Saturday, July 31, 2010
Steve Nash's memorable black in Soweto
Friday, July 30, 2010
Pata Pata - Miriam Makeba (1967)
Thursday, July 29, 2010
FIFA World Cup 2010 - Germany Vs Serbia Preview
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Each of Germany's 4 strikers got his name on the score sheet, in a 4-0 walloping of Australia, in their first match on June 13.
On Friday, Germany will play Serbia who lost 1-0 to Ghana in their opening match of group D. Serbia and Germany have only met once before, the match going 2-1 in favour of Germany; at half time, though, Serbia led 1-0.
Three time World Cup winners, Germany have never failed to reach the quarter final from 1954 onwards. winning 8 out of 10 matches, they breezed through the qualifiers.
The German backs can expect a little more of a run against Serbia than they did against Australia.
In their second World Cup campaign after 2006, Serbia were unlucky not to take a point of Ghana, where apart from a couple of errors, which cost them a player, Lukovic, and a penalty, they gave as good as they got.
Much is expected from Nikola Zigic a towering striker; Serbia will be happy if midfielde Milos Krasic and Milan Jovanovic have another good outing against the Germans.
Skipper Dejan Stankovic had a forgettable match against Ghana, and will seek to lead more effectively to make the Germany match a little more even, for his team. With red-carded Lukovic out of the Serbian side, Neven Subotic is likely to get his chance. In his favour, Subotic's Borussia Dortmund experience means that he is familiar with the German players.
The Serbian back, Nemanja Vidic, will have to play out of his skin to hold the German front line in check; his primary focus should be on Miloslav Klose. Much of the credit fot their win against Australia must go to the vision and creativity of the midfielder trio of Oezil, Khedra and Schweinsteiger. Mesut Oezil had a hand in 2 of the 4 goals scored.
German coach Joachim Loew will be averse to changing a winning team. Cacau may come in as substitute, in the last third.
The Germans should take this game, comfortably although Serbia should give a better account of themselves than Australia.
For the latest sports gossip and news you will not find anywhere else on the Internet, and to download a FREE eBook on the 2010 FIFA World Cup, click http://www.cricinfosite.com
Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Farm murders in South Africa Part 2 of 2
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Riz Khan - The science of football
Monday, July 26, 2010
K'Naan - Wavin'Flag Tema Musical Copa Do Mundo FIFA 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Steve Nash Heads to South Africa
Friday, July 23, 2010
We´re activity South Africa - muv2gruv
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
FIFA World Cup Qualifying Across the Confederations
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FIFA world cup qualifying is an event in itself. It determines the 31 teams who qualify-along with the hosts-for the most prestigious sporting event in the world. It is interesting to note that participating teams in the first two FIFA world cup (WC) events were invited. After 1934, FIFA implemented qualifying tournaments for the quadrennial event, owing to the increasing profile and competitiveness of the World Cup.
Qualifying formats are generally stable but can change from time to time. For the 2010 FIFA WC in South Africa, 31 teams over six confederations participated in qualifying. The majority of FIFA's 207 member associations participate in the process (although teams can be absent because of bans or other reasons). Qualifying generally takes place within confederations, but there are intercontinental play-offs and intro-continental playoffs (Europe) to fill remaining spots. For the 2010 WC, FIFA allocated spots to its confederations, based on size and football strength, as follows:
CAF (Africa) - 5 places
UEFA (Europe) - 13 places
AFC (Asia) - 4.5 places
CONCACAF (North, Central America and the Caribbean) - 3.5 places
CONMEBOL (South America): 4.5 places
OFC (Oceania) - 0.5
*.5 indicates an intercontinental playoff spot
== UEFA ==
The European Confederation has 53 member associations. For 2010 qualifying, all 53 members participated. UEFA seeds teams according to strength and draws them into nine groups; eight teams have six teams each, while the ninth group has five teams. There is an equitable distribution of weak and strong teams among the groups.
A round robin, home-and-away format determines the winners and group runner-ups in each group. The winners earn an automatic berth in the World Cup finals. UEFA determines the four remaining places via four home-and-away playoffs involving the eight best runners-up from the nine groups. Since the ninth group has five teams, UEFA removes results against the last-place teams in the first eight groups to compare like with like. Playoff fixtures are the result of a draw.
== CAF ==
CAF has 53 member associations, all of which normally participate in World Cup Qualifying. In Round 1 of CAF qualifying, the ten lowest ranking nations (according to FIFA rankings) in this zone are drawn and paired into five home-and-away playoffs. The winners of each playoff advance to Round 2.
In Round 2, the CAF seeds and draws 48 eligible teams into twelve 4-team groups that play a round-robin, home-and away format. The 12 group winners and eight best runners-up advance to the third round. Round 3 involves five groups of four teams each. The teams in each group play on a home-and-away, round-robin basis. The group winners qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. In the event of a tie for the top spot on all tiebreakers, the two teams participate in a one-off playoff. This occurs in a neutral African country (like Algeria playing Egypt in Sudan for 2010 qualifying).
== AFC ==
Asian qualifying involves five stages. In the first stage, the top five teams in the AFC receive a bye to Stage 3. AFC then eliminates 19 teams through home-and-away playoffs. The top eleven winners go on to Stage 3, while the eight lowest-ranked winners move on to Stage 2, which involves four home-and-away play-offs among the lowest-ranked eight Stage 1 winners. All four winners of Stage 2 advance to Stage 3. The CAF then draws the 20 remaining teams (including those with byes from the previous stages) into five groups of four teams each. These teams play on a round robin, home-and-away basis. The five group winners and five runners-up advance to Stage 4.
In Stage 4, ten teams are placed into two groups of five, which are determined on a round robin, home-and-away basis. The top two teams in each group advance to the World Cup finals. Stage 5 involves the two third-place teams from Stage 4 in a home-and-away playoff to determine the fifth-place finisher from Asia. The playoff winner earns a playoff berth (which was against the top-team from Oceania in 2010 qualifying).
== CONCACAF ==
Thirty-five member nations participate in CONCACAF Qualifying. CONCACAF seeds the teams according to the latest FIFA ranking. The 13th-ranked team normally receives a bye to the second round, while the 22 lowest-ranked teams engage in 11 home-and-away playoffs. The twelve winners join the 13th place team and the top 11 teams in the second stage.
In the second phase, CONCACAF pairs the 24 remaining teams for 12 home-and-away playoffs. They draw the winners of these playoffs into three groups of four teams each that are settled on a round robin, home-and-away basis. The top two finishers in each group advance to the final round of six teams. Those six teams play on a round robin, home-and-away basis, with the top three advancing to the World Cup and the fourth-place team earning a playoff berth. For 2010 qualifying, this was a playoff against the fifth-place team from CONMEBOL.
== OCEANIA ==
Being the weakest confederation, Oceania has a simple qualifying format involving its 11 member nations. The top-ranked Oceania team receives a bye to Round 2. Round 1 takes place at the South Pacific Games, where the top three teams from that tournament join New Zealand in Round Two. That group of four teams is determined based on a round robin, home-and-away format. The top team would then earn a playoff. This was against the fifth place team from Asia for 2010 qualifying (previously, the playoff was against the fifth-place CONMEBOL finisher).
== CONMEBOL ==
South American qualifying has the simplest format. All 10 members play in a round robin, home-and-away basis in a single group. The top four teams qualify automatically for the World Cup finals, with the fifth place team earning the intercontinental playoff spot. For the 2010 FIFA WC, the fifth place team earned a playoff spot against the fourth placed CONCACAF finisher. Previously, CONMEBOL played off against Oceania.
== Conclusion ==
Teams like Mexico, Brazil and Germany regularly qualify for World Cup finals. Although some teams are regular fixtures in the quadrennial event, qualifying ensures that the best teams from various confederations get the chance to represent their country on the world stage.
Andre V is a freelance writer from the Caribbean. He is also a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association and an avid cricket fan.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Uruguay 1930-South Africa 2010 - The Chilean Men's Soccer Team
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History
1889 Valparaiso F.C. was founded in Chile. It was the first football club in Chile.
1916 Chile placed fourth in the South American Tournament in Buenos Aires (Argentina). It was one of the four nations to participate in the First South American Championship.
1920 Valparaiso hosted the South American Tournament. Uruguay was the champion....
1922 The Chilean men's soccer squad finished third at the Football South American Cup in Rio de Janeiro, behind Brazil (host country) Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina.
1926 Santiago de Chile hosted the South American Cup. Uruguay was the winner.
1927 Chile did not participate at the South American Championship in Lima, Peru.
1928 The Chilean Olympic Committee sent a national team to the Summer Olympic Games in Amsterdam, Holland.
1930 Chile accepted an invitation to play in the First World Championship in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Chilean men's football squad was one of 13 national teams to make its international debut in the world cup. In Uruguay, the Chilean team placed 5th, behind host country, Argentina, Yugoslavia and the United States. In the first round, Chile defeated France (1-0) and Mexico (3-0).
1941 The South American Tournament was held in Santiago de Chile. The host country earned the bronze medal.
1945 For the fourth time, Chile hosted the South American Tournament.
1950 Chile sent a national team for the world cup in Brazil. Unfortunately, they were beaten by England (0-2) and Spain (0-3). However, they won a match at the FIFA World Cup. It upset the United States 5-2.
1951 The Chilean team earned the bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1952 The National Olympic Committee sent a national squad to the Summer Games in Scandinavia.
1955 The South American Cup was held in Chile. The Chilean team was runner-up.
1962 The World Championships were scheduled for Chile. The Latin American territory hosted the global tournament for the third time. There were 16 national teams: Switzerland, Bulgaria, Colombia, Uruguay, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Italy, England, USSR, West Germany, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Brazil and Chile. Surprisingly, Chile finished third in the global competition. The Chilean men's soccer team won four of its six matches-Switzerland, Italy, Russia and Yugoslavia. They only lost against West Germany -which was runner-up at the 1958 World Cup in Stockholm (Sweden)- and Brazil -World champion and under the leadership of Pelè. For the first time at the FIFA global championship, Chile qualified for the semi-finals. In the second round, Chile made history when it upset the USSR, which had gained the global title at the 1956 Summer Games and the 1960 European Cup, 2-1. This South American nation had also defeated Yugoslavia, which was runner-up at the European Tournament, 1-0.
1963 The national team earned the bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Brazil.
1966 At the FIFA World Cup in London, England, Chile placed 13th...
1973 During the 1974 World Cup Qualification, the USSR did not want to play with Chile-both states severed diplomatic ties. The Union Soviet did not send a national team to protest against the president Augusto Jose Ramon Pinochet Ugarte, one of the greatest anti-Communist leaders in Latin America. Weeks ago, Chile draw with the USSR in Moscow. Chile was declared winner and qualified for the World Cup in Germany...Colo Colo was runner-up at the Copa Libertadores de America.
1974 Before the World Cup, Chile played nine matches-Haitian team, Santa Fe, Atletico Nacional de Colombia, Saprissa de Costa Rica, Municipal de Guatemala, River Plate and Irish team. Chile placed 13th in the World Championships in Munich, West Germany.
1974-1976 Elias Figueroa was one of the most valuable players in Latin America.
1975 Universidad Española (Chile) was runner-up at the Copa Libertadores de America. In the final match, Independiente (Argentina) beat Universidad Española.
1982 Chile placed 22nd in the World Cup in Spain...Colo Colo won the Copa Libertadores de America. It defeated Olimpia (Paraguay) in the finals. Colo Colo became the first Chilean club to win the Copa Libertadores- a traditional tournament in South America.
1984 The Chilean men's soccer squad was runner-up at the Pre-Olympic Tournament in Quito, Ecuador, and qualified for the XXIII Olympiad in the United States. Chile placed sixth in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California-it finished behind France (gold medal), Brazil (silver medal), Yugoslavia (bronze medal), Italy and Canada.
1985 For unknown reasons, the FIFA canceled the World Youth Cup in Santiago de Chile. The tournament was held in Moscow (USSR).
1986 Santiago de Chile made a bid for the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
1987 Santiago de Chile hosted the FIFA Under-20 World Cup. The host country placed fourth. The Chilean government, an anti-Communist regime from 1973 to 1990, did not refuse to issue visas to Bulgarian and East German delegations...The national team was runner-up at the Pan American Games in Indianapolis, USA.
1989 During the 1990 World Cup Qualification, between Chilean and Brazilians teams, Roberto Rojas (Chile's goalkeeper) pretended to be a victim of an attack. Chile was suspended by FIFA. For this reason, Chile could not participate in the Pre-World Championships in the late 80s and early 90s.
1993 The Chilean men's football squad placed third at the FIFA Under-17 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
1998 Chile placed 16th in the World Championships in Paris (France), behind France, Brazil, Croatia, Holland, Argentina, Italy, Germany, Denmark, England, Yugoslavia, Romania, Nigeria, Mexico, Paraguay and Norway. The 1998 World Tournament was the 7th World Cup in which Chile has participated.
2000 Chile was runner-up at the 2000 South American Pre-Olympic Tournament in Brazil. Ivan Zamorano led the Chilean men's football team to the bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in Australia. This became the fourth Latin American soccer team to win an Olympic medal.
2004 Chile hosted the South American Pre-Olympic Tournament.
2007 The Chilean men's soccer squad placed third at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Toronto (Canada), behind Argentina and the Czech Republic. It was a date historic for Chile and South America.
2007-2008 Chile placed fourth in the South American Qualifying Group for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, behind Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina.
Alejandro Guevara Onofre: He is a freelance writer. Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry. He has published more than seventy-five research paper in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the world issues, olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called "The Dictator and Alicia Alonso". He is an expert on foreign affairs. Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latin America.
He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), José Gamarra (former president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee ,1970- 1982), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former President of the USA). Alejandro said: "The person who I admire the most is José Gamarra . He devoted his professional and personal life to sport. José played an important role in the promotion of Olympism in Bolivia -it is one of the Third World`s poorest countries- and Latin America. His biography is interesting". The sportspeople he most admire is Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman. "This African-American sportswoman is my idol... "
Monday, July 19, 2010
Cristiano Ronaldo - Rocket Flag 2010 | HD |
Sunday, July 18, 2010
FIFA World Cup 2010
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The biggest sporting event in the world is just over a year away. That, of course, is the FIFA World Cup, the prestigious soccer event that takes place once every four years.
South Africa will be the host for the 2010 World Cup, which will be staged in a variety of South African cities including Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, and Bloemfontein. The tournament will begin on June 11, 2010 and conclude exactly one month later on July 11. Johannesburg, the country's largest city, will host the championship match in Soccer City Stadium, which is currently undergoing renovations to be new and improved in time for the World Cup.
Although the big event is still 18 months away, a long and grueling qualification process has already begun. South Africa automatically qualifies for the field of 32 teams, but the 31 other spots are still up for grabs. Qualifying matches began in August of 2007 and will finish in November of 2009. The draw ceremony to place the 32 finalists in groups will be held in December of 2009.
At the moment, various qualifying tournaments are taking place around the world. World Cup hopefuls are vying for 13 spots among European nations, five spots for African teams (in addition to South Africa), four or five for South America, three or four for North America, Central America, and Caribbean, and either no spots or one for Oceania.
In Asia, Australia and the Korea Republic are currently leading the way in their respective qualification groups. In Europe, Denmark, Greece, Slovakia, Germany, Spain, England, Serbia, Italy, and the Netherlands are atop the groups. Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile are currently looking good in South America. Qualifying matches in Africa and the North /Central America and Caribbean divisions have yet to commence.
Once qualifying concludes and sets the stage for the December 2009 draw ceremony in Cape Town, the 32 World Cup participants will be placed into eight groups of four teams. Each team in a group plays every other team in its group and the top two teams (16 total) advance to the knockout stage, which will take place between June 26, 2009 and June 29.
Round-robin group play will be held from June 11 to June 25.
In the first round of the knockout stage, the eight group winners play the eight group runner-ups. From there, the remainder of the tournament is single elimination. The losers of the semifinals, however, will square off in a third-place match held on July 10 in Port Elizabeth.
Italy is the defending champion, having defeated France 5-3 in penalty kicks in the 2006 title match. Brazil, which won World Cups most recently in 1994 and 2002, owns the most World Cup titles with five. Italy has four and Germany, the 2006 host nation, has three. Italy is currently third in the FIFA rankings, while Brazil is fifth and Germany is second. Spain is the top-ranked team, while the Netherlands is the other team in the Top 5. All five countries should be serious contenders in South Africa.
ScoresPro provides Livescore and Results real time service, Soccer Live scores and Football Results all over the world. Feel free to visit ScoresPro.com for World Cup Livescore.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
2010 FIFA World Cup - Man of the Match: Day 1
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The Best Way to See the World Cup in 2010
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The world looks forward to the Federation Internationale de Football Association world cup every year. The 2010 event in Durban, South Africa is no different. The trouble is, most believe that only the rich can afford to attend the matches on anything but fast overnight or 2-day trips at seedy hotels.
There is another way, however, and those who've tried it believe that it's better than the nine hundred Euro per night hotels that inflate their prices for the event. This way allows groups of friends to maximize their travel dollars without staying in the slums or running the risk of a mugging every time they go to their hotel.
The answer is full amenities camping.
Not just any camping, but full amenities camping at a full-service location with showers, bathrooms, a swimming pool, full kitchen operating all day, a large common room with big screen TV to show the matches, and shuttle service to Fan Parks and the stadium every hour.
Only the good parts of camping like spending time with your friends and the freshness of outdoor living are there. The rough isn't. Plus, these locations are only ten minutes walk from the beach, two or three minutes walk from local pubs and restaurants, and more!
You'll be so close to Durban you won't know you're not in town. Plus, these camping stays are a fraction of what hotels cost and are the best way to accommodate several people so you and all your mates can enjoy the world cup in 2010 without going broke.
The campsites are on school campuses, safe and secure, and close to lots of night life. The weather in June is beautiful in South Africa, so no worries there. Meals are served in the schools' kitchen all day, access to the Ops Centre, swimming pool, and the common hall with a big screen TV and great sound system for watching the games is also available.
Why spend thousands of Euros on your stay in Durban for the FIFA World Cup when you can spend a fraction of that for your accommodations and let the rest of your money go towards tickets, parties, and having a great holiday?
The World Cup is the premier sporting event of the world and attracts hundreds of thousands of fans from all over the world every year. This year, in South Africa, they promise to be one of the best events of all time. Will you be there?
You can be and you can do it for a fraction of what you might have thought it'd cost. Full amenities camping is the way to see the World Cup!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
FIFA World Cup 2010 Qualified Teams
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During the preliminary draw that took place in Durban, some 170 odd teams discovered the number of hurdles they had to overcome to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2010. The world teams are divided into 6 zones; namely, European Zone, South American Zone, African Zone, Asian Zone, Oceanian Zone, North Central American & Caribbean Zone.
From the European Zone the four playoff winners qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals to be held in South Africa. Of the South American teams the four winners qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals. From the African Zone the five group winners qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals. Among the Asian Zone members two group winners & two runner- ups qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals. The winner from the Oceanian Zone has to play in a playoff match against Asian Zone. From the North Central American & Caribbean Zone the top three teams qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.
Names of the teams that have already qualified are: Japan, Netherlands, Australia, Portugal, South Africa, Serbia will replace Iran, Korea Republic, Denmark, Korea DPR, Costa Rica, , Honduras & Turkey.
The top 7 teams in the following list plus South Africa are seeded.
1.Brazil 2.Germany 3.Italy 4.Spain 5.England 6.Argentina 7.France 8.Netherlands 9.Mexico 10.Croatia 11.USA 12.Switzerland 13.Paraguay 14Czech Republic 15.Russia 16.Ghana 17Australia 18.Korea republic 19.Japan 20.Greece 21.Denmark 22.Serbia 23.Cameroon 24.Cote de'Ivoire 25.Nigeria 26.Uruguay 27.Costa Rica 28.Egypt 29.Saudi Arabia 30. Chile, 31.South Africa 32.Korea DPR.
The pots:
Pot1: Italy, Brazil, France, Germany, England South Africa, Spain, Argentina Pot2: Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia, Netherlands, Serbia, Switzerland, Denmark, Russia, Pot3: Costa Rica, Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia, USA, Australia, Korea DPR, Mexico, Japan, Pot4: Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile,
Possible draw which will happen using random.org:
Group A: Denmark, Korea Republic, Uruguay, South Africa, Group B: Netherlands, Japan, Germany, Chile. Group C: France, Mexico, Czech Republic, Cameroon Group D: Switzerland, Egypt, Spain, Korea DPR Group E: Greece, Cote d'Ivoire, Argentina, Australia Group F: Croatia, Ghana, Italy, Costa Rica Group G: Russia, Paraguay, England, Saudi Arabia Group H: Serbia, Nigeria, Brazil, USA
Some of the lists are probable teams because the qualifying matches are still on. So who will win the FIFA World Cup 2010?
Footballitaliano was launched in the summer 2008. It is the most comprehensive website covering Italy football with latest news, results, stats, interactivity, live score, goals and highlights. The passion of serie a football flows out on the pages of this site and we hope that you enjoy it as much as we do! Forza Football!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
The Right Hiking Boots For Boys
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Hiking has been one of the most favourite past times of boys in the U.S. Because of this, a lot of hiking boots for boys with different varieties and style are being offered in the market today. That is why it is important that you find the right boots for your hiking endeavour.
Hiking boots for boys are mainly categorized into low, mid and high boots. The type of hiking boots that you choose will highly depend on how you are going to use it and where you are going to use it. Low-cut hiking shoes or boots are usually used in easy terrain with low vegetation. The high-cut hiking boots, on the other hand, are suited for rough terrains that have high vegetation. For the mid hiking shoes, they are something in between the low and the high boots.
Aside from the three categories mentioned above, boots used for hiking can also come as waterproof or not. If you are wondering if you should get a pair of waterproof hiking shoes or not, the answer to that will depend again on how you plan to use them. It is quite clear, though, that it is better to use waterproof boots for hiking on a wet terrain. But if you have no plans of trekking in wet terrain in the near future, then it is still best to buy the ordinary non-waterproof types because, not only are they lighter, they also allow your feet to breathe better. This can make a huge impact. For some people, choosing the right kind of hiking shoes can mean a victorious hike or an unsuccessful one.
As what you've read, choosing the right hiking shoes or boots for you will require knowing how and where you are going to use them. It is critical to address this concern before you start shopping for hiking boots.
Stop Wasting Money on Expensive Asolo Hiking Boots by gathering more knowledge on how to intelligently choose the right boots for hiking at http://www.womenshikingbootsnow.com.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Lionel Messi "All 47 Goals" - Season 2009/2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
South Africa Will Host the World Cup 2010
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Soccer world cup 2010 promises to be the world's biggest sporting event to watch for. Since 1930, the Soccer world cup became the most extravagant sporting event in the planet. Over billion people are anticipated to watch the month long event or tournament between the 32 world's top soccer playing nations.
The world cup is the most significant tournament in international soccer and this was organized by FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) which is considered to be the governing body for this sport.
The tournament is experienced every four years and the prior tournament in 2006 was in Germany and Italy was the one who won the event. World Cup 2010 final tournament will be hosted by an African nation.
More than 160 teams are expected to participate in the regional (Continental Zone) qualifying rounds to have a chance be one of the 32 teams who will qualify for the finals.
With just 23 months to go before the major event, the construction of Durban's new Moses Mabhida Stadium is doing great. Excellent progress development is continuously taking place.
According to Julie May Ellingson, head of Durban's Strategic Project Unit and 2010 Programme said that all structural elements continue to develop progressively. The piling and ground beams, the footings (foundation) for retaining walls and the lift shafts up to level five is almost completed.
Also, the Durban Stadium highlights many columns that execute structural and design roles. All columns from levels one to a portion of level five is already completed while columns for level five (half portion) and six which more than two third percent are on completion. The stadium is expected to be completed upon the FIFA's deadline of October 2009.
John is an avid soccer fan. Learn more about World Cup 2010.
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Friday, July 09, 2010
Durban Unhappy With 2010 Soccer World Cup "Matchfill" Designation
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South Africa is gearing itself up for the 2010 Soccer world cup, and while there's a rush on to get stadiums built on time and roads heavy-traffic friendly, some surprises and curious incidents of petty wrangling keep cropping up. For instance, Durban in Kwazulu-Natal is proving to be an extremely popular "matchfill" location. Which means that although Durban will only host 6 world cup matches, they will host many of the tourists who have tickets for matches in Johannesburg, Gauteng, where most of the matches will be played.
Durban is strategically situated on South Africa's warm Indian Ocean coastline, so even in winter, when the Cup will be held, visitors can enjoy warm, sunny weather and a dip in the sea. It is also only an hour's flight from Johannesburg, which means that visitors can fly out for their match and be back in time for supper. According to Adam Brown, a senior executive at MATCH, the firm in charge of World Cup accommodation, tickets and IT solutions, the plan is to contract 6,000 rooms for around 12,000 soccer fanatics.
Strategic matchfill locations have been identified all around the country in the hopes of lessening the pressure on match hosting cities. George in the Western Cape also provides a scenic coastal location outside of the main fray for World Cup spectators, with a targeted 1,600 rooms for 2010. The Eastern and Western Cape Provinces are particularly popular matchfill destinations, partly because of their convenience to main locations and partly because they provide unrivalled natural beauty.
Not everyone is happy with the matchfill designation, however, as Durban's Ethekwini Municipality Mayor, Logie Naidoo, has voiced his dissatisfaction with arrangements. Naidoo is particularly unhappy about the fact that more than R2.6 billion is being invested in the new Moses Mabhida Stadium, for a mere 6 matches. He refers to the 2010 World Cup as Gauteng's World Cup because Johannesburg will host both the opening and closing ceremonies and the majority of the matches. According to Naidoo, "This does not make sense especially because Durban will be the hottest place in South Africa in winter 2010, whereas most of the other parts of the country will be freezing."
Reference:
http://www.travelwires.com/wp/?p=3272
Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers Lathita South African holiday and safari specialists for honeymoons, safaris and African holidays of all kinds, Lathita has the package and location for you.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
3 Reasons Mexico Will Win the 2010 World Cup
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Mexico has had a tough go with getting to the world cup. They have had three different coaches and more than sixty players play with the green jersey and raise the Mexican Flag. Despite the uncertainty, Mexico has gotten their act together through Javier Aguirre. Javier has been the coach that the team needed to organize the young stars and established veterans with confidence and chemistry.
The first reason Mexico has a great chance to win is their road to South Africa taught the Mexican team discipline and chemistry. The Mexican teambeat the Belize team handily in the second qualifying round. The problem is Mexico drew a tough set of competitors including Jamaica, Canada and Honduras.
The Mexican team continued with its unpredictable play by losing to the USA in a 2-0 defeat and then defeated Costa Rica and then lost to Honduras. Because of that loss, the previous coach Eriksson lost his job and Aguirre was hired.
Aguirre turned this fragmented, yet talented team into a machine defined by chemistry and teamwork. Mexico went on to win five games, ushering their way into the finals with one game to spare. They beat Trinidad and Tobago and ultimately gave them second place behind USA.
The star players are the second reason Mexico will win the world cup. Cuauhtemoc Blanco singlehandedly help facilitate the turnaround. Aguirre convinced him to come out of retirement. While the 36-year-old is getting up there in age he helped bring life back into this team. Additionally, the team has a great set of young players including Guillermo Ochoa, Efrain Juarez, Andres Guardado and Giovani dos Santos.
The last reason Mexico is a winner at world cup 2010 is their coach. Javier Aguirre is a name synonymous with victory, teamwork, and winning culture. He helped Pachuca win the championship in 1999 and was given the job in the 2002 World Cup, and ultimately brought the Mexicans to the head of a tough group including Italy, Croatia and Ecuador, but ultimately lost to their eternal rivals, the USA.
Kevin Dare is a passionate American whose is excited that the US is in the World Cup. Kevin is a freelance writer whose interests are soccer, Vexillology including Mexico Flag and the Mexican Flag
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Cricket and Cooper City
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Cooper City is a small community in Broward County that is home to a large number of orange groves and an even larger number of retirees. There are decent restaurants and golf to be found here, as well as opportunities for antiquing (if that's your thing). However, in my opinion, Cooper City's true claim to fame is that they have one of the finest cricket grounds in the entire United States at Brian Piccolo Park.
I became a cricket fan during a trip to England, where my gracious hosts watched the sport whenever they could, inviting me to be a spectator at more than a few games. Similar enough to baseball that it isn't alien, but different enough that it provides very different challenges and peculiarities, the fact that it hasn't caught on in a widespread way in America has been a constant source of vexation to me for some time. At any rate, the excitement of a cricket match can certainly rival that of any other sport, and I always do my best to support the sport when the opportunity presents itself.
In 2004, the grounds in Cooper City played to world-class cricket when team USA hosted Canada during the ICC Intercontinental Cup - not a bad game, even though Canada won (the United States/Canada cricket rivalry is the oldest in the game, at 160 years).
Whether you're a transplanted Briton, and Indian, or just an American who likes cricket, keep an eye on Brian Piccolo Park for possible international cricket action. If the game is big enough, it might even warrant taking a Millenium limo to watch. You can gather your friends and watch the excitement - and since (depending on the league and type of game) cricket matches can last multiple days, you can pile back in the limo for another round day after! After all, limos and cricket go together like sloggers and the Canadian national cricket team.
Nick Jurkowski is a senior editor for MilleniumLimo.com: the essays above can be found on his night life blog, updated daily and available via RSS, at The Urban Adventure Blog.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Tiesto vs BLK JKS - Dreaming HD 05/2010
Monday, July 05, 2010
(Para Bajar) Argentinos - TyC Sports - Mundial Sudafrica 2010
Sunday, July 04, 2010
World Cup 2010 in South Africa
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The South Africa world cup Preparations are on track! The 2010 FIFA world cup Organising Committee met this week and announced that all stadiums are on schedule and outstanding disputes regarding a new stadium in Cape Town at Green Point have been resolved. Concerns that the world cup venues in Durban and Cape Town may run over budget have also been addressed with all stadia now coming in on budget. All the 2010 world cup stadiums are set to be completed by October 31st 2009.
It was also announced that Durban will play host to the 2010 World Cup qualifying draw. This will take place at Durban's International Convention centre on November 23rd 2007. Preparations for the first World Cup on the African continent are already well underway, despite the last World Cup having been less than a year ago. The qualifying draw will be the official launch of the tournament and will be broadcast live to over 200 countries.
It has been said that South Africa is further along with preparations than Germany was at the same stage before the last World Cup. There were rumours that Australia would take over the role as host to the World Cup. Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, denied these rumours. He assured the world that this speculation was wrong and the tournament would remain in South Africa.
The 2010 World Cup will run from June 11th until July 11th. 13 European nations, 5 Asian and Oceania teams and a total of 8 qualifiers for the American continent will contest the tournament. Hosts, South Africa, qualify automatically. They take their place alongside 5 other African nations.
Neighbouring countries may be brought in to provide base camps for competing nations with Mozambique, Angola and Namibia possibly under consideration.
The 2010 World Cup will be held in South Africa after FIFA decided to host the competition on the African continent for the first time. South Africa won the nomination from unlucky bidders Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya.
9 cities will host the games. Johannesburg, which will have two venues, will stage matches along with Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, Nelspruit, Polokwane and Rustenburg.
The unofficial site of the South Africa 2010 World Cup
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Elissa - Ala Bali Habibi 2010 [Official VIdeo Clip]
Friday, July 02, 2010
Soccer Training Drills Can Be Fun and Get More Balls in the Net Too
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Every soccer player wants to get the ball and see what they can do. You can build a soccer team on a few naturally gifted players, but a team does better if all the players have strong soccer skills. So the basis for a great soccer team is many players with developed soccer skills. Practice is where the skills are developed and most soccer time is spent in practice. Make sure practice is fun and drills are interesting.
Training For Skills
Soccer players like to do soccer tricks and to see what they can do with the ball. Really shining as an individual requires knowing and mastering the basics of ball handling and moving. There really are many fun ways to drill in the basic soccer techniques. Keeping the skill building fun will make everybody want to practice and it just builds momentum. The more you like to practice, the more fun practice is.
Training For Teamwork
The coach must set the system, tactics and style of play for the team. Practice can help the players work together to make it all come together as a strategy at game time. Practice helps every player learn to place his position better and move the ball better. It's up to the coach to put the players in positions that will best play to each players strengths and playing style.
Training For Conditioning
Conditioning can help prevent injuries. For younger players just moving around is all the conditioning needed. But as players mature it's important to build muscle to protect joints. It's also vital to teach how to move and turn to prevent injury too. Toughness comes with conditioning too. Tough players keep going and that's an important quality for success.
Soccer techniques are learned in practice. Natural athletic ability is great, but soccer skills must be developed. Training can improve individual skills, team skills and conditioning. Conditioning is essential to prevent injuries.
Fun practices make coaching easier and players happier. Al Bullington reviews the top soccer practice drill resources.
To get free soccer drills articles and reviews of the top drill programs visit http://GetSoccerDrills.com
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Soccer Superstitions!
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These professionals worked hard at their game, trained to perfection and when all the work was done, they left the rest to superstition to get the job done! Some players and coaches followed the most bizarre pre-match rituals on and off the pitch and swore by their efficacy. Idiosyncrasies that worked for them once and became rituals, to be followed without question or logic. Here are some superstitions our soccer greats took recourse to in the hope that lady luck would smile their way...
Les Bleus were superstitious about goalkeeper Fabien Barthez's bald pate! During the 1998 world cup, captain Laurent Blanc kissed the keeper on the head and France went on the win! And with that a ritual was born, with Barthez offering up his head for the habitual kiss before each match, often to the tune of Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive', which was blasted in the locker room to get them into winning mode! And then, there's coach Raymond Domenech's controversial reliance on astrology. He is said to have chosen players and put his team together based on their sun signs! This won Domenech his fair share of criticism from the players' who'd been left out simply because they were born on the 'wrong' date or time of the month!
A rather common practice among soccer players is to wear the same underwear for games! Colombian Rene Higuita admits that his underwear had to be blue during match days. It all started in the 80s, when his team couldn't beat their rival team, no matter what they did. So, a fortune teller was consulted, who announced a curse had been placed on them and could be remedied if all players wore blue underpants while playing! They did and it worked, winning them the Copa Libertadores! Since then, blue undergarments became a must for Higuita!
Brazilian player and coach Mario Zagallo is known for his unshakable faith in the number 13. Since Saint Anthony's Day is celebrated on the 13th of June, all things 13 were preferred by Zagallo. He married on his patron saint's day, lived on the 13th floor, saw Brazil through 13 world cup victories and aided his post-op recovery from stomach cancer by visiting the saint's shrine all of 13 times! Personal preferences are one thing, but on-pitch peculiarities sometimes bordered on vulgarity! Argentinean goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea is a case in point. While defending penalty shots, he was known to urinate on the pitch! Now that could easily qualify as a 'pe(t)e peeve'!
Moving on to England's squad, striker Gary Lineker refused to shoot at the goal while warming up. He was convinced that he was saving up goals for the match! And if he failed to score in the first half of the game, he would promptly trot to the dressing room at halftime and wear a fresh soccer shirt. If goals evaded him for a lengthy period of time, it meant a trip to the hairdresser! Another legend, Paul Ince, always made sure he was the last player to leave the dressing room and only wore his soccer shirt while running onto the pitch!
These are some superstitions and there are plenty more... Some extremely funny, others seriously unbelievable!
Browse through Custom Soccer Uniforms extensive collection of soccer kits.