ESS RETURNS WITH A MAGIC TOUCH

Chelsea begun their pre-season campaign on Saturday at Crystal Palace with a 1-0 win over their host.

It was Michael Essien who netted the winner in the second half.

Essien has not been in Chelsea jersey since December last year due to what Chelsea team doctors describe as a complicated surgery problems.

With most of the world cup stars still to report for pre-season camping, Boss Carlo Ancelotti handed starting role to most of his younger players while he welcomed from injury John Mikel Obi and Michael Essien. Petr Cech took over the captaincy from John Terry.

Both Chelsea and Essien geared into a brighter start. Youngster Josh McEachran played Essien through with a cross before twenty minutes but the Ghanaian headed wide.

Essien came very close and even more closer on the 27th minute. His half volley rattled the crossbar, a goal that could have been rated better than the Champions League goal against Barcelona.

Essien took the armband after 31 minutes when Ross Turnbull came on for Petr Cech.

It was Essien who put the Blues into the lead on 58 minutes. He curled a low drive into the bottom corner of the net after wonderful from McEachran and Sturridge.

However, that was his last action in the game as manager Ancelotti replaced him with Conor Clifford on the hour mark.

Essien’s next pre-season test with Chelsea is against Ajax Amsterdam in six days time.

Chelsea (4-1-2-1-2): Cech (c) (Turnbull 31 ((Hilario  60); Bruma (Chalobah 76), Alex (Cork 60), Van Aanholt, Bertrand; Mikel; Essien (Clifford 60), Matic (Kaby 76); McEachran (Lalkovic 60); Di Santo (Sinclair 60), Sturridge (Tore 76).

BREAKING NEWS: EGYPT AND GHANA DOMINATE LATEST FIFA RANKING

Ghana has been ranked the world's 23rd best football nation in the latest Coca-Cola World Ranking release by FIFA.

The Black Stars were ranked 32nd last month before the World Cup finals in South Africa but has made giant strides to move nine places up the ladder.

Ghana was ranked ahead Mexico, Ivory Coast, Denmark, Nigeria and Slovakia.

Ghana placed 7th out of 32 countries that participated in the just ended FIFA World Cup but placed 23rd out of 202 countries affiliated to FIFA.

African champions Egypt beat Ghana to the first place on the continent and managed a ninth position on the World ranking. Egypt amassed 1053 points as against Ghana's 874.

Cote d'Ivoire which placed third on the continent have 843 points while Nigeria dropped nine places on the world ranking followed Cote d'Ivoire.

Cameroon are ranked 7th while South Africa which hosted the mundial made 17 strides on the world ranking and placed 12th on the log of 52 countries.

Central African Republic is first from the bottom with no point.

Spain has toppled five time world champions Brazil to the first place while the Netherlands have also pushed the Seleção further down the ladder to third place. 

Ghana was ranked 16th after the Germany 2006 world cup four years ago when they were eliminated in the round of sixteen stage.

Follow the link below to learn how points are accumulated on the log.
http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ranking/
select to download the PDF file.

Standardcommunications.blogspot.com

DAANY'S STARS RED HERRING-MY LITTLE SENSE MAY BE A SWEET-BITTER BILE

 The game's pundits are still on a mission to unravel the mystery behind the big name failure to live up to expectations at the world cup.

Tactical formations and styles of play have undergone huge chastisement from former players of national teams and top football analysts.

Chief among them, Johan Cruyff- a former dutch superstar.

A member of the 1974 dutch squad, Cruyff has criticised his countryman Bert Van Marwijk's system on the pitch and labeled it as untypical of the total football displayed by a genius dutch squad in 1974 and 1978.

Well, that is very much at the team's level.

FIFA and other tournament organisers also have their concerns. WHY did Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Wayne Rodney, Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres could not live up to the billing?

Well, various opinions and views have been expressed and blames distributed around.

On Saturday, the night before the grand finale,  Danny Jordaan the chairman of the LOC, ditched out blames to what he presumably describes as an over ambitious organisers in Europe.

Stars in the Premiership participate in five major competitions in just a single season. With the premier league aside, players from Manchester United have to compete in UEFA Champions League, Carling Cup and the FA Cup. To top it all, there is the pressure incensed Community Shield which is played to officially usher in a new premier league season.

This means Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United are obliged to play in four different championships in a season. Those who use their junior squad to honour the tournament are regarded as fellas who do not hold a competition at heart and want to reduce its significance.

In France, there is Coupe de France apart from the Ligue one and UEFA Champions League action for Lyon, Marseille and maybe Bordeaux. Europa League for Rennes, PSG, Monaco and probably out of sort St. Etienne.

Germany which is one of the countries observers admit has a well structured system in terms of organisation, get their stars to play in three domestic competitions with the Champions League and Europa League still not mentioned.

 Italy is no different. They also suffer a similar fate. Reigning Scudetto lords Inter Milan took part in four different competition and emerged victorious in an unprecedented treble.

    Jordaan believes that for the stars to appear in Brazil refreshed and prepared for the globe's biggest football showdown, there is should be an urgent consideration for a cut in the number of competitions players take part in a season.

Danny has every reason to be worried.

His country hosted a tournament which Lionel Messi struggled to dribble three defenders on a roll, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a goal that is described as a windfall.

Didier Drogba vanished from the scene despite scoring a cheeky goal against Brazil. I have even forgotten that a certain Kaka was part of a shameful Brazilian side that crashed out in the quarter-finals. Ronadinho may have helped them into the semis.

What about the English talisman? I laugh my head off when I read a column published by Thesun.co.uk from Terry Vernables.

"We had a talisman who found it difficult to control the ball"


The former English legend was referring to Manchester United's Wayne Rodney.May be he was echoing the truth to the British media to stop castigating Fabio Capello and manage the inflated image of their players.
Enough on Terry and his English fellas. My pauses tell me Terry is still thinking about the hell he has to go through watching the Germans gloated them out of Soccer City Stadium.

My view on this issue is a dire head-on-frontal collision with the LOC president. I think Danny is getting his points wrong.

Interestingly, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi,and Kaka played in the same league and system with Diego Forlan.

Real Madrid went trophiless last season meaning Cristiano Ronaldo had enough time to rest. Los Merenges were booted out of the CL by Olympique in the quarter-finals, got eliminated in the early stages of the Copa de Rey and struggled to perform in the La Liga.

Barcelona lifted the La Liga with Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandes, Pedro Hernandes and so on and so for.

Although Atletico Madrid finished in 9th position, played in the finals of the Europa League and proceeded to lift the trophy.

The success of Los Colchoneros last season was marshalled by Diego Forlan. 

If Oscar Tabarez is the composer of the new Uruguay symphony, Diego Forlan 
is the maestro of his orchestra. The

Forlan has been the contractor of South American football at the tournament.
An architect on the pitch and a designer of the new Uruguay fashion. 

A lot of players who flourished with their clubs last season have excelled in South Africa.

Welsey Sneijder helped Inter Milan to lift the UEFA Champions League and is a joint top scorer 
with David Villa. Arjen Robben has been as electrifying as usual and provided assist for his 
team-mates to convert. 

The former Chelsea and  Real Madrid man played in the Champions League finals, 
guided Bayern Munich to a DFB Pokal Cup glory and lifted the Bundesliga. 
Along was his national team-mate Mark Van Bommel, the first non-German captain
of the Bavarians. 

Although Barcelona could not achieve success in Europe last season
and defend the their Copa del Rey title, Pep Guardiola's side were well composed through 
the season. They beat cash-splashing Real Madrid to the La Liga title. 

Vicente Del Bosque is parading six of Barcelona's regular players in his starting eleven. 
Xavi and Iniesta have a strong penchant for the Spanish passing game. 

So what is making the chase for Danny Jordaan and Joseph Sepp Blatter? 

Maybe, just maybe soccer icons at club level are not mend for success at the World Cup. Of course 
this is not the first time stars have failed to glitter at the world. Can you remember Roberto Baggio.


The modern game is filled with players who rank personal success with clubs ahead of their national teams.

My little and common sense tells me that these stars are not committed enough for their national team as
compared to clubs.

I could not believe watching Lionel Messi struggle to dribble more than three players at the mundial. 
I starred in disbelieve as I crouched my jaw in my palms, watching Didier Drogba sky a golden opportunity 
my girlfriend could net with her eyes closed and Mr CR9 shooting wide from point blank range. 

So maybe Danny should concentrate on the commitment of these stars rather than chastising
various association to cut down the number of competition organised in a season
Unless Danny wants to tell us Diego Forlan is a superman from a different planet, with different DNA and genes. 

Standardcommunications.blogspot.com 
 

AC MILAN CHASE GHANA STARLET

AC Milan are preparing a swoop for Genoa teenage striker Richmond Boakye Yiadom who surprised Italian football by becoming the first African import to score on debut.

 Newly appointed AC Milan Boss Maximiliano Allegri, believes the young Ghanaian has something to offer at the San Siro and looks to add him to the pool of young talents at his disposal.


But Genoa who still have the player under contract are keen to keep the 17-year-old at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris after he displayed sterling performances at the closing stages of last season.



FIFA player agent Oliver Arthur revealed to media men that AC Milan are preparing for talks with Genoa for a possible switch for the young prospect.

“Richmond has proven that he can play when given the opportunity and AC Milan’s interest in him is a big reward but nothing can be said for now since talks are yet to begin,”

Boakye is among five foreign players who have been named in Ghana’s U-20 squad to face Namibia on July 25.

Source: Standardcommunications.blogspot.com

FIFA SET TO MAKE AMENDMENT TO GOAL DECISIONS

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke has confirmed in an interview with the BBC that the world's football regulatory body is considering making amendments to goal decisions. 

This year's FIFA World Cup has been reefed in controversy after major goal decisions and refereeing errors have decided the fate of title contenders England, USA, Ghana and Mexico. 

Ghana has been the latest to suffer such fate after Portuguese match official failed to allow goal when Uruguay striker Luis Suarez used his hand to prevent a Dominic Adiyiah goal bound effort. Asamoah Gyan stroke the cross bar in the eventual penalty awarded. 
  
The Ghana Football Association lunched an official appeal to FIFA to take a second look at its reluctance to the goal line technology. 

The FIFA general secretary said in an interview with the BBC that after witnessing England's painful exit from the tournament due to poor refereeing decision, his outfit decided to bid a consideration for an increase in the number of referee assistants and also introduce the goal line technology.

"We're talking about a goal not seen by the referee which is why we are talking about new technology," said Valcke

"Let's see if this system will help or whether giving the referee an additional four eyes will give him the comfort and make duty easier to perform," added Valcke.

"I would say that it is the final World Cup with the current refereeing system."

"The teams and the players are so strong and so fast. The game is different and the referees are older than all the players," said Valcke.

"The game is so fast, the ball is flying so quickly, we have to help them and we have to do something and that's why I say it is the last World Cup under the current system."

FIFA had earlier debunked calls for the introduction of the goal line technology claiming human errors are part of the game.

Credit to the BBC for the interview.

BLOGGER HIMSELF-AKYEREKO FRIMPONG EMMANUEL

With the World Cup oozing to a close, standardcommunications.blogspot.com thanks all and sundry for your encouragement and motivation for the blog. The blog is making a full shit of attention from football to socio-political issues.

NII A-MAR'S AMAZING COLUMN-Cometh the hour, Maketh history, Signor Milovan!

Take not the soccer passion that’s got strings attached to Ghana. This is a country steeped in history and heritage, in a continent where local passion burns viciously and the fans are almost messianic in their football zealotry. A semi-final berth, in a World Cup staged on its own soil, where they’d firmly corral their names in the history books, you will suggest, will take out every bit and ounce of their blood. This is the country, Milovan Rajevac’s been tasked to get the better off Uruguay at the Sun City Stadium in Johannesburg tomorrow. It’s Ghana garnering for prestige and honour. And rightly so, is having the backing of a whole continent who have pinned their hopes and trust on them.

.. Ghana's coach Milovan Rajevac (L) smiles as John Pantsil gestures during a training session at the Mogwase Stadium near Rustenburg.

Preview

Ghana
Having had the hope of the continent tagged around their necks, Ghana looks set to rock the stage that’s longed plagued the African soccer scene. History beacons for small country and continent that has so lost its bragging rights in football. With the youngest team at the mundial, they seem unfazed with the occasion to go a step further in a fairytale second-World Cup appearance. This side boasts key players that bought glory for Ghana by winning the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Egypt last year and early this year by winning silver at the African Cup of Nations in Angola. It’s a shame that the will be missing the services of mercurial captain, Andre Ayew who’s been in superb form for both club (having helped Arles get promoted into the French Ligue One) and country and lithe center-back Jonathan Mensah, who was on the radar of Udinese back in January through suspension. But they can count on the services of Udinese’s Asamoah Gyan who has scored three of his side’s goal despite being hindered with an ankle injury. Inter Milan’s Sulley Muntari and Isaac Vorsah, who plies his trade for TSG Hoffenheim in the German Bundesliga could be back in the squad after sitting out most of the matches played this far. Kevin-Prince Boateng, the thrust of the midfield, is back in the squad after winning his fitness mêlée. 

... Ghana's Asamoah Gyan looks focused during training looking to add to his 3 goal tally..


Uruguay
Whilst there is the lingering fear that Uruguay always flaps and flops on the big stage, you wouldn’t expect them to shy away from the veracity of getting into the semi-final of the World Cup on the backdrop of having the most potent of strikers in Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan. Already naming their squad: “Maxi Pereira, Lugano, Victorino, Fucile; Alvaro Fernández, Diego Pérez, Arévalo Ríos; Diego Forlán; Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez.”, it speaks volumes of their preparedness for the game. They’re leaving nothing to chance in their quest to take up their place on the soccer globe. Like the rest of the South American teams in this tournament, Uruguay has been highly impressive in South Africa, and has advanced to their first World Cup quarterfinal in 40 years. However, unlike the high scoring South American sides of Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay gets it done with stingy defense. The Uruguayans enter this match having allowed just one goal in their first four games in the World Cup, a 68th minute score to Lee Chung-Yong in their round of 16 win over South Korea. Other than that though, keeper Fernando Muslera has been phenomenal, as he didn’t allow a single score in all of group play. However, don’t sleep on the ability of the Uruguayans to score goals of their own when needed. The star of their win against South Korea was Luis Suarez, who netted both goals in the 2-1 victory. He is joined by veteran Diego Forlan, a well respected forward who had two goals earlier in this tournament. credit: nowgoal

.. Uruguay's goal machine, Luis Suarez..

Africans Behind Ghana: A Few Quotes
Jomo Sono – South African Football Legend
“For me, Ghana are the most impressive side. They are organized and they can go far in this tournament. What I can say is that once an African team goes to the knock-out stages, it won’t be easy for any team that will have to face them. The confidence will be a key factor.”

Alexandre Song – Cameroonian Defender
“Ghana are a great team. They have played very good football throughout this competition. For them to be this far is a reward to their determination. I am confident that they will do well.”

Steven Pienaar – South African Play Maker
“We hoped that there would be more African teams to play in the knock-out stages. But I guess that the most important thing is to support whichever African side goes forward. Ghana are a quality side. They have some good players and they have the potential.” credit: livesoccertv

In a fan’s own words, when the boys go kicking on the epic theater tomorrow, it’s a nation’s harmony in the hands of Milovan Rajevac. It’s the gaiety with which the local fans will celebrate history that rests on one man’s tactical astuteness. A certain Serbian!

.. Ghana's Stephen Appiah would bring his experience to bear..

NII A-MAR IS-AAC (90MINUTES)