Friday, April 30, 2010

Girl Says French Stars Paid Her for Sex



A young woman rattling French soccer claimed in an interview Thursday that she had paid sex with several World Cup national team players, but claimed that none of her customers knew she was under 18 at the time.

French media have reported allegations that Zahia Dehar, now 18, had paid sex with several football stars, including Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema, and Sidney Govou.

USA Trio Proud Of New Home Kit




Officially unveiled for the first time on Thursday morning at Niketown in Manhattan, the new home kit the United States national team will wear at the 2010 World Cup has been a big hit so far with those close to the team.

The Joy of Six: Awful World Cup Songs




From the Village People (featuring Der Mannschaft) to Del Amitri, here are half a dozen of the worst anthems of all time.

England: Premier League Weekend Previews & Predictions


The races for the Premier League title and final UEFA Champions League berth are into the final straight as teams gear up for the penultimate weekend of the season.

League leaders Chelsea travel to Liverpool while second-placed Manchester United head to Sunderland. In the fight for fourth, Manchester City entertain Aston Villa while Tottenham Hotspur lock horns with Bolton Wanderers.

Preview I

Preview II

Manchester City vs. Aston Villa: Preview

Lawro's Predictions

Germany: Bundesliga Weekend Preview




Bayern Munich can move a step closer to the first of a possible three trophies when they host Bochum in the Bundesliga. They can move to within touching distance of the Bundesliga title on Saturday, especially if Schalke fail to beat Werder Bremen.

Preview

Italy: Serie A Weekend Preview





Roma travel to Parma on Saturday while Inter take on Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico 24 hours later. Third-placed AC Milan and Fiorentina go into Saturday's match at the San Siro licking their wounds after a dismal run of form that has left both sides failing to reach their aims this season.

Preview

Spain: La Liga Weekend Previews





Barca look to have the much trickier task this weekend as, while Madrid look to make it 17 home wins out of 18 when they host mid-table Osasuna, Guardiola's men have to go to improving Villarreal.

Preview

Guillem Balague's Previews

Tony Pulis blasts Dave Kitson and Tuncay Sanli



“Today, and I am talking about Tuncay and Kitson here, people tend to show petulance and they think that is the way to do it. I find it strange. We are in a different time now, though. You have to realise there are certain players today who are precious. They get paid enormous amounts of money. They live in a bubble and the realities of real life wash over them.”

Friday MLS Forecast




The Forecast visits with FC Dallas before its game at New England and reveals its Week 6 picks.

World Cup sticker mania grips Serbia




The sticker mania has engulfed Serbia. But unlike in the rest of the world where collecting stickers of football players and teams for an official World Cup book album is mostly a school kids’ hobby, here this is done mainly by the older ones.

UEFA Europa League: Thursday's Reports & Fallout






Fulham 2 - 1 Hamburg

Jamie Jackson at Craven Cottage
Phil McNulty at Craven Cottage












David Hytner:
Fulham write their name in folklore








Liverpool 2 - 1 Atletico Madrid
Kevin McCarra at Anfield
Richard Jolly at Anfield



Benítez: Liverpool need five new signings

THE WEEK THAT WAS



This was the week in which Roma fans plastered Totti's face on the walls of Lazio's training ground, Andrei Arshavin was forced to dress up as a cub scout, "two-bit psychologist" Jose Mourinho humbled Barcelona, Michel Platini said France had no hope at the World Cup and Kansas City Wizards striker Kei Kamara produced the miss of the century.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

UEFA Europa League: Thursday's Previews


Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid (0-1)
Preview I
Preview II
Kevin McCarra: Benítez's reputation on the line


Fulham vs. Hamburg (0-0)
Preview I
Preview II
Jamie Jackson: Fulham hoping for fit Zamora

USA: Injuries mean roster spots up for grabs



It was just over three years ago when U.S. men's national team manager Bob Bradley began looking at players in a bid to form his World Cup side. After playing 59 games and watching 90 players take the field, Bradley will announce his initial 30-man roster May 11, with the final 23 to be named June 1.

England: Norman Hubbard's Best Buys of the Season


Whatever their other achievements, managers' reputations can stand or fall on their dealings in the transfer market.

An effective signing is a form of validation and, over the past 12 months, some of the Premier League's finest have displayed their prowess at recruitment - and none more than Alex McLeish, as our top ten buys of the year suggests.

Nail-biting at the top of the Premier League – nailed on at the bottom





For once the predictability factor has switched to the bottom of the table – the three going down were everyone's favourites.

Rangers to complain to Boston Globe over Ibrox disaster slur



The paper has run a piece in which fears were expressed over the proposed staging of an Old Firm derby in the US city this summer. The article was critical of the behaviour of Rangers fans during a number of European away matches, including the 2008 Uefa Cup final in Manchester.

Football's Top Five Cheats: 'losing face' moments on YouTube

Fans were cringing as Barcelona's Sergio Busquets writhed in mock agony to help earn Inter Milan rival Thiago Motta a red card. It ranked among some of football's worst moments of "simulation".

Inter Mobbed Upon Return to Milan



Inter Milan return as heroes after beating Barcelona.






Not the best time to be at the airport if you're not an Inter fan...

UEFA Champions League: Wednesday's Match Reports & Fallout







Barcelona 1 - 0 (2-3) Inter Milan

Report









Richard Williams at Camp Nou










Roberto Gotta: Inter wall stands firm


Amy Lawrence: Mourinho milks his moment












Jon Carter: Barca need a Plan B











Matt Dickinson: Mourinho's finest hour












The Media in Italy & Spain







Player Ratings

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

UEFA Champions League: Previews for Today's Match


What: Champions League Semi-Final Second Leg (1-3)
Who:
Barcelona vs. Inter Milan
When: 2:45pm EDT
Where: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
U.S. TV: Fox Soccer Channel



Preview I
Preview II
Preview III
Preview IV

Richard Williams: This will be a feast for the neutral
Phil Minshull: Mourinho's defining moment

Jose: Barca obsessed with final in Madrid

The media in Italy & Spain

Union fans' bus attacked outside Red Bull Arena




"Red Bull fans threw rocks at our bus and cracked three windows."

USA Striker Charlie Davies Resumes Full Training With Sochaux





Charlie Davies participated in full training with club side Sochaux Monday, marking another step in the U.S. international's recovery.

The Revenge of the WAGs


For some observers in England, the abiding memory of a lacklustre 2006 World Cup campaign will not be Wayne Rooney's red card, Michael Owen's injury or David Beckham's tears at relinquishing the captaincy. Instead it will be the invading hordes of WAGs pillaging the boutiques of Baden-Baden to establish a particularly tiresome cultural phenomenon.

McCarthy's Musings: Midfield Absences Create Fallout For Three MLS Clubs



Recent developments ruled David Beckham and Geoff Cameron out for remainder of the season and placed Shalrie Joseph on the shelf for an undetermined amount of time. Kyle McCarthy assesses the ramifications in McCarthy's Musings.

The Question: How do Fulham do it?





By adhering to modernist methods and melding disciplined shape with hard work, Fulham have exceeded expectations.

First XI: Attacking Midfielders


We've had goalkeepers, defenders and defensive midfielders, but this week the focus turns to those concerned with the business of making and scoring goals.

This First XI incorporates goal-scoring and creative central and attacking midfielders. Second strikers and inside forwards will be incorporated into a later selection of attackers. For those who blur the boundaries, a judgment call has been made.

Martin Keown on the Defensive



Whether due to controversy, injury or genuine loss of form, England's defensive options must be giving Fabio Capello some cause for concern with less than 50 days to go before the start of the World Cup finals. Former England defender Martin Keown, who travelled to the 1998 and 2002 World Cup finals with his country, gives Soccernet the lowdown on the defensive contenders for a place in Fabio Capello's 23-man squad.

Liverpool tie up Shelvey deal




The England Under-17 international, tipped as one of the hottest prospects outside of the Premier League, passed a medical and agreed personal terms on Tuesday and will complete his move to Anfield on May 10.

Quotes & Chants of the Week

"The way they are, tomorrow we will probably read I am to blame for the volcano. Maybe I have a friend in the volcano and I am responsible for that."
Jose Mourinho erupts after Barcelona express their disappointment at decisions in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.

"That is it for the German porn star look, I'm afraid. It's gone for good because my missus just wasn't happy about it. She said she struggled to kiss me, even though she helped me dye the moustache in the first place. But I'll be keeping the mullet, even though I get loads of stick."
Coventry midfielder Aron Gunnarsson on the decision to shave off his dodgy lip caterpillar.

"It's hard to motivate yourself at this stage of the season, let alone the players. I had an extra glass of wine the night before the match, an extra fried egg. You do things you don't normally do."
Neil Warnock goes crazy ahead of QPR's game at Barnsley.

"It is a fantastic achievement. It's like swimming the Channel, doing the Tour De France and then climbing Everest."
Scunthorpe boss Nigel Adkins refuses to exaggerate his side's achievement of securing Championship safety.

"They were far the better team, we were lucky to get nil. We had our pants pulled down and our backsides slapped."
Tony Pulis on Stoke's humiliating 7-0 defeat by Chelsea.

"Oh Ledley, Ledley,
He's only got one knee,
He's faster than John Terry,
Oh Ledley, Ledley."
Tottenham fans pay tribute to Ledley King.

The Rest

Are United the Retro Devils?




These are the new Manchester United home and away strips for next season - and they have gone back to the future.








Maybe...

Martin Rogers Column

It says a lot about Jozy Altidore’s first season in the English Premier League that his final action of the campaign – an immature and ill-conceived head butt – generated more attention than anything he did in the preceding eight months at Hull City.

Gabriele Marcotti's Column


I think I may have touched upon this before, but watching Bayern recently brought it all back. Footballspeak is filled with cliches and one of the absolute dumbest goes like this: "To win you need a strong spine. Your goalkeeper, your central defenders, central midfield and a strong centre-forward... no good team will be lacking in those departments!"

I can just see some grizzled cliche-merchant spouting it off on my TV or radio or filling column inches with this idiocy.

UEFA Champions League: Tuesday's Match Reports & Fallout




Lyon 0 - 3 Bayern Munich

Report I

Report II


Robin Hackett:
Lyon fail to provide true test of Bayern credentials

Barney Ronay: Bayern deserved finalists


Ribery banned for final

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

The Anfield dilemma – win over Chelsea could hand title to United




Liverpool's upcoming match against Chelsea brings back memories of Blackburn's visit to Anfield in 1995.

UEFA Champions League: Previews For Today's Match




What:
Champions League Semi-Final Second Leg (0-1)
Who:
Lyon vs. Bayern Munich
When: 2:45pm EDT
Where: Stade Gerland, Lyon, France
U.S. TV: Fox Sports Net
Preview I
Preview II
Preview III

Van Gaal tipped for Euro Glory

Top 10 Football Sex Scandals




In tribute to John Terry and the latest sordid headlines from France, Goal.com's Patrick Reilly ranks the most outrageous stories from down the years. With so many bad boys we could have done a Top 100...

Americans In The UK: Brad Friedel Bags Two Clean Sheets, Resurrects Villa's Champion’s League Hopes

Brad Friedel played very well on Wednesday, stopping efforts from Jan Vennegoor of Heselink and Kevin Kilbane, among others, as Aston Villa triumphed on the road 0-2 over Hull. Gabriel Agbonlahor and James Milner each tallied for the visitors.

The big keeper outdid himself on Saturday, making seven saves en route to 1-0 derby victory over Birmingham. The win keeps Villa's Champions League aspirations alive as they're now tied with Spurs for the final spot. On an individual note, Friedel also notched his 13th and 14th clean sheets of the campaign last week.

The Rest

Americans On The Continent: Title Spoiler



Michael Bradley and Borussia Monchengladbach held Bayern Munich to a point on Saturday, leaving them equal on points with Schalke and opening the title race up once more.

The Rest

Tim Vickery in South America


Without Colombian defender Luis Amaranto Perea, Liverpool may well have returned from last week's Europa League clash with Atletico Madrid with a vital away goal.

Perea made his name in another red shirt, that of Medellin back in Colombia, after first working at their stadium selling ice creams and in 2003 he was one of the star attractions in a side that reached the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores.

Seven years later in the same competition Medellin have paraded a young defender with many of the same attributes. Leiton Jimenez has a similar slight build and like Perea, he is not great on the ball, but he has an excellent anticipation, recovers quickly, times his tackles well and takes responsibility for things around him.

Raphael Honigstein in Germany




Without the banned Franck Ribéry and maybe even a defence to speak of, Bayern Munich face a tough task in France tonight.

Bayern's appetite for adversity will feed their hunger against Lyon.

Sid Lowe in Spain




Even Getafe's president thinks his team are wet, but they showed huge cojones to keep their European hopes alive.

Getafe's 'bunch of mothers' prove their manliness in seven-goal Sevilla thriller.

Paolo Bandini in Italy





Ugly victory had been the calling card of Roma's 24-game unbeaten run but Sampdoria turned the story on its head at the Stadio Olimpico.

Sampdoria dissect Roma's unbeaten streak with clinical precision.

The WAGS are back for England




England coach Fabio Capello is set to do a U-turn and allow his players to mix with their wives and girlfriends at the World Cup finals - and could even sanction family barbeques to foster team spirit.

Race for fourth place in Premier League and final Champions League qualification place



As an electrifying battle for the fourth Champions League qualifying spot comes to its climax, The Telegraph analyzes the merits of the four teams still in the mix to claim the coveted final place at Europe’s top table.