The Second Half

Villa to join Barcelona in $49m deal

2010-05-19T16:09:11Z

David Villa will be unveiled as a Barcelona player on Friday afternoon after completing a 40million euro ($49.3m) transfer from Valencia.

]]> The Spain international has long been linked with a move from Los Che after five seasons at the Mestalla and has signed a four-year deal.

Villa, who will undergo a medical on Friday, is the first summer capture for the Catalan club, with Cesc Fabregas also rumored to be angling for a move back to Barcelona.

A statement on Barcelona's official website read: "FC Barcelona and Valencia CF closed a 40 million euro deal for Spanish striker David Villa on Wednesday morning.

"The Spanish international is due in Barcelona on Thursday evening and will have a medical on Friday morning.

"Villa will be officially unveiled as a Barca player at 1330 in the Paris Room of the Camp Nou.

"He'll then make an appearance on the Camp Nou pitch. The stadium doors will be opened to the public."

The 28-year-old scored 107 goals in 166 league matches for Valencia after establishing himself with Real Zaragoza.

He is a regular in Spain's first-team and was a member of the Euro 2008-winning squad.

Villa's arrival is likely to lead to increased speculation over the futures of Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Rooney wins Player of the Year Award

2010-04-26T17:09:39Z

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney has been named the PFA Player of the Year, with Aston Villa's James Milner winning the Young Player gong.

]]> Rooney's selection ahead of Cesc Fabregas, Carlos Tevez and Didier Drogba means United have supplied the winner of the award for a fourth successive year.

The 24-year-old has been in sensational form this season, scoring 34 goals for United and eight for England, and is key to the nation's World Cup hopes.

"It's a great feeling to win the player of the year award because it's voted for by the players," said Rooney.

"It's something I'm really proud of and it's a great honor.

"I remember coming here in 2005 and 2006 to win the young player of the year.

"I saw the players winning the main one and it's something I've aimed for since."

Rooney, who has only just returned from an ankle problem, missed the weekend's 3-1 victory over Tottenham with a groin injury sustained in training.

The Premier League's top scorer with 26 strikes hopes to return for United's campaign finale against Stoke next month and promised he will be fit for the World Cup.

"The groin will be fine for the World Cup, there are no worries about that,2 he said.

"I'm hoping to play for United in the last game of the season."

Rooney, the first Englishman to win the award since Steven Gerrard in 2006, paid tribute to the influence United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has had on his career.

"Sir Alex is a great manager who has really brought me on as a player since I joined United," he said.

"His hunger passes through to the players. It's great to see that he's pushing 70 and hasn't changed a bit.

"I'm sure he'll be here for a long time yet."

Rooney was also nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year, but that award went to Milner.

Milner appears to have played himself into Fabio Capello's World Cup squad with a string of stellar performances and the 24-year-old midfielder credited a change in position for his success this season.

"I've been moved into the middle and that suits me as it helps me influence the game a bit more," said Milner.

"Maybe sometimes wide right you want to influence the game but you just can't get yourself into it."

Leeds legend and former South Africa captain Lucas Radebe, 41, won the PFA Merit award.

"I'm very proud to get such a great award. Sport can change the world - football has played such a big part in lifting my community," said Radebe.

The PFA divisional team of the year contains four United players, spearheaded by Rooney.

Arsenal, whose title challenge fell away in the final rounds, supply Fabregas and Thomas Vermaelen and there are also two from Chelsea in Drogba and Branislav Ivanovic.

The inclusion of Milner and Richard Dunne means Aston Villa are represented twice as well.

Premier League team of the year: Hart, Ivanovic, Vermaelen, Dunne, Evra, Fabregas, Milner, Fletcher, Valencia, Rooney, Drogba.

Danny Rose goal against Arsenal

2010-04-14T22:19:11Z

Belter! Not bad for his Premier League debut.

Fabregas will not join Barcelona

2010-04-14T16:18:25Z

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has revealed Barcelona have assured the Gunners they will not table a bid for Cesc Fabregas this summer.

]]> Speculation has long linked the Arsenal captain with a return to the Catalan club, where he spent several years as a youth player before moving to north London.

Barca star Lionel Messi was today reported as saying he believed it was just a matter of time before Fabregas returned to the Nou Camp as he "has Barcelona in his blood", but Hill-Wood is convinced a deal is not in the pipeline as the Spanish champions are happy with their current crop of players.

Hill-Wood revealed that high-level talks between the clubs during their recent Champions League tie ruled out the possibility of Fabregas joining up with Pep Guardiola's side any time soon.

"There was a private conversation that took place in the boardroom and assurances have been made at the highest possible level," Hill-Wood told Soccernet. "Arsenal do not expect those to be broken.

"I was not privy to the conversation, but was told about it. They said to us they are not interested [this summer]. It was a recent conversation, as recent as the time that they played us in the Champions League in fact as we got a bit upset because of all the media speculation.

"Subsequent to the conversation, if they are interested at any time in the future, they would come to us direct. However I'm not sure they are going to do that, because they told us they are pretty happy with what they have got and are pretty happy with their current players."

However, this summer's presidential elections mean the Barca hierarchy is set to change completely before the transfer window closes and could render such assurances meaningless.

Hill-Wood also stated his belief that a move to the Nou Camp could be a bad move for Fabregas, with star duo Xavi and Andres Iniesta so pivotal to Barcelona's play in the middle of the park.

"If you want my opinion, I'm not sure he would even get in their team," he said. "Do they need him? I'm not sure that they do. And they said to us they are not interested.

"That suits us fine. Fabregas is an Arsenal player and we want him to remain an Arsenal player. We hope he stays with us for a very long time."

Goal of the Weekend: Javi Martinez

2010-04-12T21:55:01Z

The best La Liga goal of the weekend...and it wasn't scored by Messi. Javi Martinez, take a bow!

Man City's Adebayor Quits Togo

2010-04-12T19:26:15Z

Manchester City and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor has announced his retirement from international soccer with immediate effect.

]]> Adebayor has made the decision in the wake of the attack on the Togo team during this year's African Nations Cup, in which three people were killed.

A statement from the 26-year-old on City's official website read: "Following the tragic events during January's African Cup of Nations, in which two of my fellow countrymen were killed by terrorists in Angola, I have made the very difficult decision to retire from international football.

"I have weighed up my feelings in the weeks and months since the attack and I am still haunted by the events which I witnessed on that horrible afternoon on the Togo team bus.

"We were just footballers going to play a football match and represent our country, yet we were attacked by people who wanted to kill us all.

"It is a moment I will never forget and one I never want to experience again."

Adebayor added: "For nine years I have played for the Togo team and, despite the events in Angola, I have some very good memories of my international career.

"I feel very proud to have been trusted with the position of captain of the Togolese football team. Leading your country in international competition is the ultimate honor for any player.

"Togo have some very talented players and I dearly hope the players who remain will be able to put their memories of Angola behind them and go on to be a success for the nation.

"I have enormous belief in each and every one of them, players, coaches, staff and their families.

"The people who were on that coach together will forever be joined by a special bond - we are all brothers.

"I will always have the team and the people of Togo close to my heart and wish them every success in the challenges that they will face in the future."

(Soccer365.com)

Manchester United to sign Chicharito

2010-04-08T18:02:34Z

Manchester United have announced a deal with Chivas de Guadalajara to sign striker Javier Hernandez for an undisclosed fee.

]]> The Mexican forward will complete his move to Old Trafford on July 1, subject to a work permit.Hernandez, 21, is also known as 'Chicharito' and has scored four goals in four appearances for the Mexico national team.

He passed a medical in Manchester this week and has an impressive strike-rate at club level, scoring almost once every two games.

If he makes his country's World Cup squad it could provide an early glimpse of his talent in England given Mexico are due to visit Wembley for a friendly on May 24.

As part of the deal, United will play a match to open the new Chivas Stadium in Guadalajara in the summer.

Sir Alex Ferguson told the club's official website: "I am delighted to reach agreement with Chivas to bring such an exciting young striker, who has been in such prolific form for both his club and his country. He will be a great addition to our squad and we look forward to welcoming our first Mexican player in the summer."

(Soccer365.com)

Zlatan Puts Superflys II the Test

2010-03-31T16:00:18Z

See all the next-gen Mercurial boots here!

Robinho leads Nike's Master Speed team

2010-03-23T17:59:38Z

Champions League: Robben vs. Nasri

2010-03-09T22:28:54Z

Bayern Munich's Arjen Robben and Arsenal's Samir Nasri both scored brilliant goals to lead their clubs to the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday. Watch both and decide which goal was better?

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Discuss here and vote in the top left corner of the page.

Holden Expected To Miss 6 Weeks

2010-03-04T17:10:44Z

Bolton midfielder Stuart Holden faces at least the next six weeks on the sidelines his right fibula was fractured in the USA vs Holland friendly Wednesday.

]]> Holden, who joined Wanderers in January on a short-term deal until the end of the season, sustained the injury during United States' 2-1 friendly defeat to Holland.

Holden had started Bolton's last two matches, impressing manager Owen Coyle, who confirmed the 24-year-old's contract has been extended through to the end of next season.

"It's disappointing for Stuart because he has come into the team and done ever so well," said Coyle.

"What we do know is he will come back bigger and stronger, but it is sad for him to miss out at this moment in time.

"He's come in with a real hunger and desire to do well for our club, and in the two games he's played, we've seen his quality."

Coyle is hopeful the injury will not damage Holden's prospects of playing in the World Cup, with the United States' opening group game against England on June 12.

"Only time will tell," added Coyle.

"We're erring on the side of six weeks, and if that is the case then he will be capable of playing the last part of the season for us and putting himself in the frame for the World Cup."

With regard to Holden's extended deal, Coyle feels he has already proven himself in the short space of time he has been with Bolton.

Coyle added: "We've already spoken with him and his representative to assure him he will be here for longer because of the belief I have in him, and the quality he has shown since he came to the club.

"When we signed him, within the contract there was the option there to extend it further, which we will do.

"It augurs well for his future and that of the football club."

Holden picked up the injury in a late tackle with Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong.

De Jong was booked for the challenge, but he insisted there was no malice intended.

"Such offenses are part of football," he said on www.knvb.nl. "I went for the ball and got the opponent at the end.

"I had no evil intent. If the ball is between me and the opponent, you have to go in full. If you do not then the opponent takes you.

"And if you're scared in a game you get injured yourself."

(Soccer365.com)

Revealed: Nike Away jerseys for Slovenia, Serbia and South Korea

2010-02-25T23:12:24Z

Revealed today, available for pre-order 2/26. What do you think?

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Revealed: Nike Brazil Away jersey

2010-02-25T23:08:07Z

Revealed today, available for pre-order 2/26. What do you think?

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Revealed: Nike Australia Away jersey

2010-02-25T19:58:22Z

Revealed today, available for pre-order 2/26. What do you think?

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Revealed: Nike Holland Away jersey

2010-02-25T19:23:49Z

Revealed today, available for pre-order 2/26. What do you think?

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