Ronaldo has flown to Paris for an operation that will determine when the striker will be able to resume his career.
The striker ruptured a tendon in his left knee in the Serie A fixture with Livorno and if the surg
ery goes to plan the Brazilian then faces up to nine months on the sidelines.
However, Rossoneri president Silvio Berlusconi has refused to call time on the star and said: "At 31-years-old he is still young and I think that he can return in a number of months to being the champion of old.
"I spoke to him on the telephone and I told him to believe in himself as he has such a great physical capability."
The former World Player of the Title arrived in the French capital at 9am local time and club doctor Jean Pierre Meeserman revealed that Gerard Saillant, the professor who oversaw the same procedure on the player back in 2000, will once again supervise.
He said: "It was Ronaldo himself who asked to be operated on in Paris by the team that put his right knee straight eight years ago."
This article was featured on SerieA.tv. To visit SerieA.tv click here!
The sport of football (or soccer as it's known in the US and Australia) holds a World Cup every four years.
Sadly, my own national team, Northern Ireland, hasn't reached the World Cup Finals since 1982, and despite the recent goal-scoring feats of David Healy, we don't look like doing so anytime soon.
Wiping my tears aside, here I present the first in a series of articles that feature sporting logos, this time showcasing World Cup logo designs from Brazil in 1950 to South Africa in 2010. I've added a little World Cup trivia for the football buffs among you, and mention my favourite / least favourite at the bottom.
The 1950 World Cup was the first to include British participants. British teams 
withdrew from FIFA in 1920, partly out of unwillingness to play against the countries they had been at war with, and partly as a protest against a foreign influence on football.
FINAL SCORE: Uruguay 2-1 Brazil (there was no actual final this year, and the tournament was decided by a round-robin between four teams, with this match considered the decisive result to crown Uruguay world champions)
The World Cup was first televised in 1954 and is now the most widely-viewed and 
followed sporting event in the world, exceeding even the Olympic Games. The cumulative audience of the 2006 World Cup (including all of the matches) is estimated to be 26.29 billion. 715.1 million individuals watched the final match of this tournament (a ninth of the entire population of the planet).
FINAL SCORE: West Germany 3-2 Hungary
With its third title (and three second place finishes) West Germany became the 
most successful World Cup nation for four years, until Brazil won their fourth title in 1994. West German team manager Franz Beckenbauer became the second footballer, after Mário Zagallo of Brazil, to win the World Cup as a player (in 1974) and as team manager. In doing so, Beckenbauer also became the first captain of a winning team to later manage a winning squad. Italy's Salvatore Schillaci won both the Golden Boot as the tournament's top goalscorer, with six goals, and the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.
FINAL SCORE: West Germany 1-0 Argentina
T
he average stadium attendance for the tournament was 69,000 while the total attendance was 3.6 million. The 1994 World Cup holds the record for the highest attendance in World Cup history. It was also the highest-attended single sport sporting event in United States history.
FINAL SCORE: Brazil 0-0 Italy (Brazil win 3-2 on penalties)
This article featured on Logo Design Love and written by David Airey. To read more click here!
The following article was featured in the Scuola Calcio Magazine. Was written by Marco Stoini, Director of Coaching for San Luigi Calcio Trieste and Techncial Director of the Ascoli Soccer Academy from the Italian Professional Soccer League and translated by Antonio Saviano.It is been said that the role of the goalkeeper is a single role, but as we know it is always a child that is in the goal and that will become a man through the frequent goalkeepers development stages. The program of the goalkeeper’s technical work can be divided in two great age groups:
1. From 6-12 years old
2. From 12 years old up
From 6 to 12 Years Old
In reality the very young goalkeeper is not a complete goalkeeper yet. The child playing in the goal does not have the mental and physical structure characteristics in order to be a goalkeeper as an adult would. We are dealing with a child that must be developed and we must stabilize his motor and coordinative abilities, which in many cases are harder for a goalkeeper than a field player. Example of some coordinative abilities:
- Trajectories to save
- Agility
- Relation – ball – ground
- Relation – body - ground
- Relation – eyes – hands
- Relation – eyes – hands – body
- Etc.
Furthermore the physical structure can often prevent the correct execution of many technical fundamentals (sometimes it can also be impossible): for example, the simple size of the hands will not allow easy stops, it will not allow an easy re-start play and so forth.
With these premises it is logical that under the 12 years of age (and in particular until 10 years old) the goalkeeper follows a program integrated with the team, therefore the program should have a general broad activity necessary to all the players on the team and that has objectives to reach based on the age we are working with.
Perform normal practices that all teammates benefit, one of them should be using the feet, which in part is very important under most useful ways. However, at least two times per week the activity should be provided, in specific part, to the particular of the goalkeeper and divided in groups of at least 3-4 goalkeepers and for a duration of approximately 90 minutes. As for all the roles of the soccer players as well as for the goalkeepers the techniques must be placed in first place when training. When speaking about goalkeepers, especially "strong ones” we often refer to goalkeepers with solid technical bases developed from a younger age, and that are like a strong foundation for the rest of their career.
The young goalkeepers psychological side is also very important. Much attention goes to those activities that should not exceed the actual abilities of the student, in order not to create failure feelings, having the young goalkeepers overcome fears that begin with the contact body-ground and development of body movement.
To free their strength is a physiological necessity of the children, but to let them have fun and satisfaction, but also have a feeling of authority and prestige, it is a primary task of a good instructor.
The young goalkeepers see and admire some champions on TV who rise to be their idol, they may have and wear their jerseys, may be their caps or gloves, but for sure will not be able to copy the technical movements, because their mental and learning abilities will prevent them from making does decisions. The instructor should remember this important information and convey to the young goalkeepers in a simple way.
From 12 Years Old and Up
At this age the young goalkeepers begin to assume the abilities of the "true goalkeeper". Now the techniques can and must be learned and without any limitations, they can and they must be repeated to the intend to create the complete necessary development that will stabilize the specific abilities. Now, the mental and the tactical aspect of the development can also be trained:
- Concentration
- Subsequent choices – understanding the game
At this stage, the athlete training will be able to assume greater weight in the activity: for the role of the goalkeeper the strength is the base to support the major part of typical body movements (jumps, quick sprint, executions, etc), the agility, the flexibility and the acrobatic training are an integral part of the development.
The aerobic component should cover the importance of general conditions.
Regarding Strength:
- High expressions: (fast – maximum resistant)
- Under expressions: (flexible volatile - reflected flexible volatile - resistance to the maximum strength - resistance to the instantaneous strength)
- Types of reduction: (concentric - eccentric - isometric – ply-metric)
All of the above has to be taken into consideration with a specific development, but at the same time we should be careful to the structure of a body that is still unbalanced and in a developing stage. In fact the speed or the rapidity is influenced from the strength level of the goalkeeper and are naturally unavoidable qualities. In the training the complete development aspect of the goalkeeper can not be neglected: it is true that the standardized repetitions are important for the reflex, but is also true that if we work in different situations, it will be possible for the athlete to decompose the technical body movements and to use only those parts that time to time will be necessary for that specific need.
I would like to point out that with two-three weekly training sessions of approximately 80 minutes each, we should attain good results.
With the goalkeeper who by now, at this age has exceeded the evolutionary phase, it is moreover fundamental to work on the specific errors. The instructor must maintain a direct contact with his own goalkeeper students. Because it is important to have a direct contact, it is better not to have many goalkeepers for training. But the instructor must also be careful, along with the head-coach, not to isolate the group of goalkeepers from the team, something that happens more then we think.
This article was featured in the Scuola Calcio Magazine. Scuola Calcio Coaching Magazine is aimed and dedicated to providing first class soccer information for instructors at all levels throughout the North America and the World.
The following article (Part 1 of 4) was featured in the Scuola Calcio Magazine. Was written by Marco Stoini, Director of Coaching for San Luigi Calcio Trieste and Technical Director for Ascoli Soccer Academy.
While it is right to speak about field players attaining general understanding of and tactical insight into the game, it is important to talk about a different type of understanding for the role of the goalkeeper.
The role of the goalkeeper is specific and unusual and needs to be addressed in a specific way. Generally speaking, it is true that the goalkeeper must be a complete soccer player, (especially in today’s game, much more than in the past, because of the new rules of the game), but it is also true that the techniques and the typical actions of the goalkeepers are very different from the other roles/positions of soccer players and we cannot expect to simply develop a goalkeeper by just shooting in the goal.
The Goalkeeper could be defined a "super-soccer player": all technical skills must fully be developed. For example:
- If a goalkeeper receives a pass back from a teammate and he does not manage the ball well with his feet he could loose trust from his teammates;
- If he lacks tactical understanding of the game (i.e.: offside) the entire strategy of the team could fail;
- If the physical size and physical qualities (strength and quickness) are not above average then we could find ourselves simply with an incomplete goalkeeper;
- If the mental capacities, psychological and personality capacities are not strong, then we could have inconstancy.
Some mistakes may be overlooked for field players but can not be the same for goalkeepers!
The goalkeeper does not carry the number 1 on the back of his jersey for no reasons, the number 1 must be managed and carried with absolute confidence.
For more information click here! - Scuola Calcio Coaching Magazine is aimed and dedicated to providing first class soccer information for instructors at all levels throughout the North America and the World.
This article featured on CrazyDetails Blogpost! - click here!Soccer has become increasingly more popular in the United States in the last 30 years, with nearly 3 million children between the ages of 5-19 now playing in youth soccer leagues throughout the nation.
Soccer began in England in the mid-1800's, and was originally played by the higher, more aristocratic English classes in their boarding schools and private clubs. The ease and inexpense of the sport quickly moved it ahead as a sport for the masses however. Today soccer is ranked as one of the world's leading sports for commoners.
The London Football Association was founded and 1863 and is responsible for standardizing game rules throughout Europe. In less than 20 years, professional players and teams were hitting the field.
Soccer began to spread throughout Europe almost immediately, with Spain, Germany, Italy, and France all taking up the game b the early 20th century. As interest in the sport grew throughout the world, so did an interest in formal competition. In 1900, the first soccer game was played at the Olympics, with medals introduced just eight years later. Professional players, however, were exempt from competition in the Olympic Games for more than 80 years.
In 1904, The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), was formed, followed by the first World Cup international competition in 1930. A round-robin style tournament that pits teams from individual nations against each other every four years, the World Cup has grown into an international affair, with nearly 200 teams now seeking admittance. Only 24 are permitted to compete.
Although it took the United States years to enter the soccer arena on a widespread basis, the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) was formed in 1913. Unfortunately, most Americans preferred watching (and playing) a different form of the sport -- American football -- until a Brazilian named Pele, (considered to the greatest soccer player of all time), joined the N.Y. Cosmos team in 1975. With such an amazing player to watch in America, popularity of the sport grew throughout the states, until his retirement in 1977, when soccer once again took a backseat to football. Following Pele's retirement, the North American Soccer League slowly lost fan support, finally dissolving in 1985.
It wasn't until the men's World Cup competition, was held in the United States in 1994, that soccer interest was renewed among American youth. The Major League Soccer (MLS), was founded in 1993, and began its first season in 1996 with 10 teams and 32 regular season games. More than 3 million fans watched the playoffs that year. By 1991, women were finally allowed to play on a professional level, when the Women's World Cup competition was introduced for the first time.
The interest in youth soccer remains strong throughout the United States today. Sports teams and leagues are now available in nearly every American community. From pee-wee players who aren't even in school yet, to semi-professional high school teams, players of all interest and abilities are now hitting the soccer field for both spring and fall competition. The U.S. Youth Soccer, a division of the USSF, now includes nearly 3 million official players.#1. Soccer is called football in other countries besides America.#2. Major League Soccer set all-time attendance record for a United States-based professional soccer league game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on June 16, 1996. That day, 92,216 fans watched the Los Angeles Galaxy win a 3-2 shootout victory over the Tampa Bay Mutiny.
#3. His real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, But the soccer world knows him as Pele. A native of Brazil, Pele retired as a player in 1977 but is still considered by many the greatest soccer player who ever lived. Since his retirement, he has been a worldwide ambassador for his sport. Wherever soccer is played, the name of Pele will always be magic.
#4. A standard soccer ball is made of leather and is between 27 and 28 inches in circumference. Unlike basketball, young players can use a smaller ball. For kids 8 years old or younger, a ball of 23 to 24 inches in circumference is recommended. For kids 9 to 12, a ball of 25 to 26 inches is often used.
ery goes to plan the Brazilian then faces up to nine months on the sidelines.
