2010 WORLD CUP TEAMS
Can Switzerland’s stingy defense give them glory in South Africa?
Switzerland booked their place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after topping a competitive qualifying group that also included Greece that went on to secure a place in South Africa, Latvia, and Israel. In 10 matches, they conceded only eight goals. Last year, [...]

2010 WORLD CUP TEAMS
Dominant. That’s what Spain is to football.
The world’s number one ranked team, Spain, had their 35-match unbeaten run shockingly ended in the semi-finals of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup by team USA. That was the only loss they suffered during the year as they won the other 15 matches they played, totaling [...]

The 2010 World Cup begins on Friday, June 11th as the host country South Africa takes on Mexico.

A total of 32 teams will be competing for the 2010 FIFA World Cup title with Spain and Brazil the two favorites. There have been a total of 18 World Cups in history and only seven teams have ever won the title. Four years ago it was Italy winning the World Cup as they defeated France in a penalty shootout.

There are really only five teams that are serious contenders to win this year’s World Cup. Spain is loaded with talent and they have an easy group with Switzerlands, Honduras and Chile. With players like Fernando Torres, David Villa, Xaba and Cesc Fabregas, the Spanish team has the talent to win their first World Cup betting .

The only concern for Spain is that they could face a tough round of 16 match against the second place team from Group G which should be Brazil or Portugal. Brazil is the likely winner of Group G but if they somehow slip and finish second, wouldn’t it be a huge shock to have the two favorites, Brazil and Spain playing in the round of 16?

Brazil has won the World Cup a total of five times and they are a real threat to win it again this year. They play in a tough group with Portugal and Ivory Coast but they should not have any trouble advancing to the round of 16 especially since Ivory Coast probably has no chance now that leading scorer Didier Drogba is out with an injury.

England is the third choice in the betting odds behind Spain and…

Can Switzerland’s stingy defense give them glory in South Africa?

Switzerland booked their place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after topping a competitive qualifying group that also included Greece that went on to secure a place in South Africa, Latvia, and Israel. In 10 matches, they conceded only eight goals. Last year, the Swiss played nine matches, won four of them, drew four, and lost only one.

Their star player is striker Alexander Frei. He is also captain of the Switzerland national team and carries much of the burden of their hopes in South Africa. By the end of 2009, he had scored an outstanding 40 goals in 73 internationals. It is a record that places him in elite company. For instance, a player like 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 22 times in 68 internationals.

The Swiss are coached by Ottmar Hitzfeld, who has won 18 major titles during his coaching career. Most of that time was spent coaching German giants Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich but, interestingly, he got his start in coaching in Switzerland with FC Zug in 1983. He coached in the country until 1991, also taking charge of FC Aarau and Grasshoppers Zurich.

”If my father had known I’d be this successful as Switzerland coach – not as Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund coach – he’d have been overjoyed. It’s the place we call home, you see,” Hitzfeld said.

A slightly different opponent for Spain, the Swiss are…

Dominant. That’s what Spain is to football.

The world’s number one ranked team, Spain, had their 35-match unbeaten run shockingly ended in the semi-finals of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup by team USA. That was the only loss they suffered during the year as they won the other 15 matches they played, totaling 47 goals and conceding only 12 along the way. Those excellent results earned Spain the title as FIFA Team of the Year heading to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The current European champions are blessed with talent and depth at every position. The vast majority of their players ply their trade in Spain, which helps when it comes to preparation.

Spain’s play is composed and assured – one of the results of winning becoming a habit. Their defense is solid and unyielding, their midfielders talented as a unit and able to create opportunities, and their strikers have a cutting edge. They are, in a word, complete.

The only thing standing between the Spaniards and their making a big impact in South Africa is their previous failures in big FIFA tournaments, but many would argue that those days are now over following their victory in Euro 2008.

Since that time they have continued to wrack up victory after victory and there has been no sign that they will slow down any time soon. Their team is sprinkled with experience, but overall they are astonishingly young, although many of their youngsters have played for some years on the big stage of the…

2-nil. Yes, that was the final score. Holy mother of God, the world has gone crazy.

In case you didn’t know, the United States just qualified for the final of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup by doing the unthinkable, holding Spain scoreless en route to a shocking 2-nil victory.

You read it, the United States soccer team just beat a bona fide football-crazy nation, beating Spain 2-0 in the Confederations Cup semifinals. Oh yeah, Spain is not just a football-crazy country by the way, Spain IS considered as the top-ranked country in the sport and for an American soccer team to go copping their asses like that was, fucking unbelievable, to say the least.

What’s even more shocking is the fact that the Americans were ready to go back home last weekend. Nobody saw that these guys will be able to come up with probably the biggest upset in sports since that United States hockey team shocked the Soviet Union at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.

The Americans’ win over the Spain football team enabled the Red, White and Blue to reach it’s first FIFA final since starting play in 1916. Yup, it took them that long to finally stop making a fool of themselves on that pitch.

Jozy Altidore kicked it off with a goal on the…

No wonder why everybody supports Man-U these days.

Federico Macheda scored the game winner as Manchester United got a 2-1 win at Sunderlund last weekend to remain on top of the order in the 2009 English Premiere League season.

The win kept Manchester United one point clear of Liverpool at the top of the standings with a game in hand. Man-U’s win came with Ben Foster filling in for Edwin van der Sar and with Cristiano Ronaldo resting for much of the match.

Cristiano Ronaldo did came into the match at the 69th minute but it was Macheda’s arrival as a 75th-minute replacement that turned the tide for United.

Liverpool crushed Blackburn 4-0 to keep pace with United and they did so without Steven Gerrard who was rested. Fernando Torres scored twice for Liverpool in the 4-0 win.

Third-place Chelsea beat Bolton 4-3 to stay within four points of Man-U.

In the race for fifth place, it was Aston Villa getting a 3-3 draw with Everton as Gareth Barry scored on a penalty in the 66th minute. ”It was a harsh decision,” Everton manager David Moyes said. ”I thought it might have been an indirect free kick because all Joleon has done is put his foot up to try and get the ball.”

Everton is nine points ahead of Fulham in…

I guess you can say that we saw the end of SPAIN’S PAIN.

Catchy ain’t it? Yes people, the 2008 UEFA European Football Championships have just ended with Spain winning it all to end 44 years of underachievement. They beat Germany 1-0, in Vienna last Sunday despite of Spain’s, as well as the tournament’s leading scorer, David Villa, playing with an injury.

In the end, Villa hurting was not a factor as it was Fernando Torres who was able to lead Spain to the title after scoring the game-winning goal in the 33rd minute. The German side, more specifically Michael Ballack, did everything that they could to even things up. Unfortunately for them, Spain simply held on.

Spain was coming into the Euro 2008 final as international heavyweights of football but can’t seem to win any major tournament whatsoever since 1964. Yes, Spaniards were regarded as big chokers when it comes to them playing on that pitch.

After beating Germany, they are no longer regarded as chokers but Euro 2008 champions. How about that eh?

Spain is a nation divided by their regions. Hell, lyrics of their national anthem was not even used for crying out loud. The Spanish side needed to win this tournament and after Fernando Torres did just that for them, Spain was…

Of course, Liverpool still has a lot to do before they get there first.

The 2008 UEFA Champions League final is only a couple more weeks away and Liverpool star Fernando Torres can’t help but talk about a dream match-up between their side and Barca.

But first, Liverpool FC have to overcome the Chelsea Blues in the semi-finals after Fernando Torres helped his team to get where they are at this point of the UEFA tournament.

The semi-final fixture between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC is scheduled on April 23.

”We want to get to the final and it would be great to face Barcelona,” Liverpool star Fernando Torres said. ”Here the people want to face Manchester (United), but first we’ve got to get past the semi-final against Chelsea, which won’t be easy.”

Torres is playing his very first season with the Big Reds. He has already scored 30 goals for Anfield.

Torres’ desire to reach the 2008 UEFA Champions League final against Barca must have something to do with the fact that FC Barcelona is the only team from the Spanish La Liga to ever reach the Champions League semis. The remaining…

The championship games of the international football season is coming and the defending English champs from Man-U are still on top.

At this point of the 2008 English Premiere League, Manchester United is still the defending champions until somebody dethrones them at the top. Led by Cristiano Ronaldo, the Red Devils are still looking quite solid to defend their crown once it’s all said and done.

Cristiano Ronaldo STILL is a juggernaut on the field. He currently holds the lead for the scoring title this year after winning the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year in 2007. No.7 still is the man to stop as far as playing the defending champs, Manchester United, are concerned. Of course, they still have a guy like Wayne Rooney, proving why you have to bring your A-game when facing these guys.

Next, we have Arsenal. Led by Emmanuel Adebayor, the man trailing Cristiano Ronaldo for this year’s scoring title, Arsenal can very well dictate how the English Premier League season concludes. They still are this year’s Cinderella team.

After all, nobody expected these guys to still be this good with their star Thierry Henry, leaving Arsenal to play for Barcelona in the Spanish Primera.

Moving on to the next team that banners one of the young guns with much to flaunt is Liverpool. Although they are having quite a subpar season, Fernando Torres should still give ya’ll enough…