Tabla de contenidos para March 2016 en Australian FourFourTwo

Four years ago I sat in the cramped broom cupboard/media centre at Gosford for a post-match press conference with Aurelio Vidmar. The Olyroos had just failed to qualify for London 2012, the first time we'd missed the Olympics since we started entering a football team. In a feisty confrontation, I tackled Aurelio on the failure of his campaign and his future as Olyroos coach. Vidmar for his part appeared as angry as he was ashamed and apologetic. He seemed to realise his career as Olyroos boss was over, but insisted he would be returning to his day job as assistant coach with the Socceroos squad. Fast forward four years and the Olyroos have failed to qualify for a second Olympics campaign. Amazingly, Aurelio was again at the helm. Even more…

In Australian football Ron Smith needs little introduction. The 66-year old spent 14 years with the AIS football program – 10 years of that as its head coach – when it churned out the likes of Ned Zelic, Mark Viduka, Lucas Neill, Josip Simunic, Brett Emerton and many others. Smith played a key role in the development of the Socceroos’ Golden Generation. He also worked with a young Canberra kid a decade ago, a lanky player with Serbian heritage who was a tremendous dribbler and could beat defenders with ease. That kid was Tom Rogic. It was Smith who helped developed Rogic in his junior days in the ACT and it was Smith who nominated Rogic for Nike’s The Chance competition, which would set him on the path to an…

You’ve spent more time with Guardiola than anyone outside his closest circle. What’s he like? There’s very little that is special about him. He’s just very normal and unassuming. As a coach, he’s very famous, and some of what you see publicly is to protect himself and his family. The perception is that because he’s such a great coach, there must be something different to him, but that’s not really the case. He’s very humble and always deals with problems personally. The special quality he has is in how he interprets football – he understands it like no one else. Does he ever stop thinking about the sport? He does, but the majority of his day-to-day life is dedicated to football. He’s obsessive in the sense that he constantly applies…

Once labeled the ‘new Ronaldo’, Alexandre Pato had the world at his feet when he faced Finkler. Finkler, then 21, was at hometown club Juventude and fighting just to carve out a career. It was July 2007 and the excitement around teenager Pato was at enormous levels ahead of Internacional’s Campeonato Brasileiro trip to the Estadio Alfredo Jaconi. “He was one of the best players in the league at that moment,” Finkler recalls. The 17-year-old Pato, who would just weeks later land a move to AC Milan, was unable to prevent his team suffering a 2-0 loss. Marcao scrambled in the opener and Renato Caja poked in the sealer in the second half. Finkler came off the bench for a rare appearance in the top flight, but remembered the threat…

BRIAN McBRIDE Columbus Crew No.1 pick in inaugural draft, 1996 McBride was the first name on the board at the maiden MLS draft, and as a first round pick earned a $10,000 bonus on his basic $27,000 salary. He would go on to play in three World Cups and in the Premier League with Fulham and Everton. FREDDY ADU D.C. United No.1 pick, 2004 Not the first or last to be the ‘future of US soccer’ but certainly the most infamous, Adu was 14 when he was drafted and 15 when he made his debut. At last count, ‘the next Pele’ had played for 13 teams in eight countries. MICHAEL BRADLEY MetroStars No.36 pick, 2004 The same year Adu was being hyped, a future US captain almost missed out on…

Victorian football was a tough game, played in hobnail boots on cabbage patch pitches with balls heavier than horses. There were plenty of tough characters – but the hardest was surely Nick Ross, the Preston North End defender known as the “demon back”, who intimidated opponents with his fearsome features, and then used his boots to kick them. “His teeth were discoloured, almost green near the gums, and he hissed through them as he played,” recalled pioneering reporter Jimmy Catton. When Aston Villa’s Denny Hodgetts had the audacity to challenge Ross for a 50-50 ball, Ross’s violent response made newspaper headlines. An “unseemly fracas” ended with the “pugnacious” Ross being dragged away by umpires while yelling “dire threats”. But Ross was not just a brute. He was a clever player,…

Mostly As You are a level-headed footballing Buddha who would gently escort an earthworm off the pitch – but life isn’t easy for you among the other animals. Mostly Bs You’re a no-nonsense hard man. You never go looking for aggro, but don’t shy away if some develops. You’ve finished more scraps than you’ve started… Mostly Cs Proceed directly to counselling for anger management therapy – you’re a danger to yourself and others. A Sunday League stalwart, in other words.…

“Finding space in the box is crucial. I try to run as quickly as I can to be first to the ball” SERGIO AGUERO NATIONALITY Argentine CLUB Manchester City DATE OF BIRTH June 2, 1988 NICKNAME Kun 78 The number of goals Aguero has scored in the Premier League 102 The number of Premier League goals in which Aguero has had a direct involvement, including 24 assists 26 Aguero’s highest single season goals tally, in 2014-15 “Aggggguuueerrrrooooo!!!” Cue pandemonium. Bodies topple over one another in the stands. Manchester City’s staff storm the pitch like a swarm of angry bees. Joe Hart is so excited, his head is ready to pop off like the cork on a champagne bottle. While this is happening, the hero of the hour is swinging his…

PRE-TRAINING Can in olive oil with crispbreads Mackerel is a fantastic source of muscle-building protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Armed with powerful anti-inflammatory powers, this oily fish will ensure you don’t need to call 999 to revive your flat-lining legs. Your heart will welcome the olive oil to help you stave off an energy slump. The crispbreads are light, easy to digest and serve up a healthy slice of complex carbohydrates and B vitamins. You’ll be so full of beans that you might even get called in for a random drugs test... POST-TRAINING Nando’s half-chicken, spicy rice and macho peas Of course, you can’t call yourself a footballer until you’ve chowed down a sneaky Nando’s. Sneaky or not, order correctly and it’s a great meal for recovery. This particular heavyweight…

PRE-TRAINING Whey protein shake and bag of salted popcorn Whey protein is digested quickly so you won’t feel bloated during your session. The amino acids kick-start your recovery before a single bead of sweat drips down your face. Studies have found a pre-workout shake can be as effective, if not more, at aiding recovery than chugging one after. Popcorn provides slow release carbohydrates, drip-feeding energy into your system. The electrolytes in salt improve the uptake of water, keeping you hydrated and off the floor grimacing with cramp after the five-minute warm-up. POST-TRAINING Teriyaki chicken breast and pineapple burger Chicken remains one of the best sources of lean protein available to athletes, and coating it in teriyaki sauce gives you a nice hit of sodium to prevent cramping (plus it tastes…

In my eyes I never felt I made it as a player. I was happiest at St George FC, Sabah and when playing for the Socceroos. St George was my junior club, Sabah was where I played my best football and with the Socceroos I made memories that will last a lifetime. My heroes growing up were Dez Marton and Gary Lineker. Marton was a St George legend, although he was not really recognised in world football. Lineker was the perfect goal scorer. My proudest moment was my first cap for Socceroos. I remember lining up against Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), listening to the national anthem and thinking how surreal it all felt. We won 3-0 in a qualifier for the 1988 Seoul Olympics, with Graham Arnold and Frank Farina finding…

“The Reebok and the Camp Nou are quite similar. 27,000 fans can give you the same sensation as 98,000” FACT FILE Full name Eidur Smari Gudjohnsen Date of birth 15/09/1978 Height 6ft 1in Position Forward Place of birth Reykjavik, Iceland Clubs 1994 Valur 17 games (7 goals); 1995-97 PSV 15 (3); 1998 KR Reykjavik 6 (0); 1998-2000 Bolton Wanderers 73 (26); 2000-06 Chelsea 261 (78); 2006-09 Barcelona 112 (18); 2009-10 Monaco 11 (0); 2010 Tottenham Hotspur (loan) 14 (2); 2010-11 Stoke City 5 (0); 2011 Fulham (loan) 10 (0); 2011-12 AEK Athens 14 (1); 2012-13 Cercle Brugge 14 (7); 2013-14 Club Brugge 49 (7); 2014-15 Bolton 24 (6); 2015 Shijiazhuang Ever Bright 14 (1) International 1996- Iceland 80 (25) Honours KNVB Cup 1995-96; Eredivisie 1996-97; Premier League 2004-05, 2005-06; League…

How do you greet the opposition pre-match? A) A quick nod will suffice. We’re not here to make friends… or enemies. B) I make direct eye contact with their biggest central defender while wearing my game face. It helps gives us a psychological edge. C) I whisper “why did you call my mum a bike?” into their captain’s ear, and then make a swift throat-slashing gesture. What is your favourite tactic for making your mark on a game early doors? A) Generally I show off my skills with a crisp pass or two and some lively runs down the channels. B) I bundle over a few opponents with reducers, making sure I take just a little bit of the ball, too. C) I carve my initials in stud marks across…

With the right training, could you masquerade as a world-class footballer steamrolling Sunday league opposition? OK, probably not, but if you’re willing to give it a go, we promise this guide will add another gear to your game. And with that extra few per cent you’ll be able to conquer the pitch, whatever level your league. We took three of the world’s best players – Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero – and dissected their game, then asked our leading experts to formulate a training plan based on their title-winning attributes. Follow the plan for six weeks and you’ll gain rock-solid strength, explosive power and fuel-injected speed and agility. With all that, you shouldn’t have too many problems terrorising the 16-stone donkey marking you. To help you train around…

PRE-TRAINING High-protein yoghurt with fruit Yoghurt contains casein protein, which coagulates in your stomach, slowing down the digestive process. Eating this before training will give your bloodstream a steady level of amino acids to help ease muscle soreness the day after a gruelling pre-season session. Partner the yoghurt with any fruit. Something sweet and fleshy will contain simple sugars, which will help fuel your body for an intense workout. Fruit also has important vitamins and minerals for improved immune function and energy production. POST-TRAINING Pork steaks with homemade sweet potato wedges Scoffing on some pork after training will pump your body with zinc to boost testosterone levels as well as giving you a protein hit, helping your weary legs to recharge. Vitamin B12 will fire up your energy levels so…

3.70 SECS Time he ran 30m while at Milan, faster than Usain Bolt covered the same distance in breaking the 100m world record KILMARNOCK Brother Willy played six games for them in 2011. He’s now also in Germany, with FC Kray DAD Father Pierre captained Gabon and now works as a scout for Milan THINGS AUBAMEYANG IS KNOWN FOR Superhero goal celebrations 30% Bromance with Marco Reus 30% Crazy hair 30% Football 10% He once moonwalked on French TV dressed as the King of Pop RONALDO His favourite player 4 years in a row Yaya Toure won African Player of the Year; he was 2015 runner-up to Aubameyang 3 Goals scored on his Bundesliga debut for Dortmund ‘CRESPO FOR LIFE’ Tattoo on his left arm – after his Spanish mum,…

ERIK PAARTALU Melbourne City “Finkler is a player you have to be switched on with at all times. If you give him room, he can play perfectly weighted balls in behind for team-mates to score. You can never give silly free-kicks away around the box either as he can score from anywhere.” ISAIAS Adelaide United “It’s always a hard battle. He always finds good spots where he can receive the ball between lines and uses his body to turn quickly, which helps him make the last pass. It’s hard, but I love to play against these kinds of players, as they push me to be better player.” NICK MONTGOMERY Central Coast Mariners “For me, he’s definitely one of the most creative players in the A-League and, on his day, he’s…

“So the Colorado-for-Galaxy one is announced. And Chicago took Seattle’s spot and now they’ve traded that with Colorado… and…” “…I get the order – it’s just that they’re in multiple parts for each trade, and I need to be able to go and tell Don what he can announce now…” “Where is Don? Get me Don…” FFT is behind the scenes at the 2016 MLS SuperDraft at the Baltimore Convention Center. A clock on the big screen is counting down, as the latest of an endless sequence of video montages keeps the atmosphere bubbling in the main hall. Behind the curtain that shields the event operations space from the rest of the vast ballroom, however, some barely ordered chaos is occurring within touching distance of FFT’s privileged vantage point. Here,…

SMOOTHEN THE ROUGH EDGES “Stuart was a young man when he came to Forest, not long out of non-league football and having spent only a relatively short time at Coventry. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that Brian Clough had a little bit of work to do with him when he first arrived. Brian taught him a lot about his tackling and his approach to the game. When Stuart first came he was a little... unsophisticated, shall we say. He would fly into challenges without caring much about where the ball went. By the time I took over [in 1993] he was one of the best tacklers in English football. He would come away with the ball rather than seeing it fly into the stands.” MAKE USE OF THEIR…

STAN CULLIS The most successful of a glut of disciplinarian bosses to emerge in the 1940s, the Wolves man refused to take off a player who was passing blood, telling the club doctor: “Wait until it comes through his backside.” BRIAN CLOUGH Some managers have had fisticuffs with fans, others with their own players, but only Old Big ’Ed did both, clobbering three pitch-invaders in 1989 and once laying out Roy Keane. even-handed of him. ALAN BROWN Clough’s managerial mentor was a former policeman and self-proclaimed “bastard” who helped dig the foundations for Burnley’s new training ground – and insisted that his players helped him out. DIEGO SIMEONE Having played “as if holding a knife between his teeth”, he has no time for “weak” players and got an eight-game ban…

CONDITIONING Jamie Reynolds Elite conditioning coach Accustomed to working with the Premier League’s elite, the man they call ‘Jamie Velocity’ expects the same level of effort from you in the gym. FITNESS Michael Amoah Football League Academy coach Expect no mercy from the high-intensity interval training sessions that Leyton Orient’s sport scientist has devised for you. AGILITY Alan Pearson Maestro of movement Become as nimble as a ninja and wipe the floor with your opponents with dynamic on-pitch drills from SAQ International’s innovator. NUTRITION Ben Coomber Elite performance nutritionist Supplying you with the fuel to push through your workouts and the recovery power to go again, Ben even throws in a Cheeky Nando’s™.…

“I always try to train and improve every day so I can perform at my best level” LIONEL MESSI NATIONALITY Argentine CLUB Barcelona DATE OF BIRTH June 24, 1987 NICKNAME The Flea 21 Goals scored in El Clasico – more than any other player in history 50 The number of goals Messi scored in the 2011-12 season – a La Liga record 286 The number of goals Messi has netted in La Liga, overtaking Telmo Zarra as the all-time top scorer So much praise has been heaped upon Barcelona’s Argentine magician over the last decade, ‘Messi’ might just become a superlative in its own right. He scores wonder-goals with such bewildering regularity that he’s almost downgraded them to the level of tap-ins. Every goal is unique, but they all follow…

“I’ve made the most of my talent… when you want something, it can be achieved” CRISTIANO RONALDO NATIONALITY Portuguese CLUB Real Madrid DATE OF BIRTH Feb 5, 1985 NICKNAME CR7 178 Number of games it took Ronaldo to score 200 top-flight goals in Spain 27 Number of hat-tricks Ronaldo has scored in La Liga 17 CR7’s goal tally in the 2013-14 Champions League – a record Some players are master technicians. Others are supreme athletes. The rest run around a lot. Ronaldo is a hybrid of the three. He is football’s Terminator. Not only do those perfectly sculpted muscles cause an epidemic of wobbly knees; they also serve a functional purpose on the pitch. His power-packed legs can propel him 78cm into the air – 7cm higher than the average…

GK NEVILLE SOUTHALL Big Nev’s an obvious choice for my No.1: he was the best goalkeeper I ever played with or against, without any doubt. He was a great servant to Wales and holds the record for most caps [92]. RB DENIS IRWIN He was a model of consistency with Manchester United and one of the first names on the team-sheet during their successes throughout the 1990s. Seven Premier League titles says it all. CB RIO FERDINAND Comfortable on the ball, he was a classic modern defender. There can’t have been many better defenders in the Premier League era; certainly not many who were such good all-round footballers. CB TONY ADAMS Tony is a leader of men, and what an incredible centre-half he was. Like all the players in my…