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Soccerphile explores more proposals for change in the English Premier League.

 

As Soccerphile has documented over the last few years, suggestions with regards to restructuring the Premier League have been plentiful. There was talk in 2008 of a 39th fixture being added to the annual schedule, with each club playing outside of England for this game. There were rumblings about the Old Firm (Rangers and Celtic) joining England’s elite league once again this season, while Bolton Phil Gartside also proposed the idea of a two-tier Premiership with no promotion or relegation outside of it.

 

The in-vogue discussion ahead of the next Premier League chairman’s meeting in April is of a play-off system being introduced which would see the clubs finishing between fourth and seventh battling for a spot in the Champions League. The idea Togel Hongkong behind such a move would be to inject more competition into a league that has seen the same four clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United – qualify for the competition from the Premier League for the past six seasons.

 

As with other potential areas of change that have been mooted over the past few years, there are supporters and detractors of this latest proposal. Perhaps unsurprisingly it is the current ‘chasing pack’ behind the Premier League’s ‘Big Four’ that have stepped forward to champion this suggestion. Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp believes that introducing a Champions League play-off system in the Premier League would increase excitement and work as well as the Football League Play-Offs. Aston Villa’s Martin O’Neill thinks the system would reinvigorate the aspirations of mid-table teams.

 

Liverpool manager Rafa Benítez has poured scorn over the ideas, believing more games would lead to players being exposed to great risk of injury and clubs “playing until …

 

 

It turns out that ‘Koreaphobia’ is a condition not easily cured. For South Korea and China, this week is the ‘decider’. The two neighbours have crossed swords twice this year already with the score resting at 1-1. Events over the next 48 hours will determine which nation emerges as the winner.

 

The Koreans have long had the upper hand when it comes to the beautiful game. In 32 meetings between the two national teams, China had never won. Such a Data HK woeful record gave rise to the pseudo-psychological condition that described the fear of playing Korea. It was a term coined in the Middle Kingdom but taken up with gusto in the Land of the Morning Calm.

 

That all changed on a February evening in Tokyo when China shocked the Asian Tigers with a 3-0 win. The result wasn’t flattering in the least and it could easily have been more.

 

The victory was the best moment for Chinese football since they reached the 2004 Asian Cup final. It was greeted with a hail of happy headlines on the west side of the Yellow Sea and provoked gloom, doom and much soul-searching over on the east. Only a 2-0 win over Ivory Coast a month later lightened the mood ahead of the World Cup – that and last week’s results.

 

The Asian Champions League reached the halfway stage and as it did so, Korea’s four representatives in the competition met China’s quartet. Each of the eight groups contains four teams with the top two progressing to the second round. It was a clean sweep for Korea as all four K-League teams triumphed against Chinese Super league opposition.

 

Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma started the week coming back from a goal down at home against the …

 

 

The locals got their wish. Their very own superstar delivered the goods with a goal from his heart to proclaim Barcelona as FIFA Club World Cup Champions of the World.

 

The truth of the matter was that he, proclaimed World footballer of the year the following day, and he alone (well maybe not…remember the title of this piece) was the catalyst for Barcelona winning the trophy. An uninspiring display against Atlante Bandarq Online was brought to life by his introduction and in the final he stood out for his intelligent use of the ball during the game and then elevated himself to immortal status. Normally you would describe this as head and shoulders better than the rest. Not Lionel Messi, he has to go one better. Head, shoulders and chest better than the rest.

 

Barcelona v Estudiantes Club World Cup Final

 

The day itself was firstly notable for the absence of the Congo fans, as for the first time since their introduction to the tournament I could hear myself think. Their non stop cacophony of noise and their lead dancer entertained us all, (but I do prefer it when the noise relates to the action on the pitch).

 

Estudiantes fans began the day in good voice and baited their opponents outside the ground as they had many more fans in evidence as they warmed up for the evening’s match. They could be heard throughout the 3rd place play off game, which Pohang Steelers won on penalties.

 

Barcelona v Estudiantes Club World Cup Final

 

We waited for Barcelona fans to make themselves heard during the final but it was evident that Estudiantes were the ones whose passionate fans had made the trip in more numbers.

 

It wasn’t till the end as Barcelona …

 

 

Arsenal Chief executive (and man City fan) Ivan Gazidis has ruled out sacking manager Arsene Wenger, despite Arsenal’s poor start to the new season, which has left them 50/1 with Bet 365 to win the Premier League.

 

61-year-old Wenger’s job security has come under question as the Gunners have won just one of their opening five Premier League games, conceding 14 goals in the process, including four in the 4-3 defeat at Blackburn Rovers last weekend.

 

However, Gazidis says that making a change is not even an option, with Wenger having been in charge at Arsenal for more than 15 years. Togel Gazidis said at the Sport Industry Breakfast Club in London: “(Sacking him) is a route we are not going to go down. “We will be unmoved in the way we do things and will not be swayed by talk of a crisis. We need to stick together.”

 

Arsenal already trail champions Manchester United by 11 points, with the Red Devils 4/6 to retain their crown after five wins out of five.

 

Blue skies over Manchester…?

 

Manchester City have revealed plans for an 80-acre training centre in the shadow of their Eastlands Stadium.

 

The Blues, riding high in second place in the Premier League, are looking to consolidate their arrival in soccer’s rich list, a new era begun when the Abu Dhabi United investment group purchased them three years ago.Man City.

Since then a galaxy of stars have arrived in the blue half of Manchester, including Robinho, Edin Dzeko, Mario Balotelli, Carlos Tevez, Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero. City ended their 35-year trophy drought by winning the FA Cup last season, and finished third in the league to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time.

 

With an …

 

 

Japanese national star Hidetoshi Nakata has told Soccerphile he was happy to come out of his first FA Cup tie on the winners’ side.

Bolton Wanderers had been expecting a tough 3rd Round test at Vicarage Road against 4th-placed Championship side Watford but ended up with a comfortable 3-0 victory.

“We knew it was going to be hard but we did the Dominoqq job,” said Nakata. “We just started well and took it from there.”

Bolton took control of their hosts in the 11th minute after Mexican marksman Jared Borgetti fired into the bottom corner after Watford had failed to clear a Ricardo Gardner cross.

After 34 minutes they turned the screw on the Hornets when Borgetti dummied for teammate Stelios Giannokopoulos to lash the ball into the roof of the net. Portuguese winger Ricardo Vaz Te added a third in the 73rd minute to send Bolton into the hat for the 4th Round and emphasize the ever-growing gulf in class between England’s top two divisions.

“Yes we played really well today,” confirmed Nakata, “and maybe the most important thing was that we did not give away any goals.”

The Japanese legend arrived at the Reebok Stadium last August on a season-long loan from Fiorentina and so far has made twelve appearances for the Wanderers in all competitions, scoring once.

‘Hide’ has adapted well to his new surroundings despite the challenge of a new culture and language:

“Yes I like it here in England,” he told Soccerphile. “There is an excellent atmosphere at the football matches here, and being at an English club is very different from one in Italy but I am happy.”

Having spent so long abroad Nakata has not found adapting to a new country and langauge a problem although admits,

“My Italian is of …

 

 

Iraqi players celebrate their momentous 3-1 victory over Australia

 

“We won tonight, so our fans will be shooting in the air, and that is better than shooting at each other.”

 

Such was Iraq coach Jorvan Viera’s frank assessment after his team shocked Australia 3-1 at Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok.

 

The wily Brazilian veteran has only been in the job for six weeks, and he was quick to deflect attention on to his players following Iraq’s stunning win.

 

It came on the back of an inspired performance from playmaker Nashat Akram – who has been heavily linked with a move to English Premier League club Sunderland, and who opened the scoring with a free-kick after twenty-three minutes.

 

Australia hit back through a Mark Viduka header just after the break, but when man-of-the match Nashat played a superb reverse pass into the path of Hawar Mullah Mohammed on the hour mark, the midfielder made no mistake after being allowed a clear run through on goal.

 

Iraqi fans poured into the streets of the war-torn nation when Karrar Jassim Mohammed added a third late on, as a team comprised of Sunni and Shia Muslims, Kurds and Christians conjured a temporary peace in the fractured nation.

 

The match was played against a political backdrop, with more than 600 Australian Judi Online troops still deployed in Iraq as part of a peace-keeping force in that country.

 

The Australians must be sick of the sight of Iraq on the football pitch, however, with the Iraqi’s having knocked Australia out of the 2004 Athens Olympics en route to the semi-finals.

 

Australia coach Graham Arnold is now under intense pressure after his team turned in one of their worst performances in recent years.

 

Bereft of …

 

 

 

Japan struggled to overcome a gritty India side in an Asian Cup qualifier interrupted by floodlight failure and a stray dog on the pitch. For the first time coach Ivica Osim gave starts to Gamba Osaka striker Ryuji Bando and Kawasaki Frontale midfielder Kengo Nakamura and the pair responded by scoring the goals that saw off the South Asian Football Federation champions. Bando scored twice before half-time and Nakamura added a third with a rasping drive late on in what was ultimately another frustrating performance by the Keluaran Sgp Blue Samurai. Their final Asian Cup qualifier takes place against Saudi Arabia in Sapporo on November 15.

 

October 4, Ghana

 

1. Ghana

 

Japan went down 1-0 to Ghana in their Kirin World Challenge match in front of more than 52,000 fans in Yokohama. Substitute midfielder Draman Haminu scored the only goal of the game for Ghana in the 73rd minute. Ivica Osim gave debuts to Hiroki Mizumoto, Kengo Nakamura, Satoru Yamagishi and Ryuji Bando. Yamagishi came closest to scoring when he hit the post in the 55th minute following a through ball from Sanfrecce Hiroshima striker Hisato Sato.

 

J-League News: Urawa capitalise as Gamba slip up

 

Urawa Reds have opened a shock five point gap at the top of the J-League as Gamba Osaka suffer a case of the late season jitters. Former league leaders Gamba have picked up just one point in the last three matches and Urawa have taken full advantage, picking up maximum points to move five clear with just seven games remaining.

 

Kawasaki Frontale are the only other team in title contention – they are two points behind Gamba in third place, where they have been for much of the season. Shimizu S-Pulse and Kashima Antlers round out the …

 

 

 

You may not think that a match in Seoul against Paraguay on Wednesday marks the start of the road to the 2010 World Cup for South Korea but it does. It is the first of what will amount to close to 20 preparation games for the Taeguk Warriors as they set their sights on South Africa.

 

Everything is now geared towards next June. Unlike most Asian nations, the Koreans don’t even have to worry about qualifying for the 2011 Asian Cup – that spot was clinched automatically after third place at the 2007 version. Coach Huh Jung-moo just has to think globally.

 

The game against Paraguay marks the first non-Asian opposition for the team since January 2008 – the first game of Huh’s reign. That match against the headline-writer’s dream that is Chile, was also the first and, to date, only loss that the team has suffered under the grizzled tactician.

 

An inter-continental Judi Slot match-up has been a long time coming. While it is hard to be too critical of that considering that the team has been working its way through the Asian zone of World Cup qualification, Japan has been doing the same but at the same time managed to squeeze games in against teams from Europe, Africa and South America.

 

Latin American adversaries have often caused problems for South Korea and Paraguay, ranked 28 places above the host at number 20 in the world; will be a tough test as it prepares for vital World Cup qualification matches against Bolivia and Argentina in September. Two good results there should see the boys from Asuncion ascend to the summit that is South Africa.

 

The Seoul media, and no doubt a good number of young women in the capital, are disappointed …

 

 

Back to Tokyo for the semi finals of the competition and I noted that Sepp Blatter has already questioned the participation of the Oceania tournament winner. Not only is this the smallest of the federations it also recently lost Australia to the Asian tournament, as they wished the national team to have more competition and also avoid their inevitable World Cup play off against South American opponents.

 

Making my way from the subway stadium to the first game it was noticeable that a large number of locals were sporting the yellow and blue of Boca. I was handed a flyer for La Bombonera, a Japanese bar dedicated to the team, there were a number of people handing them, obviously to boost business for what should be their busiest night ever.

 

The standard of Togel Singapore football was raised with the introduction of the first South American champions not to come from Brazil. Etoile showed their intentions with a shot at goal from the kick off. However Boca’s slick passing was the key to their win. With 37 minutes gone Palermo put Palacio away down the left wing who played an intricate ball into the feet of Nery Cardozo who gleefully hammered the ball into the roof of the net. Etoile shook off the defensive qualities that saw them through their qualifying match and showed that they could play.

 

The Argentinian side have been quoted as saying that they have to win this tournament no matter what, and Fabian Vargas’s second yellow proved they are not going to let anyone get in the way. Despite this setback with 25 minutes left Boca reverted to 4-3-2, proving that attack is the best form of defence. They matched their opponents with chances at both ends, cruelly Etoile substitute …

 

 

 

The Isle of Man said that as of Jan. 1, it would be allowing casinos based there to take bets from Americans for Togel Singapore.

 

The island, located between Britain and Ireland, is a so-called Crown Dependency, meaning that it makes its own domestic laws but relies on Britain for defense and foreign policy.

 

The policy reversal is significant because the Isle of Man, which first started licensing Internet casinos in 2001, initially sought to attract blue-chip gambling operations by defining itself as a jurisdiction offering rigorous regulation.

 

Initially, that policy seemed to pay off, slot online. as some of the world’s largest gambling operations, including MGM Mirage, purchased expensive licenses to operate online casinos there. But business was not as brisk as expected and six major casinos, including MGM, have relocated from the Isle of Man or closed their Internet operations altogether.

 

In December, the country’s Council of Ministers voted to reverse the policy discouraging online casinos located there from accepting bets from the United States. Tim Craine, the head of e-business for the Isle of Man, said that the country felt the policy change would help attract new casinos – and the licensing and tax revenue they provide.

 

“There’s a lot of business looking to Togel Singapore. relocate to a reputable, regulated jurisdiction,” he said, noting that, in particular, there are numerous poker rooms looking for a new jurisdiction. “We’re hoping to capitalize on that business” by changing our policy.

 

He said that the policy change only affected wagers placed on casino games and in poker games. The country still discourages casinos located there from accepting sports bets placed from the United States.

 

Craine said the country made that distinction because it believes that American law prohibits …