SFC Victoria (Society for Football Culture)

Champions League Final is Set: FC Barcelona (Spain) vs. Arsenal (England)

2006-05-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, May 17, Barcelona and Arsenal will meet at the Stade de France in Paris (St. Denis) to decide the 2005/06 European Cup winners.

Kickoff is 11:45 AM PDT on TSN (5) (308), RDS (256) and Telelatino (65).

Here's Soccerway.com's Form Chart for these two teams

World Cup Countdown Quiz #7

2006-03-10T19:13:00.000-08:00

Just 91 days to go...

1. Like other major sports tournaments, doping controls are in place at the World Cup. Since when has the World Cup conducted drug testing?

A) since 1966
B) since 1974
C) since 1982

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A) Since 1966. Above, Diego Maradona is seen in a recent photo proclaiming his innocence. Maradona was dismissed from the 1994 World Cup after failing a doping control and did not play a World Cup game again.

2. Despite scoring 58 goals in 82 games for Brazil, this player, who wore the #10 made famous by during the 1978, 1982 and 1986 World Cups, was not able to lead Brazil to a World Cup title. He was:

A) Dirceu
B) Socrates
C) Zico

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C) Zico. His World Cup career came to a sad end as he missed a penalty kick after entering a game as a substitute. After 1047 senior games, he eventually retired in 1990 and was appointed his country's Sports Minister. Rumour has it that he's partially responsible for the dress code of Brazilian fans at World Cup matches, and he deserves our respect.

3. After hosting the 1970 World Cup, they hosted it again in 1986 after another country's officials declared that they could not afford it. Which country was it?

A) Colombia
B) Peru
C) Canada

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A) Colombia. Colombia was slated as early as 1974 to be the hosts of the 1986 World Cup, but in 1982 they had to step back. In early 1983, Mexico was selected to become the first country to host more than one World Cup. Pictured is Colombian star midfielder Carlos Valderrama, a brilliant passer who didn't get to play a World Cup in his home country, but did appear in the 1990, 1994 and 1998 World Cups. He was not hard to spot.

4. Which of the following countries has not hosted two World Cups?

A) Mexico
B) Brazil
C) Italy
D) France

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B) Brazil. The tournament was held there once (1950), but in recent history, the trophy merely resides there. Brazil has won the tournament a record five times. The Brazilians travel well. They know not to pack a lot of clothing.

World Cup Countdown Quiz #6

2006-03-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

Less than 100 days to go now…

1. This forward scored 22 goals in his first 44 international games for the Netherlands and currently plays in the English Premier League. He is…

A) Dennis Bergkamp
B) Ruud van Nistelrooy
C) Robin van Persie

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B) Ruud van Nistelrooy of Manchester United. Yes, "van Nistelrooy" is his full name; there is no truth to the rumour that his nickname is "Van" due to his large turning radius.

2. Franz Beckenbauer of West Germany was able to achieve a double of sorts by being a World Cup champion as a player (1974) and as a coach (1990). He was not the first person to do this, preceded by, no surprise, a Brazilian. Who was he?

A) Socrates
B) Mario Zagalo
C) Zico

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B) Mario Zagalo. Zagalo (second from right, bottom row) was twice a World Cup winner (1958 in Sweden, 1962 in Chile), played in 1966, and then won as a coach (1970 in Mexico) wearing the obligatory track suit (seen on the left) popular in the day.

3. During the 1930s, England was not a member of FIFA and therefore did not take part in the first three World Cup tournaments. England finally made their World Cup debut in 1950 (Brazil) and shockingly lost their second match against what unheralded team (500-1 underdogs)?

A) North Korea
B) San Marino
C) United States of America

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C) United States of America. Below is the English team returning home after failing to go past the first group stage. They lost not only to the United States (0:1) but also to Spain (0:1) after having beaten Chile (2:0).

4. 16 years later (England 1966), England became the World Cup champions, winning 4:2 against West Germany (4:2). England's classy offensive leader, Bobby Charlton played a big part in the victory. His brother also played in the final against West Germany. Name him.

A) Allan Charlton
B) Jack Charlton
C) Peter Charlton

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B) Jack "Jackie" Charlton. In the picture above, Jackie and Bobby are sporting uniforms in a style that England will be wearing this summer in Germany. As a further aside, combovers have been banned by FIFA since 1992.

World Cup Countdown Quiz #5

2006-02-24T19:11:00.000-08:00

Only 105 days to go…

1. Since 1877, referees had the right to dismiss rule-breakers from the playing field, but it was in 1909 that the rules relating to how it's done was codified. Yellow and red cards were devised later.

In which World Cup were yellow and red cards first used?

A) 1938 (France)
B) 1954 (Switzerland)
C) 1970 (Mexico)

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C) 1970. In the first game under the new procedure, four Soviets and one Mexican received yellow cards. There were no red cards issued in that year's tournament, however.

Above, England's Wayne Rooney applauds Danish referee Kim Milton Nielsen's decision to give him a yellow card during a 2005/06 Champions League game. Nielsen, encouraged by Rooney's enthusiasm, decided to show Rooney a red card as well.

2. Between June 4, 1950 and February 18, 1956, Hungary lost only one game. That loss came against West Germany in the 1954 World Cup final game in Bern, Switzerland. Hungary defeated Germany earlier in tournament. What was the final score?

A) 6:1
B) 7:2
C) 8:3

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C) 8:3. They then scored two goals within the first 8 minutes in the final, but West Germany came back to win on a soaked field 3:2 in a game Germans call Das Wunder von Bern ("The Bern Miracle"). Helmut Rahn scores the winning goal in the picture above. The Hungarians in 1953 were the first country to defeat England on English soil, defeating them 6:3 at Wembley Stadium in front of 100,000 people. Six months later, Hungary beat England 7:1 at home, England's worst loss ever.

3. What is the name of the Italians' famous, and feared, system of defending?

A) Calcio
B) Catenaccio
C) Difendissimo

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B) Catenaccio. The word means "door bolt" and the playing system refers to a defense working in a chain formation using another defender behind to pick up loose balls, look for unmarked attackers and redouble marking. Catenaccio should not be confused with Cicciolina, an Italian porn star/politician who has offered to sleep with Saddam Hussein in order to achieve peace in the Middle East.

4. The 2010 World Cup, the sixteenth World Cup tournament, will be held on the African continent for the first time. Who will be the hosts?

A) South Africa
B) Libya/Tunisia (co-hosts)
C) Morocco

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A) South Africa. The final vote for allowing South Africa to host was over Morocco (14-10). Libya was interested in co-hosting the tournament, but this was not going to be allowed. Tunisia withdrew once it knew it would not be allowed to co-host with Libya. Complicating matters even further, Libya stated they would not allow Israel to play there if they qualified. No word on whether Cicciolina tried to get involved here.

World Cup Countdown Quiz #4

2006-02-17T19:10:00.000-08:00

Only 112 days to go!

1. You've got to have guts to call a penalty after only 1 minute of a World Cup final game, and against the home team, no less. But that's what England's Jack Taylor did in 1974.

What team did he call it against?

A) Holland
B) Brazil
C) West Germany

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C) West Germany. Uli Hoeness fouled Johan Cruyff of Holland. Taylor later called a penalty against Holland, which the Germans converted, and Germany later won the game through a goal by Gerd Mueller (below).

2. The first World Cup game I remember watching was the Spain 1982 semifinal between France and Germany, a classic game which featured Germany coming from two goals behind in extra time to tie the game 3:3.

The game was marred by a brutal challenge on Patrick Battiston of France during extra time which left Battiston missing a few teeth and the German goaltender, who committed the foul, completely unpunished.

The German goaltender who committed the foul was:

A) Bodo Illgner
B) Eike Immel
C) Toni Schumacher

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C) Toni Schumacher. The Germans won the game on penalty kicks but lost a lot of support.

When asked about Battiston's lost teeth, Schumacher said, "I'll pay for his dental work."

3. Still controversial after 40 years (and the subject of some scientific research) is the 3:2 goal for England against Germany in the 1966 World Cup final.

Who scored the goal?

A) Geoff Hurst
B) Bobby Moore
C) Martin Peters

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A) Geoff Hurst. This goal was the second of three for Hurst who was only appearing in his eighth game for England and was not a regular on the national team.

Bonus question. I couldn't work a picture of German model Heidi Klum in this week, but Twiggy was popular in England around the time of the 1966 World Cup.

Twiggy's real name is

A) Leslie Hornby
B) Samantha Taylor
C) Penelope Wallace

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A) Leslie Hornby

UEFA Champions League Matchday 7

2006-02-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

UEFA Champions League 2005/06 is being covered by TSN, Telelatino (TLN), and RDS.

Champions League Matchday 7 (the first legs of the Round of 16 games) is this Tuesday and Wednesday, February 21 and 22. In Victoria, on free TV we'll get to see matches played in three countries by teams from five countries, including between two titans of European football, FC Barcelona of Spain and Chelsea FC of England.

Here's the rundown of the week ahead:

Tuesday, February 21

UEFA Champions League Weekly
Highlights, Previews, Profiles and Features
1:00 AM and 11:00 AM TSN (5)

Arsenal FC (England) vs. Real Madrid (Spain) LIVE
11:30 AM TSN (5)

Benfica (Portugal) vs. FC Liverpool (England)
9:00 PM TSN (5)

Wednesday, February 22

Chelsea FC (England) vs. FC Barcelona (Spain)
9:00 PM TSN (5)

Thursday, February 23

Werder Bremen (Germany) vs. Juventus (Italy)
12:30 AM TSN (5)

Sunday, February 26

UEFA Champions League Highlights
Matchday 4 Highlights (30 minutes)
12:00 AM Midnight TSN (5)

Round of 16 - Match kick-offs are listed in CET

	Agg.		First leg	Second leg
Bayern	-	Milan	21/02 »	08/03 »
Benfica	-	Liverpool	21/02 »	08/03 »
Real Madrid	-	Arsenal	21/02 »	08/03 »
PSV	-	Lyon	21/02 »	08/03 »
Chelsea	-	Barcelona	22/02 »	07/03 »
Rangers	-	Villarreal	22/02 »	07/03 »
Bremen	-	Juventus	22/02 »	07/03 »
Ajax	-	Internazionale	22/02 »	14/03 »

World Cup Countdown Quiz #3

2006-02-10T19:09:00.000-08:00

Just 120 days to go.

1) Which World Cup was the first to have games broadcast on live television?

A) 1938 (Uruguay)
B) 1954 (Switzerland)
C) 1962 (Chile)

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B) 1954. Germany won the World Cup in Bern, Switzerland over the Mighty Magyars of Hungary. At the time, there were 50,000 TVs in Germany--it was the days of gathering in the street to watch the games.

2) When the World Cup was conceived, FIFA's plan was to have 16 teams participate in the final tournament. This wasn’t easy, but it was finally achieved in 1954. Starting in 1982, 24 teams started participating in the final tournament.

How many teams are taking part in the final tournament in Germany this year?

A) 24
B) 32
C) 36

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B) 32. Here Heidi Klum determines the fate of Serbia and Montenegro at the 2006 World Cup draw in beautiful Leipzig.

3) Many people regard Lev Yashin as the greatest World Cup goaltender of all time, even though his teams were not able to win the tournament. Who did Yashin play for?

A) Yugoslavia
B) Hungary
C) Soviet Union

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C) Soviet Union. The trophy for the best goalkeeper at the World Cup tournament is named after him.

4) The leading scorer of the 1982 World Cup was suspended for his part in a match-fixing scandal in Italy in 1980. He had his suspension lifted just in time for the World Cup, and he led Italy to its second World Cup title.

Who was he?

A) Alessandro Altobelli
B) Giuseppe Bergomi
C) Paolo Rossi

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C) Paolo Rossi. He scored six goals in the World Cup tournament, including one against Germany in the Final.

Bonus question:

The current coach of FC Barcelona (Spain) was ejected from an Italy '90 game against Germany for spitting at Rudi Voeller. Who is this Dutch player?

A) Ruud Gullit
B) Ronald Koeman
C) Frank Rijkaard

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C) Frank Rijkaard. Voeller was also sent off at the same time. Germany defeated the then European Champions 2:1 in the Round of 16 game.

World Cup Countdown Quiz #2

2006-01-24T19:07:00.000-08:00

136 days to go.

As per John's request, the questions get harder.

Name the player who holds the record with 25 appearances in World Cup finals games.

A) Paolo Maldini (Italy)
B) Lothar Matthaeus (Germany)
C) Wladyslaw Zmuda (Poland)

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B) Lothar Matthaeus played in the 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998 World cups, appearing in 25 games for West Germany and Germany (World Champion in 1990). Paolo Maldini is second at 23 games and is still an active player. Diego Maradona (Argentina), Uwe Seeler (West Germany) and Zmuda (all retired) are tied for third at 21.Other than Maldini, no other active player has appeared in more than 17 games.

Next question:

Sepp Blatter is the current president of FIFA, the organizers of the World Cup

What country is Blatter from?

A) Liechtenstein
B) Austria
C) Switzerland

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C) Switzerland. Blatter replaced Joao Havelange of Brazil who was president of FIFA from 1974 to 1998.

Bonus question:

Which country declined an invitation to the 1950 World Cup because they could not meet the requirement of wearing shoes?

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India.

http://www.rediff.com/sports/2002/may/09india.htm

"A year after independence in 1947, the barefoot Indians caused a sensation against France at the 1948 London Olympics, taking an early lead before missing a penalty to lose 2-1.

India turned down a late invitation to the 1950 World Cup in Brazil only because its players were not used to playing in shoes."

World Cup Countdown Quiz #1

2006-01-19T19:06:00.000-08:00

Only 141 days to go

If you've watched international soccer, or the 2002 World Cup Final, you may recognize Pierluigi Collina. He's quite recognizable for his lack of hair and his piercing stare.

What country is Collina from?

A) France
B) Argentina
C) Italy

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C) Italy

Bonus question:

Even more recognizable than Collina is Pele. How many World Cup-winning teams did Pele play for?

A) 2
B) 3
C) 4

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B) 3 (1958 Sweden, 1962 Chile, 1970 Mexico) Pele retired from international competition at age 31; Brazil didn't reach another World Cup final game until 1994.

World Cup Draw is Set!

2005-12-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

Thanks to SportsNet for showing the World Cup Draw from Germany today. Being German-speaking, I enjoyed it immensely, and my condolences to those who had to wait through over an hour of entertainment before they got down to business.

I'm glad that 72-year old 1954 World Cup Hero Horst Eckel didn't slip kicking the ball into the heavens (Michael Ballack did remark that the stairs were dangerous). The clothing and hair designers must have been obsessed with Charlie's Angels based on how Heidi Klum was made up. The "Bolero" film by Wolfgang Ecker was the highlight for me--I'd like to find a clip of that for my computer.

Full information about the World Cup Draw is at http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/fd/index.html

The groups look like this, and the tournament kicks off in exactly 6 months in Munich as Germany plays Costa Rica at the Allianz-Arena.

2006 FIFA World Cup Group A
Position	Country
1	Germany
2	Costa Rica
3	Poland
4	Ecuador

2006 FIFA World Cup Group B
Position	Country
1	England
2	Paraguay
3	Trinidad and Tobago
4	Sweden

2006 FIFA World Cup Group C
Position	Country
1	Argentina
2	Ivory Coast
3	Serbia and Montenegro
4	Netherlands

2006 FIFA World Cup Group D
Position	Country
1	Mexico
2	Iran
3	Angola
4	Portugal

2006 FIFA World Cup Group E
Position	Country
1	Italy
2	Ghana
3	United States
4	Czech Republic

2006 FIFA World Cup Group F
Position	Country
1	Brazil
2	Croatia
3	Australia
4	Japan

2006 FIFA World Cup Group G
Position	Country
1	France
2	Switzerland
3	Korean Republic
4	Togo

2006 FIFA World Cup Group H
Position	Country
1	Spain
2	Ukraine
3	Tunisia
4	Saudi Arabia

France Ligue 1 Matchday 16

2005-11-25T12:31:00.000-08:00

TV5 Canada and Fox Sportsworld Canada are broadcasting French first division football (Ligue 1) this year with games of the week. TV5 also shows a weekly show about Ligue 1, France-Foot.

Teams TBA
Saturday, November 26
8:10 AM TV5 (90)

Teams TBA
Sunday, November 27
12:00 PM Noon Fox Sports World Canada (113)

France-Foot
Sunday, November 27
7:00 AM TV5 (90)

French Soccer Highlights Show
Tuesday, November 29
4:00 PM Fox Sports World Canada (113)

	Team	Total	Won	Draw	Lost	Goals	Points
1.	Lyon	15	12	3	0	26 - 9	39
2.	Paris SG	15	8	3	4	17 - 11	27
3.	Bordeaux	15	7	6	2	15 - 9	27
4.	Auxerre	15	8	2	5	20 - 19	26
5.	Saint Etienne	15	6	6	3	15 - 9	24
6.	Monaco	15	7	3	5	15 - 11	24
7.	Lille	15	6	5	4	22 - 13	23
8.	Rennes	15	7	2	6	20 - 26	23
9.	Lens	15	4	10	1	19 - 10	22
10.	Le Mans	15	6	4	5	16 - 10	22
11.	Marseille	15	6	3	6	16 - 19	21
12.	Nancy	15	6	2	7	17 - 12	20
13.	Nantes	15	5	3	7	14 - 13	18
14.	Nice	15	4	6	5	11 - 14	18
15.	Sochaux	15	4	4	7	9 - 15	16
16.	Toulouse	15	4	3	8	11 - 20	15
17.	Troyes	15	3	5	7	13 - 20	14
18.	Ajaccio	15	2	6	7	9 - 17	12
19.	Metz	15	1	5	9	7 - 24	8
20.	Strasbourg	15	0	7	8	5 - 16	7
	last played match: 20-11-2005

25-11-2005	Le Mans	Auxerre
26-11-2005	Lille	Nancy
	Nice	Lyon
	Sochaux	Rennes
	Saint Etienne	Bordeaux
	Toulouse	Ajaccio
	Troyes	Metz
27-11-2005	Marseille	Monaco
	Nantes	Strasbourg
	Paris SG	Lens

UEFA Champions League Matchday 5

2005-11-22T00:11:00.000-08:00

UEFA Champions League 2005/06 is being covered by TSN, Telelatino (TLN), and RDS.

Champions League Matchday 5 is this Tuesday and Wednesday, November 22 and 23. In Victoria, on free TV we'll get to see matches played in five countries by teams from eight countries.

Here's the rundown of the week ahead:

Tuesday, November 22

UEFA Champions League Weekly
Highlights, Previews, Profiles and Features
1:00 AM TSN (5)

Group D Manchester United (England) vs. Villareal (Spain) LIVE
11:30 AM TSN (5)

Club Brugge (Belgium) vs. Juventus (Italy)
9:00 PM TSN (5)

Wednesday, November 23

Group G Liverpool FC (England) vs. Real Betis (Spain) LIVE
11:30 AM TSN (5)

Sunday, November 27

UEFA Champions League Highlights
Matchday 4 Highlights (30 minutes)
12:00 AM Midnight TSN (5)

Matchday 5 - Tuesday, 22 November

Grp	Home		Away
A	Bayern	20:45	Rapid	more »
A	Juventus	20:45	Club Brugge	more »
B	Ajax	20:45	Sparta	more »
B	Thun	20:45	Arsenal	more »
C	Barcelona	20:45	Bremen	more »
C	Panathinaikos	20:45	Udinese	more »
D	Lille	20:45	Benfica	more »
D	Man. United	20:45	Villarreal	more »

Matchday 5 - Wednesday, 23 November

Grp	Home		Away
E	Fenerbahçe	20:45	Milan	more »
E	Schalke	20:45	PSV	more »
F	Real Madrid	20:45	Lyon	more »
F	Rosenborg	20:45	Olympiacos	more »
G	Anderlecht	20:45	Chelsea	more »
G	Liverpool	20:45	Betis	more »
H	Internazionale	20:45	Artmedia	more »
H	Porto	20:45	Rangers	more »

World Cup Qualifying is Complete!

2005-11-19T00:13:00.000-08:00

The 32 teams for Germany 2006 have been decided!

A review of the final qualifying playoffs is on

Soccercentral
Sportsnet (23)
Saturday, November 19 9:00 AM

The Draw for World Cup 2006 is on December 9.

African Zone (5 Teams)

Latest Tables | Format

Team	Qualified
Angola (ANG)	08-Oct-05
Cote d'Ivoire (CIV)	08-Oct-05
Togo (TOG)	08-Oct-05
Ghana (GHA)	08-Oct-05
Tunisia (TUN)	08-Oct-05

Asian Zone (4.5 Teams)

Latest Tables | Format

Team	Qualified
Japan (JPN)	08-Jun-05
Iran (IRN)	08-Jun-05
Korea Republic (KOR)	08-Jun-05
Saudi Arabia (KSA)	08-Jun-05

European Zone (14 Teams)

Latest Tables | Format

Team	Qualified
Germany (GER)	Host
Ukraine (UKR)	03-Sep-05
Netherlands (NED)	08-Oct-05
Poland (POL)	08-Oct-05
England (ENG)	08-Oct-05
Croatia (CRO)	08-Oct-05
Italy (ITA)	08-Oct-05
Portugal (POR)	08-Oct-05
Sweden (SWE)	12-Oct-05
Serbia and Montenegro (SCG)	12-Oct-05
France (FRA)	12-Oct-05
Switzerland (SUI)	16-Nov-05
Spain (ESP)	16-Nov-05
Czech Republic (CZE)	16-Nov-05

North, Central American and Caribbean Zone (3.5 Teams)

Latest Tables | Format

Team	Qualified
USA (USA)	03-Sep-05
Mexico (MEX)	07-Sep-05
Costa Rica (CRC)	08-Oct-05
Trinidad and Tobago (TRI)	16-Nov-05

Oceanian Zone (0.5 Teams)

Latest Tables | Format

Team	Qualified
Australia (AUS)	16-Nov-05

South American Zone (4.5 Teams)

Latest Tables | Format

Team	Qualified
Argentina (ARG)	08-Jun-05
Brazil (BRA)	04-Sep-05
Ecuador (ECU)	08-Oct-05
Paraguay (PAR)	08-Oct-05

England Premier League Matchday 13

2005-11-19T00:04:00.000-08:00

The English Premier League is the domestic league watched by the most people worldwide. Coverage is provided by CTV Sportsnet, The Score and Fox Sports World Canada here in Victoria.

EPL Preview
CTV Sportsnet (7)
Saturday, November 19
4:00 AM

Sportsworld Matchday
The Score (85)
Sunday, November 20
7:30 AM

EPL Review Show
Fox Sportsworld Canada (113)
Sunday, November 20
5:00 PM

Games

Saturday, November 19

CTV Sportsnet (7)
4:30 AM Arsenal vs. Wigan Athletic
7:00 AM Chelsea vs. Newcastle United
9:30 AM Chartlton Athletic vs. Manchester United

Sunday, November 20

The Score (85)
8:00 AM Middlesbrough vs. Fulham

Fox Sportsworld (113)
10:00 AM Teams TBA

Monday, October 17
Fox Sportsworld (113)
12:00 PM Birmingham City vs. Bolton Wanderers

Matchday 13, Season 2005/06
2005-11-19	13:45	Wigan - Arsenal	:
2005-11-19	16:00	Sunderland - Aston Villa	:
2005-11-19	16:00	Man City - Blackburn	:
2005-11-19	16:00	Liverpool - Portsmouth	:
2005-11-19	16:00	Chelsea - Newcastle	:
2005-11-19	16:00	Charlton - Man Utd	:
2005-11-19	18:15	West Brom - Everton	:
2005-11-20	14:00	Tottenham - West Ham	:
2005-11-20	17:00	Middlesbrough - Fulham	:
2005-11-21	21:00	Birmingham - Bolton	:

Table Matchday 13, Season 2005/06
	Team	#	w	d	l	Gls	Diff	Pts
1	Chelsea	12	10	1	1	28:7	21	31
2	Wigan	11	8	1	2	13:5	8	25
3	Bolton	12	7	2	3	14:11	3	23
4	Man Utd	11	6	3	2	16:11	5	21
5	Arsenal	11	6	2	3	16:8	8	20
6	Tottenham	12	5	5	2	13:8	5	20
7	Man City	12	6	2	4	15:11	4	20
8	Charlton	11	6	1	4	16:14	2	19
9	West Ham	11	5	3	3	15:10	5	18
10	Newcastle	12	5	3	4	12:10	2	18
11	Blackburn	12	5	2	5	15:15	0	17
12	Liverpool	10	4	4	2	9:8	1	16
13	Middlesbrough	12	4	3	5	15:16	-1	15
14	Fulham	12	3	3	6	12:16	-4	12
15	Portsmouth	12	2	4	6	11:15	-4	10
16	Everton	11	3	1	7	4:12	-8	10
17	Aston Villa	12	2	3	7	10:21	-11	9
18	West Brom	12	2	2	8	9:22	-13	8
19	Birmingham	12	1	3	8	7:17	-10	6
20	Sunderland	12	1	2	9	11:24	-13	5

France Ligue 1 Matchday 15

2005-11-18T23:55:00.000-08:00

TV5 Canada and Fox Sportsworld Canada are broadcasting French first division football (Ligue 1) this year with games of the week. TV5 also shows a weekly show about Ligue 1, France-Foot.

Olympique Marseille vs. FC Nantes
Saturday, November 19
8:10 AM TV5 (90)

Girondins Bordeaux vs. Paris St. Germain
Sunday, November 20
12:00 PM Noon Fox Sports World Canada (113)

France-Foot
Sunday, November 20
7:00 AM TV5 (90)

French Soccer Highlights Show
Tuesday, November 22
4:00 PM Fox Sports World Canada (113)

Matchday 15, Season 2005/06
2005-11-19	Ajaccio A.C. - FC Sochaux	:
2005-11-19	AJ Auxerre - OSC Lille	:
2005-11-19	Bordeaux - Paris SG	:
2005-11-19	RC Lens - FC Metz	:
2005-11-19	Lyon - ES Troyes AC	:
2005-11-19	Marseille - FC Nantes	:
2005-11-19	AS Monaco - St. Etienne	:
2005-11-19	AS Nancy - Le Mans	:
2005-11-19	Stade Rennes - Toulouse	:
2005-11-19	Strasbourg - O.G.C. Nice	:

Table Matchday 15, Season 2005/06
	Team	#	w	d	l	Gls	Diff	Pts
1	Lyon	14	11	3	0	24:8	16	36
2	Bordeaux	14	7	6	1	15:7	8	27
3	St. Etienne	14	6	6	2	15:8	7	24
4	Paris SG	14	7	3	4	15:11	4	24
5	OSC Lille	14	6	5	3	20:10	10	23
6	AJ Auxerre	14	7	2	5	17:17	0	23
7	Le Mans	14	6	4	4	16:9	7	22
8	RC Lens	14	4	9	1	19:10	9	21
9	AS Monaco	14	6	3	5	14:11	3	21
10	Stade Rennes	14	6	2	6	16:25	-9	20
11	FC Nantes	14	5	3	6	13:11	2	18
12	Marseille	14	5	3	6	14:18	-4	18
13	AS Nancy	14	5	2	7	16:12	4	17
14	O.G.C. Nice	14	4	5	5	11:14	-3	17
15	Toulouse	14	4	3	7	10:16	-6	15
16	ES Troyes AC	14	3	5	6	12:18	-6	14
17	FC Sochaux	14	3	4	7	8:15	-7	13
18	Ajaccio A.C.	14	2	6	6	9:16	-7	12
19	FC Metz	14	1	4	9	7:24	-17	7
20	Strasbourg	14	0	6	8	5:16	-11	6

France Ligue 1 Matchday 14

2005-11-04T21:00:00.000-08:00

TV5 Canada and Fox Sportsworld Canada are broadcasting French first division football (Ligue 1) this year with games of the week. TV5 also shows a weekly show about Ligue 1, France-Foot.

Toulouse vs. Olympique Lyonnais
Saturday, November 5
8:10 AM TV5 (90)

Paris St. Germain vs. AS Monaco
Sunday, November 6
12:00 PM Noon Fox Sports World Canada (113)

France-Foot
Sunday, November 6
7:00 AM TV5 (90)

French Soccer Highlights Show
Tuesday, November 1
4:00 PM Fox Sports World Canada (113)

Matchday 14, Season 2005/06
2005-11-05	Le Mans - Marseille	:
2005-11-05	OSC Lille - Strasbourg	:
2005-11-05	FC Metz - Ajaccio A.C.	:
2005-11-05	FC Nantes - AS Nancy	:
2005-11-05	O.G.C. Nice - Bordeaux	:
2005-11-05	Paris SG - AS Monaco	:
2005-11-05	St. Etienne - AJ Auxerre	:
2005-11-05	FC Sochaux - RC Lens	:
2005-11-05	Toulouse - Lyon	:
2005-11-05	ES Troyes AC - Stade Rennes	:

Table Matchday 14, Season 2005/06
	Team	#	w	d	l	Gls	Diff	Pts
1	Lyon	13	10	3	0	23:8	15	33
2	Bordeaux	13	6	6	1	14:7	7	24
3	St. Etienne	13	6	5	2	14:7	7	23
4	Paris SG	13	7	2	4	15:11	4	23
5	AJ Auxerre	13	7	1	5	16:16	0	22
6	OSC Lille	13	5	5	3	18:10	8	20
7	AS Monaco	13	6	2	5	14:11	3	20
8	Stade Rennes	13	6	2	5	15:23	-8	20
9	RC Lens	12	4	7	1	18:9	9	19
10	Le Mans	13	5	4	4	13:9	4	19
11	Marseille	13	5	3	5	14:15	-1	18
12	AS Nancy	13	5	2	6	16:9	7	17
13	O.G.C. Nice	13	4	5	4	11:13	-2	17
14	FC Nantes	13	4	3	6	10:11	-1	15
15	Toulouse	13	4	3	6	10:15	-5	15
16	FC Sochaux	13	3	3	7	7:14	-7	12
17	Ajaccio A.C.	12	2	5	5	9:14	-5	11
18	ES Troyes AC	13	2	5	6	10:17	-7	11
19	Strasbourg	13	0	6	7	5:14	-9	6
20	FC Metz	13	0	4	9	5:24	-19	4

World Cup Qualifying Situation and November 12/16 playoffs

2005-11-04T12:40:00.000-08:00

27 Teams have qualified for Germany 2006:

An excellent article on how they got there can be found at Soccernet.

The current qualifiers waiting for the last 5 to join them are:

World Cup Qualifiers

Europe 15
Germany (Host)
Ukraine
Holland
Poland
England
Croatia
Italy
Portugal
Sweden
Serbia and Montenegro
France

Africa 5
Togo
Ghana
Ivory Coast
Tunisia
Angola

Asia 4.5
Japan
Iran
Korea Repubic
Saudi Arabia

North America 3.5
United States of America
Mexico
Costa Rica

South America 4.5
Argentina
Brazil
Ecuador
Paraguay

Oceania 0.5

UEFA Champions League Matchday 4

2005-10-31T11:16:00.000-08:00

UEFA Champions League 2005/06 is being covered by TSN, Telelatino (TLN), and RDS.

Champions League Matchday 4 is this Tuesday and Wednesday, November 1 and 2. In Victoria, on free TV we'll get to see matches played in five countries by teams from eight countries.

Here's the rundown of the week ahead:

Tuesday, November 1

UEFA Champions League Weekly
Highlights, Previews, Profiles and Features
1:00 AM TSN (5)

Group G Chelsea FC (England) vs. Real Betis (Spain) LIVE
11:30 AM TSN (5) RDS (256)

Group H Internazionale Milano (Italy) vs. FC Porto (Portugal) LIVE
11:30 AM TLN (77) Italian

Group E PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) vs. AC Milan (Spain)
9:00 PM TSN (5)

Wednesday, November 2

Group D Lille OSC (France) vs. Manchester United (England) LIVE
11:30 AM TSN (5)

Group C FC Barcelona (Spain) vs. Panathinaikos FC (Greece) LIVE
11:30 AM RDS (256)

Group A Juventus FC (Italy) vs. Bayern Munich (Germany) LIVE
11:30 AM TLN (77) Italian

Group C FC Barcelona (Spain) vs. Panathinaikos FC (Greece)
9:00 PM TSN (5)

Sunday, November 6

UEFA Champions League Highlights
Matchday 4 Highlights (30 minutes)
10:30 PM TSN (5)

Group E PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) vs. AC Milan (Spain)
6:00 AM TLN (77) Italian

Group A	Pld	Pts
Bayern	3	9
Juventus	3	6
Club Brugge	3	3
Rapid	3	0
Group C	Pld	Pts
Barcelona	3	7
Udinese	3	4
Panathinaikos	3	4
Bremen	3	1
Group E	Pld	Pts
Milan	3	5
Fenerbahçe	3	4
PSV	3	4
Schalke	3	2
Group G	Pld	Pts
Chelsea	3	7
Liverpool	3	7
Betis	3	3
Anderlecht	3	0

Group B	Pld	Pts
Arsenal	3	9
Ajax	3	4
Thun	3	3
Sparta	3	1
Group D	Pld	Pts
Man. United	3	5
Benfica	3	4
Villarreal	3	3
Lille	3	2
Group F	Pld	Pts
Lyon	3	9
Real Madrid	3	6
Rosenborg	3	3
Olympiacos	3	0
Group H	Pld	Pts
Internazionale	3	6
Artmedia	3	4
Rangers	3	4
Porto	3	3

Group	Home		Away
E	PSV	20:45	Milan	more »
E	Schalke	20:45	Fenerbahçe	Preview »
F	Rosenborg	20:45	Real Madrid	more »
F	Olympiacos	20:45	Lyon	more »
G	Liverpool	20:45	Anderlecht	more »
G	Betis	20:45	Chelsea	more »
H	Artmedia	20:45	Rangers	more »
H	Internazionale	20:45	Porto	more »

Group	Home		Away
A	Club Brugge	20:45	Rapid	more »
A	Juventus	20:45	Bayern	more »
B	Thun	20:45	Ajax	more »
B	Arsenal	20:45	Sparta	more »
C	Barcelona	20:45	Panathinaikos	more »
C	Bremen	20:45	Udinese	more »
D	Benfica	20:45	Villarreal	more »
D	Lille	20:45	Man. United	more »

Italy Serie A Matchday 10

2005-10-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

Italian Serie A is covered by TeleLatino (77) and Fox SportsWorld (113) in Victoria

Serie A coverage on free TV this week:

Saturday, October 29

TeleLatino Network (77)
11:30 AM Teams TBA

Sunday, October 30

TeleLatino Network (77)
6:00 AM Teams TBA
11:30 AM Teams TBA

Reviews of the week's action:

Sunday, October 30

TeleLatino Network
8:00 PM Italian Soccer Fanatics Show
9:00 PM, 11:00 PM Italian Soccer Highlights

Matchday 10, Season 2005/06

2005-10-30

AS Livorno Calcio - AC Parma

2005-10-30

AC Chievo Verona - Empoli

2005-10-30

AC Florenz - Cagliari Calcio

2005-10-30

US Lecce - Messina Calcio

2005-10-30

AC Mailand - Juventus Turin

2005-10-30

Reggina Calcio - Lazio Rom

2005-10-30

AS Rom - Ascoli Calcio

2005-10-30

Sampdoria Genua - Inter Mailand

2005-10-30

Treviso FBC - AC Siena

2005-10-30

Udinese Calcio - US Palermo

Table Matchday 10, Season 2005/06
	Team	#	w	d	l	Gls	Diff	Pts
1	Juventus Turin	9	9	0	0	18:2	16	27
2	AC Mailand	9	7	1	1	18:7	11	22
3	AC Florenz	9	6	1	2	20:11	9	19
4	Inter Mailand	9	6	0	3	18:8	10	18
5	US Palermo	9	4	3	2	17:14	3	15
6	AC Chievo Verona	9	4	3	2	12:9	3	15
7	Lazio Rom	9	4	3	2	13:12	1	15
8	AS Livorno Calcio	9	4	3	2	9:10	-1	15
9	Sampdoria Genua	9	4	1	4	17:15	2	13
10	Udinese Calcio	9	4	1	4	11:11	0	13
11	Empoli	9	4	1	4	10:13	-3	13
12	AS Rom	9	3	3	3	13:9	4	12
13	Ascoli Calcio	9	2	5	2	10:10	0	11
14	AC Siena	9	3	2	4	17:19	-2	11
15	Reggina Calcio	9	2	0	7	9:15	-6	6
16	AC Parma	9	1	3	5	8:17	-9	6
17	Messina Calcio	9	0	5	4	8:15	-7	5
18	Treviso FBC	9	1	2	6	5:15	-10	5
19	Cagliari Calcio	9	0	4	5	6:15	-9	4
20	US Lecce	9	1	1	7	5:17	-12	4

France Ligue 1 Matchday 13

2005-10-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

TV5 Canada and Fox Sportsworld Canada are broadcasting French first division football (Ligue 1) this year with games of the week. TV5 also shows a weekly show about Ligue 1, France-Foot.

Olympique Marseille vs. OSC Lille
Saturday, October 29
8:10 AM TV5 (84)

AJ Auxerre vs. Paris St. Germain
Sunday, October 30
12:00 PM Noon Fox Sports World Canada (113)

France-Foot
Sunday, October 30
7:00 AM TV5 (84)

French Soccer Highlights Show
Tuesday, November 1
4:00 PM Fox Sports World Canada (113)

Matchday 13, Season 2005/06

2005-10-29

AJ Auxerre - Paris SG

2005-10-29

Bordeaux - ES Troyes AC

2005-10-29

RC Lens - Toulouse

2005-10-29

Lyon - FC Sochaux

2005-10-29

Marseille - OSC Lille

2005-10-29

AS Monaco - Ajaccio A.C.

2005-10-29

AS Nancy - O.G.C. Nice

2005-10-29

FC Nantes - Le Mans

2005-10-29

Stade Rennes - FC Metz

2005-10-29

Strasbourg - St. Etienne

Table Matchday 13, Season 2005/06
	Team	#	w	d	l	Gls	Diff	Pts
1	Lyon	12	9	3	0	22:8	14	30
2	Paris SG	12	7	2	3	15:9	6	23
3	Bordeaux	12	5	6	1	12:7	5	21
4	St. Etienne	12	5	5	2	13:7	6	20
5	OSC Lille	12	5	4	3	17:9	8	19
6	Le Mans	12	5	4	3	13:8	5	19
7	AJ Auxerre	12	6	1	5	14:16	-2	19
8	AS Monaco	12	5	2	5	11:11	0	17
9	Marseille	12	5	2	5	13:14	-1	17
10	Stade Rennes	12	5	2	5	13:22	-9	17
11	RC Lens	11	3	7	1	17:9	8	16
12	AS Nancy	12	5	1	6	16:9	7	16
13	O.G.C. Nice	12	4	4	4	11:13	-2	16
14	Toulouse	12	4	3	5	10:14	-4	15
15	FC Nantes	12	3	3	6	9:11	-2	12
16	FC Sochaux	12	3	3	6	7:13	-6	12
17	Ajaccio A.C.	11	2	5	4	9:11	-2	11
18	ES Troyes AC	12	2	5	5	10:15	-5	11
19	Strasbourg	12	0	6	6	5:13	-8	6
20	FC Metz	12	0	4	8	4:22	-18	4

English Premier League Matchday 11

2005-10-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

The English Premier League is the domestic league watched by the most people worldwide. Coverage is provided by CTV Sportsnet, The Score and Fox Sports World Canada here in Victoria.

EPL Preview
CTV Sportsnet (7)
Saturday, October 29
4:00 AM

Sportsworld Matchday
The Score (78)
Sunday, October 23
7:30 AM

EPL Review Show
Fox Sportsworld Canada (113)
Sunday, October 23
5:00 PM

Games

Saturday, October 29

CTV Sportsnet (7)
4:30 AM Tottenham Hotspur vs. Arsenal
7:00 AM West Ham vs. Liverpool
9:30 AM Middlesbrough vs. Manchester United

Sunday, October 30

The Score (78)
8:00 AM West Bromwich Albion vs. Newcastle United

Fox Sportsworld (113)
10:00 AM Charlton Athletic vs. Bolton Wanderers

Monday, October 17
Fox Sportsworld (113)
12:00 PM Aston Villa vs. Manchester City

Matchday 11, Season 2005/06

2005-10-29