GET PAID

Wednesday 22 July 2009

Mascherano 'wants to quit Liverpool'


Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano wants to quit the club for Spain, claims the player's agent.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are both keen on the Argentina holding midfielder but Rafa Benitez is desperate to keep the player at Anfield.
However, his representative Walter Tamer has reportedly told Infobae.com: 'Barcelona is the easiest deal to set up as Javier wants to go to Spain. He is tired of life in England.

Spurs not chasing Beckham but keen on Crouch, says Redknapp


Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp says there is no chance of the club signing England midfielder David Beckham.

Spurs have been linked with the LA Galaxy midfielder and Beckham is desperate to play in Europe when the MLS season finishes to boost his chances of playing in the 2010 World Cup finals.

But, speaking after last night's 4-0 friendly win over Peterborough, Redknapp said: 'David Beckham is a fantastic player, and an amazing professional.

'There's no truth in those stories. No enquiries have been made by us.

'I don't know where those stories came from.'

Redknapp did admit he is interested in signing Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch, thouhg, who would cost around £12m.

#Crouchy, I have signed several times, and if Portsmouth want to sell we could be interested,' Redknapp told Sky Sports.

'It depends on everything about price etc, but everyone has their price and it would be up to the chairman and Portsmouth to sort out a price. I love Crouchy but we will have to wait and see.'

Sunderland were also chasing Crouch but pulled out of the race yesterday as the player is keen to stay in the south of England.

Darren Bent, Jermain Defoe, Luka Modric and Roman Pavlyuchenko got the goals last night for Spurs.

Terry plays as Chelsea beat Jose's Inter


Slick Chelsea dominated former boss Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan at the Rose Bowl to get their World Football Challenge campaign off to a winning start in Pasadena, California, this morning.

Goals from Didier Drogba in the 11th minute and a Frank Lampard penalty just after half-time gave Chelsea the victory over the Italian champions in front of 81,224 fans.

The impressive nature of the Blues' performance more than the scoreline, however, will have delighted new head coach Carlo Ancelotti, especially coming so soon into the ex-AC Milan chief's first pre-season campaign and against his former cross-city rivals.

Mourinho, facing the club he led to two Premier League titles during his three seasons at Stamford Bridge between 2004-07, had seen his Inter team open its campaign with a penalty shoot-out defeat to Mexico's Club America on Sunday.

Chelsea, meanwhile, had warmed up with a 2-0 win over Major Seattle Sounders the previous day but had since lost German midfielder Michael Ballack to a broken toe.

Led once again by John Terry in central defence with Ricardo Carvalho, Chelsea fans at the Rose Bowl saw their African players start for the first time in pre-season, John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien returning to midfield with Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou in attack.

It was the central defenders, though, who had Chelsea's first sights on the Inter goal, Florent Malouda receiving a short corner on the left and crossing for Carvalho to head over the bar at the near post in the second minute and Terry heading from the resultant Malouda corner from the right.

Chelsea were dominant throughout the opening half and Drogba opened the lead in the 11th minute, receiving a short pass from Lampard with his back to goal, turning and shooting unimpeded from 20 yards, the ball bouncing over Inter Milan keeper Vid Belec's outstretched left hand and into the bottom corner of the goal.

The Londoners continued to play with purpose and fluency, highlighted in the 16th minute when Lampard and Branislav Ivanovic exchanged a one-two down the right, the Serbian full-back advancing to the byline and centering for Drogba whose shot was straight at a grateful Belec.

Trailing 1-0 at the break, Inter's first real chance came as Chelsea adjusted to the five changes made by Ancelotti at half-time. With Carvalho making way for Alex in defence, the incoming centre-back gave the ball away to Mario Balotelli on halfway immediately following the restart and the through ball found Diego Milito who cut inside Terry but was blocked at his feet by Petr Cech, the Chelsea keeper making his first meaningful contribution of the game.

Daniel Sturridge, who scored on his debut at Seattle, and Nicolas Anelka had replaced Drogba and Kalou and they quickly caused problems.

Deco, on for Malouda, sent Sturridge clear in the box in the 48th minute and when his cross from the left was blocked by Ivan Cordoba's hand, Lampard was given the chance to add to his goal scored against the Sounders, converting the penalty, right footed into the bottom corner.

Ancelotti made further changes in the 64th minute, taking off Cech, Essien and Ivanovic for Ross Turnbull, Juliano Belletti and Michael Mancienne, who was called straight into the action, blocking a Balotelli bicycle kick on the six-yard line after Inter sub Zlatan Ibrahimovic had crossed from the right.

Late substitute Franco Di Santo nearly added a third for the Londoners in stoppage time, taking a delicate Deco chip over the top on his chest and shooting right-footed over the bar.

specail report