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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Posted by soccer365 at 02:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

(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.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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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Posted by soccer365 at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(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 front of the queue.

The Blues are keen to add some more guile to their midfield and Mourinho knows all too well the ability of the player that spearheaded Porto's successful quest for the UEFA Cup and Champions League during his reign.

With Inter set to wrap up the Serie A title in the coming weeks, attention has now turned to next season and how best to bolster the squad.

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(Soccer365.com) - With his sister’s kidnapping crisis now capped by a happy ending, Brazil striker Ricardo Oliveira says he can go back to worrying about getting himself fit for their upcoming friendlies against Chile and Ghana.

The AC Milan man is trying to come back from a knee injury that halted his debut Serie A campaign.

“Right now things in my personal life have improved indescribably, and I just thank God that I can do my job without worrying about things other than what happens on the pitch,” said Oliveira. “It was a nightmare of a time.”

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

(Soccer365.com) - New England general manager Mike Burns says he is more interested in speaking to trade request submitter Shalrie Joseph than in speaking about him.

The Revs midfielder recently went public with his frustration over stalled contracted talks.

"We have read what Shalrie had to say," Burns told the Boston Globe.

"But until we have the opportunity to speak to him directly, we are not going to respond in the media."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

(Goal.com) - Bayern Munich midfielder Mark van Bommel will be able to play in the second leg of Bayern Munich's Champions League quarter-final against AC Milan as his two-match ban was halved to one today after a UEFA disciplinary tribunal ruling on Wednesday in Nyon, Switzerland.

The Dutchman was sent off with a second yellow at the end of Bayern's 2-1 classifying victory over visitors Real Madrid at the Allianz Arena on March 7th, the player childishly making a meal out of his position on the edge of the box.

UEFA had previously said it was doubling the sanction – usually just a one-match ban – by taking into account the offensive gestures he made to Bernabéu spectators during the first leg in Madrid.

He’s still out of the first leg of the quarter-final, to be played at San Siro on April 3rd, but he’s perfectly available to Hitzfeld for the return leg back in Munich on April 11th.

Mark van Bommel has been cleared to appear for Bayern in the Champions League quarter-final return against AC Milan at the Allianz Arena on 11 April following a successful appeal to a.

"I'm satisfied," the commented, his Coach also happy as to how UEFA rectified their initial stance. "I'm delighted UEFA have arrived at a reasonable verdict. I have to say I'm feeling a sense of relief," Hitzfeld commented.

"No-one expected anything else, because you can't give a two-game ban for two yellows," Van Bommel added. “It's been an odd feeling over the past few days, but I was always confident the verdict would be revised," the Oranje man concluded.

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

(Goal.com) - The young forward is going through a great moment of form with the latest goals scored for the Bianconeri in their Serie B matches.

Raffaele Palladino is currently Juventus' most talked about player following his latest exploits which helped his side win precious points in their bid to be promoted back to Serie A.

"It's a beautiful moment and I'm enjoying it, I'm living a dream: I must continue this way, remaining with my feet to the ground because the compliments can give you a big head."

The former Livorno player also spoke about his future at Juve.

"I'm sorry to read on the newspaper the names of other strikers who could join Juventus. I think in the same way like Deschamps, I just think about the present and not the future, however a young player must be able to play with continuity in order to grow.

"For the time being I don't consider myself as a starter having ahead of me Del Piero and Trezeguet, and it's fair that when David returns, I step aside, however I would like to remain with this group even next year."

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(Soccer365.com) - Watford center back Jay DeMerit is on cloud nine after receiving his first U.S. call-up from coach Bob Bradley.

The Wisconsin native is eagerly chasing his first international cap, but could miss their March 25th friendly with Ecuador due to a knock.

DeMerit expects to be ready for his U.S. debut three days later, when they tackle Guatemala.

“I’m elated,” he told a US Soccer podcast. “It’s definitely one of those things that all players dream about, so to be finally called up is a dream come true.”

“I’m excited just to be involved.”

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(Goal.com) - Juventus sporting director Alessio Secco has distanced the club from speculation linking them with a move for Frank Lampard.

The Chelsea midfielder’s agent was pictured talking to Juve executives last week and there were rumours that they wanted to sign the player to boost their hopes of making an impact on their expected return to Serie A next season.

But Secco said: "We didn't go to London for Lampard and there is no negotiation whatsoever to sign him.

"In the light of the comments made by the player, it is clear that his future is in England."

He added that Juve were in London "to strengthen our relationship with certain English clubs and Lampard's agent helped us to do so".

Lampard has just over two years to run on his current Chelsea deal and the Blues have yet to make him a firm offer over a new contract.

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

(Soccer365.com) - Los Angeles star Cobi Jones may have announced his retirement, but it won’t take effect until he battles alongside David Beckham for the 2007 MLS crown.

The longtime Galaxy attacker claims it is the right time to hang his boots.

"It's good to have (Beckham) here, but that wasn't a factor into my decision at all," Jones told reporters. "A good friend of mine, Jürgen Klinsmann, said, 'Don't let them know until you're ready' - now is definitely the time."

"It has been a great 15 years, it's been absolutely stellar."

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Goal.com) - FC Barcelona have stated that they are preparing to offer Ronaldinho a new long-term contract to ward off would-be suitors as speculation over the Brazilian's future continues to mount.

With reports continuing to surface that AC Milan are preparing to make an offer, Blaugrana vice-president Ferrán Soriano has moved to nip the stories in the bud.

"We want to continue as we are with Ronaldinho until the end of the season," he told COM Radio.

"Our intention is to hold a meeting to negotiate a new deal until 2014. I am optimistic and believe the player is happy at Barcelona, which has been an important question recently. There are no problems between us."

Ronaldinho has often said that he is keen to remain at Camp Nou and will likely be a key figure in next year's presidential elections at the Catalan club.

The Barça director also reflected on paper talk linking both Deco and Lionel Messi with a move during the summer and vehemently denied that the duo would be allowed to leave.

Deco is said to know how much Chelsea would be prepared to offer him and asked Barça to match it only for the club to refuse because they do not want to break their pay structure.

Messi has also been linked with a lucrative switch to Internazionale, but Soriano quoshed both stories.

"This is just not true," he said. "We need these players for next season."

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)

(Goal.com) - Real Madrid made a last ditch bid to sign Edison Cavani from Danubio before the highly-rated striker accepted an offer from Palermo in the winter transfer window, his agent has revealed.

The youngster attracted the attention of the Spanish giants after he hit seven goals in nine games at the 2007 South American Youth Championships in Paraguay to finish as top goalscorer.

While Juventus and AC Milan were also said to be monitoring Cavani, the player's representative Pier Paolo Truzi has lifted the lid on Madrid's late move to take him to the Bernabéu.

With a €5m offer on the table from Palermo, the Spanish giants faxed their bid that was said to be €1m higher than the Italians' but Cavani had already given his word.

Palermo agreed a deal in principle with Danubio and the player on January 29, a day before reciving the off from Madrid.

"I can state that Real Madrid had been sending scouts since last year to Uruguay a year ago to watch Cavani," Truzi told "Corriere dello Sport Stadio.

"Palermo was the club that came forward and made a firm offer to match anything that any other was willing to bid.

"They really wanted to sign Edi and made him feel important."

Cavani made an incredible start to his career in Italy as he netted the equalising goal against Fiorentina only 15 minutes after coming on in the game on March 11.

Clearly the style of play in Serie A suits the 1.84m-tall forward and he believes that he made the right decision to join Palermo.

"They appreciate strength, drive and pressure and it is has a distinct difference to the Spanish game," Cavani said.

"I like to be able to help out in attack and defence and I am able to do that here."

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)

(Soccer365.com) - Sheffield Wednesday captain Leo Bullen says defender Frankie Simek was hard done by when ejected during their weekend draw with Wolverhampton.

The skipper claims part of the criticism should go to Wolves manager Mick McCarthy and his staff for wildy overreacting the American’s late challenge on Michael McIndoe in front of the away bench.

"We were very disappointed by the reaction of their bench," Bullen told the Star. "About eight of them rushed off the bench and two of them were on the pitch."

"If that doesn't influence the decision of the referee, I don't know what does - I told the ref I thought he had been influenced."

Simek is now off for his first U.S. National Team camp, and could miss three games upon his return for a suspension.

"For me, Frankie has been our Player of the Year," said Bullen. "He's been such a strong player all season."

"He'll be a big loss - somebody will come in an do a job, but Frankie is a massive player for us."

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(Soccer365.com) - Disgruntled New England midfielder Shalrie Joseph has resigned the captaincy, and may go so far as to request a trade.

The Grenada international says it was a move he didn’t want to make, but felt he had after contract extension talks stalled again.

"It's an honor and a privilege to be named captain of any team, especially the Revolution, but I wouldn't be able to lead these guys," Joseph told the Boston Globe. "I have been patient and I have been the good boy they wanted me to be, but I can't wait any more."

"We have a great team and I see us getting to the final every year and winning championships," Joseph said. "But if I am not that important to them, another team might value me more."

"There is a lot of disenchantment on the team; I don't want to speak for all the guys, but I know I have been unhappy about my contract situation and others have been worried about theirs."

"I do have two years left but that's the only argument they have," he added. "I had a great offer from Celtic and I should be paid what I am worth."

"There are always compromises on both sides, but they didn't come willing to negotiate."

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(Goal.com) - Sir Alex Ferguson has hit out at Real Madrid and FC Barcelona for their attempts to lure Cristiano Ronaldo and stated that he is confident the player will sign a new contract at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils' manager is infuriated that the Spanish league giants have publicly stated their interest in the Portuguese star and believes that they have a history of unsettling players to boost presidential candidates' election chances.

With talks underway between United and Ronaldo over a new deal that could keep him at the Premiership club until 2012, Ferugson accused Madrid and Barça of stirring up trouble.

"Let's be perfectly clear, Barcelona and Real Madrid have been doing this ever since I have been at this club," the Scotsman said.

"When the (presidntial) elections are on, the best player in the world is always used, there is no doubt about that.

"It happens every year and you have to accept it. But we are negotiating strongly with Cristiano's agent and I am hopeful he will sign."

"Cristiano is not silly enough not to realise he is being used as a pawn.

"They may be right, they may want him, but there is no doubt there is another motive to it and that is the elections."

Barça are due to hold presidential elections next year, while Madrid have been linked with Ronaldo since last summer when Ramón Calderón took over at the Bernabéu.

Ferguson then reflected on the course that negotiations between United and the player could take and hinted that the club would not be held to ransom.

"There could be a limit," he explained.

"They might ask for X and we might only want to pay Y. But that is negotiation. Eventually, if both parties want it, they will come to an agreement."

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(Soccer365.com) - Toronto FC coach Mo Johnston says eh finally glad to clinch a deal for Sunderland winger Andy Welsh this wekend.

The Englishman will now compete for a job on the left side of midfield for the expansion team.

"It was on, it was off," Johnston told the Globe & Mail of some protracted talks. "Sunderland were great, they allowed him to come over."

"It's been resolved and we're very happy in having a 24-year old coming to join us."

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(Soccer365.com) - Club América midfielder Germán Villa was only to happy to bag the goal that snapped an slump to holders CD Guadalajara that stretched back to 1999.

Villa scored the lone goal midway through the opening stanza by nodding home a Salvador Cabañas cross.

"We had to win any way possible," he declared. "It was too long of a time without beating them."

"I'm pleased the fans went home happy."

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(Goal.com) - Frank Rijkaard has reiterated his desire to remain loyal to FC Barcelona, despite strong rumours linking him to a move to take over at AC Milan in the summer.

The Dutchman's future has been a constant subject of debate in recent months and the stories intesnified after Barça's recent elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Liverpool.

Despite all the speculation, Rijkaard has made it clear that he still feels he owes the Catalan club a debt after they offered him the coaching job when he was unfancied following a spell in charge of Sparta Rotterdam.

"I'm not thinking about coaching another team," he said. "I have enough work here and I am committed to Barcelona, even if everything depends on results, that's normal it won't be a surprise.

"I believe I owe a debt to Barcelona due to all the support they have given me and I have to keep going.

"When people put their faith in you and help you, you cannot turn your back on them."

Rijkaard has the full backing of club president Joan Laporta and Johan Cruyff, who is was instrumental in helping Barça choose him as coach in 2003.

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(Soccer365.com) - Boca Juniors striker Rodrigo Palacio says he is almost recovered from a foot injury and hopes to make his return when they face Godoy Cruz on the weekend.

The medical staff isn’t sure he’s quite yet ready to come back from the setback he suffered last month against Independiente.

"I am well, I feel better and that makes me feel glad," Palacio told Olé. "I don't know how much more time there is to go, but I hope to return soon."

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(Goal.com) - The Roma and Sampdoria players won their first cap with the Italian national side as Roberto Donadoni announced on Sunday the players called up for the Euro 2008 match against Scotland which will be played at the 'San Nicola' stadium of Bari in program on the 28th of March.

Coach Donadoni has called-up 25 players for the training camp ahead of the Euro 2008 clash against Scotland. The number of players will be decreased on Friday 23rd of March as the Italian national team coach will announce the definite list of players.

In the mean time here's the list of called-up players, including newcomers Roma's Tonetto and Sampdoria's Quagliarella who have impressed in recent months.

Goalkeepers: Buffon (Juventus), Amelia (Livorno), Abbiati (Torino);

Defenders: Tonetto (Roma), Oddo (Milan), Zambrotta (Barcellona), Barzagli (Palermo), Materazzi (Inter), Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Bonera (Milan), Pasqual (Fiorentina);

Midfielders: Mauri (Lazio), Ambrosini (Milan), De Rossi (Roma), Gattuso (Milan), Pirlo (Milan), Semioli (Chievo), Perrotta (Roma), Camoranesi (Juventus);

Attackers: Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Rocchi (Lazio), Toni (Fiorentina), Gilardino (Milan), Del Piero (Juventus), Di Natale (Udinese).

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Seville, Spain (Sports Network) - The Spanish La liga's Sevilla was able to keep pace with leaders Barcelona with a 2-0 win over Celta Vigo on Sunday.

Frederic Kanoute scored his 19th goal of the season just after the break and a stoppage time goal from Alexander Kerzhakov made sure the team ended the weekend still tied with Barca at the top of the La Liga table.

Kanoute scored his goal on a penalty shot after a Gustavo Lopez handball in the box.

On Kerzhakov's goal, he took a pass from Enzo Maresca and cooly deposited it in the back of the net.

In the rest of the La Liga fixtures on Sunday, Deportivo topped Getafe 2-0, Espanyol and Levante tied at one, Zaragoza edged Atletico 1-0, Real Sociedad managed a 1-1 tied with Villarreal, and Real madrid beat Gimnastic 2-0.

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London, England (Sports Network) - Charlton got a very important 2-0 win against Newcastle Sunday to dramatically improve the team's chances of staying in the English Premiership.

Currently the club is in third-to-last, four points deep in the relegation zone, but the win gives the team a chance to climb out.

Chinese international Zheng Zhi scored a goal and earned a penalty kick which was converted by Jerome Thomas to lead the offense.

Zhi, on loan for the rest of the season from Shandong Luneng, got his goal in the 54th minute to make it 1-0 when he headed the ball into an open net after a Darren Bent free-kick hit the post.

The home team doubled its lead two minutes from time when Zhi was taken down in the box by Nolberto Solano drawing a penalty. Thomas buried the chance for his third goal of the campaign.

Charlton, unbeaten in its last three games, now find themselves within striking distance of 17th-placed Sheffield United. With the loss, Newcastle now finds itself in 11th place, just 10 points clear of the relegation zone. It was the team's second straight loss after being bounced by Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Cup on Thursday.

In another Premiership match on Sunday, Arsenal fell to sixth-placed Everton 1-0 on a late goal by Andrew Johnson.

With the loss, Arsenal failed to gain any cushion on fourth-placed Liverpool who battled to a scoreless tie with Aston Villa in the other Premiership game on Sunday.

Arsenal now has just a one point lead on Liverpool for the third position with a game in hand.

With the weekend fixtures complete, Manchester United still holds the top spot, six points up on second-placed Chelsea.

West ham and Watford join Charlton in the relegation zone. Watford is 11 points deep while West Ham is eight from safety.

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Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - United States Men's National Team (MNT) interim head coach Bob Bradley called 24 players Thursday to participate in training camp to prepare for friendlies against Guatemala and Ecuador later this month.

The U.S. visits Raymond James Stadium in South Florida for the first time when they face Ecuador on March 25 before returning to Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas for the second consecutive year to face Guatemala on March 28.

Bradley was able to call a full squad, both domestically and abroad, with the matches falling on consecutive international fixture dates. Because of that fact, the team has less of a Major League Soccer feel than the first two friendlies this year - both wins over Denmark and Mexico.

"This camp provides a great opportunity to see some of our experienced players from Europe, as well as some new faces, and incorporate them into the group and share the ideas that we have been building on since the beginning of the year," Bradley said. "By the end of this camp, we will have had the chance to work with a vast majority of our player pool. It will be extremely beneficial when we have to make decisions about the Gold Cup and Copa America (this summer)."

The 24 man roster features 13 players from Europe, including seven from the English Premier League. The team's defense will get the biggest makeover with Jimmy Conrad being the only North American based player on the roster. Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo, Jay Demerit, Oguchi Onyewu, Heath Pearce, Frank Simek and Jonathan Spector are the European based defenders who add much more experience than the group in the the previous two contests.

On the domestic front, Houston Dynamo forward Brian Ching makes his first appearance in camp with the national team since the World Cup. Of the 11 players on the roster who are based in MLS, six appeared in the USA’s 2-0 win against Mexico last month, including four starters.

The MNT will hold its training camp at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., home of the U.S. Under-17 Residency Program.

After the March friendlies, the U.S. will see no action until a match against China on June 2 in San Jose, Calif., at Spartan Stadium. Five days later, the team will play in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, scheduled from June 6-24 in several cities across the U.S. Just a few days later, the MNT will participate in the 2007 Copa America, the regional championship of South America.

The following is the U.S. MNT training camp roster for the March friendlies:

GOALKEEPERS (3) - Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton FC), Kasey Keller (Borussia Moenchengladbach).

DEFENDERS (8) - Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Jay Demerit (Watford FC), Oguchi Onyewu (Newcastle United), Heath Pearce (FC Nordsjaelland), Frank Simek (Sheffield Wednesday), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United).

MIDFIELDERS (7) - DaMarcus Beasley (Manchester City), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Brian Carroll (D.C. United), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Benny Feilhaber (Hamburger SV), Justin Mapp (Chicago Fire).

FORWARDS (6) - Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Eddie Johnson (Kansas Cit y Wizards), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution).

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Manchester, England (Sports Network) - Wayne Rooney was Manchester United's only healthy striker on Saturday at Old Trafford, but he did the work of two, scoring a pair of goals and getting some help from Ji-Sung Park, who also scored twice, to give United a 4-1 win over Bolton.

The win keeps the Red Devils six points ahead of second-placed Chelsea, who scored a 3-0 win over Sheffield United on Saturday.

United jumped on Bolton early as Park scored the opener in the 14th minute and Rooney added his first goal just three minutes later. Park then scored his second goal to give the hosts a commanding three-goal lead at the half. Rooney added his second tally after the restart, and Gary Speed converted from the penalty spot with three minutes to play to get Bolton on the scoreboard.

The win came at a cost for United, however, as defender Gary Neville left the contest after just 10 minutes with an ankle injury. It is likely that Neville will miss at least three weeks, which is bad news not only for United but also for England, as the defender will likely miss the upcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers.

Cristiano Ronaldo proved throughout the day why he is so tough stop, and the Portuguese winger set up the opening goal. After collecting a loose ball on the wing, Ronaldo took it to the end-line before cutting it back and sliding a pass to Park, who easily finished for a 1-0 lead.

Ronaldo and Rooney then teamed up to score the team's second goal just three minutes later. The duo exchanged passes on two occasions before Rooney floated a shot over the head of keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen for his 50th goal as member of United.

With 20 minutes to play before halftime, Bolton fell behind by three goals. Ronaldo once again had a hand in the tally when his shot was stopped by Jaaskelainen, but a rebound fell for Park to tap in.

Alan Smith was brought on for Ronaldo in the 70th minute with the desired result well in hand. It didn't take Smith long to get involved in the action as he lobbed a pass in behind the defense for Rooney to run on to. The English striker then ripped a hard volley that gave the keeper no chance, giving him two goals on the day.

Speed got the visitors on the board in the game's final minutes, but it was little consolation for Bolton, who suffered its second lopsided loss to United this season.

In other EPL action on Saturday, Manchester City recorded a big 2-0 win over Middlesbrough to move nine points clear of the drop zone, Tottenham handled Watford in 3-1 fashion at White Hart Lane, Reading's match with Portsmouth as well as Wigan's contest with Fulham ended without a goal and Bobby Zamora scored in the 76th minute to give West Ham a 2-1 win over Blackburn.

On Sunday, Newcastle visits a Charlton team that is six points from safety, fourth-placed Liverpool will try to hang on to its Champions League spot and meets Aston Villa and Everton tangles with Arsenal at Goodison Park.

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Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Sports Network) - Schalke got its title hopes back on track on Saturday at Veltins-Arena as Mladen Krstajic scored in the 76th minute with a little help from Stuttgart keeper Timo Hildebrand's error to secure a 1-0 win.

The victory snaps a four-game winless streak for Schalke, and increases the club's lead at the top of the Bundesliga standings to six points over second- placed Werder Bremen.

The match as a whole was a rough and rugged affair that saw little in the way of goalmouth action. It was a physical contest that did not produce much in the way of excitement, but gave Schalke the result that they were looking for.

The home side produced the only things resembling chances in the opening 45 minutes, but both efforts were comfortably saved by Hildebrand and were never a real threat to beat the keeper.

The second half was not much better as the ball continued to get bogged down in midfield and neither side seemed willing to push men forward. The game looked to be heading towards a 0-0 draw, but a mistake by Hildebrand in the 76th minute handed Schalke the win. Levan Kobiashvili's corner kick was hit too close to the keeper, and he easily rose up to grab the ball. However, he could not keep hold of it and the ball fell for Krstajic, who was left to tap it in from a couple yards out.

The loss is a crushing one for Stuttgart, who slipped seven points off the pace of Schalke, and missed a golden chance to jump directly into the title race.

In other action on Saturday, Alemania Aachen doubled up on Arminia Bielefeld 2-0, Nurnberg played to a 0-0 draw with Borussia Dortmund, as did Hamburg and Hannover. Bayern Munich suffered a big blow as they were defeated 1-0 by Eintracht on a second-half by Christoph Preuss and Wolfsburg held off Bochum 3-1.

On Sunday, Werder Bremen tries to stay within three points of the leaders with a win against Mainz and Bayer Leverkusen looks to move into the top five with a victory over Monchengladbach.

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(Soccer365.com) - Being that the Fire are deep in talks with mercurial Mexico attack wizard Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Chicago midfield general Chris Armas felt it necessary to declare that any glamour signings will need to arrive with a good attitude.

"If we can add a top-notch player, then yes, bring him in," he told Daily Southtown. "But should we add a player just for the sake of adding him? No."

"If you do your homework on some of these guys and you see that he's going to help, then great," said Armas. "You just hope the guy can be a team player."

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(Soccer365.com) - Houston strike ace Brian Ching says a halftime pep talk compelled the team to score two second half goals to beat esteemed CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal visitors Pachuca on Thursday night.

Dominic Kinnear brought his charges in after a staid opening period and apparently peeled a little paint.

"The first half, we didn't come out and play," the U.S. international told the Houston Chronicle. "They're a good team, and I think we gave them a little bit too much respect; we sat back and played timid."

"At halftime, Dom said, 'You guys are a good team; let's go after them' - and we did."

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(Goal.com) - Turin's Bianconeri are tipped to be interested in the services of young Brazilian star Ederson.

After Wednesday's board director meeting, sporting director Alessio Secco said Juventus want to look for a new Ronaldinho.

Maybe the Bianconeri have already found him, at least according to Italian daily Tuttosport.

His name is Ederson, he’ a 21 year old Brazilian and plays for French club Nice, wearing the number 10 shirt.

Ederson has a contract expiring in 2010. Nice could accept to let him got to Juventus for 4-5 million Euros.

Top flight Spanish clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid are also eyeing the young prospect.

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(Soccer365.com) - Not only are the Kansas City Wizards chasing a playmaker in Argentina, but general manager Peter Vermes says the team want to get their act together before they return to the United States.

“We’re still not game sharp,” he told the Kansas City Star. “We need to get in game fitness and sharpness and start solidifying our starting 11.”

“We have four games scheduled for the first team, and four games for the reserves,” explained Vermes.

“We hope to progress from weakest opponent to strongest,” he said. “We’ve planned it all out very carefully.”

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(Soccer365.com) - Fresh from a series opening draw against CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal foe CD Guadalajara, D.C. United midfielder Ben Olsen says this match-up is one the American team desperately wants to win.

Aside from the obvious of gaining entrance to the final, the U.S. international wants to wave the Star and Stripes.

"I don't care if it's the national team or club sides, when Mexico and the U.S. play each other, it's always a rivalry," Olsen told the Washington Post. "They want to beat us pretty bad and we always want to continue pushing U.S. soccer, whether that's the club game or the national team."

"It's going to be a huge challenge for us to get a good result."

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(Goal.com) - David Beckham has declared that he would ‘walk back’ from the United States in order to play for England.

The former national team captain, who will join LA Galaxy in the summer, has been dropped from the squad by coach Steve McClaren.

"I would walk back from the United States to play for England again," said Beckham, currently out of action with a knee injury.

"I am sure if I am doing well over there, it will not go unnoticed.

"I will always be available to play for my country if I am needed. I am a fit person and a fit player.

"Getting a recall is not my decision is it?

"If it does happen, then amazing. But, if it doesn't, then I am honoured to have played the games I have played, and to have captained my country so many times."

Beckham also told Sport magazine that he would not see his time at Real Madrid as a failure if he goes a fourth straight season without winning a trophy.

"We might still win something this season, and it would be amazing to go out on a high," he said.

"But if that is not the case I won't look back and think of my time at the club as being anything other than successful.

"I have spent four years at one of the biggest clubs in the world, and I have been able to play with so many great players, Zinedine Zidane to name but one.

"Just to be on the same pitch as Zidane was an absolute honour for me. I have had an incredible time and will have no regrets at all."

Beckham also spoke of the options he had before deciding to move to the US.

He added: "I don't really want to name the clubs I spoke to, because it wasn't only in England - there were two big clubs in Italy, and one big club in France as well, and they were all very tempting.

"But I have always said that I am a Manchester United fan - that is how I was brought up, and that is how I will always be.

"I feel so passionate for United, even now, that it would have been virtually impossible for me to play for another English team.

"They are my team and I don't think I could have brought myself to play against them for anyone."

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(Soccer365.com) - FC Dallas coach Steve Morrow was hit by the news that Chris Gbanci would miss six weeks, but claims he has adequate cover in David Wagenfuhr and Blake Wagner.

The 2006 club Defender of the Year suffered an ankle setback during their preseason loss to Atletico Paranaense.

"It's a small blow for us," Morrow admitted to the Dallas Morning News.

"But we think it's a position that we can cover."

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(Goal.com) - The Georgian defender is recuperating from an injury.

Milan defender Kakhaber Kaladze is recuperating from a leg injury and hopes to make a return in time for the next match in the Champions League, his personal objective and the main objective for the remainder of Milan's season.

"I am improving, even though I still don't feel great - the defender said to Milan Channel - after the break it will all be OK, the exact healing period will depend on how my leg reacts. My objective is to be back at 100% after the break for the national teams.

"Now comes the decisive part of the season. In Serie A we must try to win as much as we can to reach the fourth place, in the Champions League we have to go for the cup! We will meet Bayern Munich, who are tough opponents just like all the other finalists. We know them very well as they haven't changed much from last season. The fourth place? It won't be easy to reach, but we could also finish third."

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(Soccer365.com) - Sheffield Wednesday manager Brian Laws believes it is high time Frank Simek was summoned for U.S. National Team duty.

"I think Frank is an exceptionally good player, he's shown a level of consistency," he told the Yorkshire Times. "It wouldn't surprise me if he got a call-up."

"He's been a very consistent player, very strong, very quick.

"He's ruthless in the tackle," added Laws. "If I was an international manager looking at him, I'd certainly bring him into the fold."

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(Soccer365.com) - Argentina manager Alfio Basile intends to integrate more home-based players into his version of the Albiceleste.

Only three members of the Jose Pekerman’s World Cup 2006 roster came from Argentine clubs – and two of those were goalkeepers.

The coach feels domestic stars are as capable as those in Europe, and he plans to check out nearby players twice a week.

"We have to create a united group of players and the only way to reach that is playing many games and working a lot." Stated Basile. "The advantage that the players that are in Argentina have is that I can see them every day."

"They don't have anything to be in envy of the players that are in Europe because they are very good players - that's why I want to see them play."

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(Goal.com) - FC Barcelona have dismissed reports linking Ronaldinho with a summer move to AC Milan and reiterated that none of the major stars will be leaving Camp Nou.

Speculation has grown in recent weeks that there maybe a shake-up at the Catalan club following the end of the current campaign with several players rumoured to be prepared to move on.

Barça vice-president, Ferrán Soriano, has moved to dispel any thoughts of an imminent cull, however, and laughed off reports of Ronaldinho switching to Serie A.

“All rumours about Ronaldinho’s transfer to Milan are a joke,” Soriano told Radio Catalunya.

“Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani stated that the news was not true and that they are not interested in buying Ronaldinho,” added the Nou Camp official.

“In any case, we are not a club which is keen on selling and we believe that none of our players want to leave."

Reports have constantly surfaced as Barça have struggled to reproduce the form that saw them sweep to the domestic title and the Champions League last season.

Both Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o have been linked with a change of clubs with the Brazilian having endured some harsh criticism for his fitness levels and inconsistent performances this term.

Talks between Joan Laporta, Txiki Begiristain and Frank Rijkaard over next season's squad are on-going, but the Dutch coach has already stated that there will not be any major re-structuring.

In Italy, AC Milan have also distanced themselves from the Blaugrana's star names as they do not want to be seen attempting to unsettle any players at the club.

“I don’t want to put pressure on anyone, Ronaldinho still has three years on his contract and I don’t think there are any problems with the club,” Galliano was quoted as sayinh.

“If he decides to change he knows that Milan are here, ready to welcome him, but I do not want another Kaka situation."

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(Soccer365.com) - Despite being hampered by a quadriceps ailment, D.C. United keeper Troy Perkins wants to be the man in net when the team tackle CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal foe Chivas on Thursday night.

"There is still some pain, but come game time, we'll get through it," he told the Washingtom Post.

"We've done everything over the past 10, 12 days to make sure I will be ready to play," said Perkins.

"I don't want to put all that work in for nothing."

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(Soccer365.com) - New Toronto FC midfield general Carl Robinson claims he was not certainly going to pass up the chance to work with coach Mo Johnston a second time.

"I wanted a new challenge," the Norwich City transplant told the Globe & Mail. "I've always wanted to play in the MLS."

"Two years ago at Sunderland, we won promotion to the Premiership and there was an opportunity that I could go to New York when Mo was there."

"Because we got to the Premiership, it was a hard decision for me," recalled Robinson. "I was offered a new contract and decided to stay at the time."

"Two years down the line, I got the opportunity again to join Mo with Toronto and I didn't want to turn it down the second time… he comes across as an honest bloke who wants to win and that's what sold it to me."

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(Goal.com) - France coach Raymond Domenech has dismissed the suggestion by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger that striker Thierry Henry's injury problems and loss of form are attributable to the number of games he has played for France.

Wenger was annoyed that France picked and then played Henry for the duration of a friendly against Bosnia in August.

"Wenger is saying that a match in August can explain an injury in March," said Domenech.

"But it has to be known that every time Henry has played for France, he was playing for Arsenal three days later."

Henry is out for the rest of the season after damaging stomach and groin muscles after coming on as a substitute in Arsenal's Champions League draw against PSV Eindhoven last week.

Before that game, Henry had missed a host of games for Arsenal this season. But he had played in every international match for France since 16th August.

"We have a clear conscience because we have never made our players take risks," Domenech said.

"I'm seriously starting to get tired of Mr Wenger.

"Wenger does not know everything and is not the only one with the right to exist in football.

"Even Uefa president Michel Platini has noted that his remarks were stupid."

Wenger had said: "I feel Henry has been badly managed by France.

"After the World Cup final I gave him a holiday. France called him up less than 14 days after he came back - and they played him in the whole game.

"It was a friendly, so why did they need to play him in the whole game? And he has played every friendly since, when he was already on his knees."

Domenech has used Henry in seven international matches this season - including three friendlies - and played him for 90 minutes in all but one of the games.

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(Soccer365.com) - Houston coach Dominic Kinnear and his squad are taking their CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal series with Mexican power Pachuca as a chance to scrap like underdogs.

The Texas kickoff of the two-leg battle was postponed due to a power failure, but the boss still believes their opponents will be the one with the brightest light hanging over them.

"The pressure is on them to come out at us," Kinnear told the Houston Chronicle. "I'm not trying to play mind games, but they're expected to probably win this series, so it's up to us to take advantage of this and play within ourselves."

Striker Paul Dalglish agrees: "Every game you go into it's important to try and get a victory, but we're playing a very good team in the middle of their season while we're on preseason."

"It's going to be a very, very tough game."

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(Goal.com) - Ottmar Hitzfeld will be in charge of Bayern Munich next season after he signed a one-year extension to his contract

The 58-year-old initially signed a short-term deal until the end of the season as he replaced the departed Felix Magath at the start of the year.

"Ottmar has totally convinced all of us with his work over the past few weeks," said general manager Uli Hoeness. "His decision to extend his contract with us means we can plan for next season with him."

Hitzfeld was also delighted, saying: "I am pleased to be able to continue my work here. The past few weeks have reminded me how much I enjoy coaching and I believe the team and I can still achieve a lot. That was an important reason to stay at Bayern."

Hitzfeld’s assistant Michael Henke has also been given another 12 months.

Since taking over, Hitzfeld has led Bayern past Real Madrid and into the quarter finals of the Champions League, although they still trail Bundesliga leaders Schalke by six points.

Hitzfeld won the Champions league with Bayern in his first stint at the club in 2001.

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Manchester, England (Sports Network) - Chelsea moved to within six points of league-leaders Manchester United with a 1-0 win at Manchester City on Wednesday.

Frank Lampard scored the lone goal of the match from the penalty spot, and Chelsea's defense recorded its fourth-straight clean sheet in league play to keep within striking distance of the Red Devils, and keep City only six points clear of the drop zone.

The opening 45 minutes saw neither side produce much in the way of scoring chances. Manchester City's Joey Barton and Chelsea's Arjen Robben both badly misfired on shots from inside the box, and the game remained scoreless.

The Blues managed to find the net in the 28th minute as Salomon Kalou took possession of the ball on the left and carried it into the box. He pushed the ball past defender Micah Richards, but the City man pulled him down, earning Chelsea a penalty kick. Lampard then stepped to the spot and sent keeper Andreas Isaksson the wrong way, slotting the ball into the lower left corner to put Chelsea on top 1-0.

Manchester City responded with a period of pressure at the end of the opening half that threatened the Chelsea goal but produced nothing. City created a number of corner kicks and goalmouth action, but failed to produce a quality shot on goal.

Chelsea continued to play air-tight defense, denying City a chance to get the equalizer. Lampard nearly handed Chelsea a two-goal cushion in the 57th minute after a nice chip from Robben. The Dutchman found Lampard inside the box and the England international turned and lobbed a shot past the onrushing Isaksson. However, Richards got behind the keeper and cleared the ball off the line to keep his club within one goal.

Former City midfielder Shaun Wright-Phillips was brought on in 78th minute and nearly had a goal less than one minute later. His rocket from 25-yards out beat the keeper but he was denied by the cross bar.

Barton had a chance two minutes later to pull City level but his shot from the edge of the box went inches wide of the left post.

In Wednesday's other EPL contest, Arsenal got a goal from Vassiriki Diaby to beat Aston Villa 1-0 and move into third place in the Premiership standings.

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Algarve, Portugal (Sports Network) - The United States Women's National Team captured its fifth Algarve Cup title with a 2-0 win against Denmark on Wednesday.

Kristine Lilly opened the scoring in the 14th minute and tournament MVP Carli Lloyd continued her stellar performance by grabbing the insurance marker in the 52nd.

The Americans were on the attack from the start of the game with Lilly, Lloyd and Abby Wamback each creating chances in the game's opening 10 minutes. The pressure paid off in the 14th as Wamback set up Lilly with the game's first goal. Wamback chipped a ball behind the Denmark defense that enabled Lilly to run on to it. Keeper Heidi Johansen came off her line to meet the ball, but Lilly arrived first and lobbed a shot over the keeper and into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead to the Americans.

Anne Dot Eggers Neilsen created an opening for the Danes in the 23rd minute when she took the ball into the box on the left and drove a shot on net that forced American keeper Hope Solo to make a nice diving stop.

Lloyd then showed why she has become one of the most dangerous scorers on the American roster as she created a brilliant goal seven minutes after the restart. The midfielder gathered the ball and made room for herself 30-yards from goal. She took a few dribbles and fired a rocket from 25-yards out that struck the bottom of the cross bar and settled into the back of the net to give the U.S. a two-goal cushion.

The American defense never looked like they would concede the rest of the way, recording their second clean sheet in four matches and finishing the competition with a perfect 4-0 record.

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Zurich, Switzerland (Sports Network) - The FIFA/Coca-Cola rankings for the month of March were released on Wednesday, and for the second time in as many months, there is a new club at the top in Argentina.

The South American club jumped from third to first, based mostly on their 1-0 win over France in a February friendly. It is the first time since the rankings were introduced that Argentina occupies the top spot, but with teams so close in the rankings, that could change as soon as next month.

Outside of Italy and Brazil both moving down one spot each, the rest of the top 10 remained the same. France and Germany still make up the rest of the top five, with England, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Spain taking the next five spots respectively.

Switzerland dropped three spots to 17th, while the biggest drop in the top 25 goes to Denmark. The Danes fell out of the top 20 as they moved down four places to 22nd.

A number of teams enjoyed nice moves up, but no team could match the jump made by Finland, who went from 33rd to 15th. Scotland also had to be pleased with itself after going up four spots to 16th, while Ghana moved into the top 20 with a three-spot improvement to 19th.

After climbing three places in last month's rankings, the United States took two steps back this month, falling from 28th to 30th. The team did not play a match in that time period so their move down is based on the devaluation of previous results. The Stars and Stripes will get a chance to improve on that ranking this month, with friendlies against Ecuador and Guatemala.

The next FIFA/Coca-Cola rankings will be released on April 18.

Points are accumulated based on the results of a team's matches over the past four years, the importance of each match, the strength of the opponent, the strength of the region and the number of matches per year that each team plays.

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Algarve, Portugal (Sports Network) - The United States Women's National Team (WNT) defeated Sweden 3-2 Monday night to book its fifth consecutive spot in the Algarve Cup final.

Two goals from Abby Wambach and the third consecutive game with a goal from Carli Lloyd in the tourney propelled the team to a Group B victory in one of the premier women’s international tournaments in the world.

The WNT will now face Group A winner, Denmark, Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. ET at Vila Real de San Antonio, Portugal.

The U.S. needed to win Monday night as a draw would have seen Sweden advance. The WNY came out firing in the game and eventually outshot the world's fourth- ranked team, 11-1, in the first half and 15-4 for the match.

The U.S. got on the board in the 39th minute as Wambach finished smart buildup by the WNT with the inside of her right knee from five yards out.

The WNT got its second goal just a minute before the break off a free kick from the left side. Lloyd took a pass in the box and one-timed the pass in from about eight yards out to make it 2-0.

Sweden go a goal back about 20 minutes from time to cut the U.S. lead in half before the WNT made it 3-1 just a minute later. Shannon Boxx took control of a corner kick and lofted a pass to Wambach, who was stationed inside the six yard box. The U.S. forward headed home for her 68th National Team goal in just 87 international appearances.

Sweden added another goal with about seven to play to close out the scoring.

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(Soccer365.com) - Fulham defender Carlos Bocanegra has targeted a final flurry that will land the club in the better half of the Premiership table at season’s end.

The U.S. international has split time between his usual center back position and defensive midfield - earning some raves for both.

“The seasons gone alright for me on the pitch,” the American Abroad told the Cottagers website. “I’ve been playing in different positions and getting game time, which was obviously a goal for me.”

“I’m happy with the way it’s going personally, but I just wish we were doing a little bit better in the league,” said Bocanegra.

“We’re seven points off 10th place, and if we put in a couple of wins, we’re right back in it.”

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(Soccer365.com) - Brazil coach Dunga has let disappointed AS Roma handyman Mancini know that he has not been locked out of the national selection.

The boss admitted it would be tough to bump the incumbent from the position the recently overlooked Giallorossi hero currently plays in Serie A.

"Mancini started out like a right defender, but now he plays with the forwards as a left winger," explained Dunga .

"In that zone I already have Ronaldinho, who is the number one player in the world, and Robinho, who is a special talent - but the door to the squad is not closed."

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

(Goal.com) - Arsenal's young midfielder Denilson is beginning to become the cynosure of quite a few European eyes, it seems.

The Brazilian youngster has impressed one and all in the new year, with Arsene Wenger throwing him into the fray increasingly of late.

He has adapted to English football in just over six months, and starting with a few Carling Cup appearances, he is now on the verge of holding down a first team spot.

The teenager has also shown his versatility, moving from the flanks into a more responsible central midfield role with effortless ease, when the situation called for it.

All this at the tender age of 19 has seen big European clubs start to take note. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are all keeping an eye, reports coming out of London today suggest.

However, Arsenal, who snapped him up after just one season with Sao Paolo, are keen to hang on to him. Coach Arsene Wenger and skipper Thierry Henry have both been gushing over his displays of late.

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

(Soccer365.com) - New Toronto FC keeper Jon Busch says he has left the acrimony of his Columbus departure behind and put himself at coach Mo Johnston’s full disposal.

The former MLS All-Star was unceremoniously dropped by the Crew, but says all that matters is the now.

"I'm focused on just coming in, getting healthy, staying healthy and seeing where it leads me," he told CBC. "I just enjoy being out on the training field with the boys and putting in the work - I'm like a kid in a candy store when I'm on the field."

"I've basically just told Mo if he wants me to play, I'll play... if he wants me to help Sutton along, I'll help Sutton along," declared Busch. "I'm here for the team."

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

(Soccer365.com) - River Plate winter catch Mauro Rosales claims he would only have left his beloved Amsterdam to return home for Los Millionairos.

The move took a while to finalize, but the speedy winger is now back in his home country.

"It is the best club in the country, every little boy in Argentina wants to play there," he told the Ajax website. "I have heard good things about the club from players of the national team."

"River Plate is a lot like Ajax in that respect," offered Rosales. "That's why I am going back, I could not pass this up."

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Posted by soccer365 at 03:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Goal.com) - Parma managed to achieve a point from their clash against Atalanta on Sunday afternoon, which however did not avoid the Emiliani from sliding down to the last position in the Serie A standings.

Coach Claudio Ranieri declared himself satisfied with the 1-1 draw at Bergamo against Atalanta, after the home team had taken the lead and the Gialloblu only managed to equalize towards the end thanks to Coly.

Even though this result meant that Ascoli overtook Parma in the standings, the former Chelsea and Valencia coach, and his players, have no intention of giving up any time soon on avoiding the relegation, and will keep on fighting till the end.

"We're getting used to performing comebacks," declared Ranieri.

"But sooner or later we will take the lead. We played well, shooting many times towards goal. The players still believe in the survival."

Parma now have 19 points in the standings after 27 matchdays, the same number of points of Ascoli, but with a worse goal difference.

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(Soccer365.com) - New England strike star Taylor Twellman admits he had a great time leading several local soccer youth clinics with several teammates.

“It’s really not a bad gig at all,” he told the Kingston Mariner. “We want to get people involved in the league and getting the younger players as a fan base is not a bad place to start.”

“We’re about to start the season and we’d love to have everyone jump on the bandwagon,” said the Revs ace.

“These clinics are all about getting more people interested in the league and it’s important that we as players go around and try to spread the word about the game of soccer.”

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(Goal.com) - Unhappy with his bit-part role at Chelsea, winger Arjen Robben is being linked with a move to Barcelona.

The Dutchman has been on the fringes of the first team this season, being limited to substitute appearances unless handed a start due to injuries or suspensions.

He had revealed last week that he was fed up with continuing to start on the bench, and the situation is unlikely to change as Mourinho persists with his 'wing-less' 4-4-2.

Barcelona - who have been linked with him in the past - are said to have come into the fray again, with The Sun suggesting yesterday that a £16 million move is on the cards.

It appears as if sporting director Txiki Begiristain will go for him if Barcelona's move for Cristiano Ronaldo fails to materialize - which could happen, with Manchester United set to tie the Portuguese down through an improved deal.

Robben himself is said to be keen on a move to La Liga, which he believes could better for his pace.

He is also keen to work with compatriot Frank Rijkaard, and excited at the prospect of becoming a part of Barcelona's Dutch history. Rumours of Frank Lampard also moving to the Camp Nou in the summer will hardly make him any less keen.

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London, England (Sports Network) - Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien will spend his next five seasons at Stamford Bridge after inking a new contract with the club on Monday.

The 24-year-old Ghanaian is in his second season at Chelsea, where his has proved to be an invaluable part of Jose Mourinho's club. Essien has already made 46 appearances this season for the injury riddled Blues, filling in along the back line in addition to his normal role in the central midfield.

"It didn't take me long to decide to sign," Essien told the club's website. "I am really happy because I came here to stay a long time. I really work hard in training and do everything to succeed. I have the ambition to win a lot of trophies for the club."

Essien joined the Blues prior to the 2005 season from Lyon, and has scored six goals in over 70 appearances since his arrival. His versatility has been a plus for Mourinho this season, and he is regarded as one of the best young midfielders in the Premiership.

"It is great to have somebody like Michael, who has already made a huge contribution, commit for another five years," said chief executive Peter Kenyon. "We spent a summer getting him, it wasn't easy, and it is nice to be on the next step. He is recognized as one of the new gems to have joined the Premiership. He is a big star back in Ghana and is a key man in Chelsea as well."

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The three remaining English Premiership sides were kept apart in the Champions League quarterfinal draw and the two remaining Italian clubs will face difficult match-ups: Manchester United v AS Roma and AC Milan v Bayern Munich.

Quarter-finals
Tuesday, April 3
AC Milan v Bayern Munich
PSV Eindhoven v Liverpool

Wednesday, April 4
AS Roma v Manchester United
Chelsea v Valencia

Tuesday, April 10
Manchester United v AS Roma
Valencia v Chelsea

Wednesday, April 11
Bayern Munich v AC Milan
Liverpool v PSV Eindhoven

Semi-finals
Tuesday, April 24
AS Roma/Manchester United v AC Milan/Bayern Munich

Wednesday, April 25
Chelsea/Valencia v PSV Eindhoven/Liverpool

Tuesday, May 1
PSV Eindhoven/Liverpool v Chelsea/Valencia

Wednesday, May 2
AC Milan/Bayern Munich v AS Roma/Manchester United

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Tarragona, Spain (Sports Network) - Sevilla stayed in second place in La Liga - tied with Barcelona in points but the defending champions have a greater goal differential - after a devastating 1-0 loss to bottom feeder Gimnastic Sunday.

But Javier Portillo's goal was the difference in the game as the lowly home side earned just its five win of the season.

The teams battled to a scoreless draw through the first 75 minutes of the game before Portilla's header off a Jose Calvo cross.

In other La Liga action on Sunday, last-placed Real Sociedad topped Mallorca 3-1, Atletico Madrid blanked 2-0, and games between Celta Vigo and Athletic, Getafe and Recreativo, Racing and Espanyol, Real Betis and Real Zaragoza, and Osasuna and Valencia ended in 1-1 draws.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 06:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Milan, Italy (Sports Network) - Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored in the 75th minute to give Inter a 2-1 win over AC Milan at the San Siro on Sunday.

Ronaldo put the Rossoneri ahead after 40 minutes, but Inter battled back to score two second half goals, the first from Julio Ricardo Cruz, and the second from Ibrahimovic, to keep its unbeaten record in tact.

After qualifying for the quarterfinals of this season's Champions League during the past week, AC Milan went into the contest hoping to take another step towards qualifying for next year's competition. However, the loss leaves them six points behind both Lazio and Palermo for the final spot.

Inter crashed out of the Champions League after being held to a 0-0 draw against Valencia, but coach Roberto Mancini's side responded with a strong effort that led them to its second win this season over their city rivals.

AC Milan produced the early scoring chances with Andrea Pirlo threatening keeper Julio Cesar's net on a couple of occasions. Ibrahimovic should have been awarded a penalty kick after a half hour as he was brought down by defender Daniele Bonera. However, it was Ibrahimovic who drew the ire of the official as he was booked for diving.

It was a tough break for Inter, but the Nerazzuri then found themselves down a goal 10 minutes later. Former Inter striker Ronaldo, who spent five seasons with the club, took possession of the ball on right 35-yards from goal. He beat Maxwell with one touch and cut inside before driving a left-footed shot past keeper Nelson Dida and into the bottom corner.

Gennaro Gattuso had a great chance to double AC Milan's lead after the restart, but watched his shot slip narrowly past the far post. Less than one minute later, Inter leveled the match.

Cruz was brought on as a substitute and just 10 seconds after he stepped onto the pitch, he scored the equalizer. Ibrahimovic carried the ball down the right flank and crossed for Cruz but the cross was not pulled back far enough. Dida was able to get a touch on it but he could not bring it in, leaving the ball for Cruz to tap in and tie the game.

The duo then teamed up for the match-winner 15 minutes from time. This time it was Cruz who supplied the cross. He stripped AC Milan's Marek Jankulovski in his own end and slid a pass from the right to Ibrahimovic, who struck it first-time into the bottom corner past a diving Dida.

The goal was too much to overcome for the Rossoneri, who lost for the first time in the calendar year.

In other Serie A play on Sunday, Atalanta and Parma played to a 1-1 draw, as did Messina and Chievo. Empoli and Livorno shared the points in 2-2 fashion while Lazio moved into third place with a 3-2 triumph over Reggina. Palermo fell to fourth after being held 1-1 by Fiorentina, Ascoli moved out of the cellar with a 1-0 win against Siena, Torino blanked Catania 1-0 on a goal from Alessandro Rosina and Roma topped Udinese 3-1.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 05:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Glasgow, Scotland (Sports Network) - Ugo Ehiogu's 50th-minute goal was enough to propel Rangers past Glasgow rivals Celtic on Sunday at Celtic Park.

After surviving a rough first half that saw the home side dominate the majority of the play, the English defender notched his first goal of the campaign five minutes after the restart to hand Rangers all three points and keep the club seven points clear of third-placed Aberdeen.

The game's first good chance fell to Celtic's Kenny Miller in the fifth minute when Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink flicked a ball through with his head that the striker ran on to. With only the keeper to beat, Miller chipped a shot over the head of netminder Allan McGregor, but his shot ended up on top of the net.

The rest of the opening 45 minutes played out in similar fashion, with Celtic pressing forward and Rangers just trying to hold them off. A corner kick from Shunsuke Nakamura nearly had the Hoops on the board as his cross found the head of Steven Pressley in a good position. However, the midfielder should have done much better with his effort as the ball sailed wide of the target. Nakamura once again threatened the Rangers net with a classic free-kick, but the ball curled just inches wide, keeping the game scoreless.

The visitors had to fell lucky to still be level at halftime, but five minutes after the break, they took an unexpected lead. A Charlie Adam corner kick was played to the back post where the ball bounced around before ending up on the foot of Ehiogu. The defender's overhead kick surprised everyone and kissed the cross bar before ending up in the back of the net.

The goal seemed to deflate Celtic, who had controlled large portions of the match without reward but now found themselves down a goal. Rangers were brought to life and began to play much tighter defense. Celtic had trouble mounting any real attack after that, and could only manage a few corner kicks in the game's final minutes before falling for just the second time in league play all season.

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Barcelona, Spain (Sports Network) - Lionel Messi was the hero on Saturday when he scored a hat-trick, including the injury time equalizer against Real Madrid at Camp Nou, leading to a 3-3 draw for 10-man Barcelona in a match that lived up to its name - El Clasico.

Real led three times in the game, with Messi answering three times. Ruud van Nistelrooy scored two goals in the first 14 minutes and Sergio Ramos added another in the 73rd for Real, but Messi's hat-trick ensured both teams would earn a point.

The draw was made even more improbable by the fact that Barcelona played the whole second half down a man.

Both teams came into the match looking to rebound from disappointing exits in the UEFA Champions League and it showed from the barrage of action early on.

Van Nistelrooy got the game's first goal after just five minutes when he pounced on a loose ball and fired it behind Barca 'keeper Victor Valdes.

Messi answered just five minutes later when he split the defense and fired past Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas to make it 1-1.

Barcelona had little chance to celebrate the equalizer, however, as Van Nistelrooy answered almost immediately to heat up the frantic start to the fixture.

Messi was able to get the first-half equalizer just 15 minutes later after stars Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o combined on a give-and-go forcing Casillas to make an outstanding save. He was defenseless on the rebound, however, which Messi slammed into the back of the net to even the score at two.

The game slowed considerably for the rest of the half until the home side's Oleguer was given his second yellow of the game in stoppage time, meaning Barcelona would be down a man the entire second half.

Barca manager Frank Rijkaard sacrificed the attack and substituted Eto'o for a defender in the second half. The strategy seemed to work until Ramos put Real ahead with less than 20 minutes to play. The goal came off a free kick, which Ramos flicked into the net.

Barcelona looked dead in the water until Messi's dramatic stoppage time equalizer. He beat three defenders in the box before firing a left-footed shot into the net.

With the draw, Barcelona move back into the top spot in La Liga with 50 points, same as idle Sevilla, with a greater goal differential being the tiebreaker. Real's point insures it will hold at least a share of the fourth position after the weekend fixtures by giving it a three-point lead on fifth-placed Real Zaragoza. Sevilla and Zaragoza play Tarragona and Real Betis, respectively, Sunday.

In the other La Liga match on Saturday, Villarreal moved into 11th place with a 2-0 win over Levante. A first half goal by Diego Forlan and a second half tally by Jon Dahl Tomasson was the difference in the game.

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(Soccer365.com) - The Chicago Fire are reportedly considering an offer to Mexico veteran attacker Cuauhtémoc Blanco, who plays for Club América.

It is not the first time the wily playmaker has been linked to the Windy City, which has many citizens of some Mexican origin.

The 34-year old - often public enemy #1 when the U.S. National Team play Mexico - will not, however, be receiving a bid for his services from MLS champs Houston.

"While we have the utmost respect for Cuauhtémoc Blanco, the Dynamo have no interest in signing him," club executive Oliver Luck told the Houston Chronicle.

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(Goal.com) - Eric Abidal has his eye on a move to FC Barcelona or Arsenal but does not want to go to Italy because of racism, according to his agent.

The French international defender is considering his future and has told his representative, David Venditelli, that he fancies England or Spain as his next destination.

Despite being under contract with Lyon until 2009, Abidal's buy-out clause is only €15m and several clubs are already preparing a summer bid, with Barça having already expressed an interest.

"We have looked for teams in Italy, like Roma," the player's agent told La Gazetta dello Sport. "But Eric does not want to go to Italy because he feels that there is too much racism in the game there.

"He would prefer to move to Spain or England.

"In his future, Barcelona are first choice and then Arsenal. Liverpool are also very keen, but Eric has other ideas."

Venditelli has revealed that the left-back was keen on a move to Serie A, but after being racially abused by Daniele De Rossi he has had second thoughts.

"De Rossi did apologise afterwards, but those insults have made Abidal change his ideas about going to Italy."

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(Soccer365.com) - Real Salt Lake trialist Jean-Martial Kipre is turning coach John Ellinger’s head at their preseason camp in Spain.

Making the audition more impressive is the fact that the Ivory Coast-born wingback does not speak English, and no teammates on the trip speak French.

"He's a talented young player and he's looked good," Ellinger told the Salt Lake Tribune. "You think you have your roster figured out, but then all of a sudden, you get somebody who looks pretty good."

"He's very quick, very good on the ball."

Should Real opt to sign Kipre, they would first need to clear roster space by releasing a player.

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(Soccer365.com) - Cruzeiro teen phenom Kerlon has been lost for up to eight months after tearing his right ACL in a weekend win.

The attacker had recently scored his first goal for the club, and has been watched by the likes of AC Milan and Manchester United.

"A complex injury such as this requires a long and specific recovery," Cruzeiro medico Sergio Freire Junior told reporters. "We expect he will be out for six to eight months."

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(Goal.com) - PSV Eindhoven keeper Heurelho Gomes insists that the time is ripe for scalping Arsenal, and that Dutch side have no fear at all as they step out on the Emirates pitch, whether or not Thierry Henry plays.

Ronald Koeman's boys showed uncharacteristic bravery at the Phillips Stadion in Eindhoven two weeks ago, picking up a 1-0 home win to leave Arsenal needing to win by two clear goals at the Emirates.

They must now ward of the Gunners' charge in their backyard, something that can become a task too steep if Wenger's boys hit their stride like only thay can.

However, Gomes believes the time is ripe for scalping Arsenal.

"Arsenal are dangerous at home, but now is the key moment for us to knock them out of Europe," the Brazilian told eurosport.com.

"The defeats in the cups for Arsenal have demonstrated that they have problems in the defence and that they are vulnerable.

"If PSV play with their heads in London, it is possible to win the match.

"PSV are the league leaders in Holland and Arsenal are not. This, and the defeat in the first leg, makes us the favourite."

Gomes insists his team will not be carrying the extra burden of reputation either.

"I overcame my fear of Henry in the first match and I go to London with the objective keep him out again," he revealed.

"In my last matches against him, Henry had always scored. But now the situation has changed and I have the feeling that he will not be the decisive man in this tie. And when Henry does not function, Arsenal are less dangerous."

It was a goal from Ecuadorian international Edison Mendes that saw them win the first leg, and striker Jefferson Farfan returns to partner Arouna Kone up from front - adding more bite to the PSV attack as they look to put the tie to bed with away goals.

Mendes will play on the right, and with veteran Philip Cocu bringing experience and leadership in midfield, and continuing to chip in with goals, the Dutch threat on the Londoners' will be significant.

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Liverpool, England (Sports Network) - After falling to Liverpool 2-1 in the home leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, defending champion Barcelona faced long odds to advance.

Tuesday at Anfield, the Spanish giants were bounced from the European Championship even after beating the English Premiership team 1-0. Liverpool advanced 2-2 on aggregate after holding the tiebreaker, which is most away goals.

Even with the return of star striker Samuel Eto'o, Barcelona was unable to generate enough offense to get the two goals necessary to advance.

The former champions could only manage an Eidur Gudjohnsen tally in the 75th minute of the game.

Ronaldinho had Barcelona's best chance other than the Gudjohnsen goal about 10 minutes after the break. He took control of the ball just outside the penalty area, dribbled through three defenders and fired a shot towards an open right side of the net only to see his effort bounce harmlessly off the post from about 12 yards out.

The La Liga team took only seven shots in the game, four of which were on goal, but only one got past goalkeeper Jose Reina.

In the other Champions League matches on Tuesday, Chelsea advanced 3-2 on aggregate with a 2-1 win over Porto, Roma advanced with a 2-0 win over Lyon after the teams battled to a scoreless draw in the first leg and Valencia advanced past Inter Milan on the away goals scored tiebreaker after the teams tied 2-2 in the first leg and 0-0 Tuesday at Valencia.

In the Chelsea/Porto game, Chelsea came back from an early goal by Ricardo Quaresma with second half goals by Arjen Robben and Michael Ballack to advance.

Ballack's tally - his first in nearly half a year - in the 79th minutes proved to be the difference in the series.

In the Roma/Lyon series Francesco Totti and Alessandro Mancini scored first- half goals as Roma earned its first ever trip to the Champions League quarterfinals. The French champions, once again, disappointed their home faithful with an early exit after dominating Champions League Group play.

In the Valencia/Inter Milan series, Valencia held strong under the Italian push in the final minutes of the contest Tuesday. The contest was so heated that there was reportedly an altercation between the two teams in the tunnel following the game.

The Champions League Round of 16 will conclude Wednesday when AC Milan hosts Celtic, Bayern Munich hosts Real Madrid, Arsenal hosts PSV Eindhoven and Manchester United hosts Lille.

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(Soccer365.com) - West Ham striker Carlos Tevéz has declared that he will go back to play for Corinthians only after coach Emerson Leao gets the axe.

“I guarantee that I’ll return to Corinthians, a club that I truly love, although right now it’s not possible,” he told Brazilian television.

“I did have an offer from Flamengo, but I told the president that I couldn’t go – the only Brazilian team I’ll play for is Corinthians.”

“I watch all the Corinthians matches and it hurts when the team isn’t doing well,” said Tevéz of the early season strugglers.

“Even being here in England, I feel the desire to get onto the pitch and help my ex-teammates out.”

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(Soccer365.com) - If the Los Angeles Galaxy are concerned that David Beckham’s knee injury will delay his summer arrival, they aren’t letting on.

The club have largely stepped away from the matter, deferring to current Beckham employers Real Madrid until July.

The former England captain is expected to miss a month, a layoff length unlikely to hold up his MLS coming out party.

"Obviously, we hope it's not a serious injury, so he can get back to helping Real Madrid challenge for the title," read a club statement.

"We do not expect this injury to affect his arrival in Los Angeles or his debut with the Galaxy."

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(Goal.com) - AC Milan's coveted Brazilian midfielder Kaka has singled out his Japanese counterpart in the Celtic side, Shunsuke Nakamura, as the big threat to the Rossoneri's aim of beating Celtic and reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Milan host the SPL champions at the San Siro on Wednesday evening, and Nakamura's expertise from dead-ball situations and perceptive midfield playmaking mean he is the Hoops' dangerman as far as Kaka is concerned.

Nakamaura, 28, the former Reggina star, has been in impressive form during this season's Champions League campaign, and Kaka revealed:

"In the Celtic team, I particularly rate Nakamura, who is a very good and intelligent player.

"The main strength of the rest is set-pieces and aerial challenges. He [Nakamura] is good at priming them for both things."

Celtic were due to fly out to Italy this morning, while many of their supporters, some without tickets, or with seats reserved in the home sections of the San Siro, will be in Italy to follow their team.

Despite police warnings, several thousand Celtic fans purchased tickets for areas of the stadium reserved for Milan fans, and they risk arrest if they attempt to gain entry to any sections not set aside for them.

The San Siro installed new turnstiles to meet stricter security requirements in Italy, and as a result, Milan were authorised to stage the match in front of 67,500 people.

But ticket sakes have been slow, and around 50,000 spectators are expected barring a late rush for tickets.

Kaka is hoping the Milan fans are more vociferous than they were during Saturday's 3-1 Serie A victory over Chievo.

Kaka told the Milan Channel: "I feel good and I'm ready. The Champions League is always something different but this year, more than ever, it is our season's main objective.

"I don't know why [the fans] didn't sing during Saturday night's match with Chievo. It was strange to play without their singing.

"I'm happy they were singing at the end and they said they were always on our side. Perhaps they don't know it, but I say this to our fans: you are very important to us."

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(Soccer365.com) - Former U.S. star Julie Foudy is confident that the new women’s professional league will be built on a sturdier foundation.

The WUSA, in which Foudy starred, spent lavishly at its inception and eventually folded after three seasons.

The new endeavor, partially funded by MLS, will follow a much more conservative business plan.

It will kick off in 2008, with teams in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Washington D.C. and sixth city to be determined.

“We knew we didn't have nine lives,” Foudy told the Miami Herald. “If we were going to do it again, we needed to do it right.”

“We've got a great group together in these six owners and investors,” she stated. “There is a great fan base and product out there.”

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(Soccer365.com) - The Houston Dynamo know they have the unenviable task of battling Mexican power Pachuca for a place in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.

The MLS champs toppled Costa Rican side Puntarenas FC in the opening round, but realize that the task will only get harder against a team that has three Mexican crowns in the last six seasons.

"I don't know much about Pachuca, but I know they're a big-name team," defender Kelly Gray told the Houston Chronicle. "I grew up hearing about Pachuca."

Coach Dominic Kinnear will be prepping his charges for a stern challenge against the 2002 Champions Cup winners.

"Economically, Pachuca can afford better players," he said. "The Mexican league is well-known for having good players."

"We'll probably watch (Pachuca v Club América) four or five times before we play them."

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(Goal.com) - As Chelsea prepare to tackle FC Porto at Stamford Bridge tonight in a vital Champions League encounter, manager Jose Mourinho insists that he is not under pressure to land another trophy this season in order to secure his job.

And the Special One added that if Chelsea did choose to sack him, he would walk away a millionaire and be installed as manager of another club very quickly.

Chelsea aim to build on their 1-1 first leg draw in order to book a place in the draw for the Quarter Finals of Europe' premier club tournament. It is a tournament Mourinho won as Porto's manager, and one which - if the speculation is to be believed - he needs to deliver to Stamford Bridge to make it difficult for owner Roman Abramovich to fire him.

Mourinho said: "The only pressure I am under is the pressure I put on myself.

"If the club decides to sack me because of bad results it's part of the game. I will be a millionaire and will get another club a couple of months later."

Chelsea have repeatedly sought to pour cold water over the rumours that Mourinho's relationship with Abramovich has become strained.

Mourinho himself added: "I cannot win every week, every year. But I have my family, my kids are healthy, I have a lot of friends, I have a good life - pressure of what?

"I put myself under pressure, just like I did when playing three against three in the street as a kid. I like to win - but pressure? No way."

Mourinho said Chelsea were hungry for more success this season to add to their Carling Cup triumph over Arsenal in February.

"At the moment in the Champions League, 16 teams can win it and only two can win the Premiership," added Mourinho.

"From that aspect, it looks more difficult to win the Champions League because the 16 teams have the same chances.

"At this moment in the Premiership, Manchester United are in front and because of that they have more chances to win it than us.

"But Chelsea is alive in the three competitions we are involved with and we want more than the League Cup.

"That competition is finished, it is over and the trophy is in our room. We are in three other competitions and out of the three, we want something more to stay with us."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

(Soccer365.com) - Chivas USA supremo Antonio Cue has declared that the team don’t need to do anything in particular to compete for local favor with cross-town rivals and David Beckham capturers Los Angeles Galaxy.

"I hate them on the field, but they're very smart people, so they must be doing something right," he told the L.A. Times. "I wouldn't say they're losing Los Angeles because of Beckham, I think Beckham is a great asset."

"I think they're losing Los Angeles because Chivas came here and is doing what people wanted done - now there's another team providing the passion that the fans like."

Cue also boasted that his team features players from eight countries, while the Galaxy no longer have any Hispanic players.

"We'll continue to be the immigrant team of this nation," he asserted before taking a shot at another Galaxy shirt change. "Our strategy goes back 100 years, it's about tradition."

"The uniform doesn't change, the colors are there forever."

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(Goal.com) - Oliver Kahn believes that the arrival of Ottmar Hitzfeld as coach of Bayern Munich has resurrected the club's hopes of winning some silverware this term.

The German international goalkeeper is delighted to see the trainer return after Felix Magath was axed and claims that confidence is now on the up.

"Hitzfeld has given us renewed confidence and it is like we have changed our way of thinking," he said.

"We have unbreakable faith and not believe that anything is possible in both the Champions League and the Bundesliga."

Bayern take on Real Madrid in the second leg of their last 16 tie on Wednesday and Kahn is not expecting his side to try and score a glut of goals.

The keeper, that has become synonymous with the passionate meetings between the two clubs in recent seasons, would be content with going through on away goals.

"There is no reason to hammer Real Madrid. Winning 1-0 in the 88th minute will be enough," he said, reflecting on Mark Van Bommel's late goal saw Bayern lose just 3-2 in el Bernabéu."

After beating Hertha at the weekend in the Bundesliga, Kahn claims that he can see the team playing better and better under Hitzfeld.

"Tactically we are improving with every game," he concluded.

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Soccer365.com) - Fresh from nodding home a weekend equalizer against Aston Villa, Fulham defender Carlos Bocanegra says it was gratifying to contribute at the offensive end.

The American Abroad got to the end of a Franck Queuedrue restart to head past Thomas Sorensen, canceling an earlier John Carew strike.

“Obviously, I enjoy scoring and it’s nice, but it’s a team effort and I just happened to be the one who scored on Saturday,” Bocanegra told the club website. “Whoever it is it doesn’t matter as long as it helps the team.”

“Franck put in a good ball and I snuck around the back and it worked out well,” he recalled. “We needed a team effort on Saturday and it was nice to help out offensively as well."

Bocanegra feels the Cottagers need to find that little something extra to correct am 11-game span that has seen them post seven draws and only on win.

“We want to get into the top 10 and we need to put in a push,” he averred. “We want to get back out there and get a win.”

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(Soccer365.com) - The personal manager for Real Madrid starlet Robinho says as many as six teams have shown interest in giving the youngster a loan run-out.

Corinthians, Flamengo and former side Santos are among those making early pitches.

"Big Brazilian teams have been asking me about Robinho as he is not having a good time in Real Madrid," Wagner Ribeiro revealed.

"Everyone already knows that Corinthians is very interested, but there are also big teams from Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro that have got in touch with me asking about the player."

"For the moment the only thing that I can say is that Robinho is going to continue at Real Madrid, but I must also say that the player is not comfortable with his situation there," he noted.

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(Goal.com) - After admitting last week that he might have rushed Henry back for the first leg clash against PSV, Wenger has insisted that he might be willing to take the chance again.

The Arsenal manager had admitted that throwing Henry into the first leg clash in Eindhoven two weeks ago had worsened Henry's injury.

"Thierry is injured and is 50-50 for the PSV game," he had said. "He has a problem with his foot. We injected him at Eindhoven [to help him get through the game] and it made it worse."

While reitrating that his skipper was still only 50-50 for Wednesday's second leg, he suggested that he might be willing to take another chance.

"First of all it's important to know if he can play, if he is not 100 per cent," Wenger told Sky Sports.
"Then we will see if we can put him in the squad. I will do it anyway.

"If he can run and play, of course, I will do it.

"At the moment it's very early to say if he is capable of doing that."

Arsenal also have Robin van Persie injured, and will have to continue with a new-look forward line if Henry fails to make it. Adebayor, Baptista, Walcott and Aliadiere are the options available to Wenger.

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

(Soccer365.com) - With a friendly against a Real Madrid select team coming up, Real Salt Lake phenom has reiterated his dream to join the Galacticos one day.

"My desire to come here still stands," he stated. "Maybe one day, Real Madrid's going to come knocking - we'll see what happens."

"I'm definitely looking forward to (the friendly)," said Adu. "It's always a challenge to play against any Real Madrid team."

"I'm young and I know most of those guys are going to be young too," he explained.

"I'd like to compare where I stand to most of them because they play for one of the biggest clubs in the world."

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(Soccer365.com) - Erstwhile Columbus keeper Jon Busch has taken Crew boss Sigi Schmid to task for the manner in which he let the veteran loose.

The coach opted to retain injured youngsters Bill Gaudette and Will Hesmer over Busch, who was working his way back from a season-ending knee setback from 2006.

"I did everything I could do to get myself ready for the season and compete," he tols the Columbus Dispatch. "I’m very disappointed in (Schmid) because he did not handle it professionally."

"It physically upsets me to talk about it - I’ve never felt this way about anything with any club in 11 years of being a professional."

"Being waived or cut is part of sports and I’m OK with that," explained Busch. "But I’m not okay with the way it happened - I was, in essence, waived for two injured guys who did not have to earn the spot."

"(The coach and I) did not have one conversation," he continued. "We did not talk about how my knee was doing, how I was training, how I was playing."

"I assumed either everything was fine or it was a tough-love situation and he had more important things to worry about – (getting cut) wasn’t even on my radar screen."

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

(Goal.com) - FC Barcelona have dismissed speculation that they are interested in signing Dida from AC Milan to replace Víctor Valdés as the club's number one.

Txiki Begiristain, the Blaugran's technical secretary was adamant that the club had no plans to make a move for the Brazilian goalkeeper.

"We are not interested in Dida and we are very unhappy about these rumours," he said.

"He has never been on our agenda."

The reports surfaced after Valdés' error in the first leg of Barça's Champions League meeting with Liverpool when he dived over his own goal-line allowing the Reds to equalise.

That blunder was one of a series over the past few seasons that have seen question marks raised about the Catalan custodian's consistency.

In previous seasons, the club have been linked with a move to bolster their goalkeeping options but have so far remained faithful to Valdes.

Alber Jorquera is the number two at Camp Nou, but has only features regularly in the Copa Del Rey, or when Barça have a match in which they can afford to field second-strong players.

Dida is out of contract at the end of the current season with Milan, but it remains to be seen what his next move will be.

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Madrid, Spain (Sports Network) - Real Madrid earned a 1-1 draw with Getafe in the Spanish la Liga on Sunday to stay in fourth place in the league table.

A penalty kick goal by Ruud van Nistelrooy just before the break evened the score after Daniel Guiza put the visitors up 1-0 in the 38th minute.

Real lost midfielder David Beckham in the second half to a knee injury, on the heels of two massive contests this week at Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

Getafe took its lead when striker Guiza got behind the Madrid backline and lobbed a shot over goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Real got the equalizer when Beckham found Robinho on the edge of the area. The Brazilian blasted a shot that was saved, but he was taken down in the box fighting for the rebound resulting in the penalty.

Van Nistelrooy made no mistake, slotting the ball into the back of the net for the 1-1 tie.

In the rest of the La Liga action on Sunday, Real Zaragoza jumped into the top five with a 3-2 win over last-placed Real Sociedad, Gimnastic de Tarragona dug itself out of the basement with a 2-0 win over Athletic Balboa, Mallorca distanced itself four points clear of the drop zone with a 3-1 win over Levante, Espanyol and Villarreal battled to a 1-1 draw and Real Betis, Racing and Recreativo Huelva earned 1-0 victories over Deportivo, Osasuna and Atletico Madrid, respectively.

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Messina, Italy (Sports Network) - Palermo had a chance to add some space between itself and fourth-placed Lazio in the Italian Serie A table when it played at fourth-from-the-bottom Messina Sunday.

Unfortunately for Palermo, Messina got an inspired effort from Christian Rigano, who scored twice to lead the home side to a 2-0 victory.

The win puts Messina out of the relegation zone by one point while Palermo holds just a slim two point lead for third place.

Rigano put Messina up one in the 45th minute and Palermo was forced to play a man down for a large portion of the second half when substitute Andrea Caracciolo was sent off after receiving his second yellow card.

Rigano put the nail in the coffin as he fired home a shot in the 65th minute to give the home squad a little breathing room.

The loss marks eight games since Palermo earned a victory, putting its Champions League spot in jeopardy as the season winds down.

In the rest of the Serie A action on Sunday, Fiorentina continued its drive for European play with a dominating 5-1 win over Torino. Luca Toni and Alessandro Gamberini each had two goals in the win. Catania Calcio and Siena battled to a 1-1 draw and Parma and Reggina shared the points after ending their contest deadlocked at two. Cagliari, Lazio and Empoli earned clean sheet wins over Atalanta, Sampdoria and Udinese.

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London, England (Sports Network) - West Ham, currently last-placed in the English Premier League Table, suffered a heartbreaking loss to Tottenham Sunday after holding a late lead.

Tottenham scored twice in the final minutes of the game to earn the 4-3 victory after trailing 3-2 in the 89th minute.

Bobby Zamora headed a goal home for the Hammers to give them a 3-2 lead in the 85th minute, and all seemed well at the time.

Dimitar Berbatov curled in a free kick in the 89th minute to equalize before Paul Stalteri knocked in a rebound four minutes into stoppage time to earn the 4-3 win.

Mark Noble and Carlos Tevez put West Ham up 2-0 after the first half before Tottenham came back to tie on goals by Jermain Defoe and Temmu Tainio to make it 2-2.

With the loss, West Ham sits 10 points deep in the relegation zone with 10 contests left to play this season. The dramatic win propels Tottenham into eighth place in the table with twelve wins and 42 points after 29 fixtures.

In the other EPL fixture on Sunday, Blackburn earned a 2-1 victory over Bolton thanks to Benedict McCarthy's double in front of almost 22,000 fans at Reebok Stadium. Nicolas Anelka scored Bolton's lone goal in the 87th minute to wipe out goalkeeper Brad Friedel's clean sheet.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 04:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sevilla, Spain (Sports Network) - Daniel Alves scored the game-winning goal in the 61st minute to lift Sevilla over Barcelona, 2-1, in the key La Liga matchup on Saturday.

Aleksandr Kerzkhakov also found the back of the net for Sevilla, which leapfrogged its opponents for the top spot on the table. With the victory, Sevilla now holds a one-point edge over Barcelona through 25 games.

Ronaldinho opened up the scoring in the 14th minute, but Barca failed to score the rest of the match. Ronaldinho had an opportunity for a second goal, but was denied by Andres Palop on a penalty shot in the 29th minute.

Kerzkhakov made it a 1-1 affair in the 39th minute courtesy of a hard shot down low.

Alves' tally came when he was able to break free and deflect a free kick past Victor Valdes.

Barcelona did have star striker Samuel Eto'o for the game, but he picked up a yellow card in the second half. He had a spectacular game last weekend, scoring a goal and helping set up two others, in his first game back since a knee in jury last year.

Barcelona now must bounce back quickly because it has its Champions League contest against Liverpool on Tuesday.

The other game on Saturday had Celta Vigo falling to Valencia, 1-0.

In Sunday's fixtures, Real Madrid hosts Getafe, Atletico travels to Recreativo, Real Zaragoza hosts Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao hosts last- placed Gimnastic, Deportivo hosts Real Betis, Espanyol hosts Villarreal, Mallorca hosts Levante and Osasuna travels to Racing.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 06:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Livorno, Italy (Sports Network) - Inter Milan stretched its lead at the top of the Serie A table to 16 points on Saturday as the Nerazzuri recorded a 2-1 win against Livorno at the Armando Picchi, while second-placed Roma was held to a 1-1 draw by last-placed Ascoli.

The club's record 17-game win streak was halted by Udinese on Wednesday, but Inter was right back on track on Saturday, coming from a goal down to get the win. Cristiano Lucarelli put the home side ahead after 27 minutes, but that strike was cancelled out by Inter's Julio Cruz, who found the net himself in the 35th. Zlatan Ibrahimovic then scored the match-winner in the 66th minute, and even though the visitors were reduced to 10 men after Sisenando Maicon picked his second yellow card in the 82nd minute, they hung on for all three points.

Livorno keeper Marco Amelia was called upon early in the match and did well to turn away Ibrahimovic's effort five minutes into the game. Amelia got a little help from his goal post later on in the half as Dejan Stankovic ripped a shot from 25-yards out that struck the inside of the post and landed in the keeper's arms.

Despite Inter's pressure in the opening 25 minutes, Livorno were the first to crack the scoreboard. Lucarelli was fouled just outside the box by defender Marco Materazzi. He picked himself up and curled a brilliant free-kick around the wall and into the top corner of keeper Julio Cesar's net, giving the netminder no chance.

The visitors responded well, however, to the surprise opener and Fabio Grosso nearly leveled things just minutes later as his shot from a tough angle was tipped by Amelia and struck the post. Grosso then created the opener for Inter as his cross was flicked on by Ibrahimovic and into the path of Cruz, who smacked it past the keeper from 10-yards out to even the score.

Livorno continued to press men forward but Inter always seemed a threat on the counter-attack. In the 66th minute Inter pulled ahead on a free-kick that was in a nearly identical spot to the one that Lucarelli converted for Livorno. Ibrahimovic did the honors for Inter, but got a little bit of help from Livorno's Rahman Rezaei. The Swedish international drove a hard shot towards goal that clipped the foot of Rezaei and flew into the corner of the net.

The goal was a deflating one, but Livorno received new life in the 82nd minute when Maicon picked up a pair of yellow cards to reduce Inter to 10 men. The home side spent almost the rest of the game in the Inter half of the field, but they could not crack the defense and Inter moved that much closer to wrapping up the league title.

In Saturday's other contest, AC Milan knocked off Chievo, 3-1.

On Sunday, third-placed Palermo tries to close the gap on Roma with a trip to Messina, Cagliari is just three points from relegation and hosts Atalanta, Catania Calcio entertains Siena and can move into the top 10 with a win and Fiorentina continues its push for a spot in Europe with a home contest against Torino. Fourth-placed Lazio tries to hold on to the final Champions League spot with a win against Sampdoria, Reggina, just one point from relegation, travels to second-from-the-bottom Parma and Udinese and Empoli get together at Stadio Friuli in a battle of top-10 teams.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 05:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Liverpool, England (Sports Network) - John O'Shea scored the lone goal of the match in stoppage time to lift Manchester United to a huge 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.

Despite being outplayed for much of the game, United hung around but looked to have no chance in the 86th minute when midfielder Paul Scholes was sent off for throwing an elbow at Liverpool's Xabi Alonso. However, the Red Devils made the most of their lone shot on goal as O'Shea tallied from close range and United held on for three massive points to keep its advantage at nine atop the Premiership standings after Chelsea's 2-0 win against Portsmouth.

As expected, the opening was cautious with both sides well aware of the importance of the match.

Daniel Agger's 25-yard effort was the first sign of intent from either side, but the ball sailed over the bar. One minute later, United had a chance for the opener when Ryan Giggs, who was making his 700th appearance for United, sent Patrice Evra to the end-line with a pass. The defender then crossed for Cristiano Ronaldo at the near post, but the Portuguese winger couldn't steer his shot on net.

Liverpool started to take over towards the end of the first half as John Arne Riise saw his free-kick from 20-yards out sail just inches wide of the goal and Dirk Kuyt just barely missed connecting with a Craig Bellamy cross inside the six-yard box.

The Reds continued to outplay their Manchester rivals as the game became increasingly physical and cards were thrown around. Peter Crouch came on as a second-half substitute and created a pair of good scoring chances for himself. With just 10 minutes to play, Crouch took a cross at the far post and volleyed it on goal only to be turned away by a nice save from keeper Edwin Van der Sar.

After Scholes received his marching orders four minutes from time, the Reds nearly capitalized right away with Crouch once again creating the opportunity. However, the lanky striker was thwarted by Van der Sar for a second time as the Dutchman made a fine diving stop to keep the match goalless.

Just when it looked like both sides would settle for a point, O'Shea scored the goal that could prove to be the difference in this season's Premiership title race. After coming on in the second half for an injured Wayne Rooney, O'Shea made the most of his chance. Despite being down a man, United had a free-kick deep in Liverpool territory with Ronaldo on the ball. He swung a shot in on goal that keeper Jose Reina stopped. However, the ball fell for O'Shea inside the six-yard box and the Irishman slammed it home to set off a wild celebration that will last for days in Manchester.

In other Premiership action on Saturday, Arsenal moved to within one point of Liverpool for third place with a 2-1 win against Reading, Fulham and Aston Villa played to a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage, Caleb Folan's 18th-minute goal handed Wigan a 1-0 win against Manchester City, moving the club eight points clear of relegation and Newcastle and Middlesbrough played to a scoreless tie. Everton and Sheffield United split the points at Bramall Lane in 1-1 fashion and Charlton scored twice in the second half to earn a 2-2 draw with Watford at Vicarage Road Stadium.

On Sunday, Bolton hosts Blackburn and will try to maintain its top-five spot, while Tottenham's trip to West Ham rounds out the weekend's action.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 02:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

(Soccer365.com) - Veteran Mexico attacker Cuauhtémoc Blanco is feeling himself again after new coach Hugo Sanchez ended his Ricardo Lavolpe-imposed international exile.

The 34-year old made his comeback after a fantastic run with Club América, and now says he is aiming to make the 2010 World Cup squad.

“It feels really good to be back,” Blanco told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I've worked hard for this.”

“I deserve this,” he declared. “I want to play in the 2010 World Cup.”

“I know it's going to be difficult, but I'm going to try my best.”

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

(Soccer365.com) - Toronto FC striker-to-be Conor Casey conceded that he was growing a bit weary of waiting for the league to wrap up his move from Mainz 05.

The U.S. international has worked out with the squad, but cannot appear in games as of yet.

"I am a little bit frustrated," Casey told the Toronto Sun. "I have signed a contract with the league - I'm just waiting for them to make it official up here."

"I'm enjoying the training and getting to know my new teammates," he added. "I'm excited about the prospect of playing for a brand new club, we have a good bunch of guys."

"I know it's going to be hard work," concluded Casey. "But it's going to be fun with a team that's starting from scratch."

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

(Goal.com) - Frank Lampard’s agent has denied that the Chelsea midfielder was punched by Emmanuel Adebayor in the Carling Cup final.

The Togo star is currently serving a three-match ban after being sent-off in Sunday’s stormy encounter.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has accused the linesman of lying by telling the FA that Adebayor had struck Lampard.

Lampard's agent Steven Kutner told BBC Sport: "I've spoken to Frank and he told me that he wasn't punched."

Adebayor, who denies punching Lampard, may face further punishment after being charged with reacting aggressively and failing to leave the pitch immediately.

"We don't agree with the statement of the linesman. I think it's a lie," said Wenger.

"I feel Adebayor didn't punch anybody so when the linesman says he punched somebody, he lies.

"There are players that have punched that haven't been charged."

The FA have now confirmed that they will ask Wenger to explain his comments.

A spokesman said: "Questioning the integrity of a match official and accusing them of lying is a very serious claim to make as it questions the whole integrity of the game. We also reject any accusations of bias or dishonesty within our disciplinary system. We will be asking Arsene Wenger to explain these comments."

The FA added on its official website: "The FA can clarify that contrary to Wenger's allegations, the assistant referee's report does not claim that Adebayor punched Frank Lampard. The report states that Adebayor's attitude was aggressive, that he shoved into Ricardo Carvalho and that he aimed a punch at Lampard. It does not state that Adebayor struck Lampard."

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

(Soccer365.com) - Despite recently flirting with a move overseas, Kansas City defender Jimmy Conrad says he is as excited as always for the start of a new MLS season.

The Wizards missed out on the playoffs last year while changing ownership.

Conrad was pursued by Norwegian side Lillestrøm SK, but MLS were not interested in selling the World Cup 2006 standout.

“Myself and a few of the veterans, I have to admit, were a bit skeptical when the new owners came in and laid out exactly what they wanted to do,” he told Soccer America. “But everything they said they were going to do, they've done.”

“I know the Wizards had a lot of issues to take care of with the new ownership group and I'm glad I was one of their concerns,” he continued. “I think we have a good team and I think we're going to do some damage this year.”

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Posted by soccer365 at 01:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Soccer365.com) - Erstwhile Columbus defender Ivan Becerra is expecting to hook up with USL side Portland in order to continue making the positional switch from forward.

Despite releasing the 22-year old this week, the Crew are assisting his move.

"At this point it’s about playing games," Becerra told the Columbus Dispatch.

"I wouldn’t mind staying (in Columbus), but being on the bench and playing in reserve games in not going to help me much."

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

(Goal.com) - Cesc Fabregas believes that he will one day return to playing in Catalunya, but is not ready to move home just yet.

The Arsenal playmaker has been linked with a return to the Spanish league this summer, but he has continued to refute the rumours and inists that he is happy in England.

With FC Barcelona and Real Madrid both said to be interested in him, the starlet refused to rule out switching clubs in the future.

"I do not know where I am going to be in two, three or four years," he said.

"I am 19. I am only young and I have much more to learn. It is obvious that I am very happy at Arsenal, but I cannot predict what will happen in the future."

Cesc has a Catalan girlfriend and with his entire family living in the area, knows that he could be attracted to return one day.

"My girlfriend is Catalan and I expect that I will finish my career playing back in Catalunya," he stated.

The Spanish international opted to move to Arsenal from Barça when he was 16 in the belief that he would receive a better chance of playing in the first team regularly at the London club.

Despite that, he still has a soft spot for the Blaugrana and believes that they are capable of over-turning the Champions League defeat against Liverpool in the second leg of their last 16 tie next week.

"It will be difficult," he stated. "But I am convinced that Barça can win the tie because they have have great players who capable of coming back from 2-1 down."

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Soccer365.com) - D.C United general manager Dave Kasper has revealed that the team are still checking out foreign talents to build up their depth chart.

The team have already begun auditioning Brazilian forward Welton Carlos Silva.

"We need to see more of him and how he plays, but technically he's very good," Kasper told the Washington Post.

The four-time MLS champs are also bringing in FC Copenhagen defender Jamil Fearrington next week for a trial.

The 21-year old dual citizen is currently in the middle of switching his international allegiance from Denmark to the United States.

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)