Here’s the second part of our round-up, looking at the success of Umbro-sponsored teams around the world.

Japan

Yasuhito Endo (pictured above), a midfielder for the Umbro-sponsored team Gamba Osaka, was voted Asian Footballer Of The Year. He has played more than 250 games for his club, and scored more than 60 goals. He also has over 80 caps for the Japanese national team, scoring 7 goals for them.

Northern Ireland

At a gala evening in Belfast, Cliftonville FC’s striker Chris Scannell was recognised as the Top Goal scorer the IFA Premiership. The Footballer of the Year award went to Crusaders FC ’s captain Colin Coates.

Peru

In the championship play-off in Peru, Universitario followed up their 1-0 defeat of old rivals Alianza Lima in the first leg with an identical result in the second. Veteran midfielder Nolberto Solano (a Peruvian and Umbro legend who will be familiar to many of us) sparked jubilant scenes at the Estadio Monumental in Lima when he converted a penalty to end Universitario’s nine-year title drought.

According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, an international organization recognized by FIFA, Universitario was the best Peruvian club of the 20th century and the 28th most successful South America.

Poland

Slawomir Peszko won the award for Midfielder of the Year 2009 Award in Poland, an award voted by his fellow footballers. Peszko is 24 year old Polish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Lech Poznań. Peszko made his debut for his country in a friendly against Ireland in November 2008.
The Coach of the Year title went to Maciej Skorza, the manager of Wisla Krakow, the current Polish Champions.

Thailand

Thai Port FC won the Thailand FA Cup Final 2009. Based in Khlong Toei district of central Bangkok, Thai Port F.C are one of the most successful clubs in Thai Football history, having won the Kor Royal Cup 8 times, and the Queen’s Cup 6 times.

Uruguay

Uruguay’s title holders Nacional won the Apertura championship with a game to spare after a 1-0 win over Fenix in the penultimate round. Defender Alvaro Gonzalez scored the only goal in the 55th minute of Thursday night’s match to put Nacional out of reach, five points clear of Liverpool and Defensor Sporting.

Nacional had already qualified for Libertadores 2010 Cup back in July and with last night’s triumph has also qualified to play as Uruguay 1 in the next edition of the Copa Sudamericana, so we will have Nacional play both South American Cups during 2010.

Congratulations once again to all these Umbro teams and players, and here’s to plenty more success in 2010!

Umbro is probably best know for producing kits for England and a host of Premiership clubs, something which we’re understandably very proud of. However, we also provide kits for a massive amount of teams and players around the world – here’s a little insight into some of the success these teams have had over the last year.

Argentina

Colón de Santa Fé have qualified for only the second time in its entire history to the Copa Libertadores de America. They clinched a place in this competition after a 1 – 0 victory against Estudiantes de la Plata, with the only goal scored by striker Federico Nieto.

The last time that Colón qualified for the most important competition in South America was in the year 1998, and they were also sponsored by Umbro at the time. On that occasion they were eliminated in the quaterfinals. Esteban Fuertes, an Umbro sponsored player, top scorer in the history of the club, was the captain of the team in 1998, and remarkably he’s still captain today.

Brazil

Diego Souza of Palmeiras (pictured above, centre) has been voted the best player in the Brazilian League. Also among the other nominees for the prize was Cleiton Xavier, Souza’s team mate at Palmeiras. Both of these players are sponsored by Umbro Brazil and had the honour of being called up for the Canarinha, the Brazilian National Team, this year.

Columbia

On the 18th November, Independiente Santa Fe won the Copa Colombia, their first major trophy in 20 years, beating Deportivo Pasto on penalties in a thrilling final. Pasto had won the first leg 2-1, but with the same result for Santa Fe in the return match played at Bogotá’s El Campin stadium, the match went into a shoot out. Santa Fe’s subsequent victory was their first trophy since their Copa Colombia victory in 1989, giving them a direct entry into next year’s Copa Sudamericana representing Colombia.

Ecuador

LDU Quito won their second South American club trophy in successive seasons despite a 3-0 defeat by Fluminense of Brazil in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana final at the Maracana. LDU, Libertadores Cup winners when they beat the same rivals in the final in 2008, only just denied Fluminense in what could have been a remarkable comeback from last week’s 5-1 defeat in the first leg in Quito to take the title 5-4 on aggregate. The Copa Sudamericana is South America’s second club championship, equivalent to the Europa League.

LDU Quito are also the current holders of both the Recopa Sudamericana and the Copa Sudamericana after winning the 2009 editions of both tournaments. They’re considered to be the most successful Ecuadorian club in history.

Ireland

Bohemian FC won the Premier League for the second year in a row, and were also victorious in the League Cup. Shamrock Rovers were the league runners-up in their first season in their new home ground in Tallaght Stadium. The Premier Division team of the year featured seven Umbro-sponsored players out of the eleven picked out – Brian Murphy, Brian Shelley, Dan Murray, Conor Powell, Gary Deegan, Raphael Cretaro and Gary Twigg.

Congratulations to all these Umbro-sponsored teams and players. Check back later in the week, when we’ll have news of more Umbro achievements from Uruguay, Peru, Japan, Thailand and Poland…