Unusual/Notable stuff from around the football world.

[osarusan]

Kazu Miura signs on for another season with Japanese second-tier side Yokohama (https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021/0111/1188999-japan-great-miura-to-play-on-at-age-of-54/).

He's 54.

Here is King Kazu consoling Iniesta after Yokohama FC beat Vissel Kobe 2-1 last November. Playing alongside Shunsuke Nakamura these days, a spring chicken at 42.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EmWFrmJVkAAYqaa.jpg

[pineapple stu]

I should correct my original post actually - they're a top-flight side now.

I think he was left out of Japan's 1998 World Cup squad - despite being top scorer in qualifying - as he was deemed too old. At 31.

osarusan - you'll have half an idea what the craic is with him. He can't be up to it still surely? Is it a token thing or what's going on?

[osarusan]

osarusan - you'll have half an idea what the craic is with him. He can't be up to it still surely? Is it a token thing or what's going on?

Comes on for the last couple of minutes mostly. 4 appearences in J1 last year. In J2 before that it was 9, 12, 20, 16, going back in years.

There's a lot of publicity in it alright, maybe he helps out with coaching or something, or maybe they use him a lot for sponsorship and the like, but J-League is still a serious and professional league even at J2, so he can't be completely useless.

I was a Yokohama FC fan when I was in Japan - they were the closest team to me and my sense of Irishness made me embrace the underdog, rather than the far bigger and more successful Yokohama Marinos, who were 2 stops farther away on the subway. I loved watching him play. Even as an auld fella, he had the vision and touch of a player at a much higher level. Here he is 13 years ago - Dec 2007. I was at this game, which was the last game of the season. Yokohama FC have already been relegated (in fact, they set the record for the fast ever relegation, relegated with something like 8 games to play), whereas Urawa top the table and a win guarantees them the league. Enter King Kazu at 0.38, skipping past a player on the sideline and setting up the only goal of the game, that ended up losing Urawa the league.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ojbmpc9kOCo (Despite the crowd, it's actually a home game for Yokohama FC but moved to the Marinos stadium to accommodate the Urawa fans)

[geysir]

(A preamble of a sentence to claim thread topic compliancy)
An unusual and notable event in world football was documented on film and released in 2014.

It's excellent, called Next Goal Wins (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/11/next-goal-wins-review-uplifting-documentary) and covers the remarkable rise of American Samoa from last place in the Fifa ranking to 2nd last place, a feat achieved during the qualifiers for 2014 WC. One may snigger like "they" use to snigger about the football style and standard of the North Atlantic Island countries, but this rise in fortune for Am. Samoa came after their 31 - 0 defeat to Australia.

The local FA managed to get one application for the position from Thomas a Dutch coach in the MLS, ex footballer and so the saga began. In one of his first team talks he tells them that he would have given his right foot to play for his country in the WC qualifiers, thing is he probably would've been good enough to play for Am. Samoa with just one good leg.

[tetsujin1979]

Great documentary, watched it last year.
Taiki Waititi has directed a film of the story, but it has not yet been released, with Michael Fassbender as the Dutch coach

[NeverFeltBetter]

Athletic Bilbao have the chance to win the Copa del Rey twice in two weeks: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/56541183

[osarusan]

After 20 players tested positive for Covid, and along with injuries, River Plate had just 11 players left for their Copa Libertadores match against Independiente Santa Fe, and with all 4 goalkeepers unavailable, and their request to add their 5th or 6th keepers to the squad rejected, they had to play 35-year old midfielder Enzo Perez in goal, and still won 2-1 to go top of the group.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Myanmar face a World Cup qualifier with Japan tomorrow, absent at least ten players boycotting the side owing to the miliary coup: https://apnews.com/article/japan-myanmar-international-soccer-world-cup-soccer-b7cef3eb907058803354cc40f5a652fb

[NeverFeltBetter]

CONMEBOL strip one half of the Copa hosting from Colombia, then nine days later do the same to the other half: https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/0531/1224950-copa-america-argentina-suspended/

Considering that's a fifth of the continent, now sure who you host it with now. Perhaps it'll just be cancelled?

[NeverFeltBetter]

Brazilian police pepper spray Boca Junior players after a CL tie with controversial refereeing decisions: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021/0721/1236371-boca-rage-as-chaotic-scenes-sully-copa-libertadores/

[osarusan]

Oita Trinita defender makes a pretty impressive clearance off the line (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5AF1SI7Sgo) in a J1 match against Vissel Kobe (action starts at 2.50).

It was in vain though, as they lost 3-1, thanks in part to an Andres Iniesta penalty.

[tetsujin1979]

in 2005, Goal: The Dream Begins was released, about a Mexican player named Santiago Munez who signs for Newcastle
Today, Newcastle signed a Mexican player named Santiago Munoz: https://www.nufc.co.uk/news/latest-news/magpies-sign-teenager-santiago-munoz/
Art imitates life.
JC5oaVR9QYA

[NeverFeltBetter]

Coach of a third tier Argentine club shot in the shoulder during a game when fighting erupted between rival groups of fans: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021/1101/1257072-coach-shot-in-firefight-in-argentina/

[NeverFeltBetter]

Something local, with the NDSL suspending games over worsening abuse of referees: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021/1108/1258612-ndsl-suspends-games-as-abuse-of-referees-escalates/

What's the worst abuse anyone has seen a ref get? For me it was a hurling game in the Gaelic Grounds where the ref was escorted off at half-time and a number of people actively made their way as close to the tunnel to scream a long string of invective as he passed. I can't even remember why they were so angry, but angry enough that I did think for a moment they were going to hop the barricade.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Here's one that I'm sure is going to run and run as a bizarre story: a member of the PSG womens team has been arrested on suspicion of arranging for a rival for a starting place to be assaulted (https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021/1110/1259042-psg-womens-star-detained-in-assault-investigation/).

[sidewayspasser]

Wouldn't be the first time a sports woman was involved in an assault on her rival. Maybe she got inspired by Tonya Harding (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonya_Harding)...

[NeverFeltBetter]

South Africa demand a replay after controversial loss to Ghana put them out of the World Cup: https://www.bbc.com/sport/africa/59290195

As the article notes there's a degree of precedent actually involving South Africa, when they were forced to replay a match with Senegal in the last cycle when the ref was determined to have manipulated the game to fulfill bets. But I don't think there's any evidence, yet, that this occurred yesterday.

[pineapple stu]

Elsewhere in qualifying actually, a couple of interesting red cards in Europe. Andorra (at home to Poland) were reduced to ten men after 10 seconds (or 22 seconds, depending on whether you want to count until the foul or the card being issued)

1459251879905533960

In Germany, Liechtenstein had a man sent off after 8 minutes for this horrific foul (I think it's probably clumsy rather than cynical - he just didn't know where Goretzka was - but it's an awful challenge nonetheless) -

1458896769400639490

And another nasty tackle here (https://juststream.live/ForeseeabilityUnendingSomersaults) in our own group as Azerbaijan were reduced to ten men against Luxembourg last week.

[sidewayspasser]

Werder Bremen head coach Markus Anfang and his assistant resign over allegations of using fake Covid certs: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12040/12473201/markus-anfang-werder-bremen-head-coach-steps-down-amid-investigation-into-alleged-use-of-forged-covid-19-vaccination-document

[pineapple stu]

SAD Belenenses are taking on Benfica in the Portuguese league right now with nine players due to a covid outbreak.

That includes two keepers and four youth team players. They're 2-0 down after 15 minutes

[osarusan]

SAD Belenenses are taking on Benfica in the Portuguese league right now with nine players due to a covid outbreak.

That includes two keepers and four youth team players. They're 2-0 down after 15 minutes
Called off when 7-0 down after Belenenses lost 2 players to injury at HT (no subs obviously) and then lost another to injury early in the second half, meaning insufficient number of players to allow the game to continue.

Interesting, and although I'd have thought a game couldn't start with fewer than 11 on a team, this seems like a loophole for a team wanting to get a game called off (unless it resarts from the same scoreline it had at the point of being called off).

[pineapple stu]

I think "injury" wasn't really it.

I found a stream at halftime - Belenenses were late coming back for the second half and it seems they did so under protest.

They had tip and just booted the ball up the pitch, at which point the same player went down injured.

So I guess that's why they returned with seven - to get the game abandoned.

I've sympathy for them though; it was ridiculous the game went ahead in the circumstances.

Crowd of 6000 at it. Vertonghen, Otamendi and Seferovic all starting for Benfica, who made five subs at halftime

[NeverFeltBetter]

Arab Cup semi-final was 1-0 to Algeria over Qatar on 90 mins. Ref indicates nine minutes of injury time - which confuses a few people, to put it mildly - Qatar equalise on 97, a VAR check adds more time, Algeria score from a penalty on 104, delays to the restart mean the game goes to 109: https://www.bbc.com/sport/africa/59685407

[osarusan]

Here is King Kazu consoling Iniesta after Yokohama FC beat Vissel Kobe 2-1 last November. Playing alongside Shunsuke Nakamura these days, a spring chicken at 42.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EmWFrmJVkAAYqaa.jpg
Aaaand it's over.

At the mere age of 54 (almost 55), Kazuyoshi Miura has called it a day at top level football.

He is leaving Yokohama FC to sign for a Japan Football League team (which is the 4th tier, below J3), based in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, with the incredibly cringeworthy name of Suzuka Point Getters.

So long, King Kazu. We shall not see his like again.

[NeverFeltBetter]

AFCON game between Mali and Tunisia ends in bizarre circumstances as, with Mali up 1-0, ref blows for full-time on 85 mins, is compelled to restart, then blows for full-time on 89 mins. AFCON orders the game restarted during post-match press conferences, but the losing team doesn't take to the field: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2022/0112/1273293-referee-blows-for-full-time-whistle-early-as-mali-win/

[NeverFeltBetter]

AFCON game between Mali and Tunisia ends in bizarre circumstances as, with Mali up 1-0, ref blows for full-time on 85 mins, is compelled to restart, then blows for full-time on 89 mins. AFCON orders the game restarted during post-match press conferences, but the losing team doesn't take to the field: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2022/0112/1273293-referee-blows-for-full-time-whistle-early-as-mali-win/

BBC are reporting the ref was suffering from sunstroke, and was hospitalized after the match.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Interesting story here: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2022/0226/1283135-poland-refuse-to-play-world-cup-play-off-against-russia/

Poland won't play Russia, and the implication is that the teams from the other side of the draw, Sweden and Czechia, may refuse to do so as well. How does this play out? On paper Russia would get two 3-0 walkovers and qualification, which of course would be a hugely unpopular outcome (especially given Russia already aren't even allowed to compete in the Word Cup under their own name if they get there because of the doping sanctions). The question is if FIFA/UEFA are going to essentially expel them. This happened to Yugoslavia for the 1992 Euros, but that was on the back of a full UN resolved trade embargo and a political collapse which isn't going to occur here. It's one thing to move the CPL final, but can FIFA/UEFA legally block Russia from competing in these competitions?

[pineapple stu]

This happened at least once before - and coincidentally the USSR were involved then.

The 1974 World Cup play-off between the USSR and Chile - the USSR refused to travel to Chile for the second leg in protest at the military junta. (I think they claimed security issues and political instability, which isn't quite as forthright as Poland, but it amounts to the same thing). Chile went to the World Cup.

It seems FIFA can ban Russia from the World Cup on the basis of the current doping scandal - this from the wiki article on the 2022 World Cup (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIFA_World_Cup#Qualification) -


On 9 December 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency handed Russia a four-year ban from all major sporting events, after RUSADA was found non-compliant for handing over manipulating lab data to investigators. However, the Russia national team could still enter qualification, as the ban only applies to the final tournament to decide the world champions. If Russia qualified, Russian footballers could still potentially compete at the tournament, pending a decision from FIFA.

Fair dues to Poland for this - I think it's a stronger statement than FIFA kicking Russia out actually.

[sidewayspasser]

It's one thing to move the CPL final, but can FIFA/UEFA legally block Russia from competing in these competitions?
That probably depends on what is in the contracts between FIFA/UEFA and their member associations. I would assume that there are clauses about suspending a member association, but it could be that in the absence of a UN resolution (which won't happen because Russia can veto any resolution) there might have to be a vote among the member associations. And we know, not least from recent tournament host selections, how well voting in FIFA and UEFA works...

[NeverFeltBetter]

Some other stories from today might inform this one. The UK has revoked the visas of the Belarussian basketball team due to play a game in Newcastle tomorrow and the Czech government has just banned Russian airlines from entering its airspace. I wonder if it might be a case that sorting out a venue for these play-offs might prove impossible if those circumstances were extended, where would-be designated neutral locations can't be found because they refuse to provide visas for Russian players, or provide the ability for Russian planes to transport those players?

[sidewayspasser]

I guess there are a few countries (e.g. Serbia?) who would still happily host Russian teams, so I wouldn't count on everyone refusing visas.

[NeverFeltBetter]

All three other countries now stating they will refuse to play Russia, FIFA's response is to announce Russia must play in neutral venues and under a different name. I guess they're hoping the three will consider that enough? Seems like too little, too late.

[pineapple stu]

Poland have already told them where to go

[NeverFeltBetter]

Poles and Swedes reaction is to double down and criticize the FIFA response. FIFA left the door open for further sanctions at least. Are they hoping the invasion will stop and we'll all just forget? In less than a month?

[NeverFeltBetter]

The FAI has joined others in declaring their will refuse to play Russian sides "at any level": https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2022/0228/1283474-fai-extend-ukraine-support-and-announce-russian-boycott/

I was thinking if FIFA did throw Russia out ahead of the qualifiers, would there be scope for their place to filled by someone else instead of a walkover? Slovakia were the third placed team in their group, Hungary the next highest in the Nations League rankings.

[NeverFeltBetter]

OK, here's a weird one. Group A of the OFC World Cup qualification: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(OFC)#Group_A

One game took place last week, where the Solomon Islands beat the Cook Islands 2-0. After that Vanuatu were unable to play their game against Tahiti owing to a mass COVID outbreak, and then later, withdrew so their three scheduled games were officially cancelled. Then the Cook Islands had an outbreak, so their final two games were also cancelled, but they haven't withdrawn. And while news is hard to come by with these teams, I think it's because if the Solomon Islands beat Tahiti by three or more goals on what is now the only other group game that will be played on Thursday, then the Cook Islands will progress to the next round despite scoring no points or goals, and with a few days to spare on a seven-day isolation period. If it ends 2-0, it will be decided on disciplinary record, where the Cook Islands are at 0.

On the other hand, a draw would get both the Solomon Islands and Tahiti through in their current positions, so it could easily become an Austria/West Germany 1982 situation.

[pineapple stu]

Worth noting that the Cook Islands reached the group stages by winning a qualifying match against Tonga...who had to forfeit due to covid as well.

[NeverFeltBetter]

The Cook Islands have formally withdrawn: https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/news/update-on-ofc-preliminary-competition-for-the-fifa-world-cup-2022-tm

Now the Solomon Islands/Tahiti game tomorrow is just to determine their order of progression, with extra time and a penalty shoot-out to be used if they draw after 90.

[NeverFeltBetter]

I'm watching the Senegal/Egypt World Cup qualification play-off at HT of Portugal/North Macedonia, it's gone to penalties. And there must be something close to two dozen green laser pointers being used by the crowd on the Egyptian keeper and every Egyptian taker. They're lit up like Christmas trees. You can actually see the specific people in the crowd holding them sometimes, though of course the local authorities aren't doing anything about it. It's nothing very new in African football, but the amount of it here is remarkable. Weren't the English fined 30K for just one of these being used last summer? You could buy a house on the southside with what Senegal would owe!

Senegal win the shoot-out 3-1.

[tetsujin1979]

Luxembourg's U17 side beat England 2-0: https://www.uefa.com/under17/match/2033994--luxembourg-vs-england/
Depending on other results, they may go to the U17 European Championships as one of the seven best runners up

[osarusan]

Not unusual (well maybe it is to see a strike of this quality) but certainly notable.

Payet goal against PAOK. I love how his teammate near the edge of the penalty area just stands there with his hands on his head.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCbmPFP9J4k

[SkStu]

Usually Pineapple Stu with these sorts of things!

https://www.bbc.com/sport/av/football/62127436

Watch the moment Valour FC's William Akio clears his own team-mate's would-be goal off the line during their Canadian Premier League game against HFX Wanderers.

Poor guy! :(

[NeverFeltBetter]

What's he trying to do there? Nick the goal? Or has his brain just locked into "clear it off the line" mood when it see's a ball crawling towards it?

[SkStu]

I really think he was trying to nick the goal! Brutal.

[NeverFeltBetter]

I suppose this belongs here: Alistair Campbell once suggested a Celtic/Rangers match be held in Belfast to publicise the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement. (https://www.rte.ie/news/2022/0719/1310875-state-papers-campbell/)


Mr Campbell suggested that the teams wear each other's jerseys in the match.

However, he admitted "one or two of the Rangers players to my certain knowledge would have a difficulty with this".

...


In the letter headed Rangers v Celtic, An Idea, addressed to Prime Minister, Tony Blair, Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam and Scottish Secretary Donald Dewar and dated 12 April 1998, Mr Campbell asked if this was worth pursuing.


There is no record of anyone getting back to him.

Campbell tweeted today that it was "not the best idea I ever had". It reads like something that someone with no real knowledge of football would suggest, but Campbell is a big Burnley FC fan according to Wiki.

[osarusan]

I went to an SPL match the other day. St Mirren versus Ross County, both of whom were on 0 points after 2 games. Ross County now on 0 points after 3 games.

Playing upfront for St Mirren was Jonah Ayunga, formerly of Sligo and Galway. I don't think he was much of a success at Sligo either, but he was one of the best players on the pitch. SPL, at the bottom of the table anyway, is actually very poor stuff.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Vahid Halilhofzic was recently sacked as head coach of Morocco. It's the third time in his career that he has been sacked from an international job in the period between a successful qualification for a World Cup and the World Cup itself: in 2010 Cote d'Ivoire dispensed with his services after an iffy AFCON four months ahead of South Africa and in 2018 Japan sacked him after some poor results and an onslaught from hostile media two months before Russia. This time it's allegedly his refusal to find a place for Hakim Ziyech, after the Chelsea man refused to play in a friendly last year.

[pineapple stu]

Picked up an interesting football story watching Simon Reeve's South America last night.

Inter Moengotapoe of Suriname - who have won 10 of the last 13 national titles - played Olimpia of Honduras in the CONCACAF League last September, the equivalent of the Europa League. Inter were captained by Ronnie Brunswijk, the 60-year-old team owner, who also happens to be Vice President of the country (https://www.goal.com/en-ae/news/60-year-old-suriname-vice-president-brunswijk-concacaf/12hqddyhhoce91mz2oeyskg6l0). They play in the Ronnie Brunswijkstadion. He's the oldest player ever to play in a continental match, coming off after 54 minutes. (His son also started)

He was the rebel leader during the Surinamese Civil War of the late 80s, has been convicted in absentia of bank robbery and drug trafficking, controls much of Suriname's gold reserves, and has been banned from football twice for threatening behaviour (the first incident, a 5-year-ban for threatening players with a handgun, was overturned for lack of evidence)

His side lost 6-0, and shortly after the match, footage emerged of him paying the opposition team, so both clubs were disqualified and Ronnie was given a 3-year ban from any CONCACAF activity.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Just shy of 14-year-old comes on as a sub in an Irish League Cup game: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2022/0914/1323302-thirteen-year-old-makes-history-after-glenavon-debut/

He goes down as the youngest "senior" player in the UK. And got an assist apparently.

Reminds me of a recent Youtube retrospective from SB Nation on the career of Freddy Adu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l-JSw8rh5Y

[NeverFeltBetter]

Ukraine join Spanish/Portuguese World Cup 2030 bid: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2022/1005/1327332-ukraine-joins-spain-and-portugals-2030-world-cup-bid/

I also had no idea before today that there was an Egypt/Greece/Saudi Arabia bid in the works. All sorts of interesting mooted bids here, some of which are based on nothing more than a passing comment from an official: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2030_FIFA_World_Cup

My favourite being "South Korea (in association with either https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Flag_of_North_Korea.svg/23px-Flag_of_North_Korea.svg.png (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea) North Korea, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9e/Flag_of_Japan.svg/23px-Flag_of_Japan.svg.png (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan) Japan or https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg.png (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China) China, or all three)"