Categoría: Todas las equipaciones de fútbol

Creating beautiful, functional architecture and installation art out of fabric is a phenomenon of the modern age. It is only in the past 100 years that fabric has been used for large structures such as bridges, domes, as well as canopies, shelters, and buildings. Unlike materials such as stone or wood, fabric is flexible and dynamic, adding an extra dimension to artistic works. Artists and architects all over the world have chosen to use fabric for its unique, expressive features.

1. Colombia

At a busy roundabout in Cucuta, Colombia, a pedestrian bridge constructed from bamboo and fabric was installed in 2009. Likely the largest bamboo and tensioned fabric structure ever built, the bridge has become well-known, even winning an Award for Excellence from the Industrial Fabrics Association International. A defining part of Cucuta’s urban landscape, the bridge is popular with the city’s residents.

2. New Zealand

Artist Anish Kapoor creates art for both permanent and temporary installation. One of his most stunning permanent pieces resides at ‘The Farm’, an outdoor art gallery near Auckland, New Zealand. The bright red fabric sculpture is 84 meters long, weighing in at over 90,000 kilograms. It consists of two 25 meter steel ellipses, one aligned horizontally and one vertically. These are connected and covered by PVC coated polyester fabric that weighs 7,200 kilograms on its own. A special cut was made in the hillside to hold the sculpture. When it is looked through, the sculpture gives the viewer a kaleidoscopic way to see the surrounding countryside.

3. South Africa

The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa was constructed for the 2010 football World Cup. Port Elizabeth is called the ‘Windy City’ because of its location on the coast, and the fabric stadium was built specifically to protect fans from the local elements. It is a handsome, open-air structure with translucent fabric sides, meant to allow natural light through to the inner space. The fabric is Teflon, because it is easy to maintain and lasts a long time. 22,000 square meters of Teflon were used.

4. United States

The work ‘Surrounded Islands’ was created in 1983 by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, a married couple who design environmental works of art. The islands surrounded were in Biscayne Bay, near the coast of Florida. 603, 850 square meters of pink polypropylene fabric was used to cover the coastlines of 11 islands. The fabric was left in place for two weeks so the public could admire the artwork. Before the islands were surrounded, workers for the project spent about a year cleaning up rubbish from each land mass and its surrounding waters.

Asian Handicap Soccer Betting is very popular among Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong and Thailand. Lately, it has become more popular in Europe and US. Gone were the days where punters place their bet through telephones with their local bookies. There are still people resorting to the traditional ways of betting but more and more people, especially the younger generation who is well verse of the internet, has shifted to online soccer betting.

In Asian handicap soccer betting, the question to ask is «How many goal will Team A beat Team B» rather than «Home Win, Draw or Away Win». The stronger team will give goal handicap to the weaker team. This eliminate the disadvantages of the weaker team, so both team will start the game on «equal» condition. The goal handicap given are based on criteria such as current team performance, home ground advantage, starting eleven and injury to star or important player.

Let’s look at the 2 examples of Asian handicap soccer betting.
1) Manchester United vs Barcelona
Let’s say Man Utd gives Barcelona 0.5 goal handicap.
To get the outcome of your bet you will have to take the final score and subtract the handicap given.
So if the final score is Man Utd beat Barcelona 2-1. We subtract 0.5 from Man Utd 2 goals, so the outcome is Man Utd beat Barcelona 1.5-1.

2) Brazil vs Colombia
Let’s say Brazil gives Colombia a 1 goal handicap.
The final score is 3-2. When we subtract 1 goal from Brazil 3 goals the outcome of Brazil vs Colombia is 2-2. Therefore, you neither win nor lose your bet.

Football is one of the finest sporting activities fancied globally. The fun of the game is heightened, especially by the numerous leagues and championships. Anti-sports citizens in a country magically fall in love with the football game when they see their fellow countrymen adorned in their national colors determined to play enthusiastically for their homeland. The most succinct part of the football game that can break the heart of supporters and football enthusiasts is the taking of a penalty kick. In fact, it is one of the most high-pressure situations that sometimes leave an entire nation glued to the screen of a television set! When a team gets that opportunity to win via penalty shootout and is missed, the pain that ensues is very unbearable. The aftermath pain or guilt is normally placed on the player who kicked the penalty, the coach who selected the penalty kicker, and sometimes on the entire team. However, when a football team plays a football game and the team loses the match on penalties, who should bear the ultimate blame?

Generally, penalty kickers are ultimately blamed for missing penalty kicks. The furious supporters vent their rage on the player and sometimes extend it to their innocent family members. Such was the case of the recent Senegalese and Liverpool star, Sadio Mane. After missing the all-important penalty kick against Cameroon, angry supporters ransacked his house and that of his relatives, destroying their property and other belongings. As a result, his family members had to seek refuge from the security personnel in the country for fear of loss of their lives. A similar situation happened in Ghana when the captain of the Black Stars failed to bury the game by scoring the last- minute penalty kick against Uruguay to take the team to their first semi-final in the 2010 FIFA world cup. The player and his family were hooted at, bitterly insulted and humiliated by some angry Ghanaian supporters. Unfortunately, some players had to pay with their lives as it happened to Andre Escobar of Colombia for scoring an own goal in the 1994 World Cup! These untold pains vented on penalty kickers are very disgusting, inhumane, cowardice and a misunderstanding of the essence of the sporting activity.

Football, like any other sporting game, is supposed to be a recreational activity. It is aimed at bringing unity amongst people and cultures. The nature of the game’s competitiveness, demands that one team wins and the other loses. This is part of the rudiments of the football game. Thus, when a team misses a penalty kick by one of their players, the blame and guilt must not be vented on the player, neither should it be placed on the shoulder of anyone. Winners of penalty kicks are just fortunate and lucky persons. Scoring a penalty kick is not a yardstick to evaluate the football skills and expertise of a player. After all, some of the world’s greatest footballers of all time have missed important penalty kicks. Classic examples are that of the Italian Roberto Baggio, who missed a penalty kick decider in the 1994 world cup as well as the French, Michel Platini’s penalty miss against Brazil in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Did the penalty kick miss of these iconic figures in the football sporting game make them less talented or skillful in the game? Certainly not! It would be unjust and an act of betrayal on the part of supporters of teams and nations to be furious against penalty kickers, coaches, or the entire football-playing teams.

It must be reckoned that players who missed penalty kicks already bear personal guilt which imposes heavy burdens on them. For instance, Roberto Baggio still can’t forgive himself of the penalty kick he missed in the past two decades and over! Ghana’s captain Asamoah Gyan has vowed not to take penalty kicks as a result of the deep scar his penalty miss at the 2010 World Cup has left in his heart! Therefore, why should supporters and fans of the football game aggravate their pain by taking injurious actions against the lives, personalities, families and possessions of penalty kickers, their coaches as well as their entire teams?

Supporters of the game must always remember to exhibit the spirit of unity, solidarity, and communalism to the entire team and support them in thick and thin moments. Of course, true and patriotic supporters of the football sporting game must rejoice with their teams when they win and more importantly weep with them, as it were when their teams lose. The aftermath pain and guilt that comes as a result of the heartache of a penalty miss must be borne by all- the playing team and supporters. This would help in deepening the essence of the football sporting game as a recreational activity aimed at fostering unity amongst the diverse people and cultures of the world.

I love football. Every year I eagerly await the fall season not just for the cooler weather and the change of color on the leaves of the trees, but also because it means the start of the football season as well. Anticipation builds inside me at the thought of watching my team take the field once again and make a run for the top spot in their division.

I’ve been a fan of the game, and the same team, for decades. I have watched the players, the teams, and even the football industry evolve and change over time. American football has remained one of the most exciting and beautiful games in all of professional sports. For all its appeal, just how and where did American football originate? All sports have their beginnings and what I found out left me appreciating the game even more.

During the early 1800’s a popular game known as rugby, where a football is kicked at a goal and run over a line, had its beginnings at the famous Rugby Boy’s School in England. Around the same time in America, the emergence of a game called «ballown,» similar to Rugby, was played by a group of students from Princeton. East coast prep schools like Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, and Rutgers College also competed in football-type games. At that time these early games resembled the more traditional «mob football» style played in England. The rules were simple with large numbers of players trying to advance the ball into a goal area usually by any means necessary. By 1855 manufactured inflatable balls were being used as football evolved into a kicking and running game.

Since there weren’t many rules established, violence and injury were common due to the roughness of the game. The increasing brutality of the game became such a public concern because of so many injuries and deaths, that some universities banned it. President Theodore Roosevelt even threatened to ban the game and urged Harvard, Princeton, and Yale to help make changes or lose the sport. Eventually the Intercollegiate Football Association was formed by representatives of Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton to establish a new code of rules mainly based on the rugby games.

The man responsible for shaping American football as we know it today was Walter Camp. He enrolled at Yale in 1876 and led the IFA’s rules committee. He proposed reducing the number of players from 15 to 11. He helped establish the line of scrimmage and the snap from center to quarterback. Camp also proposed that teams be required to advance the ball a minimum of five yards within three downs. More changes were instituted like the reduced size of the playing field, scoring rules, and game time. By 1887 a paid referee and an umpire were mandated for each game and tackling below the waist was allowed. In 1889 officials were given whistles and stopwatches. The forward pass, one of the most important changes in the game, didn’t become legal until 1906.

Although the rules were changing, football continued to be played violently in the style of the earlier mob games. Changes had to be made to make the game safer. These changes were discussed on December 28, 1905 by sixty-two schools who met in New York City. Eventually the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was formed as a result. Over a century later college football continues to thrive as one of the most popular collegiate games. After the demise of the IFA, the American Professional Football Association was formed in 1920. The association was later reorganized and in 1922 renamed the National Football League.

Who can don’t forget the eccentric Colombian soccer player Carlos (Pibe) Valderrama? Pibe or the child turned into firstly now not customary for his chic play, but more for his hairdo. A teen with wild long blond permed hair coupled with a mustache become frolicking around on the Colombian and later world soccer fields. He failed to score a lot but his dribbles and sharp passes turned world well-liked. His trainers and coaches noticed in him a traditional striker, which he became now not. He changed into an excellent midfielder who most of the time misled his opponents by using taking part in the ball like it used to be glued to his footwear. Pibe Valderrama desired to have the liberty to play his game from the midfield. At Deportivo Cali, Pibe Valderrama eventually discovered a listening ear from the membership manager and this was once the beginning of an amazing soccer or futbol career.

In 1987, Pibe Valderrama played inside the Copa The united states and became chosen above gamers like Maradonna as participant of the match, resulting from his wonderful and unselfish play, continually launching one of his group mates with flawless passes normally leading to an aim. It became no surprise that 3 years later, Pibe Valderrama went to Italy to play his first of 3 World Cup tournaments with Colombia. He by no means transformed his hair vogue. In its place, he proudly walked and ran round with perm and dyed hair.

1994 turned into the most important 12 months in his career when he played the area Cup within the USA. He become pleasantly surprised about the undeniable fact that the stadiums were jam-packed with enthusiastic soccer watchers considering soccer seriously isn’t the #1 sporting activities there. Additionally, the standard of the grass impressed him: best and lower quickly to make certain that the ball would greater roll on the field, which changed into outstanding for his uniqueness – the pass.

End of the 80’s, Pibe Valderrama went, like many different South American soccer players, for the EU adventure. After a wonderful video game at Wembley (UK), he was offered a contract with the aid of Montpellier, an average club within the French most excellent league. Besides the fact that he before everything struggled with the eu activity, it was due to his Polish educate that he acquired to overcome this challenge and in 1990, Pibe Valderrama helped Montpellier to win the French Cup with the in shape in opposition t Sainte Etienne being the spotlight of the tournament.

In these days, it become the Spanish competition that attracted soccer gamers from world wide. Therefore, Pibe Valderrama tried his success by using playing for Factual Valladolid. Lamentably for Pibe, he did not make it and after 1 year inside the Spanish competition, he again to come back to Colombia and later to the united states to finish off his profession. Pibe Valderrama performed his final activity for the Colombian nationwide workforce in France through the World Cup in 1998. He performed a whopping 111 video games in whole for his united states. After an occupation of 22 years, Pibe bade farewell to his fans in 2004 through enjoying his final legitimate soccer online game. In front of Estadio Eduardo Santos is his statue in bronze, some thing no other soccer player has ever achieved.

Pibe Valderrama has misplaced his eccentric hair and his drooping mustache has made manner for a distinctive graying little beard, but his eyes are still laughing truly. He has under no circumstances misplaced his love for soccer. He lives in Florida at the moment where he works at the soccer academy.

Outright Odds: 8/1

Group A Winners: 4/9

Former national favourite and Tottenham Hotspur diving enthusiast Jurgen Klinsmann takes control over the next generation of German players who are keen to end 16 years of hurt and win the World Cup for a fourth time on their own soil.

Klinsmann has thrown the traditional playing style manual out of the window. Gone is the patient, tight gameplay, his teams are sent out to play a «fast-paced, attacking and very aggressive» game which has significantly improved their goal tally. However, this strategy, along with a number of inexperienced defenders (none have played at a World Cup finals before) has seen a once resolute back line concede almost as many goals as the team score at the other end.

The current squad is void of any true superstar names, with only Michael Ballack offering real world class status. Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger hope to prove there is life after former heroes Lothar Matthaus, now-manager Jurgen Klinsmann and Andreas Moller.

While there are question marks over the defence, Schweinsteiger forms part of an outstanding midfield alongside Ballack and the more experienced Sebastien Diesler and Torsten Frings. These players will have to work hard to ensure their untested defence (bar veteran goalkeeper Oliver Kahn) does not get caught out and that a sufficient supply line meets their equally World Cup virginal strikeforce of Kevin Kuranyi and Podolski.

As always, host nations will have their critics about how ready they are to perform on the biggest stage of all after playing only friendly matches for over a year. Germany did participate in last year’s Confederations Cup which offered a decent level of competition. The Germans finished third but a 2-2 draw against Argentina and narrow 3-2 defeat against World Cup favourites Brazil suggests they are on the right track. Strikers Kuranyi and Podolski also rattled in five goals between them.

German sides appear to relish being criticised and seen as the «underdog», yet are always there or thereabouts at the business end of the tournament. Indeed, they were dumped out of the 1998 tournament in the quarter-final stage by Croatia, their worst result at the World Cup since 1958, but reached the final four years later.

Klinsmann’s side has learned to accept their limitations but combat this by working for eachother as a team. Rudi Voller lead his much-criticised Germany team to the final of the 2002 World Cup so the message here is, never write off the Germans, especially on their home turf.

Recommended Bet:

Expect Klismann’s side to come out all guns blazing during the tournament and with home advantage they should ease through the group stage. A much criticised German side reached final four years ago, so why not this time as well?

Germany to win Group A @ 4/9

E/W Germany to win the World Cup @ 7/1

Outright Odds: 300/1

Group A Winners: 9/1

Ecuador qualified for their second World Cup finals in succession on the back of a remarkable home record which included victories over both Brazil and Argentina. So should punters rush out and lump on the huge 3001/ (Bet365) odds available for the largest upset in World Cup history? In short, no.

Ecuador qualified with one of the most lopsided qualifying record of any team competing in Germany this summer. Quito, the country’s capital, stands 2,850 metres above sea level and assisted by the thin air, Ecuador were almost unstoppable at home. They won seven out nine home games, including victories against the South American giants with the other two results goalless draws against Peru and Uruguay.

Away from home it was an entirely different story. Five defeats, two draws and one victory in the equally high altitude of Bolivia was perhaps a more realistic measure of their capabilities but overall they sealed third place in the group.

Ecuador will have to improve on their travels if they want to avoid humiliation in Germany. Their stint in the 2002 World Cup was their first but they have the victory over the third-placed team of 1998, Croatia, to draw inspiration from.

Potentially, they could be a tough team to break down in defence. Captain Ivan Hurtado, a 31-year old veteran with nearly 130 caps to his name is partnered by Giovany Espinoza who was the only player in South America to play in all 18 qualifying matches. For all this experience, the defence can be caught flat and, if Espinoza is taken out of the reckoning, is all over the place when high balls are played in the box. They are also weak in terms of goalkeeping.

Ecuador have moved away from the short-passing through the middle which has categorised their game in favour of striking quickly down the wings. In Edison Mendez, who scored the winning goal against Croatia and five goals in qualifying, they have a player who can cause problems. There are also high hopes surrounding Luis Antonio Valencia, 20, who chipped in with another three.

Former Southampton flop Augustin Delgado is Ecuador’s main focal point in attack. He netted five times in qualifying and scored his country’s first ever World Cup goal, taking the lead after five minutes against Mexico in a match they eventually lost 2-1.

Ecuador’s lack of experience in Europe could prove to be their downfall as they have only played three full internationals on the continent and they looked completely overawed when playing Italy four years ago. They will do well not to finish bottom of the group.

Recommended Bet:

Ecuador’s lack of experience in Europe and dire away form means they cannot be backed with any confidence apart from finishing bottom of the group. Look out for potentially tasty odds on them suffering a «shock» defeat against Costa Rica and consider them to finish bottom of Group A.

Costa Rica to beat Ecuador @ 2/1

Outright Odds: 80/1

Group C Winners: 9/1

The Ivory Coast topped their qualifying group but the margins between success and failure were so intense it came down to a single penalty kick with just four minutes of qualification remaining.

In the penultimate qualifying match, the Ivorians needed a victory against Cameroon to ensure qualification, but they lost 3-2 in Abidjan. Their subsequent 3-1 away win at Sudan would be meaningless if World Cup mainstays Cameroon beat Egypt. The match was all square at 1-1 until Cameroon were awarded a penalty four minutes into injury time. A successful spot kick would send them through but Pierre Wome hit the outside of the post and the Ivory Coast were heading to Germany.

The Ivory Coast are arguably the strongest African side participating in the finals, with Cameroon, Nigeria, Morocco and Senegal all failing to qualify. However, they are also pitted in the toughest group and will need to be at their best against traditional favourites such as Argentina and Holland.

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba leads the front line and contributed nine goals as his country qualified for the first time in eight attempts. Arsenal defender Kolo Toure is the most recognisable defender but the team oozes quality from players mainly plying their trade in France.

Partnering Drogba in attack is Lens forward Aruna Dindane while playmaker Bonaventure Kalou, from Paris St Germain and St. Ettiene’s Didier Zakora are all capable of making an impact. In defence Toure is joined by Abdoulaye Meite from Marseille, Strasbourg’s Etienne Boka and veteran Cyrille Domoraud, now playing for Creteil.

Being placed in such a tough qualifying group, the Ivorians will benefit greatly from having a coach of Henri Michel’s stature. The vastly experienced coach is in charge of his sixth national team following stints at France, Cameroon, Morocco, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. With twenty years experience to call upon, he will ensure Drogba and co. are fully prepared for the task ahead.

While the team are strong in most areas, they are also probe to a lack of concentration. This was highlighted in their qualifier against Cameroon which could have seen them miss out on a place in the finals. There are also doubts raised on their ability to play away from home after qualifying defeats to Egypt and Cameroon and a goalless draw with Libya.

Recommended Bet:

Senegal burst onto the international scene four years ago when they beat an under-par France 1-0 in the opening game so the Ivory Coast could possibly do the same. If they could do the unthinkable and beat either Argentina or Holland, a point in their final match against Serbia & Montenegro could see them through to the last 16.

Ivory Coast vs Serbia & Montenegro draw @ 5/2

Outright Odds: 40/1

Group D Winners: 13/8

As per usual, Mexico, ranked in the World’s top 10, had an impossibly easy qualifying path to the finals in Germany. After hammering Dominica 18-0 across two legs, they won all six matches in Stage Two of qualifying in a group which contained fellow qualifiers Trinidad & Tobago and football heavyweights St Vincent / Grenadines and St Kitts and Nevis.

The final group saw them lose two matches, away to the United States to whom they finished the group as runners up on goal difference and their final match at Trinidad & Tobago. They did however, net 22 goals in the process, making them the group’s top goal scorers overall.

Those two defeats within 90 minutes were the first endured under manager Ricardo La Volpe since he took over in October 2003, with his side beating Brazil 1-0 in the Confederations Cup and also taking both Germany and Argentina into extra time. No matter how easy a passage into the finals Mexico may have had, there is no denying they can mix it with the «big boys» when the occasion arises.

They have appeared in 12 World Cups and reached the quarter final stages in both 1970 and 1986 when the tournament was held on home soil. However, they haven’t faired so well in recent finals, suffering a 2-0 second round defeat by rivals the United States in 2002 and bowing out 2-1 at the same stage to Germany in 1998.

Following a not-too-taxing qualifying process, they will be delighted at being seeded and being placed in arguably the weakest group of the tournament. They should have no problem qualifying for the second round and Lavolpe’s coveted 3-5-2 formation should serve him well in the opening stage.

The formation is used to benefit striker Jared Borgetti, who plundered 14 goals through the qualifying campaign while Jaime Lorenzo struck 11 times from midfield.

However, ironically what used to be the team’s main strength could now be a major weakness. Borgetti has flopped at Bolton Wanderers and is just a bit-part player while fiery striker Cuahtemoc Blanco may not even feature in the finals squad.

Where Mexico do boast a genuine world-class player is holding player Rafael Marquez, who plays just in front of the defence for both club – Catalan giants Barcelona and his country. Goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez is in the form of his life too so while Mexico may not be the force in attack they used to be, they will certainly be a tough nut to crack.

Recommended Bet:

Being seeded in such a weak group means there is no value in backing Mexico to qualify for the second round. They don’t play fellow seeds Portugal until the final round of fixtures and if both sides have already made it to the last 16 by then, a draw could be on the cards.

Portugal vs Mexico draw @ 5/2

Outright Odds: 13/2

Group B Winners: 8/13

We’ve seen it all before and do the tabloids genuinely believe this is «England’s best chance of success»? What, again? Another year, another major tournament England are expected to win, yet they always bow out with a whimper. Why should this World Cup be any different? It’s not 1966 any more, after all.

For all the media playing up England’s chances, the bookmakers are far more conservative. The favourite stage of elimination odds-wise is the second round at 12/5, with quarter final elimination at 4/1 and the semi-finals at 9/2.

This is because England under Sven Goran Eriksson are just far too predictable. They may be able to qualify with ease through mediocre qualifying groups in which they are almost always top seeds, but the plain fact is they cannot perform on the big stage.

England will breeze through the group stage with comfortable victories over Paraguay and Trinidad & Tobago before an inevitable draw against Sweden in the final game. However, should they come up against Germany in the second round that may be the end of their World Cup adventure.

When it matters the most, England follow the same pattern time and time again. They always go a goal ahead but then lose their bottle and put everybody behind the ball for the remainder of the game in hope of clinging on to what they have got. Sometimes it works, such as against Argentina in the last World Cup, but more often it doesn’t, namely the defeat to Brazil in the next round and later France and Portugal in Euro 2004.

England are the best in the world at flattering to deceive, well, apart from Spain. On paper they have perhaps the best squad they have ever had at the manager’s disposal but for all the individual talent, the players often fail to gel effectively as a team. Arguably two of the best central midfielders in the world in Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard don’t appear to be able to play together while there is also the timeless problem of the absence of a natural left-sided player to deal with.

England have been dealt a further blow with the news that Wayne Rooney may also miss the finals. The side could do with his genius play and sheer brute force and give the faithful supporters something to cheer about in what could now be a short stint in the Finals.

Recommended Bet:

Don’t believe what you read in the papers and get swept up in patriotic bets. While this could be the best squad of players England have ever had they cannot be trusted with your betting money. You could try some handicap bets for the matches against Paraguay and Trindad & Tobago while a second round elimination bet could also be a wise, if not painful, investment.

England to be eliminated in the second round @ 12/5