By Chris Wright
We've already seen the teaser photo earlier this afternoon, but Nike have now sent out a full wodge of photos of their new England strip for 2013, and here the bugger is in all its glory...
Here's a few choice lines from Nike's accompanying blurb.
By Chris Wright
After just three minutes of last night's South American U17 Championship final stage tie, Argentina's Sebastian Driussi decided he'd had just about enough of not scoring sensational long-range overhead kicks and immediately set about redressingthe situation.
By Chris Wright
The year was 1981 and England had just lost 2-1 to Norway in a World Cup qualifier in Oslo. Step forward veteran Norwegian commentatorBjørge Lillelien, who duly etched his name into footballing folklore by flying into a jubilant rant in broken English at the final whistle.
By Chris Wright
Luis Suarez was at it again last night, giving Chile right-back Gonzalo Jara a quick jab in the face in retaliation to some particularly "attentive" man-marking from the Forest loanee...
Seeing as the ref missed it, no punishment was forthcoming.
"Like I give a shit!
By Alan Duffy
Well, maybe not the zillionth, but you get the picture.
Victor Fayzulin was the man to finally put the ball in the back of the net for Fabio Capello's side after both sides played pinball in the Brazil box. But ultimately, Fred would score to rob the Russians of a glamorous victory.
By Chris Wright
Hard-rocking German hairball Torsten Frings announced his retirement from the game at the age of the 36 yesterday, so to mark his passage into the footballing hereafter we thought we'd revisit his definitive career highlight: his 30-yard super blooter against Costa Rica for Germany in the opening match of the 2006 World Cup.
By Chris Wright
The fool's on you Bobby
We missed it at the time but the Ugandan FA (FUFA) merked the world on 1st April by announcing via their official website that long-serving Scottish coach Bobby Williamson had been sacked as manager of the national side.
By Chris Wright
Italy played in their brand spanking new"2013 Confederations Cup" Puma kit for the first time against Brazil last week and look damned fine doing so, so it's with great pleasure that we can announce we have an Azzurri shirt to give away courtesy of our pals over at Puma Football!
By Chris Wright
Robin van Persie overtook Johan Cruyff as Holland's all-time leading goalscorer by way of snaffling himself a brace in Oranje's 4-0 tonking of Romania last night, the first of which was a fantastic, instinctive header to steer Arjen Robben's clipped cross over Costel Pantilimon (no mean feat) and dropping it neatly inside the far post.
By Chris Wright
As red-card head-high horror tackles go, Taras Stepanenko's effort in the last minute of Ukraine's 2-1 victory over Moldova last night was a true classic of the genre...
We're willing to accept that the actual collision itself may have been purely accidental but, in that case, what in the blue blazes was Stepanenko going for by flinging himself into the air like that bearing in mind Ukraine were on the attack?
By Chris Wright
Cracking snap from yesterday's various international dealings wherein spindly Real Madrid flyweight Angel Di Maria is forced to huff away on an oxygen canister after running out of puff during Argentina's World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in La Paz,situatedsome 3,637 metres (11,932 feet)above sea level.
By Alan Duffy
Northern Ireland 0-2 Israel 2014 World Cup Qualifiers 26th March 2013
Two late goals from the visitors left poor old Michael O'Neill still waiting for his first win as Northern Ireland boss.
With extra time to prepare for this game after the postponement of their clash with Russia, the home side had chances to ahead in the first-half, although Israel did hit the woodwork after just two minutes.
By Alan Duffy
Wales 1-2 Croatia 2014 World Cup Qualifiers 26th March 2013
An exquisite strike from ex-Arsenal man Eduardo completed a Croatian comeback at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday night, as the Welsh failed to build on their recent win against Scotland.
By Alan Duffy
Republic Of Ireland 1-1 Austria 2014 World Cup Qualifiers 26th March 2013
Bayern Munch's young defender David Alaba was the man to break Irish hearts in Dublin on Tuesday night, firing home from long-range to secure an injury-time equaliser for the visitors.
By Alan Duffy
Montenegro 1-1 England 2014 World Cup Qualifiers 26th March 2013
A right old game of two halves this was, with England bossing the first period and going in deserved 1-0 leaders at half-time. However, after the break, Montenegro were a totally different proposition, and laid siege to Joe Hart's goal for much of the game.
By Alan Duffy
Serbia 2-0 Scotland 2014 World Cup Qualifiers 26th March 2013
Gordon Strachan's men were deservedly beaten away in Novi Sad on Tuesday night after a rather lacklustre display from the Scots.
The visitors battled hard in a goalless first half but the Serbians' superiority eventually paid off in the second period, with a brace fromFilip Duricic securing a valuable win for Sinisa Mihajlovic's side.
By Chris Wright
England's young'ns racked up their ninth successive victory after sticking four unanswered goals past nine-man Austria in a friendly atBrighton's Amex Stadium last night, with Jonjo Shelvey, Josh McEachran, Marvin Sordell and Connor Wickham doing the honours.
By Alan Duffy
Sweden Republic Of Ireland 2014 World Cup Qualifiers 22nd March 2013
Millwall 'keeper David Forde produced a superb performance for Ireland in Sweden on Friday night to help his side to a deserved 0-0 draw.
The visitors started the game superbly, with James McCarthy superb in midfield and Jame McClean dangerous on the flanks.
By Alan Duffy
Scotland Wales 2014 World Cup Qualifiers 22nd March 2013
Aaron Ramsey has endured a difficult couple of years. Since coming back from that horror leg-break, he has struggled to hit the heights expected of him, instead struggling to secure a regular place in Arsene Wenger's inconsistent Arsenal side.
By Alan Duffy
San Marino England 2014 World Cup Qualifiers 22nd March 2013
Cheapskates...
Not really much to say about the game. It went as one would have expected it to.
The goals came from an own-goal, Oxo-Chamberpot, Jerry Defoe (a brace), Ash Young, Frankie Lamps, Big Wayne Rooney and Dan Sturridge.
By Chris Wright
England U21 sashayed to a comfortable victory over their Romanian counterparts in a 3-0 friendly victory at Wycombe Wanderers' Adams Park last night, with Manchester United's layaway signing Wilfried Zaha stealing the show, scoring a rather nice goal (his first for the U21s) to open proceedings by jinking past a couple of defenders and bending a sweet shot inside the far post from the edge of the area.
By Chris Wright
Morning all. I'll begin easing back into things around here with a few photos of Italy's lovely new kit, which will be worn for the first time later this week for the Azzurri's friendly against Brazil in Geneva which will serve as prep ahead of the Confederations Cup in Brazil later in the summer.
By Chris Wright
Hit 'play' before reading on for full effect...
"She says her name is Steve, and that she can't remember where she lives"
Chris Coleman is a bloody hero. Got that? He-ro. The Wales manager has been thanked by police after he helped rescue an elderly woman who had been reported missing from her home.
By Chris Wright
Mexico beat the USA 3-1 in extra-time to win the CONCACAF U20 Championship Final last night, with Mexico substitute Julio Gomez providing the breakthrough in added time to finally bust open the 1-1 deadlock that couldn't be broken by either side during the first 90 minutes.
By Chris Wright
What you see Blaise Matuidi, Raphael Varane and what we can only assume is the rest of their sewing circle wearing up there is the brand spanking new Nike France away strip for 2013; a subtle pale blue number with tricolours on each sleeve which apparently "fuses French tradition with style and pride".
By Chris Wright
Here it is people: the very last in our bumper AfCoN shirt giveaway series, with Pies teaming up one last time with PUMA® (the Official Fan Supplier to the Orange African Cup of Nations) to offer one lucky UK-based fan the chance to win the official replica home shirt of host nation South Africa.
By Chris Wright
Can't you read the sign? Nigeria are the WINNERS of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations after beating surprise package Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final on Sunday evening to snaffletheir third AfCoN title squeezing out The Stallions thanks to a solitary goal from Sunday Mba, and a canny little volley it was too.
By Chris Wright
The City Stadium in Podgorica, Montenegro: Home ofFK Buducnost Podgorica and theMontenegrinnational side, henceforth also the venue for England's crucial 2014 World Cup Group H qualifier tomorrow evening.
A traditional 12,000-capacity stadium set in picturesque hillside surroundings, the City Stadium was built in 1945 almost immediately after the Second World War and by the looks of it today, that may well have been the last time the pitch was laid too.
By Chris Wright
Now that the tournament is done and dusted, we feel the only way to mark the AfCoN's passing is to compile a round-up over the very worst Horror Hair on display in South Africa over the last few weeks.
WARNING: Peroxide is obviously big in Africa this year (click for the biggies).
It's not all about the Premier League, of course. Well, it is, except it isn't. The top two divisions of English football had a weekend off thanks to the international break, so attention turned to the lower divisions and the scramble to get promoted and to avoid relegation's sweet, if chilling, kiss.
It's not all about the Premier League, of course. Well, it is, except it isn't. The top two divisions of English football had a weekend off thanks to the international break, so attention turned to the lower divisions and the scramble to get promoted and to avoid relegation's sweet, if chilling, kiss.
The most obvious explanation, it turns out, is usually the most obvious explanation for a reason. After several days of head-scratching, The Times newspaper acknowledged its error in running a story about the Dream Football League yesterday morning, bringing to a close an extraordinary few days during which we had been given cause to wonder who had been telling the truth over a news story which began as something remarkable for one reason and ended as something remarkable for something else altogether.
One of the first rules of journalism is "cover the story, don't become the story," but this weekend a story that should have been and might yet be the biggest of the season, quite possibly the biggest in the entire history of the game, lays in the gutter, with most speculation now centred upon the newspaper that ran the story so publicly earlier this week.
By Chris Wright
WARNING: Do not make eye contact with this painting. It may steal your soul out through your tear ducts.
We're not sure if this is some Dorian Gray thing or whether the Haitian Football Federation really did bestow this wonderful portrait uponst FIFA's Grand Leader after he opened their brand new headquarters inCroix-des-Bouquets yesterday.
By Chris Wright
It looked for a moment like Scotland'sWorld Cup Qualifier against Serbia may succumb to the snow that has engulfed the country today that was until these three bonny lads, led by Scotland fanaticDougie McKinlay (the chap in the middle), turned up at theKaraorde Stadium and helped shovel the snow from the pitch.
By Alan Duffy
Good on the San Marino FA's Twitter people. Having had to listen to Adrian Chiles and co. sneer their way through England's 8-0 hammering off the Euro minnows, the San Marino Twitter people decided to hit back. And rightly so!
Azzurri Focus: Milan Five Called Up By Prandelli is a post from: Serie A Weekly Azzurri Focus: Milan Five Called Up By Prandelli is a post from: Serie A Weekly Five Milan players have been called up by Italian coach Cesare Prandelli. The Azzurri play a International friendly against Brazil on Thursday and then a World Cup qualifier against Malta five days later.
By Chris Wright
If ever a picture summed up a man's international career
For your eyes only, here's a few selected shots from England's training session at St. George's Park today ahead of their 2014 World Cup Qualifier against San Marino on Friday evening.
Keep a peeper peeled for Joe Hart's bloaty head (and shoulders?
In some respects, what actually seems to have happened was the only thing that could possibly have turned out to be funnier than what was suggested in the first place. Late last night, in line with its release in its hard copy issue, The Times put up a story, written by Oliver Kay, suggesting that a group from Qatar was planning football's greatest ever heist.
For all the praise heaped upon Burkina Faso for their unexpected run to the AFCON 2013 final, there is little doubting that Nigeria were the best team in the tournament. The Super Eagles only showed this intermittently in the final itself, most importantly with the appropriately-named Sunday Mba's stunning winning goal and goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama's stunning 72nd-minute save from substitute Wilfried Sanou.
