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February 21, 2014

2014 FIFA World Cup teams: Croatia (UEFA), prominent players in 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying (theoretical best XI for Croatia, with 4 other player-options listed).

Filed under: Croatia — admin @ 5:00 pm

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Croatia national team. UEFA (Europe). Nickname: Vatreni (the Blazers). Home jersey: red-and-white checkerboard; blue pants.
-Croatia is in Group A (with Brazil, Cameroon, and Mexico), ‘2014 FIFA World Cup Group A‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification: 2014 is Croatia’s 4th qualification out of 5 tries. [1930 to 1990, competed as part of Yugoslavia; 1994, could not enter.]
Croatia has qualified for the World Cup in: 1998, 2002, 2006, 2014.

Previous WC finish: 2006, Group Stage (0-2-1). Highest WC finish: 1998, Third Place (5-0-2).

Population of Croatia: 4.2 million {2011 census}. Capital and largest city: Zagreb, pop. 1.1 million (metro area) {2011 census}.

-Croatia coach, Niko Kovač. Niko Kovač. Besides a long career in the Bundesliga (with Hertha Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen, Hamburger SV, and Bayern Munich), Kovac had 84 caps as a MF for Croatia, from 1996 to 2008. After retiring as a Red Bull Salzburg player in 2009, Kovac became a coach at that Austrian club’s academy. In January 2013, he and his brother Robert Kovac became dual-coaches of the Croatia U-21 team. Nine months later in October 2013, Niko Kovac (with his brother along as an assistant coach) replaced Igor Štimac as Croatia national team coach. Stimac was sacked after Croatia slouched its way into the World Cup qualifiers’ playoffs, having taken only one point from their last four qualifiers. Croatia then beat Iceland 2-0 aggregate in the playoffs, to give Croatia the much-enviable and rather impressive record of 4 World Cup qualifications in 5 attempts. Impressive, because Croatia is a nation of only about 4.2 million people.
-Croatia squad captain, Darijo Srna. Darijo Srna is a Right Back/Right Midfielder known for his crossing ability and free-kick prowess. Srna, age 31, is the most-capped Croatia player, with 110 appearances. Getting his start with Croatian side Hajduk Split, he has, since 2003, played professionally for the Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, with whom he helped win the 2008-09 UEFA Cup title.

Below: Theoretical Best XI for Croatia (with 4 other player-options listed further below) -

Photo and Image credits -
Croatia home jersey badge, photo from pjwapparel.com/2012-2014-Croatia-Home-Jersey.
Croatia 2012-14 home jersey, photo from pjwapparel.com.
Map of Croatia on globe, by TUBS at ‘File:Croatia on the globe (Europe centered).svg‘ (commons.wikipedia.org) .
Map of Croatia, by NordNordWest at ‘File:Croatia location map.svg‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Coach,,
Niko Kovač, photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Goalkeeper,
Stipe Pletikosa (Rostov), photo from croatiansports.com.
Defenders,
Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images via espnfc.com/blog.
Vedran Ćorluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), photo from alziendoog.tumblr.com.
Dejan Lovren (Southampton), photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe zimbio.com.
Danijel Pranjić (Panathinaikos), photo from pao.gr.
Midfielders,
Ivan Perišić (Wolfsburg), photo by Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
Luka Modrić (Real Madrid), photo by Getty Images via beinsports.tv.
Ivan Rakitić (Sevilla), photo by Gabriel Corbacho at en.wikipedia.org.
Forwards,
Eduardo (Shakhtar Donetsk), photo from shakhtar.com via prosport.tsn.ua.
Mario Mandžukić (Bayern Munich), photo by Getty Images via blogs.gotsoccer.com.
Ivica Olić (Wolfsburg), photo by Getty Images via uefa.com.
Other player-options,,
Mateo Kovačić MF/AMF (Inter), photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Nikica Jelavić FW (Hull City), photo by Getty Images via dailystar.co.uk/sport/football.
Ivan Strinić DF/LB (Dnipro), photo from football24.ua.
Niko Kranjčar AMF/W (Dynamo Kyiv/QPR), photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.

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Thanks to the contributors at ‘2014 FIFA World Cup qualification‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to the contributors at ‘Croatia national football team‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/, for player-position details.
Thanks to Soccerway.com, for recent squad line-ups (with positions-on-the-field graphics), at int.soccerway.com/international/europe/wc-qualifying-europe/2014-brazil/1st-round/r15653/.

Comments (2)

February 16, 2014

MLB: attendance map for 2013 (home/regular season average attendance), including change from 2012 and percent-capacity figures.

Filed under: Baseball,Baseball >paid-attendance — admin @ 6:37 pm

MLB: attendance map for 2013 (home/regular season average attendance), including change from 2012 and percent-capacity figures
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Please note: to see the most recent MLB paid-attendance map-and-post, click on the following: category: Baseball >paid-attendance.
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MLB attendance in 2013 was 30,514 per game as a league total, which was down from 30,895 in 2012 – in other words, crowds last season in the Major Leagues were down -1.2 percent from 2012. Here is an article at USA Today from October 1 2013, ‘MLB attendance drops 1.2 percent this year‘ (usatoday.com/story/sports). Nevertheless, 2013 was the sixth-highest drawing season for MLB (for full seasons/ the MLB league attendance record was set in 1993, the year before the last players’ strike, at 31,337 per game) [you can see year-by-year league-attendance averages, from 1980 to 2013, in the link above].

Biggest attendance increases and worst attendance drop-offs for 2013 in Major League Baseball

{MLB attendance figures here (espn.go.com)}.

In 2013, the Toronto Blue Jays, owing to pre-season excitement in Ontario, Canada about the Jays’ big signings (that flopped), had the highest increase at the turnstiles, going from 25,921 per game (in 2012) to 31,315 (in 2013) – which was an increase of 5,394 per game or +20.8 percent. The Blue Jays ended up only winning one more game (than in 2012) last season, finishing in last in the AL East at 74-88. But that spike in attendance could see some positives, as this article from the Toronto Star from Sept. 20 2013 by Brendan Kennedy points out, {‘Blue Jays: Boost in attendance could mean payroll increase‘ (thestar.com/sports/bluejays)}.

The only other team with a crowd-size-increase above 10 percent last season was the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won the NL West and drew best in MLB in 2013 at 45,216 per game at Dodger Stadium (an increase of of 4,176 per game or +12.6% from 2012, when the Dodgers drew 41,040 [for 5th-best in MLB in 2012]). So the LA Dodgers, now under new and non-dysfunctional ownership, reclaimed their status as the highest-drawing baseball club on Earth – they last led the Major Leagues in attendance in 2009. Look for the Dodgers to repeat as the top drawing ball club in 2014.

Other success stories in MLB in 2013 with respect to crowd-size increases could be seen at the following ball clubs.
Baltimore Orioles: attendance increase of +9.3% [18th-best attendance in MLB in 2013 at 29,105 per game], which was an increase of +2,495 per game. This on the heels of a playoff-season in 2012 for the O’s; in 2013 they went 85-77.
Washington Nationals: attendance increase of +9.1% [11th-best attendance in MLB in 2013 at 32,745 per game], which was an increase of +2,735 per game. This, like nearby Baltimore, was also on the heels of a playoff-season in 2012 for the Nats; in 2013 they went 86-76.
Cincinnati Reds: attendance increase of +7.9% [15th-best attendance in MLB in 2013 at 31,288 per game], which was an increase of +2,310 per game. Attendance in Cincy continues its gradual rise, as the Reds made the playoffs again in 2013 (and for the 3rd time in 4 years)…in 2013, the Reds drew their best since their move to their then-new ballpark in 2003.
Pittsburgh Pirates: attendance increase of +7.8% [19th-best attendance in MLB in 2013 at 28,210 per game], which was an increase of +2,062 per game. Attendance was of course boosted by the Pirates’ successful playoff run, as Bucs made the playoffs for the first time in 21 seasons (previously in 1992).
Oakland Athletics: attendance increase of + 7.7% [23rd-best attendance in MLB in 2013 at 22,337 per game], which was an increase of +1,609 per game. The A’s, under GM Billy Beane, have written the book (well Michael Lewis did, with Moneyball), on how to exploit market inefficiencies for the last decade-and-a-half. But Oakland has had traditionally poor attendance, and in 2009, 2010, and 2011 had the lowest in the league (in the 17-18K range). But a party-like atmosphere there at the Coliseum and a second straight AL West title saw the A’s inch up to 22.3 K per game in 2013.
Colorado Rockies: attendance increase of +6.2% [10th-best attendance in MLB in 2013 at 34,491 per game], which was an increase of + 2,017 per game. The Rockies were bad once again, finishing in last in the NL West, but they continued to draw well. The Rockies were aided by 5 high-drawing inter-league home games in 2013: three home games versus the Yankees in May, and two home games versus the Red Sox in August…those 5 games averaged over 40,000. {See this article by David Martin at Rockies Review blog from Sept. 12 2012 that accurately predicted this attendance upswing for the Rockies, ‘Colorado Rockies will get great attendance in 2013 regardless of disappointment‘ (rockiesreview.com)}.

Meanwhile the Miami Marlins (at their new instant-White-Elephant of a stadium) had the worst drop-off at the turnstiles, going from 27,400 per game [and 18th-best in 2012] 2 seasons ago, to an abysmal 19,584 per game last season [second-worst in MLB in 2013, better only than their fellow Floridians, the perennially lowest-drawing MLB team, the Tampa Bay Rays]. That was a drop-off of over 7,500 per game for the Marlins compared to 2012. This in a brand-new stadium.

Below is a chart I put together that shows the 8 MLB teams which had the highest average attendance increases in 2013 (Blue Jays, Dodgers, Orioles, Nationals, Reds, Pirates, A’s, and Rockies); and the 8 MLB teams which had the most drastic average attendance decreases in 2013 (Yankees, Cubs, White Sox, Rangers, Brewers, Twins, Phillies, and Marlins).

Data for chart above from – http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance/_/year/2012.
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Thanks to ESPN for all MLB teams’ 2012 and 2013 attendance figures (and for Boston Red Sox’ 2013 home percent-capacity figure), at espn.go.com/mlb/attendance.
Thanks to mlb.com/shop for 29 of the MLB teams’ home cap photos.
Thanks to sportsstation1.com for the photo of the Baltimore Orioles’ home cap.

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February 12, 2014

2013-14 FA Cup Fifth Round: location-map, with current attendance figures of the clubs.

Filed under: 2013-14 FA Cup — admin @ 8:00 pm

2013-14 FA Cup Fifth Round: location-map, with current attendance figures of the clubs.
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FA Cup – news, fixtures, results (bbc.co.uk/sport/football/fa-cup).

Televised matches: {see this, ‘2013–14 FA Cup/Broadcasting rights‘ (en.wikipedia.org).

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Thanks to the following sites for average attendance figures -
1st Level/Premier League, soccerway.com/national/england/premier-league.
2nd Level/Football League One, football-league.co.uk/page/DivisionalAttendance [L2].
3rd Level/Football League One, football-league.co.uk/page/DivisionalAttendance [L3].

Thanks to the FA site, for the [gold-colored] FA 150th Anniversary crest, from a banner at thefa.com.
Thanks to BBC.co.uk/football/fa cup, for the image of the fixtures list on the map page, bbc.com/sport/football/fa-cup/fixtures.
Thanks to the contributors to the pages at en.wikipedia.org, ‘2013–14 FA Cup‘.
Thanks to Footy-mad sites for London clubs’ postal codes, http://www.footymad.net/premier-league-news/.

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February 10, 2014

2014 FIFA World Cup teams: Costa Rica (CONCACAF), prominent players in 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying (theoretical best XI for Costa Rica, with 4 other player-options listed including possible replacements for the injured Bryan Oviedo).

Filed under: Costa Rica — admin @ 10:24 pm

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Costa Rica national team. CONCACAF (North America & Caribbean). Los Ticos (the Costa Ricans). Home jersey: red with blue and white trim.
-Costa Rica is in Group D, with England, Italy, and Uruguay. ‘2014 FIFA World Cup Group D‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification: 2014 is Costa Rica’s 4th qualification out of a 15 possible qualification attempts.
Costa Rica has qualified for the World Cup in: 1990, 2002, 2006, 2014.
Previous WC: 2006, Group Stage / 0-0-3.
Highest WC finish: 1990, Round of 16 / 2-0-2.

Population of Costa Rica: 4.5 million {2011 census}. Capital and largest city: San José, pop. 2.1 million (metro area) {2011 figure}.

Coach of Costa Rica: Jorge Luis Pinto. Jorge Luis Pinto.
Captain of the Costa Rica squad: Bryan Ruiz, MF/FW (PSV Eindhoven/on loan to Fulham), age 28. Bryan Ruiz.

Below: Theoretical Best XI for Costa Rica (with 4 other player-options listed further below) -
[Note: squad chart below is updated to reflect caps & goals up to Costa Rica's 2nd Group Stage match on 20 June 2014, when they beat Italy 1-0 and advanced to the Round of 16.]

Costa Rica home jersey, photo from subsidesports.com.
Map of Costa Rica on globe, by Keepscases at ‘File:Costa Rica (orthographic projection).svg‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Map of Costa Rica by Eric Gaba at ‘File:Costa Rica location map.svg‘.
Coach,
Jorge Luis Pinto, photo by Alonso Tenorio via aldia.cr/futbol.
Goalkeeper,
Keylor Navas (Levante UD), photo from insidespanishfootball.com.
Defenders,
Cristian Gamboa (Rosenborg BK), photo from everardoherrera.com
Giancarlo González (Columbus Crew), photo from therichest.com/sports/soccer-sports/listing-all-the-mls-players-going-to-the-2014-world-cup.
Michael Umaña (Saprissa), photo from diarioextra.com.
Johnny Acosta (Alajuelense), photo from aldia.cr/futbol.
Midfielders,
Christian Bolaños (Copenhagen), photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Yeltsin Tejeda (Saprissa), photo from sportsnewscr.com.
Bryan Oviedo (Everton), photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Forwards/Attacking MFs,
Joel Campbell (Olympiakos), photo from Facebook.com/Joel Campbell via nacion.com/deportes.
Bryan Ruiz (Fulham), photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Celso Borges (AIK Fotball), photo from aikfotboll.se.
Other player-options (replacement for Bryan Oviedo),
Óscar Duarte (Club Brugge), photo by clubbrugge.be/en/news.
Marco Ureña (Kuban Krasnodar), photo by Gregory Sysoev/Ria Novosti News Agency via rsport.ru/football.
José Miguel Cubero MF/DM (CS Herediano), photo from nacion.com/deportes/futbol-costa-rica
Júnior Díaz LB/CB (Mainz), photo from Maxppp via fussballtransfers.com/bundesliga.
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Thanks to the contributors at ‘2014 FIFA World Cup qualification‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to the contributors at ‘Costa Rica national football team‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/, for player-position details.
Thanks to Soccerway.com/CONCACAF 2014 WC qualification, int.soccerway.com/international/nc-america/wc-qualifying-concacaf/2014-brazil/4th-round.

Comments (0)

February 7, 2014

2014 FIFA World Cup teams: Colombia (CONMEBOL), prominent players in 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying (theoretical best XI for Colombia, with 6 other player-options listed).

Filed under: Colombia — admin @ 12:46 pm

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Colombia national team. CONMEBOL (South America). Nickname: Los Cafeteros (the Coffee Growers) / Tricolor.
Colombia is in Group C (with Greece, Ivory Coast, and Japan). ‘2014 FIFA World Cup Group C‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification: 2014 is Colombia’s 5th qualification out of a 17 possible qualification attempts.
Colombia qualified for the World Cup in: 1962, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2014.
Previous WC: 1998, Group Stage / 1-0-2.
Highest WC finish: 1990, Round of 16 / 1-1-2.

-Population of Colombia: 47.0 million {2012 estimate}. Capital and largest city: Bogatá, pop. 10.7 million (metro area) {2013 figure}.

Coach of Colombia: José Pékerman. José Pékerman.
Captain of the Colombia squad: Mario Yepes, DF (Atalanta), age 37. Mario Yepes.

[Note: players below reflect final 2014 WC squad selections & stats are updated to after Colombia's 2nd Group Stage game of 19 June 2014.]
Below: Theoretical Best XI for Colombia (with 6 other player-options further below) -

Photo and Image credits above -
Colombia home jersey, photo from worldsoccershop.com.
Map of Colombia on globe, by Addicted04 at ‘File:Colombia (orthographic projection).svg‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Map of Colombia by Demis at demis.nl.
Coach,
José Pékerman, photo by Jorge Adorino/Reuters via news.yahoo.com.
Goalkeeper,
David Ospina (OGC Nice), photo from Abaca via purepeople.com.
Defenders,
Santiago Arias (PSV), from Getty Images via diarioadn.co/deportes.
Cristián Zapata (Milan), photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.comzimbio.com.
Mario Yepes (Atalanta), photo by Daniele Buffa/Image Sport via tuttomercatoweb.com.
Pablo Armero (Napoli), photo by Getty Images Europe via dailystar.co.uk/sport/football.
Midfielders,
Fredy Guarín (Inter), photo by Claudio Villa via mirror.co.uk/sport.
Abel Aguilar (Toulouse), photo from nuevoestadio.com.
Carlos Sánchez (Elche), photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Víctor Ibarbo FW/W (Cagliari), photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Forwards,
James Rodríguez (Monaco), photo by Jack Phillips/CameraSport via camerasport.photoshelter.com.
Radamel Falcao (Monaco), photo by Bob Edme/AP via sportsillustrated.cnn.com.
Other player-options, ,
Juan Cuadrado MF/RW (Fiorentina), photo from 1.skysports.com/football/live/match.
Teófilo Gutiérrez FW (River Plate), photo from infobae.com/2014/01/02/teofilo-gutierrez-perdio-el-avion-colombia-y-es-una-incognita-su-presencia-el-primer-entrenamiento-river.
, photo from barcaforum.com/showthread/Juan-Camilo-Zuniga.
Jackson Martinez FW/W (Porto), photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Juan Quintero CM/AM (Porto), photo by Getty Images via espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story.
Alexander Mejía DM/CM/RM (Atlético Nacional), photo unattributed at colombia.com/futbol.

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Thanks to the contributors at ‘2014 FIFA World Cup qualification‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to the contributors at ‘Colombia national football team‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/, for player-position details.

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February 3, 2014

2014 FIFA World Cup teams: Chile (CONMEBOL), prominent players in 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying (theoretical best XI for Chile, with 4 other player-options).

Filed under: Chile — admin @ 1:25 pm

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Chile national team. CONMEBOL (South America). La Roja (the Red One). Home jersey: red.
-Chile is in Group B (with Australia, Netherlands, and Spain). ‘2014 FIFA World Cup/Group B‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification: 2014 is Chile’s 9th qualification out of 20 tries.
Chile has qualified for the World Cup in: 1930, 1950, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1982, 1998, 2010, 2014.
Previous World Cup qualification: 2010, Round of 16 / 2-0-2.
Highest World Cup finish: 1962, Third Place / 4-0-2.

Population of Chile: 17.4 million {2012 estimate}.
Capital and largest city: Santiago, pop. 6.3 million (metro area) {2011 figure}.

Chile coach, Jorge Sampaoli. Jorge Sampaoli.
Chile captain, GK Claudio Bravo. Claudio Bravo.

Here is an analysis of Chile’s style of play under coach Jorge Sampaoli – from The New Libero, from 16 Jan. 2014, by Ian Walker, ‘World Cup Preview: Sampaoli’s Chile‘ (thenewlibero.blogspot.com).

The following link features a short article on the Chile team plus a 20-player photo gallery…from Deportes.Terra.cl, from 27 Aug. 2013, ‘La Roja: el positivo panorama de Sampaoli previo a Venezuela‘ / translated, ‘Reds: positive outlook…‘ (deportes.terra.cl/futbol/).

Below: Theoretical Best XI for Chile (with 4 other player-options further below) -
Note: players below reflect final 2014 WC squad selection.

Photo and Image credits -
Map of Chile on globe, by Addicted04 at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chile_(orthographic_projection).svg.
Map of Chile, by NordNordWest at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chile_location_map.svg.
Chile home jersey, photo from calcioitaliashop.com; http://www.calcioitaliashop.com/images/chile-home-shirt-2012-13.jpg.
Coach,
Jorge Sampaoli photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Goalkeeper,
Claudio Bravo (Real Sociedad), photo from elsitioderuife.wordpress.com.
Defenders,
Mauricio Isla (Juventus), photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Gary Medel (Cardiff City), photo by Catherine Ivill/AMA via dailymail.co.uk.
José Manuel Rojas (Universidad de Chile), photo from diario.latercera.com.
Eugenio Mena (Santos), photo by Daniel Vorley/Getty Images South America via zimbio.com.
Midfielders,
Arturo Vidal (Juventus), photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Marcelo Díaz (Basel), photo from futchile.cl.
Charles Aránguiz (Internacional), photo from latercera.com/noticia/deportes/2014/02/656-565965-9-charles-aranguiz-anota-gol-de-tiro-libre-en-triunfo-de-internacional-de-porto.shtml.
Forwards,
Alexis Sánchez (Barcelona), photo by David Ramos/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Jorge Valdívia (Palmeiras), photo from Agencia Uno via deportes.terra.cl.
Eduardo Vargas (Napoli/Valencia), photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Mauricio Pinilla FW (Cagliari), photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Other player-options,
Gonzalo Jara RB/DM/RM (Nottingham Forest), photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Mauricio Pinilla (Cagliari), photo
Jean Beausejour (Wigan), photo by Clint Hughes/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Esteban Paredes (Querétaro), photo from diario.latercera.com.

Thanks to the contributors at ‘2014 FIFA World Cup qualification‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to the contributors at ‘Chile national football team‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/, for player-position details.

Comments (0)

January 26, 2014

2014 Copa Libertadores, map of the 38 clubs in the competition./ Plus chart of the qualified teams: all-time Copa Libertadores appearances, with titles listed./ Plus illustration of Atlético Mineiro, 2013 Copa Libertadores champions.

Filed under: Copa Libertadores — admin @ 4:16 pm

2014 Copa Libertadores, map of the 38 clubs in the competition

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‘COPA LIBERTADORES [fixtures, results, tables]‘ (soccerway.com).
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The competition, run by CONMEBOL, features qualifying clubs from the 10 South American nations under CONMEBOL’s jurisdiction, plus, since 1998, clubs from Mexico (despite the fact that Mexican football is under the jurisdiction of CONCACAF). 9 of the 11 countries involved are allotted 3 qualifying spots, while Argentina and Brazil get 5 spots. The Holder – Atlético Mineiro (of Belo Horizonte, Brazil) – gets an automatic spot, so Brazil has 6 spots in the 2014 Copa Libertadores. The football associations of each country involved have different criteria for awarding their Copa Libertadores spots, and you can see those details here {‘Copa Libertadores/Format/Qualification‘ (en.wikipedia.org)}. In general terms, with three exceptions, each country’s most recent champion or champions will qualify, plus the best-placed non-champions. The three exceptions are Brazil and Argentina (see next paragraph) and also Mexico, which, since 2011, treats the Copa Libertadores as its second-tier international competition (with the CONCACAF Champions League treated as Mexico’s first-tier international competition. This is either illogical on the FMF’s part, or unfortunate (if the FMF is being forced to do this by CONCACAF), because there is no fútbol fan on Earth who considers the CONCACAF Champions League title to be a more prestigious title than the much-coveted Copa Libertadores title {note: see comments #3 and #4 in the Comments section at the end of this post, for further discussion on this sub-topic}.

In Brazil’s case, their 5 qualifiers are first place through 4th place in the previous year’s Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (Cruzeiro were champions in 2013, Grêmio qualified as 2nd place finishers, Atlético Paranaense qualified as 3rd place finishers, and Botofogo qualified as 4th place finishers), plus the current Copa do Brasil holders (Flamengo were the Brazilian Cup winners in 2013). In Argentina’s case, their 5 qualifying spots are pretty complicated. First off, a new spot has been created, with it going to the winner of the newly-instituted Super Final, which was won in June 2013 by Vélez Sarsfield (who were 2012 Inicial champions), over Newell’s Old Boys (who were the 2013 Final champions), by a score of 1-0 in Mendoza in the northwest of the country on 29 June 2013. Two of Argentina’s spots still go to the previous two half-season winners…the 2013 Final champions (Newell’s Old Boys won it in May, 2013), and the 2013 Inicial champions (San Lorenzo won it in December, 2013). The 4th Argentine spot goes to the relatively-recently-introduced Copa Argentina (founded in 1969, scrapped after 1970, and re-introduced in 2011-12), which was won for 2012-13 by Arsenal di Sarandi. Finally, since 2010, the 5th Argentine spot goes to the Argentine team with the best Copa Sudamericana finish. Lanús qualified this way. Lanús won the 2013 Copa Sudamericana, by beating Brazilian side Ponte Preta by the score of 3-1 aggregate in December 2013. (The Copa Sudamericana is analogous to the UEFA Europa League tournament in Europe, and features clubs who won national cups or who placed in the 2nd-to-14th-place range in their respective leagues.).

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Below: 2014 Copa Libertadores clubs – All-time tournament appearances by club, with Copa Libertadores titles listed

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Below, 2013 Copa Libertadores Finals (17 & 24 July 2013).

-1st Leg in Asunción, Paraguay: Olimpia 2-0 Atlético Mineiro.
-2nd Leg in Belo Horizonte, Brazil: Atletico Mineiro 2-0 Olimpia.
-Aggregate score: Atlético Mineiro (Brazil) 2-2 Olimpia (Paraguay) AET / Atlético Miniero wins 4-3 on penalties.

Photo credits above -
Ronaldinho during 2nd leg of final v Olimpia, photo by AFP/Evaristo SA via talkvietnam.com/2013/07/copa-glory-for-atletico-and-ronaldinho
The two teams lined up to await the results of the penalty kicks, photo by Ricardo Matsulawa via esportes.terra.com.br.
The Galo squad congratulating their goalkeeper Victor, photo from espnfc.com.
Photo of Galo trophy celebration from peru.com/futbol/internacional/copa-libertadores-2013-atletico-mineiro-vs-olimpia-disputan-final-noticia.

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Thanks to CAM official site, photo of Galo players with trophy (on map page) from http://www.atletico.com.br/site/.
Thanks to FootieMap.com, for finding stadium-locations of various clubs, such as footiemap.com/chile.
Thanks to RSSSF – I used this list for all-time Copa Libertadores appearances chart, ‘Copa Libertadores 1960-2013 Club Histories’ at rsssf.com .
Thanks to the contributors to the pages at en.wikipedia.org, ‘2014 Copa Libertadores‘.

Comments (4)

January 22, 2014

2013-14 FA Cup Fourth Round: location-map, with current attendance figures of the clubs.

Filed under: 2013-14 FA Cup — admin @ 3:02 pm

2013-14 FA Cup Fourth Round: location-map
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FA Cup – news, fixtures, results (bbc.co.uk/sport/football/fa-cup).

Televised matches: {see this, ‘2013–14 FA Cup/Broadcasting rights‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
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Thanks to the following sites for average attendance figures -
1st Level/Premier League, soccerway.com/national/england/premier-league.
2nd Level/Football League One, football-league.co.uk/page/DivisionalAttendance [L2].
3rd Level/Football League One, football-league.co.uk/page/DivisionalAttendance [L3].
4th Level/Football League Two, football-league.co.uk/page/DivisionalAttendance[L4].
5th Level/Conference National, soccerway.com/national/england/conference-national.

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January 19, 2014

2014 FIFA World Cup teams: Cameroon (CAF), prominent players in 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying (theoretical best XI for Cameroon, with 2 other player-options listed).

Filed under: Cameroon — admin @ 10:00 pm

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Cameroon national team. CAF (Africa). Nickname: les Lions Indomptables (the Indomitable Lions). Home jersey: dark green, with gold and red trim.
-Cameroon is in Group A (with Brazil, Croatia, and Mexico). ‘2014 FIFA World Cup/Group A‘ (en.wikipedia.org).

FIFA World Cup qualification: 2014 is Cameroon’s 7th qualification out of 10 tries [note: Cameroon's first attempt at qualifying for the World Cup was in 1966, but they withdrew during the qualifications; then for the next 3 World Cups - 1970, 1974, 1978 - they did not enter].

Cameroon has qualified for the World Cup in: 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014.
Previous WC Q: 2010, Group Stage / 0-0-3.
Highest WC finish: 1990, Quarterfinals / 3-0-2.

Population of Cameroon: 20.5 million {2013 estimate}. Capital (and second largest city): Yaoundé, pop. 2.40 million. Largest city: Doula, pop. 2.44 million (metro areas) {2012 estimates}.

Coach of Cameroon, Volker Finke. Volker Finke.
Captain of Cameroon, Samuel Eto’o. Samuel Eto’o.

Below: Theoretical Best XI for Cameroon (with 2 other player-options further below) -

Photo and Image credits above -
Map of Cameroon on globe, by MSClaudiu at ‘File:Cameroon (orthographic projection).svg‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Map of Cameroon by NordNordWest at ‘File:Cameroon location map.svg‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Cameroon home jersey badge and Cameroon home jersey, photos from imgur.com.
Coach,
Volker Finke, photo from goal.com.
Goalkeeper,
Charles Itandje (Konyaspor), photo by Ultaslansi at en.wikipedia.org.
Defenders,
Dany Nounkeu (Galatasaray), photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Aurélien Chedjou (Galatasaray), photo by Ultaslansi at en.wikipedia.org.
Nicolas N’Koulou (Marseille), photo from talksport.com.
Benoît Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham/ QPR), photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com
Midfielders,
Stéphane Mbia (QPR/ Sevilla), photo by Action Images via supersport.com.
Jean Makoun (Rennes), photo from ouest-france.fr.
Alex Song (Barcelona), photo by Getty Images/Getty Images AsiaPac via zimbio.com.
Forwards,
Benjamin Moukandjo (AS Nancy), photo by Getty Images via uefa.com
Samuel Eto’o (Chelsea), photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com.
Pierre Webó (Fenerbahçe), photo from fanatik.com.tr.
Other player-options,
Joël Matip DF (FC Schalke 04), photo from foot-sur7.fr.
Eyong Enoh MF (Ajax/ Antalyaspor), photo from trtspor.com.tr.

___
Thanks to the contributors at ‘2014 FIFA World Cup qualification‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to the contributors at ‘Cameroon national football team‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/, for player-position details.

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January 13, 2014

England (and Wales), 5th division: Football Conference National – 2013-14 Location-map, with 2013-14 home kit badges & with 2-and-a-half-seasons of attendance data./ Plus, illustrations for 1st and 2nd place clubs, as of 15 January 2014: Luton Town and Cambridge United.

Filed under: 2013-14 English Football,England & Scotland-Map/Crowds/Kit Badges — admin @ 6:56 pm

England (and Wales), 5th division: Football Conference National – 2013-14 Location-map, with 2013-14 home kit badges & with 2-and-a-half-seasons of attendance data
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Conference National – Fixtures, results, tables (soccerway.com).

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At the top of the map page are facsimiles of 2013-14 Conference clubs’ home jersey badges. Below that is a location-map. The map page also includes an attendance data chart which shows each clubs’ 2011-12 and 2012-13 average attendance figures (from home league matches), as well as current average attendance figures (inclusive to 12 January 2014), and the numerical change since then (approximately two-and-a-half seasons ago). [Each club currently has played from 24 to 29 matches, and each club has currently played from 11 to 15 home matches.]

Below are the clubs in the 2013-14 Conference that have shown the largest attendance increases, and the worst attendance drop-offs, since 2011-12.
Largest numerical increase in average home crowds since 2011-12 (inclusive to 12 Jan. 2014)…
Increase of +708 per game – Cambridge United (who are averaging 3,512 per game currently/ in 2nd place/ relegated 9 seasons ago [2004-05]).
Increase of +598 per game – Luton Town (who are averaging 6,709 per game currently/ in 1st place/ relegated 5 seasons ago [2008-09]).
Increase of +400 per game - Nuneaton Town (who are averaging 1,179 per game currently/ in 9th place/ promoted 2 seasons ago [2011-12]).
Increase of +204 per game – Grimsby Town (who are averaging 3,512 per game currently/ in 5th place/ relegated 4 seasons ago [2009-10]).
Increase of +202 per game – Salisbury City (who are averaging 935 per game currently/ in 10th place/ promoted 1 season ago [2012-13]).
Increase of +190 per game – Lincoln City (who are averaging 2,537 per game currently/ in 18th place/ relegated 3 seasons ago [2010-11]).
Increase of +164 per game – Welling United (who are averaging 840 per game currently/ in 14th place/ promoted 1 season ago [2012-13]).
Increase of +160 per game – Braintree Town (who are averaging 1,061 per game currently/ in 11th place/ promoted 3 seasons ago [2010-11]).

Worst numerical drop-off in average home crowds since 2011-12 (inclusive to 12 Jan. 2014)…
Decrease of -888 per game – Hereford United (who are averaging 1,665 per game currently/ in 16th place/ relegated 2 seasons ago [2011-12]).
Decrease of -886 per game – Aldershot Town (who are averaging 1,978 per game currently/ in 20th place/ relegated 1 season ago [2011-12]).
Decrease of -510 per game – Wrexham (who are averaging 1,665 per game currently/ in 13th place/ relegated 4 seasons ago [2011-12]).
Decrease of -507 per game – Chester (who are averaging 2,280 per game currently/ in 22nd place/ promoted 1 season ago [2012-13]).

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2013-14 Luton Town. First place in the Conference as of 15 January, 2014.

Photo and Image credits above –
13/14 Luton Town home jersey badge, photo from jdsports.co.uk/product/fila-luton-town-2013/14-home-shirt.
Kenilworth Road, satellite image from bing.com/maps/Bird’s Eye View.
Kits, from ‘Luton Town F.C.‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Kenilworth Road, photo uploaded by biscuitman88 at footballgroundmap.com/photo/4462/kenilworth-road/luton-town.
John Still, photo from luton-dunstable.co.uk/Sport/Luton-Town-FC.
Luke Guttridge, photo from lutontoday.co.uk/sport/luton-town.
Andre Gray, photo from sport.bt.com/sportfootball/football/englishfootball/conference.
Paul Benson, photo from bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Sport/Luton-Town-FC/Football-Tamworth-v-Luton-Town-in-pictures.

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2013-14 Cambridge United. Second place in the Conference as of 15 January, 2014.

Abbey Stadium, photo by Bill Blake at panoramio.com.
Richard Money, photo from cambridge-united.co.uk via bbc.co.uk/sport/football.
Adam Cunnington, photo from dutchamberarmy.com/needham-market-fc-0-v-cambridge-united-1/.
Kwesi Appiah, photo by Keith Heppell at cambridge-news.co.uk [slideshow].
Luke Berry, photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com
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Thanks to kevinstaylor at flicker.com {flickr.com/kevinstalor’s photostream}, for 13/14 Dartford home jersey badge [125th Anniversary year for Dartford FC, shirt here] at http://www.flickr.com/photos/36154472@N06/9328679966/in/photostream/.

Thanks to JD Sports site for photo of 13/14 Luton Town home jersey badge, jdsports.co.uk/product/fila-luton-town-2013/14-home-shirt.

Thanks to the Gateshead FC official site and Jeff Bowren there, for match reports which included GTFC home attendances. Gateshead played at 7 different venues in 2012-13, due to pitch problems at their normal venue, Gateshead International Stadium. From February to May (and comprising their last 11 home matches) Gateshead were basically homeless and played at Hartlepool; at York; at Blyth, Northumberland; at Boston, Lincolnshire; at Carlisle, Cumbria; and at Middlesbrough. Gateshead played 6 of those home matches at Victoria Park in Hartlepool, while they played one home match at each of those other 6 locations.

Thanks to Soccerway.com, for attendance data, http://int.soccerway.com/national/england/conference-national/20122013/regular-season/r18216/.

Thanks to the Football League official site for previous seasons’ attendance data, http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/DivisionalAttendance/0,,10794~201226,00.html.

Thanks to the Northern League for Chester FC 2011-12 attendance, http://www.evostikleague.co.uk/archive-737/.

Thanks to the contributors at en.wikipedia.org, ‘2013–14 Football Conference‘.

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