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Posts Tagged ‘FIFA’
Sun, October 12, 2008 11:53 am By James Coolridge  Printer friendly version
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 FIFA is the authorised body to look after the international football, head quartered in Zurich, Switzerland. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, the French term for International Federation of Association Football is responsible for all major football events and tournaments happeneing around the world. FIFA is the football body with 208 members was founed in paris on May 21, 1904. In th beginning it consisted of only Europen countries, but expanded beyond theboundaries of Europe in 1909, by letting in Argentina and Chilie in 1912. Canada and the U.S. joined FIFA in 1913. FIFA do had to face troubles during the period of World War I, but things were settled in an orderly manner with in short span after the war.
FIFA acts under the Laws of Switzerland as it is head quartered in Zurich. The supreme body of FIFA is the FIFA Congress, an assembly comprising of a representative from each affiliated national federation. As ordinary session of the Congress is held every year and extraordinary sessions takes place as per the rquirements. The FIFA president, secretary-general and the other members of FIFA’s Executive Committee are elected by the Congress, who will manage the daily administration.
FIFA recognizes the best player of the year by awarding him FIFA World Player of the Year. It also takes part actively in the spreading of the game around the world. If found that any associate member organization is not functiong properly, FIFA never shy away from taking action agaist it including suspension.
AFC, the Asia wing of FIFA, is on plans to bring 22 leading associations in Asia aiming to further increase transparency, competition, quality training and a proper league structure with relegation, promotion and a 2nd division, that may result in the expansion of the market for football. FIFA brought out a ruling in 2007 that a player can register with a maximum of three clubswhich stirred controversy. It also took action agaist Iraq national team by suspnding it in May 2008 for government interference with independent national sports authorities.
Tags : Football, England, Asia, FIFA, Switzerland, Argentina, the U.S, Zurich, French, Iraq, Chilie, World War I, Canada
Sun, August 10, 2008 10:11 am By James Coolridge
 SHENYANG, China (AP) _ Germany has already made a big victory on Chinese soil by lifting the women’s football title on an impregnable defense, and is now right on track for another one at the Olympics. The Germans did a magical performance last year at World Cup title in China last year without allowing a single goal in six matches. And again defense has been the key again in the Beijing Games.
Goalkeeper Nadine Angerer and her defenders have kept Germany in contention for its first Olympic gold medal. “Last year, we scored 11 goals in the first game and then we had no goals against,” Germany coach Silvia Neid said. She feels as historical and unique, and definitely something that will be very difficult to repeat. The team’s current streak without conceding a goal is at eight matches.
Germany got Brazil on draw 0-0 in its Olympic debut and edged Nigeria 1-0 in its second game, with the winner scored by Kerstin Stegemann, a defender. Angerer was key in both matches, coming up with big saves.
The ace goal keeper was successful in denying FIFA Player of the Year Marta from scoring on Wednesday, and made two crucial stops on one-on-one breakaways against Nigeria on Saturday. “Nadine is one of the most important players in our team,” feels Neid.
Nadine had proved herself last year. She knows to control the ball and to work magically in the box. She is self-motivated and she knows how to encourage the other players. Angerer stopped Marta’s penalty kick in the World Cup final last year, when the Germans were up 1-0 before eventually winning 2-0.
Agerer says that she don’t care if goal comes or not. Her primary concern is winning the match. “My goal is to win the title, not just to not allow goals. I will be just as satisfied if they score four times but we win 5-4.”
Germany will take over North Korea on Tuesday in Tianjin needing a victory or draw to secure a quarterfinal berth. It is second in Group F with four points. Brazil too carries the same number of points but leads on the number of goals scored. North Korea has three points and Nigeria is virtually eliminated with none. The top two teams from each of the three groups plus the best two third-place finishers advance to the second round.
“It will keep us going in the tournament and give us a chance to win the gold medal,” feels Angerer. Germany is now in second place behind the United States in FIFA’s rankings and the defending European champion is yet to play in an Olympic final in women’s football. Since the tournament debut in 1996 in Atlanta, it has grabbed the bronze twice in Sydney in 2000 and in Athens four years ago, losing to Norway and the U.S. in the semifinals, respectively.
Tags : Football, US, Brazil, Germany, FIFA, Beijing Olympics, women's football, Nadine Angerer, Silvia Neid
Thu, July 10, 2008 11:29 am By James Coolridge
 SKELLEFTEA, Sweden: With the goal by Carli Lloyd in the 39th minute, the United Sates owned a win over Sweden in the women’s Olympic tune up on Saturday. The golden goal by Lloyd helped the United States in folding up the Swedish side by 1-0 giving an edge in the series.
Lloyd by dribbling past three defenders inside the box succeeded in firing a low left-footed shot which glanced off Sara Thunebro’s and past goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl.
With this win, the United States celebrated their 20th straight this year. It also includes one on penalty kicks over Canada in the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying final. Thanks this time to the good fortune of Carli Lloyd.
“Yeah, it was a deflection, but it’s always exciting to score a goal,” was the early comment by Lloyd, who had earlier taken the American side to a 4-0 victory over Norway three days back. With this first match America have managed to make their 16th win in 25 matches against Sweden. Sweden has grabbed five wins with four draws.
Sweden, ranked third by FIFA is a favourite among Olympic favourites. The two scoring chances late in the first half and another early in the second were thwarted by goalkeeper Hope Solo. This was the first match of Pia Sundhage as coach of the United States against her native country. She has booted for Sweden in two World Cups and one Olympics. She feels the victory against Sweden will pump energy and confidence to her side. “We will be working on some tactical stuff,” she said. “At halftime, it was nice to hear the players say they need to challenge themselves …” says Pia Sundhage.
The United States will enter the fields next time against Brazil on July 13 near Denver, and July 16 at San Diego before marching to China.
Tags : Soccer, Olympics, US, China, goal, FIFA, Sweden, women soccer, Carli Lloyd, Pia Sundhage
Sun, June 1, 2008 5:33 am By James Coolridge
 Singaporean striker Noh Alam Shah’s one year ban has been reduced to seven months. The ban was slammed on Southeast Asia’s most prolific front men for kneeing Daniel Bennett in the head and kicking him in the back as he lay injured during last November’s Singaporean Cup final. The time period of the ban was reduced after the appeals panel agreed ’serious unresolved personal and family problems’. The ban was sanctioned by soccer’s world governing body FIFA, who confirmed it was a global sanction.
The ban was sanction by soccer’s world governing body FIFA, who confirmed it was a global sanction.
The Football Association of Singapore said they has considered Alam Shah’s plea that he had serious unresolved personal and family problems during the period leading up to and during the cup final. According to FAS, ‘The appeals committee was satisfied that these problems weighed heavily on Alam Shah’s mind and impaired his judgment and frame of mind. The disciplinary committee had not considered this factor.
‘He has also expressed remorse and apologised for his unwarranted violent conduct and aggressive behaviour,’ FAS said in announcing the reduction of the ban.
The 28-year-old will now serve his suspension up to July 9.
He won’t be playing in at least 16 S.League matches and 3 Singapore Cup matches. He won’t make his appearance in the third round of Singapore’s World Cup qualifying campaign.
Tags : ban, FIFA, FAS, league matches
Fri, May 30, 2008 9:27 am By James Coolridge
 Brazilian Joel Santana has been appointed as the new coach for South Africa national soccer team. The team is going to host the World Cup in 2010. Santana arrived in South Africa on Sunday to start his 27-month contract as the coach of the team. He is the successor of 1994 World Cup-winning coach Carlos Alberto Parreira who quit Bafana last month as he wanted to be with his ill wife in Rio de Janeiro.
In a statement given to the media, Santana expressed, “I’m confident about the task ahead of me and I believe my experience in working with many top clubs will assist in preparing the team for the big challenge ahead,” Santana said in a statement.
Parreira said he recommended Santana because he was a “specialist in winning championships.”
“He has won many championships with big clubs in Brazil and has coached great Brazilian players like Romario, Bebeto and Juninho just to name a few,” he said.
This is perhaps the first national post for Santana as he resigned from leading Rio Club Flamengo. According to senior officials from world football controlling body FIFA, Santana could produce a team capable of reaching the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals.
Tags : Parreira, FIFA, Santana, South Africa national soccer team
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