BUSINESS football new sponsor for the stadium of rhinos

A company based in Buffalo meatpacking is making a big splash in football, especially in Western New York. Sahlen's packing company recently bought the naming rights for the Rochester Rhinos Stadium, in business for ten years (five years with an option for five years) that are believed to worth about $ 300000 a year.

Was the last of a series of incursions in football by Sahlen 's, which recently became the official hotdog Professional Football League of Women s. Naturally, all the sponsorship of football is buoying the investment by the owner of the company's team WPS's latest expansion, New York Flash Western.

Business owner Joe Sahlen is the owner of the women's team, having done one step up the League pro inexperienced after his club won the title in W-League last season. Sahlen are spending big on sport. He has already signed five times world player of the year Marta to Flash, besides the stadium naming rights and sponsorship of the League. The League deal prompts a patch of Sahlen's logo across all WPS team throughout the season of 2011.

The League hits the family demographic target for our products and the brand that makes an attractive property, said, Sahlen.

Survey says
Despite the growth of Major League Soccer and the wave of enthusiasm around last year's World Cup in South Africa, has been very little change in popularity of soccer in United States since 1985, according to a Harris poll.

Four percent of respondents of the poll said football was his favorite sport. That's above 2% in 2009, but only slightly above 3% which gave football as an answer in 1985, the first year the vote was held. In 1998, the year of World Cup was held in France and the United States advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to Germany, total citing football as your favorite sport also was 4%. Women's football was recorded in the poll only once, in 2004, when it reached 1%. In 1994, when the United States hosted the FIFA World Cup, 3% of respondents polled s footy as your favorite sport.

Men's soccer equalised in seventh in the standings with men's college basketball, behind soccer pro (31%), baseball (17%), soccer (12%), auto racing (7%), men's pro basketball (6%) and hockey (5%) 2010.

In good hands
Allstate became the official insurance partner of Major League Soccer, American football, the United States men's and Women's football selections. The sponsorship also includes a four-year renewal with the Mexican F Federaci n tbol for their friendly matches in the United States.

In addition to the sponsorship renewal of FML, Allstate will receive exclusive category for the next four years, as the official insurance partner of Major League Soccer and the assets of marquee league s, AT&T MLS All-Star Game and MLS Cup.

Allstate's promotional plans includes support for MLS Sue, free trial of league s looking for talents of Latin American football. Allstate also support basic programs as MLS and MLS Futbolito partner.

Coca-Cola and El Tri
The Coca-Cola Company launched Coca-Cola Plaza as part of your sponsorship activation five Mexican football games in the United States. The fan zone special premiered February 9 in Atlanta, in conjunction with El Tri's friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Georgia Dome. In each game MNT in the United States, Coca-Cola Plaza will be part of Futbol Fiesta, an interactive zone that extends for more than 120 thousand square meters and includes live music, games, celebrity appearances and award giveaways.

View the original article here

Turks fleeing Libya take refuge in the football stadium

Thousands of Turkish workers waiting for evacuation from Libya took refuge in a football stadium in the Eastern city of Benghazi where they heard gunfire and explosions during the night, a witness said on Monday.

Violent riots against the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi that spread to the capital, Tripoli, where dozens of people were reported killed during the night. His son promised to fight until the "last man standing" after dozens of protesters were killed in the East of the country.

Sertac Karan, an Executive with the construction of Turkish company Arsel, told Reuters by telephone of the stadium near the airport in Benghazi: "after the funeral prayer we can hear shootings and explosions.

"It's totally out of control, we see the 15 and 16-years loading Kalashnikovs."

About 3500 Turks were waiting for evacuation in the stadium, said Karan arrived three days after the company's sites were looted.

Members of the security forces have changed in uniform and joined protests to avoid being attacked by protesters, he said.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said a press conference at the end of a visit to Tunisia that should be avoided bloodshed and order restored in Libya.

"We decided to bring the people back as soon as possible," he said. "Fortunately there was no loss of life (Turkish) so far."

Speaking in Ankara, Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan said looters had attacked Turkish companies, which have projects in Libya is worth more than $ 15 billion, and estimated there were 25000 Turkish employees working there.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone to Gaddafi, according to the Minister of Commerce.

Hidir Yentur, Manager of logistics with a construction company in Al Bayda, eastern Libya, said that workers were forced to switch to a safer place, once your site has been hacked by looters.

"A group attacked our construction site and had to computers, but they do nothing for us. The water is low, "Yentur told Reuters by telephone of Libya.

SEVEN PLANES READY

Davutoglu said that about 550 people were taken of Tripoli, on Sunday, but it became impossible to land in Benghazi.

Davutoglu said that seven aircraft were ready to go there, since the airport was usable. There were unconfirmed reports before the opposition demonstrators had taken control of the airport.

View the original article here

A different kind of soccer mom-San Jose Mercury News

When Sulma Plancarte entered the apartment of West San Jose little of his family at age 16 and broke the news of her pregnancy, she feared her future as a football player is over.

Instead, his father told him: "don't give up your dream. You want to go to College and play football. "

Now 18 and the mother of a 1 year old, high school not only still playing football but is starring a team of Del Mar that resources from another player like her. Zuleyni Huizache is a senior high score with a child, and she and Del Mar Plancarte led to an 18-0-2 and a playoff berth that begin next week.

At once in a lifetime that is often difficult at the best of circumstances, young people are dedicated to accomplish something longtime observers say it is very rare: the practice of sports school while learning to be a parent.

Just stay in school is a challenge for many. According to a study conducted by the national campaign to prevent Teen and unplanned pregnancy, 30% of girls school that left the cited pregnancy or motherhood as a reason. The same study found that among women who had a son before 18, only 38 percent earned a high school diploma for 22 years.

"My wife told me that cannot be as stiff-necked with them," said Ken Padia, coach of the football team of girls Del Mar. "Have to bend a little, because they are dealing with things that are different from typical high school kid" .... What does the typical

school kid to worry about: ' what will I wear? What I'm going to have for lunch? Can I get a date for the dance? ' Their situation is obviously different. "

Huizache is the team's leading scorer, with 30 goals in 20 games. Plancarte is next with 22. Both hope college football will take the opportunity to provide a better life for their children.

"I got to thinking about a high standard of living," said Huizache, whose son, Santiago, was born in May 2008. "I want my son to do much better than I did. Wanna be the one to prove to you that he can do it. "

As for Plancarte, she wasn't sure she could manage this-until his family gathered around her and promised to help.

"sulma," his father said: "everything is possible in this life. You just continue with school, continue with the football. We'll worry about it. "

Growing fastAs in a matter of conscience, nor Huizache nor Plancarte felt that giving up her son was an option.

"I never would have thought not to keep it," said Huizache, who was pregnant with her first year. "I don't take responsibility wouldn't be right."

And the girls say that the responsibilities of fatherhood that forced them to grow quickly.

"Firstly I thought it would be easy-I could just take care of it and go to sleep," said Plancarte, whose son, Alex, turned 1 this month. "but I can't go out with my friends or going to the movies, because I have to be with him. I have to get up in the middle of the night. I gotta give baths. I never thought it would be this hard. "

With no father in the picture, two young mothers depend on their families for child care and financial support, especially when they need to do homework or prepare for games.

Everything that makes their prowess on the football field more remarkable.

Rachel Schauer, one of the masters of Del Mar, says Huizache and Plancarte are doing is "inspiring". "It's hard enough already to concentrate at school and bring your ' A ' game every game," she said. "They go home, raise a baby, do your homework, then get up early morning and do it again".

Family supportDel sea is part of the Campbell Union High School District, which does not maintain statistics on how many of your students are mothers. Del Mar does not offer special programs for adolescent mothers due to lack of funding.

"There's a lot of left the County programs that do this," said Terry Peluso, Executive Director of student services.

Schools in the District of Campbell offer classes that help students with parenting skills, career and life. But Peluso said family support is one of the most important factors in helping teenage mothers graduate.

Thanks in large part to their families, both girls are on track to graduate-Plancarte Huizache this year and a year later because she took time during pregnancy. Football played a role, too, in each one helping to elevate its qualities. Both now carry an average c solid.

"The entire soccer team has study sessions once a week," said Huizache, "and they really helped me with what you needed help with".

Father of Plancarte, Guillermo, admits that he had concerns about the juggling act, his daughter and her family was about to perform.

But he said that we're working on. Without doubt, it is better that dreaded Sulma at the beginning.

"She became very depressed-she doesn't think she was already going to play again," Guillermo said through a translator. "Just told him to have the child and we move forward.

Forty days after birth, Guillermo said, he took his daughter to the Park and football was in his life.

And now he can't wait to start coaching baby Alex.

Guillermo "I'm just waiting for another year," he said. "He'll be good."

Mercury News photographer Maria j. Avila Lopez and writer Elliott Almond contributed to this report.

View the original article here

Scorched earth: soccer fields Davidson Park should recover from the fire in time

A football pitch is blistered Joe Davidson Park damaged by fire Sunday are ready for the game of championship Burlington parks and recreation next month.Bermuda grass surface field has not been severely damaged since all grass burned already was Tony laws of recreation and Parks Director of Burlington dead, said. Laws said Bermuda grass does not begin to grow until the end of March, which should be plenty of time.The football pitch caught fire on Sunday after a resident outside with his family sailed in model rockets. Daniel Barr Road Garden was issued a citation to the incident of Burlington Police Department, but parks and recreation will press charges, laws said. "It was an accident, said laws.The fire burned 2 hectares and it took about 20 minutes to get under control on Sunday afternoon at the Retiro Park Rural Road. Firefighters of Burlington another passed 45 minutes additional hot spots, in the field of extinction. No one was injured and no structures were damaged.Laws said that workers maintenance of parks and recreation will remove blackened dead grass of the field this week. The field is not used to practice football, which has already begun.In Alamance County, and many areas throughout the State were under fire warnings in the weekend, which continue this week. Head of Burlington Fire Department reported all Willets Mike use extreme caution when outdoors while moisture levels remain low, warm temperatures and windy persist.Willets said that there were several grass fires on Monday along the street extension of Tucker. The fire started after a tractor trailer truck traveling down the street issued Sparks, captures the grass on fire. The fire was extinguished within minutes.Willets informed drivers who smoke not to discard lit cigarettes from their vehicles. Burning cigarettes could easily trigger a large fire under current conditions. "The fire hazard is too large, said Willets. National Weather Service issued an alert to Burlington on Monday to the danger of fire greater through 6 p.m. dead leaves and grasses could readily again Tuesday due to drought conditions and breezy South winds throughout the day.Service forestry N.C. worked on Monday to contain a large fire that burned Warren County up to 1100 acres. Brian Haines, N.C. Forest Service spokesman, said the fire in Warren County, was 95 percent contained by Monday afternoon.The fire in Warren County began after a vehicle to tow a trailer created sparks that grass caught on fire, said Haines. Weekend, forestry N.C. faced major fires in Robeson County, Pender County, Surry County and Polk County. "High fire danger should keep people recording outdoors, "says Haines. "Many of these fires are wind".Haines said there was no new outbreaks of fire serious state on Monday that should give fire crews battling the flames in weekend some much needed rest.We have been stretched thin in recent days, "says Haines.

View the original article here

Midfielder Josh Gardner signs with Columbus Crew

Midfielder Josh Gardner signed a multi-year contract with The Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer 28-year-old has spent the past four seasons in the United Soccer Leagues with Seattle (2007-08) and Carolina (2009-10). After playing at the University of Cincinnati, 2001-03, he was part of the Los Angeles Galaxy team that won the World Cup MLS and US Open Cup 2005. His deal was announced Monday,

View the original article here

News of pre-season probes FC and notes of Florida-Seattle Times (blog)

Translate Request has too much data Parameter name: request Translate Request has too much data Parameter name: request

Scene Shifts to Sunshine State

The heat is on for Seattle Sounders FC as the preseason scene shifts to Florida for the final training sessions prior to the MLS roster compliance date of March 1. Sounders FC has added a fourth training game to this week's schedule, giving the coaching staff one more opportunity to evaluate personnel before the final cutdown.

The Rave Green arrived at the IMG Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Fla. on Friday night and has trained twice there before its first training game. Seattle plays FC Dallas on Monday afternoon and the Houston Dynamo on Tuesday morning in Orlando at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Back in Bradenton, Sounders FC hosts the University of Central Florida on Thursday and the Chicago Fire on Saturday. The team returns home on Sunday.

Seattle is 2-1-1 in training games thus far. There were no games last week as the team trained twice at Starfire prior to its departure for Florida.

The regular season is now just over three weeks away. It begins on March 15 when Sounders FC hosts the L.A. Galaxy on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field in a match televised nationally on ESPN. Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. PT.

Upcoming Training Game Schedule, February 21-26 (times are local & subject to change):

Monday, February 21 - Sounders FC vs FC Dallas, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando, Fla., 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 22 - Sounders FC vs Houston Dynamo, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando, Fla., 11 a.m.

Thursday, February 24 - Sounders FC vs University of Central Florida, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla., 4 p.m.

Saturday, February 26 - Sounders FC vs Chicago Fire, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla., 2 p.m.

Sounders FC Opens Defense of Open Cup in Late June

Two-time defending champion Sounders FC earned one of six automatic qualifying spots allotted to U.S.-based MLS teams and will don the Electricity kit and open defense of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in late June, U.S. Soccer announced last week. Seattle is the first team since 1984 with a chance of winning three consecutive U.S. Open Cup titles. The New York Greek-Americans (1967-69) were the only other team to accomplish this feat.

The 98th edition of the Open Cup tournament gets underway on June 14 with 16 first-round matches. Five rounds of play precede the Oct. 4 final that will decide the U.S. Soccer national club championship.

The more than 155 teams that entered the competition beginning in the initial stages will be narrowed to 40 teams for the tournament proper by the May 30 qualifying deadline. In 2011, 19 professional teams - including eight from Major League Soccer - and 21 amateur teams will make up the field.

The first and second rounds will be made up of exclusively lower division and amateur teams and will be played on June 14 and June 21, respectively, with eight teams advancing to play eight MLS teams, including Sounders FC, the following week. The quarterfinals will be played on July 12 and the semifinals will be played on Aug. 30

The other five automatic MLS qualifiers are the Columbus Crew, FC Dallas, L.A. Galaxy, New York Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake. The remaining 10 U.S. teams from MLS must qualify via play-in games prior to May 30.

The tournament has crowned a champion for 97 consecutive years beginning in 1914. The 2011 champion will earn a $100,000 cash prize, while the runner-up will collect $50,000. The top Division III and Amateur Division clubs will each receive a $10,000 prize. No Division II teams will participate in the 2011 U.S. Open Cup as the North American Soccer League did not obtain provisional sanctioning in time to be included.

Community Shield Match Marks Return of Marshall, Nyassi

The second annual Sounders FC Community Shield match will mark the return of two former Seattle players now on the roster of the MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids. Tyrone Marshall and Sanna Nyassi were both members of the starting XI in the 2009 inaugural game. Marshall went on to earn team defensive MVP honors that season and Nyassi starred in the 2010 U.S. Open Cup final, scoring two goals.

Tickets are on sale now for the Community Shield match against the Rapids on Wednesday, March 9 at 7 p.m. on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.

General Admission tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth (6-17). Children under the age of six are free. Tickets are available at www.SoundersFC.com, by calling 877-MLS-GOAL, all Ticketmaster outlets and the Qwest Field Box office.

Both Marshall and Nyassi were active in the Seattle community, and proceeds from the match will benefit the team's community outreach programs. Sounders FC fans helped raise over $80,000 from the 2010 Community Shield match which was allocated to the team's charity partners.

Henderson, Schmid Among Nominees for National Soccer Hall of Fame

Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid and technical director Chris Henderson are nominees in the Builder and Player categories for the National Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2011. Voting is underway and will continue through March 11, with election results to be announced in early spring.

Schmid is among seven individuals on the 2011 Builder ballot. Builders are nominated by making their mark in the soccer community in a non-playing capacity while sustaining a major and positive impact on U.S. Soccer on a national or professional level for 10 years. Schmid is the MLS career leader in regular season victories and guided UCLA to three NCAA championships. He also served as U.S. coach for the 1991 World University Games, 1995 Pan American Games and 2005 FIFA U-20 World Championships.

Henderson earned 79 caps for U.S. National Team between 1990 and 2001. Upon his retirement from MLS following the 2006 season he was the career leader in games played (317) and among the top 10 in assists. Henderson was a two-time MLS All-Star and scored 10 goals for Kansas City in 2000, the season the Wizards won the MLS Cup.

Established in 1950, the National Soccer Hall of Fame is dedicated to the sport of soccer in America by celebrating its history, preserving its legacy, inspiring its youth and honoring its heroes for generations to come.

FOX Soccer to Televise Five Matches; Date Change: Seattle to Host Houston on March 25

Sounders FC will have five matches nationally televised by FOX Soccer as part of the network's 2011 agreement with Major League Soccer.

The date for the home match versus the Houston Dynamo has been moved to Friday, March 25. The game will be shown on FOX Soccer and start at 7:00 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. In addition, the first kick for the October 15 home match with the San Jose Earthquakes has been changed to 7:30 p.m. PT.

Other Sounders FC matches appearing on FOX Soccer include home matches versus the Vancouver Whitecaps FC on June 11 and the Colorado Rapids on July 16 and a road game at Colorado on April 22.

Earlier, Sounders FC had been selected for five matches on the ESPN networks, beginning with the MLS 2011 First Kick on March 15 against the L.A. Galaxy on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. (PT).

All Sounders FC MLS league matches not aired nationally will be carried live in high definition on KING-5 or KONG-6/16 with Arlo White calling the action. All locally broadcast matches will also be aired either live outside of Seattle or on a delayed basis throughout Washington on FSN/ROOT SPORTS* (Comcast channels 627 & 30). Select Sounders FC Spanish language TV matches will be aired on KOMO2 TV, Comcast channel 114, a Univision sister station.

Each match will also be aired live on the radio home of Sounders FC, News Talk 97.3 KIRO FM. All Sounders FC Spanish language broadcasts will be aired on La Gran D 99.3 FM, except nationally aired broadcasts.

To purchase tickets, call 1-877-MLS-GOAL or visit www.SoundersFC.com.

*FSN Northwest will become ROOT SPORTS in Spring 2011

Sounders FC Extends Osvaldo Alonso Contract Through 2014

Sounders FC announced last week that it has extended the contract of midfielder Osvaldo Alonso through the 2014 Major League Soccer season.

Alonso, voted the team's most valuable player in 2010, is entering his third year with Sounders FC. Per club and Major League Soccer policy, no further terms of the deal were disclosed.

In 2010 Alonso, 25, was instrumental in Sounders FC compiling the best record in MLS over the second half of the season. Once he returned from a seven-game absence due to injury, Seattle went 9-2-2. In addition to winning balls and starting attacks Alonso scored one goal and added three assists in 23 league appearances. Nine of the 11 shutouts were achieved in games he played.

Alonso made 29 league appearances in 2009, his first year in MLS, scoring one goal and three assists. Capped 17 times by the Cuban National Team, he was voted USL Rookie of the Year in 2008 while with Charleston.

Limited Number of Tickets Available for Kickoff Luncheon

A limited number of tickets remain available for the second annual Sounders FC Kickoff Luncheon to be held at Qwest Field on Monday, March 7 from 12:30-1:45 p.m. Guests will sit side-by-side and interact with Sounders FC players, coaches, and team executives.

Fans attending the lunch are also invited to attend the Sounders FC training session that begins at 11 a.m.

Tables of 10 include eight guests, plus two Sounders FC personnel (players, coaches, or team executives). Each table costs $800 and individual tickets are available for $100.

To purchase a table please register online at www.SoundersFC.com or contact Megan West at meganw@seahawkssoundersfc.com or 425.203.8102.

Proceeds from the luncheon ticket sales and silent auction will benefit the five Sounders FC charity partners.

Academy: U16s Enter Break on 11-Game Unbeaten Run; Kovar Scores for US U18s

The Sounders FC Academy U16s will take an 11-match unbeaten run into their three-month break from league play after claiming a win and a draw on the road this past weekend in Orange County. Seattle (14-2-4) won its fifth in a row, 3-1 over the Irvine Strikers, before tying the Pateadores, 2-2.

Meanwhile, the U18s (12-4-4) split their two road games, yet enter the break on a good note, a 2-1 victory over Pateadores. Both the U18s and U16s will begin the final five matches of the 2010-11 season atop their respective Northwest Divisions of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Each of the reaming games is against teams within their division, starting with the California Development Academy at home on May 28.

Sounders FC has scored 27 goals in its last nine U16 outings, with 14 different players contributing. At Irvine, Jordan Schweitzer staked the visitors to an early lead and Keenan Townsend saved a penalty kick five minutes later. Sounders FC capitalized on that momentum, with Ike Crook and Michael Steele boosting the lead to 3-1 by halftime. Crook and Jamie Klug each have seven goals this season.

The U18s lost back-to-back matches for the first time with their loss at Irvine. Seattle has allowed only five goals in the past five games but was blanked in each loss. The Strikers' lone goal came in the third minute. Ryan Greling made two fine saves on either side of halftime. Against Pateadores, the Rave Green rallied with a pair of goals in the final four minutes. Darwin Jones equalized with his 10th goal off Sean Okoli's assist in the 86th minute and Brandon Brockway capped the comeback in the 90th, getting on the end of Ryan Herman's long free kick.

Sounders FC was without midfielder Aaron Kovar last week. Kovar was called in to the U.S. U18 National Team camp in Arizona, and he scored the second goal for the Stars and Stripes in a 2-2 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Throw-ins

The players and staff are planning to attend a Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game on Friday night...Defender Tyson Wahl turns 27 on Wednesday, February 23...Leo Gonzalez and his wife Alejandra have a new baby daughter. Jimena was born on February 12...Single game tickets for the 2011 MLS season will go on sale on March 1...On February 25, 1985, FC Seattle hired former Scotland international and NASL all-star Bruce Rioch as head coach...A reminder that the Cascadia Summit match on March 5 between the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC start time has now been moved to 4 p.m. at Starfire...The 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League begins the knockout phase on Tuesday night in Columbus when the Crew hosts Real Salt Lake in a quarterfinal first leg. RSL hosts the second leg on March 1. Sounders FC, eliminated in the group stage last fall, begins play in the 2011-12 Champions League in July.

View the original article here

Behind Soccer Cup victory of Japan, Italian tactics-New York Times

On Saturday in Qatar after the Japan defeated Australia 1-0, at the end of the 2011 Edition, you could see why Europeans experienced are still in demand. Alberto Zaccheroni proved his worth in Doha with a revolutionary tactical switch that could have come out of an Italian textbook.

Japan had impressed in the tournament with their technical abilities and fleeting, but an hour in a fun and breathless quarrel, was unable to get his usual game in gear.

The Socceroos, who joined the Asian Football Confederation in 2006, we were looking dangerous in attack and largely undisturbed on the back.

Zaccheroni, previously, the coach of AC Milan and Juventus before going to Japan in August, retired Jungo Fujimoto at the right side of midfield in favor of Daiki Iwamasa, who moved to the Centre of defence to cope better with Australia's air assault. The trainer then shifted Yasuyuki Konno in left side, allowing Yuto Nagatomo move the field.

It Worked. After 109 minutes of scoreless soccer, Nagatomo, which defends the Cesena Italy's Serie A and is one of Japan's growing legion of stars with European base, if liberated. His cross found Tadanari Lee cleared in the central area, and with a balance of a boot-rosa, shot a substitute winner spectacular past a helpless Mark Schwarzer.

Was a strike worthy of winning any tournament and gave Japan a record fourth continental title. Zaccheroni "Not won an international competition before," said after the game. "This is the first time. This is an excellent team, and we have great players, so I'm proud to manage this team.

"I wanted to reinforce the midfield. We really couldn't control this enough space. Then I pushed Nagatomo, "said Zaccheroni. "And we look better, and from that point, Australia looked kind of loose. I was surprised, because they were so compact before. "

Goal of Lee, his first for Japan in his second appearance, finished a tournament in three weeks.

Philippe Troussier knows everything about how it feels to win the AFC Asian Cup. He led the Japan for her second continental title in 2000 and then to the second round of the 2002 FIFA World Cup before entering into the national team of Qatar in 2003. After leaving Doha in 2004, he was back to watch the final.

"The tournament was OK," said the Frenchman. "At the beginning, four teams had the ambition to win — Japan, Australia, South Korea and Iran. How the top three finish is a nice football Asian representation at this time. " Korea came in third with a 3-2 victory over Uzbekistan on Friday.

The gap between the trio and the rest in terms of professionalism seems to be growing, as a.f.c Chief, Mohamed Bin Hammam, acknowledged at a news conference before the end. For most of his nine years in Office, the Yemeni focused on raising standards across the continent. No team in the Middle East did for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and none has evolved past the quarterfinals in Qatar, with host; the champion, Iraq. and everyone will fall into this phase.

Despite the disappointment, Iran coach Afshin Ghotbi, was quietly impressed with the level of play.

"Soccer Asian giant has taken steps in recent years," said Ghotbi. "It was evident in the tournament that Asia has a long way to go, but the game is heading the right direction."

Off the field, was far more attention focused on the tournament than ever. FIFA's decision, made on the 2nd of December, to deliver the 2022 FIFA World Cup for the small nation with a population of 1.5 million, blistering summer temperatures and little history of football has raised eyebrows. The international media were eager to see if the Asiatic Cup would indicate if Qatar had what he would host the global event for 11 years on the road.

View the original article here