Bleacher Report - Articles by T SaadiQ Kamali

All Eyes Turn to the World Cup

T SaadiQ Kamali — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:25:21 -0400

With the final round of African World Cup qualifying at the midway point, one nation is conspicuously absent, South Africa.

This is not because Bafana Bafana miss the 2010 campaign through automatic qualification as hosts, but because the team performed so abjectly last year it failed to make the 20 countries battling to join hosts Angola at next January's African Cup of Nations.

By then, the five African teams joining South Africa at next year's World Cup will also be known although, unlike Bafana Bafana, they will have fully earned their place amongst the world's best.

Nonetheless, as African football enters the biggest 12 months in its history, the world's eyes will still be on South Africa. Will it be ready? What about the stadiums? And most crucially for many, how will the problems of crime be addressed as an expected 500,000 visitors from around the globe arrive in this violence-ridden nation?

Yet football's world governing body is concerned that when the best teams in the world arrive for next year's finals, there might be few locals to watch them. Although global ticket demand for the World Cup is high, the local pick-up has been slow and FIFA is unhappy with South Africa's marketing for its forthcoming tournaments.

This might partly explain the poor ticket sales of this months’ Confederations Cup, the eight-team tournament featuring the various continental champions not to mention the last World Cup winners, Italy, being joined by Brazil, Spain, Iraq, New Zealand, America, Egypt and the hosts South Africa

This is not the case as the African race to reach its first World Cup entered its midway point last weekend. 42 clubs, representing 70% of the top leagues of England, Spain and Italy, currently have Africans in their squads and there aren't too many who wouldn't welcome the likes of Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), and Seydou Keita (Mali).

In fact, Eto’o, the three-time African Footballer of the Year, is arguably the best finisher in world football at the moment. The first African to ever the top the scoring charts in Spain, La Liga's second leading scorer with 29 goals, is now chasing an unprecedented African success in the Golden Shoe award.

African teams need such quality if they're to be successful next year when the experience of five-time finalists Cameroon could prove crucial. Many neutrals are also hoping that the strongest teams in the continent, such as Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Ghana, will make it to South Africa.

As the African diaspora flourishes, the game is also advancing back home, at least monetarily. While the continent's domestic football will always be plagued by inadequate pitches, poor preparation, nutrition, salaries, administration and of course, corruption, sponsors are now pumping record amounts of money into the African Champions League.

A minimum of US$190,000 is received by teams making the eight team group phase, while 1 million USD is claimed by the winners, currently Egypt's record-breaking outfit Al Ahly.

They are spearheaded by Mohamed Aboutrika, a playmaker much coveted in Europe but who stays in Africa largely thanks to the sizeable salary the Cairo club can afford to give him. In fact, his performances have been at such a high standard that he was named the BBC's African Footballer of 2008 in a public poll, beating the likes of both Didier Drogba and Emmanuel Adebayor.

Of course, the only way Aboutreika, 30, is going to receive worldwide acclaim is if Egypt make it to the World Cup. The Pharaohs’ are the continent's most successful side, with six African Cup of Nations championships (including the last two), but chase only their third World Cup spot.

Yet Egypt's passionate football followers will also be hoping for something else this year, namely that FIFA's U20 World Cup passes smoothly as the land of the pyramids welcomes visitors in September. And to ensure that this really is the era for African football, FIFA has also awarded the U17 finals in October to Nigeria.

In December this year, the 2010 finals will seem just around the corner as the World Cup draw takes place in Cape Town, whose Green Point Stadium should grace any World Cup finals.

It just remains to be seen which five African nations will join Bafana Bafana in playing there and so add new memories to the continent's World Cup adventure as South Africa 2010 draws ever closer.

Preview of African Confederation World Cup Qualifying

T SaadiQ Kamali — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:27:46 -0400

Only the five group winners are guaranteed a prestigious spot at Africa's first World Cup in 2010.

Senegal's dramatic second-round exit means that Cameroon are the only team left in qualifying to have ever reached the World Cup quarterfinals.

Four-time African champions, five-time World Cup finalists, and 2000 Olympic champions to boot, the Indomitable Lions head up Group A—the only one to contain three former finalists with Morocco and Togo also joined by Gabon.

Togolese hopes have diminished with the absence of Stephen Keshi, the Nigerian coach who performed miracles in steering the Hawks to Germany 2006. And although Emmanuel Adebayor, who scored nine goals in 12 qualifiers last time around, remains to spearhead their attack, new Belgian coach Jean Thissen is unlikely to possess Keshi's magic touch.

The Atlas Lions, Morocco, four-time finalists, are now led by Roger Lemerre, the Frenchman who guided France to European glory (2000), Tunisia to African triumph (2004) and the Carthage Eagles to the 2006 World Cup as well.

Moroccan fans will hope this experience proves crucial but in their group they face a Gabonese side also relying on French influence.

The Gabonese are relying on French influence in their qualifying quest as Alain Giresse, part of France's famed 1984 European champions, quit last year when home fans targeted him after Gabon's failure to reach the inaugural African Nations Championship (a tournament for local players) but he has since returned. Hull City striker Daniel Cousin will be key to the qualifying chances of the 2012 Nations Cup hosts.

Group B is all about Nigeria. To the total dismay of their high-voltage supporters, Africa's most populous nation failed to reach the 2006 finals, humbled by a hard-working Angolan side lacking the quality of Yakubu, Obafemi Martins and Nwankwo Kanu.

Although the Super Eagles were the only team in CAF Group 2 qualifying with a 100% record, the fans are still not happy—critical of local coach Shaibu Amodu's management methods.

Tunisia are bidding for a fourth straight World Cup. Disappointing in recent finals, captain Karim Hagui will strive to show that a country boasting a fine African club record can translate that onto the international game.

With Kenya and Mozambique expected to offer little resistance, the heavyweight clashes between Tunisia and Nigeria will determine Group B's outcome.

Just like Nigeria in Group B, Egypt's Pharaohs will hog the limelight in Group C—which also features Zambia, Rwanda, and two-time finalists Algeria.

Claiming six African Cup of Nations championships and an unprecedented 20 continental club titles, Egypt's claim to being Africa's greatest footballing nation should be undeniable—yet it is let down by their paltry two World Cup appearances.

This is less than Cameroon, Nigeria, Morocco and Tunisia, meaning a heavy burden is on the reigning African champions to reach their first finals since 1990. With an ageing but settled side, and a respected coach in wily Hassan Al Shehata, Egypt must make it through their group to dispel their doubters.

Egypt will face stiff competition from fellow North Africans Algeria, who already knocked out Senegal, and Zambia. The Chipolopolo are desperate to partake in the football festival on their doorstep next year.

Rwanda will surely bring up the rear unless they can produce a qualification miracle to match the one where they contested the 2004 Nations Cup.

The final two groups’ field just one World Cup finalist apiece with Ghana (Group D) and Ivory Coast (Group E) both having made it to the last finals.

Propelled by Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari and captain Stephen Appiah, the Black Stars were the only African side to make the second round at Germany 2006. Yet to presuppose that the four-time African champions will breeze through qualifying is to underestimate the challenge presented by Mali, Benin and Sudan.

In fact, Mali's Eagles present a fearsome obstacle, not simply because they are guided by the pragmatic Keshi but because Real Madrid's Mahamadou Diarra, Sevilla's Frederic Kanoute and Barcelona's Seydou Keita fill their ranks.

With African World Cup qualifying often throwing up a surprise first-time finalist, could Group D provide the shocker in this pack? Either way, the last-day clash between Ghana and Mali looks to be decisive.

Finally to Group E where one of the form teams should top the pile. African Cup of Nations runners-up in 2006 and semifinalists last year, the Ivory Coast's glittering array of talent—including the likes of Didier Drogba, Kolo Toure and Abdulkader Keita—is marshalled by Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic.

Maiden World Cup performers in Germany, the Ivorians suffered narrow defeats to both Argentina and Holland, glorious failures they would love to put right next year. Unbeaten in qualifying, the Elephants' quality should see off Malawi, as well as Burkina Faso and Guinea.

Malawi's Flames, who only made the final round thanks to a dramatic late victory over DR Congo, will focus on Angola 2010 while the Burkinabe and Guineans will both believe they can cause an upset—the Stallions after being unbeaten so far, while Guinea must hope highly-talented winger Pascal Feindouno is at his best.

While the six rounds of matches are played out, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will be an acutely-interested observer. Africa's 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign was marred by violence.

Unfortunately, only an incurable optimist would expect a trouble-free campaign as tensions rise and the prospect of appearing at South Africa 2010 looms tantalizingly close for some fans.

Sounders Kick Off MLS Debut With Thrashing of the NY Red Bulls

T SaadiQ Kamali — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:16:39 -0400

The MLS Debut in Seattle could have not gone better.

Such a resounding success was the Seattle Sounders FC's MLS debut 3-0 demolition of the New York Red Bulls in front of a sellout crowd of over 32,000 fans, that even the most elitist football traditionalist (speaking of myself here) would have a hard time not giving kudos to the home club.

Forward Fredy Montero showed himself as a force to be reckoned with, scoring two goals and assisting on a third. Keeper Kasey Keller made two outstanding saves of the only clear shots on goal he faced all evening.

It has been 26 years since Seattle hosted a domestic league football match, and the bright-green masses put on a show for a national television audience.

Sounders FC played attacking football from the outset, and the Red Bulls never recovered. Midfielders Osvaldo Alonso and Sebastien Le Toux teamed up to find Montero open on the right side, and the 21-year-old from Colombia drove a low shot past New York keeper Danny Cepero 11 minutes into the match. Montero notched Sounders FC's first-ever MLS goal.

In the 25th minute, Montero made a nice weighted pass to midfielder Brad Evans on the wing. He attempted a shot that went between Cepero's legs for a goal and a 2-0 lead that the Sounders maintained for the rest of the first half.

In the second half the Red Bulls got more physical with Montero. Sounders FC's defense, practically impenetrable in the first half, got help from Keller to preserve the shutout, and Montero capped off the evening with an unassisted goal that saw him stop the ball in front of the defender in the open field, stutter-step with the ball in his control and fire a shot into the net.

Coach Schmid showed lots of class by giving a nod to the longtime supporters of the United Soccer Leagues' Sounders. As extra time began, he substituted Montero out of the match and sent in USL Sounder favorite Roger Levesque.

MLS, Copa Libertadores Not Quite a Match, Yet

T SaadiQ Kamali — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:17:20 -0500

With the Houston Dynamo from Major League Soccer and the Montreal Impact, a club from a country that has no major domestic league (Canada), the CONCACAF Champions League is showing that it is the second weakest of all regional championship qualifiers for the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup in Dubai (OCEANIA being the weakest).

While MLS has steadily improved its on-field performance at home in the U.S., the league continues to struggle internationally. But despite the results, it’s fair to say that one of the league’s main objectives is to join the second most prestigious club competition in the world—South America’s Copa Libertadores.

But does MLS deserve it?

Imagine seeing the Houston Dynamo, D.C. United, or Chicago Fire squad playing meaningful ties against such storied clubs as Boca Juniors, Flamengo, or Santos. Not only would fans have the opportunity to see such dramatic fixtures at home, but the experience for teams to travel throughout South America to face quality opposition would provide invaluable experience.

However, what is good for the U.S. is not necessarily good for the rest of the world.

It’s unlikely that teams from South America will consider flying 13 hours for a mid-week tie against Real Salt Lake in the middle of a frigid January winter. Also, considering how some clubs in MLS struggle to fill seats during the regular season, it’s hard to imagine fans coming in droves to see a mid-tier team like Cuenca in the snow.

If MLS really wants to have its teams compete in South America, the perfect option for the moment would be the Copa Sudamericana, CONMEBOL’s equivalent to the UEFA Cup. Not only do you get to see some of same big name clubs as in the Copa Libertadores, but the greatest advantage will be that MLS clubs will be in mid-season form.

Clearly the league is desperate to raise its image worldwide from one of contempt and indifference to acceptance and respect. But a move too soon into the Copa might not be the best way to go about it.

Though it improves year by year, MLS needs to compete in its own region on a yearly basis before it can hope to take on the rigors of South American football.

David Beckham’s Galaxy Is Far from Perfect

T SaadiQ Kamali — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:22:39 -0400

For the second-straight year, a Los Angeles GM was shown the door, despite being ahead in the standings over their derby rival, Chivas USA. People may criticize the job Lalas and Gullit did for the Galaxy, but you can’t argue with their success.

"Both parties have agreed on mutually-agreeable terms to part company,” said Timothy J. Leiweke, President & CEO AEG, investor/operators of the Galaxy. “It is an amicable arrangement, and we appreciate and respect the issues that Ruud has highlighted with the club and are very grateful for all the hard work he has contributed while with the organization. Hopefully, he has laid the foundations for future success for the Los Angeles Galaxy."

Translation: "Ruud had a guaranteed three-year contract, so we had to negotiate with him instead of firing him."

“With Rudd moving on, we believe that this is the right time to make more sweeping changes throughout the organization,” said Leiweke. “Our commitment continues to be focused on not only winning the MLS Cup this and every season, but to build a club capable of competing at the international level."

"This decision is the right one for the organization, the right one for the players and the right one for our fans. We thank Alexi for the tremendous hard work and dedication he brought to his job each and every day.”

Paul Bravo, Galaxy’s Director of Soccer, will continue in this role overseeing all issues related to the Galaxy’s roster, including scouting and evaluating players, overseeing the club’s development system, and other team administrative functions.

Assistant General Manager Tom Payne will continue to oversee the Galaxy front office, including corporate partnerships, ticket sales, marketing, programming, communications, operations and community development. Payne has been with the organization for six seasons.

Translation: "Alexi was a figurehead."

I think this is the first time that both player and business duties were spelled out so clearly in a press release. I don’t remember anything this clear.

I don’t anticipate much change, particularly in the business area. They even seem happy with Paul Bravo’s work, reiterating his jurisdiction. This tells me Bravo and Cobi Jones were the brains behind the very good SuperDraft the Galaxy had this year, and that forces beyond his control were behind things like Carlos Ruiz and Eduardo Dominguez.

Bravo’s been on the job longer than Gullit and was a prime target in the housecleaning this has become.

It could also mean that the next GM will want to pick his own Director of Soccer. The problem is, why on earth would you replace or promote someone over Tom Payne, the one guy who has been exceeding expectations?

Unless AEG really does think the Galaxy should be selling out every single game with Beckham.

As for Gullit leaving for personal reasons, it’s possible. I don’t want to say "he was fired or forced out," and read tomorrow that he has a terminal illness or something to that effect. But from the point of view of a legendary European, the Galaxy job was an effort to salvage a coaching reputation that now lies in ruins and or turmoil. Gullit will be hired to coach a club again, it just might take a while. Alexi will run a club again, guaranteed.

Cobi Jones is the temporary coach. I feel he will lose the temporary moniker and become permanent in the position. Cobi wants to be a head coach, and it’s to his credit that he didn’t just leverage his name into a head-coaching gig without previous experience.

Cobi also has the fire that makes people want to win and be successful. Cobi can be charming when he wants to be, but anyone who’s looked into his eyes while competing won’t doubt his dedication and determination.

At this moment, people will question whether he has the tactical acumen at this point. I think the Galaxy’s management will give him chance to develop and prove whether he can coach a club or not.

Alfredo Di Stéfano: The greatest footballer of all time?

T SaadiQ Kamali — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:07:37 -0400

Ask most people who is the greatest footballer of all time, and more than likely they will say Pelé.

But if Pelé had been denied the chance to play in three World Cups by a World War, politics, and cruel injury, and an Argentinean by the name of Alfredo Di Stéfano had the opportunity to shine on the world stage, maybe the popular view would be a little different.

Born 14 years before Pelé, Alfredo Di Stéfano was the greatest player of his time, of that there's no doubt. Representing Spain, Argentina and Colombia at international level, securing a record five consecutive European Cup titles for Real Madrid, European Footballer of the Year twice in three years in the late 1950s, here is the player described by his coach at Real Madrid, Miguel Munoz:

"The greatness of Di Stéfano was that, with him in your side, you had two players in every position."

Di Stéfano was total football way before Rinus Michel's Ajax revolution in the 1960s. Defending, attacking, stopping goals, scoring goals, setting up goals, with pace, vision and strength, and all with a fighting spirit.

A quick run through Di Stéfano's career should be enough to convince you of the man's greatness.

Club Football: South America

Born in the suburbs of Buenos Aires on July 4th, 1926, Alfredo was the eldest son of Italian parents. His early years were spent working on his parents' farm, before, aged 12, he joined a youth team called Los Cardales. After winning the amateur championship with Los Cardales, Di Stéfano signed for River Plate when he was just 15, and by 16 had forced his way into the first team squad. River Plate, however, were already well-stocked with strikers, and loaned Di Stéfano to Atletico Huracan.

Di Stéfano was recalled to River Plate in 1947, and "La Saeta Rubia" (The Blond Arrow), as he became known, immediately made an impact, becoming the leading scorer in the league, with 27 goals in 30 games.

River Plate won the title comfortably that year, and again in 1948. A players strike in 1949 saw many Argentine players hop across the border to Colombia, to play in the then unofficial Di Mayor League. Di Stéfano helped his new club Los Millonarios dominate Di Mayor over the coming seasons, winning the league title in 1949, 1951, 1952, and 1953.

Di Stéfano scored 267 goals in his short time at the club, making him Millonarios' second highest scorer of all time.

Club Football: Spain

Real Madrid and rivals Barcelona both tried to sign Di Stéfano, with Real negotiating with Millionairos, and Barcelona with River Plate, with whom Di Stéfano was still contracted. The Spanish FA suggested that he should be able to play for both teams, changing from one to the other at the end of each season.

When Di Stefano rejected this, and the Catalan side's idea of both clubs selling their share in the player to Italian side Juventus, Real were able to sign him for a measly £70,000. It was to become one of the greatest signings the club (or any club) would ever make. Real Madrid won the Spanish league that season and this success paved the way for the European glory and domination.

The European Cup, launched in the 1955/6 season, might just as well have been called the Real Madrid Cup in its first few years. In the first final, played in Paris on 13 June 1956, Real Madrid beat a strong Remis side that included French genius Raymond Kopa.

The following year, this time stronger after signing Kopa, Real Madrid defeated Fiorentina 2-0 to lift the trophy again. Milan were the victims a year later, losing 3-2 to Real in extra time. For the 1958/59 season, Real signed the ridiculously good Ferenc Puskas, giving them an attacking force of Puskas, Kopa, and Di Stéfano, surely the greatest trio of attacking players ever to grace the same side.

Real Madrid again won the European Cup, beating Reims 2-0 in Stuttgart in front of a crowd of 80,000. At Hampden Park, Glasgow, on 18 May 1960, in front 130,000 Real Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3.

That was the end of Real's run of success in the European Cup until the late 1990's. Di Stéfano scored in five successive finals, and was instrumental in helping Real win all five finals. In 1960, he also helped Real to the first Intercontinental Cup, beating Penarol of Uruguay.

While playing for Real Madrid, Di Stéfano also won the European Footballer of the Year award, in 1957, and again in 1959. Di Stéfano played in two more European Cup finals with Real Madrid, losing 5-3 to a Benfica side in 1962 that featured Eusebio, (which lost to Pele's Santos side in the InterContinental Cup), and 3-1 to Inter Milan in the 1964 final.

International Career

Di Stéfano represented three nations during his career, playing for Argentina, Colombia, and Spain. His international career began when Di Stéfano was a 21 year old, selected for Argentina in the 1947 Copa America (South American Championship).

Di Stéfano established himself as a star immediately, scoring six goals in the competition, and leading Argentina to victory. Di Stéfano was the second leading scorer of the competition.

While exiled in Columbia, the Colombian FA asked Di Stéfano to play for their national side, Di Stefano obliged, so Colombia became his second international team, for only four matches. While in Spain, Di Stéfano established himself on the international scene, scoring 23 goals in 31 games for his newly adopted homeland.

If there is one reason why Alfrédo Di Stefano is not remembered better for his great achievements and as a challenger to Pelé's generally accepted title as the greatest player ever it is this: Despite being capped by three countries, and playing at the top level of professional football for 20 years, Di Stéfano never played in the FIFA World Cup Finals.

In 1950, Argentina were one of many teams to withdraw from the competition, the first to be played after World War II. In 1954, having played for Argentina and Colombia, Di Stéfano was ruled by FIFA to be ineligible to appear for Spain, a decision not reversed until 1957, when Di Stéfano was 31. He scored a hat-trick on his debut against Holland.

In 1958, Spain failed to qualify for the finals, and in 1962, having been selected for the Spanish squad, Di Stéfano injured himself just before the tournament began. So one of the world's greatest footballers was denied the chance to grace the world's greatest tournament.

In the past, in order to be one of the greats in Football, you had to participate in the FIFA World Cup. It was the one chance to prove yourself against the best in the world. Nowadays, with TV broadcasting matches world wide, you can easily prove to the world if you have the skills and talents necessary to be considered "great." Di Stéfano never had this chance, so he is not as well known as others.

It is hard to compare players. But I have to admit, doing research and speaking to those that saw Di Stéfano play, he may be the best all-around player to feature on a pitch.

New Women's Soccer League in 2009

T SaadiQ Kamali — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:03:56 -0400

The latest incarnation of a women's soccer league will start in 2009. The new league plans to place franchises in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington.

The new women's league claims it has done its homework and has learned some lessons from the failed Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), an entity which lasted all of three seasons, from 2001 through 2003.

Women's Soccer LLC will undoubtedly get a boost from this year's Olympics. But will it be enough to capture consumer interest in women's soccer? History suggests no.

Women's sports have been struggling on the professional level for years in America. A planned woman's hockey league never got off the ground. There is the Women's Professional Football League, but in all actuality its semi-pro at best.

Women's college basketball has pockets of great interest, including Connecticut and New Jersey, but neither the WNBA nor the defunct American Basketball League has resonated among sports consumers, whether it is at the arena or in front of television sets.

American sports customers are just not interested in women's professional sports for some reason. Fans don't watch it on TV in big numbers and that presents a problem for promoters of professional women's sports leagues.

But there should be some interest. The United States Soccer Federation claims there are 3.2 million players registered with the U.S. Youth Soccer Association, and another 4.5 million adults with the organization as parents, coaches, referees, and administrators. Another 250,000 adults are playing in soccer leagues nationally.

Based on the number of girls playing soccer on the youth level and the amount of parental involvement, there should be natural consumer interest in women's soccer, but it has failed to materialize when it comes to the pro level.

Overcoming past failures and lack of interest in big time women's professional sports will be the major obstacles facing owners who want to build a big time woman's soccer league.

Women's Football in England

T SaadiQ Kamali — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:31:46 -0400

You don’t hear much about women’s soccer in England. In the same way you don't hear much about rugby, cricket, golf, or tennis, compared with how much you hear about the English Premier League.

Then, too, women’s football in the birthplace of the sport still molts from mores long since debunked overseas. In a country more modernized than America in various categories, England has no Title IX.

Just as the U.S. Congress passed Title IX in 1972, English soccer’s governing body, the Football Association, lifted a 50-year ban on women’s matches.

The two best-known women’s footballers in Britain are probably Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra from "Bend It Like Beckham"—who are, um, actresses.

It has budged, however, to where you can find discussions of actual World Cup play, which has aired on the BBC during the daytime. When there’s discussion, it often congeals to outright dismay at the caliber of goalkeeping, particularly with the Argentina squad that lost 11-0 to Germany and 6-1 to England.

Women's football will take years to develop a general following, but has made major strides since the FA took over the operation in the late 90's.

All I can say is, you've come a long way baby.

Can An African Nation Win World Cup 2010?

T SaadiQ Kamali — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:26:23 -0400

In 1977 Pelé announced that an African nation would win the Fifa World Cup by the end of the 20th century, a prediction that he, and Africa, have never been allowed to forget.

After the new millennium proved him wrong he extended the deadline to the year 2010.

One of the things a country needs in order to have a realistic prospect of coming out on top in a tournament such as this is experience. For any African nation to have had a chance of fulfilling Pelé's prediction, it would need to have been qualifying consistently in the intervening years and making steady progress up the ladder of international football.

But no African team has ever made this kind of steady progress.

Something else that teams usually need to win the World Cup is home advantage, and in 2010 the tournament will be held in Africa for the first time.

Four times in its history has the World Cup been won by a team from outside the continent in which it was being played (in 1958, 1970, 1994, 2002-all Brazil).

So 2010 is surely Africa's chance, but which country? The hosts, South Africa, are in disarray; they failed to qualify for World Cup 2006 and did not win a single match at the recent African Cup of Nations. The winners of the tournament, Egypt, has not qualified for the World Cup since 1990.

The old powerhouses of African football—Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal—are too busy recriminating about their failures this year to plan effectively for 2010. The World Cup in 2010 may be Africa's best chance, but it is impossible to identify a country that looks capable of taking it.

Yet the irony is that while African national teams have been failing to live up to expectations, individual African players have been making huge advances. A number of the Ivory Coast team members (including Chelsea's Didier Drogba) spent some or all of their formative years in France, and of those who stayed at home many came through the youth academy of former French international Jean-Marc Guillou, which was designed to scour the Ivory Coast for raw talent, train it up in state-of-the-art facilities and then export it to club sides in France and elsewhere.

What has really changed about African football over the past 30 years is not the strength in depth of the game, but the fact that it is now possible to construct relatively successful national teams in the most unlikely places.

Ivory Coast, Angola, Ghana, and Togo are the beneficiaries of the new equality at work in international football: luck.

Long-term success in international football requires not just luck, but also talented footballers. It also requires developing infrastructure and footballing institutions.

In Africa, the only country to have worked hard on building up its infrastructure and football institutions is South Africa; unfortunately, South African football has not unearthed enough talented individuals to compete with the rest of the continent, never mind the rest of the world.

Hooliganism in English Football

T SaadiQ Kamali — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:55:23 -0400

Disorderly behaviour has been common amongst football supporters since the birth of the sport, but it is only really since the 1960s that it began to be perceived as a serious problem.

In the 1980s, however, hooliganism became indelibly associated with English football supporters, following a series of major disturbances at home and abroad, which resulted in numerous deaths. Vigorous efforts by governments and the police since then have done much to reduce the scale of hooliganism. However, it still persists, albeit in new forms. Today, in contrast to the more or less spontaneous upsurges of violence from the past, gangs of rival fans will frequently arrange to meet at specific locations, using mobile phones or the internet, before and after matches to fight. Furthermore, while England has the worst international reputation for hooliganism, a number of other countries have similar and growing problems. Today, the highest profile hooliganism problems tend to occur in relation to international matches and events. In all these countries, some gangs of hooligans share other characteristics, interests, and beliefs that incline them towards violent conduct, including links to far-right and racist organisations. Others, however, are apolitical and are simply composed of men who enjoy fighting. Although football hooliganism only rose to widespread public attention in the 1960s, it had been with the sport since its earliest development. In the late 19th century, concerns were frequently voiced about groups of "roughs" causing trouble at matches by attacking not only opposing supporters, but also players and referees.

Many sociologists point to football's origins in working class Britain as a factor distinguishing it from the majority of sports popular today, and contributing to its links with aggressive and disorderly behaviour. Although football became more "respectable" in the interwar period, and violence went into decline, levels of disorder and public concern about hooligans rose sharply in 1960.

This was in conjunction with a number of other moral panics relating to new youth cultures and growing racial tensions. In this context, football stadiums rapidly became identified as public spaces where large scale threatening ritual displays and fights could be staged. Gangs emerged staking their claims to certain "territories" within football grounds, and strong "tribal" loyalties grew up intermingling gang mentality and support for particular teams.

The territorial factor is widely accepted to be the principal reason behind the particular rivalries between neighbouring teams and the susceptibility to violence of derby matches—although other local factors are prominent in some cities (i.e. sectarianism in Glasgow).

It should be noted that in the 1960s football violence was considerably worse in many other European countries than in the UK. In the early 1960s, the Football League sought to pull English teams out of European competitions for fear of the threat posed by foreign fans. However, studies have shown that football violence outside the UK is largely a postwar phenomenon. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, football violence was largely confined to football stadiums, but the trend to move outside has been increasing since then. In the 1990s, following the introduction of all-seater stadiums, in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster, nearly all large-scale football violence occurs outside stadiums. A watershed in the history of English football hooliganism was the Heysel disaster of 1985, in which a "charge" by Liverpool fans at rival Juventus supporters caused a wall to collapse, resulting in 39 deaths. English teams were banned from European club competitions until 1990.

During this time, substantial efforts were made by the police to bring the problem under control. Simultaneously, considerable efforts were also made in the 1980s by football clubs themselves to eliminate racism amongst fans.

Ironically, perhaps one of the most significant factors in reducing the problem of hooliganism has been the widening interest in the sport since the 1990s and the influx of huge sums of money. At the same time, however, the influence of improved police technology and methods along with a new unwillingness to tolerate hooliganism as "a bit of a laugh," have pushed it away from the mainstream and into its new, less overt forms. The excesses of football hooligans since the 1980s would lead few to defend it as "harmless fun" or a matter of "letting off steam" as it was frequently portrayed in the 1970s. Explanations for the phenomenon are wide and varied. Moreover, while hooliganism has declined in overall scale, it continues to occur in new and sometimes more alarming forms. In April 2000, Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, two Leeds United supporters, were stabbed to death in Istanbul ahead of a UEFA Cup semi-final, in what the coroner's inquest described as "an organised ambush" by Turkish fans. The extent to which large-scale hooliganism and rioting is now primarily an international phenomenon (and as the absence of crowd trouble at the 1994 World Cup in the USA would suggest, a European phenomenon) raises a new series of problems. The influence of alcohol on football violence is also a disputed factor. In the past, when hooliganism was more "spontaneous," there was clear evidence that many of those involved were drunk. Efforts to ban alcohol from grounds and to monitor and control behaviour in pubs in the vicinity of grounds has had an impact on this sort of disorder.

The media has also contributed to football violence. Although reports are uniformly critical (apart from where blame may appear to lie with foreign fans or police), studies have suggested that the language of war and combat employed by the media in covering football reinforce the aggressive and confrontational perception of the sport.

Headlines such as the Daily Mirror's "Achtung! Surrender!" printed ahead of England's match with Germany in June 1996, have been particularly criticised in this regard.

MLS: Is David Beckham A Success?

T SaadiQ Kamali — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:11:46 -0400

Earlier this season, David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy played a series of barnstorming games in South Korea and China. Aside from England, Asia has been Beckham's most rabid fan base since hosting the 2002 World Cup.

In the first match against FC Seoul, the 65,000-seat stadium was only half full. Five years ago, they would have required riot police to keep people out.

After one year in America, David Beckham is already fading from the world's consciousness. Has Beckham been a success for Major League Soccer?

When he committed to the league, Beckham and MLS had a few goals:

1. To increase the league's profile;

2. To raise interest in soccer in general;

3. To boost the level of play in the league;

4. And encourage other international stars to join MLS.

Last January, the league's profile shot through the roof, at home and abroad. North American journalists and reviewers who never before wrapped their lips around the word "soccer" without scorn were forced to reconsider.

The problem here is that this news is always Beckham-centric. Interest in his arrival has yet to translate to any interest in the league generally.

The MLS still has work to do promoting its other stars and teams, while continuing to use Beckham as the sharp point of the marketing spear— it’s a tough job. Beckham also, promised to do his utmost to push the game forward in the U.S.

Soccer already is a mass participatory movement among North American kids. Beckham set himself a goal that had already been accomplished in this case.

The English star, also talked about raising the level of play in the league. That's been a bust.

First, he didn't play. Beckham managed only five appearances in league games all season. When he did play, he did it on a wretched team that couldn't make the playoffs.

Without Beckham as a foil, we weren't able to see if anyone else had to boost their game to offset him.

Arguably, Juan Pablo Angel, with his quickness and ability in the air, did more than anyone to raise the stakes for MLS defenders last year— which brings us to Beckham's fourth objective: blazing a path for other international stars.

This was key to MLS's plan for Beckham.

They correctly realized from the start that the league would not enjoy widespread international respectability until top players who weren't so interested in the ancillary benefits of U.S. sports stardom— endorsement deals, Hollywood careers— chose MLS.

Aside from a trickle of fading South and Central American stars, that has not happened. In fact, the balance seems to be tilting the other way.

The best, young U.S. talent views MLS as a gateway to overseas leagues.

That's the most worrying trend.

If Beckham becomes a one-off, there's no other way to view the experiment of winning him to this side of the Atlantic than as a failure.

I continue to believe that over the long term, this continent will embrace professional soccer on a massive scale.

Immigration trends, especially in the southern U.S.; the ready availability on TV of Premier League and Serie A games and highlights; the live spectator experience of soccer—all those factors and more will eventually push soccer onto the mainstream conscience.

Last year Beckham touched down in the MLS, I’m still waiting for him and the league to take off.

MLS Compared to Other Domestic Leagues

T SaadiQ Kamali — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:45:53 -0400

Where does Major League Soccer stand in relation to the other world leagues? What is the quality when held next to global standard-bearers?

Would an average MLS side get flattened regularly in a top-tier Western European league, such as England's Premier League, Italy's Serie A, Germany's Bundesliga, or Spain's La Liga? ("Yes. And how badly?")

Could the rank-and-file MLS starter stand alongside his peers in South America's top associations in Brazil and Argentina, or in some of the worlds other heavyweight leagues, such as the top flights in Mexico, Holland, and Portugal?

A reasonable starting point is that MLS hasn't reached a level anywhere near the better top flight international associations.

MLS players and managers seem to generally agree on that point. How close is the 12-year-old MLS to getting there, to consistently rivaling the quality of EPL or La Liga’s primera division? On that point, disagreement ensues.

As for individual player quality, the last prominent player to arrive here from the pool of "average" in England's Premiership became a smash hit in MLS. Juan Pablo Angel's formerly prolific strike rate at Aston Villa in the Premier League had waned over the two seasons prior to his spring arrival at Red Bull New York.

Here he's clearly a class above the field, having already claimed MLS Player of the Month honors twice.

This would indicate that the quality of the average Premiership foot soldier is a significant notch above his MLS peer.

The players from the Coca-Cola League Championship seem more comparable to MLS athletes. For comparison shopping, there's no better place to start than Toronto FC, where coach Mo Johnston seems bent on fashioning Major League's Soccer's newest expansion side into a British football look-alike.

Jim Brennan has shown himself to be an average MLS defender at the very best, which is exactly what he was in the Coca-Cola Championship. He spent the bulk of his late 20s at Norwich City, where he was in and out of the lineup, never truly establishing himself as a starting fixture.

He moved on a free transfer to fellow Coca-Cola Championship side Southampton in 2006 but was released a few months later.

He is now a starter for Toronto, albeit for one of the league's more wobbly defenses.

Toronto FC teammate Danny Dichio spent the bulk of his long career in England's second tier, generally starting and scoring at a modest clip.

He made 63 appearances over two seasons (2005-07) for Preston North End, scoring five goals as the club bid unsuccessfully for promotion into the Premiership. That's a modest scoring rate by most standards.

Here, MLS doesn't compare as favorably. Dichio had five goals in his first 12 matches for Johnston's side and now forms one-half of a dangerous striking tandem alongside Jeff Cunningham.

So is it true what some British papers have said lately in the Beckham ballyhoo, that MLS soccer is closer in quality to England's third tier?

It is possible even the best MLS teams would not survive in the Premier League. They certainly wouldn't compete for honors, and they would plummet immediately into the relegation zone.

Examining individual transfers seems to paint a slightly different picture, however. There is a growing list of MLS All-Stars who merge into top European leagues only to make a nominal impact.

Clint Dempsey is the latest example. Dempsey was a growing influence with the New England Revolution the past two seasons.

He was considered a top-flight MLS attacker (although the sheer numbers were just north of ordinary; he managed eight goals in 21 Revolution appearances last year).

The U.S. international moved last winter to Fulham in the Premier League on a $4 million transfer. Since his move, Dempsey has seized a regular lineup spot for a bottom-rung Premier League outfit.

The only player to have truly made an impact has been DaMarcus Beasley. He bothered MLS defenses from 2000-2004, moved to PSV, and became the first American player to score in the Champions League.

Injuries have limited his playing time and career path, but he was able to help Manchester City, while on loan to the club, avoid relegation. He also scored for Rangers FC in the Champions League before the injury bug hit him again.

As for Mexico, a good league compared to others in the Americas but perhaps not above Brazil or Argentina: Mexican sides have generally dispatched MLS clubs in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

It's not hard to see the MLS remaining a notch below the Mexican league in quality, for the economics are skewed so significantly in Mexico's favor.

Simply put, lucrative TV contracts enrich Mexican teams, allowing them to chase far more expensive talent. Two or three average-wage players in Mexico could eat up about half of one MLS team's entire salary cap.

All in all, the MLS has a long way to go before it can be considered a top flight international league.