WEEKEND WITH THE LEGENDS

A chic recently told me Swoosh What is it with you and soccer.Its not life and death.
I told her in the words of Bill Shankly
"Football is not a matter of life and death,Its more than that.
Have a look at this video. This is the adrennaline...2010...In our own backyard

MESSI WINS BALLON DIOR
And the debate is settled. Lionel Messi is the King of the World. And Penaltinho isnt,
What do the readers have to say.?
Look Penaltinho is class but Lio Messi is in a different league.
Both players havent really lit the international stage this year but perhaps 2010 is the stage.
And we have the best players in the World.
So Messi has pipped Penaltinho....ABR.......Anyone but Ronaldo
Interesting was Iniestas reaction t Christiano Ronaldo in calling him a hypocryte. Penaltinho was having ago at Iniesta and saying his a diver. Iniesta responded by saying "Look whos talking"
As ABR often says...I bumped intop the TV and Penaltinho fell down

Its December already,Geez. Time just flies. This weekend was spectecular. It was spent watching and meeting some great legends of football.

Also It was a win finally for Liverpool, The El Classico, ATP World Championships and of course the cricket.
Update to follow and all the pics and write up about watching the Legends.
Anybody else that met some of the football legends please mail your pics through to swoosh0018@gmail.com and Il add it to the gallery. Also please leave your comments about the exerience




I must say watching the Legends again was a great experience. Even though the okes are old now and you can hardly recognise them the passion is still there.Like Macmahon and Robson..Full of passion and still hard. Thats how it is when you in centre of Midfield. But the touches...They make it look simple.
England Legends managed by Phil Thompson were Robbo,Andy Cole,Barnes, Parlour,Ian Walker, Steve Macmahan in the big names. Was good to see the Dutch and Bafana owes.I only recognised Aldair from Brazilian legends...Dutch were managed by Gullit and included van Hooijdonk,Aron Winter,Arthur Newman and Ronald De Boer. Bafana legends included Radebe,Fish,Masinga,Shoes,Arendse,Shakes Kongwane.
You know the phrase "The Timers Still Got It"
Of all the okes I met Steve Macmahon,Barnes and De Boer really gave me time...and I chatted to them about 2010 .I also jibed De Boer how the Italians sunk them in Euro 2000....He was smiling away lol. Macmahon, What a player...Liverpool hard man..and greta owe off the pitch.He and John Collins chatted about 2010...and Liverpool. I said to Macmahon "Whats happening to Liverpool.Whats your thoughts on Benitez. "He shook his head and said..."Lad for his sake he better take fourth place else his gone.
I asked him also Whats a great moment as a Liverpool man..And he said "I was at anfield a few weeks ago and when Youl Never Walk alone echoes in the Stands "It makes your Hair Stand.
But top oke he was,Liverpools Hard Man................
And the Toppies made Indoor Ball or Astro Soccer look really easy.................
Also hats up to the organisers for the inbetween festivities of freestyle soccer and entertainment.
The 2010 atmosphere has arrived...
WOZA SA 2010 WOZA

EL CLASSICO
They say in football the El Classico derby is huge. I watched a documentary once on DSTV about the El Classico...and the fans hate each other.Its fierce. Last year Real were thumped.That sparked the purchase of the new Generation Galacticos..
All the money in the world doesnt count as Zlatans class put Barca ahead.
Penaltino missed a glorious chance for Real but everybody just says one word Messi.
I met a toppie in the bank and instead of saying did you watch the game he said Did you see the Class of Messi.Im betting MADRID will sacked Pellegrino just because they lost to Barca.

LONDON DERBY
After the Legends games myself,Swaar and Faaiz Oz watched the game at Primi Piati in Melrose.And Im glad I watched it with the MUGG. I told him you Arsenal guys...You dress up for week days and weekends you owes wear tracksuits. Cant perform in the Big Games.What are your thoughts Moosa Areff.....
Chelsea were solid and again they let the DROG out and he was devastating.
Arsenal had no answer..always taking a touch too many.....
They had the players but couldnt penetrate JT and Chelsea were deserved winners on the night...and Arsenal fail again when you want them to pull it off................And Im sure as we meet the toppies in the weddings our ears will pain from the amount of times we hear that "Ay but Arsenal play the most attractive Football"
A good derby win for Liverpool but again we ask the question...........Why Lucas and Where is Aquillani .Itgs f34ken December now and we still havent seen Him.......
And Juve lost again........I dont know what the f34k is going on......
And now the game against Bayern And Inter is probably a Huge Huge occasion for Ciro Ferraro.
But in Cirro we trust

Speaking of Juve....Moggi has spoken
Luciano Moggi Had Signed Cristiano Ronaldo & Steven Gerrard For Juventus; Calciopoli Was Invented - Former Coach Gigi Maifredi



A former Juve coach has spoken and some shocking revelations have been uncovered...

Former Juventus coach Gigi Maifredi claims Luciano Moggi was on the precipice of signing Cristiano Ronaldo and Steven Gerrard while he was a director at the club. The Italian also believes Calciopoli was invented to ruin the success enjoyed by the Bianconeri.


Maifredi was coach during the early 1990's and after years in the shadows, he has emerged with some striking revelations.
"Calciopoli? It's best to put a veil over this. But let me tell you this, Moggi and [Antonio] Giraudo had already bought Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo," Maifredi told RadioErre2 programme "Tutti Pazzi Per La Juve".
"The foundations for a Bianconeri dominion had been laid down and it would have lasted for at least 20 years. Instead certain people invented a scandal in order to kill such a strong team."
Maifredi was then keen to turn his attention to matters closer to home as Juventus struggle domestically and in Europe. The former Bianconeri tactician believes the club was wrong to offer the role to Ciro Ferrara. He suggests Ferrara has to go in order to rediscover success.


"Ferrara was a great player, but I don't think he was ready for the Juventus job. I think it was wrong to bring him in for the future as Juventus play to win instantly. You cannot wait around for success here," he added.
"Comparing this to my old Juve I can see that they are missing a coach who is right for such a competent and succesful club.


"If I was in Ferrara's place we would be ahead of Inter with such a great squad."
Salvatore Landolina, Goal.com

One great thing and Hope for Liverpool.....If the Special one Jose Mourinho is booted at inter....
Then he will be our saviour at LFC..................Imagine Jose at Anfield. Will it be a good thing...?
Comments please?

What about Guus Hiddink at Anfield..These are quality owes...We must act fast....and Im guaranteed that they will not play Lucas......
So Mourinho or Hiddink

Speaking of Gus Hiddink. .....If only Bafana Bafana waited............He was the perfect man........and his record speaks  .............

I rather pay him 1.7 million bars.............Abrhamovic Did?


Swoosh0018 Winners
The winner of the RCS Best of the Best Manager of the month for September was Mohamed Carrim Mombhai....
The Winner of the October Manager of the Month is Mohammed Faaiz Mayet from Cape Town. For those of you that dont know this was the little oke that used to be there at our place in Parktown when we were at varsity. Fuzzy is in std 7 now and scooped up MOM for October.

Novembers Manager of the Month pics and awards will be awarded soon.....

The mini balls courtesy of RCS Sports has been dispatched to the winners.

Also the Best of the Best ICC Champions Trophy winner Yusuf Ali was presented with an autographed Hashim Amla mini Bat.

Thanks to Arsenal Fan Moosa Areff Azee Moola was presented with the R300 RCS Sports voucher for the slate Adebajor comment..Enjoy Azee,

And the winner of the Jihad:Abus vs Alis comment competition is Ameen Rajah.This was the winning comment.Ammen Rajah will be presented with a replica kit of his choice and the picture taken soon.This was the winning comment

"Liverpool gave no depth.When you look at bench its synonymous to the following

its like 3 in ht emorning in c.t when u need a chick to eat..u see this sardine looking chick with no front teeth looking at you..and u know things are Fucked up"

Gunner

Thanks guys for all the Support and sponsors

I conclude with some sad news. Swoosh0018 and Best of The Best Fantasy Football has lost a player.The sad passing of Mohamed Omar "Mommies" has touched many of the lads on the blog.

Swoosh0018 has lost a player....and best wishes to the family...Mommies has participated in the Go Football Best of the Best Fantasy League 2009/2010

ASAL NOO WAKATH.BACK IN THE DAY

Speaking of Legends...I thought its apt to post this picture today of our community Legends back in the day.

DYNAMOS 1970

 Standing Left to right. H Ismail,S Essack,R Mohammed, A Sujee,F Vally,I Moosa,A Moolla,E Mohamed,MA Nosarka,H Coovadia,AS Essack

Sitting Left to Right: Z Saloojee,I Moosa,H Adams,S Moosa,Y Moosa,R Limbada

DYNAMOS BACK IN THE DAY

GAMEWEEK 13 AND DEBONAIRS CUP ROUND 3

1 Mickey Owen's XI Yusuf Seth 67 818
2 Goodfella's Muhammed Riaz Gani 75 748
3 PUNK naeem vallee 43 746
4 1 nil to the Arsenal Mohsin Seth 59 743
5 The Champion Seth Junaid Seth 70 728
6 Miroslav's XI afzal mayet 52 727
7 fuzzy 11 Mohammed Faeez Mayet 64 719
8 Red Heaven Muhammed Carim 58 718
9 Blade Runner Nurge Fajandar 46 702
10 _The same Owen's_ Cas Ebrahim 66 690
11 Wassup Sir Ish Loonat 77 689
12 Oz Wanderers Shaheen Chothia 76 687
13 The Champ is Here FC Sufyaan Sarang 80 685
14 Fordsburg Lighties Bilal Coovadia 95 683
15 Kop End FC Ebrahim Ahmed 48 679
16 Pops f.c. Riaz Ismail 39 673

Debonairs Lenasia CBD

DEBONAIRS LEAGUE CUP BEST OF THE BEST ROUND 2 results.

1. Oz Wanderers Shaheen Chothia          76                       vs Masu's stars Maseeha Mayet 61
2. Ridsz FC ridwaan Mayet             45                                  vs Alaves2 Ismail Essa  49
3. * Porn Stars * Azhar Mohamed Moola      69                    vs HUFC Hoosain Mayet  82
4. Anzo's Stars ANEES MAYET       16                            vs    Bad Boys Zunaid Patel 30
5. woolwich14 mohammed motan    29         vs Swooshes Toppie Utd RAFFIQUE MAYET 39 
6. Bloodsuckers Naafi'ah Mayet        34              vs azzuriboys shaheer laher  44
7. Real Champions Riyad Loonat     57                  vs Swoosh0018 X11 Naseem Mayet  33
8. CARICK BLOOPER rashid ahmed bismilla   53    vs perkynana fc suhail patel 77
9. FC Toby Irshad Latiff        59                                         vs Adega II Muhammad Osmany  59
Then we take captains.Both had gerard.Then we take combined strikers and Shahid goes through on penalties 21-11
10. YUMMIES STARS YUMNAH MAYET    66               vs Maitali FC Thabang Phetwe 39
11. Fordsburg Lighties Bilal Coovadia     95        vs MA se KINDS Mohammad Afzal Mahomed 70
12. Fly F.C Farid Saloojee     40                                  vs ammaar's armada zain mayet  66
13. The Champ is Here FC Sufyaan Sarang     80        vs Hoopes n Stripes Muneeb Thokan 68
14. Swaar FC Yousuf Kadwa       43                                  vs Rafa'ello's ziyaad mayet       83
15. ZamRam Faiyaz Mayet          42                                 vs Akhtars FC zaheer mayet   52
16. umpires11 bilal ganchi         82                               vs Mean Machine Ary Moosa    40

ROUND 3.Commences this Gameweek
1 Mickey Owen's XI Yusuf Seth                             vs Swooshes Toppie Utd RAFFIQUE MAYET 
2 Goodfella's Muhammed Riaz Gani                          vs Bad Boys Zunaid Patel
3 PUNK naeem vallee                                                   vs umpires11 bilal ganchi
4 1 nil to the Arsenal Mohsin Seth                               vs Oz Wanderers Shaheen Chothia
5 The Champion Seth Junaid Seth                             vs The Champ is Here FC Sufyaan Sarang
6 Miroslav's XI afzal mayet                                           vs HUFC Hoosain Mayet
7 fuzzy 11 Mohammed Faeez Mayet                            vs Akhtars FC zaheer mayet
8 Red Heaven Muhammed Carim                                 vs Alaves2 Ismail Essa
9 Blade Runner Nurge Fajandar                                    vs Rafa'ello's ziyaad mayet
10 _The same Owen's_ Cas Ebrahim                          vs perkynana fc suhail patel
11 Wassup Sir Ish Loonat                                              vs ammaar's armada zain mayet
12   RED TIDE Yusuf Moolla                               vs Adega II Muhammad Osmany
13    KiLLa.Co.Za Mohammed Mayet            vs Real Champions RiyadLoonat                             
14.  Issey FC ismail moosa                                       vs Fordsburg Lighties Bilal Coovadia
15 Kop End FC Ebrahim Ahmed                                 vs YUMMIES STARS YUMNAH MAYET
16 Pops f.c. Riaz Ismail                                                  vs azzuriboys shaheer laher

THE RED MAN SPEAKS

Manchester United News &Views


Steve Bruce – Grooming of an Orchestrator.


Of all the candidates from the Ferguson school of managers one man has gone about his business quietly & effectively. One man has succeeded, failed, recovered & honed his managerial skills to its current state of robust fearlessness. Sunderland’s victory against the Gunners can best be described as a display that had Steve Bruce’s persona stamped all over it. Bruce made his United debut in 1988, his partnership with Gary Pallister was one of the strongest in England back in the early to mid 90’s. Bruce as a player lacked natural skill yet his determination & grit saw him become one of the toughest central defenders in Britain which helped United succeed in Europe & England. Similarly Sunderland’s discipline against the Arsenal never allowed the Londoners to stamp their authority instead Bruce’s men were determined not to be outdone. They never panicked on the ball & passed it around at will. Bruce was fearless on the field with battle scars to prove he had the ability to score crucial goals mainly due to his aerial strength. The Wearsiders controlled aggressions thus far have seen them pick crucial points off United, Liverpool & Arsenal in their realistic bid for a top 10 finish. Bruce’s tactical intelligence has transformed Sunderland’s organization on the field, he has instilled a tireless work ethic backed by the skill & scoring ability of players like Darren Bent, Kieran Richardson & Steed Malbranque. Undoubtedly he must have learnt a great deal from the best in the business during his time at the Theatre. He has successfully served his apprenticeship with Birmingham bringing them up to the Premiership twice & saved Wigan from potential relegation in 2007 before leading them to a 11th place finish last season where exciting talents like Wilson Palacios & Antonio Valencia made their mark.


The evidence thus far on Bruce is he has the ability to organize a working unit working for each other. He is uncontroversial & aggressive only when it’s called for. He has an eye for talent & can efficiently spend within a budget to achieve the clubs goals. Compare these crucial traits to all of Fergies students who would love to take up the helm at the Theatre: Bryan Robson, Roy Keane, Mark Hughes, Mike Phelan & Paul Ince. Steve Bruce stands out head & shoulders purely because of his consistency. In fact scratch out ‘Sparky’ from that list cos “once you go blue you’ll never be true”. The media’s number one candidate Jose Mourinho ‘Mr Bloated Ego’ if you think back got lucky due to an incorrect offside decision given against Paul Scholes in that infamous second leg tie against Porto when United got dumped from the Champions League & Porto went on to win it. It was not marginal it was stone dead onside. Yes this attention seeker has a winning mentality but not one that fits United due to his outspoken controversial nature. As for the volatile Roy Keane like Fergie said ‘You never know what this guy might do next” his quitting Sunderland has tarnished his reputation a bit. A potential successor will need to adopt the Manchester United philosophy of football & possibly work under Sir Alex as technical director. My Pick goes to Steve Bruce for the next Orchestrator of the Theatre!!

Games vs. Everton (3-0)


The Red Devils recovered convincingly after the Chelsea defeat & really a cruel result at the Bridge when United dominated that game. A draw against Chelsea would have been fair result but the ref was under pressure by the Blue support & it showed. Why Evans kicked out at Drogba boggles the mind, if he hadn’t the sequence of play would probably not have led to the opening goal. But we dusted ourselves off & got on with business against Everton with an impressive display of character that chewed up the Toffees. Man of the match & a worthy shout out to Patrice Evra who commanded the entire left flank in defense & attack. United will need a lot more goals from midfield to challenge for silverware & this was an encouraging indication of that. Darren Fletcher who I loathed for a long while is starting to prove a lot of people wrong. He has the potential to be a great midfield power house. For one he is not losing possession anymore in silly ways. His tackling and ball winning is spot on. If he keeps improving on his finishing we might have a world class midfielder here.

Looking Ahead


From me this will be the last post for the Theatre for 2009. I will possibly pick this up next January when United’s next big game will be the Gunners. From now till then United cannot afford to slip up if a credible challenge to retain the title is to materialize. Chelsea have the Arsenal up next followed by a trip to Man City & United need to capitalize on every opportunity to make up ground. The Blues will miss their African stars in January during the AFCON cup but a potential move for Frank Ribery looks to be on the cards. United need only hope that Owen Hargreaves can realize his true potential when he returns & they might not need to spend in the transfer window. Rio Ferdinands continued injury plight has caused defensive problems, worryingly there are doubts he might not return to his best form judging from recent displays. Tonights clash with Besiktas will allow Fergie to play some reserves & maybe let the defensive partnership of Brown & Vidic to gel. Obertan has provided an extra dimension on the left it’s still early days but this guy looks like he will be first choice on the left ahead of Nani & Tosic. The depth in the squad looks good in all areas as a crucial stage of the title race beckons.


RedMan

OUT OF EUROPE

On Wednesday was another dark night as Juve were outplayed against Bordeaux. Out of depth.
I was liasing with the German Fan Killa and now we have that decider in Turin.Juve need a point in Turin. The pressure is on,Will we do it. The nerves are there. But we have Fabio Grosso..So Killa must be shakin in his Boots.

The MANCS lost but they through already. Chelsea are also through. And Madrid are beat Zurich 1-0.Milan drew and their balls become as heavy as Juves.
And there is a possibility that Fiorentina might be the only team representing Italy as all three big boys are 50/50.
Lets see what happens

Imagine that,Liverpool football club out of the Champions League in the group stages. It was our competition.Something Benitez has done so well in over the years. Dubbed by me as the European tactical genius his tactics, continous playing of Lucas and baffling rotation policy has cost us a place in Europe.
Its just not right. We dont belong anywhere else.
But this year we have been really putrid.
We cannot whine and cry on the blog. We deserved it. What was the odds of Lyon beating Fiorentina.When Vargas scored the penalty It was time.
But missing out on the Champions League is actually a Good Thing.
Maybe now? and Maybe now Benitez will get the boot.
Yes if we boot him now we will loose 15 million. If we dont make top four we will loose more.....
So boot him now and Build Now

Barcelona were fantastic last night, And as a Juve fan...I hate Inter so it was a good result. But Barca were rampant.What Football. The build Up to that second goal..Fantastic.
Jose must be swearing and he must have been going crazy in the Change Room.......
Now Ruben Kazan vs Inter is Big.
Sevilla, Arsenal and the other Big Boys have all qualified....

And tonight its the Big one in France against Bordeuax.
Forza Juve
Lets take the pain away

JENNA LITHGOW

This weeks Babe of the Week is the stunning Jenna Lithgow from Durban.Jenna is also part of the top 100 FHM Models 2010.So lets get the PIM Models some votes. For more on Jenna
Click Here

SUPER TUESDAYS ON SWOOSH0018

When the final of SA 2010 arrives..I will be there...in that stadium. You know as a football fan, F34K what everybody says about your passion, about how you dedicate your time and the usual critics...bla bla..If its in your blood, You will feel the thrill, the adrenaline pumping through your vains.....the passion. Sometimes you wish it were you.
I love football....Thats me. When Cannavaro stood up to lift the Cup in 2006.....It was incredible as an azurri fan. I dont know if this is the official video..but it was when Cannavaro lifted the Cup in 2006.
And when that Adrenaline pumps throuh your veins....I will be there in 2010....................
The Euphoria is building in South Africa.
As a Football Fan we now head into a magical 7 months.
Bring it On


FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 KIT PREVIEW OF THE DAY
Well the New Kits have been launched and Adidas have gone rather simple look for 2010.I had a look at the kits at RCS and Go Football.So whoever is interested in the replicas.Get them at these Outlets Now.But the unique thing about the Adidas kits or the TECH FIT technology as its called is its the Body Armopur look.If you seen the French ,they used it against Ireland.Bafana Bafana also wore the tech fit.Today we have a look at ze Germans

Kits available at www.rashidcassimsports.co.za and www.gofootball.co.za and if you in Durbz...Visit Just for Kicks...I know Bones will have it

I got an interesting email form Zee Mayet and we had to share this on the blog
Overview of what is to be expected during the World Cup:


Volume of Travellers expected
The World Cup is approximately 15 times bigger than the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The media contingent that will attend is estimated at 30 000. Business travel is disrupted purely due to the volume of supporters.
All indications are that approximately 220 000 long haul visitors will attend, 180 000 visitors from Africa and an average of 150 000 local supporters. On any match day it is envisaged that 100 000 travellers will need to use a travel commodity i.e. flight or road / rail transportation.
An additional 2 000 busses have been imported (overload on road transport) to carry these supporters. It is predicted that supporters will watch their team play every 3 or 4 days. When their teams are not playing, supporters will frequent the Fan Parks or embark on tours within the city of their choice.


Fan Parks
Fan Parks are situated in central areas so that general public can watch all the games. Entrance to the Fan Parks is free and it is expected that these Fan Parks will attract a lot of visitors. In Germany 2006 one Fan Park attracted 500 000 spectators to watch one game. To avoid large transport infrastructure expense, training venues will also double as public viewing sites.


Fan Parks in the Western Cape
The Grand Parade Somerset West Road
Stellenbosch Bellville Velodrome
Swartklip Atlantis
Khayelitsha Nomzamo Yethu (Hout Bay)
Training Facilities in the Western Cape
Newlands Rugby Ground UCT Rugby Ground
UWC Soccer Field Bellville Rugby Ground
Stellenbosch Rugby Ground Athlone Stadium

Fan Parks in Johannesburg (list to be updated)
Mary Fitzgerald Square in the Newton precinct
Fan Parks in Soweto are to be expected.
Innes-Free Park in Sandton,
Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown

Fan Parks in Durban (list to be updated)
The Durban Beach Front has been earmarked as one of Durban’s preferred sites for one or more Fan Parks during 2010.


Flights
To date no airline has released any prices or strategies for the World Cup period.
On pre and post match-days flights into and out of the venue cities will be overbooked. Due to the sheer volume of travellers, huge delays can be expected.
World Cup teams will use charter aircrafts and plan to use 2nd tier airports however their supporters will use the general airports. These airports will focus on scheduled international and domestic flights.


Accommodation
All the major hotel brands within South Africa have contracted with MATCH at a pre-defined room rate and therefore the normal Corporate rates will not be available during this period.
According to FIFA there is an approximate shortfall of 18 000 rooms for the World Cup. This supply and demand scenario allows B&B’s / Guesthouses to offer rooms at a premium.


Car Rental
It is most likely that all car rental companies will go on “stop-sale” for the period of the World Cup and rental cars will be scarce.

Road Closures
It is indicated that there will be limited access and in some instances complete road closures in the areas surrounding the stadium and fan parks. This will make it difficult for travellers to move freely between offsite meetings.


Critical Date
The next critical date for the WC2010 is the 4th December 2009 when the Pool draw is completed. This draw will indicate where the teams will be based and where their supporters will be spending most of their time.


Fixtures
The match schedule will be updated after the draw on the 4th December 2009. Games will be played at: 13h30, 16h00 and 20h30. Travellers need to allow for traffic congestion both at the stadium and the Fan Parks. It is advisable to allow 2hrs lead time if travelling to / from these areas.


Recommendations for travel during this period:
Do not travel during these periods unless it is critical to travel.
Plan your trip well in advance, changes to a ticket over this period will be extremely difficult and very expensive.
Try to make appointments at a location that is in the opposite direction of a stadium / fan park..
Take flights during the times of when the games are being played. Games start at 13h30.
Allow for a minimum of 2 hours to get to the airport in Cape Town and possibly 3 hours for Johannesburg. The congestion on the roads both to and from the Airports is going to be chaotic – plan for delays.
Parking at the airport will be virtually impossible and it is advisable to get someone to drop / collect you from the airports. Transfer companies will be busy with tourists and will also be very expensive.

As the Vital game between Fiorentina and Lyon takes place this week Liverpool are close to being dumped out of Europe. Without Torres and Gerard Liverpool look lost. An email sent by Mike Gani tells about El Nino at Anfield. Is he Happy.If Rafa goes...Will he pack his bags

Spanish striker Fernando Torres talks about life at Liverpool and in the Premier League, and how he had managed to avoid the limelight despite his football superstar status.
The middle of October, and it is a tricky period for Liverpool Football Club. For the first time in more than 20 years they have lost four consecutive games. Worse, their next game is against the league champions, their much-loathed North West rivals Manchester United. It is no wonder, when it comes, that the match is a testy, bruising encounter, the tension thickening the air inside Liverpool’s Anfield stadium. So aggressively do both sides chase each other down, none of the players appears to have any room in which to manoeuvre; the moment they gain possession an opponent snaps in at their shins.
But then, after 65 minutes of battling stalemate, something extraordinary happens. Fernando Torres, Liverpool’s Spanish centre forward, who has been absent through the previous calamitous run of defeats with a persistent groin injury, lurks on the halfway line between two United defenders, watching the ball intently, rocking on his toes, waiting for his moment. It comes as his team breaks out of defence.
With the opposing defenders momentarily distracted following the path of the ball, he makes a sudden sprint sideways, creating himself a yard or two of space. His colleague Yossi Benayoun sees him go and slips an inviting pass into his path. Torres takes off in pursuit of the ball, United’s Rio Ferdinand a couple of inches behind him, trying to claw him back, laying an arm across his chest in an attempt to throw him off balance. But Torres is undaunted: brushing off Ferdinand, the world’s most expensive defender, as if he were an irritating fly, he bears down on the United goal.
When he is 10 yards from it, with a swoosh of his right boot, he smacks a shot so powerfully past Edwin van der Sar that the United goalkeeper barely has time to raise a hand before the ball thrashes into the back of the net.
The whole incident lasts less than three seconds. But it changes everything. The home supporters, who had been nervy, many of them convinced over the previous week that their club was in terminal decline, explode in relief. As Torres runs to the stands in celebration, the front of his red shirt clasped in his teeth, the better to demonstrate his fealty to the badge on his chest, there might well have been complaints about the noise as far away as Wigan.
Then, after a moment or two, the crowd gathers its feelings into one collective articulation. From somewhere in the heart of the Kop a chant begins, sung to the tune of The Animals Went in Two by Two: 'We bought the lad from sunny Spain. He gets the ball and scores again Fernando Torres, Liverpool’s number nine.’ And it doesn’t stop for 10 minutes.
This is what Torres, who is regarded by many as the best striker in the world, does: he scores goals that mean something. With a hammer-blow shot, he restores belief, puts a stuttering enterprise back on track, reinvigorates the cause. In 66 appearances for Liverpool he has, at the time of writing, done it 47 times. And how his worshippers love him for it. Such is the power of his play, and such is his ability to make telling contributions, that Torres, a man whose fitness over the coming weeks is to become inextricably linked with his club’s fortunes, has legitimate claim to be the most influential footballer in the country.
Certainly there is no one to touch him in hard commercial figures: more Liverpool tops with Torres 9 on the back are currently being sold than any other replica football shirt. There are not many football-mad boys in the country, it seems, who do not dream of one day growing up to be Fernando Torres.
A couple of weeks before the game, Torres, 25, is participating in a photo shoot for his sponsor, Nike. He is wearing one of the company’s new AW77 sweatshirts and has the hood pulled up, covering his shock of blond hair. He stares at the camera, a concentrated, contemplative look on his face, as if he has retreated into his own personal space to prepare for challenges ahead.
It is an intensity exacerbated by the huge black eye he sports, a trophy gained in a recent match when he headed the back of an opponent’s head instead of the ball (defenders in England, he says, appear to have much harder skulls than their Spanish counterparts).
Yet there is something oddly contradictory about his stare. Shiner notwithstanding, this is not some old bruiser daring the lens to match his gaze. The player who strides across a football pitch with a rippling muscularity is no shaven-headed meat-head but rather he has the fresh-faced, freckled complexion of a Californian surfer boy. And when the camera stops clicking and he introduces himself, his smile is so disconcertingly wide and youthful, he really does look as if he is staring at you from the pages of an American high school yearbook. No wonder in Spain the man who scored the goal that won his nation the Euro 2008 trophy is known as el Niño: the Kid.
"When I was a boy, I was really thin, small, long-haired," he says. "I always looked young. People thought, he can’t play football. I used that to my advantage. In the first season when I arrived here [in England], it is true that maybe 80 per cent of the players in the Premier League didn’t know me, so I could use the way I look. It was easier for me because they didn’t know what I can do. They think maybe they can bully me."
They were soon disabused. On a football field, Torres is no shrinking violet. At 6ft 1in, he terrifies opponents with his speed and physicality. The Liverpool fans soon spotted he was a lot more than he seemed. Within days of his arrival the Torres song was echoing around Anfield’s Kop, the stand that had once rung to the praise of Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and Robbie Fowler.
"It is incredible," he says of the chant. "I can understand why the fans would sing [his colleague] Stevie Gerrard’s name, because he is from here. But now a player comes from another country and gets this? It’s amazing to get this. Each player has one place in the world where he is happy and as a result he plays well. My place is Anfield. Every game I can play there I feel good."
Torres’s journey to Merseyside is one he never expected to make. "As a kid I never once dreamt of playing for Liverpool," he says. "I always live in the present. I never dream about what might happen. Why? It might not."
Torres grew up in Fuenlabrada, a working-class suburb of Madrid. An early footballing memory is of being pressed into service to help his elder brother practise his goalkeeping.
"He is eight years older than me so I couldn’t say no. At first it was difficult for me," Torres says, pausing a moment with a dry comic timing. "But I can beat him now."
Playing with bigger children on the indoor courts of Fuenlabrada, Torres soon honed the physical side of his game. He found that he liked fighting his way through rival defences – it played to a competitive instinct so intense, he says, that he avoids doing anything at which he cannot display mastery. "Tennis, golf… why play if you cannot win? And I am useless at them, so I don’t play."
His mastery of football was never in doubt, and at the age of 11 he was signed up for the youth team at Atlético Madrid, the club his family supported. By the time he was 17, he was playing for the first team.
Atlético is a club that has long suffered in the shadow of its illustrious city rival, Real, and the presence of a world-class player in their midst was regarded by supporters as a sign of unusual providence. As he became Spain’s leading striker, they took Torres to their hearts, and when it became clear six years later that he was heading to Liverpool, there was close to revolution in the home stadium.
"It was difficult to see the people trying to stop the transfer, but last year when Liverpool played Atlético both sets of supporters joined in singing my name, so I think now the fans of Atlético understand my decision. It was really difficult. But after seven seasons there I never played in Europe [in the Champions League, the world’s most prestigious club competition]. I knew I needed to find a solution. I would love to have been like Stevie, he was in the academy at Liverpool, he was a supporter of Liverpool and he won trophies with Liverpool. That wasn’t going to happen for me at Atlético, so I needed to move. It was difficult, but I think I made the right decision."
Liverpool paid £23 million for his services, a fee which, when you consider that Joleon Lescott and Dimitar Berbatov have changed hands for far more, represents the bargain of the footballing century. Torres came to Liverpool, he says, because of the Spanish connection: the manager, Rafa Benitez, another Madrileño, spoke persuasively to him in his mother tongue. (Nine other squad players and six members of the backroom staff also spoke Spanish as a first language.) Which was just as well, as Torres didn’t speak any English at all.
"Not a word," he says. "The first month, that was really difficult. When Jamie [Carragher, Liverpool’s vice captain, and another home-grown talisman] spoke to me I didn’t realise he was speaking English. Even now, when two Scouse people are talking between themselves it is difficult to follow. I know some Liverpool words, but this is not the right place to say them. People say to me sometimes, “You have a Scouse accent”, but when I go to a different place it may be strange for them, so I try to speak proper English. But I have a few words. “Deffo”, I like that."
His English is rapidly improving. And his sharp eyes suggest he misses nothing. "My mother says to me, 'I see you in press conference yesterday speaking English, and you are very good.' That’s because she doesn’t speak English. I remember before I came to England watching Rafa Nadal or Fernando Alonso and thinking they were brilliant, but that was because I understand nothing. Now I can tell they speak like me: not very good."
Despite the advances in his English – encouraged by the fact that Benitez insists that it should be the lingua franca of the Anfield dressing-room – he still finds occasional cause to retreat into Spanish.
"Sometimes I speak it as a code,’ he says. 'If me and Albert [Riera, his team and international colleague] want to discuss a move on the pitch, we will speak in Spanish so the opposition fullback doesn’t understand us. It works for us because so far we have not come across an English fullback who speaks Spanish."
Beyond the language, there are some things he misses about his homeland: the ham for one thing, which he has flown in from Madrid. But he says his wife – his childhood sweetheart, Olalla Dominguez, whom he has dated since they met when they were both 15 – has settled easily.
Despite becoming a mother in July when she gave birth to their daughter, Nora, she is continuing to study for a degree in social education at Uned, the Spanish equivalent of the Open University. What he most likes about England is the sense of anonymity. It may sound surprising, knowing the enormous affection in which he is held in his adopted home, but Torres says he finds it much easier to avoid attention away from the pitch than he did in Madrid. Back home, he says, the intensity of scrutiny grows greater by the day as next year’s World Cup approaches. Spain are the favourites to win.
"If I can touch the cup it will be the best moment for a footballer. After that you cannot do anything better," he says.
"But there is high expectation for us, and that is not always the best for you, that pressure. I think you have one chance in your life to win the World Cup and maybe this is our chance. We have good players, playing well together, who have been together for three, four years. If we miss this chance, this may be it. The pressure is very big."
In Liverpool, he believes, there is far less critical analysis, the press is more forgiving, the supporters less intrusive. "Scouse people are very respectful," he says. "If they see me walking my dogs in the park, they say, 'A’right Nando, lad.' And that is all. I like that."
He likes it because the evidence would suggest he is not someone who courts publicity. For instance, when he and Olalla married last summer, they did so in a ceremony in a town hall in a Madrid suburb to which only two guests were invited. And neither of them was a photographer from Hello! magazine. Many footballers would regard that as a seriously wasted earning opportunity.
"I try to keep my private life apart," he says. "I try to live as normal a life as possible, because I am normal. I was born in a working-class place in Spain, my father worked every day of his life and I don’t like to be a big-head, or go to parties or events, or be seen about. I don’t like people talking about me. I prefer no one talks about me. I prefer to be at home playing PlayStation and being calm."
This is the extraordinary thing about Torres: he masks his genius beneath a carapace of total ordinariness. There is nothing exceptional about him off the pitch, he insists. For him, life is about football, family and an occasional five-hour session of Fifa 2010. But then a cynic might suggest that maybe he has no pressing financial need to put himself in the public gaze or to engage with the myriad commercial endorsements of the modern game, given that when he signed for Liverpool he was the highest-paid player in the country, pocketing a cheery £5m a year. So what does a young man spend all that money on?
"I don’t like people when they are famous or rich changing their lifestyle, so I try to be the same person as I always was," he says.
"I don’t like to buy flash cars or flash clothes. For me, the best thing is to keep with the people you knew back when you were not famous. You meet so many people who try to get you to go to parties, or to photograph you in flash places, to distract you from your goals."
When he leaves, after assiduously shaking hands with everyone from make-up lady to camera assistant, he heads off back home in an Audi 4x4, a car that, for the most coveted man in the most well-rewarded football league in the world, really does count as not very flash at all.
And yet, in another contradiction at the heart of Torres, for a man who says he does not like to be the centre of attention, he appears to enjoy posing for the pictures, naturally knowing how to hold a camera’s gaze.
"It is OK," he says of his role as a model. "But it is not my job. And I don’t do anything that stops me from my job: being a footballer. It’s not so hard for me now because I can control almost everything. I have experience and I know which is the route to follow. But when I was 17 and first in the [Atlético] team, then there was a different way."
What was that?
"Of people who want to know you, be your friend, take you to places that maybe it is best you don’t go. And if you follow that path maybe your career is over before you started. So I am really happy that I didn’t do that, but I could keep my friends and the important people around me. And now I’m 25 and playing for the best team in the world."
He makes it sound as if he has been fully absorbed into the Liverpool way. "Yes, when I go back to Spain I look the wrong way in traffic. I had a problem with a taxi in Madrid because I looked right not left, and I nearly got hit. And I start driving on the left instead of on the right."
Does this suggest he is here to stay? "Who knows," he smiles. "But for the next four years, yeah. Deffo."
Muhammed Ria

A question for the Blog. Will Ruud van Nistelrooy be an effective signing for Liverpool and an adequate partner for Torres?

OOOOOOOH DEFOE IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

Another weekend winds down and nothings changed for Liverpool. Against the draw specialists we mustered up yet another draw and well what can I say. We are F34ked.
Looks like we can only beat the MANCS and no one else,
One question though for my side.And its monotonous now.I cant keep saying this on the blog.
Why did Rafa not start with Aquilani instead of Lucas?
Thats all I can say. Ok because of the injuries the necessary substitutions had to be made but another point. Hooray. Rumour has it that Benitez wants to get Ferguson back and sign Van Nistelrooy on loan in January.What do

On Saturday afternoon I said Ok let me watch the Arsenal game with Faaiz Oz...As Bent scored again and Arsenal were on they way out I told Faaiz Oz a mouthfull.
I said "Dont come and phone me and give me that s@3t about breathtaking football when you owes always disappoint us at least when it matters. Arsenal needed to keep up the pace and they F#4ked up as they couldnt score against a resolute Sunderland defence.
They came close in the end but there was no Adebajour waiting in the six yard box to salvage some Hope

The MANCS won 3-0 against Everton.What is happening to Everton. Fletcher popped up again and seems to be combining well with Carrick. Valencia and Evra were great on the flanks and the MANCS roll on.Also Talks are that Wayne Rooney is gonna be the highest paid player in the EPL. Wayne "Who". Wayne f#4king Rooney.

Chelsea were emphatic again .Fortunately Chelsea also won and thumped Wolves. Terry and Essien and co are all heart.
Good win for the Blues.

But the biggest talking point of the EPL Weekend was Spurs hammering Wigan 9-1 and Defoe scoring 5.Who had Defoe in their fantasy team.If he was skipper it was f34king 50 points .
But great win and to thump any team 9 at that level is amazing.
Rooney and Defoe it looks like that will be leading the English in 2010

In Rugby PDVs boks beat the Italians.But Comon they had to......The Boks were not enjoying Europe but they got their campaign off with a Win. Ireland are Next up....It was PDV that got the win against Nick Mallet.Azee what do you think of Nick Mallets Italians

In Cricket it was a good knock of 57 from Hash but Hash has to start converting these 50s into big ones. It was not enough as SA lost the second ODI by 7 wickets.
Well see what Dr Cricket has to say tomorow on Super Tuesday

FINAL QUALIFIERS

WOZA SA 2010 WOZA
20 CENTRES FOR 2010
FOOTBALL FOR HOPE CENTRES

The “20 Centres for 2010” Official FIFA Campaign was a programme developed by FIFA to promote positive social change through football by building 20 Football for Hopes Centres throughout Africa. These centres will benefit each area in terms of public health, education and football as well as address social challenges in disadvantaged areas. Over 10 million US Dollars is required to fund the 20 centres for 2010 programme and already FIFA is contributing 500 US$ for every goal scored during the 2010 Qualifying Matches.

Each “Football for Hope Centre” will consist of a building with rooms to provide public health services as well as informal education. Each centre will also have space for community gatherings as well as a small sized artificial turf for a football pitch about 20m by 40m. Each Centre’s construction will be supervised by FIFA and Streetfootballworld and will be implemented by Architecture for Humanity a charitable organisation. Greenfields will develop the artificial football pitch.

Furthermore each of these Centres will be run and owned by the community itself as this is important for each centre’s success in the long run.
The Official 20 Centres for 2010 in Africa, of which a total of 5 will be in South Africa, and 15 in the rest of Africa are as follows:

There are currently 6 Centres being implemented at the moment. The other 14 will be identified and developed in the future.

Grassroots Khayelitsha Football for Hope Centre – Cape Town – South Africa
Mathare Youth Sports Association – Nairobi - Kenya
Play Soccer – Cape Coast - Ghana
Jeunes Sportifs de Kigali Esperance – Kigali - Rwanda
AMPJF – Bamako – Mali
Special Olympics – Windhoek – Namibia

Each of these 20 centres will transform into hubs of football passion during the 2010 FIFA World Cup as each centre will have Giant Screens broadcasting each of the 64 matches live creating an unofficial fan park.

The Football for Hope Centre in Alexandria, Johannesburg will play a particularly important role during the 2010 World Cup in that during the final week of the Official 2010 World Cup it will play host to the Football for Hope Festival 2010. 32 teams representing their various organisations from across the World will showcase the best their talents and ultimately display the success of Social Development through Football.
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What a night of qualifiers......And the luck of Irish has gone......Well the luck of the Irish couldnt help a blatant hand ball and act of dishonesty by Thierry Henry. TiTi should be ashamed of himself. As a proffessional he cheated. The Irish fought hard and dominated in spells against the French and alas we will miss out on the jubilant Irish Fans. But I would have taken my team off the field If I was Trap. Blatant man...Blatant as the French progress to South Africa after Henry handled and Gallas put the French 2-1 up.....Goodbye Ireland.You were hard done By

No Russia and No Ukraine means less BADAAMS. Ukraine conceded at Greecxe and Russia will regret conceding that own goal and Hiddink has got it wrong.He should have never started 5 defenders. I really wanted Russia instead of Slovenia but thats Football.
F3$k the Russians let me down. Also no Sheva next year.
These two results have shocked me and Im deeply disappointed.

And the Portuguese will be coming to South Africa. UBG met a prossy in Corlette..And she was crying.UBG Immediately knew Algeria beat Egypt.
So the Pharoahs and Arebou Treccha and Mamad Zidane wont be coming.

All said and done What does this mean for me Swoosh.....Well my answer lies in the pics below. For some we are gracious that their respective managers qualified....and we will ceratinly miss the teams that didnt....Enjoy Boys and Woza SA 2010 Woza...

After all this though I have one major concern.With the Cold in SA....Will we see jackets or what we see above.....Comments Please?