World Football Columns
Santos
Neymar: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow?
Santos president Luis Alvaro Ribeiro may have shot himself in the foot in his joy over re-signing his young star, Neymar. Continue reading
The Monday Morning Drip: Because Old Dogs & Englishmen Still Do Tricks
A jolt of footy caffeine to jump-start your week! Continue reading
The Monday Morning Drip: Because The Premier League Isn’t Enough
A jolt of international footy to jump start your week! Continue reading
The Monday Morning Drip: Because The Premier League Isn’t Enough
A worldwide weekend footy wrap-up that’ll get your juices flowing. Continue reading
Chelsea Face Heavy Competition For Neymar’s Signature
Roman Abramovich came up empty, last year, when he tried to land Brazilian sensation Neymar from Santos and it’s well known that he doesn’t like to lose. Now, the youngster is a year older, with a Copa Libertadores title under his belt. Talk is he may be ready to test himself in Europe. Unfortunately, the Russian billionaire is no longer the only one fishing these waters. It’s going to take a special lure to land this big fish. Continue reading
WFC’s Weekend Catch – Choice Fixtures For 25-26 June, 2011
This week’s Catch features a healthy mix of club and international competition, with the Gold Cup Final, the Women’s World Cup Opener and a cornucopia of snacks in between. Continue reading
WFC’s Weekend Catch – Choice Fixtures For 11-12 June, 2011
It’s another week of football brought to you from countries where you can’t get a decent curry, let alone a frothy pint of Guinness. Continue reading
WFC’s Weekend Catch – Choice Fixtures For 11-12 June, 2011
After a week of International fare, club football takes over in earnest in the far reaches of the world. In Russia it’s a battle royale for the top spot in the RPL, while in Japan, the J-League tries to put a heartbreaking spring behind it and bring a smile, if just for a moment, to their fans. In the Americas, Major league Soccer heads into the middle part of its season, oblivious to losing its best players to the Gold Cup, while Chile and Argentina wrap up their Clausura campaigns and Brazil shrugs off the last bits of rust in the national championship.
England, Spain, Italy and Germany? Who needs ‘em? Continue reading
WFC’s Weekend Catch: Choice Matches For 28-29 May, 2011 (Including The Champions League Final)
The Champions League Final casts a huge shadow over the weekend fixtures but there are some other important matches lurking in the darkness. Have a look! Continue reading
WFC’s Weekend Catch – Choice Fixtures For 7-8 May, 2011
Fair enough. This weekend sees Manchester United face off against Chelsea with the Premier League title at stake, the KNVB Beker and Paulista Cups being contested and AC MIlan on the verge of wrapping up their first Scudetto in eight years. So, why is there a picture of David Beckham and Thierry Henry on the cover of this article? Come on, isn’t it obvious? Henry in a full beard is major news! Continue reading
WFC’s Weekend Catch – Choice Fixtures For 30 April & 1 May, 2011
The focus of football is on Europe as its various leagues head to the wire. There are some tasty matches, as well, including Manchester United’s trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal, with the Premier League title partially in the balance. As well, Borussia Dortmund consider calling in Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth as they look for a cure to their late season stutter, America try to get over on Mexico’s most dangerous cats, Pumas, and Neymar leads Santos against hated rivals Sao Paolo in the Paulista. Keep the remote handy, you’ll need it! Continue reading
WFC’s Weekend Catch: The World’s Best Fixtures For 23-24 April, 2011
Things are getting tight everywhere in the football world, except, of course, the USA. One MLS side, Real Salt Lake, are even getting a pass on early games as they pursue the CONCACAF CL Final. Everywhere else, seasons are winding down. Bolton and Arsenal look to turn around recent adversities against each other on Sunday, Marseille look for a trophy in the Coupe de la Ligue on Saturday, Real Madrid play another match at the Mestalla, this time against Valencia, Feyenoord look for 10 goals worth of pay back against PSV and QPR seek a win against Cardiff that, barring the intervention of the FA, will have them planning for a Premier League season in August.
Enjoy! Continue reading
WFC’s Weekend Catch – Choice Fixtures For 9-10 April, 2011
There are some intriguing matchups across the globe this weekend. The Championship features a showdown between two newly promoted sides in the hunt to repeat the feat this year, the first edition of the Felix Magath Derby takes place on Saturday, Real Madrid and Inter head into tough games with something to prove, the run-in of the Libertadores Group Stage begins and the best sides in both the Mexican Clausura and MLS face off. No matter where you are, there’s entertainment to be had. Enjoy! Continue reading
Neymar: One Banana Equals 60,000 Racists?
Neymar’s refusal to apologise for his remarks in the wake of the Brazil/Scotland friendly wasn’t reasoned out very well. Continue reading
WFC’s Weekend Catch: Choice Fixtures For 2-3 April, 2011
After a week of international fixtures, highlighted by Euro Qualifiers, it’s back to the club grind. Most of the top clubs across Europe can be thankful that the Fixture Gods have allowed them to ease back into their respective competitions. In Serie A, however, players will need to hit the ground running, with four key match-ups on deck, including the second leg of the Milan Derby, with 1st place on the line. As well, Barcelona, who limped into the international break, face a stern test against Villareal and young Seleção sensation Neymar has 2 key matches in the Paulista and Copa Libertadores, for Santos, on the heels of antagonising an entire nation by playing the race card after his brace against Scotland on the weekend.
Enjoy! Continue reading
The Weekend Catch: WFC’s Choice Fixtures For 12-13 March, 2011
Man City have doubt on their mind after a disastrous trip to the Ukraine and giant killing Reading on deck in the FA Cup. QPR visit manager Neal Warnock’s former side Crystal Palace, trying to keep the hoops focussed in the midst of the Alejandro Faurlin scandal. Louis van Gaal and Bayern are stuck with each other ’til season’s end, facing inconsistent Hamburg on Saturday, but the club’s hierarchy expects a Champions League place or the Dutchman may not make it out of Bavaria alive. These three matches and sixteen more from across the planet are featured in this Weekend’s Catch. Continue reading
The Weekend Catch: The Choice Fixtures For 26-27 February, 2011
Arsenal v Birmingham in the Carling Cup is the biggest match of the week but it eclipses some other notable clashes. Milan and Napoli clash in a 1v2 Lega Calcio tilt, PSV and Ajax go at it, Lille OSC tangles with Lyon, Bayern makes their last stand against BVB and Brazilian champions Fluminense head to the fabled Azteca, in Mexico City, to take on Club America in the Copa Libertadores. But wait, There’s more! Read on…. Continue reading
The Weekend Catch: WFC’s Football Fixture List For 19-20 February, 2011
This week’s tallies: twenty matches in fifteen competitions chosen by ten writers. Hop on for the ride! Chelsea v Everton (Saturday) — It has just occurred to me that Chelsea is a lot like Toy Story. Seriously. Roman Abramovich is Andy, although he doesn’t have to wait for Christmas or his birthday for his parents … Continue reading
2011 Copa Libertadores Preview
This week marks the first few games of the group stage of the Copa Libertadores. Dubbed as the South American Champions League, the tournament is not as well-organized, nor as technical as its wealthy Old World cousin. While the structure and prestige of the tournament are similar to the UEFA competition, there are some significant … Continue reading
The Weekend Catch For 29-30 January, 2011
For those of you who follow the Weekend Catch, you’ll notice that we’ve rearranged the furniture a bit. Instead of sorting by author and yanking you this way and that, we’ve placed all matches from the same competition together. Hopefully, you’ll find it a bit easier to enjoy the tour of big weekend matches we … Continue reading
2011 Campeonato Brasileiro Preview
It’s January and all the teams in Brazil are preparing for the 2011 season has just started with the State Championships, a series of regional championships in which clubs flesh out their squads for the league campaign. The long and winding road will finish in December, with the last round of the National Championship, the … Continue reading
The Weekly Catch For 16-17 Oct. 2010
Okay, so you know about the Merseyside Derby but the Weekly Catch features a bevy of matches from the Amazon to the Ukraine. Find out what you might be missing. Continue reading
Ashton Kutcher Strikes Again!
With some help from Mrs. Demi Moore, Martin Palazzotto revisits the changing landscape of Brazilian football. Continue reading
Neymar vs Dorival Junior
One head swells and the other rolls. Continue reading
Did You Catch It? 25-26 Sept. 2010
The big bangs from the weekend action, with film at eleven. Continue reading
Catch Them If You Can! 25-26 Sept. 2010
The big clubs have had results blow up in their faces all through the mid-week. will it continue into the weekend? Continue reading
Catch Them If You Can! 18-19 Sept. 2010
The weekend is here! Long live the weekend! Continue reading
Did You Catch It? — 11-12 Sept. 2010
The weekend’s fixtures in review and a smattering of highlights! Continue reading
Catch Them if You Can — 11-12 Sept. 2010
Players are back with their clubs and after a domestic weekend it’ll be European nights! Continue reading
Did You Catch It? 20-22 Aug. 2010
In case you missed them, the WFC gang fills you in on the matches they recommended, on Friday. Oh, and highlights, to boot. Continue reading
Catch Them If You Can! 20-22 Aug. 2010
If you’ve got plenty of airline miles, or just a satellite and Tivo, you won’t want to miss any of these matches. Continue reading
Robinho just being Robinho!
A look at Robinho and his newest move to Santos. Continue reading
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