Last posts on football

Why I hate Ronaldo

2008-09-26T18:27:00+02:00

yup, as you can guess this is about football

so, do you want to know the real reason I hate Ronny?

...Fantasy football - that's right, fantasy football - the most irritating thing for me is that if you wanted to be a decent manager last season you had to have the 31-goal season diving wonder in your squad or you got hammered - (this is the official premier league fantasy game by the way) - with nearly 300 points he probably justifies his 14 million price tag this year - but at 3 million higher than the already expensive likes of lampard, gerrard and fabregas he completely dominates a team, you basically have to find an extra cheapie who may get points to balance him

there's not much I can do about it, if he was cheaper even more people would have him, and his score does pretty much warrant the pricetag - but I don't want to have to buy him and ruin the balance of my team(s) - I pride myself on sneakily buying the likes of Cahill, ashley young, arteta, zaki and rory delap - but none have the ridiculous consistency that ronaldo had last year, which meant without him you were always playing catch up and having to divert your funds to him, meaning tactics were watered down - i found the whole experience very annoying - "build your fantasy team of fifteen players, built in ronaldo for 14 million, required: 2 dirt cheap midfielders from fulham"

obviously there are popular players, but he had such consistency that everyone had to have him if they wanted to win - 31 goals in 38 games is ridiculous, especially considering forwards get less points than midfielders, so the expensive torres with 24 goals got proportionately less - so the european 'forward of the year' got extra points for being called a winger, while the winger* ashley young was classed as a forward and got less...strange huh?

and so that is why i am not happy about ronaldo's return, while i may dislike the diving little s**t and all the hype around him I particularly loathe the fact that he may well reduce the fun of fantasy football (how sad am i??) - i was so happy when he had surgery (what? don't look at me like that, he's not dying or anything) - no ronaldo at the start made the fun of finding players like wright philips and deco, or the failures of bentley, and the tottenham team in general (love it), much better

but now he has returned, i'm hoping he won't pay his way as much this year, which would give me a massive advantage over those novices who already bought him (leaving 14 million on the bench) and will snap him up this week - what with berbatov up front he may have to share his goal tally a bit because quite frankly i don't want to fork out 14 mil on this incredibly top heavy player - time will tell, and i'll get pasted...

Inspiring Cameroon Footballers

2008-08-28T10:36:30+02:00

Known for their football fervor, Cameroonian footballers have always raised expectations in their matches. Their passion for the game is often reflected in the spirit that they exhibit. While footballers from Cameroon have led their country to international glory, the country itself has been responsible for introducing young talents like Alex Song , who stunned the world with his international debut. Cameroonian football may have a relatively recent history, but their players have certainly proved their capabilities time and again. Football to Cameroon is of near-religious significance and Cameroonian footballers worldwide are proof to this. While their enthusiasm works wonders for their teams, their fans get inspired merely by watching them.

Alexandre Song- Destined to Achieve!

2008-08-27T14:04:30+02:00

Born in September 2007, in Douala, Cameroon, Alexandre Song made his country proud in international football. He became a part of the Bastia youth team in 2003-04. During his time at Bastia, his talent appealed to clubs such as Manchester United, Lyon and Middleborough. However, it was Arsenal that ultimately signed him on a four year contract. Song was part of the Cameroon squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, in which he made his debut. During these matches, he revealed his aptitude for international football, and earned the Man of the Match award in the semifinal. In spite of being injured during the final match against Egypt, he was named in the Tournament Best XI. With all these accomplishments at such a young age, Alex Song seems to be a man destined to achieve.

Playing Centre Back…

2008-08-20T10:34:29+02:00

The positions in football may not be as formally defined as those in the other games. However, footballers tend to play in a limited range of positions throughout their careers. This may be attributed to the fact that each of these positions requires a particular set of skills. One such is the Centre Back (CB) position, otherwise known as Centre Half. A CB is meant to stop opposing players from scoring, and to bring the ball out from their penalty area. Center backs are usually tall, and possess good heading and tackling capabilities. Some well-known CBs playing today include Fabio Cannavaro, the Real Madrid player, William Gallas and Alexandre Song of Arsenal and John Terry of Chelsea. While CBs usually remain in the half of the field that contains the goal they are defending, some tall defenders often go forward to the opposing team's penalty box, when scoring with one’s head is a possibility. Center backs therefore, have a defensive function to perform and a crucial role to play. Their skills have become an indispensable asset to every football team.

The Cameroon- Football Connection

2008-08-20T08:11:26+02:00

Cameroon’s football history dates back to its period of colonization. What merely began as an unorganized activity soon became widely-played, with the formation of several football clubs. It also came to be a part of Physical Education in colonial schools, and its practice started to be identified as a sign of prestige. As Cameroon gained more international visibility, the government increased its role and controlled the sport more closely. With so much significance given to football in the country, it’s only natural that Cameroon has introduced some of the most talented footballers to the world. A Cameroonian footballer is believed to have an inborn passion for the game, and this has been proved time and again by young players like Alex Song, who has a worldwide fan-following. It makes us wonder whether Cameroon made these footballers famous or the footballers made Cameroon famous. Either ways, the undying football-passion of the country’s youngsters will only make the Cameroon-football connection flourish.

GO TURKEY GO

2008-06-21T19:15:00+02:00

Last night I watched an Unbelievable match between Turkey and Croatia. I thought that the match will never end. Lost all hope to win! But on 120+2 min Semih Şentürk did the miracle.

Thank you Turkey thank you GREAT TEAM. Thank you for the great gift in my Birthday. Love you

GO GO GO TURKO

NOTICE : Now I started to believe that nothing is impossible until I die .

The Kansas and Nebraska Acts

2007-11-05T04:02:37+01:00

The new BCS poll is out this week, and the good news is that 3 of the top 6 teams are in the Big 12 (and two of those are from the Big 12 North):1. Ohio State2. LSU3. Oregon4. Kansas5. Oklahoma6. MissouriTeh bad news is that Kansas jumped from 8 to 4 on account of our Nebraska Cornhuskers' record-breakingly bad performance. We have lost more games in a row than ever before, gave up more points in a half than ever before, and gave up more points total than ever before.The question is should Coach Callahan and Defensive Coordinator Cosgrove be fired now, or stay on so this season is unambiguously theres.From the Fire Callahan and Cosgrove side:

Coaching: 0 Kansas scored 19 points the last two weeks...they quadrupled that yesterday thanks to Coz's defense and Callahan completely abandoning the running game to put the game completely in the hands of a first time starter at quarterback. Please guys... don't damage your careers any more, just resign today.Overall: F It's over Bill. Coach Osborne, please call an audible and do what needs to be done now.

From the Let Callahan and Cosgrove hang perspective

Forget the idea that he (or Bill Callahan) should resign or be fired. He shouldn't. He shouldn't be let off the hook. At the end of the season, we can write about how this is the worst season in Nebraska's history and it can be attributed to him without any asterisks attached. This becomes more important as times marches on. Think about that for a minute. When my sons are old enough to have their own kids, they can look in a record book somewhere and Kevin Cosgrove's name will be attached to this season.

The best summary is from the NU v. KU open thread:

now witnessing the death throes of the Callasham regime.

All links from Corn Nation

Three bad games

2007-10-14T04:59:59+02:00

Today was a football disasterFirst, the drudge report headline says it all: Huskers suffer worst home loss since '58Nebraska 14, Oklahoma State 45Second, the Big 12 South humiliates the Big 12 North#6 Oklahoma 41, #11 Missouri 31Third, #2 California, my sentimental favorite, had a chance to become number one, after#1 LSU 37, #17 Kentuck 31But it was not to beOregon State 31, #2 California #28And as I'm writing this, Auburn, the team that beat us in the Cotton Bowl last year, survived Arkansas and somehow stays in the Top 25.#22 Auburn 9, Arkansas 7*sigh*

It doesn't feel good...

2007-10-07T13:31:51+02:00

to lose to Missouri, but at least we weren't trounced by Stanford (sorry Matt!)Hopefully Shane's Golden Bears move up to #2 now.And as if to prove that God has it out for the city of His angels, UCLA lost to Notre Dame. Notre Dame!

Brazil Player Kaka Named Fifpro Player Of The Year

2007-10-06T06:51:13+02:00

Brazil Player Kaka Named Fifpro Player Of The Year. More than 25,000 professional footballers around the world vote for the award. AC Milan's Brazil playmaker Kaka has been named as the Fifpro player of the year, following in the footsteps of countryman Ronaldinho, winner for the past two years. Also in Fifpro ideal XI:Gianluigi Buffon; Alessandro Nesta, Fabio Cannavaro, John Terry, Carles Puyol; Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Steven Gerrard; Lionel Messi, Didier Drogba, Ronaldinho.Source: TOI

Overview Of Indian Football Team

2007-10-01T09:38:45+02:00

Visit of the FIFA president Sepp Blatter was one such initiative that took the country by storm, not to mention the international football fraternity. His sole mission was to encourage Indian businesses to invest in the game and to spread the message that football can be a great investment venture. The appointment of Bob Houghton as the national team’s coach in 2006 was an inspired move by the AIFF. The former Fulham midfielder came in with bags of international coaching experience as well as technical and tactical prowess which no Indian coach could have brought. He immediately instilled a sense of responsibility and solidity into the side.Bob failed in convincing Michael Chopra who currently plays for Sunderland F.C in the English Premier League to join the Indian national team but he did manage to increase the average height of the team, which still falls short by a couple of inches of international standards.The Englishman's next endeavor was to convince the AIFF to reinstate the Nehru cup after a 10 year long hiatus. The 2007 edition of the cup feature big football playing countries(Uruguay,Hungary,Poland or Russia) like the previous editions of the cup had, this time the highest ranked team invited was Syria at 112.)Before the Nehru cup the AIFF arranged some practice matches in Portugal which turned out to be a good practice trip for the players. Although the matches were played against second and third division club sides it was ideal preparation for the team to win their maiden Nehru cup. When India beat Syria in the final (1-0) thanks to a N.P Pradeep goal, the whole country saw the rebirth of Indian football much like the rebirth of the Nehru cup. Although the tournament didn’t get a lot of international media coverage it made the whole country stand up and take notice of the achievements of the team. Baichung Bhutia, the Indian captain, was quick to praise his team mates and the work done by Houghton.The win marked a kind of renaissance in Indian football and calls for further improvement were echoed by the whole team. The improvement in Indian football can be seen, but there is still a long and arduous road ahead, the lack of infrastructure is proving to be a major stumbling block.From the lack of international standard stadiums to the lack of quality coaches, Indian football has been plagued with these problems since time immemorial. Having said that, things are slowly changing for the better.Source: //Goal.com

Ronaldinho préfère jouer au Milan ac au Chelsea

2007-09-28T18:17:48+02:00

Ronaldinho préfère jouer à Milan plutôt qu'à Chelsea Selon La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Le joueur deux fois meilleur joueur au monde Fâché avec son coach Rijkaard est prêt à laisser les géants Espagnol-

La Gazzetta dello Sport déclare que seulement deux équipes en Europe ont une réel chance d'acheter le Brésilien,le Milan ac et Chelsea. On dit que Ronaldinho favorise un transfert vers l'Italie en raison du style de vie et les Brésiliens déjà present au club . Les Rossoneri ont actuellement sept joueurs brésiliens ; Dida, Cafu, Emerson, Serginho, Digao, Kaka et Ronaldo. Alexandre Pato a également signé pour les champions d'europe et sera apte pour jouer à partir de janvier. le Président Silvio Berlusconi est prêt a mettre £70m (110 m euro ) de côté afin de financier l'affaire. Ceci inclut le salaire de 11 M d'euro par an de Ronaldino. ce dérnier a été absent des deux dérniers matchs contre Séville et Zaragoza,

Obstacles For Indian Football To Overcome

2007-09-21T14:29:32+02:00

You could see the kids head to the football ground, with the symbols of Real Madrid or Manchester United gleaming proudly on their jerseys, a glitter in every eye, wanting to emulate their foreign idols. That’s right, FOREIGN idols.In 2007, Indian Football has not just cricket, Formula 1 or even hockey to contend with; it has the European football leagues to overcome.Don’t even bother walking into a sports shop to ask for a Mohun Bagan T-shirt. “ We don’t have any of those, but why not try our range of Spanish , English, Italian, German or even MLS t-shirts?”, is the answer you will get. The domestic league? It's a joke. Some of the teams simply play to exist in the league. Most of them end up spending most of their money hiring Brazilian players and African players to bail them out of their misery. In 2006-2007 the 29 foreign players in the league scored as many as 133 of the 243 goals scored, ;eaving the 254 Indians to manage 110 strikes between them. Our only ray of sunshine? Sunil Chetri, who top scored among the Indians with 12 goals.The practice grounds, football arenas, television broadcasts are all a huge mess. I couldn’t help watch in dismay, when Jose Mourinho moaned about the pathetic state of the pitch at Stamford Bridge a few years back. That pitch would be heaven to our Indian professionals!Want to catch a match between the heavyweights East Bengal and Mohun Bagan? Tough luck my friend! It’s not anyone’s fault here. The number of spectators is low since the standard of the game in our country is pitiable. One would rather watch TV and be wowed by a classy Maradona-like goal by Messi or an unbelievable free-kick from Gerrard.On the other hand, fewer the spectators, lesser the revenue which means lesser the wages and lesser the standards of the sport. It happens to be a symbiotic relationship. It’s just that neither side’s contributing much to each other. People too are reluctant to follow a career in professional football. They prefer cricket, especially now that wages in the game are increasingWe need a Sunil Chetri or a Bhaichung Bhutia to get a few big advertising deals in order to prove that money exists in football. Maybe then reluctant Indian parents will let their children pursue a career in this otherwise impoverished field.Perhaps the I-League will bring us something new and exciting. But with the same old clubs and the same old faces on the pitch, one can’t help but think this is just a cosmetic makeover. I’ll still be keeping my fingers crossed though. Source: //goal.com

Wayne Rooney Could Have Played Two Weeks Ago

2007-09-18T12:50:00+02:00

Playing for their country is the greatest honour that can be bestowed upon any footballer. There is no prouder achievement than pulling the national jersey and lining up for the anthems.It has emerged today that Manchester United star Wayne Rooney felt he was fit enough to play in both of England’s qualifiers, but was kept out of the squad by manager Alex Ferguson, amidst claims that he was unfit to play.Rooney contradicted his manager’s claims as he told Man United’s TV station MUTV: “I'm fine. I feel I could have played a few weeks ago and I'm a bit disappointed I haven't. But it was probably best in the long run.”The Man United website claims this is merely typical of Rooney's enthusiasm and hunger for football.Cynics amongst us will note the importance of Rooney to a United side who have found it difficult to find the back of the net this season. Expectations are forever high at Old Trafford and trophies will be sought by the fans, a cause that Rooney will be expected to contribute towards.Rooney was quick to step back in-line with his manager’s decision not to let him join up with the England squad, telling MUTV: “I've been dying to play. I wanted to make sure the manager knew I was ready to come back. The manager and physio’s have been a bit cautious and rightly so - it's a long season.”Source: goal.com

Football Highlights

2007-09-09T04:18:44+02:00

Two big games today#16 Nebraska 20, Wake Forest 17Michigan 7, Oregon 39The Nebraska / Wake Forest match was very good. The game was scheduled before the Wake-Forest-as-conference-champ days, but it was satisfactory to dispose of last season's ACC victor. That the victory was only be three points made it all the better to watch.Likewise, listening (via ESPN Radio) to highlights of the Michigan / Oregon game was terrific. With all apologies to the greatness of the Pac 10, the public immolation of Michigan -- and with her the Big 10 generally -- has a very ritual-sacrifice feel to it.

Soccer/football.

2007-08-12T13:35:00+02:00

Oh golly, it's the season. Every year it's the same. It also seems as if the seasons get nearer together. I cannot blame my age this time for it either.Ladies all over Britain may be feeling the same. Yes, football is back again. Not just on a Saturday as in days of yore. Not just in the daylight hours. No, it can be on anytime. And, it is. lolYesterday we went shopping to nearby Morecambe. You may not know this but Morecambe is now in the league.The game was supposed to kick-off at 3pm. But at that time there was a queue still waiting to get in. Well, it was the first game for them. So kick-off started late. 0 - 0 was the score.Cricket hasn't quite finished either. Loose Women finished Friday. A lot of ladies like watching soccer. Good for them. The thought of standing or even sitting in the cold, rainy and windy weather, puts me off. Go for it Morecambe! Please have a great season.

Questionné quant à son futur à Barcelone, le joueur camerounais s'est clairement expliqué.

2007-07-04T02:19:00+02:00

Eto'o évoque son futur et celui de Ronaldinho!

Espagne

Questionné quant à son futur à Barcelone, le joueur camerounais s'est clairement expliqué.

Rédigé le 02/07/2007 à 17h39

Annoncés partant du côté de Milan, Eto'o et Ronaldinho vont rester à Barcelone! Lors d'une interview réalisée ce week-end, l'attaquant camerounais a déclaré: «Lui et moi ne bougeront pas de Barcelone, même si je sais que Berlusconi nous veux! »

Samuel Eto'o repousse donc les rumeurs de départs régulièrement évoquées depuis l'arrivée de Henri en blaugrana la semaine dernière.

Le camerounais a également émis quelques mots du sur le mercato du Barça qui traite actuellement les arrivées de Milito ou de Chivu en défense après celle de Abidal: «Ce sont des grands joueurs, ils nous seraient très utiles.»

Ecrit par Constantin Gabriel

Berlusconi does not believe in Ronaldinho in Milan

2007-06-25T23:59:07+02:00

Berlusconi does not believe in Ronaldinho in Milan

The president of Milan AC, Silvio Berlusconi expressed himself on the mercato of his team. According to him, it will be “impossible to see arriving Ronaldinho. Laporta would be forced expatrier”. Concerning Cameronian Eto' O, “We do not put limit at providence”. In same time, Carlo Ancelotti acknowledges in Sky Sport to have been very ready of Real Madrid the year last.

“The president of Barcelona told me that if it sold Ronaldinho, it would be obliged expatrier” stated Silvio Berlusconi with the microphones of Sky. The president thus intends to make conceal the rumours of a possible arrival of Brazilian among champions of Europe. Berlusconi also expressed himself on the case Suazo, which made so much spoken the town of Milan last week. “We had gotten along with president de Cagliari, but the player had a legal tender clause and had an agreement with Inter”. Concerning its attack: “We hope to succeed in finding somebody. But we also await much Ronaldo. So then, we succeed in finding a player strong who is not unsaleable… Eto' O? We do not put limit at providence…”.

The Milanese trainer Carlo Ancelotti also expressed himself on Sky Sport. He revealed to have failed to sign for Real Madrid last season. “The year spent, there was a good feeling with Real Madrid. Then, it is the affection which prevailed and I wanted to remain”. Ancelotti less seems to count on Eto' O that its leaders. “Priority of Barcelona east not to deprive itself of Eto' O, like Milan AC with Kaka. In any way, we gained the League champions without Ronaldo. The next year, we will have it in addition to Inzaghi, Oliveira and Gilardino. We have various solutions, we are not desperate. We must continue on the same road, we will be able to play with one or two points, but the most important thing is that we will have to remain in reliability”.

Then, will the team of Milan AC flame as the press wants to believe in it so well or will quite simply preserve it its reinforcement which made of it the champion team of Europe of football?

Nurse...No....Cigs...No.....Footie....Yes.

2007-05-08T00:40:00+02:00

Football.....Morecambe won soccer today! So it's Wimbledon in a fortnight's time! Well done to Morecambe Football Club. Good on the Shrimps.Not needed for work this week. Up to now anyway but the duty rota looked healthy, so no extra nurse needed! Not had a smoke for over 48 hours now. I do hope I can keep this up. No patches or anything used so no nicotine in my body!

Youness, Happy new year and ...don't be modest!!

2007-04-19T12:25:00+02:00

Happy birthday! After all, it's not everyday you celebrate your birthday, is it? Look, you may even try to avoid these birthday wishes, by saying it's not a merit and that times goes by in the exact same way for everybody and that it's nothing but a convention, and so on.

But you deserve it! You deserve it because of the way you accupy your days, the intelligent, cheerful and pleasant way you spend your time; your good mood and willingness to go that extra mile to help your friends especially "Hisham", even those who turn to be not such good friends after all!!

You deserve it just because of the way you are, the way you look upon the world and the way you rejoice with all that's good and beautiful. So it's important you live for many years to come and that you remain the way you are, alive and witty, for it's people like you that make this a better world to live on.

If each one of us has to do his or hers share for this to happen, rest assured you're one of those who's actually doing it and you're very good at it!!

So stop bein modest and accept my sincere wishes for a happy birthday!

May you have a great day!

A hug.

Fed up!

2007-03-19T21:15:00+01:00

Himdownstairs is glued to the football on TV. Huh, wish I enjoyed it too. Not to worry, as long as his team wins and he is happy, all is well. I am so interested in footie that I don't know which team, his fave team is playing. Just when I thought it was getting better, staff shortages again. Oh well, as I keep reminding myself, if I can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen! So, maybe it's time for me to retire gracefully. (Not that I could do anything gracefully.) But I know I will carry on a little longer and wait until the better weather arrives! We got our car on Saturday. It's really nice. There are things in it that our other, older model didn't have. Quite good fun knowing, what means what! The CD player is simple, even for me. Not really showing off, well, I suppose I am, just a bit. Last had a cig about 3pm. (Up to then, just three.) I haven't a nicotine patch on, not used the inhaler or sucked on a lozenge. So, if I carry on, Wednesday 3pm, will see me with all the nicotine out of my body and also all the carbon dioxide. Please watch this space. lol Thank you.

Currently Playing: NCAA 07 Football

2006-12-17T05:38:07+01:00
Not only is unwinding with this great game good for me...
... it super-empowers my horizontal thinking.Go Big Red!

Champions League round-up

2006-12-05T23:30:53+01:00

Football Champions League

Barcelona scored twice early on to clinch their safe passage through to the next round, dumping Werder Bremen out in the process, while Chelsea won 2-0 against Levski Sofia and Liverpool lost 3-1 at Galatasaray.

Click on the links for full match reports.

Barcelona 2-0 Werder Bremen

The holders are safely through after two early goals deflated Bremen at Camp Nou. Ronaldinho's free kick and Eidur Gudjohnsen did the damage, knocking the Germans out of the competition.

Chelsea 2-0 Levski Sofia

Chelsea top Group A after being made to work hard for their win against Levski. Andrei Shevchenko scored a beauty with the outside of his foot and Shaun Wright-Phillips bagged his first goal for the club.

Bayern Munich 1-1 Internazionale

Patrick Vieira salvaged a point for Inter with a last-gasp equaliser after Roy Makaay opened the scoring for Bayern.

Sporting 1-3 Spartak Moscow

Spartak turned on the style to record a fine away win and qualify for the UEFA Cup. Roman Pavluchenko, Maxim Kalinichenko and Denis Boyarintsev netted for the visitors with Carlos Bueno replying for Sporting.

Galatasaray 3-2 Liverpool

Liverpool endured an unhappy return to the scene of their 2005 triumph in the competition as Necati Ates, Okan Buruk and Sasa Ilic all found a way past Jerzy Dudek. Robbie Fowler scored twice in vain for Rafa Benitez's men, who still top the group.

PSV 1-3 Bordeaux

Julien Faubert, Stephane Dalmat and Jean-Claude Darcheville put Bordeaux 3-0 up in Eindhoven and Alex's 87th minute effort was no more than a consolation.

Olympiacos 1-1 Shakhtar Donetsk

Nery Castillo cancelled out Francseco Matuzalem's opener as Shakhtar take their place in the UEFA Cup.

Roma 1-0 Valencia

Christian Panucci's close-range header settled a dire encounter and assured Roma of qualification with Valencia already safely through.

Rivalries

2006-12-03T18:50:00+01:00
Yesterday the Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big 12 North Champions) and the Oklahoma Sooners (champions of the Big 12 South) fought for the conference championship in Kansas City, Missouri. To dreams of Sean Meade and others came true, as the Sooners bested the Cornhuskers 21-7.
大内部拉斯加对大俄克拉何马
However, in spite of CG's gloating:
The SOONER you can update this the better. After tonight's game rest easy world: The New Order has been preserved.
The game was fun. Oklahoma is the ancient rival of Nebraska, though we've been separated ever since the Big Eight moved on to the bigger and better Big 12. Since that time, Nebraska has been stuck with hick schools like Colorado and Kansas State as "rivals." It's nice to have such a big game against such a great school -- and such an ancient foe.A similar dynamic is occurring in my home state of South Dakota, where the South Dakota State Jackrabbits tried to become "big-time" by moving up to Great West Football Conference -- leaving the ancestral North Central Conference to the wolves... or to the South Dakota Coyotes as the case may be. However, there too the old becomes new, as USD will be joining SDSU in NCAA Division I.
Traditions and football, like beer and pretzels, go together.

Inter Milan moves into first place

2006-10-15T22:36:09+02:00

AP Photo: Inter Milan's Ivan Ramiro Cordoba, top, of Colombia celebrates with his teammates after Dejan Stankovic...

MILAN, Italy - Inter Milan moved into first place in the Italian league after beating Catania 2-1 Sunday on goals from Dejan Stankovic.

Stankovic headed in Luis Figo's cross in the 29th minute, and then added another in the 75th with a powerful drive from the edge of the area.

Catania forward Giuseppe Mascara scored the first goal of the game in the 16th with a shot from 30 yards. Inter had a chance to add another goal, but substitute Julio Ricardo Cruz failed a convert a penalty in the 67th.

"I thought we began quite well, but then we conceded a freak goal," Inter coach Roberto Mancini said. "Catania then upped their game ... but I thought we deserved the win, particularly after the missed penalty."

Also, Reggina beat AS Roma 1-0 and Atalanta topped Palermo 3-2.

Inter leads the league with 14 points. Roma and Palermo have 12 points each, with Roma ahead on goal difference.

Luca Toni scored his fourth goal of the season to help Fiorentina beat Empoli 2-1 and win an away game for the first time this season. The Italy striker scored in the 77th minute.

Fiorentina, docked 19 points for its role in Italy's match-fixing scandal, improved to minus-10 but remains in last place.

LONDON (AP) — Bolton came from behind to beat Newcastle 2-1 and move into third place in the English Premier League.

El Hadji Diouf scored for Bolton in the 55th and 57th minutes after Shola Ameobi's penalty gave the Magpies a 19th-minute lead.

Bolton now has 17 points, onlt two behind both Manchester United and Chelsea.

Ameobi scored his penalty after Abdoulaye Faye blocked a cross from Obafemi Martins with his arm.

Newcastle missed a chance to make it 2-0 in the 39th when Ameobi headed a cross from Damien Duff in front of goal, but Peter Ramage, arriving totally unmarked, shot high and wide from eight yards.

In the 55th, Nicolas Anelka got around the back of the Newcastle defense on the left and crossed low for Diouf to sidefoot the ball home.

Two minutes later, Bolton struck again when Kevin Davies jumped to head on a free kick and Diouf was left unmarked in front of goal to head past goalkeeper Steve Harper from six yards.

BERLIN (AP) — FC Nuremberg lost a chance to gain a share of the lead in the Bundesliga when it tied Arminia Bielefeld 1-1.

A win would have pulled Nuremberg even at 13 points with Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen and Schalke, but the club was held to a tie for the fifth straight game.

Joerg Boehme scored a controversial penalty for Bielefeld in the 26th minute, and Jan Polak tied the score in the 39th.

Eight teams are within two points of the top, with Nuremberg seventh at 11.

Borussia Dortmund moved to 11 points as two headers by defender Markus Brenska lifted it to a 3-2 win over Energie Cottbus.

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — PSV Eindhoven got four late goals to beat Roda JC 4-1 in the Dutch league.

Davy de Fauw gave Roda the lead in the fourth minute, but PSV substitute Jefferson Farfan tied the score in the 75th.

Two minutes later, Farfan set up Alex for PSV's second goal, and substitutes Ismail Aissati and Roy Beerens added goals in injury time to stretch PSV's unbeaten home record to 29 games.

PSV is in third place with 16 points, two behind league leader Ajax and one less then AZ Alkmaar. Both Ajax and AZ won Saturday — Ajax beat FC Groningen 3-2 and AZ blanked Sparta Rotterdam 2-0.

Feyenoord, struggling in seventh place with 11 points, drew 2-2 with RKC Waalwijk. Ali Boussaboun and Theo Lucius scored for Feyenoord, while Martijn Reuser and Patrick van Diemen scored for RKC.

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Hearts came back to hold city rival Hibernian to a 2-2 tie in the Scottish Premier League.

Andrius Velicka scored two goals for 10-man Hearts after Merouane Zemmama gave Hibs the lead and Chris Killen doubled it. Hearts finished the game with 10 men after Saulius Mikoliunas was sent off in the 59th minute after getting two yellow cards.

Hearts is in second place in the league with 20 points, five behind defending champion Celtic.

from: http://news.yahoo.com

Ronaldinho insists: Barcelona perfect for me

2006-10-06T19:46:01+02:00
Ronaldinho insists: Barcelona perfect for me
tribalfooball.com - October 06, 2006

Ronaldinho insists he's happy at Barcelona and confident of bouncing back to his best.
It's been suggested the Brazilian's poor form has been due to him carrying an injury, or being unsettled by rumours linking him with AC Milan.

But Ronaldinho says: "There's no offer from Milan. I feel as if I'm home in Barcelona; it's perfect here, I do not need talk about it. It cheers me knowing that people want me to stay.

"I am not a machine, nobody is. I am not worried. Why should I be? I feel happy and I am preparing myself to help. That is my objective. When the team needs me, I will be ready."

Barcelona No1 Valdes: Ronaldinho in perfect shape

2006-10-06T19:39:01+02:00
tribalfooball.com - October 04, 2006

Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes has jumped to the defence of teammate Ronaldinho. The Brazilian's sudden drop in form has been leapt upon by critics, but Valdes says: "I do not know if he is in form or not - and I am not someone who can judge that, but I see him as perfect.
"He gives everything for his teammates and I believe that he is the best, as he has always demonstrated."

Hassan's Anderlecht crushed in Belgium League

2006-10-02T19:07:28+02:00

Hassan

Ahmed Hassan and his side Anderlecht were handed their first defeat of the season when they lost to Racing Genk 4-1 on Saturday.

Hassan played the whole game after he was ruled out from Anderlecht's 1-1 draw with AEK Athens in the Champions League earlier this week due to injury.

But the Egypt captain hardly had an impact as Moroccan striker Mbark Boussoufa scored the consolation goal for Anderlecht.

Both Kevin Vandenbergh and Croatian forward Goran Ljubojevic scored twice to fire Genk into the league's top spot.

Title holders Anderlecht now lie second with 17 points from eight games, trailing the winners by three points.source :http://worldcup.filbalad.com/english/News.asp?NewsID=27803

Finally he showed up!

2006-10-01T19:25:00+02:00

Finally he showed up.

Arsenal 2, Charlton 1 at the Valley this afternoon, thanks in large part to the heroics of Robin van Persie. His miraculous volley was spectacular enough to see us move up to 6th place in the table with 11 points. It was our 5th consecutive win. We did not play well as a team, however. Kolo and Gallas looked uncomfortable when dealing with long balls. Gallas especially looked of the pace. He is definitely not a 100% yet. Hoyte again failed to impress and could be blamed for the first goal. He lost Hasselbaink completely and when he did finally manage to catch up was shrugged off too easily for my liking. The sooner he doesn’t have to play the better. Jens had a decent game and had one outstanding save, diving low to his left. He has looked impressive this season—no World Cup hangover.

That being said, the 2-1 scoreline is quite deceptive. When we had the ball, we looked quick to counter and difficult to stop. This game could have well finished 6-3. Henry and Cesc were denied by good saves by Carson. Van Persie missed a sitter. Charlton had a poor first half but played well in the second. They were denied a clear penalty off Gallas’ hand, and Hasselbaink flashed a header just wide of the post. This was one of the most entertaining games we have played this season. Charlton, unlike most teams, were not afraid to attack us.

Hleb’s contribution today will be overshadowed by van Persie. He played a large part in both goals, stupefying 3 Charlton defenders before passing across the box to RvP for the first goal and threading a brilliantly-paced through ball to Eboue who set up the second. Hleb is an integral part of the squad, he proved that again today.

A short bit on the man of the match before I wrap this post up. Over the last couple of months a lot of Arsenal fans have questioned his future at the club. Some people (even some who write for this site) say he cannot play alongside Henry in front. The game today proved that his talent is worth the frustration he fuels when he misses tap-ins like the one today that would have completed his hat-trick. In the long run, today’s goals (especially the second one) will give him a huge lift and hopefully this will translate into goals. Gooners need to be patient—he can be a 20 goal a season striker. He is NOT a winger. With patience from the fans, he will be a legend at this club.

In all it was a great result. We lost the lead, subsequently equalized and then fired in the winner just after half-time. Even though we did not play our best, we came out with all 3 points on the road. It was a typical result for a Champion.

Primera Liga Preview: Sevilla - Real Betis

2006-09-30T15:10:08+02:00

Real Madrid and FC Barcelona may portray their own meeting as 'el Clásico', but the fiercest derby in Spanish football is in Seville. When Sevilla meet Real Betis all hell breaks loose and the shenanigans that go on leading up to the game, and even during it, make this an occasion to savour.

The bad news this year though is that nobody outside of the ground will be able to see a single kick as Sevilla president José María Del Nido has thrown his toys out of the pram over the offer that his club received for television coverage of his team's games from one of the two partners that hold the rights to show Spanish matches.

Negotiations have been ongoing, but until a deal is reached the current run of form that Sevilla are enjoying will have to be learned about from websites and newspapers.

On And Off The Pitch

On the pitch, and in the presidential box, the rivalry is intense. At the end of the 1999-2000 campaign Sevilla deliberately lost a game with Real Oviedo to ensure that Betis were relegated. Any doubts about their intentions were removed when Sevilla took off their goalkeeper, Frode Olsen, after he made several saves to deny the opposition scoring the winning goals.

More recently, Betis president Manuel Ruiz de Lopera banned Del Nido from watching the game in the presidential box, but the Sevilla president still found a way of sneaking in.
The modern-day supporters may come from different backgrounds, but the rivalry stems from the fact that Sevilla were seen as the upper middle class club, while Betis were definitely the domain of the working class masses.

Sevilla and Real Betis may have had differing degrees of fortune in the past few seasons as one club enjoys success while the other looks on, but there is little doubt that the city rivals are never far apart. At the end of the 2004-05 campaign the green and white half of the city was celebrating as their side pipped their arch enemy to become the first of the duo to qualify for the Champions League, while Sevilla were forced to settle for a place in the UEFA Cup.

Differing Fortunes

Betis should have been in the ascendancy last summer with the extra revenue and the prospect of being able to attract a higher class of player. But failure to truly strengthen the squad meant that they endured a season of struggle as the midweek distraction took its toll and the club found itself battling just to survive in the top flight until the final weeks of the campaign.

Across the city, the coach that had lifted Sevilla into the top six had decided that he had had enough and after five seasons in charge Joaquín Caparrós left the club to take over at Deportivo. That decision though, led the club to bring on board a man that would lead them to one of the greatest moments in their history. Juande Ramós had taken a year out of the game after an unsuccessful stint in charge of Málaga, but he was to take his predecessor's squad and make it into one of the strongest in the league.

Sevilla stayed in the top ten all season last time out and eventually finished in fifith place. But their crowning achievement was to reach the UEFA Cup Final in Eindhoven, where they lifted their first ever piece of European silverware after sweeping aside Middlesbrough. The irony of the coach's success was that five years ago he was coach of Betis.

Family Ties

It is difficult to gauge how intense the rivalry between the two sides actually is. Trouble is never far away on matchdays as the 'hooligan' element of both clubs do their best to disrupt proceedings, but it is not unusual to find both Betis and Sevilla supporters in the same family.

There is little hatred of the other on the streets of the city and the desire to win is only to be able to obtain local bragging rights for the following few months and nothing more sinister. The fixture has attracted attention in recent years because of crowd trouble and this year security has once again been stepped up with metal detectors being installed at turnstiles behind the gol norte, forcing normal fans to take their half-time bocadillo in plastic bags or newspaper, rather than the traditional tin foil.

On the pitch there are signs that Betis could be turning the corner. After Llorenç Serra Ferrer stood down in the summer, Javier Irureta was ushered in to wave the same magic wand that produced such stunning results at Deportivo for so many seasons. After losing on the opening day at Valencia, by a slender 2-1 scoreline, los Verdiblancos produced a commanding display last weekend to overwhelm Athletic Bilbao 3-0.

Unbeaten Run

Sevilla though, have grown in strength since their UEFA Cup triumph and have not tasted defeat in their last 15 official outings. After crushing newly-promoted Levante in the first game of the season, Ramós' side travelled north and made it two-out-of-two with a 3-1 win at Real Sociedad.

Perhaps their most impressive performance of late though, was the 3-0 defeat that they handed to Champions League winners Barcelona in the European Super Cup in August.

TEAM NEWS

Sevilla: Juande Ramós has not had many days to prepare his players for the game, having played in the 2-1 win against Atromitos in the UEFA Cup in Athens in midweek. But he did rest several players in that game as Javi Navarro, Enzo Maresca, Adriano and Lius Fabiano were all saved for the visit of Betis. The only absentee that Sevilla have in their ranks is Javier Chevantón, who has yet to make his debut for the club following a summer move from Monaco due to a continuing back problem.

Real Betis: All four of los Verdiblancos' summer signings are preparing for their first taste of a city derby as Jorge Wagner, Rafael Sobis, Johann Vogel and David Odonkor are all likely to play some part on Sunday. Melli and Vogel are both included in the squad despite not being 100 per fit while Robert returns, but Marcos Assunçao is still sidelined through injury.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sevilla: Kanouté, Kepa

The home side's attacking duo are both lethal and are both enjoying strong starts to the season. Kanouté's height and ability to hold up the ball will cause Betis' defence problems, while Kepa is capable of scoring from anywhere. After scoring a hat-trick in the opening match Kepa was taken off after an hour last week to save him for the European game in midweek and the trick worked as he opened the scoring in Greece on Thursday evening.

Real Betis: Edu, Maldonado

Having missed the first game of the league campaign, Edu returned last weekend and was outstanding as he capped a strong performance with a goal in Betis' victory against Athletic. Maldonado is making himself into a local hero and his display on the right wing on Sunday should earn him a regular place in the side after spending the last two seasons out on loan.

PREDICTION

Betis have not won in the Sánchez Pizjuán since 1996-97 and face a tough task to break that sequence against one of the league's in-form teams.

Sevilla 2 - 1 Real Betis

source :http://www.goal.com/

Crespo does a Ronaldinho to silence critics

2006-09-26T17:05:38+02:00

Rome - Hernan Crespo did his best Ronaldinho impression to score the goal which gave Inter Milan a precious 1-0 win at Roma, their likeliest rivals for the Serie A title.

Wednesday's victory not only lifted Inter above Roma into third place on seven points, two behind leaders Palermo, but also silenced the critics who said the club were in crisis after an unconvincing start to the season.

Crespo is known for his clinical finishing rather than his dribbling skills, but he showed some neat footwork to skip past Philippe Mexes before firing home the only goal just before half-time.

Crespo, 31, said it had been a long time since he had scored a similar goal, casting his mind back to when he was with Parma between 1996 and 2000.

"I haven't scored a goal like that since my Parma days," said the Argentina international.

"I have to say I enjoyed it a lot. I will never be Ronaldinho, but I always give 100 per cent."

Crespo was delighted to give the perfect response to the critics who rounded upon Inter after their disappointing 1-1 draw against Sampdoria last Saturday.

"Too much was said after the Sampdoria game, and we gave a great demonstration of character by winning at the Olympic stadium," he said.

Inter had the chance to double their lead when Mexes pulled down Crespo in the box shortly after the break, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic's weak penalty was easily saved by Alexander Doni.

The late sending-ff of French midfielder Patrick Vieira took some of the gloss off Inter's night.

Following the relegation of Juventus and the points penalties handed out to AC Milan and Fiorentina for match-fixing, Inter are strong favourites to retain the Italian title.

They finished third last season but were awarded the Scudetto after the scandal fall-out. - Sapa-AFP .

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=2831&art_id=qw1158833342920S163

Domenech wants two refs

2006-09-26T17:00:17+02:00

France boss Raymond Domenech says he would like to see two referees on the pitch for games in Ligue 1.Officials in Ligue 1 have been told to clamp down this season on shirt tugging and impeding contact in the penalty area, but Domenech is far from happy about this new directive believing that it hinders the flow of the game and could lead to some crazy scenarios. Speaking to the French Football Federation's official website, he revealed: "I'm in favour of two referees on the pitch and more co-ordination between them and the assistant referees. "There is the rule and there is the spirit of the game. If the referees apply the rule strictly, we're going to have 50 penalties per game."

Domenech believes the English game flows much better and advocates that French referees should follow the lead of their English counterparts.

He continued: "I'm not saying the games in England are better, but at least there is always something happening because play is not being stopped all the time."

"There is the rule and there is the spirit of the game. If the referees apply the rule strictly, we're going to have 50 penalties per game."

Domenech believes the English game flows much better and advocates that French referees should follow the lead of their English counterparts.

He continued: "I'm not saying the games in England are better, but at least there is always something happening because play is not being stopped all the time."

source: http://www.clubcall.com

AC Milan strengthen ties with Ronaldinho's brother

2006-09-23T13:09:04+02:00

tribalfooball.com - September 22, 2006

AC Milan directors are strengthening their relationship with Roberto de Assis, the agent and brother of Barcelona star Ronaldinho.

Assis is again in Milan this week to meet with club directors, having negotiated Ricardo Oliveira's arrival from Real Betis last month.

Gazzetta dello Sport says, however, Assis isn't in Milan on business for Oliveira - nor Ronaldinho.

But the strengthening of ties between the agent and Milan has led to speculation of an end-of-season move to the San Siro for Ronaldinho, particularly if Lionel Messi shows he can emerge from his teammate's shadow in the coming months.

For all the talk of a bumper new contract for Ronaldinho, Barca sports chief Txiki Begiristain insisted this week that nothing had been discussed.

Ronaldinho and Real looking for health checks

2006-09-13T23:24:37+02:00
By Phil Minshull

Madrid - Barcelona and Real Madrid, the Spanish league champions and runners up last season, will be hoping to bounce back after their less-than-convincing starts to the season two weeks ago.

Barca won 3-2 at Celta Vigo but their winner only came two minutes from time and they will be looking to be firing on all cylinders against visitors Osasuna on Saturday.

However, it has hardly been a week of ideal preparations for Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard, who lost 10 of his players to international duty.

I just hope Ronaldinho returns healthy

Among them was two-time Fifa World Player of the Year Ronaldinho, who was absent from Barca's opening match and Brazil's 3-0 win over Argentina on Saturday with successive thigh and back problems, but returned for a patchy 67 minutes in Brazil's 2-0 victory over Wales on Tuesday.

"I just hope Ronaldinho returns healthy," said Rijkaard through gritted teeth earlier this week.

The Dutch coach has been critical over the demands made on his star player by the Brazilian football authorities.

Osasuna were last season's surprise side in Spain and finished the season in fourth place but crashed 3-0 in the Nou Camp in the corresponding fixture 11 months ago.

This time around, they are determined not to leave Barcelona empty-handed.

'I am sure we are going to win titles this season'

"I'm motivated to do well in this game because of the traditional rivalry (with Barca) that there was when I was at Real Madrid. I would feel the same regardless of who I was playing with if I was to face this team," said Osasuna's on-loan striker Roberto Soldado.

The highly-rated Soldado was the second most prolific scorer in the Spanish second division last season, playing for Real's reserve team, and also scored on several important occasions for the big boys.

For their part, Soldado's former club ground out a 0-0 score bore at the Santiago Bernabeu to Villarreal in their opening match and are out to get their first goal of the season against newly-promoted Levante on Sunday.

"Against Villarreal, we played against a team that knew each other well and we have new players that are still getting to know each other but I am sure we are going to win titles this season," commented Real's new coach Fabio Capello on Thursday.

Capello is optimistic that Ronaldo, who had an indifferent World Cup and who has been injured this summer, can still make the difference after three trophy-less years for Real.

"Very shortly we'll have Ronaldo back and I'm sure he's going to score 25 goals this season. What I've seen of Van Nistelrooy is also phenomenal. he's adapted very quickly to Spain," added Capello, commenting on his two main forwards.

Real's deadline day signing Jose Antonio Reyes, acquired on-loan from Arsenal, trained for the first time with his new team mates on Thursday and his appetite to make an immediate impact was obvious to everyone.

"I'm going crazy waiting to pull on the Real jersey," said the Spanish international striker on Thursday, his hunger whetted by being left on the bench for the entirety of Spain's two internationals during the last week.

Sevilla are the league leaders after the first week on the basis of their 4-0 thrashing of Levante.

Last season's Uefa Cup winners, who many pundits predict could make a serious challenge for their first league title since they won their one and only previous championship in 1946, defend their pole position at Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Fixtures
Saturday
Barcelona vs Osasuna
Atletico Madrid vs Valencia

Sunday
Real Betis vs Atletico Madrid
Getafe vs Racing Santander
Gimnastic Tarragona vs Celta Vigo
Levante vs Real Madrid
Real Mallorca vs Deportivo La Coruna
Real Sociedad vs Sevilla
Villarreal vs Recreativo Huelva
Real Zaragoza vs Espanyol.

http://www.iol.co.za

Not Box Seats, Admittedly...

2006-09-02T22:12:33+02:00
"Nebraska Expects Tough Time from La. Tech," Associated Press, 2 September 2006, http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/3812226.html.... but my office now offers a direct and near-level view of the ginormous big-screen TV installed over the north end of Memorial Stadium. Add in live (to the second) streaming commentary from Huskers.com, and I am one happy graduate student.I remodeled my office specifically to allow me to see the game while working on my laptop, and this is extremely cool. I am also able to hear announcements from the stadium, and also hear the rhythmic chants of Go Big Red.
Huskers Nation
The Huskers will be playing before their NCAA-record 276th consecutive sellout in a stadium that has been expanded to 81,067 with addition of 6,500 seats and 13 skyboxes in the north end zone.As part of the $50 million facilities upgrade, Nebraska also boasts a video screen that’s 117 feet wide and 33 feet high.Nebraska comes into the game off three straight wins to close an 8-4 season. The Huskers are ranked in the preseason for the first time since 2002 and are favored to win the Big 12 North for the first time since 1999.“I feel I’m 6 years old and it’s going to be Christmas morning on Saturday,” defensive end Jay Moore said. “With all the upgrades, the new seats and the new big screen, the stadium will be rocking.”Nebraska is paying a $750,000 guarantee to the Bulldogs, who also play September road games at Texas A&M and Clemson.The Huskers are favored by three touchdowns, but the Bulldogs plan to give them their money’s worth.
Go Big Red!

Ronaldinho in Barça 'rift'

2006-08-29T23:44:00+02:00

No Ronny, but Barça still began with a victory. Photograph: Pascal Pavani/AFP/Getty Images

Ronaldinho has discovered that superstar status is no guarantee of a first-team spot at the Nou Camp following reports that he was dropped from the squad to face Celta Vigo last night.

It was initially suggested that a thigh injury, picked up in last week's Uefa Super Cup defeat to Sevilla, would rule Ronaldinho out of last night's La Liga opener. "He received a blow to his left thigh during last Friday's European Super Cup match," read a club statement. "The bruising is still painful so he is not in condition to play."

However, a report in today's Sun suggests that Frank Rijkaard axed Ronaldinho from the squad that travelled to the Balaidos after the 26-year-old failed to report for training on Saturday. If the claim is accurate, Ronaldinho has fallen foul of a club rule whereby any player who does not train 48 hours before a match is dropped, a basic tenet of the Rijkaard regime.

With an extension to Ronaldinho's existing contract - which expires in 2010 and includes a buy-out clause of £85m - yet to be agreed, Chelsea and Milan are believed to be monitoring the situation with interest.

Ronaldinho's absence failed to stop Barcelona from making a winning start to the season, as Eidur Gudjohnsen's 88th-minute goal secured a 3-2 victory.

Zambrotta and Thuram add steel to Barcelona

2006-08-27T14:08:48+02:00

Spain's La Liga starts this weekend with Barcelona the clear favourites to win a third consecutive domestic title. Frank Rijkaard may have lost his assistant Henk ten Cate to Ajax, but his legendary compatriot Johan Neeskens is a popular replacement.

Spain's La Liga starts this weekend with Barcelona the clear favourites to win a third consecutive domestic title. Frank Rijkaard may have lost his assistant Henk ten Cate to Ajax, but his legendary compatriot Johan Neeskens is a popular replacement.

Barça's formidable squad have been boosted by the summer acquisitions of the defenders Gianluca Zambrotta and Lilian Thuram from Juventus to strengthen the one area of their team which needed it. The forward Eidur Gudjohnsen will replace Henrik Larsson, while the return from injury of Xavi probably the best midfielder in Spain means they travel confidently to Celta Vigo on Monday.

Barcelona have looked strong in pre-season, destroying Espanyol and Bayern Munich 4-0 midweek. Ronaldinho may receive the plaudits, but Samuel Eto'o scores most of the key goals. With Lionel Messi maturing, there is not a comparable front line in football.

However, the Catalan club were beaten 3-0 by a spirited Seville in a lively all-Spanish European Super Cup last night through goals by the Brazilian Renato, Frédéric Kanouté and the substitute midfielder Enzo Maresca.

The team most likely to challenge Barça are Real Madrid, whose new president, Ramon Calderon, has installed Fabio Capello as manager after a succession of ineffectual appointments. Italy's World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro and the Brazilian midfielder Emerson followed Capello from Juventus, strengthening a squad which had already added Ruud van Nistelrooy. The midfielder Mahamadou Diarra arrived at the Bernabeu this week from Lyon for £18m, Spain's biggest summer transfer.

With Zinedine Zidane's retirement, Madrid have a new spine. They have world-class performers in every position, but the inability of these individuals to gel means that David Beckham enters his fourth season abroad without seeing a single trophy. But he is no longer guaranteed his place under Capello.

Valencia are the 15-1 third favourites for the title. They have lost Fabio Aurelio to Liverpool and, surprisingly, let Pablo Aimar switch to Zaragoza for £7m. But they have bought well. The signing on Thursday of the Betis winger Joaquin for £17m is in addition to Fernando Morientes and Asier del Horno. The team's lead striker David Villa scored 25 league goals last season.

Atletico Madrid have signed the promising 18-year-old Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero from Independiente for £14m. With the winger Mista from Valencia, the former Porto midfielder Costinha and the Spanish international left-back Pernia from Getafe, Atletico appear to have been shrewd. Despite speculation, Fernando Torres stays.

Villarreal will hope for a solid domestic season after their Champions' League run affected league form last term. Robert Pires from Arsenal and striker Nihat Kahveci are the pick of Manuel Pellegrini's signings.

Seville won their first trophy since 1948 in beating Middlesbrough to lift the Uefa Cup in May. The former West Bromwich midfielder Vincenzo Maresca says: "It's important to finish in the first six in the league. We also want to defend our Uefa Cup." Aside from Javier Saviola, who returned to Barcelona, they have kept their best players like winger Jesus Navas and right-back Daniel Alves, and have added the Uruguayan striker Chevanton from Monaco for £6m

portivo La Coruña need to improve on last year's eighth place finish after being affected by poor home form. They have bought players from Barcelona and Madrid, as well as Riki from Getafe.

Key summer movements in La Liga

Barcelona: In Eidur Gudjohnsen (Chelsea, £8m); Gianluca Zambrotta and Lilian Thuram (Juventus, £13m combined). Out Maxi Lopez (Mallorca, loan); Henrik Larsson (Helsingborgs, free).

Deportivo La Coruña: In Antonio Barragan (Liverpool, £3.5m). Out Cesar Martin (Levante, free).

Levante: In Laurent Robert (Benfica, undisclosed); Damiano Tommasi (Roma, undisclosed); Ze Maria (Internazionale, free);

Mathieu Berson (Aston Villa, undisclosed).

Real Madrid: In Fabio Cannavaro, Emerson (Juventus, £13.7m total); Ruud van Nistelrooy (Man Utd, £11m); Mahamadou Diarra (Lyon, £17.7m). Out Zinedine Zidane (retired).

Real Zaragoza: In Pablo Aimar (Valencia, £7.4m); Gerard Pique (Man Utd, loan).

Valencia: In Asier del Horno (Chelsea, £4.8m); Fernando Morientes (Liverpool, £3m); Hugo Viana (Newcastle Utd, £1.5m); Francesco Tavano (Empoli, £5.4m). Out Pablo Aimar (Real Zaragoza, £7.4m); Marco Di Vaio (Monaco, free); Fabio Aurelio (Liverpool, free).

Villarreal: In Robert Pires (Arsenal, free).

Seville: In Chevanton (Monaco, £5.39m).

* Milan said yesterday that negotiations for a possible transfer of the Brazilian striker Ronaldo from Real Madrid had been "definitively broken off".

European weekend fixtures

Spanish League Today: Valencia v Real Betis (9.0). Tomorrow (4.0 unless stated): Athletic Bilbao v Real Sociedad (6.0); Deportivo La Coruña v Real Zaragoza; Espanyol v Gimnastic; Osasuna v Getafe; Racing Santander v Atletico Madrid; Real Madrid v Villarreal (2.0); Recreativo Huelva v Real Mallorca.

French League Today (7.0 unless stated): ES Troyes AC v Toulouse; FC Lorient v Nantes; Lille v Bordeaux; Nice v Olympique Lyon (4.15); Sochaux v Paris St Germain. Tomorrow (5.0 unless stated): AS Nancy v Auxerre; Marseilles v Le Mans; Monaco v CS Sedan Ardennes; St Etienne v Racing Lens (8.0); Valenciennes v Stade Rennes.

German League Today (2.30): Bayer Leverkusen v VfL Wolfsburg; Bayern Munich v Nuremberg; Borussia Mönchengladbach v Arminia Bielefeld; Hanover 96 v Alemannia Aachen; VfL Bochum v Energie Cottbus; VfB Stuttgart v Borussia Dortmund. Tomorrow (4.0): Hamburg SV v Hertha Berlin; Mainz v Eintracht Frankfurt.

Italian Super Cup Final: Internazionale v Roma (7.45).

Ronaldinho: Meet blues now? Sure

2006-08-27T13:33:01+02:00

BETTER now than later.

That's what Barcelona star Ronaldinho said after the Champions League draw put his side and Chelsea in the same group.

This is the third successive season they will be meeting. On the previous two occasions, the meetings were in the last 16, and turned into hostile affairs, with no love lost.

This renewed rivalry will again capture the imagination.

Said World Player of the Year Ronaldinho: 'Chelsea have always been very difficult opponents in past seasons.

'Both teams have world-class players, and with the way we know each other, we are going to have to put a lot into the two games.

'But I think it's better we meet Chelsea now, as they're such a strong team, rather than having to cope with them later.

'At least, we can both go through. It gives you impetus, but we cannot discount Werder Bremen because they are also a strong team.

'But Chelsea will be stronger still. They have signed high-quality players, so they will certainly be stronger than last season, and that will make things more difficult for us.' - PA Sport.

AC Milan interested in Ronaldo

2006-08-25T23:56:40+02:00

AP Photo: Mali international player Mahamadou Diarra, left, shakes hands with Real Madrid President Ramon Calderon during...

MADRID, Spain - Real Madrid's president will meet AC Milan representatives Wednesday to discuss their interest in signing Ronaldo.

Ramon Calderon said Tuesday he didn't plan to sell the Brazilian striker even though Milan already has approached Ronaldo, who's recovering from a knee injury.

"We have to listen to the player's opinion and that of our training staff," Calderon told Cadena SER radio station Tuesday.

Calderon hinted he would welcome an exchange for Milan forward Kaka, a player he promised fans while campaigning for his position in July.

"Swapping Ronaldo for Kaka wouldn't be bad," Calderon said.

Madrid's new coach Fabio Capello said the interest in Ronaldo showed "he was still an interesting player."

The addition of Ruud van Nistelrooy to Madrid's roster could affect the playing time of Ronaldo, who spent five years in Milan with rival Inter before joining Madrid in 2002. Ronaldo has two years left on his contract.

source :http://news.yahoo.com

Ronaldinho not worried about Chelsea ties

2006-08-25T23:42:02+02:00
Ronaldinho insists he does not fear Chelsea Football Club.

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The Londoners have been drawn with Barcelona for the third successive season in the UEFA Champions League, yet despite the additions of Michael Ballack and Andrei Shevchenko, Ronaldinho is not losing any sleep.

"We know all about how good Chelsea's signings are," said Barca’s brilliant Brazilian.

"They have an impressive squad and their summer signings can't fail to improve them. But I believe we don't have to worry about the others. There is no such thing as an unstoppable team."

Ronaldinho not intrigued by Zidane’s head butt

2006-08-07T13:39:48+02:00

Los Angeles, Aug 07: The man who is arguably the world's best soccer player might be the only person on the planet who hasn't seen the most famous moment of last month's World Cup.

Brazil playmaker Ronaldinho has said that he has yet to watch video of France midfielder Zinedine Zidane head-butting Italy defender Marco Materazzi in the final - though he's heard about it from everyone he knows.

"To tell you the truth, I haven't seen anything," Ronaldinho told reporters while in Los Angeles ahead of yesterday's friendly match between FC Barcelona and Mexico's Chivas of Guadalajara.

Zidane was ejected for the head butt in the World Cup's final in an image broadcast worldwide. Italy went on to win 5-3 on penalties.

It was Zidane who played an instrumental role in knocking Brazil out in the quarterfinals.

"When we were eliminated from the World Cup, I went home and disconnected from the world. I didn't watch TV or read the newspapers," said Ronaldinho, who returned to the southern Brazilian town of Porto Alegre where he grew up.

But wasn't he curious to see it?

"Everybody told me about it, but I preferred to stay away from (everything related to) the World Cup," Ronaldinho said.

Ronaldinho said the head butt didn't diminish Zidane's "spectacular career".

"He deserves all the awards he receives," he said.

Ronaldinho has won Fifa's World Player of the Year award twice.

Zidane has won it three times.

Ronaldinho, who often has huge smiles during games, said he too sometimes loses his cool on the field.

"There is anger during games," he said. "In one moment or another, you can lose your head, or just not be able to take the pressure."

Bureau Report

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