Valencia, Spain (Sports Network) - Valencia moved back into third place in the Spanish La Liga with a 3-2 win against Espanyol at home on Saturday.

With the win, the league powers are still within striking distance of the top spot, six points back of leaders Barcelona, who were also winners Saturday - 2-1 over Deportivo La Coruna at Nou Camp.

Spanish scorer David Villa gave the home side the first goal before Albert Riera equalized for the visitors before Rodriguez Vicente gave Valencia the lead back about 10 minutes later.

That was how the score stayed until after the break when Miguel Angulo gave the home side a two goal advantage in the 59th minute.

Espanyol quickly pulled a goal back through Luis Garcia in the 63rd minute but it wasn't enough as Valencia held on for the win.

In the other La Liga fixtures on Saturday, Real Betis earned a dramatic 3-3 draw with Villarreal on defender Juanito's late equalizer and Real Sociedad earned a 1-0 win over Levante on a first half tally from Jon Ansotegui.

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Liverpool, England (Sports Network) - Peter Crouch made quite a return to the Liverpool lineup on Saturday at Anfield as the lanky English striker scored three goals to lead the Reds to a 4-1 win over Arsenal.

The win moves Liverpool past the Gunners and into third place in the Premiership standings. It also serves as a little bit of revenge for Rafael Benitez's side, who were soundly beaten in their three previous games against Arsenal this season.

Crouch opened the scoring after just four minutes, and added his second goal 10 minutes before halftime. Daniel Agger then gave the home side a three-goal cushion with his tally in the 60th minute. William Gallas pulled a goal back for Arsenal in the 73rd, but Crouch answered that by completing his hat-trick in the 81st.

Jermaine Pennant and Alvaro Arbeloa worked a nice one-two on the right side before Arbeloa took the return pass and sent in a cross from the end-line. Crouch beat Arsenal defender Kolo Toure to the near post and struck the ball first-time past keeper Jens Lehmann.

Liverpool then made the most of a free-kick chance in the 35th to double its lead. Xabi Alonso alertly played a quick free-kick wide to Fabio Aurelio, who took possession of the ball before swinging in a cross. Crouch got on the other end of the cross and held off Arsenal's Abou Diaby to head the ball home, giving the Reds a 2-0 lead at halftime.

Emmanuel Adebayor nearly cut the Arsenal deficit in half shortly after the restart, but his rocket from 25-yards out came back off the post.

In the 60th minute Liverpool once again made the most of a free-kick chance with Aurelio's cross finding the head of Agger, whose glancing header beat the diving Lehmann to make it 3-0.

Three minutes later, Adebayor was denied once again, this time on a fine save by Liverpool keeper Jose Reina. The Gunners did find their way onto the scoreboard 10 minutes later, with Francesc Fabregas sending his corner into the box and Toure flicking the ball on for Gallas, who easily finished the play at the back post.

The day belonged to Crouch, however, and he found his third goal 10 minutes from time. Nice work by Pennant and Dirk Kuyt gave the ball to Crouch inside the area, and he made a neat move to create space before firing past Lehmann to complete his hat-trick.

In other Premiership action on Saturday, Manchester United maintained its six- point advantage with a 4-1 win over Blackburn, while Chelsea needed a goal from Salomon Kalou in stoppage time to slip past last-placed Watford 1-0.

Bolton got a goal from Kevin Davies to beat Sheffield United 1-0, while Charlton also scored the lone goal in its match with Wigan, off the foot of Darren Bent. Fulham got a stoppage-time goal from Ian Pearce to earn a 1-1 draw with Portsmouth, Manchester City got a goal from Emile Mpenza to beat Newcastle 1-0 at St James' Park and West Ham got a huge 2-0 win against Middlesbrough.

Sunday's lone fixture features top-half clubs Tottenham and Reading and the weekend's action rounds out on Monday with Aston Villa hosting Everton.

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Munich, Germany (Sports Network) - Two-time defending champions Bayern Munich kept hope alive for a third-straight crown as they downed league- leaders Schalke, 2-0 at Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Roy Makaay put Bayern ahead after just three minutes and Hasan Salihamidzic added the insurance tally with 12 minutes to play, allowing Munich to move to within six points of Schalke with seven games to play, and giving manager Ottmar Hitzfeld's side a boost of confidence ahead of their Champions League quarterfinal encounter with AC Milan on Tuesday.

The hosts got off to a dream start as Makaay found the net three minutes into the game. Bastian Schweinsteiger fed a pass through the midfield to Mark van Bommel, who quickly turned and found Makaay at the top of the box. The Dutch striker then hit the ball first-time past keeper Manuel Neuer for his 13th goal of the campaign.

The start seemed to stun Schalke, who played out the remainder of half on the defensive. Neuer snuffed out a pair of good chances from the foot of Makaay to keep his club within a goal, but Bayern were clearly in control.

After Schalke managed to threaten the Bayern goal with Christian Pander's effort sailing just inches over the cross bar, Makaay once again forced Neuer into action after the restart. Makaay got in behind the Schalke defense but Neuer raced off his line to cut down the striker's angle and turned his driven shot wide.

The home side always looked to be the bigger threat to score, and 12 minutes from time, Salihamidzic secured the maximum points with a big strike. After a Bayern corner, Lucio gained possession of the ball near the top of the box and threaded a pass to Salihamidzic, who stayed just onside. He then turned with the ball and blasted his shot into the roof of the net from only eight-yards out to end the suspense.

The result tightens things up in the title chase, as Schalke has won just once in its last six games, and now leads second-placed Werder Bremen by just two points after Bremen was held to a 0-0 draw by Energie.

In other Bundesliga action on Saturday, third-placed Stuttgart moved to within four points of the top after recording a 3-1 win over Aachen. Last-placed Monchengladbach got a share of the points with a 1-1 draw against Eintracht, Bayer Leverkusen got a pair of goals from Sergej Barbarez to beat Mainz 3-1 and Nurnberg bested Hertha Berlin 2-1.

Sunday's slate features Hamburg entertaining Wolfsburg and relegation-fighting Bochum taking on Hannover.

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Rome, Italy (Sports Network) - Both AC Milan and Roma have big Champions League contests coming up this week, but they first must play each other in a Serie A showdown at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.

Milan will meet Bayern Munich and Roma takes on Manchester United in Europe's premier soccer competition, but Milan first must make sure that they will qualify for the Champions League next season, as they are currently four points behind Palermo for the final spot.

An eight-point deduction for match-fixing at the start of the season has left the Rossoneri out of qualification at the present time, but with 10 games remaining and a struggling Palermo side within reach, Saturday's game has a lot more meaning to the visitors.

Roma, meanwhile, have their Champions League place pretty much secured for next season. The club enters Saturday's clash with a nine-point lead on third- placed Lazio, but is hopelessly stuck in second behind runaway-leaders Inter Milan, who have a whopping 18-point cushion.

Milan comes into the game with more urgency, but also more in the way of injuries to deal with. Manager Carlo Ancelotti will have to due without the services of suspended defender Daniele Bonera, while fellow back-line mate Kakha Kaladze will miss the game due to injury, and captain Paolo Maldini is questionable with a knee problem.

Roma boss Luciano Spalletti is likely to rest a number of players who have slight injuries ahead of the team's Champions League showdown. Defenders Max Tonetto and Matteo Ferrari both have a small problem with muscle strains and will likely be held out, but the return to the back line of Cristian Chivu will provide a boost to Serie A's top defensive team.

In Saturday's other Serie A contest, relegation-battling Reggina, who is just one point clear of the drop zone, hosts Siena.

On Sunday, Fiorentina continue to battle for a spot in Europe and visit Atalanta, Cagliari hosts Messina, who is in the midst of a relegation struggle, Sampdoria looks to remain in the top half of the standings when they travel to Chievo and Empoli tries to hold on to their top-five ranking with a win on home soil against last-placed Ascoli. League-leaders Inter Milan can take another step towards the league crown with a home win against Parma, Livorno battles Catania Calcio at Armando Picchi, fourth-placed Palermo needs a win at Torino to hang on to its Champions League spot and third-placed Lazio takes to the road to meet Udinese.

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Barcelona, Spain (Sports Network) - Barcelona heads into Saturday's contest against Deportivo level on points with title rivals Sevilla, and will try to put the pressure on the Seville club with three points.

The Catalan side has been plagued by inconsistent play throughout the season, but is coming off of a resounding 4-0 win over Recreativo and is hoping to build on that result. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw in their first meeting in November, but that was when Deportivo still looked like a team that would challenge for a spot Europe.

Since that time, the club has gone on a poor run of play that has seen them drop to 12th in the standings, and looking like a team that is destined for a middle-of-the-pack finish. Goals have been hard to come by for Deportivo, who have dropped two of their last three games, and things will not get any easier against a Barcelona side that can score goals with any team.

Making matters worse is the absence of midfielder Javier Arizmendi due to suspension. Winger Sergio Gonzalez will be sidelined with an injury.

Barca manager Frank Rijkaard will have to do without one his top midfielders as well, as Deco will miss the game after having surgery on his finger. Mexican defender Rafael Marquez will likely sit out to get rest after serving Mexico in international competition, while strikers Javier Saviola and Santi Ezquerro are also not expected to play.

With three crucial points on the table on Saturday, expect Rijkaard to put out as strong a lineup as possible.

In other action on Saturday, Villarreal travels to Real Betis, last-placed Real Sociedad hosts Levante and Valencia, just six points off the pace at the top, entertains Espanyol.

On Sunday, Atletico Madrid continues to attempt to move into the top five with a home match against Mallorca, Real Zaragoza tries to retain its top-five standing with a win over Getafe and relegation-battling Gimnastic hosts Recreativo. Athletic Bilbao, one point from safety, hits the road to meet Racing, Real Madrid sits in third place, five points off the pace, and meets Celta Vigo while Sevilla rounds out the weekend on the road against Osasuna.

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Frisco, TX (Sports Network) - Bob Bradley's unbeaten record remained in tact on Wednesday night at Pizza Hut Park, but it was not the result that the interim coach of the United States National Team was looking for, as his side was held to a 0-0 draw by Guatemala.

Bradley became the first coach in United States history to win his first three games, but a defensive-minded Guatemala side did not allow him to make it a fourth.

Bradley sent a young lineup out for the game, with defenders Jay DeMerit and Frank Simek making their international debut. The back line was anchored by Jimmy Conrad, but was rarely tested, as the visitors put one striker up top and let the other 10 players drop back to defend.

Guatemala came out clogging up the midfield and making it difficult for the Americans to generate any consistent attack. The first chance of the game was created by Justin Mapp of the United States. The midfielder took possession of the ball on the left wing and drove a low cross to the middle of the box for Eddie Johnson. He struck the ball first-time towards goal from eight-yards out, but the Guatemala defense was there to block the shot.

Both teams were content to play long balls over the top, but neither side had any success. In the 18th minute the United States was able to piece together a nice build up through the midfield that produced their best chance of the opening half.

Clint Dempsey controlled the ball on the right flank and played it Landon Donovan, who quickly threaded the ball to Johnson at the top of the box. Johnson turned with the ball and fired a hard shot towards goal, but the ball was right at keeper Ricardo Trigueno, and he turned it aside.

A 35th-minute free-kick then gave the United States another chance to crack the scoreboard as Donovan chipped the ball towards Dempsey at the far post. He dove to meet the ball with his head and put it on goal, but Trigueno was in good position to make the save.

The visitors did not threaten the Americans net until the 43rd minute when they too created a good chance from a dead-ball situation. Carlos Figueroa lobbed the ball into the box from the right wing and Carlos Ruiz somehow created enough room for himself to hit a volley towards goal. The ball drifted over the cross bar but it served as a sign that the defense could not relax.

Ruiz found another opening for himself after the restart as he carried the ball towards the net and saw keeper Kasey Keller drift a little off his line. He tried to lob a shot over Keller's head but did not have enough on the shot, allowing Keller to recover and make an easy save.

Another nice spot of play from the United States in the 62nd minute gave Mapp a good look at the net, but his shot went inches wide. Dempsey took possession of the ball with his back to the goal at the top of the penalty area. He then flicked it wide to Mapp, who ripped a low shot towards the far post from the left that narrowly missed.

The United States spent the majority of the last 15 minutes inside the Guatemala half, but were unable to crack the visitor's back line. The Americans could not take advantage of a number of corner-kick opportunities, and their last shot on goal came in the 86th minute when Donovan hit a half- volley from just inside the box on net, but failed to get much pace behind it.

In the end it was a positive result for Guatemala, who never really looked interested in leaving the States with a win. For the Americans, it was a chance to see some of their younger players facing international competition. Young midfielders Benny Feilhaber and Michael Bradley got a taste of the rugged play they will face in the international ranks, while Mapp played a solid game on the outside.

The biggest disappointment continues to be the Americans lack of a creative playmaker up top. Johnson turned in another lackluster performance, and it remains to be seen who will step forward as the go-to guy up top. With a defense that has played well and a midfield that is starting to round into form, the United States may be a good striker away from becoming a factor on the international scene.

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(Soccer365.com) - Brazil boss Dunga gave due credit to friendly foes Ghana after they held the Samba Kings to a 1-0 midweek victory in Sweden.

The Seleçao hung on from a 17th minute Wagner Love goal to defeat their World Cup 2006 opponents.

"Ghana came playing hard and marking well," rated Dunga. "Their squad was set up nicely."

"We should have moved the ball around more often, waiting for the right opportunity," he offered. "Once we scored, we just tried to control the game."

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(Goal.com) - Sir Alex Ferguson believes Paul Scholes' international retirement has benefited the midfielder and is one of the reasons for his superb form this season.

The experienced midfielder, who hung up his boots after Euro 2004 to spend more time with his family, is due to return from suspension at the weekend and Ferguson hopes the break will give Scholes and the title challengers a welcome boost.

"Paul regards family life as very important," Ferguson told Sky Sports News.

"He knows the travelling with the international team is tremendous and coming to his age, I think he felt it was time to give more time to his family. That is the reason he gave up international football.

"His form this season has been absolutely fantastic and now we are getting him back fresh after a little break."

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(Soccer365.com) - Mexico star Pavel Pardo is greatly enjoying his time in the Bundesliga, with several glamour sides already badgering Stuttgart over his availability after less than a season in Europe.

"It's a very physical game here," Pardo told FIFA.com. "The speed of the game is incredible."

"You don't stop for the whole 90 minutes, but I'm really enjoying it and I feel very comfortable."

"Playing in Europe was always a dream for me," declared Pardo, who is proudly picking up German well. "Now I've got the opportunity, I'm not going to make a mess of it."

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(Goal.com) - Wales captain Ryan Giggs has promised fans they will see John Tohack''s team to respond to Saturday's disappointing Euro 2008 qualifying defeat at Dublin's Croke Park with a convincing victory over San Marino tonight.

"We were hurt by the Ireland result and the performance," said Giggs.

"The only way to rectify that is to produce a positive performance on Wednesday. We're expected to win and to win well, and we will do that.

"San Marino have become a better team over the years, but still, we should be beating these teams."

The first-half performance produced by Wales against the Republic of Ireland was abysmal, and it was in that period that they conceded the goal by Stephen Ireland that clinched the match.

Giggs himself was well below his Manchester United best, but said it was not a case of the team turning it "off and on" when they felt like it, as critics have suggested.

He said: "You have got to try to play well all the time because that breeds confidence.

"Anyone who knows the characters of the individuals concerned within the team, knows what was said is not right."

After the 1-0 defeat by the Republic, Wales are seven points below the qualifying places in Group D. They've won just one of their first four games.

Yet Giggs, who will earn his 62nd Wales cap at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium tonight, still thinks the Principality can qualify for the finals in Austria and Switzerland next year.

"Qualification is not over," he said. "We have San Marino twice, a lot of home games and the Czechs here [in Cardiff] in June.

"If we can get nine points going into next season then we are still in with a chance."

The United veteran - he recently passed the landmark of 700 games for the Red Devils - is not considering retiring from the international scene.

Even if this Euro campaign comes to another dead end, Giggs made is targeting the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, which begin in September 2008.

He said: "It did not even go through my head that I should step away from the situation now, not for one second.

"I've always said that I will be involved as long as I am enjoying it. And that means the 2010 World Cup campaign.

"I still enjoy the challenge of producing my form for Wales. As long as my fitness is good, I'm injury free, I will carry on.

"At the moment it will need someone to tell me I should stop, it won't be something I will suggest.

"As for switching from United to Wales, I wouldn't say I find it awkward, but it is different stepping into the Wales set-up.

"You go from having the majority of the ball, week-in-week-out, to play in games when you are not going to get as much of the ball.

"When you do get it you have to be more effective and use it wisely.

"It's different, but it's a responsibility I have had ever since I came into the team, because that is what is expected of me and what I expect of myself.

"There are players here who are fighting relegation, but you have to forget about the last game for your club, I do, when you come away with Wales."

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(Goal.com) - Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has been ruled out of tonight's England Euro 2008 qualifier with Andorra after breaking his wrist in training.

Lampard has faced a large amount of criticism following England's disappointing draw with Israel on Saturday and there had been numerous calls for him to be dropped, but this decision is now out of boss Steve McClaren's hands as Lampard is no longer available.

The 28-year-old suffered the injury when he was hit by a shot from Manchester United's Wayne Rooney during a training session on Monday.

The news has not been confirmed, but an FA spokesman said: "Frank Lampard is in the team hotel and may or may not be in the team tonight."

Lampard has been criticised for failing to recapture his club form at international level as he struggles to play in the same team as Steven Gerrard.

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San Nicola, Italy (Sports Network) - The defending World Cup champions did not get off to a great start in qualifying for Euro 2008, earning just one point from two games. However, Italy has won its last two matches and faces a surprising Scotland team on Wednesday that is tied atop Group B with France.

Italy and France were the clear favorites to advance when the groups were announced, but the Italians are currently in fourth place and need to start making up ground. Italy has a chance to cut into their five-point deficit at the San Nicola on Wednesday with a big win.

The Scots have been the surprise of the group to this point, posting a 4-1 record through five games, including a 1-0 win against France. Scotland is coming off of a 2-1 win against Georgia on Saturday and needed a Craig Beattie goal in the 89th minute to grab the maximum points.

Despite having an inferior roster to teams like France and Italy, Scotland has made up for its lack of talent with hard work. However, that will only get the club so far, and Italy's strike force of Luca Toni, Alberto Gilardino and Alessandro Del Piero could give the visitors problems.

With a number of qualifying matches still to play, Scotland must keep its strong form going to hold off a competitive field, while Italy needs to take all three points to get back into the race and avoid an embarrassing exclusion from the competition next summer.

In the group's other two contests, third-placed Ukraine tries to keep itself in the race with a home fixture against Lithuania, while the bottom two clubs, Georgia and the Faroe Islands, hook up at Lokomotivi Stadium.

Poland moved to the top of Group A on Saturday with a big 5-0 win, and now tries to keep that momentum going as they welcome Armenia. Finland sits just two points behind Poland with a game in hand and will keep their qualification hopes on track with a win at last-placed Azerbaijan. The biggest game of the group on Wednesday is between Portugal and Serbia. The two clubs are level on points in third place, just three behind leaders Poland, and get together at Stadion Crvena Zvezda.

Group C has been dominated by Turkey, which has won all four of its matches to this point. The club welcomes fourth-placed Norway to Commerzbank Arena on Wednesday with a chance to put further distance between themselves and the rest of the pack. Greece is sitting in second place in the group and visits Malta, while the bottom two clubs, Hungary and Moldova, meet up.

The Czech Republic dropped into second place after Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Germany and tries to rebound with a win against Cyprus that would bring the team back level on points with the Germans. Ireland also has a chance to move into a tie at the top if they can beat Slovakia on home soil. Lowly San Marino will try to pick up its first points of the campaign when they visit Wales.

Group E features just two contests on Wednesday, as Israel welcomes Estonia to Ramat Gan Stadium and England faces a must-win against Andorra. Israel and England played to a 0-0 draw on Saturday, leaving both teams level on points in third place. Both teams need wins on Wednesday to stay in contention, but England manager Steve McClaren needs a win just to try and avoid being fired.

The top two teams in Group F get together at Windsor Park as Northern Ireland hosts Sweden. Sweden is a perfect 4-0 in qualifying thus far, and holds a two- point advantage over their hosts. Northern Ireland is coming off of a 4-1 thrashing of Liechtenstein on Saturday, but just doesn't have enough firepower to contend with the powerful Swedes. Liechtenstein will try to avoid its fifth loss in five games when they host Latvia and Spain goes for its second- straight win with a home contest against Iceland.

In Group G, the top three teams meet the bottom three teams and could put even more separation between themselves and the bottom half. Group-leaders the Netherlands travel to fifth-placed Slovenia, second-placed Romania, just three points behind the Dutch, host bottom-feeders Luxembourg and Albania visits Bulgaria, who trail Romania by only one point.

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(Soccer365.com) - U.S. Men’s National Team box Bob Bradley says he is planning to use their midweek friendly against Guatemala to blood a few more players.

Despite losing Monday’s practice session to bad weather and late equipment, the interim coach should get a chance to look at the likes of Jay DeMerit and Frank Simek on Wednesday night.

"It's certainly going to be a different lineup," Bradley stated on the heels of a 3-1 win over Ecuador on Sunday. "It doesn't change the game plan so much."

"We're still trying to establish some starting points as to how to play as a team, good movement in attack and defense, and I think we're just trying to continue that with all the players."

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(Soccer365.com) - Brazil coach Dunga has revealed that he will field a few green internationals amid his usual array of global superstars when the Samba Kings reunite with World Cup 2006 foe Ghana for a midweek friendly.

Among those fighting for a rare start are recovering AC Milan striker Ricardo Oliveira and CSKA Moscow ace Wagner Lover

“We’ve got two clear options that enable us to study some selected changes to the first eleven without revolutionizing things too much,” said Dunga.

“(We want to be) able to see the influence of particular players who deserve a chance to show what they’ve got.”

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(Goal.com) - The two loaned players are due to be back from Atalanta and Empoli at the end of the current campaign

Milan are trying to rejuvenate their squad by recalling some young talents loaned to other Serie A clubs and reassessing their assets.

That’s why next summer Atalanta midfielder Massimo Donati and Empoli defender Lino Marzoratti are going back to Milanello. They are both having a good season in their respective clubs.

Donati, a home grown product of Atalanta, joined Milan in 2001, when he was only 20. As his performances were not satisfying, he was loaned to several teams (Parma , Torino, Sampdoria and Messina ) before going back to Bergamo , where he shone again with Atalanta.

Marzoratti is very young (20) but has already proved himself a strong and talented defender, being one of the heroes of Empoli’s terrific 2006-07 season.

Another Empoli player, striker Nicola Pozzi, could also wear a Rossoneri shirt next season. He would replace departing Gennaro Borriello, at the moment still suspended for failing a drug test a few months ago.

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(Soccer365.com) - Brazilian strugglers Internacional will be bidding to remain the 2007 Copa Libertadores hunt when they take on Group 4 pacesetters Colo Colo on Wednesday.

The defending champions failed to conjure much offense when they visited Chile earlier in the tourney, but coach Abel Braga has been doing his homework to devise a plan of attack.

"They played with two lines of four there and it worked for them," he explained. "I don't know what they'll do when they come here, though."

"We've got to be ready for whatever system they use."

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(Soccer365.com) - Despite a fallout with the board that facilitated his loan out to Boca Juniors, ace playmaker Juan Román Riquelme says he will only return to Europe for Villarreal.

"I know it is going to be hard for me to ever wear the Villarreal shirt again," he conceded. "If the opposite were true, they would not have loaned me to Boca Juniors."

"I have a house there and things went really well for me over there."

"I received the recognition of the whole of Europe, thanks to Villarreal," declared Riquelme. "And that's why if I don't play for Villarreal, then I won't play for any other European side."

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(Goal.com) - FC Barcelona could land Arjen Robben for as little as €6m if the player chooses to invoke a rarely used FIFA law that allows him to buy out his current contract.

The Catalan club have made it clear that they would like to capture the Dutchman, but have baulked at Chelsea's €18m asking price, claims Catalan daily sports paper El Mundo Deportivo.

Robben, though, could ease his path to Camp Nou by using the same route as Scottish player Andy Webster chose when he moved from Hearts to Wigan Athletic last summer.

Under FIFA law a player under 28 can leave for a club in another country once they have spent three years at one club as long as the side he joins takes up his contract.

After moving from PSV Eindhoven in 2004, Robben falls into the category and if he was to go down that path then Barça would have to pay €6m for the two years left on his deal at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are adamant that the forward cannot leave the club and are said to be preparing a new deal for him to consider towards the end of the current campaign.

His father and agent, Hans Robben, has already revealed that his son is keen on a switch to the Blaugrana as he used to visit the Camp Nou when on holiday in the Costa Brava as a child.

"It would be a dream for him to play in Barcelona, but right now he has a contract with Chelsea and there has been no movement that I know of," Robben Senior said.

"For us there would not be any problem to settle at Barca because it is the club for which he dreamed to play when he was a boy."

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(Goal.com) - Real Madrid midfielder spoke to Marca about the team's title prospects, Capello, and the future.

"The club have to sign the best players," said Guti. "Real Madrid must have players capable of making the team win while delighting the fans with their football.

"The last genius in our ranks was Zidane and I'm sure the fans want someone like him in the team again.

"We understand the fans' need for spectacle.

"It is being rumoured that Cristiano Ronaldo or Kaka may join us and I like both players. I'd love to play with them.

"The best players should play on this team."

He also defended Capello once again: "The coach has been heavily criticised and I don't like that. He came here to try to make us a winning team again and he shouldn't be blamed for everything.

"He is a great coach and he deserves to be successful here, especially after all the criticism he's received. We support him and together we will try to be champions again."

As for Madrid's title prospects, he said: "We have the obligation of thinking we can win the League. We have options of winning and we are going to fight to the end while we still have a mathematical chance of winning.

"Incredible things have happened in the League's history, such as the two Leagues Real Madrid lost against Tenerife. I remember the League we won with Del Bosque when Real Sociedad were leaders and it seemed we would never catch up with them.

"We are constantly thinking about the calendar and we always tell ourselves that we must win the games against Sevilla and Valencia at the Bernabéu. They are two of our strongest contenders and we have to prevent them from winning points."

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(Soccer365.com) - Fresh from netting a hat trick to lead the U.S. Men’s National Team past Ecuador as captain, Landon Donovan admitted that he’s done some growing up since World Cup 2006.

The Los Angeles Galaxy ace performed below expectations against the Czech Republic and Ghana as the Americans bowed out in group play.

"At the end of last year and the World Cup, as bad as that was for me personally, I feel like I learned a lot from it," Donovan told reporters. "I got married this offseason, which helped me grow up a lot."

"I am now embracing a leadership role - I used to say that I would love to be a leader, but it's not good enough just to say it."

"When you're not as fit like I was in the first camp (in January), you can't do all the things you want to do," said the young veteran of two World Cups. "Now I'm fit, and I feel like I'm playing well."

"I'm trying to be that type of leader."

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(Soccer365.com) - Despite some first half struggles, U.S. Men’s National Team defender Oguchi Onyewu believes the backline came around after halftime to stifle friendly foes Ecuador in Tampa on Sunday.

The Newcastle loan item was beaten badly on a 11th minute goal by FC Basel starlet Luis Caceido, but helped Jimmy Conrad calm things down after the equalizer.

“We knew Ecuador was a big team up top and their speed is one of their strengths,” Onyewu told reporters afterward. “They played to that in the first half and got us a little stretched out, but I think we came in the second half organized and they didn’t really get any chances except for free kicks.”

“In the run of play, they didn’t do too much.”

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(Goal.com) - England manager Steve McClaren has dismissed reports suggesting that he had been involved in a row with Wayne Rooney after the goalless draw with Israel - and that he had fallen out with his assistant, Terry Venables.

McClaren admitted he had been 'disappointed and frustrated' with his team's failure to score against the Israelis in Tel-Aviv.

But he denied reports in some of today's newspapers that Rooney bore the brunt of his anger in the dressing room, and had responded by throwing his boots against a wall before storming out of the dressing room.

Talking to Sky Sports News, McClaren laughed at the stories and said: "It is an absolute load of rubbish.

"I don't read many newspapers, but I have been hearing [about thse stories] and there are two or three things which are an absolute load of rubbish.

"People are just trying to stir things and we are angry and disappointed about them.

"If it was true, yes, you could accept that, but it's an absolute load of rubbish.

"The belief and the togetherness of the squad has never been better.

"What happens in the dressing room is private and stays private and I don't want to discuss that, but to say there is a rift between me and Wayne Rooney is absolutely ridiculous.

"We are professional together, we get on well with each other and I have great respect for him and he has for me.

"And it is an absolute load of rubbish to say there is a rift."

McClaren also dismissed newspaper suggestions that his relationship with Venables had broken down.

"An absolute load of rubbish once again. It's an overreaction and about people having other agendas. The camp is very strong and there is great belief.

"My staff are all very good and working together. We stick together, we get advice from everybody including Terry - great advice. But, ultimately, I'm in charge and it's my neck on the block."

England have now gone five games without a win and managed just one goal during that tim, but McClaren said he believed the main reason for the failure in Israel was missed chances.

He said: "We dominated possession, we had 17 chances - nine of them on target - and on another day we'd have won it comfortably two or three nil.

"We went to Israel for a win and played as if we wanted to win but we had to accept a draw.

"We have to win against Andorra and Estonia and then we have five games to go. They will be big games and that's when it will be decided."

Asked if recent results and events had changed his desire to do the England job, McClaren again laughed off the suggestion that he'd had enough.

"My desire is greater than ever," he said. "We know what direction we have to go and we know we need to produce and perform.

"We understand the fans' reaction and everyone else's but we feel it was over the top."

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(Soccer365.com) - Brazil boss Dunga credited his players with handling Chile by a 4-0 friendly tally, and stated that their opponents made things tougher for them than the scoreline would indicate.

"The score makes you think that Chile didn't do anything, but I think that Chile played a good match," he offered. "They have players that fight the match and they didn't let us play as we like to."

"The final score doesn't really say the truth of what happened on the pitch," said Dunga.

"I am happy with what my team did and this gives us confidence for our preparation towards the Copa America in Venezuela, where we start with a game against Chile."

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(Goal.com) - England captain John Terry has warned that his team should not be thinking negatively despite their bleak position in their Euro 2008 group.

Terry will not allow his team-mates to entertain the prospect of failing to qualify for the Championships even though it is fast becoming the most realistic option as the run of matches without a win is stretched to a hugely damaging three.

Terry, ahead of Wednesday's match with minnows Andorra, said: "We are where we are in the table and, if we don't start winning, we are not going to qualify. But that's not even worth thinking about.

"We are not going to start thinking 'we are not going to qualify'. That's no way to start thinking, no way to have the atmosphere in and around the squad, and I won't let that happen. We will assess things. We will try to take the positives from Saturday. We will look at the game again and try to take as many positives as we can - if there are any."

Regarding the goalless draw with Israel, he added: "We have to absorb and reflect on what happened. We are trying to pinpoint why things aren't happening. Wednesday's game is vital and it's about three points, simple as that. It is not about how many can we score and how many can we beat them by.

"It's about picking up three points and that's the message I'm going to try and get across."

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(Goal.com) - Fabio Cannavaro has revealed that he has informed Napoli of his desire to return to the club and could be set to leave Real Madrid this summer.

The Italian central defender met with the Serie B's chief, Pierpaolo Marino, in Rimini recently and made it clear he is keen to end his career with the Azzurri.

After a troubled campaign at the Bernabéu, the 33-year-old defender could be set to leave Madrid with coach Fabio Capello at the end of the season and has already started laying the groundwork for his next destination.

"I have talked to Marino, Napoli's chief operating officer, and he knows how I feel now," Cannavaro stated.

It is not the first time that the former Parma and Juventus star has claimed that he would like to represent his hometown club again, but this was the clearest statement of intent yet.

Marino has reportedly not met with the Napoli board to brief them in full on his coversation with the World Cup winner.

Cannavaro rose through the ranks at Napoli and played for the club for three seasons until in 1995 he joined Parma during the club's golden period.

After seven seasons with the Gialloblu, Inter snapped him up and he was on the move once again in 2004 when Juventus came calling.

When La Vecchia Signora were relegated at the end of last season, Cannavaro was tempted by trying his hand in la Primera and joined Capello in Madrid

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Tampa Bay, FL (Sports Network) - The U.S. Men's National Team got a performance from midfielder/forward Landon Donovan that reminded American fans of his play of old, before this past summer's World Cup.

Donovan scored three goals to lead the U.S. past Ecuador 3-1 at Raymond James Stadium, here, Sunday to raise his career total with the USMNT to 30, tied for second all-time with Brian McBride, just four back of record-holder Eric Wynalda.

Donovan scored his first goal in the first minute of action. The U.S. defense lobbed the ball into the Ecuador penalty area before the defense headed out, right to the boot of Donovan, who responded by firing a shot into the back of the net past goalkeeper Rorys Aragon for his third goal in the past three U.S friendlies.

Ecuador's Felipe Caicedo answered to make it 1-1 in the first half, but the 25-year-old US captain scored his other two tallies within a minute of each other in the second half, the first coming in the 65th minute.

After taking a ball from forward Brian Ching at midfield, Donovan got behind the defense and cooly slotted the ball low to the far post. About a minute later, after the U.S. took control of the ball in the offensive third, Donovan took a feed from outside midfielder DaMarcus Beasley at the top of the 18 and blasted a perfect shot into the top right corner to make it 3-1.

The win was the USMNT's fourth in four contests in 2007 - all under interim head coach Bob Bradley - with the game being part of a double FIFA fixture date that also features the U.S. taking on Guatemala in Frisco, Texas, on Wednesday. These games are the last chance for Bradley to look at his team prior to the June 2 match against China in San Jose, Calif., which kicks off the team's preparations for this summer's marquee events, the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2007 Copa America.

With the quick start by the U.S. offense, Ecuador had to be sharp to stay in the game. Caicedo made sure it wouldn't be a blow-out early on by answering Donovan's first goal in the 16th minute. He took a pass from Neicar Reasco at the left corner of the U.S. penalty area, stumbled past two defenders and fired a shot off 'keeper Tim Howard and into the net to even the score.

The teams traded chances the rest of the half, with neither gaining a clear- cut advantage. After Beasley missed a header high in the 25th, Ecuador answered by controlling the ball in the offensive penalty area, but failed to get off a quality chance.

Ecuador had another chance when Luis Caicedo headed the ball on goal, but midfielder Benny Feilhaber cleared the chance off the line to keep the teams knotted at one.

Reigning Major League Soccer Cup MVP, Ching, who played very well in his first appearance with the national this year, just missed chance for the U.S. about five minutes before halftime. A Donovan cross into the box found the head of Carlos Bocanegra before Ching deflected right to the keeper while taking a boot to the face. Ching was on the pitch for a couple minutes with a bloody nose before heading for the sideline.

After Ching returned, just before the break, the U.S. missed another quality chance in injury time. Ching sent a low cross through goalmouth, which Beasley recovered before a pass to a wide open Donovan was intercepted and cleared.

The second half started with Bradley making a change in his lineup. He subbed in his 19-year-old son, Michael Bradley, for Eddie Johnson, moved Donovan to forward from the center midfield position he started in, and moved Bradley to the vacated midfield spot.

The moved worked as Bradley performed well with fellow center midfielder, Feilhaber, and Ching and Donovan worked magic together up top, as evidenced by the team's go-ahead goal in the 65th minute.

The U.S. dominated the second half, missing chance after chance until Donovan finally broke through to put the game away.

NOTES: Benny Feilhaber earned his first cap with the U.S. MNT, playing center midfield the whole game. ... The U.S. outshot Ecuador 11-6, with six of those on goal. ... The MNT starting lineup featured a 4-4-2 formation with Tim Howard getting the start in goal, Carlos Bocanegra, Jimmy Conrad, Oguchi Onyewu and Steve Cherundolo forming the backline, Feilhaber, Landon Donovan in the center midfield with Clint Dempsey and DaMarcus Beasley on the flanks and Brian Ching and Eddie Johnson at forward. ... Other U.S. players to earn caps were defender Jonathan Spector, midfielders Justin Mapp, Brian Carroll and Brian Mullan and forward Taylor Twellman.

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Prague, Czech Republic (Sports Network) - Kevin Kuranyi scored twice to lead Germany to an important 2-1 win over the Czech Republic on Saturday in a EURO 2008 Group D qualifier.

With the win, Germany moves three points clear of both the Czech Republic and Ireland, making them a favorite to advance as one of the two teams to represent the group in Austria and Switzerland next summer.

Kuranyi put the Germans on top three minutes before the half, and then doubled the score line in the 62nd minute to put Germany in control. Milan Baros pulled a goal back for the home side to set up a nervous final 13 minutes for the visitors, but Germany held on to secure all three points.

The Czechs created the first chances of the match, but it was Germany who got on the board first right before halftime. Kuranyi was able to shake off two defenders and get free for a cross from the corner. He then headed the ball past keeper Petr Cech to make it 1-0 to Germany at the break.

The home side looked to be the more dangerous team after the restart, but Baros missed two chances to level the match as he headed a pair of nice crosses from Tomas Ujfalusi over the net.

Germany took advantage and was soon ahead by two goals. Kuranyi once again used his head to punish the Czechs, this time making the most of a Philipp Lahm cross to head the ball into the back of the net.

Baros did finally crack the scoreboard in the 76th to give his club a measure of hope. His shot from the edge of the box took a deflection off of Germany's Jan Polak and beat Jens Lehmann, but there were no more goals in the match despite the efforts of the Czechs.

In other Group D play on Saturday, Ireland slipped past Wales 1-0 on a goal from Stephen Ireland and Slovakia scored three times in the second half to down Cyprus 3-1.

Poland moved to the top of Group A with a 5-0 thrashing of Azerbaijan, Serbia dropped a 2-1 match to Kazakhstan, moving them down to third and Portugal exploded for four goals in the second half to earn a large 4-0 win over Belgium.

Group B remained tight at the top as both Scotland and France recorded wins to remain level on points. Craig Beattie scored in the 89th minute to rescue three points for Scotland in a 2-1 win over Georgia, and France got a goal from Nicolas Anelka in the 73rd minute to beat Lithuania 1-0. The Faroe Islands continued to struggle as they dropped a 2-0 decision to Ukraine, who moved into third place, three points behind the leaders.

Turkey continued to dominate Group C with a resounding 4-1 win over previously unbeaten Greece. Turkey has now won all four of its matches and is in control of the group. Norway missed a chance to pull level with Greece in second place as they dropped a disappointing 2-1 contest at home to Bosnia-Herzegovina, while Moldova and Malta shared the points in a 1-1 draw.

England manager Steve McClaren continues to feel the heat as his side could only come away from its contest with Israel with a dull 0-0 draw, leaving them five points off the pace of leaders Croatia, who stole a come-from-behind win against Macedonia with Da Silva Eduardo's 88th-minute goal. Russia continued its solid form with a 2-0 win over Estonia to remain two points back of Croatia in second place.

Spain kept its hopes of qualifying alive on Saturday with a 2-1 win over Denmark, while Northern Ireland moved into second place with a 4-1 victory against Liechtenstein.

The top two teams in Group G, the Netherlands and Romania, played to a 0-0 draw, as did bottom-half clubs Slovenia and Albania. The only win in the group on Saturday went to Belarus, who downed Luxembourg 2-1.

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Nearing the midpoint in Euro2008 qualifying, Portugal, England, and Spain all need to pick up points in their matches this weekend. Meanwhile group leaders Germany and Czech Republic meet for sole control of Group D.

The top two teams in each group will join hosts Austria and Switzerland in the Euro2008 Championship next year.

Group A: Surprisingly, Finland currently leads this group by a point over Serbia and Poland. Portugal is tied for 4th, three points below the qualification line, so they'll need a good result hosting fellow 4th place side Belgium.

Group B: Scotland and France lead Group B with 9 points a piece over Italy (7 pts) and Ukraine (6pts). Scotland has a chance to stay on top by beating Georgia at Hampden Park. Italy are idle. France visits Lithuania, while Ukraine takes a trip to lowly Faroe Islands.

Group C: Turkey and Greece lead a weaker group and meet Saturday in Greece for the spot.

Group D: Germany and Czech Republic lead this group, with the Czechs host the Germans Saturday. Ireland is three points back and host Wales.

Group E: England find themselves three points behind Croatia and a point behind 2nd place Russia at this point. They'll need to find some answers to have a strong showing in Israel. Meanwhile, Russia visits Estonia and Croatia has Macedonia at home.

Group F: Also in the middle of pack: Spain. The Spanish are 9 points off the lead pace set by Sweden. Denmark and Northern Ireland are in a tie for 2nd. Spain gets its shot at Denmark on Saturday at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Northern Ireland goes to Liechtenstein.

Group G: Netherlands has a two point lead in Group G and will face 3rd place Romania. The 2nd place Bulgarians have the weekend off.

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(Soccer365.com) - Real Madrid superstar David Beckham has knocked back suggestions that his July move to the Los Angeles Galaxy is based on easier games to play.

The former England captain says many Europeans would be surprised how difficult it is to work competitive, physical MLS contests in often-oppressive summer temperatures.

"I don't think it's going to be that easy," Beckham stated. "The standards over there are high."

"Just because there's not much coverage of the MLS in Europe, I don't think the standards are as low as some people have been saying."

"I know physically I've got to be right and that's another reason why I wanted to do this challenge at the age I am now," he added.

"If I had gone over there in two, three or four years' time people would have said more what some are saying now - that it's all about the money."

Concluded Beckham, "It's not, it's a fresh challenge."

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(Soccer365.com) - U.S. defender Steve Cherundolo is happy to see some internationally green players called into camp by Bob Bradley, including fellow Bundesliga man Benny Feilhaber.

“There are some new faces here,” he told a US Soccer podcast. “It’s always nice to have fresh faces in camp, and hopefully, they’ll be able to add something that was missing.”

Feilhaber, who was recently dropped back to Hamburg’s second team after several veterans became healthy, is one of the new breed of American youngsters looking to start their pro careers in Europe.

Despite his success and that of youngsters like Feilhaber and Sheffield Wednesday’s Frankie Simek, Cherundolo doesn’t find it necessary for every U.S. prospect to develop away from MLS.

He joined Hannover 96 after playing for the University of Portland - a straight-to-Europe path followed by several former Pilots, including U.S. left back Heath Pearce.

“I don’t think its necessary to go to Europe to become a good soccer player,” stated the right back. “It’s an impossible to compare leagues, I think that’s a complete waste of time.”

“Everyone has to figure out what’s best for them.”

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(Goal.com) - Internazionale are preparing to make a move for Deco this summer as a possible replacement for Luis Figo, according to reports in the Italian press.

As speculation mounts over the future of the Barça playmaker, the Nerazzurri are the latest club to be linked with him along with a number of Premiership clubs.

Chelsea are thought to have the upper hand as Deco could be tempted to work under José Mourinho again, but Inter have now also entered the frame.

A report in the Gazzetta dello Sport states that after being put off by Lionel Messi's asking price, Massimo Moratti has turned his attention elsewhere.

Deco's buy-out clause is around €75m, but the Blaugrana could well allow him to leave for €20m as he prepares to turn 30 in August.

Several of Frank Rijkaard's star players have been linked with a move away from Camp Nou, but Barça vice president Ferrán Soriano moved to rebuff the stories this week.

Among the players that he claimed were set to stay were Ronaldinho, Messi and Deco, but with Frank Lampard being a viable replacement for the number 20 a sizeable offer maybe considered.

According to the Italian newspaper, Inter may well offer a player-exchange deal, but only offers the unlikely scenarion of Adriano or Walter Samuel as the players that could be allowed to leave.

While Deco is under contract at Barça until 2010, his efforts to secure a pay rise have fallen on deaf ears and that could see Chelsea jump to the