Strachan eyes Real Madrid clash

August 27, 2008

GLASGOW (AFP) – Manager Gordon Strachan is hoping to come up against Real Madrid when the draw for the Champions League group stage is made on Thursday.

The Spanish giants are one of the few European heavyweights the Hoops have managed to avoid in the competition in recent seasons.

And Strachan believes Celtic fans would relish a tussle with the nine-time European champions.

He told the club’s magazine: “Real Madrid? That would be handy. I think everyone at Celtic would like to get Real Madrid.”

The clubs have not met competitively since Real overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit to win the 1980 European Cup quarter-final between the pair 3-2 on aggregate.

Writtend By :AFP

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Tags: LA Liga, UEFA Champions League

Today in the CONCACAF Champions League

August 27, 2008

Opening nights can have a habit of failing to live up to the advanced billing but this was certainly not the case on the inaugural evening of the CONCACAF Champions League™.

CD SC Cruz Azul of Mexico cruised to a 6:0 victory over Hankook Verdes of Belize in the later game but it was the first two match ups that are likely to inspire the headlines today. At the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya, Trinidad, Caribbean powerhouse Joe Public FC defeated the New England Revolution by a score of 2:1 while at the Estadio Rod Carew in Panama, it was Tauro FC who emerged victorious, 2:0, against Chivas USA. For Tauro FC it was, arguably, an unexpected victory against US opposition with Edwin Aguilar scoring both goals – one each side of the break. Aguilar’s strike in the first half was the first ever goal in the Champions League but despite the 2:0 advantage, Tauro FC will need to be at their very best if they are to make their lead hold up at the Home Depot Center, in California next Tuesday and reach the group stage.
In Macoya, meanwhile, striker Gregory Richardson opened his Champions League account in the 51st minute giving Joe Public FC the lead. It was a lead that would double 18 minutes later when Jamal Gay, a second half substitute, scored with his first touch of the game. But Mauricio Castro halved the deficit six minutes later with a nerveless conversion from the spot. With the home-and-away match ups being decided on the away goals criteria should the teams finish level after two games, Castro’s strike might just prove to be critical when the Revs return home to Gillette Stadium for the second-leg.
Tonight six more teams open their Champions League campaigns with games being played in Canada, Costa Rica and El Salvador. The first game of the evening features Canada’s Impact de Montrèal who will take on Real Esteli of Nicaragua. The Canadian team emerged victorious from a three team home-and-away qualifying tournament, the 2008 Nutrilite Canadian Championship, that also included the Vancouver Whitecaps and MLS side Toronto FC. Their opponents, the seven time Nicaraguan champions Real Esteli, qualified as the sole representative of Nicaragua thanks to their playoff victory over Deportivo Walter Ferreti which determined their country’s representative in the inaugural Champions League.

The late games feature two intriguing match ups. LD Alajuelense of Costa Rica will host the Puerto Rico Islanders who qualified by way of their third place finish in the 2007 CFU Championship. The Islanders will become the first ever team from Puerto Rico to qualify for a CONCACAF club competition and face a tough first leg against the 24-time Costa Rican champions, Alajuela. The third game of the evening is an all Central American clash between AD Isidro Metapan of El Salvador and CD Marathon of Honduras, who lost a playoff to CD Olimpia to determine which team would be Honduras’ number one seed. Isidro Metapan, meanwhile, have only been in existence for eight years and secured their spot in the Champions League by way of finishing first (in points) in El Salvador’s 2008 Liga Mayor Clausura.

27.08.08
CAN1: Impact de Montrèal – NCA1: Real Estelí (20:00)
CRC2: LD Alajuelense – CFU3: Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) (22:00)
SLV2: AD Isidro Metapan – HON2: CD Marathon (22:00)

28.08.08
CFU1: Harbour View FC (JAM) – MEX3: Pumas UNAM (20:00)
GUA2: Deportivo Jalapa – PAN1: San Francisco FC (22:00)

Source Concacaf

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Tags: CONCACAF Champions' Cup

Darren Bent Gets Some Company

August 27, 2008

Looks like Spurs are going to splash some of that incoming Berbatov cash on a certain Russian who impressed at Euro 2008. But it’s not Andrei Arshavin. It’s the slightly harder to type Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Latest rumours have Pavlyuchenko all but transferred from Spartak Moscow to Spurs for £12 million, and pulling out of Spartak’s squad for tonight’s Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Kiev to prove it.
“I can confirm I’m joining [Tottenham],” he said. “Right now I’m getting my visa and as soon as it is ready I will fly to England to sign a contract. I won’t play in Kiev. Everything has happened very quickly so I couldn’t even say goodbye to my team-mates.”

Pavlyuchenko is the big, blonde striker you may have spotted scoring three goals at Euro 2008. England fans will remember him too, as the big blonde Russian striker who scored both goals in Moscow when Russia beat England 2-1 in Euro 2008 qualifying. Did I mention he was big, blonde and Russian?

Here’s some video of Pavlyuchenko in action for Spartak Moscow:

So this means Berbatov can go to Man Utd now, right?

Source TheOffside

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Tags: Rusia Premier League

the end of the Ricardo Quaresma saga?

August 27, 2008

Per Gazzetta dello Sport the saga of Ricardo Quaresma will conclude within the next forty-eight hours, with Jose Mourinho getting the perfect winger for Inter Milan’s attack. The clubs are apparently still €10m apart in their demands but Gazzetta contends Porto will accept terms that call for a one-year loan with a option next year for €25m buy-out and Pelé making a move in the opposite direction.

I will provide updates to this situation as further information is made available.

Source TheOffside

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Tags: World Cup

Sir Alex taking Super Cup serious!

August 27, 2008

Ahead of this weeks Zenit Saint Petersburg versus Manchester United showdown at Stade Louis II in Monaco, there were some early concerns how serious each club would be taking the match. However those issues seem to have been dispelled by Sir Alex Ferguson’s most recent commentary.

Recalling Manchester United’s 1-0 loss to Lazio, after they had won the 1999 Champions League, Sir Alex commented:

“I remember the last time we went there I only played half a team. When I saw Lazio celebrating at the end, it was like they had won the World Cup. I was not too pleased (and) that will not happen again.”

He further added:

“We’ll view the Super Cup as a one-off and we want to win it but we are expecting a very tough game.”

Man Utd will have a host of players available for the match, including Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville, both back from injury, Nani, who is now available after serving a three match ban as well as Owen Hargreaves (the kid from Calgary who doesn’t play for Canada).

I’ll be providing a full match preview on the Super Cup shortly

Source TheOffside

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Tags: Rusia Premier League

Roman Pavlyuchenko deal done!

August 27, 2008

Club officials of Spartak Moscow have confirmed that Roman Pavlyuchenko is set to join Tottenham.

“A deal has been agreed between the clubs and the transfer may be concluded by Thursday,” said a club spokesman.

Spartak Moscow’s general manager Valery Karpin told Soviet Sport:

“There is a concrete sum which Tottenham proposed and we have agreed the amount,” he said.

“If Roman will agree a contract then we are ready to let him go. If Roman begins to play in England, this will be good both for him and for the team.”

Source TheOffside

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Tags: Rusia Premier League

James Milner wants out

August 27, 2008

With Aston Villa apparently tabling £9m an offer for the twenty-two year old England U21, James Milner has emphatically stated he wants out of Newcastle and fast.

Per a club statement:
“We have yet to receive an offer for James that matches our valuation.”

“However, should such an offer be received then the club will be reluctantly forced to consider it, given James’s apparent desire to leave.”

Given the transfer window will close on Monday, this deal will be completed very quickly and yesterday’s Carling Cup victory is likely the final time we see James with Newcastle.

Source TheOffside

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Tags: English Premier League

David Villa to Stay

August 27, 2008

In case you haven’t heard, David Villa just signed a contract extension with Valencia and will stay with us until 2014.

Real Madrid made an offer today of € 40 million plus Javi Garcia or Saviola, but Valencia turned them down. There will be a news conference today at the Mestalla to announce the contract signing.

So I just want to say something to the news writers out there (goal.com specifically) who wanted Villa to jump ship or who had an ‘exclusive tip’ that El Guaje was leaving for a sturdier ship …

You should be ashamed of yourselves.

You deride someone like Cristiano Ronaldo for acting like a baby, trying to force himself to Real Madrid. You look on with amazement at the stupidity and childishness of someone like Robinho, who is basically whining himself to Chelsea.

Yet you decry someone like Villa wanting to stay with Valencia? (Read this article for what I’m talking about …)

I’m especially angry at the people of goal.com. All they seem to do is take articles from MARCA and translate them into English.

Or they write hackneyed opinion pieces imploring Villa and Silva to leave us every other day.

That’s journalism? I’m more of a journalist than these sad sacks.

David Villa is a Valencia player. He stayed with us because sometimes, being happy is more important than money. He should be honored for what he did, not derided because he didn’t do what so many ego maniacal players do day in, day out.

Thank you, David, for having some semblance of honor and not being just another footballer hungry for money …

Stick that up your Real Madrid flag-waving arse, Goal.com …

Source TheOffside

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Tags: LA Liga

FC Twente – Second Leg plus other ramblings

August 27, 2008

As many of you know, today features the second leg of Champions League qualifying against those pesky Dutch, FC Twente. Led by Steve McLaren, the legendary English coach, this should not be a big deal, what with a 2-0 lead on aggregate from the first leg. However, it’s always fun to play the role of the glass half full blogger, so let’s go there. After one of Arsenal’s worst performances in my short memory, they’ll at least be in the confines of home – but with Senderos now officially on his way, who will play today? Silvestre is listed out until mid-September, so we’ll probably see a very similar lineup from the Fulham match. Even with a two goal lead, my confidence is shaken enough to think that no lead is safe with this team. Fortunately, I think that I’m overreacting quite a bit.

On the good news side of things, Cesc is now fit, although it’s probably a tossup as to whether or not he will play or not. It would make sense for him to see at least some action off the bench, to help get his legs under him; considering his legs will have to carry our entire team this season, he will need all the rest he can get, so perhaps he won’t play tonight.

Looking at it from a realistic perspective, I see little reason that we won’t go through. One reason to worry would be overconfidence. If the players come out with a lackadaisical effort because of the lead they have, things could get ugly, especially if Gallas continues to defend as well as an old sieve. And we’re all still waiting on who Arsene will buy. If anyone of course. In a recent conference, he shows either shrewd genius, or unbridled optimism:

We do not have to worry about too many other players. I believe we have the needed squad and a strong squad. I believe in the players I have instead of always looking at who might be coming in.

Not sure what team he’s talking about, but he has faith in the squad he’s assembled. So, as I’ve said before, until we start losing every game, we must trust Wenger. But, for how much longer?

Source TheOffside

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Tags: English Premier League

Warren Barton Joins LA Galaxy Staff

August 27, 2008

Newcastle legend and former England defender Warren Barton has joined the new look LA Galaxy staff under former US National Team Head Coach Bruce Arena. Barton, who serves as a FOX Soccer Channel analyst for the Premier League on the weekends will work during the week with the Major League Soccer sides’ U-18 team. Barton holds a UEFA “A” coaching license. Last week Barton told the Del Mar Times about his appointment by Arena, ” “I like trying to help individual players, see their talent and nurture it,” said Barton. “I feel that I can give a lot back.” Barton was the subject of a recent EPL Talk podcast interview by the Gaffer which can be found here.

Source EPLTalk

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