 - Manchester United (2000/2001)
80 - Real Madrid (2000/2001)
79 - Olympique Lyon (2007/2008)
79 - Olympique Lyon (2004/2005)
79 - Olympique Lyon (2003/2004)
78 - Real Madrid (2002/2003)
77 - Valencia (2003/2004)
76 - Inter Milan (2005/2006)
76 - Real Madrid (2006/2007)
75 - Valencia (2001/2002)
69 - Deportivo La Coruña (1999/2000)
68 - Olympique Lyon (2002/2003)
2009/2010
England
83 - Chelsea (1 game left)
82 - Manchester United (1 game left)
Spain
93 - Barcelona (2 games left)
89 - Real Madrid (3 games left)
Italy
76 - Inter Milan (2 games left)
74 - Roma (2 games left)
France
72 - Olympique Marseille (3 games left)
67 - Auxerre (3 games left)
64 - Lille (3 games left)
62 - Olympique Lyon (4 games left)
Interesting that in the current season both Real Madrid and Barcelona have a chance at the highest league winning point totals of the decade and one of them will still lose out on the title.
97 - Inter Milan (2006/2007)
95 - Chelsea (2004/2005)
91 - Chelsea (2005/2006)
91 - Manchester United (1999/2000)
90 - Arsenal (2003/2004)
90 - Manchester United (2008/2009)
89 - Manchester United (2006/2007)
87 - Arsenal (2001/2002)
87 - Barcelona (2008/2009)
87 - Manchester United (2007/2008)
86 - Juventus (2004/2005)
85 - Inter Milan (2007/2008)
85 - Real Madrid (2007/2008)
84 - Barcelona (2004/2005)
84 - Inter Milan (2008/2009)
84 - Olympique Lyon (2005/2006)
83 - Manchester United (2002/2003)
82 - Barcelona (2005/2006)
81 - Olympique Lyon (2006/2007)
80 - Bordeaux (2008/2009)
80 - Manchester United (2000/2001)
80 - Real Madrid (2000/2001)
79 - Olympique Lyon (2007/2008)
79 - Olympique Lyon (2004/2005)
79 - Olympique Lyon (2003/2004)
78 - Real Madrid (2002/2003)
77 - Valencia (2003/2004)
76 - Inter Milan (2005/2006)
76 - Real Madrid (2006/2007)
75 - Valencia (2001/2002)
69 - Deportivo La Coruña (1999/2000)
68 - Olympique Lyon (2002/2003)
2009/2010
England
83 - Chelsea (1 game left)
82 - Manchester United (1 game left)
Spain
93 - Barcelona (2 games left)
89 - Real Madrid (3 games left)
Italy
76 - Inter Milan (2 games left)
74 - Roma (2 games left)
France
72 - Olympique Marseille (3 games left)
67 - Auxerre (3 games left)
64 - Lille (3 games left)
62 - Olympique Lyon (4 games left)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
If There was a Yugoslavia National Team...
I was thinking the other day about how many high quality players there are are from the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia) I wonder how good they'd be if there was still a combined Yugoslavia national team? (Hint: good)
These are just a few of the top players that could be called upon. I do see one problem though. Who on earth would you play/sit in the midfield and forward positions? A manager would definitely have a few tough choices with this team.
GOALKEEPERS
Samir Handanovič (Slovenia; Udinese)
Stipe Pletikosa (Croatia; Spartak Moscow)
DEFENDERS
Josip Šimunić (Croatia; 1899 Hoffenheim)
Vedran Ćorluka (Croatia; Tottenham Hotspur)
Marko Baša (Montenegro; Lokomotiv Moscow)
Aleksandar Kolarov (Serbia; Lazio)
Nemanja Vidić (Serbia; Manchester United)
Neven Subotić (Serbia; Borussia Dortmund)
Branislav Ivanovic (Serbia; Chelsea)
MIDFIELDERS
Zvjezdan Misimović (Bosnia and Herzegovina; Wolfsburg)
Miralem Pjanić (Bosnia and Herzegovina; Lyon)
Luka Modrić (Croatia; Tottenham Hotspur)
Darijo Srna (Croatia; Shakhtar Donetsk)
Niko Kranjčar (Croatia; Tottenham Hotspur)
Simon Vukčević (Montenegro; Sporting CP)
Dejan Stanković (Serbia; Inter Milan)
Miloš Krasić (Serbia; CSKA Moscow)
Gojko Kačar (Serbia; Hertha BSC)
FORWARDS
Edin Džeko (Bosnia and Herzegovina; Wolfsburg)
Zlatan Muslimović (Bosnia and Herzegovina; PAOK)
Vedad Ibišević (Bosnia and Herzegovina; 1899 Hoffenheim)
Eduardo (Croatia; Arsenal)
Ivica Olić (Croatia; Bayern Munich)
Mladen Petrić (Croatia; Hamburger SV)
Goran Pandev (Macedonia; Inter Milan)
Mirko Vučinić (Montenegro; Roma)
Nikola Žigić (Serbia; Valencia)
Marko Pantelić (Serbia; Ajax)
Milan Jovanović (Serbia; Standard Liege, signed by Liverpool)
Milivoje Novakovič (Slovenia; 1. FC Köln)
Two Notes:
1. No political statement here, just having some fun looking at the potential player pool.
2. I don't follow these national teams closely so it's possible I may have missed one or two deserving players but you get the idea. They would be GOOD.
These are just a few of the top players that could be called upon. I do see one problem though. Who on earth would you play/sit in the midfield and forward positions? A manager would definitely have a few tough choices with this team.
GOALKEEPERS
Samir Handanovič (Slovenia; Udinese)
Stipe Pletikosa (Croatia; Spartak Moscow)
DEFENDERS
Josip Šimunić (Croatia; 1899 Hoffenheim)
Vedran Ćorluka (Croatia; Tottenham Hotspur)
Marko Baša (Montenegro; Lokomotiv Moscow)
Aleksandar Kolarov (Serbia; Lazio)
Nemanja Vidić (Serbia; Manchester United)
Neven Subotić (Serbia; Borussia Dortmund)
Branislav Ivanovic (Serbia; Chelsea)
MIDFIELDERS
Zvjezdan Misimović (Bosnia and Herzegovina; Wolfsburg)
Miralem Pjanić (Bosnia and Herzegovina; Lyon)
Luka Modrić (Croatia; Tottenham Hotspur)
Darijo Srna (Croatia; Shakhtar Donetsk)
Niko Kranjčar (Croatia; Tottenham Hotspur)
Simon Vukčević (Montenegro; Sporting CP)
Dejan Stanković (Serbia; Inter Milan)
Miloš Krasić (Serbia; CSKA Moscow)
Gojko Kačar (Serbia; Hertha BSC)
FORWARDS
Edin Džeko (Bosnia and Herzegovina; Wolfsburg)
Zlatan Muslimović (Bosnia and Herzegovina; PAOK)
Vedad Ibišević (Bosnia and Herzegovina; 1899 Hoffenheim)
Eduardo (Croatia; Arsenal)
Ivica Olić (Croatia; Bayern Munich)
Mladen Petrić (Croatia; Hamburger SV)
Goran Pandev (Macedonia; Inter Milan)
Mirko Vučinić (Montenegro; Roma)
Nikola Žigić (Serbia; Valencia)
Marko Pantelić (Serbia; Ajax)
Milan Jovanović (Serbia; Standard Liege, signed by Liverpool)
Milivoje Novakovič (Slovenia; 1. FC Köln)
Two Notes:
1. No political statement here, just having some fun looking at the potential player pool.
2. I don't follow these national teams closely so it's possible I may have missed one or two deserving players but you get the idea. They would be GOOD.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Videos: Asian Nations with One World Cup Appearance
Highlights (or lowlights depending on how you look at it) of the Asian nations that have only made one World Cup finals appearance in their history.
Korea DPR 1966 (One of the biggest upsets in WC History)
Kuwait 1982 (The only point in Kuwait World Cup History)
Iraq 1986 (only goal in Iraq World Cup History)
UAE 1990 (UAE scored a goal....)
China 2002 (0 points, 0 goals)
Note: Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) made a World Cup appearance in 1938 but I couldn't find any video footage.
Korea DPR 1966 (One of the biggest upsets in WC History)
Kuwait 1982 (The only point in Kuwait World Cup History)
Iraq 1986 (only goal in Iraq World Cup History)
UAE 1990 (UAE scored a goal....)
China 2002 (0 points, 0 goals)
Note: Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) made a World Cup appearance in 1938 but I couldn't find any video footage.
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