Categoría: Todas las equipaciones de fútbol

The secret of success is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes. There would always be opportunities that will come, but the question we must honestly ask ourselves, is this: «Are we ready for that golden opportunity»? Some opportunity may come in form of challenges, and we all know that many folks shy away from challenges. Some individual may have just one opportunity to turn their destiny around. How then can we utilize opportunities that come our way?

Be prepared for Opportunities: Some individuals are presented with opportunities on a platter of gold, but they cannot discern it. I once had an uncle who worked in an oil Firm for close to eight years. While he was there, he was earning more than a thousand dollars monthly ($1000) as salary. Unfortunately for him, he was not prepared for the opportunity he had. In 2008, he fell a victim to downsizing of the oil firm, and became jobless. He neither had a building of his own, nor did he have any form of investment to fall on. He was not prepared for what had hit him, because he failed to tap into the opportunity he had.

Use that opportunity: To succeed in life, you must not only see an opportunity, but use it. Opportunities can be compared to a door key. As long as we do not use the key to open any door, the key will remain useless.

There was this young actress who went to visit an uncle in the office for some personal issues. While there, she had a chance encounter with a movie director, who jokingly asked her if she would be interested in a role in his upcoming movie. She had a flair for acting and did not hesitate to give an answer. She was invited to auditioning and became the lead character in the movie. That single opportunity transformed her life and career! She not only saw an opportunity, but used it fully to her advantage.

Wait patiently for that opportunity: Patience is a virtue which so many individual are not prepared to cultivate. So many are hasty to attain stardom, and ultimately miss the opportunity to become what God have destined them to become. Emmanuel Amuneke, the most celebrated Nigerian soccer player, possessed this virtue in abundance. At the 1994 African Nations Cup held in the beautiful country of Tunisia, he never got to play any of the group matches. The Nigerian Coach- Clemens Westerhof knew what he was doing, and Emmanuel Amuneke was not in haste to jump into the field. He waited patiently for the opportunity to shine. At last the opportunity came in the final against a young Chipolopolo of Zambia, and Emmanuel Amuneke was introduced into the game as a joker. He ended up scoring the two clinical goals that clinched gold for Nigeria. His patience had finally paid off and the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) named him the African Footballer for the year 1994. He patiently waited another two years and once again emerged the hero of the Nigerian soccer team to Atlanta Olympics game, when he scored the winning goal in Nigeria 2-1 victory over Argentina in the final. He came in as a substitute with few minutes left in the match and his exploits earned him fame and fortune world wide. You see, you never know when the door of opportunity is going to open wide. For some, the big break can come early in life and for others later on. But for all of those who become successful, there is one key similarity: They were ready. And for every one of those who were ready to wait for their time, the golden opportunity eventually came. So, the principle for us is: Be patient!

Never let that opportunity to slip away: There are thousands of individuals who patiently wait for the opportunity of a lifetime to shine, and when the big break come their way, they throw it away with their own hands! The Nigeria National Football team the Super Eagles went to the 2002 World Cup in Korea Japan and performed badly in their first two matches, losing 1-0 to Argentina, and 2-1 to Sweden. Nigeria had a certain Ike Shorunmu in goal for the first two matches, and when the third and final match against England came calling, the then Super Eagles coach- Chief Adegboye Onigbinde decided to make a string of changes, and on came Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama who was the only home based player in the team He made a world class save off a well taken shot from Paul Scholes of England to cap a brilliant outing. The match eventually ended 0-0, and Vincent Enyeama cemented his place as Nigeria’s Number one choice goal keeper. He never allowed that single opportunity to shine at the world stage slip throw through his fingers. He grabbed it with both hands. In concluding, it must be noted that some may have just one opportunity in a lifetime; others may have three opportunities while some may have up to ten opportunities to shine. We must not allow any opportunity to go unutilized, because it may be the only opportunity we may ever be presented with. Be prepared, be patient and never allow that opportunity slip away!

Outright Odds: 12/1

Group C Winners: 13/8

New coach Marco van Basten has proven to be a revelation off the pitch as much as he was on it since taking over the Dutch national team. Plucked from an obscure youth coaching role at Ajax where he kept his head down and had low responsibilities when Dick Advocaat quit after Euro 2004, van Basten has made this new-look Dutch team his own.

Out with the old and in with the new seems to be van Basten’s philosophy so while former well known favourites such as Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert have been given the chop, some of the best players the Dutch Eredivisie has to offer have come in to replace them.

Players such as AZ Alkmaar’s Denny Landzaat, Feyenoord’s Dirk Kuyt and Ajax’s Ryan Babel may not be household names yet but have all won the backing of the manager. Ajax have a strong representation in the squad, with John Heitinga, Nigel de Jong, Hedwiges Maduro and Wesley Sneijder, all under the age of 23, vying for a place in the starting line-up.

The faith shown in locally-based players along with more recognisable faces such as evergreen trio Edwin van der Sar, Edgar Davids and Philip Cocu and the likes of Arjen Robben and Ruud van Nistelrooy has paid off.

The team are showing true team spirit and togetherness, unlike the inconsistent squads of the past and in qualifying notched up 32 points, the highest of any European side. Holland finished five points clear at the top of their group that also included bogey side Czech Republic and Romania, both of whom they beat twice. Surprisingly, the only country they didn’t beat was Macedonia who they drew with twice.

Ruud van Nistelrooy was in scintillating form during qualifying with seven goals in 10 matches and now back in favour at Manchester United, could be a good investment for the top goalscorer market.

The Dutch are always one of the favourites for the tournament but never quite manage it. They have reached the final twice, the semi finals and quarter final stages but never have enough to win it outright.

The team entering this year have little World Cup experience and it would be a big ask of this team to go all the way in Germany.

BetBonus.co.uk Recommendation:

Holland offer better value to win Group C than Argentina but a lack of experience throughout the squad means they cannot be backed to win the tournament outright. Ruud van Nistelrooy could be a good each-way investment for the top goal scorer berth on his debut at the finals.

Holland to win Group C @ 13/8

E/W Ruud van Nistelrooy as top goalscorer @ 16/1

Did you know…

Soccer is the national sport of Myanmar (formerly Burma). Khin Maung Lwin (Secretary General of the Myanmar Olympic Committee) said, «As in most of the countries all over the world, football is the most popular sport in Myanmar. When our national football team became champions at the 5th Asian Games Bangkok 1966 and the 6th Asian Games Bangkok 1970, football became even more popular among our people.Apart from that, athletics, sepaktakraw and wushu are also popular in our country.»

Japan won five gold medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games: one from athletics and four from judo.

Susanthika Jayasinghe became the second athlete in Sri Lanka -formerly Ceylon- to win a medal in the Olympic Games when she won the silver medal in the 200m at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Australia. Sprinting great Susanthika won 100m and 200m gold at the 2007 Asian Championships in Amman (Jordan). At the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in 2007, she won the bronze medal in the 200m. Susanthika was born on December 17, 1975 in Atnawala, Sri Lanka.

Bangkok (Thailand) has hosted four Asian Games (1966, 1970, 1978, 1998).

Pakistan sent 32 sportspersons to the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich (West Germany). Pakistani athletes competed in six sports (athletics, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, field hockey, sailing).

Sawao Kato was one of the best gymnasts in the 20th century. In the 1960s and 1970s, Kato won several international medals in Europe, Asia and Mexico. At the 1968 Olympic Games, he won three gold medals in the individual all-around, floor exercise and team competition.

Kabbadi is practiced by millions of people in Bangladesh and India. Unfortunately, it is not an Olympic sport.

Brunei Darussalam -one of the world’s richest countries- won two bronze medals at the Hiroshima Games in 1994.

Voleyball ( men & women ) was first featured at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo ( Japan ). The host country won the women’s volleyball competition. The winners were: Yuriko Handa, Kinuko Tanida, Emiko Miyamoto, Ayano Shibuki, Massako Kondo, Yoko Fujimoto, Setsuko Sassaki, Yoko Shinozaki, Katsumi Matsumura, Sata Issobe, Yoshiko Matsumura, Masae Kasai.

The Kingdom of Bhutan -it is about 2 times the size of Massachusetts- has never won a medal in any sport at the Asian Games.

Jordan sent 7 athletes to the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992. This Arab country participated in four sports: athletics (2), shooting (1), table tennis (1) and taekwondo (3).

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) hosted the 1975 Field Hockey Men’s World Championship. Final standings: 1.India, 2.Pakistan, 3.West Germany, 4.Malaysia, 5.Australia, 6.England, 7.New Zealand, 8.Spain, 9.Holland, 10.Poland, 11.Argentina, 12.Ghana.

The United Arab Emirates won 22 medals at the 2005 West Asian Games in Doha (Qatar).

Japan is the birthplace of judo. The first judo world championships took place in Tokyo (1956). Judo made its debut as an official sport during the 1964 Summer Olympics in Japan.

The most popular sports in Oman -Arab country- are soccer, volleyball, athletics and handball.

The 1962 Asian Games were held in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. As hosts, Indonesia won a total of 48 medals and 9 golds. For political reasons, Israel and Taiwan did not participate in the Games.

Ahmed Al Maktoum (United Arab Emirates) won a shooting gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, which were held in Athens, Greece. A sportswriter said, «On a remarkable day in August during the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, the United Arab Emirates’ Sheikh Ahmed Bin Hasher Al Maktoum blasted to victory in the men’s double trap shooting event, equalling the Olympic record of 189 points previously set by Australian Russell Mark at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games».

Mongolia sent two female archers to the 1972 Summer Olympics. They were Natjav Dariimaa and Doljin Demberel.

Tokyo hosted the FIVB Men’s World Championship in 2007. Final standings:

1.Brazil,

2.Poland,

3.Bulgaria,

4.Serbia & Montenegro,

5.Italy,

6.France,

7.Russia,

8.Japan,

9.Germany,

10.United States,

11.Canada,

12.Puerto Rico,

13.Argentina,

14.Czech Republic,

15.Cuba,

16.Tunisia,

17.China,

18.Greece,

19.South Korea,

20.Venezuela,

21.Australia,

22.Egypt,

23.Iran,

24.Kazakhstan.

Japan has famous athletes: Ryoko Tani (judo), Takehiro Kashima (gymnastics), Kori Murofushi (track & field), Saori Yoshida (wrestling), Ayumi Tanimoto (martial arts), Mizuki Noguchi (marathon), Kosuke Kitajima (aquatics), Ai Shibata (swimming), Hiroshi Yamamoto (archery).

Barcelona have nothing more to offer Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas to woo him away from the gunners, says Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu. Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger, the Gunners boss, has claimed that the Spain star would stay with his team for another five years.

Dusan Pernis’s plate is full, with Fulham and West Ham showing consuming interest in the Dundee United goalkeeper.

Standard Liege’s Belgium international midfielder Steven Defour could soon be richer by £10 million, with Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson about to offer him the sum, to replace Javier Mascherano. The Argentine has gone public with his desire to leave Liverpool.

Mascherano himself is set to receive twice that amount from European champions Inter Milan. Curiously, the Italian club have a former Liverpudlian, Rafael Benitez, at the helm.

Manchester City want Aston Villa’s midfielder James Milner but the sides have different perceptions on the right fee. Villa want City to up their offer from £24 million to £30 million.

Carlton Cole will not leave West Ham for Stoke after the club have rejected the £9 million offering by Stoke for the 26-year-old striker.

31-year-old striker Craig Bellamy could soon succumb to Fulham boss Mark Hughes’s persuasion to join the team at Craven Cottage. Manchester City’s Bellamy has been contemplating a counter-offer from Tottenham.

Mesut Ozil declaration of his «love» for Spain could mean bad news for Manchester United and Arsenal; both clubs are chasing the young German star of the World Cup. Real Madrid could get the lion’s share of that love. Ozil has a year to go with Bundesliga club Werder Bremen.

Barcelona could lose Aleksandr Hleb to the Premier League; Hleb is set to swallow the bait from one of many English clubs fishing for the the former Arsenal midfielder.

Cultural change can be an incredible thing to witness and examine. This is especially so when the change is something you’ve involved in, up close, and felt personally.

In 1974 as a young teenager living in Cincinnati I watched the World Cup at the Cincinnati Gardens. The games were shown on a movie screen on the basketball court with curtains draped all around. My mother managed to win a set of tickets from a local radio station and I got the thrill of my young lifetime.

The Netherlands were incredible during the tournament, smashing Argentina and Brazil on their way to the final against West Germany. I remember they looked to be the better side in the final, as well. But Neeskens and Cruyff couldn’t get the better of Beckenbauer and Sepp Maier. The West Germans were playing at home in Munich and they took the crown 2 – 1.

It seemed odd to be at the Gardens with all of those foreign voices. I was a clear minority in my own backyard.

It wouldn’t be until 1982 that the first World Cup match was televised in the United States. That’s an incredible statement given the tournament’s immensity.

Today, 36 years after the West Germany World Cup, I sat in a bar in downtown Denver watching England and the U.S. battle to a 1 – 1 draw. The odd thing wasn’t that I expected a good game. American soccer has made great strides and our guys play for some of the best professional clubs in the world. No, what was odd was to sit in a bar in the middle of the U.S., overflowing with people singing, chanting and cheering for one side tons more than the other. Hours before the match started – and I do mean HOURS – you could hear chants of «U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A» and my favorite song «Ole, ole, ole, USA, USA.»

The crowd were so loud when the teams were shown on television before they came onto the field that my ears hurt. And when the players hit the pitch it didn’t let up.

I can honestly say, as a veteran of several ’70s and ’80s hard rock concerts, when Robert Greene mishandled Clint Dempsey’s shot and allowed the U.S. to draw level, I have never heard a louder cheer.

I asked several people around me before the game what they expected and I was consistently surprised by their responses. «I’ll take a draw, but I think we can win,» was repeated to me multiple times. Expectations were very high for the U.S. team, in spite of what the media might have told you. And there couldn’t have been any doubt as to their allegiance. Most people were wearing a U.S. National Team jersey, with many wearing a headband and carrying flags.

The media will have you believe that soccer doesn’t matter in the U.S., that it never will. But the media like this story because the game doesn’t fit into the American Consumerism mould. There are two halves with 45 minutes of uninterrupted play. No TV timeouts. No breaks on the field. In the U.S. the media can’t sell the sport so it continues with its «soccer isn’t important» mantra. The corporate shills can’t find a way to take over the game so they want you to believe it – the game – doesn’t matter. In fact, they will tell you that hockey is the fourth major sport in America, even though soccer has gotten better ratings on television for several years now.

Fado’s is in downtown Denver, across from Coors Field. It is filled with Guinness, wide screen TVs in every corner and, on this day, it was filled with fans screaming and cheering for the U.S. National Team on the world’s biggest stage. But Fado’s was not unusual or unique. Several friends have told similar stories from other places throughout town. There has been a shift in our culture, in spite of what the media say. Football does matter. It is relevant. And it’s here to stay.

You don’t find groups of eight or nine showing up at an Irish pub at 7:30 in the morning to make certain they get a seat for a 1:30pm game, nor do you find women screaming for a yellow card after a bad tackle, unless your football culture has progressed beyond the «soccer doesn’t matter» meme.

At the end of the match I turned to one of my English friends who smiled and said, «After more than 15 years of living here I never thought I’d see this. I feel like I’m in a pub in London.»

This is not 1974. We no longer huddle around in small groups to watch other countries play a foreign sport. We’ve made the sport our own both on and off the field. We have sewn it into the fabric of our culture and we’ve sewn our culture into the fabric of our game.

England go ahead in the fifth minute of the game and then try to protect what they have. But that isn’t the U.S. style, is it? We are a nation that always wants more. We are tied to consumerism as tightly as the Italians are tied to pasta and the English to tea. The beauty – and the treachery – of American soccer is that we won’t sit back and defend, defend, defend when leading. If we’re one goal up we want to be two up. And we play like it. That’s who we are. We started with so little a short time ago and we have moved to the point where our culture now shows through on the field. If the American culture isn’t about never giving up and always searching for more then how else do you describe us? Forget the merits of those traits and whether you like them or not. They are us. And they are reflected in our play on the pitch.

Regardless of how the team ends up in this tournament, it is exhilarating to watch how grown up we’ve become about the sport and our place in it. We now demand excellence. We expect it. And, whether the media like it or not, we are no longer a single voice in a large crowd. We are the crowd.

1960’s – 2011 comparison (Pele)

There is no doubt that Brazilian striker Pele was the best player of the 1960’s. Pele and Maradona are the two players who are always mentioned when the common question is asked, ‘Who was the best player to have ever lived?’ Pele will often be the answer. So what was Pele like? Pele was a natural goal scorer, the Santos striker was incredibly athletic and his dribbling/balance combination was unstoppable for defenders. His ability to go past defenders at such speed and maintain such balance credited him with many goal scoring opportunities, which more likely than not Pele would score emphatically. Pele had technique, the passing ability of a central midfield maestro, the engine of a Marathon runner and the power of a steam train. His statistics are sensational, 1281 goals in 1363 games.

No one can live up to Pele’s name; Manchester United’s George Best in the 70’s was a similar type of player to Pele but was more a winger than a forward. In the modern era, few have been compared to Pele but none have lived up to the reputation that Brazilian Pele possessed. Alexandre Pato of AC Milan was tipped to be the Pele of this era, but he has to yet to show any phenomenal form to even label him the one of the best strikers today let alone ever lived. Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney is the closest of this decade that we have compared to Pele. Rooney possesses the same power and physique that Pele does, the same ability to pick out a 70 yard cross field ball and the same vision and technique. England striker Rooney just doesn’t have same amount of pace that Pele did which combines with the factor that Rooney doesn’t particularly go past players with skill and flair.

Wayne Rooney has scored goals that you wouldn’t think were possible with the stunning volley against Newcastle and the recent potential goal of the season overhead against rivals Manchester City. Pele scored stunning goals in the 60’s and 70’s for Santos and Brazil, one ‘nearly’ goal that would’ve been one of the greatest goals of all time. His dummy against Uruguay that left the keeper for dead when the ball went one way and Pele went around the other way, but his shot off balance and on a tight angle just went wide.

1970’s – 2011 comparison (Johann Cruyff)

Johann Cruyff was part of the Ajax side that inherited the ‘total football’ philosophy introduced by Dutch coach Rinul Michels. Former Barcelona and Ajax front man Johann Cruyff’s style of play was influenced by the total football approach he conducted to his game. His natural position was centre forward but because of the tactical way the Ajax side played the game, he roamed around and ended up playing on the wing and central midfield more often than not. The Holland striker spent half of the 1970’s at Barcelona for Rinus Michels, where he was crowned European Footballer of the Year at his time at Barcelona in consecutive years.

Cruyff was dubbed the ‘Pythagoras in boots’ because of his ability to pick out passes from angles that looked impossible. Not only did he have an eye for a pass but he had tremendous speed and his ability to accelerate away from defenders which was helped by the ‘Cruyff turn’ named after the Dutch maestro is still a turn associated with football 40 years later.

I don’t think any striker could grace Cruyff’s ability to play in multiple positions to maximum effect so I’ve chosen a playmaker and speed merchant who would grace Cruyff’s technical and physical attributes to his game, Ryan Giggs. Both players in their prime had the ability to go past players with flair and tremendous pace creating goal scoring opportunities. Giggs isn’t as prolific as Cruyff as a finisher but Giggs certainly lives up to the playmaking abilities that Cruyff possessed. Ryan Giggs in his prime was lightening over 5-10 yards and could maintain such frightening pace for 40-50 yards which he shared with Cruyff.

However as football has changed much over the years since Cruyff’s successful days at Ajax and Barcelona, the style of play has changed and there aren’t many similar type of players of Cruyff’s calibre that could play naturally upfront and drop back deeper and still be extremely effective.

1980’s – 2011 comparison (Diego Maradona)

Maradona or Messi? There is no doubt that of today’s game, Lionel Messi is the nearest if not potential candidate to surpass Maradona’s ability as a footballer. Former Barcelona striker Diego Maradona along with Pele is one of the best players to have ever graced this planet. He wasn’t as clinical as Pele but taking nothing away from Maradona he still had a very good goal scoring record for club and country. The style of play on the ball for Maradona and Messi is identical. They both dribble with extreme pace and a very low centre of gravity; they both possess extreme dribbling skills with the ability to have 5-10 touches in the space of seconds to make it impossible for defenders to tackle. Many have questioned whether Lionel Messi could do what Maradona did at Napoli. Maradona won what is now the Italian ‘serie A’ with Napoli with what was a very average squad, Maradona being the pivotal part of the Napoli side and no doubt wouldn’t have been title winners if Maradona wasn’t on their books. Could Messi do a similar fate at Blackburn of the English Premiership, Udinese of the Italian Serie A? Many doubt whether Messi could.

In contrast Messi has achieved a lot more than Maradona at this age having already won the Spanish La Liga 4 times and Champions League 2 times. Messi is only 23, Maradona at 23 won the treble with Barcelona in 1983 and an Argentine title with Boca Juniors in 1981 but that was it. So Messi so far has had a better career on silverware success but Maradona’s achievements at Napoli and on the international arena set him aside to Messi. Infamously, Maradona also has a World Cup to his name in 1986 which Maradona made his name.

There is no doubt that Barcelona winger Messi scores goals from all sorts of angles and all sorts of scintillating runs but Maradona’s second goal against England in the 1986 World Cup has been regarded as the goal of the century by many people. Maradona travelled with the ball 60 metres and took on six English players in the process, rounded England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and scored from a tight angle to beat England 2-1 in the quarter finals of the 1986 World Cup which they went on to win. The ex-Napoli striker also scored the very controversial ‘hand of god’ goal in the same game which has been spoken about ever since. Messi hasn’t really shined on the international stage and if he does, it might be what takes him past his boyhood hero’s status.

1990’s – 2011 comparison (Ronaldo)

He was a natural goal scorer of his era and by far the best striker in his generation for simply scoring goal after goal. Ronaldo played at the highest level through the 90’s and early 00’s, he represented PSV, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan in an illustrious career that was disrupted by serious knee injuries.

Brazilian striker Ronaldo was a born goal scorer, he had the ability to go past players with his skill and power but defiantly his threat was in the box. He scored 62 goals in just under 100 appearances for Brazil and has been voted Brazil’s best ever striker since Pele by numerous judging panels. Former Real Madrid striker Ronaldo was indestructible, if he got in the box it was inevitable he was going to score.

As Ronaldo has still being playing till quite recent, there hasn’t been long for anyone to potentially replace Ronaldo’s prowess for being a known goal scorer. However, there a few players that this season in world Football has started to develop their reputation. Javier Hernandez of Manchester United is one striker that could have the potential to live up to Ronaldo’s abilities in front of goal. He already has 16 goals for Manchester United in his first season and is a predator in the box similarly to Ronaldo. It’s doubtful whether Mexican forward Hernandez will have the impact on world football that Ronaldo did, but the Mexican is a very similar striker to what Ronaldo was in his prime.

Barcelona’s David Villa is another striker who is known for his potential in the box. Spanish hit man David Villa has earned his trade at Valencia for several years and finally sealed a move to Barcelona where he already has 21 goals to his name. Villa has also lived up to Ronaldo’s international reputation, having already won the European Championships in 2008 and the World Cup in 2010 with Spain being a key member of the winning side in both tournaments with his contribution of goals.

2000’s – 2011 comparison (Zidane)

One of the most gifted players of this century was French midfielder and former Juventus/Bordeaux midfielder Zidane. One of the most natural players at playing the game, Zidane glided through the game in a nonchalant manner that saw him one of footballs most composed players ever to have graced the game. An out and out central midfielder, Zidane possessed a goal scoring ability from midfield and also the ability to craft out magic in midfield to launch attacks for his side.

Zidane joined Real Madrid from Juventus in 2001 for a world record fee at the time of around 50 million pounds. Zidane enjoyed success in Real Madrid, winning the Champions League and the Spanish La Liga in his 6 years at the club. Not to mention becoming a World cup winner with France in 1998 and a runner up in 2006. Zidane was a tall, strong midfielder at 6’1 he was no fool at defending and wasn’t afraid to challenge for an aerial battle but Zidane came alive in the attacking half and his deft touches on the ball and he seemed to have eyes in the back of his head at times with his awareness of space around him.

Not many footballers have composure as a skill to their game because of the extreme amounts of pressure footballers are put under and now with all the money at stake. However, Manchester United’s Dimitar Berbatov is one of very few footballers that possess superb composure on the ball which is a very gracious skill to have. Bulgarian striker Berbatov and French midfielder Zidane also share the same style of control and first touch, with Berbatov having one of the greatest techniques in the world today similarly to Zidane in his prime. Although ex-Tottenham striker Berbatov is an out and out forward and Zidane never played upfront, the abilities they both have are very similar. Even their mental approaches are very alike, both are very quiet and don’t particularly talk much when competing competitively. Both have tremendous control on the ball, both have the ability to go past players with the skill on the ball rather than speed or strength.

Great players are easy to come by; it’s the magical players that are hard to come by. Who’s going to replace Barcelona’s Messi’s or Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo’s of today’s game in a few years? Football has the ability to produce stars to show on the world stage which is what makes football such an amazing sport to watch.

There are many links between Ireland and Scotland and the two countries have developed a close relationship. In this article I’m going to explore the historical and cultural links that lie at it’s heart.

From earliest times the two countries, formed a single cultural, religious, linguistic and economic zone. The early Scots who came to Scotland from Ireland in the 5th and 6th centuries established the foundations for Irish – Scottish migrations, which continue to this day. Two of the most significant migrations were:

under the influence of the english who were keen to shore up their foothold in Ireland, over 200,000 scots emigrated to Ireland. In the second half of the nineteenth century there was a mass exodus from Ireland to England and Scotland as a result of poverty and famine. Irish labour helped Scottish industrialisation to take root rapidly. In major cultural achievements, too, each country affected the other profoundly. The Scottish Enlightenment, began in Ireland in the work of the philosopher Francis Hutcheson, who later moved to Glasgow and greatly influenced the work of David Hume and Adam Smith.

One of the key links between the two counties in the large Diaspora of each. Tens of millions of citizens with Scottish and Irish ancestry can be found across the globe in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. Both countries are keen to engage on their Diasporas. This recently happened in Scotland, with the Scottish Tourist board calling on Scots living abroad to come home.

In Scotland today people of Irish decent are the single largest minority ethnic group, and there are a large number of Scots living in Ireland. The English ‘issue’ brought both countries together – the need to preserve their identity in the shadow of a powerful neighbouring culture. I will now take a look at some of the shared aspects of culture – traditional clothing, music and sport.

A commonality between the culture if the two countries in clearly shown in the wearing of the kilt – a clear link between the two nations is. Irish kilts are traditionally plain in either saffron of green, with Irish county tartans a more recent variation.

Sport is another areas that has links, interestingly the Irish-Scots were instrumental in the formation of Celtic Football Clubs Hibernian and Dundee United. Indeed, these teams were originally formed to provide recreational facilities for Irish immigrants.

Celtic music has a strong historical traditional in Scotland and Ireland with both using fiddles, bagpipes, whistles and bodhrans. Often, the term Celtic music is applied to the music of Ireland and Scotland however, it is notable that Irish and Scottish traditional musicians tend to point out the differences between the too.

Today the relationships between Ireland and Scotland continues to be shaped by the changes to the political dynamic brought about by devolution in Scotland, the Peace Process in Northern Ireland as well as the deeper integration into the European Union, which is and will remain Scotland and Ireland’s most significant economic relationship.

Despite being known as a football-loving nation on the world stage, the republic of Peru, a Spanish-speaking country on the South American continent since the 1820s, has won the Olympian glory thanks to its international shooters, who have picked up a total of three medals in the Summer Games between 1948 and 1992. According to these results, unequivocally, the greatest Peruvian athlete is Edwin Vasquez Cam, an Olympic gold medalist.

Edwin Vasquez Cam

Edwin Vasquez Cam was born on July 28 1922, in Lima, Peru’s capital city. Encouraged by his father, who was a former shooter, he competed in several shooting competitions in Lima and other Peruvian cities. Over the next years, he spent several hours with his father, Mr. Gonzalo Vasquez, his coach and best friend. By 1938, Edwin won a school championship, but that was only the beginning.

When Edwin was only 18 years old, he finished first in the Gildelmeister Cup, a traditional event in Lima, defeating many veteran athletes. Since then, Edwin’s ambition was to become one of top shooters on Peruvian soil. The following year, he was crowned as the «best shooter» in a major contest. By latter the mid-1940s, Edwin won a gold at the Bolivarian Games at home after winning the Continental tournaments.

With limited international experience, by 1948, Edwin Vasquez and his fellow athletes made a travel to compete in the Olympics in the United Kingdom. The South American delegation competed in seven sports: athletics, men’s basketball, boxing, cycling, fencing, shooting, and weightlifting. In the British capital, on the other hand, nine shooters participated for Peru: Edwin, Cesar Injoque, Raul Valderrama, Wenceslao Salgado, Luis Mantilla, Froilan Tantalean, Enrique Mendizabal, and brothers Enrique and Guillermo Baldwin.

Peru’s champ Edwin Vasquez Cam became the first non-American/European shooter to win an Olympic title when he captured a gold in the Games of the XIV Olympiad in London, UK’s capital. In that day, on August 2, 1948, surprisingly Sweden’s marksman Torsten Ullman was beaten by Mr. Vasquez Cam. Ullman, gold medalist at the 1936 Olympics and four-time world champ (1933, 1935, 1937, & 1947), had been the favorite to win the gold in the free pistol in the Olympic Shooting Championship, a sporting event traditionally dominated by the United States and Western Europe since its inclusion in the First Games in 1896.

Edwin won with 545 points, followed by Switzerland’s Rudolph Schnyder (silver medal) and Ullman (bronze), both with 539 points. It was a day of national pride not only to Peru but also to the continent. Upon Vasquez’s win, the country became one of the first five Latin American republics to win an Olympic gold medal in the 20th Century, alongside Cuba, Uruguay, Argentina, and Mexico. But within few years he was forgotten despite his status like an Olympian winner.

Peru did not win any other Olympic medal until 1984 when Edwin Vasquez’s successor, Francisco -known as «Pancho»- Boza surprisingly was runner-up at the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Prior to the international Games, he had been trained by Konrad Wirnhier, an Olympic gold medalist in 1972, in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Pan American Champion

Mr. Vasquez, upon winning the global title in Britain, helped his nation’s Olympic team to win a gold medal at the 1951 Pan American Games in Buenos Aires (Argentina), a world-class competition in the Western Hemisphere. In addition to these awards, he also earned many international contests.

Despite being one of the most high-profile athletes in Latin American and the Caribbean at that time, unfortunately, Mr. Vasquez and other members of the Peruvian squad, among them Julia Sanchez Deze (Pan American gold medalist in 1951), could not go to Helsinki (Finland) to participate in the Olympiad in 1952. For absurd reasons, Peru’s then-dictator Manuel Odria refused to send a national delegation to Scandinavia.

An Unknown Olympic Champion

Historically, Peru’s Olympic champ Edwin Vasquez is the only shooter from Latin America to have won an Olympic gold medal. In the last sixty years, the continent sent some notable shooters to the international Games, but none of them captured the Olympic glory. From 1972 to 1984, Helmut Bellingrodt -Colombia’s most outstanding athlete in 1974– won two silvers. In the meantime, Mexico’s Olegario Vasquez, upon winning a gold medal in the 1975 Pan American Games and set a new world record, failed to earn the Olympic competition at the 1976 Montreal Games. By 1988, Chile’s Alfonso de Iruarrizaga finished second in the Olympiad in Asia. At the 25th Olympiad in 1992, Peru’s athlete Juan Giha, whose coach Bruno Sarti did not go to Spain due to a lack of resources, came in second place.

Despite being the greatest Peruvian Olympian in history of this country’s sports, Edwin Vasquez Cam, unfortunately, is still a sporting figure unknown for millions of Peruvians. On March 9, 1993, unfortunately, he passed away. Ironically, his death was largely unnoticed by the national media. In a country that has not had an Olympic champ since 1948 and never world winners, he should be an important model for Peru’s boys and girls, paving the way for a new generation of champions.

Perpetua Nkwocha remains one of the best female footballers to come out of the shores of Nigeria. At 36 years of age, this amazing lady has continued to break new records and set the female football scene on fire with a mesmerizing performance.

Presently plying her trade with Sunnanå SK in Sweden, she has remained a key member of the Super Falcons of Nigeria having represented the country at five African women championship- from 2002 to 2010. She was also a member of the super falcon’s squad that featured at the 2003 FIFA Women World cup help in USA as well as the 2007 FIFA Women World Cup held in China. A veteran female footballer who has scored more than twenty goals in her illustrious career spanning more than 10 years, she has remained a shinning example to up and coming stars who look up to her for great inspiration.

One of the features that have given her the cutting edge to be ranked among the best female footballers in Africa is her amazing pace. She can out-run opposing defenders at will, like she did in the recently concluded African Women Championship held in South Africa. In the final match against defending Champions Equatorial Guinea, she received a beautiful pass from Ulunma Jerome in the 7th minutes of the first half and out-paced her marker to net the very first goal in the keenly contested encounter.

She also possesses precise accuracy in front of goal. Prior to the match between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, the Nzalang Nacional’s Brazilian-born goalkeeper Mirian had kept attackers of opposing teams at bay. The queen of goals- Perpetua Nkwocha had other ideas, as she wasted no time in registering her presence with a well taken shot just outside the 18 yard box. It was so precise that the goalkeeper did not know what hit her.

A complete striker can score goals with both feet and head and it was not different in the case of Perpetua Nkwocha as she scored a record eleven goals from her head and both feet. Her aerial ability is second to none, as it is impossible to tell what ammunition she intends to fire at goal.

Lastly she was able to combine experience and maturity and helping the Super Falcons subdue all opponents at the recently concluded African Women Championship held in South Africa. Ever willing to fall back and help at midfield and defense, she gained tremendous recognition on and off the field of play as one of the best performers in the tournament, as her goal rate tallied 2.2 goals per match, a feat that will take quite some time to be shattered.

Barca meet Arsenal at the Emirates and spread buyers of the Gunners’ win index will be looking for revenge after the Catalans knocked the Gunners out of the competition last year. Those spread enthusiasts looking to sell the Barca/Arsenal match supremacy may be aware that before last weekend the visitor’s had not conceded a goal in five matches – scoring 17 times. There will be concern for match supremacy sellers that the Gunners have never beaten their Spanish opposition in five meetings – producing three defeats and two draws.

Those looking to sell the visitor’s win index spread may have noted that Barca have not enjoyed as much European success on the road as they have done at the Nou Camp. When Barca beat Panathinaikos in the final group game, it was their first in six away outings and that will please sellers of the club’s win index.

Those football spread betting punters that enjoy a punt on the total goals market may have seen that Barcelona have scored ten times against Arsenal in their five meetings. The highest scoring game was in North London when the visitors ran out 4-2 winners in 1999, to the delight of goal buyers that evening. The Gunners’ performance in the group stages will also offer encouragement to goal buyers given they scored 14 times in their three home fixtures.

Total goal minute spread betting punters should take note that the last time these sides met at the Emirates, all four goals in the draw arrived in the second half – reaching 259 points.

Leo Messi scored four times in the most recent clash with Arsenal and that will delight those looking for a bet on his individual performance spread. His goal minutes for that particular game accumulated 188 points on the spread. The Argentine has six goals in six European matches this year.

Tottenham travel to the San Siro once more where they face AC Milan and buyers of Spurs’ win index on the spreads will take encouragement that the opposition won only one of their three home group games.

In the group stage matches the games involving Massimiliano Allegri’s side averaged 2.3 goals and the highest scoring game was a 2-2 draw at home to Real Madrid. Sellers of the bookings spread may have seen that Spurs have only been handed four yellow cards in their three European away games. However, buyers will argue that Heurelho Gomes was dismissed in Tottenham’s last trip to Milan – the overall points for that game totaling 65 points.