SSN is a digest of the day's soccer/football/futbol articles with a focus on the top European leagues and the United States National Team. Below, you’ll find links to articles and video, as well as additional features and commentary. We locate the top news of the day so you can stay updated with ease.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The Big Interview: Fábio and Rafael
Luiz Henrique da Silva giggles at the question: how do you spot the difference between Rafael and Fábio? The big brother, who came to England to look after the Brazilian twins, seems genuinely puzzled by how, as in the lyrics of the chant that echoes around Old Trafford, when the boys run down the pitch, one can't say which is which. "When they were babies it was hard, and my mom managed to feed Rafa or Fábio a bottle twice," Luiz Henrique says. "But now they are totally different in the way they look and behave."
Player Ratings: Premier League
The Premier League season is done and dusted, but which players passed with flying colours and which should be booted out of the door?
Here, ESPNsoccernet runs the rule over the top six.
Marina Hyde: The Ryan Giggs story was not run with any noble intentions
The solemn tones used to debate the Ryan Giggs affair belie the fact that it is simply money-spinning titillation.
The real story of the Premier League season, as revealed by Opta
Opta's stats highlight Charlie Adam's impact, foul play by Kevin Davies and why you should let Steed Malbranque shoot.
Fulham to take England's Fair Play place in Europa League
The Premier League has confirmed that Fulham will take up England's Fair Play place in the Europa League next season.
Mark Hughes's side had only one player sent off in league matches all season – the red card coming in the last game, leading to suggestions that relegated Blackpool could pip them to the spot.
MLS has made progress, but it's not a good place for top Americans
It happens like clockwork. Every year, Landon Donovan's name is linked with some European soccer team.The latest story had AS Roma interested in bringing Donovan to Italy. Boston investor Thomas DiBenedetto expressed interest in bringing Donovan and Michael Bradley to the team where he has gained a controlling interest.
Donovan quickly dismissed the rumor. His agent Richard Motzkin tweeted, "Appreciate the interest but why would @landondonovan leave MLS for the same salary?"
When asked about the Roma rumors himself by Adam Serrano for SoccerByIves.net, Donovan responded, "Don't waste my time with that."
Why? Oh gosh, so many answers. Level of play? Level of passion? Level of importance?
Tom Adams: Rewind to 1992
On Saturday, Barcelona return to Wembley for the first time (not counting a 2009 pre-season tournament) since they lifted their maiden European Cup in 1992 under the management of the great Johan Cruyff.
First XI: European Cup Classics
Ahead of this weekend's Champions League showpiece between Manchester United and Barcelona at Wembley, we have selected our First XI European Cup finals.
'Cause, ya know, they're classics...
Chuck Sends Fifa Into Crisis
You know an institution is a touch dodgy when the man many are hoping can overthrow its questionable leader, is himself caught in the middle of a bribery scandal. Is this the start of the end for Sepp Blatter, or will it just clear the field for his reign to continue unopposed. Chuck Blazer, who seems to have walked straight out of a Carl Hiaasen novel, has certainly set the cat among the pigeons...
Chaos, corruption, civil war ... Fifa rocked by new allegations
Et tu Chuck: Blazer looks to have betrayed his old friend Warner
David Conn: This new chapter is close to civil war
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
United boss Ferguson hints at done deal for Atletico Madrid stopper De Gea
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David De Gea is close to joining the Premier League champions.
United are in the market for a new stopper with Dutchman Edwin van der Sar set to bring the curtain down on his long career after this Saturday's Champions League final.
Sportsmail revealed last month that the Old Trafford money men had agreed a £17.8million deal for the talented 20-year-old custodian who is seen as Spain's biggest rival to long-standing No 1 Iker Casillas.
Sure he's not Van der Sar's son...?
Manchester United fan claims 'horrific treatment' over anti-Glazer banner
Carly Lyes, a trainee social worker and season-ticket holder in the Stretford End who has been going regularly to Old Trafford since she was 11, said she had displayed a "Love United Hate Glazer" banner for "two to three minutes" before the home leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea on 12 April. Lyes claimed that 10 minutes after she returned to her seat a steward told her to surrender the flag and that, when she refused, she was told to leave the stadium.A spokesman for the Independent Manchester United Supporters' Association said they had received complaints about more than 100 similar cases of supporters being banned from the ground.
The spokesman said: "The real problem is that there is no due process. The club's customer charter has been independently judged as the second worst in the league. The only reason it wasn't the worst is that Everton didn't have one at all. Because of that we have a situation where season tickets are confiscated for arbitrary reasons and the fan has no right to be heard or to appeal."
Jonathan Wilson on the Champions League Final
Barcelona's team we know; Manchester United's is a matter of speculation, a fact that, in itself, is indicative of two things. First, that Barcelona is the favorite, with such a defined and familiar style of play that, even in this age of rotation, it is possible, as with the greats of the past, to rattle through a first eleven.
Don't worry -- it turned out he was OK!
But secondly, it suggests how fortunate Barcelona has been with injury this season. Its training methods are clearly superb, and its players regularly run on average a mile or so more than opponents in the same game, and the club deserves great credit for that, but still, there is an element of fortune that nobody has caught their studs in the turf while turning, or taken a whack on the knee or ankle at the wrong angle.
Spain squad to face U.S. without Xavi or Puyol
Spain plays the U.S. in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on June 4 and Venezuela in Puerto La Cruz three days later.Roster:
Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool), Victor Valdes (Barcelona).
Defenders: Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carlos Marchena (Villarreal), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Andoni Iraola (Athletic Bilbao).
Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Villarreal), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Bruno Soriano (Villarreal), Borja Valero (Villarreal).
Forwards: David Villa (Barcelona), David Silva (Manchester City), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Fernando Torres (Chelsea), Pedro Rodriguez (Barcelona), Manu Del Moral (Sevilla), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla).
30,000 Genoa fans hold mock funeral for relegated Sampdoria
When Sampdoria sealed its relegation from Serie A with a loss against Palermo, captain Angelo Palombo was so distraught that he wept on the pitch like he just put down Old Yeller. It was a disastrous season -- going from fourth place last year to finishing 18th and being dropped down to Serie B -- and one that will hurt Sampdoria fans for some time. So to poke those wounds while they're still wide open, fans of fierce city rivals Genoa CFC (which finished 10th this season) held a massive mock funeral in the streets for their doomed neighbors.
Champions League final 2011: Manchester United ready for Barcelona's 'dirty tricks', says Nemanja Vidic
“Obviously, their players have a different mentality to us,” Vidic said. “We have to focus and concentrate and then it won’t be a big deal to handle the things that we know will come. “But it won’t be a problem to deal with these things. They may do things and argue more than they should do, but it won’t affect us. “The referee for the game will probably be the best referee around, so I think he can cope with that.”
Ryan Giggs back in limelight for Gary Neville's testimonial at Old Trafford
Ryan Giggs made his first public appearance on Tuesday night since being revealed as the footballer covered by a privacy injunction when he played in Gary Neville’s testimonial against Juventus at Old Trafford — hours after journalists’ cars were attacked and vandalised outside his house.A Greater Manchester Police statement said: “Officers attended and discovered at least six cars had been vandalised after a group of offenders arrived in a Ford Transit van and attacked the vehicles.”
Photographer describes attack
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