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
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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
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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
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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.

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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.

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

UEFA Champion's League 2008/2009

2008/2009 Info

Defending Champions: Manchester United (England)

Final Location and Date: Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy on 27th May 2009

Competing Teams

UEFA's 52 member associations will send 76 clubs to compete in the 2008/2009 UEFA Champion's League, the 54th time the tournament has been played and the 17th season in it's current guise as the UEFA Champion's League. The following clubs were originally entered into each subsequent stage of the competition:

First qualifying round clubs: Artmedia Petržalka (Slovakia), Kaunas (Lithuania), BATE (Belarus), Llanelli (Wales), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia), Tampere United (Finland), Dinamo Tirana (Albania), NSÍ Runavík (Faroe Islands), Anorthosis Famagusta (Cyprus), Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova), Levadia (Estonia), F91 Dudelange(Luxembourg), IFK Göteborg (Sweden), Drogheda United (Ireland), Pyunik Yerevan (Armenia), Valletta(Malta), Domžale (Slovenia), Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia), Inter Baku (Azerbaijan), Santa Coloma(Andorra), Modriča (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Rabotnički (Republic of Macedonia), Aktobe (Kazakhstan), Murata(San Marino), Ventspils (Latvia), Valur (Iceland), Linfield (Northern Ireland), Budućnost Podgorica(Montenegro)

Second qualifying round clubs:: Rangers (Scotland), Fenerbahçe (Turkey), Beitar Jerusalem (Israel), Rapid Wien(Austria), Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine), Panathinaikos (Greece), Partizan (Serbia), Wisła Kraków(Poland), Anderlecht (Belgium), Basel (Switzerland), Aalborg BK (Denmark), MTK Budapest(Hungary), Sparta Prague (Czech Republic), Brann(Norway)

Third qualifying round clubs: Barcelona (Spain), Fiorentina (Italy), Twente (the Netherlands), Slavia Prague(Czech Republic), Atlético Madrid (Spain), Marseille (France), Spartak Moscow (Russia), Galatasaray (Turkey), Arsenal (England), Schalke 04 (Germany), Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine), Olympiacos (Greece), Liverpool (England), Vitória Guimarães (Portugal), Standard Liège (Belgium), Levski Sofia(Bulgaria), Juventus (Italy), Steaua Bucureşti (Romania)

Group stage clubs: Real Madrid(Spain), Internazionale (Italy), Bayern Munich (Germany), CFR Cluj(Romania), Villarreal (Spain), Roma (Italy), Werder Bremen (Germany), PSV Eindhoven(the Netherlands), Manchester United (England), Lyon (France), Porto (Portugal), Zenit St. Petersburg(Russia), Chelsea (England), Bordeaux (France), Sporting CP (Portugal), Celtic (Scotland)

UEFA Champion's League 2008/2009 Schedule

For full schedule details please visit our UEFA Champion's League 2008/2009 schedule calendar.

Fixtures, results and league standings

First qualifying round fixtures and results

Second qualifying round fixtures and results

Third qualifying round fixtures and results

Group stages fixtures, results and league tables: TO FOLLOW