Sports Then and Now

Fabio Capello has tried to keep the press away from his team.

Perhaps the biggest off-field difference between the managerial reign of Fabio Capello and that of his predecessors has been the handling of the press.

In the past team sheets for pre-tournament friendlies would be received by reporters and World Cup match betting experts well in advance of kick off, while coaching staff and players seemed to be available for interview no matter what.

Sven Goran Eriksson especially gave the impression that the media circus was not only an inescapable fact of international football but should also be actively encouraged. Perhaps the nadir of this little love in was the glitzy press conference he used to announce his squad for the 2006 World Cup. 

Fast forward four years and things couldn’t be more different Capello has largely shut out the press and although keeping them in the dark has bred some resentment among the less reputable areas of the press, there’s no doubt it has gained him wider respect. Read the rest of this entry →

Wayne Rooney will be a key to England's World Cup success.

Most people would agree Wayne Rooney is pivotal to England’s World Cup chances this summer. In fact, many argue that without him, Fabio Capello’s men might as well not turn up in South Africa.

With this in mind, it is good to hear Rooney speak positively about his fitness and general wellbeing as the first game against USA gets closer and closer. England’s World Cup odds make them third favourites for the tournament, and they need their key players at full fitness.

The Manchester United striker has revealed that he has been in “every training session” with England since the World Cup squad got together and that he “feels good” ahead of a very important few weeks for the national team.

There have been rumours since the Mexico game that Rooney has an ankle injury, but he has dismissed that particular story as “a load of rubbish”. Obviously, this is good news, but you have to wonder where this rumour emerged from.

It seems as though some people are determined to panic England supporters. Rooney is clearly the team’s most important player, so news of an injury to him will get people talking won’t it? Therefore, someone decided to report an ankle injury, seemingly out of nowhere.

It is good to hear the player himself put everyone straight on his fitness. The only slight problem he has is a “bit of a stiff neck” but this is something that should pass before the Japan game on Sunday.

Rooney did admit that he feels slightly “jaded” after a long season, but this is to be expected. Still, he might actually be fresher than others as he “hasn’t trained a lot in the last six weeks”, presenting him with a perfect opportunity to rest up ahead of England duty. Read the rest of this entry →

Michael Ballack will miss the 2010 World Cup following a tough tackle from Kevin-Prince Boateng.

Portsmouth midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng has apologized for the challenge that ruled Germany Captain Michael Ballack out of this summer’s World Cup.

Boateng went in heavily on Ballack during last weekend’s FA Cup final, resulting in a painful ankle injury for the German. After the damage was analysed, it was confirmed that the former Bayern Munich man out of the finals. Anyone with a betting system is probably wise enough to ignore the old adage that you never write off the Germans, but their chances certainly took a major blow when the news broke.

Ghana midfielder Boateng – who could face Germany in their Group D fixture in South Africa – has insisted that the tackle was never intended to hurt Ballack. Speaking about the incident, he said that even though he “came in too late and made full contact”, it was “never intentional”.

He then said he is “sorry” and admitted that “it looks pretty stupid” when the incident is replayed in slow motion. The tackle – which occurred in the 35th minute at Wembley – was blasted at the time for being reckless and there is no doubt that it wasn’t Boateng’s finest moment.

The 23-year-old’s apology won’t mean too much to Ballack either. Not only will he miss the World Cup this summer, but he probably won’t play in a major competition for Germany again. He is 33 now after all and it is cruel that his last chance to play in a World Cup has been taken away from him.

It doesn’t do Germany’s chances in South Africa much good either. Ballack is the heart and soul of their team and by all accounts they are pretty deflated now that their star man has been ruled out. Indeed, the best betting site odds for the side winning the tournament lengthened after the news about the captain broke.

So, overall,  Boateng does have a lot to be sorry for and you can bet all the money in the world that he will get a “mixed” reception when Germany play Ghana in South Africa on June 23rd.

Robert Koren will lead the Slovenia team in the World Cup.

England was happy with their World Cup draw largely due to being handed Slovenia from pot four which contained the European teams. They could have got harder opposition from pot two – Mexico perhaps – and pot three – Ivory Coast – but avoiding France, Portugal and various other tough European opponents was a major bonus.

Complacency is not known to be one of Fabio Capello’s traits and the Italian will not be fooled into taking Slovenia lightly. Matjaz Kek’s outfit beat Poland and Czech Republic to second place in qualification group three, narrowly missing out on automatic progression behind Slovakia, who they beat home and away. Only Netherlands conceded fewer goals than Slovenia in the UEFA region.

Russia were successfully negotiated in a dramatic play-off that saw Slovenia recover from an early two-goal deficit in Moscow, proving the durability and determination exhibited in the group stage can be drawn upon in big games. The best betting site odds might suggest Solvenia are outsiders, but they could manage to get through to the second round. Read the rest of this entry →

The WPS is off to a great start to 2010, but increasing the fan base for the league is a challenge.

Whenever a new major sports league comes to town there is that familiar insecurity that one often feels when beginning a new relationship. The league and its teams worry that after the honeymoon, fan interest will fall off. Fans are reluctant to give their whole hearts to the home team because they’ve been hurt before (as in WUSA).

It becomes a chicken and egg situation. Fans are reluctant to commit for fear the team or the league might fold, and if the franchise or the league folds, it is usually due to lack of fan support.

Where women’s sports are concerned, there are additional complications. Again, using the relationship metaphor, there is a sense in which the media plays the role of the fans’ extended family.  Often the extended family’s attitude toward a prospective partner can douse the flame before it ever ignites.

If the local media don’t give the new suitor a stamp of legitimacy, many fans will not consider a first date. Sure there are the rebels and the ones who are in love at first sight, for whom the family’s opinion be damned, but there is a much larger group that just won’t be open to a first date with someone who is not considered “relationship material” by the family or the community.

Soccer has had to fight hard for media attention in most American media markets, although after more than a decade, MLS has earned respect, has established a solid fan base, and looks to be a permanent and still growing fixture in the American sports landscape.

Women’s sports have had to fight twice as hard, however, to earn the same respect. That is true of the WNBA, despite its relationship with the NBA. And women’s soccer has an even greater hurdle to achieve the stamp of legitimacy because of its double curse: being both a women’s league, and a soccer league, further exacerbated by the failure of WUSA and the wounds left by that experiment that in some cases have not yet healed . Read the rest of this entry →

Franz Beckenbauer won the World Cup as a player and a coach.

Plenty is known about the big players at this year’s World Cup, but what about the coaches? The men in charge have a vital role to play, as there is little between the potential winners and the tactical nous of the managers might prove crucial.

Bitter rivals Brazil and Argentina are united by their coaches. Virtually all of the other main challengers have experienced managers with extensive club management behind them, but in Dunga and Diego Maradona, the South Americans have leaders who are in their first serious management post.

Legendary national careers were seemingly enough to persuade the men in suits that the former World Cup-winning captains could emulate Franz Beckenbauer in lifting the trophy as player and then as a rookie manager.

Dunga has the better chance of securing this special double and, not least because his is the more complete team. The World Cup odds reflect this. However, Brazil are more fancied partly because of the calm leadership of the coach, who has four years experience in the post and knows his squad inside out. Read the rest of this entry →