2010 World Cup South Africa - Qualifiers Update

The road to the 19th World Cup (which as we all know is being held in South Africa in June 2010) is becoming that bit shorter both in terms of knowing who the 32 participating countries will be, and the time that we have to wait for the thrill of the matches to kick off!
Check out our guide to the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers update...
The 2010 World Cup runs for a month and will feature footballing nations from all over the globe competing for the mantle of World Champions. A total of 64 matches will be played at 9 venues throughout the country. The following teams have officially qualified for the most prestigious tournament in the football world, which kicks off on June 11th 2010:
European Qualifiers
Italy (2006 World Champions), Germany, Spain, Denmark, England, Serbia, Switzerland, Slovakia.
African Qualifiers
South Africa (Host Nation), Ivory Coast, Ghana.
South America Qualifiers
Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile
Central America/North America Qualifiers
USA, Mexico, Honduras
Asia/Oceania Qualifiers
Japan, Australia, North Korea, South Korea
There are 9 more places in the tournament up for grabs, and to this end there will be a number of play off matches in the European zone on the 14th and 18th November so as to ascertain the final four European qualifiers. The matches were decided by a draw at FIFA headquarters on the 19th October and are as follows:
France v Republic of Ireland
Russia v Slovenia
Portugal v Bosnia Herzegovina
Ukraine v Greece
Matches to be played on a home and away basis, with aggregate scores to determine the winners.
Three more teams from the African zone have still to qualify, and the final round of qualifying matches will be played in November 2009.
The final place for the Asia/Oceania region will be decided by the play off match between Bahrain and New Zealand.
The final qualifying place at South Africa 2010 will be decided by the match between the 5th place team in the South America zone and the 4th place team in the Central/North American zone. Uruguay will face Costa Rica in a play off match on a home and away basis.
December 4th 2009 sees the World Cup Qualifying draw taking place at the Cape Town Confederation Centre.

Never Concede From a Corner Again!

This is a virtual fool-proof exercise to prevent your team conceding goals from corners. Corners are generally a good opportunity for any team to score a goal, but at a young age, you should remember that taking corners is a difficult skill to master. Therefore, positioning a player in front of an opposition corner-taker is an assured way to put them off taking a corner that might lead to your team conceding a goal.
The player should stand at the edge of the penalty area, ready to both run towards the corner taker in the situation of a short-played corner, or to distract the corner taker enough to make a mistake. The advantage of this is to kick-start another important element of soccer coaching - the counter-attack. The player positioned to intercept the corner is in a prime position to initiate a counter-attack, which will catch out the opposition as most of their players will still be in your penalty area.
Place another one of your players- preferably a fast and skilled finisher- up the field whilst the rest of the team defend the corner. In your soccer drills, use just three players- a corner-taker, the player defending at the edge of the penalty area and the counter-attacker up the field- to practice this move. The defender should intercept the corner and then quickly and accurately pass the ball up the pitch towards the attacker.
Ensure that your players practice SMART defending: Specific, Measured, Agreed, Realistic, Timed.
SPECIFIC: The specific target is to clear the ball when it enters the penalty area from the corner
MEASURED: Your players should clear at least 50% of the corners must be cleared
AGREED: Make sure your targets are agreed upon by your players during training.
REALISTIC: Make sure the targets of practice are realistic and within their capabilities.
TIMED: Don't spend too long on the exercise- the point is to achieve a quick counter-attack!

More information about soccer coaching or soccer drills.

Manchester United FC - Busby's Legacy

If you haven't heard the anthem U-ni-ted - U-ni-ted! chanted by 70,000 Mancunians then you've obviously never been to Old Trafford, home of Manchester United. If you've ever tried to book Manchester hotels on a Friday or Saturday night and wondered why there are no hotels in Manchester available then it's because the most famous sports team in the world has a home game.
Manchester United is one of the most famous football teams on the planet and you don't necessarily need to be a huge sports fan to have heard of them or recognize their trademark red and white strip. But how was the legend born?
Manchester United began as humble Newton Heath FC in 1878 and struggled for the best part of a decade with financial instability. But in 1902 the club found both an important investor - John Henry Davies- and also their revered, modern-day name.
After modest success during the first four decades of the century, the story of Manchester United as a footballing superpower began on October 1st 1945 when Matt Busby was appointed manager. Busby did a good job from the outset, leading United to runners-up medals in the league in 1946, 1947, 1948 and 1949 and to an FA Cup win in 1948. The best though was yet to come, albeit as a tragic cost.
Busby and United won the league in 1952, 1956 and 1957 before tragedy struck in February 1958 with the Munich Air Disaster - 23 of the 44 passengers were killed including many of Busby's exciting new team, nicknamed 'The Busby Babes'.
With emotions still raw for many years to come, Busby built a new team around survivors including Booby Charlton and won more league trophies in 1965 and 1967 before being crowned European Champions in 1968 after which Busby retired. It was this era that created the winning mentality at Manchester United and shaped the trophy-laden side we see today led by Alex Ferguson - a manager leaving a legacy every bit as important as Busby.
In fact today Manchester United is more than just a team, it's a brand. Visit the town on a match weekend and Manchester hotels will have been fully booked for weeks as fans from across the globe descend on the city to watch their heroes. So if you're looking for Manchester hotels, it's definitely worth checking the Manchester United match programme beforehand!

Who Created Freestyle Soccer?

Over the last decade freestyle soccer has turned into a craze. Everyday a handful of talented tricksters are posting their amazing soccer skill videos on websites like YouTube, Metacafe and Facebook whilst millions of fans all over the globe spend hours on end, marvelling at the complexity of such audacious moves performed with a ball.
What fans seem to forget though is where did it all start, who created freestyle soccer? For those who are curious to know, you first have to take the journey to where it all began...
It has been well known throughout a very long period of time that soccer has been coined as 'the beautiful game'. The reason for this being is quite simply because it is a sport in which you can use almost your entire body - apart from your hands and arms - to decide the outcome of a ball game, whether through the use of a feint or trick, a controlled trap on the chest or knees, but most of the times through a powerfully executed strike - unlike any other sport.
Although soccer had such flexible rules from the start of it's existence, the most notable player to have taken considerable advantage over these rules was Pele. Commencing in the late 1950's Pele took soccer to a whole new level by performing dazzling tricks and maneuvers (never seen before with a ball) and totally fooling opponents on the field - left, right and center. Fortunately for everybody, it wasn't long after players and coaches discovered why he had possessed strikingly abnormal abilities. It turned out that Pele had practiced keeping the ball up in the air with various parts of his body since a young age and continued developing these particular skills in training. It was after this discovery that many players followed in Pele's footsteps, thus freestyle soccer was born - not the name but certainly the concept, and the creator most likely being Pele.
So, where is the proof?
It was very unlikely freestyle soccer was created before Pele's era because of the fact that balls were too heavy. Also take note that Pele has many old coaching videos where he shows you how to use parts of your body to keep the ball up in the air. These videos can be purchased through many websites on the internet. It is possible that Pele was the first top soccer player to have a his/her coaching video released.

For more freestyle soccer articles visit http://www.FreestyleSoccerProfits.com. This article is written by Thiago De Carvalho, the freestyle soccer expert.

The History of the FIFA World Cup Football Trophy

There are many trophies presented for various sporting endeavours today, however one of the most famous of these is the FIFA World Cup. Yet what many people do not realize is that the FIFA World Cup Trophy awarded today has only been in existence since 1974. Prior to this date those nations that were winners of this particular sporting event were presented with the Jules Rimet Trophy instead.
The main reason why a new FIFA trophy was introduced was in 1970 Brazil were awarded the Jules Rimet Trophy outright as they had won this competition three times. As they were presented with this trophy so the FIFA had to arrange for a new trophy to be made to replace it.
The new FIFA World Cup trophy was then presented to the winning Nation in 1974 and this was West Germany who at the time were captained by Franz Beckenbauer. The trophy that they were presented with was designed by Silvio Gazzaniga and produced by Bertoni Milano.
This trophy just like the Jules Rimet one before is very elaborate in design. On the body there are two figures shown holding up the Earth and on its based are engraved "FIFA World Cup" in out pouring letters. The actual trophy is made from 18 carat solid gold and weighs a total of 11lb and measures to a height of 14.4 inches. To ensure that the cup stands correctly the base which measures a width of 5.1 inches has been made from a strong carbonate mineral known as Malachite.
To be able to view the names of the winning nations on this particular trophy it needs to be turned upside down. This is because the names and dates when the trophy was won are engraved on plaques in English on the bottom of the base.
Today there are still enough plaques available to allow a further 9 nations to have their winning details placed on this trophy. It is only after the FIFA World Cup Competition in 2038 will a decision need to be made as to whether this particular trophy should be retired and replaced with a new one.
The biggest difference with this particular FIFA World Cup Trophy is that it is not one that can be won outright as Brazil did with the Jules Rimet Trophy. Today although the winning team are presented with this trophy on the day of their victory they don't actually get to keep it and instead of provided with a replica.
The main reason for this is that following Italy winning the competition in 2006 after the FIFA World Cup Trophy had been restored it was damaged. A number of days after the trophy had been presented to Italy pictures appeared in newspapers showing a small piece of the Malachite base had broken off. The damage to the trophy was repaired but in order to prevent such a situation in the future the FIFA decided no longer to allow the winning nation to retain the trophy until the next tournament.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy replica that the winning nation now receive is the same size as the original. However, unlike the original these are not made from solid gold but rather they use gold plating instead.

With such a rich history and tradition in the FIFA world cup, one can easily see why it remains one of the most popular trophies and most watched tournaments on earth. Many young footballers aspire to one day play in the World Cup one day.
Trophy Store supply a range of football trophies online and already supply a number of football clubs throughout the UK with their presentation trophies.

Soccer Essentials - Rehearsing For a Match

Every other day as players get to the pitch for practice they do so with the thought of an impending match in mind. All games are played as competitions and therefore wining the competition is a very rewarding experience for any team. A soccer match is very daunting as well as straining to the players and thus the day of the game should be well known so that the team prepares well both psychologically as well as tactfully and physically.
When rehearsing with a particular match in focus a soccer team has to sit back and outline the opposing team's weaknesses and strengths against their own. For these reason the preparation for each match will be slightly different from the other basing on the team you are meeting. Specific soccer tips may work for one team and fail to do the same when meeting another team. Take the example of a situation where you are meeting a team that plays very fast soccer or one that is known to score most of their goals from a particular player. All this knowledge should play a very important role in picking the strategy or plan to employ when meeting the particular team. Soccer speed will be very important when you are playing against a team that is known to have a very fast game.
The most reasonable thing to do when rehearsing for a game against any team is to try to gather lots of information about the team at hand. This information may include the knowledge of their key players and their strengths, the pattern of play they are best at among other details. This information can be obtained by watching video clips of the target team's previous games. There is no better way of gauging a team's performance other than watching their games. If possible, it may be very convenient to watch some of their matches live as this will help in making right judgments about their abilities.
On the eve of the anticipated match the coach should be well advised to go slow on the physical training of his team to avoid exhausting the players. It is better to concentrate on few targeted moves such as taking of free kicks, soccer shooting and specific attacking and defending tactics for the concerned players. It is also vital to form two teams and organize a match for assessment. The teams should be split with the first eleven being divided into two groups; the defenders should all be in one team and the strikers in the other team so that they get to play against each other the mid fielders should be interchanged. This match should not be too long. Twenty minutes or there about should do. The full starting line up should be given a chance to play together to see how well they blend for a few minutes too.
After the soccer drills I the pitch it is important to sit down and talk to prepare the players, mentally instill confidence and let every one go to bed with a well set mind for the next day. It is very important to stay away from stuff like alcohol or go clubbing and dancing all night in the eve of a match.

At http://www.BetterSoccerNow.com you will find free tips and tricks to dominate your soccer game, resources for players, coaches, and parents. Go to http://www.BetterSoccerNow.com to see training tips that will take your game to the next level.

The Rise and Rise of Ryan Giggs

Ryan Joseph Giggs, a legend who has devoted his entire career to Manchester United and still going strong. He is a benchmark to many young and aspirant footballers. The Welshmen is well known for his attitude, performance, loyalty and respect which he has earned over his 20 long years of professional career. He believes in performance rather than talking.
At 35, he is playing the best form of his life, which is a rare quality to come across in the modern day football. Today, when most of the players think about their retirement, from top level, the Genius from Wales is ready to add another milestone to an already illustrious and glorious career at Old Trafford.
On 29 November 1990 Ryan Giggs turned professional footballer and was hailed as one of the finest talents in English Football since George Best. On 4 May 1991, Giggsy in his first full start in a Manchester Derby was awarded with a goal (debatable goal) - his first goal for the Red Devils. In a very short span of time, Giggsy became 'Premiership First Poster Boy' and the player who ruled on millions of hearts of Manchester United fans.
Even today, his 'wonder goal' against Arsenal in the FA cup semi-finals, still lingers on the minds of thousands of fans across the world. I still remember the emotional celebration after the goal, as Giggsy whipped his short of, whirling it around his head and running all the way back to the half-line. Perhaps, the defining moment came when Giggsy set up an equalizer to Teddy Sheringham, in 1999 UEFA Champions League Final against German powerhouse Bayern Munich, winning the game in the injury time by 2-1, making a memorable treble winning season for Manchester United.
Giggsy has played 813 games for the Red Devils, in all competitions, and still counting, surpassing Sir Bobby Charlton record of most appearances for Manchester United. His inspiring career is full of individual and club honors.
Giggsy has won just about everything in the game. Have a look at his medals - 11 League titles, 7 Community Shield, 4 F.A cup, 3 League Cup, 2 Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and Intercontinental Cup. His majestic performance, last season, won him PFA Player of the Year.
'Midas touch' - is all I can say about Giggsy performance at the Britannia Stadium and later during the mid week against VfL Wolfsburg scoring his 150th goal for the club. The Welshmen continues his remarkable form on the pitch, this season, and he is marching in the right direction. Last month he scored a beautiful free-kick at White Hart Lane, suggest that this Old Guard still has the arsenal to compete at the highest level. The inglorious Nani should take some tips from this living legend rather than Cristiano Ronaldo.
Giggsy is getting smarter and sharper, these days; his attributes like precision passing, sublime touch, accurate reading, hard work and impeccable professionalism are highly commendable. True he is aging, has even dropped few paces, but he improves his game every week.
Even after achieving oodles of success, Giggsy is modest to say that he gets inspired from youngsters like Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael, Wayne Rooney and all the youngsters coming through the academy at Old Trafford.
Last season, he made 45 appearances for the Red Devils, in all competitions, which reflects the commitment from the Genius. I must say, at 35, he is playing like 17, which might lend him another PFA Young Player award!
Giggsy has played a huge part in the success of Manchester United, over the years, and he still remains a vital figure in Manchester United plan of winning trophies. Sir Alex Ferguson is very clever to deploy him a deeper role and Giggsy have adapted to his new position very well. The gaffer believes that Ryan Giggs deserves a knighthood and rightly so. On 29 April 2009, Manchester United fans have launched an online petition to nominate Ryan Giggs for knighthood. It's a great gesture by Manchester United fans, to pay tribute to their legend, so better get use to saying 'Sir Ryan Giggs' in future.
The most decorated player in English football history and the best left wing mid-fielder from Manchester United is truly irreplaceable. I would like to end with a quote by Jose Mourinho, who once rightly said that 'Ryan Giggs is the Best Ever EPL Player'.

For more such article please visit http://footballeditorial.blogspot.com/
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Plyometric Exercises For Soccer Players

Plyometric exercises are a very significant part of an athlete's training program. Plyometric exercise is included in any kind of training program for an athlete, whether it is a top notch training program or a general training program for an average athlete. These exercises make the athlete realize his full potential and help him perform better than an average athlete on the field. An athlete would not be able to reach his ultimate potential until and unless he includes plyometric exercises in his exercise routine and training program. The goal of ultimate potential cannot be reached with any short cut and the person has to work really hard to achieve it.
Plyometric exercises are used to build the quickness inside the body by increasing the strength of the nervous system of our body. The nervous system of our body has various components like the nerves, the spinal cord, the brain, tendons and the neurons. The neurons are the basic building block of the nervous system and are contained in the nerves. The neurons are joined from end to end and the message is passed from one neuron to another neuron through these junctions in the form of electric signals.
When the strength of a person's nervous system is improved, then all the reflexes in his body are performed at a much faster rate than before. This means that the athlete will be able to run faster, jump quicker and in case of soccer players, they will be able to track the motion of the ball quickly and hence their response will be quicker than other if they include plyometric exercises in their daily exercise and training routine. From all this we can conclude that plyometrics should be a part of an athlete's life if he wants to perform to his best potential.

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5 Crucial Tips For First-Time Soccer Coaches

The start of the soccer season draws upwards of 19 million players to the fields - many for the first time. Among these soccer warriors are the moms and dads that volunteer to serve as coaches. These well-intended surrogates, many with no soccer or coaching experience, are central to the success of the season. Here are five crucial tips for first-time soccer coaches:
1. Team Meeting
Hold a team meeting with the parents. This is an important first step to establishing dialogue with the team. You'll figure out straight away who will be your staunches allies and who may become troubling families. During this meeting, you must communicate your expectations for the season. Explain that the kids are your central focus and that the goal is to make the season as fun and as developmental as possible. The goal is to develop players. Winning or losing just happens to be a part of this development, but is never the goal. Since you are only one person, ask for assistant coaches. These people fulfill the important roles that will otherwise distract you from coaching: tying shoelaces, blowing noses and holding a hand for a bump or a bruise. Finally, before you leave, gather the best contact information for each family as you will encounter many different situations including separation and divorce.
2. Plan your Sessions
Inexperience in the sport either as a player or as a coach means that you have to be more prepared for your sessions. Even experienced soccer players may be new to coaching young players. It is a different dynamic of holding the attention of young players that may or may not want to be at practice. While preparing:
a. Focus on the basics
b. Don't be afraid to experiment if your plan isn't working
c. Don't form lines. Lines are boring, allow only one player at a time to participate and will ensure players will lose interest.
d. Have a ball for every player. Soccer is an amazing sport that everyone can play at once to grow and develop. One ball per player is critical.
e. Talk for 30 seconds or less to young players. Quick short instructions are best.
f. Give frequent water breaks. This allows you to change the activity and keep the kids interest fresh.
g. Elevate your mind to the kids' level and talk about the game in terms they'll understand. Use references to superheroes or relevant cartoon characters to illustrate your points. You can't imagine the progress when you put the game on their level.
3. Praise - not Criticize
Invest some time into getting to know your players personally. It will pay dividends in motivating them. Kids at younger ages respond to positive enforcement at far greater levels than negative criticism. Use the "sandwich" technique when correcting an issue: 1 compliment, 1 critique finalized with 1 compliment. Kids will learn and grow at their own pace. Exercise patience in their skill development.
4. Make it Fun
If you make it fun, the kids will learn and grow. Why? If your players love soccer, they'll play it in the backyard with mom and dad and sister and brother. This is where the real development happens - in the backyard. Imagine how each player will want to show off their new move each week. As a coach, be as enthusiastic and positive as possible and you'll see the kids faces light up. Turn them onto the game! You'll be amazed at the results.
5. End of Season Party
Hold an end of season party and recognize each player with a "funny award." This would include things like "Biggest Hustler", "Craziest Headballer", "Most Enthusiastic" but should never include "Best Player" which only please one player and disappoint the rest. You (and the players) will find it extremely rewarding to see first hand the development over the course of the season. If the kids have had fun and you've turned them onto the game of soccer, you have successfully completed your job as coach.
Congratulations on your first (of many) successful soccer seasons!

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One Very Famous Soccer Player - Pele

Pele was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in October of 1940, and would become one of the most famous soccer players to ever play the game. In his native Brazil, he is lauded as the greatest footballer of all time, since they call the sport by its original name there.
Pele grew up in poverty in Bauru, and earned money working as a servant in tea shops. He could not afford a real ball, and practiced with a sock stuffed with newspaper, or a grapefruit.
In Brazil, Pele is a national hero. In addition to his accomplishments on the field, he has been declared the football ambassador of the world by FIFA, which is the governing body of international soccer. He has also used his fame to speak up for improvement of the conditions of the poor in our society. When he scored his 1000th goal, Pele dedicated it to the poorest children in Brazil.
Pele started playing for a local club at the age of 15, and was on his national team by age 16. He won his first World Cup at the young age of 17. European clubs wanted a chance to sign him, but the Brazilian football rules at that time helped Santos FC to keep Pele signed for almost twenty years, until 1974.
Pele played the positions of striker, inside forward, and what later would be called the playmaker position. His natural athleticism and technique were world-renowned, and he was praised for his excellent passing and dribbling, heading, pace and his ever-present goal scoring.
In 1977, Pele played in an exhibition match between Santos and the Cosmos. It was played in front of a sold-out Giants Stadium, and was seen on TV, on ABC's Wide World of Sports. At halftime, his number was retired, and after the game he ran around the field, an American flag in one hand and a Brazilian flag in the other.
Pele is in an elite group of famous soccer players worldwide, and he was the only footballer to ever win the World Cup with three different teams. Since he retired in 1977, Pele has remained an ambassador for the sport, and he has also taken on some commercial ventures and acting roles.
Though he was one of the all time famous soccer players, Pele had some trying times off the field. He married in 1966 and had three children with then-wife Rosemeri dos Reis Cholby, but they divorced in 1978. He remarried in 1994 to Assiria Lemos Seixas. She gave birth in 1996 to twins, conceived through fertility treatments.

4 4 2 Diamond Formation

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti will go with his tried and tested diamond formation. It's a peculiar strategy since it offers little width and puts significant demands on certain players. We discuss it here in some depth.
The advanced player behind the front two should expect little room to maneuver as he will be marked closely by the holding midfielder from the opposition. Consequently, any attacking midfielder will not do. Those whose game is based on movement, particularly from deep, would find it difficult to impose themselves from this position.
Instead, a more intricate player is required, one who can thread passes after 1 or 2 touches. Pace and ball skills are of added bonus since this would induce free kicks in dangerous positions. In Chelsea's case, it may therefore be more effective to employ a player like Deco as opposed to Lampard in this role.
Note, playing one behind two front men is different from playing 1 behind a single striker. The later situation offers more opportunities for movement than the prior.
Width is important as otherwise approach play becomes narrow and predictable. This is not something to be overlooked as highly skilled teams can suffer from this. Arsenal, for one, have intentionally concentrated their play down the center, which has caused opposition teams to pack the midfield. Liverpool too, over the last 18 months have shown excessive dependency on the Gerrard-Torres link up.
One way to offset this is to send the middle two in the diamond into wide areas when the team has possession. This can be problematic as these players are unlikely to be effective down the flanks and more importantly leave large spaces in the event of a counter attack.
Ideally, you compensate for a lack of width via your full backs. This sounds easier than it is. Your first concern as a manager doing this is whether your full backs are physically up to the task. Can Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa sustain trips up and down the pitch for 50 games in a season? Your second concern is the end product of these players, if their crossing or final ball is poor than what exactly is the point?
Most academies will educate young players to force opposition play down the sides as any resulting cross should be dealt with by the defense. The compelling argument for playing the diamond is that this process happens naturally.

The Best Soccer Fitness Workout

Fitness is especially important for soccer players, as they will be called on in a match to run for up to 90 minutes, with no stoppage in time and only sporadic stoppage of action. When preparing for the upcoming soccer season, it is best to play the beautiful game of soccer as a way to get more fit, as there is no substitute for the game. Even small-sided games for 15, 20 and 30 minute intervals will help increase fitness and endurance.
As a separate workout away from the game, It is best for soccer players to alternate sprinting, distance and interval running during a fitness workout. With each workout, players should gradually increase repetitions and improve times.
Here are the best drills for a soccer fitness workout:
300's: On a soccer field, start out on the end line and sprint to mid-field up and back 6 times (50 yards x 6 = 300). High school players should try to run these in less than 70 seconds. After each 300, rest for two minutes and then repeat.
Hills: Find a steady incline hill (no "baby" hills)  Sprint up the hill and jog down. The jogging is recovery time, so this can be done slowly. Once players reach the bottom, the should turn around and sprint up the hill again. After five (5) hills, then take a two minutes rest and do five (5) more.
Cones: These are sprints. Place cones about five (5) yards apart for 25 yards.  Players should spring to the first cone and then back, then to the second cone and then back, and so on.  Five cones up and back is one repetition. Do ten (10) reps and then a one (1) minute rest. Then ten (10) more.
Challenged yet? We're just getting started...
30-30's: This is interval training.  Players should begin by jogging for a few minutes and then the fun begins. Next is to alternate 30 seconds of jogging with 30 seconds of sprinting.  Do a set of five (5) 30-30's, then rest two (2) minutes and then five (5) more.
120's: This is a full sprint of the length of the soccer field. High school players should try to do this in less than 20 seconds. After reaching the opposite end line, players should jog back, allowing 60 seconds to recover. Do 7-10 of these.
Cooling down and stretching: Players should always take fifteen to twenty minutes to cool down and stretch to conclude fitness training.
Want even more soccer workout information? Total Soccer Fitness is your complete guide to soccer conditioning, which features a free soccer fitness course.

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These 5 Exercises Will Make Any Soccer Player Faster Immediately

When it comes to increasing the speed of a soccer player, there are 5 drills or exercises that a soccer player can learn and do which will make them faster immediately. One of the more common mistakes soccer players make when it comes to exploding to the ball is covered here!
Exploding to the ball or accelerating to the ball is key for all soccer players. If they can consistently get to the ball faster than their opponent, success on the field is theirs for the taking.
These 5 drills or exercises will make a soccer player faster and increase their speed almost overnight.
One of the most common mistakes soccer players make when accelerating is that they are standing too tall or too upright. They must drop their hips and be in a forward lean position to accelerate. The forward lean puts the players feet slightly behind their hips and forces the player to explode from and land on the front part of their foot when running.
Falling Start: Here the soccer player starts in a stationary position. They have their feet in an athletic stance (about shoulder width apart). They have their hands open and relaxed, their arms are at 90 degree angles and are in front of them. They go up on the front part of their feet and fall forward. At the last second, they thrust one of their feet out in front of them. They should be landing on the front part of this foot. If they thrust out their left foot first, their left arm (staying in that 90 degree angle) drives backwards and their right hand drives upward and out (opposite arm/opposite leg). By creating that forward lean, with the players feet behind their hips, now forces the arms to pump faster in order to move their legs faster so that the player doesn't fall over.
This in essence forces and teaches the body how to accelerate quickly and explosively. Have the player practice these falling starts over a 10 - 15 yard acceleration area. Players should do between 8-10 repetitions.
1-2-3 Gears: Here the soccer player starts in a stationary position. They have their feet in an athletic stance (about shoulder width apart). They have their hands open and relaxed, their arms are at a 90 degree angle and in front of them (just like in the Falling Start Drill).
Now they start driving their arms forward and backward. First gear is real easy, second gear they pick up the pace and third gear they are pumping their arms as fast as they can (still maintaining good form). Approximately one to two seconds after they have reached third gear they are given a go command to go.
With their arms pumping quickly, in order for them to go, they need to have their legs catch up to their arms so to speak. By doing this, the soccer player is working on pure acceleration from a stopped position. This quick arm drive forces the legs to play catch up which in turn generates tremendous power and speed. Players should do between 8-10 repetitions over a 10 - 15 yard area.
Fast Feet: With this drill, the player is up on the front part of the their feet and moving their arms in a third gear fashion (like the drill above). This time however, they take very quick but little steps forward. These little steps are about 4-6 inches long. The players should go in fast feet mode for 5 yards. This drill enforces and continues to teach the players body to move their arms faster thus making their legs go faster too! Players should do 4 - 6 repetitions of this drill.
Fast Feet into High Knees: For the first 5 yards, the player does the fast feet training drill, once they get to this 5 yard mark they start to raise their knees up, still maintaining a forward lean and also trying to maintain fast feet. As they do this their stride length will open up naturally. Once they get to the 2nd 5 yard mark, they should look to run another 10 - 15 yards as fast as they can, again trying to maintain a forward lean along with higher knee lift and fast pumping arms. A soccer player should do between 6 - 8 repetitions of this drill.
Forward Broad Jump to a Rolling Start: Here the soccer player jumps up and out in a (broad jump format) landing softly on the front part of their feet with their knees bent and hips dropped down. From this position, they roll forward (similar to the falling start) and quickly pump their arms forcing quick leg turnover as well. This jump with a rolling start helps create lower body power for the soccer player (through the jump and land) and also works on the acceleration technique. Players should 8-10 repetitions over a 10 - 15 yard acceleration area.
These 5 exercises will help all soccer players gain speed and get faster immediately. Remember, speed is a skill that can be taught (these 5 exercises) but more importantly learned. Once a soccer player learns these skills, they will become faster and more explosive out on the soccer field.
Have a great day!

How to Increase a Soccer Player's Speed in Just 7 Days!

For a soccer player to gain speed or get faster on the soccer field, learning these seven skills will help them develop blinding speed. Running faster is a skill that once learned will pay dividends for years to come. I have taught the following 7 skills for over the last 10 years to help soccer players get faster on the field. Practice these 7 skills every day and in one week you will be faster than you were a week ago. I hope you enjoy them and can use them to help yourself or your team get faster.
If we look at how a soccer player runs, there are 7 skills they need to learn in order to get faster. Developing proper running mechanics can increase a player's speed almost immediately.
As an example, if you look carefully at how a soccer player runs, you will see that changing, perfecting, modifying their mechanics can have a drastic change in their performance. So let's look at it more closely.

Proper running mechanics starts with proper arm drive.

Thirty percent (30%) of a players power comes from their arm drive. Proper arm drive starts with creating quick, powerful movements with your arms. Keeping the arms locked at 90 degrees and have them drive straight back (simulate reaching back for your back (hip) pocket and thrusting if forward to shoulder socket height will create the proper arm drive. One important key to getting faster is this, the faster you move your arms, the faster your feet will go. Increasing stride frequency will increase a soccer players speed.

In addition to proper arm drive a player needs to be relaxed when they run too.

Relaxing the face, shoulder and hands allows for a soccer player to become faster as well as they are not fighting themselves when they run. The more relaxed the upper body is, the faster a soccer player will run.

Along with proper arm drive comes forward lean.

In order to accelerate to the ball, a soccer player must create a forward lean where their hips are slightly in front of their feet. A good way to work on this skill is to do a wall drill. A wall drill is where the soccer player stands approximately 2-3 feet away from the wall and places their hands on the wall (shoulder height). Have the soccer player run in this position for up to 5 seconds will simulate how the body should be leaning forward while they are accelerating.

Proper Knee Lift is the next skill to learn.

Driving the knee up to near belly button height assures that the soccer player is getting the best possible stride length possible. Proper stride length is one of the keys to increasing speed. Even adding 2-4 inches to a stride length can allow a player to cover an extra 2-3 feet over 10 strides. These 2-3 feet could be the difference in scoring or defending goals.

If the Knee is up, then the Toes should be too!

Having the toes up when you accelerate allows the foot to land on the front part of the foot. This is critical for a player to be explosive and to get faster.

Ground contact.

As we just learned having the toe up (dorsi flexing the foot) allows for the soccer player to have their foot strike the ground on the front part of their foot. When a soccer player accelerates, if they land on their heel first (or flat footed for that matter), all of their energy went right into the ground through their heel plus it takes more time to have the foot roll forward and then push off the front part of the foot. Landing on the front part of the foot initially saves a lot of time plus is way more explosive.

Linear Symmetry.

When a soccer player runs, they should be running so that the toes, ankles, knees and hips are all in a straight line or linear motion. Gaining proper linear symmetry will enhance any players speed. In other words there will not be any wasted movements from the player, allowing them to run at their greatest potential.If a player works on these 7 skills every day, in one week they will be a faster, more explosive soccer player!
Have a great day!

Gary Christopher
http://www.soccerandspeedcoach.com
To get free weekly insider coaching tips delivered right to your inbox, go to my website http://www.soccerandspeedcoach.com and register. Every week I'll send you players and coaches reports and insights on developing soccer skills and speed skills along with some great audio interviews you can download for free.

The Greatest Football Player of All Time

Football is one of the most popular sports in America today. But do you know who the best football player of all time is? Pele is the best football player of all time for his remarkable performance in his key role in two of Brazil's first three World Cup victories.
Some personal information about him is that Pele's full name is Edson Arantes Do Nascimento. His childhood nickname was "Dico." This great man was born on October 23, 1940 in Tres Coracoes, Brazil. He has humble beginnings. As a boy he helped his family's financial condition by cleaning shoes at the local train station. In 1956 at the age of 16, he began playing soccer in Brazilian minor league teams such as Bauru Athletic Club and was coached by the former Brazilian international Waldemar de Brito, who played for Brazil during the 1934 World Cup.
Pele played for the clubs Santos and New York Cosmos and his best position is being striker. He had won 3 World Championships for Brazil, 2 Intercontinental Cups, 2 Copa Libertadores, and a Brazilian Championship for the club Santos and for the club New York Cosmos; he had won the US Championship once. This guy is honored as the IFFHS Player of the Century. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in the year 1993 and named as IOC Athlete of the Century in the year 1999.
There is no doubt that Pele is the best football player of all time because of his significant contributions in the world of football. Ney Blanco de Oliveira, Pele's personal friend for more than 40 years, admires him for being a kind person who has the heart to help other people and organizations that help children around the world. He mentioned that, "Edson is not only the greatest soccer player the world will ever know, but he is also one of the most sensitive, generous and noble human beings that I have ever known." Two of the famous lines from this great person: "I was born for soccer, just as Beethoven was born for music," and, "Enthusiasm is everything. It must be taut and vibrating like a guitar string."

Top 5 Important Soccer Skills You Need to Know

In soccer, there are many moves that one can learn to play effective soccer. In fact, through soccer training, you will learn that there are hundreds of soccer moves. This article will focus on the top 5 skills or soccer moves that you will need to know to elevate and take your game to the next level.
Dribbling is one of the most basic skills in soccer. It is the ability of the player to move the ball on his own up and down the field. Sounds easy? Well, to dribble the ball with precision and using skills such as feints, moves, changes of direction, it takes a lot skill. Without competence in dribbling you will not be an effective soccer player. There are times when you will be in tight areas and need to dribble around the defense to get the ball moving forward again. Dribbling can be in fast break situations, or high traffic situations. You might be caught on the corner or bringing it out of the box. Whatever your situation is getting the proper training for dribbling the soccer ball is key to effective playing.
First touch of the ball is another skill that must be learned by soccer players. Whether you are a striker, midfielder, defense, or goalie, your first touch on the ball needs to be precise. If it is not precise you may lose the ball and worse it may lead to a goal. First touch is defined as the very first touch you make on the ball when receiving it. As the ball comes to you, you want to make sure that the ball stays near you. A lot of times people can refer to first touch as trapping. When practicing trapping or first touch the ball may seem to bounce in weird directions but as you get better and better at this you will be able to keep the ball close and dominate your opponents.
Push Passing is a term used for the most common type of passing. It is the type of pass you see taught to the wee little ones of age 5 on up. It is the most accurate type of pass you can make. It is made with the inside of the foot while striking the ball dead center on the inside. You can also use the outside of the foot although accuracy is lost a little. Your plant foot will help you guide the ball where you want it to go.
Long Ball Passing is a term used when you have a teammate across the field or up the field quite some distance and you need to get the ball to them. When you want to pass the long ball you approach the kick from an angle, keeping ankle locked, make sure you have a v in your knee and have a full swing and follow through to the ball. Strike the ball with the instep and make sure you follow the ball through when kicking the long ball.
Finishing is a general term used to describe scoring goals, or finishing the play off. It encompasses shooting, volleys, headers, and any situation that ends in a goal. Finishing is a very important aspect of the game and all players benefit from learning finishing skills.

At http://www.BetterSoccerNow.com you will find free tips and tricks to dominate your soccer game, resources for players, coaches, and parents. Go to http://www.BetterSoccerNow.com to see training tips that will take your game to the next level.

Who Has Scored the Most Goals in World Cup Soccer History?

Almost every culture around the world has some type of connection to the history of football/soccer. Such cultures as the Ancient Greeks, Persians, Vikings, The Chinese, Japanese, and much more, played a game that is much like today's football/soccer. For instance, The Chinese played "footballer" games dating as far back as about 3000 years ago. However, it was in England that soccer / football really began to grow in popularity. After becoming popular in England, soccer became a widely loved sport throughout the world. The celebrated FIFA World cup led the way to the rise of soccer stars, and conferred world soccer records holders such as the player who has scored the most goals in world cup soccer history.
Brazilian professional footballer Ronaldo Nazario de Lima has scored the most goals in Fifa World Cup history. Ronaldo Luís Nazario de Lima, more generally known as Ronaldo, was born in September 18, 1976. In 1993, Ronaldo began his professional soccer/footballer career playing for Cruzeiro. In his single year with Cruzeiro, he accumulated 12 goals in 14 games and led the team to win their first Copa do Brasil championship. After playing with Cruzeiro, in 1994, he joined with the Dutch football team PSV. In 1996, in his final year with PSV, Ronaldo aided the team to win the Dutch Cup.
Ronaldo is also an established national footballer for Brazil. He has played in 97 international games, accumulating 62 goals and standing 15 goals away from the Brazilian national scoring record. He was a member of the Brazilian team that won the 1994 and 2002 World Cups. During the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo became the highest goal scorer in the history of the World Cup with his fifteenth goal.
Nicknamed 'O Fenômeno,' which is translated as ""The Phenomenon" in English, Ronaldo made the number 9 famous and made it tantamount with the position of center forward. During his footballer career in Europe, Ronaldo became one of the most celebrated 'strikers' throughout the world after he won his first Ballon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year in 1997, and then once more in 2002. He is also one of only two players to have won the FIFA Player of the Year award three times. In 2007, he was named as one of the best starting eleven of all-time by France Football and was named to the FIFA 100, a list of the greatest footballers compiled by his fellow Brazilian soccer star, Pelé.
To many contemporary footballers, Ronaldo is a living icon who has been credited with encouraging a stronger marketing interest in soccer throughout the world, particularly because of his relationship with Nike who had in the past spent their marketing resources and time primarily on Basketball.
The soccer that we know today was shaped during the 1960s. Increased media coverage and TV broadcasts has made the game more popular than ever. With soccer stars such as David Beckham in the spotlight, the popularity of soccer will continue to grow.

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These 6 Exercises Will Make Any Soccer Player Fit and Fast

Any soccer player who does these 6 exercises will increase their soccer fitness and their soccer speed in less than 21 days. It is a great pre-season soccer conditioning and soccer speed program. This soccer conditioning program will make any soccer player fast and fit very quickly.
Because soccer is such an explosive sport where players are expected to have great speed and agility too, designing a conditioning and speed program that focuses on these needs is quite important. So with that said, here are the 6 speed and conditioning exercises soccer players should be doing. Also, I have included a brief explanation of the exercise and why it is important.
These 6 exercises should be broken up into 2 groups of three. I have also included suggested groupings. One group of three exercises should be done 2 times in one week and the other group should be done one time during the week. On the following week, switch it up so that the one group of exercises that was done just once the previous week is done twice this week, and the group of exercises that was done twice the previous week is done just once this week. Keep this similar rotation for the three weeks. Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday training days work best.
It is also recommended for the soccer player to warm up their body and stretch themselves out sufficiently to do these exercises. Any player considering this program should consult with their doctor before embarking on it.
All of these exercises are done as fast as a player can go.
The First Group of Exercises are:

5-10-15 Yard Shuttle:

This 60 yard shuttle is designed to enhance a soccer player's acceleration speed and change of direction performance. The game of soccer is a game of quick bursts of speed and quick change of direction. This shuttle will help all soccer players gain this edge. Players should do 4-6 repetitions of this exercise with a one minute rest in between.

20-40-60 Yard Shuttle:

This 240 yard shuttle now taxes the soccer player's fitness with short and medium distance explosiveness. This exercise will help all soccer players gain excellent conditioning. Players should do 3-4 repetitions with a 2 minutes rest in between.

200 Yard Shuttle:

Here a soccer player runs 100 yards, stops and runs back to their starting point. The player is working under one minute starts. That means if it takes a player 40 seconds to complete this shuttle, they have 20 seconds of recovery (rest) time before they run the next 200 yard shuttle and so forth. A player is working on building up to 10 runs in 10 minutes. This is an excellent exercise to gain a solid conditioning foundation.The Second Group of Exercises are:

10-20-30 Yard Shuttle:

This 120 yard shuttle is a beefed up version of the 5-10-15 yard shuttle. It presents training at an anaerobic level making any soccer player explosive and powerful throughout the course of the game. Players should do 4-6 repetitions of this exercise with a 90 second rest in between.

30-60-90 yard Shuttle:

This 360 yard shuttle not only adds great conditioning for a soccer player but is also adds mental toughness as well. This exercise is excellent for many players but especially for midfielders. Players should consider doing 2-3 repetitions of this exercise allowing for a 3 minute rest in between.

300 Yard Shuttle:

This shuttle is a staple in many soccer conditioning programs. Place two cones 25 yards apart. The soccer player then runs out to one cone and then runs back and repeats this (up and back) 6 times to complete the 300 yards. It is an excellent conditioning and change of direction exercise. Players should consider doing 2-3 repetitions with a 3 minute rest in between.This program is an excellent pre-season program for any higher level soccer players (U15 and above). It will help them become very fit and very fast which will make them a valuable player to their team.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this speed and conditioning program for soccer players.
Have a great day!

Gary Christopher
http://www.soccerandspeedcoach.com
To get free weekly insider coaching tips delivered right to your inbox, go to my website http://www.soccerandspeedcoach.com and register. Every week I'll send you players and coaches reports and insights on developing soccer skills and speed skills along with some great audio interviews you can download for free.

Why Players Prefer Football in Italy and Spain - Not in England

The exodus of so many great players from the English Premier League does force one to believe that perhaps it is not as appealing to world football stars as the football leagues of Spain and Italy. Despite the fact that it offers so much financial benefits and world-wide viewing as compared to other leagues, we have observed that more foreign stars have been found leaving the Premier League than joining. And whats more interesting is the fact that most of these players either opt for the football leagues in Italy, or Spain.
Here I look at some of the reasons why Premier League has been hit by the exodus of players like Ronaldo, Henry, van Nistelrooy and many others to the football clubs of Spain and Italy!
First of all, the style of football played in these two countries differs from that of the English. They provide players with much more time on the ball and matches and therefore feature more skillful moments.
Another reason for the preference given to Italy and Spain would be the fact that the foreign players are more comfortable in a Mediterranean climate than an English one.
Perhaps the players who are recognized worldwide do not like the media attention they get from playing in English League. Most of the foreign players, especially the ones from Argentina and Brazil, are from humble backgrounds and the media attention really bothers them. Such media attention is not a problem in other leagues as they don't have much viewership but provide even a tougher atmosphere to hone your skills.
If you make a mistake in English Premier League, you will have to bear the media bombardment for at least a whole week. And that can really get to your nerves. People will always be babbling about the style of your game, or the lack of it.
The only thing perhaps that may bring in more foreign stars to the English Premier League is money. And believe me there is no dearth of it In the English Premier League. However, not everyone plays for money. And there are things even money cannot buy!

History of Soccer

Soccer is the most popular game in the world and millions of people watch the game and enjoy it but they are completely oblivious when it comes to knowing the history of the game. Nobody knows the exact date when the game was played but centuries ago around 1000BC, the Japanese are thought to have played a similar type of game. The Greeks and the Chinese are also thought to have played a similar game to soccer.
In the 1300s, during the reign of King Edward, anyone caught playing soccer was put behind bars as it was thought unsafe and a public bother. The ban was lifted in 1681 and soccer earned was allowed to play in England and in the 1800s, the game became so famous that they had soccer competitions once a year. After that major leagues started forming across the globe and soccer turned into a spectator sport. Soccer made its first appearance in Olympics in the Summer Olympic Games in 1900 where an English club team emerged winners.
Nowadays, the championships are played by national teams rather than clubs and this is one factor which has boosted the number of soccer fans as they cheered on their country. Today, soccer is mostly watched on television and millions of dollars have been spent on the game. The most popular leagues are the English Premier League, La Liga in Spain, Serie A in Italy and Bundas Liga in Germany. Soccer players have become superstars and are among the highest paid sportsman in the world.

Mubeen Musthakeem is a Manchester City fanatic who is the owner of http://manchestercity-news.com where he shares his tips on Manchester City and also provides the latest Manchester City news.

A Soccer Fitness Program For Defenders

Once you enroll in soccer training, you must first learn the basic characteristics of good defending, even if you want to be a striker or midfielder. The main aim is to make sure that the rival team will not gain control of the ball.
However, a defense strategy does not only involve keeping possession of the ball from the other team, but also getting full control over the ball itself and using it properly. To fully understand the defense strategy of your team, check out the following qualities that every successful defender needs to have.
The first attribute of a successful defender is that he maintains a strong focus on the ball throughout the whole of the game. By always knowing where the ball is, and determining the appropriate technique and time to take control of the ball, a good defender will make the defense much stronger and harder to break down.
Take note that it is important to be always one step ahead of the opposing team, so you must identify the tactical strategies that they are using as soon as you can. Most teams tend to play to their strengths and play in a similar formation every game, usually only making their formation more defensive when they play away.
Secondly, an outstanding defender is used to dealing with different soccer skills and techniques. If you know a lot of plays and strategies, then you will be able to defend against tricky players more successfully. Take time to learn various dribbling and passing methods, since your main objective is to ensure that your rivals will not have possession of the ball, know their tricks because most players are one trick ponies, once you know their particular "trick" you can defend against them a lot better.
A successful defender performs numerous drills during soccer training. The drills are performed both as an individual and as a group because you will have the chance to train your body for different situations and learn the basic defensive strategies. Many coaches employ techniques such as tying a long piece of string to the back four and drilling them so they work as a unit, and making them step up as a unit at the right time to catch the other team offside.
If you have some experience and have already mastered the basic necessary drills and defending techniques, you will notice improvement in your training and matchplay, and your ability to read the game and make a challenge before there is any real danger.
As I mentioned before, every player is a defender, the strikers and midfield should be closing down the opposing team long before they reach the 18 yard box, although many teams will only close down once the other team crosses the half way line to conserve energy.
Good strikers like Didier Drogba of Chelsea are also great defenders, and are used to marking the opposing team on corners and set-plays, if you watch the top class strikers they also help out the defense by slowing down the other teams keeper when he is trying to get a fast break going, or they close down the defenders to try and force an error.
You can do many other things in order to be a successful defender, just make sure you follow your coaches instructions and learn to work as a team with your fellow players, and especially your defensive unit. Constantly talk to each other and listen to your keeper's instructions, especially when setting up a wall or defending a corner.
Always see to it that you are mentally and physically prepared for every game. Living a healthy lifestyle plays a vital role in developing your mind and body for the soccer field. Eat healthy foods such as raw foods and drink plenty of water every day, watch how the big teams defend and never stop learning.

Jim Osgood is a Soccer nut who runs the website: http://www.worldcupworld2010.com His growing website has a World Cup Forum, Blog and Video page for anyone interested in Soccer. Fans can add their own views to the World Cup Forum and predict the winners and losers for 2010. Jim's World Cup 2010 South Africa soccer book is available for FREE download at: http://www.worldcupworld2010.com/soccerbook/

Using Stretches Before You Start Your Soccer Fitness Routine

In every physical activity, warming up before you engage in a workout is very important, and so it follows that a warm-up session before your soccer training is also absolutely necessary.
During your training routine you are usually aiming to improve your soccer skills and overall fitness, as well as your strength and tactical awareness, all of which can strain your muscles. Therefore, to minimize the chance of injuries you are well advised to perform warm up exercises. If you fall short in preparing your body for a heavy workout, you may have to miss out on future training sessions and matches due to sprains and muscle strain.
The muscles in our bodies are usually very tight, and when the muscle gets tighter it is more prone to tension injuries like pulls and strains. As you train for soccer, your body is being lead into an array of quick changing movements that can build up the tension in your muscles.
Activities like turning swiftly, twisting in an unusual manner and the different types of fast muscle stretching during soccer practice can bring various injuries to your body. The most common injuries include muscle sprains, strains on the different muscles as well as rips in the fragile tissue of the muscles.
Movements that result in giving "warmness" to your muscles will enable your tissues to produce a certain level of energy more rapidly compared to their cold equivalent, and the amount of tension that is naturally contained in the muscles will be reduced. Doing a warm up before training is a way of relieving tension in your muscles before you punish them.
In addition, relaxed muscles can be an advantage in your overall soccer game. Your total speed will increase and you will be able to comfortably perform your moves and execute them with strength, as well as sustain an advanced control over your technique.
As you go through your warm up activities ahead of your soccer training, always remember to incorporate a wide range of stretches similar to those that will be used during the game.
To add a slight twist to your usual warm up exercises, use your soccer ball when stretching. You can stretch your legs by turning the ball in a circular movement with your foot. This activity can limber up your muscles in your legs, ankles and feet. You can also loosen up your arms by holding the ball above your head and moving it in several positions.
Warm up activities play an important role in your soccer game. It can lessen the probability of an injury, mentally prepare you for your training, boost your speed, enhance your strength and assist you in performing specific moves. It can definitely affect your overall performance and help protect you from any long term muscle problems.

Jim Osgood is a Soccer nut who runs the website: http://www.worldcupworld2010.com
His growing website has a World Cup Forum, Blog and Video page for anyone interested in Soccer. Fans can add their own views to the World Cup Forum and predict the winners and losers for 2010.
Jim's World Cup 2010 South Africa soccer book is available for FREE download at: http://www.worldcupworld2010.com/soccerbook/

Real Madrid - One of the Best Football Clubs of the Century

Real Madrid is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. It is the most successful team in Spanish football and was voted by FIFA as the most successful club of the 20th century, having won a record thirty-one La Liga titles, seventeen Spanish Cups, a record nine European Cups and two UEFA Cups.
Real Madrid was founded in 1902 and has spent all of its history in the top flight of Spanish football. In the 1940s, the club, the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium and the Ciudad Deportiva were rebuilt following the Spanish Civil War. During the 1950s, the club was reckoned as a major force in both Spanish and European football.
In the 1980s, the club had one of the best teams in Spain and Europe, winning two UEFA Cups, five Spanish championships in a row, one Spanish cup and three Spanish Super Cups. The team plays on home ground in an all-white equipment. The team also has two more equipments: blue and black. Real's stadium is the 80,354-person-capacity Santiago Bernabeu in downtown Madrid, where it has played since 1947.
The club holds long-standing rivalries with some other clubs; the most notable of these is with FC Barcelona, the two teams regularly contesting the match called "El Clasico". Unlike most European football clubs, Real Madrid's members have owned and operated the club since its beginning. The club is the world's richest football club (€351million) in terms of revenue and the second most valuable (worth over €950million as of 2008 study).

English Premier League - Top Scorers - 2009/2010

October 25, 2009
Rank	Player	Team	Goals
1	Fernando Torres	Liverpool	9
2	Darren Bent	Sunderland	8
	Didier Drogba	Chelsea	8
4	Jermain Defoe	Tottenham Hotspur	6
	Louis Saha	Everton	6
	Wayne Rooney	Manchester United	6
7	Robbie Keane	Tottenham Hotspur	5
	Robin Van Persie	Arsenal	5
	Carlton Cole	West Ham United	5
	Kenwyne Jones	Sunderland	5
	Gabriel Agbonlahor	Aston Villa	5
	Hugo Rodallega	Wigan Athletic	5
13	David Dunn	Blackburn Rovers	4
	Craig Bellamy	Manchester City	4
	Emmanuel Adebayor	Manchester City	4
	Cesc Fábregas	Arsenal	4
	Thomas Vermaelen	Arsenal	4
18	Matthew Taylor	Bolton Wanderers	3
	Steven Gerrard	Liverpool	3
	William Gallas	Arsenal	3
	Frank Lampard	Chelsea	3
	Martin Petrov	Manchester City	3
	Nicolas Anelka	Chelsea	3
	Dirk Kuyt	Liverpool	3
	Michael Ballack	Chelsea	3
	Dimitar Berbatov	Manchester United	3
	Yossi Benayoun	Liverpool	3
	Andrei Arshavin	Arsenal	3
	Kevin Doyle	Wolverhampton Wanderers	3
	Tamir Cohen	Bolton Wanderers	3
	Abou Diaby	Arsenal	3
	Marcio Geovanni	Hull City	3

2009/2010 English Premiership Table

			Overall
RK		TEAM	P	W	D	L	GS	GA	GD	Pts
1		Chelsea	10	8	0	2	24	8	16	24
2		Manchester United	10	7	1	2	21	11	10	22
3		Arsenal	9	6	1	2	29	13	16	19
4		Tottenham Hotspur	10	6	1	3	21	14	7	19
5		Liverpool	10	6	0	4	24	13	11	18
6		Manchester City	9	5	3	1	18	11	7	18
7		Aston Villa	9	5	2	2	13	8	5	17
8		Sunderland	10	5	1	4	18	15	3	16
9		Stoke City	10	4	3	3	9	11	-2	15
10		Wigan Athletic	10	4	1	5	12	17	-5	13
11		Burnley	10	4	0	6	10	22	-12	12
12		Bolton Wanderers	9	3	2	4	14	15	-1	11
13		Fulham	9	3	2	4	10	12	-2	11
14		Everton	9	3	2	4	12	15	-3	11
15		Birmingham	10	3	1	6	8	12	-4	10
16		Blackburn Rovers	9	3	1	5	11	22	-11	10
17		Wolverhampton Wanderers	10	2	3	5	9	16	-7	9
18		Hull City	10	2	2	6	8	22	-14	8
19		West Ham United	9	1	3	5	11	15	-4	6
20		Portsmouth	10	1	1	8	5	15	-10	4

Clichy wants less mistakes

Gael Clichy believes Arsenal just have to improve "small details'' to give themselves every chance of securing the Premier League title.

GettyImages

The French defender is confident of success.

The Gunners looked to be coasting towards a comfortable fifth straight league win when 2-0 up at West Ham yesterday, only to allow the home side back into the match during the last 15 minutes.
Failure to close out victory at Upton Park was another hard lesson for the young Gunners, who were also caught by a stoppage-time equaliser in their Champions League clash at AZ Alkmaar last week. Full-back Clichy, though, insists the team are determined to cut out such a costly loss of focus.
"We were in control of the game, but it is not enough because we have to win games and stop losing points like this because it is a big disappointment,'' he said. "We have the quality, it is just small details that make the difference and we know that.
"On set-pieces you have to be focused and referee decisions are not in our hands. "The Premier League is really tough - even at 3-0 up you can concede a draw or lose the game.
"That shows you the level of the competition and the teams we are playing against.That is good for English football, but we should have won the game. We do not really care about what the other teams (around us) do. We have to play our game and try to get as many points as possible.''
Despite the disappointment of only leaving east London with a draw, Arsenal are up to third in the league on goal difference ahead of north London rivals Tottenham, whom they host on Saturday, and with a match in hand on both Manchester United and leaders Chelsea.
And French defender Clichy believes Wednesday night's visit of Liverpool in the Carling Cup cannot come soon enough for Arsenal players keen to forget the West Ham game.
"We know what we have done right and wrong,'' he said. "When you make a mistake or have a bad game that the best way to forget it is to play as soon as possible.
"We have a big game on Wednesday in the Carling Cup against Liverpool, so we have to be focused on that and then of course Tottenham is a big derby for ourselves and for the fans.''