Soccer Mania

Carragher: Let's Finish The Job

2007-08-16T09:41:00.000+02:00

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher agrees with his manager Rafa Benitez that despite tonight's crucial 1-0 away win in the Third Qualifying round of the Champions League in Toulouse, the Reds cannot start thinking hey are in the money-spinning group stage yet.

Although their fans will now expect Liverpool to clinch qualification as a formality in the second leg at Anfield, Benitez urged caution, saying:

"We must not think we are already through. This tie is not yet over, it is just one goal. We know."

And ahead of next week's second leg in Liverpool, Carragher was also cautious, telling Setanta Sports: "Over the last few years we have had good results away and then lost at home.

"It was far from great but the away goal makes it a lot easier.

"It was a great goal from Andriy. We were not playing particularly well in the first half but it was a great finish."

Carragher also underlined the fact that would not be making himself available for England selection again, despite recent meetings with manager Steve McClaren.

He said: "I had a good couple of chats. We got on great but I just felt at my age others are a lot younger than me and I just want to concentrate fully on Liverpool."

Reds ' striker Peter Crouch, who provided the headed assist for Andriy Voronin's superb winner, explained: "I managed to flick it on and from there it was all about Andriy.

"It was a superb finish and fitting to win any match."

Crouch added: "It was extremely hot out there for all the lads.

"Maybe the performance could have been better but it was a great result."

Crouch, who was omitted from the Liverpool squad for the game at Aston Villa on Saturday, said he expected Benitez to rotate the squad again for Sunday's game at home to Chelsea.

"I was disappointed not to be involved in the first game but the manager's proved he does like to rotate," said Crouch.

"I'm sure there will be changes again when we play Chelsea.

"I gave up a year and a half ago trying to second guess his teams. You can never tell which team he's going to play."

Meanwhile defeated Toulouse coach, Elie Baup, said that his team had found the blazing heat as well as the quality of Liverpool difficult to cope with.

He said: "In those conditions it is hard to keep running and trying to create things when you are playing against a side with such experience and quality.

"Our players lack the experience of playing in this competition and they found Liverpool's ability and technical quality hard to cope with out there."

taken from goal.com

CL Report: Liverpool Ease To Victory In Stifling Toulouse

2007-08-16T09:38:00.000+02:00

Toulouse 0-1 Liverpool

A fairly forgettable game played in stifling heat in Toulouse was settled by a memorable goal two minutes before half-time from Ukaine striker Andriy Voronin. His goal puts Liverpool in a strong position, ahead of the second leg of this qualifier on Merseyside, to progress through to the lucrative group stage of the Champions League.

The decisive strike came almost out of nowhere towards the end of a fairly languid and uneventful first half. But it was a goal of rare quality. Peter Crouch flicked on a long ball from Steve Finnan for Voronin to control with his back to goal before swivelling and spearing an unstoppable shot into the top corner from outside the penalty area.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez recalled Peter Crouch and Javier Mascherano, while John Arne Riise, Daniel Agger and Fernando Torres were named on the bench.

Benitez denied that his selection was influenced by Sunday's Premier League clash against Chelsea, saying: "Toulouse could be dangerous and we need to be really focused."

Nevertheless it certainly seemed that Chelsea - and the conditions - were a factor in a quiet, slow-paced opening.

Following the furore over insufficient tickets for Liverpool fans at the Athens final, only an estimated 640 dedicated core of Reds supporters made the trip to France, and the first action they had to cheer came when Steven Gerrard, fresh from that marvellous free-kick against Aston Villa on Saturday, sent another set-piece just past the post.

Gerrard was playing just ahead of Mascherano in midfield, while Voronin was playing off Peter Crouch's shoulder with two wingers supporting on the flanks.

Liverpool, looking comfortable, enjoyed plenty of possession, but chances were in short supply as the players paced themselves. Crouch nipped in to exploit a sloppy back pass to release Yossi Benayoun, but Toulouse's defence snuffed out the danger.

The hosts eventually produced their first attempt on target when Johan Elmander shot low but Jamie Carragher took the sting out of it, leaving Pepe Reina with a routine save to make.

Carragher then produced a sliding clearance as Paulo Cesar forced his way through , and Reina blocked an angled drive from Elmander to concede the game's firt corner. But Liverpool dealt with it, and at the other end Gerrard pinged a free-kick into the area for Crouch, but the tall striker was adjudged to have fouled Mauro Cetto.

Two minutes before the beak, Finnan and Crouch combined to set up Voronin's wonder strike for the crucial breakthrough.

Toulouse responded with Achille Emana's overhead kick, which flew wide before the same player shot over the bar from distance. Elmander tried his luck too from outside the area, but it was also well wide.

Keeper Nicolas Douchez took the ball off of Crouch's head as the striker threatened to make it two, having blocked Mohamed Fofana's attempted clearance from Voronin's flick-on.

Elmander collected a booking for a late tackle from behind on Mascherano, before Gerrard had a shot deflected over the bar.

Elmander then reached the ball ahead of Sami Hyypia at the near post to meet a Pantxi Sirieix cross, but Reina gathered it easily as the game dribbled to a conclusion with Liverpool well pleased with their afternoon's work.

Toulouse: Douchez, Ebondo, Mathieu, Cetto, Fofana, Paulo Cesar, Sirieix, Emana, Dieuze, Elmander, Bergougnoux. Subs: Riou, Jonsson, Mansare, Batlles, Fabinho, Gignac, Sissoko.

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Arbeloa, Benayoun, Gerrard, Mascherano, Babel, Voronin, Crouch. Subs: Itandje, Agger, Riise, Torres, Alonso, Kuyt, Sissoko.

taken from goal.com

Liverpool Catch Another Keeper

2007-08-16T09:36:00.000+02:00

Liverpool have completed the loan signing of Hungarian goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi from feeder club MTK.

The teenager had been on trial at Anfield for the past ten days and has done enough to earn himself a one-year loan deal with the option of a two-year deal.

The 17-year-old joins The Reds from the Sandor Karoly Academy, and associate organisation of Liverpool’s feeder club MTK

The youngster is delighted to be given the opportunity to prove his worth with one of Europe’s top clubs.

"I woke up and went to bed day by day with the thought that I have the chance to became a Liverpool player," Gulacsi told Sky Sports.

"My agents informed me that other clubs from Europe and from the Premiership had been watching me but my desire was to come to Liverpool.

"In March, Pepe Reina sent me a pair of his signed keeper gloves and I admit, that time it was only a very secret dream of mine that one day I would train with him.

"Since then it's like I was in a dream world."

taken from goal.com

Carragher Stands By Quit Decision

2007-08-16T09:33:00.000+02:00

England manager Steve McLaren has said that Jamie Carragher has stood by his decision to snub the national team.

Liverpool defender Carragher told McLaren last month that his patience has run out after years on the fringe of the England team.

Carragher, regarded by many in the game as one of the best central defenders in the world, has struggled to hold down a regular place in the national side, prompting his decision to turn his back on England and concentrate on his club game.

England boss McLaren has admitted that he has approached Carragher ahead of the fixture against Germany later this month, however the defender has stood by his decision.

"I met Jamie on Monday and had a very good conversation but unfortunately he's stayed with the decision to not be involved with us," McClaren told Sky Sports.

"We respect that, Jamie has been a fantastic servant for England.

"I won't close the door, who knows in the future."

Mclaren was dealt another blow at the weekend, loosing Wayne Rooney for up to two months with a foot injury, meaning the striker will miss several key Euro 2008 qualifiers.

"It's a blow because he was looking so fit and well in pre-season, so obviously it's a big blow," he continued.

"He is an important player for England and I was disappointed to get the phone call but by Monday morning I had to move on. We have always had to do that in the past and we'll do it again.

"We had a positive summer against Albania, Brazil and Estonia (a qualifier) where we gave fringe players a game, and we did that without Wayne.

"We've still got Peter Crouch, Owen may be available and there is also the likes of Alan Smith, Darren Bent, Andy Johnson, Jermain Defoe and David Nugent, players like that who have played for England and have proved that they can play at this level."

taken from goal.com

Benitez Says Toulouse Demand Respect

2007-08-16T09:31:00.000+02:00

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has said that Toulouse must be treated with respect ahead of the their Champions League clash this afternoon.

The Reds are overwhelming favourites to emerge victorious over the two legs of the third qualifying round to take their place in the group stage come September.

But Toulouse, who beat French champions Lyon 1-0 at the weekend, must be treated with respect says Benitez.

"They have a good team and it will be a difficult game. Sometimes when you are a top side and the opposition is not big, people think it's easy, but you have to have respect," he told Liverpool’s official website.

"We have some scouts in France and we've watched videos. We have a lot of respect for Toulouse because they have some very good players and a lot of quality.

"We are also more under pressure than them, that's normal."

Liverpool are faced with two vital games in less than a week, tonight’s CL encounter and then a Premiership behemoth of a match against Chelsea on Sunday, and the Reds gaffer admits selection for tonight’s game might be made with Sunday in mind.

"All the players will be ready but I need to analyse the situation and see how many changes to make.

"Our priority tonight will be the Champions League, our priority on Sunday will be the Premier league.

"We always approach these kinds of games the same way - to try and win and score. If we can do something in the first leg, great, but if not we know Anfield is a very good place for us," said the Spaniard

The omnipresent selection debate refuses to die down, at the weekend Peter Crouch was given the cold shoulder, this week it’s Jermaine Pennant who is left at home, but Benitez is flippant about his selection quandary.

Benitez explained that decision: "You know we have a problem because in England you can use just 16 players, and in Europe just 18. Thanks to the new situation, we have a lot of good players and I needed to decide.

"I was trying to talk to the FA, the Premier League, UEFA and FIFA – I asked them if I could use 12 players in a game, but they said it's not possible!" he jested. "It's football, not rugby, so you can only play with 11.

"I will prepare the same speech for all the players. They have to be professional and be ready when they are needed."

taken from goal.com

Toulouse Skipper Dieuze: Liverpool Will Suffer

2007-08-16T09:27:00.000+02:00

Toulouse skipper Nicolas Dieuze has warned Liverpool not to expect any favours on a hot afternoon in France.

Liverpool face Toulouse this afternoon in what is expected to be steaming hot conditions in France, one that the club from the North-West of England might not be accustomed to.

"Given how hot it will be [the game kicks off at 15:30 CET], and the fact we have had more preparation time than them, we hope we can make them suffer," said Nicolas Dieuze.

Then, of course, there is the form that Toulous are in, having picked up right where they left off last season.

They finished third in Ligue 1 on the back of a superb four months, and have already scalped Lyon this time around, in a game which saw Kim Kallstrom was sent off for throwing an elbow at Dieuze. Swedish international Johan Elmander scored the match-winner, and will once again be the one to watch.

Toulouse have also been playing some very effective football, in no less measure due to their coach, Elie Baup.

"We have great faith in our coach, we will follow his instructions," asserted Dieuze. "Baup knows all about European football and he can guide us to something special."

taken from goal.com

Coppell Regrets Missed Chances

2007-08-16T09:24:00.000+02:00

Reading boss Steve Coppell was left to wonder what might have been as his side missed a host of first half chances before losing 2-1 to Chelsea at the Majedski Stadium.

The Royals led 1-0 at the break, but could have been further infront and were made to pay immediately after the break by goals in rapid succession from Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

"Our downfall was not finishing off the chances we'd created," said Coppell.

"At the interval we were a bit disappointed not to be further ahead.

"Then they they made changes and that gave the game a different complexion.

"We fell asleep for five minutes and gave away a poor goal defensively and Didier Drogba scored a very good one."

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho gambled by using his remaining two substitutions at half-time in a bid to change the course of the game and he was delighted with the reaction it had as his side registered their second hard fought victory of the campaign.

Mourinho said: "We made changes and the players were brave enough to accept the risk of the way we played.

"The reaction was amazing. I just feel sorry we didn't score a third.

"As on Sunday we had to suffer, but six points in two games is a good start for us. This is a very good place to win as Reading are a very difficult side."

taken from goal.com

Inter After Young Arsenal Striker

2007-08-16T09:22:00.000+02:00

The Nerazzurri have been reported to be following Bendtner after attracting their interest in the past weeks.

Nicklas Bendtner could become the latest important discovery of Arsene Wenger as the young Danish attacker has been linked to a move to Inter by the Italian daily sports newspaper 'Corriere dello Sport'.

The 19-year-old played in the first English Premier League matchday last week for the Gunners against Fulham and Massimo Moratti's club is likely to follow the developments of this very promising striker in the coming weeks.

The Nerazzurri are not expected to make an offer for Bendtner yet, but if the player does prove his worth, Inter will be first in line to sign the Arsenal attacker next year when the transfer season re-opens.

Bendtner just recently signed a 5 year renewal to his contract with the London based club and will be one of the most followed young players this season in the Premiership.

taken from goal.com

Redknapp Delighted With Pompey Point

2007-08-16T09:15:00.000+02:00

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp was pleased with holding Premiership champions Manchester United to a draw tonight at Fratton Park.

Pompey came back doggedly from a goal behind to equalise through Benjani, before defending well to see out the game.

“It was a fantastic performance. I would have certainly settled for a point tonight before the game," said Redknapp.

"Anything you take off United or any of the big four teams has got to be a good result.

"It has always been our trademark. We have a go and that was a typical Portsmouth performance.

"Although United scored in the first half, they didn't make that many chances and David James didn't have to fly about making dozens of saves.

"But I changed it a bit in the second half, pushed Benjani right up front and played two other attacks wide and it worked out.

"United are a great team. But we regularly take points off them here and we were well worth one tonight.

"Benjani scored a great equaliser and the crowd love him for his work-rate and ability. His only failing has been scoring so few goals but he's got two in two games now and hopefully can put that right."

Redknapp witnessed new signing Muntari receive his marching orders after two sloppy challenges, and his suspension has reduced Redknapp’s squad even further for the weekend game against Bolton.

"We are now down to 16 players for next Saturday with Sol Campbell and Noe Pamarot (hamstring) struggling and Linvoy Primus miles away at the moment in his recovery.

"We will miss Muntari as well. It was two yellow cards, the first an innocuous trip when he chased Ronaldo and later when he went in a bit late.

"He'll have to watch it in English football," commented Redknapp.

On the incident that saw Cristiano Ronaldo sent off, Redknapp only said: "I saw a red card flourished and just hoped it wasn't another one for us."

taken from goal.com

Neville Backs Johnson To Replace Crocked Rooney

2007-08-16T09:10:00.000+02:00

Everton skipper Phil Neville believes Andrew Johnson can fill the void left by Wayne Rooney in the English national team.

Wayne Rooney will be out for around two months with a hairline metatarsal fracture, something that has both Manchester United and England worried.

While United will use Tevez instead, it is unclear who exactly will fill Rooney's international shoes. Former Red Devil Phil Neville believes team-mate Andrew Johnson can do the business.

"I'm sure there will be a lot of talk about him playing for England next week now," he said. "I'm sure he would have played in the summer if he hadn't been injured.

"He has carried on from where he left off last season - he terrifies defenders.

"He's not just a goalscorer; his workrate is an example to every young striker in the game. He typified our spirit and work ethic. It starts from the front - and he's up there with the best."

The likes of Jermain Defoe, Dean Ashton and Darren Bent are also in the fray, but Johnson is believed to be ahead of them in the pecking order.

"I think he has come back and improved on his link-up play, his touch, awareness and passing," continued Neville.

"He has gone up a notch or two and he has brought the confidence from last season into this. All that's missing is a goal - and I'm sure that will come.

"There were a few England strikers on show, but he really stood out. There are some good England strikers about, and I don't think we should be worried. We have a friendly against Germany - and it's the perfect time for Bent, Johnson and Defoe to be tested."

taken from goal.com

Ferguson: Unfortunate Not To Take Three Points, Ronaldo Fell Into Trap

2007-08-16T09:03:00.000+02:00

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson remained positive despite his side again dropping points and Cristiano Ronaldo being sent off.

United have made the worst start to a Premiership campaign for eight years, but on that occasion they emerged with the treble at the end of the season.

Tonight at Portsmouth, United showed moments of brilliance but were again unable to convert their chances.

Ferguson believes that there were plenty of positives to be taken out of this match, despite languishing four points behind Chelsea at this early stage.

"We played some fantastic football at times, but we were wasteful with our chances," he told MUTV. "But we were unfortunate not to take all three points.

"We had to contend with Portsmouth's physical approach. They got got stuck in and the crowd gets behind them. It's a great support at Fratton Park. It was a fantastic header, but their goal was out of the blue. We were wasteful with our chances after that and it was a disappointing result."

The manager was also impressed by Carlos Tevez on his debut for United.

"He was absolutely terrific. He made a great contribution, hopefully he's fit and ready for Sunday.”

The game was soured somewhat towards the end when Portsmouth had Muntari sent off, then moments later Ronaldo was given his marching orders after allegedly head-butting Richard Hughes.

Ferguson believes that Ronaldo was lured into the action by the Portsmouth players.

“I've looked at the replay a few times now and there's nothing conclusive - you can't really see anything.

"I believe he was provoked and he fell for it. Steve Bennett sent him off at City [in January 2006] and he will have loved the opportunity to send him off again.

"Cristiano was simply responsible for falling into a trap of intimidation. It happened to him a few times during the game and he's only himself to blame. It left us with ten men and now we're going to miss him for three games. It's a big blow.

"You get provoked and you have got to have the calmness to just remind yourself you're a better player than these players and that is why they are doing it," he said. "He has fallen into the trap and paid the penalty for it.

"[If you react] you have no recourse. For instance, Paul Scholes last season against Liverpool raised his hands, he didn't touch the player, but he was given three matches for that."

taken from goal.com

Van Persie 'Transformed' Says Wenger

2007-08-06T14:41:00.000+02:00

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes that Robin van Persie has become a complete team player and is the key to Arsenal’s success in the coming season.

The striker, 24 today, arrived from Feyenoord in 2004 with a reputation for being a highly talented, but difficult to manage youngster.

In his time at Arsenal, his talents have been realised, after playing for three seasons under the shadow of Thierry Henry.

Despite an injury ravaged season last time around, van Persie showed immense talent and ended the year as Arsenal’s top scorer.

He goes into the coming campaign knowing that he is now Wenger’s first choice striker. The Dutchman’s time has come to shine, and his manager believes that van Persie has the talent to succeed.

“I think Robin has been transformed in a very good way since he arrived,” said Wenger on Arsenal’s official website. “He has become a great passer of the ball as well as a talented player.

“Like any talented player, he is always worried about individual skills but he has improved and, for me, become a complete team player.”

Sunday will mark the first competitive game for van Persie after sustaining a broken foot against Manchester United in January. His boss realizes that following the departure of the talismanic Henry, it is down to van Persie as the club’s senior striker to do his part in filling the void in goals.

“Robin’s responsibilities have got higher now Thierry has left” said the Frenchman.

“Before it was all on (Thierry’s) shoulders now it is more on Robin’s.

“I want him not to worry about that, just play good football, enjoy it and not be injured. Last year he could only play 17 games and missed 21, that was too many. Henry missed 22 so together they were out for 43.”

taken from goal.com

Crouch: No More Robot

2007-08-06T14:39:00.000+02:00

Peter Crouch spoke about his robotic celebrations from last season, and indicated that there might not be much more of that.

Liverpool's 6ft.7in. striker Crouch [featured doing the robot dance in an England shirt as Frank Lampard looks on in amusement] explained that it is all down to the fact that he has been "messing about" with robotics since he was a child.

He has been strutting his stuff even at parties, and is now being encoured to bring it out even more often. However, the beanpole is determined to keep it for special occartions.

"I feel like Ricky Gervais must with everyone going ‘Go on, do the Brent dance’," he said.

"From now on, [it's for] special occasions only. If I score a goal in the Champions League final, then I’ll pull it out again."

He also spoke about the "Wives and Girlfriends" scene, which he believes is "embarrassing at times" for the players.

"I don’t think many of the players want to be associated with it," he said. "We’re footballers and they are players’ wives, and that’s the way it should stay."

Crouch insists that his own girlfriend, model Abigail Clancey, is not a part of that clan.

taken from goal.com

Ballack Responds To Madrid Speculation

2007-08-06T14:35:00.000+02:00

Chelsea central midfielder Michael Ballack has rubbished claims that he is set for a move to Real Madrid.

There had been speculation that Real Madrid boss Bernd Schuster would swoop for his compatriot in a joint deal along with Arjen Robben.

Ballack failed to make an impression in his first season in the Premiership despite being touted as one of the best players in the world in his position.

Reports suggested that Chelsea would allow Ballack to go, in an attempt to free up funds to enable a bid for Sevilla’s Daniel Alves, but as the world knows, Blues owner Roman Abramovich is not short of cash.

In response to media claims regarding his future, Ballack told the official Chelsea website that he is happy in London.

“I am totally committed to Chelsea. I came here to win trophies and be successful in English football, I want to assure Chelsea fans that,” he said.

“I am very happy in London professionally and for my family. The speculation about me leaving is not true. I have no interest in leaving Chelsea and I have no contact with Real Madrid whatsoever.

“I am frustrated by my injury at the moment but I am working hard to be fit and hope to be back very soon to join my team-mates.”

taken from goal.com

Van der Sar heroics deny Chelsea

2007-08-05T22:48:00.000+02:00

Edwin van der Sar helped Manchester United strike the first blow in the battle for Premiership supremacy as the champions defeated Chelsea in the Community Shield on Sunday. The Dutch goalkeeper saved all three of Chelsea's penalties to give Sir Alex Ferguson's side a 3-0 shootout win over their bitter rivals after a feisty 1-1 draw at Wembley.

Ryan Giggs had given United a first half lead - his first ever senior goal at Wembley in 17 appearances - in the annual pre-season friendly, but Florent Malouda equalised and neither side was willing to give an inch thereafter. Three Chelsea players and one from United were booked as referee Mark Halsey tried to keep control of a bruising encounter.

As has so often been the case, there was nothing between the Premiership's pre-eminent forces. But Van der Sar, who had been criticised for his role in Didier Drogba's FA Cup final winner when the sides last met, was unbeatable in the shootout.

"My career record was 5-2 in penalty shootouts," said van der Sar. "To save three in a row is a great feeling. I think we deserved the win because we played the better football and created more clearcut chances. This is a little revenge for the FA Cup final," he concluded.

Wayne Rooney disagreed with van der Sar over the revenge element. "It doesn't make up for the FA Cup," said the England striker. "As for it being a psychological boost, I am not so sure."

Injury troubles
The defeat completed a bad day for Jose Mourinho, who had suffered a serious blow on the eve of the match when John Terry sustained reported medial knee ligament damage in training. The Chelsea captain was forced to watch from the sidelines at Wembley, and could be out for up to four weeks.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Didier Drogba and Claude Makelele had also joined Terry, Michael Ballack, Andriy Shevchenko and Wayne Bridge on the Blues' growing injury list. Mourinho was left with such a threadbare squad that he started without a recognised striker and named two goalkeepers, Carlo Cudicini and Hilario, among his substitutes.

Both sides had a point to prove and there was a definite edge to the clash. United were still smarting from that FA Cup final defeat, while the Blues wanted to show last season's surrendering of the title to United was only a temporary aberration.

United were the more fluent force for much of the game. They had the first sight of goal when Giggs seized on a deflected pass from Cristiano Ronaldo, only for Petr Cech to save well.

Ronaldo's lacklustre Cup final display was a downbeat end to a magnificent season. But he was back to his bewitching best here and helped United take the lead in the 35th minute. His perfectly-weighted pass sent Patrice Evra clear down the left and the French defender crossed towards Giggs, who showed great awareness to lift a first-time shot into the top corner.

But Chelsea drew level on the stroke of half-time. Malouda refused to let Rio Ferdinand block him as he chased Ashley Cole's lofted pass and, aided by a tug on United defender's shirt, the France winger got in front off him to poke the ball past Van der Sar.

Edwin makes the difference
On a blisteringly hot afternoon, Rooney and Tal Ben Haim did little to cool the temperature. Ben Haim had a history of clashing with Rooney during his time at Bolton Wanderers and the Chelsea new boy was at it again as he was booked for a crude body-check. It did not take Rooney long to get his revenge and he was booked for a lunge that actually did more damage to Cech than Ben Haim, as he followed through on to the keeper.

United were back on top at the start of the second half. It took another fine stop from Cech to deny Ronaldo, and Ashley Cole had to block Giggs follow-up shot. Mourinho sent on Claudio Pizarro in an attempt to give Chelsea fresh impetus and the Peru striker responded with a shot that flashed just wide.

Ferguson gave United fans a glimpse of new signing Nani for the last 20 minutes, but it was the Portuguese winger's compatriot Ronaldo who went closest to winning it. His surging run took him past Glen Johnson but Cech blocked at the near post and the match went to a shoot-out.

Now van der Sar took centre-stage. He produced a brilliant, one-handed stop from Pizarro to keep out Chelsea's first effort, then plunged to his left to deny Frank Lampard before beating away Shaun Wright-Phillips's effort.

Rooney drove home United's third kick to give Ferguson's side the psychological advantage on the eve of the new season.

taken from fifa.com

Reina ready for carson battle

2007-08-02T08:39:00.000+02:00

Pepe Reina has admitted he is relishing the challenge of battling for the goalkeeping position at Anfield with Scott Carson this season.

Carson is back at the club after a successful loan spell with Charlton Athletic last season and is likely to begin the campaign as number two to the established Reina.

But the Reds' Spanish stopper is well aware of Carson's quality and having already seen off the challenges of both Chris Kirkland and Jerzt Dudek for a regular first team place, he knows he must keep his standards high to stay in the team.

"I think it's a great challenge for me – Scott coming back will mean I have to be even better and that is only better for the team," he says.

"I'm not worried, I know that Scotty will be pushing me hard for a place. He's a great shot stopper, he showed that last season for Charlton, so with the two of us competing for a place it's better for the team."

taken from liverpoolfc.tv

Boss thankful for stern test

2007-08-02T08:32:00.000+02:00

Sir Alex Ferguson rued the uncharacteristic defensive frailty United showed against Inter Milan, but was delighted with the overall test posed by the Serie A champions.

Quickfire first half goals from David Suazo (2) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave Inter a 3-2 win at Old Trafford, where they were helped by some generous defending from the hosts.

After the relative ease of United’s four game Asian Tour, however, Sir Alex was thankful for a sterner challenge from Roberto Mancini’s side.

“It was a meaningful game tonight,” he told MUTV. “We understand that when we go to the Far East the quality isn’t going to be as high as it was tonight, that’s obvious. So tonight’s game was needed, we needed that tempo to the match.

“The sharpness and the professionalism of the Inter Milan team was very good, their tackling and defending was aggressive. We needed that type of game too.

“All in all the four games in the Far East were a step in terms of playing games, tonight was a step forward in terms of the pace needed to win top matches.”

Although critical of his side’s first-half defensive lapses, the Boss was pleased to see an improvement after the interval, especially with Sunday’s Community Shield clash with Chelsea looming large.

“The first half they were so open,” he said. “We were all over the place when we lost the ball. If you defend like that you’re going to lose but, in fairness to them, they stepped up and did much better in the second half.

“There was some really good one-touch play at times and it was a delight. Even with the experience of Inter Milan, there was nothing they could do about it at times. But I’m happy overall with the workout of the night.

taken from manutd.com

Marcelo, Baptista, Robinho and Gago rejoin the squad

2007-08-02T08:27:00.000+02:00

All of the squad's 27 men were at training this morning and listened to Schuster's briefing, in which the coach analysed last night's game against Hannover 96. The squad divided into groups to tackle different exercises. Yesterday's starters did recovery work, while the rest worked on dribbling exercises and played a practice game. Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Fabio Cannavaro worked out on their own to recover from their injuries; the latter never left the gym.

Real Madrid's physical fatigue took its toll last night in the friendly against Hannover 96. This morning's training session took place at the AWD Arena and was attended by the 27 players of the squad -Marcelo, Robinho, Gago and Baptista rejoined the team yesterday.

Training started with Bernd Schuster's briefing, which lasted for over five minutes and served the coach to anaylse last night's encounter. After this, the squad was divided into groups. Fabio Cannavaro left the pitch in order to to some recovery work on the bruise on his left leg in the gym.

Once again, Ruud van Nistelrooy also trained on his own doing recovery work on his injury. He jogged and did several ball exercises with recovery expert José Luis San Martín. Dudek, Guti and Soldado still suffer from mild niggles, but they worked with the the largest group -Saviola, Granero, Pepe, Salgado, Adrián, Codina, Emerson, Metzelder, Iker Casillas and Alberto Bueno-, whose work was much more intense.

Those who arrived yesterday joined this group for warm-up and the physical obstacle course. They jogged and did series of skipping, zig-zags, sprints, changes in pace, etc. Guti led the group. The three Brazilians and Gago left to train under the supervision of physical coach Jordi García, and the keepers joined keeper coach Pedro Jaro to do some specific exercises. The rest practiced dribbling, passing and touching the ball, and worked on one-on-ones and two-on-ones.

Baptista, Marcelo, Robinho and Gago joined them again to play a practice game in which they had to score in a goal defended by Codina on one end of the pitch, and in small goals at the other end in order to improve on last night's poor aim. Many goals were scored by the recent arrivals and by Saviola and Pepe, who always score many strikes in training sessions. After the game they worked on set pieces from outside the box.

ORANGE TEAM: Salgado, Metzelder, Marcelo, Guti, Baptista, Bueno, Soldado.
BLUE TEAM: Pepe, Granero, Emerson, Gago, Robinho, Adrián, Saviola.

Yesterday's starters -Torres, Ramos, Balboa, Higuaín, Raúl, Cicinho, De la Red and Diarra, tackled mild stretching exercises on mats and did some recovery work in the gym. Cicinho decided to jog around the pitch prior to entering the gym.

The squad, besides the recent arrivals, will have the afternoon off. They will all return to training tomorrow morning prior to leaving for Moscow, where they will play in the Russian Railway Tournament against Lokomotiv Moscow, Milan and PSV.

taken from realmadrid.com

Toni happy with the female support

2007-08-02T08:16:00.000+02:00

BERLIN (AFP) - Italian striker Luca Toni says he's enjoying life at Bayern Munich, especially the tradition of allowing fans in to watch the team training.

He said: "The main difference between Germany and Italy is that the training sessions are up to now open to the public. I find that very positive and we should change this tradition in Italy where everything takes place behind closed doors."

"I'm really happy that the female sex turns up for training. it's very good that women are there when we train," Toni, who is dating model Marta Cecchetto, added in an interview with Wednesday's Die Welt newspaper.

The 30-year-old World Cup winner arrived from Serie A side Fiorentina on a 12 million euro deal and he claimed his objective in the Bundesliga was to be liked rather than to be a star.

"I joined Bayern to score goals. At Palermo and Fiorentina I scored goals and they liked me for that."

Since joining Bayern Toni has developed a strong following among teenage girls and referring to this interest in a second interview in the weekly Sport Bild he said: "I do pay attention to my appearance, we Italians never hide that fact: when I arrive in a new city I'll always go first to clothes shops rather than furniture stores."

But Toni, who is temporarily sidelined with a knee injury, denied being self-obsessed with his looks.

"I don't spend more than five minutes a day in front of the bathroom mirror, sometimes not even long enough to shave or comb my hair."

taken from soccernews.com

Zambrotta joins criticism of Barca's Asian tour

2007-08-02T08:09:00.000+02:00

MADRID (AFP) - Italian World Cup winning defender Gianluca Zambrotta has joined in criticism of Barcelona and #39;s upcoming promotional tour of Asia, saying it will hamper preparations for next season.

"It would be better to stay in Barcelona to prepare for next season. It is not easy to prepare in such a distant place," he told a news conference on Wednesday.

"It is not easy for the players, the constant travel, the jet lag," the 30-year-old former Juventus player added.

Barcelona, who finished second in the Primera Liga last season, head to Beijing on Thursday and will play three exhibition matches in China and Japan before returning to Spain on August 11.

The team and #39;s French defender Lilian Thuram has also questioned the wisdom of the tour.

"I do not think it is possibly the best way for the team to prepare. But that is how football is and all the big clubs do it nowadays," he told a news conference on Tuesday when asked about the tour at a press conference.

"Technical ability is also crucial, but the physical side is still vital too. Training is hard now, but that is normal. We are in pre-season and you have to push yourself to be fit for the whole year," the 35-year-old added.

Barcelona will face Beijing Guoan on August 5 in the Chinese capital and Yokohama Marinos in Tokyo two days later.

The team will then face Mission Hills Invitation XI, a squad made up of players from Kitchee FC and Happy Valley FC, in Hong Kong on August 10.

The Spanish championship kicks off on August 25.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta defended the trip, telling reporters that a similar pre-season tour of Asia in 2005 did not stop the team from going on to win the Spanish championship that season.

"We have a club membership of 150,000 and it is necessary to give back to them the maximum amount of profit," the online edition of Catalan daily La Vanguardia quoted him as saying.

In August 2006 Barcelona went on a two-week pre-season tour of the United States and Mexico which was blamed by several players, including Ronaldinho, for their lack of peak fitness when the season began.

The leg through the United States alone earned the club four million euros (5.5 million US dollars), according to Spanish media.

Real Madrid stars, including Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, also protested against an 18-day promotional tour of the USA and Asia carried out before the 2005-06 season that included six exhibition matches.

Real this year will not tour either Asia or the United States and has limited its pre-season travel to locations in Europe.

Barcelona and #39;s Icelandic striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, Brazilian midfielder Edmilson and defender Carles Puyol will miss the tour of Asia due to injury.

The Catalan giants will also be without Argentina and #39;s Lionel Messi and Gabriel Milito, as well as Mexico and #39;s Rafael Marquez, since the three players are on holiday after taking part for the national teams in the Copa America.

taken from soccernews.com

Lazarus like Marseille look to confirm revival with trophy

2007-08-02T08:07:00.000+02:00

MARSEILLE, France (AFP) - Marseille may not amazingly have won a major trophy for 15 years but many see their finishing second in last season and #39;s title race as a sign that the club and #39;s troubled past is well behind it and a much brighter future awaits it.

Having put the embarrassment of a financial scandal and imposed relegation behind them Marseille will enter the 2007-2008 season having also booked their return to the UEFA Champions League.

Marseille are the most decorated club in French footballing history and are the only French team to have won Europe and #39;s top club competition, in 1993, which capped off a dominant run of five consecutive league one titles in the early 1990 and #39;s.

However, financial irregularities and a match fixing scandal in 1994, during Bernard Tapie and #39;s reign as President, saw the southern French outfit punished with relegation to the second division, where they stayed for two years, and stripped of their 1993 domestic league crown.

Since rejoining the French top flight in 1996 L and #39;OM have struggled to recapture the glory days of Jean-Pierre Papin, Chris Waddle and Basile Boli and have slipped up on the four occasions they have got to within 90 minutes of securing a major trophy - the UEFA Cup final in 1999 and 2004 and the French Cup final the last two seasons.

Marseille managed to find some consistency in recent years and under the guidance of former Marseille player Albert Emon last season the side were championship runners up, their best result in the domestic league since 1998/1999.

The Marseille faithful will take comfort in Emon and #39;s June decision to extend his contract for a further year until 2009.

At Emon and #39;s disposal this term is a mixture of youth, experience and an injection of fresh blood to help Marseille in their bid to dethrone champions Lyon and mount a serious European campaign.

Marseille will count on their French young player of the year Samir Nasri and battle-hardened summer signings such as Djibril Cisse and Dutch winger Boudewijn Zenden, who joined from Liverpool, after the departure of inspirational France midfielder Franck Ribery to German outfit Bayern Munich.

France international striker Cisse, who spent last season on loan at Marseille, cemented his move from Liverpool on a five year contract and is confident he will make his mark in the French Championship.

"It will be Djibril Cisse and #39;s year. Last year I joined the group halfway through their campaign and I know that I disrupted the balance of the team slightly," he said at the beginning of June.

"I have set a personal target this season of scoring at least 20 goals in the League."

Following the summer departure of Ribery to Bayern, Emon made a string of summer signings to beef up the midfield notably with Algerian international Karim Ziani and Frenchman Benoit Cheyrou, both of whom joined from Auxerre.

Marseille open their 2007-2008 title challenge on Saturday away at newly-promoted Strasbourg.

taken from soccernews.com

Eriksson prepared to face Thaksin time at City

2007-08-02T08:00:00.000+02:00

MANCHESTER, England (AFP) - From the moment he arrived at Manchester City last month, Sven-Goran Eriksson has carefully steered clear of making predictions on how his new side will perform next season.

And for good reason.

There is a good deal of optimism sweeping around Eastlands and the Swede knows he must limit the growing expectations among the blue half of Manchester.

Despite major question marks being raised about Thaksin Shinawatra and #39;s suitability as an owner, concerns about his human rights record during his time as Prime-minister of Thailand are all external and will be a long way down the list of conversation topics in Manchester and #39;s pubs.

Thaksin is realistic.

"I would like to see City in the top six. It will not happen overnight.

"Especially this season, it and #39;s a bit too late for us to do much but I think this year will be better than last year.

"Within three seasons you will see a big change at City."

So far Thaksin has been good to his word on transfer funds, making plenty of cash available for a raft of new signings as Eriksson begins re-building what had become a stale and sub-standard squad under Stuart Pearce.

Eriksson has not held back, with 8.8 million pounds going on Reggina forward Roland Bianchi and another 4.7 million pounds on Atletico Madrid winger Martin Petrov and Brazilian Geovanni and Swiss youngster Gelson Fernandes.

The speed and efficiency of Eriksson and #39;s business is already making him look like a much better appointment than former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri, who was initially Thaksin and #39;s first choice for the job before choosing Juventus.

The 59-year-old is unlikely to have another job in football after this one and, regardless of his public defiance, will be keen to rebuild his reputation, which suffered a hammering during his reign as England manager.

What Eriksson and #39;s new men all have in common is a lack of Premiership experience which should mean they will take time to settle.

While Eriksson insists he is doing the right thing by bringing down the average age of his first-team, it can also be argued that he is bringing in inexperienced players.

That is not to say his signings are without pedigree.

Bianchi hit 18 goals in Serie A with Reggina last season, a division notorious for tight defences.

The pulling power of the Premiership is without question but, while players have flocked to England from all over the world, Italian success stories - other than the irrepressible Gianfranco Zola - are few and far between, particularly expensive strikers.

Petrov boasts more than 60 international appearances for Bulgaria, Geovanni once cost Barcelona 11 million pounds and Eriksson has described Fernandes as the best player in Switzerland.

There will be plenty more to follow before the end of August but this transitional season will not be judged solely on City and #39;s final position.

In these upbeat times, it is easy to forget how low City sunk last season.

They may have finished 14th but managed just 10 goals in their 19 home league matches and ended four points above the drop zone.

Eriksson currently finds himself in a similar position to Martin O and #39;Neill at Aston Villa a year ago and he will be afforded plenty of patience.

Although Villa had a good start to last season only to tail off badly, O and #39;Neill and #39;s first campaign in charge is viewed as a success and Eriksson and #39;s debut in the Premiership is likely to follow a similar pattern.

Fans will be satisfied if shoots of recovery are regularly evident and the Swede and #39;s ability to charm the press pack will also buy him plenty of time as would a favourable result against United in City and #39;s third league match of the season.

The fact that it took so much of the summer for Thaksin and Eriksson to arrive will not be forgotten and City can not fail to give their fans more joy at home than they had last season.

Expect a top-half finish and a new feel-good factor at Eastlands as a sound basis for a challenge for Europe in Eriksson and #39;s second season.

taken from soccernews.com

Lens fans looking for Roux-d awakening from veteran handler

2007-08-02T07:58:00.000+02:00

LENS, France (AFP) - After winning his fight with the French Football Federation, who believed he was too old to coach Lens, veteran handler Guy Roux received a hero and #39;s welcome at the club and has attained a superstar status with the suporters even before the 2007-2008 season has begun.

Almost two hours after Lens and #39; 3-1 win over Odessa in the Intertoto Cup on Saturday Roux struggled to exit the stadium grounds for the horde of supporters trying to touch or just get a glimpse of the former Auxerre tactician.

The fans, who have instantly taken to their new coach, voiced their enthusiasm at his arrival by chanting his name for the remaining few minutes of the Intertoto tie.

"I hope it will still be the same on the evening of May 16," joked Roux, referring to the end of the season.

Just two months after his arrival at Lens, Roux, who has 890 first division games under his coaching belt, has already made himself at home.

From his first training session with the side on June 24 he knew how to seduce the Lens faithful and opened up the training camp gates for the general public and was constantly chatting to the spectators - something of a rarity under the reign of his predecessor Francois Gillot.

Roux has never missed the chance to remind people to what extent the ambience at the Bollaert Stadium influenced his choice to become handler of Lens.

"I have always loved this club. I remember the reception I was given by the supporters during the match Lens-Auxerre on my 60th birthday.

"I received a miner and #39;s lamp which, to this day, sits on my mantlepiece. That gesture played a key role in my final decision."

It was at that point Roux realised the level of popularity of his new club, more commonly know by its fans as the and #39;gold and blood and #39; due to the colour of their strip, his second as coach in a 43-year career.

The former Auxerre manager has always been keen to proclaim his fondness for his adoptive region: "The Racing Club of Lens is followed with true passion and I do not want to let them down."

The ageism battle with the FFF did little to diminish his popularity with the supporters. With the vocal support of France president Nicolas Sarkozy, Roux suddenly became a state matter.

"I felt the whole region support me," said Roux.

On July 18 the National Olympic and French Sports Committee (CNOSF) gave Roux the green light to sign on the dotted line with Lens.

With the ageism battle won, he will now continue his immersion in the world of the "gold and blood", starting with a photo session with his summer signings, including Ivory Coast internationals Kanga Akale and Bonaventure Kalou, followed by a close inspection of the training pitches.

It will be, henceforth, difficult to avoid the presence of Roux the superstar at Lens.

taken from soccernews.com

Spend, spend, spend as English clubs prepare for battle

2007-08-02T07:54:00.000+02:00

LONDON (AFP) - Boosted by multi-million pound foreign takeovers and record television deals, England and #39;s leading football teams are splashing the cash on new players ahead of the forthcoming Premiership season.

Liverpool, who finished third last season, believe they can win their first league title for 18 years after paying a record 20 million pounds (30 million euros, 41 million dollars) for Spain striker Fernando Torres from Atletico Madrid.

The Reds, who were taken over towards the end of last season by American tycoons George Gillett and Tom Hicks, have also spent 11.5 million pounds to secure the services of Dutch forward Ryan Babel from Ajax.

The money-is-no-object approach of Liverpool and their Premiership rivals shows no sign of changing, according to a leading sports finance expert.

"I think this is going to be the biggest transfer window we have ever seen," Dan Jones of Deloitte and amp; Touche told AFP.

"It and #39;s not massively surprising because you and #39;ve got a number of new owners looking to reshape things and you and #39;ve got the new TV money coming in."

In June, Manchester City became the eighth current Premiership club to be taken over by foreign investors.

Aston Villa, Chelsea, Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester United, Portsmouth and West Ham are also owned by foreign businessmen.

Premiership clubs are being bought at a time when the income of each of the league and #39;s 20 teams is set to soar following a recent record-busting overseas television rights deal.

Booming demand from Asia and the Middle East has allowed the league to tie up contracts worth 625 million pounds for broadcasting rights for the next three seasons, boosting overall media income to 2.725 billion pounds, 60 percent above previous levels.

Thailand and #39;s ousted prime minster Thaksin Shinawatra earlier this summer paid 81.6 million pounds for Manchester City. He quickly installed former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson as City and #39;s new coach, who in turn has spent 13.5 million pounds on buying foreign players Rolando Bianchi and Martin Petrov.

City and #39;s neighbours United - winners of the Premiership last season - have spent 50 million pounds during the summer transfer window on Owen Hargreaves, Anderson and Nani.

The Premiership was the most profitable league in world football last season, with revenues of more than 1.4 billion pounds in 2006/07, according to Deloitte.

Other Premiership clubs who have had major investments this close-season are Newcastle - bought by British tycoon Mike Ashley - as well as Arsenal and Birmingham.

American billionaire Stan Kroenke purchased 12 percent of London side Arsenal, while Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung grabbed a third of Birmingham, who won promotion to the elite division last season.

Arsenal and #39;s coffers have also been filled by the sale of Thierry Henry to Barcelona for 16.1 million pounds, of which 14 million has been used to sign Croatia striker Eduardo da Silva and French defender Bacary Sagna.

Chelsea, who in recent years have easily been the Premiership and #39;s biggest spenders, have paid out a relatively modest 13 million pounds on Lyon winger Florent Malouda.

Their other major signings - Claudio Pizarro, Steve Sidwell and Tal Ben Haim - have been free transfers. However the Blues have also handed England captain John Terry a new five-year contract, reported to be worth a record 135,000 pounds a week as the spending goes on.

taken from soccernews.com

Rossi could make Manchester United return

2007-08-02T07:21:00.000+02:00

The Italian Under-21 international has left old Trafford to sign for Spanish side Villarreal in a £6million deal, yet Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed the Reds secured a buy-back clause on the young striker.

"We have put in a clause in the contract, so maybe he will come back to us at some stage," the United boss told MUTV. "We wish Giuseppe well and we know he will do well at Villarreal.

"It was a difficult decision to let him leave. I had several meetings with him to try and convince him that he would get plenty of football with us this season and all he needed was a bit of patience.

"But, having been on loan last season, he wanted first-team football all the time."

Story by Paul Meadows for FansFC

taken from fansfc.com