By Mubeen
It was a great feeling for the boys in blue at the Nou Camp when the referee blew his whistle. They were 1-0 up and the whistle meant that they had won the game against Barcelona – The Champions League winners! Barcelona played a hugely experimental side and Manchester City played with only one striker upfront with Robinho and Adebayor missing the game. Barcelona’s star signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic had to wait for the second half to get himself into the field.
It was Richard Dunne who lifted the trophy in front of the 94,123 fans and it was the first trophy of the Citizens new era.It was Martin Petrov’s goal which made the difference between the two sides. It was no surprise that it was Stephen Ireland who set Petrov up with a long ball and Petrov finished it coolly to change the score. It was Barcelona who dominated most of the game but Manchester City were dangerous on the counter attack and brilliant in the defense. There have been a lots of doubts about the City’s rear guard but they showed good quality against one of the best attacks in the world to keep Barcelona at bay. Special notice was taken on the Academy graduate Vladi Weiss who performed excellently on the wing. The Catalan club came really close to scoring quite a few times with two efforts striking the crossbar and the post respectively.
All in all, Mark Hughes will be really pleased with his side not only because they had won the match but mostly because of the huge experience all his players had received after playing the Champions League champions. Manchester City will be hoping that they can make it to the top of the Premier League table this season and this win would surely boost there confidence sky high.
By Mubeen
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Scholarship For Soccer - Don't Let the Myths and False Information Stop You From Playing in College
By Gary V Hawkins
Thousands of high school soccer players from around the country and even the world are wondering what it takes to get a scholarship for soccer. One of the problems these athletes face is the amount of false information and myths there are about the recruiting and scholarship process. Hopefully, this article can clear up some of those myths for you.
Soccer Myth #1 - Only Blue Chip Or Elite Level Players Play At The College Level
While it is certain that the best of the best soccer players have a much easier time getting a scholarship for soccer, these players can't fill all the roster spots college coaches have. There are hundreds of colleges and universities out there with scholarships to give. These scholarships are at all Division levels, from Division I all the way down to Junior College.
Soccer Myth #2 - If I'm Good Enough To Play In College, Coaches Will Find Me
College coaches do find most of the good soccer players who are available, but every year hundreds of young athletes fly under the radar of college coaches. This happens for a variety of reasons. The athlete may be at a very small school, playing on a very bad team, or they simply live in an area not known to produce good soccer players.
Soccer Myth #3 - College Coaches Don't Want To Hear From You
If you really want a scholarship for soccer, always keep in mind coaches need players. At some of the smaller Division I schools and all the divisions below, coaches can't afford to just fly across the country in search of good players. They need others to help them learn about quality players who may be available. That's why coaches will want to hear from you if you have the talent, skills and athleticism to play at their level.
If getting a scholarship for soccer is your dream, you need to take responsibility for your own recruitment. You need to start marketing and promoting yourself to college coaches by making contact with them!
By Gary V Hawkins
Thousands of high school soccer players from around the country and even the world are wondering what it takes to get a scholarship for soccer. One of the problems these athletes face is the amount of false information and myths there are about the recruiting and scholarship process. Hopefully, this article can clear up some of those myths for you.
Soccer Myth #1 - Only Blue Chip Or Elite Level Players Play At The College Level
While it is certain that the best of the best soccer players have a much easier time getting a scholarship for soccer, these players can't fill all the roster spots college coaches have. There are hundreds of colleges and universities out there with scholarships to give. These scholarships are at all Division levels, from Division I all the way down to Junior College.
Soccer Myth #2 - If I'm Good Enough To Play In College, Coaches Will Find Me
College coaches do find most of the good soccer players who are available, but every year hundreds of young athletes fly under the radar of college coaches. This happens for a variety of reasons. The athlete may be at a very small school, playing on a very bad team, or they simply live in an area not known to produce good soccer players.
Soccer Myth #3 - College Coaches Don't Want To Hear From You
If you really want a scholarship for soccer, always keep in mind coaches need players. At some of the smaller Division I schools and all the divisions below, coaches can't afford to just fly across the country in search of good players. They need others to help them learn about quality players who may be available. That's why coaches will want to hear from you if you have the talent, skills and athleticism to play at their level.
If getting a scholarship for soccer is your dream, you need to take responsibility for your own recruitment. You need to start marketing and promoting yourself to college coaches by making contact with them!
By Gary V Hawkins
Soccer Scholarships - 5 Reason Soccer Players Fail in College
By Sean J Farrell
You see it every year. Very talented high school soccer players earn a soccer scholarship to a great college. A few years go by and that athlete has seemed to disappear and no longer plays for the college team. What happened? While everyone has their own reason for quitting, we have narrowed 5 main reasons that scholarship soccer athletes fail to succeed at this level.
Not developing a solid recruiting plan: Most reasons relate back to this main issue. Players in high school do not know what they want out of college. They are going through the recruiting process without first having developed a personal assessment with their parent's and coach. They then end up picking a college for the wrong reasons and this almost always leads to failure.
College is the wrong academic fit: Just because a school accepts you, that does not mean you will be able to succeed academically there. We know many students that get accepted into IVY league schools because they play a sport. Their grades aren't that bad, but will they really have the academic tools for success? We also see athletes that will attend colleges because they go the scholarship, but will use the scholarship to rationalize the college not having the major they wanted. College needs to be used for academics first, athletics second/
Picking the wrong school socially: Realize that the college you visit on a recruiting trip is not the same school you will see when you show up in the fall. Recruiting trips are sales visits. Make sure that away from athletics, the college has enough to offer you. Also if you come from a small town, will you be comfortable at a massive university that is larger than your hometown?
Picking the wrong school athletically: Just because you accepted a scholarship, it does not mean you will get any playing time. Each year, freshmen and transfers just as or more talented then you show up to campus wanting your playing time. Are you willing to sit on the bench for a few years while your skills improve at a DI school. Or would you be happier at a smaller college where you know you can play the fist year on campus?
Geographic Issues: It is hard to say how you will react and feel attending a college 1,000, 2,000 or even 100 miles from home. Think about this long and hard when you are in the recruiting process. Also if you live in Florida, do you think you could handle snow and cold for months on end if you attend school up North? These factors are often overlooked. Do not sacrifice your reasons for attending school or what you truly want in a college just because you were offered a soccer scholarship. By developing a personal inventory before starting recruiting that takes into consideration these topics plus dozens of others, you can maximize both your college soccer scholarship potential and your success rate once you show up on campus.
By Sean J Farrell
You see it every year. Very talented high school soccer players earn a soccer scholarship to a great college. A few years go by and that athlete has seemed to disappear and no longer plays for the college team. What happened? While everyone has their own reason for quitting, we have narrowed 5 main reasons that scholarship soccer athletes fail to succeed at this level.
Not developing a solid recruiting plan: Most reasons relate back to this main issue. Players in high school do not know what they want out of college. They are going through the recruiting process without first having developed a personal assessment with their parent's and coach. They then end up picking a college for the wrong reasons and this almost always leads to failure.
College is the wrong academic fit: Just because a school accepts you, that does not mean you will be able to succeed academically there. We know many students that get accepted into IVY league schools because they play a sport. Their grades aren't that bad, but will they really have the academic tools for success? We also see athletes that will attend colleges because they go the scholarship, but will use the scholarship to rationalize the college not having the major they wanted. College needs to be used for academics first, athletics second/
Picking the wrong school socially: Realize that the college you visit on a recruiting trip is not the same school you will see when you show up in the fall. Recruiting trips are sales visits. Make sure that away from athletics, the college has enough to offer you. Also if you come from a small town, will you be comfortable at a massive university that is larger than your hometown?
Picking the wrong school athletically: Just because you accepted a scholarship, it does not mean you will get any playing time. Each year, freshmen and transfers just as or more talented then you show up to campus wanting your playing time. Are you willing to sit on the bench for a few years while your skills improve at a DI school. Or would you be happier at a smaller college where you know you can play the fist year on campus?
Geographic Issues: It is hard to say how you will react and feel attending a college 1,000, 2,000 or even 100 miles from home. Think about this long and hard when you are in the recruiting process. Also if you live in Florida, do you think you could handle snow and cold for months on end if you attend school up North? These factors are often overlooked. Do not sacrifice your reasons for attending school or what you truly want in a college just because you were offered a soccer scholarship. By developing a personal inventory before starting recruiting that takes into consideration these topics plus dozens of others, you can maximize both your college soccer scholarship potential and your success rate once you show up on campus.
By Sean J Farrell
Soccer Training Videos
By Bryan Bean
The good thing about being a soccer player nowadays is that they can take advantage of modern ways of training. Before, players can only rely on doing soccer drills in order to develop their skills. Today, different training aids exist that can accelerate the pace of skills development among players. One of the relatively newer ways to train for soccer is through the use of soccer training videos.Currently, almost all coaches and trainers are using training video to help players develop the their minds and bodies to be successful in soccer. This article is all about soccer training videos and the benefits that they bring to anyone who choose to use them.The use of videos in soccer practice is pretty straightforward. Usually, a video monitor is set up in a gym and the players are required to watch the video. Some video are plain lectures about soccer. This means that they provide theoretical knowledge of the players.When watching these videos, players need only to watch and listen and maybe take down notes to remember the topics being discussed. The use of theoretical videos is very useful in instilling in players the value of basics of the game and in giving them knowledge from which to base their skills development.There are also videos that show soccer practice drills. While watching these kinds of videos, players are required to be active and follow the exercises being shown on the monitor. Watching these videos replaces the old practice of having someone lead the practice drills in front of the players.The beauty of using videos in soccer training lies in the fact that videos can be repeated easily in case there is a need to show the video again. Videos can also be used both for personal and group purposes. This means that an individual can watch the video by himself or he can watch it with his teammates. Videos are also very convenient to use. It can be used anytime as long as there is a video player and a monitor around.If you are a coach or a player and you are still not using soccer training videos then you are missing a lot. Videos can save energy and time which can be used for more important matter.If you want to maximize your practice time and you want to get ahead of your opponents, then it is highly advisable that you use soccer training video.
By Bryan Bean
The good thing about being a soccer player nowadays is that they can take advantage of modern ways of training. Before, players can only rely on doing soccer drills in order to develop their skills. Today, different training aids exist that can accelerate the pace of skills development among players. One of the relatively newer ways to train for soccer is through the use of soccer training videos.Currently, almost all coaches and trainers are using training video to help players develop the their minds and bodies to be successful in soccer. This article is all about soccer training videos and the benefits that they bring to anyone who choose to use them.The use of videos in soccer practice is pretty straightforward. Usually, a video monitor is set up in a gym and the players are required to watch the video. Some video are plain lectures about soccer. This means that they provide theoretical knowledge of the players.When watching these videos, players need only to watch and listen and maybe take down notes to remember the topics being discussed. The use of theoretical videos is very useful in instilling in players the value of basics of the game and in giving them knowledge from which to base their skills development.There are also videos that show soccer practice drills. While watching these kinds of videos, players are required to be active and follow the exercises being shown on the monitor. Watching these videos replaces the old practice of having someone lead the practice drills in front of the players.The beauty of using videos in soccer training lies in the fact that videos can be repeated easily in case there is a need to show the video again. Videos can also be used both for personal and group purposes. This means that an individual can watch the video by himself or he can watch it with his teammates. Videos are also very convenient to use. It can be used anytime as long as there is a video player and a monitor around.If you are a coach or a player and you are still not using soccer training videos then you are missing a lot. Videos can save energy and time which can be used for more important matter.If you want to maximize your practice time and you want to get ahead of your opponents, then it is highly advisable that you use soccer training video.
By Bryan Bean
Friday, August 14, 2009
Premier League Preview - Chelsea
By Martin Caparrotta
Chelsea drew their pre-season preparations to a close yesterday with a penalty shoot-out win over Manchester United in the Community Shield in a fiery encounter at Wembley.
The game's controversial moment came when Michael Ballack blocked off Patrice Evra, who stayed down injured. Chelsea though played on, and scored from the resulting attack and infuriating Sir Alex Ferguson.
Carlo Ancelotti has impressed since his arrival at Stamford Bridge. The 50-year-old has come across as a likeable figure in his press conferences. His determined efforts to pick up the English language with speed and his light-hearted nature make it difficult not to warm to the Italian coach.
The Blues have been relatively quiet with their summer transfer dealings thus far. Their only major signing concerns Yuri Zhirkov and his £18 million fee that makes the 25-year-old the most expensive Russian player in history. Left winger Zhirkov scored on his debut for Chelsea in a friendly against AC Milan.
At the beginning of last season, Chelsea greatly missed the presence of midfield rock Michael Essien when he was sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury. The fit-again midfielder coupled with Zhirkov on the left wing will add quality to an already impressive midfield line up.
19-year-old Daniel Sturridge joined from Manchester City, but the two clubs were unable to settle on a fee for the forward, meaning that his price tag will be chosen by a tribunal. Goalkeeper Ross Turnbull also joined the Blues from Middlesbrough on a free transfer.
Despite not coming up against any of the 'big four' until October, Chelsea face trips up to Sunderland and to Fulham the latter of which have proved to be a tough team to beat under Roy Hodgson.
With patience, stability and a solid start, Chelsea will be strong contenders for the title. But surely Ancelotti must be given more time than Scolari, stability is now key, even if the Italian should endure a slow start or a mid-season blip.
By Martin Caparrotta
Chelsea drew their pre-season preparations to a close yesterday with a penalty shoot-out win over Manchester United in the Community Shield in a fiery encounter at Wembley.
The game's controversial moment came when Michael Ballack blocked off Patrice Evra, who stayed down injured. Chelsea though played on, and scored from the resulting attack and infuriating Sir Alex Ferguson.
Carlo Ancelotti has impressed since his arrival at Stamford Bridge. The 50-year-old has come across as a likeable figure in his press conferences. His determined efforts to pick up the English language with speed and his light-hearted nature make it difficult not to warm to the Italian coach.
The Blues have been relatively quiet with their summer transfer dealings thus far. Their only major signing concerns Yuri Zhirkov and his £18 million fee that makes the 25-year-old the most expensive Russian player in history. Left winger Zhirkov scored on his debut for Chelsea in a friendly against AC Milan.
At the beginning of last season, Chelsea greatly missed the presence of midfield rock Michael Essien when he was sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury. The fit-again midfielder coupled with Zhirkov on the left wing will add quality to an already impressive midfield line up.
19-year-old Daniel Sturridge joined from Manchester City, but the two clubs were unable to settle on a fee for the forward, meaning that his price tag will be chosen by a tribunal. Goalkeeper Ross Turnbull also joined the Blues from Middlesbrough on a free transfer.
Despite not coming up against any of the 'big four' until October, Chelsea face trips up to Sunderland and to Fulham the latter of which have proved to be a tough team to beat under Roy Hodgson.
With patience, stability and a solid start, Chelsea will be strong contenders for the title. But surely Ancelotti must be given more time than Scolari, stability is now key, even if the Italian should endure a slow start or a mid-season blip.
By Martin Caparrotta
Premier League Preview - Everton
By Martin Caparrotta
Last season's FA Cup finalists Everton will be looking to build on a fifth place Premier League finish and continue their steady progress under David Moyes.
They finished just nine points below the top four last season, and without the emergence of Manchester City, who are now being widely tipped to break into the top four, one would surely chose Everton if any team were to break the mould.
Everton sharply rejected bids from Manchester City for defender Joleon Lescott. Lescott must be tempted by the prospect of a move to City, both by a wage increase, and the chance to join a side who arguably have more chance of finishing in the top four. And it is perhaps for this reason that the club have stood firm, not swayed by City's interest.
Moyes has been allocated a reported £12 million to spend this summer, a small part of which will have been used to fund Manchester City striker Jô's loan move to Goodison Park. Overall however, Everton have not strengthened their squad this summer. A quality central midfielder is what many Everton fans were hoping to see Moyes bring in.
It has been pointed out however, is that Moyes' side benefit from a close-knit unit that can prove incredibly hard to break down. A ruptured achilles tendon ruled Yakubu out of Everton's season in November last year, and his return to action scheduled for this month will provide a boost to the squad.
Moyes is however still without Mikel Arteta, Phil Jagielka and Victor Anichebe. Jagielka will not feature until October at the earliest as he continues to recover from a knee injury.
Goodison Park will ring in the new season with a testing visit from Arsenal next Saturday evening. And fairly tough away fixtures at Man City and Fulham dominate the opening weeks of the season.
Everton can certainly progress further under Moyes but with Manchester City doing everything in their power to break into the top four, it is difficult to see Moyes' side bettering last season's impressive finish.
By Martin Caparrotta
Last season's FA Cup finalists Everton will be looking to build on a fifth place Premier League finish and continue their steady progress under David Moyes.
They finished just nine points below the top four last season, and without the emergence of Manchester City, who are now being widely tipped to break into the top four, one would surely chose Everton if any team were to break the mould.
Everton sharply rejected bids from Manchester City for defender Joleon Lescott. Lescott must be tempted by the prospect of a move to City, both by a wage increase, and the chance to join a side who arguably have more chance of finishing in the top four. And it is perhaps for this reason that the club have stood firm, not swayed by City's interest.
Moyes has been allocated a reported £12 million to spend this summer, a small part of which will have been used to fund Manchester City striker Jô's loan move to Goodison Park. Overall however, Everton have not strengthened their squad this summer. A quality central midfielder is what many Everton fans were hoping to see Moyes bring in.
It has been pointed out however, is that Moyes' side benefit from a close-knit unit that can prove incredibly hard to break down. A ruptured achilles tendon ruled Yakubu out of Everton's season in November last year, and his return to action scheduled for this month will provide a boost to the squad.
Moyes is however still without Mikel Arteta, Phil Jagielka and Victor Anichebe. Jagielka will not feature until October at the earliest as he continues to recover from a knee injury.
Goodison Park will ring in the new season with a testing visit from Arsenal next Saturday evening. And fairly tough away fixtures at Man City and Fulham dominate the opening weeks of the season.
Everton can certainly progress further under Moyes but with Manchester City doing everything in their power to break into the top four, it is difficult to see Moyes' side bettering last season's impressive finish.
By Martin Caparrotta
Premier League Preview - Bolton Wonderers
By Martin Caparrotta
It's fair to say that Gary Megson wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms by fans at the Reebok Stadium, but despite failing to win over many of the supporters, he has brought in some quality this summer meaning that Bolton should be capable of steering clear of the relegation dogfight.
Megson joined bottom-of-the-table Bolton in October 2007, taking over from Sammy Lee who had only been able to collect five points from a possible 30. He successfully steered the club to Premier League survival, beating league-leaders Manchester United in the process.
Despite a shaky start to the 2008-09 season, Megson was given the luxury of time by his Chairman, and managed to steer his side back on track, eventually securing a solid 13th place finish and avoiding the relegation scrap that many had expected.
During his time at the Reebok, Megson's transfer business has proved influential. He brought in attacking midfielder Matt Taylor from Portsmouth in January 2008 for £4 million - an excellent deal for a proven Premier League midfielder. To date, Taylor has scored 13 goals from 50 appearances and Megson will be hoping that he can contribute further this year.
Zat Knight's transfer from Aston Villa this summer looks to be solid, and the experienced Sean Davis will help to bolster Bolton's midfield. Megson has also moved to add experience to his defence in the form of 30-year-old left-back Paul Robinson, and 27-year-old Hull City full-back Sam Ricketts.
Much like Blackburn, Bolton will look to secure a mid-table finish, but if they can continue to progress gradually under Megson as they have done during his tenure, there is no reason why they cannot better their 13th place finish last season, with a European spot a faint possibility.
By Martin Caparrotta
It's fair to say that Gary Megson wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms by fans at the Reebok Stadium, but despite failing to win over many of the supporters, he has brought in some quality this summer meaning that Bolton should be capable of steering clear of the relegation dogfight.
Megson joined bottom-of-the-table Bolton in October 2007, taking over from Sammy Lee who had only been able to collect five points from a possible 30. He successfully steered the club to Premier League survival, beating league-leaders Manchester United in the process.
Despite a shaky start to the 2008-09 season, Megson was given the luxury of time by his Chairman, and managed to steer his side back on track, eventually securing a solid 13th place finish and avoiding the relegation scrap that many had expected.
During his time at the Reebok, Megson's transfer business has proved influential. He brought in attacking midfielder Matt Taylor from Portsmouth in January 2008 for £4 million - an excellent deal for a proven Premier League midfielder. To date, Taylor has scored 13 goals from 50 appearances and Megson will be hoping that he can contribute further this year.
Zat Knight's transfer from Aston Villa this summer looks to be solid, and the experienced Sean Davis will help to bolster Bolton's midfield. Megson has also moved to add experience to his defence in the form of 30-year-old left-back Paul Robinson, and 27-year-old Hull City full-back Sam Ricketts.
Much like Blackburn, Bolton will look to secure a mid-table finish, but if they can continue to progress gradually under Megson as they have done during his tenure, there is no reason why they cannot better their 13th place finish last season, with a European spot a faint possibility.
By Martin Caparrotta
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