The Heat of Rivalry and Title Chase

Writer: Amos Joseph

Ask Manchester United and City rivals Manchester City or Real Madrid and the Catalan giants (Barcelona) or AC Milan and Juventus or PSG and Montpellier, better still find out from Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich may be you will understand that you necessarily do not have to sweat to feel heat.

Considering the stage at which some leagues are at the moment, with just few matches to see off the 2011/2012 season. It is a worthy and natural for every team to be mindful of close rival's form and results. Stakeholders are not finding it funny owing to number of points their teams have garnered which is a major determinant of how they finish on the log at the end of the season.

Obviously, some teams are relegation threatened or bound, some others are seeking consolidation while for some teams, securing UEFA Champions or Europa league spot would do for the season while a few are chasing the title with all desperation.

Arsenal ace defender Thomas Vermaelen told newsmen how it is better to forget rivals and focus on results. He made the statement just after helping his side secure the needed three points against Everton which catapulted the Gunners to third spot on the league table.

Easier said than done some will say. It could be recalled how Real Madrid failed to beat Villareal in a highly emotional game to keep up the gap between them and the Catalans who are chasing ruthlessly and narrowing the difference match after match. Similarly, Chelsea also failed to maintain the lead when they confronted Manchester City who cannot afford to drop a point as it would affect their title contest.

Consequently, some managers will be sacked, some are gone already while other are dead men walking; in other quarters, ego will be tampered with either positively or negatively; for some it is the history book that matter.

However, whatever the case may be pressure is mounting as the clock goes tick tock, the odds are high at the same time low. Simply put, the heat is on.

                                                                                           

More reasons why these men must live

Few Question Lionel Messi Needs to Answer

Writer: Amos Joseph
Obviously, he is the best the world has ever produced, he has not retired, yet, he’s being called a legend, his playing style and scoring ability has drawn comparisons to erstwhile world greatest footballers. He is only 25 years old, he is a three times holder of the world’s most esteemed football award the FIFA Balon D’or and a UEFA best player in Europe award 2010-1011 not to mention all other individual, club and national laurels.

Basically, this piece is not a eulogy or autobiography but a critical and practical examination of this ‘fairy’ called Lionel Messi.

Inspired by his mesmerizing performance and that of his cohorts against Bayern Leverkusen in a 2^nd leg encounter of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 which saw Barcelona white-wash the German club 7-1 (10-2 agg). Messi got 5 of the goals while new first team entrant Cristian Tello netted the remaining 2 goals that ensure Barca of the quater final spot.

By scoring five goals in a match, he sets a new record of the highest number of goals to be scored by an individual player in the history of the UCL.
He breaks and makes the new records. He plays like he doesn’t rehearse his several moves, goal scoring, excellent and quick dribbling.  Some say he’s a wizard, others say he’s out of this world. In fact, some say he was cloned. All of these capture a glimpse of the several perception and notion of the Argentine paragon. His humility is second to none despite his feat.

Without much ado, if i meet this young man, here are a few questions i would like him to answer, and probably he will delve into several others on your mind as well.

1.       Who is Lionel Messi?

2.       Does he have a role model?

      3.       How does he feel when he doesn’t score in a game?

4.       Can he teach or explain his skills?

Blood and water run through his veins, yet he’s such a wonder. Would the world ever have someone like Messi again? So many questions about the legend in the making.....

NPL: Shobowale to miss ABS clash

 Dolphins' attacking midfielder, Azeez Shobowale will miss his side's rescheduled Matchday 9 game against ABS on Wednesday at the llorin Township Stadium.

Shobowale is unfit for the encounter against his former team no thanks to severe aching tooth.

The combative playmaker told SuperSport.com that Dolphins will not fall prey to bottom placed ABS.

"ABS are dangerous after pulling a shocking 2-1 away win against Kaduna United and at home, they will want to prove that their victory at Kaduna was not a fluke.

"We've taken a lesson from that encounter and will descend on them with our full weight.

"We're fully prepared for them and we want to assure that there won't be Kaduna United treat for Dolphins tomorrow (Thursday)."

The domestic champions missed their Matchday 12 tie against Niger Tornadoes due to their continental assignment against Sony Ela Nguema of Equatorial Guinea but have garnered 18 points from a maximum of 33.

Shobowale is however dismayed at the missed chance of playing against his former teammates.

"I had looked forward to the game with keen interest and now I won't be in action because of my toothache.

"I'm still hopeful of playing against them in the reverse fixture," he said.

Shobowale is in Lagos receiving treatment.

Fatai Amoo takes over F/Eagles

Former Shooting Stars coach Fatai Amoo is set to be named the new coach of Nigeria’s U20 team, the Flying Eagles.

According toMTNFootball.com, the former Super Eagles assistant coach is heavily favoured to take over from John Sam Obuh, who guided the team to win the 2011 African Youth Championship in South Africa.

The executive committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will meet next week in Abuja to announce Amoo’s appointment.

Amoo has worked at several top Nigerian clubs including First Bank FC of Lagos, Enyimba and Sunshine Stars.

He has a penchant for discovering and working with young players like Gbolahan Salami, who he spotted playing for a Lagos secondary school.

This season, ‘Arsena’ was replaced at 3SC by Festus Allen after he refused a reduced offer by the Ibadan club.

His immediate assignment would be in July, when he battles the overall winners of the AYC match-up between Sudan and Tanzania for the right to advance in the qualifying series for the biennial competition to be staged next year in Algeria.

The FIFA U20 World Cup will be hosted by Turkey from June 2013.

UCL: Arsenal out, Benfica progress into Q/final

 Arsenal put up a spirited display in their Champions League last-16 second leg but were ultimately eliminated by AC Milan, while Benfica beat Zenit St Petersburg 4-3 on aggregate to advance.

At Emirates Stadium, it appeared Arsenal would need a miracle to become the first club to overturn a 4-0 first leg deficit to progress against AC Milan.

The Gunners were determined to serve up an upset, though, and raced into a 3-0 half-time lead thanks to goals from Laurent Koscielny, Tomas Rosicky and a Robin van Persie penalty.

However, Arsene Wenger's side tired in the second half and try as they might could not find the decisive fourth goal to send the game into extra-time, with captain Van Persie guilty of missing their best chance as his attempted chip was saved by Christian Abbiati.

Milan looked a shadow of the side that had demolished Arsenal at the San Siro two weeks ago, but the Serie A leaders hung on to progress to the quarter-finals.

In Lisbon, Benfica's task against Zenit St Petersburg appeared considerably more achievable after their first leg ended 3-2 in favour of the Russians.

And Jorge Jesus' side were left celebrating their place in the last eight after earning a 2-0 victory at the Estadio da Luz.

Maxi Pereira set Benfica on their way as he lashed home the opening goal in first-half stoppage time, and substitute Nelson Miguel Castro Oliveira rounded things off late on with a breakaway strike in the third minute of injury time.

 source: soccernet.com