Football Direct

Sven Goran Eriksson has declared himself happy with the way his players played in their World Cup Group G clash with Portugal last week.

Eriksson, who only took over the job less than 3 months ago after an unsuccessful spell as manager of Mexico and although he has not had much time with his men, he was impressed with the way his men did as he wished on the field against Portugal.

Portugal are one of the World’s top teams and the Swede felt that they did well to pick up a share of the points.

The former Lazio and England manager said: “There weren’t many occasions to score, you saw two teams which didn’t want to lose. I thought if one team had won it should have been us, we created more chances than Portugal.

“I was very happy with our discipline and organisation, we were organised for 90 minutes, in the past it wasn’t like that.

“They have a very good team and a lot of very good footballers, but I think we handled it very well.

“Another plus was Didier coming on to play. He’ll be even fitter for the next game.”

Drogba came onto the pitch in the 66^th minute but was unable to tip the game in the favour of Ivory Coast in a game that his manager described as being “tight”.

“It was a tight game and not many occasions to score,” Eriksson said.

“I thought if any team was going to win, it was we. We created some more chances than they did. I am very, very happy with the performance.

“I spoke to him (Drogba) after training yesterday evening and he said he preferred to be on the bench,” said the Swede.

“He said ‘Boss, if you need me, I am there.’ I hoped we would not need him but we wanted to win the game so we did what we did.

“We did not put any pressure on him.”

Ivory Coast are 33/1 to win the World Cup with William Hill, Paddy Power are offering 45/1 and Stan James 50/1.

As we know, Buffon has went under the knife to fix a long meniscus problem, and is expected to actually be in fighting form for the match against Milan. The goalkeeper is one of the best, and it really helps his team because they will definitely need them for this powerhouse. The star is undergoing some pretty outstanding recovery, and is much more resilient than people had imagined. This just shows how much this man loves what he does, and understands that he is very integral for the success of Juventus, as they really will need their goalkeeper to be in top shape if they want to contend with one of the best football clubs in the world.

He was expected to recover by January 24, but considering the serious regimen and the proactive role Buffon has taken in his recovery, this number will probably be slashed by two weeks, which is just in time for their match. With both of the teams operating at full strength, there is, of course, the chance that the game will be a lot more memorable. On top of that, there will not be any room for fans of the losing team to be able to blame the absence of any key player, so there will be plenty of real bragging rights to throw around.

All in all, this is a match that many have been waiting for, and with their goalkeeper being on schedule, this will live up to all of the hype that it generated.

This has been one of the msot interesting match-ups that we have seen thus far. The reunion of West Ham and Chelsea, something that in recent years West Ham has not really had it easy. In fact, it was more than five years ago since West Ham has been victorious over Chelsea, but this is something that many people feel that this may be the year for West Ham to actually pull one out, garnering a very elusive win for the football club, given the shape that incarnation that Chelsea is in as of late.

There are quite a few interesting points about this game, especially considering the history that the two teams share. Also, the predictions that people are slating for the game are not really as people would have expected. Chelsea is supposed, by analysts, to win the game by 1-0. Also, there is the fact that Joe Mourinho is the coach going against his old football club, which is something that many people are going to be tuning in for.

All in all, this will be a game that many people will find interesting, even if they are not the hugest fans of the sport. The fact that Chelsea is not in the best shape, and with a hungry West Ham team taking the field, it will definitely be one that many people will remember, if anything.

Unfortunately, not many people expected too much out of Zaragoza when they were matched up against the powerhouse that’s known as Real Madrid. Even with this being the case, not many people expected the outcome to be something as crazy as it actually was. Sadly, it ended in a 6-0 romp of Real Zaragoza, which gives the team something to really think about. Even more so, it will really make the next opponent for Real Madrid to actually consider what they are going to do to stop the team.

One of the biggest standouts of the game would have to be Higuain, who played some of the best football that many have seen in quite a while, scoring two goals. Regardless of any defensive efforts made by Zaragoza, there was really no putting an end to the way that the team was playing. Although there were a few bright spots in the way that they played, there was still an answer at every end for the Real Madrid team. Unfortunately for the other teams out there, it seems as if this football club has plenty of answers for defenders and goalkeepers, alike.

While this may be a day that Zaragoza may not be too happy with, it’s all the reason for them to hone their skill and become better at their craft, which will result in the obvious, more wins.

Every football club wants to win games, it’s as simple as that. For that to happen, they will need to have quite a few things working for them if they want to win any kind of cup. The players for the team must be all working as a cohesive unit, as well as led by some pretty good management. Unfortunately, this does not happen, and it usually results in someone losing their job. Mark Hughes is the newest person to say that he lost his job because he did not exactly deliver what the club owners were looking for, sad enough. This announcement doesn’t particularly come as a shock to many who have been following the team, as the rumors have been circulating for quite some time.

Although it is not exactly official news, it’s safe to assume that the rumors are now true. Manchester City fans will now have to say goodbye to a coach that many considered an underachiever, and he is to be replaced by Coach Roberto Mancini, the ex-skipper for Inter Milan. With all of that said, quite a few people feel as if the new coach will do the job quite nicely, something that will hopefully improve the team’s record, and make them a real contender for their league.

Many thought that the City would be a very outstanding team, especially considering the Premier League talent that has poured in, yet they have drawed more than any other club this season.

This has been one fot eh biggest news stories that has been shaking up the sport, Donovan signing a new MLS deal, and is on short term loan to Everton. One of the most celebrated American footballers is always news, especially when it concerns crossing the pond to play for a good football club. The 27 year old star is coming off of one of his best seasons, and he is only going to get better with more play. The star has been entertaining rumors for a couple of weeks now, and has finally put all of the rumor mills out of business with this announcement.

The loan to Everton is only going to last about 10 weeks, as per his contract. Of course, the move is great because he can make an impact in one of the country’s most respected clubs, and could possibily open up a larger fan base for the star, if it all goes well. Considering the fact that he could play wing or up front, he is sure to shine if he is having a good day, and considering the season that he has had last yeat, it is very probable that the fans will love and respect him as much as the United States fans have throughout his years as a professional footballer.

It is noteworthy to state that Donovan has relocated to play for Munich in the past, but he did not make as much of an impact as he hoped.

Just like any country, every year Canada announces their top player for the country. This year, there was none other than the impressive Simeon Jackson, a quickly rising young star. At the tender age of 22, he beat out every other Canadian national for the title, even over some of the most accomplished in the sport. In 25 England League Two games, the footballer scored nine impressive goals, something that directly contributed to the country naming him as their choice for the year. Born in Jamaica, the man knew what he wanted to do, and that was play football. Of course, this comes with a lot of effort, as we have seen, and he fought his way to the top with some of the best play that we’ve seen in quite a while.

Jackson helped his team reach the quarter-finals, where they were defeated, but it still showed a lot of promise for the next season. This player is one of which continues to get better and better as time progresses, and many are very excited to see the man take the field again when play for the team starts up. Considering his young age, this is a player who will soon be in the running for one of the best in the world, and he is well on his way to be in the same conversation as some of the most accomplished in the sport. It is only a matter of time, and the best players in the world should take heed, as Jackson is the real deal.