Olympic Facts – 2008 Olympic Football Tournament

May 30th, 2010 by admin



Great Britain did not qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. It won three Olympic titles: Paris 1900, London 1908 and Stockholm 1912. In 2012, Great Britain will serve as organizer of the Olympic Games.

The Brazilian Olympic football team will go to Beijing looking forward the first gold medal. This team will no doubt be the nucleus of the nation’s squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Brazil did not compete in the Olympic football tournament 13 times: Paris 1900, Saint Louis 1904, London 1908, Stockholm 1912, Antwerp 1920, Paris 1924, Amsterdam 1928, Berlin 1936, London 1948, Melbourne 1956, Moscow 1980, Barcelona 1992, Athens 2004.

From 1952 to 2004, Hungary has won 5 Olympic medals, including 3 golds. It has more gold medals than Brazil (3), Argentina (3) and Nigeria (1).

The Honduran men’s national team will travel to Beijing to attend the Olympics. Honduras will make its first appearance in the Peoples Republic of China. Tegucigalpa does not have full diplomatic relations with Beijing. Honduras won the 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualification Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee (USA). This Central American country surprised the world with its triumph…

Belgium has had famous football players: Wilfried van Moer, Raoul Lambert, Ruddy Smidts, Marc Emers, Danny Boffin, Marc Degryse and Marc Wilmost. In 1920, Belgium won the Olympic title.

Cote d’Ivoire -also known as Ivory Coast- qualified for the 2008 Olympics. This African team representing Africa at the 2006 FIFA World Championships in Germany. It is one of the best teams in Africa. “We are one of the few African countries to have an organized youth league. Great players have always come out of the Ivory Coast; I’m thinking of Laurent Pokou in the 1970s; and Youssou Fofana in the 1980s. But now the footballing infrastructure is much better and so many youngsters are getting the right coaching”, said Henri Michel (former coach of the Cote d’Ivoire national soccer team). Ivory Coast won the African Cup of Nations in 1992.

Argentina has famous coaches: Cesar Luis Menotti, Carlos Salvador Bilardo, Daniel Passarella, Ramon Diaz, Jose Peckerman, Marcelo Bielsa…

The Serbian men’s national team will travel to Beijing for its first Olympics. Football is the most popular sport in Serbia (formerly Serbia & Montenegro).

Mexico did not qualify for the 2008 Olympics. It competed in the Olympic Soccer Tournament 8 times: London 1948, Tokyo 1964, Mexico City 1968, Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Athens 2004.

The People’s Republic of China made its debut at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in South Korea…

Argentina -FIFA 1978 world champion and junior world champion- boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. It had won the South American Olympic Football Qualification Tournament. Argentina was replaced by Venezuela.

The Italians are Europe’s best hope of reaching the finals. Italy won the gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin. This European country is well known for its great tradition in soccer.

Brazil will have both its soccer teams (women and men) at Beijing 2008.

South Korea will in China to participate in the Olympics. It competed in the Olympic Football Tournament 7 times.

Nigeria is one of the favourites to win the men’s Olympic Soccer tournament. The national team won the gold medal at the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, USA. Nigeria defeated Argentina 3-2 and won the Olympic title for the first time. This African country received an invitation to play in the Olympics in 1980 in Moscow (USSR/ currently Russia). Sunnie Ephraim (journalist from Lagos) says: “Qualifying for the Games is one thing; doing well and winning the gold medal as seen in Atlanta, United States 11 years ago is different ball game altogether.

Argentina is one of the hot favorites for the Olympic title. Why? This Latin American country won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2007(for the second time in a row). Argentina also won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens (Greece). Final standings: 1.Argentina, 2.Paraguay, 3.Italy, 4.Iraq, 5.Mali, 6.South Korea, 7.Australia, 8.Costa Rica. The Argentine team won four matches in the group “C” (Serbia-Montenegro 6-0, Tunisia 2-0, Australia 1-0). In the quarterfinals, Argentina defeating Costa Rica 4-0. In the semifinals, Argentina beat Italy 3-0 and went on to win the final against Paraguay 1-0. The Olympic champions were Mariano Gonzales, Luciano Figueroa, Javier Saviola, German Lux, Wilfredo Caballero, Roberto Ayala, Fabricio Coloccini, Gabriel Heinze, Clemente Rodr

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English Premiership Player of the Year Award 2009 Nominations

May 30th, 2010 by admin



The list of nominations for the PFA awards has been made and it is quite a surprising looking list. Not one single player outside the current top two have been selected and 5 out of the 6 are Man Utd players.

The PFA Award (Professional Footballers Association) is probably the highest personal award a player can receive in his career. The nominations and winner are voted by their professional peers, and as one professional player, John Terry observed, it is “the ultimate accolade to be voted for by your fellow professionals whom you play against week-in and week-out”.

There have been some other outstanding performers outside the current top two clubs, and it is strange that the votes have gone to mainly Utd players, as Utd by their own standards have not been fantastic this season. A slow start, before they found form and powered into a commanding lead at the top of the table, but lately they have been struggling again. I could understand it last season, as they were awesome, but I did expect some names from other teams too. At least from the other top flour clubs. I could also argue Everton’s Jageilka should have been included, but the list is comprised by fellow professionals making up the voting, and after all they are the real experts.

The nominations are as follows:

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) – He is a fantastic player and really is the player that makes Liverpool tick. Without him, they are quite lost. Even the great Zizou believes Gerrard to be the best midfielder in the world.

Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd) – He has been a rock at the back for Man Utd alongside Rio Ferdinand (also nominated). But when Rio was absent, he looked exposed. So perhaps not so great without Rio.

Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd) – The league’s best defender, and has formed an unstoppable partnership alongside Vidic.

Ryan Giggs (Man Utd) – A legend in the game and a fantastic player in his prime,and still doing well although his appearances are becoming less and less now, which makes it strange he should be included. Especially as he has only started 12 times in the league (plus 11 subs appearances).

Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd ) – In the 2007/08 season, he scored over 40 goals for Utd, a quite magnificent feat for a player who isn’t typically a striker. He was absolutely awesome last year and although there was soem uncertainty with his future last summer and his form wasn’t as great at the back end of the year. Ronaldo has won the award twice, in 2007 and 2008.

Edwin van der Sar (Man Utd) – I guess he is only included because of the record run of blank sheets. He is a good keeper, but not the best in the league in my humble opinion. Made to look better by the partnership of Vidic and Ferdinand in front of him. It is quite a selection of world class players there, each vitally important in different ways to their teams. It will be interesting to see who will win.

By: Richard Hull

About the Author:
To place your vote on who you think should win, follow this link [http://www.blargins.com/general-football/pfa-awards-list-2009-318.htm]

Richard Hull is the owner of Blargins’ Injury Time, a light hearted look at Everton FC and all things football.



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Portugal Football Team – Get the Latest About Euro Cup and World Cup

May 27th, 2010 by admin



The national football team of Portugal is member UEFA and it is organized by the Portuguese Football Federation. The team got its greatest performance in 1966 in England when they managed to qualify for the final tournament, in a semifinal, when they were defeated by England. We have to mention that England obtained the title that year. They were leaded by Eusebio, a legendary football player and they managed to defeat Brazil with nil to three and defeated North Chorea with 5 to 3. That year Portugal was the third football team in the world and Eusebio was considered the best player of the tournament.

Now, in 2008, the Turkish coach, Fatih Terim, has declared that he has been disappointed at the result obtained in the match with Portugal, in which his trainees have lost with a score of two to nil.

He said that at a moment, they were equal in the first half and the Portuguese had moments of weakness as well, but the first goal did change the match. Portugal is one of the best football teams in Europe and the result of this game has confirmed it.

In order to show their sympathy for the Portuguese team almost 12,000 fans have bought tickets to watch the training of this team in Neuchatel.

The entrance tickets cost almost 15 dollars and the training with audience was programmed on the stadium called La Maladiere in Neuchatel. Tickets were sold at a price four times higher than the official one. All in all these aspects show that Portugal is a popular team with great chances to be a top team this year as well.

By: Kerron Clarke

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Olympic Sports Betting

May 25th, 2010 by admin



Betting on the outcome of a sports event is a favorite pastime for many people. So when the Olympic Games are being played, you can be sure that there will be lots of betting taking place.

The bets here will not only be on individual teams for various sports but also on which country will ultimately finish with the maximum medals. Betting begins in earnest even before a single match has started.

Germany is currently listed as the favorite to pick up the most medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino. The Germans are followed by the United States and Norway. Another site lists Norway as the favorite at 11/10, followed by Germany at 5/4 and the United States at 11/5. For those more interested in betting on individual events, ice hockey is a great favorite, with Canada tipped as the favorite to win the gold at 11/10.

Before laying your bets, doing your homework is important. A good approach is to look at teams that are well-rounded with a good goaltender, stout defensemen, good penalty killers and players with scoring ability.

In an Olympic tournament, the strength of the draw is important, and you must go through this properly before placing your odds. In hockey, you must also consider the difference in rules between the National Hockey League (NHL) and Olympic Hockey. Remember not to take anything for granted, as it could be an important factor when it comes to the medal rounds.

These tournament match-up bets are not about who will win head-to-head, but rather which team will finish in a higher position at the end of the tourney, so be clear about that, and use it in your overall strategy.

There are high risks involved in taking bets for the Winter Olympics and therefore wagers are limited to $300 with no parlays. The Olympics are an event that the bookies are not very familiar and comfortable with. Therefore many shy away from taking big bets on the Olympics.

By: Eric Morris

About the Author:
Sports Betting provides detailed information on Sports Betting, Online Sports Betting, Olympic Sports Betting, Sports Betting Affiliates and more. Sports Betting is affiliated with Online Betting [http://www.z-Betting.com].



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Get to Know – Olympic Sports Betting

May 7th, 2010 by admin



Olympic sports book wagering has become a multi-billion dollar industry, expected to rise ten times over in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games. In the mega event to be held, tons of money are due to be splurged wagering on each of the 28 games. As was the case in Beijing, betting in Olympic sports involves several games such as archery, baseball and swimming, besides many other athletic and gymnastic events.

Sports Events in Olympics

In all, the 2012 Olympics is expected to host a total of 10 mixed events, other than the 127 events for women and 165 events for men. Popular category for Olympic sports wagering include men’s track and field where the 100 meter category receives more attention. Also, soccer has played a major role in the history of Olympic sport betting, as is expected to be the case in 2012, scheduled to be held in England.

Other popular wagers on Olympic sports books include the odds on a particular country expected to win the maximum medals. Germany and Russia have always been slight favorites in previous Olympic Games, with the United States following next. Olympics sports events also allow bettors to bet live as they watch the coverage on national television.

Televised sports Vs Betting

Televised sports events, especially Olympics, are highly popular in betting, as they involve maximum people participation. Though summer Olympics don’t usually have as much appeal as Winter Olympics, soccer and basketball have consistently ranked high on popularity charts, and for tennis, the excitement reaches its peak the moment the final four are short listed.

Amateur bettors can try their luck on events such as handball, volleyball, steeplechase, baseball and tennis. Seek online help to get all the updated information on online gambling odds in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.

By: Kathy Mercado

About the Author:
For more information, visit bangthebook.com. They offer tons of sports betting information, including information on Football Picks and College Football Picks.



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Should the Uefa Champions League Abandon the Away-Goals Rule?

May 4th, 2010 by admin



At 3 o’clock in the morning, I was eager to wake up and couldn’t bear to miss the Uefa Champions League semi-final between Manchester United and Arsenal. In the 2nd leg, Arsenal attacked tremendously well for the first 10 minutes but demoralized after United scored the first goal courtesy of Ji Sung Park. I then began to ponder, what if there wasn’t an away goals rule, would Arsenal have continued attacking with confidence and no hesitation for the remaining 80 minutes plus stoppages? For both legs, the Skysports TV presenter Richard Keys raised a very important question; should Uefa abandon the away-goals rule?

What is an Away-Goals Rule?

The away-goals rule applies for two-legged ties in the knockout rounds like quarter-finals and semi-finals. In the event that both teams drew over two legs, the away team that scored more goals away from home goes through. So for example, if Manchester United drew against Arsenal 0 – 0 in the first leg at home, and drew again 2 – 2 in the second leg away from home. Then by the away goals rule, Manchester United are victorious over two legs and should go through.

Can the Away-Goals Rule be Good?

The good thing is it encourages the away team to score away from home which also means they have to attack against the opposing team at their home territory. Also it adds value to football as an entertainment sport. The home team would prefer to attack and score to avoid any risk and burden of having to score more goals away from home. Thus both teams are forced to attack which can only be good for both supporters.

Can the Away-Goals Rule be Bad?

On the other hand, the away team may not choose to take risk and prefer to play cautious by playing defensively and hitting the home team on the counter-attack. It often happens with teams that have high discipline in defending and efficient on the counter-attack such as the Italian teams, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Some teams like Manchester United, Arsenal and Barcelona prefers attacking football and holding the ball as their main form of defense. Though according to Arsene Wenger, for a team to hold the ball requires participation and strength in order to keep possession. The opposing team as a result tires easily and loses concentration which could be fatal to their overall performance.

Other Rule that could Work

Uefa could consider these rules in place of the current away-goals rule:

1. Replays

Making the knockout rounds one-legged and if both teams drew, a replay of the match shall proceed, similar to the FA Cup. The one disadvantage of this rule is the unfairness to the away team. Since it is one-legged, the team that gets to play at home first will get the advantage. The away team could aim for a draw to bring the tie back to their home advantage.

2. One-Leg Rule

Similar to the MLS ( Major League Soccer) in the US, if both teams drew, it could be sort out by extra time and penalties or maybe penalties.

Should Uefa Abandon the Away-Goals Rule?

So we are back to the original question. At the moment, the rule works perfectly for all the teams in the competition. In fact, in the last decade, the competition has brought some great memories and great disappointments for both sets of fans. A recent example was Andreas Iniesta’s last minute equalizer against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2009 semi-final of the Uefa Champions League.

By: Heikal Suhaili

About the Author:
Heikal Suhaili writes comprehensive articles about freestyle soccer tricks and soccer in general. Find out more in his blog at http://soccer-tricks.blogspot.com



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