Zizou Surprises, Embarrasses Children

Zizou doing some campaigning?

So, you know that whole to-do about the "Zidane and Friends" charity matches lacking in any real "friends" star power? No? It was only a few posts back, dammit! Don't you read this thing? Well, it seems that the legend showed up unannounced on Tuesday to the adidas Elite Sports Program camp currently being held at the Colorado Rapids Practice Field in Denver.



It must have been a huge thrill for these kids to compete against Zizou even though he wound up embarrassing them while moving at half-speed. His treatment of the GK near the end of this video is particularly amusing:




That video was sent to us by an adidas PR flack - damage control for bad press from the Canadian tour? Who cares? Did you see Zizou make that GK look silly? That's gold, Jerry! Gold!

Full disclosure: As a rec league GK I would obviously be able to stop Zinedine Zidane in any 1-on-1 situation. I would also probably scream like a 12 year-old girl at a Jonas Brothers concert if I ever got within 200 yards of Zizou.

The video also convinces me that, as Spectator said, "Zidane could sign for an MLS team tomorrow and immediately be the best player in MLS"

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You Are Part of a Criminal Enterprise!

I love the smell of freshly-laundered $$$.

Have you ever bought a kit directly from your favorite club's website? Have you ever purchased tickets to a match? Have you ever donated money to the supporters' club? I have bad news for you - welcome to a RICO trial!



A report released last week by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has some strong words for football:

"[F]football is at risk from criminals buying clubs, transferring players, and betting on the sport [and] tax evasion...human trafficking, corruption, [and] drug trafficking..."

Well, that certainly seems like it could be a problem. Apparently one of the more common methods currently is for a player to sell his image rights to a 3rd party, and then have the club pay the latter for those image rights as an indirect salary to the player. Since it is not a direct compensation to the player, he does not pay taxes on that sum and the 3rd party funnels the money back to him discreetly. Even more damaging is the increasing dollar (Euro; pounds; etc) amount of international transfers and the often obscure machinations they entail.

However, the most insidious version of criminal activity comes when shady investors put money into a club, either as shareholders or as outright owners:

"The report cites several examples of clubs in financial difficulties whose deficits were funded by suspected criminals. Investors may get their 'laundered' funds back by selling the club's equipment and services at inflated prices, or via sales of media rights, tickets, players and merchandise."

Investigators claim to have already prevented the takeover of one Italian club by a criminal enterprise, although Berlusconi seems to have avoided their attention. The appeal of football clubs to large-scale criminal organizations is high when money gained from drug trafficking or gun-running needs to be laundered. We've already discussed the case of Mexican club Mapaches, who acted as a front for the Gulf Cartel.

In the world of competitive sport, moving money into and out of businesses worth hundreds of millions of dollars is surprisingly easy, and incredibly lucrative for criminals. The key is simply to have individuals or other businesses (essentially "shell" corporations) act as a go-between. When a business is used, there are typically so many layers of obfuscation that no one is aware of who is really behind the purchase of a football club (when asked for comment, Roman Abramovich simply replied "In Russia, money launders you!"). When individuals are used, they are typically making transactions that are smaller so as not to trigger automatic FINCEN (or similar agency) monitoring in a process known as "smurfing."

So really, whenever you spend money on your favorite club you may be doing an international criminal a favor. Why do you hate America?

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Footballers and Sexual Violence

Fair warning to our readers - this is a serious post, and it's fairly long-form. I won't be offended if you don't read it, but I think it's worth your time.

Micah Richards. Jonny Evans. Robin van Persie. Fredy Montero. Nate Jaqua. Eric Frimpong.

All footballers, all accused of rape or sexual assault, although only the last is in prison. In 2007, the last year for which data is available, there were 90,427 forcible rapes in the United States which translates to a rate of 30 per 100,000 people. Although there is some research which suggests that athletes are more predisposed to commit violent crimes, the truth is that we take far more notice when the accusation is made against a well-known footballer.


The problem isn't confined to football, of course, as amply demonstrated by Kobe Bryant and Jerramy Stevens among others, although it appears that footballers seem to enjoy "roasting" more than other athletes. However, the issue of sexual assault also appears to be more fraught with the potential for abuse by accusers when professional athletes are involved.

In a 2006 meta-analysis of numerous studies on false allegations of rape, Rumney found (PDF warning) that the rate of false allegations varied between 1.5% and 90% depending on the study. More importantly, the study found that the statistics for rape, both in confirmed and false allegations, are woefully inadequate for determining the true nature of the crime.

So we have a situation where: (1) during a trial for sexual assault the defense often uses the tactic of questioning the character/integrity of the victim; (2) the statistics for false allegations are essentially useless, leaving us with no idea of how prevalent the problem is; and (3) the subculture of the professional athlete ensures almost constant access to women who are willing to engage in a short-term sexual relationship. This leaves us with 2 incredibly poor outcomes. Either a professional athlete has taken advantage of his access and committed a rape, in which case the victim is likely to be dragged through the mud, or a woman (most likely) has made a false allegation of rape in an attempt to extort/get revenge upon a professional athlete.

For those who cast a skeptical eye on every allegation, the "jersey-chaser" mentality of certain women makes it easier to accept the trashing of their character during court proceedings. Time and time again it has been made abundantly clear that there are women willing to sleep with someone simply due to the fact that they are an athlete. The phenomenon probably begins in high school (hopefully at the very earliest), extends to college where it is rampant given the hypersexual nature of college students, and continues well into adulthood for a good proportion of women.

So when we hear about an allegation involving a footballer, our thoughts tend to turn to that group of women who are known for their efforts in sleeping with professional athletes. Even moreso than a serial wag (seriously, Danielle Lloyd, you look foolish) these women aim to meet footballers simply for the benefit of being able to say "yes, I shagged him." Knowing that these women exist, that they willingly submit to group sex or multiple sexual partners within the same night as long as all of the participants are professional footballers, it is difficult to distinguish a real allegation of rape as compared to the variety of motives that may lead to a false accusation (e.g. money/extortion, regret/second thoughts).

At the very least we would hope that the justice system would, in due time, lead to the correct outcome. Clearly, however, that is a utopian vision of the system which is far from the reality of backlogged dockets, high-profile (and typically rich) suspects, and the adversarial nature of sleazy defense attorneys and overzealous prosecutors.

Consider the stories of the following individuals, and ask yourself whether or not you could make an informed decision on their fate as a member of a jury (while my own feelings inevitably cloud the issue):

Dominic Jones (U. of Minnesota football (American) player) - In July of 2007 Jones was charged with rape after a 37-second video of him masturbating over an inebriated woman was discovered. Jones stated that he believed that the sex was consensual, and it was confirmed that the woman had engaged in sexual acts with 3 other individuals before Jones. He was eventually acquitted of rape, but convicted of 4th-degree criminal sexual conduct due to the fact that the inebriated woman was unable to consent to sexual contact with Jones. However, none of the other 3 individuals who had sex with the victim that same night were charged with any crimes. Jones served 1 year in the Hennepin County Workhouse, where he was released between 7:15AM and 6PM every day to work, and then spent every night in his cell. When asked about the situation, Jones responded:

"He is familiar with the term 'jersey chaser,' for women who offer themselves sexually to star athletes. 'But who is it really on?' he said. 'It's on us.'"

Today, a court upheld his original conviction on appeal, and he remains on 5 years probation (with a stayed prison sentence).


Jerramy Stevens (U. of Washington football (American) player) - In July of 2000 Stevens was arrested for rape during a warrant executed by Seattle detectives accompanied by a SWAT team (Stevens was 6'7 and 255 lbs). Despite substantial physical evidence and eyewitness testimony, including allegations by the victim that she had been drugged, the King County prosecutor's office declined to pursue the case amidst significant pressure from the U. of Washington athletics department, enraging the police department and local activists alike. Despite numerous run-ins with the law, most of which involved alcohol, Stevens has only spent a total of 12 days in jail and been suspended by the NFL for 2 games. He eventually settled a civil claim with his rape victim out of court for what is believed to be $300,000.


Robin van Persie (Arsenal) - In June of 2005 van Persie was accused of rape by a young woman in Holland while he was there for a World Cup qualifier. After being held for 14 days, he was released and allowed to return to England. Claiming that the sex was consensual, van Persie eventually had the case dismissed.


Eric Frimpong (UC Santa Barbara/Kansas City Wizards) - In February of 2007 Frimpong was arrested for rape just days after returning to Santa Barbara from a 10-day tryout with the Kansas City Wizards (a tryout based on his strong performance in leading the UCSB Gauchos to a national championship). He had met a female UCSB freshman a few nights earlier, invited her to a party where they played beer pong, and then walked down to the beach with her. Several hours later she checked herself into the hospital and told police officers that Frimpong had raped her. The next day police officers spotted Frimpong and asked him to come back to the station and answer some questions. He went voluntarily, despite not having been told anything about the allegations. He also willingly gave up the clothes he had been wearing the night before, again even before being told of the accusation. Despite an overwhelming lack of physical evidence (DNA was found on Frimpong's genitals, which he claimed was due to the fact that she had put her hand down his pants in spite of his protestations) implicating Frimpong, including the lack of any signs of sexual activity, the district attorney vigorously pursued the case with Frimpong as the only suspect. After being bailed out, he was sent back to jail when a second UCSB student claimed that Frimpong had sexually assaulted her a few weeks before the rape, a charge for which he was eventually acquitted. In January of 2008, after just 2 days of deliberation, an all-white jury convicted Frimpong of rape and he was sentenced to 6 years in prison. He currently resides in the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi, not far from where his dreams of professional football were shattered.


Two American football players and two footballers accused of sexual assault or rape. Two who spent significant time in prison after convictions for sexual assault or rape, and two who had the charges dismissed. Three African-American, and one white. Three amateurs, and one professional (although the argument could certainly be made that U. of Washington football acted as a professional franchise under coach Neuheisel's tenure).

Dominic Jones was an African-American football (American) player from a school where football was considered unimportant. He admits to sexual assault and was sentenced to prison, although there are questions about whether others should have also been charged and about the state/character of the victim.

Jerramy Stevens was an African-American football (American) player from a school where football was considered all-important. Overwhelming physical evidence suggests that he probably committed rape, but the prosecutor's office, under pressure from the university, declined to press charges. There remain significant questions about Stevens' character, as his continued wanton attitude towards the law demonstrates that he has no regard for anyone other than himself.

Robin van Perise was a white footballer in a football-mad country, who had played for two of the world's biggest football clubs. There was virtually no evidence to suggest that he had committed rape, and the charges were dismissed. There were questions about the character of the victim (an exotic dancer in Holland), but there have never been any further questions regarding van Persie's subsequent behavior.

Eric Frimpong was an African-American footballer from a school that had just won a national championship, but in a country where most people would be hard-pressed to tell you when or where that championship had even taken place. There was virtually no evidence to suggest that he had committed rape, but the prosecutor's office pursued him as a suspect to the exclusion of all others and he was sentenced to six years in prison. There remain significant questions about the actions of the victim that night, but there had never been any concerns regarding Frimpong's behavior up until that point.


African-American? Strike 1.
Play for a school/club/country that doesn't care about your sport? Strike 2.
Evidence of guilt? Strike 3.


Dominic Jones? 3 strikes.
Jerramy Stevens? 2 strikes.
Eric Frimpong? 2 strikes.
Robin van Persie? 0 strikes.


So why is Eric Frimpong in prison? And if you are Micah Richards or Jonny Evans or Fredy Montero or Nate Jaqua, how do you respond the next time a cute girl in a club comes up to you and whispers in your ear:

"Do you want to have sex with me?"

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CONCACAF Gold Cup Semi-Preview

The CONCACAF Gold Cup began last night at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, with Canada beating Jamaica 1-0 and El Salvador dumping Costa Rica 2-1. For the the USMNT, things begin in earnest tonight, with the squad taking on Grenada at 9pm at Qwest Field (Seattle) on Fox Soccer Channel. The earlier match at that venue features Honduras squaring off against Haiti, with the latter having qualified for consecutive Gold Cups for the first time in their history.



Group A consists of: (1) Canada; (2) Costa Rica; (3) El Salvador; and (4) Jamaica. The remaining Group A matches will take place on Tuesday, July 7th at Crew Stadium (Columbus, OH) and Friday, July 10th at Florida International University Stadium in Miami.

Group B features: (1) Grenada; (2) Haiti; (3) Honduras; and (4) the United States. After today's tilts, matches will be held on Wednesday, July 8th at RFK Stadium (Washington, D.C.) and Saturday, July 11th at Gillette Stadium in Boston.

Group C contains: (1) Guadeloupe; (2) Mexico; (3) Nicaragua; and (4) Panama. The opening games will take place tomorrow at Oakland-Alameda County Stadium and will feature Panama v. Guadeloupe and Mexico v. Nicaragua. The remaining matches will be held on Thursday, July 9th at Reliant Stadium (Houston) and Sunday, July 12th at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The quarterfinals will take place on Saturday, July 18th at Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) and Sunday, July 19th at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium. The semifinals will be held on Thursday, July 23rd at Soldier Field in Chicago, while the final will be on Sunday, July 26th at Giants Stadium.


The USMNT is looking for its 3rd straight Gold Cup championship, which is held every 2 years. A victory this year, therefore, would not qualify the US for the next Confederations Cup, as that spot would go to the winner of the 2011 Gold Cup. However, the US does look to be in a very strong position to pull off this 3rd consecutive championship, as they have been provided a significant advantage by CONCACAF. Due to their participation in the Confederations Cup, the USMNT has argued (successfully) that their squad faces significant hardship in playing 2 international competitions so closely together. In addition to the original 23-man roster, CONCACAF has allowed Bob Bradely to add an additional 7 players for an overall 30-man roster.

What is strange, however, is that of the 23-man roster only Charlie Davies saw action in the Confederations Cup while the the majority of the rest of the players were not even on the roster for that competition. So what, exactly, is Bob Bradley complaining about here? Most of his 23-man roster only had MLS competition to contend with, so they are unlikely to be "worn out", or at least not any more so than players from other teams who are currently in the midst of domestic competition. Even more puzzling is that Bradley responded to this supposed concern of tiredness by adding 6 players who all did see playing time in the Confederations Cup in Bornstein, Clark, Feilhaber, Altidore, Kljestan, and Casey. Obviously, people are talking about both CONCACAF's seeming injustice and Bradley's strange roster decisions in response.

Will the extra 7 players on the roster make a difference, allowing the US to roll to a 3rd consecutive Gold Cup championship? If they do, what will the other countries in the tournament have to say about this seeming competitive advantage?

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Zidane Injured at Fireworks Show

Careful!

We mentioned a little while ago that Zinedine Zidane was putting on a series of exhibition/charity matches throughout Canada against various all-star squads. Well, it seems that the event has hit a bit of a snag.



The match today at B.C. Stadium in Vancouver was supposed to be the last of 3 "Friends of Zidane" exhibitions. Unfortunately, the match has had to be postponed until next Sunday, July 12th. Why? Because the Canadians hate the French.

It seems that on Wednesday, Zidane was injured at a fireworks display in Vancouver in a celebration of Canada Day. Clearly, this was a conspiracy against the French in retaliation of the latter's former dominance of the Canadian colonies. Alright, it turns out that Zizou actually injured himself while bending down to pick up his son so that he could watch the fireworks.

Currently, the venue for the rescheduled match has yet to be secured, but the tour promoter is making every attempt to avoid having to distribute a refund. Zidane has already agreed to return to Vancouver for the July 12th exhibition, but there is no word on whether the charity dinner originally scheduled to take place after the match has also been rescheduled.

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Ligue 1 Transfer News

Get it? It's Ligue 1! In early July! No one is paying attention.

Yesterday we "reported" that Karim Benzema had become the latest member of Galacticos v.2 so I decided to take a look at the rest of the goings-on in Ligue 1. I was going to do this last night, but "America's Got Talent" was on and I love that David Hasselhoff!



Before we start, I just want to remind everyone of how I began our Ligue 1 coverage last year. The astute reader will observe that I tipped Le Havre, Le Mans, Grenoble, and Caen as contenders for relegation. Le Havre and Caen were indeed sent down, while Le Mans finished 16th and only 3 points above the drop zone. I also predicted that Lyon, Marseille, and Bordeaux would finish in some form of the top 3. Lo and behold, the top 3 were Bordeaux, Marseille, and Lyon! The lesson here is that I am clearly a genius.

Now, on to transferpalooza! Note: For the moment I am only including the "big-name" transfers (your mileage may vary on what you consider to be a big name).

GKs on the move: For some reason, the silly season in Ligue 1 began with a flurry of GK carousel, with many of THE big names changing clubs.

Cedric Carrasso has made the move from Toulouse to Bordeaux. An excellent move for him, and Les Girondins get an upgrade over Rame/Valverde from last year. In return, Toulouse bring in Pele from Le Mans UC 72. Paris Saint-Germain lose Mickael Landreau to Lille, but they bring in former Les Bleus #1 Gregory Coupet from Atletico Madrid. Saint-Etienne, who barely avoided relegation, snatch Plante from Caen, allowing the GK to stay in Ligue 1 as his former club fight to regain their form in Ligue 2.


Don't be THAT guy: We've also seen a few players on the move that have often left our readers wondering "Who is that guy" despite the fact that they had productive Ligue 1/2 seasons.

AJ Auxerre bring in Licata from AS Monaco, presumably to be paired up top with either Niculae or Oliech. Bordeaux have brought in Obertan from FC Lorient, which tells me that they are hedging their bets against losing reported Arsenal/Fulham target Marouane Chamakh. Lyon, in addition to the massive loss of Benzema, have suffered the departure of both Keita (to Galatasaray) and Paillot (to Grenoble). Marseille have recalled a number of loans, the most promising of which is Milos Krstic, the 22 year-old midfielder from AC Ajaccio in Ligue 2. Finally, Paris Saint-Germain lifted Erdinq (11 goals, 6 assists) from Sochaux.


Wow, they moved him!?!: And now we come to the big "big names", those transfers that look to have an immediate impact on both the club they left and the club they join.

As noted (several times), the biggest Ligue 1 transfer so far is the move of Karim Benzema from Lyon to Real Madrid. However, Lyon also lose the aging, yet prolific, Juninho to El Gharrafa in...umm, Qatar? Okay then. The current rumour is that Lyon are focusing on Ruud van Nistelrooy as a replacement. Rivals Marseille also lose several significant members of their squad, with the unhappy (and apparently too mouthy) Djibril Cisse off to Panathinaikos, Zenden out of contract, and Gael Givet's loan to Blackburn made permanent. Finally, Valenciennes were unable to re-sign Jean-Claude Darcheville, the former Rangers striker who scored 4 goals in 10 matches in his brief stay, and he may sign with newly-promoted Montpellier HSC.


Who's in charge here?: This off-season has also seen several changes at the helm for clubs looking to improve upon results from last season. The coaching carousel indeed!

Newly-promoted US Boulogne CO hired Laurent Guyot, former FC Nantes player and youth academy coach, to steer them through their first-ever season in the top flight. Former Boulougne gaffer Philippe Montanier moves on to Valenciennes, affording him the opportunity to make his old club's first season in Ligue 1 a miserable one. And Valenciennes were in need of a gaffer because former manager Antoine Kombouare had been snatched up by Paris Saint-Germain after they declined to renew the contract of Paul Le Guen. AS Monaco FC have lured Guy Lacombe away from Stade Rennais as they look to finish more strongly than they did last year after a good start. Stade Rennais, for their part, bring on Frederic Antonetti, who led OGC Nice to 9th place last season. The biggest managerial move of the off-season, however, goes to Olympique de Marseille, who have brought on the legendary Didier Deschamps to replace Eric Gerets, who inexplicably left the club at the end of the season to run Al Hilal Riyad (Saudi Arabia). Oh, look who I thought L'OM would bring on to replace Gerets!

I'm a genius, I tell you!

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FIFA Releases New Rankings, World Still Confused

Bigus attempting to understand England's new ranking.

FIFA released the newest world rankings this morning, and there have been some minor changes in the top 15 teams. Considering the recent results of the Confederations Cup, it is not surprising that Brazil has vaulted into 1st place, moving up 4 spots and pushing Spain to 2nd. The former were the biggest movers within the top 10, with no one else gaining or losing more than 3 spots. However, there are some new entrants into the top 15 based on results from their past several matches.



Your new top 15 are presented here:

1 (+4) Brazil (1672 pts)
2 (-1) Spain (1590 pts)
3 (-1) Netherlands (1379 pts)
4 (0) Italy (1229 pts)
5 (-2) Germany (1207 pts)
6 (+3) Russia (1161 pts)
7 (-1) England (1135 pts)
8 (-1) Argentina (1091 pts)
9 (+1) France (1082 pts)
10 (-2) Croatia (1031 pts)
11 (+6) Greece (1001 pts)
12 (+2) USA (983 pts)
13 (+3) Switzerland (930 pts)
14 (+6) Serbia (925 pts)
15 (+9) Denmark (909 pts)


So, Greece, Serbia and Denmark all make a significant move and wind up in the top 15 based on recent performance. Brazil and the US get recognition for their achievements in the Confederations Cup, and England lose 1 position from the June rankings (but are back to where they were in May) based solely on Russia moving ahead of them.

But how exactly are these rankings calculated? Well, the rankings cover all international "A" matches over the past 4 years, with the importance of each year gradually declining (from 100%-50%-30%-20%) in reverse order (i.e. the past 12 month period is the most important), and they include the following elements:

(M) is the result of each match for Win-Draw-Loss (3 pts; 1 pt; 0 pts)
(I) is the importance of the match (1=friendly; 4=FIFA World Cup)
(T) is the strength of the opponent ( [200-FIFA ranking]/100 )
(C) is the strength of the opponent's FIFA confederation, which is based on results in the past 3 World Cups (wins per confederation per match)

So, the total points (P) accumulated is calculated as:

P = M x I x T x C x 100

If that's not enough math for the day, you can read the complete details of how the points are calculated in FIFA's handy little guide (PDF warning!).

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UF Quick Throws: Real Madrid Get Another Galactico

Several sources are reporting that Real Madrid has locked up a deal with Olympique Lyonnais for the services of Les Bleus youngster Karim Benzema. The fee is believed to be €35m (£30m) for the French striker, who has won 4 Ligue 1 titles with Lyon and been capped 24 times for the national team.

Real Madrid claim Karim Benzema victory [The Sun]
£30m Karim Benzema set to join Real Madrid [The Guardian]

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Obscure Football Legends: Jules Rimet

Jules Rimet (left) presenting the 1930 WC trophy to Uruguay.

During this summer lull (Fizzy Pop league in just over a month!), we have decided to dust off some features that have slipped away. Today, I renew the "Obscure Football Legends" series with a man who never played football in his life. Huh?


Jules Rimet was born in Theuley-les-Lavoncourt (France) in 1873 the son of a grocer, and would grow up to become a lawyer. His impact on the world, however, would come as president of the Fédération Française de Football (FFF; 1919-1945) and of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA; 1921-1945). It was Rimet who gave us the World Cup.

Convinced that sports could unite the world, Rimet founded the Red Star sports club in Paris (1897) and, crucially, opened membership to anyone. Sensing that football was growing on the world stage, he and others spurred the beginnings of FIFA (1904) in order to promote chivalry and fair play within international football. Becoming the head of the FFF and FIFA within two years of each other, after having seen football play a part in WWI, Rimet began to push the idea of an international competition solely for football professionals, in opposition to the amateur football staged as part of the Olympics.

Rimet was finally successful in 1928 when FIFA decided to stage the first World Cup. Uruguay had offered to pay all expenses, and so the affair was held there. Many European countries (particularly England, as the FA was opposed to the idea) declined to participate, as travel abroad was only possible by boat across the Atlantic. Only France, Romania, Yugoslavia (look it up, kids!) and Belgium made the trip. The host country won the tournament, beating Argentina in the finals, and Rimet was there to present the trophy (as seen above).

Rimet continued to push the World Cup as a vehicle for peace, but his efforts were marred by the next two World Cups, with 1934 in Italy having fascist overtones and 1938 in France having to deal with 1 qualifying country (Germany) conquering another (Austria). Despite this, Rimet was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1956 but his nomination was rejected by the panel. Strangely enough, no Nobel Prize was awarded that year and Rimet had passed away by the end of the year.

In the interim, Rimet had been rewarded by FIFA, as the World Cup trophy was renamed in his honor in 1946. Unfortunately, after having been awarded permanently to Brazil in 1970 after their 3rd WC championship, the Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen in 1983 and was never recovered.

While it is difficult to say that football has achieved his ideals of chivalry (Ronaldo, anyone) or unity (racism and fascism still play a role among supporters and players alike), it is clear that is has become the world's game. And it is the efforts of Jules Rimet that made football's largest stage a reality.

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Confederations Cup Liveblog: Spain v. South Africa

3rd place match? Are you sure?

Good morning kids! Today on UF will be all-NYK, all the time as I will be liveblogging both matches today to anchor our 100% Confederations Cup liveblog guarantee. This first match presents a study in contrasts as Spain surely thought they would be in the final, while South Africa can hold their heads high for having made it to the 3rd place match.



This match is being held at Rustenburg-Royal Bafokeng Stadium and features an Austrian officiating crew.

Spain will run out a 4-1-2-1-2 featuring:
GK: Casillas
DEF: Capdevila; Pique; Albiol; Arbeloa
MID: Riera; Xabi Alonso; Cazorla; Sergio
ST: Torres; Villa

So del Bosque has sat Puyol, Xavi and Sergio Ramos - not a surprise considering their recent performances, particularly the latter. However, in order to avoid being further embarrassed he is still relying on his strike tandem of Torres and Villa to produce some powerful offense.


South Africa will use a 4-4-2 featuring:
GK: Khune
DEF: Gaxa; Booth; Mokoena; Masilela
MID: Pienaar; Dikgacoi; Sibaya; Modise
ST: Parker; Tshabalala

Joel Santana has replaced Mhlongo with Tshabalala but has otherwise kept his squad intact, which is a good strategy considering their last effort against Brazil. The midfield has truly been impressive for the Bafana Bafana, with Modise the clear star (for my money).


-03:00 - The lead-in to the Confed Cup on ESPN2 is NASCAR Now. Just in case you were wondering Jeff Burton is not happy with his recent performances.

-02:00 - I have a strange feeling that this liveblog will consist mostly of me talking to myself. For some reason, a 3rd-place match at 9AM between these 2 squads does not seem to enthuse a lot of people. But, a promise is a promise, and we guaranteed you fine people 100% livebloggery of the Confederations Cup!

-00:30 - Also, AJ Burnett and the Yankees can suck it. The Mets will probably lose again today because baby Jesus hates me, but at least we managed a hit last night to prevent the no-no.

-00:00 - Vuvuzelas!

00:00 - And we're off!

00:30 - And bonjour to joe!

01:45 - A little bit of ping-pong in the early going, with every ball to the S. Africa defense resulting in chants of "BOOOOOOOOOOOTH"

03:45 - Pique attempts a long ball over the top as the midfield has been bogged up, but the ball is too far. However, Spain regain the ball after a poor throw and Villa gets off a great shot that forces a great save from Khune. The resulting corner is tipped out by Khune, and eventually cleared.

05:30 - Spain are looking more comfortable now moving the ball, as there is some good interplay between Arbeloa and Villa. A throw-in goes all the way back to midfield, and Spain look to rebuild.

06:30 - Xabi Alonso plays Villa over the top, and he beats Masilela to the ball. The shot is from a difficult angle and he puts it well over the bar.

07:30 - Masilela dispossesses Cazorla, and Pienaar winds up drawing the foul. The free-kick comes into Booth at the back post, who sends it back to Pienaar. The shot is deflected for a corner. The ball comes into Booth, who attempts a backheel, but the eventual shot from Tshabalala is well over the bar.

10:15 - A cross from Riera goes across the goalmouth but is too high for anyone to get a head onto.

11:45 - Some excellent passing from South Africa is wasted as Masilela puts his final pass directly to the feet of Albiol. A bit of alternating possession, and each side has had some decent opportunities so far.

13:00 - Modise is fouled (and goes down a bit easily) by Pique about 35 yards out (oooh, close - ESPN says 38m). The kick again finds an unguarded Booth, and his header is wide. He really should have done better there.

14:45 - Arbeloa finds Cazorla, who in turn leaves it for Villa. But Booth is there to clean up the mess. The resulting throw-in finds its way to Cazorla, who feeds Riera. The pass into the box comes off Villa's foot as his touch let him down.

16:00 - Khune takes the goal-kick while adjusting his gloves. Wardrobe malfunction?

16:45 - A South Africa break is lost as Parker's touch lets him down and he commits a foul in an attempt to recover.

18:15 - Spain surge forward but yet again commit a sloppy turnover. Pique is forced to send the ball out for a throw-in to stop the South Africa counter. In the interim the referee has a little talk with Sibaya and Torres. Bad Nando!

19:00 - A poor cross is sent out by Arbeloa, as no one told him that he had time to play the ball cleanly. The resulting corner is cleared easily, and Cazorla plays Villa on the break. Looking like he would score, he is tackled by Masilela at the last possible second.

21:00 - Some wonderful interplay between Torres and Arbeloa results in El Nino in the box, but Sibaya is enough of a nuisance to result in a weak shot that is gobbled up by Khune.

24:00 - More frustration for Nando, as he dribbles 2 midfielders only to be stopped by Pienaar.

25:00 - Parker surges forward, and with Tshabalala wide open Parker instead scuffs his shot.

27:00 - A wonderful ball by Pienaar is misread by Tshabalala, who did not continue his run. South Africa are getting chances by building through the middle, but their touch is letting them down in the final 3rd of the pitch.

29:15 - Casillas is forced to come out almost to the touchline as a ball over the top looked to have played Parker in alone. Rather than a big boot, Casillas touches the ball around Parker and then launches it. Nervy stuff.

30:00 - A cross from Masilela drifts into Casillas and becomes an easy shot for the GK to handle.

31:15 - Parker does some excellent work to get past Capdevila, but Pique is there to stop him. Unfortunately for Spain, Pique plays with the ball too much and it goes out for a corner. The ball comes into Pienaar, who rifles a shot that is spilled by Casillas. The follow-up from Booth is wide left. A 2nd opportunity for the big man that he should have done better with.

33:15 - A long ball over the top is cleared by Booth. Not sure why Spain keep trying that, as they clearly have no one who can compete with the big man.

35:00 - Some brief action results in a shot from Tshabalala, but it comes off his right (weak) foot and is handled easily by Casillas.

35:45 - Spain responds with a ball into Riera, who has Gaxa beaten. The shot/cross goes past Khune, but also past the far post and out for a goal-kick.

38:00 - First card of the match, as Sergio receives a YC for bundling over Masilela after the pass had already left his foot. The free-kick from Modise finds Parker, whose header is easily grabbed by Casillas.

39:30 - Some interplay between Xabi Alonso, Arbeloa and Torres results in a deep throw-in, during which Sergio is fouled by Masilela. The free-kick from Cazorla is headed wide by Sergio.

45:00 - A deep throw for South Africa punctuates several minutes of frustration for both sides, as there has been a lull in attacking opportunities.

45:00 + 01:00 - Sergio goes down as his ankle gets raked late, but he pops back up rather than rolling around.


HALF-TIME - Spain 0-0 South Africa. Early opportunities for both squads, but by the 35th minute the match had settled into a routine of attacking play only in the middle 3rd of the pitch. Spain may need to switch defensive tactics on free-kicks, as Booth has been unguarded on several attempts and has come close to scoring twice. South Africa, on the other hand, need to pay more attention defensively on the wings, as Spain has had numerous chances built up from the wings.


45:00 - And here we go again!

45:45 - Torres is fouled by Mokoena (almost the 1st time today we've heard from him) at the top of the box. The free-kick from Xabi Alonso hits Pienaar, who receives a YC for infringement. The re-kick from Xabi Alonso is passed to Villa whose shot is pushed out by Khune. It lands at the feet of Sergio, who scores, but is adjudged to have been offside.

49:00 - Sibaya does an excellent job of dispossessing Riera and then maintaining his calm in the face of pressure from 2 midfielders, putting it out off Cazorla for a throw.

50:30 - Torres receives a pass from Pique, turns, takes 2 dribbles and fires a shot. Khune has to get low to make the save, but in the end it was relatively easy.

51:30 - Good work down the left side from Tshabalala results in a throw for South Africa. The ball comes into the box and Sergio is able to clear.

53:45 - A run from Gaxa down the right results in a throw, as South Africa have had a spell of possession. Sibaya is fouled by Villa as he attempts to move past Capdevila. The resulting free-kick from Modise is punched out by Casillas, but the offside flag had already gone up.

56:30 - Substitutions for Spain: Villa off, Silva on. Torres off, Guiza on.

58:30 - Tshabalala fouls Silva, and the resulting free-kick is played around for a bit before a ball over the top barely misses Silva.

60:00 Sibaya is taken down from behind by Silva, and the resulting ball finds Pienaar offsides.

61:30 - Riera makes an excellent push after a chested ball by Guiza, and gets off a good shot on goal. Khune does equally well, not only stopping but holding onto the shot.

62:15 - A cross from Pique finds Guiza unmarked at the back post, but the ball is slightly high and he is unable to control it. More open play from both teams now, as the final 1/2 hour seems to be bringing some urgency. Cazorla gets off a powerful shot, but it is straight at Khune, who punches it over the bar.

63:30 - Substitution for South Africa: Pienaar off, Mphela on. The Spain corner is easily cleared by the defense.

65:00 - Given the score, a good question about the result, if it stands like this. Since the Confed Cup is a FIFA "major" event and factors into FIFA rankings, which in turn affect seeding for WC 2010, I am assuming that a victor has to be determined in the 3rd-place match, meaning that if we are still tied at the end of full-time we will have some extra footy.

66:30 - Modise is beaten like a rented mule as he receives a scissor-kick to the midsection.

68:30 - A ball from Silva finds Guiza, who is once again adjudged to have been offside in a very close call.

69:00 - Substitution for South Africa: Modise off, van Heerden on. Apparently, the latter has been playing for Bruges (cue Colin Farrell jokes).

70:00 - A ball over the top finds Guiza ~19 yards offside. This seems to be a pattern with him. South Africa return the favor.

71:00 - A shot from Guiza from the top of the box runs through several defenders and goes well wide for a goal-kick. That ball comes out to midfield, eventually resulting in an offside call against Mphela.

72:00 - GOAL! Spain 0-1 South Africa. Good work from Parker finds Mphela with the ball deep in the box, but he slips as he turns for the shot. The ball comes out, but only as far as van Heerden, who plays it into Tshabalala. The latter finds Mphela alone in the box, who controls with his knee and blasts it past an unlucky Casillas.

75:00 - The Bafana Bafana fans are in full throat with some raucous vuvuzelaing (possibly not a word) thanks to Mphela's heroics. Del Bosque does not seem pleased.

76:00 - The referee has to give Pique and Mphela a talking-to, but I'm sure the South Africans welcome the time it takes.

77:10 - Apparently, the talking-to was more than that, as Pique and Mphela have both picked up a YC for an unknown reason. Also, goals apparently bring out lurking commenters/UF authors. Where were you all before? I was lonely!

78:45 - Spain are on the back foot as South Africa continue to surge forward. Gaxa sends a cross which Pique was content to let bounce, but Tshabalala gets a foot on it and Casillas has to clean up the mess.

80:00 - Yet another long ball into the box, but Guize is beaten to the ball by Khune.

81:30 - A cross from Capdevila into the box is cleared by Masilela, but Spain are clearly pushing hard now. Mokoena takes charge, and South Africa begin to build, but they too play the ball too long.

82:30 - The latest cross to be cleared is from Arbeloa, and Masilela makes an excellent run that forces a foul (and YC) from Albiol.

83:30 - Substitution for South Africa: Tshabalala off, Mhlongo on.

84:30 - South Africa are content to hoof the ball forward, but Spain are not responding by building through the midfield so there is no resulting counter-attack. A driven ball by Arbeloa barely misses Guiza at the far post, and goes out for a goal-kick.

87:00 - GOAL! Spain 1-1 South Africa. A ball in from Cazorla finds Guiza deep in the box. He controls well, turns, and blasts it low past Khune.

88:00 - GOAL! Spain 2-1 South Africa. Guize completes a brace with a weak floated ball that finds the back of the goal. It looked like a cross to me, but Spain get lucky as the ball hits the post and barrels into the net.

90:00 + 00:30 - 3 minutes of extra time, but South Africa look beaten. Mphela doesn't keep his head down, however, but his cross into the middle is cleared.

90:00 + 01:30 - GOAL! Spain 2-2 South Africa. Riera jumps onto van Heerden's back for a free-kick, but the former takes an extra few seconds to get up off the pitch. The free-kick from Mphela is blasted into the upper 90 past a stunned Casillas. Absolutely no rotation on that ball, just an incredible shot.


90:00 + 03:30 - EXTRA TIME!


+00:00 - The first 15 minutes of extra time kicks off, and we have no idea what will happen next. Perhaps Guiza and Mphela will both complete their hat-trick?

+01:00 - Riera races down the left and finds Llorente (who apparently was subbed on for Sergio) in the middle. The latter turns directly into the defense, and the ball is cleared. On the clearance Sibaya goes down in a heap and leaves the pitch, re-entering 30 seconds later.

+03:30 - Mphela is through but his shot is stopped by Casillas. No matter, as he was offside.

+05:00 - A cross from Capdevila turns into a shot, hitting off the crossbar at the far post as Khune flails helplessly.

+06:00 - Xabi Alonso fouls Gaxa at the very edge of the box. The resulting free-kick from van Heerden is cleared by Riera.

+07:00 - Mphela is played over the top, and this time he is onside. 1-on-1 with Casillas, the GK comes up big, making the save with his feet.

+09:30 - An excellent tackle on Arbeloa results in a corner for Spain, which is played short. Silva's effort at a cross is headed out by Llorente.

+11:30 - South Africa surge and Mphela finds Mhlongo, who lays off for Parker. The shot is well-taken, and forces Casillas to tip it out for a corner. The resulting ball from van Heerden comes to the back post deep for a diving header for Mhlongo, which goes over the bar.

+13:00 - A cross from Riera finds Silva in the air, but his header is extremely poor and goes well wide.

+14:00 - A cross from Arbeloa finds Riera at the back post, and his header comes off Mhlongo's arm and goes out. Looked to be a PK as his hand was well away from his body, but the referee doesn't make the call.


+15:00 + 01:00 - HALF-TIME OF EXTRA TIME!


+15:00 - And we're off again. 15 minutes until PKs.

+15:30 - GOAL! Spain 3-2 South Africa. Booth fouls Llorente out wide near the top of the box. The free-kick from Xabi Alonso comes in past everyone and catches Khune off-guard, as Llorente and Booth both make a play on the ball and provide just enough of a screen.

+17:30 - YC to Masilela for a foul on Arbeloa as he gave him a bit of an elbow in the chops.

+18:30 - Mphela gets a talking-to from the referee for a foul on Xabi Alonso. The free-kick from midfield is played to Guiza, and eventually Llorente is fouled by Mokoena 35 yards away. The resulting free-kick from Xabi Alonso is played into the box and cleared by Booth.

+22:00 - Cazorla receives the ball alone at the top of the box, but he elects to take a final dribble to get the ball onto his left foot. His shot is sent well wide.

+22:30 - Parker goes down at the top of the box after contact from Albiol, but it was definitely a dive.

+24:00 - Spain are dominating the possession now, and they are contact to move the ball around without pressure. Llorente receives a YC for an unknown offense.

+26:30 - South Africa gain possession through a foul, but they are looked very unsettled. A long ball forward from Booth is easily cleared by the Spanish defense.

+28:30 - South Africa make a final push, but the ball is turned out for a throw-in to Spain. The Bafana Bafana look tired, and are unable to get any consistent pressure out of the midfield.


MATCH OVER! Spain 3-2 South Africa.


Definitely an exciting finish to the match, and an unfortunate result for South Africa. They played extremely well but just didn't have enough gas. Thanks for joining me, and come back later for the USA v. Brazil liveblog!

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Phil Brown Gets His Comeuppance

Does this man look trustworthy to you?

Remember that whole brouhaha regarding the Hull City v. Arsenal FA Cup match? Remember how Hull City were whinging about Fabregas coming onto the pitch after the match despite not having played, and how they accused him of spitting on assistant manager Brian Horton? Remember how the FA cleared poor maligned Cesc of all wrongdoing?

Yeah, suck it Phil.


The FA has decided that Phil Brown was the one who misbehaved, fining him £2,500 ($4,100) for his comments regarding Mike Riley's officiating of the FA Cup tilt against Arsenal. Brown's most notable comments after the match were not appreciated:

"We've not been beaten by Arsenal; we've been beaten by the referee and the linesman. The game was turned on its head when the referee succumbed to local pressure."

Given the steep nature of this fine, I am not quite sure how Phil will manage to maintain his daily sessions at the tanning bed. He may have to resort to laying on the beach with common folk.

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Looking for More Footy This Week?

Zizou: Forever an icon for Les Bleus.

So, you've watched the Spain v. USA Confederations Cup semi-final, you went out immediately afterward to the Showdown in Chinatown, and you're not too thrilled about the Brazil v. Bafana Bafana match. What should you do with your time tomorrow if you still need a footy fix? Hang out with Zizou and friends!



Tomorrow is the first of 3 exhibition matches that Zinedine Zidane will be putting on in Canada with the help of some of his international footballer friends. The match kicks at 8PM EST at BMO Field, home of MLS' Toronto FC, and will be played against the Canadian All-Stars and Friends. Tour promoter Adlani Soccer Ltd. is hoping that the 3 matches (follow-ups are in Vancouver and Montreal) will shine a light on the growing footy scene in Canada, in hopes of...Well, it's not quite clear, actually. However, Adlani Soccer Ltd. does also run a football academy, so I'm sure there will be plenty of advertising for that going on at these events.

The Toronto match will feature Zidane playing with such international luminaries as: Prso Dado, Martin Palermo, Brandon Biebel, Sergio Rebrov, Savo Milosevic, Lakhdar Belloumi, Carlos Quiroga, Giuseppe Pallavicini, Paolo Beruatto, Antonio Asta, Giovanni Lorini and Francesco Vincenzi.

The opposing Canadian All-Stars and Friends will be made up of local players (Calum Hill, Jesse Mahal, John D'Amato, Julian Uccello, Linford Reid, Lorence Notaro, Marcel Debellis, Michael Uemura, Michael Rinzema, Richard West, Rick Titus, Steve Elias, Wu Yiu-Kwok and Yannick Lewis) and Italian guests (Diego Fuser, Gianluigi Lentini and Roberto Maltagliati).

Well, those are certainly enticing names on both rosters. The real magic comes in Vancouver on July 4th, when Zizou will play against the Vancouver Allstars. Not so much for the latter, but for who will finally be joining Zidane on his squad: Samuel Eto'o, Franco Baresi, Dwight York and Shaka Hislop, with the team to be coached by Arrigo Sacchi. Now that is a squad worth paying for.

No word on whether the UF west-coast contingent will be making the Vancouver tilt, but if you would like to go tickets can be purchased here.

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Forced Retirements in Iranian Football

Mir-Hossein Mousavi Khameneh. As if you didn't know.

While we don't often delve into politics around here, the situation in Iran is having a direct impact on football, and if that is what it takes to get us to pay attention, then so be it. We have already established that former (current?) president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad thinks that the post-election protests are no worse than your typical footy-related riot. You know, improper elections, losing to Oman. Tomayto-tomahto.



See, when your country has a bit of an issue with secularity and democracy (what, you don't really believe that the Iranian president is in charge of the country, do you?), and the younger generation are increasingly embarrassed by/disgusted with the Holocaust-denying, US-baiting president, it would seem important to have fair elections. Of course, given those issues it is unlikely that a fair election would occur. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected in a "landslide" victory, mostly due to votes being tallied in areas that exceeded the number of registered voters in those areas. This caused hundreds of thousands to march in the streets of Tehran, resulting in the death of hundreds at the hands of the Basij.

In times such as these, clearly dangerous for protesters, no act of protest can be considered small. So the world was surprised, and impressed, when the Iranian national team wore green wristbands in support of Mousavi, the opposition candidate, during their World Cup Qualifier against South Korea last Wednesday. Sadly, we were not surprised when those same wristbands were missing in the 2nd half of that match. Clearly, an Iranian official had told the players to remove them as they were an affront to Ahmadinejad. However, those officials could not admit that the players were supporting the opposition candidate, so we were all told that the wristbands were religious symbols and that they were removed to avoid "speculation and misunderstanding."

Still, if those were truly religious symbols then the players should have nothing to fear from the Iranian government, right? Well, it turns out that those Iranian officials may been lying. I know, it's shocking!

Following the arrest of Mohsen Safayi Farahani, the former president of Iranian football, on Saturday, four of the players to have sported the green wristbands on the pitch have been given lifetime bans by the Iranian Football Federation. Ali Karimi (31 years old), Mehdi Mahdavikia (32), Hosein Ka'abi (24!) and Vahid Hashemian (32) have all been forcibly retired from the entire sport (both international and domestic competition) and it is unclear if they would have to appeal to FIFA to be reinstated if they wished to play in another domestic league. The footballing fate of other players to have worn the wristband is unknown at this time, but I would suggest treading lightly around Tehran. Mahdavikia, in particular, may want to take special care as he kept his green captain's armband throughout the entire match despite the half-time admonitions. However, none of the 4 have too many options for fleeing the country to protect themselves, as the Iranian Football Federation did not return their passports.

As the situation in Iran continues to deteriorate (people won't be happy that the Guardian Council is refusing to re-run the election), we should keep an eye on the fate of these 4 faces of the opposition movement.

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Is Michael Bradley Delusional?

Michael Bradley answers his critics.

Obviously, all of us here at UF (even the Brits!) are elated at yesterday's crazy results in the Confederations Cup that saw the USMNT through to the semi-finals. While we are slightly hesitant about our chances against Spain, the #1-ranked team in the world, we're just glad to be there considering the chances of that happening going into yesterday's matches were slim to none. How do the players themselves feel?



Now, given that the USMNT had lost to Italy and gotten throttled by Brazil (granted, with only 10 men in both matches), very few people gave the boys a chance to advance into the semis. Even beating Egypt would not be enough, as Brazil would have to beat Italy and there was a significant goal differential to be made up. Amazingly, two 3-0 scores in the right direction came about and the (almost) impossible happened.

And Michael Bradley would like you to know how he feels about it:

"All of the critics in America who said we were no good after losing to Italy and Brazil, let's see what they say now," Michael Bradley said.

Well, Michael, I would say that you and the boys backed into the semi-finals thanks to a lazy effort from Italy and some shoddy defending from Egypt. I would say that a goal on Father's Day for the 2nd year in a row is an apt display of how nepotism has allowed you to keep your starting role. I would even say that you and your dad should both still lose your jobs, but that is unlikely to happen given this result. Make no mistake, Bradley fils (that's "son" for you non-Francophones), the 3-0 victory over Egypt did not demonstrate that the USMNT is a global force in footy. Yes, the effort was there from Davies on the 1st goal, and Deuce seemed to wake up at some point in the 2nd half and scored a magnificent header, but until there is a continual effort from everyone on the team during every match we will remain the broken clock that is right twice a day (only once if we're using military time).

Your colleague Jonathan Bornstein demonstrated a far higher degree of self-awareness when discussing the shambolic play in the first 2 matches coupled with the incredible results of both of yesterday's tilts:

"It's like that quote from 'Dumb and Dumber': 'So you're telling me there is a chance.' That's what we kept saying," defender Jonathan Bornstein said.

Yes, Jonathan, there was a chance and the USMNT took it. There is also a chance that you boys will beat Spain. Of course, there is a far greater chance that Fabregas, Torres, Villa, Xavi et al. will look at the other end of the pitch and laugh when they see Bradley, Casey, Beasley, and Bocanegra.

However, Brian Ching still believes:

"Take that all the naysayers. about 18 hours ago from txt"

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Confederations Cup Liveblog: Spain v. South Africa

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Vuvuzela.

The Group A standings are as follows: (1) Spain - 6pts, +6 GD; (2) South Africa - 4pts, +2GD; (3) Iraq - 1pt, -1 GD; (4) New Zealand - 0pts, -7 GD. If Spain beats S. Africa 1-0 and Iraq beat New Zealand 2-0, then South Africa and Iraq will be tied on pts, GD, and goals scored. This means that there will be a random draw to determine the 2nd team to move into the seminfinals from Group A. That would suck for everyone involved, so let's hope for a different outcome.


Spain will run out a 4-4-2 featuring:
GK - Reina
DEF - Albiol, Pique, Puyol, Arbeloa
MID - Riera, Sergio, Fabregas, Xavi
ST - Villa, Torres

Eh, that's not bad, I suppose.


Bafana Bafana counter with a 4-5-1 featuring:
GK - Khune
DEF - Gaxa, Masilela, Mokoena, Booth
MID - Mhlongo, Sibaya, Pienaar, Modise, Dikgacoi
ST - Parker



There are rumours that the Iraq v. New Zealand match is possibly on Telefutura. It may also be available on ESPN360. If it is available and one of my comrades is able to get to it, we may have dueling liveblogs. Feel free to jump back and forth between the 2 if that happens.


NOTE: If this liveblog ends mid-match, you should be aware that I have most likely been killed by the largest fly that I have ever seen.

In your WC 2010 qualifying news, there were several CAF matches. Those scores:

Algeria 2-0 Zambia (Final)
Kenya 2-1 Mozambique (Final)
Morocco 0-0 Togo (Final)
Sudan 0-2 Ghana (Final)
Burkina Faso 3-2 Ivory Coast (Final)
Tunisia 0-0 Nigeria (Final)


In your pre-game festivities, Magnus Samuelsson defeated Richard Skog 13 reps to 11 in the log lift on World's Strongest Man.

OK, kids - since there is no CWS game necessary, the Spain v. South Africa (my match) is on ESPN, while Iraq v. New Zealand is on ESPN2. Enjoy accordingly.


00:00 - And we're off!

01:30 - Spain using the width of the field, as a pass from Puyol to Xavi is cleared by Booth.

03:00 - Free-kick for Spain taken by Riera elicits a nice save from Khune.

05:00 - Spain is absolutely dancing around the Bafana Bafana, and we see a YC for Sibaya for a late challenge on Cesc. Seriously, the last thing he needs is another hard tackle.

05:40 - Xavi takes the free-kick and it is headed over by Villa.

06:30 - A quick counter from Parker takes too long to get across the field to Modise, and Spain clear.

07:35 - Free-kick for S. Africa on a push by Arbeloa. Modise drives it in and it is flicked on, but the defense clear after Booth has a semi-chance. On the counter, Cesc attempts to slip a pass to Xavi but comes up short.

08:40 - Masilela attempts to dribble the entire Spanish defense but he is eventually dispossessed.

09:50 - A soft pass drifts back easily to Khune, who clears it to midfield. Spain make another run on the right through Puyol but his cross goes over the endline.

11:00 - Riera does some excellent work coupled with Villa in the middle, and he is fouled at the top of the box. The free-kick hits off the wall and is gathered by Khune.

12:45 - Parker is down after a challenge from Pique. He pops up and limps around for a bit while play resumes.

14:00 - Another free-kick for Spain, as Modise commits the foul. The ball is played quickly but is cleared.

15:20 - Puyol plays Fabregas into the box. Booth clears it out, but only as far as Puyol, who sends it on to Torres, whose shot is deflected.

16:20 - A cross from Arbeloa is too close to Khune, who comes out and takes it easily.

17:00 - Foul on Modise by Fabregas for a free-kick at the top of the box. The kick, taken by Modise floats over the bar harmlessly.

19:50 - Some nice interplay between Torres and Fabregas, but Torres doesn't continue his run, allowing the ball to run out over the endline.

20:40 - Gaxa to Pienaar, who sends the ball a little too far down the line for Sibaya, resulting in a deep throw-in for Spain.

21:50 - Xavi with a long ball to Torres, who brings the ball down on his chest (arm?). The shot appeared to be going wide, but Khune gather it up anyway.


ED NOTE: I refuse to make a "Biko" joke in response to Georger's query.


24:00 - The first offside of the match comes on Parker, and after the action Albiol manages to get himself a YC - it appears to have been for grabbing Parker's jersey, which is a fairly soft booking.

25:00 - A dangerous cross is cleared by Mokoena, resulting in a throw for Spain. The ball is played back out wide for Puyol, who finds Fabregas. The ball moves easily, but Sergio loses control and then commits a foul.

27:00 - Sibaya is caught in the corner with the ball against 2 defenders, but manages to earn a corner. The ball is played short and results in a throw after a deflection. Gaxa puts the ball into play and a horrible clearance from Sergio comes directly to Modise. In the chaos, Pienaar is fouled by Sergio (settle down, man!). The free-kick is taken by Modise but goes directly into the wall.

29:40 - Sergio goes down as Gaxa gets up to head the ball over him, but miraculously gets up to defend the throw. Albiol heads it out for a corner, which is taken by Pienaar. Spain look to have cleared, but the ball winds up with Pienaar. A pass to Dikgacoi results in a cross/shot that goes wide.

32:20 - Pienaar goes down in a heap after Pique gives him a boot in the thigh. I can't tell what happens next, because ESPN drops the damn feed yet again. We get switched to Iraq v. New Zealand for 2 seconds, and then back to our match. Congrats, ESPN! Your streak of losing the feed during EVERY match is intact.

34:30 - Best chance of the match as Fabregas streaks through and finds Torres. The attempted chip is turned away by Khune and Booth cleans up the mess.

36:20 - Spain dominating the match, but the Bafana squared are acquitting themselves well here. Good defending has resulted in only 2-3 legitimate chances for Spain.

37:45 - A nice run from Pienaar is wasted as his pass to Parker is shot well over the bar.

38:30 - A quick counter finds Villa at the top of the box, but the ball is just inches beyond his foot and rolls over the endline.

39:10 - And S. Africa should be up 1-0, as Pienaar finds Modise on the left side of the box. His curled chip shot barely goes wide of the post as Reina looked on.

41:00 - Fabregas finds Torres, who dribbles past Masilela and Booth. His pass finds Villa, but the shot is well off-target.

42:00 - Some nice passing from S. Africa goes the width of the pitch across the midfield and ends with a scuffed shot by Parker. Fabregas begins the counter with a pass to Riera. The ball comes back to Fabregas, whose chip is almost headed into an OG but Khune is there to collect.

43:30 - Xavi with a shot/cross that goes wide.

44:50 - Fabregas dances with the ball and eventually finds Puyol. The return pass is cleverly back-heeled...over the endline.

45:00 + 02:00 - Some sloppy play by both sides ends the half, and we are tied 0-0.



HALF-TIME NOTES: As I mentioned, S. Africa are doing well defensively, outside of some minor lapses near the end of the half. Xavi has been a non-factor for Spain, and he needs to regain his midfield dominance if they are to make something happen.

On the Group B front, the studio analysts tell us that the USMNT needs to exhibit some heart in their next match against Egypt. No shit, Sherlock.



45:01 - And we're off again!

45:30 - Well, JP, if I'm Spain I'm wondering: (1) how can I be a whole country; and (2) why the fuck am I on a couch in Michigan?

46:20 - Sergio goes down holding his knee after having been grazed. The resulting free-kick from Xavi barely misses wide, although Khune appeared to have it covered.

48:20 - A long ball from Pique is out of reach for Torres, but El Nino gives him the thumbs up anyway. It's a self-esteem building exercise.

49:50 - Fabregas running into the box, and he is taken down! Mokoena gets in a late challenge after Cesc was past him for an easy decision. Villa is STOPPED on the PK! Khune guesses right and makes the save, and then saves the rebound from Puyol as well. Outstanding work!

51:20 - GOAL! Spain 1-0 South Africa Villa atones for his miss by chesting down the ball from Riera and slotting it at the far post.

52:30 - A YC to Modise for a late tackle, as the Bafana Bafana may be coming undone.

53:20 - Dikgacoi and Puyol get into it, followed by a hip challenge from the former on Albiol, which earns him a YC.

55:50 - Yet another YC, this time to Pique for a very late challenge on Gaxa, as things are getting a bit heated.

57:00 - Good work through the middle, played out wide to Gaxa. His cross fails to find Modise or Parker, but earns a corner. The short corner results in nothing, as Puyol heads it out. The counter finds Villa offsides.

58:20 - Pique struggles to control a ball down the side and S. Africa earns a throw. However, Pienaar commits a foul after the ball is played in.

60:00 - Hernandez on, Villa off for Spain. Llorente on, Torres off for Spain. This is clearly a decision based on preserving Villa and Torres, health-wise.

61:00 - A ball to Hernandez from Fabregas results in a corner. Xavi puts it into the box, and it comes back out to Pique. Pienaar dispossesses but loses the ball again. S. Africa unable to clear until Modise tracks back and takes charge of the situation.

62:40 - A long ball from Pique is too far for everyone and winds up in the hands of Khune.

63:40 - A short kick from Reina comes back in through Modise, but Sergio takes control and sends it up to Hernandez. The ball comes back out to Xavi, but the next touch is too far and goes over the touchline.

66:10 - Booth down the wing finds Masilela, who plays Modise through. His shot is blocked by Puyol, but is tracked down by S. Africa. Gaxa eventually sends in a ball at the 6, which Parker heads wide.

69:00 - Spain use some brilliant passing on the defensive end to avoid some trouble from Sibaya. The ball comes back into Pienaar, but his pass for Parker is just a bit too heavy and Reina pounces on it.

70:20 - GOAL! Spain 2-0 South Africa. A free-kick for Spain after a Mhlongo (where has HE been all match?) foul on Fabregas. Played quickly, and the ball is moved well around the midfield. Modise gets called for a foul after he catches Puyol in the face with an elbow. The resulting free-kick from Xavi is played low to Fabregas, who mis-hits it through for Llorente to get a touch on it for a goal.

73:40 - Parker is down on the pitch, so Fabregas puts the ball out of play. South Africa return the ball as Parker is able to shake it off.

75:50 - Free-kick for South Africa directly at midfield. The Bafana Bafana are still providing some pressure on the Spanish defense


ED NOTE: According to JP Dellacamera, Brazil, Argentina, and France are "clubs" that are tied with 15 wins in a row. Yeah, those are national teams, buddy.


79:50 - Excellent ball played to Pienaar, who pushes it through to Parker. The attempt comes off a bit weak, and dribbles to Reina for the easy collection.

80:20 - Cazorla on, Riera off for Spain.

82:20 - Mashego on, Sibaya off for South Africa.

83:10 - Gaxa finds Parker in space, and he gets off a good left-footed shot that Reina gets down to save.

83:50 - Fabregas lays off the ball for Cazorla, who has his shot pushed wide by Khune. The corner goes out for a throw, which is played up the line for yet another throw for Spain.

85:30 - A well-taken Cazorla cross is headed out by a Booth, triggering a break. Mashego has his pass played out by the defense, but it comes back in to Modise. Sergio gains control and is fouled by Parker.

87:00 - Yet another pass from Cazorla is headed out by Booth, and the ball makes its way down the entire pitch to Reina. Spain is content to play with controlled, passive passes.

88:20 - Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, JP just referred to Xavi as "Xabi." I am surprised that it took this long.

89:50 - Alright, maybe it's just JP's accent, but it sure sounds like he is saying "Xabi."

90:00 - 00:40 - Sergio is taken down for a Spain free-kick, and the cross from Cazorla is mistimed by Hernandez, rolling out for a throw.

90:00 - 02:00 - The ball is in the back of the net for South Africa, but Modise was about 172 yards offside.

90:00 - 03:00 - Tshabalala on, Parker off for South Africa.


FULL-TIME: Spain 2-0 South Africa. Both teams will advance into the semi-finals, as the Iraq-New Zealand match has ended in a 0-0 draw.

Thanks for joining me. Tune in again tomorrow for liveblogs of the US v. Egypt, and Brazil v. Italy matches. For now, go out and play (unless it is pouring rain there).

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Confederations Cup Liveblog: South Africa v. Iraq

Welcome to J-Burg, South Africa! The 2009 Confederations Cup opens this morning at Ellis Park with the hosts taking on Iraq. If you haven't yet done so, check out our profiles of South Africa and Iraq before we dive in.



Before we begin, 2 notes: (a) considering the squads, much of this liveblog will be taken up by poor attempts to spell the names of the players correctly; and (b) I am officially lodging a protest against both squads for poor numbering schemes on their jerseys.


South Africa gaffer Juelz Joel Santana will start:
GK: Khune (16)
DEF: Gaxa (2); Masilela (3); Mokoena (4 - Captain); Booth (14)
MID: Mhlongo (5); Sibaya (6); Modise (12); Dikgacoi (13)
ST: Parker (17); Fanteni (18)

So, Bafana Bafana run out a straight 4-4-2 formation. Obviously the big surprise here is that Everton's Pienaar starts the match on the bench.



Iraq's gaffer, the ageless Bora Milutinovic, will start:
GK: Mohammed (12)
DEF: Mohammed Ali (2 - insert boxing joke here); Basem (3); Fareed (4); Salam (14); Ali Hussein (15 - relax, it's a common last name)
MID: Nashat (5); Karrar (13); Mahdi (18)
ST: Imad (7); Younus (10 - Captain)

The multi-ethnic Iraqi squad (comprised of Shia, Sunni, and Kurds) run out a 5-3-2 formation, so Bora appears to be starting off defensively.


Now, buckle up because this thing is about to kick.

00:00 - Iraq is apparently running out the youngest and the shortest squad of the Confed Cup. Right up Bora's alley!

00:00 - (taps glass) Anyone out there?

00:00 - According to FIFA.com, the players are out on the pitch. Mere moments away from the opener - feel the excitement!

00:00 - How many people who just saw that commercial have no idea who Messi or Zizou are?

00:00 - Re: Bafana Bafana tactics, apparently Pienaar has a bit of a nick so he is on the bench, but hoping to get some significant minutes. I'm assuming that Mokoena is starting in back in order to bolster a shaky defense. Santana wants his captain to be the rock in the back, as Iraq have already proven that they can score.

00:01 - And we're off!

00:01 - Over/under on number of times we are told that Iraq is out of WC 2010 qualifying, and thus are hanging their hopes on a Confed Cup title: 7. I'm taking the over.

00:01 - Dammit! FIFA lied to me about how Younis was spelled!

00:30 - First attempt at Route 1 from Mhlongo wins S. Africa a deep throw that eventually results in a foul and the first YC of the match to Fanteni.

02:30 - After a 2 minute injury delay while Karrar tried to determine if he could continue, we're off again.

03:00 - Every time Booth (SA) touches the ball the crowd reacts, but I can't tell if they are booing (he is white, after all) or saying "BOOOOOOOOOOOOTH" - aaaaaaaaaand the commentators just confirmed that it's his name being said. Thank goodness for progress!

04:45 - The ball has been mostly in the S. African third of the pitch, but with no real threats from Iraq. Some nice passing goes out for a goal kick and Younis looks around in frustration.

06:30 - Bafana Bafana with some better passing now, and a long ball from Booth into the box is collected by Mohammed.

08:00 - First corner of the match goes to Iraq. The midget squad sets up in the box but the ball is easily headed out for a throw. The result is rather weak, but earns another corner for Iraq. That ball is a little more dangerous is it makes its way through the box, but it is cleared for yet another throw. S. Africa are definitely on the back foot.

10:00 - Blatant dive by Imad, and the ball eventually gets to Khune. His long kick comes out to midfield, where it is collected by Parker for S. Africa's first shot on goal, but it is easily held by Muhammed.

12:00 - A long ball over the top from Iraq causes some confusion between Booth and Masilela, resulting in a throw for Iraq. The ball is sent skyward and Younis fouls Mohammed as both attempt to get up for the ball. The GK sends out what is essentially a goal-kick to midfield, where Modise is called for a foul.

13:30 - S. Africa push forward well, and Sibaya receives the ball in space to lash a shot just wide of the post. There was apparently a deflection, since they are awarded a corner, but the chance is wasted.

15:35 - Some empty seats in the first row. Probably some S. Africa fat-cats who are too busy to make the match, but it still doesn't look good for an opener of a tournament that your country is hosting and in which your national team is playing.

17:30 - More Route 1 footy from S. Africa. It results in a throw, but their best chance on goal so far has come from moving the ball through the midfield. A cross to the back post is sent back in by Gaxa (although it appeared to cross the end-line). They sort it out and Mohammed takes his goal-kick.

19:45 - Some nice passing from S. Africa, but they are eventually dispossessed after failing to get off a shot. They need to find the middle ground between Route 1 footy and too much passing/dribbling.

22:15 - Terrible turnover on defense but S. Africa is able to escape and continue moving forward. A throw comes in to Masilela, but he is stopped. Iraq thought they had a claim for a foul as Booth came in for the tackle to regain possession, but they are allowed to play on.

24:00 - S. Africa are beginning to look sloppy on defense, which will absolutely bite them in the ass if it continues.

26:00 - A free-kick for Iraq is put into orbit by Nashat.

27:00 - Building through the midfield results in a couple of switched fields for S. Africa with an eventual wayward cross going out for a goal-kick.

28:30 - The tone was set early by the tackle and YC, but this match has actually become much more physical over the past 10 minutes and the referee seems content to let them play.

30:00 - Another bad pass out of the midfield for S. Africa results in a throw for Iraq. Mohammed Ali plays the ball into the box, but Imad's first touch lets him down. Iraq retains possession, and Nashat is eventually fouled. The free-kick is into the wall and cleared by Sibaya.

34:00 - Some nice dribbling from Iraq, but Fateni steals the ball off Mahdi before being dispossessed himself. The ball comes back into Fanteni, and Iraq is unable to clear.

36:00 - Parker is able to get off a shot, but it goes just wide. It appeared that Mohammed would have had it covered.

38:00 - Another injury stoppage, as Iraq GK Mohammed appears to have rolled his ankle. He bravely shakes it off and tells the referee that he is able to continue.

41:00 - Mokoena makes an absolute mess of a clearance, but is bailed out by Booth (sign him up, 'Pool!)

41:45 - A free-kick from near the touchline by Modise is cleared by Iraq, but there is no counter-attack to speak of.

42:30 - Tommy Smyth notices that there is a player named Mohammed Ali. The world spins off its axis.

43:00 - A long ball over the top to Imad sends him too far into the corner, and he is dispossessed on his turn.

45:00 + 00:30 - Only 2 minutes of stoppage time, which seems at least 1 minute short. But I'm not the 4th official.

45:00 + 01:10 - Free-kick for S. Africa for at midfield, followed shortly by one for Iraq in almost the same spot for the last action of the half.


Your half-time statistics: (1) shots on goal - S. Africa 3, Iraq 3; (2) offsides - S. Africa 1, Iraq 0; (3) fouls - S. Africa 6, Iraq 5; and (4) corners - S. Africa 2, Iraq 2.

A little montage of USMNT players (alright, just Bocanegra and Timmy Howard) discussing why the Confed Cup is important. They appeared less than enthusiastic. This is followed by the ginger Lalas' ode to Landycakes, which makes me physically ill.


45:00 - And we have the 2nd half kick. S. Africa would probably be content with a draw here, but I think they need a win if they are going to advance.

45:40 - Ali Hussein takes down Gaxa just outside the box. The free-kick swings in, is cleared, and comes back in easily for Mohammed.

48:00 - S. Africa getting deeper into the box (that's what she said), and Parker gets off another shot, but Mohammed had the angle well-covered.

49:30 - Iraq coming down the right side and Booth fends off Younis with his elbow and gets away with it for a goal-kick.

50:45 - A nice through-ball almost releases Modise on goal, but a last-second clearance is made. The throw from Gaxa is wasted.

51:30 - I am endlessly amused by Tommy Smyth discussing these players as if he had intimate knowledge of their skills. Yes, Tommy, I'm sure you watch the Orlando Pirates every week.

52:30 - A long ball over the top to Younis is ushered out by Booth, but Iraq is awarded a corner. The resulting ball is too far to the back post and goes out for a throw.

54:00 - Karrar with a wasted shot from 35 yards out that trickles in to Khune.

57:10 - Some nice work by Sibaya and Modise is wasted as the final touch lets them down and Iraq are able to clear.

59:30 - Some extended passing results in a handball from Basem. The ensuing free-kick from Modise is well-driven, but there is a S. Africa foul in the scramble.

62:00 - A long cross to Imad is wasted, as he is unable to control the ball and it goes out for a throw.

64:00 - Crowd shot of Raymond Domenech, and I projectile vomit.

65:00 - Free-kick for S. Africa bounces around in the air before a clearance, but once again there is nothing resembling a counter-attack.

66:00 - Ali Hussein is forced to play the ball out for a corner, and Modise sends it in for an easy clearance. The set pieces in this match have been rather poor.

67:45 - Salam is forced to play the ball out, and the throw from Gaca comes to Parker, who lays it off for Modise. Unfortunately, the shot skies over the bar.

71:00 - A free-kick for S. Africa results in some shambolic defending followed by a smidgen of offside. Shenanigans from both sides, making this look like a U-14 match.

72:00 - Parker places excellent pressure on Mohammed Ali, and the latter is forced to play it out for a corner. The resulting ball comes in to Fanteni, who gets off an excellent header that just rises over the bar.

73:00 - YC to Nashat for attempting to play the ball while on the ground. This is followed by an Iraqi substitution of Hawar for Karrar.

74:00 - Modise is clipped at the top of the box and this looks dangerous. The free-kick from Modise is straight into the wall, and Mahdi is fouled on the clearance. Iraq make another substitution - Imad off, Zahra on.

76:00 - Substitute Hawar immediately provides some pace, putting pressure on Gaxa. S. Africa makes a sub - Fanteni off, Mashego on.

77:50 - Iraq corner sent in by Nashat is way too far to the back post. Another poor set piece.

78:00 - Best chance of the match so far, as substitute Mashego gets loose but he is stoned by Mohammed. His last touch let him down, as he had the opportunity to chip/dribble the GK.

79:30 - Gaxa streaks down the right side from defense and plays it to Parker in the middle. A beautiful turn and decent pace on the shot, but it goes straight into Mohammed's arms.

80:00 - YC to Sibaya (first name - Macbeth) for an unknown foul.

83:00 - More pressure from Iraq as Alaa sends the ball into the middle. It is pushed out for a throw, which is eventually cleared.

83:30 - Reverse OG! A cross is headed into the net by Gaxa, but it hits Parker and stays out!

84:40 - S. Africa substitution - Pienaar on, Parker off.

87:10 - Younis has Masilela climb his back for an Iraqi free-kick. They make their final substitution, as Mahdi is off for Salih. The free-kick is driven too low and S. Africa break, but Mohammed Ali cleans up the mess.

89:00 - Younis goes down in a heap after Booth dispossesses him from behind, but the ref allows play to continue. S. Africa eventually play the ball out for an Iraq goal-kick.

90:00 + 01:00 - Iraq awarded a free-kick as once again Booth comes through Younis. The ball is played into the corner by Nashat, and eventually Masilela fouls Younis for another free-kick. That ball is played short by Hawar to Nashat, and the Iraqis are content to run it to the corner instead of putting it on goal.

90:00 + 03:00 - The final action of the match is a free-kick taken by Pienaar that is easily cleared.


FINAL - South Africa 0-0 Iraq. MotM for me was Modesi, who had some real pace and was consistent on both sides of the pitch.

Join us again in a few hours when Spectator holds down the fort for the 2nd match of the day.

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