After being deemed surplus to requirements at Atletico Madrid, Uruguayan
striker Diego Forlan is expected to try his luck in the Premier League once more after a previous unsuccessful spell with Manchester United between 2002 and 2004. It is fact that some continental players cannot cope with the physical demands of the English Premier League
and also struggle to adjust to the weather, lifestyle and culture. We
have listed a few "superstar" players who came to play in the Premier League and ultimately went back with tail between legs.
Diego Forlan - Joined
Manchester United in 2002 from Argentinian side Independiente and only managed to score 17 goals in 95 appearances for the Premier League champions.
This statistic paled in comparison to fellow striker Ruud Van
Nistelrooy's tally of 150 goals in 210 appearances and Forlan was soon
offloaded to Spain when Wayne Rooney joined the club in 2004.
Winston Bogarde - Often ridiculed by fans of
English football, Bogarde took full advantage of his lucrative contract at Chelsea
by refusing to leave the club even though he was reduced to playing
with the reserves and even the youth teams. He eventually saw out his
contract and subsequently retired from playing when it expired - he was
on a reported £40,000 per week!
Juan Sebastian Veron - When
Manchester United shelled out a then English
transfer record of £28.1 million many people thought that they were
getting a genuine world class superstar. Unfortunately Veron couldn't
handle the pace of the Premiership and wasn't allowed the time and space he was used to and he was often very ineffective in games. United were lucky to recoup £15 million for Veron from Chelsea 2 years later but he was ineffective there too and after spending 2 seasons on loan abroad he moved back permanently.
Hernan Crespo - A prolific scorer wherever he played, Crespo found himself in South London with
Chelsea in 2003 after signing from Inter Milan for £16.8 million. When Jose Mourinho took over as Chelsea manager in 2004 he was loaned out to AC Milan, then returned back to Chelsea, then loaned out again to Inter Milan. Although Crespo scored 20 goals in 49 appearances he never fully adapted to the English game and is subsequently regarded as a transfer flop.
Jon Dahl Tomasson - After being selected for the award of Best Dutch
Talent in 1996 whilst at Heerenveen, Tomasson was in high demand and
eventually chose to join Newcastle
United to form, what then
manager Kenny Dalglish said would be a perfect partnership with Alan
Shearer. Although the partnership started well, Shearer got injured and
Tomasson was played out of position as a striker instead of attacking
midfielder. He wasn't comfortable with this new role and his
performances were well below par. He ended up scoring 4 goals in 35
appearances for the Toon before returning to Holland with Feyenoord
where his career was revitalised and he ended up as one of the best
players in his position in Europe.
Tomas Brolin - After impressing for Sweden at Euro 92 and the World Cup in 1994, Brolin signed for Leeds
United
in 1995 from Italian side Parma. He was expected to make a huge impact
but unfortunately this never came to fruition as a fallout with then
manager Howard Wilkinson about his defensive abilities and the fact that
he didn't pull his weight meant that he spent a lot of time on the subs
bench. After a farcical couple of years where he went to FC Zurich and
Parma on loan and also joined Crystal Palace, Brolin retired from football at the age of 29 and has since held the accolade of the worse signing in the history of Leeds United.
Andrei Shevchenko - Arguably the best striker in the world at the turn of the new century, Shevchenko left AC Milan for
Chelsea
with a record of 173 goals in 296 games for £30.8 million. An
indifferent spell in West London resulted in the player netting 9 times
in 43 games over a 3 year spell. He spent a year back at AC Milan which
was also unsuccessful and he ultimately ended up back at his first club
Dinamo Kiev.
Sergei Rebrov - Shevchenko's Dinamo Kiev strike partner signed for
Tottenham Hotspur for £11 million in June 2000 but never realy shone and
a return of 10 goals in 60 appearances for the club resulted in him
getting shipped out on loan to Fenerbache. He then returned to England
with West Ham and had another poor spell only scoring once in 27 games
before returning back to the Ukraine with Kiev.
Soccer is the universal sport. For those who love what everyone
outside the USA calls "football," there is no more beautiful game than
the one played with one's feet.
What makes soccer so universally appealing that children in the remotest parts of the world know who
Lionel Messi is? Well, let's take Messi as an example. The 5 foot 6 inch tall FA Barcelona forward is small, even by soccer standards. But Messi's diminutive size in no way diminishes his effectiveness on the field of play.
In fact,
soccer is one of the few sports where smallness of
stature can be an advantage, if it is accompanied by quickness,
intelligence, vision, and extraordinary eye-foot coordination, which
results in exceptional ball control and dribbling.
Messi
possesses all these attributes. And because he does not
look like a magnificent athlete, but like a regular guy, millions of
regular guys, and gals, around the world can relate to him. He makes the
sport more accessible to the average person. This average person can
triumph on the field against larger athletes vicariously through Messi.
The simplicity of soccer, the fact that anyone can understand it
almost instantly, makes it a sport for all people. The fact that the
poorest children can play soccer even in the most dire places, makes it the king of sports for the poor and the rich alike.
Messi,
who was born of humble origins in Rosario, Argentina, was
recruited into the Barcelona cantera, or youth league system at a very
young age. There, in Spain, he learned to harness his immense abilities
and to use them for the benefit of his team at every level of play.
Though his home country of Argentina has not been able to win international championships with
Messi
at forward, his club team, Barcelona, has won three consecutive Spanish
league (La Liga) titles and is being touted as one of the greatest
teams of all time after having won the 2011 European Champions Cup after
defeating Manchester United fairly easily.
But it is not the individual player that wins championships. If it were
so, Argentina would be holding up the World Cup instead of Spain. And
this is another reason why
soccer is the greatest of all sports.
Because the success of a "team" is contingent on the success of its
players playing together as a team.
Human beings universally honor the idea of working together, of sacrificing together, for a common end. Many of
Messi's
teammates on Barcelona were members of La Roja, the Spanish national
team and 2010 World Cup Champions. The teamwork fostered in FA Barcelona
and by the other Spanish players that made up the Spain soccer
Team, provide the greatest recent example of how patience, sacrifice,
and concentration, when practiced by a cohesive, single-minded, and
unified group, can reach the greatest heights.
People around the world understand the greatest things are accomplished
when people join together in a common cause. When people (i.e.,
athletes) accomplish this on the field of play, they can win
championships! But championships are won outside the stadium as well, in
the field of Life, where people of all colors, religions, economic and
social levels working together can accomplish great things!
We all understand this, some of us more than others. And when we see it
happening on the field, we are seeing what we admire most in athletes
and in ourselves.
In the last several years no one has played
soccer better that
the Spanish National Team. The 2010 World and 2008 European champion
Spaniards go for an unprecedented third consecutive major international
trophy in the 2012 European Cup. Learn about the patented tiqui-taca
style of play they have perfected and the promising youngsters coming up
through the ranks.
Ryan Giggs is one of the greatest Manchester United players. Ryan was born on 29 November 1973. He spent his entire professional carrier paying for only Manchester United.
He made his first appearance for the club during the 1991-1992 seasons.
He is considered as one of the best talented player in the history of
this club. Now, we will discuss the three main facts of why Ryan Giggs is truly a legend.
The first fact is about the skill of that player. He played for his team
as a left winger and continuing in this position well till year 2000.
That alone point describe how impressive Ryan Giggs was
playing at that position for the team. He is a source of inspiration for
thousands of fans around the world. His manager, Sir Alex Ferguson,
always considered him as a key player and that's why Sir Alex Ferguson
has never thought of transferring Giggs to another club. How can we forget the FA Cup 1999 Semi-Final where Ryan Giggs easily dribbled five Arsenal players to made Manchester United won the match. This 1999 FA cup match is still considered as one of the best in the history of British football.
The second reason is about the attitude of this player. He is surely one of the most respected players in the world. Ryan
has always respected other players and he does not play football with
anger like Rooney or other players. This is a very good example to
follow as this player has always lived a simple life. Despite the
allegations about the personal of this player, he remains forever a
great
soccer player. Ryan Giggs throughout his
entire carrier has never received a red card. That is just amazing, a
player playing for a team for more than 15 years and never received a
red card. This is just awesome.
The third point, we will talk about the successful carrier of this
player. He is one of the most decorated players in English football
history. He has won 12 Premier League, 4 FA cups, three League Cups and
two Champions Leagues.
Ryan Giggs has earned all the
biggest prizes that a professional football player can earn and he still
keeps on earning more titles. He is certainly the best talented player
that Manchester United has and we all wish that he remains
to this club for at least a few more years to come. We will always
remember him for the great moments that he gave us.
Like many U.S. soccer fans, I was able to watch the World Cup
hosted by the U.S. in 1994. I got to attend a quarterfinal match
between the Netherlands and Brazil at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas,
Texas. It was the first chance to see the Brazilian soccer fans in person, and after not only watching the Brazilian team, but also their fan supporters, I can proclaim the Brazilian soccer fans as the best soccer fans in the World.
In the summer of 1994, I was enrolled in the University of Colorado graduate physics program in Boulder, Colorado. I asked my soccer
player/coach to attend a quarterfinal match with me in Texas. We bought
a pair of cheap airline tickets from Denver to Houston. My friend was
under the weather so stayed at the hotel the first day while I spent the
day touring the NASA Johnson Space Center. The next day we rented a car
and made the four hour drive to Dallas. It was the first time I was
exposed to the Brazilian soccer fans. They were all decked
out in their yellow and green colors. They were in a festive mood,
screaming and banging their drums as they marched through the streets.
There was a contingent of Netherlands
soccer fans wearing orange, as the Cotton Bowl was filled to capacity.
The quarterfinal match between Brazil and the Netherlands, which
occurred on July 9, 1994 in Dallas, was the most exciting quarterfinal
match of the tournament. In the 24 team finals, Brazil won their Group B
after beating Russia, Cameroon, and tying Sweden. The Netherlands
advanced in Group F by beating Saudi Arabia, losing to Belgium, then
beating Morocco. In the round of 16, the Netherlands beat Ireland 2-0
and Brazil beat the U.S. 1-0. In the actual quarterfinal game (capacity
of 63,500 at the Cotton Bowl), the first half was scoreless. Romario of
Brazil scored the first goal in the 53rd minute and Bebeto scored for
Brazil in the 63rd minute. But Dennis Bergkamp of the Netherlands scored
in the 64th minute, and Winter of the Netherlands scored the equalizer
goal in the 76th minute. All the Brazilian fans were on the edge of their seats until Branco scored in the 81st minute. The Brazilian
fans let out a huge sigh of relief and celebrated in the streets
minutes later as Brazil beat the Netherlands 3-2 in an exciting
quarterfinal match. Brazil would go on to defeat Sweden 1-0 in the
semi-finals and beat Italy in the scoreless final 3-2 on penalty kicks
to become the first team to win the World Cup four times. Watching the Brazilian fan supporters up close in the 1994 quarterfinals match made me proclaim the
Brazilian soccer fans to be the best soccer fans in the World.
Manchester United has won its 19th title on April 2011. To many fans around the world this has been a very great season. Manchester United
has over the years made a name as the most dominant English club. After
having beaten the record held so far by their bitter rival, Liverpool,
it seems obvious that a new era of Manchester United has just begun. Now, we will look at the major facts of why Man Utd deserves to be champion.
Firstly, we will discuss about the players that this club has in hand.
Surely, with the players, such as Wayne Rooney, Berbatov, Hernandez,
Carrick and Giggs, you could easily bet at Manchester United
winning titles. But you should consider that the Barclaycard English
Premier League is getting much more difficult to win as new club such as
Manchester City is emerging to be the best. You can notice easily that this club has not bought great players so far but they are champions and that's incredible. Despite having loss the
champions league final against Barcelona, this Club remains a great as you should
consider the mere fact that Barcelona each year buy quality players.
The second fact is about the state of mind of the players. One clear
players is Rooney. At some moment, Rooney wanted to leave the club as he
considers that Man Utd was not able to buy quality players as contrast
to some critics that accused Rooney of demanding higher salary. But at
least he stayed at the club or else it surely would have been very
difficult for us to win a major title. Another great player is Ryan
Giggs, this guy is awesome. He has not forgotten his dribbling skills
and he is a key player behind the success of the team. He is without a
doubt one of the golden boy who made the history of Man Utd as he wins
his twelve title this year. Deserved it, a great tribute to a great
legend but my heart always wished that Beckham could have been a part of
our team today as this guy loved
Manchester United and even cried coming at Old Trafford.
Finally lets talk about the great of all greats who is Sir Alex
Ferguson. This man is a magician, believe it or not remaining at a
single club for more than 20 years is unbelievable. This man will be
very hard to replace. Praising this man will take so much time as he
lived a lifetime at this club and he remains the most respected soccer
manager on the planet.
For several decades, soccer enjoys the tag of being the most
popular sport on this planet with an unparallel fan base compared to any
other sport so far. Initially it was largely played by men nonetheless
this trend has witnessed a drastic change in the recent past accepting a
wide female participation in the game. In several communities, the
inculcation of soccer skills into the younger generations has been a traditional affair as many kids start playing soccer as soon as they are grown enough to run around on their own.
Threat from Online Soccer Games
But this sport is facing some competition. Not from the other rival
sports but online games. The kids these days are more inclined towards
online soccer rather than the field soccer. It's an
alarming situation. Being excessively glued to online games have made
them physically inactive and lot of them are suffering from pains in
thumb, wrists, joints, back and neck. Same applies to the working
executives who have long back moved from the field sports to stick to a
computer and sedentary lifestyle. A game of soccer is your
perfect prescription to get your body a good dosage of an exercise right
from your head to toe. We know you did love playing the game and this
is the right time to revisit the field by joining some
soccer academy.
Soccer
Academies are Waiting for You
The soccer academies across Boston are waiting this season for some soccer-loving communities. The soccer academies are very responsibly going to take upon the accountability to training and drilling new soccer
players, specifically kids, to professional levels or working
executives too. As the game has become entirely commercialized, the
standards have also shot up and hence the soccer drilling is not as easy as it had been earlier. The soccer classes for kids have become quite stringent and result oriented as nothing can be left to chance. The modern soccer
leagues particularly for kids are facing the challenge of developing a
team that plays professionally and integrates together accurately giving
both the expected results along with fabulous entertainment for fans.
From a Soccer - Lover to Soccer Team member
A good soccer team should have four corresponding segments to
fulfill their goals. These segments include the defenders, wingers, mid
fielders, and strikers or forwarders. All these must fuse well in team
spirit to push the ball to its target. Playing soccer may be easy
for several people, albeit forming a winning team, calls for some level
of competency especially on the training of the team. Although
individual passion is very vital and can play a crucial role in a team's
performance, it is equally evident that
soccer is a team game and it cannot be won on solo performance. Here comes the benefit of training from a reputed soccer academy.
Each
soccer player is deliberately offered a specific position in a soccer
game; which defines the player's liability, as they have to fulfill
some specific duties relating to the position to make a winning team.
All these are part of training session of soccer academy to build a great soccer team. Trainer hired by the soccer academy selects potential players and assists them in getting the position that best suits their abilities.
All these components are prominent to build a good soccer team which goes to say that soccer training, offered by the soccer academy, is a key ingredient to pulling it all together to win. It's time to put your sporting shoes on and run towards your nearest soccer academy.
