Cruzeiro vs Estudiantes: Copa Libertadores 2009 - The Final

'I would swap all my medals, everything I won in Europe, everything I have ever won until this day, just to win this trophy.'

-Juan Sebastien Veron

The 50th edition of the Copa Libertadores reaches it's conclusion tonight with the first leg of the final between Cruzeiro and Estudiantes. Yes, for only the 12th time in Libertadores history it is Brazil vs Argentina in the final. Cruzeiro are looking for their 3rd Libertadores crown, their most recent triumph coming in 1997 against Peru's Sporting Cristal. Estudiantes have not won this competition since winning three in a row back in the late 1960s.

Veron's words on the eve of the final sum up exactly what it means for South Americans to win the continent's most prestigious club tournament. For Veron the clash means even more than for most; Veron's dad Juan Roman or La Bruja was part of that bustling, powerful Estudiantes team that won three on the spin. For Veron junior, known as La Brujita, winning the Copa Libertadores whilst wearing the same colours his father wore 40 years ago would represent the defining moment of what is already an admirable career.

I always wonder about Juan Sebastien Veron's position in terms of the modern greats of football. Where exactly does he stand? Before his move to Manchester United in 2001 he was considered one of the world's greatest players on the back of a quite majestic spell in Italy. There, for Parma and Lazio in particular, his vision, awareness, technique and wonderful range of passing set him apart from almost any other player in the game.

And while it did not quite work out at United and later Chelsea, Veron still won a league title in England. It was also more in European football, playing in the Champions League, that he proved his immense creative talents had far from deserted him. Indeed since leaving England Veron's style has even been cited as a precursor to the sophisticated way in which United play their football today. Nonetheless, Veron's star waned somewhat over these years, and it was no real surprise therefore when the current South American Footballer of the Year chose to return to Argentina at 31.

Since returning to his boyhood club Estudiantes in 2006, Los Pincharratas as they are known have won a league title, reached the final of the Copa Sudamericana and now face their biggest challenge - a Copa Libertadores final. And a large part of that has been down to Veron. He is the main man in this team, the creative fulcrum, the driving force. Estudiantes would not have made it to this stage without both his leadership and playing skills.

His absence in the semi-final second leg in Montevideo against Nacional only served to accentuate the differences in Estudiantes as a team with and without Veron. Though they emerged 2-1 winners, the performance was jaded and disjointed, lacking the cohesion La Brujita brings to the table so nonchalantly. Though he carries a knock into the first leg against Cruzeiro, Veron's will still be the first name on Alejandro Sabella's teamsheet.

Having said that Estudiantes do have other players. Mariano Andujar has performed so well in goal that he has battled his way to winning the number one shirt for Maradona's Argentina. Marcos Angeleri is a warrior-like defender coveted by many top clubs in Europe, Inter Milan rumoured to be one. Mauro Boselli's goals make the former Boca man this year's top scorer in the Copa Libertadores. So for Cruzeiro it is not simply a case of just keeping Veron quiet. Los Pinchas have several quality players.


That said, so do Cruzeiro.

Kleber, for one. Though something of an enigma, not to mention a man with a very bad temper, Kleber is strong and gifted and will doubtless cause Estudiantes' back four problems if he can keep his composure. Those who watched Brazil in the recent Confederations Cup in South Africa will also be aware of the talented attacking midfielder Ramires, who plays his final few games in the blue of Cruzeiro before leaving for Benfica.

Cruzeiro sailed through the group stages on their way to the final, but they do not have the best of records in Argentina. Up to now they have played Argentinian opposition away 38 times, with 9 wins, 5 draws and 24 defeats. Their record in finals against Argentine teams is also mixed. In 1976 they won the competition by beating River Plate (thanks to a playoff, the decider was played in Chile). The following year however A Raposa lost in the final to Boca Juniors on penalties.

The legendary Tim Vickery recently described this year's Copa Libertadores as 'mediocre' and to some extent he is right. Some of the football has been awful, particularly during the quarter final stages, and two last sixteen ties didn't even go ahead, cancelled after Mexican teams Chivas Guadalajara and San Luis withdrew because of prolonged arguments over the swine flu outbreak.

However, the two best teams have rightly made it to the final. Cruzeiro and Estudiantes have consistently performed well over the course of the competition, playing attractive football, and both are in good form. It should be an exciting clash. And with the first leg to be played in La Plata, Estudiantes, with their impressive home record, have a real chance to take the first step towards their fourth title. For Juan Sebastien Veron, his dream may be about to become a reality.

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Goodbye Ronaldo - Old Trafford, Manchester & All Of England Will Miss You

by JO'F

First things first, let's have a show of hands. Hands up those of you who didn't watch Cristiano Ronaldo's unveiling at Real Madrid. And by that I mean any of it, not a single second. Higher please so we can all see. Ok, you...you, is that a hand up there at the back? Right. Well I can tell you right now that you're in the minority.

The extravagant first showing of the world football's most expensive player in the regal white of arguably the world's most glamorous club was a box office smash, football's equivalent of a red carpet premiere for a Hollywood blockbuster.

Over 300 camera crews and photographers gathered for this historic event. Journalists from all corners of the globe centred on Madrid with questions customised to suit their particular domains; the amiable German journalist asking for Ronaldo's thoughts on Ribery. The Sky reporter questioning Ronaldo's relationship with Ferguson. The female journalist asking if Ronaldo was going to find a nice Spanish lady to settle down with. It seemed like the whole world of sports media was there to witness a marriage that was almost meant to be - the planet's most egotistical footballer at the planet's most egocentric, headline-hungry football club. Not to mentions the 80,000 fans present at the Bernabeu. There's a reason Sky Sports showed it all live.

The player

But as the glare of the flashbulbs fade and the all-powerful hype machine dies down, we - and by 'we' I mean Manchester United fans, fans in England and fans of the Premier League, are left with a rather empty feeling akin to the one when left behind when a person leaves the room of their own surprise party: 'what do we do now?'

For United fans like myself we are simply left with our memories, and boy are there some good ones. I was there on that hot summers day in August 2003 when Ronaldo made his debut as a substitute against Bolton and turned an average 1-0 lead into a 4-0 whitewash. Supporters left the stadium buoyant that day, openly debating whether this was their first glimpse of the new George Best. Might this young boy have just produced the greatest debut in United history? It was a line the national media also ran with the following day.


Over the course of Cristiano Ronaldo's 292 appearances for the Red Devils there are countless great memories, but two in particular stand out for me. Firstly, Fulham away in February 2007. United had not won the league for 4 years at that time, but were riding high above Jose Mourinho and the all-powerful Chelsea machine.

After 88 minutes of Fulham dominance, and with everyone in the away end delighted to even be contemplating a point, Ronaldo picked up the ball on the halfway line. It seemed a harmless position, but from there his direct running and trickery took him on a magnificent slalom run past three players into the heart of Fulham's area before he guided home an unlikely but massively important winner. It was pandemonium in the stands. It was a game, and indeed championship-changing win. It was classic Cristiano Ronaldo.

The second such memory came a year later. This was in his all-conquering 42 goal season, at home to West Ham in a 4-1 win. Again, it was a must-win game for the Reds and tension was high prior to kick-off. We needn't have worried. In the 3rd minute Ronaldo picked up the ball on the right, beat one man with the back-heel-running-Cruyff-turn that became his trademark, charged into the box and smashed the ball into the net almost effortlessly. The ease with which he scored that goal perfectly epitomised the player he had become - ruthlessly effective, brutally brilliant.

By then it had become clear to all us United fans that we were truly witnessing the best player in the world. The skills, the flair, the rock star swagger, the unflinching confidence to try the extraordinary and the overwhelming talent to be able to pull it off, on a regular basis. This kid had the lot.


The void

However, now that he has left for Iberian shores, it must be acknowledged that Cristiano Ronaldo's departure leaves us in England worse off. In the great debate about best leagues in the world, here was the English Premier League's trump card, a player coveted by all teams in all leagues around the globe. The first and only player to ever win World Player of the Year whilst playing in England.

The hero and anti-hero rolled into one. Hated, adored but never ignored. One freelance photographer in Manchester looked almost distraught when interviewed about Ronaldo's transfer to Real Madrid. 'Who do we take pictures of now?' he mused openly. For the last 3 years at least, the man from Madeira has been the number one icon in English football, fodder for both front and back pages. Who indeed can fill that void?

Ronaldo divided opinion like no other. Sure he was brash, arrogant and controversial. In a country that values hard work over natural talent, Ronaldo grated people. He's got the skills, the talent, the looks and, worse, he knows it. But who cares? Wouldn't it be boring if all players were uniformly bland and anonymous? It's great to have the Scholeses of this world but by contrast there must also be a place for limelight seekers like Ronaldo.

Clearly there will be other superstars. In modern times David Beckham left a similar void (albeit less in terms of his impact as a player) but was eventually replaced in the superstar stakes by Thierry Henry. He too soon departed these shores for sunny Spain.

And of course the game over here will go on. Football is cyclical and this nation's passion for the sport is ceaseless. United will sign new players and find new superstars. Supporters in England will find someone new to talk about, someone new to love, someone new to hate. The Premier League will find a new golden boy, new people to market and new stars to groom in the battle for it's supremacy as a saleable product.

But, after all he has achieved it would take a foolish (or indeed very bitter) man to deny Cristiano Ronaldo his place in English football history, particularly in the Premier League era.

After scoring 118 goals, redefining the role of the winger, ushering in a new technique for free-kick taking, winning the Champions League, three Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups, a World Club Cup, two Community Shields, two PFA Players' Player of the Year awards, two Football Writers' Footballer of the Year awards, a Premier League Golden Boot, a European Golden Shoe, a Ballon D'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award - how could you?

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Manchester City Polarising Opinion As Eto'o Ponders Joining The Party

by Tom Mallows

After the rather farcical attempt to lure Kaka to Eastlands in January, Manchester City boss Mark Hughes has lowered his sights a little this summer, but he has still formed the nucleus of what could be a very, very good side.

If you consider Robinho and Shaun Wright Phillips are already at the club, add Roque Santa Cruz and (potentially) Carlos Tevez and Samuel Eto’o into the mix and you have a potent attacking force as good as anyone in the country, if not Europe. Behind that will be last year’s fans player of the year Stephen Ireland and two rock solid midfielders in Gareth Barry and Nigel De long as well as Shay Given between the sticks.

Many believe a defensive addition is needed; Joleon Lescott has been mentioned, to complete the team. Once that defender is in the ranks I truly believe City have a side that can go for the title - the 'big four' clubs are now acutely aware of City’s presence breathing down their necks.

But already I have noticed a sizable shift in the reaction to City’s lavish spending. The City fans are obviously delighted, they will gloss over the fact they are buying success and argue that after all their years of heartache they have earned the break. Some other fans agree and are happy to see a club finally breaking up the ‘big four’ monopoly at the top of the Premier League.

However in the eyes of many other fans Manchester City are rapidly becoming their second least favourite club after Chelsea. Fans will now love to beat them and claim the moral victory by proving you can’t win everything with money.

Why the ill feeling? Well some of it will be because City are trying to hoover every team’s best players – they have been bothering Blackburn for Santa Cruz for over six months now. This perceived notion that they can simply go out and buy who they want will be seen as arrogance by many sides, above and below them.

The big four will naturally feel threatened that their cosy rich man’s club is under threat. The teams just below them, Everton, Aston Villa and Spurs, will be annoyed that while they are looking to build sides to compete with the big four year-on-year, City have just done four years work in one and look set to overtake all of them.

There is also underlining jealousy at their immense spending power. Fans of other clubs trot out the lines that it is immoral and bad for the game. I totally agree, I think the figures banded about are obscene. The old adages of good coaching, organisation and hardwork are out of the window and football is now decided by the size of your cheque book. But if your club were taken over in similar circumstances and bought the world’s best players would you be complaining?

We will wait with interest to see how the City ‘project’ turns out but already I get the feeling that whatever they achieve they will not get much recognition or praise because of the way it was brought about. And every time they stumble it seems a safe bet that it will be greeted with a smug sense of satisfaction from those clubs without a Sheikh’s billions behind them.

Tom Mallows is a sports writer for Betfair and columnist for Just Football

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Kjetil Rekdal - Legendary Norwegian Footballer, Enemy Of Eirik Bakke

Kjetil Rekdal downs the mighty Brazil

by Chris Rock

There was quite a hot "discussion" between Aalesund manager and legendary former Norwegian international Kjetil Rekdal and Brann's former Leeds United clogger Eirik Bakke at the end of the Norwegian Tippeligaen match between Brann Bergen and Aalesund FK recently, which was played at the Brann Stadion in Bergen.

More of that, and a video of the altercation later on, but first a bit of background. Kjetil Rekdal is high up on my list of footballing heroes down the years (2nd only to the iconic Bohemians midfielder and club captain for many years - Kevin Hunt). Rekdal has had a fairly decent career both as a player and a manager. If you remember back to the 1998 World Cup in France, it was Rekdal who converted the last minute penalty in the group stages to beat Brazil (sending NRK's chief commentator Arne Scheie into raptures) and secure progression to the knockout phases for Norway.

That penalty and a winning goal in the 1994 finals match against Mexico makes Rekdal currently still the nation's highest scorer at World Cup finals - ahead of such luminaries as Arne Brustad, Tore André Flo, Dan Eggen and Havard Flo.

Rekdal had a pretty successful spell in Belgium with Lierse between 1990 and 1996 before taking a year in France with Stade Rennes in 1996. He then moved on to Hertha Berlin, where he had another 3 years of German League action totalling some 64 appearances.

However, in 2000 Rekdal decided to return to Norway and joined the Oslo-based Norwegian club side that I support, Vålerenga IF. He had a pretty good 4 year stint with the club at the Ullevaal Stadion - making 116 appearances, and scoring 21 goals in the process - not too bad from a defender/midfielder.

Contemporary Norwegian football - a brief history

In 2001 Rekdal took on the role of player-manager, taking over from Tom Nordlie (now Kongsvinger manager) who oversaw the club's relegation to the second division at the end of the 2000 season. Rekdal's first season in charge saw the club make an immediate return to the Premier Division; Vålerenga finished top of the First Division, losing only 3 games in a 30 game season.

The 2002 season saw the club finish in mid-table, but in 2003 Vålerenga nearly went down again, finishing 12th place out of 14. The club only stayed in the Premier thanks to a 5-3 aggregate relegation playoff win against Sandefjord.

2004 saw the club recover nicely, much better than anyone ever could have imagined. At this point in time Rosenborg (perennial winners of the national title) were going through a certain amount of turmoil. Vålerenga took advantage of this expertly, mounting a serious challenge for the title. For the first time in a decade or so it went down to the last weekend of the season.

Vålerenga beat Stabæk 3-0. However, they missed out on the league title as Rosenborg defeated Lyn, Vålerenga's bitter cross town rivals 4-1 - with the 4th goal being scored in second half injury time. This left Vålerenga and Rosenborg level on both points AND goal difference. Sadly though, Vålerenga had scored one fewer goal than Rosenborg during the entire campaign, leaving Rosenborg as league champions. I watched the whole thing unfold live on the internet via TV2's version of Sky Sports Soccer Saturday. Drama personified, and a gutting way to lose the title.

The 2005 season would unfold in a similar vein but, surprisingly, not with Rosenborg involved. Instead we saw the emergence of Start IK from Kristiansand on the south coast

of Norway, who had been promoted the previous season. The league lead swapped hands between the two on a regular, almost weekly, basis and once again it went down to the final day with both clubs on the same number of points but Start in possession of a slightly better goal difference.

In the end Start lost 3-1 to Fredrikstad (who had to win to avoid going down). Vålerenga managed a 2-2 draw at Odd Grenland meaning that the Oslo club with Rekdal at the helm won the title for the first time in 21 years - the end of Rosenborg's 13 year run winning the title.

2006 however didn't go to plan. 5 points collected in the first 7 games, alarming form which was arrested quickly, saw the club sitting in 6th at the half way point in the season. July was not a good month, culminating in a humiliating exit from the Champions League to Czech team Mlada Boleslaw. The final nail came when, after losing 5 out of 7 games between the end of July and middle of August 2006, Rekdal did the gracious thing and resigned.

The club finished 3rd and Rekdal left with his impressive reputation and respect from the fans intact. After this Rekdal took 1 year management stints with Lierse in Belgium and Kaiserslautern in Germany, neither of which suited him, so he returned to Norway in 2008 to take a job managing Premier Division side Aalesund FK where he remains today.

"Go and drink some more, drunkard"

Anyway that's the background story, onto this small "discussion" I alluded to at the start of this piece. It happened on June 25th 2009 when Brann met Aalesund in the Tippeligaen (the Norwegian Premier League).

The whole thing started as a result of an incident in the 39th minute of the game. Aalesund's Jamaican winger Demar Phillips was tripped in the area by a Brann defender, but referee Kristoffer Helgerud didn't think so, so didn't give the penalty. Cue Rekdal and the Aalesund bench going mental at the officials for not spotting it.

Come half-time, and as the teams are coming off, Eirik Bakke decides to tell Phillips very "strongly" that he thinks he's tried to con the referee by diving - despite being 40 yards away from the incident at the time. Second half comes and goes, with Brann winning the match 2-1. Bakke uses his post match interview to pontificate on of how he thought Phillips had cheated and that Rekdal should keep his views to himself (the irony) and stop whinging at officials.

However, Rekdal happens to be stood nearby waiting to go onto TV for an interview himself and he's been told by some journalists who have seen TV replays that it wasn't a dive at all and should have been a penalty.

What happens next is presented in glorious technicolour in the following video.

For those whose Norwegian isn't up to scratch - a quick summary...

Rekdal tells Bakke "You don’t need to accuse us of diving when we don’t dive”, then telling him to “Shut up and watch the TV”, “Shup up and sod off”, and then for the prize: "Ha deg vekk, du er en alkis. Gå og drikk litt mer nå," - which translates as “Go away, you’re a drunkard, go drink some more”.

That last one in particular seems to hit a nerve, and Bakke has to be physically restrained, rather nonsensically calling Rekdal a “fat pig” as a teammate escorts him down the tunnel. Interesting to note that after taking the trouble to break free of everyone and getting near to Rekdal, Bakke does absolutely nothing - must have been the stare of distain the Aalesund manager gives him...

Quite an entertaining way to end a game I think. And for the record, Rekdal later went into the Brann dressing room and apologised to the Brann team - not that Bakke seems to have taken this with the grace it was intended.

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Chris Rock is a contributor to Just-Football specialising in Norwegian football. He also runs the blog 'The Worcestershire Referee.'

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Does Mainstream America Still Hate Soccer? If So, Why?

This thought first came into my head some months ago when I saw The Onion's sarcastic preview of an 'English soccer game', spotted by Brian Phillips over at the excellent Run of Play:

English Soccer Game - ESPN2 2pm EDT/1pm CDT You're just trying to look smart. Wait, are you wearing a scarf indoors? Ooooohh Heineken, ooooohhh. Pr*ck.

Now I realise The Onion is based on satire but the cynical undercurrent is obvious, bordering resentment.

Then, more recently, came the ESPN poll on the back of USA's historic 2-0 triumph against Spain in the Confederations Cup semi-finals. It asked Americans what is presumably the most pertinent question whenever soccer rises from the fringes of US sport up into wider national consciousness: 'Do you even care?'

Whilst considering whether The Onion's jibe was merely a harmless dig or in fact indicative of a wider reaching hostility towards the game of football/soccer from a considerable proportion of American society, I decided to delve deeper. It didn't take long before I found this article: How Soccer is Ruining America - the views of a philosophy and religion professor on why this 'pitiful sport' is undermining 'American energy, drive and competitiveness...to the point of no return.'

Professor Webb's piece, published on a 'journal of religion, culture and public life' puts forward four main arguments as to why football is the anti-christ of human development:

1) Using your feet is bad, uncouth even. 'Have you ever seen a deaf person trying to talk with their feet?' (Hey?) 'Did Jesus wash his disciples’ hands at the Last Supper? No, hands are divine, while feet are in need of redemption.' Webb reasons. I found it hard not to laugh reading that but maybe it's just me.

2) Sport should be about breaking down a person's resolve, about character building. It should be about the spectacle of public failure. Like baseball, apparently. Football, in Webb's mind, does not do enough to humiliate and lacks the capacity to crush the spirit. Without even stepping into the debate about why something so recreational and carefree as sport should 'break kids down', did this guy even see John Terry after that penalty?

3) Football was invented by dirty foreigners, ergo it is wholly un-American and impure. 'Soccer is a foreign invasion... a European sport because it is all about death and despair.' This seems completely at odds with point 2 (first he criticises football's inability to humiliate, then he chastises the 'despair' it creates).

In point 3 he also trots out the classic party line of your average anti-footballista; that it 'typically ends with a penalty kick out... As if the audience needs to be put out of its misery.' Mind you, if he is referring to the Ukraine vs Switzerland game at the 2006 World Cup its a fair point.

4) Finally, Webb argues that soccer, quite simply, is a game for girls. 'As a display of nearly death-defying stamina, soccer mimics the paradigmatic feminine experience of childbirth more than the masculine business of destroying your opponent with insurmountable power.' Tough to know where to begin on this one, so I'll just leave it out there.

So from Professor Webb we can gather that football, to some in the States, is a horrible, feckless, non-character building, unholy, dirty feet-oriented, foreign game for girls. And this was written on a 'religiously informed public philosophy' website!

Many other cultural outlets have in the past taken a dig at football. The Simpsons for example in their classic Mexico vs Portugal sketch, which while admittedly hilarious does contain all the bugbears Americans hold up against the sport - low scores, boredom-inducing passages of play, supposedly irrelevant nations, hooliganism.

Just deserts

And so the debate pops up again after USA's victory against Spain. In the immediate aftermath of arguably the greatest achievement in US soccer history, aside from celebrating the feat, debate raged over football's status across the pond. Gary Schmitt at The American argued that USA's 2-0 win despite Spain's dominance of play offered further proof that football can and should never be mainstream:

"I can say unquestionably that it is the sport in which the team that dominates loses more often than any other major sport I know of. Or, to put it more bluntly, the team that deserves to win doesn’t. For some soccer-loving friends, this is perfectly okay. Indeed, they will argue that it’s a healthy, conservative reminder of how justice does not always prevail in life. Well, hooey on that. And, thankfully, Americans are not buying it.

My suspicion is that the so-called “beautiful game” is not so beautiful to American sensibilities. We like, as good small “d” democrats, our underdogs for sure but we also still expect folks in the end to get their just desert. And, in sports, that means excellence should prevail. Of course, the fact that is often not the case when it comes to soccer may be precisely the reason the sport is so popular in the countries of Latin America and Europe."

The Spectator's retort pretty much nails it in terms of counter-argument. As Alex Massie mentions, does 'excellence' really prevail in sporting industries that, far from reward the best, actually handicap them with all manner of financial restraints? Massie's article also raises an important observation: in America, football bashing does tend to be more the popular pastime of authoritarian, right-leaning neoconservatives than any other sector of society.

With all that in mind, really my question is - why? And to what extent is football in America hated, or if not hated then observed with such profound suspicion and mistrust? Because it is boring? Because of the perpetually trotted out hooligan element? Because of some nationalistic disapproval of a 'foreign' dominated sport?

I'd be very interested to hear people's thoughts on this, particularly readers in the States with greater insight into the subject than I.

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Just-Football's Confederations Cup 2009 Team Of The Tournament (Italian Free Zone)

It nearly happened. USA came so close to shaking up football's natural order in this 2009 instalment of the Confederations Cup. They ended Spain's long unbeaten run, a feat nobody thought possible (I saw a price of 16/1 on Betfair pre-match) and went 2-0 up against Brazil in the final. But ultimately, whether through a lack of quality or belief, tiredness or simply inexperience, Bob Bradley's side fell away just 45 minutes away from a major upset.

It has been a really enjoyable tournament in South Africa. We've had upsets, comebacks, late winners, great goals (how about Katlego Mphela's second against Spain?!) more upsets and superb entertainment, and what's more it's been a pleasure and a delight to see the sheer unbridled excitement of the fans in South Africa as the real thing, the 2010 World Cup, draws ever closer. Forget all the pre-tournament negativity, if the Confederations Cup was anything to go by it's going to be a blast.

As we always like to do with the major tournaments on Just-Football, we present to you our team of the tournament. We're going for a 4-3-1-2 formation on this one as is the prevailing fashion in football right now, with an attacking midfielder sitting in front of a middle three and behind the front two. Let us know what you think...

Team of the tournament:
(Formation 4-3-1-2)

GK: Tim HOWARD (USA)
There was ample competition in this category with Essam El-Hadary, Iker Casillas, Julio Cesar and Itumeleng Khune all prominent, but it is hard to ignore the immense contribution Tim Howard put in for USA over the two weeks. His presence alone was a huge contributing factor to the States' calmness and solidity at the back, and his influence and organisation of the defence were definitive aspects of USA's path to the final. Pulled off some outstanding saves, especially against Spain to keep USA in the game, and was exceptional all-round.

RB: MAICON (Brazil)
Solid in defence and an absolute train going forward, the Inter Milan defender is fast establishing himself as one of the best right backs in the world. His darting runs down the right hand side caused opponents all sorts of problems, particularly Italy who just couldn't seem to handle him, and the Brazilian also weighed in with a goal against USA.

CB: Oguchi ONYEWU (USA)
This competition could prove to be the making of Onyewu. The Standard Liege centre back excelled throughout; even in USA's early defeats he stood out. Agile, sturdy and built like he should be playing in the NFL, it is plain to see why several clubs in the Premier League and around Europe are circling. The performance he put in against Villa, Torres and co vs Spain proves he has the ability to play at a high level.

CB: Aaron MOKOENA (South Africa)
A good tournament for the Bafana Bafana captain as he helped lead his nation to a fine overall showing. It was thought pre-tournament that South Africa would struggle desperately but Mokoena marshalled the backline superbly well and used his obvious leadership qualities to spur the team on, particularly in times of doubt. Steven Pienaar was the man everyone looked to for inspiration, but Mokoena was the rock. Bodes well for Portsmouth prior to his move there.

LB: Andre SANTOS (Brazil)
The Corinthians full back displaced Kleber in the starting lineup after making his first ever appearance for the national team against Egypt and never looked back. Does not get forward as often or as dynamically as his opposite full back Maicon, but adds physical prowess and positional awareness to Brazil's defence. At 26 Andre Santos is not exactly a spring chicken, but in this competition he has impressed enough to suggest that Dunga might begin to consider him a regular heading into 2010.

MF: Steven PIENAAR (South Africa)
Arguably the player of the tournament for me. In South Africa's first game against Iraq the team looked drab and weary. The players seemed out of ideas and lacking confidence. The minute he stepped onto the pitch however, Pienaar restored life to an ailing side. His enthusiasm, technical ability and calming influence rubbed off on everyone around him. Not only was he brilliant but he drew an extra level out of the likes of Teko Modise and Bernard Parker, spurring them on to 4th place and, almost, an unlikely upset against Spain. Pienaar had a really good season for Everton in England and in South Africa he just carried that form on.

MF: Xabi ALONSO (Spain)
Another player performing well off the back of a good season on Merseyside, Xabi Alonso pulled the strings at the heart of Spain's midfield throughout the competition and was one of the few players not to let his level drop in the embarrassing defeat to USA. An important cog in Vicente Del Bosque's side, Alonso sat tight in front of the defenders and spread the play around with his range of long and short passes. The Liverpool man also had the distinction of scoring the winner to ensure Spain finished with a bronze medal.

MF: Michael BRADLEY (USA)
If you are a regular listener of BBC Radio 5 Live's World Football Phone-in you will probably have heard the show's US correspondent Sean Wheelock rave about Michael Bradley at some point or other. Now I know why. An energetic and tenacious midfielder, Bradley's selfless running and immense hard work were crucial in helping USA make it to their first major international final. A debatable red card against Spain meant he missed out in that final, but Bradley's abilities clearly quell any attempts to make out that his inclusion in the national team is as a result of some form of nepotism.

AMF: Mohamed ABOUTREIKA (Egypt)
Really I can't get enough of Mohamed Aboutreika. While his decision to shun playing in Europe in order to stay in his homeland might be considered by some as admirable in this Euro-centric, money-chasing, modern era of football, I can't help but consider it a shame we don't get to see this supreme talent more often. It leaves one wondering just what his level would be had he played in Europe at his prime.

Once again Aboutreika had a superb tournament. Kaka's equal in the Brazil vs Egypt game, the best player on the pitch against world champions Italy, and decent but poorly utilised by Egypt coach Hassan Shehata in the Pharaohs' 3-0 defeat to USA, when played too deep to have any impact. The problem when Aboutreika plays for Egypt is that, as against USA, he sometimes plays on a level way above most of his peers, his incisive through balls and array of clever flicks passing his teammates by. Nonetheless his grace and poise on the ball put him, in my opinion, in the upper echelons of the world football's finest players, an argument supported by Gabriele Marcotti.

CF: Luis FABIANO (Brazil)
Five goals, responsible for the comeback against USA in the final and a Golden Boot winner to boot. Luis Fabiano may not quite have been at his dynamic best in this competition but the Sevilla forward was lively, alert, committed and did the most important thing for any striker: score goals. Whether an instinctive tap-in like the one against Italy or a piece of creative brilliance like his first goal in the final, Fabiano showed us exactly why he is the man currently wearing the famous Brazil number 9 shirt.

CF: Mohamed ZIDAN (Egypt)
It was a real shame Mohamed Zidan got injured against Italy and was forced to miss the rest of the tournament, because up to that point the Egyptian striker looked like being one of the stars of the competition. Burst onto the scene with two well taken goals against Brazil in the opening game, but unlike in the African Cup of Nations in 2008 when a good start went straight to his head (openly encouraging comparisons to his great namesake Zinedine while getting a 'Z' shaved in his hair was not his finest hour), this time he kept focussed. His technique and guile were a real handful for Cannavaro and co against Italy. Egypt's demise coincided almost perfectly with Zidan's injury.

SUBS:
Julio Cesar (Brazil)
Jay De Merit (USA)
Lucio (Brazil)
Fernando Torres (Spain)
Bernard Parker (South Africa)
Tsepo Masilela (South Africa)
Kaka (Brazil)

What do you think of our team? And what was your team of the tournament? Comments welcome, whether you agree or disagree.

Continue Reading "Just-Football's Confederations Cup 2009 Team Of The Tournament (Italian Free Zone)"

Marc-Vivien Foe: The Most Indomitable Of Lions

I still remember the 26th of June 2003. It was the summer holidays after my first year of university. The sun shone brightly, which isn't necessarily a given during English summers, the girls were out sunning themselves, showing off just enough to pique the imagination, and the mood was carefree. My friends and I spent the time idly wiling away the hours; kickabouts in the park, crossbar challenges (3 points for hitting the bar, 1 point for either post), barbeques, beers and outdoor parties long into the night. It was Summertime by Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Catch the Sun by Doves. It was a wonderfully easy-going, untroubled time.

I remember well the day of the Confederations Cup semi finals. It was a relatively new tournament then, only it's fourth instalment in the modern format, and not too many people cared about it. Nevertheless the desire, no, need to watch football still burnt within me, and I had been following the tournament eagerly.

Cameroon vs Colombia and France vs Turkey were two games I really wanted to see. France were the holders, spurred on by the likes of Lilian Thuram and Thierry Henry. Cameroon were a mighty force, resilient and tough to beat. Turkey had just eliminated world champions Brazil.

Cameroon were playing Colombia in the first semi final, but just as I settled down to watch, some friends came over and somehow managed to drag me away. By the time I got back, France were playing Turkey at the Stade de France. And something wasn't right.

Within a few minutes Henry gave France the lead. The commentator (I think it was on Eurosport) announced the goal with a tone completely devoid of enthusiasm. Hardly anyone in the crowd cheered. The French players gathered together for a hug but it seemed joyless.

Henry pointed towards the sky, which I wanted to interpret as typical Henry posturing, but it didn't sit right. The commentator then linked the gesture with 'the events of today' and alarm bells rang.

At a break in play I checked Sky Sports News and watched on in a state of horror. The words scrolled across the screen in black font on the big yellow alert bar that is the channel's custom for breaking news. 'Marc-Viven Foe collapses and dies during Cameroon's 1-0 win against Colombia.' The excruciatingly slow way in which the words scrolled across the screen only accentuated the tension and sense of tragedy, each word burning into my spirit, a hammer blow to my fading desire not to believe it.

"Un lion ne meurt jamais" — a lion never dies

Marc-Vivien Foe passed away whilst gaining his 64th cap for Cameroon. The Indomitable Lions were 1-0 up against Colombia and down to ten men when, in the 72nd minute, Foe collapsed in the centre circle. Medics spent 45 minutes trying to resuscitate him but shortly after arriving at hospital, he died. An autopsy revealed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and concluded that his death was heart related.

Foe's death left Cameroon, Africa and the entire football world in shock. A roving, powerful central midfielder, Foe won two African Cup of Nations and two French league championships, with Lens in 1998 and Lyon in 2002. He played at two World Cup finals and scored 8 goals in 64 appearances for his country.

The extent of the respect Marc-Vivien Foe commanded and his likeable nature was summed up by the reaction to his passing. In Yaounde, Foe's place of birth, mourners poured onto the streets within minutes of learning the sad news and all major TV and radio stations halted regular coverage to turn their attentions to one of Yaounde's most famous sons. The day before the funeral over 30,000 people flocked to Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium, near his family home, to honour Foe's remains.

He was given a state funeral, attended by Cameroon State President Paul Biya as well as other high ranking officials. Rigobert Song and FIFA president Sepp Blatter were among those to read eulogies. Manchester City retired the number 23 shirt; Foe was the last City player ever to score at the club's now defunct Maine Road stadium. Racing Club de Lens renamed an avenue near their Felix Bollaert Stadium after him. Foe was also posthumously awarded Cameroon's Commander of the National Order of Valour.

FIFA tribute

At the Confederations Cup final between Brazil and USA tomorrow FIFA will stage a memorial in memory of Marc-Vivien Foe before the match. It is a wonderful gesture to a great man who will never be forgotten.

Marc-Vivien Foe was not only a warrior-like midfielder but a figure loved by many in the game. His calm, reserved nature was at complete odds with his stature and on-pitch bustling style. When pressed once by the BBC about his seemingly shy persona he answered, "my strength is my calmness. I believe you are at your best when you are discrete and calm".

Manchester City deputy chairman John Wardle offered a glowing testament to Foe's personality:

"You could not meet a better professional. He never gave anyone an ounce of trouble. Typically he was going to spend his summer teaching youngsters the game back in France. We gave him a few days off at the end of the season so he could go back for the birth of his daughter and when he returned he just couldn't stop smiling. He will go down in history as the last City player to score at Maine Road. We are devastated."

The legacy of Marc-Vivien Foe goes on. Blatter spoke recently about Foe's lasting impact on health matters in football:

"One of the legacies of Marc-Vivien Foe's unfortunate death is that Fifa is providing medical care and aid where we possibly can. Foe's death has brought a new approach to the prevention of health, disease and cardiologic problems in football organisation. More and more, a special cardiologic check-up has to be done before tournaments - just as Fifa has done with the eight teams at this year's U-20 World Cup in Egypt. Another result was that Fifa has now recommended that a defibrillating machine should be present in all stadiums where football is played."

Personally I will never forget that sad summer's day in 2003. The harrowing, heartbreaking image of Foe dying was splashed insensitively all over the tabloids, eyes rolling back into his head as medics and players screamed frantically for help. It is an image that will haunt the periphery of my mind for a long, long time. Even now, my heart instinctively skips a beat whenever that yellow breaking news banner appears on Sky.


Nevertheless, in a country and indeed continent that largely looks at death as a passing into the afterlife, a heightened form of existence as we know it (Foe himself was deeply religious), it is strangely comforting to see how Marc-Vivien Foe is so celebrated in Cameroon, rather than mourned. There he has war hero status, a man who gave his life defending his country. Patrice Etoundi Mballa wrote in the Cameroon Tribune at the time:

"We should not forget that Marc-Vivien Foe's was a tremendous destiny. To die on the football field, having minutes earlier sung the national anthem of his nation and guided his teammates into the final of a major competition...few are granted the chance to end their earthly voyage in such beauty. Few have deserved such reverance and admiration from their homeland."

With untimely death at just 28, the story of Marc-Vivien Foe is one that ends in tragedy. But for the people of Cameroon, his was the ultimate sacrifice, a Pheidippidean tale of bravery and courage that elevated this shy, humble man from the most modest of backgrounds to the type of lavish, extravagant send-off usually reserved for presidents and Kings. As Peter Mabu Shey puts it:

"It is an honour indeed to die in a battle which has been won by your country. The good deeds done on the stage live for ever, even after the curtain falls."

Continue Reading "Marc-Vivien Foe: The Most Indomitable Of Lions"

Exclusive: Under Armour Football Boots Stomping Into Europe

Who likes football boots? As regular readers will know, Just-Football was invited to a special football session with sports apparel manufacturers Under Armour last month, at which we managed to get an exclusive interview with Fulham's Bobby Zamora.

Well, further to that event we are now able to give you an exclusive insight into Under Armour the company. Greg Zalinsky examines UA as it prepares to enter the market with the launch of Under Armour's first ever UK market football boots. Not only that but we also have some exclusive photos of the brand new boots for you as they prepare to go on sale on these here shores. All this after the jump...

The UA Create Pro FG - lightweight boots with added structured support: for players with pace to burn

Under Armour is a company better known in the USA than in Europe. Over the pond they dominate the performance clothing sector, producing form-fitting, moisture-wicking performance apparel from a $700 million operation in Baltimore.

In the UK those in the know have imported the athletic tops, underwear and accessories for years, but until now there has never been a major campaign for Europeans to buy into the ‘hard working brand for sportsmen’ when considering Football boots.

Under Armour’s established line of American cleats are highly respected for speed and power offering stability and shock absorbance technology with an excellent fit. A quick search online brings plenty of praise from a consumer base familiar with the quality and celebrity endorsement apparent from the American Football scene. In the UK, a launch has been expected for some months, with images leaked in the last weeks being sucked up by an audience more familiar with wearing Nike and Adidas on their feet.

The first hints at the details of the products being made available come from a teaser campaign on the Under Armour website showing a countdown and references to the ‘UA11’, presumably the styling of their campaign in Europe. With two shoes already available to pre-order from the US and Europe, the Create Pro and Dominate Pro, notes are trickling through from the few fans and bloggers who have been able to test them on the field.

Information released confirms that the technology in the European products will include a moisture management system, a modular protection zone for impact protection, power and metatarsal support as well as an anti-bacterial foot bed that moulds to the foot, providing exceptional stability, increased comfort, and reduced stud pressure.

The UA Dominate Pro FG - power, responsiveness and protection: a heavier boot that offers more bang, particularly useful for strikers. As worn by Bobby Zamora

Both the Create Pro and Dominate Pro carry the standard Under Armour branding, surprising some who predicted a change in logo for a European market unfamiliar with the story behind it. Those who have bought from the US will protest that Under Armour is more of a competitor to the British field dominance of swoosh-on-foot than you might imagine, with a truly global operation, 2000 staff and a real heritage in sports (the firm’s founder Kevin Plank having a true passion for football, starting the business in 1996 as a player trying his apparel prototypes on former teammates).

For the guys behind the boot it must be a hugely daunting task to enter this space. Nike, Adidas and Umbro have relied heavily on endorsements from Ronaldinho, David Beckham and Michael Owen respectively. Many professional-amateurs make their decisions based on who else is wearing the product so it might be a ‘wait and see’ for some but if anything this might work in Under Armour’s favour with a slot forming for a ‘serious’ shoe, without the showbiz.

The boots on pre-order are priced around £100-£120, a zone that certainly suggests ‘niche’. No matter if the company succeeds, anyone who’s ever worn the shirts in the gym knows that the firm can probably survive a whole lot of sweat and will likely come out clean in the wash.

Author: Greg Zalinsky

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Just-Football verdict: I had a kickabout in the Create Pros and tried on Zamora's own Dominate Pro boots and I must say I was impressed.

The Dominate Pros look extremely chunky at first, but when you put them on they are actually very light to wear. The moulded top part of the boot offers great power too: perfect for any striker. The H20i Water Intelligence technology is also designed to keep your feet dry no matter the conditions.

As for the Create Pros, they are a lot lighter to wear and I can see how they would be more preferable for players with pace - wingers for example. For the fashion conscious football players amongst you they also look hella sleek! Create Pros also come in a Neon Yellow/Black combo.

For both boots, stockist details can be found at Under Armour's snazzy website.

What do you think of the boots?

Continue Reading "Exclusive: Under Armour Football Boots Stomping Into Europe"