100 countries: Panama (67)

NO, ANAPROF and LINFUNA are not some 600 year old trolls living in an enchanted forest. Behind these acronyms stand two competing football leagues which were finally merged, ending a long dispute over how to organize Panamanian football. Typically, reaching a compromise comes at a cost. Indeed, it seems to me that the relegation rules could have [...]

Austria vs Malta 5-1

FINALLY! 8 months after the the 3-2 against the Ivory Coast, the Austrian team marked up another victory. Meanwhile, some unintended suspense arised though, when Malta thankfully accepted a gift to reduce to 2-1. 
However, after enduring some difficult minutes, the crowd in Graz saw a nice and convincing Austrian come-back . Hopes are high that [...]

Ticker

Like many other teams, Austria is performing it’s dress rehearsal tonight. Coach Hickersberger called for more than 60% ball possession. The match against the Republic of Malta starts at 20:30 CET.
Those puzzled by the increasingly capricious performance of Jens Lehmann (GER) might be happy to learn that he figured out the reason:   
The ball is very [...]

100 countries: Thailand (96)

MAKE WAY for the Changsuk! The “war elephants” are stomping up the Top 100 list. Well deserved so, as they crushed none other than Asian champions Iraq last week. No peanuts indeed.
Just before they even bet prestigious Manchester City 3-1. What a bitter-sweet victory for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Together with his sons Pintongta and Pangthongtae he runs and [...]

Q&A on Andy Ivanschitz

What you never dared to ask about the Austrian players.

Any Hopes?

High hopes. A graduate from a conservatory, playing piano and oboe, he is the creative mind in the midfield. Turned captain of the national team when he was 19 years old.

How big is the hero-factor?

Medium. Perfect son in law. No wonder he is a testimonial for e.g. [...]

100 countries: Iceland (85)

ONE OF AUSTRIA’s fiercest competitors is a Geyser-strewn island, almost 1000 Kms away from mainland Europe. Some 280K Icelanders brave elemental forces of nature on a daily basis. Hence, fair matches can only be organized in summer – from late May to September. Probably one of the explanations for the mere 12 teams playing in the Landsbankadeildin.
Yet, [...]

Final 23 players

COACH HICKERSBERGER eliminated 7 players to communicate the official 23 players to the UEFA (see also Das Team). He opted for back-up defenders (7 center backs!) instead of extra strikers. A measure to prepare for cards or injuries (in the later phase of the tournament?).
Out of the 23 players, only 5 were born before 1979. [...]

First round

EVERY EVEN YEAR I participate in a popular betting-game, organized by the Viennese weekly Falter. Correct tendencies (winner/draw) get you points, but correct results even get you a six-pack and a pencil. And the Oscar goes to…  

Switzerland-Czech Republic 0-1
Portugal – Turkey 3-0
Austria – Croatia 1-0
Germany – Poland 0-0 

Warning for all challengers: I finished second in [...]

100 countries: Uzbekistan (59)

THIS SERIES introduces some of the football nations which are ranked above Austria.
The Uzbek national team has been the strongest over years from the Central Asian region, dwarfing neighboring countries like Kazakhstan (122) or Turkmenistan (159). Most high profile is Maksim Shatskikh who fastens his boots for Dynamo Kyiv in Ukraine.
The Oliy liga is spiced [...]

Sponsored tickets to win

LUCKY ONES can win get tickets for the final in Vienna. You need to participate (and win) a game proposed by a EURO sponsor.
The rules are simple. And rather bizarre: Your players have only one means to accumulate points, depending on their position. Goalkeepers need to block shots, defenders win duels, midfielders succeed to pass, strikers score [...]