April 2009 Archives

Mohammed Bin Hammam, AFC president is thumbing his nose at FIFA directives that reinstate the voting rights of five countries in the AFC.

He had stripped these countries of their privileges at the behest of the ad-hoc legal committee's recommendations. As per the committee four countries did not deserve representation because their participation in tournaments do not meet AFC standards.

The countries falling foul are Laos, Timor Leste, Mongolia and Afghanistan. The fifth country, Kuwait has an interim association not recognized by the AFC.

FIFA has recognized the tournaments and the Kuwaiti association as legitimate. They however, have questioned the AFC's legal committee's jurisdiction. As per FIFA "it has no competence to take any decision with legal effect” and secondly it’s up to the AFC Congress to decide about voting rights of member associations.

Mohammed Bin Hammam has been Asian football's caretaker overseeing its revival since 2002. However, his increasingly authoritarian streak is causing many to throw their support behind Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa, from Bahrain who is challenging Hammam for a seat in the FIFA executive committee.

It is under Hammam's watch that Australia was admitted to the Asia zone which has been acknowledged by them as a major factor in improving their game. He obviously has a stake in improving football in Asia but the standards applied to these five countries appear very arbitrary and in contravention of FIFA rules.

The "Black Italian"

The racist taunts that Mario Balotelli seems to attract occurs obviously because of his colour but his success against other clubs, gives it an added edge.

He has made Inter's rivals pay and those fans are not pleased that it is a man of colour that their country gave citizenship to who is doing damage.

He has a history of petulance which does not help but that should be no excuse and the Italian Olympic Committee needs to be firm in clamping down racist behaviour.

But singling Juve out is foolish and counterproductive. It should be recognized as a national problem and suitable action should also be directed at Roma as well and indeed all the clubs that have engaged in this practice.

Balotelli's form makes him a strong candidate for selection to the national squad and it will be highly unfortunate if fans continued singing “a black Italian does not exist” like they did when he made his U-21 debut. Balotelli might have a point to prove and if it benefits the Azzurri, the fans should be thankful he decided to play for Italy, and not Ghana. All the more strange given Italians, in general love Obama , even when you factor Silvio Berlusconi's troglodyte like greeting on his election.

Good news for Man Utd as Rio Ferdinand will be back to play the CL second leg at the Emirates.

It was feared he had cracked a rib when he went down after colliding with Eduardo. X-rays revealed no break and his pain is being managed by medication. He will sit out the Middlesbrough match.

Ferdinand and Vidic were huge in rendering Adebayor ineffectual after the Togolese striker ran his mouth off before the match.

Ronaldo wants to run the 100m in 9.69 seconds too.Hence a training session with Usain Bolt is on the cards.And while you wait to see what comes of that here's a video of Ronaldo throwing a sulk at not being awarded a free kick against Arsenal yesterday.

Ronaldo Hissy Fit - These bloopers are hilarious
Bolt may get a bit fed up of the training session if Ronaldo keeps doing that every time he comes second.

Link:

Timid. The first 25 minutes were a self appeasing display of tackles being missed, players left unmarked, passing lanes left uncontested. The result, Man Utd had ample space to roam. Credit goes to them as they seized the moment. Tevez was an absolute beast. John O'Shea was left totally unchallenged to score his goal as the Arsenal defense reacted either ineffectively or remained rooted to the spot. It could have been much worse if it was not for some stellar keeping by Almunia. In contrast, Van Der Saar was rarely challenged.

Man Utd gets the win but what makes it more challenging for Arsenal is how they got the win. This is not good for an Arsenal team that struggled with self assurance throughout the match. Adebayor was horribly ineffective, Fabregas was wasted in the second striker role, Nasri was invisible, and Gibbs had his hands full with Ronaldo and Tevez.

Ryan Giggs should get his 800th cap. A special moment for a special player. We can dispute his PFA award but Sir Alex will be looking to him to provide some special moments.

The Ronaldo Rooney combination is looking mighty dangerous and leaves Wenger with a bit of a problem of trading off Gibbs speed for Silvestre's match experience to contain that left to right link up. With Silvestre the chances of dead ball opportunities for Man U skyrocket. Ronaldo will relish those chances.

I think Wenger should start Gibbs for his work rate as well as for his Clichy like propensity for counterattacks. Song's toughness at the back will help in clogging the middle.

Adebayor starts as the lone striker on top but the question is who plays behind him. Fabregas seems to have found his scoring touch, however his best work begins downfield, and if it is a choice then Nasri should fill that space.

Many of Walcott's crosses have gone begging without the Gunners getting a boot or head on them. The troops need to come up and Walcott needs to wait a wee bit for the best chance at conversion.

Yes, all that and no need to micromanage the ball into goal. Snap shots. The kind we saw at Liverpool and Boro.

Chelsea sure knows how to spoil a good party. Hiddink outcoached Guardiola with his tactic of dropping Ballack deep. The German midfielder broke down lots of plays. Their consensus by committee approach on dealing with Messi and Iniesta paid dividends. 20 fouls is a lot of scrappiness.

In between Drogba tested Rafa Marquez and Victor Valdes with the best chance for the Blues.

That and Barca were off their finishing touch throughout the match. Bojan Krkic had a glorious chance to put the match away in the dying minutes but misdirected his header.

Now it goes to Stamford Bridge where Barca will have to prove that they are indeed the best team in the world.

The Aztec Stadium in Mexico City looks like something out of "I am Legend" - the cavernous 100,000-seat venue closed to the public because of the outbreak of swine flu.Mexican football league matches have been played behind closed doors.
The WHO has declared the disease a global emergency.

Chelsea vs Barca, CL semi-final first leg.

The spotlight is on Leo Messi as it should be, arguably the best player in the world.

So for all the fevered attention given to containing him, it should not be overlooked that Barca's orchestrator in the Bayern blowout, was Iniesta. His prior work culminated in the Messi goals. In the return leg, Iniesta's intricate passing led to the Keita equalizer.

Iniesta is a chess player, cagey, with a real feel for the first and last pass that score goals. Between them there are 30. It depends on who he gives the ball to. Eto'o, Henry, and Messi all can be part of his largesse. Or for that matter, as he has very capably shown, he might take on the whole show and score goals himself.

So Chelsea, if you want to pick your poison and shift the field to his side, there is a chance that you might end up getting burned very badly.

Here is Iniesta destroying Sevilla with Messi looking on from the bench:

Theo Walcott's former club will fold if they do not find a investor in about a week.

Rupert Lowe's Southampton association appears to have been a marriage of convenience. The club was looking for a publicly traded company to get the club listed on the London Stock Exchange, and a reverse takeover was effected. In lieu, he was made the chairman, despite rumours that he was actually a hockey fan and had never attended a football match previously.

Here is an interesting article that gives a glimmer into the turmoil and uncertainty that the club underwent before the administrators took over the club early this month. Lowe comes across as a toff who disdained football's low brow politics and its sacred rivalries.

A revolving door on managers, thirteen in 14 years, and regular sales of its best players to raise cash to pay for an expensive stadium, saw a dive down from the upper echelons, now, with the Burnley draw, to the third tier.

Angry and despondent Saint fans point their finger squarely at Rupert Lowe for the club's fall from grace.

What do Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Oliver and Peaches Geldof have in common?They have all launched their own digital magazines.
Rio's digital creation is titled #5 and you can read it here...

The Socceroo team will have their work cut out getting past this guy..(More)

And then there's the other extreme - a goalie who does things like this.
In the Copa Libertadores, America de Cali goalie Julian Mesa saw his clearance go a bit haywire...

Its all happening in the Bundesliga. Minnows are mowing down mammoths.

Wolfsburg falls. As does Hamburg. Bayern's loss to Schalke sends Klinsi packing. Who will stand in the end?

Der Kaiser, Hoeness, Rummenigge, Breitner, Breitnigge

Its all over for Klinsmann.

"After the results of recent weeks the management saw that even our minimum goals for the season were now in danger and decided this was the obvious course of action," Bayern said in a statement. "

Jupp Heynckes who last led Bayern 18 years ago, returns to the club to salvage the season.

Spare a thought for Klinsi, it was never going to be easy with Bayern's many headed Hydra.

Here are two goals from the "Original Ronaldo" as his Corinthians beat up on Santos (yes, Pele's Santos) in the first leg of the Paulista championship final.

Even the original Pele had good things to say (which seems to be out of character for him these days):

"The ball landed at the feet of a player who doesn't miss," Pele told reporters. "Ronaldo makes the difference. The second goal was worthy of the World Cup."

I have to say I'm stunned. Ronaldo, even at 30 lbs over, still has that killer instinct. His tally: eight goals in 10 games.

Wow:

- Ronaldo scores twice in Corinthians win Guardian
- Ronaldo steers Corinthians to Victory FIFA
- Always count on Ronaldo SportsYA

PS - Maybe Dunga will bring him back after all!?

Roy Keane begins his Ipswich career with a bang. The Tractor Boys pulverized Cardiff, 3-0. It was the last league match at 99 year old Ninian Park before they move to the new Cardiff City Stadium in the summer.

Keane seems to have taken a liking to his bearded visage. His salt and pepper appendage makes him look a bit martial. Enough to strike fear into the ranks.

His team is an interesting mix of veterans like Ivan Campo and newbies like Connor Wickham whose appearance on 11 April 2009 made him Ipswich Town's youngest player to debut. Giovanni Dos Santos on loan from Tottenham has been far more productive in his new club with 3 goals in six games.

What happened to Frank Lampard?

I love Ryan Giggs but this year's POTY award is bogus. It took only 12 starts this year to convince the PFA that Giggs was invaluable to his club?

In fact, his acceptance speech sounded very much like the PFA had decided to give him a special award that aggregated his 18 years of service to Man Utd.

The Man U back four except for Gary Neville made the PFA team of the year. How about including the Fulham defense for a full and fairer set? They looked pretty good in that Man U loss.

An atrocious piece of refereeing by Webb and atrocious goalkeeping from Gomes keep Spurs from scoring their first win at Old Trafford since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Only a force of nature or divine intervention can keep Man U's anointment as Premiership champions once again.

Seattle beat San Jose, 2-0 yesterday. Steve Zakuani scored a goal and assisted in the second, as the Sounders maintained the best start in MLS history for an expansion team. In that game, goalie Kasey Keller broke the MLS record for the most minutes played without conceding a goal.

The Congolese winger, a London transplant is turning out to be a key player for Sigi Schmid's aspirations and is justifying Seattle's faith in picking him first in the MLS draft as he decided to forgo the last two years at the Univ of Akron. As a Generation Adidas underclassman player, Zakuani fits into Seattle's salary cap as a developmental player, which will save the club money.

Steve Zakuani was a standout at the Univ of Akron soccer team, scoring 20 goals and racking up 47 points, on the way winning Soccer America's College player of the year award. He was also the runner up for the MAC Hermann Trophy awarded to the best intercollegiate soccer player. The Zips coach Caleb Porter acknowledges that Zakuani has scary talent.

However, if Zakuani had his way he would still be in London where he grew up in the Highbury area, round the corner from Arsenal where he developed his skills playing in their youth teams for five years till the age of 15. He credits the club for laying a solid foundation and giving him invaluable international experience.

"They preached final third effectiveness at Arsenal. I would always hear things like "pass with a purpose" and "take the defenders on." Those things were drummed into me from an early age."

Interestingly enough he went to White Hart Lane School which was just across the Tottenham stadium. He would attract a lot of negative attention with his Arsenal gear but he said there were enough Arsenal supporters in his school because of its success, so during heated arguments he did not find himself fighting alone.

Amongst his contemporaries were Kerrea Gilbert, Gavin Hoyte, Mark Randall, Jay Simpson, and Henry Lansbury who are now part of Arsenal reserves. His dream was to become part of the senior squad. It all came came to an end when a letter arrived saying he no longer had a future in the club. The huge disappointment led to Zakuani almost quitting playing the sport altogether. He was also laid low by a serious knee injury that saw him unable to play for 18 months. His career was resuscitated when he moved to the Independent Football Academy where his talent was spotted by a Univ of Akron scout.

He still follows Arsenal and roots for them. He also looked upto Freddie Ljungberg, his Sounders team mate, while training at Arsenal. Ljungberg, of course captured the imagination of the Gunner fans with his breakaway speed down the wings, spectacular goals, and bright red stripe in his hair. Seems like Zakuani is well on his way to becoming a fan favourite too with his distinct hair designs, blazing speed down the left, and already two goals and two assists in just his third start.

He also contributes to the ESPN rookie diary and comes across as an articulate, well spoken athlete.

My deep admiration for Brian McBride continues.

The man is on fire since joining the Fire and his 5 goals in 6 games have kept the club at the top of the East. His 86th minute header against his old club brought the Fire back to life after they had surrendered two early goals to the Crew. Two minutes later Gonzalo Segares scored the equalizer in a dramatic end that left the Crew still searching for their first win.

Arshavin's Liverpool breakout seems to have provided the inspiration for all the crisp, sharp shooting that we had on display against 'Boro.

Lots of role reversals today. Beautiful little flick by Bendtner sets up Fabregas relay upfield to a streaking Arshavin who splits wide left, cuts in, and links up beautifully with an arriving Fabregas who goes in for the jugular. Eboue's Fabregas like pass to Fabregas who sidesteps the onrushing goalie a la Adebayor, whips in the ball for the second goal. These Gunners look like they are enjoying their soccer.

Klinsi is in deep, deep trouble. With the loss to Schalke, Bayern slips to third and is now in danger of falling out of CL contention altogether. Wolfsburg meets lowly Energie Cottbus today and can move six points clear of Bayern. The top of the table is getting crowded. Hertha is in second, a point clear. With Stuttgart and Hamburg, tied with Bayern but behind in GD, a fascinating finish to this Bundesliga season is guaranteed.

Klinsi might not get to see the end. He is being crucified by the media, his support amongst fans is slipping and more ominously for him, Der Kaiser is showing signs of real impatience. This follows his tongue lashing of the team's CL performance.

"What I saw in the first half is, without doubt, the worst football in Bayern's history," said Beckenbauer. "It was a demonstration, almost a humiliation. They gave us a lesson."

It is easy to blame the coach. Just ask Felix Magath. Or Ottmar Hitzfeld. Outsiders who never wore the badge of Germany's colossus. The real culprits are actually its cabal of ex-players who run the club with an iron fist: Der Kaiser,Uli Hoeness, Karl Heinz Rummenigge and his alter ego Paul Breitner, the last two so intertwined, they are popularly called Breitnigge. The club floats along a constantly shifting confluence of these disparate personalities. Actually one would argue that the cabal are the three faces of Eve. Magath would agree. After giving Bayern, three successful seasons, he was axed. He has now come back to haunt them.

Following Klinsi's resignation from the national team, Der Kaiser seems to have become his surrogate agent advising alternative employment away from German shores, including coaching their bitter rivals.

Despite all the meddling, Klinsi decided to take on the Bayern job, a move which seems to have caught Beckenbauer and the media, especially Bild by surprise. It did not go down well, with Beckenbauer as club president openly questioning Klinsi's durability extending deeper underlying doubts he seems to have harboured from the 2006 World Cup. Even as he muted his criticism recently after the Schalke loss, Bild seems to have dialed up the boot out Klinsi volume, a reflection of their cozy relationship with Beckenbauer.

Beckenbauer with his less than equivocal support provides the underpinning of the club's deeply pessimistic and neurotic persona. Rummenigge, as the CEO with his gung ho pronouncements, is its polar opposite. The club reverts to his personality under stress which has helped it cope this season. He has provided Klinsmann with obdurate support since Bayern slipped to 11th with variations of the following statement:

""We are convinced Jurgen is the right coach for Bayern. He is a very modern and innovative coach, and we are convinced of the fact that we will celebrate plenty of successes with him."

By now Klinsi might be forgiven as to which voices in his head he should hear. This is nothing compared to Uli Hoeness, the Dick Cheneysque presence constantly seen by Klinsi's side. Hoeness is the man on the ground. He is easily one of the most emotionally labile and territorial personalities of the game and his interactions with Klinsi have been of the Jekyll and Hyde variety. During the run up to the 2006 World Cup, Hoeness accused him of psychological terror when he did not pick Oliver Kahn to start in the squad, which he said so unnerved the Bayern goalie that his domestic form suffered. Other rants included being overrated, an egoist, an actor, and someone who sold his soul. All this changed once Klinsi joined Bayern. Hoeness regularly resorted to vocal and thin skinned reactions against criticism by fans and even ex-Bayern midfielder Lotthar Matthaus as the club struggled through the season. This should not be misconstrued as support of Klinsi. Hoeness is a true believer who constantly scours the media for slights against the club.

He is being rewarded for his service by succeeding Beckenbauer as club president next season. Hoeness was responsible for papering over much of the club's objections to circumventing tradition with Klinsi coming on board. A lot is riding on Klinsi's vision with the emphasis on new training techniques and a holistic approach towards match preparation while imparting Bayern's historicity to the new players, and at the same time gradually phasing out the influence of former players. Without Klinsi, the success of the experiment appears bleak, and Hoeness tenure as the club president begins with uncertainty. The thought seems to have changed Hoeness once again, into morose tight lipped silence. This picture does not bode well for Klinsi.

He is saying things like.."If we keep winning,they will feel the pressure"...and also "After the game(against Arsenal), everyone was really disappointed but now the message is clear. Keep going, keep the belief, because you never know what might happen in football. We cannot give up. We have to keep on going right until the end." ..and other such things.Meanwihle the goals of their game against Hull

Report..

Remember Warren St John's article in the NYT about soccer being played by immigrant children of families resettled from war torn countries by legal means into small towns like Pleasantville, USA or in this case, outposts like Clarkston, GA.

Soccer becomes an extended metaphor of a foreignness creeping into American society, as delineated by Clarkston, one which usurps an established way of life, creating divisions between people that embrace diversity as a way of moving ahead and others who look upon it, if left unchecked, as the last throes of a civilized society, already stretched to its limits. As a Malthusian device, its at the heart of the immigration debate playing out in the country right now.

Those who want the Fugees to succeed are pro-immigration reform and want amnesty for the undocumented, as long as they remain above the law, paid their dues, and have contributed to the economic well being of the country, as have previous generations. Those who do not, see the influx of immigrants, documented or otherwise as a death rattle in a country beset by tough economic times.

Well, Warren St John's article is now a full fledged book and you can now read it or wait for the movie which should be out end of the year. St John also wrote the highly regarded book Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer, on the Crimson Tide, the Univ of Alabama football team.

Spurs travel to Old Trafford to take on Man U. They have been in good form against the top four remaining unbeaten, which is what the Reds are hoping will happen by match end. The Reds face Hull, and unless their defense decides to make this interesting, this should be three easy points.

Rafael starts at right back in place of the injured Gary Neville, an advantage that Assou-Ekotto and Luka Modric should try and exploit. Darren Bent has had a good streak. Pavlyuchenko is injured but Defoe should be ready.

Redknapp could make this more interesting by introducing Frazier Campbell, the Man Utd striker on loan, who could use his talent to embarrass his old club.

A video clip of Alex Ferguson reacting to the ref's decision not to award Man U a penalty against Everton has been very cleverly reworked to look as if he is chasing after after a pink balloon.He also for some reason has a red nose.

Good times. The man with a mouth is back in the saddle again at Ipswich City. And he starts off with a flourish mud wrestling former Man U team mates Steve Bruce, Mark Hughes, Paul Ince, and Bryan Robson. He even managed to singe a few nose hairs of Republic of Ireland compatriot Steve Cascarino.

Not bad for the first day.

At least Keane fights his own battles. So refreshingly different from the thin skinned crap flying around in the Premiership where Big Sam's paranoia involves analyzing Rafa's body language which is then channeled by Sir Alex to launch his own vendetta against the Spaniard.

Now he has to put his money where his mouth is and actually do something constructive at Ipswich. Niall Quinn will wish the Suffolk team well because he has had to clean up twice after Keane.

A good indicator would be to see if he is growing a beard.

Lest we believe Ellen Cardoso will pay for Adriano's caipirinhas.

He does want to get back to playing soccer and earning a paycheck. Indications are that he will join Flamengo, his former club in August in time for the Brazilian Championship.

Luis Felipe Scolari has been approached by the Angolan FA to manage the Angolan national squad. His contract, if he accepts it, runs to the end of the Africa Cup of Nations which is to be hosted by Angola in January 2010.

Angola has been overshadowed by its West African counterparts and Egypt until recently when they qualified for the 2006 World Cup and entered the quarterfinals of the 2008 Africa Cup. They however failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

The Angolan squad has some quality players like Flavio Amado, Ze Kalanga, Luis Delgado, Gilberto Amaral and most notably Manucho. At the 2008 ACN, Manucho made a indelible impression scoring four goals and was included in the ACN's best XI. He has had successful loan seasons at Panathinaikos and Hull since joining Man Utd in January 2008. Angola now believes that they have the nucleus of a squad capable of winning their first ACN title.

By bringing Scolari on board the Angolan FA hopes to accomplish a dual role, first, his experience and leadership will make winning possible but just as importantly his international profile will showcase Angola's hosting of the ACN. In fact, the plan is to make him the public face of the competition just like he was for Portugal when they hosted the 2004 Euro.

As for Scolari, he has been linked to QPR and Man City, where embattled Mark Hughes faces a tough finishing stretch which could easily see the club flirting with relegation danger. It appears he is going to make his decision once the English season comes to an end.

Adriano 8 year association with Inter came to an end this Friday by mutual consent.

He failed to show up in Italy following the Brazil World Cup qualifier played at the beginning of this month stating that he no longer enjoyed playing soccer and wanted to remain in Brazil to think things through. Adriano's career took a nosedive battling depression after he broke up with fiancee Joana Machado.

Well we know now why he wants to remain in Brazil. He is now dating Brazilian singer-dancer Ellen Cardoso aka Mulher Moranguinho or Strawberry Woman. Can you blame him? She looks like the perfect antidote to a broken heart. Here is more of her >>

Tracer bullets kick up turf as players duck for cover

The news is that Wengers whingeing worked, a bit too late for Arsenal, but in time for the FA Cup final on the 30th of May.

In fact, the FA will work on an expedited schedule and re-lay the surface for the FA Trophy and Football League playoffs too. The new pitch will be a sand- soil type that will cost 90,000.

I hope the FA is keeping their subscription to Football and Sports Arena current. They should look into getting the hottest company in the business to re-lay the pitch.

Cesc Fabregas is slapped with two improper conducts over Spit-gate and Van Persie will be unavailable for the Man U showdown because of a groin problem. The injury list gets longer.

On another note: Tuesday night at Anfield was special for another reason. Ray Kennedy, the former Arsenal and Liverpool player making an appearance. Kennedy has fallen on hard times struggling with Parkinsons Disease and supporters from both clubs are raising money.

Here is the link to the website where you can make a donation.

Simon Kuper finds out that the EPL's favourite bogeyman, Michel Platini, like Obama, is just another armchair re-distributor of wealth.

However, Kuper ends more ominously with these words:

"English rule in football will eventually collapse. However, it will be ended not by some puny regulator but by something now unforeseen."

Susan Boyle, I knew not ye had such powers.

Jacob Zuma's ANC faction, which is backed by unions and the SACP is heading to a resounding victory in the SA elections.

Here is an earlier article that argues that his election will ensure the World Cup benefits those who need it most, the working class which seemed unlikely while his predecessor, the neo-liberal Thabo Mbeki was in power.

The Sunday Times list of richest sportsmen sees David Beckham at the top with a personal fortune of approximately £125 million.The next footballer in the top 20 is Michael Owen whose fortune stands at a measly £40 million in comparision.
And here's the secret of his success - as revealed to Elmo ( the red furry monster with an orange nose)

So now you know how he does it ."Persistence pays" is the secret mantra.And of course a teeny weeny bit of advertising every now and then also helps.So here's Beck's adding to his already incredible fortune by advertising the latest in mobile phones created by Motorola.

Paul Scholes celebrated his 600th by feeding Michael Carrick the perfect pass.

When Henry scored the fourth of Barcelona's four goals against Sevilla it was a new club record of 92 league goals for the season, surpassing Johan Cruyff's legendary "dream team" with six rounds of the championship still remaining.

Real Madrid won a game against Getafe that had much action,some violence - Pepe kicking Casquero (video),a thrilling winner from Higuain when it seemed all was lost (video) a final score that read 3 -2 which left Getafe wondering how they lost and pressure on Barcelona to maintain their lead .

David Beckham and British tennis player Andy Murray played a bit of tennis and football over a mosquito net to launch new charity Malaria No More UK.....

Paul Scholes plays for a personal milestone as Man U takes on Portsmouth. Scholes ranks fourth in all time appearances for his club. In the first five, Giggs and Neville, who are still playing, a testimony to the trio's staying power.

Congratulations to Scholes who has been in the thick of things of a team that is synonymous for millions with the Premiership. An impressive array of past and present players pay tribute to Man U's midfield maestro.

Today Man U also increased the ticket prices by £1 per game with effect next season. The only club to raise prices contrary to the deflationary spiral swirling in Europe. The most expensive ticket will now cost £49 per match with the cheapest £27.

10 years ago, ticket prices were £20 for the most expensive seats and £14 for the cheapest.

When did he fade?

Actually his career almost came to an end with a spate of injuries at Liverpool and Marseille. His Liverpool stay was complicated by a horrific fracture of the tibia and fibula that required internal fixation of the left leg. Most of his success came as a winger using his breakaway speed down the right flank, a transformation begun by Rafa following that injury.

By this time Cisse was fighting for first squad duty and actively began looking for a transfer. Marseille came knocking but on the eve of the World Cup, he broke his right leg. His loan delay put a crimp on Rafa's transfer plans. Cisse thus left Anfield with a cloud over him and a penchant for indiscipline and hirsute pursuits.

His slow start at Marseille frustrated impatient fans who thought his speed would complement Mamadou Niang and Samir Nasri and restore the club to its 1990s glory. It was left to Marseille great Jean Michael Papin to counsel patience. Cisse's return to form was a major factor in L'OM returning to CL competition in the 2007-2008 season. His loan transfer was taken over by the club and made permanent.

It was a matter of time before his success attracted Premiership attention including Man City. However he became one of Roy Keane's makeover of the 2008 Black Cats by signing a year loan contract and heralded his Premiership return with a winning goal against Spurs. In between he scored important goals against arch rivals Newcastle and Blackburn.

On April 18th he scored a disputed goal in a crucial win against Hull, which probably did enough to save manager Ricky Sbragia's job and give the club some breathing space in the relegation struggle.

For the season he has scored 11 goals which is almost as many as he scored in Liverpool and will be a major factor if Sunderland pulls off staying in the Premiership. Befittingly, Cisse wants to make this move permanent and Ricky Sbragia would only hope that chairman Niall Quinn obliges.

Here is Cisse's winner against Hull >>

Freddie Ljungberg's rocking first start resulted in a goal that continued the Seattle Sounders red hot streak. They have cooled off with two consecutive losses against the Wizards and Chivas . They have no goals and have conceded three.

Ljungberg and Colombian striker Fredy Montero are not linking up as well as Sigi Schmid would like and it is an issue that he needs to address on the field. This is what he says:

"(Freddie) Ljungberg and (Fredy) Montero have played together now a total of maybe 180 minutes. Once they got like 700 minutes together, I think they'll understand each other a lot better. So an awful lot of that depends on guys getting to know each other better ."

Seattle meets San Jose this weekend, a club that is leaking goals. Ljungberg and Seattle should be able to get back on track.

FIFA's TV rights will net R25 billion or $2.7 billion for the 2010 World Cup.

This is more than the combined total of the two previous World Cups from which FIFA earned R22 billion or $2.4 billion.

Link:

After an engrossing battle, this was probably the nail in the coffin. Arshavin crashing his shot through after racing across the field in tandem with Walcott who passed him the ball. 90th minute.

But it was not to be as Benayoun pounces on a loose ball with the Gunners making a hash of marking their players. The match ended in a 4-4 draw with both teams spanking each others defenses and leaving Rafa with a huge question mark.

Link:

Awful piece of defending by Carragher finds Arshavin in the right place. Liverpool responds though Torres after he schools Silvestre to make it 3-3.

Link:

Superb piece of opportunism and a cracking goal to get the equalizer. Before, Liverpool went up through Benayoun's header, 2-1

Link:

Liverpool answers though Torres, 1-1.

It makes you wonder even more why Wenger did not start him against Chelsea in the FA semi-final. Arshavin roared back with four against Liverpool including what appeared to be the winning goal before Benayoun scored the equalizer moments before the match ended.

The Reds were left contemplating their precarious return to the top of the table with Man U having two games in hand. Arshavin's four goals in a league game were the first at Anfield in 64 years.

Adebayor was not in the squad and Walcott was left on the bench. With Drogba blowing past Silvestre last week for the winning goal, Sir Alex must have had palpitations wondering if the ex Man U player would be shredded like cheese by Torres. He was but so was the Liverpool defense by Arshavin.

Sepp Blatter has finally been given some long overdue censure for chucking his weight about and acting as if the whole place belonged to him.Read all about it here.

The history of soccer balls starting from 1963 when Adidas first thought it would be a good idea to make them and came up with something that looked like this... It was the first ball used in the World Cup that had 32 black and white panels.It was called "The TELSTAR " and was more visible on black and white televisions - (possibly because more people had black and white TV's than colour TV's in those days).More such fascinating facts and intriguing trivia here...

Link:

...of the top ten most embarassing manager celebrations - as compiled by the Mirror here...

Anders Limpar was a handful for the Red Devils. His blistering run set up Ridout's goal. In the second half Everton had to turn back Giggs and Scholes.

The first time in 14 years. Today they beat Man U on penalties.

Berbatov makes a Robinho like hash and Tim Howard saves Rio Ferdinand's effort.

Everton won the 1995 FA Cup beating Man Utd in the final. Paul Rideout scored the winning goal. Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, and Paul Scholes were part of the losing team.

Man Utd were also beaten to the Premiership title by Blackburn. They also crashed out of the CL in the group stage missing out to Barca on goal difference. It was a rare bad year for the Red Devils.

Some welcome closure for the families affected by the tragedy.

The Home Office in consultation with the South Yorkshire constabulary will release documents waiving aside a 30 year rule.

Answers have been sought regarding police evacuation plans and the reported denial of emergency medical attention. Doubts have also been expressed at the blanket inquest that found all 96 victims dead, or brain dead by 3:15 PM.

Wenger's criticism of the pitch might have merit. Yes, the Wembley stadium operators could care less as long as it holds the weight of 15,000 standing fans attending a concert by some aging rockers but it should not deflect from his puzzling selection choices.

The pitch was the same for both clubs. Chelsea had figured out that they would win in the air.

No game on the left without Arshavin and Nasri. Arshavin's omission was most glaring. The most expensive player in club history sitting on the bench for most of the match.

Fabregas was left without Song, his deputy. Song is having his best season, he's been physical and his defensive help would have been much appreciated in this game. Wenger mentioned in his press conference that Song needed a break. Nasri had not fully recovered from the flu. Diaby was brought in to offset Chelsea's physicality.

Lukasz Fabianski's mistake proved costly. He covered Silvestre's lack of pace against Rossi in the Villareal match by effectively timing his runs but he picked the wrong player this time. Our defensive woes really showed up. I think Fabianski is a good goalie and is very ambitious but Almunia can feel safe after this display.

Wenger may have his explanations but his match selection was debatable. It might reflect his opinion of the FA Cup in the grand scheme of things when weighing out priorities. But the FA Cup was our best chance and the most egalitarian of silverware.

A wonderful nickname for Drobga.Here he scoring the goal that took the FA cup away from Arsenal..

Link:

A £100m infusion of cash from one of their major investors gives a boost to the troubled Irish TV giants.

They have lost out to Rupert Murdoch's Sky Sports who have taken over their Premiership broadcast business. The SPL too is renegotiating its deal as they are worried that they may lose substantial amounts of money with Setanta potentially facing bankruptcy.

For all you relegation bound clubs. Know this. We love you. Because you might not get there but we recognize your talent and more importantly, your courage. Its hidden like Susan Boyle, under a disheveled look, bushy eyebrows and all. She unlike Beckham, has made the big crossover.

And if you get there, we too will be gobsmacked. So fight on Baggies.

Eduardo Galeano became the talking point when Barack Obama and Hugo Chavez met up in a very anticipated encounter at the OAS.

Chavez thrust Eduardo Galeano's "The Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent" into the hands of Obama. This of course is a vast improvement from the Venezuelan president's invocation of the "devil" being present when George W Bush addressed the UN. Chavez with this gesture at least acknowledges that the present US president is capable of reading more complex books than The Pet Goat.

However for us soccer lovers, Galeano's Soccer in Sun and Shadow should be familiar reading. It gives great insights with a lyricality similar to that of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and pulls no punches when it comes to the unpalatable truths of the politics that distort the beautiful game.

This season's Premiership was lost long ago and today our chances of winning the FA Cup ended. We now have the CL left and our road goes through Man U. Are our boys hungry enough?

Let me say this. I have no idea what Wenger was thinking when he signed on Silvestre. It is a mystery, just like the cure for the common cold. But Silvestre is a convenient excuse for another edition of the soft underbelly of the Gunners which gets exposed repeatedly in games that count.

It is a matter of seizing a wisp of a chance like Drogba did and pounding on for what it is worth because somewhere down the line, a ruthless striker like he, figures out there is a great chance of a breakdown occurring with an out of depth defender and a hyperventilating goalie. Which is what happened.

Arsenal is not feared even as it wins matches because of moments like these.

Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho,Rai, Marcelinho Carioca, Edmundo, Djalminha, Juninho Paulista, Rivaldo, Denilson, Kaka,Robinho,Dener,Garrincha,Rivelino, Jairzinho,Tostao,Falcao, Socrates, Zico, Eder ,Leonidas da Silva, Zizinho or Julinho,Edu,Reinaldo,Renato Gaucho and er ..Pele.The list of names goes back beyond the sixties.The question is being asked here..
And while we ponder over that here are Pele and Garrincha in their prime at the 1966 world cup.

Arsenal is missing its defense. Let me not understate the obvious. Anytime Mikael Silvestre is brought on, it is not just dire. It is a crisis.

We do not have Gallas, Clichy, Djorou, Sagna, Almunia and now Gibbs possibly out with a groin problem. In fact, Silvestre will probably be shunted to the left and Song will pair up with Toure as center back. Eboue will see duty on the right. The midfield will be manned by Nasri, Arshavin, Fabregas, and Walcott. Up top lies Adebayor. His choice of attacking partner should be a toss up between Eduardo and Van Persie. If it were left to me then Eduardo should start because he is a better opportunist. In fact, his fox in the box reputation will have to serve him well.

The immediate problem Arsenal's makeshift defense faces is to limit the damage that Nicolas Anelka, Frank Lampard, and Didier Drogba can do up front. In fact, it was the subservient play of Anelka that set up Drogba and Lampard's goals against Liverpool.

Chelsea's defense has been criticized for conceding 7 goals in 2 games but it should not obfuscate the fact that Chelsea's goals have also come from Ivanovic and Alex who have come up big on set pieces. Alex's place will be taken by Terry returning from suspension. Terry scores goals on an average similar to that of Gallas, the best scoring Arsenal defender, who unfortunately is out for the season. One also has to pay close attention to Michael Essien whose long range efforts have sunk the Gunners before.

The bottom line is that Arsenal's attack has to capitalize on its chances that its superior midfield creates because the defense does not have a Joleon Lescott or Matthew Taylor to offset the pressure of a less than stellar day from Adebayor, Fabregas or Arshavin.

When Andrei Arshavin takes the field against Chelsea, chances are that he will make lots of eye contact with Guus Hiddink, his national coach. After all it was under the Dutchman that Arshavin, late at 28 years and with hitherto unknown powers, became the hit of Euro 2008.

Clubs came clamouring and in the winter he made his move from Zenit St Petersburg to the Emirates. He has been a large part of Arsenal's revival. But this could have been an entirely different story if it was not for a couple of Dutch coaches who sought to change his
lackadaisical approach to the game, even as they saw brilliance on the field.

First, Dick Advocaat at Zenit St Petersburg and then Hiddink as the Russian team manager took it on themselves to teach him to play 90 minutes. As the Dutch in Euro 2008 found out to their detriment coming unglued against Arshavin's omnipresence on the field.

Arsenal's splurge on Arshavin would have never happened if these two managers had not imbued his talent with discipline. Hiddink will be grateful if the older version of Arshavin shows up tomorrow.

Good times. No, awesome times. Wonder goals by Ray Parlour and Freddie"Orange Hair" Ljungberg.

It always comes as a bit of a shock: The number of English players in the 2002 squad:

Parlour, Keown, Adams, Dixon, Campbell, Cole, Wright, and Seaman.

It puts into context the snide criticism of Wenger as one of the culprits held responsible for undermining the national game by encouraging the foreign invasion. Now that Capello seems to be winning matches handily, it seems to have subsided.

On the wrong side, a very young John Terry, Frank Lampard, Carlo Cudicini, and William Gallas saw their team go down. As did Petit who spurned his old club to come back to Chelsea. Wrong move, Emmanuel! You should have counseled Ashley Cole too.

It features 82 year old Jankel Schor of Brazil who can apparently keepie-uppie a football 3000 times in a row.That's 3000 times more than Blatter is likely to be able to manage.Jankel's feat might make Blatter change his mind about age limits for Olympic football players - something he has been blathering about of late.

Making a mountain out of a molehill is par for Sir Alex.

Then channeling Allardyce to air his grudges is even better. He knows Big Sam and Rafa have a history. Its a bit like this. Rafa's description of Everton being a 'small club' is to challenge them to win against Man U. The media then picks up on the meme of a stumbling club and the players internalize it. SAF is a bit worried about his club's psyche at this delicate juncture.

Lukasz Fabianksi timed his runs out of goal to deny Giuseppe Rossi.

It became apparent that the goalkeeper was cognizant of the speed mismatch between Rossi and Silvestre and deliberately acted as a fifth back. Although he was not tested often, except for that Diego Godin header at the end of the first half, he looked solid and decisive overall.

April 21st:Arsenal meet Liverpool
May 10th: Arsenal meet Chelsea
May 16th: Arsenal meet Man Utd

Throw the CL semi-final legs into the mix and every Gunner will be able to tell you the exact number of hairs in Ronaldo's nose by season end.

All this is going to get, up close and personal. Arsenal is playing kingmaker and the clubs in title contention are aware that a loss to the Gunners is probably going to spell doom for their chances in the Premiership.

Liverpool are going to be under pressure right away with the 21st April match against Arsenal as Man U should have an easy time against Portsmouth. A loss would push the Reds back four points. A draw would not do as much damage and a win would essentially keep them breathing hard on Man U's shoulder.

Things get very interesting in the second week of May. Chelsea visit Arsenal on May 10th. On that day Man U host City. That day could decide Chelsea's title hopes. 13th May, Man U travel to Wigan. Liverpool and Chelsea will be watching that game very closely because Man U's one game advantage ends that day. With a normalized point total the path to the title becomes clearer.

The Wigan game segues into the grueling game against Arsenal on the 16th of May. That will be the Red Devils 3rd game in less than a week. With the CL fixture, their 4th in 11 days. Liverpool and Chelsea will probably hope that tiredness will cause less alacrity on the field and yield a favourable result. Should Man U fall, their games against West Brom and Rovers next day should set up a fascinating finale on the last day of the Premiership.

It will probably come down to goal difference. Liverpool has an advantage and it needs one because they also have the toughest opposition in Spurs as compared to the other two clubs who have Hull City and Sunderland.

The goal that Porto had no comeback to.

C. Ronaldo 1:0 gegen FC Porto - MyVideo

I saw Milan play some of the most insipid soccer against Chievo this weekend. They should consider themselves lucky to escape with a win.

Ancelotti manages a club that is a shelter for players reaching retirement age, wracked with injuries, and who are discarded by other clubs. Through this osmotic process, Beckham came back to his warm embrace and so did Sheva.

Players like Seedorf, Maldini, Nesta, Gattuso, and Jankulovski have gone well past the born on date. Unfortunately for them the Serie season does not get shorter, so they drift in and out with injuries and exhaustion. Milan is now in a dogfight with Genoa for a CL spot.

Let me put it this way. Is Chelsea ready for a coach that brought back Sheva? A player whose stratospheric transfer price and indifferent form was key to the falling out between Mourinho and Abramovich.

Ancelotti was pursued as Grant's successor in the 2008 summer before turning it down. His managerial form since then should not inspire confidence.

A tragedy that killed 96 LFC fans. In the aftermath, it bought an end to perimeter fencing, over crowded terraces, reformed policing practices, and improved medical services. The changes have bought safety and comfort to the English football fan even as other European nations struggle with regular breakdowns.

Strangely enough even after 20 years many details of that day remain unknown because the British government's inquiry never went public with its findings increasing the anguish of those who lost loved ones in that tragedy and wanted answers. Despite many appeals and campaigns, the government's 30 year moratorium on declassification means that another decade will pass before the truth is revealed. That maybe about to change as calls for transparency have gotten louder within the government.

A charity match between Leeds Badgers and Bristol Academy to raise funds for a Meningitis trust went on for 36 hours.The score at the end was 285-255.Since they had been playing for so long most of the players couldn't remember which team had actually scored more goalsThey had to check on the video evidence and logbook keepers to be really sure.Report...

Mission accomplished .The first bit of it anyway.

What happens when you conjure Severus Snape aka Alan Rickman with a football. You get Andrea Pirlo. They look alike.

Barack Obama smarting from West Ham's weekend loss against Spurs and a 75% failure rate in the Final Four, maybe a bit of a lightweight when it comes to picking sports teams that actually win but in throwing his weight behind the US bid for the 2018 World Cup, he knows a good thing, especially in capturing the hearts and minds of the world. The US under George W Bush was consistently amongst the most unpopular countries in the world even amongst allies.

“Soccer is truly the world’s sport, and the World Cup promotes camaraderie and friendly competition across the globe,” Obama added in the letter, a part of which was released to The New York Times by the United States Soccer Federation with permission from the White House.

“That is why this bid is about much more than a game,” he added. “It is about the United States of America inviting the world to gather all across our great country in celebration of our common hopes and dreams.”

Which makes Henry Kissinger's selection to the US World Cup bid committee even more baffling. If you want the world to celebrate the US and share in its common hopes and dreams, why would you want someone, as declassified material increasingly reveal, happens to be a central figure in the 1970s subversion of democracy in South America by supporting some of its most repressive regimes. He has also been held responsible for expanding the Vietnam War to Cambodia and Laos that cost millions their lives.

Kissinger may have been instrumental in bringing the 1994 World Cup to the US and endeared himself to Sepp Blatter but this was well before a spate of investigations sought to examine his culpability in these crimes. One of them was launched by Baltazar Garzon from Spain, famously known for issuing a 1998 arrest warrant for Auguste Pinochet, the Chilean dictator. Criminal proceedings have begun in Spain against six Bush administration officials over the advocacy and use of enhanced interrogation tactics aka torture. Needless to say the Spanish are serious about these crimes against humanity.

Mixed in with the practical considerations of making a successful bid is the idea that the World Cup however imperfectly, brings together people from different countries with varied political systems, which the US seriously undermined under Kissinger's tenure as Secretary of State under Nixon. Having Kissinger on the committee undercuts both Obama's message of hope and the essence of the World Cup.

Chelsea fans take heart. Getafe shocks Barca with many of those present today making appearances. Messi was there and he could do nothing. Chelsea meet Barca in the first CL semi-final.

Even George Steinbrenner in his heydays could never match Ramon Calderon in his contemptuous disregard of managers. Exhibit A is Fabio Capello who actually won them the Liga in 2007 after Fiorentina Perez's expensive set of superstars went three seasons without a title. The Italian with his unimaginative style but effective style of soccer was fired even as Juande Ramos, the present coach emulates his approach.

Bernd Schuster became Capello's replacement largely because of his heroics in getting Getafe, a perpetually under rated team to the 2007- 2008 UEFA Cup after humiliating Barcelona, 4-0 in the second leg of the Copa Del Rey semi-final. He joined Calderon's Real paying out of pocket to break his contract. Under him Real got back on track playing attractive and attacking soccer after Capello's defensive dourness and they won the 2007 Liga. This set up the off season conflagration with Man Utd over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2008 season began with Robinho, a prime mover in the Liga success making his dramatic move to the Premiership.

In the end, for all his Kaa like efforts, Calderon was unable to beguile Ronaldo to Real. The one track mission proved dear as the club did not land any other notable players like Villa, Fabregas, or Cazorla. Schuster in essence was shafted. A bad loss to Valencia at the Bernabeu had the media chattering. Then came his fifth column moment when he went public stating in essence Real would never beat Barcelona in the Clasico. That was the end. He was terminated last December. He left the club quietly until now.

He calls Ramon Calderon "Gomina" which is hair gel in Spanish. I think he means a slick shyster. He defends his so called traitorous moment by saying that he wanted to motivate his players against Barcelona. He was never given the players he was promised because of Calderon's all consuming pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo.

It is easy to see why Schuster became a favourite of Maradona. They are larger than life personalities who never hold their tongue when going up against authority. Real might be running a steadier ship under Juande Ramos last seen struggling with self esteem issues under Daniel Levy at Tottenham but with Barca running away with the Liga title and Real crashing out of the CL, there is talk that his days are numbered. Now we have Senna imploring Wenger not to join Real.

Ramon Calderon should be exiled in the Island of Elba.

Will the Gunners injury woes on defense expose them or will Villareal's similar problems on attack prove to be their downfall.

Villareal's injury problems are probably more significant in their overall impact to their game as compared to the Gunners.

Both Senna and Cazorla are out and especially without Cazorla's energetic forays wide on the left, the Villareal attack became patchy and predictable against Arsenal in the first leg. They have been on a bit of a swoon without the services of Cani and Mati Fernandez through injuries in their weekend loss to Malaga. The midfield duo are expected to start against Arsenal.

Arsenal are without Almunia, Gallas, and Clichy. Djourou starting for Gallas went down in the Wigan match with a knee injury. He was replaced with Silvestre. Almunia's place has been taken over by Fabianski.

Therein lies some potential for the Villareal attack.

The matchup that one worries most about is Silvestre against Rossi. It was Rossi's clash with Gallas that caused the ankle ligament injury and ended his season. Before that Gallas was having all kinds of problems keeping the fleet footed Rossi at bay before the Italian striker ran out of steam. Silvestre will find it difficult to match Rossi's speed and outside help will be needed to cut off the strikers supply from Cani and Ibazaga. We can hope that the damage done will be limited.

Fabianski lapses in judgement against Wigan did not prove costly as the Gunners scored enough goals and in the Villareal match he was inconsistent with his clearances, although never really seriously troubled.

Manuel Pellegrini will look to his players to exploit these potential weaknesses.

Senna's interview was supposedly all about how the Arsenal young guns would dominate Europe one day. Cuddly enough but not original at all.

However, the overwhelming feeling is that Senna, the first leg goalscorer is playing a bit of a headgame with Arsenal's goalscorer who was widely praised for his spectacular equalizer. Senna was not as impressed.

"I have scored more beautiful goals than that one," the 32-year-old said. "At the end of last season I scored one from near the halfway line against Real Betis."

"Adebayor didn't impress me. At my age, and with everything I have seen in football, it is very difficult to find a player who impresses me."

Senna won't be there because of a hamstring injury but he is making sure that his presence is felt in other ways.

Superb match. Here is a match report.

Michael Essien is an athletic beast. He got his head down in time for a goal line save in the 90th minute as Cech was beaten all ends up. The Blues would have gone to the semi-finals on goal aggregate even in defeat. It was a pulsating encounter with end to end action.

But Liverpool was riding on emotion with the observance of the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy this week. The odds were stacked against them. Away from home, a two goal deficit to surmount, without captain and talisman Steve Gerrard, and Chelsea's stingy defense. But two goals early in the first half had their faithful fans daring to dream. Could they pull off a win with a large enough goal margin to keep their CL hopes alive? Fabio Aurelio's free kick minus power but enough angle caught Cech by surprise. Soon after Alonso was pulled down by Ivanovic in the penalty area and the resultant PK was converted. The stands became a sea of red with fans waving flags and jerseys.

Hiddink's recent faith in Drogba has paid dividends with the physical centerforward providing a lot of the impetus in Chelsea's charge late into the season. He was right there to change the complexion of the game in the second half. Drogba's touch off an Anelka sideline cross changed the trajectory enough causing Reina to deflect the ball into his own goal. A period followed when Liverpool seemed to be penalized for every tackle with Drogba squarely in the middle. His dramatics paid off as Alex continued a Chelsea trend of defenders scoring from set pieces, blasting home a rocket of a free kick that evaded Reina. It was Drogba again who had a hand the third goal, his sidefooted pass finding an onrushing Lampard who slotted the ball past Reina. Fans who had been subdued in the first half, came alive waving flags and chanting Chelsea Chelsea. Hiddink suddenly animated, punched his fist into the air. The Blues were up 3-2 and were coasting to the semi-finals.

Liverpool did not give up and it was Benayoun's nifty feet and pass which isolated Lucas with enough time to snap of a shot which was fortuitously deflected into goal by Essien. A minute later Reira who had come on as a sub to Mascherano ran wide on the left and centered a cross which found Kuyt muscling in for the header. The pendulum had swung all the way back. This was a slugfest going all 10 rounds and the ebb and flow seemed to have drained the fans. Stamford Bridge eerily fell quiet. It was left to Lampard to score off an Anelka pass and secure the draw.

Two teams came to play. Chelsea moves on. Liverpool goes back to what will be an emotional day tomorrow. If there is to be a source of comfort to the team, it is in this, they did not let down the 96 fallen. They would have been proud of their team.

The mind boggles at what the tally of red cards might have been if it hadn't been a peace match...!Three players and both coaches were sent off on Sunday in a Brazilian derby which had been preceded by a campaign to promote peace between the supporters of Juventude and Caxias.
Gilmar Iser, coach of Juventude,ran on to the pitch to protest a decision and he got sent off.Then the Caxias coach who has a rather unfortunate and mind boggling kind of name also got dismissed after an angry exchange with the fourth official.Things got worse and three more players got their marching orders.Details here...

Torres' dedication of the two goals he scored on saturday "These goals are for the 96 and their families because I know that Saturday was a special day for them with it being the home game closest to the anniversary"
.

With Easter being the story of the thrilling surprise ending here are three matches that tried to live up to their Easter weekend billing by being either surprising or thrilling or both...
The 6 goal thrillers - First Lazio vs Roma [ 4 -2 ] Report and video.
Then the Aston Villa - Everton thriller. [ 3 -3 ] Report and video.
And finally the seven goal thriller.Chelsea - Bolton [ 4 - 3] Report and video

What that means is that they took their time getting past Wigan and not without some help of the ref...

...for the second time in a row Macheda saved Man U from losing their top spot.

Masterclass.He wasn't even looking at the goal.Blackburn went down tamely 4 - 0 .

The day that changed forever how football was played in England.

On 15 April 1989, 96 Liverpool fans lost their lives and 788 were injured. Amongst them was Steven Gerrard's 10 year old cousin, whose untimely death proved to be the inspiration for his success.

Gerrard recalls that day and says he will never forget:

"I was completely and utterly shocked whilst wondering if there was anyone we knew really close at the game. And then going to bed that night, lying there praying and keeping your fingers crossed that it didn't get any worse to what we had already heard. Unfortunately for myself and my family we got the dreaded knock the next morning to say a member of our family had been tragically killed."

Living in India at that time, I heard about the tragedy from newspapers and on radio. The news that 96 fans had lost their lives crushed against fences seemed so reminiscent of the bus falls into the ravine type of tragedy that we had grown accustomed to at home, it was inconceivable that it had taken place in the UK.

Even the Indian public that was agog in those days over Ayotallah Khomeini's fatwa against Salman Rushdie for writing Satanic Verses stopped in disbelief as the body count went up and up.

Some creative terminology to describe Michael Essien's relentless marking of Steven Gerrard the other day.

Man U is still on top with a game in hand with Liverpool chasing them hard.

I am betting that Chelsea wins the Premiership.

What a difference a couple of weeks can make.

Guus Hiddink is bringing the best out of his players at just the right time. Michael Essien's return has brought back the toughness that seemed to be missing in the midfield. His presence has unshackled Frank Lampard to roam upfield and he has been on fire even as Anelka's production has dropped. Didier Drogba has reasserted his old physical style. The iron curtain of John Terry, Jose Bosingwa, Ashley Cole, have conceded only 17 goals, the best in the Premiership.

Chelsea's deep bench strength also accounts for the fresher legs of the starters late into the season. They have the luxury of drawing players like Kalou, Belletti, Malouda, and Ballack.
Unlike the last two seasons there are no outstanding injury problems that decimated key players in crucial matches. Chelsea also has the advantage of a number of home games, arguably the best schedule amongst the title contenders.

Man U looks like it needs a second wind with injuries and suspensions to key players like Ferdinand, Vidic, Berbatov and Rooney that have sapped them of much needed momentum. Giggs, Scholes, and Neville are carrying their craft on aging legs. But their replacements show a talent gap. Carrick and Fletcher played adequately but I would not bet on them to carry the team.

Liverpool shows an interesting pattern of goal scoring with clumps of wins interspersed with dreary draws. They are due for a patch of dullness which has already begun with the loss to Chelsea. Plus, they live by Gerrard and they die by Gerrard. Even with Alonso, Mascherano, and the wiles of the occasional Benayoun.

Hiddink thrives on these clearly defined missions. Brought into resuscitate a flagging Chelsea and now they are in position to pull off a stunning upset. He then departs in less than two months to resume coaching the Russian team.

He reminds me of Harvey Keitel's character in Pulp Fiction.

''David Beckham will have a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally,'' said Timothy J. Leiweke, president and CEO of AEG, the sports and entertainment conglomerate that operates the Galaxy. ``David is truly the only individual that can build the bridge between soccer in America and the rest of the world.''

MLS might have in a delusion of grandeur anointed him saviour of US soccer but Beckham is not complaining. This is one retiree who will not have to work again. The LA Galaxy stint has swollen his bank account even as he has become indispensable to Carlo Ancelotti's title aspirations.

"Although the former English team captain has scored just five goals in 30 games during his first two seasons with the Galaxy, the move across the pond has proved to be a financial windfall: Of the $95 million he has earned during the past two years, $66 million come from endorsement contracts, including Adidas, Armani and Motorola."

Only Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan pulled in more endorsement money. They however, unlike Beckham, proved to be more transformational in their sports without it ever being part of the suggested resume.

A mirror into the divide between England's wholehearted embrace of the financial stimulus and the rest of Europe's go slow attitude. The overtly capitalistic Premiership does not just attract the most money but it also likes to live beyond its means.

The Forbes list of the top 20 richest clubs is out, and Arsenal finds itself behind Man U and Real at the top in valuations. However, Arsenal's investment in the Emirates has loaded it with the highest debt to value shortfall of 127%. This is a noticeable feature in all English clubs save Man City.

Following Arsenal is Chelsea and Newcastle. There are six English clubs amongst the clubs with the largest debt to value percentages. In contrast, the German and Spanish clubs seem to live well within their means. Barcelona is the hottest club not just in terms of performance but in financial health too.

Defeating Chelsea at home with a two goal deficit will be a difficult mountain to climb. Especially without a fully fit Gerrard.

Rafa Benitez should cut his losses, give enough time to Gerrard to heal, and get back on track in the Premiership.

They have Blackburn on Saturday to deal with and they have to literally shove the Chelsea defeat out of their minds. Sam Allardyce knows a thing or two about frustrating top level competition.

Looming in the horizon is the Arsenal encounter which would require a squad at full strength. The Gunners have the best record in matches played between the top four teams.

I have no idea how Mark Hughes does this.

Manage a club with so many players who are no shows. The club with the most bloated transfer payroll with very little to show for it. His star player is the Lindsey Lohan of the soccer world with his fair share of entries in the police blotter. Even his countrymen have washed their hands of Robinho. This fate might have befallen Jo, another double digit million pound acquisition but he found himself Everton where he and Louis Saha have rejuvenated their careers.

Hughes Blackburn teams were defensive moats, now City can't throw down the drawbridge soon enough. Micah Richards has fallen way below in Capello's depth chart after Steve McLaren could not do without him. Piotr Trochowski torched him in the Hamburg match.

More kudos to Steven Ireland, their best player whose legacy could have been defined in an entirely different way but who chose to prove his worth on the field. He rightfully questioned the courage of his team mates.

Previously I had argued that Hughes was the perfect manager for a scrappy, chip on the shoulder type of a club like Blackburn, where he served as manager. The club regularly bench pressed far above its capability with no name players. A club very much like the one he faced last night.

Maurice Edu took full advantage of his start against St Mirren to score the winning goal in a 2-1 win. Marcus DaBeasley also started the match but left the match after 15 minutes with an injury to the ribs.

Walter Smith is being a bit coy about Edu's chances of replacing Barry Feguson who is out of the Rangers line up after the SPL ban. However, Rangers are running out of midfield options with Lee McCulloch also out with an ankle injury. Edu's noteworthy performance should open up the door for more starting minutes.

Its presently about £650m. But Man U should pass the stress test.

Messi..

A spate of injuries dog Arsenal yet again. The Villareal draw proved Pyrrhic.

William Gallas season ended with a medial collateral ligament injury when he collided with Rossi. In his place, Wenger will start Djourou.

Rossi was also involved in a collision with Almunia which resulted in the Spaniard's suffering a bruised ankle bone. Gael Clichy strained his back. Both are doubtful for the match against Wigan. Fabianski will get a start but Clichy's left back position is harder to fill. Wenger could start Kieran Gibbs who has already come on as a sub for Clichy.

It might help to win before you get drunk. But when you lose and then get drunk, then that's pushing your luck. Especially if you are the Czech Republic which is struggling to remain in World Cup qualifying contention.

The Czech FA banned Tomas Ujfalusi, Martin Fenin, Milan Baros, Vaclav Sverkos, Radoslav Kovac and Marek Matejovsky for drinking till the wee hours after their loss against Slovakia. Their first defeat at the hands of their neighbours in 12 years and their second incident of binge drinking

They also sacked coach Petr Rada for his team's poor performances. Ujfalusi, the captain also announced his retirement from international soccer.

The Czech government lost a no confidence vote and now they do not have a soccer team.

Der Kaiser has taken an exceedingly dim view of Bayern's shellacking at the hands of Barca.

"This is a catastrophe," Beckenbauer told Premiere Television after the 4-0 defeat against Barcelona. "This is schoolboy stuff. The first half was the worst I have ever seen Bayern play."

Ouch.

Bayern now wait at home for Barca to nail the coffin shut. More problematic is their insipid form in the Bundesliga. They lag behind VFL Wolfsburg, SV Hamburger and Hertha Berlin in the race for the title with Stuttgart and Hoffenheim breathing hard down their neck. They face Eintracht Frankfurt this Saturday, a club which seems to showing signs of revival.

If Klinsi slips up against Eintracht, he could be out of a job. Sunil Gulati may still be very, very interested.

It never works when a national coach is so openly contemptuous of the domestic league. Even as the national team does well.

Pim Verbeek's success has the FFA and the media swooning but it has left the A-League owners fuming. They point to his Eurocentric attitude in encouraging talented young players to leave the A League and at the same time discouraging Socceroos from returning home from Europe.

The yawning talent gap was cited as a factor in the 5-0 thrashing of Central Coast by Kawasaki Frontale in an Asian Champions League match. Central Coast signing of Scott Chipperfield fell through in the 11th hour as he decided to extend his FC Basel contract. Chipperfield was apparently convinced by Verbeek that remaining in Europe would be better for him.

There are two points to this story. First, there were already a number of overseas players like Mark Viduka, Brett Emerton, and Lucas Neill from sports programs established by Australian Institute of Sports (AIS). More importantly, the success of the 2006 Socceroos shone a spotlight on these players who competed in the European leagues. The A-League established in 2005 did not incubate this talent. Thus, national success has very little to do with the establishment of the A League. Pragmatic coaches like Guus Hiddink and now Pim Verbeek know that. They are brought in for the short measure and their job is to ensure the 2006 success. The best way to replicate this is to use the talent already present and eschew a national development scheme which might bear fruit many years later, if at all. Graham Arnold might have entertained the crazy notion of using Oz based players but his teams performance led to a national hangover.

Unfortunately what happens to A-League club players is that national selection then seems contingent on European exposure. Hence the desire to leave and a reluctance to come back. A message Pim Verbeek seems to have articulated quite vocally and is now taking heat from the A League managers.

This is the reverse of the J League established in 1992. Their first international star was Hidetoshi Nakata who started in that league. Shunsuke Nakamura, the Celtic standout played for five years for the Yokohma Marinos. It took Japan ten years but the 2002 World Cup squad that tasted quarterfinal success was the outcome of indigenous talent exclusively nurtured by the J-League. It continues to this day. The fortunes of the national team is inextricably linked with J-League success.

Barry Hall makes an appeal to tamp down all the ugly rubbish that goes on in Aussie Rules games because he wants the next generation of kids to keep coming and carry on the footy tradition.

Aussie Rules is still the number one sport but there is concern at the huge inroads that soccer has made. From a sport that was derogatorily called Wogball to the national mainstream in a few years, soccer's success has the AFL worried for footy's future.

Many parents already consider soccer to be a safer option for kids and it has supplanted Aussie Rules amongst the school going population. It has led Aussie Rules to change the rules to make it safer and reverse the trend. Unfortunately for them, the mob mentality that usually accompanies these games which led to the beating up of the father of Nathan Jones, a Melbourne player, does not help their cause. A number of other factors like the Socceroos international success, a well attended domestic league, and a real possibility of getting the 2018 World Cup are fueling soccer's progress.

Concerned enough that the most recognizable footy personality has to make a personal appeal.

Dean Ashton has been out for ever. The West Ham striker started in blazing fashion and then suffered a crippling ankle injury which will keep him out for the rest of the 2008-09 season. A huge blow for goal strapped West Ham. It maybe blasphemy to say this but a few more strikes and the club could be challenging Arsenal just like Villa and Everton for the last CL spot.

Ashton has Os Trigonum Syndrome.

The Os Trigonum is a small extra bone formation behind the ankle bone (talus). It is the result of a failure to fuse with the talus although it remains attached through fibrous tissue. Approximately 7% of the population is born with this condition, making it rare. Usually the extra bone remains asymptomatic but in active athletes and ballet dancers where the ankle is subject to repeated stress, especially with downward pointing of the toes (plantarflexion) the Os Trigonum can be crunched between the talus and the heel bone (calcaneus) and pulled loose. This stretches or tears the fibrous tissue connecting the Os Trigonum and the talus resulting in pain especially on downward pointing or pushing off the toes ground when walking. There is also tenderness and swelling behind the ankle. Careful history taking and radiological tests can establish this condition and rule out other similar ankle and foot conditions like an Achilles Tendon injury, ankle sprain, or ankle fracture.

Conservative measures include protracted periods of rest, immobilization with a foot brace, ice packs, and pain medication like NSAIDs or cortisone injections to reduce inflammation. If the condition proves intractable, surgical procedures involve removing the Os Trigonum.

Whatever measures Ashton takes, it remains a condition that keeps players away for protracted periods, and in West Ham's case, a major factor to cement an UEFA spot.

I would like to point out the hypocrisy of the South African government when they deny the Dalai Lama's visa to attend a Desmond Tutu sponsored World Cup peace conference.

The official explanation is that the SA government feared that the Dalai Lama would use the conference as a platform to advocate Tibetan sovereignty which would distract from the World Cup and its apolitical message.

Thabo Masebe, spokesman for President Kgalema Motlanthe, said now was not the time for such a high-profile visit from the Tibetan spiritual leader and added that South Africa hoped to avoid being "the source of negative publicity about China."

China is SA's biggest trading partner and it is widely believed that the Dalai Lama was denied his visa because of pressure from the Chinese government.

This is rich coming from a country that suffered the brunt of sporting sanctions for more than four decades as a political tool to force them to renounce apartheid. That it comes from the ANC controlled government, the organization that fought for equal rights and free speech is even more troubling. The World Cup was awarded to the SA government to showcase their place in Africa and the world as a country that had buried that ugly part of their history and was ready to move on.

I have been one of the biggest advocates of the SA World Cup and have been very critical of other countries efforts to cast aspersions on their preparation citing its high crime rate, unchecked AIDS epidemic, and lack of infrastructure. This however gets my goat. A country that should realize more than most the liberating power of political self expression is bowing its head to a country that takes it away.

Liverpool is Steven Gerrard and Steven Gerrard is Liverpool.

Wait a minute, they have Torres, Alonso, a bloke called Riera who is having a pretty good season, and Pepe Reina whose ICBMs have led to Kim Jong- il offering him North Korean citizenship. They are multifaceted and multitudinous after bashing Man U and Villa as per pundits.

Its not working as long as Stevie G takes the day off. Chelsea proved it as they reduced Liverpool's heartbeat to a guest appearance. He was an onlooker when Branislav Ivanovic, the Serbian defender rose unchallenged to score the decisive second goal. The rest of the time was spent in disastrous Hindenburg like endeavours to airlift the ball to Torres or Kuyt.

Chelsea ran out easy 3-1 winners at Anfield. I have no idea what Rafa plans at Stamford Bridge but at this point Chelsea coasting to a semi-final berth is a done deal.

I fear for soccer. I fear for soccer as long as Barca plays like it played today. To cast aside a proud Bayern, 4 times CL winner, like an irritating gnat with a contemptuous flick of the wrist. At moments of the match, I had the irrational thought that Pep Guardiola would like Ashoka, the great Indian emperor after the Kalinga war, survey the carnage and have an epiphany: "Lord, what have I done?"

But Guardiola looked like he wanted Howard Webb's head on a platter after the referee turned down Messi's pleas for a penalty when brought down by Oddo. All thoughts of a second life of ceasefires and diplomacy evaporated. By the time the first half finished, Barca were up four goals. 4, 6, or 20. It would have made no difference. The scoreboard could have been a random number generator and it still would have made perfect sense. Bayern were outclassed.

It must have been after Eto'o's goal that Bayern fell in love with its captors as it understood Barca's mission. The entire second half was entirely played in a small patch of land before Butt. And Messi, Eto'o, Henry, Iniesta, and Xavi proved to be exemplary advocates of that mission. We call it the Stockholm Syndrome. Luca Toni could have been the loneliest human being on the earth. Franck Ribery, the most futile. They both could have exited the stadium, gone to a pub, commiserated over a keg of lager, while watching the game on Setanta and would not have been missed an iota.

If Cristiano Ronaldo wanted any affirmation of why he wanted to join Real, this would be the match he would point to. To go mano a mano with Messi. To stop Barca in their tracks, is now the dream of every player worth their salt.

Not a goal old and we already have mind boggling comparisons.

Right, and it was said that Beckham was going to become the saviour of US soccer.

Arsenal looked at sea in the first half and it was a wave of yellow jerseys that swamped their half with crisp, aggressive, and adventurous matchplay. Ibazaga and Cani ran up the possession stats as Rossi and Llorente softened up the Arsenal defense. The backpedaling Gunners were unprepared for Senna's thunderous shot which reverse swung its way into goal. Senna is a compact player sparing with his touches but all have a purpose. He showed it through the match with his laser like shots at goal and his organizational capacity in midfield. He reminds one of a more powerful Gilberto.

Almunia already shaken up with a knock looked ashen after that. He departed and Lukacz Fabianski came on for the most important match in his Arsenal career and was tested right away. He proved decisive in his collection of corners and free kicks. Almunia was not the only casualty with Gallas limping off too and Djourou replacing him.

Wenger must have given the youngsters a talking to because they looked a lot sharper in the second half. Their passing picked up in confidence and they looked more incisive. Villareal has a penchant for giving up late goals and it was a beautiful little play in the 66th minute that gave Arsenal the equalizer. Fabregas looking up saw Adebayor in between two out of position defenders and lofted a perfectly placed pass that the Togolese striker chested down and effortlessly volleyed into the back of the net. It was majestic.

A good spell for the Gunners ensued as Villareal had trouble holding onto the ball. Nasri wasted a few opportunities to go ahead and Walcott's sizzler just went over the crossbar. Otherwise it looked like the Gunners were playing for a draw and their waning urgency almost let the Submariners back in the last 10 minutes.

There was a lot of energy in Sagna and Clichy's forays down the flanks but I wish they held onto the ball a bit longer for more bodies to arrive into the box before crossing. As it is many sailed harmlessly into no man's land. Clichy also needs to put more air into his crosses as many of them caromed off Villareal defenders.

A special moment when Robert Pires came on late in the second half and El Madrigal erupted in thunderous applause from fans of both clubs. He showed flashes of familiar creativity on the ball but otherwise had a quiet game.

The draw sets up Arsenal perfectly for the second leg to be played at home.

Man U's hopes hang by a thread as they allow Porto two away goals.

The wonder goal from the Adebayor - Fabregas combination.

Giuseppe Rossi is the marksman that Arsenal will have to keep an eye on. He has scored a dozen times in the Liga and three in the CL. Argentinian Ariel Ibazaga is Villareal's playmaker along with Cani, who gets back to squad duty after injury.

However, Joseba Llorente is the X factor. He has proved to be a super sub providing four goals including a hat trick against Danish side, Aalborg. His link up with Ibazaga scored the winner against Panathinaikos marching them to the CL quarterfinals.

Marcos Senna's defensive organization was a major factor in Spain's Euro win and he has proved that Villareal are tough to beat at El Madrigal. In the Liga, they have won nine games and lost just two.

There is a silver lining for Arsenal.

Villareal have conceded a number of late goals which have resulted in victory snatched away from them. Defensive lapses cost them wins against Osasuna, Atletico Madrid, and Malaga.

Arsenal should take note of that and keep applying attacking pressure even if they do go a goal down. If Arsenal can come up with a draw then they are in good position in the return leg because Villareal are not a good road team and have the worst record amongst the top four Liga teams with just four wins and 23 goals conceded.

Rooney is putting his weight behind a campaign by the National Literacy Trust to get children more interested in reading. Rooney picked Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as his favourite book.

It's been a while since he took off someone's bandana or chucked shoes over the goalpost.So here he is drawing attention to himself again by leaping gracefully into the air,grabbing the ball and then hoping that no one noticed that he had landed behind the line.

The last time Robert Pires played for the Gunners was in the 2006 CL semi-final against Villareal.

He was substituted by Wenger following Lehmann's red card. It was a defining moment in his career. Now he faces fans that remember him fondly from those wonderful seasons of sublime football that he gave to the club that he still loves.

Pires says that if he scores a goal, he will not celebrate in deference to the club and its fans, who have meant so much to him.

A bit of a jaunt down memory lane. It reminds us of Pires amazing finishing abilities, of an Arsenal that provided an exclamation point to all that intricate play.

RVP is out and so is Eduardo and Abou Diaby.

A number of attacking players have match fitness concerns.

Walcott will play but his knee is still tender and a cause for concern. There is worry that the speedster's knee could be susceptible to some of those crunching tackles. Fabregas got back after 4 months from knee ligament injuries. Adebayor played his first game after two months. Samir Nasri just shrugged off the flu.

Arshavin is ineligible because he played in the group stage with Zenit St. Petersburg.

I think Wenger will go for a 4-5-1 formation with Adebayor, the lone striker and Nasri in the left winger position. Denilson, Fabregas, Song, and Walcott, will round out the midfield. Arsenal will protect the back through Clichy, Toure, Gallas, and Sagna. The defense has stepped up its performance recently and has been quite watertight.

Tevez Dive with Head to Block Clearance - video powered by Metacafe

....just 6 days ago against the Newcastle Reserves.The first one was a penalty.The second was good and the third pure genius.He's not even 18 and is a legend already.And on the other side of the celebrations is this controversy about whether he should be in Man U at all.

Santi Cazorla, Villareal's versatile presence in the midfield will miss the Arsenal match with an ankle fracture sustained in the Liga encounter with CD Almeria. In fact, the Spanish international will be out for four months or more.

In better news for the club, Marcos Senna and Cani are back, in time to help their squad in this crucial encounter.

Robert Pires talks about how he looks forward to playing his former club. He was voted as Arsenal's sixth greatest player.

Arsenal will also see Pascal Cygan, who did yeoman duty as a makeshift left back following injuries to Ashley Young and Gael Clichy in the 2005-2006 season. He joined Pires in a transfer to Villareal in the summer of 2006.

Eliminate the group stage and go straight for the knockout. A FA Cup type format.

Barry Ferguson, MBE will not play as a Ranger and will not represent Scotland anymore.

For drinking and flashing V signs no less. What is a footballer to do? Drink ginseng tea and curl up with a book?

Joey Barton can stub out a lit cigar in a youth player's eye and still play for Man City and get an England call up. He can assault a team mate on the training ground and then flee the country. This strangely increases his transfer worth when moving to Newcastle.

Sometimes it makes no sense.

Eric Cantona is back in the news.

This time in Ken Loach's movie about a depressed postman called Eric, a fan of Cantona who turns to the former Man U forward for advice and friendship. It has characters called Spleen and Meatballs. And a priceless line, "I am not a man, I am Cantona."

The song is 'Pass it on' by The Coral.

Looking for Eric is set for release June 12.

My experience with Loach's films comes from his movie Bread and Roses which starred Adrien Brody and was based on the Justice for Janitors campaign in LA. He also directed a short called Tickets which hilariously captures perceptions to social and economic changes in an integrated EU, through accidental encounters on a train. It follows three Celtic fans on their way to a CL match in Italy who befriend an Albanian boy, a refugee of the Kosovo war.

This should be worth a watch. It could prove to be the sleeper hit of the year. Loach also said of Cantona "He had no ego at all."

A Timeout preview >>

Australia could become the first country to join SA in World Cup 2010. Pim Verbeek's team scored a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan. They need just another point. It could come in their next match against Qatar on the 6th June giving them a valuable headstart on other countries still going through an arduous qualifying process.

Verbeek might not be the Tele Santana of soccer but he is a man on a mission and his first step is almost realized.

As for Australia, changing to the Asia zone has proved to be singular in improving their game.

Dick's Sporting Good Park, home to the Colorado Rapids can seat about 19,000 fans. Their matches are averaging a shade below 12,000.

Max Bretos just brought up an important point.

Two years ago, Rapids owner Stan Kroenke used his share holding position to build an alliance with Arsenal which would be used to exchange commercial and marketing information. The agreement also includes developing an Arsenal Center of Excellence and an Arsenal Cup for US based youth soccer clubs.

So strong was the brand attachment that the Rapids had considered changing their names to Colorado Arsenal or Arsenal Colorado and actually registered these websites to prevent cybersquatting. A change to Arsenal's famous red and white colours was even considered. Just like Beveren, Arsenal's Belgian based feeder club, it was natural to assume that these development could mean that the Rapids could be groomed to provide Arsenal talent. At the other end move Arsenal reserve players to the Rapids on loan. All these exciting developments should have translated into more fans coming to watch Rapids matches.

But it is not happening. In fact, fan attendance has been falling. Instead, Kroenke seems to be devoting more time to acquiring Arsenal and not to his own team and its mediocre record and attendance.

Arsenal fans will be pleased that one of their former players is faring well.

Freddie Ljungberg made an instant impact in his first start for the Seattle Sounders scoring one goal against Toronto and had a hand in the second one. The ex-Arsenal left winger and former underwear model came on as a substitute in the previous match.

The Sounders are off to an impressive 3-0 start in their first year.

Touching scene of Macheda's brother shedding tears of joy. Man U shed off periods of somnolence to produce three bolts of brilliance, none more than Macheda's stoppage time goal that wrecked Villa's heroics.

AIG has an image problem with executive bonuses that resemble the GDP of a small country (a very small country)?

You should see what Sven Goran Eriksson is getting paid for his services. Not bad for 11 months of pretty awful results.

Adebayor gets back on track scoring both goals. Beautiful work by Fabregas whose absence has been felt deeply this season.

The Bundesliga would have us believe that.

A Bosnian duo are striking mayhem.

Edin Dzeko of VFL Wolfsburg has scored 14 goals. He and Brazilian Grafite with 18 are benefiting from the playmaking ability of Dzeko's countryman, Zvjezdan Misimović, the captain of the Bosnia & Herzegovina national team. Their little regarded team has raced from eighth to the top spot.

As VFL Wolfsburg star gains ascendancy, 1899 Hoffenheim's is on the wane due to injuries to its duo of Bosnian standouts. An ACL injury in January cut short Vedad Ibisevic's stellar season was carrying 1899 Hoffenheim to never before giddy heights with 17 goals. More recently, they lost Sejad Salihovic, their midfield general with a knee injury. Hoffenheim have struggled in recent games with just one win in nine games since January. They have fallen from first to the sixth position.

It is no wonder that the Bosnian national team has brought its attacking firepower to the World Cup qualifiers with 18 goals scored equaling Germany's output. They are second to Spain in Group 5 and ahead of rivals Turkey.

Javier Aguirre re-takes the reins of the Mexican coaching job. He was the coach of the 2002 World Cup team and replaces the fired Sven Goran Eriksson.

He has the difficult task of instilling confidence in a badly underperforming national team. Mexico lost to arch rivals US and more recently, Honduras thumped them. This has led to a lot of soul searching including figuring out shortcomings within the youth system which has led to the drying up of talented players in the men's squad. To the plug the achievement gap, foreign born players have been included in the roster, a controversial and divisive decision. These systemic problems do not solve the more immediate need to qualify for the World Cup.

For the record Aguirre also coached the Mexican team that lost to 0-2 to the USA in the round of 16 in the 2002 World Cup. He is also only the second Mexican coach to record a win against the US since 2000. This was a 1-0 win through a Jared Borgetti goal on July 2001at Stadium Azteca in a World Cup qualifier.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's legacy lives on. His name is Federico Macheda. Another baby faced killer.

Liverpool fans will remember that name. Lets put it this way, I don't think there will be a street with that name in that city anytime soon.

If Man Utd go onto win this season's title, a more important dagger than that of 17 year old Federico 'Kiko' Macheda, will be harder to find. The Solskjaer reserve team regular made a dream debut scoring the winning goal against Villa in stoppage time. It was the way he did it which was even more memorable, a nifty turn and shoot which left Friedel grasping air for the third time. Before that another former reserve Danny Wellbeck had a chance in burnishing himself into Mancunian history but Friedel stuck a timely hand to deflect a goal bound shot.

An absorbing match with Villa through Carew, Young, and Agbanlahor taking advantage of the absence of Vidic and Ferdinand to win the aerial duel in the box. Milner's back pass mistake which led to the first Ronaldo goal was mitigated by Carew's header off a perfect Barry cross and then it was Carew's turn as provider for Agbanlahor to head the ball home and put Villa a goal up. Barry and Petrov proved to be more effective than Fletcher and Giggs in the first half in exploiting the supply lines.

However, Villa shut down after the second goal and give up ball possession resorting to counterattacks. Big mistake. A familiar story line played out. Macheda's introduction restored much needed urgency which saw Ronaldo, Tevez and Fletcher respond as they took control of the Villa quarter and it was once again Ronaldo to the rescue as he snapped off a shot in slow motion. Friedel mistimed his dive. For a split second the ball looked like it was going to drag wide but it found a lane into the goal. Villa looked deflated and came under increasing siege resorting to increasingly futile counter attacks.

Friedel's left hand corner proved costly in this match. Man U found a way to bury all three goals into that spot. Villa lost their edge when James Milner was substituted. Reo-Coker is an overrated player who brings nothing to the game.

Man U reclaims the top spot, answers its critics and goes into their CL quarterfinal against Porto with their wind on their backs.

Klinsmann in shock after the 5 -1 biggest in seven years defeat.

German media have already decided that this brilliant goal from Grafite in Wolfsburg’s 5-1 win over Bayern Munich on Saturday is the goal of the year.
He danced around five Bayern players before scoring with a cheeky backheel.

The 92nd minute winner....

It finally happened and Ramon Calderon has won the battle against Alex Ferguson if reports are true. Ronaldo could be off to Real in the summer bringing his career to Old Trafford to an end. The price £75m, a world record.

Ronaldo's cousin, Luis Felipe, added: "He's won everything with United and he needs new challenges with a new team."

I wonder if Man Utd will even bother to match that. Something tells me that they will not be so keen to distract the whole team again with last summer's shenanigans.

While the world waits to see what the North Koreans are going to do with their missile here's a look at what the south Korean's did.Chi Woo sneaked a free kick past the North Korean defence in the 88th minute.As far as missile like free kicks go it wasn't much because it's not a good idea to have a missile that bounces once before hitting its intended target - which is what Chi Woo's shot did.However it was South Korea's first win in 15 years over their long term rivals so the number of bounces are immaterial and comparisions to missile strikes,however odious they may be,can be ignored.

Good news for Arsenal as live wire Stephen Ireland was injured in a training match and is set to miss today's match, forcing Mark Hughes to bring back Robinho. Lets hope the Brazilian striker keeps his scoreless streak intact.

Cesc returns and his teaming up with Arshavin should provide many highlight moments. Adebayor comes back and so does Walcott. With Arshavin and Walcott, Arsenal should be able to pull the game wide on either side to allow Adebayor or Bendtner to capitalize on the crosses.

This is the homestretch and putting as much daylight between Villa and them is important. A good result puts them in the right frame to take on Villareal.

A heartwarming stat: Man City's away form has been very poor with just one away win and a -10 goal differential.

All $575m of it. But relax its all part of a clever strategery so that the banks allow Hicks holding company access to the interest revenue account.

How does it affect Liverpool FC? Increased ticket prices and a delay in the long overdue stadium. Unspoken but I would hazard a guess that is where it is going to go.

Michael Ballack and Lukas Podolski almost came to blows in the second half of Germany's 2-0 victory against Wales.Podolski slapped Ballack because he apparently did not like what his captain was telling him.The mystery of what Ballack actually said to rile Podolski is going to rank alongside other great soccer mysteries of our time like what Materazzi actually said to Zidane or why Cristiano Ronaldo keeps falling down in the penalty area .Either Ballack or Podolski will write a book eventually and then we will know.At least it didn't end in a head butt.

Michael Ballack knew this 30-yarder against Wales should not have been allowed.The ref had denied a throw-in to Wales just before he got this shot in. Great goal in any case.

WM Quali-Wales vs. Deutschland 0:1 - MyVideo

Brian Clough's ill fated 44 days at Leeds United. The legend even had Muhammad Ali talking on TV about him. But true to Clough's nature, he was going to fight even that passing reference. Tearing down institutions. Shaking up the cozy old boys club that ruled football. Leeds United was just that. Its ironic to see that 20 years later, it did happen as United went bankrupt. That was Clough, his genius and his untimely end through alcoholism. The movie opened on the 27th of March. I hope I get to see it in the US.

A fantastic cast and a screenplay written by the writer of Frost/ Nixon.

Simon Kuper's review >>

Cristiano Ronaldo is a great club player. He has garnered every accolade including FIFA world player of the year and Man U's first Ballon d'Or winner in 40 years. In comparison, his national duty so far has been pedestrian by his own standards.

There appears to be a pattern. Very good performances into the lead up to the tournament where he tends to then play with a very marked "carry the team on the shoulders" quality that proves detrimental.

He came to the 2006 World Cup with the second best tally in the European qualifiers but gained notoriety for his extra curricular activities on Rooney. His actual contribution was just a PK goal against Iran. Again in Euro 2008, he scored a total of eight goals as David Healey stole the show in the qualifiers but apart from the match against the Czech Republic, where he scored a goal and assisted in the two others he did very little of note in the big quarterfinal against Germany. They lost the match 2-3 on a late rally.

So far his performances in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers have been very dull. 270 minutes of nothing. Portugal have struggled with three goal less draws against Sweden and Albania. This from a team brimming with attacking firepower like that of Ronaldo and in a group from which they should easily qualify. A note here, Ronaldo was captain of these three matches and he has not scored. It appears as if Carlos Queiroz is burdening the Man U winger.

I have to say, his performances are an inversion of another left winger, Lukas Podolski whose Bayern Munich career is pretty checkered but his national output has been outstanding.

Amr Zaki could do no wrong at the beginning of the season. Now Steve Bruce looks like he just wants to wash his hands of the man.

My favourite Cesc photo- he looks like he wants to tear another!

Yeay! Gunner fans will see the little Catalunyan maestro back in action against Man City this weekend. He will obviously play limited minutes before he works his way to being fully match it.

Also starting will be Adebayor and Walcott returning from injuries. Arsenal will be missing RVP and Eduardo who were injured in recent World Cup qualifiers.

Ivan Gazidis also reassures the fans that they are working out contracts which extends Fabregas, RVP, and Walcott's future at Arsenal.

The obvious punning of his name is irresistible given his contribution to Mexico's defeat.

With all the teeth gnashing going on with naturalized citizens like Matias Vuoso and Leandro Oldoni on the El Tri roster it comes as a bit of a surprise that Honduran striker Carlos Costly also has extensive Mexican connections. It may even be a matter of educated conjecture that he could have potentially become naturalized through his family.

He lived in that country for a number of years after his parents separation when his mother married a Mexican. Costly initially played in the Mexican second division league with Celaya, Pumas, and Morelia till he was 23. He then returned to Honduras because of age restrictions and joined CD Platense. From there he launched his international career and is currently on loan to Birmingham City from Polish club GKS Belchatow. He still has a house in Coyoacán and regularly visits Mexico because of his mother. Mexico as he says is his second home.

Altidore's finishing was phenomenal and he shows he can use both feet.

Sven Goran Ericksson time with El Tri came to an end after a humiliating 1-3 loss to Honduras.

With the loss to Honduras, Mexico slipped to fourth place in the CONCACAF group.

"The decision was made because we could not risk Mexico's participation in the World Cup," said federation president Justino Compean, who, noting poor away form, added it was not sufficient to rely wholly on winning home matches.

The Mexico job was always going to be tough for Ericksson who was schooled extensively in the European system. He got off to a rocky start for including four nationalized citizens to the team in a country which is fiercely proud of its indigenous players. And once El Tri lost to the US, a rubicon was crossed. Ericksson is not and never been a good man manager and his cool logical style which would be familiar to veterans like Carlos Salcido and Rafa Marquez with their European experience was not going to sit well with the younger players playing for the Mexican clubs.

Javier Aguirre, Atletico Madrid's ex-coach is a favourite to replace Ericksson. He has his work cut out for him as the CONCACAF is no longer a walkover for Mexico. The US has dominated them in recent years and Honduras and Costa Rica have shown that they are no walkovers. Even El Salvador shows the capability to spring a surprise or two.

What else can you call a 10 - 0 beating?The Polish team broke a 45-year-old record for highest number of goals scored by them (set in 1963 with a 9-0 victory against Norway).The first goal - which was scored 22 seconds into the game - was also a Polish record.

Diego Maradona said that each of the 6 goals that Bolivia scored was like a stab in his heart.That would be 6 stabs in all.His 100 percent record went up in smoke at 3,600 metres above sea level in La Paz.A good analysis of Deigo's fall from grace in the rare air of Bolivia here..

A minute silence was observed by teams before kickoff in all of the World Cup qualifying fixtures played today. It was done to honour the Ivory Coast victims who were killed in the stampeding tragedy that took place in the match between the Ivory Coast and Malawi on Saturday.

After Ecuador time and time again ran through the Brazilian defense like battering rams in Quito, it must have been a relief to face Peru, the bottom dwellers of the group. Luis Fabiano who toiled in vain against Ecuador scored two and Felipe Melo who was turned inside out by Cristian Benitez in that game scored the third goal. Brazil brushed aside Peru, 3-0.

With this win Brazil secures the second spot behind Paraguay. On third is Chile with Argentina slipping to fourth after their historic beating by Bolivia.

Here is Joseph and his Technicolor Dream Coat. Umm sorry it is ....... Cesare Prandelli and his Purple People Eater uniform. The only difference, one eye less and a cheesy song. Thanks to Soccer Tricks.

The US won easily 3-0 as Altidore scored a hat trick against the Soca Warriors.

But I have to ask John Harkes what he meant when he said "weak side"? I am almost certain he said it. I have heard a lot of soccer commentary around the world but I have never heard this term being used. It stopped me short. It came when the US team reacted to a move by Kenwyne Jones.

The weak side is almost exclusively used in American football to describe the defense lining up on the side where the offense places the tight end. In basketball it describes the side of the court away from the ball. It is never used in soccer because there is no such specific circumscribed space or deployment of players.

I see matches here as much as to see how lingua franca is used to sort of inveigle soccer into the sports mainstream. Some day extra base hit will be used.

Yes, we have heard that English team is left brained in its success. They beat Ukraine today and Beckham who replaced Lennon was there to lay the cross which got Terry the winning goal. Before that it was all Gerrard and Rooney.

But Aaron Lennon represents the future and Beckham the past.

The hallmark of a great coach is not just to win games but to set the template of a future team that can carry on his good work. Lennon is a great little player and he is versatile, not one dimensional as so many claim. I will say this, look at the clips from the Spurs vs Villa game a couple of weeks ago which saw Lennon playing wide down right with his blistering changes in speed, quick footwork, and probing crosses which set up both goals for Spurs. Liverpool surely must have seen what he did that day. As an Arsenal fan I was delighted that Lennon found his touch and sent Villa packing.

The lad lacks confidence. He needs it in spades. With the media going ga ga over Gerrard and Rooney where is he going to find it? Which is where Capello steps in and gives his vote of confidence to Lennon and finds ways for other players to exploit his talent. He is better than Walcott. Get him to believe in himself. England will be so much more deadlier and unpredictable with genuine threats down both flanks.

These are not the Soca Warriors of the 2006 World Cup. Not even close. Kenwyne Jones is having a nightmare. And you can write off the defense. They are Swiss cheese with big holes. Ince is gesticulating wildly like a madman at Edwards and Lawrence for forgetting the 101's of defense. It could have been worse but Ince has had a nice couple of saves. On the other end Tim Howard has been tested rarely.

A very nice match for Altidore so far. The goal was a set up from a beautiful little head flick by Brian Ching which found Donovan who lost no time laying a cross across goal and Altidore just bulled his way through and slotted it past Ince. Great goal. Zero defense.

Maradona looking very, very disturbed

Oye! Maradona crashes to earth.

Literally from the heady climes of La Paz. From the easy toying of Venezuela on Saturday to a disastrous show where Messi and Tevez were rendered useless. The Bolivians inflicted a 6-1 punishment on the Albiceleste, the likes which they had not seen in more than half a century.

Leading the way was Marcelo Martins who has both Brazilian and Bolivian nationality scoring the first goal. Lucho Gonzalez equalized with a long range shot which bounced awkwardly in front of the Bolivian goalie and flew in. But Bolivia kept up the pressure and Alex da Rosa, a naturalized Bolivian of Brazilian extraction added another one.

By half time the Bolivians were up by three goals and they did not rest in the second half either, scoring three more. Joaquin Botero scored a hat trick. Lucho Gonzalez pirouetted like a dervish but to no avail. Angel Di Maria substituted Maxi Rodriguez and was ejected for a foul on Ronald Garcia.

Argentina's defense was found brittle and slow footed. It remains questionable and so does the goal keeping quality. This is a blip in their World Cup qualification but for the big dance they better find someone better than Gabriel Heinze and Emiliano Papa in defense otherwise it will be another premature exit.

Update: The FIFA website backs up this score. This definitely is not an April Fools joke.

Jozy Altidore probably gets a start. Jonathan Bornstein could replace Heath Pearce at starting left back. Pearce's performance was shaky.

The US played a come from behinddraw with El Salvador on Saturday night and needs to get back on track.

The Soca Warriors captain Dwight Yorke is out with a suspension. However, the US is not taking the Soca Warriors lightly even though the Warriors are 0-3 on US soil. Their team possesses great individual talent. Up front Sunderland's Kenwyne Jones and Southampton's Stern John could provide problems for the defense with their speed and physicality and midfielder Carlos Edwards when fully fit can be a game winning playmaker.

....is England of course.And this has nothing to do with today being April Fool's day.It is absolutely true that amid much secrecy, Umbro’s designers worked on England's new home kit with Fabio Capello,the team, the Football Association and Charlie Allen, a third-generation tailor who studied menswear at the Royal College of Art.The result was what they wore at Wembley when when they played Slovakia.
And Slovakia ,stunned by the sartorial splendour of their rivals,and deeply embarrassed by the lowliness of their own outfits in comparision, just went and lost 4 - 0.
You can take a look at some of the outfits the English team have been wearing since way back in 1872 here.. to see if anything that they wore before could rival what they are wearing now.