Reuters Photo // Larissa Riquelme
It's a troubling time for Paraguayans across the globe. Up to 50% of its population lives in poverty. An ever worsening economic recession continues to devastate the nation's wealth.
Job opportunities and household income carry on worsening with every waking moment. And more recently, its national football team suffered an exit from the 2010 World Cup by the hands of the Spanish.
However, amidst the prevalence of this madness, one loyal Paraguayan stands out amongst a crowd of chaos as a voice of reason.
One woman, benevolent of her nation's happiness and well-being sets out to accomplish what her national football team could not, to lift her nation's spirits, even if it means 'taking it all off' in the most literal sense of the phrase.
Larissa Riquelme, 25 year-old lingerie model, made a promise to her nation's people, that she would match Diego Maradona's promise to run naked through the streets of Buenos Aires if Argentina had won the World Cup.
Instead, Larissa would do it in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, at the cost of simply reaching the semi-finals. However, Paraguay failed to make it pass Spain and the hearts of the nation slumped into an abyss of devastation. But the benevolent Larissa would not let this be.
Larissa has said that she's still going to carry out her promise, despite the Paraguayan team's premature exit from the 2010 World Cup. Such is the dedication and compassion of one Larissa Riquelme, citizen of Paraguay, our hero.
Busuk Dot Org
Showing posts with label Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Football. Show all posts
Paraguay’s ‘biggest’ fan
EVERTON 1 CHELSEA 1
Posted on: Sat 29 Jan 2011
Chelsea had to come from a goal down to earn an FA Cup replay at Everton on Saturday afternoon.
Substitute Salomon Kalou did the trick 16 minutes from time when he slotted home into the bottom corner at a time when it looked for all the world like the holders would be heading out at the fourth round stage.
A first half of limited quality had provided chances for both sides but it was the home side who took the lead just after the hour when Louis Saha headed home Leighton Baines's corner, prompting Kalou's introduction from the bench.
With hindsight it is Chelsea who will be more pleased with the draw, a below-par performance going relatively unpunished, and we will be favourites to progress from the replay on home soil.
Before this game Carlo Ancelotti had declared the bad moment his side were experiencing officially over, but Everton would be expected to offer a stern examination on a cold Saturday lunchtime in the north-west.
The manager recalled fit again Frank Lampard, preferred to John Mikel Obi, in his only personnel change from the side that beat Bolton so convincingly on Monday night. That meant a change of role for Michael Essien, who dropped back to anchor midfield and accommodate the attacking Lampard.
Everton reverted from their recent 4-4-2 to a lone forward, Louis Saha, who was supported by a five-man midfield with Marouane Fellaini holding.
Didier Drogba, scorer of a spectacular goal on Monday, had the game's first effort five minutes in when he shot tamely at Everton's goalkeeper Tim Howard.
At the other end Diniyar Bilyaletdinov got the wrong side of Jose Bosingwa but couldn't poke the ball past Petr Cech to boost his side's decent start to the game, and then Essien turned Ramires's low cross over the Everton bar.
Half-chances, then, at both ends, but none came as close as John Terry 17 minutes in when he headed onto the roof of the net after Malouda had sent over a precise corner.
When Essien lost possession in a dangerous area to Fellaini, it looked like the home side would take the lead. The tackle allowed Louis Saha to release Jack Rodwell, but his low and powerful shot was well blocked by Cech who was seeking his fourth straight clean sheet.
Drogba and Ramires combined to put Nicolas Anelka through on goal after half an hour, but his shot was turned behind by Howard, as was Malouda's five minutes later meaning it was goalless at half-time.
It had been an open and at times entertaining first period yet neither side had been able to capitalise when in strong positions, or done enough to warrant a lead. Both had been slack in possession and occasionally too hesitant to throw numbers forward when attacks showed promise, meaning thoughts were already turning to a possible replay on February 19.
The first chance of the second half was Everton's, and came after Terry had mishit a pass straight at the energetic Seamus Coleman. He put Fellaini away and the cross to the far post picked out Saha, but the Frenchman found his way to goal blocked by a flying Ramires block. The Brazilian is really beginning to settle in England, and was one of Chelsea's better performers.
Cech had to tip Fellaini's header over to preserve the stalemate on 55, but he could do nothing the next time the ball entered his box.
Neville's cross was turned behind for a corner, and from Leighton Baines's inswinging cross, Saha found himself unmarked after Terry had misjudged the flight of the ball, and headed powerfully into the bottom corner.
It was Baines who crossed for Everton's equaliser at Stamford Bridge in December, and Saha, so often Chelsea's nemesis, once again providing the final touch.
The holders were in real trouble, and had not created a second-half opportunity to speak of. Everton were still looking the likelier to score as Cech parried Coleman's header and Essien had to throw himself full length in front of the follow-up to keep the deficit down.
From the corner though, it was the Blues who broke and substitute Salomon Kalou ran at his man before slipping the ball across goal and into the bottom corner. It was his second in as many FA Cup games, and a much-needed goal for a player who has looked low on confidence.
Now the game took on a different complexion, and with 15 minutes still to play both sides would be searching for a winner.
With five minutes left, Ramires almost found it. Striding forward from midfield he found himself in space and opted to shoot, his effort beating Howard but bouncing back into play off the foot of the goalkeeper's left-hand post.
Everton would have their own opportunity with a minute remaining. Branislav Ivanovic, otherwise faultless today, sliced a clearance to put sub Jermaine Beckford in on goal. His left-footed half-volley was excellently struck, but straight enough for Cech to acrobatically tip behind and keep Chelsea in the tie.
In injury time, Essien headed wide at one end and Saha the other but no goals would come, and so it is back to the Bridge, likely to be on Saturday, February 19.
Everton (4-4-1-1):Howard; Neville (c), Heitinga, Distin, Baines; Coleman, Rodwell (Beckford 85), Arteta, Bilyaletdinov; Fellaini; Saha.
Unused subs Mucha, Hibbert, Jagielka, Guaye, Osman, Baxter.
Goals Saha 61.
Booked None.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry (c), Cole; Essien, Ramires, Lampard (Mikel 84); Anelka, Drogba, Malouda (Kalou 69).
Unused subs Hilario, Bruma, Ferreira, McEachran, Sala.
Goals Kalou 74
Booked None.
Referee Howard Webb
Crowd 28,376.
Shots on target Everton 8 Chelsea 5
Corners Everton 10 Chelsea 4
Fouls Everton 8 Chelsea 9
Offsides Everton 3 Chelsea 2
original source CHELSEA FC
READ MORE- EVERTON 1 CHELSEA 1
Chelsea had to come from a goal down to earn an FA Cup replay at Everton on Saturday afternoon.
Substitute Salomon Kalou did the trick 16 minutes from time when he slotted home into the bottom corner at a time when it looked for all the world like the holders would be heading out at the fourth round stage.
A first half of limited quality had provided chances for both sides but it was the home side who took the lead just after the hour when Louis Saha headed home Leighton Baines's corner, prompting Kalou's introduction from the bench.
With hindsight it is Chelsea who will be more pleased with the draw, a below-par performance going relatively unpunished, and we will be favourites to progress from the replay on home soil.
Before this game Carlo Ancelotti had declared the bad moment his side were experiencing officially over, but Everton would be expected to offer a stern examination on a cold Saturday lunchtime in the north-west.
The manager recalled fit again Frank Lampard, preferred to John Mikel Obi, in his only personnel change from the side that beat Bolton so convincingly on Monday night. That meant a change of role for Michael Essien, who dropped back to anchor midfield and accommodate the attacking Lampard.
Everton reverted from their recent 4-4-2 to a lone forward, Louis Saha, who was supported by a five-man midfield with Marouane Fellaini holding.
Didier Drogba, scorer of a spectacular goal on Monday, had the game's first effort five minutes in when he shot tamely at Everton's goalkeeper Tim Howard.
At the other end Diniyar Bilyaletdinov got the wrong side of Jose Bosingwa but couldn't poke the ball past Petr Cech to boost his side's decent start to the game, and then Essien turned Ramires's low cross over the Everton bar.
Half-chances, then, at both ends, but none came as close as John Terry 17 minutes in when he headed onto the roof of the net after Malouda had sent over a precise corner.
When Essien lost possession in a dangerous area to Fellaini, it looked like the home side would take the lead. The tackle allowed Louis Saha to release Jack Rodwell, but his low and powerful shot was well blocked by Cech who was seeking his fourth straight clean sheet.
Drogba and Ramires combined to put Nicolas Anelka through on goal after half an hour, but his shot was turned behind by Howard, as was Malouda's five minutes later meaning it was goalless at half-time.
It had been an open and at times entertaining first period yet neither side had been able to capitalise when in strong positions, or done enough to warrant a lead. Both had been slack in possession and occasionally too hesitant to throw numbers forward when attacks showed promise, meaning thoughts were already turning to a possible replay on February 19.
The first chance of the second half was Everton's, and came after Terry had mishit a pass straight at the energetic Seamus Coleman. He put Fellaini away and the cross to the far post picked out Saha, but the Frenchman found his way to goal blocked by a flying Ramires block. The Brazilian is really beginning to settle in England, and was one of Chelsea's better performers.
Cech had to tip Fellaini's header over to preserve the stalemate on 55, but he could do nothing the next time the ball entered his box.
Neville's cross was turned behind for a corner, and from Leighton Baines's inswinging cross, Saha found himself unmarked after Terry had misjudged the flight of the ball, and headed powerfully into the bottom corner.
It was Baines who crossed for Everton's equaliser at Stamford Bridge in December, and Saha, so often Chelsea's nemesis, once again providing the final touch.
The holders were in real trouble, and had not created a second-half opportunity to speak of. Everton were still looking the likelier to score as Cech parried Coleman's header and Essien had to throw himself full length in front of the follow-up to keep the deficit down.
From the corner though, it was the Blues who broke and substitute Salomon Kalou ran at his man before slipping the ball across goal and into the bottom corner. It was his second in as many FA Cup games, and a much-needed goal for a player who has looked low on confidence.
Now the game took on a different complexion, and with 15 minutes still to play both sides would be searching for a winner.
With five minutes left, Ramires almost found it. Striding forward from midfield he found himself in space and opted to shoot, his effort beating Howard but bouncing back into play off the foot of the goalkeeper's left-hand post.
Everton would have their own opportunity with a minute remaining. Branislav Ivanovic, otherwise faultless today, sliced a clearance to put sub Jermaine Beckford in on goal. His left-footed half-volley was excellently struck, but straight enough for Cech to acrobatically tip behind and keep Chelsea in the tie.
In injury time, Essien headed wide at one end and Saha the other but no goals would come, and so it is back to the Bridge, likely to be on Saturday, February 19.
Everton (4-4-1-1):Howard; Neville (c), Heitinga, Distin, Baines; Coleman, Rodwell (Beckford 85), Arteta, Bilyaletdinov; Fellaini; Saha.
Unused subs Mucha, Hibbert, Jagielka, Guaye, Osman, Baxter.
Goals Saha 61.
Booked None.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry (c), Cole; Essien, Ramires, Lampard (Mikel 84); Anelka, Drogba, Malouda (Kalou 69).
Unused subs Hilario, Bruma, Ferreira, McEachran, Sala.
Goals Kalou 74
Booked None.
Referee Howard Webb
Crowd 28,376.
Shots on target Everton 8 Chelsea 5
Corners Everton 10 Chelsea 4
Fouls Everton 8 Chelsea 9
Offsides Everton 3 Chelsea 2
original source CHELSEA FC
Messi, Marta, Mourinho and Neid crowned as the best of 2010
(FIFA.com) Monday 10 January 2011
Argentina’s Lionel Messi collected the FIFA Ballon d’Or, his second consecutive title, while Brazil’s Marta continued her winning streak by claiming her fifth FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award at the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala held at the Zurich Kongresshaus on Monday evening. Meanwhile, José Mourinho, the Portuguese coach of Real Madrid, and Germany’s women’s national team coach Silvia Neid were the inaugural winners of the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football and FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football awards, respectively.
These awards were decided after a poll in which the captains and head coaches of the men’s (for the two men’s football awards) and women’s (for the two women’s football awards) national teams as well as international media representatives selected by France Football voted for candidates in each of the four categories. The votes from each of the three groups counted for one-third of the final result.
It was a night to remember, with on-stage appearances by former and current football stars, top celebrities and a performance by musician by Jamie Cullum to mark the first-ever awarding of the FIFA Ballon d’Or following an alliance to combine the FIFA World Player of the Year award with the France Football Ballon d’Or agreed by FIFA and the Amaury Group in Johannesburg in July 2010.
Messi had an outstanding 2010, winning the Spanish league with his club Barcelona. Messi obtained 22.65% of the votes, ahead of his club team-mates Andrés Iniesta (17.36%) and Xavi (16.48%).
Marta thrilled fans in the Women’s Professional Soccer League in the USA, where she won the Golden Boot and was elected best player of the season with FC Gold Pride. She collected 38.20% of the votes, ahead of Germany’s Birgit Prinz and Fatmire Bajramaj, who received 15.18% and 9.96%, respectively.
Mourinho, who led Inter Milan to the UEFA Champions League, the Italian Serie A and the Italian cup before moving to Real Madrid in the summer of 2010, won with 35.92% of the votes, ahead of Spanish national coach Vicente del Bosque, who received 33.08%, and Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola (8.45%).
Meanwhile, Silvia Neid, coach of current world champions Germany, led the women’s coach category with 24.06% of the votes, ahead of Germany’s U-20 women’s team coach Maren Meinert (18.26%) and the Swedish coach of the USA women’s national team Pia Sundhage (11.68%).
The FIFA/FIFPro World XI to honour the best eleven players of the year 2010, as chosen by over 50,000 professional players from all over the world, went to a “dream team” consisting of Iker Casillas (Spain) in goal; Maicon (Brazil), Lúcio (Brazil), Gerard Piqué (Spain) and Carles Puyol (Spain) in defence; Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), Xavi (Spain) and Andrés Iniesta (Spain) in midfield; and Lionel Messi (Argentina), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) and David Villa (Spain) up front.
The FIFA Puskás Award for the “most beautiful goal” of the year as voted for on FIFA.com by over one million fans was also handed out. This prize, created in honour and in memory of Ferenc Puskás, the captain and star of the Hungarian national team during the 1950s, went to Turkey’s Hamit Altintop for his fantastic goal in the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying match between Kazakhstan and Turkey played in Astana on 3 September 2010.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the FIFA Presidential Award from President Joseph S. Blatter for his outstanding commitment to youth development worldwide and his contribution to the use of football as a catalyst for positive social change, as well as for the support he gave to the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, the first one on African soil.
The FIFA Fair Play Award was given to the Haiti U-17 women’s team, who had to endure many hardships following the earthquake which struck their country in January 2010, during which their head coach sadly passed away. The team showed great courage to make it to the final round of the CONCACAF qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2010, where their performance was applauded by the fans despite their eventual elimination. The award was collected by the captain of the team, Hayana Jean-François.
source : FIFA.com
READ MORE- Messi, Marta, Mourinho and Neid crowned as the best of 2010
Argentina’s Lionel Messi collected the FIFA Ballon d’Or, his second consecutive title, while Brazil’s Marta continued her winning streak by claiming her fifth FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award at the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala held at the Zurich Kongresshaus on Monday evening. Meanwhile, José Mourinho, the Portuguese coach of Real Madrid, and Germany’s women’s national team coach Silvia Neid were the inaugural winners of the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football and FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football awards, respectively.
These awards were decided after a poll in which the captains and head coaches of the men’s (for the two men’s football awards) and women’s (for the two women’s football awards) national teams as well as international media representatives selected by France Football voted for candidates in each of the four categories. The votes from each of the three groups counted for one-third of the final result.
It was a night to remember, with on-stage appearances by former and current football stars, top celebrities and a performance by musician by Jamie Cullum to mark the first-ever awarding of the FIFA Ballon d’Or following an alliance to combine the FIFA World Player of the Year award with the France Football Ballon d’Or agreed by FIFA and the Amaury Group in Johannesburg in July 2010.
Messi had an outstanding 2010, winning the Spanish league with his club Barcelona. Messi obtained 22.65% of the votes, ahead of his club team-mates Andrés Iniesta (17.36%) and Xavi (16.48%).
Marta thrilled fans in the Women’s Professional Soccer League in the USA, where she won the Golden Boot and was elected best player of the season with FC Gold Pride. She collected 38.20% of the votes, ahead of Germany’s Birgit Prinz and Fatmire Bajramaj, who received 15.18% and 9.96%, respectively.
Mourinho, who led Inter Milan to the UEFA Champions League, the Italian Serie A and the Italian cup before moving to Real Madrid in the summer of 2010, won with 35.92% of the votes, ahead of Spanish national coach Vicente del Bosque, who received 33.08%, and Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola (8.45%).
Meanwhile, Silvia Neid, coach of current world champions Germany, led the women’s coach category with 24.06% of the votes, ahead of Germany’s U-20 women’s team coach Maren Meinert (18.26%) and the Swedish coach of the USA women’s national team Pia Sundhage (11.68%).
The FIFA/FIFPro World XI to honour the best eleven players of the year 2010, as chosen by over 50,000 professional players from all over the world, went to a “dream team” consisting of Iker Casillas (Spain) in goal; Maicon (Brazil), Lúcio (Brazil), Gerard Piqué (Spain) and Carles Puyol (Spain) in defence; Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), Xavi (Spain) and Andrés Iniesta (Spain) in midfield; and Lionel Messi (Argentina), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) and David Villa (Spain) up front.
The FIFA Puskás Award for the “most beautiful goal” of the year as voted for on FIFA.com by over one million fans was also handed out. This prize, created in honour and in memory of Ferenc Puskás, the captain and star of the Hungarian national team during the 1950s, went to Turkey’s Hamit Altintop for his fantastic goal in the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying match between Kazakhstan and Turkey played in Astana on 3 September 2010.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the FIFA Presidential Award from President Joseph S. Blatter for his outstanding commitment to youth development worldwide and his contribution to the use of football as a catalyst for positive social change, as well as for the support he gave to the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, the first one on African soil.
The FIFA Fair Play Award was given to the Haiti U-17 women’s team, who had to endure many hardships following the earthquake which struck their country in January 2010, during which their head coach sadly passed away. The team showed great courage to make it to the final round of the CONCACAF qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2010, where their performance was applauded by the fans despite their eventual elimination. The award was collected by the captain of the team, Hayana Jean-François.
source : FIFA.com
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