Thursday, November 19, 2009
Hiddink, Anyone?
Saturday, November 14, 2009
New Zealand fortunate to qualify for World Cup?
Rafa for Real?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Are Celtic and Rangers Good Enough for the Premiership?
Sunday, September 27, 2009
The Key to Man City's Success
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Who will win the 2010 World Cup?
With the latest rounds of World Cup qualifiers taking place last week, the battle to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa is coming to an end. Even at this early stage, it is interesting to speculate who will win the top prize in football next summer. Personally, I think one of three countries will emerge victorious:
1) Brazil
History suggests that Brazil have an excellent shot at triumphing. Every single World Cup in Europe has been won by a European nation, with the exception being Brazil in Sweden ’58. Every World Cup held outside Europe has been won by a South American nation. Argentina is the only other South American nation that would have a realistic chance, but at the moment it appears extremely unlikely, given that they may not even qualify.
Brazil have the form and quality to back them up as well. They have won their last 11 fixtures and have not been defeated for more than a year. Dunga’s men top the South American qualification table, having only lost one of their 16 matches. Their Confederations Cup victory this year is sure to boost confidence ahead of the World Cup next year. Despite possessing quality players like Kaka, Robinho and Luis Fabiano , however, Brazil’s squad just is not as good as it was in 2002 and 2006. Ronaldinho’s lack of form, for instance, has led to him being dropped from the team. During the last World Cup, he was widely regarded as the best player in the world. Nevertheless, Brazil possess a team that most would envy, and as such, have to be regarded as serious contenders for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa.
2) Spain
Following Spain’s victory in the European Championships in 2008, there appears to be no way of stopping the Spanish national team. After winning the tournament in style, Spain have swept all before them in the World Cup qualifiers. Barcelona’s treble victory last season has also led many to believe that Spanish football is on the rise.
Following tournament after tournament of underachievement, there now seems to be no reason for believing why the Spanish cannot go on to win the big prize as well. With stars such as Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, Silva and Torres amongst others, the Spanish possess an envy of talent. These players have developed a very good understanding among themselves. With their attractive, attacking brand of football, Spain is the popular choice.
3) England
Under Fabio Capello, England have finally become a force to be seriously reckoned with. I say seriously reckoned with because they have always been thereabouts at major tournaments, but they have not reached the semi-finals or finals for a long time now. While it is too early to say that England will reach this far next year, it seems very likely.
Capello’s leadership has made England an efficient outfit. They have overcome every challenge put before them in the World Cup qualifiers with great professionalism. In their recent victory over Croatia, they even managed to rack in the goals, which brought great satisfaction to the English fans following their defeat to the same country in the qualifiers for the European Championships, a result that led to their elimination. Capello has led England with an iron fist, and it is obvious that the discipline he has brought to the squad has had a tremendous effect. He has already stated that he will not let the wives and girlfriends (WAGs) of the players have a detrimental effect next year. The manner of England’s victories over the past year has meant that they have to be taken seriously. It is highly likely that they will be contenders for the championship in South Africa next year.
I have to stress that these are my views at this point in time. Based on the progress of these and other teams, my opinion of the contenders for the World Cup could very well change. At this point, however, I see one of these three nations emerging victorious.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Liverpool: Taking things into perspective
Signings Liverpool should have made before the transfer window slammed shut
How can the Spanish League become popular in Asia?
The English Premier League has in recent years been hailed as the best league in the world, largely due to the successes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League. In the past year, however, Spanish football has received greater media coverage than before.
First, the Spanish national team played a very attractive brand of football and were successful in winning the European Championships last summer, after countless tournaments of underachievement. Then, Barcelona mesmorised fans around the world by destroying numerous teams with their breathtaking football philosophy. While Xavi and Iniesta orchestrated the play from midfield, the attacking trio of Samuel Eto’o, Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry racked up over a hundred goals between them. Barcelona proved that it is possible to combine style and success and ultimately ended the season winning the Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey. Now, Real Madrid have dominated the summer transfer headlines with their purchases of Crsitiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Xabi Alonso, Karim Benzema and Raul Albiol, and their interest in a number of other superstars such as Franck Ribery.
The question that now arises is: How can the Spanish league become as popular, or at least almost as popular, as the English Premier League in Asia?
First and foremost, it can take advantage of the current economic situation. The top English clubs have long been able to use their strong financial backing to purchase the top talent from around the continent. However, the pound has weakened compared to the Euro, and this makes it more expensive for English clubs to buy players from continental clubs these days. Spanish clubs therefore now find themselves being able to compete with their English counterparts.
Furthermore, the top rate of taxation in England is going to rise to 50%, while in Spain, it has fallen to 24% for foreigners. This is certainly a very good way to tempt the world’s best players to choose Spain ahead of England. We have seen this in recent times. Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema, Xabi Alonso and David Villa have all decided to stay in Spain or move to Spain when they had offers from England as well. Even Andrey Arshavin, who just signed for Arsenal in the January transfer window, has voiced his concerns about the tax rates in England. This must be a worrying trend for English clubs. It is up to the clubs in Spain now to pursue the best players, as circumstances are definitely in their favour.
While the exchange rate and the taxation rate have happened to be to the advantage of the Spanish teams, these teams can play a more active role. The most important factor in gaining popularity is through marketing. The English Premier League and the clubs in England have done this with astounding success. Spain can do this in a few ways.
First, the kickoff time of matches can be brought forward to suit audiences in Asia as well. League matches are usually held on weekends so it is possible for matches to begin in the afternoon, like they do in England. This should not be impractical for spectators in Spain, and it will definitely result in a greater following around Asia. Presently, due to the large time difference, the matches are played in the middle of the night, and because the Spanish league lacks a large following of staunch supporters in the region, viewership is limited. By altering the kickoff time to suit both fans in Europe and Asia, many more people will begin following the Spanish league. This option is certainly feasible, as it is being practiced in Britain.
Second, the quality of commentating and pre and post match programmes need to be improved. The level of commentating undoubtedly adds to the match experience. Commentators such as Martin Tyler and Andy Gray have for years increased the enjoyment of fans around Asia. Spanish matches, in contrast, lack such quality, and this dampens the atmosphere when watching a match. ESPN Star Sports has also made sure it has provided fans with comprehensive pre and post match analysis featuring high profile and good pundits for Premiership matches, in addition to various programmes throughout the week. The Spanish league needs this too, in order to win and maintain the following of an increased fan base in the region.
Third, the Spanish clubs themselves need to market themselves in Asia. One way is to increase the number of pre-season tours to the region. Real Madrid has in the past come to countries such as Japan and China. But this is not a common occurrence. Liverpool and Manchester United are both coming to Asia this summer. The Premier League also organises a pre-season tournament in Asia every two years. These are examples that the clubs in Spain can adopt as well. For a fan, there is nothing like seeing his idols up close. Many fans in Asia lack the financial capability of travelling to Europe to watch their stars in action. If the teams want to reach out to this group of fans, the least they can do is to have an Asian tour every now and then.
Despite this, the fact that the English Premier League has such a strong following in Asia makes it difficult for the Spanish League to break that grip. While it may not be easy to break England’s dominance, it is possible for the Spanish league and the Spanish teams to be more popular than they currently are. They should capitalise on their recent successes and build on this momentum.