Europa League Round Up

admin — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 07:56:13 +0000

Rangers triumphed for the third successive time against Sporting CP in Europe as they beat the Lisbon outfit on away goals. Maurice Edu’s dramatic extra time equaliser gave Rangers a 2-2 draw in Portugal, and set up a meeting for Walter Smith’s side with Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven, who eliminated Ligue 1 leaders Lille OSC 5-3 on aggregate.
Liverpool just about managed to overcome Sparta Prague in their tie, with a Dirk Kuyt goal four minutes from time giving the Reds a 1-0 aggregate victory over their Czech opponents.

Manchester City eased past Aris Salonika 3-0 at Eastlands thanks to a brace from Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko. City’s opponents in the next round will be Dinamo Kiev, who thrashed Besiktas 4-0 to progress 8-1 on aggregate.

Italian representation in the Cup was over after Napoli fell to Villarreal. Ajax beat neighbours Anderlecht 2-0 to progress 5-0 on aggregate while Lech Poznan’s excellent run in the competition was ended by Sporting Braga. Other teams to progress were Bayer Leverkusen, FC Twente, PSG, Spartak Moscow, Benfica and Zenit St.Petersburg.

European Football Results Today

admin — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:50:47 +0000

Scottish Football Results Today

admin — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:45:35 +0000

Premier Football Results Today

admin — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:42:37 +0000

The Basics of Football (Soccer)

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 10:02:17 +0000

In football (or soccer, as it’s commonly referred to in the United States), there are several positions, and most of them are fluid. Like most team sports, there are two breakdowns: offense and defense. Unlike most sports, offensive and defensive positions are also fluid. There are no specific times or places within the game that each division is used. So, the use of these positions is also fluid, and they are all absolutely relative to each other.

The number of players is totally dependent on the age and advancement of the players. No matter how many players there are, however, there is always a goalie, which is the last defense against the opposing team. Then, depending on the number of players, there are anywhere from two to four “Fullbacks”. These players stay in the third of the field near the goalie, protecting him and the goal from the opposing team. The next line of defense is the “Midfielder”, of which there are two to four. In a bigger, more experienced team, there can be “Defensive Midfielders” or “Offensive Midfielders”. This is totally dependent on where in the second third the player is located. If the player is located closer to the Fullbacks, he or she becomes a “Defensive Midfielder”. If the player is located closer to the “Forward”, he or she is an “Offensive Midfielder”. Obviously, the next position is the “Forward”. This player is the one who makes most of the goals, and is the most offensive player. No, no in that way! He or she plays in the third closest to the opposing goal. Some teams also have a “Sweeper”, who plays behind the “Fullbacks”, and a “Stopper”, who plays between the “Fullbacks” and the “Midfielders”. All these players do is add more layers of defense, especially to the center of the field. These positions are not found in every team.

Each position has its own set of rules. It is impossible to talk about these rules, however, without an understanding of the field.

The field itself is 100 yards long and 60 yards wide. It is divided in the very center lengthwise by the midfield line. There is a 10 yard circle, known as the “center circle”. At the start of a kickoff, the defending team must stay outside of this circle. The penalty box is a rectangular box centered on the goal marks. It is 44 yards by 18 yards, and it includes an arc 10 yards from the “penalty mark”. If a foul is committed in this area, there might be a penalty kick. The penalty mark inside the penalty box is 12 yards from the end line. The goal area is a 20 yards by 6 yards rectangular box inside the penalty area, centered on the goal. For a goal kick to count, it must be placed from this area. The corner kick is a one yard quarter circle put at each corner, and a player must place the ball here prior to a corner kick. The goal itself is 24 feet by 8 feet. Now that we have a basic understanding of the field, we can now look at the rules for each position.

The goalie can leave the goal area, but once the goalie is outside of the penalty box, he or she can no longer use his or her hands. They usually try to stay close to the goal. In almost every instance, the goalie is the only one who can use his or her hands.

Fullbacks’ main job is to stop opponents from scoring.

The Midfielders either play as extra support for the Fullbacks, or as extra support for the Forwards.

The Forwards mostly score, though this task can be shared by all players. No matter what position you look at, they are all equally important to this age-old and world-renowned team sport.