(Soccer365.com) - With relegation staring West Ham in the face, Jonathon Spector remains confident the Hammers can turn the tide and beat the drop. The Hammers defender spoke with Soccer365’s Andrew Rogers about the season and how relegation can be beat.

By Andrew Rogers

Given the trajectory of Jonathan Spector’s career one would expect to find the US international in a down beat mood. Three years ago the defender was suiting up for Manchester United in the Champions League. Fast forward to 2007 and the former Chicago Socker is facing up to the very real prospect of becoming a Championship player in England’s second tier.

Spector’s third club in 4 years are in desperate straits, and what seemed like a dream move in joining East London’s West Ham United has fast turned into a nightmare.

Having spent a year on loan at Charlton under the calm eye Alan Curbishley, putting pen to paper with last season’s break out club and FA Cup finalist, appeared to be the perfect move, but the firing of Alan Pardew, a protracted take over bid and highly controversial transfers of Tevez and Mascharano have left Spector in a precarious position, although judging by his disposition at a raining Chadwell Heath Training ground he remained remarkably upbeat, as he spoke exclusively to Soccer 365, he commented:

“I was excited at the prospect of playing for West Ham they performed strongly in the league and just missed out of the FA Cup. I realised I was not going to get much football at Manchester United so I decided to take the opportunity here.

“It’s a young side that’s up and coming and they are pushing to move forward, and to get a place in Europe hopefully. This was ultimately the reason for my move, at that point in my development I felt that playing games was paramount and unfortunately it hadn’t gone that way.

“It hasn’t worked out for us this season, there are still top class players here but we haven’t seemed to be able to get the results that we had hoped for. If I was able to put our finger on what is going wrong then we would not be in this predicament as we would be able to solve it and put it right.

“I’m not sure what the cause of it is, we have had some unlucky results, and had some decisions not go our way but you can’t put it all down to that. Injuries have been a problem and we have been unable stop this and a number of other factors.

“We haven’t been able to perform whether it has been keeping clean sheets at the back or scoring goals up front. We are not in a great situation but our fate is not sealed yet, either. It is our job as players to do whatever we can to help the team stay up."

Spector’s managers have all been quick to enthuse about the 21 years old talent. Ferguson has lauded his, “winning mentality” and he recognizes he has benefited hugely from the wisdom of three of the best managers in England. However, despite the accolades the former Red Devil has found himself under a different kind of pressure from that associated with winning, but feels comfortable battling relegation and for his place, he added:

“To be honest it has been a completely different situation for me, but the football is the same, you go out to win every game whether you are top or bottom of the table. Ultimately your goal is the same, to win the football match and collect the three points.

“It’s a different kind of pressure but you have to deal with it, if you want to be successful. So it’s been a great learning experience for me. And I’ve taken it on board, every club I've been at has taught me a lot.

“Its my 3rd club in 4 years, I've leaned a lot from all the managers, Sir Alex Ferguson, Alan Pardew and Alan Curbishley they are three top class managers and I've been fortunate to have played for three big clubs.

“The target is to get out of the relegation scrap and that is what everyone is focused on, its extremely importantly to all of us and the fans, we have to remain positive and are all thinking we will get out of it.

“To be honest I welcomed the signing of Lucas Neil, its put pressure on me but it also helps me to become a better player and anything that does this is a positive thing. He’s a top class players an international and Blackburn are a top club, so its presents an opportunity to learn from him, he has been around longer than me so I can learn how to be a better professional.”

Whatever the outcome of a truly poor campaign, Spector does potentially have the Copa America to look forward to in Venezuela this summer, and is looking forward to the possibility of lining up in an all Premier league defense. However he does have an eye on sorting out Argentina’s star player Tevez, before they meet in the first round, he quipped.

“I haven’t spoken to Tevez about the drew for the Copa America, but it’s a difficult draw for us, but we always want to play against the best teams and players in the world. Maybe I’ll rough him up a bit at the end of the season but right now we really need him.

“There are a number of players in the premier league that could make the defensive line for the national team, DeMerit, Onyewu, Bocanegra and Gibbs, which is obviously great for American soccer and although the league in the US isn’t as established as the league here, its been a big influence on US soccer and helped a lot players make step up over here.”

Andrew Rogers can be reached at andrewrogers@optonline.net

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(Soccer365.com) - New England coach Steve Nicol has revealed that he recently chatted briefly with Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler over a move to MLS, but warned that any move is still a ways off.

"We'd be interested in Robbie," Nicol told PA Sport. "We've spoken, but as of yet there's nothing been settled."

"It's something he's thinking about, but at the moment the first thing is the financial side."

"He's getting his ducks in a row," stated Nicol. "Whether he gets a contract at Liverpool or whether he moves on, he's dipping his foot in the water."

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(Goal.com) - Real Madrid have begun to plan their summer rebuilding programme as Ramón Calderón wants to finally remove all vestiges of Florentino Pérez's reign.

The move has been brought forward with Fabio Capello's team falling behind in the league and facing an uphill task against a confident Bayern Munich side in the Champions League.

Despite bringing in several new faces following his election win last year, Calderón now has time to remould the squad to finally end the club's barren run.

The club supremo is due to hold a series of meetings with sporting director Predrag Mijatovic and B team boss Michel to discuss who should stay and who should go.

Along with several star names from world football, the club are also keen to promote from within and buy in some of the up-and-coming players from the Spanish game.

Alexis at Getafe is one name that has been strongly linked to the club after an impressive season in the centre of the defence with Bernd Schuster's side.

Following Miguel Torres up from the B team, Real Madrid Castilla, on a permanent basis is likely to be Iván De la Red and Javi García.

There is also plenty of money in the bank and the club is continuously linked with several major stars including Cristiano Ronaldo and Cesc Fabregas.

A more realistic proposition could be Chelsea's Arjen Robben, who Calderón promised to sign during his presidential campaign, or Marseill'e Franck Ribery.

Kaká could still be on the agenda, but it is likely that the club will only buy one expensive star, while preferring to bolster the squad with lower priced players.

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(Soccer365.com) - Former ‘Nats boss Bruce Arena simply cannot believe how long it is taking U.S. Soccer to name a permanent successor, and says the federation is damaging the progress made over his reign.

The New York coach believes USSF is leaving Bob Bradley twisting as caretaker manager for too long.

"I don't even think the issue is who should be the next coach, the issue is there should be a coach," Arena told the Star Ledger. "If I was hiring the president of IBM, he would be hired already."

"It doesn't take that much time to hire a national team coach."

"The program has not moved forward as much as it should because of that, so that's what I'm critical of," explained Arena. "I invested eight years into that thing and, despite the results of the last World Cup, we had a steady climb and it has to keep going that way."

"In the history of the world, I don't think it's taken that long to hire a national team coach."

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(Goal.com) - New Fiorentina purchase Arturo Lupoli reveals he declined an extension offer from Arsenal.

Arturo Lupoli, who currently plays on loan for Derby County, signed a 5-year contract on Monday with Fiorentina and will make his return to Italy in July.

In an interview with Gazzetta Dello Sport, the 19 years old forward said The Gunners offered a new contract which he refused to accept.

“Arsenal offered me an important contract extension but I turned it down. Besides Fiorentina, there were other clubs such as Inter Milan, AC Milan, Udinese, Napoli and Valencia who were interested in signing me.”, said Lupoli.

He also specified why he chose to join the Viola: “In the end I chose Fiorentina because Florence is an alluring city. The club decided to invest in young players and has important projects in prospect.”

Arturo Lupoli was member of Parma’s youth team before he embarked on his Premier League experience in the summer of 2004. Months ago he expressed his desire to return to Italy.

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(Goal.com) - FIFA's president, Sepp Blatter, warned during meetings in London today that there were no guarantees that the 2018 World Cup would be held in Europe, so raising question-marks about England's hopes of hosting that particular tournament.

Blatter was in the English capital on Wednesday for talks with Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, and sports minister Richard Caborn.

A possible World Cup bid was thought to be on the agenda.

However, Blatter raised the prospect that the 2018 tournament could be held either in North America or Asia.

The United States of America, China and Australia have all indicated their intention to bid.

In December, Fifa's executive committee will decide whether the World Cup should continue to be rotated between different continents, or if it should be open to all bidders.

Blatter told a media briefing in London: "The executive committee must take a decision whether the rotation should include all the confederations, in which case the 2018 World Cup should be in CONCACAF (north and central America).

"They could also decide that the Americas should be considered as one and then rotation would go to Asia.

"It may also be that the majority of the Fifa executive committee where you have eight European representatives (out of 24) can find the 13 votes needed (for the World Cup to return to Europe)."

Blatter added that his own preference was for rotation to continue to North America, with the USA, Mexico and Canada all capable of hosting the tournament.

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Carson, CA (Sports Network) - It was announced Tuesday that U.S. soccer legends Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy will be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in a ceremony that will be held on August 26 in Oneonta, N.Y. It will be the first time that an all-female class will be inducted in the Player Category.

Hamm was selected on 97.16 percent of the ballots, setting a new high for votes received. Foudy was selected on 83.69 percent of the ballots. It was both players' first ballot in which they were eligible for the award. Both athletes were pivotal members of the WNT's two FIFA Women's World Cup titles and two Olympic Gold medals during their careers.

Hamm, a native of Selma, Ala., played in 275 international matches for the U.S. while scoring a world record 158 goals and a U.S. record 144 assists. Before joining the WNT she played colligately at the University of North Carolina where she won four NCAA titles while leading the nation in scoring three times. She ended her collegiate career as the Atlantic Coast Conference's all-time leading scorer in goals (103), assists (72) and points (278). She received the award as the nation’s outstanding female collegiate athlete two consecutive years and was named U.S. Soccer’s Female Athlete of the Year five consecutive years (1994-1998). She played three years in the now defunct WUSA, leading the Washington Freedom to the championship in 2003. She was also named FIFA Women’s World Player of Year twice (2001-2002).

Foudy, who captained the USA from 2000 until her retirement in 2004 is considered by many one of the greatest leaders in the history of women’s sports. She played 271 times for the USA while scoring 45 goals from the midfield, good for ninth on the all-time U.S. scoring list. A southern California native, Foudy was a four-time All-American at Stanford University. She finished her college career with 52 goals and 32 assists. Foudy also played three seasons in the WUSA for the San Diego Spirit and won the 1997 FIFA Fair Play Award for her work against child labor. She was the first woman and is currently the only American to win the award.

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(Soccer365.com) - Young Heerenveen forward Robbie Rogers has asked out of his contract to search for MLS employment.

The American was only abroad for six months, but now leaves fellow U.S. Under-20 star Michael Bradley behind at the Abe Lenstra on March 1st.

Rogers did not feature for the Eredivisie side, but scored twice for the reserve team during his stay in Holland.

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(Goal.com) - Lionel Messi has admitted that he would relish the chance to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo if FC Barcelona are successful in their quest to sign him.

The Blaugrana have been linked to the Manchester United star and have openly admitted that a massive bid is being prepared for the summer.

If the move were to materialise, Messi would be delighted as he is a big Ronaldo fan.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is an extraordinary player and it would be brilliant to be in the same team as him," the 19-year-old Barça prodigy explained in an interview with Record magazine.

"I do not know if that will happen one day, but I would like it to as he is spectacular."

While Messi is still trying to make his name in European football he already has his sights firmly set on becoming a hero in his native Argentina.

Despite not being a regular in Frank Rijkaard's team, the Santa Fe-born forward is already a very popular figure for his performances in the national team.

His potential has also won him plaudits from Diego Maradona, who has become a close friend.

"One day I would like to be adored by the people in Argentina like Maradona is," Messi explained.

In the same interview Messi was asked about his opinion of Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, after the pair clashed two seasons ago when the Barça starlet was accused of diving.

"I cannot say many good things about him," Messi said succinctly.

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(Soccer365.com) - Cruzeiro prodigy Kerlon is on cloud nine after grabbing his first goal for the club in State Cup action against Ituiutaba.

“I’ve been waiting for that goal for almost two years”, explained the 18-year old midfielder.

“I’m really happy and I just hope that this is the first of many goals and I don’t have to wait as long for the next one.

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(Soccer365.com) - New England general manager Mike Burns has some money to play with after the departure of Clint Dempsey, but says the team won’t just look to spend at the first opportunity.

"We are in a unique situation because we are the first team to benefit from the new rules in place regarding the transfer of a player," he told the Boston Globe. "We would rather have someone sooner than later, but we are not going to rush to sign someone just to sign someone."

"We want to find the right guy to fill a need on the field, first and foremost," added Burns. "If that player is also appealing to the market and our fans, that is the best-case scenario for everyone."

Recent rumours have linked Liverpool forward and former Steve Nicol teammate Robbie Fowler, but the coach revealed that move was not imminent.

"Everyone wants to be paid what they think they are worth at the end of the day," he said. "We have a lot more money than we're used to, but for the Beckhams and the big names, maybe it's not enough."

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(Goal.com) - Frank Rijkaard believes that his FC Barcelona side are the underdogs in the tie against Real Zaragoza as the two teams prepare for the secnd leg of the quarter final.

The Dutchman remains confident, but knows that the Blaugrana face a tough task in La Romareda to turnaround the 1-0 deficit from the first leg.

"Zaragoza are the favourites," he said. "This will not be easy for them though.

"Historically, they have a very record in this competition where they have not only knocked us out, but also some other very big clubs.

"They are strong at the back and are always dangerous on the counter-attack. Overall they are a good team.

"But I am always optimistic.

“We are very keen and have a clear objective. To win and stop them from scoring from quick breaks."

Reflecting on the decision to leave Samuel Eto'o out of the squad, Rijkaard explained that all parties felt it would better not to push him to hard.

"He has been left out after discussion with the medical staff and the player," the coach said.

"It is a shame we cannot have him with us, but it is all related to the way his injury is developing”.

Carlos Diogo scored the only goal of the game as Zaragoza stunned Barça by winning in Camp Nou and they have eliminated the Catalan club twice in the last four seasons from the cup.

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(Soccer365.com) - With his starting keeper injured and shallow depth, Watford manager has pointed to defender Jay Demerit as one of two players being given emergency netminder duty.

The American Abroad, along with attacker Darius Henderson, will spend a few extra moments in training working between the pipes - just in case.

"Darius or Jay would go in goal, "Jay has good hand-eye co-ordination, and Darius is happy to have people running and jumping at him."

"We prepare for any eventuality," the relegation fighter announced.

"I will not send them off with the goalkeepers, but there are times when they will do 10 or 15 minutes of work."

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(Soccer365.com) - Los Angeles coach Frank Yallop has admitted that the club would be very interested should Celtic midfielder Thomas Gravesen shake loose from Parkhead this summer.

"I think he could be a superstar in MLS and I'm sure it would be a pleasure for David Beckham to play with him again," he stated to the Herald.

"If he is not satisfied at Celtic, it would be a perfect opportunity to play in MLS with our club."

The former Everton and Real Madrid man isn’t talking exit yet, but his agent admitted that options were being weighed.

"Thomas loves Glasgow and is happy with Celtic, but he doesn't know why he is out of the team at the moment," John Sivebaek told The Scottish Sun daily.

"It is a bit too early to conclude things, but of course, Thomas won't accept being a substitute forever."

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(Goal.com) - Gabriel Milito does not believe that Real Zaragoza are favourites to progress to the semi finals, despite having a quarter final lead over FC Barcelona.

The Argentinian central defender is confident that the Aragónese outfit can beat the Blaugrana, but is wary after last season.

Zaragoza lead the tie after winning 1-0 in Camp Nou in the opening game and have history on their side, having beaten Barça twice in the last four seasons in the cup.

Despite that, Milito knows what a tough task his side face on Wednesday in la Romareda.

"We are not favourites despite having a one-goal advantage," he said.

"Firstly, because it is not a great difference against a very strong opponents and, secondly, because we know from last season what can happen.

After hammering Real Madrid 6-1 in the semi final last year, Zaragoza only just won through after losing the second leg in el Bernabéu 4-0.

"Against Madrid last time we we scored a lot of goals in the first game, but then conceded a lot in the second match and had to work very hard to qualify," Milito clarified.

"It will be intense.

"The key to winning will be strong defending and to ensure that we protect the slim lad that we currently have.

"We will have to be together and make certain that the communication throughout the team is good because we cannot conceded a goal."

Samuel Eto'o could well be a central figure in Barça's bid to overturn his team's deficit and Milito is well aware of the Cameroonian striker's ability.

"He is a player with a lot of quality, possibly one of the best in Europe in his position and is a very important player for them," he concluded.

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(Soccer365.com) - Uruguay star Dario Rodriguez has announced that he will put away his La Celeste shirt after competing at this summer’s Copa América in Venezuela.

The Schalke 04 wingback, who has scored in successive World Cups for Uruguay, did add that he could return later in a technical staff role with the team.

"I have decided to end my international duty after the Copa América," he stated. "After the Copa América, I will not play for Uruguay anymore.

"Then I would like to continue my career in a Uruguayan team, but first I have to finish my contract at Schalke that expires in 2008."

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(Goal.com) - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has spoken of his relief that captain John Terry made such a swift recovery from a head injury after Sunday’s 2-1 win over Arsenal in the Carling Cup final.

Terry swallowed his tongue after accidentally being kicked in the head by Abou Diaby.

The England captain lost consciousness and was stretchered off to hospital but made a stunning recovery and joined his team-mates for the bus trip home.

Mourinho said: "John lost consciousness. That was a major problem.

"At that moment, you just want the player to be fine. Sometimes dramatic things happen. You never know when it happens to you. This season we have already had the situations with Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini and the negative thoughts come directly to your mind.

"The first point is 'is he safe, is the man fine?' His wife is here and his little babies are here, so the most important thing is that the man is safe and is fine.

"I was with the fourth official, who was in direct communication with (referee) Howard Webb. He told him what was going to happen, so I knew everything.

"The Arsenal medical department was already there because they had been treating an injury, so they were close to the situation. Everything was under control.

"I just know he was heading the ball. It would be normal for an Arsenal player to try to kick it five metres from his own goal. The defensive player has to do that.

"John risked himself and the Arsenal player was trying to protect his goal. I have no criticism about that.

"After that, the only thing we know was in that couple of minutes we were worried because he lost consciousness. Once our doctor had arrived half the problem had been solved."

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(Goal.com) - Valencia have dismissed reports linking David Villa with a move to Chelsea in the summer and stated the only way any club could talk to the player is if they meet his buy-out clause.

Reports in both Spain and England have linked the striker to a move to Stamford Bridge, but los Ché are adamant that they do want to sell.

"David is not for sale because we need him," said club president, Juan Soler. "Valencia will only accept if his release clause is met and I warn clubs that are interested in him."

Villa is also said to interest Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez, but with Chelsea said to be ready to splash the cash it cold prove to be difficult for the Reds to compete.

The former Real Zaragoza forward's buy-out clause currently stands at €126m and his contract at Mestalla runs until 2013.

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(Soccer365.com) - Blackburn netminder Brad Friedel is preparing to open his youth academy in August, a move he’s making to level the playing field for young American soccer players.

“I don't like how the youth is developed in the United States,” the American Abroad recently told the Press Enterprise. “I think it's farcical at times.”

“I think about 70-80 percent of the youth coaches are only in it to get paid, and that's across America - there are far too many politics involved."

"We tried to get involved to see if we could formulate a youth academy as they're run in the rest of the world, where it would be free of charge for the kids,” asserted Friedel of his Ohio-based soccer school. "These kids that stay with us year-round will be elite players."

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(Soccer365.com) - Aston Villa attacker Patrick Berger has revealed that a move to MLS at the end of his contract is an option on the table.

“There is a possibility of me going to America,” said the former Czech Republic and Liverpool star. “I know there is an interest, but I can't say anything at the moment because nothing is finalized.”

“I'm prepared to help Villa finish as high as we can in the table, I will then see what the manager has on the table at the end of the season,” added Berger.

“Then I will sit down with the family and do what's best for them and make my decision.”

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(Goal.com) - The Chelsea boss scoffed at claims that the Carling Cup could be his last trophy as a Chelsea coach.

There have been reports that Mourinho himself could walk away from Chelsea in the summer over the lack of support from the board.

However, the Portuguese ruled that possibility out in response to suggestions that the Carling Cup could be his last trophy with the Blues.

"The last? Why?" he asked in response.

"Do you want to believe what you read, or what I tell you?

"I tell you there are only two ways for me to leave Chelsea. One way is in June, 2010, when I finish my contract.

"If the club doesn't give me a new one, it's the end of my contract and I'm out.

"The second way is for Chelsea to sack me.

"There is not a third way - the manager decides to leave and walk away. No chance - I'd never do this to the Chelsea supporters."

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(Soccer365.com) - Toronto FC coach Mo Johnston says U.S. international Conor Casey will join the club as soon as all league paperwork is completed.

The forward arrives to MLS after canceling the remainder of his Mainz 05 contract in Germany.

"He's ours," he told the Toronto Sun. "There's no doubt about that, we just have to be patient."

"Will he get better? Definitely - I expect a lot of goals from him."

"He'll get the opportunity to be a much better player," said Johnston. "But he must come to camp in the right frame of mind."

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(Goal.com) - Ryan Giggs has revealed that the referee gave him the green light to take the controversial quick free-kick that gave Manchester United victory at Lille in midweek.

There was uproar after the Welshman struck the ball while the French tema were still preparing the wall and won the match for the Red Devils.

Lille reportedly threatened to walk off and the barbs have been going backwards and forwards ever since with both sides claiming that they were in the right.

Now Giggs has explained that Dutch referee, Eric Braamhaar, asked him if he wanted to wait or kick the ball quickly.

"The ref came over and said do you want the whistle, and I said no, I will take a quick one," Giggs told the the Manchester Evening News.

"So I said to Wayne, put the ball down, and that was it. I was pleased to see it go in, if it had not I probably would have had a few words off the boss.

"Obviously I was pleased with the result, it was a somewhat contentious goal, but I'm obviously pleased with the points.

"But the last time I scored a goal like that, no one thought about walking off the pitch.

"I was just amazed by what was happening around us, we did not know what was going on, but that's the French I suppose."

Lille launched an official complaint to UEFA over the goal, but have little hope of having the result annulled.

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(Soccer365.com) - New York boss Bruce Arena has revealed that the team will be bringing a third offseason signing on board in the next several days.

"We'll be announcing a new signing either this week or next week," he told the Herald News.

Speculation has centered on Ecuador striker Augustin Delgado, but Liverpool outcast Robbie Fowler – a former Manchester City teammate of new arrival Claudio Reyna – has seen his name enter the conversation.

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(Goal.com) - Former Bayern Munich skipper Stefan Effenberg is impressed with Michael Ballack admitting that he must improve his Chelsea form.

Ballack has failed to make his mark in the Premiership since his summer move.

Michael Essien, Claude Makelele and Frank Lampard have all outdone the former Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich man, and he has been honest to admit he has not done well enough.

"I'm still not dominant and noticeable enough and I am still not scoring enough goals," he had told Premiere.
"It takes a while to settle into a team. Now half a year has passed, and things have worked out reasonably well.

"But I hope that things will work a lot better in the future."

Former Bayern Munich skipper Stefen Effenberg, whole career with the Bavarian giants ended as a result of Ballack's arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, has been impressed with what he has heard.

"I take my hat off to him after these comments," Effenberg told Bild.

"He is very self-critical, and that is the first step to improvement.

"His presence on the pitch has been lacking until now, and also a little luck in finishing."

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(Soccer365.com) - River Plate boss Daniel Passarella has outlined his personal aim for the season: win both the league title and the Copa Libertadores crown.

"I think the fans would like for us to win the Libertadores," he told Goal, "but my objective is to win them both."

The coach, however, did make it clear this was no bold prediction – just a goal.

"We’re not the only team that can win (the league)," noted Passarella. "There are several candidates like Boca, Velez, Estudiantes, Racing and Independient - there is even San Lorenzo."

"We’ve never gone around proclaiming to be favorites," he concluded. "We have a good shot at it, but we’re up against tough teams."

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(Soccer365.com) - Chicago coach Dave Sarachan has revealed that the door is not closed for longtime netminder Zach Thornton.

The Beast was, apart from a cup of coffee with Portuguese giants Benfica, an eight-year starter with the Fire until he ran out of contract at the end of last season.

The team now have Matt Pickens entrenched as the starter, but haven’t decided on a back-up from three candidates.

"I honestly believe he's still capable of being a first-line keeper," Sarachan told the Chicago Tribune. "I don't like seeing him not have a team."

"This has been a hard process, and even harder for him not working."

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Posted by soccer365 at 05:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Goal.com) - West Ham manager Alan Curbishley admits he has found the challenge of taking over at Upton Park more difficult than he thought.

The former Charlton boss was appointed by Eggert Magnusson and the board in December but after beating Manchester United in his first game, the club has not won a Premiership match since.

"It was like going on a blind date when I first met him (Magnusson) as I had never spoken to him before," Curbishley told Football Night on Five. "I don't think any of us envisioned that the relationship was going to be tested so soon. When you've won one game in ten (league matches(, there's no hiding place. There's no hiding place for me, the players and the chairman. I have had a whirlwind eight weeks, but the chairman has had a whirlwind ten weeks.

He added: "I've not really had enough time to impose myself on the squad because the team's changed every week. I found myself picking the team Friday mornings because of injuries and the lack of form."

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Posted by soccer365 at 05:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Soccer365.com) - Toronto FC rookie sensation Maurice Edu will be sidelined until next month due to a protracted recovery from a stress fracture suffered in November.

The #1 MLS SuperDraft pick was expected to be back this week, but now looks set to return in mid-March.

Despite the time loss in preseason, coach Mo Johnston isn’t overly concerned about Edu.

"Even if he was out until the middle of the summer, he'd be a great addition to our team," he told the Toronto Star. "He'll be a hell of a pro."

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Posted by soccer365 at 05:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Goal.com) - Rafa Márquez believes that FC Barcelona should be confident ahead of their two crucial cup in the next fortnight as they look to recover in both the Champions League and the Copa Del Rey.

Next week, the Blaugrana travel to La Romareda for the second leg of the Copa Del Rey quarter final against Real Zaragoza and then seven days later they take on Liverpool at Anfield.

In both ties Frank Rijkaard's team are losing at the halfway stage, but Márquez does not expect Barça to suffer from nerves and believes that the club's fans should remain positive.

"This is a team that does not hide," he said.

"People must have confidence in us like last season when we played Chelsea and they were expecting us not to win and go out.

"The squad has always been confident, so nothing is impossible, even if it is difficult now.

"We are lacking the depth that we had before and our opponents are marking Ronaldinho more tightly and looking to provoke fouls.

"We have tried to come up with moves and playing in different positions.

"There are not many things that need improving and people should not forget how well we did last season.

"The players have to believe that we can return the level we were at, because we have the quality. The mental side needs work though."

Márquez also believes that FC Barcelona are missing a slice of luck stating: "It is something that every team needs, but against Liverpool they had three or four dangerous moves and scored twice."

With 90 minutes to go in both cup competitions, the Mexican international is not ready to consider defeat in either tie.

"Now is not the time to regret anything, we just have to bounce back in both the Champions League and the Copa Del Rey," he concluded.

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Posted by soccer365 at 04:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)

(Goal.com) - The Rossoneri's strategy for the future seems clear: Buffon is too expensive...

With four keepers currently on the roster (Dida, Kalac, Storari, Fiori, although the hierarchy was never quite clear), but none of them sure of still being at the club next season, Milan are looking for new solutions for the goalkeeping position. The club are seriously thinking about calling back Abbiati who was loaned out to Torino last summer. As they await Torino president Cairo's decision, Milan have already made it clear to Abbiati they would gladly have him back.

The goalkeeper, on his part, has already shown a certain approval for a move back to San Siro. He would also be willing to compete with other goalkeepers for the number one position. However it seems that Dida and Kalac are preparing to depart from the club. Storari would not have any problems to remain second choice. By opting for Abbiati Milan would avoid the more costly and difficult operation of bringing Buffon to the club. The 30-35 million euros necessary to get the keeper would then be utilized to try and buy Ronaldinho.

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Posted by soccer365 at 04:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Porto, Portugal (Sports Network) - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho left his old stomping grounds on Wednesday with a 1-1 draw in the first leg of his club's Round of 16 clash with FC Porto.

Mourinho, who guided Porto to the 2004 Champions League title, returned to Portugal for the second time with his new club, and left the Estadio do Dragao in good shape for the return leg on March 6 at Stamford Bridge.

Raul Meireles put Porto on the board after 12 minutes, but his opener was erased by Andriy Shevchenko four minutes later, and the two teams played to a stalemate over the final 70 minutes.

The opening 20 minutes of the match produced much in the way of action, including a pair of goals and a key injury.

Early in the contest Chelsea defender, and team captain, John Terry was forced to leave the game after picking up an injury when his feet got tangled up with Porto's Lisandro Lopez. It was a tough break for the England international, who is just returning from back and calf injuries and is the glue that keeps the Blues back line together.

With Terry sitting on sideline and Chelsea waiting to bring in his replacement, Porto took advantage to move ahead in the 12th minute. Helder Postiga worked his way down the left wing and tried to cross the ball into the middle. However, his cross was blocked by Claude Makelele, who headed the ball out of the penalty area. Meireles was waiting for it 25-yards from goal and volleyed a shot that was headed for the net. The ball took a slight deflection off of Chelsea's Frank Lampard and snuck inside the far post for a 1-0 Porto lead.

Despite the tough break, Chelsea responded well with a goal of its own four minutes later. Arjen Robben, who came on when Terry left the game, made an immediate impact, collecting the ball 30-yards from the net moving into the box. The Dutchman then dropped the ball off to Shevchenko, and the much-maligned striker drove a low shot towards the far post that settled into the lower corner, beating Porto keeper Helton to level the match.

Porto then nearly went back on top in the 20th, but keeper Petr Cech kept the game even. Postiga tried to feed a pass into the box for Lopez, but his pass was deflected. The ball took a fortunate bounce for Porto and ended up on the foot of Lopez, who turned and fired a shot on net. Cech closed out on Lopez quickly, though, and deflected the shot wide.

In the 39th minute, Porto was just inches away from the lead, but was denied by the cross bar. Meireles worked the ball down the left flank and slid a pass to Ricardo Quaresma. The midfielder then sent a dipping shot towards the far post that gave Cech no chance to stop it. The keeper was relieved, however, when the ball slammed off the bar and stayed out.

The second half was played at a measured pace, with Chelsea content to control the ball and mount a counter-attack from time to time. Porto were the more aggressive club, knowing that a draw would favor the Blues in the return leg.

Neither side was able to generate any good chances 30 minutes after the restart, but Chelsea produced a number of long-range efforts to test Helton, and nearly found the net.

In the 77th minute, Shevchenko worked some room for himself 20-yards from goal and held off a defender before firing over the top. Just one minute later, the Blues produced more action inside the box. Didier Drogba was played wide to the left of the goal by Lampard, and the Ivory Coast international drove a hard shot past Helton from close range. However, Drogba was left with a tough angle and his shot caromed off the outside of the post and over the end line.

Porto had the better of the play over the last part of the match, but the Chelsea defense held them off and the Blues will take the 1-1 result back to Stamford Bridge.

In Wednesday's other Champions League action, Liverpool handed defending champions Barcelona a 2-1 defeat at Estadio Camp Nou. Deco put the hosts on top 14 minutes in but Craig Bellamy leveled the match before halftime, and John Arne Riise netted the game-winner in the 74th. In an entertaining contest at the San Siro, Inter Milan and Valencia finished in a 2-2 deadlock. Esteban Cambiasso gave Inter a 1-0 halftime lead, but David Villa pulled the visitors even in the 64th. After Sisenando Maicon gave Inter the lead once more, David Silva equalized four minutes from time to give Valencia a great chance to knock off the favored Italian side in the return leg. Wednesday's other contest saw Lyon and Roma play to a 0-0 draw, leaving their matchup very much on the table when the two teams play the second leg in France.

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(Soccer365.com) - Phoenix Suns superstar Steve Nash has gone on record with his desire to take part in any possible Tottenham takeover.

The Canadian’s brother plays USL soccer, and the two-time defending NBA MVP says he wants to take his involvement past that of a fan.

"If someone were to come in to buy Spurs, I would like to be involved," Nash told the Daily Star. "I suppose you would be talking about a consortium situation."

"As a fan, it appears to me that Spurs are quite profitable and Premiership football teams are obviously becoming a popular investment for businessmen from all over the world."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)

(Goal.com) - The Milan vice-President was partially disappointed with the result against Celtic, even though the Rossoneri still remain as favourites to go through to the next round.

Adriano Galliani gave his thumbs up for the Rossoneri's performance on Tuesday night, even though he believes that his team deserved more than a goalless draw due to the good scoring opportunities created by Milan.

"We would have deserved to score; we had the best and clearest chances.

"It's a good result, but it forces us to win in the second leg.

"I saw many positive notes: Kalac was good, I liked a lot Gourcuff, same thing for Jankulovksi.

"For the defence, Siena was just an episode.

“I spoke with the President Berlusconi, who was satisfied with the match.

"We hope that from now till the second leg, San Siro will be open also for the paying spectators."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Goal.com) - Bayern Munich midfielder Mark van Bommel has apologised for his rude gesture after scoring a late goal against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Tuesday evening.

Real triumphed 3-2 in the Champions League second phase first-leg match but van Bommel’s late away goal ensures there is all to play for.

The Dutchman said his over-zealous celebration was triggered by previous run-ins with Real players.

"I want to apologise to the Real supporters, I have got nothing against them, only against some of the players," he said.

Van Bommel spent the 2005/06 season at Real’s deadly rivals Barcelona before moving to Bayern in the summer.

Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas was unhappy with his actions.

"You can do whatever you want in the dressing room, but you have to know how to behave on the pitch," he said.

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

(Soccer365.com) - According to the Daily Mirror, New England boss Steve Nicol could make a move for Liverpool outcast Robbie Fowler.

The former England star has seen his playing time sharply decline with the arrival of Craig Bellamy and Drik Kuyt.

Nicol was a teammate of Fowler’s in the early 90’s, during the striker’s first stint at Anfield.

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Soccer365.com) - University of Portland adventurer Matthew Dallman has completed an initial one-week tryout with Premiership side Bolton.

The 21-year-old will now move on to other trials, but could return for another Bolton look.

"I'm very excited to have had a shot with Bolton," Dallman told British daily News of the World.

"But if I don't sign, I have a trial with Bayern Munich and I am in contact with several other clubs."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Soccer365.com) - New England sport director Mike Burns has revealed that the team are working hard to put together an improved long term contract for midfield general Shalrie Joseph.

MLS recently rejected a $2 million Celtic bid, and the league runners up are eager to secure their timekeeper.

"It's in everyone's best interest to try to get something done in training camp and not have this go into the first game," Burns told the Boston Globe. "This is a priority for us."

"It's just the negotiation process - there is not a sticking point, like one thing keeping us from getting this done."

"I think Shalrie is in a unique situation," offered Burns. "He's a player who has had interest in him from overseas, that's no secret."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Goal.com) - Samuel Eto'o has explained the reason that he opted not to play in FC Barcelona's Champions League tie against Liverpool as he wants to make sure that he is fully fit.

The Cameroonian striker was not included in the squad for the European outing by coach FranK Rijkaard, despite reports that he was set to return.

After injuring his meniscus against Werder Bremen in September, Eto'o missed four months of action before returning as a substitute against Osasuna earlier this month.

His comeback was hotly anticipated, but it now appears that he had rush himself into playing again as his reluctance not to appear the following weekend against Racing proved.

There was some shock around Camp Nou when it was announced that Eto'o would not be part of the 18-man party to play Liverpool, but he has explained his reasons.

"For the moment, I am not ready," the former Mallorca forward stated.

"I want to to return to the Barça side feeling 100 per cent and that is not the case right now.

"I constantly talk to the coach and let him know how I feel and he always wants to hear my opinion."

With Lionel Messi set to start the match against the Reds after recovering from a broken toe, Rijkaard has some different options up front.

The Dutchman must now choose whether Eidur Gudjohnsen retains his place or whether Javier Saviola steps in, while third permutation could see Andrés Iniesta employed on the right with Messi as the main striker.

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

Eindhoven, Netherlands (Sports Network) - Dutch champion PSV Eindhoven handed English Premier League power, Arsenal, its first defeat in any competition of 2007 when the UEFA Champions League resumed with the first leg of the first knockout phase on Tuesday.

A brilliant strike by Ecuadorian International Edison Mendez is the 61st minute proved to be the difference in the game as Arsenal put forth a lackadaisical effort for most of the Round of 16 contest.

The game started passively for both sides, but Arsenal had the first quality scoring chance 13 minutes in.

Thierry Henry fed Tomas Rosicky with a one-two on the left side of the area, and the Czech midfielder found a seam. He fired a low shot at the far post which was saved by PSV's Brazilian goalkeeper Gomes, but not without some suspense. He got a hand on the ball to stop it as he was falling away, leaving the ball inches from the goaline before Carlos Salcido cleared it away.

Mendez got PSV's first shot on goal in the 21st minute from 20-yards but the effort was easily saved by Arsenal 'keeper Jens Lehman.

About five minutes later, Arsenal striker Henry had another quality effort from the left side, but bent a shot over the crossbar.

PSV had the next quality chance in the 39th minute when Jason Culina touched the ball around a defender in the midfield and found space where he raced on goal before unleashing a shot. Lehman made the save with little difficulty, however, as the shot was right at him.

Henry had a couple of minimal chances before the break, but was able to do little with them and the teams went into halftime tied at 0.

The teams came out with little energy to start the second half before Mendez was able to put the home squad on top.

After taking a well placed pass from Arouna Kone, Mendez struck a low hard shot into the bottom-left corner of the net to give PSV the lead at the hour mark. The 25-yard strike just eluded the fingertips of a diving Lehman to find the back of the net.

After the goal, PSV made history by subbing in Sun Xiang, who made his Champions League debut - the first ever appearance by a Chinese player in UEFA Champions League competition.

The Gunners created few chances the rest of the way with Francesc Fabregas' effort from about 20-yards out being the best about 20 minutes to time.

His strong strike was deflected over the crossbar by Gomes as he drove to his left to ensure the slim lead.

Arsenal outshot PSV 12-9 in the contest while Gomes made six saves to earn the win. The loss is the first for Arsenal at Philips Stadion in Eindhoven in three Champions League matches there - this the first in the knockout phase.

In the other UEFA Champions league matches on Tuesday, Spanish power Real Madrid outscored German champion Bayern Munich 3-2 behind two goals from Raul, Celtic and AC Milan battled to a 0-0 draw and Manchester United used a controversial quick start, freekick goal by Ryan Giggs seven minutes from time to secure a 1-0 win at Lille.

The rest of the first leg contests will be played Wednesday with Barcelona, FC Porto, Inter Milan and Roma hosting Liverpool, Chelsea, Valencia and Lyon, respectively.

At the conclusion of the first leg matches Wednesday, Champions League matches will resume March 6-7 at the higher seeds' home stadiums for the second leg of the Round of 16 phase.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 09:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

(Soccer365.com) - Chicago coach Dave Sarachan has poured cold water on speculation that the MLS side have gone back in for retired France superstar Zinedine Zidane.

The team recently made an approach looking to use the designated player rule that brought David Beckham to Los Angeles, but were turned away.

"I find it unbelievable," Sarachan told the Chicago Tribune. "Where does this stuff come from? As far as I know, there hasn't been any more contact."

Beyond that, the Fire boss admitted he would certainly be willing to include an interested Zidane in his line-up.

"(I) have no idea if he still wants to play," said Sarachan. "If you did want to play somewhere where you could have a life, maybe the United States would be the best option."

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(Soccer365.com) - Despite being held to a 1-1 return draw against Rosario Central, Boca Juniors playmaker Juan Román Riquelme says it was a weird, wonderful felling being back with the club.

The prodigal son has come back from Villarreal on a loan spell.

"I have the fortune that people demonstrate a lot of affection towards me, and that is very special," Riquelme told the club website. "It was strange to play in the Bombonera again, as this pitch is new."

"For me, it was very important to return to play 90 minutes after two months (out of action)."

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(Goal.com) - Paolo Maldini is set to become a Champions League centurion when he makes his 100th appearance in the competition as AC Milan meet Celtic in Glasgow on Tuesday evening.

The 38-year-old defender will become the first Italian to reach the milestone and is proud of the achievement 16 years after he played his first game in the tournament.

Real Madrid boast the only other three players to have played 100 games or more in the Champions League with Raúl having 106 matches under his belt, Roberto Carlos 105 and David Beckham 102.

"Obviously it is a great honour to play 100 games in the Champions League, although I used to play in the old European Cup, so I feel as though I have already played more than 100 games in the competition," he told uefa.com.

"It could be one of my last at this level, but I like the challenge of this competition and I don't want it to be over."

Maldini's first game in the tournament was in December 1992 when he helped Milan to defeat PSV and he also holds the record as having scored the fastest goal and being the oldest player to score in a final.

Those records came when he opened the Rossoneri's account two seasons ago in the final against Liverpool in Istanbul.

This term Maldini is hoping to end his playing career by winning the trophy, but first Milan must beat Celtic in the last 16 tie.

"Our objective this season is to win the UEFA Champions League," he said.

"We are confident we can improve especially in defence and when we get players back from injury we will be even stronger, so I think we have a good chance of going all the way to the final in Athens."

With so much experience, the veteran is relishing the prospect of playing in front of a full house in Glasgow and has no fear of being intimidated.

"Celtic Park is one of the nicest places to play," he stated.

"We played here two years ago and the intensity of the atmosphere was amazing. I am really looking forward to playing there again."

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

(Goal.com) - Samuel Eto'o is set to return to the FC Barcelona squad for the Champions League visit of Liverpool, but will not be named in the starting line-up.

The Cameroonian striker opted to not play at the weekend against Valencia in order to continue his recuperation programme after four months out with a knee injury.

After undergoing surgery on a damaged meniscus in September, Eto'o was desperate to make his comeback and was used as a substitute two weeks ago in the draw at Osasuna.

The following game against Racing Santander saw him also start on the bench, but he then refused to go on in the final minutes.

A storm blew up at Camp Nou before it was accepted that Eto'o was not keen on playing because he had not warmed up enough and did not want to risk a setting himself back.

Over the past weekend, the 26-year-old underwent an intense training course under the watchful eyes of Barça coaches, Francesc Cos and Juanjo Brau.

The sessions, which he did alone on the pitch on front of La Masia in the Camp Nou complex, were designed to give Eto'o complete confidence that his knee was back to normal.

Having put himself through the mini-programme, the player has been recalled to the squad for the game against Liverpool to boost his confidence.

It also thought that the Reds may fear his entrance should he begin to warm-up during the encounter because of the extra edge he would give the Blaugrana.

Eto'o may not start a game for Barça until they face Sevilla in 12 days time, rather than risk making an early return in the match against Athletic Bilbao this weekend.

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

(Soccer365.com) - Houston strike ace Brian Ching says the champions are aiming to excel when CONCACAF Champions Cup play opens on Wednesday, with a view to a berth in the next FIFA World Club Cup.

"It's a huge opportunity to potentially play the best teams in the world," he told the Houston Chronicle. "It's an opportunity to show what MLS is all about."

Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear knows they have their work cut out against Costa Rican foes Puntarenas FC, who are in mid-season form, but says they won’t play safe.

"Fitness will be a key," he admitted. "Our instincts will be the same: to attack."

"It's hard to tell our guys to play easy (but) it would be silly to think we can pressure them all over the field for 90 minutes."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Goal.com) - Deco has heaped praise on Steven Gerrard ahead of Liverpool's visit to Camp Nou in the Champions League on Wednesday and warned of the danger posed by the Reds.

The Portuguese midfielder is well aware of the talent in Rafa Benítez's squad and has singled one player in particular who the Blaugrana will have to watch.

“Steven Gerrard is the best player in the Premier League,” Deco told The Times news paper.

“He has a lot of quality, moves around the field and attacks when he can.

I think he enjoys it at Liverpool, but if he wanted to play in Spain he could easily adapt.”

Reflecting on the similarities between playing Liverpool and Chelsea, Deco thinks that the Anfield club's coach may set his side out to cause more problems than the Blues did.

Without the antagonism that went with the build-up to the recent games against Jose Mourniho's side Barça could believe that things maybe easier for them, but Deco does not agree.

“Chelsea was a one off, but it is worse for us now because Benítez is Spanish and has such a good knowledge of the Spanish league and the players here,” Deco continued.

Frank Rijkaard's side go into the first leg on the back of a defeat against Valencia, a game in which Deco was sent off, but the 29-year-old does not believe that it will affect the Catalan team

“As soon as the game starts everything else will be forgotten,” he said. “The league is completely different because we know we can afford to lose there. In the Champions League we cannot.”

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The Champions League is back. 16 teams are still alive in the fight for Europe's top prize. There are some intriguing match-ups including the last two clubs to raise the cup. Who will win? Make your predictions here!

Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Celtic v AC Milan - Celtic Park
Lille v Man Utd - Stadium Lille Métropole
PSV Eindhoven v Arsenal - Philips Stadion
Real Madrid v Bayern Munich - Estadio Santiago Bernabéu

Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Barcelona v Liverpool - Estadio Camp Nou
FC Porto v Chelsea - Estadio do Dragao
Inter Milan v Valencia - Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
Roma v Lyon - Stadio Olimpico

Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Chelsea v FC Porto - Stamford Bridge
Liverpool v Barcelona - Anfield
Lyon v Roma - Stade de Gerland
Valencia v Inter Milan - Estadio Mestalla

Wednesday, March 7, 2007
AC Milan v Celtic - Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
Arsenal v PSV Eindhoven - Emirates Stadium
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid - Allianz-Arena
Manchester Utd v Lille - Old Trafford

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 06:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

(Soccer365.com) - Blackburn keeper Brad Friedel came up with a pair of big stops late, but he says the credit for their scoreless FA Cup draw at Arsenal goes to the players in front of him.

The American Abroad put up a stone wall on Thierry Henry and Justin Hoyte in the waning moments to force an Ewood Park rematch.

"The last time we came here, we (gave up) six," recalled Friedel. "We wanted to impose ourselves defensively."

"We were not at our best against Leverkusen (a midwekk UEFA Cup loss) and I was really pleased to see the lads play like that today."

"It wasn't true Blackburn Rovers," he said. "But we had to tighten up at the back and we did that today."

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(Soccer365.com) - Ajax winger Mauro Rosales has seen a late transfer to Argentine side River Plate rejected by the Dutch Football Federation.

The club have stated their regret to the popular player, who had struggled to make the line-up this season.

"Until Friday, the KNVB were keen to cooperate on the outward transfer," Ajax technical director Martin van Geel told Het Parool. "The Argentinean market is open two weeks longer than ours, but now the transfer window is closed and Rosales stays."

"It's especially very sad for Rosales himself," Ajax coach Henk ten Cate. "For weeks, that boy has been hurled to and fro - he lived between hope and fear."

"One day he thinks that he goes back, the next day he hears something different again."

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Goal.com) - Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted that the last sixteen tie against Lille is not about avenging last year's group stage exit. That, however, hasn't stopped him taking all his 23 players - all passed fit - to France.

It was a tragedy of sorts for Manchester United in the group stage last season, as Lille first secured a goalless draw at Old Trafford - in a game which saw Paul Scholes sent off - and then won in France to set up the Red Devils' early exit.

However, manager Sir Alex Ferguson has denied suggestions that United travel to France looking for revenge.

"I don’t think that comes into it," the club's website quote him as saying. "I'm pleased with the form of the team. Last year was down to a combination of things."

"We went into the Lille game in Paris with a far too inexperienced team, with too many young players in it [Giggs was injures, Scholes suspended after his Old Trafford Red]."

"There was a definite confidence failure in the team at the time.

"When you play young players, it’s always better to play them in a confident team. You get a far better performance level from them because everyone around them knows what they’re doing.

"When you play them in situations like we did over in Paris, it was asking a lot for us to get a result in that game."

"We’re disappointed by the last two years without question," he continued. "We should be doing better. I've said that time and time again. Some years we’ve been very unlucky, but in other years we’ve not done as well as we should have done.

"That’s the challenge of European football, to get that consistency in Europe. You could say we’ve had consistency up until the last two years in terms of getting to the quarter finals and beyond every year, but we certainly should have done better in the last two years.

"That’s symptomatic of the fact that we’ve been rebuilding the team, and when you’re doing that you need courage and patience. And I think we’ve shown that.

"It bothers me we didn’t get further, we should have done. But there’s no point in looking back when the progress and promise we see in front of us is so encouraging. I’m very bullish about the current team."

Manchester United flew out to France with their full 23-man squad today, and are expected to field their strongest eleven against Lille. Five players will have to be left out of the squad before the game.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Heaton.

Defenders: Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Silvestre, Evra, Heinze.

Midfielders: Giggs, Scholes, Carrick, Park, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Richardson, O'Shea.

Forwards: Rooney, Saha, Larsson, Solskjaer, Smith.

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

(Soccer365.com) - Wolverhampton manager Mick McCarthy has announced a Leeds United loan move for striker Jemal Johnson.

The American Abroad got off to a fast start after moving from Blackburn, but has increasingly found himself outside of the game day squad.

He will now join a relegation fight, as Eddie Lewis and the Whites are currently in the Championship basement.

"Jemal's opportunities have been reduced here with Andy Keogh and Stephen Ward playing so well," McCarthy told the club website. "He needs to get some football."

"Dennis (Wise) wants to freshen up his squad, so this will be a good move for him."

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Goal.com) - AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti has aborted rumours regarding an alleged hassle with Captain Francesco Totti and has commented on the current Serie A situation after the weekend action.

AS Roma lost to Empoli on Saturday and it surely was a major blow to the Giallorossi who now have thin hopes in winning the Scudetto and this certainly created a bitter atmosphere amongst the players, but has it created rifts in the team?

Captain Francesco Totti, hampered by a mediocre performance, was substituted on the 20th minute of the 2nd half with Vucinic and this may have caused a rift with the Coach according to the Roman grapevine.

However, AS Roma coach Spalletti has explained that there is no talk of a rift. “Against Empoli I substituted Totti because there is very important Champions League match awaiting us. Totti knows me very well and he is a player whom I admire a lot.”

“There’s mutual respect between myself and the Captain and it would be very difficult for anyone to stir up a conflict between me and Francesco.” assessed Spalletti, implying that certain local media reporters often spread all-but-true rumours.

On the current Serie A situation Spalletti was honest. ”We have done what we could do. Perhaps we could have given more effort in matches against minor opponents, but it is just undeniable that Inter Milan are doing an extraordinary season.”

“To become competitive, we need at least 3 other important players to add to the current squad”, ended the Coach, although not dropping any names. Who could – and should – he be thinking of?

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Goal.com) - In a shock declaration Radio Cope claimed that Fabio Capello has submitted his resignation on the eve of the Bayern Munich clash, and that the decision would be announced at 1900, confirming he would step down after the Bayern game.

However, Real Madrid have denied the reports, in the very press conference.

Speculation now is that it will only be announced after tomorrow's game, and that Madrid just came out to restore peace after the radio channel got hold of the news.

According to Radio Cope, the Italian has submitted his resignation, and the club have accepted it.

A formal announcement was supposed to be made at a press conference later this evening, when a club spokesperson would confirm the decision.

It was suggested that Don Fabio would, however, take charge of the Champions League clash against Bayern Munich.

Youth team coach Michel - who has been in the news of late for his remarks about Eto'o - was tipped to take over.

However, Madrid have since denied it, though we continue to hear that he will be leaving come tomorrow evening.

Re-live the press conference as it happened:

1900: There is no confirmation yet, but, what we do know is that the coach met Baldini and Mijatovic earlier today, something he seemed to confirm during his press conference.

1905: A board meeting is taking place, and Real Madrid have also just confirmed there is an emergency press conference scheduled for just after 1900, so there is definitely something happening...

1915: The press conference seems to be starting! club spokesperson Miguel Angel Arroyo is speaking.

1918: Madrid fans can breathe easy, as the club have just denied it. However, the media seem to be sensing something else.

1921: "Real Madrid can confirm that Fabio Capello has not submitted his resignation, either verbally, or in writing," reads out Arroyo.

1921: "This news is a surprise to us, we know nothing about it," continues the statement. "It is an attempt to unsettle the club."

1922: A case of smoke without fire, it seems, though it is strange Madrid held an emergency conference just to issue a denial, and that after an intensive meeting of the board.

1925: The reporters seem unconvinced as well, and one asks if the coach will be in charge of Saturday's clash against Atleti. Arroyo says: "The board still have the same confidence in the coach."

1926: Another asks what would happen if he did resign, and a rather nervous Arroyo declines to comment on speculation.

1927: "Mijatovic has not said anything to me about this. It is not true," he asserts in conclusion, claiming part ignorance.

1928: That's it! The press conference is over, and despite another emergency meet, the club have not confirmed anything.

There is some speculation that the decision will stay inside the boardroom until tomorrow evening!

It is understood that Capello took exception after Mijatovic started influencing club policy, and decided to quit - on his own terms before he got the sack.

Rumours coming out of the Real Madrid camp still suggest that the Bayern game will be his last!

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Valencia, Spain (Sports Network) - Valencia vaulted into the top three with a 2-1 home win against leaders Barcelona on Sunday in Spanish La Liga action.

Goals by Miguel Angulo and David Silva just after the break gave the home squad the lead before Ronaldinho cut it in half in stoppage time on a free kick to close out the scoring.

Even with the loss Barcelona stays at the top of the table, but Sevilla is now tied with 46 points after beating Atletico Madrid 3-1, Sunday. Barcelona's goal differential is four goals better, giving it the slight edge.

Valencia jump over Real Madrid in the table with 42 points - same as Real - but are one goal better in the differential.

Frederic Kanoute opened the scoring for Sevilla in the 15th before Alves Daniel doubled the lead before the break. The team went up 3-0 after Kanoute's second tally in the 73rd minute before Atletico got one back in the 82nd by Ibanez Pablo.

Atletico are currently in fifth place with 39 points.

Also on Sunday, Athletic Bilbao blanked Getafe 2-0, Deportivo and Levante battled to a scoreless draw, Celta Vigo and Recreativo earned 1-0 victories over Osasuna and Real Sociedad, respectively, Espanyol topped Mallorca 3-1 and Racing dominated last placed Tarragona 4-1.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 06:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

(Soccer365.com) - Recent USMNT debutant Kenny Cooper says it was tough to miss out on the Mexico friendly, but says he will keep doing the job with FC Dallas to ensure he is called back by Bob Bradley.

"It's definitely been a goal for a while now," the forward, who opened his international account with a debut goal against Denmark last month, told the Dallas Morning News. "It was a great experience, but I'm kind of hungry for some more."

"I was a little disappointed not to be involved in the (Mexico game," admitted Cooper. "I know life goes on."

"I'm excited to be back here in FC Dallas - if I want more opportunities with the national team, I have to play well here."

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

(Soccer365.com) - Columbus attacker Jospeh Ngwenya believes the team’s lack of star players won’t necessarily keep them having success in 2007.

The Crew did chase former hero Brian McBride, but came up empty when the Fulham strike ace signed a contract extension.

"I think it’s a bit unfair of the fans to think we need to add a whole bunch of talent to this team, but it is understandable after last season," he conceded to the Columbus Dispatch.

"We have a lot of young guys who are going to be hungry," offered Ngwenya. "You can go out and get a player who has achieved a lot in their career, but they might just be coming here to play and enjoy themselves and see what the U.S. is like."

"We have guys who are out to prove something and that’s going to be exciting."

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Goal.com) - In the face of much speculation about Rijkaard's future, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has come out with unequivocal praise for his compatriot.

"He's a coach who has won it all as a player and for me, is one of the best coaches," said the left-back about Rijkaard.

The Dutch international denied vehemently claims that the manager had lost authority over the course of the week, and also expressed hope that he would be "staying on for many years."

Despite suggestions that Eto'o could stay behind and focus on his fitness, Van Bronkhorst felt that the Cameroon international was ready for action against Valencia: "I see Samu in good shape."

He then went on to speak about Sunday's opponents, Valencia, who, he admitted "could win the league."

"However, we want to continue as league leaders, and to leave Valencia trailing by 10 points [which they will should they win at the Mestalla]," he insisted.

Finally he spoke about Zambrotta being handed starts on the left, ahead of him and Sylvinho. He revealed he had discussed the issue with Rijkaard, and that the coach had explained that he wanted to give Zamrotta some continuity in defence.

He also played down suggestions that he could play in midfield, as he did during the practice game on Wednesday: "I've only played two or three times in this position."

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

(Soccer365.com) - MLS champs Houston are going to tackle the Chiacgo Fire and the New York Red Bulls this weekend to complete a three-game-in-five-days stretch that they hope will get them ready to take part in the CONCACAF Champions Cup next week.

"You want to win anytime you go out, but more importantly these two games are about finding that rhythm, getting to know each other once again, getting touches on the ball and being in pressure situations," Dynamo defender Craig Waibel told the Houston Chronicle. "That's all we're really looking to get out of this weekend so next Wednesday things work out."

The Dynamo will open Champions Cup play against Costa Rican side Puntarenas.

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

(Goal.com) - Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher wants to complete a personal hat-trick - of consecutive clean sheets at the Camp Nou.

Liverpool have not conceded in their previous two visits to the Camp Nou, and Carragher - who was a part of both those games - wants to make it three in a row for himself.

He also revealed his admiration for the stadium - which is once again expected to be brimming with a capacity 98,000 crowd.

"I've played there a couple of times and I'm a big fan of the Nou Camp," he told the club's official website.

"To me the Nou Camp might not just be the best stadium in Spain, it could be the best in the world.

"It's fantastic and I'm sure it's going to be a great atmosphere when we go back there next week."

The Reds have secured goalless draws on their previous two visits - in the first leg of the Uefa Cup semi-final in 2000-01, and in the second group stage of the Champions League in 2001-02.

However, he had had no illusions about the enormity of the task at hand: "You have to watch top teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid and the top players that play for them. You can always learn things from them."

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

(Goal.com) - Bayern Munich’s old-new Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, back after Felix Magath bit the Bavarian dust, has heated up the Champions League clash between the German ‘Roten’ and the Spanish ‘Merengues’ by declaring his admiration for a Raúl he would sign in a flash.

"I’d sign him right here and now, and I’d go wherever it takes to land a player like that", Hitzfeld exclaimed. "He’s a crack player and I’m a fan of everything that he does, and what’s more now is the prefect time to sign him as he’s got a wealth of experience and has reached full maturity.”

The tactician was also looking forward to returning to play at the Bernabéu: "It’s a dream playing that venue and I’m really glad that Bayern were drawn against Real". The tactician didn’t make mention of Capello’s poor record at home, preferring to confide in the second leg in Munich.

“The last time we played against them the Roberto Carlos goal in Munich was the turning point of that edition of the Champions League”, he remembered, referring to the slap shot that Oliver Kahn let slip in and the Brazilian left-back commemorated with a chicken dance.

“This time we’ve got the edge of playing the second leg at home and the Allianz Arena is much more atmospheric than our old Olimpic Stadion venue because that had a track between our fans and the pitch”, stressed Hitzfeld.

He evidently feels that the support may well make the difference as the two old warhorses come face to face again. “Now our ground is more like the Bernabéu, the fans pressurising from the sidelines", he added.

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Soccer365.com) - Heath Pearce’s play is starting to make opponents, U.S. MNT staff, scouts and fans take notice. The Denmark-based defender took a moment to speak with Soccer365’s Andrea Canales about his professional career, time with the national team, hopes for the future, fondness for Mexican food and more…

by Andrea Canales

Denmark-based Heath Pearce is coming to the end of his contract this summer with his club team, Nordsjaelland. Though he was the promising unknown for the left back spot last year, and contributed a pin-point assist in a friendly against Denmark this year, Pearce faces stiff competition in his quest to become a U.S. national team regular. With his future for club and country in flux, the defender answered some questions for Soccer365’s Andrea Canales.

In battling for the left back spot on the national team, do you feel you’re at a disadvantage due to the current coach’s unfamiliarity with you?
There are two ways to look at that. The first way is that it can be a disadvantage in the beginning if he chooses to go with someone he is familiar. The second way to go about it is to think that him not knowing me only gives me more of an opportunity to impress from a fresh start without any prior judgments. I personally try to take the positive out of every situation and when I am with the national team, not over-analyze each situation and just roll with the punches and do my best.

What, if any, was the explanation given to you for not keeping you on the squad for the U.S. game versus Mexico?
The explanation I was given was that because I was a Euro-based player with a club team already in training they wanted both Danny (Califf) and I to get back to our clubs and join them again. Also, that for the Mexico game they were going to bring in some of the other Euro guys to try to get a look at everyone in the pool.

What are the current options for your club future?
Well right now, I am in the process of figuring out who is the best agent to go with. I feel this next step in my career is very crucial for my development so I am being patient with agent selections as well as club selections. I am open doors to everywhere at this point. I try not to focus on a particular league that is best for me because I feel that there are certain clubs in each league that could suit my style of play and where I could have a chance to immediately help the team and more importantly develop as a player.

Would you consider a move to Major League Soccer?
The US is where I’m from. I will always bleed red/white/blue so I would never close a door to the MLS. I am considering all the possibilities at this point. If you look at a player like Cory Gibbs, he came back to the MLS, established himself with the national team, did well, then took off again for a bigger club in Europe. It proved the right move for him in the end. So yeah, I am open to all possibilities.

Is a move to another European league a current option? Which would you prefer and why?
I have not seen anything on paper yet concerning new options abroad. I know of some interest but I have not had any offers since I have been able to sign a pre contract. Like anyone with ambition, my goal is to play in Spain or in the Premiership, but from a more realistic standpoint I see my next move going to Germany or Holland. I also like the big clubs in Portugal and Belgium. The French league could be interesting at certain clubs. I think there are many possible suitors, I just hope that one takes a liking in me enough to offer a deal.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a pro career in the Scandinavian league?

For the complete Heath Pearce interview CLICK HERE

Posted by soccer365 at 03:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Goal.com) - Beleaguered Steve McClaren has suggested that the likes of David Beckham, Sol Campbell and David James will not be out of reckoning for England unless they retire from football.

McClaren seemed to have turned the page on the trio follwing his arrival in August, as he looked for youth and invigoration.

However, while there may be talent, the performances have not been coming. Worse still, even results have not been coming, and only so much can be blamed on injuries!

The England coach had hinted following last week's friendly defeat to Spain that he would shake things up a bit, and a return to pitch for experience - and veterans desperate to prove themselves for England again - could be part of the plan.

He suggested as much, when suggesting that people had misread his earlier comments on the likes of Beckham.

"Yes, of course they have [misunderstood my comments]," he told Sky Sports News.
"It's the same with David James and Sol Campbell.

"I reiterated a few weeks ago after watching Portsmouth and Manchester United, they gave excellent performances there.

"Unless they retire in international football everyone is under consideration. I don't retire them, they retire themselves and they haven't, none of them have, David Beckham included."

Meanwhile, McClaren have moved quickly to quash talk he held a crisis meeting with senior players following last week's defeat at Old Trafford to Spain.

"No, there are meetings with players, but crisis? Never in crisis. Just opportunities to learn and do things better," he continued.

"The big frustration of being an international manager after a game is de-briefing the players and closing a game. So getting the messages to the players after a game can be difficult.

"In the coming weeks, although I haven't decided how, we'll get that message across. We'll close that Spain game down and quickly move onto Israel."

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

(Soccer365.com) - After Wednesday’s Copa America draw, U.S. Men’s National Team coach Bob Bradley admitted that it could be difficult to get European-based players released for he summer tournament.

The Venezuela edition of CONMEBOL’s championship kicks off in July, while most UEFA leagues are starting with the preseason.

“Clearly, it will be easier to get releases for European-based players for the Gold Cup,” Bradley told a conference call. “We will work to try to see what’s best for all of these players.”

“We understood when we made the decision to be in Copa America, that it would also be an opportunity to dig deeper into our pool and to see some of our younger players in these kinds of games,” he added.

“We are fully prepared to put together good rosters for both events.”

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

(Goal.com) - Luis Martins, Sporting Lisbon's former youth team coach, has revealed that Real Madrid turned down a chance to sign Cristiano Ronaldo in 2003.

Martins, who coached Ronaldo for three years, from 1997 to 2000, has revealed how Real Madrid looked at him in 2003, before deciding not to sign him.

"I was in Madrid in 2003 to complete my training as a coach," said Martins.

"By then the Real Madrid scouts had already followed Cristiano, and it appeared that they were already in contact with Sporting to sign him.
"I recommended him to them. I do not know why they did not sign him."

Martins also revealed Ronaldo had always wanted to do well in Spain.

"Cristiano has always said the same thing to me, that he wants to succeed in Spain, which he considers to be the best league in the world.

"And he is not going to stop until he achieves it."

Of course, 2003 was the year Los Merengues pipped Barcelona to David Beckham, the Catalans pipped Manchester United to Ronaldinho, and the Red Devils picked up the Portuguese winger.

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

(Soccer365.com) - Hammarby rookie striker Charlie Davies says he doesn’t mind the raised pressure to succeed after arriving from Boston College this winter.

The young American Abroad signed with the ambitious Swedish top flight side after a failed trial with Dutch giants Ajax.

“It just makes me want to work harder,” he asserted. “I want to be the goal scorer they want me to be and I want to make Hammarby Allsvenskan champions.”

“(Team captain) Mikkel Jensen is extra tough on me, but I appreciate that he yells at me when I make mistakes,” said Savies. “He wants me to be as good as I can be.”

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Goal.com) - Real Madrid winger Robinho has dismissed claims he would consider joining Tottenham.

The Real Madrid forward's agent revealed yesterday that exit was a possibility following the treatment dished out to him by Capello.

Wagner Ribeiro had said: "He [Robinho] told me what he had said to the Spanish press about being unhappy and that he’ll only be happy playing.

"We’ll have to really examine his position in the middle of the year and I’m taking a diversion from my trip to Turkey [where he represents seven Brazilians] to visit Madrid."

Tottenham have since been linked with him, but Robinho was dismissive.

"Reports that I'd move to Tottenham are wide of the mark," he reportedly told Marca.

"If I had to leave Real, I'd choose to join another a big club.

"I don't regard Tottenham Hotspur as a big club."

Of course, he has been linked with Arsenal in the past, and Arsene Wenger is known to be a big admirer. Could that have played a part?

The comment should keep the Premiership debate on big and small clubs alive, at least for a while...

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (29)

The full 2007 Copa America draw was unveiled Wednesday. The United States will play Argentina, Paraguay and Colombia in the first round of soccer's championship of South America.

The American side will open the 12-team tournament against Argentina on Thursday, June 28 in Maracaibo, Venezuela. The U.S. will then face Paraguay on July 2 in Barinas, before finishing group play against Colombia on July 5 in Barquisimeto.

American head coach Bob Bradley discussed the draw on the US Soccer website:

“We excited about our participation in Copa America. I think quite obviously we have been put in a very competitive group. When we decided that we wanted to enter Copa America, we did so with the understanding that we would have excellent games for our players and I know that will be the case. As you know, we have a busy schedule this summer. Copa America follows the Gold Cup, which will be played in the United States. We have a lot of work to do in terms of putting together rosters, but they are both very, very important events as we go forward with our national team program.”

Meanwhile, the other guest country, Mexico, drew Brazil, Chile, and Ecuador in Group B. The Mexicans will open with Brazil on June 27th. Bolivia, Uruguay, and Peru join hosts Venezuela in Group A.

The top 2 teams from each group and the two best 3rd place teams will advance to the knockout stage.

The last time the US received and accepted an invitation to Copa America was 1995, when the Americans shocked defending champion Argentina, 3-0, to advance to the quarterfinals. The US team then defeated Mexico to reach the semifinals and eventually finished in fourth place.

Overall, the U.S. has played Argentina seven times with a record of 2-5-0.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 06:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (39)

(Soccer365.com) - Boca Juniors returnee Juan Román Riquelme says he wants to thank management for bringing him back for a second stint by leading them to the championship.

The playmaker arrives on loan from Villarreal, where he had gotten tangled up with management.

"I want to thank the president of Boca Juniors for giving me the chance to come back home," declared Riquelme. "It's a very important day for me."

"I hope, that in June, we can celebrate a title and that I can give the supporters good performances."

"I have been waiting for a long time to wear Boca's shirt again," added the Argentina ace. "I miss winning something."

"Since I left Boca, I haven't won anything - now I can say that I am happy."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

(Soccer365.com) - New England goalkeeper Matt Reis says it is mission #1 for him to take the club back to MLS Cup, so that they can erase the painful memory of last season’s shootout defeat to Houston.

"That was one of the worst losses of my life, but in order to have highs, you have to have lows," he told the Boston Globe."

The club have begun preparing for the 2007 campaign, and Reis is dead set on his target.

"Being back in Boston now, it's exciting to have a chance to be able to do it all over again," said Reis. "We're all motivated to win the championship."

"That's the goal: to win rings and championships."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Goal.com) - The Reds skipper has asked his teammates to approach the Barcelona clash with confidence, and belief in their own abilities.

"We have got to go there with confidence," Gerrard told LFC - the club's magazine.

"We have to have belief in our ability and we must not spend too much time worrying about Barcelona.

"If you do that you will give yourself nightmares because they are a great side.

"We know what we are capable of and we know the performance we can come up with on the big occasion.

"We also know that whatever Barcelona say, they are going to be wary of us."

He also drew strength from coach Rafa Benitez's ability to mastermind such European games to perfection, something he did during his first season in charge. That Rafa knows Barca even better gave him further confidence.

"Rafa knows them and the Spanish league better than, anyone and that will make them a little bit wary when we go there," he said.

"We would love to go there and win, we are not a team that goes anywhere to play for a draw. But it would not be a bad result for us.

"A lot of our lads have plenty of experience of playing in the Camp Nou, so there is no fear factor. We have been waiting for this game for ages it seems, and now it is almost here we know that a positive result would set us up nicely when we bring them back to Anfield for the second-leg.

"We have had some great games against them in the past and I am sure this will be another one."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

(Soccer365.com) - Chivas USA defender and former Mexico captain Claudio Suarez says his national team should stop looking down on their American counterparts because it makes them easier to defeat.

The USMNT has won eight of the last 11 meetings between the rivals, and El Emperador says his countrymen often beat themselves – especially when the roster is largely MLS-based, as it was for last Wednesday’s 2-0 failure in Phoenix – before they even step on the field.

"They are on par with Mexican players and players all over the world," rated Suarez, veteran of 174 international matches. "Maybe that's something Mexico can't accept, but they need to be more open to the idea."

"When you play (in MLS), back in Mexico they think you are on vacation and that it's very easy to come play here in the United States."

"They don't know this league or these players, and that's why I think the Mexican players were surprised by the American players because they hadn't seen them before and weren't familiar with them," reasoned Suarez.

"In fact, several American players were a lot quicker to the ball than the Mexicans, and they just took it to them."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

(Soccer365.com) - U.S. Under-23 National Team midfielder Stuart Holden will not be joining the team for a Far East swing to play it safe with his bum hamstring.

The MLS champion was injured early in the camp, which is prepping the players for a two-game trip to Japan.

"I tweaked it the first day of practice," Holden told the Houston Chronicle. "I don't want to do any more damage to it."

The Dynamo youngster will receive treatment at the club’s preseason set-up in Florida.

"I obviously would've liked to go to Japan, but there'll be more trips ahead," assured Holden. "The Olympics are still a year-and-a-half away, so it's not like it's going to make or break my chances with the team."

"I'll just have to do well this season with the Dynamo and hopefully get another call-up."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Goal.com) - Bayern Munich have admitted that they cannot compete with the spending power of Real Madrid as the two clubs compete to sign Franck Ribéry.

The Marseille winger has been the subject of transfer speculation since last summer's World Cup Finals, but a firm offer has yet to be accepted by the French outfit.

Ribéry is wanted by Bayern to fill the gap left by Sebastian Diesler, who retired this season, but the Bundesliga giants admit that they may lose out for economic reasons.

Real Madrid's sporting director, Predrag Mijatovic, has openly admitted that his club is interested in signing the 23-year-old and they have the spending power on their side.

"We are interested, certainly," said Bayern president, Franz Beckenbauer. "Although, economically we cannot compete with Real Madrid."

The German club reportedly made an enquiry to Marseille, but were unable to broker a deal due to an imminent takeover of the Ligue 1 side.

Earlier this month, Bayern's general manager, Uli Hoeness, stated that if a new owner buys Marseille then Ribéry could well stay put.

"Marseille are going to be bought-out by Jack Kachkar," he said, reflecting on the Canadian pharmaceutical magante's bid for the club.

"We do not believe at all that one of his first steps as owner will be to sell a fan-favourite for the supporters at the Stade Velodrome."

Arsenal were also said to be in the running and Arséne Wenger could ask Ribéry's French international team-mates to help persuade him move to England.

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Goal.com) - Reggina striker Rolando Bianchi, probably the biggest suprise of this Serie A season, revealed the club he would like to join in the future.

Bianchi has been crucial, thanks to his 12 goals, in allowing Reggina to cancel the -11 points handicap the Calabresi were forced to start the season with due to their involvement in the ‘cacliopoli’ scandal.

His last two, a pair of goals hit against Torino on the weekend, allowed Reggina to incredibly exit the relegation zone with just a little over half of the season played.

Bianchi, who is now considered almost like a demi-god in Reggio Calabria, is being tracked by a number of Serie A and European giants.

In an interview with Sky Italy the 24 year-old forward revealed if he had to chose, which on these suitors he would go to.

“One day I would like to play for Milan, the team that fascinates me most,” he said.

Bianchi, a product of the Atalanta youth-sides, then commented on his reborn career that seemed doomed to failure just last year.

“I had a couple serious injuries that were about to force me to quit, but I didn’t give up,” he said.

Italian newspaper reports are indicating Azzurri boss Roberto Donadoni is thinking of selecting Bianchi for the upcoming Euro 2008 World Cup qualifier round.

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(Soccer365.com) - Newcastle defender Oguchi Onyewu admitted to giving some stick to Liverpool forward Craig Bellamy this weekend, but says that’s the best way to deal with yappy opponents.

"There was a moment when he was complaining that I elbowed him in the head," the American Abroad told Journal Sports News. "I responded and said ‘look at where your head is, I can't help it if you're so short you only come up to my elbow’."

"He just looked at me and smiled and said ‘you've got a point there’."

Onyewu says he felt it best to play along with the talkative former Toon star.

"I don't know if he likes the physical side of the game, but that's a big part of my game," he explained. "My size and strength are big assets and I don't think he liked that too much being half my size."

"He never shuts up," cracked Onyewu. "When you come across players like him you've just got to laugh at them and smile and that's what I did."

"When you encounter one of those, the verbals go back and forth," he concluded. "If you react in a bad way you are feeding in to what he wants and I didn't want to let him inside my head."

"I just told him to keep on talking and that we would keep on playing."

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(Soccer365.com) - Mexican power Club América have scooped up Argentine forward Cesar Carignano from Swiss side FC Basel.

"America is playing at the level of the top European clubs, and the top Argentine clubs," declared the 24-year old at his presentation. "I had no hesitation in coming here."

With a long term injury now in his past, Carignano will take part in his first full practice in months on Tuesday.

"I have been inactive for a couple of months with tendonitis, and had decided to return to Argentina," he explained.

"I am in the last stages of recuperation and, in line with a matter of this seriousness, we are going to proceed with caution."

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(Goal.com) - The mere 15 points collected from 22 matches proved fatal for the now former Gialloblu coach who will be replaced by former Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri.

Late on Monday night, Parma officially announced that they had sacked Stefano Pioli following 22 matches in which the Emiliani lost 13 games, leaving them anchored in the second from bottom position.

"Parma FC announces that Mister Stefano Pioli has been removed from the role of coach of the first team. We thank him and his staff - the Assistant Coach Giacomo Murelli, the Atlethic Trainer Matteo Osti and the Goalkeeper Coach Bruno Fantini - for the professional and serious work done up till today. The technical guidance of the squad is now handed over to Mister Claudio Ranier," announced the club.

On Sunday Parma suffered yet another defeat, as they were crushed by Roma 3-0 at the Olimpico stadium. Ranieri will now have a difficult task in saving the Gialloblu from relegation.

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(Soccer365.com) - South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has finally ended his work permit woes in a settlement between himself, the federation and the country’s immigration department.

The former Brazil coach held a national team training camp while holder only a visitors visa, an oversight which will cost the federation around $3,000.

"We have been working closely with SAFA to speed up the work permit for Carlos Alberto and his assistant," South African Department of Home Affairs spokesman Mantshele Tau told BBC Sport. "We have taken this decision in the best interest of the preparations for the 2010 World Cup."

"We are going to penalize SAFA for their convention of the Immigration Act because they have allowed the coach and his assistant to work without a work permit."

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(Goal.com) - Argentine forwards Lionel Messi and Javier Saviola have both backed Messi following his refusal to play against Racing Santander. However, Goal.com must point out that these comments were made before Eto'o lashed out at Ronaldinho and Rijkaard this afternoon.

"Maybe Samuel thought that he would get more time on the pitch after returning from injury," said Messi during a promotional event.

"He does not owe us any explainations," the youngster continued, after revealing that he had yet to speak with Eto'o. "When you have spent so much time away from action due to injury, it is normal that you are anxious to return."

"We must forget about that and focus on being even more united ahead of the next game [against Valencia on Sunday]."

Saviola, who was also present along with Messi - as well as Hugo Viana and David Villa - backed up his teammate.

"We must try to find out what exactly happened," he said. "The best possible thing is to solve it calmly. The faster it is solved, the less problems it will create."

Prophetic words, well before Eto'o responded ferociously to comments made by Ronaldinho and Rijkaard.

As a parting comment, however, Saviola let glimpse that he would have acted differently from Eto'o: "Even if it was for a minute, I would have played, because I love football."

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(Goal.com) - Martin Jol is confident that his Tottenham Hotspur side can turn their faltering season around and has called for patience after a run of poor results.

The Lilywhites' boss has come under increasing pressure following consecutive defeats against Manchester United and Sheffield United.

As well as the lacklustre Carling Cup semi-final defeat against Arsenal, Jol's Spurs' side are languishing in mid-table despite expectations of a push for a European place.

"We will turn it around and make things better," the Dutchman explained. "We have been a bit vulnerable lately but, in the end, our quality will pull us through.

"I feel there is a lot of growth to come in this team and we will show that, but sometimes you have to be patient. We need a bit of time."

Jol has been without captain Ledley King, who has been sorely missed in the centre of defence, but it is up front where he rues some of the performances away from home.

"At times this season we have flourished, we are proud of the cup runs this season, but we could do with five or six points more in the league and that is the issue," he continued.

"If we had put our chances away on our travels at places like Watford and Aston Villa there would be no complaints over our league position."

This weekend Tottenham face Fulham in the FA Cup, only a month after earning a late draw at Craven Cottage in the Premiership.

"We have a clear week this week with no midweek game or internationals so we can prepare properly for the FA Cup trip to Fulham and, of course, this is important for us," Jol explained.

"We had it before after we did not start the season so well against some of the top teams, but we were then able to train and our season picked up and we went on a great run over October, November and December.

"Fulham might feel we are there for the taking at the moment. We will use that as a motivation and we have prove to people that we can be solid, physical and professional in what we do.

"We have not suffered a defeat in 14 cup matches over 90 minutes and that is good. We will go to Craven Cottage full of confidence, knowing we will have a big fight on our hands, but determined to progress to the quarter final."

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(Soccer365.com) - Boca Juniors prodigal son Juan Román Riquelme has revealed that he had tempting calls from the likes of PSV Eindhoven, but says he was only looking for a Villarreal exit door that led to the Bombonera.

After a sensational 2005/06 campaign for Villarreal, the Argentina international experienced management strife this season.

"I am very happy because I am with my family and friends," said Riquelme. "I am coming back to Boca, which is my home."

"There indeed were other clubs, the return to Argentina was the only option for me."

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(Soccer365.com) - New England Revolution forward Taylor Twellman is expected to put pen to paper on a new contract on Monday.

The U.S. international had recently been the subject of two transfer offers from Norwegian side Odd Grenland, but MLS adamantly refused each time.

"It was a long process and kind of drawn out, but all I have been asking all along is to be paid what my fair market value would be," Twellman told the Boston Globe.

"Staying with New England was ultimately what my goal was even at the beginning of talks of going to Europe."

"I wasn't asking for Landon Donovan or David Beckham type of money," noted Twellman, the 2005 MLS MVP. "I am being paid for what I have done and what I will do in the future."

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(Goal.com) - Inter Milan striker Hernan Crespo - on loan from Chelsea - has hinted that he is interested in staying on with the Nerazzuri.

Crespo moved to Inter on a two-year loan last summer, after spending yet another personally forgettable season at Chelsea.

That, in turn, came about after AC Milan were unable to agree a transfer fee following a successful loan-stint stint with the Rossoneri.

Despite the two-year loan deal, Chelsea have an option allowing them to take him back to England this summer.

The 31-year-old refused to get drawn on that subject too much too early, but hinted that he would be happy to stay on if Inter could work things out with Chelsea.

"I would like to stay on in Milan, but the decision must be taken by Inter and Chelsea," he said.

Crespo's wife, Alessia, is an Italian, and the player himself has spent most of his career in Serie A. He moved to Italy from River Plate in 1996, and has since spent 8 of the 10 years in the country..

Parma, Lazio, Inter, and Milan are his former clubs, with his Italian stints being interrupted by two one-year spells with Chelsea.

However, he will have an uncertain future for the sixth summer in succession - having moved each of the last five years (Lazio-Inter-Chelsea-Milan-Chelsea-Inter).

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(Soccer365.com) - Despite narrowly missing out on the chance to purchase Real Salt Lake from Dave Checketts, the St. Louis group headed by Alton lawyer Jeff Cooper is keeping their eyes on the prize.

The RSL chief, who also owns the NHL Blues, received last minute approval on financing for a soccer specific stadium in Utah.

"I think we've shown the league and everybody involved we are extremely serious about it," he told the Post Dispatch. "Our intention is to get a team sooner rather than later."

"It's not a good day for the effort to bring a team to St. Louis, but in the long run, it's probably a good day for MLS and for soccer in America."

Checketts, meanwhile, is fully supporting the St. Louis efforts to get an expansion team.

"I spoke with (MLS) Commissioner (Don) Garber," he said. "I said, 'Don, we've got to get a team there. It's absolutely ready for it'."

"Even though this didn't happen, we've got to find a way to get a club there," added Checketts. "My view is it is really ready to embrace a team."

"There's more passion for soccer there than any place I've been."

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(Goal.com) - Barcelona’s Ronaldinho has criticised team-mate Samuel Eto’o after his refusal to come on as a substitute during the 2-0 win over Racing Santander on Sunday.

The Brazilian grabbed the headlines with both goals but there was controversy surrounding his team-mate.

Barca boss Frank Rijkaard wanted to give substitute Eto’o five minutes at the end of the game as he continues his comeback from a knee injury, but the Cameroon star did not want to play.

"Everything depends on the player and the particular situation, but it always is important to think about what's best for the team," said Ronaldinho.

Rijkaard himself revealed: "Eto'o was warming up (in the 69th minute), but later when it came to putting him on, he did not want to go. It is a pity, but I still have not been able to speak with him and I do not know the cause of his decision."

It is being reported that Eto'o had been told he would play for half-an-hour and by the end of the match he did not want to come on at all.

Eto'o will now meet with Rijkaard in training to resolve the situation.

President Joan Laporta says he is confident about Rijkaard's handing of the situation.

“Samuel has suffered during four months and to be happy he needs to play and to score," he said. "It is necessary to be at his side. And Rijkaard, a teacher in these things, will find the right solution for him."

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Verona, Italy (Sports Network) - Sunday's match at Stadio Marc Antonio Bentegodi had a different feel to it, as the game was played in an empty stadium. However, the result was quite familiar, a 2-0 win for Inter over Chievo, running the club's win streak to 15 games.

Adriano got the visitors on the board inside of one minute and Hernan Crespo scored six minutes after the restart to give Inter a hard-fought three points, allowing the squad to maintain its 11-point cushion over Roma in the Serie A standings.

Dejan Stankovic had a fine match for Inter, playing in creative fashion and setting up numerous chances. The midfielder provided Adriano with the opener less than one minute into the match. He fed a pass to the Brazilian striker, who collected the ball on the left and carried it towards the box. After creating a little space, Adriano held off a defender and fired a rocket towards the far post. The ball sailed past keeper Benito Sicignano and kissed off the post and in.

Despite the early goal, Chievo didn't fold and actually called keeper Julio Cesar into action on a number of occasions in the first half.

However, the hosts found themselves down two goals just six minutes after the break. Stankovic once again had a hand in the goal, heading the ball to Crespo. The striker brought it down, beat defender Andrea Mantovani and fired a low right-footed shot past Sicignano to double Inter's advantage.

Kamil Kosowski had a chance to hit back for Chievo minutes later when he tried to lob a shot over Cesar, but the ball ended up on top of the net, narrowly missing.

Chievo was unable to muster a serious threat the rest of the way and was left to absorb its third loss in four matches.

In other Serie A play on Sunday, Roma kept pace with Inter as they recorded a 3-0 win over Parma, AC Milan got a goal from Marek Jankulovski in the 68th minute to slip past Livorno 2-1 and Atalanta and Lazio battled to a 0-0 draw. Cagliari and Siena played to a 2-2 tie at Stadio San Elia, Fiorentina scored a pair of first-half goals to hold off Udinese 2-0, Catania Calcio and Messina finished 1-1, while Empoli's Sergio Almiron scored the lone goal in a 1-0 defeat of Palermo. Sampdoria downed last-place Ascoli 2-0 and Rolando Bianchi scored twice to lead Reggina past Torino 2-1.

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(Soccer365.com) - Boca Juniors chief Mauricio Macri was on cloud nine after sealing the loan recapture of prodigal son Juan Román Riquelme from Villarreal.

The Argentina star was hot stuff during his first two campaigns with the Yellow Submarines, but had fallen out of favor with management this season.

"This makes us very happy," Macri told Mundo Boca. "We know what Román means to all the fans."

"We delivered a great attacker – economically, it was an accomplishment."

"This comes after four months (of working on the deal) and it is what we were looking for," concluded the club president. "It is a great and historical recruitment."

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(Soccer365.com) - Dallas Mavericks owner and HDTV maven Mark Cuban believes the acquisition of David Beckham will be a huge boost to the league’s bottom line.

“The challenge for MLS is you need a poster boy, somebody that attracts everyone's attention wherever he's at and brings media attention to the sport,” Cuban, whose HDTV network shows MLS weekly, told the Houston Chronicle.

“I don't know if you can put a dollar value on it, but you are going to see a net result value in terms of visibility,” he continued. “If you talk to people around the league, they are selling tickets.”

“People are calling and asking about when they are playing the Galaxy and trying to buy tickets for that - that's a new event for MLS.”

“Other than Freddy (Adu) there really wasn't anybody who drove ticket sales — maybe Landon (Donovan) a little bit,” concluded Cuban.

“It really is a unique event for MLS, and the telltale sign is in ticket sales and coverage during the season.”

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(Goal.com) - The bianconeri coach prepared tomorrow's game against Vicenza, but when asked about the possible purchase of the Argentinean striker he said: "Him and Del Piero are incompatible!"

Tomorrow the Serie B starts again and Juve will try to continue their march toward Serie A promotion. The bianconeri will be playing at Vicenza, an "open doors" venue, but Didier Deschamps, coach of Juventus, does not seem too convinced about the new regulations: "Tomorrow we will be playing again. That's what's been decided and we will do so even though I think it's impossible that a decision was found in such a short time. It will be strange to see so many stadiums without spectators, who in football are indispensable. We will be facing a team who have won two consecutive games and thus have nothing to lose. We'll have to be very careful. Legrottaglie should be ready to play and if not Chiellini will play as he is also completely recovered."

The French coach then confirmed the impression had by many after seeing France's friendly game against Argentina, namely that Trezeguet seemed a bit tired: "Yes, it's true. Aside from that it's not easy to get back to the reality of Serie B after an international game with France. We will see."

Finally about the transfer market and the possible arrival of Saviola to Turin: "I've coached Saviola when he was at Monaco, I know him and what he is worth. I do have many doubts about his compatibility with Del Piero: I don't think it's possible to make them play together."

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(Soccer365.com) - Carlisle United loan striker Johann Smith is fitting in well after making the six-month jump from Bolton just before the transfer window slammed shut on January 31st.

"It's a lovely place and everyone's very friendly," the American Abroad told the club website. "I'm just happy to be here."

The U.S. Under-20 ace made his debut with a 28-minute appearance in last week’s victory.

"I thought it went pretty good," said Smith. "Considering it was my first game, I thought I played reasonably well."

"I just hope I can continue to help the team out as much as possible."

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(Goal.com) - West Ham striker Carlos Tevez has admitted manager Alan Curbishley speaks to him very little.

The Argentinian has yet to score a goal for the club since joining from Corinthians, and recently saw fellow countryman Javier Mascherano shipped out to Liverpool on loan.

Tevez told The Sun: "The manager speaks to you very little. They put the set-pieces on a blackboard and you have to go up and read it - it's a much colder way of doing things.

"But I do feel relaxed here. I feel comfortable at the club.

"The people adore me, chant my name and treat me well. My wish is to get the team out of this situation we're in. I am not thinking about leaving.

"I don't want a situation to happen here like the ones that happened at Boca Juniors and Corinthians where, for reasons beyond football, I had to leave - and I left in a bad way.

"I don't want people to think I'm a trouble-maker. When I leave, I want to leave on good terms. I do miss my family and friends a lot."

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(Goal.com) - Fabio Capello admitted that his doubts about Beckham's commitment and intensity had evaporated in the face of the Englishman's efforts, and declared that the only intelligent thing to do was to correct past mistakes.

"We had doubts after he signed such an important contract with the American side," said Capello during a press conference.

"We had doubts if he would train with the same enthusiasm after that, but he has been working perfectly.

"He has also always had complete support from the rest of the team, and has behaved like a great professional, as a result of which, he now returns to the squad.

"I am counting on him until the end of the season. It all happended due to Beckham's hard work and his attitude."

Don Fabio clarified that the decision was his alone - taken in the absence of pressure from anyone else - and honestly admitted that he might have rushed into punishing the former England skipper.

"Only intelligent people correct their mistakes. People can err in what they say or what they do, and wise people correct themselves.

"I spoke with him a week ago, and again today. We are very happy and so is he."

Beckham will return to the Real Madrid squad after over a month, and for the first time since he signed his contract with Los Angeles Galaxy.

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(Soccer365.com) - Despite another galling loss to the U.S. National Team, Mexico captain Rafa Márquez says the squad have no reason to be ashamed.

The Americans booked a 2-0 decision thanks to second half goals from Jimmy Conrad and Landon Donovan.

“I think the way the team functioned, the way it looked on the field, left us satisfied,” said the Barcelona star. “If you consider that the team has only two days working together, the team showed a lot of character and order.”

“All the same, it hurts because of the rivalry between the two teams and the importance of the match,” added Marquez. “However, we have to take the positive from the match.”

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(Soccer365.com) - U.S. attacker Landon Donovan was thrilled with the team’s win over Mexico on Wednesday night, but admits he was left cold by their rivals’ continued refusal to shake hands after the final whistle.

El Tri were certainly smarting after dropping their eighth border derby decision in 11 and extending their goal futility in the States to eight games.

“The sportsmanship is … well, it would be nice if you guys and the Mexican press talked about it, because it is really poor,” said Donovan. “They walk off the field and they don’t shake our hands and they don’t want to exchange jerseys.”

“When we lose to them there, I shake their hands and say ‘Good job’, but they don’t reciprocate that and it is disappointing.”

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(Goal.com) - Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham says he is desperate to play for the Merengues once again.

The 31-year-old has been dropped from the squad by coach Fabio Capello since announcing in January that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season to join MLS side LA Galaxy.

"It is very hard for me because I would like to help the team," he was quoted as saying in Spanish daily Marca.

"I'm desperate to play again ... I don't know if I will but I've got to keep on training. I want to leave this club on a high."

Capello said that Beckham would never play for the club again two days after he announced the move.

But he then appeared to leave the door ajar for the player’s reappearance in the squad. However, Beckham has not been involved despite this apparent change of stance.

Club captain Raul and Guti have both supported the former Manchester United star, saying he should play on until the end of the campaign.

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(Soccer365.com) - Fresh from a sterling show in a U.S. victory over Mexico, defender Jimmy Conrad has declared that he was actually glad to have a large portion of Wednesday’s crowd in Phoenix cheer against the hosts.

“If we are really going to test ourselves, these are the games the critics say we need to have,” said Conrad, who netted his first international goal for the winner.

“We are still three-and-a-half years away from a World Cup, but this is a great step in the right direction for Bob and for our young guys to get some valuable experience.”

The Kansas City star was nonchalant about his goal, a well-placed header from Landon Donovan’s 52nd minute corner kick.

“We’ve been working on set pieces and talked about them the last couple of days, and knew we had some dangerous guys,” stated Conrad. “We knew Landon could serve in some good balls.”

“I took a step to the near post and kind of ran the guy who was marking me into some traffic and Landon played a great ball - I just picked a good spot and put it away.”

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(Goal.com) - Arsenal number 1 Jens Lehmann has hinted that he might be on his way out of The Emirates at the end of the season.

There are doubts as to whether the Gunners will hand the 37-year-old an extension beyond the end of the season, and the German number one hinted at a move away from the Premiership.

"The Bundesliga and Spain are possibilities," he told Kicker. "I'm playing because I want to sign a new contract somewhere."

"One-year contracts are very good as you are not allowed to make mistakes or have bad spells," he continued, speaking of Arsenal's policy of not handing long contracts to players over 30.

He also suggested that he might even retire altogether.

"If I'll leave one or two years earlier or later, it doesn't matter," he said. "It has to end some time.

"I like London, the club and the stadium but there are also other aspects. I haven't finalised my thoughts."

Despite his age, he has been a regular for Arsenal - who are still involved in all four tournaments this season!

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(Soccer365.com) - Veteran Real Salt Lake playmaker has returned to the fold shortly after being waived by agreeing to a contract that will pay him less than half what he earned last season.

The move caught the Jamaica ace by surprise, as he had just signed a fresh deal late last year.

"I kind of took it as a blow, and I was kind of (upset) at the time and didn't think I deserved it," Williams told Deseret News. "It's just the way the business is, and I just have to move past it."

"I'm going to have to be doing other stuff this year that I didn't plan on doing," he conceded. "It's just teaching me a lesson, don't take anything for granted."

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(Goal.com) - Los Che are said to be concentrating their efforts on Roma defender Christian Chivu, as they look to replace the departing Roberto Ayala ahead of next season.

The Romanian international has been in fine form for Roma over the last eighteen months, and is being targeted by Valencia sporting director Amedeo Carboni after Ayala's confirmed departure.

Carboni's weakness for the Calcio is well known, and while some of his Serie A imports might not have cut it with coach Quique Sanchez Flores, it appears as if the duo are in agreement this time.

Valencia have already played Roma thrice this season, first in a pre-season friendly in August, and twice in the Champions League, and Flores has been impressed with what he has seen, particularly a good sense of positioning. A summer move is now being sized up.

Chivu has been linked with other Spanish clubs in the recent past, with both Barcelona and Real Madrid rumoured to be interested in his services at one point or another.

Roma have so far managed to successfully fend off any swoops for a player they consider to be one of their prized assets, particularly as the player himself has been happy at the Stadio Olimpico.

However, the Romanian is out of contract next summer, and unless there is a new agreement, the Giallorosi will be forced to consider bids to avoid the risk of losing him for free.

It is understood that Barcelona and Real Madrid could also come back in should he become available.

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Jimmy Conrad and Landon Donovan each scored a second-half goal to lead the United States to a 2-0 victory over border-rival Mexico in a friendly at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The Americans shrugged off a sluggish first half of play to score twice in the second half, handing interim head coach Bob Bradley his second win in as many matches. The Americans now own a 7-0-1 record on home soil against Mexico since 2000, and have not conceded a goal in that period of time.

Mexico controlled the opening 10 minutes of the match, enjoying most of the possession. The Americans had trouble getting settled in and were left to chase the ball. Despite the majority of the possession, Mexico produced only a pair of corner kicks and failed to generate any quality scoring chances.

The United States slowly began to get into the match, but neither team was able to seize control of the game.

The action picked up in the 43rd as Mexico created an opportunity from a corner kick. Carlos Salcido swung the ball into a dangerous spot inside the U.S. box. Jared Borgetti was positioned at the penalty spot and rose up to meet the ball with his head in traffic. His glancing header sailed just wide of the left post, but it was a sign of intent for the Mexicans.

Donovan got a look at the net in the 45th minute when he picked up a loose ball 40-yards from goal, ran past a defender and fired a shot into the outside of the goal from a difficult angle.

The Americans came out strong in the second half, and after winning a corner kick seven minutes after the restart, found the opener. Donovan played a cross from the corner flag into the box for Conrad, and the defender drove a solid header towards net from 14-yards out. The ball sailed past Mexican keeper Oswaldo Sanchez and just inside the left post for a 1-0 U.S. lead.

The goal seemed to wake up Mexico, and visitors began to seriously pressure the American defense. Francisco Fonseca struck a strong half-volley from just inside the box that was blocked by Conrad before a pair of near misses for Mexico.

A corner in the 67th minute nearly provided the equalizer as Borgetti headed the cross towards the back post, where Omar Bravo was waiting. Bravo's header had enough pace but flew right into the chest of keeper Tim Howard, who caught the ball right on top of the goal line.

Less than one minute later, the United States faced more pressure. A long ball from the midfield found Borgetti in the box. The Mexican striker then slid a pass towards the front of goal for Bravo, who missed the ball with his sliding effort, allowing it to trickle through the mouth of the goal.

Bobby Convey nearly handed the Americans a coveted insurance tally in the 74th. He dispossessed Andres Guardado just outside the Mexican box and took the ball towards the net. Convey tried to bend a left-footed shot towards the far post, but Sanchez made a nice diving stop to deny him.

Guardado put a shot on net from outside the penalty area in the 87th that Howard saved comfortably, and one minute later, Salcido chipped a pass for Fonseca at the top of the six-yard box that skipped just under his leg.

The United States then got a bit of good fortune in stoppage time to put the match away. Mexican Pavel Pardo's pass at midfield struck the referee and ended up on the foot of Donovan, who split a pair of defenders to move in on goal. He then faked to his right to freeze the keeper before pulling the ball to his left for an easy tap-in to put the game away.

It was a nice win for the United States, who is still trying to put their disappointing World Cup performance behind them. Winning a pair of friendlies will not erase that bad memory, but one thing it could do is help to eliminate the interim tag in front of Bob Bradley's name.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)

(Soccer365.com) - In the aftermath of a 2-0 friendly loss in Portugal, Brazil manager Dunga conceded that the team were creating offense for their hosts with turnovers.

The Samba Kings were downed Tuesday night by late strikes from Simão Sabrosa and Ricardo Carvalho.

"I think we were easy prey for counterattacks," Dunga told Brazilian television. "We’ve got to move the ball more and ensure that the ball always stays close to our players’ feet."

"We suffered the first goal in exactly that way, from a lapse of concentration."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

(Soccer365.com) - U.S. star Landon Donovan knows that many of his Los Angeles Galaxy fans support Mexico, and he says he’s fine with it.

The ‘Nats often play to mixed support crowds when EL Tri come a short way across the border, as they will Wednesday night in Phoenix.

"When I'm out I see a lot of Mexican people, and they're friendly and nice, but then you get out to the stadium and they're just yelling at you," Donovan told the Press Enterprise. "That's the nature of it."

"They are passionate and they are loyal to their country and their team," he shrugged. "It doesn't bother me, I'm pretty used to it."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

(Goal.com) - The situation involving the suspension of the Italian league matches is in a moment of stalemate, as the football federation’s chief has yet to give the go-ahead for games to resume this weekend.

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani had told reporters yesterday that games were to resume at the weekend, but without the go-ahead from the Italian football federation’s chief - Luca Pancalli - things cannot move forward.

Pancalli is expected to give the proverbial green signal no later than tomorrow, unless a surprise decision - that few expect will be taken - is around the corner.

What really remains to be seen is what measures were decided upon in order for the federation to allow things to resume after the violent incidents surrounding last week's Sicilian derby clash between Palermo and Catania, that led to the death of police officer Filippo Raciti.

Most of the issues involve the football stadiums, many of which aren’t in compliance with the security standards requested by the Italian government over a year ago through the now famous ‘Pisanu Act’.

For those that don’t fulfill the standards, the home-teams are set to be forced to play behind closed-doors, meaning with no fans present, a solution that obviously is not making the club chairmen happy.

What makes the impending decision even more impressive, is that only six Serie A stadiums are up to the standards, while the other thirteen, including Milan's San Siro, are not.

This could mean that until these other stadiums are not in order (Goal.com will presently post an piece dedicated to the stadiums), a majority of the Serie A matches will be played behind closed doors.

The other shock measure is said to be a ban on away fans from attending games.

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Soccer365.com) - Some might feel U.S. midfielder Pablo Mastroeni is a lock for a place in Bob Bradley’s squad, but the veteran of two World Cups bristles at the suggestion.

Despite his experience, the Colorado Rapid ace believes he should work toward goals as if he were a fresh-faced youngster battling for his first cap.

"There's a misconception to that term," he told the Arizona Register ahead of Wednesday night’s friendly with Mexico.

"I think a lot of guys that feel like a veteran start behaving like a veteran and pretty soon get washed up by the young guys," asserted Mastroeni.

"I still have to prove myself."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Goal.com) - Manchester united striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has rubbished reports of rivalry between him and Henrik Larsson.

Larsson has been hogging the second spot up front alongside Wayne Rooney over the last month, and Solskjaer, Luis Saha and now Alan Smith are all having to fight for the remnants.

But the Norwegian insists that there is no Scandinavian battle for supremacy at Old Trafford.

"Henrik and I are not rivals, but friends and team-mates," he told VG. "We both want to win. He has lifted the team and that has made me feel better as well.

"I've learned a lot from him. He knows how to do everything and that just proves that if you take care of your body, you can last a long time."

Speaking of Larsson again pipping him for the game against Tottenham, he said: "I would have been very sceptical if he hadn't had any play time at all. I am happy that he has had the opportunity to play a lot lately."

The Norwegian veteran also said he is happy with whatever role Sir Alex Ferguson chooses for him.

"I never question the manager's decisions," he told VG. "22 men can't always come to a game and, when I'm not supposed to play, I stay at home and that's just fine.

"Why should I be worried about often being on the bench? My situation hasn't changed since I joined the club. I am very comfortable with my role.

"Everybody gets to play an important role - it's not just about how many matches you get to play. It's important to stick together as we have one goal and that is to win the Premier League."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

(Goal.com) - Roberto Fabián Ayala will sign for Villarreal on a free transfer in the summer after he failed to agree a new deal with Valencia, the Yellow Submarine have announced.

The Argentina international, who will be 34 in April, will pen a three-year contract at El Madrigal when his current deal at Mestalla expires.

"Villarreal have signed Ayala, who will play for the club from next season," read a statement on the club's official website.

Ayala recognised recently that he was likely to move at the end of the current season as there was no offer of negotiations from Valencia.

There was a breakdown in communication between the player, his agent Gustavo Mascardi and los Ché sporting director Amedeo Carboni last summer.

Mascardi was infuriated when Valencia stated that they would only put an offer on the table after Ayala had undergone a full medical check and criticised Carboni's lack of experience at the negotiating table.

That led to Valencia withdrawing their offer to discuss extending his stay at the club and Villarreal have been linked with move for his services for several months.

Despite being linked with Liverpool, Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur, Ayala has opted to move locally to join the South American contingent at El Madrigal.

After coming through the ranks at Ferro Carril Oeste in his native Argentina, Ayala moved to River Player in 1993 and soon attracted the attention of European scouts.

He opted to move to Napoli in 1995 and then made a big-money switch to AC Milan three years later.

In 2000 he joined Valencia and was a key figure as the club won the league title in 2001-02 and again two seasons later, when they also captured the UEFA Cup.

Ayala, who has played in three World Cups and won an Olympic Gold Medal in Athens, is set to make his 107th appearance for his country on Wednesday evening when they take on France in Paris.

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Posted by soccer365 at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

(Soccer365.com) - U.S. Men’s National Team coach Bob Bradley is telling the squad to expect an angry Mexico side to come calling in Phoenix on Wednesday night.

The Americans have only lost one of the last 10 meetings, while El Tri have failed to find the net on seven successive visits to the States.

“Our players are certainly aware of the record,” Bradley said during Monday’s conference call. “Many of them have participated in those games.”

“As I mentioned earlier, (new Mexico coach) Hugo Sanchez has used those statistics as motivation for his team - I think that just puts more on the line as we go into this game.”

Sanchez has brought nearly his entire top shelf selection, including Barcelona’s Rafa Márquez and Carlos Salcido of PSV Eindhoven.

“I know the list, like everyone,” stated Bradley. “I think it’s a statement that they take this game very seriously.”

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

(Soccer365.com) - Brazil attack wizard Kaká admits it will be pretty strange to oppose Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who gave him his Samba King start.

The teams - an ocean apart, but rivals nonetheless - will face off in a friendly on Wednesday.

“For me, it’s always an important achievement to be called up to the Seleção, but this game will be special,” conceded Kaká.

“We’re just starting a New Year so it’s important to start off on the right foot, but also because it’ll be the first time that I play against Felipão, who always trusted my football and helped me along to where I am now.”

“It’s now five years that I’ve been playing for Brazil and Scolari was the person who bet on my game when I was still at São Paulo,” he recalled. “It’s going to feel a little weird playing against him, but I’m looking forward to it immensely.”

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

(Goal.com) - Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has hit back at his critics, insisting he is happy with his performances for the club.

BBC pundit Alan Shearer has accused the midfielder of going through the motions, and the media in general have often taken the view that Ballack has hardly sweated blood for the cause since joining from Bayern Munich in the summer.

But he said: "I don't care what people write or say about me.

"It doesn't bother me. Shearer can say what he wants, but that's life.

"There are a load of tabloid newspapers in England which always need something to write and it doesn't particularly bother me.

"Chelsea are double champions and so expectations are high and the expectations grow, especially when you are slightly behind."

He added: "As far as I am concerned, I have integrated well into the team.

"I feel very happy, I've found my role in the team and I have had plenty of confirmation of that, above all from my coach, Jose Mourinho, with whom I talk a lot.

"Naturally, in a team like Chelsea it takes time to perfect your game and play an outstanding role."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

(Soccer365.com) - Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder has instructed transfer deadline signing Oguchi Onyewu to give the team a commanding presence at the back.

The U.S. defender made his Premiership debut with a strong showing in their 2-1 loss at Fulham this weekend.

"As players, we used to pull each other round the pitch, and Oguchi can help us do that now," declared Roeder. "His voice can be heard and I am looking forward to hearing more of it."

"He is an intelligent guy and what I like about him is that he talks a lot."

"As a team, we are too quiet on the pitch," judged the manager. "It is one factor we need to improve on and one factor I am looking at in regard to bringing in new players."

"I want players who are vocal, who have a lot of personality and are nice and loud - you need characters and talkers in the team because it is impossible to play the game of football without them."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Soccer365.com) - Olympique Marseille striker Djibril Cissé has insisted that he did, in fact, apologize to Paris St. Germain defender Mario Yepes after his rough challenge injured the player this weekend.

The Colombia international is now expected to be lost for the season, but Cissé felt the need to shoot down rumours he was flippant about the incident.

“I didn’t want to hurt him,” vowed Cissé. “When it happened, I didn’t think it was that serious.”

“I tried to apologize to him, but he treated me like a dog”, he asserted. “I’m not about to kneel down and ask for forgiveness as I went for the ball, not the player.”

“If PSG are claiming that I didn’t apologize, then they’re wrong.”

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Goal.com) - France’s idiosyncratic Coach Raymond Domenech – a fan of using various esoteric prediction methods to choose his squad – has praised Argentina’s new Coach, Alfio Basile, and also gave Davis Trezeguet a big vote of confidence before the Juve man faces ‘his’ Argentina.

"Over the last few matches Argentina have used a wide variety of players, but I believe that is because they have sufficient quality to form two or three starting elevens rather than because the Coach can’t find a team that he likes", explained Domenech about Wednesday’s rival.

Domenech also explained why he wanted Argentina more than any other rival to gauge how Les Bleus are doing in 2007. "The players need a great rival to bring out their best and Argentina is one of the best there is", explained the World Cup vice-champion.

As to Franco-Argentine striker David Trezeguet, back after the penalty miss in the Final that cause the player to think about calling it a day at national level, the Coach was nothing but supportive – particularly given Higuaín’s decision to choose Argentina over France: a decision that Trezgol faced before.

"Trezeguet really suffered after the World Cup and I think that we all can understand what he must have gone through. Perhaps he needed more encouragement and support than other players, but I see him as totally recovered and one of the world’s best centre-forwards", ended Domenech.

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Goal.com) - Valencia full-back Asier del Horno has returned to full training for the first time since his move from Chelsea six months ago.

Del Horno broke his ankle just days before last summer's World Cup, and completed his transfer from Chelsea to Valencia while injured.

But a September return failed to materialize, and when the uncertainty refused to go away in October, club doctores decided to put him under the surgeon's knife.

Following a three-month recovery period, the Spaniard has finally returned to full training, handing Quique Sanchez Flores's in form Valencia yet another injury boost.

Meanwhile, Ruben Baraja and Jamie Gavilan also carried out specific training under the watchful eyes of the physiotherapists. Baraja is suffering from a cartilage injury and should return soon.

Gavilan, though, is still some distance from a return, after picking up that dreaded cruciate knee ligament injury at the start of the season. An April return is predicted.

Santi Canizares and Joaquin have both shaken off injuries picked up over the weekend's 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid. Valencia take on Getafe on Saturday.

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Soccer365.com) - Fulham manager Chris Coleman was over the moon that strike ace Brian McBride has agreed to sign a one-year extension.

The former U.S. star is experiencing a purple patch, and the club fought back offers from MLS to keep their man.

“I’m delighted, as I’m sure everybody associated with Fulham Football Club will be,” Coleman told reporters at the weekend announcement. “Brian has done an absolutely fantastic job for us.”

“He loves it here, his wife is settled and his kids are in a good school – that was an important factor for Brian.”

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

(Soccer365.com) - Toronto FC phenom Maurice Edu was pleased to see Wales midfielder Carl Robinson join the team last week because he sees the veteran as a perfect on-field tutor.

"I'm sure we're going to build good chemistry off the field, and that's going to lead to good chemistry on the field," the #1 MLS SuperDraft pick told the Toronto Star.

"This is my first year in the league and I'm looking to learn," said Edu. "He's full of knowledge."

"I'm going to watch him, see what he does, ask a lot of questions."

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Goal.com) - Gianluca Zambrotta believes that FC Barcelona must rediscover their winning drive, but does not think that team is suffering because they are unfit.

The Italian defender joined the Catalan giants last summer and has been very impressed by his new club and is enjoying the differences between Italy and Spain.

In recent weeks, Barça have been accused of fading in games and questions have been raised about the fitness levels, but Zambrotta dismisses the idea.

"I do not think that it is a physical problem, but we do have to rediscover our winning mentality," the former Juventus star explained.

"The training here is all done with a ball, including our physical preparation. The ball is the main feature.

"But that does not mean that we do not work hard. Everything here is slightly calmer and not as intense."

Zambrotta revealed that he has been made to feel at home in Catalunya and thinks that his background has eased his transition into the European champions' squad.

"I have been received very well," he said. "I came as a champion of the world and people know that we, the Italians, have a winning mentality and are very tactically minded.

"Our reputation for being defensive is something that has now gone after we won the World Cup.

"Barcelona is a great team, better than the majority of Italian clubs and one of the best in Europe, although maybe we are not at the top this season.

"I do not think my form has suffered after the World Cup.

"I have started a new life, in a new country, with a new team, in a different league and have the stimulus of everything being new."

Having spent several months alongside Ronaldinho, Zambrotta admits to being a big fan of the Brazilian although he has also been impressed by other players at the club.

"Everyone likes him (Ronaldinho)," he continued. "It is a delight to see some of the things that he can do, which are usually amazing.

"But he is a human being like the rest of us and cannot always be 100 per cent, but even at 80 per cent he can make a real difference.

"It is not only him though, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi have really impressed me and I would not want to be in a defence that has to face Lionel Messi."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

(Soccer365.com) - Chivas USA boss Preki is ready to get to the business of team building when the club begin preseason camp on Monday.

Moving up after being an assistant to departed coach Bob Bradley last season, the former Wizards star knows there is much work to be done.

"I'm excited to begin my first preseason camp as a head coach," he told the Orange County Register. "As in all MLS preseasons, our squad will evolve as April approaches."

"I look forward to watching the effort of our returning veterans, plus our new acquisitions and trialists, as they compete for a spot on Chivas USA's Opening Day roster."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Goal.com) - Celtic tried and failed a second time in purchasing New England Revolution midfielder Shalrie Joseph.

The current Scottish Premier League leaders tried in August to purchase Shalrie Joseph from MLS after the Grenada international impressed after New England and Celtic played to a 1-1 draw in a friendly match.

The bid back then was around $1 million. Celtic tried again to pry Joseph away from the Revs in January with an improved offer of $2 million, said the Boston Globe on Monday, but MLS again rejected the offer.

Joseph has been regarded as one of the league's top players the past few seasons, earning a MLS Best XI selection in 2005. Joseph, 28 years old, currently is contracted to MLS for the through 2008.

The Boston Globe also reports MLS and the Revs rejected a $1.2 million overture by Norwegian side Odd Grenland for striker Taylor Twellman, who has one year left on his current contract.

The Revs did lose one key player in January, though, as midfielder Clint Dempsey completed a $4 million move to Fulham.

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

(Goal.com) - Bayern Munich skipper Oliver Kahn has hit out at teammates over the side's lacklustre displays of late.

The Bavarian giants have been in atrocious form in the new year, and failed to turn it around under new coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, crashing to a 3-0 defeat against Nuremberg.

They are now lowly fourth, a full 11 points off the top, and in real danger of missing out on a Champions League berth - awarded to the top three.

Skipper Oliver Kahn is clearly unimpressed, and despaired what he has been witnessing from between the posts.

"It is unbelievable how easy it has become to score against us," Kahn told Bild. "There are so many silly mistakes that you can only despair of as a goalkeeper.

"I am in top condition but [goalkeeping coach] Sepp Maier and I ask ourselves 'what it is we are training for'."

Hitzfeld has called for Kahn to be more vocal, in a bid to take things onwards and upwards, but the 37-year-old believes there is only so much one can do against an insecure team.

"Speaking out would not do anything in the current situation," he said. "The team is so insecure.

"We have now got to go all out for our minimum aim of third place, and then see if we have a bit more luck against Real [Madrid] in the Champions League."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

(Soccer365.com) - Mexico trainer Hugo Sanchez has named a top notch squad for their Wednesday friendly with the U.S. National Team in Phoenix, saying he believes the game will be one to be remembered in their soccer border war.

The Americans have not lost at home to Mexico since 1975, and have shut out their visitors on seven straight visits.

"This match has the conditions of a classic," said the former El Tricolores goal hero. "We're playing for a lot of things: our pride and this domination which the United States has enjoyed."

"We want to start with a win, playing well, and leave a good image."

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Posted by soccer365 at 04:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (28)

(Soccer365.com) - Freshly unveiled at AC Milan, strike superstar Ronaldo vowed to earn his way back in to the Brazil selection.

Il Phenomeno has clinched a move from Real Madrid, and now is prepared to wow Samba Kings boss Dunga – a former international teammate.

"The story isn't over," he told Globo "Getting back to the national team is still in my plans and I want to do it on merit."

"Once again, as always in my life, I'm going to bounce back and hopefully score lots of goals."

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Posted by soccer365 at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)

(Goal.com) - After being introduced by an extactic Adriano Galliani, Brazilian superstar Ronaldo presented himself with his new AC Milan jersey, and explained the reasons that made him decide to join the Rossoneri.

“Challenges are always the most important thing for me. I turned down money for the 'sporting' challenge. I turned down large offers to move to Saudi Arabia and the United States. I could even have stayed at Real but Milan offered me a new challenge and I accepted that challenge. My story has not finished yet,” the 30-year old striker told the journalist-packed room.

“There were difficult moments in the negotiations but from the moment I joined Milan I accepted this challenge. I spent five good years in Milan and I still have a lot of friends here. Then, it's a joy to play for Milan, it's a dream for any player,” he added.

Ronaldo then touched upon the delicate issue regarding his past with AC Milan city rivals Inter.

Some on the blue and black side of Italy’s fashion town believe Ronaldo once again proved to be a ‘mercenary’ and ‘traitor’, following his first ‘adios’ when he decided to leave Inter for Real Madrid in the summer of 2002.

“Of course, I expect respect from everyone, from those who were with me but are no longer there. Respect is the most important thing, my time with Inter was really wonderful but it finished badly. I was sold almost on the demand of the coach and it finished there. I am now back for a new challenge, an exciting challege, hopefully I will do really well for the fans,” he explained.

“Everyone has to take their own route, I selected the road to Milan and hopefully I will do really well for this club and the people who have welcomed me with such affection. I wish Moratti or anyone who feels offended, 'good luck' in their life. I have picked my way forward,” he added.

Ronaldo also spoke about his now former club Real Madrid, that he left mainly because of alleged frictions with coach Fabio Capello.

“I had no problems with Capello, he just didn't have faith in me, I wasn't able to play, he didn't say why and I didn't ask. It was ugly and sad,” he said.Ronaldo might debut this weekend for his new team, when AC Milan face minnows Ascoli on Sunday afternoon.

(quotes taken from ACMilan's official website, www.acmilan.com )

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

(Goal.com) - Sacked Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath has turned down the chance to coach Hamburger SV following Thomas Doll's departure, after finding out that the club were already prepared to bring on another coach before he became available.

That person has been confirmed as Huub Stevens - a former Schalke, Hertha Berlin and Cologne coach. He was poised to take over from Doll before the late availability of Magath.

Magath was keen to take over ever since Doll's departure, and all set to sign, but found out at the last minute that he would be taking the job away from Stevens.

Hamburg sporting director Dietmar Beiersdorfer refused to go into the details, but did admit that the Magath saga was over.

"Felix Magath telephoned me this morning to let me know of his decision not to take the job," he said. "I can't say any more at this moment."

However, Magath himself was more elaborate, and spoke about how he was unable to continue negotiations after finding out about the agreement with Stevens.

"Before HSV [Hamburg] started talks with me on Thursday, they had already agreed a deal with another coach," Magath told the Hamburger Abendblatt. "My professional morals dictated to me not to take the job away from my colleague."

He then went on to back Stevens: "He is the right man, and will save Hamburg from relegation."

Huub Stevens - a Dutchman, as his first name suggests - has spent five years with Schalke, during which he also won the Uefa Cup, back in 1997. He has also coached Hertha Berlin and Cologne.

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Soccer365.com) - With St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts now in talks over Real Salt Lake, metro area lawyer Jeff Cooper says his group has never been nearer to fulfilling their goal of bringing an MLS franchise to the Gateway City.

The Utah club has failed to gain a new stadium deal in Sandy County, and the league has granted Checketts the right to shop around.

"I think there is a possibility," Cooper said told the St. Louis Post Dispatch. "We are closer than we've ever been to getting a stadium deal done and close enough that I feel very comfortable having extensive conversations with Real Salt Lake and the league about bringing a team here sooner rather than later."

"This is certainly the best opportunity so far,'' he stated. "He's run into so many walls in Salt Lake City they've almost forced him to sell the team."

"At this point, I don't think he wants to move out of Salt Lake City, but he and I have had good discussions that are ongoing," reported Cooper. "We've made significant progress."

"We're getting closer and closer with each day that passes."

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

(Goal.com) - A bad week for Tottenham just got worse with the news that captain Ledley King has been ruled out for two months with a stress fracture of his left foot.

The 26-year-old England centre-back is suffering from that most fashionable yet most cursed modern football injury, a damaged metatarsal - in King's case, the fourth metatarsal, for fans of a medical persuasion.

King last appeared for Spurs against Aston Villa on Boxing Day at White Hart Lane. Coincidentally, that was their last Premiership win.

A statement from Tottenham read: "The medical staff are fully confident that, given the new timeframe, Ledley will make a complete recovery."

It continued: "Ledley first bruised the bone in his foot four weeks ago. He progressed quickly with his rehabilitation, getting back to a moderate-to-high level of intensity.

"However, he recently suffered a setback when the injury recurred to the extent that the club medical staff are having to treat the injury like a stress fracture, even though he has not broken his metatarsal."

The latest set-back follows an earlier knee injury for a player who has had more than his fair share of disruptions this season.

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Posted by soccer365 at 02:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Soccer365.com) - Considering Jay DeMerit’s assent in the world top league, it may come as a surprise to some soccer fans to learn that the Green Bay native has never kicked a ball with anger in the MLS or the National team.

Yet despite the poor run of results Watford have endured this season, DeMerit has stood out as a beacon of effort, heart and no lack of skill in winning over the critics and creating a lot of rumours of a possible transfer should the North London club not beat the drop.

While the defender’s talent can no longer be in any doubt, his place in the international pecking order still is, simply because he took charge of his career rather than leave it to the vagaries of the US league and coaches to deduce his talent.

Catching up with DeMerit as his side prepare to take on Jonathan Spector West Ham in the FA Cup, he is adamant his side can create history in defying relegation and hope to force his way into the MNT, he revealed:

“We found ourselves in the position we were in against Blackburn 5-6 six times this season, there have been a lot of points that we should have taken already.

“If we look at it in a positive way, if we perform as we have been doing in the last half of the season, we should go on a run of 7-8 games, and win some and hold on to the draws.

“We have basically not been holding on to good situations, so there is no reason why we can’t get out of the position we are in.

“We’re seven points a drift at the moment but that is not even three wins. If we win the next couple of games and the teams above us struggle, we are right back in there, we’re bringing in some guys at the moment and they look strong and will help us.

“We have defiantly more than held our own this season in this league, we just haven’t had the little things you need sometimes, like the referee calls and finishing our chances, or conceding goals in the last couple of minutes.

“It’s the little things that have got us in this position, and can get us out. If we get this right getting out of trouble will not be a problem.”

Despite much of the media predicting The Hornets demise this season, DeMerit grabbed the winning goal against Blackburn Rovers last week to register his second goal of the season, and more importantly infusing the team with some much needed confidence, to give credence to their desperate misfortune in their league campaign this season, he added:

“It doesn’t top the Millennium stadium goals but, it’s a different situation now. But to get it was fantastic and hopefully it will be a spring board to getting more good results.

“I want to see the season out in style and continue the form I have had, and get the team out of trouble. I want to keep developing and I always ask of myself, will I be a better player than yesterday and I feel I am still progressing.”

The former Chicago Fire reserves stopper has acclimatize well to the Premiership, and hasn’t been intimidated by the big names he has had to mark, like Thierry Henry and Louis Saha, most seasoned observers now recognize he will be a huge addition to the National Team and a middle ranked EPL side, DeMerit has maintained laissez-faire attitude choosing instead to focus on the here and now, he said:

“Sometimes it’s surreal especially when your up against the big big guys you can’t help but notice where you are and the players you’re up against, but at the end of the day its XI v XI so you take it as it comes, and if you can do your job you know your doing something right.

“It is a bit surprising sometimes but if I didn’t think I could be here I don’t think I would be.

“I hope to get in the squad, I think it would be a good bonus that you get when you play well for the club, but ultimately its out of my hands. I want to do must best for this club and if the head coach thinks that warrants a call up then fantastic.

“But until something happens I’ll just keep doing what I'm doing, but they are goals that I have set out to accomplish, however you never know.

“I ready to make that step, in the last few seasons I've been the only player in the Championship or higher that has not played in the MNT. I’ve played against all those guys, and though I haven’t had an amazing amount of experience to get to the level I’ve handled the steps up. I would definitely love the challenge of doing it, and representing my country.”

Jay DeMerit, PDL to the EPL in two years. As a center back in the National Team who knows where the Stars and Strips could get to in South Africa in 2010….

Andrew Rogers can be reached at andrewrogers@optonline.net

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

(Soccer365.com) - New Fulham signing Clint Dempsey says he wants to continue the offensive ways that made him an MLS star in the Premiership, his favorite league in the world.

“I am a very attack minded player,” he told the club website. “I like to have the ball at my feet and take players on.”

“I have managed to get some goals during my time at New England and I hope it is something that I will also be able to continue during my spell at Fulham.”

The Texas native admitted to being an EPL from afar, saying he thinks he has the game to do well in England.

“In my opinion, this is the best and hardest league in the world,” offered Dempsey. “I have watched a lot of games back home in the States and it is a very exciting league… I think the way in which it is played will suit my game well.”

“More than anything, it has always been a dream of mine to play in this particular league, so I am very proud to have got my chance to do just that.”

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(Soccer365.com) - NEC Nijmegen strike ace Romano Denneboom is upset with management after a €500,000 move to Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven was squashed at the transfer deadline.

"I am appaled and sad,” he told De Telegraaf. “PSV offered me a good contract for one-and-a-half years, but NEC didn’t want to let me go.”

“I think PSV made an outstanding offer,” stated Denneboom, who runs out of contract this summer. “I would understand if NEC didn’t want to let me go if we were in direct competition (for the title), but not now.”

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(Goal.com) - Henrik Larsson has admitted that it is unlikely that he will stay on at Old Trafford beyond March.

Larsson is currently at Manchester United on a three month loan deal from Swedish club Hensinborgs, and has to return in March, when the domestic season in Sweden begins.

United may want him to stay on, but Larsson himself indicated yesterday that an extension of his stay looked unlikely.

"I don't think so, no," he responded Sky Sports News after yesterday's 4-0 win over Watford.
"I love it here, but I know what I signed for, and the club know what goes, so there's no problem."

There have been suggestions that Manchester United might still try to keep him beyond March. Helsinborgs had earlier said that they might be open to that, but have since said they want him back.

Whether that is a statement made for monetary reasons, or if they actually want him back at any cost, remains unclear. United are expected to speak about it again before the deal runs out.

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(Soccer365.com) - In the aftermath of a 1-0 loss to Sao Caetano that saw three of his players ejected, Corinthians manager Emerson Leao took the card-happy whistleblower to task.

The floundering side suffered their second tight defeat of the week as Marcelo Mattos, Roger and Betao all got the gate.

"The instability was provoked by the referee's mistake," Leao blared, referring to the 24th minute ejection of Mattos for kicking a ball away in anger after a whistle.

"Players who aren't aggressive became aggressive because of him," charged the coach. "It was a lamentable episode."

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(Soccer365.com) - Boca Juniors defender Hugo Ibarra has urged his teammates to dispose of arch nemesis River Plate in the Retaliation Cup, the final preseason match the league schedule kicks off.

"Although we don’t think of this match as a retaliation, nobody wants to lose, and less so in a superderby,” he told the club website. “That’s why we think that if we do things well and play a great game we can win.”

“We want to turn in a great performance so as to retain our poise, because that is what we are looking for: to try to find the kind of soccer we need to start off in the local tournament and the Libertadores Cup with the wind blowing in our favor.”

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Goal.com) - We may want to take this one with a pinch of salt, but that bastion of tabloid reliability, The Sun, quotes cigar-chomping Marcello Lippi, the tactical genius who led Italy to World Cup glory in the summer, as claiming that Chelsea want him to replace Jose Mourinho for next season.

According to the Sun's report, 58-year-old Lippi says he is being courted by a number of clubs - "but specifically Chelsea."

The corollary to this particular line of speculation is the oft-denied conjecture that Chelsea are preparing to bid farewell to Mourinho at the end of the current campaign.

Mourinho is said to have grown distinctly disillusioned with life under Roman's empire. The consequences of the Chelsea board's unwillingness to endorse his wish for defensive reinforcements during the January window could be become apparent over the next few weeks following the serious-looking injury sustained by Ashley Cole in Wednesday night's victory over Blackburn.

But if The Sun is to be believed, the Chelsea board are already planning the succession.

Lippi apparently told The Sun: "I'm aware that I'm on the wanted list at a number of big clubs but specifically Chelsea and I regard that as only natural.

"I know I'm a good coach and if anyone is surprised about top clubs like Chelsea wanting me then I just point to my record.

"I have coached teams which have reached the Champions League final four times, I've won Serie A five times and of course the World Cup, too.

"If anyone thinks that a move to a big English club is beyond me then I'd just say 'give me a break'."

The modest Italian sees himself as Europe's most wanted coach at the moment, which would fit Chelsea's likely search criteria.

He is said to be set on managing in the Premiership - and has even been taking English lesson.

"I'm ready, willing and enthusiastic to coach in England even though I know that people mistakenly say I can't speak English," he told the newspaper.

"What such people forget is that football is multi-lingual - every major club has players from many different countries and I can speak enough English and French as well as Italian.

"There are already a number of foreign coaches working in England so I cannot see why people might say that Chelsea is not the place for me.

"It feels wholly understandable after a year out and given my CV that a big club wants to sign me and I will make my final decision in May."

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(Soccer365.com) - Although his arrival at U.S. National Team came late, New England striker Taylor Twellman is only focused on getting in some good work before they face arch rivals Mexico on Wednesday.

The Odd Grenland transfer target required a break to recover from hernia surgery, and U.S. boss Bob Bradley consented.

“It’s just nice to get in and start 2007 on a good note,” Twellman told USSoccer.com. “I was dealing with complications from a hernia operation from ’05 - then my other side acted up, and I had both sides done after MLS Cup 2006.”

“I talked to Bob and told him I needed some rehab time,” he recalled. “He as nice enough to grant me a couple extras weeks and now I’m here and it’s feeling good.”

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Goal.com) - Samuel Eto'o returned to full training with FC Barcelona after four months and two days out with a knee injury.

The Cameroon striker's comeback has been hotly anticipated as he neared the end of his recovery after damaging his meniscus in against Werder Bremen in the Champions League in September.

After walking onto the training pitch in front of La Masia at Barça's Camp Nou ground, Eto'o warmed up before receiving a round of applause and hugs from his team-mates and the coaching staff.

Under the watchful eye of physical trainer Albert Roca, the free-scoring forward stretched before doing some strength-building exercises and some shooting practice.

Eto'o's return to the squad has been pencilled in for the game against Racing Santander on February 11.

The former Mallorca favourite netted four goals before picking up his early-season injury and has vowed to end the campaign as a the division's top scorer.

On the morning after losing the first leg of the Copa Del Rey quarter final against Real Zaragoza, a number of Barça players did not train on the field.

Rafael Márquez, Lilian Thuram, Xavi, Ronaldinho and Javier Saviola were in the gym, while Gianluca Zambrotta, Carles Puyol and Oleguer left the session after half an hour.

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)