The interface is a simple themed one, after signing up one can start creating lists right away. The background is set to show random images – the theme option is at the bottom left of the window – but can be changed to a solid colour or one of available images, there is no option to choose one’s own. The interface features folders or collections listed on the left hand side and shown and expanded on the right. One can create checklists, free form notes and outlines. It is of course primarily meant as a place to drop in to do lists and ideas.
Lists can be starred and adding the # sign in front of any text creates a hashtag, there doesn’t seem to be a search function and finding other notes or lists with the same hashtag requires clicking on one. The keyboard shortcuts illustrate some of the other features of Taskade such as indenting text, highlighting text and changing them to mark as complete (strikeout), bold, underline or italic. A to do list will show a progress bar tracking the completion of items in it. Selecting or clicking on any text brings up a formatting menu as well with options like changing the text to a heading type.
On sharing and collaboration, it is possible to send any list or note via email, embedding it on a page or sharing its link. It is also possible to invite others to view the note and work on it as a team.
Taskade can be downloaded for Windows and Mac computers or alternatively be used as a Chrome or Firefox extension or addon.
It is currently free with a premium version with support for file attachment and others features to come soon. There will be Taskade iOS and Android apps in the near future.
Tite and Brazil will seek some redemption in Russia
Overcoming the disappointment and humiliation of the semi final exit at home at World Cup 2014 will haunt Brazil forever. This, a country, which still lives with the 1950 final loss to Uruguay. The still unbelievable 7-1 loss to Germany four years ago is something few but locals understand and even after reading tales and books on it and on the 1950 World Cup and their aftermath one is told that it is impossible to feel how the people and country feel.
Fast forward to 2018 and a new much heralded coach is finally in charge. Tite, finally accepted and left his job at Corinthians to take charge of the Selecao in 2016. The team surged up the CONMEBOL (the South American Football Confederation) qualification group to reach Russia 2018 comfortably. He brought in players like Paulinho (now at Barcelona and playing in the Chinese league at that time) seen by most as a flop while at Tottenham in the English Premiership. He created a not so much new look team but one which played differently. His loyalty and personality that focuses on team moral seems to have played a major part in the change and probably just as much as any tactical changes (Brazil play a 4-1-4-1 or a 4-3-3).
One surprising aspect of that loyalty is that Tite has announced that he knows at least 15 of the 23 players going to Russia, some four months before the World Cup starts.
Alisson, Roma Goalkeeper
Dani Alves, PSG
Marquinhos, PSG
Thiago Silva, PSG
Miranda, Inter Milan
Marcelo, Real Madrid
Casemiro, Real Madrid
Fernandinho, Manchester City
Willian, Chelsea
Renato Augusto, Beijing Guoan
Paulinho, Barcelona
Coutinho, Barcelona
Neymar, PSG
Roberto Firmino, Liverpool
Gabriel Jesus, Manchester City
These 15 will be complemented by the likes of Ederson (Manchester City), Alex Sandro (Juventus), Jemerson (Monaco), Casemiro (Real Madrid) and Fred (Shakhtar Dontesk) to form a great team, on paper and on the pitch. A lot will still depend on the form and temperament of Neymar but Russia provides one early chance at overcoming the pains of 2014.
The need to “maximize the quality, quantity and frequency of competitive matches” has pushed the CONCACAF region to create an UEFA Nations League style regular match up tournament for the teams in the North American, Central American and Caribbean regions. The idea was proposed late last year.
As reported the match ups and precise format will be unveiled soon. The dates of the matches will have to be the official FIFA international dates therefore the different countries will meet in the inaugural version of the tournament in early September 2018. There are 41 member teams and they will be placed in three leagues which like the European version will features relegation and promotion. It will also feature a chance to qualify for the Gold Cup, the region’s national team competition.
In soccer or football European and South American teams are the strongest of course. At the World Cup all winners and teams that dominate have come, with few exceptions, from these two continents. But outside of these regions which team can be considered the best or strongest?
Historically the most consistent answer has been Mexico, currently ranked 17th in the FIFA rankings. Being the strongest in the CONCACAF Central/North American zone has allowed the team to qualify for the World Cup regularly but the team’s record at the World Cup has not been much to brag about. The furthest the Mexicans have advanced is the quarter finals in the two times they hosted the World Cup, 1970 and 1986. In the last six World Cups the Mexican team has fallen in the first knock out round after the group stage. World Cup 2018 might not be any different. The team didn’t have the easiest of qualifications and even though that often means little the team’s group will be a tough one. Mexico drawn in Group F with Germany, Sweden and South Korea will likely have to settle for second at best and that could mean a meeting with Brazil in the first knock out round (Group E features Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia)
What about the other teams? The latest January 2018 FIFA rankings, such as they are, rank the other qualified teams as follows:
It is hard to see any of these teams making it far in Russia. It is not impossible that only Mexico makes it out of the group stage. Senegal, in form, could create a minor shock and survive at the expense of one of Poland or Colombia in Group H. The other groups don’t leave much hope. Perhaps Egypt can create another shock and survive instead of the hosts or Uruguay in Group A? Not very likely.
World Cup 2018 might go according to conventional form and leave all non-European and South Americans behind.
After the Giampiero Ventura era which ended with the disaster of not qualifying for World Cup 2018 and the federation’s failure to elect a new president the transitional phase for Italian football and the national team remains deep in uncertainty. For the time being Luigi Di Biagio, the former and current U21 coach, has been put in caretaker charge of the Azzurri for the up coming friendlies (against Argentina on March 23, England on March 27 and France on June 1) in the spring.
Di Biagio, the former Roma and Inter Milan midfielder, has had a relative poor record as U21 and U20 coach. Such as it is Di Biagio will is a candidate to get the job full time, his case will be helped by good friendly results but even without that the choices are not all that plentiful. Several players retired after the qualifying failure and there is room for new blood. The conditions have changed but it is debatable if the attitude has.
Antonio Conte, Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Mancini and Claudio Ranieri are the big known names that come to most minds automatically.
Conte is unlikely to accept a return to a national team job. Chelsea are not at their best as of right now but even if he does quit the London team he has options such as a rumoured PSG link.
Ancelotti might seem a natural choice as he is out of a job since being sacked by Bayern Munich. He has a long club coaching career behind him but it is somewhat doubtful that a return to club football is not in the cards.
Roberto Mancini is doing well at Zenit and may be unwilling to leave a lucrative job in Russia for a rebuilding team.
Ranieri rebuilt his reputation at Leicester in England but had been a failure at national team level with Greece just before achieving that miracle in England.
The other names that are obvious in name and reputation are Juventus’ Massimiliano Allegri and Napoli’s Maurizio Sarri. It is also doubtful they could be convinced to let go of a club coaching job. Sampdoria’s Marco Giampaolo is an upcoming coach who has done well with his team, currently sixth in the Serie A. Could he be one option? A surprise name perhaps but who? The answer will probably only arrive in the summer.
After 20 years working at club level (except an early time as the Holland national team’s assistant coach) Ronald Koeman has become Holland National team’s coach.
The Dutch’s fortunes have faded in recent years. The team did reach the final of World Cup 2010 in South Africa – losing to Spain – and was a semi finalist four years later in Brazil. Holland, however, didn’t qualify for Euro 2016 and suffered three losses out of three at Euro 2012 and didn’t survive the group stage. The team has had previous highs in the 1970s with Cruyff and co reaching successive World Cup finals and in the late 1980s and 1990s with Milan’s Dutch trio and Koeman himself helping the team win Euro 1988.
Ronald Koeman has won many club trophies as player and manager. With both Ajax and PSV in his homeland and four La Liga titles with the great Barcelona teams of the early 1990s, among others. As manager he led PSV to one title and Ajax to two. His last coaching job was at Everton where the team disappointed after spending big, he was fired after lasting just over one year.
Now he ventures into his first head coaching role at national team level. He replaces Dick Advocaat who was briefly in charge in 2017 having replaced Danny Blind. Both failed to help the team qualify for World Cup 2018.
The national team’s biggest goalscorers and best players are in their 30s now with Arjen Robben, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder very much of the past. Younger players are either not as good or haven’t convinced or been consistent. The likes of Memphis Depay (Lyon), Vincent Janssen (Fenerbahce on loan from Tottenham), Bruno Martins Indi (Stoke City) were expected to be well above their current value. It remains to be seen if others like Rick Karsdorp (Roma), Marco van Ginkel (PSV on loan from Chelsea) and Quincy Promes (Spartak Moscow) can add more to the team going forward. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), currently the most expensive defender ever, has to as well.
UEFA Nations League starts in September. Koeman and Holland’s first game is on September 9 in France (Germany being the other team in the three team group). Before that there are also friendlies to play. Two are currently scheduled, versus England on March 23 and Portugal on March 26.
Alexis Sanchez and Chile missing from World Cup 2018
A number of high profile teams or those with history at the World Cup failed to qualify for World Cup 2018. Any World Cup includes a few such teams and this time is no different. Of course Italy is number one in this edition’s list but others like the USA, Holland, Chile, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Ghana are surprising missing teams too.
Italy fell to Sweden in the UEFA playoffs. Holland finished only third in the qualifying group that included Sweden and France. USA missed out by finishing a shocking fifth, behind Honduras, in the CONCAFAF hexagonal. Chile finished 6th in CONMEBOL qualifying. Cameroon finished third in the CAF final stage behind Nigeria and Zambia, Ivory Coast fell at the same stage to Morocco and Ghana was third behind Egypt and Ghana.
The following are some of the best players that are missing out on possible glory in Russia.
Italy
Lorenzo Insigne. Not often used by various coaches but a creative force for the Azzurri nevertheless.
Ginaluigi Buffon. Missed out on a chance to leave the pitch at the highest level.
USA
Christian Pulisic. One of the young stars of world football, the now 19 year old could have made a bigger name for himself.
Holland
Virgil van Dijk. Lost the chance to showcase why he is the world’s most expensive defender, having just joined Liverpool (from Celtic) for €85 million.
Chile
Alexis Sanchez. Only just joined Manchester United (from Arsenal). One of the best creative and goalscorers in his country’s history.
Cameroon
Clinton N’Jie. Marseille striker could be a bigger star.
Ivory Coast
Eric Bailly. Not always a starter at Manchester United but a solid defender with youth on his side.
Ghana
Thomas Partey. A solid defensive midfielder at Atletico Madrid who can help any team defensively.
Longest serving coaches: Oscar Tabarez and Joachim Low
Here is a list of the coaches that will guide the 32 teams at World Cup 2018 in Russia. A number of nations are notorious for changing coaches even within months of major competitions. For example Saudi Arabia are on their third national team coach since September 2017. The current coach Juan Antonio Pizzi succeeded Edgardo Bauza who lasted only weeks and was preceded by Bert van Marwijk.
The competition begins on June 14, 2018 and further changes are unlikely but not impossible.
Russia: Stanislav Cherchesov, coach since August 2016, 54 years old. Previously at Legia Warsaw, Dynamo Moscow and others. Saudia Arabia: Juan Antonio Pizzi, 49. Previously coach of Chile’s national team and several clubs in Mexico, Chile, his native Argentina and a season at Valencia in Spain. Egypt: Hector Cuper, since March 2015, 62. Previously a successful coach in Europe with Inter Milan, Mallorca, Valencia and others, also briefly coached the Georgia national team. Uruguay: Oscar Tabarez, since 2006, 70. One of the longest serving coaches at any level. Brief Uruguayan and European club stints in the years prior to 2006. Portugal: Fernando Santos, since 2014, 63. Many years in the Portuguese and Greek leagues. Has been at all three big Portuguese teams (Benfica, Porto, and Sporting Lisbon) and the Greece national team as coach. Spain: Julen Lopetegui, since July 2016, 51. Formerly coach of Spain’s U21, U20 and U19 teams. Morocco: Herve Renard, since February 2016, 49. Coach of two Africa Cup of Nations winners (Zambia and Ivory Coast) Iran: Carlos Queiroz, since April 2011, 64. Coached Real Mardrid for a season and was assistant at Manchester United under Alex Ferguson. Also coached Portugal and South Africa’s national teams. France: Didier Deschamps, since July 2012, 49. World Cup winner as player. Coached Monaco, Juventus and Marseille. Australia: Bert van Marwijk, since this month. Coached his native Holland to the final of World Cup 2010. Replaced the departing Ange Postecoglou. Peru: Ricardo Gareca, since 2015, 59. Numerous coaching stints around his native Argentina and elsewhere in South America. Denmark: Age Hareide, since December 2015, 64. A Norwegian who has had success at club level with Rosenberg. Coached his native country in the 2000s. Argentina: Jorge Sampaoli, since summer 2017, 57. Left the high profile job of coaching Sevilla in Spain to rescue his native country’s faltering qualification for World Cup 2018. Succeeded Edgardo Bauza and Gerardo Martino. Previously coached Chile’s national team. Iceland: Heimir Hallgrimsson, in sole charge since summer 2016, 50. Previously co-coach with Lars Lagerback. Croatia: Zlatko Dalic, since October 2017, 51. Controversially replaced Ante Cacic. Nigeria: Gernot Rohr, since August 2016, 64. Relative unknown who nevertheless has plenty of experience around the African continent. Brazil: Tite, since June 2016, 56. Wanted as the coach long before he finally accepted following disasters of previous coach, Dunga. Switzerland: Vladimir Petkovic, since 2014, 54. Previously coached Lazio and clubs in Switzerland and Turkey. Costa Rica: Oscar Ramirez, since 2015, 53. Short stint as national team assistant and clubs around Costa Rica. Serbia: Mladen Krstajic, since October 2017, 43. Controversially replaced Slavoljub Muslin after the latter helped secure qualification. Germany: Joachim Low, since July 2006, 57. Succeeded Jurgen Klinsmann and has won the World Cup and been runners up and semi finalists too. Mexico: Juan Carlos Osorio since October 2015, 56. Colombian who has held on to his job despite constant pressure. Previously an assistant at Manchester City. Sweden: Janne Andersson, since 2016, 55. Previously assistant and head coach at several clubs in his native land. South Korea: Shin Tae-yong, since 2017, 48. Replaced Uli Stielike after the German was on the verge of failing to get the team to World Cup 2018. Belgium: Roberto Martinez, since August 2016, 44. Surprise choice to replace Marc Wilmots. Brought in Thierry Henry as assistant. Panama: Hernan Dario Gomez, since February 2014, 61. Colombian previously in charge of the Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala national teams. Tunisia: Nabil Maaloul, since April 2017, 55. Succeeded the highly experienced Henryk Kasperczak. Previously coached the national teams at senior and Olympic levels. England: Gareth Southgate, since September 2016, 47. Former England U21 coach appointed after Sam Allardyce resigned. Poland: Adam Nawalka, since October 2013, 60. One of the stars of the 1978 World Cup. Senegal: Aliou Cisse, since 2015, 41. Formerly the U23 coach. As a player some experience in England and France. Colombia: Jose Pekerman, since January 2012, 71. Highly regarded Argentinian with extensive experience and somewhat strange coaching style, including time as Argentina’s U20 and national teams. Japan: Vahid Halilhodzic, since March 2015, 65. Replaced Javier Aguirre after the Mexican had to leave due to match fixing issues in Spain. Had success with Algeria at World Cup 2014
