The official Euro 2012 fantasy game is on the Uefa.com website and players have 100 million to spend on their 15-man squads. Forwards score four points for every goal, and three for every assist.

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So the play off final is nearly upon us, in a game that is worth an estimated £90 million to the winner, who will receive a place in the Premier League as their prize of winning the game at Wembley.

West Ham face Blackpool with both teams attempting to bounce back into the top division at the first time of asking – both sides were relegated last season, and West Ham have had an amazing season, finishing 2nd behind Southampton who’ve already won a place in the Premier League, whilst Blackpool just managed to scrape into the Play Off positions.

Sam Allardyce has argued that the game today for West Ham vs Blackpool is arguably bigger than the Champions League, stating that the European cup is a mere trophy of glory whereas this play off final affects people’s lives. The play off final undoubtedly has more financial value to it, but the champions league final is more of a glory trophy perhaps – one every manager dreams of winning, whereas few actually realise the moment.

West Ham will be favourites to beat Blackpool here, and many feel that Ian Holloway has done a brilliant job to get his side in contention again – hardly anyone felt they’d make it to the final. The Hammers will be favourites to win by some margin here, having won against Blackpool 4-0 both home and away this season in the Championship.

Whatever happens in this game at Wembley, lets hope for an entertaining game, and it’d make for a great spectacle if Blackpool were able to pinch an early surprise goal.

Bayern Munich VS Chelsea- Champions League Final Preview

It is finally upon us, the game which will determine who is crowned champions of Europe. With up to 109 million viewers watching this spectacle in recent years, all eyes will be on the Allianz arena come tomorrow evening. The match itself sees Bayern Munich take on Chelsea. Both teams have arguably under-achieved this season in their respective league campaigns, yet they find themselves in probably the biggest and most crucial match of the season.

Bayern’s road to the final:

Bayern were given a tough draw at the beginning of the tournament. They found themselves in the so called ‘death’ group, drawn with the likes of Manchester City, Napoli and Villarreal. However, they managed to accumulate 13 points thanks to their superior home record, and progressed safely into the knockout rounds as group winners.

In the first knockout round they met Swiss side, FC Basel. Surprisingly, Basel managed to narrowly win the first leg 1-0, however, Bayern were soon able to overturn this deficit in amazing fashion as they ran out 7-0 winners at the Allianz arena. The highlight of this particular match was the 4 goals scored by prolific forward, Mario Gomez. The quarter-final saw them face French side, Marseille. It is fair to say that the tie itself was a relatively easy one for Bayern, as Marseille didn’t pose any threat in the slightest. The German side won the tie 4-0 on aggregate.

The semi-final was Bayern’s ultimate test. They came up against Spanish giants, Real Madrid. Madrid were having a faultless season, leading La Liga several points in front of Barcelona. Their talisman, Cristiano Ronaldo, was in impeccable form eventually finished the season on 55 goals in 60 games. Yet Bayern fought bravely and in a nail-biting finale, they managed to win an all-important penalty shootout at the Santiago Bernabeu. The match over both legs taught us a few things about Munich. Firstly, they had a team filled with talent, they had a hunger to win and most importantly, lady luck was truly on their side. Will this be the case tomorrow evening?

Chelsea’s road to the final:

The draw for the Champions League group stage’s saw Chelsea matched with Valencia, Genk and Bayer Leverkusen. The pundits were quick to suggest that Chelsea would win the group in flying colours, however, they made hard work of it in the end. After losing away to Bayer Leverkusen and only picking up a point each away to Valencia and Genk, Chelsea needed to beat Valencia at home in their last game to secure a place in the knockout round. Thanks to a brace by veteran striker, Didier Drogba, Chelsea ran out 3-0 winners and progressed safely through.

The first knockout round saw the Londoners come against Italian side, Napoli. The intense counter attacking football in which the Italian side played was too much for Chelsea in the first leg and they somehow had to overcome a 3-1 deficit if they were to progress to the quarter-final. However, in one of the best comebacks in Champions League history, Chelsea beat Napoli 4-1 at Stamford Bridge. Significantly, since the 3-1 defeat in Naples, Roberto Di Matteo had taken over at the realm after the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas. Di Matteo would then lead Chelsea to an FA Cup trophy and provide them with a chance to lift one of the most prestigious trophies of them all.

Tactically, Chelsea had the beaten of Benfica in the quarter final when the two sides met. Benfica could not break down the Chelsea old guard and were defeated both home and away. This set up a semi-final which will never be forgotten in Champions League history. Chelsea met their old foe Barcelona yet again, having played them 3 times over the past 5 years. Having won the first leg 1-0, Chelsea found themselves 2-0 down at the Camp Nou and down to 10 men after John Terry’s outrageous dismissal. All hope was lost as far as Chelsea fans were concerned, however, their team defended bravely and withstood masses amounts of pressure throughout the entire game. Their hard work paid off in the end, as they remarkably fought back and drew the game level 2-2. This particular game epitomized Chelsea’s champions league road this season, as many believed they were down and out, yet they got up and won against all the odds.

What will the outcome be?

It is too close to call for me. Many have suggested that Bayern have the advantage as they are playing in their home stadium, in front of many of their fans. However, I believe that this could work to their disadvantage if they are not able to score within the hour mark. The fans are likely to get agitated and equally so, the Bayern players may show signs of frustration if Chelsea are able to keep them quiet. For me, Chelsea look destined to win as they have overcome the odds which have been heavily stacked against them throughout the whole tournament. One more win will see them capture the biggest prize in their history. Both Chelsea and Bayern have had their fair share of luck on the way to the final, however, luck will only be able to shine on one of them tomorrow evening. May the best team win.

It was revealed on Friday that Arsenal have an agreement with the Dutch Football Association that striker Robin van Persie shall be banned from talking to the media while on international duty.

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At first glance it did not look serious.


Two last-minute expressions of interest in hosting Euro 2020 were registered before the deadline to add to Turkey's existing one.

One came from Georgia and the other was a joint proposal from Eire, Scotland and Wales.

The Turkish government had been desperate for rivals to the Turkish FA's bid to emerge so UEFA lent on two groups to express an interest. 2020 is also Olympic year and Istanbul is in the running for the rings against Baku, Doha, Madrid and Tokyo.

The Ankara government would much prefer the Games to the Euros, so was dismayed when Germany pulled out of the Euro 2020 race, leaving Turkey as the sole bidder. The International Olympic Commission has made it clear no country can host both tournaments in one summer.


With 24 finalists involved, whichever host is chosen will have to provide ten up-to-date stadia, two holding a minimum of 50,000 seats, three at least 40,000 and four 30,000.

It is hard to see how Georgia (pop. 4.5 million), despite its growing economy, will be able to muster that many arenas, while its infrastructure surely also requires a miracle.

The tri-Celtic bid also looks a long shot, although not impossible, as a number of large and modern arenas with experience of hosting football already exist in those countries:

1. Croke Park (Eire) 82,000
2. Millennium Stadium (Wales) 74,000
3. Murrayfield (Scotland)  67,000
4. Celtic Park (Scotland) 60,000
5. Hampden Park (Scotland) 52,000
6. Aviva Stadium (Eire) 51,000
7. Ibrox (Scotland) 51,000

These seven compare very favourably in terms of size and access, being based in Cardiff, Dublin, Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Wales has two other modern football stadia whose capacities could be increased without too much difficulty - Cardiff City Stadium (built 2009, 27,000 seats) and Swansea's Liberty Stadium (2005, 20,500).

Ireland's other football stadia are nothing to write home about, although it has a dozen Gaelic football stadia with capacities of 30,000 or more, but they are mostly standing venues, while the only all-seated stadia of sufficient size reside in tiny towns which would be too small to host Euro 2020.

In terms of access, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Wexford or Waterford would be the realistic candidates to have their arenas rebuilt.

Although giving out three automatic qualification spots is unprecedented, the transport connections are probably easier than between Poland and Ukraine, the hoteliers less likely to overcharge and the police more trustworthy.

More importantly, the presence of a competitor allows Istanbul to challenge for the Olympics in the final IOC vote in Buenos Aires in September 2013. The Euro 2020 decision is not until the following Spring, which allows Turkey the back-up of the European Championships.

Turkey is still the outstanding candidate for Euro 2020, having narrowly missed out on hosting Euro 2016 to France. As a  strategic geo-political bridge between the Islamic world and the West, the large nation on the edge of Europe is high on the politicians' list of priorities.

But should Istanbul get the nod for the summer games, the Euros could be heading back to the British Isles for the first time since England hosted 1996.

- Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile


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Having just watched the engrossing documentary, "Marley", it is worth remembering how much the beautiful game meant to the legendary reggae singer and cultural figure.

Despite hailing from the cricket-loving Jamaica, Bob Marley played football almost as much as he played music and was never far from a ball and a kickabout with his friends.

When he took over the mansion of 56, Hope Road in the Jamaican capital Kingston, an exclusive street which was home to the Prime Minister and other dignitaries, he converted the large front yard into a football field, nicknamed 'the stadium', where he would play on a daily basis.

Many photos remain of the rastafarian icon with a football, including ones of him in Battersea Park, London, his home in the mid 1970s. Although a famous Pan-Africanist, his father was actually a white Jamaican of English stock with his roots in Sussex.

Coming from Jamaica to England was thus in a sense returning to half of his roots, as well as to the homeland of the sport he loved so much.

"Football is whole universe to itself," Marley explained. "I love it because you have to be skilful to play it, you know. When we play football, we're playing music."

When asked why he said of football, "I need it", he replied simply, "freedom - because football is freedom."

Tragically, the global phenomenon that was Bob Marley came to an end in 1981, when he fell ill with malignant melanoma. Flying home to Jamaica after unsuccessful cancer treatment in Germany, Marley died in Miami, aged only 36.

The loss to Jamaica, reggae, black identity and the world was immense, though his message of love and music of happiness remains, in football as elsewhere.

What a shame he did not live to see Jamaica reach their first ever World Cup, at France 1998.

No doubt had he lived, Bob would have been there in person to serenade the Reggae Boyz' finest hour as they won their first ever finals match, against Japan.



-Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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I haven’t the slightest clue what’s going on here, but no one’s complaining. The lasses in the German shirts are singing the Dutch national anthem in a suspiciously bouncy van. Obviously this has some link to these rivals in the same Euros group. Outside of that, its effectiveness is up for debate.

It’d be more effective if they all showed up at the Oranje’s hotel on the night of the 12th before these two kick off on the 13th, if only to be photographed. YouTube doesn’t really get done what a front page worth of distractions will do – just ask Cruyff.

[Spotted on 101gg]

The Roy Hodgson era has begun for England with a slight stumble, and a delightfully promising one at that. He named his official 23 today, and two of the names garnering the most attention seem to be Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andy Carroll, two youngsters with lots of potential, but actual contributions to the Euros up for liberal speculation. The former is 18 and uncapped, thus making this a rather big deal for him. But Roy’s pretty comfortable with the selection for reasons which don’t actually exist, which has to be reaffirming for the fans.

This was Roy’s justification of the selection…

The Arsenal midfielder was one of the surprise inclusions to the 23, after starting just six Premier League matches this season.

“He is a very exciting player who has made an impression on me, not least in his performance against AC Milan at the Emirates,” Hodgson said.

“I was there live and saw how well he dealt with Pirlo and Ambrosini. He can play wide or central and for future and can continue as he started.”

Squad sheets on the day:

Nowhere will you find Massimo Ambrosini or Andrea Pirlo. In fact, Pirlo’s checks are now being cut by Juventus, which makes this whole scenario implausible, if not impossible. Perhaps he simply confused him with Zlatan? Long hair all looks the same from a distance. Which might explain the Carroll selection as well.

(The remainder of the squad can be found here.)

Jose Mourinho's feat of topping Barcelona and helping Real Madrid to their first La Liga title in four years should not be understated.

Yes, Barca have shown more frailty under Pep Guardiola than any other season of his reign, and yes, La Liga may no longer be the strongest in the world in terms of depth.

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Last time out George got 5 results right and one perfect score. So it's looking like City will clinch their first Premier League title to join Blackburn Rovers, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United as winners of the EPL.

Sunday 13th May 2012

Chelsea 5 v Blackburn Rovers 0
Everton 2 v Newcastle United 0
Manchester City 3 v Queens Park Rangers 0
Norwich City 2 v Aston Villa 0
Stoke City 2 v Bolton Wanderers 1
Sunderland 0 v Manchester United 1
Swansea City 2 v Liverpool 2
Tottenham Hotspur 3 v Fulham 1
West Bromwich Albion 0 v Arsenal 2
Wigan Athletic 3 v Wolverhampton Wanderers 2

Last time's Premier League predictions

Fifa's World Rankings for May 2012 were published today at FIFA HQ in Zurich, Switzerland.

2010 World Cup winners Spain remain on top followed by Germany, Copa America champions Uruguay, the Netherlands, and Portugal. England are in 7th and Ireland remain in the top 20 teams at 18th ahead of Euro 2012.

Ranking Team
1 Spain
2 Germany
3 Uruguay
4 The Netherlands
5 Portugal
6 Brazil
7 England
8 Croatia
9 Argentina
10 Denmark
11 Russia
12 Italy
13 Chile
14 Greece
15 Côte d'Ivoire
16 France
17 Sweden
18 Republic of Ireland
18 Switzerland
20 Mexico

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Fifa's World Rankings for April 2012 were published today at FIFA HQ in Zurich, Switzerland.

2010 World Cup winners Spain remain on top followed by Germany, Copa America champions Uruguay, the Netherlands, and Portugal. England are in 7th and Ireland remain in the top 20 teams ahead of Euro 2012.

Ranking Team
1 Spain
2 Germany
3 Uruguay
4 Netherlands
5 Portugal
6 Brazil
7 England
8 Croatia
9 Denmark
10 Argentina
11 Russia
12 Italy
13 Chile
14 Greece
15 Côte d'Ivoire
16 France
17 Sweden
18 Republic of Ireland
18 Switzerland
20 Mexico

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London football owners/investors fill the top three positions in The Sunday Times's Rich List for 2012, the annual parade of the wealthiest individuals living in Britain.

Lakshmi Mittal, part-owner of Queen's Park Rangers, remains Britain's richest man according to the survey, with an estimated wealth of £12.7 billion. Visitors to this summer's Olympic Games in London will see one example of his benevolence, the £19million  ArcelorMittal Orbit tower (right), a permanent sculpture overlooking the Olympic stadium and Britain's largest piece of public art.

Meanwhile QPR sit fourth from bottom equal on points with 18th-placed Bolton and in serious danger of relegation with only two games to play - at home against Stoke and away at title-chasing Manchester City.

Mittal owns a third of the club but delegates day-to-day involvement to his son-in-law Amit Bhatia.

QPR's recent woes were the subject of a riveting fly-on-the-wall documentary, "The Four Year Plan", transmitted on BBC2. The film showed now departed owners Flavio Briatore and Gianni Paladini stumbling their way through various managers as the club struggled to win promotion. On one occasion, Briatore memorably was filmed issuing instructions on whom to substitute during a match. the influx of big money has also brought confusion and insecurity: Rangers have changed their coach 14 times in the last six years.

The major shareholder in QPR is Malaysian Air Asia founder Tony Fernandes, who bought the 66% stake owned by Formula One men Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone last year.



Alisher Usmanov, the Uzbek-born tycoon who owns just under 30% of Arsenal's shares, is second on the rich list, with £12.3 billion of assets, followed by the most famous of English soccer's megabucks owners, Chelsea's Roman Abramovich, with £9.5 billion.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile


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Germany has announced it will not bid for Euro 2020, leaving Turkey with a clear field to host the tournament.

Tuesday the 15th of May is the deadline for bids to be received at UEFA headquarters, but if no other nation submits an application, it is probable the announcement of the winning Turkish bid will be brought forward from December 2013 or January 2014.

Having missed out on Euro 2016 by a single vote, in an election UEFA President Michel Platini was strongly rumoured to have influenced in favour of his home nation, Turkey should be celebrating winning the rights to host 2020.

However, Istanbul is also in the running for that summer's Olympic Games, yet the city's bid, which the Turkish government is understood to prefer to the European Championships, will be shot down in flames should no other European nation bid for Euro 2020. UEFA and the IOC have made it clear that no country will host both major tournaments within the space of a couple of months.

Bulgaria-Romania and the Netherlands ruled themselves out last month, apparently in the belief Turkey was a shoe-in, while the Deutscher Fussball Bund implied the same as it withdrew its bid this week, claiming it was time for other nations to host the competition.


The opposition now looks non-existent. Italy is beset with fan violence and match-fixing, while Spain's acute economic woes mean the country has more pressing concerns with an unemployment rate of 24.4%.

Noises about joint bids from Hungary & Romania and from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia have gone quiet recently, leaving Azerbaijan & Georgia as the last potential challengers.

The Azerbaijani capital Baku however, is also bidding for the 2020 Olympics, the deadline for whose bids falls on the 23rd of May, a week after that of Euro 2012.



Hosts since 1980
Euro 1980: Italy
Euro 1984: France
Euro 1988: West Germany
Euro 1992: Sweden
Euro 1996: England
Euro 2000: Belgium & Netherlands
Euro 2004: Portugal
Euro 2008: Austria & Switzerland
Euro 2012: Poland & Ukraine
Euro 2016: France


(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Roy Hodgson is poised to become England manager and pip the people's choice Harry Redknapp.

The Football Association has broken its silence almost three months after clumsily parting ways with Fabio Capello, who left England with a win rate of 66.7% - the best in its history. But their choice for the 'impossible job' comes as a surprise after weeks of Tottenham's boss being touted as the next in line.

"Roy is the only manager we have approached and we remain on course to make an appointment within the timescale we set out soon after Fabio Capello's departure,'' FA chairman David Bernstein said today. "Further conversations will now take place with Roy and my Club England colleagues before any further announcements can be made.''

Shock, horror - Redknapp is out in the cold. Three wins in eleven games since Capello quit and now no England job after all.


Despite an immediate avalanche of support for the Tottenham boss from the media and public at large, the lack of any announcement meant Hodgson's credentials have begun to be talked up more in recent weeks. The expectation was that the F.A. would announce Redknapp's appointment at the end of the season once compensation had been agreed with his club.

Redknapp's cavalier attacking style has been a joy to watch, particularly when Spurs dismantled both Milan teams in last year's Champions League. Yet such an open approach could soon be found out and counteracted at international level.

Capello's tactics against Spain at Wembley in his penultimate match were rather the way forward: Safety first, frustrate your superior opponents, hit them on the break or from a set piece and resort to mass defence and denial of space. That does not sound like Redknapp.

Choosing between Hodgson and Redknapp was ultimately a choice between the head and the heart and the F.A. have courageously not bowed to public opinion, which when it comes to football can often be wrong.

Hodgson has the international experience, the flexibility to oversee the huge St George's Park project and base himself in Staffordshire, and the lack of a contract to unravel after this summer. He speaks many languages, has coached in Serie A amongst eight countries in all, reached a European club final and managed three national teams, including one at the World Cup Finals. So why was not he the automatic first choice for England?

The answer is he is too continental for England's liking. Anglo-Saxon culture is suspicious of Europe and of intellectualism. Rather a Redknapp who wrote a column for the soft-porn Daily Sport, than a Hodgson who discussed John Updike and Saul Bellow in the literary pages of The Observer. While Hodgson is a polyglot, Redknapp only speaks cockney.

In England, football is a game of passion instead of science and while both main candidates hailed from humble London backgrounds, Harry the son of a docker simply ticked more boxes in the tabloid mentality which dominates the national soccer discourse. He is an old-fashioned motivator in the Brian Clough mold rather than a modern coach Pep Guardiola-style, the last hurrah of England's footballing roots before European culture swamps it for good.

But Hodgson it is. And the additional responsibilities of overseeing the grand projet that is the new national training centre in Burton-on-Trent for England's various teams surely suit him better than they would Redknapp. The Spurs boss might well have been unwilling to swap his Poole mansion for the Midlands and may have got bored by the lack of matches in the international calendar.

For Hodgson, the press will probably be hostile from the off, having beaten their favourite to the job. He shows his insecurities in his face and voice which does not help, and memorably cried once on the touchline at Inter. The Fleet Street knives will be out in force, and the West Brom boss is unlikely to relish a possible repeat of his Liverpool experience when he never won over the supporters.

Euro 2012 will be a baptism of fire, especially as the players had looked forward to Harry revving up in the dressing room. There will be little time to get to know them beforehand and only Steven Gerrard and Scott Carson will be familiar faces.

That said, Hodgson's experience is there for all to see, and even those who would have preferred Redknapp have respect for his abilities.

As with any man in the hot-seat, the results will do the talking.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Last time out George got 4 results right and zero perfect scores.

Saturday 5th May 2012

Arsenal 3 v Norwich 3

Sunday 6th May

Newcastle United 0 v Manchester City 1
Aston Villa 0 v Tottenham Hotspur 2
Bolton Wanderers 1 v West Bromwich Albion 0
Fulham 2 v Sunderland 0
Queens Park Rangers 2 v Stoke City 1
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 v Everton 1
Manchester United 1 v Swansea City 0

Monday May 7th

Blackburn Rovers 1 v Wigan Athletic 0

Tuesday May 8th

Liverpool 1 v Chelsea 1

Last time's Premier League predictions

Liverpool full-back Glen Johnson discusses the club's secret to success in the cups and why he is not expecting England to win Euro 2012 this summer.

Ahead of the FA Cup final with Chelsea on Saturday, Johnson also spoke of the need for goal-line technology...

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Fabrice Muamba may never play again for Bolton or the England set-up, but his triumphant return to the Reebok Stadium last night was something out of a fairytale.

When he collapsed with a cardiac arrest on the field during the Tottenham v Bolton F.A. Cup tie on the 17th March, a whole nation feared the worst. White Hart Lane watched stunned as paramedics performed CPR and defebrilation on the pitch in full view of everyone present and watching on television. Luck would have it that an expert cardiologist was also present in the stadium.



That day, fans and players alike tweeted to urge everyone to pray for a miracle. It later emerged his heart had stopped working for 78 minutes, during which time he was effectively dead. Fast-acting doctors had ensured he had a fighting chance, although his heart did not work again unaided until two days after the initial attack, when his condition was changed from critical to serious.

A month later he was discharged from the London Chest Hospital and last night returned like a conquering hero to Bolton Wanderers.



"I am ok. I am getting stronger every day and happy to be back," said a subdued but clearly touched Muamba.

Muamba's return was as if the hopes and prayers of a nation's football followers had resuscitated him as much as the doctors had. "Even if you're not religious, pray for Fabrice", said a memorable tweet.

Football is sometimes compared to organised worship and at times like this the boundaries cross. At White Hart Lane, supporters clasped their hands as if praying to God for deliverance from death. Who knows if the collective willing of Muamba to live had an effect science has yet to explain.

But yesterday's reunion showed football's sense of community at its strongest. Sharing emotions en masse is perhaps the sport's greatest attraction. Whether the experience is good or bad, we want to feel it with others around us, and that makes us feel we belong.

The stadium rose as one to acclaim their favourite son as he rejoined them. To see an African-born son of an asylum-seeker acclaimed so joyously by so many native Britons was proof enough that football can bring out the best in humanity.

Welcome back Fabrice.


-Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Wasn't this the golden age of FC Barcelona?

Barely a week ago the blaugrana were going for a clean sweep of trophies as their legend as the greatest football team of all time continued to be told.

Now Barça are out of the Champions League and have handed their Spanish title to Real Madrid with a loss to their arch-rivals at the Camp Nou.

This evening Real clinched La Liga in style by beating Europa League finalists Athletic Bilbao 3-0 away to open up an unassailable seven-point lead with two games remaining. Lionel Messi did what he could, bagging  his ninth hat-trick of the campaign  as Barcelona beat fourth-placed Malaga 4-1.

On an evening of records, Messi scored his 68th goal (46 in the league) to prise away Gerd Muller's 39-year record for strikes in one season, while Real coach Jose Mourinho won a title in his fourth different country, following league championships in Portugal (Porto), England (Chelsea) and Italy (Inter).

How does that achievement measure up?

Little-known Croat Tomislav Ivic won titles in Belgium, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal and Yugoslavia, six different nations. Ernst Happel won in his native Austria, Germany, Italy and Portugal, as has current Republic of Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni.

Louis Van Gaal (wins in Holland, Spain & Germany) comes closest in terms of big-league wins, followed by a number who have won titles major nations: Carlo Ancelotti has won titles in Italy & England and is chasing a third in France this year, Arsene Wenger has clinched the title in France and England, while a trio have bagged Serie A and La Liga crowns - Vujadin Boskov, Fabio Capello and Helenio Herrera.

Valencia, a distant 29 points behind Barcelona in third place, qualified for next season's Champions League by beating Osasuna 4-0.

*Newcastle United continued their march towards the Champions League with a 2-0 win at rivals Chelsea.The Toon sit fifth in the Premier League, four points clear of the Blues and a point behind third-place Arsenal. Newcastle play Manchester City at home and Everton away in their final games.

*Also in England, the Football Association has criticised The Sun for its mocking of new England manager Roy Hodgson's speech impediment. "We are delighted at the media response to Roy's appointment," FA chief David Bernstein said, "but are disappointed with the headline in The Sun, which we consider is in poor taste and disrespectful." The Press Complaints Commission confirmed it had received over 100 complaints about the front page of Rupert Murdoch's tabloid.

* Fiorentina have sacked manager Delio Rossi after a touchline altercation with one of his players. Rossi becomes the 19th coaching casualty in Serie A this season, smashing the previous record of 15 in the 1951-'52 season. Serie A has 20 teams.



* Ajax retained the Dutch title with a 2-0 win over Venlo.With one match to play they are six points clear of Feyenoord and seven above PSV. UEFA rank the Eredivisie as the eighth-best league in Europe.

*The title race in Italy is going down to the wire as Milan closed to within one point of leaders Juventus. The Rossoneri beat Atalanta at San Siro 2-0 but Juve could only draw 1-1 at home to Lecce. Juve play Atalanta at home in their final game, but must first travel to Cagliari. Milan are at home to lowly Novara on the last day of the season, but face a Milan derby with Inter before that.

The final day of the season in Italy is traditional for deals to be struck and friendship credits to be stored up, American writer Joe McGinnis was surprised to discover in his memorable book ' 'The Miracle of Castel di Sangro'.

* Ukraine is having a dreadful PR week ahead of its hosting of Euro 2012 in June. After a catalogue of delays and warnings about its poor infrastructure and UEFA boss Michel Platini labeling its hoteliers "crooks and bandits" for jacking up their room rates, four bombs exploded in Dnipropetrovsk at the weekend, injuring 27 people. Now high-level political disapproval is starting to appear.

European President Jose Manuel Barroso has said he will not attend Euro 2012 in protest at the politically-motivated imprisonment and apparent beating of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. The Austrian and Croatian governments have also confirmed they will not be attending the tournament in any form and German Chancellor Angela Merkel is said to be considering whether to pull out or not. Tymoshenko has been on hunger strike for two weeks now.

Euro 2012 was supposed to be Ukraine's advert to the world, although with a pro-Russian President, one cannot but help wonder how much they want to impress the E.U. to the west anyway. Platini, after many a headache, will just be glad when it is all over.


- Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile


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Like my Facebook page and get the low-down on Euro 2012 which kicks off next month. I'll be updating the team profiles with provisional and official squads as they are announced. Click here.

Wembley, London   90,000
Old Trafford, Manchester  76,000
Millennium, Cardiff  74,500
St James Park, Newcastle   52,000
Hampden Park, Glasgow   52,000
Ricoh Arena, Coventry  32,500



Group A: Great Britain, Senegal, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay
Group B: Mexico, South Korea, Gabon, Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Egypt, Belarus, New Zealand
Group D: Spain, Japan, Honduras, Morocco


1st round - 26th July, 29th July, 1st August
Quarter-Finals - 4th August (London, Manchester, Newcastle & Cardiff)
Semi-Finals - 7th August (London & Manchester)
Bronze medal match - 10th August (Cardiff)
Final - 11th August (London)

Bookies' favourites in order: Brazil, Spain, Great Britain, Uruguay, Switzerland, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, Egypt, Belarus, Senegal, Morocco, Gabon, Honduras, U.A.E., New Zealand.




2008   Argentina
2004   Argentina
2000   Cameroon
1996   Nigeria
1992   Spain
1988   Soviet Union
1984   France
1980   Czechoslovakia
1976   East Germany
1972   Poland
1968   Hungary
1964   Hungary
1960   Yugoslavia
1956   Soviet Union
1952   Hungary
1948   Sweden
1936   Italy
1928   Uruguay
1924   Uruguay
1920   Belgium
1912   Great Britain
1908   Great Britain
1904   Canada
1900   Great Britain


Official schedule
Official ticketing site


-Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile


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Euro 2012 football

The Dutch qualified for the tournament at a canter and will be looking to go one better than two years ago when they were beaten finalists at the World Cup. The demanding Holland support will be looking for a little more flair this time around.

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Barcelona 1:2 Real Madrid

Real Madrid took a decisive lead in the Spanish title race this evening and silenced the 99,000 of the Camp Nou with a 2-1 victory over Barcelona.

Cristiano Ronaldo eclipsed Lionel Messi by scoring the winner in the 72nd minute, which leaves Barça seven points adrift with only four matches to play. Messi, author of 63 goals in all competitions this season, could not add to his tally, while Ronaldo has now edged ahead of him in league goals, 42 to 41.

Real deserved their win for a more spirited and energetic approach than their hosts, who looked a little jaded after 58 games and a midweek defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League. The F.C. Barcelona who have dazzled the world with their mesmeric short-passing and high-intensity pressing looked a little low on petrol at home tonight against their perennially-closest rivals, serving up the same subdued performance as they did at Stamford Bridge. 

Rumours that Pep Guardiola has now prioritized Europe after the midweek reverse were bolstered by a starting line-up missing Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez. Mentally, Jose Mourinho and Madrid now have the upper hand at this crucial stage of the season.

The writing was on the wall when Real took the lead in the 17th minute, Sami Khedira bundling in the loose ball after Carlos Puyol dithered clearing an Angel di Maria corner. The home side enjoyed a whopping 78% of the ball in the first half but found Real dogged and determined at the back and willing to reply fast on the counter.

With just over twenty minutes to go, Alexis Sanchez replaced an out-of-sorts Xavi and the Chilean wasted little time in equalising in almost a photocopy of Real's scrappy opener. But two minutes was all it took for Real to regain the advantage and muffle the rejuvenated Catalan crowd.

Mesut Ozil played an inviting diagonal ball and Cristiano Ronaldo hurtled down the middle leaving Javier Mascherano in his wake before touching the ball wide of Valdes with his first touch before whipping the ball into the net from a tight angle.


Chasing the game at home with the minutes ticking away placed the blaugrana in unfamiliar territory. Hurried balls into the channels were mopped up by a Real defence who were clearly hungrier for the win and growing in confidence, while leaving two at the back almost led to a third goal for the white shirts, from Karim Benzema.


So the Spanish title looks like it is heading to the capital, with a seven-point chasm now having opened up with so few games remaining. But the two could meet again in the final of the Champions League. Barça also have the smaller consolation of the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) final against Athletic Bilbao on the 25th of May.

Form favours Mourinho's men and in their last meeting in a cup final, Real beat Barça in the Copa del Rey last season, courtesy of a winner from Cristiano Ronaldo again.

Tonight was Guardiola's second defeat against Real since taking the helm at the Camp Nou in 2008 and with back to back losses,  for the first time in ages the invincible blaugrana look beatable and must recover their confidence fast.

Barcelona: Valdés, Alves, Mascherano, Puyol, Adriano (Pedro 74'), Busquets, Xavi (Sanchez 69'), Thiago, Iniesta, Messi, Tello (Fabregas 81').

Real Madrid: Casillas, Pepe, Ramos, Khedira, Ronaldo, Benzema (Higuain 93') , Özil (Callejon 89'), Xabi Alonso, Coentrão, Arbeloa, Di María (Granero 74')

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile
by footyroom


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Euro 2012 football

Last time out George got 5 results right and 2 perfect scores.

Saturday 28th April 2012

Everton 1 v Fulham 1
Stoke City 2 v Arsenal 2
Sunderland 1 v Bolton Wanderers 2
Swansea City 3 v Wolverhampton Wanderers 0
West Bromwich Albion 3 v Aston Villa 2
Wigan Athletic 0 v Newcastle United 1
Norwich City 1 v Liverpool 2

Sunday 29th April

Chelsea 1 v Queens Park Rangers 0
Tottenham Hotspur 2 v Blackburn Rovers 1

Monday 30th April 2012
Man City 1 v Man Utd 1

Tuesday 1st May 2012

Liverpool 1 v Fulham 1
Stoke City 2 v Everton 1

Wednesday 2nd May 2012

Chelsea 2 v Newcastle United 1
Bolton Wanderers 1 v Tottenham Hotspur 0
Last time's Premier League predictions

Last time out George got 3 results right and no perfect score.

Saturday 21st April 2012

Arsenal 2 v Chelsea 2
Aston Villa 0 v Sunderland 1
Blackburn 3 v Norwich 2
Bolton 1 v Swansea 1
Fulham 2 v Wigan 0
Newcastle 3 v Stoke 0
QPR 1 v Spurs 1

Sunday 22nd April

Manchester United 2 v Everton 1
Liverpool 2 v West Bromwich Albion 1
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 v Manchester City 5

Tuesday 24th April 2012

Aston Villa 1 v Bolton Wanderers 1

Last time's Premier League predictions

bet365 has a fantastic free bet offer to add to the excitement as Man City welcome rivals Man Utd to the Etihad Stadium in what promises to be a pivotal game in the title race.

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Still without a coach after Fabio Capello left in February, England enter the tournament with more questions than answers. Can they cope without the suspended Wayne Rooney in the first two matches? Can they finally make a real impression at a major international tournament? And who will be in the hot seat for the June 11 clash with France?

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Veteran coach Giovanni Trapattoni will be looking to get one over on Italy who his side have been pitted against in a group also containing Spain and Croatia. Trapattoni has already made it clear that he will opt for experience in Poland and the Ukraine, but it will be a big ask for his side to make it out of the group. Guest author Mike Crocombe previews their campaign.

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The French have much hope invested in star player Karim Benzema but the squad rebuilding process undertaken by Laurent Blanc after the 2010 World Cup flop has seen a host of younger players brought into the squad and Les Bleus look a good bet to reach the semi-finals.

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Italy managed to qualify for Euro 2012 without losing a single game. This may not be a team loaded with big names anymore, but coach Cesare Prandelli has quietly gone about overhauling the squad and the Azzurri will be a threat this summer.

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The expected UEFA Champions League final between the two giants of La Liga looks a little less than a racing certainty after both Barcelona and Real Madrid lost their semi-final first legs.

Barça as usual marinated possession away at Chelsea and hit the Londoners' woodwork twice, yet succumbed to a breakaway goal on the stroke of half-time, finished by Didier Drogba.

Real also suffered a sucker punch, conceding a last-minute Mario Gomez goal to lose 2-1 to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, venue for this year's final. Franck Ribery gave Bayern the lead in the 17th minute before German international Mesut Ozil equalised for Real in the 53rd.

So both Spanish clubs have deficits to make up in their home legs in order to ensure the 'Superclasico final' in Munich, although Real have the slight advantage of an away goal.

The two are well acquainted of course, and meet on Saturday at the Camp Nou in the domestic showdown of the season. Jose Mourinho's Real lead Pep Guardiola's Barça by four points at the top of La Primera with five games to go.

UEFA Champions League Semi-Final second legs
Barcelona (0) : (1) Chelsea Tue 24 Apr
Real Madrid (1) : (2) Bayern Munich Wed 25 Apr

Final Sat 19th May, Munich 20:45 local time


(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Euro 2012 football

Having narrowly missed out on Euro 2016, Turkey today threw its hat into the ring for the European Championships in 2020.

With the final vote not due until 2014, there is still time for other applications but the large nation at the crossroads of two continents looks the front-runner, boasting a large population, growing infrastructure and the emotional claim of never having hosted the tournament before.

The expansion of the Euro 2016 from 16 to 24 teams, means the list of countries capable of being a host nation has also inevitably shrunken. Previous bids such as that of Hungary & Croatia for 2012 or exploratory bids like that of Scotland & Ireland or Norway & Sweden look impossible in the future. The days of a Sweden hosting Euro '92 are long gone.

France has ten stadia in place for hosting the tournament four years from now; Turkey at present has one stadium of 83,000 capacity, three holding more than 50,000 and two of 30,000+. Their 2016 bid planned seven new arenas with five renovated ones to complete a total of ten grounds with three in reserve.

Italy may try again after failing to land 2012, as could Germany, rumoured to have been the reserve host for this year. Spain, the reigning kings of football, have not hosted a major tournament since 1982, while Russia's powerful claims will probably have to sit out 2020 having hosted the World Cup in 2018.

“We are currently in the process of building state-of-the-art stadiums across the country," Turkish F.A. chief Yildirim Demiroren announced, "and huge developments have been made in improving the transportation networks between cities in Turkey."

What could scupper the Turkish delight however is a simultaneous bid from Istanbul to host the 2020 Olympic Games. That will be decided a year before the Euro vote in 2013 but already it seems plain that both tournaments cannot be hosted in the same summer.

UEFA Michel Platini has already stated that it is the Olympics or Euros for Turkey in 2020, and with no other bidders on the table yet for Euro 2016, will be secretly praying one of Baku, Doha, Madrid or Tokyo pip the Turks in the Olympic race.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Euro 2012 football

With less than two months until Euro 2012 kicks-off in Warsaw, England alone of the finalists do not have a confirmed manager.

Tottenham Hotspur's 1-5 humiliation by Chelsea today may usher the hot favourite Harry Redknapp closer to the exit door at White Hart Lane and the Jubilee Line to Wembley Park.

Spurs can now add F.A. Cup elimination to their meagre tally of six points from 24 since Fabio Capello called it a day on the 9th of February and the light of national expectation shone upon their coach instead. The inescapable conclusion is that the speculation has unsettled the North London club, from the directors in the boardroom to the players on the field.

Stuart Pearce remains caretaker manager, and will have a busy summer if he coaches the national team at Euro 2012, followed by the Great Britain team at the Olympic Games in July & August, as well as maintaining his day job as England U21 manager.

England have a friendly away in Norway on the 26th of May, followed by a home friendly with Belgium on the 2nd of June, their final warm-up game before Euro 2012 begins in anger for them nine days later against France in Donetsk.

"We haven't approached anybody and have approached no club," FA General Secretary Alex Horne told the BBC last week. This line is hard to believe, and if true, reveals astonishing complacency and an irrational belief if the prosaic talents of Stuart Pearce.

"We know exactly what we're doing between now and our first game against France," Horne went on, astonishingly, "and we just need to slot a manager in, giving that individual enough time to get used to the set-up."

Yet waiting another month leaves the new coach with hardly anytime to "get used to the set-up". Perhaps the FA are hoping that by parachuting the new coach into the job as late as possible, England will enjoy the honeymoon long enough to last a successful Euro 2012.
Or else Pearce, who has sculpted a well-organised but uninspired U21 side, showed enough promise in his 2-3 debut defeat to Holland as national team manager, to have the job for at least the summer. He knows the set-up inside-out after all.

Whoever will occupy the team bench in June, England have been in another fine mess since Capello, the coach with the all-time best record of any Three Lions manager, felt he had no choice but to resign and walk away.

Euro 2012 managers by age:

Giovanni Trapattoni (Ireland) 73
Dick Advocaat (Russia) 64
Franciszek Smuda (Poland) 63
Morten Olsen (Denmark) 62
Vicente del Bosque (Spain) 61
Oleg Blokhin (Ukraine) 59
Bert van Maarwijk (Netherlands) 59
Fernando Santos (Greece) 57
Erik Hamren (Sweden) 54
Cesare Prandelli (Italy) 54
Joachim Low (Germany) 52
Stuart Pearce (England) 49
Michal Bilek (Czech Republic) 46
Laurent Blanc (France) 46
Slaven Bilic (Croatia) 43
Paulo Bento (Portugal) 42



(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

Euro 2012 football

Last time out George got 3 results right and 1 perfect score.

Saturday 14 April 2012

Norwich 0 v Man City 2
Sunderland 2 v Wolves 0
Swansea 2 v Blackburn 1
West Brom 1 v QPR 1

FA Cup

Liverpool 1 v Everton 2

Sunday 15th April

Man Utd 2 v Aston Villa 0

FA Cup

Spurs 1 v Chelsea 1

Monday 16th April

Arsenal 4 v Wigan 1

Last time's Premier League predictions

Euro 2012 is less than two months away, although there is little excitement building up yet.

Some of this can be put down to the continent-wide recession, which Polish and Ukrainian hoteliers have ignored, given their suicidal decision to hike accommodation prices to unaffordable levels, a spectacular own-goal which the UEFA President and Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovich have both publicly condemned. Michel Platini labelled the profiteers "bandits and crooks" this week.

The organisers claim to have sold all the tickets, but given England alone, a nation with a strong tradition of travelling fans, have sold barely 3,000 to their supporters, expect the East European touts to be left with unsold batches and locals who snapped up tickets expecting a similar payday to be left short-changed.



Swathes of empty seats may be visible on television in June, unless the two host nations drastically reduce their hotel prices to sensible levels or thousands of Polish and Ukrainian kids are given the unsold tickets.

This unseemly cashing-in has cast an unfortunate dark shadow on Euro 2012, bolstering the gold-digging stereotype many Westerners have of Eastern Europe, a region which has never hosted the World Cup and only once hosted the European Championship, the four-team 1976 edition in Yugoslavia.

The football itself should be top-quality however, with both World Cup finalists involved and a number of fascinating questions: Can the Spanish Empire maintain its tiki-taka hegemony? Will the Dutch get revenge for their World Cup final defeat? Will a resurgent France challenge for the title and will we forget again how awesome Germany's record in tournaments is?

The usual suspects look hard to bet against. The young and multicultural Germany put four past both England and Argentina in the World Cup's knock-out stages after all, which was no mean feat, and late last year despatched the Dutch in a friendly. The Netherlands, who most recently beat England 3-2 at Wembley, boast a panoply of talent in midfield and attack but will have to hope their ho-hum defence does not let them down.

Italy, rebuilding after their dismal 2010 exit, should provide some green shoots to admire, as will England, likewise in a period of change after a poor World Cup. Add in the wild cards like Russia, Denmark and Ireland, as well as the host nations, and a tasty dish of many flavours is on the menu.

Not least for Platini, Euro 2012 has been a long and arduous road, full of headaches, final ultimatums and second chances. Even though many of us will not be there in person, it will be an almighty relief when Poland kick-off in Warsaw on the 8th of June.



(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile


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Euro 2012 football

Six down, 38 to go, the K-League season may have a long way to go but the first month has been action-packed with shocks, hooliganism, full and empty stadiums and mascots getting attacked.

That happened at Incheon United. It was only the second ever game at the brand spanking new Sungui Arena. The first match was marred by a ticketing fiasco that saw thousands of fans stuck outside in the freezing cold for hours. That problem was fixed by the time Daejeon came to town but there was worse to come.

Most agree that Incheon mascot Durumi started the trouble in the battle of the two bottom teams. The crane, according to witnesses, was making fun of the away fans after Incheon claimed a much-needed 2-1 win. For two visitors, it was all too much and they sprinted onto the pitch and knocked the bird off his little power scooter and then proceeded to knock his block off. Shocked Daejeon players and security staff eventually pulled the assailants off.

That wasn’t the end of it though. A group of Incheon fans made their way to the Daejeon supporters and another fight ensued. The scenes were not pretty and there were reports that after the fighting stopped inside the stadium, it continued outside.

The K-League swiftly and strictly clamped down. Incheon were told to play a future game in a different region, as yet unannounced, while Daejeon have to play twice behind closed doors. Thankfully, Durumi is on the mend.

Two fan-free games is the least of Daejeon’s problems. No points, one goal and six defeats from six games has the pressure on rookie coach Yoo Sang-chul. Nicknamed ‘Yubi’ by his fellow 2002 World Cup squad members for his leadership skills after a famous Chinese general, he really has his work cut out as he gets to grip with his first full season. Already fans are voicing their frustration. With relegation introduced for the first time, these are nervous times.

While it is no big surprise to see Daejeon in the nether regions, Seongnam are not much better off. The seven-time Korean champions are also gunning for a third Asian title but at the moment, neither look likely. With just one win in six games, the team is struggling. Striker Dzenan Radoncic is banging them in for new team Suwon Bluewings, helped by Cho Dong-keun. Sasa Ognenovski is injured while new midfield signing Yoo Bitgaram has yet to fit in with his new team.

Coach Shin Tae-yong rang the changes after a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Busan I’Park and while the performance was better against Pohang Steelers, the result was the same. Well, it was actually worse as the 2010 Asian Champions lost 2-0 to the 2009 winners.

More headlines have been used on Jeonbuk Motors, a team that isn’t actually doing too badly but still have yet to suggest they are accustomed to losing long-term coach Choi Kang-hee. Choi went to the national team job, leaving assistant Lee Heung-sil in charge of the champions. Lee led the team to two disastrous showings in the Asian Champions League with successive 5-1 defeats – quite a shock for fans of the 2006 champions and 2011 runners-up. They bounced back with a 2-0 win at Gyeongnam, another team that is struggling more than expected.

There are familiar names at the top though Jeju United are not usual leaders. After finishing as runners-up in 2010, last season was a real let-down for fans on the island and with the departure of striker Kim Eun-jung to Gangwon in the summer, more of the same was feared. That hasn't been the case so far. New signing Seo Dong-hyun, who moved in the opposite direction to Kim. has already got three goals including a last-minute winner against old club Suwon Bluewings. Young striker Bae Il-hwan has also impressed.

There are three teams sharing 13 points with the leaders. FC Seoul have bounced back from their defeat at rivals Suwon Bluewings. 2011 top scorer Dejan Damjanovic scored twice on Sunday in 2-0 win over Sangju Sangju to dispel fears that he may be sulking after being denied a big money move to China. Suwon’s ‘twin towers’ in attack Dzenan Radoncic and Stevica Ristic are starting to click while Ulsan have slipped a little after a very bright start but are still very much in the mix.


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Euro 2012 football

Last time out George got 5 results right and 1 perfect score.

Saturday 7 April 2012

Sunderland 2 v Tottenham 2
Bolton 2 v Fulham 1
Chelsea 2 v Wigan 0
Liverpool 1 v Aston Villa 0
Norwich 1 v Everton 2
West Brom 0 v Blackburn 0
Stoke 3 v Wolves 1

Sunday 8 April 2012

Manchester United 2 v Queens Park Rangers 0
Arsenal 1 v Manchester City 1

Last time's Premier League predictions

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Euro 2012 football

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In both 2010 and 2011, bet365 came top in eGaming Review’s Annual Power 50.

Real Betis Balompié play their home games at the over 50,000 capacity Estadio Benito Villamarín. The stadium has gradually been developed since 1929.


From 2000-2010 the stadium was called Estadio Manuel Ruiz de Lopera after the President of the football club at the time. However, after a popular vote, the ground reverted to its previous name.

Estadio Benito Villamarín staged two games during the 1982 World Cup, Brazil's 4-1 win over Scotland and Brazil's 4-0 win over New Zealand.



The Estadio Benito Villamarín lies on Avenida la Palmera south of the historic city center of Sevilla and not far from Plaza de Espana. Access to the stadium is fairly straight forward by either bus or taxi. Walking would take about 45 minutes from the cathedral area.

Except for the really big games against the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and the local derby, tickets can be bought on the day of the match up to 15 minutes before kick off.



Cross-town rivals Sevilla play their home games to the north east at Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan.




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Betting on cricket matches and cricket players has been going on for decades. Today there are number of online sites which offer betting services. Most of these sites allow people to place bets on games going on in all the prominent cricket playing countries. In any form of gambling and while placing bets it is important to know what the odds are and what you are up against. Cricket being a

On the 30th of August at 1500 hours, Everton will host Wigan at their home ground, the Goodison Park. Starting out, Everton are definitely the favorites, especially since they are the stronger side and they will be playing at home. However, Wigan does have a few tricks up its sleeve, and they will be hoping to win this match and thereby boost their players' confidence. The betting odds are

Ardent followers of the Premier League will recall how newcomers Burnley managed to pull of incredible victories against seasoned teams like Chelsea and Arsenal last year. Their nascent Premier League ambitions were brutally cut short by Tottenham in the semi finals. Burnley returns to the Premier League this year, having signed up promising Scottish international Steven Fletcher, in the midst of

Carlo Ancelotti announced his long awaited resignation from Milan soon after the Fiorentina match was over. He ended his Milan association a year before his contract was to expire.

He should be confirmed as Chelsea manager shortly.

OK. We already have Franck Ribery joining up Real. Before that it was Cristiano Ronaldo. If it Tuesday it must be Kaka. Now, it is Alonso.

If you keep shooting BB shots, a duck will fall.

One thing is certain. A number of tabloids and blogs are kept afloat by the Real rumour mill. Yours truly included. It is a gift that keeps giving.

Btw, I take back that duck reference. It would mean that Alexandre Pato is on his way to Real too. Which he might. Which he might. Stay tuned.

David, along with Victoria Beckham, who attended the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY) Awards on Wednesday night in Los Angeles, expressed his satisfaction at being accorded a red carpet welcome.A red carpet will not be rolled out for Beckham when he hits the field Saturday night at Giants Stadium where the match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Red Bulls is slated to be

Michigan State University’s last athletic director who took its football team to the prestigious Rose Bowl Stadium was Doug Weaver who in Jan 1988 fulfilled this dream with George Perles, MSU’s football coach that year.Mark Hollis, MSU’s present athletic director is working towards achieving the same after 20years. "The goal is that going into every year, we have that legitimate anticipation that

With the first gridiron feud between these two Virginia schools starting in 1883, the fact that the rivalry has not ended even after 125 years goes on to prove that this small-school rivalry is probably the oldest in the South.While the college students from Hampden-Sydney celebrated their 24-10 victory in the 100th game over rivals Yellow Jackets from the near Randolph-Macon College, they

If you have been watching the Euro 2008 championships, you would have noticed the Russian advance through the various stages culminating in their booking a semi-final berth. For a side that was written off not long ago, the very fact that they reached the semi-final is in itself a great achievement. The credit for this amazing turnaround goes to the Russian side and its famous coach, Guus Hiddink

Every now and then I read an article that catches me off guard and this is one such piece.

I turns out that the big soccer fashion trend in Cape Town, South Africa, these days is to wear condoms on your feet to keep your socks up.

The need for such an innovated way of using these prophylactics is the result of a lack of proper soccer gear, such as socks with elastic to hold them in place. Since condoms are distributed for free in order to help curb the spreading of HIV, it all makes sense.

Sivuyile Nqawe of the Lingelethu Football Association in Khayelitsha said it was to "ease matters for those who cannot afford expensive brands of football kit on their mission to sharpen their skills to become future soccer stars".

"It is just a creative method and it works to alleviate the situation. You just break a condom packet, grab and stretch it. Then you put it on your leg," Nqawe said.

"You will find that in most instances players bring a box of condoms to a match and share them among teammates for the same purpose."

Another example of necessity being the mother of invention.

Is Juan Toja about to play his final match as a MLS player?

Rumor has it that the longhair midfielder will fly to Romania tonight, after the All-Star match, to finish a deal with Romanian powerhouse Steaua Bucharest.

Then again, it is just a rumor. Accord to FCD coach Schellas Hyndman, "I expect him here to play against LA (on Sunday)."

Although this season has not been as strong as the first half of last year, Toja is still a vital part of Dallas's attack. If he does decide to move on to Europe, FCD will have a difficult time replacing him.

Then there is the ongoing speculation that teammate Kenny Cooper might also be soon to fly across the Atlantic. Those rumors have died down of late, but if both of these ended up being true, it is hard to see a way for Dallas to finish the season in a commanding fashion.

Is the face of FC Dallas about to change in a major way? We'll know within a week.

US keeper Brad Friedel has been sold, on condition, to an undisclosed EPL club for £2 million. The deal will only go through if the Rovers land another goalkeeper.

Aston Villa is thought to be the undisclosed team, which also happens to be the club linked with fellow American Brad Guzan. Could Villa be an all American stop shop soon or will Stuart Taylor clam a top spot?

Should be fun to watch.

Canada's sports network TSN reports that "MLS Commissioner Don Garber will lift the original ceiling of 18 franchises and announce Thursday a new expansion plan of not less than 20 and up to 24 franchises by 2013-2014."

They add that, "Vancouver and Montreal are considered expansion priorities for Garber in 2011."

This is not the first time that similar rumors have jumped up, but let's say it is true that tomorrow will see a big announcement concerning expansion, what does it mean?

First off, if the league targets 20-24 teams in the next six years, they must do something concerning the player pool. What this means is more international players and an increase in the salary cap, but that starts bringing in thoughts of NASL. MLS has tried hard to stay away from any such comparisons but if this is their realistic goal, they will need to address it soon (quick note, MLS is in a much better financial state today then NASL ever was).

Next up, the schedule. Is the East/West divide soon to be gone in favor of a single table or might they break into two different leagues and never play each other except for in cup competitions (think old school baseball rules)? Also, how does Superliga fit into this? If clubs are playing 38-46 league games*, plus US Open Cup, plus Concacaf, plus MLS Cup matches, they could easy end up with almost 60 meaningful matches in a season so throwing on 3-5 more for Superliga would be asking a great deal. Is MLS ready to kill off a moneymaker?

Finally, there is the issue of television deals. The current broadcasts are a huge improvement over a few years ago, however it is time to push for more airing over non-cable channels. The fact that most games are not available for a large (perhaps majority) portion of the country hurts the development of a stronger fan base. What casual fan is going to go hunting for HDNet or Fox Soccer Channel, if they even have it on their cable system? If they can get a game or two a week on over-the-air, national networks, the perception of the sport will begin to change. Remember, if it wasn't on TV, it didn't happen.

I know, I'm really jumping ahead of everything here, but if this is to be the path for the league, they need to make sure it is a success and these are the big three issues as I see them.

On the plus side, 24 teams means just about every large urban area in the US and Canada will have a team. Also, if they broke the FIFA limit for 24, what would stop them from going higher and adding smaller markets that show an ability to support teams.

* this assumes that teams play each other twice

Toronto FC's slump continued last night as they only managed a 1-1 tie against the USL's Montreal Impact. With the point, the Impact won the Nutrilite Canadian Championship and earned a trip to the CONCACAF Champions League Cup, which begins next month.

Now the question is will this win have an effect on a possible move to MLS by Montreal? Impact head coach John Limniatis thinks it does.

The platform (for entering MLS) was already set...

I think, obviously, this helps. This just shows we're capable of competing ... From what I understand, we're aiming for the start of the 2011 season to be in the MLS.

The Impact organization has a lot going for it (stadium, rich owners, good fan base) and adding solid play against top-tier teams will only help them in their quest to land in MLS.

However, this failure by Toronto as well as the defeats suffered by MLS teams in the US Open Cup points to a very different issue, player salaries. With just around $2.5m to spend on a full squad MLS teams are very limited in the depth that they can bring in, thus the difference between the two divisions is not as pronounced as it should be. If MLS did up their pay level to around $5m a year, it helps elevate this issue.

Some might think that it is not a big thing that MLS teams often get toppled by USL clubs, however I disagree. League officials are usually quick to claim MLS as a world-class league, however what fan is going to believe them if top-level teams are consistently dropping games to lower-level opposition? In the perception race, these upsets need to become a rare bread.

Yanks Abroad reports that Landon Donovan's agent failed to deny a Sky Sports report concerning a possible move by the American to the EPL.

They then report this:

Donovan was recently quoted by the English media giant as saying, "The older I get and the more I play, the more I'm yearning for that highest level I can play at."

"I think the Premiership would be the best place the play."

Sounds pretty exciting and it has caused a bit of a buzz on the internet, however, the quote is actually almost a year old.

There is another part from the interview last year that was missed this time around: "At the moment I'm happy here (LA), at least for the next few years with Dave (Beckham) here. I want to be a part of this too. Not many people get to be a part of this, so I want to live it."

I bring up the fact that this is an old quote not because it means it is no longer valid or that a move will not happen, just to give it a context.

So what will happen with Donovan?

Well he is in a bit of a bind. LA doesn't want to let him go because they want a championship this year and without him, it probably is not going to happen. That would seem to suggest a delay in any move till December, however that means coming in halfway through the EPL season, which will make starts even harder to obtain, which could effect his build up to 2010 (not to mention his availability for qualifiers).

That said, it is time for him to return to Europe and see what he can accomplish. His work over the past six-months has been some of his best and if he is ever to reach the heights we all want him to, he needs to move.

DC United vs Houston Dynamo
4 June
22 July
23 July?

Why is it that these two clubs can't get this game played? Last month is was rain that canceled it and tonight it is a lack of power. For the second time in about a week, RFK is having power issues and according to the Dynamo's blog, it will prevent the game from taking place tonight.

Instead, the two teams will try to get this game out of the way tomorrow evening, the night before the All-Star game.

I do not see any official report over this, so perhaps the Dynamo front office is wrong or maybe jumping the gun. Anyway, with the game suppose to start in about 4 hours, United better act fast to get the word out or else they might have some upset fans in the parking lot.

Peter Nowak has released his 18 man roster for Beijing and there are not a lot of surprises. As expected, Nowak went with Bad Guzan in goal and McBride up top. Both will give the team much needed depth in their positions with McBride providing a little bit more then Guzan.

The overage selection that could benefit the most from this experience is New England's Michael Parkhurst. Since the US's backline is probably going to have a lot put up against it, especially if they advance to the knockout stage (hello Argentina), a solid showing by Parkhurst could get some European suitors.

Overall this roster represents the best the US has to offer in the under 23 group at this moment.

As far as MLS teams go, they account for 10 of the 18 with the Houston Dynamo, Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC each losing two players for the games.

Here is the full roster:

GK (2): Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)

D (5): Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)

M (7): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Danny Szetela (Brescia Calcio)

F (4): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Brian McBride (out of contract), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

The recently concluded Euro 2008 championships in Switzerland were a resounding success by all accounts. If it was a spectator’s delight watching the scintillating games, it was an organizational and logistical success from the administrator’s point of view as well. The Swiss Defence Minister Samuel Schmid declared on Sunday that "It's been a mega event. The third-biggest sporting event in the

The Columbus Crew want to improve their team by bringing in a quality player from Norway's first division. So what's the problem? The player is Pat Noonan.

Noonan left the New England Revolution after the team decided not to offer him a respectable contract extension at the end of last season (they offered him less money then he made in 2007). Because he was out of contract, Noonan was able to move to Norway without a transfer fee, which means the Revs retained his MLS rights.

For their part, the Crew are willing to pay Noonan a salary similar to what he was earning previously in the US, plus pay a transfer fee to his current club and give the Revs something for his rights, however MLS is not happy. Why? Coach Sigi Schmid has the answer:

"A player that can turn down an offer from the league, go overseas on their own volition and then we as a league have to buy them back," Schmid said. "That's bad business and MLS doesn't want to be in the habit of doing bad business. That's completely understandable."

Schmid is playing the good sport here because really the only thing bad about this whole situation is that New England tried to hardball him in the first place (they would not trade him, thus he had to take their deal or get out of the country).

Noonan is a quality American striker who wants to be treated with respect. The fact that the league and the Revolution failed to do so should not be held against him or the Crew.

Instead the league should get past the hurt feelings caused by someone calling their bluff and do what is best for the sport.

The idea that a team can hold back a player that they no longer have under contract is one that must change or we can expect to see more young American players skip over their domestic league in favor of third tier competition overseas.

It looks like the Dynamo might be about to solve some of their offensive problems as Nate Jaqua has been offered a contract to return to Houston.

Jaqua left Houston during the off season for a spell in Austria, where he put up some great numbers (5 goals in 10 apperiences). Even with these quality results on the pitch, his club decided not to offer him a new contract.

Houston has been chasing him for awhile now, but it looked unlikely until they added a little twist to the offer. As part of this deal, Houston will promise to trade him to Seattle FC for the 2009 season.

Jaqua is from Eugene, Oregon, and very much wants to play in the Northwest.

It is not clear if this trade will be part of the expansion draft.

This is a smart move by Houston as they need another striker. Sure it will hurt losing him to Seattle, however they will have seven months to find a replacement. Who knows, maybe by then Caraccio might be ready to show something.

It is even a smarter deal if this will count towards the expansion draft as then they will not have to worry about losing any other players.