Monday, June 25, 2012

Non-Sovereign FIFA Members


Non-sovereign nations that are current FIFA members

American Samoa (USA)
Anguilla (UK)
Aruba (Netherlands)
Bermuda (UK)
British Virgin Islands (UK)
Cayman Islands (UK)
Chinese Taipei (China)
Curaçao (Netherlands)
England (UK)
Faroe Islands (Denmark)
Guam (USA)
Hong Kong (China)
Macau (China)
Montserrat (UK)
New Caledonia (France)
Northern Ireland (UK)
Palestine
Puerto Rico (USA)
Scotland (UK)
Tahiti (France)
Turks and Caicos Islands (UK)
US Virgin Islands (USA)
Wales (UK)


NON-FIFA members that are associate members of continental Confederations

AFC: Northern Mariana Islands

CAF: Réunion

CONCACAF: French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten

OFC: Niue, Kiribati, Tuvalu


Sovereign Nations that are not members of FIFA or their continental Confederations

Federated States of Micronesia
Monaco
Nauru
Palau
United Kingdom
Vatican City


Sovereign Definition


1. Supremacy of authority or rule as exercised by a sovereign or sovereign state.
2. Royal rank, authority, or power.
3. Complete independence and self-government.
4. A territory existing as an independent state.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Top Euro 2012 Group Stage Players by League


The best players from the Euro 2012 group stages who play at clubs in the top leagues of England, Germany, Italy and Spain.  According to the Castrol Edge Index.

Spain (La Liga)
9.68 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal: Real Madrid)
9.37 - Andres Iniesta (Spain: Barcelona)
9.28 - Alvaro Arbeloa (Spain: Real Madrid)
9.04 - Pepe (Portugal: Real Madrid)
8.94 - Gerard Piqué (Spain: Barcelona)
8.82 - Fábio Coentrão (Portugal: Real Madrid)
8.67 - Xabi Alonso (Spain: Real Madrid)
8.54 - Jordi Alba (Spain: Valencia)
8.51 - Sergio Ramos (Spain: Real Madrid)
8.39 - Sergio Busquets (Spain: Barcelona)

Germany (Bundesliga)
9.19 - Vaclav Pilař (Czech Republic: Wolfsburg)
9.08 - Michael Kadlec (Czech Republic: Leverkusen)
8.91 - Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany: Bayern Munich)
8.88 - Mario Mandžukić (Croatia: Wolfsburg)
8.79 - Petr Jiráček (Czech Republic: Wolfsburg)
8.76 - Holger Badstuber (Germany: Bayern Munich)
8.70 - Robert Lewandowski (Poland: Borussia Dortmund)
8.59 - Mario Gomez (Germany: Bayern Munich)
8.34 - Lukas Podolski (Germany: Köln)
8.24 - Mats Hummels (Germany: Borussia Dortmund)

England (Premier League)
9.60 - David Silva (Spain: Manchester City)
9.32 - Nicklas Bendtner (Denmark: Arsenal)
8.85 - John Terry (England: Chelsea)
8.64 - Danny Welbeck (England: Manchester United)
8.62 - Robin Van Persie (Netherlands: Arsenal)
8.56 - Steven Gerrard (England: Liverpool)
8.29 - Joleon Lescott (England: Manchester City)
8.27 - Ashley Cole (England: Chelsea)
8.20 - Sebastian Larsson (Sweden: Sunderland)
7.98 - Nani (Portugal: Manchester United)

Italy (Serie A)
9.42 - Claudio Marchisio (Italy: Juventus)
9.23 - Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden: AC Milan)
9.12 - Philippe Mexès (France: AC Milan)
8.87 - Antonio Cassano (Italy: AC Milan)
8.31 - Maarten Stekelenburg (Netherlands: Roma)
8.15 - Gianluigi Buffon (Italy: Juventus)
8.02 - Daniele De Rossi (Italy: Roma)
7.87 - Giorgio Chiellini (Italy: Juventus)
7.69 - Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands: Inter Milan)
7.63 - Leonardo Bonucci (Italy: Juventus)

Friday, June 15, 2012

USMNT Behind The Crest Video Series

A video series with a behind the scenes look at the US Men's National Team during their recent stretch of 3 friendlies (Scotland, Brazil, and Canada) and 2 World Cup Qualifiers (Antigua-Barbuda and Guatemala).

Episode 1


Episode 2


Episode 3


Episode 4


Episode 5


Episode 6

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Best and Worst All-Time FIFA Ranking in 2012

Nations that have achieved their best or worst ever FIFA ranking in 2012. (As of the June 2012 FIFA Rankings)

Best All-Time FIFA Ranking
2 - Uruguay
19 - Bosnia-Herzegovina
41 - Armenia
42 - Libya
46 - Panama
47 - Estonia
49 - El Salvador
112 - Chad
115 - São Tomé e Príncipe
133 - Belize
148 - Philippines

Worst All-Time FIFA Ranking
206 - Turks and Caicos Islands
203 - Bhutan
200 - British Virgin Islands
199 - Macau
196 - Kyrgyzstan
186 - Sri Lanka
184 - Solomon Islands
178 - Barbados
177 - Myanmar
158 - Singapore
141 - Thailand
131 - Iceland
138 - United Arab Emirates
96 - Bulgaria
81 - Israel
75 - Poland
64 - Egypt

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Former African MLS Players Overseas


Former MLS players from Africa that are still active with clubs overseas.

AFRICA
Dipsy Selolwane (CHI, RSL) - Supersport United (South Africa)
Danleigh Borman (NY, TOR) - SuperSport United (South Africa)

Aziz Ansah (DAL) - Asante Kotoko (Ghana)
Seth Owusu (CHV) - Medeama SC (Ghana)

Mfana Futhi Bhembe (RSL) - Mbabane Swallows (Swaziland)
Tico-Tico (TB) - Desportivo de Maputo (Mozambique)

EUROPE
Matthew Mbuta (NY) - Syrianska FC (Sweden)
Ibrahim Koroma (DC) - Trelleborgs FF (Sweden)

Jean-Martial Kipre (RSL) - SC Toulon (France)
Bakary Soumare (CHI) - US Boulogne (France)

Mustapha Jarju (VAN) - RAEC Mons (Belgium)
Salou Ibrahim (NY) - Oud-Heverlee Leuven (Belgium)

Anthony Obodai (HOU) - Mağusa Türk Gücü S.K. (Northern Cyprus)
Monsef Zerka (NE) - Petrolul Ploieşti (Romania)
Kasali Yinka Casal (DC) - Vasas Budapest (Hungary)
Emmanuel Ekpo (CLB) - Molde (Norway)
Bouna Coundoul (COL, NY) - VPS (Finland)
Davide Somma (SJ) - Leeds United (England)
Eugene Sseppuya (COL) - Borac Čačak (Serbia)

ASIA
Alain N'Kong (COL) - Arema (Indonesia)
Francis Doe (NY, DC) - Terengganu FA (Malaysia)
Melvin Tarley (RSL, COL) - Phnom Penh Crown (Cambodia)
Brian Umony (POR) - Becamex Binh Duong FC (Vietnam)

Monday, June 11, 2012

FIFA Confederation Ranking Comparison - June 2012



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

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



4.4 - Europe (-0.6)
1 - Spain
3 - Germany
4 - Netherlnads
6 - England
8 - Croatia

9.0 - South America (+2.0)
2 - Uruguay
5 - Brazil
7 - Argentina
11 - Chile
20 - Colombia

31.6 - Africa (-0.8)
16 - Cote d'Ivoire
25 - Ghana
32 - Algeria
42 - Libya
43 - Mali

38.6 - Asia (+1.2)
23 - Japan
24 - Australia
35 - South Korea
45 - Iran
66 - Uzbekistan

40.6 - CONCACAF (+0.6)
19 - Mexico
28 - USA
46 - Panama
55 - El Salvador
55 - Honduras

148.6 - Oceania (+5.6)
100 - New Zealand
155 - New Caledonia
156 - Samoa
161 - Fiji
171 - Vanuatu

Thursday, June 7, 2012

FIFA Rankings: Euro 2012 Nations

The current (June 2012) FIFA Rankings of the Euro 2012 nations

GROUP A (29.25 avg)
13 - Russia
15 - Greece
27 - Czech Republic
62 - Poland

GROUP B (6.50 avg)
3 - Germany
4 - Netherlands
9 - Denmark
10 - Portugal

GROUP C (9.75 avg)
1 - Spain
8 - Croatia
12 - Italy
18 - Republic of Ireland

GROUP D (22.25 avg)
6 - England
14 - France
17 - Sweden
52 - Ukraine


UEFA Ranking
1 - Spain
2 - Germany
3 - Netherlands
4 - England

5 - Croatia
6 - Denmark
7 - Portugal
8 - Italy

9 - Russia
10 - France
11 - Greece
12 - Sweden

13 - Republic of Ireland
16 - Czech Republic
28 - Ukraine
32 - Poland




Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Monday, June 4, 2012

Euro 2012 Players Born Abroad

Players that were born outside of the country they are representing at Euro 2012.

Croatia
Vedran Ćorluka - Bosnia-Herzegovina
Eduardo - Brazil
Ivo Iličević - Germany
Nikica Jelavić - Bosnia-Herzegovina
Ivan Rakitić - Switzerland
Josip Šimunić - Australia

Denmark
Jores Okore - Côte d'Ivoire

France
Patrice Evra - Senegal
Steve Mandanda - DR Congo

Germany
Miroslav Klose - Poland
Lukas Podolski - Poland

Greece
José Holebas - Germany
Sotiris Ninis - Albania
Avraam Papadopulos - Australia

Italy
Thiago Motta - Brazil

Netherlands
Luuk de Jong - Switzerland

Poland
Ludovic Obraniak - France
Damien Perquis - France

Portugal
Nani - Cape Verde
Pepe - Brazil
Rolando - Cape Verde

Republic of Ireland
Simon Cox - England
Paul Green - England
James McClean - Northern Ireland
Aiden McGeady - Scotland
Sean St Ledger - England
Jonathan Walters - England
Keiren Westwood - England

Sweden
Emir Bajrami - Kosovo
Behrang Safari - Iran

Ukraine
Oleksandr Aliyev - Russia
Marko Dević - Serbia
Artem Milevskiy - Belarus
Andriy Yarmolenko - Russia


Players Born Outside of Europe

5 - Africa: Patrice Evra (Senegal), Steve Mandanda (DR Congo), Nani (Cape Verde), Jores Okore (Côte d'Ivoire), Roland (Cape Verde)

3 - Asia: Avraam Papadopulos (Australia), Behrang Safari (Iran), Josip Šimunić (Australia)

3 - South America:  Eduardo (Brazil), Thiago Motta (Brazil), Pepe (Brazil),

Friday, June 1, 2012

Euro 2012 Players in Home Leagues

The number of Euro 2012 players from each nation's 23-man squad that play in their home league.

23 - England (100%)
21 - Russia (91%)
21 - Ukraine (91%)
20 - Italy (87%)
19 - Spain (83%)
19 - Germany (83%)
16 - Greece (70%)
12 - France (52%)
10 - Portugal (44%)
8 - Czech Republic (35%)
7 - Denmark (30%)
7 - Netherlands (30%)
6 - Poland (26%)
4 - Croatia (17%)
3 - Sweden (13%)
0 - Republic of Ireland (0%)