Friday, March 30, 2012

Dutch Players in Both EPL and La Liga since 1992

Dutch players that have played with clubs in Spain's La Liga and England's Premier League since the beginning of the Premier League Era in 1992-93.


Winston Bogarde – Barcelona 1997-00, Chelsea 2000–01

Khalid Boulahrouz – Chelsea 2006–07, Sevilla 2007-08

Jordi Cruyff – Barcelona 1994-96, Manchester United 1996–00, Celta Vigo 1999, Alavés 2000-03, Espanyol 2003-04

Edgar Davids – Barcelona 2003-04, Tottenham Hotspur 2005–07

Daniël de Ridder – Celta Vigo 2005-07, Birmingham City 2007-08, Wigan Athletic 2008-11

Royston Drenthe - Real Madrid 2007-10, Everton 2011-12

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – Leeds United 1997-99, Atlético Madrid 1999-00, Chelsea 2000-04, Middelsbrough 2004-06, Charlton Athletic 2006-07

John Heitinga – Atlético Madrid 2008-09, Everton 2009–12

Patrick Kluivert – Barcelona 1998-04, Newcastle United 2004–05, Valencia 2005-06

Jan Kromkamp – Villarreal 2005-06, Liverpool 2006

Kiki Musampa – Málaga 1999-03, Atlético Madrid 2003-06, Manchester City 2004–06

Marc Overmars – Arsenal 1997–00, Barcelona, 2000-04

Michael Reiziger – Barcelona 1997-04, Middlesbrough 2004–06

Arjen Robben – Chelsea 2004–07, Real Madrid 2007-09

Giovanni van Bronckhorst – Arsenal 2001–03, Barcelona 2003-07

Rafael van der Vaart – Real Madrid 2008-10, Tottenham Hotspur 2010–12

Ruud van Nistelrooy – Manchester United 2001–06, Real Madrid 2006-10

Sander Westerveld – Liverpool 1999-2001, Real Sociedad 2001-05, Mallorca 2004-05, Portsmouth 2005-06, Everton 2006, Almeria 2006-07

Richard Witschge – Barcelona 1991-93, Blackburn Rovers 1995, Alavés 2001-2002

Nordin Wooter – Real Zaragoza 1997-99, Watford 1999–00

Boudewijn Zenden – Barcelona 1998-01, Chelsea 2001-04 Middlesbrough 2003-05, Liverpool 2005-07, Sunderland 2009-11

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Barcelona Held Scoreless Games since 2008

Games that FC Barcelona failed to score a goal in since Pep Guardiola became their manager at the beginning of the 2008 season.

AC Milan (0-0, UCL: 3/28/12)
Villarreal (0-0, LIGA: 1/28/12)
Getafe (1-0, LIGA: 11/26/11)
Sevilla (0-0, LIGA: 10/22/11)

Deportivo La Coruña (0-0, LIGA: 5/15/11)
Real Madrid (1-0, CDR: 4/20/11)
Athletic Bilbao (0-0, CDR: 12/21/10)
Hércules (2-0, LIGA: 9/11/10)

Espanyol (0-0, LIGA: 4/17/10)
Rubin Kazan (0-0, UCL: 11/04/09)
Valencia (0-0, LIGA: 10/17/09)
Inter Milan (0-0, UCL: 9/16/09)

Osasuna (1-0, LIGA: 5/23/09)
Chelsea (0-0, UCL: 4/28/09)
Espanyol (0-0, CDR: 1/21/09)
Numancia (1-0, LIGA: 8/31/08)
Wisła Kraków (1-0, UCL: 8/26/08)


LIGA = La Liga
UCL = UEFA Champions League
CDR = Copa Del Rey

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Africa: Average FIFA Ranking Table 1993-2012

The average FIFA ranking of the 53 African (CAF) Nations from January 1993 to March 2012

30.005 - Cameroon
30.460 - Egypt
35.867 - Nigeria
35.872 - Tunisia
37.294 - Morocco

37.460 - Côte d'Ivoire
43.493 - Ghana
47.265 - South Africa
53.156 - Zambia
56.057 - Senegal

62.815 - Algeria
64.536 - Mali
72.346 - Zimbabwe
72.739 - Guinea
73.047 - Angola

78.626 - Burkina Faso
81.166 - Gabon
82.234 - Congo DR
82.692 - Togo
96.294 - Uganda

99.161 - Kenya
99.844 - Malawi
102.536 - Congo
102.991 - Mozambique
108.731 - Sudan

113.393 - Libya
114.355 - Liberia
118.469 - Namibia
119.038 - Sierra Leone
122.156 - Benin

122.336 - Tanzania
122.777 - Ethiopia
127.332 - Rwanda
128.047 - Botswana
129.118 - Gambia

133.166 - Cape Verde Islands
135.351 - Burundi
136.507 - Madagascar
137.834 - Swaziland
145.957 - Lesotho

146.085 - Niger
146.436 - Mauritius
153.033 - Mauritania
156.429 - Equatorial Guinea
160.460 - Chad

162.390 - Eritrea
166.583 - Guinea-Bissau
173.400 - São Tomé e Príncipe
175.280 - Seychelles
176.931 - Central African Republic

186.740 - Somalia
187.222 - Comoros
191.117 - Djibouti

Monday, March 26, 2012

Asia: Average FIFA Ranking Table 1993-2012

The average FIFA ranking of the 46 Asian (AFC) Nations from January 1993 to March 2012

31.355 - Japan
36.820 - South Korea
45.147 - Saudi Arabia
46.976 - Australia
47.351 - Iran

68.408 - China
76.258 - Uzbekistan
77.171 - Kuwait
78.223 - Iraq
78.867 - Qatar

79.545 - United Arab Emirates
83.754 - Thailand
86.692 - Oman
93.498 - Bahrain
100.455 - Jordan

101.336 - Syria
109.995 - Singapore
113.611 - Indonesia
118.545 - Vietnam
120.156 - Lebanon

120.403 - North Korea
121.578 - Malaysia
128.545 - India
129.261 - Hong Kong
130.884 - Turkmenistan

134.104 - Yemen
137.697 - Myanmar
142.736 - Tajikistan
147.422 - Sri Lanka
149.953 - Bangladesh

154.289 - Maldives
155.930 - Palestine
158.345 - Kyrgyzstan
161.853 - Nepal
164.379 - Laos

163.744 - Chinese Taipei
168.739 - Pakistan
174.341 - Philippines
175.658 - Cambodia
181.754 - Macau

183.986 - Brunei Darussalam
184.637 - Mongolia
189.890 - Afghanistan
194.825 - Bhutan
197.210 - Guam

200.141 - Timor-Leste

Friday, March 23, 2012

Two Syllable Premier League Players

James Shea - Arsenal

Chris Herd - Aston Villa

Mark Bunn - Blackburn Rovers
Scott Dann - Blackburn Rovers
Jake Kean - Blackburn Rovers

Zat Knight - Bolton Wanderers
Tim Ream - Bolton Wanderers
Jay Lynch - Bolton Wanderers

Chris Baird - Fulham

Brad Jones - Liverpool
Dirk Kuyt - Liverpool

Joe Hart - Manchester City

Paul Scholes - Manchester United
Tom Thorpe - Manchester United
Will Keane - Manchester United
Phil Jones - Manchester United

James Perch - Newcastle United
Tim Krul - Newcastle United

Grant Holt - Norwich City
Jed Steer - Norwich City

Clint Hill - QPR
Fitz Hall - QPR
Luke Young - QPR
Rob Hulse - QPR

Wayne Bridge - Sunderland
Wes Brown - Sunderland
Craig Lynch - Sunderland

Luke Moore - Swansea City
Joe Walsh - Swansea City

Shane Long - West Bromwich Albion
Chris Brunt - West Bromwich Albion

Jack Price - Wolverhampton Wanderers
James Spray - Wolverhampton Wanderers

Monday, March 19, 2012

2012 MLS Goals - Player Birthplace Map

The birthplace of every MLS player with a goal in the opening two weeks of the 2012 MLS season.


David Estrada - Morelia, Michoacan
CJ Sapong - Manassas, VA
Fabian Espindola - Merlo, Buenos Aires
Robbie Keane - Dublin, Ireland
Graham Zusi - Orlando, FL
Blas Perez - Panama City, Panama
Camilo - Presidente Prudente, Brazil
Kalif Alhassan - Accra, Ghana
Kei Kamara - Kenema, Sierra Leone
Nick DeLeon - Phoenix, AZ
Quincy Amarikwa - Bakersfield, CA
Javier Morales - Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires
Darlington Nagbe - Monrovia, Liberia
Kenny Cooper - Baltimore, MD
Marcelo Sarvas - São Paulo, Brazil
Andrew Jean-Baptiste - Brooklyn, New York
Dominic Oduro - Accra, Ghana
Ryan Johnson - Kingston, Jamaica
Edson Buddle - New Rochelle, NY
Luis Gil -  Garden Grove, CA
Tony Cascio - Gilbert, AZ
Ricardo Villar - São Paulo, Brazil
Kris Boyd -  Irvine, Scotland
Andre Hainault - Montreal, Quebec
Brad Davis - St. Charles, MO
Chris Wondolowski - Danville, CA
Davy Arnaud - Nederland, TX
Drew Moor - Dallas, TX
Gabriel Gomez - Panama City, Panama
Jaime Castrillon - Medellín, Colombia
Jay DeMerit - Green Bay, WI
Lionard Pajoy - Villa del Rosario, Colombia
Sebastien Le Toux -  Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
Zach Loyd - Tulsa, OK

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Panama Football League Club Logos

Club Logos from the Liga Panameña de Fútbol (Panamanian Football League).










Tuesday, March 13, 2012

South American Players in Top European Leagues (March 2012)

The number of South American players in the top-flight leagues of England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

Argentina
46 - Italy
33 - Spain
12 - England
9 - France
1 - Germany

Bolivia
None

Brazil
35 - Italy
25 - Spain
21 - France
18 - Germany
14 - England

Chile
9 - Italy
3 - Spain
2 - England
1 - France
0 - Germany

Colombia
9 - Italy
4 - France
4 - Spain
3 - Germany
1 - England

Ecuador
1 - England
1 - Spain

Paraguay
3 - Spain
2 - Italy
1 - Germany
1 - England
0 - France

Peru
3 - Germany
2 - Italy
1 - France
0 - England
0 - Spain

Uruguay
20 - Italy
11 - Spain
3 - England
1 - France
0 - Germany

Venezuela
3 - Germany
3 - Spain
2 - Italy
1 - France
0 - England


TOTAL
125 - Italy
83 - Spain
38 - France
34 - England
29 - Germany

Numbers compiled from transfermarkt.co.uk

Monday, March 12, 2012

CONCACAF Players in England (March 2012)

CONCACAF players currently with clubs in the top 5 leagues of England (Premier League to Conference National)

Antigua and Barbuda
Mikele Leigertwood (Reading FC.2)
Marvin McCoy (Wycombe Wanderers.3)
Josh Parker (Dagenham & Redbridge.4)

Barbados
Emmerson Boyce (Wigan Athletic)
Jonathan Forte (Notts County.3)
Jon Nurse (Dagenham & Redbridge.4)
Mark McCammon (Lincoln City.5)
Louie Soares (Grimsby Town.5)

Bermuda
Nahki Wells (Bradford City.4)
Freddy Hall (Northampton Town.4)

Canada
David Hoilett (Blackburn Rovers)
Simeon Jackson (Norwich City)
David Edgar (Burnley FC.2)
Jaime Peters (Ipswich Town.2)
Ethan Gage (Reading FC.2)
Jordan Santiago (Cardiff City.2)
Iain Hume (Preston North End.3)
Gavin McCallum (Lincoln City.5)
Ross Smith (Ebbsfleet United.5)

Costa Rica
Bryan Ruiz (Fulham)

Curaçao
Shelton Martis (Doncaster Rovers.2)

Dominica
Jefferson Louis (Lincoln City.5)
Richard Pacquette (Lincoln City.5)

Grenada
Jason Roberts (Reading FC.2)
Leon Johnson (Wycombe Wanderers.3)
Delroy Facey (Hereford United.4)
Anthony Straker (Aldershot Town.4)
Bradley Bubb (Aldershot Town.4)
Dwayne Lee (Hayes & Yeading FC.5)

Guadeloupe
Ronald Zubar (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Therry Racon (Millwall FC.2)
Stephane Zubar (Bournemouth AFC.3)

Guyana
Jermaine Grandison (Shrewsbury Town.4)
Ricky Shakes (Ebbsfleet United.5)

Haiti
Jean-Francois Lecsinel (Sheffield United.3)

Honduras
Wilson Palacios (Stoke City)
Maynor Figueroa (Wigan Athletic)
Hendry Thomas (Wigan Athletic)
Ramón Núñez (Leeds United.2)

Jamaica
Tyrone Mears (Bolton Wanderers)
Ricardo Gardner (Bolton Wanderers)
Ricardo Fuller (Stoke City)
Jobi McAnuff (Reading FC.2)
Marvin Elliott (Bristol City.2)
Marlon King (Birmingham City.2)
Nyron Nowsorthy (Watford FC.2)
Keammar Daley (Preston North End.3)
Lee Williamson (Sheffield United.3)
Ian Goodison (Tranmere Rovers.3)
Jermaine Johnson (Sheffield Wednesday.3)
Marcus Bean (Brentford FC.3)
Damion Stewart (Notts County.3)
Joel Grant (Wycombe Wanderers.3)
Jamal Campbell-Ryce (Leyton Orient.3)
Kevin Lisbie (Leyton Orient.3)
Simon Ford (Chesterfield FC.3)
Claude Davis (Crawley Town.4)
Cleveland Taylor (Burton Albion.4)
Jason Euell (AFC Wimbledon.4)
Francino Francis (Tamworth FC.5)
Craig Dobson (Kettering Town.5)

Mexico
Javier Hernández (Manchester United)
Giovani dos Santos (Tottenham Hotspur)
Antonio Pedroza (Crystal Palace.2)

Montserrat
Anthony Griffith (Port Vale.4)

St. Kitts & Nevis
Romaine Sawyers (Shrewsbury Town.4)
Calum Willock (Ebbsfleet United.5)

Trinidad and Tobago
Kenwyne Jones (Stoke City)
Jason Scotland (Ipswich Town.2)
Carlos Edwards (Ipswich Town.2)
Jake Thomson (Forest Green Rovers.5)
Andre Boucaud (Luton Town.5)
Josh Johnson (AFC Telford United.5)

United States
Clint Dempsey (Fulham)
Tim Howard (Everton)
Marcus Hahnemann (Everton)
Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers)
Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers)
Brad Friedel (Tottenham Hotspur)
Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
Eric Lichaj (Aston Villa)
Zak Whitbread (Norwich City)
Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City.2)
Conor Doyle (Derby County.2)
Robbie Findley (Nottingham Forest.2)
Robbie Rogers (Leeds United.2)
Frank Simek (Carlisle United.3)
Mike Grella (Bury FC.3)
Anton Peterlin (Walsall FC.3)
Paul Rachubka (Leyton Orient.3)
Neal Kitson (Northampton Town.4)
Euan Holden (Stockport County.5)

Friday, March 9, 2012

2012 Portland Timbers "Personal" Bios

ERIC ALEXANDER
Was a finance major in the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University

JOE BENDIK
Was a NSCAA High School All-American at Edison Academic Center High School in Bradenton, Fla.

Attended the U.S. U-18 National Team camp in Los Angeles and the Elite Soccer Program (ESP) camp in Hartford, Conn., while in high school

Majored in management at Clemson

FREDDIE BRAUN
Enjoyed studying video productions in school

Wrote a blog for the Louisville website during his time on campus

Lists golfing, snowboarding and wakeboarding as some of his hobbies.

ERIC BRUNNER
Attended Dublin Scioto High School

Majored in Communications at Ohio State

Enjoys playing video games

Played for the Ohio Thunder club team from 1998-2003

Played for the Michigan Bucks of the Premier Development League in 2007, making 11 appearances and scoring two goals

MIKE CHABALA
Began playing soccer at the age of four

Traveled on a team trip to Europe as an eight-year-old

If not playing soccer, would be living in New York and working on Wall Street

Lists snowboarding, golf, and politics among his hobbies

Lists Brazilian midfielder Kaká as one of his favorite athletes

Favorite music genres are indie rock and techno

Majored in economics at Washington and graduated in three-and-a-half years

Interned at Pacific Capital as a financial planner in 2005

DIEGO CHARA
With the Timbers, is reunited with countryman Jorge Perlaza, whom he has known since he was 12 and has played with previously

FUTTY DANSO
Has two sets of families, one in the United States and his biological family back in The Gambia

Favorite soccer clubs include Italy’s Juventus and England’s Chelsea

Is also a talented volleyball and tennis player

If wasn’t a professional soccer player, would likely be an engineer, working on fighter planes

BRIGHT DIKE
Is an avid sports fan

Favorite sports teams are Arsenal and Barcelona

Both hip hop and R&B top his list of favorite music genres

Likes to travel and visit new places

Has met President Obama

Loves working with computers, would be in information technology if not for soccer

Enjoys cooking


JAKE GLEESON
A native of New Zealand, also grew up playing cricket, a sport he likes watching

Enjoys playing guitar and listening to music

Is a fan of TV shows “Jersey Shore” and “Flight of the Conchords”

Golfs in his free time

DAVID HORST
Majored in Civil Engineering while attending Old Dominion

JACK JEWSBURY
Favorite international club is Liverpool

Is an avid golfer

Loves to play basketball during the off-season

Scored 59 goals his senior season and 124 for his career, both marks are state records, at Kickapoo
High School in Springfield, Mo.

Traveled three-and-a-half hours every weekend to play youth soccer for Busch S.C. in St. Louis

RYAN KAWULOK
Grandfather, Anthony Kawulok, played professional soccer in Poland prior to World War II and cousins played collegiate football at Colorado State and San Diego State

JAMES MARCELIN
Is an avid video gamer, and particularly enjoys playing PlayStation

Likes a variety of music

Claims favorite movie to be ATL

Favorite things to watch on TV are soccer channels

DARLINGTON NAGBE
Father, Joe, is a former captain of the Liberian National Team

Member of the U.S. U-15 National Team pool in 2004

LOVEL PALMER
Enjoys listening to music, watching movies, and going to the beach

Played cricket as a youngster

Did not begin playing soccer until the age of 10 and did not join a competitive team until he
was 13


TROY PERKINS
Lists carpentry as a hobby

Is a skilled chef, specializing in southern dishes.

STEVE PURDY
Speaks three languages, including Spanish and German

Grew up playing basketball, baseball and soccer

From the Bay Area, lists the San Francisco 49ers as one of his favorite sports teams.

CHARLES RENKEN
Before agreeing to a deal with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, trained with English clubs Arsenal and Reading as well as German side 1860 Munich

SEBASTIAN RINCON
Is the son of recognized Colombian soccer player Freddy Rincón, who played in three World Cups for the Colombian National Team

FRANCK SONGO'O
Father, Jacques, played professionally for nearly 20 years for clubs in France, Spain and Cameroon
and was a member of the Cameroon National Team that competed in the 1984 Olympics and four FIFA World Cups

CHRIS TAYLOR
Graduated with a degree in management with a specialization in entrepreneurship and family business

Lettered in soccer, cross country, track and football at Casady High School in Oklahoma City

Enjoys listening to country music, listing George Strait and Kenny Chesney among his favorite artists

Is an avid outdoorsman, partaking in fishing, hiking, mountain biking and skiing.

JOSE ADOLFO VALENCIA
Nicknamed “El Trencito” (the Little Train), Valencia is the son of popular former Colombian international Adolfo Valencia, who played in the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups

Adolfo Valencia, known as “El Tren” (the Train), had a 16-year professional career (1988-2004),
which included stints with Santa Fe, Germany’s Bayern Munich, Spain’s Atlético Madrid and in MLS with the MetroStars from 2000-01.


RODNEY WALLACE
Played with former Timbers midfielder Jeremy Hall at Maryland

Enjoys watching movies

SAL ZIZZO
Lists Manchester United forward Michael Owen as one of his favorite athletes

Was also a four-year letterman in baseball at Patrick Henry High School

Likes all types of music

Enjoys playing video games

In the offseason, opened an Italian foodcart, Zizzo’s FC, in downtown Portland

Thursday, March 8, 2012

2012 Chicago Fire "Personal" Bios

The "Personal" sections from the 2012 Chicago Fire player bios.

JALIL ANIBABA
Involved in the Peer Helping program in high school

Enjoys playing basketball, listening to music and researching Yoruba music and culture

Loves to vacation in Northern California

Likes any movie with Denzel Washington

Biggest influence is his father

Respects Jay Jay Okocha because of his dribbling abilities and loved to watch the Nigerian National soccer team because of his heritage

Goes by the nickname J

ORR BARROUCH
Becoming a professional soccer player and scoring his first goal were one of his most rewarding moments

Loves the movie Gladiator

Enjoys vacationing in Israel

AUSTIN BERRY

Grandfather played baseball for the University of Cincinnati and in the Minor League system

Enjoys playing video games, especially Call of Duty, when he is not on the soccer field

Favorite movie is Gladiator

Most influenced by his coaches at Louisville

CORBEN BONE
Likes vacationing at Wilmington Beach, NC and in San Diego, CA

Favorite Chicago restaurants are Shine and The Dog Joint

Looks up to Andres Iniesta of Barcelona

Likes to listen to rap and R&B music, especially Jay-Z

Nicknamed C-Bone.

KHELI DUBE
Full name is Mkhokheli Dube, but goes by Kheli

Son of Pauline Dube and is the third of her six children, all of whom still live in Zimbabwe

Majored in communications at Coastal Carolina

Also played tennis as a child

DAN GARGAN
Enjoys painting and often donates his work to charity

Yoga enthusiast

Fan of all Philadelphia sports teams

CORY GIBBS
Married to Zena (McNally), a former BBC presenter

Favorite player is Brazil's Roberto Carlos

Enjoys playing basketball and spending time with friends and family

Born to Jamaican parents who emigrated to the U.S., he spent much of his youth growing up near Kingston

Enjoys listening to music, shopping, and trying new restaurants

Listens to hip-hop and reggae music

SEBASTIAN GRAZZINI
Often celebrates goals by doing the “Cumbia” a popular dance form in Latin America.

HUNTER JUMPER
Because of his name, often gets Facebook friend requests from people thinking he’s a horse jumping aficionado.

SEAN JOHNSON
Brother Jarrett played professional basketball in Greece

Earned three letters as a power forward for the Brookwood High School basketball squad

Led the team in scoring and rebounding

Favorite meal is chicken alfredo and top Chicago restaurants are Rumba and Café Pazzo

Counts Everton and U.S. international goalkeeper Tim Howard as his positional inspiration


STEVEN KINNEY
Majored in accounting at Elon University

Would love to vacation anywhere warm and nice

Looks up to Michael Jordan

Favorite soccer player is Lionel Messi

Favorite band is Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

LUCKY MKOSANA
Met fellow Zimbabwean teammate Kheli Dube while he was at Dartmouth and Dube was with the New England Revolution

Lives with Dube and his family in Chicago

Earned a spot on the Fire’s 2012 roster while finishing his undergraduate work at Dartmouth during training camp

JAY NOLLY
Nolly majored in Education at Indiana University

PATRICK NYARKO
Majored in Psychology at Virginia Tech

Enjoys watching basketball

Favorite thing to eat is soup

Some of his favorite activities include relaxing at home, watching television, and catching up with family and friends

Listens to R&B and hip hop music

DOMINIC ODURO
Graduated from VCU with a B.S. in sociology, which he considers his greatest accomplishment outside of soccer

Lists T.I. and Lil' Wayne among favorite musicians

Enjoys the author John Grisham

Favorite movie is "The Bourne Ultimatum"

Enjoys playing ping-pong

Admires Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o

Besides English, speaks Ghanaian dialects of Twi, Ga, Nzema, and Fante

Dominic's nickname, "The Birdman," was inspired partly by the rapper, Birdman, and partly because teammates say Oduro can'fly' on the field

Enjoys watching movies and reading books

Given the nickname Zeus

DANIEL PALADINI
Enjoys vacationing at his family’s lake house

Favorite movie is Gladiator

Most influenced by his dad

Looks up to the historical figure, John F. Kennedy

Given the nickname D by a teammate when he was younger

PARI PANTAZOPOULOS
Grew up following the Fire from their days at Soldier Field, Cardinal Stadium and Toyota Park

Counted Ante Razov, Peter Nowak and current head coach Frank Klopas as his favorite players

Enjoys going to the gym, watching basketball, and hanging out with friends

Loves to vacation in Mykanos, Greece

Looks up to Michael Jordan and David Beckham

Given the nickname Smiley

PAVEL PARDO
Enjoys playing golf, lying on the beach, reading, and traveling

Feels that winning a championship in Mexico and appearing twice in the World Cup were some of his most rewarding moments in his career

Given the nickname El Presidente by his teammates

LOGAN PAUSE
Considers his professional debut with the Fire in 2003 as his best soccer moment

Attempts to pattern his game after former Fire captain and midfielder Chris Armas

Enjoys cycling and cooking in his free time

Favorite sports to watch outside of soccer are hockey and baseball

Loves baby back ribs and his mom’s chicken pot pie

Favorite childhood book was Where the Wild Things Are

Enjoys the film Good Will Hunting

Favorite place to vacation to is Paris, France

Nicknamed “L.P.”

VICTOR PINEDA
Brother Mauricio currently plays with the Chicago U14 Academy team

Enjoys going to Cancun for vacation

Loves to watch the movie Step Up 3 because of all of the great dancing

Favorite soccer player is Alexis Sanchez


GONZALO SEGARES
Nicknamed “Gonzo” and “Sega ”

Most rewarding moment of his soccer career was becoming a professional player as a member of the Fire

Was a Sociology major at VCU

Has a cat named Louis

Admires Costa Rican National Team player Gilberto Martinez and Brazilian National Team player Ronaldinho

Enjoys watching TV, playing video games and listening to music – including reggae, reggaeton and rock & roll

Favorite TV show is ESPN’s SportsCenter

MICHAEL VIDEIRA
Enjoys playing tennis, boating, and watching movies

Favorite place to vacation is the British Virgin Islands

Most rewarding moment in soccer was helping take his school to the final four

Favorite player is Lionel Messi

Favorite film is Along Came Polly

Nicknamed "Vito"


TONY WALLS
Helped Wauwatosa East to a Division 1 State Title in basketball in 2008

Was a member of the UW-Green Bay men's basketball team in 08-09

Cousin Jeff is a running back for Wisconsin

KWAME WATSON-SIRIBOE
Majored in Resource Economics at the University of Connecticut

While in Chicago, likes eating at Portill's and Yolk

Models his game after French defenders William Gallas and Lillian Thuram

Favorite meal is barbeque beef ribs

Enjoys horror movies

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

FIFA Confederation Ranking Comparison - March 2012

Comparing FIFA Confederations using the average FIFA ranking of the top 5 teams from each region.

Top 5 Avg. - Confederation (+/- January)

3.8 - Europe (-0.2)
1 - Spain
2 - Netherlands
3 - Germany
6 - England
7 - Portugal

11.2 - South America (+0.6)
4 - Uruguay
5 - Brazil
8 - Argentina
14 - Chile
25 - Paraguay

31.2 - Africa (-0.2)
15 - Cote d'Ivoire
23 - Ghana
35 - Algeria
41 - Zambia
42 - Mali

40.2 - Asia (-4.0)
20 - Australia
30 - South Korea
33 - Japan
51 - Iran
67 - Uzbekistan

42.2 - CONCACAF (-1.4)
22 - Mexico
27 - USA
50 - Panama
54 - Jamaica
58 - El Salvador

152.0 - Oceania (+1.8)
119 - New Zealand
150 - Samoa
157 - Fiji
162 - New Caledonia
172 - Vanuatu

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

2012 MLS Player Name Pronunciation Guide

Chicago Fire
Jalil Anibaba - Jah-LEEL Ah-Nee-Bah-Bah
Kheli Dube - doo-BAY
Federico Puppo - pooh-PO
Sebastian Grazzini - GRASS-ee-knee
Gonzalo Segares - seh-GAH-res
Patrick Nyarko - NEE-yah-koh
Michael Videira - VEE-dare-AH
Rafael Robayo - row-BUY-O
Lucky Mkosana - mKOW-sah-nah

Chivas USA
Juan Pablo Angel - AHN-hel
Miller Bolaños - Bowl-AH-nios
Laurent Courtois - core-TUA
Marvin Iraheta - Eee-RAH-e-tah
Ante Jazic - ON-tay JAZZ-ik
Nick LaBrocca - lah-BROH-kah
Michael Lahoud - la-HUDE

Colorado Rapids
Jeff Larentowicz - lah-REN-tow-witz
Josh Janniere - Jahn-ee-AIR
Eddie Ababio - ah-BAH-bee-oh
Martin Rivero - mar-TEEN re-VARE-oh
Quincy Amarikwa - ah-MARE-ik-wah
Ross LaBauex - lah-BOH
Andre Akpan - AHK-pahn
Jaime Castrillon - cas-tree-YON
Pablo Mastroeni - mahs-troh-EHN-ee
Koskuke Kimura - KOHS-kay key-MOO-rah
Steward Ceus - SEE-oos

Columbus Crew
Rernardo Anor - Ah-noor
Dilly Duka - DOO-kuh
Andy Gruenebaum - Green-UH-bohm
Rich Balchan - BALL-shin
Justin Meram - MEER-am
Milovan Mirosevic - MEE-loh-VAHN MEE-roh-seh-VICH
Tony Tchani - CHA-knee

DC United
Branko Boškovic - BOSS-coe-vitch
Dwayne De Rosario - DAY-row SAR-ee-oh
Bill Hamid - Ah-meed
Dejan Jakovic - DAY-on YA-ko-vich
Andy Najar - na-HARR
Chris Pontius - PON-tee-us
Hamdi Salihi - sa-LEE-he
Maicon Santos - my-CONE SAN-tos

FC Dallas
Ugo Ihemelu - OO-go ee-HEM-meh-loo
Jair Benitez - Ja-EER
David Ferreira - Dah-VEED feh-RARE-ah
Brek Shea - shay

Houston Dynamo
Will Bruin - brew-in
Tyler Deric - DARE-ick
Andre Hainault - HAY-no
Kofi Sarkodie - KO-fee sar-KO-dee
Josue Soto - hoh-SWAY
Nathan Sturgis - Stir-jiss
Adam Moffat - MAW-fit

LA Galaxy
Todd Dunivant - DUNN-uh-vint
Marcelo Sarvas - sahr-VAS
Hector Jimenez - HEE-men-ez
Adam Cristman - CRIST-men
Juninho - juh-NEEN-yo
Leonardo - LAY-oh-nahr-DOE
Paolo Cardozo - PAW-low car-DOH-zo
Bill Gaudette - GAW-debt

Montreal Impact
Bryan Arguez - Arg-wez
Davy Arnaud - Ar-no
Patrice Bernier - Bern-yay
Justin Braun - Bron
Mike Fucito - Few-see-to
Gerson Mayen - Her-son My-en
Lamar Neagle - Nay-gull
Sanna Nyassi - Sawn-na Nye-as-see
Nelson Rivas - Ree-vas
Aaron Schoenfeld - Shon-feld
Sinisa Ubiparipovic - Sini-sha Ubi-Pari-Povik
Zarek Valentin - Val-en-teen
Andrew Wenger - Weng-er

New England Revolution
Matt Reis - REESE
Tyler Polak - POH-lock
Kelyn Rowe - KELL-len ROH
Diego Fagundez - fuh-GOON-des
Zack Schilawski - sha-LAW-ski
Sainey Nyassi - SAIN-nee ny-AH-see
Shalrie Joseph - shall-REE
Benny Feilhaber - FAIL-hob-ber
Darrius Barnes - DARE-ee-us
Saër Sène - sah-AIR SEN

New York Red Bulls
Wilman Conde - COHN-day
Jonathan Borrajo - Bohr-RAH-hoe
Markus Holgersson - HOHL-ger-son
Teemu Tainio - TEH-moo TAIN-nee-oh
Jan Gunnar Solli - YAHN SOH-lee
Mehdi Ballouchy - MEH-dee bah-LOO-chee
Thierry Henry - TYAIR-ee ahn-REE
Juan Agudelo - Agg-goo-DELL-oh
Ryan Meara - MARE-uh
Joel Lindpere - JOL lind-PEAR
Jeremy Vuolo - VOH-loh
Victor Palsson - PAHL-son

Philadelphia Union
Danny Califf - KAY-liff
Brian Carroll - CAH-rul
Keon Daniel - Kee-ON
Raymon Gaddis - Ray-moan Gad-dis
Antoine Hoppenot - An-Twon Hop-e-no
Porfirio Lopez - Poor-fear-rEE-O
Jack McInerney - Mac-ER-nern-ee
Danny Mwanga - Muh-WANG-guh
Amobi Okugo - a-Moby Oh-KOO-go
Lionard Pajoy - LEE-oh-nard Pa-hoy
Zach Pfeffer - FEF-err
Sheanon Williams - SHANE-en
Krystian Witkowski - Christian Wit-cow-ski

Portland Timbers
Eric Brunner - BREW-ner
Darlington Nabge - NAG-be
Sal Zizzo - ZEE-zoh
Franck Songo'o - frahnk SOHN-go
Kalif Alhassan - KA-leaf AL-hass-on
James Marcelin - mar-sa-LEE-in
Jorge Perlaza - per-LA-za
Ryan Kawulok - ka-WALL-uk
Bright Dike - DEE-kay
Lovel Palmer - love-EL
Hanyer Mosquera - HAHN-yer moss-KEH-rah
Futty Danso - FOOT-ee DAN-sue

Real Salt Lake
Lalo Fernandez - LAW-lo
Diogo de Almeida - dee-OH-go day al-MAY-da
Jamison Olave - HA-meh-son oh-LAH-vay
Fabian Espindola - es-PEEN-doh-lah
Emiliano Bonfigli - bon-FEEG-lee
Yordany Alvarez - jhor-DON-ee
Alvaro Saborio - sah-bo-REE-oh
Nick Rimando - ruh-MAHN-do
Luis Gil - GILL
Cody Arnoux - are-KNOW
Leone Cruz - lee-OH-knee
Lance Laing - LANG
Terukazu Tanaka - tare-oo-kahz-oo

San Jose Earthquakes
Khari Stephenson - CAR-ee
Sercan Guvenisik - SER-john gu-VEN-ah-shuck
Tressor Moreno - TRESS-er
Jean-Mark Alexandre - SZ-Ahhh-N al-EK-ZOND
Joey Gjertson - JURT-son
Anthony Ampaipitakwong - am-PIE-pi-talk-wong
Steven Beitashour - BAY-tah-sure
Ike Opara - oh-PAR-ah
Chris Wondolowski - wan-dough-LOWW-skee

Seattle Sounders
Osvaldo Alonso - ahs-VAHL-doe
Alvaro Fernandez - AHL-bah-ro
Leo Gonzalez - LAY-o
Michael Gspurning - guh-SHPOORN-ing
Patrick Ianni - ee-AWN-ee
Adam Johansson - Yo-HAWN-sun
Roger Levesque - luh-VECK
Fredy Montero - mon-TARE-oh
Mauro Rosales - MOU-ro Roh-SAH-les
Amadou Sanyang - ah-ma-DOO SAN-yang
Christian Sivebaek - SEE-veh-beck
Babayele Sodade - bah-bye-elle-EE sho-dahd-DAY
Michael Tetteh - TETT-tay
Steve Zakuani - zak-uh-WAH-nee

Sporting Kansas City
Jimmy Nielsen - neel-sen
Korede Aiyegbusi - co-red-eh eye-eh-BOO-see
Matt Besler - BEEZ-ler
Graham Zusi - ZOO-see
Soony Saad - soo-NEE sod
Konrad Warzycha - Var-ZEE-hah
Kei Kamara - kye-kah-MARH-ah
Aurelien Collin - au-REEL-ee-en

Toronto FC
Eric Avila - AV-EE-A
Julian de Guzman - De-GOOZ-man
Stefan Frei - STEF-IN FRY
Doneil Henry - DON-EEL HEN-REE
Milos Kocic - MEE-LOSH KO-SICH
Danny Koevermans - KOO-VER-MANS
Keith Makubuya - MA-KOO-BEE-AHH
Ashtone Morgan - ASH-TON
Joao Plata - JA-OW
Dicoy Williams - DEE-KOY

Vancouver Whitecaps
Alain Rochat - Ah-LAHN roe-SHA
Davide Chiumiento - CUE-mee-EN-toe
Eric Hassli - AH-slee
Russel Teibert - TIE-bert


All pronunciations are from the official 2012 MLS Media Guides or 2011 Game Guides

Monday, March 5, 2012

10 Premier League Goals - Player Birthplace Map

The birthplaces of the 13 players with 10+ goals in the 2011/2012 EPL season as of Mar 4, 2012.


View EPL 10 Goal Scorer Birthplace Map - 2011/2012 in a larger map