“Who do you think you will be a great soccer player?”

“Who do you think should have made team X?”

“Why didn’t the coaches pick player X for this team?”

I can definitively tell you that I would be a multi-millionaire for sure.

I played soccer for more than 20 years from the neighborhood youth levels to premier youth levels in Europe.  I can coach and train with the best youth soccer coaches around.  I could have played for some of the top youth clubs in Europe and maybe played professionally making a lot of money.

But, I did not.

Despite the initial success I achieved at a young age, according to various coaches I was not good enough.

Players better than me were cut, injured, retired–they were just not good enough.  And on paper, we were awesome!

Parents, I say all of that to say this, there is no crystal ball.

I understand that you want to make the best decisions for your children.  (I currently have two)  I want to make the best decisions possible for them and put them in the most challenging environments.

But, despite the exceptional experiences I have and the wonderful times I enjoyed, I cannot tell you who will make it and who will not–whether the children are seven or seventeen.

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When you think of juggling in soccer, you may immediately think about soccer players tapping the ball on his or her knee repeatedly.  This is indeed soccer juggling and it is a necessary skill when it comes to being a successful soccer player.  In fact, juggling in soccer means that you can tap the ball over and over again on any part of your body, whether it is your knee, or head, as long as you do not use your arms or your hands.  This is a great exercise to master and can teach a soccer player a lot about coordination and body control.

Here are some tips to learn how to juggle a soccer ball and become a better soccer player.  The first thing you want to do is to learn to use the ball.  If you are new to soccer, then you want to get a good feel of what it feels to have the ball in your control.  A lot of soccer players start off by learning how to dribble and then move on to juggling.  While playing soccer, you do not generally use your hands, a beginner soccer player should pick the soccer ball up with the hands in order to start juggling.  A better player has by now learned to “flick” the ball up with the foot to get started and not use the hands at all.

Body parts that are larger are the best ways to learn how to juggle.  The thighs are a great place to start.  Start off at a slow pace and just practice bouncing the ball on the thigh.  After you have gotten better at it, you can progress to a faster pace and to other parts of the body.  The head is another body part that many soccer players use when they play soccer.  You never know when you will need to do a header during a game.

While juggling a soccer ball, there are a few things you need to be aware of as you get better.  Your posture is very important.  You need to stay upright with your head up.  Your heads and arms should be slightly out to the side and have a steady stance.  You must remember to keep your eyes open and aware of what is going on around you.  You simply cannot concentrate just on the ball.  This is because when you play soccer, being aware of the field and the other players around you is very important.  You have to learn to keep your eyes on the game.  This is especially important for children to learn.  Children have the tendency to only focus on one thing, the ball.  You must teach them to stay aware of what is going on around them no matter what they are doing with the ball.  Only practice can help them learn this skill.

Juggling is certainly an important part of learning to play soccer.  It teaches good eye and body coordination and allows the player to learn to be independent while playing.  It is much like practicing dribbling, it is just one of those skills that will help you become a better player.

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South Africa will be the host for the 2010 World Cup, which will be staged in a variety of South African cities including Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, and Bloemfontein.  The tournament will begin on June 11, 2010 and conclude exactly one month later on July 11.  Johannesburg, the country’s largest city, will host the championship match in Soccer City Stadium, which is currently undergoing renovations to be new and improved in time for the World Cup.

Although the big event is still 18 months away, a long and grueling qualification process has already begun.  South Africa automatically qualifies for the field of 32 teams, but the 31 other spots are still up for grabs.  Qualifying matches began in August of 2007 and will finish in November of 2009.  The draw ceremony to place the 32 finalists in groups will be held in December of 2009.

At the moment, various qualifying tournaments are taking place around the world.  World Cup hopefuls are vying for 13 spots among European nations, five spots for African teams (in addition to South Africa), four or five for South America, three or four for North America, Central America, and Caribbean, and either no spots or one for Oceania.

In Asia, Australia and the Korea Republic are currently leading the way in their respective qualification groups.  In Europe, Denmark, Greece, Slovakia, Germany, Spain, England, Serbia, Italy, and the Netherlands are atop the groups.  Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile are currently looking good in South America.  Qualifying matches in Africa and the North /Central America and Caribbean divisions have yet to commence.

Once qualifying concludes and sets the stage for the December 2009 draw ceremony in Cape Town, the 32 World Cup participants will be placed into eight groups of four teams.  Each team in a group plays every other team in its group and the top two teams (16 total) advance to the knockout stage, which will take place between June 26, 2009 and June 29.

Round-robin group play will be held from June 11 to June 25.
In the first round of the knockout stage, the eight group winners play the eight group runner-ups. From there, the remainder of the tournament is single elimination.  The losers of the semifinals, however, will square off in a third-place match held on July 10 in Port Elizabeth.

Italy is the defending champion, having defeated France 5-3 in penalty kicks in the 2006 title match.  Brazil, which won World Cups most recently in 1994 and 2002, owns the most World Cup titles with five.  Italy has four and Germany, the 2006 host nation, has three.  Italy is currently third in the FIFA rankings, while Brazil is fifth and Germany is second.  Spain is the top-ranked team, while the Netherlands is the other team in the Top 5.  All five countries should be serious contenders in South Africa.

Pre-game Notes:
Liverpool beat Newcastle United four goals to three in the last two previous meetings.
Paul Ince was out due to suspension.
Steve McManaman returned from injury for Liverpool and was awarded the captaincy in Ince’s absence.
This was only the second time during the season that Shearer had been matched with Ferguson due to injuries.  This Shearer-Ferguson match-up was definitely one of the build-ups prior to the match.

Players:
Liverpool
Manager: Gerard Houllier
David James
Vegard Heggem
Jamie Carragher
Phil Babb
Steve Staunton
Stig Inge Bjornebye
Steve McManaman (Captain)
Jamie Redknapp
Patrik Herber
KarlHeinz Reidle
Michael Owen

Substitutes:
Brad Friedel
Jason McAteer
Steve Harkness
David Thompson
Steven Gerrard

Newcastle United
Manager: Ruud Gullit
Shay Given
Aaron Huges
Steve Howey
Laurent Charvet
Stuart Pearce
Nolberto Solano
Dietmar Hamann
Gary Speed
Stephen Glass
Duncan Ferguson
Alan Shearer (Captain)

Substitutes:
Steve Harper
John Barnes
Georgios Georgiadis
Nikos Dabizas
Andreas Anderson

A blistering pacy start to the cold December match.  Duncan Ferguson and Stuart Pearce had chances for Newcastle United while Michael Owen threatened on the right hand side of the attack in the early minutes of the match.

Shay Given and David James both had big saves to earn their stripes and keep their sides level during the first half of the first half.

Steve McManaman sustained an injury in the twenty-fifth minute and handed the captaincy to Jamie Redknapp.  Steve McManaman was replaced by the up-and-coming, eighteen year old sensation, Steve Gerrard.  This was Gerrard’s second first team match of his career.

Nolberto Solano drove the ball in the back of the net past David James in the twenty-ninth minute at the top of the box.  A free kick from forty yards out of the box was not properly cleared and Solano finished it.  1-0 Newcastle United.

Dietmar Hamann was given a second yellow card and was dismissed with a red card by referee Steven Lodge right before halftime.

1-0 at halftime.

David Thompson substituted for Steven Gerrard at halftime.  The beginning of Gerrard’s illustrious career was definitely rocky.

Andreas Anderson replaced Duncan Ferguson for Newcastle United moments later.

Jamie Carragher, the defensive stalwart for Liverpool, even had a rare shot attempt.  The shot followed a poor clearance by Newcastle United.

Andreas Anderson scored within a few minutes of his entry.  A wonder substitution by Ruud Gullit.  Shay Given drove a long goal kick, Alan Shearer headed the ball on to a running Andreas Anderson who faked past David James and placed it in the back of the old onion bag at the 56th minute.  2-0 Newcastle United.

Just remember, Newcastle United was playing with 10 men at this point in the game.

Michael Owen and David Thompson did not give up without a fight.  Shay Given was definitely the Newcastle United MVP after his performance up to this point in the match.

Michael Owen finally deflected in a goal… Shay Given’s resistance broke by a Jamie Carragher shot that was deflected by Owen in the 57th minute.  This was Owen’s 14th goal of the season.  2-1 Newcastle United.

Liverpool’s second goal was delivered by KarlHeinz Reidle.  KarlHeinz Reidle flicked the ball over his defender as he received a cross and banged the ball in the net.  2-2 tie.

Michael Owen truly demoralized Newcastle United.  Jamie Redknapp shot, Owen deflection saved, rebound finished by Michael Owen in the 80th minute.  3-2 Liverpool.

KarlHeinz Reidle dribbled past a valant Shay Given.  Reidle had two goals in the 84th minute.  4-2 Liverpool.

Final 4-2 Liverpool.  Two goals a piece from Michael Owen and KarlHeinz Riedle.

Liverpool finished 7th in the table and Newcastle United finished 13th that season.  The game did not affect the title race as both teams were in transitional periods.  However, the game was definitely entertaining nonetheless and a historical soccer match.

Matches for group 1 will be held in Serbia on 12, 14 and 17 May 2009. The 4 teams playing in this group include Serbia, who will play as the host soccer team against Hungary, Finland and Austria. Serbia showed a consistent performance in the qualifying rounds scoring 3, 5 and 4 in the 3 matches it played. Hungary only performed well in 1 match against San Marino and scored 6 points, and scoring 1 and 0 in the other 2. Both Finland and Austria stand at almost equal standing with Finland scoring 2, 0 and 3 in the last 3 matches, and Austria scoring 2, 3 and 1 soccer goals. There is a highly likely chance that the host team will be the highest scorer in this group and will qualify to the Final tournament - Group stage.

Group 2 matches will be held in Slovenia, which will also be the host team of this group and play against Russia, Netherlands and Belarus. The matches will be held on 4, 6 and 9 June 2009. So far, the toughest contenders in this group are Netherlands, followed by Slovenia and then Russia. Belarus is the lowest scoring team in this group.
Portugal will be the host for Group 3, and will play against Turkey, Greece and Denmark on 23, 25 and 28 May 2009. Turkey is in the lead among all the 4 soccer clubs in this group, followed by Portugal and then with Greece and Denmark.

Switzerland, Republic of Ireland and Sweden are going to play in Group 4 on 5, 7 and 10 June 2009 along with the host team Belgium. Sweden and Belgium are the stronger teams of this group, with Ireland having the least scores. The game between the host team and Sweden will definitely be an exciting one.

France is the host soccer team for Group 5 matches which will play on 18, 20 and 23 May 2009 against Romania, Norway and Latvia. France is the highest scorer for this group, with a total of 9 scores from the qualifying rounds. Romania follows the lead in the group, with Norway and Latvia with the lowest scores.

Group 6 matches will be hosted by England on 27 and 29 May and 1 June 2009. The other three teams participating in the group include Scotland, Slovakia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Although Scotland leads this group with the highest scores, England has shown a stable performance in the qualifying rounds. Slovakia and Bosnia-Herzegovina have fewer score compared to the host team and Scotland, so chances are that they might not be playing in the next round.
The Soccer Championship final group will play their matches in Estonia on the 21, 23 and 26 of May 2009. The other participating teams for these matches include Germany, Spain and Czech Republic.

The Elite round will decide the winning teams to play in the Final tournament - Group stage to be held from 21 July to 27 July 2009. The semi-finals for this annual event will take place on 30 July 2009 with the final match taking place on Sunday 2 August 2009.

Most people in Argentina think the appointment of Maradona as the men’s national team manager is great.  After all, Maradona led the Argentinian soccer team to the 1986 FIFA World Cup Championship and returned to the final in the 1990 World Cup.  Maradona admits he singlehandedly let the 1986 squad to the title.  Thus, why not coach the team?

And therein lies the problem.

Just because a player is great, possibly the greatest Argentinian player of all time, does not equate to leadership capability.

Take for example, the numerous doping charges, health concerns, professional inexperience and other craziness following Maradona’s personal life.

Professionally, Maradona has no business coaching Argentina’s national team.  He has no high-level or professional team experience.  He will rely strictly on his director of football, Carlos Bilardo.  Carlos was the man who singlehandedly led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title, not Maradona.

If Argentina’s mission is to return the side to the playing spirit of their 1986 team, then give their youth a chance.  Argentina’s youth teams are currently dominating the international arena.  The Under 23 squad won Olympic gold in August 2008.

Hiring Diego Maradona is synonymous to Northern Ireland hiring George Best as their national team manager.

Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba and Steven Gerrard are just a few of the famous soccer players traveling to Munich to play in a charity match to raise money for the 2010 World Cup in Africa and Goal4Africa.

More top players will be selected to attend the event. Samuel Eto’o and Gennaro Gattuso are some of the other players that will attend.

The game will be July 12 at the Allianz Arena, home of Bayern Munich. A selection of the world’s top players will face off in the July 12 benefit match at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena to raise money for the charity Goal4Africa.

The host country of the World Cup always benefits by hosting–before and after the event. This project will benefit the African continent by sharing money with soccer development and educational programs. Money will be donated based upon the amount of goals scored.

The French Football Federation (FFF) decided to keep Raymond Domenech as manager of the French National team through the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Domenech’s position was in serious jeopardy following France’s terrible result at UEFA Euro 2008. France did not advance pass the first round of UEFA Euro 2008. France was only able to muster two defeats, one draw, six goals against and only one goal for. France was the runner-up at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Jean-Pierre Escalettes, FFF president, said “The Executive Committee has maintained the manager in his post to prepare for the 2010 World Cup and redefined the terms of his mission and the conditions of management of the national team.”

Domenech kept his position by 18 votes for and one abstention.

Escalettes was clear that “this should be seen as a backing, but under conditions.”

The two conditions the FFF laid down regarded communication and the technical training. As a result, all players must now sign a communications “charter” and the FFF instituted Club France 2010.

The communications charter is pretty self-explanatory. Club France 2010 is what is most enlightening.

Club France 2010 will check on the progress of the national team and report to the FFF.

We definitely wish the best of luck to France in the upcoming 2010 World Cup. France definitely has a massive amount of talent to make a run for the title. The question will be if Domenech can handle the pressure from the FFF and not the pressure of preparing his team on the pitch.

The FFF’s memory is definitely short since Domenech led France to the 2006 World Cup final after only two years on the job. After all, Domenech’s French squad have won 30 of 54 matches with 7 defeats and 17 draws.

The only thing promised to managers these days is movement and instability.