Footballer Profile - Carlos Tevez

By looking at the bare statistics, you'd be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss was about with Carlos Tévez. Seven goals in 26 league games for West Ham United; 19 in 63 for Manchester United. Hardly the sort of figures that should have West Ham fans singing his name out when he returned to play against them or, for that matter, the Old Trafford faithful to keep on urging Fergie to 'Sign him up, sign him up sign him up' at every home game. Certainly not the kind of player you might expect to have a 'Welcome to Manchester' poster displayed in the city centre for.
Even for his national team the Argentine striker has been no more prolific - 8 goals in 51 appearances making him quite Heskey-like in his goals per game ratio. And yet, wherever he has played, Carlos Tévez has been adored by the followers of his team. And he has three times been South American Player of the Season, and Hammer of the Year at West Ham after scoring the goal that ensured their Premier League survival - ironically at Old Trafford in May, 2007. It might be because of his tremendous work ethic and willingness to chase all day long; it might be because of his sometimes sublime link-up play; it might even be because, with one or two notable exceptions, not many South Americans have adapted so readily to life at the top of English football. Whatever the secret, it resulted in Manchester City followers being delighted when he was one of Mark Hughes' recruits during the summer of 2009.
Even now, after just 5 goals in his first 14 matches for the club, there are few supporters who wouldn't have Tévez as one of the first names on the team sheet. Carlos Alberto Tévez was originally from Ciudadela in Buenos Aires - from a district known as 'Fuerte Apache'. The nickname that has followed the player since, Apache, was given him at his earliest youth football club, All Boys. After signing for the famous Boca Juniors club and then subsequently transferring to Corinthians, his all-action style attracted the foreign scouts but after that it all began to get complicated.
All the ramifications of the deal which Media Sports Investments made with West Ham will probably never come to light - and the legal minefield frightened off some of the clubs interested in the player and his compatriot Javier Mascherano. The situation became even more complicated when Tévez moved to Manchester United on a two year loan deal which then had the possibility of the Old Trafford team buying the player outright.
Despite being one of the crowd's favourites, Tévez clearly felt unappreciated by some quarters at United. Left out for too many of the big matches and seemingly facing a reluctance to negotiate a full transfer, he made it clear that he would move on in the summer of 2009. Nevertheless, he must have left Old Trafford with many good memories - notably scoring the opening penalty in the Champions League Final shoot-out victory over Chelsea.
Since arriving at Eastlands to wear the Manchester City shirt - for what was claimed in the press to be a British record fee of £47 million - Tévez's all-action style has earned him his usual praise from the supporters - still revelling, of course, in snatching him from their local rivals. Already helping guide Mark Hughes' side to their first major cup semi-final since 1981 - and scoring a fabulous goal against Arsenal in the 3 - 0 quarter final victory - Tévez's attitude on the pitch belies his claim in the Argentine press that he was so tired he would consider retiring from football after the South Africa World Cup were his team to take the trophy. Perhaps he was considering making more cumbia villera tracks with his band - apparently that's his favourite pastime outside of football.
Certainly City fans will be hoping that this was a quote taken out of context somehow and that - World Cup winner or not - Carlos Tévez is back playing for the club in the Champions' League next season. After all, they already know that, as far as he is concerned, bare statistics don't go anywhere near explaining his value to the team.

A Profile-of-Samuel Eto'o

One of the ironies of Samuel Eto'o playing for FC Barcelona is that he originally joined arch-rivals Real Madrid, who immediately put him out on loan; first to second division CD Leganes; then to first division Espanyol after playing just one league match for Madrid; and finally to Mallorca. He did so well at the latter club that they signed him for a club record and became the highest scorer in the history of the club with a total of 54 goals between 2000 and 2004.

The Cameroon striker signed to FC Barcelona after a series of negotiations between Barcelona, Mallorca and Real Madrid who had retained an option on him. On one hand Madrid didn't require him in the team as they already had two strikers in the form of Ronaldo and Raul; on the other hand they didn't want him to play for Barcelona, a club that was looking for a quality striker to cement the attack after they were unable to come to an agreement with midfielder Edgar Davids, who had spent the second half of the 2003-2004 season on loan to the Catalan club.

With Eto'o in place as striker and Ronaldinho as attacking mid-fielder, Samuel Eto'o quickly proved to be good value for money and scored a total of 24 league goals in the 2004-2005 season. Although he helped FC Barcelona to take the league title, he narrowly missed the title of top goal scorer in La Liga.

However, at the celebrations that followed at the Nou Camp he gave speech in which he openly criticised Real Madrid, apparently venting the bitterness he felt for being passed over by the club in favour of being put on loan. He later had to retract his statement and issue an apology.

The following year Samuel Eto'o was able to improve of his league score and with a total of 26 goals he narrowly took the "Pichichi" crown, just one goal ahead of David Villa from Valencia. His strong performance on the pitch saw him also score six Champions League goals, helping to propel Barcelona all the way to the final against Arsenal. He was strongly implicated in the result as first the Arsenal goalkeeper was sent off for a foul against Eto'o in the first 20 minutes; failing to capitalise on the one man advantage, Eto'o equalised in the 76th minute from a pass from Larsson and Belletti scored the winning goal a few minutes after.

On the basis of a strong season Samuel Eto'o was awarded the title of UEFA Champion's League Best Forward as well as Best African Player for the third year running.

Didier Drogba-National Soccer Team

Didier Drogba was a smash hit at the African Nations Cup which was produced by CAF (Confederation of African Football) and hosted in Egypt. The final with Ivory Coast took place on February 10 2006 and was won by the host country Egypt 4-2 on penalty shoot-out.

Didier Drogba had the most impact of any other national player of any other of the participaying teams during the course of the intra African match-ups. He is essentially a centeral force on any of the teams he has played on.. This also includes Chelsea of the English Premier League of which he is also a striker.

For team mate, Toure, Drogba presents a potentially decisive edge in the first competitive meeting between Ivory Coast and Nigeria since the 1994 Nations Cup semi-final won by the Nigerians on penalties.

"Drogba is a really great player and he is something special. We are really proud of what hehas a done for the team".
"It's going to be a very hard game. But now we are in the semi-finals, anything can happen. We've got our chance," said defender Toure.

Seconds into the second half, the whole difference was made when Drogba netted his fourth goal of the tournament and the Elephants could afford to sit back for most of the second half.
The goal stung the Nigerian bench who immediately replaced Mikel Obi with Jay Jay Okocha and Kanu Nwankwo with Julius Aghahowa, but still the Nigerians could not turn the game round. This is the first time the Ivorians, who have qualified for the World cup, will have played in the final since winning the title in 1992 in Senegal.

Edwin Van Der Sar-best keepers in the world

The globally renowned Manchester United are set to lose their veteran goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar as he pushes 40 years old. The Dutchman is considered one of the best keepers in the world and has won some of the toughest competitions in the world such as the Champions League and Premier League.

The club's goalkeeping coach Eric Steele has stated that he believes Edwin will hang up his gloves as early as next summer. But he also feels this depends on whether or not the veteran can achieve one last goal which has proved elusive so far. He has never won a an FA cup and sources believe this will be the deciding factor in his eagerness to leave.

One of the driving factors for Van Der Sar's retirement is not his age, but the decision to spend more time with his wife Annemarie who suffered a brain haemorrhage last year. She is currently undergoing treatment back in their home country of Holland which makes it hard for the family man to be so far away.

Manager Ferguson has also compared Van Der Sar to legend Peter Shilton, "all of a sudden, because of age, Shilton's form just collapsed and I don't think Edwin would want that. He is such a proud man and it's going to be a big loss."

The reds have made some contingency plans by signing 26 year old Danish Anders Lindegaard who, because of the Danish football seasons, could move in the January transfer window. But it is obvious Lindegaard is not United's number 1 as they have continued their hunt for keeper talent, with interest in German national keeper Manual Neuer and Maarten Stekelenburg of Holland.

Ronaldinho-The Genius Of Football

One of the most important players to FC Barcelona's success under Joan Laporta has been Ronaldo de Assis Moreira from Brazil, although many people will not recognise him under that name. More usually known as Ronaldinho, sometimes shortened to Ronnie, or otherwise as Gaucho, he is one of the top players in the world and has set the game of football in Spain alight.

Ronaldinho came to Barcelona in 2003 after spending two years with Paris Saint-Germain. The person usually credited with him coming on board is Sando Rosell, who at the time was Vice President of the club and Laporta's right hand man. Ronaldinho quickly established himself as a firm favourite with Barcelona's supporters with the ability to entertain with his ball control as well as score.

After several years of indifferent results Barcelona started to regain its confidence and by the end if the 2003-2004 season were back in full swing, finished in second place in the league behind Valencia, with attendances at the Nou Camp growing with each match.

Ronaldinho was born in Porto Alegre in Brazil in 1980 and honed his skills as a child playing indoor and beach football. Aged just 13 he came to the attention of the local media when he scored all the goals in a victory against a local team. When you learn that Ronaldinho's team won 23-0 you get some idea of how impressive a feat that was.

His first team as a professional player was Grêmio in 1998, which his older brother, Roberto, had played for earlier - his own football career was cut short through injury and he eventually became the manager of Ronaldinho instead.

With his magic touch of the ball and a clear ability to score, Ronaldinho was snapped up by the Brazilian squad in 1999 and was clear interest from a number of big-name European clubs, Ronaldinho signed with Paris Saint-Germain in 2001.

Whether he was unhappy in Paris, or enjoying the nightlife too much as manager Luis Fernandez claimed is unclear, but for whatever reason he was unable to produce the on-pitch pyrotechnics that he is famous for and by 2003 Ronaldinho made it clear that he was looking to move on.

Both FC Barcelona and Manchester United went after him, but when Manchester and Paris Saint-Germain were unable to agree transfer terms the way was clear for FC Barcelona to get the Brazilian's signature.

Ronaldinho's debut was on a summer tour of the United States, when the club played an exhibition match against AC Milan in which he scored. He quickly became a favourite of the club, when time after time he was able to produce impressive displays of ball control in which was able to show off his natural talents that whether they made it to the back of the net always left him with his trademark toothy grin across his face.

In addition to the La Liga and Champions League titles that Ronaldinho helped propel Barcelona towards, he also has been awarded some of football's top individual awards. In 2004 and 2005 he won the FIFA World Player of the Year award, the European Footballer of the Year in 2005 and worldwide professional footballers association, FIFPro's World Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006.

Paolo Maldini - A Second Generation of Greats

As Cesare Maldini's auspicious craeer was beginning to peter out, Paolo's was starting to show the potential that would lead to greatness, reaching heights that not only his father but the finest soccer players from all over the World could only hope to aspire to.

Maldini junior spent all of his 25 seasons as a footballer wearing the red and black striped of A.C. Milan, eventually hanging up his boots at the age of forty. During his playing career, Paolo's Milan won seven Italian Serie A championships, one Coppa Italia and five Supercoppa Italiana. On the European scene, Paolo added five UEFA Champions League Cups, five UEFA Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup winning medals to his collection.

Maldini made his league debut in 1985 at the age of 16. and such was his talent that he became a regular in AC Milan squad in season 1986/87

With the eighteen year old Maldini holding down a regular place in the first team, Milan won the 1987-88 league championship (Scudetto) his first trophy, in an incredible career and one that saw Maldini go on to break many records on the domestic club scene. His first came on the 25th September 2005, when Paolo Maldini broke the Serie A appearance record, playing in his 571st league match, breaking goalkeeper Dino Zoff's record. By February 2008, Maldini had made 1,000 senior appearances at club and international level.

Playing for Milan, Maldini took part in no less than eight UEFA Champions League finals, a record bettered by no less than Francisco Gento, of Real Madrid. As captain of the club, Maldini has lifted the trophy five times, as well as holding the record as the player to score the fastest-ever goal in a European Clubs' Cup final just 51 seconds into the match, as well as the oldest player (37) with the same goal in the final against Liverpool in 2005

On the international level, Paolo Maldini, played for the Italian national team for fourteen seasons, from his debut in 1988 till retiring in 2002. During that time he made 126 international appearances and notched up seven goals.

Maldini enjoyed the distinction of being was called up by his father Cesare to become part of the Italian U-21 side, where his defensive midfielder talents stood out, when he played twelve times, scoring five goals. There was no holding the young Maldini back and made his national team ( Azzurri )debut at the age of nineteen on 31 March 1988,.

He was awarded the captain's armband for 1994 World Cup, which he wore with distinction till he retired as an international player at the end of the 2002 World Cup, having worn the armband a record 74 times Sadly Maldini never won or led Italy to an international trophy as Italy's most capped player.,.

Maldini announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2008-09 seasons. On 17 May 2009, Maldini played his 900th game, appearing for Milan in a league game against Udinese and his last game as an active player was on 31 May 2009, in the last match of the season, against Fiorentina, which Milan won 2-0.

Kaka-Ricardo Izecson Dos Santos Leite

Born in April of 1982, Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite is currently known to his many adoring fans as Kaka. The Brazilian native plays midfielder for the Los Ligas club, Real Madrid and also enjoys the privilege of playing the same position for the Brazilian National Team. Always a crowd favorite, Kaka gives credit for his unusual nickname to his little brother who, as a small child, had problem's pronouncing his name. Add this to the fact that, in his native land, the nickname is often a short form of Ricardo, and you can see why the handle stuck.

A natural athlete, Kaka began playing football at the tender age of only eight years old. He also, apparently, was a pretty decent tennis player at that age. It took him seven more years to finally decide to focus on football as his chosen sport and he never looked back. He started with Sao Paulo FC and then moved across the Atlantic to play with AC Milan, a trip that cost the Milan club around €8.5 million. AC Milan, it seems, made a good investment, since Kaka won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA Player of the Year while part of their organization in 2007.

Then, in 2009, Real Madrid acquired the midfielder from Milan for a six year-deal that had a reputed price tag in excess of â,¤68 million. Since joining the Real Madrid squad, Kaka has been a steady if unremarkable player and there has been some grumbling about whether or not he is worth the hefty sum it cost the team to obtain his services. While it might be true that, statistically, Kaka has yet to make his mark, it is certainly not because he is lacking in either talent or ability. After all, Real Madrid has long held a reputation for attracting (and paying well for) the best players in the world.

A perennial player for Team Brazil, Kaka began his International career in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championships. He also played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup Squad, but only for a short period of time. He started his first World Cup in 2006 and scored his first (and only) goal in the team's 1 to nothing victory over Croatia. He was named Man of the Match for his play in that meeting even though the Brazilian team went on to lose to Team France.

Roberto Carlos one of the very best Brazilian soccer players

Brazilian soccer players are without question many of the very best all over the world, and over the years, they've had a lot of excellent players. Brazil soccer has the most productive team in the world, this is believed to be true Because of the amazing players, That have been a part of Their teams over the years. Their home in the country, Brazilian football players are treated like gods, and on the pitch given the respect, the which rightfully They Deserve
Roberto Carlos is another player the WHO was one of the very best Brazilian soccer players and joined the team in 1992, playing in three Globe Cups with Them. Roberto is known for his powerful, free kicks he That Brought to the game, as well as one of the amazing all around great players. For the duration of his career with Brazil, he was put on the pitch for almost each and every single game They played, and scores five times in the 68 games.

Player Profile - Raul Gonzalez

The heart and soul of Real Madrid in Spain since 1994, Raul has been through it all. Good years, great years, and the rare bad year for Real Madrid.

Raul started out in the rival Atletico Madrid's youth system, but made the switch to Real Madrid's youth system in 1990. He remained there for 2 years until he was called up to play for the top flighted club. He at the time was the youngest to ever play for Real Madrid, making his debut for the side when he was just 17.

As a striker, Raul has had the pleasure of playing with some of the greats to ever grace the game that have made their way in and out of Madrid's ranks. He found prolific partnerships alongside Fernando Morientes, and later with the Brazilian, Ronaldo. To date, Raul has made an astonishing amount of appearances for his club which now number over 700. In addition he has made over 100 appearances for his country of Spain and has found success there as well.

Raul is a constant threat in front of the goal mouth and his hard work and constant effort lead to him capitalizing on some gritty goals. He has scored over 300 times for Madrid and has found his name creep up the all time scoring list, recently just passing the great Alfredo di Stefano. For country, Raul netted 102 times, yet he has been left off the squad list in recent games. Raul is still eligible to be called out and has yet to announce his international retirement.

Not only is he a hard worker on the field, but Raul is also a disciplined one. Through his entire career he has never received a red card. As a reward for his immense effort on the field, Raul was appointed club captain in 2003.

Raul currently has a "contract for life" through Real Madrid, which renews itself automatically as long as the striker plays 30 games in a season.

Though Raul may have lost some of his pace and his touch on the ball is not what it used to be, he is still a threat in front of the net. His constant work ethic has rewarded him, and he appears to be destined to play at Real Madrid at least one more year.

Famous Soccer Player - Zinedine Zidane

His complete name is Zinedine Yazid Zidane. He was born on 23 June 1972 in Marseille, France. He has nickname of Zizou. He got his start in soccer at an early age, when Zidane played for the club of US Saint-Henri. Zidane is an ex-French World Cup-winning soccer player. His playing position in the field is as attacking midfielder. Even if regarded as a brilliant player even from the time when he was a youngster, nobody imagined of Zidane as a considerable contender to Platini's place as the best player in the history of France.

Zinedine Yazid Zidane experienced playing for some senior clubs, and they are Cannes (1987-1992) and Girondins (1992-1996) in France, Juventus in Italy (1996-2001), and Real Madrid in Spain (2001-2006), winning main championships and cups with every team.

He was regarded as one of the finest contemporary footballers. The achievements of his career contain assisting his national team of France gain the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, as well as with Real Madrid winning the 2002 UEFA Champions League. In 1998 he was entitled the European Footballer of the Year. And also a four-time was named world footballer of the year 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006. In soccer history Zidane became the most costly player while Real Madrid got him for 46 million pounds (approximately $66 million US Dollars). His colleagues on Real Madrid included big names Luis Figo, David Beckham, and also Ronaldo, amongst others by 2003.

In 2001, Pelé include Zidane in the list of the 125 greatest living soccer players. A flamboyant midfielder, in the World Cups of 1998 and 2006 Zidane gained the Golden Ball as the most worthwhile player. After leading France to the finals of the 2006 World Cup, Zinedine Yazid Zidane got retirement from professional soccer.