Author: Daniel Freitas

situs poker

The Lottery Mentality — Part II: Some Professionals’ Reactions

My last column said that some professionals are extremely frustrated by the lottery mentality of poker tournaments and its effects. Of course, some professionals love the gigantic prize pools and the juicy ring games, but this column will focus only on reactions to frustration. Some of these reactions are irrational and self-defeating.

Complaints About Weak Players

If the weaker players did not enter tournaments, they would not be worth playing. Since all of the prize money comes from buy-ins, the professionals as a group make all of their profits from the weaker players, the so-called “dead money.”

When the World Series of Poker was a small, invitational event, the professionals collectively made little or nothing from it. As it grew, so did their collective profits. Now that so many weak players enter the world championship event and other major events, the top pros make immeasurably more than they have ever made. In 2002, 2003, and 2004, outsiders won the world championship, but the pros collectively made much more money from the WSOP than they had ever made.

Some pros have ignored this fact and complained bitterly about the weak players. Some complaints were the ones you hear in any low-stakes game. “They don’t respect my raises.” “I can’t protect my hand.” “I can’t bluff these idiots.” “So many people played trash that it was just a crapshoot.” “They are so clueless that you can’t put them on a hand.” Berating the people who provide all of your profits is very foolish. Sane business people don’t insult their customers.

Hopes That WSOP Fields be Capped

Some professionals have said they hope that the buy-in is raised, or that other steps are taken to limit the size of the field. A few have even said they won’t play if the fields continue to grow. This hope is certain to be frustrated, because it conflicts with the casinos’ economics.

Because they have never done much besides play poker, many professionals don’t understand economics, business, or their own importance. The central business fact is that professionals, especially the top tournament pros, are almost irrelevant to the poker economy.

More than 99 percent of total cardroom revenues comes from low- and middle-limit games, and most poker tournaments lose money. The juice is less than the cost of putting on most tournaments (including the lost ring-game revenue). Most tournaments are run to bring players into the room so that they will play in ring games, especially low- and middle-limit games. High-limit ring games are glamorous, but almost irrelevant to the poker business.

In fact, 99 percent of the cardrooms spread only low- and middle-limit games, and even the places that spread high-limit games get only a small percentage of their revenues from them. In my opinion, if all the professionals disappeared, cardroom profits would not decline, and they might even go up (because the weak and average players would do better, last longer, and pay more in table charges).

Because fields have become larger, the WSOP and a few other tournaments now make a profit, but the primary reason for hosting them is still to develop other business. Benny Binion started the WSOP to promote business, and Harrah’s will continue it for the same reason, not to please the professionals.

The demand that the world championship event be kept smaller ignores an obvious fact: The larger the field, the more money Harrah’s (and all the other casinos and websites) will make from it. The more players there are, the more juice Harrah’s gets, the more hotel rooms and meals get sold at all of Harrah’s Las Vegas properties, and the more action occurs in their pits, sportsbooks, and cardrooms.

The other Las Vegas casinos, hotels, and situs poker websites (plus the Las Vegas Convention Bureau) will do whatever they can to make the WSOP larger. The Las Vegas economy is based on tourism, and the more people who come here, the more money everybody makes. To expect corporate executives to ignore their bottom lines to make the professionals’ lives easier is extremely naïve.

Large Fields Greatly Improve Ring Games

After reading a draft of this column, Jim Brier sent me a note: “From the standpoint of a working professional, the purpose of tournaments is to generate good side games. The side games here in Vegas are among the worst in the country if there is not a major tournament in town. But when the Series arrives, they are among the best. A pro should view his tournament buy-in almost like a donation to cover the cost of sponsoring the tournament so that plenty of fish will arrive. The small amount a pro loses in tournament buy-ins is more than made up for by the enormous profits he makes from the side games.”

What About Television?

Television has different economics from the casino industry. Stars can have an immense impact on ratings, and the top players are developing some clout with TV producers. However, TV executives know that they must not offend their viewers, and those viewers are the same kinds of people who play bad poker.

They identify with the little guys and root for them to win. In fact, rooting for the underdog is an American tradition; we are proud that we have never had a king or hereditary nobility, and the common man has always been an American hero. Chris Moneymaker had such enormous appeal because so many people could identify with him. When stars attack weak players, it has a very mixed effect on their market value.

Outbursts, even childish ones, do have dramatic value, and television producers love drama. If they had their way, poker games would look like the broadcasts of the WWF (World Wrestling Federation). TV producers don’t necessarily want to see a bunch of well-controlled poker faces; they would much rather have “grudge matches” and trash talking. Such shows would have great appeal to the people who watch wrestling and Jerry Springer, and the players acting the most outrageously would become stars. If the top players wanted to act that way, they could probably find someone to put them on special shows. It wouldn’t be good poker, but that’s show biz.

If stars attack only other stars, they will become even more famous and develop the same sort of cult status as a few wrestlers. However, if they attack weak players, they will offend millions of people, and those people are the target audience for virtually all ads and product endorsements.

TV executives can’t offend them. As O.J. Simpson and many other stars have learned, notoriety wipes out their market value as product endorsers. Since advertisers pay for television, and the potential income from endorsements is enormous, it is extremely foolish to offend the average people who identify with weak players.

Attack When You Have an Edge

Every reasonably competent poker player knows and applies that principle while playing, and it’s central to any rational business strategy. Since the pros have hardly any clout with Harrah’s, but real and growing clout with TV executives, they should stop trying to change the WSOP and focus on TV events.

Televised poker is hot, and it will get hotter. The audience for World Poker Tour and WSOP events will be larger than ever before. There are already invitational events, and there will be more of them. The producers of those events don’t care much about huge fields; they want recognizable stars. Those stars will make a pile of risk-free money from special events, and they will also make very serious money from product endorsements.

So, go after the TV stars market, but leave the WSOP alone. It is doing incredibly well and is making money directly or indirectly for all of us, and nobody should rock the boat.…

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Dominoqq Terpercaya

The Dominoqq Terpercaya Week in Spain 26 January – 1 February

* With a game in hand, Real Madrid maintained their one point lead over Barcelona with a 4-1 home win over David Moyes’ Real Sociedad. Barça twice fell behind to Villareal at the Camp Nou but ran out 3-2 winners. Atletico Madrid are three points behind them following a 3-1 win at Eibar.

Next weekend Atletico host real in the Madrid derby and a home win could really make the title a three-horse race. Barça visit Athletico Bilbao.

*Real could end up with a transfer ban similar to Barcelona’s after FIFA probed the arrival of two 12 year-old Venezuelans in Madrid. Rules forbid signing under-18s from outside of Europe unless their parents have already emigrated for other reasons. Real deny any wrongdoing but a further 49 transfers are under the spotlight.

Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid could be renamed the Abu Dhabi Bernabeu.

*The Santiago Bernabeu stadium could be renamed the ‘Abu Dhabi Bernabeu’ according to AS newspaper. Real President Florentino Perez let slip last November that a corporate name change was in the offing based on the deal the club had signed with Spanish oil company IPIC, whose mother firm is from the Arab state.

It would be a sad day if the Bernabeu’s hallowed name is tainted in this way because with the exception of Real Mallorca’s Iberostar, Spanish football has so far declined to go down the English road of soulless and transient titles like The Emirates, Etihad or Ricoh Arena. In the NFL it is par for the course however, with 25 of its 31 grounds named after sponsors.

Barcelona are set to ditch Qatar Airways as their shirt sponsor in 2016. Dominoqq Terpercaya Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said he was looking elsewhere to replace the €30 million a year deal, citing “social issues”, presumably the Gulf state’s kafala system of forced labour and an expected death toll of up to 4,000 migrant workers before the 2022 World Cup finals.

*World player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo was banned for two matches for his red mist kick and attempted punch last weekend against Cordoba. He will return for the Madrid derby with Atletico next weekend.

Gareth Bale dismissed British press rumours that he could be on his way to Man United.

*Gareth Bale dismissed British press rumours that he could be on his way to Manchester United but the some Real fans and Spanish papers are on his back for his apparent greediness on the pitch. With no Ronaldo, Bale had been expected to play a bigger role against Real Sociedad, and although he forged a goal for Karim Benzema, the Welshman failed to hit the target himself, snatching one chance from James Rodriguez, much to the Colombian’s chagrin.

Cadena Ser radio station’s interview with Bale got no more than a C+ for homework. Presenter Jose Ramon de la Morena asked him if Welshmen could play for England or if he had read any Ken Follett novels. No and no.

*Spain earned more in transfer fees last year than any other football nation. Its clubs garnered €588 million in transfer fees. England on the other hand was the biggest spender, shelling out over a billion Euros in 2014.

* The game of the week was one of high drama as Barcelona won 3-2 at Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the quarter-final of the Copa del Rey.

Fernando Torres netted in the first minute to cancel out Barça’s first leg lead but a Neymar brace, an own goal by Atletico’s Miranda and a red card for Gabi in the tunnel at half-time effectively killed the contest after 45 minutes.

Mario Suarez was also given his marching orders in the second half, leaving Atletico to see out the tie with nine men in front of a sell-out crowd of 53,800 in Madrid.

Ten players were booked including Arda Turan, who only saw yellow for launching one of his boots at a linesman.

* Next up in the Copa Barça play Villareal, while the other semi-final will see Espanyol play Athletic Bilbao, setting up the prospect of an all-Barcelona final.

* Angel Maria Villar, the Spanish Football Federation president who famously said “All the fish are sold” before Spain & Portugal’s 2018 World Cup bid was beaten by Russia’s, is in dispute with Miguel Cardenal, the country’s sports minister. Cardenal is demanding FEF accounts are laid open for auditing, while Villar is reporting the government to FIFA for interference.

* Pep Guardiola is “a shit of a man but a great coach” according to Mino Raiola, agent of former Barça striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a footballer not known for keeping his counsel.

* The week’s transfer rumours included Real losing Sergio Ramos to Chelsea and Chicharito to Lazio but the Madrid giants are in the hunt for Porto’s 17 year-old prodigy Raul Neves.

Chelsea are hoping to buy Raphael Varane from Real in the summer while Arsenal are said to be keen to take Luis Suarez off Barca’s hands after an indifferent first half of a season. The UK press are still saying Tottenham’s Harry Kane is on Real’s radar, but the Spanish press has yet to echo that.

* Spain’s siesta culture, where business shuts down for three hours from 2-5pm and people stay up late, could be responsible for La Liga clubs’ strong performances in the Champions League, according to a study by Birmingham University.

The gap between the body’s daily peak and trough is as much as 26% in terms of performance, claims the study. Given that CL games kick off in the evening, Spanish-based players, who are more used to staying up late, could have the edge over those used to 3pm kick-offs.

La Liga start times vary, but typically begin at 6pm or 8pm, but several start at 9 or even 10 o’clock at night.…

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Bola88 Master Behind the Microphone: Matt Savage

We’re about to take a journey inside the hottest reality offering on television, big-time tournament poker. To take us through the championship event portal, I met with Matt Savage, who will discuss his evolution from porter and pin-chasing duties in a San Jose bowling alley at age 14 to his appointments as tournament director of the top poker championships throughout the world 20 years later. He will name his dream final table, share his views on players who slow the game down, and highlight his plans to keep poker moving forward on the fast track.

Savage with his wife, Maryann

The native San Jose, California, resident now resides in Las Vegas with Maryann, his bride. Matt is the most recognized poker tournament director in the world, having held the microphone on more than 100 televised poker shows.

Savage, now 36, impressed me as a man consumed by his intensive work schedule and loving every minute of it. On a rare day off, he might play a round of golf, enjoy a nice dinner, and catch a movie. When he pushes Bola88 chips to the center of the table, the Seinfeld fan is loose-aggressive, partial to Omaha eight-or-better, and accomplished, having won “between 10 and 15” tournaments. Matt’s musical taste is varied and includes Rush, No Doubt, and Eminem (he has good taste — all three are 2005 Grammy nominees). His favorite sport to watch is the financially troubled game of hockey.

I caught up with the busy globe-trotter at the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, where he was overseeing the taping of Poker Royale Battle of the Sexes, a GSN (formerly the Game Show Network) production featuring 12 name pros. Tom Leykis, a chauvinistic radio host, and Kennedy, a former MTV video jockey, were involved. Robert Williamson III handled the play-by-play and strategy analysis. I liked what I saw, but perhaps that’s because the first three players I ran into were Karina Jett, Evelyn Ng, and Clonie Gowen.

Lee Munzer:Take us all the way back. What was your main interest as a child?

Matt Savage: Bowling was definitely my main interest. I wanted to become a professional. When I wasn’t working or attending school, I spent all my time at the bowling alley.

LM: Did you have a favorite player?

MS: Living in the Bay Area, I’d say Earl Anthony.

LM: The left-hander was arguably the best we’ve ever seen. What led you down your chosen lane of poker?

MS: As a child I played poker with my family on holidays. Then, I began to play in our local casinos. I noticed the employees were making good money and I needed a more lucrative job. I became a chip runner, then a dealer, floorman, and finally a tournament director out of necessity when I burned myself out dealing without taking any time off. I was assigned to the floor, and when the assistant tournament director went on vacation, I helped run tournaments. I really liked that assignment and the timing was right. Lucky Chances opened nearby in Colma, and I caught on there as the tournament director.

LM: What traits make one ideal for tournament direction?

MS: Integrity and reading people are essential. Consistent rulings and personal interactions require those traits.

LM: Is there a way or ways for a tournament director to improve on his rulings?

MS: There are no easy ways. I try to have all the rules and possible applications committed to memory. I listen carefully when everyone is relaying what they think happened if I wasn’t present. That’s important; you never want to make a decision without all the information. Your rulings must not vary and they must be definitive. After I make a decision, I walk away. Players understand that I won’t change my ruling.

LM: Similar to a baseball umpire on a ball or strike call, eh? Elaborate on integrity and touch on more traits if you can.

MS: Yes, the umpire must be consistent on his calls for both teams. He needs to be confident and dependable. Integrity encompasses many things for me. An example is treating the pros and amateurs alike despite the fact that some players can be more, shall we say, demanding. It’s not always easy, but it is imperative. There’s another trait I like to think I possess, and that’s awareness. You have to be aware of your surroundings at all times and be able to focus on the priorities of the job. Although serious money is at stake, there are times when I like to ease the tension. Injecting humor that the players enjoy without “crossing the line” or “going over the top” is a nice trait to have. Staying even can be challenging due to the length of these events, so another trait would be patience.

LM: Did you study those who preceded you to emulate or incorporate their styles?

MS: Not really. As a matter of fact, I saw some things I wanted to change. For example, I knew I wanted to eliminate the abuse to dealers and players that had been accepted for many years. I decided to be firm from the outset. I’m proud to say the “no abuse” policy is now a given in any tournament with which I am involved. I also decided the structures could be improved. I worked with players to come up with a better system and am constantly fine-tuning structures to ensure that the players get enough play, especially in major events. In 2004 I made a conscious effort to flatten the payout structure. Although some of the top pros objected, I received many compliments on that decision and believe it is in the best interests of the vast majority of the players.

LM: A lot of effort goes into making a tournament successful. How much of the nitty-gritty are you directly involved with?

MS: I get involved in everything. I enjoy it and believe that’s my forte. Before I directed major tournaments, there was always a tournament director and a tournament coordinator. In fact, that arrangement still exists at many events. I do both jobs. Along with designing the structure, I get involved with setting dates, advertising, establishing prize pools, incorporating the rules, and taking care of anything else that comes up. Lately I’ve been coordinating casting with television networks. One of the things I take pride in is preparation. I work hard to ensure that my tournaments start on time, and I’m proud of my record in that area. Players are aware of my dedication to promptness now, but it wasn’t always that way. Early on, a player approached me at a World Series of Poker (WSOP) event after arriving late. He complained about the tournament starting on time, and told me that’s not the way it’s done. I smiled and told him to get used to it, because that’s the way it would be from then on.

LM: Has the poker explosion made your job more difficult in any way?

MS: As poker gets bigger, some egos also get bigger. I want to stress that the players are terrific, handle themselves professionally, and are the stars of the game. I care about them a great deal, work hard for them to get sponsorship, and want them to do as well as they can financially. I also want them to get the fame they deserve. I want what they want for many reasons. One is that I will be carried along with their success. That said, I have seen more attitudes and more “what’s in it for me” questioning than ever before. I can certainly understand some of that, especially from pros who see the top-name players getting all the publicity. On the other hand, players like Phil Hellmuth Jr. and Annie Duke have worked hard to promote themselves and capitalize on their poker successes. I admire people who work hard and promote themselves — as I’ve done.

LM: When Hellmuth was the guest host of the Ultimate Poker Challenge, he referred to you as “ … legendary Tournament Director Matt Savage.” Daniel Negreanu described you as “the most well-respected tournament director in our industry.” How do you think of yourself in the hierarchy of tournament directors?

MS: (brief pause) Well, I’d be lying to you if I didn’t tell you I strive and work hard to be the best and believe that I am the best. Obviously, some good people have preceded me and some will follow in our path, but while poker would be big without Matt Savage, I think I’ve made a mark in the last three years and I’ll continue to work on my game.

LM: You have been appropriately honored. Tell us about the origin of the Benny Binion Memorial Poker Manager of the Year award and what it meant to be the first recipient?

MS: It’s a memorial award for life achievement, so people have had fun with my selection at age 34. As I stood there, I thought of the many people who have made a major impact on poker, and I was very proud. I hope people will look back one day and say, “Matt made a difference in poker.”

LM: You provided real-time updates on your website—www.savagetournaments.com—during the Five-Diamond World Poker Classic II championship event at Bellagio. Tell us about the site. What do you offer now and how will it evolve?

MS: The catalyst came from two directions. People were always asking me where I was going next, what shows I was involved with, and what was going on in poker. Also, there was a lack of live tournament reporting. So, providing information was the driver. I was happy with my first effort. I typed the key hands from the 2004 Bellagio Five-Diamond championship into my cellphone and the text appeared on my website. The feedback was excellent. But, I was shortsighted in a way, because I really don’t have the time or the staff to do that type of work on a regular basis. I will be able to start a “blog” sometime soon to update people on my plans and poker happenings. In addition, the site gives me a way to communicate with those who have questions, want to pitch ideas, or want to know what services I provide. As poker evolves, I expect the website to grow. For example, I’m involved in the beginning phase of a plan to provide more benefits to players, including sponsorship. I think a players association is where we are headed, and it will be a great thing.

LM: Speaking of associations, tell us when and how the Tournament Directors Association (TDA) was born and what it does.

MS: In 2001 I started traveling extensively and hated the fact that everywhere I went, tournament rules were different. I decided something had to be done. In 2001 I attended the World Series for the first time and ran into Linda Johnson. We had become friends when I had occasion to invite her to some events in California. I asked her if she would be interested in working toward standardizing the rules for tournament poker. We realized it would be difficult, but along with Dave Lamb and Jan Fisher we set up meetings and worked to obtain agreement from many who held events. Then, we put a list of rules together — those that were being handled differently all over the place at the time. Finally, the four of us selected the best ones and put them into a document.

LM: Are you considering adding to, deleting, or modifying any of the 38 rules?

MS: I’m comfortable with the rules, although we might want to clarify some of them. I’m also happy with the acceptance of the TDA. To my knowledge, in the United States, only The Orleans and Taj Mahal do not use the TDA rules.

LM: Let’s examine poker’s rules of conduct. We have seen some behavior that qualifies as taunting on several televised shows. National Football League …

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Togel

Mazda Togel MX-5 Thrillseekers

Once you’ve experienced the heart-racing excitement and wind-in-your-hair exhilaration of the agile Mazda MX-5 roadster, thrills are suddenly a lot harder to find.

Resilient England supporters know all about the thrills and spills of supporting the Three Lions in World Cup finals campaigns having witnessed Michael Owen embarrass Argentina to gain revenge on Diego Maradona’s ‘hand of God’ goal in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and David Platt volley home Gazza’s inch perfect cross against Belgium in Italia 1990.

This summer in South Africa has been no different for angst-ridden England followers following two draws against undistinguished opponents, the United States and Algeria.

Although England supporters aren’t exactly to hoping to Togel experience living life on the edge quite in this way, scientists have found that thrill-seeking daredevils really do derive a feeling of exhilaration from undertaking fear-inducing activities such as bungee jumping and sky diving.

However, while jumping off bridges or out of planes might not be for the fainthearted, they’re not exactly the extreme kinds of activities MX-5 drivers search out for their highs.

Rather, condor hang gliding in the Andes, somersaulting from the nose of a 40 ton whale or racing your friends in a buffalo stampede are just some examples of the lengths MX-5 drivers have to go to find comparable thrills to that of the new Mazda roadster.

One Million Dream Balls

Hyundai has some great offers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

For every car that is sold and every person who registers at the site below Hyundai are sending a soccer ball to children and youth in need: One Million Dream Balls

CALLING ALL FOOTBALL FANS – SIGN THE BALL TO END MALARIA!

United Against Malaria (UAM) is a community of organizations and individuals that has joined together ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa to unite in the fight against malaria.

With the tournament now well under way, UAM wants you to Sign the ball to show your support for the cause. Add your name and join the winning team that will beat malaria.

Supporters of the cause include Cameroon legend Roger Milla, USA striker Landon Donovan, Manchester City and Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure, Malian striker Frederic Kanoute and French World Cup winner Patrick Vieira.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is Africa’s World Cup and is being used as the perfect occasion to help UAM to raise international awareness of the disease. By acting now, an unprecedented increase in mosquito net coverage across Africa can be achieved by the end of 2010, saving millions of lives by the next World Cup in 2014.

Join the team at UAM by signing the ball on facebook and becoming a supporter of the campaign. Also, you can follow UAM on Twitter, like them on Facebook and check out the latest news and updates at the United Against Malaria website

Pledge your support to end malaria and sign the ball here.…

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Togel Hongkong

Korea 100% In Togel Hongkong Asia But Could Do Better

You can’t do much better than 100 percent. South Korea’s quartet of teams that started the 2010 Asian Champions League back in February have all survived the first round intact. China have lost at least three of theirs and it could be all four while Japan will see at least one and probably two fall by the wayside.

But in the Land of the Morning Calm, it has been a Togel Hongkong comfortable, stress-free progression. Pohang Steelers, Suwon Bluewings, Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and Jeonbuk Motors are all through to the round of sixteen having played just five of the six group games.

It is an impressive achievement to see all four progress unscathed but actually, it could have been better. The top two teams from each of the eight groups progress to the knockout stage but not all are equal. Finishing in first place ensures that the one-off game in the next round is played at home. Finishing second means a journey elsewhere.

Seongnam is the best-placed and is already certain of a home tie. The Yellows can sit back and see who will finish first or second in Group G. At the moment, that is Suwon Bluewings. It remains to be seen if either team will welcome meeting such a familiar foe on the continental stage. The local media certainly will.

Suwon’s players are kicking themselves that they are not currently occupying top spot instead of Gamba Osaka. In last week’s match in Japan, Suwon was level at 1-1 with seconds remaining until the defenders somehow let Gamba’s 17 year-old striker Takashi Usami score the decisive goal. The 2-1 win puts the J-League team in pole position.

“I thought we were heading home with one point in our hand,” lamented Suwon coach Cha Bum-keun who is lamenting often these days. “But our players seemed to have lost their concentration in the last part of the game. We gave up their first goal so easily and so soon after our first goal, and that hurt us. We want to play at home in the round of 16 but … that possibility seems to have become smaller.”

Suwon is a team that has been struggling of late with Asia being the only bright spot of what is becoming another dismal season at home. Three successive defeats in the K-League, including a painful 3-0 loss at the home of bitter rivals FC Seoul and a 2-1 defeat at home to Seongnam, preceded the Osaka disappointment and then one followed. Unless the Japanese lose in China next week and Suwon defeat Singapore Armed Forces, Suwon will be making the short trip across Gyeonggi Province.

Jeonbuk Motors is another team that is likely to finish second after conceding a last-minute goal to a Japanese team. Kashima Antlers won 2-1 in Jeonju in March and the K-League champions have been playing catch-up ever since. Both are through to the last 16 but if Jeonbuk, who won the competition in 2006, want to play at home in the next round, it has to win at the home of the Japanese champion.

“We want to avenge the defeat in Kashima,” said Jeonbuk coach Choi Kang-hee after the match and added. “I know that is going to be a difficult away game but we will use the best of what we have to get a victory. I have plans for that.”

If Jeonbuk don’t manage to get the result in Ibaraki next week then a long trip to South Australia to take on Adelaide United is on the cards. But if things go differently, a game against Pohang Steelers and a Jeolla and Gyeongsang Province match-up is a distinct possibility. All four Korean teams playing each other in the round of sixteen would be something to see.…

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Japan Togel Hongkong frustrated by scoreless stalemate with Australia

If the pressure was well and truly on Japan coach Takeshi Okada going into his side’s World Cup qualifier with Australia in Yokohama, then the resultant 0-0 draw will have done little to alleviate it.

Japan dominated in front of 65,571 fans at Yokohama International Stadium, but a combination of poor finishing and dogged defending from the Socceroos saw Pim Verbeek’s team snatch a hard-earned point.

Missing English Premier League stars Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and Brett Emerton through injury, Pim Verbeek’s decision not to field a single recognised striker from the start spoke volumes for Australia’s approach to this clash.

It was left to the Blue Samurai to dictate the tempo as they surged Togel Hongkong forward in search of an early goal to calm the nerves of the home fans, and they almost found one when Nagoya Grampus striker Keiji Tamada hit the side netting after just five minutes.

Japan frustrated by a dour Australia in Yokohama

Japan’s best chance arrived from a Shunsuke Nakamura free-kick, but the Celtic wizard fired his effort well over the crossbar.

When Gamba Osaka midfielder Yasuhito Endo took over free-kick duties late in the first half he failed to even beat the wall – however the diminutive midfielder did manage to sting Mark Schwarzer’s palms with a stinging long-range drive with twenty minutes remaining.

For their part Australia managed just a solitary shot on goal for the entirety of the match, as Verbeek’s plan to take a point from this tricky-looking fixture came to fruition.

Australia’s spoiling tactics were lamented in some circles Down Under, but on the whole the pragmatic Dutchman has received faint praise for taking 10 points from the opening four final round qualifiers.

Japan’s next clash is at home to Bahrain in Saitama on March 28, while on April 1 Australia take on Uzbekistan in Sydney

Fifa World Rankings February 2009

In another quiet month, there are no changes in the top 11 teams, European champions Spain stay top of this month’s Fifa world rankings followed by Germany and the Netherlands in 3rd. England stay in 8th place.

Brazil are in 5th. Cameroon are the highest African team in 16th. Russia are 9th with the USA up to 20th.

Brazil had previously failed to convince in the first round group stage with a defeat against Uruguay and a draw against Paraguay. Question marks were appearing above much hyped players such as Douglas Costa and Walter.

Their division for the first round stage certainly lived up to its billing as The Group of Death with qualifiers Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay claiming the top three places in the final hexagonal group.

These three teams will now travel to the under-20 World Cup in Egypt later this year along with hosts Venezuela who finished up fourth.

One team that won’t be travelling to North Africa is current under-20 word champions Argentina and participants in the World Cup for the past 16 years.

Argentina’s campaign eventually came to an end with a one-nil defeat to Colombia, the other team to miss out on a World Cup berth from the final hexagonal tournament.

Argentina’s exemplary record at this level has seen then win five of the last seven under-20 World Cups but they will not be there to defend their title this time around.

The Argentines only managed to record one victory at the tournament. This two-one win against a Peru team who lost every game was backed up with five draws and three defeats.…

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Sir Alex gunning for Bandar Judi Qq world domination

YOKOHAMA—A day after arriving in Japan to take part in the Club World Cup, Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson spoke to reporters on a range of subjects, from the team’s preparations to the Premier League’s controversial idea of holding a 39th round of matches outside of England.

While Ferguson and his yawning retinue looked a little worse for wear after the 12-hour journey, the Scotsman was nevertheless in a jovial and talkative mood:

Q: What is your impression of this tournament Bandar Judi Qq compared to the former Toyota Intercontinental Cup, which you won in 1999 by defeating Palmeras?

A: We were the first British team to win (the Toyota Cup) in 1999, and we took great pleasure in it. It can be a great boost in prestige and that’s why we want to win it again this year.

It’s a very difficult tournament and there are many good teams here. Our game against Gamba Osaka I think will be a very good game.

It’s our first time in such a tournament. When we were here in 1999 against Palmeiras it was a one off. That’s why I want to pick the right time for the first match because we very much want to play in the final.

We played the Urawa Reds twice in friendlies and we found them difficult because they were very energetic and technically sound.

Clubs in Japan have made tremendous improvements in technical and organization ability. And their stadia are fantastic thanks to the World Cup. It’s a young country in terms of football, but it’s an up-and-coming country. They have made terrific improvements.

I expect a very tough game on Thursday and it will hopefully be one we can navigate properly.

Q: What is your assessment of semifinal opponent and Asian champions Gamba, and what is the status of your squad at present?

A: I watched a video this morning of their game against Adelaide and we have a good idea of their game. It’s always better to watch a competitive match like that rather than something with nothing on the line.

(Goalkeeper) Ben Foster broke his finger on Thursday in training. But I brought a full squad of 23 and that’s why we watch our opponents so closely–so we pick the right team. I can always pick the wrong team, but I hope not to.

Q: There are many in the media who claim this tournament is a hindrance at this time of year. Your comments please.

A: I think the media don’t take it as seriously as we do. I think we first took part in the intercontinental competition in 1968 when it was a one-off game, and up until four years ago that was the format. But world football has grown and countries like Japan, Korea and China have developed. And a world championship tournament requires more teams. It’s an extra game for us but the prestige attached to it now is far greater than in the past.

Japan is a fantastic country, with fantastic facilities, a very comfortable hotel … everything is comfortable. Yes it’s a 12-hour flight, but even that’s comfortable. In twenty years’ time for us to look back and see that Manchester United were world champions is fantastic and that’s why we’ve come here to win it.

Q: Which Gamba players do you consider to be the biggest threat?

A: (Midfielder Yasuhito) Endo is their star player. He scored their goal (in the 1-0 win over Adelaide United in the quarterfinals). And they changed his position from behind the striker to the left side but he was still influential.

Also the Brazilian Lucas. He is tall and quick with his feet, which is unlike most Brazilian players. He’s very effective.

Two of their midfielders (Hayato Sasaki and Takahiro Futagawa) are also very good, but they will be missing due to injury and that will be tough on them.

Q: What is your secret to managing such a talented and diverse group of players?

The best way to judge it is that I have been at the club for 22 years and the experience is there. And once you handle one personality it prepares you for the next one that comes along. After a while it becomes quite easy. But the most important thing is that the manager’s personality must be as strong as all the players.

Q: How have your preparations been, and how do you deal with jetlag with a Premier League showdown with Stoke City scheduled for Boxing Day?

A: Changing the body clock in such a short period of time is the most difficult thing.

We had the players up at 7 a.m. on Sunday morning and made sure they didn’t sleep until the plane ride here. We’ll change back on Thursday to British time again. The medical side is taken care of the medical staff and I am confident we are doing all that we can.

Q: So does the opportunity to play other clubs with other styles really outweigh the inconvenience of flying out here at such as busy time in the Premier League schedule?

A: Playing different opposition doesn’t do us any harm, but the main point is that this is a chance to win a world title. We can become world champions in December but we can’t win the Premier League title in December. It is a little bit of a handicap but that’s what happens when you are successful. We’re here because we won the European Championship and we hope to be in Abu Dhabi (site of the 2009 Club World Cup) next year. The incentives outweigh anything happening in the Premier League.

Q: If you had to play a 39th game in the EPL, which Asian city would you prefer to play it in?

A: I don’t think there will be a 39th game, sorry. I’m not in favor of it. If you look at our domestic program, with all those cup competitions, I think it’s impossible.

If you ask me to pick a city I won’t, because there are so many good ones in Asia and I don’t want to offend anyone.

But I don’t think there will ever be a 39th game and I don’t think there should be.…

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Egypt 2006: Mark Pkv Bright’s View

On the eve of the African Cup of Nations final, the Pkv BBC’s Mark Bright has told Soccerphile he thinks the tournament has been a mixed bag.

The face of the corporation’s African football coverage in recent years told Soccerphile that what impressive showings there have been in Egypt have been equally matched by the disappointments.

“Guinea played well,” said Bright, while “Egypt and Cameroon along with Cote d’Ivoire have played the best football, but I did not think Nigeria or Senegal played well at all and Togo were poor.”

World Cup qualifiers Togo, who boasted Emmanuel Sheyi Adebayor, the top scorer in Africa’s World Cup qualifying groups, exited the tournament with three straight losses and not a little friction in their dressing room.

“Adebayor wreaked havoc in the camp by all accounts, nobody has a good word to say about him.” Bright commented.

Togo and Angola, both qualifers for Germany, failed to make the last eight in the African Cup of Nations, along with Ghana, whom Bright thought were “easily forgettable! They were unimpressive.”

“Their midfield trio missing cost them any real chance,” he went on. I can’t see them doing that well based on how they played here. Plus Kingston will be suspended for the first 3 games having been sent off.”

In response to having his injury absence questioned by Ghana manager Radomir Dujkovic, Michael Essien issued a remarkable press release insisting he looked on his coach, “as my father” and asked for the fans’ prayers “at this difficult time.”

“I’m not sure how much the coach is to blame,” thought Bright on reflection. “I think it is too easy to blame him. Essien obviously was a factor but I didn’t see anything that would frighten anyone at the World Cup.”

Bright starred for seven clubs in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and most famously formed one half of Crystal Palace’s ‘Wright & Bright’ strike partnership alongside future Arsenal legend Ian Wright.…

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The full Poker online house signs go up, as the J-League grinds on

The traditional O-bon holidays in Japan signal bumper crowds for many J-League teams, with several clubs throwing up full house signs during an action-packed fixture list.

Round 19

A crowd of 53,916 turned out at Nissan Stadium on August 11, as Yokohama F. Marinos clashed with Yokohama FC.

Port city minnows Yokohama FC had beaten their illustrious cross-town rivals 1-0 at Mitsuzawa Stadium earlier in the season, but Yokohama F. Marinos inflicted a terrible vengeance, winning 8-1 in the return fixture.

Striker Hideo Oshima scored four goals in that match, before later declaring that he was “too old” to figure in Japan coach Ivica Osim’s national team plans.

Urawa Reds drew 1-1 with Kashiwa Reysol in front of 47,359 fans at Saitama Stadium – a result that momentarily saw Urawa slip four points behind Gamba Osaka, after Gamba beat fellow high-flyers Albirex Niigata 3-1 in front of 18,112 fans at Expo ’70 Stadium in Osaka.

14,316 fans crammed into Kose Sports Park Stadium, but the home fans left disappointed as Kashima Antlers snuck a 1-0 victory over hosts Ventforet Kofu, thanks to midfielder Takuya Nozawa’s neatly taken finish.

In Hiroshima, the largest gate of the Poker Online season turned out but 12,595 fans failed to inspire the home team, as Sanfrecce slumped to a 3-1 loss to fellow mid-table battlers Nagoya Grampus Eight.

Norwegian international Frode Johnsen was the architect of the victory, scoring twice, while substitute Keita Sugimoto also struck late on for Nagoya.

Round 20

Another full round of midweek fixtures took place on August 15, where Sanfrecce Hiroshima recorded their third defeat in a row, this time losing 2-0 to Kashiwa Reysol in front of a packed Kashiwa Hitachi Stadium.

Kashima Antlers’ officials will have been delighted with the midweek crowd of 19,600 that turned out at Kashima Stadium to roar the Antlers on to a 3-1 victory over the hapless JEF United.

The return of prodigal son Mitsuo Ogasawara from Italian outfit Messina appears to have rejuvenated Kashima and he scored twice against United, with Toru Araiba also scoring, to leave JEF United hovering just above the relegation zone.

A capacity crowd of 42,015 packed into Big Swan Stadium in Niigata, and the home side didn’t let their fans down, winning 4-0 over Nagoya Grampus Eight.

Isao Homma got the scoring under way with a header for Niigata, before Japan international Kisho Yano volleyed home. Brazilian striker Edmilson then scored twice, to leave Nagoya coach Sef Vergoossen furious with his team’s abject defending on the night.

For the second time this season Kawasaki Frontale lost the Kanagawa Derby, going down 2-1 at home to an in-form Yokohama F. Marinos in front of 18,095 fans at Todoroki Stadium.

A healthy crowd of 14,854 fans packed into Yamaha Stadium to witness Jubilo Iwata’s 5-2 thrashing of FC Tokyo – just days after Jubilo had been thumped 4-0 by Vissel Kobe in Kobe.

Jubilo’s local rivals Shimizu S-Pulse clawed their way back from two goals down against Oita Trinita, to triumph 4-3 in a thriller in front of 20,391 fans at the Kyushu Oil Dome.

The match-of-the-round undoubtedly took place in Osaka, however, as a capacity crowd of 20,982 fans flocked to ‘Banpaku’ to witness Gamba Osaka take on Urawa Reds.

Both Gamba and Urawa were missing their star strikers Magno Alves and Washington through injury, and their respective replacements Ryuji Bando and Yuichiro Nagai were in the thick of the action.

Bando had a first half strike ruled out for offside, and Gamba were left to rue that decision as Yuichiro Nagai snatched the only goal of the game just after the hour mark, to hand Urawa a precious win.

The victory throws open the 2007 title race and cuts Gamba’s lead at the top of the table to just one point. Gamba coach Akira Nishino claimed that his side “must improve” in the wake of the defeat, if they are to wrestle the J-League title from Urawa’s grasp.

Round 21

Healthy attendances should be the order of the day when Round 21 kicks off on August 18, with a capacity crowd likely to descend upon Nihondaira Stadium as Shimizu S-Pulse do battle with Kawasaki Frontale.

Last season Shimizu ended Kawasaki’s hopes of winning the J-League, when midfielder Jungo Fujimoto scored a superb hat-trick to fire Shimizu to a 4-3 win.

Elsewhere two of the most passionately supported clubs in Japanese football go head-to-head when struggling FC Tokyo take on Kashiwa Reysol at Ajinomoto Stadium in the nation’s capital.

Another fixture taking place in Tokyo this weekend is the clash between Ventforet Kofu and Urawa Reds.

Kofu would have been guaranteed a full house had they play this match at the 17,000 capacity Kose Sports Park Stadium in rural Yamanashi Prefecture, however the game has been switched to the National Stadium in Tokyo – mainly to accommodate Urawa’s horde of travelling fans, who will also swell the coffers for ‘home’ team Kofu.

Omiya Ardija and Vissel Kobe have also switched their games on August 19 to Kumagaya Athletics Stadium and Kobe Universiade Stadium respectively.

Omiya Ardija sack coach Robert Verbeek

The end result may have been predictable but the timing certainly was not, as Omiya Ardija finally sacked their Dutch coach Robert Verbeek.

They did so just days before the J-League resumed after the long mid-season break, with many Omiya fans stunned left at the timing of the decision.

They were left positively aghast at the news that the widely unpopular Satoru Sakuma had been promoted from back-room staff member to the role of head coach.

In his previous roles as chief scout Sakuma had been responsible for a serious of disastrous signings for the club – recently departed strikers Alison Barros and Mauricio Salles among the latest, which have seen the club struggling in the relegation zone for much of the season.

Omiya battled to an impressive 2-2 draw away at Shimizu S-Pulse in Sakuma’s first match in charge, but any doubt as to Sakuma’s unpopularity was removed when only 6,440 fans turned out to watch Omiya’s 3-1 home defeat to Vissel Kobe in midweek, just two months after a record crowd of 16,795 turned out at Omiya’s temporary home of Komaba Stadium to see them beat Albirex Niigata 2-1.

Japan National Team

Japan coach Ivica Osim has come under fire once again, this time for his decision to call up just 12 players in a nominal squad named for Japan’s up-coming friendly with Cameroon.

Japan face Cameroon at the Kyushu Oil Dome in Oita on August 22, but Osim told reporters that he would name the rest of his squad after he had seen his players in action in midweek Round 20 J-League fixtures.

Significantly not a single JEF United player was named in Osim’s preliminary squad, after grumblings of favouritism towards his former club – now managed by his son Amar Osim, following Japan’s unsuccessful defence of the Asian Cup this summer.…

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Second Legs Left To Right Perceived Wrongs For Togel Online Koreans

A burning sense of injustice could spur on South Korea’s two teams remaining in the Asian Champions League. In the first leg of their respective quarter finals, both Pohang Steelers and FC Seoul suffered defeats on their travels to Uzbekistan and Qatar respectively.

The K-League clubs have a chance to right the perceived wrongs on Wednesday evening in the second leg of their encounters.

Seoul have the best chance of making the last four, as the league leaders are just 3-2 behind Umm Salal with two away goals in the bank.

Seoul traveled to Qatar to face Umm Salal last week and the Korean league leaders raced into a two-goal lead thanks to Jung Jo-gook. The hosts pulled a goal back early in the second half but with around 20 minute remaining, Ahn Tae-eun fired home an unstoppable shot to give Seoul a 3-1 lead.

A first leg 3-1 win away from home in a quarter-final of a continental competition is an excellent result. The only problem was that Ahn’s goal was not allowed. The shot hit the underside of the crossbar and landed a metre behind the goal line before bouncing back out. It was a clear goal and the men in red-and-black celebrated only to see that the game was continuing around them.

The referee and his Togel Online assistant missed the fact that Seoul had scored. If that wasn’t bad enough, some terrible Korean defending allowed Umm Salal’s Brazilian strike force to score two late goals to give the hosts a narrow advantage ahead of Wednesday’s match. If Seoul learn how to defend in the meantime, they could well turn the game around against a team that does not travel well.

Seoul boss Senol Gunes, a man who regularly voices his discontent at K-league referees – at least he did before embarking upon a vow of silence in post-match press conferences in protest at a rash of red cards – was philosophical about the oversight.

“We started the game well. We led the game 2-0 in the first half and took control of the match. However, a mistake in the second half let our opponents in with a chance,” Gunes said. “Since our opponents did not play a strong game, this was a match we had to win.”

Seoul returned from its midweek travels on Friday and face a tough Sunday afternoon K-League match against an improving Daejeon Citizen team.

Pohang Steelers had to face Busan I’Park on Saturday evening and managed to win 2-1. When it comes to Asia, the south-easterners probably had less to complain than their capital cousins but were less restrained in doing so.

Coach Sergio Farias took his men to Uzbekistan and the home of Asia’s richest club Bunyodkor. Pohang took an early lead only for the hosts to equalize in the first half.

Midway through the second period, the game was finely poised. The Koreans would have been satisfied with a 1-1 tie in a tough away match and would have been confident of winning on their own turf at the intimate Steelyard a week later.

Then, the Saudi Arabian referee brandished a second yellow card in the face of defender Kim Hyung-il, a player who is improving all the time, and he had to leave the field. Even now, nobody is sure exactly why the blonde battler was dismissed but it changed the game. The Tashkent team took advantage of its extra man to score two late goals to take control of the tie.

“It is impossible to win a game when a referee like the one we had today officiates the game. I noticed several poor calls in our defensive zone,” Farias said after the match.

“I don’t have to explain, if you saw the game you would know what I’m talking about. I don’t understand, Bunyodkor players got calls but we didn’t get similar calls. I don’t even know why Kim Hyung-il was sent off.”

More serious was the fact that Pohang complained that home fans at the Jar Stadium were shining laser pointers in the eyes of goalkeeper Shin Hwa-yong.

“I’m disappointed that such an incident took place at an important match like today. I think the outcome of the match was swayed by the referee,” said Farias.

There are still 90 minutes remaining in which to rectify the situation.…

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