Page 2 - Tracey Brooks
- May 15, 2018
The 2013/14 Europa League round of 16 draw made history. For the first time, Seville’s two top sides, Sevilla and Real Betis, would face each other in continental competition. They had both made it through the tournament’s group stages and first knockout round without much fuss, but their domestic circumstances were vastly divergent. While Sevilla were chasing a place in La Liga’s top six, Betis were fighting to avoid relegation to the second tier.
As a result, the stakes were particularly high for the first all-Sevillian European contest. Historically, however, there has always been a lot at stake when the two teams have clashed. The derby dates back to 1915, when the first game took place (Sevilla won 4-3), but the roots of the rivalry go back even further.
Sevilla Derby History
In his book on Spanish football, ‘Morbo’, Phil Ball writes that: “Four years after the founding of Sevilla FC in 1905…three of Sevilla’s newly elected directors refused to sanction the
- May 11, 2018
Gareth Bale appears to have come to a crossroads in his footballing career. While, on the surface level, it looks like the Welshman has everything any player might ever wish for, his time in Madrid has not reached the level as to which was expected of him. Bale remains a warm up act rather than the headline show.
The former Tottenham winger’s career with Real Madrid started swimmingly, emphasised by scoring two goals that won two very important trophies for Los Blancos. The first was that wonderfully mazy run against Barcelona in the Copa del
Rey final. And just one month later, Bale was finding the back of the net in extra time to seal the win for Los Blancos against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League. A European night that will go down in Madrid’s history due to how long their 10th Cup evaded them.In his first year, the Wales international scored 22 goals and assisted 19 in 44 appearances. Two of those goals were in finals. The future was incredibly bright
- May 04, 2018
Greatness has followed Iniesta throughout his career and his reputation had already taken on a life of its own by the age of 15-years-old. By impressing the senior coaches at Barcelona, in which he joined the renowned La Masia just four years previous, the young, frail Iniesta was asked to join in the first team’s training session.
Even at the tender age of 15, the young Spaniard didn’t allow his stature, size or clear deficiencies get in the way of showing the senior players what he can do with the ball at his feet. Pep Guardiola, the then-captain of Barça, told 19-year-old Xavi Hernández, “You’re going to retire me [but] this kid is going to retire us all.”
After that training session, Guardiola addressed the group of players and said: “Remember this day - the day you first played with Andrés.”
Quite the compliment.
Many players would be ecstatic with 1/10th of what Iniesta has achieved in the game of football. Now, at 33-years-old, - May 01, 2018
Between the summer of 1991 and February 1992, there was no domestic league football in Croatia. The country’s War of Independence was underway, and the focus shifted from enjoying sport to mere survival. This war would end in 1995, and one year later the national football team of an independent Croatia made it to their first-ever major finals. They competed at Euro 96 in England, eventually losing in the quarter-finals to Germany, who went on to win the competition.
Euro 96 was a successful international tournament debut for Croatia, and they followed it up with qualification for the 1998 World Cup, which was held in France. There they would surprise some of the finest teams in the world as they played their way through Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, and Lyon, going deep into the knockout stages in the process. They would also stun those tuning in with one of the most aesthetically pleasing kits seen in the game.
History of the Croatia 1998 World Cup Kit
- April 27, 2018
After Liverpool’s emphatic 5-2 first leg win at Anfield against Italians Roma, there was a real sense that Jürgen Klopp’s men had placed one foot in the door for the final in Kyiv come the end of May.
Not many pundits, fans or even club officials would have said that Liverpool could, realistically, reach the Champions League final this season. Yes, they had a promising attack and still maintained Philippe Coutinho until January, but their defence was leaking in goals left, right and centre. To have thought they would be 180 minutes away from lifting the trophy for the first time since 2005 under Rafa Benitez’s kinship would have been ludicrous.And yet, Liverpool are on the verge of something truly spectacular. Through Mohamed Salah’s brilliance, Sadio Mané’s relentless energy and Roberto Firmino’s selflessness, along with a fantastic manager and team cohesion, the Reds are halfway to the Champions League final.
Recent Champions League Performances
- April 25, 2018
Not all goalkeepers can claim to be the subject of a ‘Top 6 Goals’ highlight reel on YouTube, but then 1990's star Jorge Campos was nothing like all goalkeepers. In fact, watching the aforementioned tribute video, the immediate impression formed is that he was something of a predatory finisher with quick feet and quicker thinking.
Inside his ‘Top 6’ are some majestic finishes. There’s a penalty kick which he shapes to kick with his left foot, deceives the opposition goalkeeper and calmly slots home with the outside of his right. There’s a lobbed strike that he executes immediately after being tackled to the ground. There’s also a magnificent scissor kick, which is the hallmark of only the truly innovative footballing hitmen.
Goalkeeper Turned Striker
Time for some crucial context for the confused: Campos was, at various points throughout his career, a striker. No, he didn’t just go up for the odd corner kick when his team were losing and only seconds remained;
- April 24, 2018
There are a lot of exciting young players in Europe right now, some are already well-known whilst others are about to announce themselves in their respective leagues. On top of that, several rising individuals are prepared to do anything to achieve the opportunity of going to the World Cup.
In Spain, the production line of youngsters being promoted from the youth academy to the first team or are brought for cheap from elsewhere and are developed effectively, remains consistent season by season. This is one of the huge factors to why Spanish football will always be superior.
Here are the four youngsters that are having a wonderful season at a personal level in La Liga...
Unai Nunez – Athletic Club
Athletic Club have proven to be a side that produces many talented individuals and a team that can keep hold of their valuable gems for longer than expected. For sure, Inaki Williams, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Yeray Alvarez are a few - April 20, 2018
It has not been a Premier League classic in terms of any sort of title race given Manchester City’s dominance over the whole country, but that’s not to say there haven’t been great performances elsewhere.
The spotlight is firmly stuck on Pep Guardiola and his men, and rightly so, but three players have performed to a level that looked incomprehensible before the season had begun.
Here are Liam Canning’s three Premier League overachievers this season:
Mohamed Salah: Liverpool, right wing
It’s not right to call Salah an underrated gem, because he’s not anymore. He was, however, looked at as a gamble when Liverpool decided to spend £35 million on the Egyptian King to bring him from AS Roma last summer.
Questions were being raised, even by Liverpool’s fans, about Salah’s last stint in England at Chelsea, and how it did not go according to plan under José Mourinho. That was putting it kindly.
However, with more experience and maturity in
- April 16, 2018
It could be argued that Denmark’s second goal in their 2-0 win over West Germany in 1986 was the definitive move of that summer’s World Cup. Diego Maradona may have stolen the show with a couple of ridiculous strikes against England – one being his infamous ‘Hand of God’; the other a wonderful solo run that saw him beat five players and then slot past the goalkeeper – but neither of those efforts truly captured the times in a footballing or a stylistic sense.
Denmark V West Germany 1986 World Cup
Denmark’s second against West Germany did. It originated with a goal kick from an outfield player, which is something so rarely seen these days. What’s more, left-back Henrik Andersen didn’t just boot the ball downfield, but daintily chipped
it into midfield. That effortlessly graceful lobbed pass was followed by a nonchalant dribble up the pitch by its recipient, Soren Lerby, a provocative playmaker who wore his socks around his ankles and saw no need for shin pads. What - April 13, 2018
A fiery debate takes place every year which awards the Premier League Player of the Year to the best footballer in the division. The usual suspects are put up for the award, seldom anyone but forward players, and this season is going to be no different.
Two players stand out for their teams - who have both been phenomenal in their own regard - and have been a cut above everyone else this season. It is the obvious duo of Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Liverpool’s Mo Salah.
One set of fans is going to be bitterly disappointed their man didn’t win the award, but here’s Liam Canning’s take on who deserves to be crowned the Premier League Player of the Year:
Kevin De Bruyne
After being sold by Chelsea in 2014 to Wolfsburg, not many thought that the Belgian would make a comeback to the Premier League. Not least of all with Manchester City.
However, four years later, the Belgian is on course to winning his first Premier League title. De Bruyne