Friday, September 25, 2009

Vive le Foot!




Ligue 1 offered us 36 goals last weekend -- a huge improvement over the last few weeks.



Lisandro Lopez: "I am not a star."



Auxerre tied St Etienne to a draw last week and seem to gain confidence. Meanwhile, no sign of Grenoble getting a point yet. They will be lucky if they get a goal.

Auxerre – Grenoble 2 - 1

Now this is a match that will deliver. Little Lorient easily beat Nancy but will face a PSG that literally got robbed against Lyon. They are pissed and will give the Merlus their first home defeat. Veteran Lorien midfielder Olivier Monterrubio (FRA) is having a good start with 3 assists and 1 goal already.

Lorient – PSG 0 - 2

Monaco is on a high with an away victory and superb performances by Alejandro Alonso (ARG) and Nene (BRA - 4 goals). St Etienne is still in the relegation zone but is showing improvement.

Monaco – St Etienne 2 - 0

An interesting match between two promoted sides that surprised most of the observers so far. They both brutally fell respectively to OM and Bordeaux last week but Montpellier will use the home advantage.

MontpellierBoulogne 3 - 1

Both teams had crushing defeats but Nancy reacted by eliminating Monaco from the Coupe de la Ligue mid-week so the confidence is on their side.

Nancy – Sochaux 2 - 0

OM finally showed some power and they will show more against a Valenciennes team that dismantled Sochaux away (5-2) last week, but probably not enough.

ValenciennesOM 2 - 2

Lyon got very lucky at Paris with a late offside goal while goalkeeper Lloris literally saved them from a thrashing. They will prove they’re the real deal tomorrow by

Lyon – Toulouse 3 - 1

Lens had a heartbreaking draw in the north vs. a 10 men Lille side while Le Mans’ defense could not stop a strong Toulouse.

Le Mans – Lens 2 - 2

Both teams were expected to be found around the top of the table battling for a European spot but things look pretty bleak especially for Nice (19th) that can’t score goal despite the hopes put into striker Loic Remy (FRA).

Lille – Nice 2 - 1

Possibly the most exciting tie of the weekend between the league leader and the fourth. Rennes scored four goals away at Grenoble while Bordeaux’s bench won away. Asamoah Gyan (GHA) is having a great start with 4 goals already.

BordeauxRennes 3 - 1

6 good results last time around…

The Frenchman!

Americans Abroad: Patient Edu Making Progress



Edu reports that he has recently increased his training work load, but rejoining the full squad practice sessions remains indefinitely ahead.

I owe everything to growing up above a pub, says Arsène Wenger



The Frenchman's parents owned and ran La Croix d'Or in Duttlenheim and the young Wenger would spend hours in the company of the establishment's patrons, who, to paraphrase him, liked a drink and to express passionate opinions on football, invariably at the same time.

England: Premier League Previews & Predictions


Wigan welcome Chelsea, Stoke host Manchester United, Liverpool host Hull, Villa go to Blackburn, Birmingham and Bolton clash, Arsenal head down to Fulham, Tottenham welcome Burnley, Everton visit Pompey and Sunderland welcome Wolves. Manchester City and West Ham play on Monday.

Preview I
Preview II
Preview III

Lawro's Predictions

Italy: Serie A Weekend Preview



AC Milan coach Leonardo believes his side can turn around their stuttering form when they take on promoted side Bari this weekend. Juventus will be bolstered by the return of star players Diego and Alessandro del Piero for Sunday's game against Bologna.

Preview

Spain: La Liga Weekend Preview


Atletico Madrid coach Abel Resino has plenty of problems heading into this weekend`s Primera Division clash with Valencia. Real Madrid are at home to promoted Tenerife this weekend and could be boosted by the return of both Pepe and Xabi Alonso after suspension and injury, respectively.

Preview

Honduras aims to keep U.S. match at home



Honduras is determined to keep next month's World Cup qualifier against the U.S. on home soil despite the country's political turmoil, a top Honduran soccer official was quoted as saying on Thursday.

Police Confirm Everton's Phil Jagielka Was Robbed By 'Knife-Wielding Thugs'



"Shortly after 8pm on Wednesday, September 23, three men gained entry to a house in Knutsford. The homeowner was threatened with a knife and forced to hand over jewellery and the keys to his Range Rover. Fortunately nobody was hurt during the incident and the car was found abandoned a short distance away.

Germany: Bundesliga Weekend Preview

Hamburg host Bayern, Koeln try to extend their winning streak to three against Leverkusen, and Hertha hope to put their woes behind against Hoffenheim. Clark Whitney previews all the weekend action.

Friday, September 25
Nuernberg - Bochum

Saturday, September 26
Dortmund - Schalke
Koeln - Leverkusen
Wolfsburg - Hannover
Bremen - Mainz
Frankfurt - Stuttgart
Hamburg - Bayern

Sunday, September 27
Freiburg - M’gladbach
Hoffenheim - Hertha Berlin

Friday MLS Forecast





The Forecast reflects on the meaning of Brian Ching's new deal before tackling the Week 28 schedule.

Calcio Debate: Juventus-Inter Scudetto Race Could Go To The Final Day Of The Season



Last night’s big clash at Marassi may have ended in a thrilling and controversial 2-2 draw, but Carlo Garganese saw a great Juventus side ready to fight tooth and nail for Inter’s Scudetto…


Genoa vs. Juventus Match Report



Genoa's ground...

Premier League Heroes: Gianfranco Zola: Sardinian Superstar




One of the most popular figures ever to have graced the Premier League, Gianfranco Zola was a magician with the ball at his feet, able to conjure moments of artistry that captured the imagination of English football fans during his seven years at Chelsea.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Top 25 Football Websites

Telegraph Sport takes a look at the 25 best football websites for videos, pictures, statistics, news, blogs and gossip.


Uhh, no.

Paolo Bandini in Italy




Seven goals in five games have confirmed Udinese's forward as one of Serie A's most consistent scorers.

Antonio Di Natale provides that festive feeling as Udinese see off Milan.

Martin Tyler's Column



Every week he will be here to offer you statistical gems to make your day, impress your mates and, on occasion, to settle the odd bet.

Sky Sports' voice of football and his back-up team of experts are here to answer your questions and queries on all things statistical and historical from the beautiful game.









Number of goalscorers for each Premier League club (own goals not included):

10 goalscorers: Arsenal
7 goalscorers: Chelsea, Man Utd, Tottenham
6 goalscorers: Liverpool
5 goalscorers: Man City, Wolves
4 goalscorers: Aston Villa, Blackburn, Bolton, Burnley, Everton, Fulham, Hull City, West Ham
3 goalscorers: Birmingham, Stoke City, Sunderland, Wigan
2 goalscorers: Portsmouth

Spain: La Liga Review



Real Madrid
drew level with Barcelona at the top of the table following a 2-0 victory over Villarreal, while Valencia and Athletic Bilbao suffered their first defeats of the season.

Review

Italy: Serie A Wednesday Review



Reigning champions Inter Milan climbed to the top of the Serie A table after a comfortable 3-1 win over Napoli at the San Siro. E
arly pacesetters Sampdoria came unstuck for the first time this season as a strong Fiorentina side condemned them to a 2-0 defeat.

Review

Top 10: Short Stays



Following Sol Campbell's exit from Notts County, skysports.com's Chris Burton takes a look at a few other short-lived stints.

Everyone is entitled to change their mind from time to time, whatever walk of life you operate in.

Professional football is no exception, with players every now and again deciding that they have made a rather dubious decision regarding their choice of club.

England: Carling Cup Wrap





City, United, Chelsea, Villa, Everton win...


Wrap

2010 World Cup Mock U.S. Roster


World Cup qualifying is in full flow, and coach Bob Bradley continues to evaluate players. ESPNsoccernet projects whom we think Bradley will choose as his 23-man U.S. roster for the 2010 World Cup. Players are ranked from top to bottom in terms of how certain a lock they appear to be for the roster and their current perceived pecking order.

As befitting standard squad composition, we've chosen three goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and four forwards.


Uhhh, no.