Goalkeepers Are Crazy

Wear different and usually more colourful soccer uniforms than the rest of the team, and sometimes even a nice hat. Goalkeepers not only play differently but often have their own training coach, who will be more than likely a former goalkeeper. They rarely achieve the status of being the captain of the team, simply because they are too far away from the center of play. In general, goalkeepers shout a lot and often get very upset with their team mates as well as the opposing team, the referee and anyone else who comes within distance. That may be why, goalkeepers, over the years, may have earned the title of being a bit crazy.

There are a number of theories around as to why a footballer would want to become a goalkeeper. Some say that they are failed strikers, who were too big and clumsy to make the grade or frustrated central defenders. One thing for sure is that a goalkeeper's role is difficult. Supporters will eventually forget a major blunder that a striker, midfield player or even a defender makes, but they will take a lot longer to forgive a goalkeeper their transgressions.
On the other hand a goalkeeper may spend 80 minutes as a virtual spectator in a one sided football match, but needs to be ready to spring into action should the opposing team spring into action.

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So is it any wonder that keepers tend to be a little "eccentric". The history of soccer has produced a very large number, only some of who can be mentioned, and not necessarily in order of eccentricity.

One of the most outstanding goalkeepers of the 1980s and D90's was the Paraguayan Jose Luis Felix Chilavert, Chilavert played his club football in Argentina and Spain and ran the roost as the Paraguay goalkeeper for more than a decade winning the title World Goalkeeper of the Year by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) in 1995, 1997, and 1998. As a club player, Chilavert enjoyed the most success of his career playing for Vélez Sársfield, helping them win the Argentine championship four times as well as the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup, both in 1994.

A large and imposing personality, Chilavert expressed his ability as a frustrated outfield player by insisting in taking all the free kicks and penalties for the clubs that he played for. First of all, he was too big and crazy to be argued with, and secondly because he was an exceptional dead ball expert. Chilavert earned his place in soccer becoming the first (and to date only) goalkeeper to score a hat-trick in the history of football, while playing for Vélez, with all three goals through penalties. He is also remembered fondly or otherwise for a memorable free-kick goal from behind the half-way line against River Plate. Chilavert took part in 74 international for Paraguay and holds the goalkeeper-record of eight international goals. Chilavert retired from international football in 2003, surprisingly enough after a feud with the team directors.

It is said that Welsh born Neville Southall became a goalkeeper simply because when he discovered soccer he was too old and a little too overweight to play outfield. Yet at his peak, also in the 1990s Southall was regarded as the finest goalkeeper in the world. Southall dominated his penalty area like few others, and when found in a one-on-one situation mostly always came out on top. Neville, who played most of his club football with Everton in the English league, where he made a club record 578 league appearances (over 750 in all competitions) and won two Football League championships. Unlike Chilavert, Southall was a very placid character, who rarely ventured out of his penalty area. Short for a goalkeeper, Southall earned some notoriety as being a bit "unkempt" and needing a haircut, shave and a diet.
Despite that, Southall was voted England's Footballer of The Year in 1985, extremely rare for a goalkeeper, He represented Wales a record 92 times.

Another famous "eccentric" goalkeeper is Rene Higuita of Colombia, Higuita also liked to have a shot at goal now and again, scoring three goals in 69 international appearances, However Higuita is particularly remembered for three highlights of his career, best described as the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Good: The remarkable "scorpion kick", save he made in a friendly against England at Wembley. Higuita saved a shot between his feet while perched on his hands, a trick he succeeded in repeating on a number of occasions.

The Bad: Higuita was already known for having an eccentric playing style and taking risks, when an unforced error in the full glare of the World media that got knocked Colombia out of the 1990 World Cup. Higuita was caught in possession 35 yards from goal enabling Cameroon striker Roger Milla to dispossess him, and score the winning goal.

The Ugly: Higuita's amazing hairstyle which only went further to prove that goalkeepers are crazy.

Goalkeepers Are Crazy

Steps to Build a Soccer Goal

As a soccer enthusiast, one of your greatest dreams aside from your motivation to build a soccer goal is to have a field of your own, right? Or, if you are not the one who loved the sport, maybe one of your kids does. If you have a vacant area or a decent-sized backyard that you think can be modified into a practice field, then why not do it!

One of the problems that you will encounter in laying out a backyard field is how to make your own goal. It is not a big deal though. Just a few simple steps and an ample time plus some of the cheap or recycled materials will do. Remember that when you build a goal in your own backyard, you can have many benefits. You don't need to haul your brood to the nearest practice fields just to have some fun with them. By building your own soccer goal, you are not only saving time for them but you are also putting more safety on your kids in the comfort of your own home.

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When you consider building a goal, what you have to do is gather all the necessary materials first. You need dig a hole so keep a post-hole digger handy first and foremost. The next thing you have to secure is the level, pieces of good lumber (4x4's) and a piece of two by four for the crossbar. You would also need some nails, tape measure and concrete mix for the goal post foundation.

The first thing in order to build a soccer goal is to dig the two necessary holes. After mixing the concrete mix, pour it in the hole where the post is supposedly standing. Before the concrete has dried, make sure that the crossbar is already attached at the top of the crossbar and flat by the aid of the level. The next thing you have to do is to wait for the concrete to harden before you can start playing and enjoying together with your kids. The concrete will take two to three days to cure.

Steps to Build a Soccer Goal

Soccer Logo - Pride of Every Football Team

A soccer logo can be found anywhere but primarily it represents the ultimate character of a team. Football logos are the best choice in providing recognition and identity for a club. The very reason for logos in general is the identity and relevance of its teams. Soccer tournaments are all over the world and each team wears a logo to signify the team's crusade towards victory. The logo for each team is a symbol of its hard work and is also the best reminder for the players so that they will work with one another to find victory.

A soccer logo doesn't just pop out of a canvass. It results from a thorough conceptualization of the strong attributes of a certain team. An essential symbolism and recall can be employed so that the team can leave a mark in the minds of the enthusiasts. A strong sense of belongingness in the minds of the players can bring their skills to a higher level. Team Logos will eventually motivate them which thereby results to a different level of entertainment.

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Trademarks are also found on the uniforms of professional players. These trademarks are often logos of brands of certain products. The embedded logos of uniforms add vibrancy to the attractive colors of the shorts and shirts. Often these logos complement the color of a certain team. Logos are used not just for aesthetic or advertising reasons. They stand for the recognition, pride and teamwork of the teams. In addition, they serve as source of motivation and inspiration to the soccer players.

Soccer Logo - Pride of Every Football Team

In Football Marketing What Matters is Getting the Basics and Fundamentals Right

I have watched armature teams spending hours on end training day in day out. They do not have holidays, no weekends and no weekdays. Everyday is a football day. When two armature teams meet it is very difficult to see the difference for an untrained eye. Each team stands its ground. But, every time these armature teams meet the professional outfit that is when you see the gulf in abilities. They lick goals in dozens. These armature teams spend equal time some times more time training than the professionals. But why can't armature outfits hold their own when they meet professionals? Why do they get beaten convincingly? Michael Jordan deciphered this mystery for us, he said:

"It comes down to a very simple saying: there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way.

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Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise."

All the armature teams are doing through these hours of training day in day out is practicing the wrong techniques, they get the fundamentals wrong and become experts in doing the wrong things. That is why the get a pasting every time they play professional outfits.

This is true with football marketing as well. I have seen clubs doing TV adverts, setting up street posters, opening supporter branches and doing all kinds of things with little or negligible difference. The stadiums continue to be empty on match days. The support base continues to be lukewarm and the benefits from fans continue to elude these clubs.

These clubs have got the fundamentals and basics wrong. They have simply become experts at doing the wrong things.

In football marketing fundamentals involve getting fan relationships right and putting in place community activities that keep you in the mind of the fans. When you get these fundamental down the level of everything you do will rise vis-à-vis filling your stadium and fan growth.

In Football Marketing What Matters is Getting the Basics and Fundamentals Right

Sports Psychology - The Wayne Rooney Affair

It's two days before England's Euro Qualifier trip to Switzerland and the Sunday papers are full of news of Wayne Rooney's daliances off the field. Personal issues which were apparently, casting a shadow over Rooney during the 2010 World Cup.

But Rooney starts against the Swiss. Fabio Capello has faith in the striker to put his issues behind him. However, it may not be as straight forward as that.

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A goal-scorer is the one position in the football field, where a clear mind is critical. Strikers who experience any sort of worry or anxiety, will lose their goal-scoring touch. Why?

Because without a clear mind, chances are snatched at. Thought replaces the instinct in key moments. The vital trust which a striker needs to score goals, becomes overlaid with doubts and uncertainty.

Wayne Rooney is troubled right now. His wife is threatening to divorce him. His infidelity is the subject of a national debate. He has broken the sacred bond of trust between himself and his wife. And everyone knows about it.

He is where Tiger Woods was six months ago. Although Rooney doesn't have a squeaky clean image to protect, the sense of personal embarrassment is still enormous.

Rooney must get all his feelings off his chest. Unless he does, the burden of shame will haunt him and negate his natural feeling for the game.

Once he does release the burden, the old feelings will come flooding back, and Wayne Rooney will feel revitalised. But until then, his search for the golden touch will continue.

Sports Psychology - The Wayne Rooney Affair

100 Percent Win Betting Strategy For Football

Rather than just randomly picking football matches to place your bet on, there is a recent trend in fixed odds betting to employ a 'betting strategy' or 'betting system'. Almost all systems rely on some sort of points rating scheme where a team is awarded a certain number of points depending upon aspects such as home advantage, league position, recent form etc.

You must know the rules and regulations of the sport you want to bet on in detail before you develop a strategy. This means that you have to be a football fan already. It is a lot easier for those who have prior knowledge of the sport whether as a player, spectator, or a tactician. For those without prior knowledge, watching and analyzing football matches can help you learn the rules of the game quite easily.

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There is no betting system that can achieve 100% success; however, some are far much better than others at predicting the outcome of games. One football season might see one betting strategy work and another fail, whereas the following season the roles can be reversed. For example, many punters study the rankings table in order to predict outcomes of games.

One punter might use a system which says that if the home team is 3 or more places higher than the away team, then he would back the home team to win every game. This may prove to be quite correct many times, but over the course of 2 or 3 seasons it would be guaranteed that he would be as effective as earlier. Of course to improve upon this system the punter would need to study current form, goal difference, injury problems in teams etc. and then balance this against the odds which are being offered to him.

Price percentage betting

The bookmaker earns his living through what is known as 'the bookies over-round'. There is no way to bet on all 3 outcomes of a game; win, lose draw and expect to win. The three different odds on offer usually know as price percentage, will work against you and eventually you will lose the bet. You must remember that in order to win money at fixed odds betting you must be able to guarantee long term profits.

The art of success is to guarantee a long term returns on bets. Successful betting on fixed odds football matches can be sound financial investment advice if you have a sound system.

In order to get good returns you need to gain an 'edge' over the bookie. 99.9% of amateur punters fail to do this for various reasons. You must a excellent knowledge of betting, football and statistics.

The do's and don'ts of football betting:

- Don't place a bet just because you 'fancy having a bet'.
- Don't waste money on high accumulator bets.
- Don't persist with losing systems.
- Keep a record of all the bets placed

100 Percent Win Betting Strategy For Football

France National Football Team - A Little History

France made their entry into the international field of Football in 1903. The team, associated with the French Football Federation, goes under the nickname "Les Bleus" (The Blues) in France. Today, France's football team offers a high level of competition in matches - but believe it or not, the team used to be very modest, one that some would consider an "easy game". Their first international match was versus Belgium, and was a tie game. In 1930, France's national team was one of the four initial teams from Europe that participated in the inaugural World Cup. Nonetheless, at that time, France's team was still looked down upon as an easy defeat. In the mid 1950's, France did see some mild success, for once not being at the bottom of the standings.

Their first true experience at being a huge success came at the end of 1984. From December of 1984 to April of 1985, France was ranked number one in the Elo ranking categorization of football teams. This success was held out fairly well, and met another high point from May of 2001 to May of 2002, when the team from France sustained a FIFA ranking of number one; today, this number one FIFA ranking means more worldwide, as FIFA is an internationally recognizable organization.

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Perhaps most memorable for many people is France's win of the FIFA World Cup in 1998. Thirty two different teams, from five different confederations, competed through 64 matches. France won nearly every match that they competed in, and ended up taking the championship upon beating Brazil 0 to 3. Other awards given to the French football team during the 1998 FIFA World Cup include "Most Entertaining Team", and the "FIFA Fair Play" Trophy. The Stadium that the French Football team usually plays at is the "Stade de France", which was built in 1995 and opened during 1998. The construction of the stadium cost over 285 Million Euros. In fact, the stadium was built for the purpose of the 1998 FIFA world cup - it's both ironic and fitting that France would win the world cup at their own stadium the year that it opened. After the World Cup, the Stade de France has continuously been used for various football events, although for the majority of the year, the stadium is empty. The majority of events that France's team participates in at the Stade de France are won by the French team, partially owing to the home team advantage of having more frequent access to that field, as well as higher morale and support from the crowd.

France's team may still not be the most reputable team around, but from their humble beginnings they were able to rise into a team that is recognizable in many places around the world, and were even able to claim the glorious title of World Champions.

France National Football Team - A Little History

FC Barcelona's Arch-Rival - The History of Real Madrid

Real Madrid - FIFA 'Team of the Century'; 31 League titles; 9 European Cups; a couple of UEFA Cups and World Club Champions titles.

Also, bizarrely, it is a club that has in recent years nurtured the custom of sacking successful managers. Jupp Heynckes went four weeks after winning a Champions League title, Fabio Capello and Bernd Schuster won the league title before one was basically sacked for being too defensive and the other for being too reckless. The prize, though, for what it's worth, goes to Vicente Del Bosque, current manager of the national squad, who was dismissed the day after winning the league in a room at the hotel in which his players were having their celebratory dinner!

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Real Madrid originated in 1897 when a number of students and lecturers at the Institucíon Libre de Enseñanza began playing friendly matches on Sunday mornings. From these humble beginnings, Madrid Football Club emerged in 1902 - gaining its royal patronage and club name in 1920 from King Alfonso XIII. The club became founder members of the Spanish League in 1929 - when Barca won the inaugural title and El Clásico, as the fixture between the two clubs is known in Spain - began in earnest.

From the beginning, the rivalry was intense but it developed significantly during the years after the Civil War. There are, of course, many stories of the way Franco's government promoted the interests of Real Madrid in order to develop his, and Spain's, international prestige. Also, the manner in which Barcelona attempted to maintain a Catalan identity at a time when the language and flag were banned is well recounted. Barça became 'More than a Club' and the phrase Así gana el Madrid - that's how Madrid win - became part of Spanish sporting lore.

There are two of these stories, however, that perhaps shed most light on the situation in those difficult times.

In 1942, Barcelona had won the Spanish Cup - now known as the Cope del Rey but then renamed as the Copa del Generalísimo. The following season they were pitted against Real in a two-legged semi-final and won the first match convincingly, by three goals to nil, despite having their star player, Escolá, stretchered off. The second leg, though, was rather a different matter - finishing an astonishing 11 - 1 to Madrid. Not only was the Head of State Security known to have visited the Barça dressing room before the match to tell some of the players that their right to remain in Spain was being reviewed, but also the sending off of a player in the first few minutes made sure that the rest of the team got the right message!

The other classic example of the manner in which Barcelona feel they suffered during the Franco years concerns perhaps the most famous player ever to wear a Real Madrid shirt - Alfredo di Stéfano, who remains an iconic figure in the Madrid hierarchy even today. In 1953, the Argentinian centre forward, described by Bobby Charlton as the most intelligent player he had seen, was signed by Barcelona from his Columbian club, Millonarios. After di Stéfano had appeared in a couple of friendly matches, and after an involved and underhand series of 'negotiations', the Spanish F.A. declared that the transfer was invalid and the player was triumphantly unveiled by Madrid. Two weeks later, he made his debut in a 5 - 0 victory over Barcelona in the Bernabéu - scoring four goals and starting his journey towards legendary status.

Even the transfer of Luis Figo in 2000 pales into insignificance compared to the machinations involved in the di Stéfano move.

With such a fierce, and continuing, rivalry between these two giant clubs, this puts the events of Barcelona's 3-0 away victory in 2000 into an even more dramatic perspective; that was the night that the Madrid supporters rose to their feet and applauded Ronaldinho after perhaps his best performance in the club's colours.

FC Barcelona's Arch-Rival - The History of Real Madrid

Top Three Soccer Teams in the USA

The United States has not had professional soccer until just in the last century or so. Compared to other countries, this is actually recent in soccer history.

In the US, Major League Soccer is broken down into two sections: Eastern and Western. In the Eastern Sectionals, there are seven major teams: Chicago, Columbus, D.C. United, Kansas City, New England, New York, and Toronto FC. In the Western Sectionals, there are six major teams: Chivas USA, Colorado, FC Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Real Salt Lake. Then there are the playoffs, which are the ultimate rankings, combining both sections of the nation. Let's look at the top three of each region's standings first, then we'll take a look at the top three in the playoff standings.

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When looking at standings, we look at the total number of points accrued during a specific period of time. For our purposes here, we are going to look at the 2007 standings.

In just the Eastern Standings, D.C. United took the lead for the year with 55 points total. New England came in second with 50 points, and New York barely clinched third from Chicago with 43 points. In the Western Standings, Chivas USA barely stole first with a total of 53 points, with Houston not far behind with 52 points. FC Dallas came in third by quite a distance, with 44 points.

In the Major League Soccer Playoffs, only some of the top teams from each region made it into the top three. D.C. United came in first with their total of 55 points, with Chivas USA coming in second with 53 and Houston taking a close third with 52 points.

While professional soccer teams in the United States are pretty new, it is becoming a more popular sport in the States, as more people get caught up in the soccer craze.

Top Three Soccer Teams in the USA

Chelsea Top Premier League Wage Bill

Chelsea Football Club now reportedly have the biggest wage bill in the English Premier League. The annual wage bill of £172 Million does not include new signings Fernando Torres, who has reportedly signed a contract worth £200,000 a week and £25 Million signing David Luiz, who both joined the club this week.

Premiership wages have been notoriously high in recent years and Chelsea's wage bill is £40 Million above closest big spending rivals Manchester City. A more important consideration is the percentage of a clubs turnover which is spent on players wages. Chelsea spend a reported 82 percent of their turnover on wages, while Manchester City spend 106 percent, this is in stark contrast to other top clubs such as Manchester United, who spend 46 percent of their turnover on wages, while Arsenal spend 49 percent.

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Several big name players left Chelsea during the summer of 2010, the departure of Michael Ballack, Juliano Belletti, Deco, Ricardo Carvalho and Joe Cole saved an annual £20m in wages and generated around £15 million in transfer fees. Despite this saving Chelsea have recently reported losses of £70.9m which was up £26.5m from the previous financial year, the addition of Torres and Luiz will add to significantly to their wage bill.

Under the new UEFA Financial Fair Play rules, which come into effect from the 2011-12 season, clubs must only spend on wages and other expenditure what they earn in ticket sales, merchandising and other commercial income. Effectively the club's books will have to balance, failure to do so could ultimately lead to disqualification form European competitions such as the Champions League.

A potential safety net exists within the rules, any players whose contracts were agreed before 1 June 2010 will be exempt, if these rules were applied to Chelsea for the last financial year they would have actually been shown to make a financial profit. The rules won't be tightened until 2016 when all players wages will be taken into consideration, even then if a club is making a financial loss and they can prove there is an improvement in the trend of their finances, they may escape punishment by the governing body.

Chelsea Top Premier League Wage Bill

Premier League Match Time: Newcastle Vs Chelsea

Premier League match time arrives at St James' Park as Newcastle United get set to host champions Chelsea in match week 15 on Sunday, November 28.

A few weeks ago, Newcastle stunned Sunderland 5-1. Match week 14 witnessed a repeat of that score, except that Chris Hughton's squad were on the receiving end, with Bolton the beneficiaries. Despite the loss, the Magpies are in the top half of the points table, but in an extremely tight league, they are just four points adrift of 18th placed Wigan.

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Carroll, as ever, was outstanding, though in a lost cause, and got a second half goal to reduce the margin. The absence of both Barton and Tiote was a double blow for Hughton's men, who would also be justified in considering themselves as having been subjected to some harsh refereeing. Coloccini was a weak link in Magpies' defence, and he did not have any clue about how to handle Elmander's pace and the Bolton striker made the most of the opportunity by scoring a brace.
Chelsea are coming off a 1-0 away loss to Birmingham, their third in four games. Ancelotti's side began the season with a run of wins and a barrage of goals. Their campaign has lost its early steam, and with a long list of injuries, the Stamford Bridge squad's weak bench stands exposed.

Contrast this with the performance of their rivals at Old Trafford. While Manchester United have trailed Chelsea, their saving grace has been their unbeaten record. They have shown the kind of resilience we expect to see in champions, even when below their best.

The latest blow for Chelsea -- John Terry laid low for some weeks - has been the hardest to bear. The team's early season performance bore the stamp of Terry's leadership and character. The defence is vulnerable without him, as is the midfield without Lampard.

Head to head In their last twenty league encounters, Chelsea have won 13 while losing just 2, with the remaining five drawn. Both of Magpies' wins have come at home, with the last one registered in April 2006.

Ahead of the game against Chelsea, Newcastle will be buoyed by the return of Tiote.

Newcastle had the following men in their starting eleven against Bolton: Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Guthrie, Nolan, Smith, Gutierrez, Carroll and Ameobi; the Magpies employed Routledge, Lovenkrands and Campbell as substitutes.

The following men comprised Chelsea's starting eleven against Birmingham: Cech, Ferreira, Alex, Ivanovic, Cole, Ramires, Mikel, Malouda, Anelka, Drogba and Kalou; the substitutes who featured were Bosingwa and Sturridge.

Premier League Match Time: Newcastle Vs Chelsea

Premier League Preview: Chelsea Vs Manchester United

Premier League match time returns to Stamford Bridge, when Chelsea host Manchester United, in a first leg game on Tuesday, March 1, a match that was originally scheduled to be played on December 19, and got postponed owing to inclement weather.

Chelsea's match against Fulham was meant to be all about Torres, who replaced Drogba in the starting eleven as the prime striker for the Stamford Bridge squad. While preferring Torres to Drogba gave Chelsea greater control in midfield. Fulham were resolute as ever in defence, and Chelsea failed to convert the half-chances they had to show for all of their superior possession.

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David Lutz used the game to showboat his considerable skills. The Brazilian had more creativity than the whole midfield combined, and his only flaw was a lunge on Dempsey in injury time that resulted in a penalty for Fulham that Dempsey himself took. And Cech made a brilliant save to prevent Lutz's solitary error from taking away from his great performance. The loss of two points has made Chelsea's title defence an impossible mirage.

In their game against Wigan in match week 28, United were off-colour, till Hernandez put them ahead, on 17 minutes. During the interim, Wigan created a few scoring chances, and the Old Trafford squad have Van der Sar to thank for not allowing Wigan to convert any of them.

Rooney was lucky that he didn't get sent off for what looked like a deliberate elbowing of James McCarthy, in the 10th minute. The iconic striker had a hand in 3 of the 4 goals, the third of which he scored. The first goal transpired after his pass to Nani (absolutely brilliant on the day) on the right flank was relayed to Hernandez who converted. Hernandez got a second goal on 74 minutes; Rooney made it 3-0 on 84 minutes, and three minutes later, Fabio completed the tally with United's fourth goal of the game. The result has put United 4 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table, and 15 points adrift of Chelsea, who are in 5th place..

Head to head, of the last league games between Chelsea and Manchester United, the Stamford Bridge squad have won 3, while United have won 2, with the remaining game drawn.

In their last 6 league games, Chelsea have registered 3 wins, 2 losses and a draw, while Manchester United have 5 of their last 6 matches, while losing the remaining one. Chelsea have won 8 of 12 home games this season, while losing and drawing 2 each. Manchester United have 4 an lost 1, while drawing the remaining 8 of 13 games on the road.

In their last Premier League match, Chelsea drew 0-0 away at Fulham, while Manchester United's last match, away at Wigan, ended 4-0 in their favour.

In the defending champions, Manchester United can expect tougher opponents than cellar team Wigan. But on current form, it would be a steep challenge for Chelsea to take away full three points from Tuesday's game.

Chelsea's starting eleven against Fulham comprised: Cech, Ivanovic, David Lutz, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Essien, Lampard, Anelka, Torres and Malouda. Drogba and Kalou featured as substitutes.

Manchester United had the following players in their starting eleven against Wigan: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Smalling, Vidic, Evra, Fletcher, Carrick, Scholes, Nani, Hernandez and Rooney. Berbatov, Da Silva and Gibson were used as substitutes.

Premier League Preview: Chelsea Vs Manchester United

Famous Soccer Players and Their Nicknames!

Perhaps the most popular of all football monikers is Pele or the Black Pearl, as the greatest footballer of all times, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is known. Winner of three FIFA World Cups, he was latter dubbed O Rei (The King) for this outstanding achievements. Pele was a name the legend picked up in school, though even he wasn't too clear as to how he got the name! Whatever you call him, he will always be remembered as the ultimate when it comes to football.

If Pele was The King, Germany's Franz Beckenbauer was The Emperor (Der Kaiser). He dominated world football wearing the number 5 soccer shirt in 1974 and later went on to become the national team's coach. His teammate was another legend, Gerd Muller, who gained a formidable reputation as The Bomber for his goal scoring capacity - 365 in 427 Bundesliga matches and 68 in 62 international matches!

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Carrying on with titles both royal and military, Hungarian Ferenc Puskas, was referred to as The Galloping Major! It was the player's actual rank as well as his nickname in the Hungarian army team. This three time UEFA Cup winner with Real Madrid was also dubbed the Cañoncito (Little Cannon) by adoring fans. And then, of course, there was Eric 'The King' Cantona and 'Guv'nor' Paul Ince, who became the first black player to captain England's national team. Brazilian Adriano Leite Ribeiro, was fondly called L'Imperatore (The Emperor) and even 'The Bulldozer' at different points of his prolific career!

Moving on to names more 'beastly', who can forget Brazil's Edmundo, who came to be known as 'O Animal' after his exploits on the pitch! Years before him, the dazzling dribbler Garrincha was dubbed Little Bird, and ended his career as The Joy of the People or Alegria do Povo.

Argentinean legend, Maradona, who made the number 10 soccer shirt a much sought after inheritance, began with the nickname Fluffy due to his untidy mop! Thankfully, he didn't get stuck with the sobriquet, and moved on to an extremely flattering one - The Golden Child or El Pibe de Oro. But when it comes to Diego Maradona can that be enough! He became the only player in the world whose body part has been given a nickname - The Hand of God - after his infamous goal during the 1986 FIFA World Cup!

One of the most interesting pet names by far has to be The Baby Faced Assassin! Norwegian footballer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, spent his best years at Manchester United, where he scored 126 goals, earning him a reputation as The Baby Faced Assassin for his lethal goal scoring skills, matched with his misleading 'babe in the woods' look!

These diminutives have become so popular, that most fans don't even know their favorite players actual names! Actually, their real names are nothing short of confusing. As a diehard football fan would you know Ricardo Leite is our very own Kaka? Didn't think so! Guess that's why these nicknames have stuck on the players soccer team shirts... Thank God for that!

Famous Soccer Players and Their Nicknames!

Chelsea Football Club Facts

History

Chelsea football club is an English football club that was formed in 1905. They currently play in the top division of English football being the premier league. They play all their home games at the magnificent Stamford bridge stadium which was officially opened in 1877 but wasn't used for football until 1904. Chelsea has one of the wealthiest owners in the English premier league being Roman Abramovich who acquired the club in 2003. The current manager of Chelsea football club is former AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Chelsea Football Club

Stadium

Chelsea has only ever had one stadium being Stamford Bridge where they have played since foundation. It was officially opened in 1877 but wasn't used for football until 1904 due to it being used by London Athletics Club. The stadium has a capacity of around 42,000 and has many facilities along with the football pitch. Added facilities include two hotels, apartments, bars, restaurants and the Chelsea megastore. These facilities have been created to help provide extra revenue for the football side of business. The club has plans to increase there stadium size to over 50,000 which may mean the club having to relocate due to health and safety regulations.

Crest

Since foundation Chelsea football club has had four main crests which all underwent minor variations. Chelsea's crest was first formed in 1905 which had the image of a Chelsea pensioner on it giving the club the nickname pensioner. It wasn't until 1953 when the clubs crest started to take shape with an image of a blue lion which has remained through out other designs of the crest with minor variations to colour.

Records

Chelsea football club have conquered many records which are proving hard to break for current Chelsea players. Chelsea's current highest appearance maker is Frank Lampard who has appeared for the club 460. Chelsea's all time top goal scorer is Bobby Tambling with 202 goals in 370 games in 1959 - 1970. The current top scorer for Chelsea is Frank Lampard with 136 goals. Chelsea holds the record for the highest home attendance match which was against Arsenal with an attendance of 82,905.

Chelsea Football Club Facts

Gifts That Relive the Glorious Moments of the Club

Are you a great fan of Chelsea football club? Do you desire to own something authentic related to the club? Relive the proud history of Chelsea football club and own genuine gifts by considering the Chelsea Football Gifts. The gifts come with the certificate of originality.

The Chelsea football gifts are a collection of Chelsea Football Books, Chelsea Signed Memorabilia, Chelsea Framed Photos and Montages, and Chelsea Framed Stadium Photos. Chelsea Football Newspaper Book is a collection of interesting facts from the early 20th century to the recent bygone matches. This gift depicts the events and incidents that have brought glory to the club. The newspaper memorabilia is bound in a beautiful burgundy leatherette binder gold embossed with option to engrave the recipient's name. The newspaper book let the readers have a vivid insight of all the historically significant incidents. The reports are written by persons who have witnessed by persons and not by individuals looking back in time. It also covers the top stories and vital matches of the club. This is a precious collection of Chelsea Football Gifts.

Chelsea Football Club

Chelsea signed memorabilia offers you some of the rare and genuine items. The items include shirts, photos and montages of the legendary players. This category of Chelsea Football Gifts are worthy because they are personally autographed by the celebrated players. The collection is presented in attractive frames and free from watermarks. They are exclusive and are limited in edition. For example: Chelsea Squad Signed Photo

The collection of Chelsea football gifts is an effort to reminiscence the golden moments. Chelsea Football club is a renowned professional football club that have won FA Cup, the League Cup and UEFA Cup Winner's cup. The Chelsea football gifts commemorate the players who have dedicated their lives in bringing glory to the club. Thus, for any Chelsea football nut this unique collection is worthwhile.

Gifts That Relive the Glorious Moments of the Club

Samsung F490 a Revolution

One thing Samsung really knows how to do is make electronics. They have proved this over and over again in many different sectors and now they are attacking the mobile phone sector with real vigour. Their decision to sponsor Chelsea football club was a move that demonstrates their commitment to the sector and with the release of models such as the F490, Samsung must now be taken seriously.

The Samsung F490 is a revolution in mobile phone technology. Gone are the days of buttons and black and white screens. Now the focus is on full colour devices with touch screens and fast data transfer capabilities. All of the above the F490 delivers in spades, we can expect this phone to really push the likes of Motorola and Nokia all the way, a positive thing for the consumer.

Chelsea FootballClub

The F490 has fantastic functionality and will suit everyone from the most avid of users, right down to the novice occasional user. It's large menu is simple and intuitive, meaning that it is difficult to get confused. The large icons help the user to find what they want and makes the touch screen a benefit rather that a hindrance.

One of the greatest aspects of the F490 is the screen. It has a ratio of 16:9 meaning that is suitable for the viewing of films and shows in a widescreen format. Nothing has been said yet, but we think that this will have screen flip functionalities associated with some other mobile phones in the marketplace at the current time.

The connectivity of this phone is 3.5g with HSPDA. This is technology that is craved by the technical gadget lovers in today's society. It allows users to download content like music and video at lightening quick speeds. No longer will users have to wait for 10 minutes for an mp3 to download.

Overall this is a superb phone and when it is released it is sure to get even the most ardent of gadget lovers excited. Watch this space.

Samsung F490 a Revolution

Help You Know More About Chelsea Football Club

Chelsea Football Club is an English professional football club, located in West London. Chelsea F C was founded in March 10, 1905. They spent most of their history in the top tier of English football, and now play in the Premier League. Chelsea have won four Premier League titles, 6 FA Cups, 4 League Cups and 2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups.

In 1955, Chelsea F C won the league championship, that was their first major success. They won no major title until 1997 after won some cup competitions between1960s to 1970s. The past 7 years (1993-2010) was the most successful period in Chelsea's history, winning Premier League Championships in 2005, 2006 and 2010, runners-ups in 2004, 2007 and 2008. And they did well in UEFA Champions League too, reached the final in 2008.

Chelsea

In fact, Chelsea F C is not based in Chelsea, but in neighbouring Fulham. Stamford Bridge football stadium in Fulham (with 41,841 capacity) is the club's home, they have played since their establishment there. Roman Abramovich who is Russian oil magnate bought the Chelsea in 2003.

Chelsea kit is royal blue shirt and shorts with white socks, this combination was used since the 1960s. The club crest has been changed several times for modernising or re-branding. The current crest, featuring a ceremonial lion holding a staff, is a modified version of one first adopted in the 1950s. We can see fans wearing Chelsea jersey everywhere, since Chelsea have been one of the most successful in Europe.

Help You Know More About Chelsea Football Club