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AC Milan idol Paolo Maldini has picked up yet another title having been awarded the “Giacinto-Facchetti, il bello del calcio” prize.

The award was created in 2006 at the initiative of sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport and named after the former Inter Milan player of the same name who died in the same year but was considered to have had an exemplary career.

The inaugural winner of the award, called the ‘beauty of football’, was Paraguayan Julio Gonzalez, who carried on playing despite having an arm amputated after a car accident.

Last year Iraq captain Younis Mahmoud won the prize following his war-torn country’s victory in the AFC Asian Cup.

Maldini, 40, is in his 25th season as a professional player for Milan during which time he made 126 appearances for his country, won seven Italian titles and the European Cup/UEFA Champions League five times.

The referee must be informed of the new rules that are emerging in the game of soccer. And the maximum number of goals that will win the game.

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Only the penalty kick that occurs when the team, which scores are in front of ”Offside” is a Corner kick adjacent to the goal in which the layer crosses or kicks the ball into play from the side line.

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To prevent an offensive term such as offside, the player attacking cannot be infront of the last defender when the ball is kicked by someone else in there team, in order to depict this I have included a video on offsides:

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PS
Even people who nothing about the game of soccer still know this one but it has to be included as it is an important rule in the game of soccer.

- The rule for a hand ball includes using any part of the body from the tips of the fingers to the shoulder.
Indirect kick- you cannot score.

(An indirect kick must be touched by another player before scoring.)

A direct kick is much more serious and is a result of a more serious offense close to goal.
A note on offsides
Try this. An offensive or attacking player can’t be ahead of the ball and involved in the play unless there is a defender between him and the goalkeeper. Or, you can’t hang out at the other team’s goal waiting for the ball.

It was just a friendly match between two teams in a friendly partnership, contested almost entirely by reserves by the time it ended.

In fact, it didn’t end until FC Dallas’ Aaron Pitchkolan scored in the 89th minute to win the game 3-2, although Tigres UANL of Mexico won the aggregate-goals series on penalty kicks.

The teams played as if far more was at stake than the Rio Grande Plate, a silver trophy the size of a small manhole cover.

Tigres came into the second match with a 2-1 lead gained in a friendly Feb. 20 in Monterrey, Mexico.

By applying pressure through much of the first half, FC Dallas turned that around by taking a 2-0 lead in the game and a 3-2 advantage in the series.

Two players with a combined total of 15 minutes in MLS matches this season played a big role in an attack that had advantages of 10-4 in shots and 8-0 in corner kicks over the opening 45 minutes.

Those corner kicks were especially important. Rookie Chase Wileman set up both goals with corners, from either side of the goal. The first came in the fifth minute, when Pitchkolan headed Wileman’s kick from the right corner into the lower left of the goal.

In the 34th minute, Wileman’s kick from the left corner found Jamie Watson in front of the goal, and he headed a ball on one bounce into the right side of the net. Watson, who spent parts of the last three seasons with Real Salt Lake, has not played in a league game since signing with FC Dallas before this season.

Wileman said, “I’ve been in charge of set pieces with a lot of teams I’ve been on, including the reserve team. With corner kicks, you don’t always know where they’re going.

“Preferably, I’ll kick from (the right corner), because of the in-swing,” the left-footed kicker added. “You’re just trying to hit it in an area. Luckily, Pitch and Jamie were there.”

The home team’s starting lineup was barely recognizable even to its most hardcore fans, with FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman choosing to rest all of his regulars in advance of this weekend’s all-important league game against Real Salt Lake, but the Tigres lineup included seven starters.

The Mexican starters also left at halftime or during the second half, when Tigres took control of the game. Second-half goals by Guillermo Marino (off a corner kick) and Lucas Ayala tied it 2-2 and restored Tigres’ one-goal lead on aggregate.

“Chase had a lot of good service from the flanks in the first half. They switched to a 3-5-2 in the second half, and that took a little out of his game,” Hyndman said of the 5-foot-7, 135-pound Wileman. The 22-year-old from Grand Prairie, Texas, had starred for Hyndman when he coached at Southern Methodist.

Just when it appeared the Rio Grande Plate would be going back to Mexico for the second consecutive year, Bobby Rhine headed the ball across the goalmouth to Pitchkolan, FC Dallas’ most recognizable face in the game. His shot from the left side gave the Hoops a 3-2 lead and a 4-4 aggregate tie.

When neither team scored during the final minute or in extra time, the game went to penalty kicks to decide.

But even that didn’t happen immediately. Tigres players raised a fuss because they felt their Mexican ball should be used for the penalty kicks because it was the ball in play during the second half. After ruling that each team would use its own ball, referee Edvin Jurisevic ejected Tigres’ Antonio Sancho with a second yellow card and gave backup ‘keeper Enrique Palos a yellow for unsporting behavior.

Then Andre Rocha put FC Dallas ahead on the first penalty kick, but the three teammates who followed missed. Tigres’ three successful kicks against Hoops backup ‘keeper Ray Burse gave the Mexican team the decision 3-1 in the shootout.

“I don’t know if the balls made a difference,” Hyndman said, “but that shows how much this meant to (Tigres).”

Said Watson: “I think we deserved to win against a team with seven starters. It’s more a point of pride than anything else.”

He and Wileman, long-time teammates in Dallas-area age-group soccer and on the U.S. U-17 team, were among the FC Dallas players who benefited from the exposure. Another was left-side midfielder Viktor Sikora, who had played just briefly in one game since suffering torn meniscus in a knee.

“Sikora, it was a great time for him to get on the field and play a lot,” Hyndman said. “It was his first full game since Columbus (Aug. 16). He gave us good leadership and education in a young lineup.”

Will that translate into greater playing time for Sikora in the final two regular-season games?

Hyndman answered, “I hope so.”

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Tigres (1-0-0) vs. FC Dallas (0-1-0)
October 14, 2008 — Pizza Hut Park

Scoring Summary:
DAL — Aaron Pitchkolan 1 (Chase Wileman ) 5
DAL — Jamie Watson 1 (Chase Wileman ) 34
TIG — Guillermo Marino 1 (Javier Saavedra ) 61
TIG — Lucas Ayala 1 (Manuel Viniegra ) 73
DAL — Aaron Pitchkolan 2 (Bobby Rhine 1, Michael Dello-Russo 1) 89

Penalty-kick shootout:
DAL — Andre Rocha (Goal)
TIG — Blas Perez (Goal)
DAL — Bobby Rhine (Wide Left)
TIG — Guillermo Marino (Goal)
DAL — Eric Avila (Saved)
TIG — Manuel Viniegra (Saved)
DAL — Chase Wileman (Saved)
TIG — Javier Saavedra (Goal)

Tigres — Oscar Perez (Enrique Palos 46), Emmanuel Cerda (Manuel Viniegra 63), Luis Ramirez, Jose Rivas (Antonio Zacarias 76), Israel Jimenez (Javier Saavedra 46), Lucas Lobos (Antonio Sancho 46), Jonatan De Leon (Francisco Acuna 55), Francisco Fonseca (Guillermo Marino 46), Jesus Molina, Julio Aguilar (Lucas Ayala 46), Blas Perez,

Substitutes Not Used: Armando Pulido, Hugo Sanchez

FC Dallas — Ray Burse, Michael Dello-Russo, Anthony Wallace, Aaron Pitchkolan, Andrew Daniels, Bobby Rhine, Chase Wileman, Dax McCarty (Eric Avila 46), Viktora Sikora (Spencer Wadsworth 86), Dominic Oduro, Jamie Watson (Andre Rocha 74),

Substitutes Not Used: Bruno Guarda, Josh Lambo, Drew Moor, Bryant Rueckner, Blake Wagner.

Source from MLSnet.com

This week we have some great games coming up.

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We have the Barcelona - Atletico game in Spain.

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In Germany we have the two most attacking teams facing off - Stuttgart vs Werder Bremen.

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What about the game in UK,where City take on Liverpool in a game I do expect some nice football.

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Of course, we should not forget the Athens derby between Olympiakos and AEK played in the Karaskaki stadium.

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This is the weekend’s la liga preview.

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Who ever you bet on this weekend have in mind that many teams have played a lot of games by now.
The Champions League teams and Uefa Cup teams must be tired by now.
Too many games in a small period of time can never come good.
We might see some tired legs out there.

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Let’s take a look at la liga preview for the match that will be played in Catalonia between Barcelona and Atletico.

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My thoughts regarding the team from Madrid is that i think they are over performing so far.

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They are good but they are not that good.
They have good players but they are not great players.
Like I said in my Atletico - Sevilla analysis.

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Atletico’s drop of form is just a matter of time.

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Atletico come into this game after a nice win in the Champions League against Marseille.
But are they good enought to take on Barcelona away?

The coach Aguerre will most likely play his 4-4-2 system at Camp Nue with Aguerro and Sinamo playing rather deep.

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Quick counter attacks and solid defending will be his plan.
Its simple,if you want something from Barcelona on their home ground then you need to score.
Barcelona wont leave a game played at home without scoring a goal.

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I believe Atletico can suprise Barcelona in the play that they master very good.
Counter attacking football.
You see Barcleona’s defensive back four line is not a the fastest one around.
While Atletico have some very speedy attacking players.
Already mentioned Aguerro and Sinamo are not the only ones.
Maxi on the wing is also a player that like to run into space.

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Guardiola the Barca coach will have to be careful.
If he dont want them famous white handkerchiefs coming out he better step up.
So far i must say he have done an O.K. job.
But he must build on this momentum.
Barcas cutting edge passing is not their yet,they need to bring that out.
Their defending is not on a level that it should be.

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They came away with a scrappy win in Shaktar some days ago after once again being saved by the little magician called Messi.
They are so depended on him that it would be fair to call Barcelona Messilona many times.

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We will see a fresh Messi in this game as he only played 30 minutes away to Shaktar.
Of course that did not stop him from scoring twice.
Messi who will face Pernia come Saturday night should really tare him apart.
Pernia is a slow player that is not good in one on one situations.
Yellow card or red card must be a side bet in this came as it will be party time on that left flank of Madrid.

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Barca will control possession as they are they strongest team in the world when it comes to that.
Atletico will keep their positioning and count the minutes.
They more that go by the better and then maybe snatch a counter attacking goal.

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One thing for certain, Atletico have left the “we are hopefull of a result” long time ago.
They come into this game confident of a result.

If you are a soccer player, use the tips in this article.

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Coaching high school soccer is something that can make a huge difference for winning or losing soccer games. The strategies regarding the soccer formations, styles of play, soccer defence, the speed of play and free kicks are some of the most critical aspects that can give the high school soccer players a winning edge over the other team.

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There are different methods that will effectively teach the players how to dribble in traffic for example. As per this method, first, make the square 5 or 6 adult steps wide. Now tell the players just to dribble across and stop. Don’t let them turn and dribble back.

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Look at this as an example on how to develop specific skills while running and under pressure or how to pass quickly after having made a turn. One essential aspect is that the method teaches the passer that he/she should quickly move after making a pass and not stand still.

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Soccer Coaching Drills
If there is something you need to correct while teaching a drill, you should stop the drill and demonstrate the step to correct the mistake. Psychology plays an vitalrole in coaching soccer.

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Also consider that you can start the training sessions with running drills. When doing so, you can have the players step once or twice between each stick for example. The players should change direction at each turn, shuffling sideways between the sticks. You can also have your players run between the sticks lengthwise.

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An expert coach understands that the Power comes from quickness of the execution. Have your players use the elastic quality of the leg muscles. If the players think that way, they will be able to jump much higher. It’s important that they squat and leap rather than leaping up starting from a squatting position.

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The coach should also ensure that the defenders are tough and are not afraid of physical contact. If you have a player in the team who is afraid of contact, it is big disadvantage for you. If you play her or him at Fullback or Sweeper, get ready to give up many goals.

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In order to move the ball around the defenders for example, the attackers must try to get the ball past all of the defenders and into unobstructed space within scoring range of the goal.

Brazil coach Dunga and forward Ronaldinho, both jeered by the crowd during their goalless draw with Bolivia on Wednesday, shrugged off the hostile reception and said it was all part of the game.

Ronaldinho was booed when he was substituted in the 77th minute of the FIFA World Cup™ qualifier while Dunga was jeered throughout the second half and goaded with chants of “Goodbye, Dunga”.

The modest crowd at the Joao Havelange stadium also cheered when Bolivia, who played the last 35 minutes with 10 men, went forward. “When we don’t play well, it’s normal,” said Dunga, who suffered the same reception during the 0-0 draw at home to Argentina in June. “Supporters are emotional and it’s their way of protesting. We just have to get over it. The important thing is to be in the top four at the end.”

Brazil are second in the ten-team South American group from which the top four qualify for South Africa in 2010. Dunga has been under intense pressure following a run of poor results and, although a 3-0 win in Chile on Sunday gave him some respite, Wednesday’s drab performance means the heat is on again.

Ronaldinho agreed with his boss. “The supporters’ reaction was normal,” he said. “The Brazilian team always has the obligation to win. We hope we can revert this situation.”

Defender Luisao, however, was not so tolerant. “When we play abroad, we are jeered and insulted and when we get here, we are booed as well. That makes it complicated.”

626 days before the start of the first African FIFA World Cup™ at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on 11 June 2010, the cloud of secrecy surrounding the Official Mascot has been lifted. Embedded in a vibrant African-themed live TV show that was broadcast nationwide, Zakumi today (22 September 2008) made his official debut in front of an audience of millions on South Africa’s primetime SABC Coca-Cola Soccer Zone.

The Official Mascot, a leopard, has been designed and produced exclusively in the host country. The name is a composition of “ZA”, standing for South Africa, and “kumi” translating into “10″ in various languages across Africa. Inspired by his football idols, Zakumi has dyed his hair green as he felt it would be the perfect camouflage against the green of the football pitch.

“Zakumi represents the people, geography and spirit of South Africa, personifying in essence the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We are certain we will have a lot of fun with him in the lead-up to and during the FIFA Confederations Cup and the FIFA World Cup,” said FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke.

The original creator of the design is Andries Odendaal from Cape Town, and the mascot costume itself was produced by Cora Simpson of Cora’s Costumes cc in Boksburg. “Zakumi is a proud South African and, as such, an ideal ambassador for the first African World Cup. He was born in 1994, the same year as the country’s democracy. He is young, energetic, smart and ambitious, a real inspiration for young and old, not only in our country,” explained Danny Jordaan.

Lucas Radebe, who has spent the last few days with Zakumi, said that: “He is extremely proud to be the Official Mascot and determined to be the best host possible for all fans visiting our beloved country of South Africa. I am sure he will be a great animator for fans and players as well as for all of us small and grown-up kids.”

The tradition of the Official FIFA World Cup Mascot has been in place for more than 40 years. World Cup Willie was the first-ever FIFA World Cup Mascot, invented for the 1966 tournament in England. Official Mascots have come to play a more and more important role in the FIFA World Cup™ as with their infectiously positive attitude, they have over the years added to the atmosphere of each competition in their own unique way.

For more stories and exciting videos on and around Zakumi and his predecessors, please visit the official website, www.FIFA.com/Zakumi.

The UEFA Executive Committee today approved the expansion of the final tournament of the UEFA European Championship from 16 to 24 teams, as from the 2016 edition.

Expanded format
The format of the final tournament will consist of six groups of four teams, followed by a round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. The top two from each group would qualify in addition to the four best third-ranked sides. This format would generate a total of 51 games, compared with 31 now, to be played over a period of 29 to 31 days depending on the match schedule. This historic decision gives middle-ranked countries a much greater chance to qualify for the finals. The traditional qualifying structure, with groups of six and five teams, will remain in place.

Strength in depth
“One can give a considerable number of reasons [for a 24-team EURO],” said UEFA President Michel Platini. “I’m sure that it will not change the technical level. In addition to the 16 [current] qualifiers, there are eight other teams just as good.”

Popularity
“It’s a natural development in European football in my view, when we see the popularity of national-team competitions,” UEFA General Secretary David Taylor told uefa.com. “National-team football is unbeatable in terms of TV rankings and the interest that it generates – why not increase the number of teams?

Timely move
“National associations will benefit, and football will benefit,” he added. “One thing we have also seen which gives us comfort is that there are now at least 24 teams of the required strength to compete effectively in a final tournament. Perhaps that wasn’t the case 20 years ago, but we have the numbers to make a 24-team tournament a success in Europe.”

Evolution
The EURO final-stage field has gradually increased since 1976, when four countries took part. Eight teams were present in Italy in 1980, and the 16-team final round was introduced for the tournament in England in 1996. ]]> http://www.bestsoccerblog.com/44-uefa-approves-24team-euro-2016/feed/ http://www.bestsoccerblog.com/44-uefa-approves-24team-euro-2016/