2010 Apr 14 Talking Balls: Barcelona, Australia and Moneymania
This week we’ve got more football than you can shake a dubiously awarded yellow card at. The biggest of which is that the Best Player In The World (it’s official) is coming to town. Cristiano Ronaldo fans will be disappointed to here that the arrival of Leo Messi and his Barcelona teammates means the end of Real Madrid’s proposed trip.
Confirmation has been received that FC Barcelona will replace Real Madrid as Beijing Guoan’s August 8th match at the Bird’s Nest. However, questions remain. Firstly, what kind of team will Guoan field considering they have a CSL fixture against Shenzhen on the same day? The CFA has not been forthcoming with an answer and it could take some time to work out, especially as the CFA want each CSL club to play an extra two games per season against Team China.
Barca are apparently contracted to play all of their stars for at least some period of the match. How well this will go down in a squad of players that are still challenging for domestic and continental honors before many go to challenge for the World Cup in South Africa remains to be seen. A two-week break at the end of an arduous season seems dangerously short. So this contract to see the stars could mean little more than seeing Leo Messi take kick off and then be immediately substituted.
The reason Barca have replaced their great rivals in Beijing is that the Madrid club were indecisive in their confirmation. The local promoter asked Barca (who were here in 2008) and they said yes. A deposit of 30% of the appearance fee sealed the deal.
From intergalactic stars we come right back down to Earth and Beijing Guoan’s continental campaign. Guoan are the last remaining hope of China’s Big Four (the term that the local press use for Shandong Luneng, Henan Construction, Changchun Yatai and Guoan) progressing to the knockout stages. Guoan play Melbourne Victory tonight and hope to match their 1-0 victory from the home game. Joel Griffiths grabbed the winner in that match and will be on hand to play in Australia. This could be his last chance to stay in his country’s World Cup plans. The biggest obstacle is that the Socceroos currently have no coach.
Joel’s brother Ryan scored the only goal of the game as Guoan beat Changchun Yatai at the weekend. Despite not being registered for the AFC Champions’ League Ryan traveled with the squad to Australia so he could see his family.
Wacky Wei Di Moment of the Week: The head honcho has proposed to spend RMB 40,000,000 per year on hiring a Foreign Technical Consultant for Team China. The role would not be that of a National Team Manager. Wei said “I’ve discussed with the coaches, and we’ve decided to study from Spain and Netherland.” Apparently, 60-year old Javier Clemente is on Wei’s list.
One response to this scheme on the internet was “It seems the donkey has kicked Wei Di in the head again”.
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Talking Balls: AWOL Aussies, Skipper Kidnaps and Giant Kids
Beijing Guoan are not even playing at the moment, but are still managing to be controversial. This time the controversy stretches all the way to Australia and guess who’s at the center of it? None other than Beijing’s former hardman/nutcase/sensation, Joel Griffiths. As mentioned in a previous Talking Balls it was understood that he was fated to return to the Newcastle Jets after Guoan refused to meet the Australian team’s valuation. But now Griffiths has gone AWOL from the A-League club. He skipped his first training session highlighting that he had an agreement that Beijing only had to offer AUD 350,000 to secure his services for next season. The Chinese champions did that on New Year’s Eve but the Jets said that deal was contingent on Griffiths finishing the A-League season and that deal ended on December 16. Read more here and here. If Griffiths is to play for Guoan in next season’s Asian Champions’ League then he needs to be registered before January 11. Wait and see.
Talking Balls: A Smoking Rocket, Marbury Mania & The Olympic Underground
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Talking Balls: Shame On Shanxi, Ghastly Guoan & Some Sports Shorts
The Beijing Ducks and Shanxi Brave Dragons have gone to game five in their CBA playoff semi-final. The game was originally set for March 14 but was postponed until March 18 so that everyone could enjoy St. Patrick’s Day. No, actually it was put back because of a near-riot in game four. Shanxi’s fans also took that meeting as an opportunity to shower the court with debris. They've been fined nine times for similar incidents over the last four years. They have just added another RMB 60,000 to the CBA's Christmas party fund. You stay classy, Shanxi.
Talking Balls: Ducks Flying, Guoan Too Green & This J-Lin Stuff Gets Silly
Good evening, sports fans. Let's get right into it. The CBA playoffs are at their semi-final stage and Beijing Ducks are back in the series after winning game two. Stephon Marbury dropped a colossal 52 points to send them on their way to besting Shanxi by 132-123. Thanks to NiuBBall for the alley-oop on the video you'll see below. Don't forget to check out the 2011-12 NiuBBall Awards. Spoiler alert: Starbury gets what he deserves.
ronson1
Re: Talking Balls: Barcelona, Australia and Moneymania
Your quote..."Joel Griffiths grabbed the winner in that match and will be on hand to play in Australia. This could be his last chance to stay in his country’s World Cup plans. The biggest obstacle is that the Socceroos currently have no coach.".....is laughable.
Firstly, of course the Socceroos have a coach. He is leaving after the World Cup, you idiot.
Secondly, and most ridiculous, the biggest OBSTACLE has nothing to do with the coach, it's because the Chinese domestic league is one of the worst standards in world football and the coach doesn't rate it. Joel could score a hat trick each week and he'd still be overlooked. It's saying something about Chinese football when Beijing's best player is an Australian who can't make the World Cup squad.
He'd have a better chance coming off the bench for Partick Thistle wearing a blindfold.
It would also help playing in a country whose national team can actually make the World Cup.
China's population will be universally brushing their teeth twice a day before they make the World Cup.
Please tell me the "Beijinger" don't pay you for comment.
JWhite
Re: Talking Balls: Barcelona, Australia and Moneymania
I'll hold my hands up to getting the wrong end of the stick regarding Pim Verbeek's tenure as Socceroos manager ending after the World Cup and not having ended already. Apologies for that.
Were it the case that the Australian national team were without a manager, as I mistakenly thought, then that would be a massive obstacle to the hopes of a fringe player looking to break into the World Cup squad - even more so than the league which said hopeful was playing in.
However, as you helpfully pointed out to me, I was wrong on this point. I agree that with the managerial role being filled the biggest obstacle to Griffiths being on the plane to South Africa is his lack of opportunity to impress his national coach. With the CSL being in what it is, the least that he needs to get into Verbeek's plans is for Guoan to go on a run in the AFC Champions' League.
Jonathan White, Managing Editor
the Beijinger/TheBeijinger.com
pekingblue
Australian strikers
Yeh, why would Australia consider picking a forward playing in the Chinese league when they've got strikers banging in the goals in the top leagues all over Europe?...er wait a minute, I think I'm missing something. Maybe you meant that there are lots of top quality strikers in the A- League. Er, that's hardly a hotbed of world football either is it. Have to laugh when Australians try and comment on football- stick to rugby and aussie rules mate.
ronson1
Re: Talking Balls: Barcelona, Australia and Moneymania
Australia went further than England in the last World Cup, and football in England is a religion. In Australia, it's a novelty.
Imagine if Australia took 'soccer' seriously.
pekingblue
Re: Talking Balls: Barcelona, Australia and Moneymania
Er, actually England got to the quarter finals of the last world cup and Australia was knocked out in the second round... which means England got further than Austarlia.
Who are those world class aussie strikers we're going to have the pleasure of watching in June? If you let me know I'll keep an eye out for them.