Category Archives: Italy

Teams from the Serie A.

Napoli: Mazzarri’s exit ushers in era of change at the Partenopei

  By O-Posts Team | May 21, 2013 - 20:01 | , , ,
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After the curtain fell on the 2012/2013 Serie A season, it also fell signified the final act of Walter Mazzari at Napoli, revealing in the aftermath of a 2-1 defeat to AS Roma that suspicions he would end his four year spell at the San Paolo were true. The 51 year old coach will quit with his future plans as uncertain as that of the club he has just left behind.

Two days later and Aurelio De Laurentiis, Napoli’s film-maker owner, has publicly revealed that Manchester City are in talks to sign Edinson Cavani, the shining diamond of the club’s recent resurgence, scorer of 78 goals in 104 games since his move from Palermo in 2010.

The Uruguayan was at the forefront of the “Holy Trinity”, the attacking triumvirate, alongside Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi, that led Napoli to the Champions League in 2011. Lavezzi left for PSG last summer after a year of regression, they finished fifth, but Mazzarri managed to transform fortunes once more this season, guiding the Partenopei an automatic return to Europe’s premier competition through a runners-up spot in Serie A.

Mazzarri has been non-committal on his future for the duration of the season with his contract due to expire in the summer, but how his players have remained motivated to deliver success despite the unrest is testament to the abilities of the outgoing coach. There has been a 17 point improvement on last season as they finished second despite issues over strength in depth of the squad, only 13 players have started over 10 times for Napoli this term.

That has been largely down to the potent form of Cavani, scorer of 36 goals from 41 games despite suffering from an uncharacteristic goal-drought stretching 8 matches in the midst of the campaign. There was no coincidence in the fact Napoli went on a seven game winless run in the midst of El Matador’s goalless spell, his immaculate physique and powerful ability imperative to Napoli’s fortunes.

That he will be a monumental absence to the future of the club was best indicated by De Laurentiis’s desperation to tie his striker down to a six-year deal earlier in the season, in which he installed a £63 million buy-out clause. “I do not need the money, I need Cavani” he said.

There is a sense however, that the 26 year old is due to move on. In January, the gap between Napoli and Juventus at the top of the table was just 3 points and Cavani was targeting the end of Naples’ 23 year wait for a third Scudetto. The Uruguayan desperately wanted to win something during his time at the San Paolo and his three years has only reaped last year’s Coppa Italia.

Despite cautious ownership, recent accounts have revealed that Napoli are in the black for the 6th year running, ambition can often outweigh boardroom prudence and it has dictated Cavani and Mazzarri, sadly, should move on to realise it.

For Mazzarri’s successor, Napoli remain an attractive proposition. Threatened with the tribulation of losing Lavezzi and midfield enforcer Walter Gargano in the summer, the likes of Valon Behrami and Alessandro Gamberini were bought in, as well as Portuguese defender Rolando on loan from Porto. Mazzarri’s specialist 3-4-1-2 can be difficult to adapt to and that is what some of the players in their debut year have found.

In attack, Cavani’s goal-scoring burden hasn’t been eased by the struggling Goran Pandev or the extremely raw 21 year old Lorenzo Insigne. Gokhan Inler has perhaps suffered from burn-out in midfield, starting the season well but suffering from patchy form in the second half of the campaign.

However, with 73 goals scored, the most in the league, and a tally of 36 against giving them the second meanest defensive record, there is a righteous thought that Mazzarri is leaving behind an able squad that will only improve should De Laurentiis, as expected he will do, back his new man with sufficient finances.

Other than Cavani, the new man shouldn’t face too much disruption to his playing squad, Marek Hamsik, the gifted 25 year old playmaker who has laid on 14 goals for his teammates as well as hitting 11 himself this season, has already announced his desire to stay. Replace Cavani with a quality striker, Manchester City’s discarded Edin Dzeko has been mentioned, and the post-Cavani, post-Mazzarri world will suddenly look a lot brighter.

Replacing the eccentric, chain-smoking coach in the dugout will be a lot harder for De Laurentiis however, from struggling in the bottom half of Serie A under Roberto Donadoni to the Champions League under Mazzarri, the ex-Sampdoria manager turned Napoli into one of Europe’s most entertaining clubs along the way. His system, a modified 3-5-2, was highly innovative and centred around a dangerous counter-attack.

One will hope his presence remains in football as he moves on from Naples, a city that boasts a wealth of spectacular architecture. Now it is time for its club to rebuild again, without their revolutionary coach and ruthless striker.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Should “Blizzard Soccer” Be Part of the Sport?

  By O-Posts Team | May 18, 2013 - 21:58 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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The World Cup playoff game between the United States and Costa Rica on March 22, 2013 was especially memorable. Played in the middle of a storm in Colorado, the game was the closest thing to blizzard soccer fans had seen in awhile.

For 90 minutes, players had to contend with an increasingly torrential downpour of wet, white flakes. Afterwards, the severity of the conditions had millions of soccer enthusiasts wondering: should play in such treacherous conditions really be allowed?

 

Why Continue?

World Cup games are obviously the most important in the sport and can be difficult to reschedule. When a team and its fans have already traveled thousands of miles for the game, canceling is something to avoid at all costs. In addition, postponing the game may mean players won’t get enough rest before their next round.

In this particular game, it didn’t look like the weather would cooperate any time soon. If the game hadn’t been played that night, it wouldn’t have been for quite awhile.

 

Is It Safe?

In spite of tight tournament schedules and pending forecasts, the safety of the players should be the number one consideration when choosing to continue a game. Looking back, was it really safe to continue a game in the middle of a blizzard?

In defending their decision to continue play, refs saidthe players hadn’t been sliding on the snow very much. While this may be true, any soccer player will tell you injuries don’t necessarily happen during slides.

These players were cold, wet, and covered in so much snow that they could run it through an EDI water purification system and use it to hydrate themselves. In these conditions, even the slightest misstep can cause an injury. If nothing else, the players’ immune systems were lowered by the weather.

 

Who Should Make the Call?

If the game has already started, refs make the final call as to whether it will continue. However, is this fair? Shouldn’t the league, coaches and players have more of a say in whether conditions are safe?

 

Written by Michael Deaven

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Infographic: The Top Paid Football Players Throughout History

  By O-Posts Team | May 18, 2013 - 21:40 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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The argument over how much footballers are paid in the modern era has been going on for years now and shows no sign of stopping. Some of the world’s biggest names are now playing with wage packets that let them take home more in a week than many of us will make in our lifetimes, and all for kicking a ball around – if they even get on the pitch of course!

It hasn’t always been the case that players earned hundreds of thousands each week, however. In actual fact, some players were earning the equivalent of £228 each week back in the 1900s, the same as what many full-time workers in the “real world” earn today.

This infographic, created by equipment retailer The Soccer Store, shows just how times have changed, from the early days of £4 per week right up to the £200,000-a-week contract signed by Carlos Tevez in 2009.

 

 

 

Written and created by Matt Rawlings

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Javier Zanetti: Is it the end for ‘Il Trattore’, football’s endless narrative?

  By O-Posts Team | May 2, 2013 - 15:04 | , , ,
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Playing until 39 years of age would be an achievement for most ordinary football players, let alone suffering a serious injury at that archaic age and still expecting to make a comeback. Then again, Javier Zanetti is no ordinary footballer. Or at least according to former Argentina defender Roberto Ayala, who reacted to his former teammate’s injury by allaying fears it may force a premature conclusion, “no doubt he will come back and continue his career normally” he said.

It says something of the resilience of the man that a possible return from a ruptured Achilles’ tendon, suffered in the 14th minute of Inter’s 1-0 loss to Palermo on Sunday night, is even being mooted. “I had to change tyres after so many miles” said Zanetti upon leaving a hospital in Pavia on Monday evening, using the pit-stop metaphor like it was nothing to an indestructible midfielder who had ticked the dial over to 1,101 professional appearances before injury struck.

It was at the very same ground two years earlier in which Zanetti had suffered breathing problems, only to insist on playing on before fainting in the dressing room after the final whistle. It looked like he may have needed an operation, but the Argentinean soldiered on, leading Inter to a “mini-treble” that year of the Italian Super Cup, the Club World Cup and Coppa Italia.

They were just three medals of an illustrious career that has yielded 16 trophies with Inter during a spell  that has now meandered into an eighteenth year since moving from Banfield in 1995. His honour roll includes 5 Serie A titles, 4 Coppa Italias, 1 Champions League and 1 UEFA Cup amongst a series of minor trophies. Zanetti may not be the most decorated player in the game but few can match his longevity and remarkable loyalty, traits that saw him win the ‘Loyalty and Critics’ choice award in 2013.

It is an astounding record of personal achievement and endurance that he has featured in 845 of the 938 matches Inter have played since Zanetti joined them in the mid-90s, registering an appearance record of 90%. Between October 2006 and April 2010, Zanetti, known endearingly as “Pupi” in his native Argentina, made a record 137 consecutive appearances, only to have the remarkable stopped by reaching the yellow card limit.

During Zanetti’s time in Milan, Inter have passed through 20 managers and each one has found the Argentinean’s unrelenting professionalism and continual devotion impossible to ignore. Every supposed new dawn at Internazionale over the past two decades has been characterised by Zanetti’s diligence on the right, using his experience to defend solidly as well as use his relentless energy and evergreen legs to launch lung-busting runs from his usual withdrawn positioning on the right-side. It was slightly ironic to see Zanetti’s downfall on Sunday originate from one such run, he was shaping up to deliver a cross before his leg gave way and he was forced to signal to the bench, pain etched on his face.

Andrea Stramaccioni’s reaction was suggestive of the standing and reputation his Argentine midfielder still demands at the club. Stramaccioni, winner of the 2011 Next-Gen series as Inter’s youth coach has tried to usher in a younger generation with the likes of Ricardo Alvarez, Mateo Kovacic and Ezequiel Schelotto, yet Zanetti has played 40 times this season as the manager has found his wisdom and experience too important to ignore.

“To lose someone like him is an awful blow” he said, “because in such a difficult moment the value of someone like Zanetti to the team is incredible.”

Stramaccioni was in no disillusion about the seriousness of Zanetti’s injury and what it meant to his side but neither was the player when it came to the prospect of making a recovery. “My career isn’t over” said the midfielder, “my goal is to come back stronger than before and I believe I’ll overcome this too”. It was an unequivocal response to the most legitimate of doubts that this injury, ruling Zanetti out for six to eight months, just four short of his 40th birthday, just maybe, could finish him off.

That is not according him or even Ayala, who went on to say “this injury is not going to affect anything” when pressed on his fellow Argentine international. It maybe an outrageous claim, but there are few who would dispute the possibility of Zanetti making a return to try and overhaul Paolo Maldini’s Serie A appearance record of 647, which the Inter man stands just 45 games shy of.

It is his permanence and strength that has almost become mythological in Italian football, that concedes there will be little doubt Pupi will make the most illogical of returns.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Vitesse Arnhem: Bony the inspiration behind the Vitas’ meteoric rise

  By O-Posts Team | April 30, 2013 - 20:44 | , , , , , , , , , , ,
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The Eredivisie season 12/13 is drawing to its end, with only three games remaining, Ajax’s four point lead seem sufficient to win their third consecutive title. The most exciting Eredivisie title race in years is over, however the season 12/13 did bring some surprises. The most noteworthy one is Vitesse’s stable performances and indomitable form. To the surprise of most fans, Vitesse sat on a top-flight position throughout most of the season. Let us look back on their marvelous campaign.

Jordania’s wishes to turn Vitesse into the league champions were underlined by a positive transfer period. After last year’s successful campaign wherein the club finished 7th , consequently winning the right to play in the Europa League, supporters were ambitious and hopeful for an even better year. Success comes with sacrifices, due to his good performances, Alexander Buttner moved to English giants Manchester United for an amount estimated at around €5million. Vitesse needed to bolster their squad if they wanted to seriously challenge the traditional top three in the Netherlands.

Jordania is a smart director and thinks long term, instead of splashing cash, the Georgian business owner decided to put his signifant network to work. His close ties with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich allowed him to loan three players from the Blues. Tomas Kalas and Patrick van Aanholt stayed for another season, and Gael Kakuta came to strengthen the wings. The squad seemed competitive on paper, but with an average age of around 22, the team was in dire need of a leader. Former club icon and captain Theo Janssen was signed from Ajax for €500k, along with experienced midfielder Simon Cziommer.

The season started quite negatively for Vitesse, after advancing to the final play-off round in the Europa League after beating Lokomotiv Plovdiv on a 7-5 aggregate score, the team faced Guus Hiddink’s FC Anzhi. Vitesse were unable to cope with the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Yuri Zhirkov, Lassana Diarra and Boussoufa – and the club from Arnhem were sent losing 4-0 on aggregate.

The start of the national campaign gave a better perspective; the first five games were converted into four wins and one draw against ADO Den Haag, resulting in a temporary first place in the Eredivisie. The away victory against Feyenoord [0-1] was utmost surprising, and an awakening call of the traditional top three that Vitesse might prove to be a potential treat in the near future. The team looked sharp and defensively very stable, only conceding two goals in the first five games. With Piet Velthuizen known as a very reliable goalkeeper and the centre back duo: Kashia and Kalas, the defensive line gave an impressive performance of four consecutive clean sheets.

Vitesse’s form would drop after their notable season start. The following six games resulted in two draws against Heracles Almelo and sc Heerenveen, three wins against FC Groningen,FC Utrecht, NAC Breda, and their first loss against AZ Alkmaar, ending their 11 match unbeaten run.

The precarious results could have been far worse, the team struggled in most matches, but it was the rise of Wilfried Bony securing most points for Vitesse. After his dramatic, yet brilliant game winner against Feyenoord, his confidence skyrocketed and the striker netted 8 goals in 5 matches, including a hat-trick against SC Heerenveen.

In the remainder of the first half of the Eredivisie season, Vitesse would earn the nickname: Giant killers. After their last minute victory against Feyenoord, on the third of November, Ajax was brushed aside in their own Amsterdam Arena! Wilfried Bony single-handedly brought down Ajax with a brace.

FC Twente were held off with a draw and a heroic 4-1 victory over neighboring rivals N.E.C made up for their 1-2 loss against PSV. The winter break came by, and Vitesse finished fourth, trailing 6 points behind leaders PSV. Furthermore, the club qualified for the quarterfinals in the KNVB Cup [Dutch National Cup] by demolishing amateur team ADO’10 with 10-1. Vitesse will face Ajax.

Based on last season’s performances, the team progressed quite nicely, but was not considered as one of the title contenders amongst the general Eredivisie public.

Moreover Vitesse was forced to let Wilfried Bony participate in the African Cup, after Sabri Lamouchi called up the strong striker to the Ivorian national team. Wilfried Bony scored 16 Eredivisie goals in the first half. All critics agreed, Vitesse would drop form without Bony.

In the month of January without Bony, Vitesse would silence all of the critics. First off AZ was swept aside with a convincing 4-1 score-line, and afterwards honouring its nickname, Ajax came to Arnhem and were sent home without any points 3-2. And the month’s highlight: rivals N.E.C were defeated in their own stadium in Nijmegen 2-1.

After losing twice against Vitesse, Ajax would finally get their revenge. The two teams locked horns in the KNVB Cup, and the Dutch giant demolished Vitesse 0-4.

Vitesse, survived the month without Bony, and had proven the critics wrong. Nonetheless, the notion of Bony’s skill and goal scoring drift were unquestioned. After Cote D’Ivoire got eliminated in the quarterfinals against Nigeria, Bony returned to Vitesse.

Upon return, his first following match he scored a brace and secured one point against PSV, his team again honouring their nickname of the “giant killers”. Under guidance of Wilfried Bony, Vitesse went on a 7 match winning streak, wherein the bulky striker scored 14 goals in 9 matches. Rutten’s men established theirselves as title contenders, however after a 3-3 draw against relegation candidates Roda JC, Vitesse dropped out of the race.

Bony….. imperious form and the team’s main man.

However, just last week, league leaders Ajax drew against SC Heerenveen, giving Vitesse, PSV and Feyenoord a glimmer of hope. Vitesse could shrink the gap to three points, but had a tough match up ahead. The surprising side had to travel to Rotterdam, to face Feyenoord in the Kuip. Beforehand, winning would seem impossible, as Feyenoord maintains an impressive 24-match unbeaten run in de Kuip, furthermore troublesome news arose in the Vitesse camp.

Wilfried Bony injured himself during training, and will be unavailable during the match, alongside teenage star Marco van Ginkel. The overwhelming Feyenoord crowd and the loss of Wilfried Bony proved too much to handle for Vitesse. Feyenoord defeated Vitesse 2-0.

Vitesse is now sitting comfortably in fourth position, still fighting strong for the second place [gives right to enter the Champions League play-offs], and although the title is unrealistic, finishing on that second spot would be an extraordinary achievement, and one to be proud of.

This season, Jordania’s wish will not come true, but major steps have been taken. The general public’s laughter has ended, Vitesse managed to upset the traditional three, and most certainly in the near future, Jordania will get what he wants.

 

Written by Siew Joe Lee

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Marquinhos: Defensive prodigy – a rare breed in Calcio

  By O-Posts Team | April 28, 2013 - 18:20 | , , , , , , , , , ,
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Every year, upon the start of the European football calendar after each Summer, names are touted around of suggestions and hot tips for the new campaign’s “breakout stars”. 8 months ago, few people would’ve paid any attention to the name – Marcos Aoás Corrêa – on Italian outfit AS Roma’s “Transfer Ins” list.

Signed on a loan deal with a permanent option, the young Brazilian with his moniker – Marquinhos – is now an in-demand starlet and highly tipped to be a future Seleção star.

 

Background:

Marquinhos joined Cornthians in 2002, at the age of 8, and proceeded to move up the youth ranks of the Timão over the next 10 years. Marquinhos impressed so much during his time in Corinthians’ youth ranks that he was called-up by and made captain of Brazil’s U17s in the 2011 South American Under-17 championship. With Brazil winning the South American U17 title, they qualified for the U17 FIFA World Cup that year, with Marquinhos again being handed the captaincy.

In Mexico, Brazil finished 4th, with Marquinhos playing 6 of their 7 matches and earning only 1 yellow card. After a stellar 2011, Marquinhos continued to shine in 2012. In the 2012 edition of the prestigious Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior (São Paulo Youth Football Cup), the young Brazilian added more impressive displays to his CV, culminating in a 2-1 win over Fluminense in the Final. Marquinhos was clearly banging on Corinthians’ 1st-team door.

With his maturity and leadership qualities, and not forgetting his on-pitch quality, it was of no surprise that Marquinhos eventually broke into Corinthians’ 1st-team.

 

Breakthrough at Corinthians:

With his impressive performances at youth level, Marquinhos’ form in the aforementioned prestigious Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior proved to be the final piece in the jigsaw of proving to Corinthians 1st-team Head Coach Tite that he was ready for a shot in the 1st-team. A 1st-team debutant at the age of 18, Marquinhos went on to make 6 1st-team appearances in the 2012 Brasileirão, playing the full 90 minutes on 5 occasions, and providing 1 assist.

While impressive when given the chance, the youngster also showed some versatility – playing in central defence in 2 full matches and as a defensive midfielder in 3 full matches. Coach Tite was so impressed with Marquinhos that the young Brazilian, then aged 17, was on the 1st-team bench for each and every one of the knockout stage matches of Corinthians’ victorious 2012 Copa Libertadores triumph.

Just look at that, within the span of 6 months, Marquinhos had become a Copa Libertadores champion and also turned 18 along the way.

 

Into the big time – AS Roma:

After catching the eye of Roma’s South American scouts, they took the gamble of signing the then 18-year-old in the summer of 2012, despite him having just 6 months of 1st-team experience in Brazil. The deal was a loan (€1.5m fee) with a €3m permanent option – with the trigger being Marquinhos making 8 1st-team appearances of 45 minutes a piece.

Barely a few weeks after his signing was formalised, Marquinhos made his 1st-team debut on 16 September 2012, playing the last 16 minutes of a 3-2 loss to Bologna. A fortnight later, the young centreback came off the bench to play an hour of a catastrophic 4-1 thrashing at the hands of defending Italian champions Juventus.

Slowly but surely cementing his spot in the Giallorossi Starting XI, Marquinhos has gone on to make 23 Serie A appearances(all but 3 as a starter) and 3 in the Coppa Italia. The only thing that broke his string of 12 consecutive 1st-team appearances is a suspension from being sent off, following a late handball, in a 3-1 win over Milan just before the winter break.

Roma’s summer signing became such as crucial 1st-teamer that the club withdrew him from international duty at the South American Under-20 championship, held in January 2013.

 

Overview – Majestic debut season in Calcio:

An 18-year-old holding a starting spot Serie A is most rare, let alone at a team as big as La Maggica. Marquinhos is a rare breed, such is the unforgiving nature of Calcio, what with the intense scrutiny of TV pundits on the various well-followed match review shows.

Leandro Castan, Marquinhos’ former Corinthians team-mate, has been left to fight for the other starting spot in central defence with Nicolas Burdisso. Ironically, 2012 summer signing Leandro Castan had insisted upon Roma signing Marquinhos.

In light of Roma’s much-talked-about defensive problems – a negative of Zdenek Zeman’s gung-ho offensive tactics – this season, Marquinhos has more-or-less escaped criticism, a result of the 18-year-old consistently delivering impressive performances every week. Despite still being only 18, Marquinhos has been Roma’s most important defender since cementing his starting spot in the middle of the Giallorossi defence.

(All stats are from WhoScored.com)

At first glance, standing at 1.83 metres, the lean Marquinhos is not the most intimidating of central defenders. That said, he does win his share of aerial duels, at 2.3 per game. That figure is the best at Roma and, league-wise, is better than that of bigger names like Philippe Mexes.

Being still only 18, the Brazilian still has room for more physical growth, which can only be a good thing. However, his natural athleticism does more-or-less cover for that, as they enhance his key attributes – his maturity and game-reading ability. Marquinhos evidently has, as the saying goes, “an old head on young shoulders”.

He is currently 18th in the Serie A interceptions chart, on par with veteran Andrea Barzagli, and better than the highly-rated Facundo Roncaglia and Napoli captain Paolo Cannavaro. With only 19 fouls (0.8 per game) at the time of writing, Marquinhos is currently 352nd on the “Most Fouls” chart. As with all modern day central defenders, Marquinhos is good on the ball and playing it out of defence, with an impressive 88.8% passing accuracy.

Almost every Serie A centreback would like to have Marquinhos’ statistics, which makes the fact he’s still a teenager all the more staggering.

“No Serie A player has made more last man tackles this season than the teenager (10), who leads his side for both interceptions (2.9) and aerial duels won (2.2) per game, proving that his reading of the game is at the level of a far more seasoned pro.” – Martin Laurence of WhoScored.

 

A look to the future:

Marquinhos has thus far shone, not just adapted, whenever he’s been pushed to the next level – youth team to 1st-team, Corinthians to Roma. This bodes well for the young Brazilian’s career prospects, as football has seen all too many a promising youngster fail to make that “next step”, rendering him unable to realise his full potential.

I’m confident that Marquinhos will not fall under the “what could’ve been” category. With his leadership qualities, maturity and talent, and not forgetting his current high performance level in such a prestigious league, long story short – the sky’s the limit for Marquinhos.

Roma are currently looking to upgrade the youngster’s current €0.8m (per year) wage to fend off interest from elsewhere. With his impressive and mature displays in his debut season in Italy, some of the Football’s biggest clubs are looking to sign him. Among others, FC Barcelona and Manchester City have been linked as potential new employers.

However, the Roma stopper is unlikely to leave the Stadio Olimpico anytime soon. There is still much room for improvement and staying at Roma for at least the next few years will provide the stable environment that promising youngsters like Marquinhos need to develop and, eventually, realise their potential.

Considering the ambitions of this AS Roma “project”, Marquinhos could possibly play out his peak years in the capital club.

Marquinhos told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “I am not thinking about a transfer. I owe Roma a lot for the chance they gave me.”

Whether Marquinhos eventually leaves Roma or stays for the long haul, one thing’s are for sure – Marquinhos will become a Seleção star sooner rather than later. Furthermore, with his past as Brazil U17 captain, Marquinhos could eventually captain Brazil at senior level.
Over the course of this 2012/13 season, Marquinhos has proved his worth enough to be justly rated as the best young central defender in the world at the moment, alongside Real Madrid’s Raphaël Varane.

Of all the possible “breakout stars” that had been tipped to emerge in the 2012/13 Serie A season, few would’ve bet on an 18-year-old Brazilian centreback being on that list.

Marcos Aoás Corrêa is indeed a rare breed in Calcio.

 

Written by Mark Ooi

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The Upcoming Football Video Game That Plunges you Into the Seedy World of Match Fixing

  By O-Posts Team | April 26, 2013 - 19:33 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Video games and football have gone hand in hand for decades, with games like FIFA 13, Pro Evolution Soccer and Football Manager hitting the bestseller lists year on year, giving players the chance to play at managing or playing as their favourite teams.

A new game that is currently under development aims to turn the football management game on its head, taking players deep into the sinister underworld of football corruption and allowing them to play as a shady match fixer.

Game Changer – The Football Match Fixing Game is being made for iOS and Android mobile and tablet devices, and will be made available in early 2014 if the developers successfully gain funding with their upcoming campaign on popular crowdfunding site Kickstarter.

In Game Changer, you can bribe players, pay off police and officials, blackmail referees and do all kinds of other interesting and immoral things to try and ensure the results you want, and then make a fortune by betting on your fixed outcomes.

As you grow in influence in the criminal underworld, you can fix games in bigger and more prestigious leagues around the world to gain higher profits, as well as being able to team up with crime boss characters and even your real life friends (thanks to social media integration) to get better results.

The game promises to blend elements of conventional football games and sims with the kind of stories and gameplay you normally see in crime games and RPGs, as well as featuring a sophisticated gambling system that allows you to implement all kinds of interesting strategies to make your fortune.

The developers, Game Changer Games, are also keen to make sure the game contains plenty of dark humour, because match fixing is, after all, a pretty horrible thing.

If you are interested in finding out more about the plans for Game Changer and the Kickstarter campaign that will hopefully make the game possible, you can check out the official website at www.gamechangergame.com or follow the developers’ official Twitter account @gamechangergame.

 

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Dede: Towering Brazilian Attracting Some Of Europe’s Biggest Names

  By O-Posts Team | April 25, 2013 - 15:58 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Brazil have created some of the most talented and gifted footballers over the years. The likes of Pele, Falcao, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo have all dazzled the world with their samba brilliance, yet their footballing history has possibly been too top heavy. Too many attackers, not enough defenders to be held in such wondrous regard.

Even full-backs, Roberto Carlos, Carlos Alberto and Cafu have been marvelled at, but not centre-backs. Anybody but the centre-back, the unheralded job that provided the base to a side seemingly not cool enough for Brazilian recognition.

But now, with Bayern Munich’s Dante, Chelsea’s David Luiz and PSG’s Thiago Silva, that is all due to change. The Brazilian centre-back is entering a new age; big, physical, strong and extremely comfortable on the ball, they are all attributes that makes up the aforementioned trio as well as Dede, Cruzerio’s much-coveted 24 year old. Who is he?

Let’s take a look at Anderson Vital De Silva.

 

Background

After impressing with his hometown club Volta Rotunda in the Brazilian State Championship, the big defender earned himself a move to Vasco De Gama in 2009, only to find first team opportunities hard to come by upon his initial arrival. With his one year deal running out a year later, it looked like he may be returning to Volta, or even moving to South Korea.

Dede, however, had other ideas, “there was something I was determined upon” he told World Soccer Magazine back in 2011, “I wasn’t going to leave Vasco by the back door”. And so he didn’t, with injuries hitting the club in a Brazilian Cup game against Vitoria, he was given a chance, repaying the opportunity with a performance of such authority and assurance that it instantly certified him as first choice and earned himself a new contract, stretching to 2014.

He went on to produce some imperious form for Vasco, being recognised as the best right centre-back in the Brasileirao of 2010 and generating comparisons to the Fluminese-made Silva, then at Milan, who was widely-regarded as the most outstanding centre-half to recently hail from Brazil.

His commanding performances helped Vasco to win the 2011 Brazilian Cup and his partnership with Anderson Martins saw them both elected as the best central-defenders of the 2011 Campeonato Carioca. His impressive form also alerted former national-team coach Mano Menezes who included him in the squad for friendlies against Germany and Ghana in the autumn of 2011.

His transformation with Vasco from potential discarded talent was meteoric. By the end of 2012, he was considered as one of the best centre-backs in Brazilian football, seeing high acclaim from Vasco fans who endeared to him by giving him several nicknames; “O-Mito” (The Myth) and “Dedelicia” (or “Dedelicious” as female fans chose).

He was included in numerous advertising campaigns for the club and was elected by SBT, a Brazilian television network, as one of the 100 greatest Brazilian’s of all-time. His popularity in Vasco was clear and he honoured his potential departure by kissing the badge in one of his final games for the club. In total, he made 154 appearances for Vasco.

To date, Dede has received 7 caps for the Brazil national team, appearing often in friendlies and tournaments that are only eligible for native-based players, allowing him to win the Superclasico De Las Americas in September 2011.

Dede is currently the fourth-choice centre-half in the Brazil squad and he will be hoping that his exemplary performances, partnered with Luiz Felipe Scolari’s insistence that he will look more to the Brazilian league set-up for options, will help his cause for regular call-ups as the team head into a World Cup year.

 

Strengths, style and weaknesses

Dede is strong, powerful and athletic, making full-use of his 6ft 3 inch frame in order to be adept at winning challenges in the air or on the ground. His height means that not many strikers are able to beat him in the air whilst a fine reading of the game, impressive at the relatively young age of 24, sees him able to cut out danger on the ground. His imposing height also makes him a threat at set pieces, suggested by his 18 goals during his time at Vasco.

His extremely impressive pace also means that he is rarely out-foxed by the through ball, cutting out the threat that strikers pose lying on the shoulder of the back four. As well as boasting fine intelligence and strength to block and intercept many shots and dangerous passes, he also possesses superb technical ability that allows him to be comfortable in bringing the ball out of the defence and moving it on.

As well as the two nicknames Vasco fans creatively derived for Dede, they also named him “Dedekenbauer”, suggesting his likeliness to the famous German defender who revolutionised the role of the central-defender, operating on a fine reading of the game, imperious positioning and superb ability on the ball.

Dede really is a complete defender who has attracted the interest of Manchester United, Milan, Benfica and Liverpool during his time with Vasco, all top European clubs basing their interest in the knowledge that Dede, with his physicality and ability on the ball, would not look out of place on the continent should he ever head east from Brazil.

 

His move to Cruzeiro

With the Selecao heading into their home World Cup of 2014, Dede has seen best to stay in his native league and head to Cruzeiro in a deal that is worth £4.7 million. The two clubs are believed to have arranged a 55% and 45% share in player ownership which helps to ease cash-strapped Vasco’s financial troubles. Three players, Diego Rennan, striker Allison and Wellington Paulista will also head to Rio in exchange for the defender.

After moving, he voiced his reluctance to leave Vasco De Gama but understood such a move would help to aid the financial crisis at his former club. He said that even though he was moving to a new setting, his heart would remain with the Rio-based club.

There has been a financial dispute with the transfer, with the move being blocked by the FERJ, a main football institution from Rio, who claim Vasco owe a debt to the Brazilian Federal Justice. They have ruled that until the dispute is sorted, Dede is unable to play for any club, disrupting his immediate start with Cruzeiro. However, that will only be a small snag in a career that threatens to go very far.

Look out for Dede at next year’s World Cup.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Serie A: A Preview of this Week’s two Titanic Clashes

  By O-Posts Team | April 14, 2013 - 18:02 | , , , , ,
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Juventus have set the pace in Serie A yet again. The Old Lady of Turin currently hold a 9 point lead over second placed Napoli and could see this increase if results go their way tonight. The Juventini will be looking to get back to winning ways after suffering elimination from the Champions League in the hands of Bayern Munich.

The German club destroyed their Italian counterparts, 4-0 on aggregate (2-0 H&A) to set up a mouth watering, eagerly anticipated, block buster clash with almighty Barcelona in the semis. Lazio on other hand, know that tomorrow’s game is the one of the last few opportunities to secure qualification to the next season’s Champions League.

Anything less than 3 points tonight and things will become very, very delicate. A.C Milan are one of the most in-form teams in the Italian League and it is no surprise that they have maintained third place for a long time now.

Victory over 2nd placed Napoli will take the Berlusconi owned outfit to within one point of tonight’s opponents and a chance to claim 2nd place in the next couple of weeks.

 

A.C MILAN-NAPOLI

The Milanese have won 4 and drawn of their last 5 Serie games and lie third in the League standings, four points behind 2nd placed Napoli. This would have been inconceivable at the beginning of the season with poor result after poor result coming for the 2011 Italian Champions. Allegri was on brink of a sack and things were going from bad to worse.

However, the ship has steadied ever since and it is a different Rossoneri now. The purchase of Mario Balotelli coupled with the rise to prominence of ‘Faraone’ Shaarawy has been very crucial to the Milan resurgence. El Shaarawy has carried the team all on his way at various times this season. The Egyptian-Italian’s phenomenal form has seen him earn caps with the Azzurri.

Today’s opponents, Napoli, also possess some of the deadliest footballers in Serie A. It is no accident that they sit a place ahead of Milan and still harbour the ambition of winning the Scudetto despite the 9-point lead Juventus have.

The Neapolitans, who have won three of their last 5 games, know that a win over the red and black will all but ensure 2nd place is theirs to lose. Edinson Cavani leads the scorers chart with 22 goals already this season. This means that two Uruguayans comfortably sit atop the marksmen list of two of Europe’s best leagues (England and Italy). He went scoreless for some time, but has come back strong to bang in the goals as he so regularly does.

Marek Hamsik provides the needed creativity from attacking midfield and chips in with some vital goals. Milan know all about these two guys. Stopping them tonight will not be a piece of cake.

Allegri must come to terms with the fact that ‘bad boy’ Mario will not be available for the next 3 games after he was suspended for collecting his 5th yellow card and insulting match officials in Florence. He is also set to face the disciplinary committee of his club for allegations of smoking on the train to the Artenio Franchi.

Consequently, ‘II Pazzo’ will lead the line with El Shaarawy and teenager, M’baye Niang. The EL-BA-NI partnership will have to wait until Mario returns from suspension.

Ricco Montolivo has been exceptional in the last month or so. The midfield pearl’s displays have caught the eye. A superb one again today and Milan could be singing the glory song.

 

PROBABLE LINEUPS

Milan:

Abbiati, Abate, Zapata, Mexes, Constant, Montolivo, Boateng, Flamini, Niang, Pazzini, El Shaarawy

The absence of Balotelli is a huge loss for Milan. Stephan El Shaarawy has not scored since the end of January. Well, Pazzini has goals in him.

 

Napoli:

De Sanctis, Campagnaro, Cannavaro, Britos, Maggio, Behrami, Dzemaili, Zuniga, Hamisk, Pandev, Cavani

Walter Mazzarri’s men use the wing-back system like Juventus. With Maggio and Zuniga marauding down the wings. Swiss duo, Behrami and Dzemaili will take the midfield roles with Hamsik ahead of them. Blerim Dzemaili has scored 4 goals in his last 2 Serie A games. He is a man in form.

The meeting at San Paolo ended all square (2-2).

 

 

LAZIO-JUVENTUS

Prior to midweek, the Laziali and the Bianconeri were Italy’s last two representatives in European Competitions. However, both of them have been thrown out with the Biaconceleste at least earning a creditable 1-1 draw at home to Fenerbahce. The extra motivation will be with the Rome based club.

The 5th placed team have lost three of their last five games. A draw in last weekend’s Rome derby was seen as two points lost. Hernanes has been tremendous for Petkovic’s side this season, but he let himself and Lazio down in that game by missing a penalty and conceding one at the other end that Er Pupone duly dispatched.

Miroslav Klose is back and that is a bonus for the Biancoceleste. His 10 goals before the long layoff helped the Sky Blues to Champions League places. They have since capitulated afterwards. The much travelled Sergio Floccari has deputised at times for the German Legend. It hasn’t been enough nonetheless.

Hernanes has been the shining light all season and bar the 2nd half performance v the Giallorossi last time out, he has rarely put a foot wrong. Federico Marchetti in goal has been one of the Aquile’s most consistent performers. The Italian goalie’s exploits haven’t gone unnoticed by Cesare Prandelli. Only that Gigi Buffon will be very difficult to displace. PSG’s Salvatore Sirigu has found that a futile mission too.

If the Coppa Italia finalists still want to qualify for the UCL, today’s game is a must win.

Juventus are no easy ride for anyone. Well, except you are Bayern Munich. Apart from the German destroyers, no side has been so dominant against the Old Lady since Antonio Conte took over and came back from a 4 month suspension in December.

Tomorrow night against the Biancoceleste, the league leaders have it all to do in order to restore the confidence that was nowhere to be found on Wednesday. Andrea Pirlo will not want to see Bastian Schweinsteiger anytime soon. The German midfielder gained revenge over the Italian master in both legs of the European tie. It was a performance that drew comparisons with some of the very best ever. A virtuoso display of excellence.

Marchisio cut a forlorn figure in both legs and his ineffectiveness when playing against Europe’s finest footballers showed to a great extent. The absence of Giorgio Chiellini is another minus for the Juventini. The defence without him have coped….with him, they are water tight.

Mirko Vucinic and his strike partners were no match for Dante and Danny Van Buyten who effortlessly kept them very quiet. A Cana-Ciani partnership might be weaker on paper, but can put on a similar show. Tonio Candreva is that stunning winger these days. He knows the Old Lady very well, having spent a season there on loan some seasons ago. His form this campaign has been great.

Ogenyi Onazi has shown flashes of what he is capable of, especially in the European stage. A vital squad member who can come in handy at any time.

 

PROBABLE LINEUPS

LAZIO:

Marchetti, Gonzalez, Cana, Ciani, Stankevicius, Candreva, Ledesma, Onazi, Hernanes, Mauri, Klose

The prominent Senad Lulic is suspended for this tie, so Alvaro Gonzalez comes in for him. The return of the imposing Klose is a massive boost for Vladimir Petkovic’s team.

 

JUVENTUS:

Buffon, Peluso, Bonucci, Barzagli, Asamoah, Marchisio, Vidal, Pirlo, Lichtsteiner, Vucinic, Matri

The return of Arturo Vidal and Stephan Lichtsteiner will be music to the ears of Conte. Although Chiellini is out through suspension, the old lady have enough in their arsenal to wreck havoc at the Stadio Olimpico.

Alessandro Matri is set to replace the Quag in attack, while Kwadwo Asamoah at left wing back is an automatic choice when fit.

 

Written by Ohireime Eboreime

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Champions League: A Brief Look At This Year’s Semi-finalists

  By O-Posts Team | April 12, 2013 - 17:20 | , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Barcelona are the final four out of the 32 teams that qualified for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. Borussia Dortmund replace Chelsea if you take last season’s semi-finalists into context. Real, Barca and Bayern have been consistent over the last two seasons and their qualification to the semis is testament to the fact that the pendulum has swung.

English teams were left to lick their wounds as none got past the last 16, even though Arsenal left with pride and Manchester United denied amid Nani’s controversial sending off.

It is important to note here that the last teams standing fully merit their places. Dortmund staggered into the semi-finals with a last gasp revival v Malaga- a game marred by controversy. Bayern annihilated Juventus home and away, Real Madrid sorted Galatasaray out, 5-3 on aggregate….While, Barcelona sent PSG packing on away goals rule.

Let’s find out what all the teams possess in their arsenal.

The ‘FAB 4′ of European Football by all standards this season will slug it out for the chance to line up in Wembley for this year’s UCL final. All four teams have equal chances of hoisting the most coveted trophy in European club football.

 

REAL MADRID

‘La Decima’ is the aim and once again, Jose Mourinho has qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League for the 3rd straight year. A fantastic achievement worthy of praise. This time however, failure to at least reach the final will be seen as a major letdown by all those associated with the Capital club. Cristiano Ronaldo has once again carried the team on his shoulders. His 11 Champions league goals is the highest he has ever scored in this competition since his debut for Manchester United.

He became the 3rd player ever to score 10+ goals in consecutive seasons after Messi and Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos sat out the 3-2 defeat at the Turk Telekom Arena through suspension, but are expected to return for the double header v Barcelona, Bayern or Dortmund. Real Madrid know all about these three teams. In the last two seasons, they have encountered all of them and most recently defeated Barcelona twice in four days.

It seems Mou has found the strategy to beat Barcelona. Bayern Munich and Dortmund have been successful against the Merengues and the Borussens won one, drew one in the Group Stages of this season’s campaign.

 

Borussia Dortmund

Jurgen Klopp is trying to make up for what has been an appalling season for the Schwarzgelben. They relinquished the Bundesliga crown to Bayern Munich last weekend in what has become the earliest time the German League trophy has been won. Being 20 points behind Bayern and eliminated by the team in the DFB POKAL is a terrible pill to swallow.

They have switched attention to the European cup and were within 3 minutes of bidding farewell to the tournament until a stroke of luck and some astonishing decisions sent Pellegrini’s Malaga packing. Mario Gotze and Marco ‘Rolls’ Reus are elated to say the least.

A shot at ultimate glory is two steps away and they are determined to give it their all. Robert Lewandowski scored his 6th UCL goal in the Malaga game. The man who has scored in ten consecutive League games is the main attacking threat for the 2nd placed team in the German top flight.

 

BAYERN MUNICH

No one will doubt Die Roten’s title credentials. The 23-time German Champions have been almost impeccable this season. In the year 2013, only Arsenal have won against them. The dismissal of Juventus sent a clear statement to other aspiring winners that the Munich based club want their 5th European trophy at all costs.

The bitter taste of last year’s defeat in their own home is still in the mouths of all those connected to the Bavarian outfit. Anything but a win will be seen as a step backwards. Jupp Heynckes lost all three trophies last season and wants to make amends. One is in the wraps, the other two are withing sight.

Bastian Schweinsteiger proved yet again that he can mix it up with the best deep lying playmakers in the world last night when he kept Andrea Pirlo quiet for much of the game. He himself was phenomenal throughout. Another excellent performance by the German machine. Mario Mandzukic will not be available for the 1st leg of the semi-final after he picked up a needless booking in yesterday’s game. Gomez or Pizarro will take his place. The latter has scored 5 goals in his last three games in all competitions.

They’re a definite threat.

 

BARCELONA

The best team in the world were saved from elimination by a Pedro pile driver after the introduction of 4-time Ballon D’or winner, Lionel Messi. El Pulga’s entry into the field of play galavanized the Blaugrana and it was no surprise when Barca scored barely minutes after his arrival. He is on eight goals (3 behind CR7). It will take the bravest of men to bet against him winning the Ballon d’Or for the 5th straight year anyways. He is the highest goal scorer in League play anywhere in the World with 43 La Liga goals.

Andres Iniesta is the most brilliant footballer in the world in my opinion. His football is more enjoyable than sex. One skill yesterday sent me shivering for minutes. If Barca are to go all the way, Iniesta yet again must come good in both legs. Tito Vilanova will not want to play Real Madrid yet after recent disappointments. Any of the German teams will be welcomed with open arms.

Barcelona are 2nd favourites after Bayern to win the competition. The Catalans defence is very shaky and that could be their greatest downfall.

 

Written by Ohireime Eboreime

Follow Ohis on Twitter @ohiskaka1990

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