Categoría: Todas las equipaciones de fútbol

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

Who are the key players in World Cup 2010? Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Kaka or Wayne Rooney? Are they able to influence and define the fate of their teams?

Let’s see a list of the top players in this World Cup and how they can affect their teams.

1. Lionel Messi Argentina: Messi is something like the Messiah of Argentina. He is considered the best pound for pound player right now and one of the key players in World Cup 2010. He is just 22 and he has won pretty much everything in his career with his clubs. The only thing he hasn’t won yet is a World Cup trophy with Argentina. Is this his year? Maradona named Messi his successor in the Argentinean Team.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal. When Manchester United bought him 6 years ago, he was expected to become the leader of the team. He became more than that, outdoing all the legends of the team until then. Cristiano has been severely criticized because he doesn’t seem to play his best games when playing with his national team. Is this about to change? What is certain is that Ronaldo definitely wants to achieve something major with Portugal, so we just need to see what he can do against some serious opponents.

3. Wayne Rooney England: Wayne Rooney broke through internationally when he was just 18 years old and became an indispensable part of the English offense next to major strikers. Rooney is considered the bad guy in the fields, however, he is ready to «kill» any opponent whenever needed. A player to watch and definitely one of the key players in World Cup 2010.

4. Kaka Brazil: Kaka is one of the top stars of the Brazilian Team. He comes from a middle class family in Brazil, which is quite rare for a football player in this country. Kaka belongs to Real Madrid but he never chased money. He is the mastermind of the Brazilian team, one of the best organizers and smart players in the field. He is not as fast as he used to be due to some injuries, but he is a world class player with a lethal counterattack.

5. Xavi Spain: Everybody is saying that Spain is the best team this year. If you read the roster of the team it’s easy to figure out why. Xavi is one of the players every team would like to have. He is a midfielder with great organizational skills, ability to read the game and become a leader when needed. His short passes are considered infallible and he is considered one of the key players in World Cup 2010 for his team.

Who is the player that will manage to lead his country and his team to the final of the World Cup? We will soon find out, but what is most important is that these key players in World Cup 2010 are ready to give their best and create memorable moments for us spectators.

Do you know what is happening to the Italian soccer jerseys now that Italy is not in the World Cup anymore? In Naples they are selling them off for half price or even stocking them in their warehouses. The same must have happened in France or is happening there.

Nevertheless in Naples where the people always find a creative way out of difficult situations they are launching the International soccer jerseys and specifically the ones of Argentina. You might ask yourself why Argentina? Is it because the colors are similar to the soccer team jerseys of the local team? No the reason why they are so keen on them is because Maradona, today’s National coach of Argentina, has played many years in Naples and in those days Naples was among the strongest teams in Italy.

So if you are not really concerned in getting authentic soccer jerseys you should get yours in Naples, where they certainly cost less. But at the same time to go the safe way maybe you should check the matter out on the internet where the offers are not missing. Especially also if you are looking for kids soccer jerseys.

People are saying, that Argentina is one of the favourite teams to win the World Cup 2010 so maybe if your sons or daughters are asking you for complete soccer uniforms and you are not tied to any specific team maybe this could be a good choice. Also make sure to get the Adidas ball, not the nike soccer ball, as Adidas is the official one.

If you have bought soccer jerseys of the teams, that are already out of the 2010 World Cup you might consider a garage sale, unless they belong to the team of your heart and no matter what has happened you are still connected to it.

The England team has always been a favourite among football lovers, and although it may not be more popular as the teams of Argentina and Brazil, it is most certainly as popular as them. And to the home crowd, the England Team has a different place altogether. Over the years, it has produced some of the best football stars of the current football era like David Beckham and Owen and Wayne Rooney, and there aren’t many who would not love to have their team shirts as souvenirs. However, since that it often not possible, replica shirts of the soccer stars are the next option. It is a great way to show your support for your team and if you are fortunate enough to meet your idol, you can have them autographed and display it with pride.

England Football Shirts: England Football Shirts replicas are widely available in almost all the leading sports store in England. You can easily buy them off the rack or have them custom made. Shirts with the name of the football stars imprinted at the back are also available but they cost a bit more than the ones with no names. You can even choose goal keepers’ shirt if you want to stand out from the crowd.

England Football Kit: Instead of just buying a shirt to support your team and if you are a sports person yourself, you can buy the entire football kit. All the items have the logo of the England soccer team and you will definitely look like a national team player yourself when you step out in them. The items like sneakers, gloves, socks etc will all come in useful when you play and the jersey will grab eyeballs when you support your team in them.

Hiring Shirts: If you do not want to buy the shirts because you want to have the one with the latest designing, then you can even hire the football shirts. The jersey of the England football team has undergone quite a few modifications over the years, with each design aiming to make the players look better than before. However, some die hard soccer fans prefer to collect all the shirts, so that they can boast of a collection, which are even handed down from generation to generation.

Football is a maddening game and the frenzy that it creates is undeniable. The team can only perform well when they have its supporters to boost their morale, and the sight of hundreds of supporters in the gallery cheering for them is a treat for the eyes.