The games will be played in the Post Finance Arena of Berne Schluefweg in Kloten. Berne is the stronghold of European Ice hockey and is all set to welcome the visitors to this beautiful place. This is the 73rd IIHF championship and it was held in Switzerland 11 years ago.

Participating Teams include:
Group A: This team has Belarus, Canada, Hungary and Slovakia.
Group B: This team has France, Germany, Russia and Switzerland.
Group C: This team has Austria, Latvia, Sweden and United States.
Group D: This team has Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland and Norway.

Preliminary Round:
Sixteen participating teams will be placed in the following four groups. After playing a round robin, the top three teams in every group will then advance to the qualifying round while the last team will complete in the Relegation Round.

Qualifying Round:
The top three in the standings of each group of the Preliminary Round advances to the qualifying round and are placed in two groups, teams from Group A compete in Group E, while teams from Groups B and C compete in the Group F. Each team is to play three games in this round, one against each of the three games from the other group with which they have been paired. These three games, along with the two games already played against the other two advancing teams from the same group in the Preliminary Round, will count in the qualifying Round standings. The top four teams in this group E and F will advance to the playoff Round.

Relegation Round:
The top two teams in the standings after the round robin will be invited back to the 2010 IIHF World Cup, while the bottom two will be relegated to the 2010 division I tournament.

Broadcasting rights for the matches of IIHF championship
Austria:- ORF
Czech Republic:- Ceska televise
France:- Sport+
Hungary:- Sport TV
Russia:- VGTRK Sport
Slovakia:- STV
Switzerland: - German (SF zwei), French (TSR2) and Italian (TSI 2).

Dates of the Rounds:
- Quarter finals: - May 6 between E1 and E4, May 6 between F1 and F4, May 6 between E2 and E3 and May 6 between F2 and F3.
- Semi-Finals:- May 8 between Winner of Quarter final 1 and Quarter final 4 and the second one is also on May 8 between the winners of Quarter finals 2 and 3.
- Bronze Medal Game: - May 9 between loser of semi final 1 and loser of semi final 2.
- Gold Medal Game: - May 10 between winners of semi final 1 and 2.

The organization committees are expecting more than 500,000 visitors from all parts of the world. Everyone is looking forward to be a part of one of the year’s greatest sports and want to experience the intensity of live world class ice hockey results. We all hope that the game entertains its fans and this event comes out to be a far-fetched one.

Watch the Ice Hockey Livescore at ScoresPro.com

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The Human Factor, a new feature film based on South Africa’s 1995 World Cup victory and Nelson Mandela is about to start filming in Cape Town.
This was a great moment in our country’s history especially as we’re such a sports mad nation. You soon realise just how much our advertising reflects this when you look at some of the television advertising with major and minor stadia used for many shoots.

2010 has brought with it the opportunity to upgrade many of our Province’s facilities, adding world class glamour to these potential locations. But be prepared for some major filming restrictions before, during and after both the Confederations Cup in June 2009 and the World Cup in June 2010, especially in the surrounding precincts of the three official stadia.

There are also expected to be minor restrictions for training stadia and base camps (some of which still have to be announced). Although Johannesburg and Tshwane may be over-subscribed during the Confederations Cup and World Cup, remember that Gauteng has many other great opportunities in terms of sports grounds and accommodation and would be delighted to host film crews!

Gauteng definitely is not just about the ‘big three’ 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums and the Province has many sports grounds throughout the main cities and towns, some of which have been in the international spotlight before.

Two of South Africa’s most important rugby stadia are in Gauteng: Loftus Versfeld in Tshwane, home of the Blue Bulls, and Ellis Park (recently renamed Coca-Cola Park) in Johannesburg, where the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup in 1995. Also within the Ellis Park precinct is the Joburg Stadium, which is dedicated to athletics. The official home of Gauteng cricket is The Wanderers Cricket Stadium. Together with Supersport Park in Centurion, Tshwane, and Willowmoore Park in Benoni, Ekurhuleni, it played a significant role in the success of the 2003 Cricket World Cup.

Gauteng is to be home to three 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums. Ellis Park stadium and Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg and Tshwane’s Loftus Versfeld are all being upgraded to World Cup standards. Loftus Versfeld and Royal Bafokeng are privately-owned venues, while Ellis Park is on long-lease arrangement, with Soccer City stadium, which was previously owned and managed by the South African Football Association, being returned to the State, and managed by the City of Johannesburg.

Johannesburg 2010: Soccer City Stadium, or the FNB Stadium as it is known, situated in Nasrec, is the flagship venue for the Soccer World Cup 2010, and it will be hosting both the opening match and the final. Soccer City Stadium is the largest in Africa. The stadium provides 80 000 plastic bucket seats, and has a two metre ‘moat’ to protect the players from the fans. The upper tier has been extended around the stadium and 99 corporate boxes added, to increase the capacity to 94 700. An encircling roof was added, creating the impression of a giant calabash. Soccer City is home to the South African Football Association and the home ground for Orlando Pirates.

With four months to go before the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup kicks off in June, renovations at Ellis Park, the host stadium of the opening and final matches, are complete with only final touches left. Ellis Park has undergone major changes. A new roof has been added with the west, south and north stands being revamped and additional seating added. New change rooms, VIP, media and medical facilities and a new entrance facade to the north stand have been built. It can now seat 62 000 football fans.

With the completion of the stadium, the focus has shifted towards the precinct upgrade, which is also nearing completion. Landscaping includes a water feature between Ellis Park Stadium and Johannesburg Stadium as well as public art installations. The Olympic-size swimming pool in the sports precinct has also been upgraded.

Johannesburg is also host to training venues. Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto has undergone refurbishments to the tune of R69million in preparation for being one of the three official training venues for the World Cup. The old stadium has been completely revamped, with a new grandstand and world-class facilities added. It has a contemporary design with a roof covering spectators on the grandstand. Four floodlit towers at each of the four corners of the stadium will provide lighting. It will double up as an athletics venue and a synthetic track and new polycarbonate seats have been installed all round the stadium.

The other two training venues are Orlando Stadium, also in Soweto, and Rand Stadium, in the south of the City.

Tshwane 2010: Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Sunnyside is one of South Africa’s oldest and most established stadiums and the site has been used for sports events since 1903. Construction at the stadium is almost complete. The new roof over the eastern pavilion is a major upgrade project.

In addition, the stadium is also receiving new media and venue operations centres. Loftus is home to the premier soccer league club, Mamelodi Sundowns, as well as the Blue Bulls.

Tshwane’s training venues include the Super Stadium at Atteridgeville, a 25 000 seat stadium. Since 2007 the stadium has undergone substantial upgrade including the construction of a new main pavilion, VIP suites and new flood lighting and is now at a stage where it can be used for international matches. The HM Pitje Stadium is also a 25 000 seater and its 2010 upgrade includes a brand new main pavilion.

Ekurhuleni 2010: While none of the World Cup matches will be played in Ekurhuleni, there are four potential practice stadiums namely Sinaba, Vosloosrus, Makhulong, and Katlehong stadiums. Construction at Makhulong Stadium is well on track and scheduled to be ready by the middle of 2009.

With a planned capacity of about 15 000 seats, the stadium will comply with all FIFA and Premier Soccer League (PSL) requirements. These include flood lights, player and management facilities, security, amenities, VIP and V-VIP areas as well as a 200 square meter media facility. Mogale City Kaizer Chiefs will become the first team in South Africa to own their own stadium when the 55 000 Seater Amakhosi Stadium is completed this year.

The new stadium, which is being developed at a cost of R1.2 billion, will be part of a greater sports precinct being developed 40km West of Johannesburg.

Sedibeng: Although not an official training ground the George Thabe Stadium in Vereeniging has been upgraded. A lot of work is being done in and around the stadium as part of a larger Sedibeng 2010 precincts project.

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The Human Factor, a new feature film based on South Africa’s 1995 World Cup victory and Nelson Mandela is about to start filming in Cape Town.
This was a great moment in our country’s history especially as we’re such a sports mad nation. You soon realise just how much our advertising reflects this when you look at some of the television advertising with major and minor stadia used for many shoots.

2010 has brought with it the opportunity to upgrade many of our Province’s facilities, adding world class glamour to these potential locations. But be prepared for some major filming restrictions before, during and after both the Confederations Cup in June 2009 and the World Cup in June 2010, especially in the surrounding precincts of the three official stadia.

There are also expected to be minor restrictions for training stadia and base camps (some of which still have to be announced). Although Johannesburg and Tshwane may be over-subscribed during the Confederations Cup and World Cup, remember that Gauteng has many other great opportunities in terms of sports grounds and accommodation and would be delighted to host film crews!

Gauteng definitely is not just about the ‘big three’ 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums and the Province has many sports grounds throughout the main cities and towns, some of which have been in the international spotlight before.

Two of South Africa’s most important rugby stadia are in Gauteng: Loftus Versfeld in Tshwane, home of the Blue Bulls, and Ellis Park (recently renamed Coca-Cola Park) in Johannesburg, where the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup in 1995. Also within the Ellis Park precinct is the Joburg Stadium, which is dedicated to athletics. The official home of Gauteng cricket is The Wanderers Cricket Stadium. Together with Supersport Park in Centurion, Tshwane, and Willowmoore Park in Benoni, Ekurhuleni, it played a significant role in the success of the 2003 Cricket World Cup.

Gauteng is to be home to three 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums. Ellis Park stadium and Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg and Tshwane’s Loftus Versfeld are all being upgraded to World Cup standards. Loftus Versfeld and Royal Bafokeng are privately-owned venues, while Ellis Park is on long-lease arrangement, with Soccer City stadium, which was previously owned and managed by the South African Football Association, being returned to the State, and managed by the City of Johannesburg.

Johannesburg 2010: Soccer City Stadium, or the FNB Stadium as it is known, situated in Nasrec, is the flagship venue for the Soccer World Cup 2010, and it will be hosting both the opening match and the final. Soccer City Stadium is the largest in Africa. The stadium provides 80 000 plastic bucket seats, and has a two metre ‘moat’ to protect the players from the fans. The upper tier has been extended around the stadium and 99 corporate boxes added, to increase the capacity to 94 700. An encircling roof was added, creating the impression of a giant calabash. Soccer City is home to the South African Football Association and the home ground for Orlando Pirates.

With four months to go before the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup kicks off in June, renovations at Ellis Park, the host stadium of the opening and final matches, are complete with only final touches left. Ellis Park has undergone major changes. A new roof has been added with the west, south and north stands being revamped and additional seating added. New change rooms, VIP, media and medical facilities and a new entrance facade to the north stand have been built. It can now seat 62 000 football fans.

With the completion of the stadium, the focus has shifted towards the precinct upgrade, which is also nearing completion. Landscaping includes a water feature between Ellis Park Stadium and Johannesburg Stadium as well as public art installations. The Olympic-size swimming pool in the sports precinct has also been upgraded.

Johannesburg is also host to training venues. Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto has undergone refurbishments to the tune of R69million in preparation for being one of the three official training venues for the World Cup. The old stadium has been completely revamped, with a new grandstand and world-class facilities added. It has a contemporary design with a roof covering spectators on the grandstand. Four floodlit towers at each of the four corners of the stadium will provide lighting. It will double up as an athletics venue and a synthetic track and new polycarbonate seats have been installed all round the stadium.

The other two training venues are Orlando Stadium, also in Soweto, and Rand Stadium, in the south of the City.

Tshwane 2010: Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Sunnyside is one of South Africa’s oldest and most established stadiums and the site has been used for sports events since 1903. Construction at the stadium is almost complete. The new roof over the eastern pavilion is a major upgrade project.

In addition, the stadium is also receiving new media and venue operations centres. Loftus is home to the premier soccer league club, Mamelodi Sundowns, as well as the Blue Bulls.

Tshwane’s training venues include the Super Stadium at Atteridgeville, a 25 000 seat stadium. Since 2007 the stadium has undergone substantial upgrade including the construction of a new main pavilion, VIP suites and new flood lighting and is now at a stage where it can be used for international matches. The HM Pitje Stadium is also a 25 000 seater and its 2010 upgrade includes a brand new main pavilion.

Ekurhuleni 2010: While none of the World Cup matches will be played in Ekurhuleni, there are four potential practice stadiums namely Sinaba, Vosloosrus, Makhulong, and Katlehong stadiums. Construction at Makhulong Stadium is well on track and scheduled to be ready by the middle of 2009.

With a planned capacity of about 15 000 seats, the stadium will comply with all FIFA and Premier Soccer League (PSL) requirements. These include flood lights, player and management facilities, security, amenities, VIP and V-VIP areas as well as a 200 square meter media facility. Mogale City Kaizer Chiefs will become the first team in South Africa to own their own stadium when the 55 000 Seater Amakhosi Stadium is completed this year.

The new stadium, which is being developed at a cost of R1.2 billion, will be part of a greater sports precinct being developed 40km West of Johannesburg.

Sedibeng: Although not an official training ground the George Thabe Stadium in Vereeniging has been upgraded. A lot of work is being done in and around the stadium as part of a larger Sedibeng 2010 precincts project.

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This year’s Confederations Cup will be held in South Africa as a way of preparation of the big event the 2010 Fifa world cup. In this, some of the biggest name in world football will be coming to represent their continents and countries as they fight for the Confederations Cup. The cup may be of little importance but it would be worth checking out some of the players who will be involved. The teams that will participate in the 2009 Confederations cup are Italy, Spain, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, New Zealand, Iraq and the USA. All these teams have won some major trophies from their continents apart from South Africa who are the host and Italy who are the current world cup holders.

From Italy, some of the players to watch out for are Cannavaro, De Rossi, Luca Toni, Pirlo, Del Piero and Gilardino. Cannavaro is one of the greatest central defenders in the world. After his great display in the last world cup, he has since moved to Real Madrid to strengthen the defense. He is strong and goes for the tackle carefully and make sure he gets the ball. He is also strong in the air and strikers need to be prepare to deal with him. Another Italian worth watching out for is Zambrotta, the Barcelona right back. He is very good at the full back position and at times he can go up to deliver the cross for the finish. Pirlo is another player to watch out for with his deadly free kicks and threatening crosses. De Rossi brings in creativity with the ball where he is able to hold and give accurate passes. One of my personal favourites is the mean looking Gatuzzo. I don’t know whether he will feature but I sure want to see him player. He is one of the…read the complete article and others here.

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Africa, for a long while now, has bee deemed to be “dark continent”. Yet in a few months time, one of the greatest soccer tournaments will be done in one of the countries of th e so called “dark continent”. I am talking about the Fifa Confederations Cup that will be held in South Africa as a prelude to the main event which will also be held in South Africa: the 2010 Fifa World Cup. The people of Africa are great, especially with their unity in diversity. Their culture is splendid. Most people perceive the Africans as being backward due to their culture (especially their skin clothing) but in contrast, they the most intellectual people in this world. So lets leave that and focus on the confederations cup.

Finally, the great names in world class football will be in this great continent. The likes of Kaka, Torres, Fabregas, Canavaro, Xavi, Raul, Gatuzzo, Ike Casillas to mention but a few, will be coming to Africa. Let us not forget the African bred footballers: the likes of Bennie McCarthy, Aaron Mokoena, Steven Piennar, Egyptian goalkeeper El-Hadary, Shawky and Amr Zaki. Teams that will make up the Confederations Cup this year are South Africa (host nation), Egypt (winners of 2008 African cup of nations), Italy (current world cup winners), Brazil (Copa America winners), Iraq (AFC Asian cup winners), Spain (current Euro cup winners), New Zealand (OFC Nations cup winners) and USA (CONCACAF Gold cup winners).

So there is much to be expected. The stadiums are in top gear preparation. Roads are being re-carpeted, hotels are being constructed and upgraded plus many other things in preparing the world for the most watched and televised international event. The question then is are you ready for this? Start saving up early! With the economic melt down going on you had better begin doing something early enough if you have to enjoy this phenomenal experience. You do not want to miss this. Over the next few months as……..read the complete article and others here

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The Fifa Confederations Cup is drawing in near and there is no better place for it to be held than in the beautiful continent of Africa. So, are you ready for this??? The 8 greatest national soccer teams arrive in South Africa in June as preparation of the main event to be held in 2010 – Fifa world cup in South Africa. The eight so called “mighty” teams are South Africa (host nation), Egypt (winners of 2008 African cup of nations), Italy (current world cup winners), Brazil (Copa America winners), Iraq (AFC Asian cup winners), Spain (current Euro cup winners), New Zealand (OFC Nations cup winners) and USA (CONCACAF Gold cup winners). All this and more all getting down in Africa!!

Then check this out: Group A has South Africa, Iraq, New Zealand and Spain!! Well this group doesn’t look as bad. It’s still a tricky one to call but my money is on Spain and definitely South Africa to go into the next round!! But that’s just my call…Who will make it? Who will not?? Please feel free and leave a comment on the team you bet will win this group. Group B could be referred to as the group of “death’ with Brazil, Egypt and Italy. As you may know, Brazil has beat Italy in the world cup before, Italy is the current world cup holder and Egypt are the current African Cup of Nations holders. This is a group what checking out. My money is on Italy and Brazil but yet again you can have your say. Wait a minute!! There’s something worth checking here: the United States and Iraq are……read the complete article and more More information on the http://fifa-confederations-cup-soccer-teams.blogspot.com“>Fifa Confederations Cup 2009 here.

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The South African national soccer team, also known as Bafana bafana, is the current host of both the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup and the big event, 2010 Fifa world cup. One thing you have to understand about South African football is that it has been through many challenges, ever since the time of racism in the country. You can read more on soccer history in South Africa. But despite all the ups and downs this team has been through because of the political nature of the country, bafana bafana have been able to prove their worth and this even led the country to hosting one of the most watched and televised tournaments in the world: 2010 Fifa world cup.

One of the most surprising things about ‘the boys’, as they are also called, is that when they first hosted the 1996 African Nations Cup, they also won it in the same year!! Isn’t that great or what! Imagine the first time you host a competition and you go ahead and win it! That was quite a splendid job by the South African National Team. Something else that you might have never known about bafana bafana is that their biggest win was against Australia, in Adelaide, Australia. The score was 8-0. But this was way back in 1955. Anyway, that’s still a large score but may be the game had just been introduced because soccer (or football) was invented by the English. Their worst defeat was against the same Australia, where they were beaten 5-1. Well it seemed the Australians were out to pay back for the embarrassment they had received.

Enough about history, let’s look at some prominent players. One of them happens to be the captain and the most capped South African player, Aaron Mokoena. He plays in the backline…read the complete article and others here.

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The five-time World Cup champion, Brazil, beat USA in an incredible way, after being down 2-0 in the first half. However, the experienced team of Brazil came back with all they got to even the game and then obtained the victory in the final minutes. 

Both teams were criticized for their lack of performance in different parts of the tournament; first it was USA which had a very poor start in the cup, losing the first two matches, and many didn’t even though that they could reach the final. However, they proved everyone that they could compete with the big teams when they beat the European champion Spain in the semifinals. For its part, the defending champion Brazil had a very good start, but then had a very poor game against South Africa in the semifinals, being outplayed by the host team and barely earning the pass to the final with a late goal for a 1-0.

In the final, at the beginning of the match Brazil did not have opportunities in the offense due to the great defense that USA was approaching with the help of his great goalkeeper Tim Howard, whereas USA, in hands of Landon Donovan, got several opportunities to score. At minute 10, a good play of Jonathan Spector, who ran into the right side and sent a low cross into the area which Clint Dempsey accurately touched with his right leg to send the ball straight to the goal, opening the score for USA.

The Brazilians kept trying to find the way to their offense but they didn’t seem to find them. Just 17 minutes later from the opener goal,  the Americans astonished their opponents again when the midfielder Landon Donovan got the ball, ran up the middle, passed to Charlie Davies and then asked the ball back from his teammate to beat the Brazilian goalkeeper and put the score 2-0.

Everyone was surprised for the supremacy of the Americans in the first half, but in the second half things completely changed for them.

The Brazilians entered with aggressiveness and confidence and in the first minute of the second half Luis Fabiano opened the score after turning and shooting in great way with a pass of Ramires.  After that, Brazil kept pushing to get another goal, whereas USA kept fighting in defense and even Howard got to work hard to save some close opportunities from the Samba boys.

Nevertheless at minute 74th, Luis Fabiano scored again after a rebounded kick in the crossbar by Robinho to tie the game 2-2. The game continued in the same pace; Brazil attacking and USA defending but a corner kick for Brazil with just 6 minutes left, gave the Brazilians the victory after captain Lucio headed the ball, beating goalkeeper Tim Howard.

After that goal, the Brazilians just waited for the referee to announce the end of match to celebrate, jumping with joy knowing that they were once again champions of the Confederations Cup and their comeback in the game was a delight. On the other hand, the Americans looked very disappointed and they couldn’t believe that their effort wasn’t enough for the victory.

Landon Donovan expressed his frustration for losing after being so close, but he also recognized the value of his team’s achievement. “This is a massive learning experience. You always hope to do the most learning when you win, but you probably learn more by losing. If we’re smart and we take what we should from this game, we can progress. And that’s what we’re trying to do,” said Donovan.

Moreover for Brazil this means a great step to return as a force in the world football and they (the players, coaches and followers) hope they can get better by learning from some of the mistakes committed during this tournament, so they can be ready for the World Cup tournament next year.

The best of lucks for these two countries in their qualification games and we hope they could bring great football to the biggest event of all, the South Africa World Cup 2010.

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While it’s still a ways off, not beginning until next summer, excitement is already growing over the World Cup 2010 schedule. We can’t tell you whose going to be there, but we can tell you that FIFA has released the official schedule for the games. You can check it out on the FIFA web site. The games will be played all over South Africa with some of the most important matches happening in Johannesburg. Since Johannesburg is so central to the games and if you’re planning to see it live, you may want to do something other than just sit around talking about the games so here’s a quick rundown of what you can do in this beautiful town when you’re not taking in a match:

For starters, check out Gold Leaf City. This incredible site, built around the No. 14 shaft of Crown Mines, is a complete and authentic reproduction of Johannesburg at the beginning of the 20th century. You can check out the simple furnishings that minors would have had with all the various fittings as well, including the famous pressed ceilings. The museum exhibits offer the chance to see antique clothing and children’s toys, all showing the visitor what life was like for those who lived in this bustling metropolis 100 years ago. A train goes around the perimeter of the park and many shops offer interesting knick knacks. You can also see the original gold mine in an elevator that goes down  220 meters below the surface. Finally, there is an onsite casino which never closes in case you’re in the mood to gamble away some of that gold.

If you’re coming to Jo-berg (as the natives call it) with kids or nature lovers, you might want to squeeze some time in in between the World Cup 2010 schedule to see Lion Park. This incredible safari like experience featuring four prides of lions, of various ages. They also have a number of rhino as well as other herbivores. The lions are fenced-in in a high-security area (so no need to be concerned about getting eaten – well not much of one anyway) while the rest of the park area is open to the other animals. For the brave hearted or foolish, you can actually have your picture taken with a lion cub, under supervision of course. A restaurant and gift shop are located in the shaded areas where you can also find picnic facilities.

Besides these, there is lots more to see so make sure you don’t miss any of it. Plan your visit and check the 2010 World Cup Schedule carefully so you know what to see and when to see it!

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The Ryder Cup is one of the most popular and viciously contested of all of the golfing tournaments. The Ryder Cup is the bi annual tournament that pits a team of the best golfers from Europe against a team of the best golfers from the US. The 2010 Ryder Cup is set to continue the tradition of excitement and ferocious competition. Set to take place on the 27th of September in 2010 in the Welsh town of Newport at the beautiful Celtic manor resort we can expect to see a continuation of the passion and fierce rivalry that has always ignited this tournament.

The tournament captures the imagination of audiences from all over the world as two of the largest continents compete to win the tournament. One of the most eagerly anticipated and widely watched golf tournaments will bring together the long history of the tournament.

The first tournament of this type took place in 1926. In the early years the tournament took place between a team of golfers that represented Britain against a team of golfers that represented the United States of America. Initially an exhibition match the tournament grew in popularity and it was soon made a regular event. The tournament remained a British versus America event for a number of years. But after the Second World War the American team won a number of tournaments and became dominant over the title. As a result in 1979 the British team incorporated players from Europe. These players included a number of Spanish players. There was a new breed of talented golfers that were coming out of Spain and these golfers went a long way to narrowing the gap in quality between the teams.

The team was soon joined by golfers from countries all across Europe which resulted in a much more competitive tournament. Since the team became a European team the tournament title has been shared almost an equal number of times. The European team has won the competition seven times and the American team has won the tournament six times.

The tournament is comprised of a number of different match formats. In total there are ten players per team and these players are used strategically in an attempt to win the tournament. The captains have the choice of how to use their players. There are twelve players in total and they each can be utilized throughout the three day tournament. The Ryder cup consists of eight foursome matches, eight four ball matches and twelve singles matches.

Each hole is won by the golfer that sinks the ball in the lowest number of shots and this achieves scores for their respective teams. This means that the captain will pick their players strategically so that they can win games that suit their skills. The players do not play necessarily therefore play every day.

The Ryder Cup seems to attract an enormous amount of controversy. Many of the matches between the continents have experienced moments that live long in the memory of golf enthusiasts. The US team has consistently stretched the rules of the tournament in an attempt to achieve a competitive advantage. 1991 saw Seve Ballesteros vocalised the frustrations of the golfing masses and accused the Americans of cheating. In 1999 the US team demonstrated the extent of their cheating and lack of concern for the sanctity of the game.

The tournament had come down to the final game of the cup and the European representative Jose Maria Olazabal and the US golfer Justin Leonard both hit the green equal on shots. Leonard had an enormous putt to achieve whilst Olazabal had a difficult putt but one that looked achievable. Leonard subsequently holed the incredible putt which meant Olazabal would have to putt his ball. Sadly as Leonards shot went in the disgraceful American fans ran onto the green and celebrated riotously. It was a horrible scene and it really ruined the composure of Olazabal and he subsequently missed his putt. There is little doubt that the 2010 Ryder Cup will deliver as much excitement.

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