Tabla de contenidos para November 2016 en Australian FourFourTwo

Cover star Tim Cahill is a genuine legend in Australian football. Our record goal scorer remains evergreen despite almost two decades in the game and his arrival in the A-League at last will be a huge boost for the sport. But... Similar to some of the criticism of his role in the Socceroos, the inevitable question is who else can we turn to when Tim has gone? In Socceroos terms, the issue is less concerning – our record at the Asian Cup showed goalscoring depth, even if we did rely on Tim coming off the bench to our rescue again in the recent WCQ against UAE. But in A-League terms, the FFA is facing tough times ahead in luring star names to bolster the less mainstream-friendly talent – inspiring and…

1 STADIUM BAN FOR BUMBUM, COUSIN OF BOING BOING Brazil Porto Alegre Gremio’s 0-0 draw with Palmeiras was livened up a bit by beauty queen Miss Bumbum Santa Catarina. Danny Morais, cousin of fellow model Sabrina Boing Boing (yes, really), wrestled a steward before stripping down to a bikini and darting onto the pitch, sash and all. “I just wanted to hug Luan,” she said, referring to the Gremio forward. “This was my first time in a football stadium.” It will also be her last time in a football stadium, at least for a while – she has to report to a police station during Gremio’s next 10 home matches. 2 “SORRY, LADS. HAVE SOME BEER” Germany Wedel When Wedeler TSV lost manager Jorn Grosskopf to fellow minnows SV Eichede,…

It was all going so well for Norrby’s Mehmed Dresevic. The defender had already trebled his goal tally for the season with a brace in a Swedish third-tier clash with Tvaaker, when he crashed home a volley to finish off a quite incredible hat-trick. Understandably, he couldn’t contain his excitement, and celebrated by leaping over the advertising hoardings, taking a seat in the first row of the stand and applauding his own fine strike. “I thought, ‘What the hell: this will be the only hat-trick of my career’ – so I went for it,” the 24-year-old Dresevic tells FFT. However, his return to the pitch was greeted by a red card, as he earned a second booking for leaving the field of play. “Unfortunately the referee didn’t have the same…

‘To be captain of the Socceroos was a bit of a surprise, especially against Brazil...’ I knew I’d made it as a player when I made my debut for Club Brugge. It was my first move overseas, but the first year I spent in the reserve team. My second year was when I made my debut and that’s when it really felt that I was a professional footballer. I was happiest when I could smell the grass of a football field. It meant that I was either going out to train or warming up to a play a game of football. I had two heroes growing up, one was my brother because he was older and I always wanted to play in his team and follow him and do everything…

CRISTIANO RONALDO The shirtless ‘look at the merchandise’ stomp Humble CR7 actually hates cameras – he’d love to celebrate goals by bowing his head and trudging solemnly back to his own half. But he’s just such a passionate advocate of the fight against obesity. Every time CR7 scores, he’s saying: “Kids! Be more like this! It’s way better for you.’ He’s such a giver. MESUT OZIL The thumb-sucker Many grizzled experts reckon that the Arsenal playmaker isn’t a geezer you can rely on when the going gets tough. This celebration doesn’t help. Thumb-sucking is rarely seen as macho, unless that thumb has red-hot chilli on it as a hangover from a banging night out with the boys. But, no, this is a tribute to his niece, Mira. Bless. ANTOINE GRIEZMANN…

1 BAYERN MUNICH Only a titanic defensive effort by Atletico Madrid (and a bit of luck) kept Bayern out last season. They’ll be incredibly tough opponents again, with Carlo Ancelotti likely to maintain the attacking intensity of the Pep Guardiola era, particularly at home. The best chance that any team has against Bayern is to quickly isolate their centre-backs when they get the ball. It’s something Antoine Griezmann and Fernando Torres did very well at the Allianz Arena. With Jerome Boateng and new man Mats Hummels keen to roam upfield in possession, it can be done again this season. 2 REAL MADRID The one consistency in Real Madrid’s uneven 2015-16 season was a rock-solid defence, from Rafa Benitez’s reign to the victory under Zinedine Zidane. On occasion they played more…

“I SAID, ‘SIR, I COULDN’T SLEEP BECAUSE OF YOU’. PELE REPLIED, ‘F**K, DON’T CALL ME SIR – I’M NOT THAT OLD’" “I had been promoted from Santos’ academy and would spend the night in the hotel with the team for the first time – and the coaching staff decided that I would share with Pele,” former Santos player Claudio Adao tells FFT. “I couldn’t get to sleep. Then, at two or three in the morning, Pele woke up screaming. He scared the s**t out of me! I was laying there, still frightened, as he quickly got himself back to sleep as if nothing at all had happened. The next morning at breakfast, I went over to him and said, ‘Sir, I couldn’t sleep because of you’. He just replied,…

“I always looked forward when I had time on the ball. Passing it sideways or backwards was the last resort” Paul, you were one of the best passers of a football we’ve ever seen – what was your secret? Passing was something that came naturally to me. Until the age of 18 I was a striker, but [former Manchester United youth team coach] Eric Harrison always thought I would be a central midfielder. He saw something in my passing and felt I could be a creative player. I was lucky at United, because Alex Ferguson would constantly tell me to play the ball forwards. When I had time on the ball, my first thought was always to look for my two wide players and my two strikers. The last resort…

Barnsley First John Stones, now Mason Holgate – we want to know what they feed their young defenders. Boxfit A fast-growing fitness craze, it’s a fun way to get in shape – and a real stress-buster. Quinoa This South American source of carbs is packed with protein and won’t leave you with love handles. Hashtag philosophers Apparently a modern man’s workout isn’t complete without telling Twitter how they #eatclean and #traindirty. Yawn. Snapbacks They’re the latest sartorial favourite among gym posers. Who knew sunstroke was such a risk inside a local leisure centre? The dab Remember when goal celebrations were a spontaneous, unrehearsed display of emotion? Take note, Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba.…

“Just remember: the best players in the world have faced tough moments too. Football works in cycles – no player has been prolific for his whole career. If you’ve struggled, it’s probably just down to some bad luck. Be humble enough to accept the dry spell, and work hard to end it quickly. Believe in your strengths – you don’t lose your ability to put the ball in the net overnight. Don’t give up, got it?”…

Coerver coaching say they can make anyone a better player – from kids who have never touched a ball to experienced semi-professionals... so I gave them the ultimate challenege: ME! The program targets technical ability and speed through clinics aimed at kids aged 4-16. All sessions are structured with premeditated drills tailored to the situation and age group. Inspired by Wiel Coerver and created by Alfred Galustian and Chelsea great Charlie Cooke, Coerver Coaching is now a global football coaching programme. But can it cope with me? I tackled their 6-stage development to find out... BALL MASTERY We all have a ball at our feet, and I must reach the stage where I’m comfortable with the ball at different parts of my feet so this touch and feel ecomes natural…

GIGI BUFFON “Gigi is the best goalkeeper in the world for sure, at least in the last 40 years. We played together for Italy, of course, and the most incredible save I ever witnessed him make was in the World Cup final against France in 2006. With the score level at 1-1 during extra-time, Zinedine Zidane powered a header for an almost certain goal – but Gigi got up to it brilliantly and athletically touched the ball over the crossbar. It was really amazing, even by his high standards.” XAVI “In my very first training session with Barcelona after I arrived in 2006, I kept trying to take the ball from Xavi, but it was impossible. They had just won back-to-back league titles, and I could see very quickly that…

Melbourne Derby The A-League is BACK! And after the previous weekend’s Sydney derby, it’s Melbourne’s turn. Liverpool vs Man United Monday Night Football sees Mourinho – hardly Mr Popular at Liverpool – turn up with their rivals Barcelona vs Man City Pep Guardiola and Claudio Bravo return to the Camp Nou for a Champions League group game Inter vs Southampton Saints visit the San Siro in the Europa League for arguably their most glamorous tie in decades Juventus vs Napoli Last term’s top two face off in Serie A as Gonzalo Higuain takes on the club he controversially left Sydney v Melbourne Victory FFA have cranked up the scheduling to pack all the blockbuster fixtures into the opening rounds…

2 WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS 0 SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA AFC Champions League, 14 May 2014 THE LEAD UP It had been a big couple of weeks for us – we had lost the Grand Final in Brisbane and flown straight out to Hiroshima and gone down 3-1 there. It wasn’t a terrible result, but it was going to be a big ask to try and win by two goals and not concede at home. The second leg I was on the bench and I came on just after halftime - at left back of all positions - and I was encouraged to get forward and play my natural game. THE MATCH We always just followed the same style, the same game plan, and I was thrown in with the responsibility to add…

Forget questioning if Cahill can work with star forward Bruno Fornaroli at Melbourne City. The Uruguayan was a standout in his first season in Australia, scoring an incredible record-smashing 25 goals in 29 A-League appearances. Just how the arrival of another attacking player in John van ’t Schip’s team will impact Fornaroli remains to be seen. The 29-year-old knows it will – but feels it’ll be to everyone’s advantage... unless your a rival team. “I think when you play with a player like Tim, it’s easier,” Fornaroli says. “Tim is a very smart footballer. I think we can play together and try to help the team win games. “That’s the first thing.” If the duo can combine, City could yet be the A-League’s best attack once again. Fornaroli says: “I…

MAURICIO POCHETTINO Tottenham Hotspur The improvement in Tottenham’s players under Pochettino has been stratospheric, building on the natural intelligence of Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Harry Kane. He’ll need to adjust his tactics to stop key men from burning out, but, like his players, he’s capable of making the step up quickly. This could be the first of many Champions League appearances for Pochettino. JORGE SAMPAOLI Sevilla Few Champions League coaching debuts are as hotly anticipated as that of Sampaoli, now he’s finally moved over to Europe aged 56. The Argentine’s high-pressing, Copa America-winning Chile team were exhilarating to watch, and with a string of arrivals at Sevilla he can mould a side in his own image. That rate of turnover, and a very different playing style from predecessor Unai…

OLIVIER GIROUD Arsenal He’s turning 30 in September, so there won’t be too many observers ready to change their minds about Giroud. Yet, as his last 12 months with France have proved, he doesn’t need to be liked to get the job done. He’s scored seven goals in his nine most recent starts for Les Bleus, suggesting maturity is a continual process for this late developer. Giroud should also benefit from more of his kind of service at Arsenal this season, with Hector Bellerin becoming one of the Premier League’s finest full-backs and Nacho Monreal improving no end. As long as the Gunners continue to excel in midfield but look light upfront – so, always – more chances could come his way. EDINSON CAVANI Paris Saint-Germain If the majority of…

“WHEN YOU PUT MALES OF A CERTAIN AGE TOGETHER IN A ROOM WITH EXUBERANCE AND EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL, BAD THINGS HAPPEN” “I need to start learning some Scottish swear words,” Joey Barton laughs as he’s asked to fire a few obscenities at the camera during his photoshoot with FourFourTwo . Seconds later he’s turning the air blue in a thick Glaswegian accent, which is rather more convincing than his infamous attempts at sounding like a born-and-bred Frenchman during his time in Marseille. Rangers’ new signing instantly settled into his usual ways north of the border – and was swiftly suspended by his new club for three weeks after a post-match blue. Despite that, Barton insists the midfielder still has his sights set on Scottish title honours. Whether he’ll…

Real Valladolid may be in the second division, but few clubs in Spain can boast such a multi-talented mascot. The Estadio Jose Zorrilla is home to Pepe Zorrillo, a sword-brandishing fox who is both cute and vaguely menacing at the same time. Pepe has been the Pucela’s mascot since 2009 and his most memorable moments include his own foxy take on breakdancing, doing the worm in the centre circle and even the odd Robbie Keane-esque forward roll – all while draped in the club’s purple and white colours and carrying a shield. Sadly, Valladolid can only inform FFT that his myriad talents don’t extend as far as talking. He’s a real fox, the club insists – a 6ft tall fox – and definitely not a human being who’s wearing a…

Forget Fergie Time – anything after 90 minutes is Wenger Time. Across the last 10 seasons in all divisions, Arsenal have scored 14 more stoppage-time goals than any other current Premier League side, and 22 more than Manchester United. And the moral of this story? DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE TRAFFIC! CHILL OUT Boss Sebastian Beccacece lost the plot during a Universidad de Chile match, directing a karate kick at a pitchside fridge…

John van ’t Schip knows he may need to fiddle with his system to accommodate his new star. With Bruno Fornaroli having enjoyed a spectacular campaign that included 25 goals in 29 matches last A-League season, the Dutch coach is in a potential quandary. Just how he caters for Cahill, and deals with the departure of star midfielder Aaron Mooy to sister club Manchester City, is set to be crucial. Van ’t Schip feels he will have no trouble fitting the Socceroos great in, but there may be slight changes. “Maybe there will be some things that happen during a game or during the season that you change around a little bit,” he says. “But we all know the position where Tim is strong and that’s up front as a…

CAHILL was the game changer FFA wanted. With broadcast rights negotiations taking place, the A-League needed star names to give it new life. The introduction of the guest player spot helped, as Melbourne City – which could have managed the signing without the governing body’s help – landed the biggest name in Australian football. FFA chief executive David Gallop says Cahill can help the A-League reach an entirely new audience. “Tim is one of the most recognisable sportspeople in Australia and a household name around the country,” he says. “He is a fantastic ambassador for football, and Australia, on and off the field, and he has the ability to tap into the millions of Australians who play and enjoy football but are yet to truly engage with the A-League. “Tim…

What do you guys actually do, apart from stand near the goal and watch? Additional assistant referees are there to support the referee. Obviously our main job is to determine whether the ball has completely crossed the goal-line or not. That’s a rare situation, so we also offer help in deciding if there’s been a foul or handball, and whether an offence took place inside or outside the penalty area. What’s the main difference between this gig and being a normal ref? The biggest difference is the perspective – while the referee is usually behind the action, the AAR is always in front of the action. It takes some getting used to. Do you think introducing additional assistants has made any difference? I do. For one, I think it has…

JOSHUA KIMMICH Bayern Munich Whatever you remember Kimmich for, it’s directly down to Pep Guardiola. The most arresting sight of the pair working together last season was after the 0-0 draw at Borussia Dortmund, when the coach conducted an intense impromptu clinic out on the pitch with his protégé immediately after full-time. It showed how Guardiola has moulded Kimmich, converting the young midfielder into a centre-back – his mini-Mascherano. With the Catalan gone and Kimmich having broken through with Germany, the 21-year-old – who was also superb at right-back during Euro 2016 – will be returned to midfield by Carlo Ancelotti. JOSE MARIA GIMENEZ Atletico Madrid After the Champions League finals of 2014 and 2016, it’s easy to think that Diego Simeone is the unluckiest coach in Europe. Don’t feel…

SERGEI REBROV Dynamo Kiev Big-spending Spurs shelled out $22m on Rebrov in 2000, but two years and 16 goals later, he was gone. He’s now managing Dynamo Kiev, taking them to successive league titles. What price him ruining Tottenham’s dreams? MAPOU YANGA-MBIWA Lyon Part of Newcastle’s Ligue 1 cavalcade, Yanga-Mbiwa was a one-man calamity zone in England. He was a man reborn at Roma, though, then moved to Lyon to finish ‘best of the rest’ behind PSG. ALBERTO AQUILANI Sporting In 2009 Liverpool signed Aquilani – called “potentially one of the best in the world” by Roma chum Francesco Totti – to replace Xabi Alonso. Derided at Liverpool for not being Alonso, or even very good, he’s now at Sporting via Juventus, Milan and Fiorentina. ZORAN TOSIC CSKA Moscow One…

By May of this year, Crystal Palace were not one of the surprise packages of the 2015-16 Premier League season. In fact, they limped over the line to finish in 15th place. That wasn’t the case over Christmas, however. As they tucked into their turkey dinners, Alan Pardew’s team found themselves in the unprecedented position of rubbing shoulders with the top four, kept out of the Champions League spots only by goal difference. Then a 14-match winless streak, featuring five consecutive defeats, transformed the sugar-plum tale of sixth place into the dire depth-plumbing of 16th. No match was more representative of the shattering of Palace’s season than their 1-0 defeat at Villa Park in January, which gifted the Midlanders their first victory since the opening day in August. Joleon Lescott…

What is it? A heavy-duty exercise bike that provides a full body cardio workout. The user has to pedal the wheels while simultaneously pushing the handlebars forwards and backwards. How does it work? The bike adapts to the intensity of your workout. The harder you push and pedal, the greater the resistance produced by the bike, which soon gets the heart racing and muscles burning. Who uses it? Footballers use it as a conditioning tool to help them get back into shape during pre-season, and it’s also proved a popular piece of equipment among Team GB’s Olympic boxers, basketball teams, pro cyclists and sprinters. Why are they using it? The bike is ideal for high-intensity interval training. Footballers often do a 20-second period of work followed by a 10-second period…

ADIDAS TIRO 15 STADIUM JACKET Waterproof? Check. Understated? Check. Good value? Check. It’s time to raid that piggy bank of yours. Cost $150 Buy prodirectsoccer.com UNDER ARMOUR SPORTSTYLE ANORAK This lightweight bit of kit has a fuller fit for more comfort, and repels water without sacrificing breathability. Cost $120 Buy underarmour.com.au NEW BALANCE PRECISION RUN JACKET Laser-perforated venting will prevent overheating, while the blue and cherry colour will bring out your eyes. Honest. Cost $260 Buy www.newbalance.co.uk…

SALMON Vitamin boost Its bright and healthy complexion means there’s no surprise in hearing that salmon is brimming with benefits. Just 200g will give you more than your recommended daily allowance of vitamins B6 and B12, which help your body to release energy from the other foods you eat, so that you can extract every single ounce of goodness from your diet to fuel your performance. Scientists even believe that eating this ocean-dweller could have big mental health advantages. Researchers at Ohio State University found that 2.5g of omega-3 – that’s around 12-15 ounces of salmon – eased symptoms of anxiety by some 20 per cent. You won’t worry about that goal drought of yours ever again. 1 “In a 100g portion of salmon there is 20g of protein, making…

FOAM ROLLER If you’ve ever popped down the gym and spotted a balding fortysomething straddling a massive marshmallow, you’ve probably seen foam rolling. This anonymous-looking piece of gym equipment is used by footballers to massage their lower body before and after training. Rolling sends a signal to the brain to loosen muscles and increase blood flow, to flush out the toxins produced during intense physical activity. This helps to improve flexibility and accelerates recovery. A study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise noted how a foam rolling routine reduced the muscle soreness and increased the range of motion in weightlifters following a squat workout. Think what it could do for your stiff limbs the day after a game. 1 “Our players like them the day after a game…