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CONTENT6 Nepean Soccer Club 40th Football At It’s Best!
12 Competitive But Not Varsety Ottawa Gee Gees Mens Soccer.
14 2010 Ottawa World Cup Valery Sinaba On Ottawa World Cup.
18 Importance of Cross Training Mike Kelly, Personal Trainer.
20 Work Less - Play More Kyle Washington on Soccer Philosophy.
26 The Rise of Real Madrid Jose Mourinho is The New Boss.
28 Where To Now Kaka Real Madrid in Doubt of Kaka.
30 AC Milan Without Pirlo Does Pirlo Still Have It.
34 Little & Loud Football in The Third World.
40 Alive & Kicking Made in Africa, for Africa by Africa.
44 HADY WEHBE 2010 Ottawa World Cup MVP.
48 PAUL KIHARA The Ultimate #7 - Is Looking To Score.
48 PAUL KIHARA
34
26 Jose Mourinho
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44 HADY WEHBE
LITTLE & LOUD 40 ALIVE & KICKING
12 GEE GEES SOCCER
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Welcome to the first issue of 11 Players Magazine! We are proud to showcase what we hope will become a staple not only in the Ottawa community but throughout Canada. The emphasis in this issue is on local talent. We have articles ranging from the Ottawa Gee-Gees to Washington Total Soccer founder Kyle Washington to local player Paul Kihara. We watched and cheered at the Ottawa World Cup and talked to tournament MVP Hady Wehbe. Nepean Soccer Club celebrated their big 4-0 and shared their emotions with us. After examining our own city's version of the beautiful game, we cast our gaze across the world. We examined soccer in developing countries as well as the growth of the game in Africa. Inevitably, we examined European soccer and the impact that it has on a con-sistent basis across the world. We hope that you continue to read us and will do so for years. From us to you, thank you.
Joseph A. & The 11 PLAYERS TEAM
a letter from the editor
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ADVERTISING.email. [email protected]
url. www.11players.ca
EDITORIAL.email. [email protected]
url. www.11players.ca
Editor-in-Chief: Joseph A.
Writers: Frank Tigani
Mike Kelly
Xavi Jimenez
Peter Stutter
Nick Wells
Kyle Washington
Siniša Šindik
Robbie Barkell
Photographers: Numan Qardash
James Park
Stephano Guindani
[SPG ITALIA]
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Nepean Hotspurs Soccer Club 40th Anniversary
In 2010, the Nepean Hotspurs Soccer Club celebrated its 40 years of community service. It’s
a remarkable achievement resulting from the efforts of countless volunteers to provide the
structure in which thousands of players at all ages and skill levels, wearing our distinctive
red and white strip, were able to enjoy playing the beautiful game. Our club crest speaks to
our heritage, and points the way to our future. Its elements - a knight’s helmet and knight’s
spur, a soccer ball, a maple leaf, our name and a date - 1970.
The knight’s helmet and spur remind us of Sir Henry Percy, also called Harry Hotspur, who
was born in 1364. Knighted at the age of 11, immortalized by Shakespeare as a legendary
warrior and hero, Henry Percy, earned his nickname “Hotspur” through his bravery in battle
and his desire to lead – as was said almost 700 years ago, he had a “hotspur” for the fight.
We proudly share this name with Tottenham Hotspur, or ‘Spurs, of the English Premiership,
whose famed White Hart Lane Stadium stands on land once owned by the Percy family.
Nepean Hotspurs Coach.-Nikola Brkljaca
WORDS BY: PETER STUDER
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“ The Nepean Hotspurs soccer club was honored to be one of the 8 clubs in Ontario to have met the high technical standards es-tablished by Toronto FC. ”In recent years, under the technical leadership of club head coach
Boris Bajagic (CSA National ‘A’ License), the Hotspurs have
worked to develop a culture of coaching excellence in order to
enhance the development of all of our members. An ongoing
collaboration between the Eastern Ontario District Soccer
Association and the Hotspurs has seen a coaching development
conference delivered each spring featuring the leading technical
coaches from the Canadian Soccer Association. This years event
saw coaches from across Eastern Ontario learning from Stephen
Hart, Head Coach of the Men’s National Team; Ray Clark, Director
of Coaching and Player Development; Dave Benning, Manager of
Technical Programs; and Tony Fonseca, National Staff Coach and
Head Coach of the U-20 Men’s National Team.
As a highlight of our 40th A significant development in the future
development of the Nepean Hotspurs occurred on Friday, May
14th, 2010, when Toronto FC announced the creation of its Club
Academy Program (CAP) – a technical partnership with progressive
youth clubs in Ontario that meet Toronto FC’s standards for elite
player development. The Nepean Hotspurs Soccer Club was
honoured to be one of the 8 clubs in Ontario to have met the high
technical standards established by Toronto FC, in selecting their
CAP partners. Hotspurs President David Holder commented that
“Some time ago, the Hotspurs formulated a model for coach and
player development. It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t flashy and we took
a long term view. As a result, we are extremely gratified that our
approach caught the attention of Toronto FC.”
The last forty years have brought great success to the Hotspurs,
and we have been privileged to have Charmaine Hooper, Lyndon
Hooper and Kristina Kiss wear our colours during
their careers. Many of our alumni have gone on to outstanding
careers at colleges and universities across North America. While
we take pride in their achievements, we take greater pride in
introducing the “beautiful game” to thousands of players over
the past 40 years, and we look forward to delivering quality
programs to players of all ages and skill levels for the next 40
years.
Our 40th anniversary season will see over 61 Hotspurs teams
in action in the Ontario Youth Soccer League (GU16 Lightning),
the East Region Soccer League (18 teams), the EODSA L5
League (18 teams), the South Side Soccer League (9 teams),
and the Ottawa Carleton Soccer League (15 teams). In addition,
hundreds of children will participate in our “Let the Kids Play”
Development Program, sponsored by Popsicle, summer camp
activities and the Hotspurs Indoor Development Program (HIDP)
during the winter months. Anniversary celebrations will include
our first Charity Golf Tournament and the 16th Annual Nepean
Hotspurs Friendship Tournament which will be held on June
12th and 13th. For more information on the Hotspurs, and our
40th anniversary celebrations, please consult our web site at
www.hotpsurs.on.ca
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COMPETITIVEVARSITYBUT NOT
Words by: Siniša Šindik
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When you think about a university that counts more than 35,
000 students you are entitled to believe that it has a varsity team
for every “big“ sport, like football, hockey and soccer. Well, for
the University of Ottawa it’s not the case. The biggest bilingual
university of the national capital region does have a varsity team
for football, hockey, and women’s soccer but unfortunately not for
men’s soccer. Indeed, the male students that are coming to the
University of Ottawa have to play for a team that is registered as a
“club”.
When Didier Hutchison arrived at the U of O in 2000, there was
no soccer team available for him. There have been many attempts
over the years to bring a varsity team, or at least any kind of team,
to the University, but the students in charge didn’t succeed. Then,
in 2002, Hutchinson decided to get involved. He went to student
federation (SFUO) to get some help from the school. After some
time was finally created the Gee-Gees men’s soccer competitive
club, which is really different from a varsity team.
The University of Ottawa have two types of sports teams: Varsities
and Clubs. A varsity team is completely financed and managed by
the University while a club team is independent but supported by
the University ($1,500 per year, the rest of the cost is at the expense
of the students). The U of O has a clear politic for varsity teams.
First, there must be an equal number of male and female athletes.
Secondly the University have to check for the field’s availability
and the additional costs of bringing an extra varsity team. So for all
those reasons, University of Ottawa only has a men’s competitive
soccer club.
The men’s competitive club has two “seasons” during a school
year. First of all, the fall one is only constituted of friendly games
against other universities from Ontario and Quebec. Those games
have to be scheduled by the leading member of the team, which
was Didier Hutchinson at the time, and which is Marc-André Paulin
now. Thus, the fall season is not really competitive because the
team can’t have any recognition through friendly games. However,
the winter period is really more interesting for the club because it
takes part in the Carleton soccer league and has 3 or 4 tournaments
during that time. That way the players can really enjoy a lot more
competition. Also, every year the club has its own banquet which
rewards the best players of the year.
As a matter of fact, the Ottawa University may not have a varsity
team as Carleton University, but at least students may still enjoy
playing soccer all year round. On the other hand, the U of O should
reconsider the status of the men’s soccer club and maybe give them
the varsity title. That would increase the visibility of the players,
and surely help the University to recruit some new students that
would originally have chosen Carleton instead.
“the club team is independent but supported by the university.”
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2010OTTAWA
WORLD CUP LEAGUE
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OTTAWAWORLD CUP LEAGUE
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Huffman Eja Offensive Midfielder
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Contact Mike Kelly: [email protected] | Phone: (613) 830-1300 | www3.sympatico.ca/vipmk18 | 11 Players | www.11players.ca
MIKE KELLYPERSONAL TRAINER
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THE IMPORTANCE OFCROSS TRAINING
Well, it’s November and winter snowfalls are not far off from covering the soccer pitch. As a coach, it’s an opportune time to reflect on the
positives and negatives of the past season. What you might discover, is that some of the team was lacking in energy and/or, incurred far
too many injuries. The good news is that the winter time provides a great opportunity to work on fitness deficiencies.
Soccer is one of the most physically demanding sports and has been categorized as a high intensity, intermittent team sport. It is also a
sport using linear and nonlinear running, with players having to go through various planes of movement during a game, often changing
suddenly. If not to make the game more challenging, throw in some vertical leaps (and the occasional rough landing) – good thing Soccer
is officially, “a non-contact sport”.
During a competitive youth soccer game, depending on the position, a player can be expected to run/walk well over 5 kilometers (with mid
fielders typically going farther). As the majority of a soccer game is run at sub-maximal, aerobic cardio intensities (much to the chagrin of
all coaches), it’s extremely important that players develop a solid aerobic base. It has been shown (K McMillan, J Helgerud, R Macdonald,
J Hoff 2005), that even a small improvement in a players aerobic conditioning can result in more efficient running on the field. Extending
a players energy base is paramount, as once fatigue kicks in, coordination starts to drop, i.e., fatigue can mean the difference between an
accurate kick on goal, or putting it 10’ too high. A great metric for determining a player’s aerobic conditioning is their VO2max (maximal
oxygen uptake). Once determining that metric as part of a “base lining” process, an off season training program can be implemented to
improve upon VO2max levels.
In addition to the cardio element, soccer players also require both explosive and endurance based muscle activity during a game. So,
what’s a relatively easy way to improve both cardio and muscular levels? Cross Training!
Why cross training, as opposed to just running laps? Well, over time if the same stimulus is applied day in and day out to an individual’s
fitness level, sooner or later their body will adapt to the static stimulus and begin to plateau. If you want to try this fitness phenomena
out for yourself, do a simple bicep curl exercise with a weight that makes it challenging to complete a proper set. Within a month or so of
repeating the same exercise, that same weight will become easier to lift. Unfortunately, if the same weight stimulus continues, in the same
technique, you’ll find your bicep strength will plateau and could even get weaker.
Using the previous analogy exemplifies the importance of cross training, whereby the athlete is continually being challenged by different
exercises and techniques - as a coach, there is a myriad of options for improving players overall fitness level, simply implementing a
relevant cross training program can be a great start.
Cross Training can be made as simple or sophisticated as you like, including the use of a “periodization” program (a systematic approach
to improving one’s fitness level). To get an extra bang for your buck, incorporate some Speed, Agility and Quickness (SAQ) drills and if time
permits, a properly done plyometric program will nicely cap off the training.
NOTE: Be careful with implementing too demanding of a plyometric program, as youth player’s bones structures are generally still growing
and overly demanding impact forces can cause negative effects (try jump rope, which when done properly, is a great form of basic
plyometric, works the cardio element and is inexpensive)
Finally, with the reality of cost and time, get your players at a minimum, to try out another sport, ideally one with similar movements to
that of soccer, e.g., basketball.
Certainly, it’s also paramount that players continue to work with the ball throughout the off season, as this is what they’ll be doing on the
field, but cross training with other sports and/or exercise programs, can make for great improvements in fitness.
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WORK LESS PLAY MORE
I was coaching a session last night for a group of 7-9 year
old boys and girls and judging by their enthusiasm for what I
thought was a standard training exercise I couldn’t help but to
feel that these children were totally deprived of opportunities
to experience soccer the way they know and love it: fast and
fun.
I’ve coached young children for long enough to know that
they are far better at simplifying the game of soccer than
we are as adults. They are able to produce moments of
glory on a whim and forget the impressiveness of their feat
a few minutes later. They are all about their “NEXT” great
play when they are truly having fun. While at play, children
never appear to be completely satisfied with the amount
of fun that they are having. What gets in the way of their
fun? We do. More often than not, we adults impose our
rules and order upon their innocence. In doing so, the fun
and spontaneity of their activities is lost, and with it is their
autonomy and creativity. Were it not for societal demands
forcing children, teenagers, and adults to mature and accept
more responsibilities we would be happier people. Would we
work less and play more.? What a glorious concept! WORK
LESS PLAY MORE.
“Elite 9 year olds who were selected for competitive teams
at age 16 engaged in two-times as many hours of soccer
PLAY (versus practice and structured competition) between
the ages 6 and 12 than other elite 9 year olds who were not
selected for the same team at age 16.”
a few words from Kyle Washingtonowner - WashingtonTotalSoccer.com
*Ford et al., (2009) high Ability Studies, Vol. 20 Issue 1
22 | 11 Players | www.11players.ca
WORK.Work to adults is how we overcome our challenges in life. When spend
enough time working at something we eventually start to see results.
To many adults, the idea of themselves “playing” is seen as meaning-
less in the grand scheme of life. How can you “play” when you have
stress in your life to deal with. Why “play” when there’s no cash prize.
Why “play” and risk public embarrassment? Some of the most suc-
cessful people have gotten to where they are because at some point,
they spent more time working at a particular skill/plan/performance
than the general population. Stay with me here....
What if the most important determinant of our success isn’t the ac-
tual skills being taught, or the person teaching them, but is instead
the number of times that an individual is allowed to perform a task,
fail, re-evaluate, re-perform the task, fail, re-evaluate, re-perform and
so on. In theory, we are set apart from animals because we are able
to make mistakes that go against our intuition. In nature, animals are
hard-wired to act definitively in certain situations and when they make
mistakes they are often met with serious consequence. A bird tries to
build a nest somewhere other than high-up in the air, and it’s eggs get
eaten. A mouse waits around to see what the rustling noise is behind
him. Eaten.
There is evidence that PLAY is an integral part of how children de-
velop/improve game-intelligence, anticipation, decision-making, and
creative tactical responses.
We humans...we don’t get eaten when we make mistakes. Yes, the
worst of our mistakes run the real risk of putting us in some form of
danger but, for the most part, even though we make dozens of mis-
takes per day we still manage to manage to gather food and find shel-
ter. We can fall back to the support and comfort of family, friends. When
the worst happens we’re still able to rely on religion and government.
Being able to make a mistake and not end up being eaten/injured in-
creases the likelihood that we will be prepared for a similar situation
in the future. We simply adapt our initial plans to compensate for our
previous errors in judgment.
If you’re a coach, and you are allowing your players a high number
of opportunities to make harmless mistakes then I would like to con-
gratulate you. You are teaching them how to take initiative for their own
learning and how to trust their own intuition, instead of teaching them
self-doubt and indecision.
‘FAIL, RE-EVALUATE, RE-PERFORM
THE TASK, FAIL, RE-EVALUATE, RE-
PERFORM THE TASK, AND SO ON.’
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BACK TO PLAY NOW.Let’s take an excerpt from a lines above when I was writing about the role that WORK plays in our lives as adults. The difference in this
particular excerpt will be that “WORK” will be substituted by the word “PLAY” and “ADULT” to “CHILD”.
“Play, to children is how they overcome challenges in their lives. If they spend enough time playing something they will eventually start
to see results. To many children “work” is seen as boring/no fun in the grand scheme of life. The most successful performers in the
world have gotten to where they are because at some point, they spent more time playing a particular game/sport/instrumentthan the
general population. “
I admit that it’s a bit of a stretch to propose that children are all opposed to “working” and all for “playing”. I also concede that if children
don’t work at their skills and practice their skills then they will not likely improve the quality of their performances. What I will never let
go of is my complete and total belief that children learn faster, and retain more of their skills when they are rehearsed in novel, fun situ-
ations than they would retain the skills rehearsed in static, monotonous, highly-structured situations. Practice doesn’t have to be boring!
Be honest with yourself. You’re an adult, you can tell when a child is having fun and when that child is not having fun.
PLAY, when in isolation of structured participation, has a positive impact on perceived enjoyment and willingness to continue participa-
tion in related sports/activities in the future.
EXCUSE ME!!! HELLO!!-----Believe it or not, kids LOVE TO LEARN! They’ll show off their new skills, moves, and tricks anytime they
have an audience, but they also love to do things that are fun/entertaining/stimulating. We adults/coaches need to stop rushing them
out of their childhood. They’ll soon get hit by a flash of hormones once puberty moves in and they’ll start to make conscious decisions
towards maturing. Can we as adults find a way to give this to them? We’ve put people on the moon and designed computers that are
smarter than we are. Can we not just listen to the obvious messages they are giving us every day?
CRITICAL THINKING.I would like to be clear in stating that what I’ve written is in NO WAY meant to be an affront upon an individual or organization. Nor is it
meant to be a gospel, but I will offer research-based support for what I’ve been discussing. In High Ability Studies journal, a 2009 longi-
tudinal study of elite and recreational 6-12 year old soccer players by Ward et al. published a few interesting findings when those players
turned 16 years old:
• Elite 9 year olds who were selected for professional teams/academies at age 16 engaged in TWO-TIMES as many hours of soccer
PLAY (versus practice and structured competition) between the ages 6 and 12 than the other elite 9 year olds who were not selected
at age 16.
• The amount of hours spent engaging in low-structured, child-governed PLAY between the ages of 6 and 12 is indeed an important
indicator of future expert performance.
• PLAY, when in isolation of structured participation, has a positive impact on perceived enjoyment and willingness to continue partici-
pation in related sports/activities in the future.
Is it detrimental for a child to memorize the words of a book before they are capable reading the words? I’m not a parent, but I can see
how it might be slightly frightening to some parents/coaches that a child can learn to do something without understanding how/why
they were able to perform. Please remember that we all learn our alphabet to the tune of the A-B-C song yet we still can tell you correct
alphabet letter order without reciting the song each time. We all walk differently, talk differently, and think differently so why shouldn’t
children be allowed to develop their own unique love of the game?
If we as adults know so much more than children then why can’t we, as a society (not individuals, because there are many of us walking
*Ford et al., (2009) high Ability Studies, Vol. 20 Issue 1
24 | 11 Players | www.11players.ca
kyle Washington
If we as adults know so much more than chil-
dren then why can’t we, as a society (not indi-
viduals, because there are many of us walking
the walk), plan their lessons/practices/pro-
grams to appeal more to their innate desires
and interests. The true art of coaching/teach-
ing a child lies in the ability of the authoritative
figure to structure the learning experiences of
the child in such a way to allow the child au-
tonomy to act upon their own intuition/initia-
tive.
Please respect that each child will learn at his/
her own rate and have some faith that they’ll
eventually get there because I’m certain that
when he/she does eventually get there on
his/her own accord, the pride in his/her eyes
will be one of the most rewarding feelings you
will ever feel as a coach or parent.
We as adults forget that it’s human nature to
grow tired of something that isn’t stimulating.
If a child doesn’t want to listen to the coach,
it isn’t always the child’s fault but sometimes
it might actually be the coach’s ability to
gather information from a series of cues that
each child/group of children may be project-
ing. The dependent variable is the coach. A
team without a coach may still win the game,
a coach without a team/players doesn’t have
a chance. If we weren’t there to coach, would
they still play? If so, let me pose the ques-
tion on last time...”Who’s really in charge?”
See you on the field!
Kyle Washington.
www.Montrealimpact.com
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TRYOUTS INVITATION HIGHTLIGHTS.
JAN 24-28, 2011Congratulations to.
Hassoun Camara. Idriss Chergui.
Denis Stinat. Kevin Hatchi. Igor Djoman.
26 | 11 Players | www.11players.ca
THE RISE
For a number of years it has been Barcelona that have
dominated Spanish football. The Blaugrana have arguably
enjoyed their best ever decade as they have achieved
success unparalleled in their history, especially on the
European stage. Indeed, Barcelona have possibly been
the greatest team of the decade and definitely one of the
best club teams in history.
This season, Barcelona are still an extremely formidable
outfit. They certainly will be contenders for major honours
come the end of the season, both in the Champions
League and La Liga.
However, this season Real Madrid – under the guidance of
the masterful Jose Mourinho - are on the rise again.
In their last four La Liga games, Los Blancos have
bagged an incredible 19 goals collecting maximum points
along the way. It has not just been the results that have
impressed, but their performances have also been raised
eyebrows.
Mourinho’s Real are starting to get that champion look
about them that is inevitable for a team whenever it is the
self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ leading them.
The wily Portuguese tactician has a habit of transforming
teams into champions. He did it at Porto back in 2004,
where he led them to an unprecedented Champions
League triumph in addition to the domestic league and
cup titles.
Then, at Chelsea, it was much of the same. He led the
Blues to back to back Premier League titles in 2005 and
2006, helping transform the London based club into one
of the powers of modern day English football.
Following his rather turbulent exit from Stamford Bridge,
Mourinho was snapped up by Inter. In the intense and
difficult environment of Italian football, Mourinho built
an Inter side that not only continued its winning ways in
Italy, but that also broke its European curse by becoming
Champions last May.
As they say, the more things change, the more they stay
the same. This is true following Jose Mourinho’s move to
the Spanish capital. Just months after arriving in Madrid,
already Los Blancos look like potential champions. Their
position at the top of La Liga is testament to this along
with their domination over Milan in the two recent ties
played against the Italians.
It may be a different club, in a different country, with a
different style of football. But, this seems to be of little
consequence for Mourinho. His record across various
countries is without equal and quite rightly he can claim
to be the ‘Special One’.
Mourinho’s los Blancos have steadily been improving
and in recent weeks the team have started to form an
identity. But, rather frighteningly for Real’s rivals in Spain
and Europe is the real possibility that there is still room for
improvement.
Under the tutelage of the Portuguese tactician,
importantly Cristiano Ronaldo is rediscovering the kind
of form he exhibit during his record breaking season for
Manchester United where he scored a disbelieving 42 in
all competitions.
The new number 7 at the Bernabeu will be crucial to Real’s
bid for success this season. If the former United star can
continue in the same vein as he has done in recent weeks
then it will push Real that much closer to success.
But it is not just the form of Cristano Ronaldo that Real’s
success will hinge upon. All over the park Real are blessed
with world class stars that are either in peak of their powers
or on the way there.
Cristiano Ronaldo definitely belongs to the former group.
As does the likes of Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos, Ricardo
Calvarho, Iker Casillas and Pepe.
Then there are the likes of Angel Di Maria, Pedro Leon,
Gonzalo Higuain, Mezut Ozil, Sami Khedira, Karim
Benzema and Sergio Canales. This group of players
possess frightening potential. Under the guidance of
Mourinho many of these players may go a long way to
fulfilling such potential. Already, Mezut Ozil and Sami
Khedira have improved greatly this season and have
become crucial elements to Mourinho’s side.
Together, it is a group of players that possess great quality
and great potential. As a team they are young but they are
slowly growing into a strong outfit.
Of course, it is still early days. Whether Mourinho is able
to guide his stars to silverware this season remains to be
seen. If glory evades Real this season, then it may be next
season that they succeed. Under Mourinho, it is surely just
a question of time and hopefully he is given enough time.
What is sure this season is that Real Madrid are serious
contenders again, both in Spain but more importantly
in Europe where the club have failed to make it past the
Round of 16 since winning the title in 2002.
But this season may be different and come Wembley
next year, it will not be surprising if it is Mourinho and his
Real side that are crowned Kings of Europe in the land the
Portuguese so desires to return one day.
OF REAL MADRIDUNDERJOSE MOURINHO
WORDS BY: FRANK TIGANI
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with world class stars that are either in peak of their powers
or on the way there.
Cristiano Ronaldo definitely belongs to the former group.
As does the likes of Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos, Ricardo
Calvarho, Iker Casillas and Pepe.
Then there are the likes of Angel Di Maria, Pedro Leon,
Gonzalo Higuain, Mezut Ozil, Sami Khedira, Karim
Benzema and Sergio Canales. This group of players
possess frightening potential. Under the guidance of
Mourinho many of these players may go a long way to
fulfilling such potential. Already, Mezut Ozil and Sami
Khedira have improved greatly this season and have
become crucial elements to Mourinho’s side.
Together, it is a group of players that possess great quality
and great potential. As a team they are young but they are
slowly growing into a strong outfit.
Of course, it is still early days. Whether Mourinho is able
to guide his stars to silverware this season remains to be
seen. If glory evades Real this season, then it may be next
season that they succeed. Under Mourinho, it is surely just
a question of time and hopefully he is given enough time.
What is sure this season is that Real Madrid are serious
contenders again, both in Spain but more importantly
in Europe where the club have failed to make it past the
Round of 16 since winning the title in 2002.
But this season may be different and come Wembley
next year, it will not be surprising if it is Mourinho and his
Real side that are crowned Kings of Europe in the land the
Portuguese so desires to return one day.
WORDS BY: FRANK TIGANI
28 | 11 Players | www.11players.ca
WHERE TO NOW FOR
KAKAWO
RD
S B
Y: FRA
NK
TIGA
NI
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There has been much recent speculation that Kaka may be
set for a return to the city of Milan. Whether he will return to
play for his previous side, A.C. Milan, or their fiercest rivals,
Inter, is quite unclear. Indeed, the former world number one
may not return to Italy at all.
What is clear, however, is that the current Real Madrid boss,
Jose Mourinho, is not too keen in keeping his Brazilian ace.
Before speculation started to abound about a possible shock
return to Italy, it was said that Mourinho was planning to make
Kaka part of a mega-offer for Manchester United star Wayne
Rooney.
The signing of Mezut Oezil in the summer was also perhaps
a suggestion by Mourinho that Kaka was or is not part of his
plans at the Bernabeu.
Kaka, who has undergone surgery on a torn ligament in his
left knee since the World Cup, is not expected to play until
January. By this time, Kaka may not be a Blancos any longer.
Since leaving Milan in the summer of 2009 for Real Madrid,
Kaka has failed to live up to the hype and expectation that his
arrival in Spain prompted. There have been many rumours as
to why but one pervading one is that Kaka’s physical condition
is fragile and indeed it seems so. Now at the age of 28, there is
a suspicion that we may have already seen the best of Kaka.
Given Kaka’s physical condition, he has suffered from
various ills in recent years, his modest showing in his debut
season at Madrid and that Mourinho has hinted that Kaka is
not an indispensable member of his squad, it is very much
a possibility that Kaka may indeed be looking at his options
beyond Real Madrid very soon.
A return to Milan, the club where he enjoyed his greatest
success, is the destination apparently favoured by Kaka. Given
the adoration he enjoyed from the Milan fans and Milan’s
propensity to buy stars past their prime, it seems more likely
that Kaka would return to his former club, rather than their
hated city rivals.
However, Kaka is clearly not the same player as he once
was. Injuries have greatly affected him in the last season or
two and his continues to be hampered by various physical
concerns. Given his age, it is difficult to see former Rossoneri
again reaching the heights he once did in his time at Milan.
Inter’s interest in Kaka is more than likely just a response
to Milan’s purchase of Ibrahimovic. With Wesley Schneider
pulling the strings for Inter in the middle, there is little reason
why the Nerazzurri would buy him.
A return to the Rossoneri seems the most likely destination,
if Kaka is to stay in Europe. Other than the apparent interest
from the two Milan giants, Kaka’s time in Europe may be over
before expected with seemingly little interest from the rest of
Europe and understandably so.
Sao Paulo from Brazil has recently announced their interest in
bringing back their former star and this may just be where the
Brazilian star ends up.
Whether Kaka will continue to be a Los Blancos remains
to be seen. Football fans, particularly those at the Santiago
Bernabeu and the men that funded his mega-money transfer,
will be hoping that he returns to his best in all white of Real
Madrid.
‘KAKA IS CLEARLY NOT THE SAME
PLAYERS HE ONCE WAS.’
30 | 11 Players | www.11players.ca
Back in 2006 Italy would not
have won the World Cup without
Andrea Pirlo. The Milan ace was
crucial to Italy’s success and his
performances were recognised
after he was voted the third best
player of the tournament. In the
all important final, Pirlo was
recognised as the best player on the
pitch, a remarkable achievement
given the talent on display that day.
Since arriving at Milan from Inter
in 2001, Andrea Pirlo has been
equally crucial in helping the
Rossoneri win two Champions
League trophies, reach another
final and claim the 2004 Scudetto.
Pirlo has enjoyed an incredibly
successful career. Originally more
of a second striker in the mould of
a Roberto Baggio or a Francesco
Totti, the Milan number 21 has
achieved all this success playing
in a role that was innovative at the
time.
It was Carlo Mazzone who first
deployed Pirlo has a kind of deep-
lying midfielder when he was
plying his trade at Brescia. The
reason being that with Roberto
Baggio playing in the same side,
there was no room in the attacking
third for Pirlo.
At Milan Pirlo found himself in a
similar situation. With the likes of
Rivaldo and Rui Costa being first
choice for the creative attacking
role, there was no room again for
the promising Italian starlet. Carlo
Ancelotti, hence, made the same
move as his namesake at Brescia
had done. It proved a masterstroke.
Milan’s success over the decade
was largely created around the
creative spirit of Pirlo playing out
from deep in midfield.
But, this success also hinged
upon the partnership Pirlo formed
with Gennaro Gattuso. In his day
Gattuso was arguably the best
defensive midfielder in the game.
Tough, committed, brave and
plain relentless, Milan’s passionate
number 8 seemed to never tire
doing the work of two players it
seemed at times.
It was a simple ploy really.
Gattuso’s job was to get the ball
and give it to Pirlo. From the start
Pirlo’s defensive qualities were
suspect, but such was the presence
of Gattuso in his peak that this
mattered little.
However, in recent seasons Gattuso
has not been able to retain the
same high levels. Particularly poor
in his last two seasons, though,
the spirited Calabrian is enjoying
somewhat of a Renaissance this
term.
AC MILAN BETTERWITHOUT PIRLO
The same can be said of Pirlo. His last two seasons have
not been great by his standards and even this season he
continues to blow hot and cold. There is a correlation here.
Pirlo’s success as a deep-lying playmaker was very
much reliant on Gattuso. This was the case for both club
and country. But, with Gattuso not being the Gattuso of
yesteryear, much more is now expected of Pirlo defensively.
But as it was in the beginning, it is the same now. Pirlo is
not a defensive player. He is not a great tackler, he is no
presence physically and he lacks aggression.
In Milan’s last three games, Andrea Pirlo has not started
one. Yet, these last three games have arguably been the
best three games played by the Rossoneri this season.
There may be a correlation here also.
Playing with his favoured 4-3-1-2 system, Max Allegri
has turned Milan’s fortunes around as the club sit atop the
standings with great prospects for Scudetto success.
With this system, three hard working midfielders are
deployed behind the trequartista. Mathieu Flamini, Gennaro
Gattuso and Massimo Ambrosini have been the preferred
midfielders, with Kevin Boateng first back up. All four players
have been enjoying some good form and this has made life
much easier for Seedorf (and Allegri) as the trequartista as
it relieves him of much defensive duty and allows him to
concentrate on offense, an area his skills are more suited
for.
Against Bari, Palermo and Inter – at least in the first half
– this set up enabled Milan to control games. Bari were
www.11players.ca | 11 Players | 31
AC MILAN BETTERWITHOUT PIRLO
nowhere close to Milan in the middle of the park.
Palermo’s creative star Javier Pastore had a night
to forget. And it was the same case for Inter’s
attacking spirits on Sunday night.
It is a system that has paid dividends. However, it
is a system that Andrea Pirlo is not really suited
to and this was perhaps indicated by Allegri has
he opted to start him on the bench for the derby.
For this reason perhaps time is up for Andrea
Pirlo as a deep-lying midfielder. He is not as
effective in this role as he once was. Milan are
set up differently now and the new system has
different needs.
This does not mean the end of Andrea Pirlo. But
may be better used in the more advanced role
he played as an Italian under 21 international.
Perhaps as an understudy for Clarence Seedorf
who at the age of 35 cannot start every game.
But the Dutchman definitely deserves to keep
hold of his new role. He has been enjoying it and
has five assists to show for his efforts.
‘PIRLO IS NOT AS EFFECTIVE IN THIS ROLE AS HE ONCE WAS.’
WORDS BY: FRANK TIGANI
32 | 11 Players | www.11players.ca
STEVEN DIONNESPINAL CORDINJURY FUND
A MIRACULOUS TRUE STORY. for more information please visitsdsci-fund.info
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34 | 11 Players | www.11players.ca
BY XAVI JIMÉNEZ
FOOTBALL
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FOOTBALLIN THE 3RD
worldSOLOMON ISLANDS
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ALIVE&KICKINGWORDS BY: ROBBIE BARKELL
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KICKING
Alive & Kicking manufactures hand stitched sports balls in sub-
Saharan Africa in order to provide balls for children who don’t
have balls to play with, jobs for previously unemployed adults,
and health awareness for young people through sport. Alive &
Kicking’s work is based on the belief that by combining social en-
trepreneurship with sport’s mass appeal, lasting economic and so-
cial development can be achieved in Africa.
Unemployment is high across sub-Saharan Africa and there is
little to no welfare for those without jobs. There is a huge lack of
sporting equipment available in schools and children’s projects,
which means children can only play with balls they make them-
selves. Many children seldom have the opportunity to participate
in organised games, missing out on fun as well as personal and so-
cial development. Coupled with these shortages is a lack of health
awareness amongst young people about the deadly but avoidable
diseases of malaria, TB and HIV /AIDS. Alive & Kicking addresses
all three deficits by manufacturing hand stitched leather footballs,
volleyballs and netballs in Africa.
THE BALLS : Hand stitched out of local leather A&K balls are
tougher than normal synthetic balls and better suited to last lon-
ger in rough playing conditions. They are also easily repairable
which gives them further longevity. The balls are bought by do-
nors for distribution to schools and children’s projects across Africa
and every ball is printed with health awareness messages so that
teachers and sports coaches can use sport to broach difficult top-
ics of disease with children. In addition to Alive & Kicking’s stan-
dard leather ball, we have now developed a synthetic ball which is
better suited for play in wet conditions and on grass and astro-turf
surfaces.
42 | 11 Players | www.11players.ca
EMPLOYEMENT : Alive & Kicking has stitch-
ing centres in Kenya and Zambia employing
over 150 people. Production of A&K balls in
these countries provides much needed income
for the communities in which we work as well
as a boost in leather demand for local leather
producers. Each job at Alive & Kicking provides
an income for a stitcher which is typically the
only income in a family of up to 10 people. In
order to maximise local benefit our programmes
are run as far as possible by local people, with
only one of our 150 employees in Africa origi-
nating from outside the operation country.
HEALTH WORK : Added to sport’s natural af-
finity with good health and its massive popu-
larity, it is the perfect vehicle for raising health
awareness. In this pursuit, Alive & Kicking prints
simple health messages on HIV/AIDS, malaria
or TB, on the balls we produce.
The balls are used by teachers and sports coach-
es before or after sport to talk to young people
about dangers to their health. In Kenya Alive &
Kicking has produced a set of HIV/AIDS aware-
ness posters featuring African sports stars warn-
ing young people of the dangers of contracting
HIV. These have been distributed to every sec-
ondary school in Kenya, and a similar scheme
is being launched in Zambia in partnership with
the Ministry of Education.
In both Alive & Kicking stitching centres the
stitchers are beneficiaries of a workplace health
programme which offers advice on how to stay
well. Recently our partner organisations, Right
to Play and Tackle Africa, have trained some of
our stitchers as HIV peer educators and football
coaches. This has added to their individual skill
sets and has enabled Alive & Kicking to give
health awareness sessions to young people
during ball deliveries.
Alive & Kicking is a UK registered charity
1105583. For more information contact:
+44 (0) 207 630 7333
www.aliveandkicking.org.uk
Alive & Kicking 2010
Alive & Kicking prints simple health messages on HIV/AIDS, malaria or
TB, on the balls we produce.‘
‘
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“distributed to every sec-ondary school in Kenya, and a similar scheme is be-ing launched in Zambia“
44 | 11 Players | www.11players.ca
HADYWEHBE
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At first, he played as a central midfielder
behind the forwards. He was the main
factor to bring the attackers in scoring
positions, and he often scored himself.
As a born left foot, he is particularly
dangerous in standard situations, such
as free kicks and corners. His endurance
and acceleration were already way above
the age standard. The following seasons,
he continued playing central midfield,
but more defensive and as a kind of
sweeper in front of the defence. There,
he could perfectly implement his abilities
to influence the rhythm and the direction
of the game . After being coached by
experienced coachs in europe Hady finally
was told his best position was left back
where he would move up and down the
line with his overlaps causing the oponents
team to stay on there toes at all times.
Ottawa World Cup MVP 2010
Best Career Moment. 2006 FC Astra Ploiesti [Romania]
Favourite Player.Lionel Messi
Favourite National Team.Spain
Favourite Club.FC Barcelona
Favourite Position.Left Wing
Strength.Positioning / Endurance
Weakness.Headers
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PAULKIHARATHE ULTIMATE
#7
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Paul is a lightning quick attacking midfeilder, who likes to play on the
left wing. He aims to play professional football in one of Europe’s top
clubs, and continue to develop his football talents. He is deadly on
freekicks, very good dribbler and has a very powerful shot with great
heading abilities. His wing play is wonderful due to his ability to use
his great pace to full effect.
5 International CapsKenya vs ZanzibarTanzania vs KenyaKenya vs BurundiEritrea vs KenyaKenya vs Guinea
www.11players.ca | 11 Players | 51
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