Alessandro dos Santos
Encyclopedia
, formerly name ; Alessandro dos Santos (until he obtained Japanese citizenship), born July 20, 1977 in Maringá
, Paraná
, Brazil
, and often known as Alex, is a Brazilian Japanese football
player who plays for Nagoya Grampus
.
in Paraná
and moved to Japan in 1994 at the age of sixteen. He enrolled in Meitoku Gijuku High School in Kōchi
and played football for the school club. After graduating from the school, he joined the J. League Division 1 team Shimizu S-Pulse
in 1997. In 1999 he received J. League Player of the Year.
In 2001 he obtained Japanese citizenship. He made his first appearance for Japan on March 21, 2002 against Ukraine
, and he was part of Philippe Troussier
's selection for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
. He was the second foreign-born person to play for Japan in the World Cup finals after Wagner Lopes
, who played in the 1998 World Cup and also the third naturalized citizen to play for Japan after Lopes and another Brazilian-born Japanese citizen, Ruy Ramos
.
In August 2002, Alex agreed to join English
Premier League
club Charlton Athletic
. But he was denied a work permit by the Home Office
because he had not made the minimum number of national team appearances required for players from outside the European Union
and returned to Shimizu for the remainder of the season. In January 2004, he left Shimizu to join the Urawa Red Diamonds
.
Since Zico
took over as the national team manager, Alex was a constant on the left side of the Japanese lineup, as a fullback in 4-4-2 formation or midfielder in 3-5-2 formation, and was selected to Japan's 2006 World Cup
squad in May 2006, providing an assistance for Keiji Tamada
in a group stage match against his former country Brazil
.
In January 2007 Alex was loaned out to Red Bull Salzburg. He went back to Urawa in January 2008. He received a serious injury in a test match and had only one appearance in this season. In July 2009 he agreed to move to Nagoya Grampus
.
|1997
||rowspan="7"|Shimizu S-Pulse
||rowspan="7"|J. League 1||27||3||3||0||2||1||colspan="2"|-||32||4
|-
|1998
||26||10||5||2||5||0||colspan="2"|-||36||12
|-
|1999
||30||11||1||0||4||0||colspan="2"|-||35||11
|-
|2000
||30||4||5||4||5||0||colspan="2"|-||40||8
|-
|2001
||30||12||5||1||2||1||colspan="2"|-||37||14
|-
|2002
||29||9||3||0||2||2||2||2||36||13
|-
|2003
||26||7||4||0||4||0||3||1||37||8
|-
|2004
||rowspan="3"|Urawa Red Diamonds
||rowspan="3"|J. League 1||27||2||2||1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||30||3
|-
|2005
||32||4||5||0||5||0||colspan="2"|-||42||4
|-
|2006
||34||5||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||35||5
|-
|2006-07||rowspan="2"|Red Bull Salzburg||rowspan="2"|Bundesliga||9||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||9||0
|-
|2007-08
||11||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||1||0||12||1
|-
|2008
||rowspan="2"|Urawa Red Diamonds
||rowspan="4"|J. League 1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||1||0
|-
|rowspan="2"|2009
||6||0||colspan="2"|-||4||0||colspan="2"|-||10||0
|-
|rowspan="2"|Nagoya Grampus
||14||0||6||1||colspan="2"|-||4||0||24||1
|-
|2010||25||0||3||1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||29||1
337||67||43||10||35||4||9||3||424||84
20||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||1||0||21||1
357||68||43||10||35||4||10||3||445||85
|2002||9||1
|-
|2003||15||1
|-
|2004||22||2
|-
|2005||17||1
|-
|2006||19||2
|-
!Total||82||7
|}
and has a son.
Maringá
Maringá is a city in southern Brazil that was founded on May 10, 1947. Maringá is the third largest city in the state of Paraná. The city has a population of 357,117 , 612,617 in its metropolitan area...
, Paraná
Paraná (state)
Paraná is one of the states of Brazil, located in the South of the country, bordered on the north by São Paulo state, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Santa Catarina state and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul and the republic of Paraguay,...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and often known as Alex, is a Brazilian Japanese football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player who plays for Nagoya Grampus
Nagoya Grampus
are a Japanese association football club that play in the J. League. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and originally founded as the company team of the Toyota Motor Corp...
.
Career
He was born in MaringáMaringá
Maringá is a city in southern Brazil that was founded on May 10, 1947. Maringá is the third largest city in the state of Paraná. The city has a population of 357,117 , 612,617 in its metropolitan area...
in Paraná
Paraná (state)
Paraná is one of the states of Brazil, located in the South of the country, bordered on the north by São Paulo state, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Santa Catarina state and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul and the republic of Paraguay,...
and moved to Japan in 1994 at the age of sixteen. He enrolled in Meitoku Gijuku High School in Kōchi
Kochi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
and played football for the school club. After graduating from the school, he joined the J. League Division 1 team Shimizu S-Pulse
Shimizu S-Pulse
is a professional Japanese association football club. Located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, S-Pulse currently competes in the J. League Division 1 . Formed as recently as 1991, S-Pulse are one of the youngest professional teams in Japan, but are among only five to have competed in...
in 1997. In 1999 he received J. League Player of the Year.
In 2001 he obtained Japanese citizenship. He made his first appearance for Japan on March 21, 2002 against Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
, and he was part of Philippe Troussier
Philippe Troussier
Philippe Troussier is a former French football player and now a manager.-Coaching career:Troussier is known as the "White Witch Doctor" for his success with African club teams such as Asec Abidjan of the Côte d'Ivoire and the national teams of Nigeria, South Africa and Burkina Faso...
's selection for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
. He was the second foreign-born person to play for Japan in the World Cup finals after Wagner Lopes
Wagner Lopes
Wagner Lopes is a former Japanese footballer. The striker was born in Brazil, and is a naturalised Japanese citizen....
, who played in the 1998 World Cup and also the third naturalized citizen to play for Japan after Lopes and another Brazilian-born Japanese citizen, Ruy Ramos
Ruy Ramos
, formerly Ruy Gonçalves Ramos Sobrinho , is a Brazilian-born football player, who became a naturalized Japanese citizen in 1989. He was one of the first foreign players in Japanese professional soccer, joining Yomiuri in 1977 at the age of 20...
.
In August 2002, Alex agreed to join English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
club Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
. But he was denied a work permit by the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
because he had not made the minimum number of national team appearances required for players from outside the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and returned to Shimizu for the remainder of the season. In January 2004, he left Shimizu to join the Urawa Red Diamonds
Urawa Red Diamonds
are a professional association football club playing in Japan's football league, J. League Division 1. One of Japan and Asia's best supported teams, the club has been able to boast the highest average crowds for thirteen of the J-League's twenty season history...
.
Since Zico
Zico
Arthur Antunes Coimbra , better known as Zico , is a Brazilian coach and former footballer. He is the current head coach of the Iraq national football team. Often called the "White Pelé", he is commonly considered one of the most skilled finishers and one of the best passers ever and possibly the...
took over as the national team manager, Alex was a constant on the left side of the Japanese lineup, as a fullback in 4-4-2 formation or midfielder in 3-5-2 formation, and was selected to Japan's 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
squad in May 2006, providing an assistance for Keiji Tamada
Keiji Tamada
is a Japanese football player, who currently plays for the J. League team Nagoya Grampus.-Club career:Tamada entered Kashiwa Reysol from the Narashino High School in 1999. He accomplished the debut by the game against Avispa Fukuoka on March 13, 1999. He experiences the acquisition of the title of...
in a group stage match against his former country Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
.
In January 2007 Alex was loaned out to Red Bull Salzburg. He went back to Urawa in January 2008. He received a serious injury in a test match and had only one appearance in this season. In July 2009 he agreed to move to Nagoya Grampus
Nagoya Grampus
are a Japanese association football club that play in the J. League. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and originally founded as the company team of the Toyota Motor Corp...
.
Career statistics
|-|1997
J. League 1997
-First stage:-Second stage:- Suntory Championship :----- Golden Boots Ranking :-Individual Awards:-Best Eleven:...
||rowspan="7"|Shimizu S-Pulse
Shimizu S-Pulse
is a professional Japanese association football club. Located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, S-Pulse currently competes in the J. League Division 1 . Formed as recently as 1991, S-Pulse are one of the youngest professional teams in Japan, but are among only five to have competed in...
||rowspan="7"|J. League 1||27||3||3||0||2||1||colspan="2"|-||32||4
|-
|1998
J. League 1998
Statistics of J. League in the 1998 season.-First stage:-Second stage:- Suntory Championship :-----Relegation playoffs:On the aggregate table, JEF United Ichihara, Avispa Fukuoka, and Vissel Kobe had earned within the 15th-18th places in the tables for both 1997 and 1998, while Consadole Sapporo...
||26||10||5||2||5||0||colspan="2"|-||36||12
|-
|1999
J. League 1999
The 1999 season was the 7th season of the J-League Division 1. The league began in March and ended in November.For this year, the division was contested by 16 teams following the folding of Yokohama Flügels and the relegation of Consadole Sapporo to the newly formed Division 2...
||30||11||1||0||4||0||colspan="2"|-||35||11
|-
|2000
J. League 2000
The 2000 season was the 8th season of the J-League Division 1. The league began on March 11 and ended on November 26.At the end of the season the second stage winner Kashima Antlers won the Suntory Championship against Yokohama F-Marinos who won the first stage....
||30||4||5||4||5||0||colspan="2"|-||40||8
|-
|2001
J. League 2001
The 2001 season was the 9th season since the establishment of the J-League. The league began on March 10 and ended on November 24.At the end of the season the second stage winner Kashima Antlers won the Suntory Championship against Jubilo Iwata who won the first stage.-Clubs:Following sixteen clubs...
||30||12||5||1||2||1||colspan="2"|-||37||14
|-
|2002
J. League 2002
The 2002 season was the 10th season since the establishment of the J. League. The league began on March 2, 2002 and ended on November 30, 2002. The Suntory Championship was not held, because Jubilo Iwata was winner of both stages...
||29||9||3||0||2||2||2||2||36||13
|-
|2003
J. League 2003
The 2003 season was the 11th season since the establishment of the J. League. The league began on March 15 and ended on November 29.-Promotion and relegation:* At the end of the 2002 Season, Oita Trinita and Cerezo Osaka were promoted to division 1....
||26||7||4||0||4||0||3||1||37||8
|-
|2004
J. League 2004
The 2004 J. League Division 1 season was the 12th season of the J1 League. The league fixture began on March 13, 2004 and ended on December 11, 2004. The Suntory Championship 2004 took place on December 5 and December 11, 2004. The first ever J...
||rowspan="3"|Urawa Red Diamonds
Urawa Red Diamonds
are a professional association football club playing in Japan's football league, J. League Division 1. One of Japan and Asia's best supported teams, the club has been able to boast the highest average crowds for thirteen of the J-League's twenty season history...
||rowspan="3"|J. League 1||27||2||2||1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||30||3
|-
|2005
J. League 2005
The 2005 season was the 13th season since the establishment of J. League. It began on March 5 and ended on December 3, followed by promotion/relegation series matches on December 7 and 10.-Promotion and relegation:...
||32||4||5||0||5||0||colspan="2"|-||42||4
|-
|2006
J. League 2006
The 2006 J. League Division 1 season was the 14th season since the establishment of the J. League. It began on March 4 and ended on December 2.-Promotion/relegation:* At the end of the 2005 season, , ,and were promoted to J1....
||34||5||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||35||5
|-
|2006-07||rowspan="2"|Red Bull Salzburg||rowspan="2"|Bundesliga||9||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||9||0
|-
|2007-08
Austrian Football Bundesliga 2007-08
-Final standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Results:Last updated 24 March 2008...
||11||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||1||0||12||1
|-
|2008
J. League 2008
The 2008 J. League Division 1 season is the 44th season of the top-flight club football in Japan and the 16th season since the establishment of J1 League. The season began on March 8 and ended on December 6....
||rowspan="2"|Urawa Red Diamonds
Urawa Red Diamonds
are a professional association football club playing in Japan's football league, J. League Division 1. One of Japan and Asia's best supported teams, the club has been able to boast the highest average crowds for thirteen of the J-League's twenty season history...
||rowspan="4"|J. League 1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||1||0
|-
|rowspan="2"|2009
J. League 2009
The 2009 J. League Division 1 season is the 45th season of the top-flight club football in Japan and the 17th season since the establishment of J1 League. The season started on March 7, 2009 and ended on December 5, 2009....
||6||0||colspan="2"|-||4||0||colspan="2"|-||10||0
|-
|rowspan="2"|Nagoya Grampus
Nagoya Grampus
are a Japanese association football club that play in the J. League. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and originally founded as the company team of the Toyota Motor Corp...
||14||0||6||1||colspan="2"|-||4||0||24||1
|-
|2010||25||0||3||1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||29||1
337||67||43||10||35||4||9||3||424||84
20||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||1||0||21||1
357||68||43||10||35||4||10||3||445||85
Individual Honors
- J. League MVP: 1999
- J. LeagueJ. LeagueThe or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...
Best Eleven: 1999
Team Honors
- AFC Asian CupAFC Asian CupThe AFC Asian Cup is an international association football tournament run by the Asian Football Confederation . It is the second oldest continental football championship in the world after Copa América. The winning team becomes the champion of Asia and automatically qualifies for the FIFA...
: 2004 - J. League Division 1: 2006, 2010
- Asian Cup Winners CupAsian Cup Winners CupThe Asian Cup Winners' Cup was an association football competition run by the Asian Football Confederation . The competition was started in 1991 as a tournament for all the domestic cup winners from countries affiliated to the AFC...
: 1999 - Emperor's CupEmperor's Cup, commonly known as or , is a Japanese association football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football tournament in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J. League, Japan Football League and their predecessor, Japan Soccer League...
: 2001, 2005, 2006 - Japanese Super CupJapanese Super CupThe Japanese Super Cup or is an annual one-match football competition in Japan organised by J. League and the Japan Football Association . This competition serves as the season opener and is played between the J. League Champions and the Emperor's Cup Winners of the previous season...
: 2002, 2006 - Austrian Bundesliga: 2007
- Austrian BundesligaAustrian BundesligaThe Austrian Football Bundesliga is the highest-ranking national league club competition in Austrian football. It is the competition which decides the Austrian national football champions, as well the country's entrants for the various European cups run by UEFA.The Austrian Bundesliga, which began...
Runner-up: 2008Austrian Football Bundesliga 2007-08-Final standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Results:Last updated 24 March 2008...
National Career Stats
|-|2002||9||1
|-
|2003||15||1
|-
|2004||22||2
|-
|2005||17||1
|-
|2006||19||2
|-
!Total||82||7
|}
Appearances in Major Competitions
| Year | Competition | Category | Appearances | Goals | Team Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Sub | |||||
| 2002 | 2002 FIFA World Cup | Senior | 1 | 1 | 0 | Round of 16 |
| 2003 | 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup | Senior | 3 | 0 | 0 | Round 1 |
| 2004 | 2004 AFC Asian Cup | Senior | 6 | 0 | 0 | Champion |
| 2005 | 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup | Senior | 3 | 0 | 0 | Round 1 |
| 2004–2005 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Asia.44 Asian teams are affiliated with FIFA, but Cambodia, Philippines, Bhutan and Brunei decided not to take part, and Myanmar was banned from the competition, so a total of 39 teams took part, competing... |
Senior | 9 | 1 | 0 | Qualified |
| 2006 | 2006 FIFA World Cup | Senior | 3 | 0 | 0 | Round 1 |
| 2006 | 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification The 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification was held in late 2005 and the final qualification round was held from February to November 2006 with 25 nations participating.... |
Senior | 6 | 0 | 0 | Qualified |
Goals for national team
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | May 2, 2002 | Kobe Kobe , pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
3-3 | Drew | Friendly | |
| 2. | December 7, 2003 | Saitama Saitama, Saitama ' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
1-0 | Won | East Asian Football Championship 2003 | |
| 3. | February 12, 2004 | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
2-0 | Won | Friendly | |
| 4. | May 30, 2004 | Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
3-2 | Won | Friendly | |
| 5. | January 29, 2005 | Yokohama Yokohama is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
4-0 | Won | Friendly | |
| 6. | August 9, 2006 | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
2-0 | Won | Friendly | |
| 7. | August 9, 2006 | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
2-0 | Won | Friendly |
Personal life
He is married to a Japanese woman from ShizuokaShizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
and has a son.
External links
- National Football Teams
- No divided loyalties for Alex, FIFAworldcup.com, June 22, 2005