Klinsmann: Surprises ahead

For fans in Germany and beyond, Jurgen Klinsmann’s name will always be closely linked with the summer of 2006. As Germany head coach, Klinsmann led the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ hosts to the semi-finals as the nation erupted in a hitherto unseen wave of euphoria.

Images of the colourful fan festivals and vast crowds at Public Viewing events were beamed around the globe as German football found a new hero in Klinsi, an instant hit in his very first coaching role. However, the former striker chose to follow the principle of quitting while you are ahead and stepped down immediately after the tournament.

He resurfaced in July 2008 at the Bayern Munich helm, but his spell with Germany’s most successful club would only last ten months. In his playing career, the 45-year-old earned 108 international caps, lifting the FIFA World Cup in 1990 and the UEFA EURO in 1996. He played his club football for a host of top names including Bayern, Inter and Tottenham Hotspur.

FIFA.com spoke exclusively with Klinsmann, who is set to move back to California with his family after his spell in Munich, regarding his views on the group line-up, the list of favourites, and the role Germany can be expected to play at South Africa 2010.

FIFA.com: The Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup took place some three weeks ago. Did you follow the show in Cape Town and, if so, what did you think of the event?

Jurgen Klinsmann: I watched the draw on TV. It was a fabulous way to kick off the 2010 World Cup and I was really pleased about that. The successful Final Draw ceremony meant the South African hosts confidently passed another milestone. I’m really impressed with the job they’re doing.

What do you think of hosts South Africa? What can we expect next summer?
I’m expecting a fantastic World Cup. You shouldn’t compare it with previous World Cups, because it’s literally incomparable, so to speak. It's the first event of its type on African soil, and I feel we’re all duty bound to play our part in making it a truly wonderful World Cup.

Turning to the details of the draw, what is your assessment of the composition of the groups?
There are groups comprising three exceptionally strong teams and one underdog, and there are groups where I’d say all four teams are evenly matched. But predicting anything is hard on this occasion, because nearly all the teams are going to encounter basically unfamiliar conditions: playing at altitude, the South African winter, and so on. It could be a World Cup full of surprises.

What is your take on the favourites: the likes of Brazil, England, Argentina and, of course, hosts South Africa?
There can hardly ever have been a World Cup with so many potential favourites, in my opinion. At least eight of the teams are good enough to win it – and every one of them has convincing arguments in their favour. It’ll be a very evenly-matched World Cup. And let’s not forget there are still six months to go. A lot can happen in that time.

Who are your favourites for the trophy?
All eight seeded teams rank among the favourites, but you’ve also got to include a couple of the unseeded teams this time. I’m thinking chiefly of France and Portugal. And then you’ve got a host of dark horses, Côte d’Ivoire or Chile for example, who were outstanding in qualifying.

Which players are destined to make a mark on the tournament or, put another way, which players have the ability to do so?
Without the backing of his team, no single individual is in any position to stamp his authority on such a demanding tournament on his own. Obviously, the likes of [Lionel] Messi, Kaka, [Didier] Drogba or Cristiano Ronaldo can shape and define the finals, but their team-mates will have to be in equally good form.

Turning to Germany’s group, what do you make of Australia, Serbia and Ghana?
It’s neither good nor bad. Obviously it could have been worse for Germany, but it could have been easier, too. Serbia will be very challenging, and I’m interested to see how far Australia’s fighting spirit takes them. They could have beaten the Italians back in 2006. But the most intriguing aspect will be seeing how the African teams fare - Ghana, for example.

How far can Joachim Low and his team go next year?
A nation like Germany will always go to the World Cup aiming to win it – and they can, with the necessary slice of good fortune. Germany have made the semis or better in the last two major tournaments. But at the end of the day, the tiniest things make the difference. In footballing terms, Germany have definitely improved with the addition of new players such as Mesut Ozil.

Did you feel any sense of regret when you were watching the draw? You were a national coach at the time of the previous Final Draw.
Regret is the wrong word. I’m looking forward to the World Cup, and to my assignment as a TV expert.

Do you regret stepping down as national coach when you did?
I never dwell on the past. I had no other choice in the circumstances anyway. My family simply took priority.

You have mentioned that you will be at next year’s finals as a colour commentator for TV. Could you imagine keeping that going after the tournament?
I’m asking myself the same question. I’m approaching it in a completely relaxed frame of mind. I’m just hoping I can convey the joy and exuberance of it all to the viewers. As to whether I’ll go back into football straight afterwards, I honestly can’t say.

You have repeatedly been linked with club jobs recently. When might we see you back in the dugout?
There are always going to be rumours, but I’m very unlikely to take on anything new until after the World Cup next summer. It’s totally up in the air as to what I might do next.

World Cup 2010 Ticketing process explained

The conclusion of the Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ was followed by another important event in the countdown to the kick-off of the tournament – the opening of the latest phase of ticketing sales. This stage of sales is potentially the most important to date, with the majority of tickets expected to be snapped up by the time this phase closes in just over a months time, on 22 January 2010. For this reason FIFA would like to take this opportunity to point out a few key factors in the ticket purchasing process.

Application Procedure
Tickets can be applied for in two ways with the main source being www.fifa.com/2010, whilst South African residents have the opportunity to apply for tickets by visiting a branch of FNB. The ticket purchase follows a very simple procedure:

1. Application form submitted at www.fifa.com/2010 or at an FNB branch (for residents of South Africa) by 22 January 2010.
2. Random selection draw takes place on 1 February 2010.
3. Applicants notified within 10 days of the draw, with payment being taken for successful applications.

Why do we have the random draw?
The reason for the random draw process is simple – FIFA wants to give every fan the equal chance of getting tickets to the most popular games. For that reason a random draw is the fairest way to allocate the tickets.

For games which are not over subscribed by 22 January 2010 there will be no random draw. Tickets will be allocated to all applicants.

Handy hints
Demand for tickets at this stage of the sales process is expected to be very high. For that reason FIFA has a couple of tips for fans to ensure that chances of getting tickets are as high as possible:

1. For high profile matches in the group stages and matches in the knockout phase there will be a greater chance of obtaining tickets by applying for Category 1 or 2 tickets. Whilst higher priced, these tickets are likely to provide fans with a better viewing experience.
2. There is a higher chance of being successful in applying for tickets to lower profile games. Don’t forget, the FIFA World Cup™ is a one-off experience and the atmosphere at every game will be unforgettable.

Further ticket sales phases

1. Any tickets remaining after the sales phase ending on 22 January 2010 will be sold on a first-come first-served basis between 9 February and 7 April 2010.
2. This will then be followed by a Last minute sales phase between 15 April and 11 July 2010. However, very few tickets are expected to be available at this stage.

Submit your applications to have a chance of saying: “I was there”.

Soccer Babe Rocks the Mexico World Cup 2010 adidas Home Jersey

In our continuing preparation for FIFA World Cup 2010, here’s yet another El Tri (that’s the nickname for the Mexican national soccer team) Soccer Babe . This time round it’s an Mexico City born model Catherine Elizabeth Leah rocking the brand new adidas Mexico World Cup 2010 home jersey (or “camiseta” if you prefer). She definitely puts a different spin on the new El Tri shirt from the players who modeled it at its launch last month.

Soccer Babes – Mexican Primera Apertura 2009 Semi-Finals Cheerleaders / Porristas

Over the past five days the semi-finals of the Mexican Primera Apertura 2009 playoffs took place. Playing for a chance in the finals were Cruz Azul, Monterrey, Morelia and Toluca. Their respective cheerleaders were also out to support their teams and are the focus of this week’s Mexican Primera cheerleaders review. As usual, we’ve got a ton of them for your viewing pleasure again. Enjoy them while you can as there is only one round left in the Mexican playoffs.

Check this space every Monday for more of these chicas. If we run into more of them during the week, we’ll bring you some bonus coverage.

With Friday’s FIFA World Cup 2010 Draw completed and the tournament’s groups set, the pundits of soccer have started their analyses and predictions. So have scores of soccer fans around the world who promptly entered the search phrase “World Cup 2010 Simulator” into their search engines to little avail.

While there aren’t too many simulators for World Cup 2010 around yet, we’ve found a beauty at mediotiempo.com that let’s you simulate the entire tournament from the group phase to the final. To launch the simulator just click on Simulacion de la Fase Final (Final Stage Simulator in English) at the bottom of the page to launch the application. After that it’s easy to use regardless of what language you speak. Check it out at the link below.

FIFA World Cup 2010 Simulator at mediatiempo.com

Miss World Contestants Tour a World Cup 2010 Stadium

Miss World contestants pose for photographers at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg on November 20, 2008. (From left) Miss New Zealand Julia Kahurangi, Miss Egypt Sanaa Ismail Hamed, Miss Brazil Sila Almeida Tamara, Miss World Zilin Zhang, South African former football player Lukes Habeba, Miss South Africa Tansey Coetzee, Miss Italy Claudia Russo, Miss USA Mercia Lane Lindell and Miss Spain Patricia Yurena Rodriguez Alonjo. The contestants will assist in the Confederations Cup draw on November 22.

Draw ignites FIFA World Cup fever

The 32 teams participating at next year's FIFA World Cup™ finals discovered their fate this evening when the Final Draw for South Africa 2010 took place in Cape Town.

While South Africans learned that the host nation's Opening Match on 11 June would be played against Mexico at Soccer City, it was the Group D line-up which caused arguably the biggest stir. Germany, Australia, Serbia and Ghana will battle it out for two qualifying places for the Round of 16, meaning two nations with passionate support will depart the tournament early. There could be a high-profile casualty from Group G too, after Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal were drawn together.

An estimated global television audience of 200 million joined the 2,000 invited guests in the Draw Hall in watching the colourful and entertaining ceremony unfold. With African sporting stars such as athlete Haile Gebreselassie, rugby player John Smit, cricketer Makhaya Ntini, and footballers Matthew Booth and Simphiwe Dludlu assisting with the draw, along with England's David Beckham, it was always going to be an exhilarating occasion, but the undoubted centrepiece came when the eight groups were revealed.

An early highlight of the draw was the eye-catching encounter between England and USA, scheduled for 12 June, which evokes the Americans' famous 1-0 win over their transatlantic cousins at Brazil 1950. Argentina, Nigeria and Greece will get the chance to revive their group rivalry from 1994, while the heavyweight collision between Portugal and Brazil on 25 June also has the feel of a derby.

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana,
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

A night to remember
With such an array of stars, the event dazzled from start to finish. After a welcome sequence from Lions Head, the mountain that provides Cape Town with such a dramatic backdrop, award-winning musician Johnny Clegg performed 'Scatterlings of Africa', a song made famous by the Academy Award-winning film Rain Main.

Fittingly, the first speech of the night came from the man without whom a FIFA World Cup in South Africa would never have been possible: the country's former president Nelson Mandela. The 91-year-old, speaking in a special video message, urged his nation to make the most of their opportunity as tournament hosts. "We must strive for excellence in our hosting of the World Cup, while at the same time ensuring the event leaves a lasting benefit to all our people," he said.

Next it was time for two special presidents to take to the stage. FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and South African President Jacob Zuma showed their excitement at both the Final Draw and the 2010 FIFA World Cup itself in an entertaining dialogue lasting several minutes. Giancarlo Abete, President of the Italian Football Federation, then handed over the holders' FIFA World Cup Trophy to Mr Blatter, confirmation that sport's holy grail is in South Africa and ready to be contested next year.

Legendary Portugal striker Eusebio, born in neighbouring Mozambique, was introduced to the crowd before examples of the 'Win in Africa, With Africa' campaign were showcased before an expectant audience. Beninese singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo duly took to the stage to perform her Grammy-nominated song 'Agolo'.

The first duty of the show's guest presenter, Academy Award-winning actress, Hollywood producer and proud South African Charlize Theron, was to show off the official 2010 Match Ball, adidas's Jabulani, a name meaning 'to celebrate' in Zulu. Soweto’s Gospel Choir continued the theme of happiness with a lively rendition of Pata Pata before the arrival of Draw Master and FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, signalled the moment of truth.

Some of the assembled coaches will have headed away feeling confident, others concerned by the task presented here, yet at least all now know what lies in store as they begin their planning and preparation for next year's showpiece.

Cities ready and waiting for the 2010 FIFA World Cup

The focus of the football world’s attention was squarely focused on Cape Town last night as the Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ mapped out the opening rounds of next year’s football showpiece.

In what Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa, Dr Danny Jordaan, described as ,”a great celebration of Africa”, the Final Draw was proof that South Africa is more than ready to put on a show like no other when the 32 teams arrive in the country.

For the Host Cities, last night was a significant moment as, for the first time, they had a clear idea of the teams and the fans they will be hosting next year.

It was soon evident that football fans in the smaller cities such as Polokwane, Rustenburg and Nelspruit will have the same opportunies to capture a glimpse of the football stars expected in South Africa next year.

Speaking after the Draw, Mayor of Nelspruit, Mr Lassy Chiwayo said, “We are excited on a number of fronts. With the 18 giraffes that tower above us at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, we too are ready to walk tall and deliver a great experience. Our people are amazing, warm and peaceful. “

Nelspruit will see Hondurus and Chile battle it out on 16 June 2010, with defending champions, Italy, playing New Zealand on 20 June 2010. All matches will be played in the newly built Mbombela stadium which boasts seating and structures resembling the wildlife of the surrounding areas.

Host city coordinator for Polokwane, Ndavhe Ramakuela, also promises to deliver a different World Cup experience for the teams and the thousands of fans. “We will welcome fans to a natural environment away from the noise and concrete of the city. We will offer something to everyone.”

Polokwane, in the northern province of Limpopo, offers fans that will be travelling to watch the France-Mexico or the Greece-Argentina game on 17 and 22 June respectively a variety of activities including game viewing or visits to the neighboring countries of Botswana and Mozambique.

The regal home to the Royal Bafokeng family, Rustenburg, will see an influx of fans too as they come to watch England against USA on Saturday 12 June 2010. Rustenburg can also expect an influx of African supporters as African favourites, Ghana, play against Australia on 19 June. Spokesperson for the Host City of Rustenburg said that fans will be well entertained and “can expect a royal treatment when they come to Rustenburg.”

Having built a stadium that was ready over a year ahead of the tournament, Nelson Mandela Bay will be entertaining fans from Chile, England, Portugal and Germany as they travel to the Eastern Cape for some superb on the field action.

With similar enthusiasm, says the Mayor of Port Elizabeth/Nelson Mandela Bay, Mr Zanoxolo Wayile, “We are more than prepared in terms of accommodation, transportation, safety and security, entertainment and of course the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium is one of the best facilities in the world. We are confident all ten teams will feel more than at home in a city named after the great man himself.”

With names such as France, Uruguay, Paraguay, England, Algeria, Portugal, Korea DPR, Cameroon, Netherlands as well as a Semi Final match to be hosted by the City of Cape Town, there is certainly a lot of excitement in the ‘Mother City’.

“Just looking at the draw, we were very happy with what we saw. There are some big names there and the tournament in Cape Town will certainly be a huge spectacle,” said Mayor of Cape Town, Dan Plato.

After the festivities on Long Street during the Final Draw celebrations – which saw an estimated 30,000 people take to the streets in celebration – Plato is confident that the visiting teams and fans will be treated to a festival atmosphere throughout the World Cup period.

“As a city we are very happy to host these teams in our stadium and our city. You can see from the vibe last Sunday when we turned on the festive lights in Adderley street and 120,000 people turned up to the party in Long Street last night to celebrate the Final Draw – there is a great vibe in this city and we have shown the world that we are ready for 2010.”

But the eyes of the world will be on Soccer City in Johannesburg on the day the tournament kicks off between host country South Africa and Mexico on 11 June 2010. As the gateway city to South Africa, Johannesburg has two stadiums and is the most central place to accommodate the fans with five of the ten stadiums within four hours driving distance.

Says Christa Venter of Joahnnesburg City, “The opening ceremony is going to be great – we look forward the vibe and seeing the Mexican wave in tandem with the vuvuzela.” Johannesburg will see most of the greats at some stage between Soccer City and Ellis Park stadiums, including Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Germany and Italy.