Photo, Shoot - 31.10.2008 - Grassroots Football

Sportfreunde Großsachsenheim v TSV Phönix Lomersheim II.

Germany, April 2008.

Grassroots Football.

Photo courtesy of poity_uk on Flickr, in Just-Football's photo pool.

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Is Freddie Ljungberg The Man To Raise Major League Soccer's Profile?

There were flashbulbs and shiny white corporate grins and glistening company logos. The head of Vulcan Sports and Entertainment spoke confidently about dreams coming true, shaking the epicentre of North American soccer and sold-out stadiums. Famous US showbiz blogs began frantically digging around for semi-nude pictures of the MLS' newest star player modelling Calvin Klein boxer shorts. The red carpet was rolled out. And in the brief history of Seattle Sounders FC it was described as a 'momentous day.'


All this for a 31-year old former Swedish international who was released by West Ham United, no longer deemed good enough.

Freddie Ljungberg became Major League Soccer's latest designated player this week when he agreed a two year contract worth $2.5 million a season in order to play for Sounders FC.

The deal makes him the third highest paid player in the MLS behind only Cuauhtemoc Blanco and David Beckham. It is thought that with added bonuses he will earn upwards of $3.5 million a season for his efforts in Seattle. The transfer certainly made headlines in the United States. Seattle Sounders FC are a new MLS 'franchise' and will be making their debut season in 2009. As such, for them the high-profile signing of Ljungberg represents something of a coup. At Ljungberg's unveiling, majority shareholder Joe Roth was keen to stress the importance of the signing and his ambitions for the Sounders going into their first MLS campaign.

“We’re in the right city, with the right ownership, with the right general manager, with the right goalie, and now what we have is a great European soccer player, who is going to shore up the centre of our team.

It's been my promise to the people of Seattle that we wouldn't come across as a struggling expansion team. Our goal is to come out with an expansion team that makes the play-offs. We looked far and wide for a designated player who would represent the spirit of our team. In Freddie Ljungberg, we found it. We are sure the Seattle fans are in for a great treat.”

Reaction within the MLS, from supporters and authorities alike, was positive. MLS Commissioner Don Garber described Ljungberg as a 'world class player' and Sounders' fans posting on the Emerald City Supporters messageboard were generally delighted. 'The Super Swede is here!' commented one, basking in glee.

Amidst the fanfare, the glitz and the glamour however came legitimate questions about just what sort of impact Ljungberg, injury-prone in his final season in England at West Ham, can make in the MLS. Towards the end of his time at Arsenal the Swede suffered from persistent ankle and hip problems and at West Ham he made just twenty-two starts before having his contract terminated. On the subject of criticism from certain quarters that Ljungberg is simply heading to the MLS to wind down his career and collect a lucrative paycheck, Roth had this to say. "I think the mixed reaction in the English press is a great victory. They probably had a mixed reaction to the end of World War 2!" Take that, English media!

At 31, Ljungberg is still relatively young (Beckham joined LA Galaxy at thirty-two) but it remains to be seen whether the Swede can remain free of injury problems long enough to establish himself as the star player his reputation carries in the States. The press conference made reference to the fact that he will play as a centre midfielder for the Sounders rather than down the flanks as he was often employed at Arsenal.

Can he stay fit long enough to be the driving force behind Seattle Sounders' ambitions of making the playoffs? In a league that is still finding its feet somewhat will Ljungberg, capped 71 times for his country, turn out to be by far one of its best players? And if so would that be more a testament to his quality, or an indictment on just how weak the MLS really is?

Is he the man to further raise the MLS' profile? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Africa's 2010 World Cup Qualifying And Cup Of Nations Draw Made

The remaining twenty teams in contention for a spot at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa learnt their fate yesterday, as the final group draw was made in Zurich. The teams were seeded based on their most recent FIFA World rankings and split into five groups of four.

Teams will play each other twice, with group winners advancing to the party in South Africa in two years time. The top three from each group will also qualify for the 2010 African Cup of Nations along with hosts Angola. The draw is as follows:

Group A - Cameroon, Morocco, Togo, Gabon

Group B - Nigeria, Tunisia, Kenya, Mozambique

Group C - Egypt, Zambia, Algeria, Rwanda

Group D - Ghana, Mali, Sudan, Benin

Group E - Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Malawi, Burkina Faso

The problem with seeding a group in which only one team can qualify is that, with all the other favourites shunted into different groups of their own, the number one seeds in each section consequently become overwhelming favourites to qualify from their respective groups. Can anyone see anything other than the top five seeds (Cameroon, Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire) making it to South Africa?

On paper Cameroon look to have been granted the toughest draw with Morocco and Togo, led by Emmanuel Adebayor, sure to provide difficult opposition, but as Africa's top ranked side you would think the Indomitable Lions will be strong enough to safely navigate their path to the finals.

Nigeria will be pleased with their draw. On the back of a 100% record in qualifying so far, fans of the Super Eagles will expect nothing less than first place in Group B and a trip to South Africa in order to make amends for the previous team's failure to reach Germany in 2006. Tunisia, always a handful, may have other ideas.

Current African champions Egypt appear to have the easiest draw, offering the Pharaoahs a fine chance at qualifying for their first World Cup in twenty years, but seeing off two much improved sides in Zambia and Algeria will not be a walk in the park. Rwanda may fight valiantly, but in truth look like being there just to make up the numbers.

Though Ghana will be made clear favourites in Group D, this group has the potential to be much closer than many might expect. Mali, with the likes of Fredi Kanoute, Mahamadou Diarra and Seydou Keita are no pushovers, while both Sudan and Benin are emerging as leaders of the new school in African football right now, with substantially more talent at their disposal than at any time in the last ten years. This could prove to be a very open group.

Cote d'Ivoire on the other hand look to have their group wrapped up. Guinea appear to be their closest challengers for a place in South Africa, but when you consider the Elephants' 5-0 hammering of the Syli Nationale in the African Cup of Nations quarter-finals earlier this year, you imagine that Didier Drogba and co will have too much for the likes of Burkina Faso and Malawi.

2010 will be the first World Cup featuring six participants from Africa, mainly because South Africa automatically qualify as hosts yet failed to make it into the final group stage.

The matches are scheduled to take place between March and November 2009.

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Thrilling Derby Weekend In Brazil Masks National Team Failures

Dunga may not have many friends in Brazil right now given his struggle to win the public's affection as national team coach, but last weekend he could at least look back and reflect on the Campeonato Brasileiro's fixture list as an ally of sorts. After accumulating an awful record of just three points from three home games during World Cup qualifiers in 2008, without managing a single goal in the process, you would have expected the knives to be out in a big way for Dunga.

Many Brazilians in the stadium, for example, were actually quite happy with the result. 'This will be the end of Dunga' one smiled gleefully, having spent most of the game criticising the beleaguered coach. The boos and the 'Bye bye Dunga' chants emanating from the Maracana were bad enough, but you would have been forgiven for imagining that the vicious reaction of the press to the 0-0 draw with Colombia would ultimately prove too much for the World Cup winning centre midfielder to withstand.

Not so. Though inevitable criticism was directed at both players and coach of the underachieving Seleção, for the most part the Brazilian media's attention quickly turned towards the buildup to a highly important, potentially pivotal matchday of league football in the Campeonato Brasileiro. For last weekend fans of Brazilian football had not one or two but three classicos to look forward to, with derby clashes reigniting bitter rivalries in three major cities; Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. In Sao Paulo, title contenders Palmeiras and Sao Paulo went head to head at the Palestra Italia. In Rio, relegation-threatened Vasco da Gama took on title hopefuls Flamengo and in Belo Horizonte Atletico Mineiro played host to another team challenging for the Campeonato, Cruzeiro.

As it turned out therefore Dunga was spared an uneasy few days of job speculation, bad press and faultfinding. The sports daily Lance! even relegated reaction to the Colombia stalemate as far back as page 13, preferring instead to devote its front page to the highly anticipated Rio derby between Vasco and Flamengo.

With such intense focus on the trio of derbies off the pitch, the action on the pitch did not disappoint. League leaders Gremio's shock 2-0 defeat at Portuguesa proved a great result for all but Vasco, who see Portuguesa as relegation rivals, and the outcome at Caninde only added further incentive to those competing at the top of the table, knowing that a win would inch them ever closer to that coveted top spot.

Atletico Mineiro 0-2 Cruzeiro

Cruzeiro went into the weekend's fixtures four points behind Gremio, but with results going their way and a deserved 2-0 victory against local rivals Atletico Mineiro at the Estádio Mineirão, the club nicknamed the Fox are now creeping closer and closer to first place. They currently lie second with just a point separating them from the league leaders and eight games to go.

In front of 53,000 goals in either half from Jonathan and Guilherme respectively put paid to Mineiro's chances of winning the derby. Cruzeiro were in total control in the first half, living up to their status as title contenders admirably, and Jonathan's goal three minutes before half time was no more than the away side deserved.

A more evenly balanced second half saw Mineiro, 3-0 winners against Flamengo at the Maracana the previous week, get back into their stride somewhat, but Cruzeiro remained the more incisive outfit and their overall superiority was emphasised when Guilherme struck his sixteenth goal of the season from the penalty spot to wrap up all three points as well as the bragging rights in Belo Horizonte.

Palmeiras 2-2 Sao Paulo

Undoubtedly the game of the weekend took place at the Palestra Italia. Some journalists went as far as dubbing it one of the finest games in the history of this particular classico, which is probably going a little overboard. In terms of excitement and drama though, Palmeiras' comeback from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 was most certainly deserving of the 'classic' tag.

Within seven minutes the 26,776 crowd had already been treated to a goal and two red cards. Leo Lima upended Jean in the box and Rogerio Ceni, the goalkeeper/penalty king slammed in the spotkick to register his seventh goal against Palmeiras. Not a bad return for a keeper. The drama continued even before the game had restarted. Diego Souza and Sao Paulo's Borges' playful flirting was deemed unacceptable by referee Salvio Spinola, and consequently he sent both of them off, presumably to continue their antics in the privacy of the dressing room. Both dismissals were harsh to say the least.

On the stroke of half time Sao Paulo went 2-0 up courtesy of Dagoberto, who ran from deep in midfield and slotted the ball past Marcos to the delight of the away fans. Sao Paulo began brightly in the second half, and it seemed as though they would comfortably go on to wrap up the three points. That is until Palmeiras' remarkable comeback. Two goals in two minutes saw the home side get back on level terms, with former Sao Paulo player Kleber and then Leandro getting on the scoresheet. Roque Junior, formerly of Leeds United, was sent off late in the game.

The outcome of such a thrilling encounter sees Palmeiras move down to third, while Sao Paulo occupy the final Copa Libertadores spot in fourth, three points behind Gremio.

Vasco 0-1 Flamengo

At the Maracana Stadium, Flamengo kept up their hopes of a first league title in 16 years by beating fierce rivals Vasco 1-0. On a rain-soaked surface, Jorge Luiz's own goal two minutes before half time was enough to separate the sides, and though Flamengo were reduced to ten men midway through the second half, Vasco could do nothing to make the man advantage count.

Just 37,000 turned out to watch the Rio classico, with many put off by the poor weather conditions, but the atmosphere remained intense both inside and outside the stadium. The feeling of mutual hatred between both sets of fans was clear for all to see.

A nervy game ended in sheer delight for the Flamengo fans, who taunted Vasco endlessly with chants about their potential relegation; an outcome that looked ever more ominous at the final whistle. Vasco are one of only four Brazilian clubs to have never been relegated but with eight games remaining they lie rock bottom, four points adrift of safety. They have it all to do.

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Quote of the Day, Week And Possibly Year

´Honestly though, what else should we expect from a starting lineup that contains three Manchester City players?´

Brazilian journalist Roberto Assaf offers his verdict on Brazil´s pitiful performance in the 0-0 draw with Colombia at the Maracana.

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Flamengo and the Boo Boys - Should Fans Boo Their Own Team?

So it appears Ashley Cole was booed by a section of England fans in the recent 5-1 win over Kazakhstan. Big deal. Generally speaking I am not a fan of the boo boys, whose impatience is rarely if ever helpful for the team. Unless it is in circumstances that really warrant it I am of the opinion that, as a supporter of whatever club, fans should try to support and encourage the team at all times, especially in moments of struggle when they need it most. The counter-argument of course is that, as a paying customer, supporters have the right to vent their feelings in whichever way they see fit.

Previously I would have been inclined to pour scorn on those who booed Cole, however detestable a character he is. England won with relative ease, why the need for heckling one of their own? That is until I went to the Maracana this past weekend and witnessed a spectacle of supporter anger, booing and all round enraged derision the likes of which I have never seen before.

Flamengo are a Rio de Janeiro based Brazilian football club who, with an estimated fanbase of around 40 million fans, claim to be the world´s best supported club. Riding high in the 2008 Campeonato Brasileiro, Brazil´s top division, the team nicknamed Mengão or the Rubro-Negro (descriptive of their distinctive scarlet and black shirts) went into last weekend´s crunch game against Atletico Mineiro just four points behind league leaders Gremio and looking a good bet for a place in next year´s Copa Libertadores.

Their opponents Mineiro are a mid-table club who supposedly had little hope of toppling the mighty Flamengo and so the home supporters, around 81,200 of them - the highest attendance of the season in Brazil, crammed into the wonder that is the Maracana stadium expecting a routine victory and a feast of goals.

It was not the case. The fans wanted a spectacle and they got one; unfortunately for them however it turned out to be a horror show. Atletico Mineiro destroyed the Rubro-Negro 3-0 in their own backyard, with a beautiful display of tactical discipline and ruthless counter-attacking.

Humiliation, shame and embarrassment were three of the most prominent words used by the Brazilian press to describe Flamengo´s astonishing collapse and really they were being polite. It was shocking. Dreadful. Disgraceful. Mineiro won on the road for only the second time of the season, but nonetheless fully deserved the praise they rightfully received. Their football was full of attacking zest and enthusiasm, fearless in their approach despite the intimidating circumstances, and coach Marcelo Oliveira´s tactics worked perfectly. In contrast, Flamengo were terrible. They were disjointed, lacking in fluency and perhaps worst of all, did not really seem to care.

An angry reaction

What astonished me however was the reaction of Flamengo´s supporters to the debacle in front of them. The fans wasted absolutely no time in letting the team know just how they felt about the performance, lambasting the players and coach Caio Junior as soon as the stunning first goal went in after half an hour, and more or less constantly for the rest of the match. By the time the third goal flew in most people were no longer even there to see it, a look of either livid disgust or sheer disbelief etched onto the faces of each and every one of them as they dejectedly trudged out of the cavernous stadium.

One example of Flamengo fans´ intolerance to mistakes came around the 25th minute, just before Atletico Mineiro´s opening goal. Kleberson, formerly of Manchester United, had looked easily one of the best players on the park in the opening twenty minutes of the game. Spraying passes all over the show from a central midfield position, everything good about Flamengo seemed to be going through him, with several intricate through balls finding the frontmen and wingers in good positions. Every incisive pass was greeted with howls of approval from the passionate crowd.

A stray ball or two later however and he was enemy number one. Refusing to forgive the occasional err, his every touch from then on was booed manically until, perhaps feeling sorry for the midfielder, Caio Junior took him off after 36 minutes to a cacophony of jeers. One fan spent the entire remainder of the first half concentrating solely on the Flamengo subs bench, gesturing furiously and angrily dishing out a piece of his mind to a dejected Kleberson. It was almost comical.

The same thing happened to Ibson, on loan from Porto. Flamengo´s liveliest player had a pretty decent game given the circumstances, but after missing a golden opportunity that would have handed the Rubro-Negro a lifeline, the fans heckled him mercilessly until he too was put out of his misery and subbed.

To sit in a 95,000 seater stadium with little more than a few thousand home fans, a deathly silence and a sea of empty seats as the last twenty minutes awkwardly played out was a truly bizarre and fascinating experience. It was as though the most damaging punishment for the ineptitude of the players was to ignore them, as harsh a penalty as refusing to offer a troublesome child the attention he craves. Playing the rest of the game with barely anyone there to watch can only have embarrassed the Flamengo players, and as the clock ticked towards the game´s inevitable outcome the silent atmosphere became almost uncomfortable for all but Mineiro´s players and travelling fans.

Remember, this is a fanbase that once set off a small bomb in protest at the team´s training ground in anger at poor results. Compared to the impatience of Flamengo fans and their eagerness to take out frustrations on their own team therefore, a handful of England fans booing Ashley Cole now looks really rather immaterial.

Do you agree with fans booing their own team and players? Have your say in the comments field.

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Just-Football´s Readers Have Spoken

Its official. According to readers of Just-Football, Manchester United will win the English Premier League this season. Back in August, on the eve of the new football season we opened a poll asking who would win the 2008/2009 Premier League.

Over the last month or so voting has been taking place, with United and Chelsea neck-and-neck for long spells of the voting. Eventually though it was the current English champions who narrowly triumphed in the polls, winning 34% of the votes to Chelsea´s 32%. Liverpool had a late surge with many late backers, but they ended up further behind in 3rd with 19% of the votes. If Just-Football´s readers are anything to go by though few people consider Arsenal in with any chance of winning the title this season. Arsene Wenger´s men amassed just 10% of the votes. Therefore, according to you the people, the Premier League top four will finish like so in May 2009:

1, Manchester United
2, Chelsea
3, Liverpool
4, Arsenal

So I guess Sky need not worry about their coverage anymore, we all now know how the 2008/2009 title race will pan out!

Thanks very much for voting in this poll. Given Liverpool´s promising start to the season many followers of the Reds might disagree strongly with the results of this, especially given United´s own early season lack of form. And Arsenal fans, do you feel this is a realistic representation of your hopes for the league title? Of course we´d love to hear your comments. A new poll has now been opened, which you can view and vote on down the right hand side.

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