Arsenal Meets Barcelona Live in UEFA Champions League

There will be an atmosphere of anticipation at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal meets Barcelona in one of the biggest UEFA Champions League matchups in years. Once the draw revealed the matchup, the excitement from both sets of fans has been steadily increasing. This is hardly surprising considering the way both teams play football which has often been pointed out by fans to be the personification of perfection in the sport.

The stable of stars that adorn Barcelona and Arsenal's lineups are also the stuff of fantasy football. Barcelona boast perhaps the best player on the planet currently in the form of Lionel Messi, the Argentine who has scored countless beautiful goals and made many more. The Swedish enigma Zlatan Ibrahimovic partners him in attack and is capable of moments of magic that belies his physical stature. The Catalan club's midfield is dictated by the synchronous symphonic play from the Spanish duo of Iniesta and Xavi who form the perfect axis. Barcelona's defence might be their weakest area but Gerard Pique and Carlos Puyol man the fortress well enough on most occasions.

The Gunners from North London do not pale in comparison. Leading the line would usually be Robin Van Persie but the injured Dutchman's place will go to the equally capable Daniel Bendtner. Working in tandem with him will be the marvelous Andrei Arshavin and Theo Walcott who both ally pace with inventive genius. Pulling the strings in midfield is the much sought after Cesc Fabregas who would be eager to face his former club. Arsenal are also suspect at the back although Sol Campbell will be enjoying his indian summer with the club he rejoined in the transfer window.

Some of these players might be missing from the first leg in England due to injuries. Barcelona will miss the services of Iniesta who has to sit out due to a hamstring strain. His place would surely go to Thierry Henry who will make an emotional return to the club where he spent 8 years of his career at Arsenal.

Arsenal have received the biggest blow to their Champions League hopes with news that playmaker Fabregas would most likely have to miss the first leg. A knee injury suffered in the club's latest match has landed him on the treatment table. Last minute medical treatment could yet see him line up against Barcelona and Fabregas would be keen to pit his talents against the club that many expect him to return to in the near future.

The 2006 Champions League final was the most recent time when the Gunners had to play Barcelona. Spanish flair came out on top on the night as Henry experienced the biggest disappointment of his career with Arsenal. It was not long after that the Frenchman departed for Barcelona as once again, football's ability in perfectly timed dramatic irony was once again illustrated.

The expectations and excitement surrounding the Arsenal vs Barcelona live stream could end in disappointment if both teams suffer an attack of nerves. There is a lot riding on each game as the Champions League approaches its conclusion. The knockout format is well and truly underway and no second chances will be available for each team. This could lead to players adopting a safety-first approach that could resemble shadowboxing, instead of going at each other's throats in search of the knockout punch.

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Hyde Park Corner - Historic London!

London proves to be an unforgettable experience, no matter the reason that you are visiting the city. London is a great place to dine, as just about every type of culinary delight from every part of the world can be found. Just about every tourist must sample the local staple of fish and chips from a wayside hawker to get a grip with the pulse of the city. Visit a museum and marvel at the collections in store, stroll through art galleries and get lost in contemporary works of some of the worlds most acclaimed.

When in London there are few attractions include a must-visit on any tourist itinerary, and they include - the National Museum, London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Royal Parks, Oxford Street, Thames, BBC Television Centre, Chelsea Football Club, Dickens House Museum, Madame Tussauds and Tate. Hyde Park Corner is in the south east corner of the famous Royal Park. Considered a major intersection to Piccadilly, Park Lane, Knightsbridge, Constitution Hills and Grosvenor Place, Hyde Park corner is dotted with monuments of historical and cultural interest.

Standing in the center of Hyde Park is an arch made of Italian marble and dedicated to the Duke of Wellington called Constitution Arch. Originally placed at the entrance to the Buckingham Palace, the Constitution Arch remains to be an iconic monument of Hyde Park Corner. Other monuments that can be seen in the locality include; the statue of Byron, Alexander Munro's statue of the Boy and Dolphin and Wellington Monument. War memorials such as New Zealand War Memorial, Australian War Memorial and the Royal Artillery Memorial can be found.

Shopping and dining is also easily accessible from Hyde Park Corner, with a good selection of restaurants and cafes located close by and quick links to shopping areas. Those on the look out for London hotels that are close to Hyde Park Corner will find a great variety at LondonHotelsEye.com. Make a quick and safe selection that caters to your style and budget from the list of hotels in London available.

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Living In The Past Glory

The rumors about Ronaldinho's departure from Nou Camp could have only strengthened by his failure against Madrid. No other player in this current side can commence loyalty from the Nou Camp fans like this man. For the regular Nou Camp fans he has been an emotional hero. The time when he reached Barcelona he was just another kid, but he turned this side into a world winning team in his first two seasons. When he arrived at Barcelona was rebuilding from a very bad phase in their history - Madrid's Galacticos policy (it was a total failure) overshadowed the Barcelona club. They were losing good players to their main rivals and were nowhere in picture in European competition. But Ronaldinho's heroics against all odds turned the prayers of Barcelona fans to reality. No one will ever deny the fact that he was responsible for the great results we had in the past three years.

When Ronaldinho arrived in Barcelona the club and he had so many things in common. Both have to prove a point. Ronaldinho was heralded as the brightest talent to come out of Brazil in recent times, but his performance was never justifying it. He had a great world cup, but again those performances were far in between. For the Barcelona fans he was the only hope left to come out of the Galacticos shadow and reclaim their lost stature in Spain and Europe. Together they overcame all the obstacles. He was the main person responsible for the two Spanish league titles and the Champions league (surprising only the second one) which Barcelona won. Once again Barcelona reclaimed the stature of the best club in Europe and looking poised for more big things; but somewhere both stumbled. Ronaldinho was rightly criticized for his poor performance in last world cup, but everyone expected him to comeback to this Barcelona side and shows his magic along side the likes of Messi. But he failed terribly.

There was recent rumors of his addiction (over addiction) to nightlife and his lack of interest in training. As a big Ronaldinho fan I never believed these allegations but now i have to say that i slowly started believing it. His performance on the field justifies these allegations. Lack of training was clearly seen on field where he struggled to go past ordinary defenders. To add insult to injury Barcelona started playing better without him (Two season ago the story was different). Barcelona based media have been asking for his head for sometime, but to his rescue the Nou Camp fans still vociferously supports him. Is he taking that support for granted? The support is because of the sweet things he has presented to them in the past, but how much time he can survive on his past. One day they will also start asking for his head and that day will come soon.

What lies ahead for this two time World Player of the Year? There are actually two things:

1) He can train harder, get fitter and win back all the trust of his fans, media and most importantly his team mates. He can prove back to the world that he is still the same entertainer.

2) He can move to another club (this looks likely) where he can try to recreate all his magic. But with his current form and attitude to training how many big clubs will be willing to take such a risk is yet to be seen. If Milan loses Kaka to Madrid then there is a high chance of he moving to San Siro.

But whatever decision he take, he should understand that his carefree attitude will not get him through this difficult phase. He needs to train harder and get back his fitness level. He needs to play for the team (rather than for himself, which ever team it maybe) - He should always remember "When the Team wins, He wins".

NB: "You cannot win the War without fighting it".

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The Chelsea Shirt - One Hundred and Four Years of History

Chelsea Football Club, affectionately nicknamed "The Blues" are a professional football club in England. They play in the elite Premiership and are one of the most successful teams in the history of English football. They have been English League Champions three times and have won the FA cup on four occasions.

Chelsea's home ground is Stamford Bridge in Fulham, West London. They have played there since the team was founded in 1905. On a slightly pedantic note of geographical accuracy, Chelsea are not actually based in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, rather in Hammersmith and Fulham. Chelsea FC was founded in March 1905 in the Rising Sun pub opposite Stamford Bridge. They occupied Stamford Bridge shortly afterwards, taking over the site from the London Athletics Club which had used the facility for the previous 28 years.

The Chelsea Shirt for home games has always been blue, although it was not always the same dark shade it is today. The strip was finished with white shorts and blue socks. In 1912, royal blue shirts were introduced. The now familiar blue shorts were added by Tommy Docherty in the 1960s. White socks were also added at this time as it was thought that this scheme, not in use by any other club made Chelsea more distinctive. The away kit is typically all yellow or all white, however this has gone through some interesting deviations over the years. The first away shirt comprised black and white stripes. In the 1980s a bizarre mint green kit was sported by the Chelsea players. The 1990s saw the Chelsea shirt for away games at its most distinctive with red and white checks, and a grey and tangerine colour scheme all being tried. Large numbers of sponsors have graced the front of the Chelsea shirt over the years. These have included Gulf Air, Coors and most latterly Samsung.

The club crest attached to the Chelsea shirt has gone through four major iterations during the history of the club. The initial crest design was based around the image of a Chelsea Pensioner. This gave rise to the club's nickname of "The Pensioners". This crest was in use for fifty years when the design was changed as part of a modernization program going on at the club. A temporary solution was to use the C.F.C initials for a year until in 1953 when the new crest of a blue lion locking backwards and holding a staff was introduced. This crest took it's inspiration from the coat of arms of the Borough Of Chelsea. The crest also featured two footballs and three red roses. This was the first crest to appear on the Chelsea shirt, which was unadorned until this time. Another bout of modernisation in 1986 saw the heraldic lion replaced by a more realistic looking lion in yellow standing over the C.F.C initials. The final big design change came in 2004 where the old design was reinstated for the approaching centenary. This design has appeared on the shirts in different colour schemes. such as white and gold.

It is to be hoped that this brief article has given an interesting background into the shirt and crest of one of England's most successful and famous teams.

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Grand Slam Sunday - Liverpool vs Manchester United & Arsenal vs Chelsea

Sunday 16 December 2007 has been billed "Grand Slam Sunday" because the top four teams in the Premiership go head to head as they pull ever further from the rest of the league. Fourth placed Liverpool begin the action at lunchtime when they host champions Manchester United.

Liverpool have been doing well of late, bar a 3-1 defeat at Reading last weekend. They come into the match off the back of a 4-0 hammering of Marseille in France, a result which assured their place in the knockout phase of the Champions League.

Second placed United beat struggling Fulham and Derby County in their last two games but they will face a much sterner test in a Liverpool team in which Steven Gerrard has found the net in his last seven consecutive matches.

United have had the better of recent meetings and have won five of the last six Premiership matches against Rafa Benitez's side. United have beaten Liverpool in their last three Premiership league matches and ironically the player who scored the winner against them last season, John O'Shea, was also the last person to score against United for Liverpool. He netted an own goal during United's 2-1 victory against the Reds back in 2004.

You just about have time to catch your breath when the match ends to prepare for the second offering of the afternoon, Arsenal vs Chelsea. The Gunners took the Premiership by storm for most of the first half of the season but a couple of poor results against Middlesbrough and Newcastle has seen their lead at the top reduced to a single point. Arsenal are still undefeated at home this season and Chelsea need to become the first team this season to beat them on their own turf if they want to catch them.

Chelsea have been in great form in the Premiership of late and have won seven of their last eight matches, including the the last three in a row. They have also conceded just one goal in this sequence and coupled with Arsenal's water-tight defence, a close, cagey encounter is expected. Arsenal have not managed to record a home win over Chelsea since October 2003 while the last two matches between the pair ended 1-1 last season.

More of the same is to be expected as indeed the first fixture between Liverpool and Manchester United as none of the four clubs will want to give anything away as the halfway stage of the season fast approaches.

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Soccer Fitness Training - Tips For Peak Performance on the Soccer Field

Great soccer fitness training can elevate your game helping you accomplish the next level of play or the next level of your career. The right program from a good trainer or coach can be the difference between going pro and leaving it all behind after college or high school. When considering soccer fitness training, it's important to understand the basics to make sure your training is as well rounded as possible. It's important to make sure you are hitting on all the most important areas of training, including the proper nutrition, adequate warm-up, and specific drills for endurance, strength, agility and speed.

The Soccer Training Diet

While, it's obvious a certain level of fitness is involved to be an excellent soccer player, it should also be noted that the food you eat is vital to how you play and the player you become. To achieve a healthy diet you need to consider what are you eating. Get rid of the bad and increase the good. Take a notebook and record everything you eat for a week. For inspiration, rent and watch the movie Supersize Me. If that does not change your outlook on fast food, nothing will.

Once you cut out fast food and all the junk it's important to increase the good foods in your diet to a recommended calorie intake that can be established with your coach based for your height, muscle development and activity level. Fresh fruit, whole grains and lean meats are all amazing sources of fiber, protein and iron all of which you need to build muscle and speed. Even more important than your daily diet is the food you eat directly before a game. Avoid fried or fatty foods, whole milk, cheese, marbled meat and anything super sweet. It's also a good idea to avoid foods that digest harshly, like beans, pickled cucumbers and spices.

The Soccer Training Warm-Up

A good warm-up is essential for an effective daily workout routine and, especially, on game days. A good warm-up will raise your heart rate slowly and stretch your muscles well for the strenuous activity ahead. This warm-up should include flexibility exercises, a light jog and a good game of keep away in which you and the other players circle up and go through a variety of juggling challenges, one on one drills and games of possession. This gets your body and mind prepared for the action.

The Soccer Training Workout

For training your body to handle the stress of intense soccer action, it's important to have the right kind of workout to build the muscle you need and develop the skills necessary to perform your position at a high level. Your workout should include a routine geared around a variety of exercises including aerobic, anaerobic, plyometirc, balance exercises and some creative techniques to keep your muscles guessing and from getting stagnant in their development. For aerobic, jogging on a daily basis is a great way to keep your muscles toned and work your heart to stay in great cardio shape. Anaerobic, which is generally in the form of interval training, is the best way for soccer players to increase speed and endurance. The other forms of soccer training can be developed with the help of your coach, trainer and doctor to find the best mix of all the different exercises for your specific body and goals.

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Success Lessons From Soccer - How To Win or Lose In The Game Of Life

Soccer matches are all about scoring goals and being winners. As a result, soccer can hold up a mirror to life since many humans also want to achieve goals and to be winners in the game of life. There is much to be learned about life in general from soccer players, managers and commentators.

When you listen to commentators on soccer matches, the key words they use again and again when teams are winning are words about character and attitude like belief, excitement, confidence, effort and so on. Soccer skills and strategies are important but mean little without the right attitude.

Team managers urge their players to show focus, determination and maximum effort. They tell them they should expect to win and not to show too much respect for their opponents no matter how famous they are.

I love listening to the comments of the great soccer managers. They have all been to hell and back. They are praised and popular when their teams win. They are criticised and even sacked when their teams fail to win. They know the heights of elation and the depths of despair. They have to find ways to deal with both and to keep motivating their teams to win.

Gordon Strachan took over as manager of Celtic, one of the top two clubs in Scotland, in 2005. It was not long before he experienced "the worst night of my life"

Bratislava beat Celtic 5-0 in the Champions league, the top European competition. His watch stopped after the match and he still wears it to remind himself that it was the worst night of his life. Celtic, the pride of Scotland, had been humiliated by a less famous team.

Other failures seemed small to him by comparison. We can all learn to deal with difficult situations by reminding ourselves of worst situations in our past or by imagining how much worse our lives could be than they actually are.

None of us knows for sure what will happen to us tomorrow. We could be seriously ill or even dead. Gordon has faced this possibility already. He told the media that on his gravestone he would like these words carved:

"This is better than that night in Bratislava."

He uses the humour of exaggeration to deal with the criticisms of the media when things go wrong. A reporter commented when his team lost a match in Scotland:

"Bang, there goes your unbeaten run. Can you take it? "

"No," said Strachan. "I'm just going to crumble like a wreck. I'll go home,
become an alcoholic and maybe jump off a bridge. Hmmm....I think I can
take it, yeah."

He knows the importance of positive thinking if you wish to achieve success.
One reporter foolishly asked: "There's no negative vibes or negative feelings here?"

Strachan replied: "Apart from yourself, we're all quite positive round here.
I'm going to whack you over the head with a big stick; down negative man,
down."

Strachan often speaks with disarming honesty and schoolboy cheek. He is ready to admit that he and his players are not always at their best. He is ready to face reality. Facing up to reality is a key characteristic of the successful.

When he managed a team in England, a reporter asked him: "So, Gordon, in what areas do you think Middlesbrough were better than you today?"

Strachan replied: "What areas? Mainly that big green one out there...."

Strachan has had his defeats but recently he has led his latest team, Celtic, to undisputed victory in the Scottish Premier League. He is widely accepted as a great manager.

Another great manager now works in the English Premier League. He is Jose Mourihno, the manager of Chelsea. He came to England in June 2004 and soon showed his confidence in himself and his players. He wants only to be judged by the results. A good manager wins. A bad one loses:

"I'm not a defender of old or new football managers. I believe in good ones and bad ones; those that achieve success and those that don't. Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one"

He soon proved himself to be a 'special one' in England as well as in Portugal, his native country. As the name 'the special one' suggests he believes in himself in a big way. A key factor in his success in England is his self-belief and a rich Russian backer who allows him to buy the best players in Europe. You can safely bet money that Chelsea will win almost all their matches.

The odds are not great but you could put £100 on Chelsea to win and make an easy £26 from your bet. Of course, this does not always work out. No team is perfect!

Mourinho is passionate about soccer but retains his sense of perspective and humour. Recently he was asked in London if he was concerned about losing the championship to his main rivals, Manchester United. His reply was typical of him:

"No, I'm more concerned about bird 'flu." The assembled press started laughing.

"Seriously; it's that swan in Scotland that concerns me. It's not that far from here!" (The swan was the first creature with bird 'flu in the UK in 2006)

Over the last few weeks, his team, Chelsea, have been criticised for having players sent off for breaking the rules. When Jose was asked about his success away from home against West Brom, he commented ironically:

"Maybe we won because we played with ten men. That is our best tactic at the moment."

However, he realises that the main reason Chelsea win so often is as follows:"We have top players and, sorry if I'm arrogant, we have a top manager."

Public confidence is so rare in the UK that it is often mistaken for arrogance.

Jose does not believe in having favourites; he believes in the power of the team rather than the individual:

"I don't want special relations with one of them (his players). I hate to speak about individuals. Players don't win you trophies, teams win trophies, squads win trophies."

Another great manager is Harry Redknapp of Portsmouth. He commented about his players in a match with Burnley which ended in a 2-2 draw:

"When the crowd was on their backs no one wanted to try anything in case they got booed. They were defensive and wanted to avoid mistakes."

Harry understands human psychology. If we are too worried about appearing foolish or making mistakes we will fail to make things happen and we will not make full use of our abilities. We go into our shells and play safe.

I remember feeling like this when I played cricket at school. I tried to avoid being anywhere near the ball in case I dropped a catch. It was many years before I realised that I was quite good at catching!

A commentator remarked: "Harry knows how to get his teams going and how to restore their confidence. Now they expect to win at Fratton Park (the Portsmouth ground). They firmly believe they will win." Recently they have won three games in a row and are on their way to escaping relegation to a lower division.

Another manager, Stuart Pierce, of Manchester City also knows the importance of confidence: "We need to go out and really believe we can play a bit."

What key success lessons can we learn from the above?

Skill is important but attitude is even more important. We should expect to win and not show too much respect for the obstacles in our path whether they are human or otherwise and whether they are real or imaginary. We need to believe in our own ability and expect to win even if this makes us seem arrogant.

We should handle failures by reminding ourselves that things could be much worse. Retaining our sense of humour also helps. Teamwork is a key factor in many types of achievement. We should not be worried about making mistakes whether we are playing soccer or cricket or the game of life.

We need to face up to reality and be willing to be judged by the results we achieve as well as the effort we put in. On the whole, I think, that the effort we expend is more important. We cannot always control the results but we can control the effort we put in. The same manager can lose with one team and win with another. He is still the same person and he still made the same efforts.

I'll leave you with a final quote from Gordon Strachan who has been both a winning and a losing manager:

A reporter asked: "Gordon, can we have a quick word?"

"Velocity", replied Gordon as he walked off.

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