61 – the number of years since the USA national team had played a match in the Cuban capital Havana The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ qualifying match was played on 6 September, and the visitors narrowly beat the hosts 1-0 (goalscorer: Clint Dempsey). In the run-up to the match, Sunil Gulati, the President of the US Soccer Federation, was at pains to talk about the match as if it were just like any other, but he could not conceal that it was a “historically unique situation”. Under American law, US citizens are forbidden from travelling to Cuba.

Andreas Ivanschitz
Born: 15 October 1983 in Eisenstadt (Austria)
Nationality: Austrian
Height: 1 84m
Weight: 82kg
Position: Midfielder
Clubs: 1989-1998: ASK Baumgarten. 1998-2006: Rapid Vienna. 2006: Red Bull Salzburg. Since July 2006: Panathinaikos.
Honours: 2003: Austrian footballer of the year. 2005: Austrian league champion. 2008: Played in EURO in Austria and Switzerland. 44 international appearances for Austria, seven goals.

20 Questions 20 Answers
Andreas Ivanschitz

1. What does football mean to you? After my family, football is the most important thing in my life.
2. Which football club did you support as a child? Bomssia DorLmund.
3. Did you ever have an idol? Yes, Zinedine Zidane.
4. What is your fondest footballing memory? Playing in EURO 2008 in my home country and Switzerland, even though we were knocked out in the group stage.
5. What has been your biggest disappointment in football? Losing the final of the Greek cup with Panathinaikos last
6. If you had not become a professional footballer, what would you have been?
A musician.
7. What is your favourite type of music? U2, Coidplay, Red Hot Chili Peppers – a bit of everything, actually.
8. And your favourite book? The Return of the Dancing Master by Henning Mankell.
9. Your favourite film? Gladiator with Russell Crowe in the lead role.
11. What is your favourite food? Lasagne.
12. What is your favourite hobby? Going to the cinema.
13. What do you spend most of your money on? Watches.
14. What was your first job? Playing football.
15. Who has been the most influential figure in world history? Nelson Mandela.
10. Your favourite city? Barcelona.
16. What are you afraid of? Incurable diseases.
17. What was the most embarrassing moment in your life? Back when I had just started playing professionally and I realised just before coming on as a substitute that I had forgotten my shirt in the dressing room.
18. How do you see the future of the world? I think it’s looking more positive than a lot of predictions would have us fear.
19. Where would you like to go on holiday? To Bora Bora in Tahiti.
20. Whom would you most like to meet? Zinedine Zidane.

At his peak, this 70-years-old was one of the most outstanding goalkeepers in football. Gordon Banks won the 1966 World Cup with England, but what really his name was an incredible save from the legendary Pele