Innehållsförteckning för March 2017 från Australian FourFourTwo

Youth development is a minefield – yet also a goldmine. From a national perspective it’s possible to insist almost anything is the right model... and chances are you’ll be long gone and moved on to your next job before you have to face the consequences of your philosophy years later. And at a local level, there will always be parents willing to invest thousands in putting their kids through academies and camps if they think it will increase a child’s chances of realising their father’s dreams vicariously. What’s the answer? Yeah – buggered if I know. The FFA’s national curriculum seems like a starting point – but not the complete answer. The German model – where they spent literally (bites little fingernail) one BEELLYON dollars on youth development in the…

1 THERE'S ONLY ONE MATCH HAPPENING HERE, SON Guam Dededo As usual, all the big football news is in Micronesia. There’s nothing that makes a man more alluring than netting a goal for NAPA Rovers in the Guam Soccer League, so Ashton Surber capitalised on the moment: racing to the stand and unveiling a ‘Marry me?’ T-shirt, even getting on one knee and pointing sexily in the direction of his girlfriend. She said “yes”, but the ref was less impressed, issuing Surber a yellow card and leaving him lumbered with a fine – just when he’s got a wedding to pay for. 2 YOU AIN'T PUNCHING OUR FLAG Australia Gosford You know Tim Cahill’s trademark goal celebration, where he does a spot of shadow boxing with the corner flag? A…

2 JAPAN 2 MATILDAS Thong Nhat Stadium, 25 May 2014, (Asian Cup) THE LEAD-UP ‘We were coming in as Asian champions, so we obviously went into the tournament wanting to go back to back. We didn’t end up doing that obviously but there was a lot at stake – Japan were world champions and it was a big moment playing against such a world class team.’ THE MATCH ‘At this point I wasn’t playing up front too much so it was a bit of a surprise for me to score. My goal was in the first half and put us in front, so we were obviously disappointed to be leading 2-0 and let them come back and grab a point out of it.’ THE GOAL ‘I picked up the ball…

Think two games in three days was a heavy Christmas period schedule? The non-league striker George Gaskin played two games on Boxing Day, and netted a hat-trick in both. First he notched a treble for ninth-tier Littlehampton in their 11am kick-off away at Worthing, then drove 20 miles to sit on the subs’ bench for fellow Sussex club Horsham in their 2pm encounter against Godalming in Ryman League Division One South. Coming on for his Horsham debut 15 minutes from the end, he scored three more in an 8-1 win. “The Horsham boss is my mate, and so he asked if I’d help them out a bit over Christmas because Littlehampton didn’t have many games,” says Gaskin, who signed for the club on dual-registration. “He didn’t expect me to be…

NIGEL WINTERBURN I’ve always been a very strong supporter of Arsene because when you have played for him and been successful, you fully understand his methods and his love for the club. I’d like him to stay. After a long period without the league title, I think the team and the squad now look a lot stronger. Things are moving in the right direction; what you have to ask is whether it’s moving quickly enough for a lot of people, because everyone wants to win the title yesterday. What I would love to see is for them to be there in April – if not top, then within three or four points of the leaders. That would get people excited again. ALAN SMITH There have been plenty of times when…

“Confidence is key. When you have self-belief, you trust your ability and can take ownership of the game” How did you handle the pressure of making your debut last season? Honestly, I wasn’t nervous at all. There were a few other youngsters who were also making their debuts and wanted to impress, which probably took the pressure off me a little bit. The game [at Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup] was on TV, so I was excited to get out there and show what I could do. I told myself to do the simple things well and I knew if I did that, then the rest of my game would come together. It was all a dream come true for me. What advice did Arsene Wenger give you before…

QUINOA These days you can’t scroll through your Instagram feed without seeing a picture of a so-called superfood that is dressed up to the nines in an exotic dressing. Quinoa is now a favourite among social media health fanatics, but what exactly is all the fuss about? This nutritious crop has been grown in South America for thousands of years and belongs to the same nutritional family as beets, chard and spinach. Quinoa is considered a far superior alternative to starchy carbs such as bulgur wheat, rice and couscous because of its high protein content, which is perfect for repairing your body after training, a rigorous 90 minutes or working out in the gym. 1 “Quinoa contains 14g of protein per 100g,” says nutritionist Gavin Allinson, “plus amino acids, which…

WS Wanderers vs Sydney Will this be the weekend the Wanderers’ derby drought ends - and Sydney’s invincible run too? Sydney vs Melbourne Victory They meet for a second time within just five weeks – and this one could decide the title Bayern vs Arsenal Arguably the biggest fixture in the Champions League last 16 – the first leg is at the Allianz Sevilla vs Leicester The Foxes may be struggling in the Premier League, but will the dream live on in Europe? Norwich vs Ipswich Live from Carrow Road, it’s an East Anglian clash sometimes called the Old Farm derby League Cup final Wembley is the stage for the showpiece event: who will succeed Manchester City as winners?…

THE BEST ADVICE I EVER GOT WAS MY GOALKEEPING COACH WHO TOLD ME: “KEEP THE BALL OUT OF THE BACK OF THE NET...” I knew I’d made it as a player when I got to Milan and to realise that dreams do come true. I grew up watching them on TV and loved the club, so to think that I ended up playing there was incredible. I was happiest when we qualified for the World Cup in 2005, when we won the Champions League and also when my kids were born. My hero growing up was Peter Schmeichel - he was a dominant figure and a dominant personality. I loved the way he distributed with his hands. The funniest thing a coach ever told me was back in the Steve…

“You’re only here for the culture,” has become a chant at Hull’s KCOM Stadium, and now you don’t have to be at the ground to hear it. Some scoffed when Hull was selected as the UK’s 2017 City of Culture, but locals have always been proud of the place’s artistic heritage. And now that art includes a ‘sonic installation’ in the city: mics were placed all around the Tigers’ pitch during November’s League Cup quarter-final win over Newcastle, recording the sound of the home fans. The result, entitled 105db and edited down to 21 minutes, is being played back at Hull’s Zebedee’s Yard, with speakers located strategically to try to recreate the “virtual landscape” of the game. Got it? “Fans can wander over to where they were sitting, or go…

Granit Xhaka is on the edge of the centre circle, bouncing on his tiptoes. He receives a pass infield from Mohamed Elneny and pushes the ball into the open space in front of him. With the game all but over at 3-1 in stoppage time, and with Hull City’s defence retreating, Xhaka gets to within 35 yards of goal and chooses to break with an Arsenal tradition. Instead of passing, he lets rip. The ball hurtles through the Humberside air, past Eldin Jakupovic and into the net. The Arsenal faithful celebrate a meaningless fourth goal at the KCOM Stadium as if it’s a last-minute winner. At long last, they have a player who is willing to give the ball a good old-fashioned wallop. FourFourTwo recounts the fierce September strike to…

It’s a sweltering day in late July and a squad of teenage footballers runs wearily through the Lake District, each member carrying a log above their head. At the end of a muddied trail, the group dives into a river and swims downstream. The players must rely on their own acumen and the support of their team-mates to overcome each challenge. There are no player liaison officers on hand to solve their problems, nor any sports psychologists present to massage bruised egos. For three days, contact with the outside world is limited. All electrical devices – mobile phones, iPads and laptops – are banned, with players made to fill their free time by listening to some motivational speakers at mental resilience workshops. Sheffield Wednesday’s under-18 side are undergoing a punishing…

Favourite music Wretch 32 – he is good lyrically. Last album bought Views by Drake. Pre-match tune All The Way Up by Fat Joe fires me up. Favourite actor Will Smith – I want to be just like him! Best holiday destination Marbella, as I had a really great time there last summer. Pre-match meal Carbs, carbs, carbs! Lots of rice or pasta. Gym session or cardio session? Gym. I hate cardio – we do hard sessions. Favourite tricks Flip-flap. I’ve pulled it off in training on a few occasions. Five years from now you’ll be… Still at Arsenal and scoring plenty of goals, hopefully.…

Sunderland Terminally-ill Bradley Lowery was the Black Cats’ mascot against Chelsea and scored at half-time. Classy. Hot boxing Double down when it’s hot outside and try a hot boxing class. Be prepared to sweat! Chris Brass Bury’s new manager lost all four matches he took charge of as caretaker and yet still got the job full-time. Loris Karius The Liverpool keeper is certain to feature in this year’s batch of Christmas football blooper DVDs. Oops. CR7 blankets We love Ronaldo, but you will never see us taking forty winks in Cristiano’s new range of branded blankets. Birmingham Giving manager Gary Rowett the boot after two top-10 finishes in the Championship on a shoestring budget is just plain bonkers.…

“MY MOVE TO CHELSEA FELL THROUGH BECAUSE THEY STARTED SELLING ROBINHO SHIRTS. REAL MADRID WERE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS” CLUBS 2002-05 Santos 2005-08 Real Madrid 2008-10 Manchester City 2010 Santos (loan) 2010-15 Milan 2014-15 Santos (loan) 2015 Guangzhou Evergrande 2016- Atletico Mineiro COUNTRY 2003- Brazil FourFourTwo arrives at the training ground of Atletico Mineiro to find Robinho happily chatting away on Facetime as pre-season preparations continue for the Brazil Serie A side. After his acrimonious exits from Real Madrid and Manchester City, there’s a perception the 33-year-old is a little surly. That couldn’t be further from the truth, and it’s not hard to see why – last season he hit 25 goals for the Roosters. He insists, though, that’s not the main reason for his joyful demeanour. “One…

Have you ever really wanted a screaming Gianluigi Buffon inked into your skin? Maybe a smiling Carlos Valderrama? Or how about a sullen Sebastian Viera? If your answer to any of the above questions is yes – and, let’s be honest, every self-respecting football fan has wanted a tattoo of ex-Villarreal and Uruguay goalkeeper Viera at some point in their life – then get yourself on the next flight to the Colombian city of Barranquilla. There you will find tattoo artist Ronald Horta, who has a growing reputation for his stunningly realistic inkworks of a growing list of footballers. To date, he has created tattoos of Ronaldo, Messi, Buffon, Valderrama, FFT’s cover star Ronaldinho, Colombia striker Carlos Bacca and even Viera, the ex-Nacional gloveman who now plays for local club…