Saudi Soccer - Live Sports Discussion Forum

Carlota Will Be Supporting Arsenal vs Barca, but Birmingham Comes First

2010-04-27T05:12:00.000-07:00

Being a blogger is like working as a web designer or a fashion designer. You really only work when you feel like it and if you don't work then nobody is really going to notice or care. Every once in a while you'll have a really great article and get a few comments, and other times you'll be lucky enough to piss off a whole group of people who will leave you angry comments, (just look at this post) but most of the time you're pretty much writing for yourself and a few other people who stumble upon your page and have nothing better to do. So for those of you who have accidentally rolled onto this page, here are a couple thoughts about Birmingham, Barcelona, and whatever else I think of.

Barcelona is the match everyone is talking about, but I'd argue that Birmingham is the more important one. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to the Barcelona match as much as anyone, but it's dangerous to overlook Birmingham just because Barcelona is a more attractive club. This weekend we'll be without Thomas Vermaelen, because of his suspension for a red card that should have never been, and without William Gallas, still out with injury. That leaves us with Sol Campbell and Mikael Silvestre. Not exactly a top class center back pairing for a big club. While Sol has done well, Silvestre should never be in the starting lineup for a team trying to win the league. The boss has indicated that he may rest Campbell for this match, which leaves us with Song and Silvestre in the back, which not only gives us a weak center back pairing but weakens our strength in midfield too, against a team that haven't lost at home since September. It's a scary possibility, and for a team that needs to win every match for the rest of the season, it's really making me nervous. The focus of the team needs to be 100% on Birmingham, and we can leave Barcelona until next Wednesday. Anything less than 100% will see us lose at St. Andrews and be out of the title race.

I have to give some thoughts on Eboue while I'm writing since I haven't given him his proper due since I've been out so long. I was one of the ones criticizing him last year for his poor (and sometimes completely dire) performances. Well this year he has completely changed his attitude, his performances, and my opinion of him. He's been nothing short of brilliant for us this year, whether he's in the front three or playing right back. His runs, his movement, and his work rate have made him one of my favorite players to see in the team. I'll go far enough as to say that without him, we wouldn't be where we are in the league right now this season. So fair play to Emmanuel Eboue, maybe my player of the season to this point.

The West Ham match last Saturday really gave me hope for the title challenge. We could have crumbled after Vemaelen's red card. It was a BS call, and we could have gone down to a team that is fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table, but we didn't. Almunia pulled out a moment of brilliance to save Diamanti's penalty, and the team stayed strong with Song and Campbell in defense. Then Cesc completed the victory by nailing that penalty after his strong run (aided by Eboue, who again was excellent.)

Speaking of Cesc, you'll remember that about seven months ago I had a post about marrying Cesc's sister, Carlota. Well as it turns out, she finally found that I had written that and I ended up talking to her a bit on twitter. She's a very nice young lady and said that Florida is a beautiful place. I'd have to agree with her. So cheers to you Carlota and if you're ever back in Florida dinner is on me.

Speaking of Carlota, and Cesc, and Arsenal...we play Barcelona in the Champions League! It's got to be one of the most exciting matchups in the history of, well, history. The best club in the world at the moment versus the team we all love and the team that plays by far the best football in England, if not the world. I like our chances, I have to say. Xavi and Iniesta versus Cesc and Nasri/Diaby/Denilson, Clichy versus Messi...the prospects are mouthwatering. I'll get into breaking it down more next Monday or Tuesday, but I will say that I think it will be one for the ages. Get your DVR's and your TiVo's ready to record, because these two matches should be ones you'll want to show to your grandkids one day. For the record, Carlota will be supporting Arsenal.

CarlotaFabregas @ArseNole I'll go to the two match and I'll support Arsenal, so don't hesitate it

That's about all I've got for today. Let's focus on that Birmingham match and the Barcelona match can wait until next week. Come on Arsenal, let's get it done!

Latest Footballer to suffer international embarrassment

2010-04-27T05:06:00.000-07:00

Shocking misses can happen to anyone at any time, but the latest footballer to suffer international embarrassment by not scoring a goal he really, really should have is Kansas City Wizards striker Kei Kamara.

In Saturday's MLS match against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Kamara found himself right in front of an open net with the ball mere inches from the goal. He was a little too eager to tap it in, though, and ended up falling on his rear end as he stretched to kick the ball in for the easy goal before knocking it in with his hand. He was quickly called for a handball and the game went on to end in a 0-0 draw.

After the match, Galaxy defender Gregg Berhalter still couldn't believe it:

"It was one of the most unbelievable things I've seen in soccer.
"It was unfortunate for Kamara but it was a handball and credit the linesman for seeing it."

Video of the miss has already spread far and wide. The Sun is calling it "a contender for miss of the century," but there are quite a few in the mix for that crown. Back in January, we featured another open net shocker from a bit farther out, then there was the now famous Rocky Baptiste's from December, but I think this miss from Dinamo Zagreb's Ilija Sivonjic last October might be even worse than Kamara's...

And so the countdown begins until the next "WORST MISS EVER!!

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/sow_experts/post/The-latest-worst-miss-ever?urn=sow,236778

Premier League predictions - Will Rafa’s men handle the pressure?

2009-04-05T04:10:00.000-07:00

I head back to the murky world of Premier Leaguepredictions after a remarkable performance of nine correct predictions in twelve during international week. I don’t expect that sort of success rate here!

Saturday 4th April 2009

Arsenal v Manchester City

Arsenal have opened up a three point lead over fifth placed Aston Villa. They are unbeaten in sixteen league games, in the FA Cup semi-finals and the Champions League quarter-finals. They are a looking good at the moment and a trip to the Emirates is a daunting prospect for anyone.

It could be particularly daunting for a Manchester City side who have still only won once away from home this season. They have slowly crept up to tenth place and are only three points short of seventh, but their away form is still holding them back.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-0

Blackburn v Tottenham

Blackburn have edged two points clear of the drop zone. With only three defeats in their last thirteen league games, Sam Allardyce has made them a tough side to beat. Having said that, they have drawn five of those games and need to turn some of them into wins.

Tottenham’s revival has seen them climb up to eleventh place, nine points clear of relegation and only ten points short of a European place. They are unbeaten in seven and their last two games have seen them beat third placed Chelsea and then fourth placed Aston Villa.

SoccerNews prediction: 1-2

Bolton v Middlesbrough

Bolton have managed to open up a five point gap on the bottom three. Gary Megson is still far from being a popular manager amongst his own fans but to an outsider, he is doing a pretty good job with a pretty average team.

Middlesbrough are in a desperate situation four points adrift from safety. The brief flicker of hope a few weeks ago when they beat Liverpool is but a distant memory as that game remains their only win in their last eighteen league games.

This game will certainly not be a classic but I expect Bolton to edge to safety and Middlesbrough to sink nearer the drop.

SoccerNews prediction: 1-0

Fulham v Liverpool

Fulham find themselves in the rarefied heights of ninth place in the table. After a minor blip of four games without a win, they have bounced back with two wins in a row including the 2-0 defeat of Manchester Unitedlast time out.

Liverpool know that victory or even a draw in this game will put them top of the table for at least twenty-four hours. You don’t get a much bigger incentive than that. This will be a real test of whether Fergie was right or Liverpool have the mental strength to see the job through. This is the first time for a while that Liverpool have had the chance to go top.

Will they stand up to the pressure?

SoccerNews prediction: 0-2

Hull v Portsmouth

Hull have slipped to within four points of the relegation zone and are desperate for some points in this one. With only one win in their last fourteen games they are still in freefall. Defeat here would leave them in a perilous position.

Portsmouth have steadied the ship a little and whilst they are a point behind Hull at the moment, they are in a far better run of form. They have only lost one of their last five and last time out they beat high flying Everton.

SoccerNews prediction: 0-1

Newcastle v Chelsea

What effect will the Alan Shearer appointment have on Newcastle? They are currently third from bottom two points away from safety. The run of form they are in has seen them win just once in fourteen outings. Shearer will give hope to the fans and belief to the players, but sadly for him, he can’t make his team into better players.

Chelsea have slipped to four points behind the leaders but will still consider themselves as serious contenders for the Premier League title. Prior to their defeat at Tottenham they had gone nine games unbeaten and will fancy their chances of starting another run in this game.

SoccerNews prediction: 0-2

West Brom v Stoke

West Brom are probably doomed. They are rock bottom and some seven points from safety. They have drawn their last two games but it is some two and a half months since they tasted the joy of victory.

Stoke are still fighting for their lives. They are three points clear of the drop zone and will see this game as a real chance to move closer to keeping their Premier League status. They have only lost twice in their last seven and had a crucial win over Middlesbrough in their last game.

SoccerNews prediction: 1-1

West Ham v Sunderland

Gianfranco Zola has guided West Ham into eighth place in the table. They have lost just twice in twelve games and are unbeaten in four.

Sunderland’s mini-revival under Ricky Sbragia has somewhat hit the rocks. They are only three points clear of the bottom three and they need to start picking up some points. Five games without a win means that these are worrying times at the Stadium of Light.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-1

Sunday 5th April 2009

Everton v Wigan

Everton have probably scuppered their chances of a top four finish as they are now seven points behind Arsenal. Defeat at Portsmouth last time out was probably the end of their hopes. They should still qualify for Europe and have had a fine season. Their reversal at Portsmouth was their first defeat in nine.

Wigan have made it to seventh place in the table. Either they are better than they look or the quality of the Premier League below the top six is not great this season. They have only lost twice in eight and are coming off the back of two straight victories.

SoccerNews prediction: 1-0

Manchester United v Aston Villa

United may well go into this game in second place in the table. They are coming off the back of the very rare situation of back to back defeats. Off course, prior to that they had only lost once in thirty games!

Villa’s wonderful season is in danger of crashing around them. They are now three points adrift of the fourth Champions League spot and could do with playing somewhere other than Old Trafford as they look to get three points and get back on track. They come into this game with no wins in eight and after suffering a humiliating 5-0 defeat at Liverpool.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-0

International predictions - England to keep 100% record and can anyone stop Holland?

2009-04-01T05:11:00.000-07:00

There are some bigWorld Cupqualifying games tonight and here we go with a preview of a few selected matches. I shouldn’t point this out really but I’m going to! On Saturday I got four of my five predictions right and three of those, I got the exact score. Considering I don’t think I’ve ever got more than three out of ten in the Premier League, I might just concentrate on internationals from now on.

England v Ukraine

Fabio Capello’s men put their 100% qualifying record on the line tonight against unbeaten Ukraine. England warmed up for the game with a comfortable 4-0 win over Slovakia on Saturday but tonight’s game is likely to provide a far sterner test.

Ukraine will be looking to the woefully short of match practice Andrei Shevchenko to provide the goals. Thirty-nine goals in eighty-five internationals speaks for itself as a record, but the fact is, Shevchenko has scored just ten goals in three years at club level.

England will be hoping that the Rooney and Gerrard partnership can continue where it left off on Saturday. Anything other than a win will be viewed as something of a disaster.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-0

France v Lithuania

France desperately needed a win in Lithuania on Saturday and thanks to a 68th minute goal from Ribery, they got one. Now, playing in front of their own fans, who have been very critical of late, they need to produce another result and a performance.

Lithuania won’t have seen too much to worry them for this game and if they can keep things tight early on and frustrate the French, things could get interesting as the crowd will undoubtedly turn against their team. They also know that a point would be enough to keep them ahead of the hosts in the table.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-0

Holland v Macedonia

As each game passes, Holland look more and more like potential winners of the 2010 World Cup. It is Macedonia’s turn to face the music tonight and they won’t be looking forward to it.

Huntelaar, Van Persie, Robben, Kuyt, etc. I don’t think any team would fancy facing them at the moment, let alone a team sitting second from bottom in the group. The only positive for Macedonia is that Van Persie has withdrawn from the squad through injury.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-0

Italy v Republic of Ireland

Italy won reasonably comfortably in Montenegro on Saturday whilst Ireland could only manage a draw at home to Bulgaria. Italy will probably there or thereabouts in 2010 as they nearly always are, whilst Ireland are unlikely to feature in the very latter stages of the tournament.

Having said that, Ireland’s victory over Italy at World Cup 1994 is still celebrated in Ireland and remembered none too fondly in Italy.

These two are well clear in first and second place but Italy will be determined to increase the two point lead they have over their opponents.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-1

Scotland v Iceland

After Saturday’s footballing lesson at the hands of the Dutch, this is a ‘must win’ game for Scotland. Iceland actually sit above the Scots on goal difference at the moment but are probably the weakest side in the group.

The fact is that Scotland need to win to have any chance of making the play-offs and if they can’t win at home to Iceland, they don’t deserve to qualify.

SoccerNews prediction: 1-0

Turkey v Spain

The European Champions were successful in the return fixture between these two last Saturday. Spain could only manage a 1-0 win and Turkey held out for an hour until Pique got the all important goal.

Turkey will fancy their chances of causing an upset here, but I can’t see Spain leaving with less than a point.

Spain are well clear at the top but Turkey need something so that they do not fall too far behind Bosnia.

SoccerNews prediction: 0-0

Wales v Germany

There is much doom and gloom around Welsh football at the moment and their performance in the 2-0 defeat at home to Finland on Saturday was totally toothless.

With only 20,000 tickets sold for the game at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, former Welsh international Robbie Savage has spoken out about the problems Wales have. “Does the crowd really want to see lower division players playing for their country? I’m expecting Wales, low on confidence to get hammered.”

Thanks for the support Robbie!

Germany had a simple 4-0 win over Liechtenstein and the only way they won’t pick up another three points is if they are over confident and complacent. In fact, even if they are, they’ll probably still win.

SoccerNews prediction: 0-2

Bent blow for England

2009-03-31T05:16:00.000-07:00

England’s attacking options for Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine looked set to be further reduced after Darren Bent limped out of training on the eve of the match.

Tottenham forward Bent had been a late call-up to the squad after Emile Heskey and Carlton Cole suffered injuries in Saturday’s 4-0 friendly win over Slovakia.

But his involvement with the national squad lasted only a few minutes before he was forced to head for the treatment room.

There was better news for head coach Fabio Capello on the fitness of Rio Ferdinand, who appeared to be training normally after missing the Slovakia match with a back strain.

Shaun Wright-Phillips, who missed Saturday’s game with an ankle injury, was also able to train, as was Peter Crouch, who was substituted as a precaution late on in the Slovakia match.

With four stright wins in group six, England will be in a very strong position to reach next year’s finals in South Africa if they can beat Ukraine, the only team they have yet to face.

Source: Written by SoccerNews · Tags: English Premier League, World Cup

Samba urges Givet to stay

2009-03-31T05:13:00.000-07:00

Blackburn Rovers ace Chris Samba has urged Gael Givet to turn his loan spell at the club into a permanent deal.

Givet is currently on loan from French giants Marseille.

“Gael has been very good since coming here,” Samba told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph. “It does take time to settle into The Premier League but Gael has done it very quickly, quicker than anyone expected.

“It feels like he is part of the club already and I think he has played very well for us. He is a good defender.

“The supporters do like him and I think they would like him to sign for Blackburn. I also think Gael would love to sign but first of all we all have to concentrate on staying up.”

[Source: Lancashire Evening Telegraph]

Ettifaq Footbal Club

2009-03-30T04:46:00.000-07:00

Professional football club based in Dammam; web site is in Arabic:http://www.ettifaq.net/

Hilal Clinch Saudi Football League Title

2008-08-04T04:05:00.000-07:00

Hilal Clinch Saudi Football League Title: Al-Hilal delivered the goods when it really mattered, scoring a 1-0 victory over Al-Ittihad last night in the final match to win their 11th Saudi Football League title.

Hilal’s star striker Yasser Al-Qahtani silenced the Ittihad supporters after he struck with a header in the 48th minute in the highly physical contest that yielded a welter of yellow cards from both teams.

Ittihad never recovered after the Al-Qahtani stunner, failing to find the equalizer and wasting at least three scoring opportunities in the closing minutes.

Hilal and Ittihad tied on 48 points but the Riyadh-based club won the prestigious crown by virtue of their one-goal edge in the head-to-head matches between them. Their match in Riyadh ended in a goalless draw.

Thus did Hilal complete the victory virtually via the backdoor that gave them the Crown Prince Cup and league double. And Hilal’s triumph against a side that had long dominated the league justified their gambit to sacrifice the Prince Faisal ibn Fahd Cup final last week by not fielding key players like Al-Qahtani, Omar Al-Ghamdi, Mohammad Al-Shalhoub and Tariq Al-Tayeeb. As a result, Al-Nasr won the match 2-1.

Hilal set up this title showdown with Ittihad by drawing their two pending matches against Al-Shabab. For Ittihad the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow, bombing out in the big match after coming tantalizingly close to winning the title.

Now, Ittihad will be looking to win the new Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s Cup to save their season.

The match watched by more than 20,000 crowd that packed every available space at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium was a fitting climax to a long season.

The home team were in control in the first half, making several attempts in the first 10 minutes before Khaled Al-Anqari made his first shot on goal for Hilal.

Brazilian Chico got his chance for Ittihad in the 15th minute only to be routinely blocked by the veteran Hilal goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Daie. To Al-Daie’s credit, he kept Ittihad from scoring a goal despite the numerous chances that came their way.

Among the players to receive yellow cards were Adnan Fallatah and Chico for Ittihad and Al-Qahtani, Al-Tayeeb and Abdulateef Al-Ghanam for Hilal.

Zain Official Sponsor of Saudi National Football Teams

2008-07-30T03:31:00.000-07:00

Al Ahmadi: Football is a new industry that needs support

Mobile Telecommunication Company, Zain was announced as the official sponsor of all four Saudi National Football Teams (SNFT) for a period of four years when the President of the Saudi Football Federation, HRH Prince Sultan bin Fahd approved the signed contract between Zain and Sela Sport companies.

The contract guarantees Zain’s official partnership rights to sponsor SNFT (First National team, Olympic team, Youth team and Beginners team) for the duration of the contract with the help of Sela, SNFT’s exclusive owner of marketing trade rights.

“This cooperation between the private sector and youth activities in the Kingdom these companies’ sense of national pride. Zain’s sponsorship of all SNFT confirms its sense of responsibility and its keenness to play a fundamental role in the elevation of Saudi football universality,” said HRH Prince Sultan ibn Fahd during the press conference.

HRH stressed the huge aspirations and confidence in the Saudi youth by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz and officials who have taken care to surmount any difficulties and obstacles facing the SNFT and who have utilized the best resources for the teams’ high standing.

The new contract guarantees Zain’s official sponsorship rights of advertising, use of trademarks (SNFT logo, emblem and merchandise) for friendly and official games, branding all SNFT sportswear for all events, and owning prospects of holding friendly championships in cooperation and consultation with the Saudi Football Federation.

Zain’s sponsorship of SNFT as the chief partner comes as a major support for the Saudi Football’s march forward. Zain is committed to be the leader in the development of Saudi football and of its responsibility towards the Saudi youth.

“We are very proud of this agreement. We at Zain look at this contribution as a national duty. Our general strategic target is for Zain to become the most vital contributor in the Kingdom’s leadership in various fields,” said Dr. Marwan Al-Ahmadi, CEO of Zain Saudi Arabia.

“The turn-out of this partnership will, God willingly, be evident in the near future, as we will not hesitate to exert and utilize all efforts for the SNFT to occupy its rightful position in this country. This agreement forms a transitional step for Arab national teams and the SNFT will be the leading example for other countries’ teams,” he added.

“Football is no longer considered a hobby but rather a new industry based on limitless efforts to achieve huge gains for nations and countries alike,” Dr. Al Ahmadi concluded.

Ahli compete with the Egyptians and the Altoanasseh Codoin - Saudi Soccer

2008-07-20T03:23:00.000-07:00

Management buy-card Harrison .. The coach imposes one game only: Ahli compete with the Egyptians and the Altoanasseh Codoin

Jeddah Khalid Qazi, the guest of God falcon
CD President Alahlaoi
Abdel Aziz Alngari they grew annexation of the Crescent team striker Sudanese Nigerian Codoin to represent their team chamionship first, saying at the same time as their entry in strong competition with the NBE and Sahili Tunisian player to win the services, Alngari said: "We have come a long way in negotiating with Codoin who entered management Macedonia Nadina also in an attempt to extract last season, however, Sudanese officials rejected the idea Crescent needed him in the Africa Champions League. "
In another significant vested up midfielder Lyra Brazilian Portuguese Harrison to Jeddah today, Saturday, the evening of the signing with the administration after the vote medical examination where sources indicated that the administration had bought an international scale.
While the Bulgarian coach Maldinov friendly match just one camp in the courtyard, which begins today, Saturday, and will continue until the end of the month of July before the current camp Switzerland, Maldinov said: "the presence of 32 players in camp very acceptable and help me to focus at work yesterday and I made a list of coordinators of the special team In some centres where there are large number of players. "
The list included both coordinators: Hassan Yamani and Abdali, Majid Abuyabis and Saleh Mohammad, who said yesterday that he had asked the Department of the ball a financial release that a number of local presentations will be made next

Al-Shabab Hold Sway in Saudi Soccer League

2008-07-19T03:24:00.000-07:00

The first three teams are still in their same positions from last week. Al-Shabab continues to lead at the Saudi League with 32 points; Al-Hilal is second with 31 points; and Al-Ahli is third ranked with 25 points after ending his match with Al-Hazm with a 1-1 draw.

Fourth-ranked Ittihad’s chance of overtaking Ahli is possible with only a four-points difference between them and two more games awaiting Ittihad. For its part, Al-Tai, with 17 points may cause a threat to Al-Wehda, 20 points. Tai moved from the middle-warm zone after their encounter with Hilal ended with an unexpected 2-0 score. Al-Ittifaq, Al-Hazm and Al-Qadisiya are also in the middle-warm zone while Al-Nasr, Al-Abha and Al-Ansar are in the danger zone. The matches were resumed yesterday with the game between Hazm and Ittihad in Al-Ras.

Crown Prince Cup:

Hilal of Riyadh and Ahli of Jeddah were qualified to play at the final match at the Saudi Crown Prince Cup soccer tournament . Hilal succeeded after its 2-0 victory against Wehda in the away match played on Monday in Makkah.

The first goal was delivered by Hilal’s striker Yasser Al-Qahtani in the first half, and the second by Marcelo Camacho in the second. The 2-0 score Ahli won against Shabab last week backed the team up. During their final-match 3-3 draw with Shabab, Ahli managed to make it to the finals. The date for the final game is not scheduled yet.

Barcelona confirm $51m Ronaldinho offer from Man City

2008-07-15T02:55:00.000-07:00

Barcelona has received a 32-million-euro (51-million-dollar) offer for two-time world player of the year Ronaldinho from English Premiership side Manchester City, the Spanish club's president Joan Laporta has said.

The 28-year-old Brazilian - who is also the subject of a 15-million-euro offer from AC Milan - will leave the club “with full honours”, Laporta told Catalunya Radio, adding the club had taken into account “the interests of the player as well as those of Barcelona” when deciding on whether he should go or not.

Laporta announced the offer from Manchester City, but did not say if the club would be the final destination for the player who was deemed surplus to requirements by Barcelona's new coach Josep Guardiola following a dip in form last season.

The player and his agent and brother Roberto de Assis flew back Monday from Brazil to Barcelona, where they held talks on his future with Guardiola, Barcelona technical secretary Txiki Beguiristain and director of football Raul Sanllehi, the club said in a statement on its website.

“The two sides agreed to allow two or three days to finalise the transfer of the player to one of the clubs which have shown an interest in signing him. If the operation cannot be confirmed in this time the player will rejoin squad training,” the statement said.

City have refused to give up on buying Ronaldinho and emailed Barcelona their offer on Sunday, according to Britain's Daily Mail.

City are also prepared to pay the 28-year-old 100,000 pounds more a week than Italian giants AC Milan have offered.

The club also believe the fact they have two other Brazilians at the club in his close friend Jo - who they broke their transfer record for earlier in the close season laying out 18 million for him - and Elano could prove persuasive.

“They are refusing to be bullied out of it by Milan,” a source told the Mail, who also claimed that sports kit manufacturer Nike would finance part of the deal.

“You have to admire their daring and their audacity. They still have hope that this could be possible.”

However, Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport also reported in its Monday edition that Barcelona, AC Milan and Ronaldinho - who scored 70 goals in 145 appearances for Barca - are expected to meet in Barcelona to finalise his move to Italy.

Initially it was thought the player - who has not played since March 9 because of injury - was reluctant to be present at the summit following the Spanish club's refusal to release him for the Olympic Games in Beijing.

One man confident that the deal will be concluded in time for Ronaldinho to be present at Milan's opening training session on July 16 is Ernesto Bronzetti, the Italian club's Spanish consultant.

“I spoke with Ronaldinho as he was leaving Porto Alegre for Barcelona and he told me I want to play for you',” Bronzetti told the newspaper.

The consultant also suggested that the Italians will be happy to release the World Cup winner for Brazil's attempt to win their first Olympic gold.

“I believe that Galliani has already said yes to him.”

Source:soccernews

Manchester City offer £25.5m for Ronaldinho

2008-07-15T02:49:00.000-07:00

In the latest twist of the Ronaldinho saga, a report from SkySports says that Barcelona have confirmed that they received a £25.5 million bid from Manchester City for Ronaldinho.

City has been chasing the Brazilian superstar all summer in a race against Italian giants, AC Milan, for his services. The last reports suggested the player was ready to tie up a deal with Milan, most likely preferring them because of their prestige. City’s bid was a last-ditch attempt to lure the playmaker to the Premier League.

However, Camp Nou president Joan Laporta has recently revealed City are now leading the race for the former Paris Saint Germain star.

“(Ronaldinho and his agent) have two interesting proposals and they are leaning more towards the one from Manchester City,” Laporta said.

“We hope to be able to resolve the situation this week.”

City owner Thaksin Shinawatra is determined to land his top summer target at any cost and is reportedly willing to pay a weekly wage of £150,000 - three times what the Rossoneri are reported to have offered.

[Source: SkySports News]

Euro 2008 - It’s all over, who was HOT and who was NOT?

2008-06-30T01:17:00.000-07:00

Euro 2008 - It’s all over, who was HOT and who was NOT?

Euro 2008 finished last night with a final fitting of the entire excellent tournament. Spain beat Germany 1-0 in a thoroughly deserved victory and the best team in the competition, who scored more and conceded less than anyone else, won the whole thing. Germany were good, but just not good enough.

For this sixth and final article in the Euro 2008 who’s HOT and who’s NOT series I am going to look back at the whole tournament and hand out the overall awards.

Hot team
It is obviously not possible to award this title to anyone other than Spain. They scored the most goals, conceded the fewest and played with a breathtaking brilliance at times. Their midfield play was as good as anything I have ever seen and they weren’t bad at the back or up front either!

Their victory was a victory for football because it showed that skillful, adventurous, attacking teams can still win major tournaments.

Not hot team
A few countries staked a claim for this award with Poland, Greece and Austria, amongst others, all making a good case. However, the tawdry performances of Italy, particularly the truly dreadful quarter-final display against Spain give them a well deserved second place.

The winners of this award, however, by some distance, have to be France. They performed poorly in each of their three games and could not have been more disappointing. In Abidal and Thuram, Makelele and Malouda and Henry and Anelka, they had some of the worst performers in the whole tournament. In Benzema and Ribery they had two of the biggest let downs.

All in all they were dreadful and are worthy winners of this title. (Yes, I know they beat England a few weeks ago!!)

Hot keeper
Iker Casillas didn’t put a foot wrong in the whole tournament. At twenty-seven with possibly another ten years in the Spanish goal, he is already one of the world’s most experienced keepers. The sense of reassurance he gave to the players in front of him was worth an awful lot to the team.

Not hot keeper
Petr Cech has to win the award although I would love to give it to Jens Lehmann! The absolutely calamitous mistake made by Cech in the game against Turkey will live long in the memory and no other keeper can stake a justifiable claim to this title.

Hot defender
Italy were very poor in this tournament and their defence came under more pressure than they would have liked. There was a major blow for them prior to the start of the tournament when inspirational skipper Fabio Cannavaro was ruled out through injury.

There was a great deal of pressure on the young centre half Giorgio Chiellini. After a nervy start, he went on to perform admirably. In his final appearance against Spain he totally nullified the threat of the dual strikeforce of David Villa and Fernando Torres.

Not hot defender
Eric Abidal was very poor at left back in France’s first game. He was rightly dropped, but in their make or break match against Italy he was brought back into the starting line-up. He lined up at centre-half and looked like a fish out of water.

He failed to do anything well and then with Toni getting the wrong side of him after just twenty minutes or so, he made the decision to bring him down, give away a penalty and get sent off. Obviously, the whole incident led to France being eliminated.

He should have let Toni shoot. He wouldn’t have scored! (see not-hot striker)

Hot midfielder
How do you choose between Xavi, Fabregas, Iniesta, Senna and Silva? All five of the Spanish midfielders were superb.

I am going to select the least hyped of them all. Senna was was a constant, consistent and excellent presence in the side, allowing many of the other players to express themselves. Without Senna, many of the others wouldn’t have looked so good.

Not hot midfielder
Two French players are vying for this award. Claude Makelele and Florent Malouda were both so poor in this tournament it is difficult to know how to put it into words. Makelele looked off the pace and devoid of ideas. He argued every decision and committed two or three deliberate fouls that would have seen red cards in other competitions.

Malouda played the first two games and produced absolutely nothing. He didn’t even flatter to deceive. He looked as though he would be unable to do anything worthwhile and he didn’t.

Makelele has been a great player so it would be unfair to hand him this title. Malouda has performed abysmally all season at Chelsea and is definitely a worthy winner.

Hot striker
There were many great forward performances but probably the most stunning was that of twenty-seven year old Russian Andrei Arshavin. Although he didn’t turn up for the semi-final, his earlier performances were of such quality that he justifies taking this award.

Not hot striker
There are two major contenders for this title, both of whom were expected to be stars of the tournament. Luca Toni didn’t play too badly for Italy in terms of build up play and his general contribution, but in front of goal he was woeful. The number of chances he missed in this tournament was beyond belief. If Italy had played non-stop since they lost to Spain, Toni would still not have found the net.

For Germany, Mario Gomez arrived with a quickly growing reputation. I was expecting great things from him having never really seen him play. In the two games he played Gomez produced absolutely abject performances. He had no touch, no movement and no goal threat. In the game against Austria he missed the simplest chance you could imagine.

Gomez is a clear winner which when you look at how poor Toni was, shows you just how bad Gomez actually was.

Best of the tournament
There were two individual performances of such exceptional quality that it is almost impossible to choose between them. Andrei Arshavin against Holland and Ruud Van Nistelrooy against Italy, gave virtuoso performances in their particular roles that it would be difficult to better.

As I’ve already given Arshavin an award, I’m going to give this one to the phenomenal Dutch striker.

Stinker of the tournament
For reasons I have hopefully clearly outlined above, I can look no further than France when handing out this award. So many individual players from the side deserve special recognition. It is impossible to choose and I therefore declare that France win the stinker award. (How many times do I have to tell you, yes, I know they beat England!!!)

Do you agree with my nominations or do you think there are more deserving recipients for the HOT and NOT awards?

Source:www.soccernews.com

Manchester United sign Roma star striker

2008-06-14T03:31:00.000-07:00

Manchester United have signed one of Italy’s best prospects in the form of striker Davide Petrucci from Italian club Roma, much to the fury of the Italian club and press, according to the Daily Telegraph.

After just missing out on Welsh starlet Aaron Ramsey, United moved to sign Italian youngster Petrucci and will pay the Rome club a compensation deal worth around £200,000, whilst paying the youngster around £95,000-a-year.

Petrucci, 16, has been labelled as “Italy’s next Francesco Totti” and wowed audiences by scoring 14 goals in 19 matches for Roma’s prestiged youth team, finishing as Roma’s top goal scorer. The star also earned a call-up to Italy’s Under-17 team after impressive performances.

Most of Petrucci’s £95,000-a-year will go to pay for regular flights back to Italy for the youngster, whilst the star’s father has been offered a job as a groundsman at Old Trafford to ensure Petrucci is not alone whilst in Manchester.

However, the move has caused fury among the Italian community and press, with local paper Il Romanista saying: “It is a nightmare, Manchester United have dealt us another low blow, stealing Petrucci from under our noses, probably the best product of our youth system. In three to four years, he will be worth 100 times as much.”

Petrucci, a self-confessed Roma fan, could have possibly made the break into the first-team next season, however with Roma only offering £16,000-a-year to the youngster, United’s big money contract lured the striker away from the Stadio Olimpico.

Bruno Conti, Roma’s technical director, said the club refused to offer Petrucci an improved contract due to the fact that it would upset the other youngsters at the club and the Petrucci would have been given his chance to shine next season with possible first-team opportunities, leading to an improved contract.

Petrucci tried to explain his decision to local press by saying: “A month ago Roma offered me a contract at the minimum rate, without clarifying whether it would be for three or five years,”

” I asked for a bit of time to think about it, Man Utd had already made their proposal, but Roma only gave me three days and left me out of the squad. To a certain extent they closed the door on me while Man Utd opened a big door.”

“You can’t just forget six years at Roma. I was born a Roma fan and I will be one for the rest of my life,” he said. “But this is a great opportunity, I’m going to to the strongest club in the world. It was difficult to say no, even if I would have been very happy to spend my whole career at Roma.”

Petrucci is now set to join United at the clubs prestiged acedamy on July 1st, where the youngster will begin training with the club.

[Source: The Daily Telegraph, Il Romanista]

Spain and Sweden eye Euro 2008 quarter-final spot

2008-06-14T03:27:00.000-07:00

Either Spain or Sweden could wrap up a place in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals if they emerge triumphant from the pair's Group D meeting here on Saturday.

Both won their opening matches with Spain particularly impressive in dismantling Russia 4-1 while Sweden defeated the holders Greece 2-0.

Those results put the pair in pole position to qualify from the group and a victory for either one on Saturday would virtually assure their progress to the next stage.

And while Sweden were gritty and controlled in breaking down the negative Greeks, thanks in no small part to the continued brilliance of veteran forward Henrik Larsson and a moment of magic from Inter Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Spain sizzled in their destruction of Guus Hiddink's Russia.

It has all left the coach of the perennial underachievers feeling boisterous as Spain go in search of their first international title in 44 years.

“My only desire is to win as many matches for Spain as possible and because my life view is that the glass is always half full, not half empty, I neither get carried away with victory nor does defeat destroy me,” said Luis Aragones.

“Every one of my four losses as national coach is a thorn in my side, particularly one of them (defeat to France in the World Cup two years ago).

“Defeat lingers in my heart, it bounces around my brain. If I've a message for Spain's magnificent fans it is that this group of players is here to win the tournament at all costs.”

One of their vital cogs is Liverpool forward Fernando Torres, whom Aragones surprisingly hauled off just 10 minutes into the second half of the Russia game.

And Aragones admitted the striker wasn't happy about being substituted but he insisted that his thinking was just.

“I understand if Fernando's a little ticked off with me because this happened to me as a player and I know how I felt,” he said.

“But my thinking is that every footballer who comes off early is irritated with himself more than anything else. That's how I always reacted.”

For Spanish fullback Joan Capdevila, it is quite clear where his priority will lie in stopping Sweden from operating - keeping Ibrahimovic quiet.

“He is a striker who is extremely difficult to handle,” said the Villarreal player.

“It is imperative that we keep an eye on him round the area. This is going to be one of the keys to the match. We have to ensure our defensive line keeps its form.”

The Swedes, for their part, are expecting few surprises against the technically gifted Spaniards, though they will miss the vastly experienced defender Niclas Alexandersson who has a calf strain.

“We know Spain very well because we played them twice during the qualifiers,” said Sweden coach Lars Lagerback. “They are a very technical team who don't give you many chances.”

“It's clear that they are very fast in the middle of the park, they like to have the ball at their feet but my team showed against Greece that they can work very hard.

“I was really delighted because they implemented almost to perfection the style of play I asked of them.”

During the qualifiers the honours were shared between the two teams, Sweden winning 2-0 at home before going down 3-0 in Spain.

“They're very technical, very physical also. I think the match will be similar to the one against Greece, we will have to be patient,” added Lagerback who claimed this game would be decisive.

“This match will decide the group standings,” he added.
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Written by SoccerNews · Tags: European Championships, La Liga
Source:www.soccernews.com