Transfer Market Closes

with the market closing, BBC has posted an excellent list of ins and outs for the EPL

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/7492070.stm

notables:
Robinho to Man City
Dimitar Berbatov to Man U
Steve Finnan to Espanyol
Andriy Voronin to Hertha BSC Berlin
Ricardo Quaresma to Inter

this week in

And more moves.

Shawn Wright-Phillips to Manchester City
Phillipe Senderos to AC Milan (on loan)
Louis Saha to Everton (subject to medical)

and congratulations to

Cristiano Ronaldo

UEFA Club Footballer of the Year

EPL Week 2, Day 1

Hull is starting to make rounds after promotion to the Premier League, this time, drawing Blackburn in a tight game. Jason Roberts smashed the offside trap, the only defensive error Hull made, and slotted the goal home. Richard Garcia, however, equalized after two minutes, giving Hull the draw and the point.

Fulham defender Brad Hangeland fixed Arsenal's first away loss in the season, after 21 minutes. Jimmy Bullard sent in a cross, and the defender poked the ball into the back of the net. Adebayor and Van Persie linked up in offense to no avail, with most shots sent careening wide. With Cesc Fabregas missing from midfield, the Gunners struggled, and it was evident they were unsettled, until the last minute.

Liverpool scraped the 3 points thanks to a late drive from Steven Gerrard. Mido, coming in as a substitute, gave Middlesborough the lead at 70, but Jamie Carragher equalized a few minutes later, with a shot just outside the box. It looked like the game was ending in a draw, until Xabi Alonso clipped the ball to Gerrard, who proceeded to volley the ball to the top corner.

Bolton saw a penalty saved against Newcastle, and paid the price for it. Kevin Nolan's shot went straight to Shay Given, who handled the ball safely. Michael Owen, coming in as a substitute, ended up giving the home side a win, heading in Geremi's cross. Though the game saw bouts of erratic defending and attacking, the home side fought hard to deserve the victory.

Stoke City hosted a dramatic game against Aston Villa, with the home side emerging victorious. Liam Lawrence scored from the spot after a Laursen foul on Delap. Carew, however, equalized after a well set-up play. Ricardo fuller finished neatly, but this again was pulled level by Laursen. Mamady Sidibe gave the ball a touch on the 90th after a throw , denying Villa the point.

Tottenham lost their home match against Sunderland, with the return of Djibril Cisse to the Premier League another success. Dimitar Berbatov was rested, which was a bad decision. Kieran Richardson sent home the ball in the 55th, but Jermaine Jenas equalized soon after. Djibril Cisse gave the visitors the win, after coming on as a substitute, after outmuscling the defenders and sending a powered header into the back of the net.

Everton overcame West Brom in the second half of the game, in which the home side controlled most of possession and chances. Leon Osman , played by Mikel Arteta, rifled a shot for the first, and Yakubu headed a second into a gaping net, defeating Carson to a bouncing ball. It was too late for Bednar's penalty to make a mark, giving the Blues a win.

Hull 1 - 1 Blackburn
Fulham 1 - 1 Arsenal
Liverpool 2 - 1 Middlesborough
Newcastle 1 - 0 Boltin
Stoke 3 - 2 Aston Villa
Tottenham 1 - 2 Sunderland
Everton 2 - 1 West Brom

Argentina Clinch Olympic Gold

An inspired Argentina side beat the Nigerians on Saturday, holding back the Africans in the blistering heat.

Lionel Messi terrorized the Nigerians, and linking up with Sergio Aguero, the defenses looked shaky. Although the Africans had deadly chances on goal, Argentina held most of the ball possession for much of the game.

The breakthrough came in the 58th minute, though, with Messi setting up a play for Di Maria, who sent an exquisite chip past the rushing goalie.

1-0

UEFA Club Football Awards

The nominees this year have been announced, and it'll be a few days till the winners will be revealed.

Defenders:
Jamie Carragher
Rio Ferdinand
Carles Puyol
John Terry
Nemanja Vidic

Midfielders
Michael Essien
Cesc Fabregas
Steven Gerrard
Frank Lampard
Paul Scholes

Strikers
Didier Drogba
Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo
Wayne Rooney
Fernando Torres

Goalkeepers
Manuel Almunia
Manuel Neuer
Petr Cech
Pepe Reina
Edwin Van Der Sar

EPL Week 1 Day 2

Liverpool started the season off with a late opener from Fernando Torres. Sunderland, who dominated most of the game, briefly had a lapse in defending and let loose a Xabi Alonso pass, leading to their defeat.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, set up an exciting 2nd half against Manchester City, with John Carew slotting in at the 47th. Elano converted his penalty, however, equalizing the game.
Then came Agbonlahor, scoring a hat trick in 7 minutes. It was too late for Corluka to salvage a win, with his 89th minute goal and in the end, Villa deserved the victory.

in other news,

Chelsea put up a stunning performance in their league opener against Portsmouth. With an array of superior players, Scolari has his arsenal all set and the first game was just proving grounds to stabilize this assumption.
Following Claudio Pizarro's transfer to Werder Bremen just a few days ago, the squad seemed unfazed. 13 minutes in, Joe Cole slotted home, beating an offside trap, and earning Michael Ballack his first assist. Nicolas Anelka added a second with a thumping header, beating David James from Jose Bosingwa's cross. The Blues added insult to injury with a third, coming from the spot as Lampard (who will stay with Chelsea till kingdom come) smashed the ball into the net, following a handball from Sylvain Distin, and making sure the 151k/week paycheck isn't in vain.
The second half was dominated yet again by Chelsea, and with a slower pace and more passing, coolly handled the game. Deco added the 4th with minutes left, striking from beyond the box and sending the Portsmouth goalie reaching out in vain for a touch on the ball.
The game ended in a happy note, with not only Scolari grinning in delight, but with Roman Abramovich smiling with glee.

Liverpool 1 - 0 Sunderland
Chelsea 4 - 0 Portsmouth
Aston Villa 4 - 2 Man City

EPL Week 1

And the Premier League has started.

Arsenal capped off a lacklustre performance, riddled with chances, with a goal from debutant Samir Nasri at the 4th minute, leaving newly promoted West Brom goalless at the end of 90 minutes.

Bolton on the other hand gave an outstanding performance against Stoke. Steinsson, Davies, and Fuller sealed the victory for Gary Megson's side. Fuller grabbed a late consolation though, but it did nothing to affect the game's result.

Everton's first game as hosts ended in a dramatic conclusion after Blackburn salvaged an injury time goal. Dunn gave the visitors the lead at the 22nd minute, but Everton's Arteta found the equalizer at the 46th. The home side looked to have found inspiration in Yakubu's goal, but Roque Santa Cruz, however, equalized again after 2 minutes. It wasn't until the last minutes when Oojier grabbed a final goal for the visitors, and securing the 3 points.

In a shocking turn of events, first timers Hull (who have never played in the top flight before) came from behind and stunned Fulham, 2-1. Sol Ki-Hyeon gave the away side the lead at the 8th minutes, but Geovanni and Nolan goals sealed the deal for the home side.

Middlesborough hosted a scrappy game against Tottenham, with Mido leading his club against his former team. Goals from him and Wheater gave Boro a well-deserved win, marred only by an own goal at the 91st.

Last game of the night, West Ham hosted Wigan. Dean Ashton dominated the first few minutes, scoring a brace in a matter of 7 minutes. Wigan failed to come back after Zaki's 47th minute goal, and in the end, it was a winning start for Fabio Capello's season.

And The Season's Heating Up

I've been pretty busy for the past weeks, but updates will continue very very soon. :D

Tables will be posted, and yeah. Game results won't be missed.

But first, Champions League qualifying tables.

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/fixturesresults/round=15273/index.html

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/fixturesresults/round=15274/index.html

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/fixturesresults/round=15275/index.html

Notable recently are the victories by Juventus, Barcelona, Arsenal, and the stalemate by Liverpool. Looks like this year will be heating up.


In contracts, meanwhile, Frank Lampard has signed a long term deal that seals his career with Chelsea. 5 years to go, and he says he'd end his playing days in the club that took him from West Ham a few years ago.


With the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, EPL, Spanish Primera, and a few more closing the transfer market in a few days, we'll finally see the new, updated squads that'll battle it out for silverware this year.


And outside this, Olympics. Brazil and Argentina have made it to the quarter-finals, along with African powerhouses Nigeria, Cameroon, and the Ivory Coast. European clubs saw it through in the likes of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy.

Man U Claim Community Shield

Portsmouth displayed an endearing performance, enduring Manchester United's offense. Their defense proved to be no match for the Red Devils, Pompey closing the match at a goalless draw.

United controlled most of the game, with Darren Fletcher failing chances with a near miss and a superb stop by David James. James kept out a lashing effort from Carlos Tevez as well, keeping the scoreline at a deadlock.

With Number 7 out because of an operation, and Wayne Rooney sick, the Manchester side showed an excellent performance, though, outmatching Pompey through Nani's exploits in the wing. Peter Crouch, signed from Liverpool, wasn't able to link up with Jermaine Defoe and both strikers ended with a dismal performance.

With regular and extra time expiring, the game went into penalties.

Lasanna Diarra blasted way off target, while Argentine Tevez converted from the spot. Defoe however equalized, but Ryan Giggs sent the ball to the back of the net.
Arnold Mvuemba's shot was saved, sending the Red's fans on the edge of their seat. Michael Carrick made sure the ball went past James, and the victory was sealed when Glen Johnson shot wide of the goal.

First set of silverware for last year's champions, but will this mean they'll haul more trophies for 2008-2009? We'll see in a few days.

Van der Vaart Joins Madrid

Another Dutchman joins the squad in the form of Hamburger SV playmaker, Rafael van der Vaart.

€13m reportedly exchanged hands between the two clubs. Van der Vaart partners with Arjen Robben, Royston Drenthe, and a few more players from the Oranje, including talismanic striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Robbie Keane To Liverpool

Long Time No Update.

Loads of big name transfers, but this week, we have THIS
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/7528735.stm

£20.3m for Robbie Keane.

So it's goodbye Tottenham, hello Liverpool. 80K a week.

Hleb Moves to Barca

Alexander Hleb has moved from Arsenal to his dream club, Barcelona.

The deal, sealed off at £11.8M, sees Hleb at a club who just lost Ronaldinho to AC Milan, the same club that signed Mathieu Flamini a few weeks ago.

Ronaldinho Moves

From Barcelona to AC Milan. The two time world player of the year has transferred for a reported sum of 25M, leaving the Spanish outfit.

With Chelsea dropping early from the race, Manchester City and AC Milan battled it out for the Brazilian, whose dropping fitness levels has forced Pep Guardiola to exclude him from the squad.

With the deal sealed, Ronaldinho will join a team which he has constantly troubled in European cups and try to reignite the team's morale.

AC Milan failed to qualify for the Champion's League this season, and this may be an attempt to reinstate the former vigor of the club.

Dinho joins fellow Brazilian Kaka' in the squad.

July 12

More big signings this week.

Alberto Gilardino has joined Fiorentina, leaving AC Milan and partners Adrian Mutu as a striker. Striker Peter Crouch has also left Liverpool, and joined Portsmouth.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have been rushing into the transfer market.
Andrea Dossena moved from Udinese, Vincent Weijl from AZ Alkmaar (who, at 17, may lead the reserve team for now), Swiss international Philipp Degen, and Diego Cavalieri from SE Palmeiras.

There are also talks going on around the football world. Although many are rumors, some have leaked, including Portsmouth's go-ahead to sign Shawn Wright-Phillips, Roma going for Julio Baptista, Barcelona for 8M rated Thiago Neves, but none have come close to Arsenal and AC Milan's rumors.

AC are planning to sign Emmanuel Adebayor from the English giants, with £24m on the line, and French youngster Yoann Gourcuff.


Outside transfers, Sir Alex Ferguson is prepping for the UEFA Super Cup, with a victory making him the first manager to win the tournament thrice. Withouth C. Ronaldo on the sidelines, the Red Devils might need to push more effort against UEFA Cup champions FC Zenit St. Petersburg.


I think one editorial caught my eye today.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2008/07/oh_to_be_a_slave_like_ronaldos.html

with Ronaldo himself agreeing

http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=102000

Top 7 Reasons Why Americans Suck at "Soccer"

And yes, I agree

http://soccerlens.com/7-reasons-why-americans-suck-at-soccer/8115/#comment-95367

June 3

Slow day, apart from some big transfers.

Cristiano Ronaldo, with no relation to these big transfers (as of now), will undergo an operation on an injured ankle, delaying talks with Manchester United. Retaliation against the administration or not, Cristiano has shown avid interest in leaving the club for Spain, joining Real Madrid with a cut paycheck.

On the topic of operations and injuries, Fulham's Diomansy Kamara is set to go under the knife for a torn cruciate ligament. The player is set to lose 6 months of action, following recovery.


Onward to the transfers.

24 year old Argentinian Jonas Gutierrez has signed for Newcastle, under a 5 year deal.Transferring from Real Mallorca for an undisclosed fee, the winger is receiving praise from manager Kevin Keegan, who believes the player could help restore the club into the top bracket of the Premier League. This puts uncertainty to James Milner's club status, with links to Liverpool and Aston Villa.

Andreas Isaksson, meanwhile, has signed for Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven, also for an undisclosed fee. The lack of first team opportunities under Manchester City strengthened the decision, opening up a 4 year deal with the PSV side.

Lastly, PFC CSKA Moskva striker Jô has completed a transfer to Manchester City, with a staggering €22.7M transfer fee. The 21 year old, who scored 30 goals in 53 appearances in 3 years, is set to perform beyond expectations and play his first game for the UEFA Cup qualifiers.

July 1

Now onwards to club football. We start July, with June's events unfolding quickly.

Today, John Aarne Riise becomes an official part of the AS Roma squad, after Fabio Aurelio stood as 1st choice in Liverpool.

Meanwhile, the Spaniards are celebrating their triumphant victory over Germany, with captain Iker Casillas leading the way, along with Luis Aragones.

Stunning European performances from Russia's Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko will surely attract managers, who might want to snap them up sooner or later.


But, the news today concentrates on the Blues yet again.
Chelsea are said to be willing to pay 85M for Fernando Torres, who scored the clincher for Spain on the 29th. This money could come from the said 250M warchest given to Luiz Felipe Scolari for redefining a new squad.
But, the first major transfer for the team?

A supposed 8M for Barcelona's Deco, who will receive £92,000 a week in midfield. Speaking of midfield, this may be a sign of Frank Lampard's exit from the club he pledged his career to. This was before Mourinho though, and the Italian squad Inter Milan are showing interest under no other than the "Special One".

Meanwhile, Tottenham's Robbie Keane is said to be demanding a transfer to Liverpool, after rumors surfaced that he was wanted by the club. This is with a possible Peter Crouch exit, and where he'd end up playing alongside Fernando Torres.


Anyway, for more updates on the transfer market, visit

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/7482819.stm

Spain 1 - 0 Germany

A 44 year European Championship drought ended with celebrations as Spain clinched the title for the second time in their history.

Luis Aragones' side took this as a form of inspiration, insted of a curse, and went on to succeed, beating the Germans 1-0.

Michael Ballack made it to the game, but notable absentee David Villa wasn't able to recover, with the Spaniards resorting to an unfamiliar 4-5-1 formation. The early minutes were dominated by Germany's excellent passing and fine control, but Miroslav Klose and Thomas Hitzlsperger failed to convert. But Spain, with Cesc Fabregas relinquished from the bench, caught up with the game's pace and soon got themselves running in the contest.
Jens Lehmann, the oldest player to play in a European final, was put into action with a superb reflex save after Christoph Metzelder's shot ricocheted off Andres Iniesta's leg.
Meanwhile, Xavi Hernandez was menacing in front of the defenders, delivering fine balls and crashing the defense. Sergio Ramos cut and squared a ball for Fernando Torres, whose header met the wrong side of the post.
Three minutes before the half's end, Xavi constructed an elegant through ball, and with Torres outmuscling Phillip Lahm, chipped the ball over Lehmann, who dove right outside the box.

The Spaniards looked to open up the defense in the second half, but Germany retaliated, with Ballack almost heading goalwards from Bastian Schweinsteiger's play. But the defenses held up, Spain had succeedingly more chances in the dying minutes, and the celebrations had begun.

Spain 1 - 0 Germany.

Congratulations Spain, new European Champions

Spain 3 - 0 Russia

A Cesc Fabregas inspired performance from the Spaniards helped them edge past Russia and into the finals of Euro 2008.

With a first half flooded with chances, Fernando Torres failed to find the back of the net, following an intense performance from Igor Akinfeev. A near chance from open play resulted in a splendid save from Iker Casillas, who again produced a man of the match show. Meanwhile, David Villa injured himself after a bad free kick, resulting in his loss for the finals.

A substitution proved to be beneficial in the second half, with Arsenal playmaker Cesc Fabregas instantly making his mark. 5 minutes into the second half, a play started from the wing, with Iniesta crossing to Xavi Hernandez, who slotted cleanly into the goal after beating a few defenders.

Dani Guiza added to the Russian humiliation, and in only his 7th international appearance, scored his 2nd goal for his country. Cesc Fabregas set up with an exquisite touch, Guiza chesting the ball and chipping a perfect finish way beyond the Russian goalie's reach.

Russia were surely eliminated after a third goal added to the drubbing. Valencia striker met another Fabregas low cross, flashing the ball with his left foot.

Spain has set up a date with Germany into the finals, and on the 29th, the championship will be decided.

Two powerhouses, one game.

Germany 3 - 2 Turkey (semifinals)

In a thrilling encounter, Germany secured a championship berth after beating Turkey, 3-2.

Ugur Boral opened the contest with a tap in after Kazim Kazim's strike rebounded from the crossbar. However, Germany equalized after Lukas Podolski's centered pass from the left wing met Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Miroslav Klose's header seemed to end Turkey's dream, until Semih Senturk sent the score level again. With extra time looming, one final play between Thomas Hitzlsperger and Philip Lahm ended as a 1-2 in the opposition's field, and at the 90th minute, a late strike sent Turkey crashing out of the tournament.

Germany are now waiting for the victors of the match between Russia and Spain for the finals.

Italy 0 - 0 Spain (2- 4 pen)

Current World Champions Italy were downed by Spain in a lackluster stalemate which went on to penalties.
The Italian defense seemed to cancel out the Spaniards' attacking approach, with one touch football dominating the latter's play. With Xavi leading midfield, and Iniesta exploiting the flanks, it took quite a while for an opening to reveal itself, but Gianluigi Buffon blocked a cool shot from David Silva from a David Villa backheel.
Buffon was tested quite a few times, but in the second half, it was Italy who took an offensive turn. Casillas was forced to deny Mauro Camoranesi, enveloping the ball and safeguarding his goal.
With time ticking, there were still a few chances squandered, with set pieces going nowhere. Even under extra time, the opening goal didn't appear.
Penalty shootout.
David Villa, Spain's hero of the tournament, slotted past Buffon, opening the scoreline.
Fabio Grosso, however, cancelled out the goal with a shot of his own, mimicking his final penalty in the 2006 final.
Santi Cazorla blasted a low shot into the left corner, but sent the Italian goalie to the right.
Daniele de Rossi, however, failed to reply, with Iker Casillas saving the youngster's shot.
Marco Senna sent a world class penalty in the back of the net, with Buffon looking helpless.
Marco Camoranesi took dead aim, however, closing the scoreline in at 3-2.
Italy looked to make a comeback, with Buffon saving Dani Guiza's shot splendidly.
However, more heroics from Iker Casillas killed Italian hopes after saving from Antonio Di Natale.
Cesc Fabregas placed his shot, finalizing the win with a lower right shot.

Spain advance, ending their penalty curse and ending up challenging an inspired Russian side in the semis.

Russia 3 - 1 Netherlands

In an unexpected turn of events, a shocked Netherlands crashed out of the European Championships after stalemating Russia in regular time.
The Oranje, coached by Marco van Basten, were left with smashed hearts after a tactical Russian side attacked in extra time. Russian coach Guus Hiddink, who happens to be a Dutchman himself, made sure that they played not as challengers, but as future champions.
The Dutch defense was exploited when Russia sent an offensive team, and opening the scoring at the 56th minute. Roman Pavlyuchenko sent a sweet volley on target, beating Edwin van der Sar. Russian celebrations were crushed, however, when Ruud van Nistelrooy crashed a header from Wesley Sneijder's curling free kick.
Russia didn't give up early, though. They dominated extra time, and on the 22nd minute, Andrei Arshavin set up Dmitri Torbinski to volley in a goal. 4 minutes later, the playmaker himself got himself into the books. Arshavin's shot deflected off John Heitinga, setting the scoreline away from the Dutch reach.
Russia advance, Netherlands eliminated.

Croatia 1 - 1 Turkey (1-3 Pen)

Turkey clawed through the ranks, and finally made it through in their first European Championship semi-final, at the expense of undefeated Croatia.
A goalless draw after regular time meant a heart-stopping 30 minutes more of game time. With one minute to go on the referee's watch, Ivan Klasnic got the Croats roaring after a textbook header, following Luka Modric's cross.
Turkey, however, played on the offensive, and repeating history, scored another last-gasp goal when Semih Senturk sent the ball deflecting off a defender and into the goal.
Penalty kicks.
Croatia's Luka Modric sent the ball careening wide off target, much to the dismay of their fans.
Arda Turan, who has scored two for Turkey before, eased the ball past Stipe Pletikosa, earning a 0-1 lead.
Dario Srna sent Rustu Recber diving wrong, tying the shootout.
Semih Senturk, who scored the equalizer, sent the fans screaming again, 1-2 for Turkey.
Ivan Rakitic, like his compatriot, missed his shot, sending the Turks rejoicing
Hamit Altintop kept his composure, sending the ball into the net after a fine run.
A final save from Mladen Petric ended the shootout 1-3 for the Turks, and sending them into the semis against Germany.

Now, they're hoping for a miracle, after 4 of their first XI are suspended, after gaining bookings. Volkan Demirel is still suspended after a red card a few days ago, and so are Arda Turan, Emre Asik, and Tuncay Sanli after gaining bookings in the game.

Portugal 2 - 3 Germany

The Portuguese proved to be no match for the experienced Germans, getting eliminated from title contention, with two of the favorite sides clashing in a splendid display of football.

The Germans capitalized on their aerial ability, the Portuguese lack of defense, and set pieces. It took only 22 minutes for the German side to find a breakthrough in Bastian Schweinsteiger's sidefooted kick. He then set up a goal 4 minutes later, sending a free kick hurtling towards Miroslav Klose, who slipped the ball past Portuguese goalie Ricardo.
5 minutes before the half ended, however, Portugal almost clinched a lifeline through Nuno Gomes, who lashed the ball from close range. But again, this was cancelled out by another Schweinsteiger free kick, this time finding Michael Ballack, sending the ball rocketing from a header.
Substitute Helder Postiga found a late consolation, but the lack of another goal ended the Portuguese dream of reaching the finals.
In the end, Germany ended the match celebrating, but the Portuguese punished. 3-2 for the Germans.

June 19

And the Semifinals begin.

With the Round of 16 over, I think I should make a recap for the last two group D games.

Angelos Charisteas opened the scoring for Greece, smashing a header past Pepe Reina. But at the 51st minute, Spain's second string team looked too powerful for the full-force squad Greece sent in. Ruben de la Red scored his first goal for Spain, converting Daniel Guiza's pass. 2 minutes before time, Guiza himself scored, heading past Antonis Nikopolidis from Sergio Garcia's cross. 2-1 for the Spaniards, with the 2004 champions going home trophyless.

Sweden were downed by the Russians after soem splendid tactical workings from coach Guus Hiddink. An excellent passing movement opened up Roman Pavlyuchenko, who struck the ball in the 24th minute for the opening goal. Andrei Arshavin, back in the squad after a suspension, proved to be a menace for the Swedes, and on the 50th minute, he put the game far beyond the Scandinavians. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrik Larsson were mostly shackled, and in the end, Russia capitalized. 2-0 game, Sweden eliminated from the tournament.

June 18

With the Quarterfinals looming, it looks like the race for a slot in the quarterfinals of Euro 2008 has heated up. With both hosts eliminated, together with the previous champions, the favorites look strong in capturing a berth in the semi-finals.

Michael Ballack's roaring free kick booked Germany a slot, leaving Austria in the dust. It was a decent game, though quite boring, apart from the sending off of both national teams' coaches into the stands for bickering with the 4th official.

Croatia, meanwhile, swept their group and clinched victories in all three of their games. Ivan Klasnic scored the goal for the Croatians, capturing all 9 points in their group, while Poland were eliminated from the competition.

The Netherlands did the same, killing off Romania and drubbing them, 2-0. Klaas Jan Huntelaar directed the ball goalwards after a succulent cross from Ibrahim Afellay. With most first team players rested, Robin van Persie scored his second in 2 games, ending the Romanian team's hunt for the title.

In a vengeful rematch of the World Cup Finals, Italy sunk France in a thrilling 2-0 game. The Azzuri capitalized on the 24th minute, with Eric Abidal sent off after fouling Luca Toni. Gregory Coupet met his match in Andrea Pirlo, who converted the spot kick flawlessly. Danielle de Rossi added a second, capping of an excellent performance for the Italians. But, yellow cards for Pirlo and Genaro Gattuso mean they miss the quarterfinal match against Spain.


Nothing much happening in club football, except Pep Guardiola's Barca giving Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, and Deco releases. Deco could join Scolari's Chelsea, while Manchester City are running for the Brazilian's signature. Rumors are flying as well that Eto'o is wanted by Tottenham, and some Italian clubs.

June 16

Spain advance to the quarterfinals after a resilient and defensive Greece conceded an injury time goal care of David Villa.
With 15 minutes ticking on the clock, David Silva coolly crossed the ball to Fernando Torres, whose first touch sent it crashing into the goal. 19 minutes later, Sweden responded, when Frederick Stoor's cross met Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the area. The latter controlled the ball before lashing it goalwards and scoring his 2nd goal in 2 appearances.
The second half was more offensive, with various shots going into both keepers hands. THe deadlock wasn't broken until the 92nd, when David Villa caught a through ball, a few seconds before a penalty decision was cancelled. Villa slotted the ball into the net, and secured Spain a spot in the last 8.

Meanwhile, the journey ends for the Czechs, when they were sent crashing out of the tournament by the Turks.
Jan Koller sent the Czechs ahead on the 34th minute, thumping a header past Volkan Demirel. Jaroslav Plasil looked to put the game away after turning in Libor Sionko's cross, but it wasn't meant to be.
Arda Turan sent a low shot past Petr Cech, and three minutes before time, Nihat Kahveci capitalized on a goalkeeping error to equalize the game. With a penalty shootout breathing past the players necks, Nihat yet again swept through the defenders and scored the winning goal. Volkan was sent off for shoving Jan Koller, but all was too late. 3-2 for the Turks.

While the Portuguese lost their game (while topping their group), Switzerland bowed out gracefully, with a 2-0 victory over this years favorites. Hakan Yakin scored the brace for the hosts, who dropped out of the running a few days ago.

With another upset, the Russians kill off the current champion Greece's hopes of retaining the title. Konstantin Zyryanov scored, sending the team to a deciding game against Sweden.


and

The English Premier League fixtures are out NOW

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/7453880.stm

June 14

In a shocking turn of events, Group B has resulted in 2 mixed results.

The Croatians have gone through to the last 8, by shocking Germany in a surprise victory. Darijo Srna opened the scoring for the Croats, with Ivica Olic sealing the victory, and the quarterfinal spot. Germany lost talismanic midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger to a late red card, and they are left with one match left, in which they need to salvage a point to progress.

Meanwhile, Poland were stunned by a 93rd minute penalty that equalized the game. Austria are back in contention for the quarterfinals, even with Artur Boruc's splendid display that evening. Roger Guerrerio scored for the Poles, even with the Austrians dominating the first half. But the latter team went on the offensive in the second half, but it wasn't until the 93rd minute that Sebastian Prodl earned a penalty, with Ivica Vastic slamming the ball into the net.

And again, there's only one word that can describe the Oranje's domination so far: Masterclass.
The Netherlands dominated majority of the game, securing a spot in the last of 8. France were pressured when Dirk Kuyt's nodded in a goal from a corner, but the game was almost sealed when Robin van Persie struck past Gregory Coupet. Willy Sagnol provided a neat ball to Thierry Henry though, who found a lifeline for the French side, but about a minute later, Arjen Robben struck after a fine 3 man display. To seal Les Bleus fate, Wesley Sneijder crashed the ball into the bottom of the crossbar, scoring the 4th goal, and sending the French side sulking into their worst EURO result ever.

Lastly, in an exhausting battle, Italy drew Romania in a tight match. Adrian Mutu scored in the 55th, but the Italians sent their message across at the 56th, equalizing at 1-1. But the man of the match deservedly was Gianluigi Buffon. Goalscorer Christian Panucci was adjudged to have fallen Daniel Niculae in the area, warranting a penalty. But, Buffon dived right, splendidly blocking Adrian Mutu's shot and salvaging a point for the World Champions.

Taking a break from club football. The EURO 2008 campaign is much much more exciting.

June 12

The next 6 games of Euro 2008 proved quite devastating for many of the teams.

France drew Romania in a lackluster match. But a practice match against Chatel-Saint-Denis proved to be a good ground to return skipper Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry back in the squad.

The Oranje meanwhile, proved to be devastating. For the Italians, at least. The Netherlands bashed the 2006 World Cup winners, 3-0 in a one sided match. A controversial goal from Ruud Van Nistelrooy opened up the scoresheet, with Wesley Sneijder contributing the second goal, and Giovani van Bronckhorst setting the game beyond the world champions' reach.

Spain thrashed Russia in a one sided game with talismanic striker David Villa contributing a hat trick. Roman Pavlyuchenko grabbed a late consolation goal, cancelled out by substitute Cesc Fabregas' diving header.

Reigning Euro champions Greece saw their side fall to Sweden in Group D's opening game. Zlatan Ibrahimovic smashed the ball into the top corner after an exquisite right-footed strike, with Petter Hansson sealing the victory for the Swedes.

And again, Cristiano Ronaldo's tricky feet have done it again, scoring his 22nd international goal. Partnering with Deco in midfield, the pair put the ball at the back of the net, with Ricardo Quaresma receiving a squared ball from C. Ronaldo to add a third goal. Libor Sionko gave the Czechs their only goal. 3-1 for the Portuguese

With the pitch acting against the players' wills, Turkey found Arda Turan's late strike as the game winner. Against Switzerland. The Swiss took the lead through Hakan Yakin's shot, but failed to capitalize on the lead, with Semih Senturk slotting in an equalizer. But Arda's shot that came from a deflection was enough to send the Turkish fans screaming, and the Swiss side, the first to bow out of the tournament.


Back in club football, Chelsea has named a new manager.

Luiz Felipe Scolari. Portuguese national team manager.
more facts in http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/7449627.stm

now the bets are coming in: how long would he last as manager?
and who would he buy, with a 100M Pound warchest for the transfer season?

for the record, i'll post the top 10 countries in the world, according to FIFA
1 Argentina
2 Brazil
3 Italy
4 Spain
5 Germany
6 Czech Republic
7 France
8 Greece
9 England
10 Netherlands
Fluctuations in the coming week.

AND OH YEAH GO PHILIPPINES. 170 from 189 in the world!

Euro 2008 has just begun. I'll be posting results as the days go by, maybe even links to video highlights, if ever :D

So far, 4 games have been played.

Saturday:

The Swiss hosted the first match, facing the Czech Republic. Despite having an offensive approach, Vaclav Sverkos scored the only, and winning, goal for the Czechs.

Portugal won their first match, with a 2-0 scoreline. Defender Pepe smashed in the first goal, with Cristiano Ronaldo setting up teammate Raul Meireles to slot home a second.

Sunday:

Austria went down to Croatia, 1-0, after a penalty scored by a new Tottenham signing, Luka Modric. The game stayed at that scoreline, breaking Austrian hearts, just like what happened to the co-hosts the day before.

In the other game, Bayern's Lucas Podolski scored the brace, securing a win for the German side. Ironically, the Polish-born striker took down his own country, Poland, finishing the game at 2-0.


For tables, check out
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/tables/7230594.stm


Back to club football.

Rumors are flying that Didier Drogba has agreed to sign with AC Milan, with Chelsea's consent. That gives enough budget for the soon-to-be-named manager to buy Samuel Eto'o, their prime target. 18M Pounds. The problem is, they may face stiff competition from Inter Milan and their former manager, Jose Mourinho

And with rumors abounding, i guess it's fair enough to just mention that there are inklings of Cristiano Ronaldo signing for Real Madrid. Who knows how much it'll cost the club. Claude Makelele backs it up, but yeah. Wait for things to come, especially after Euro2008


Looks like Euro2008 will be fun. Expect more international football this week, less club.

and for videos, visit http://eplmatches.com/

June 4

Smashing the headlines: Jose Mourinho has signed for Inter Milan as the new Manager.
No word where Mancini's going next. But, that was expected. News is, Mourinho's gonna get a 100M Euro transfer fund.
And that's for the Chelsea players he might be swooping for. But still, he says he'll remain a fan of the club.
What's funny is he's with a former Chelsea player he wasn't in good terms with ages ago. Hernan Crespo. And now, he doesn't want to be called "The Special One".

While Morratti is having problems explaining the decision, AC Milan have other problems to take care of. Skipper Paolo Maldini is still undecided in his talks for a new contract.

Speaking of managers, it looks like Chelsea will delay announcements of the new manager, with shortlisted candidates supposed to pass through an interview first. More or less, it's gonna be after EURO 2008.
Hank Ten Cate has been offered a job at Panathinaikos, while Steve Clarke remains.

With the transfer season opening, it looks like a lot of players are catching the eyes of managers.

Preparations are ready, and it looks like Dimitar Berbatov could go as high as 30M. 20 year old Karim Benzema could smash Man United's transfer record. Ricardo Quaresma might join Inter under fellow Portuguese Mourinho.

Outside club football, EURO 2008 is heating up. Netherlands and Italy have lost Ryan Babel and Fabio Cannavaro, respectively. For more news, visit http://en.euro2008.uefa.com/

The matches start June 7, with the finals hosted on June 29 at the Ernst Happel, Vienna. I'm still rooting for the Netherlands. Or France.


And again, I'm thinking Thaksin Shinawatra doesn't know what he's doing. First, effing up the board after buying Man City, now trying to buy Ronaldinho and offering a £200k-a-week contract.

On the other side, David Beckham is telling Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Man U.

Busy week, but Mourinho makes the headlines.

June 1

Guess like it's the start of a new month. Happy June :D

Chelsea News: Hank Ten Cate himself has been axed.
I have no idea what would happen to Chelsea now. I mean, Jose Mourinho has been involved in a lot of situations in the club. Talk about ownership. But for me, it has to be the manager and board to decide what happens next. Look at the Glazers and Manchester United. I don't see Sir Alex fretting after every loss.
But when Chelsea draws Rosenborg, it's bye bye manager. When they lose a final, it's the same thing.
Kenyon, do something about this and talk to Abramovich.
Give them until Monday, when they're set to name the new manager.

Manchester City, meanwhile, is expected to find a new manager, with rumors concerning Sven-Goran Erikkson's sacking flying into the mainstream.
And I have a major feeling the next manager is gonna be Thai. Just look at the board, after Shinawatra bought the club.

Khalid Boulahrouz makes it into the Netherlands squad. Poor Ryan Babel, getting injured at the last minute. And yes, i'm rooting for the Netherlands for the Euro 2008 cup.

Now on to those who didn't even qualify: England. Beckham gains the captaincy again, two years after retiring it and passing it on to John Terry. Speaking of the latter, it's cool how he scores a bullet header for England, while failing to do so for Chelsea in a few months.
*blames US and their poor defending*

Now, yet again, AC Milan are increasing the average age of their players. Gianluca Zambrotta signed for the outfit, at 31 years of age, from Barcelona. No fees were disclosed, but yeah. AC definitely have to up their defense for next year (and the UEFA Cup).

With the Beijing Olympics looming, it's not surprising to see a lot of players asking their clubs for releases to play in these games. With the likes of Javier Mascherano and Lionel Messi risking club football, it's easy to see that they'd love to see their country rise to glory. Funny how both are also in the Argentinian team.

All in all, it seems to be a pretty decent week. More of player signings and managerial changes, in fact. Expect the coming days to be a bit more exciting

May 29

This looks like one pretty busy, and messed up, week for Italian football.

It's surprising how Carlo Ancelotti maintains his job, even with a trophyless season, and not qualifying for the Champion's league next year.
But, Inter Milan. Mancini has been sacked, and what? They won the league title fittingly, with AS Roma just trying to catch up.

I guess this signals changes. After all, there's this "special one" who might be taking over the helm of Mancini.

Meanwhile, AC Milan themselves, after a dreadful season, are selling Alberto Gilardino. Talisman or not, I guess Fiorentina couldn't handle the loss of Luca Toni so well, who has won the Bundesliga title after just one season.

But yeah. I think they should revamp the squad. With the likes of Alexandre Pato, I swear they have a chance, as long as they train the younger players to replace the legends currently playing for one of the oldest squads in Italy, and Europe. They have Kaka, too. I don't think it'll be that hard, and with last season serving as a memory of things yet to come, i think it's time for a revamp.

Back to Inter. Rumors are flying around that they're planning to buy Ronaldinho, Deco, and Giovani dos Santos. For a cool £40M, that is.
But then, they're also planning to swoop for Lampard, Carvalho, and Drogba. RUMORS. This time, for £35M.

I have a feeling Jose Mourinho is planning a comeback. And these are all signs.


Meanwhile, Chelsea are coachless. Whoever gets that managerial position, I hope he turns the team around. Just make the team work again.
Funny how Barcelona and Chelsea end up trophyless this year.

Liverpool are in an ownership problem. And i found something funny about Arsenal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenal_F.C.#Players

Count the number of English first team players.



In other news, England smashes the US' 5 game unbeaten record with a 2-0 performance at Wembley. Funny, since the Americans beat the Poles 3-0. And Poland qualified for Euro 2008.
I blame Paul Robinson.

Anyway, the next big game is between England and Trinidad and Tobago. Or whatever. I hope the right results come out.


I can't wait for the next seasons.

Oh Hai

Hey there fellow football fans. I'm gonna try setting up this blog, just to keep you guys posted with the latest news, ramblings, results, videos, or maybe even live streaming links :D

Stay tuned, and keep the passion. Football forever!