Japan Profile

Our Version:

Winners of three of the last five AFC Asian Cups, Japan boasts one of the strongest squads in Asian football. Club and country both have high hopes for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ - the squad’s fourth appearance at the global showpiece.

First on the agenda: improvement. The Samurai Blue failed all expectations at Germany 2006; a 3-1 reverse against Australia, a 0-0 draw with Croatia, and a resounding 4-1 defeat by Brazil sent the team packing straight away. To add to the pressure, Japan faces its first finals without iconic midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata. Former Roma schemer Nakata featured in each of the national side's games at France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006, after which he hung up his boots, at the ripe old age of 29.

The Road to South Africa
Having comfortably reached the final stage of Asian Zone qualifying for South Africa 2010, Japan lost just one of its eight Group 1 meetings, drawing three and winning four in the process. Two tough matches against Australia, a disappointing 2-1 reverse away and a frustrating 0-0 draw at home, were the low points of this final phase, though coach Takeshi Okada's charges still finished well clear of Bahrain, Qatar and Uzbekistan in the five-team section.


The Star Players
Japan's biggest star is former Celtic playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura, who in the summer 2009 made the switch from Glasgow to La Liga with Espanyol. Another European-based performer is young midfielder Keisuke Honda, at Eredivisie outfit VVV Venlo. Like Nakamura, Honda is a gifted left-footer. Leading from the back is 31-year-old defensive rock, squad captain Yuji Nakazawa. With over 90 senior caps to his name, Nakazawa is Japan's third-most capped player of all time.

The Coach
National supremo Takeshi Okada is widely considered to be one of the finest Japanese strategists in football. He was at the helm during the Samurai Blue's first FIFA World Cup appearance at France 1998, having successfully negotiated a tricky play-off meeting with Iran in qualification. Okada later enjoyed club-level spells with Consadole Sapporo and Yokohama F Marinos.

The 53-year-old former international defender took Sapporo from the second division into the top flight. Similarly, at Yokohama, Okada led Marinos to successive J. League titles in ‘03 & ‘04. Stepping away from his role in Yokohama in 2006, the supremo took up the reins of the national team for a second time a year later, following the stroke suffered by previous incumbent Ivica Osim.

Previous FIFA World Cups
South Africa 2010 will be Japan's fourth consecutive and overall FIFA World Cup finals. Its best finish came as hosts at Korea/Japan 2002, when the side topped Group H ahead of Belgium, Russia and Tunisia, advancing to the knockout stages for the first and only time. The Samurai Blue put in a brave fight, going down 1-0 against eventual third-place finishers Turkey. The match’s only goal came after 12 minutes, from Umit Davala.

Records
At France 1998, Okada’s first finals as Japan coach, the Samurai Blue lost each of their three group games, scoring once and conceding four times in the process. Meanwhile, Masashi Nakayama scored Japan's first ever FIFA World Cup finals goal, netting in the 74th minute of a 2-1 reverse against Jamaica.
From the Mouth of the Samurai:
"We are not going to change our tactics because when I set this team's basic tactical approach, it was already done with a view to winning against the world's biggest teams. Our main target in South Africa is to reach the semi-finals." - Japan coach Takeshi Okada


FIFA's Original Version:

Boasting one of the strongest squads in Asian football, Japan, winners of three of the last five editions of the AFC Asian Cup, have high hopes for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ - their fourth appearance at the global showpiece.

First on the agenda is an improvement on the disappointing showing at Germany 2006, when the Samurai Blue exited at the first hurdle after a 3-1 reverse against Australia, a 0-0 draw with Croatia and a resounding 4-1 defeat by Brazil. Japan will also be facing their first finals without iconic midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata. The former Roma schemer featured in each of the national side's games at France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006 before hanging up his boots after the latter event aged just 29.

The road to South Africa
Having comfortably reached the fourth and final stage of Asian Zone qualifying for South Africa 2010, Japan won four, drew three and lost just one of their eight matches in Group 1. A 2-1 reverse in Australia and a frustrating 0-0 at home against the same opponents were the lowlights of this final phase, though coach Takeshi Okada's charges still finished well clear of Bahrain, Qatar and Uzbekistan in the five-team section.

The star players
Japan's biggest star is former Celtic playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura, who in the summer 2009 made the switch from Glasgow to La Liga with Espanyol. Another European-based performer is young midfielder Keisuke Honda, at Eredivisie outfit VVV Venlo and like Nakamura a gifted left-footer. Leading from the back is 31-year-old defensive rock and captain Yuji Nakazawa, who with over 90 senior caps to his name is Japan's third-most capped player of all time.

The coach
National supremo Okada is widely considered to be one of the finest Japanese strategists around. He was at the helm during the Samurai Blue's first FIFA World Cup appearance at France 1998, having successfully negotiated a tricky play-off meeting with Iran, and later enjoyed spells at club level with Consadole Sapporo and Yokohama F Marinos.

The 53-year-old former international defender's time in Sapporo included taking the team from the second division into the top flight, while the tactician led Marinos to successive J.League titles in 2003 and 2004. Having stepped away from his role in Yokohama in 2006, he picked up the reins of the national team for a second time a year later - following the stroke suffered by previous incumbent Ivica Osim.

Previous FIFA World Cups
South Africa 2010 will be Japan's fourth FIFA World Cup finals, and their fourth in a row. Their best finish came as hosts at Korea/Japan 2002, when they topped Group H ahead of Belgium, Russia and Tunisia to advance to the knockout stages for the first and so far only time. Once in the Round of 16 they put in a brave fight only to go down 1-0 against eventual third-place finishers Turkey, the goal coming after 12 minutes from Umit Davala.

Records

* At his first finals as Japan coach, back at France 1998, Okada's charges lost each of their three group games, scoring once and conceding four times in the process.
* Masashi Nakayama scored Japan's first ever FIFA World Cup finals goal, netting in the 74th minute of the 2-1 reverse against Jamaicaon French soil.

What they said
"We are not going to change our tactics because when I set this team's basic tactical approach, it was already done with a view to winning against the world's biggest teams. Our main target in South Africa is to reach the semi-finals." Japan coach Takeshi Okada

Or, check it out at fifa.

Vidic Arcitle

Our Version:

In some 150 days, South Africa and Mexico will take to the field for the 19th FIFA World Cup’s opening match. Though the greatest show in sport doesn’t kick off until 11 June, a wave of anticipation is sweeping planet football. "I’ve never played at the World Cup, but it has to be the greatest achievement of a career in the game," Nemanja Vidic exclusively told FIFA.com.


The Serbia centre-back, who plays his club football for English giants Manchester United, will realize the greatest of achievements at the 2010 finals in South Africa. Though he was in the Serbia and Montenegro squad at Germany 2006, he but failed to make it off the bench.

"I was banned for the first match after a sending off in the last game before the tournament," the 28-year-old recalled. Vidic’s injury during the pre-finals training camp caused him to miss the side’s two remaining group fixtures, rubbing salt into the wound.

"That’s why I’m so pleased we’ve managed to qualify again. I hope nothing stops me playing this time and that I can contribute to the team doing better than in 2006," Vidic continued.

In Germany four years ago, the amalgamated Serbia & Montenegro team – both were sovereign states by the time of the tournament but qualified and competed as a single entity – sank without trace in a fiercely tough group, losing 1-0 to the Netherlands, 6-0 to Argentina and 3-2 to Côte d’Ivoire.

Positive Feelings
The Serbs are determined to make their mark this time around, though Vidic is fully aware of the severity of the task. The other sides in Serbia’s group are Ghana, Australia, and UEFA EURO 2008 runners-up Germany.

"There are no easy opponents at a World Cup. Every team has good players, and they all deserve to be there. It won’t be easy, but we have a good feeling and believe we’ll give a decent account of ourselves,” Vidic stated.

The centre-back feels the team will benefit enormously from the expertise and nous offered by coach Radomir Antic. "He’s coached some great teams and has loads of experience," Vidic said of the 61-year-old supremo, whose CV includes spells in charge at Spanish giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and city rivals Atletico.

"He’s brought in a few new ideas and places a lot of stress on discipline and organisation. He’s definitely played a large part in our development as a team." Indeed, in qualifying for South Africa, Serbia comfortably won their group and consigned 2006 runners-up France to a play-off spot.

"We have a handful of players who were at the 2006 World Cup. I think we’ll be better prepared than we were four years ago," said Vidic.

"But everything depends on the first match. That’ll be our most important game at the World Cup. A win would give us an excellent chance of reaching the next round, and it would boost our confidence for what comes after that.”

Vidic intends to focus on club matters with United for the second half of the season. Despite the keen anticipation, he’s elected to narrow his view temporarily, relegating South Africa to the back of his mind. "I’m taking each game as it comes at the moment, and just trying to stay focused on that."

As the interview concluded, the rugged defender confessed to a subconscious fear of missing out again with injury. But, "the more you think about the World Cup and trying not to get injured, the greater the risk you’ll get hurt, in my opinion." Indeed.


FIFA's Version:
Vidic: We believe in ourselves
Wednesday 13 January 2010

In some 150 days, South Africa and Mexico will take to the field for the opening match at the 19th FIFA World Cup™. Five months before the greatest show in sport kicks off on 11 June, a wave of anticipation is already sweeping planet football. "I’ve never played at the World Cup, but it has to be the greatest achievement of a career in the game," Nemanja Vidic exclusively told FIFA.com.

For the Serbia centre-back, who plays his club football for English giants Manchester United, the 2010 finals in South Africa promise to bring his first-ever appearance at a major tournament: he was in the Serbia and Montenegro squad at Germany 2006 but failed to get off the bench.

"I was banned for the first match after a sending off in the last game before the tournament," the 28-year-old recalled. Rubbing salt into the wound, he picked up an injury at a pre-finals training camp and missed his side’s two remaining group fixtures.
We have a handful of players who were at the 2006 World Cup. I think we’ll be better prepared than we were four years ago.
Serbia's Nemanja Vidic

"That’s why I’m so pleased we’ve managed to qualify again. I hope nothing stops me playing this time and that I can contribute to the team doing better than in 2006," Vidic continued.

In Germany four years ago, the amalgamated Serbia and Montenegro team – both were sovereign states by the time of the tournament but qualified and competed as a single entity – sank without trace in a fiercely tough group, losing 1-0 to the Netherlands, 6-0 to Argentina and 3-2 to Côte d’Ivoire.

Positive feelings
The Serbs are determined to perform with more credit this time round, although Vidic is fully aware of the severity of the task in a section also including UEFA EURO 2008 runners-up Germany, Ghana, and Australia.

"There are no easy opponents at a World Cup. Every team has good players, and they all deserve to be there. It won’t be easy, but we have a good feeling and believe we’ll give a decent account of ourselves,” Vidic stated.

And the player feels the team can only benefit from the expertise and nous offered by coach Radomir Antic. "He’s coached some great teams and has loads of experience," said Vidic on the 61-year-old supremo, whose CV includes spells in charge at Spanish giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and city rivals Atletico.

"He’s brought in a few new ideas and places a lot of stress on discipline and organisation. He’s definitely played a large part in our development as a team." Indeed, in qualifying for South Africa, Serbia comfortably won their group and consigned 2006 runners-up France to a play-off spot.

"We have a handful of players who were at the 2006 World Cup. I think we’ll be better prepared than we were four years ago," said Vidic.

"But everything depends on the first match, that’ll be our most important game at the World Cup. A win would give us an excellent chance of reaching the next round, and it would boost our confidence for what comes after that.”

However, Vidic intends to focus on club matters with United for the second half of the season. For all the keen sense of anticipation, he is not spending too much time contemplating South Africa just yet. "I’m taking each game as it comes at the moment, and just trying to stay focused on that."

And as the interview concluded, the rugged defender confessed to a subconscious fear of missing out again with injury, but is simply trying to blot out the unwelcome thoughts. "The more you think about the World Cup and trying not to get injured, the greater the risk you’ll get hurt, in my opinion."

Here's the original.

England Hope to Avoid US Repeat - Article

Our Version:

England go into their 13th FIFA World Cup™ not just as Group C's main attraction but as overwhelming favourites to finish top. But things may not go their way... The USA have upset England before, and are hopeful of making progress – the Americans have a depth of quality and experience that puts them in a different league from the college kids who traveled to Italia 90 under the Stars 'n' Stripes auspices two decades ago. Slovenia, making their second FIFA World Cup appearance, and Algeria, their third, complete the section – the two sides are determined to do much more than make up the numbers.

The Favourites
England: The Three Lions have never won the FIFA World Cup on foreign soil, but travel to South Africa believing the adventure will go beyond the quarter-finals this time. Confidence is high after an impressive qualifying campaign from Fabio Capello's side, which finished as 34-goal top scorers in the European Zone, winning nine of ten matches. Wayne Rooney hit nine goals and is known to have a galvanising effect – indeed, while his World Cup bow four years ago ended with a red card against Portugal, the same happened to Diego Maradona and look how he responded. Add the Capello factor – the Italian has brought a renewed discipline and focus – and England will expect to win this group and prosper.

USA: The United States contest their sixth successive finals and will fancy their chances of advancing from the group stage for the first time since their quarter-final run in 2002. Bob Bradley's team can also take heart from their efforts at the FIFA Confederations Cup on South African soil in 2009 – they stunned Spain in the semi-finals and led Brazil 2-0 in the final before succumbing 3-2. They will hope centre-back Oguchi Onyewu will have recovered from his knee injury in time to join a squad that will again look to Landon Donovan for attacking inspiration in his third FIFA World Cup.

The Outsiders
Algeria: The North Africans are back on the world stage after a 24-year absence, following their play-off victory over Egypt. Rabah Saadane's side – which eliminated Senegal in the second African qualifying round – boast top-level European experience in their ranks, including midfielder Karim Ziani – at German champions Wolfsburg – and pacy left-back Nadir Belhadj – at English club Portsmouth. Antar Yahia, the match-winner against Egypt, will face Bochum colleague Zlatko Dedic in an opening match against Slovenia, in Polokwane, that both countries will consider their best chance of three points.

Slovenia: Matjaz Kek's team was a surprise play-off winner over Russia, with Dedic's second-leg strike earning them victory on away goals after a 2-1 reverse in Moscow. Its first major tournaments as an independent nation were UEFA EURO 2000 and Korea/Japan 2002. The current squad, however, lacks that know-how, though captain Robert Koren needs no introduction to England, as he plays his football at West Bromwich Albion. The side's main attacking threat is Milivoje Novakovic, based in Germany with FC Cologne, who hit five goals in qualification, where the team finished second behind Slovakia in its qualifying group.


The Players to Watch
Wayne Rooney (ENG), Frank Lampard (ENG), Landon Donovan (USA), Tim Howard (USA), Karim Ziani (ALG), Robert Koren (SVN).

The Crunch Match
England-USA: England will aim to stamp its authority on the group in what looks on paper their trickiest test, the v. USA pool opener in Rustenburg on 12 June. The countries' historical and cultural ties will make it eagerly anticipated on both sides of the Atlantic.

A Look Back
England-USA, 29 June 1950: In its first tournament England suffered its biggest upset on the world stage when Joe Gaetjens' first-half goal earned a ragtag American team a 1-0 victory in Belo Horizonte. One newspaper in Britain went so far as to assume the 0-1 score had been a typo, printing that England had won 10-1.

Did You Know?
Algeria have never met England, though faced British squad Northern Ireland, holding the side 1-1 at Mexico 1986.

The Stat
10 – England have negotiated the group stage successfully in its last ten FIFA World Cup appearances.

The Question
At first glance, England and USA look strong favourites to advance but could Algeria or Slovenia spring a surprise? Both did so in their qualifying play-offs, but repeating it in South Africa may prove difficult.


FIFA's Version:

England hope to avoid US repeat

England go into their 13th FIFA World Cup™ as not just Group C's main attraction but as overwhelming favourites to finish top. Yet they may not have things their own way. The USA have upset England before and they will be hopeful of making progress – the Americans have a depth of quality and experience that puts them in a different league from the college kids who travelled to Italia 90 with the Stars 'n' Stripes two decades ago. Slovenia, making their second FIFA World Cup appearance, and Algeria, their third, complete the section – but will be determined to do much more than make up the numbers.

The favourites
England: The Three Lions have never won the FIFA World Cup on foreign soil but travel to South Africa believing the adventure will go beyond the quarter-finals this time. Confidence is high after an impressive qualifying campaign from Fabio Capello's side who finished as 34-goal top scorers in the European Zone, winning nine of ten matches. Wayne Rooney hit nine goals and can have a galvanising effect – indeed, while his World Cup bow four years ago ended with a red card against Portugal the same thing happened to Diego Maradona and look how he responded. Add the Capello factor – the Italian has brought discipline and focus – and England will expect to win this group and prosper.

USA: The United States contest their sixth successive finals and will fancy their chances of advancing from the group stage for the first time since their quarter-final run in 2002. Bob Bradley's team can also take heart from their efforts at the FIFA Confederations Cup on South African soil in 2009 – they stunned Spain in the semi-finals and led Brazil 2-0 in the final before succumbing 3-2. They will hope centre-back Oguchi Onyewu will have recovered from his knee injury in time to join a squad that will again look to Landon Donovan for attacking inspiration in his third FIFA World Cup.

The outsiders
Algeria: The North Africans are back on the world stage after a 24-year absence following their play-off victory over Egypt. Rabah Saadane's side – who had eliminated Senegal in the second African qualifying round – boast top-level European experience in their ranks, including midfielder Karim Ziani at German champions Wolfsburg and pacy left-back Nadir Belhadj at English club Portsmouth. Antar Yahia, the match-winner against Egypt, will face Bochum colleague Zlatko Dedic in an opening match against Slovenia in Polokwane that both countries will consider their best chance of three points.

Slovenia: Matjaz Kek's team were surprise play-off winners over Russia, Dedic's second-leg strike earning them victory on away goals after a 2-1 reverse in Moscow. Their first major tournaments as an independent nation came at UEFA EURO 2000 and Korea/Japan 2002 but their current squad lacks that know-how, though captain Robert Koren needs no introduction to England as he plays his football at West Bromwich Albion. Their main attacking threat is Milivoje Novakovic, based in Germany with FC Cologne, who hit five goals as they finished second behind Slovakia in their qualifying group.

The players to watch
Wayne Rooney (ENG), Frank Lampard (ENG), Landon Donovan (USA), Tim Howard (USA), Karim Ziani (ALG), Robert Koren (SVN).

The crunch match
England-USA: England will aim to stamp their authority on the group in what, on paper, looks their trickiest test in the pool opener in Rustenburg on 12 June. The countries' historical and cultural ties will make it eagerly anticipated on both sides of the Atlantic.

A look back
England-USA, 29 June 1950: In their first tournament England suffered their biggest upset on the world stage when Joe Gaetjens' first-half goal earned a ragtag American team a 1-0 victory in Belo Horizonte. One newspaper in Britain assumed the 0-1 score had to be wrong and printed that England had won 10-1.

Did you know?
Algeria have never met England but held Northern Ireland 1-1 when facing another British team at Mexico 1986.

The stat
10 – England have negotiated the group stage successfully on their last ten FIFA World Cup appearances.

The question
At first glance, England and USA look strong favourites to advance but could Algeria or Slovenia spring a surprise? Both did so in their qualifying play-offs but repeating it in South Africa may prove difficult. Click 'Add your comment' to make your opinion known.

Or, if you prefer, the original .

Spain - Profile

Our Version:

On any scale [ note: whoever wrote the original piece mentions a scale of 1-10, but never rates Spain on that scale], Spain's performance in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ can only be given top marks. On top of brilliant wins in each of their ten games, La Roja were the European Zone's second top scorers with 28 goals, while conceding a miserly five at the other end. Maturity, resilience and the ability to overcome adversity were all in evidence during their campaign. Few national teams in world football are blessed with squads of such complex depth and sheer talent. The Iberians haven’t rested on their laurels after their UEFA EURO 2008 victory; they consistently bring new faces, without renouncing their commitment to attractive, short-passing football.

The Road to South Africa
The title of European champions inevitably meant that Spain's opponents redoubled efforts to claim La Roja’s notable scalp. Their narrow 1-0 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina - courtesy of a solitary strike from David Villa - was typical of the kind of gritty resistance they’ve displayed in victory since Austria/Switzerland. Though Armenia and Estonia were dispatched relatively comfortably, an away clash in Belgium and a double-header against EURO 2008 semi-finalists Turkey forced the Spaniards to dig deep for their nine valuable points.

Following a 2-1 win in Brussels, in which they fought back to clinch victory via an 88th-minute Villa strike, came a 1-0 success over Turkey in Madrid, the solitary goal coming compliments of centre back Gerard Pique. La Roja’s return to Istanbul marked another 2-1 comeback triumph, courtesy of goals from Xabi Alonso and then-Liverpool-teammate Albert Riera. Belgium were subsequently dispatched by Spain 5-0 in La Coruna, and a ticket to South Africa 2010 was assured with two rounds to spare after a comfortable 3-0 home win over Estonia. Far from taking their foot off the pedal, La Selección capped a flawless campaign with victory in Armenia and a 5-2 away thrashing of closest challengers Bosnia-Herzegovina.


The Star Players
La Selección’s success has been based on quality and balance throughout the side. In captain Iker Casillas, Spain has one of the world's finest keepers, a man who can be relied upon to come to the rescue with his superhuman reflexes when most needed. Midfield string-puller Xavi Hernandez's inch-perfect passing and vision is vital to the Spaniards' fluid style, while at the sharp end of the attack there can be few, if any, better finishers than David Villa and Fernando 'El Niño' Torres.


The Coach
Vicente del Bosque took over where Luis Aragones left off after the EURO 2008 triumph, keeping the same footballing philosophy and core players who had dazzled the continent that summer. The experienced supremo has also hit the heights at club level with Real Madrid, winning two UEFA Champions Leagues (2000, 2002), two La Ligas (2001, 2003), a Spanish Super Cup (2001) a UEFA European Super Cup (2002) and the Toyota Intercontinental Cup (2002).

Del Bosque continued Aragones' faith in the one-touch style that has traditionally characterised Spain's play, relying heavily upon midfielders of the highest quality. As a result, the Spaniards have won all but one game since the ex-Los Blancos boss took charge, the exception being a semi-final reverse against USA at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009.

Previous FIFA World Cups
Spain has taken part in the finals of 12 FIFA World Cups. The squad hasn’t missed a single edition since failing to reach Germany 1974. La Roja's best performance at the global showpiece was a fourth-placed finish at Brazil 1950. The top-ranked team hopes to change that in South Africa. At senior international level, La Roja has two major titles to its name: the 1964 and 2008 European Championships.

Records
Spain recorded a world-best ten wins from ten South Africa 2010 qualifiers. La Selección were the European Zone's second-highest scorers, firing 28 goals to end the campaign just six strikes shy of Fabio Capello's England.

La Roja Speaks:
"We've got good players and a well-oiled team, but there are some very strong sides out there. Our aim is to challenge for the next World Cup but we know how difficult it is. We're not the favourites but we are among the hopefuls." - Vicente del Bosque, Spain’s coach.


FIFA's Version:

Profile

On a scale of one to ten, Spain's performance in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ can only be given top marks. On top of wins in each of their ten games, La Roja were the European Zone's second top scorers with 28 goals while conceding a miserly five at the other end. Maturity, resilience and the ability to overcome adversity were all in evidence during their campaign, and few national teams in world football are blessed with squads of such depth and sheer talent. The Iberians have not rested on the laurels of their UEFA EURO 2008 victory, consistently bringing in new faces without renouncing their commitment to attractive short-passing football.

The road to South Africa
The title of European champions inevitably meant that Spain's opponents redoubled their efforts to claim what would be a notable scalp. Their narrow 1-0 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina - courtesy of a solitary strike from David Villa - was typical of the kind of gritty resistance they have had to overcome since Austria/Switzerland. And though Armenia and Estonia were dispatched relatively comfortably, an away clash in Belgium and a double-header against EURO 2008 semi-finalists Turkey forced the Spaniards to dig deep for nine valuable points.

Following a 2-1 win in Brussels, when they fought back to clinch victory via an 88th-minute Villa strike, came a 1-0 success over Turkey in Madrid, the goal coming from Gerard Pique. The return in Istanbul marked another 2-1 comeback triumph courtesy of goals from Xabi Alonso and then Liverpool team-mate Albert Riera. Belgium were subsequently dispatched 5-0 in La Coruna and a ticket to South Africa 2010 was assured with two rounds to spare after a comfortable 3-0 home win over Estonia. Far from taking their foot off the pedal, La Selección capped a flawless campaign with victory in Armenia and a 5-2 away thrashing of closest challengers Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The star players
The team's success has been based on quality and balance throughout the side. In captain Iker Casillas Spain have one of the world's finest keepers, a man who can be relied upon to bring his superhuman reflexes to the rescue when most needed. Midfield string-puller Xavi Hernandez's inch-perfect passing and vision is vital to the Spaniards' fluid style, while at the sharp end of the attack there can be few if any better finishers than David Villa and Fernando 'El Niño' Torres.

The coach
Vicente del Bosque took over where Luis Aragones left off after the EURO 2008 triumph, keeping the same footballing philosophy and core of players which dazzled the continent that summer. The experienced supremo has also hit the heights at club level with Real Madrid, winning two UEFA Champions Leagues (2000, 2002), two La Ligas (2001, 2003), a Spanish Super Cup (2001) a UEFA European Super Cup (2002) and the Toyota Intercontinental Cup (2002).

Del Bosque continued Aragones' faith in the one-touch style that has traditionally characterised Spain's play and which relies upon midfielders of the highest quality. As a recult, the Spaniards have won every game but one since the former Los Blancos boss took charge, the exception being a semi-final reverse against USA at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009.

Previous FIFA World Cups
- Spain have taken part in the finals of 12 FIFA World Cups and have not missed a single edition since failing to reach Germany 1974.
- La Roja's best performance at the global showpiece was a fourth-placed finish at Brazil 1950.
- At senior international level, Spain have two major titles to their name: the 1964 and 2008 European Championships.

Records
- Spain recorded ten wins from ten South Africa 2010 qualifiers.
- La Selección were the European Zone's second-highest scorers, firing 28 goals to end the campaign just six strikes short of the Fabio Capello's England.

The words
"We've got good players and a well-oiled team, but there are some very strong sides out there. Our aim is to challenge for the next World Cup but we know how difficult it is. We're not the favourites but we are among the hopefuls." Vicente del Bosque, Spain coach.

Or check it out here.

New Durban Stadium Article

Our Version:

Perched on the Indian Ocean, the newly built Durban Stadium is completed and ready for football. It is one of ten South African locations that will stage the world’s greatest sporting event – FIFA’s 2010 World Cup – this June. The arena, alternately known as the Moses Mabhida Stadium, is clearly well worthy of the honour, having received rave reviews both locally and internationally.

The stadium’s much-touted cable car is already iconic. Via the car, visitors ascend to a viewing platform at the 350m arch’s apical point, said platform situated a staggering 106m above the pitch. The vantage point affords spectacular panoramic views of the ocean and city.

A Bold Statement
An onlooker recently postulated that the new stadium would come to epitomize this year’s FIFA World Cup™: both are bold statements. Completed on schedule, the majestic arena has already hosted a number of high-profile matches, including a showdown between South Africa's best-supported team, Kaizer Chiefs, and one of their most popular rivals, Mamelodi Sundowns. A capacity crowd packed into the stadium for the match.

Julie-May Ellingson, Head of the Strategic Projects Unit and 2010 Programme, noted that everyone is pleased with the progress that has been made with the stadium and city. “The city and stadium management team are extremely pleased with the success of the first event," said Ellington. “It was a milestone for the city of Durban as well as for the stadium. Together, we have worked extremely hard to ensure that future events at the stadium grow from strength to strength.”

The arena, built on the site of Durban's old Kings Park Stadium, is in its infancy already a landmark structure and inspirational venue for players, spectators and visitors. The surrounding areas will feature additional sporting arenas & facilities, restaurants, shops, play areas for children, and a pedestrian walkway joining the complex with the beach.

City Preparations
Typical of seaside cities, Durban boasts beautiful beaches and pleasant weather. It’s uShaka Marine World and Amanzimtoti (loosely “sweet waters” in Zulu) are major attractions. In anticipation of the hoards of football fanatics expected to flock to the global showpiece, the city has been improving its infrastructure and maximizing its capacity.


FIFA's Version:

Durban Stadium raises the bar
(FIFA.com) Tuesday 12 January 2010

The newly-built Durban Stadium, which sits on the shores of the Indian Ocean, has received rave reviews from both local and international media - and no wonder.

The stadium, which is now completed and ready for football, is one of ten that will stage the world’s greatest sporting event at the tip of the African continent in June. And the arena, otherwise known as the Moses Mabhida Stadium, is clearly well worthy of this honour.

Undoubtedly, one of its most iconic features stadium (huh? What does this even mean?!) is its much-talked about cable car. By this means, visitors can ascend to a viewing platform at the top of the expansive 350m arch, a staggering 106m above the pitch. From this vantage point, it is possible to experience spectacular panoramic views over the ocean and the city (It’s possible to experience? What else would one be doing on the top of a football stadium? Brushing one’s teeth?).

A bold statement
One onlooker recently observed that the new (adverbial foul) built Durban Stadium will be the epitome of this year’s FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa: a bold statement. Completed on schedule, the majestic arena has already hosted a number of high-profile matches including a showdown between South Africa's best-supported team, Kaizer Chiefs, and one of their most popular rivals, Mamelodi Sundowns. A capacity crowd packed into the stadium for that particular event.

Julie-May Ellingson, Head of the Strategic Projects Unit and 2010 Programme, said that everyone is pleased with the progress that has been made with the stadium and in the city as a whole. “The city and stadium management team are extremely pleased with the success of the first event," said Ellington. “It was a milestone for the City of Durban as well as for the stadium. Together, we have worked extremely hard to ensure that future events at the stadium grow from strength to strength.”

The arena, built on the site of Durban's old Kings Park Stadium, has already become a landmark structure within the city and an inspirational venue for players, spectators and visitors. The entire area will also feature additional sporting arenas and facilities as well as restaurants, shops, play areas for children and a pedestrian walkway linking the stadium complex to the beach.

City preparations
Durban, which boasts with (again, huh? Boasts with? Seriously?) beautiful beaches and pleasant weather, has also been speeding up preparations in improving its infrastructure and capacity in preparations for the tournament. The city, which includes attractions such as the uShaka Marine World and Amanzimtoti (loosely translated as "sweet waters" in Zulu), is positioning itself to host thousands of fans, who are expected to flock to South Africa for the tournament in less than six months time.


And of course, you can always read the original if you prefer.

Team USA Profile

Our Version:

With typical efficiency, the United States reached the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ by taking first place in the final six-team Hexagonal phase of North, Central America and Caribbean Zone qualification. Under the careful guidance of coach Bob Bradley, the well-drilled Stars and Stripes' blend of proven internationals and up-and-coming stars didn’t once seem in danger of missing out, and will be keen to build on its second-place finish at the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009.

The Road to South Africa
After putting nine goals past minnows Barbados without reply in Stage 2, the USA worked themselves into draws with Trinidad & Tobago, Guatemala and Cuba in Group 1 of Round 3. Yet Bradley's charges held firm, winning five of their six encounters in the penultimate group stage. USA’s only defeat, a 2-1 reverse in Port of Spain against the Soca Warriors, came with progress to the Hexagonal already in the bag.

The United States kicked off the decisive final phase in the best fashion possible, beating arch-rivals Mexico 2-0, a result they followed with a 2-2 draw in El Salvador. A comfortable 3-0 victory over T&T was backed up by a 3-1 reverse in Costa Rica, one of only two defeats in the final section, the other coming, by a score of 2-1, in Mexico's fortress-like Estadio Azteca. Despite these losses, the Stars and Stripes kept its nerve, clinching its South Africa 2010 ticket with a 3-2 win in another of CONCACAF's toughest grounds: the Estadio Olimpico in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula.

The Star Players
In recent years, the name Landon Donovan has been synonymous with the US national team. The Los Angeles Galaxy attacker has often saved his very best performances for those in his USA shirt. There’s little doubt that Donovan will once again be one of his team's leading men at South Africa 2010. Providing an impressive supporting cast are the likes of Oguchi Onyewu, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey, all of whom ply their trade on European soil.

The Coach
Bradley was originally appointed national coach on a caretaker basis, though a run of ten unbeaten games convinced the powers that be he deserved the role on a permanent basis. Those who doubted his credentials were certainly silenced by events at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009, where the USA ousted favourites Spain in the semi-finals before going down in a narrow 3-2 final defeat to Brazil.
Previous FIFA World Cups
The United States have taken part at nine FIFA World Cups; they are second only to Mexico in CONCACAF team showpiece-event appearances. The Stars and Stripes' best finals performance came at Uruguay 1930, when they progressed to the semi-final stage. South Africa 2010 will be the United States' sixth consecutive finals appearance. They hope to best their Germany 2006 performance, where they bid farewell to the tournament at the first hurdle.


Records
The United States' 2-0 victory over Spain at South Africa 2009 prevented La Roja from extending its 35-game unbeaten run (a record, held jointly with Brazil). The USA enjoyed a 58-match unbeaten home streak against CONCACAF opponents until July 2009, when arch-rivals Mexico thrashed them 5-0 in the Gold Cup final. Altidore, currently on loan at English Premier League’s Hull City at Villarreal, was the Stars and Stripes' top scorer in qualifying, putting away six goals.


From the Stars and Stripes:
"We're very proud to have finished at the top of the final Hexagonal. It was a great effort and required a great deal of determination on our team's part. Every time we took the field we spoke about proving to the world what we were capable of and I think we did just that." – Bob Bradley, USA coach, after his side claimed top spot in North, Central America and Caribbean Zone qualification.

FIFA's Version:

With typical efficiency, the United States reached the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ by qualifying in first place in the final six-team Hexagonal phase of North, Central America and Caribbean Zone qualifying. Under the careful guidance of coach Bob Bradley, a well-drilled Stars and Stripes' blend of proven internationals and up-and-coming stars never looked in danger of missing out, and will be keen to build on their second-place finish at the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009.

The road to South Africa
After putting nine goals without reply past minnows Barbados in Stage 2, the USA found themselves drawn with Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala and Cuba in Group 1 of Round 3. Bradley's charges held firm to win five of their six encounters in the penultimate group stage, their only defeat a 2-1 reverse in Port of Spain against the Soca Warriors with progress to the Hexagonal already in the bag.

The United States kicked off the decisive final phase in the best fashion possible by beating arch-rivals Mexico 2-0, a result they followed up with a 2-2 draw in El Salvador. A comfortable 3-0 victory over T&T was backed up by a 3-1 reverse in Costa Rica, one of only two defeats in the final section. The other came by a score of 2-1 in Mexico's fortress-like Estadio Azteca, though the Stars and Stripes kept their nerve to stay on track and clinch their South Africa 2010 ticket with a 3-2 win in another of CONCACAF's toughest grounds: the Estadio Olimpico in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula.

The star players
In recent years, the name Landon Donovan has been synonymous with the US national team. The Los Angeles Galaxy attacker has often saved his very best performances for a USA shirt, and there is little doubt that Donovan will once again be one of his team's leading men at South Africa 2010. Providing an impressive supporting cast are the likes of Oguchi Onyewu, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey, all of whom are plying their trade on European soil.

The coach
Bradley was originally appointed national coach on a caretaker basis, though a run of ten games unbeaten quickly convinced the powers that be that he deserved the role on a permanent basis. And anyone who doubted his credentials would have been silenced by events at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009, where the USA ousted favourites Spain in the semi-finals before going down to a narrow 3-2 final defeat to Brazil.

Previous FIFA World Cups

• The United States have taken part at nine FIFA World Cups, with Mexico the only CONCACAF team involved in more editions of the showpiece event.
• The Stars and Stripes' best finals performance came at Uruguay 1930, when they exited at the semi-final stage.
• South Africa 2010 will be the United States' sixth consecutive finals appearance. At Germany 2006 they bid farewell to the tournament at the first hurdle.

Records
• The United States' 2-0 victory over Spain at South Africa 2009 prevented La Roja extending their 35-game unbeaten run, a record they hold jointly with Brazil.
• The USA had enjoyed a 58-match unbeaten home streak against CONCACAF opponents until July 2009, when arch-rivals Mexico thrashed them 5-0 in the final of the Gold Cup.
• Altidore, currently on loan at English Premier League outfit Hull City from Villarreal, was the Stars and Stripes' six-goal top scorer in qualifying.

What they said
"We're very proud to have finished at the top of the final Hexagonal. It was a great effort and required a great deal of determination on our team's part. Every time we took the field we spoke about proving to the world what we were capable of and I think we did just that." Bob Bradley, USA coach, after his side claimed top spot in North, Central America and Caribbean Zone qualifying.

Our, check out the original here.

Low Talks Podolski and Kroos - Article

Our Version:

Making an exception to his rule of only choosing players in top form with regular match time, Germany coach Joachim Low has selected Lukas Podolski for his 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ squad.

With five months left to make final selections, the 49 year old recently declared he would not repeat the mistake of calling up players based solely on past accomplishments. The coach went on to say that he expects to find 23 hungry, motivated players during the second half of the 2009/10 season. Despite this policy, special dispensation seems to have been given to Podolski, who, since rejoining Cologne last summer, has failed to live up to his own glittering reputation.

Former Bayern Munich forward Podolski scored 37 times in 69 games for the German national team, though has managed to find the back of the net only once since joining his hometown club in July. Nevertheless, Low has asserted that Podolski would retain his place in the Germany set-up, even should he fail to up the ante in 2010.

“There are no doubts at all about his status as a national team player," he told Cologne's Express newspaper. "His goal scoring record with us is noteworthy.” The coach went on to assert: "He is cheeky and is not afraid. In the national team, he nearly always plays well. Even against top nations, he never shows any nerves and he performs excellently."

Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Toni Kroos, on the other hand, has been told he has a long way to go to convince Low of his suitability for South Africa, despite very strong performances so far this season. The 20-year-old, who is on loan at the Bundesliga leaders until the end of the season, has been instrumental in Leverkusen's undefeated first half.

"He has developed a lot, but we will have to see whether that is enough for South Africa," said the Germany coach. "I will wait to see what the second half of the season brings. We have taken note of his good performances in the first half of the season and with the Under-21s."

FIFA's Version:

Germany coach Joachim Low is set to make an exception to his policy of only choosing players who are in form and playing regularly for their club, by naming Lukas Podolski in his 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ squad.

With five months to go before the 49-year-old must make his selections, he recently declared that he would not be repeating the mistake of calling up players merely on past reputation, and added that he expects to find 23 hungry and motivated players during the second half of the 2009/10 season. However, Podolski, who has so far failed to live up to his own glittering reputation since rejoining Cologne last summer, appears to have been given special dispensation even if he does not start finding the back of the net with regularity.

The former Bayern Munich forward has scored 37 times in 69 games for Germany, but he has managed to find the back of the net only once since joining his hometown club in July. Nevertheless, Low has declined the notion of Podolski losing his place in the Germany set-up should he fail to up the ante in 2010.
There are no doubts at all about his status as a national team player," he told Cologne's Express newspaper. "His goalscoring record with us is noteworthy.

"He is cheeky and is not afraid. In the national team, he nearly always plays well. Even against top nations, he never shows any nerves and he performs excellently."

Kroos inclusion in balance
On the other hand, Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Toni Kroos has been told he still has a lot of work to do to convince Low of his suitability for a place on the plane to South Africa. The 20-year-old, who is on loan at the Bundesliga leaders from Bayern Munich until the end of the season, has been one of the key components in Leverkusen's unbeaten first half of the season, but Low may take a little more convincing.

"He has developed a lot, but we will have to see whether that is enough for South Africa," said the Germany coach. "I will wait to see what the second half of the season brings. We have taken note of his good performances in the first half of the season and with the Under-21s."


Or you can see the original article here.

Something Horrifying

Much to our severe dismay, we discovered a few heinous errors on the FIFA site this morning when we accidentally searched "qualifiying", having misspelled "qualifying" in the search menu.

Rather than receiving the dreaded "No matches to your query" or some such similar message, we were faced with the even more portentous reality that there are in fact four articles posted on the official FIFA site, in plain view of hundreds of millions of site visitors, with the word qualifiying in.

Samples:

"Colombia will face Chile for their Germany 2006 World Cup qualifiying round on Sep. 5."
(original article to be piece here.)

"The two sides have met twice in qualifiying, in the first stage of the preliminaries for Italy 1990."
(original article can be read here.)

Though the first sample is alarming, it is at least excerpted from a very short piece, more like a blurb, that was probably written in five minutes, and of course we all make mistakes, so it's excusable.

The second example, however, is from a genuine article. Scary.

Check out the original, misspelled query.

Africa’s Qualifying Rounds Article

Our Version:

The African Zone produced drama, passion and excitement aplenty, all ending with Algeria’s return to the game’s greatest stage alongside four of the continent’s heavyweights.

Memorable Moments
Northern spirit
The intensity and passion of Algeria and Egypt’s clash to decide the last of the African places at the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals has already become a prominent chapter in the continent’s FIFA World Cup qualifying history. The north African rivals were forced into Africa’s first group-determining play-off. Egypt had done well to fight its way back into contention after a slow start in its group. A dramatic goal five minutes into stoppage time of their last group game forced this fateful play-off. The match went off in neutral Sudan, with Algeria eventually edging past the reigning continental champions on the back of a goal worthy of global showpiece play. Antar Yahia’s volley from an incredibly tight angle just before half-time has already become iconic. The fervour of the subsequent celebrations provided further evidence of the power of a beautiful game. Despite winning the last two CAF Africa Cup of Nations titles, Egypt again miss out on the FIFA World Cup.

Unbeaten Elephants
Côte d’Ivoire ended the qualifying campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup unbeaten, stampeding through 12 matches without a taste defeat. The side's campaign started slowly in the first round last year: new coach Vahid Halilhodzic had a major injury crisis on his hands for the first four games. Yet, that hurdle eventually overcome, the Elephants stomped through the preliminary stage in emphatic fashion. In the second round, it was expected they would face tough tests from both Burkina Faso and Guinea, but the pair West African rivals were unceremoniously brushed aside, with the Elephants winning home and away against both. Indeed, the only points the Ivorians dropped were away in Malawi, in their penultimate qualifier, when they needed just a draw to secure qualification to their second successive FIFA World Cup appearance.

Lions Roar
Cameroon had notched one measly point in its first two final-round qualifiers, and had been loafing at the bottom of the standings. At the end of its rope, the squad parted with veteran coach Otto Pfister and seemed to be in a perilous situation. The appoint Frenchman Paul LeGuen for the last four matches of the campaign, however, proved to be a masterstroke. The former Lyon, Rangers and PSG coach brought in a three-man support team to assist him, and insisted on sweeping improvements of the conditions surrounding the players. Finally, he installed Samuel Eto’o as captain, changing the dynamic of the group. The result? Four successive win and an African-record sixth trip to the FIFA World Cup finals.

Black Stars Shine
Though Ghana had won four CAF Africa Cup of Nations titles before finally qualifying for the FIFA World Cup finals in 2006, the Black Stars’ evolution is such that they now look a side that has gracing the global stage for decades. Ghana became the first squad from Africa to qualify for South Africa 2010, doing so with two matches to spare in their group, easily shrugging off the challenge posed by a star-studded Mali.

Super Eagles’ Late Show
Nigeria were one minute away from elimination in their penultimate group game against Mozambique when substitute Obinna Nsofor popped up to score a late winner. That kept the Super Eagles in the race for a FIFA World Cup place going into the final weekend of matches, and although they trailed Tunisia by two points in the standings, they came from behind to win 3-2 at Kenya, while Mozambique overcame the Tunisians with a late goal in Maputo.

The Stars
Samuel Eto’o is already a three-time African Footballer of the Year and one of the continent’s genuine world superstars. His reputation, however, has been built mainly on his exploits at club level. With Cameroon, he has won two CAF Africa Cup of Nations titles, but missed out on 2006’s FIFA World Cup. In 2009’s qualifiers, Eto’o took the initiative, at times almost single-handedly driving Cameroon’s campaign forward. He finished with nine goals in the preliminaries, and was the player that Paul Le Guen turned to as the new leader of a rapidly evolving group.

A career-threatening knee injury kept Stephen Appiah out of club action for more than a year and left him without a contract until his recent signing at Brescia in Italy. Despite his travails, Appiah remained a valuable member of the Black Stars’ line-up, regardless of his lack of competitive match action and fitness. The classy midfielder, who was forced to sit out the 2008 CAF Africa Cup of Nations tournament, hosted by Ghana, contributed a goal as his team qualified in style.

Moumouni Dagano was the talisman for Burkina Faso, who romped through the first round of the African preliminaries with a record of 100%. He finished as the African Zone’s top scorer, notching 12 goals in as many matches, and competing in all of his country’s games. Despite his bravura performance, Dagano was unable to prevent his side being overrun by the Ivorians in the final round.

The Quote of the Continent
“Our secret was simple: Algeria has nothing to fear from the other big names of world football. We told ourselves we were as good as anyone else and had every right to be in the World Cup finals. We had no intentions of letting our chances of qualifying slip away,” - Karim Ziani, Algeria midfielder.

The Qualified Teams:
Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria

The Top Scorers:
Moumouni Dagano (Burkina Faso, 12 goals)
Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon, 9 goals)
Frederic Kanoute (Mali, 8 goals)
Razak Omotoyossi (Benin, 8 goals)


FIFA's Version:

African qualifying review

The African Zone produced drama, passion and excitement aplenty, and ended with Algeria returning to the game’s greatest stage alongside four of the continent’s heavyweights.

Memorable Moments
Northern spirit
The intensity and passion of the clash between Algeria and Egypt to decide the last of the African places at the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals has already become a prominent chapter in the continent’s FIFA World Cup qualifying history. The north African rivals had to go to a play-off, a first for Africa, to determine the winner of their group, with Algeria eventually edging past the reigning continental champions on the back of a goal worthy of winning any match. Antar Yahia’s volley from an incredibly tight angle just before half-time in neutral Sudan has already become an iconic goal, and the fervour of the celebrations provided further evidence of the power of the beautiful game. Egypt had done well to fight their way back into contention after a slow start in their group, and a dramatic goal five minutes into stoppage time of their last group game forced this fateful play-off. However, despite winning the last two CAF Africa Cup of Nations titles, Egypt again miss out on the FIFA World Cup.

Unbeaten Elephants
Côte d’Ivoire ended the qualifying campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup unbeaten, going through 12 matches without tasting defeat. Their campaign started slowly in the first round last year because new coach Vahid Halilhodzic had a major injury crisis on his hands for the first four games, but once that hurdle had been overcome, the Elephants stomped through the preliminary stage in emphatic fashion. In the second round they had expected to face a tough test from Burkina Faso and Guinea, but brushed aside their west African rivals, winning home and way against both. Indeed, the only points the Ivorians dropped were away in Malawi in their penultimate qualifier, when they needed just a draw to secure qualification to a second successive FIFA World Cup appearance.

Lions roar
Cameroon had just a single point from their first two final round qualifiers and were lying bottom of the standings. It was at that stage that they parted with veteran coach Otto Pfister and looked to be in a perilous situation. However, it proved a master stroke to appoint Frenchman Paul LeGuen for the last four matches of the campaign. The former Lyon, Rangers and PSG coach insisted on a whole host of improvements in the conditions surrounding the players and brought in a three-man support team to assist him. He also installed Samuel Eto’o as captain, changing the dynamic of the group. The result was four successive wins and an African record sixth trip to the FIFA World Cup finals.

Black Stars shine
Ghana had won four CAF Africa Cup of Nations title before they finally qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals in 2006, but the Black Stars have now evolved into a side who look as if they have been gracing the global stage for decades. They were the first side from Africa to qualify for South Africa 2010, doing so with two matches to spare in their group, easily shrugging off the challenge posed by a star-studded Mali side.

Super Eagles’ late show
Nigeria were one minute away from elimination in their penultimate group game against Mozambique when substitute Obinna Nsofor popped up to score a late winner. That kept the Super Eagles in the race for a FIFA World Cup place going into the final weekend of matches, and although they trailed Tunisia by two points in the standings, they came from behind to win 3-2 at Kenya while Mozambique overcame the Tunisians with a late goal in Maputo.

The stars
Samuel Eto’o is already a three-time African Footballer of the Year and one of the continent’s genuine world superstars. However, he has built his reputation mainly on his exploits at club level. With Cameroon, he has won two CAF Africa Cup of Nations titles but missed out on the last FIFA World Cup. In these qualifiers, Eto’o took the initiative and at times almost single-handedly drove Cameroon’s campaign forward. He finished with nine goals in the preliminaries and was the player that Paul Le Guen turned to as the new leader of a rapidly evolving group.

A career-threatening knee injury kept Stephen Appiah out of club action for more than a year and left him without a contract until he recently signed at Brescia in Italy. However, during all his travails, Appiah remained a valuable member of the Black Stars’ line-up despite a lack of competitive match action and fitness. The classy midfielder, who had to sit out the 2008 CAF Africa Cup of Nations tournament, which Ghana hosted, also contributed a goal as his team qualified in style.

Moumouni Dagano was the talisman for Burkina Faso, who romped through the first round of the African preliminaries with a 100 per cent record. He finished as the African Zone’s top scorer with 12 goals in 12 matches, competing in all of his country’s games, but was unable to prevent his side being overrun by the Ivorians in the final round.

The quote
“Our secret was simple, Algeria has nothing to fear from the other big names of world football. We told ourselves we were as good as anyone else and had every right to be in the World Cup finals. We had no intentions of letting our chances of qualifying slip away,” Karim Ziani, Algeria midfielder.

The qualified teams
Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria

The top scorers
Moumouni Dagano (Burkina Faso, 12 goals)
Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon, 9 goals)
Frederic Kanoute (Mali, 8 goals)
Razak Omotoyossi (Benin, 8 goals)

Or check it out here.

Brazilian Team's Profile

Our Version:

It almost goes without saying that five-time world champions Brazil enter every FIFA World Cup™ heavily favoured to add yet another star to the legendary Amarelinha shirt. Having played for A Seleção at three editions of the global showpiece, coach Dunga is fully aware that any outcome other than a sixth world crown will likely be considered a failure.
The Road to South Africa
Supporters’ vitriolic reaction to Brazil's results and performances, particularly early in the qualifying phase, illustrates just how demanding the fans can be. Despite ending the preliminary event on top of the standings, recording nine wins, seven draws and two defeats, and clinching a South Africa 2010 berth with three matchdays to spare, the Auriverde camp was subjected to a torrent of abuse after successive goalless home draws against Argentina, Bolivia and Colombia. In April 2009, Dunga's charges really hit their stride, racking up five consecutive wins, including two landmark away results: a 4-0 humbling of Uruguay in Montevideo and a 3-1 defeat of arch-rivals Argentina in Rosario. It was the latter which confirmed their passage to South Africa.

The Star Slayers
Picking just a few names from a squad and country of such prolific footballing talent seems almost futile, though 2009 did underline the importance of certain key players. Starting between the sticks, we have keeper Julio Cesar, whose safe hands are a vital feature of A Seleção's miserly defence. The triumphant FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009 campaign cemented the enigmatically mono-sobriqueted Kaka's place as the man Brazil looks to for inspiration, a fact reflected by his taking of the Adidas Golden Ball. Meanwhile up front, Luis Fabiano proved himself a truly world-class finisher, notching five goals, including a priceless brace in the 3-2 final win over the USA.

The Coach
Upon taking the job in August 2006, Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri, better known as Dunga (another in the tradition of mysteriously one-named Brazilians), had already experienced the full gambit of emotions that come with playing for Brazil. Having been among the scapegoats targeted for the disappointment at Italy 1990, the powerful midfielder skippered Brazil to victory four years later in the USA. A rookie to the coaching game upon accepting the post, Dunga answered doubts to his credentials by guiding A Canarinha to triumph in the 2007 Copa America & the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009, and qualifying the team for South Africa 2010 with room to spare.

Records
Brazil is preparing to contest its 19th consecutive FIFA World Cup finals. Brazil is the only country to have taken part in every edition of the global showpiece. A Seleção is also the only squad to have won the title five times, amassing a total of 64 victories, 14 draws and 14 defeats in 92 games played. Between 15 June 2008 and 11 October 2009, Brazil went unbeaten for 19 consecutive games.
According to A Seleção
"We have to learn to live with the favourites' tag. We mustn't let it turn into something negative, as it has done in previous years." – Kaka, following the win over Argentina which clinched qualification.


FIFA's Version:

It almost goes without saying that Brazil, the five-times world champions, go into every FIFA World Cup™ heavily favoured to add yet another star to the legendary Amarelinha shirt. Having played for A Seleção at three editions of the global showpiece, coach Dunga will be fully aware that any outcome other than a sixth world crown will likely be considered a failure.

The road to South Africa
The fans' at times vitriolic reaction to Brazil's results and performances particularly early on in the qualifying phase illustrates just how demanding they can be. Despite ending the preliminary event on top of the standings, after recording nine wins, seven draws and two defeats, and having clinched a South Africa 2010 berth with three matchdays to spare, the Auriverde camp had been subjected to a torrent of abuse after successive goalless home draws against Argentina, Bolivia and Colombia. Dunga's charges really hit their stride from April 2009, however, racking up five wins in a row including two landmark away results: a 4-0 humbling of Uruguay in Montevideo and a 3-1 defeat of arch-rivals Argentina in Rosario. It was the latter which confirmed their passage to South Africa.

The star players
Picking just a few names from a country so prolific at producing footballing talent is no easy task, though 2009 did underline the importance of certain key players. Starting between the sticks and we have keeper Julio Cesar, whose safe hands are a vital feature of A Seleção's miserly defence. The triumphant FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009 campaign cemented Kaka's place as the man Brazil look to for inspiration, a fact reflected in him taking the adidas Golden ball. Meanwhile up front, Luis Fabiano proved himself a truly world-class finisher with five goals including a priceless brace in the 3-2 final win over the USA.

The coach
Upon taking the job in August 2006, Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri, better known as Dunga, had already experienced the full gambit of emotions that come with playing for Brazil. Indeed, having been among the scapegoats targeted after the disappointment at Italy 1990, the powerful midfielder skippered Brazil to victory four years later in the USA. Despite the Brazilian national team position being his first coaching role, Dunga answered those who doubted his credentials by guiding A Canarinha to triumph in the 2007 Copa America, the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 and qualifying the team for South Africa 2010 with room to spare.

Records
- Brazil are preparing to contest their 19th consecutive FIFA World Cup finals. They are the only country to have taken part in every edition of the global showpiece.
- They are also the only country to have won the title five times: amassing a total of 64 victories, 14 draws and 14 defeats in 92 games played.
- Between 15 June 2008 and 11 October 2009, A Seleção went 19 games unbeaten.

What they said
"We have to learn to live with the favourites' tag. We mustn't let it turn into something negative, as it has done in previous years." Kaka, following the win over Argentina which clinched qualification.

Our, check out the original here.

Brazil's profile highlights two of FIFA's biggest problems: (1) Singular/plural errors. We can't tell you how many times a team or country has been referred to as a plurality, rather than a single entity.
(2) Inconsistency. If you recall, the England profile (check it out to refresh) noted "Records" in a paragraph. Here, and on other profiles, the "Records" section is a bulleted list.

2010 World Cup Group Draw Article

Our Version:

Draw Ignites FIFA World Cup Fever
(FIFA.com) Friday 4 December 2009

The 32 teams participating at next year's FIFA World Cup™ finals discovered their fate this evening, when the Final Draw for South Africa 2010 took place in Cape Town.

While South Africans learned that the host nation's Opening Match on 11 June would be played against Mexico at Soccer City, it was the Group D line-up that caused arguably the biggest stir: Germany, Australia, Serbia and Ghana will battle it out for two qualifying places for the Round of 16. Two nations with passionate support will depart the tournament early. The possibility of a high-profile casualty from Group G is up, too, as Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal were drawn together.

An estimated global television audience of 200 million joined the 2,000 invited guests in the Drawing Hall. Together, they enjoyed the colourful, entertaining ceremony. No doubt it was designed to be an exhilarating an evening, with such African sporting luminaries as long-distance runner Haile Gebreselassie, rugby star John Smit, cricketer Makhaya Ntini, and footballers Matthew Booth and Simphiwe Dludlu assisting with the draw, along with help from English superstar footballer David Beckham. But the revealing of the eight groups was the night’s undisputed centrepiece.

The eye-catching encounter between England and USA, scheduled for 12 June, was an early highlight of the draw, evoking the Americans' famous 1-0 win over their transatlantic cousins at Brazil 1950. Elsewhere, Argentina, Nigeria and Greece will get the chance to revive their group rivalry from 1994, while the heavyweight collision between Portugal and Brazil on 25 June has the feel of a derby.

The groups for the FIFA 2010 World Cup are:

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana,
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

A Night to Remember
The attendance of aforementioned stars ensured a dazzling event from start to finish. A welcome sequence from Lions Head, Cape Town’s dramatic-backdrop of a mountain, segued into award-winning musician Johnny Clegg performed 'Scatterlings of Africa', a song made famous by the Academy Award-winning film “Rain Main”.

Fittingly, the first speech of the night came from the man without whom a FIFA World Cup in South Africa would never have been possible: former president Nelson Mandela. The 91-year-old, addressing attendees via special video message, urged his nation to make the most of their opportunity as tournament hosts. "We must strive for excellence in our hosting of the World Cup, while at the same time ensuring the event leaves a lasting benefit to all our people," he said.

Two special presidents followed Mr. Mandela’s address: FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and South African President Jacob Zuma showed their excitement for both the Final Draw and the 2010 FIFA World Cup itself in an entertaining dialogue lasting several minutes. Giancarlo Abete, President of the Italian Football Federation, then handed over the holders' FIFA World Cup Trophy to Mr Blatter, confirmation that sport's Holy Grail is in South Africa and ready to be contested in 2010’s global showpiece.

Legendary Portugal striker Eusebio, born in neighbouring Mozambique, was introduced to the crowd before examples of the 'Win in Africa, With Africa' campaign were showcased for an expectant audience. Beninese singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo duly took to the stage to perform her Grammy-nominated song 'Agolo'.

The first duty of the show's guest presenter, Academy Award-winning actress, Hollywood producer and proud South African Charlize Theron, was to show off the official 2010 Match Ball, adidas's Jabulani, it’s name meaning 'to celebrate' in Zulu. Soweto’s Gospel Choir continued the theme of happiness with a lively rendition of Pata Pata before the arrival of Draw Master and FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, signalled the moment of truth.

Some of the assembled coaches will have headed away feeling confident, others concerned; regardless, at least all now know what lies in store as they begin their planning and preparation for next year's showpiece.

FIFA's Original

Draw ignites FIFA World Cup fever

(FIFA.com) Friday 4 December 2009

The 32 teams participating at next year's FIFA World Cup™ finals discovered their fate this evening when the Final Draw for South Africa 2010 took place in Cape Town.

While South Africans learned that the host nation's Opening Match on 11 June would be played against Mexico at Soccer City, it was the Group D line-up which caused arguably the biggest stir. Germany, Australia, Serbia and Ghana will battle it out for two qualifying places for the Round of 16, meaning two nations with passionate support will depart the tournament early. There could be a high-profile casualty from Group G too, after Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal were drawn together.

An estimated global television audience of 200 million joined the 2,000 invited guests in the Draw Hall in watching the colourful and entertaining ceremony unfold. With African sporting stars such as athlete Haile Gebreselassie, rugby player John Smit, cricketer Makhaya Ntini, and footballers Matthew Booth and Simphiwe Dludlu assisting with the draw, along with England's David Beckham, it was always going to be an exhilarating occasion, but the undoubted centrepiece came when the eight groups were revealed.

An early highlight of the draw was the eye-catching encounter between England and USA, scheduled for 12 June, which evokes the Americans' famous 1-0 win over their transatlantic cousins at Brazil 1950. Argentina, Nigeria and Greece will get the chance to revive their group rivalry from 1994, while the heavyweight collision between Portugal and Brazil on 25 June also has the feel of a derby.

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana,
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

A night to remember
With such an array of stars, the event dazzled from start to finish. After a welcome sequence from Lions Head, the mountain that provides Cape Town with such a dramatic backdrop, award-winning musician Johnny Clegg performed 'Scatterlings of Africa', a song made famous by the Academy Award-winning film Rain Main.

Fittingly, the first speech of the night came from the man without whom a FIFA World Cup in South Africa would never have been possible: the country's former president Nelson Mandela. The 91-year-old, speaking in a special video message, urged his nation to make the most of their opportunity as tournament hosts. "We must strive for excellence in our hosting of the World Cup, while at the same time ensuring the event leaves a lasting benefit to all our people," he said.

Next it was time for two special presidents to take to the stage. FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and South African President Jacob Zuma showed their excitement at both the Final Draw and the 2010 FIFA World Cup itself in an entertaining dialogue lasting several minutes. Giancarlo Abete, President of the Italian Football Federation, then handed over the holders' FIFA World Cup Trophy to Mr Blatter, confirmation that sport's holy grail is in South Africa and ready to be contested next year.

Legendary Portugal striker Eusebio, born in neighbouring Mozambique, was introduced to the crowd before examples of the 'Win in Africa, With Africa' campaign were showcased before an expectant audience. Beninese singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo duly took to the stage to perform her Grammy-nominated song 'Agolo'.

The first duty of the show's guest presenter, Academy Award-winning actress, Hollywood producer and proud South African Charlize Theron, was to show off the official 2010 Match Ball, adidas's Jabulani, a name meaning 'to celebrate' in Zulu. Soweto’s Gospel Choir continued the theme of happiness with a lively rendition of Pata Pata before the arrival of Draw Master and FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, signalled the moment of truth.

Some of the assembled coaches will have headed away feeling confident, others concerned by the task presented here, yet at least all now know what lies in store as they begin their planning and preparation for next year's showpiece.

Or, check it out here.