When I clicked the drop menu on the address bar of the hotel’s computer, I realised that I had been held up by prolonged web searches for ‘prostitutas en pretorias sudafrica’ and so forth. Our hotel in Pretoria has been overrun by hordes of Argentinian soccer fans. Whilst some of the few women involved with [Read more]
The Australian Bar and Restaurant – New York
June 16, 2010 by 11 Comments
New York city is so rich in culture and diversity, it is mind blowing Darryl. They have a channel that plays baseball 24 hours… a… day. Some of the bars have more than 20 televisions, each one playing a sporting event of real cultural significance. You should see The Australian Bar and Restaurant. It’s more [Read more]
Desperate times…
June 15, 2010 by Leave a Comment
By Vickie Lustig/Carole Fabian NEWS SCOOP Football Federation of Australia CEO Ben Buckley reacts swiftly to the disaster in South Africa by turning to his old mates and colleagues in the AFL. He convinces Frank Lowy to retire immediately as Chairman, replacing him with old boss Andrew Demetriou. The AFL vacancy is filled on a [Read more]
World Cup Forum
June 14, 2010 by 117 Comments
Germany 4 Australia 0 Oh the pain of it! Let’s face it folks, last night wasn’t a total shock, but it definitely wasn’t what we were looking for. What went wrong? Were the tactics at fault? Or just the execution? Do we hold out any hope for the rest of the campaign? Here’s your chance [Read more]
Maradona Still Demands the Spotlight
June 13, 2010 by 11 Comments
World Cup Game 3: 12/6/2010 Johannesburg- Ellis Park Stadium Group B- Argentina 1 v Nigeria 0 The Olympic Games’ only rival as The Greatest Show On Earth is with us once again. Unlike the Olympics, which seem more bound by official rules, protocols and pomp, the World Cup always has much more the feel of [Read more]
FIFA World Cup Preview: Part 7 of 8
June 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment
GROUP G (‘The Group of Death”) Brazil: The giants of this group of death will go into the tournament, like always, as favourites. And with a good reason too, as they produce magnificent players left, right and centre. Coach Dunga, has opted for a steady game that Brazil have not been known for. A mixture [Read more]
LINK: Ajax’s Player Factory
June 10, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Dutch club Ajax’s junior soccer academy is not called De Toekomst — The Future for nothing. In fact, it makes our attempts at player development seem positively half baked. This extensive New York Times article explores an institution which has become a virtual player factory. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/magazine/06Soccer-t.html?pagewanted=1&ref=global-home&adxnnlx=1275490919-Cyaxrq7Cvoe2eKBiQsfTjg
FIFA World Cup Preview: Part 6 of 8
June 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment
GROUP F Italy: Many have doubted the reigning champion’s odds of going back to back. Saying their old and too defensive has brought up queries in the Italian team. Of all, Marcello Lippi knows that his side are not affected by outside talk. That they talked them down in 2006, and you all know what [Read more]
Happy 20th Anniversary Liverpool
June 8, 2010 by 3 Comments
Most anniversaries are joyous occasions highlighted by celebrations from the parties involved. Not this one. This anniversary represents 20 years since Liverpool stood triumphant on the dais with a trophy representing ultimate success in English top flight football. The only positive to come out of the 2009/2010 campaign was that Chelsea held on for the [Read more]
2010 FIFA World Cup Preview: Part 5 of 8
June 8, 2010 by Leave a Comment
GROUP E Netherlands: Highly fancied to win the tournament, the classy Dutch team boasts incredible skill and talent. Solid at the back and fluent through the midfield, players like Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder will look to both assist and score goals. The only superpower in the group and should advance with no troubles. Player [Read more]
Haiku World Cup
June 6, 2010 by 10 Comments
In less than a week, South Africa plays host to The Greatest Show on Earth when the World Cup kicks off in Johannesburg. Pretty soon, the Knackery will be full of punditry and prognostication on the fortunes of the Socceroos as they take on the world’s best. To celebrate, a panel of experts (actually, a [Read more]
2010 FIFA World Cup Preview: Part 4 of 8
June 6, 2010 by 5 Comments
GROUP D Germany: One of the powerhouses of international football. They boast experience, speed and class in a well balanced team that is picked out mostly from the German Bundes Liga. However, the omission of Captain Michael Ballack through injury is a big loss. A man that is the heart of soul of German football [Read more]
2010 FIFA World Cup Preview: Part 3 of 8
June 4, 2010 by Leave a Comment
By Domenic Favata GROUP C England: Warmly backed to have a real crack at this year’s title. Coach Fabio Capello expects big things from his side that boasts the names Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard and so on. There attacking style will see them progress onto the round of 16 and could do some damage there. They [Read more]
2010 FIFA World Cup Preview: Part 1 of 8
May 28, 2010 by 3 Comments
By Domenic Favata This is the first part of eight of my 2010 FIFA World Cup preview. The biggest sporting event on the planet which kicks off on the 12th of June. Last time it was Italy who took the chocolates and held the title of champions. This time it could be anyone; the field [Read more]
Killing the goose that laid the golden egg?
May 26, 2010 by 17 Comments
In light of the future expansion of sporting teams in Melbourne I was wondering if the “sports capital of the world” may be starting to spread itself a little thinly and start to test the capital’s reputation for turning up to anything including the opening of an envelope. Mondays night’s attendance of 55,000 to what [Read more]
Soccer: Is it OK to love another man (in a sporting sense, of course)?
January 12, 2010 by 10 Comments
By Stephen George Man love or man crushes are seen as a common and acceptable practice by male members of the sports loving community. How do we best define man love or a man crush in the sporting world? To me, it’s about the ability of a sportsperson to either bring me through the gates [Read more]
Soccer: A-League gets early pass mark
December 9, 2009 by 3 Comments
By Stephen George In 2003, Australian football was struggling to make an impact on the national sporting stage. In April, the Independent Soccer Review Committee chaired by Mr David Crawford concluded “that the current structure of soccer in Australia is ineffective, does not work and needs changing”. The output on the field was viewed by [Read more]
Ireland Correspondent: Cahill leaves stamp on lacklustre friendly in Limerick
August 13, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Peter Lenaghan The crowd’s response tells you a lot about a game of soccer, and the atmosphere inside a Dublin pub is as flat as it sounds at Limerick’s Thomond Park. It is all Tim Cahill’s fault, and the locals seem genuinely shocked. The small group of Australians around us can only smile and [Read more]
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