Juve playing for pride not title

Serie A’s top two come face to face in an epic battle at Turin’s Stadio Olimpico on Saturday with only seven matches left until the end of the season.

The scene should have been set for a massive title decider but instead the whole event risks turning into a damp squib.

Not because the two sides aren’t worthy of their position at the top of the table or because there won’t be top class players on display but because Juventus have as good as given up the ghost.

They trail Inter by 10 points with just seven matches left to play and even a victory, or a convincing one, would hardly result in a situation that appears any more favourable to them.

Their best case scenario after Saturday’s game would be trailing by seven points with six matches to go, including a trip to AC Milan.

Instead of playing for the title, Juve are merely playing for pride, according to their president.

“As well as the points on offer, we’re playing for pride and for our honour,” said Giovanni Cobolli Gigli.

“It will be a very difficult match especially as we have some important players suspended and others have yet to recover from injuries.

“The title is still possible but only mathematically. Second place is extremely important and we have to do everything to defend it. We want it more than Milan.”

Juventus lead Milan by only two points and the rossonero have a distinctly easier looking task in the visit of Torino to the San Siro.

The title may not be at stake but this match is still called the ‘derby of Italy’ and like clashes between Real Madrid and Barcelona or between Manchester United and Liverpool, there is always much to play for.

“There is a rivalry between us and Milan,” said Marco Tronchetti, president of Inter’s shirt sponsors Pirelli.

“But with Juventus, for the success they have had, for the history between the two teams and for the dramas, they have always been the A+ rivalry.”

It’s not just the historic rivarly that will fire up the visitors, though. Coach Jose Mourinho is a proud man and won’t want to concede anything in his quest to demonstrate how superior Inter are to the rest of Serie A.

He may have claimed a week ago that a draw would suffice to ensure the title stays with Inter for the fourth year in a row, but his president Massimo Moratti insists the team will still go out with the intention of winning.

“On Saturday we have to go to Turin to win because it’s the right thing to do in such a prestigious match and because when you play for a draw things don’t go well,” said Moratti.

“Of course we can’t be hypocrites, right now we can feel the possibility of winning the scudetto.

“We need to be fired up otherwise we won’t have the right attitude for the game.”

The clash between the top two may be dominating the build up to the weekend but there is more than just that to play for.

Milan can go second if they win and Juve lose while Genoa, who host Lazio on Saturday, could close right in on both Milan and Juve.

Genoa are in a fight with Fiorentina for fourth place and the final Champions League qualifying place but they are only four points behind Milan and six off Juve.

A strong finish to their campaign could even see them sneak into the top three and gain automatic entry into the group stages of Europe’s premier club competition.

Meanwhile, the bottom five all play away this weekend so any points gained could boost their survival hopes.

Fixtures:

Saturday

Genoa v Lazio, Juventus v Inter Milan

Sunday

AC Milan v Torino, Atalanta v Reggina, Cagliari v Napoli, Catania v Sampdoria, Palermo v Bologna, Roma v Lecce, Siena v Chievo, Udinese v Fiorentina

Great teams, but have they got great keepers

It is said that great teams are built on great defences. Without a solid base, it is impossible to go on to dominate and win games at the very top.

A look at the four UEFA Champions League semi-finalists goes a long way to prove that point.

Headlines

Whilst the likes of Messi, Henry and Eto’o, Drogba, Lampard and Ballack, Ronaldo, Rooney and Berbatov, Adebayor, Van Persie and Walcott might pick up a vast majority of the headlines, there are other players who are equally crucial and some would say, even more so.

Where would Barcelona be without the brilliance of Danny Alves, Puyol and Marquez? Would Chelsea be such a force without Terry, Carvalho and Cole? Would United be looking for five trophies without Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra and would Arsenal have turned their season around without Sagna, Toure and Clichy?

Of course the answer to all those questions is no. We all need a strong a defence. Surely, behind every strong defence sits a strong goalkeeper, doesn’t there?

Strong

A look at these four teams, the best in Europe, and I don’t think the goalkeeping position is all that strong.

At Barcelona we have Victor Valdes. Approximately 90% of the comments on this site concerning Barcelona plead with Pep Guardiola to get in a new keeper.

The twenty-seven year old Spaniard played a few games for his country at under twenty-one level but has never been given a full cap. Valdes has played over two hundred and fifty games for Barcelona and has the record for the longest clean sheet in European competition at 466 minutes.

Successive Barcelona managers appear to have faith in him but the fans and the national team managers don’t.

Best

At Chelsea we have Petr Cech. Without doubt, up until a couple of years ago, Cech was one of the best keepers in the world. Is he now? I don’t think so.

The 6’5” Czech Republic international is still only twenty-six years old and has represented his country sixty-eight times. Prior to 14th October 2006 he was a truly great keeper. After that date he has not really looked like a shadow of his former self.

The collision with Reading’s Stephen Hunt that he suffered on that day was horrific. He suffered a depressed fracture of the skull and Doctors later reported that the injury could have been fatal.

Cech bravely returned after just a few months wearing his protective skull cap. He hasn’t been the same since and who can blame him?

Legend

At Manchester United we have Edwin van der Sar. Don’t get me wrong, the Dutch keeper is a legend of the game. He has won just about everything a keeper can win and earlier this season he broke the record for consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League.

There is no doubt that he is still a good keeper, but at thirty-eight, is he still great? There are one or two worrying signs that Edwin might be beginning to lose some of his powers. He doesn’t look too comfortable with crosses and the amount of times that Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic give him a piece of their mind seems to be increasing.

If Ben Foster hadn’t had such terrible luck with injuries, would Van der Sar still be Fergie’s first choice?

Injured

Last of the four we come to Arsenal. Their first choice keeper, Manuel Almunia is currently injured and his place has been taken by Lukasz Fabianski.

Straight away one has to ask if either of these keepers is truly world class. I suspect the answer is a resounding no. Fabianski is only twenty-three and he has fourteen caps for Poland already. He has potential and he will probably get better. Is he good enough to be in goal for the Champions League winners though?

Almunia is thirty-one years old and has done a decent job for his club. No better and no worse, just decent. He has never been capped by Spain and I expect he is even further down the pecking order than Victor Valdes!

Great

So there we have it. Four great teams with great attackers, great midfield players and great defenders. I would suggest that none of them have great goalkeepers.

There are great keepers out there but these top four teams seem to be managing OK without them.

Champions League round-up - Arsenal and Manchester United make it three of the four semi-finalists from England again

Football Tickets - All European matches and MLS
Largest selection of European football tickets online. All tickets shipped via FedEx or DHL. 120% refund!

Fightmania.com - The Latest MMA & UFC News!
Join the evolution of MMA and be a part of one of the best MMA communities!.

£25 Free Bet
FREE £25 bet when you sign up from SoccerNews.
Bet on the new football season at Betfair.

Football Jerseys & more
Largest selection of soccer gear on the Net! Get the latest club & national jerseys of your favorite teams.

Astonishing goal

So, who would join Barcelona and Chelsea in the semi-finals of the Champions League? Porto and Arsenal went into last night’s games with a slight advantage as they had drawn their away games and scored away goals. The current champions Manchester United and Spanish side Villarreal were certainly not going to give up without a fight.

Problems

Arsenal went into the game with serious problems at the back. Defenders Johan Djourou with a knee and Gael Clichy with a bad back, joined William Gallas and goalkeeper Manuel Almunia on the injured list.

The good news for Arsenal was that versatile midfielder Abou Diaby and experienced defender Michel Silvestre were both available after injury.

Absent

Villarreal had serious problems of their own with the excellent Spanish international Marcos Senna missing the game after getting injured at the weekend and fellow midfielder Santi Cazorla also absent.

Despite the problems they had at the back, Arsenal would have backed the fire power they possess going forward to see them through to the semi-final.

Manager Arsene Wenger said,

“I believe the team has shown great mental strength through the whole season. We have another good opportunity to show those mental strengths against Villarreal on Wednesday. What makes me confident is that recently, in every single game, when the odds were against us we found the resources within the team with a strong response every single time. That happened at Villarreal, that happened again at Wigan on Saturday and every time we came out strong. I believe we have turned the season in a very positive way and put ourselves in a great position to qualify and we want to take advantage of that. These boys are winners. The hunger they have shown every single day in training and the focus they have shown is great, so that’s why we have improved a lot. So there is still a lot more to come.”

So, was Wenger right to have so much belief in his men?

The answer was a most definite yes. Arsenal produced a vibrant display of attacking football that will have worried the other teams left in the competition. It soon became not a matter of whether they would win, but a matter of by how many they would.

Opened

The excellent Theo Walcott opened the scoring after just ten minutes, running through onto a Fabregas flick and finishing expertly.

Villarreal were never in the game and the tie was made almost safe on the hour when Adebayor finished neatly.

Arsenal got the third goal their play deserved nine minutes later when Robin Van Persie fired home from the penalty spot. Villarreal’s night was summed up by the dismissal of Sebastian Eguren for disputing the award of the spot kick.

Relieved

Champions Manchester United were mightily relieved to name Rio Ferdinand in their starting eleven. His partnership with Nemanja Vidic has been crucial to their success this season and he had been sorely missed during his spell on the sidelines.

Porto were at full strength accept for defender Jorge Fucile.

The two teams went into the game at the top of their respective leagues but in vastly contrasting form. United lost two games in a row and then stumbled to victories over Aston Villa and Sunderland, whilst Porto were unbeaten in twenty games.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson called on his players to show the same sort of spirit his side did in 1999 when they won 3-2 in Juventus,

“We have had a lot of good European nights but Juventus is probably the one that stands out. After a draw at home, we won away, which we hope is the same again. It was a night when a lot of the big players played well. There are plenty of performances we would like to replicate and I trust these players to do it. They deserve that because of their performances over the last two or three years in big away games in Europe.”

So, was Fergie right to trust his players?

He most definitely was. United became the first English team to ever win in Porton and brought an end to the Portuguese champions long unbeaten run.

The man who stepped up to the mark was the player officially called the best in the world. Many have questioned whether Cristiano Ronaldo can produce the goods in the big games but after just six minutes of this one he produced something of astonishing quality.

Unstoppable

The ball broke to Ronaldo and from forty yards he struck an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the Porto net. It was a breathtaking goal and one worthy of being scored by a truly great player.

For the next eighty-four minutes Porto huffed and puffed but rarely troubled the exceptional partnership of Ferdinand and Vidic back together again. In fact, the best chance fell to Vidic who somehow managed to put the ball over the bar when it looked easier to score.

Second year

So for the second year running three of the four semi-finalists are from England and at least one finalist is guaranteed to be English for the fifth year in succession.

PREMIER LEAGUE

2008 - 2009 TOTAL
Pos Team Pld W D L F A Diff Pts
1 Man. Utd. 31 22 5 4 54 21 33 71
2 Liverpool 32 20 10 2 59 21 38 70
3 Chelsea 32 20 7 5 55 20 35 67
4 Arsenal 32 17 10 5 54 28 26 61
5 Aston Villa 32 15 8 9 48 42 6 53
6 Everton 32 14 10 8 47 34 13 52
7 West Ham 32 12 8 12 37 36 1 44
8 Fulham 32 11 10 11 33 28 5 43
9 Tottenham 32 11 8 13 38 36 2 41
10 Wigan 32 11 8 13 31 36 -5 41
11 Man. City 32 11 5 16 47 42 5 38
12 Bolton 32 11 4 17 39 49 -10 37
13 Stoke 32 9 9 14 32 48 -16 36
14 Portsmouth 31 8 10 13 34 48 -14 34
15 Hull 32 8 10 14 36 55 -19 34
16 Blackburn 32 8 10 14 35 54 -19 34
17 Sunderland 32 8 8 16 30 43 -13 32
18 Newcastle 32 6 12 14 37 52 -15 30
19 Middlesbrough 32 7 9 16 25 47 -22 30
20 W.B.A. 32 6 7 19 28 59 -31 25
Full Table

World Cup matches moved out of Pakistan

2011 World Cup matches out of Pakistan.

The decision was taken at the executive board meeting in Dubai on Friday.

The ICC said the decision was made due to the "uncertain political situation" in Pakistan.


Related Articles

* Latest sport bulletin
* Today's top sport headlines


Tags


* trophy
* sri lanka
* priority
* pakistan
* gaddafi stadium

Security in Pakistan has deteriorated drastically since the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto last year.

Australia and New Zealand refused to tour the country last year due to security fears, while South Africa refused to participate in the Champions Trophy in September last year.

The Champions Trophy was then postponed by 13 months and subsequently moved to South Africa.

Most recently, on March 3, the Sri Lankan team bus was attacked by gunmen in Lahore as they made their way to the Gaddafi Stadium for the third day of the second Test between the sides. Eight people were killed in the attacks and a number of the Sri Lanka team were injured.

ICC president David Morgan said: "It is a regrettable decision. Our number one priority is to create certainty and deliver a safe, secure and successful event."

Pakistan's cricket fraternity reacted with dismay to the decision with PCB chief operating officer Saleem Altaf claiming: "This is shocking. I don't know what transpired at the meeting, but this is a disappointing decision.

"We were keen for international cricket to return to Pakistan and were working on a security plan to convince the ICC and other countries," he added.

Cockerill confirmed as Tigers coach

Leicester have confirmed Richard Cockerill as their permanent head coach with immediate effect.

Cockerill, who appeared in 262 matches for the Tigers, has been their acting head coach since Christmas when Heyneke Meyer was forced to return to South Africa for personal reasons.

Since then he has guided the team to the top of the Guinness Premiership and into a position to challenge for a place in the play-offs as well as into the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup.




As a player, Cockerill won five league titles and two Heineken Cup medals with Tigers, and collected 27 England caps.

Tigers chairman Peter Tom CBE said: "Richard has been doing a tremendous job as acting head coach and we have been very impressed by his work in that role.

"He knows what makes this club tick and he is very passionate about bringing the best out of the players and bringing success to Leicester Tigers.

"Richard has worked very well with the players and forged a good team with assistants Matt O'Connor and Paul Burke and the backroom staff.

"We have watched his coaching and management style develop since he joined the coaching staff and we are convinced that he is the man to continue to push Tigers forward."

Cockerill said: "I know that the job of head coach at Leicester Tigers is one of the biggest jobs in rugby and I feel privileged to be given the appointment.

"The players have been fantastic, I have had great support from the staff and I am very happy to be appointed. This club is very important to me, it has been a big part of my life and I just want success for Leicester Tigers and the people here."

Hughes targets seventh spot

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes believes the door to Europe for a second successive season is still ajar after his side were knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Hamburg on Thursday night.

It means City must keep their foot on the pedal as they are six points adrift of seventh in the Barclays Premier League with only six games remaining, three of which are at home.

He said: "We will try to get in to Europe by virtue of our league position. If we can continue our good home form we have a chance of being in the mix for seventh place."
Hughes, however, has taken great heart from their performance against the Bundesliga high-flyers, despite losing the quarter-final tie 4-3 on aggregate.

Goals from Elano - with a penalty - and Felipe Caicedo gave them a 2-1 victory on the night, but it was not enough after losing the first leg 3-1.

Hughes is calling for a similar spirit on Sunday when they face bottom side West Brom at Eastlands.

He added: "The players were very low in the dressing room, it was an emotional night. But we have another big game at the weekend.

"We have got to pick ourselves up. It is a case of making sure we recover, clear our heads and go again.

"It will be difficult to re-focus and get back to Premier League action but we will take encouragement from this performance against Hamburg.

"It is important now we have a really strong finish. One of the things we have to do is address our away form, which has not been good enough."

Zola keen on new Hammers deal

Gianfranco Zola is hopeful of signing a new contract at West Ham despite a looming change in the club's ownership.

Current owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson is expected to have to hand over West Ham to his major creditor, Icelandic bank Straumur, and it is understood they are not looking to sell West Ham off quickly.

And Zola has insisted he wants to stay at Upton Park saying in the Evening Standard: "I have started something at this club and I want to see how it goes in the next few years. On the contract there are some positive things. We will see but hopefully in the next few weeks things will be settled."


Related Articles

* Latest sport bulletin
* Today's top sport headlines
* Football fixtures, results and stats


Tags


* zola
* upton park
* steve clarke
* ownership
* funds

He added: "Hopefully there will be no problems. The club wants to look after us and I hope everyone will be satisfied."

Zola has made it clear however that he wants his assistant Steve Clarke and the rest of the coaching team to stay.

He added: "The club knows that is the first condition. This is not just about me but the whole team.

"The secret this season has been that everybody has done a great job together and now we must go forward as a team, otherwise we will stay where we are."

The ownership change inevitably raises questions about how much money Zola will have available for transfers.

But the fact West Ham have performed so well and are challenging for Europe will make Zola an asset in the eyes of the owners, allowing him to make a strong case for having funds made available.

Zola said: "We know that if we play in Europe we will need more players. One of the reasons we have a policy of having good young players available is that they can come in and do a good job for the team."

FA defend Riley appointment

The Football Association have backed Mike Riley as 'one of the best referees in the world' after Everton boss David Moyes questioned his appointment for Sunday's FA Cup semi-final.

Moyes raised the suggestion that Riley is a fan of Manchester United, Everton's opponents at Wembley.

An FA spokesman said in a statement on Friday: "Mike is one of the most highly respected referees in this country and around the world and has handled matches at the highest level. His integrity is without question."


Related Articles

* Latest sport bulletin
* Today's top sport headlines
* Football fixtures, results and stats


Tags


* supporter
* steve bennett
* riley
* referees
* football association

The spokesman added: "Steve Bennett was originally chosen for Sunday's FA Cup semi-final. When he suffered an injury last week Mike Riley, who was due to be the fourth official for Saturday's FA Cup tie, was chosen as his replacement.

"During Mike's 13 years as a Premier League referee he has officiated in more than 300 matches and has refereed both Everton and Manchester United on numerous occasions both home and away.

"Mike has the full support of the Football Association and we have absolute faith in both his integrity and ability to referee such an important fixture."

Moyes has frequently not seen eye to eye with Riley and said on the club's official website: "A member of the press asked me if Mike Riley is a Manchester United supporter - I think that is something you would need to bring up with the FA.

"It is something that one or two managers would have something to say about. It is the FA's appointment; it was originally supposed to be Steve Bennett.

"If you (the press) are saying that Mike Riley is a Manchester United supporter, you would hope the FA would look at that."

Injuries cause Wenger concern

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is yet to decide how to shuffle his squad to deal with the latest injury blow ahead of Saturday's FA Cup semi-final.

The Gunners head into the clash against Chelsea at Wembley with goalkeeper Manuel Almunia out with an ankle injury and Gael Clichy (back), William Gallas (knee) and Johan Djourou (knee) joining him on the sidelines. Bacary Sagna is struggling with illness and Kieran Gibbs is a concern with a groin problem picked up against Villarreal on Wednesday.

"We still have Sagna as a doubt for the weekend," said Wenger. "And after Villarreal we have Kieran Gibbs as a doubt too. He has a little groin problem. Clichy, Almunia and Djourou are still out."

Allardyce 'humiliated' by Rafa gesture

Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce has hit out at Rafael Benitez, accusing the Liverpool manager of being "disrespectful" for what he claims was a "humiliating" gesture made by the Spaniard.

Allardyce has reviewed footage of the incident several times after initially witnessing it following Liverpool's second goal last Saturday, and he insists the gesticulations following Fernando Torres' 33rd-minute header were directed towards him and his team.

"I think if everybody has a look back at his gestures you will see them as pretty dismissive to me and the Blackburn Rovers team as a whole," fumed Allardyce. "I was hugely disappointed by those gestures. I think they were disrespectful and quite humiliating."

Affiliate Cash Secrets: Helping Newbies Get Started with Affiliate Marketing

– Excerpt from CanUDigot? e-Commerce Newsletter’s 03/18/07 Issue — www.canudigot.com A few weeks ago, I found what I consider to be a true GEM among internet marketing programs and opportunities. Why? Because it helps newbies get started with minimal effort, knowledge and investment risk. It truly is one of the best business opportunties I’ve seen. The marketing genius behind Affiliate Cash Secrets is Derrick VanDyke, a very successful affiliate marketer, who has taken it upon himself to …

By: canudigot

The week that was

Didier Drogba tackled (Source: Reuters)


Oscar for Drogba (DISCLAMIER: some very unashamedly biased opinions here!)

For the whole four people who actually read this column, yes, that includes you mum, you will know by now that I have an adverse reaction to a Manchester United player who I affectionately refer to as 'El Diver.'

But after the midweek Champions League game in which Chelsea hung-on for dear life against a formidable Liverpool in what has been called 'The best game EVER' or something to that effect, my loyal affections are now being reserved for one Didier Drogba - who from this day forth shall be known as 'Oscar for Drogba.'

It was not the fact that Chelsea beat the club I have supported since I was a small child to the Champions League semi-final where they will get beaten by Barcelona that bothered me, but the fact of just how sly Mr Oscar for Drogba was during said game.

Examples include: Falling on floor 'injured' off the pitch, seeing Liverpool had ball, rolling back onto pitch. Extra time wasting by falling on floor 'injured' refusing help to get up, limping off pitch then coming back on to run round like a sly spring chicken.

Apparently, I am not the only person in the world who has noticed these performances from Oscar for Drogba as some awesome person has even gone to the trouble of providing us with an Oscar for Drogba montage - enjoy here, with your eyes.



Scolari for QPR

In a strange twist of fate that has seen World Cup winning manager Luiz Felipe Scolari manage top football teams such as Brazil, Portugal and er, Chelsea, it has now emerged that he is the front runner to manage - QPR!

According to reports in the Telegraph, Scolari who is keen to stay in ole Blightey after being unceremoniously sacked by Chelsea said:

"I have received some proposals, some offers, some are from teams that are of an excellent level."

We're not quite sure what team Scolari may be looking at or even where The Telegraph came to this conclusion but we're guessing it probably isn't QPR.

Ron's Real saga continues

Ramon Calderon may have been ousted as El president of Real Madrid but that doesn't mean he still can't stoke the fire after he claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo WILL be a Real Madrid player next season.

Roman 'I actually don't know when to shut up' Calderon fuelled speculation that Ron will be doing more lying in the Spanish sun with busty models (or woman who look a bit like horses if his latest squeeze is anything to go by) in the summer by bigging up himself on French radio:

"I can not give any names but all I can say is that thanks to the DIFFICULT and LABORIOUS work that I did last year, HE (Ron) is ALREADY formally a Madrid player - subject obviously to him being able to sign the relevant contract."

So after all that, Ron isn't actually a Real Madrid player then? Or is he? Oh, my brain hurts!

Babel to leave the Reds

Due to the fact that he gets no play, Liverpool super-sub Ryan Babel has expressed his desire to leave the Merseyside club in the summer - presumable for a career as a crap rapper.

Listen to Babel rapping crapply about ladies and awesome watches here!



Everton ban the beeb

Everton FC banned BBC cameras from their FA Cup semi-final press day last week in protest at how Marouane Fellani and his magnificently returned fro's elbow was portrayed during the match of the day two's coverage of their 3-3 draw with Villa.

According to reports, Everton fear the MOTD coverage may have 'coloured' the refs judgement before the semi-final clash.

Due to the fact they are playing Manchester United, we're guessing the refs judgement has already been clouded due to the fact they are in fact, playing Manchester United.

Blatant self promotion ALERT!

FA Cup semi finals LIVE and exclusive this weekend with TVNZ. Get details HERE

SPOTTED!

Arsene Wenger dancing like your drunken dad, uncle, mother, and brother all rolled into one after Arsenal beat Villarreal to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League! Love it!

'Arry Redknapp quote of the week

This week 'Arry Redknapp takes time out to explain just why, despite the arrival of Carlo Cudicini, Heurelho 'butterfingers' Gomes is the one for him.

"He was excellent against West Ham," Redknapp said and considering his performances in nearly every other Premier League game this season, er, that's about it.

FA Cup semi final two preview

The FA Cup Semi-finals are LIVE and exclusive on TVNZ this weekend. tvnz.co.nz takes a look at the second semi-final, profiles the teams involved, takes a look back at the history of both teams in the prestigious competition and gazes into the crystal ball to predict a likely winner.

Manchester United v Everton: Semi final 2 - Monday April 20, 3am kick-off (NZT)

Manchester United

Best result in FA Cup : The Red Devils have won a record 11 times in 17 final appearances. The truimph in 1990 saved manager Alex Ferguson's career and since then the canny scot has masterminded victories in 1994 (v Chelsea 4-0), 1996 (v Liverpool 1-0), 1999 (v Newcastle 2-0) and 2004 (v Millwall 3-0) - more than any other manager.

Key players: Where do we start? Manager Alex Ferguson has the deepest pockets in the football world, enabling him to assemble a vast array of talent. Defender Rio Ferdinard, Midfielders Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes and the striking trio of Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Dimitir Berbatov. The icing on the Old Trafford cake is Portuguese superstar and current world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo.

Something you may not know: Manchester United are estimated to have 330 million fans worldwide, almost 5% of the world's population.

Nickname: The Red Devils
Advertisement

Founded: 1876

The best of times: The 1999 Champions League final vs Bayern Munich. United scored two goals to injury time to stun the Germans in one of the most astonishing sporting comebacks ever witnessed.

The worst of times: Relegation to the second division in 1974, with one of their ex-players and favourite son Denis Law scoring the goal that sealed their fate.

Everton

Best result in FA Cup: Everton have lifted the trophy on five separate occasions the most recent being in 1995 (1-0 v Man Utd) and 1984 (2-0 v Elton John's Watford).

Key players: Australian midfielder Tim Cahill, Italian midfielder Marouane Fellaini and French striker Louis Saha.

Something you may not know: Everton are the original club of the city of Liverpool, with Liverpool FC being formed 14 years later by a breakway group. The fierce rivalry continues to this day, with more red cards brandished in the Merseyside derby than any other fixture in premiership history

Nickname: The Toffees, the Blues

Founded: 1878

The best of times: Under manager Howard Kendall and captain Kevin Ratcliffe, Everton had a sublime 1984-85 season. They won the league championship, truimphed in the European Cup Winners Cup (their first and only European trophy) and reached the FA Cup final, losing to Manchester United.

The worst of times: Losing the FA Cup finals to bitter rivals Liverpool in 1986 and 1989 and a shocking Premier League season in 1997 where they avoided relegation only on the last day of the season - and on goal difference.

What will happen?

While there is an undoubted gulf in class between the two squads everything points to this being a very close match.

Everton are looking for their first trophy since 1995 (concidentally the FA Cup versus Manchester United) and will be desperate to have something for the cabinet at Goodison Park.

The Manchester club as usual are chasing prizes in several competitions and the FA Cup falls slightly behind in the list of priorities.

Alex Ferguson has enviable squad depth but even this will be stretched given the demanding schedule his side have faced recently both domestically and in Europe.

Everton have lost only one of their last eleven matches while United have looked shaky since their shock 4-1 defeat at home to Liverpool last month.

United have proven matchwinners across the park but Everton's desire, belief and work ethic maybe enough to get them across the line and into the FA Cup final

tvnz.co.nz fearless forecast : Everton 2 Manchester Utd 1 (1-1 after 90 minutes).

FA Cup semi-final one preview

he FA Cup Semi-finals are LIVE and Exclusive on TVNZ this weekend. tvnz.co.nz profiles the teams involved and takes a stab at who might emerge victorious.

Arsenal v Chelsea: Semi Final 1 - Sunday April 19, 4:15am kick-off (NZT)

Arsenal

Best result in FA Cup : Arsenal have appeared in 17 finals down the years, finishing on the right side of the ledger eleven times. The famous trophy was almost in permanent residence at Highbury between 1998 and 2005 with Arsenal truimphing on four occasions (1998 v Newcastle 2-0, 2002 v Chelsea 2-0, 2003 v Southampton 1-0, 2005 v Man Utd 5-4 (on penalties).

Key players: Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas, Powerful Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor and Dutch winger Robin Van Persie.

Nickname: The Gunners

Club inception: 1886

Something you may not know: Arsenal's notorious offside trap was lampooned during the 1997 film The Full Monty.
Advertisement

The best of times: The 2003-2004 English Premier League season. Arsenal did not lose a single game during the entire campaign on their way to becoming champions - something that had not been achieved since Preston North End in 1889.

The worst of times: Most of the late 1980's and early 1990's when the club was managed by George Graham. They achieved some reasonable results, but became hated throughout the United Kingdom for their ultra-defensive style and notorious offside trap

Chelsea

Best result in FA Cup: Chelsea have won the competition four times with three of those victories coming in the last two decades (1997 v Middlesborough 2-0, 2000 v Aston Villa 2-0 , 2007 v Man United 1-0)

Key players: The South London side has a real galaxy of superstars but some of the best are Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, John Terry, Nicolas Anelka and Frank Lampard.

Club inception: 1905

Nickname: The Blues

Something you may not know: In the 1997 FA Cup final, Roberto Di Matteo scored after just 42 seconds against Middlesborough - the fastest cup final goal ever.

The best of times: The 2004-05 season. The Jose-Mourinho managed side won 29 matches en route to the title, amassing a record-breaking 95 points.

The worst of times: 1983. Chelsea narrowly escaped relegation to the then-third division, were in dire straits financially and had ongoing problems with hooligans.

What will happen on Sunday?

Both teams have qualified for the Champions League semi-finals, albeit through quite different routes. Chelsea overcome a dogged Liverpool side 7-5 on aggregate after two fantastic ties; Arsenal were hardly tested, cruising to a 4-1 result over a very ordinary Villareal team.

Arsenal have struggled in the league during 2009, at one stage going four games without scoring a goal. But Arsene Wenger's side have regained form in recent weeks and will be boosted by the return of Spanish wonderkid Cesc Fabergas in midfield.

Chelsea have showed Mourinho-like consistency under interim manager Guus Hiddink, grinding out a series of 1-0 wins in the league to stay in touch with leaders Manchester United and Liverpool.

Expect a close game, decided by the odd goal. Arsenal as ever will look to play their free-flowing brand of passing football and Michael Eissien, perhaps the best defensive midfielder on the planet will look to shut them down.

The Stamford bridge side do have a physical presence that Arsenal cannot match and this may well be the difference. Look for Chelsea's German midfielder Michael Ballack to star in this fixture. The 29-year-old, one of the highest earning players in the world on a reputed 130,000 pounds per week, has been incredibly inconsistent during his time at Stamford Bridge but will enjoy the wide open spaces of Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Fearless tvnz.co.nz prediction: Chelsea 2 Arsenal 1

ALONSO GOING NOWHERE

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has expressed his determination to hang on to midfielder Xabi Alonso.

The Spaniard was linked with a move away from Anfield last summer, when a number of clubs were understood to be interested in securing his services.

Benitez insisted it would take a 'massive' offer for him to part with Alonso and was not tempted by a proposal from Juventus.

The 27-year-od has gone on to enjoy an excellent season, helping the Reds challenge for the Premier League title.

Press reports suggest Real Madrid and Barcelona could target Alonso when the transfer window reopens but Benitez has warned any potential suitors he will fight to keep hold of Alonso.

"We had an offer from Juventus and asked a big price as he is a big player. They couldn't meet it," Benitez said.

"In the end, Xabi has been having a very good season. He has been playing well in a lot of games and is a key player for us.

"We have a lot of confidence in him and he is a player we want to keep because he has the quality, and the game, that we need."

Manchester United vs Everton

The FA Cup Semi-finals are LIVE and exclusive on TVNZ this weekend. tvnz.co.nz takes a look at the second semi-final, profiles the teams involved, takes a look back at the history of both teams in the prestigious competition and gazes into the crystal ball to predict a likely winner.

Manchester United v Everton: Semi final 2 - Monday April 20, 3am kick-off (NZT)

Manchester United

Best result in FA Cup : The Red Devils have won a record 11 times in 17 final appearances. The truimph in 1990 saved manager Alex Ferguson's career and since then the canny scot has masterminded victories in 1994 (v Chelsea 4-0), 1996 (v Liverpool 1-0), 1999 (v Newcastle 2-0) and 2004 (v Millwall 3-0) - more than any other manager.

Key players: Where do we start? Manager Alex Ferguson has the deepest pockets in the football world, enabling him to assemble a vast array of talent. Defender Rio Ferdinard, Midfielders Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes and the striking trio of Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Dimitir Berbatov. The icing on the Old Trafford cake is Portuguese superstar and current world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo.

Something you may not know: Manchester United are estimated to have 330 million fans worldwide, almost 5% of the world's population.

Nickname: The Red Devils


Founded: 1876

The best of times: The 1999 Champions League final vs Bayern Munich. United scored two goals to injury time to stun the Germans in one of the most astonishing sporting comebacks ever witnessed.

The worst of times: Relegation to the second division in 1974, with one of their ex-players and favourite son Denis Law scoring the goal that sealed their fate.

Everton

Best result in FA Cup: Everton have lifted the trophy on five separate occasions the most recent being in 1995 (1-0 v Man Utd) and 1984 (2-0 v Elton John's Watford).

Key players: Australian midfielder Tim Cahill, Italian midfielder Marouane Fellaini and French striker Louis Saha.

Something you may not know: Everton are the original club of the city of Liverpool, with Liverpool FC being formed 14 years later by a breakway group. The fierce rivalry continues to this day, with more red cards brandished in the Merseyside derby than any other fixture in premiership history

Nickname: The Toffees, the Blues

Founded: 1878

The best of times: Under manager Howard Kendall and captain Kevin Ratcliffe, Everton had a sublime 1984-85 season. They won the league championship, truimphed in the European Cup Winners Cup (their first and only European trophy) and reached the FA Cup final, losing to Manchester United.

The worst of times: Losing the FA Cup finals to bitter rivals Liverpool in 1986 and 1989 and a shocking Premier League season in 1997 where they avoided relegation only on the last day of the season - and on goal difference.

What will happen?

While there is an undoubted gulf in class between the two squads everything points to this being a very close match.

Everton are looking for their first trophy since 1995 (concidentally the FA Cup versus Manchester United) and will be desperate to have something for the cabinet at Goodison Park.

The Manchester club as usual are chasing prizes in several competitions and the FA Cup falls slightly behind in the list of priorities.

Alex Ferguson has enviable squad depth but even this will be stretched given the demanding schedule his side have faced recently both domestically and in Europe.

Everton have lost only one of their last eleven matches while United have looked shaky since their shock 4-1 defeat at home to Liverpool last month.

United have proven matchwinners across the park but Everton's desire, belief and work ethic maybe enough to get them across the line and into the FA Cup final

tvnz.co.nz fearless forecast : Everton 2 Manchester Utd 1 (1-1 after 90 minutes).

Gunners outclass 10-man Villarreal 3-0

Arsenal sets up an all-English semifinal against Man United after crushing Villarreal 3-0 in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg. Theo Walcott put the Gunners ahead with a superb chip over goalkeeper Diego Lopez after 10 minutes at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. Togo forward Emmanuel Adebayor doubled the lead by delivering a knockout blow on the hour. Dutchman Robin van Persie calmly converted a penalty nine minutes later after a foul on Walcott to underline the north Londoners' superiority in the game. Disappointing Villarreal played the last 21 minutes with 10 men after the referee sent Sebastian Eguren off for arguing over the penalty decision for his second yellow card. "We sent out a very offensive team and we played in a convincing way. I was very impressed with the quality and speed of our game," Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said. "Villarreal have a good technical level but we gave them problems they didn't like. We were very explosive on the counter-attack," he added. "It is a test to play United next but a challenge you relish and we are excited about that." Villarreal manager Manuel Pellegrini, however, expressed disappointment over his men's performance in the game. "They were better than us. The second goal made it very difficult to come back, although we still had a chance," Pellegrini said. "I am disappointed. We wanted to get through to the semi-finals but they were better than us even before the sending off, so we have no complaints," he explained. The Gunners will now clash with reigning European champions Manchester United in a semifinal match after Sir Alex Ferguson's side beat Porto 1-0 on Wednesday and 3-2 on aggregate.

Top five football screamers

Cristiano Ronaldo said his long-range screamer against Porto on Wednesday was the best goal he had ever scored.

But how does Ronnie's rocket compare with these other unbelievable strikes?

Radford v Newcastle

The most famous 'rocket' of all time. Ronnie Radford's blistering strike despite the swamp-like conditions set Hereford on their way to a famous FA Cup upset against Newcasle back in 1975.

Josimar v N Ireland

Brazil certainly had their fair share of stars in the 1986 World Cup but it was more a case of Josi-who until this pearler against Pat Jennings.

Haan v Italy

The brilliant 1978 Holland side lit up the World Cup in Argentina and this was probably the pick of their goals. In a 2-1 victory over Italy, Arie Haan scored arguably the greatest long-range goal in World Cup history with an effort from a ridiculously long way out.

Charlton v Mexico

A massive goal from Bobby which ultimately helped England on their way to World Cup glory. Sir Alf Ramsey's team were struggling to break down Mexico when Charlton picked up the ball on the half-way line, surged forward and unleashed a 30-yard rocket into the far corner.

Gerrard v Southampton

The Liverpool captain has a monopoly on long-range strikes but this one was a bit special even by his standards. Against Southampton back in 2001 this 35-yarder left Paul Jones without a chance.

Gianfranco Zola Agrees New West Ham Deal

Sunday, April 12, 2009 -- Italian legend Gianfranco Zola has agreed to sign a new contract with Premier League club West Ham United at the end of the season, according to recent reports.
Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola
PicSearch


According to The Guardian, Zola has agreed to sign a new contract with the London club at the end of the season. It has been reported that the former Chelsea player shall sign a four year deal in the summer of 2009 that will see him earn 1.5 million pounds per year.

Zola was appointed by West Ham only recently and he has turned around the clubs fortunes in amazing fashion. The Hammers are currently challenging for a Europa League position when at one time they were struggling for survival in the Premier League.

Franck Ribery Wants To Join Barcelona

Ribery has been linked with a number of clubs for quite some time now and his future at the Bavarians have come under pressure. He has been linked with moves to reigning Premier League and European champions Manchester United, Barcelona and mighty Real Madrid.

But it has now emerged that Ribery wants to join Barcelona. His Bayern teammate Mark Van Bommel, who played for Barcelona a few years back, has been quoted by the RAC-1 radio station as saying:

"Franck wants to play for Barca. He is a great player for [Bayern Munich]. He is the best player in Germany and his style of play would suit Barcelona's style because he is very technical and is strong going forward."

Essien Wants To Conquer Europe With Chelsea

Essien Wants To Conquer Europe With Chelsea

* Rating: 0.00/10
* Written by: Subhankar Mondal
* Sport: soccer
* Genre: news

Monday, April 13, 2009 -- Chelsea midfielder MIchael Essien has vowed to win the UEFA Champions League with his club this season.
Michael Essien
Michael Essien
PicSearch


Chelsea are virtually through to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League after winning the first-leg of their quarter-final tie against Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield. Chelsea are quite off the pace in the Premier League title race and the Champions League trophy is the only credible silverware they can hope to win this season.

Last season Chelsea reached the final of the UEFA Champions League but lost on penalties to Manchester United in Moscow. Chelsea midfield Michael Essien has still not forgotten that night and dreams of winning the Champions League this season.

Essien told The Telegraph:

“With the Premiership, we just have to win and see what happens but, like every member of the squad, I want to win the Champions League especially after how close we were last season."

Check out these awesome conditioning tips and drills for soccer players. Practice drills and coaching tips included! Conditioning Tips & Drills

Check out these awesome conditioning tips and drills for soccer players. Practice drills and coaching tips included!

Conditioning Tips & Drills For Soccer.

By: eteamz


Call Out

Objective

Players jog around in an area while the coach calls out instructions.

Drill

Any number of players can be used.

The players jog around in an area and the coach calls out instructions, such as push-ups (players must do a certain number of push-ups), or dead bug (players drop to thier backs and hold thier feet and arms up in the air) Use your imagination for calls so it stays fun.

If you have even numbers assign partners and call hi-five, in which they hi-five their partner.

Submitted By: Meralee Crowl


Center Of Gravity Drill

Objective

Increases stomach muscle and helps a players balance.

Drill

The game of soccer is very much a game of balance. Being able to elude defenders, jump over tackles and just control your own body can be at times a very difficult challenge. By creating a strong center of gravity and building one’s stomach muscles, they instantly increase their sense of balance and control over movements.

Creating a strong mid section will also benefit your shot. With strong abdominal muscles your shot will be much harder and travel with a greater velocity. Here are a couple of sit up drills to help you create and maintain a solid mid section.

Bent Knee Crunches - lie flat on your back, put your legs perpendicular to the ground and bend your knees. With your hands lightly supporting your neck slowly move your head and shoulders up toward the sky. You want to keep your head facing the sky and not bent into your knees.

Straight Leg Crunches - Set up the exact same way as the bent knee crunches except this time don’t bend your knees. Your feet should be high in the air. Again, lightly support your neck with your hands and raise your head and shoulders to the sky.

Scoops - Sit on the top of a staircase or somewhere where your feet will dangle just a bit. Rest your hands just behind your butt and lean back, raising your knees to your chest. From this position slowly move your legs,straightening your knees, downward and in a scooping type motion.

As your feet are fully extended and scooping, pull your knees back to your chest and repeat the scooping rotation.This takes a little getting used to but is very effective. Older athletes may want to put a LIGHT 2 -5 pound weight on their feet to in-crease the difficulty.

Throw Downs - Grab a partner for this one. Lay down flat on your back. Extend your arms as far above your head as possible and grab onto the ankles of your standing partner. Raise your legs to a 90 degree angle, perfectly straight in the air.

Have your partner, try and throw your legs to the ground. You need to use your stomach muscles and keep your legs just inches off the ground and then raise them back up so that your partner can throw them down again. Repeat this 10 - 25 times depending on age and strength.

Coaching Points

Coaches should always make sure that proper technique is being used in every form of sit up activity. You don’t want to have any pulled stomach muscles, tight necks or back problems. There are many more stomach exercises that can be used as I’m sure you know from watching info-mercials.

These are just a few favorites. To make some more exciting you can have a one partner on his/her back while another holds their feet down with their knees. The partner holding the other down can toss a soccer ball to the athlete doing the sit ups and he/she can head it during each upward motion.

Only use this drill for athletes over 10 years of age though.

Submitted By: Coach Clay

Franck Ribery Wants To Join Barcelona

Monday, April 13, 2009 -- French international midfielder Frack Ribery wants to leave German powerhouse Bayern Munich and join Catalan giants FC Barcelona in the summer of 2009, according to his Bayern teammate Mark van Bommel.
Ribery has been linked with a number of clubs for quite some time now and his future at the Bavarians have come under pressure. He has been linked with moves to reigning Premier League and European champions Manchester United, Barcelona and mighty Real Madrid.

But it has now emerged that Ribery wants to join Barcelona. His Bayern teammate Mark Van Bommel, who played for Barcelona a few years back, has been quoted by the RAC-1 radio station as saying:

"Franck wants to play for Barca. He is a great player for [Bayern Munich]. He is the best player in Germany and his style of play would suit Barcelona's style because he is very technical and is strong going forward."

Chelsea Not Interested In Van Der Vaart

Wednesday, April 1, 2009 -- Premier League side Chelsea have denied that they ever tried to prise away unsettled Rafael van der Vaart from Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Van der Vaart was recently quoted as saying that he was frustrated at the lack of playing time at the Bernabeu under coach Juande Ramos and was even quoted as saying that he would welcome a move to Chelsea in the summer, although the Dutch international midfielder soon disclaimed that he even made those comments about moving to Chelsea.

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has now refuted claims that they were interested in Van der Vaart at any point. The Dutchman told Sportweek:

"I have said time and time again - I am leaving Chelsea at the end of May."

"I have not given [the directors of Chelsea] any advice on summer transfers. It has been reported by the press that Van der Vaart is on our shortlist, but this is not the case.

“He is a great player, but I reiterate, there is nothing concrete and I have not suggested any names. That will be the job of my successor.”

Milan VP: Kaka Is Not For Sale

Friday, March 20, 2009 -- AC Milan vice-president Adriani Galliani has confirmed that their most prized asset Kaka is not going to be let go in the summer of 2009.
Earlier this week there has been reports rippled across the Spanish media that Brazilian international playmaker Kaka is being keenly watched by potential Real Madrid president Florentino Perez as a big-name summer signing. Reports suggest that Perez would like to sign both Kaka and the Portuguese international winger Cristiano Ronaldo from reigning Premier League and European champions Manchester United, although the total cost in transfer fees in landing both these players could reach 150 million euros.

Milan vice-president Adrano Galliani though, has squashed all rumours linking Kaka to the Bernabeu. He has been quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport as saying:

"Kaka is not for sale."

Yet, it is understandable that the rumours would go on.

Inter To End Adriano's Contract

Saturday, April 11, 2009 -- According to reports, Italian powerhouse Inter Milan are willing to terminate the contract of their troubled striker Adriano.
Adriano
Adriano
PicSearch


Adriano went AWOL last week after an international match for Brazil and his wheareabouts were confirmed only this week when it was confirmed that he had decided to stay back in Brazil without informing club with his friends and family.

This is one of the several incidents of such sorts related to Adriano and it now appears that Inter are fed up and want a quick solution. It's been now claimed by Il Corriere Dello Sport that Inter Milan are planning to rescind the player's contract at the end of the season and are planning to send him to Brazilian club Flamengo on a free transfer.

Adriano is 27 years of age and although he has immense talent, he has lost much tme to establish himself as one of the best in the world.

* RSS
* Post to Yahoo! MyWeb
* Digg this page
* Stumble this page
* Add page to del.icio.us

Fabio Capello Hails Wayne Rooney

Wednesday, April 1, 2009 -- England coach Fabio Capello has hailed striker [{Wayne Rooney]] and has said that he woudl become England's version of Raul.
Rooney is arguably the only world class striker England have these days and Capello thinks that he is indeed a brilliant player. Rooney was exceptional in England's 4-0 defeat of Slovakia in an international friendly at the weekend and is expected to play a key role against Ukraine in a World Cup qualifying match on Wednesday.

Italian hardliner Fabio Capello says that Rooney has the potential to become Englans's Raul and lead both his club Manchester United and his country to glory in the subsequent years. The England head coach AFP:

"Because of his movement, his passion and leadership on the pitch, he is very similar to Raul," AFP quotes Capello as saying.

"When I started at Madrid for the first time, Raul was 19. He was very young but he was already a leader on the pitch."

"Can Rooney be England captain? Why not? But you have to wait. Now we have a good captain in John Terry.

"I remember when Sir Alex Ferguson bought Rooney. I saw him at a UEFA meeting in Nyon and he said: 'Fabio, I am crazy, I have just spent an awful lot of money on a very young player.' But now he is happy because he has spent a lot of money on a very important player."

All Roads Lead To Rome - The Second Leg Preview

So with the lightning quickness that you have to love this half of the season for, we’re back to the second legs of the Champions League Quarter Finals this week. As it stands, one half of the draw is completely in the balance, and the other half appears to be done. Rarely is it that easy at this level though.

For Arsenal, Villarreal, Porto and Manchester United there is still everything to play for, and any combination of those teams could be playing in the Semi Finals. For Liverpool and Bayern Munich, it seems a mere formality before they go tumbling out of the competition.

But will it be all that easy?

Chelsea Vs Liverpool (Chelsea currently lead 3-1 on agg)

Its quite simple, Liverpool have to score three times at Stamford Bridge if they’re going to have any hope of keeping the European dream alive. It seems a big ask, but it certainly is not as big an ask as it would have been 12 months ago, when Stamford Bridge was an absolute fortress. Who was it that broke that run again? Oh yes, it was Liverpool.

Games between these sides are rarely simple, and indeed its certainly going to be open. Liverpool have to attack from the first minute if they want to get a result, which should mean gaps at the back give Chelsea a chance to get some chances away. I’ll be surprised (for once) if we don’t see a flurry of goals in this game.

Alot perhaps is going to come down to Steven Gerrard. The midfielder sat out the weekend’s game injured, but he is winning his battle to get back for this one. He’s going to have to play - and a hell of alot better than he did in the first leg, where he was utterly shackled by Essien, if Liverpool are going to have a hope.

Bayern Munich V Barcelona (Barca lead 4-0 on agg)

Will Barcelona regret going easy on Bayern in the second half of thier first leg encounter? It seems unlikely, but its never out of the question. Never in the history of the Champions League has a team overturned a 4-0 loss, and its all going to be about how the two teams react as they come out of the tunnel.

If Bayern come out thinking they’ve lost already, then its game over. The only way that Bayern can get back into this tie is if Barca think the match is won, and Bayern are determined its not. Certainly both managers have a bit of a job on their hands.

Its an easier job for Pep Guardiola admittedly. But he still has to convince his boys to go out there and start exactly as they did in the first leg. If he does, he know he can dispirit the Bayern team and the game is won. If his players go out thinking the job is done, perhaps then we’ll have a shock. But Bayern will have to play out of their skins to get it. And while they probably have the talent, they don’t seem to have the mental strength.

That and if Barca do score an away goal, which seems inevitable, it really is over.

Arsenal Vs Villarreal (Currently 1-1 on agg)

The first leg was a genuine game of two halves, Arsena; had a nightmareish first that saw Marcos Senna get a beautiful goal, William Gallas and Almunia taken off injured and three yellow cards. They very much rallied in the second 45 though, and a valuable away goal from an incredible Adebayour strike meant that they come back to North London with a slight advantage.

The big news is that Marcos Senna got himself injured at the weekend. A massive player in the first leg, that might just be the boost that Arsenal need. Arsenal’s weekend was better, they went 1-0 down, but rallied to score four goals, and saw thier Champions League place kept pretty safe due to the draw between Villa and Everton.

FC Porto V Manchester United (2-2 on agg)

Porto shocked pretty much everybody with their performance in the first leg at Old Trafford, and deserved their late goal which put them in the driving seat at home. No English side has ever won an away tie against Porto, so Man United are not going to find this easy.

The key really for United is that they have to win, outright. A 0-0 or 1-1 draw would send United out on away goals, bringing back memories of that loss against Jose Mourinho’s Porto. Extra time will want to be avoided if possible as Man United have an FA Cup Semi Final against Everton at the weekend.

If Porto believe that it can be done, United are going to have one hell of a fight on their hands, and we might just see the biggest upset of the tournament so far.

Gary Neville

Gary Alexander Neville is a England international football player who currently features for the English Premier League giants Manchester United. He plays as a right back and is also the captain of his club.

Gary Neville progressed through the youth academy at Manchester United and made his senior debut for the Red Devils in September 1992 against Torpedo Moscow in the UEFA Cup. From 1995 he was drafted into the regular starting line-up by United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and has remained the first choice right full back for United since then.

Gary Neville was appointed as the new captain of Manchester United in December 2005 but missed virtually the entire 2007-2008 season. Neville has won seven Premiership titles, three FA Cups, two European Cups and one League Cup.

Gary Neville made his England debut against Japan in 1995 and has been his nation’s first choice right full back ever since. So far he has played in 85 England matches and holds the record of being the most capped right back for his country in history.

Edwin van der Sar

Edwin van der Sar is a former Dutch international footballer who currently features for the Premiership giants Manchester United. He plays as a goalkeeper and is the most capped Dutch

Edwin van der Sar commenced his career at Dutch giants Ajax and developed at the clubs famous youth academy. He made his debut for the club in 1990 and played for them until the summer of 1999 and won the UEFA Cup in 1992 and the UEFA Champions League in 1995 but lost the final of the same competition in 1996. He played 226 league matches for Ajax.

In the summer of 1999 Edwin van der Sar was signed by Italian giants Juventus and he continued his good performance with the Old Lady of Turin. He played two seasons for Juve and made 66 Italians Serie A appearances and after losing his place to Gianluigi Buffon, he was signed by Fulham for 7.7 million pounds, although to this day Van der Sar remains the only non-Italian to play between the sticks for Juve.

After four heavily impressive seasons in the Premiership for a modest at best Fulham side, he was signed by English powerhouse Manchester United in the summer of 2005 for 2 million pounds and became an instant hit. He won the Premiership title with United in 2007 and 2008 and also won the Champions League in 2008. However Van der Sar has admitted that he shall depart from the club and the Premiership at the end of the 2008-2009 season.

Edwin van der Sar made his international debut for the Netherlands in 1995 and played for them until 2008 and featured at the 1994,1998 and 2006 World Cup and also at Euro ’96,Euro 2000,Euro 2004 and Euro 2008. He made 128 appearances for his nation.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid Club de Futbol are a club based in the Spanish capital of Madrid. They have won a record 31 La Liga titles and also hold the record for the most European Cup triumphs (now known as the UEFA Champions League). They have won the competition 9 times.

Founded on March 6, 1902 as Sociodad Madrid FC in the Spanish region of Castille, this club has gained followers across Spain and around the world. At the turn of this century, FIFA named Real Madrid as the Official FIFA Club of the Century.

Madrid FC, as it was previously known, won their first major title in 1905 when they emerged victorious in the Copa Del Rey (at the time it was still a statewide and not a nationwide football competition). They were bestowed the title "Royal" by the King of Spain in 1920 after which the club came to be known as Real Madrid.

But it wasn't until the 1931-1932 season that the club came to grasp its first Spanish league championship. Real Madrid won next season's championship too but then a plethora of incidents such as the Spanish Civil War in the mid-1930s derailed them.

But Real did reemerge in the 1950s under the guidance of a certain lawyer christened Santiago Bernabeu Yeste when they won five consecutive European Cup finals from 1956-1960, famously defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in the final at Hampden Park in 1960 in what the club's supporters regard as the best European Cup match of all time. Real Madrid again won in 1962, 1998, 2000 and 2002.

Real Madrid are known as Los Blancos and Los Merengues to their supporters. They have a total of 1,800 official members and supporters clubs spread across the world. Real Madrid play their home matches at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu; the capacity of this stadium is 80,400.

Several great players have graced the Real Madrid colours. The likes of Alfredi Di Stefano, Frenc Puscas, Gento, Michael Laudrup, Bernd Schuster, Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Michael Owen and David Beckham have all been part of the Real Madrid set-up at one time or the other.

These days the Real Madrid flagship is being flown high by Raul, Guti, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Fabio Cannavaro and Iker Casillas. Bernd Schuster is the current coach of the club, Predrag Mijatovic is the sporting director and Ramon Calderon is the current president.

Real Madrid are one of only three clubs in Spain not to have been relegated from the first division and foster a fierce morbo against their archrivals FC Barcelona with whom they contest el clasico (also known as el derbi). Real also count their city rivals Atletico Madrid as massive adversaries and content the Madrid derby with Atletico.

The club's major achievements include:

* 31 La Liga titles (record)
* 17 Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup)
* 7 Supercopa de Espana
* 9 European Cup/UEFA Champions League (record)
* 3 Intercontinental Cup
* 2 UEFA Cup
* 2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

Manchester United

Manchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Manchester, England. They currently feature in the English Premier League and are one of the two biggest clubs in the world and are arguably the most supported club in the world.

Manchester United are said to have over 330 million supporters across the world and are the second most successful English clubs of all times. At a value of 1,333 million euros, they are one of the two richest clubs in the world and were a founding member of the now defunct G-14 group and its successor, the European Club Association.

Manchester United were formed as Newton Heath L&YR FC in 1878 as the works team of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath. They entered the Football League in 1888 and one year later were renamed as Newton Heath FC.

On April 26,1902 the club was reformed as Manchester United and won their first ever FA Cup trophy in 1908-1909. They were successful until the start of World War I but revived under Matt Busby from the 1940s.

Matt Busby was appointed as the manager of Man United in 1945 and that was the beginning of the club’s first period of success. Under Busby, Man United won the old first division title in 1951-1952,1955-1956,1956-1957, 1964-1965 and 1966-1967. But during these glory years, there was the Munich Air Disaster of February 6,1958 in which Man United players Geoff Bent, Duncan Edwards and Liam “Billy” Whelan were killed.

In 1968, Man United won their European Cup in 1968 by beating Benfica 4-1 in the final, becoming the first English club to win the top tier European club competition. After Busby’s resignation in 1969, the club sank into a some sort of a decline. Then came a certain Sir Alex Ferguson in 1986 and the club recovered.

Man United were one of the founders of the English Premier League in 1992 and won the inaugural Premier League in 1992-1993. Man United have been dominating the Premiership since then and have become the most recognizable football club from England.

In 1999 Man United did a historic treble when they won the UEFA Champions League, the Premier League and the FA Cup in the 1998-1999 season, becoming the first English club to do so. Manchester United again won the Champions League in 2008.

In May 2005, American business tycoon Malcolm Glazer tookover the club but several fans have been frustrated by this takeover.

Manchester United play their home matches at Old Trafford which has a capacity of 76,212. The stadium is also known as the “Theatre of Dreams” and hosted the UEFA Champions League final between Juventus and AC Milan in 2003.

Man United bear the nickname the Red Devils.

Manchester United foster massive rivalry with Manchester City, Liverpool and Leeds United.

Major honors of Manchester United include:

* 17 Premier League/First Division titles
* 11 FA Cups
* 2 League Cups
* 3 Champions League (European Cup) titles
* 1 UEFA Cup

The Passing Name Game

The objective of this soccer drill is to help young players improve the speed of play by thinking a step-ahead of the play.

Soccer Drill contributed by: Chris Johnson

Soccer Drill Info:
This is for ages U10, U12. Run this soccer drill with at least 4 players but no more than 12. This soccer drill should last approximately 15 minutes on a 0. Make sure you have the following equipment: cones, .

Setup:

Form a circle with each of the players on your team. Only start with one ball.

Instructions:

To play the name game, the player with the ball passes to a player. Before the receiving player receives the pass, they must yell the name of the player they are going to pass to. Upon the next player receiving the ball, they must yell the name of the player they are going to pas to.

This is designed to make the players think a step ahead of the play. Make sure that each player has at least 2 touches on the ball; one touch to receive the pass, and the other touch to make the pass.

Encourage players not to make a pass back to the player they received the pass from, and to pass to different people each time.

Variations:

• Create a grid and play the same game as above except players are free to move about the grid.
• Add a second ball.

Coaching Points:

• Remind players to be thinking ahead to determine who they want to pass to.
• Good First Touch
• Quality pass

Focus:
Technical Passing, Technical Receiving, Tactical Communication

Soccer Coaches as Public Speakers

I still remember the first soccer game I covered. I was 19 and I had just been recruited by my friend Sunny to cover the women’s soccer team for the University of Washington student newspaper. Having put exactly zero thought into sports writing as a profession at that point, I nevertheless agreed. (At that age, being asked to hang around female college athletes wasn’t a hard sell.)

I headed down to the University of Washington soccer field with one of the senior reporters, a guy named Amirav. I forget who the Huskies beat that day, but after the final whistle Amirav went to round up some quotes from one of the players and I went to talk to the coach.

This was my first interaction with a real-live coach and I had no idea the decorum that applied to such a meeting, much less the questions I was expected to ask. So I headed over to the Huskies coach, Lesle Gallimore, and bleated out an awkward question.

Just at that moment, something happened. Lesle started talking, and she didn’t ever really stop. She told me everything I could ever hope to know about that game that just finished, as well as the performances of all her players. I thanked her and left, quotes in hand, feeling my first interview was a moderate success.

Over the course of that fall, when I was covering both the men’s and women’s teams, I learned I could only ask a coach about two questions per interview. Why? Because each one took about five minutes to answer, and even then you had to interrupt if you wanted to change the topic. Both Gallimore and the men’s coach, Dean Wurzberger, were extremely forthcoming and informative when I went down to practice to speak with them. (Both of their teams were having great seasons, which may have enhanced this phenomenon.)

Even when the Huskies crashed out of the postseason that season, Gallimore wasn’t at a loss for words. (In that game, our good friend Hope Solo played the last fifteen minutes up front in a desperate attempt to notch the equalizer)

Since then, every time I talk to a soccer coach I’m amazed at their ability to speak extemporaneously. And it doesn’t apply only to professional coaches – even youth coaches and directors possess the ability will speak at will when prompted. Brian Schmetzer, coach of the Seattle Sounders, epitomized this trait by monopolizing the microphone at the USL Awards Banquet last month.

Since that first meeting with Lesle, I’ve observed this trait in every soccer coach I’ve come across. Something intrinsically combines the ability to coach soccer with the ability to speak for hours on end seemingly without pausing to breathe. In my career I’ve played for an Iranian coach, a Greek coach, a German coach, and a Swiss coach – none of them ever had problems finding the right words, even when speaking in English.

I’ve always wondered why this is true. Do naturally verbal people gravitate towards soccer or does soccer make you communicative? Or maybe soccer coaches speak because no one ever tells them to be quiet.

Notes:

The biggest difference between this year’s MLS Playoffs and those of past years: thee 2007 edition has been extremely compelling. But in terms on entertainment value, I don’t think MLS has reached a new plateau.

Case in point: New England wins the Eastern Conference on a bicycle kick. A bicycle kick! (In related news, I foresee a rash of broken collarbones in the Boston area from little kids trying to mimic Twellman with their Kick-Medics.)

In the past, I’ve watched the MLS Playoff, but they often included dire games and felt like work to watch. Slowly but surely, the additional personalities and raised level of play are bringing the MLS closer to parity with the European leagues in terms of entertainment value.

Another factor: better commentary from the TV booth is also helping fans enjoy the game on a deeper level.

Predictions:

Despite New England’s fine performance last night, I still like the Houston Dynamo to win the MLS Cup. Houston’s defense is rock solid and their four-goal outburst to see off Dallas means they are rounding into form at just the right time. Even without Ricardo Clark driving them in midfield, I think they’ll handle Kansas City Saturday night to set up a rematch with the Revs in MLS Cup.

Against Dallas, Houston once again showed how well they handle adversity in the playoffs and it all starts and ends with Brian Ching. With all the new acquisitions and designated players, the Gonzaga man remains as the greatest big-game striker in the MLS.

My prediction for the MLS Cup: Houston defeats the New England Bridesmaids 1-0 on a miserable day in Washington D.C. (who decided to play in D.C. in mid-November?) with Ching supplying the magic.

---

Andrew Winner is a freelance soccer writer based in Seattle, Washington. He can be reached at: andrewwinner@gmail.com