Posts Tagged ‘soccer’

Soccer Superstars In Spain

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

There are plenty of soccer superstars playing in Spain’s top division, and it is with good reason that it is regarded as the number one domestic league in the whole world. Listed below are the players who are widely regarded as being the best in Spain…

Messi : At the forefront of Barcelona’s treble winning team of 2008-09, Argentinean Lionel Messi continually dazzles fans and opposing players alike with his creativity and flair. Even though he is just 22, he is the current “World Player of the Year” and he well on the way to acquiring the legendary status of all time great Pele and Maradona.

Cristiano Ronaldo : Explosive power and blistering pace are what led to Ronaldo initially being signed by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.Now playing for the mighty Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo is hoping to make as big an impact for el Madrid as he did in the famous red shirt of Man Utd.

David Villa : Playing for one of La Liga’s less glamorous teams, Valencia, David Villa Sanchez (to give him his full name) boasts an outstanding goals to games ratio. He was the winner of the “Golden Boot” for Spain at Euro 2008 and is closing in on Spain’s all time international scorers record. Equally dangerous with either foot, Villa has attracted a host of top clubs, who are all eager to sign-up the prolific striker.

Kaka : Brazilian midfield maestro Kaka, is a playmaker of the highest calibre. Able to make pinpoint passes across the entire length of the field, or dribble past several players in a row, Kaka was the darling of AC Milan and led them to “Champions League” glory in 2007. Now one of the jewels in Real Madrid’s crown, he aims to repeat the success he enjoyed with the Rossoneri in Italy and fire his new team to title glory.

This article is sponsored by ‘Car Hire Malaga‘, a site offering car rental bookings in Malaga and Malaga tourist information.

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Chelsea’s Star Players

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Chelsea’s squad is so packed with talent you may claim it’s hard to find the players that make the team work. In this article we take a look at five Chelsea players who seem to hold an inordinate amount of influence on how the team performs.

1. JOHN TERRY (England, Central defender)

Terry sets the benchmark with which the other players adhere to, captaining both club and country. A tough, uncompromising and brave defender, he has incredible skill and a technically sound style. His skill at stopping teams set players and fearlessly leading the team by example can be incredible, you could not find a better player to captain your club and country.

2. ASHLEY COLE  (England, Left back)

He may not be the most popular player amongst Arsenal fans, although he is still considered by many to be the best left back in the soccer world. At times he may struggle for confidence and form, but at his best his marauding runs down the left and quality balls into the box are only matched by his ability to shut down some of the world’s best players. In games against him the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been kept relatively quiet. That’s not luck, that is because Ashley Cole is a world class left back.

3. MIKAEL ESSIEN (Ghana, Central midfielder)

Injury robbed Chelsea of Essien for a large chunk of last season and his absence was keenly felt,despite the team being filled with outstanding midfielders. Essien balances the team perfectly. He is a technically gifted soccer player with a great work rate and defensive skill. He gets forward well and packs a powerful shot from distance. At today’s prices the 24.4 million pounds that it cost to buy him looks like a bargin.

4. FRANK LAMPARD (England, Central Midfielder)

Every team needs a midfielder like Lampard who can weigh in with plenty of goals, if they are to be successful. Lampard is one of the best around. He has shown a great return to form under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti and as a result his goal tally has been increasing dramatically. Frank Lampard is a vital source of attacking strength due to his accurate shooting and ability to link play with his strikers.

5. DIDIER DROGBA (Ivory Coast, Attacker)

It is hard to dispute the claim that Didier Drogba is the best striker in the world at the moment. Didier Drogba wearing the new Chelsea soccer jersey makes all defenders fear the upcoming game. He may be known for his ability to fall over during tackles and arguing with officials and opposing players but no goalkeeper wants him with the ball when he’s playing well. His presence, goals and power are a key element of Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea and at times this season, he has carried the team on his back. He alone may end Manchester United’s dominance of the Premier League.

Five world class stars to make up just under half of a world class team.

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Soccer Field Dimensions

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

When it comes to soccer field measurements, it is worth noting that the dimensions are uniform, regardless of the level of play. According to FIFA, for qualified events involving 11 players for each one team, the soccer field should have a span of 100 to 130 yards and a width between 50 to 100 yards. Soccer fields in United Kingdom are said to be smaller than that resulting to more physical games. On the other hand, in South America, the fields are much bigger which provides more room and time on the ball.

For recreational soccer, playing on a smaller soccer field is suggested. By doing this, players will definitely make the game enjoyable and learning is more possible. The size of the playing field must be proportional to the size of the player. In a large field, recreational players would waste their time running and become tired by half time. As a result, the kicks will be much longer.

Another problem of playing recreational soccer in a large field is that teaching strategies and team play is unlikely. Smaller soccer fields are best for average players who are slower and lacks stamina, which is usually common in 50% to 75% of recreational players.

The Penalty Area

This is the area where the goalkeeper usually uses their hands and fouls are punished. It includes the penalty spot, which is 12 yards away from the goal and the six-yard box 6 yards further from the goal. The top portion of this box includes a small arc commonly referred to as “the D.” It has a radius of 10 yards and has no purpose in the rules of soccer but merely serves as a guide for the players.

The Goal

In spite of of the level of play, the goal has a standardized measurement of 8 feet tall and 24 feet wide.

Center Circle

It divides the soccer field into two areas and is where the kickoff takes place. No player is allowed to cross their area until kickoff commences. It has a 10-yard circle inside it and only the two players kicking off is allowed to stand within the inner circle.

Although soccer field measurements remain unchanged regardless of the players competing, the rules of the game allows the dimensions to be smaller for female players, persons with disabilities, or those who are under 16 years old and more than 35 years of age.

related article:
Dart Board Dimensions
World Cup Trophy Dimensions

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Buying Manchester United Football Tickets Online: Safe?

Monday, December 28th, 2009

When Purchasing for Manchester United football tickets online you should aware of how they operate because there will be some who are just scamming innocent Man United fans. Should you want genuine Manchester United Football tickets, then you need to find a business selling them online that is tried and trusted. It’s always a good idea to search for customer reviews before you purchase from a particular vendor. Not only do you have to worry about an illegitimate site taking your money, you also do not want to purchase from a vendor who has a reputation for being slow on delivery. When reading a customer review on a ticket vendor, it is important to make sure it is a legitimate review and not just clever advertising. If you see a hyperlink at the bottom of the review, that can help determine whether it is true or paid for.

When you read a review of a product, if it has a link to the product, then you are probably reading a review which has been paid for. With today’s email spam blockers becoming more powerful, advertisers rethink their ways of getting their product out there and they have turned to reviews which are favorable to get their product in the public eye. Reviews which do not contain links are more likely to be genuine. Although tickets available on eBay are cheaper, buying from a website which specializes only in tickets is always a better idea. Often times tickets purchased on eBay don’t arrive on time and sometimes the seller doesn’t even mail them so you never receive them. While you can assume that the majority of people who sell on eBay are above board, it’s still in your best interest to read feedback about them so get a sense of how they operate.

Before you type in ANY purchasing information is the another way to avoid being scammed is to make sure the checkout page is encrypted. This is something that is extremely important, even though few people consider it during their checkout. So how do you tell if a web page is encrypted or not? At the beginning of a website address you will usually see “HTTP”. HTTP will change to “HTTPS”, if a web page is encrypted. It is always a good idea to make sure the page is encrypted because even if a company is completely honest but does not use encryption, it does not show a lot of respect for the customers’ personal information. If you are interested in a ticket vendor, they have good reviews, and their check out page is encrypted, then you can be pretty certain that the vendor is safe to purchase from.

It is probably a good idea to follow these suggestions to avoid being scammed.  It is also a good idea to follow your instincts. If something about a vendor does not seem quite right, do not purchase anything from them. If something doesn’t sit right with you, then there is most likely something wrong with it. When it comes to avoiding a scam artist, a little scrutiny goes a long way. Now it just comes down to a matter of finding the best price! Keep the information contained within this article in mind and you will be able to make your next purchase with confidence.

The next time you buy sports tickets, buy from your online concierge for global sporting events.. PremiumTicketHub.com.

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Manchester United To Buy Slovakian Star Midfielder

Monday, December 28th, 2009

According to reports, Manchester United have lined up a £25m summer transfer bid for Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik.

The form of veteran former England midfielder Paul Scholes, plus the fact that Ryan Giggs is not getting any younger has convinced Sir Alex Ferguson of the need to bring in a top notch quality replacement to bolster what is perceived by some critics to be United’s biggest weakness, midfield.

Manchester is not alone in regards to Hamsik, both Chelsea and rivals Liverpool have shown interest in the star midfielder. Starting his career with Slovan Bratislava the Slovakian international quickly proved his ability and was bought by Brescia. He shone in Italy with Brescia scoring a hugely impressive ten goals from midfield and it wasn’t too long before Napoli paid over 5.5m Euros to take the player to the Sao Paolo.

Since 2007, the goal scoring efforts of Hamsik have made him one of the best in Serie A. Many strikers would be proud to boast a similar strikerate as Hamsik with 25 goals from 81 games. The Slovakian midfielder has quickly been named the best midfielder in Serie A by experts throughout Italy after his two goals against Juventus.

Hamsik’s performances have been equally impressive for his national side, Slovakia. He has been the driving force behind the countries qualification for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa and he is being touted as being one of the major stars to emerge from the tournament in the summer.

Despite interest in the player from Manchester United and Chelsea in recent weeks, Napoli have refused to sanction any idea that the player will be sold. This has been reiterated in recent weeks by sporting director Riccardo Bigon who stated:

“Manchester United are after Hamsik? If we rejected the rumours regarding a friend like [Carlo] Ancelotti and his Chelsea, it is obvious we also reject these rumours.”

comments from Napoli chairman seem to support the claim that Hamsik is not on the market.

“Many clubs have requested Hamsik, it’s true, but he will stay with us for the long-term”

Whether this stance will soften in the summer, when United hope to make their move, remains to be seen. Napoli are not a particularly wealthy club and despite the chairman’s insistence that Hamsik is not for sale, it remains to be seen that if a firm offer was on the table that matched their valuation, whether they would be tempted into selling.

Chelsea’s desperation to buy players may push any deals between the two clubs away. Roman Abramovich has purportedly given manager Carlo Ancelotti the green light to make a £25m move for the player so they might beat Manchester United to the punch

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