Saturday, July 18, 2009

Manchester City taunt Manchester United with Carlos Tevez ‘welcome’ poster


Manchester City have sought to rub salt in to the wounds of United fans bitter at Carlos Tevez’s defection from red to blue by producing a huge city centre poster enforcing their belief that City are the only true Manchester club.


This makes me laugh...

Friday, July 17, 2009

CONCACAF Gold Cup Preview: U.S. vs. Panama



Who:
United States vs. Panama
What: Gold Cup quarterfinals
When: 8:00 EDT, Saturday, July 18
Where: Lincoln Financial Field; Philadelphia
TV: Fox Soccer Channel
Preview


Ives:
Depleted U.S. will face tough test from Panama

Top 10: Shirt Sponsors


It's not unknown for football shirt devotees to base their purchase entirely on a sponsor's logo. And why not? Sure, you can call them slaves to a corporate entity who are essentially paying for the privilege of advertising a product, but you can't deny that the guy waddling about town with a beer logo on his shirt, as well as the calorific excess thereof underneath the rapidly-stretching fabric is the essence of masculinity.



... OK, maybe you can. But either way, some sponsor logos look great, or at least stand out from the crowd. Here are ten of the best.

Friday MLS Forecast: Week Eighteen



The Forecast applauds Landon Donovan's sense of irony and flair for the dramatic before revealing its weekly selections.

The Mill + ++





Friday's Rumours


+


++

Liverpool Team Of The Decade 2000-2010



As we near 2010, Goal.com's Mike Maguire selects his best Liverpool XI of the past decade...

Amy Lawrence: Milan and Juventus put their faith in the young ones




Milan and Juventus are preaching a tale of regeneration and rejuvenation but some fans are not buying it.

The Joy of Six: Great Team Goals

From Carlos Alberto in 1970 to a Mick Channon special, The Guardian recalls half a dozen moves of the very highest quality.

Dynamo's Ching fined for anti-ref "tweet"




Houston Dynamo forward Brian Ching has been fined $500 by Major League Soccer for criticizing the officiating in a recent game through his Twitter account.

MLS Report: New York 1 - 3 Los Angeles


Since we're in the middle of the SuperLull I actually turned to this match to try and get a quick footy fix. And I must say, although I never got over the dreadful Giants Stadium turf, the three goals from the assGalaxy were worth my 45-minute investment. It does astonish me, however, that after over 12 years of operating, the league still cannot get at least a semi-attractive field for its marquee weeknight match-up. Any casual fan flipping through the channels would be hardpressed to suffer through the gross picture on FSC and actually enjoy watching the match. Even with three sick (and all three are indeed top-class) strikes in the first half the quality of the turf (and lack of grass) made it an all too ugly an affair to enjoy.

Highlights are here.

Report
Booed Beckham buries the hatchet with Donovan

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Does David Beckham care about MLS?


The 34-year-old midfielder is scheduled to make his 2009 Major League Soccer debut tonight when the Galaxy face the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (Fox Soccer Channel 8pm EDT)

In a game that might strike some as a meaningless midseason match, something significant is at stake: Beckham’s reputation.

Inter swoop for Lucio




Serie A champions Inter Milan have reached an agreement with Bayern Munich regarding the purchase of Brazilian centre-half Lucio.

Jonathan Wilson in the Ukraine




The new man at the helm of Dynamo Kyiv could so easily have been sat in the dug-out of their major rivals Shakhtar Donetsk.

Sliding Doors effect sees Valeri Gazzaev at Dynamo not Shakhtar.

Phil McNulty: Arsenal will not miss Adebayor


While Owen's glossy pages spoke of "The Athlete, The Ambassador, The Icon", a replica produced by a group of Arsenal fans made a series of claims on Adebayor's behalf that were not altogether flattering.

According to his Emirates admirers, Adebayor's "brand values" included the Togo striker being "not small...wifi enabled...definitely not lazy..." Not to mention being "better than Marlon Harewood and Mido put together."

The Mill + ++



Thursday's Rumours



+



++

Exclusive: Altidore Speaks About Future With Villarreal, Olympiakos




It's all about playing time for U.S. international Jozy Altidore as he decides his future. In an exclusive interview with Goal.com, the striker talks about the upcoming season.

Juventus Team Of The Decade 2000-2010



As we approach 2010, Goal.com's Carlo Garganese selects his Juventus best XI from the past decade...







Coming to Duke University this fall...

Norman Hubbard: 'United factor' provides funds



It has hardly been a summer to cheer many Manchester United fans, but this may have been a break to gladden the hearts of the Glazers. The Premier League champions' absentee owners require a vast income to service their debts after borrowing heavily to buy the club. The transfer window has, so far, revealed one guaranteed revenue stream. Selling Cristiano Ronaldo ensured the small matter of a £68m profit although, while he has pronounced himself reluctant to spend again this summer, that is apparently at Sir Alex Ferguson's disposal.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Bye-bye Adebayor? It's more like good riddance from his Arsenal team-mates and supporters alike



The close-season exodus of talent from north London has become the norm in recent times and shows no sign of abating with Emmanuel Adebayor edging closer to a lucrative move to Manchester City, although last night the deal was held up over the Togolese player's personal terms.

Now is not the time for John Terry to forsake Chelsea for Manchester City




John Terry wants to leave Chelsea. Or, at the very least, is seriously tempted by the offer being made for him by Manchester City. But now is not the time to go.

The Mill + ++




Wednesday's Rumours


+


++

Spanish Inquisition: Who Is Under Pressure At Barcelona?


With the summer vacations now winding down and a new season beckoning on the horizon, Barcelona are faced with the task of preparing to defend their three titles from a Real Madrid who have stolen the headlines this summer by signing some of the biggest names in football. And continuing to play at such a high level will be difficult to sustain for a second season as players could possibly be less motivated having already experienced the satisfaction of accomplishing their objectives.


It is with these uncertainties in mind that we try to determine who will find themselves under pressure at Barcelona.

Manchester United Team Of The Decade 2000-2010




With takeovers and titles galore, the 00s have seen Manchester United cement their position as the leading club in British football.










Not the only odd omission...

Why Mo Johnston still stirs emotions across Glasgow




Mo Johnston's decision to snub Celtic and join Rangers 20 years ago caused uproar and the wounds have still yet to heal.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

MLS All-Star First XI Announced

Goalkeeper:
Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders FC)*

Defenders:

Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo)*, Wilman Conde (Chicago Fire)*, Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew)*

Midfielders:

Dwayne De Rosario (Toronto FC), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo)*, Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution), Freddie Ljungberg (Seattle Sounders FC)*, Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew)

Forwards:

Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids)*, Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy

* Denotes first selection to the MLS All-Star Team

Article

Real Madrid Team Of The Decade 2000-2010




It has been a decade beyond any kind of simple summary for Real Madrid. The short-sighted perception is that it has been a disaster - until you count up the two Champions Leagues, four Liga titles, three Supercopas, an Intercontinental Cup and a European Super Cup.

D'Alessandro Freaks Out

Brazil's sports tribunal has suspended Argentine midfielder Andres D'Alessandro for 60 days after he tried to fight with an opponent in the Brazilian Cup final last month.

In Search of the Real Ancelotti


From Milan to the Parmesan cheese-making centre of Reggiolo, it is impossible to find anyone who has a bad word to say about Carlo Ancelotti.

That is except for the self-appointed 'Special One'. But more of him later.

The Mill + ++




Tuesday's Rumours


+


++

Market Forces Catch Up With Brown



The failure to land Michael Owen may ultimately have been predictable. However, Brown showed just why many people have become tired of his constant media spin and hyperbole when claiming the fact that Hull were battling the Premier League champions for a player proved how far the club had come.

"To be in a two-horse race with Manchester United for an England international gives me great pride," chirped Brown.

A Swoop to Defy All Logic




Every now and then there is a story to really blow you out of the water. A week ago, as unbelievable as it was, the news was Michael Owen to Manchester United.

However, it has been usurped, by the incredible news of Patrick Vieira to Tottenham.

2010 World Cup Mock U.S. Roster


World Cup qualifying is in full flow and a heavy slate of games in the Confederations Cup and the Gold Cup has given coach Bob Bradley ample opportunity 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.




Mr. Jones: Please come and play in our midfield...

City sign Tevez and look to Adebayor and Terry



The long-awaited confirmation last night of Manchester City's capture of Carlos Tévez from Manchester United quickly gave way to an intensification of efforts to lure John Terry from Chelsea and Emmanuel Adebayor from Arsenal.








Carlos looks forward to his new life at Citeh...

Monday, July 13, 2009

Steve Davis: Honduras and Canada Looking Like Dark Horses



A Gold Cup cheat sheet for catching up ahead of this weekend's quarterfinals

Saturday Canada vs. Honduras
Lincoln Financial Field; Philadelphia
5 p.m. ET

U.S. vs. Panama
Lincoln Financial Field; Philadelphia
8 p.m. ET


Sunday
Guadeloupe vs. Costa Rica
Dallas Cowboys Stadium; Arlington, Texas
3 p.m. ET

Mexico vs. Haiti
Dallas Cowboys Stadium; Arlington, Texas
6 p.m. ET

Davies' Career Continues to Soar




A lot has changed in the life of Charlie Davies since Oct. 21, 2006, the date on which he last played a game in his native New England.

Premier League tours of duty stretch farther


The list of pre-season fixtures grows more outlandish every year. Wolves and Fulham are in Australia, Hull are getting ready for a tournament in Beijing, Chelsea plan to wow Hollywood. And they are not alone.

On the same evening the Londoners meet Inter Milan in Pasadena, a Premier League rival will be on show in another Los Angeles suburb. Tickets are still available to — according to the promotional blurb — “come and watch International Stars and Million Dollar Players compete in your home town”. For just $10, you too could be inside Buena High School sports ground in Ventura to watch a local amateur U23 side play Burnley.

Manchester City in Adebayor Talks


Arsenal "in discussions with Premier League rivals" over striker.

Owen is my last signing of the summer, says Alex Ferguson




Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed Manchester United will not make any further signings this summer after unveiling Michael Owen as the club's new No 7.

The Mill + ++



Monday's Rumours


+


++

Robbers Target Manchester United Footballer




Masked raiders have targeted the home of Manchester United footballer Federico Macheda.

John Hartson suffering from cancer




The 34-year-old has been diagnosed with testicular cancer which has now spread to his brain, according to the Scottish Sun. Hartson was given the news at the weekend following tests in Swansea after complaining of severe headaches.

Amy Lawrence: José Antonio Reyes left in limbo as career continues spectacular decline




The Spaniard arrived in English football shortly after Cristiano Ronaldo, yet the pair's contrasting trajectories since could not be more stark.

Tottenham Hotspur star David Bentley attacked as he sits in restaurant

The Spurs midfielder, 24, had been enjoying a meal with Kimberly Mills and another couple when a man walked up to their table after finishing his own dinner - and took a swing at him.

Stunned Bentley was left reeling in his chair as the attacker ran out of the restaurant.

The footballer's friend chased the thug - believed to be in his late 20s - but he was also attacked and left with a cut face and black eye.

Gold Cup Scuttlebutt




United States 2 - 2 Haiti

Holden strike saves U.S.


Mexico 2 - 0 Guadeloupe

El Tri win Group C