A Football Report

Posted by Eric Beard

While Howard Webb really did an overall excellent job refereeing the World Cup Final, the Netherlands should have gone a man down in the first half. Nigel De Jong went absolutely mental and decided to give Spain’s Xabi Alonso a kick in the chest. How Xabi went on to play the rest of the game, I have no idea. De Jong should be ashamed of himself to make such a rash tackle, but he probably won’t be. After all, this isn’t the first time the Dutch midfielder has done something like this while wearing Oranje, just ask Stuart Holden….

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Posted by Eric Beard

Mexico may be out of the tournament, but they went out in style. A lot of neutrals weren’t particularly happy with the diving from Gabriel Heinze and well, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez wasn’t either. Nothing like a good shove along the touchline is there. This lad is getting ready for the Premiership just fine. You can view the quality push above and you can view his quality goal below.

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Posted by Eric Beard

Tim Cahill is a class act, however, there’s something to be said for a footballer who is able to keep his cool when his team is being outclassed. Germany put in a masterful performance, and although no one expected a 4-0 win, everyone expected Joachim Low’s side to win. Cahill received a straight red for a rash tackle on on Bastian Schweinsteiger, and despite the senselessness to make that sort of tackle, it was a harsh decision to send Cahill off. Nevertheless, a nation’s hopes were entrusted with Cahill, and you have to think that getting a win against a surprisingly good Ghana side on the 19th will be nearly impossible without the Socceroos’ main playmaker. So have Australia’s hopes of advancing out of their group of death been shattered or do they still stand a chance with Serbia and Ghana left to play?

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So you don’t fancy Australia’s chances? Check out the latest odds, fixtures and results on the free bets uk site Freebets.com

Posted By Eric Beard

While I’ll let it up to you guys to decide whether or not Japan’s Marcus Tulio Tanaka intentions were malicious when he came in for a challenge with his right knee leaping into the Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba. Controversy has sprung from all across the world from Tanaka’s tackle. After all, Tanaka is Brazilian born, and he has clearly done his homeland quite the favour. Drogba, though a terrifying force to face, will mostly likely not get the chance to compete in another World Cup because he is 32-years-old. So, for me, watching Drogba grab his arm and cringe in pain was like watching a whole continent suffer. Knowing Drogba, he’ll play through the pain. That’s because he realizes that he is not simply a footballer, but he is a symbol of hope for his Ivory Coast that desperately needs hope from anywhere it is to be found. Will he be 100% fit? Probably not, but we’ve all learned from the past few years that what Drogba wants, Drogba gets.

Robin van Persie is world class. No one would argue with that. However, his body just is not fit to handle the pressure and stress that is endured on a footballer’s body at the highest levels of the game. The Arsenal and Netherlands striker has produced moments of magic in both shirts, but, unfortunately, he has also succumbed to injury far too often. Reports are coming out of the Dutch camp that RvP has injured his foot once again, but these reports are, after all, from The Daily Mail, so I’m not sure they should be trusted. Anyway, this Monday let’s look at the best and worst of van Persie.

Above you’ll find the challenge from Giorgio Chiellini during the Holland-Italy friendly back in November that caused van Persie to be out for a solid six months. But below you’ll find the current RvP in incredible form, recently scoring two wonderful goals against Mexico in their 2-1 victory in Amsterdam. If “The Cobra” is healthy in South Africa, then I’m definitely put a little World Cup Betting dosh on Netherlands merking Denmark in the opening match. But that’s just me. The Flying Oranje look like they’ll be as exciting as ever. Robben, Sneijder, RvP, Van Der Vaart, and the list goes on. 

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Posted By Eric Beard

Though Mourinho will forever love Internazionale, let’s all remember that he really wasn’t a huge fan of Italian calcio. “I am very happy at Inter but not in Italian football,” the former Chelsea coach told Sky Sports. Asked why, he said: “Because I don’t like it and it doesn’t like me, simple.”

Well, I suppose that’s why “The Special One” has reportedly agreed to a four-year contract with Real Madrid worth up to 40 million euros. To remind ourselves of the drama that can arise in your average Serie A match, here’s a classic clip of Mourinho arguing with a referee about a rash tackle on Mario Balotelli and then being dismissed. As one of Mourinho’s favourite strikers would say, this particular incident was “a disgrace.”

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Thousands upon thousands of fans celebrated Bayern Munich’s 22nd German championship as the team’s lederhosen-clad players sang and danced on the balcony of the city hall. The festivities took place Sunday, one day after Bayern clinched the Bundesliga title with a 3-1 win at relegated Hertha Berlin. Bayern, led by playmakers Arjen Robben & Franck Ribery, now are on course to win an unbelievable treble as they are in the Champions League final vs. Inter Milan and the German Cup final in Berlin vs. Werder Bremen next Saturday. Coach Louis van Gaal’s team takes on Inter Milan in the Champions League final one week later in Madrid.

Anyway, one of the major stories is that the Bundesliga’s most talented Frenchman, Franck Ribery, is suspended from the Champions League title for a reckless studs-up challenge on Lyon striker Lisandro Lopez in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final in Munich. Ribery has received a three-game ban for the “stomp”. While I’m not sure a straight red was warranted, I am certain that Lucio, Zanetti, Walter Samuel, Chivu, and the rest of the Inter defence will be happy to see their French counterpart merely watching the final from the stands of the Bernabeu. 

More pictures from Bayern’s Bundesliga celebration are after the jump!

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Diego Milito was the difference last night as Inter Milan defeated AS Roma 1-0 to give the Nerazzurri the Coppa Italia trophy. Because Inter were playing the better calcio, Roma knew they weren’t going to come back. Unfortunately we saw one of the greatest modern Italian footballers, Francesco Totti, have one of his worst all time moments. In the closing minutes of the game, Mario Balotelli went galavanting into Roma’s final third, and without any restraint, the Roma captain kicked the young Italian striker as hard as he could. Thankfully Balotelli did not suffer a broken leg or any major injury (that we know of), but after watching the video you have to think that Totti could have easily caused that sort of damage. Anyway, I’m ashamed to see such a footballing legend act like this. What did you think of Totti’s vicious kick? (Full highlights of Inter’s 1-0 win are below)

Update: “I kicked him because of what he said on the pitch, and for what he did at San Siro,” Totti said toforzaroma.info. 

Last season, Balotelli scored a twice against the Giallorossi in a spectacular 3-3 draw, and the controversial young talent ran towards the travelling Roma fans and told them to shut it by placing his finger over his mouth after scoring.

Still, it’s not okay what Totti did. In fact I think that kick was fairly criminal. Especially because now we know it was a premeditated attack. I’m disgusted.

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After the Glasgow Rangers were officially deemed the champions of the Scottish Premier League, there were joyous celebrations to follow among Rangers’ supporters. The players joined in as well, and so did Rangers’ mascot, Broxi Bear. As Mr. Bear was pumping up the crowd, Rangers striker Kyle Lafferty had so much energy/testosterone running through him that decided to go ahead and tackle the mascot. Of course, this is only considered a nice little hug in Scotland. Well in lad… And congrats to Rangers fans on their 53rd SPL title. [found via our friend Brooks over at Dirty Tackle]

As if being 6 foot, 7 inches isn’t a big enough aerial advantage! Spurs striker and England international Peter Crouch was fed up with being tied nil-nil with World Cup minnows Trinidad & Tobago, so he decided to take things into his own hands. Quite literally. Mr. Classy Cross (aka David Beckham) set up a beautiful cross for any striker to nod into the back of the net, so instead of just rising above T&T defender Brent Sancho the lanky giant chose to go Elizabeth Lambert-style and pull on Sancho’s dreadlocks. And he got away with it too. You cannot teach that. Well you can, but you shouldn’t.

Crouch’s goal gave England the lead in the 83rd minute.  This result allowed England to win their group, which then allowed them to avoid facing hosts Germany (instead playing Ecuador) in the Round of 16, who knocked out Sweden. If you don’t believe the little things matter in football, here’s your proof! Cheeky, cheeky proof.

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John Terry was sent off this past weekend at White Hart Lane for two daft tackles in two minutes. Clearly the ex-England captain’s form has taken a knock since it became common knowledge that he had been a piece of scum off the field, but I’m starting to think that Capello shouldn’t even take Terry to South Africa. After all, Michael Dawson has been in sensational form for Spurs and Rio Ferdinand will obviously start as he is the captain. Terry was shown a second yellow sent off for a reckless tackle on Gareth Bale, and probably should have been sent off in the FA Cup semifinal for an absolutely atrocious tackle on Aston Villa/England midfielder James Milner. I’m sure Capello cringed watching that one. Anyway, I’ve attached clips of some of Terry’s worst tackles. Can you really tell me you trust this guy on the world’s biggest stage?

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Portuguese goalkeeper Nuno Claro of CFR Cluj (Romania) tackles Astra’s Georgian Paun outside the penalty box. Paun is lucky to be alive after this Bruce Lee-esque sprinting kick! Notice how Claro is kind of amazed by the fact he is being sent off, I wonder what he thought the ref should do. Claro should be happy he’s not in jail for that, well done son!