Borussia Dortmund begin their title defence at home to Hamburg when the 2011/12 Bundesliga season kicks off on Friday.Dortmund lifted their first title in nine years last season, finishing seven points clear of Bayer Leverkusen.
Jurgen Klopp impressed in orchestrating that triumph during his third full season as head coach and Dortmund have thus far managed to ward off any interest in the 44-year-old’s services.
They have also retained the bulk of the club’s championship-winning squad, with deep-lying playmaker Nuri Sahin the only exception.
Turkey international Sahin succumbed to the advances of La Liga runners-up Real Madrid in May for a reported fee of nine million euros.
In capturing the title last season, Dortmund were the beneficiaries of below-par league campaigns by traditional heavyweights Bayern Munich, Schalke and Werder Bremen.
Bremen were third in 2009-10, but stumbled to 13th the following term, avoiding the relegation zone by five points.
Schalke were runners-up to champions Bayern in 09/10 and did manage a credible run to the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, accounting for holders Inter Milan along the way.
They also lifted the German Cup, but could only finish 14th in the Bundesliga, four points outside the bottom three.
And while Bayern mounted a late rally to come third, a poor start meant they ended up 10 points behind Dortmund, effectively conceding their title with months of the season still to play.
Bayern’s failure to compete cost coach Louis van Gaal his job, with Jupp Heynckes making the switch from Leverkusen to fill the hot seat at the Allianz Arena for the coming campaign.
The Bavarian giants have shipped out Miroslav Klose, Hamit Altintop and Thomas Kraft, with Germany internationals Manuel Neuer and Jerome Boateng among their high-profile replacements.
Bayern begin their campaign at home on Sunday to Borussia Monchengladbach, who earned a reprieve last season after winning their relegation playoff against Bochum.
Also on Sunday, surprise contenders Mainz, who led the table early last season before slipping to fifth, play host to Leverkusen.
Schalke, German Super Cup winners against Dortmund last week, kick-off on Saturday away to Stuttgart, who were 12th last season.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Bremen host Kaiserlautern, Hoffenheim travel to Hannover and Cologne await the visit of Wolfsburg.
Of the two promoted teams, Hertha Berlin start life back in the top flight with a visit from Nuremburg, while Augsburg will play the first Bundesliga match in their history at home to Freiburg.
Those who defend the August 31st deadline of the transfer window cite that it gives managers a chance to make some final adjustments to their squad, having seen their respective performances three games in.
While others believe it to be a total distraction and that is why AVB is travelling to Nyon this week to fight the case about bringing the deadline day forward before the season starts. Whether his pleas get heard remain the be seen, but in the meantime the circus that is the last few days of the transfer window will kick on in the next few days and there will undoubtedly be an array of comings and goings within the Premier League.
The media clearly believe that some clubs have simply bided their time in the transfer market and are looking to take advantage of some last minute shopping in order to improve their current squad. One of the clubs is arguably Tottenham, who have already stated their interest in Scott Parker, but will he be the only new arrival at White Hart Lane come Wednesday night?
So has Redknapp still got much to do in the transfer market – if so who would you like to see him bring to White Hart Lane in the next 72hrs?
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FFC this week investigates the state of women’s football and whether significant strides have been made this summer to increase its popularity.
There have been a number of fantastic sporting events for fans across the world to get excited by this summer. The Rugby World has kicked off in New Zealand, audiences got to watch the best athletes from across the globe at this year’s World Championships whilst English cricket fans in particular enjoyed a good summer as they watched their team become the best test team in the world. But the surprise sporting event of the summer and one of the most talked about was the FIFA Women’s World Cup held in Germany.
For a sport that has often suffered from a lack of interest and investment, this year’s tournament must be seen as a resounding success across the globe. The quality of the football was of a much higher level than previous years whilst in first time winners Japan, the women’s game had a fairytale story that captured the attention of the world. But FIFA, the national teams, players and fans must not let the renewed attention drawn to the sport thanks to the World Cup drop and the success of the summer must be something that women’s football takes advantage of.
This year’s tournament began with some minor buzz surrounding the event. 16 teams arrived in Germany and whilst there was the usual mix of potential winners in Brazil, England, Germany, USA and teams there with less of a chance, each of the four groups threw up some potentially mouth-watering ties. In particular both France and Germany, and USA and Sweden were both pitted against each other in the group stages. Across the schedule there was exciting encounters worthy of the increased TV audiences and stadium attendances. Eventual runners-up USA and South American favourites Brazil clashed in the quarter-finals where the Americans eventually prevailed on penalties but the game itself included all the excitement of a men’s World Cup game. The quality may still and probably will always be well below the men’s but beyond the unrealistic comparison, the quality of football on show was of a very high standard. The final itself, which saw favourites USA and underdogs Japan clash, was again decided on penalties after a match worthy of being the showpiece game of any major tournament.
Whilst the quality of the football may have been a notable improvement, it was the attention the tournament drew across the world as the competition progressed that marks the start of potentially a new era for the women’s game. Across the 16 teams that competed there was stand out personalities as the interest in particular players as celebrities grew, in particular that of US goalkeeper Hope Solo, whose dramatic performances at the tournament stole a lot of the headlines despite her team coming up just short. The World Cup also drew record TV audiences; in host nation Germany alone 17million tuned into see Germany crash out to Japan in the quarter-finals. Despite the hosts and home favourites leaving the competition early, the interest in the tournament in Germany and around the world remained strong.
The UK’s coverage of the tournament was somewhat restricted by the BBC’s decision to limit the coverage to the red button or online but the pressure to show England’s quarter-final encounter with France live was a sign of the growing interest in the game for TV audiences in this country.
But the most impressive stat of them all was that on one of the most popular forms of communication across the globe Twitter, the Women’s World Cup final became the most tweeted event in the website’s history. No one could have anticipated the online interest in a game between players few outside the women’s footballing world would recognise.
The success of the tournament has not gone unnoticed. Last week marked the arrival of the 2011 European Women and Sport conference in London. The conference saw UEFA announce plans to invest €23.6 million (just over £20 million) between the member national associations between 2012 and 2016. This level of finance and attention that Europe alone is putting into the women’s game and over a number of nations that have varying levels of participation and interest is a good sign for the future of the women’s football. It is hard to look past the 2011 World Cup has a major selling point for UEFA and hopefully world organisations to really push the game forward.
In England alone the FA looked to capitalise on the attention of the World Cup as England’s now slightly more famous players returned to action in the Women’s Super League (WSL) after a mid-season break. Arsenal were the eventual winners of the league format and whilst the buzz surrounding the World Cup did quickly die down (partly due to England’s failure to progress past the quarter-finals in Germany), the WSL and World Cup are a much superior format to any that women’s football in England has seen in a long time.
Qualification has already started for the next major tournament on the women’s calendar, the European Championships in 2013. Whilst early big wins (including Portugal beating Armenia 8-0 and Spain’s 10-1 destruction of Turkey) indicate that problems with consistent quality still remain, all the European heavyweights including England, Germany and France are in the mix as UEFA will look to replicate the success of the World Cup in Sweden in two years time. This year’s UEFA Women’s Champions League knockout stages are also due to start soon and UEFA will be hoping the competition better promotes the club game, something that women’s football needs to do during the wait for another major international tournament.
The success of the World Cup may have been impressive but it would soon be no more than pointless if those in charge of the game around the world didn’t pay extra attention to one of the largest growing sports. The tournament in Germany not only set a benchmark for the players, FIFA and fans but also proved how good the women’s game can really be.
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Do you think women’s football can build on the success of the World Cup? If you want to read more of my bite size, 140 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5
For a player who is bettered only by David James when it comes to consecutive appearances, and is used to playing every minute of every game, since huge questions over his future AVB took the reins at Chelsea , Frank Lampard has had more than a little shock.
On the back of an injury hit campaign last time round, where only 11 goals were scored by the midfielder – a dramatically reduced amount from his usual 20 plus – Lampard has worked hard to regain fitness and a place back in the starting line-up.
After several lack luster performances by both Lampard and Chelsea, not to mention the arrival of Juan Mata and Meireles, Lampard found himself being the player to make way on more than one occasion, if he made the team at all. The low point for the player came against Swansea, where youngster Josh McEachran became the third Chelsea sub, thus meaning Lampard played no part in the game. The player subsequently went down the tunnel and huge questions over not only his future but just how much he featured in the plans of a manager who is slightly younger than him.
Much of the press attention pre match tonight focused on that specific issue, to the contention of the Chelsea manager, who was adamant that Lampard had a role to play for the blues, and included the 33 year old in his starting line-up.
After a decent performance first half, Lampard managed to score the only Chelsea goal of the game, in which Chelsea were lucky to come away with a draw after Valencia finally got a deserved equalizer courtesy of a Soldado penalty in the 87 minute after a foul by Kalou.
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The Spanish side suffered from a lack of clinical finishing which also cost them points against Barcelona and Sevilla, with more than a couple of chances coming their way. That is not to say Chelsea did not have their own opportunities, with Lampard setting up Torres, who of course failed to convert, and Ramires missing a one on one with the keeper that should see him serving a life sentence for his finishing skills – or lack of them.
Lampard’s goal came on the 56th minute, and will be a comfort to the player, who still failed to last the duration of the match, being replaced late in to the second half, yet will be glad that Meireles replaced Ramires, and not himself. Lampard will see this as a small response to the critics who have plagued him his whole career, and must now be at peace with the fact that no matter what he does, whether it be at West Ham, Chelsea or for England, it will not be enough for some people.
What Lampard will not take lightly is suggestions that he is finished at the top level, and is under the firm belief that he has a great deal more to give, albeit as a midfielder who plays slightly deeper than he has previously done, but with the vision the player possesses and his ability to read the game, this is not an impossible role for Lampard to take up, in a similar fashion to Paul Scholes during his last couple of seasons at United.
As the player showed in midweek, his career is far from over, and there is a great deal to come from Lampard yet.
Article courtesy of Rebecca Knight from This is Futbol
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Newcastle winger Jonas Gutierrez has applauded his side for their unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign, and feels his side deserves their current league standing.
Four wins and four draws in their opening eight domestic fixtures sees Alan Pardew’s men hold fourth place in the standings, with a fightback against Tottenham on Sunday maintaining their unbeaten start to the season.
The Argentina international has been impressed with how The Magpies have played so far, and feels their place close to the summit is warranted.
“We deserve to be fourth. Nobody has beaten us yet, so we deserve it,” he told Mirror Football.
“It will be hard to stay in the top four, we know that. There are a lot of good teams in the league. But here at Newcastle we are all about trying to play good football and keep the ball.
“I don’t care about what people think about Newcastle, or if they say we will never keep it up or that we have had an easy start. All I am bothered about is making sure that we improve with every game and stay focused.
“Last season, we did well against good teams and lost against the poorer teams. This season we have drawn against the top teams so far, like Tottenham and Arsenal, and we are beating the teams that we should be beating.
“We look strong, but we have to keep that up.
“The fans have helped us. They are enjoying it now more than they have before while I have been here. In the past, when we have been losing, they have not liked it. Now we are winning games they are clearly happier. It is great to see lots of smiling faces,” he concluded.
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Newcastle host struggling Wigan at St James’ Park next weekend, and with Roberto Martinez’s men losing their last five games, Pardew will identify it as a game to pick three points up from.
Luis Suarez has been nothing short of a revelation since arriving in the Premier League last January from Ajax for £22.7m. His pace, inventiveness and work rate have stood out in particular and marked him out as one of the Premier League’s true star performers. However, while Suarez was signed with the intention of being a key performer, are Liverpool in danger of becoming a one-man team by relying on him too much?
The disparagingly used ‘one-man team’ remark is often levelled at teams with a perceived over-reliance on one player. This very same criticism has been levelled at Liverpool for years, with Steven Gerrard often being made to look head and shoulders above the rest of the side he’s been playing in – which when it includes the likes of Djimi Traore, Josemi and Antonio Nunez is really no wonder really.
But aren’t most teams in the Premier League overly-reliant on one player or another? Arsenal rely on Robin Van Persie a huge amount, so much so that he’s scored 29 of Arsenal’s 56 goals in 2011. You could by that same very token argue that Man Utd are heavily reliant on Wayne Rooney, whether he’s scoring goals or plugging a gap in midfield.
Only Man City and Chelsea, to my knowledge in the Premier League at present, are capable of sharing out the workload, mostly because they are the league’s two biggest spenders in the transfer market.
Swansea goalkeeper, the quite brilliant Michel Vorm had this to say on the matter after his Swansea side’s recent 0-0 draw at Anfield last weekend: “Maybe they rely on Suarez too much. He is a player with incredible qualities. He’s a world-class player. But maybe they rely too much on him. He is a player who can make a difference, you know that. But he didn’t, and they didn’t score. Maybe because we kept him quiet they didn’t have other options.”
For anyone that has watched Liverpool closely over the past few months will tell you, while the side has been overhauled, and at great expense, the side often look to one man to break the deadlock – Suarez.
This is as much an indictment on the success of Dalglish’s other signings as it is on Suarez’s quality in the final third. Andy Carroll has struggled for form and fitness and looks miles off being a natural finisher, let alone the physically dominant striker that he was purchased with in mind. Stewart Downing has contributed the root cause of sod all and Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson’s roles dictate that they provide and instigate moves rather than finish them off themselves.
Since his move, Suarez has scored eight and assisted eight goals in 24 Premier League games. Liverpool’s best performances have come when he’s spearheaded a fluid attack alongside the likes of the criminally underused Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt. Alongside Andy Carroll, though, while their partnership is in it’s relative infancy, they still resemble a duo going through teething problems.
It’s worth noting too, though, that Suarez has played just eight games alongside Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard since he signed for the club, with Gerrard being dogged by his own injury demons.
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Having an over-reliance on one player in particular is not necessarily a bad thing, as Arsenal have proven in the case of Robin Van Persie recently, it’s just that it’s not entirely conducive to the sustained success of a side. You may challenge for trophies, but you’re unlikely to win them.
When you factor in that while Suarez is undoubtedly a naturally creative player, he is far from being a natural finisher. He has struck 51 shots in the Premier League this season, the most of any top flight player, yet has just 4 goals to show from it. Suarez most probably created half of those chance himself out of nothing, such is his skill, but his profligate nature in front of goal has mirrored that of the struggles of the rest of the side.
What is clear is that Liverpool haven’t had their fair share of luck. They’ve already struck the woodwork 11 times in the league this season. Had each of those strikes gone in, they would be sitting comfortably in third. They are a side, which barring the Swansea and Spurs fixtures, is creating chances in bundles.
They often say the sign of a good striker is that he finds the space to get on the end of a chance. Well with Liverpool criticised heavily last season for a failure to create, it’s somewhat ironic that just six months later they are being criticised for a failure to finish after creating so much. Their luck will surely turn soon.
What would Liverpool fans kill to have Suarez alongside a fully-fit and in-form Fernando Torres now? As was originally intended before his late move to Chelsea. It’s clear that Suarez, while he will be constant source of productivity for this Liverpool side, lacks the requisite finishing ability to punish opposing teams in the Premier League, on the evidence so far.
To an extent, Liverpool are far too over-reliant on Suarez. What first started out as a rich vein of form which filtered through to his team meats has now crept into the underlying suspicion that he’s the team’s go-to man, particularly in the continued absence of Gerrard.
The true measure of whether a side is especially over-reliant on one individual and in danger of crossing over to that dreaded ‘one-man team’ territory is if you take the player in question out of the side, how would that side then do? With concerns to Liverpool and Suarez, perhaps Michel Vorm has a point.
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Despite Martin O’Neill being the odds on bookies favourite to take the Sunderland post, it is another respected out of work manager who the Sunderland Echo say is having an interview with the board – including Short and Quinn today – and is their preferred candidate to take the job.
Hughes’ most recent club was Fulham, whom he left as he felt they ‘could not match his ambition’, yet in Sunderland, he sees a club who can do exactly this, and have money to spend as well. As a manger, Hughes did well at both Wales Blackburn and was deeply unlucky not to be given more time at Manchester City, and is seen as the man who can halt the alarming slump Sunderland have been on.
BBC Sport say that the board also feel that Hughes is the man to bring the players together and will be able to integrate the players who arrived in the summer, and finally get the players working together and gelling as a team. It is not surprising that they think this of a man who is so renowned for his man management skills, and has the backing of defender Michael Grey, who also played under Sparky at Blackburn calling him ‘a perfect fit for the club right now.’
With a whole host of high profile quality candidates linked to the post not to mention being desperate to get back into management, Hughes will be hoping that the board really do feel he is the man to bring a club who have only won twice this season forward.
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Fernando Torres has stated that there is no truth in the rumours linking him with a move away from Chelsea in the January transfer window, and feels the British media should give him more respect.
The Spain international has been in poor form since joining the Stamford Bridge club from Liverpool for £50 million back at the start of 2011, and is out of favour with Blues’ boss Andre Villas Boas.
Despite a reduction in time on the pitch and concerns by Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque over his form, Torres has vowed to stand and fight.
“When I read something in the Spanish press, I think it could be true. When I read it in the English press, I know that it’s a lie,” the forward told Canal+ Liga TV.
“It’s true that Vicente Del Bosque is worried about me and my form for Chelsea. It’s up to me to go back to being the striker I was before.
“If I go back to how I was a few years ago, I will again play an important role in the Spanish national team.
“I am going to try to be very humble and get back into the Chelsea starting line-up. My form has not been good but I am world and European champion and I deserve more respect.
“It’s hard being on the bench but I respect the players who are playing. I’m going to support the team and get back in,” he concluded.
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The Premier League, for as far back as I can remember, appears to be going through a real dearth in terms of the overall quality and standard of the league. Now, more than ever before, games are won by the collective as opposed to individual moments of brilliance. After attending the Merseyside Derby at the weekend and seeing first-hand the teething problems that Liverpool’s central midfield partnership of Charlie Adam and Lucas are going through, it brought one thing to mind – who can lay claim to having the best central midfield partnership in the Premier League?
Man Utd this season have started with all attacking bluster, yet they still retain a degree of frailty at the back. This is in part due to the forward-thinking attitudes of the likes of Anderson and Tom Cleverley. Both make similar runs at the same time and as such, they leave the Utd back line exposed. Darren Fletcher has come back and done reasonably well, but as yet no real ‘partnership’ has emerged as such.
Man City can certainly lay a strong claim. They predominantly operate with a midfield triumvirate of Yaya Youre, Gareth Barry and Nigel De Jong. Toure is given a free role to attack the opposition, but De Jong and Barry usually sit in front of the back four and keep it simple. While there may be an understanding positionally, it’s rare that they dominate the opposition. They’re decent, but little more than a platform for their supremely talented forward line to build upon.
Chelsea are still going through a change in style and formation under new manager Andre Villas-Boas. He appears to chop and change depending on the opposition, which in turn makes a mockery of the media circus surrounding Frank Lampard. Ramires has shone brightly on occasion so far this term, but he still looks to be lacking a settled partner.
Liverpool are still most certainly a side in transition too, struggling between the sublime and the abject. Inconsistency has dogged Dalglish’s charges this season and while Lucas could most definitely be said to be one of the finest central midfielders in the league, easily the most improved, I still have my reservations about Adam. On no more than 3 separate occasions during the Derby match alone did I catch Lucas shaking his head in disbelief at another attempted Hollywood pass by Adam, when a simple 5 yard-ball was comfortably the best option available – The Scot clearly infuriates the Brazilian.
Newcastle have begun the season in excellent form and not enough credit can go to manager Alan Pardew for the superb job he’s done under difficult circumstances. Step forward our first major contender – Cheik Tiote and Yohan Cabaye. The pairing have dovetailed excellently despite their ‘partnership’ being in its’ relative infancy.
For the first time in a long while, the Newcastle defence is not the joke that keeps on giving. A lot of credit must go to Tiote for the job he’s done patrolling the space just in front of the back four. His ferocious tackling ability, while it may over step the mark at times leading to the Ivory Coast international currently in possession of a terrible disciplinary record, is exactly what the side needs.
Cabaye has adjusted to the English league fantastically well. Many were surprised that Newcastle were able to lure Cabaye away from current Lique 1 champions Lille, in what many saw as a sideways move at best for the French international, with Cabaye missing out on Lille’s Champions League adventure. However, he offers them real drive from the centre of midfield and excellent delivery from dead balls. Joey Barton who, I hear you cry? They’re certainly my nomination for best midfield partnership.
Spurs can also lay a strong claim. Scott Parker has settled into the Spurs midfield alongside Luka Modric excellently. So in tune are they with each other’s game, that they are the only side in the Premier League to complete more than 600 passes in two separate fixtures this season (Wigan and Liverpool).
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Parker keeps it simple and plays the short, easy passes and Modric is granted the platform and freedom to express himself. The greatest compliment that you can pay them is that Redknapp’s overdue return to 4-4-2 has gone relatively smoothly and now it’s Van Der Vaart that’s struggling to secure a place in the starting eleven, with the Dutchman having to be shoehorned into the side on the right of midfield – a tactical switch that is fraught with danger, as Arsenal’s goal on Sunday clearly served to highlight. A close runner-up in my eyes.
Everton certainly have the talent at their disposal, but with Moyes often forced to plump for a striker-less 6-4-0 or 4-5-1 formation, it leaves the players little time to settle into the same position. There may be potential further down the line in a Jack Rodwell/Marouane Fellaini partnership, with the Belgian mightily impressive in the Derby and Rodwell desperately unlucky to even be given a card by the ridiculously out of his depth Martin Atkinson. Ross Barkley also looks quite the talent to keep an eye on too.
Arsenal’s central midfield has been one that’s gone through a degree of upheaval over the last few months. Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere showed on occasion last term that Arsene Wenger may already have found his replacements for Fabregas and Nasri, but they’ll have to wait until February now with Wilshere out for the long haul.
A crisis of confidence has affected Alex Song’s game just when he was beginning to emerge as a player of great quality and Arteta will require a bedding-in period. One bright spark of their defeat to Spurs, though, was the performance of young Francois Coquelin and a bright future awaits him.
Casting my eyes around the rest of the league, the only other side that catches my eye is Swansea – with the likes of Mark Gower, Joe Allen and Leon Britton’s impressing for their ability to keep the ball under pressure.
There are of course other midfielders that stick out as being exceptional – Wigan’s James McCarthy, returning Bolton man Stuart Holden, Joey Barton at QPR, Aaron Ramsey at Arsenal and Danny Murphy at Fulham – but whether they are part of a ‘partnership’ yet remains to be seen.
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Much in the same way as there appears to be a lack of genuine out and out strike partnerships in the league at the moment, the lack of central midfield partnerships is notable. Newcastle’s Tiote and Cabaye, for the time being, hold the mantle for me, although Parker and Modric look to have more potential going forward. It’ll be interesting to see whether Newcastle can continue their rich vein of form throughout the campaign, because if they can, a lot of it will be down to their dynamic duo Tiote and Cabaye.
The 2011 FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) winner, Francisco Cruz, yesterday lived every football fan’s dream as he attended the FIFA Ballon d’Or gala and met a host of the world’s top footballers, including Wayne Rooney and Gerard Piqué.
Francisco bettered 869,543 players at FIFA ‘11 in last year’s FIWC to take home the coveted $20,000 prize and win an invite to the FIFA Ballon d’Or, where he played FIFA ‘12 against the Manchester United and FC Barcelona superstars.
The FIWC is a virtual football tournament organised by FIFA and its presenting partners EA SPORTS and PlayStation, giving football fans the chance to live out their passion for football and to interact with other fans around the world.
Players compete against each other at the latest version of the EA SPORTS FIFA videogame to qualify for the Grand Final, where the FIWC World Champion is crowned. The online tournament takes place on the PlayStation Network and can be accessed through FIFA ‘12.
Portugal met England at the FIFA Ballon d’Or, as Francisco took on Wayne Rooney at a game of FIFA ‘12. Francisco’s native Portugal emerged comfortable 3-0 winners as Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, with one of his goals being an unstoppable free kick that Joe Hart in the England goal stood no chance of saving. Finally the victory was sealed when midfield dynamo Raul Meireles added the third goal.
Prior to the match Francisco benefitted from speaking with football legend Sir Alex Ferguson, who gave him some advice on how to deal with big game pressure and get results.
Commenting on the match Francisco said, “It’s a dream playing against one of my favourite players. It’s a new experience and I would like to do it again next year, he is a good player. He kept possession of the ball well with England but he could not transfer that into goal scoring opportunities. He said he was the best FIFA ‘12 player at Manchester United and I believe him as he was very good. I had some good chances and I scored, but he could have scored one or two goals.”
Although Rooney was convincingly beaten by the FIWC World Champion he maintains he is the best player at Manchester United but admitted that Francisco would be able to beat all his teammates.
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Rooney also added: “I play as much as I can. I think it’s a great game and something that I enjoy doing. There is quite a bit of banter when I play against my teammates, we all want to win so it gets very competitive.”
In comparison, Spanish sensation Piqué did well to only trail Francisco by 1-0, joking: “Wayne lost 3-0 [to Francisco], so I am better than him at FIFA ’12!”