Personal Data

Known as: Garrincha
Surname: dos Santos
Firstname: Manoel Francisco
Country: Brazil
Date of birth: 1933-10-28
Birthplace: Pau Grande
Died: 1983-01-20
Height: 169 cm
Weight: 68.0 kg

Career Data

Position: Right-wing
Clubs: Pau Grande, Botafogo (1952-66), Corinthians (1966-67), Barranquilla (Col/1967-68), Flamengo (1968-69), Red Star (France/1969-71), Olaria (1972-73)
International appearances: 50
International goals: 12
International debut: 18/09/1955, Brazil-Chile (1-1)
Last international appearance: 15/07/1966, Hungary-Brazil (3-1)
First international goal: 29/04/1960, Egypt-Brazil (0-5)
Last international goal: 12/07/1966, Brazil-Bulgaria (2-0)

Playing Honours

International – World Cup: winner (1958, 1962) first-round (1966), 3 appearances, 12 matches, 5 goals

Club: 3 Rio State Championships (1957, 1961, 1962), 2 Rio/Sao Paulo Championship (1962, 1964)

Biography Little Bird

A garrincha is a small tropical bird, and legend has it that Manoel Francisco Dos Santos liked to hunt garrinchas as a youngster in the backstreets of his village, thus acquiring his nickname.

International defenders and goalkeepers probably called him something less quaint as he darted past them time after time or foxed them with his astonishing “banana” kick, but now the name Garrincha is firmly part of Brazil’s great football legacy.

The Brazilian winger was the eternal child, a spindly, fun-loving character who drove his coaches to distraction. One said he thought he had the mental age of four.

On the pitch he was one of the most exciting ball players ever, thrilling spectators with his exceptional dribbling skills.

Yet it is a miracle he was able to even kick a football, such were the physical and growing problems he had as a boy.

An operation left him with one knee pointing outwards, while his backbone and hip were also affected.

Revelation

Yet Garrincha burst onto the scene at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, dazzling all those who came up against him with a catalogue of feints, dummies and lightening breaks.

His balance and speed made him virtually unstoppable, and his action was so original and quick that few defenders could ever get the better of him.

In 1962 he was at the peak of his considerable and explosive powers at the World Cup in Chile in 1962, when he emerged from the injured Pele’s shadow to inspire his team to the title.

He was voted player of the tournament – despite being sent off in the semi-final against Chile – after scoring twice against both England and the hosts.

Drink problem

His personal life had a darker side and he already had serious problems with alcohol when he arrived in England for the 1966 World Cup.

Always a controversial figure, he caused a storm when he left his wife and eight children to marry a local singer.

He was also in dispute with the income tax authorities and with his club Botafogo over his pay.

He did help the club to five domestic titles but his drinking led to his ruin, and despite several stays in rehabilitation centres and drying out clinics, the Brazilian could never kick the habit.

It finally caught up with him on January 20, 1983 when he contracted pneumonia and died in hospital.

He played 50 times for Brazil, despite several breaks due to injury, ending his career at the 1966 World Cup against Hungary (1-3), his only defeat with the national side.

Personal Data

Surname: Walter
Firstname: Fritz
Country: West Germany
Date of birth: 1920-07-21
Birthplace: Kaiserslautern (Germany)
Died: 2002-06-17

Career Data

Position: Midfield
Club: FC Kaiserslautern (1937-59)
International appearances: 61 (1940-1958 – 30 times as captain)
International goals: 33
International debut: 17/07/1940, Germany-Romania (9-3, 3 goals)
Last international appearance: 24/06/1958, West Germany-Sweden (1-3)
First international goal: 14/07/1940, Germany-Romania (9-3, 3 goals)
Last international goal: 26/05/1956, West Germany – England (1-3)

Playing Honours

International: World Cup: winner (1954), semi-finalist (1958), 2 appearances, 11 matches, 2 goals

Other honours: Top scorer (1953/38 goals)

Biography

Miracle man

Fritz Walter, former footballer, honorary citizen of Rhineland Palatinate and holder of the prestigious Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, was one of the great pillars of the German game and an example to millions of young German sportsmen.

He was also a reference of the great moments in Germany’s illustrious footballing history, having led his country to victory in the World Cup in 1954 with an inspired performance against the erstwhile giants of world football, Hungary.

Walter was part of the furniture at his only club Kaiserslautern. His father was in charge of the club’s bar, which meant that as a boy he and his four brothers had easy access to the stands. At the age of eight he began playing in the junior sides and by the time he was 17 was playing for the first team.

Club loyalty was more common then, but even so, 31 years with the same team is impressive by any standards. Kaiserslautern were not complaining…Walter played 379 matches for them and put the ball in the back of the net no less than 306 times.

Stymied by the war

By the age of 20 he had been called up for international duty and played one game for Germany in Romania in 1940. But by then the fighting in Europe had taken over everyone’s lives and Walter found himself sucked into the vast German war machine, ending up as a prisoner of war in a Soviet camp.

Happily he survived that ordeal, returning to Germany and Kaiserslautern in 1945. The club reached the final of the first post-war German Cup In 1948 and Walter scored.

The years between 1950 and 1954 were wonderfully fertile for the German. Apart from two league championships with his beloved Kaiserslautern, Walter was not only captain but master craftsman of Germany’s extrordinary victory in the 1954 World Cup.

Family affair

The win was all the more remarkable because the Germans had been on the wrong end of an 8-3 hiding by the Hungarians earlier in the tournament. In the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, Walter brought his international career to a close after West Germany’s 3-1 defeat by Sweden in the semi-finals.

A measure of his huge reputation and prestige of this great tactical player at Kaiserslautern is that the club named their stadium after him on his 65th birthday in 1985. He died during the 2002 World Cup at the age of 81 and the German team wore black armbands as a tribute during their quarter-final win over the United States. – AFP

Ketika Kelantan sudah berada di ambang kemenangan hasil jaringan Nurul Azwan Roya pada minit ke-78, Terengganu berjaya menyamakan kedudukan ketika masa kecederaan berbaki lima saat menerusi gol sendiri Daudsu.

Dengan perlawanan dijangka sekali lagi akan berlarutan ke penentuan sepakan penalti buat tahun ketiga berturut-turut, pemain gantian, Ahmad Nordin Alias muncul wira apabila menjaringkan gol kemenangan Terengganu pada minit ke-108.

Kejayaan tersebut membolehkan Terengganu yang dibimbing Irfan Bakti Abu Salim merangkul kejuaraan kedua Piala FA setelah melakukannya kali pertama pada tahun 2000.

Manakala Kelantan yang dibimbing Datuk M. Karathu terus kempunan untuk menjulang Piala FA setelah percubaan kali pertama mereka pada 2009 dikecewakan oleh Selangor.

Beraksi di hadapan 85,000 penonton, kedua-dua pasukan mempamerkan rentak permainan seimbang dan saling berbalas serangan pada separuh masa pertama tetapi tiada banyak percubaan berbahaya terhasil.

Terengganu mendapat peluang terbaik pada minit ke-20 menerusi rembatan Abdul Hadi Yahaya dari dalam kotak penalti namun berjaya ditampan penjaga gol Kelantan, Khairul Fahmi Che Mat.

Peluang terbaik Kelantan pula hanya hadir pada minit ke-40 tetapi percubaan Norshahrul Idlan Talaha dari sebelah kiri ditepis keluar penjaga gol Terengganu, Sharbinee Allawee Ramli.

Bersambung babak kedua, kerancakan aksi pada enam minit pertama terganggu apabila lontaran mercun oleh penyokong Kelantan hampir terkena Sharbinee pada minit ke-51 dan permainan terpaksa dihentikan selama empat minit.

Hanya seminit selepas aksi bersambung, Joseph Kalang Tie melepaskan rembatan kencang dari luar kotak penalti tetapi Khairul Fahmi tangkas menafikannya.

Pada minit ke-67, kesilapan Sharbinee menangkap kemas bola hampir dihukum penyerang gantian Kelantan, Ramzul Zahini Adenan tetapi sepakannya sempat dihadang keluar oleh Ismail Faruqi Ashari.

Akhirnya gol yang dicari Kelantan menjelma pada minit ke-78 apabila lorongan cantik pemain tengah, Shakir Shaari berjaya disudahkan dengan kuisan lambung oleh Nurul Azwan.

Sikap tidak berputus asa para pemain Terengganu berbaloi apabila mereka berjaya mendapatkan gol penyamaan pada saat-saat terakhir separuh masa kedua.

Rembatan penyerang Terengganu, Abdul Manaf Mamat cuba dikeluarkan Daudsu di atas garisan gol tetapi pemain pertahanan Kelantan itu sekadar tertanduk bola ke gawang sendiri.

Ia sekali gus memaksa permainan berlarutan ke masa tambahan selama 30 minit. Pada minit ke-108, Ahmad Nordin muncul wira Terengganu apabila merembat masuk gol kedua pasukannya untuk memastikan kemenangan 2-1.

Dengan kejayaan itu, Terengganu berjaya mendapatkan slot untuk beraksi pada saingan Piala AFC 2012. Kapten Terengganu, Mazuki Yusof dinobatkan sebagai pemain terbaik perlawanan akhir. -Kosmo

TERENGGANU: Sharbinee Allawee, Helmi Remeli, Mazuki Yusof (K), Mazlizam Mohamad, Zubir Azmi, Joseph Kalang Tie, Reeshafiq Alwi, Ismail Faruqi, Ashari Samsudin, Abdul Manaf Mamat, Abdul Hadi Yahaya.

KELANTAN: Khairul Fahmi Che Mat, Daudsu Jamaludin, S. Subramaniam, Farisham Ismail, Zairul Fitree, S. Chanthuru, Shakir Shaari, Badhri Radzi (K), Nurul Azwan Roya, Izuan Solahuddin, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha.

SAO PAULO — Former world footballer of the year Ronaldo ended his international career here on Tuesday with a 15-minute appearance as a substitute in Brazil’s 1-0 win over Romania in a friendly match.

Watched by a 30,000 crowd, the 34-year-old striker came on for the last 15 minutes of the match with the home side already ahead through a goal from Fred after 21 minutes and he had several goal chances in that time.

“I had three goal opportunities but did not manage to score which would have been a nice present to give back to those who gave me so much,” he said afterwards to fans in a chilly Pacaembu stadium.

Fred’s match-winning goal was set up by the latest Brazilian golden boy Neymar, who has been linked to a move into the English Premier League.

Ronaldo announced his retirement in February citing recurring injury and health problems.

During a glittering 14-year spell in Europe, Ronaldo scored goals at a prolific rate for PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan, before returning to Brazil in 2009.

He won the World Cup with Brazil as a youngster in 1994 and then in 2002 and became the leading scorer in World Cup finals tournaments when he scored his 15th goal at the 2006 tournament in Germany.

He was twice named European Footballer of the Year, in 1997 and 2002, FIFA world footballer of the year in 1996, 1997 and 2002 and finished his international career with 62 goals in 97 appearances.

Aksi terakhir Ronaldo

SAO PAULO: Ronaldo yang kelihatan semakin berisi mengucapkan selamat tinggal kepada bola sepak ketika Brazil mempamerkan aksi membosankan meskipun berjaya menewaskan Romania, 1-0 pada perlawanan persahabatan, Selasa lalu dengan mempersia-siakan tiga peluang keemasan sepanjang tempoh 15 minit berada di atas padang.

Fred yang dikeluarkan 15 minit sebelum tamat babak pertama menjaringkan gol kemenangan hasil hantaran Neymar pada minit ke-22.

Ronaldo, 34, bersara Februari lalu kerana berdepan masalah berat badan akibat masalah penyakit tiroid.

Penonton yang menyaksikan perlawanan di Pacaembu mencemuh persembahan Brazil pada separuh masa kedua dalam perlawanan disifat sebagai perlawanan memanaskan badan sebelum turun mempertahankan gelaran Copa Amerika di Argentina bulan depan.

Brazil seri 0-0 ketika bertemu Belanda di Goiania, Sabtu lalu, berjaya mencipta tiga peluang buat Ronaldo yang lebih banyak berjalan tapi malangnya dia gagal menyempurnakannya.

“Maafkan saya kerana terlepas tiga peluang untuk menjaringkan gol. Saya ucapkan terima kasih kepada semua yang menyokong saya selama ini,” kata Ronaldo yang berucap di bulatan tengah padang pada rehat separuh masa pertama. – Reuters

LONDON: Brilliant Barcelona, inspired by the peerless Lionel Messi, delivered a soccer master class to overwhelm Manchester United 3-1 in the Champions League final and lift the European Cup for the fourth time on Saturday. Goals by Pedro, Messi and David Villa were a fair reflection of the Spanish side’s dominance over United, who they also beat in the 2009 final. Wayne Rooney briefly levelled the scores but could not stop Barca making it three European Cups in six years. Mesmerising Messi amply lived up to his billing as the world’s best player and the champions of Spain left their English counterparts looking like desperate also-rans in the face of relentlessly intricate passing and deadly movement.

“The people watching could see that we not only won but we played a brilliant match,” said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, who was swamped by his players at the end. “We are very happy but to win a Champions League costs a hell of a lot of effort.” United manager Alex Ferguson added: “We were beaten by a fantastic team but I expected to do better. But at the end of the day we have to acknowledge that we were beaten by a better team. I think it was the best team we have faced.”

Barca’s awesome superiority might have ensured it was never the classic showdown many neutrals had hoped for but everyone who witnessed it will cherish the memory of one of the finest final performances for years by a team that truly deserves comparison with the best the game has ever seen. The opening exchanges were something of a repeat of the 2009 final, with United snapping into every tackle and pressing hard but, just as in Rome, Barcelona soon settled into their rhythm and established control. Messi was a constant live-wire danger as the probing passes of midfielders Xavi and Andres Iniesta repeatedly had United’s defenders forced into desperate last-ditch tackles.

They held out until what had become the inevitable breakthrough after 27 minutes. Not surprisingly it was Xavi who delivered the killer pass, delaying it long enough to wrong-foot United’s defence and leave space for Pedro to calmly tuck the ball beyond Edwin van der Sar who endured a night to forget in the final game of his career.

United looked almost out of their depth but showed why they have reached three Champions League finals in the last four seasons by conjuring a well-made equaliser after 34 minutes. Rooney played a one-two with Michael Carrick then another with Ryan Giggs before sweeping the ball high into the net. Messi was soon millimetres away from a second goal after another high-speed give and go with Villa but somehow United reached halftime on level terms. The parity on the scoreboard gave a false impression though as Barca immediately regained control and, after more near misses, duly went ahead in the 54th minute when United made the fatal error of standing off Messi on the edge of the box.

The Argentine maestro rarely needs a second invitation and duly took a touch before driving the ball in for the 53rd and most important goal of his remarkable season. It was also his 12th in 13 Champions League games this season, equalling Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record tally for United in the 2002/03 campaign. Messi set up the third too as he surged into the box and, although the ball was half-cleared by United’s near-panicking defence, it went straight to Villa who killed it instantly before curling a superb 18-metre shot into the top corner. Barcelona duly played out the remaining period controlling the ball as only they can, while United became the latest in a long line of sides to be crushed by their wonderful technique. Amid the fireworks and flashes, the trophy was hoisted by Barca’s French fullback Eric Abidal, back in action following an operation to remove a liver tumour in March – reuters

LONDON – Jurulatih Barce- lona, Pep Guardiola mengakui, beliau berasa sangat bertuah kerana memiliki ramai pemain berstatus bintang dalam pasukan itu.

Pada 1992 lalu, Gu- ardiola yang ketika itu masih bergelar pemain, meraikan kejayaan di Stadium Wembley apabila membantu Barcelona memenangi trofi Piala Eropah yang pertama.

Pengendali berusia 40 tahun itu sekali lagi menjadi perancang utama yang membantu Barcelona menewaskan Manchester United 3-1 pada final Liga Juara-Juara awal pagi semalam.

Kejayaan merangkul trofi paling berprestij di Eropah itu adalah yang kedua buat Guardiola dan keempat untuk Barcelona.

Begitupun, Guardiola enggan menerima pujian yang tinggi, sebaliknya menganggap kejayaan itu hadir atas usaha serta kesungguhan para pemain.

“Saya berasa sangat bertuah kerana memiliki pemain- pemain seperti yang hebat, terutamanya Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez dan Andres Iniesta,” kata Guardiola.

“Saya tidak rasa seperti saya adalah bos mereka. Semua pemain telah bekerja keras bagi mencapai kejayaan ini dan saya ucapkan tahniah kepada mereka.”

Pada aksi awal pagi semalam, tiga gol skuad The Catalan hadir menerusi jari- ngan Pedro minit ke-27, Lionel Messi (54) dan David Villa (69), manakala United memperoleh gol sagu hati mene- rusi Wayne Rooney (34).

Tambah Guardiola, beliau berasa puas selepas menyaksikan peningkatan yang dipamerkan anak-anak buahnya berbanding pada aksi final di Rom, Itali dua tahun lalu.

“Apabila saya ingat kembali corak permainan kami (Barcelona) ketika aksi final di Rom dua tahun lalu, saya merasakan persembahan kami kali ini sangat menakjubkan.

“Namun apa yang kami raih kali ini tidaklah semudah yang disangka. Ia terhasil disebabkan kerja keras kami untuk menjadi lebih baik pada masa akan datang,” tambah Guardiola. – Reuters

Manchester City ended 35 years of waiting for a trophy with a deserved 1-0 win over Stoke City in the FA Cup final at Wembley.

In what turned out to be a good afternoon for the City of Manchester after United’s clinching of the Premiership title, the Blue half of the city defeated Stoke thanks to a late Yaya Toure effort.

Stoke battled hard but never really threatened City who enjoyed more of the possession with only a Kenwyne Jones effort troubling the Manchester keeper.

David Silva should have given City a first–half lead but fired narrowly over whilst the Potters keeper Thomas Sorensen made a smart stop from Mario Balotelli.


Stoke showed more attacking intent after the break but still Roberto Mancini’s side looked the most likely to break the deadlock which they did with 16 minutes remaining.

The ball pinged around the Stoke penalty area with Balotelli, Silva and Carlos Tevez all having attempts on goal before finally Toure crashed the ball into the back of the net to hand City their first major trophy since 1976.

It ends a remarkable week for the team from Eastlands who ensured Champions League qualification after beating Tottenham on Tuesday.

25 Hart, 02 Richards, 04 Kompany, 13 Kolarov, 19 Lescott, 18 Barry (Johnson 73), 21 Silva (Vieira 90+2), 34 De Jong, 42 Y Toure, 32 Tevez (Zabaleta 87), 45 Balotelli

Substitutes
01 Given, 05 Zabaleta, 38 Boyata, 07 Milner, 11 Johnson, 24 Vieira, 10 Dzeko

29 Sorensen, 04 Huth (yellow card), 17 Shawcross, 28 Wilkinson (yellow card), 06 Whelan (Pugh 84), 12 Wilson, 16 Pennant, 24 Delap (Carew 80), 26 Etherington (Whitehead 62), 09 Jones, 19 Walters

Substitutes
27 Nash, 05 Collins, 25 Faye, 14 Pugh, 15 Diao, 18 Whitehead, 22 Carew

FC Barcelona have won their 21st league 2010/11 La Liga Title, and it’s now three-out-of-three for manager Josep Guardiola, who has produced a winning style that has amazed the footballing world. Barcelona clinched their third Spanish La Liga title in a row with a 1-1 draw at Levante have scored 92 league goals so far this season and won 16 consecutive league matches to set a new Spanish record.

It is two decades since a Barça team was born that featured a young Josep Guardiola in midfield, and which astounded the world with its vibrant attacking style. That Dream Team won four consecutive leagues, but also created a new blend of football that has now become the Camp Nou trademark. It’s a new way of understanding football, which involves possession, combination plays and a focus on attacking rather than defending. The football that has now become the FC Barcelona identity.

Twenty years on, and Guardiola is continuing his work in the role of manager, and the club is once again flying high at the top of world football. In just three years he has won as many league titles, and nine major honours in total. As he never tires of telling us in his press conferences, the only thing that ultimately needs to matter in football is “attack, attack and attack.”

Second three-season streak

Only Johan Cruyff’s Barça can claim to have won three titles in a row, which eventually became four, so there is no arguing that what Guardiola and his players have done is quite some achievement. And he is to be merited even more for managing to do that in his first three seasons in charge. Cruyff didn’t get his hands on the league trophy until his third year at the club.

Rijkaard’s legacy

Several coaches worked at the club between Guardiola’s time as a player and his return as manager (Robson, Van Gaal, Serra Ferrer, Rexach, Antic and Rijkaard), but the one who played the greatest role in returning the Barça style to its former glory was Frank Rijkaard, who won two leagues and one Champions League and spread the gospel of constant pressure inside the opposition’s half. Guardiola picked up where he left off and perfected the project, turning the team into a veritable goal machine (this season they have almost made it to 150) and also bagging title after title. The third league in a row is just the latest in a series of astonishing achievements.

Barcelona Juara Liga Sepanyol 2010/11

MADRID – Barcelona telah ditabalkan selaku juara Liga Sepanyol buat musim ketiga berturut- turut selepas pasukan itu seri 1-1 dengan Levante awal pagi semalam.

Skuad The Catalan meraih gela- ran juara ke-21 itu ketika saingan masih berbaki dua perlawanan.

Selain itu, skuad bimbingan Pep Guardiola itu turut menjadi pasu- kan pertama yang berjaya menjuarai Liga Sepanyol tiga musim berturut-turut sejak 1993.

Ketika itu, Barcelona yang diketuai Johan Cruyff berjaya merangkul gelaran juara ketiga dari- pada empat trofi berturut-turut yang dimenangi pasukan tersebut.

Pada pertemuan menentang Levante itu, Barcelona membuka tirai jaringan pada minit ke-27 hasil tandukan Seydo Keita tetapi tuan rumah berjaya menyamakan kedudu- kan menerusi Felipe Caicedo minit ke-40.

“Ia sering kali menjadi sesuatu yang menggembirakan apabila berjaya memenangi kejuaraan dan para peminat pasti berasa puas meraikan kejayaan itu.

“Saya sudah terbayang kami akan meraikan kejuaraan ini bersama para peminat di sepanjang jalan sekitar Barcelona,” kata pemain tengah Barcelona, Xavi.

Meskipun Barcelona mendahului pencabar terdekat, Real Madrid dengan enam mata ketika saingan berbaki dua perlawanan, kejuaraan sudah sah menjadi milik mereka berdasarkan kelebihan rekod pertemuan kedua-dua pasukan musim ini.

Sementara itu, jurulatih Barcelona, Pep Guardiola kini mahu memberi fokus penuh kepada final Liga Juara-Juara menentang Manchester United di Stadium Wembley pada 28 Mei ini.

“Untuk memenangi kejuaraan, kami sentiasa berdepan kesukaran dan ini adalah kejuaraan yang cukup sukar untuk diperoleh berbanding dua tahun sebelum ini,” kata Guardiola.

Setelah menyaksikan Real mudah membelasah Getafe 4-0 awal pagi kelmarin, Guardiola terpaksa menurunkan juga barisan terkuat termasuk Lionel Messi, David Villa dan Xavi dalam kesebelasan utama menentang Levante. – AFP