Corinthians: Sao Paulo Enticement For Edu

Former Arsenal and Valencia midfielder Edu will wave goodbye to Europe as he returns to his birthplace of Sao Paulo to wear the black-and-white jersey belonging to Corinthians for a second time.

On January 16 2001, the star born Eduardo César Daude Gaspar departed his Brazilian homeland to enlist in Arsene Wenger's Arsenal for a transfer fee of £6 million. As a component of the notorious 'Invincibles' squad which set a new unbeaten league record between May 2003 and October 2004 for a phenomenal 49 matches, the left-sided central midfielder complimented the 1998 and 1999 Brasileiro championship medals he won with Corinthians by carrying out the same feat at Arsenal.

During the off-season prior to the commencement of the 2005-2006 season, Edu enlisted in the Valencian ranks at the Mestalla on a free transfer but the 16-capped international found his Spanish adventure tainted with untoward occurrences of injuries, much to the same degree of frustration as his entire career.

3,093 days have passed from when Edu, once praised through the words of Wenger as 'a huge talent, a versatile midfielder with fantastic ability", set shore for England, but Corinthians are welcoming back their once-upon-a-time academy graduate with open arms.

Paris Saint Germain: Jallet Joins From FC Lorient

Paris Saint Germain have resumed their off-season recruitment by concluding the capture of Christophe Jallet, the 26 year-old defender bearing for the French capital from FC Lorient to enhance Antoine Kombouaré's defensive options ahead of the upcoming Ligue 1 season.

Since securing promotion all the way back in 2005-2006, Jallet can count himself as a one of the imperative cogs that has sustained reliability in the functioning of the Lorient mechanism, helping the Brittany-based club to three consecutive years of top-flight consolidation, clocking 98 appearances in the process.

"Signing for Paris St Germain represents a lot of things for me," he told the PSG's official website. "It's first of all an immense joy as joining one of the biggest French clubs is a huge step for me. I hope to shine in the PSG shirt and win titles with this club."

Veteran shot-stopper Gregory Coupet and Turkish forward Mevlut Erding have already arrived from Atletico Madrid and Sochaux respectively to aid in PSG's launch of an unwavering quest to close the sixteen-point disparity at the top of last season's table, vetoing any prospective assault on the championship.

Bordeaux managed to obliterate the myth that France's premium stage was subject to a one-club governance in the form of seven-time successive champions Olympique Lyonnais, so why cannot the forthcoming edition deliver a fresh challenger to the national crown?

Transfer Rumours/Transfer Gossip -- 06 July 09/July 6th

A listing of transfer rumours from throughout the globe...

-- Manchester United look poised to sign Bordeaux's 20-year-old winger Gabriel Obertan via L'Équipe (in French)

-- Arsenal have put a £40m price tag on midfielder Cesc Fabregas! Hoping that the sum keeps major players like Barcelona and Madrid away from the Spanish star via The Sun

-- Wisla Krakow forward Pawel Brozek to Fulham? via The Times

-- At Sky Sports Transfer Centre -- Boro capture Coyne and City linked to Lucio (Another Brazilian to City?)

2009 Copa Libertadores Final: Estudiantes Versus Cruzeiro

Champions League Weekly will be covering the tournament finale -- up first there is a link to a tremendous preview from journalist and BBC blogger Tim Vickery [2009 Copa Libertadores Final: Estudiantes Versus Cruzeiro] -- the site will be doing player previews and other items of news throughout the first and second legs of South America's top club tournament.

UEFA Champions League Club Preview: Rhyl

Read on at Champions League Weekly -- UEFA Champions League Club Preview: Rhyl

Michael Owen to United: Deal or No Deal??

The Biggest shock of the summer so far struck last week as in the space of 48hrs Michael Owen went from pondering moves to Stoke, Hull or Fulham to suddenly having the opportunity of playing Champions League football again with the Premiership Champions.

Unless you've been suffering from sunstroke since last Thursday you will now know that Michael Owen is a Manchester United player. I have to admit to not quite believing it myself yet as I look at pictures of that face that terrorised us for so long playing for the other reds just down the East Lancashire Road.
The question being asked across Britain and Europe is now this; is Fergie a genius or an idealistic fool? The answer is quite simply neither, Sir Alex Ferguson is a gambler!!

Thats what this deal is, its the perfect gamble!! Fergie is playing with House Money, there is no transfer fee involved and Owens contract is weighed heavily with incentives and bonuses for playing and scoring.
If whispers are right then Owen has a starting base salary of £50,000 per week, with additional 10,000 playing bonus, 5,000 scoring bonus (per goal) and also bonuses where if United win trophies he will be back paid a bonus worth anoth X amount of pounds per week.
Thats already a massive saving on Tevez's wage demands of 120k plus and Owen scored more goals in less games then Tevez did last year. That was an injury hit campaign playing with vastly inferior players than he will be playing with at Old Trafford.

The key to this whole deal is can he stay fit? I feel a bit for Owen in this department as he has been given this "sicknote" label alongside the likes of Darren Anderton and Ledley King. This is massively unfair to Owen as he was kept out of a Real Madrid side not through injury but through not being selected. It was only at Newcastle that he truly started to have injury troubles, but look at Newcastle over the last few years and he's not the only one.
Mark Viduka, Michael Owen, Alan Shearer, Damien Duff, Lauren Robert, Albert Luque, Alan Smith, Joey Barton and more have all had injuries for a club that has a growing reputation for below par training facilities.

But back to Owen, I know because I saw it with my own eyes that after his medical at Old Trafford he was whisked to a medical facility close to Old Trafford. There were scans, probes, x-rays and tests galore done on his legs, knees, ankles and whatever else they felt like and he passed them all with flying colours.
His record in a Newscastle shirt is 30 goals in 76 games, now thats been spread over 4 years as a part of the Toon Army due to his injuries. Now knowing that he is currently fully fit and healthy, and presuming thats Uniteds facilities and coaches will look after him better than Newcastle did he could well play 76 games in 2/3 years for United and if his scoring record remains similar we could reasonably expect 10+ goals a season.

Now thats looking at stats and figures on paper, and we all know that football isn't played on paper!
However lets take in the X-factors of this deal shall we? Firstly look a the grin on Owens face as he was photographed coming out of the medical facility and passing all his tests, it was the smile of a man who knew he had just been given one last shot at superstardom. The incentives are all his, play well and score goals and there's a little tournament at the end of next season called THE WORLD CUP. What better way to try and persuade Fabio Capello that he's worth a seat on the plane to South Africa than to ply his trade against top opposition every week for United.
With no dis-respect to the likes of Stoke and Hull, there was only going to be one choice once United entered the picture.

Next we have Owens other history outside of injuries, his goal-scoring history. Owen has not been at a Club where he has not scored goals, see below as evidence;

Liverpool: 216 Appearances, 118 Goals - Thats a goal every 1.8 games
Real Madrid: 35 Appearances, 13 Goals - Thats a goal every 2.6 games
Newcastle: 76 Appearances, 30 Goals - Thats a goal every 2.5 games

Thats not even taking into account his 40 goals for England compiled in 89 games, at a rate of 2.2 games per goal. This man is a goalscorer and is not going to be relied on to be our main source of goals, he's going to play a few games here and there and be an impact sub for the rest of the time so this isn't a win or bust situation for anyone involved.
Owens main problem is that he is going to have to get off to a good start, he's a Liverpool lad and if he doesn't perform the mindless numbskulls in the crowd will not let him forget that he played for our sworn enemy, but because he will be in and out of the team he should be able to silence the idiots.

The last X-factor is not Owen related but Fergie, as he has got previous on this type of signing! Those Old Trafford die-hards will remember back in 1992/93 when we had signed Dion Dublin and he was scoring goals happily, then tragically he had his leg brken by a horrible challenge from Eric Young of Crystal Palace.....Fergie needed a replacement quick to contribute to a title push and he made a bargain basement signing from Leeds, a temperamental Frenchman by the name of Eric Daniel Pierre CANTONA......the rest, as they say, is history.
In the 1998 off-season United had struggled the year before and were easily beaten to the title by a fantastic Overmars inspired Arsenal side. Fergie felt he needed an intelligent in the hole player to compliment the pace and poaching ability of Yorke, Cole and Solskjaer. There were many big names being banded about but Fergie turned to a 3.5 million, 30yr old Teddy Sheringham.

Now take note that in those two cases it started a chain of events that shaped the club we see today, Cantona is a folk hero the like of which hadn't been seen since Best, Law and Charlton. Teddy Sheringham was the cog that drove the forward machine of 1999 which saw United have the most historic season in English football history.
There are more as well, the likes of Schmeichel, Solskjaer, Keane were all considered risky and all went onto iconic status.
I'm also not so blinded by the fact that there have been some (Poborsky, Taibi, Forlan) that have not worked out, hence the reason that even though it is relatively risk free, Owens signing is still a gamble but then again isn't every signing??

Nothing is guaranteed in football, even Ronaldo could spectacularly flop at Madrid! But what Fergie has done is made sure that he has covered his squad with enough quality strikers (and there WILL be another arrival shortly) to cope with the rigours of a long campaign. And whats more he's done it at a saving for the club as well....

Come on Noel ask me the question, Deal or No Deal.......its a no Brainer, DEAL!!

UEFA Champions League Club Preview: FC Red Bull Salzburg

Read on at Champions League Weekly -- UEFA Champions League Club Preview: FC Red Bull Salzburg

2009 CAF Champions League -- Group Stages

Read on at Champions League Weekly -- 2009 CAF Champions League -- Group Stages

Real Sociedad To Play Real Madrid

Its been announced that star studded Real Madrid will visit Anoeta on 15th August to honour the centenary of Real Sociedad. It has also been revealed the visitors will not be charging a penny to play in a fantastic gesture to the cash strapped club and any much needed money raised will be kept by Real Sociedad. Real Madrid have agreed to bring a full strength squad to San Sebastian so hopefully the likes of Kaka and Christiano Ronaldo will feature. It could also potentially see the return of former favourite Xabi Alonso as he is heavily tipped to make a move to Real Madrid sooner or later. No doubt he would receive a warm reception after many happy years with the club during which he was idolised by the fans.

For all the latest news on Real Sociedad you can follow it at Real Sociedad News.

A.C. Milan: Luis Fabiano Wants Sevilla To Ok Milan's Bid

Confederations Cup hero Luis Fabiano has asked his club, Sevilla, to ok his transfer to A.C. Milan after the Italian giants sent an offer to the La Liga squad.

Fabiano's agent, Jose Fuentes, claimed that Milan made an official offer for the striker only days ago.

Fabiano hopes that Sevilla will accept the offer; speaking with ABC:

"I know that Milan have made an offer and I would like for Sevilla to consider it."

"Until now I've preferred to stay on the sidelines, because Milan had not made me any proposals, but now I understand this is an incredible opportunity for me.

"I am happy at Sevilla, but I realise that at the age of 28 there will be few other chances like this for me. Milan are one of the best clubs in the world."

Manchester United: Sir Alex Back To Italy For Another Youthful Star

Sir Alex Ferguson is back to his old tricks as he raids yet another mid-level Italian club of their best prospect right before the Italian outfit can sign said prospect (see Federico Macheda and Giuseppe Rossi). Sir Alex attracts and signs the players at age 16 just before the players can sign professional contracts with their Italian clubs.

Granted this is how the game's best remain at the top of the footballing pantheon, by finding every loophole imaginable. It is within the rules and while not the most ethical thing to do -- stealing an outfit's best young talent after the club has sunk money and training hours into his development -- it is still legal and I salute Sir Alex for utilizing this maneuver to his advantage.

So who is this next starlet taken from the land of Roma and Juventus?

It is Empoli full-back Alberto Massacci. The 16-year-old recently noted to Gazzetta dello Sport that he is on his way to Manchester United after speaking with Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ajman: Free Agent Tarik Sektioui Relocates To UAE

Former Porto and AZ Alkmaar winger Tarik Sektioui, aged 32 and capped 18-times by Morocco, has spurned the advances of European clubs to seal a lucrative transfer to UAE's Ajman.

Read On -- Tarik Sektioui Joins Ajman Of UAE via Goal.com

Sporting Lisbon: Matias Fernandez Ready To Prove Worth

Matias Fernandez set foot on the European pedestal having dazzled those in audience at the Estadio Monumental in Chile, his somewhat youthful age not inhibiting a confidence that reached a sky-high altitude when he ripened into a prominent figure in the ranks of Colo Colo and, in doing so, infiltrating his name into the select handful who are spoken of as South America’s budding hopes.

Fusing together a Chilean delegation on the eastern-coast of Spain, Fernandez united with countryman Manuel Pellegrini at Villarreal for a fee in the region of €8.7m, becoming the most costly export of his country. Faced with identical downfalls as other South American clubs, Colo Colo were never honestly capable of retaining the brilliance of their gifted creative midfielder as the irresistible wealth from Europe would inevitably prevail. An imposing ratio of averaging above one goal in every other game, 33 goals in 63 appearances to be precise, also indicated that the time had arrived for Fernandez to seek fresh challenges after proving himself in the Primera División de Chile.

Pellegrini’s origin of birth might have acted as a potential deciding factor over any other proposals which were tendered, luring a comforted Fernandez to El Madrigal, after all sharing the same nationality as the manager would, if anything, be a calming influence amid the hectic transition from one culture to another. Buoyant and merry from conquering his homeland’s top-flight division, he calmfully allayed fears of failing to settle down in Spain by declaring “I feel extremely well-equipped to play there”. This was back in January 2007, as we stand today, the occupant of the prestigous 2006 South American Footballer Of The Year accolade is staying on the Iberian peninsula but he will be calling the Portuguese capital of Lisbon his new home.

Unfortunately for all parties, it has to be said, the outcome of the transfer ended differently to how many had forecast. The reasons behind it’s deflating nature could be projected on various factors: an impatience to wait for Fernandez to adjust to the faster-pace of the Primera Liga, the alarming deficiency of end product when he did clock up minutes or the complexity of accomodating a second-striker into an effective formation. In truth, it is a mixture of the three plus more and Pellegrini had his reasons for summoning the services of the Chile international sparingly. Almost a magician off the bench, Fernandez displayed glimpses of his worth when he was deployed as a substitute, running at exhausted defenders and creating match-winning chances to claim the entire points collection.

Strangely his statistics fell into decline and first-team outings turned into infrequent rarities, starting only five matches in 2008-2009 but credibly scoring thrice and claiming a sole assist to keep his name briefly in the spotlight. This is in stark contrast to the debut season of 2006-2007 where 14 starts generated seven assists and one league goal.

Tumbling down the pecking order at Villarreal has not hampered his quest for international recognition though, the same endowed genius who terrorized apprehensive rearguards for Colo Colo has unleashed devastation on Chile’s World Cup rivals in the qualifying phase of the elite competition. Four goals and an equal quantity of assists, all courtesy of Fernandez, have almost certainly guaranteed La Roja a ticket to South Africa, and importantly their first finals appearance since France 1998, as they currently sit self-assuredly in second behind Brazil.

So Sporting Lisbon and Champions League football awaits for the glimmering light of Chilean football, the Spanish crusade lacked a fundamental bite which was plagued with inconsistency but now, at the more cultured age of 23 and a subsequent move to Lisbon for €3.6m, the footballer described by Fifa.com as holding ‘exquisite technique, the ability to run at people at pace and a cool head in front of goal’ must strike his credence on an arduous platform.

Madrid Sign Benzema: The Fallout

Benzema Move Has Europe Wide Effect


The I's have to be dotted and the T's have to be crossed but appears that Madrid have struck yet another major blow in the transfer market by acquiring Karim Benzema from Olympique Lyonnais for the princly sum of 35 million Euro's.
There is a lot of reaction to Madrid unbridled spending this summer, and outside of Madrid its not really all that positive. Economic troubles are making fans worldwide brand "El Galactico Dos" irresponsible and morally reprehensible, and despite not being an economic expert (see my Credit Card statement for proof!) I can see the point they are making. However this is Soccer City FC, not the money programme, so I'm going to look at this from a purely footballing point of view, and make no mistake the impact is just as far reaching!

Take Benzema's transfer, look at it from a purely superficial stance and it affects just Real Madrid, Lyon and maybe Manchester United, right? WRONG!
If your wondering what other possible effects it could have, think of the David Villa situation at Valencia. Villa's value will never be higher than it is right now, and Valencia need to cash in to service their debts......Real Madrid was the likely landing spot but thats now out of the question. So realistically the only other option for him is to go to Barcelona which, as a result, would likely oust Samuel Eto'o from the starting strikers spot in the Camp Nou.
Therefore at that stage of his career and with a World Cup imminent, Eto'o is going to want to play regularly and will want out of Barcelona. This immediately puts all the English top 4 and Manchester City on high alert to snatch him.

Already you can see the ripple effect the Benzema transfer is having, and we've not even looked at Madrid yet....so lets do that now!
In a system that will employ a lone striker, Real Madrid now have Higuain, Benzema, Van Nistelrooy, Raul and Huntelaar all vying for the same spot. Presuming Benzema will be the preferred starter, that leaves at least 3 of those players wanting out of Madrid.
The info I have is that Huntelaar already has firm offers from Galatasaray, Wolfsburg, AC Milan, Manchester United and Fenerbache and will likely choose between United and Galatasaray (due to Rijkaard). Raul would retire rather than leave his beloved Madrid so I think Van Nistelrooy and Higuain would be the other escapees from the Bernabeu.

After Benzema's departure Lyon will be in need of a striker, with Toulouse top scorer André Pierre Gignac a probable target and maybe Kierrison from Brazil. The aftershock of that is that all the young striking talent in France couls shuffle clubs.

I could go on but by now I'm sure you get the picture, Real Madrid in their persistence on signing these high profile players for megabucks have basically turned this off-season into a US style free-agent signing period! The last two Balon D'or winners have moved clubs, the hottest young properties in Europe are already moving or seeking moves and nobody with the exception of Lionel Messi seems safe from this swapshop of international class talent!

Love or loathe this new Galactico era at Madrid, it has certainly made this off-season a bit more interesting than normal and has hyped up everyones anticipation of the new season!

Roll on August 15th

Manchester City: Darius Vassell, Welcome To Istanbul!

Only ten minutes remain until Darius Vassell officially descends into the realms of the Bosman transfer as a four-year tenure at Manchester City draws to a close, the contract he signed back in 2005 under the Stuart Pearce era expiring on July 1st. Many would talk down the opinion that the former England striker is a glittering target in the modern-day transfer window but there is colossal excitement originating from the Turkish capital of Istanbul.

Yesterday, Goal.com reported Ankaragucu were closing in on the illustrious capture with chairman Cengiz Topel publicly declaring that "Tomorrow he'll first come to Istanbul then to Ankara. We aim to secure a big signing as this year is our centenary. He [Vassell] will visit the city and our installations. Then he will make a decision. I hope we can include him in our squad."

Simply to verify this, images have emerged in the Turkish media which clearly show and document Vassell's rather-emphatic arrival - at least judging by the 3,000 fans who welcomed their potential new signing. The news has not received much coverage in England, perhaps given the transfer is one which will undoubtedly take many by surprise, but official confirmation should be announced over the next couple of days.

On a sidenote, Manchester City's official website will be re-launched tomorrow.

Manchester City: Greece Beckons For Irishman Daly

Dublin-born striker Ian Daly has exchanged life in Manchester for Greece's second most-populated city, Thessaloniki, and home to the Super League outfit Aris Salonica.

The Under-19 Republic Of Ireland international, who failed to make any senior appearances for Manchester City, has penned a two-year-deal and will surely be eager to pursue involvement in the first-team as the probability of breaching Mark Hughes' starting eleven strategy was dwindling even before the influx of fresh personalities arrived.

"I am very happy to have come to a major club with fanatic supporters. This is an opportunity for me to show off my talent," Daly said.

Brazil Captures Comeback Victory Over USA In Confederations Cup 2009

By: Tony DuLac, Soccer City FC

It's all over now but the celebrating - on Brazil's part. The South American powerhouse needed a 3-goal second-half to overcome a surprising US effort this past Sunday that saw the Yanks leading 2-nil at half-time. If there's anything the world soccer community can take away from this remarkably exciting FIFA tournament, it's that the USA's capabilities are slowly but surely improving.

A stunning 1st half by the Americans saw Clint Dempsey's lightly-hit volley help another fantastic Jonathan Spector cross into the far netting for the US's first shocking goal.



Brazil had some chances but Spector played amazingly well against the dangerous Robinho on one wing while Oneywu and Demerit helped thwart attacks in the middle of the box. In the 26th minute, a beautiful fast-paced counter-attack, started and finished by Landon Donovan, put the USA in a 2-0 lead.



Diehard soccer fans, however, knew that a 2-nil lead is the most worrisome lead in futbol and these concerns proved to have merit.

The second half started horrendously for the Yanks as Brazil's Luis Fabiano scored a quick turn-around shot from dead-center on the 18-yard line. Just that quickly, the lead was cut in half and major cracks started to show at the seams as the Brazilian attack grew stronger and stronger. Kaka was robbed later in the half when his header went over the line only to be punched out by US Goalkeeper Tim Howard (replays clearly showed a goal) but Brazil eventually equalized on a flurry of headers with Fabiano netting his second to knot the game at 2-2. Lucio put the game away for good with a powerful header off a corner-kick and while the USA mustered one last headed chance on goal, it was all over.

Some post-game thoughts:

• The US team needs more depth. Admittedly much of the problem stemmed from the controversial Red Card given to Michael Bradley late (87th minute) in the Spain game, forcing US Coach Bob Bradley to start Benny Feilhaber, a usual mid-game substitute.

• Some key players for the USA in this near-upset, included: Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Charlie Davies (who needs experience but whose pace and energy were breathtaking), Tim Howard (who won FIFA's top GK award for the tournament), and Jonathan Spector.

• US Players who didn't play terribly well and underwhelmed critics, include: Jozy Altidore (looked lazy and lost the ball several times on his first touch despite a promising start to the match), Sacha Kljestan (who was totally sloppy and seemed overwhelmed), and Jonathan Bornstein (another sub who just didn't add anything to the attack when it was most desperately needed - he repeatedly would blunt US attacks but stopping a quick break to pass the ball backwards for little apparent reason).

• That quick second-half goal was the deal-breaker. Viewers got the impression that if the USA could've held off that 1st inevitable Brazilian goal for a while longer, they may have been able to escape with this victory.

• This match showed that while the USA can, on occasion, hang with the world powers of futbol, they still lack technical proficiency in the midfield (as well as confidence on the ball under pressure). Had the USA been able to play a more controlling style in the middle of the pitch, Brazil would have had far less chances and possibly become frustrated. As it was, the US turned the ball over to their opponents far too readily and (unfortunately) the results reflected that fact.

While Brazil savors the "one that did NOT get away", the USA must now look forward to closing out their World Cup qualifying while acquiring another year's worth of critical experience. Questions remain - Will the USA be able to find or develop more midfield depth? Can the Men's National Team recreate the fire and enthusiasm (and results) that they showed in the latter half of this Confederations Cup in South Africa at WC 2010?

Only time will tell.

J-League Round 15 Overview

Kyoto Sanga V. Sanfrecce Hiroshima (2-0)
37' Someya
67' Mizumoto

Kyoto pulled out a good win. Rookie Someya dribbled past a couple of players and took a shot that deflected off a Hiroshima defender. Mizumoto put in a nice header off a freekick.

Jubilo Iwata V. Kashiwa Reysol (2-3)
20' Naruoka
29' Suganuma
58' Nishi
63' Suganuma
89' Lee

Kashiwa Reysol finally got an away win. Naruoka started off strong with a nice header from a Komano cross. Suganuma equalized from a long ball by Kurisawa. Nishi put Iwata up in front after a a reboud off the goal keeper. Suganuma equalized again after a mistake by the Jubilo defense. Tadanari Lee won it from a corner kick.

Urawa Reds V. Vissel Kobe (2-0)
47' Edmilson
87' Takahara

Urawa Reds regained their form with a nice win. Edmilson put them up ahead after a good Hosogai cross. Takahara put them 2 ahead after a nice 25 yard shot.

JEF Chiba V. Omiya Ardija (0-2)
36' Fujita
77' Fujita

Omiya are pushing their way up the table with another win. Fujita started them off good with a good rebound. Fujita doubled their lead after a quick free kick.

FC Tokyo V. Shimizu S-Pulse (2-1)
7' Hirayama
58' Johnsen
62' Ishikawa

FC Tokyo are another team on the rise. Hirayama put them ahead from the penalty spot. Johnsen answered back with a good half-volley. Ishikawa scored one of the goals of the season with a outside of the foot volley that it the crossbar and went in.

Montedio Yamagata V. Kawasaki Frontale (0-1)
87' Tese

Another win for a short handed Kawasaki team. Substitute Chong Tese won it from a nice run and assist by Juninho.

Yokohama F. Marinos V. Gamba Osaka (2-1)
20' Matsuda
52' Endo
54' Hashimoto

Gamba recorded a somewhat fortutious win against the Marinos. Matsuda put the Marinos ahead with a good volley, but Gamba came out firing after half time as Endo put in a good volley. Hashimoto scored a lucky goal after keeper Iikura tried to save the ball from going out and instead putting it into Hashimoto's path.

Albirex Niigata V. Nagoya Grampus (2-1)
5' Matsushita
43' Matsushita
89' Sugimoto

Niigata continued their good form with a win over Grampus. Matsushita's double won it for Niigata. The first was a rebound while the second was a good one-two. Sugimoto managed to scored a consolation.

Oita Trinita V. Kashima Antlers (1-2)
54' Kiyotake
61' Ogasawara
81' Iwamasu

The "Derby" of the J-League, Oita, continued their winless run. They started off bright with a good goal by Kiyotake, but Ogasawara equalized with a nice volley. Iwamasu won it with a toe poke.

Table after round 15



















Highlights

Manchester United: Rumourmill

Possible Incoming Players, Sign 'Em or Swerve Away!?

Ok so its not set in stone, but according to all reports Luis Antonio Valencia is going to be a Manchester United player, perhaps even as soon as the end of this week. The fee is rumoured to be anywhere between £14 million and £19 million, me personally i'd expect it to be around the 16-17 mark but I (unfortunately) don't control Uniteds books!
So that basically spends Sir Alex Fergusons annual transfer budget of £20 million but, unless you've had your head firmly buried in a Costa Del Sol beach for the last month, we all know full well that there is another £80 million to be spent to replace some up and coming youngster by the name of Ronaldo. So who else is on the United radar??

DAVID VILLA
Villa (thats David, not Aston) has repeatedly stated his desire to remain in Spain to ply his trade, which obviously makes Uniteds task to lure him a little more difficult....unless he's not that good at Geography!
Villa is a class act but does also have a downside, namely his age. Dimitar Berbatov aside United as a rule don't tend to buy players older than 26, the prefferred route (a la Ronaldo, Anderson, Silva's etc) is to get them in as young players and teach them how to play the United way. Villa however is 28 yrs old and as such doesn't really represent good value at the prices being quoted.

Sign or Swerve: Swerve!

KARIM BENZEMA
Benzema is a lot more along the lines of a United type signing, he is young but has a massive reputation in Europe already. He has scored goals consistently domestically and in Europe and is not shy of the big stage, indeed he has scored against United on a couple of occasions now.
The big doubt about him is would he be able to do it in the Premiership? The Ligue 1, is not exactly known for its rough and ready attitude to defending and doesn't really have a lot of top line defenses for him to play against.....however as mentioned he has scored goals in Europe against top opposition and for a team that isn't really classed as elite.
The best part for United is that he's a real Striker, he's not a drop-off player like Rooney and Berbatov and so would suit the reds perfectly. The downside is that he seems set on staying in Lyon till after the World Cup, and United would face stiff competition from the likes of Madrid, Barca, Juventus, Inter....well most of the top sides in Europe!!

Sign or Swerve: Sign!

KLASS JAN HUNTELAAR
Huntelaar like Benzema, is an out and out striker and better than Benzema in the air which would give United a real all around threat. Probably not as quick or skillful as Benzema, but has played on the biggest stage and scored goals galore for an Ajax side who were not dominant in Ere Divisie at the time.
He would be a lot cheaper than Benzema or Aguero as he wants out of Madrid, however that means dealing with Madrid again who will probably try to bump the price up to recoup some of the Ronaldo fee.

Sign or Swerve: Benzema is priority, but if he's a no go SIGN!

FRANCK RIBERY
Ribery has been touted as the ideal replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, however thats based purely on his reputation. He has had success at Munich so far, but before that he was always one who was considered to have under achieved in his short career. Starting to show signs of being the player he can be, but in a league thats not the powerhouse it once was. Also couldn't do anything to help his side as they were blasted off the park by Barca.
A young and intelligent footballer, but no doubt Bayern would want big bucks and I don't think he's as good as some of the fees that are being talked about!

Sign or Swerve: Swerve

DAVID SILVA
This is a player who was strongly linked with United in the wake of the Ronaldo to Madrid deal, but since then has been very quiet. A mercurial talent with a wand of a left foot, would be an ideal foil opposite Valencia to stretch the opposition across the park and allow Rooney and co. to do their damage.
However he has been known to get knocked over by a toddlers cough, and although Ronaldo never exactly made an effort to stay on his feet, some coaches and scouts inside OT think he would more than likely get fed up with life in the Premiership very quickly.
His flexibility to play in a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 formation is great, as he can score goals, but can also play just off the striker from a midfield role which gives Ferguson great options. With Ronaldo already at Madrid, and Ribery likely to go (if anywhere!) to Barca or Madrid...Silva is being overlooked by Uniteds fellow superpowers, and at a probable cost of £25 million would be cheaper than Ribery!

Sign or Swerve: If Uniteds coaches don't have faith in Nani to improve, Sign!

Of course there are, and will be many more names United will be linked with between now and the end of the transfer window in August. Aguero of Atletico Madrid is the Wild Card who may surprise everyone by wearing a different red shirt next year, but if I had to bet my cash one a superstar to arrive its going to be one of the above!

Manchester City: Transfer Rumours -- Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o To The Citizens?

Via Manchester Evening News' online edition -- City launch 'stratospheric' Eto'o bid - Laporta -- All I can say is wow! Now that would be a major coup if the Citizens can land the one and only Samuel Eto'o.

Eto'o and Carlos Tevez together could be legendary. Looking forward to watching how everything shakes out this week.

Namibia National Football Team: The Brave Warriors On The European Continent

Soccer City FC takes a look at Namibia's top players on the European continent.

Oliver Risser: The 28-year-old midfielder is currently with Norway's Manglerud Star. He is versatile and can move between the defense and midfield with some ease. He has a younger brother named Wilko who is also a soccer player.

Collin Benjamin: The 30-year-old defender has competed at Hamburg SV since 2001. He has over 100 appearances with the club and over 30 caps for his nation.

Manchester United: Sir Alex And The Squad Will Face Off Against A Malaysian XI On July 18th

First Stop On The Tour:

United kicks off its tour of Asia this summer when the club faces a Malaysian XI on July 18th at the magnificent Bukit Jalil National Stadium at the country's National Sports Complex near Kuala Lumpur.

Kick off is 10:30 BST.

Eight Years Later:

United's last venture into the country was eight years ago. An estimated 100,000 fans will fill the National Stadium in 2009 just as they did in the previous tour when United defeated the Malaysian XI 6-0.

United back for another run this July...

Tottenham Hotspur: Transfer Rumours -- Spurs Looking At Several Players

Just some rumours from Football London -- Tottenham Hotspur: Maxi Rodriguez Coming To London? and Tottenham Hotspur: Victor Obinna A Target? and finally Tottenham Hotspur: The Club Wants £18million For Darren Bent!

Brazil vs. USA - 7 Keys Factors To The Confederations Cup Final

After an extremely surprising Confederations Cup in South Africa, it's come down to this - David vs. Goliath, Round 2, aka USA vs. Brazil. The USA's shocking turn-around and even more unexpected upset victory over Spain in the Semi-finals has everyone wondering if this up-and-coming team has one more shock result in them. Here are seven key factors as I see it, for this Final game:

1. USA could benefit more from their tough experience recently playing Brazil, which should help their familiarity with Brazil's current players, style, and tactics.

2. The USA not only lost to Brazil already, 3-0, but looked fairly anemic in the process. Expect US players to use that performance as motivation for this rematch.

3. The US match versus Spain has built up their confidence - even if that confidence may be over-blown (according to some), it's still confidence and the power of positive thinking and personal faith can be profoundly affective in athletic events.

4. The weather may just play a factor. It's widely recognized that Brazilians aren't terribly fond of playing in cooler weather. It won't be freezing, necessarily, by game time but the match will be played at least 20-25 degrees cooler than the Brazilian players would probably prefer. In reality, this will likely have the least impact of these 7 factors, but it bears mentioning anyway.

5. The US MNT will be without the services of Michael Bradley who has been a strong midfield force for them during this tournament and in general for the US style of play. Can Benny Feilhaber (Michael Bradley's expected replacement) bring his defense up a notch to match his offensive abilities and mindset?

6. The US Men's National team, again, has everything to play for and nothing to lose. Brazil, on the other hand, is fully expected to win the match. Playing loose and relaxed can only be a psychological boost for the USA.

7. Expect this match to hinge on which team can score first. Brazil becomes ten times more dangerous with a goal under their belt. The US defense, which flummoxed Spain, is still porous and sloppy at times. If the US has to push forward in search of an equalizing goal, it'll inevitably lead to far more openings than the Yanks can afford, leaving Brazil with delicious openings that they're sure to exploit. However, if the US can get a shock goal somewhat early, it could rattle Brazil and boost the US confidence levels even higher. Furthermore, the same thing previously said about an early Brazil goal would be true for the USA , which has a strong counter-attacking play style. If Brazil has to push harder to equalize from an early US goal, it could lead to more opportunities for the US team to grow their potential early lead.

Despite a number of interesting psychological factors at work for this Finals match-up, it's hard for any soccer journalist to bet against Brazil, in general, regardless of the factors involved. I suspect this will be end up as a hard-fought Brazil victory, 2-1, all things considered.

J-League Match of the Day 6-26-09

Albirex Niigata V. Nagoya Grampus

Background: This is a really important fixture in terms of the future of these teams. Niigata are flying high and currently occupy second place while Grampus and performing below expectations at 9th. If Niigata win then they will look comfortable to stay where they are, but if Nagoya win then they will probably use this as a boost to push up the table. It is unclear whether new signing Joshua Kennedy will play, but it looks unlikely. Nagoya have been in terrible form and need Davi to start scoring. Niigata will look to continue their current form behind a solid defense.

Analysis:

Key Attributes:
Clears: Shows the difference in defense between the two clubs. Niigata have a alot more clears than Nagoya, but Nagoya have the 2nd best defense in the league. Nagoya does not allow alot of chances from opposing teams while Niigata does have cracks in its defense.

Dribbles: Clearly shows that both teams have individual quality. Pedro Junior and Davi both love to dribble, but Davi is more of a post player while Pedro Junior likes the free role. Should be interesting to see a clash between the two.

Blue- Niigata
Red- Nagoya

Projected Starting Line-Up:

Albirex Niigata:
GK: Kitano
LB: Matsuo
CB: Fujita
CB: Chiyotanda
RB: Uchida
LM: Matsushita
CM: Homma
RM: Richardes
LF: Junior
CF: Oshima
RF: Yano

Nagoya Grampus
GK: Narazaki
LB: Nagata
CB:Yoshida
CB:Masukawa
RB:Tanaka
CM:Nakamura
CM:Yoshimura
RM:Ogawa
LM:Magnum
CF:Tamada
CF:Davi

One to Watch: Davi
Hasn't been up to snuff lately and will look to put the last game behind him.

Prediction: Nagoya 2 - Niigata 1

South Africa Down But Not Out

It ultimately ended in heart-break for South Africa in the Confederations Cup semi-final against Brazil, but Bafana Bafana will be back.

The competition is seen as a trial run ahead of next year’s World Cup and the first real test of South Africa’s ability to host such a large sporting contest. There are, of course, the obvious things to assess such as transport and infrastructure, however another important factor is the reaction of the South African public to the competition and their enthusiasm for the tournament.

In that respect it has been an unqualified success. From their Vuvuzela horns emitting a sound akin to a swarm of giant bees to the bizarre custom made hats, the passion of the South African fans has been a real highlight. That passion has been matched with no little skill on the pitch as their side has progressed to the semi-finals and put up a brave fight against 2002 World Champions Brazil. They were the better side for much of the game with Steven Pienaar a constant menace in midfield, but a late Dani Alves free-kick broke their hearts and sent the South American side through to the final to face the USA.

The home fans were devastated, but such reactions bode really well for next summer. In any major tournament the performance of the home side and the support of the home fans are vital to its success. South Africa’s performances on the pitch over the past few weeks certainly suggest they have what it takes to at least be competitive next year. Off the pitch there are no such doubts; the fans have passed with flying colours and they will already be counting down the days until next June when we kick off for real.

Werder Bremen: Marko Marin Transfer Saga Completed

German international attacking midfielder Marko Marin is finally heading to Werder Bremen after striking an agreement to meet Borussia Monchengladback’s 10million euro asking price, an initial figure that has caused the transfer to develop into a hard-fought saga.

The Bosnian-born 20-year-old could have walked away on a free transfer in twelve months but Monchengladback were relentless in ensuring they received an adequate fee for their highly-rated creative midfielder. Despite his assumingly-juvenile age, Marin was selected in Jogi Löw’s provisional Euro 2008 roster and, since making his Bundesliga debut in 2007, has demonstrated an exceptional array of technical skills and trickery, drawing admiration as "One of the biggest talents in German football" from Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf.

"I am delighted the transfer has gone through," Marin told Werder Bremen's website."I would like to help Werder to reach their aims in the coming years and prove myself in the Europa League.

"This is an important step in my development and a great challenge. I would like to help take Werder far in all competitions with my performances and, at the same time, enhance my chances of representing the national team."

Quick Introduction - New Soccer City FC Blogger

Hello Soccer City FC futbol fanatics!

My name is Tony DuLac and I'm a new blogger joining Soccer City FC. I'll be focusing mostly on topics related to the US soccer scene (primarily the Men's National Soccer team, to be precise). Recent developments have obviously provided tons of gristle for the mill, so to speak, and I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts with the rest of you (and hearing your feedback and comments as well, of course).

Until then, may all your shots hit the upper right-hand corner of the net. GOALLLLL!!!!

Ivory Coast: Africa Sports Rise To Third

Africa Sports trimmed the gap open at the top of the Côte d'Ivoire Premier Division to seven points with defeat over Stade Abidjan. At such a premature phase, it would be ludicrous to classify the encounter as a ‘six-pointer’ but had the scoreline sprung into the favour of Stade Abidjan, the aftermath would have spelt grave danger for Africa Sports’ prospects of instigating a memorable title defence.

Achieving victory at the Stade Robert Champroux was paramount, even at this youthful stage of the season which has aged merely twelve matches, to disperse the possibility of early-season despondency and the reigning champions lived up to these hopes. Strolling to a 3-0 win extended Africa Sports’ string of consecutive triumphs to three, consequently lifting the Ivory Coast’s second-most successful club up to third place and in hunting distance of Issia Wazi FC.

After the recent results, Africa Sports stand on twenty points with a record of six wins, two draws and four losses - ASEC Mimosas lead the table on a superior tally of 27 points.

Rosenborg: Cruising To Tippeligaen Glory?

Rosenborg’s victory over defending champions Stabaek IF signalled the halfway checkpoint in the Norwegian Tippeligaen, delivering a chilling reminder to the chasing pack that their ten-point lead at the table summit will not be relinquished with fifteen matches remaining.

The unimposing consolation tag as ‘Best of the Rest’ is usually granted to the party who clamber across the finishing line in the wake of the dynamic favourites or heavyweights, salvaging several ounces of pride in doing so but effectively beleaguered in the knowledge that silverware will remain elusive. Falling into this catagory are recently-promoted Odd Grenland, who have accustomed back to the tune of the top-flight quite outstandingly and wisely stand in third position, as have current runners-up Molde FK, having leapt from a lowly-ninth in 2008, and IK Start.

Less excuses can be afforded by last season's top trio of Stabaek IF (7th), Fredrikstad FK (11th) and Tromso IL (13th), whom will in all probability even fail to land into the second-rate ensemble congregating behind Rosenborg. This, supplemented by the knowledge that four varying champions have graced the division in as many editions, acts as verification that the Tippeligaen notoriously suffers from an erratic temperament and a charming scale of competition and unpredictability.

Throughout the 1990s, Rosenborg menaced Norwegian club football and developed an unbreakable, virtually magnetic attraction with the championship. Thirteen titles were devoured in an uninterrupted winning sequence which stretched from 1992 to 2004, thus bringing regular continental club competition to the Lerkendal Stadion. Continuous access to the Champions League helped boost revenue figures and inevitably elevated Rosenborg to an unrivalled financial state in the country. Flamboyantly embellished with a grand inventory of decorations and accolades, Trondheim’s principal club have recently stuttered in their quest to replicate the supremacy exerted from the previous decade.

Two preceding seasons tangled astray in the mid-table wilderness, consisting of a couple of fifth-place finishes since their most recent league success in 2006, will be forgotten if Rosenborg persevere with their incredible unbeaten streak - ten victories and five draws which have yielded 35 points.

In the latest round of fixtures, Kris Stadsgaard quickly struck after sixteen minutes to ensure the entire points haul were heading into Rosenborg’s possession. Second-placed Molde FK relied on an injury-time winner from Rune Ertsas as Lillestrom SK were overseen by a slender one-goal advantage. Elsewhere, Odd Grenland won the clash of the promoted sides with a 2-1 victory over Sandefjord Fotball.

Where the halcyon days of besieging trophy after trophy are over, or in temporarily suspension, Rosenborg are still the key player on the continental front and have lived out the dreams that many can only harbour - the prominent highlights featuring a UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final feat in 1996/1997 and progressing as far as the group stages on eleven occasions between 1995 and 2006. Right now, though, reasserting their right to the domestic throne must be given top priority and, based on this season’s blistering form, Rosenberg are difficult to oppose as envisaged champions.

Tottenham Hotspur: Supporters Are You Ready To Give Up On Gio?

The Mexican international had a terrific game last evening with El Tri.

Read on - Tottenham Hotspur: Giovani Dos Santos' Brace Powers Mexico Past Venezuela via Football London

Celtic: Offer Looming For Real Mallorca's Juan Arango?

Celtic accompany the mounting queue to acquire Venezuelan attacking midfielder Juan Arango, one of La Liga's most regular and impressive performers, from destitute Real Mallorca.

Attention has been widely acknowledged from Stoke City, Borussia Monchengladbach and Trabzonspor, but do the Bhoys possess the financial clout to meet Mallorca's €4m valuation?

Read on -- Celtic Submit Bid For Real Mallorca Playmaker Juan Arango via Goal.com.

Olympiacos: Mellberg Opts For Athens

Swedish international centre-back Olof Mellberg will join Greek champions Olympiacos for an initial fee of £2.1m spread across two instalments, Serie A runners-up Juventus have announced.

The former Aston Villa captain represented the bianconeri on 27 occasions but qualms over his future in Turin intensified when the arrival of Fabio Cannavaro was unveiled, creating a fierce situation whereby the two central defensive positions would be disputed by the Italian national trio of Giorgio Chiellini, Nicola Legrottaglie and 126-capped Cannavaro alongside Mellberg.

Wind the clock back twelve months and Mellberg arrived at Juventus with an envious reputation as one of the most reliable defenders in the Premier League, a resolute structure and a calming figurehead requisite in a potentially incoherent rearguard. Several unsettling performances for the Old Lady did not, however, dislodge Olympiacos’ interest as the Greeks aim to channel the wise experience accumulated by Mellberg into a thriving conquest on Europe.

Juventus can also expect to reel in a championship bonus of £430,000 if Olympiacos extend their Super League domination to a successive fourth crown.

Japan's Rising Stars - Takayuki Morimoto

Image via Calcio Catania via Flickr.com
Takayuki Morimoto
Forward
Catania
May 7, 1988 (Age:21)

Background:
Once considered the "Golden Boy" of Japanese football, Morimoto has been building up his reputation in Europe instead of Japan. The youngest player and goalscorer in J-League history, has had a fine season in Serie A where he has scored 7 goals in 23 League games. Some notable performances include a brace against A.S. Roma and a goal against title-challengers Juventus. Morimoto has played for Japan during the FIFA World Youth Championships and the Olympics.

Player Attributes:
Morimoto has often been compared to the Brazilian Ronaldo. He has both size and pace coupled with a good sense for goal. Several of his goals this season have been poaching efforts while others have been good individual skill. Serie A has made him into a more physical player and his technique is also developing nicely.

Future:
Morimoto has been linked to several EPL clubs this summer, notably Manchester United and Tottenham. This may seem like premature moves for the young striker, but they could be crucial ones in the effort to develop him into a world class striker. On the International level he has not been called up to the senior national team, to the dismay of this writer, but if he continues to improve then he will have a chance at international success.

Liverpool FC: Glen Johnson Signs For 2009-10 Title Chase

Via EPL Transfer Rumors -- And Glen Johnson Is Going To ……. Liverpool