Football Weekly - World Cup Preview 2010 by Regent Media Pte Ltd

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• the 32 contenders • host Venues Guide • Predictions & analysis

GROUP

South Date: 11/06

Africa

Venue:

Africa

Venue:

Loftus Versfeld

– Cape

Venue:

Peter Mokaba

Royal Bafokeng South

Venue:

Free State

Venue:

Date: 23/06

Venue:

Date: 23/06

Pts

Venue:

Soccer

Venue:

Peter Mokaba

Elizabeth

WORLD CUP

GROUP

2010 SOUT PREVIE MATCH H AFRICA W SCHEDULE

– Durban

United

Time: 02.30

Venue:

Date: 13/06

– Polokwane Date: 14/06

Venue:

Germany Venue:

Green Point

– Cape

Date: 18/06

Town

Nelson

Mandela United

Loftus Versfeld

Bay – Port

Date: 19/06 Elizabeth

Date: 24/06

Time: 02.30

POINTS TABLE 1D

& MY) times (SG

Nelson

Mandela

Royal Bafokeng

Soccer

Pts

at local

LOSER

SF1

played

MATCH

Date: 26.6.2010 ROUND 16 Date: 27.6.2010 (49) Time: 22.00 1A Date: 27.6.2010 (50) Time: 02.30 1C Date: 28.6.2010 (51) Time: 22.00 (52) Time: 1D 02.30 1B

QUARTE

R-FINAL Soccer City – Johannesb 2 Date: 3.7.2010 urg Time: 02.30 MATCH

WINNER

MATCH

Green Point

– Cape

Town

Slovakia Royal Bafokeng

– Rustenburg

Paraguay Free State

Mbombela

– Bloemfontein

–Nelspruit Italy

Ellis Park

– Johannesburg

New Zealand

Time: 22.00

Venue:

Peter Mokaba

– Polokwane

Pts

QF1

Venue:

Time: 22.00

Soccer

Mandela

Bay – Port

Elizabeth

Green Point

– Cape

– Durban

Mbombela

Date: 26/06

– Nelspruit

Date: 26/06

Pts

Time: 02.30

POINTS TABLE 1H 3H

Mbombela

– Nelspruit

Moses Mabhida

– Durban

Switzerland Nelson

Mandela

Bay – Port

Elizabeth

Honduras Ellis Park

– Johannesburg Spain

Venue:

Switzerland

QF4

Venue:

Loftus Versfeld

– Pretoria

Honduras Venue:

Free State

– Bloemfontein

Pts

v 2F v 2H v 2E v 2G

SEMI-FI

WINNER

Time: 22.00

Time: 02.30

Chile

Ivory Coast Venue:

Venue:

Switzerland

Time: 22.00

Chile

Spain Date: 22/06

Date: 28.6.2010 ROUND 16 Date: 29.6.2010 (53) Time: 22.00 1E Date: 29.6.2010 (54) Time: 02.30 1G Date: 30.6.2010 (55) Time: (56) Time: 22.00 1F 02.30 1H

NAL 2 Moses Mabhida Date: 8.7.2010 – Durban Time: 02.30 WINNER QF3

Chile

Time: 19.30

Spain Date: 16/06

Date: 21/06

Town

Brazil Moses Mabhida

Honduras Date: 16/06

– Johannesburg

City – Johannesburg North Korea

Venue:

North Korea Date: 25/06

POINTS TABLE 1G 2G

Nelson

Ellis Park

Ivory Coast

Time: 02.30

Time: 19.30

Portugal Time: 22.00

GROUP

Portugal Venue:

North Korea

Time: 02.30

Brazil

Portugal Date: 21/06

Date: 25/06

SF2

v 2B v 2D v 2C v 2A

SEMI-FI

Green Point NAL 1 Date: 7.7.2010– Cape Town Time: 02.30 QF2

WINNER WINNER

QUARTE

Green Point R-FINAL 3 Date: 3.7.2010– Cape Town Time: 22.00 MATCH

WINNER

MATCH

QUARTE

Ellis Park R-FINAL – Johannesb 4 Date: 4.7.2010 urg Time: 02.30 WINNER MATCH

WINNER

S$10 / RM15

Paraguay Venue:

Venue:

Paraguay Date: 24/06

Pts

Time: 22.00

Brazil Date: 16/06

Date: 21/06

SF2

Nelson THIRD / FOURT Mandel H a Bay – Date: 11.7.201 Port 0 Time: Elizabeth 02.30 LOSER

QUARTE

Mandela R-FINAL 1 Bay – Port Date: 2.7.2010 Elizabeth Time: 22.00 MATCH

Nelson WINNER

Town

New Zealand

Time: 22.00

Ivory Coast

Soccer City Date: 12.7.201– Johannesburg 0 Time: 02.30

SF1

WINNER

Time: 19.30

Italy

Slovakia

GROUP

Date: 15/06

FINAL

WINNER

– Nelspruit

– Cape

Time: 19.30

Slovakia Date: 20/06

Date: 20/06

Date: 24/06

POINTS TABLE 1F

Elizabeth

Serbia

Time: 02.30

New Zealand Date: 15/06

–Durban

– Pretoria

– Rustenburg

– Pretoria

Bay – Port

– Rustenburg

City – Johannesburg

Mbombela

Italy Date: 15/06

– Bloemfontein Japan

Loftus Versfeld

Royal Bafokeng

Green Point

Serbia Venue:

Venue:

2D 3D

City – Johannesburg Cameroon

Venue:

– Durban

Germany

Time: 02.30

Australia Date: 24/06

Pts

Loftus Versfeld

Australia

Time: 19.30

Ghana

States

– Pretoria

Time: 19.30

Ghana

England Venue:

Venue:

Moses Mabhida

Ghana

Time: 02.30

Soccer

Free State

Moses Mabhida

Denmark

Venue:

Netherlands

Time: 02.30

POINTS TABLE 1E

Australia

Time: 22.00

Serbia

State

– Johannesburg

All matches

Date: 25/06

GROUP

Denmark Venue:

Venue:

Japan

Time: 02.30

Cameroon

Germany

Algeria

Time: 02.30

Slovenia Time: 22.00

Ellis Park

Algeria Time: 22.00

Peter Mokaba

United

Time: 22.00

England Date: 19/06

Date: 23/06

POINTS TABLE 1C 2C

GROUP

State

– Rustenburg

Slovenia

Time: 19.30

Slovenia Date: 18/06

Royal Bafokeng

Time: 22.00

Time: 02.30

Denmark Date: 25/06

Algeria

Time: 19.30

Japan

Netherlands

Cameroon Date: 20/06

Pts

England Date: 13/06

Date: 13/06

Netherlands Date: 14/06

Date: 14/06

Date: 19/06

– Polokwane

Bay – Port

– Bloemfontein

City – Johannesburg

Moses Mabhida

Argentina

Time: 02.30

POINTS TABLE 1B

– Johannesburg

Mandela

Free State

Korea Republic Venue:

Korea Republic

Time: 02.30

– Bloemfontein

Nelson

Nigeria

Time: 22.00

Time: 02.30

Nigeria

Greece

Ellis Park

Greece

Time: 22.00

Greece

Argentina Date: 18/06

– Rustenburg Africa

GROUP

Nigeria

Time: 19.30

Korea Republic Date: 12/06

Date: 17/06

– Polokwane

Uruguay Venue:

Argentina Date: 12/06

Town

– Pretoria

Mexico

Time: 02.30

Time: 22.00

City – Johannesburg

Green Point

Uruguay

Time: 02.30

France

Mexico

France

POINTS TABLE 1A

Soccer

France

Time: 02.30

South

GROUP

Mexico

Time: 22.00

Uruguay Date: 12/06

Date: 17/06

Date: 18/06

Date: 22/06

MATCH

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WORLD CUP FOReWORD S$10 / RM15

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The Time is Near The 2010 FIFA World Cup is just around the corner and to be honest, I cannot wait for the tournament to begin. It is the first World Cup to be held in Africa and the build-up to the event has been phenomenal. While South Africa got down to business building stadiums and country awareness, everybody else began the long and tedious qualifying campaign that took commenced as early as August 2007.

• The 32 Contenders • Host Venues Guide • Predictions & Analysis

S$10 / RM15

FREE Giant Match Schedule!

Regent Media Pte Ltd No. 3 Loyang Way, Singapore 508719 T: (65) 6543 3681 F: (65) 6543 3719 W: www.footballweekly.sg Publisher - Cecilia Woo EDITORIAL Managing Editor – Ben Poon Deputy Editor – Tom Lim Contributor – Shaun Loh Contents / Images – Action Images DESIGN Art Directors – Leonard Si | Desmond Teo Designers Khairon Annoar | Loh Chung Long | Tint Win MARKETING & PROMOTIONS Marketing Manager – Tasmin Chua Senior Marketing Executive – Stefanie Yuan FINANCE Finance Manager – Julie Khong ADVERTISING AND ADMINISTRATION (SINGAPORE) Business Executive – Lo Wing Tong Customer Service Executive – Veronica Teo Printer KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd (197801823m) ADVERTISING AND ADMINISTRATION (MALAYSIA) Senior Business Manager – Wendy Fong Business Manager - David Choo Customer Service Executive - Hertina Bt Bulating FOR ENQUIRIES Editorial: fweditorial@regentmedia.sg Distribution & Subscription: subscription@regentmedia.sg Marketing: marketing@regentmedia.sg Advertising Sales: sales@regentmedia.sg The information contained herein is accurate at time of printing. Changes may have occurred since this publication went to print. Regent Media Pte Ltd will not be held liable for any damages, loss, injury or inconvenience, arising in connection with the contents of the magazine. Regent Media Pte Ltd will not accept responsibility for unsolicited contributions. No part of this publication is to be reproduced, stored, transmitted, digitally or otherwise, without the prior consent of the publisher.

ISBN 978-9810852931

Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

Over the next two years, the 204 nations that were involved fought it out over 848 matches with a total over 2337 goals scored. In the end, only 32 nations qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has been a long road for the 32 nations that qualified and now, they will need to walk the final stretch in South Africa. With a rough estimation of over 26 billion television audience across 214 countries and territories, the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be a worldwide spectacle in celebration of the game of football. The glory of being world champions is what these nations have been playing for in the past two years. But before the champion is crowned in July, Football Weekly takes you on the road to beautiful South Africa, host of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Walk with us as we take you through all the 32 participating nations and the 10 stadium venues. Also, find out which country Football Weekly thinks could be the world champions in our World Cup Prediction sections. Let the tournament begin!

Tom Lim

WORLD CUP CONTENTS

20 22

World Cup Features 14 World Cup History: Recap Germany 2006 18 South Africa Gets Thumbs Up 20 Podolski Rates Germany’s Chances 22 The World At His Feet 24 England’s Perfect World Cup

Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

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WORLD CUP CONTENTS

GUIDE TO THE

TEAMS 26 Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France 36 Group B: Argentina, Greece, Nigeria, South Korea 46 Group C: England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia 56 Group D: Germany, Australia, Ghana, Serbia 66 Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon 76 Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia 86 Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal 96 Group H: Spain, Chile, Honduras, Switzerland

World Cup Specials 106 World Cup Prediction 110 World Cup Venues World Cup Official Stadium at Johannesburg

Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

56 26

110 Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

WORLD CUP HISTORY

Recap Germany 2006

Italy, the 2006 FIFA World Cup champions!

We take a walk down memory lane and travel four years back to the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany to relive some of football finest moments in the tournament. By Tom Lim Netherlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Robin van Persie (right) celebrates with team mate Arjen Robben (left) after scoring a crucial goal in their group match against Ivory Coast.

Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

Italy’s Francesco Totti (left) offers a hand to Pavel Nedved (right) after the Azzurri won 2-0 in the final group game and knocked out Czech Republic in the first round.

England’s Wayne Rooney (left) receives his marching order for shoving Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo after the latter rants for a red card to referee Horacio Elizondo.

Emmanuel Adebayor (right) of Togo clashes with Fabien Barthez (left) of France as the two fight for the loose ball in front of goal. Portugal Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari (right) consoles a red-eyed Cristiano Ronaldo after France knocked Portugal out of the semi-finals.

Bonaventure Kalou celebrates Ivory Coast’s third goal in their group match against Serbia & Montenegro with a traditional dance move.

Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

WORLD CUP HISTORY

Germany’s Miroslav Klose does his customary forward flip after scoring against Ecuador.

The view in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin after the prize presentation ceremony was held where Italy were crowned champions of the world.

Mexico’s Oswaldo Sanchez flies through the sky as he makes a perfect save.

Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

Kaka of Brazil celebrates scoring Brazil’s first goal in the 2006 World Cup. Brazil hung on to defeat Croatia 1-0, thanks to Kaka’s late first half goal.

Zinedine Zidane (right) of France delivers his last piece of action before retiring from the game of football with a headbutt on Italy’s Marco Materazzi (left).

Spain’s Fernando Torres sits dejected on the floor after France came from behind to win 3-1 in the Round of 16.

Italy players cannot wait to get their hands on the World Cup trophy, football’s biggest prize of the world.

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WORLD CUP FEATURE

South Africa Gets Thumbs Up

A lot of people are skeptical when South Africa was announce as the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosts. Despite its rich history and beautiful landscapes, the country is torn by poverty and a high crime rate. Can the World Cup unite the people and transform the situation in South Africa? By Tom Lim

ne of the biggest headaches South Africa faces is the issue of crime. In fact, many emigrants from South Africa state that crime was a big factor in their decision to leave. The countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high rate of murders, assaults, rapes and other crimes is high compared to most countries. With safety a real worry for people around the world travelling to South Africa during June, the South African government began making safety and security plans to ensure that the tournament runs without many problems off the pitch. Besides working closely with international agencies to gather intelligence, there will be a focus on border security at ports of entry, including South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s land, sea and air borders. Commonly travelled routes from the airports into the cities will also be subjected to tighter security.

Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

The South African police will also divide the host cities into sections, with teams patrolling each section and focusing their attention on FIFA headquarters, hotels, other accommodation establishments, the stadiums, fan parks, restaurants and tourist venues. In total, there will be a dedicated force of 41,000 police officers deployed for such purposes. For the first time, military technology with regards to information and communication will be set up for the World Cup. Manned vehicles and crowd-control equipment will also be purchased to beef up the security just in case. Four mobile command centres will be set up, each equipped with high-tech monitoring equipment, are to be used during the World Cup. But it must be said that the crimes in South Africa have been exaggerated to a certain extent, striking fear into the hearts of

travelers making the trip to the country during the World Cup. The majority of foreigners in South Africa have expressed their delight at the security in the country and most have admitted they would return again. Such testimonials are pleasing to the ears of the South African government and the people trying their best to make the World Cup a successful event. In 2009, South Africa hosted the FIFA Confederations Cup as a dress rehearsal to the World Cup. With more than 8,000 police officers deployed at cup venues, major airports

and hotels to provide security for visiting and local football fans, the situation was kept well under control and it turned out to be an outstanding tournament. “As far as security is concerned it’s all going according to plan,” says the national spokesperson for the police, Senior Superintendent Vishnu Naidoo. “We worked very, very closely with various other government departments, with the South African national defence force, traffic, metro and all other government departments that form part of the national joint operational structure.” The Local Organising Committee of the FIFA World Cup is equally confident that all necessary security measures have been put in place to ensure that no visitors would have any problems. “We were very confident that the Confederations Cup will be very secure and of course also the World Cup itself will be very secure,” says Rich Mkhondo, Chief Media Spokesperson for the Local Organising Committee of FIFA. “We held 12,000 security officers who were on duty during the Confederations Cup. Everything is in place when it comes to security. The spectators, the visitors and the teams were always going to be secure,” he adds. Despite taking all safety precautions, a discerning news report happened in Angola during the 2010 African Cup of Nations tournament. In what was described as an “isolated incident”, the Togo team bus was shot at by gunmen, killing the driver and wounding two

FIFA President Sepp Blatter (left) and National Commissioner of the South African Police Service Bheki Cele (right) at a press conference after a two-day workshop on security plans for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

players. Apparently, the team had travelled by road rather than flying to Angola. Crossing the extremist group responsible for the shooting was bad luck enough, let alone being shot at. Such an incident immediately cast doubt on the level of safety during the 2010 World Cup. However, South Africa and Angola are two very different countries. International football functionaries, from FIFA President Sepp Blatter on down, have been quick to offer assurances that the shooting in Angola did not mean that this summer’s World Cup in South Africa would be unsafe. “The measures taken for the Africa Cup are not comparable with those for a football World Cup, which are planned years in advance,” German World Cup advisor Horst R. Schmidt told the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper. Still, the incident has sent shivers down the spines of some European nations heading into South Africa this summer. Indeed, while the teams will be taken care of, who is to confirm that such an incident will not happen again? But for one former World Cup star, he feels South Africa is ready to host the finals this summer. Hristo Stoichkov, the former Barcelona star and Bulgarian international, is a great admirer of South Africa – the place he has called home for the last eight months.

“ South Africa’s 2010 World Cup local organising committee Chief Executive Officer Danny Jordan addresses the media on the Togo attacks and World Cup 2010 security.

Stoichkov went to South Africa to take up the coaching position at Mamelodi Sundowns but he resigned after failing to lead the club to the league title. However, the flamboyant Bulgarian, who has rather expectedly enjoyed a love-hate relationship with the South African media, heaps praises on the country that is preparing to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup. “I have been staying in South Africa for many months now, and I think it’s a very beautiful country. It’s very nice here, I like it a lot,” said Stoichkov. “I don’t like comparing places because places are different. Barcelona is different from Johannesburg, so is Cape Town.” “I don’t mean that in a bad way, but people must understand that places are different. In those three places, you find different people with different cultures, so of course the experiences will be different.” “FIFA’s President Blatter fought hard for Africa to be given a chance to host a World Cup, and I think he was right. Now it’s up to South Africans and Africans to repay the confidence he showed to them by hosting a successful World Cup. Having seen the infrastructure here, I’m sure they will not disappoint. South Africa will pass this test.” With a seal of approval from Stoichkov, South Africa looks ready to take on the biggest tournament of their lives – the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The Local Organising Committee of the FIFA World Cup is equally confident that all necessary security measures have been put in place to ensure that no visitors would have any problems.

”

Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

WORLD CUP FEATURE

Podolski Rates Germany’s Chances The World Cup trophy has eluded Germany for a good 20 years although they did come close in 2002 when the nation finished as runner-up behind champions Brazil. This year could be Germany’s title to lose but Lukas Podolski is not counting this chicken just yet. By Tom Lim

ermany have never failed to make it to the quarter-final stage of the World Cup since 1978 when they went out of the second round following a 3-2 loss to Austria. They were the golden boys in 1990, when they defeated Diego Maradona’s Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final, courtesy of an Andreas Brehme in the 85th minute. However, Germany have not had much luck since then. In USA 1994, Hristov Stoichkov led Bulgaria to a triumphant 2-1 quarter-final victory over Germany and in France 1998, they were crushed 3-0 by an on-form Croatian team. It was a cruel heartbreak in 2002 when Brazil’s Ronaldo scored a brace to deny Germany in the final and when they hosted the World Cup in 2006, they fell to two extratime goals in the semi-final to Italy. Was it a matter of luck or a moment of madness? For Podolski, luck had a part to play in winning the World Cup. Lukas Podolski was one of the top performers for Germany in 2006. He scored his World Cup debut goal in a 3-0 victory over Ecuador in the group stage and got another two goals as Germany knocked out Sweden

Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

in the Round of 16. Podolski also scored a penalty in the shoot-out against Argentina in the quarter-final but fired blanks as they lost to Italy in the semi-final. ‘Prince Poldi’, as he is known in his beloved Cologne, is by no means a veteran in international football. Yet, the 24-year-old has been capped 70 times by Germany and it is proof of his scoring ability that can only help Germany to its fourth World Cup title, hopefully in South Africa 2010. Born with Polish blood, Podolski chose to represent Germany after he obtained a German passport. Despite his Polish citizenship, the young man grew up in Bergheim, near Cologne and his affection for his resident town tilted his loyalty to the country that housed him. Through his earlier years, Podolski impressed German scouts during his time at FC Cologne and was recommended to the Germany squad well before he matured into a top striker. Podolski is the first second-division player since 1975 to break into the senior national team and this fact highlights his potential as a future star for Germany. Podolski had a hand in Germany’s qualifying success when he opened the scoring against Russia in a crucial 2-1 win. He also notched a 90th minute equalizer in their final group game against Finland to protect their unbeaten record. So how does Podolski compare his performances for both club and country?

“I feel just as good with the national team as I do here in Cologne,” said Podolski. “It’s always a pleasure when I’m with the Germany squad, and it’s always a pleasure when I come back here to Cologne.” I’m always highly motivated. I go into every match, for both club and country, aiming to win. Obviously, representing your country at a World Cup is very special, knowing you have an entire nation behind you.” It must be noted that while Podolski prefers the forward role, the left-footer has played on the left midfield for Germany and he is not too worried about where he will end up on the field come matchday. “Where I end up playing isn’t the most important thing for me. I’ve played on the left and at centre-forward for the national team, against good opposition too. I have enough experience now to know what I have to do in a given position.”

“

I go into every match, for both club and country, aiming to win. Obviously, representing your country at a World Cup is very special, knowing you have an entire nation behind you.

”

While competition is expected for Podolski in the national team, he is adamant that he does not see himself fit only for the striker’s role. “I want to put myself forward, and prove I can do a job for the coach, simply by doing well for my club. In any case, I don’t have to play up front, I can also play on the left. Versatility can hardly be a disadvantage.” Podolski is optimistic about the situation in Germany. If he plays well, his team (club and country) will play well. But while he is looking forward to Germany reaching the final in South Africa, Podolski cannot afford to underestimate the other nations in the same group. “It’s far from being an easy group,” explained Podolski. “The first job is to stand your ground against all these teams. There are no easy opponents these days, and especially not at the World Cup. But I’m convinced that if

we play to our potential, we’ll qualify from our group and could go far.” When asked how he feels about Germany being named as favourites to hoist the World Cup trophy, Podolski prefers to be humble with his opinions. “I actually don’t think there’s one country you can call favourites. There are several teams with real potential; Spain, Brazil, Argentina and France too.” But one thing is certain. Podolski is a young talent yet to reach his peak and winning the Best Young Player of the World Cup in 2006 not only motivates him to work harder, but it also means ultimate success which the team will benefit from. Podolski said: “I’d like to play every game, deliver the goods and

perform well against the best the world has to offer. But individuals count for less. The vital thing is to work hard for the team and succeed as a team.” Spoken like a true professional, Podolski will take to the skies in South Africa. While 2006 was a special year for him – making his World Cup debut and winning the Best Young Player award, 2010 will be an exciting challenge and a thrilling experience for Podolski. “The World Cup in 2006 was a bit special,” said Podolski. “It was my first World Cup, it was at home, and the atmosphere was just unbelievable.” “The first World Cup in Africa will be a new and thrilling experience. I’m looking forward to the fabulous atmosphere created by the local people too. We had a foretaste of that at the Confederations Cup.” With Podolski assuring himself of a good time in South Africa, Germany, could get lucky.

Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

WORLD CUP FEATURE

The World At His Feet The little Argentine became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a World Cup when he came on as a substitute in the 2006 World Cup. Since then, Lionel Messi has gone on to far greater things. Can the little wizard amaze the world in South Africa? By Tom Lim

t was 16 June 2006. Argentina was leading Serbia & Montenegro by 3 goals. With 16 minutes remaining in the game, an 18-yearold came onto the field, making his World Cup debut and also became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a World Cup. Within four minutes, he took the ball down the left wing and delivered a low cross which Hernan Crespo tapped in from close range to make the score 4-0. In the 88th minute, he was put through on goal with a clever pass and ran home to finish a 6-0 rout, becoming the youngest scorer in the World Cup and the

Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

sixth youngest goalscorer in the history of the tournament. That boy was Lionel Messi. Four years on, he looks sharper, faster and better than before. Lionel Messi is a football miracle. At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. The symptoms of the problem are disastrous. Besides poor memory, social withdrawal and depression, the affected may experience loss of strength, stamina and musculature. Despite the deficiency, Messi’s talents

were immensed. He secured a trial with Barcelona and was immediately signed on the spot with the club offering to pay for the medical bills. It was a marriage that would rocket the boy to stardom. At just 17 years and 114 days, Messi made his official debut in a league match against Espanyol. In another six months, Messi became the youngest to ever score in a La Liga match until 2007 when his team mate Bojan Krkic broke both records. Since then, Messi has scored 79 goals in 134 appearances for Barcelona. He has also won the La Liga, the Copa Del Rey, UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup with Barcelona, as well as numerous personal accolades including the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year. Messi is also called “Messidona” for replicating Maradona’s famous goal against England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in

a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe. Messi ran 62 metres, beating six players in similar fashion and also scoring from a very similar position. Even the goal celebration was replicated to perfection. That was not all. Against Espanyol in the La Liga, Messi launched himself at a cross but guided the ball past goal keeper Carlos Kameni to score a similar goal as Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal. Is Lionel Messi the new Diego Maradona? As similar as both players are, Messi has a remarkable control that few could match. He does not fear the bigger and taller opposition and instead, he teases them with his dribbles and runs. It is like watching David versus the Goliaths. Messi is mesmerising to watch. Just a few years ago, Ronaldinho was the man to watch as he would taunt his opponents with tricks before running circles around them. Messi has no such tricks but his quick change of pace and his quick acceleration would be his biggest weapons. But as the world prepares for the biggest football tournament in South Africa, Lionel Messi is not going to just enjoy his second stint with the World Cup. His goal is to win the World Cup as he sees it as an epitome of being one of sport’s greats. “To become a legend, to be great, you also have to win a World Cup,” said the Argentina international. “I have only just turned 22. It’s all happening very quickly and you

“

To become a legend, to be great, you also have to win a World Cup. – Lionel Messi

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have to stay calm. I just play football. In my own way.” Certainly not one of the chattiest persons but he has always let his feet do the talking. His style of play has led people to compare him to football greats; Argentina’s Diego Maradona and Brazil’s Pele. What was once a little boy has now turned into a young man who strikes fear into the hearts of defenders whenever he plays. However, Messi’s club form has hardly been reproduced on the international scene. Argentina barely scrapped through qualifying and Messi was non-existent in some matches which were lost. But without Messi, Argentina could never have made it to the World Cup on their own. Indeed, even Maradona has gone public about Messi’s talent. Just like how Maradona single-handedly steered Argentina to the World Cup trophy in 1986, the man has gone on to proclaim Messi as his successor.

“I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi,” Maradona was quoted as saying. “Messi is the best player in the world, along with Ronaldinho. I see him as very similar to me.” “He’s a leader and is offering lessons in beautiful football. He has something different to any other player in the world.” As ‘godly’ as Maradona was, when he was a teenage senior international, he was not selected for the Argentine team that won the 1978 World Cup. Messi, on the other hand, is expected to featuring for his country at the World Cup for a second time at only the age of 22. Messi has the whole world at his feet and the world can no longer wait.

Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

WORLD CUP FEATURE

England’s Perfect World Cup Steven Gerrard believes that this year will be England’s best in a World Cup and acknowledges the country’s best chance of winning a major international tournament for the first time since 1966. By Tom Lim

ith a huge contingent of stars in the England squad, ‘Captain Fantastic’, as he is known in the Liverpool camp, feels that the wait for international glory is too long. The 29-year-old midfielder has lifted the FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, League Cup and UEFA Cup in his time at Liverpool, but is still at a loss for words about England’s blanks at the World Cup. Gerrard still has bad memories from the 2006 World Cup when England lost to Portugal on a penalty shoot-out after the match ended 0-0 after extra-time. Gerrard was one of the penalty takers that night and it was a heart-wrenching moment for the England midfielder as he watched his spot kick saved by Portugal’s Ricardo. Portugal went on to win the shootout and England were out, once again, failing to make any progress in the World Cup despite all the high hopes in the build-up to the tournament. Gerrard, spoke of the moment when he sent his penalty kick straight into the outstretched hands of Ricardo.

Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

“It is massive pressure, but that’s what we’ve got to do, we’ve got to try and handle that pressure. I didn’t handle it in 2006, so if I’m put in that situation again I will try and deal with the pressure a lot better.” Gerrard added: “But it’s difficult, it’s not like taking a normal penalty in practice – you’ve got so much responsibility. You know all the fans back home are watching and when you’re tired, when you’re under so much pressure, that’s when mistakes happen and that’s what happened to me in 2006.” But Gerrard insists the England team of this year will be extra special after they showed tremendous improvements during qualifying. “If you consider the overall campaign (qualifying), we were very consistent,” said Gerrard. “We became a very difficult team to beat and we put in some excellent performances, but the most important thing is that we still keep working hard to improve ahead of the World Cup. We’ve still got a long way to go.” Despite England’s dominating performances in qualifying, there was further jubilation for the English when the World Cup draw was announced. England landed United States, Algeria and Slovenia in Group C, which put the Three Lions one step into Round Two on paper. However, Gerrard is not taking anything to chance and he admits that England will need to be at their very best in the group fixtures. “We are pleased with the draw and we’re very confident that we can qualify from the group, but at the same time we have to show the teams respect.” “Every team has done fantastically well to get to the World Cup and all three teams against us in the group [Algeria, Slovenia and the USA] are desperate to beat England. We know they’re going to play the game of their lives, so we need to make sure we perform well to win.” The English FA appointed Fabio Capello as national head coach after Steve McLaren delivered a poor show in the Euro 2008 tournament. Capello immediately set about his work and the results have been good so far. Unbeaten in qualifying was an achievement, and Gerrard believes that Capello is the man to lead England to World Cup glory. Speaking on Capello’s first World Cup, Gerrard said: “He’ll bring many qualities to the team. He’s a winner; he’s got an unbelievable amount of experience and has enjoyed a remarkable amount of success. He’s

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It is massive pressure, but that’s what we’ve got to do, we’ve got to try and handle that pressure. I didn’t handle it in 2006, so if I’m put in that situation again I will try and deal with the pressure a lot better. – Steven Gerrard

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transmitting a winning mentality to the team, so fingers crossed that will stand us in good stead for the tournament.” On 12 June, England will face its first opponent in the United States. Gerrard has seen enough qualities in the Americans, with Jozy Altidore a member in Premier League’s Hull City and Landon Donovan, who arrived at Everton for a short loan, spearheading the attacking front for United States. “Altidore’s a big, strong centre-forward. He likes to run behind and cause defenders a lot of problems with his strength and his height, so the England defenders will have to play well to contain him. We have fantastic defenders in England, but we need to keep him really quiet, because if we give him time

and space he will hurt the team.” Gerrard, whose Liverpool team beat Donovan’s Everton 1-0 in the league is also convinced the American will be a big hit for his country at the World Cup. “He’s a great lad, Donovan. He’s got speed, skill and is an excellent midfielder. We’ve got to look out for him. He’s a dangerman.” But all eyes will be on Steven Gerrard and England this coming World Cup. For England, 44 years seem like a lifetime and Gerrard has no intentions of increasing the number of years on that figure. As for Gerrard, it could be the biggest moment of his life since that nightmare four years ago. Football’s coming home. And this time, they won’t be empty handed.

Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

SOUTH AFRICA

Benni McCarthy 26

Football Weekly World Cup prEVIEW

GROUP FRANCE URUgUAy

As hosts, South Africa will be eager to prove to their supporters that they are not the minnows in the group. They will face group favourite France, South America’s Uruguay and CONCACAF runnerup Mexico. The Les Bleus did not have a smooth passage en route to the finals and will need to improve on their performances over recent years. Likewise, Uruguay scrapped through qualifying and barely made the trip after a narrow one goal aggregate advantage over Costa Rica in the playoffs. Mexico qualified comfortably behind the United States and have always lit up the big stage with quality football. With a whole nation behind South Africa, it will be interesting to see how the ‘Host’ group finishes.

SOUTH AFRICA

MEXICO

URUgUAy

FRANCE

MEXICO

MATCH SCHEDULE DATE

TIME

MATCH

VENUE

11 June (FRI)