Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Big Stars Not Included In Iran Squad For Mexico Test
GOAL - TEHRAN, Iran have announced their squad for Saturday’s friendly game with Mexico and they will be without European-based stars such as Mehdi Mahdavikia, Ali Karimi, Vahid Hashemian and Andranik Teymourian.
The German and English-based stars have been given time to rest after the end of a gruelling season.
The clash between the two teams who met during the 2006 World Cup, when Mexico won 3-1 in the opening game of Group D, will take place in the Mexican city of St. Luis Potosi.
The hosts are warming up for the Copa America which will be held in Venezuela. Their opening match is on June 26 against Brazil. They will also meet Chile and Ecuador.
Iran are preparing for July’s Asian Cup where they will face China, Uzbekistan and co-hosts Malaysia in Group C.
Goalkeepers: Hasan Roudbarian, Seyed Mehdi Rahmati, Vahid Taleblou
Defenders: Jalal kameli Mofrad, Mohamad Nosrati, Hadi Shakouri, Seyed Jalal Hosseini, Amir Hossein Sadeghi
Midfielders: Javad Kazemian, Mehdi Rajabzadeh, Sattar Zare, Freydoon Zandi, Masoud Shojaei, Maziar Zare, Hossein Kazemi, Ebrahim Sadeghi, Iman Mobali, Abbas Aghaei, Javad Nekounam
Indian children meet the champions AC Milan
Premier India Football Academy (PIFA) organized the AC Milan tour to Italy – a football tour for children 10-18 years.
PIFA dream of helping India to the World Cup final in 2022 and has world hard to import the coaching techniques and methods from Europe into their academy. PIFA strongly believes that “to be the best, train with the best”.
Italy being the current World Cup holders, it was necessary to see what made them Champions. AC Milan has the most number of world cup players that played for Italy that boasts of Inzaghi, Maldini, Gatuso, Pirlo, etc. And also has players from the previous World Cup winners Brazil, namely Kaka, Ronaldo, Cafu & Dida. AC Milan are undoubtedly the best club in the world. And have proven so by winning their seventh Champions League title in 2007.
The tour was designed by PIFA to help children appreciate and understand the history of AC Milan FC and what makes them the BEST.
Fifteen children were accompanied by 2 adults from India on the tour that began on 13 May 2007. Each child received an AC Milan Academy shoe bag & two kits that included jersey, shorts & stockings.
On the first day, they were taken for a tour of the San Siro Stadium (home ground of AC Milan & Inter Milan) & Museum. Thereafter the were taken to central Milan to the AC Milan head office to see the six Champions League trophy as well as many other silverware. The children met one of the club’s director - Mr Campione and asked him if they had made place for the seventh Champions League Cup.
The children were taken on a walking tour of Milan City. They were also taken to visit Castel Brando - an Italian Castle.
Football training was conducted through the week by the AC Milan Academy coaches Francesco & assisted by Georgio in the beautiful town of Vitterio Veneto in the north eastern province of Treviso.
The children then got to see a Serie A match in San Siro between AC Milan and Udinese. The children got to see the game from a players perspective. Identifying the movement of each player in the team and understanding them. Although AC Milan rested the 1st team, the match was exciting, the fans were behind the team It was an electrifying experience, the children chanted, blew whistles & horns. The final score was 2-3 in favor of Udinese.
Later, the children were escorted to the players tunnel where they met the entire AC Milan team. There they had an opportunity to take photographs & autographs. Some shook hands and wished the players all the best for their Champions League Final.
The camp ended on the 22 May 2007, prizes were distributed by Sports Minister of Treviso. Everyone was a winner.
The group was accompanied by two adults from India ensuring that the children totally focus on football and enjoy themselves.
This has been PIFA eleventh camp to Europe, they once again leave for AC Milan on 11 June.
- End -
A Football Academy in India that is dedicated to training of children.
It strongly believes that the road to India's Wolrd Cup is thru the children, as they are the future of India. PIFA organise camps in Europe & in India with UEFA Coaches as well as runs a training academy in Mumbai. They have a mens & womens team in the MFL. The also conduct various events related to childrens football
Tied up with Bobby Charlton Soccer & Sports Academy, Rangers Soccer School, AC Milan Academy, Cruzerio EC, David Beckham Academy.
PIFA Vision - India in the 2022 World Cup !!!
Metsu to name Asian Cup shortlist today
Abu Dhabi: UAE's head coach Bruno Metsu will announce the shortlist of the UAE probables to join the team's traning camp in Malaysia, from June 13, in preparation for the finals of the 2007 Asian Cup.
The Gulf News has learnt that the list features Majid Nasir, Waleed Salim and Esmail Rabie as goalkeepers while Rashid Abdul Rahman, Mohammad Khamis, Basheer Saeed, Saleh Obaid, Hayder Allo Ali, Humaid Fakher, Ali Massari and Mohammad Qasim will comprise the defence.
The midfielders are :Abdul Rahim Jumaa, Amer Mubarak, Ahmad Mubarak (better known as Dada), Hilal Saeed, Nawaf Mubarak, Khalid Darwish, and Eissa Ali while the choices upfront will feature Esmail Mattar, Mohammad Al Shehhi, Saif Mohammad and Faisal Khalil.
Clubbed in a group that also includes defending champions Japan, Qatar and hosts Vietnam, the UAE will play four matches in the training camp against Malaysia and Bahrain in Kuala Lumpur and face Saudi Arabia and North Korea in Singapore, with the Koreans replacing Indonesia.
Four venues
The Asian Cup, to kick off on July 7, will be held for the first time in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.
The UAE senior team did themselves proud by winning the Gulf Cup last January, though the Asian Cup is expected to provide a much stiffer competition.
Soccer-S.Korea's Peace Cup not a distraction, say organisers


The biennial Peace Cup tournament, won in 2005 by Tottenham Hotspur, will be held from July 12-21 in seven cities across South Korea with $2.4 million in prize money on offer.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have been trying to ensure nothing detracts from the Asian Cup, which is to be co-hosted by Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand from July 7-29.
South Korea have been drawn to play in Group D in Indonesia, which also includes Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
"We don't see a big problem that the dates are overlapping," an official at the Peace Cup organising committee told Reuters by telephone.
"It's a matter of making sure there are no (Peace Cup) games overlapping with Korea's games in the Asian Cup."
The AFC was furious that Malaysia agreed to host a tour match by Manchester United on July 27 -- two days before the Asian Cup final -- despite signing an agreement promising not to promote any other football events during the tournament.
The English champions recently decided to call off the match, though their other tour games in Korea, Japan and Macau will go ahead.English Premier League clubs Reading and Bolton Wanderers will take part in the Peace Cup alongside K-League side Seongnam, Shimizu S-Pulse (Japan), Olympique Lyon (France), Mexico's Chivas de Guadalajara, Argentina's River Plate and Italy's Udinese.
Defending champions Spurs have decided not to take part this year.
Reading's South Korean forward Seol Ki-hyeon will be unable to take part in the tournament due to an ankle injury.
Seongnam will play Bolton in the opening match.
Soccer-China without Shandong, Shanghai players for U.S. trip
BEIJING, May 29 (Reuters) - China will be without regular captain Zheng Zhi and other top players from Shandong Luneng and Shanghai Shenhua when they take a 23-man squad on a tour of the United States later this week.
China play the U.S. in an international friendly on Saturday and will meet Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs Los Angeles Galaxy on June 5 and Colorado Rapids five days later.
"The last two matches may be formal friendlies or just joint training sessions," Chinese Football Association (CFA) spokesman Dong Hua said on Tuesday.
Shandong and Shanghai will play the champions of Japan and South Korea in the East Asian Champions Cup from June 7-13, ruling out Zheng, who recently returned to Shandong after a loan spell at English club Charlton.
Coach Zhu Guanghu, who faced renewed calls for his dismissal after China were beaten by Thailand earlier this month, will be using the trip as part of his preparations for July's Asian Cup finals.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Zong Lei (Changchun), Yang Jun (Tianjin) Defenders: Xu Yunlong, Zhang Shuai (both Beijing), Zhang Baofeng (Changchun), Chen Dong, Zhai Yanpeng, Zhang Yaokun, Ji Mingyi (all Dalian), Xin Feng (Shenzhen), Sun Xiang (unattached)
Midfielders: Wang Dong, Du Zhenyu (both Changchun), Zhao Xuri (Dalian), Cao Yang, Hao Junmin (both Tianjin), Zheng Bin (Wuhan), Shao Jiayi (Energie Cottbus), Li Tie (unattached)
Strikers: Du Wenhui (Beijing), Wang Peng (Dalian), Qu Bo (Qingdao), Dong Fangzhuo (Manchester United)
Cahill Running Towards Asian Cup
The Everton star broke his metatarsal in the Premier League in March. He has now started running in Sydney and has his sights set out the Socceroos’ opening Asian Cup game with Oman on July 8 in the Thai capital.
"The bone looks like it's healed brilliantly after seeing the x-rays, and because it was such a serious metatarsal break, there's probably 10 per cent to go," Cahill told the Daily Telegraph.
"In two weeks time, I'll be right to twist and turn, but I'll be joining up with the boys in camp this week and running around the pitch."
Cahill, who starred in last summer’s World Cup, was asked if the Oman clash was a realistic target.
"Yeah, pretty much,” the ex-Millwall player replied. “I don't want to be setting definitive dates but I want to be fit for the Asian Cup and that's what I'm aiming for.”
"I've been out for 10 weeks and because it was serious, it's probably a 14-week injury.
"We've taken extra precaution and I need to make sure I stay right because I've got to go into the Premier League season straight after."
Australia have been drawn in Group A of the Asian Cup with co-hosts Thailand, Iraq and Oman.