Sommaire pour April 2018 de Australian FourFourTwo

As another A-League season draws to a close, despite Sydney’s runaway win and a Lazarus-like revival of football fortunes (and crowds) in Newcastle, many would say this season has been a flop with freefalling metrics across the league. But regardless of what some might try to persuade us, football in Australia is not just the A-League... With the promotion-relegation row rumbling on – and the ongoing interest in the FFA Cup (and FFA reform) – there feels like there is a much keener awareness of lower league football in Australia than at any other time in the last decade or more. With the A-League feeling stale, many fans are turning their attention back to the local teams playing at local venues with local players for local fans. But on the…

1 GOODNESS GRACIOUS, MEE England Burnley There have been lots of iconic movie posters in the past: Jaws, Pulp Fiction, A Clockwork Orange, Saving Bernardo Silva. Hang on, Saving Bernardo Silva? When Ben Mee rugby-tackled Silva during Burnley’s clash with Man City, he was pictured virtually carrying his opponent over his shoulder, as if the ex-Monaco ace had been wounded in battle. Burnley mocked it up into their own version of the Saving Private Ryan poster, with boss Sean Dyche peeking at the back. Next: Jack Cork cycles to the moon mid-match to recreate ET. 2 CHEVRON BONANZA Nigeria Lagos Nigeria have launched their snazzy new kit range ahead of the World Cup – we haven’t seen so much zig and zag since the days of The Big Breakfast. The…

The Illustrated History of Football: Hall of Fame David Squires (Century, $37.99) The admired illustrator released his first book just over 12 months ago and, such was its success, has followed it up with another. In his latest effort, the Australia-based Swindon fan, known for his sketchings in The Guardian, looks at the legends of the game (and Jan Aage Fjortoft). He’s able to combine his brilliant illustration skills with jokes about the stars and amusing cultural references about the likes of Donald Trump and Nigel Farage. There’s something for all ages – legends featured range from Liverpool manager Bill Shankly and Brazilian winger Garrincha to Cristiano Ronaldo and John Terry. Be astonished by Zlatan Ibrahimovic karate-chopping an orca, Darren Peacock getting his kit off for a magazine shoot and…

THE LEAD UP It was Round 1 of the 2010/11 season and it was a grand final rematch. We had lost the big dance to Sydney FC. Archie Thompson and Robbie Kruse were out injured and Ney Fabiano and Danny Allsopp had left the club. We had no one else to play up top, so I was a makeshift striker for the game and just remember having to come up against the likes of Hayden Foxe and Stephan Keller. They were a really experienced team and everyone was buzzing because it was the first game. I had only played a handful of senior games at that point and it was good for my confidence, as bad as it was for Archie and Krusey to be out. THE MATCH We were…

I knew I made it as a player when I signed for Melbourne Knights. I was lucky enough to play in the Victorian Premier League at 16 for Springvale City back in the day. When I signed in the old NSL for the Knights, it hit home that I was doing what I liked and it was my profession. It was my first real professional contract. I was happiest when I won Championships - they were the best times, looking back. I won two with Melbourne Victory. Accomplishing something as a group is really hard to do at any level. When I think about football, it’s all about winning trophies. My hero growing up was Paul Trimboli. I followed South Melbourne because they were the closest team to us. I…

It’s rare that a teenager plying his trade in the Football League can be deemed a ‘sure thing’ – a player so likely to make a splash at the very highest level, that the biggest clubs in Europe are already salivating at the prospect of securing the starlet’s signature. FourFourTwo is in a warehouse-turned-football-showroom to not only witness the launch of England’s new kit for this summer’s World Cup, but also to meet Ryan Sessegnon, a player who just so happens to match the above description. Hordes of journalists and selfie-stick wielding YouTubers are hovering around Marcus Rashford, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Butland, but while all this madness is unfolding around him, Fulham’s teenage sensation sits calmly on a stool in the corner of the room. He may not be…

The business class section of a private jet, cruising through the air somewhere between the Algarve and Amsterdam, probably isn’t the setting you’d expect for a young footballer’s big break. As Ajax’s squad relaxed on their way home from a mid-season training camp in the south of Portugal last January, one of the younger members of the travelling party was beckoned to the vacant seat next to manager Peter Bosz. This had been the fresh-faced player’s first prolonged exposure to first-team training, and as such he was only just getting his head round the idea that he was a professional. Having taken a seat next to his gaffer, the youngster was told he had sufficiently impressed Ajax’s coaching staff and would from now on remain with the first team on…

There is a downside to beating Brazil three times on the trot. Add a long-awaited win over USA and back to back wins over China, and the Matildas have a target on their back. They are THE team to beat in 2018. Four years ago, they headed into the Asian Cup ranked only 11th in the world despite being the defending champions. Today on the eve of the 2018 Asian Cup, they’re fourth in the world and flying. Free-flowing, free-scoring, fearless football are their hallmarks. They no longer try to snatch and grab, they now attack with unrelenting mercilessness, scything through midfields and defences and finishing with the ruthlessness of a streetfighter. But while they have made the world sit up and take proper notice in their run of friendlies…

KYAH SIMON DOB: 25 June 1991 Current Clubs: Melbourne City FC (AUS) and Houston Dash (USA) Position: Forward Caps: 43 After a hiatus in 2016 to undergo a double shoulder reconstruction, Kyah Simon has come back to the game rejuvenated. Simon’s strikes have hit the back of the net twice this season but more impressively, she has provided five successful assists to her team mates during the 2017/18 W-League season. Simon is a team player with a wealth of international experience, scoring 14 goals in the green and gold including the winning penalty in the 2010 Asian Cup. ALANNA KENNEDY DOB: 21 January 1995 Current Clubs: Melbourne City FC (AUS) and Orlando Pride (USA) Position: Defender Caps: 59 A young and versatile player, Kennedy boasts skills in both central defence…

1 Kettlebell swings If you’re keen to get your heart and lungs burning like they do in a match, then this exercise is an ideal place to start. “Moving resistance at high intensity will really raise your heart rate,” reveals Goff. “Make sure you hinge at your hips, as this isn’t a squat and swing. Keep it nice and tight, but don’t over-arch the back.” 2 Clean and press This full-body movement ensures that you build a durable engine and strong exterior. “This works hundreds of muscles and is perfect for developing power. Start off at the ground, or mid-shin if you don’t think you have the mobility. Drive through the hips before dropping into a front squat and then driving back up to your head.” 3 Weighted dead bug…

There’s no fixture in world football with as much loathing as Bucharest’s Eternal Derby between Dinamo and Steaua. The February 18 edition was no different, the home side’s fans unfurling a series of banners depicting the Red Dogs’ nickname, badge and the Grim Reaper to ensure Steaua would face an intimidating atmosphere. For 83 minutes, it worked as Dinamo led 2-0, but Filipe Teixeira’s injury-time equaliser – after Dennis Man had pulled one back – earned Steaua a point. Their bark must be worse than their bite.…

“WHEN SOMEONE MENTIONS A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL, I’LL THINK OF 2005 BEFORE ’99. THE PAIN STAYS WITH YOU LONGER” Netherlands 0-1 Germany April 24, 1996 Friendly “When I received my first call from the national coach, Guus Hiddink, I thought it was a friend playing a joke, but it was a proud moment. I was a sub and spent the second half wondering if I was going to play. With 10 minutes left I came on to replace John Veldman – I was full of nerves but did well. We lost, but at least Germany didn’t score while I was on!” Man United 2-1 B Munich May 26, 1999 Champions League final “I couldn’t have wished for a better first season in England, winning the Premier League, the FA Cup…

COMPARED TO: Gabriel Batistuta – at least that’s how Argentina boss Jorge Sampaoli sees him. Martinez begs to differ: “No, no, I want to be like Radamel Falcao.” THE STORY SO FAR: A natural No.9 and a lethal finisher. His goal record shows that when deployed centrally. Made his debut aged 15 at Liniers, moving to Racing Club a year later. In contention to make Argentina’s World Cup squad, he turned down a loan move to Real Madrid Castilla in 2016 and then looked set to join Atletico Madrid. He is now bound for Serie A side Inter this summer, having hit a hat-trick when one of the Nerazzurri’s directors went to see him. Arsenal were also linked. NICKNAME: El Toro (‘The Bull’), because of his strength. Celebrates goals by…

Look, sometimes you have to admit defeat: Not EVERYONE is going to make it to Russia this year... (Yeah, sorry to rub salt into those wounds again Italy, Holland, Chile and Scotland fans.) And with the best will in the world, sometimes savings just won’t stretch all the way to Moscow. But Socceroo stalwart Mile Jedinak is here to try to help get you sipping vodka in Sochi or eating caviar in Kazan... Hisense, the official television of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, is celebrating its new partnership with Jedi as local brand ambassador by launching a nationwide competition to take two lucky Hisense customers to the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ in Russia – and it could be you (so long as you buy one of their TVs, of course!)…

Richarlison stares blankly at the miniature pool table waiting at his feet. “Could you pot one of the balls?” asks FourFourTwo’s photographer, in English. The Watford forward turns to a Brazilian member of the crew for an explanation in his native tongue, but clarification doesn’t cure the look of bemusement. Undeterred, he collapses his gangly 5ft 11in frame like a Transformer experiencing a malfunction, elbows and knees akimbo as he lines up his shot. As our snapper crouches to line up his own shot, Richarlison’s agent, plus his agent’s wife and a family friend, hang over the back of a sofa at the 20-year-old’s Hertfordshire home, poised to capture the moment on camera phones. CRACK! The white ball connects with its target at speed, propelling it into a corner pocket.…

On the evening of Sunday, July 13, 2014, an 18-year-old lad sat in the middle of a restaurant with his mates, both eyes fixed on the big screen in front of him. He had just completed his high-school studies at the Wirtemberg-Gymnasium in Stuttgart, and now he was ready for the greatest celebration of all time. He watched on as, 6,000 miles away at the Maracana in Brazil, Miroslav Klose made his 137th and final outing for Germany. Then he jumped for joy as Mario Götze volleyed home in extra time to win the World Cup for Die Mannschaft. That night, Timo Werner was just like every other football-loving teenager in Germany. This summer, it could be very different. It won’t be Klose leading the line as Joachim Löw’s men…

WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD CULTURE AND WE KNOW WHAT EACH OTHER WANTS AND NEEDS ON AND OFF THE FIELD. THAT’S IMPORTANT. Katrina Gorry is missing a trophy in her cabinet. In 2014 she should have been named player of the tournament at the Asian Cup, but a single goal defeat in the final against Japan denied her that silverware. She still picked up that year’s Asian Women’s Player of the Year (at the tender age of 21) – but, well, you know… Now she has the chance to make amends. Gorry is the pocket rocket who exploded on the scene with a Matildas debut at 19, then shot Australia to that 2014 Asian Cup final with three goals during the tournament… only to fall at the final hurdle. But…

 You’re a Sheffield lad – what are your earliest football memories? “Rooney’s been helping me a lot with some little pointers. It’s the small things that end up making a big difference” I grew up in Hillsborough near Sheffield Wednesday’s stadium, but I’m a Blade. My family support United, so I grew up following them. I always went down to the local park as there was this concrete court where you could play football and basketball. I used to play on there with a group of mates against older players. We were pretty decent so we’d always give them a good game, but I remember a few times when I got smashed in the mouth by a flailing arm! Do you think cage football can help to develop young players?…

▲ Mousa Dembele Tottenham’s in-form midfielder continues to give opponents the runaround. He is one of the game’s most underrrated players. ▲ Nike goalie gloves An innovative pair of strapless gloves with extra grip might give goalkeepers the edge during the World Cup. ▲ Gennaro Gattuso The fiery former Milan midfielder, now their manager, allowed all of his players to slap him on the head after a 2-1 win over Lazio. ▼ Oussama Tannane The Moroccan ended his season-long loan with Las Palmas after four months, and has said he couldn’t settle as he didn’t know the club was on an island. ▼ Nacional The Uruguayan outfit were fined after fans made ‘sick’ gestures about the plane crash in which Chapecoense players lost their lives. ▼ Tiemoue Bakayoko The France…

“I HAD A LEFT FOOT AND VISION LIKE NO ONE ELSE, BUT I WASN’T THE QUICKEST. IF I’D BEEN FASTER, I MAY HAVE WON THE BALLON D’OR” CLUBS 2000-05 Ajax 2005-08 Hamburg 2008-10 Real Madrid 2010-12 Tottenham 2012-15 Hamburg 2015-16 Real Betis 2016- Midtjylland COUNTRY 2001-13 Netherlands He is now a 35-year-old veteran of big-money moves, Champions League campaigns and World Cup finals, but Rafael van der Vaart could still give the young bucks in this issue of FFT some sage advice on coping with the strain of being a highly-rated youth. In 2003 he was the first ever Golden Boy, an award given by European sports journalists, and the field was especially competitive. “If I remember correctly, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo came second and…

HE JUST HAD TO TAKE IT TOO FAR A Norwegian Liverpool fan has called his new baby girl ‘YNWA’ after anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone. It’s pronounced ‘Unn-wah’, apparently... Answers 1) Gianluigi Buffon; 2) Jose Luis Chilavert; 3) Petr Cech; 4) Neville Southall; 5) Manuel Neuer; 6) Jorge Campos; 7) David Seaman; 8) Karen Bardsley; 9) David de Gea; 10) Fabien Barthez; 11) Gabor Kiraly; 12) Steve Ogrizovic; 13) Tim Howard; 14) Bruce Grobbelaar; 15) Harald ‘Toni’ Schumacher; 16) Rene Higuita; 17) Iker Casillas; 18) Kasper Schmeichel; 19) Peter Schmeichel; 20) Jens Martin Knudsen…

But while no one with their marbles intact would get Hanson inked onto their arm, Hertha Berlin are hoping the promise of a lifetime entry to the Olympiastadion will tempt one of their fans to make the skin sacrifice. Last month, the club announced a competition like no other. A tattoo of the club’s crest, complete with QR code that can act as a never-ending season ticket, will go to the fan who best demonstrates their devotion to Hertha. It sounds like lunacy, but the locals are loving it. “We’ve had more than 800 applicants with lyrics, photos and videos,” club spokesman Daniel Schmid tells FFT. “Hertha is a club full of emotion. We’re looking for somebody who’ll show his passion for the club with a lifetime symbol.” Waiting with…

Think of footballers who have conquered the modelling world, and Deon Burton’s name isn’t the first that comes to mind. A member of the Jamaica World Cup squad at France 98, the ex-Derby striker has been starring in several advertising campaigns since he hung up his boots – but don’t expect to see him in his pants on a poster. Instead he’s doing shoots with Iceland, Tesco and the Hilton Hotels – most clients don’t know about his past. “Unless we get talking, most people have no idea that I’m an ex-footballer,” the 41-year-old tells FFT. “I did an Iceland ad with Peter Andre and they didn’t know until people started to put stuff on social media.” Burton got into the modelling lark when he was spotted during a shoot…

“THIAAAAAAGO!” It’s a sunny afternoon over at Paris Saint-Germain’s Camp des Loges training facility, nestled in woodland to the north of the chic residential district of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, around 30 minutes west of Paris. Long-limbed and lithe, Kylian Mbappe has come bounding into the room and now he’s standing with his nose pressed up against the window, gazing out onto the first-team training pitches. They appear in pristine condition thanks to the sterling work of two groundsmen, who have only just finished pushing a pair of industrial-strength lawnmowers across the turf in perfect straight lines. Thiago Motta is doing some one-on-one fitness work with a member of PSG’s coaching team on the far side of the pitches. It was Mbappe who’d shouted out the name of the Brazil-born Italy international, in…

THE CORONATION IS EXPECTED TO TAKE PLACE IN MANCHESTER LATER THIS MONTH. GIGI IS GONE. LONG LIVE GIGIO. On March 23, the Etihad Stadium will be the unlikely neutral venue for Italy’s first match since the international retirement of Gianluigi Buffon – a prestige friendly against Argentina. It will be the Azzurri’s first game since Sweden shattered Buffon’s dreams of bowing out in glory, at the World Cup this summer. A substitute that November night, as Italy were surprisingly beaten in a play-off at the San Siro, Gianluigi Donnarumma marched onto the field at full-time to embrace the tearful Buffon, his hero and the man who has been his lifelong inspiration. Now that the path is clear, a few months earlier than originally anticipated. Italy’s goalkeeping jersey is his. Still…