Tabla de contenidos para April 2016 en Australian FourFourTwo

FIFA has a new boss - a bald, multi-lingual Swiss. The King is dead, long live the King. Gianni Infantino's sales pitch to be new FIFA president, and fill Sepp Blatter's toxic shoes, was literally: "I made UEFA lots more money, I'll make FIFA lots more money and I will give you lots more money. Oh and also, you'll be more likely to qualify for the World Cup with me by expanding it to 40 spots." FIFA's motto, For The Game, is just an utterly meaningless, empty slogan now. It can be shortened to simply: For Me. Self interest is the driving force. The clean up might possibly be underway – but judging by the pre-election speeches, real reform needs to acknowledge the corruption at the heart of FIFA, and…

1 Western Sydney Wanderers (Brendon Santalab) 3 Ulsan Hyundai (Kang Min-soo, Kim Shin-wook, Ko Chang-hyun) February 2014, Parramatta Stadium, AFC Asian Champions League The Lead Up “We were going into the unknown. We had never played in the Asian Champions League before, so it was new for all of us. Everything happened really quickly – we were concentrating on the A-League and did not have much time to focus on the Champions League. Our preparation was different as well, because the Asian Football Confederation have various rules and regulations about training the day before etc. The Match “It felt like it was an important occasion, a big game, and seeing the AFC match officials around added to that. It was an exciting time. The atmosphere from our crowd was very…

“Sir Alex spoke at length to Teddy at half-time, not me. I thought: ‘I’m going to prove you wrong’” FACT FILE Full name Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Date of birth 26/02/1973 Height 5ft 10in Position Striker Place of birth Kristiansund, Norway Clubs 1990-95 Clausenengen 109 games (115 goals); 1995-96 Molde 42 (33); 1996-2007 Manchester United 366 (126) International 1995-2007 Norway 67 (23) Clubs managed 2010-14 Molde; 2014 Cardiff City; 2015- Molde Playing honours Premier League 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07; FA Cup 1998-99, 2003-04; UEFA Champions League 1998-99; Intercontinental Cup 1999 Managerial honours Norwegian Premier League 2011, 2012; Norwegian Cup 2013 “We have a saying in Norway: there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing,” Ole Gunnar Solskjaer chuckles as FFT shivers pitchside at Molde’s smart Aker Stadion,…

Liverpool’s famous victory over AC Milan in the 2004-05 UEFA Champions League final ranks as possibly the greatest in the club’s history – but Luis Garcia believes an achievement like that will never be repeated. Rafa Benitez’s side was 3-0 down at halftime against one of the strongest Milan lineups ever. Paolo Maldini scored within the opening minute, before Hernan Crespo added two more just before the break. Things were grim for Liverpool, and not even die-hard supporters could imagine they would turn the game around. But that’s what happened. Inspirational captain Steven Gerrard got things rolling with one of the best headers in his career, before Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso pegged it back to 3-3 in a crazy six minutes of football. Liverpool had somehow managed to take…

200 Games in the A-League was caped off with a goal and assist as Western Sydney Wanderers defeated Adelaide United 2-1 at Pirtek Stadium in Round 26 (2014/15) 5 Games played in the old NSL with Parramatta Power before joining Newcastle Jets in the inaugural year of the A-League 58 Minutes into a 6-1 drubbing of Adelaide United (2012/13) Bridge completed Wanderers’ first hat trick. It was also the first time the fledgling outfit had scored A-League survivor Mark Bridge has built his game on being in the right place at the right time. The first player to score in two Grand Finals for different clubs (Newcastle and Sydney FC), he’s come a long way since infamously warning off players for attacking his “weak ankles”. Two Premiership wins, a Championship…

CANBERRA? Former Socceroo Andy Bernal is born and bred in Canberra. By age 15 he was playing with Canberra City who were an NSL from 1977 to 1986. He says it’s a national disgrace the capital of Australia does not have an A League team. “For reasons beyond me, the FFA don’t want to support a team from the Capital, he says. “We’re one of the only nations in the world that doesn’t have a team from the national capital in it.” Bernal believes a successful team in Canberra is possible, and the youth academy which has been created is a stepping stone. “It helps to create something from the bottom and then in-time, a production line that can feed that A League side,” he says. “You could then get…

TEAM BONDING BOOSTS WELL-BEING Taking part in training and playing in matches aren’t the only ways football can improve your general health. Researchers in the US have discovered that team camaraderie can also have a positive impact on blood pressure, diabetes and inflammation. SIZE MATTERS Junior players should be slowly introduced to full-size pitches to reduce the risk of burnout, say Spanish experts. Analysts found that under-12 and under-13 players respond best to full-size pitches when the dimensions are increased gradually. STUDY FOR KEEPS Goalkeepers save more shots when they are taught to look for clues in an opponent’s body language in one-on-one situations. Observers learned that shot-stoppers who focused more on the attacker’s body position than their own were more successful at blocking the ball. MICE MOVES Scientists seeking…

I knew I’d made it as a player when, after scoring 77 goals in my final season with Hollandia (Brisbane Lions) in 1968, I was scouted by a number of clubs before transferring first to Sydney Croatia and then to the best club in Australia, Marconi. I was happiest playing football alongside the great Les Scheinflug at Marconi after he converted me into a midfielder from my previous striker role. Les had an outstanding left foot and I learnt a great deal from him in those early days at Bossley Park. My hero growing up was Ferenc Puskas of Hungary. I will always remember a goal he scored against Eintracht Frankfurt at Hampden Park, Scotland in the European Cup final of 1959/60 in front of nearly 128,000. Wide out on…

VALLADOLID 0-1 NUMANCIA LOS PAJARITOS, LA LIGA AUGUST 8, 1999 Makes his first appearance in La Liga, coming on as a second-half substitute for Valladolid at Numancia. BARCELONA 0-1 VALENCIA CAMP NOU, LA LIGA OCTOBER 5, 2003 Replaces Luis Enrique in the second-half at the Camp Nou against Valencia for his first appearance in the Barcelona first team, following several years in the youth academy and numerous stints at other clubs. LIVERPOOL 1-0 CHELSEA ANFIELD, UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL MAY 3, 2005 Scores a “ghost goal” - as dubbed by Jose Mourinho - to guide Liverpool to the Champions League decider thanks to a 1-0 aggregate win in the semi-finals. LIVERPOOL 3-3 AC MILAN (3-2 ON PENALTIES) ATATURK OLYMPIC STADIUM, UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL MAY 25, 2005 Plays 120 minutes…

17 W-League goals for three clubs – Adelaide United, Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar 8 Minutes on the park before she set the ball rolling for fellow substitute Kyah Simon’s 80th minute goal against Brazil at the 2015 World Cup 38 Caps for the Matildas for 11 goals since her debut for the national team in 2012 You can learn a lot about midfield warrior Katrina Gorry just watching her on the sidelines. Fierce, passionate, tenacious... and that’s before she even crosses the white line. When the diminutive Matildas star was suspended for Brisbane Roar’s semi-final clash against W-League newbies Melbourne City in January, she ran the full gamut of emotions. The 23-year-old harried her team-mates non-stop, spurring them onto to the brink of a remarkable win against the unbeaten…

GRETNA Gretna were one of the most exciting stories in Scottish football history. In 2002, they replaced Airdrie in the Scottish Football League and went from the fourth tier to the Scottish Premier League in three consecutive seasons and made the Scottish Cup final in 2006. Finding success by signing players who had prospered in a division or two above, they were led by “Dr Goals” – Kenny Deuchar a qualified rheumatology doctor. It was real Roy of the Rovers stuff but unfortunately when they did reach the SPL, the step up would prove too much. Their tiny ground in Gretna – most famous for runaway weddings – did not meet SPL criteria so they had to share Motherwell’s ground, more than an hour’s drive away. And when maverick owner…

“Ididn’t realise how good it was until all the guys were talking about it in the changing room,” Dele Alli chirpily tells FourFourTwo while perched on the edge of a luxurious sofa. The water-cooler moment in question isn’t Netflix’s latest true crime brain-bender – no, he’s talking about a goal. Specifically, the goal he scored against Crystal Palace. Yes, that one. “Obviously it was a great goal and I’m proud to have scored it, but I was surprised by the reaction,” Alli says with a shrug. It certainly was a great goal. With Spurs toiling at 1-1, Alli controlled Christian Eriksen’s knock-down header with his first touch, used his second to loft the ball over his own shoulder and the onrushing Mile Jedinak, and then rifled a blistering volley into…

Look at the cherubic features of the finest footballer to wear West Ham United’s claret and blue since Paolo Di Canio’s heyday and you’d find it hard to believe he has a bit of a temper. Dimitri Payet, combustible? Surely not. But the player that has brought such measured brilliance to his first season in the Premier League insists he can be as volcanic as the rocky landscape of his homeland, the Indian Ocean island of Réunion. “You haven’t seen it yet in England, and I hope you never will as it’d mean something’s not right, but yeah, I can be temperamental,” Payet tells FourFourTwo. “Generally speaking, I’m fairly calm, but when I lose my temper I’m difficult to control. I can be annoying. I’m fully aware of that. But…

1 Get the balance right Don’t let yourself be sucked out of position “A defensive midfielder must be in the right position all the time. Where’s that? It can depend on the situation but, crucially, you have to be able to read the game. Your main duties are without the ball – how you stop the opposition. When your team is attacking, be ready to support your team-mates, but you must also be aware of a possible counter-attack so you can be there to break it up. The balance of the team depends on you.” 2 Suss out your opponent Come up with a plan of attack “It’s important to do your job before the game. You’ve got to know the playing style of your main opponent – it should…

POT NOODLE A versatile ‘cook’, he’s also a dab hand at Super Noodles. D’OH! He originally arranged his wedding for June 11 – the date England play Russia in their first match at Euro 2016. 11 Consecutive matches scored in, beating Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Prem record JAMIE VARDY’S HAVING A PARTY. WHAT DO YOU BRING? Bacardi 20% Blue WKD 20% Pizza and cocktail sausages 10% Banter 50% The Secret Santa present he once gave a team-mate CANNON Vardy’s nickname at Fleetwood Town $60 Weekly wage in 2007 ZAC EFRON Who he reckons will play him in his life story #CHATSHITGETBANGED Jamie’s special way of dealing with Twitter trolls, which he first used in 2011 CARBON FIBRE TECHNICIAN While at Stocksbridge and Halifax Town, Vardy had a job making medical splints…

Between 2008 and 2012 Spain were the most dominant force in world football, winning two European Championships either side of their first ever World Cup triumph. But despite being a key figure for the national team, Garcia missed out on tasting any success with his nation. And to this day it is something he looks back upon with regret. Garcia made his debut for Spain in 2005 following impressive form for Liverpool in their Champions League winning season. He made his debut in a 3-0 friendly win against China, while he was a part of Spain’s qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup. In their World Cup play-off against Slovakia, Garcia scored his first international goal, before adding two more in a 5-1 rout, with Garcia the hero. That feat saw…

50 A-League appearances capped off with a 52nd minute opener in a 2-1 win over former club Perth Glory on January 2, in front of a season-high 17,696 fans at Suncorp Stadium 10 Goals scored in the A-League as of Round 18 – five with his left foot and five with his right foot 2 International caps earned with Scotland U19s playing against Denmark and Norway The scene was set for a goal hero. Brisbane Roar had shipped eight goals in two games and scored zip from open play. The mini slump coincided with the absence of their Olyroos including Roar’s leading goal scorer, Jamie Maclaren, who was due to return to the line-up against Sydney FC. Fresh from being bundled out of the Olympic qualifiers in Doha there was…

The A-League needs to get bigger - but do we do it by expansion or by promotion and relegation? And how…? Last year, on a fresh Tuesday night in September, a near-capacity 11,372 Heidelberg United fans packed in like yeeros meat in pita bread to watch their side tackle Melbourne City in the FFA Cup quarter final. Melbourne Olympic Village hadn’t seen anything like this since the club’s halcyon NSL days in the late 70s and early 80s when the ‘Bergers had a record nine players in the Socceroos 1st XI. Founded by Greek immigrants in 1958, the focus of the Warriors crowd was on special guest player signing, former captain of the Greek national team Kostas Katsouranis. In the stands that night was veteran news presenter George Donikian who…

MLS has football specific stadiums controlled by the teams themselves meaning 15 of the current 20 MLS clubs play in a stadium that was purpose built. MLS has 28 markets of more than one million residents, and another 30 with more than 500,000, plus the three Canadian markets with MLS clubs. USA’s 318 million population lets them focus on cities that show “support” of soccer and have an existing and ever growing fan base for the game. They have secured high wealth individuals with previous experience in managing high profile sports such as NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB. MLS benefited from the momentum generated by earlier expansion and the interest across all platforms in David Beckham’s signing with MLS in 2007. Four of the five expansion teams were already playing…

GARETH BALE Southampton, 2007 Weeks after picking up the award aged 17, Bale joined Tottenham Hotspur for $14 million. The Welsh wizard was an occasional left-back until early 2010, but after being given a chance further forward he’s never looked back, becoming one of the game’s elite players, joining Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee and winning the Champions League. FABIAN DELPH Leeds United, 2009 Like Bale, Delph moved immediately after picking up his gong, only for injury to blight his first two seasons with Aston Villa. He was subsequently made captain and voted 2013-14 Player of the Year. An accomplished all-round midfielder, Delph completed a protracted move to Manchester City in the summer of 2015 and has made nine appearances for England. NATHANIEL CLYNE Crystal Palace, 2010…

There are few people in China who rank among the gods. Mao Tse-tung. Confucius. And Elkeson, nicknamed Ai shen, or ‘Elkeson the god’. A Brazilian forward who has been top scorer in the Chinese Super League for two of the previous three seasons, Elkeson has established himself as a household name in the world’s most populous country since his arrival in 2013. Elkeson’s 72 appearances in the league have brought no fewer than 59 goals. “If anyone in China doesn’t know his name, they’re not a football fan,” one supporter explains. “When I came to China, a lot of people didn’t know me,” Elkeson tells FFT. “Today, my name is said a lot in China and I take great pride in that. It’s really cool to see how passionate Chinese…

“Robin van Persie helped me a lot at Arsenal. He’s like a big brother to me” “Someone who had just seen Oguzhan Ozyakup for the first time could be forgiven for saying: ‘Did he come from outer space? He dribbles like Zinedine Zidane’.” Ozyakup had just helped Besiktas secure a 5-2 win on the opening day of the Super Lig season and even Ridvan Dilmen, a former player of rivals Fenerbahce, was impressed. Ask most people across Europe to name Turkey’s biggest star and Arda Turan is the most likely response. Next might come Hakan Calhanoglu or Burak Yilmaz. Not too many would pick Ozyakup, or ‘Ozzy’. But his recent appearance as the cover star of FourFourTwo’s Turkish edition – posing as an orchestral maestro, symbolic of his role in…

MASTERCLASS Fernando Manchester City’s Brazilian enforcer The title challengers’ defensive midfielder outlines how to win the ball back and use it in the best way. TEAMWORK Marc Bartra Barcelona defender and La Masia graduate Listen to your elders and learn from the experienced players in the side if you’re a young gun... PRO TIPS Ian Wright Legendary Arsenal and England striker Time your runs to perfection if you want to take your team to a whole new level. Wrighty tells you how. NUTRITION Liam Holmes Elite performance nutritionist The best foods to eat on gameday, as tried and tested by this food expert, will make sure you last the distance…

“For a morning kick-off, your pre-match meal should contain food that’s easy to digest. Don’t eat anything that’s deep-fried or full of fat, such as pastries. An omelette, protein porridge or Greek yoghurt with berries and granola is ideal. If you’re playing in the afternoon, have a similar breakfast, then a small meal two to three hours before kick-off. I’d recommend a chicken and hummus wrap, a protein bar or a homemade smoothie. These meals include good carbohydrates for sustained energy, small amounts of healthy fats to improve your concentration and decision-making, and protein to kick-start recovery. Immediately after the game, have a recovery shake, followed by a solid meal with vegetables and some starchy carbs, such as jerk chicken, rice and peas. Your evening meal should contain healthy fats…

GK NIGEL MARTYN Nige was a proper goalkeeper, with fine positioning, distribution and awareness. Away from the football pitch, he was humble, a true gentlemen and was always willing to learn and to teach. RB GARY NEVILLE Gary had an impressive engine, getting up and down the flank with ease due to his stamina, and a great mind for defending: he knew instinctively when to make a run and when to cover back. CB SOL CAMPBELL He was strong, vocal, a good organiser and renowned for his strength in the air, and his impressive physique made him one of the best. He prolonged his playing career by taking good care of his body. CB JOHN TERRY I once swapped shirts with him. He was a very confident youngster then, who…