Weekend Guide 29.1.2016

The new Weekend Guide is here, and this week we will be in the Asian race for the last Olympic qualifying spot, the match of the season in Palestine and the Champions League of Oceania. Yallah!

(All the hours are in CET)

Amateur (Like this guy)

What? Qatar – Iraq (AFC U-23 Championship)

When? Friday, 15:45

Where? Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha

Why? After Japan and South Korea qualified to the Olympic Games, now it's the time to check which team will win the third Asian berth. Qatar played twice at the Olympic tournament, the last one was in Barcelona 1992. Iraq played four times at the Olympic tournament, while their last appearance in Athens 2004 ended with the fourth place.

Key Players: Don't miss Qatari Ahmed Alaa, an Al Rayyan player and the leading scorer of the tournament with 5 goals. Iraqi Mohannad Abdul-Raheem was Asia’s young player of the year in 2012 and the U-19 championship MVP in the same year, definitely one of the future stars of the Iraqi football.

The Repeat: As we said before, the final of the tournament will be Japan and South Korea. Four years ago they met in the bronze medal match of the Olympic Games. What an Asian footy feast it was!

Professional (like this goal)

What? Shabab Al-Khadr – Shabab Al-Khaleel (West Bank Premier League)

When? Saturday, 16:00

Where? Al-Khadr Stadium, Al-Khadr

Why? The match of the season in the Palestinian league will be the main course this weekend. Both teams have their own dreams of winning the title, as after half season Shabab Al-Khaleel lead with 25 points and Shabab Al-Khadr are in 2nd place with 22 points.

Key Players: Sameh Maraaba of Shabab Al-Khadr was in the Israeli prison, as he was suspected to be involved in terror activity. Now he is one of the league’s best scorers with 6 goals. Shabab Al-Khaleel has the league top scorer, Ahmed Abu Nahyeh, who also shined in the national team with 4 international goals in 3 caps.

Patriotic Feeling: Mahran Abu Raya signed two weeks ago for Al-Khadr. He played for many years in Bnei Sakhnin and one of his great goals was against their arch-rivals, Beitar Jerusalem.

World Class (like these goals)

What? Kiwi – Veitongo (OFC Champions League)

When? Sunday, 01:30

Where? CIFA Academy Field, Matavera

Why? Four champions of Oceania’s minor leagues compete for one spot to qualify for the OFC Champions League group stage. Samoan champions Kiwi need a draw to clinch the spot at the next round. Veitongo from Tonga lost their first two matches and they hope to finish the tournament with a decent result.

Key Players: Kiwi will thank their New Zealand forward, Thomas Mosquera, who scored 4 goals in this campaign. Take a look at Veitongo's Anthony Likiliki, who made debut for his national team last year, when he was only 15 years old.

Once in a Lifetime: Since Australia left the OFC, New Zealand is dominating the Champions League. Only once a New Zealand team failed to win the title – In 2010, Waitakere United lost the final against Hekari United from Papua New Guinea.

Weekend Guide 16.1.2016

Hi all! This weekend we will watch a great match from New Zealand, a boiling national and political rivalry in Israel and an opening encounter in Nicaragua.

(All the hours are in CET)

Amateur (Like these misses)

What? Team Wellington – Auckland City (New Zealand Football Championship)

When? Sunday, 02:00

Where? David Farrington Park, Wellington

Why? Being ranked 1st, Auckland City wants to win the league once again. Team Wellington are in 3rd place, just three points less than the leaders. They will host Auckland and will try to get closer to their first ever title.

Key Players: Ben Harris, Team Wellington’s striker, played last season in the English non-league side Hampton & Richmond Borough and now he is the top scorer of the New Zealand league. Auckland City has Ryan De Vries, a 24 year old player that already has 6 league titles, winning them consecutively since 2010.

The Champion of Champions: Ramon Tribulietx, the Spanish manager of Auckland City, holds the world record for most continental titles – 5 OFC Champions League titles.

Professional (like this guy)

What? Beitar Jerusalem – Bnei Sakhnin (Israeli Ligat Ha'al)

When? Monday, 19:50

Where? Hamoshava Stadum, Petah Tikva

Why? One of the hardest national and political rivalries in the world of football will be played Monday in a neutral pitch, since the Jerusalemites are suffering a ban for hosting home games, due to their fans’ behavior. Beitar Jerusalem, recognized with the right-wing camp in Israel, will play against Bnei Sakhnin, the biggest Israeli-Arab club in the country, whose fans often identify with the Palestinian national cause. Beitar are ranked in 3rd place, aiming for a Europa League spot, while Bnei Sakhnin is in 11th place, just one point above the relegation zone.

Key Players: Beitar's Omer Atzili is one of the hot prospects in Israeli football at the moment, starring at the top tier and the Israeli U21 national team. Weaam Amasha will be the guy to watch in Sakhnin as he is the leading scorer of the club with 6 goals.

Red and Yellow: Khaled Khalaila, Bnei Sakhnin’s captain, is known to be one of the most aggressive players in Israel. He topped the league’s yellow card table for four seasons, including one record breaking season with 17 yellow cards.

World Class (like this goal)

What? UNAN Managua – Managua FC (Nicaraguan Primera División)

When? Sunday, 02:00

Where? Estadio Olímpico del IND Managua, Managua

Why? The opening matchday of the Clausura will gather reigning champions UNAN Managua with their city rivals, Managua FC, who had a bad Apertura campaign. Derby time!

Key Players: Jonathan Donado was one of the leading players for UNAN Managua during the title journey, scoring 10 goals, three of them in the playoffs. If you are looking for Nicaraguan football’s next generation, look at Kevin Serapio of Managua FC, a 19 year old midfielder that plays for the U20 national team.

Ladies First: UNAN Managua won their first ever title in the previous Apertura, but the women's team is the strongest team in the country, with 11 championships.

Weekend Guide 8.1.2016

We hope you had great holidays, but it's time to get back to business.

The Weekend Guide is here once again and this time we have a double header from the Caribbean with the Copa América Centenario playoffs and the league of Bermuda, as well a short visit to the Far East and the league of Hong Kong.

(All the hours are in CET)

Amateur (Like these guys)

What? Trinidad and Tobago – Haiti (Copa América Centenario playoffs)

When? Friday, 23:30

Where? Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City

Why? The centennial tournament of the Copa América will take place in the USA next summer and the last two CONCACAF spots are left to be decided. On Friday night Trinidad Tobago and Haiti will play for the qualification.

Key Players: Khaleem Hyland will be the top Soca Warrior for this match, with 8 years of experience in the Belgian league and 53 international caps. Meanwhile, Haiti’s leading player is the promising 21 years old attacker, Duckens Nazon, who plays for the French second tier club Laval and has scored 4 goals in the Gold Cup.

Panamanian Heritage: Until 1993, the stadium was named "Estadio Revolución". Now it is named after Rommel Fernández, a Panamanian footballer who died in car accident at the age of 27.

Professional (like this guy)

What? Eastern – South China (Hong Kong Premier League)

When? Sunday, 10:30

Where? Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong

Why? After both teams played 6 matches, just one point is the difference between the leaders Eastern and the second place South China. Eastern haven't lost yet and they wish to win their first title since 1995.

Key Players: Eastern's Australian Andrew Barisic is one of the league top scorers with 4 goals, and besides playing in Hong Kong he previously played in India, Indonesia and German amateur leagues. South China's main player is goalkeeper Cristian Mora, 36 years old Ecuadorian who played for the national team during their World Cup campaign in 2006.

The O Team: In the 1992/3 season, Eastern started the season with 9 wins in 9 matches, and had an impressive balance of 30 goals for and no goals conceded.

World Class (like this goal)

What? Dandy Town Hornets – Robin Hood (Bermuda Premier League)

When? Sunday, 20:00

Where? St. John's Field, Pembroke Parish

Why? Dandy Town is on first place with 25 points, while Robin Hood is 9 points behind in the second place. If Dandy Town will win it, they’ll get closer for their eighth title. If they lose, the race will open up.

Key Players: The two leading scorers of the league will be on the same field, so it's a showtime! Dandy Town’s Tomiko Goater is an 18 year older who scored 7 goals in his debut season. Robin Hood’s Lejuan Simmons scored 9 goals this season, after playing previously for Ilkeston, a non-league English club at the 8th division.

National Player: Former Bermudian footballer Kyle Lightbourne had 40 international caps and played for over a decade in England. Except from being international footballer, Lightbourne made 5 caps for Bermuda national cricket team in 1990.

Weekend Guide 19.12.2015

After last week, I decided to give you more finals in our Weekend Guide. An Arab-Latino final from Chile, the climax of the Indian Super League and a close title race in Trinidad and Tobago.

(All times are in CET local time)

Amateur (Like these guys)

What? Universidad Católica – Palestino (Chilean Primera División)

When? Sunday, 23:30

Where? Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo, Santiago

Why? Colo Colo are the champions and both teams are playing for a place in the Libertadores. It’s the second leg of the Apertura final, afer Palestino won the 1st leg 2:1. This match is a decisive one.

Key Players: Cristopher Toselli, one of the best Chilean goalkeepers, is the guy to keep your eye on for Universidad Católica. Palestino striker, Marcos Riquelme, is the league’s top scorer with 10 goals.

First Time: While Palestino haven’t won the league since 1978, the women’s team made history this season, with their first ever title. In the final, they won 2:1 against Colo Colo, who had won the last 10 national titles.

Professional (like these goals)

What? FC Goa – Chennaiyin FC (Indian Super League)

When? Sunday, 14:30

Where? Fatorda Stadium, Goa

Why? The 2nd edition of the ISL is coming to its end and we will have new champions: Goa or Chennai. Goa finished in top spot at the end of the regular season, so they have the home advantage. Chennaiyin, last year’s runner-up, eliminated former champions Atlético de Kolkata in the semi-finals and will be hoping to finish one place higher than last year.

Key Players: Forget about the older famous foreigners! Don't miss FC Goa's Jonatan Lucca, a 21 year-old Brazilian midfielder who didn’t quite make the grade for AS Roma’s senior team and is now shining in India. On the other side, we have Chennaiyin's Stiven Mendoza, a 23 year-old Colombian striker and the league’s top scorer with 12 goals.

Indian World Champions: Each of the teams has a crew of owners including businessmen, Bollywood stars and cricket players.  Virat Kohli of FC Goa and M.S Dhoni of Chennaiyin were both part of the Indian cricket team who won the 2011 World Cup.

World Class (like this goal)

What? Defence Force – North East Stars (TT Pro League)

When? Saturday, 21:00

Where? Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain

Why? After 7 weeks, the league of Trinidad and Tobago is extremely tight. Just 4 points separate the 1st and the 7th place and it seems that the season will stay close all the way to the end. Defence Force are in 1st place with 14 points and have lost only once this season, while North East Stars are behind them in 3rd with 13 points.

Key Players:  Devorn Jorsling, the Defence Force striker, is one of the veteran players of the club and has played for the club for 11 seasons. For North East Stars you can find Neveal Hackshaw, a 20-year old midfielder who has already played several times for the senior national team.

To the Reserves: Ross Russell was a player and a manager at Defence Force for 26 years, winning 10 league titles. In January 2014, he had to retire due to the end of his military service.

Weekend Guide 12.12.2015

In a few parts of the world, it’s almost the end of the season. So, this weekend we have some special matches to bring you from all over the place.

The Mexican League is ready to declare a champion, the U23 teams of Africa will crown a new titleholder and we will make a special visit to the Cambodian League.

(All times are in CET local time)

Amateur (Like this goal)

What? Pumas UNAM – Tigres UANL (Liga MX)

When? Monday, 03:30

Where? Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Mexico City

Why? Mexico will crown its first champion of the season in the final of the Apertura. The first match on Thursday ended with a win 3:0 win for Tigres. Pumas are looking to complete their perfect run after they finished in the 1st place in the regular season. Tigres finished 5th, but after their great victory they are close to winning the title.

Key Players:  For Pumas, it’s Javier Cortés, who won the Olympic gold medal with Mexico in 2012 and has been playing for the club since 2008. Tigres’s biggest name is former French international André-Pierre Gignac, the team’s leading scorer with 13 goals.

Road to Glory: Bora Milutinović, one of the most fascinating managers in the world, used to play for Pumas and, after his retirement, he got his first job as the club’s manager. He managed the team for 6 years before moving to his next mission, the Mexico national team.

Professional (like this match)

What? Nigeria – Algeria (U23 African Cup of Nations)

When? Saturday, 20:00

Where? Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal

Why? Seven months before the Olympic tournament in Rio, Africa will see which U23 team is the best on the continent. Nigeria, the 1996 Olympic gold medallists, have qualified for their 7th Olympic tournament. Algeria have qualified for their 2nd tournament, their first since 1980.

Key Players: The leading player for Nigeria is Etebo Oghenekaro, a 20 year-old player from Warri Wolves, who leads the championship's topscorers list with 3 goals. The Algerian midfielder, Zinedine Ferhat, is dominating for his national team and has an important role at USM Alger, Algeria’s league leaders.

African Power: African teams always produce great performances at the Olympic Games, but one of the most famous matches was back in 1988. Zambia thrashed Italy 4:0, with an amazing hat-trick by Kalusha Bwalya.

World Class (like this goal)

What? Phnom Penh Crown – Nagaworld (Cambodian C-League)

When? Saturday, 12:00

Where? Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh

Why? The Cambodian League had an intense season and now it’s the 2nd leg of the final. In the first leg, Phnom Penh Crown won 2:0. Phnom Penh Crown finished the regular season in 2nd place and Nagaworld finished 4th.

Key Players: Phnom Penh Crown’s George Bisan is a 23 year-old Nigerian and one of the top scorers in the league with 24 goals in 24 matches. Look out for Nagaworld's striker, Kouch Sokumpheak, who has 43 caps for the national team and has now played with Phnom Penh Crown for 5 seasons.

A league of ministries: Back in the 80's, most of the teams' sponsors were government ministries, so among the previous champions you can find teams like Ministry of Transports FC and Ministry of Commerce FC.