Friday, February 26, 2010

Fulham & USA's Clint Dempsey Expected To Play In March



“It’s going well, I am back running now. They project I will be back playing in mid-March," he said.

“I am looking forward to the World Cup. I have been fortunate in all my competitions. I was able to score at the last World Cup I was able to play well in the Confederations Cup. I have had good seasons since I have been here."

USA Announces Roster To Face Netherlands




Coach Bob Bradley has chosen the players who will face the Dutch this coming Wednesday.

England: Carling Cup Final Previews



Who:
Aston Villa vs. Manchester United
When: Sunday, Feb. 28, 10am EST
Where: Wembley Stadium, London, England
U.S. TV: Setanta, ESPN360
Preview I
Preview II

Route to the Final

Graham Taylor: Tactical Analysis
Andy Gray: Villa needs some silverware

England: Premier League Weekend Previews


Chelsea lock horns with Manchester City (ESPN2 @ 7:45am EST) on Saturday lunchtime with all eyes on John Terry's meeting with Wayne Bridge. Elsewhere this weekend, Arsenal make the trip to the Britannia Stadium, struggling clubs Burnley and Portsmouth face one another, Everton will aim to continue their fine form at Tottenham Hotspur while Liverpool host Blackburn Rovers.

Preview I
Preview II

Paul Merson's Previews

Spain: La Liga Weekend Preview


Real Madrid will hope to put more pressure on out-of-sorts leaders Barcelona by replacing them at the top of La Liga - if only for a couple of hours.

Madrid's earlier kick-off on Saturday night means that if they can defeat relegation-threatened Tenerife then they will move a point clear at the summit ahead of Barca's late match against Malaga.

Preview




Not such a fan of this outfit...

Italy: Serie A Weekend Preview




Inter Milan have drawn their last three league games to allow AC Milan and Roma back into the Serie A title race.

Preview








This is my kind of outfit...

Germany: Bundesliga Weekend Preview


The Ruhr and Rhine derbies are on the menu this weekend, as well as a north-south clash between Bayern Munich and Hamburg.

Friday
Schalke – Borussia Dortmund

Saturday
Borussia M’gladbach – Freiburg
Hertha Berlin – Hoffenheim
Mainz – Werder Bremen
Stuttgart – Eintracht Frankfurt
Bochum – Nuernberg
Bayer Leverkusen – Koeln

Sunday
Hannover – Wolfsburg
Bayern Munich – Hamburg


I just can't get enough of this guy. I wonder if he'll be at today's match...

Manchester City Star Emmanuel Adebayor Receives Four-Game Ban For Sending Off At Stoke City




It is the Togolese star's second suspension of the campaign, after he was banned for three matches in September after stamping on Robin van Persie during September's controversial game against Arsenal.

More on Wayne Bridge, John Terry & England



Capello hoping for Bridge U-Turn

Richard Williams:
Wayne Bridge's retirement leaves England with feud for thought

Paul Hayward:
Sex caper breaking England hearts earlier than usual

The Joy of Six: Matches That Never Were





Pele's Brazil against Gerd Müller's West Germany in Mexico 1970, plus five other classic games that never took place.

Europa League Wrap: Liverpool, Fulham, Juventus Through, Roma and Everton Stunned






Wrap















Third Round Draw:

Hamburg v Anderlecht
FK Rubin Kazan v Vfl Wolfsburg
Atletico Madrid v Sporting Lisbon
Benfica v Marseille
Panathinaikos v Standard Liege
Lillie v Liverpool
Juventus v Fulham
Valencia v Werder Bremen

Tottenham close training ground after players and staff catch virus




Wilson Palacios and Vedran Corluka have already been struck down by the sickness and diarrhoea bug, although several others are believed to be poorly.

Arsenal post £35.2m profit and major debt reduction


Arsenal have announced pre-tax profits of £35.2 million and a significant reduction in debt for the six months ending November 30, 2009. The club also announced significant progress at Highbury Square, where the sale of 261 apartments raised £96.6 million - an increase of £38.2 million on 2008 - with all the proceeds used to pay off the project's debt. The group's property business recorded a pre-tax profit of £9.3 million.

Portsmouth Enter Administration




Portsmouth have become the first Premier League club to go into administration and will be deducted nine points.










Not a good day for this guy...

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Champions League Team Of The Round: Last 16 First Legs




Goal.com runs the rule over the best in show from the last 16, first leg ties...

England: Football chiefs plan to revamp FA Cup




The profusion of FA Cup replays on Wednesday night, none of which were televised, were completely overshadowed by the Jose Mourinho Show and the Champions League heavyweight contest between Inter and Chelsea, to the extent that it reduced the England's premier cup competition to an after thought.

Anderson ruled out for the season with cruciate injury




The Manchester United midfielder Anderson has been ruled out for the rest of the season after rupturing his cruciate ligament during Tuesday's win over West Ham.

Bridge rules himself out of England reckoning

Wayne Bridge has turned his back on England. The Manchester City defender released a short statement to Press Association Sport this morning claiming his presence within the national squad was potentially "divisive" and that he did not wish to be selected.

It leaves Fabio Capello without both his first-choice left-backs for Wednesday's friendly with Egypt.


Timeline of a sex scandle


Five other who turned their back on England

UEFA Champions League Reports & Analysis


Internazionale Milan 2 - 1 Chelsea
Kevin McCarra:
Inter leave Blues bruised but breathing
Matt Hughes:
Ancelotti consigned to night of misery
David Pleat: Tactical analysis
Kevin Mitchell:
The Special One's return will be memorable

Player Ratings I
Player Ratings II


CSKA Moscow 1 - 1 Sevilla

Sevilla claim advantage
Player Ratings

International Friendly Report: USA 2 - 1 El Salvador



Brian Ching scored a diving header in the 75th minute and Sacha Kljestan got the go-ahead goal in the second minute of stoppage time Wednesday night in a 2-1 friendly victory over 71st-ranked El Salvador.

Second string impresses in spurts
Winners and Losers
Player Ratings



Next Friendly:
March 3
U.S. versus Netherlands
Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Italy: Serie A Reports + Table




Fiorentina 1 - 2 AC Milan

Pato strikes late to boost Milan

Udinese 2 - 1 Cagliari
Di Natali rescues Udinese





CLUB PWDLGDPts
Internazionale2516722955
AC Milan2515641851
AS Roma2515551650
Juventus251258741
Napoli2510105540
Palermo251177440
Sampdoria251177140
Cagliari251159838
Genoa251159238
Fiorentina2510411134
Bari25889132
Chievo Verona259511-132
Parma258611-1030
Bologna257711-728
Udinese257612-627
Lazio2551010-725
Catania255911-824
Livorno256514-1823
Atalanta255614-1421
Siena254516-2117

England: FA Cup Reports


Stoke City 3 - 1 Manchester City
Mancini feels the heat

Aston Villa 3 - 1 Crystal Palace
Relief for O'Neill after tight contest

Tottenham 4 - 0 Bolton
Own goals help Spurs cruise

West Brom 2 - 3 Reading
Reading reach first quart-final in 83 years

First XI: World Cup Battles

Football may be becoming less and less of a contact sport, but there is little that can be done when tempers flare. The World Cup has seen some extraordinary displays of frustration from petty thuggery to all-out violence.

Some are appalled by these games, some thrilled, but there's no doubting the ability of such games to live long in the memory. Soccernet takes a look at XI games that made headlines for the wrong reasons.


Wednesday, February 24, 2010

International Friendly Preview: USA vs. El Salvador




Who:
United States vs. El Salvador
What: International Friendly
When: 7 p.m. EST
Where: Raymond James Stadium; Tampa Bay
TV: ESPN Classic and Galavision
Preview

Spanish Inquisition: Have Barcelona Lost Their Sheen In Europe?




After watching Stuttgart throw away what would have been a memorable victory over the European champions, Goal.com's Subhankar Mondal asks whether Pep Guardiola's side have become less intimidating this season.....

Italy: Wednesday's Serie A Previews





Fiorentina vs. AC Milan

The Rossoneri would go second with victory in Florence


Udinese vs. Cagliari

New coach, new start for Udinese

England: Wednesday's FA Cup Preview




Stoke City vs. Manchester City
Tottenham vs. Bolton
Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace
West Brom vs. Reading

Preview

UEFA Champions League: Wednesday's Previews & Analysis


Who: Inter Milan vs. Chelsea
Where: San Siro, Milan, Italy
When: 2:45 EST
U.S. TV: Fox Soccer Channel
Preview I
Preview II
Phil McNulty: Cool Carlo ready for Jose
Paolo Bandini: Sneijder has Inter fans believing
Kevin McCarra: Chelsea still a Mourinho team
Richard Williams: Mourinho has a willing foe


CSKA Moscow's home


Who:
CSKA Moscow vs. Sevilla
Where: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia
When: 12:15pm EST
U.S. TV: Setanta (live), FSC (delay at 5pm)
Preview
Phil Minshull: Sevilla getting serious

Quotes & Chants of the Week

"I believe that Fabianski is top, top level and has massive potential."
Wenger on keeper Lukasz Fabianski, before the Pole's horror show in Portugal.

"The staff said that the group of customers was too big and suspicious. All of them were wearing similar tracksuits. The players explained that this was a football team and they had no habit of taking tuxedos to the training camp to go shopping."
Shakhtar Donetsk statement after the squad was refused entry to Harrods, ahead of their Europa League game with Mohammed Al Fayed's Fulham.

"I'm surprised to hear about this. Normally, the chairman loves people to spend their money with him."
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson reacts to the news.

"He annoys the life out of the opposition and he can instigate a fight in an empty barn."
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish on....Robbie Savage.

"It's been a cure for insomniacs all over the world."
Commentator fails to get excited about Liverpool in the Europa Cup.

"That one would have been a goal if it had gone in."
Dion Dublin cleverly analysing Wayne Rooney's free-kick against Everton.

"Daddy, Daddy, help me out!"
Blackpool supporters to Preston manager Darren Ferguson in the Lancashire Derby at Deepdale. Sir Alex was in the crowd.

"Rooney, Rooney, what's the score?"
Everton fans against Manchester United.

"You'll never shop at Harrods!"
Fulham fans to Shakhtar Donetsk, after the Shakhtar players had been turned away from Mohammed Al Fayed's shop.

The Rest

Police fears over 'Anyone but England' T-shirt



A company selling "Anyone but England" T-shirts for this year's World Cup has rejected suggestions it is racist after police in Aberdeen visited its store.

Portsmouth FC in Crisis - Q&A

"Balram Chainrai, the owner of Portsmouth Football Club, has today served notice that the club will go into administration unless new owners can be found by Friday."

Make no mistake, Pompey fans, that means administration, and, as things stand, it is a best-case scenario. Tuesday's announcement merely confirmed what most close watchers of Portsmouth's desperate decline have known for some time: the club is down, broke and on the verge of oblivion.

But what does "going into administration" mean? Is this the end of Pompey's pain? And how has this happened to a recently successful team in the world's richest football league?

UEFA Champions League: Tuesday's Reports & Player Ratings



Stuttgart 1-1 Barcelona

Hosts Dominate But Zlatan Saves The Day
Player Ratings

Olympiacos 0-1 Bordeaux
Les Girondins Take Advantage
Player Ratings

MLS: Claudio Lopez, Kansas City Part Ways



“We would have liked to have Claudio back in 2010, but unfortunately it became clear early in the contract negotiations that we could not give him what he desired,” Wizards manager Peter Vermes said.

England: Tuesday's Premier League Report




Manchester United 3 - 0 West Ham
Wayne Rooney's hot streak leaves West Ham United out in the cold.

Premier League clubs owe 56% of Europe's debt



Uefa's leadership makes a marked contrast with the silence at the Premier League and the Football Association over the debts at Manchester United and Liverpool, which now add up to more than £1bn collectively. Those huge debts were loaded on to the clubs by their North American owners' "leveraged" takeovers, yet despite the furore and mass supporter protests particularly over United's £716m debts, neither the Premier League nor FA have voiced any concern.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

UEFA Champions League: Tuesday's Previews


Who: Stuttgart vs. Barcelona
When: 2:45 EST
Where: Mercedes-Benz Arena
U.S. TV: (Live on FSN, Delay on FSC)
Preview

Who: Olympiacos vs. Girondins de Bordeaux
When: 2:45 EST
Where: Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Athens
U.S. TV: Fox Soccer Channel (Live)
Preview

Home of Olympiacos

England: Tuesday's Premier League Preview




What:
Manchester United vs. West Ham United
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
When: 3pm EST
U.S. TV: Setanta
Preview

Sid Lowe in Spain




If Kaká belongs to Jesus, you could be forgiven for believing that the rest of Real Madrid's players now belong to Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo smites Villarreal to become the new God of Madrid.

Raphael Honigstein in Germany



Germany's €10m striker started the season insisting he 'had nothing to prove' but has little to show for himself so far.

Lukas Podolski finds little to laugh about at comedy Cologne.

Paolo Bandini in Italy




Lazio's new manager has made an impact, but he still needs to solve the Mauro Zárate conundrum.

Edy Reja's open-door policy buys him time at Lazio.

Punishment could push 'victimised' Ashley Cole close to Chelsea exit


Ashley Cole has set himself on a collision course with Chelsea after deciding to contest any disciplinary sanctions handed out by the club for his role in a series of alleged sex scandals.

Senior figures at Stamford Bridge want to fine Cole £400,000 over claims that he repeatedly broke club rules and tarnished Chelsea’s image, but the England left back believes that he has been singled out for special treatment and is determined to fight his corner.

Italy: Serie A Worst Team Of The Week




Goal.com looks at those who performed poorly in the 25th round of action...

Americans In The UK: Everton Win In Europe, Shock Manchester United



Everton claimed two big victories last week, grabbing a leg up against Sporting Lisbon before downing Manchester United a few days later with some surprisingly good play from a duo of youngsters.

The Rest

Americans On The Continent: Action For Some, Others Sidelined




Freddy Adu notched his second goal in a row for Aris during the week, helping them move on to the Greek Cup semifinals, but he was unable to inspire his side to victory against AEK Athens in league play.

The Rest

10 Most Hated Football Teams


Champions League rivals Inter and Chelsea have been two of the most unpopular squads in recent seasons. Ahead of tomorrow's game at San Siro, Carlo Garganese takes a look at 10 other hated teams over the years...




Greece: 2004 Champions of Europe

Kevin McCarra: David Moyes alchemy turns stolid Everton into solid gold





Wins over Chelsea and now Manchester United show that Everton offer a lot more than just resilience and hard work.

Phil Ball in Spain

It was a strange sensation, almost akin to nostalgia, when the Athletic Bilbao and Anderlecht fans fought a pitched battle on the hallowed San Mames turf last Thursday, after the Europa League first-leg tie. I don't mean by nostalgia that I miss that sort of thing, but that it was a nod to a bygone age, one that I remember as a youth and as a young(er) man, and one that seemed as much a part of football as the games themselves.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Daniel Taylor: Roberto Mancini finds it hard to forge long-term relationship at City




The Manchester City manager's honeymoon period is over to judge by the boos after their dour draw with Liverpool.

Tony Cascarino: Chelsea's Ashley Cole pushes loyalty of the middle man



I remember one time shortly before Italia ’90 when the Ireland players told Jack Charlton, the manager, that we were going out to play snooker. Strangely, we forgot to mention that our main motivation for leaving the hotel was to go for a drinking session.

Monday MLS Breakdown: Pressure Falls On Players Union As CBA Negotiations Resume

The silence surrounding the MLS CBA negotiations finally ended on Friday. Kyle McCarthy sorts through the weekend statements and suggests the MLS Players Union faces the most pressure as the talks ramp up again today in Washington.

Manchester City grant Carlos Tevez more time off


Manchester City will allow striker Carlos Tevez as much time off as he needs after his baby daughter was born prematurely, BBC Sport understands.

Tevez, 26, has missed City's last three games after being granted compassionate leave to fly to Argentina where his daughter, Katie, is in intensive care.

Italy: Serie A Weekend Review + Team of the Week



Mirko Vucinic's first-half goal earned Roma a 1-0 win at home to Catania and moved them to within five points of Serie A leaders Inter Milan.

Review

Team of the Week

Spain: La Liga Weekend Review + Team of the Week


Real Madrid kept pace with Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table with a win over Villarreal while Atletico were beaten by Almeria.

Review

Team of the Week