Fall back on full backs

France in 1998 proved you can win a tournament with no recognised strikers. Denmark in 1992 proved you can win one based around a great goalkeeper. But these days, no international team can have a hope of success without a top quality full back, or two.
Don’t believe me? Look at the history: […]

Tearful Ronaldo may have kicked the last ball of an illustrious career

A three-time Fifa World Player of the Year and the record World Cup Finals goalscorer, Ronaldo has enjoyed a sparkling career but it may have come to a premature end on Wednesday evening after rupturing a tendon in his knee during the 1-1 draw with Livorno.
He was left in tears and the early prognosis […]

Brazil’s Soul Search

Normally an article on a young player from South America begins thus: “You may not have heard of him, but Ernesto Weistomonho…”.
I won’t bother this time, because a combination of YouTube, various newspaper columnists and Eurosport’s blanket coverage of World Youth Championships means that, among the footballing fraternity, Kerlon Moura Souza is now a household […]

Old order reasserts itself

World Cup 2006: The Review
After the mind-blowing number of upsets at the previous World Cup, the 2006 tournament - with the odd exception - saw football’s established names rule once more. And, though defences ruled and there were a lack of enthralling matches, there is still much to remember from the 2006 World Cup - […]

World Cup 2006: Goals Of The Tournament

Less than twenty-four hours after the BBC launched its Goal Of The Tournament competition in Euro 2004, Maniche curled one in from the corner of the penalty area against Holland. Despite this, Mike Martin hopes he is tempting fate in picking his Top 15 three days early.

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