Noticias de fútbol, marcadores en directo, resultados y …

If there is a need to find out which sports produce the most unpredictable results, everyone will agree that soccer is absolutely that kind. The fact has proven. Let’s recall of the UEFA Championship final match in 1999 where Man U surprisingly stroke 2 goals during the 2 minute injury time to overcome the 1 goal deficit and clinched the Champion Cup.

Let’s recall again the South-America Champion final match between Argentina and Brazil in 2007 where over-the-top Argentina suddenly lost to struggling Brazil with the shocking result 0-3. And let’s recall again the underdog Egypt who managed to win the European Champion Cup where the best teams of the world such as Italy, Germany, and England… even failed to reach the final match.

There are a lot more to prove to everyone that everything can happen in soccer, even the most shocking results. As a result, soccer betting is more attractive to punters – the sport is very unpredictable.

But luckily the unpredictable results are not the only thing that matters punters. Soccer itself does have the same natural concept: no matter how high or how low a team is heading, there is always a stop to it. Thus, the rule of thumb is not to consistently place bets on teams that continuously won and expect that they will win. Or, it is not advisable to place bets on teams that consistently lost and expect they will lose.

Beside the unpredictable nature of the game, other factors do affect the final results. They are the weather, a sudden injury, or a decision of the referee.

Weather does play an important role in deciding the match result. For example, raining poses a bad impact to well-performing teams who used much tactical playing methods. A cold weather does the same to away-team who visits the home ground under 0 degree Celsius.

Sudden injury of an important player before or during the match does pose a scaring threat to a team. No soccer player can avoid injury, either it is during the training session or in the actual match. Beside injury, I have also witnesses plenty of important players struck by flu and thus could not attend some critical matches.

Decision of a referee to send off a player is undeniably the sudden bad impact to that team. But who can avoid that or plan to avoid that? Everything under the sun happens in a soccer match.

Augustine Azuka ( Jay-Jay ) Okocha who was born August 14 ,1973 in Enugu ( same day as my mom difference year though is a Nigerian footballer who currently plays for Hull city in the lower league in England a move which was completed in 2007. Nicknamed Jay-Jay for his entertaining and Flamboyant style of play.

Okocha was playing football at the age of just 16 for his first club, Rangers international of Enugu, before a chance encounter whilst on holiday in Germany launched his international career. Okocha tried out for fourth division club Borussia Neunkirchen and they snapped him up.

Via Saarbrucken, he went on to join Eintracht Frankfurt in December 1991 – still before his 18th birthday – where he was to explode on to the Bundesliga scene.

Five years on, he moved to Turkey to play for Fenerbahce where he gained Champions League experience (notably in a shock win against Manchester United at Old Trafford) and hero worship in Istanbul.

In 1998, Jay-Jay became the most expensive African player ever with his £14million move to Paris St Germain.

After seeing out his contract with the French giants Okocha was available on a free transfer – hence the rumoured £3.3million-a-year wages he was rumoured to be demanding. It is testament to Allardyce’s negotiation skills that he was able to convince the midfielder to drop his high demands and join the Barclaycard Premiership outfit.

He has played at the 1994 ,1998 ( where he was named in the tournament best XI ) , and 2002 Fifa world cup and many African Nations cup Tournaments with Nigeria. He won the olympic gold medal with Nigeria in 1996 beating Brazil in the semi finals before seeing off Argentina in the final.

Proudly a member of Fifa 100 , a list of 125 greatest living footballers selected by lengendary Brazilian Pele in conjunction with FIFA’S centenary celebrations.In the 2004/2005 season he won the BBC’s African Player of the Year award (for the second successive year).

After seeing out his contract with the French giants Okocha was available on a free transfer – hence the rumoured £3.3million-a-year wages he was rumoured to be demanding. It is testament to Allardyce’s negotiation skills that he was able to convince the midfielder to drop his high demands and join the Barclaycard Premiership outfit.

In the 2004/05 season – his third for the Trotters – he made 33 appearances and scored 7 goals, including two in the first game of the season – a 4-1 victory against Charlton.

He was relief of his captainship band with Bolton in early 2005/06. This is Much attributed to his public admittance that he is interested in a move away to Quatar. He finally left the team after the final game of the season when Bolton announced they will not be renewing his contract , manager sam allardyce shaking Okocha’s hand before he came on the field in his last game.

After a lucrative year playing for Qatar Sports Club, Jay-Jay returned to England to take up a new challenge at the KC Stadium.

In 2004 he released a DVD called «superskills with Okocha » where he teaches children at a football school the most difficult football tricks.

He is happily married to Nkechi , a native of his country, Nigeria. Blessed with a son who he Named «A-J Okocha.

PERUVIAN ANCESTRY:

Benjamin Bratt (actor): His movies include: Shadown Hunter (1992), Demolition Man (1993), Kill or Be Killed (1993), Woman Undone (1995) and Exiled (1998).

Yma Sumac (actress and singer): Sumac was born in Peru. She has American citizen.

Helena Christensen (Model): Like Fernanda Tavares, Elsa Benitez and Juncal Rivero, she was a spectacular super-model in Europe in the United States in the 1990s. In 1986 Helena had been elected Miss Denmark.

Alejandro «Alex» Olmedo (tennis player): Was born in Arequipa (Peru). Like Mary Jo-Fernandez, Richard «Pancho» Gonzalez, Alex became American citizen. He came to the United States from Lima as a schoolboy. He is the only Latin American who has won one Wimbledon Tournament (1959).Alejandro played many times for the United States and he won at the 1958 Davis Cup

DID YOU KNOW THAT ….

Peru is the first country which has had a President of Japanese ancestry. From 1990 to 2000, Alberto Kenya Fujimori, best known as «Chinese», was President of Peru. In 1992, Fujimori made history when he became dictator. During his dictatorship, he rewrote the Constitution.

Opposition and human rights groups accused Fujimori of violating human rights. Ironically, his government was an advocate for the women’s rights, anti-terrorism and tourism. In 1996, Miriam Schenone became minister of the Woman and Human Development.

Under his authoritarian rule, Fujimori received aid from the People’s of China and Japan. Protest marches against the dictatorship took place in 2000.That year, Fujimori fled to Japan, where he received asylum.

His style has been compared to Ferdinand Marcos, former dictator of Philippines….

FAMOUS ATHLETES:

Juan Carlos «Johnny» Bello (swimming): The most famous swimmer in the Peruvian history. Johnny decided to learn to swim at the age of seven. From 1965 to 1973, he won several international medals.

Teofilo Cubillas (football): Cubillas, best known for his nickname «Nene», has played in three World Cups (Mexico-70, Argentina-78 and Spain-82). Certainly, Peru was one of the best teams in the 1970s.He is now recognized as a symbol of South American football.

Cecilia Tait (volleyball): Peru’s most talented player appeared as a sub aged 18 at the Pan American Games in San Juan (Puerto Rico).Like Lang Ping (the People’s Republic of China) and Flora «Flo» Hyman (United States),she is one of the best players in the volleyball history. She has played more than 300 games for Peru in the 1970s and 1980s.Tait has become an icon for the Peruvian sport. She was a congresswoman.

Gabriela Perez del Solar (volleyball): She was one of the World’s most popular players because of her all out effort and humble personality. Made her debut in the 1984 South American Youth Cup in Chile. She, best known as «Gaby», has been described as one of the best athletes by Peruvian journalists. The 1993 South American Championship was her last international tournament. Currently, she is a congresswoman since 2006. She has projects about Olympic sports.

Edwin Vazquez Cam (shooting): Edwin made history when won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1948.He was one of the best shooters in the Third World. Latin America has produced many shooters, but none as Edwin Vazquez Cam. Like Marlene Ottey, Marlene Arehns, James Gilkes and Lloyd Labeach, he has become a symbol in the Latin American sport.

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DID YOU KNOW THAT…

Shining Path, a group terrorist in Peru, has been called «The Khmer Rouge of Latin America. Abimael Guzman Reynoso, terrorist leader, has been compared to Pol Pot. The indigenous were victims of a delivete policy of genocide by Shining Path. More than 50,000 Peruvians have been killed by Shining Path.

FAMOUS PEOPLE BORN IN PERU:

Mario Vargas Llosa (writer)…Hernando de Soto (economist)…Cesar Vallejo (writer)…Daniel Alomia Robles (composer)…Fernando Belaunde Ferry (ex President)…Fernando de Szyslo (painter)…Chabuca Granda (singer)… Susana Baca (singer)…Luis Flores (designer)…Victor Delfín (sculpter)…Jose Carlos Mariategui (writer), Javier Perez de Cuellar (diplomatic), Alfredo Bryce Echenique (writer)…

REFERENCES

-Bach, Caled. «Mario Vargas Llosa mundo sin limites», Americas, Washington DC, abril 2004

-Bowen, Sally. El expediente Fujimori, Perú Monitor, Lima, 2000

-Compendio Histórico del Perú. Historia Política y Económica (1820-1998), Editorial Milla Batres, Madrid, 1998

-Diccionario Histórico y Biográfico del Perú Siglos XV-XX, Milla Batres, Lima 1986

-Elton, Catherine. «El retorno de Ayacucho», Americas, Washington DC, diciembre de 1999

-Enciclopedia Ilustrada del Perú, Peisa, Lima, 2001

-Guevara Onofre, Alejandro. Historia de la Mujer de los Estados Unidos, Cecosami

-Lama, Abraham. «Perú: difícil sendero», Nueva Sociedad, Caracas, septiembre-octubre 1988

-Lizarburu,Raúl. «El documental del terror», La República, Lima, 4 de julio 2005

-Orbegoso, Manuel Jesus. «Pérez de Cuéllar a Ghali: entrego la posta», El Dominical del Diario El Comercio, Lima, 5 de enero de 1992

-Perry, Ellen. Documental: La caída de Fujimori/ Estados Unidos/ 2005

-Yates, Pamela. Documental: Estado de miedo / Perú-Estados Unidos/2005

The 1995 tournament held in Canada was a bitter pill in the mouth of the Golden Eaglets, and they were determined to make amends at the 1989 tournament which was hosted by Scotland. In a group comprising 1987 host Canada, China PR and tournament favorite Argentina, the Golden Eaglets were expected to progress to the Quarter-finals with ease. Book makers were already tipping the Nigerians to clinch the trophy before the tournament even began.

They lived up to their billing in their first match, when they stunned Canada 4-0, with Kayode Keshinro scoring a brace in the 27th and 75th minutes before Babajide Oguntuwase and Victor Ikpeba put the game beyond the Canadians with two superb goals in the 56th and 78th minutes. They then drew 0-0 with Argentina in their second match. In their must win last group game against China, the Golden Eaglets defeated China PR with an emphatic 3-0 bashing, and they sent jitters down the spine of other countries who were already avoiding the Golden Eaglets. Olusegun Fetuga, Victor Ikpeba and Sunny Umoru were on the scorers sheet in an encounter that saw the Nigerians completely dominating proceedings.

In the Quarter-finals, the Golden Eaglets were paired with Saudi Arabia, and most sports analyst labeled the encounter as a rematch of David versus Goliath.

They were referring to the physically big Saudis, compared to the smaller sized Nigerians. The Golden Eaglets were however not going to be intimidated, as they battled the Saudi Arabians to a 0-0 score at regulation time.

The game had to be decided via penalties as it happened two years ago.

It was a game filled with so much intrigues, as the Golden Eaglets were face to face with the giant goalkeeper from Saudi Arabia. The game eventually ended 2-0 in favor of the Saudis, who went ahead to lift the Trophy. The Nigerians were so unlucky, as Bobolayefa Edun, Sunny Umoru, Patrick Mancha and Chiedu Anazonwu all missed their spot kicks, while Saud Al Hammali and Jabarti Al Shamrani scored for Saudi Arabia to take the game beyond the hopeful lads from Nigeria.

Some players from the Nigerian team to Scotland 1989 later progressed to the senior national team after blossoming in their various club-sides. Top on the list was Victor Nosa Ikpeba who was nickname «The prince of Monaco». Victor Ikpeba eventually won the African footballer of the year award in 1997. Benedict Akwuegbu, Godwin Okpara and Precious Monye are also notable names who excelled both in club and country.

As you probably know, soccer is the most played, watched and televised sport in the history of mankind. According to FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) there are currently 270 million people that are actively involved in the game of football. (That is about 4% of the world population) So why has this sport become such a grand interest for me and people alike? What is the history behind this widely spectated event?

Soccer which is referred as «football association» in Wikipedia is a sport that has roots dating back to the 2nd and 3rd century. The earliest form is said to have originated in China; a game called «cuju». FIFA, the governing body of football, officially stated that China was the birthplace of its game in 2004.

In the latter decades, many other forms of the sport have been spotted in other regions of the world, such as «Harpastum» (Roman), «Kemari» (Japan), and «Knattleikr». (Iceland) These games were of course a lot different from what modern football is all about. It was not until the 19th century that various forms of football became somewhat an organized event played mostly by prestigious public schools in England. There was much improvement in the course of the sport when Thomas Arnold (head of the ‘Rugby School’ helped to establish the first standardized rules of Rugby.

In Rugby, they allowed players to kick opponents legs below the knees (which was banned in the later years), handling the ball was also permitted. Following this development, football and rugby split on December, 1863. The modern game of football was born in England with the formation of the F.A. (Football Association) which is the governing body of football in England. Ebenezer Cobb Morley was a founding member of the Football Association in which he stressed out the importance of a governing body for football. After the F.A. was established he laid down the «Laws of football» that implemented the rules the game is played today. On January 9th, 1864, the first exhibition football game was played at the Battersea Park. In only eight years, the F.A. had 50 member clubs and grew rapidly allowing a competition to emerge in 1972. The F.A. Cup is the first football competition and in England regarded as the most prestigious one. The ‘Wanderers’ were the first team to win the cup, beating the ‘Royal Engineers’ 1-0.

Football popularized slowly in other countries with the help of British influence. It was not until 1889, other countries (Netherlands and Denmark) would embrace this wonderful game. Football started growing rapidly with the following countries; New Zealand (1891), Argentina (1893), Chile, Switzerland, Belgium (1895), Italy (1898), Germany, Uruguay (1900), and Hungary (1901) adopting football associations of their own.

In 1904, FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) was formed in Paris to regulate international fixtures and there were seven founding members (France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland). The first international football competition was introduced at the 1908 London Summer Olympics with Great Britain winning gold, Denmark silver and the Netherlands bronze. The emergence of World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945) brought the growing sport to a halt resuming years after the war. By 1950, FIFA had 51 member countries. Before the creation of the World Cup (the most prestigious football competition), FIFA organized a football competition within the Summer Olympics. In 1930, FIFA would manage their own tournament in Uruguay; the host nation to be the first football team to have won the cup that would be the most spectated than any other professional tournament today.

Football today, is a much growing sport with 208 national teams recognized by FIFA, in addition there are thousands of club teams competing with each other in various leagues and cups for global dominance. The sport has become an addiction for many people around the world, helping nations and people get together as they cheer their team away hoping one day, their team will bring home a trophy. The future of football always has room for improvement and hopefully will grow interest in the U.S. as elsewhere. «Fair-play» is the name of the game.

World cup 2010 is finally upon us and soon the whole country will be going football crazy as the hopes and dreams of every England supporter will be in the balance. Every world cup the supporters follow their team through the thick and thin of it all but will this year finally be the repeat of 1966 for the England boys?

I know that every girl out there will be dreading the the 27 days of constant football games as they will all become football widows but every man out there is counting down the days till that first game on the 11th June and i would suspect that most have booked the time off work or making sure their employer has a tv set all ready to go. But the biggest question on all English fans lips is – will this year be the year that the boys can do it?

So girls what are the things we need to know to make us fit in?

Capello the England manager is with us for the long run, or so reports say but as it stands he is the man that has our hearts in his hands for 2010, so for us I hope this year it doesn’t end in heart break or if it does please don’t let it be through penalties I am not sure the boys will be able to watch this again.

So with Capello in the driving seat who will be steering the team forward, John Terry we would believe will be our captain and is he the man for the job, I certainly think so you only have to look at his track record and his determination as a player to see his commitment to the team and his country.

So how can we prepare for the big date on the football calendar, well for starters lets get well and truly behind the boys and show our ongoing support to them, I for one will be getting all the world cup merchandise! I can and ensuring everyone out there knows I am behind the team 100% even if 50% of the commitment is to be having fun in the pub with the lads.

Here is to the world cup 2010.