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His name is Khamis Abdulla and he is 18 years old. He is an United Arab Emirates citizen, but holds a French passport thanks to his mother having been born there and having lived there as a child. This arguably has improved his chances for employment in Europe. He plays football and his preferred position is striker. Take that for what you will.
His skills have been rated high enough that Charlton Athletic (of the English Premier Division) have given him a first team contract. Take that for what you will.
Some in the press are saying he could be the next big thing in English football. Good eye for goal, excellent movement off the ball, solid team player, but very… nay, completely… untested and raw.
Others in the press are simply laughing. A lot. In a fairly weak squad, whose best player is probably Danish attacking midfielder Michael Michaelsen, and whose only other option to play as the lone striker in their manager’s new, highly experimental 4-5-1 formation is 21-year-old Italian Massimo Sabatini, many are saying that the club is throwing a lot of… unfounded, unrealistic, and unhinged hope at the youngster.
In three pre-season games, Abdulla failed to shine, managing only three shots in those games, and all of them coming against HFK Sonderjylland. None of them were on goal.
Details: CM 01/02, fake players, active leagues: England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain.
10-08-2007, 04:17 PM
1001* Arabian Goals (*actual contents may vary) Post #2
Charlton's manager apparently had no fear in fielding a very young line-up, even if one does not consider that the lone striker was an 18-year-old who had never played high-level competive football. Only keeper Peter O'Brian and right-sided midfielder Simon Donaldson were over 30, and defender Anthony Hughes hadn't even reached his 18th birthday yet.
Blackburn, however, fielded their own young side, particuarly on the defensive end, and within the opening 5 minutes Charlton cut them apart for Austrian midfielder Morgenstern (a recent signing) to tuck home in the 4th minute. Hughes nodded home a Michaelson corner in the 21st and the victory for Charlton was assured.
Abdulla had seven opportunites to get on the scoresheet, but failed to force the keeper into a save on any of them. To be fair to the youngster, he did play a part in the opening goal (making the key pass to Donaldson that split the defense) and his chances were not complete gifts. Two of his headers came when surrounded by defenders, and of his two ambitious half-volleys, one hit the side-netting. A minor victory for him.
Our rating: 7 of 10
Goals: 0 Total Goals: 0
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Charlton 1: Man Utd 1
(O'Brian sent off 43, Crawford 58 : Spronck 67, O'Neill m/pen 43)
A slight clip on United's forward Brett Simpson sent Charlton keeper O'Neill to the showers early, but substitute Matthew Conner saved the penalty and winger Tim Crawford scored in the 58th to give the home side hope of a home win. United were not to be denied a point, and star striker Spronck found space to tie the game.
With his captain and playmaking midfielder Michaelsen sacrificed and missing from the pitch due to the sending off, Abdulla saw his service completely dried up and could only manage one shot all game. It was, however, a well worked combination between the striker and Crawford, but Abdulla had 2 players marking him on his header, which went sailing well over the bar, a trend we entirely expect will continue.
Our rating: 7 of 10
Goals: 0 Total Goals: 0
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European Super Cup
FC Bayern 2 : Liverpool 1
(Vogler 13, Pinola 29 : Vecera 15)
An away game at the nearly 50000 fans at St. James' Park was considered by punters to be an impossible match for Charlton, and after Ruggeri scored early for the home side it seemed they were right. Goals from right-back Andy Hall, Sabatini, and young Hughes sent those 50000 fans home in shock.
With Charlton's manager giving Sabatini the start, Abdulla made an appearance in the 64th minute and had 3 chances in his short time on the pitch. For a nice change of pace, the keeper actually had to save one of them (a first time shot on a Michaelsen through ball), pushing it away with his fingertips for a corner (on which Hughes subsequently scored).
Our rating: 7 of 10
Goals: 0 Total Goals: 0
10-08-2007, 04:47 PM
1001* Arabian Goals (*actual contents may vary) Post #3
Charlton 3 : Leeds 1
(Phelan 3, Abdulla 21, Hughes 58, Connor sent off 33 : Sissoko pen 34)
Midfielder Lee Phelan finally showed why he's a professional footballer by striking an excellent freekick through the wall in the 3rd minute for Charlton's opener. Leeds, as a team considered to be title contenders, would not take that lying down so prompty allowed Abdulla to have two chances to score: first, by heading a cross that Hammond could only spill back at his feet, and second, allowing the player to score on that rebound. A 33rd minutes sending off for Charlton made things briefly interesting, but Hughes made it 3-1 with a header from a Phelan corner.
With nine chances, and 5 of those actually on target, Abdulla vaguely looked like the hot prospect he is supposed to be. Leeds keeper Hammond made several saves on the player, which only leads us to wonder if this Leeds defense was awake for the whole 90 minutes. Again, to be fair to the player, he did hit woodwork in the 44th, but then again, he missed a complete sitter in the 48th. In addition, 17-year-old defender Hughes seems more of a reliable goalscorer at the moment.
Our rating: 7 of 10
Goals: 1 Total Goals: 1
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W.B.A. 0 : Charlton 2
(Crawford 4, Sabatini 81)
Winger Crawford snuck in at the near post to poke a corner home in the 4th minute, and Charlton happily sat on the victory until substitute Sabatini scored in the 81st with a counter-attack goal.
Abdulla played 68 of the minutes, and managed 3 shots. His very first was his best, a volley from a Michaelsen pass, that W.B.A. keeper Kavanagh 'did well to turn away'. (We would argue that he made a meal of it, but no matter.) Two gilt edged chances also fell to the striker (one thanks to yet another Michaelsen pass and one thanks to a Phelan square-ball), but the player could only manage to hit the post with the first, and scared the ballboy behind the net with the second.
Our rating: 7 of 10
Goals: 0 Total Goals: 1
10-08-2007, 05:24 PM
1001* Arabian Goals (*actual contents may vary) Post #5
As one-sided a match as the early season has seen, Michaelsen's corner sitting up perfectly for Donaldson to head home and Phelan striking a freekick goal after diving to earn it for a quick 2 goal lead.
Abdulla had three chances after that, converting two of them. The first was a strong header in the box after excellent work from Crawford, and the second a placed finish after a 30 yard through ball from Michaelsen. The striker's other attempt at goal was an ambitious long range shot that nearly made a fool out of McGeough. Ultimately both he and his team were quiet in the 2nd half. (A solid performance, but our grandmother could probably score twice against Birmingham.)
Our rating: 10 of 10
Goals: 2 Total Goals: 3
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League Cup 2nd Round
Charlton 3 : Shrewsbury 0
(Hughes 33, Michaelsen 43, Morgenstern 59)
In front of their home crowd, Charlton eased their way past 3rd Division side Shrewsbury. Hughes scored from another corner, and the other two goals were easily found after that.
Sabatini got the start, but Abdulla exchanged placed with him at the hour mark. His only impact was an 80th minute effort that the scorekeepers generously called a 'shot'.
Our rating: 7 of 10
Goals: 0 Total Goals: 3
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Tottenham 1 : Charlton 2
(Hudson 12, Miller sent off 77 : Abdulla 20, Sabatini pen 78)
Abdulla's best goal of the season so far, a left footed full volley from a Phelan chip into the area, tied the game up after Spurs had taken an early lead.
The striker was causing Tottenham fits, forcing (we must admit) good saves in the 51st and 56th minute, but it was Sabatini who finally earned the win, getting fouled in the box and converting the penalty.
Our rating: 9 of 10
Goals: 1 Total Goals: 4
10-09-2007, 06:23 AM
1001* Arabian Goals (*actual contents may vary) Post #7
The two teams traded goals on either side of half-time in an even contest.
Abdulla, while he again failed to score, did show signs of being a hard-working team player. He was involved in Charlton's goal, and could have had an assist in the 62nd minute when his through ball picked out the run of Crawford, but the winger volleyed just over the bar. The striker, however, had no shots during the game, and was caught offsides 4 times.
Our rating: 8 of 10
Goals: 0 Total Goals: 4
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Khamis Abdulla was named English Premier Division Player of the Month for September. He scored 4 goals in 5 games and was named Man-of-the-Match twice.
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Liverpool 0 : Charlton 0
Liverpool were held to a draw in a tight match.
Abdulla had three shots, two from distance just before half-time, and the third a half-volley which he failed to put on target. In comparison, Sabatini came on in the 78th minute and forced 2 good saves, one of which had to be cleared of the line.
Our rating: 6 of 10
Goals: 0 Total Goals: 4
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Charlton 1 : Man City 0
(Humprhreys 79)
Substitute and transfer listed Clayton Humphreys scored the only goal in a game Charlton dominated. The forgotten man made a case for being chosen as the starting forward with a fine performance.
Abdulla had a headed attempt in the 40th minute parried away by Man City keeper Schou, and then had chances in the 47th and the 73rd that went just over.
Our rating: 7 of 10
Goals: 0 Total Goals: 4
10-10-2007, 05:19 PM
1001* Arabian Goals (*actual contents may vary) Post #10
1001* Arabian Goals (*actual contents may vary) 
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