Category Archives: USA

News, views and reports pertaining to the MLS.

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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David Beckham: The brand charges on but Becks bows out unfulfilled

  By O-Posts Team | May 17, 2013 - 21:41 | , , , , , , ,
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“Old Time, the greatest and longest established spinner of all!.. his factory is a secret place, his work is noiseless, and his hands are mutes” said Charles Dickens, referring to the commodity of age as an almost haunting process.

There is definitely a chill about the air in 2013, the defining generation of the Premier League era is edging itself to the door. Michael Owen and Jamie Carragher both wave goodbye on Sunday, as does Paul Scholes, accompanied by his manager, who ends his 26 year stint in charge of Manchester United with a game against West Bromwich Albion.

Scholes’s exit leaves Ryan Giggs as the one remaining “Fergie Fledgling”, the one-man contradiction to the words of Dickens, as this week, over in Paris, David Beckham has also announced he is to remove himself from football’s A-list.

His news was inevitably accompanied by numerous replays of his half-way line goal against Wimbledon, as well as that free-kick against Greece that sent a sharp tingle down the most insensitive of spines as it curved into the net, sending England to the 2002 World Cup.

The perspective of ageing can be found in that particular trawl back through the archives as Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand will be the only two survivors from that 2-2 draw, twelve years on, heading back to the drudgery of pre-season in the late-summer.

As football moves on to a brave new era, there was an opportunity to dwell on Beckham’s fine, if not fantastic career. With 6 Premier League titles, a Champions League, league titles in Spain and France and a series of trophies from his time in the United States, Beckham can certainly walk away with a glimmering trophy cabinet, however there has to be a tinge of regret accompanying the nostalgia as he looks back through a career that spanned two decades.

Nearly all of Sir Alex Ferguson’s class of the mid-90s have left Manchester United effusively, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt when first team opportunities stemmed out of reach, Gary Neville when chronic injuries hit and Scholes when father-time has eventually reared his head. That is of course, all but Giggs, who is still soldiering on at the ripe old age of 38, and Beckham, who bucked the trend, leaving United shrouded in controversy and dispute.

Ferguson did not mean to kick that infamous boot at Beckham in the aftermath of a 2003 FA Cup tie against Arsenal, yet it provided the perfect illustration to accompany Beckham’s acrimonious exit to Real Madrid that summer. Beckham had developed “this fashion thing” according to Ferguson, causing him to witness his “transition into a different person”.

In the run up to the World Cup of 2002, after that meeting with Greece, Beckham suffered a foot injury in a challenge with Argentinean Aldo Duscher and the media fanfare began to take pace, almost into insanity, as it rushed Beckham into Sven Goran Eriksson’s plans for Japan and Korea.

Despite his “redemption” against Argentina in Sapporo, Beckham cut an unfit figure, jumping out of a challenge against Brazil in the quarter-finals in the build-up to Rivaldo’s equaliser. Yet England’s presence on the global stage without their captain was simply unthinkable, he had to be there, broken metatarsal or not. “Brand Beckham” had launched and for Manchester United it became too much. “His life changed when he met his wife” Ferguson once said.

Together with his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria Adams, and advisor Stuart Fuller, a behemoth of a marketing campaign was forged. Beckham perfume and clothing ranges were all exposed to the world as he moved to Spain and then the United States, but his dedication to the sport he loved never let up despite the ultra sums of money he was making alongside his on-pitch exploits.

Initially phased out from Real Madrid’s squad by Fabio Capello after his move to the MLS became public, he fought his way back in to the Italian’s thinking to help secure the Spanish title in 2007. Steve McClaren dropped him from his England revolution when he succeeded Sven Goran-Eriksson in 2007 but he was back a year later, lasting until an Achilles injury ruled him out of the 2010 World Cup.

All this came after he fought his way back from the vitriolic low he slumped to after being shown a red card for a faint kick on Diego Simeone at the France ’98 World Cup. Beckham’s persistence and refusal to give-in was peerless.

He filled his off-season in America by moving on loan to AC Milan, Carlo Ancelotti voicing huge support for his relentless professionalism. From lining a tyre on the frame of the goal after training at Manchester United’s old facility at the Cliff and trying repeatedly to bend a free-kick through it, right the way to popping up at Paris St Germain at the age of 38 for one final shot at the big time, Beckham was the footballer who vehemently refused to betray his natural instincts of sheer endeavour and devotion.

It was that ruthless pursuit of excellence that transformed him into one of the very best during the late 90s, early 2000s, which he lit up with his trademark array of spectacular goals and wonderful passes that were consistently inch-perfect. Football’s evolution into the culture of celebrity engrossed him however and Manchester United seemed to be aware of his transformation into the poster boy of this new age of ultra-capitalism at the top of the game.

Despite the 115 caps for England, despite the numerous cups he has won since his exit from Old Trafford, despite the phenomenal work-rate and flawless image he resiliently strived to demonstrate, Beckham’s career wasn’t what it should have been, that should be the most saddening eulogy to an otherwise incredible career.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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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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USWNT vs Germany: Another draw, another country

  By O-Posts Team | April 7, 2013 - 20:04 | , , , , ,
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It was a battle between the first and second ranked teams in the world today as the USWNT faced Germany in Offenbach in an international friendly. The game ended in a 3-3 draw, seeing Abby Wambach scoring her 155th career goal. A rocketing volley from Megan Rapinoe and an excellent chip from Alex Morgan saw them both joining Abby upon the scoreboard.

Kim Kulig scored first for the Germans after a mix up within the American defence. Celia Okoyino da Mbabi and Anja Mittag scored within a minute of each other to lock the game at 3-3 in front of a boisterous German crowd of 16,000

 

Germany

 

Influential crowd and atmosphere

The Germans know how to party and their home crowd of 16,090 put on fantastic display. Especially during the first half, the German team really used their energetic home side to their advantage as they dominated the possession stats for the first half an hour of the game. Even as the USWNT quickly turned things around in the second half, there was no negating their fans were sticking til the death.

 

The Bundesliga effect

There is no denying that one of Germany’s secret to their success is their tight knit team bonds. This is a result of their fantastic women’s professional league. Their national team is highly saturated with players from both FFC Frankfurt and Vfl Wolfsburg who are two high prolific teams within Germany and out. Due to exceptional talent within these two teams, it gives the Germans the opportunity to frequently work and play together and against each other.

This gives the German team the ability to anticipate each other and grow stronger as a team, demonstrated repeatedly at times within this match.

 

Earth to Germany

The German national team are known for their dominance in possession but, although demonstrated this trait strongly in the first half, somewhat slipped in the second half. In previous matches against the Americans, Germany has outweighed the statistics, overpowering the Americans in both possession and shots on goal. However strong their dominance is though, they struggled to beat the Americans in their previous three games over the past six months.

In this particular match however, Germany almost fell asleep simultaneously with the referee’s signal of the beginning of the second half and woke up with the referee’s whistle for their penalty.

This spark of energy ignited their third goal of the match as the game ended in a 3-3 draw.

 

Germany should have done “Boxercise”

Boxercise is a popular exercise regime recently brought in by the USWNT. It is a fitness program designed to keeps players heart rates up and to develop somewhat “jaunty” personality traits. Germany’s defence especially, lacked the ability to forcibly stop the USWNT’s attack, Megan Rapinoe particularly.

‘Angry’ Angerer

If one player on the German team did show a feisty spirit, it was their goal keeper Nadine Angerer. The aggressive goal keeper was not holding back her anger towards not only her own team but also to the visitors as the goals continued to pile up.

The home crowd were backing her up before Alex Morgan seemed to quieten them down with not only her goal, but her sassy goal celebration.

 

USA

No Heath, No Krieger, No O’Hara…No thank you

Despite this match being a friendly, there is no denying both teams were hungry for a win, especially after the Algarve Cup. When the starting line-up for the USWNT was announced, many eyebrows were raised questioning why Tom Sermanni would leave such influential players like Tobin Heath, Kelley O’Hara and Ali Krieger out.

Considering Ali played with and against the majority of the German side during her 5 year stint with FFC Frankfurt, many were considering her as a number one candidate, but not Tom Sermanni.

Although Tobin was eventually subbed in to the game, her absence was noted as her ball handling ability in the wide open flanks was duly missed along with Kelley O’Hara’s dominance in defence.

 

Absence of Carli Lloyd and Hope Solo

Other duly noted absentees were Carli Lloyd and Hope Solo. Carli Lloyd’s effectiveness in midfield would not have gone astray during periods of time within the game where the away side were lacking movement and fluidness between their defence and attack. Although Lauren Cheney was doing a brilliant job of keeping the US’s movement flowing, Carli’s hard edge and prevailing stride would have kick-started the USWNT earlier on within the game.

Nicole Barnhart has proved herself a worthy candidate as Hope Solo receives treatment for her wrist but Barnhart’s lack of experience within herself and her back four proved to be tricky and the Germans sensed this uneasy imbalance throughout the match as they confidently pursued at goal.

Especially during the incident of Germany’s first and third goals, communication seemed to be non-existent as the Germans rolled the ball into the net. Hope Solo’s overriding goal keeping personality would have taken care of these issues in place and perhaps prevented the goals.

The defence had a lot to do with the goals, but a leading goal keeper should be keeping their defence in place.

 

Pinoe for President

Megan Rapinoe absolutely outshone her German opponents today between her sassy nutmegs and, ultimately, the goal of the game. Along with Lauren Cheney, Megan Rapinoe captivated audiences with her brilliant style of play and her attacking dominance. Not only did she score, but also assisted in Abby Wambach’s 155th goal.

A big talking point was her goal in the 56th minute, assisted by an airborne Abby Wambach. Megan Rapinoe’s first touch volley was sent like a bullet towards goal, doubling the USA’s lead to 2-0.

 

Rookie Mistake

Tom Sermanni loves switching the team and integrating the young stars in with the national team and this game seemed to be the perfect time to test their ability to work together against a world class team. Crystal Dunn was the star, despite a couple of unlucky touches and decisions. She was quick, feisty and gutsy against Germany, traits not a lot of player would exhibit against such a well notched team.

Despite her inauspicious positions within two of Germany’s goal, Dunn looks promising as a future leader as numerous times throughout the game she outperformed some her striking German adversaries. Kristie Mewis, however, wasn’t as successful during the game and this was the result of an off putting position Tom Sermanni put her in.

Mewis is naturally a central player but Sermanni’s left-back choosing did not suit her at all, causing for some disruption.

 

Chasing Mia

Now, who could not pass up Abby Wambach’s goal? Scoring her 155th career goal, this now sits Abby 3 goals behind Mia Hamm’s all time record of 158. Although the USWNT didn’t attain the desired win, the striker will definitely make amendments next game where a hat trick or more could see her make history.

  • Fun fact: The USWNT has won 99 games so far where AbbyWambach has scored. A win today would have been a nice centennial anniversary present for US Soccer.
Wambach...... legend.

Wambach…… legend.

 

The USA now heads to The Hague to meet the Netherlands on April 9.

 

Match summary:

USA – (47′) Abby Wambach (Megan Rapinoe)
USA – (55′) Megan Rapinoe (Abby Wambach)
GER – (63′) Kim Kulig
USA – (71′) Alex Morgan (Lauren Cheney)
GER – (85′) Celia Okoyino da Mbabi (pen)
GER – (86′) Anja Mittag

 

 

Lineups

USA : 18-Nicole Barnhart; 6-Crystal Dunn, 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 14-Whitney Engen, 8-Kristie Mewis; 9-Heather O’Reilly (17-Tobin Heath, 77), 7-Shannon Boxx, 12-Lauren Cheney, 15-Megan Rapinoe; 13-Alex Morgan, 20-Abby Wambach (2-Sydney Leroux, 80)

Substitutions Not Used: 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 5-Kelley O’Hara, 11-Ali Krieger, 16-Yael Averbuch, 19-Rachel Buehler, 21-Adrianna Franch, 22-Meghan Klingenberg, 23-Christen Press, 24-Ashlyn Harris, 25-Julie Johnston 

Head coach: Tom Sermanni

 

GER: 1-Nadine Angerer (capt.); 25-Leonie Maier 3-Saskia Bartusiak, 22-Luisa Wensing, 4-Babett Peter (2-Bianca Schmidt, 57); 10-Linda Bresonik (11-Anja Mittag, 60), 8-Kim Kulig, 26-Nadine Keßler, 7-Melanie Behringer (15-Verena Faißt, 46);  13-Celia Okoyino da Mbabi, 14-Dzsenifer Marozsan (9-Alexandra Popp, 88).

Substitutions Not Used: 12-Almuth Schult, , 18-Svenja Huth, 21-Kathrin Langert, 23-Josephine Henning, 27-Jennifer Cramer, 28-Tabea Kemme   

Head coach: Silvia Neid

 

Stats Summary: USA / GER

Shots: 13/8
Shots on Goal: 7/4
Saves: 1/4
Corner Kicks: 5/5
Fouls: 7/10
Offside: 4/3

 

Misconduct Summary: 

USA – Shannon Boxx (caution)        50th minute
USA – Christie Rampone (caution)  84

 

Officials:

Referee: Christina Pederson (NOR)
Assistant Referee 1:  Katrin Rafalski (GER)
Assistant Referee 2:  Imke Lohmeier (GER)

 

Written by Siobhan Pedroza

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Top 10 Most Poker-Passionate Football Players

  By O-Posts Team | March 31, 2013 - 17:31 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Anyone who plays some kind of sport knows that to succeed takes burning passion and enthusiasm. Applying these elements into a game, and also having the mental determination to succeed is a vital factor in coming out top.

Poker can also be seen as somewhat of a sport so it’s not surprising that many football players are regular visitors of well-known poker rooms like Fulltiltpoker. Let’s take a look at the top football players who have decided to inject some of that passion into becoming credible and successful names and faces in the world that is Poker.

 

1. Teddy Sheringham

Teddy Sheringham, a former England, Tottenham and West Ham player decided to take his hand a poker a few years before ending his 25 years career as a well-respected player. However, Unlike many football players who take interest in a managing or training position in the football world, Teddy decided to take a different route.

He has made a name for himself in the poker world and has played in various tournaments around the world including one of the biggest, the World Series Of Poker Main Event where he managed to finish 14th out of around 3000.

Teddy’s winnings over the past years have amounted to around $298,000.

 

2. Jan Van Soresen

One of the most successful football players to have made an impact in the Poker world is Scandinavian player Jan Van Soresen, who has won a range of tournaments including the WSOP (twice) and the Masters Classics of Poker tournament in 2008.

He is expected to have won himself around $2 million, making him one of the most successful football players to have come out of Poker.

 

3. Tony Cascarino

Former international football star Tony Cascarino who spent a large amount of his career with the Republic of Ireland, has always had a gambling passion and put his eagerness and passion into place when he first started playing in around 2006.

Tony went on to win his first major tournament 3 years later in the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour, scooping himself a nice $283,000. Overall within his six years of playing in tournaments, Cascarino has expected to have won around $589,000.

 

4. Christian Vieri

Christan Vieri is a former Inter Milan forward who has never hidden his passion for card games especially Texa’s Hold’Em. In 2009 and without a club after quitting with Atalanta, Vieri went on to play in two tournaments in LA.

Whilst Vieri is not set to leave his football career just yet, he has hinted that he could be looking at a profession poker career after his retirement.

 

5. Tomas Brolin

Former Swedish football player and manager Brolin is another example of how passion can weave its way through football and poker. Brolin decided to first try his luck at Poker in 2006 and has made himself credible at many various poker tables.

In 2006 he fluttered in the Football and Poker Legends club which was organised by the well know and very popular site Party Poker.

In 2007 he then went on to play at the World Series of Poker, whilst not having won 1st place in the tournaments, he has however scooped a nice slice of the pot.

 

6. Gianluigi Buffon

Whilst if not being the greatest goalkeeper to have come out of football, it also seems that Buffon is adding a touch of his football passion into his Poker passion. Buffon learned of his passion whilst playing for a charity event a good few years back and is said to have completely fell in love with the game.

From then, Buffon continued to enhance his skills and played in numerous online tournaments, finally being noticed by online giant Poker Stars after successfully scooping the pot numerous times.

He went on to act as an ambassador for the site and hopes that one day, when his football career ends, he can work on becoming a professional player.

 

7. Poli Rincon

Spanish player Poli Rincon is well loved amongst the Spanish, with a successful career in football including stints with Real Madrid and Real Betis, he went on to win the Spanish league and cup in the 70’s and 80’s.

Rincon also has a burning passion for poker and is also said to regularly play with online giant Poker Stars favouring tournaments such as Poker Stars Caribbean Adventure and others such as Estrellas Poker Tour.

 

8. Vikash Dhorasoo

French player Vikash Dhorasoo is again another example of a budding Poker star. In 2007, Dhorasoo found his path and began playing in major poker tournaments, mainly in France. One of his most successful stories is taking the pot at the No Limit Hold’em $2.200 Barrier Poker Tour in 2010 scooping the main prize of $187,887.

This however is not his only cash in. He has also managed to come out top in two European Poker tournament events and also fluttered in several other tournaments.

 

9. Francesco Totti

Italian football star Francesco Totti who has spent his career dedicated to the Series A club Roma, is a top goal scorer and most capped player in the clubs history. Francesco has maintained a steady career with the club for the past 20 years, however football is not the only game he is passionate about.

Totti has recently been knighted as Poker Ambassador for Party Poker. Francesco Totti states that he has a real passion for poker and being a successful player requires the same abilities of that of playing football.

 

10. David Levi

Last, but by no means least, David Levi has had a major impact in the Poker world. Not only has his passion for football seen him excel in his years but when after a crippling knee injury Levi decided to take his chances by dabbling in Poker and he certainly knows how to play a hand.

He has said to have one over a huge total of $2,600,000 as of 2009. One of his favourite and most successful events has seen him scoop $360,229 from the WOSP tournaments.

 

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Rising Greek Star Banned For Life For Nazi Salute

  By O-Posts Team | March 18, 2013 - 20:08 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Professional football players celebrate their goals in a lot of unusual and sometimes distasteful ways. For Giorgos Katidis, who plays with the Greek club AEK Athens, his celebration included a Nazi salute.

This proved to be so distasteful for those who witnessed it that the midfielder was immediately banned for life from playing for the national team. Katidis made the salute after scoring the game-winning goal for AEK against Veria on March 16.

The incident took place in a Super League game at the famous Olympic Stadium in Athens and a video of it quickly went viral and spread around the world. While Katidis is just 20 years old, he’s a star with the national junior team and was expected to break into the senior national side in the near future. In his defense, Katidis said he didn’t know what the gesture meant and it was just done at the spur of the moment in celebration of his goal.

Katidis claimed that he hates fascism and didn’t realize what the salute meant and what he was doing. The football federation in Greece said that the player’s actions deeply insulted the millions of people who were affected by the brutality of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime in the 20th Century.

Ironically the day that Katidis made the unfortunate gesture was the very same day that Greece was marking the 70th anniversary of the start of deportation of Greek Jews to extermination camps which were operated by the Nazis during the Second World War.

Katidis changed his story slightly, or simply forget to mention it, but later on he said he made the salute because he was actually pointing to one of his injured AEK teammates who was sitting in the stadium’s stands. He claimed that he’s certainly not a racist and doesn’t have any strong political views.

He said if he knew the salute had any deep historical meaning that he never would have done it in a million years. Ewald Lienen, the manager of AEK Athens, stuck up for his players by saying that the youngster is guilty of being ignorant of the past and nothing more.

Lienen, who hails from Germany, said Katidis is just a young man who is out of his teenage years and doesn’t have any political ties or beliefs. He added that the player probably saw a Nazi salute on television or the internet and didn’t know that it symbolized hatred or anything else.

However, fans of the soccer club don’t necessarily the manager’s views and many of them are insisting that AEK gets rid of Katidis from the roster. It’s expected that officials of the club will get together in the next few days to decide what to do with Katidis.

Due to his age, it’s certainly possible that Katidis didn’t have a clue what the salute meant. The Nazi regime was decades ago now. If youngsters don’t learn about such things in school it’s entirely possible they could live their lives without knowing the historical meaning of certain things.

Check out www.bet365.com for the latest lines on world football.

 

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Special Feature: The World’s Greatest Sports Stadiums

  By O-Posts Team | March 9, 2013 - 19:16 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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The World’s Greatest Sports Stadiums

Sports fans are a mad bunch, some spend hundreds of thousands a year following their team all over the world. From football teams on a tour to the Far East, to American franchises flying from coast to coast, sport is booming business across the globe.

As a result we’ve put together a list of some the best sports stadiums in the world, be sure to experience the atmosphere of at least one of these incredible venues on your travels.

 

Yankee Stadium – The Bronx – New York

Steeped in history and with some of the most passionate fans in Baseball the New York Yankees are icons of the sport and it’s only right they have a stadium to match.

The New Yankee stadium first opened in 2009, replacing its predecessor which had stood tall since 1923. With a capacity of over 52,000 and at a construction cost of $1.6bn the stadium is testament to The New York Yankees standing as giants of the game.

To really make the most of your visit stay in The Crowne Plaza, Times Square Not only is it a short hop to the stadium but you’ll also be perfectly positioned in the heart of New York.

Yankees

 

Soccer City – Johannesburg – South Africa

Having undergone a major redevelopment programme for the 2010 Soccer World Cup Soccer City is an easy addition to our list.

Tasked with hosting the both the opening ceremony and the first match of the World Cup the stadium shone in the spotlight of one of the most successful Soccer tournaments of all time.

With a capacity of 95,000 the stadium cost $440 million and today hosts South African league soccer, rugby and music concerts.

A visit to Soccer City is not to be missed, stay at the Holiday Inn Sandton and enjoy enviable views from the 9th floor Skye bar or simply relax in the cigar lounge with one of Cuba’s finest.

Soccer City

 

Madison Square Garden – New York

Home of Basketball, Ice Hockey, Tennis, and even WWE Wrestling Madison square garden is a multi purpose venue situated in Midtown Manhattan.

A recent renovation costing $1.16 billion has ensured The Garden keeps its crown as one of the worlds most famous and frequently visited venues.

However with a maximum capacity of only 22,000 people seats for events are scarce and frequently reach into the thousands of dollars for the most popular shows, testament to the allure of this incredible venue.

Stay at The Marmara Manhattan and enjoy apartment facilities with the luxuries of a hotel suite.

Yankee Stadium

 

Sports City – Dubai

Currently under construction Dubai’s sports city is a behemoth, boasting four stadiums the centre piece of which is a 60,000 seater multi purpose venue capable of hosting Soccer, Cricket, Rugby, Athletics and music festivals.

Costing an estimated $4 billion and covering a total of 4,600,000m2 Sports City promises to be at the heart of Dubai’s sporting future.

Once the venue opens I recommend you stay at the Burj Al Arab. The grandest hotel in the world offers the ultimate in luxury including a private beach, chauffer driven Rolls Royce and the very best in gourmet dining.

Sports City

 

The Staples Centre – Los Angeles – California

Home to no less than four professional sports teams The Staples Centre in downtown Los Angeles is a haven for fans of Hockey and Basketball alike with the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers as well as WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings all calling the centre home.

With a maximum capacity of 21,000 and at a construction cost of $523 million, The Staples Centre is one of the most popular sports and music venues within the United States.

Stay at the Beverly Wilshire, a decadent Five Star hotel designed to make the most of your Los Angeles Holiday. Enjoy fine dining, a luxury spa or just relax in the comfort of your extravagant room.

Staples Centre

 

Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex – Oman

Situated in the Ghala district of Oman the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex makes the list due to its impressive list of facilities.

Renovated for the 2009 African Cup of Nations the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex has a capacity of 39,000 and is equipped with a Football pitch, Athletics Facilities, an Olympic sized swimming pool, Tennis Courts and Gymnasium.

For your holiday in Oman I recommend staying at Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort. This five star resort offers a private beach, infinity pool, luxury spa and lavishly appointed rooms.

 

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About the Author:

Matt Coe is a sports travel enthusiast and head of marketing for Wanderforth, a tour operator specialising in luxury worldwide holidays.

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The Football Betting Guide

  By O-Posts Team | March 5, 2013 - 20:46 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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There’s nothing quite like the excitement of laying a bet on the football on a Saturday afternoon to really get your adrenaline pumping.

A few small bets here and there can turn a game you may have had little interest in into one of the games of the season but where to start? Football is a notoriously unpredictable game with surprise results coming every week. Here’s our guide to the fundamentals, to get you started:

 

Do your homework

Picking out a team from the match day schedule can be a tricky business. All you have, until you do your homework, is a name. What do we mean by ‘homework’? Well, a team’s form is crucial in making your betting decision, so you should be asking yourself questions like; ‘what was their last game like? Did they win?’; ‘who scored and how many?’

By asking yourself questions like this, you’ll be able to work out the ‘in-form’ teams of the moment. Conversely, you’ll be able to work out the weakest selections in the league and bet against them.

 

What bet works best for you?

Defining what you want out of your bet is a good place to start. The most obvious factors are how much you’re willing to stake as well as how much you’d like to win- after all, putting ten pounds on a thousand to one bet may sound tempting but you’re more likely to lose that ten pounds than make ten thousand.

Online gaming websites often have an instant bet calculator which shows you exactly how much you’re likely to win from your proposed bets and here are two types of bet to consider laying:

 

Accumulator

Instead of betting a large amount on one fixture, betting on an accumulator is a great way to increase your odds at the same time as decreasing your stake. On any given day there are likely to be large favourites to win, so by putting a bet on more than one result you can massively increase your potential pay out.

Look for teams called ‘bankers’, these usually consist of three or four favourites which are there to ‘bulk out’ your accumulator- adding riskier teams at the end will increase your potential pay out further.

Of course, if you’re looking for something a little more skilful that doesn’t rely completely on others’ luck then try a few hands of poker but remembering first to read a decent poker blog.

 

Scorecast

Perhaps one of the more challenging bets to lay, the scorecast can simply be described as picking the correct final score. If you’ve done your homework as described above, you’ll quickly see how many goals a team is likely to score in a given match and how many another are likely to let in.

Of course, this is sometimes a lot easier said than done as football results vary massively- so you may not be correct in your prediction but you may have the comfort of an excellent afternoon’s football.

Adding the first or last goalscorer to your scorecast is a sure-fire way of massively increasing your odds- and if your team tends to rely on a single striker for their goals, it may not be a bad addition to your bet.

 

Jack Linsel is a freelance copy writer in London. He enjoys writing about football, sports and exercise.

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Special Feature: Sports Stars And Their Bling

  By O-Posts Team | February 28, 2013 - 20:13 | , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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The sports industry is massive, and where sports stars go their money tends to follow. Billions of dollars is spent each year by the world’s sporting superstars on everything from furniture to Fois Gras. Basketball, rugby, soccer and baseball stars all have one thing in common: luxury is the only way to go.

The sporting elite live in the world’s most desirable locations and drive the world’s most desirable automobiles, arguably living the world’s most desirable lifestyle. It’s common for these sporting sensations to be wearing designer clothes that are draped in modern jewellery, although antique watches are often found in Sydney and elsewhere.

 

The cars

Image by kelvinhu via flickr

Whether it’s David Beckham or Tiger Woods, one can expect a great deal of the successful sportsperson’s salary to be focused on his or her choice of car. Fast, exotic rides like Ferraris, Lamborghinis and even Aston Martins are very popular, with their beautiful looks and high performance allowing the driver to travel in style. Super-luxury cars are also a common choice for the modern sportsperson, as exclusivity is maintained while allowing the athlete to travel in utmost comfort.

More recently, sportspeople are choosing to modify their cars with a more Art Deco or Art Nouveau interior, adding customisability to the mix. Whether in Sydney or San Francisco, you’re bound to find a sports star driving a fancy car somewhere.

 

The house

If the rich and famous sports people of the world are renowned for one thing other than their sporting prowess, it’s likely to be their choice of home. It’s not unusual to see England’s premiership football players living in multi-million pound properties and the same goes for those competing in the USA’s NBA or NFL. Houses are often the most expensive thing people own and sports stars are no exception. However, while the average person might be contemplating a conservatory or bigger garden, it’s not hard to imagine a sports star thinking of dedicating a room to antique clocks or vintage jewellery.

When we visualise a sporting hero’s luxury pad, we tend to think of gigantic swimming pools, multi-car garages and bathrooms big enough to play baseball in. While this is hardly feasible for the normal person, successful sports stars can easily get paid millions of dollars a year. If anybody can afford to live with a collection of retro jewellery in an enormous house in somewhere exclusive such as Monaco or London’s prestigious West End, it’s the sports stars of the world.

 

The jewellery

Cars have to be left in car parks, and according to my travel guide you can’t take your house with you as you journey around. If you’re a sports star with an eight figure bank balance, how do you ensure you’re making a statement about your wealth wherever you are? Some people wear hugely expensive earrings, rings or maybe even a bracelet. The most common option, however, is to wear beautiful, classic time pieces that reflect personality and flair. Vintage watches and jewellery are especially fashionable in 2013, with March set to see people buying retro jewellery in record numbers.

Of all of the world’s watches, the ones that carry the biggest prices are made by hand in Switzerland: Breitling, Rolex and Patek Philippe are just three of the most famous luxury timepiece brand. One of the most attractive aspects of a vintage timepiece, like vintage engagement rings, is the story behind the item.

Vintage jewellery has a specific story behind it which can be discovered by the owner, transforming a special watch or piece of jewellery into a priceless one. It’s this exclusive and expensive appeal which draws sports stars in their thousands to luxury timepieces, and for Rolex watches in Sydney in particular.

 

Too much money!?

The lavish lifestyle of the world famous sportsperson is routinely criticised. Some people will always make the argument that, at the heart of all of this ‘bling’, there is an athlete desperate to show off. While this may or not be the case, the world’s sports stars do it in style.

Exotic supercars, Hollywood mansions and iconic watches are all weapons in the modern sports star’s arsenal in the hunt for sponsorship and branding deals, so maybe we can’t blame them after all. Either way, world famous sporting heroes are some of the richest people in the world and love or hate their excessive spending they’re not going anywhere soon!

 

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This article was written by Misty Angel on behalf of Kalmar Antiques. Kalmar Antiques specialize in antique jewellery with a wide range of antique rolex watches and also many other well known brands. Misty is a cat lover and she loves to run and is also an avid watch collector herself.

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