“Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side”. Lou Reed’s famous hit has so far seemed to be something of a spiritual guide for 21-year-old Brazilian striker Jonathan Reis. An undoubted talent, brimming with skill, but difficult to manage and intent on being larger than life. Since 2007, Reis has been at Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, and has never failed to show his quality on the pitch, providing that is, he can keep out of trouble off it.
Just three weeks ago Reis played his first match of the season with PSV and bagged a brace. Coming off the bench at the start of the second half, at home to VVV-Venlo, the Brazilian broke the deadlock and opened the scoring, helping PSV past what had been, until then, a solid Venlo defensive wall. As Reis stepped on to the pitch, he received a standing ovation from the 33,000 strong crowd – it is a sign of his talent that despite off the pitch troubles, Reis is a cult figure at the Philips Stadion. Two weeks later, Reis turned out for his second game, away in Tilburg against Willem II, and was again on the scoresheet,
striking PSV’s fourth with a powerful shot. He struck again soon after, against Debrecen in the Europa League
The Brazilian also had a hand in PSV’s unexpectedly large 10-0 demolition of Feyenoord at the Philips Stadion on Sunday. Reis scored the first, third and sixth goals against the Rotterdam giants. As PSV ran riot, his hat-trick further confirmed what everyone in Holland already knows – Reis is good, very good.
Reis is highly rated by PSV. Exceptionally quick and with superb technical ability, the club have faith that he can grow into a key performer. Coach Fred Rutten is so aware of Reis’ exciting talents that he moved to offer the player a contract at the start of the season. This despite PSV having sacked Reis last January due to his use of cocaine.
Oscar Wilde believed “the only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it”. It is a philosophy Reis would appear to subscribe to. During his first season in Holland, he broke his left foot twice. On the second occasion, former coach Huub Stevens blamed the player for a self-inflicted injury, having believed Reis to have prematurely removed the cast from his foot. When Reis eventually recovered from injury, Stevens demoted him to the reserves, then loaned him to Brazilian side FC Tupi due to, in the words of the coach, “unprofessional behaviour” – Reis had returned to Holland late from Brazil after the winter break.
After Reis tested positive for drug use last January, the striker refused to seek treatment. Consequently, PSV showed him the door. Reis eventually made his return on 17th July, signing a new one-year contract, with an option for a three-year extension. However, more trouble was not far away. On 19th September, in the early hours of Sunday morning, the Brazilian was stopped on the road from Weert to Eindhoven, and found to be driving with three times the legal limit of alcohol in his blood.
Speaking for PSV, the club’s technical director Marcel Brands quickly explained that “the player will receive a hefty fine, but no further action will be taken. Jonathan has acknowledged his mistake. He is now having treatment and we knew that there would be pitfalls in the personal rehabilitation process. However, he will be given a chance to make amends.”
PSV have a great tradition when it comes to discovering and then developing Brazilian talent. Stars like Romario, Ronaldo, Alex and Heurelho Gomes are just some of those to have passed through the doors at De Herdgang over the years. Reis was scouted in 2007, when the youngster was turning out for Atletico Mineiro, and arrived in Holland with fellow countrymen Cassio Ramos and Fagner Conserva Lemos. Since the trio were given games for the reserves however, it was abundantly clear that it was Reis who was the brightest gem, just waiting to be polished.
The Contagem-born youngster immediately impressed amongst PSV’s future crop, shining out like a beacon as the Dutch side’s Under-18s won the Teborg tournament – Reis scored a brace in the final as PSV bested Boca Juniors. Next Reis was crowed best striker at the 2007 Otten Cup, the international youth tournament regularly staged by PSV. It was only a matter of time until the Brazilian made the breakthrough to the first team, and he duly did so in the 2009/10 campaign, scoring three goals in the Eredivisie, four in the Europa League and one in Dutch Cup – all while never becoming a regular in the starting
eleven.
PSV are doing all they can to shield their young talent and keep him on the straight and narrow. The Eindhoven club have barred Reis from speaking to the media and his training has been intensified, PSV determined not to test the adage “the devil makes work for idle hands”. Now, for the third time, Reis has made his comeback, vowing “I intend to repair the trust”. Everybody at PSV hopes this is not the umpteenth unfulfilled promise.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
venerdì 29 ottobre 2010
Il vento dell'Ovest
Un’interessante articolo comparso sul web magazine Inside Futbol a firma Andy Potts ha fatto il punto sulla riforma del campionato russo prevista a partire dal 2012. Niente più torneo nell’arco dell’anno solare, da marzo a novembre, bensì una stagione sulla falsariga dei grandi campionati europei, con inizio ad agosto, lunga pausa invernale tra fine novembre e metà marzo, e conclusione a maggio.
(Articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi).
(Articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi).
La scadenza di Roy
Da maestro a scemo del villaggio in pochi mesi. Roy Hodgson chiaramente non ci sta, pur conoscendo perfettamente i meccanismi mediatici del calcio moderno. Il suo Fulham finalista di Europa League è solo una sbiadito ricordo, adesso esiste solo un Liverpool che fa acqua da tutte le parti. Il 2-1 al Blackburn ha garantito al tecnico l’ossigeno minimo. I numeri però dicono che la sua permanenza sulla panchina dei Reds rimane a tempo.
(Articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi).
(Articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi).
lunedì 25 ottobre 2010
sabato 23 ottobre 2010
Frei's overdue Champions League arrival boosts Basel
Alexander Frei is hugely experienced and well-known throughout European football. It is then slightly surprising to discover that Switzerland’s all-time top scorer only made his Champions League bow this season. However, the 31-year-old, plying his trade at Basel, firmly intends to make up for lost time, with his goals boosting the Super League side’s chances of reaching the last 16.
After a brace against Sheriff Tiraspol in the playoff round, Frei has so far hit the target against both Bayern Munich and Roma in the group phase. And while against the Germans his goal wasn’t enough to help Basel to their first points of the Champions League, a powerful shot to open the scoring away to Roma was. Frei’s goal in the Italian capital proved vital in giving Basel the belief and motivation to secure a famous victory.
Basel’s win over Roma was the first time a Swiss club had beaten the Serie A giants at home after five consecutive defeats and allowed Frei’s side to jump from bottom of their four-team group to second, due to a superior goal difference over Cluj and Roma. Frei’s coach, German Thorsten Fink, didn’t have to think too hard before pointing to the striker as a key component in Basel’s chances of success against bigger clubs.
“Although we are underdogs on the European stage, we can always count on experienced players like Frei, [Benjamin] Huggel and [Marco] Streller”, said Fink. “They are natural born leaders and are able to give the team the self-confidence needed to play against stronger opponents. I was confident of a good result against Roma, because they have always brought me luck. Last year in the Europa League we beat them 2-0 in Basel; while when I was a player I scored a brace against them in the UEFA Cup in 1996/97 with Karlsruhe.”
Frei returned home in the summer of 2009, having left the German Bundesliga, his home for three years, to sign for Basel; the 31-year-old’s goals were vital in helping the club win the Super League last season. Despite having been sidelined for two months due to a broken arm, the striker scored 15 goals in 19 matches and played an important role in the club’s Swiss Cup win too, leading Basel to the final with two consecutive braces, against FC Zurich in the quarter final and FC Biel/Bienne in the semi final.
A well-tested partnership with Streller, Frei’s team-mate with both Basel and the Swiss national team, is one of the foundations on which the club’s success has been built and continues to be a factor in their status as favourites once again in the new Super League season. Frei has so far managed eight goals and three assists in the league, helping Fink’s side to stay in touch with Hakan Yakin’s surprise package Luzern.
Over a professional career spanning 16 years, Frei has managed 140 goals in 280 games, with 40 of those coming for his country. The leading scorer in France’s Ligue 1 in 2005 with Rennes, voted Swiss Player of the Year twice, the striker has enjoyed a glittering career. It all began with hometown club Basel, leading to a trek through Switzerland with Thun, Luzern and Servette, and then on to France (four seasons with Rennes) and Germany (three with Borussia Dortmund), before coming back home to the club where it all started.
Injuries have always been Frei’s Achilles heel though. Since 2007, the forward has been out of action for a total of more than 17 months and at Euro 2008, a torn knee ligament did for his involvement in the tournament his country co-hosted with Austria; Frei managed just 45 minutes. Even two years later, in South Africa, he could only play 64 minutes of World Cup finals football. Frei’s supporters contend that with more luck on the fitness front, the Swiss star could have made an even bigger splash in the game. It is hard to argue.
If Frei hadn’t become a professional footballer, he would have probably ended up working in an office, following his qualification as a tax accountant. However, the striker grew up in a sporting family and, luckily for Switzerland, and Basel, followed in the footsteps of his uncle, a former footballer in the country’s top division. It is thanks to this that Frei has spent his time filling opponents’ nets rather than filling out tax forms.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
After a brace against Sheriff Tiraspol in the playoff round, Frei has so far hit the target against both Bayern Munich and Roma in the group phase. And while against the Germans his goal wasn’t enough to help Basel to their first points of the Champions League, a powerful shot to open the scoring away to Roma was. Frei’s goal in the Italian capital proved vital in giving Basel the belief and motivation to secure a famous victory.
Basel’s win over Roma was the first time a Swiss club had beaten the Serie A giants at home after five consecutive defeats and allowed Frei’s side to jump from bottom of their four-team group to second, due to a superior goal difference over Cluj and Roma. Frei’s coach, German Thorsten Fink, didn’t have to think too hard before pointing to the striker as a key component in Basel’s chances of success against bigger clubs.
“Although we are underdogs on the European stage, we can always count on experienced players like Frei, [Benjamin] Huggel and [Marco] Streller”, said Fink. “They are natural born leaders and are able to give the team the self-confidence needed to play against stronger opponents. I was confident of a good result against Roma, because they have always brought me luck. Last year in the Europa League we beat them 2-0 in Basel; while when I was a player I scored a brace against them in the UEFA Cup in 1996/97 with Karlsruhe.”
Frei returned home in the summer of 2009, having left the German Bundesliga, his home for three years, to sign for Basel; the 31-year-old’s goals were vital in helping the club win the Super League last season. Despite having been sidelined for two months due to a broken arm, the striker scored 15 goals in 19 matches and played an important role in the club’s Swiss Cup win too, leading Basel to the final with two consecutive braces, against FC Zurich in the quarter final and FC Biel/Bienne in the semi final.
A well-tested partnership with Streller, Frei’s team-mate with both Basel and the Swiss national team, is one of the foundations on which the club’s success has been built and continues to be a factor in their status as favourites once again in the new Super League season. Frei has so far managed eight goals and three assists in the league, helping Fink’s side to stay in touch with Hakan Yakin’s surprise package Luzern.
Over a professional career spanning 16 years, Frei has managed 140 goals in 280 games, with 40 of those coming for his country. The leading scorer in France’s Ligue 1 in 2005 with Rennes, voted Swiss Player of the Year twice, the striker has enjoyed a glittering career. It all began with hometown club Basel, leading to a trek through Switzerland with Thun, Luzern and Servette, and then on to France (four seasons with Rennes) and Germany (three with Borussia Dortmund), before coming back home to the club where it all started.
Injuries have always been Frei’s Achilles heel though. Since 2007, the forward has been out of action for a total of more than 17 months and at Euro 2008, a torn knee ligament did for his involvement in the tournament his country co-hosted with Austria; Frei managed just 45 minutes. Even two years later, in South Africa, he could only play 64 minutes of World Cup finals football. Frei’s supporters contend that with more luck on the fitness front, the Swiss star could have made an even bigger splash in the game. It is hard to argue.
If Frei hadn’t become a professional footballer, he would have probably ended up working in an office, following his qualification as a tax accountant. However, the striker grew up in a sporting family and, luckily for Switzerland, and Basel, followed in the footsteps of his uncle, a former footballer in the country’s top division. It is thanks to this that Frei has spent his time filling opponents’ nets rather than filling out tax forms.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
venerdì 22 ottobre 2010
Bale, quando l'insegnante gli legava il piede sinistro
Quando era uno studente alla Whitchurch High School di Cardiff, Gareth Bale era costretto dal proprio insegnante di educazione fisica a giocare a calcio sottostando a due limitazioni particolari: poteva toccare la palla solo di prima e mai con il mancino. Il motivo? Una manifesta superiorità rispetto ai coetanei che andava in qualche modo bilanciata. I tempi della scuola però sono finiti da un pezzo, e oggi i vari Maicon e Rosales (il terzino del Twente che nel turno precedente di Champions impiegò settanta minuti per fermare Bale senza commettere fallo) non possono appellarsi a nessun professor Gwyn Morris per chiedere aiuto.
La tripletta realizzata mercoledì dall’esterno gallese non ha avuto conseguenze tangibili nel cammino dell’Inter in Champions, ma le avrà sicuramente in sede di mercato. Da tempo nel mirino dei nerazzurri, la sua valutazione è destinata a lievitare sensibilmente. Nel frattempo il tecnico del Tottenham Harry Redknapp si è premurato di appendere il cartello “non in vendita” fuori dalla porta del giocatore: “Bale è un fenomeno, attualmente nel suo ruolo esistono pochi giocatori del suo livello. Metterlo sul mercato adesso significherebbe smentire le ambizioni del Tottenham, un club che vuol tornare grande e non semplicemente fare cassa”.
Cresciuto come terzino sinistro nel Southampton, con il quale nel 2006 ha vinto la Premier Academy League (equivalente al nostro campionato Primavera), Bale è diventato un micidiale esterno capace di coprire tutta la fascia. Merito di Redknapp, che nel corso della passata stagione ha smesso di considerarlo una semplice riserva del terzino Assou-Ekotto avanzandone il raggio d’azione. Bale ha così potuto sfruttare al meglio il proprio mancino tagliente, risultando uno degli elementi chiave nell’inseguimento degli Spurs a quel piazzamento Champions ambito fin dal 2001, quando il club londinese divenne di proprietà della compagnia ENIC. Improvvisamente i giudizi che vedevano nel 21enne Cardiff “il miglior talento gallese dai tempi di Ryan Giggs” non sono più sembrati fuori luogo.
Debuttante in nazionale a 16 anni e 315 giorni, giocatore e marcatore più giovane di sempre nella storia del Galles, nella stagione attuale Bale è partito con il piede giusto sin dalle prime uscite. Nel preliminare di Champions contro lo Young Boys erano partite dal suo sinistro tutte e quattro le reti realizzate al White Heart Lane dagli Spurs, che avevano ribaltato il 2-3 patito in Svizzera. Quindi autogol provocato contro il Werder Brema, rete al Twente, tripletta all’Inter. Il nuovo Re Mida del pallone batte bandiera gallese.
Fonte: Il Giornale
La tripletta realizzata mercoledì dall’esterno gallese non ha avuto conseguenze tangibili nel cammino dell’Inter in Champions, ma le avrà sicuramente in sede di mercato. Da tempo nel mirino dei nerazzurri, la sua valutazione è destinata a lievitare sensibilmente. Nel frattempo il tecnico del Tottenham Harry Redknapp si è premurato di appendere il cartello “non in vendita” fuori dalla porta del giocatore: “Bale è un fenomeno, attualmente nel suo ruolo esistono pochi giocatori del suo livello. Metterlo sul mercato adesso significherebbe smentire le ambizioni del Tottenham, un club che vuol tornare grande e non semplicemente fare cassa”.
Cresciuto come terzino sinistro nel Southampton, con il quale nel 2006 ha vinto la Premier Academy League (equivalente al nostro campionato Primavera), Bale è diventato un micidiale esterno capace di coprire tutta la fascia. Merito di Redknapp, che nel corso della passata stagione ha smesso di considerarlo una semplice riserva del terzino Assou-Ekotto avanzandone il raggio d’azione. Bale ha così potuto sfruttare al meglio il proprio mancino tagliente, risultando uno degli elementi chiave nell’inseguimento degli Spurs a quel piazzamento Champions ambito fin dal 2001, quando il club londinese divenne di proprietà della compagnia ENIC. Improvvisamente i giudizi che vedevano nel 21enne Cardiff “il miglior talento gallese dai tempi di Ryan Giggs” non sono più sembrati fuori luogo.
Debuttante in nazionale a 16 anni e 315 giorni, giocatore e marcatore più giovane di sempre nella storia del Galles, nella stagione attuale Bale è partito con il piede giusto sin dalle prime uscite. Nel preliminare di Champions contro lo Young Boys erano partite dal suo sinistro tutte e quattro le reti realizzate al White Heart Lane dagli Spurs, che avevano ribaltato il 2-3 patito in Svizzera. Quindi autogol provocato contro il Werder Brema, rete al Twente, tripletta all’Inter. Il nuovo Re Mida del pallone batte bandiera gallese.
Fonte: Il Giornale
Le tre opzioni di Kerr
Quattro punti raccolti in diciotto mesi, ma sfidiamo i vari Josè Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti e Pep Guardiola a fare meglio dello score ottenuto finora dall’irlandese Brian Kerr. Lavora a Tòrshavn al soldo del Hogni i Storustovu, vale a dire la Federazione calcio delle Isole Far Øer, la cui nazionale ha recentemente costretto al pareggio l’Irlanda del Nord.
(Articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi).
(Articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi).
martedì 19 ottobre 2010
Stato di Graziano
La carriera di Graziano Pellè in Olanda sembra fatta apposta per smentire le teorie del “nella Eredivisie è facile segnare” già del resto traballanti se si considerano i casi Henrik Larsson e Ibrahimovic. Dieci reti in tre stagioni (considerate tutte le competizioni) sono numeri da Simone Inzaghi dei tempi migliori.
(Articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi).
(Articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi).
sabato 16 ottobre 2010
Porto, una panchina sempre....Special
Dopo una stagione interlocutoria, la fame è tornata più forte che mai in casa Porto. Fin dalle prime battute della nuova Liga Sagres i Dragões sono apparsi determinati a far capire chi comanda in Portogallo e, tanto per gradire, hanno deciso di proseguire il filotto anche in Europa. Il Porto non ha perso nessuna delle dodici partite ufficiali disputati finora.
(Articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi)
(Articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi)
giovedì 14 ottobre 2010
Libro "Calciopoli - il grande inganno"
Aggirarsi nei paraggi di quell’enorme nervo scoperto chiamato Calciopoli richiede estrema cautela, anche solo per recensire un libro. Chi scrive nutre ben poca simpatia per il calcio italiano, e non ha a cuore le sorti di nessuna delle cosiddette grandi squadre. Tutti hanno i loro scheletri nell’armadio, nascosti più o meno bene. La lettura di "Calciopoli – il grande inganno” (Edizioni Cardano) deriva dal rispetto che nutriamo per l’autore, autentico esperto di calcio internazionale che riuscirebbe a parlare per mezzora di Matic o di Großkreutz.
Renato La Monica un tempo era un tifoso juventino. Adesso, per sua stessa ammissione, si definisce “simpatizzante”. Calciopoli, inutile negarlo, ha cambiato prospettive e sconvolto equilibri. La tesi di La Monica è intuibile fin dal titolo. A supporto di essa vengono citate sentenze, atti, interviste. Non è tutto oro colato, alcune parti meno seriose stonano un po’ nel contesto generale; ma non è nemmeno possibile definire il tutto come spazzatura, almeno se si dispone di un minimo senso critico. Molte vicende italiane hanno insegnato che non esistono buoni e cattivi in senso assoluto. Chi lo sostiene è in malafede, oppure appartiene a quel potere politico-economico-mediatico di cui La Monica afferma l’esistenza in apertura del volume. Poi ognuno potrà trarne le conclusioni che preferisce.
Chiudiamo con uno spunto che ci è piaciuto molto: “Mentre facevo colazione in un bar ho assistito involontariamente ad una simpatica conversazione. Quello che doveva essere il padre, tra un sorso di cappuccino ed una morsicata al croissant, buttava lì la frase: -Allora, hai deciso cosa farai da grande?- Risposta del figlio: -Voglio diventare il direttore della Gazzetta dello Sport-. Il padre: -Ma se non sai nulla di calcio…-. Vedendo il figlio arrossire, senza reagire a quell’affermazione, mi sono sentito in dovere di intervenire: -Guardi che anche l’attuale direttore (Carlo Verdelli, nda) non sa nulla di calcio-”. Chapeau.
Per informazioni: info@magazinebianconero.com
Renato La Monica un tempo era un tifoso juventino. Adesso, per sua stessa ammissione, si definisce “simpatizzante”. Calciopoli, inutile negarlo, ha cambiato prospettive e sconvolto equilibri. La tesi di La Monica è intuibile fin dal titolo. A supporto di essa vengono citate sentenze, atti, interviste. Non è tutto oro colato, alcune parti meno seriose stonano un po’ nel contesto generale; ma non è nemmeno possibile definire il tutto come spazzatura, almeno se si dispone di un minimo senso critico. Molte vicende italiane hanno insegnato che non esistono buoni e cattivi in senso assoluto. Chi lo sostiene è in malafede, oppure appartiene a quel potere politico-economico-mediatico di cui La Monica afferma l’esistenza in apertura del volume. Poi ognuno potrà trarne le conclusioni che preferisce.
Chiudiamo con uno spunto che ci è piaciuto molto: “Mentre facevo colazione in un bar ho assistito involontariamente ad una simpatica conversazione. Quello che doveva essere il padre, tra un sorso di cappuccino ed una morsicata al croissant, buttava lì la frase: -Allora, hai deciso cosa farai da grande?- Risposta del figlio: -Voglio diventare il direttore della Gazzetta dello Sport-. Il padre: -Ma se non sai nulla di calcio…-. Vedendo il figlio arrossire, senza reagire a quell’affermazione, mi sono sentito in dovere di intervenire: -Guardi che anche l’attuale direttore (Carlo Verdelli, nda) non sa nulla di calcio-”. Chapeau.
Per informazioni: info@magazinebianconero.com
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar making critics an endangered species
“If you don’t score, that means you are not playing well.” Klaas-Jan Huntelaar’s footballing philosophy is simple; a forward needs to score; always. The striker’s career has seen him live up to his beliefs, thus far, and the last two goals Huntelaar netted bought him level with the legendary Marco van Basten in Holland’s top ten all-time scorers, with 24 goals.
Huntelaar left AC Milan this summer, to join Bundesliga side Schalke 04, and it is a move which appears to have triggered something of a rebirth in the 27-year-old. Since September, the Dutchman has played in 11 games and failed to score in only two. This has been all the more impressive given Schalke’s struggles near the foot of the table.
The striker made his Bundesliga debut at Hoffenheim’s Rhein-Neckar Arena and his Champions League bow against French club Lyon. It was in these two games that Huntelaar failed to find the back of the net, understandable for a player settling in at his new club. However, in the Dutchman’s other appearances, he has been a revelation, scoring five goals in five consecutive games (four in the Bundesliga and one in the Champions League) for Schalke and eight goals in four matches with Holland.
Indeed, the former Ajax hitman has played a vital role in the Tulips’ four wins out of four in Group E of Euro 2012 qualifying. He opened the campaign with a hat-trick against San Marino, and followed this up with a brace against Finland. Next was the winning goal away to Moldova and on Tuesday Huntelaar struck again with two goals in the 4-1 home win over Sweden. Incredibly, the 27-year-old scores one goal every 92 minutes with the Oranje on average.
It is perhaps puzzling therefore that Huntelaar has always failed to impress in the big international tournaments; his supporters point to a lack of opportunities to do so. In 2006, the striker won the Under-21 European Championship with Holland; however, Marco van Basten opted not to take him to the World Cup. “Huntelaar lacks the international experience needed”, said the former AC Milan legend. Two years later, the striker was once again in the shadows, this time looking on as Ruud van Nistelrooy took centre stage at Euro 2008.
Huntelaar’s lot didn’t improve at the recent 2010 World Cup either. Despite having played regularly as a central striker for the first year of Bert van Marwijk’s reign, during Holland’s qualification campaign, he slipped behind Robin van Persie in the pecking order, the Arsenal man becoming the coach’s first choice. An unimpressive season in Serie A with Milan surely didn’t help his case, even if his situation with the Rossoneri wasn’t all of his own making; in Italy Huntelaar saw chances to prove his worth relatively few and far between. His stint with the Italians was not helped by the fact that many at the San Siro always considered the striker a substitute, a player who was only at the club because Milan failed to snare their main summer targets of Edin Dzeko (from Wolfsburg) and Luis Fabiano (from Sevilla).
Back in his native Holland, at Ajax Huntelaar was nicknamed “the Hunter” for his cold-blooded composure in front of goal. His numbers were impressive. Huntelaar was the leading scorer in six competitions: the Under-17 Eredivisie in 2000 with De Graafschap, the Jong Eredivisie in 2001 with PSV Eindhoven, the Eerste Divisie in 2004 with AGOVV, the Eredivisie in 2006 and 2008 with Ajax, and the Under-21 European Championship. With 18 goals in 24 games, Huntelaar is the Dutch Under-21 team’s all-time top goalscorer, quite a feat when so much striking talent has passed through their ranks over the years.
Huntelaar made his professional senior debut in the Dutch second division on 15th August 2003, in a game between AGOVV and Top Oss. It took only nine minutes for the youngster to find the back of the net; it would become a familiar feeling. He enjoyed an impressive debut with Holland too, netting twice against Ireland. Before Huntelaar, the last Dutchman to score a brace on his debut was Dick Nanninga in 1978.
“This is a new chapter in my career”, Huntelaar said recently. “I’m not only talking about Schalke 04, but also about Holland. Real Madrid and AC Milan belong in the past. Regrets? Maybe a few, because I couldn’t show my best. However, I was never afraid to play at big clubs like those. This is the main reason why I didn’t want to leave AC Milan, but when they bought [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, I understood I had no choice. It took only one day to complete my transfer to Germany. That’s football.”
During his first training session with AGOVV, Jurrie Koolhof, the Eerste Divisie side’s coach at the time, told Huntelaar: “I am not sure you will play every week.” The young striker quickly replied: “I know I’ll do it.” Now Huntelaar seems to have rediscovered this self-confidence and Schalke and Holland will benefit all the more for it.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
Huntelaar left AC Milan this summer, to join Bundesliga side Schalke 04, and it is a move which appears to have triggered something of a rebirth in the 27-year-old. Since September, the Dutchman has played in 11 games and failed to score in only two. This has been all the more impressive given Schalke’s struggles near the foot of the table.
The striker made his Bundesliga debut at Hoffenheim’s Rhein-Neckar Arena and his Champions League bow against French club Lyon. It was in these two games that Huntelaar failed to find the back of the net, understandable for a player settling in at his new club. However, in the Dutchman’s other appearances, he has been a revelation, scoring five goals in five consecutive games (four in the Bundesliga and one in the Champions League) for Schalke and eight goals in four matches with Holland.
Indeed, the former Ajax hitman has played a vital role in the Tulips’ four wins out of four in Group E of Euro 2012 qualifying. He opened the campaign with a hat-trick against San Marino, and followed this up with a brace against Finland. Next was the winning goal away to Moldova and on Tuesday Huntelaar struck again with two goals in the 4-1 home win over Sweden. Incredibly, the 27-year-old scores one goal every 92 minutes with the Oranje on average.
It is perhaps puzzling therefore that Huntelaar has always failed to impress in the big international tournaments; his supporters point to a lack of opportunities to do so. In 2006, the striker won the Under-21 European Championship with Holland; however, Marco van Basten opted not to take him to the World Cup. “Huntelaar lacks the international experience needed”, said the former AC Milan legend. Two years later, the striker was once again in the shadows, this time looking on as Ruud van Nistelrooy took centre stage at Euro 2008.
Huntelaar’s lot didn’t improve at the recent 2010 World Cup either. Despite having played regularly as a central striker for the first year of Bert van Marwijk’s reign, during Holland’s qualification campaign, he slipped behind Robin van Persie in the pecking order, the Arsenal man becoming the coach’s first choice. An unimpressive season in Serie A with Milan surely didn’t help his case, even if his situation with the Rossoneri wasn’t all of his own making; in Italy Huntelaar saw chances to prove his worth relatively few and far between. His stint with the Italians was not helped by the fact that many at the San Siro always considered the striker a substitute, a player who was only at the club because Milan failed to snare their main summer targets of Edin Dzeko (from Wolfsburg) and Luis Fabiano (from Sevilla).
Back in his native Holland, at Ajax Huntelaar was nicknamed “the Hunter” for his cold-blooded composure in front of goal. His numbers were impressive. Huntelaar was the leading scorer in six competitions: the Under-17 Eredivisie in 2000 with De Graafschap, the Jong Eredivisie in 2001 with PSV Eindhoven, the Eerste Divisie in 2004 with AGOVV, the Eredivisie in 2006 and 2008 with Ajax, and the Under-21 European Championship. With 18 goals in 24 games, Huntelaar is the Dutch Under-21 team’s all-time top goalscorer, quite a feat when so much striking talent has passed through their ranks over the years.
Huntelaar made his professional senior debut in the Dutch second division on 15th August 2003, in a game between AGOVV and Top Oss. It took only nine minutes for the youngster to find the back of the net; it would become a familiar feeling. He enjoyed an impressive debut with Holland too, netting twice against Ireland. Before Huntelaar, the last Dutchman to score a brace on his debut was Dick Nanninga in 1978.
“This is a new chapter in my career”, Huntelaar said recently. “I’m not only talking about Schalke 04, but also about Holland. Real Madrid and AC Milan belong in the past. Regrets? Maybe a few, because I couldn’t show my best. However, I was never afraid to play at big clubs like those. This is the main reason why I didn’t want to leave AC Milan, but when they bought [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, I understood I had no choice. It took only one day to complete my transfer to Germany. That’s football.”
During his first training session with AGOVV, Jurrie Koolhof, the Eerste Divisie side’s coach at the time, told Huntelaar: “I am not sure you will play every week.” The young striker quickly replied: “I know I’ll do it.” Now Huntelaar seems to have rediscovered this self-confidence and Schalke and Holland will benefit all the more for it.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
mercoledì 13 ottobre 2010
Il ritorno del Cacciatore
Nel travolgente 4-1 con il quale l’Olanda ha sotterrato la Svezia sono almeno quattro i tulipani che meritano la copertina: Ibrahim Afellay, autore di una doppietta (i suoi primi gol in maglia oranje) e di uno splendido assist; Wesley Sneijder, impagabile nel lavorare per sottrazione (uno-due tocchi e il compagno è già lanciato verso la porta); Rafael van der Vaart, encomiabile per applicazione nel ruolo di centrocampista difensivo a fianco di Van Bommel; e Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, la cui doppietta gli ha permesso di raggiungere Marco van Basten nella top ten dei marcatori olandesi di tutti i tempi.
Ovviamente i gol vanno “pesati”, e quelli dell’ex Cigno di Utrecht hanno rivestito un ruolo fondamentale nella storia dei tulipani. Tuttavia i numeri di Huntelaar restano importanti: 24 gol in 40 partite (solamente 22 delle quali però da titolare), la media di una rete ogni 92 minuti, a segno in tutti i primi quattro incontri di qualificazione a Euro 2012. Huntelaar non è mai stato titolare in un grande torneo internazionale: nel 2006 dovette accontentarsi di vincere l’Europeo under-21 con l’Olanda, nel 2008 era riserva di Van Nistelrooy, nel 2010 gli è stato preferito Van Persie. In quest’ultimo caso, nonostante il ct Van Marwijk lo aveva inserito spesso nell’undici iniziale durante le qualificazioni, ha pesato la stagione trascorsa il semi-naftalina nel Milan.
Già, il Milan. L’ambiente, inutile negarlo, lo considerava un sostituto. Non è arrivato Dzeko? Accontentiamoci di Huntelaar. Il concetto è questo. L’utilizzo come attaccante destro in un tridente ha completato l’opera. Provate a far giocare Trezeguet o Inzaghi (dichiarato dallo stesso Huntelaar uno dei propri attaccanti di riferimento) in quel ruolo. Non è un caso che, una volta partito da Milano, l’olandese è tornato a fare (bene) il suo mestiere.
Nelle undici partite disputate finora da settembre a oggi, Huntelaar non ha scritto il proprio nome sul tabellino solamente in due occasioni: nel debutto in Bundesliga in casa dell’Hoffenheim, e nella prima giornata di Champions League contro il Lione. Per il resto, 8 gol nell’Olanda (tripletta a San Marino, doppietta contro Finlandia e Svezia, gol-partita in Moldavia) e 5 nello Schalke 04 (contro Borussia Dortmund, Friburgo, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Norimberga e, in Champions, Benfica). “Se non hai segnato, significa che non hai giocato bene”, ama ripetere Huntelaar. Una frase che racchiude la filosofia di un’intera carriera.
Fonte: Il mondo siamo noi
Ovviamente i gol vanno “pesati”, e quelli dell’ex Cigno di Utrecht hanno rivestito un ruolo fondamentale nella storia dei tulipani. Tuttavia i numeri di Huntelaar restano importanti: 24 gol in 40 partite (solamente 22 delle quali però da titolare), la media di una rete ogni 92 minuti, a segno in tutti i primi quattro incontri di qualificazione a Euro 2012. Huntelaar non è mai stato titolare in un grande torneo internazionale: nel 2006 dovette accontentarsi di vincere l’Europeo under-21 con l’Olanda, nel 2008 era riserva di Van Nistelrooy, nel 2010 gli è stato preferito Van Persie. In quest’ultimo caso, nonostante il ct Van Marwijk lo aveva inserito spesso nell’undici iniziale durante le qualificazioni, ha pesato la stagione trascorsa il semi-naftalina nel Milan.
Già, il Milan. L’ambiente, inutile negarlo, lo considerava un sostituto. Non è arrivato Dzeko? Accontentiamoci di Huntelaar. Il concetto è questo. L’utilizzo come attaccante destro in un tridente ha completato l’opera. Provate a far giocare Trezeguet o Inzaghi (dichiarato dallo stesso Huntelaar uno dei propri attaccanti di riferimento) in quel ruolo. Non è un caso che, una volta partito da Milano, l’olandese è tornato a fare (bene) il suo mestiere.
Nelle undici partite disputate finora da settembre a oggi, Huntelaar non ha scritto il proprio nome sul tabellino solamente in due occasioni: nel debutto in Bundesliga in casa dell’Hoffenheim, e nella prima giornata di Champions League contro il Lione. Per il resto, 8 gol nell’Olanda (tripletta a San Marino, doppietta contro Finlandia e Svezia, gol-partita in Moldavia) e 5 nello Schalke 04 (contro Borussia Dortmund, Friburgo, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Norimberga e, in Champions, Benfica). “Se non hai segnato, significa che non hai giocato bene”, ama ripetere Huntelaar. Una frase che racchiude la filosofia di un’intera carriera.
Fonte: Il mondo siamo noi
martedì 12 ottobre 2010
Special Inside Interview: Ex-Holland Star Pierre van Hooijdonk
Over a professional career spanning 18 years, Dutch striker Pierre van Hooijdonk scored 349 goals in 597 games, including internationals. Known for his spectacular free kicks, Van Hooijdonk played in five different countries (Holland, Scotland, England, Portugal and Turkey). The hitman was was the leading scorer in three competitions – the Scottish Premier League in 1996, the Eredivisie in 2002 and the UEFA Cup in the same year. Van Hooijdonk is considered an icon by Feyenoord fans, who dedicated a song to him titled “Put your hands up for Pi-Air” that hit the national charts in 2002. Now the 40-year-old Van Hooijdonk is an ambassador for the Holland-Belgium 2018 World Cup bid and in his free time still plays the game with hometown amateur side VV Steenbergen.
Inside Futbol’s Alec Cordolcini caught up with him in Rotterdam for a chat:
AC: Do you consider winning the UEFA Cup with Feyenoord in 2002 the high point of your career?
PvH: Yes, of course.
AC: That was the last time a Dutch side have lifted a European trophy. In your opinion, what are the reasons for the lack of competitiveness we’ve seen from Dutch sides in Europe in recent seasons?
PvH: The most decisive factor these days is money. The Netherlands have talent and will continue producing the talent. But the bigger clubs in Europe are far more attractive for young players because they have more money and as a result of that they play in the Champions League. For any young Dutch player, the major challenge is to go abroad. If you look at the big national teams that do well in the World Cup, you find that many of the players play for the big European clubs in key positions. Unfortunately, there is no way we can keep them in our country.
AC: Is that all though?
PvH: Well, another factor is the physical side of the game which is sometimes underestimated in the Netherlands. The game has become more and more physical and we should be prepared [for that]. All in all however, I still believe Dutch clubs could occasionally rise and reach the final stages of the Champions League or Europa League.
AC: You won the Super Lig twice with Fenerbahce. Can we compare the level of the Turkish league with the Dutch Eredivisie?
PvH: Not really. To be honest, I think the Turkish league is stronger these days because there is more money available. Just look at the names of the players who have been signed by Turkish clubs recently. Unfortunately, none of the Dutch clubs have that kind of money at the moment.
AC: How was your experience with Fenerbahce?
PvH: In Turkey I had a great time, and I’m not talking just about the football! Istanbul is a modern city that offers a fascinating mixture of western and eastern culture. You can find everything there: shops, restaurants, museums, nice people and a hot climate. I was 33 when I went to Turkey, and I enjoyed my experience in a very different way to when I was in Scotland at 25. A better way, I think.
AC: You also learned Turkish didn’t you?
PvH: Yes, I took lessons when I lived there. For me it has always been very important to be able to communicate with everyone.
AC: Talking about communication, Jose Mourinho is a real master at that, and you worked with him at Benfica. What were your impressions of Mourinho?
PvH: I only worked with Mourinho for a very short time, but I still have a good relationship with him. Despite all the criticism [he has received], he has remained the same person, with the same character, going his own way. He is imperturbable and will follow his own plan. He’s not likely to be distracted by what other people say or write about him.
AC: You were, undisputedly, a free kick master. Is there any player today whose style of kick can be compared with yours?
PvH: Even if I think hard, I cannot find a name in modern football that kicks the ball in a similar way. I think the main reason is that in my time the balls were slightly different and you could hit them in such a way that they went in the goal the way they went. But, I practised a lot to get it right. Modern balls do not allow players to kick the ball in the same way with the same result.
AC: Maybe Robin van Persie learnt some tricks from you. Was he really a hard-to-manage youngster when he took his first steps with Feyenoord?
PvH: Robin has a strong character. From his early days you could see that he was an exceptional talent. He has proved that with Arsenal and the national team. I am really sorry that he was struck down by serious injuries a couple of times.
AC: Once you said, if I remember rightly, ‘Just because a player scores a lot of goals, it doesn’t mean he is a great striker’.
PvH: Yes. A top class striker should, in my opinion, weigh the situation and know how to finish. Strikers who are always hitting the ball as hard as possible can score 20-25 goals in one season, however, you cannot be sure they’ll repeat their performance in the next ones.
AC: From 1997 to 1999 you played in England with Nottingham Forest. Since then, do you think money and foreign owners have deprived the Premier League of a part of its identity?
PvH: No, I don’t think so. The Premier League is still the most popular competition in the world. It has just become more global.
AC: England are supposed to be the Holland-Belgium bid’s toughest opponents. Why, in your opinion, should FIFA choose Holland and Belgium as the 2018 World Cup host countries?
PvH: We are a safe choice to host the FIFA World Cup for several reasons. Firstly, we offer a compact bid, where no-one has to board an airplane after arriving in Belgium or the Netherlands. Fans can go everywhere in just a few hours at the most. Public transport will be free and we will have two million bikes available at railway stations and stadiums to ride around on. Thus, the next match is never far away! We have the experience from hosting Euro 2000 and welcomed hundreds of thousands of fans. Furthermore, we want to show that the World Cup is not exclusively reserved for the larget footballing nations. We want to make clear that smaller nations can do the same thing if they work together with a good spirit.
AC: You are currently working for the KNVB (the Dutch football federation) in the World Coach project. Can you tell us a little about that?
PvH: Sure. Both the Belgian and Holland football associations have some good ideas on how to create a better world with the help of football. I have been travelling as a world coach myself. A world coach is educated to help children from minority groups to improve their football as well as their position in life. A world coach serves as an excellent example for his pupils and we will educate thousands of world coaches all around the planet prior to 2018. Actually, I have just returned from Trinidad and Tobago, where we educated 25 world coaches on a five-day course. They can help local children to get a grip on life through football.
AC: That sounds like a great scheme Pierre, I wish you every success with it. Thanks for taking the time to speak to me today.
PvH: No problem.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
Inside Futbol’s Alec Cordolcini caught up with him in Rotterdam for a chat:
AC: Do you consider winning the UEFA Cup with Feyenoord in 2002 the high point of your career?
PvH: Yes, of course.
AC: That was the last time a Dutch side have lifted a European trophy. In your opinion, what are the reasons for the lack of competitiveness we’ve seen from Dutch sides in Europe in recent seasons?
PvH: The most decisive factor these days is money. The Netherlands have talent and will continue producing the talent. But the bigger clubs in Europe are far more attractive for young players because they have more money and as a result of that they play in the Champions League. For any young Dutch player, the major challenge is to go abroad. If you look at the big national teams that do well in the World Cup, you find that many of the players play for the big European clubs in key positions. Unfortunately, there is no way we can keep them in our country.
AC: Is that all though?
PvH: Well, another factor is the physical side of the game which is sometimes underestimated in the Netherlands. The game has become more and more physical and we should be prepared [for that]. All in all however, I still believe Dutch clubs could occasionally rise and reach the final stages of the Champions League or Europa League.
AC: You won the Super Lig twice with Fenerbahce. Can we compare the level of the Turkish league with the Dutch Eredivisie?
PvH: Not really. To be honest, I think the Turkish league is stronger these days because there is more money available. Just look at the names of the players who have been signed by Turkish clubs recently. Unfortunately, none of the Dutch clubs have that kind of money at the moment.
AC: How was your experience with Fenerbahce?
PvH: In Turkey I had a great time, and I’m not talking just about the football! Istanbul is a modern city that offers a fascinating mixture of western and eastern culture. You can find everything there: shops, restaurants, museums, nice people and a hot climate. I was 33 when I went to Turkey, and I enjoyed my experience in a very different way to when I was in Scotland at 25. A better way, I think.
AC: You also learned Turkish didn’t you?
PvH: Yes, I took lessons when I lived there. For me it has always been very important to be able to communicate with everyone.
AC: Talking about communication, Jose Mourinho is a real master at that, and you worked with him at Benfica. What were your impressions of Mourinho?
PvH: I only worked with Mourinho for a very short time, but I still have a good relationship with him. Despite all the criticism [he has received], he has remained the same person, with the same character, going his own way. He is imperturbable and will follow his own plan. He’s not likely to be distracted by what other people say or write about him.
AC: You were, undisputedly, a free kick master. Is there any player today whose style of kick can be compared with yours?
PvH: Even if I think hard, I cannot find a name in modern football that kicks the ball in a similar way. I think the main reason is that in my time the balls were slightly different and you could hit them in such a way that they went in the goal the way they went. But, I practised a lot to get it right. Modern balls do not allow players to kick the ball in the same way with the same result.
AC: Maybe Robin van Persie learnt some tricks from you. Was he really a hard-to-manage youngster when he took his first steps with Feyenoord?
PvH: Robin has a strong character. From his early days you could see that he was an exceptional talent. He has proved that with Arsenal and the national team. I am really sorry that he was struck down by serious injuries a couple of times.
AC: Once you said, if I remember rightly, ‘Just because a player scores a lot of goals, it doesn’t mean he is a great striker’.
PvH: Yes. A top class striker should, in my opinion, weigh the situation and know how to finish. Strikers who are always hitting the ball as hard as possible can score 20-25 goals in one season, however, you cannot be sure they’ll repeat their performance in the next ones.
AC: From 1997 to 1999 you played in England with Nottingham Forest. Since then, do you think money and foreign owners have deprived the Premier League of a part of its identity?
PvH: No, I don’t think so. The Premier League is still the most popular competition in the world. It has just become more global.
AC: England are supposed to be the Holland-Belgium bid’s toughest opponents. Why, in your opinion, should FIFA choose Holland and Belgium as the 2018 World Cup host countries?
PvH: We are a safe choice to host the FIFA World Cup for several reasons. Firstly, we offer a compact bid, where no-one has to board an airplane after arriving in Belgium or the Netherlands. Fans can go everywhere in just a few hours at the most. Public transport will be free and we will have two million bikes available at railway stations and stadiums to ride around on. Thus, the next match is never far away! We have the experience from hosting Euro 2000 and welcomed hundreds of thousands of fans. Furthermore, we want to show that the World Cup is not exclusively reserved for the larget footballing nations. We want to make clear that smaller nations can do the same thing if they work together with a good spirit.
AC: You are currently working for the KNVB (the Dutch football federation) in the World Coach project. Can you tell us a little about that?
PvH: Sure. Both the Belgian and Holland football associations have some good ideas on how to create a better world with the help of football. I have been travelling as a world coach myself. A world coach is educated to help children from minority groups to improve their football as well as their position in life. A world coach serves as an excellent example for his pupils and we will educate thousands of world coaches all around the planet prior to 2018. Actually, I have just returned from Trinidad and Tobago, where we educated 25 world coaches on a five-day course. They can help local children to get a grip on life through football.
AC: That sounds like a great scheme Pierre, I wish you every success with it. Thanks for taking the time to speak to me today.
PvH: No problem.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
lunedì 11 ottobre 2010
Holland & Belgium 2018 Bid
Grazie al Guerin Sportivo, Radio Olanda ha partecipato a inizio settembre al tour per la stampa internazionale organizzato dall'associazione belga-olandese che promuove la candidatura dei due paesi per l'organizzazione del Mondiale 2018. Sul Guerin Sportivo di questo mese, in edicola da sabato, sarà possibile leggere l'esclusivo reportage, scritto nel corso di sei giorni spesi tra Bruxelles, Anversa, Amsterdam e Rotterdam. Con interviste a Kompany, Gullit e al presidente del CIO Rogge.
sabato 9 ottobre 2010
L'Inter salverà la Finlandia
E’ indubbiamente una banalità, però è doveroso ribadirlo: non conta solamente la quantità dei risultati utili ottenuti, ma anche la qualità. Per questo motivo l’attuale ct della Finlandia Stuart Baxter si trova attualmente sulla graticola nonostante la media punti ottenuta risulti di poco superiore a quella del predecessore Roy Hodgson, ricordato invece con favore a Helsinki e dintorni. Questione, appunto, legata alla tipologia delle prestazioni.
(Articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi)
(Articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi)
giovedì 7 ottobre 2010
Preview Irlanda del Nord-Italia
Belfast non suscita mai bei ricordi all’Italia del pallone. La mancata qualificazione all’Europeo del 1958 è passata proprio dalla capitale dell’Irlanda del Nord, teatro di una sconfitta per 2-1 contro una nazionale tutta catenaccio, palla lunga e pedalare. Belfast significa anche George Best, il genio maledetto del calcio nordirlandese, autore nel 1971 di una tripletta contro Cipro finita negli annali della Geen and White Army.
Gli avversari odierni degli Azzurri hanno ben poco a che spartire con quei due episodi. Il “primo non prenderle” non è più la filosofia vigente in casa Irlanda del Nord, dove però non esiste un epigono di Best nemmeno nelle favole. C’è però chi è riuscito ad eguagliare il suo primato, pur non possedendo un’unghia del suo talento. Si chiama David Jonathan Healy, ed è un attaccante di 31 anni che contro l’Italia cercherà il suo gol numero 36 in nazionale, per ritoccare il record di massimo goleador nordirlandese di tutti i tempi che già gli appartiene.
Tutti i migliori momenti vissuti dall’Irlanda del Nord nella sua storia recente portano la firma di Healy: la tripletta che ha steso la Spagna nel 2006 a Belfast, il gol vittoria sull’Inghilterra l’anno precedente (prima vittoria sugli inglesi dal 1972), il record assoluto di reti (13) nelle qualificazioni agli Europei. Healy, carriera modesta in Inghilterra tra Premier League e Championship, si trasforma in bomber implacabile una volta indossati i colori del proprio paese.
Dietro Healy però il tecnico Nigel Wortinghton sta coltivando alcuni giovani prospetti già ribattezzati dalla stampa locale i “new kids on the block”. I fratelli Johnny e Cory Evans del Manchester United, il centrale del Blackpool (utilizzato però a sinistra in nazionale) Craig Cathcart. Proprio da questi ultimi due è nata la combinazione che ha portato al gol-vittoria in casa della Slovenia nel turno precedente. Pochi fronzoli e tanto duro lavoro, la ricetta nordirlandese è semplice. Prandelli dovrà prendere le adeguate precauzioni affinché non diventi indigesta.
Fonte: Il Giornale
Gli avversari odierni degli Azzurri hanno ben poco a che spartire con quei due episodi. Il “primo non prenderle” non è più la filosofia vigente in casa Irlanda del Nord, dove però non esiste un epigono di Best nemmeno nelle favole. C’è però chi è riuscito ad eguagliare il suo primato, pur non possedendo un’unghia del suo talento. Si chiama David Jonathan Healy, ed è un attaccante di 31 anni che contro l’Italia cercherà il suo gol numero 36 in nazionale, per ritoccare il record di massimo goleador nordirlandese di tutti i tempi che già gli appartiene.
Tutti i migliori momenti vissuti dall’Irlanda del Nord nella sua storia recente portano la firma di Healy: la tripletta che ha steso la Spagna nel 2006 a Belfast, il gol vittoria sull’Inghilterra l’anno precedente (prima vittoria sugli inglesi dal 1972), il record assoluto di reti (13) nelle qualificazioni agli Europei. Healy, carriera modesta in Inghilterra tra Premier League e Championship, si trasforma in bomber implacabile una volta indossati i colori del proprio paese.
Dietro Healy però il tecnico Nigel Wortinghton sta coltivando alcuni giovani prospetti già ribattezzati dalla stampa locale i “new kids on the block”. I fratelli Johnny e Cory Evans del Manchester United, il centrale del Blackpool (utilizzato però a sinistra in nazionale) Craig Cathcart. Proprio da questi ultimi due è nata la combinazione che ha portato al gol-vittoria in casa della Slovenia nel turno precedente. Pochi fronzoli e tanto duro lavoro, la ricetta nordirlandese è semplice. Prandelli dovrà prendere le adeguate precauzioni affinché non diventi indigesta.
Fonte: Il Giornale
mercoledì 6 ottobre 2010
L'olandese che non ti aspetti
Non sono poi molti i giocatori capaci di avere un forte impatto sulla partita nonostante abbiano a disposizione una manciata scarsa di minuti. L’exploit di Jeffrey Sarpong nell’ultima giornata della Liga spagnola è però meno sorprendente di quello che potrebbe sembrare, almeno per chi conosce il giocatore, la cui fama però è pressoché nulla al di fuori del suo paese di origine, l’Olanda. Prima, però, un rapido cenno ai fatti.
Real Sociedad-Espanyol stava stancamente avvicinandosi verso un pareggio a reti inviolate, quando il tecnico dei baschi Martin Lasarte decide di gettare nella mischia Sarpong, uno degli acquisti estivi del club di San Sebastian. Mancano dieci minuti al fischio finale. Schierato largo a sinistra nel 4231, il giocatore “azzanna” la partita, proponendosi nello spazio e puntando l’uomo in continuazione, fino a trovare l’episodio vincente calciando un siluro su punizione che, dopo essersi stampato sul palo, provoca l’autorete di Juan Forlìn. Per la Real Sociedad si tratta del secondo successo in campionato.
Sarpong possiede le qualità per non essere un semplice fuoco di paglia. Centrocampista offensivo classe 1988, a dieci anni era già nel vivaio dell’Ajax grazie al programma televisivo Willem Wever. A 17 Danny Blind lo fa debuttare in prima squadra, ma la concorrenza nel suo ruolo, quello di numero 10 alle spalle del tridente, è sempre molto, troppo affollata. Nemmeno l’arrivo di Marco van Basten, suo estimatore ai tempi delle giovanili, cambia le cose, regalandogli solo brandelli di partita. In quattro anni e mezzo Sarpong ne colleziona appena venti.
Si cambia aria nel gennaio 2010, per un prestito al Nec Nijmegen. Sarpong si piazza in cabina di regia. Prove generali in Coppa d’Olanda, dove è il migliore di un Nec che sfiora il colpaccio all’Amsterdam Arena. Poi arriva il 4-2 al Nac Breda; quattro reti del Nec, quattro assist di Sarpong, che eguaglia il primato del maggior numero di passaggi gol effettuati da un giocatore in un singolo incontro stabilito il 19 ottobre da Andy van der Meyde in un Ajax-Az 6-2.
Tornato all’Ajax, la musica però non cambia. Jol lo prova come ala destra, perché nel suo ruolo ci sono già Siem de Jong, Christian Eriksen e Nicolas Lodeiro. Meglio emigrare, e la Liga è indubbiamente un ottimo approdo. Una volta Sarpong ha dichiarato che sarà soddisfatto solo dopo aver avuto una carriera alla Kakà. L’importante è che non ne abbia una alla Van der Meyde.
Real Sociedad-Espanyol stava stancamente avvicinandosi verso un pareggio a reti inviolate, quando il tecnico dei baschi Martin Lasarte decide di gettare nella mischia Sarpong, uno degli acquisti estivi del club di San Sebastian. Mancano dieci minuti al fischio finale. Schierato largo a sinistra nel 4231, il giocatore “azzanna” la partita, proponendosi nello spazio e puntando l’uomo in continuazione, fino a trovare l’episodio vincente calciando un siluro su punizione che, dopo essersi stampato sul palo, provoca l’autorete di Juan Forlìn. Per la Real Sociedad si tratta del secondo successo in campionato.
Sarpong possiede le qualità per non essere un semplice fuoco di paglia. Centrocampista offensivo classe 1988, a dieci anni era già nel vivaio dell’Ajax grazie al programma televisivo Willem Wever. A 17 Danny Blind lo fa debuttare in prima squadra, ma la concorrenza nel suo ruolo, quello di numero 10 alle spalle del tridente, è sempre molto, troppo affollata. Nemmeno l’arrivo di Marco van Basten, suo estimatore ai tempi delle giovanili, cambia le cose, regalandogli solo brandelli di partita. In quattro anni e mezzo Sarpong ne colleziona appena venti.
Si cambia aria nel gennaio 2010, per un prestito al Nec Nijmegen. Sarpong si piazza in cabina di regia. Prove generali in Coppa d’Olanda, dove è il migliore di un Nec che sfiora il colpaccio all’Amsterdam Arena. Poi arriva il 4-2 al Nac Breda; quattro reti del Nec, quattro assist di Sarpong, che eguaglia il primato del maggior numero di passaggi gol effettuati da un giocatore in un singolo incontro stabilito il 19 ottobre da Andy van der Meyde in un Ajax-Az 6-2.
Tornato all’Ajax, la musica però non cambia. Jol lo prova come ala destra, perché nel suo ruolo ci sono già Siem de Jong, Christian Eriksen e Nicolas Lodeiro. Meglio emigrare, e la Liga è indubbiamente un ottimo approdo. Una volta Sarpong ha dichiarato che sarà soddisfatto solo dopo aver avuto una carriera alla Kakà. L’importante è che non ne abbia una alla Van der Meyde.
sabato 2 ottobre 2010
Klopp non è un flop
La Bundesliga è attualmente il torneo più eccitante sotto il profilo dello spettacolo e dell’imprevedibilità. La partenza sprint del Mainz ha attirato le giuste attenzioni, ma anche il loro diretto inseguitore, il Borussia Dortmund, non è da meno. Senza dimenticare squadre come l’Hannover, il Wolfsburg rigenerato da Diego, oppure l’imprevedibile Werder Brema, sempre più croce (dei tifosi) e delizia (degli spettatori neutrali).
(articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi).
(articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi).
Nel nome di Silvio
Il Losanna prossimo avversario del Palermo in Europa League è una squadra di serie B. In senso letterale, non critico, dal momento che il club svizzero attualmente milita nel campionato di Challenge League, la serie cadetta elvetica. Del resto l’ex Coppa Uefa non ha mai mancato di ospitare qualche squadra appartenente ad una divisione inferiore [...]
(articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi).
(articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi).
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