Upsets, upsets everywhere. And you thought last week was good, huh! I’m going to try a different format this week, as I am just flat-out bored with my usual Sunday posts. Since it’ll be in a less structured format, beware of liberal use of boldface.

Lets start things off with a bang, shall we? Better yet, a triple whammy – three giant clubs going down to three comparative minnows. Notable Losses, shall we say? First and foremost, Ciro Ferrara’s time at Juventus looks to be just about over as his side collapsed to a 2-1 defeat against Catania today. For those of you unfamiliar with Serie A, Catania are perennial relegation candidates; though they missed the drop by a healthy 6 points last season, at this point in time they sit above last placed Siena only on goal differential – theirs being -10 to Siena’s -11. And that’s after their victory today coupled with a loss for Siena. What I am trying to say is that Juventus are in deep, deep trouble. Their loss to Bari last weekend was surprising but not disastrous, but this is the first time Catania have beaten i Bianconeri in 45 freaking years. And they did it away from home. The visitors went ahead on 22′ after Nicolás Spolli was hauled down in the box during a routine free-kick – Jorge Martinez had to take his shot twice after referee Pierpaoli demanded a retake, but he buried it nonetheless to put the Sicilians up 1-0. Juve almost equalized after Fabio Cannavaro hit a bicycle kick, but the ball was deflected by an offside David Trezeguet. Bidone D’Oro winner Felipe Melo was substituted after just 30 minutes and whistled off the pitch by the home fans after misplacing more than a handful of passes – Hasan Salihamidzic came on to replace him. Juventus wouldn’t find an equalizer until the 65th minute, when Diego showed an increasingly-rare moment of brilliance and provided a perfect ball for Salihamidzic, who beat the trap and slotted home. Juventus were starting to assert themselves, but on 86′ were dealt a killing blow by Catania substitute Mario Izco, who ran onto a through ball and beat Alex Manninger to hand Juve their 5th loss of the season. Forget Rafa; Ciro Ferrara unemployment watch, anyone?

Actually, lets not forget Rafa. Lets talk about him, and how his increasingly dismal Liverpool side limped to yet another defeat, this time falling 2-0 against Avram Grant’s Portsmouth – who, if I have to remind you, are seated dead last in the Premiership. The Reds were undone by a pair of fantastic volleys from Nadir Belhadj and Frédéric Piquionne, as well as the untimely decision by Javier Mascherano to injure himself while delivering a straight-red worthy tackle upon Tal Ben Haim. Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and even Daniel Agger came close for the visitors, but they ultimately failed to produce and fell to one of the Premiership’s weakest sides (who admittedly have been revitalized under Grant’s stewardship). It’s getting to the point where I’ve almost forgotten about the annoying Scouse bluster, pride and passion that used to define this side and their supporters, and am beginning to forget a time when Scousers weren’t self-pitying and self-loathing. In a word, I’m starting to feel sorry for the buggers. Rafa again failed to give Alberto Aquilani a starting opportunity; didn’t he spend €20 mil on our boy there? I spoke too soon; Rafa career unemployment is back on. Meanwhile, down southwards at Craven Cottage, Fulham FC managed to achieve a spectacular result by means of a 3-0 dismantling of Manchester United. I know I was all bluster and sarcasm when they were up against Roma in the Europa League, but I’m starting to like these boys; even schizophrenic striker Bobby Zamora. Zamora, along with Danny Murphy and Damien Duff netted the three goals that separated their side from Sir Alex Ferguson’s men. United’s long list of injuries forced them to play in an unfamiliar 3-5-2, a fact which the Cottagers were more than happy to take advantage of. Though substitutions allowed them to revert to a more cozy 4-4-2 in the second half, it was already 2-0 at that point thanks to Murphy and Zamora. When Damien Duff put away his side’s third on 75′, he sealed the Red Devil’s fate for once and for all; Roy Hodgson’s men would go on to defend superbly and earn not only a victory but a clean sheet against last year’s Premiership Champions.

Next, let’s move on to something a little more positive – not quite positive, but almost there. Notable Draws, I’ll call it, in keeping with the theme. Realistically, Notable draw would be more realistic. Chelsea missed an opportunity to go 7 points clear atop the EPL table, only managing to secure a 1-1 draw (in one of the many London derbies) against West Ham United. It was a strikingly symmetrical battle as Gianfranco Zola’s men welcomed Carlo Ancelotti & co. to Upton Park. Both sides are managed by Italians and both scored their goals after converting spot kicks from a pair of penalties.  Alessandro Diamanti converted from the spot just before halftime for the home side, after Ashley Cole brought down Jack Collison in the area. The match got more than a little bit silly around the 60th minute mark when Matthew Upson was adjudged, perhaps harshly, to have brought down Daniel Sturridge in the area. Frank Lampard stepped up and converted – only to have it disallowed as Didier Drogba was accused of encroachment. Retake. He stepped up again and put it in – only to have it disallowed as Michael Ballack was accused of encroachement. Retake. Third time’s the charm. That silly PK was enough to bring Chelsea back into the game and ensure that points were split at Upton Park. Chelsea now sit 4 points clear atop the table. Well, that’s it for notable draws, but equally interesting is notable weather. It seems that all over the world it was a weekend for bad weather; my friend’s sister was stranded in Washington DC due to a snowstorm, and Serie A matches Bologna-Atalanta, Fiorentina-Milan and Udinese-Cagliari all had to be postponed due to heavy weather with the pitches being snowed out.

Okay, now onto the good stuff that is Notable Victories. There are obviously quite a few of these so some will receive more attention than others, as is my prerogative, but I’ll try to make sure I don’t miss at least mentioning any important results. First of all, AS Roma managed to continue their ascendancy in Serie A with 2-0 victory over Parma at the Stadio Olimpico this afternoon that saw them rise to 4th place. It was a cold afternoon in Rome and the match got off to a slow start, due in large part to the visitor’s decision to play in a brutally physical style that aimed to mark Francesco Totti out of the game. Nevertheless, Roma played with more determination and controlled possession for much of the first half, finding difficulty only in breaking through the visitors’ final third. However, after the interval Nicolas Burdisso worked fast an on 48′ made it 1-0 for Roma by tapping in a close-range rebound. From that point, it was all Giallorossi, with Daniele De Rossi leading the charge, dictating play in the middle of the pitch alongside partner David Pizarro and reducing Parma’s dangerous wings to nil. Parma found the Roman backline, reorganized and confident under Claudio Ranieri, to be impregnable, and their hopes of equalizing faded at the death when Massimo Paci was sent off for receiving his second yellow. Matteo Brighi made sure that there would be no 10-man revival when, well into stoppage time, he was found by a perfect Mirko Vučinić throughball and fired just over Parma keeper Antonio Mirante to make it 2-0.  It’s worth noting that this was Roma’s 3rd straight Serie A clean sheet - Buon Natale, Romanisti! Elsewhere in Italy, the Lombardic weather was braved long enough for Inter to defeat Lazio 1-0 at the San Siro. Samuel Eto’o struck in a rebound on 14′ after a swift counterattack to provide the only goal of the match and put Inter 7 points clear of their nearest rivals Milan (who now however, have a game in hand due to their postponement in Firenze). I was really torn as to who I should be booing in this match, but ultimately I think I would have been happier had i Nerazzurri not been sitting so high and mighty atop the table. Dammit Lazio, do something right for once!

Spain, meanwhile, had their own pair of notable victories – from their own pair of notable teams. Real Madrid were able to give their fans an early Christmas present by soaring to a 6-0 victory over Real Zaragoza at the Bernabéu today. A remarkable first-half show saw Gonzalo Higuaín and Rafael van der Vaart net a double each, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema each scored goals of their own in the second half. Barcelona beat Xerez 2-0 away at the Estadio Chapín, allowing the home side to continue holding their title as leading candidates for relegation when May rolls around. After a scoreless first half, Thierry Henry wasted no time making sure the second would be different, scoring from close range on 46′. The Spanish champions were far from brilliant, and exhaustion may have taken its toll as they played their 4th game in an 11-day period, but with an insurance goal in the 93rd minute from super-sub Zlatan Ibrahimovic, they were able to grab all 3 points and consolidate their place atop the league table. Taking the hop back to England, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal defeated Hull City 3-0 to consolidate their place in 3rd – Denilson, Abou Diaby and Eduardo were on target for the Gunners, who easily tamed the Tigers in the Emirates Stadium. However, Wenger was quoted as saying he still considered his side very lucky, as Manuel Almunia was able to save a Geovanni penalty awarded against the home side when they were 1-up. Is it just me, or is there a lot of negativity radiating from Wenger these days? Meh.

Elsewhere in the leagues it was much of the usual fare, but a shout-out goes to Bayern Münich, who seem to have rediscovered their winning ways as they handily defeated last-placed Hertha Berlin 5-2. Five different players appeared on the scoresheet for die Roten at the Allianz-Arena – Daniel van Buyten opened the scoring on 16′, Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben made it 2 and then 3 on 31′ and 33′ respectively, and Thomas Müller made it 4-0 on 60′. Adrian Ramos finally pulled one back for the visitors on 71′, but Ivica Olic made it 5-1 just six minutes later. Hertha striker Raffael made it 5-2 right at the death, but the day belonged to Bayern, who have now risen to 3rd in the Bundesliga table.

And that’s that.

Group E

The Teams: The Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon

The Stars: Dirk Kuyt (NED), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (NED), Samuel Eto’o (CMR), Jean Makoun (CMR), Nicklas Bendtner (DEN), Shunsuke Nakamura (JPN)

Group E should be yet another tightly contested group, featuring four teams who really impressed during qualifying.  The number one team in the group is The Netherlands, led by a devastating striking force, featuring veteran Dirk Kuyt, Robin van Persie, and youngster Ryan Babel.  The Dutch also feature a good, young midfield, led by Real Madrid’s Rafael van der Vaart and Manchester City’s Nigel de Jong.  Traditionally, the Dutch weakness had been defense, but their back line, featuring team captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst was remarkable, conceding only two goals throughout qualification.  This is especially impressive, considering the relative inexperience of the team’s goalkeeper, Maarten Stekelenburg.  Admittedly, the Oranje didn’t play the best competition, having come out of a weak group by UEFA standards; they still look like, potentially, the best team in Europe.  They should be able to make it through this competitive group at the top of table.

Joining the Netherlands in Group E is fellow UEFA group winners, Denmark.  The Danes, like the Dutch, feature a strong attacking tandem, with 33 year-old veteran Jon Dahl Tomasson teaming up with 21 year-old Nicklas Bendtner.  Tomasson has over 100 CAPs for the Danish National team, while Bendtner has scored ten goals in 31 appearances.  The midfield will be anchored by Christian Poulsen, of Juventus, and his golden locks.  However, outside of Poulsen and Daniel Jensen, the group manning the middle of the pitch is relatively inexperienced and appears to be a bit vulnerable.  The defense is in a similar situation, with Liverpool’s Daniel Agger and Fiorentina’s Per Koldrup hoping to lead the Danes to the knockout stages.  Manning the net is veteran keeper, Thomas Sorensen, who should face some challenges with an inexperienced back line.  The Danes certainly were impressive in qualification, but they do have some weaknesses that can be exploited by a talented attacker.

Occupying the third slot in the group is Asian powerhouse, Japan, who features a team full of home grown talent, as very few of their players play outside their home country.  One exception to that rule is Espanyol midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura, who will look to lead his team to the knockout stages for the second time.  He’ll face a difficult task, as most of the Japanese-based players on the team have less experience playing against top level competition on a weekly basis.  Also, Japan lacks a real defined offensive attack, as no striker, outside of Keiji Tamada, has established himself as a real attacking threat.  The Japanese have an opportunity to make a run at the Round of 16, but it seems unlikely.

Returning after an unfortunate absence in the ’06 Cup, is the final team of the group: The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.  They will be led by all-world striker Samuel Eto’o who should be feared by any defender and goalkeeper, as he has the type of talent to carry a team on his back.  Luckily for Eto’o, he probably won’t need to carry the whole load, as he has a wealth of talent behind him.  Jean Makoun and Alexandre Song will anchor a formidable midfield, as defenders Geremi and Rigobert Song will look to defend the net of Idriss Carlos Kameni.  Unlike the Japanese, the Lions have a team comprised of players that appear weekly in the top leagues of the world.  As a result, they should be slightly more competitive against the big boys in the Cup.  However, the team is still relatively young and will ask a lot from some youngsters, like Andre Bikey and Benoit Assou-Ekotto. They have a good a chance as any to make it to the final sixteen, but it will depend on some strong play from the veterans, and inspired performances from the youngsters.

Prediction: 1) The Netherlands, 2) Denmark

Group F

The Teams: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia

The Stars: Fabio Cannavaro (ITA), Andrea Pirlo (ITA), Roque Santa Cruz, (PAR), Paulo da Silva (PAR), Chris Killen (NZL), Martin Skrtel (SVK)

This group should pose little threat to the defending World Cup Champions.  The Italian squad, familiarly based on stalwart defending and a timely goal should easily win this group.  In fact, it wouldn’t be inconceivable if Italy were to go without conceding a goal in the group stage.  Leading the back line is team captain, Fabio Cannavaro, the most capped player in team history, and keeper Gianluigi Buffon.  Fabio Grosso, Gianluca Zambrotta, and Giorgio Chiellini round out a defensive front that could stop any striker in the world.  The midfield is also quite impressive, boasting the likes of dead ball specialist, Andrea Pirlo, Mauro Camoranesi, Daniele de Rossi, and Gennaro Gattuso.  Where the Italians do tend to struggle is the offensive end, as their team is, essentially, built to score one goal and play for a clean sheet.  The (lack of) scoring should come from the likes of Alberto Gilardino, Vincenzo Iaquinta, and Antonio di Natale.  While the Azzurri should have no problem advancing to the knockout stages, their low-scoring mentality could be their undoing, especially if they were to meet up with a strong attacking unit in the later rounds.

Joining the Italians is a very impressive Paraguay team, who breezed through South American qualifying is stunning fashion, finishing second to Brazil.  Looking to lead the South Americans to the next round is Manchester City’s Roque Santa Cruz, who has scored 20 goals for the team in 66 CAPs.  Joining him up front will be, most likely, Salvador Cabanas of Club America.  The midfield is young and inexperienced, and will look to veterans Edgar Barreto and Christian Riveros for leadership.  The Paraguayan defense boasts an experienced core, led by Paulo da Silva and Denis Caniza.  While they’re nowhere near as intimidating as the Italian defense, they are a veteran group that will not be intimidated on the grand stage.  If they can sustain their strong run of form, they can move on to the Round of 16 and, potentially, beyond.

The third team of the group (and the team I mocked in the title of this article) is New Zealand.  To say I have little faith in the All White’s chances is an understatement.  They had a ludicrously easy road to qualification, besting New Caledonia, Fiji, and Vanuatu, before squeaking past Bahrain in the Oceania-AFC playoff.  When a team’s toughest competition on the road the South Africa includes two small island nations that served as the setting of Survivor, I am less than impressed.  Chris Killen and Shane Smeltz scored quite frequently in qualifying, but have yet to experience the type of defending they can expect from the Italians.  Leo Bertos proved against Bahrain that he is dangerous with a dead ball, and can deliver some nice crosses into the box, and team captain, Ryan Nelsen, plays with Blackburn in the EPL, but the Kiwis really lack any sort of talent that could propel them into the next round.  They’ll be lucky to get a point in this group.

The final team in the group is a surprising Slovakia team that won their group in UEFA qualifying.  They will feature some strong players, including defenders, Marek Cech and Martin Skrtel, who will be asked to protect the net of whichever inexperienced keeper they decide to feature in the cup.  Of their most recently called up goalies, not one has more than 13 caps.  Needless to say, the World Cup is not really the venue in which to rely on an inexperienced net minder.  Robert Vittek and Stanislav Sestak will look to provide the scoring up front.  While both have proven to be capable scorers, neither name will inspire fear in a top notch defender.  Their midfield will be anchored by the Miroslav Karhan, who has appeared in 95 games for the Slovakian team.  While they certainly impressed in qualifying, this would be a particularly difficult team to bet on when it comes to picking the winners.

Prediction: 1) Italy, 2) Paraguay

Group G

The Teams: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal

The Stars: Kaka (BRA), Robinho (BRA), Didier Drogba (CIV), Kolo Toure (CIV), Cristiano Ronaldo (POR), Deco (POR), Hong Yong-Jo (PRK)

We hear about it every year: The Group of Death.  This group features three teams that have legitimate shots at winning the entire tournament in Brazil, Portugal, and The Ivory Coast.  The Brazilians are considered the favorites, and should be, but it’s no given that they will even advance out of this group, considering the talent of the other teams.  Leading the Brazilians is star midfielder, Kaka, who has scored a goal in over 1/3 of his appearances for the Green and Yellow.  Joining him in the midfield is an experienced group, consisting of Gilberto Silva, Julio Baptista, and Elano.  Looking to score the goals will be some combination of Adriano, Robinho, and Luis Fabiano, all of whom can score with the best of them.  And, for a change, the defense actually looks tough, with Lucio and Juan anchoring an unusually solid defensive front.  This team, who finished top of the table in South American qualifying, is actually being criticized for lacking the traditional flair of the Brazilian squad.  In its place, the team seems to be playing good, fundamental team soccer, which will really only benefit them in this competition.  It’s important that the Brazilians continue this run of unselfish play if they want to advance out of the group, let alone win the Cup.

Welcome back to the World Cup, North Korea!  The Korean squad is full of young, unknown, and inexperienced players that really have no chance against any of their opponents.  Their squad doesn’t contain a single player with more than 50 caps, and all of them, with the exception of striker Hong Yong-Jo play in Asian leagues.  Given their relative inexperience and surprising qualification, just making the tournament itself should be their Holy Grail.  The only question is whether they can hold one of their opponents to fewer than three goals.

With the World Cup being held in Africa this year, and the surge of talent coming from that continent, many people believed this could be the year that an African team hoists the trophy.  I was one of those people, and, like many, I expected that that team would be The Ivory Coast.  However, for the second consecutive year, the Elephants have drawn the Group of Death, and will struggle to make it out alive.  If they do make it out, it will be on the shoulders of their star strikers, Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, and Aruna Dindane.  Those three strikers, as well as veteran Adbul-Kader Keita, form one of the most potent attacking fronts that could even rival the Dutch in might.  Their midfield, while probably their weakest link, is no joke either, with Sevilla’s Didier Zokora and Barcelona’s Yaya Toure.  We can only hope that all-name team member, Gilles Yapi Yapo, will make an appearance alongside his midfield brethren.  The defense will be anchored by veterans, Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, who will look to lead a young back line to prominence.  I would pick the Ivoirians to advance easily from any other group, but this one will be a challenge.

The final team in this ridiculously stacked group is the struggling, but always dangerous, Portuguese.  They boast, arguably, the world’s best player in captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who was battling injuries and poor form throughout their qualification.  Ronaldo will be joined by Nani and Simao, who will look to lead a deadly offensive attack.  The midfield is also impressive, featuring the creative veteran, Deco, and Juventus’s Thiago.  The defense is experienced, but spotty, and will have to rely on the duo from Chelsea, Ricardo Carvalho (whom Didier Drogba calls the most attractive member of the team) and Paulo Ferriera.  They will need to be strong in order to protect the inexperienced Eduardo in goal.  Portugal is a team that can beat anybody in the world, but they’re also a team that, given recent form, could lose to almost anyone (except North Korea).  They’ll need to find their hearts and hope their star gets healthy to get the results they need to move on.

Predictions: 1) Brazil, 2) Ivory Coast

Group H

The Teams: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

The Stars: Xavi (ESP), Fernando Torres (ESP), David Suazo (HON), Wilson Palacios (HON), Alexander Frei (SUI), Mark Gonzalez (CHI)

The eighth and final group of the 2010 world cup features the reigning European Champions, Spain.  While any team can come in second, the Spaniards should be heavily favored to win this group outright.  They will feature a seemingly unstoppable striking combination of Fernando Torres and David Villa, who have combined to score 58 goals for the Red Fury.  Their midfield is congested with talent, as Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta, and David Silva will all compete for a role in the starting eleven.  On the defensive end, they are anchored by a top-five keeper, in captain Iker Casillas and the hulking defender Carlos Puyol.  The Spanish team is one in which  it is almost impossible to find a weakness and is considered by many to be the favorites to win it all.  Given the talent and completeness of the squad, it would be unfathomable if the Spaniards did not cruise through to the knockout stages.

Switzerland is yet another strong, yet enigmatic European team to qualify for this year’s Cup.  The Swiss are a veteran team, that plays smart, solid soccer, but lacks star power at most positions.  They will expect captain Alexander Frei to do the majority of the scoring, as he has netted 40 goals in 70 caps for his country.  Outside of Frei, it’s hard to find where the scoring will come from in this group.  Midfielder Hakan Yakin is the team’s second leading scorer among active players with twenty goals, and only one other player, forward Marco Streller has scored double digit goals for the senior team.  That means the Swiss will have to rely heavily on keeper Diego Banaglio and defenders Philippe Senderos and Patrick Muller.  They play a strong brand of soccer, but in order to advance, the team must score, and that could be a problem for them.

Joining the Europeans in group H is Honduras, the third place finisher in the CONCACAF region.  Honduras isn’t a team to be slept on, as they do feature some dangerous players, including the striking tandem of Carlos Pavon and David Suazo.  Unlike the Swiss, Los Catrachos will have a reliable offensive force.  The midfield is experienced and talented, led by team captain, Amado Guevara, who has an astounding 130 caps for his home nation.  Joining Guevara will be Tottenham midfielder Wilson Palacios and Julio Cesar de Leon of Torino.  The front six of this team are certainly capable of competing with the other teams in the group.  Where the Hondurans will struggle is on the defensive end, where a lot will be asked of Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa and veteran keeper Noel Valladares.  Other than those two dependable stalwarts, the Honduran defense is largely home grown and can be porous.  Essentially, they’re the exact opposite of the Swiss team and will need to do some serious defending in order to move on.

The final team in the group is Chile, who almost missed out on the competition due to a controversy in their home league.  Chile played very well in CONNMBOL qualifying, but did suffer some injuries to their key players along the way.  They will have to hope that keeper and team captain Claudio Bravo can anchor a defense that doesn’t boast too many impressive names.  Claudio Maldonado and Matias Fernandez will lead a relatively inexperienced midfield, while Humberto Suazo, Mark Gonzalez, and Alexis Sanchez will be counted on to score the goals.  The names on this team aren’t very familiar to most fans of the European or American leagues, but they proved in qualifying that they are more than capable of holding their own against the best in the world.  They’ll have to continue this impressive form and find a few goal scorers if they want to advance to the knockout stages.

Prediction: 1) Spain, 2) Honduras

So that concludes my analysis of all 32 World Cup teams.  Many of these groups were impossible to predict, and there are some unfamiliar countries that can really make a name for themselves in this tournament.  More than ever, this can be a year in which some smaller and lesser known countries can pull of a magical run.  The second tier European teams, which were so impressive last year, don’t seem like strong bets, which could allow teams from CONCACAF, Asia, and Africa to advance deep into the knockout stages.  Keep on checking back, as I’ll be continuing my Hall of Fame conversation and will look deep into the American and English national teams, and give my take on who should make the cut.

2010 es año par, y como buen año par en la esfera deportiva significa que o bien hay un Mundial o hay una Eurocopa u Olimpiadas. En 2010 hay Mundial de fútbol en Sudáfrica. Pero aparte del Mundial está la Champions, Liga…

DICIEMBRE DE 2009

Para cerrar el año falta poner la guinda del Balón de oroy el FIFA World Player.

El Balón de oro

Es un trofeo que lo otorga la revista deportiva France Football al mejor futbolista europeo. Fue creado por Gabriel Hanot en 1956. El primer ganador fue Stanley Matthews. El jurado lo forman periodistas especializados de diferentes países europeos que eligen a sus cinco futbolistas entre un listado previo que realiza la revista. Entre los más galardonados están Michael Platini, Johan Cruyff y Marco van Basten con tres trofeos cada uno.

El FIFA WORLD PLAYER

Es un trofeo que lo concede la FIFA (Federación Internacional de Futbol Asociación). Se instauró en 1991. Reconocen al mejor jugador y a la mejor jugadora del mundo de cada año. El premio se decide por las votaciones de los capitanes y entrenadores de todas las selecciones nacionales de federaciones afiliadas a la FIFA en los cinco continentes. Cada capitán y seleccionador vota a tres jugadores. Tras el recuento de todos los votos, la FIFA convoca a los tres primeros clasificados masculinos y a los tres femeninos a una gala que tiene lugar en Zúrich (Suiza) a mediados de diciembre. En esa gala se desvela el orden final de las votaciones, y se hace entrega de los premios.

11 DE ABRIL DE 2010- REAL MADRID-FUTBOL CLUB BARCELONA

Como cada vez que se enfrentan el Real Madrid y el Futbol Club Barcelona, ya sea en Madrid o en Barcelona, se habla del partido del siglo. En ese día y en las semanas colindantes (anterior y posterior) de lo único que se habla es del partido. Al cual se le denomina “El Clásico” por su tradición,  lo que produce a nivel de afición, seguimiento y la rivalidad entre la capital española y la ciudad condal. El saldo es de 50 victorias madridistas, 14 barcelonistas y 14 empates, solo de los partidos disputados en Madrid. El triunfo más abultado del Real Madrid fue de 8-2 en la temporada 1934-35. Por su parte, el FC Barcelona tiene la victoria más abultada en terreno merengue de 0-5 en temporada 1973-1974.

22 DE MAYO DE 2010-FINAL DE LA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

La Champions League es el torneo europeo por excelencia. Después de una primera fase de grupos en los que se clasifican a la siguiente ronda los dos primeros de cada uno. Y después de sucesivas ronda eliminarías entre dos equipos con partidos de ida y vuelta se decide el ganador en un partido único en un estadio por elegir. En esta edición la final se celebrará en el Santiago Bernabéu y todos los equipos españoles quieren llegar a disputarla, sobre todo el Real Madrid por celebrarse en su estadio. El equipo con más orejonas (copas) es el Real Madrid (con 9 títulos) y el último equipo ganador es el Futbol Club Barcelona.

26 DE MAYO DE 2010-FINAL DE LA COPA DEL REY

La Copa del Rey es un torneo futbolístico que se disputa anualmente en España. Es organizado por la Real Federación Española de Futbol. Fue creado en 1903. Actualmente el equipo con más títulos es el Futbol Club Barcelona (con 25 títulos). Y el vigente campeón es el Futbol Club Barcelona.

11 DE JUNIO DE 2010-INICIO DEL MUNDIAL DE SUDÁFRICA 2010

Desde el 11 de junio hasta el 11 de julio el mundo entero se paraliza por el Mundial de Fútbol. En esta ocasión se celebra en el País de Sudáfrica. El Mundial se celebra cada cuatro años desde 1930, con la excepción de 1942 y 1946 debido a la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Los países con más Copas mundiales son Brasil (con 5), Italia (con 4), Alemania (con 3) y Argentina (con 2).

21 de junio de 1964-Aniversario de la 1ª Eurocopa de España

En la segunda edición de la Eurocopa, la selección española se erigió como campeona de Europa. El campeonato duró desde el 17 de junio hasta el 21 de junio. En la final se impuso a la selección de la Unión Soviética (2-1).  La final se disputó en el Estadio Santiago Bernabeú de Madrid. El partido acabó con la victoria española gracias a un tardío gol de Marcelino que consiguió desempatar el encuentro (2-1) en el minuto 84. España ganaba la Eurocopa de España de 1964, consiguiendo su primera victoria en una gran competición deportiva de selecciones. Curiosamente, durante más de 43 años mucha gente tuvo la convicción de que Amancio realizó el pase del gol, cuando en realizad fue Pereda. Esta creencia se debió a que la imagen del centro no fue grabada por la televisión, y se montaron las imágenes sobre un centro de Amancio.

29 de junio de 2010-Aniversario de la 2ª Eurocopa de España

España se proclamó campeona de Europa en la 13ª edición del torneo. Se realizó en Austria y Suiza,  entre el 7 de junio y el 29 de junio de 2008. En el partido final se impuso a la selección alemana (1-0), con un gol de Fernando Torres en el estadio Ernst Happel en la ciudad de Viena. España llegó a la final después de ganar a las selecciones de Rusia, Suecia, Grecia (en dos ocasiones), Italia (en la tanda de penaltis) y a Alemania en la final. Aparte ser la selección ganadora, España se fue con el trofeo del jugador mas goleador, con 9 jugadores en el equipo ideal, el “Premio jugador del Torneo Castrol” fue para Xavi Hernández y en el partido de la final “Premio Carlsberg  Jugador del Partido” para Fernando Torres.

11 DE JULIO DE 2010-FINAL DEL MUNDIAL DE SUDÁFRICA 2010

Si el 11 de junio de 2010 inicia el Mundial, justo un mes después, el 11 de julio de 2010 se celebra la final. Todos los países sueñan con llegar a ella pero solo lo logran 2. El torneo se divide en dos fases. Una primera es una fase de grupos en la que participan 32 equipos divididos en 8 grupos con 4 equipos cada uno, de los cuales los dos primeros pasan de ronda. A partir de ahí mediante partidos eliminatorios se enfrenten las 16 selecciones clasificadas. Al final el 11 de julio las dos selecciones que han superado todas las rondas disputaran la final y una de ellas se erigirá como campeona.

It seems as though derby season is upon us; there have been quite a few this weekend and next weekend the most anticipated match in Roma’s season (and the greatest derby in Italy) gets underway. But, before we can start our countdown to a good Biancocelesti thrashing, we have to deal with all the derbies (and mundane regular matches) going down this weekend. Shall we?

Football:

Somebody get this guy a Red shirt.

Liverpool 2-0 Everton (The Merseyside Derby) – Well, the Scousers went head to head today as strugglers Everton took on strugglers Liverpool. It was a battle of the underachievers, with both Rafa Benitez and David Moyes’ sides badly needing the points and morale boost that come from a derby win. In a season when both sides have fared so poorly both in league and European competitions, it comes as no surprise that today’s match was decided not by a particularly heroic individual effort but by a particularly atrocious performance. A pair of grievous mistakes from Everton defender Joseph Yobo gifted the Reds a 2-0 victory, much to the dismay of the Toffeemakers’ fans at Goodison Park. Yobo put the visitors ahead in the 12th minute, putting his foot out and tipping a long-range effort from Javier Mascherano (which was veering well wide of the net, I might add) past Tim Howard and into the back of his own goal. It was a typically scrappy derby match, and Russian wiz Diniyar Bilyaletdinov nearly leveled the score 6 minutes later in the beginning of what was a very back-and-forth first half. Everton found the back of the net twice and were twice disallowed, but the home support were buoyed by their side’s performance and were left singing at the half despite the score remaining 1-0. However, they wouldn’t be singing at fulltime – their side failed to equalize in the second half with Pepe Reina denying the Blues over and over again, seemingly through sheer determination and a bit of luck. When it finally occurred on 81′, the second error from Joseph Yobo would all but put the game out of Everton’s reach. The Nigerian whiffed on an aerial clearance, leading to a shot from Albert Riera before Dirk Kuyt buried the rebound to make it 2-0. Ten minutes later, it was the away support who were singing as another Merseyside derby came to pass.

Manchester Utd 4-1 Portsmouth – Ah, our first non-derby match of the weekend. Still though, there is a bit of history here – the last time Avram Grant came up against Sir Alex Ferguson on the touchline was in the 2008 Champions League final, with Chelsea just one slip away from being crowned Champions of Europe. Despite being runners up in that competition and in the EPL, Grant was sacked as Chelsea manager, left to ponder what could have been. Yesterday he made his (unofficial) return to coaching, this time as manager of strugglers Portsmouth, who are looking to turn their fortunes around after going through 3 owners and 2 managers already this year. Fergie himself had to watch the match from the stands, as he is currently serving a touchline ban – luckily the match was quite a spectacle, abundant with soft penalties and controversy. On 25′ the visitors were awarded a somewhat questionable penalty which Wayne Rooney buried from the spot. The Fratton Park crowd could not complain too much, though, as 6 minutes later their side was awarded an even more inexplicable penalty which Kevin Prince Boateng was able to convert – apparently awarded for some rather run-of-the-mill shirt tugging by Nemanja Vidic. The teams went into the half level, but it would not take United much longer to find their stride. Within the first 8′ minutes of the second period Wayne Rooney would complete his hattrick with a low shot on 48′ and a second penalty on 53′. Ryan Giggs would top it all off on 87′ with the 100th Premiership goal of his career, making it 4-1 United and ensuring that Avram Grant will have Fergie-related nightmares for a while yet.

Tottenham 1-1 Aston Villa – It’s always difficult to come down after an incredible high. No, I’m not referring to my own struggles with substance abuse (fictional, I assure you), but rather the 9-1 victory which the Spurs were able to achieve over Wigan Athletic last weekend. Instead of repeating that incredible feat, the Lilywhites were held to an unremarkable draw at Villa Park. Gabriel Agbonlahor gave the home side an early lead on 10′, but Michael Dawson was able to level for Tottenham late in the match to earn his side a point and lift them to 3rd place in the English Premier League. Not an overly impressive performance from Harry Redknapp’s side, but they did just enough to keep themselves in the Premiership race.

Chelsea 3-0 Arsenal (The London Derby) – Realistically, there are more intense traditional rivalries in London town; historically Chelsea and Arsenal have been less concerned with each other than their other London neighbours. However, the rise of Chelsea into the big four of Premiership football means that in recent years these two sides have been forced into competition with one another at the top of the table and as a direct result their rivalry has become much more intense. Today’s London derby turned out to be an absolute rout from the Blues, who have been in tip-top form all season under Carlo Ancelotti, decimating Arsene Wenger’s depleted side who have been just shy of top form of late. It was another episode of the Didier Drogba show at the Emirates, with the big Ivorian grabbing the brace to all but destroy the Gunners and keep his fantastic record against Wenger’s side alive – Drogba has found the net in each of the last 9 matches played against Arsenal. Drogba opened the scoring on 41′, firing from close range into the top of Almunia’s net after some impeccable service from Ashley Cole. Just 4 minutes later Cole would again play the role of provider, but this time it was Arsenal man Thomas Vermaelen who turned the ball into his own net – giving the home side plenty to think about as they retired for the halftime interval. Just after the break Arsenal should have made it 2-1 when Andrei Arshavin blasted a rebound past Petr Cech and into the Blues’ net, but the goal was disallowed for an alleged foul on the Czech keeper by Gunners man Eduardo. Despite some dangerous efforts, Chelsea dominated play for much of the second half; their persistence paid off on 86′ when (guess who?) Didier Drogba struck again from a free kick just outside the area, blasting past the wall and away from Manuel Almunia into the back of the net. Ultimately, Ancelotti’s side would cruise to a relatively easy win, taking advantage of a depleted and demoralized Arsenal side to further their dominance atop the Premiership table. Chelsea have now recorded wins this season against all of their fellow big four sides – a positive omen if there ever was one.

Manchester City 1-1 Hull City – Oh, and City drew their 7th straight game after Shaun Wright-Phillips’ opener was cancelled out by a late penalty converted by Jimmy Bullard.

Calcio:

Inter 1-0 Fiorentina – Oh, Inter. I am growing to hate you so. In a game when Jose Mourinho’s side played poorly and were well-met by an organized outing from Cesare Prandelli’s men, it would be a penalty kick which separated the two sides in the end and allowed i Nerazzurri to go 8 points clear atop the Serie A table. It’s so typical of this side to underachieve thoroughly and then get by on the skin of their teeth that I shouldn’t be surprised, but yet I am disappointed each time a more deserving team outplays them and ultimately falls, especially due to this sort of misfortune. I’m not saying that the penalty wasn’t there, but had it not been for Gianluca Comotto’s hotheadedness, or had Alberto Gilardino buried his one-on-one chance against Julio Cesar instead of hitting the post just moments earlier, then Inter surely would have dropped points on the evening. In the end, Diego Milito’s penalty made the difference in a match full of could’ve-beens for La Viola that was perhaps ultimately a shouldn’t-have-been for La Beneamata.

Genoa 3-0 Sampdoria (il Derbi della Lanterna) – The Genovese derby, or il Derbi della Lanterna, as it is known, always produces some fireworks. This year’s was no different, as i Grifoni demolished i Blucerchiati in a game that had as many goals as it did red cards. Omar Milanetto opened the scoring for Genoa on 10′ with a spot kick after Reto Ziegler executed a clumsy tackle in the box. Genoa’s Giuseppe Biava was sent off for handling the ball as he fell to the ground, Sampdoria’s Marco Rossi received two yellows, and his teammate Fabrizio Cacciatore received a straight red late in the match. Meanwhile, Genoa’s Marco Rossi (yes, there are two of them) scored on 53′ and Raffaele Palladino capped off the victory with a spot kick on 75′. An eventful and exciting derby, and also a hard-fought one, which I’m sure an inspection of Antonio Cassano’s shins would tell you. They really don’t like that guy, eh? I bet Lippi calls up the whole team come June.

Cagliari 2-0 Juventus – La Vecchia Signora ha perso contro… gli Isolani? Cagliari managed to pull one (better yet, two) over on their visitors at the Stadio San’Elia today, snatching all three points from a rather toothless Old Lady. I think I’ve waited long enough to say this – Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has certainly been a huge flop at AC Milan this season, but realistically, what has Diego done for Juventus’ offense lately? I’ll tell you what he did today: not enough. Their confidence shattered by a midweek loss to Bordeaux, Juventus fell about play clumsily and were victimized by a sharp and determined performance from the Sardinians. The home side opened the scoring on 30′ when Nenê unleashed  35-yard screamer that blasted into Buffon’s top corner. Juventus struggled to respond, and with their own Brazilian Diego firing well-wide before the half, went into the break with a much-deserved 1-0 deficit. After the interval, Amauri thought he had grabbed a quick equalizer for his side, but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside, leaving Cagliari keeper Federico Marchetti more than happy to pick the ball out of the back of the net. Cagliari also had fair claim to a spot kick after Martin Cácares handled the ball in the area, but the referee adjudged it ball-to-hand and play continued. A late goal would come to pass, but it would not be the strike that Juventus needed: substitute Alessandro Matri turned Fabio Cannavaro absolutely inside-out before slotting past Gigi Buffon in the 89th minute. Both Diego and substitute Alessandro Del Piero would miss absolute sitters for the visitors in added time and Juventus were forced to swallow their second humbling defeat in 5 days, dropping to 8 points behind league-leaders Inter.

Vucigol had me praising the heavens with his 44th-minute header.

AS Roma 2-1 Atalanta – An ugly, nervy, but ultimately deserved away win. I couldn’t be happier. Though dominations at the Stadio Olimpico like the one last weekend over Bari are a joy to watch, they are expected – those are the games that we will always win, because the magic of the Olimpico rarely fails us. However, it is matches like today’s at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri D’Italia that are must-wins for i Giallorossi, because they are the ones where we so often lose our nerve and drop points against teams we would easily beat at home. It’s not called an advantage for nothing, you know. Luckily, Roma was able to pull out a comeback win against gli Orobici today after Fabio Ceravolo gave the home side the lead on 13′. Roma looked decidedly lackluster for huge spells during the first half, but were able to grab a set-piece goal just before the half as Mirko Vučinić nodded home a corner from David Pizarro on 44′. Simone Perrotta was able to give his side the lead 20 minutes later, ghosting into the box unnoticed to head home a cross from Vučinić. After gaining the lead, i Lupi simply fought to maintain it. The substitutions of Jérémy Ménez for Rodrigo Taddei and Roberto Acquafresca for Cristiano Doni changed the entire complexion of the game; suddenly Roma were on the backheel and fighting only to maintain their lead while the home side heaped on piles of offensive pressure. For the most part Roma held up nicely under the waves of attack; Riise almost scored an own-goal on 85′ but instead cleared the ball nicely, while Atalanta had a legitimate appeal for a penalty on Juan two minutes later which was happily waved off. Finally the fulltime whistle blew and Roma were able to take a much-needed 3 points home to Trigoria. We’ve finally cracked the top 10! Rejoice ironically – but only for a second. We have il Derbi della Capitale to think about.

Udinese 2-0 Livorno – The other Bianconeri were able to achieve a much better result this weekend than Juventus. A cracker of a free kick from Antonio Di Natale opened the scoring on 29′, bringing his total for the season to a round 10. 7 minutes later, Antonio Floro Flores doubled his side’s money, heading home after a build-up that was again largely the work of Di Natale. The one-two punch was more than enough to subdue the Tuscan visitors at the Stadio Friuli and le Zebrette ran away with the 2-goal win. I almost feel bad for Sersi Cosmi, fervent Romanista that he is, until I remember that it was his cursed side which sent us on the downward spiral earlier this season from which we are just now recovering (ie, getting Totti back). But then again, Udinese was a part of that spiral too… Aw, to hell with the both of them.

The Hunter finally found his gun!

AC Milan 2-0 Catania - AC Milan were given a golden opportunity to leapfrog Juventus in the standings this weekend, with i Bianconeri dropping points at Cagliari and i Rossoneri overcame Catania in Sicily to make the most of that chance. Leonardo’s side were held to a goalless draw by the Rossazzurri for 93 minutes, but Milan ‘flop’ Klaas-Jan Huntelaar finally made good on his promise to score an added time brace and catapult his side into second place. First the Dutchman sent a low strike in after some lovely control by Filippo Inzaghi, and then only seconds later after the restart he struck again, chipping Andújar beautifully to make it 2-0 for Milan. Well, the Hunter certainly took his time, but it seems that he has finally found his form for his new side – and his timing couldn’t have been better.

Futbol:

Ibra done good.

Barcelona 1-0 Real Madrid (El Clásico)- Well, it might be called El Clásico, but there was nothing ‘classic’ about Spain’s biggest derby this evening. Barcelona and Real Madrid played out a scrappy game in which neither truly came into their stride or were able to showcase their own particular brand of football. Despite injury concerns, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were all able to feature in the game, but the big Swede would be the only one to make his mark on the match. The Camp Nou was buzzing with energy as 98,000 of los Culés welcomed their most hated rivals to their home ground. Madrid, however, were not daunted, and were the first to impress, with Xabi Alonso and Kaká putting in perhaps their most impressive performances in the shirt of Los Blancos to date. Cristiano Ronaldo played for a solid hour, but was clearly not at full fitness and unable to terrorize the Barcelona backline as he might have wished. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi caused all sorts of trouble but was ultimately kept fairly quiet by Real Madrid’s defense, who put in a surprisingly solid performance. It was the combination of the substitute Ibrahimovic and Dani Alves which would prove deadly, as the diminutive right-back put in an inch-perfect cross which Ibracadabra struck home with authority to put the home side ahead on 55′. However, that would be the only goal of the match, and besides red cards for both Sergi Busquets (63′) and Lassana Diarra (90′), there was not much other action to speak of. In fact, in light of the last Clásico, in which Barca drubbed Madrid 6-2, tonight’s match was a bit of a dud.

Sevilla 2-2 Málaga (Andalusian Derby) – Sevilla’s closest (and fiercest) rivals are Real Betis, against whom they contest the Derby of Seville. However, with Real Betis currently languishing in Segunda División, Sevilla’s closest rivals in the interestingly-named Autonomous Community of Andalucía are perhaps their neighbours in Málaga, who are currently languishing at the bottom of the Primera División. So, we have the Andalusian Derby; and while the rivalry might not be as intense as El Clásico, I personally found the game itself to be much more entertaining. At the Estadio Sánchez Pizjuán Sevilla were looking to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat in midweek to Romanian side Unirea Urziceni, but they certainly did not get off to a good start. Although in a bizarre incident Málaga substitute Albert Luque was shown the red card from the bench, it was still the visitors who took the early lead. Fernando opened up the scoring for the visitors on 22′, and Duda made it 2-0 just before the half after being set up by Fernando. It seemed as though Málaga were headed towards all three points, but a spectacular second-half performance from Luis Fabiano ensured that the spoils were shared in Seville this weekend. The Brazilian struck first on 58′, heading home past Gustavo Munúa, and then on 72′ struck again, smashing the ball into the lower corner of the net to bring his side level. Both sides fought hard for an equalizer, and Sevilla came closest right at the death with a point-blank header from Fernando Navarro that Munúa probably saved by accident. In the end, each team would come away with a single point in a 2-2 draw that was anything but uneventful.

Fußball:

Bayern München 3-0 Hannover 96 – Well, it seems that die Roten have finally regained their lost form, overcoming midtable side Hannover 96 with ease in a match that featured goals from two of their most talented young stars. Thomas Müller tapped in from close range on 19′ to open the scoring, but Bayern looked shaky at times and were not convincing in their possession of the ball. Constant Djakpa caused all sorts of trouble for Phillip Lahm up the flank, and drew a good save from Hans-Jörg Butt, but was unable to affect the scoreline before the stroke of halftime. Ivica Olic made sure that the visitors got off to a good start in the second half, rising at the far post to meet a Danijel Pranjic cross with his head and double Bayern’s lead. For the rest of the half the home side did everything they could do to reduce Bayern’s lead, but to no avail – it would ultimately be Mario Gomez who would get the last laugh, beating the offside trap on 90′ and slotting home to make it 3-0 for his side. This victory sees Bayern rise to 4th in the Bundesliga standings, while Hannover 96 sit at 12th.

Someone control this guy!

Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 VfB Stuttgart – Leverkusen exit this weekend sitting three point clear atop the Bundesliga table, and it can largely be contributed to one man: Stefan Kießling. The 25-year old striker has been absolutely on fire for his club of late and bagged a hattrick this weekend at the Bayarena to cement his place atop the German scoring charts as well. Kießling struck on 22′, 59′ and 87′, while Eren Derdiyok added a goal of his own on 38′ to complete a 4-0 drubbing of a lacklustre Stuttgart side.

Werder Bremen 2-2 VfL Wolfsburg – Edin Dzeko’s double was not enough for the reigning Bundesliga champions to grab all three points away at the Weserstadion. Each time the young Bosnian scored to give his side the lead, the home side were quick to equalize, and ultimately the two squads cancelled one another out and had to settle for a point apiece. Hugo Almeida and Per Mertesacker were on hand to restore parity for their side, with the latter scoring at the very death in the 91st minute of stoppage time. The sharing of points means that Werder Bremen now sit at 2nd place in the Bundesliga standings, while Wolfsburg remain 8th.

]]> http://romanismo.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/news-calcio-caso-cannavaro-lantidoping-chiede-tre-mesi-per-i-medici/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:44:45 +0000 romanismo http://romanismo.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/news-calcio-caso-cannavaro-lantidoping-chiede-tre-mesi-per-i-medici/

La procura del Coni ha deferito al tribunale nazionale antidoping, con richiesta di tre mesi di squalifica, Bartolomeo Goitre e Luca Stefanini, i medici della Juve coinvolti in avvio di stagione nel caso Cannavaro. Come noto, il difensore azzurro risultò positivo al cortisone ad un test, dopo avere presentato alla vigilia di Roma-Juve una richiesta di esenzione per emergenza (era stato punto da una vespa) incompleta nella documentazione.

Il caso era stato poi archiviato come da richiesta del capo della procura antidoping del Coni, Ettore Torri, una volta accertata la veridicità dell’episodio che aveva originato l’intera vicenda. La stessa procura, tuttavia, si era riservata di procedere ad ulteriori accertamenti «nei confronti di altri soggetti tesserati della società che si siano resi responsabili di fatti disciplinarmente rilevanti».

La Juventus ha affidato la propria reazione ad un comunicato. Nell’attesa di conoscere la data del dibattimento, ha ribadito «la correttezza del proprio staff saniario».

FONTE: Lastampa.it

La procura del Coni ha deferito al tribunale nazionale antidoping con richiesta di tre mesi di squalifica Bartolomeo Goitre e Luca Stefanini, i medici della Juve coinvolti in avvio di stagione nel caso Cannavaro (leggi il comunicato sul sito del Coni). La vicenda relativa a Fabio Cannavaro risale all’inizio di ottobre: il difensore azzurro risultò positivo al cortisone ad un test, dopo avere presentato alla vigilia di Roma-Juve una richiesta di esenzione per emergenza (era stato punto da una vespa) incompleta nella documentazione. Il caso era stato poi archiviato come da richiesta del capo della procura antidoping del Coni, Ettore Torri, una volta “accertata la veridicità dell’episodio che ha originato l’intera vicenda (puntura d’insetto)”.

Amauri come Chiellini contro il Maccabi Haifa in Champions. La Juventus sfrutta la sua cinicità e sbanca il Franchi di Siena, certo non lasciando ai posteri un ricordo di prestigio tecnico tattico.

The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) have closed the doping case regarding the Italy and Juventus defender.

The anti-doping case regarding Italy and Juventus defender Fabio Cannavaro has been closed by the Italian Olympic Committee.

The enquiry relates to a doping test in August which showed traces of Cortisone – an anti-allergen used to treat insect stings. Having looked into the case, the authorities have decided that not further action will be taken.

A statement on the CONI’s official website reads:

“The National Antidoping Tribunal, presided by Francesco Plotino, have examined the Fabio Cannavaro disciplinary process.

“After having heard the request from the anti-doping attorney, has closed the case.

“The decision has been communicated to all parties including the FIGC and the club involved Juventus.”

Goal

Selon la Gazzetta dello Sport, l’Italien Fabio Cannavaro aurait subi un contrôle antidopage positif, le 29 août dernier. Cannavaro, actuellement âgé de 36 ans, s’est fait prendre par lors d’un contrôle organisé par les instances mondiales du football. Le capitaine de la Squadra Azzurra va être entendu ce vendredi matin par le procureur antidopage du Comité olympique italien (CONI) afin de mettre au clair les circonstances de ce contrôle.  Les médias italiens ont mis en lumière cette affaire.

Le champion du monde 2006 aurait, pour répondre à une piqure de guêpe, pris rapidement un médicament antiallergique contentant de la cortisone. La cortisone est un produit dopant inscrit sur la liste des dopants interdits par la FIFA. Vu qu’il s’agissait d’un cas d’urgence, la demande d’autorisation à des fins thérapeutiques (AUT) obligatoire pour les corticoïdes a été faite après coup. Le contrôle positif aurait eu lieu entre-temps.

Cannavaro est actuellement sélectionné pour jouer lors des avec la sélection italienne pour deux matchs de qualification pour la prochaine coupe du monde. Suspendu pour la première rencontre, il a donc tout le temps pour s’occuper de cette affaire quelque peu embêtante pour un joueur de son niveau.

Sources: http://www.eurosport.fr/football/cannavaro-positif_sto2086862/flashnews.shtml

http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2009/20091008_214322_cannavaro-entendu-vendredi.html

Date : Vendredi 09 Octobre 2009

Correcteur: Gido0907

The player reportedly took medication as a reaction to a wasp sting.

Juventus defender and Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro has tested positive during an anti-doping test.

It is believed that he tested positive after taking an anti-allergen in order to prevent an anaphylatic shock from a wasp sting – a potentially fatal reaction if left untreated.

Juventus advised the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) of the administration of the medicine, advising them that it was “only an anti-allergen”.

However, there seems to have been a breakdown in communications between the Juventus medical staff and the CONI.

It has been suggested that paperwork was not provided to the authorities that informed them of this course of action, which has led to Cannavaro reportedly being tested and found positive for cortisone.

The defender is now being questioned by the CONI in Turin, having remained in Italy due to his suspension for the Azzurri’s match with the Republic of Ireland this weekend.

While there should not be any lasting problems for the world champion, he will hope that the situation is resolved in time to allow his participation in Italy’s final World Cup qualifier against Cyprus.

La Repubblica

E’ ancora presto per dire che il caso è chiuso. Ma è giusto dire che è successo per colpa di una busta rimasta chiusa troppo a lungo. Il vespaio doping inizia qui. E’ il 28 agosto, antivigilia di Roma-Juve. Fabio Cannavaro viene punto da una vespa. I giornali riportano il contrattempo, quasi divertiti. Cannavaro si cura con un farmaco cortisonico che poi denuncia quando – a fine partita – viene sorteggiato per il controllo antidoping. Ai medici del Coni la comunicazione verbale va bene. Ma non è sufficiente.

Preannunciano la richiesta di un certificato. E infatti la richiesta arriva, raccomandata, in sede alla Juventus. Solo che finisce mescolata nella posta dei tifosi collezionisti d’autografi e foto che – da tutto il mondo – scrivono ogni giorno decine di lettere al capitano azzurro. Non dovrebbe succedere, ma succede: la raccomandata del Coni, nessuno la vede. E nessuno la apre… Così il certificato non arriva, e automaticamente Cannavaro diventa un caso di positività.

Questo, si sono raccontanti ieri sera in Sede, dove a Ettore Torri, procuratore antidoping del Coni, sono bastati pochi minuti per ascoltare la versione del giocatore e scoprire che quella raccomandata con il logo dei cinque cerchi olimpici era sempre lì. Incredibilmente lì. Ancora chiusa. In mezzo alla posta dei tifosi. Negligenza. Lo staff medico della Juve rischia qualcosa. Cannavaro al massimo una multa. E magari gliela metteranno sul tergicristallo della macchina. Di mandargliela in busta chiusa, non sembra il caso…

Cannavaro is under investigation for a failed doping test.

Soccer

-As World Cup qualifying wraps up, six South American teams are seeking two and a half spots for the World Cup Finals next year in South Africa. These clubs include Uruguay who last qualified in 2002 and two-time champions Argentina, who is danger of missing the finals for the first time since 1970. The Argentines are currently fifth in the South American group where the top four teams qualify. The fifth team would be engaged in a playoff with the fourth-place  team from the CONCACAF group of North and Central Americas and the Caribbean. Ecuador is currently fourth  in the group behind Brazil, Paraguay and Chile and stands one point in front of Argentina.

-Italian national team captain Fabio Cannavaro with his club Juventus. The Italian Olympic Committee has opened an investigation into a cortisone shot that Cannavaro said he took for a bee sting. He was already suspended for Italy’s World Cup qualifier against Ireland Saturday. Cannacaro is expected to rejoin the team with its match against Cyprus on Wednesday.

Swimming

Dara Torres is set to have reconstructive surgury on her left knee and is expected miss up to 18 months. The 42-year old won three silver medals in Beijing last summer and says she is still optimistic to qualify for London in 2012.

Track & Field

-Reigning Olympic and world champion hammer thrower Prizmov Kozmus, who became Slovenia’s first gold medalist by winning in Beijing last summer, has announced his intention to retire from competition.  Kozmus said his reasons are personal more than anything else and will make a decision by the start of the new season.

-A decision is expected to be rendered on the fates of Marion Jones’ relay teammates from the 2000 Summer Olympics in December. The cases for Jones’ teammates on the 4 x 100 (Chryste Gaines, Torri Edwards, Nanceen Perry and Passion Richardson) and 4 x 400 (Jearl-Miles Clark, Monique Hennagan, LaTasha Colander-Richardson and Andrea Anderson) relays is on appeal with the Court of Arbitration and Sport. Jones admitted to doping in 2007 and was sentenced to time in federal prision for lying to them about using performance enhancing drugs during the BALCO investigation. She was stripped of all five of her medals from Sydney which included golds in in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4 x400 relay and bronzes in the long jump and the 4 x 100 relay.

USOC

In what has no doubt been a tumultuous six months on the job, interim USOC CEO Stephanie Streeter decided to not seek the job on a full time basis. This came after the 40 members of the USOC gave her a vote of no-confidence. The vote comes as the USOC has considerable damage to their relationships to the IOC, NBC and internationally as an organization and capped by Chicago’s surprising elimination in the first round in last week’s IOC vote to award the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. The USOC has not set a timetable to find its replacement and depending on how the search is, Streeter could be around well through the Winter Olympics next year in Vancouver.

-B. Cox

Daniele de Rossi's elbow to Brian McBride's face is just one of many reasons I hate the Italian soccer team.

Just for the record, I have major beef with the Italian national team due to their excessive diving and ridiculous play acting.  So, it did bring me a little bit of satisfaction when I saw that Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro failed a drug test.  He tested positive for cortisone, a banned substance in Italy.  It was supposedly an injection for a bee sting and he filed the paperwork for an exemption, but was missing one of the crucial pieces.  He’s set to be questioned by the Italian anti-doping agency on Friday.  Who knows what will come of this, but all it does for me is reinforce the notion that I think the Italians cheat.

In other, much more disturbing news, Liverpool striker Fernando Torres took himself out of Spanish national team training after experiencing tightness in his groin.  Hopefully it’s nothing and he stopped practicing as a precaution, but after last season, you never know.  The last thing Liverpool needs is their stud striker out for large parts of the season like Torres was last year.  I might just cry if he ends up unable to play for the Reds.  If he’s out, Liverpool can kiss any top four hopes good-bye.  However, I mustn’t get too worked up about it since Liverpool’s next game isn’t until the 17th of October.  Hopefully, Spanish national coach Vincente del Bosque will keep Torres off the field in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers since Spain has already booked its place in South Africa.

Well, this is embarassing. It seems that Azzurri captain Fabio Cannavaro has failed a doping test. Yep, you read that right. But don’t all run off screaming “AHH ITALIAN CHEATERS!” just yet. Apparently, what has happened is that our dear friend Canna is allergic to bee stings – apparently – and so when stung by a bee during training Juventus medical staff gave him a shot of cortisone to prevent him from going into anaphylactic shock. For those of you not pharmaceutically inclined (or who have never had a rash) cortisone is a steroid. It should be noted that had CONI, the administrative body responsible for doping testing in Italy, received the proper paperwork regarding Cannavaro’s medication, this all would’ve been fine. It’s not an outrageous prescription for cortisone, and Juve’s medical staff needed only to notify CONI of their administering the drug to Canna. However, as it stands Fabio Cannavaro is being questioned by CONI in Torino regarding his failed test. I expect it to come to nothing; Cannavaro has been accused of doping before and it was found then that he was clean — they’ll probably accept the explanation, as it is fairly reasonable. The only thing I have to ask is: just how stupid do you have to be to work for Juventus’ medical staff?

"It fucking stung me! Where's the cortisone?"

Potrebbe essere avvenuto già questa sera l’interrogatorio di Fabio Cannavaro da parte del Procuratore antidoping del Coni, Ettore Torri, sulla vicenda della positività delle analisi del giocatore bianconero, che hanno indotto la Procura ad aprire un’indagine. Pochi minuti fa il giocatore è uscito dalla sede della Juventus dove potrebbe essere stato sottoposto a interrogatorio in merito alla vicenda.

In merito alla notizia relativa all’apertura di un’inchiesta della Procura Antidoping sul giocatore Fabio Cannavaro, il Settore Medico della Juventus precisa di aver agito nel rispetto delle prescrizioni sanitarie e delle regole deontologiche, intervenendo in via d’urgenza – nello scorso mese di agosto – in seguito all’aggravarsi del quadro clinico conseguente a una puntura d’insetto. In tale occasione venne attuata una terapia farmacologia indispensabile per prevenire eventuali complicanze, anche letali. Il giocatore e lo staff medico della Juventus saranno come di consueto a disposizione della Procura per chiarire quanto prima questa vicenda, compresi eventuali disguidi documentali. Direttamente dal sito della Juventus.