Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 97 i Soccer 360 Magazine

OCEANIA is one of the more unique situations in world football. The region, which encompasses the Pacific Islands, is the only confederation that does not receive an automatic spot into the World Cup. This year’s qualification tournament will take place in March in Qatar. Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu are slated to participate. Of those sides, New Zealand is heavily projected to advance. Since Australia left the OFC in 2006 Kiwis have stepped in as the powerhouse in the Pacific Islands. They have represented the region in each of the last three playoffs, with their 2010 series victory of Bahrain sealing their second-ever appearance in the World Cup. Almost all of New Zealand’s players play professionally either in Europe or…

"MANCHESTER CITY ARE AIMING FOR THEIR SIXTH PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE IN 11 YEARS" The Premier League title race has produced a plethora of enthralling finishes over the years, not least when Manchester City nicked it from local rivals Manchester United on goal difference in 2012. Ten years on, things are looking a lot simpler for the Blues. If City can keep Liverpool and Chelsea at bay over the coming weeks, it will be their sixth title in 11 years. The English top flight is famous for being open and having a title race that doesn’t feature only one or two teams, as has been the case in some of the other major European leagues over recent years. However, another Premier League crown for City this term would certainly represent a…

‘TOTTENHAM SET A NEW PREMIER LEAGUE RECORD WITH THEIR LATE WIN’ THE GOOD Some people may challenge the widely accepted notion that the Premier League is the best league in the world, but aside from the exceptional quality we’ve seen so far this season and the growing assembly of elite managers, there is still the ready supply of spectacularly dramatic moments which surely settle the argument once and for all. One such moment came in January when Tottenham substitute Steven Bergwijn scored twice in a matter of seconds deep into stoppage time to snatch a remarkable 3-2 victory for his side away to Leicester City, at the end of an entertaining and incident-packed encounter at the King Power Stadium. Tottenham created numerous chances throughout the game but found themselves trailing…

‘NAPOLI HAD A DREADFUL DECEMBER’ Things really started to heat up in the Serie A title race after Milan’s victory in the Derby della Madonnina in early February cut Inter’s lead to just one point. A three-way sprint is starting to look likely now heading into the spring, with Milan and Napoli breathing down Inter’s neck. Oliver Giroud’s brace for Milan in their 2-1 derby victory over Inter on February 5 certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons at the top of the Serie A table. That was the first loss for the Biscione since October, when they suffered a 3-1 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico against coach Simone Inzaghi’s former side, Lazio. By the end of that weekend, they were sitting just one point ahead of the Rossoneri and…

‘SIMONE INZAGHI HAS STEADIED THE SHIP’ THE GOOD The triple loss of coach Antonio Conte, leading scorer Romelu Lukaku and influential wing-back Achraf Hakimi led many to write off Inter's title chances before the 2021-2022 season even started. The exodus of the influential coach, and the unexpected departure of the talismanic Lukaku to Chelsea in particular, prompted a bout of deep soul-searching concerning the club's future direction and objectives. Yet the Nerazzurri continue to prove the sceptics wrong, as they remain in firm contention to win a second successive championship and claimed the first silverware of the campaign. The Supercoppa Italiana victory over Juventus was a signal of intent, the often-denigrated Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez scoring a late winner to prompt joyous celebrations on a dramatic night at San Siro.…

‘THE LA LIGA TITLE RACE IS EDGING TOWARDS A TWO-HORSE RACE’ The 2021-22 La Liga title race finds itself edging towards a two-horse race in the final stretch of the domestic season. However, despite the longheld assumption of an El Clasico scrap between age old foes Real Madrid and Barcelona, or Los Blancos doing battle with their cross city rivals and defending Spanish champions, Atletico Madrid, there is a new contender for the title this term. Atletico and Barcelona look to have left themselves with too much to do in 2022. After making sluggish starts to the season, Diego Simeone has struggled to reignite his battle-weary champions and the Xavi-inspired revolution is taking time to bear results in Catalonia. That state of transition has created a gap in the title…

‘SEVILLA ARE LOOKING TO SMASH THE BIG THREE’S DOMINANCE OF LA LIGA’ THE GOOD The poor first half of 2021-22 for Barcelona and defending champions Atletico Madrid has opened the door for other title challengers. Carlo Ancelotti’s return to Real Madrid has provided a renewed solidity at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, with Los Blancos in pole position at the start of the calendar year. However, a mixed run of results in January has hinted at a vulnerability within Ancelotti’s experienced squad, with Julen Lopetegui’s Sevilla primed to pounce. The Andalusians have failed to smash the Real, Atletico and Barcelona dominance of the Spanish top flight since 2001, but they have stepped up a gear this season. Sporting director Monchi continues to be an enigmatic figure in the background, with former…

‘BAYERN MUNICH LOOK SET FOR AN UNPRECEDENTED 10TH STRAIGHT TITLE’ No club in any of Europe’s biggest leagues has ever won 10 titles in a row. Bayern Munich look set to do just that in May. As has been the case in prior campaigns, once the Bavarian titans have seized top spot, it is nigh impossible to dislodge them. This time around, Julian Nagelsmann’s side took charge on matchday four, and have not looked back since. They have not been flawless, but have generally looked relatively comfortable as they march on towards an unprecedented 10th consecutive league title. Key to their success, of course, has been Robert Lewandowski. Despite turning 33 last August, the striker continues to score goals at an outstanding rate. The Polish star lost out to Lionel…

‘DOMENICO TEDESCO HAS LIT A FIRE UNDER THE RB LEIPZIG SQUAD’ THE GOOD RB Leipzig’s decision to bring in Jesse Marsch as Julian Nagelsmann’s replacement at the start of 2021-22 was initially greeted with fan skepticism. The Bundesliga giants have enjoyed a strong relationship in player exchanges with their partner club in recent seasons, but coaches were viewed as different. Marsch’s move to the ‘top job’ between the two clubs was seen as a leap of faith on the German side of the deal, despite his strong coaching reputation. The managerial merrygo-round, triggered by Nagelsmann’s move to Bayern Munich, saw a reshuffle across the big names of German football, with Marsch handed his golden chance. However, a mixture of pressure and poor performances saw the American unceremoniously removed from his…

‘SIGNING INSIGNE IS A MAJOR COUP FOR TORONTO’ THE GOOD While there had been a plethora of speculation and rumours running rampant that Toronto FC could lure 2020 Euro Cup winner Lorenzo Insigne away from Napoli, very few envisioned it actually happening. This was surely too daunting a task - even for the club that managed to sign Sebastian Giovinco in his prime. After all, Insigne was still the captain of Napoli and a big part of Luciano Spalletti’s squad. But the temptation of a massive payday and a better lifestyle for his family was too much for the 30-year-old to turn down. As a result, he will be plying his trade at BMO Field this summer, helping the Reds try to win their second MLS Cup. It was a…

Toronto FC fans suffered through a terrible 2021 campaign in which the club missed out on the postseason entirely. The club have already brought in a new head coach and made several major signings including the likes of Lorenzo Insigne and Carlos Salcedo. However, they also had the opportunity to bring back a club legend but opted against it. 2015 MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco had made it clear he was desperate for a return to Toronto with the Reds and had even joined them during their preseason training cam in Florida. “I have a lot of respect for Sebastian in that he’s made it clear to us that he would like to finish his career in Toronto in the right way and we’re very respectful of that,” TFC President Bill…

GIVE ZIMA A RED CARD An NFT of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland sold for more than $600,000, surpassing a record set by one of Cristiano Ronaldo. The NFT of Haaland generated a lot of public interest from people all over the world, unsurprisingly, considering he is one of the most coveted young talents in the sport at the moment. The digital soccer trading card was sold through an online auction, and as it entered the final minute, the value of the top bid almost doubled. In the end, user Zima Blue secured the NFT with a winning bid of 265.1 Ethereum, valued at the time at $687,000. PLASTIC IS BAD Manchester City and Tottenham have joined forces with Heineken UK for a new campaign to remove plastic fans from…

When it comes to CONCACAF World Cup Qualification for Qatar, all we know is that we don’t know nothing. While the January World Cup Qualifiers in the region did provide some clarity, there are still plenty of questions to be answered in the final three matches in March. Perhaps the biggest lesson that has been learned during this cycle is that Canada is the best side in the region. With three wins over Honduras, the United States, and El Salvador the Canadians (7-4-0, 25 points) have assured a top four spot in qualification. The side, coached by Jon Herdman, have dominated the region on both the attacking and defensive sides on the pitch (19 goals scored and five goals allowed, both first in qualifying). The 2-0 victory over the United…

Ex-Chelsea player Craig Burley has gone in hard on Chelsea for their celebrations after winning the Club World Cup beating Palmeiras. Burley, who played for Chelsea between 1989-1997, went on an astonishing rant on ESPN where he slated his former club. He labeled the Club World Cup as a showpiece event and insisted Chelsea should be more concerned about not being able to mount a formidable Premier League title charge. Former Manchester United defender Phil Neville has admitted that the club received ‘better decisions by the referees’ during his playing career. United often appeared to receive preferential treatment from officials during the glory days under Sir Alex Ferguson, much to the annoyance of rival clubs and fans. And now a video posted to Twitter has gone viral after Phil Neville…

NAPOLI V MILAN - 6 MARCH Milan travel to Naples in the first week of March in what could prove to be a massive clash in the Scudetto race. Victory for either side would provide them with a huge boost for their final 10 fixtures. JUVENTUS V INTER - 3 APRIL The Derby d’Italia will be played on matchday 31 and Juventus will be happy to derail Inter’s title challenge. The Bianconeri have improved under Max Allegri as the season has progressed and this trip to the Allianz Stadium is a tough one for the champions. NAPOLI V ROMA - 16 APRIL After Roma put on a defensive masterclass in the reverse fixture, we can expect Jose Mourinho to deploy similar tactics in the return. The home crowd will do…

Atalanta’s Jeremie Boga is the first outfield player to have not received a single yellow card in his first 100 Serie A appearances in the three points for a win era (since 1994/1995). Since his Serie A debut in 2015/16, Edin Dzeko has scored five league goals against Napoli: only Ciro Immobile (six) has had more against them in the process. In their Serie A clash against Udinese, Verona scored at least four goals in the league for the fifth time this season. They had never done it more than three times in a single season before. Robin Gosens has revealed that he rejected a big-money transfer to Newcastle in January, despite claiming that he "could probably have secured a few more generations of my family with this money." Gosens…

REAL MADRID V BARCELONA - 20 MARCH El Clasico is El Clasico, regardless of either side’s standing in the league and Barcelona would love to upset Real Madrid’s title charge. However, Los Blancos have a dominant recent record in this fixture with five straight wins, and Barca have not won in Madrid since 2019. BARCELONA V SEVILLA - 3 APRIL The end-of-season run-in will be littered with acid tests for Lopetegui’s Sevilla in their quest for the title. Despite Barcelona fans wanting to do anything to stop Real Madrid from clinching the title, Xavi’s developing side need some big results to seal a Champions League place, and they are unbeaten at home in league action against Sevilla since 2002. SEVILLA V REAL MADRID - 17 APRIL Real Madrid’s trip to…

Real Betis’s 4-2 away win at Levante was the ninth time they won a match by scoring at least four goals in LaLiga this season, more than any other campaign for them in the competition ever. Barcelona have now gone 24 games unbeaten in a row vs Espanyol in La Liga (W18 D6) and they recorded the best unbeaten run by any team in any type of derby in the competition’s history (23 games for Real Madrid vs Atlético between 2000 & 2013). 21-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal reveals he watched Real Madrid for the first time in Mallorca. Nadal, ranked at No. 5 in the world, is a huge football fan and Real Madrid is his favorite team. Nadal’s uncle was playing for Mallorca, but he appeared at…

BAYERN MUNICH V BAYER LEVERKUSEN - 5 MARCH Facing Bayern is no small task, but Leverkusen will be motivated by more than just revenge for their humiliating 5-1 loss in the reverse fixture earlier this season. Die Werkself could still have an eye on second place when they visit the reigning champions in early March. UNION BERLIN V KOLN - 2 APRIL With both teams potentially still in contention for Champions League football next season, this game could be crucial. Given how congested things are in the top half of the table, points gained or dropped in fixtures like this could ultimately decide who features in Europe next term. BORUSSIA DORTMUND V RB LEIPZIG - 2 APRIL Leipzig have seen their fortunes improve following Jesse Marsch’s sacking and Domenico Tedesco’s…

Borussia Dortmund have officially confirmed the signing of Niklas Süle on a free transfer in the coming summer. The Germany defender confirmed last month he will not sign a new contract Bayern Munich and will be a free agent in the summer. Bayern paid around €20m to sign Süle from Hoffenheim back in 2017 and he has gone on to make more than 150 appearances for the Bavarians. Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland named the seven strikers he thinks were better than him - but would back himself in a crunch tie. The seven was made up of five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski from rivals Bayern Munich. Three of the remaining five strikers also ply their trade in the Premier League with Tottenham hero Harry Kane,…

NO MORE EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS’ CUP The Cup Winners’ Cup ran from 1960 until 1999 and was regarded as the second most prestigious club competition after the European Cup. Domestic cup champions qualified for a competition that provided 32 different winners in its time. BEGINNING OF THE EUROPA LEAGUE The UEFA Cup, the third of the three club competitions, was rebranded as the Europa League in 2009, with a group stage similar to the Champions League. Spanish clubs have enjoyed this competition since the change, winning eight of the 12 finals so far. INTRODUCTION OF THE EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE After over 20 years of only two European club competitions, the Europa Conference League was introduced for the 2021-22 season. The idea behind adding a third competition was to give clubs…

Eastern Conference Playoff Teams: 1.) New York City FC 2.) Philadelphia Union 3.) New England Revolution 4.) Toronto FC 5.) Atlanta United FC 6.) CF Montreal 7.) Columbus Crew Western Conference Playoff Teams: 1.) Sporting Kansas City 2.) Seattle Sounders 3.) Nashville SC 4.) Portland Timbers FC 5.) Colorado Rapids 6.) Minnesota United FC 7.) FC Dallas Supporters Shield: NYCFC U.S. Open Cup Champion: Philadelphia Canadian Champion: Montreal Wooden Spoon: Houston Dynamo Does an MLS team win the CONCACAF Champions League? Yes-Seattle. MLS Cup: Seattle over Philadelphia MVP: Daniel Salloi (Kansas City) Golden Boot: Josef Martinez (Atlanta) Golden Gloves: Sean Johnson (NYCFC) Defender of the Year: Alistair Johnston (CF Montreal) Rookie of the Year: Ben Bender (FC Charlotte) Coach of the Year: Bob Bradley (Toronto) Best XI: GK: Johnson (NYCFC)…

EXPANSION INTO CANADA MLS was founded because the United States agreed to create a Division 1 professional soccer league during their bid to host the 1994 World Cup. While the first decade of the league’s existence saw it limited to just American teams, Toronto FC became the first Canadian side to enter in 2007. The Reds made a huge impact on fan culture in the league, with the atmosphere their supporters created at BMO Field. The league now has a total of three clubs that play north of the border. MORE SOCCER-SPECIFIC STADIUMS When MLS first kicked off in 1996, most teams were playing in massive NFL stadiums that were far too large and often still had American football lines on the pitch. Optically, it was terrible to watch on…

Growth and expansion in American women’s club soccer is no longer just tied to the first division. This season marks the return of the United Soccer League W-League, the new second division in U.S. Women’s Club Soccer. The league will begin play in May 2022 with 30 teams from across the United States. The word ‘return’ is key when speaking about the W-League because this isn’t the first time that the league has operated. From 1995 to 2015, the USL (which also runs the second, third, and fourth divisions in American men’s club soccer) ran the W-League with multiple divisions and teams from across the United States. Although the league was amateur, the league provided valuable experience and opportunities for players to get game experience out of college. Women’s club…

The cliche of the modern football player is someone obsessed with status, cash and the kind of salary package that makes them more in one day that most of their fans do in a whole year. Wages have spiralled completely out of control and need to be reined in, but while there are still some who follow the dollars, we are increasingly seeing athletes consider their sporting ambitions first and foremost. Robin Gosens put it perfectly when he revealed the offer that was on the table from Newcastle United could’ve paid for several generations of his family to be perfectly well-off for life. That is not an easy thing to turn down, knowing you could provide for everyone you love for decades. It would’ve been in the Premier League, that…

This is not the first time that Italy have been in this position, and fans will be hoping that the Azzurri have learned from the mistakes of 2018. However, Italy are in good company, with a number of other top teams failing to qualify for major tournaments since the turn of the century. England, runners-up in Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph, failed to make it to the 2008 European Championship, as a team boasting the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were defeated by Croatia at Wembley. The loss saw the end of Steve McClaren’s brief tenure as manager and ushered in the Fabio Capello era. While England were able to rapidly turn around their failure, it took longer for a Netherlands side that six years previously were World Cup…

Ranked 48th in the world, the hosts of the 2022 World Cup are currently the lowest-ranked team to have qualified for this winter’s showpiece. However, this should not discourage the Qatar team - who climbed 10 places in the FIFA rankings in 2021 alone - as unfancied entrants have often surprised in major international tournaments. Qatar could look to the most recent World Cup hosts, Russia, as an example of how to channel a home advantage into success. Sitting 70th in the rankings, the hosts benefitted from an easy group to storm into the knockout stages, beating Spain on penalties in the round of 16 before being defeated from the spot themselves by Croatia. Four years previously, Bosnia and Herzegovina impressed at the 2014 World Cup - if not as…

The gross spend of around £295m in January 2022 was more than four times the amount Premier League clubs splashed out in last year’s winter transfer window. It was the second highest spend we’ve ever seen in a January window, although the net spend of £180m was the highest since the winter shopping window was introduced in 2003. The bottom five clubs in the table accounted for more than half of the expenditure, with newly-rich Newcastle United unsurprisingly the biggest spenders as the new Saudi Arabian regime strives to preserve the club’s Premier League status. The Magpies spent approximately £85m on new players, including Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and Bruno Guimaraes, as well as Matt Targett and Dan Burn. Everton spent big on the likes of Nathan Patterson and Dele…

Juventus were probably the biggest winners of the January transfer window, receiving large fees for two players from Tottenham Hotspur - whose new director of football is former Bianconeri chief football officer, Fabio Paratici. The London club paid €19m for Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, with another €6m in potential add-ons, while also paying €5m up front to loan Dejan Kulusevski, with an obligation to buy for a further €35m. The Old Lady then went out and snapped up the services of Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina in a deal worth a possible €80m. The Serbian striker’s contract at the Stadio Artemio Franchi would have run out next summer, meaning that the Viola probably did very well negotiating that fee for a player heading for the exit in a year’s time. The…

Barcelona were the highest spenders in La Liga during the January window, with Xavi bringing in four new faces at the Camp Nou as part of his ongoing legacy development at the club. Ferran Torres’ £49m move from Manchester City was the only outlay though, with a six-month loan deal for Spanish international Adama Traore and free transfers for Dani Alves and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Torres and Traore both have real potential to develop into world-class players for Barcelona, but the other moves continue the idea of a scattergun approach from the Catalans, with ageing stars Alves and Aubameyang both somewhat risky investments for Xavi - despite the lack of a transfer fee. Real Madrid opted against any moves in the market, with Ancelotti showing confidence in his current squad in…

Bayern Munich didn’t create much of a buzz in the January transfer market. They did, however, bring in Chinese international shot-stopper Liu Shaoziyang from partner club Wuham Three Towns. The 18-year-old has been loaned straight out to Austrian Bundesliga club Austria Klagenfurt, and Die Roten will track his development as the season progresses. Bayern will say goodbye to defender Niklas Sule when the season ends, with the German international becoming the latest to cross the Munich-Dortmund divide on a free transfer. Bayern weren’t eager to add reinforcements this winter, although they have been linked with making moves for Chelsea defenders Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen in the summer. Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund were also quiet during the January window. It’s a bit surprising that given Erling Haaland and Gio Reyna’s struggles…