Fabio Cannavaro, Carlos Tevez, Michael Ballack, Michael Owen, Mark Van Bommel, Fred… these are but a few of the players whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season. And with the january transfer window practically at our doorstep, it is time to give these “old timers” a chance to prove they still are champion material. Time to make that zero-cost buy to win you that elusive trophy, cup, or championship title (or in the worst cases, save you from relegation).
In other words: it’s “Bosman Bonanza” time, with some real bargains to be made…
For the fourth time in FIFA Futsal World Cup history, Brazil conquered the gold medal on home turf Sunday morning. It was a match which all pundits anticipated to be a clash of the titans, with reigning World & European champions Spain providing a very worthy opponent for the Auriverde.
It the end, only a penalty shootout could settle a tied 2-2 score after extra time, during which substitute goalkeeper Franklin (stepping on precisely for that purpose) made two key saves on the Spanish shooters. After their gold in the Netherlands (1989), Hong Kong (1992), and Spain (1996), Brazil can chalk up a fourth title on the big Futsal chalkboard.
As far as Spain vs. Italy goes, sure isn’t a good year for Italian fans. First, there was the UEFA Futsal Euro 2007 final (lost 3-1)… then this Summer’s Euro 2008 quarter-finals story we all know. Now, for the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2008 Semi-Finals and for the third time in less than a year, a Furia Roja team got the upper hand on the Azzurri.
This time however the slap in the face couldn’t have been bigger, because Italy lost 3-2 in overtime: a match which the Azzurri deserved to win, and by the looks of Spain’s last goal, really did not deserve to lose.
Futsal, FIFA’s officially sanctioned version of Five-a-side football, may not be as widespread (or receive as much TV coverage) as the 11 vs. 11 “real thing”, but its popularity is very much on the rise. A popularity which can only grow further, with the 6th edition of the FIFA Futsal World Cup kicking off last Tuesday.
As title favorites Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Italy, and Portugal step onto the synthetic turf of Nilson Nelson Gymnasium and Ginásio do Maracanãzinho (the tournament’s two venues in the cities of Brasília and Rio de Janeiro), all eyes will be directed towards the soccer state for the biggest indoor footy showdown of the year.
. (more…)
You know the Rugby Six nations Championship? The one involving the England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales rugby national teams and taking place every year?
Well, the French Football Federation (FFF) and Club France 2010 (the management company taking care of all things Les Bleus till the 2010 World Cup) have had this crazy idea: why not do the same thing for soccer? And make it a regular occurrence?
Enter the Four Nations Soccer tournament, featuring France, Spain, Italy, and Germany (and potentially England as well).
It’s not the first time France has had this sort of initiative: remember the Tournoi de France back in 1997? Held shortly before the France 98 World Cup, this 4-Team tournament reunited France, England, Brazil and Italy for some very good footy showdowns. It’s in this tournament that Roberto Carlos scored his famous insane-bending free-kick.
Anyways, “there isn’t a concrete project as of yet, just an idea” says FFF president Jean-Pierre Escalettes. “But it would perfect to exploit the free period between June 6 and 10, as all of these 4 nations have no international fixtures during that time” he added. “It’s such a shame that the big European nations face each other so rarely. If we can change that we should. The tournament could then be transformed into a regular fixture, to take place in France (or another European country) every year or ever two years“.
For Spain and Italy, who will be involved in the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 from June 14 to 18, this would also be a perfect opportunity to get some pre-tournament training/test-matches…
What do you think? Good idea? Or do we already have too many soccer tournaments lying around?
It’s not the first time France has had this sort of initiative: remember the 
Anyways, “there isn’t a concrete project as of yet, just an idea” 
.jpg)
