Thursday, September 30, 2010

Laos results at SUZUKI CUP 2008

2008 Results

6 Dec 08Malaysia3 0Laos
8 Dec 08Laos0 6Thailand
10 Dec 08Vietnam4 0Laos

Laos lost 13 goals in 3 matches in 2008, but now it is in 2010, everything is different, because we have new players and the best player in Laos football history. I believe that Laos team will give Lao fans a surprised as the Seagame 2009 . Lao sou sou..

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

American rookies in Europe. The rules to be successful. The experiences of Terrel McIntyre and J.R. Holden!

The following is a guest blog from Basketball Telegraph columnist Dr FingerRoll. We have asked him to draft an article about american rookies and how they can be successful in Europe. The article is very interesting.

"Adapting to the new environment, getting comfortable in the new place, learning the rules, having a goal and working hard, these are the keys for a successful rookie that wants to make it in Europe" - Terrel McIntyre

Is it about talent? Yes, it is.
Is it only about talent? No, it is not.
We are talking about successful rookies who come from the United States to Europe to start their pro careers. Some of them, a small percentage, go back to the United States after a year or so ready to shine, or at least to have a career as role players, in the NBA (Brandon Jennings, James Singleton, Maurice Evans to name just a few), others will become "Europeans" and enjoy a 10 year stint in the Old Continent beginning in unknown countries to climb the stairs of success and make it to the highest competition of the best leagues (Spanish, Italian, Russian, Greek, Turkish, French and German) and ultimately to the Euroleague.
There is also a big percentage of american rookies who do not learn much from the european experience and go back to the States to try and (re)build their hoops future in the minor leagues or dreaming a call-up from the NBA playing in the D-League.

We said it is not only about talent. Gifted players like Brandon Jennings for instance have more chances to make it, but players like Terrel McIntyre or "Russian" superstar J.R. Holden did not receive any attention after graduating from college and they had to walk the steep and tough road of success.
Take Holden, for exemple. He graduated from Bucknell in 1998 and, a few days before starting looking for a "real job" (his words) he received a call from Riga, Latvia, where a local team was offering a contract (USD 3.000 a month) to play the 1 spot. He accepted. Flash forward to 2010: at age 34, J.R. Holden won championships in each country he played (Latvia, Belgium, Greece and Russia), he became a Russian citizen and led the National Team to the gold medal at the 2007 FIBA European Championship where he scored the winning basket in the finals against Spain. And, mind you, he was nobody at college or at least not a high caliber and didn't have the athletic skills nor the size of many other players that didn't make it.

The key, when you are out of your element, is adapting to the new environment, to make yourself at home in a foreign country and to have a goal and be humble.
In an interview Holden said that at first the language barrier gave him the impression that people were cold. "My teammates told me just to give it time" he said "and they were right. I began to realize how friendly people actually are in Russia". And it is so much easier to perform at your best when you are enjoying your time off the court or at least when you don't see the trip overseas as "just work".

Another key to success is, and that is no news, hard work and adapting to the new rules on and off the court. Many times we saw players coming to Europe thinking they would teach coaches and other players "out to do it". Wrong move.
It might be a different game and there might be rules that seem crazy (not to mention the refereeing) but that's the game in Europe and the sooner you learn the tricks of the trade the sooner you will be on the right track to be successful.
And, again, having a goal always helps. "To play well is always difficult - McIntyre says - you have to work hard in order to be good. At the early stage of my career in Italy I watched the Euroleague and I knew that was the level I wanted to be at and I knew that if I worked hard it could happen". And it did happen to T-Mac. Three times MVP of the Italian Lega A with the green jersey of powerhouse Siena, McIntyre after flirting with the Lakers and the greek outfit Panathinaikos, signed in Spain and will run Unicaja Malaga in the next ACB (Spanish) league.

There are also some aspects that you can't totally control, such as the organization you end up playing for and  some adjustments you need to make in your life like different food, not having the dryer in the apartment or driving a car with stick - these are the most difficult stuff to deal with for an American baller when in Europe - and, for rookies, it should be a big luck to play with experienced players to get advices how to play in Europe and how to manage pressure as an import player.
"When I got here I talked to guys who made it" says McIntyre "guys like Trajan Langdon or J.R. Holden and I was lucky enough to have Bootsy Thornton in my team who already made it to the Euroleague Final Four and who was able to talk to me about being successful in Europe and the work you got to put in".
Adapting to the new environment, getting comfortable in the new place, learning the rules, having a goal and working hard, these are the keys for a successful rookie that wants to make it in Europe.



Monday, September 27, 2010

Nagoya flex their muscles

Nagoya Grampus have taken a massive step towards their first ever title after demolishing fellow contender Shimizu S-Pulse on the weekend.

It was just one of a number of shock results across the league that has had a big impact on the Championship aspirations of a number of clubs.

In Shizuoka it was shaping up as a titanic battle.

Nagoya, who dropped points last week were up against a fellow contender with critics, who dismiss their title credentials given their relatively poor form against fellow “big” sides, ready to pounce on another slip up.

Shimizu were looking to get their title challenge back on track and what better time to do it than against the league leaders.

And they were looking on track when Takuma Edamura struck just after half time to put the home side ahead.

But they weren’t prepared for what happened next. Four goals in 20 minutes, including a hattrick to Keiji Tamada blew S-Pulse out of the water. To make things worse Keisuke Iwashita was also shown a straight red card, leaving S-Pulse to play out the last 20-odd minutes with only 10-men.

Josh Kennedy, who hadn’t scored since August 22, completed his brace in the 83rd minute to again put him clear at the top of the goalscoring charts with 13.

The 1-5 loss put a dagger through S-Pulse’s title hopes, leaving them 10 points adrift of Nagoya and with only one win in their last seven. If they don’t rediscover their early season form they won’t even qualify for the AFC Champions League.

Meanwhile at Saitama Stadium, Urawa Reds hosted fellow midtable side Albirex Niigata. Both sides were in desperate need of a win to maintain their respective hopes of finishing in the top three.

Urawa have started to discover some form in the last few weeks and were confident of taking their first home win since May, whilst Niigata were looking to arrest a three-game winless streak.

Urawa were dealt a blow early when young defender Matthew Spiranovic went off injured, with reports after the game confirming a hamstring injury that will see the defender sidelined for 8 weeks.

Neither side managed any real clear cut chances in the first half, but with half time looming Yosuke Kashiwagi struck with a beautiful shot from outside the box into the top corner to give Urawa the advantage.

The second half was a mirror of the first, with both sides struggling to create any real opportunities and it was from a scrap in the box that saw Urawa score their second to seal the game in the 81st minute.

The win lifts Urawa up the 8th on equal points with Niigata and with a sniff of achieving an unlikely top five finish.

In a mouthwatering clash at the Todoroki Stadium, Kawasaki Frontale hosted Gamba Osaka who had snuck up on the rest of the competition to sit in fourth before the weekend’s action.

Akira Nishino’s side had started the season slowly, but their form over the last 2 months has seen them gradually climb up the table to the point where they are now a genuine chance for the title.

It was the Osaka outfit who started the brightest and they should have taken the lead in the 9th minute when Takashi Usami rounded the keeper only to see his shot bounce back off the post.

They wouldn’t have to wait long for the opening goal, however, as Sota Nakazawa rose above Takashi Aizwaa to head home from the goal line.

Kawasaki were quickly back on level terms though after a neat finish from Masaru Kurotsu. It was Route 1 football from Kawasaki, but Kurotsu’s pace saw him race past the Gamba defence to slot home the equaliser.

Were it not for a heavy first touch from Vitor Junior Kawasaki would’ve taken the lead on 31 minutes, but his first touch took him wide and made it easy for the keeper.

On the verge of half time Usami missed a golden chance to seal his brace when the ball fell to him on the edge of the box with Aizawa out of position, but he could only sky his shot and the sides went into the break at 1-1.

Both sides created plenty of chances in the second half, but neither side could find the killer finish. That was until Brazilian striker Lucas received the ball 30 yards out in the 86th minute.

Without too much thought he turned to face goal and let rip with a stunning long range effort that cannoned into the back of the net.

That was enough for Gamba to hold on to a 2-1 lead which sees them replace cross town rivals Cerezo in third spot, which will delight the Gamba faithful.

Elsewhere over the weekend Yokohama F.Marinos were left to rue plenty of missed chances as they suffered a shock loss at home to relegation threatened Vegalta Sendai; FC Tokyo slipped further down after another home loss, this time to Omiya Ardija. The capital outfit now sit inside the relegation zone and are a genuine chance of being relegated.

Cerezo Osaka showed their first signs of slipping with a 0-0 draw with Vissel Kobe after losing a thriller in the Osaka Derby last week. These dropped points could come back to bite them at the end of the season, something with Cerezo fans know all too well.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima held Kashima Antlers to a 1-1 draw at home, Montedio Yamagata and Shonan Bellmare also finished 1-1, a result that doesn’t do any side any favours as they fight for survival.

And finally, Jubilo Iwata probably sealed their survival with a 0-1 away win at Kyoto Sanga who look destined to be relegated to J2 for the first time since 2007.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Coach Linzy Davis: winning a World Tournament with a High School junior by the name of Carmelo Anthony!

Linzy Grant Davis is an international basketball coach. He coaches the USA Elite National Team and has earned 5 world titles, and he is co-director with Al Outlaw over Team Georgia Elite Basketball Club, located in Atlanta, Georgia. He has coached a long impressive list of NBA players including Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
Davis coached the USA Elite National Team that won the U20 Nike Douai World Championship, Douai, France in 2001 (Carmelo Anthony, MVP), 2005 (Tywon Lawson, MVP), and 2006 (Chase Budinger, MVP).

Davis ahead of time in helping USA Basketball back to #1

Coach Linzy Davis began coaching USA teams in FIBA World Basketball Tournaments in 1997. In 2001, a young high school junior from Baltimore, Maryland, by the name of Carmelo Anthony, joined the USA Elite Select team that was to compete in the 15th Annual Douai World Championship, Douai, France. A USA Team had never won gold at this prestigious tournament which has produced NBA stars like Tony Parker, France National Team.

Carmelo Anthony exceeded expectations of his coach and led the USA to their first World Championship victory in Douai, France.
"Carmelo was a 17 year-old junior competing in a U19 tournament" said Linzy Davis, Head Coach of the USA team.
"I expected McDonald's All American, and North Carolina signee, Jawad Williams, Cleveland, Ohio, to lead the team. (Jawad is currently in the NBA) He was a senior and a year older than Carmelo. But Carmelo was more aggressive and took a leadership scoring role. His eight and skills created defensive challenges for opponents. Shelden Williams, was a high school junior, who signed with Duke University, and currently plays in the NBA, was our main inside muscle. Billy Edelin, Washington D.C., was the point-guard who ran our team. He was a high school senior and signed with Syracuse University, along with our 7'0" high school senior center, Craig Forth, who was from Syracuse, NY. The trio of Carmelo, Edelin and Forth went on to lead Syracuse University to an NCAA National Championship.
It is a great challenge for a young USA team to compete in Europe. There is a six hour time difference. The culture and environment is different. The language is different. Also, there is a great challenge in putting together a USA team. The best players in the USA have a lot of people around them, and many of them act as street agents. The best players are focused on the basketball in the NBA. They are not interested in the importance of playing FIBA basketball in Europe. But FIBA basketball in Europe provides a center world stage and a networking tool that can open doors for a young promising prospect.
A coach must understand how to assemble a team that has perfect chemistry. In order to assemble a perfect team, you must know how your competition thinks. I make it a point to get to know everything about the competition. I want to know how each player thinks on the opposing team. I want to know how the coaches think. I want to know their language and their culture. I want to know the officials. I want to know the tournament officials. I want to know the volunteers that help with the event. And I want to know the fans. I want to know everything about my environment.
When a person has all this information, you can effectively manage your team through all situations. You can create an extraordinary experience for the players. I develop a simple list of rules that each player must follow. I share a wealth of information that gains their respect and attention. The two greatest enemies of every player are sleep deprivation and proper nutrition.
A coach must understand that each player has his own agenda. But the team goal has to be bigger than that agenda. Each person must put their ego aside and bring their collective strength to the table.
The USA Team that was assembled in 2001, was challenged to win gold, and establish dominance on the world stage. Billy Edelin got things started for the USA as he scored a game high 26 points to lead the USA to a 95-85 exhibition win over Argentina. Carmelo Anthony scored 13 points, Marcus Hayden had 11 points, and Jawad Williams and Corey Gibbs both added 10 points. "We established our philosophy, kept it simple, and rehearsed the fundamentals they need to focus on, in order to be successful in the international game. The guys did a great job of following the game plan, and they earned the victory".

Edelin was a high school senior and Carmelo was a high school junior. "You could tell back then that Carmelo would become a dominate player. His body needed time to mature. And he had to get stronger".
The amazing thing about this team is everyone was committed  to win as a team. In our first game against France, Carmelo Anthony scored 18 points to lead the USA Team to a 80-72 win over France. Jawad Williams added 13 points, Billy Edelin and DeAngelo Alexander had 12 points, and David Paris added 9 points.
In game quater-finals, Carmelo showed he was very comfortable with center stage. He led the USA Team with 20 points on 7 for 11 shooting including 1 for 1 behind the 3-point line, as the USA defeated Croatia 71-50. Billy Edelin finished with 15 points on 7 of 10 shooting and Shelden Williams added 10 points on 4 of 4 shooting. "We played outstanding position defense and it helped our transition game. Our guys were on fire tonight. This is a group that is confident and focused on winning a gold medal".

In the semi-finals, Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points to lead the USA to a 94-86 win over Argentina. Shelden Williams added 22 points, DeAngelo Alexander scored 19 points and Billy Edelin finished with 18 points and 5 assists. The USA had to play without David Paris who suffered a knee injury, and Marcus Hayden had to play with a bad knee and Mike Crain had to play with stitches over his right eye.
In the Championship game verse Canada, the USA had to overcome the hot shooting of UConn signee Devon Brown, who scored a game-high 42 points, however, tournament MVP, Carmelo Anthony led the USA with 28 points, Billy Edelin (All Tournament) finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Shelden Williams scored 25 points and added 12 rebounds as the USA defeated Canada 102-99 in an emotionally charged game.

I felt like this Tournament was a turning point to Carmelo Anthony. His success from the Tournament drove him into the spotlight and to the top. He attended Oak Hill Academy, and continued his winning ways. He won a national championship at Syracuse University his freshman year. And he was a clear leader when he joined the USA Senior National Team. I believe Douai, France, gave him a glimpse of the future if he continued to work hard. The proof is in the pudding. He is still proving he is among the best in the world.

Friday, September 24, 2010

EIS Injury & Illness Prevention Project (IIPP)

keeping ahead of the game@EISWhilst you can never rule out all prospects of an injury or illness in sport, the English Institute of Sport (EIS) and UK Sport have been working to identify how best to reduce the risks which could impact upon performance on the international sporting stage.Before the Injury & Illness Prevention Project (IIPP) began, approximately 13% of sports used injury

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Coach Alan Stein: 3 Keys to Success! The trainer of Kevin Durant writes for Basketball Telegraph!!

The following is a guest article from coach Alan Stein.
Alan Stein is the owner of Stronger Team and the Head Strength and Conditioning coach for the nationally renowned, Nike Elite DeMatha Catholic High School boys basketball program. He spent 7 years serving a similar position with the Montrose Christian basketball program. Alan brings a wealth of valuable experience to his training arsenal after years of extensive work with elite high school, college and NBA players.

"Coach Stein helped me gain nearly 20 pounds my senior year at Montrose and continues to work with me to this day. The added size, strength and explosiveness he has helped me gain has made me a better player on the court. He really helped me make the transition from high school to college and from college to the NBA" - Kevin Durant


You need talent, luck and persistance. Pick any two if you want to be successful.

Wheter you are a basketball coach or a player, you can reach your (realistic) goals and achieve a high level of success with just two of those three.
Don't believe me? Let's take a look..

Talent

To some degree, what most people refer to as talent, is nothing more than passion. If you love to do something... you will do it every chance you can. And the more you do it, the better you get. Now obviously there are several uncontrollable factors that determine someone's ultimate talent and success on the basketball court (height, athleticism..) but in many instances, talent comes from non-stop, obsessive practise. I have never met a lethal shooter who didn't practise all of the time... who didn't shoot thousands and thousands of shots every single week. Being a talented shooter is 100% controllable.

There is no debate that Kevin Durant was born with numerous physical gifts. But so are a lot of people. So how come KD is an NBA All-Star and the league's youngest leading scorer of all time and other 6'9" guys don't play past high school or college?
Because KD has an unparalleled passion for basketball and he works on his craft every single day.

Same goes for coaching. Who are some of the most talented coaches in college basketball? Coach K? Tom Izzo? Jay Wright? Do you have any idea how much time and effort those guys have put into their coaching skill sets? They love the game of basketball and work relentlessly at becoming the best they can be.

And talent doesn't have to be all encompassing. You don't have to be good at everything. You just need to have a specialty... a specific talent that makes you stand out. It might be defense (Bruce Bowen), it might be rebounding (David Lee) or it might be shooting (Ray Allen). Working on your weaknesses is important, but so is making your strenghts even stronger!

Talent is the ability to make the most of what you have with where you are.

Luck

Honestly, I don't believe in luck. I think unsuccessful people use luck as an excuse. I believe luck is when preparation meets opportunity. I love the quote, "the harder you work, the luckier you get". There is so much truth to that statement. So that means, in order to be lucky, you need to be well prepared when opportunity knocks.

Do you even know how to prepare? Players, what do your daily workouts consist of? Do you just jack up 300 shots or do you take game shots, from game spots, at game speeds? Do you practise ball handling drills looking down at the ball or do you force yourself to look up (even though you may lose the ball initially)? Do you visualize a defender in front of you when making moves to the basket or do you just do the drill? Do you have a solid strength and conditioning foundation or do you just play pick-up? Equally important, are you a great teammate? Are you the type of player other players like to play with and coaches like to coach? Trust me... you'll be a lot luckier if you are!

Coaches, do you just study the X's and O's or do you work on communication and leadership? Do you put all your focus on your out-of-bounds plays or do you spend time learning how to most effectively communicate with every member of your program? Do you reinforce great work habits with your players 365 days a year? Do you read, watch film, and network with other coaches?

I realize many resources cost money... camps, clinics, DVDs, and trainers, which can be a limiting factor for some. However there are numerous resources that don't.

If you want to be lucky, you need "to be in the right place at the right time". Instead of waiting for that to happen, you need to make an effort to create real value in every place you go and every person you come in contact with.

When opportunity knocks, will you be prepared to answer?

Persistence

This one is pretty obvious. Dont' give up on anything you can't go a day without thinking about it. Never quit. Keep practising. Keep working. Most people think they are persistent but in reality, they give up after a couple of "no's" or a few minor failures. Be too stubborn to quit. Dont' be so pig-headed you won't try new approaches or make adjustments along the way... just don't quit. Ever.

My twin sons, Luke and Jack, are 6 months old. They have an unyielding persistence. They don't stop until they get what they want! They are relentless and they don't take no for answer. While that has certainly caused me a handful of sleepless nights, I hope it is a quality they never out grow. If they apply the same persistence to the game of basketball as they do to wanting to be fed... they will indeed be McDonalds All-Americans in 2028!!

Bottom line is this. If you want to be successful, on the court, or in anything in life:

Make your own talent. Make your own luck. Never quit.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Exclusive interview with coach Rado Trifunovic: the names of future international slovenian stars!

Slovenia is a small country but one of the best crop for basketball talents in Europe. The generation born across 70's and 80's gave almost a dozen of players (Nesterovic, Brezec, Dragic, Vujacic..) to the NBA while international talents (Smodiz, Lakovic..) made the difference at Euroleague level in the last decade.
BasketballTelegraph.com new columnist Dr FingerRoll asked some questions to coach Rado Trifunovic of slovenian powerhouse Helios Domzale, team who won the National title in 2006/2007 and plays Adriatic League.

Coach, we all know the NBA slovenian players and the stars playing international basketball. But let's talk about the future. What can you tell us about the basketball movement in Slovenia nowadays?

I do think that our movement is growing. Maybe it's growing slowly but it's certainly growing and we do have lots of young talent, most of them really young so we need some time and to be patient to wait for the new stars. I'm very optimistic though.

During the recent World Championship in Turkey, Slovenia although playing good basketball seemed to lack talent, I mean at least young and fresh talent.

Well, I'd say that the National team has some veteran players who still play very good basketball but they don't have many miles left in their engines. I guess that soon the youngsters, who are pushing to get there, will take their place.

Rado, what's the situation compared to 10 years ago.

Ten years ago there was a crop of extremely talented players like Matias Smodis, Bostjan Nachbar and Jaka Lakovic just to mention a few: undoubtedly it was a great generation. But now we can be confident: another group is coming, and I'm talking about kids who are 18-20 years old that will definitely do very well. And I can tell you one thing, these kids have mentality, and work ethic that some of their predecessors didn't have. Too many times Slovenia failed in great competitions despite big-time talents but I'm pretty sure that this will no longer happen in the next future.

Okay coach, sounds interesting. Can you tell us who are supposed to become the next superstars?

Well, Marko Vranjkovic and Klemen Prepelic are two intriguing talents playing with Domzale. Vranjkovic plays in the U20 National team and in first division as well, Prepelic just turned 17 but he has great personality and energy and already can play at this level. Another one is Alen Omic of Lasko, a 7 footer born in 1991. Luka Rupnik of Slovan is a very talented pointguard born in 1993 and I like Marko Pajic and I can predict a bright future for him either. I can't forget to mention Matej Rojc from Koper, who is an interesting combo guard right now.

Do you see NBA material among these kids? Can Slovenia dream that the next Dragic or Vujacic are coming?

Oh, all of them have the potential to make the NBA and, as I said, they have strong personalities, good attitude and work ethic to aspire to play at any level. Now it's up to them and their teams to give them the right choice and exposure to show off their skills.

And the teams and coaches have to let them play, right?

Absolutely. Only with playing-time you can grow up and show what you are able to do. This is the key to success. But it's in our own culture to give these kids the chances to play and make mistakes. It's kinda our mission to push these kids. We are building the future.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Why I support...

In our latest edition of 'Why I support...' we catch up with Brett from Melbourne, who has developed a love for Yokohama F. Marinos over the last few years.

This is his story:

I married my wife back in '95. She was the youngest of 4 children, and the only girl of the siblings. Her youngest brother in that year went to Japan to teach English in secondary school and has lived there ever since. In 2000 he settled in Yokohama.

Yokohama F. Marinos fans against Shimizu S-Pulse
in 2008 - Brett's only time he's seen Yokohama live
Back home in Australia, after enjoying the football matches held at the MCG during the 2000 Olympics, come 2005 we started to give the then new A-League a go and followed this upstart team, Melbourne Victory. We weren't members that season, and the team finished second last that season. I felt we needed to support them, so in mid 2006 the whole family became members. 

Fast forward to 2007, and my brother-in-law's daughter (our niece) was graduating the secondary school that she was attending in Yokohama. The school was an American run international school, so graduation was the full cape and gown affair like we see in every college movie. Well, my wife, 7 year old son, and I decide we would embark on our first international trip to Japan to see her graduate.

We had already known from our previous viewing of the 2002 World Cup, that football was big in Japan. However, prior to our trip we didn't really relate to any team over there. As we based ourselves out of Yokohama for this trip, we learnt about the two teams in Yokohama: Yokohama F. Marinos and Yokohama FC. 

This quick Wikipedia summary gives you a bit of background between the two teams:
 
'In 1991, Yokohama F. Marinos was one of the founding members of the J. League. In 1998, after losing one of their primary sponsors, it was announced that crosstown rivals Yokohama Flügels would merge with Marinos. Since then, an F was added to the name to represent the Flügels half of the club. Many Flügels fans rejected the merger, rather believing their club to have been dissolved into Marinos. As a result, they refused to follow F. Marinos and instead created Yokohama FC, F. Marinos' new crosstown rivals.'

Unfortunately, at that time the J-League was in it's summer break and we missed seeing both of them at any game in Yokohama.


Yokohama F. Marinos during a weekday
training session in 2007

However the reclaimed dock areas of central Yokohama have in the last 15 years been transformed in the Minato Mirai 21 urban area. Along with a vast shopping/business/recreation area, Minato Mirai 21 is the home facilities of Yokohama F. Marinos.
 
This facility contains all administrative, training, and marketing departments for the club. Well, if we couldn't see a game, we would stop by the club shop to get a souvenir or two. As it turns out their club shop over looks their training facility, and the Marinos were in a practice match at that time. 

After purchasing some F. Marinos souvenirs and trying our best to speak Japanese to the sales assistants, we learnt that their training sessions are open to the public to watch. Along one side of their #1 training pitch, is a basic, but modern 2000 seat stand for fans to watch.
 

Yokohama F. Marinos training facility as viewed
from Landmark Tower in Yokohama (2007)

So that afternoon  we got to sit in the stand with about 250 other F. Marinos supporters to see the squad play some football. Unfortunately for that trip to Japan, that was the only time I saw them, and we thought it would be years before I get to see them play again...

... 10 months later the family is back in Japan again!

Why did we come back to Japan so quickly?
 
Our home team Melbourne Victory decimated the A-League season of 2006-07, winning both the Premiership (top of the league) and the Grand Final that season. This earned them a spot in the AFC Champions League for 2008.
 
So after discovering Victory's group stage draw brought them up against Gamba Osaka (The eventual AFC Champions of 2008), it was an unanimous family vote to head back to Japan to support our team on a 9000 km away trip.

But this time, we got my brother-in-law to get tickets to a Yokohama F. Marinos game at their home ground, 'The NISSAN' - the stadium of the 2002 World Cup final. It was our first J-League match and loved it. The crowd, the singing, and the international spoken football language of "WHAT FOR?!?!" to the ref. Yep, Yokohama F. Marinos become our Japanese home team.

Brett's son with enthusiastic Gamba Osaka fans
during their clash with Melbourne Victory in the 2008 ACL
Later that week, we travelled from Yokohama via shinkansen to Osaka to meet up with fellow Victory, A-League, and Australia football supporters to stand in the wet terraces of Gamaba Osaka's home ground at Expo'70 Stadium.
 
We sang, we joked, we abused the ref, but while the result didn't go our way that night, the team appreciated our efforts in making the journey to support them.
 
When leaving the stadium we all mingled with the Osaka supporters. Like that Mastercard television advert of a few years ago, we spent about 45 minutes after the game swapping scarfs, caps and anything we had that was Melbourne Victory with the Gamba supporters, as well as getting picture together.
 
It truly was a case of Football bringing people together. An evening we would never forget.

After this trip, we are J-League fans for life.

In 2011 the Victory will once again travel to Japan to compete in the AFC Champions League. I'll be back there again. Go Victory! Go F. Marinos!

P.S. J.League survival tip - They have beer girls who go up and down the aisles, serving beer in milk shake cups at around 500¥ to 650¥. But if your budget is blown for the night, and you find only 250¥ in change in your pocket, don't panic - they will serve you 250¥ worth of beer. How good is that!

Friday, September 17, 2010

EIS R&D projects

ESPRIT WORKSHOPS TO PRESENT WORLD CLASS SECONDMENT OPPORTUNITY@EISExperts developing cutting-edge technologies for Britain’s top athletes will congregate at Loughborough University on October 8th for the first ESPRIT Conference, where a unique opportunity to get involved with the groundbreaking project will be revealed.The ESPRIT consortium hope to attract some of Britain’s most innovative minds

Australian Basketball: exclusive Q&A with coach Bradley Burdon

Bradley Burdon is the Coordinator of Bulldogs Basketball at Cairns State High School in Australia. He is also the assistant coach of the "Skytrans" Taipans in the NBL (National Basketball League). In this interview the 34-year old coach Burdon has given BasketballTelegraph.com readers a tremendous insight into the australian basketball at any level.

Brad, we know a bit of the Boomers (the National team squad) and their best talents but for those who want to know more about Australian basketball what can you tell us?

Well I think most Australian basketball people would agree that we were disappointed with the Boomers exit at the recent World Champs but are exited about the young core of talent coming through. Soon we will look forward to watching the Opals; our Women's team defend their 2006 World Championship.
In Australia, basketball is not one of the major sporting code, falling well below winter sports such as our football codes and summer sports such as cricket. As such we do lose many of our athletes to other higher profiled sports, specifically Australian Rules Football. Despite this we do have an excellent junior development pathway that produces many talented athletes who not only excel at a junior international level but also attain scholarships to high level US colleges. Australia is currently ranked 3rd in the combined FIBA world rankings.

Might you explain our readers about the Australian system adopted in the youth programs? Did you find your own way or it's more Americanized with schools or kind of European where clubs run their own ones? What's exactly your job right now over there?

Essentially we have both in Australia, although school basketball is not as highly regarded as our club structure. Junior National teams that compete at FIBA events are selected from the club pathway. I imagine it is very similar to many countries where a young athlete represents their city or region and is then selected to represent their state; I live in and have coached our state of Queensland. It is these state teams that compete at our Junior National Championship held every year. While there is talent identification throughout the levels, it is at the National Champs that our next crop of potential Boomers or Opals are identified. These Championships are also visited by numerous US colleges every year. Currently I run the school of basketball excellence at Cairns High, the largest high school in our city. This program has had a number of state and national reps come from it. I also coach the Cairns Marlins Under 18 men's team as part of our development structure and will be starting my 2nd year as an Assistant Coach with the Cairns "Skytrans" Taipans in NBL.

Tell us about the NBL (National Basketball League). Is the League getting stronger? Do you have import players also? Are people crazy for basketball and arenas packed?

As mentioned and despite our current world ranking Basketball is not one of the major professional sporting codes in Australia. The strenght of basketball is very much dependant upon the strenght of talent and participation in our junior ranks. Basketball commonly sits as one of the top 2 junior participation in the country, though like football (soccer), the sport has struggled to transfer this junior participation into success/popularity as a senior professional league. The last decade saw the league gradually decline until a major restructure in 2009, as a result of these changes the NBL seems to be gradually rebuilding itself to a more stable/viable position. Financially, while now stable we cannot compete with the larger markets around the world and lose many of our best Australian players to Europe. The following of the league is starting to increase although I feel more money needs to be placed into the marketing of the league as a whole. It would be rare for a basketball area in Australia to "sell out" although some cities are very well supported and certain rivalries always attract big crowds. We are lucky in the Cairns is a very supportive city and we attract large crowds of 4000+ (large in terms of NBL) who are very loud and parochial. The team is actually community owned with members of the Cairns community owning small shares within the team, a similar model to that of the Green Bay Packers in the NFL.

You have travelled to the United States and you know top European leagues. That means you are open to new professional experiences?

As a coach I always be learning and trying to find new experiences, as a young coach I feel this process is paramount for my development. Travelling to Las Vegas for the Summer Camps was a great experience that I learnt a great deal. With most of my background being focussed with junior development it was a real eye opened to deal with professional American players and see the business side of the sport. While I have never been to Europe I enjoy watching European basketball and as more Australian's have been signed by clubs have certainly increased my awareness of those leagues. We actually have two Cairns players now playing good quality European basketball with Aron Baynes who played in Lithuania last year and now in Germany and Nathan Jawai signing with Partizan Belgrade. While I enjoy all styles of basketball I do enjoy European basketball for a number of reasons primarily the versatility of skill sets amongst most players regardless of position and I believe that the offensive execution of good European teams is the best in the world.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Nagoya look to extend J.League lead

No sooner does one weekend finish than another one starts.

Action from Asia’s premier domestic competition continues this weekend, with a couple of absolute beauties to look forward to.

This, again, is another of those weekends that could help shape the Championship race. By the end of it, one team could have an almost insurmountable lead. Or, the chasing pack may close the gap and the spice up the race for the title.

Whatever plays out, it’s sure to be enthralling viewing.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Vissel Kobe
After a dismal showing last weekend, losing to bottom placed Kyoto Sanga 3-0, Kobe sacked under fire manager Toshiya Miura, replacing him with assistant Masahiro Wada who will become Kobe’s fourth manager in just over a year. Wada had a short stint as caretaker last season before being replaced by Miura.

Tomoaki Makino will lead Sanfrecce's defence
Sanfrecce, by contrast, are a scene of stability. Despite not reaching the heights of last season, when they finished fourth, they have achieved a semi-final berth in the Nabisco Cup for the first time in their history.

They’ll have to play out most of the last 12 games without their key striker Hisato Sato, who is out for two months after undergoing surgery last week for a dislocated shoulder suffered in their Nabisco Cup Quarter Final victory over Gamba Osaka.

They have also struggled to score this season, with Sato having scored a third of their total goals (9 of 26). The defence has been equally stingy and young centre-back Tomoaki Makino has stood out and is creating interest amongst other J.League clubs.

But playing at home, and with Kobe a relative rabble, I expect Sanfrecce to get the job done. Although the “first game syndrome” will see Kobe put up a fight.

Prediction: Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-0 Vissel Kobe


Jubilo Iwata vs FC Tokyo
What an important game this is for the capital club.

After a lofty finish of fifth last season, they’ve struggled to replicate that form and find themselves fair and square in the middle of a relegation battle. Fellow Tokyo side Tokyo Verdy were relegated at the end of the 2008 season and there are already crosstown jibes of a Tokyo Derby in J2 next season.

FC Tokyo currently sits in 14th spot, two places above the relegation zone, but they do so thanks only to a superior goal difference.

Their last game was a disaster in every sense, losing 0-1 to Urawa at home, but also suffering three injuries to three key players; Hideto Takahashi (out 4-8 weeks), Tatsuya Suzuki (3-4 weeks) and Naotake Hanyu (1-2 weeks).

Iwata enjoyed a confidence boosting 3-2 win over fellow strugglers Shonan Bellmare last week to put a small gap between them and the relegation battle. Another three points here would do wonders for their fight fur J1 survival, and I think they’ll get it.

FC Tokyo are a battered team at the moment, and with three key injuries, I think Jubilo will have enough to get over the capital club and plunge them further into crisis.

Prediction: Jubilo Iwata 2-1 FC Tokyo


Nagoya Grampus vs Yokohama F. Marinos
Make no mistake about it – this is the game of the weekend.

Keiji Tamada will look to continue
his goal scoring form
Nagoya is flying at the top of the table and sits a comfortable seven points clear. But doubts still remain about their title credentials, with critics claiming they struggle in “marquee games”. And there is some merit to that.

In their “marquee” games so far (those being against Gamba Osaka, Yokohama F.Marinos, Urawa Reds, Kashima Antlers, Kawasaki Frontale and Shimizu S-Pulse) they have won four, lost four and drawn one.

This game is their chance to put that record slightly in their favour and no doubt it’s something that Dragan Stojkovic will be making aware to his players. Silence the doubters and maintain, or even extend, their lead at the top. The pressure is on for Urawa.

For Yokohama, it’s all about putting themselves in the mix for a top three place. Realistically their chance for the J.League title has probably passed them by, sitting 10 points behind Nagoya. Although three points here could alter that.

But the focus for them will be on the Asian Champions League, and after two big scalps in their last two games (Albirex Niigata 3-0 and Kawasaki Frontale 2-1), they’ll be out to make it three from three and climb the table even further.

Shunsuka Nakamura will be their key man again. His combination with Koji Yamase has resulted in goals in their last two games, so Nagoya’s defence, lead by Tulio Tanaka, will need to be alert to that.

At the other end of the park, equal leading goal scorer Josh Kennedy will be looking to get back on the scoresheet after going goalless in the last two games.

This is a hard game to pick, there are compelling arguments either way, so I’ll opt for the splinters and tip a draw.

Prediction: Nagoya Grampus 1-1 Yokohama F.Marinos


Kashima Antlers vs Omiya Ardija
Kashima are one of a handful of sides that could benefit if Nagoya do slip up.

Currently they sit in equal second, seven points behind the lead. But it’s been a horror six weeks for the three-time reigning champions, winning only once.

Despite a stirring win last week against Shimizu S-Pulse, however, Omiya Ardija shouldn’t cause too many problems for Kashima.

Ardija will be full of confidence after their result last week, but with Kashima at home I don’t think they can back it up two weeks in a row.

Prediction: Kashima Antlers 2-0 Omiya Ardija


Urawa Reds vs Shimizu S-Pulse
Whilst not quite as big as Nagoya vs Yokohama, this one isn’t far behind.

Urawa's legion of fans will be out
in force again this weekend
S-Pulse have fallen from their lofty position earlier in the season, when they lead the J.League and took all before them. An embarrassing 0-3 loss to Omiya Ardija last weekend saw them slip outside the top three and eight points behind Nagoya. Another loss here could kill their Championship dreams.

Urawa are just playing for pride. Whilst they have a mathematical chance of an ACL spot, they sit too far behind the back to be any realistic chance. Their horror mid-season slump has cost them any chance of success this season.

They have gone some way to rectifying that in the last four weeks, with two wins and two draws. Were it not for a last second equaliser by Kashima, that would be three wins and a draw.

Despite that, immense pressure still rests on the shoulders of manager Volke Finke, with Urawa fans calling for the German to move on at the end of the season.

Despite both sides desperately needing a win, I just can’t see either side picking up all three points.

Prediction: Urawa Reds 2-2 Shimizu S-Pulse


Shonan Bellmare vs Kawasaki Frontale
This one should be a relatively straight forward affair.

Shonan are struggling, sitting bottom of the pile and look like going straight back down to J2.

Kawasaki still have top three aspirations and their potency up front will easily account for Shonan, a team who has shipped 46 goals in just 22 games.

This game is being shown on Setanta Sports at 8:45am on Sunday morning.

Prediction: Shonan Bellmare 0-4 Kawasaki Frontale


Gamba Osaka vs Cerezo Osaka
There are more than just local bragging rights up for grabs in this one.

Cerezo have surprised many this season, their first in J1 since 2006. Whilst the other two promoted sides (Shonan Bellmare and Vegalta Sendai) have struggled, Cerezo has flourished and look on course for a finish in the top three.

They sit in equal second and boast the best defence in the league, having conceded only 19 goals. Their Brazilian striker, Adriano, on loan from Vasco da Gama, has proved a revelation, scoring eight goals in his first season with the club.

On the other side of town, Gamba is starting to make a run for the top three after a slow start to the season.

Their clash earlier this season ended in a 1-1 draw, but on this occasion I think Gamba is going to claim bragging rights. Their attack will be too potent and will breach the Cerezo defence.

Prediction: Gamba Osaka 2-1 Cerezo Osaka


Vegalta Sendai vs Montedio Yamagata
Montedio looked to have survived their second season in J1, although they aren’t completely out of the woods just yet. A few poor results could put them back in the mix for relegation, but they should survive.

Vegalta's hardcore fans
Vegalta, despite vociferous support from their loyal fans, have struggled for results so far this season. They have just the five wins and sit just outside the relegation zone on goal difference only.

Montedio struggle for goals, having only scored 18 so far this season.

If only for the fact they’re at home, I’m tipping Vegalta to take the three points.

Prediction: Vegalta Sendai 2-0 Montedio Yamagata


Albirex Niigata vs Kyoto Sanga
The final game of the weekend sees Niigata at home for the second week running.

Their excellent mid-season run that took them from relegation threatened to a possible ACL spot, however they’ve hit a speedbump in the last two weeks, losing to both Yokohama F.Marinos and Gamba Osaka.

Kyoto, who still look likely to go down, moved themselves off the bottom of the table, albeit on goal difference, courtesy of a 3-0 over Vissel Kobe, their first win since March.

Whilst that will have provided them with a great deal of confidence, travelling to the Big Swan Stadium in Niigata will prove too tough a challenge for them as they look for back-to-back wins.

Albirex will win this one, and with some level of comfort.

Prediction: Albirex Niigata 3-0 Kyoto Sanga

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

S$387 million. the cost to host first YOG 2010

Singapore spent S$387m to host YOG@CNASINGAPORE: Singapore would still bid for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG), even if it knew it would have to spend S$387 million to host it. Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said this in Parliament on Wednesday, in response to questions about the increased spending for the Games. He said the government underestimated the

West Asia dominates ACL Quarter Finals

West Asian teams have dominated the first leg of the AFC Champions League Quarter Finals played overnight.

Only one East Asian team, Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, managed a win and that was against fellow K-League side Suwon Bluewings.

Seongnam, featuring former Brisbane and Adelaide player Sasa Ognenovski, easily accounted for Suwon at the Tancheon Sports Complex.

Suwon’s recent K-League form has been brilliant and has seen them climb up the table after an awful start to the season. They were on a 9-game unbeaten run which ended last weekend when they were defeated 0-3 at home by league leaders Jeju United.

Seongnam on the other hand, had only won three of their past seven games, although they are sitting third on the table.

Dzenan Rodoncic

They did have a major home ground advantage however, having won 8 of their last 9 home games in the ACL. Ttheir last defeat took place six years ago in 2004 when Saudi side Al-Ittihad defeated them in the second leg of the 2004 AFC Champions League final.

Montenegrin striker Dzenan Radonic struck early to given Seongnam the lead. Colombian Mauricio Molina played Radonic through, who struck with power from the edge of the box. Suwon’s keeper Lee Woon-jae was helpless after the ball took a deflection off defender Kwak Hee-ju.

Just seven minutes later and the scores were level after a superbly taken free kick from dead-ball expert Yeom Ki-hun. Seongnam conceded a free kick just outside the box and Yeom made them pay with a beautiful free kick that curled around the wall and past the outstretched hand keeper Jung Sung-ryeong

The complexion of the game could’ve changed just moments later had Ha Tae-gyun not fluffed his lines. Yeom’s shot from the edge of the box was spilled by Jung, but Ha failed to make the most of the rebound, scuffing his shot into the ground and seeing the ball bounce over the crossbar.

It was a costly miss, with Seongnam taking the lead just ten minutes later. Suwon failed to deal with a floated ball into the box and Kim Cheol-ho pulled the ball back for Molina to knock home his fifth goal of the campaign and send the home side into the break up 2-1.

Seongnam wasted two golden opportunities to extend the lead on the hour mark, first through Radonic and then through Song Ho-young. Radonic made amends minutes later when he headed home a delightful cross Hong Chukl.

Suwon further compounded their problems when Yang Sang-min put the ball into his own net with just 10 minutes remaining.

They’ll need a monumental effort in the return leg to overcome the 4-1 deficit.

Fellow K-League side, and winner of the 2006 AFC Champions League, Jeonbuk Motors are all but out of the competition after losing 0-2 at home to Saudi side Al-Shabab.

This quarter finals appearance was Jeonbuk’s fourth in their history, joining Al-Ittihad as the only side to have played in four AFC Champions League Quarter Finals. Whilst it may have started as a night of celebration, it ended very differently.

Jeonbuk started brightly and Eninho, Sim Woo-yeon and Lee Dong-gook all had chances early to open the scoring but couldn’t get the job done.

Jeonbuk and Al-Shabab in their ACL Quater Final
As the half wore on, Al-Shabab started to dominate possession but they too couldn’t find the elusive goal.

Desperate to score at home and get the early advantage, Jeonbuk made a double-substitution early in the second half, bringing on strikers Luiz Henrique and Kruno Lovrek.

It was Al-Shabab who continued to dominate, however, and they should’ve taken the lead just before the hour mark when Omar Al Ghamdi headed over the crossbar from close range.

The crucial away goal came not long after though courtesy of Fahad Hamad, who found himself in the right place at the right time after Ahmed Ateef’s shot could only be deflected by Jeonbuk keeper Kim Min-sik. It was the young midfielders first game and goal of the campaign.

Eninho was denied an equaliser seven minutes later when his free-kick from outside the box struck the woodwork. Jeonbuk enjoyed a sustained period of dominance as they pushed for the all important equaliser, and their cause was aided late on when Al Khaibri was sent off for a second yellow card offence.

But despite playing with 10-men it was Al-Shabab who added a second shortly before full-time when Juan Manuel Olivera drove the ball wide of Kim to ensure the Saudi side would leave Jeonbuk with two crucial away goals.

Al-Shabab manager, Jorge Forsatti, was delighted with his sides performance.


"I am very happy because we won a very important game,” he said.

“We travelled a long time and I had to worry about the fitness of my players. Nevertheless we played as we planned and got the result we hoped.

"Jeonbuk played different football from my knowledge. They tried the long ball a number of times and they were certainly different.

"I know they will prepare more for the next game but we will do the same.”

Action from Zob Ahan and Pohang

It was West Asia who dominated the other two games as well, with Iranian side Zob Ahan defeating Pohang Steelers 2-1, although the Korean outfit scored a crucial away goal and are well and truly still in the tie.

In the final game, Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia had a comfortable win over Al-Gharafa of Qatar.

The second legs will take place next Wednesday, but at the moment it looks like the trophy could be headed back to West Asia for the first time since 2005.