Saturday, June 24, 2006

A Big Thankyou Message And Day 1 Of The Last 16!

Thankyou Bondevia

Okay there was a glitch this afternoon with my blog as half of my templates gone missing without me touching it. So as usual Bondevia came to the rescue of my ar*e again so..THANKYOU BONDEVIA!


Last Of 16: Day 1 Previews


Allianz Arena

Germany vs Sweden



There won't be any changes to the German squad from the one that took them past the group stages as they looked to continue their excellent record against the Swedes. Meanwhile, Sweden will look to the recovery of their over-rated star striker, Ibrahimovic and lead the strike force alongside Henrik Larsson.

Germany (Probable):
Lehmann, Friedrich, Mertesacker, Metzelder, Lahm, Ballack, Frings, Schneider, Schweinsteiger, Klose, Podolski;


Sweden (Probable):
Isaksson, Edman, Lucic, Mellberg, N. Alexandersson, Kallstrom, Linderoth, Ljungberg, Ibrahimovic, Larsson, Jonson;


Drogballs' Prediction:
Germany 2-1 Sweden. Sweden will be a tough opposition to the Germans so expect a pretty cagey match as both teams would not want to lose this game.


Zentralstadion

Argentina vs Mexico


Lionel Messi hopes to marks his 19th birthday with a starting place in tonight's clash with the Mexicans. Messi will be celebrating his 19th birthday today and is being told to enjoy playing football and not fret at a big stage such as this. In the Mexican camp, Jared Borgetti have a chance to start in tonight's game after recovering from his injury.

Drogballs' Prediction: Argentina 2-0 Mexico. The Argies will be a little too strong for the Mexican, I think. Messi and Crespo to score.


The Number One Reason Why...... Top 10 Highest Paid Footballers

Why CRonaldo Is The Number 1 Gay Icon For The Dutch!

Because...............



A picture speaks a thousand words. Let's not descirbe it shall we. it's a little....disgusting. Okay, according to my photoshop expert, he said it's photoshopped, but whatever, what a brilliant picture! A masterpiece of the highest order and deserve a place in the museum in France (whatever). I know Sylvia...you're gonna make this your wallpaper......

Top 10 Highest Paid Footballers (In Pounds Per Week):


10. Francesco Totti

Where he plays: AS Roma and Italy
What he earns: £73,000 a week

Forget Rooney’s metatarsal – Italy was held in the grip of panic after star forward Totti broke his leg earlier this year. Il gladotorio is Italy’s highest-paid player and boosts his income further with his football school, named Number Ten, and a motorbike team called "Totti Top Sport". Totti even has his own clothing line – the Never Without You range. His endorsements are worth some £5.7m a year – nearly twice his annual wage.

9. Ruud van Nistelrooy

Where he plays: Manchester United and Holland
What he earns: £84,600 a week

He might have fallen out of favour at Manchester United but van Nistelrooy’s services are still much in demand. United splashed out £18m for him in 2001 and were rewarded with a staggering 80 goals in his first two seasons. His £6m personal fortune is boosted by a lucrative sportswear deal with Nike, yet off the pitch van Nistelrooy enjoys the quiet life. He married wife Leontien in a small church wedding in Holland in 2004.

8. Zinedine Zidane

Where he plays: Real Madrid and France
What he earns: £84,600 a week

Midfield playmaker Zidane was the architect of France’s 1998 World Cup triumph – and was amply rewarded for his efforts. Worth a reputed $19m, "Zizou" recently announced his retirement from football and this year’s tournament marks his last. His Galactico wage has been further boosted by a lucrative endorsement deal with Adidas and, in one of football’s more unusual tie-ups, a deal with Lego.

7. David Beckham

Where he plays: Real Madrid and England
What he earns: £84,600 a week

“Brand Beckham” shows no signs of fading with age – his handsome weekly wage is dwarfed compared to the £15m he earns every year through tie-ins with firms as diverse as Gillette, Pepsi and Adidas. It seems that last year’s tabloid scandals have done nothing to dent the lustre of the Beckham brand either. The Leytonstone boy was even named as one of Time magazine’s Top 100 most influential global icons.

6. Frank Lampard

Where he plays: Chelsea and England
What he earns: £94,000 a week

Five of the six highest-earning footballers in the world are now contracted to English clubs – and no club has more financial muscle than Chelsea. Elegant midfielder Frank is one of world football’s most improved players - and has been rewarded with a series of hefty pay rises since joining the club in 2001. In 2005, Lampard came second to Ronaldinho in FIFA’s World Player of the Year poll and should feature prominently in England’s World Cup campaign. Lampard exploits his brand value more sparingly than many of his contemporaries, however, preferring the quiet life with Spanish fiancĂ©e Elen and daughter Luna.

5. Rio Ferdinand

Where he plays: Manchester United and England
What he earns: £94,000 a week

After his performances at the heart of the England defence during the 2002 World Cup, Manchester United paid Leeds United a massive £29m to secure Rio’s services. He’s now signed a bumper new contract for a reputed £94,000 a week. Had United met his original £120,000-a-week salary demand, however, he would have set yet another record by becoming the Premiership’s highest paid player.

4. Ronaldinho

Where he plays: Barcelona and Brazil
What he earns: £111,000 a week

The poor boy from the suburbs of Porto Alegre has transcended his origins to become world football’s most lauded player. Twice FIFA World Player of the Year, the Brazilian maestro recently extended his contract with Barcelona until 2010. His earning power outstrips even David Beckham’s with his six-figure weekly wage boosted by lucrative sponsorship deals with Nike, Pepsi and eight brands in Brazil. His annual earnings are reputedly some £15.8m, yet this superstar still retains some modesty: he recently confessed to Four Four Two magazine that he wasn’t even the best player at Barca, let alone the world. We beg to differ.

3. Thierry Henry

Where he plays: Arsenal and France
What he earns: £112,000 a week

It seems it pays to be loyal – this summer saw Henry resist the charms of Spanish giants Barcelona to stay in his adopted Highbury home. This devotion saw his pay packet increase to a staggering £112,000-a-week – yet City experts claim his worth to Arsenal far exceeds this sum, as he could have left the club for nothing in 2007. Henry is loved far beyond North London and he’s cashed in on this public affection with an endorsement portfolio only rivalled by David Beckham. Henry has deals with Coke, Konami, Nike, Renault and regularly writes for The Sun newspaper.

2. Michael Ballack

Where he plays: Chelsea and Germany
What he earns: £121,000 a week

As a young boy Ballack earned money collecting waste paper and bottles in KarlMarxStadt in the former East Germany. Now, things are rather different - the midfield dynamo left former club Bayern Munich on a free transfer – meaning he could sell his services to the highest bidder. Ballack’s basic £121,000 a week salary takes him to within £30,000 a week of the US’s best-paid sportsman, NFL quarterback Peyton Manning. And this huge sum doesn’t include his domestic endorsements with Sony, McDonalds and Adidas.

1. Andriy Shevchenko

Where he plays: Chelsea and Ukraine
What he earns: £130,000 a week

Roman Abramovich’s coffers took a sizable dent – even by his standards – with the signing of the Ukrainian superstar. Shevchenko is perhaps football’s deadliest marksman – his Champions League strike-rate of 53 goals in 94 games is unrivalled. Yet quality costs. The reputed £31m Chelsea paid to AC Milan this month for his services smashes the previous British transfer record of £29m for Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand – and that’s before wages of £130,000 a week. The four-year deal is expected to cost the West London club some £60m in total


Drogballs: Look at how many English players are in that list, then think about their performance at the World Cup. Really, do they worth that much? Oh dear and the top 2 are being paid by who else but..Chelsea.


World Cup Group G Round Up - Korea Crashed Out While France Find Some Form

Vieira Breaks French Curse:

Rhein Energie Stadion

Togo
0 - 2 France

Scorers:
FRA - P. Vieira (55min), T. Henry (61min);


Patrick Vieira, taking over the captain's armband from the suspended Zinedine Zidane, showed the team the way to victory as France finally broke the 5 game winless streak and beat Togo 2-0. He's the central figure for this game and other than scoring one himself, he assisted Henry for France's second goal.

France, for the first time, started David Trezeguet alongside Arsenal's Theirry Henry and the opening few minutes was fast and furious, with France searching for the opening goal. But it seemed to be eluding them and Trezeguet missing a couple of chances. Franck Ribery was then put through and had all the time in the world to finish the move, but his lack of composure made him blast the ball harmlessly over the bar. My personal view on Franck Ribery is that although he is a lively and a constant threat to the opponents, his lack of experience and horrendous quality of his finishing makes him look more like a fringe player and would not cut at the highest level. He had a few bad decisions based on what I've seen. When he's supposed to shoot himself, he passed the ball and when he shoots, it always lacks the finishing to beat the keeper.

Other than Vieira, another player that performed very well is Willy Sagnal. I thought he played a blinder with a few crucial blocks and vital interceptions. So, France will go through to the next round together with group leaders, Switzerland and will face Spain in the last 16.


Korea Crash Out As Swiss Tops Group:

AWD Arena
Switzerland 2 - 0 South Korea

Scorers:

SUI - P. Senderos (23min), A. Frei (77min);

Ah, Asia's only hope, Korea has finally crashed out of the World Cup as they're beaten by Switzerland. Their performance at the last World Cup made a lot of fans believe and hope that they can once again, emulate the fantastic performance and sadly, it all came to a halt and will be going home disappointingly. As Asia's representatives, Iran, Japan and Saudi Arabia all crashed out earlier on, all of Asia's hope and pride are on the shoulders of the 'Red Devils'. They still might have a chance to go qualify from the group if they could get at least a draw, but things didn't really go their way and sometimes, depending on comebacks doesn't always work. On the previous 2 matches, they came down from 1-0 down to beat Togo 2-1 and once again, 1-0 down and drew 1-1 with France. But this time round, it was no way back for them as Switzerland scored through Arsenal defender, Phillippe Senderos.

As Graham Poll's incompetency is being under scrutiny, once again we saw a refereeing decision that is pretty mind-boggling and really caused lots of confusion, to the players as well as people watching the game. A through ball was placed for Alex Frei and it actually touched a Korean player on its way. Frei is in an off-side position so the lines-man lifted the flag. But the referee didn't blow the whistle and Frei rounded Lee Woon Jae and rolled the ball into an empty net. The Koreans thought the linesman's flag was up so they turned their back away and started walking back and to their horror, the referee actually let the goal stand and it sparked a confrontation from the Korean players. I'm not an expert with all these rules of course, but isn't this some kind of a grey area in the rulebook? Do players play to the whistle or to the flag actually? No matter what, I sympathise the Koreans and that goal completely shattered their dreams.

It's sad to see the Koreans crashing out of the competition not only because we will not see anymore Asian teams in the last 16, but also the players, the team itself and the fans. This Korean team never fail to amaze me. Although they are technically not the best and could say, inferior to most teams, but the spirit and the commitment of those 11 players on the field is commendable and their bounce-back-ability somehow reminds me of our Liverpool. Their fans have been immense too. Watching the game on TV, you could always hear the Koreans singing and dancing and the drum beatings and seriously, they never stop and continue for the whole 90 minutes. There is no such thing as a certain goal silence the Korean fans as they cannot be silenced. The spirit of the Korean side will leave great memories for fans and players alike. Let's hope to see more of them soon. Yea, 4 years from now....



Final Group G Standings:
  1. Switzerland 7pts (Qualify)
  2. France 5pts (Qualify)
  3. South Korea 4pts
  4. Togo 0pt

Last 16 Match-Ups:

26th June
Ukraine vs Switzerland


27th June

Spain vs France


Group H Latest And Final Standings

Uninspired Spain Through

Fritz-Walter Stadion
Saudi Arabia 0 - 1 Spain


Scorers:

ESP - Juanito (36min);



When you have 22 shots on goal and only 1 goal scored, it either means that the opposing goalkeeper is in god-mode (FM term), or your finishing just suck. Well, I think tonight, it was a combination of both. Spain had great chances with Joaquin, Raul and Reyes having most of them, but it was down to defender, Juanito's headed goal that gave Spain the 3 points and a confirmed place as the leader of Group H.

Seriously, need more improvement. But it's the reserve team after all. Come on Spain!


Shevchenko Shows Why He's Made For Chelsea

Olympicstadion
Ukraine 1 - 0 Tunisia


Scorer:

UKR - A. Shevchenko (pen 71min);


Ukraine booked their place in the last 16 as they beat Tunisia in the last group game. And the winning goal is down to the pure theatrics of Andriy Shevchenko, who made it looked like the Tunisian defender who tripped him, but once again replay shows he tripped himself and converted the penalty himself. Tunisia was down to 10 men just before the break when Zied Jaziri was sent off for a 2nd bookable offence and it's debatable. Another reason for Tunisian to feel robbed was just before Shevchenko scored from the penalty spot, Ayari curled a free-kick and it actually hit a Ukrainian defender in the arms and should have been a penalty, but was waved away as usual.So Ukraine join Spain in the last 16.


Group H Final Standings:
  1. Spain 9pts (Qualify)
  2. Ukraine 6pts (Qualify)
  3. Tunisia 1pt
  4. Saudi Arabia 1pt

Friday, June 23, 2006

Dear Owen....And Previews For The Last Day Of The Group Stage

Can We Have You Back In One Piece, Please?


If you can't see it properly, it's Michael Owen in the picture. Maybe it's a bad move from the company to put this advertisement. Anyway, the answer is a firm NO I guess?


Last 4 Matches Of The Group Stage

Fritz-Walter Stadion

Saudi Arabia vs Spain


Spain is set to rest several key players including Xabi Alonso and David Villa. A reserve team is expected to be fielded by the Spanish side, who have already qualified and nothing much to play for.

Drogballs' Prediction: Saudi Arabia 0-3 Spain. They might field a reserve side, but the likes of Reyes and Iniesta will surely help them ease past the Saudis.


Olympicstadion

Ukraine vs Tunisia


Drogballs' Prediction: Ukraine 2-0 Tunisia


Rhein Energie Stadion

Togo vs France


Due to the suspension of Zinedine Zidane, France will be forced to reshuffle the squad and change their 4-2-3-1 formation into a 4-4-2 with David Trezeguet partnering Thierry Henry upfront. Franck Ribery and Florent Malouda will be on the wings while Patrick Vieira and Claude Makelele will be the central midfielders.

Drogballs' Prediction: Togo 1-2 France


AWD Arena

Switzerland vs South Korea


Drogballs' Prediction: Switzerland 1-1 South Korea


Well, Gattuso, YOU JUST GOT MERK'D !

Gennaro Gattuso - 'The Ultimate Barbarian'

I had this nickname for AC Milan's Italian midfielder Gennaro Gattuso. That is the barbarian. His entics on the field makes him the ultimate warrior every team wants and puts Paddy Vieira to shame to be honest. Yesterday while the Italians are celebrating Fillipo Inzaghi's goal, he went over to the coach, tried to strangle him and ran off after that. Lippi's face was priceless as he seemed like he's sh*tting himself when Gattuso appeared from nowhere to strangle him.

Anyway the video below is something like wht Rio Ferdinand did to the England players. Prank'd!



Seriously, do you even need to understand Italian in order to watch it? I don't think so! Ah, you know..the Italians, they are so expressive and waving their hand around and yea, waving their hands around is their kind of language. At the back portion of the video, it seemed like a modern day drama with him shouting all the *beeps* and *tooot* around and even had 2 kicks at the accomplice! This guy does need anger management and I've never seen someone that looses his cool as quickly as him. What a legend.


Okay, I'm not done yet...



Gattuso vs Poulsen. Look at his reaction. can't help but think is there any footballers more passionate than him? As in..showing it outwards? HAHA


The Silly Things....Footballers Say

Few days back I covered the silly things girls say about football and you thought it was class. Why not listen to the footballers themselves?


'I couldn't settle in Italy - it was like living in a foreign country.' - Ian Rush

Interviewer: 'Would it be fair to describe you as a volatile player?'
David Beckham: 'Well, I can play in the centre, on the right and occasionally on the left side.'

'If you're 0-0 down, there's no-one better to get you back on terms than Ian Wright.' - Robbie Earle

'Germany are a very difficult team to play...they had 11 internationals out there today.' - Steve Lomas

'I definitely want Brooklyn to be christened, but I don't know into what religion yet.' - David Beckham

'The Brazilians were South America, and the Ukranians will be more European.' - Phil Neville

'All that remains is for a few dots and commas to be crossed.'
- Mitchell Thomas

'Alex Ferguson is the best manager I've ever had at this level. Well, he's the only manager I've actually had at this level. But he's the best manager I've ever had.' - David Beckham

'The opening ceremony was good, although I missed it.'
- Graeme Le Saux

'Sometimes in football you have to score goals.' - Thierry Henry

'I would not be bothered if we lost every game as long as we won the league.' - Mark Viduka

'He's put on weight and I've lost it, and vice versa.' - Ronnie Whelan

'We lost because we didn't win.' - Ronaldo

'I've had 14 bookings this season - 8 of which were my fault, but 7 of which were disputable.' - Paul Gascoigne

'I've never wanted to leave. I'm here for the rest of my life, and hopefully after that as well.' - Alan Shearer

'I'd like to play for an Italian club, like Barcelona.' - Mark Draper

'You've got to believe that you're going to win, and I believe we'll win the World Cup until the final whistle blows and we're knocked out.'
- Peter Shilton

'I faxed a transfer request to the club at the beginning of the week, but let me state that I don't want to leave Leicester.' - Stan Collymore

'I was watching the Blackburn game on TV on Sunday when it flashed on the screen that George Ndah had scored in the first minute at Birmingham. My first reaction was to ring him up. Then I remembered he was out there playing.' - Ade Akinbiyi

'Without being too harsh on David Beckham, he cost us the match.'
- Ian Wright

'It was a big relief off my shoulder.' - Paul Gascoigne

'I'm as happy as I can be - but I have been happier.' - Ugo Ehiogu

'Leeds is a great club and it's been my home for years, even though I live in Middlesbrough.' - Jonathan Woodgate

'I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel.' - Stuart Pearce

'My parents have been there for me, ever since I was about 7.'
- David Beckham

'I was surprised, but I always say nothing surprises me in football.'
- Les Ferdinand

'There's no in between - you're either good or bad. We were in between.'
- Gary Lineker

'Winning doesn't really matter as long as you win.' - Vinny "IM THE JUGGERNAUT, B*TCH!" Jones

Silly Quotes Champion: David Beckham - 4 times!

There you have it, the England captain being the silliest of all.


World Cup Group F Latest

Ronaldo Double Silenced Critics And Brazil Through To Meet Ghana

Signal Iduna Stadion

Japan 1 - 4 Brazil

Scorers:
JAP - K. Tamada (33min);
BRA - Ronaldo (45min, 81min), Juninho Pernambucano (53min), Gilberto (59min);


Well, the Brazillians showed they're the World Cup champion by defeating Japan 4-1 with the fatty Ronaldo grabbing a double. To be honest he should have scored another at the start of second half, but credits to him, under all the intense pressure and criticisms, he rised to the occasion and put 2 past the helpless Kawaguchi. Ronaldo is officially the joint all-time top scorer of the World Cup and although he's still not the Ronaldo of old, he still possess the killer instinct and like most people would agree that form is temporal but class is permanent.

But Brazil's defence looked a little susceptible to speed attacks though. They made a mistake by sitting to forward and inviting the Japanese to run at them and they took their chance well by scoring a beautiful goal. But they learnt their mistake and sat a little deeper in the 2nd half and the Japanese clearly lacked creativity to break down the Brazillian defence.

The end of the game looks like a regular training match for the Brazillians though, the match below is far more interesting!


Kewell Makes Socceroos Dream


Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion

Croatia 2 - 2 Australia


Scorers:
CRO - D. Srna (3min), N. Kovac (56min);
AUS - C. Moore (39min), H. Kewell (79min);


Sent Off (3):
CRO - D. Simic, J. Simunic;
AUS - B. Emerton;

If FIFA is reading this (of course not), please send Graham Poll home, now. No, he's not a player if you wonder, but he's the referee for this game. Just watch it again and you could tell this English referee has clearly lost it and doesn't know what's he's doing. How did he show Simunic a 2nd yellow and yet not a red card and not know about it? This seriously put a doubt over his competency as a referee and how did he not spot the handball just before Kewell scored the equalising goal for Australia? Gosh, I think we'll hear more about him in days to come.


Anyway congratulations, Socceroos. I'm not your fan but I was cheering you on for the match as I think you lads deserved it more than the Croats do. Came back from behind to beat Japan, went down 2-0 to Brazil although the scoreline flatters the Brazillians a bit and now to come back against Croatia again. I admit I didn't watch much of the game as I fixed my eyes on the Brazil vs Japan game, but I did switched over to watch it and was shocked to see the clanger by the Australian keeper, Zeliko Kalac. I don't know why he started instead of Mark Schwarzer, but I think he will never appear again anyway. As AC Milan's 3rd choice keeper, the hulking figure dived low for Kovac's long shot and he completely missed the catch and it went in off his hands into the back of the net.

Thankfully Harry Kewell was on hand to save his blushes. Although it does looked offside, there was a handball from the Croatians and I think it evens out, eh? Well done Aussies, you deserve it, but how you're gonna beat Italy, I don't know! Good luck anyway!


Final Group F Standings:
  1. Brazil 9pts (Qualify)
  2. Australia 4pts (Qualify)
  3. Croatia 2pts
  4. Japan 1pt

Next Round of 16:

26th June
Italy vs Australia

Craig Bellamy Signs For Liverpool And Scary Movie Review!


Liverpool Clinch Ballamy Deal

Liverpool have completed the signing of Wales striker Craig Bellamy from Blackburn on a four-year deal. The Merseysiders were given permission to speak to the 26-year-old after triggering a clause in his contract with a 6million pounds bid. Following a fall-out with then Newcastle manager Graeme Souness, Bellamy joined Blackburn in July last year and scored 15 goals, having been on loan at Celtic in the previous season.

Drogballs: He might be an abosulte idiot and have a troubled past, but seriously, why not? 6million is not alot considering Andriy Shevchenko cost 30+ million. Of course its stupid to compare Bellamy to Shevchenko, but under Rafa, I believe he can change Craig into a wonderful player and blossom with the Reds. He's a Liverpool fan as well, so it won't go wrong. I have a good feeling about this.


Movie Review: Scary Movie 4


It was Rivand's 21st birthday today (OLD MAN) HAHA and had little choice but to watch Scary Movie 4. Okay, I'm lying. I have been waiting to watch this show since it's release and it took almost 3 months before the movie is showed here. Maybe due to all the censorship crap in this country. Ah nevermind.

Million Dollar Baby Spoof
Okay actually I have no idea where to start this...review. Becuase there is no story to this movie! It's just like a parody of several movies chucked into one, mix it around and there you go, one movie! But I have one question, why is there a picture of King Kong, yet 'he' is nowhere in the movie.

Here's the list of spoofs in the movie:


I'm definitely not going to spoil the show for you but if you're really looking for a movie just to make you laugh for an hour or so, or you're just bored and need entertainment, look no further than this movie. It's lame and much of the story doesn't make any sense, but its those spoofs that makes you chuckle and maybe watch those movies above with a different thinking!

You pay 8 bucks, laugh it all out, come out and forgotten all about it. Yup, that's the conclusion.

Drogballs' Rating:

IF you love senseless comedies, stupid jokes and a bunch of retards running around - 4.5 / 5
IF you love reality shows, things that makes sense and believes that story should be meaningful - 0 / 5


Czeching Out, Ghana In: Group E Round Up

AOL-Arena

Czech Republic 0 - 2 Italy

Scorers:

ITA - M. Materazzi (26min), F. Inzaghi (87min);

Sent Off:

CZE - J. Polak




Frankenstadion


Ghana 2 - 1 United States


Scorers:
GHA - H. Dramani (22min), S. Appiah (pen 45min);
USA - C. Dampsey (43min);


Final Group E Standings:
  1. Italy 7pts (Qualify)
  2. Ghana 6pts (Qualify)
  3. Czech Republic 3pts
  4. United States 1pt

Thursday, June 22, 2006

2006/07 English Premiership Fixtures Released

2006/2007 Barclays English Premiership Fixtures

The fixture list of the upcoming Premiership season has been released and Liverpool start of their campaign by travelling to newly promoted, Sheffield United and will have a tough run up until Christmas with the likes of NEverton, ManYoo, Chelski and Bolton awaiting.

FULL FIXTURE LIST (CLICK HERE)

Day One: 19/08/2006

Sheff Utd v Liverpool
West Ham v Charlton
Arsenal v Aston Villa
Bolton v Tottenham
Chelsea v Man City
Everton v Watford
Man Utd v Fulham
Newcastle v Wigan
Portsmouth v Blackburn
Reading v Middlesbrough


We Should Be Relieved Somebody Else Is Shittier Than We Are....

If You Think Local Football Is Bad....

We have long complained about the standard of our national league which is the S-League (sh*tty league IMO) and our national team which is going nowhere, or rather going backwards since the days of Fandhi Ahmad, who had a trial with Ajax and scored a goal in UEFA Cup before returning home with er, homesick. We had a dream of reching the World Cup by 2010, which is like the next World Cup at South Africa. Oh how we dared to dream, but we aren't even South-east Asian champion, World Cup? 'Havin a laugh! Okay but at least we tried and we had a vision for it.

Okay but today the point is not to criticise our football culture or national team or even the sh*tty league, but take heart that there is always someone worst off than us. Why not watch this team, and see how a player named Archie Thompson scored 13 goals in 1 appearance.



Australia 31-0 American Samoa
Are you feeling a little better now? Haha..

I sound like a kid in primary school getting back my results, got 31/32 in rank and laughing hard at the kid getting 32/32. Oh, how pathetic.....


Quotes Of the Week

"I was asked the other day who is going to be the top scorer. What a stupid question. Me" - Michael Owen.

"Our thoughts are with him and his family" - Joe Cole. Since when is Owen leaving us?

"It looks like England have beaten Sweden for the first time in 38 years." - Clive "That Night In Barcelona '99 "Tyldesley just before Sweden took that fateful long throw.....

"I made mistakes. I didn't use my brain." - Illija Petkovic explaining why s&M got trounced 6-0 by the Argies.

"Serbia & Montenegro just got whipped. S&M" - Ian 'Wrong' Wright contributing to his valuable tactical assesmen.

"I was very satisfied with the performance of all our players" - Raymond Domenech. FRANCE 1-1 SOUTH KOREA.

"Akwa is clearly the main man for Angola, but he doesnt tend to get many goals. Although he did get five in eight qualifying games and is their top goalscorer of all time" - Some commentator..Maybe...oh maybe not!


Group C Latest: Ivory Coast 3-2 Serbia & Mont.; Holland 0-0 Argentina

Allianz Arena
Ivory Coast 3 - 2 Serbia & Montenegro

Scorers:

CIV - A. Dindane (pen 37min, 67min), B. Kalou (pen 86);
S&M - Zigic (10min), Illic (20min);




Waldstadion


Netherlands 0 - 0 Argentina



Final Group C Standing

  1. Argentina 7pts (Qualify)
  2. Netherlands 7pts (Qualify)
  3. Ivory Coast 3pts
  4. S&M 0pts

Next Round of 16:

24th June
Argentina vs Mexico

25th June
Netherlands vs Portugal


My Predictions Are Spot On: Group D Latest;

Gelsenkirchen

Portugal 2 - 1 Mexico

Scorers:

POR - Maniche (6min), Simao Sabrossa (pen 24min);

MEX - F. Fonseca (29 min), O. Bravo (MISS pen 58min);


Drogballs' Prediction: Portugal 2-1 Mexico. Spot on.


Zentralstadion

Iran 1 - 1 Angola

Scorers:
IRA - Bakhtiarizadeh (76min);
ANG - A. Flavio (60min);



Drogballs' Prediction: Iran 1-1 Angola. Spot on again!


Final Group D Standings:

  1. Portugal 9pts (Qualify)
  2. Mexico 4pts (Qualify)
  3. Angola 2pts
  4. Iran 1pt


Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Day 13 Preview, Latest On Owen

Michael Owen - Gone In 60 Seconds - Out For 5 Months

How unlucky can footballers get sometimes really. Djibril Cisse might be unlucky to miss the WC, but Owen yet again got injured and has been ruled out for 5 months and this has ended his disappointing World Cup 2006 campaign. The scan showed a cruciate ligament damage and will only be back by the end of the year.


I can be a bitter Liverpool fan whom laugh at his current plight, for leaving Liverpool and turn his back on us. But he used to be my favourite player and all I can say is get well soon, Owen.


World Cup Day 13


Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen

Portugal (7) vs Mexico (4)

Portugal will set to rest five players with yellow cards and they are CRonaldo, Nuno Valente, Pauleta, Deco and Costinha. Simao Sabrossa and Tiago is set to deputise and Nuno Gomes will start upfront instead of Pauleta.

Drogballs' Prediction: Portugal 2-1 Mexico


Zentralstadion

Iran (23) vs Angola (57)


Drogballs' Prediction: Iran 1-1 Angola.


Waldstadion

Netherlands (3) vs Argentina (9)

Luis Gonzalez is out for this game therefore Esteban Cambiasso will replace him in the central midfield position. Holland will ring changes to the squad as several players are on yellowcard and will not be risked. Dirk Kuyt, Khalid Boulahrouz and Tim de Cler will deputise for Johnny Heitinga, van Bommel and van Bronckhorst.

Drogballs' Prediction: Netherlands 1-1 Argentina.


Allianz Arena

Ivory Coast (32) vs
Serbia & Mont. (44)

This game will be not as intriguing as the one above as both this teams have already booked a flight home and there is only pride to play for. Of course both teams would not want to lose so expect a cagey game.

Drogballs' Prediction: Ivory Coast 2-1 Serbia & Montenegro


That 2 Goals England Scored....

Great Goals!

Joey Cole




Have to be one of the goals of the tournament, although we're only half way through. It was hit with such ferocity and you need to understand how much technique is required to hit the ball at a volley. And just look at the dip of the ball, just perfect and beating a 1.90++ m keeper is never an easy job, eh?

Stevie Gerrard!




A fantastic header from our captain. Again he showed everyone why he's better than that Fat Frank Lumpard. That Lampard did f*ck all for the whole match, shooting from 25 yards out, wasting possesion and went missing for the entire second half. Why, Sven? Why not let Gerrard play the free role instead? I'm so pissed.


Is The Walcott Plan Screwed?

I reckon yes, it's one of the biggest cock-up ever by a national team manager. Let's look at what other options he have shall we? Firstly, Jermaine Defoe. Alright, he's on and off for Tottenham last season an didn't play for too many games. But I'm sure he's good enough for the World Cup?

What about Darren Bent? I must say I see him as a one season wonder, like Kevin Phillips. But why not grab this chance and let him shine in the WC? After all he did score 20 odd goals in the Premiership, much more than Crouchy and Rooney?

Marlon Harewood and Dean Ashton? They suffered because they didn't play for a big enough club I think. I would have picked Ashton for the target-man position becuase of his sheer strength and predatory skills. He looked to me like a downgraded version of Alan Shearer.

England fans, pray that Rooney will be fit throughout, or you're really gonna rely on Crouch alone. Oh, don't forget about DAVID JAMES!! ManCity tried him there and he was brilliant!


Owen...Gone....

I know he still haven't go for the scan and the results are not out yet, but from the several reports coming in, you could see that coming. He's not gonna play in any part of this World Cup anymore I'm afraid. According to Steven Gerrard, Owen was in a lot of pain and is very down. Paul Robinson quoted saying he does not expect Owen to feature in the World Cup anymore. Poor Owen though, went all downhill after he left Liverpool and I don't know how much this injury is going to affect him psychologically. It's going to be a huge blow to him and to England.


She's So Thin That....

Right, so someone commented on how thin Victoria Beckham is.

"She is very thin. I leaned forward to kiss Victoria but there is so little of her, I almost missed" - David Cameron, Mr Blair's opposite number, on encountering Mrs Beckham at their pre-World Cup party
Nowonder Beckham's so accurate with long ball.


Thieving Going To A New Low

'A thief who stole a woman's World Cup ticket was arrested after taking her place in the stadium - and finding himself sitting next to her husband. Police said the ticket was in a handbag that was snatched from the woman as she made her way to Sunday's game between Brazil and Australia' - The Times.
Exciting times, eh?


In-Ger-Land Blew It Once Again...

Cologne
England 2 - 2 Sweden


Scorers:
ENG - J. Cole (34 min), S. Gerrard (85 min);
SWE - M. Allback (51 min), H. Larsson (90 min);


My lord, what's wrong with the English really. They were quite brilliant in a few moments and then they could crash down to earth in another few moments. The record that Sweden hold, that is the 30 odd years of being undefeated by the English once again stood and was nearly ended by Steven Gerrard's header near the end of the game. But Sweden exploited England's weakness in defence and paid off with Larsson scoring just before the Swedish thought the record is going down the drain.

To be honest, they couldn't have wished for a worst start when Michael Owen fell awkwardly and replays showed that his right knee gave way. Latest news is that he'll be going for a scan tomorrow and I can tell you, it's not looking good. Peter Crouch came off the bench to take Owen's place and after England stamped their authority in the game, they began their flowing attacks on the Swedish defence and Joe Cole certainly caught my eye. He caused all sorts of trouble for the Swedish right-back and created spaces for other players. His hard work paid off when he scored an absolute belter that makes everyone sit up and watch. Sweden cleared a corner as far as Cole and after he chested the ball, he went for a volley and the ball sweetly strucked, dipped into Andreas Isaksson's top left corner. And then on England found their confidence and playing at a good rythmn.

Frank Lampard on the other hand, looks wasteful and it makes you think whether all he did in a football match is to stand outside the penalty box and wait for the ball to roll to him and then hit it and score by some freakish deflection. And everytime single time he had the ball at around that area, you knew where it's gonna end up. It's so frustrating sometimes that he's wasting chances and possesion and he never does any playmaker job at all. Owen Hargreaves though, looked like he's out to silence all critics and I must say he's one of the better players in the England shirt the whole night. He worked his socks off and breaks up the opponent's attack well.

But I have no idea what Svennis said to the England players at half-time and they came out a different 11 players I supposed. They struggle to keep the ball and constanly caught out at the back. A miscontrol by John Terry leads to a corner and you guess it, Sweden scored from the resultant corner. Marcus Allback, who used to play in England scored from a near post flick on and Sweden are back in a shout.Clearly, England struggled a bit after half time and never got their momentum going. Joe Cole was marked-out for the second half and Beckham was annonymous.

Sven then took off Rooney for Liverpool captain, Steven Gerrard. Rooney was fuming and was visibly not pleased by Sven's decision. But he did his best and looking at Owen's injury now, Rooney is England's only hope and I think Sven got that right. After Gerrard got on the pitch, England seemed to settle down a little more and you could see it coming. Beckham floated in a perfect ball into the back posts and Gerrard was there to pounce and his header rocketed into the top corner. And he has officially become England's top scorer in this World Cup.

Their joy was short lived though. Everyone could tell you that if Sweden is going to score, it's definitely gonna come from a set play and indeed, England's nightmare was 'fulfilled'. They had been struggling in corners and freekicks for the entire second half and there were a few close shaves for England. Olof Mellberg hit the bar earlier and Steven Gerrard's first touch of the game was to clear the ball off the line and saved England. But this time it was down to pure comedy from the English defence, who seemed to be the strongest of all English departments. The ball was floated into the English box and panic ensued. Sol Campbell thought he had it covered but flapped and did a ballerina on the spot. Paul Robinson was stucked to the ground and Ashley Cole for no apparent reason, ran and blocked Robinson's way. Larsson was behind Campbell, got a touch to the ball and it went into the bottom corner with Robinson diving despairingly and Cole shell-shocked. It has to be one of the softest goal conceded in this World Cup.

The English defence, usually so solid and stable, were being found out by the Swedish tonight. It didn't help too, when Rio Ferdinand was being taken off for Sol Campbell. They panicked everytime Sweden had a corner and were very lucky to escaped with only 2 goals conceded. Not only that, but England needs to understand that a football game is not a sprint, but a marathon over 90 minutes. They started off with all guns blazing and then were given a good hiding after that. Ball retention was alright in the first half and then it all went haywired after that.

Seriously now, Owen looks like he's gonna be out for the World Cup now isn't it. How Sven regret not taking Defoe, Bent, Ashton or even Harewood. If anything's gonna happen to Rooney or Crouch, they're left with only Theo Walcott and he's gonna make a difference, doesn't he? Right.



At least they still have David James! HAHA.


Elsewhere: Paraguay 2-0 T&T