SOCCER NEWS

Barca Beat Levante 2-1

2011-01-03T16:49:00.001+07:00

It’s turned out to be a very happy new year for Barcelona as they register their first victory of 2011 with a 2-1 win over Levante. A brace from Pedro Rodriguez ensured no Christmas hangover and created a five point gap between themselves and Real Madrid at the Spanish summit.

The champions had to construct a makeshift back-four due to the absences of Gerard Pique and Carlos Puyol who were both out due to suspension and injury respectively. Anchorman Sergio Busquets was inserted into a central defensive partnership with Eric Abidal with Maxwell operating down the left and Dani Alves as always on the opposite side. Lionel Messi was given the night off to recover from his trip back from his native Argentina.

For all Barcelona’s domination in possession during the first half they were unable to break down a well-drilled Levante defence who held their shape magnificently well and made it hard for the hosts. Luis Garcia’s men had conceded eight goals against Real Madrid prior to Christmas and looked like a different outfit with everybody in a black and white shirt performing their duties impeccably.

Andres Iniesta drew first blood in the attempts as his diligent curling effort from just outside the eighteen-yard box on six minutes brought out a magnificent save from Manolo Reina who showed great agility to claw the ball behind for a corner. David Villa soon followed up minutes later as he worked himself a pocket of space just inside the ‘D’ but saw his right-footed effort go wide of the post.

For all Barcelona’s domination in midfield they lacked conviction in the final third. The absence of Messi was evident down the flanks and they could have done with the little Argentine superstar weaving his was inside to orchestrate a piece of magic.

In fact it was Levante who nearly opened the scoring. Victor Valdes’s mistake presented them with an opportunity which saw Rafa Jorda inside the penalty area unmarked but was unable to divert the ball but was called offside.

Minutes later another fantastic chance was presented for the visitors as Xisco Nadal’s delicate touch found Juanlu bursting down the right but as he got into the penalty area he was unable to square the ball to Jorda for what would have been an easy tap in. Credit to Eric Abidal whose persistence put the Spaniard off at the vital time. The Blaugrana defence however were sliced apart.

Pep Guardiola’s side continued with their domination in midfield and created a number of half chances. Iniesta used his initiative to weave his way through the middle and play in Bojan but was unable to find the net after rounding Reina. Iniesta was again involved minutes later as his diligent cut back via a short corner saw Xavi drive the ball goal-wards but was denied by a commanding Reina in between the sticks.

A minute into the second-half Barca broke the deadlock thanks to Pedro. Dani Alves found himself in the penalty area and his first touch drew the ball away from the defence before taking plenty of time as he dwelled on his options before finally passing to his colleague who blasted the ball through a crowd of bodies and into the net.

It was the little the Spaniard who was making the difference as he made it 2-0 on 59 minutes. Dani Alves again with the assist as he cut the ball back into the eighteen-yard box from the right to find Pedro who was precise with placement and power and produced a beautiful finish that gave Reina no chance.

Substitute Thiago was ever so bright when he came on in place of Mascherano and very nearly assisted Pedro with his hat-trick as his touch found the youngster bursting into the box but was unfortunate to see his looping effort rattle the top of the cross bar.

The goal of the night however came from those in black and white on the 80th minute and was orchestrated by two of their substitutes. Valmiro Valdo’s dinked through ball was struck on the volley first time by Christian Stuani and almost burst the net. The home fans even drew a round of applause for an effort that would have worthy by one of their own.

That was the last real action of the match though as Levante could not conjure up an equaliser and the clash ended 2-1.

SCHEDULE WORLD CUP 2010

2010-06-20T21:57:00.001+07:00

2010 World Cup Group stages fixtures, dates and venues

11/6/2010 South Africa v Mexico
Soccer City, JB Opening match
11/6/2010 Uruguay v France
Cape Town
12/6/2010 Argentina v Nigeria
Ellis Park, JB
12/6/2010 ENGLAND v USA
Rustenburg
12/6/2010 South Korea v Greece
Port Elizabeth
13/6/2010 Germany v Australia
Durban
13/6/2010 Algeria v Slovenia
Polokwane
13/6/2010 Serbia v Ghana
Pretoria
14/6/2010 Holland v Denmark
Soccer City, JB
14/6/2010 Japan v Cameroon
Bloemfontein
14/6/2010 Italy v Paraguay
Cape Town
15/6/2010 Brazil v North Korea
Ellis Park, JB
15/6/2010 New Zealand v Slovakia
Rustenburg
15/6/2010 Ivory Coast v Portugal
Port Elizabeth
16/6/2010 Honduras v Chile
Nelspruit
16/6/2010 Spain v Switzerland
Durban
16/6/2010 South Africa v Uruguay
Pretoria
17/6/2010 Argentina v South Korea
Soccer City, JB
17/6/2010 Greece v Nigeria
Bloemfontein
17/6/2010 France v Mexico
Polokwane
18/6/2010 Slovenia v USA
Ellis Park, JB
18/6/2010 ENGLAND v Algeria
Cape Town
18/6/2010 Germany v Serbia
Port Elizabeth
19/6/2010 Ghana v Australia
Rustenburg
19/6/2010 Holland v Japan
Durban
19/6/2010 Cameroon v Denmark
Pretoria
20/6/2010 Brazil v Ivory Coast
Soccer City, JB
20/6/2010 Italy v New Zealand
Nelspruit
20/6/2010 Slovakia v Paraguay
Bloemfontein
21/6/2010 Spain v Honduras
Ellis Park, JB
21/6/2010 Portugal v North Korea
Cape Town
21/6/2010 Chile v Switzerland
Port Elizabeth
22/6/2010 Mexico v Uruguay
Rustenburg
22/6/2010 France v South Africa
Bloemfontein
22/6/2010 Nigeria v South Korea
Durban
22/6/2010 Greece v Argentina
Polokwane
23/6/2010 Ghana v Germany
Soccer City, JB
23/6/2010 Australia v Serbia
Nelspruit
23/6/2010 Slovenia v ENGLAND
Port Elizabeth
23/6/2010 USA v Algeria
Pretoria
24/6/2010 Slovakia v Italy
Ellis Park, JB
24/6/2010 Denmark v Japan
Rustenburg
24/6/2010 Cameroon v Holland
Cape Town
24/6/2010 Paraguay v New Zealand
Polokwane
25/6/2010 North Korea v Ivory Coast
Nelspruit
25/6/2010 Switzerland v Honduras
Bloemfontein
25/6/2010 Portugal v Brazil
Durban
25/6/2010 Chile v Spain
Pretoria

Round of sixteen/second round
26/6/2010 Group C winner v Group D runner up
Rustenburg Match 1
26/6/2010 Group A winner v Group B runner up
Port Elizabeth Match 2
27/6/2010 Group B winner v Group A runner up
Soccer City, JB Match 3
27/6/2010 Group D winner v Group C runner up
Bloemfontein Match 4
28/6/2010 Group G winner v Group H runner up
Ellis Park, JB Match 5
28/6/2010 Group E winner v Group F runner up
Durban Match 6
29/6/2010 Group H winner v Group G runner up
Cape Town Match 7
29/6/2010 Group F winner v Group E runner up
Pretoria Match 8
30/6/2010

Rest day
1/7/2010 Rest day
World Cup quarter finals
2/7/2010 Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 2
Soccer City, JB Match A
2/7/2010 Winner Match 5 v Winner Match 6
Port Elizabeth Match B
3/7/2010 Winner Match 7 v Winner Match 8
Ellis Park, JB Match C
3/7/2010 Winner Match 3 v Winner Match 4
Cape Town Match D
4/7/2010

Rest day
5/7/2010 Rest day

World Cup semi finals
6/7/2010 Winner Match A v Winner Match B
Cape Town Match 1
7/7/2010 Winner Match C v Winner Match D
Polokwane Match 2
8/7/2010

Rest day
9/7/2010 Rest day

3rd place play off
10/7/2010 Loser Match 1 v Loser Match 2
Port Elizabeth

2010 World Cup Final
11/7/2010 Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 2
Soccer City, JB

Champions League scores

2010-02-24T14:13:00.000+07:00

Milan - Man Utd. 2 - 3

O. Lyon - Real Madrid 1 - 0

Bayern - Fiorentina 2 - 1

Porto - Arsenal 2 - 1

VfB Stuttgart - Barcelona 1 - 1

Olympiakos - Bordeaux 0 - 1

CSKA Moscow - Sevilla -

Inter - Chelsea -

Champions league: INTER MILAN VS CHELSEA

2010-02-24T13:30:00.002+07:00

Calling all armchair managers! The time has come to pit your wits against Carlo Ancelotti and see whether he agrees with your team selection for Chelsea's upcoming Champions League crunch match against Inter Milan — and nemesis Jose Mourinho.

After missing as many as seven players for the weekend's 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, Ancelotti is hopeful of welcoming back at least a few of them for the game at the Guiseppe Meazza on Wednesday.

Frank Lampard should be fit, and both Alex and Juliano Belletti are available for selection. But the big blow will be the absence of Yury Zhirkov, who has not made the trip to Italy after failing to recover from the injury he sustained in the game at Molineux at the weekend.

Add to that the fact that Paulo Ferreira is not registered for the Champions League, and Ancelotti has some full-back quandaries to ponder ahead of the tie.

The reportedly unsettled Ashley Cole is a long-term absentee, while both Michael Essien and Jose Bosingwa are still a little way from a return to training.

This is one of the most important games of the season for Chelsea, so it seems unlikely that Ancelotti will go with anything other than his best available side. How he handles his full-back situation is the biggest decision he will have to make.

Availability:

Goalkeepers: Petr Cech, Henrique Hilario, Ross Turnbull.

Defenders: John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Alex, Branislav Ivanovic, Jeffrey Bruma.

Midfielders: John Obi Mikel, Juliano Belletti, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Florent Malouda, Joe Cole, Gael Kakuta.

Attackers: Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Salomon Kalou, Daniel Sturridge, Fabio Borini.

Leave your team selection in the comments below, using semi-colons to separate positions and working from left-to-right. For example, here’s Goal.com UK’s preferred lineup, using a 4-3-3 formation:

Cech; Ivanovic, Terry, Carvalho, Belletti; Lampard, Mikel, Ballack; Malouda, Anelka, Drogba.

Substitutes: Hilario, Alex, Bruma, J. Cole, Kakuta, Kalou, Sturridge.

This team virtually picks itself, considering the squad available to the former AC Milan boss. Ivanovic should move across to left-back in the absence of Zhirkov or Cole, where his defensive prowess can be used to best effect against Inter's dangerous right-back Maicon.

Juliano Belletti will probably be asked to fill in at right-back, in preference to the untested Bruma. Mikel will anchor the midfield as usual — with a particular focus on Wesley Sneijder — while Ballack and Lampard fulfil box-to-box duties in the centre.

Mourinho has had a tendency in the past to play defensively at home, perhaps keen to avoid conceding an important away goal. If that proves the case on Wednesday, expect Malouda and Anelka to be asked to push forward when the Blues have the ball, and for Malouda to drop back and become a fourth midfielder when defending.

Inter Defender Lucio Affirms Importance Of Chelsea Clash

The Brazilian knows that his team-mates will give their all to win.

Inter stopper Lucio knows the importance of the Nerazzurri defeating Chelsea in the Champions League later this evening, when the two sides meet at the San Siro.

The Brazilian believes that Blues striker Didier Drogba will be one player that his team will have to watch out for.

"It is the moment to discuss the Champions League, and nothing else," the defender said to Datasport. "I believe that the match will be very important, and it is for this reason that we want to win at all costs.

"The players will be giving their utmost to win. The determination that we will put in will be the same, but some people will need to be extra cautious, as they are on yellow cards.

"But this factor will not change our way of playing, nor aid in what the final result might be.

"Drogba is an excellent player, and we will need to pay attention to him, but he is like any other great player here at Inter," concluded Lucio.

Prediction on this match : inter 0 vs 0 chelsea

dynamo kiev vs barcelona

2009-12-09T20:56:00.003+07:00

dynamo kiev vs barcelona

Though Dynamo Kiev still remain in with a shot at progressing from a perilous looking Group F, it’s fair to say that they would not have picked Barcelona as the side of choice to play needing a victory in Matchday 6. It has been over two months since Rubin Kazan were brushed away 3-1 – their only win of the competition – but another success at this tardy stage would at least give the Ukrainians hope.

In imperious form on the domestic stage – Dynamo have registered 12 wins and three draws from 15 games, amassing a five point lead at the summit over closest rivals Shakhtar Donetsk - Valeriy Gazzaev’s men have lost only twice in Europe. Defeats against Barcelona and Inter earlier in the competition may well prove telling, though perhaps not as decisive as their inability to hold leads against the Nerazzurri.

The 1999 semi-finalists twice led the Italian champions at the San Siro only to allow Jose Mourinho’s men to recover to a 2-2 draw. There was greater pain at home, though. Andriy Shevchenko’s first half goal had given Gazzaev’s side the lead, which they would hold until the 86th minute, when Diego Milito struck. And worse was to follow as Wesley Sneijder snatched a late winner for the guests.

Whether the pain of those two experiences was still playing on their minds when they travelled to Kazan a fortnight ago it is impossible to tell, but the Bilo-Syni did not look a confident outfit as they battled to a 0-0 draw in difficult conditions. Whatever their issues, they will have to purge them from their systems before tackling the European champions.

Champions Spirit

Top of Group F, the battle is not yet won for Barcelona, who are not even assured their place in the last 16. When the draw was made, it was anticipated that Barca would have to fight off stubborn resistance from Inter to claim top spot in the pool, but the efforts of Rubin and Dynamo were not taken into account.

The Russians have proved a particular source of woe for coach Pep Guardiola, who saw his side shocked 2-1 at Camp Nou before being ground to a 0-0 draw in Tatarstan. Having also been frustrated by Inter earlier in the competition, much was riding on their home encounter against the Nerazzurri a fortnight ago.

As champions should, Barca responded with pomp, restricting their opponents to virtually nothing in the way of shots on target while simultaneously striking first half goals from Gerard Pique and Pedro to allow a depleted side to ease past the Italian champions with surprising comfort.

Guardiola continued to display his ability to get his team to perform at key moments when they met Real Madrid in El Clasico ten days ago. Barca were not at their drool-inducing best, but a simply sublime goal from Zlatan Ibrahimovic decided the game in their favour.

Now top of the Primera Division again, the Blaugrana are looking to find more familiar territory in the form of the last 16 of the Champions League. It is by no means a formality for the Catalan giants, but they have to be considered strong favourites going into the midweek matches.

FORM GUIDE

Dynamo Kiev

WON 1-0 (a) Chornomorets Odesa (Premier League, December 5)

DREW 0-0 (a) Zaporizhya (Premier League, November 29)

DREW 0-0 (a) Rubin Kazan (Champions League, November 24)

WON 3-0 (h) Shakhtar Donetsk (Premier League, November 21)

LOST 2-1 (h) Inter (Champions League, November 4)

Barcelona

WON 3-1 (a) Deportivo La Coruna (La Liga, December 6)

WON 2-0 (a) Xerez (La Liga, December 2)

WON 1-0 (h) Real Madrid (La Liga, November 29)

WON 2-0 (h) Inter (Champions League, November 24)

DREW 1-1 (a) Athletic Bilbao (La Liga, November 21)

TEAM NEWS

Dynamo Kiev

There are only a few injury worries for Dynamo ahead of this encounter. Badr El Kaddouri and Yevgen Khacheridi are both missing due to physical problems, with the former having been sidelined since August due to an ankle issue.

Injury-prone defender Pape Diakhate is back playing with the reserves after sustaining a knee issue in mid-October.

Leandro Almeida returns from a one match ban and is free to feature.

Probable Starting XI: Shovkovski; Eremenko, Khacheridi, Leandro Almeida, Gerson Magrao; Mikhalik, Vukojevic; Shevchenko, Ninkovic, Yarmolenko; Milevskiy

Barcelona

Guardiola has selected a squad of 20 players to travel to Kiev, though that pool includes the ineligible Dmytro Chygrynskiy, who is, of course, Ukrainian by origin.

Jeffren Suarez is the only player registered as an injury worry, while Carles Pujol is the only man flirting with suspension at present.

Defenders Rafael Marquez and Gabriel Milito are both involved after being omitted from the weekend’s squad entirely.

Probable Starting XI: Valdes; Alves, Pique, Puyol, Abidal; Xavi, Keita, Busquets; Messi, Ibrahimovic, Iniesta

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Dynamo Kiev

Goals are needed for the Ukrainians, and Artem Milevskiy is a potential match-winner for them. The 24-year-old club captain has found the net regularly in domestic play but was quiet against Rubin Kazan in their previous Champions League fixture. He is a clever forward, capable of unlocking defences with a clever pass, but he is also a handy finisher. If he gets sniff, it must be taken.

Barcelona

Barca have players worth watching all over the field, but undoubtedly their outstanding talent is Lionel Messi. The Argentine recently picked up the Ballon d’Or award and promptly showcased just why as he gave a virtuoso display against Deportivo La Coruna last weekend. Capable of unlocking any defence, if he is in good form then Barca will be unstoppable.

PREDICTION

Though Dynamo have provided stern resistance in every Champions League match they have played this season, it is simply impossible to back against a side with the quality and experience of Barcelona. There can be little doubt that Pep Guardiola’s side are not the emphatic force that they were at times last season, but they surely have enough match-winning potential in their squad to ensure success against a team who will have to try to attack them at some stage.

us open tennis 2009 results

2009-09-06T21:57:00.001+07:00

Tickets for US Open Tennis 2009 can be purchased by clicking on US Open Tennis 2009 . . US Open Tennis Results · US Open Tennis Security Information . ...
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US Open Tennis 2009 Results: Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, Dinara Safina. Turns out yesterday was upset day at Flushing Meadows, ...
www.inentertainment.co.uk/20090906/us-open-tennis-2009-results-andy-roddick-maria-sharapova-dinara-safina/

US Open Tennis 2009: Day 3 Results. It was day three of the 2009 US Open Tennis Tournament yesterday and some of the top ranked players took ...
www.inentertainment.co.uk/20090903/us-open-tennis-2009-day-3-results/

Search results for 2009 Us Open Tennis from Windstream Metasearch. . US Open Tennis 2009 Results Show a Few E. The US Open is close to completing the . ...
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The official site of the US Open is an IBM solution for a Smarter Planet. Follow the tennis, get real-time scores, Live video, Live audio, and learn about ...
www.usopen.org

FOOTBALL AND SPORTS NEWS

2009-09-06T21:51:00.002+07:00

honduras vs trinidad

nigeria vs tunisia

cal football

uva football

mexico vs costarica
smu football
ucla football
argentina vs brazil

FOOTBALL AND SPORT NEWS UPDATES

2009-09-06T21:47:00.001+07:00

Unofficial website devoted exclusively to LSU Football. Links to daily news, other LSU websites, college football websites, pictures, ...
lsufootball.net/

Saturday Night Lights: Official Blog of LSU Football. Saturday Night Lights Blog .... LSU Football on the 'Hot Seat': P. Peterson www.lsusports.net/

Welcome to Saturday Night Lights: The Official Blog of LSU Football here on LSUsports.net. Over the next 12 weeks and into bowl season, we will give you an ...
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The LSU football team enjoyed recent success as they won the BCS National Championship in 2003 with a 21-14 win over Oklahoma in the Nokia Sugar Bowl in New ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LSU_Tigers_football

Jordan Jefferson threw three touchdown passes to help No. 11 LSU overcome a slow start and hand Washington its 15th consecutive loss, ...
nbcsports.msnbc.com

The best site on the web for LSU football, recruiting, and sports news. Updated daily!
www.dandydon.com

TigerBait.com: Complete football, basketball, baseball and recruiting coverage and breaking news of the LSU Tigers.
lsu.rivals.com

The best site on the web for LSU sports news, discussion and tickets. Come to TigerDroppings.com for the poop on LSU football, LSU basketball, LSU Baseball ...
www.tigerdroppings.com/

(*)EPL TABLE

2009-08-30T19:46:00.001+07:00

EPL TABLE

	Tim	M	M	S	K	SG	SCORE
1	Chelsea	4	4	0	0	10 - 2	12
2	Tottenham	4	4	0	0	11 - 4	12
3	Man. Utd	4	3	0	1	8 - 2	9
4	Stoke	4	2	1	1	3 - 4	7
5	Arsenal	3	2	0	1	11 - 4	6
6	City	2	2	0	0	3 - 0	6
7	Liverpool	4	2	0	2	9 - 7	6
8	Sunderland	4	2	0	2	4 - 5	6
9	Burnley	4	2	0	2	2 - 5	6
10	West Ham	3	1	1	1	3 - 1	4
11	Birmingham	4	1	1	2	2 - 3	4
12	Wolverhampton	4	1	1	2	2 - 4	4
13	Hull	4	1	1	2	4 - 8	4
14	Villa	2	1	0	1	3 - 3	3
15	Fulham	2	1	0	1	1 - 2	3
16	Wigan	3	1	0	2	2 - 6	3
17	Blackburn	3	0	1	2	1 - 4	1
18	Bolton	3	0	0	3	2 - 5	0
19	Portsmouth	3	0	0	3	1 - 6	0
20	Everton	2	0	0	2	1 - 7	0

(*)SCEDULE EPL

2009-08-30T19:43:00.002+07:00

Saturday, 27 February 2010
Birmingham v Wigan
Bolton v Wolverhampton
Burnley v Portsmouth
Chelsea v Man City
Hull v Aston Villa
Liverpool v Blackburn
Man Utd v West Ham
Stoke v Arsenal
Sunderland v Fulham
Tottenham v Everton

Saturday, 6 March 2010
Arsenal v Burnley
Aston Villa v Sunderland
Blackburn v Birmingham
Everton v Hull
Fulham v Stoke
Man City v Tottenham
Portsmouth v Chelsea
West Ham v Bolton
Wigan v Liverpool
Wolverhampton v Man Utd

Saturday, 13 March 2010
Birmingham v Everton
Bolton v Wigan
Burnley v Wolverhampton
Chelsea v West Ham
Hull v Arsenal
Liverpool v Portsmouth
Man Utd v Fulham
Stoke v Aston Villa
Sunderland v Man City
Tottenham v Blackburn

Saturday, 20 March 2010
Arsenal v West Ham
Aston Villa v Wolverhampton
Blackburn v Chelsea
Everton v Bolton
Fulham v Man City
Man Utd v Liverpool
Portsmouth v Hull
Stoke v Tottenham
Sunderland v Birmingham
Wigan v Burnley

Saturday, 27 March 2010
Birmingham v Arsenal
Bolton v Man Utd
Burnley v Blackburn
Chelsea v Aston Villa
Hull v Fulham
Liverpool v Sunderland
Man City v Wigan
Tottenham v Portsmouth
West Ham v Stoke
Wolverhampton v Everton

Saturday, 3 April 2010
Arsenal v Wolverhampton
Birmingham v Liverpool
Bolton v Aston Villa
Burnley v Man City
Everton v West Ham
Fulham v Wigan
Man Utd v Chelsea
Portsmouth v Blackburn
Stoke v Hull
Sunderland v Tottenham

Saturday, 10 April 2010
Aston Villa v Everton
Blackburn v Man Utd
Chelsea v Bolton
Hull v Burnley
Liverpool v Fulham
Man City v Birmingham
Tottenham v Arsenal
West Ham v Sunderland
Wigan v Portsmouth
Wolverhampton v Stoke

Saturday, 17 April 2010
Birmingham v Hull
Blackburn v Everton
Fulham v Wolverhampton
Liverpool v West Ham
Man City v Man Utd
Portsmouth v Aston Villa
Stoke v Bolton
Sunderland v Burnley
Tottenham v Chelsea
Wigan v Arsenal

Saturday, 24 April 2010
Arsenal v Man City
Aston Villa v Birmingham
Bolton v Portsmouth
Burnley v Liverpool
Chelsea v Stoke
Everton v Fulham
Hull v Sunderland
Man Utd v Tottenham
West Ham v Wigan
Wolverhampton v Blackburn

Saturday, 1 May 2010
Birmingham v Burnley
Blackburn v Arsenal
Fulham v West Ham
Liverpool v Chelsea
Man City v Aston Villa
Portsmouth v Wolverhampton
Stoke v Everton
Sunderland v Man Utd
Tottenham v Bolton
Wigan v Hull

Sunday, 9 May 2010
Arsenal v Fulham
Aston Villa v Blackburn
Bolton v Birmingham
Burnley v Tottenham
Chelsea v Wigan
Everton v Portsmouth
Hull v Liverpool
Man Utd v Stoke
West Ham v Man City
Wolverhampton v Sunderland

(*)SCEDULE EPL

2009-08-30T19:43:00.000+07:00

Saturday, 29 August 2009
Aston Villa v Fulham
Blackburn v West Ham
Bolton v Liverpool
Chelsea v Burnley
Everton v Wigan
Man Utd v Arsenal
Portsmouth v Man City
Stoke v Sunderland
Tottenham v Birmingham
Wolverhampton v Hull

Saturday, 12 September 2009
Birmingham v Aston Villa
Blackburn v Wolverhampton
Fulham v Everton
Liverpool v Burnley
Man City v Arsenal
Portsmouth v Bolton
Stoke v Chelsea
Sunderland v Hull
Tottenham v Man Utd
Wigan v West Ham

Saturday, 19 September 2009
Arsenal v Wigan
Aston Villa v Portsmouth
Bolton v Stoke
Burnley v Sunderland
Chelsea v Tottenham
Everton v Blackburn
Hull v Birmingham
Man Utd v Man City
West Ham v Liverpool
Wolverhampton v Fulham

Saturday, 26 September 2009
Birmingham v Bolton
Blackburn v Aston Villa
Fulham v Arsenal
Liverpool v Hull
Man City v West Ham
Portsmouth v Everton
Stoke v Man Utd
Sunderland v Wolverhampton
Tottenham v Burnley
Wigan v Chelsea

Saturday, 3 October 2009
Arsenal v Blackburn
Aston Villa v Man City
Bolton v Tottenham
Burnley v Birmingham
Chelsea v Liverpool
Everton v Stoke
Hull v Wigan
Man Utd v Sunderland
West Ham v Fulham
Wolverhampton v Portsmouth

Saturday, 17 October 2009
Arsenal v Birmingham
Aston Villa v Chelsea
Blackburn v Burnley
Everton v Wolverhampton
Fulham v Hull
Man Utd v Bolton
Portsmouth v Tottenham
Stoke v West Ham
Sunderland v Liverpool
Wigan v Man City

Saturday, 24 October 2009
Birmingham v Sunderland
Bolton v Everton
Burnley v Wigan
Chelsea v Blackburn
Hull v Portsmouth
Liverpool v Man Utd
Man City v Fulham
Tottenham v Stoke
West Ham v Arsenal
Wolverhampton v Aston Villa

Saturday, 31 October 2009
Arsenal v Tottenham
Birmingham v Man City
Bolton v Chelsea
Burnley v Hull
Everton v Aston Villa
Fulham v Liverpool
Man Utd v Blackburn
Portsmouth v Wigan
Stoke v Wolverhampton
Sunderland v West Ham

Saturday, 7 November 2009
Aston Villa v Bolton
Blackburn v Portsmouth
Chelsea v Man Utd
Hull v Stoke
Liverpool v Birmingham
Man City v Burnley
Tottenham v Sunderland
West Ham v Everton
Wigan v Fulham
Wolverhampton v Arsenal

Saturday, 21 November 2009
Birmingham v Fulham
Bolton v Blackburn
Burnley v Aston Villa
Chelsea v Wolverhampton
Hull v West Ham
Liverpool v Man City
Man Utd v Everton
Stoke v Portsmouth
Sunderland v Arsenal
Tottenham v Wigan

Saturday, 28 November 2009
Arsenal v Chelsea
Aston Villa v Tottenham
Blackburn v Stoke
Everton v Liverpool
Fulham v Bolton
Man City v Hull
Portsmouth v Man Utd
West Ham v Burnley
Wigan v Sunderland
Wolverhampton v Birmingham

Saturday, 5 December 2009
Arsenal v Stoke
Aston Villa v Hull
Blackburn v Liverpool
Everton v Tottenham
Fulham v Sunderland
Man City v Chelsea
Portsmouth v Burnley
West Ham v Man Utd
Wigan v Birmingham
Wolverhampton v Bolton

Saturday, 12 December 2009
Birmingham v West Ham
Bolton v Man City
Burnley v Fulham
Chelsea v Everton
Hull v Blackburn
Liverpool v Arsenal
Man Utd v Aston Villa
Stoke v Wigan
Sunderland v Portsmouth
Tottenham v Wolverhampton

Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Birmingham v Blackburn
Bolton v West Ham
Burnley v Arsenal
Hull v Everton
Man Utd v Wolverhampton
Stoke v Fulham
Sunderland v Aston Villa
Tottenham v Man City

Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Chelsea v Portsmouth
Liverpool v Wigan

Saturday, 19 December 2009
Arsenal v Hull
Aston Villa v Stoke
Blackburn v Tottenham
Everton v Birmingham
Fulham v Man Utd
Man City v Sunderland
Portsmouth v Liverpool
West Ham v Chelsea
Wigan v Bolton
Wolverhampton v Burnley

Saturday, 26 December 2009
Arsenal v Aston Villa
Birmingham v Chelsea
Burnley v Bolton
Fulham v Tottenham
Hull v Man Utd
Liverpool v Wolverhampton
Man City v Stoke
Sunderland v Everton
West Ham v Portsmouth
Wigan v Blackburn

Monday, 28 December 2009
Aston Villa v Liverpool
Blackburn v Sunderland
Bolton v Hull
Chelsea v Fulham
Everton v Burnley
Man Utd v Wigan
Portsmouth v Arsenal
Stoke v Birmingham
Tottenham v West Ham
Wolverhampton v Man City

Saturday, 9 January 2010
Arsenal v Everton
Birmingham v Man Utd
Burnley v Stoke
Fulham v Portsmouth
Hull v Chelsea
Liverpool v Tottenham
Man City v Blackburn
Sunderland v Bolton
West Ham v Wolverhampton
Wigan v Aston Villa

Saturday, 16 January 2010
Aston Villa v West Ham
Blackburn v Fulham
Bolton v Arsenal
Chelsea v Sunderland
Everton v Man City
Man Utd v Burnley
Portsmouth v Birmingham
Stoke v Liverpool
Tottenham v Hull
Wolverhampton v Wigan

Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Bolton v Burnley
Man Utd v Hull
Portsmouth v West Ham
Stoke v Man City
Tottenham v Fulham
Wolverhampton v Liverpool

Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Aston Villa v Arsenal
Blackburn v Wigan
Chelsea v Birmingham
Everton v Sunderland

Saturday, 30 January 2010
Arsenal v Man Utd
Birmingham v Tottenham
Burnley v Chelsea
Fulham v Aston Villa
Hull v Wolverhampton
Liverpool v Bolton
Man City v Portsmouth
Sunderland v Stoke
West Ham v Blackburn
Wigan v Everton

Saturday, 6 February 2010
Birmingham v Wolverhampton
Bolton v Fulham
Burnley v West Ham
Chelsea v Arsenal
Hull v Man City
Liverpool v Everton
Man Utd v Portsmouth
Stoke v Blackburn
Sunderland v Wigan
Tottenham v Aston Villa

Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Arsenal v Liverpool
Fulham v Burnley
Portsmouth v Sunderland
West Ham v Birmingham
Wigan v Stoke
Wolverhampton v Tottenham

Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Aston Villa v Man Utd
Blackburn v Hull
Everton v Chelsea
Man City v Bolton

Saturday, 20 February 2010
Arsenal v Sunderland
Aston Villa v Burnley
Blackburn v Bolton
Everton v Man Utd
Fulham v Birmingham
Man City v Liverpool
Portsmouth v Stoke
West Ham v Hull
Wigan v Tottenham
Wolverhampton v Chelsea

Saturday, 27 February 2010
Birmingham v Wigan
Bolton v Wolverhampton
Burnley v Portsmouth
Chelsea v Man City
Hull v Aston Villa
Liverpool v Blackburn
Man Utd v West Ham
Stoke v Arsenal
Sunderland v Fulham
Tottenham v Everton

Saturday, 6 March 2010
Arsenal v Burnley
Aston Villa v Sunderland
Blackburn v Birmingham
Everton v Hull
Fulham v Stoke
Man City v Tottenham
Portsmouth v Chelsea
West Ham v Bolton
Wigan v Liverpool
Wolverhampton v Man Utd

Saturday, 13 March 2010
Birmingham v Everton
Bolton v Wigan
Burnley v Wolverhampton
Chelsea v West Ham
Hull v Arsenal
Liverpool v Portsmouth
Man Utd v Fulham
Stoke v Aston Villa
Sunderland v Man City
Tottenham v Blackburn

Saturday, 20 March 2010
Arsenal v West Ham
Aston Villa v Wolverhampton
Blackburn v Chelsea
Everton v Bolton
Fulham v Man City
Man Utd v Liverpool
Portsmouth v Hull
Stoke v Tottenham
Sunderland v Birmingham
Wigan v Burnley

Saturday, 27 March 2010
Birmingham v Arsenal
Bolton v Man Utd
Burnley v Blackburn
Chelsea v Aston Villa
Hull v Fulham
Liverpool v Sunderland
Man City v Wigan
Tottenham v Portsmouth
West Ham v Stoke
Wolverhampton v Everton

Saturday, 3 April 2010
Arsenal v Wolverhampton
Birmingham v Liverpool
Bolton v Aston Villa
Burnley v Man City
Everton v West Ham
Fulham v Wigan
Man Utd v Chelsea
Portsmouth v Blackburn
Stoke v Hull
Sunderland v Tottenham

Saturday, 10 April 2010
Aston Villa v Everton
Blackburn v Man Utd
Chelsea v Bolton
Hull v Burnley
Liverpool v Fulham
Man City v Birmingham
Tottenham v Arsenal
West Ham v Sunderland
Wigan v Portsmouth
Wolverhampton v Stoke

Saturday, 17 April 2010
Birmingham v Hull
Blackburn v Everton
Fulham v Wolverhampton
Liverpool v West Ham
Man City v Man Utd
Portsmouth v Aston Villa
Stoke v Bolton
Sunderland v Burnley
Tottenham v Chelsea
Wigan v Arsenal

Saturday, 24 April 2010
Arsenal v Man City
Aston Villa v Birmingham
Bolton v Portsmouth
Burnley v Liverpool
Chelsea v Stoke
Everton v Fulham
Hull v Sunderland
Man Utd v Tottenham
West Ham v Wigan
Wolverhampton v Blackburn

Saturday, 1 May 2010
Birmingham v Burnley
Blackburn v Arsenal
Fulham v West Ham
Liverpool v Chelsea
Man City v Aston Villa
Portsmouth v Wolverhampton
Stoke v Everton
Sunderland v Man Utd
Tottenham v Bolton
Wigan v Hull

Sunday, 9 May 2010
Arsenal v Fulham
Aston Villa v Blackburn
Bolton v Birmingham
Burnley v Tottenham
Chelsea v Wigan
Everton v Portsmouth
Hull v Liverpool
Man Utd v Stoke
West Ham v Man City
Wolverhampton v Sunderland

(*)EPL UPDATES SCORES

2009-08-30T19:40:00.000+07:00

Chelsea 3-0 Burnley

Blackburn 0-0 West Ham

Bolton 2-3 Liverpool

Stoke 1-0 Sunderland

Tottenham 2-1 Birmingham

Wolverhampton 1-1 Hull

Man. United 2-1 Arsenal

Chelsea vs Liverpool

2009-08-19T20:06:00.001+07:00

Manchester United vs Arsenal (29 Agustus 2009)
Chelsea vs Liverpool (3 Oktober2009 )
Liverpool vs Manchester United (24 Oktober 2009)
Chelsea vs Manchester United (7 Nopember 2009)
Arsenal vs Chelsea (28 Nopember 2009)
Liverpool vs Arsenal (12 Desember 2009)
Arsenal vs Manchester United (30 Januari 2010 )
Chelsea vs Arsenal (6 Februari 2010)
Arsenal vs Liverpool (9 Februari 2010)
Manchester United vs Liverpool (20 Maret 2010)
Manchester United vs Chelsea (3 April 2010)
Liverpool vs Chelsea (1 Mei 2010 )

Manchester United vs Arsenal

2009-08-19T20:00:00.001+07:00

this is a best match because many goal happen in this game

Manchester United vs Arsenal (29 Agustus 2009)
Chelsea vs Liverpool (3 Oktober2009 )
Liverpool vs Manchester United (24 Oktober 2009)
Chelsea vs Manchester United (7 Nopember 2009)
Arsenal vs Chelsea (28 Nopember 2009)
Liverpool vs Arsenal (12 Desember 2009)
Arsenal vs Manchester United (30 Januari 2010 )
Chelsea vs Arsenal (6 Februari 2010)
Arsenal vs Liverpool (9 Februari 2010)
Manchester United vs Liverpool (20 Maret 2010)
Manchester United vs Chelsea (3 April 2010)
Liverpool vs Chelsea (1 Mei 2010 )

english premier league live score and scedule

2009-08-19T19:52:00.002+07:00

Fantasy; I Know the Score. Frank Lampard of Chelsea. Gameweek 2. Review your team's latest scores, mini-league positions and start planning for Gameweek 3. ...
www.premierleague.com

Welcome to the Official Official Site of the Premier League - Barclays Premier League News, Fixtures and Results website.
www.premierleague.com

Get the latest team news, transfer rumours and updates, views, game reviews .... EPL News, Views, Reviews, Results, Scores and lots more. ...
epl08.blogspot.com

This is a site where one can find latest and live scores, league table of the most popular league of the world , EPL-English Premier League.
englishpremierleague08.blogspot.com

Location: anywhere@anytime. Posts: 563. Thanks: 33. Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts. Nameless will become famous soon enough. Lightbulb [Info] Update Score EPL ...
www.freenet4all.com/showthread.php?t=215
Score Update in English Premier League. Sunday, 17 May 2009English Premier League scores result:West Bromwich A. 0 - 2 LiverpoolChelsea 2 - 0 Blackburn R. ...
www.blogcatalog.com/.../score+update+in+english+premier+league/

The latest sports news on a ticker,; Today's football fixtures,; The latest football scores updated in real-time,; and more. ...
www.epltalk.com/sky-sports-releases...score-centre.../9980
Tottenham Hotspur vs Hull City Live English Premier League Highlights 19th August 2009 Score, Results English Premier League: Hull City vs ...
www.tagally.com/main/post_list/eplscore

ENGLAND PREMIERSHIP UPDATE SCORE AND SCEDULE

2009-08-18T23:03:00.001+07:00

Rabu, 19 Agustus 2009 TIME HOME
AWAY VENUE postponed Fulham v Blackburn Rovers Craven Cottage 01:45 WIB Sunderland v Chelsea Stadium of Light 01:45 WIB Wigan Athletic v Wolverhamton W. DW Stadium postponed West Ham Utd v Aston Villa Upton Park postponed Arsenal v Bolton Wanderers Emirates Stadium Kamis, 20 Agustus 2009 TIME HOME
AWAY VENUE 01:45 WIB Birmingham v Portsmouth St Andrews Stadium 01:45 WIB Hull City v Tottenham H Kingston Comm. S 01:45 WIB Burnley v Manchester United Turf Moor 02:00 WIB Liverpool v Stoke City Anfield postponed Manchester City v Everton City of Manchester S Sabtu, 22 Agustus 2009 TIME HOME
AWAY VENUE 21:00 WIB Arsenal v Portsmouth Emirates Stadium 21:00 WIB Birmingham v Stoke City St Andrews S 21:00 WIB Hull City v Bolton Wanderers Kingston Comm 21:00 WIB Sunderland v Blackburn Rovers Stadium of Light 21:00 WIB Manchester City v Wolverhampton W City of Manchester S 21:00 WIB Wigan Athletic v Manchester United DW Stadium Minggu, 23 Agustus 2009 TIME HOME
AWAY VENUE 19:30 WIB West Ham Utd v Tottenham H Upton Park 21:00 WIB Burnley v Everton Turf Moor 22:00 WIB Fulham v Chelsea Craven Cottage Selasa, 25 Agustus 2009 TIME HOME
AWAY VENUE 02:00 WIB Liverpool v Aston Villa Anfield

ENGLAND PREMIERSHIP UPDATE SCORE AND SCEDULE

2009-08-18T23:03:00.000+07:00

ENGLAND PREMIERSHIP UPDATE SCORE AND SCEDULE

2009-08-18T23:01:00.000+07:00

Sabtu, 15 Agustus 2009
TIME	HOME		AWAY	VENUE
18:45 WIB	Chelsea	2 - 1	Hull City	Stamford Bridge
21:00 WIB	Portsmouth	0 - 1	Fulham	Fratton Park
21:00 WIB	Wolverhamton W	0 - 2	West Ham Utd	Molineux Stadium
21:00 WIB	Blackburn Rovers	0 - 2	Manchester City	Ewood Park
21:00 WIB	Bolton Wanderers	0 - 1	Sunderland	Reebok Stadium
21:00 WIB	Aston Villa	0 - 2	Wigan Athletic	Villa Park
21:00 WIB	Stoke City	2 - 0	Burnley	Britannia Stadium
23:15 WIB	Everton	6 - 1	Arsenal	Goodison Park

Miggu, 16 Agustus 2009
TIME	HOME		AWAY	VENUE
19:30 WIB	Manchester Utd	1 - 0	Birmingham	Old Trafford
22:00 WIB	Tottenham H.	2 - 1	Liverpool	White Hart Lane

Rabu, 19 Agustus 2009
TIME	HOME		AWAY	VENUE
postponed	Fulham	v	Blackburn Rovers	Craven Cottage
01:45 WIB	Sunderland	v	Chelsea	Stadium of Light
01:45 WIB	Wigan Athletic	v	Wolverhamton W.	DW Stadium
postponed	West Ham Utd	v	Aston Villa	Upton Park
postponed	Arsenal	v	Bolton Wanderers	Emirates Stadium

Kamis, 20 Agustus 2009
TIME	HOME		AWAY	VENUE
01:45 WIB	Birmingham	v	Portsmouth	St Andrews Stadium
01:45 WIB	Hull City	v	Tottenham H	Kingston Comm. S
01:45 WIB	Burnley	v	Manchester United	Turf Moor
02:00 WIB	Liverpool	v	Stoke City	Anfield
postponed	Manchester City	v	Everton	City of Manchester S

Sabtu, 22 Agustus 2009
TIME	HOME		AWAY	VENUE
21:00 WIB	Arsenal	v	Portsmouth	Emirates Stadium
21:00 WIB	Birmingham	v	Stoke City	St Andrews S
21:00 WIB	Hull City	v	Bolton Wanderers	Kingston Comm
21:00 WIB	Sunderland	v	Blackburn Rovers	Stadium of Light
21:00 WIB	Manchester City	v	Wolverhampton W	City of Manchester S
21:00 WIB	Wigan Athletic	v	Manchester United	DW Stadium

Minggu, 23 Agustus 2009
TIME	HOME		AWAY	VENUE
19:30 WIB	West Ham Utd	v	Tottenham H	Upton Park
21:00 WIB	Burnley	v	Everton	Turf Moor
22:00 WIB	Fulham	v	Chelsea	Craven Cottage

Selasa, 25 Agustus 2009
TIME	HOME		AWAY	VENUE
02:00 WIB	Liverpool	v	Aston Villa	Anfield

EPL UPDATE SCORE

2009-08-15T00:01:00.001+07:00

Rabu, 19 Agustus 2009
TIME	HOME		AWAY	VENUE
postponed	Fulham	v	Blackburn Rovers	Craven Cottage
01:45 WIB	Sunderland	v	Chelsea	Stadium of Light
01:45 WIB	Wigan Athletic	v	Wolverhamton W.	DW Stadium
postponed	West Ham Utd	v	Aston Villa	Upton Park
postponed	Arsenal	v	Bolton Wanderers	Emirates Stadium

Kamis, 20 Agustus 2009
TIME	HOME		AWAY	VENUE
01:45 WIB	Birmingham	v	Portsmouth	St Andrews Stadium
01:45 WIB	Hull City	v	Tottenham H	Kingston Comm. S
01:45 WIB	Burnley	v	Manchester United	Turf Moor
02:00 WIB	Liverpool	v	Stoke City	Anfield
postponed	Manchester City	v	Everton	City of Manchester S

Sabtu, 22 Agustus 2009
TIME	HOME		AWAY	VENUE
21:00 WIB	Arsenal	v	Portsmouth	Emirates Stadium
21:00 WIB	Birmingham	v	Stoke City	St Andrews S
21:00 WIB	Hull City	v	Bolton Wanderers	Kingston Comm
21:00 WIB	Sunderland	v	Blackburn Rovers	Stadium of Light
21:00 WIB	Manchester City	v	Wolverhampton W	City of Manchester S
21:00 WIB	Wigan Athletic	v	Manchester United	DW Stadium

Minggu, 23 Agustus 2009
TIME	HOME		AWAY	VENUE
19:30 WIB	West Ham Utd	v	Tottenham H	Upton Park
21:00 WIB	Burnley	v	Everton	Turf Moor
22:00 WIB	Fulham	v	Chelsea	Craven Cottage

Selasa, 25 Agustus 2009
TIME	HOME		AWAY	VENUE
02:00 WIB	Liverpool	v	Aston Villa	Anfield

ENGLAND PREMIERSHIP SCHEDULE 15 agust 2009

2009-08-15T00:01:00.000+07:00

Aston Villa vs Wigan
Blackburn vs Man City
Bolton vs Sunderland
Chelsea vs Hull
Everton vs Arsenal
Man Utd vs Birmingham
Portsmouth vs Fulham
Stoke vs Burnley
Tottenham vs Liverpool
Wolverhampton vs West Ham

ENGLAND PREMIERSHIP SCHEDULE

2009-08-13T15:51:00.002+07:00

Sabtu, 15 Agustus 2009
Aston Villa vs Wigan
Blackburn vs Man City
Bolton vs Sunderland
Chelsea vs Hull
Everton vs Arsenal
Man Utd vs Birmingham
Portsmouth vs Fulham
Stoke vs Burnley
Tottenham vs Liverpool
Wolverhampton vs West Ham

Selasa, 18 Agustus 2009
Arsenal vs Bolton
Birmingham vs Portsmouth
Burnley vs Man Utd
Fulham vs Blackburn
Hull vs Tottenham
Sunderland vs Chelsea
West Ham OFF Aston Villa
Wigan vs Wolverhampton

Rabu, 19 Agustus 2009
Liverpool vs Stoke
Man City OFF Everton

Sabtu, 22 Agustus 2009
Arsenal vs Portsmouth
Birmingham vs Stoke
Burnley vs Everton
Fulham vs Chelsea
Hull vs Bolton
Liverpool vs Aston Villa
Man City vs Wolverhampton
Sunderland vs Blackburn
West Ham vs Tottenham
Wigan vs Man Utd

Sabtu, 29 Agustus 2009
Aston Villa vs Fulham
Blackburn vs West Ham
Bolton vs Liverpool
Chelsea vs Burnley
Everton vs Wigan
Man Utd vs Arsenal
Portsmouth vs Man City
Stoke vs Sunderland
Tottenham vs Birmingham
Wolverhampton vs Hull

Sabtu, 12 September 2009
Birmingham vs Aston Villa
Blackburn vs Wolverhampton
Fulham vs Everton
Liverpool vs Burnley
Man City vs Arsenal
Portsmouth vs Bolton
Stoke vs Chelsea
Sunderland vs Hull
Tottenham vs Man Utd
Wigan vs West Ham

Sabtu, 19 September 2009
Arsenal vs Wigan
Aston Villa vs Portsmouth
Bolton vs Stoke
Burnley vs Sunderland
Chelsea vs Tottenham
Everton vs Blackburn
Hull vs Birmingham
Man Utd vs Man City
West Ham vs Liverpool
Wolverhampton vs Fulham

Sabtu, 26 September 2009
Birmingham vs Bolton
Blackburn vs Aston Villa
Fulham vs Arsenal
Liverpool vs Hull
Man City vs West Ham
Portsmouth vs Everton
Stoke vs Man Utd
Sunderland vs Wolverhampton
Tottenham vs Burnley
Wigan vs Chelsea

Sabtu, 3 Oktober 2009
Arsenal vs Blackburn
Aston Villa vs Man City
Bolton vs Tottenham
Burnley vs Birmingham
Chelsea vs Liverpool
Everton vs Stoke
Hull vs Wigan
Man Utd vs Sunderland
West Ham vs Fulham
Wolverhampton vs Portsmouth

Sabtu, 17 Oktober 2009
Arsenal vs Birmingham
Aston Villa vs Chelsea
Blackburn vs Burnley
Everton vs Wolverhampton
Fulham vs Hull
Man Utd vs Bolton
Portsmouth vs Tottenham
Stoke vs West Ham
Sunderland vs Liverpool
Wigan vs Man City

Sabtu, 24 Oktober 2009
Birmingham vs Sunderland
Bolton vs Everton
Burnley vs Wigan
Chelsea vs Blackburn
Hull vs Portsmouth
Liverpool vs Man Utd
Man City vs Fulham
Tottenham vs Stoke
West Ham vs Arsenal
Wolverhampton vs Aston Villa

Sabtu, 31 Oktober 2009
Arsenal vs Tottenham
Birmingham vs Man City
Bolton vs Chelsea
Burnley vs Hull
Everton vs Aston Villa
Fulham vs Liverpool
Man Utd vs Blackburn
Portsmouth vs Wigan
Stoke vs Wolverhampton
Sunderland vs West Ham

Sabtu, 7 November 2009
Aston Villa vs Bolton
Blackburn vs Portsmouth
Chelsea vs Man Utd
Hull vs Stoke
Liverpool vs Birmingham
Man City vs Burnley
Tottenham vs Sunderland
West Ham vs Everton
Wigan vs Fulham
Wolverhampton vs Arsenal

Sabtu, 21 November 2009
Birmingham vs Fulham
Bolton vs Blackburn
Burnley vs Aston Villa
Chelsea vs Wolverhampton
Hull vs West Ham
Liverpool vs Man City
Man Utd vs Everton
Stoke vs Portsmouth
Sunderland vs Arsenal
Tottenham vs Wigan

Sabtu, 28 November 2009
Arsenal vs Chelsea
Aston Villa vs Tottenham
Blackburn vs Stoke
Everton vs Liverpool
Fulham vs Bolton
Man City vs Hull
Portsmouth vs Man Utd
West Ham vs Burnley
Wigan vs Sunderland
Wolverhampton vs Birmingham

Sabtu, 5 Desember 2009
Arsenal vs Stoke
Aston Villa vs Hull
Blackburn vs Liverpool
Everton vs Tottenham
Fulham vs Sunderland
Man City vs Chelsea
Portsmouth vs Burnley
West Ham vs Man Utd
Wigan vs Birmingham
Wolverhampton vs Bolton

Sabtu, 12 Desember 2009
Birmingham vs West Ham
Bolton vs Man City
Burnley vs Fulham
Chelsea vs Everton
Hull vs Blackburn
Liverpool vs Arsenal
Man Utd vs Aston Villa
Stoke vs Wigan
Sunderland vs Portsmouth
Tottenham vs Wolverhampton

Selasa, 15 Desember 2009
Birmingham vs Blackburn
Bolton vs West Ham
Burnley vs Arsenal
Hull vs Everton
Man Utd vs Wolverhampton
Stoke vs Fulham
Sunderland vs Aston Villa
Tottenham vs Man City

Rabu, 16 Desember 2009
Chelsea vs Portsmouth
Liverpool vs Wigan

Sabtu, 19 Desember 2009
Arsenal vs Hull
Aston Villa vs Stoke
Blackburn vs Tottenham
Everton vs Birmingham
Fulham vs Man Utd
Man City vs Sunderland
Portsmouth vs Liverpool
West Ham vs Chelsea
Wigan vs Bolton
Wolverhampton vs Burnley

Sabtu, 26 Desember 2009
Arsenal vs Aston Villa
Birmingham vs Chelsea
Burnley vs Bolton
Fulham vs Tottenham
Hull vs Man Utd
Liverpool vs Wolverhampton
Man City vs Stoke
Sunderland vs Everton
West Ham vs Portsmouth
Wigan vs Blackburn

Monday, 28 Desember 2009
Aston Villa vs Liverpool
Blackburn vs Sunderland
Bolton vs Hull
Chelsea vs Fulham
Everton vs Burnley
Man Utd vs Wigan
Portsmouth vs Arsenal
Stoke vs Birmingham
Tottenham vs West Ham
Wolverhampton vs Man City

Sabtu, 9 Januari 2010
Arsenal vs Everton
Birmingham vs Man Utd
Burnley vs Stoke
Fulham vs Portsmouth
Hull vs Chelsea
Liverpool vs Tottenham
Man City vs Blackburn
Sunderland vs Bolton
West Ham vs Wolverhampton
Wigan vs Aston Villa

Sabtu, 16 Januari 2010
Aston Villa vs West Ham
Blackburn vs Fulham
Bolton vs Arsenal
Chelsea vs Sunderland
Everton vs Man City
Man Utd vs Burnley
Portsmouth vs Birmingham
Stoke vs Liverpool
Tottenham vs Hull
Wolverhampton vs Wigan

Selasa, 26 Januari 2010
Bolton vs Burnley
Man Utd vs Hull
Portsmouth vs West Ham
Stoke vs Man City
Tottenham vs Fulham
Wolverhampton vs Liverpool

Rabu, 27 Januari 2010
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
Blackburn vs Wigan
Chelsea vs Birmingham
Everton vs Sunderland

Sabtu, 30 Januari 2010
Arsenal vs Man Utd
Birmingham vs Tottenham
Burnley vs Chelsea
Fulham vs Aston Villa
Hull vs Wolverhampton
Liverpool vs Bolton
Man City vs Portsmouth
Sunderland vs Stoke
West Ham vs Blackburn
Wigan vs Everton

Sabtu, 6 Februari 2010
Birmingham vs Wolverhampton
Bolton vs Fulham
Burnley vs West Ham
Chelsea vs Arsenal
Hull vs Man City
Liverpool vs Everton
Man Utd vs Portsmouth
Stoke vs Blackburn
Sunderland vs Wigan
Tottenham vs Aston Villa

Selasa, 9 Februari 2010
Arsenal vs Liverpool
Fulham vs Burnley
Portsmouth vs Sunderland
West Ham vs Birmingham
Wigan vs Stoke
Wolverhampton vs Tottenham

Rabu, 10 Februari 2010
Aston Villa vs Man Utd
Blackburn vs Hull
Everton vs Chelsea
Man City vs Bolton

Sabtu, 20 Februari 2010
Arsenal vs Sunderland
Aston Villa vs Burnley
Blackburn vs Bolton
Everton vs Man Utd
Fulham vs Birmingham
Man City vs Liverpool
Portsmouth vs Stoke
West Ham vs Hull
Wigan vs Tottenham
Wolverhampton vs Chelsea

Sabtu, 27 Februari 2010
Birmingham vs Wigan
Bolton vs Wolverhampton
Burnley vs Portsmouth
Chelsea vs Man City
Hull vs Aston Villa
Liverpool vs Blackburn
Man Utd vs West Ham
Stoke vs Arsenal
Sunderland vs Fulham
Tottenham vs Everton

Sabtu, 6 Maret 2010
Arsenal vs Burnley
Aston Villa vs Sunderland
Blackburn vs Birmingham
Everton vs Hull
Fulham vs Stoke
Man City vs Tottenham
Portsmouth vs Chelsea
West Ham vs Bolton
Wigan vs Liverpool
Wolverhampton vs Man Utd

Sabtu, 13 Maret 2010
Birmingham vs Everton
Bolton vs Wigan
Burnley vs Wolverhampton
Chelsea vs West Ham
Hull vs Arsenal
Liverpool vs Portsmouth
Man Utd vs Fulham
Stoke vs Aston Villa
Sunderland vs Man City
Tottenham vs Blackburn

Sabtu, 20 Maret 2010
Arsenal vs West Ham
Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton
Blackburn vs Chelsea
Everton vs Bolton
Fulham vs Man City
Man Utd vs Liverpool
Portsmouth vs Hull
Stoke vs Tottenham
Sunderland vs Birmingham
Wigan vs Burnley

Sabtu, 27 Maret 2010
Birmingham vs Arsenal
Bolton vs Man Utd
Burnley vs Blackburn
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
Hull vs Fulham
Liverpool vs Sunderland
Man City vs Wigan
Tottenham vs Portsmouth
West Ham vs Stoke
Wolverhampton vs Everton

Sabtu, 3 April 2010
Arsenal vs Wolverhampton
Birmingham vs Liverpool
Bolton vs Aston Villa
Burnley vs Man City
Everton vs West Ham
Fulham vs Wigan
Man Utd vs Chelsea
Portsmouth vs Blackburn
Stoke vs Hull
Sunderland vs Tottenham

Sabtu, 10 April 2010
Aston Villa vs Everton
Blackburn vs Man Utd
Chelsea vs Bolton
Hull vs Burnley
Liverpool vs Fulham
Man City vs Birmingham
Tottenham vs Arsenal
West Ham vs Sunderland
Wigan vs Portsmouth
Wolverhampton vs Stoke

Sabtu, 17 April 2010
Birmingham vs Hull
Blackburn vs Everton
Fulham vs Wolverhampton
Liverpool vs West Ham
Man City vs Man Utd
Portsmouth vs Aston Villa
Stoke vs Bolton
Sunderland vs Burnley
Tottenham vs Chelsea
Wigan vs Arsenal

Sabtu, 24 April 2010
Arsenal vs Man City
Aston Villa vs Birmingham
Bolton vs Portsmouth
Burnley vs Liverpool
Chelsea vs Stoke
Everton vs Fulham
Hull vs Sunderland
Man Utd vs Tottenham
West Ham vs Wigan
Wolverhampton vs Blackburn

Sabtu, 1 Mei 2010
Birmingham vs Burnley
Blackburn vs Arsenal
Fulham vs West Ham
Liverpool vs Chelsea
Man City vs Aston Villa
Portsmouth vs Wolverhampton
Stoke vs Everton
Sunderland vs Man Utd
Tottenham vs Bolton
Wigan vs Hull

Minggu, 9 Mei 2010
Arsenal vs Fulham
Aston Villa vs Blackburn
Bolton vs Birmingham
Burnley vs Tottenham
Chelsea vs Wigan
Everton vs Portsmouth
Hull vs Liverpool
Man Utd vs Stoke
West Ham vs Man City
Wolverhampton vs Sunderland

CHELSEA KEYWORDS

2009-08-13T15:25:00.003+07:00

Welcome to the Official Chelsea Football Club website.
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Chelsea F.C. (Chelsea Football Club), juga dikenal sebagai The Blues atau sebelumnya sebagai The Pensioners (London F.C.), adalah sebuah klub sepak bola ...
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Chelsea Football Club - information on its history, results and players from The Official Site of the Premier League, Premierleague.com.
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chelseafc.com - The Official Site of Chelsea Football Club ... Chelsea Football Club today unveiled an exciting revamp to its Bridge Kids ...
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Klub penggemar Chelsea FC pertama dan terbesar di Indonesia.
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BIG MATCH EPL
Manchester United vs Arsenal (29 Agustus 2009)
Chelsea vs Liverpool (3 Oktober2009 )
Liverpool vs Manchester United (24 Oktober 2009)
Chelsea vs Manchester United (7 Nopember 2009)
Arsenal vs Chelsea (28 Nopember 2009)
Liverpool vs Arsenal (12 Desember 2009)
Arsenal vs Manchester United (30 Januari 2010 )
Chelsea vs Arsenal (6 Februari 2010)
Arsenal vs Liverpool (9 Februari 2010)
Manchester United vs Liverpool (20 Maret 2010)
Manchester United vs Chelsea (3 April 2010)
Liverpool vs Chelsea (1 Mei 2010 )

Community Shield: The Season Starts Here For Chelsea & Manchester United

2009-08-09T22:05:00.000+07:00

Previously... Chelsea pick up where they left off last season: on a high note at Wembley, where they beat Everton to lift the FA Cup and collected their first trophy since 2007.

On the other hand, Manchester United's season ended in misery, as Barcelona knocked them off their European plinth by winning the Champions League final. Before that, however, it was business as usual, including the FIFA Club World Cup, Carling Cup and a Liverpool-equalling 18th league title.

The Community Shield is more often than not a cagey affair, but there just might be a bit more needle and an early power struggle this time around... Blues' Clues The punters are going mental for Chelsea in the lead-up to the new season, forking over their paper money to bookmakers all over the country and fully expecting to see a big return on their investment come the end of the new Premier League season.

The reasons for this are simple: Chelsea have managed to come out of a period of turmoil with a solid, well-balanced squad. They have match-winners and are full of belief, after enjoying a resurgence under last season's temporary gaffer Guus Hiddink.

Now, still hungry after several high-profile 'close but no cigar' tournament conclusions, they've appointed a born winner in Carlo Ancelotti. Add to this promising situation the fact that their rivals have taken something of a beating during this ultimate transfer market silly season, and you can see why the 'smart money' is on the Blues.

United They Stand Manchester United certainly know how to put that Shield in the cabinet; for the last two seasons, the curtain raiser has kick-started what would become successful seasons. In 2007, the Red Devils beat Chelsea on penalties following a 1-1 draw, before doing the same to Portsmouth last term, after a goal-less stalemate.

Going back in time to assess United's record in the show-piece, we can see that they've gone through spells of negotiating the game with ease, followed by droughts.

For example, they won it four times between 1993 and '97 but lost four on the trot from '98 to 2001. Still, they have the last two years on their side.

Now, they come into the new season without their free-scoring centre-piece Cristiano Ronaldo, who finally made his long-touted move to Real Madrid for mega money, and they are also without that little Argentine battler Carlos Tevez.

The game against Chelsea is United's first chance to show that, with the rest of their squad in tact and a few modest signings added, they're still able to set the standard for the rest of the 'Big Four' to aim for. FORM GUIDE Chelsea 18 July: Seattle Sounders W2-0 (Friendly)

22 July: Inter W2-0 (Friendly)
25 July: Milan W2-1 (Friendly)
27 July: Club America W2-0 (Friendly)
01 Aug: Reading D2-2 (Friendly) Manchester United 18 July: Malaysian XI W3-2 (Friendly)
20 July: Malaysian XI W2-0 (Friendly)
24 July: FC Seoul W3-2 (Friendly)
26 July: Hangzhou Greentown W8-2 (Friendly)
29 July: Boca Juniors W2-1 (Audi Cup)
30 July: Bayern Munich L0-0 (pens) (Audi Cup)
05 Aug: Valencia W2-0 (Friendly) TEAM NEWS Chelsea Ancelotti's squad is still far from 100% fit, with Joe Cole and Paulo Ferreira crocked and new signing Yuri Zhirkov doubtful. Michael Ballack has also been struggling but could recover in time. Ross Turnbull and Daniel Sturridge could play their first competitive games for the Blues. Possible Starting XI (4-4-2): Cech; Bosingwa, Terry, Alex, A.Cole; Mikel, Essien, Lampard, Malouda; Anelka, Drogba. Manchester United Ferguson is not without his pre-game headaches either. Nemanja Vidic, Edwin van der Sar and Gary Neville are all out of action, meaning that Ben Foster or Tomasz Kuszczak will start between the sticks. Newcomers Michael Owen and Antonio Valencia are poised to make their official debuts. Possible Starting XI (4-4-2): Foster; O'Shea, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra; Valencia, Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs; Rooney, Berbatov.

PLAYERS TO WATCH Chelsea will likely look to Didier Drogba, who loves doing the business at Wembley, to spearhead their front-line. The Ivorian will relish being bereft of injury woes at this stage of the summer and will look to start strongly. That's not to say that most eyes won't be on skipper John Terry, who rebuffed Man City to stay at Stamford Bridge, after a brief flirtation with the moneybags club. Manchester United, meanwhile, will hope that Wayne Rooney can make a similar impact. 'CR7' has morphed into 'CR9' and has relocated to Madrid, and many feel that this season could be the making of Rooney. He's set to be the attacking focal point; he's likely to play more centrally; he has a World Cup to start thinking about. Can he live up to the expectations?

PREDICTION With six substitutions available to both gaffers, this one could be stop-start. In recent times these have been tight affairs, so I'll plump for Chelsea to exact some minor revenge for their penalty shoot-out loss to United in the 2007-08 Champions League final.

chelsea vs manchester united live score

2009-08-09T21:57:00.002+07:00

Half-time at Wembley! United lead 1-0 at the break, courtesy of Nani's strike. It's been entertaining fare so far, so join me in 15 minutes for all the second half action.

45°

Rooney comes within a whisker of sending Nani clean through but again Chelsea just manage to get a block in. The action then flies straight down the other end with Malouda crossing for Drogba. The ball is cleared for a corner which Foster gratefully claims.

44°

Great save by Cech! From the corner the ball is played short to Fletcher who sends in a brilliant curling effort which looks destined for the top corner before Cech tips it over!

43°

Another cross is fired into the United box, this time by Ivanovic, but it falls straight to Foster. United then break at pace and John Terry is forced to concede a corner.

40°

A cross from Malouda has to be headed clear by Evans as Chelsea look to end the half strongly. Anelka then shoots from just inside the box and the ball looks to be creeping in at the far post, but it just curls wide!

37°

Good shot by Anelka! Again the threat comes down the left. Anelka cuts inside and fires in a fierce drive which Rio Ferdinand is forced to head just over the bar.

35°

Great run by Nani! TThe winger picks up possession just over the half-way line and races goalwards but he's just overdone it and by the time he comes to shoot the angle is too tight and he can't beat Cech.

33°

More tentative stuff by Foster! Another back pass almost lands him in trouble again but somehow he escapes! Not convincing at all though by the young Englishman.

32°

Foster almost plays himself into trouble! The United keeper dawdles over a back pass and invites a challenge from Drogba but somehow he escapes! Lucky boy.

31°

Good stuff by Chelsea! Ashley Cole does well down the left and sends in a cross which Michael Essien races onto,. He outjumps Evra, but can 't keep his header down and it sails harmlessly over the bar.

28°

Chelsea win a free kick in a very tasty position. It's fairly central and Lampard is standing over it but he thumps it ... straight into the wall! The ball comes back, however, and finds Malouda unmarked at the back stick but he thrashes it wide! What a chance!

25°

Another chance for United. A long ball finds Park in the box but Ricardo Carvalho does well to steal the ball off him and clear for a corner.

23°

Awkward cross in from the right by Chelsea almost causes a problem for United. Frank Lampard looks to be on the end of it but Darren Fletcher has tracked his run and is on hand to hoof the ball clear.

21°

Almost mid-way through the first half at Wembley and United are good value for their lead so far. There may be no Cristiano Ronaldo, but so far he hasn't been missed.

18°

End to end stuff at Wembley! First of all Drogba shots at Foster before United break again and Berbatov races into the box before shooting but Cech stays up well to deny the Bulgarian with another super stop.

16°

Great save by Cech! More good pressure from the champions. Some super play by John O'Shea feeds Berbatov down the right. He crosses for Rooney but it's just too high for the striker. However, he manages to head it down to Park who gets a shot away but Cech saves at close range.

13°

More trouble for Chelsea down the left. Evra teases Ivanovic who is forced to bring the full back down for a free kick. Nani wastes the set piece but seconds later Ivanovic brings down Evra again and picks up a yellow card! Again the free kick comes to nothing.

13°

Yellow Card Branislav Ivanovic

11°

Fletcher flights a great cross-field ball out to Nani out wide on the left. He cuts inside before unleashing a fierce shot which flies low into the far corner!

10°

Goal Nani

10°

Gooooooooall! Nani scores and Manchester United lead 1-0!

9°

United enjoy a nice spell of possession and work the ball out well to Evra on the left. The full back tries a cross but balloons it straight into the arms of Petr Cech.

6°

Chelsea hit the bar! A Lampard corner into the box causes panic. Ivanovic gets a touch on it but Evra manages to nod the ball onto the woodwork before eventually the ball is cleared! So close for the Blues!

5°

So close for United! Rooney comes within a whisker of sending Berbatov clean through but somehow John Terry manages to stick out a foot to clear the danger!

4°

Only a few minutes on the clock but Dimitar Berbatov picks up an after attempting to block a quick free kick.

3°

Yellow Card Dimitar Berbatov

2°

Didier Drogba thumps a low shot goalwards from some distance. It’s on target but Ben Foster is equal to it and claims comfortably.

1°

Here we go! Chelsea kick off at a sun-drenched Wembley Stadium. The Blues start slowly, happy to possession and wait for an opening.

Some quick team news ahead of kick off, Ben Foster is in the United goal but Michael Owen and Antonio Valencia have to settle for a place on the bench. For Chelsea there’s no Yuri Zhirkov but Ricardo Carvalho partners John Terry at the back.

Good afternoon and welcome to goal.com's live coverage of the FA Community Shield. Champions Manchester United take on FA Cup holders Chelsea at Wembley in the traditional season curtain-raiser. Kick off is coming right up, so stay tuned for all the live action!

chelsea vs manchester united live score

2009-08-09T21:57:00.000+07:00

Half-time at Wembley! United lead 1-0 at the break, courtesy of Nani's strike. It's been entertaining fare so far, so join me in 15 minutes for all the second half action.

45°

44°

Great save by Cech! From the corner the ball is played short to Fletcher who sends in a brilliant curling effort which looks destined for the top corner before Cech tips it over!

43°

Another cross is fired into the United box, this time by Ivanovic, but it falls straight to Foster. United then break at pace and John Terry is forced to concede a corner.

40°

37°

Good shot by Anelka! Again the threat comes down the left. Anelka cuts inside and fires in a fierce drive which Rio Ferdinand is forced to head just over the bar.

35°

33°

More tentative stuff by Foster! Another back pass almost lands him in trouble again but somehow he escapes! Not convincing at all though by the young Englishman.

32°

Foster almost plays himself into trouble! The United keeper dawdles over a back pass and invites a challenge from Drogba but somehow he escapes! Lucky boy.

31°

28°

25°

Another chance for United. A long ball finds Park in the box but Ricardo Carvalho does well to steal the ball off him and clear for a corner.

23°

21°

Almost mid-way through the first half at Wembley and United are good value for their lead so far. There may be no Cristiano Ronaldo, but so far he hasn't been missed.

18°

16°

13°

Yellow Card Branislav Ivanovic

11°

Fletcher flights a great cross-field ball out to Nani out wide on the left. He cuts inside before unleashing a fierce shot which flies low into the far corner!

10°

Goal Nani

10°

Gooooooooall! Nani scores and Manchester United lead 1-0!

9°

United enjoy a nice spell of possession and work the ball out well to Evra on the left. The full back tries a cross but balloons it straight into the arms of Petr Cech.

6°

5°

So close for United! Rooney comes within a whisker of sending Berbatov clean through but somehow John Terry manages to stick out a foot to clear the danger!

4°

Only a few minutes on the clock but Dimitar Berbatov picks up an after attempting to block a quick free kick.

3°

Yellow Card Dimitar Berbatov

2°

Didier Drogba thumps a low shot goalwards from some distance. It’s on target but Ben Foster is equal to it and claims comfortably.

1°

Here we go! Chelsea kick off at a sun-drenched Wembley Stadium. The Blues start slowly, happy to possession and wait for an opening.

Transfer Rumours And Round Up: August 7-8

2009-08-08T21:08:00.001+07:00

There's more speculation than done deals in the transfer market today but Martin Caceres's loan move to Juventus from Barcelona headlines the day's business.

Also, Arsenal have agreed a temporary loan deal for Fran Merida, who will join Levante on a one-year loan.

The Gunners are still being linked with some arrivals after a summer of departures. Arsene Wenger has confirmed his interest in both Fulham's Brede Hangeland and Bordeaux's Marouane Chamakh.

The Bordeaux forward could leave the French champions over the weekend as his coach, Laurent Blanc, revealed he may be an Arsenal player by Monday.

The north London outfit will not be allowing Armand Traore to join Birmingham City on loan though.

Staying in the Premier League, Martin O'Neill has admitted that his Aston Villa side are in the running to sign Wesley Sneijder from Real Madrid. The Merengues will apparently not be losing Mahamadou Diarra this summer though, at least according to his agent.

Meanwhile, Juan Mata has spurned the opportunity to sign a new contract at Valencia and could be about to discuss a transfer to Barcelona.

In Italy, the rumours are swarming around Roma. La Magica have been linked with Lille's Yohan Cabaye as a replacement for Alberto Aquilani and Mauro Esposito is said to be interesting Sampdoria. Also, Inter defender Nicolas Burdisso has been tipped to join the capital outfit.

Across the Stadio Olimpico, Lazio are linked with a move for their former captain, Massimo Oddo, as part of an exchange deal with Milan that would involve Lorenzo De Silvestri.

The Rossoneri could make a move for San Lorenzo's Gonzalo Bergessio and also revealed details of failed bids for Claudio Pizarro and Luis Fabiano.

Walter Gargano has put his Napoli future in doubt by claiming that the club do not appreciate him. Benfica are apparently monitoring the situation with interest.

Victor Obinna, the Inter forward, is on the radar of Parma and Schalke 04. Finally, another Bundesliga club, Dortmund, have secured the signing of the prodigious Rennes attacker, Damien Le Tallec.

Report: Madrid Reach Agreement With Bayern For Ribery In 2010

2009-08-08T21:07:00.001+07:00

Fresh off completing the purchase of their final Galactico, Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid have already set in motion their project for 2010.

According to AS, Florentino Perez has already sealed a deal with Franck Ribery after reaching an agreement with his agent, Alain Migliaccio which will see the Frenchman sign a five-year contract starting in 2010.

The only obstacle that remains now is negotiations with Bayern Munich for the transfer fee and another soap opera is expected to ensue this time next summer.

However, the Madrid-based daily believes that it will be much easier to persuade the Bavarians to release Ribery next year as the player’s contract at the Allianz Arena will expire in 2011, thus giving Los Blancos a massive upperhand in negotiations.

It is reported that an offer of €25 million could be enough for the 26-year-old, as Bayern could be forced to part with their superstar midfielder for nothing if his switch to the Bernabeu is delayed until June 2011.

Ribery could even be allowed to leave for anywhere between €16m and €22m if the international player’s union, FIFPro, take their case to the European Commission should Bayern continue to refuse to let the player go.

But Perez is unwilling to cause a conflict and jeopardize his relationship with Die Roten as he prefers to sit down and settle the matter amicably with his German counterparts.

Champions League Playoff Draw: Arsenal Meet Celtic, Fiorentina Tackle Sporting

2009-08-08T21:05:00.001+07:00

Arsenal must overcome Celtic if they are to qualify for the group stages of the competition in which the Gunners reached the semi-finalis last season.

Full details of the draw:

Olympique Lyonnais vs. Anderlecht

Celtic vs. Arsenal

FC Timisoara vs. VfB Stuttgart

Sporting CP vs. Fiorentina

Panathinaikos vs. Atletico Madrid

Olympiacos CFP vs. FC Sheriff

FC Salzburg vs. Maccabi Haifa FC

FK Ventspils vs. FC Zürich

FC København vs. APOEL FC

PFC Levski Sofia vs. Debreceni VSC

The two leg ties will be played on the 18/19 and 25/26 of August. The ten winners will enter the draw for the Champions League group stages which will occur on the 27^th August.

The losers will automatically drop into the inaugural Europa League tournament.

Ferguson: Chelsea Will Be Formidable Under Carlo Ancelotti

2009-08-08T21:04:00.000+07:00

Sir Alex Ferguson spoke about the upcoming season and believes Carlo Ancelotti will pick up from where Guus Hiddink left off last year.

“Carlo will take up the baton from Guus Hiddink.” Ferguson told The Times of India.

“Although Carlo has his own system of playing, with a diamond in the middle, Chelsea have a lot of experience and a lot of terrific players," he explained.

"Chelsea will be strong. Keeping John Terry will make them stronger, no doubt about that. He's experienced, he's England's captain and he's a good centre half.”

The Red Devils' boss also acknowledged that Manchester City could present a threat to his side and the other 'big four' this season.

“I think ourselves, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are looking at what is happening at Manchester City with great interest," he added.

“We're all looking to see whether it will work or not after the money they have spent. There's a lot of interest in that from all of us.

"It's difficult to break into the top four with the consistency and quality that the top four have got. Don't forget that over the last few years those teams have competed in semi-finals and finals of the European Cup.

"It's a great consistency that. They're talking about Barcelona and Real Madrid starting to dominate again (in Europe) but I have my doubts on that. I think those four (Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal) are strong teams."

Andrea Pirlo: I Rejected Chelsea Because Milan Can Win The Scudetto

2009-08-08T21:01:00.000+07:00

The midfield star has explained why he ended up staying at San Siro this summer.

Andrea Pirlo has explained that if he didn't believe Milan could win the Serie A title this season, he would have quit the club to join Chelsea.

The 30-year-old was expected to join former Rossoneri coach Carlo Ancelotti at Stamford Bridge this summer, and for a while the transfer looked inevitable.

However, this week Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi announced that Pirlo will not be joining Chelsea and will instead be finishing his career at the San Siro.

“I knew there was an important offer on the table from Chelsea, and my agent kept me up to date, but I did not spend the summer glued to the telephone,” the ex-Inter man told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“The reason was very simple – I wanted to stay at Milan and never asked to leave. I must also confess that I already knew about what was going to happen three nights before Berlusconi flew in.

“Did Ancelotti take it well? Well, not really. He was disappointed, but he understood.

“Something should be made very clear: if I thought Milan’s objective was just a decent placement, I would be at Chelsea right now. I want to win. These are not just words - I am convinced it is possible.”

Despite the signing of Klaas Jan Huntelaar from Real Madrid on Thursday, many people still feel it is going to be a rough season for Milan, but Pirlo will hope to prove them all wrong.

Didier Drogba Talks Up Community Shield Game Against Manchester United

2009-08-08T21:00:00.000+07:00

The prolific goal scorer has highlighted his partnership with Nicolas Anelka, hoping that it will result in many goals this season.

Didier Drogba talked up the FA Community Shield game against Manchester United by focusing on his partnership with Nicolas Anelka, and said that he hoped that it would result in a lot of cheer this season.

Previous bosses of the Blues have used Drogba as a lone striker on many occasions, but the Ivorian - who has scored every time he has played at Wembley since the FA Cup final in 2007 - is keen to keep up his strike force partnership with Anelka tomorrow.

“It’s different with two up there as you share the dirty work," Drogba quipped, as quoted on The Daily Star.

The former Marseille hit-man then spoke of his 2006-07 season, which was the last time he partnered a striker for a whole season. He ended up scoring 33 goals and being crowned the African Footballer of the Year.

"Hopefully it will be the same again and we score a lot of goals together, helping us win everything we want to," he said.

Chelsea will take on the Red Devils in Wembley in an effort to win the Community Shield.

Petr Cech: Chelsea Have Two Great Forwards

2009-08-08T20:58:00.000+07:00

The Blues goalkeeper lavishes praise on Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba.

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech believes the strikers at the club's disposal mean that Carlo Ancelotti's side are a threat to any defense, domestically or on the continent.

“We have a front two that will worry everyone in the Premier League and in Europe,” Cech told the club's official website.

“One is the former best scorer in the league and the other is last season's top scorer and if you count the goals together, it is a great striking force.

“The season is long and we will need everyone to score goals,” he continued.

“But if they score in every game, it will be great for us.”

Cech has no doubts that Anelka and Drogba can play together effectively as a unit.

“It is a perfect combination.” he said.

“You can see that they play and cooperate well together.

“One has the pace and the intelligence, the other has everything to help him get the ball, open the space or score goals.

“It's been great to see them play the way they have in pre-season, with their quality. We can see what's going to be the plan.” he remarked.

Cech went on to evaluate the strength of Chelsea's Community Shield opponents, Manchester United.

“They have only bought a few players because Mr Ferguson is happy with what he's got,” he said.

“They have a great squad, but they still have money to get whoever they want.”

“It will be exciting to see whether they will miss Ronaldo more than Ronaldo will miss them,” he mused.

“Even though Owen has had a few injuries, he has an awesome goal-scoring record. I think he'll be a great addition to their squad.”

CHELSEA VS MANCHESTER UNITED

2009-08-08T20:51:00.002+07:00

Chelsea will meet manchester united in the comunity shield and heating will be a good for both clubs to inform each other's teeth before a primary English league start.

Who the winner Manchester United or chelsea.Match Manchester United Vs chelsea will be a very interesting at this momen.With a new coach anceloti degreeto give ready for prime chelsea.

Manchester United do not lose out even though that Winger has lost to madrid.Arrived of the owen and valencia can change ronaldo position .After gman utd get he from Newcastle United with a free transfer and give the number sacred owen back successfully showed the ability in the fight Manchester United.

Chelsea are back in sevchenko tighten the back of the borowed in Milan and Claudio pizaro can reinforce the front lines than Drogba and anelka.Come Yuri zhirkhov also the addition of power midles of chelsea.

Who will be successful before the league's primary revolving we see it later.

IBRAHIMOVIC IS THE EXPENSIVE PLAYER IN THE WORLD

2009-08-06T08:19:00.002+07:00

IBRAHIMOVIC IS THE EXPENSIVE PLAYER IN THE WORLD,Barselona claim ibra is the expensive player in the world why?.Because barcelona prediction a prize of CR 9 is cheap morethan ibra prize.

Liverpool Need A Rooney, Tevez, Silva Or Iniesta - Fernando Torres

2009-07-29T13:02:00.001+07:00

Fernando Torres has said that Liverpool need a particular kind of player to complete their squad: either a forward in the mould of Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez, or a midfielder in the style of David Silva and Andres Iniesta.

According to The Sun, he said, "We lack players like Rooney and Tevez who can drop back between the lines of attack and midfield and cause havoc for opposing defences and midfields."

The Reds fell just short of Manchester United in their pursuit of a first Premier League title last term, due in no small part to their inability to break down the defence-minded visitors at Anfield.

And Torres is certain that the addition of a creative, free-roaming attacker would instantly increase his side's chances against the smaller, less adventurous teams.

"We lost the title because of not winning enough home games against sides who ended up mid-table," he continued.

"Liverpool need a player like David Silva and Andres Iniesta - players who can drop deep, find unexpected space, use a bit of quality and open up a game.

"Rooney and Tevez are the kind of footballers who pull defenders and holding midfielders into places they don't want to be.

"At home, United and Liverpool get sides who just want to get men behind the ball and defend.

"The key to winning those precious home points is having someone to unlock and uncomplicate that kind of match."

Torres has said in the past that back lines in England are prone to positional frailty, and he believes that Liverpool must exploit this weakness as best they can.

"Premier League defenders aren't unbeatable, they are physically very hard but undisciplined," the Spanish striker said.

"It can be hard to create chances but if you pull them out of position they are more vulnerable. That's why sides like United and Chelsea are so competitive.

"Their back fours are so disciplined and well-ordered. But, generally, any Premier League side which complements its defensive attributes with a touch of real quality up front suddenly becomes super-competitive."

'El Nino' also had his say on the saga surrounding Xabi Alonso, whose Anfield future remains is doubt amid strong interest from Real Madrid.

"It would be a bad piece of work if Xabi left," he said.

"He plays his cards close to his chest so I don't know what is going to happen.

"I'd put Xabi's own wishes ahead of everything else, of course, but he's got three years left on his contract with us and I'd love it if he stays.

I Want Chelsea To Win The Premier League Again - Frank Lampard

2009-07-29T13:00:00.000+07:00

Frank Lampard has marked his target as winning the Premier League this season.

Although the Chelsea midfielder admitted that the Champions League is still a substantial presence on his to-do list, he remained resolute as he said that there was no contest when it came to choosing which of the two honours he would rather have.

“For me, it is the [Premier] League,” the 31-year-old declared on the club’s official website.

“I grew up watching the Premiership, and the League before that, and it's a lovely feeling to be the best team in your country, and I want to get that back.

“The Champions League is definitely something I want to win at least once in my career, but for me the League is where we need to get to the consistency levels we had a few years ago.”

The England international went on to elaborate on the days of glory under Jose Mourinho, before explaining that the Pensioners’ team spirit is presently on a high.

“We now need to get back to winning ways in terms of the League, we were dominant for two years and now Manchester United have been playing fantastically for three years,” he reminisced.

“But now there's a real feeling between the players that, although winning the FA Cup was great this year, we want to go that one step further and get consistency in the League back and then push for the Champions League.”

The Blues have had a promising pre-season, winning every game they have played, scoring eight goals and conceding only one in the process. They return to England after triumphinh in the World Football Challenge in America.

CHELSEA VS CLUB AMERICA 2-0

2009-07-27T21:17:00.003+07:00

Chelsea end the tour america with a best result after beat INTER 2-0 and beat MILAN 2-1 Chelsea that play with a second team can win when they beat Club America 2-0.

The goal created by Di Santo and Malouda.Anceloti make a strategy play with a young player such as Di Santo,Machiene,Hutchinson,Daniel sturedge but a firts team is not play such Lampard,Tery,Cech,Drogba,Anelka.Shevcenko and Pizzaro become a subtitusion at a second round.

Chelsea become a winner on this tour because they can beat all the enemy in that groups.Can they make a better start n EPL see 15 August 2009.

Carlo Ancelotti: No Best XI At Chelsea

2009-07-18T22:58:00.000+07:00

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has been so impressed with his new squad that he thinks it is impossible to pick a best starting XI.

The Italian is in the United States with the club ahead of their opening preseason games, which will be Ancelotti's first in charge of the Blues.

The former Milan boss has been delighted with the strength-in-depth he has found upon arriving at Stamford Bridge.

"I don't want to choose my first team," Ancelotti told the press ahead of today's friendly against MLS side Seattle Sounders.

"I think Chelsea is a great team because it has 25 great players, and for me it is impossible to choose the first team. I want 25 players that can play well for Chelsea."

Ancelotti also declared his admiration for the work ethic at the club, something that has taken him by surprise, especially when comparing training routines to those of clubs in his native Italy.

He continued, "Most important, I found a very good team with quality, and a very good mental attitude to the job.

"They work and concentrate very hard. I like [this] and, for me, it is a surprise because I didn't think [I'd] find this situation. I am very happy [with] this because teamwork is the most important thing to win.

"The training is very hard, different to Italy. Here the players run very hard and this is also a surprise for me."

Barcelona To Sign David Villa From Valencia

2009-07-10T20:26:00.002+07:00

Barcelona are set to make their first summer signing and it is the one that they wanted most.

Barcelona and Valencia have reached a deal that will see David Villa move to Camp Nou and are expected to make an announcement soon, Goal.com has learned.

A source close to Camp Nou has revealed exclusively to this website that the Spanish international striker has had his wish granted and he will join the European champions this summer.

Negotiations have been ongoing between Barça and Valencia and the Catalan club's president Joan Laporta even revealed that a bid had been made during a television interview on Wednesday evening.

Now Goal.com has been told that a deal has been struck and that Villa will be a Barcelona player, although no details of the fee or any of the Blaugrana's squad going in the other direction was divulged.

Laporta suggested that a offer of over €40million had been made and that, allied with los Che's new chief Vicente Soriano's promise to let the player go this year, has meant the treble winners have their man.

The arrival of Villa could speed up the departure of Samuel Eto'o, with both Manchester United and Manchester City linked with the Cameroonian striker, who was Barca's top league scorer last term.

Real Madrid opted not to pursue Villa after being told that he was not for sale and instead forked out a fee of up to €41million to sign Karim Benzema from Olympique Lyonnais.

OWEN SIGN CONTRACT WITH MANCHESTER UNITED

2009-07-05T14:48:00.002+07:00

LONDON (AP)—Michael Owen joined English champion Manchester United on Friday, a striking reversal of fortune for an injury-plagued forward who has been dropped from the national team by manager Fabio Capello.

The 29-year-old, who has 40 goals in 89 international appearances, signed a two-year contract. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid player was a free agent after his contract expired Tuesday at relegated Newcastle.

“I never though it in my wildest dreams really. When I got the call from the manager to come and meet him, it was a shock,” Owen said. “I know there will be a few people saying the manager shouldn’t have bought me.”

Owen’s agent had been so concerned about finding him a new club that he sent a 32-page brochure to teams around Europe trumpeting his enduring qualities and rebutting fitness fears.

United has watched Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez depart since losing the Champions League final to Barcelona.

“Michael is a world-class forward with a proven goal-scoring record at the highest level, and that has never been in question,” United manager Alex Ferguson said. “Coming to Manchester United with the expectations that we have is something that Michael will relish.”

Owen underwent stringent medical examinations on his troublesome right knee before the contract was signed.

“I’m sure a club like this can re-ignite my career,” Owen said. “I do not feel that I am injury prone.”

He scored 10 goals in 32 matches last season at Newcastle, which finished 18th at 7-18-13, and had 30 goals in 79 games since joining the club in 2005.

Brazil Beat US 3-2 in Confederation Cup Final

2009-06-29T12:42:00.001+07:00

SEATTLE, Wash.--Today it didn’t matter where people were to watch the USA – Brazil match. Soccer fans from all over the country sat on their couches, gathered in nearby pubs or just sat in awe as the USA scored two first-half goals against Brazil.

In Seattle for example, I was on my way to the Seattle Sounders FC and Colorado Rapids match. I was planning on heading into the stadium, but then I watched a sea of green head into a local bar – Sluggers. So I followed suit. I pulled up a stool and sat in a bar surrounded by green jerseys or Sounders fans as others call them.

When the bartender turned on the game, the place erupted in applause. I sat in awe, surrounded by all those who had the same idea that I did. When Clint Dempsey tallied a goal in just the 10th minute, the crowd went crazy. Screams, yells, high-fives, hugs and a look of disbelief on many people’s faces were everywhere.
Brazil coach Dunga has hailed the contribution of striker Luis Fabiano to the team's Confederations Cup success.

Fabiano was on fire in front of the goal as his brace helped Brazil pull off a comeback against the USA to win the final 3-2.

Dunga's choice to use Fabiano had been far from popular among some of the supporters of the Selecao.

The coach is now confident that Fabiano's displays in the Confederations Cup will silence the Sevilla man's critics.

"I have heard some people say that Luis Fabiano scores goals but is not good for the national team," Dunga told the press after the game.

"In the way I see football, a good striker is that who scores goals. And he does that.

"Once, we were in a training in which the players could touch the ball just two times and some players would send the ball wide when in front of the goal.

"But not him. He would go there and score, because he is hungry for goals. That's why I decided to put him on the team."

The yellow card to Carlos Bocanegra in the 19th minute got some grumbles from the crowd. Until that is until they showed the replay. And then people nodded their heads and said, “Yeah, well that makes sense.”

And when Landon Donovan tallied in the 27th minute, screams got even louder. Arms were raised and there were some people who literally jumped for joy. The fact that the Americans scored two on Brazil was too much for most of those present to handle.

When I headed out of Sluggers at halftime of the USA game and to the stadium, the buzz was everywhere. The Sounders had shown the first half of the USA match on the big screen in the stadium. About half the stadium was full of fans who cheered with the best of them. But then, with the Sounders game a half an hour from kick off, they blacked out the stadium.

Here I was, one of 32,526 people--well I didn’t have a ticket, but I was in the stadium with my credential. So I don’t technically count against that number. Regardless, it was odd to me that they wanted to stop people from watching the match. I mean, I get it. The focus should be on the Sounders FC vs. Colorado. That’s fine. But seriously, with Wi-Fi in the press box, and text messaging, they didn’t think the word would get out?

The plan was to show the second half at the conclusion of the Sounders match. And they did. But the word got out and, I’m sure, spread around the stadium that had Brazil topped the Americans. I was one person who had texts coming in and found the result online. I must confess, however, that I did sneak in a couple looks at the TV. I think there were three TV’s that showed the match. I found two of them. But after the third U.S. goal, it turned into Sounders vision.

After the match, the fans stayed in the stands and awaited the team march around the stadium. The Sounders walk around the stadium after every match and thank all their fans, so some fans waited for that. And then the video of the second half began playing on the big screen, or at least part of it. But one by one, or more than that, the fans dispersed.

Regardless, there is no doubt in my mind that the majority of those people recorded the match at home and watched it when they returned. Maybe they didn’t. But there was something special about the match today. And soccer fans all across the country watched history being made. Seattle was no exception. If anything Seattle may be the rule.

Today was about soccer, soccer in Seattle, and the USA. The U.S. men may not be able to beat all the giants yet. But they have given fans across the country hope that it can be done. And the fans in Seattle will surely give the Americans extra applause when the Gold Cup kicks off next Saturday.

Confederations Cup Final Preview: Brazil - U.S.A.

2009-06-28T13:18:00.000+07:00

So, we do not have the dream final that the neutrals craved; Spain taking on Brazil would, indeed, have been a mouth-watering clash, but their shock defeat was indicative of this bizarre Confederations Cup as a whole.

We have seen some very unexpected performances, a few stunning wins, a handful of controversial decisions and, in general, the tournament, on the pitch at least, can be deemed to have been a success. Despite all of this, though, just when it appeared that the results would revert to type, all of a sudden, the United States woke up and stunned the party into a different kind of life.

Poor against the Italians and, frankly, dreadful against Brazil, Bob Bradley’s side should have been heading home, cursing what had been abject underachievement. But against Egypt, who had defeated Marcelo Lippi’s Azzurri and lost narrowly to a Kaka-inspired Brazil, the Americans performed with pace, power, skill and heart.

Needing a hugely unlikely six goal swing in order to qualify, Bradley made a tactical alteration, throwing Charlie Davies on alongside Jozy Altidore to operate in a 4-4-2 formation, rather than the negative, stifling, 5-4-1 that had been so ineffective in their opening two matches.

They instantly looked more comfortable and goals from Davies, Michael Bradley and Fulham’s Clint Dempsey secured a thoroughly convincing 3-0 victory. Incredibly, Brazil had beaten Italy by the same scoreline, and, on goals scored, the U.S.A snuck into the semi-finals.

With La Furia Roja looming, though, and with an international record for matches without a loss within their grasp, few considered Vicente Del Bosque’s side would even be contemplating defeat.

But it seems that when expectancy is removed from the equation, the U.S.A excel, and they proved this by performing heroically to bamboozle the Spaniards and secure a monumental 2-0 win.

Defensively, the pairing of Ogushi Onyewu and Jay Demerit were a towering presence, subduing the prolific David Villa and Fernando Torres like very few sides have achieved previously. They blocked, they headed, they challenged, they were inspirational, and it was a particularly sweet victory for striker Jozy Altidore. His big-money move to Villarreal in 2008 has been a disaster, but he reaped some level of vindication by embarrassing Casillas for the opening goal.

The team, as a whole, will be required to produce a similar level of commitment in the final, but the key factor may be whether Landon Donovan et al still have an element of surprise. It could be questioned if the Spanish superstars took the American challenge seriously enough, but they have paid for their complacency. However, the Brazilians, surely, will be more vigilant.

After a debatable start in the Samba hotseat, coach Dunga has instilled a level of discipline and tactical nous that, so far, has complemented the trickery and style to tremendous effect. World Cup 2010 qualification is almost secured and in this Confederations Cup campaign they have looked extremely comfortable. Sevilla forward Luis Fabiano and the mercurial Robinho have linked superbly in an attack full of pace and agility.

The Italians were ousted, Egypt vanquished in a thrilling contest and, crucially, U.S.A were unable to cope with the movement and technique of the South Americans in a 3-0 defeat that ultimately was flattering for Bradley’s men.

What impact will that group stage defeat have on the upcoming final? Different circumstances, different occasion, certainly, and it can be assumed that there will be a new-found confidence among the squad of the Americans following their conquering of the Spanish.

But Brazil know that they are capable of beating them, and this psychological advantage could prove to be pivotal to how the contest transpires. Dunga is aware of the weak areas of the American side and has already exploited them. It will be intriguing to see if his counterpart Bradley will have learned from his mistakes.

All in all, it makes for a captivating contest. The U.S.A would love to collect the kudos of beating the game’s most famous international side, as they continue their quest to be considered a credible football nation, while Brazil simply want to experience the feeling of lifting the trophy in South Africa – preparation, they hope, for a similar success next summer.

ROAD TO THE FINAL

Brazil

Group Stages
15 Jun Brazil 4-3 Egypt
18 Jun Brazil 3-0 U.S.A.
21 Jun Brazil 3-0 Italy

Semi-Final
25 Jun Brazil 1-0 South Africa

U.S.A.

Group Stages
15 Jun U.S.A. 1-3 Italy
18 Jun U.S.A. 0-3 Brazil
21 Jun U.S.A 3-0 Egypt

Semi Final
24 Jun U.S.A. 2-0 Spain

TEAM NEWS

Brazil

Juan remains out of the tournament, so Luisao will continue to deputise in the centre of defence, while Daniel Alves may earn a start following his stunning winner over South Africa. Dunga’s side toiled slightly against the stubborn hosts in the semi-finals and he may look to freshen up his starting line up, with Elano waiting in the wings.

Probable XI: Julio Cesar, Maicon/Dani Alves, Lucio, Luisao, Andre Santos, Felipe Melo, Gilberto, Ramires/Elano, Kaka, Luis Fabiano, Robinho

U.S.A.

Michael Bradley, midfielder and son of boss Bob, received a red card in the dying embers of the match against Spain and will, agonisingly, miss out. Rangers man Damarcus Beasley may come in to replace him. Altidore and Davies are certain to start together in the forward line for the third consecutive match.

Probable XI: Howard, Spector, DeMerit, Onyewu, Bocanegra, Dempsey, Beasley, Clark, Donovan, Davies, Altidore

MEN TO WATCH

Brazil

As always, Kaka and Robinho will provide the flair, but the pace of Luis Fabiano could prove to be U.S.A.'s biggest problem. The Sevilla striker began to find form as the La Liga season ended, and he has taken his goals into this tournament. He is clinical in front of goal and Onyewu and Demerit will need to be wary of his darting runs in behind the back four.

U.S.A.

Jozy Altidore is trying his utmost to prove that he has what it takes at this level and his goal against Spain in the semi-finals was just reward for all his efforts. His touch still appears questionable, but he will harry and harrass the Brazil back four until the very last kick of the match and, if he gets a chance, who knows - he could make himself a hero.

PREDICTION

The U.S.A. are capable of pulling off another shock result, and with the Brazilians flagging, it may be a tight contest. But Dunga's disciplined side will prove to have too much in the end and will lift the trophy.

Brazil 2-1 U.S.A.

Brazil Beat South Africa

2009-06-26T16:04:00.003+07:00

Dani Alves Delighted With Stunning Winner Against South Africa

Brazil edged South Africa 1-0 in the semi-finals of the FIFA Confederations Cup to book a ticket to the showpiece finale on Sunday to take on the United States.

Barcelona’s marauding wing-back, Dani Alves was the hero of the night for the Copa America champions when he came on as a substitute in the 82nd minute before ripping in the winner from a freekick two minutes from time. And he was thrilled to have played his part in helping his side win.

“I’m impressed with the goal that I scored today,” he said during the post-match interviews.

“I’m happy to get a chance to play and help the team. When you are on the bench, you always have an enormous desire to enter the game and today was one of those days,” he added.

In regards to his freekick goal, Alves recounted, “I struck the ball really well but my team-mates also did their bit because they formed a really good distraction next to the wall and that disrupted the goalkeeper’s vision.”

The 26-year-old, however, was slightly disappointed that he won’t be able to go up against some of his club-mates and rivals from Spain after they were eliminated by the USA in the other semi-final. But he admitted that the upset result has taught his Brazilian side a lesson.

“In a tournament like this, every team will have their chances,” he said. “Spain’s game last night served as a lesson for us before we took on South Africa, and it will also serve as a lesson for us ahead of Sunday’s final.”

United States beat Spain 2-0

2009-06-25T22:42:00.002+07:00

Spain already exhausted the opportunity to reap record is not invincible after dipermalukan by union team United States 2-0 in the semifinal confederation cup 2009

EURO champion Spain defeated as easily even though the duo striker David Villa and Fernando Torres was atacked US but Spain still can not reply.

TeamUnited States United States must play with ten players because one of the PLAYERS get a red card, but sign up to the match after the whistle United States still retains the score 2-0.

Bravo United States successfully conducted a surprise because eliminate the first ranking football of the world version FIFA team Spain.Can US make a surprises in the final against Brazil we play the waiting date.

United States VS Brazil prediction 2-1

United States VS Brazil prediction 0-3

United States VS Brazil prediction 1-2

United States VS Brazil prediction 1-3

Confederations Cup Preview: Brazil – South Africa

2009-06-24T21:17:00.000+07:00

After an awkward start against Egypt, when Brazil needed a last-gasp penalty from Kaka to secure the win, the Selecao have gone on to impress in South Africa.

The USA were easily despatched courtesy of goals by Melo, Maicon and Robinho before world champions Italy promptly met the same fate.

Three goals in five first-half minutes saw the Azzurri sent packing from the tournament with Luis Fabiano bagging a double and a Dossena own goal sealing the win.

All of which means that Dunga’s side have booked their place in the last four with maximum points and having hit 10 goals in just three games.

As such they will be overwhelming favourites to secure a spot in Sunday’s final against either Spain or the USA.

However, the Brazil coach has urged caution from his side ahead of the semi-final and has admitted that with coach Joel Santana on the opposing bench, the men in yellow must be careful.

“They are coached by Joel Santana, who is one of the more respected Brazilian coaches, and together, we have had many meetings,” he said.

“South Africa have a strong team, especially physically, and they will also have the full support of the home crowd. We must be careful with them. But I believe we can still improve because we have players with great technical ability and because we are playing together more and more.”

Nothing To Lose

South Africa, meanwhile, have enjoyed a rather steadier tournament, backed by a vociferous home support.

A goalless draw with Iraq on the opening day was followed by a 2-0 win over New Zealand with Bernard Parker grabbing both goals.

European champions Spain were up next and whilst Bafana Bafana started well they ultimately succumbed to defeat, yet with four points out of six were able to grab the runners-up spot.

Whilst few would expect the hosts to progress against Brazil, midfielder Benson Mhlongo insists this will help the South Africans who have nothing to lose.

“History can repeat itself, but it’s up to us as players to let it happen,” he told KickOff.com.

“The way we played against Spain gave us confidence. We have to play to win because we’ve got nothing to lose.”

FORM GUIDE

Brazil

21 June: Italy 0-3 Brazil
18 June: Brazil 3-0 USA
15 June: Brazil 4-3 Egypt
10 June: Brazil 2-1 Paraguay

South Africa

20 June: Spain 2-0 South Africa
17 June: South Africa 2-0 New Zealand
14 June: South Africa 0-0 Iraq
06 June: South Africa 1-0 Poland

TEAM NEWS

Brazil

Injury rules Juan out of the game therefore Luisao should take his place at the back.

Possible Starting XI: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Luisao, Santos, Gilberto Silva, Felipe Melo, Ramires, Kaka, Robinho, Luis Fabiano.

South Africa.

The hosts have no injury problems but MacBeth Sibaya is suspended and Benson Mhlongo should return to the midfield.

Possible Starting XI: Khune, Booth, Gaxa, Masilela, Davids, Mokoena, Mhlongo, Pienaar, Modise, Mashego, Parker.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brazil – Maicon

The full-back has returned to fitness with a bang in the Confederations Cup and has played a starring role in the Selecao’s last two games.

His runs down the right flank have been all but unstoppable and the hosts will need to keep a very close eye on the marauding Maicon if they are to emerge from this fixture unscathed.

South Africa – Bernard Parker

If anyone is to fire Bafana Bafana past Brazil it could just be Bernard Parker, South Africa's top scorer in the competition.

His two goals against New Zealand are the only goals the home crowds have had to celebrate so far in the tournament but how they would love another double on Thursday.

PREDICTION

The Brazilians look to be enjoying the Confederations Cup and with the goals flowing it may just take something special to stop them.

Home advantage will undoubtedly help the hosts but not even the vuvuzelas may be enough to knock Dunga’s men out of their stride and it will be a major surprise if they don’t make it through to Sunday’s final.

Prediction: Brazil 2-0 South Africa

Predict The USA – Spain Match

2009-06-24T21:14:00.000+07:00

Spain and the USA will face off in the Confederations Cup first semifinal on Wednesday. The teams couldn't have taken more differing paths to the knockout stages.

Spain are riding a 15 game winning streak and easily cast off all three teams in the group stage. New Zealand, Iraq, and South Africa all fell by the wayside. The team rotated heavily but still didn't concede a goal, scoring eight along the way.

The Americans, on the other hand, had to break quite a sweat. After losing the opening two games, the U.S. was facing elimination in the face with zero points. Then, on the last day of the group stages, the miraculous happened. Egypt came out flat, and the Americans spanked them, 3-0. In the other group match, Italy had to lose by three for the U.S. to make up a six goal differential. The Brazilians obliged, and won by a similar 3-0 scoreline to put USA shockingly through.

Now the two teams face off. Read the thoughts of the Goal.com editors about who is going to win.

Goal.com Magazine editor Greg Lalas
in Bloemfontein, South Africa
It's cold in Bloemfontein, and one can imagine the chilly night air affecting the Spaniards' play. The US is riding high on the momentum of the Miracle in Rustenburg. But in the end Spain's midfield, particularly the incomparable Xavi and Andres Iniesta, will be able to overcome the less illustrious counterparts, Michael Bradley and Ricardo Clark. They will wear down the US and two goals will come. But the US will make a good impression. Spain, 2-1.

Associate editor Shane Evans:
"The U.S. and Spain are set to battle, but for my money, I don't think it's going to be much of a competition. Spain is superior on all parts of the pitch and will take the game to Bob Bradley's man quickly. I can see a small settling in period, but I believe after about 20 minutes or so, the Spanish midfield will take over and make life very hard for the U.S. Because of this, I could see the score ballooning to 2-0 before halftime with a final score or 3-0. If the USA wins, I'll take up ballet lessons."

Mexico editor Luis Bueno:
"Spain has a record streak intact and has looked virtually unbeatable against their Confederations Cup competition thus far. The Americans survived 3-1 and 3-0 first-round losses and miraculously reached the semifinals. Does that forebode a one-sided Spanish victory? Not even close. At this stage of tournaments, anything goes. The U.S. is primed for a great performance and can play without any pressure at this point. Spain will still prevail but it will be a hard-fought, close victory. Spain, 2-1."

Associate editor Allen Ramsey:
"So much to predict. Spain wins 3-1. I like the U.S. to net once because Spain is likely to come out very relaxed, and the U.S. is riding a hot streak. The goal does nothing but piss off Spain, opening the flood gates for David Villa and Xavi to push home goals before the break. Down a goal and pressing for much of the second half the U.S. will be caught out for the third, a stunner on the counter from Fernando Torres."

Women's soccer editor Kathryn L. Knapp:
"Spain vs. USA will be a good match. The Americans should put up a good fight. However unless they take advantage of a set-piece early on, they won’t get one past Spain. The Spaniards have outscored opponents 8-0, posting all wins in the first round of the Confederations Cup. Two players – David Villa and Fernando Torres have three goals each. They’ll be tough to stop. It’s safe to say from front to back the Americans will have their hands full."

Chief editor Andrea Canales:
"I predict that the U.S. will hold Spain scoreless in a shocker, as the European giants have an off day. The game will thus come down to a penalty shootout, where, in another shocker, Landon Donovan will miss. Casillas will be the big hero, as Spain marches on, but with a scare from the U.S."

Associate editor Zac Lee Rigg:
"Bob Bradley on the last time the U.S. played Spain: 'We did a pretty good job. But then they wore us down. It didn’t feel good. Then we watched the Euros and we saw them wear Russia down and Holland down and eventually Germany down. I told the guys we should take note of that.' Taking note and stopping are two different things. Bradley will have another chance to take note in a U.S. loss."

Real Madrid Want Xabi Alonso And Alvaro Arbeloa - Jorge Valdano

2009-06-23T23:22:00.000+07:00

Jorge Valdano has revealed that real madrid are still confident about signing both Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa from Liverpool, but would not divulge any further details.

Los Merengues' new general manager wanted the Reds duo to know that they are still wanted although he would not state at what stage the Spanish club's interest was at.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez does not want to lose Alonso to his former club and Valdano chose to keep quiet about whether or not Madrid had officially made an approach.

"We have possibilities there but I don't want to say anything that will make the negotiation more difficult. We will wait a reasonable amount of time," he is quoted as saying by AS.

Arbeloa may be an easier prospect given Liverpool's recent signing of Glen Johnson and Valdano is hopeful because he feels the club's youth team product would be versatile.

"The lad only has a year left on his contract with Liverpool and this gives us more possibilities," he added.

"He can play in two or three positions and this versatility is good. He is another option to evaluate."

Chelsea Manager Ancelotti Will Not Move For Milan Pair Gattuso & Seedorf - Report

2009-06-23T23:18:00.000+07:00

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti will not be returning to former club Milan in the transfer market to pluck ageing midfielders Clarence Seedorf and Gennaro Gattuso away from the San Siro, according to The Telegraph.Ancelotti is yet to take up the mantle of full-time Blues boss - he will officially takeover the position on July 1 - but the British broadsheet believes that when the Italian enters the transfer market, moves for the three-time Champions League winning Dutchman and the World Cup winning Italian will be off the table.

Deep-lying playmaker Andrea Pirlo was not mentioned in the report but has received the blessing of national coach Marcello Lippi to make the move to Premier League giants Chelsea.

When probed as to whether a £20 million transfer would jeopardise Pirlo's inclusion with the Azzurri, Lippi riposted earlier in the month, "It wouldn't be a problem, regardless of where he plays.

"A flight from London to Rome is like a flight from Milan to Rome."

The Blues have also been linked with Argentinean starlet Sergio Aguero, Valencia hotshot David Villa and Bayern Munich attacker Franck Ribery.

Andrea Pirlo: I Belong To AC Milan

2009-06-23T23:16:00.001+07:00

The Italian playmaker has played down reports regarding his future being away from Italy...

Andrea Pirlo insists he only has eyes for Milan, despite being constantly linked with a lucrative move to Stamford Bridge.

The Italian midfielder has been hotly tipped to join Carlo Ancelotti in west London. On Monday evening Rossoneri president Silvio Berlusconi hinted that Pirlo could be sold as he was earning too much money. The playmaker is reportedly on €6.5 million deal per season, but voices claimed the club wanted to stamp down on player wages.

Last week Pirlo was quoted as saying he wanted to join Chelsea, but those claims were rubbished on Milan's official website, and it turned out that he never made such comments.

Despite claims from England that the player is close to the Blues, as well as Berlusconi's hints, Pirlo insists he is staying at the San Siro.

"I am a Milan player and I belong to Milan. That's it," Pirlo told Sky Sports Italia.

"Now I am looking forward to my holiday and then we will see what happens. For now I am a Milan player."

Florent Malouda Signs Contract Exension At Chelsea

2009-06-23T23:12:00.002+07:00

Florent Malouda has committed his future to chelsea , signing a contract extension with the club that will keep him in London for a further two years until at least 2013.

This has put an end to the anxiety felt by many supporters that the French international could be on his way out of the club with the arrival of new manager Carlo Ancelotti, with the Blues heavily linked with a move for versatile Russian wide player Yuri Zhirkov.

However, Malouda has now decided to remain at Stamford Bridge, and seemed pleased to have done so when he spoke to Sky Sports News.

"I can reveal I have signed a new two year deal with Chelsea, " he said. "I am staying. From now on, I have four years left on my contract.

"I know that every time the transfer window opens there are a lot of rumours, and I hope in this one people will know what has happened."

The winger initially found it difficult to acclimatise to the Premier League after moving to Chelsea from Olympique Lyonnais in 2007 for £13.5 million, but developed impressively last season under the astute management of Guus Hiddink.

Davide Santon: Maicon Will Stay At Inter

2009-06-23T23:07:00.001+07:00

Inter starlet Davide Santon believes Maicon will remain at the club this term, despite the Brazilian being linked with lucrative moves to Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Reports in both England and Spain intensified after Massimo Moratti said players could leave for the right price. The Brazilian ace is being tipped to join Real Madrid, while voices in England claim Chelsea have already made a €30million bid.

However, Santon, who has just returned from the Confederations Cup with Italy, feels his team-mate will remain.

"I think that Maicon will stay as he is a great player. However we have to wait and see what the coach decides," Santon told Sky Sport Italia.

The stopper also spoke about Mario Balotelli. Santon feels the striker could have been called up to the senior squad had he not shown certain attitudes.

"Balotelli was ready to be picked, but perhaps he lacked the attitude of the others. However, he is a great player," added Santon.

SPAIN VS US

2009-06-23T23:03:00.001+07:00

FORM GUIDE

Spain

Jun 20 South Africa 0-2 Spain (Confederations Cup)
Jun 17 Spain 1-0 Iraq (Confederations Cup)
Jun 14 Spain 5-0 New Zealand (Confederations Cup)
Jun 09 Azerbaijan 0-6 Spain (Friendly)
Apr 1 Turkey 1-2 Spain (World Cup Qualifying)

United States

Jun 21 Egypt 0-3 United States (Confederations Cup)
Jun 18 Brazil 3-0 United States (Confederations Cup)
Jun 15 United States 1-3 Italy (Confederations Cup)
Jun 7 United States 2-1 Honduras (World Cup Qualifier)
Jun 4 Costa Rica 3-1 United States (World Cup Qualifier)

TEAM NEWS

Spain

Vicente Del Bosque gave Sergio Busquets and Alvaro Arbeloa a starting place against South Africa but it is unlikely that they will be in the eleven this Wednesday.

Sergio Ramos should return to the back line, whilst in midfield Xabi Alonso is expected to start alongside Cesc Fabregas, Xavi and Albert Riera.

Probable Line-Up (4-4-2): Casillas – Ramos, Puyol, Albiol, Capdevila – Fabregas, Alonso, Xavi, Riera – Torres, Villa

United States

Carlos Bocanegra could return to the American defence if he has recovered from a hamstring injury but chances are that he will yet again start from the bench.

Coach Bob Bradley is likely to stick with a similar side to that which beat Egypt, although he may well ask full-backs Jonathan Bornstein and Jonathan Spector to be less attacking.

Probable Line-Up (4-4-2): Howard – Spector, Onyewu, DeMerit, Bornstein – Dempsey, Bradley, Clark, Donovan – Davies, Altidore

PLAYER TO WATCH

Spain

With Spain likely to see the lion’s share of the possession on Wednesday evening the midfielders could be the key, and in particular Barcelona star Xavi. Rarely does the experienced Catalan dazzle with tricks and skills, instead going about his business quietly but effectively, and the United States cannot give him time and space to pick a pass.

United States

Clint Dempsey grabbed the third and vital goal for the United States against Egypt and he will be hoping to add to his tally on Wednesday. The Fulham man will have to work hard against the likes of Joan Capdevila down the flank but if he can get space he could be a threat.

PREDICTION

One thing that is clear from the group stages is that you can never rule out the United States, but it is hard to see them taking from anything from this match against Spain. The European Champions might have looked tired at times during this tournament but they usually know how to perform in big games and should make it to the final.

Spain 2-0 United States

Brazil beat Italy 3-0

2009-06-22T18:53:00.004+07:00

Italy, a four-time world champion, also had a minus-2 goal difference but scored only three goals. Egypt was minus-3.

Our team showed physically, technically and in all aspects that it was superior to a great team, a team which is the current world champion,” Brazil coach Dunga said.

Brazil improved to 4-0-1 against Italy since the Italians won 3-2 in the second round of the 1982 World Cup. The streak includes a penalty-kicks win in the 1994 World Cup final at the Rose Bowl, exhibition victories in 1989 and last February, and a 3-3 exhibition tie in 1997.

“The difference between us and them is that we improved as the tournament has gone along,” said Brazil’s Kaka, a former AC Milan star who was FIFA’s 2007 player of the year. “Italy did the opposite.”

Luis Fabiano put Brazil ahead after intercepting a weak shot by right back Maicon inside the penalty area. The forward turned and sent a low shot into the far corner as Buffon charged from the goal.

Luis Fabiano added his second after a quick exchange of passes with Robinho and Kaka. Kaka’s final pass eventually found Luis Fabiano near the penalty spot, and he just touched the ball into the back of the net.

Dossena had the own goal while trying to intercept a pass from Robinho to Ramires, who was free from any markers and in position to score inside the area.

“Unfortunately we’re out and we’re very upset,” Italy coach Marcello Lippi said. “But people on the outside should stay calm about pushing for younger players, because you need a certain type of experience in these types of games. There are younger players, but let them mature gradually. These are the best players in Italy. Maybe they’re a little out of form, but these are the best players, and I’m not changing them.”

Italy’s first shot on goal came only in the 28th, when Mauro Camoranesi hit a powerful right-footer from outside the penalty area, just missing over the crossbar.

“It’s not the end of the world,” said Giancarlo Abete, the president of the governing body of Italian soccer. “It’s better that this happened now rather than at the World Cup.”

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2009-06-21T22:19:00.006+07:00

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BRAZIL VS ITALY

2009-06-21T21:28:00.003+07:00

Tonight’s Confederations Cup match between Italy and Brazil brings back memories of their legendary 1970 World Cup final, which was played exactly 39 years ago.

The Azzurri reached the final after an epic 4-3 semi-final victory over West Germany, but succumbed 4-1 to a Pele-inspired Selecao at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Ahead of the clash this evening, Goal.com's partners at partofthegame provide a video of the 1970 classic.

While modern day greats such as Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluigi Buffon and Kaka will be on show in South Africa tonight, 39 years ago it was all-time legends such as Giacinto Facchetti, Gigi Riva, Rivelino, Jairzinho, Carlos Alberto, and of course Pele who were delighting the crowds in Mexico.

Will the class of 2009 serve up a treat worthy of those from 1970?
After labouring to a 3-1 win over ten-man USA, Italy appeared to be in the driving seat to qualify for the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup. But, as usual, the Azzurri proved unable to cruise through the group stage of an international competition without slipping on the classic banana skin.

Marcello Lippi’s men committed hara-kiri against a very organized Egypt side that had already given the Selecao a big scare on Monday, only succumbing to a late Kaka penalty in a 4-3 thriller.

Once again, the World Champions looked devoid of ideas and struggled to create clear-cut chances in a dismal first half. And the Egyptians made the most of Italy’s familiar defensive frailties, which were exposed again when Homos was allowed to leap, undisturbed by markers, to head home a corner.

Despite some late huffing and puffing, Italy were hopelessly unable to break down the Egyptians and now risk an early exit from the competition.

Nonetheless, the Azzurri’s fate is still in their own hands, as they would secure passage to the semi-finals by defeating Brazil by a two-goal margin on Sunday, regardless of Egypt’s result in their final game against the Americans.

But it is frankly hard to imagine Lippi’s ‘old men’, whom he so strenuously defends to deflect attention from the plethora of young talent he continues ignoring, keeping a clean sheet against the flamboyant Brazilians.

Brazil Turn On The Style

After a topsy-turvy debut against Egypt, the Selecao steamrollered the USA on Thursday in a 3-0 win which virtually booked their place in the semi-finals of the competition.

Carlos Dunga’s troops made light work of the Americans and took a two-goal lead within 20 minutes through Fiorentina midfielder Felipe Melo and Manchester City striker Robinho.

Inter wing-back Maicon, who played his first full match since suffering a muscular injury last March, rounded off the result in spectacular fashion in the second half after exchanging passes with new Real Madrid signing Kaka.

“I'm happy with the way things have turned out,” Maicon said after the encounter.

“Especially after two months working to recover from my injury. I trusted in my potential and I'm glad the coaches gave me an opportunity to play from the start.”

The South Americans will now just need a draw against Italy to secure top spot in Group B and probably avoid European champions Spain in the next round.

Brazil currently lead the group with six points, while Italy are on three with a three-goal difference separating them from the Selecao. This means a two-goal defeat by Italy on Sunday could see Dunga’s men crash out of the competition if Egypt overcome the USA by three clear goals.

But statistics smile on Brazil who have not tasted defeat against the Azzurri since 1982, when Italy triumphed 3-2 in Barcelona on their way to winning their third World Cup.

Brazil prevailed 2-0 in a friendly international played in London last February to take the lead in the head-to-head with six victories to their name. Italy have five and there have also been two draws.

ITALY beat US 3-1

2009-06-16T16:17:00.002+07:00

New Jersey-born Giuseppe Rossi scored twice in the second half, Daniele De Rossi had a goal and Italy rallied to overcome a Landon Donovan penalty kick and beat the United States 3-1 Monday night in its opener at the FIFA Confederations Cup.

“I dedicate the goals to my family, who are watching the game on TV in America,” Rossi said. “This is a dream, I’m playing for the world champions, and I also hope to become a world champion next year.”

The U.S. played a man short after Ricardo Clark was ejected in the 33rd minute for a late tackle on Gennaro Gattuso, but went ahead eight minutes later when Donovan scored his American-record 40th international goal after Giorgio Chiellini hooked and kicked Jozy Altidore.

Rossi grew up in Clifton but moved to Italy to play for Parma’s youth team before joining Manchester United. After going to both Newcastle and Parma on loan, United sold him to Spain’s Villarreal before the 2007-8 season.

The 22-year-old Rossi scored four goals at last summer’s Olympics. He made his debut with the senior Italian national team last October as a substitute against Bulgaria and scored his first international goal on June 6, putting Italy ahead in a 3-0 exhibition win over Northern Ireland.

“Certainly it would have been our hope that Giuseppe played for the U.S., but he made his decision and he’s a very talented player, and today was a very exciting day for him,” U.S. coach Bob Bradley said.

Rossi entered in the 57th minute and tied the score a minute later with a 30-yard shot after stripping the ball from Benny Feilhaber.

“If you’re playing against the team which is the country where you are born, it’s always a great emotion coming in,” Rossi said. “But when you’re on the field you have no plan. You just think about playing the game and trying to win your game.”

He got his second goal in the fourth minute of injury time from about 10 yards after Andrea Pirlo went around defender Jay DeMerit and crossed.

“Rossi gave us a burst of energy,” Italy coach Marcello Lippi said. “He scored a great goal that calmed us down psychologically with a half hour still to go, and then he finished the game off. He offers different characteristics.”

De Rossi, ejected and banned for four matches for elbowing Brian McBride in the face when the teams met in the 2006 World Cup, put Italy ahead 2-1 in the 72nd with a 15-yard shot that bounced by defender Oguchi Onyewu and beat goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Bradley and his players were unhappy with Chilean referee Pablo Pozo’s decision to give the red card to Clark, saying the foul should have been merely a yellow card.

“The red card made all the difference,” Donovan said. “Eleven guys from each team were prepared and ready to play the game, and the guy in the middle with the whistle wasn’t.”

Preparing for next year’s World Cup in South Africa, the U.S. brought most of its top players to this eight-nation tournament. The United States, which qualified by winning the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, plays South American champion Brazil on Thursday and closes the first round against African champion Egypt on Sunday. The top two teams in each group advance to the semifinals.

In Monday’s other game, Brazil beat Egypt 4-3 on a disputed 90th-minute penalty kick by Kaka, his second goal of the match.

Before looking ahead to the matchup with Brazil, U.S. players lingered on the loss to Italy.

“It was a little harsh that we didn’t get something out of that game,” midfielder DaMarcus Beasley said. “But Italy are world champions. You have to do a little extra to beat them.”

Iraq 0-0 South Africa

2009-06-16T16:13:00.003+07:00

(AP)—Iraq tied South Africa 0-0 in the Confederations Cup opener Sunday, dealing a blow to a host nation hoping to establish itself as a challenger in the tournament.

Goalkeeper Mohammed Kassid made two sterling saves for Iraq, the Asian champion. The eight-team tournament is a dress rehearsal for next year’s World Cup.

South Africa nearly had a goal with six minutes left. A header by Kagisho Dikgacoi hit the leg of forward Bernard Parker on the goal line, with Kassid already beaten.

The draw for Iraq rewarded the conservative tactics of coach Bora Milutinovic, who once coached the United States. With an unexpected point, Iraq has hopes of reaching the semifinals from a group that also includes Spain and New Zealand.

Torres Make Hat Trick in World Confederation Cup

2009-06-16T16:11:00.000+07:00

JOHANNESBURG (AP)—Fernando Torres helped Spain pick up where it left off at a major soccer tournament, and South Africa did little to show it will contend at the Confederations Cup.

Torres scored three goals in the first 17 minutes to help the European champions rout New Zealand 5-0 on the opening day of the eight-team tournament, a warmup for next year’s World Cup. South Africa was unlucky and had to settle for a 0-0 tie against Iraq in the opening game at Ellis Park.

The United States opens play Monday against World Cup champion Italy in Pretoria.

Torres, who scored in Spain’s 1-0 win over Germany in last year’s European Championship final, put his team ahead in the sixth minute in Rustenburg, curling a shot past New Zealand goalkeeper Glen Moss. He made it 2-0 in the 14th, side-footing a pass from David Villa into the net. He completed the hat trick with a header from Joan Capdevila’s cross

“The truth is that it was a great boost for the team to come out and start like that,” Torres said. “Now I just want to keep scoring goals in the tournament and try to be the top scorer in the end.”

Cesc Fabregas and Villa also scored for Spain, which stretched its unbeaten streak to 33 games, two shy of Brazil’s record.

“Basically, we were superior,” Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said. “We can’t get ahead of ourselves just yet. Today they made it easy for us in the first half.”

Spain leads Group A with three points and next faces Iraq.

“I don’t think you or they are surprised by what happened on the field,” New Zealand coach Riki Herbert said. “It was always going to be tough for us, but we still have two big matches left.”

The atmosphere at the Royal Bafokeng stadium was dulled by thousands of empty seats. But in Johannesburg, the vuvuzela trumpets rang loud as fans supported their home team in earnest.

The hosts, however, failed to convert an easy opportunity in the 84th minute when a header from Kagisho Dikgacoi hit the back of the leg of South Africa forward Bernard Parker on the goal line and bounced out.

“I wanted to drop dead,” Parker said.

Although Mohammed Kassid may have been beaten on that play, the Iraq goalkeeper made some other outstanding saves to preserve the draw, including a one-on-one stop from forward Katlego Mashego late in the match.

“This tie for us is positive,” Iraq coach Bora Milutinovic said. “OK, we had a chance there, but I think this game was for a tie.”

Iraq played a defensive game, keeping most players behind the ball and creating little in the form of an attack.

“There were only 33 minutes of football played in the first half,” South Africa coach Joel Santana said. “Iraq kept stopping the game all the time. They didn’t like to play.”

While the draw was a boost for Iraq, it hurt South Africa’s chances of advancing to the semifinals.

“In the opening game, if you can get three points, it takes a lot of pressure off us,” said South Africa midfielder Steve Pienaar, who came on as a late substitute because he is recovering from a stomach bug. “Now we have our back against the wall.”

South Africa next plays New Zealand in Rustenburg, and then faces Spain in Bloemfontein.

“We just have to stay focused,” Pienaar said. “We have to give everything in the last two games.”

Spain beat New Zealand 5-0 with 3 goal from Torres

2009-06-16T16:09:00.002+07:00

RUSTENBURG, South Africa (AP)—Fernando Torres scored three goals in the first 17 minutes, powering Spain to a 5-0 rout of New Zealand on Sunday on the opening day of the Confederations Cup.

The European champions stretched their unbeaten run to 33 games, two shy of Brazil’s record.

Torres beat New Zealand goalkeeper Glen Moss with a curling shot, a redirected ball and a header. Cesc Fabregas and David Villa also scored. Villa now has 29 career goals for Spain, second on the country’s scoring list.

Spain leads Group A with three points and will next play Iraq, which held host South Africa to a 0-0 draw.

Brazil 4 Egypt 3 - Confederations Cup result

2009-06-16T16:01:00.001+07:00

At Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein

Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Scorers:

Brazil: Kaka 5, 90+1 pen, Luis Fabiano 12, Juan 37

Egypt: Zidan 9, 55; Mohamed Shawky 54

Red card: Ahmed Al Muhamadi, Egypt 90

Halftime: 3-1

Brazil: 1-Julio Cesar; 13-Daniel Alves, 3-Lucio (captain), 4-Juan, 6-Kleber (16-Andre Santos 83); 7-Elano Blumer (18-Ramires 63), 8-Gilberto Silva, 10-Kaka, 5-Felipe Melo; 9-Luis Fabiano, 11-Robinho (21-Alex Pato 63)

Egypt: 1-Essam El Hadari; 6-Hani Said, 4-Ahmed Said, 20-Wael Gomaa, 7-Ahmed Fathi, 14-Sayed Moawad; 11-Mohamed Shawky, 8-Hosni Abd Rabou (3-Ahmed Al Muhammadi 75), 17-Ahmed Hassan (captain) (10-Ahmed Eid 52), 22-Mohamed Aboutrika, 9-Mohamed Zidan.

WORLD SOCCER NEWS

2009-06-14T14:44:00.003+07:00

FIFA CONFEDERATION CUP

SPAIN BEAT NEW ZEALAND 5-0

TORRES MAKE HAT TRICK IN CONFEDERATION CUP

ITALY BEAT US 3-1

IRAQ HOLD SOUTH AFRICA

BRAZIL BEAT EGYPT 4-3

FIFA CONFEDERATION CUP 2009 OVERHEAT to WORLD CUP 2010

2009-06-14T13:41:00.002+07:00

GROUP A

IRAQ

NEW ZEALAND

SOUTH AFRICA

SPAIN

GROUP B

BRAZIL

EGYPTY

ITALIA

UNITED STATES

Kaka to Real Madrid

2009-06-12T13:21:00.001+07:00

Kaka transvered from AC Milan to real madrid by 65 milion euro.Can the real madrid presiden make a Los Galacticos version 2.After transver kaka the real madrid presiden want to buy C.Ronaldo from Manchaster united a price 80 milion euro and Manchester united aprove that.

Can Real madrid become a big club after buy a star player and will sell 9 player to make money.
The target after Kaka and Ronaldo is frank Ribery from Bayern Munchen but the owner of Bayern hold the Ribery and price it by 100 milion euro.

Barcelona is The Real Big Club in Europe

2009-06-12T13:03:00.002+07:00

Barcelona win treble winner when beat Manchester United 2-0 in Rome.This it meke a history that a first Spain club that make treble winner.

Goal by samuel etoo and leonel messi make barcelona the best team in europe.Lenol messi become a top score in europe.

In UEFA CUP Ukraina team make a history thats Shaktar Donets that succes beat wenderbremen in final.

BARCELONA VS MANCHESTER UNITED : BIG MATCH TWO BIG CLLUB IN EUROPE WITH TWO GENIUS COACH

2009-05-18T20:51:00.002+07:00

Barcelona on first position on la liga and manchester united first place in EPL who the first in champions legue?On back of succes this two big club are Pep Guardiola and Sir Alex Ferguson.
Young coach versus Experient coach who the best?

Pep guardiola a young coach that make Barcelona on firts position on La liga and get a la liga tropi for this season after the la liga tropi for last 2 season for Real Madrid.Short pass is a barcelona characteristic and it make succes Barcelona win Copa del rey and LA LIGA this season.On paper this strategy is succes barcelona make many goal.

Sir Alex Ferguson a genius coach that make MU as a champions league and EPL tropi holder.With many player that have a good skill and with briliant strategy make MU a big team that make other club scared.After win carling cup and EPL on this season can MU hold this champions league title and make a treble winner or Barcelona can get it and make a treble winner so.

Can two genius coach prove who is the best coach in europe?Nest see later

INIESTA PLAY ON FINAL

2009-05-17T14:28:00.001+07:00

F: daylife

Barcelona - Barcelona concern can not reduce Andres Iniesta in the Champions League final fight, tidka terbukti. Iniesta could be appearing on the match against Manchester United, on Thursday (28/5/2009).

After examination, Iniesta could recover after that time, to appear in the final. Examination results showed maestro bait if this injury is not too severe. Unlike the initial allegations.

The Blaugrana are full, the visible limp when Barca play against Villarreal 3-3, last week. Team directly to check the medical condition, if the doubts can appear opposite Iniesta United in Rome.

However, the phase when the new examination to confirm injury is not severe. Barca hero in the match against Chelsea, only a right leg muscle cramps, and can recover quickly.

Injury was happen in the same place when it was severe injury, November ago. Iniesta mandatory absent for two months. However, it was not evident.

Only, the half will not take part in the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao, on Thursday (14/5/2009). Pep Guardiola will also most likely save them to appear before the United opponent.

Barcelona have lost their own two back Rafa Marquez Gaby Milito and the injury. Meanwhile, Thierry Henry continues to try to recover. However, Eric Abidal and Dani Alves absent due punishment.

Giggs chase each Hattrick in Champion League

2009-05-17T14:24:00.001+07:00

MANCHESTER - Ryan Giggs believes, Manchester United trofi able to lift the Champions League three times next season, when able to beat Barcelona.

Seasons ago, the Red Satan Chelsea in Moscow. Now, the second opportunity is open for United, when they face Barcelona at the Olimpico stadium in Rome 27 May 2009.

The Wales wing origin is also the trofi Champions in 1999, and want to repeat the achievement. Giggs even terpacu to create new target three times champion Champions League.

"Last year in Moscow, I drank several bottles of beer and become one of the most touching of the first bed," said Giggs in the Daily Telegraph, Saturday (16/5/2009).

"I think about next year. Repeat the achievements of a Champions League champion, is the challenge. Yet who have been able to do so," said Giggs again.

"If we win in Rome will give you the confidence to do so outside normal again next season," he explained.

Puyol: Iniesta eligible to appear in the Final

2009-05-17T14:16:00.002+07:00

Barcelona - Barcelona will have lost the match Andres Iniesta on the Copa del Rey final, on Thursday (14/5/2009), against Athletic Bilbao. However, Iniesta could appear in the Champions League final.

Veteran back Carles Puyol deplore the situation is same if Iniesta will absent in the Copa del Rey final. However, if bersukur Puyol Iniesta will likely appear against Manchester United, end of this month. According Puyol, Iniesta is eligible to play in the fight.

Certainty of injury experienced by Iniesta on the fight against Villarreal which ended 3-3, last week. Half are Barca have a problem on the right leg muscle.

"Truly bad news we play without Iniesta. He is a player that are important to the team. I really hope he can appear in the Champions League final. Because it is his right," said Puyol disitat such as Goal, Tuesday (12/5/2009).

About the failure to reach full number against Villarreal, Puyol confess that his team is a mistake. "We have to think will be the winner.The players are happy. This is a lesson for us all, that the match can still be changed before the finish the match referee," Barca captain is close.

MU CAN MAKE HATRICK

2009-05-17T14:12:00.001+07:00

Daylife

MANCHESTER - Ryan Giggs believes, Manchester United trofi able to lift the Champions League three times beruntun next season, when able to beat Barcelona.

Seasons ago, the Red Satan Chelsea in Moscow. Now, the second opportunity is open for United, when they face Barcelona at the Olimpico stadium in Rome 27 May 2009.

The Wales wing origin is also the trofi Champions in 1999, and want to repeat the achievement. Giggs even terpacu to create new target three times champion beruntun Champions League.

"Last year in Moscow, I drank several bottles of beer and become one of the most touching of the first bed," said Giggs in the Daily Telegraph, Saturday (16/5/2009).

"I think about next year. Repeat the achievements of a Champions League champion, is the challenge. Yet who have been able to do so," said Giggs again.

"If we win in Rome will give you the confidence to do so outside normal again next season," he explained.

Barcelona vs Manchester United : Messi vs Ronaldo

2009-05-13T14:31:00.001+07:00

Rome,27 mei 2009

Match two big clubs in europe will happen on 27 mei 2009 in rome italy.Can one of them prove that they are a best clubs in europe.

Manchester United as a trophie holder have abig motivation to win this third title champion league.Sir Alex Ferguson said he wish to win trophie as many as he can with Manchester United before he quit from his carier as a coach.After beat Arsenal in semifinal we can see Cristiano Ronaldo is really best player in world.

Park ji sung will play on first final in champion leaguea and make a record as a first asian that play on champion league final.

On Barcelona side Pep Guardiolawill bring this trio striker Messi,Henry and Eto'o.On gambling house Barcelona in still favorite to win this title.After beat chelsea on semifinal Barcelona have a chance to win this thirds title.Messi have big chance to be a top scores in europe with 8 goal colected.

TOM HEDDINK : The Bad Referee on Champion League

2009-05-13T14:14:00.002+07:00

After match chelsea vs barcelona in london referee that lead the match Tom Heddink threatened death by chelsea fans because his job when chelsea vs barcelona in stamford bridge.

Even he must be hidden when he quit from the stamford bridge and secred his room hotel addres in hotel that he ceck in.

Gus Hiddink recognize that Tom Heddink is the badest referee in his life as a coach.When the match chelsea should have 4 pinalty.Two hands ball on pinalty area by Barcelona player didn't followed up by the referee.Many people said that a scandal happen in that match.

even in the internet profile tom heddink assigned to go everywhere such as his address, phone number, and his families.

Tom Heddink say he will quit from his carier as a referee if his job can make his family situation dangerous.

Manchester United vs Arsenal and Chelsea vs Barcelona result

2009-05-07T14:58:00.004+07:00

Manchester United vs Arsenal 1-3
Chelsea vs Barcelona 1-1

In champions second leg league semifinal last day Manchester United has beat Arsenal by 3-1 in emirates stadium.And MU go to final to fight with Barcelona that have result match 1-1 in stamford bridge with Chelsea.

Manchester United can win this fight because his player from asia Park Ji Sung that make a goal at 7 minutes in the game and 3 minutes after that free kick from best player in europe Cristiano Ronaldo make a score 2-0 for Manchester United.When first round has over the score is still stand 2-0.

IN second round Manchester united make one goal again and change the score 3-0 for Manchester United.Arsenal can't do anything cause they need 5 goal to win an go to final.
Arsenal get pinalty when Daren Fletcher fall down Van Persie in pinalty area and the pinalty kick

conducted by Van Persie can make the score changes 1-3.

When the match is over the score is still stand 3-1 for Manchester United win.

In stamford bridge Chelsea lose his chance to goes to final because Barcelona hold them 1-1.
In this match Chelsea are disadvantaged by referee because two hands ball from Barcelona player in pinalty area does not pay attention by the referee.

Beutiffull goal on Chelsea by Esien when the match is still play in 8 minutes.Goal Barcelona in injurie time bay A.Iniesta.When the match is over the score is still 1-1 so Barcelona goes to final.Many Chelsea player protest of a more impartial referee to Barcelona.

Manchester will met Barcelona in final at Roma.

Arsenal VS Manchester united

2009-05-05T16:36:00.002+07:00

Arsenal will meet again with Man.Utd in second leg semifinal champion league.Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger say that Arsenal can beat Man.Utd.

Man.Utd will lose because just have one goal when beat Arsenal in first leg and Arsenal can make more goal.

Althought Arsenal not favorite to win this leg but they have a big motivation because in history when Arsenal play at Emirates Stadium have a good history.

Can Arsenal beat Man.Utd or they will lose in this match lets see the game.

Manchester United, Barcelona Top IFFHS Rankings

2009-05-05T16:35:00.000+07:00

Manchester United have retained top spot in the IFFHS [International Federation of Football History & Statistics] club rankings for the May 2008 to April 2009 edition.

The reigning Champions League winners finished ahead of fellow semi-finalists, Barcelona and Chelsea, with Argentine powerhouse, Boca Juniors separating the trio from an all Champions League last four lock-out as Arsenal occupy fifth spot.

While there can be hardly any argument in the standings in the top five, a few eyebrows are sure to be raised further down the pecking order.

Juventus nipped ahead of bitter Serie A rivals, Inter, in 13th and 14th respectively, while Atletico Madrid are placed ahead of city foes, Real Madrid, but Villarreal, who made it further than both the capital clubs in this season’s Champions League are two places below.Ronaldo’s Palmeiras were the biggest movers as they leaped from 104 to 35, while one of his former clubs, Milan are in joint-32nd with Internacional and Aalborg .

All in all, the top 100 included eight representatives each from England , Brazil and Italy , seven from Germany and Spain , and six each from Argentina and France .

IFFHS Club World Rankings (previous position in parenthesis)

1. (1.) Manchester United – 302 points

2. (2.) Barcelona – 282

3. (5.) Chelsea – 254

4. (3.) Boca Juniors – 253

5. (8.) Arsenal – 245

6. (3.) Liverpool – 240

7. (10.) Dynamo Kyiv – 227

8. (17.) Hamburger SV – 226

9. (7.) Sao Paulo – 223

10. (13.) Shakhtar Donetsk – 218

11. (11.) Estudiantes – 207

-11. (6.) Bayern Munich – 207

13. (9.) Juventus – 205

14. (12.) Inter – 195

15. (24.) Werder Bremen – 194

20. (27.) Manchester City – 182

24. (25.) Atletico Madrid – 177

25. (27.) Real Madrid – 176

26. Sporting Braga – 174

27. Villarreal – 173

KS Leong, Goal.com

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2009-05-05T15:25:00.053+07:00

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2009-05-02T14:24:00.002+07:00

first leg 4/28/09 20:45 second leg 5/6/09 20:45

First leg Barcelona VS Chelsea 0-0
Second leg Chelsea VS Barcelona

first leg 4/29/09 20:45 second leg 5/5/09 20:45

First leg Man Utd vs Arsenal 1-0
Second leg Arsenal vs Man Utd

FINAL 5/27/09 20:45 ROAD TO ROMA

Were Chelsea Right To 'Park The Bus' Against Barcelona?

2009-05-02T14:18:00.000+07:00

The Blues pulled off what many had deemed impossible, but have still been hit with waves of criticism for their style of play, which has led Goal.com's Greg Ptolomey to ask whether Hiddink was right or wrong in his ultra-defensive set-up.

In the aftermath of Chelsea's goalless Champions League draw at Camp Nou on Tuesday evening, Barcelona and their fans have bemoaned the Blues' approach. They played in their yellow change kit, and their perceived negativity was yellow-bellied, according to the Blaugrana.

"When the team in front of you do not want to play football, it becomes complicated," as Andres Iniesta put it, and Barca certainly do have a conundrum now.

But let's look at it rationally. We've had a fantastic series of knock-out ties in the competition already, but this is the semi-finals, and no-one owes anyone anything. Not one side had kept a clean sheet in the lair of the Catalan giants all season, and in this information age there's few who doubt the attacking prowess of this Barca side. To me, that's not the back-drop for a gung-ho Chelsea.

Presumably, though, Iniesta & Co. wanted the English side to open up so that they could assert their will and win comfortably. Does it not sound insane just pondering the Spanish giants' expectations of this colossal tie?

We've been spoiled this term. First legs are supposed to be like this at the business end of the biggest competitions. Goals are at a premium - they can decide careers - and frustration invariably sets in. The onus is on the home side; it's a mental examination far more than a showcase for sexy football. Both sides have already pulled rabbits out of hats, put hearts in mouths, and now we're examining far deeper credentials.

On Tuesday, Barca failed their mental test. They let their frustration - with both their opposition and the referee - manifest itself physically after little more than half-an-hour. That's just not good enough.

In 2007 Lionel Messi said of Scottish side Rangers after a goalless group stage encounter, "Rangers didn't want to play football. They practised anti-football from the first minute." Clearly, La Liga's finest have been stuck on the moral high-ground for some time. Their desire to play their dazzling football is admirable, but Pep Guardiola must instill Euro street-smarts in his troops.

His counterpart, Guus Hiddink, chose to 'park the bus' in midweek based on his ridiculous amount of experience. Nearly a year ago, we saw his Russia play brilliantly at Euro 2008. Wherever he goes, his teams believe in his approach, and it's been shown time and again that he makes the right decisions based on the players and opposition in front of him.

Backs-to-the-wall away performances in Europe are part of a tactical spectrum - not some terrible black magic from the bowels of anti-football. Further to that, you have to be technically very good to do it at this level, and ultra-fit.

What if Alex had lunged in on Thierry Henry as the Frenchman cut in from the left time and again? What if Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien - although they could all have done more on the ball, admittedly - had stopped tracking Barca's kaleidoscopic movement, even for a few seconds. What if Petr Cech hadn't risen to the occasion after a dodgy run of form, narrowing every angle like a hyperactive mathematician?

It's harder than it looks to defend against such a good side for 95 minutes, and back at the Bridge they'll be glad of it. The sides will start over in the second leg, rather than the Blues chasing the game unnecessarily.

Okay, 'Lamps' looked knackered and maybe even a bit miffed when he was eventually substituted, and one of Chelsea's top men this season, Nicolas Anelka, only got a matter of seconds on the pitch, but it's all about taking one for the team. In west London, Hiddink will know that his side will need lifted in order to take the game to Barca: there is a danger of relying upon your defensive core too much if you're good at it.

It's been a freaky season in Europe, but teams will always park the so-called bus. It's serious business becoming European champions, and clubs are doing it for themselves and their fans at this stage. The neutrals, I'm afraid, will have to wait patiently for another 4-4 thriller.

Greg Ptolomey, Goal.com

Chelsea Stopped Barcelona, Here's How.

2009-05-02T14:17:00.000+07:00

The impossible was made possible by Lucky Guus. Goal.com's Sulmaan Ahmad was not surprised, and feels the Blues could have done even better.

Some have called it clever, others have called it obvious. Hiddink didn't play attacking football at Camp Nou. Shocker.

Barcelona players have not stopped complaining since the final whistle. Barcelona's coach is disappointed and angry in equal measure.

Chelsea's players are delighted, though not yet sure they have any kind of advantage. Chelsea's coach, meanwhile, is still parked in front of Petr Cech's goal.

Hilarious puns aside, it seems the Dutch tactician got it right. It would seem, even, that he was on Goal.com reading up on how to stop Barcelona, because he executed half of the eight-step plan to perfection, and the other half in which his side perhaps fell short, he even highlighted after the game, as if to suggest he had asked them to deliver in certain areas and they simply failed.

This, despite them achieving a result that shocked all of Europe. Barcelona have not gone goalless at home all season, but then again, 0-0 at home can almost favour an away side in Europe due to the dubious nature of the away goals rule. Barca can now progress with a score draw, which probably remains the most likely outcome of the tie.

The encounter threw up a plethora of talking points and analyses without being in the least bit entertaining. No one knows whether either side got a good or bad result, or whether they played good or bad football. Nothing happened.

First, the bad: Chelsea's biggest problem was their 1) fear. All those backwards passes, the hurried clearances, the hoofs from Petr Cech. A good 40 per cent of them were unnecessary and completely unforced. Put aside anti-football and any perceived lack of class or ability; this was about a team petrified of making a mistake. What they forgot is that it was more important for them to score than Barcelona not to.

The attacking approach, on the rare occasions it was adopted, was too 2) narrow-minded. Florent Malouda, despite having far less ability than Dani Alves, did him twice in the first half-hour, yet was almost discouraged from doing any attacking thereafter. On the right, having Essien tuck in as an auxiliary central midfielder was useful in neutralising the dual threat of Xavi and Iniesta, but it exposed the Ghanaian powerhouse for his poor play when in possession. Many of his forward passes were over-hit and erratic. There was no Bosingwa to overlap and thus all of Chelsea's threat, or what there was of it, came down one flank.

Thus, there was little the 3) big man could do to save the day. Though his hold-up play was magnificent, he missed the one big chance he should have put away. To put it simply, he had the chance to make the difference, as prophesied, and failed.

It wasn't all his fault, he will claim he was still moving through the gears at that point due to being so uninvolved in proceedings. Chelsea were crying out for some poise, perhaps a 4) little man to run at the Blues defenders, interplay with Drogba and ensure Chelsea's attacks lasted longer than a string of two, maybe three passes. Frank Lampard can consider himself guilty in this regard. He may not be little in any sense, but he was the man upon whom Drogba had to rely for some interplay, not to mention service, and he delivered neither.

But yet, you can't argue with the result. While Chelsea got it all wrong in the opponents' half, they were perfect within their own. The 5) defensive drilling was incredibly intense. Alex and Terry (but for his one slip) were rock-solid. Bosingwa, ably assisted by an array of team-mates, did the job on Messi. Ivanovic learnt quickly after being burned early on by Henry and thereafter kept him out of the game. Ballack and Mikel did an un-fancy but effective job of crowding the final third and sealing off all potential routes to goal.

The 6) X-Factor, in particular, was neutralised. Hiddink played this to perfection. Xavi put in the mileage and rarely misplaced a pass, but it was all going sideways and backwards. There was no invention, thus Barcelona failed to maintain anything resembling their optimum level of pressure.

And for all those expecting fantasy football and laughing off the notion there was 7) too much talent, there must be many who now see the benefits that could have come with starting Sergio Busquets, or the more suitable Seydou Keita.

With five world class attacking threats to play against, Chelsea were never going to attack. They had too much defending to do. Taking out just one of those for a less immediately threatening player such as Keita would not only have served as psychological encouragement for the Blues to leave their own box, but also offered a different kind of threat from midfield for Barca. The strength, the cannon of a left foot, and perhaps most crucially, a hurtling head for Dani Alves to aim at from out wide. The Brazilian's role was made completely redundant by the deepset Chelsea defence and lack of any kind of aerial threat.

And then there was Hleb. This is who you bring on when you're in trouble? A man who embodies everything that was already wrong with the performance? There was no Iniesta or Henry to bring on. They both started. Eto'o was nowhere near good enough, particularly due to missing his one-on-one with Cech, and this further emphasised Barcelona's need for a targetman. Bojan was the Cameroonian's replacement and he missed a chance that was even easier.

The sad fact remains that with all five maestros in effect, Chelsea could have even done more. They could have taken a risk, they could have charged Barcelona, but they didn't. They nevertheless deserve due credit for keeping their 8) heads up and not being in any way fazed by the boos, the hype or the grandeur. Players like Ballack in particular put ego aside and, rightly or wrongly, did the dirty work for the good of the team.

Barcelona can complain all they want, but they should have done better. Before the game, the talk was of a big win no matter what. There was nothing Chelsea could do. But evidently, there was. It was as simple as parking the bus.

That shouldn't have worked, should it? That's how everyone used to shut out Barca when Rijkaard's team went off the handles. Pep's is supposed to be better than that. But Eto'o missed, Bojan missed, even Messi first hesitated in a shooting position and then blasted over from a good position.

The little things went the way of the Blues, such as the penalty appeal for the tug on a Thierry Henry who was already falling over and the flailing hand of Michael Ballack that could have been deemed a second yellow. These were not genuine, game-changing decisions.

Enough of the excuses. Barca should know better than to regress to their old ways, particularly as they're still favourites for the final. When Chelsea have to score, the game will change. Now it will be all about how Barcelona stop Chelsea. That's for another special column altogether. Keep your eyes peeled...

Sulmaan Ahmad, Goal.com

Chelsea Star Ballack Laughs Off Barcelona’s Criticism

2009-05-02T14:04:00.002+07:00

The Pensioner’s German midfielder has responded to the criticisms and complaints leveled at his side by the Catalan giants.

Barcelona launched a scathing review of Chelsea and referee Wolfgang Stark’s performance in last Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg clash at the Camp Nou.

Blues manager, Guus Hiddink utilized an ultra-defensive strategy and a physical approach to stifle the Blaugrana attacking tidal wave and duly earned a 0-0 draw, while the referee was condemned by numerous Barca figures for allowing the English side to get away with an excessive amount of dangerous challenges.

Now, midfielder Michael Ballack has chipped in with his own two cents about all the fuss surrounding the much talked-about game, starting with the match officiating.

“The referee did a great job. This is football and the Barcelona players should know this. Maybe they expected us to roll over for them and because we didn’t, they don’t think it’s fair,” he told The Sun.

“You have to play differently against Barca as you do against Liverpool. This was all part of our strategy,” he added.

The German then responded to his nemesis, Andres Iniesta, who was one of the more vocal players to criticize the referee as well as Chelsea’s ‘anti-football’.

“Iniesta is a great player and there’s no need for him to talk that way,” he declared.

“In fact, it was a game where it was not necessary to talk about the referees at all. But this is how players react when they do not obtain the result they want.”

Chelsea and Barcelona will square-off again this coming Wednesday for the second leg at Stamford Bridge.

KS Leong, Goal.com

BARCELONA STILL FAVORITE

2009-05-01T14:53:00.002+07:00

After match with Chelsea in firts leg campions league semifinal and end with score 0-0 Barcelona stil favorite to win champions league.Second leg will forged in the Stamford bridge on 6 May.In the gambling houses in the world still Barcelona in the first place to win this titled.

Whether there will be a scandal because many people bet on barcelona.Exsampel in first leg barcelona handicap chelsea by 3/4 and the score is 0-0 so many people that bet on barcelona was lose his bet.And when the match is still progress the referee stand chelsea because the referee give chelsea many lucky and barca dont have it.

Can't Barcelona prove it that barcelona is best club in europe.

Hamburg wins 1-0 at Bremen in UEFA Cup semifinal

2009-05-01T14:47:00.000+07:00

BREMEN, Germany (AP)—Hamburg won 1-0 at Werder Bremen on a 29th-minute goal by Piotr Trochowski on Thursday night in the first leg of an all-German UEFA Cup semifinal.

Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese, who stopped three penalty kicks when Werder eliminated Hamburg in the semifinals of the German Cup last week, made good saves, including one from Ivica Olic early in the game. The goalkeeper also turned away striker Paolo Guerrero’s low shot in the 22nd.

The second leg of the total-goals series will be in Hamburg on May 7, and the winner will advance to the final on May 20 in Istanbul. Hamburg has not be in a European final since winning the 1983 Champions Cup.

In the other semifinal, Shakhtar Donetsk played a 1-1 tie at Dynamo Kiev.

Dynamo took the lead in the 22nd minute when Shakhtar defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy put Oleksandr Aliyev’s powerful free kick into his own net while struggling with Artem Milevskiy at the far post. Fernandinho tied the score in the 68th for Shakhtar, which hosts the second leg May 7.

Man United beats Arsenal 1-0 in Champions League

2009-04-30T14:36:00.000+07:00

MANCHESTER, England (AP)—Manchester United’s 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the first leg of an all-English European Champions League semifinal might have been costly for the defending champion.

Central defender Rio Ferdinand was sent to a hospital for tests after Wednesday night’s match to determine whether he has a broken rib, an injury that could cause him to miss the second leg.

“It doesn’t look good at the moment,” United manager Alex Ferguson said.

Defender John O’Shea scored the goal in the 18th minute. The teams meet against Tuesday at London’s Emirates Stadium, and winner of the total-goals series advances to the May 27 final in Rome against Barcelona or Chelsea, who tied 0-0 Tuesday in Spain and play again in London on May 6.

“Their keeper has made a couple of great saves. On our first half display, we could have been a couple more goals up,” O’Shea said. “But we have the goal, we kept a clean sheet and we know we’re capable of scoring an away goal at the Emirates.”

Michael Carrick beat a defender on the left off a corner kick, and his cross deflected off Alex Song to the unmarked O’Shea, who drove the ball past goalkeeper Manuel Almunia into the roof of the net.

“The positive is that we are only 1-0 down,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. “I am convinced you will see a different Arsenal team at the Emirates. I believe that we have a good chance to reverse the result.”

Manchester United defeated Chelsea 6-5 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 tie in last year’s final at Moscow. United already has won this season’s FIFA Club World Cup and the English League Cup, and has a three-point lead over second-place Liverpool in the Premier League race with a game in hand. United was eliminated by Everton in the semifinals of the FA Cup.

Arsenal, fourth in the Premier League, was without injured Robin van Persie and Andry Arshavin, who was acquired in January and is ineligible to appear for the Gunners in the Champions League.

Ryan Giggs made his 800th appearance for Manchester United. The 35-year-old midfielder, who made his United debut in March 1991, replaced Anderson in the 67th minute.

Giggs thought he had provided a late second goal, but as he was celebrating, referee Claus Bo Larsen ruled that he was offside when racing through and rounding Manuel Almunia.

“If you asked me when I was 19, ‘Would you be playing in a Champions League semifinal at 35?’ I would have said, ‘No,”’ Giggs said ahead of the match. “But I look after myself, and it helps when you have good players around you.”

Chelsea holds Barcelona 0-0

2009-04-30T14:33:00.000+07:00

BARCELONA, Spain (AP)—After becoming the first team to hold Barcelona scoreless since the Spanish league’s opening weekend last August, Chelsea headed home in good position to advance to the European Champions League final for the second straight year.

“It’s quite an achievement against a team that plays beautiful football,” Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink said after Tuesday night’s 0-0 tie in the first leg of the semifinals.

Both goalkeepers made important stops, with Victor Valdes getting his hands up quickly to stop Didier Drogba following a defensive lapse in the 39th minute — Chelsea’s only shot on goal to Barcelona’s 12.

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech dove to keep Samuel Eto’o’s shot out in the 70th after the Barcelona forward had shook off Alex to get a clear chance from close range. Cech made several clutch saves down the stretch, the most notable on substitute Aleksandr Hleb moments after Bojan Krkic had headed a clear chance from point blank over the goal.

“They won’t be able to play like they did today, just waiting on everything in their own half,” Eto’o said. “Drawing at home is not a bad thing for the team. Playing away in the return leg just means we have to score that away goal that will settle us.”

Barcelona was held scoreless for the first time since starting the Spanish league season with a 1-0 loss to Numancia last Aug. 31 on the opening weekend. Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez pulled up in the 50th minute with a left knee injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season and was replaced by captain Carles Puyol.

“Rafa’s loss was the worst news today,” Barcleona coach Pep Guardiola said.

Chelsea hosts the second leg at Stamford Bridge on May 6, with the winner advancing to the May 27 final in Rome. Puyol is suspended for the match.

“It’s a fantastic result, Chelsea captain John Terry said. “They had a lot of possession, but we stayed very tight. We watched videos before the game: They like to play little balls through, and we knew that and stopped them doing it.”

Defending champion Manchester United, which won last year’s final on penalty kicks, hosts Arsenal on Wednesday night in the other semifinal.

Cech smothered Henry’s chance in the 31st and blocked a hard shot from the France striker two minutes later.

It was the two clubs fourth meeting in five European campaigns, and things heated up as the fouls mounted.

Barcelona had a major blow in the 50th when Marquez pulled up with a left knee injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season, making way for Puyol. Barcelona’s defense will be short-handed for the return leg at Stamford Bridge on May 6 with Puyol suspended after being booked in the 74th.

Thierry Henry: ‘Brave’ Barcelona Do Not Fear Chelsea Champions League Tie

2009-04-27T15:57:00.000+07:00

The French international forward insists that la Blaugrana are courageous enough to overcome the Blues in the Champions League semi-final...
27 Apr 2009 08:25:12
Barcelona striker Thierry Henry feels that the Spanish giants demonstrated that they have the fortitude to see off Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final following their Primera Division draw with Valencia on Saturday.

Los Cules fought back from 2-1 down at the Mestalla to earn a vital point thanks to an 85th minute equaliser from the French international.

La Blaugrana have been installed as favourites to win Europe's top competition this season and the 31-year-old believes they have the mettle and the nerve to give themselves a chance to lift the trophy by beating the Blues to book a place in the final.

"We showed what courage we have as a side," Henry is quoted as saying by The Daily Mail.

"That was the type of performance that wins you trophies. We lost our concentration twice and they made us pay but we are a brave team and we came back into the game.

"Now all our attention turns to Chelsea, Real Madrid and then Chelsea again."

Ricky Brooks, Goal.com

Champions League Comment: The Stakes Are High For All Four Clubs

2009-04-27T15:53:00.001+07:00

Goal.com

The Champions League semi-finals are upon us, and that means that the football world is gearing up for two nights of excitement.

We hope that these clashes will be as thrilling and engaging as the quarter-finals, which saw Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Porto, and Villarreal bid farewell to Europe's golden competition.

That leaves four teams remaining, and the stakes are high for each one.
First off are Manchester United.

The reigning champions need little by way of introduction, given that the lifted the trophy in Moscow last season.

But for Sir Alex Ferguson - whose career is perhaps starting to draw to a close, each trophy is a goal unto itself.

His side have a chance to seal two consecutive league and CL doubles, and given that their weekend result saw a 5-2 comeback win over high-flying Spurs, their opponents would do well to note that Old Trafford really is something of a fortress.
The opposition are none other than Spurs' London rivals, Arsenal.

These two sides know each other inside-out, given that they've met
204 times in official competition over the years, although none of these matches have taken place in Europe.

At Old Trafford, United have won well over half of the fixtures - 55 of the 96 - and they'll look back fondly to a decade past. In 1999 a memorable two-game FA Cup semi-final saw the sides separated in extra time of the second match; two years later, United managed a 6-1 home win in the Premier League.

But Arsenal know that there are two legs at stake here, and they cannot be taken lightly in such contests. Nonetheless Arsenal remain outsiders due to their 'trophyphobia' - not since the FA Cup of 2005 have they lifted silverware.
Chelsea bring the Premier League contingent to three.

The Blues ousted Liverpool in perhaps the most captivating of the semi-finals, and seem to be enjoying a new lease of life under Guus Hiddink.

The Dutchman has breathed confidence and effervescence into what used to be seen as a huffing-and-puffing side, but they will remember all too clearly the two near-misses last season both at home and in Europe.

Nonetheless, a propensity towards scoring unlikely goals makes Chelsea a force to be reckoned with.

Back On Top? | It feels like an age, but Barcelona won it just three years ago

Finally, there's FC Barcelona of Spain, the last non-English side in the competition.

The Blaugrana are the bookies' favorites, with Goal.com's friends at bet365 offering 2.62 (13/8) for them to go all the way.
Certainly Barcelona can, when on song, play some of the continent's most attractive football. But with a precarious lead to protect in the Liga - and the small matter of a trip to Real Madrid at the weekend - they could be distracted.

But with the Camp Nou rocking and Barcelona on form, there will be fireworks - no doubt about that.

So, there's much to look forward to. With that in mind, how can one follow all the action as it happens?

Goal.com Champions League Coverage

Of course, to learn the fate of the four clubs above, you're at the right place: Goal.com!

Over the next week we have a wealth of content for you to really sink your teeth into. Here are just some of the highlights that await you:
Full previews, match reports, player ratings, and LIVE commentaries for both matches
Pick Your Teams: weigh up your ideal XI for each side alongside your fellow fans
A tactical analysis on how Chelsea might stop Barcelona
A look back at the epic meetings between Arsenal and Manchester United a decade ago in the FA Cup
An analysis of the race for the award for the Champions League's top goalscorer
A short history of the modern classic that is Chelsea-Barcelona
Key personal battles for each of the two matches
Quickfire editorials immediately after each match for an instant reaction to the key talking points
And much more
So, for all the Champions League news, views and action, head to Goal.com's Champions League homepage. Sit back and enjoy it all as it happens, or get involved with comments, picking teams, or the Goal.com forums - the choice is yours. We can't wait to have you join us.

Ewan Macdonald, Goal.com

Go to Goal.com for the world’s most comprehensive soccer coverage.

Champions League disciplinary situation

2009-04-27T15:52:00.001+07:00

April 27 (Reuters) - Champions League disciplinary situation
ahead of the semi-final, first leg fixtures.

Playing on Tuesday

Barcelona v Chelsea

Suspended: Ashley Cole (Chelsea)

Misses next match if booked: Daniel Alves (Barcelona),
Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Nicolas
Anelka (Chelsea)

Playing on Wednesday

Manchester United v Arsenal

Misses next match if booked: Wayne Rooney (Manchester
United), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Abou Diaby (Arsenal),
Samir Nasri (Arsenal), Alex Song (Arsenal), Robin van Persie
(Arsenal)

- - - -

(Edited by Patrick Johnston; To query or comment on this
story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Hiddink Gold Touch

2009-04-25T11:14:00.001+07:00

After the streams of fans dwindled to less than a trickle, the people of the small Dutch town of Varsseveld—population 5,900—shut and then tore down their museum to homegrown hero Guus Hiddink. Shops and apartments are now being built where the “Guuseum” once stood.

In light of the wonders that Hiddink is now weaving as interim manager at Chelsea, Varsseveld’s town planners might want to reconsider. Chelsea followers could soon be feeling the need to troop to Hiddink’s birthplace in homage to their season’s savior, as Korean fans did after the understated Dutch technician lifted their team to the almost unimaginable heights of a World Cup semifinal in 2002.

His star turn at Chelsea is proving again that Hiddink’s impressive record of success, not only with South Korea but also with Russia, Australia, the Netherlands and Dutch squad PSV Eindhoven, is no fluke. He simply has a gift for squeezing the best from teams.
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Rewind less than three months. Billionaire Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea plaything was going nowhere fast, his expensive players fitting together as poorly as Wellington boots with a posh suit.

Not only did Chelsea’s Premier League hopes seem dead, there were creeping doubts that last season’s Champions League finalists might not even qualify for the competition next season by finishing out of England’s top four.

Despite having led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title, Luiz Felipe Scolari, the coach in those dark days, was floundering in the high pressure of the world’s strongest league, looking increasingly tired and grouchy.

The last straw was a 0-0 home draw with Hull on Feb. 7, when Chelsea fans taunted Scolari with chants of, “You don’t know what you’re doing.”

Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin recalls being asked whether Chelsea would win any trophies this season.

“Absolutely not,” he replied. “With one caveat: unless we get Guus Hiddink.”

It’s not unusual for teams to respond to a new boss. And Hiddink has also had some luck in his 10 wins, three draws and just one loss since he answered a plea for help from his friend Abramovich. Foremost was getting Michael Essien back from long-term injury to add marauding threat and muscle to Chelsea’s midfield.

But it’s the way Hiddink has deployed players like Essien, motivated underachievers like winger Florent Malouda and striker Didier Drogba, and restored confidence, purpose, and fitness to the squad that has made the big difference.

Drogba, unkindly labeled “the Incredible Sulk” for his petulance by the English press, is looking like a big-game performer again, with nine goals under Hiddink. Drogba will be key to Chelsea hopes of overpowering Barcelona in their Champions League semifinal. The first leg is next Tuesday.

Before it was utterly outclassed at the Camp Nou in the Champions League final 16, French side Lyon briefly showed in a spirited first half on its home ground that it is possible to unsettle Barcelona with harassing play.

Chelsea is far stronger, with a sharper attack, sturdier defense and a more solid midfield, than the sputtering French champions now at risk of losing their domestic crown. In containing Liverpool 4-4 in their heart-stopping Champions League quarterfinal last week, Chelsea also showed resolve lacking under Scolari. Hiddink’s tactical shrewdness has given Chelsea an edge.

Thanks to Hiddink, Champions League football now looks assured for Chelsea next season, even if the Premier League title is seemingly going Manchester United’s way. Chelsea will be favorites to beat Everton for the FA Cup and dangerous underdogs against Barcelona for a place in the Champions League final.

If Hiddink can overcome that Spanish hurdle and secure for Abramovich the European trophy he so desperately wants, that could buy time for his successor to rebuild and freshen up Chelsea’s aging squad. That’s a longer-term job that, at age 62, Hiddink might not have the energy or patience for, especially at a club as political as Chelsea, where employee fortunes depend so heavily on the whims of Abramovich.

And even if they don’t keep Hiddink, Chelsea fans will always have Varsseveld.

Some of the Hiddink memorabilia that used to be in the Guuseum has since been redistributed to a local bowling alley and to a sports club, which “should have some stuff on the walls,” says local government spokesman Manus Willemsen. And, he adds, there’s the chance of bumping into some Hiddink family members who still live there, including a brother, Hans, who used to drive Korean tourists around town in a horse and cart and now plays in a “rather mediocre Dixieland band,” for which he’s “almost famous.”

“We can have Chelsea fans, no problem,” Willemsen says. “The local pubs would like that very much.”

From:sport.yahoo.com

Leonel Messi the best candidates Champion League top scores

2009-04-22T11:18:00.004+07:00

Leonel Messi have a chance to be a top scorer in Champion League.With 8 goal he colects make him as a top scorer for a time.While the rival Steven Gerard that have 7 goal celection has a out from tihs competition because that club Leverpool has beaten by Chelsea.

The last rival is Adebayor that colected 6 goal with Arsenal.But if we see the match tha will happend Arsenal will meet Manchester United that have a briliant goal keeper hard to Adebayor to make more goal.

We see the match and who will be a top scorers in Champion League

Barcelona vs Chelsea Predict

2009-04-20T12:45:00.005+07:00

BARCELONA VS CHELSEA 55%:45%

Play on New Camp is hard to england club to win.Barcelona has a last spanich club war with three big club in england.Can Barca prove it if they are a best club in europe.Chelsea that was beat Liverpool has same change with barca because they consentred just on FA CUP and Champion League.On premier league hard to race with Manchester United and Liverpool.

Barcelona that a firts position on La Liga must share they concentration with two cup and one league.In they last match barca has draw with Valencia in la liga.BUt in history england club hard to win in Spain is a lucky condition for barca.

We see soon the big match at 29 April 2009

TOP SCORES CHAMPION LEAGUE

2009-04-20T12:41:00.002+07:00

Leonel Messi 8 Goal
Steven Gerard 7 Goal
Miroslave Klose 7 Goal
E.Adebayor 6 Goal
Del Piero 6 Goal

Scedule Champion League Semifinal

2009-04-18T16:16:00.004+07:00

29 APRIL 2009

Chelsea vs Barcelona

30 APRIL 2009

Manchester United vs Arsenal

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULT: Arsenal 3-0 Villarreal

2009-04-16T16:53:00.000+07:00

Arsenal have beaten Villarreal CF 3-0 in their Champions League Quarter-Final 2nd-leg at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening. Theo Walcott scored the opening goal, with Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin Van Persie sealing the win early in the second-half to seal a 4-1 aggregate win and a place in the semi-finals against Manchester United.

The aggregate scores were level at 1-1 after the first-leg at the El Madrigal, with Arsenal carrying the advantage with their away-goal, as both teams looked to seal a place in the Champions League Semi-Finals.

Arsenal have major injury concerns for the game, with keeper Manuel Almunia out injured, while defender Bacary Sagna was ruled-out with a virus.

William Gallas, Johan Djourou and Gael Clichy were also sidelined, with Gunners youngster Kieran Gibbs starting the match.

The match was end-to-end during the early stages of the first-half, with the visitors causing early problems for the Villarreal defence.

It was in the 10th minute that Theo Walcott, who had an excellent first-half, broke the deadlock, with Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabragas supplying the ball and Walcott chipping the ball over the onrushing Rodriguez Diego Lopez from the inside the penalty box and into the bottom left corner of the goal to make it 1-0 and give Arsenal the advantage.

Arsenal continued to press for a second goal, but shots from Robin Van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor were saved by Villarreal keeper Lopez, while the ball was cleared from the line to keep the score at 1-0.

Shots from former Arsenal star Robert Pires and Diego Godin were saved by Lukasz Fabianski in the Arsenal goal, but the home-side were in control.

Godin headed over the crossbar from deep inside the penalty-area in the last minute of the first-half to give Arsene Wengers side a late scare, but the game went into half-time 1-0 to Arsenal.

The second-half saw increased pressure from the home-side and Emmanuel Adebayor scored Arsenal’s second-goal in the 60th minute after a superb break from The Gunners, which saw Robin Van Persie pass the ball to Adebayor on the left of the penalty-area, with the Togolese forward striking the ball with the outside of his right-foot across Lopez from the corner of the six-yard box to make it 2-0 on the night.

Cesc Fabregas was fouled in the penalty-area by Diego Godin, prompting the referee to point to the spot.

The referee booked Sebastian Eguren, who saw his second-yellow card of the match and was sent-off the pitch.

Two late subtstitutes, Nicklas Bendtner and Abou Diaby, almost combined late on to score the Gunners' fourth goal, but Diaby’s shot went wide of the Villarreal goal and the match finished 3-0 to Arsenal on the night, and 4-1 on aggregate.

Arsenal now face a Semi-Final encounter against Manchester United, with a meeting against either Chelsea or Barcelona in the Final in Rome in May.

Arsenal v Villarreal CF Champions League Quarter Final 2nd-leg Full Teamsheets:

Arsenal Team: Fabianski, Eboue, Toure, Silvestre, Gibbs, Walcott (Denilson 77), Song Billong, Fabregas, Nasri, Adebayor (Bendtner 83), Van Persie (Diaby 77).

Arsenal Substitutes Not Used: Vela, Bendtner, Eduardo, Mannone, Diaby, Ramsey, Denilson.

Arsenal Goals: Walcott 10, Adebayor 60, Van Persie 69 (penalty).

Bookings: Silvestre, Gibbs.

Villarreal CF Team: Lopez, Godin, Gonzalo, Capdevila, Angel Lopez, Bruno, Eguren, Matias Ariel Fernandez Fernandez, Cani, Rossi, Pires.

Villarreal CF Substitutes Not Used: Llorente, Viera, Kahveci, Ripolles, Ibagaza, Fuentes, Venta.

Bookings: Eguren, Cani, Godin.

Sent Off: Eguren.

Aggregate (4-1)

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULT: FC Porto 0-1 Man Utd

2009-04-16T15:53:00.003+07:00

Manchester United have beaten FC Porto 1-0 in their Champions League Quarter-Final 2nd-leg at the Estádio do Dragão on Wednesday evening, with a goal from Cristiano Ronaldo giving Sir Alex Ferguson’s side a 3-2 aggregate win to seal a place against fellow Premier League rivals Arsenal in the Semi-Finals of the competition.

The aggregate scores were level at 2-2 after the first-leg at Old Trafford, with FC Porto carrying the advantage with their two away-goals, as both sides look to seal a place in the Champions League Semi-Finals against either Arsenal or Villarreal.

The aggregate scores were level at 2-2 after the first-leg at Old Trafford, with FC Porto carrying the advantage with their two away-goals, as both sides look to seal a place in the Champions League Semi-Finals against either Arsenal or Villarreal.
Porto didn’t let the early goal affect them and began to make more of an impact in the match with shots from Bruno Alves and Lisandro Lopez both testing Edwin Van der Sar, but suffered a setback at the half-hour mark after Lucho Gonzalez was stretchered off the pitch.

While Porto were temporarily down to 10-men, Ryan Giggs almost doubled the score-line, but Helton did well to deny the Welshman.

Nemanja Vidic had a great chance to score, but the Serbian defender headed over the Porto goal, when the goal was at his mercy, while Dimitar Berbatov had a shot saved.

The first-half finished 1-0 to Manchester United, but Porto threatened consistently on the break and the tie was by no means settled.

Raul Meireles and Hulk both saw shots sail over the crossbar early in the second-half, which was curtailed by a heavy spell of rain.

Rooney had a tame shot at goal easily saved by Helton, before Hulk saw his free-kick saved well by Van der Sar, while Rolando’s shot went wide of goal.

Porto best chance of equalising came from Lisandro Lopez in the 85th-minute. Mariano managfed to get past Nani and his low cross found Lisandro on the edge of the six-yard box, but the shot went straight to at Van der Sar, much to the relief of United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

The single goal from Cristiano Ronaldo was enough to see Sir Alex Ferguson's side progress to the last-four, where they face Arsenal in the Semi-Finals of the competition.

FC Porto v Manchester United Champions League Quarter Final 2nd-leg Full Teamsheets:

FC Porto Team: Helton, Sapunaru (Costa 80), Rolando, Bruno Alves, Cissokho, Lucho Gonzalez (Mariano Gonzalez, 31), Fernando, Raul Meireles, Lopez, Hulk, Rodriguez (Farias, 64).

FC Porto Substitutes Not Used: Nuno, Stepanov, Guarin, Madrid.

Man Utd Team: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Giggs, Carrick, Anderson (Scholes 78), Rooney, Berbatov (Nani 68), Ronaldo.
from:www.premiershiplatest.com

Carrick: Porto mission not impossible

2009-04-15T15:00:00.000+07:00

Michael Carrick has no doubt Manchester United have the players to get through their tricky Champions League mission in Portugal next week.United tackle FC Porto in the second leg of their quarter-final knowing they will probably need to become the first English side to beat the Portuguese champions on their own soil to reach the last four for the third successive year.
A high-scoring draw would be enough but unless an early goal opens the game out completely, which admittedly it did at Old Trafford last Tuesday, victory is the Red Devils most obvious route into the semi-finals.
On the evidence of last week's encounter it is a tall order for Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

Not since that famous semi-final triumph over Juventus in 1999 have United won a two-legged game after failing to win the first game on home soil.
Three years after that, following a similar 2-2 scoreline against Bayer Leverkusen at Old Trafford, United could only manage a 1-1 draw in the second game, leaving Ferguson to rue missing out on a final against Real Madrid in Glasgow due to the away goals rule.
But Carrick knows they have been in enough scrapes in the past to feel confident about getting through this one.
"If we play well we can exploit the best of teams," he said. "We have the players to do it and we are set up as a team to do it.
"As long as we play to our potential I am sure we will cause them problems."
Playing to their potential has been a problem for United recently.

Ferguson's medical staff will be trying desperately hard to get Rio Ferdinand and Dimitar Berbatov fit to provide some added experience.
But United have plenty of that anyway, with Wayne Rooney in particularly good form, both for England and against Porto, where he scored one of his side's goals in the 2-2 draw and created the other.
"Wayne had a good two weeks with England," observed Carrick. "He was on fire there and he has carried it on.
"His goals and contribution are going to be massive from now until the end of the season.
"You want your big players to perform in the big games and I am sure they will."
Although Porto have won only five of the 11 matches they have played against English opposition on home soil, including defeats of United in 1977 and, under Jose Mourinho, in 2004, the other six have all ended in draws.
They still look pretty decent at holding out in front of their own fans judging by the goalless stalemate against Atletico Madrid in the last round, which took Porto into the quarter-finals, having achieved the same scoreline against the Spanish outfit that they did against United.

The Red Devils do have four days' preparation this time, as opposed to the 48 hours they had last week.
And they also have the knowledge that, Bayern Munich apart, away teams seem to have set a trend of doing rather well.
"It is strange," said Carrick. "From year to year sometimes the home teams dominate, sometimes the away teams do it.
"It shows how different and difficult the competition can be.
"The away teams have done all right this time. Hopefully that carries on until next week."

RESULT MATCH : CHELSEA VS LIVERPOOL

2009-04-15T12:03:00.002+07:00

Results 2nd leg quarter final league champion: Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool
For those who do not see the match I will explain in previw detail the match.

View from the match in the 1st leg enclosure Liverpool won by Chelsea with a 3-1 score to Chelsea will make it easier to pass to the semifinal because they only need a tie or lose 2-0 by Liverpool.Liverpool need 3 goals to be able to pass the semifinal.

When the kick off the first round starts the second team to play quicker.The match attack took place is hot.Liverpool free kick on 19 minutes and not wasted by F.Aurelio.Aurelio successfully deceive Peter Cech. Gol lead 0-1 (agregat2-3).Xabi Alonso drop by Ivanovic make a reveree give a pinalties for Liverpool.Xabi Alonso successfully execute the pinalties to leading Liverpool 2-0.Until the whistle marks the first phase after the score remained unchanged.

Kick off the second round starts and Liverpool still need 1 more point to be able to semifinal.On 15 minutes assist Nikolas Anelka successfully penetrate hurdle by Didier Drogba ,1-2 Liverpool still lead.Five minutes then turn Alex free kick through a very fast can make a score change 2-2. At 75 minutes utilize forage from Malouda, Frank Lampard Chelsea successfully create winning 3-2 (agregat6-3).

Liverpool go mad because of them need 3 more goals to go in semifinal.Hard kick by Lucas at 81 minutes striked by Michael Essien make Liverpool successful compare a score 3-3.One minute and then header Kuyt successfully deceive Peter Cech Liverpool 3-4 lead.One more touchdown passes Liverpool, but lost hope that the head of the 88 minutes Frank Lampard was back gate Reina,score draw 4-4.

Until the whistle sounds again the score unchanged 4-4.Chelsea passes with 7-5.With a aggregate number of goals is going to make this rivalry as the best in the league champion.Rafael Benitez confess proud of the squad spirit that fight completely.

Other results: Bayer Munich 1-1 Barcelona
(Franck Ribéry 47 '/ Seydou Keita 73').

Wenger hoping for home comforts

2009-04-15T11:58:00.000+07:00

Arsene Wenger wants Arsenal team to draw strength from the Emirates Stadium faithful in their quest to reach the Champions League semi-finals.The Gunners head into Wednesday night's return clash against Villarreal with the advantage of an away goal following the 1-1 draw at El Madrigal last Tuesday thanks to a wonder-strike by Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor.
However, goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and full-back Gael Clichy are both injured for the second leg against the Yellow Submarine, while centre-back William Gallas looks set to miss the rest of the season after suffering knee ligament damage.

Russian midfielder Andrey Arshavin is once again cup-tied in Europe, but it is hoped leading scorer Robin van Persie and Croatia striker Eduardo could both be back in contention.
Wenger remains confident his young side have what it takes to continue their journey towards Rome next month, and feels the Gunners fans - who were quick to make their voice heard when things were not going to plan earlier in the campaign - can play an integral part.
"I do not know if we are favourites, but we want to go through and have the quality to do it," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online.

"We want to take advantage of playing at the Emirates, where we will have our fans behind us.

"Villarreal are a good team, and we know we have to defend well against them because offensively, they can be dangerous.

"Overall, I believe because we want it so much, we will do it."

With an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley also to come before the end of the month, Wenger knows Arsenal are now in a defining period of their campaign.

"Every game now can have a massive influence on whether your season is successful or not, and that means you have to deal well with the stress and the pressure of that kind of situation," he said.

"The best way to do that is to have a great togetherness in the squad and believe in your strengths.

"I am confident we have those qualities."

Wenger is in no doubt this current crop of youngsters have the potential to deliver.
"Everyone's ambition is to win trophies and I am convinced we have the quality to win all the major honours," the Arsenal manager declared.

"With the maximum belief, effort and togetherness, this team can win their first trophy - and that first one is key."

Lukasz Fabianski will stand in for Almunia, and is ready to show he has what it takes to one day make the Arsenal goalkeeper jersey his own.
The 23-year-old Poland international was called into action almost immediately after coming on for Almunia during the first leg, when he produced a fine double save.
Wenger has every confidence in Fabianski's ability.

"I believe he can handle the pressure," the Arsenal manager said.

"He has the quality and is intelligent, makes quick decisions and has already played a lot in the team, so it is not all completely new for him.

"I am confident he will cope with it all."

Fabianski will turn 24 on April 18 - and it is likely to be a birthday to remember should he still be in goal against Guus Hiddink's side at Wembley.
For now, though, the Poland keeper is fully focused on the immediate job in hand.

"We count away goals double so it is good for us that we scored a goal," Fabianski said, "but in a way it means nothing because there are still 90 minutes to play.

"The second game is at home and we hope our fans will help us to go through."

Toni determined to win for Klinsi

2009-04-13T13:28:00.001+07:00

Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni has called on his team-mates to "win for the coach" in Saturday's Bundesliga fixture with Eintracht Frankfurt.Bayern coach Jurgen Klinsmann is under immense pressure following Wednesday's humiliating 4-0 defeat by Barcelona in the Champions League.
That came on the back of an even more embarrassing 5-1 reverse at Wolfsburg last weekend and Klinsmann's future hinges on whether his side can still go on and win the Bundesliga this season.

Italy striker Toni has given Klinsmann his backing and insisted he and his team-mates will do all they can to keep him in his job.
"If it is anybody's fault, it is all of ours. It would be too easy to blame the coach," he said.

"We have to show everybody that we want to win the Bundesliga. We have to try and win for the coach and for the whole team.

"More than for the coach, we have to play for Bayern. Not only the coach is in a difficult situation, but we all are too."

Should Bayern fail to win at home to Frankfurt on Saturday, Klinsmann's short reign in charge could come to an immediate end.
He arrived last summer to fill the big shoes of Ottmar Hitzfeld, who had just secured a league and cup double.
Bayern crashed out of the DFB-Pokal in the quarter-finals to Bayer Leverkusen and are set to fall at the same stage of the Champions League to Barcelona.
The only way to salvage any pride from this season would be to win the Bundesliga.
"That would not make it a beautiful season but at least a bit successful," added Toni.

"If we don't win the league, then it will be a failure."

Hiddink: Wake-up call for Chelsea

2009-04-13T12:54:00.000+07:00

Guus Hiddink says Bolton's fightback was a wake-up call at the right time for Chelsea as they look to see off Liverpool's Champions League bid.Chelsea lead 3-1 on aggregate after their stunning win at Anfield in midweek and Liverpool need at least three goals to have any chance turning the tie around in their favour and reaching the semi-finals.

So Chelsea's dramatic collapse against Bolton on Saturday at Stamford Bridge will have given Rafa Benitez's Reds much encouragement.

Chelsea were 4-0 in front with just 20 minutes remaining thanks to a brace from Didier Drogba, a Frank Lampard penalty and Michael Ballack's first league goal of the season.

But Hiddink substituted Lampard and Drogba in the 65th minute and Chelsea then capitulated as Bolton scored three goals in nine amazing minutes through Andrew O'Brien (71), Chris Basham (74) and Matt Taylor (80).

And it required a clearance off the line by Deco in the final seconds to ensure Chelsea took all three points and remained in the title hunt.

"It was a wake-up call for us and we talked to the boys straight after the game," said Hiddink. "If you play at the top, you cannot afford to do it twice.

"We must not let it happen again. It is normal that the players react to the situation.

"It was a typical English game. We were leading 4-0 with 20 minutes to go and waiting for a fifth.

"All of a sudden we got very sloppy and too relaxed and didn't win any duels defensively.

"I am not just talking about the defence but also the midfield and front players. We conceded three goals in nine minutes I think - that should not be possible against a team that is near the top of the table.

"We did not perform well. There was a sequence of errors that we made.

"I don't think the substitutions were the cause. We were just too relaxed in the last 20 minutes."

Bolton boss Gary Megson was not sure if his side's amazing fightback will give Liverpool more hope for Tuesday's quarter-final return leg against Chelsea, but he was full of praise for his players.

"It has given us great heart, which is the important thing," said Megson. "We'll probably get more credit for losing 4-3 at Chelsea than we did for winning 4-1 against Middlesbrough last week.

"We went through the whole range of emotions. There was anger at times with the way we defended but for the first 25 minutes we looked quite secure.

"For the last 25 minutes we bossed the game and scored three goals. I think we are the only team to come to Stamford Bridge and do that this season and yet we still lost 4-3 which is where the disappointment comes in.

"The introduction of young Chris Basham was more to do with the fightback. Because he is a youngster and has never played at Stamford Bridge before, he gave us the enthusiasm, the desire, the drive and the tenacity to go and have a real good go.

"That got an extra 10% out of everybody else. At 4-1 it is no big deal, at 4-2 you have got a little bit of momentum and at 4-3 you saw what was happening. We had one kicked off the line at the end but Chelsea are a quality side.

"As much as we are pleased to come and score three goals to give away four to a team like Chelsea, you are not going to pick up too many points."

BARCELONA VS BAYER MUNCHEN 4-0

2009-04-13T12:37:00.000+07:00

An enthralling first-half display put FC Barcelona within touching distance of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the third time in four seasons as FC Bayern München were brushed aside at the Camp Nou.

Outstanding display
Two first-half goals from Lionel Messi plus one each from Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry ripped through the resistance of a Bayern side who had themselves scored a record 12 times against Sporting Clube de Portugal in the previous round, comprehensively ending the German club's 100 per cent competitive record against Barça here. Ten years on from their final defeat by Manchester United FC there was more misery in Barcelona for Bayern, for whom Hans Jörg Butt made only his second start of the season in goal in place of Michael Rensing. The decision to opt for experience was to no avail as the Liga leaders imposed themselves at will with all three strikers in dazzling form.

Early breakthrough
Barça were into their stride from the first whistle and, even before Messi's ninth-minute opener, a lovely interchange of passes between Daniel Alves, Xavi Hernández and Henry allowed the latter to round Butt. Martín Demichelis cleared off the line but the respite was brief for a Bayern defence already deprived of Lucio and Daniel Van Buyten and with a calf injury restricting Philipp Lahm to a place on the bench. Within moments Andrés Iniesta dribbled past Hamit Altıntop and Eto'o held off Breno before setting Messi free to slide past Butt.

Carnival atmosphere
The falling rain made the playing surface quick, but Barça's passing and movement were even slicker and Eto'o duly made it two in the 12th minute. Iniesta and Messi combined again, the Barça No10 picking out Eto'o's run in time to let the striker slip the ball under the advancing Butt. The carnival atmosphere was dampened slightly when Josep Guardiola was sent to the stands for his protests after Messi went down under Christian Lell's challenge, but in the 38th minute the Argentinian reacted by adding his eighth goal of the competition – becoming its leading scorer in the process – applying the finishing touch to Henry's low cross despite the attentions of three defenders. Three became four when Messi tormented the Bayern defence again and, though he was felled by Mark van Bommel, Eto'o expertly exploited the advantage to help the ball reach Henry. Having scored Barça's 700th goal in UEFA club competition against Olympique Lyonnais on Matchday 8, Henry took the pass and rolled his own 50th UEFA Champions League strike inside the far post.

Excellent save
Perhaps naturally the tempo dipped slightly in the second half as the home side moved the ball around crisply and Bayern worked intensely hard to staunch the flow of goals. Nonetheless it took a wonderful save from Butt to deny Messi his hat-trick; Gerard Piqué's long crossfield pass was controlled perfectly and Lell outsprinted before Messi hit a fierce left-footed shot which the keeper parried on to the crossbar and over. After Carles Puyol had denied Bayern even a consolation with a perfect tackle on Zé Roberto, substitute Seydou Keita inadvertently kept the score at 4-0 by blocking Messi's goalbound shot although Bayern's task in Tuesday's second leg is already sufficiently daunting, a match Barcelona's Rafael Márquez will miss through suspension after his late booking.

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CHELSEA VS LIVERPOOL

2009-04-13T12:25:00.000+07:00

Liverpool 1 - 3 Chelsea

Two headers by Branislav Ivanović and a clinical finish by Didier Drogba brought Chelsea FC to the verge of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals as they ended their barren run of European visits to Liverpool FC.

Goal flurry
Chelsea had only a John Arne Riise own goal to show for the previous four recent UEFA Champions League trips to Anfield but Serbian defender Ivanović, who had never previously scored for Chelsea, found the net from two corners either side of the break, while Drogba neatly tucked the third in from four metres out. Liverpool now have an enormous job on their hands at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday if they are to stay in the competition, despite forging an early lead through Fernando Torres.

Torres strikes
Dirk Kuyt set the move rolling for that sixth-minute goal with a superb back-heel out to the right wing, where Álvaro Arbeloa crossed for Torres to calmly side-foot the ball into the corner of the net from close to the penalty spot. Moments later, Drogba had a glorious chance to equalise when he found himself through on Pepe Reina after being released by Salomon Kalou at the Kop end, but the Spanish goalkeeper – making his 100th appearance in UEFA club competition – blocked the Ivorian striker's shot, which was straight at his body.

Chelsea response
Chelsea responded well and had Liverpool under pressure after earning two free-kicks in promising positions, both blocked by the wall. Florent Malouda then threatened Reina's goal after being found by Drogba, but the Frenchman dragged his left-foot shot wide. Play ebbed and flowed with no sign of the tension or nerves of previous meetings between these two sides on Merseyside as Torres shook off the close attention of Frank Lampard before curling an effort over the top.

Ivanović off mark
Michael Ballack then played Drogba into space with a perfect pass, but the striker's shot cleared the crossbar comfortably. Chelsea eventually got the equaliser that their pressure deserved in the 39th minute. Full-back Ivanović, in for the injured José Bosingwa, sprinted into the box to meet Malouda's corner with a firm header past Reina.

Terry out
Chelsea upped the tempo further still after the restart and could have gone in front after 51 minutes when Drogba, after a swift interchange with Lampard, beat Reina with his low shot but Jamie Carragher produced a fantastic clearance from right on the goal line. John Terry was then booked for a dangerous challenge on Reina, a caution which means the Chelsea captain will miss the second leg.

Visitors ahead
All that was forgotten in the 62nd minute, however, when Ivanović again found the target with another headed goal from a corner, Lampard the provider this time. As if matters could not get any worse for Liverpool, they did just that five minutes later when Drogba finally got his reward by neatly finishing off an inviting cross from the left by Malouda. Liverpool simply had no reply and fell to a UEFA Champions League home defeat only equalled when FC Barcelona won here 3-1 in November 2001. While the Kop was muted, Chelsea fans are already dreaming of a fifth semi-final in six seasons.

©uefa.com 1998-2009. All rights reserved.