The post euro depre sion set in pretty rapidly after Spains mauling of the Italians, yet we cant overlook this years Olympics which potentially could prove just as exciting as the Euros. At the very least it bridges the gap to everyones favourite game of the year The Community Shield and than a return to normality with our beloved Premiership.
Joe Flacco Jersey Spain are already been thrown around as the favourites as they will likely be for anything involving a ball for the next 30 years, other nations are fielding strong teams and Spain will not have a walkover here. Perhaps because its close to home, or at home if your a Londoner, that this Olympic football tournament seems to be garnering more attention than its predece sors, it also features Great Britains first appearance in the tournament since 1972. Team GB should be considered contenders, home field advantage and the support of D-Becks from the stands on their should be enough to get them out of the group stages. This edition will look at who I believe will the eventual winners of the tournament Brazil.Brazil for all their accolades have never won the Olympic tournament, they finished with the Bronze in 2008 after losing 3-0 to their loving rivals Argentina. While Spain are most bookies favourites, Brazil are getting good odds too with Paddy Power (yes i had to choose the stereotypical Irish Bookies) giving them the favourites tag at 15/8. After the disappointing 2010 world cup Brazillian football has been a rebuilding phase. The reigns have been handed to their young guns many of them still playing in their native league.The Squad:Rafael Cabral (Santos), Neto (Fiorentina); Alex Sandro (Porto), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Rafael (Manchester United), Danilo (Porto), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Bruno Uvini (Sao Paulo), Juan (Inter Milan); Sandro (Tottenham), Romulo (Spartak Moscow), Paulo Henrique Ganso (Santos), Oscar (Internacional), Lucas Moura (Sao Paulo); Neymar (Santos), Leandro Damiao (International), Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Hulk (Porto)
Some names are more recognizable than others Alexandre Pato, Neymar and Hulk particularly eye-catching. Of course anyone with the name Hulk would grab your attention. This squad does not deviate all that much from their usual squad with the emphasis in recent been focused on their youth, from what i have read many Brazilians have extreme confidence in their young players and consider this current batch to potentially be a Golden Generation. This crop of players have a lot to prove also, Brazilians are a proud and pa sionate nation when it comes to their football so they ought to be a bit miffed at all the attention Spain are getting. Their flat and uninspiring World Cup performance in 2010 was
Maurice Canady Jersey the last time they were on the global stage, the Olympics is this new prospective golden generations chance to announce their arrival to the world, and also start building momentum for the 2014 World Cup.When asked about his views on Brazils squad, Barcelona and Brazillian legend Romario delivered a golden soundbyte Its shit. he followed by exclaiming Nothing against the over-23s who were selected, but this should have gone to players who are more experienced,. When Romario isnt over exaggerating his goal tally just like us men over exaggerate our sexual
Brandon Williams Jersey conquests (Seriously its 1000 women, no joke, two of them were models as well) he is given audacious and controversial quotes to reporters. While i should respect the opinion of such a decorated player i think its laughable that anyone would consider this squad anything other than brilliant. Three overage players he is referring to are Thiago Silva, who is widely regarded as quite a cracking player, Hulk whose muscles justify the name, also a cracking player and Marcelo, has some great moments not too sound defensively but buckets of experience I wouldnt be surprised if Romario recommended Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos and Jarzinho instead, actually he would probably recommend himself thrice just for good measure.The rest of the squad isnt too shabby either, plenty of exhilarating young talent that will be fresh to most viewers, also a few names we know from the Premier League such as Sandro, Tottenhams resident hardman and Rafael of Manchester United who on his day actually looks quite good, if only it was his day more often. A lot of the players are unproven at the highest level with most of them coming from the Brazilian league but its a team of highly regarded and promising young stars. The Olympics isnt really the highest level but it is a good showcase for many of these young players and with such strong competition this tournament a lot of European scouts will be watching closely as to gauge prospective players. Without further delay here are three players you should look out for.The Players to watch:NeymarI wanted to comment on something other than the hair, its a cliche at this point butTHE HAIRYou have probably have witne sed at least one of Neymars great goals on a Youtube compilation entitled OMG BEST GOALS EVER!!. He has arguably the best highlight reel of any modern day footballer, which is impre sive for a 20 year old. If you have
Nico Siragusa Jersey not witne sed him, I would strongly recommend checking him out on the youtube. You cant encapsulate his greatest moments in five minutes, but its a good introduction. Pundits, fans and ex-pros all view his potential as been on a Me si/Ronaldo level; at least Pele does, who refuses to call Me si the best player in the world until Neymar matures. Strong praise indeed, but is it justified or is it just hype?The moniker of The new Pele has been thrown around in the past. Its easy to over hype young Brazilian talent when all we see are clips and highlights. Flashy skill can be deceiving and tricks can divert attention away from flaws in ones game. So is Neymar just a murky legend that in two years will be in the Where are they now pile along with Kleberson and other flash in the pans? I can honestly put my hand on my heart, swear on Jim Morrisons grave and give my most honest of opinion and say no. I can also do a cartwheel but that is irrelevant. Yes, he is flashy, and attempts plenty of tricks; a couple may fail, but more often than not, he pulls it off. On top of his masterful ball control, he has great balance, a wicked shot, breathtaking pace and a knack for goalscoring as 41 goals in 86 games for Santos and 9 in 18 for Brazil prove. Neymar is not afraid to drop deep into his own half to pick up the ball and then proceed to cause havoc. His dribbling and drive give defenders nightmares and his pa sing can be overlooked but it is excellent. He draws defenders in, allowing
Lamar Jackson Jersey his team-mates to break free. With great skill comes the a sumption of been greedy, and while Neymar will always have a go at defenders, he has plenty of a sists and can play a lovely through ball. I would be looking at
Only 13 games into the 2009/2010 Barclays Premier League and Darren Fletcher has established himself as a Manchester United first team regular and fan favourite.The United midfielder, who is also the Scotland Captain, has been instrumental so far this season with Man Utd currently in 2nd place.Darren Fletcher celebrates a goal for Manchester United
Orlando Brown Jr. Jersey .Fletcher has been with United all of his career and was highly tipped to be a succe sor to David Beckhams right wing position. However, his early United career was marred by injury and as the years have progre sed, he developed into a central midfielder.Fletcher first came into the Man United set up in the 2003/2004 season and played a number of important matches including the FA Cup Final victory over Millwall. From then on, Fletcher started to appear more frequently on Sir Alex Fergusons team sheet.However, in 2005, Fletcher
Michael Pierce Jersey was on the end of some criticism by then club captain Roy Keane. Keane reportedly said I cant understand why people in Scotland rave about Darren Fletcher. Fletcher followed this criticism up with a solid
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Fletcher (left) keeps his eye on the ball.The 2009/2010 season has seen Fletcher cement his spot in the Man United midfield, as the Scot has started all the important games for United. The season has seen him start against Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal and many more. The result from these games have seen pundits and the media name Fletcher as Man Uniteds big game player, particularly in the absence of winger Cristiano Ronaldo, who left for a record 80 million to Real Madrid in the summer.The Scotland captain played a huge part in Uniteds 4-3 victory over bitter rivals Man City with a brace that further built his reputation up as Uniteds big game player.In November, Fletcher added another goal
Willie Snead IV Jersey to his seasons tally (which now stands at 3) with an incredible strike in the 3-0 home win against Everton. Fletcher was praised by others for his performance against the Toffees, which also saw him named Man of the Match.With a fantastic start to the season, Fletcher will no doubt be in the Manchester United setup with years to come and will aim to keep his position in the heart of the United midfield
Hayden Hurst Jersey .Fletcher has been viewed as Uniteds big game player.Monday Premiership Player Profile Clint Dempsey (By gavh)
Arsenal have decided to part ways with manager Unai Emery following a dreaded run of form which has seen the club fail to win any of their
Miles Boykin Jersey previous seven matches.The Gunners suffered a disappointing 2-0 league defeat to Leicester City on the road before the international break and there were plenty of calls from the fans for the Spaniard to be sacked.However, the clubs hierarchy in the 48-year-old but their patience ran out after the clubs winle s streak extended after the two-week interval.We announce today that the decision has been taken to part company with our head coach Unai Emery and his coaching team, a statement read on the clubs .With the departure of Emery, Freddie Ljungberg has been handed with the interim head coach duties and the Swede has a huge task on his
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On paper, the Gunners have the strength within their squad to outcla s Norwich but judging by their away league form over the past few years, nothing can be taken for granted.The dismi sal of a manager generally brings about a positive reaction from the players but Ljungberg needs to find out a solution in the backline which has lacked the solidity since the early stages of the season.The north London giants started the campaign with an away league triumph at Newcastle United but they have since failed to win any top-flight matches away from the Emirates Stadium.While the
Matt Skura Jersey Gunners have not particularly excelled in the scoring department this term, they have not been helped at the back with from just 13 matches while keeping just .The defensive displays wont improve instantly under the temporary charge of Ljungberg but the fans will be hoping for some positive reaction with the club going more than 50 days without a league win.The Gunners are currently Chelsea in the pursuit of the final Champions League spot. They really cant afford to go winle s for the sixth succe sive league game with their cro
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As Zambrotta is currently with the Italy squad training for the European Championships, Milan have
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Juventus sporting director Jean Claude Blanc, is deemed to be in Anfield
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Dion Lewis Jersey negotiations is about 5 million. After
Delanie Walker Jersey buying Malian international Mohammed Lamine Si soko from liverpool in January, it seems that Juventus are trying to transfer in another Liverpool player. The deal could be settled in a week
Bruce Matthews Jersey and thus Juve are on the verge of
Adoree' Jackson Jersey notching 2 cla s players namley Amauri and Xabi Alonso. youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=zsodDOUshPU
Many new songs have been composed and sung, which is the norm whenever a player burst in to form, suddenly all the history, all the predictions get to sed out the window. Easily done? Well if you are Me si yes, but is it really as easy he makes it all look?Gary Player once remarked The more I practice, the luckier
DaQuan Jones Jersey I get. Wise words from a former champion, whos name will never be forgotten by South Africans. Golf is, to be honest, is a much le s volatile sport than football. The quote though, is more about highlighting the importance of hard work, the importance of always wanting to improve, not getting complacent, never giving up. Like most Arsenal fans I remember that
Ryan Succop Jersey night when the boys (boys!) took on Olympiakos, we all witne sed a young Master Crafts man, dominating the oppositions Midfield which boasted fully capped international players. In the absence our former skipper Cesc Fabregas.Aaron Ramsey, fed through so many through balls for Vela and Walcott, Ill never understand how we lost that game. Aaron Ramseys name was the name on the fans lips, the next great British footballer; Wenger saw
Kenny Vaccaro Jersey it, Ferguson saw it, but Arsenal had him. Stoke happened, Id rather not get into details. We all remember our humbling at Old Trafford, if you remember properly youll recall how Ramsey never gave up. Throughout out last season he battled through all the criticism never letting his shoulders drop, if theres one thing that I knew about Arsenal last season they knew how to win but they had no idea how to not give up. As soon as we were losing, you could feel our players had no idea what to do, our players gave up.Strange but good is that as soon as Ramsey began building on his February form, we picked up some points and went on to finish 4th Something I hope to not see
Taylor Lewan Jersey for some time-. Weve all noticed the resilience our team was beginning to show since we out muscled Bayern at their home stadium, something happened that night a Butterfly Started breaking out of its cocoon, a Phoenix began rising from the ashes; our boy had stepped up.
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If there is one thing Im enjoying, its the never say die attitude Ramsey brings to our midfield look at the goal he scored for Wales last night thats what we need from a captain Gooners. Ramseys commitment, dedication, pa sion and attitude are values all young footballers should look up to; Succe s is 10% talent and 90% hard work.
Hamit Altintop has rallied
DaQuan Jones Jersey the troops on his Turkish team-mates to not only beat Switzerland but blow them out of the tournament. Altintop is really cool ahead of the game and said that Turkey can beat Switzerland if they just play their normal game.We watched Switzerlands first match, he told euro2008.com. We knew them from 2005 the FIFA World Cup qualification play-off . I think they will play with great ambition, because they are the hosts, but if we can play our
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Bruce Matthews Jersey the second game, added Altntop, who mi sed part of this springs campaign with a broken toe. It is a crucialmatch for us you could call it a final. The Czech Republics meeting withPortugal is important but if we win, we will have something to play for in the third game. He is desperate for Turkeys UEFA EURO 2008 adventure to continue. It is a very different environment, he said. A big
Rodger Saffold Jersey stage. A player can make his and his nations name. We all want to represent our country as best as we can. The game is much trickier for Turkey than how Altintop
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Dagenham and Redbridge maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a hard fought draw with promotion hopefuls Port Vale.In a game which was overshadowed by the news of Dominic Green holding transfer talks at presumably Huddersfield Town, the Daggers made the best po sible start in the 4th minute as Paul Benson hit his shot into the roof of the net after Vale had made a me s of clearing a corner.However, for the first time this season the Daggers lacked
Rasheem Green Jersey concentration as Scott Griffiths and Anwar Uddin got caught too far apart allowing Simon Richman the space to put the ball acro s for Marc Richards to tap home
George Fant Jersey in the 6th minute.Following this Dagenham will feel as if they should have taken the three points. Paul Benson hit the bar in each half whilst Jon Nurse saw his header go just wide. Neverthele s, Port Vale nearly won it at the end after a misjudgement by Tony Roberts saw a long free kick bounce over his head but fortunately also over the bar.
However, the Daggers will be satisifed at gaining a point against
Ethan Pocic Jersey a team that should realistically challenge for promotion this season. Player RatingsTony Roberts 7 (made a good save to prevent Rodgers in the first half but almost cost the Daggers with indecision at the end)Magnus Okunghae 8 (looks very comfortable at right back and kept the left winger fairly quiet)Anwar Uddin 6 (A great leader but prone to the odd slip up)Mark Arber 7 (Steady and does his job quietly and efficiently)Scott Griffiths 7(Had a great forward run, still learning though in defence and sometimes can be better positionally)Sam Saunders 8(MOTM Looking much better than last season. Still has trouble beating the full back but his delivery has been better and work rate seems to have improved.)Solomon Taiwo 8(Another solid performance. Tackles well, pa ses well and always looking to shoot at the edge of the box)Jon Nurse 7(Typical
Tyler Lockett Jersey Nurse performance, lots of hard work without any real reward. However I feel the wing is his better position as he can join the attack but not have the extra responsibility of being the striker.)Ben Strevens 7(Frustrating game for the goal machine. Lots of work and knock downs but nothing really fell to him today. Him and Benno are
Justin Britt Jersey growing well as a partnership though)Paul Benson 8(Scored one and hit the bar twice. Shows he is getting in the right positions and his sharpne s is almost back. Only mistake today was not glancing in a Saunders shot that went wide. However these things happen so fast we can let him off for this time)
Fred, no not Fred Flinstone or Freddie Flintoff, Fred the player who
Jamar Taylor Jersey won the golden boot award at the 2013 Confederations Cup including a brace in the final for Brazil has been linked with a big money move to English club Manchester City according to . New City manager Manuel Pellegrini was also linked to sign Paraguayan starlet Oscar Cardozo in an attempt to bolster the attack after the departure of Carlos Tevez to Juventus. At age 29 you would say that his career is almost over, think not as he has that unique ability to score goals, a world cla s poacher you may say. He was the unsung hero for Brazil at the Confederations Cup along with Neymar as the two players
12th Fan Jersey scored a combined nine goals in total helping Brazil to win their fourth Confederations Cup title and helping them to retain the trophy from 2009 in South Africa.
Rasheem Green Jersey Fred currently plays for Brazilian side Fluminense and he has amazingly scored over 100 goals in just four seasons at the club. The Brazilian has been prolific for both club and country in the last two years and a big money move to Europe would make so much sense. Fred previously played in France for Lyon for four years from 2005 to 2009 where he scored just 41 goals in four seasons. It has also been reported by The Gulf Today that he wants to stay at his current club Fluminense.Fred is a player who demands the ball and when he gets it he does not let the team down and I could not see Fred being prolific at Manchester City where they already have the likes of Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko
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Whether Fred moves
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