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Nerazzurri complete £6.5m Vieira deal.

2006-08-02T06:40:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - France midfielder Patrick Vieira has been sold to Internazionale from Juventus for £6.5million. The announcement was made by Juventus this morning through the Italian stock exchange.
The Turin giants bought Vieira from Arsenal for £13.7million last summer, but players are being sold following the team's relegation to Serie B as punishment for their role in the Italian match-fixing scandal.
The statement said: 'French midfielder Patrick Vieira is officially sold from Juventus to Inter for 9.5m euros, payable in three years.'
As well as dropping into Italy's second division, Juventus have been told they face a 17-point deduction to start the 2006-07 campaign.
The club have lodged an appeal against the penalty to CONI (the Italian Olympic Committee), the highest sporting body in Italy.
But by joining Inter, Vieira will play for title contenders in Serie A and he will also take part in the Champions League.
One of the consequences of Juventus' punishment is they were stripped of last season's title, and with second-placed AC Milan also punished for match-fixing, Inter were awarded the Serie A crown.
Vieira, who played for France when they hosted and won the World Cup in 1998 and also captured the European Championship two years later, has signed a four-year contract at Inter.
He shot to prominence in England with Arsenal, moving to the Gunners from AC Milan in August 1996.
Under French coach Arsene Wenger, Vieira won three league titles and four FA Cups during his time at Highbury.
The 30-year-old started his career with French club Cannes before leaving in November 1995 to join Milan, where he spent less than one season before moving on to Arsenal for £4million.
Vieira, who made 31 league appearances for Juve last season and scored five goals, was strongly linked with Manchester United but instead has opted to remain in the north of Italy.

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Vieira hints at Manchester United move.

2006-08-01T06:52:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira has hinted he could join old rivals Manchester United as he desperately attempts to escape Italy's Serie B.
Vieira has yet to leave Juventus in the wake of their demotion for match-fixing despite four of his team-mates jumping ship almost immediately.
The 30-year-old, whose move to Inter Milan last week appears to have stalled, said: 'Every player wants to play for a club like Manchester United at the highest level.
'After nine years at Arsenal it might be difficult. But anything can happen in football.
'Now I'm not sure where I'm playing next season, I'm still looking for a new club.
'There might be some sort of conclusion in the next 48 hours and it's a very important decision for me.
'I will not be playing for Juventus since they are going to Serie B.'
Emerson and Fabio Cannavaro wasted no time in leaving `The Old Lady' last month and joined former Juve coach Fabio Capello at Real Madrid while Gianluca Zambrotta and Lilian Thuram headed for Barcelona.

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Beckham hopes to be fit for Real Madrid's U.S. Tour.

2006-08-01T06:51:00.000-04:00

MADRID, (Reuters) - David Beckham has said he hopes to recover from his knee and tendon injuries in time for Real Madrid's pre-season tour of the United States next month.
"Hopefully I'll be fit for the games in the USA. We'll have to wait and see because I only started running on Sunday without any pain," Beckham told the Real website on Monday.
He suffered the injuries and had to be replaced during England's World Cup quarter-final clash with Portugal, which they lost on penalties at the beginning of July.
The midfielder has been training separately from the rest of the Real squad since joining up at their pre-season training camp in Austria last week.
Beckham is looking forward to playing alongside his former Manchester United team mate Ruud van Nistelrooy, who completed his move to the Spanish capital on Friday.
"He is one of the best goalscorers I have ever played with," said Beckham. "He runs for the team and he works hard."
Real are scheduled to play DC United in Seattle on Aug. 9 and Real Salt Lake in Salt Lake City on Aug. 12.

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England flop Lampard blasts Sven blunder.

2006-07-31T07:07:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Frank Lampard believes Sven-Goran Eriksson made a mistake in not taking Jermain Defoe to the World Cup.
The Swede attracted considerable flak before his final tournament as England manager for only selecting four strikers when both of his first choice pairing, Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen, were recovering from broken metatarsals.
The criticism was vindicated as Owen was sent home with a cruciate injury, leaving Eriksson with just two experienced forwards in Rooney and Crouch and one, Theo Walcott, who had never played top-flight football.
And Lampard said: 'Questions had been asked about why we didn't have five strikers in the squad when two of our forwards went into the tournament trying to recover fitness.
'Personally, I'd have included Jermain as well. I played with him at West Ham and he is a natural goalscorer.
'In terms of the line-ups for each match, I don't think they would have been affected.
'I'd have preferred some insurance though, and it would have given us more options. In that respect I would have taken Defoe.'
Lampard also revealed his interest in captaining England, the position having been vacated by David Beckham after the World Cup.
Although his Chelsea team-mate John Terry and Liverpool's Steven Gerrard have attracted strong support, Lampard considers it a job to which he would be suited.
'I have had the privilege of captaining Chelsea on a few occasions in JT(Terry)'s absence and have enjoyed it. I would love to do the same for England,' Lampard says in his book `Totally Frank', being serialised by the News of the World.
'If I was called on to lead the national team I know I would do a good job.
'It's more difficult than ever to be captain of England with the kind of press scrutiny that exists at all levels - everyone has an opinion about you and your life, but I know I could handle that.'

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United agree £18.6m fee with Spurs for Carrick.

2006-07-31T07:06:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Michael Carrick is set to become the fifth most expensive player in Manchester United history when he signs for the Old Trafford club later today - providing he passes a medical.
Tottenham have confirmed the agreement of a fee with United which could reach £18.6million if Carrick does as well as Sir Alex Ferguson expects.
Only Rio Ferdinand, Juan Sebastian Veron, Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy have cost more.
But, while some Red Devils supporters are seriously underwhelmed by Carrick's imminent arrival - especially coming just 72 hours after Van Nistelrooy's unveiling as a Real Madrid star - Ferguson sees the 25-year-old's capture as confirmation United remain as attractive as they always have.
Providing there are no unforeseen hitches, Carrick will train with his new team-mates for the first time tomorrow and then make his United debut at some stage during this weekend's Amsterdam tournament.
By then, Ferguson could have also clinched the signing of Villarreal's Marcos Senna, who appears to have been targeted to fill the defensive midfield berth United have lacked since the exit of Roy Keane.
At 30, Senna does not represent the future but Ferguson has made it clear since January his midfield needs reinforcing and, by adding the Brazilian-born Spanish international to his squad, he can free up the likes of Ryan Giggs and Kieran Richardson to play in more offensive roles having apparently decided not to bring in a like-for-like replacement for Van Nistelrooy.
Providing he recovers from a stomach bug, Giggs could find himself playing up front at Macclesfield tonight, where he may end up partnering Wayne Rooney.
The England star is due to play for the first time since being red-carded in the World Cup quarter-final defeat to Portugal, with Rio Ferdinand and Edwin van der Sar also pencilled in for appearances at a packed Moss Rose.
Before then, Rooney is due to meet up with Cristiano Ronaldo, whom many people - but not the man himself - blame for the United striker's dismissal in Gelsenkirchen.
After twice insisting he wanted to join Real Madrid, only for the Red Devils to reaffirm their intent to keep him, Ronaldo is due back at training today, along with French duo Louis Saha and Mikael Silvestre.

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Roberto Carlos to stay at Real Madrid.

2006-07-31T07:04:00.000-04:00

MADRID, (Reuters) - Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos has said he wants to continue with Real Madrid after speaking to new coach Fabio Capello.
"I want to stay at the club. I say it loudly and clearly," the fullback told Spanish sports daily AS on Monday.
After 10 years with Real the 33-year-old had hinted at a possible move at the end of last season, saying he had received an offer from English champions Chelsea for a three-year contract.
Turkish side Fenerbahce, now managed by Brazilian Zico, are also reported to be interested in taking the player who has one year left on his contract at Real with an option of another dependant on the number of games he plays next season.
"After returning from my holidays I feel good. Capello has given me new enthusiasm and I am a lot happier," he added.
"We have had a long chat and spoken about everything. He has told me he is counting on me, that he wants me in the side and that he expects a lot from me."
Roberto Carlos has yet to speak to Real sports director Predrag Mijatovic, who is arriving at their pre-season training camp in Austria on Tuesday.
"I would like to make sure of the second year of my contract so that I know I can continue in the team until 2008," he said.
"But we will have to see what happens. I have spoken to Capello and now I have to explain to Mijatovic what I told the coach."
Roberto Carlos, who has won thee Champions League titles with Real, retired from international football after the World Cup finals in Germany.

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Spain youngsters beat Scotland in European final.

2006-07-30T11:16:00.000-04:00

Scotland Under-19s 1-2 Spain Under-19s.
Soccernet.Com - Antonio Bueno ended Scottish hopes of glory with a double strike for Spain in the European Under-19 Championship final in Poland.
The Real Madrid striker hit a sublime effort over Hibernian goalkeeper Andrew McNeil from 20 yards in the 50th minute.
He was again on hand to turn a low Gerard Pique cross past McNeil 21 minutes later.
Livingston striker Graeme Dorrans, who had been introduced to the game as a second-half substitute, grabbed a consolation three minutes before the end.
Dorrans could even have equalised in the final minute but shot straight at Spain goalkeeper Antonio Adan.
Scotland Under-19 coaches Archie Gemmill and Tommy Wilson had been forced into one change from the team which defeated the Czech Republic in the semi-final.
Hibernian striker Steven Fletcher was unfortunate to miss out after receiving a second yellow card of the tournament for diving in the semi, despite television evidence proving he merely stumbled in a challenge.
His natural replacement Robert Snodgrass was also suspended after earning his second caution after coming on for Fletcher in the last-four clash.
Instead, Celtic striker Charlie Grant returned to the starting 11 after missing the semi through a ban.
Norwich wing-back Andrew Cave-Brown was an early threat for the Scots, but it was not until the 12th minute before they forced Adan into action.
Hearts striker Calum Elliot made space for himself on the edge of the area before firing goalwards but the Real Madrid keeper palmed the effort away.
Spain's first real chance came on the half-hour mark but a flurry of Scottish defenders managed to block Antonio Calvo's effort.
Atletico Madrid midfielder Mario Suarez almost took advantage of a poor defensive clearance eight minutes later.
But his dipping 20-yard shot clipped the top of the crossbar and flew to safety.
Elliot almost troubled Adan again in the 42nd minute but his glancing header from a Cave-Brown cross was seen early and the goalkeeper collected comfortably.
Just a minute later though, Lee Wallace was grateful to see Calvo's ball along the six-yard box not followed up after the Spanish youngster got in behind the Hearts defender.
But, five minutes into the second period, the Spanish youngsters broke the deadlock with a sublime finish from Bueno.
The Real forward played a clever one-two with Suarez to out-manoeuvre the Scotland defence before chipping McNeil from 20 yards, leaving the Hibernian youngster flailing.
Two minutes later, McNeil saved the Scots with a tremendous save from Calvo, who was just five yards out.
Scotland were reeling and McNeil and his defence were rescued by the woodwork when a Pique header bounced off the ground and on to the crossbar from six yards.
In the 66th minute, Grant escaped the attentions of the Spanish defence but Adan was swift to spot the danger.
The Celtic man earned the first caution for a foul in the 71st minute but a greater punishment was to follow as a result of the set-piece.
Juan Mata floated the ball to Pique at the far post and he found Bueno inside the six-yard box to poke home Spain's second.
Elliot was looking for a 77th-minute penalty but the match official waved away his appeal.
An 84th-minute free-kick from Brian Gilmour had Adan scampering across his line but the strike flew just wide before Simon Ferry hit an effort straight at the keeper moments later.
Three minutes before the end, though, Scotland pulled a goal back.
Elliot chased a through to the by-line and pulled it across the six-yard line where Livingston forward Dorrans, who had replaced Greg Cameron in the 74th minute, was on hand to head home.
Dorrans almost claimed an equaliser in the final minute but his strike from a Jamie Adams ball was aimed straight at Adan.

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Duff gets run out as PSV beat Newcastle.

2006-07-30T11:14:00.000-04:00

Newcastle 2-3 PSV Eindhoven.
Soccernet.Com - Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven held on for a pre-season victory at St James' Park after almost squandering a three-goal lead.
A Newcastle fightback resulted in goals from Shola Ameobi and Albert Luque, however they were unable to find an equaliser.
New signing Damien Duff showed flashes of brilliance on his Newcastle debut, but by the time the £5million former Chelsea winger was replaced by Luque in the 60th minute, the home side were staring at a heavy defeat.
They had fallen behind to Jefferson Farfan's close-range finish in the 16th minute, which came seconds after Shay Given made a fine save from Mika Vdyrynen.
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink extended PSV's lead after 41 minutes as he converted Michael Lamey's cross, and then Arouna Kone created the chance which Jason Culina capitalised on five minutes after half-time.
Emre had a shot cleared off the line before Ameobi headed a cross from James Milner beyond goalkeeper Oscar Moens in the 68th minute.
Ameobi then won the penalty from which Luque scored, going down under a challenge from Eric Addo. Spaniard Luque sent Moens the wrong way from 12 yards.
Newcastle then had chances to draw level, with Stephen Carr and Scott Parker both threatening from outside the penalty area before Milner spurned a late opportunity.

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Tottenham captain King out for up to two months.

2006-07-30T11:13:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Tottenham captain Ledley King will miss the start of the season and faces up to eight weeks out of action due to a knee injury.
The 25-year-old defender had recovered from the broken foot which forced him out of England's World Cup plans.
His knee injury was sustained in training and mean he will be absent for Tottenham until early September at best.
It also rules him out of Steve McClaren's plans for his first match as England's new head coach, an Old Trafford friendly against Greece on August 16.
King also seems certain to miss the Euro 2004 qualifiers against Andorra and Macedonia, which take place on September 2 and 6.
Ahead of Sunday's friendly against Inter Milan at White Hart Lane, Tottenham boss Martin Jol said: 'Ledley is out with suspected cartilage problems and he could be out for six to eight weeks. 'It is a big blow for us.'

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Milan determined to keep World Cup winners.

2006-07-30T11:11:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - AC Milan general director Ariedo Braida insists key men Andrea Pirlo and Alessandro Nesta will be at the club when the new season gets under way.
Italy's World Cup-winning duo have been linked with moves away from the San Siro this summer as Milan prepare to start their Serie A campaign with an eight-point deduction for their involvement in the country's match-fixing scandal.
Braida has no intention of offloading two of the club's prize assets and is also optimistic of keeping hold of defender Diego Simic, who has been linked with Barclays Premiership side Everton.
'I think Simic will stay with us as we have some players who are still injured and we have a demanding season ahead,' Braida told the club's official website.
'Without doubt, Pirlo and Nesta are staying.'
Milan have already suffered one high-profile departure this summer, with talismanic striker Andriy Shevchenko joining Chelsea.
Braida admits the Ukraine forward is 'impossible' to replace and refused to confirm whether Spain star Fernando Torres was the preferred option to fill the void.
'As for substituting Shevchenko it is impossible to find one,' Braida said. 'We have to find other good alternatives as we have done in the past. Torres? I repeat, we are searching to maximum.'
Braida also played down rumours the club might be about to swoop for Ze Roberto, who has been a free agent since his contract at Bayern Munich expired this summer.
'We haven't spoken to Ze Roberto's agent,' Braida said. 'He played well in the World Cup but we are covered in midfield.
'We are strong all over but as in the past this club can pull a surprise for our great fans at the last moment.'

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Goalkeeper Reina plays in midfield as Liverpool defeated.

2006-07-30T11:09:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Liverpool slipped up against second division German opposition and finished their match against Kaiserslautern with goalkeeper Jose Reina in midfield.
An injury to Luis Garcia left boss Rafael Benitez with little option other than to press Reina into action in an unfamiliar position with 11 minutes left of a match being played in Liechtenstein.
And while Reina twice came close to scoring, shooting narrowly wide and then over the bar, it was Kaiserslautern who clinched victory thanks to Marcel Ziemer's strike in the 87th minute.
After a goalless first half, Craig Bellamy looked to have given Liverpool the lead soon after the re-start when his shot hit the bar and appeared to cross the goalline, however the decision went against the Welshman.
Liverpool handed a debut to Jermaine Pennant in the second half and he looked threatening, however the German side went in front after 56 minutes when substitute Ricardo Villar fired past Jerzy Dudek, making the most of an error by Jack Hobbs.
Bellamy got the goal he deserved on the hour mark following good work from another substitute, Garcia.
It was Garcia who shot Liverpool in front after 67 minutes, Pennant and Bellamy having made the opening for the Spaniard, however Kaiserslautern were level four minutes later.
Ziemer pounced on another Hobbs mistake to strike their equaliser.
Reina's introduction in place of Garcia, who suffered a minor knock, almost brought about a dramatic result as his shots caused Kaiserslautern concern.
But Ziemer had the final say, finding space behind the Liverpool defence and lifting his shot above Dudek for the winner.
Benitez admitted the friendly match had not gone according to plan, and Liverpool must now wait not only for news of Garcia but also of defender Fabio Aurelio.
Aurelio, also a half-time substitute, was another who had to be taken off before the final whistle, and he could face several weeks on the sidelines with a calf injury.
Benitez told www.liverpoolfc.tv: 'It was a difficult game for us with the two injuries to Luis and Fabio and we made three mistakes which cost us the game.
'Luis had a problem with his neck and we decided the best thing would be to take him off. Fabio felt something in his calf and I think it's a more serious problem than Luis.'
If there was a positive to come out of the defeat, it was that Pennant performed well in his first appearance since signing from Birmingham.
'I thought Jermaine Pennant did a good job and played well,' said Benitez. 'He showed the quality that he has.'

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Jose Antonio Reyes wants Real move.

2006-07-30T11:06:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Arsenal forward Jose Antonio Reyes has confirmed he would be interested in a return to Spanish club football.
The reported target of Real Madrid joined Arsenal from Sevilla in January 2004 but claims he has yet to settle in London.
According to Spanish media reports, Madrid are keen on both Reyes and his Arsenal team-mate Cesc Fabregas.
Ramon Calderon was elected as Madrid's new president at the start of the month, and named Fabregas as a target.
Reyes, 22, said: 'I have always said that I want to return to Spain. I have nothing against Arsenal, completely the opposite.
'It is a great club and they have helped me so much. The fans have given me so much support since I joined.
'But they know that I have not adapted to life in England. I have not got used to the language or the weather.
'If Real Madrid want me then that is marvellous. I have always said what a huge club it is and it would be an honour to play for them. Let's see what happens.'

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Liverpool face Israeli trip in CL.

2006-07-28T07:01:00.000-04:00

TEAMtalk - Liverpool are facing a trip to war-torn Israel in the Champions League third qualifying round after being paired with Maccabi Haifa. Rafael Benitez's team face a two-leg match against the Israeli champions on August 8/9 and 22/23.
Israel could be on the brink of being banned from playing club and international matches at home because of the worsening security situation in the Middle East.
Arsenal face a two-legged match against Lithuania's Ekranas or Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb.
Hearts, provided they get past Bosnian outfit Siroki Brijeg, having won the first leg convincingly, will meet AEK Athens over two legs.
Cork City have a tremendous incentive to overhaul their one-goal deficit against Red Star Belgrade - with AC Milan waiting in the third qualifying round.

UEFA Champions League third qualifying round draw is as follows:

Sheriff Tiraspol/Spartak Moscow v Liberec

Shakhtar Donetsk v FH Hafnarfjordur/Legia Warsaw

FC Zurich/SV Red Bull Salzburg v Valencia

Levski Sofia/Sioni Bolnisi v Chievo

Hearts/Siroki Brijeg v AEK Athens

CSKA Moscow v Djurgardens IF/SCP Ruzomberok

AC Milan v Cork/Crvena Zvezda

Galatasaray v Mlada Boleslav/Valerenga

Standard Liege v HIT Gorica/Steaua Bucuresti

Austria Magna v Benfica

FK Ekranas/Dinamo Zagreb v Arsenal

FC Copenhagen/MyPa v Ajax

Hamburg v Osasuna

FK Metalurgs/Dynamo Kiev v Fenerbahce/B36 Torshavn

Liverpool v Maccabi Haifa

Lille v Debrecen/Rabotnicki Kometal.

First leg to be played on August 8/9; second leg August 22/23.

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Gold defends £7m Pennant sale.

2006-07-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

TEAMtalk - Birmingham chairman David Gold has defended the sale of Jermaine Pennant - and pledged the £7 million fee would be used to bring in new players.
Fans have registered their disappointment at the departure of Pennant to Liverpool for £6.7million, as he was one of City's few success stories as they were relegated from the Premiership.
But Gold insists Blues had little choice over allowing Pennant to move to Anfield once Liverpool had met their asking price.
Gold said: "People have to be realistic. How did they expect us to keep hold of Jermaine Pennant. Did they want us to chain him to the fence?
"It can't be done. Be realistic. Once Liverpool came up with the package they did, and it was the chance for Jermaine to join one of the greatest clubs in the world, you can't say no.
"We said no to £3.5million, we said no to £5million, we were still fighting at £6million. But then you are talking about holding the kid back. He has the chance to double his wages, to play European football.
"People can huff and puff as much as they like about Jermaine leaving but if they were in our position, they would have had no alternative but to do the deal.
"We've got £13million for Emile Heskey and Jermaine Pennant. You could make a case for keeping them if you were talking about £6million. You can't make a case to keep them when it is £13million.
"Money will be made available to invest into new blood because the plan was never to sell Emile or Jermaine."
Gold has now got the disappointment of City being relegated from the top flight out of his system.
He said: "I would be useless if all I am doing is mourning the club going down. I see this is a new challenge and am optimistic for the new season."

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United set to seal deal for Carrick.

2006-07-28T06:58:00.000-04:00

TEAMtalk - Tottenham are expected to confirm the sale of England midfielder Michael Carrick to Manchester United in an £18 million deal later on Friday. Spurs, who rejected a bid of £10million from United earlier this summer, are understood to have accepted their increased offer for the player.
Reports suggest the deal to take Carrick to Old Trafford was finally completed early on Friday morning and he is expected to be unveiled as a United player later in the day.
The deal came just hours after Real Madrid claimed they had clinched the signing of United's Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy for a fee in the region of £10million.
The striker is believed to have signed a three-year deal with the Spanish giants after quitting United in the wake of his end-of-season bust-up with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Real are expected to unveil van Nistelrooy at a press conference later on Friday once they have completed the formalities of the deal.
The Holland striker is scheduled to have a medical in the Spanish capital on Friday morning.
"The player will undergo a medical on Friday morning and will be presented in the evening at 7pm (1800 BST) at the Palco de Honor at the Santiago Bernabeu," said a statement on the club's website.
Carrick's move to Old Trafford will land Spurs a handsome profit on a player they signed from West Ham for just £2.75million two years ago.
Ferguson has been a long-time admirer of the midfielder who will help fill the void left by the departed Roy Keane. Although he will not be a direct replacement for the Irishman, Carrick's passing skills will provide them with an outlet they have lacked since Keane left the club.
Carrick's loss will still be a major blow for Spurs coach Martin Jol who helped the 25-year-old force his way into Sven-Goran Eriksson's World Cup squad.
The Dutch coach had hoped that Carrick would repay the club's loyalty by staying at White Hart Lane but Spurs would not agree to the player's wage demands - reported to be around £50,000-a-week.
Carrick had two years left on his Tottenham deal but had rejected a new contract offer in the wake of United's persistent interest.
Tottenham's determination to hold out for a fee which closely matched their £20million valuation of the player means has given them more transfer cash to spend but Jol will not need to buy a replacement for Carrick.
Tottenham have already signed 22-year-old Benoit Assou-Ekotto from Lens and spent £10.9million on Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov but missed out on Chelsea's left-winger Damien Duff.
But the summer signing of Ivory Coast international Didier Zokora will make Carrick's departure somewhat less painful for Jol, who can now continue his search for a left-sided midfielder in earnest.
Carrick will become United's fifth most expensive signing behind Rio Ferdinand, Juan Sebastian Veron, Wayne Rooney and Van Nistelrooy.
United visit Amsterdam next week where they are due to play both Porto and Ajax and Carrick is expected to be part of the squad.

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Rovers swoop for strike ace McCarthy.

2006-07-28T06:57:00.000-04:00

TEAMtalk - Blackburn have completed the signing of Benni McCarthy on a four-year deal from FC Porto for a fee believed to be in the region of £2.5million. Manager Mark Hughes will hope the 28-year-old South African can prove a suitable replacement for Craig Bellamy, who moved to Liverpool earlier in the summer.
Blackburn chief executive John Williams told the club's website: "We tried to sign Benni 12 months ago and we have been tracking the situation since then.
"We are delighted that we have managed to bring him to Rovers."
Rovers moved for McCarthy after their efforts to prise Egyptian striker Mido from Roma proved unsuccessful, while McCarthy will join fellow new frontmen Jason Roberts and Francis Jeffers at Ewood Park.

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No more players leaving Juventus, says Deschamps.

2006-07-28T05:02:00.000-04:00

ROME, (Reuters) - Juventus coach Didier Deschamps has said that no more of his players will be leaving the club despite Tuesday's confirmation that they will be playing in Serie B next season.
"No-one is going anywhere. The club's directors have decided that those under contract will stay at Juve, even in Serie B," Deschamps was quoted as saying in La Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday.
"In a year's time we will be back and competing for a major title. It's better to hold on to our players now rather than trying to buy them back a year from now."
Juventus will start next season in Serie B on minus 17 points after Tuesday's ruling by the appeals court upholding the decision of a sports tribunal earlier this month that the club was guilty of conspiring with referees and linesmen to rig games during the 2004/05 season.
Deschamps's view, however, was not shared by Juventus's chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli, who seemed prepared to let players go - provided the price was right.
"If there are some departures there will also be some arrivals and whoever leaves will certainly not be sold cheaply," he said.
The 27-times Italian champions have already lost several of their best players in the fallout from Italy's worst footballing scandal for more than 20 years.
The departures to Spain of Italy's World Cup captain Fabio Cannavaro, Brazilian midfielder Emerson, and defenders Gianluca Zambrotta and Lilian Thuram have weakened the side and raised fears that it could struggle to win immediate promotion back into Serie A.
Of the club's remaining players, Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is the object of the greatest speculation.
Buffon's agent, Silvano Martina, said earlier this month that his client had decided to stay at Juventus but seemed less certain following the appeals court ruling with rumours of a move the AC Milan still running.
Other players rumoured to be considering leaving include midfielder Mauro Camoranesi and strikers David Trezeguet and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

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AC Milan to provisionally enter Champions League.

2006-07-28T05:01:00.000-04:00

NYON, Switzerland (AP) -- UEFA provisionally will allow AC Milan to play in the Champions League, pending a final decision next week.
UEFA said in a statement Thursday that Milan would be included in Friday's draw for the third qualifying round of the competition. A final decision will be made by next Wednesday.
Milan on Tuesday successfully appealed against a penalty it received in Italy's match-fixing scandal, which would have barred it from taking part in the Champions League.
"AC Milan will be included in the draw for the third qualifying round ... to safeguard a proper drawing procedure," UEFA said.
Milan and Italy's national federation will have a chance to argue their case for the club's inclusion while UEFA's emergency panel takes more time to examine the issue.
Any UEFA decision will be subject to possible appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, world sport's highest tribunal.

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Real Madrid sign Dutch striker Van Nistelrooy.

2006-07-28T04:56:00.000-04:00

MADRID, (Reuters) - Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy will join Real Madrid from Manchester United on a three-year contract, the Primera Liga club said on Thursday.
The deal is reported by Spanish media to be worth around 15 million euros ($19.12 million).
"Real Madrid have reached an agreement with Manchester United for the signing of Ruud van Nistelrooy," the Spanish club said in a statement.
"The player... will take a medical on Friday morning and will be presented in the afternoon at 1700 GMT in the Bernabeu."
The 30-year-old scored 150 goals for United since joining in 2001 for a then British record fee of 19 million pounds ($35.39 million).
He is Real's third signing under new president Ramon Calderon following on from Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro and Brazil midfielder Emerson, and will link up with former Manchester United team mate David Beckham.
Van Nistelrooy put in a transfer request two weeks ago and Real and Bayern Munich had been competing to secure his services for next season.
The Dutchman fell out of favour at United in the latter part of last season as manager Alex Ferguson increasingly looked to Louis Saha to partner Wayne Rooney in attack.
He was an unused substitute in United's 4-0 victory over Wigan in the League Cup final in February and stormed out of Old Trafford when he was left out of their final league match of the season against Charlton Athletic in May.
Van Nistelrooy, who has scored 28 goals in 54 games for Netherlands, found the net just once at the recent World Cup and was left on the bench by Dutch coach Marco van Basten during their second-round defeat against Portugal.
The Dutchman will face stiff competition from Raul, Robinho, Julio Baptista, Antonio Cassano and Ronaldo for a place in the Real attack, although his arrival is likely to hasten the departure of at least one of the forwards.

FAILED MEDICAL
Real are in the process of trying to put together a team under new coach Fabio Capello which will help them win their first trophy in four seasons.
Van Nistelrooy started his career with Dutch sides Den Bosch and Heerenveen before joining PSV Eindhoven in 1998 where he scored an impressive 62 goals from 67 appearances.
United manager Ferguson continued with his bid to bring Van Nistelrooy to the club even after the striker failed a medical in April 2000 and then sustained a serious cruciate knee ligament injury while training with PSV a few days later.
He finally arrived in 2001 and repaid Ferguson's faith in him by scoring 36 goals in all competitions in his debut season.
He was the Premier League's leading scorer with 25 goals when United won the championship in 2003 and was also named PFA Player of the Year.
He has scored 20 goals or more in four of his five seasons at Old Trafford.
Van Nistelrooy is United's all-time top scorer in Europe, having surpassed Denis Law's long-standing record in September 2004 and is the fourth highest scorer in the European Cup, level on 47 goals with Portuguese great Eusebio.

socawarriors.net

Inter Milan awarded Italy 2005-6 Serie A title.

2006-07-27T08:53:00.000-04:00

By Simon Evans.

MILAN, (Reuters) - Inter Milan were awarded the 2005-06 Italian league title on Wednesday in the latest fallout from the country's match-fixing scandal.
The Italian Football Federation's (FIGC) decision to award Inter their 14th title came after a sports tribunal revoked Juventus's title win from last season.
Juve also had their title win from 2004-05 revoked but no replacement winner will be named for that season.
The decision to give Inter their first title since 1989 came after a sports tribunal handed down guilty verdicts to Juventus, who had finished top of Serie A, AC Milan who were second and Lazio and Fiorentina.
"I am fully satisfied by the awarding of the title to a club and team that behaved correctly," said Inter Milan owner Massimo Moratti, who finally gets his hands on the 'scudetto' after 11 years in charge of the club.
Coach Roberto Mancini said: "I'm happy. Regardless of how it arrived, it is right to reward those who have given their best and have always been honest. It is strange to win like this but we played fair."
Inter finished third in last season's championship behind Juventus and AC Milan. They finished 15 points behind Juventus, who won the title with a record 91 points.

'DOUBLY HAPPY'
Sandro Mazzola, a key figure in the successful Inter team of the 1960's, said there was no way that a title won in this fashion could compare to the victories in his time.
"This title can't be compared to the ones that I won, they were different wins in different seasons. Those were other times but now what has happened has happened and there is a league table with Inter in top spot and so it was normal that the award went to Inter," he told the Italian news agency Ansa.
"But the fans should be doubly happy -- for the title but also because Inter didn't get themselves involved in certain situations," Mazzola said referring to the scandal.
Inter should have a very good chance to win their next title in the coming season with Juventus relegated to Serie B and Milan starting the campaign on minus eight points.
The FIGC said it had made the decision after commissioning a three-person committee of experts to give their recommendation.
On Tuesday, a FIGC appeals court confirmed Juventus's relegation to Serie B where they must start the new season with minus 17 points and their loss of the titles they won in the last two seasons.
Juventus have said they will continue to appeal to other courts.
AC Milan, who had said they should be given the last two Serie A titles having finished second, retained their top flight status but were docked eight points at the start of the season.

(Reporting by Gavin Jones in Rome).

socawarriors.net

Fiorentina and Lazio back in Serie A, Juventus penalty cut.

2006-07-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

By ARIEL DAVID, Associated Press Writer.

ROME (AP) -- A sports court allowed Fiorentina and Lazio to rejoin Italy's top soccer division and reduced the points penalty against Juventus in Serie B after successful appeals Tuesday in a match-fixing scandal.
Juventus' penalty was cut from 30 points to 17. Fiorentina will have 19 points docked next season, while Lazio will be deducted 11.
The court also cut AC Milan's points penalty in Serie A from 15 to 8. A July 14 ruling stripping Juventus of its last two Serie A titles was upheld, though Milan will be allowed to play in the Champions League preliminary rounds this season.
Also upheld were five-year bans for former Juventus executives Luciano Moggi and Antonio Giraudo, figures at the center of the scandal.
Hundreds of Lazio fans outside the hotel where the verdicts were delivered screamed in delight at the news their team was back in Serie A. Minutes later, they scattered when a sudden thunderstorm drenched them.
The ruling ended the process in Italy's sports court system. Any further appeals would need to be taken through the country's civil courts, which could delay the start of the season set for Aug. 28.
"For Juventus and its managers it's an absolutely unsatisfactory sentence," Moggi's lawyer Fulvio Gianaria said.
Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli said the club would challenge the verdicts in civil court, while Milan lawyer Leandro Cantamessa said the club was deciding whether to take that path.
If upheld or unchallenged, the demotion would be a first for Juventus since its inception in 1897. The Turin-based powerhouse has won 29 league titles -- including the ones stripped Friday -- two European Champions League titles, four Italian Supercups, three UEFA cups, two European Supercups and two Toyota or Intercontinental Cups.
The appeals body decision was announced a few hours after the close of the Milan stock exchange, where some of the clubs involved are listed.
In the earlier ruling, Fiorentina was sent down to Serie B and given a 12-point penalty to start next season, while Lazio was originally supposed to start the new season in Serie B with a seven-point penalty.

Each club appealed.
Juventus claimed the sanctions were excessive, and AC Milan argued that its Champions League ban was unlawful.
Soccer federation prosecutor Stefano Palazzi had argued for even tougher punishment. Palazzi called for Juventus to be demoted to Serie C. He also wanted Serie B demotions for Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio with point deductions.
Several Serie A soccer stars -- including Italy and Fiorentina striker Luca Toni and Brazil and Milan playmaker Kaka -- are expected to decide their club futures based on the outcome of the trial.
The stiffest penalties for officials were given to Moggi and Giraudo. The appeals tribunal confirmed the initial court's recommendation that asked the Italian soccer federation to ban them for life. The maximum punishment the sports court could impose is five years.
Other prominent officials had their sanctions reduced. Franco Carraro, the former head of the Italian soccer league who resigned in May and had originally received a 4 1/2 -year ban, was given a fine and a warning.
Fiorentina owner and industrialist Diego Della Valle had three months shaved off his four-year ban, while Lazio president Claudio Lotito was banned for 2 1/2 years, a year less than in the initial sentence. Milan vice president Adriano Galliani received a nine-month ban, instead of one year.
Meanwhile, UEFA gave the Italian federation until Wednesday -- one extra day -- to decide which clubs were eligible to play in European club competitions this coming season.

socawarriors.net

Gallas rebuttal won't halt Cole deal.

2006-07-25T06:53:00.000-04:00

TEAMtalk - Chelsea have told Arsenal to forget about trying to take William Gallas to the Emirates Stadium as part of any deal to sign Ashley Cole.
The Blues are expecting to bring the England left-back to Stamford Bridge, but the Gunners have been told they have "no chance" of luring France centre-half in the opposite direction as part of the negotiations.
It means the Gunners are likely to have to accept a straight £16million cash deal for Cole - the buy-out clause inserted in his Arsenal contract - after they reportedly snubbed the chance to take Shaun Wright-Phillips to north London.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is desperate to sign a world-class central defender to partner Kolo Toure, with the Gunners short of numbers following Sol Campbell's decision to quit the club and Philippe Senderos' dislocated shoulder injury.
But Chelsea have no intention of allowing Gallas to join Arsenal after they refused to release the former Marseille star as part of their negotiations to bring Andriy Shevchenko to Stamford Bridge for £30million earlier in the summer.
Blues boss Jose Mourinho has made it clear to their title rivals that Gallas will not be allowed to leave, even though the player still has just one season remaining on his Chelsea contract.
But Mourinho still hopes to have Cole, who has a £16million release clause in his current contract, signed this week.

socawarriors.net

Crespo desperate to return to Italian football.

2006-07-25T06:51:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo is desperate to return to Italy despite the efforts of Blues owner Roman Abramovich to keep him at Stamford Bridge.
The Argentina international still has a home in Limido Comasco, near Milan, and is prepared to take a cut in wages to return to Serie A.
'Abramovich has offered me a house, a private jet and more money, but I told him I simply want to return home,' he told Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport.
With Italian football in turmoil and Chelsea - boosted by the arrivals of Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack - preparing an assault on four trophies next season, Crespo's desire to leave London may come as a surprise.
'The fact is I love Italy. The money and success don't come into it,' he said. 'Italy is my natural environment, it is the place where I will live when I retire and it is the best place to play.'
Inter Milan and AC Milan are both ready to move if Crespo is made available for transfer in the next few days.
Crespo, 31, spent a season on loan at AC Milan in 2004-05, reaching the Champions League final with the Rossoneri, before returning to London.
He has voiced his respect and admiration for Abramovich, but added that he wanted a change of scenery.
'Abramovich is a marvellous person and Chelsea is a fantastic club - they have treated me like a king,' he said, 'The fans have been great to me too, telling me `He wants to move to Italy, but he still gives it his all on the pitch'.'
However, his mind is made up and he wants to move.
'I am waiting here, hoping my mobile will ring,' he said. 'I can just guarantee that I am a healthy striker with just one wish - to return and play my sort of football."

socawarriors.net

Veteran Thuram signs Nou Camp deal.

2006-07-25T06:50:00.000-04:00

MADRID, (Reuters) - French defender Lilian Thuram has passed a medical and signed a two-year contract with Barcelona, the European and Spanish champions said on Monday.
'I am very pleased. To play at this club is the best thing that could happen to a footballer,' Thuram told the club's website.
Barca are reported to have paid troubled Serie A club Juventus five million euros for the player.
Thuram has won a record 121 caps with France and announced his international retirement after losing in the World Cup final to Italy earlier this month.
A key member of the French side that won the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000, Thuram can play in the centre of defence or at right back.
A former Monaco and Parma player, Thuram won four league titles with Juventus alongside defender Gianluca Zambrotta, who has also agreed a move to Barcelona from Turin.
Juventus have been involved in a match-fixing scandal in Italy and have been ordered to start next season in Serie B on minus 30 points by a tribunal investigating the case.

socawarriors.net

US billionaire Lerner interested in Villa takeover?

2006-07-25T06:49:00.001-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Doug Ellis returns from holiday today with interest in buying Aston Villa hotting up nine months after the club was put up for sale.
And Martin O'Neill remains the favourite to succeed David O'Leary as manager providing the right backing is in place for the former Celtic boss.
Michael Neville revealed on Sunday his confidence in attracting new investors to launch a bid after his previous partners, Irish property developers The Comer Brothers, had cooled their interest.
Now American billionaire Randy Lerner, the owner of NFL side Cleveland Browns, is understood to be considering joining the race to buy the midlands club.
Major share-holder Ellis has made it clear he wants to relinquish his control of the club after nearly 24 years since returning for a second spell at the helm in 1982.
Concrete offers have been thin on the ground and Villa called in financial advisors Rothschild to handle any potential bids.
But the interest from Neville and Lerner will give Ellis hope he can off-load Villa for his asking price of around £57 million.
Forty-four-year-old Lerner has a 1.4billion US dollars fortune and is chairman of credit card giants MBNA while The Browns are the seventh richest franchise in American football.
A statement to The Stock Exchange last week confirmed there had been approaches from abroad and the United Kingdom to buy Villa who have slipped into the doldrums and are badly in need of a massive cash injection.
Villa Shareholders' Association chairman Jonathan Fear said: 'We can't obviously hang our hats on anyone interested in buying Villa until they come in and it is seen what they have to offer.
'But the fact there now appears to be interest in buying Aston Villa is excellent and it seems obvious the reign of Doug Ellis could be coming to an end.'
Lerner began his career as an investment analyst. In 1991, he started an independent investment firm with Progress capital called Securities Advisors Inc. (SAI) which he owned and managed until 2001.
In 1993 Lerner became a director of MBNA and became chairman nine years later. It was also following the death of his father that he became owner of The Browns.

socawarriors.net

Alonso insists: 'I want to stay at Liverpool'.

2006-07-25T06:49:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Xabi Alonso insists he wants to stay at Liverpool despite reported interest from Real Madrid.
The 24-year-old midfielder is believed to be a target for new Real boss Fabio Capello, but Alonso has ruled out a return to Spain.
'I have heard the rumours but that is all they are,' he told the Daily Mirror.
'As far as I am concerned there is no truth in the story at all. I am focused on my job here at Liverpool.
'I have had no contact with Real Madrid, and I am confident I am going nowhere.
'You have to be flattered when you are the subject of this speculation, but I want to stay at Liverpool.'

socawarriors.net

Casiraghi and Zola take on Italy under-21 roles.

2006-07-25T06:47:00.000-04:00

MILAN, (Reuters) - Former Lazio, Juventus and Chelsea striker Pierluigi Casiraghi has been appointed the new coach of Italy's under-21 team and will be assisted by another ex-Chelsea forward, Gianfranco Zola.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced on Monday that Casiraghi would take over the under-21 side from Claudio Gentile whose contract has not been renewed.
Casiraghi, 37, was forced to end his playing career prematurely after suffering a serious knee injury following his move from Lazio to Chelsea in 1998.
The former Italy international has worked as a youth team coach with Monza and had a spell as first team coach of Serie C2 team Legnano.
The FIGC said Antonio Rocca, previously the coach of Italy's under-17 team, would be Casiraghi's assistant.
Zola, who ended his playing career last year and does not yet have a coaching certificate, would take on the role of 'technical consultant', the FIGC said.
The changes complete an overhaul of the Federation's staff after Roberto Donadoni took over from Marcello Lippi as coach of the full national team following the Azzurri's triumphant World Cup campaign.

socawarriors.net

Rooney slams former manager Moyes in autobiography.

2006-07-25T06:45:00.000-04:00

LONDON, (Reuters) - Wayne Rooney's soured relationship with Everton manager David Moyes hastened his departure to Manchester United, the England striker has said in his autobiography.
Rooney, who joined United in 2004 for a fee estimated at 25 million pounds ($46.30 million), made his first-team breakthrough at Goodison Park as a teenager.
"I would have gone almost anywhere just to get away from David Moyes. If no-one had come in I would have joined Newcastle," Rooney wrote in My Story So Far, serialised in the Daily Mail.
"To me he appeared overbearing; just wanting to control people. I suppose being young and confident and playing for England at 17, I wasn't bothered about upsetting him or answering back."
Rooney, a product of Everton's youth academy, made his first-team debut as a 16-year-old in 2002 and two months later, five days shy of his 17th birthday, became the Premier League's youngest scorer (since surpassed by James Milner) when he netted a superb match-winner against Arsenal.
His England debut followed in February 2003, a rapid rise to fame that Rooney said irked the Everton manager.
"There was only one person who seemed a bit upset and envious of what was happening to me - and that was Moyes," said Rooney.

socawarriors.net

Brazil gamble on untried Dunga as new coach.

2006-07-25T06:44:00.000-04:00

By Brian Homewood.

RIO DE JANEIRO, (Reuters) - Former Brazil midfielder and captain Dunga was surprisingly named as the country's new national team coach on Monday.
The 42-year-old, with no previous coaching experience, replaced Carlos Alberto Parreira, who resigned last Wednesday following Brazil's disappointing performance at the World Cup.
The five-times champions were surprisingly knocked out in the quarter-finals by France after beginning the tournament in Germany as hot favourites.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on its official Web site that Dunga agreed terms after a two-hour meeting with its president Ricardo Teixeira.
The CBF did not say how long Dunga would be in charge but he said his appointment was part of a restructuring of the national team set-up that had the 2010 and 2014 World Cups as targets.
The midifelder, famous for his fighting spirit, captained the Brazil team that won the 1994 World Cup and wore the armband again four years later when they were runners-up to France.
He was also in the 1990 team.
"I want to bring the same determination I had as a player," Dunga told the CBF's Web site.
"Motivation and will to win are fundamental for anyone who wants to wear the shirt of the Brazilian national team."
The favourites to replace Parreira had been ex-Real Madrid coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo and former Peru coach Paulo Autuori.
First-choice Luiz Felipe Scolari, who led Brazil to the 2002 world title, preferred to stay with Portugal until 2008.
Dunga's first game in charge will be a friendly against Norway in Oslo on Aug. 16. Brazil are not due to play any competitive games until next year's Copa America in Venezuela.
Dunga faces a tough rebuilding job and one of his first decisions will be the international future of forward Ronaldo, who looked out of sorts at the World Cup.

socawarriors.net

Liverpool pip Manchester United in all-time table.

2006-07-24T06:51:00.000-04:00

LONDON, (Reuters) - Liverpool pipped Manchester United to top spot in an all-time league table dating back to the start of English League soccer and published by The Times newspaper on Monday.
According to the standings which awards three points for a win and one for a draw since the start of league soccer in 1888, Liverpool, who have won a record 18 titles, emerged with 5,927 points from their 3,643 matches - an average of 1.63 points a game.
Manchester United, who have won 15 titles, were second with 5,337 points from their 3,287 matches - an average of 1.62 points per game followed by Arsenal, champions 13 times, who totalled 5,780 points from 3,643 matches at 1.59 points a match.
Despite playing only 2,063 matches in the top division, Leeds United were fourth with 1.48 average points with Aston Villa fifth (1.47), Everton sixth (1.47), Tottenham Hotspur seventh (1.44), Newcastle United eighth (1.43), Wolverhampton Wanderers ninth (1.42) and Burnley tenth (1.41).
Chelsea, champions for the last two seasons, are 14th (average 1.39 points) and would have to total more than 90 points a season for the next 23 years to overhaul Liverpool's present average points per game.
Leyton Orient, who spent one season in the top division in 1962-63, placed 62nd and last in the list with 0.64 points a match.
Everton, founder members of the league in 1888, have played more top flight matches than any other club: 4,027 while Liverpool have won more than anyone else: 1,674. Everton also hold the record for drawn games (987) and defeats (1,402).

socawarriors.net

Miroslav move too Klose to call - Toon.

2006-07-24T06:48:00.000-04:00

TEAMtalk - Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder has not ruled out a move for Miroslav Klose - but fears the World Cup Golden Boot winner may snub the Magpies.
Roeder, who on Monday will unveil winger Damien Duff as his first signing of the summer for a bargain £5million from Chelsea, is also in the market for a new striker.
With Alan Shearer retired and Michael Owen out injured for several months, Roeder is desperate to strengthen his forward line ahead of the new season.
Apart from Klose, West Ham's Dean Ashton and Holland international Dirk Kuyt have also been linked with Newcastle.
Roeder is a fan of Werder Bremen star Klose, who scored five goals as Germany claimed third place in the World Cup.
"Miroslav Klose is a top-drawer player, the leading scorer at the World Cup finals," said Roeder in the Newcastle Journal.
"I think I will say what the chairman says, that I'm not ruling anyone in or out."
However, Roeder added: "Klose could possibly be looking for a Champions League club after winning the Golden Boot.
"We perhaps don't fit his remit if he were to move. But you can't help but admire his ability."

socawarriors.net

Bayern up bid for wantaway Van Nistelrooy.

2006-07-24T06:47:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Bayern Munich believe they are closing in on the signature of Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The German giants claim to have submitted a new bid for the Holland international, who is due to return to training at Carrington today.
Bayern club president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and general manager Uli Hoeness both believe the Bundesliga champions have made progress towards completing a deal.
The Bayern website www.fcbayern.de reported on Sunday that a fresh bid had been lodged for Van Nistelrooy who fell out with United boss Sir Alex Ferguson towards the end of last season.
And Hoeness told the website: 'He (Van Nistelrooy) wants to come to us. Now the ball's in Manchester United's court.'
Rummenigge told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper: 'He (van Nistelrooy) is one of the best strikers in Europe, he gets goals and he is a personality.
'It would be great if we could land a striker of his calibre.'
Real Madrid also want to sign 30-year-old Van Nistelrooy.
Rummenigge claimed the Bavarians would not be rushed into a move.
'We have time,' he said. 'The transfer window is open for five weeks. Van Nistelrooy has told us that he can play for Bayern.
'We have already talked about money. Manchester United must decide the rest and they won't give him away for nothing.'

socawarriors.net

Duff completes transfer to Newcastle.

2006-07-24T06:44:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Newcastle will today show off new signing Damien Duff and intend to announce more transfer market coups before the start of the season.
Manager Glenn Roeder has 'a list of players' he would like to bring to St James' Park and could reveal details of his progress at the stadium this afternoon.
Duff has joined Newcastle after winning two Premiership titles with Chelsea in back-to-back seasons, and has signed a five-year contract.
The Republic of Ireland winger is one of the players Newcastle intend to build their future around, but they are looking to strengthen in other departments too, and a striker is a priority after Alan Shearer's retirement and Michael Owen's serious knee injury.
Shola Ameobi's two goals against Lillestrom in the InterToto Cup match on Saturday showed that he is capable of contributing, while Duff also has a decent scoring record.
Roeder has not ruled out making a move for Miroslav Klose - but fears the World Cup Golden Shoe winner may not be tempted by the Magpies.
Apart from Klose, West Ham's Dean Ashton and Holland international Dirk Kuyt have also been linked with Newcastle.
Roeder is a fan of Werder Bremen star Klose, who scored five goals as Germany claimed third place in the World Cup.
'Miroslav Klose is a top-drawer player, the leading scorer at the World Cup finals,' said Roeder in the Newcastle Journal.
'I think I will say what the chairman says, that I'm not ruling anyone in or out.' However, Roeder added: 'Klose could possibly be looking for a Champions League club after winning the Golden Shoe.
'We perhaps don't fit his remit if he were to move. But you can't help but admire his ability.'
He was reluctant to discuss signings after Saturday's match in Norway, preferring to leave such issues for today's press conference when Duff - who is understood to have cost a fee in the region of £10million - will speak for the first time about becoming a Newcastle player.
'Then we can start talking about the next player,' said Roeder. 'But we've got a list of players now that we want to start working our way through.'
Newcastle beat Tottenham to the signature of Duff, who spent three seasons at Chelsea but may have feared being squeezed out of the first team in the coming season due to the limited number of first-team places and the swelling numbers of midfielders in Jose Mourinho's squad - Michael Ballack having become the latest recruit.
He has been bought to inject pace, invention and quality into the Magpies' midfield, the sort they have been lacking of late.
Newcastle have had numerous entertainers in their team over recent decades though, and Roeder believes Duff is a player who will excite supporters.
Roeder told Setanta Sports 2: 'I played for Newcastle - admittedly a long time ago - but we had the likes of Chrissy Waddle playing in that team that I played in and (the fans) love ball-players who can go past players and get crosses in, and Damien is that type of player.'

Duff transfer fee confirmed as £5million.

Soccernet.Com - Damien Duff's transfer from Premiership champions Chelsea to Newcastle was completed for just £5million, a statement to the Stock Exchange has confirmed.
The 27-year-old winger was tipped for a move away from Stamford Bridge in a bid for regular first-team football, with Tottenham initially linked with a move for £10million.
Liverpool were also reported to have joined the chase for the Republic of Ireland international, who chose to move to St James' Park with the virtual guarantee of a starting place under Glenn Roeder.
The capture of Duff for just £5million represents superb value for the Magpies, who have spent heavily without success. Recent high-profile signing Albert Luque has failed to deliver, while Michael Owen is currently injured.
Duff completed his move over the weekend, and the statement to the Stock Exchange confirmed: 'The directors of Newcastle United PLC are pleased to announce that Damien Duff passed his medical and his transfer from Chelsea has been completed for a fee of £5million.
'The player has agreed personal terms and signed a five-year contract ending in June 2011.'
While Duff will not be playing in the Champions League, he will feature in the UEFA Cup as the Magpies saw off Lillestrom of Norway in the Intertoto Cup to go into Friday's draw for the UEFA Cup second qualifying round.

socawarriors.net

Arsenal says goodbye to Bergkamp.

2006-07-24T06:43:00.000-04:00

By Mike Collett.

LONDON, (Reuters) - Arsenal celebrated one of the most significant days in their 120-year history on Saturday with the opening of their dazzling new 60,000 all-seater Emirates Stadium for a friendly against Ajax Amsterdam.
As well as ushering in a new era for the north London club, the match was something of a bitter-sweet occasion for Gunners fans as it marked the farewell and testimonial of Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp after 11 seasons with Arsenal.
Bergkamp retired as a player at the end of last season aged 37, and played in the first 35 minutes of a low key match between teams comprised of the first team squads of both clubs.
He re-appeared for the second half which featured former players of both clubs including Patrick Vieira, Ian Wright and goalkeeper David Seaman for Arsenal, who also included their current skipper Thierry Henry.
Henry's last match, like Vieira's, was for France in the World Cup final on July 9.
Henry, the last Arsenal player to score at Highbury in May, became the first Arsenal player to score at the new ground with a tap-in after 10 minutes of the legends half.
Ex-Arsenal player Nwankwo Kanu struck a deflected second goal in stoppage time.
Ajax's legends included Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Danny Blind, Edwin Van der Sar, Edgar Davids and twins Frank and Ronald de Boer.

FIRST GOAL
Ajax's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored the first goal at the ground with a close range shot past Manuel Almunia after 40 minutes of the opening half.
Bergkamp made a total of 239 appearances and scored 122 goals for Ajax between 1986 and 1993. After two seasons with Inter Milan he joined Arsenal in 1995, making 423 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 120 goals and winning 10 major honours.
The new stadium looked resplendent with fans donning red and white t-shirts representing Bergkamp's Arsenal and Ajax years and orange ones marking his 10-year international career with the Netherlands, for whom he scored an all-time record 37 goals in 79 appearances.

socawarriors.net

Barca close to Zambrotta and Thuram deals.

2006-07-20T07:31:00.000-04:00

MADRID, (Reuters) - Barcelona are aiming to close the signings of Juventus defenders Gianluca Zambrotta and Lilian Thuram by the beginning of next week, the European and Spanish champions said on Wednesday.
'Conversations are well advanced but until everything is signed it is best to wait,' Barca sports director Txiki Begiristain told reporters as he returned from a trip to Turin.
'We are very optimistic and confident we can settle the operation before Monday.'
Spanish media has been reporting that Barca have agreed a fee of £13.5million for Zambrotta and £3.5million for Thuram.
World Cup winner Zambrotta, who has 58 caps for Italy, is under contract to Juve until 2010. The 29-year-old fullback can play on either side of defence.
Thuram, 34, has won a record 121 caps with France and announced his international retirement after losing in the World Cup final to Italy earlier this month.
A key member of the French side that won the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000, Thuram can play in the centre of defence or at right back.
Juventus have been involved in a match-fixing scandal in Italy and last week were ordered to start next season in Serie B on minus 30 points by a tribunal investigating the case.

socawarriors.net

England remain set on bid to host 2018 World Cup.

2006-07-20T07:30:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - England has a 'very good chance' of bidding for the 2018 World Cup and lessons have been learned from the failure to land the 2006 event, according to Sports Minister Richard Caborn.
A feasibility study into the possibility of hosting the event is currently being carried out, and any final bid submission would not be lodged until 2009.
However, Caborn, having sampled the atmosphere in Germany during the World Cup, is certain England has the know-how and facilities to table a more convincing bid than the one that failed ahead of 2006.
Caborn told PA Sport's Football Insider: 'I think the way we're approaching this, I think that we obviously think there would be a very good chance of bidding for the World Cup.
'Obviously as a Sports Minister I'd be disappointed if we didn't because I'd be at the forefront of pushing it, as I was with the Olympics.
'Like we did with the Olympics, we want to be absolutely sure what we are doing is based on robust figures, and our approach is right.
'I think we made many mistakes in (bidding for) 2006 - the way we handled the (Millennium) Dome, the way we handled Wembley and the way we handled Pickett's Lock.
'There were some tough lessons, and if you don't learn from tough lessons then you're a bit of an idiot.
'We've gone around the world and looked at cities who have been successful in bidding for the Olympics and World Cups as well.'
Caborn believes England's strength lies in its stadia, and if a bid is made to bring the competition to England for the first time since 1966, he thinks the 2012 Olympics will provide a solid test of the country's infrastructure.
'In the Olympics themselves, football will be one of the sports to actually go around the country,' he added.
'It will be at Hampden Park (in Glasgow) and in Cardiff and at Aston Villa's stadium and will finish at the great Wembley.
'Wembley will be the greatest stadium in the world, and will be a real credit to the nation.
'You look at places like the Emirates Stadium and football grounds up and down the country and we have some of the best stadia in the world - I have no doubts at all.
'The 2012 Games will be a great showcase. I have no doubts at all that if we really want to make a bid for 2018 then we have the stadia and indeed the organisation that can more than manage.'
Caborn, who was in Hull to promote the possibilities on offer for towns and cities outside of London to benefit from the 2012 Olympics, is now waiting for the feasibility report to land in his lap before the next step can be made.
'There's no doubt it's doable,' he added. 'It would be 2009 for the actual bid itself, but the feasibility report will come out in the next few weeks or months and will tell us what the cost-benefit analysis would be and so on, and we will build on that information.
'We will be looking at what our strengths and weaknesses are and will look to address those issues before we make a formal bid.
'If we're going to do it, we've got to do it right, and it's got to be well thought out.'

socawarriors.net

L.A. Galaxy & Crystal Palace play to 1-1 tie.

2006-07-20T07:21:00.000-04:00

Los Angeles Galaxy Media Relations.

RICHMOND, VA - The Los Angeles Galaxy and Crystal Palace F.C. of the English Coca-Cola League Championship, the second-highest level of English soccer, played to a 1-1 tie in a game that was postponed at halftime due to a heavy thunder and lightning storm. Crystal Palace got on the board first in the fifth minute, and the Galaxy tied things up in the 28th minute on a Paulo Nagamura goal before a fierce halftime thunder and lightning storm forced the game to be canceled.

Crystal Palace started the game quickly, taking a 1-0 lead in just the fifth minute on a wicked shot by Jon Macken. Charlie Sheringham started the Palace attack when he received a pass at the top of the Galaxy 18-yard box. He fired a hard shot on goal that Galaxy goalkeeper Steve Cronin was able to punch away to the left sideline. Macken collected the ball about 18 yards out on the wing and launched a low shot from a difficult angle that beat a recovering Cronin to give Crystal Palace the early advantage.

The Galaxy attempted to even the score in the 13th minute on a Cobi Jones corner kick from the left side. Jones lofted the ball into the center of the Palace six yard box, where Chris Albright touched the ball forward over a Crystal Palace defender. Galaxy forward Alan Gordon was waiting, and headed the ball toward goal from close range, only to see it ounce off the cross bar. Albright chased down the rebound, but his shot went wide and to the right.

Los Angeles tied the game at 1-1 in the 28th minute as Nagamura found the back of the net for the Galaxy. With Crystal Palace attempting to move out of their end, a hard charging John Wolyniec knocked the ball away from Michael Hughes and then pushed it forward to an on-rushing Nagamura. Nagamura took several touches past a Palace defender and then buried a low shot past the sliding goalkeeper Julian Speroni to make it 1-1.

Albright and Wolyniec almost combined to give L.A. the lead in the 42nd minute, as Cobi Jones fed an overlapping Albright on the right side in the Crystal Palace penalty area. Albright fought through his defender and then dished off to Wolyniec, who fired an open, low shot on goal from about 16 yards out that forced Speroni to make a diving save.

With the Galaxy carrying the momentum into the halftime break, the teams were unable to take the field for the second half because of the deluge. The Galaxy return to MLS action on July 22 when they face the Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio at 1:00 p.m. PT.

Crystal Palace 1, L.A. Galaxy 1 (Game suspended at halftime)

University of Richmond Stadium Richmond, Virginia.

Los Angeles - GK Steve Cronin, D Chris Albright, D Ugo Ihemelu, D Tyrone Marshall, D Ben Benditson, M Cobi Jones, M Paulo Nagamura, M Mike Enfield, M Kyle Martino, F John Wolyniec, F Alan Gordon

Crystal Palace F.C. - GK Julian Speroni, D Mark Hudson, D Darren Ward, D Gary Borrowdale, M Tommy Black, M Ben Watson, M Michael Hughes, M Dougie Freedman, F Jon Macken, F Charlie Sheringham, F Danny Butterfield

Cautions - None.

Goals - CP: Macken 10

socawarriors.net

Gansler resigns, replaced by Bliss.

2006-07-20T07:20:00.000-04:00

By Thomas Foote / MLSnet.com Staff.

KANSAS CITY -- The longest-serving coach in Major League Soccer, Bob Gansler, on Wednesday resigned as head coach of the Kansas City Wizards. The move is effective immediately. Brian Bliss was named the club's interim head coach.

The decision for the coaching change was apparently made Tuesday night. Wizards general manager Curt Johnson met with Gansler at Gansler's home and asked for his resignation.

"The decision as it relates to [Bob] Gansler -- it was a difficult one, as you can imagine after the last seven years and all of his experience. I think, quite frankly, he is doing the same things that he was doing in 2000, or 2004, 2003 whatever the case may be," said Johnson.

"He is pulling the same strings, he's got the same passion, and certainly he has the same abilities as a head coach but for whatever reasons it was not translating into wins. It is result-related, this business -- it's a cliché, but that is what it is and we have only won six times in our last 26 games and that is not acceptable."

Gansler had regular season record of 86-85-51, and a playoff record of 9-8-3. Prior to joining the Wizards, he coached the United States national team from 1989 to 1991, including the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the first appearance for the USA in 40 years.

"Bob Gansler is, simply put, an extraordinary leader of men," Johnson said. "He is a lifelong student of the game of soccer and in my opinion has been its star pupil in this country. He has used his many talents to coach soccer and we in Kansas City are forever grateful. He is a primary reason for the Wizards biggest moments of success and our organization will always be thankful for his exemplary leadership, passion, and for seven wonderful years."

Gansler had served as the Wizards head coach since April 28, 1999. He led the team to a worst-to-first MLS Cup championship in 2000. The Wizards also advanced to the MLS Cup Final in 2004 despite season-ending injuries to Chris Klein and Preki. D.C. United won the championship 3-2, but earlier that same season, the Wizards claimed another honor winning the U.S. Open Cup.

The Wizards are currently on a six-game losing streak, and have a record of 6-10-2 thus far this campaign. They head into the weekend in a three-way tie for third place in the Eastern Conference.

Gansler will be replaced on an interim basis by Bliss, a former Wizards player who was Gansler's chief assistant. Bliss was also a member of 1990 U.S. World Cup team. His first match in charge will be against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday at Giants Stadium.

"I know that everybody has responsibilities that they need to take care of, and we at the Wizards have one to take care of as well. As you can imagine today is somewhat bittersweet. We as assistant coaches aspire to be head coaches. You hope to get it on your own terms, but when you inherit a job, you hope to inherit it because somebody retires or decides that they are done," Bliss said.

"Today, unfortunately, it went the latter. I am happy to have this opportunity. I want to thank the Hunt family, Curt Johnson and the Wizards organization for instilling the confidence in me to grab a hold of the reins to right the ship so to speak and get us back on the right track to our winning ways."

Johnson said Bliss has been interviewed for head coaching jobs in MLS a number of times without being offered any positions. He was brought on by Gansler when he took charge of the Wizards in 1999. Johnson added Bliss is the head coach "for the foreseeable future," and said there is no search ongoing for another head coach.

"The most important thing in making the decision to bring Brian in as the interim head coach is for the last seven years he has given himself both on and off the field to the organization, he has done everything we have asked of him," Johnson said. "Coupled with his playing background, the last seven years made it a clear choice as to who needed to take the reins. I know he has the respect of our players, staff, and other coaches around the league."

Johnson referred to the day as "bittersweet," and said everyone in the Wizards organization was "working with a heavy heart."

""The Hunt family is grateful to have had Bob and Nancy Gansler as a part of the Wizards organization and we wish them good fortune along life's path," said Wizards founder Lamar Hunt. "During Bob Gansler's period of leadership he accomplished two significant championships for Kansas City, the 2000 MLS Cup and the 2004 U.S. Open Cup. These events are the most recent championships won by any Kansas City sports team and will always be a part of the Bob Gansler heritage in Kansas City."

Thomas Foote is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.

socawarriors.net

Nistelrooy wants Bayern move: Bild.

2006-07-20T07:18:00.000-04:00

BERLIN (AFP) - Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy wants to play for Bayern Munich next season, according to a German newspaper which contradicts claims from the Spanish press that the Dutch striker will join Real Madrid.
Bayern club president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge -- quoted by Thursday's edition of Bild -- said the offer was for 13 million euros.
"He wants to play for us," Rummenigge said before adding that agreeing a transfer fee was the only aspect of the move that needed to be tied up.
On Wednesday, sports daily Marca claimed Nistelrooy's move to Real Madrid stalled because the Spanish club were offering 14 million euros and United wanted 18 million.
United boss Ferguson said last week that 30-year-old Nistelrooy had asked to leave the club.
Van Nistelrooy lost his first team place at Old Trafford at the end of last season and did not appear for Holland in their World Cup second round match against Portugal.
The Dutchman has scored 95 goals in 150 matches for United since joining from PSV Eindhoven in 2001.

socawarriors.net

O'Leary parts company with Villa.

2006-07-20T07:16:00.000-04:00

BBC SPORTS.

O'Leary has left Villa with immediate effect Aston Villa have announced that manager David O'Leary has left the Premiership club by mutual consent.
His departure follows an inquiry by the Villa board into a statement criticising chairman Doug Ellis that was supposedly issued by the squad.
"Although no misconduct by O'Leary was uncovered, it has been agreed that an amicable parting was in the best interests," said a Villa statement.
The 48-year-old Irishman was in charge of Villa for three years.
The club's statement continued: "It has been mutually agreed to terminate the contract of David O'Leary, with immediate effect.
"A compensation package reflecting the situation has been established."
O'Leary took charge of Villa in June 2003 and took the Midlands side to sixth in the Premiership in his first season.
But fortunes on the pitch took a tumble for the Irishman, with the club finishing 10th in the 2004/2005 season and 16th in 2005/2006.
"There was no chemistry between O'Leary and his fans and it's questionable how much of a relationship there was between himself and the players," said BBC Radio Five Live's Pat Murphy.
"He underachieved last season. They were boring and tactically dull. It was a terrible season at Villa Park.
"The season-ticket sales during the summer have been absolutely appalling. Fundamentally, the Villa supporters will be glad that O'Leary has gone.
"But Villa cannot rely on Doug Ellis penny-pinching. They need a major hitter to bring Villa into an area where they feel they should be."
Fans cheered and clapped as former Leeds boss O'Leary left Villa Park at 2200 BST on Wednesday following a six-hour meeting.
Leaving the stadium, O'Leary said: "Look, we've just had a chat, that's it."
Former Villa left-back Colin Gibson, who played for the club from 1978-85, told Five Live Ellis should also quit the club.
"I think most fans would like to see him go too now, it's going rapidly downhill," said Gibson.
"As a chairman Ellis is meticulous, very shrewd. He's nobody's fool but he's getting old and we need someone who can steer the club back on course.
"O'Leary never had the club at heart but there are a lot of people who'd love the challenge of being Aston Villa manager."

socawarriors.net

Zidane & Materazzi await verdicts.

2006-07-20T07:14:00.000-04:00

BBC SPORTS.

Zidane and Materazzi are expected to receive bans and fines Zinedine Zidane and Marco Materazzi will discover on Thursday if they are to be punished for the World Cup final incident that led to Zidane's red card.
Zidane was dismissed in extra-time when he headbutted Italy's Materazzi in the chest after some verbal provocation.
The French captain said he headbutted the defender because he insulted his family, an allegation Materazzi denies.
Zidane, 34, arrived at Fifa on Thursday to give evidence to the five-man disciplinary committee.
He is likely to receive a fine and a ban and could also be stripped of his Golden Ball award as the best player in the tournament.
But because the Frenchman retired after the final, any ban he receives for the headbutt will be academic.
Zidane will defend himself with the support of French Football Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes and a lawyer.
Last Friday Materazzi gave evidence to Fifa's disciplinary committee regarding his conduct in the World Cup final.

socawarriors.net

Portsmouth line up Fernandes deal.

2006-07-20T07:12:00.000-04:00

BBC SPORTS.

Fernandes has been hailed as the new Claude Makelele Portsmouth are on the verge of signing Portuguese midfielder Manuel Fernandes for a club record £10m, reports BBC Radio Solent.
The 20-year-old Benfica player is expected to have a medical on Thursday before discussing personal terms.
If Fernandes signs the deal would smash Portsmouth's previous record of the £4m paid for Benjani Mwaruwari in January.
Fernandes was set to fly into the UK on Wednesday after Portsmouth reached an agreement in principle with Benfica.
Fernandes is a product of Benfica's youth system who made his first-team debut during the 2003/04 season, under then coach Jose Antonio Camacho.
He was part of the Portugal youth team that reached the quarter-finals of the Fifa U17 World Championship.
In February 2005 he made his international debut for the senior team against the Republic of Ireland but he missed out on selection for Portugal's world Cup squad in Germany.

socawarriors.net

Real sign Cannavaro and Emerson.

2006-07-20T07:11:00.000-04:00

BBC SPORTS.

Cannavaro captained Italy to victory at the World Cup this month Real Madrid have announced the signing of Italy World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro and Brazil midfielder Emerson from Juventus.
The pair, who have signed a two-year deal with a further one-year option, will link up with their former Juve boss Fabio Capello at the Bernabeu.
Spanish radio said the deal was worth a combined 20 million Euros (£13.7m)
Juventus were relegated from Serie A last week after the match-fixing scandal which rocked Italian football.
They will start the 2006/07 campaign in Serie B with a 30-point deficit.
Real are looking to rebuild after three years without a trophy and the pair are the first arrivals at Madrid since new president Ramon Calderon came to power earlier this month.
A statement on the club's website said: "Real Madrid can confirm it has reached an agreement with Juventus over the signing of Fabio Cannavaro and Emerson.
"The players are currently on holiday and will be presented at the Bernabeu after signing their respective contracts."

socawarriors.net

Baros goes on drunken rampage.

2006-07-19T09:14:00.000-04:00

PRAGUE (AFP) - Czech Republic striker Milan Baros went on a drunken rampage during his post-World Cup vacation, according to Czech newspaper reports.
Aston Villa star Baros, 24, had been given extra time off by his English Premiership club after playing for his country at the World Cup.
He was reported to have spent several days during his break on a drinking spree and one newspaper, Blesk, said he was seen dancing bare-chested in a nightclub with a condom tied in his hair.
Photos of Baros's exploits had appeared in the local press and it was also claimed he was involved in a brawl during wedding celebrations in a trendy nightclub.
Dnes newspaper criticised the former Liverpool player, who was the leading scorer at Euro 2004, for risking "his name, his career and his talent."
Former Czech international Radek Drulak, a Euro 96 finalist, warned Baros he was ruining his career and added: "The Premiership begins in just three weeks but he cannot expect to find his form after a one-month long party."
Baros, who was the subject of a recently rejected transfer approach from German club Hamburg, reportedly apologised for his behaviour before leaving for England on Tuesday and said; "I should be setting an example for young sportsmen and it's unfortunate that was not the case."

socawarriors.net

Former US coach Arena joins Red Bulls of MLS.

2006-07-19T09:12:00.000-04:00

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former U.S. soccer team manager Bruce Arena was named on Tuesday as head coach of the New York Red Bulls.
The 54-year-old Arena will also serve as the Red Bulls' sporting director, overseeing the team's soccer operations, including the first team, reserve and academy teams and youth development.
Arena, the most successful coach in the history of the U.S. men's side, was told last Friday his services would not be retained after eight years in the position.
The U.S. were eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup in Germany last month, losing to the Czech Republic and Ghana and drawing with eventual champions Italy.
Critics said the squad appeared ill-prepared for the month-long, 32-team tournament.
The Red Bulls are one of the least successful sides in Major League Soccer, sitting in the basement of the Eastern Conference.
Arena's first game in charge will be August 12 when the Red Bulls face UEFA Champions League winners Barcelona in a friendly at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

(Writing by Steve Ginsburg in Washington)

socawarriors.net

Released Okocha makes Qatar move.

2006-07-19T09:11:00.000-04:00

BBC SPORTS.

Okocha won Olympic gold with Nigeria in 1996 Jay-Jay Okocha has signed a one-year contract with Qatari side Sport Club following his release by Bolton.
The 32-year-old Nigerian midfielder, who also retired from international duty this season, was let go by Bolton in May after four years at the club.
A spokesman for Sport Club said: "Of course, Jay-Jay is here to help us win some silverware.
"He has passed the medical and will join the team in a training camp in the Czech Republic soon."
Bolton boss Sam Allardyce decided not to offer Okocha a new contract at the Reebok Stadium as he wanted to lower the age of the squad.
Okocha is the latest in list of big names, including Gabriel Batistuta, Marcel Desailly and Paolo Wanchope, to play the twilight of their career in Qatar.

socawarriors.net

Mourinho to make one more signing.

2006-07-19T09:10:00.000-04:00

BBC SPORTS.

Arsenal's Ashley Cole has been targeted by Jose Mourinho Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insists that he will only bring in one more player before the new season.
Arsenal defender Ashley Cole has been strongly linked with the Blues since criticising the Gunners' board in his forthcoming autobiography.
And left-back Asier Del Horno is set to exit Stamford Bridge with Athletic Bilbao and Valencia keen to sign him.
Mourinho said: "We can have one player arrive and one to leave. Other teams will work more than us on transfers."
Chelsea recruited Michael Ballack, Andriy Shevchenko, Salomon Kalou and Jon Obi Mikel before the World Cup, while Cole has been a constant target of the Premiership champions.
He added: "We have kept all the good players who were important for us last year and we have some new ones with a lot of quality."
Del Horno's impending transfer back to Spain would leave the Blues with only one recognised left-back in Wayne Bridge, who returned from a loan spell at Fulham in June.
England defender Cole has two years remaining on his Arsenal contract and boss Arsene Wenger is keen for his left-back to remain.
Cole, Chelsea and Mourinho were all fined last year after they breached league rules by meeting without Arsenal's knowledge.
And Cole has criticised the Gunners for making him a "scapegoat" over the tapping-up affair.

socawarriors.net

Man Utd turn down Real's Ruud bid.

2006-07-19T09:09:00.000-04:00

BBC SPORTS.

Van Nistelrooy fell out of favour at United last season Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed Manchester United have turned down a bid from Real Madrid for Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Ferguson also revealed that United made an offer for Tottenham midfielder Michael Carrick that was rejected.
"There is no agreement with Real and United over Ruud. We have refused their offer," said the United boss.
"We are trying to sign another central midfielder. We have made a bid for Michael Carrick but Tottenham Hotspur turned it down."
Reports suggested that Van Nistelrooy was set to put pen to paper following a medical on Wednesday, but it is believed that Real did not get close enough to United's £15m valuation for the 30-year-old striker.
Ferguson admitted last week that Van Nistelrooy had informed the club that he wanted to end his five-year stay at the club.
Van Nistelrooy fell out with Ferguson and found himself out of favour at the end of last season and there were also reports that he had a disagreement with United winger Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Dutchman was left out of the side for the League Cup final and talk of a rift between the forward and the manager escalated when Van Nistelrooy left the ground before United's final game of the season.
Spanish-based journalist Graham Hunter told BBC Five Live Sport that Real will be looking to get United to lower their asking price.
He said: "It's very clear that Ruud van Nistelrooy is unhappy at Old Trafford - unhappy with the behaviour of Cristiano Ronaldo and unhappy with his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson.
"And it is him that says he wants to leave so that always makes the buying club feel secure in haggling the price down.
"There are also strikers moving from Italy in (David) Trezeguet and (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic so the market does have this inward flush of slightly underpriced talent - so it is a buyer's market."
Van Nistelrooy's agent has been quoted as saying the Dutch forward is keen to move to Madrid.
And new Real boss Fabio Capello has also stated his admiration for a player who has scored 150 goals in 218 appearances since joining United from PSV for £19m in 2001.

socawarriors.net

Nicolas Anelka reveals Portsmouth offer.

2006-07-19T09:07:00.000-04:00

BBC SPORTS.

Anelka claims three Premiership clubs want to sign him Fenerbahce striker Nicolas Anelka claims Portsmouth have made an £8.2m bid to bring him to Fratton Park.
He also revealed Blackburn and Bolton are also interested but said: "Portsmouth are the only club to have made an offer for me.
"Fenerbahce would like to keep me but they understand that I want to rejoin a major European league.
"In Portsmouth I talked with manager Harry Redknapp, who knows me well," the ex-Arsenal and Liverpool striker added.
"My ambition would be to join a club that regularly plays in the Champions League, but I cannot force them to recruit me.
"If I had to join a club like Portsmouth, I would go there with the aim of giving my best. This is the same for Bolton or Blackburn, whose managers have also contacted me.
"I hope things will be sorted within 10 days, as myself and Fenerbahce need to know as soon as possible."
Anelka, who has also played for Real Madrid, Paris St Germain and Manchester City, hit out at former Anfield boss Gerard Houllier for wrecking his career by refusing to sign him on a permanent deal.
He said: "When he told me at the last minute that he had no intention of keeping me, he put me in a difficult situation because I had not negotiated anything with other teams.
"And I ended up joining a club (Manchester City) against my will.
"Gerard Houllier is responsible for what happened to me. If he had not snubbed me at Liverpool I would not have had to play with minor clubs for the past four years which I had never imagined joining.
"I would not be where I am right now, that is to say waiting to be signed by a great English club."
Anelka has acquired a reputation for being difficult, and also claimed: "I was told that people from Manchester City were saying bad things about me to other clubs who are interested in me.
"The clubs should instead ask the players I played with and they would see.
"It's incredible because I have never had any problems when playing in England except when I asked to leave Arsenal in 1999.
"If great clubs don't sign me it's never because of the way I play. It's very frustrating, especially because I know I could do as well, if not better, than their strikers."

socawarriors.net

Two Australian clubs handed Asian Champions League spots.

2006-07-17T07:11:00.000-04:00

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) - Two teams from Australia's A League will be offered places in the 2007 Asian Champions League after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) decided to cut Thailand and Vietnam's allocation. "This decision was made based on the technical performance and match results of the Thai and Vietnamese clubs in recent seasons of the AFC Champions League," an AFC statement said on Monday.
The AFC Executive Committee said Thailand and Vietnam would keep one representative each in the competition with their second places demoted to the AFC Cup.
The AFC said it would meet with officials from Football Federation Australia to discuss qualification, with the two places likely to go to the A League champions and the top club from the regular season.
No Thai team has progressed from the group stages since BEC Tero Sesana reached the inaugural AFC Champions League final in 2003. The country's two representatives in 2006 -- Thailand Tobacco Monopoly and Provincial Electrical Authority -- were disqualified for failing to comply with player registration deadlines.
Vietnam's teams have faired little better with none progressing past the group phase while their two 2006 entries lost all eight matches.
The Executive Committee confirmed the competition's 28-team format featuring seven groups of four teams, each top side joining last season's champions in the quarter-finals. Sydney FC were the winners of the inaugural A League title in March and the 2006-07 competition started last weekend.

socawarriors.net

Tottenham linked with swoop for Nedved.

2006-07-17T07:06:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Tottenham are among the clubs interested in Juventus' Pavel Nedved, according to the midfielder's agent.
Nedved, the 33-year-old who was at the World Cup with the Czech Republic, is reported to be considering his options after Juventus' relegation following the Italian match-fixing scandal.
His representative, Zdenek Nehoda, told the Daily Telegraph: 'Monaco, Tottenham and some clubs from United Arab Emirates and Qatar have come up with specific offers.

Tottenham close to Duff deal.

LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea's unsettled Ireland winger Damien Duff is close to completing an 11-million-pound switch to Tottenham.
The 27-year-old, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Blackburn for 17 million pounds in 2003, has a year left on his contract but has struggled to win a regular place with the English champions.
Monday's edition of The Sun said Duff had a medical on Sunday and is expected to complete his move in the next few days.
Duff has played 95 times for Chelsea after beginning his career at Blackburn in 1996 where he made over 200 appearances.

socawarriors.net

Germans architects to design three of South Africa's 2010 stadiums.

2006-07-17T07:03:00.000-04:00

BERLIN (AFP) - A Berlin firm of architects have been awarded contracts to design three of the stadiums for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Gerkan Marg and Partner (gmp) said they will design the stadiums in Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth.
The ground in Durban will be the biggest of the three with 85,000 seats.
"We plan to work with local architects on all three stadiums," the director of the company, Volkwin Marg, told the Die Welt newspaper on Monday.
The company was responsible for the renovation of Berlin's Olympic Stadium, where the final of the 2006 World Cup was played on July 9.
In 2010, the championship will be played in 10 stadiums in nine South African cities. It will be the first time the tournament will be held in Africa. The final will be played in the Soccer City stadium outside Johannesburg.

socawarriors.net

Race is on to sign Van Nistelrooy.

2006-07-16T11:24:00.000-04:00

LONDON (AFP) - Ruud van Nistelrooy's much publicised fall outs with both his club and country managers have not prevented interest being shown in him by several top European sides.
The Dutch striker has told Manchester United he wants a transfer following the 30-year-old's spat with Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson at the end of last season.
He also lost the favours of Dutch manager Marco van Basten at the World Cup watching from the bench as the highly-touted side crashed out in the last 16 to Portugal.
But despite all that, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and at least one other top side have flagged their interest in signing him and United are confident they can raise at least 15million pounds, which could go towards an offer for Atletico Madrid's Fernando Torres.
"Ruud has asked to leave and we have to consider that," said Ferguson.
"Real Madrid have shown interest and Bayern Munich have shown interest and I think another club have shown interest today but David Gill is going to fill me in on that one.
"Obviously I think something may happen.''
United officials have made it clear they will not let Van Nistelrooy leave on the cheap and it will take a bid well in excess of the 10million pounds Real are rumoured to be prepared to pay for the forward, one of only eight players in the club's history to score 150 times.
However, his impending departure is set to finally trigger United into some meaningful transfer activity, with West Brom keeper Tomasz Kuszczak set to arrive at Old Trafford in the near future.
"We are in the process of tying up a deal with Tomasz Kuszczak from West Brom. He has Premiership experience and he will be the number two to Edwin van der Sar next season," Ferguson said.
At least one midfield reinforcement is expected - probably Michael Carrick - although Ferguson is adamant Paul Scholes remains an integral part of the United squad after making a full recovery from his worrying eye complaint.
"Paul Scholes is back - it is as simple as that,'' said Ferguson.
"It doesn't matter who I am thinking about bringing into my midfield, Paul Scholes will be included, as he would in any side in the world."

socawarriors.net

Colombia to bid for 2014 World Cup.

2006-07-16T11:23:00.000-04:00

CARTAGENA (AFP) - Colombia is to launch an official bid to host the World Cup finals in 2014, the country's president Alvaro Uribe has announced.
"Vice-president Francisco Santos has already taken the first steps internationally to obtain the hosting of the 2014 World Cup for Colombia," he said at the opening of the Central American and Caribbean Games.
Colombia was previously a candidate to host the 1986 finals but withdrew due to an economic crisis in the country. The finals, the last to be held in Latin America, were then hosted by Mexico and won by Argentina.
Under FIFA's rotation process, the 2014 finals should be awarded to a South American country following the 2010 finals in South Africa.

socawarriors.net

U.S. coach Bruce Arena to step down.

2006-07-16T11:22:00.000-04:00

By Steve Ginsburg.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The contract of U.S. soccer team coach Bruce Arena will not be renewed in the wake of a bitterly disappointing World Cup performance, officials announced Friday.
The U.S. were knocked out in the first round of the World Cup finals in Germany last month, losing to the Czech Republic and Ghana and drawing with eventual winners Italy.
"Obviously we didn't get the results we wanted at the World Cup, but as I've said repeatedly, Bruce Arena didn't become a bad coach in three games or with a bad bounce of the ball," said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati.
"It has much more to do with eight years and us thinking it's time for a fresh look."
The 54-year-old Arena was the most successful national coach in U.S. soccer history, winning 71 of his 130 matches in charge during an eight-year spell.
"He has been extraordinarily successful at every level he's coached at and what he's done with our national team program over the last eight years is unrivaled," Gulati said of Arena.
"To be there for eight years is unrivalled anywhere in the world.
To be at two World Cups with the same team, to have the level of success that he's had in where we were and where we are, he's certainly left the organization and the program in much stronger hands and in a better position than when he started.
"Frankly, he's given us credibility world-wide."
The search for a successor to Arena will begin immediately, said Gulati, adding that he will talk to Juergen Klinsmann, who stepped down from the German national team this week.
"I am proud of how far the organization has come over the last eight years, and I am extremely optimistic about the future of the sport in our country," Arena said in a statement.
"As for me, I am planning to take some time off to weigh my future opportunities."
Arena has been linked as a possible coach of the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer.
The U.S. national squad had a disappointing 2006 World Cup, although they did manage a 1-1 draw with Italy despite ending the match with nine men.
Arena's best moment as U.S. coach came during the 2002 World Cup finals when they reached the quarter-finals.

socawarriors.net

Recovery won't come overnight for Juventus.

2006-07-16T11:17:00.000-04:00

ACQUI TERME, Italy (AP) -- New Juventus coach Didier Deschamps said the 30-point penalty imposed on the club for its role in Italy's match-fixing scandal will make it almost impossible to get back to the top division immediately.
"With a 30-point penalty, it's nearly impossible. But we have the duty to try," Deschamps said Saturday at the team's summer camp outside Turin. "If they were to take 10 points away from us it would still be tough, but it would be different."
A sports tribunal Friday demoted Juventus from Serie A to the second division, and handed the club a 30-point deduction for the coming season. Lazio and Fiorentina also were demoted to Serie B, while AC Milan was spared demotion but given a 15-point penalty.
Deschamps made his comments after being officially presented as the replacement for Fabio Capello, who now coaches Real Madrid.
Deschamps, who played for Juventus between 1994-99 and was captain of France's World Cup winning team in 1998, said the verdicts would make opposing fans more hostile toward the club.
"Whoever hated us will hate us even more and whoever loved us, will love us more," Deschamps said. "I will speak with the players. There will certainly be provocations, we know that, and we have to be prepared."
Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli said he spent the night reading the sports tribunal's reasoning for the verdict.
"The reasoning doesn't justify such a severe penalty," Cobolli Gigli said Saturday. "I'm convinced that our appeal will be embraced."
The penalties in the massive corruption scandal can be appealed within five days to a higher sports court.
Cobolli Gigli suggested Juventus would accept going down to the second division if there was no point penalty. "I would just like to be in B and that's it," he said.

Italian football world turned upside down.

ROME (AFP) - After nearly a week of World Cup euphoria, football-mad Italians were confronted with a league landscape scorched by the punishment meted out to four Serie A clubs convicted of match-fixing.
A disciplinary tribunal's decision to relegate Juventus, Lazio and Fiorentina to the second division and dock AC Milan 15 points next season was a body blow to the sport, newspapers declared.
"Hammer blow," ran the headline in Gazzetta dello Sport, while the sports daily held out hope the sentences would be reduced on appeal.
"But it's only the first round. The ball passes now to the federal court, the second and final stage of sports justice," the newspaper said.
"It is not possible to imagine the verdict will be overturned. However, one could imagine a significant adjustment in the area of 'penalisation points'."
An Italian Football Federation (FIGC) tribunal on Friday handed down its judgement in the match-fixing case involving the four clubs and 25 national and club officials, referees and linesmen.
Juventus, as the club most heavily implicated in the scam, were stripped of their last two league titles and deducted 30 points next season, while Lazio and Fiorentina lost seven and 12 points respectively.
Although AC Milan escaped relegation, all four clubs have been banned from European competition.
The clubs are expected to appeal against the sentences, with the FIGC anxious to settle the matter by UEFA's July 25 deadline for club submissions for the Champions's League and UEFA Cup next season.
The relegations mean Lecce, Messina, and Treviso, who finished in the Serie A relegation zone, would retain their places in the top flight.
Inter Milan, Roma, Chievo and Palermo could also expect entries to the Champions League.
The four implicated clubs furnished more than half the Azzurri squad that defeated France in a penalty shootout to win the 18th World Cup, but calls for an amnesty were given short shrift by FIGC commissioner Guido Rossi.
"Just 120 hours after the joyful day of the World Cup, Italian football is living the most unfortunate day of the first, historic relegation of Juventus into the second division," said the top-selling Corriere della Sera.
Il Messagero, meanwhile, dredged up French revolutionary history while invoking the infamous headbutt by French captain Zinedine Zidane that saw him sent off 10 minutes before the end of extra time.
"The world turned upside down the day the French celebrate the storming of the Bastille," the newspaper said.
"The amnesty party has suffered a series of headbutts even more violent than those of Zidane."
Juventus former general manager Luciano Moggi, Fiorentina president Andrea Della Valle, Lazio chief Claudio Lotito and former FIGC president Franco Carraro are some of the officials who face bans of up to five years on sporting fraud charges.
The scandal erupted when newspapers in May published telephone wiretaps that revealed Moggi telling a senior FIGC official which referees he wanted for certain league and European matches.
For La Stampa, which is part-owned, like Juventus, by the Agnelli family, the judgement by five retired judges was "a cruel and humiliating moment" for the giant Italian club.
"In the matter of illegality, sports justice punishes even a simple attempt. Another Juve will arise and I hope, with all my heart, so too will Italian football," the newspaper said in an editorial.

Italy mourns match-fixing scandal ruling.
By Phil Stewart.

ROME, (Reuters) - Less than a week after winning the World Cup, Italy mourned the biggest blow to national soccer in decades on Saturday after top clubs were ousted from the elite league for match-fixing.
An Italian sports tribunal delivered the verdicts late on Friday, punishing Italy's most successful team Juventus with relegation to Italy's second-tier Serie B along with Fiorentina and Lazio.
The fourth club involved, AC Milan, owned by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, was also heavily penalised, starting next season's Serie A campaign minus 15 points.
"To Hell", screamed a front-page column in Italy's leading newspaper Corriere della Sera. It counted 120 hours from Italy's World Cup win to the moment when "two generations of soccer establishment were wiped out".
As teams prepared their appeals, the country braced for a likely exodus of prized players such as World Cup captain Fabio Cannavaro and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
"This sentence on soccer strikes at nearly 20 million fans," said Berlusconi's spokesman Paolo Bonaiuti. "Our best players will be forced to play abroad. Well done. Justice served."
Even Italy's Justice Minister Clemente Mastella weighed in against the verdict, saying it mostly punished fans.
"At least I'm not the 'sports' justice minister. I can't agree with the sentence," Mastella said.
"I don't believe that the whole system is rotten. There are some amputations that need to be made but an Italian soccer that wins the World Cup frankly can't be great abroad and less than that at home."

OFFICIALS BANNED
Many fans and officials, however, said rough justice was needed to purge the sport of chronic corruption. Prime Minister Romano Prodi said that those guilty "have to pay, even if we are world champions".
The scandal broke in May with the publication of intercepted telephone conversations between a former Juventus official and Italian soccer authorities discussing refereeing appointments.
As well as the clubs, the tribunal barred a number of club officials from the game for varying periods.
Former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi, who was at the centre of the scandal, was banned for five years and ex-Federation president Franco Carraro for four-and-a-half years.
Moggi said there had been no wrongdoing.
"No match was fixed, no referee was pressured," Moggi was widely quoted as saying by the Italian media on Saturday.
The demotion of Juventus, Lazio and Fiorentina is certain to prompt a transfer merry-go-round across Europe.
Juventus had eight players involved in the World Cup final and few, if any, will be expected to stay with the Turin club and start next season in Serie B.
Real Madrid, whose new coach Fabio Capello guided Juventus to the two championships they were stripped of on Friday, have made no secret of their interest in picking up Cannavaro and fellow Juventus player Brazilian midfielder Emerson.
The teams are expected to present their appeals in the coming days. The process has to be hurried so that it can be completed by July 25 -- the UEFA deadline for the Italian football federation to submit their list of teams for next season's Champions League.

(Additional reporting by Rachel Sanderson).

socawarriors.net

Materazzi says Zidane deserved Golden Ball award.

2006-07-14T07:04:00.000-04:00

MILAN, Italy (AP) -- Italy defender Marco Materazzi insisted that French soccer star Zinedine Zidane deserved to be named best player at the World Cup despite his actions in Sunday's final.
Zidane was sent off for head-butting Materazzi in the chest after the two exchanged words in extra time. The game finished 1-1 and Italy won its fourth title in a penalty shootout.
FIFA is investigating Zidane and said Thursday it has opened disciplinary proceedings into Materazzi for his conduct in World Cup final. World soccer's governing body said it started the investigation after receiving initial statements from Zidane.
Journalists still selected Zidane for the Golden Ball award, and Materazzi disagreed with FIFA president Sepp Blatter's suggestion that the 34-year-old French captain could be stripped of the title.
"He won it for what he did on the pitch," Materazzi told the Gazzetta dello Sport. "He was the best."
Materazzi acknowledged he insulted Zidane, who he called his "hero," without giving specifics.
"I didn't say anything to him about racism, religion or politics," Materazzi said. "I didn't talk about his mother, either. I lost my mother when I was 15 and even now I still get emotional talking about her."
Speaking on Canal-Plus television on Wednesday, Zidane didn't reveal what Materazzi said, but indicated the insults related to his mother and sister.
FIFA has summoned both players to a hearing of its disciplinary committee July 20.
Zidane, who retired after his 108th appearance for France, stressed that he felt no regret about his outburst "because that would mean (Materazzi) was right to say all that."
"My act is not forgivable," Zidane said. "But they must also punish the true guilty party, and the guilty party is the one who provokes."

socawarriors.net

Donadoni takes Italian job.

2006-07-14T07:03:00.000-04:00

ROME (AFP) - Former international star Roberto Donadoni was named as the new coach of World Cup winners Italy, the Italian football federation said.
The 43-year-old Donadoni, who played for AC Milan and had been the coach of Livorno until he quit in February this year, takes over from Marcello Lippi who stood down on Wednesday after Italy's World Cup final win against France.
Donadoni, a quick winger and talented passer of the ball, was considered one of the best Italian players of the late 1980s and won 63 caps, scoring four goals.
He was part of the Italian team which finished third at the 1990 World Cup and played in the side which lost the 1994 final to Brazil on a penalty shoot-out.
Donadoni started his playing career at Atalanta before a highly successful move to Milan where he became one of Italy's best ever wide-midfielders.
After a spell in the USA with New York Metrostars, he took up coaching in 2001-02 when he was named as Lecco boss in the third division.
He then moved to Livorno before an ill-fated move to Genoa where he lasted just three games.
He returned to Livorno during the 2004-05 campaign but then left in February with his team in sixth place in the table.
Donadoni's first game in charge will be a Euro 2008 qualifier at home to Lithuania on September 2 before a rematch with World Cup final opponents France in Paris four days later.
Italy are in Group B of the Euro 2008 qualifiers which also includes Ukraine, Scotland, Georgia and Faroe Islands.
Lippi stood down from the job on Wednesday, just three days after he brought his country their fourth global crown.
"I believe that I have achieved what I set out to achieve as coach of the Italian team," Lippi said
"I want to thank the federation for the confidence it had in me during the last two years of work crowned by a result that will rest in the annals of Italian football and live on in the memory of our fans," he added.
Italy won their fourth World Cup in Berlin on Sunday when they defeated France in the final 5-3 on penalties after the game had finished tied at 1-1 after extra-time. Meanwhile, Donadoni will be presented to the media on Tuesday in Rome.

socawarriors.net

Lawyer wants courts to look at Zidane incident.

2006-07-14T07:02:00.000-04:00

PARIS, (Reuters) - A French lawyer plans to ask a court to intervene in the controversy over Zinedine Zidane's sending-off in the World Cup final.
Doubts over whether a match official relied on video evidence of Zidane's head butt to Italian defender Marco Materazzi meant the final should be replayed, lawyer Mehana Mouhou said.
"I am going to ask the judge to question all individuals concerned and to reconstruct the end of the refereeing," Mouhou, who is based in the northern town of Rennes, told Reuters on Thursday.
"If it is proved that the fourth referee used video evidence, FIFA can have the final replayed," he said.
Mouhou said he was acting on behalf of a number of clubs and associations whose names he would reveal once the application had been filed with the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris, one of France's main civil courts.
French captain Zidane was sent off in extra time in Sunday's final in Berlin after he head-butted Materazzi, apparently in reaction to comments by the defender. Italy went on to take the World Cup after winning the match on penalties.
The incident went unseen by the referee and his two linesmen. The referee was informed about the head butt by the fourth match official who said he had witnessed the action.
French team officials have challenged this version of events, saying the official knew what happened because he saw a video replay.
FIFA rules prevent referees from using video evidence during the course of a match.
"The divergence of opinion means that the justice system should decide," Mouhou said.
"If it is proved that video was used, I will ask for the match to be nullified."

socawarriors.net

Doubt over South Africa 2010.

2006-07-13T07:01:00.000-04:00

By: Luke Harding in Berlin.
The Guardian (UK).

Fifa executives have voiced "serious" doubts about whether South Africa will be able to host the next World Cup in 2010 and have discussed a radical contingency plan that would see the United States stage the tournament instead, it was reported in Germany yesterday.
According to the German sports news agency SID, Fifa officials have privately raised worries over South Africa's continuing failure to prepare for the tournament and have also discussed the possibility of staging the tournament again in Germany.
Fifa's 24-member executive committee gathered in Berlin over the weekend to watch the World Cup final and, according to the agency, delegates meeting in the luxurious Hotel Adlon just opposite the Brandenburg Gate spent much of the weekend deep in conversation over what to do if South Africa fell further behind with its World Cup preparations. There are long-standing doubts about whether stadiums can be built and modernised in time but there are even more serious concerns about South Africa's transport infrastructure and whether it will be able to cope with the tens of thousands of fans travelling between venues.
Yesterday Fifa insisted that the tournament would go ahead in South Africa as planned. "The World Cup in Germany was wonderful. But the next one will take place in South Africa," its spokesman Markus Siegler insisted.
Fifa officials have indicated that no final decision is likely to be taken until after the president Sepp Blatter stands for re-election next May. Blatter, a big supporter of South Africa's ultimately successful bid, needs the votes from African delegates to ensure his re-election in the ballot next year in Zurich.
Lennart Johansson has announced that he will stand for re-election as president of Uefa when his term expires next year. Johansson, who has been in the role since 1990, was expected to stand down but at a meeting of the European ruling body's executive board yesterday he announced his intention to stand for another four-year term.
The Czech Republic's midfielder Karel Poborsky has announced his retirement from international soccer at the age of 34, as planned before the World Cup. He played a record 118 times and scored eight goals for his country.

socawarriors.net

Redknapp hails prospective signing Sol.

2006-07-13T06:59:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp wants to bring Sol Campbell to Fratton Park because he believes the England centre-back still has 'an awful lot to offer as a player'.
Campbell, 31, has left Arsenal after five years as a Gunner in search of a fresh challenge and he is tempted to continue his career abroad.
Redknapp is yet to speak with Campbell - but he would relish the chance to build his Pompey side around such an experienced defender.
'His type of player would be good here, no doubts about that.
'He's a leader, he's a top centre-half. You only have to look at the Champions League final against Barcelona and he was magnificent,' said Redknapp.
'He still would have an awful lot to offer in the next two, three or four years if he wants to play on.
'It's his decision what he wants to do with his life - whether he wants to play abroad or play in England. I don't know what Sol's plans are, I've not had a chance to speak to him.
'He has just come back from the World Cup, but he's a player I'm sure would be of interest if he wants to play football still.'
Redknapp hopes he will get those same qualities from Tony Adams after appointing the former Arsenal captain as his assistant manager.
Adams struggled during his first foray into management with Wycombe but Redknapp is confident he is the ideal man to replace Kevin Bond, who left Portsmouth for Newcastle.
'Losing Kevin Bond was a big blow but I have always been a big fan of Tony Adams as a player and character. I gave him a ring, had a meeting with him and we got on great. I liked him very much,' Redknapp told Sky Sports News.
'I offered him a chance to get back into football where he belongs as he's got so much to offer and it would be such a waste if he drifts out of football or goes abroad and doesn't come back. 'Hopefully he will go on to be a top coach and a great manager one day.'

socawarriors.net

Ribery's agent denies £10m bid from Arsenal.

2006-07-13T06:57:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Franck Ribery's agent Bruno Heiderscheid has denied reports Arsenal have made a £10million bid for the Marseille winger.
The 23-year-old, who was a member of France's World Cup squad, had been tipped to join Lyon over the summer, but the Ligue 1 champions face competition from other European giants including Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
Arsenal are another side said to be interested in Ribery, but Heiderscheid has played down reports the English club have already made an offer for his services.
He said in L'Equipe: 'I have not met with Arsene Wenger, neither in Paris nor elsewhere, and I have not received any offers for Franck.
'Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are also rumoured to be interested but I have never received any concrete offer.
'For now Franck's priority is to go on holiday and rest. Marseille have agreed to give him four extra days so he will be back at the club on July 29.
'In the meantime I have asked (Marseille president) Pape Diouf to meet with me regarding Franck. I hope we will be able to do so in the next few days.'
Diouf, meanwhile, has repeated his desire to keep Ribery, although the player made it clear last month that he was hoping to join five-time French champions Lyon.
'I have no problem with Ribery,' Diouf said. 'It only concerns those who want to make him leave the club or tempt him to join their club.
'Ribery performed well in the World Cup and is now taking a holiday.'
Ribery, who is tipped to take the place of the retired Zinedine Zidane in the French national team, came on as a substitute in Les Bleus' World Cup draws with Switzerland and South Korea before starting in the 2-0 victory over Togo.
He then scored his first international goal in their last 16 triumph over Spain and was also a part of the starting line-up which lost out to Italy in last Sunday's final.

socawarriors.net

Ronaldo says critics too harsh of Brazil's play at World Cup.

2006-07-13T06:56:00.000-04:00

By SILVIA ISQUIERDO, Associated Press Writer.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -- Ronaldo believes Brazil has been criticized too harshly for not winning the World Cup "even though we're the best team in the world."
Favored to win a record sixth World Cup in Germany, Brazil was knocked out in the quarterfinals 1-0 by France, which went on to lose to Italy in the final on penalty kicks.
"I've seen and heard the criticism, and it all seems very exaggerated," Ronaldo said at a news conference Tuesday.
He acknowledged the team didn't live up to expectations.
"Our performance was below expectations. We just have to accept it," he said. "I think it's too much to look for a culprit for our elimination. Brazil won't win every Cup, even though we're the best team in the world."
Ronaldo has won the Cup twice, in 1994 and 2002, and nearly won a third time in 1998, when Brazil reached the final but lost 3-0 to host France.
He compared the sullen mood in Brazil with the ecstasy of 2002, when the team defeated Germany 2-0 in the final in Japan.
"Four years ago everyone was happy -- the press, fans, politicians -- everyone commemorating the fifth World Cup title," he said. "Now the losers are just the players and the coaching staff."
Ronaldo defended coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, who led the team to the title in 1994 and was expected to repeat the feat this year.
"The coach can't be the only one guilty for the defeat of the national team," he said.
There was some personal success for Ronaldo, who scored three goals to eclipse former German star Gerd Mueller as the World Cup's all-time leading scorer with 15 goals. He also was the Cup's third-highest scorer with three goals, two behind German striker Miroslav Klose.
Ronaldo confirmed he's considering surgery on his left knee, and said he was consulting Brazil team doctor Jose Luis Runco.
"We'll talk with Runco and see what's the best way to resolve this problem," he said.
FC Barcelona striker Ronaldinho, twice voted the world's best player, also apologized for the team's disappointing play.
"Many expected a brilliant performance from the team and especially from me. Which didn't happen," he said in a statement on his Web site. "I regret we left this World Cup without showing our qualities, and what we're capable of."

socawarriors.net

Zidane apologizes for head-butting incident.

2006-07-13T06:54:00.000-04:00

By ANGELA DOLAND, Associated Press Writer.

PARIS (AP) -- French soccer star Zinedine Zidane apologized for head-butting an Italian opponent during the World Cup final, saying Wednesday that he was provoked by insults about his mother and sister.
"I apologize, to all the children" who watched the match Sunday, Zidane said in his first, highly awaited comments about the act of violence that marked the end of his career.
Zidane did not specify exactly what Italian defender Marco Materazzi said that enraged him, but that it was insulting to his sister and mother.
"I would rather have taken a punch in the jaw than have heard that," Zidane said, stressing that Materazzi's language was "very harsh."
Zidane and Materazzi exchanged words after Italy broke up a French attack in extra-time. Seconds later, Zidane lowered his head and rammed Materazzi in the chest, knocking him to the ground.
Zidane was sent off, reducing France to 10 men. Italy went on to win in a penalty shootout.
The France captain said he felt no regret for his act, "because that would mean (Materazzi) was right to say all that."
At nearly the same moment Zidane was appearing on French TV, excerpts from an interview that Materazzi gave to Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport were posted on the newspaper's Web site.
"I didn't say anything to him about racism, religion or politics," Materazzi told the Gazzetta. "I didn't talk about his mother either. I lost my mother when I was 15 and even now I still get emotional talking about her. Naturally, I didn't know his (mother) was in the hospital, I give her my best wishes."
"He's always been my hero, I admire him a lot."
For days, sports fans around the world have been riveted by the question: What could Materazzi have said to set Zidane off? Media from Brazil to Britain hired lip readers to try to figure it out, then came up with different answers.
Materazzi has acknowledged he insulted Zidane, without giving specifics.
Materazzi spoke to Zidane in Italian. Zidane, who played several years for Juventus in Turin, speaks Italian.
Despite the head butt, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball award for best player at the World Cup -- though FIFA president Sepp Blatter has suggested Zidane could be stripped of the honor.
"The winner of the award is not decided by FIFA, but by an international commission of journalists," Blatter said in Italian newspaper La Repubblica. "That said, FIFA's executive committee has the right, and the duty, to intervene when faced with behavior contrary to the ethics of the sport."
In France, many have already pardoned Zidane, even without his explanation. A poll published Tuesday in Le Parisien newspaper showed that 61 percent of the 802 people questioned forgave Zidane.

socawarriors.net

Brazil still number one despite world cup early exit.

2006-07-12T06:43:00.000-04:00

Italy leap to second place.
(FIFA.com).

Four-time world champions Italy's latest triumph is also reflected in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. The Azzurri have leaped 11 places to second and are now at the head of the chasing pack behind Brazil, who stay on top.

The positions of the teams at the top of the ranking mirror their performances at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. Besides minor changes to other countries' positions in the Top Ten, there was also one other prime mover, the host nation Germany (9th, up 10), who thanks to convincing displays in front of their home fans find themselves back among the world's best teams for the first time in more than two years. Thanks to their performances at the World Cup, three other big gainers are Switzerland (13th, up 22), the Ukraine (15th, up 30) and Ghana (25th, up 23).

The new FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking takes a different look at African football and places teams such as Nigeria and Cameroon, who only narrowly failed to qualify for the World Cup, just outside the Top Ten. As expected, the teams from North America and Asia whom fortune did not favour at the World Cup (Mexico, USA, Iran, Japan and Korea Republic) have slipped down the ranking.

A new method has been used to calculate this eagerly awaited first World Ranking since the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, which not only introduces major changes in points allocation and the assessment of the opposition's strength, but also makes such factors as the importance of the match and regional strength easier to understand. This new formula and the big points hauls gained from World Cup matches has led to a complete shake up in the ranking. Besides the effect of the World Cup matches, the change in the evaluation period has also led to a major shift. Now only the last four years (48 months) count, with each year weighted differently.

- The next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking will be published on 16 August 2006.

FULL RANKING

socawarriors.net

Zidane set to speak out on Materazzi.

2006-07-12T06:41:00.001-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Zinedine Zidane is expected to speak publicly for the first time on his controversial sending-off in the World Cup final.
The Frenchman has so far not commented on the red card he received for head-butting Italy's Marco Materazzi in extra time in Berlin on Sunday.
The 34-year-old will appear on French TV station Canal Plus at around 1900 this evening when he is likely to give his opinions on the incident, into which FIFA have launched an investigation.
The sending-off, despite Italy's subsequent victory on penalties, has been the main talking point of the final.
Having retired after the match, Zidane, 34, may feel uninhibited by FIFA's investigation and free to speak out.
Theories have abounded over what defender Materazzi might have said to provoke such a furious reaction from Zidane.
The former Everton defender has conceded he made an offensive remark but Zidane is yet to give his version of events, although his agent has admitted the reaction was due to a 'serious comment'.
Materazzi had been expected to make a statement on the matter today, but that was before FIFA announced they would be looking into the incident. FIFA have given no indication as to how long their investigation will last.

socawarriors.net

Charlton new boy Hasselbaink 'ready to go'.

2006-07-12T06:41:00.000-04:00

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is looking forward to joining forces with Darren Bent after admitting he feels like 'a little boy getting a little bit of candy' having signed for Charlton.
Former Holland international striker Hasselbaink, 34, has signed for the Addicks on a free transfer after leaving Middlesbrough.
And the ex-Chelsea hitman is looking forward to teaming up with Bent, the Premiership's top English goalscorer last season, when the new campaign begins.
'I have definitely still got the hunger and I think I've got at least two more years in me,' Hasselbaink said. 'I'm just like a little boy getting a little bit of candy, I'm very happy and ready to go.'
Hasselbaink revealed he had already come close to joining The Addicks last season.
He explained: 'We have a young manager, (Iain Dowie) we spoke and I'd almost signed in January for Charlton. It's going to be a big challenge for me.
'Obviously there was speculation I was going to Celtic and yes we spoke, but it didn't come to any conclusion so after that Charlton came in and I made my decision straightaway.'
And Hasselbaink, who started his career in England with Leeds, believes he faces competition for a place in the team.
'Darren Bent is a magnificent young player but don't take anything away from Marcus (Bent) and Kevin (Lisbie). It doesn't guarantee me to play, I will have to show what I can do. I am up for that challenge.
'Darren is a very good player and I think he will only become better and better.'
Addicks boss Iain Dowie said: 'It's a big signing for us, he will bring lots to the team, most of all leadership.
'He has been a winner in everything he's done, his great goal record stands out and he still wants to achieve things.
'I think he will be a focal part of the dressing room. I like big characters and he's got that.'

socawarriors.net

Poland name Beenhakker as national coach.

2006-07-12T06:40:00.000-04:00

WARSAW, (Reuters) - Poland's football association (PZPN) on Tuesday appointed Leo Beenhakker to replace national coach Pawel Janas.
The 64-year-old Dutchman is the first non-Pole to coach Poland's national team. Janas led a disappointing World Cup campaign in Germany and resigned after their first round exit.
'I am happy we managed to persuade such a respected and successful coach,' said PZPN chief Michal Listkiewicz of Beenhakker's appointment.
'I believe Beenhakker will introduce a new quality to Polish football and lead us to the European championship finals for the first time.'
Beenhakker, who has coached the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Real Madrid and Ajax Amsterdam, led Trinidad & Tobago to the World Cup finals for the first time in Germany.
He said: 'Poland have a long history of football and several very good results but Poland have never been in the European tournament and this will be a challenge for me.'
Poland face World Cup semi-finalists Portugal as well as Belgium, Serbia and Finland in the qualifying group for the 2008 European championship.
Poland's conservative government has pressed publicly for heads to roll at PZPN since the Poles' second exit at the World Cup finals' group stages in four years.
Officials say chief Listkiewicz has engineered Beenhakker's appointment despite opposition from the association's old guard, hoping to head off demands for more radical changes in the game's communist-era infrastructure.
'I don't do anything for my own comfort,' Listkiewicz told a news conference. 'I just decided the time has come to appoint somebody from the top rank to be our coach. There is no time like the present for making history.'
Speaking to the Trinidad and Tobago Express Newspapers, Applauding the new appointment is Soca Warriors team manager Bruce Aanensen, who said that while Rjisbergen has a different personality from Beenhakker, he believes the new head coach is very knowledgeable.
"I always believe that he was the brain behind Tinidad and Tobago's recent football and I am very happy with his appointent. I think we need a coach that can build a team from the bottom up and I believe he has what it takes to do that."
Aanensen also said that Rjisbergen will have to rebuild the Trinidad and Tobago squad due to the anticipated loss of some of the older members of the team.
"Of course, he will have to rebuild because Russell (Latapy) will be gone and I don't know if Shaka (Hislop) will be around. Dwight has indicated that he may stay around a while," said the manager.
"I think it is also important that guys like Dennis (Lawrence) and Marvin (Andrews) stay around a year or two to assist the younger players who will be brought in while the team is rebuilding for 2010."

socawarriors.net

Saviola heavily linked with Gunners move.

2006-07-12T06:39:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Argentina international Javier Saviola could be poised for a move to Arsenal, according to the striker's agent.
The 24-year-old Saviola has struggled to make an impression at Barcelona and was loaned to Sevilla last season, helping them lift the UEFA Cup.
Saviola's agent Alfredo Cabrera Brizuela told The Sun: 'He will make his decision based on football and that points to the Gunners.
'He will have no problem playing in England because he is a world-class player and will be successful in any country. 'This week is very important because he wants to have a holiday knowing he has his future sorted out.'

socawarriors.net

United won't listen to Ronaldo offers.

2006-07-12T06:38:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Manchester United have declared their intention to keep hold of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The future of the Portugal winger has been the subject of intense speculation over the past three weeks, with the 21-year-old twice claiming he would like to move to Spain.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson initially suggested he would try to keep Ronaldo at Old Trafford and those comments have been reinforced by the Old Trafford outfit this morning.
'Manchester United has noticed the increasing media speculation over the future of Cristiano Ronaldo,' said a statement released by the Red Devils.
'The club can confirm there is no possibility of Cristiano being sold.
'Cristiano recently signed a new contract until 2010 and the club fully expects him to honour that contract.
'The club will not listen to any offers for Cristiano.
'Cristiano is one of the brightest young stars in world football, as demonstrated by his performances at the World Cup and Manchester United is not in the business of selling their best young players.'

socawarriors.net

Williams helps RSL drown Mariners.

2006-07-12T06:36:00.000-04:00

By Peter Richins / MLSnet.com Staff.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Real Salt Lake exercised their depth and endured to the end Tuesday in their second foray into the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup against the Virginia Beach Mariners.
To be sure, after a 30-minute lightning delay and another 30 minutes of overtime, Real were exhausted after earning a 2-1 victory against the United Soccer League's First Division team. It was the first Open Cup victory in Real history.

Real's Andy Williams took out his frustration on the ball in the third minute of overtime. Williams was fouled just outside the left side of the penalty area, but maintained possession, held the advantage and was on a run to the goal when the referee made the call to end the opportunity.

But on the restart, midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy touched to Williams at the top of the box, 23 yards from the goal, instead of taking the shot himself. Williams made up for the missed opportunity of only seconds earlier by shooting a missile inside the right post to put Real ahead 2-1.

After halftime, the skies showed only two lightning strikes before the 60th minute. One, however, was a half-mile away on the foothills of Salt Lake City east of Rice-Eccles Stadium, and the lightning delay was on.

Real Salt Lake head coach John Ellinger started six players that have seen limited time with the first team against other MLS teams. Jay Nolly started in goal in place of Scott Garlick, and Nikolas Besagno and Cameron Knowles started on defense in place of Eddie Pope and Daniel Torres. In the midfield, Chris Brown and Andy Williams started in place of Ballouchy and Chris Klein. And at forward Jamie Watson started in place of Jason Kreis.

Kreis, Klein and Pope were not even listed among the available 18 players for the game.

Real gave themselves a quality opportunity in the seventh minute when Watson got control of the ball after Virginia Beach goalkeeper Matthew Nelson let it go. Watson could have shot, but he passed it to Brown for a shot that bounced off Nelson and out.

The Mariners had a nice shot in the 20th minute when Gregory Simmonds left it for Steve Shak at the top of the penalty box for a straightaway shot that seemed to take Nolly by surprise. The second-year goalkeeper got his hands on it and knocked it wide and past the endline. Nolly made up for the miscue, however, by punching the corner kick long and out of the area.

In the 26th minute, Kenny Cutler got the ball forward to Watson, who was able to outrun the defense and charge towards the left post. Watson's shot was saved, but he found himself with a similar attack in the 27th minute when Brown got it to him. Watson went airborne for a header, but instead hit the ball with his hand and was shown a yellow card.

Watson's hard work paid off in the 28th minute when he was fouled in the box on yet another attack. The foul gave Real a penalty kick, which Jeff Cunningham slotted inside the right post for a 1-0 lead.

The Mariners evened it up in the 38th minute after Tim O'Neill beat Novak on a run down the left. O'Neill turned his run into the penalty area and beat Besagno, streaking in diagonally from the right, with a shot that hit the right side netting for a 1-1 tie.

Simmonds caught a break in the 44th minute when he gave Knowles a hard foul at the edge of the penalty area. Simmonds was shown a yellow card after shoving Knowles to the turf, a foul that could have been a red. Then, at the tail end of first-half stoppage time, Williams sent a corner kick to Besagno for 10-yard header that flew just wide of the right post.

Early in the second half, Carey Talley had an accurate header from inside the penalty area, but the ball bounced just to the left of the goal. Real worked to maintain possession in the second half, often passing back in an attempt to control the tempo of the game. But more often than not, Real looked disinterested before the game was delayed in the 60th minute.

In an effort to spark his team, Ellinger replaced Talley with Ballouchy during the lightning break. He also replaced Cunningham with Salt Lake City native Joey Worthen, a four-year veteran of the United Soccer Leagues.

Williams was shown a yellow card in the 70th minute for a hard foul on Craig Demmin that left Demmin on the turf for a pair of minutes. Ellinger, looking for another spark, replaced Watson for Atiba Harris in the 72nd minute. But Real still relied on rough play in the 73rd minute when Ballouchy gave a hard foul and allowed a free kick.

Virginia Beach showed some rough play in the 80th minute when Jeff Bilyk tackled Knowles with his cleats up. Bilyk was shown only a yellow card on the play. With time running out, Ellinger chose to insert fresh legs into his lineup and replaced Brown with Ryan Johnson in the 83rd minute.

Real had their best scoring opportunity in the regular flow of play in the 90th minute when Johnson ran it up the right side and crossed it across the mouth of the goal looking for Ballouchy. With Nelson out of position, Ballouchy could only manage a shot against the left post. RSL gave themselves another good look before stoppage time ended when Williams forwarded the ball with a brilliant pass for Johnson on the right; a centering pass for Harris went through the penalty area, avoiding both the 'keeper and the attacker.

Virginia Beach Mariners (0-1-0) vs. Real Salt Lake (1-0-0)
July 11, 2006 -- Rice-Eccles Stadium

Scoring Summary:
RSL -- Jeff Cunningham 1 (penalty kick) 28
VBM -- Tim O'Neill 1 (Alan Woods ) 37
RSL -- Andy Williams 1 (Mehdi Ballouchy ) 93

Virginia Beach Mariners -- Matthew Nelson, Chris Schwarze, Craig Demmin (Andrew Herman 98), Kupono Low, Alan Woods, Ryan Mack (Brian Culikas 79), Jeff Bilyk (Leepaul Scroggins 11), Steve Shak, Tim O'Neill, Gregory Simmonds (John Nusum 11), Jakob Fenger-Larsen.

Substitutes Not Used: Chase Harrison, Shane McFaul, Nathan Micklos

Real Salt Lake -- Jay Nolly, Kevin Novak, Nikolas Besagno, Cameron Knowles, Willis Forko, Chris Brown (Ryan Johnson 83), Kenny Cutler, Carey Talley (Mehdi Ballouchy 61), Andy Williams, Jamie Watson (Atiba Harris 72), Jeff Cunningham (Joey Worthen 61).

Substitutes Not Used: Adam Acosta, Scott Garlick, Duke Hashimoto

Real Salt Lake Virginia Beach Mariners
total shots: 14 (Andy Williams 4) 6 (Gregory Simmonds 2)
shots on goal: 9 (Andy Williams 3) 1 (Tim O'Neill 1)
fouls: 19 (3 tied with 3) 18 (Kupono Low 5)
offsides: 6 (Andy Williams 2,
Atiba Harris 2) 2 (Jakob Fenger-Larsen 2)
corner kicks: 9 (Andy Williams 8) 2 (Jeff Bilyk 1,
Kupono Low 1)
saves: 0 7 (Matthew Nelson 7)

Misconduct Summary:
RSL -- Jamie Watson (caution; Deliberate Handball) 27
VBM -- Gregory Simmonds (caution; Professional Foul) 44
RSL -- Andy Williams (caution; Tackle from Behind) 71
VBM -- Jeff Bilyk (caution; Tackle from Behind) 79
VBM -- Kupono Low (caution; Tackle from Behind) 107

referee: Richard Heron
Referee's Assistants: Feliciano Palomino; Peter Stilling
4th official: Brad Jensen
time of game: 3:06
attendance: 6,960
weather: Cloudy -and- 87 degrees

All statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial

Peter Richins is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.

socawarriors.net

Klinsmann walks away from German post.

2006-07-12T06:34:00.000-04:00

By NESHA STARCEVIC, AP Sports Writer.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- Juergen Klinsmann, who coached Germany to a third-place finish at the World Cup, stepped down Wednesday and was replaced by his assistant, Joachim Loew. Klinsmann told reporters he was leaving to spend more time with his California-based family.
"I feel burned out," said a tearful Klinsmann, adding that he would take a six-month vacation. "I have a great wish to be back with my family and my children."
Loew, 46, had worked with Klinsmann during his two-year coaching stint.
"He was never an assistant; he was a partner, who had his own areas of responsibility," Klinsmann said.
German soccer federation co-president Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder thanked Klinsmann for a "wonderful time" and said "your performance was incredible."
Loew's two-year deal runs to the end of the 2008 European Championship in Switzerland and Austria.

socawarriors.net

Germany 2006 - 32 teams, 32 stories.

2006-07-11T06:45:00.000-04:00

By FIFAworldcup.com.

Germany 2006 will no doubt be remembered as the fans’ FIFA World Cup™. With millions of people attending public screenings of the event, the atmosphere in the host country was incredible, as people from all over the world took the official motto ‘A time to make friends’ to heart.

On the pitch, 32 teams battled it out for football’s ultimate prize. Some bowed out after just three games while France fell at the final hurdle as Italy claimed the crown of world champions, a description that will be used against their name for the next four years. Here, FIFAworldcup.com reviews the performance of each individual team, listed in order of how far they got.

Relive the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Winners:

Italy
The Azzurri won the FIFA World Cup for the fourth time after holding their nerves in a dramatic penalty shoot-out. For their performances in the group stages, Round of 16, quarter-finals and semis, football fans all over the world would agree that Marcello Lippi's side were worthy winners of the competition.

Runners-up:

France
Inspired by Zinedine Zidane, until his dramatic sending-off in the Final, Les Bleus surprised everyone to reach the showdown in Berlin on 9 July. Although they looked shaky in the group stage, it was in the knockout rounds that they really came into their own, defeating Spain, Brazil and Portugal with relative ease.

Third place:

Germany
The highest scorers at the tournament captured the imagination of the public with a combination of fine football and a never-say-die attitude.

Fourth place:

Portugal
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s outfit were arguably the surprise package of Germany 2006, overcoming Mexico, the Netherlands and England en route to the semi-finals.

Quarter-finalists:

Argentina
After some great performances in the group stages and a victory over Mexico in the Round of 16, the Albiceleste were unlucky to lose to the hosts in a dramatic shoot-out.

Brazil
The world champions’ attempt to secure their sixth FIFA World Cup success ended after a lacklustre showing against France. A tournament to forget for the Seleção.

England
Unlucky with injuries, unlucky from the spot. Once again, penalties proved to be the undoing of England, who failed to live up to their high expectations at this event.

Ukraine
Coached by Oleg Blokhin, the FIFA World Cup first-timers did extremely well in reaching the last eight, but found Italy too tough an opponent in Hamburg.

Round of 16:

Australia
Not expected to get past a group which included Brazil, Croatia and Japan, Dutch coach Guus Hiddink masterminded a magnificent showing by the Socceroos.

Ecuador
Before the tournament began, it was claimed that the South Americans could not play well away from their home country. La Tricolor proved their doubters wrong.

Ghana
As the only side from the continent to qualify for the Round of 16, Ghana were rightly described as the ‘Pride of Africa’. Victories over the USA and the Czech Republic cemented this claim.

Mexico
El Tri will be disappointed with their exit in the Round of 16 but the match against Argentina - which they lost 2-1 after extra time - will surely be remembered as one of the tournament’s best.

Netherlands
After qualifying from what was thought to be the tournament’s toughest group, Marco van Basten’s men came up short against a well-organised Portugal side.

Spain
Tipped by many to go far in the competition after disposing of Ukraine, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia with relative ease at the group stages, Spain fell at the very next hurdle.

Sweden
Conceding two early goals in the first 12 minutes to Germany effectively ended the Swedes' hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals.

Switzerland
The winners of Group G failed to convert any of their three penalties against Ukraine to see them exit the competition with an unwanted new FIFA World Cup record.

Group Stages

Angola
While not altogether unexpected, Angola's first-round elimination was down to a combination of inexperience and tactical limitations.

Costa Rica
Costa Rica were hoping for big things in Germany, but the team which was considered to be one of the best in the country’s history, failed to get past the group stage.

Côte d'Ivoire
The Elephants came with a lot of promise and although they fell at the first hurdle, they won many friends and admirers in their all-too-brief visit to Germany.

Croatia
Back home many thought that a clash with Italy in the Round of 16 was the team's destiny. However, failure to take chances put paid to Croatia's hopes.

Czech Republic
They entered the FIFA World Cup as one of the highest-ranked teams and got off to an impressive start. But injuries struck their forwards and the journey home came all too soon for the Czech Republic.

Iran
Defeats by Mexico and Portugal in their opening games left Iran with no chance of advancing. The subsequent point claimed against Angola was no consolation at all.

Japan
Two goals and a solitary point were all Japan had to show for their efforts at Germany 2006, the tournament which brought to an end Zico’s reign as coach.

Korea Republic
Victory against Togo gave the Taeguk Warriors their first FIFA World Cup success on European soil, but it was not enough to book the team a place in the Round of 16.

Paraguay
Paraguay returned home having picked up just three points from their three Group B encounters. Their hopes were ended by narrow defeats in their opening two matches.

Poland
Poland and their fans are unlikely to harbour fond memories of Germany 2006, but a 2-1 win over Costa Rica in their final match did provide some consolation.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia for their fourth consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup finals, and once again Sami Al Jaber weighed in with a goal.

Serbia and Montenegro
The team that only conceded one goal in qualifying to finish ahead of Spain, somehow ended up on the receiving end of ten in as many days in Germany.

Togo
Having suffered three defeats in as many games, Togo bade farewell to Germany as the bottom team in Group G, with off-field issues contributing to their downfall.

Trinidad and Tobago
Showing great determination and resolve to make up for their inexperience and lack of resources, T&T will look back on their two weeks in Germany as a success.

Tunisia
Tunisia made history by becoming the first African side to record a win at Argentina 1978. Twenty-eight years on and three campaigns later they have yet to repeat the feat.

USA
They earned only a single point, thanks to a 1-1 draw with Italy, and there is no shortage of things that could have gone better for this US squad.

socawarriors.net

Materazzi denies calling Zidane 'terrorist'

2006-07-11T06:42:00.000-04:00

ROME (Reuters) - Italy defender Marco Materazzi on Monday denied a report that he had called Zinedine Zidane a "dirty terrorist" seconds before the French captain head-butted him in Sunday's World Cup final.
"It is absolutely not true, I did not call him a terrorist. I'm ignorant. I don't even know what the word means," the Italian news agency Ansa quoted Materazzi as saying after the Italian team returned to Rome.
"The whole world saw what happened on live TV," he added.
The Paris-based anti-racism group SOS Racism had earlier quoted well informed sources as saying Materazzi had apparently used the phrase.
"According to several very well informed sources from the world of football, it would seem that the Italian player Marco Materazzi called Zinedine Zidane a 'dirty terrorist'," SOS Racism said in a statement.
Zidane, the son of Algerian immigrants, was shown a red card after the incident and Italy went on to win on penalties after the match was tied 1-1 following extra time.
SOS Racism called for an inquiry and said world soccer's governing body FIFA had recently toughened sanctions against racism.
"It's for this reason that SOS Racism asks in a determined fashion for FIFA to shed light on this altercation and that sanctions laid out in the official rules be applied should this be the case," SOS Racism said. French television reported that Zidane would talk about the incident "in the coming days."

socawarriors.net

Tale of two nations: Italians, French return home.

2006-07-11T06:38:00.000-04:00

Italians celebrate World Cup victory in Rome.
By MARIA SANMINIATELLI, Associated Press Writer.

ROME (AP) -- Air force planes decorated the sky with colorful smoke as Italy's triumphant World Cup squad returned home Monday evening to celebrate with its jubilant fans.
Team captain Fabio Cannavaro, clutching the golden trophy, was the first to emerge from the chartered plane that brought the team back from Germany a day after Italy's victory over France on penalty kicks. Acrobatic air force planes streaked overhead, coloring the sky with streams of red, white and green smoke -- hues of the Italian flag -- as well as in blue, which is the team's nickname.
Cannavaro hoisted the trophy in front of about 500,000 fans during a victory rally at Circus Maximus, an area for entertainment in ancient Rome. The players hoarsely sang the national anthem on a platform featuring a banner that read "Proud to be Italians."
Some of the players, looking almost giddy with exhaustion, wrapped flags like scarves on their head.
Players stood on the top level of an open-roofed bus which struggled to move through thousands of fans, who took photos with their cell phones and ran after their team en route to the celebration.
Fans on foot or on motorscooters had overwhelmed police escorts in the streets and squares of the capital, and forced the bus to a crawl as the players made their way to their first stop in Rome: a toast hosted by Premier Romano Prodi.
"Thanks, thanks for reminding young people that results come only with hard work, sweat and commitment," Prodi told the players at the premier's office in Chigi Palace.
The players at times were as delirious as their fans. Francesco Totti, a hometown hero, leaned out of a window in the premier's office and held the trophy out to the crowd below, which roared in delight.
Fans danced with joy as a plump, reddish moon shone in the sky above Rome. Fireworks added more color to the sky.
"I am very happy because Italy won after an extremely long 24 years," said Toni Gnisci, 31, referring to the previous World Cup victory by Italy in 1982.
Walter Pica, 14, was too young to remember earlier triumphs but said he was "glad because I will have my first World Cup to recount to my children" when he has his own family some day. Pica and his friends waved flags and watched replays of key Cup moments as they joined the noisy crowd in Circus Maximus.
At the nearby ruins of the Baths of Caracalla, an evening opera performance was canceled. The noise would have drowned out even the most powerful singer.
For hours after Sunday's victory, joyous fans hit the streets in droves, waving flags, setting off fireworks and stripping down to their underwear and jumping into fountains.
A 20-year-old man drowned near the northern sea resort of Santa Margherita -- and his body was found Monday morning, still wrapped in an Italian flag, according to the ANSA news agency.

Associated Press reporters Marta Falconi in Rome and Joseph Spinks in Milan contributed to this story.

A nation asks 'Why?' after Zidane's violent exit from World Cup final.
By ANGELA DOLAND, Associated Press Writer.

PARIS (AP) -- Losing the World Cup was bad enough for French soccer fans. Their star losing his temper was downright shameful.
With France and Italy tied 1-1 in extra time Sunday, Zinedine Zidane head-butted Italy defender Marco Materazzi in the chest and received a red card. France went on to lose the game on penalty kicks.
Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour said he didn't know what Materazzi said to Zidane, but "we can imagine that there was a provocation." He added that Zidane's act was "unpardonable."
"It's a strange exit for someone who remains an exceptional champion," Lamour told LCI television.
French soccer federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes said he shook Zidane's hand in the locker room afterward to thank him for his career. The two men didn't speak.
"He is unhappy," Escalettes told Le Parisien. "We have to leave him alone. I have nothing to ask him."
The surreal moment left the entire country wondering what made Zidane lose his cool in the final moments of his last-ever match for Les Bleus.
Despite the red card, the France captain won the Golden Ball award Monday for the tournament's best player in voting by journalists.
The French squad received a rapturous welcome back home Monday, with live TV coverage of the team bus speeding into Paris from the airport and of the meeting with President Jacques Chirac. The return drew some national attention away from Zidane's behavior -- at least temporarily.
Zidane and the rest of the team had lunch with Chirac, who had words of comfort for the midfielder, acknowledging that it was an "intense" and "difficult" moment in his career.
"You are a virtuoso, a genius of world football," Chirac said. "You are also a man of heart, commitment, conviction. That's why France admires and loves you."
Former Sports Minister Marie-George Buffet said Zidane's act was unforgivable for its effect on children watching the game.
"We can't excuse this gesture," she told RTL radio, adding that she wanted to know the full story.
The French sports daily L'Equipe wrote: "This morning, Zinedine, what do we tell our children, and all those for whom you were the living role model for all times?" Its front-page headline: "Eternal Regrets."
L'Equipe addressed it editorial directly to Zidane, comparing his best World Cup moments to boxer Muhammad Ali's heroics in the ring.
"But neither Ali, nor Pele, nor (Jesse) Owens, nor any other great hero of their standing -- the standing that you were on the verge of joining -- ever broke the most elementary rules of sport like you did," the paper wrote.
"It was your last image as a soccer player, Zidane. How could that happen to a man like you?"
Zidane, 34, came out of retirement to lead struggling France to the final. He put France ahead 1-0 with a penalty kick in the seventh minute. It was his 31st goal for Les Bleus in 108 appearances, and fifth in the World Cup.
But Zidane was banished in the 110th minute, and Italy won 5-3 on penalty kicks.
"The blue angel was transformed into a demon," Le Parisien newspaper said. "He can't exit this way, it's impossible. This morning, the sense of incredulousness is still there."
Zidane, whose parents emigrated from Algeria, became a proud symbol of a multicultural France. When host France won the World Cup in 1998, the national team was hailed for being "black, blanc, beur," or "black, white, North African"-- a play on the red-white-and-blue of the French flag.
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika praised Zidane for "the beautiful, courageous, intelligent and exceptional career you built."
Referring to the ejection, Bouteflika said it could only have been the result of a "serious aggression" to which Zidane reacted as "as a man of honor before submitting to the verdict without blinking."
Many in France's large North African community waved Algerian flags alongside the French tri-color during the 2006 tournament. The multicultural pride was a soothing balm for a country that has often had a difficult time integrating its minorities, including riots in troubled neighborhoods.
Zidane is known for his poise and excellent technique, but he also has a temper. Eight years ago, he was red-carded for stomping on an opponent while playing against Saudi Arabia. At this World Cup, he was suspended for France's third group match against Togo and collected three yellow cards and one red card.

Socawarriors.net

Italy wins World Cup on penalty kicks.

2006-07-10T06:24:00.000-04:00

By BARRY WILNER, AP Sports Writer.

BERLIN (AP) -- The beautiful game turned vicious, even venomous Sunday. It was all still beautiful to Italy.
And very ugly for France, which lost captain Zinedine Zidane with a red card after his nasty head butt in extra time, and then went down 5-3 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw.
Explanations were nonexistent for Zidane's action in the 110th minute of his farewell game. He was walking upfield near defender Marco Materazzi when, in his final act for his national team, he bashed his shaven head into Materazzi's chest.
"I have not seen the replays, but if it's voluntary then there's nothing you can say," France coach Raymond Domenech said. "But it's a shame. It's sad. He (Materazzi) did a lot of acting and for such a big man, a gust of wind made him fall over."
Not quite. Zidane, who is retiring, might have been provoked, but he definitely knocked over Materazzi.
"It's regrettable. We regret it, he regrets it," Domenech said.
Without their leader, the French still had their chance in the shootout. But the Italians, never masters of the penalty kick, made all five, setting off an hour of hugging, dancing and fist-pumping celebrations.
"This squad showed great heart," Gennaro Gattuso said. "Maybe it wasn't pretty, but we were hard to beat."
They were impossible to beat and gave up only one goal actually scored by an opponent. And no, it was not pretty.
Outplayed for an hour and into extra time, the Italians won it after Zidane committed the ugliest act of a tournament that set records for yellow and red cards, diving and, at times, outright brutality.
Asked if French soccer would miss Zidane, Domenech said:
"Yes, well, he was missed in the last 20 minutes tonight. It weighed heavily in the outcome."
Without their leader for the shootout, the French only missed once. But Italy was perfect. Fabio Grosso clinched the Azzurri's fourth championship, and his teammates had to chase him halfway across the pitch to celebrate.
"It's incredibly emotional. Words can hardly describe it," Grosso said. "Maybe we still don't realize what we have achieved. We really wanted to win and in the end we made it."
Only Brazil has more World Cups, five.
Until now, no team since the last Azzurri champions in 1982 had to endure the stress and anguish of a soccer scandal. Rather than be disrupted by the current probe ripping apart the national sport back home, the Italians survived.
"If the scandal hadn't happened I think we wouldn't have won the World Cup," Gattuso said. "It has given us more strength."
Verdicts in the match-fixing trial that could relegate four teams -- and 13 of Italy's 23 players -- to lower divisions are expected next week.
France underwent a renaissance of its own in the last month. The French, racked by dissension, nearly went out in the first round for the second straight World Cup, and then Zidane turned them around. They controlled the flow of play Sunday, only to fail to finish through 120 minutes.
Their only goal, Zidane's penalty kick in the seventh minute, was the lone score by an Italy opponent in seven games.
But the Italians put the ball into the net 12 minutes later on Materazzi's header off a corner kick. And then they held on in a game marked by sloppiness and maliciousness.
Rarely did Italy threaten over the final 75 minutes. But the Azzurri ignored recent history -- they lost a quarterfinal shootout to France in 1998, when Les Bleus went on to their only championship.
Andrea Pirlo, Materazzi, Daniele De Rossi and Alessandro Del Piero all easily beat France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez in the shootout. The difference was the miss by rarely used David Trezeguet, which hit the crossbar on France's second attempt.
When Grosso connected with his left foot, the sliver of Italian fans in the opposite corner of Olympic Stadium finally could let out their breath -- and screams of victory.
"We had fear of the penalties," said Gattuso, aware that Italy lost the only other final decided in a shootout, to Brazil in 1994. "Our history was not great, so that was the fear."
On the trophy stand, amid hugs and slaps on the back, Materazzi placed a red, white and green top hat on the World Cup Trophy. Captain Fabio Cannavaro then held it high as cameras flashed everywhere. An impromptu Tarantella by the players followed as silver confetti fluttered around them.
It was, by far, the prettiest sight of the night.
"I've won many championships," coach Marcello Lippi said, "but a joy so big I have never felt."
With a 25-game unbeaten streak dating back nearly two years, the Italians added this title to their championships in 1934, 1938 and '82 -- when another match-fixing investigation plagued Serie A.
The hero then in Spain was striker Paolo Rossi, fresh off a two-year suspension for his role in match-fixing. This time, there were a dozen stars and a coach who seemed to make all the right moves.
Italy won its first-round group over the higher-ranked United States and Czech Republic, and Ghana. Then it beat Australia on a controversial penalty in the second-half extra time that Francesco Totti converted.
It routed Ukraine 3-0 before depressing the host nation with two stunning goals in the final minutes of extra time for a semifinal win over Germany.
Gianluigi Buffon made the save of the final match in the 104th minute as the ever-dangerous Zidane fed Willy Sagnol on the wing and then slipped into the area. Sagnol's cross was headed into the top of the net with the Italian keeper soared high to knock it over.
By then, the sea of blue supporters for both teams seemed as exhausted as the players. The crowd let out a short gasp, and then it was back to the tense and tentative action.
Zidane used his head again in the 110th, albeit the wrong way, and almost got away it. Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo didn't see the butt, and Buffon charged out of his net imploring Elizondo to seek help.
The ref finally asked his assistant on the sideline, then pulled out the red card.
For the remaining extra time, the fans whistled their displeasure.
"We prepared exactly how we needed to be at the top. You could see that in the second half and in extra time," Domenech said. "Once again we were largely superior to our opponents."
Both sides played nervous, sloppy soccer for 120 minutes, hardly befitting a World Cup final. There were far more mistakes than inspiration.
France's Thierry Henry went down in the first minute in a seemingly innocent collision with the impregnable Cannavaro. Henry stayed on the ground, clearly dazed, for two minutes before being helped off with an ice bag held to his head.
The striker soon came back and his first touch, naturally, was a header. It was a terrific one, too, falling at the feet of a breaking Florent Malouda.
Malouda stumbled -- many might say dived -- in the penalty area and Elizondo immediately signaled a penalty kick.
Zidane, whose penalty beat Portugal in the semifinals, lobbed it right as Buffon dived the other way. The ball struck the crossbar and fell 2 feet inside the net in the seventh minute.
For the rest of the half, the French showed little of the flair that carried them this far. And Italy tied it with one of its strengths: a set piece.
Mauro Camoranesi won a corner kick on right wing and was setting up to take it when Andrea Pirlo signaled Camoranesi to back off. Pirlo took the corner, a perfect spiral that found the head of defender Materazzi above France's Patrick Vieira.
Materazzi's header soared past goalkeeper Fabien Barthez to tie it.
Luca Toni hit the crossbar off another corner kick in the 36th.
Henry had the best opportunity in the second half, but Buffon lunged left to hand-save his right-footed drive. France got a scare, too, when Zidane fell on his right arm and shoulder and needed freeze spray applied before staying in.

Zidane equals World Cup final goals record.

BERLIN, (Reuters) - Zinedine Zidane's successful seventh minute penalty for France against Italy on Sunday meant he became the fourth player to score three goals in the history of the World Cup final.
Zidane's early spot kick added to the two headed goals the French playmaker scored in the 3-0 win over Brazil in the 1998 final on home soil in Paris.
Geoff Hurst scored three goals in England's 4-2 win over West Germany in 1966 and is the only man to score a hat-trick in the final.
Pele scored three times in two finals with two goals in Brazil's 5-2 win over Sweden in 1958 and one in the 4-1 victory over Italy in 1970, while Vava also scored twice for Brazil in their 1958 win and another against Czechoslovakia in a 3-1 victory in 1962.
West Germany's Paul Breitner is the only other player to have scored in two finals with a goal in their 2-1 victory over Netherlands in 1974 and another in the 3-1 defeat by Italy in 1982.

socawarriors.net

Ronaldo says he can't continue at Manchester United.

2006-07-10T06:21:00.000-04:00

By BARRY HATTON, Associated Press Writer.

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) -- Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Manchester United and move to Spain.
"I can't stay in England," he said Saturday after Portugal lost to Germany 3-1 in the World Cup's third-place match. "Everyone knows my dream is to play in Spain."
Ronaldo has said he is interested in a move to Real Madrid, and said his agent will meet with United's chairman next week.
"I'll work out my future over the next two or three days," he said. "They've been making a storm in a teacup in England. It's hard to go back to a country where you're not welcome. We'll see how things pan out."
Ronaldo was jeered by England fans in Germany, and he was harshly criticized for his part in Wayne Rooney's ejection during England's quarterfinal loss to Portugal. After Rooney stomped on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho, Ronaldo approached the referee and asked him to pull the red card against his United teammate. Rooney then shoved Ronaldo, who later was seen winking at the Portugal bench.
Rooney was suspended for two competitive international matches and fined $4,085 by a FIFA disciplinary panel Saturday for the incident.
Ronaldo finished the World Cup with one goal, on a penalty kick, and was runner-up in voting for the best young player. When Fabio Capello was introduced as Real Madrid's new coach Thursday, he said he was aware that Ronaldo had shown interest in joining Madrid, but said the club hadn't reciprocated yet.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player, but he's a Manchester United player," Capello said. "Players always want to play at Real Madrid and we're happy he might want to play here."

socawarriors.net

Schweinsteiger teaches Portugal his hard name.

2006-07-10T06:20:00.000-04:00

By Erik Kirschbaum.

STUTTGART, (Reuters) - Bastian Schweinsteiger proved a point with two of the hardest-hit goals of the World Cup when Germany swept aside Portugal 3-1 on Saturday to earn third place.
The powerful midfielder fired home two piledrivers for the first and third Germany goals and his well struck free kick was deflected in for the second by Portugal substitute Petit.
Not surprisingly, Schweinsteiger, who had been left out of the starting lineup against Italy in Germany's 2-0 semi-final defeat, was named Man of the Match.
"I just hit it in full stride and was hoping one of our guys would get to the ball -- and was lucky that it was a Portugal player who got to it," said Schweinsteiger of the own-goal that gave Germany a 2-0 lead.
The 21-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder had his best match of the World Cup, after sitting out the first 72 minutes of Germany's 2-0 semi-final loss to Italy.

STRONG START
Schweinsteiger had a strong start in Germany's first match against Costa Rica but his performance fell off after that and he was dropped for the semi-final.
"We had to forget about Italy," he said.
"It's a wonderful thing to get two goals for Germany," said Schweinsteiger, who has nine international goals and 34 caps. "I had two against Russia too. But it's special to get two in the World Cup. What's important is the whole team played well."
Schweinsteiger said the future looked bright for the German national team.
"Everything is fitting so well together. The players are all happy about the way things are running, the coaches are and everything fits perfectly. Just think about how close we were to making it to the final," he continued.
Schweinsteiger paid tribute to the crowd -- both at the stadium and in front of their Stuttgart hotel.
"We were welcomed at the hotel as if we had won the World Cup," he said. "It's delightful to play a match like this in front of a super crowd."

socawarriors.net

Zidane wins World Cup best player award despite final shame.

2006-07-10T06:17:00.000-04:00

BERLIN (AFP) - France captain Zinedine Zidane has been named the best player at the World Cup despite being sent off in the final against Italy for headbutting defender Marco Materazzi.
FIFA announced Monday that Zidane received 2,012 points with Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro second on 1,977 points and Italy's Andrea Pirlo third on 715 points.
Journalists covering the World Cup voted for the award.
Zidane, playing in the final match of his career, received a direct red card for headbutting Materazzi in the chest in the second period of extra-time in the match at Berlin's Olympic Stadium. The match ended 1-1 in extra-time and Italy won the World Cup after triumphing 5-3 in the penalty shootout.

Zidane writes a sad ending to a spectacular career.
By JIM LITKE, AP Sports Columnist.

BERLIN (AP) -- All the trophies Zinedine Zidane hoisted, all the glory he brought France, all those sparks of magic that flew off his feet game after game, year after year-- all of a sudden, it's almost like they never happened.
Because the most gifted player of his generation, playing his final match on the world stage, will be remembered now for something else -- petulance, selfishness, looniness, take your pick.
All because of one moment of unbridled fury.
In the 110th minute of Sunday night's World Cup final, Zidane lost his cool, then lowered his head and butted Italian defender Marco Materazzi full-on in the chest.
Seconds earlier, with the score tied 1-1 in extra time, Materazzi had grabbed a handful of Zidane's jersey just as a French attack on goal passed harmlessly by. Then the defender let go and both players began walking back up the field exchanging words. Without warning, Materazzi fell to the ground like he'd been shot.
"I don't know what Materazzi said to Zidane," French coach Raymond Domenech said.
"But it's a shame. It's sad. He (Materazzi) did a lot of acting and for such a big man, a gust of wind made him fall over. It's regrettable.
"We regret it," Domenech added, apparently speaking for Zidane. "He regrets it."
Whatever the provocation, the effect was never in doubt. Yet few people actually saw the head-butt happen, and those who did could not believe their eyes.
But while referee Horacio Elizondo tried to sort out the chaotic scene on the field, Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon ran to the assistant referee along the sideline and began pleading his case. Replays available on television screens around the stadium made it a slam-dunk case. Elizondo walked over for a brief consultation with his assistant, and no sooner did that end than he walked up to Zidane, brandished a red card and banished No. 10 from the field.
Zidane barely protested. Slowly, he turned toward the exit leading to the locker room and began the long walk. A few times, he turned his eyes skyward. Amid a growing din of whistles, catcalls and shouts, he yelled a few words at the heavens.
And so the closest he would come to the World Cup trophy on this night was passing within arm's reach of the pedestal where it sat on display a few steps ahead of the exit.
As Zidane sat in France's locker room at the end of extra time and beyond, Italy went on to convert all five of its penalty kicks in the shootout and took home the trophy that could have been -- and for a while seemed like it would have been -- the crowning achievement of his career. Instead, it turned out to be the nadir.
Asked whether the French national team would miss the player who led them to a World Cup title on home soil back in 1998, Domenech didn't hesitate.
"Yes," he replied, "but we missed him the last 20 minutes. That weighed heavily in the balance."
Domenech went further than that, suggesting that Materazzi, not Italian playmaker Andrea Pirlo, deserved to be named man of the match. And he might have a point. Materazzi has a well-earned reputation as nasty player in Italy's tough Serie A, and his role in the ugly drama was nowhere near as surprising as Zidane's.
He was suspended for two months in 2004 after punching an opponent and conceded earlier in the tournament, "I can't tell you how many times my kids have been told at school that I'm a monster."
"You make mistakes in life," Materazzi added. "But then you have to purify yourself, without seeking revenge. Everyone has their destiny."
If so, he took a good man down with him.
Zidane did not speak with reporters afterward, but it's hard to imagine there was anything he could say that would justify what happened.
Almost no one was surprised when boxer Mike Tyson tried to bite off Evander Holyfield's ears in the middle of a heavyweight bout. And earlier in this tournament, when hot-headed England forward Wayne Rooney got sent off for stomping on Portugese defender Roberto Carvalho's groin, it was hardly out of character.
Players lose their cool in games all the time. They get too mad, too desperate or too determined to get revenge on the spot, and wind up doing something stupid.

But Zidane?
He was about control from the moment he left the tough streets of Marseilles to begin his professional career as a teenager. You only had to see his elegant touch with the ball a few times to know that. Zidane pulled the strings on every team he played for, always able to dictate tempo and the flow of play precisely because he was always in control.
And then came that inexplicable moment this warm summer night when he lost it -- and who knows how much else in the bargain.

Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke@ap.org

socawarriors.net

Zidane short-listed for Golden Ball award.

2006-07-07T06:52:00.000-04:00

BERLIN, (Reuters) - France playmaker Zinedine Zidane, who will end his glorious career in the World Cup final against Italy on Sunday, has been short-listed for the prestigious FIFA Golden Ball award.
The winner of the prize, which is given to the most valuable player in the 32-team tournament, will be announced on Monday.
The nominations were dominated by Italy and France with hosts Germany earning two spots and Portugal one.
Four Italians were nominated by FIFA's Technical Study Group - keeper Gianluigi Buffon, central defender Fabio Cannavaro, midfielder Andrea Pirlo and fullback Gianluca Zambrotta.
France, who face Italy at the Olympiastadion, had three players short-listed - Zinedine Zidane, striker Thierry Henry and midfielder Patrick Vieira.
Germany's playmaker Michael Ballack and striker Miroslav Klose were also selected along with midfielder Maniche of Portugal, who play the hosts in Saturday's third-place match.

OLDER PLAYERS
'It's going to be difficult to pick a winner this time,' Franz Beckenbauer, Germany's organising committee president, said after the nominations were announced.
'The one thing that can be said is this is the first time there are not any new names. I'd say one of the older players... will take it -- I liked Henry and Zidane and Figo, even though he isn't on the list.'
The winner will be picked by FIFA accredited journalists and announced the day after the final at the end of the month-long tournament that began with 32 teams on June 9.
In 2002, Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn won the Golden Ball, an honour presented six times since 1982.

Italy's Paolo Rossi won the first award before it went to Argentina's Diego Maradona (1986), Italy's Salvatore Schillaci (1990) and Brazilians Romario (1994) and Ronaldo (1998).

The nominations are:

Fabio Cannavaro (Italy), Maniche (Portugal), Michael Ballack (Germany), Andrea Pirlo (Italy), Gianluca Zambrotta (Italy), Thierry Henry (France), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Patrick Vieira (France), Miroslav Klose (Germany), Zinedine Zidane (France)

socawarriors.net

Prince Poldi crowned Gillette Best Young Player.

2006-07-07T06:50:00.000-04:00

By FIFAworldcup.com.

The FIFA Technical Study Group has made its decision, bestowing Germany's Lukas Podolski with the coveted Gillette Best Young Player award. Selected from a shortlist of six talented nominees, the striker becomes the first Gillette Best Young Player award winner in the history of the FIFA World Cup™.

Germany enjoyed a thrilling FIFA World Cup journey on home soil, achieving a place in the semi-finals few felt confident of predicting before the tournament began. A joy to watch as they poured forward in attack, the hosts owed much of their success to the fearsome strike duo of Miroslav Klose and Podolski. Junior partner Podolski, at 21, was one of 40 candidates competing for the title of Gillette Best Young Player.

An integral part of Jurgen Klinsmann's starting line-up, 'Prince Poldi' already boasts a tally of 15 goals in 31 games for his country. An impressive haul for one so young, over the course of this FIFA World Cup Podolski has demonstrated time and time again that he thrives under pressure.

"He not only scored three goals, he was a key element in Germany's attack," explained Holger Osieck, Head of the FIFA Technical Study Group. "He showed a great understanding with Miroslav Klose and the two players formed a very effective partnership. Together, they netted eight of the Mannschaft's 11 goals."
Three strikes and boundless energy.

The Polish-born German put in perhaps his strongest performance against Sweden in the Round of 16, firing in a brace to cap a display of tireless front-running. Facing Argentina in the quarter-finals, the youngster once again gave everything. The Bayern Munich-bound forward demonstrated real character in what was an extremely tight encounter, not least when he coolly converted from the spot during the penalty shoot-out.

Having scored against Ecuador in the first round, Podolski currently has three goals to his name and will be looking to bolster his account in the match for third place against Portugal on Saturday.

His youth may have caused him to snap at a few chances along the way, but ‘Poldi’ undoubtedly possesses remarkable maturity for a 21-year-old. However, his greatest attributes have to be his boundless energy and hunger for success. "Another factor we considered was how much playing-time he saw," added Osieck. "He started all the games and was only substituted after scoring twice against Sweden and right at the end of the Poland match."

Indeed, his statistics bear out his considerable contribution to the host nation's cause: in 563 minutes, Podolski struck three goals, took 21 shots and drew 15 fouls. "Our choices are based on hard facts and how a player performs at a given tournament, the World Cup in this case," concluded Osiek. "Podolski still has a lot to learn but he is clearly a player with a great future."

socawarriors.net

Beenhakker is favourite for Poland job.

2006-07-06T09:47:00.000-04:00

WARSAW, (Reuters) - Leo Beenhakker is the number one candidate to take over as Poland's coach, according to a report in a leading domestic newspaper.
"Beenhakker is a huge personality and he is our favourite," Ryszard Czarnecki, head of the Polish Football Association's international department, told the daily Gazeta Wyborcza. "The only problem is money because he will not be cheap. But I am sure we can find sponsors to subsidise the cost."
After a disappointing first-round exit from the World Cup, coach Pawel Janas is expected to confirm his resignation at a meeting this weekend.
Beenhakker, who previously coached Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Real Madrid and Ajax Amsterdam, led Trinidad & Tobago to the World Cup finals for the first time in Germany.
The Dutchman's contract with Trinidad ended after their first-round elimination.
Polish media also reported that Beenhakker had received an offer to replace Guus Hiddink as coach of Australia. Hiddink is leaving to take over as Russia coach.

socawarriors.net

Thuram shines as Zidane sets up dream finale.

2006-07-06T07:07:00.000-04:00

By FIFAworldcup.com.

THE DAY REPLAYED: Zinedine Zidane has the perfect stage to take his leave of the game, and France the chance to make it two FIFA World Cup™ triumphs in three attempts. Penalties were kind to Portugal on Saturday in their quarter-final against England and unkind to them tonight as Zidane's successful conversion decided the tightest of semi-final contests.

So Luiz Felipe Scolari's hold on the FIFA World Cup Trophy is at an end. After an amazing run of 12 consecutive victories – seven with Brazil to mount the podium in 2002 and now five in Germany with Portugal - Felipão must live with the bitter taste of defeat for the first time at this rarefied level.

Now France head north from Munich for Berlin and Sunday's Final against Italy. It's a repeat of the UEFA EURO 2000 final which France won through David Trezeguet's Golden Goal. Intriguingly France also disposed of Portugal in the semi-final that year, via another Zidane penalty.

Portugal 0-1 France Report.

Moment of the Day
Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo - two legends showing mutual respect.

It seems almost disrespectful to the other great talents on display to depict a FIFA World Cup semi-final as one player against another. But Zidane v Figo transcended all doubts: two legends of the world stage coming together for one last hurrah. For the loser there would be only memories as they departed the international arena for the very last time – with the exception, that is, of Saturday's match for third place.

For Zidane defeat would signal his farewell in three days' time from the game in which he has been a dominant figure for so many years. Before the game the two gladiators, former team-mates at Real Madrid, came together in an embrace of mutual respect that included an affectionate peck on the cheek. Words were unnecessary.
The technical level was set very high at the start. Zidane’s sublime touches, Frank Ribery’s control and thrust at speed, Portugal’s razor-sharp combinations keeping them on the move and away from trouble in the tightest of areas.

Portugal were exposed in the first minute when Lilian Thuram’s long ball from the back found them square and half-asleep. One of the quickest-ever FIFA World Cup goals was there for Florent Malouda if only he could get his feet to work for him but he pulled his shot wide.

Deco, refreshed after sitting out the England game through suspension, answered with a low shot that had Fabien Barthez stretching. There was a scare for Portugal as Figo unloaded a shot and then collapsed as Patrick Vieira caught him as he tried to make the block. Their captain jumped off a stretcher to continue - his worshippers in port red in the stands breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Both teams were operating with lone strikers – Pauleta and Thierry Henry. It is a position that demands a lot of patience and involves much thankless running and frustration. For Henry it also included a great deal of satisfaction as he played a big part in France’s goal.
For any defender, trying to disposess a forward in the penalty area carries a high element of risk. Ricardo Carvalho appeared to make a genuine attempt to play the ball but his trailing leg caught Henry and referee Jorge Larrionda had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Goal of the Day
Zidane – a cool penalty

Ricardo had set a new FIFA World Cup record with his three saves in the penalty shoot-out in the quarter-final. The goalkeeper admitted later that he could tell from the England players’ eyes that they were going to miss. Presumbably he detected only stone-cold certainty staring back at him from Zidane. Two steps back and then an imperious sweep of the Frenchman's right boot propelled the ball low into the right-hand corner and just out of the goalkeeper’s reach.

Player of the Day
Lilian Thuram – superbly marshalled his defence.
It was only the second goal Portugal had conceded in the tournament, only the fifth leaked in over 18 internationals. Their defenders are not accustomed to lending encouragement to the opposition but now, neither are France's. After Korea Republic's late equaliser the French have conceded just once, again from the penalty spot, against Spain.

Neither Brazil nor Portugal, teams packed with dazzling forwards, could break a rearguard superbly controlled by the impeccable Thuram. That said, Portugal did waste one gilt-edged chance when Figo - symbol of their golden generation - headed over in front of goal with 12 minutes to go.

It only seems like yesterday that France were in danger of not qualifying from the group stage, a win over Togo their minimum requirement if they were to progress. Now eight years after their one and only FIFA World Cup success and four years after acute embarrassment in Korea/Japan, where they finished 28th of the 32 teams, they stand on the threshold of greatness once more.

Scolari says France deserved semi victory.
By Brian Homewood.

MUNICH, (Reuters) - Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari paid tribute to France after they ended his dreams of a second successive World Cup triumph with a 1-0 semi-final defeat of his team on Wednesday.
Zinedine Zidane's first-half penalty doomed Scolari, who had guided Brazil to victory in 2002 in South Korea and Japan, to his first World Cup finals defeat in 13 matches.
After the final whistle, Scolari angrily berated the officials on the field for the 33rd-minute penalty decision against Ricardo Carvalho but he later conceded that France had deserved to go through to Sunday's final against Italy.
"It was deserved victory, definitely, for France.
"There are situations that are difficult. We did everything we could, we did our best. Congratulations to France," he told reporters.
"We have to accept this. We knew it would be a difficult match and had a few chances but, unfortunately, didn't do it and lost."
Scolari's future as Portugal coach will now be open to further speculation after he was reported in British and Portuguese media to be on the verge of becoming England boss before the World Cup finals.
"I have a contract until the end of July then we'll see what happens," he said.
England have since appointed Steve McClaren as manager but Brazil, who lost in the quarter-finals to France too, are widely expected to have a vacancy as coach shortly.
Eusebio, one of Portugal's footballing greats whose side lost to winners England in the 1966 World Cup semi-finals, paid tribute to Scolari's team.
"The luck factor was not on Portugal's side today," he told Portuguese television channel SIC.
"The players deserve to be congratulated. But it is still not over; sadly we are not in the final but we have a game ahead and that game has a price as well which is the bronze."
Portugal will face hosts Germany, who lost 2-0 to Italy in extra time on Tuesday, in the third-place playoff match on Saturday in Stuttgart.

socawarriors.net

Italy stuns Germany with overtime flourish.

2006-07-05T06:46:00.000-04:00

By Kevin Fylan.

DORTMUND, (Reuters) - Juergen Klinsmann said before the World Cup he needed positive results to gain credibility and safeguard a legacy for the German team.
Leading Germany to a fourth World Cup victory proved beyond the novice coach, after an Italian side with a touch more quality clinched a memorable 2-0 win in extra-time in the semi-final in Dortmund on Tuesday.
Yet reaching the last four with a young team playing such positive football has done more than enough to win over the sceptics in the German football establishment and give him credit to extend his contract if he so chooses.
It remains to be seen if he will accept the challenge of leading Germany's qualification campaign for the 2008 European Championship
If he stays, the calls for him to move back from California to Germany permanently will only increase and he may decide a return to the relative anonymity of life outside football suits him better.
But whatever happens after the third-place match in Stuttgart on Saturday, the coach can be confident that he has won the argument.

PROMISING YOUNG
Klinsmann's philosophy in his first job as coach was to trust in promising young players, while instilling in them the belief that they had no reason to fear any opponents.
He encouraged his squad to be daring in attack and watched them cast off the fear of failure that has dogged German teams at recent tournaments.
"It is absolutely unimportant what happens with me," Klinsmann told reporters after the Italy defeat. "I'm going to let this sink in for a few days and talk with my family.
"What does matter is that this team showed how fantastic they were. They played fast-paced football, with total passion and they showed they can keep up with the best in the world."
They should have an even better chance of success in the next major tournament in Austria and Switzerland in two years' time.
Of the players that featured against Italy, Per Mertesacker, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski are only 21, and Philipp Lahm and David Odonkor are 22.
The senior players on the team, like the 28-year-old Miroslav Klose, who scored five goals, and the 29-year-old midfielders Michael Ballack and Torsten Frings will also have plenty still to offer.
There will hardly be a soul in Germany who is not urging Klinsmann to see through the work he has started but even if he decides to bow out now the team will bear his influence for a long time to come.

Klinsmann undecided about future after Germany's loss at World Cup.
By NESHA STARCEVIC, AP Sports Writer.

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) -- Juergen Klinsmann revived the German team and took it into semifinals of the World Cup. Then he fell short of his ambition to win the title.
Along the way, he won over the hearts of the skeptics and the fans, which chanted his name after the team's 2-0 loss to Italy in Tuesday's semifinals.
Now that even the critics want him to stay, Klinsmann remained undecided about his future.
"I need time to let this sink in," Klinsmann said. "I haven't made a decision. I was only thinking so far as the final, not beyond it. I've asked the federation to give me time."
Klinsmann's contract ends after the World Cup and he has said before he wants to consult his family before making a decision. Klinsmann has resisted calls to move back to Germany from his adopted home in California.
"My own situation is not the most important thing right now," he said.
Franz Beckenbauer, who won the title in 1974 as player and in 1990 as coach, urged Klinsmann to stay on at least until the 2008 European Championship.
"He started a job that he hasn't finished. He wanted to be world champion, and he didn't manage it, so he has to continue," Beckenbauer said.
Beckenbauer said Klinsmann has built trust among his young team.
"It would be a terrible shame if we would go back to California," Beckenbauer said. "He has to carry on this work. He has no choice."
Beckenbauer and other influential German soccer officials have criticized the way Klinsmann has overhauled the team and ditched Germany's usual safety-first tactics. The coach has also drawn fire for adopting U.S.-style training methods and commuting from his home in the United States.
Asked about Beckenbauer's remarks, Klinsmann, still visibly upset after the game, hesitated and then said he was "happy to receive compliments for our work."
"We have worked very intensively for two years and I think we have built a good team. The boys really gave everything and it's a wonderful thing to earn praise whether from experts or fans."
Klinsmann was trying to match Beckenbauer's feat on winning the title as player and coach.
"It's a huge disappointment, but we have to pay a huge compliment to our team for the way they played at the entire World Cup. That's how it goes. That's what makes football so fascinating," Klinsmann said. "It was amazing spirit they showed, their character. I think they made the whole country proud."
"We have a lot of young players coming through," he added. "From the opening game throughout every game, they played really tremendously. They gave all their heart, all their passion. Everything that was in them."
Germany played flowing, attacking soccer at the start of the tournament but went out against a vastly more experienced Italian team.
This is Klinsmann's team -- and it probably won't even reach its peak until the 2010 World Cup.
"It's been a huge success for us as a team, a huge success. We showed a whole new German face to the world, it's something people can be proud of," he said.

Italy 2, Germany 0, extra time.
By BARRY WILNER, AP Sports Writer.

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) -- For nearly two hours, Germany probed, Italy held firm and penalty kicks seemed inevitable.
Then with two stunningly swift strikes in the last two minutes, Italy unraveled it all -- the tension, the match, the Germans' dream of lifting the World Cup trophy in Berlin.
First came the left-footed shot that Fabio Grosso twisted into the far side of the net in the 119th minute. Then Alessandro Del Piero clinched the 2-0 win a minute later with a counterattacking goal as the Germans pressed frantically to equalize.
"Italy deserved to win," Italy coach Marcello Lippi said. "We controlled the play more than Germany did and, in the end, we got these two great goals, which allowed us to avoid the roulette of a penalty shootout."
A good idea, considering Germany historically is masterful at shootouts and the Italians abysmal.
Tuesday's win came as scandal tears apart the national sport back home. But an investigation into match-fixing has not proven a distraction -- the Italians keep plowing through soccer's premier event, allowing only a single own-goal in six games.
Now the Italians head to Berlin for Sunday's final in search of their fourth title. They'll play the winner of Wednesday's Portugal-France match.
"We have a great group," Grosso said. "We've beaten some very good teams."
Not least Germany, a squad that was supposed to be too young and inexperienced to challenge for this trophy, yet performed superbly.
In handing the Germans their first loss in 15 games at Dortmund, the Azzurri also remained undefeated in five World Cup meetings with Germany -- this was their third win to go with two draws. Italy is unbeaten in 24 games since October 2004.
The swift end to this one was stunning. Germany had pressured for the game's last hour and slowly stretched the tight Italian defense.
As Italy tired, Germany captain Michael Ballack directed the attack. The Germans found room where before there was none, creating space -- and chances.
In the 63rd minute, Lukas Podolski received the ball with his back to the goal, then turned and fired. Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon parried ball and Arne Friedrich rocketed a rebound shot over the bar.
But by the beginning of extra time, it was Italy threatening, once hitting the post, once the crossbar.
Then, out of nowhere, came the deciding goal.
Italy's reserves rushed onto the field after Grosso took a brilliant tap pass from Andrea Pirlo in the box and curled his shot beyond the leaping reach of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann and just inside the post.
With the hosts pushing forward in desperation, the Italians struck again on a two-on-one break. Del Piero finished with a right-footed blast into the top of the net just before the whistle sounded.
"A game of this type in their home? We really reached a new level tonight," Del Piero said.
It's a level that could win the Italians their first World Cup since 1982. They mobbed each other and rolled around on the field as their fans in a sliver of the stadium jumped in delight, waving the green, white and red flags in ecstasy.
What the Italians have faced off the field could easily have sapped them of their resolve. Their domestic league match-fixing scandal reached new heights Tuesday when a prosecutor urged the demotion of four Serie A teams for which many of Italy's players star. Every Italian team member plays club ball at home -- and 13 of the 23 play for the topflight teams under investigation.
While the Italians celebrated, the Germans collapsed in dismay.
"It's bitter to lose like that," Germany defender Philipp Lahm said. "We had set ourselves the target of reaching the semifinals, but once you've reached that, you want to go all the way."
The home crowd lingered to cheer their heroes, singing and chanting their names and "Deutschland, Deutschland" after the match. Ballack and several others cried as they left the field after circling it to recognize their flag-waving fans. They were defeated, but unashamed.
"I already told my team in the dressing room that the team has every reason to be proud of themselves," said Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann, who won the 1990 World Cup played in Italy. "They really achieved amazing things at this World Cup."
They just couldn't finish the heady Italians, whose technical mastery, particularly on defense, was surpassing.
The Azzurri heads to its first World Cup title game since losing to Brazil in 1994.
"These guys battled from the start and continued throughout," Lippi said, referring as much to the scandal as the win. "It's a great satisfaction. We look forward to next Sunday, whoever we play."
Germany will play in the third-place game Saturday in Stuttgart, hardly where it planned to be.
"The boys are sitting there and have a bitter pill to swallow," Klinsmann said. "It hurts terribly."

socawarriors.net

Bring on the heroes.

2006-07-03T05:56:00.000-04:00

By FIFAworldcup.com.

While it is only natural for any footballer to want to place in his team's starting line-up, football is an 11-a-side game and not everyone gets to play. Yet with coaches rotating their squads today more than ever, it is not unusual for a player to come off the bench to have a decisive impact on a game. Read on as FIFAworldcup.com takes a look at some the 'super subs' at Germany 2006.

Francesco Totti, the 'Prince' of Italian football, was surprisingly left on the bench for the start of Italy's Round of 16 clash with Australia. Italy coach Marcello Lippi later explained his thinking: "Totti had trouble going the distance against the Czechs, and that's why I gave him a breather today. I intended to bring him on when the match had settled down and that's what I did."

Totti expressed understanding at his coach's decision: "Lippi came to see me at two this afternoon and explained why he was leaving me out. I have no problem with him. He showed faith in me and picked me for the squad, and I respect his decisions."

As it was, the Roma captain came on for Alessandro Del Piero in the 75th minute with the match still scoreless. Yet a quarter of an hour was plenty of time for the 29-year-old to stamp his authority on the game as he calmly put away a stoppage-time penalty to send Italy through to the quarter-finals.

Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, unable to stand the tension, averted his eyes at the moment when Totti decided Italy's fate, but there was no need to worry. After grabbing the headlines with his cool finish, the Totti declared confidently: "I'm fit and ready for the next matches."

Australia midfielder Tim Cahill is not someone Japanese supporters will forget in a hurry. Joining the action in the 53rd minute with Australia trailing Japan 1-0, the Everton player dealt a body blow to Japan's hopes with strikes on 84 and 89 minutes, before another substitute, John Aloisi, made sure with a third in added time.
The collapse prompted Yomiuri Shimbun, a leading Japanese daily, to question the system and substitutions of national team coach Zico and declare: "The way the two coaches marshalled their teams was as different as night and day." The paper praised Australia's coach Guus Hiddink, saying: "He showed his magic once again, with all the goals scored by the substitutes he brought on." Interestingly enough, even though Cahill started the next three matches he failed to score again.

Appearing at his fourth FIFA World Cup™, Saudi Arabia's veteran striker Sami Al Jaber also performed outstandingly. After starting on the bench in his team's opening game against Tunisia, the 33-year-old joined the fray in the 82nd minute and took just two minutes to show just why he is considered one of Asian football's all-time greats. Running into space in the box, the Al Hilal front man found himself with just the goalkeeper to beat and calmly slid the ball home to put the Saudis 2-1 up. His goal-scoring instincts had served him well with his very first touch of the ball.

"Playing at the World Cup has always been a dream," the striker reflected afterwards. "I felt very proud to have scored." However, the game itself ended on a low note: Tunisia's Radhi Jaidi fired in an equaliser in stoppage time, and Saudi Arabia were left still seeking their first victory at a finals since USA 94.

Even though Shaka Hislop, the 37-year-old Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper, started his team's first group game against Sweden, in a sense he too was a substitute. Kelvin Jack was supposed to be wearing the No.1 jersey for that match, but he told coach Leo Beenhakker shortly before kick-off that he was unfit to play. It was a bolt from the blue for Hislop, but this true professional responded magnificently in his country’s hour of need.

Although Sweden threatened the Trinidad and Tobago goal from the word go, Hislop produced a string of outstanding saves to keep his goal intact as the Caribbean newcomers battled on to earn a historic first point in their inaugural appearance at a FIFA World Cup. "I don't know about unbeatable," Hislop commented after the game, "but I certainly enjoyed myself today. I didn't have any really good saves to make because the team defended very well." Modesty is all very well, but there is little doubt that Hislop was a hero for the Soca Warriors.

Substitutes were first used at a FIFA World Cup in 1970 and football is now more of a squad game than ever before. "Starters? Subs? What are those? All I know is I have the best 23 men in my squad," Czech Republic coach Karel Bruckner once observed. However, no coach can deny that seeing a player come off the bench and turn the course of a game is satisfying. For the players themselves, the thrill must be even greater.

socawarriors.net

Wayne Rooney faces disciplinary review.

2006-07-03T05:55:00.000-04:00

By JOHN PYE, AP Sports Writer.

BERLIN (AP) -- Germany midfielder Torsten Frings was cited for throwing a punch at an Argentine opponent, and could miss his team's World Cup semifinal match against Italy.
FIFA took action Sunday after reviewing TV footage of the on-field melee that followed Germany's penalty shootout win over Argentina in Friday's quarterfinals.
Frings had until 10 a.m. Monday to explain himself to a disciplinary committee, FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren said. A decision on a possible punishment was expected later Monday.
Although FIFA was still investigating the incident and considering action against Argentina's Maxi Rodriguez and Leandro Cufre, it pressed ahead with the case against Frings because Germany needs to know if it can use him in Tuesday's semifinal match in Dortmund.
FIFA opened a case against Rodriguez on Sunday. The panel also was considering a case against German and Argentine officials, and had already started an investigation into Cufre.
Wayne Rooney could face further punishment after a FIFA disciplinary committee reviews his red card from England's quarterfinal loss to Portugal. FIFA communications director Markus Siegler said Sunday that the disciplinary committee was looking at Rooney's ejection.
Siegler declined to say if the Rooney investigation related to him stamping on Ricardo Carvalho's groin in the 62nd minute of Saturday's quarterfinal match or for shoving Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo -- his teammate at Manchester United -- soon after that.
"Wayne Rooney got a direct red card so he will automatically be suspended," Siegler said. "It will be a disciplinary case. If you ask why he was sent off, I refer to law 12, article two, on violent conduct to make that clear."
A red card warrants an automatic one-match ban. The disciplinary committee can extend the ban.
The disciplinary panel will watch video of the scuffle that followed Friday's quarterfinal match between Germany and Argentina in Berlin before deciding which, if any, team officials should be punished.The pushing and shoving reportedly followed a verbal exchange during the shootout, which Germany won 4-2 after a 1-1 draw after extra time.
Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff was in the middle of the melee, and claimed he was trying to separate players.
Cufre, an unused substitute in the quarterfinals, was given a red card after the match for allegedly kicking Germany defender Per Mertesacker. Siegler said Rodriguez appeared to attack Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he was "furious" at the incident and asked the disciplinary committee to identify and punish "the provocateurs."

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In search of lost time: 2006 looks like 1998 in French eyes.

2006-07-03T05:54:00.000-04:00

By RAF CASERT, AP Sports Writer.

HAMELN, Germany (AP) -- The shiny, bald pate of goalkeeper Fabien Barthez. The uncatchable swiftness of Zinedine Zidane's feet.
Many things cry out for comparisons with France's World Cup-winning team in 1998.
Don't even try, France coach Raymond Domenech says.
After his team was all too often linked to the World Cup disaster of 2002 ahead of Saturday's win over Brazil, he doesn't want people to go deeper in search of lost time, however glorious those days may have been.
"It is another team, another story we have to live. In the end, comparisons are tiresome," Domenech said Sunday when assessing France's stunning 1-0 win over Brazil and a place in the semifinals against Portugal.
Yet the analogies are impossible to ignore.
After all, Domenech picked Barthez for his big-game World Cup experience over the in-form Gregory Coupet, and Zidane was lured back from retirement to rekindle the spirit of 1998.
Now, Patrick Vieira is dominating the defensive midfield to seek his second World Cup final and Thierry Henry has developed from a prodigy into a star at the height of his powers without losing any of his youthful elegance.
And, on Saturday, Lilian Thuram was charging into the Brazil penalty area, just like his attacking forays that resulted in two goals in the 1998 semifinals against Croatia.
And Zidane is again the undisputed leader. Throwing around passes at will, setting up goals and finishing them off, looking like anything but a player who will retire after next weekend.
With veterans like that, it makes France a favorite for Wednesday's semifinal match against Portugal in Munich.
And the French public also senses the spirit of 1998.
"Each time, people tell me: We are back in 1998, we are back in the same rush of happiness," said Aime Jacquet, the coach of that championship team. "It is fantastic."
Joyous Parisians already set off fireworks and climbed atop historic statues waving red-white-and-blue French flags, further rekindling the memories.
For Domenech, it is time to put the brakes on. Immediately.
"Wait, there still is the July 5 match," he said. "It is time to bring back everybody to reality."
Domenech has already shut off his mobile phone, which was overflowing with congratulatory messages. Even getting to the semifinals could be considered a huge success for a coach who has been derided for so long.
"A successful World Cup only applies to the team that wins," Domenech says now.
Barely a month ago, Domenech and his team were booed and whistled off the field at Stade de France, where they won the World Cup eight years earlier, after a bad preparation match against Mexico. Parisian fans thought they were ready for another first-round exit.
In South Korea four years ago, France failed to score a goal and became the first champion to fail to make it past the opening round.
That team was stunned by Senegal in the opener and Domenech admitted "the ghosts of Senegal" still weighed on the team early on.
"It is true, it may have counted," he said in a candid admission. "I felt it, too, a little bit."
It didn't help when some retired heroes of the 1998 campaign, including Laurent Blanc and Didier Deschamps, started sniping at the team.
Once Les Bleus squeezed out of the first round despite poor play this year, everything changed.
"It created a sense of freedom," said Domenech.
It also created a 3-1 win over Spain in the second round and the shutout of Brazil.
The 2002 comparison is history now and Domenech wants to avoid a new one.
"The players don't want to be compared to 1998," he said. "This is 2006."
Defender Willy Sagnol, however, took exception and said the championship squad still had a magic the current edition cannot capture.
"We are no longer a team that can dominate opponents, but we have other qualities. Defensive qualities. We have become a team that is tough to budge," he said. "The Brazilians tried to play, could not and got testy."
In a sense, this year's team has already achieved more. Before the semifinals, it already eliminated favorites Spain and Brazil. Eight years ago, the only team of renown it had to beat to get to the final was Italy.
Now it may play Italy again next Sunday. The Azzurri meet host Germany in the other semifinal match Tuesday.

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Ballack, Klose should be fit for Italy.

2006-07-03T05:52:00.000-04:00

By NESHA STARCEVIC, AP Sports Writer.

BERLIN (AP) -- How would Germany fare without captain Michael Ballack and goal-minded Miroslav Klose? The host nation hopes it won't have to find out in its World Cup semifinal against Italy.
Ballack and Klose both cramped up during Germany's quarterfinal win over Argentina. Klose was substituted out after scoring a late equalizer, while Ballack played through extra time and took one of the decisive penalties.
That match was Friday and the Germans don't have much time to recover before Tuesday's semifinal in Dortmund.
"They are getting physiotherapy and both will be fit and able to play," assistant coach Joachim Loew said Sunday of Ballack and Klose.
Germany's staff, however, has often downplayed injuries.
Klose had a bruised calf and Ballack limped at the end of regulation and throughout the extra time, getting treatment on his calf several times on the sidelines.
Ballack entered the tournament with a calf injury and did not play in Germany's opening match against Costa Rica. He then missed some training with an ankle injury that also bothered him before the World Cup.
He's loomed large in the German midfield, getting back to clear balls defensively while also directing the attack. Klose has scored five of Germany's 11 goals and leads the tournament.
It would be a huge setback if either misses Tuesday's semifinal.
Italy also has injury problems -- defender Alessandro Nesta is still recovering from a right thigh injury and remains in doubt.
The semifinal match between two three-time winners has the potential to be a World Cup classic, but Loew warned against too high expectations, saying both teams would be cautious -- much as Argentina and Germany played Friday.
"Italy has been playing the same way for 60 years, it won't give up that philosophy now," Loew said. "They wait for their chance, they are patient."
Germany has never beaten Italy in four World Cup matches. The last time they played in the tournament was the 1982 final, which Italy won 3-1.
Overall, Italy leads the all-time series 13-7, with eight draws.
Going to Dortmund could be an advantage for Germany. It has 13 wins and one draw -- and no losses -- in noisy Westfalen Stadium.
Italy beat Germany 4-1 in a friendly in March, a defeat that nearly led to the firing of coach Juergen Klinsmann.
"We are not thinking of that now at all," Loew said. "We are a different team now."

socawarriors.net

World Cup's final four not a surprise.

2006-07-03T05:50:00.000-04:00

By BARRY WILNER, AP Sports Writer.

BOCHUM, Germany (AP) -- Portugal isn't exactly George Mason, though its soccer pedigree isn't much stronger than what the Patriots brought to college basketball's Final Four. Then again, surprise teams in the World Cup semifinals are hardly a surprise.
Since 1982, the last time four European teams got this far -- West Germany, Italy and France made it, along with, unexpectedly, Poland -- there was just one tournament when a relative outsider didn't sneak into the semifinals.
Only in 1990, with Italy, Argentina, England and eventual champion West Germany, did the status quo hold. Otherwise, there have been the likes of Belgium (1986), Sweden and Bulgaria (1994), Croatia (1998), South Korea and Turkey (2002).
Now, there are the Portuguese, who might finally be realizing the promise of their "Golden Generation," even if nearly all those players have given way to youngsters of the next generation. Luis Figo is the only remaining member of the group that was expected to carry Portugal to greatness in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Instead, the Portuguese disappointed, with the lowlight a first-round elimination from the 2002 World Cup, including losses to the Americans and Koreans. So finding them in the final four after a rebuilding process is akin to George Mason's Colonial Athletic Association team crashing the NCAA tournament's big party.
"It's worth suffering for moments like this," said Eusebio, Portugal's greatest player and the leader of the team that finished third in 1966 -- the last time the nation had a significant impact on the World Cup.
"It's been more difficult to reach a semifinal with Portugal than the final with Brazil, because there are only 10 million inhabitants in Portugal compared to 180 million in Brazil," said Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, a Brazilian who led his countrymen to the 2002 crown, Brazil's fifth overall. "Also, 50 percent of the players in Portugal are foreigners. Brazil's traditions make certain games easier to win, too."
Not against France, of course, which is unbeaten in its last four games against Brazil, starting with the 1998 World Cup final. Yet, seeing the French in the semifinals is almost shocking considering the disarray on this team entering the tournament.
Despite its tradition and wealth of talent -- Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Fabien Barthez -- France was within one half of another first-round exit. Remember how the French couldn't score in the World Cup? How they followed their humiliating goal-less tournament four years ago with five lackluster halves in Germany before putting away Togo 2-0 and advancing.
Anyone who picked France to beat Spain and dominate Brazil in the knockout rounds must have Les Bleus in the blood.
Or maybe the French were just building up to something special, the way the Turks did in Japan and South Korea, or how the Bulgarians rode star Hristo Stoitchkov in '94. France climbed on the shoulders of Zidane, who has gone from average to extraordinary in the last two matches.
"We've been saying among ourselves here all along that France would get to the semifinals, despite their bad start," Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo Pereira said Sunday. "Some said France wasn't going to do anything, but it's not easy to beat Brazil."
Generally, the surprise semifinalists wind up in the third-place match and not playing for the trophy. Indeed, not since Czechoslovakia lost to Brazil in 1962 has an interloper even made it to the championship game.
"It is another team, another story we have to live," France coach Raymond Domenech said. "In the end, comparisons are tiresome."

socawarriors.net

Beckham bows out as captain for England.

2006-07-03T05:48:00.000-04:00

By KRYSTYNA RUDZKI, AP Sports Writer.

BUEHLERTAL, Germany (AP) -- David Beckham quit as England captain Sunday, the morning after his team went out in the World Cup quarterfinals on penalties to Portugal.
A tearful Beckham, wearing a suit and tie, read a statement to a crowded news conference at England's training camp.
"I have lived the dream," he said. "I am extremely proud to have worn the armband and been captain of England and for that, I will always be grateful."
He stressed that he wanted to continue playing for the national team.
First capped at 21 against Moldova in September 1996, Beckham was named captain for the first time by caretaker coach Peter Taylor for a friendly in Italy. He took over the captaincy permanently from Alan Shearer, who retired after the 2000 European Championship.
On Sunday, Beckham said he felt "the time is right to pass on the armband as we enter in a new era" under new coach Steve McClaren, who is taking over as England coach from Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Beckham, 31, has been captain for 58 of his 94 England caps. He said he had decided "some time ago" to quit as captain after this World Cup, his third.
Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard or Chelsea defender John Terry are most likely to take over as captain. Both are captains for their Premier League clubs.
Beckham has been England's most famous soccer player for nearly a decade -- first for his romance with pop star Victoria Adams of the Spice Girls, then for helping Manchester United win the Champions League, FA Cup and Premier League in 1999.
His celebrity grew to encompass his professional and personal life. "Posh and Becks" became Britain's biggest celebrity couple, even when he moved to Spain's Real Madrid in 2003.
His trademark curling free kicks even inspired the name of the popular 2003 movie "Bend It Like Beckham."
On Saturday, he left the field with a leg injury in the 52nd minute. England played for almost an hour with 10 men after Wayne Rooney was given a red card, but held the Portuguese to 0-0 after 120 minutes.
Beckham could not participate in the penalty shootout, which Portugal won 3-1.
"This decision has been the most difficult of my career to date," he said. "It has been an honor and a privilege to have captained our country and I want to stress that I wish to continue to play for England and look forward to helping both the new captain and Steve McClaren in any way I can."
He said he wrote his statement late Saturday night; after reading it he walked out immediately, to loud applause.
The original decision to name Beckham captain raised eyebrows, but Taylor said his decision had been vindicated.
"I feel he has been a terrific captain and he's played very well for us," Taylor said. "He must have thought about it long and hard. There have been a couple of dips in form but overall he's been outstanding and should be proud of the last six years."
Beckham's first World Cup in 1998 was marred by his red card against Argentina in the second round. That game went to penalties and England lost.
In 2002, Beckham broke a bone in his foot in the leadup to the World Cup. He played every match but wasn't 100 percent and England lost to Brazil in the quarterfinals.
Beckham said the squad was devastated by another quarterfinal exit, this time in Germany.
"Both myself and all the players regret that and are hurt by that more than people realize," he said.

socawarriors.net

France stuns Brazil 1-0 to reach semis.

2006-07-01T17:34:00.000-04:00

By BARRY WILNER, AP Sports Writer.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- France still has Brazil's number. And on Saturday, the French had all the flair, too.
The experienced and savvy French ousted the five-time World Cup champions 1-0 in a stunningly one-sided quarterfinal game. Tacked onto France's 3-0 victory in the 1998 title match -- the last time Brazil lost in the World Cup -- it's clear the Brazilians have a nemesis at soccer's highest level.
The heroes were familiar as well. Zinedine Zidane, headed into retirement after the tournament, served a perfect free kick to Thierry Henry in the 57th minute. Completely unmarked, Henry had the whole right side of the net and smashed in a right-footed volley.
It was Zidane who sank the Brazilians in 1998, scoring two goals for France's first title.
This was a shocking exit for Brazil, the pretournament favorite. The Brazilians had just one shot on goal all game and allowed huge gaps in the defense all night. Stars such as Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaka were either invisible or inept.
France began the tournament so poorly it appeared headed for a first-round exit like four years ago. Instead, France heads to the semifinals against Portugal on Wednesday in Munich.
With Germany playing Italy in Tuesday's semifinal in Dortmund, this will be the first all-European final four since 1982.
In the final minutes, Brazil desperately pressed forward, with Ronaldinho surfacing at last and barely missing on a free kick. Two more attacks yielded nothing as France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez screamed at his teammates to hold on.
Barthez was gripping a floater by Lucio as the clock ran out, setting off a wild celebration in which the France players mobbed each other while jumping in a circle. Several of them offered hugs to the vanquished and dazed Brazilians before heading to the corner where their fans were waving flags, take pictures -- and savoring a magnificent victory.
Brazil and France have played three times since the 1998 final, with France winning 2-1 in the 2001 Confederations Cup in South Korea and then playing to a 0-0 draw in a 2004 friendly in Paris.
Obviously, intimidation is not a factor for the French -- and France was the better team all night. Zidane wove, bobbed and spun his way through the Brazilian midfield, looking like the player who has won three FIFA World Player of the Year awards.
He orchestrated a short passing game that looked Brazilian. Several of his superb touches led to dangerous opportunities for Henry, Patrick Vieira, Franck Ribery and Florent Malouda.
Toward the end of the first half, Ronaldo and Juan both drew yellow cards trying as they tried to slow down the French offense.
Juan pulled down Vieira on a near breakaway after a brilliant feed by Zidane from midfield. It could have drawn a red card and ejection, but referee Luis Medina pulled out the yellow, setting up a free kick from 20 yards that Ronaldo blocked with his arm just outside the penalty area.
That drew a yellow for Brazil's scoring star, but his team escaped a scramble near its goal as the half ended.
It was to be a temporary reprieve.
For all Zidane's flowing play, it was his dead-ball cross following a foul that netted France's goal.
About 30 yards out on the left wing, Zidane lofted an inward swinging cross. The Brazilians' marking had been loose all game and this time they paid. Henry, completely free at the back post, met the ball with his right foot. Goalkeeper Dida had no chance.
In front of France President Jacques Chirac, the French made Brazil look so ordinary -- at times amateurish -- that the yellow-clad Brazilians in the crowd even were whistling at their team late in the match.
"This was not a lucky victory," Henry said.
Brazil's streak of three straight finals, two of them wins, was snapped.

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Portugal ousts England in PK shootout.

2006-07-01T17:31:00.000-04:00

By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer.

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) -- The ending is familiar: Luiz Felipe Scolari pumps his arms, his players wildly celebrate and their English rivals slump to the field, beaten and exhausted.
Portugal, Brazil -- it doesn't matter. When Big Phil is coaching, his team will send England home. That goes double when the team is Portugal, triple when it comes down to penalty kicks.
England gamely hung on after David Beckham got hurt and Wayne Rooney got ejected, but lost to Portugal 3-1 in a shootout Saturday night after 120 minutes of scoreless soccer in the World Cup quarterfinals.
"There's a lot of heartache," said Beckham, who likely played his last World Cup match. "We're all devastated tonight."
Ricardo, Portugal's goalkeeper, saved three penalty kicks as his nation advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 1966 -- when it lost to England. The final kick was converted by Cristiano Ronaldo, who stars for Manchester United.
"I may not be the Ronaldo you know, who beats three or four players, but I'm fulfilling my role," Cristiano Ronaldo said.
When extra time ran out, the boisterous English fans seemed happy to have survived, jumping and singing "Que Sera, Sera" as penalty kicks loomed. But shootouts are not where England shines, and it now has lost five of six in major tournaments over the last 16 years.
Portugal, which also beat England on penalty kicks in the European Championship quarterfinals two years ago, meets France, upset winner over defending champion Brazil, on Wednesday. Italy faces Germany a day earlier in the other semifinal.
Scolari has won three straight big games over the English -- he led Brazil to a 2-1 quarterfinal win in the 2002 World Cup and Portugal to the Euro 2004 victory. In April, he turned down an overture to succeed Sven-Goran Eriksson as England's coach after this tournament.
"It was an electrifying, marvelous game with two great teams," said Scolari, who now has a 12-game unbeaten streak in World Cup play. "I have great respect for England, who even with 10 men made us sweat and run even more."
Portugal's small contingent of fans, relegated to one corner and drowned out for the entire game, were suddenly loud enough to fill the closed-roof stadium with a wall of joyous noise.
Simao Sabrosa and Helder Postiga also converted penalties for Portugal. Ricardo stopped kicks by Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, whose shot rebounded off Ricardo, then hit the crossbar and bounced out.
Only Owen Hargreaves converted his penalty for England, which has beaten Portugal just once in the last 11 meetings and hasn't been to the World Cup semifinals since 1990. The Portuguese extended their unbeaten streak to 19 matches overall, their last loss 1-0 at Ireland in an exhibition game on Feb. 9, 2005.
"We have more battles ahead," Ronaldo said. "We're well prepared."
Beckham left seven minutes into the second half because of a knee injury sustained in the first half and an Achilles' tendon injury that occurred when Nuno Valente stepped on his foot as the pair battled for a header in the 47th minute.
Rooney, a 20-year-old known for a short fuse, was sent off in the 62nd minute after stomping on Ricardo Carvalho's groin following a rough challenge and then pushing Ronaldo just a few steps in front of the referee. Rooney's teammates claimed he had been fouled.
"Wayne is gutted, as the rest of us," Lampard said. "It's an incredible way to go out."
Beckham buried his face in his hands on the bench, and appeared to be in tears. He later sat on the ground, stretching out his leg with towels covering it.
Immediately after losing its captain, England gained new energy and its thousands of supporters sang louder and longer, trying to inspire their team with rousing versions of "Rule, Britannia!" and "God Save the Queen."
Rooney had a look of disbelief on his face when he was shown the red card by Horatio Elizondo, the same referee who ejected Beckham during Manchester United's opener in the 2000 World Club Championship in Brazil. It was only the 11th red card ever for England and left Rooney's teammates to play the last hour one man short.
Peter Crouch, England's gawky 6-foot-7 forward, came on for Joe Cole in the 65th, but managed only one shot after taking over as England's lone striker. Portugal outshot the English 20-9.
After Ronaldo's shot went in to end it, Portugal's players ran, then did a mass coordinated slide before saluting their fans. Victoria Beckham, the former Posh Spice, lingered in the stands, with a forlorn look behind her oversized sunglasses.
Saturday was the finale for Eriksson, who announced in January that he was leaving after the World Cup, two years before the end of his contract.
"I'm sorry for the squad. I'm sorry for the fans," Eriksson said. "It's not good enough."
England also lost on penalty kicks to Portugal in the 2004 European Championship quarterfinals, to Argentina in the second round of the 1998 World Cup, to Germany in the 1996 Euro semifinals and to Germany in the 1990 World Cup semis. Its lone win in that span was against Spain in the 1996 Euro quarterfinals.
"We have to come through moments like that, these make or break moments in tournaments," defender Gary Neville said after emerging from what he described as a teary dressing room. "We haven't done enough again."

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Germany ousts Argentina in PK shootout.

2006-07-01T17:29:00.000-04:00

By BARRY WILNER, AP Sports Writer.

BERLIN (AP) -- Racked with exhaustion, its leader hobbled by cramps and fatigue, Germany summoned its last ounces of energy.
Showing there's no end to their resourcefulness and tenacity at this World Cup, the hosts beat Argentina 4-2 in a shootout Friday after a grueling 1-1 draw. Moments after he sat on the pitch at the end of a scoreless extra time, captain Michael Ballack made a penalty kick to help dispatch an old rival -- and one of the tournament's fellow glamour teams.
While Germany took advantage of Argentina backup keeper Leonardo Franco with one penalty kick after another, veteran Jens Lehmann stopped two, putting Germany in the semifinals of the World Cup.
"It's a thriller, like a Hitchcock movie," Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann said. "Obviously you're the happiest person in the world if you win it, and the saddest if you lose."
The party heads to Dortmund for the semifinal Tuesday against the Italy-Ukraine quarterfinal winner, where Germany is riding a feeling of near-invincibility. The Germans, looking like world beaters after their toughest test, seek their fourth world title.
Argentina heads home exhausted, despite controlling the ball for most of the match.
"It was a very emotional game, worth a quarterfinal," said Argentina coach Jose Pekerman, who resigned after the game. "Argentina played like a favorite, played well, even though they lost."
Argentina, which came into the game having lived up to its reputation with creative, free-flowing offense, played tentatively in the first half but went up 1-0 early in the second on Roberto Ayala's soaring header in the 49th minute.
But rather than panic after falling behind for the first time in the tournament, the Germans relentlessly wore down Argentina from there. Germany pressed the attack on Franco, who was playing only his third game with Argentina and his first minutes of the World Cup.
Regular goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri went out after a collision with Miroslav Klose in the 71st minute. Nine minutes later, Klose's header tied it.
Ballack lofted a pass into the penalty area. Substitute Borowski blindly headed it across the goalmouth for Klose, who ducked inside a defender, dived toward the net and headed it past Franco into the far corner of the goal.
This was the most anticipated match of the World Cup so far, pairing two powers who have split World Cup championship meetings. It was Germany's resurgent offense against the team that scored two of the most spectacular goals of the tournament.
But if this was the classic soccer so many hoped for, it was a major disappointment early on -- even the 72,000 fans seemed let down, and the usual fervor was missing.
The visitors controlled the ball for two-thirds of the first half, and even though they created few chances on goal -- the dangerous Hernan Crespo was invisible -- they dictated a slower pace that frustrated the Germans. Ballack began limping midway through the period, and Klose, the leading scorer in the tournament, touched the ball just a couple of times.
That changed as the drama built, right into the shootout.
"We knew it was going to be very, very tough," Klinsmann said. "These were the strongest two teams so far."
The shootout was completely lopsided, however.
Oliver Neuville, Ballack, Lukas Podolski and Tim Borowski had no trouble scoring on Franco. Ayala and Esteban Cambiasso were stopped by Lehmann, who guessed correctly on both saves -- and nearly saved another.
Klinsmann's choice of Lehmann to start over 2002 star Oliver Kahn had caused controversy in Germany.
"We have a strong belief in Jens Lehmann," Klinsmann added. "As a former striker, I don't want to face him, and he proved that."
When Lehmann made the final save, the German players, who had been standing arm-in-arm on the field, sprinted to mob him. The crowd, which less than an hour before sensed an early end with their team down 1-0, erupted with singing, flag-waving and chants.
Several players twirled towels and their jerseys as they toured the Olympic Stadium pitch in exultation.
"I don't live in Germany, so I am really enjoying this, seeing how the fans are celebrating with us," Lehmann said.
The Argentines trudged off with a painful defeat. The end was marred by pushing and shoving on the field, and Germany assistant coach Oliver Bierhoff said "Per Mertesacker was struck with full force in the leg by an Argentine reserve player, he was on the ground, the players started going for each other."
Argentina's Leandro Cufre, who did not play, was given a red card after the shootout.
By the end of extra time, the limping Ballack didn't have much left, and was unable to chase loose balls.
"I would have gone out, but we already made three substitutions," said Ballack, who was cramping up. "So I had to tough it out."
Yet he and the other Germans found the strength to make their penalty kicks.

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Italy advances despite off-field trouble.

2006-07-01T17:26:00.000-04:00

By ANDREW DAMPF, AP Sports Writer.

DUISBURG, Germany (AP) -- Forget about the opponents. Italy's toughest obstacles in reaching the World Cup semifinals have come from home.
The Azzurri have persevered amid a massive corruption scandal and the grave condition of former teammate Gianluca Pessotto, who is hospitalized in Turin after falling out of a window.
Their reward is a match against Germany on Tuesday in Dortmund, a city where the hosts have never lost.
Italy has faced Germany before in big games. In the 1970 World Cup semifinals, the Azzuri beat West Germany 4-3 in extra time. Italians of a certain age can still recite the scoring sequence in that game: Boninsegna, Schnellinger, Mueller, Burgnich, Riva, Mueller, Rivera.
"That 4-3 score is lodged in people's memories. This Italy-Germany is more important than that game, though. Because it comes at a time when Italian soccer is in a real crisis," team manager Luigi Riva, Italy's all-time leading scorer, said Saturday.
"Since May 22, the day we opened training camp, we've been like a ship attacked by missiles and torpedoes every day," Riva said, recalling how new details in the corruption scandal were revealed daily in late May and early June.
Italian soccer federation president Franco Carraro and vice president Innocenzo Mazzini resigned, leaving coach Marcello Lippi and the Italian team with virtually no support system. Federation vice president Giancarlo Abete and Riva are the only front office members traveling with the team in Germany.
"Abete and I found ourselves as the only ones left to defend the team. But the merit goes to Lippi, who built the motor that's held this group together on those days that seemed like they would never end," Riva said. "He completely isolated the team."
The scandal is ongoing. A sports trial in Rome is slated to issue verdicts by July 9, the day of the World Cup final. Twenty-six officials -- including referees -- face charges of match-fixing and corruption. The judges could strip titles, including Juventus of its league championships from the past two years.
AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio also face sanctions, and 13 members of Italy's team play for the clubs involved.
Lippi was questioned by prosecutors before the World Cup over alleged pressure he received to select certain players for Italy's team. His son, Davide Lippi, is under investigation for his work at player agency GEA World.
A report in Italy's leading newspaper Corriere della Sera 10 days ago indicated Lippi already has decided to resign after the World Cup. According to the report, Lippi is bitter at the way he and his son have been treated in the scandal.
Guido Rossi, the former senator chosen to lead the federation through the scandal, attended Italy's 3-0 victory over Ukraine in the quarterfinals Friday, and declared that Lippi should stay on as coach to meet fans' demands.
"Lippi has had nothing but success with the national team," said striker Luca Toni, who scored two goals against Ukraine. "Lippi is a winner and he's demonstrated that throughout his career. More important people than me make these decisions, though. All I can say is that I owe a lot to Lippi. He's the reason I'm here."
Toni received his first call-up to Italy's team in Lippi's first game as coach, even before he had played in Italy's first division. In 22 appearances for Italy since 2004, Toni has eight goals.
Fabio Grosso is another Lippi discovery. Lippi left popular veteran Christian Panucci off Italy's team and moved Gianluca Zambrotta over to right back to create room for Grosso, who drew the penalty that Francesco Totti converted in the last-minute win over Australia in the second round.
Zambrotta scored once, cleared a shot off the goal line and set up Toni's second goal in the win over Ukraine.
"We don't want to stop here," Grosso said. "It wasn't easy at the start, with all that went on outside, but we've been able to keep our focus and now we want to go all the way."

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Chelsea hit back as Robben is linked with Real.

2006-06-29T07:07:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Chelsea have moved swiftly to reject claims by Real Madrid presidential candidate Ramon Calderon that Dutch winger Arjen Robben would be among his signings if he wins power.
Calderon's amazing claim that Robben had already signed a pre-contract agreement was announced just 24 hours after another candidate, Juan Villar Mir, said Cristiano Ronaldo was ready to join the club should he win the forthcoming elections.
Manchester United reacted quickly to deny any Ronaldo sale and now Chelsea have followed suit - insisting they have not even spoken to Calderon or any of his representatives.
A statement from the Premiership Champions read: 'Chelsea totally refutes statements made by Real Madrid presidential candidate Ramon Caldersn linking Chelsea winger Arjen Robben with a move to Real Madrid.
'Chelsea FC would like to make it clear that we have not spoken to Senor Caldersn or any of his representatives and categorically deny the suggestion that an agreement on any level has been reached.'
Calderon was adamant that if he won power at Madrid then Robben and Brazil midfielder Kaka would be among the first arrivals.
More astonishingly, Calderon claimed that Robben has already agreed to join the club.
Calderon announced: ``I have no doubt at all that Kaka will come to play for Madrid. I am delighted that he is coming. Robben has also signed a contract with us. It is not unusual though, for this club to attract players of this quality.''
However, Milan have already insisted that Kaka is not for sale and now Chelsea have done the same.
Further revelations from the Real election race are expected on Thursday when Lorenzo Sanz is to announce his captures - with England's Ashley Cole rumoured to be amongst his targets.

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Pompey: Adams in, Johnson joins on loan.

2006-06-29T07:05:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Portsmouth have completed the double capture of Chelsea full-back Glen Johnson on a season-long loan and Tony Adams as their new assistant manager.
Former Arsenal and England defender Adams began his managerial career at Wycombe with mixed success but has been given the opportunity to return to full-time coaching at Fratton Park.
Johnson has fallen out of favour at Chelsea, for whom he has made 68 appearances since joining from West Ham for £6million in 2003. The 21-year-old had also spoken to Dutch club Feyenoord but decided to join the south-coast club.
Pompey boss Harry Redknapp told the club's website: 'It is no secret that I have long admired Glen.
'He is a top defender and will continue to get better, so this is a real top quality capture for us.
'The lad has a great future. He is already an outstanding defender and the kind of player most Premier League sides would give their right arm for.'
Johnson becomes Pompey's first major signing since narrowly escaping relegation from the Premiership.
He said: 'Moving to Portsmouth is a great opportunity for me to play regular Premier League football again and hopefully force myself back into the England set-up ahead of the next European Championships.
'The club have big ambitions and I'm looking forward to playing a part in them.'
Adams, 39, will officially take up his role on Saturday.
Redknapp said: 'Tony is a guy I have a lot of respect for and feel he can do a great job for us.
'He knows the game inside out and I'm really looking forward to him joining Pompey and to starting to work alongside me.'
Following his spell at the helm at Wycombe, Adams focused on gaining experience and coaching qualifications in England and Europe.
In May he revealed he was on the verge of taking over as coach at NAC Breda. However, a row with the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) about qualifications caused complications and the appointment fell through.

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England's high profile to help Portugal - Pauleta.

2006-06-29T07:02:00.000-04:00

Soccernet.Com - Portugal's all-time record goalscorer Pauleta believes English football's high profile could work against them in their World Cup quarter-final.
Pauleta insists there are no secrets in the England side.
He said: 'In a way it is easier to play against England than other teams.
'We see English players playing more often on television. We play against them more often. We have more information about their players.'
The theory may explain Luis Felipe Scolari's coaching success against Sven-Goran Eriksson.
When they met at Japan 2002 Scolari emerged victorious, his Brazil side coming back from Michael Owen's opening goal to beat England 2-1.
At Euro 2004 Scolari's side required penalties but also fought back twice after England had gained the lead to progress in the tournament.
In the tightest situations, Scolari appears to have the edge in knowing how to influence a match.
Everton's Nuno Valente said: 'We are all very happy to have him as a coach. He has a strong will but lets the players play with freedom.
'In three-and-a-half years he has shown all his qualities leading the Portugal team.'
Valente, however, had a word of appreciation for Eriksson and his England side, who have fielded criticism for their lacklustre displays on the way to the quarter-finals.
'I don't agree England are playing badly,' he said.
'People said the Spanish team were playing best in this tournament - and they are now out.
'But we are all going to be fit on Saturday. We have had six days to rest and we are working as usual.'

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Joseph S. Blatter: World Cup magic is back.

2006-06-29T06:58:00.000-04:00

By FIFAworldcup.com.

With Germany 2006 in full swing and just eight teams left with a chance to dream, FIFAworldcup.com met up with the FIFA President to gauge his thoughts on the event so far. Taking time out from his busy routine of planes, trains and automobiles (he watches at least one match per day, if not two) Joseph S. Blatter speaks candidly in this exclusive interview about the greatest show on earth.

FIFAworldcup.com: Now the Round of 16 has drawn to a close, how does the FIFA President judge the competition so far?
Joseph S. Blatter: As happens every four years, the entire world is holding its breath and football lovers everywhere are out in force. We have witnessed scenes of joy in the streets of Sydney and Accra after Australia and Ghana qualified for the Round of 16. Four years ago it was the same in Dakar, Seoul and so on. I don't think there's another event like it on earth. Only football can engender so much emotion. You only have to look at the television viewing figures, or our own on FIFAworldcup.com (smiles). Everyone loves the World Cup and everyone's getting caught up in it alongside the teams.

Has the sheer scale of the event in Germany surprised you?
I'm not surprised. We've known for a long time that in this great football nation at the heart of Europe, where the 'beautiful game' is king, the World Cup would be a success. The organisation has been superb and the stadiums have been full. On a personal note, I must admit the numbers taking part in the Fan Fests have exceeded all my expectations: nearly a million in Berlin and hundreds of thousands across Germany, with a huge foreign presence too. So far, we've counted more than 11 million supporters at the Fan Fests. The Germans promised that "the world would be welcomed by friends" and, well, I just have to applaud them.

Of course, it's written in the statutes that 'FIFA shall promote friendly relations'.
As a former player and lifelong football fan, it makes me immensely proud. I grew up in a small village in the Swiss Alps and I've worked in football for most of my life. During my 30 years at FIFA, I've helped the World Cup grow from 16 to 32 teams and, through FIFA, helped finance federations around the whole world. So when I see Ecuadorians or Ukrainians hugging and waving flags, I tell myself our goal has been achieved! And when that's all happening in front of the mythical Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, it's even more beautiful.
For the people of my generation, who remember the war, Europe in ruins, and Germany and Berlin divided by the 'Wall of Shame', watching the world rejoice here is such an incredible symbol. We see enough sadness and violence in the newspapers and on television not to feel joy when people are happy. And that's the case here in Germany because World Cup magic is back!

Speaking about the game itself, with eight matches left to play, what conclusions have you reached from Germany 2006?
First of all, we can say we've seen good football, played at a quicker and quicker pace. The goals-per-game average has hovered at around 2.35, which is fairly close to Korea/Japan 2002 (where it was 2.51). The first round was full of exciting games. I thoroughly enjoyed Germany-Poland, for example. Teams like the Czech Republic and Côte d’Ivoire were excellent, even if they are no longer in the running.

African sides have struggled, with only one team (Ghana) surviving the group phase out of an initial five (Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, Togo were eliminated). Why is that?
I'll say it again: Côte d’Ivoire were great to watch. They were in a difficult group; otherwise they would have gone through. Tunisia came close as well, but let points slip against the Saudis and Ukrainians. I thought they would have profited more from the experience they picked up at the Confederations Cup last year. Togo and Angola didn't disappoint, but both are teams that came here to learn about high-level competitions. Overall, I find that African goalkeepers trail a little way behind in terms of technique. With the possible exception of Ghana - Richard Kingson had a good World Cup - they need to improve. Lastly, sometimes they didn’t have much luck with the marginal decisions.

Similarly, Asian sides have been unable to confirm the progress we saw at Korea/Japan 2002. All four (Japan, Korea Republic, Iran, Saudi Arabia) were eliminated at the group stage.
Host-country status is without doubt an advantage. In Germany, the Europeans have shone again. In addition, a lot of the traditionally dominant teams arrived in a weakened state in 2002. You have to take that into consideration as well. This time, we're seeing quality play from players who came here fresh. They're in good shape.
Now, having said that, Asia could well have had at least one representative in the Round of 16. Korea Republic, for example, very nearly made it. It's not a good thing for Asian football, and I find it a shame, but I consider it to be an accident. Football continues to develop in Asia and the arrival of Australia can only boost the level of competition.

Now the knockout stage has begun, we're seeing all the tension one normally associates with a World Cup.
Absolutely. I really enjoyed Argentina-Mexico in Leipzig, and I'm not likely to forget Portugal-Netherlands in Nuremberg either. It was a match that lived up to expectations in terms of drama, but on the other hand, the refereeing did not exactly roll by without incident.

Is it not inevitable that, with 64 matches in total, there will be a few glitches along the way?
I don't hold that opinion. In the same way that our members send their best teams, FIFA owes it to itself, in its own flagship competition, to send out the best referees. Even more so because hundreds of millions of players and referees around the world are watching what happens in Germany with the desire to improve themselves and understand how the game is changing. Instead, I've noted that instructions aren't being followed consistently from one match to another. When a coach complains to me that shirt-pulling earned his player a yellow card one night and nothing for his team's group rivals the next, how am I supposed to respond? And then there are the tackles from behind I've seen go unpunished and the violent conduct that has escaped sanction, not to mention the serious errors made in applying the rules.

Nevertheless, you continue to oppose the use of video evidence. Why is that?

I've always supported referees, who are essential in football, to the extent that I continue to oppose video usage and other experiments that would restrict them in the execution of their duties. If we want better matches, we need better referees as well. Because of that, we need to push for the professionalisation of the refereeing corps and spread the net in terms of who decides who the best ones are. I will make sure FIFA leads this debate once the World Cup is over.

We now know the eight teams that will contest the title: Germany, Argentina, England, Portugal, Italy, Ukraine, Brazil and France. Who do you think are favourites?
Anything can happen in football. That said, past experience would suggest that the host nation enjoys a certain advantage. In fact, Klose, Frings and the rest of the Germany team seem to be literally carried along on a wave of enthusiasm. This side is typical Germany: motivated and highly competitive. In short, they're on a roll, but they will have to confirm all that on 30 June against an Argentinian team full of class. That's a game the whole world will be watching. It's a World Cup classic, possibly worthy of being the final itself. I'm not far from thinking that whichever country comes out on top in the Olympiastadion on 30 June will have a psychological advantage over their rivals.

socawarriors.net

Two senior refs cut from World Cup.

2006-06-29T06:57:00.000-04:00

By JOHN PYE, AP Sports Writer.

BERLIN (AP) -- Senior English and Russian referees were cut from the World Cup roster Wednesday after their controversial handling of previous matches.
Premier League referee Graham Poll, who issued three yellow cards to one player in a match, and Valentin Ivanov, who handed out a record number of cautions and ejections in the Portugal-Netherlands second-round match, were omitted from officials selected for the quarterfinals, semifinals and final.
FIFA's referees commission released a list of 12 teams of officials Wednesday shortly after FIFA president Sepp Blatter made more critical comments about the standard of officiating at the tournament.
"In the same way that our members send their best teams, FIFA owes it to itself, in its own flagship competition, to send out the best referees," Blatter said on FIFA's Web site www.fifa.com. "Hundreds of millions of players and referees around the world are watching what happens in Germany, with the desire to improve themselves and understand how the game is changing.
"Instead, I've noted that instructions aren't being followed consistently from one match to another. There are the tackles from behind I've seen go unpunished and the violent conduct that has escaped sanction, not to mention the serious errors made in applying the rules."
German referee Markus Merk, criticized for being too whistle happy in a first-round match between defending champion Brazil and Australia, was one of six European referees retained.
Luis Medina, who awarded a debatable penalty kick to Italy in the last seconds of its 1-0 second-round match against Australia, also made the list and will officiate Brazil's quarterfinal against France.
Other Europeans selected included Michel Lubos of Slovakia, Roberto Rosetti of Italy, Frank de Bleeckere of Belgium, and Massimo Busacca of Switzerland.
Horacio Elizondo, the Argentine referee who handled the tournament's opening match between Germany and Costa Rica, was among six non-Europeans selected and will continue his tournament with England's quarterfinal against Portugal in Gelsenkirchen.
The others were Toru Kamikawa of Japan, Benito Archundia of Mexico, Jorge Larrionda of Uruguay, Mark Shield of Australia and Coffi Codjia, a tax inspector from Benin in Africa.
Despite his experience, Poll was considered likely to go after his blunder that could have forced a replay of the first-round match between Croatia and Australia. He gave three yellow cards to a Croatia defender; a second caution should immediately be followed by a red card.
The game ended 2-2, enough for Australia to make the second round. If Australia had lost, it could have protested the result based on Poll's error.
Ivanov set World Cup records when he issued 16 cautions and four red cards in Portugal's 1-0 win over the Nettherlands. That promoted a stinging rebuke from Blatter, who told a television interview that Ivanov should have given himself a yellow card.

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Brazil hoping to end Zidane's career.

2006-06-29T06:55:00.000-04:00

By TALES AZZONI, Associated Press Writer.

BERGISCH GLADBACH, Germany (AP) -- Brazil will try to finish off Zinedine Zidane's career without a hint of a flourish for the Frenchman.
Brazil meets France on Saturday in the World Cup quarterfinals, in what could be Zidane's last match if his team fails. Zidane has said he will retire from soccer at the end of this tournament.
"We know France is going to be a difficult opponent," Brazil striker Robinho said Wednesday. "But we hope Zidane will have to end his career against us."
The Brazilians still haven't forgotten what Zidane did to them in 1998 when France won its world title.The midfielder starred in the final against Brazil, scoring twice and leading the host to a 3-0 victory at Stade de France.
"I was really little, but it's a sad memory," said the 22-year-old Robinho, who now is Zidane's teammate at Spain's Real Madrid and calls him a friend. "I hope the story will be different this time."
Zidane helped France advance to the quarterfinals Tuesday by setting up the deciding goal and then scoring one of his own late in the team's 3-1 victory over Spain.
"I hope he makes his last World Cup match on Saturday," said Brazil's assistant coach Mario Zagallo, who in 1998 was Brazil's head man. "I don't know if it's going to be his last (career) match, but I hope it's his last match at this World Cup."
Zidane will soon end a 12-year international career which also saw him lead France to the 2000 European Championship. He was FIFA World Player of the Year three times. At the club level, he has won every major honor with Juventus and Real Madrid.
"He regained his form during this World Cup," said Brazil defender Cris, who plays for five-time French champion Lyon. "If you let him do his thing, he'll unbalance the game so we have to pay special attention to him. He is the most dangerous player."
Zidane retired from international soccer for the first time after France was eliminated by Greece at the 2004 European Championship. He decided to return in August 2005 in time for France's final four World Cup qualifiers.
Six current Brazilian players got to see Zidane up close in the 1998 World Cup: Ronaldo, Dida, Ze Roberto, Cafu, Roberto Carlos and Emerson.
Ronaldo, Cafu and Roberto Carlos started in the final in which Zidane ended Brazil's title hopes.
According to Robinho, Zidane has never belittled Brazil.
"He respects the Brazilian team," Robinho said. "(He) jokes sometimes, saying that Brazil is always winning the World Cup."
Although Brazil has been the most successful team in the tournament's history, it doesn't have a good record against France.
In addition to losing the 1998 final, Brazil was eliminated by France in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, losing on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw.
Brazil's only World Cup win over France came in 1958, when Pele scored a hat trick in a 5-2 victory in Sweden.
The teams played two other times since the 1998 final, with France winning 2-1 in the 2001 Confederations Cup in South Korea and then playing Brazil to a 0-0 draw in a 2004 friendly in Paris.
Brazil earned its spot in the quarterfinals by beating Ghana 3-0 behind goals by Ronaldo, Adriano and Ze Roberto.

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