There can be no doubt that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have stolen the show in 2012 and, as a result, both of them are Ballon d’Or finalists, along with Spain & Barcelona’s highly successful Andres Iniesta. Nevertheless, there are a couple of veterans who have also lit up this year and deserve to receive […]
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Why Corinthians are dreaming of glory in Japan
Queues of biblical proportions are a common sight at Brazilian airports, but this was something else entirely. The 15,000 that elbowed their way into Cumbica in Sao Paulo to wish Corinthians boa viagem a few weeks ago was either the world’s biggest Secret Santa party or further evidence not only of Timao’s (“The Big Team”) rabid support, […]
Egypt’s Aboutrika: The understated hero
It has been called a miracle that Al-Ahly will play in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup. With the country still in chaos and no competitive football in 10 months, nothing of this magnitude was expected of them even after they won the CAF Champions League. Succeeding in spite of instability has become Al-Ahly’s […]
David Beckham – Where next ?
The soon-to-be former MLS player will think about a move back to England, but Australia and China are the most realistic options. When David Beckham says he intends to take on one more challenge before hanging up his boots, we had better take him seriously. Since Sir Alex Ferguson ended his dream of staying at […]
Pretty football and the Nash equilibrium
Ignore Barcelona. Ignore Spain. Ignore 1982 Brazil, Total Football Holland, and the Invincibles. What if the real footballing lesson about aspiration and beauty lies not in art, but in economics? This I have learned from John Forbes Nash, the Nobel Laureate depicted by Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind. In the movie version, Crowe/Nash advises […]
Ballon d’Or – The case for Casillas
If one is to believe the headlines, only one of either Messi or Ronaldo deserve to win this year’s award for the best footballer in the world, the FIFA Ballon d’Or. Although other contenders such as Xavi, Iniesta and Falcao have also been mentioned, there is one highly successful player that should be considered – […]
How Argentina finally cracked Barcelona’s Messi code
Past Pele’s record of goals in a calendar year. Ten short of surpassing Gerd Muller’s record of 85 (the all time record), and currently tied with Batistuta for most goals for Argentina in a calendar year. One goal against Saudi Arabia and the Argentinian record will be all his. It would be an understatement to […]
Disproportionate – The gap between Europe’s elite and the rest
Celtic’s 2-1 upset win over Barcelona on Wednesday prompted some to describe it as the “second greatest night in the history of the club” after — presumably — that night in 1967 when 11 men born within a few miles of Parkhead went out and became champions of Europe. That generated some interesting discussion, as you would […]
FIFA authorizes use of Goal-line technology
Two goal-line technology systems have been licensed for worldwide use by Fifa, football’s world governing body. The approval means that Hawkeye and GoalRef can now provide their products to leagues and competitions. “This milestone means that the companies now have authorisation to install their technology systems worldwide” said a Fifa spokesman. Goal-line technology is due […]
International Match-day roundup: Goals Galore and a Few Shocks
As the major leagues of the world come to a screeching halt for a “much-loved” international break, TKTG takes a look at some of the results as well as the hot topics from a weekend of WC 2014 qualifiers and international friendlies. The Friendlies With most major teams involved in battles to qualify for WC […]
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