Football Dispatch

Weekend Football
25-27 April 2008
by Jerrad Peters

Namibia’s World Cup qualification campaign is in danger after FIFA refused to approve the use of Independence Stadium in Windhoek. With 43 African nations set to begin the First Group Round of qualification in May, the Brave Warriors may be forced to choose between playing its matches at a neutral site or pulling out of the competition altogether.

According to Namibia Football Association president Barry Rukero, the former option is highly unlikely. “We are not sure if we can afford to play in a neighboring country,” he told Reuters news agency, referring to the initiative as “an expensive logistical exercise.”

Namibia are due to host Zimbabwe in a Group Two contest on 31 May and Guinea on 14 June. Nearby Sam Nujoma Stadium would have been the alternative venue. But the 8,000-seat bowl is being fitted with an artificial pitch and will not be ready until the autumn. Nine additional countries are facing similar quandaries – including Cote d’Ivoire and Mali.

Vanderlei Luxemburgo has suggested that Sao Paulo released a mysterious gas in their own changing room during halftime of a Paulista showdown against hosts Palmeiras. The Palmeiras manager made the remarks after Sao Paulo players fled their quarters in Parque Antartica Stadium during halftime, Sunday, complaining of respiratory problems and chest pains. They cited a gas leak as the reason behind their ailments.

Luxemburgo, however, is of the mind that Muricy Ramalho masterminded the puzzling event. The Sao Paulo boss rubbished the notion, however, stating, “If I had been trying to pull a fast one, then I would have taken the team off the pitch at halftime and abandoned the game.”

Subsequent police reports confirmed the presence of a gas which “provokes irritation in the respiratory system.” The authorities would not divulge where the gas had originated.

Rafael Benitez will target six players over the summer transfer period. As expected, Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry heads the Liverpool manager’s list, followed closely by Borussia Dortmund defender Philipp Degen.

Barry, who will have his choice between Liverpool and Chelsea, is widely expected to depart Villa Park after the current season, despite manager Martin O’Neill’s pledge to bolster his 47,000-pounds per-week salary. If sold, the versatile 27-year-old would command between 12 and 14-million pounds. Benitez envisions the England international alongside Javier Mascherano in the centre of the park – providing support to Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. Barry’s signing would also spell the end of Xabi Alonso’s tenure at Anfield.

Degen, meanwhile, is seen as the solution to Liverpool’s conundrum at right-back. With neither Steve Finnan nor Alvaro Arbeloa having impressed Benitez, the 25-year-old Borussia Dortmund full-back would be provided the opportunity to step into the squad immediately. He has 26-caps with Switzerland to his name and arrived at Signal Iduna Park in 2005 via Basel. With his contract about to expire, he would be available on a free transfer.

Benitez will have to pay considerably more if he succeeds in his attempt at bringing David Bentley to Merseyside. The 23-year-old Blackburn Rovers winger has established himself as one of the best wide players in the Premiership and is expected to request a transfer to a bigger club within weeks. Since breaking through with Arsenal in 2002, Bentley’s scoring total has increased each season. He has nine goals so far this term and can also serve as a supporting player between the midfielders and strikers. Blackburn would be unlikely to part with him for anything less than 15-million pounds.

The final three players on Benitez’ list include Wigan winger Antonio Valencia, Atletic Bilbao centre-half Fernando Amorebieta, and Espanyol’s Albert Riera. Valencia, having only secured a permanent move to the JJB Stadium from Villarreal in January, has been capped 24-times for Ecuador and is also being pursued by Manchester United. Amorebieta, at 6-foot-3, would be the ideal replacement for Sami Hyppia. And Riera, who spent 15-matches on loan to Manchester City in 2006, earned his first cap for Spain in October.

Newcastle are poised to launch an audacious bid for Thierry Henry. The 30-year-old striker, unhappy and unused at Barcelona, looks set to exit the Nou Camp in the summertime and Kevin Keegan is ready to pounce. The Toon boss would part with upwards of 15-million pounds for the France international – just one-million less than what Barcelona paid when they pried Henry from Arsenal last July.
As far as the player is concerned, however, Tyneside is hardly his first choice. “There is only one team in England for me,” Henry remarked, yesterday. “Everybody knows the love and affection I have for Arsenal.”
If a big European club does not come calling, the two-time European Golden Boot winner may be tempted to join Major League Soccer.

Celtic are following the progress of Dynamo Zagreb’s Ognjen Vukojevic. The 24-year-old defensive midfielder, known as the Croatian Gatusso for his reckless, whirlwind style, made headlines when his tackle put Darren Fletcher out of commission during last month’s friendly between Croatia and Scotland. The match was his third for his country; and he is thought to be a part of manager Slavan Bilic’s plans for the upcoming EURO 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland. Each of Arsenal, Espanyol, and Bayern Munich are also tracking Vukejevic’s development. Dynamo are hoping to land upwards of 6-million pounds for his signature.

Gareth Southgate will throw a lifeline to stranded Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson. The Middlesbrough manager has resigned himself to losing Mark Schwarzer in the summer and will offer Tottenham upwards of 4-million pounds for the former England number-one. Robinson, after falling out of favor at White Hart Lane, is eager to restart his career at another club. Spurs manager Juande Ramos has already embarked on a highly-publicized search for a replacement, with Espanyol’s Carlos Kameni at the top of the heap. Schwarzer, meanwhile, looks to have already secured a place at Celtic – where Artur Boruc is preparing a summer switch to Arsenal.



Have a question about football? Email your query to jerradpeters@gmail.com.

Jerrad Peters is a football journalist based in Winnipeg, Canada. His weekly column for the Winnipeg Free Press is the largest of its kind in the country. A regular contributor to ESPN Soccernet, his work has also appeared on TheMirror.co.uk, Canadian-soccer.com, Footy247.co.uk, Foot2ball.com, and Squadinfo.com.