In the court of King James: abandoned by his dad, spotted by a villain… and a hero to all in Colombia

Now we've heard of him: James Rodriguez

BARELY halfway through the World Cup and a star has been born. Forget Neymar, Messi and Muller, it’s James they’re all talking about. On Friday night in the quarter-final showdown between Colombia and Brazil he might be the only name in town.

The first man to five goals in the chase for the Golden Boot, James David Rodríguez Rubio is far too complicated a name for modern football fans. They call him James. Actually, it’s Hamez for Spanish-speaking Colombia fans.

And emerging from the shadow of their better-known striker Radamel Falcao, the Americans are now dubbing him J-Rod after their famous baseballer.

When injury forced Falcao out of the 2014 World Cup, most expected the Colombians, feisty Latin American outsiders, to struggle on the goal front. But from BEFORE the tournament even started, Rodriguez stepped up and started banging them in on behalf of his crocked Monaco team-mate.

In pre-tournament friendlies against Senegal and Jordan, the 22-year-old started his incredible streak. Then, as Group C burst upon us, Rodriguez produced goal after goal, scoring in his first four World Cup games to equal the record held by Brazilian greats Ronaldo and Rivaldo.

Goal of the tournament? James' first against Uruguay

One in the 3-0 win over Greece, one to break Ivorian hearts, a cracker against Japan and then TWO in the last 16 clash against Uruguay on Saturday night. SEVEN goals in SIX games. Incredible in the world of modern international football. And the first against Uruguay was an absolute classic, possibly the best of an incredible World Cup so far. Brought it down with a superb first touch, half-volleyed the ball home from outside the box.

Breath-taking stuff. So good, in fact, it prompted Colombia’s greatest footballing hero (he of the massive hair) Carlos Valderrama to ooze modestly: ''For a long time in Colombia they have been looking for the next Carlos Valderrama and they've now finally found who that player is. And he will be a hero not just now but for the next 10 years.''

But some have known about this baby-faced assassin for years. At the tender age of 15, he banged in nine goals for local Colombian outfit Envigado. He was shifted quickly to Argentine side Banfield, where he earned the nickname “James Bond” and then he was swept off to Europe, where he scored 25 goals in 63 games for Porto.

Though part-owned (like Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano from Argentina) by a third-party, Rodriguez finally gained freedom with a high profile move to moneybags principality Monte Carlo and AC Monaco.

Nine goals in 34 games hardly justify the ludicrous £38.5m (R750m) price Monaco paid for him but with Falcao linked with a return to Madrid – he left Atletico but may return to Real – Rodriguez clearly thrives in the absence of his countryman.

It’s not always been an easy ride for “Hamez”. He was abandoned by his father – a former professional footballer - at the age of three and raised by his mum, Pilar.

And it was the late Gustavo Upegui Lopez, a businessman with suspected ties to Medellín’s drug cartels and vigilante death squads, who engineered his first professional move to Envigado rather than to Tolima, where his father played.

He was married at 19 – to Daniela, sister of Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina – and has a daughter, Salome. From 12, when he scored a goal direct from a corner on national television, he dreamed of being “the new El Pibe (Valderrama) and winner of the Ballon d’Or.

There were times, those early years in Porto and the opening weeks in Monte Carlo, when the dream seemed distant and improbable. He was seen as too slight, not physical enough. Two weeks in Brazil have changed that. Forever.

SOCCERBALLZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za with Mark Fish airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' channel for our growing library of fascinating football interviews with the big names. Ballz will also provide daily World Cup updates from next week.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za.

South Africa's greatest footballer Benni McCarthy retires at 35: the full statement here, updating as we go

Winner: Benni McCarthy won the Champions League with Porto

BENNI McCARTHY, South Africa’s greatest modern footballer, has retired. The 35-year-old released this statement through his agency last night. Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza says he knows nothing about the news so this story may yet have some legs.

We can debate the controversies and the torrid final season all we want, but the fact is, the man from humble roots in Hanover Park, Cape Town, went on to play in Holland, Portugal (where he won the Champions League with Jose Mourinho), Spain and England (where he was Blackburn Rovers' top scorer, second only to Chelsea's Didier Drogba). He won the League Championships with Ajax, Porto and Pirates, the only South African to win titles in three countries. His $8m move to Spain's Celta Vigo in 1999 remains the nation's highest fee.

Final fling: Benni at Pirates

His return to South Africa late in his career was widely lampooned after he was fined for weight gain during a disastrous spell at West Ham, but his goals propelled the Buccaneers to a second-successive treble.

He was there when it mattered, using those years of experience to pop home the vital goals and he took the Soweto derby by storm with a brace. On the last day of the 2011-2012 season, it was Benni who scored the two goals which put paid to Golden Arrows and clinched the title for caretaker coach Augusto Palacios.

I wrote this after the derby for The New Age, accepting McCarthy still offered great value for a reputed R6m annual wage which made him the highest-paid player in the country: http://www.thenewage.co.za/mobi/Detail.aspx?NewsID=2142&Mid=186&CatID=. Benni's absence this season - due to injury and age - was the principle reason behind the double-winning success of arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs. A couple of incidents of goal-poaching from Big Benni might well have made 2012-2013 a very different story.

And now he's gone. There is disbelief from Pirates fans today, and Dr Khoza himself seems mystified amid reports of McCarthy being prepared to play for another season following a tweet from his agent Rob Moore saying just that on May 28.

On the http://www.carlingblacklabel.co.za/bethecoach/players/2 website, where fans vote to decide which player should represent their team in the pre-season friendly between Orlando Pirates and Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs, Benni has a team leading 224,999 votes from a hopeful Ghost. But popular demand will count for nothing if King Benni has abdicated.

Here are the words from McCarthy himself at the end of a career which sees him hang up his boots as South Africa’s only Champions League winner and Bafana’s top goal scorer:

“I have been so blessed to have enjoyed a remarkable career that took me from the township fields of Nyanga Stadium, to winner’s medals in the Uefa Champions League and World Club Cup - the highest levels that a player can achieve in club football.

“I retire having represented my country at senior level 80 times and scored a record 31 goals. Two Soccer World Cup finals, in France and Korea/Japan, an Olympic Games and a u-20 World Cup Finals will be memories that live in my heart forever.

“And to have come home to South Africa for a final chapter, and to have won the treble with Orlando Pirates, was the type of finale that only dreams are made of.

“It has been a 17-year professional career that surpassed even my own expectations and I’ve been privileged to have played under many great Coaches, including the very best, Jose Mourinho.

“Football has been good to me – it has provided special moments and in the process, has enabled me to have been in a position to have improved the lives of my family members. For that, I am most grateful.

“I’d like to thank so many people for making so many aspects of this journey possible. My family has always been a tremendous support, especially my mom, Dora, and my late father, Dudley. I trust that I have made them proud in some small way.

“Sponsors, like Nike, who have been there for me for the past 15 years and I appreciate that. And finally, my mentor and business manager, Rob Moore, who has walked along this road with me since I joined him in 1995 as a 17-year-old.

“Football is my life. I have played the game and I love the game…….it’s in my blood. For the next chapter, I’d like to concentrate on getting my Coaching Badges and at the same time, be part of a club where I can get practical experience. I’d also like to do some television work because I enjoy that aspect of the game as well.”

I'll be updating this story through the day - and you can follow the live situation on my twitter timeline at www.twitter.com/nealcol.

Bird-watching: A morning with Zeca Marques, MTN8 winner and all-round good guy

Trophy hunters: Chase Carneson, Zeca Marques and I at eTV Sunrise on Monday

WHEN Moroka Swallows boss Zeca Marques celebrated the Dube Birds’ flyaway 2-1 success in the MTN8 final on Saturday night, the sharp-eyed may have noticed a smiling Gordon Igesund in the background, gently clapping his hands in appreciation of a job well done.

While the busy little figure of Gavin Hunt was putting on a brave face after seeing his SuperSport United throw away a 1-0 lead, the stage belonged to Marques, who has now - officially - earned the nick-name Majazana for throwing his much-dry-cleaned jacket about in celebration.

I had the privilege of appearing with Marques, 51, on the eTV Sunrise couch yesterday morning; we discovered we’d played against each other in the 1980s, he for Troyeville, me for Berea Park. And we dug deep in to his footballing philosophy in the guest room while we waited to appear with the glittering MTN8 trophy.

Marques, born in Portugal but raised in Johannesburg, is keen on forging links with Porto, his hometown club, and he’s eager to send top young Swallows to Europe, while bringing useful young professionals to Dobsonville from abroad.

He wants to see a return to the days of local clubs drawing local crowds in local leagues. He wants to find centre-backs who know how to clear the ball, not get caught in possession. He is full of fresh ideas and positive energy.

But it’s when he talks about his team, his job, his new life, you start to realise what a special bloke Marques is: “I live by the three Fs,” he explains, “Firm, Fair, Friendly. I want my lads to enjoy training. I want them to see me as a father figure, not just a disciplinarian. The days of treating the players like robots is over.

“I sent them all a text yesterday and you should have seen their replies. What I realised, winning my first trophy after just two months in charge, is that we have a special family in the Bird’s nest. A spirit, a togetherness.” 

But Bafana Bafana boss Igesund, the man who took the Birds from fast-failing fledglings to title-tilting titans in less than a season, deserves a share of Saturday night’s success, the first since Swallows lifted the Nedbank Cup three years ago.

Though he was lured away to coach the national team during the off-season, Igesund can look proudly on a squad which includes so many of the rejects, veterans and cast-offs he forged in to a teak-tough team last season.

Marques, Igesund’s former No 2, said: “Gordon and I are friends. We talk all the time. Even though he is the international manager, we exchange advice both ways. Working under him was a vital step in my career.

“You can't change a winning formula. Youth is great, but you have to have balance. There's a vision with the club, and we know the older players won't last forever, so we're building the youngsters up slowly.”

And of course, Swallows are fashionable again. After years of flapping about in the footballing wilderness, Igesund and Marques have the Birds soaring again. Marques grinned: “People tended to forget about Swallows. “The Birds” has a lot of history but it’s been a while. 

“I think with this MTN8 win, the players can start believing. We can compete with ,  the best teams in the league, and we've got to believe that. 

“I have a technical team and they make my life easy. There's a game-plan for all of us. It's a new lease of life for the Swallows. This is not the last trophy we’ll bring to Dobsonville. It's just the first.”

A shorter version of this story appeared as my Neal and Pray column in The New Age newspaper today. Read The New Age every Tuesday, watch eTV Sunrise and eNCAnews every Monday - and in my new role as a radio producer, tune in to Early Breakfast on 702 and CapeTalk every day.

Minister of Tourism McCarthy: Now Maniche wants to come to South Africa

BENNI McCARTHY'S future seems assured. The Tourism Department will snap him up if Orlando Pirates ignore my pleas to forge him in to a future coach.
With former West Ham team-mate Luiz Boa Morte already signed up as an honorary South African after an encouraging chat with Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza, another Portugal international could soon be on his way.
Nuno Ricardo de Oliveira Ribeiro is better known as Maniche. He played with Benni in 2004 when Porto won the Champions League. And acording to The Sowetan today, Benni's had a word.
Though he didn't enjoy the Nedbank Cup defeat against the excellent Steve Komphela's Free State Stars at Orlando on Saturday, the magic McCarthy smile recovered when he revealed: "Maniche is not the only one. There are loads of professionals interested in coming to South Africa next season.
"In the past, the big stars like David Beckham and Thierry Henry have gone to finish their careers in the American MLS or the Middle East after quitting the big European Leagues.
"I can only advise, but I'm proud to hear household names want to play in our Premier League.
"The youngsters here will learn from them. Their presence in South Africa ill help improve our game and the profile of the PSL."
After a week which saw a 90,000 crowd for the Soweto derby - where McCarthy scored twice in a 3-2 win for the Pirates - plus huge crowds for their goalless draw against Sundowns at Loftus and Chiefs 2-0 Bloemfontein Celtic - Benni insists: "The PSL has a great future."
McCarthy couldn't confirm whether Maniche, who won 50 caps for Portugal and eight trophies with Porto, will join the old guard at the Buccaneers. But the former Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Dinamo Moscow, Porto and Benfica central midfielder is definitely keen to come to the tip of Africa.
McCarthy confirmed: "We had a chat with Nuno, I played with him at Porto and he is a wonderful talent. He is very keen to come and further his football career in South Africa.
"He wanted to know what it is like to play in South Africa and I just told him: It's incredible."

January Transfer Window Special: West Ham reject Benni McCarthy Set For Celtic Escape

South Africa’s top scorer Benni McCarthy has been offered a way out of his West Ham nightmare – by Celtic boss Neil Lennon.

Yesterday’s Glasgow Evening Times splashed with the story that McCarthy, 33, is being targeted for a move in the January transfer window by the legendary Bhoys, not to be confused with South Africa’s Bloemfontein Celtic, though both sides wear the traditional green-and-white hoops.

Celtic boss Lennon is “well aware of McCarthy’s availability” after his efforts to sign Spurs midfielder Niko Kranjcar broke down.

McCarthy would jump at the chance of playing at a packed Parkhead after a season of misery, diets and cushions with the rock-bottom Hammers in the Premier League.

McCarthy, signed from Blackburn for £2.5m by Gianfranco Zola in the last January transfer window, suffered a knee injury in his opening game for West Ham in February. Then his weight ballooned and the Cape Town-born striker missed out on selection for Bafana Bafana’s World Cup squad on home soil.

He returned to a series of lurid stories about his weight in the British press and was fined two weeks' wages by new club owner David Sullivan, who said: “I have a better Body Mass Index. And I’m 60.”

McCarthy worked hard to reduce his weight and has returned to the squad under new boss Avram Grant, but rarely makes an appearance ahead of Carlton Cole and a host of under-performing strikers. When he did turn out for West Ham last month, one British journalist described him as being “rusty” and looking like “something out of Acorn Antiques”.

Lennon is weighing up whether to take McCarthy on a loan deal until the end of the season or sign him permanently.

With Gary Hooper still missing for at least another month through injury, Lennon desperately needs a proven goalscorer - and McCarthy’s goals-per-game record would suggest he would thrive in the SPL, which is traditionally dominated by Celtic and arch-rivals Rangers. He has scored a record 31 goals in 79 games for Bafana Bafana and hit 37 in 109 at Blackburn. But his 34 in 74 games for Jose Mourinho's European Champions Porto really put him on the map. Mind you, that was back in 2003-2006.

Given the club’s Roman Catholic roots, even McCarthy’s surname fits the bill! His deal at West Ham runs until 2012 but with just six substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, his departure will not be a surprise.

Lennon is losing interest in 26-year-old Croatian Kranjcar, who is out of favour at Spurs over the £6m price tag. McCarthy would be available for about a third of that.

McCarthy’s age will not be a problem. Canadian Dwayne De Rosario, 32, and former Arsenal star Freddie Ljungberg, 33, are both training with the squad pending deals.

Lennon, who himself signed a 12-month contract in the summer, said: "I think it's fair to say we are dealing in the short term but that's not to protect me.

"I'm doing what I can to get players who can win the championship for the club. It's a big year for us.

"I've brought in the likes of Beram Kayal, Joe Ledley and Efrain Juarez to look after the club's development in the next few years.

"But I also want a couple of kings in the team who can talk others through the games at times."

Celtic are currently top of the Scottish Premier, a point clear of Rangers – but their Protestant arch-rivals have two games in hand before the traditional Old Firm derby between the two sides at Ibrox on Sunday. Third placed side Hearts are five points adrift of the Glaswegian duo.

Who the hell is Neal Collins (nealcol on Twitter)? See www.nealcollins.co.uk.

Arsenal must rewrite 31 years of history - time for a Theology lesson for Chris Twaddle

FRANK STAPLETON is 53. He hasn't played football professionally for 15 years. So he must have choked over his cornflakes when he saw a picture of himself in today's papers, in action for Arsenal against Hajduk Split in 1978, 11 years before Theo Walcott (above) was born.
But of course there's a good reason for that Frank. It illustrates the last time Arsenal survived a European tie after losing a first leg away from home.
And tonight, as they try to repair a mostly self-inflicted 2-1 defeat at Porto two weeks ago, they have to manage it having accepted Cesc Fabregas's hamstring has forced him out for the second time this season.
Oh, and there's no William Gallas (Arsene Wenger accepts responsibility for that, saying he made the Frenchman train too hard), Robin van Persie, Aaron Ramsey... need I go on?
Wenger today gave a smiley press conference, saying: "We have good confidence. We are in a good position. Let's just go for it. There's always something new in our game and er... that's why we can change history. We have a good opportunity. This side has a good chance to make history."
Let's hope so - in all they've won just 3 out of 12 after losing the first leg in Europe. And perhaps more worrying than all those injuries is the fact that Nicklas Bendtner looks like he'll be playing up front again tonight. I counted five misses against Burnley on Saturday. The Sun does a lovely photo strip of Wenger choosing a wall dummy instead of the Great Dane on page 54 today. Harsh but fair.
Wenger accepts: "It is true at the start of the season you would want Gallas, Fabregas and Van Persie to be the spine of the team. Without them we can show we are still strong enough."
If he does it, Wenger will have restored his reputation quite thoroughly after the disastrous defeats against Manchester United and Chelsea barely a month ago.
In that short time, he has put Arsenal back in contention in the Premier League and, hopefully, the last eight in Europe once more.
Porto have lost their last six games in London and Arsenal beat them 4-0 at the Emirates last season, so victory is not out of the question. But on the 24 occasions Porto have led after a home leg, they have always progressed.
Some point to Porto's recent form - a 3-0 defeat against Sporting Lisbon and a 2-2 draw at home to Olhanense, but they've apparently been resting players to prepare for tonight.
Key to Arsenal's progress will be Theo Walcott, lambasted for his "brainless" performance against Egypt for England last week but looking a lot more assured as he scored and made three for Bendtner (who failed to convert them) against Burnley over the weekend.
Walcott says today: "I remember losing in a youth cup final with Southampton, I've lost the Under 21 final, lost the Carling Cup.
"I've got plenty of experience of the pain of losing. It makes you stronger for next time. And it would be nice if that next time was this year."
Former England winger Chris Waddle, who claimed live on radio at Wembley that Walcott "hasn't got a football brain" continues his attack today. He tells us how hard he worked on his weaknesses as a player to win 62 caps and insists Theo shouldn't go to the World Cup.
But I'll tell you younger readers something. There were times when Waddle, a gifted player, looked like he had no brain at all. He was an infuriating winger, the Berbatov of his time. Lazy, shoulders rounded, incapable of raising his game when it matters. And we won't mentioned the missed penalty.
If ever there was a time for Walcott to prove the critics wrong - and secure his flight to South Africa - it's tonight. And remember Gooners, no matter how bad things get at the Emirates, it can't be as bad as Liverpool were in their 1-0 defeat against Wigan last night.
Tomorrow: Manchester United welcome back Milan and Sir Alex Ferguson says: "Please God, don't let them ask about Beckham again."

Any Porto in a storm for Arsenal as all eyes turn to David Beckham and Manchester United

ANDREI ARSHAVIN'S hamstring. Alex Song's knee. William Gallas's back. Thomas Vermaelen's leg. Manuel Almunia's hands. Cesc Fabregas's future. Porto are laughing before tomorrow's Champions League clash against once-mighty Arsenal at the Estadio do Dragao.

Guess who's gone on standby for the biggest match of the season in the one competition the Gunners could yet win to end their five-year silverware drought?

Yes, Sol Campbell. Picked up for free in the transfer window. Arsene Wenger's only signing last month. Aged just 35, walked away from Notts County, eager to extend his career, but probably not at the Emirates.

And while Wenger, ever the tightwad, was picking up one of his cheap rejects, he was allowing Luke Wilshere and Phillippe Senderos to spend the rest of the season with Bolton and Everton.

Luckily he kept the great Denilson, who will make his usual inadequate effort to help homesick Spaniard Fabregas in the midfield tomorrow night. Oh, and Nicklas Bendtner, kept while Emmanuel Adebayor was sold, may get a run too. Or perhaps the ever-improving Theo Walcott?

While all eyes will be on Old Trafford tonight and David Beckham's return to Manchester United with Milan, for belly laughs we will turn to North London before the week's European action begins.

If this were a footballing sitcom, it would be just about unbelievable. Belly laughs all round as Arsenal fly off to Portugal with a bunch of kids and the star man already planning his move home to Barcelona next season. The Carling Cup and FA Cup have already been thrown away and in the Premier League and in Europe, Wenger's comedy decisions on and off the field keep us constantly amused.

Inept in the 3-1 defeat against Manchester United, incapable of a meaningful shot on goal when they dominated possession in the 2-0 defeat against Chelsea, Wenger made a big deal of the 1-0 win which followed over Liverpool, pretending the previous fortnight hadn't happened.

But now, with the excellent Song unable to hold the midfield together, with Arshavin the pint-sized but talented striker out and problems for both Gallas and Vermaelen at the back, Arsenal are really up against it.

And so we turn to good old Sol. He last played in the Champions League in the 2006 final against Barcelona - and if my memory serves, he scored in Paris (he must have, look at the picture above).

But everything has changed since then. From that substantial, experienced squad Wenger has got rid of Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Gilberto Silva, Kolo Toure, Adebayor... and lost Mathieu Flamini, Freddie Ljungberg and Alex Hleb. The list of departures is so long, we don't have room.

Most worrying of all? Jens Lehmann has been replaced in goal by the even more unstable Manuel Almunia. Against Chelsea, when Drogba's free-kick hit the bar two feet from his head, the bemused Spaniard barely moved. Just watched it. He's still capable of great saves Almunia, but the consistency is gone. And in a goalkeeper, that's everything.

Still Almunia is another casualty tomorrow night, so you might hope to see a return for Vito Mannone, the Italian who had a good run in mid-season. But no, the Pole Lukasz Fabianski has been ear-marked for the No1 shirt.

Plenty of money has been made with all the famous "Invincible" departures of course. and Gooners must consider themselves fortunate that, despite the cost of the new stadium, Arsenal aren't among the Portsmouths and Cardiffs, struggling against foreclosure for overspending.

But somehow, Wenger, in his bid to prove the most profitable manager in the history of English football, has taken his eye off the ball. Anybody who has seen his side's last three attempts at winning will know that. Despite having Robin van Persie, Johan Djourou and Kieran Gibbs on the long-term injured list, he didn't dip into the alleged £40m Arsenal claimed he was allowed to spend in January.

Wenger seems to have forgotten what it's all about. He's forgotten about scoring goals. He's forgotten about finding young, English talent, He's forgotten about the fans, who pay over the odds without the prospect of silverware.This from Arshavin, who was exposed when he was played up front alone in the awful defeat against United: "If all goes well, I will get back on the pitch as early as the next league match against Sunderland. However, I will miss the game against Porto."

So no strikers at all then. Not really. No sign of Eduardo, who never really recovered from the ankle break. His hamstring injury, supposedly nearly better last week, remains a problem. Bendtner will lead the line we are told tonight. Mexican Carlos Vela? He's out too. But they're all lightweights. If ever a club needed a striker, it's Arsenal. But Wenger did nothing in January, other than chat about how all the goal-getters were pricing themselves too high.

And at the back, half a defence. Vermaelen, evidence of Wenger's ability to buy when he really wants to, says of his badly bruised leg, picked up against Aston Villa last month: 'It turned out that I could play against Manchester United, but after that game I had some more problems, so I went for another scan.

"We could see then that there was a big bruise on the bone, and that's all - so it is painful but that can be controlled with medicine and when it is not broken, you can't do too much wrong. It is not a big problem to play - yes it is still there and will take some time to go away, but it is not dangerous.'

Yup, just like his forward line. A big problem, but it's still there and it's certainly not dangerous.