Soccerpad

If England qualifies for Euro 2008 next summer, the FA should arrange cash prizes, not for Steven Gerrard and company but for the unheralded Israeli team which has played a major part in providing Steve Mclaren’s men the perfect boost ahead of wednesday’s critical encounter with Croatia at Wembley.

But, the person who would be indebted to the Israelis is none other than the England manager Steve Mclaren. Had Israel lost to the Russians in Tel Aviv, the former Middlesbourough and assistant England coach would surely have got the sack. But the 2-1 Israel win over an under-par Russian side at the Ramat Gan stadium in addition to Croatia’s stunning surrender at the hands of Macedonia provides the Three Lions the cushion of a draw to pip Guus Hiddink’s boys with Croatia already ensured of qualification by Russia’s defeat.

For the Boston Celtics, this is certainly uncharted waters. The NBA outfits have hardly ever had tasted success in the big arena but so far this season, optimism and hope have flourished in equal measure. The Celtics are the only unbeaten team in the NBA and have also won their games in convincing style as the crushing 91-69 victory over Nets at home on Monday night typifies.

The Boston Celtics are basking in hype and expectation as they continue to stretch their best start to a NBA season in 35 years. They might not be the most flamboyant and attack-minded team in the NBA but their watertight defence is more than capable of stopping the best of opposition attacks. So much so that visiting Nets were undone not by the Celtics’ heroics upfront but by the muscular approach at the back.

Since the departure of Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho from Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, Chelsea’s high-profile players have hinted to follow in their former manager’s footsteps. After Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard admitting to consider their future at the London club at the end of the season, number one goalkeeper Petr Cech has spoken of his keeness to join Spanish giants Barcelona. The top-class Czech goalkeeper has been with the Blues since 2004(one of Jose Mourinho’s blue-eyed boys) and has recently signed a four-year contract extension earlier this year.

Martin O’Neil, in his 50th premiership game in charge of Aston Villa, saw his side getting the better of local rivals Birmingham City in the 105th Midlands derby at St. Andrew’s. Sunday’s 2-1 win at the backyard of Birmingham City was Villa’s third successive second-city derby victory.

England U-21 striker Gabriel Agbonlahor scored a late headed winner minutes after clearing a Liam Ridgewell header off the line at the other end. Birmingham City went behind after just 11 minutes when former Villa defender Liam Ridgewell scored an own goal after trying to clear a dangerous Stilian Petrov cross.

The first half clearly belonged to the side from Villa Park, but Steve Bruce’s side was unlucky when referee Steve Bennett turned down two confident and clear Birmingham penalty shouts at the start and the end of the half. The second-half saw a fighting Birmingham side and the Blues scored a deserved equalizer when substitute Finnish striker Mikael Forsell headed home a cross from the impressive Dutchman Daniel De Ridder.

Italian football has always been a center of attraction in all Europe. But more often than not it is for all the wrong reasons. It has not yet fully recovered from the match-fixing scandal of last season, and the recent incident of fan’s violence will cast further aspersions on the image of the Italian Football federation.

Sunday saw a Lazio fan shot dead by policeman. Lazio was playing at Inter on Sunday and the incident occurred when a riot broke out between the fans of Juventus and Lazio at a motorway service station in Tuscany. In the aftermath of the fan’s death, several Serie A games were suspended.

Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun scored the first hat-trick of this season’s Champions League as five-time European champions Liverpool recorded the competition’s biggest ever win after crushing Turkish side Besiktas 8-0 at home. The victory keeps the last year’s runners up’s hopes of qualifying to the next round firmly on track after FC Porto beat Olympique Marseille 2-1 in Portugal.

Arsenal’s influential French defender William Gallas turned from a potential villain to a hero after he scored a stoppage time equaliser against bitter rivals and reigning English champions Manchester United at the Emirates stadium on Saturday’s lunch time kickoff. The tense 2-2 draw kept the Gunners at the top of the Premiership table by virtue of having scored more goals than second placed United.

Frank Lampard’s future with Chelsea has been under the scanner ever since Italian giants Juventus and Spanish champions Real Madrid approached the influential England midfielder at the fag end of the last season. Now with the influential Jose Mourinho gone, there is every chance that one of the Portuguese manager’s favourite players could head for the Stamford Bridge exit door too.

With Lampard’s current contract expiring in 18 months time, there is no sign of any new contract negotiation between the two parties and the Chelsea fans can certainly fear the worst.

South America might be a football-crazy continent, but most of the countries lack the necessary infrastructure to host the most widely watched single sports event — the FIFA World Cup. The only nation in the continent capable of hosting the mega sports event is Brazil and there were few eyebrows raised when Brazil won the chance to host the 2014 football World Cup when the decision was made in the Swiss capital Zurich.

Brazil must count themselves lucky to have won the bid. Earlier this week, football’s world governing body, FIFA, scrapped its policy of rotating the World Cup among continents but that measure won’t come into effect until after 2014. Entire South America unanimously backed Brazil for hosting the World Cup and the Brazilian football as well as administrative authorities must be thanking them all.

The last time England hosted the FIFA World Cup finals, they won it in style. So there’s little doubt that England is eager to host the mostly widely watched single sports event again as early as 2018. The English FA had hatched the plan to bid for the World Cup 2018 long back and they have been boosted by a recent FIFA decision to drop its policy of rotating the World Cups among continents for good.

England is a sports mad country and the main sport is football. Football is embedded deep inside the English culture and the national team is the main outlet of expression for the nation’s people. Not only are the people in favour of hosting yet another majot sports event, the British government too backs up the proposal.