A report has come out today from a no-name Sydney FC administrator, that current manager Stephan Johnson reportedly received an offer from AFC Ajax in the off-season. The deal, reportedly worth 5 million dollars a season, was obviously turned down, however some, are stunned at why he would turn down such an offer.
Mitchell Surgeon, a football writer for a prominent Sydney newspaper, said "Its madness that Johnson turned down Ajax's offer, with the money, and the possibility to manage a top European club. Its madness!"
Stephan Johnson's secretary later confirmed the case, stating the reason for the declination, being the man was too attached to the Sky Blues to leave, and was hoping to win another A-League season, and compete in the upcoming Asian Champions League, which his club will be front runners in.
*NB: The above names are completely fake, and any similarities are just coincidences*
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
A look to the Future.
FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010
Football Manager 2010 will heavily scrutinised when it comes out in two/three months. Already, we have had a sneak peak of the game, after SI's Miles posted a picture after a heavy night on the town, on social networking site twitter. (http://twitpic.com/a9jzt/full). At the moment the game looks pretty good, but that's visually, which doesn't tell us of the actual game play. While we wait, here is my view on what the Football Manager 2010 should bring us.
1. Create you own Clubs
And by this, I mean in-game. Living in Australia, the A-League is still expanding, and in Football Manager, I can play the game in 2034, and there are still 8 teams battling it out for the trophy. This will go hand-in-hand with your pay-packet, and possibly recruiting an investor to stake you claims. For once, maybe the money you earn doesn't drain off into the non-spending pocket of your manager.
2. Improve the 3D match Engine
The bold move to move to 3D has been great, however, I must say it is still not adequate enough. Sure it might just scrape in to let you make basic tactical decisions, however I wouldn't mind if they spent a whole game improving the engine without improving anything else, it would be a lifesaver.
*EDIT: The below screenshot is CM 10, and not FM 10*
Above is a screenshot of what Championship Manager 2010 might look like. This 3d mode is exactly what FM need to do. Realistic looking, well everything, and a stadium to match.
3. Become Friends with Managers.
I don't know if I'm the only one noticing this, but a manager can "feel you two becoming friends" but you never ever become them. I'm sure that it'll be a huge aesthetic change and manager relations can become useful, like appointing people as International managers etc.
4. Have use for your money.
Your the manager for Real Madrid. Earning 500,000 pounds or something a month. What is the point of all this cash? SI should take a page out of FIFA Manager's book, and add a use for this money. Travel costs, boosting your team's economy, buying a house, paying for a player to come play, etc. The possibilities are endless. The decisions you make with you personal life can help with your managerial status, (charity?) which would be a great boost for this already realistic simulator.
BREAKING NEWS
After snooping around on Championship Manager's website, I found a new feature that should be admitted. Set piece creation. This, would be a massive thing for the FM series, which would make the game so much more realistic. On that topic, it should be integrated with training, which should also be overhauled.
A replay saver, and drill trainer were mentioned on the official site, however, no official screenshots have been found apart from the one posted above. It seems like FM might have a major competitor on the market, but I'm sure, as you might be, FM shall prevail, and learn from CM's initiative. CM also might have taken a bit out of the new FIFA 2010 game, which is set to include a training overhaul, and a set-piece creator.
I can think of many, many more, but for now, this is my incomplete list.
Anything extra you can think of? Post a comment.
Football Manager 2010 will heavily scrutinised when it comes out in two/three months. Already, we have had a sneak peak of the game, after SI's Miles posted a picture after a heavy night on the town, on social networking site twitter. (http://twitpic.com/a9jzt/full). At the moment the game looks pretty good, but that's visually, which doesn't tell us of the actual game play. While we wait, here is my view on what the Football Manager 2010 should bring us.
1. Create you own Clubs
And by this, I mean in-game. Living in Australia, the A-League is still expanding, and in Football Manager, I can play the game in 2034, and there are still 8 teams battling it out for the trophy. This will go hand-in-hand with your pay-packet, and possibly recruiting an investor to stake you claims. For once, maybe the money you earn doesn't drain off into the non-spending pocket of your manager.
2. Improve the 3D match Engine
The bold move to move to 3D has been great, however, I must say it is still not adequate enough. Sure it might just scrape in to let you make basic tactical decisions, however I wouldn't mind if they spent a whole game improving the engine without improving anything else, it would be a lifesaver.
*EDIT: The below screenshot is CM 10, and not FM 10*
Above is a screenshot of what Championship Manager 2010 might look like. This 3d mode is exactly what FM need to do. Realistic looking, well everything, and a stadium to match.
3. Become Friends with Managers.
I don't know if I'm the only one noticing this, but a manager can "feel you two becoming friends" but you never ever become them. I'm sure that it'll be a huge aesthetic change and manager relations can become useful, like appointing people as International managers etc.
4. Have use for your money.
Your the manager for Real Madrid. Earning 500,000 pounds or something a month. What is the point of all this cash? SI should take a page out of FIFA Manager's book, and add a use for this money. Travel costs, boosting your team's economy, buying a house, paying for a player to come play, etc. The possibilities are endless. The decisions you make with you personal life can help with your managerial status, (charity?) which would be a great boost for this already realistic simulator.
BREAKING NEWS
After snooping around on Championship Manager's website, I found a new feature that should be admitted. Set piece creation. This, would be a massive thing for the FM series, which would make the game so much more realistic. On that topic, it should be integrated with training, which should also be overhauled.
A replay saver, and drill trainer were mentioned on the official site, however, no official screenshots have been found apart from the one posted above. It seems like FM might have a major competitor on the market, but I'm sure, as you might be, FM shall prevail, and learn from CM's initiative. CM also might have taken a bit out of the new FIFA 2010 game, which is set to include a training overhaul, and a set-piece creator.
I can think of many, many more, but for now, this is my incomplete list.
Anything extra you can think of? Post a comment.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
7th November 2010
A-League News
Sydney FC have ended their winning run this round, with a 1-1 draw with Perth Glory. A valiant effort by Perth, they took the lead against the Sky Blues on the 5th minute, the first time Sydney have conceded first this season, before an equalier from Luca Toni on the 53rd Minute. It ended up that Perth's goal was their only shot on goal, while Perth defence put up with 13 Sydney shots, from the two most experienced strikers in the world, Luca Toni and Robbie Fowler. It was also a record crowd for Perth Glory, with 71956 turning out for the upset.
In a mind game tactic, Aurelio Vidmar has said that Sydney FC cannot win the A-League this season, however with Sydney's current run, they look unstoppable.
The team are currently ahead of the closest rival by ten points, Sydney on 28, Newcastle on 18.
EPL News
Chelsea are currently topping the EPL ladder, closely followed by Arsenal. It does seem however disappointing, that Manchester United are currently sitting at 12th. The Red Devils have completely thrown away their season, and possibly a complete reshuffle of the squad is in order. The Official Premier League Round Up was released today, with 20 teams in action with 26 goals scored. However, 35,000 people witness a shock upset at the Riverside Stadium, with Middlesbrough defeating Arsenal 3-0 at home. In an even affair, Middlesbrough scored on the 5th, then 37th before David Wheater rounded off a stellar performance with a goal on the 56th.
In other Premier League matches, Gerrard scored twice during Portsmouth's three all draw with Liverpool, and Oleg Husyev scored the best goal in Tottenham's 3-1 loss defeat to Man City.
368,358 fans turned out this round in the Premier League.
In other English Football News, the League Cup 4th round was released.
The match of the round, would have to be Chelsea vs Manchester United a Stamford Bridge, that is if Manchester United get back into their premiership form.
International News
In the U20's Asian Cup this week, the quarter finals have been named, with holders North Korea a no-show.
Iran faces against Japan, Vietnam faces Saudi Arabia, Australia faces Oman, and South Korea faces China. Australia and Saudi Arabia both have the easier path to the final, with the match of the round having to be Iran v Japan.
Asian News
The Asian Champions League final has been drawin, with Al-Ittifaq to face Suwon in two legs, to decide who represents the continent in the upcoming Club World Championship in the UAE.
Sydney FC have ended their winning run this round, with a 1-1 draw with Perth Glory. A valiant effort by Perth, they took the lead against the Sky Blues on the 5th minute, the first time Sydney have conceded first this season, before an equalier from Luca Toni on the 53rd Minute. It ended up that Perth's goal was their only shot on goal, while Perth defence put up with 13 Sydney shots, from the two most experienced strikers in the world, Luca Toni and Robbie Fowler. It was also a record crowd for Perth Glory, with 71956 turning out for the upset.
In a mind game tactic, Aurelio Vidmar has said that Sydney FC cannot win the A-League this season, however with Sydney's current run, they look unstoppable.
The team are currently ahead of the closest rival by ten points, Sydney on 28, Newcastle on 18.
EPL News
Chelsea are currently topping the EPL ladder, closely followed by Arsenal. It does seem however disappointing, that Manchester United are currently sitting at 12th. The Red Devils have completely thrown away their season, and possibly a complete reshuffle of the squad is in order. The Official Premier League Round Up was released today, with 20 teams in action with 26 goals scored. However, 35,000 people witness a shock upset at the Riverside Stadium, with Middlesbrough defeating Arsenal 3-0 at home. In an even affair, Middlesbrough scored on the 5th, then 37th before David Wheater rounded off a stellar performance with a goal on the 56th.
In other Premier League matches, Gerrard scored twice during Portsmouth's three all draw with Liverpool, and Oleg Husyev scored the best goal in Tottenham's 3-1 loss defeat to Man City.
368,358 fans turned out this round in the Premier League.
In other English Football News, the League Cup 4th round was released.
The match of the round, would have to be Chelsea vs Manchester United a Stamford Bridge, that is if Manchester United get back into their premiership form.
International News
In the U20's Asian Cup this week, the quarter finals have been named, with holders North Korea a no-show.
Iran faces against Japan, Vietnam faces Saudi Arabia, Australia faces Oman, and South Korea faces China. Australia and Saudi Arabia both have the easier path to the final, with the match of the round having to be Iran v Japan.
Asian News
The Asian Champions League final has been drawin, with Al-Ittifaq to face Suwon in two legs, to decide who represents the continent in the upcoming Club World Championship in the UAE.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
9th October 2010
Premier League News
In the League Bup this week, Hull City and Stoke City have caused major upsets, defeating Manchester City and Fulham respectively. The Championship sides caused the shock of the round both away from home, stunning both sets of spectators.
In the latest Premier League Results, Middlesbrough defeated West Brom at home 1-0, and Newcastle defeated Blackburn 3-1 at home. The next fixtures are Aston Villa playing Middlesbrough, Manchester United playing West Brom, and Sunderland playing Derby.
Abedayor took out the Player of The Month, with Eidur Gudjohnson taking out Goal of the Month.
Latest Champions League Results (Click to Enlarge)
A-league Table
Sydney FC are currently topping the table, with an 100% win ratio, 6 points ahead of the Newcastle Jets, whom have played one more match than the Sky Blues.
In the Latest Results, Newcastle Jets defeated Wellington Phoenix 2-0 at home.
In the match of the round, rivals Sydney FC defeated Central Coast Mariners 3-2 at Bluetongue Stadium.
CCMFC Winger Greg Owens scored the first goal on the 6th minute with a well placed shot, before Sydney midfielder Shannon Cole scored from out of the area shot which hit the post before hitting the post.
Central Coast then had the worst possible scenario played in front of them, with Nigel Boogaard sent off for ungentlemanly conduct on the 42nd minute. Striker Luca Toni then put the blues ahead by one with a well placed strike. Fowler's header then increased the blues lead on the 72nd minute with a well placed header, before Mile Jedinak's consolation goal on the 76th gave the Mariners some credibility.
Attendance 48578
In the League Bup this week, Hull City and Stoke City have caused major upsets, defeating Manchester City and Fulham respectively. The Championship sides caused the shock of the round both away from home, stunning both sets of spectators.
In the latest Premier League Results, Middlesbrough defeated West Brom at home 1-0, and Newcastle defeated Blackburn 3-1 at home. The next fixtures are Aston Villa playing Middlesbrough, Manchester United playing West Brom, and Sunderland playing Derby.
Abedayor took out the Player of The Month, with Eidur Gudjohnson taking out Goal of the Month.
Latest Champions League Results (Click to Enlarge)
A-league Table
Sydney FC are currently topping the table, with an 100% win ratio, 6 points ahead of the Newcastle Jets, whom have played one more match than the Sky Blues.
In the Latest Results, Newcastle Jets defeated Wellington Phoenix 2-0 at home.
In the match of the round, rivals Sydney FC defeated Central Coast Mariners 3-2 at Bluetongue Stadium.
CCMFC Winger Greg Owens scored the first goal on the 6th minute with a well placed shot, before Sydney midfielder Shannon Cole scored from out of the area shot which hit the post before hitting the post.
Central Coast then had the worst possible scenario played in front of them, with Nigel Boogaard sent off for ungentlemanly conduct on the 42nd minute. Striker Luca Toni then put the blues ahead by one with a well placed strike. Fowler's header then increased the blues lead on the 72nd minute with a well placed header, before Mile Jedinak's consolation goal on the 76th gave the Mariners some credibility.
Attendance 48578
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Socceroos Captaincy.
Following a succesful World Cup Campaign, Captain Lucas Neil (Fulham) has stepped down from the International Captaincy role. The successor was named on the same day, as Tim Cahill (Everton*), and Vice-Captain will be Harry Kewell (Man Utd).
Tim Cahill has expressed his gratitute to being named captain, however Harry Kewell has expressed his disgust at being shunned from the main role.
*Future Uncertain, linked with $106 million move to Arsenal
Captain Tim Cahill
Vice Captain Harry Kewell
FM Update (2009)
8th August 2010
After an eventful month of World Cup triumphs and upsets, began the pre-season to a majority of sides around the World. Australia's shock triumph comes at the expense of Brazil, Italy and Spain, who Australia defeated.
Australia knocked out the two favourites for the competition, Brazil, in the Group Stages 3-1, and then Italy in the Second Round, 3-2. Spain were then tactically outclassed in the final, 1-0, thanks to a goal from FC Bayern striker Brendan Gan.
As a result of good performances, a number of Australian player received offers and moved clubs during the transfer season. This is visible in the current Australian squad.
Brett Emerton and Mark Bresciano have teamed up and are now both playing at Chelsea in the Premier League. Lucas Neil is now playing for Fulham, Kewell making an attractive move back to England, playing for Manchester United, Jake Bird is now playing for Inter Milan, and Scott Mcdonald for Real Madrid. A number of other players are being looked at by other clubs, however the biggest at the moment, is Socceroo Tim Cahill, with a reported bid of $106 million coming in from Arsenal.
As a result of the World Cup, there have been a number of changes in the World Rankings this month. England, Slovakia and Australia were all big movers this month, with Spain taking out top spot, and Holland taking second spot. Argentina remained as they were, at third position.
Back home, there were some domestic transfer rumors as well. Sydney FC have had a number of transfer stories published of their own, however manager Stephan Johnson has played down anymore additions to the squad. However the biggest A-League transfer story is the transfer of Iceland international Bjorn Tryggvason to the club on a free-contract. The former Valur man has stated that he cannot wait to start playing for his new club.
One of the biggest local news is the intensive Pre-Season for Sydney FC and it's youth Team. After declaring that the Youth season is not up to scratch, he went out and arranged a number of warm-up tournaments and tours, including the youth tour of India and Taiwan.
The Youth side is still in the Middle East completing their tour of the area.
Sydney FC's First Team, however, were not immune to the intensive Pre-Season routine. The squads slightly less intense schedule included a friendly competition with a number of youth sides, the normal friendlies against local clubs, and a tour of New Zealand, which included a shock loss to Auckland City.
There have been a number of changes to the Sydney FC roster this season, including a number of youth signings from the QAS, AIS and NSWIS. However the biggest two signings for the transfer window would have to be former Liverpool front man Robbie Fowler, and former Italian international striker Luca Toni.
In the pre-season, Robbie Fowler played 7 matches (5 starts), scoring 2 goals, 2 assists, and recieved 1 man of the match award. Luca Toni played 8 matches (7 starts) scoring a massive 12 goals, 3 assists, and 2 man of the match awards.
After an eventful month of World Cup triumphs and upsets, began the pre-season to a majority of sides around the World. Australia's shock triumph comes at the expense of Brazil, Italy and Spain, who Australia defeated.
Australia knocked out the two favourites for the competition, Brazil, in the Group Stages 3-1, and then Italy in the Second Round, 3-2. Spain were then tactically outclassed in the final, 1-0, thanks to a goal from FC Bayern striker Brendan Gan.
As a result of good performances, a number of Australian player received offers and moved clubs during the transfer season. This is visible in the current Australian squad.
Brett Emerton and Mark Bresciano have teamed up and are now both playing at Chelsea in the Premier League. Lucas Neil is now playing for Fulham, Kewell making an attractive move back to England, playing for Manchester United, Jake Bird is now playing for Inter Milan, and Scott Mcdonald for Real Madrid. A number of other players are being looked at by other clubs, however the biggest at the moment, is Socceroo Tim Cahill, with a reported bid of $106 million coming in from Arsenal.
As a result of the World Cup, there have been a number of changes in the World Rankings this month. England, Slovakia and Australia were all big movers this month, with Spain taking out top spot, and Holland taking second spot. Argentina remained as they were, at third position.
Back home, there were some domestic transfer rumors as well. Sydney FC have had a number of transfer stories published of their own, however manager Stephan Johnson has played down anymore additions to the squad. However the biggest A-League transfer story is the transfer of Iceland international Bjorn Tryggvason to the club on a free-contract. The former Valur man has stated that he cannot wait to start playing for his new club.
One of the biggest local news is the intensive Pre-Season for Sydney FC and it's youth Team. After declaring that the Youth season is not up to scratch, he went out and arranged a number of warm-up tournaments and tours, including the youth tour of India and Taiwan.
The Youth side is still in the Middle East completing their tour of the area.
Sydney FC's First Team, however, were not immune to the intensive Pre-Season routine. The squads slightly less intense schedule included a friendly competition with a number of youth sides, the normal friendlies against local clubs, and a tour of New Zealand, which included a shock loss to Auckland City.
There have been a number of changes to the Sydney FC roster this season, including a number of youth signings from the QAS, AIS and NSWIS. However the biggest two signings for the transfer window would have to be former Liverpool front man Robbie Fowler, and former Italian international striker Luca Toni.
In the pre-season, Robbie Fowler played 7 matches (5 starts), scoring 2 goals, 2 assists, and recieved 1 man of the match award. Luca Toni played 8 matches (7 starts) scoring a massive 12 goals, 3 assists, and 2 man of the match awards.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Update
3/12/2010
Australian manager Stephan Johnson has stepped down as Newcastle United manager, following the sides dismal draw to Steaua. After a brilliant first season with Newcastle, Stephan Johnson took Australia to win the World Cup, however, that may have been a bad omen, with his club side losing in the majority of the domestic matches.
1/2/2011
The Dutch transfer window has wound up, with the biggest news coming from AFC Ajax. First of all, sweeper John Heitinga was made redundant and sold to Inter Milan. Ajax then purchased a large number of players, including World Cup winning striker David Williams. They also purchased Liam Lawrence from Hearts, Nelson Sale from YoungHeart, Lee Chun-Soo from Middlesbrough, Adnan Fallatah from Al-Ittihad (whom he presumably came across during his time at Sydney, Harald Muller from Werder Bremen, Thiago Ribeiro from Sao Paulo, and Benjamin Lauth from HSV.
6/2/2011
Following Ajax's draw with rivals PSV, Stephan Johnson has lashed out at the match referee, after disallowing the goal. Claiming it cost the squad the match, was quite true, as the stalemate found Ajax dominating proceedings.
Stephan Johnson has been officially warned by the Dutch FA.
AJAX Squad 6/2/2011
Ajax Table 6/2/2011
Australia Squad 6/2/2011
Confederations Cup Groups 6/2/2011
Asian Cup Groups 6/2/2011
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Update
Newcastle Update
No changes to the Newcastle Squad, however Sebastian Frey has lost the number 1 keeper role to youth player Michael Turner, who recently joined the club from Real Madrid. Fraser Forster has yet to make a game this year, however, it is expected, as he was only recently promoted to the first team, as a result of a Tim Krul injury.
In other Newcastle news, the FA fined manager Stephan Johnson $16,000, following a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United. He recently said in a press conference, that he is adamant that the goal was a goal.
Despite horrible results domestically, the side has managed to uphold some pride in the Champions League, with a 3-0 win at home to Steaua, and holding Barcelona to a draw at the Nou Camp 1-1.
After horrible start to the season, Newcastle are sitting at 16th on the Premier League Ladder. Newcastle’s next opponent, Tottenham, are exceeding all expectations, and topping the premier league ladder.
Australia Update
Socceroos Manager Stephan Johnson named an almost fully domestic squad for the Asian Cup qualifiers, including some notable internationals that are eligible to play for Australia. One major player is Reinaldo Mineiro, who made a splash on his few matches.
Australia has yet to concede a goal with their A-League outfit, with an average score of 5. With two more matches to go, it’s the last chance for the A-League based squad to impress the manager to gain a spot in the first team.
Player Focus
Reinaldo Mineiro
This Brazilian, who qualifies for the Socceroos by passport, has player 4 matches, and scored 11 goals. The Striker will give David Williams and Scott Macdonald a run for the striking spot, however with a possible move to 4-3-3, he might be able to play side by side his rivals. This year is his 6th with Queensland; he started out playing with America in Brazil, and Corinthians. He is on an $875,000 contract and is being poached by Newcastle Jets. Only 26 years old, he is expected to be one of the only A-League Socceroos to retain the green and gold jersey.
No changes to the Newcastle Squad, however Sebastian Frey has lost the number 1 keeper role to youth player Michael Turner, who recently joined the club from Real Madrid. Fraser Forster has yet to make a game this year, however, it is expected, as he was only recently promoted to the first team, as a result of a Tim Krul injury.
In other Newcastle news, the FA fined manager Stephan Johnson $16,000, following a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United. He recently said in a press conference, that he is adamant that the goal was a goal.
Despite horrible results domestically, the side has managed to uphold some pride in the Champions League, with a 3-0 win at home to Steaua, and holding Barcelona to a draw at the Nou Camp 1-1.
After horrible start to the season, Newcastle are sitting at 16th on the Premier League Ladder. Newcastle’s next opponent, Tottenham, are exceeding all expectations, and topping the premier league ladder.
Australia Update
Socceroos Manager Stephan Johnson named an almost fully domestic squad for the Asian Cup qualifiers, including some notable internationals that are eligible to play for Australia. One major player is Reinaldo Mineiro, who made a splash on his few matches.
Australia has yet to concede a goal with their A-League outfit, with an average score of 5. With two more matches to go, it’s the last chance for the A-League based squad to impress the manager to gain a spot in the first team.
Player Focus
Reinaldo Mineiro
This Brazilian, who qualifies for the Socceroos by passport, has player 4 matches, and scored 11 goals. The Striker will give David Williams and Scott Macdonald a run for the striking spot, however with a possible move to 4-3-3, he might be able to play side by side his rivals. This year is his 6th with Queensland; he started out playing with America in Brazil, and Corinthians. He is on an $875,000 contract and is being poached by Newcastle Jets. Only 26 years old, he is expected to be one of the only A-League Socceroos to retain the green and gold jersey.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Update
Newcastle Update
(Click on Image to Enlarge them)
As season 2010/2011 kicked off, this was how the Newcastle First Team looked like. The obvious loss, was defender Lucas Neil, who was replaced by Josimar Spencer Silva Lima. The little known defender was coldly welcomed by the St James faithful, however impressed during the season. We will look at Josimar in today’s player focus.
Newcastle’s season started very well (pre-season friendlies), especially due to that fact that half the squad were away at the World Cup. The, unfortunately also manager Stephan Johnson was away for the entire pre-season. This meant that the team was at the reign of Kevin Bond. The first competitive match started well, winning 1-0 away to AA Gent. The team then had substantial losses in the Premier League, leaving the side 10th on the table. The team however has had success in the Champions Cup, but the next match against Barcelona will be a test.
Australia Report
The current Australian squad remained unchanged from the World Cup squad, however the biggest change in this squad was the clubs, and player value. Most notably Lucas Neil now playing for Juventus, David Williams for Koln, and Scott Macdonald for AEK Athens.
The Australian side backed up their World Cup triumph with former rivals New Zealand in Sydney. The team ranked 45th fielded a defensive squad, but the press demanded goals. It seems complacency took hold, as Luke Wilkshire put in an own goal on the 4th minute. New Zealand took hold in the match until a Stephan Johnson tactic change swayed the pace of the match. Instantly Scott Macdonald scored on the 25th. The score stayed as is at half time, and indeed almost the rest of the second half, until a Tim Cahill wonder goal on the 72nd minute showed the team’s class. However New Zealand player Liam Egan scored on the 74th, against the run of play. Tim Cahill then scored emphatically 2 minutes later, before sweeper Ljubo Milicevic scored to make the scoreline look respectable, in a horrible performance by the World Champions.
The Australian side will now play Vietnam in an Asian Cup match, with Stephan Johnson set to experiment with a locally based squad.
Player Focus
After excelling at the Excelsior youth academy (no pun intended), Josimar Spencer Silva Lima was seen by Newcastle manager Stephan Johnson in pre-season warm up matches in Sydney. After being advised of Newcastle’s inability to re-sign Lucas Neil, Johnson instantly offered a contract to Silva Lima. He plays internationally for Cape Verde, not a world dominating side, but locally, he is a hero. He puts in strong performances for his country, including a 1-1 draw against 129th ranked nation Kenya (Cape Verde is ranked 144th).
He wasn’t welcomed into Newcastle too well, with supporters questioning Stephan Johnson. However, he put in some solid defensive performances, however made his mark, when he was pushed up into the midfield, he scored his first goal against Ipswich.
He has stated that one of his favourite players is Tim Cahill, and has been known to say he is honoured to be at the same club as him. He played two matches for the Dutch U/19s side, however fell out of favour, and earned his first international cap against Tunisia at age 17.
He is currently on a $38,000 wage, and is worth $10 million. He is poached by Burnley and Walsall, however Stephan Johnson rejected both, stating he is not for loan or sale.
(Click on Image to Enlarge them)
As season 2010/2011 kicked off, this was how the Newcastle First Team looked like. The obvious loss, was defender Lucas Neil, who was replaced by Josimar Spencer Silva Lima. The little known defender was coldly welcomed by the St James faithful, however impressed during the season. We will look at Josimar in today’s player focus.
Newcastle’s season started very well (pre-season friendlies), especially due to that fact that half the squad were away at the World Cup. The, unfortunately also manager Stephan Johnson was away for the entire pre-season. This meant that the team was at the reign of Kevin Bond. The first competitive match started well, winning 1-0 away to AA Gent. The team then had substantial losses in the Premier League, leaving the side 10th on the table. The team however has had success in the Champions Cup, but the next match against Barcelona will be a test.
Australia Report
The current Australian squad remained unchanged from the World Cup squad, however the biggest change in this squad was the clubs, and player value. Most notably Lucas Neil now playing for Juventus, David Williams for Koln, and Scott Macdonald for AEK Athens.
The Australian side backed up their World Cup triumph with former rivals New Zealand in Sydney. The team ranked 45th fielded a defensive squad, but the press demanded goals. It seems complacency took hold, as Luke Wilkshire put in an own goal on the 4th minute. New Zealand took hold in the match until a Stephan Johnson tactic change swayed the pace of the match. Instantly Scott Macdonald scored on the 25th. The score stayed as is at half time, and indeed almost the rest of the second half, until a Tim Cahill wonder goal on the 72nd minute showed the team’s class. However New Zealand player Liam Egan scored on the 74th, against the run of play. Tim Cahill then scored emphatically 2 minutes later, before sweeper Ljubo Milicevic scored to make the scoreline look respectable, in a horrible performance by the World Champions.
The Australian side will now play Vietnam in an Asian Cup match, with Stephan Johnson set to experiment with a locally based squad.
Player Focus
After excelling at the Excelsior youth academy (no pun intended), Josimar Spencer Silva Lima was seen by Newcastle manager Stephan Johnson in pre-season warm up matches in Sydney. After being advised of Newcastle’s inability to re-sign Lucas Neil, Johnson instantly offered a contract to Silva Lima. He plays internationally for Cape Verde, not a world dominating side, but locally, he is a hero. He puts in strong performances for his country, including a 1-1 draw against 129th ranked nation Kenya (Cape Verde is ranked 144th).
He wasn’t welcomed into Newcastle too well, with supporters questioning Stephan Johnson. However, he put in some solid defensive performances, however made his mark, when he was pushed up into the midfield, he scored his first goal against Ipswich.
He has stated that one of his favourite players is Tim Cahill, and has been known to say he is honoured to be at the same club as him. He played two matches for the Dutch U/19s side, however fell out of favour, and earned his first international cap against Tunisia at age 17.
He is currently on a $38,000 wage, and is worth $10 million. He is poached by Burnley and Walsall, however Stephan Johnson rejected both, stating he is not for loan or sale.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Australian FM Challenge
Australian FM Challenge (For FM 2010)
For anyone who knows Australian football, the league is made up of one small 8 (now 10) team competition, the A-League. My plan involves using FM 10's new editor to create a league below the A-League, in which will contain state league teams trying to achieve promotion to the A-League. All teams will have adjusted funds, based on reputation. It will be one of the first Australian Challenges out there, and it will be hard, but worth it to play.
Initial Competitions:
A-League (Current Comp)
Adelaide United
Brisbane Road
Central Coast Mariners
Gold Coast United
Melbourne Victory
Newcastle Jets
North Queensland Fury
Perth Glory
Sydney FC
Wellington Pheonix
National Championship
Manly United (NSW)
Marconi Stallions (NSW)
Brisbane Strikers (QLD)
Olympic FC (QLD)
South Melbourne (VIC)
Melbourne Knights (VIC)
Canberra City SC (ACT)
Canberra FC (ACT)
ECU Joondalup (WA)
Perth SC (WA)
North Eastern MetroStars (SA)
Adelaide City (SA)
Hobart Olympic (TAS)
Glenorchy Knights (TAS)
Port Darwin FC (NT)
Darwin Olympic SC (NT)
National Division 1
Sunshine Coast FC (QLD)
QAS (QLD)
Sydney United (NSW)
Blacktown Demons (NSW)
Green Gully (VIC)
Altona Magic (VIC)
Canberra Olympic (ACT)
AIS (ACT)
Sorrento (WA)
Floreat Athena (WA)
Adelaide Galaxy (SA)
Modbury Jets (SA)
Metro Claremont (TAS)
New Town Eagles (TAS)
Darwin Dragons SC (NT)
Palmerston FC (NT)
FFA Cup
Contains all league teams, plus qualifying round with additional teams.
Academy League
Contains all academy teams (including some made up teams, based around states)
AIS
NSWIS
QAS
Any additional feedback would be very welcomed.
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