Sport Faith

58th NBA All-Star Game 2009

2009-02-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

link : http://atdhe.net/live-tv-3500.html

Sheffield United. v Hull city Live streaming

2009-02-14T03:57:00.000-08:00

These are two team from different league with other distractions as Sheffield United chase promotion to primier league and Hull look to ensure survival in the Premier League.

Sheffield United. are a tough act at home so this game will predict very offensive game as both team need to show who are hthe best, although it won't be the biggest disappointment for Hull if they lose but morale team will effect much in the next game.

Offensive game is a nice one to watch, more goal will come...

Happy Valentines...

Live Streaming Swansea City vs Fulham united

2009-02-14T03:37:00.000-08:00

Swansea city host Fulham united in FA cup this weekend.

Swansea are as good a football team as most in the Championship, they play at home , Great support will make team have more spirit and confidence, They are in form and won't change the way they play.

Fulham are a good side and they are a home team, i can see if they can get a win here.

Home side have more advantage in this game.

link :

English FA cup LIve TV and Streamimg

2009-02-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

Chelsea sack Big Phil !

2009-02-13T09:28:00.000-08:00

This the bad news from English Premier league, Chelsea sack Scolari as a head of coach.

The reporting say, this sack must taken due to recent bad result to the london club.

The ower of chelsea Roman want to save his club for bein untitle in this season, Chelsea just have 49 point after 25 macth, and lose point at home 16 poit, this is the very bad result as chelsea is a great team and very solid,.

After taken draw goaless againt Hull City in Stambort Bridge, Roman Ibrahimovics take this hard decission, Very dissapointing to see if they still can compete

Watch Phoenix Suns at Philadelphia 76ers Live

2009-02-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

Watch Your Nba Favorite in your PC

Calcio Debate: Could Success At AC Milan Make Beckham Britain's Best Ever Abroad?

2009-02-07T13:41:00.000-08:00

Every ball he touches turns to gold - the world's most famous footballer has settled into Calcio seamlessly and could be on his way to staking his claim as the best ever Brit to play abroad, writes Goal.com's Gil Gillespie...

Ian Rush inadvertently hit the nail on the head. The trouble with British footballers playing abroad is that it usually looks as if they're plying their trade in a completely different country.The success stories are few and far between and the failures have been many.

Not even stellar talents like Jimmy Greaves, Dennis Law, Graeme Souness and Paul Gascoigne managed to cut much of a dash on continental soil.But, somehow, despite the ridiculous haircuts, the embarrassing tattoos, the multi-million dollar dealings, the rabid celebriteering and his wife's desire to make him look like a clothes horse who has just slipped into a coma, David Beckham is having a pretty good stab at proving himself to be one of British football's most successful exports.

So could the world's most famous footballer be on his way to becoming the best ever to leave British shores? Absolutely not. But he almost certainly deserves a place in the top tenWhen Beckham signed for Real Madrid he did so as a player whose worldwide media profile far exceeded his ability on the pitch. In flashes, of course, he had been brilliant.

His free-kicks, his crossing, his performance for England in the vital 2002 World Cup qualifying game against Greece and his angry substitute appearance in Man United's 4-3 win over Real in the Champions League quarter-final a year later stick in the mind.But for the most part, David Beckham has been a very good footballer masquerading as an absolute genius, one of the greats of the game. He is not. He lacks the technical necessities.

Beckham is too reliant on his right foot, he hasn't got any pace off the mark and can't go past people, he has often tended to play with his heart rather than his head, he doesn't have a sublime first touch, his short range passing lacks invention and his long, looping crosses are only really useful to team's who rely on hitting hopeful balls in the box for somebody to get their head onto. English teams, in other words.He was never really going to fit in with the Real Madrid style of play, he is simply not that kind of footballer. Sure, he could be useful if a battering ram approach was needed in the last quarter of a game but otherwise he was mostly a very expensive cameo performer. Brad Pitt with studs on.

But when he was dropped mid-season by Fabio Capello and told he would never pull on a Real Madrid shirt again, something stirred inside the former Spice Boy. In a desperate attempt to avoid going on ten-hour shopping marathons with Victoria, Beckham trained more and trained harder and forced his way back into Capello's squad and eventually his starting eleven, and was an instrumental figure in Real's late surge to lift the Spanish league title.

It was a shame, then, but hardly a surprise, that the Beckham circus still chose to de-camp to Los Angeles and effectively disappear off the football radar two years ago. And this wife-imposed exile off Main Street has, in many ways, been shown to be an even more disappointing decision by Beckham's unexpected performances on loan at AC Milan recently.Hugely impressed by the training methods and never afraid of hard work, the former Man United No.7 has responded to Carlo Ancelotti's thoughtful direction and is thriving in Serie A.

He genuinely seems to have found a new level of professional maturity, playing within himself and making himself indispensable to a side missing the injured Rino Gattuso.There is a possibility he could stay at the San Siro, but it is more likely to end up looking like a case of what might have been. Even so, David Beckham now deserves his place in the top ten British footballers to have ever played abroad. As you can see, he is in some very illustrious company.

Top Ten British Ex-Pats

John Charles

Head, shoulders and a couple of hundred more miles above everybody else on this list, Il Gigante Buono spent five thrilling years at Juventus scoring 93 goals, despite spending half his time at centre-half. The Welshman was recently voted the greatest ever stranieri, ahead of even Maradona.

Kevin Keegan
Initially snubbed by team-mates and fans alike, 'Mighty Mouse' proved himself to be one of the most courageous footballers of all time with Hamburg, twice winning the European Footballer of the Year award and helping them to the European Cup final in 1980.

Gerry Hitchens
The one-time Kidderminster Harriers and Cardiff City striker was snapped up by Inter Milan as part of a spate of British signings that followed in the footsteps of John Charles’ success at Juve. Hitchens outlasted Law and Greaves and stayed for eight seasons, making him the longest serving Brit in the history of Serie A.

David Platt
A year after his impressive performances in the 1990 World Cup, Platt joined Bari and, despite relegation in his first season, his goals from midfield were enough to earn him a move to Juventus. Platt didn’t truly find his feet, however, until he joined up with Sampdoria three years later.

Paul Ince
The self-proclaimed ‘Guvnor’ of Old Trafford initially looked more like a carthorse when he joined Inter Milan in 1995. But hard work and bags of guts eventually saw the midfield marauder establish himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.

David Beckham
A case of too little, too late? Maybe. But Beckham left the Bernabeu a hero after taking the league title by the scruff of the neck in his last few months at the club. Even the normally stubborn, massively egotistical Fabio Capello later admitted he had misjudged him.

Owen Hargreaves
Hargreaves appears to be doing everything backwards. Instead of starting his career in England, then being signed by a European club and then going into terminal decline, the former Bayern Munich player has done things the other way around.

Chris Waddle
After signing for Marseille in 1989, the winger lifted three consecutive French league titles and almost won European Footballer of the Year in 1991. Not bad for someone who admits that his attempts at a step-over were as telegraphed as a letter sent on a phone wire.

Paul Lambert
It says a lot about the lack of success of British players that this ordinary Scottish midfielder makes the top ten. Lambert spent just one season with Borussia Dortmund and became the first British player to win the European Cup with a foreign club.

Steve McManaman
McManaman left Liverpool for Real Madrid on a free transfer in 1999 and although he was never really a constant presence in the starting eleven, he did go on to win the league title and the Champions League twice in his four years in Spain. And seemed to enjoy himself enormously.

Gil Gillespie,

English Angle: Five Classics Between England And Spain

2009-02-07T13:25:00.000-08:00

As part of Goal.com's exclusive build-up to next week's international friendlies, Graham Lister looks back at five of the most memorable encounters between the Three Lions and the European champions...

Wednesday's friendly international in Seville between reigning European champions Spain and Fabio Capello's improving England will be the 22nd meeting of these famous footballing nations. Spain have won seven, England 11, and three have been drawn. The last time the fixture was staged in Madrid - Spain winning 1-0 in November 2004 - it was disfigured by racist chanting, prompting England’s controversial request for Spain to stage this week's game away from the capital. Fortunately, however, there are more noble precedents, andGoal.com recalls five of them...

1929 (15 May): Spain 4-3 England
(Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid)
Stunned England lost to foreign (non-British) opposition for the first time, and were shocked to discover 'the Continent' was catching them up. They took comfort from the fact that Spain's coach (under manager Jose Maria Mateos) was Englishman Fred Pentland. In scorching heat, Spain dribbled and passed them into submission with goals from Gaspar Rubio (2), Jaime Lazcano and Severino Goiburu. Joe Carter (2) and Joe Bradford replied for England.

Revenge came two years later when England won 7-1 at Highbury, but the result in Madrid was an early milestone in international football.

1982 (5 July): Spain 0-0 England
(Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid)
Half-a-century later, the two nations met in the World Cup finals hosted by Spain. It was no classic, but highly significant because of the context. Jose Santamaria’s Spain were already out, having lost to West Germany, but Ron Greenwood’s England could still finish top of their pool by winning this final game of the second group stage.

They went close to scoring several times, with crocked substitute Kevin Keegan missing with a late header he’d normally have scored. It ended goalless and England were out of the World Cup, despite being undefeated in their five matches.

1987 (18 Feb): Spain 2-4 England
(Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid)
By now Bobby Robson and Miguel Munoz were the managers, and although Tony Adams was making his England debut, the game was memorable for a stunning performance by striker Gary Lineker. He’d won the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup, then joined Barcelona, so his appearance on Spanish soil in an England shirt added extra spice.

Lineker didn't disappoint, hitting all four England goals after Emilio Butragueno had opened the scoring for Spain, and before Ramon Vázquez finished it. But England’s last victory on Spanish soil proved to be a false dawn as they bombed in the European Championship finals the following year.

1996 (22 June): England 0-0 Spain
(Wembley Stadium)
after extra-time; England won 4-2 on penaltiesFootball was coming home in 1996 when England, under Terry Venables, staged the European Championships. After impressing in the group stage, their passage through this quarter-final was an odyssey of tension, luck and woeful refereeing that saw the gallant Spanish defeated in a penalty shoot-out.

The match had everything except goals - though Javier Clemente's side had the ball in the net twice and were also denied a spot-kick in regulation time. Both goalkeepers - David Seaman and Andoni Zubizarreta - performed heroics throughout; Francisco Kiko had a goal rightly disallowed for offside but, on 34 minutes, Spain should have gone ahead when Julio Salinas netted, only to be wrongly adjudged offside. Javier Manjarin was denied by Seaman in a one-on-one before Alfonso Perez went down under Gascoigne's challenge. Referee Marc Batta might have awarded a penalty but instead booked Alfonso for diving. More good chances came and went for both sides, but the keepers reigned supreme, forcing extra-time. Eventually it went to penalties. Shearer scored, Fernando Hierro hit the bar, David Platt converted. Guillermo Amor deceived Seaman before Stuart Pearce exorcised his 1990 demons, scoring emphatically. Alberto Belsue and Paul Gascoigne scored, and the game was decided when Seaman saved superbly from Spain’s best player, Miguel Angel Nadal (Rafa’s uncle).

2001 (28 Feb): England 3-0 Spain
(Villa Park)
Sven-Goran Eriksson made his bow as England coach and handed David Beckham the armband for the first time. His tenure got off to a bright start with victory over a strong Spanish side, though the game was disrupted by seven substitutions per side - a recurring motif of the Eriksson years. Spain dominated possession for the first 35 minutes, but after England scored through Nick Barmby against the run of play, the tide turned decisively.

Emile Heskey and Ugo Ehiogu added second-half goals, Javier Moreno had a penalty saved by Nigel Martyn, and Spain coach Jose Antonio Camacho commented that while his team played the ball, England played football.
Graham Lister

La Liga Preview: Barcelona - Sporting Gijon

2009-02-07T13:15:00.000-08:00

Barcelona may be expected to ease to victory on Sunday afternoon, but Sporting Gijon are a credit to themselves and their coach and will do everything they can to cause an upset.

Kick-off: 19:00 CET, Sunday, February 8 at Camp Nou, Barcelona

Like the majority of clubs that win promotion to la Primera, Sporting de Gijon were tipped to make an immediate return to the second tier after just one season among the big boys.But, much like Malaga and Numancia, the Asturian outfit are exceeding all expectations and are picking up points on a regular basis rather than struggling in the bottom three.

Coach Manuel Preciado took over at El Molinon in 2006 and slowly moulded the squad to his liking before an impressive run last term ended with the club returning to the top flight for the first time since 1997-98.Many trainers in Spain either use their success to move to another club or suddenly panic that the squad that brought them that success is not good enough and set about radically altering it.

That scheme often sees players who were crucial in the push to go up not being allowed the chance to enjoy the fruits of their labours as they are sold off before the new campaign begins.But Preciado admirably stayed loyal to his squad last summer and made few alterations and actually made some surprise yet important signings. just to add a few finishing touches.

Loyalty Points

That loyalty has seen his players reward the trainer as they have performed admirably and now find themselves in mid-table, some ten points above the drop-zone and with their form improving all the time.A poor start to the campaign had many believing that the club's fanatical support would have to enjoy the party for just a season and then face the prospect of the drop, especially after being beaten 6-1 at home by Barcelona.

That now seems a distant memory as Sporting now have nine wins under their belts and last week secured a superb victory at home against Sevilla, despite playing for a long period with only ten men.Barcelona in Camp Nou is a proposition to give the majority of coaches cold sweats in the days leading up to the match, but Preciado and his players will be relishing the encounter.Already they have announced that they will be heading to the Catalan captial in search of all three points, although that may prove to be a different story on the day when the defence takes priority.But nevertheless, Pep Guardiola and his high-flying side will know that they are in for a contest on Sunday that will draw on all their attacking resources, and nobody should be expecting another rout.

RECENT FORM

Barcelona

05/02 H 2-0 Real Mallorca
01/02 A 2-1 Racing Santander
29/01 H 3-2 Espanyol
24/01 H 4-1 Numancia
21/01 A 0-0 Espanyol
17/01 H 5-0 DeportivoSporting Gijon
01/02 H 1-0 Sevilla
28/01 H 1-2 Athletic Club
25/01 A 1-5 Getafe
22/01 A 0-0 Athletic
18/01 A 0-2 Recreativ
o14/01 A 1-2 Real Valladolid

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona
Carles Puyol and Seydou Keita are both back in the squad, with the defender likely to go straight back into the starting team.
Gerasrd Pique and Rafa Marquez are both suspended, so Martin Caceres is set to play. Xavi is doubtful because of a stomach bug and if he is out then Sergio Busquets could step in.Probable

Starting XI: Valdés, Alves, Abidal, Cáceres, Puyol, Touré, Xavi, Iniesta, Henry, Messi, Eto'o

Sporting Gijon
Diego Camacho and Canella are both unavailable for the visitors because of suspension, while Cuellar and Andreu are both injured. Camara could step in at full-back, while Barral may have a chance to show what he can do up front if Bilic does not perform.Probable

Starting XI: Lafuente, Sastre, Neru, Hernández, Gerard, Matabuena, Michel, Carmelo, Maldonado, Castro, Bilic

PREDICTION

Sporting have talked about going to Camp Nou looking to cause a major upset and win the game, but that should only mean that they will defend in numbers and then try to find an opening on the break. Barceona will be looking to score their 100th official goal of the season and once that goes in then it will be hard for the visitors to find a way back.

Barcelona 3 - 1 Sporting Gijon,Lucas Brown

Breaking News: David Beckham In, Wayne Rooney Out Of England Squad For Spain Friendly

2009-02-07T13:12:00.000-08:00

David Beckham is in line to equal Bobby Moore's 108 caps in an England shirt...

more to follow

Ibrahimovic The Master As Inter Trounce Lecce

2009-02-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

Zlatan Ibrahimovic led the charge for his side with a majestic performance against the Salentini. The Sweden international scored as did Luis Figo and Dejan Stankovic. Inter's Scudetto chase shows no sign of stopping... Lecce 0-3 Inter

Inter extend their lead at the top of the table thanks to an impressive and well fought win down in Lecce. The Nerazzurri started with a quick tempo and their pressure was too much for Mario Beretta's side.The rest of the chasing pack were hoping the Salentini would do them a favour, but it wasn't to be as the home side just couldn't deal with a rampant Nerazzurri.

First Half

The game began brightly and it was nice to see Jose Mourinho share a joke and a smile with Mario Balotelli after all the tension between both men. Inter kicked off and their manner of play showed indicated that Lecce would be in for a busy night. Dejan Stankovic won a free kick from Polenghi. Luis Figo bent the ball into towards Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the big striker failed to connect and the chance went begging.Lecce replied with Castillo creating space down the left wing, but his cross was dealt with by Nicolas Burdisso who conceded a corner.

Caserta swung the corner inwards and was unlucky not to score. Cesar was quick to react and saved himself and his team from embarrassment as he punched the ball away from harm. Ibrahimovic was the lone ranger up front for Inter, but he turned provider for Stankovic. The striker exchanged quick passes with Maicon and crossed a delightful ball for the incoming Stankovic. However, the Serbian, who was all unmarked, managed to miss his header when it was easier to score. Inter kept on banging at the door and the relentless pressure began to see the Salentini panic.A decent move involving Esteban Cambiasso and Ibrahimovic unlocked the Lecce defence. The Argentine midfielder showed intuition and insight as he fed the Sweden international the perfectly weighted pass.

'Ibra' looked offside but Esposito was found wanting at the back and he played the Inter man on as his team-mates raised their arms in vain. Ibrahimovic controlled, turned and placed his shot into the bottom left corner from close range. Benussi had no chance as the ball rippled the net.The Nerazzurri were in cruise control. The home side threatened on rare occasions. All the play and danger coming through Tiribocchi and Castillo.

Inter were grateful to Cesar. The Brazilian goalkeeper performed a miracle save from Gugliermo Stendardo's close range header to keep his side in the lead. Lecce pressed well as Mario Beretta screamed the orders from the bench, but Marco Materazzi and David Santon were on guard and on hand to minimise the danger.Inter seemed to step off the gas after going ahead, but some poor finishing from Tiribocchi made it easy for the Milanese giants to keep their noses ahead.

Second Half

The home side restarted with a bang, but there was no celebration at the end of it as Papa Waigo was wrongly flagged for offside within seconds of the kick off. Caserta played a great ball over the top and the former Fiorentina striker ran through and would have equalised has the assistant referee not been flag-happy. Polenghi tried his luck from distance,

but it was well wide as Lecce threatened. Inter were in control though and kept the Giallorossi at bay.Beretta's side began to get into their rhythm. Tiribocchi managed to flick on Caserta's cross into the path of Castillo who beat Materazzi to the ball and was about to pull the trigger before Cesar launched himself towards the ball to smother the danger.

Jose Mourinho was not impressed as he saw his side begin to show some weaknesses at the back. Down the other end Maicon was guilty of missing chance of the season as he blazed over from four yards out.The Brazilian defender capitalise after a mix-up between Lecce players following Figo's wicked free-kick. However, the stopper was unable to keep his composure and slide home. It was miss of the season when it looked easier to score.

The Nerazzurri did put the game beyond Lecce when Figo popped up to meet Davide Santon's cross and head home. The left back did well to cut back and showed he also has a right foot. His pinpoint assist found the Portuguese ace and he made no mistake by guiding the ball into the net with elegance and panache.Stankovic also go in on the scoring act and made up for his earlier mistake by latching onto Maicon's free kick from the right.

The Serbian beat everyone to the ball and headed it into the top corner as Inter continue to speed towards the Scudetto.Mourinho was delighted with his team's performance as he punched the air with joy following the final whistle. Lecce meanwhile will look back on failing to take their chances as they continue to struggle down at the bottom side of the table.

Teams

Lecce 4-3-3: Benussi, Polenghi, Stendardo, Fabiano, Esposito, Ariatti, Caserta, Edinho (Papadopoulos), Papa Waigo (Zanchetta), Castillo, Tiribocchi (Cacia).

Inter 4-3-2-1: Cesar, Maicon, Burdisso, Materazzi, Santon, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Muntari (Muntari), Figo (Chivu), Stankovic, Ibrahimovic (Balotelli).

Goals: Ibrahimovic, Figo, Stankovic.

Cards: Ibrahimovic (Inter/Yellow), Esposito (Lecce/Yellow), Tiribocchi (Lecce/Yellow)

Prem Preview: West Ham United – Manchester United

2009-02-07T12:31:00.000-08:00

Sunday, 8th February 16:00 GMT,Upton Park, London

London Calling…Record Falling?

Manchester United may be the champions of England, Europe and the world, but their record in London is anything but stellar.
Since Cristiano Ronaldo charged through the Fulham team to secure a 2-1 win in February 2007, the Reds have claimed a solitary victory in the capital.The Cottagers have been uncharacteristically welcoming hosts by falling to another defeat last March.

Eight other games against Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and this weekend’s opponents West Ham United have left the champions clutching for draws.
Indeed, the last two meetings at Upton Park have sent the Red Devils back up north with their tail between their legs after losing both times.

Sir Alex Ferguson will be hopeful that this shocking run will come to end on Sunday. The Barclays Premier League manager of the month for January comes to the East End on a record breaking 12 match streak without conceding a goal, Michael Carrick is in match winning form after he won the penalty in the 1-0 win against Everton a week ago, and Wayne Rooney returns from injury to boost his attacking options.

Rooney is joined in the United squad by marauding full back Patrice Evra. If the Frenchman gets on the pitch, he will complete a first choice backline that hasn’t been together throughout Edwin Van der Sar’s 1,122 unbeaten minutes in goal. David Di Michelle and Carlton Cole threaten the Dutchman’s unbeatable position. But, with the Premier League title in their hands, the Reds are determined to stop the London rot.

From Zero To Zola

Fortunes change fast in the English top flight. The flames engulfing Gianfranco Zola’s baptism of fire in the West Ham United hot seat were at their most intense when this Sunday’s teams met earlier in the season.Freefalling towards the bottom of the Premier League table after three defeats on the bounce in October, the Italian took his side to Manchester and was blown out of the water in the opening half hour as Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace inflicted a 2-0 defeat.

Those were the dark days. Excellent work from Zola and his former Chelsea colleague; assistant first team coach Steve Clarke, now sees the Boleyn Ground outfit on a seven game unbeaten spell and with plenty of breathing space from the dreaded relegation zone.

The inclusion of the Scot has been an inspirational move. With years of experience working under Jose Mourinho, his defensive acumen has solidified a previously leaky West Ham backline.Last weekend’s match with Arsenal showed the extent of his work as the Irons achieved the first 0-0 result at the Emirates Stadium. Danny Collins and Matthew Upson were impassable, whilst the midfield quartet offered no solace to their flimsy Gunners counterparts.During Zola’s time in charge, draws have also been recorded against Liverpool and Chelsea.

The Italian is keen to turn these promising stalemates into victories. With Carlton Cole and David Di Michelle full of goals, he has the belief his first major scalp as a Premier League coach could be claimed on Sunday.

FORM GUIDE

Manchester United:

31st January vs. Everton (H) won 1-0 (PREM)
27th January vs. West Bromwich Albion (A) won 5-0 (PREM)
24th January vs. Tottenham Hotspur (H) won 2-1 (FA CUP)
20th January vs. Derby County (H) won 4-2 (CARLING CUP)
17th January vs. Bolton Wanderers (A) won 1-0 (PREM)

West Ham United:

31st January vs. Arsenal (A) drew 0-0 (PREM)
28th January vs. Hull City (H) won 2-0 (PREM)
24th January vs. Hartlepool United (A) won 2-0 (FA CUP)
18th January vs. Fulham (H) won 3-1 (PREM)
10th January vs. Newcastle United (A) drew 2-2 (PREM)

TEAM NEWS

West Ham United:New boy Radoslav Kovac boost the Hammers’ numbers after his loan move from Spartak Moscow.

The Czech international midfielder joins a squad that is still without long term absentees Dean Ashton (ankle), Danny Gabbidon (groin) and Kieron Dyer (calf).Last starting XI (vs. Arsenal): Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Noble (Savio 70), Collison, Cole, Di Michele (Boa Morte 83). Subs Not Used: Lastuvka, Lopez, Spector, Tristan, Sears. Squad: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Noble, Savio, Collison, Cole, Di Michele, Boa Morte, Lastuvka, Lopez, Spector, Tomkins, Tristan, Sears, Kovac.Possible

starting XI: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Noble, Collison, Cole, Di Michelle.Manchester United:Sir Alex Ferguson will be delighted to have Patrice Evra and Wayne Rooney available from the bench. Wes Brown should also make his first start since October.

Rafael (hamstring), Anderson (ankle), Jonny Evans (ankle) and Nani (groin) are still unavailable, whilst Ferguson announced this week that Owen Hargreaves (knee) will return to the United fold in August.

Last starting XI (vs. Everton): Van der Sar, Neville (Brown 56), Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea, Ronaldo, Carrick, Fletcher (Giggs 75), Park, Berbatov, Tevez. Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Welbeck, Fabio Da Silva, Gibson, Eckersley.Squad: Van der Sar, Foster, Kuszczak, Brown, Eckersley, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Fletcher, Gibson, Giggs, Park, Tosic, Berbatov, Rooney, Tevez, Possebon.

Possible starting XI: Van der Sar, O’Shea, Vidic, Ferdinand, Brown, Carrick, Fletcher, Ronaldo, Park, Berbatov, Tevez.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

West Ham United: With two goals in the Hammers three previous Premier League games, David Di Michele has eased into Craig Bellamy’s boots. Since the Welshman rancorous departure to Manchester City, the Italian has bagged a tap in against Hull City and converted a John Pantsil gift when Bellamy refused to play in the match with Fulham. Zipping across the Upton Park pitch, he’s been the perfect foil for the languid Carlton Cole.Manchester United: Michael Carrick returns to Upton Park in fine tattle. The Hammers old boy has been majestic in central midfield, winning the penalty against Everton last weekend and working his way into Fabio Capello’s England squad for next Wednesday’s friendly against Spain. Carrick will need to be at his best once again with Scott Parker and Valon Behrami snapping at his heels.

PREDICTION

United have toiled in the capital, but Sir Alex Ferguson will be determined to break this run with the title race in full flight.West Ham may have beaten his side with regularity in their East End home, but the Red Devils will drive back up North with all three points in the bag.West Ham United 0-1 Manchester UnitedMatt Monaghan

Bundesliga Preview: Bayern Munich - Borussia Dortmund

2009-02-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

The final match of the round sees old rivals Bayern Munich hosting Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena on Sunday in what should be a rip-roaring affair

Kick-off: Sunday, February 8 2009 (17:00 GMT), Allianz Arena, Munich

Last week’s loss away to Hamburg was a real wake-up call for Juergen Klinsmann’s men. During the first half, a rather stagnant Bayern attack was thwarted by an energetic Hamburg side that stood their ground and earned a well-deserved lead at half-time. The Bavarians responded with an impressive show in the second half, but were unable to earn the all-important equaliser, despite having created countless opportunities.

To add injury to insult, central defender Lucio spent most of the match hobbling around the pitch with an ankle injury, and subsequently missed training in the early week. That, coupled with Miroslav Klose’s training-ground knee injury, had Klinsmann and Bayern fans deeply concerned.
However, fortune seems to have turned its favourable gaze upon the Bavarians late this week: Lucio made a quick recovery, and Klose completed training on Friday without trouble. Looking ahead to this weekend, Bayern expect to face a fierce Dortmund side at the Allianz Arena.

The visitors are sure to resort to a defend-and-counterattack strategy, and their backline will be a difficult puzzle to solve. A year ago, the Munich outfit pummelled Dortmund 5-0, taking just 22 minutes to put the game out of reach at 4-0.
However, that was against the Bundesliga’s worst defence, which conceded 62 goals. This year, Dortmund’s rearguard (20 goals conceded) is second only to that of Schalke, meaning that a blowout is unlikely to be on the cards. For the betting man, this one will surely be a tough call. Knowing his team need a win, Klinsmann can either play for a 1-0 scoreline or a victory that involves multiple goals. Keeping in mind the fact that Bayern have yet to keep a clean sheet at home, as well as Dortmund’s record of scoring the improbable equaliser, Klinsmann may opt to have his team play in their usual all-out offensive style. However, Dortmund’s defensive quality may suggest that Bayern would be better off holding back in the event of an early lead. The key statistic: of the teams that score once on Dortmund, 45% score twice or more. And that, my friends, are the odds. Last week’s 1-1 home draw against Leverkusen was a classic example of Borussia Dortmund’s ability to take points from matches while simultaneously being outplayed. The Leverkusen defence, for all their quality, faltered just once, but Alexander Frei was able to capitalise, putting Dortmund ahead in the 36th minute.

After an evenly played first-half, Leverkusen completely controlled the contest in the second, but were only able to pull off the equaliser. Last week’s match was eerily reminiscent of the late August match between Dortmund and Bayern at the Signal-Iduna Park. In that game, an early goal from Kuba put the home team ahead in the 8th minute, but a strong second-half performance from Bayern saw the visitors equalise but fail to score the winner. A similar result should leave Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp satisfied on his team’s return to the Allianz Arena. Many would have Bayern as huge favorites, hosting a weaker Dortmund team at the Allianz, but this year’s Borussia is vastly improved, and as the Dortmund website has it, they are the Bundesliga’s hardest club to beat, having lost just two matches. According to bvb.de, Dortmund have lost just one third of the matches during which they have conceded the go-ahead goal. This means that Bayern will be anxious to get an early two or three-goal lead, and could become careless. After all, Bayern have yet to go a full 90 minutes at the Allianz without conceding a goal, and Dortmund hitmen Mohamed Zidan and Alexander Frei seem to always be ready to take their chances at the most opportune moments.

Form Guide:
Bayern1/30/09 Hamburger SV 1 Bayern 0 (Bundesliga)
1/27/09 VfB Stuttgart 1 Bayern 5 (DfB Pokal)
1/22/09 FSV Mainz 0 Bayern 5 (Friendly)
1/19/09 Kaiserslautern 0 Bayern 2 (Friendly)
1/18/09 Eintracht Bamberg 0 Bayern 3 (Friendly)
Dortmund1/31/09 Dortmund 1 Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Bundesliga)
1/28/09 Dortmund 1 Werder Bremen 2 (DfB Pokal)
1/23/09 Eintracht Braunschweig 2 Dortmund 2 (Friendly)
1/20/09 Borussia Moenchengladbach 2 Dortmund 4 (Friendly)
1/15/09 VfL Osnabrueck 0 Dortmund 3 (Friendly)

Team News:

Bayern After sustaining a knee injury in training, Klose was initially rated doubtful for the Dortmund clash. However, the latest reports from Munich suggest that he will be fit to play, having passed a medical exam on Friday. In addition, defender Lucio appears to have shaken off a knock to his ankle and should be fit to start against Dortmund. That leaves only Massimo Oddo (suspended) as a definite exclusion from Klinsmann’s squad.

Probable Starting XI: Rensing – Lell, Lucio, Demichelis, Lahm – Schweinsteiger, van Bommel, Ze Roberto, Ribery – Klose, Toni

Dortmund This week, Juergen Klopp welcomed Dede, Jakub Blaszczykowski (Kuba), and Sebastian Kehl back in training. While Dede and Kehl are short of match fitness, reports from Dortmund claim that “Kuba” is eager to face Bayern and should at least be a substitute.
Also, Tamas Hajnal is available once more, following a suspension. Mats Hummels, however, will definitely remain on the bench, as will Barjram Sadrijaj. Both players are expected to be healthy by the end of February.

Finally, striker Mohamed Zidan is questionable for Sunday’s match after the Egyptian having sustained a knee injury. Probable Starting XI: Weidenfeller – Owomoyela, Santana, Subotic, Lee – Kehl, Tinga – Boateng, Hajnal – Zidan, Frei Players to Watch: Bayern – Franck Ribery It’s a bit repetitive to always have him the man to watch for Bayern, but I’m including him today because of something I read on the Bundesliga website.

The statistics speak for themselves:In the 40 matches in which Ribery has played, Bayern have won 87 of 120 possible points. In Ribery’s best 20 matches, Bayern have taken 54 points; in his worst 20, just 36. Maybe he is “invaluable” after all. Dortmund – Kuba Dortmund’s fan favorite of 2008 is back from injury, and fired up for a clash with Bayern. Whether or not he will start remains to be decided, but when he plays, he’ll be a constant thorn in Ribery’s side. His offensive productivity has greatly improved this year, his defensive strength has always been superb, and his pace and stamina will surely make matters difficult for Bayern’s left-sided triple threat of Ribery, Philipp Lahm and Ze Roberto.

Prediction:

A Bayern loss (or draw) and a Hoffenheim win over Gladbach (probable) would put the Bavarians up to six points off top spot, and could leave even leave them at a surprisingly low fifth place. I just don’t see it happening. Their finishing has to improve, and surely will with Klinsmann running technical drills all week. The margin? A single goal, be it 1-0 (unlikely), 2-1, or 3-2. Bayern 3-2 Dortmund Clark Whitney, Goal.com

Beckham Saga Not Over After Initial Rejected Milan Offer

2009-02-07T12:19:00.000-08:00

Negotiations between AC Milan and Los Angeles Galaxy are set to continue after the Americans rejected the Rossoneri's initial offer for David Beckham.

Although the negotiations between AC Milan and Los Angeles Galaxy to keep David Beckham with the Rossoneri seem to have stalled after the American club rejected Milan's initial offer, that doesn't mean this transfer saga is over.

Today The Sun reported some interesting background information on Beckham's move to Milan. According to the English tabloid, it was MLS commissioner Don Garber who encouraged Beckham's move to Milan. Last night, news channel ESPN allegedly said that the 'dramatic conclusion' to the Beckham transfer saga could be imminent.

As reported by The Sun, the 5.7 million dollar offer made by Milan is not nearly enough to satisfy LA Galaxy, who value the player at around 20 million dollars. Still, the player would be able to free himself of his ties with the American club by November, and seal a transfer to the Rossoneri worth around 10 million dollars.

"David Beckham could be confirmed as a full-time AC Milan player this weekend if the MLS can agree a fee of $10million-plus with the Italian giants", it said on the English tabloid.
Beckham has made an immediate impact in Serie A, quickly earning a starting place in Carlo Ancelotti's side and scoring two goals as well.

Bundesliga: Hoffenheim Stay Top As Hamburg And Leverkusen Lose

2009-02-07T12:14:00.000-08:00

Schalke 04 1–0 Werder Bremen
Karlsruher SC 3–2 Hamburger SV
Bayer Leverkusen 2–4 VfB Stuttgart VfL Wolfsburg 2–0 VfL
Bochum Borussia Moenchengladbach 1–1 1899 Hoffenheim
Eintracht Frankfurt 2–2 FC Koeln

Schalke 04 1–0 Werder Bremen

The crisis meeting between Schalke and Werder at the Veltins Arena saw Schalke joyous and Werder plunged further into turmoil with a 1-0 win for the home side.
After a goalless first half the second half began much better and Schalke took the lead after 48 minutes when Benedikt Hoewedes headed home a free kick from Jefferson Farfan.

Karlsruher SC 3–2 Hamburger SV

Struggling Karlsruhe secured a sensational last minute win over Hamburg after coming back from 2-0 down.
The high-flying visitors took the lead inside the Wildparkstadion as early as the seventh minute and it was Peruvian Paolo Guerrero who got it.
The HSV forward gained robbed Engelhardt of the ball in his own half and broke through the midfield before playing a one-two with David Jarolim. Faced with keeper Miller he scored well to give HSV the lead.
Three minutes into the second half and the visitors made it 2-0. Karlsruhe half cleared a corner and David Jarolim regained possession. The Czech midfielder got to the bye-line before cutting the ball back to Colin Benjamin, who converted into the bottom corner.
However, 60 seconds later and KSC had pulled a goal back. Andreas Goerlitz crossed from the right and debutant Gravgaard missed the ball. Freis took advantage of the slip to fire a right-foot shot past Frank Rost and give Edmund Becker’s side hope.
Four minutes later that hope changed to reality with Federico scoring the equaliser. Da Silva fed Federico, who took the ball with his back to goal, before turning and firing in from 16 meters out.
Mladen Petric was then dismissed on 76 minutes for a clash with Engelhardt. The side’s were level again on 82 minutes when Engelhardt received his second caution of the game for persistent foul play.
Just as the game seemed to be heading for a draw, Sebastian Freis scored the winner with the last move of the game. Stindl put the ball into middle where Freis was on hand to head in the last-gasp winner with no time for HSV to respond.

Bayer Leverkusen 2–4 VfB Stuttgart

A high-tempo encounter saw Bayer Leverkusen lose their first league match at their temporary Duesseldorf home thanks to a fine display from Mario Gomez.
After a slight delay to the kick-off, Stuttgart wasted no time in opening the scoring with Mario Gomez putting the Swabians 1-0 up after just three minutes. Magnin played a one-two with Martin Lanig and then crossed an inviting ball into the six-yard box. Gomez was on hand to head the ball home just under the bar.
Four minutes into the second half, and Bayer’s Arturo Vidal as sent off after receiving his second yellow card of the match. The visitors made their man advantage pay almost immediately with Thomas Hitzlsperger firing home a direct free-kick from 19 meters out.
Stefan Kiessling pulled one back for the Werkself on 67 minutes after some confusion in the Stuttgart rearguard following a free-kick. The German international took a pass from Henrique and fired home a left foot shot.
VfB however restored their to-goal lead onwith fifteen minutes remaining. A counter attack saw Ciprian Marica feed Hilbert and he in turn played the ball to Mario Gomez. The striker showed great composure to slot home his second of the game.
As the game entered stoppage time both sides scored. On 90 minutes Lukas Sinkiewicz put through his own net following a cross from Roberto Hilbert, before debutant Angelos Charisteas scored in the 93rd minute

VfL Wolfsburg 2–0 VfL Bochum

Wolfsburg grabbed their first win of 2009 with a 2-0 home victory over VfL Bochum at the Volkswagen Arena.
The Wolves got their noses in front in the 21st minute through Edin Dzeko. Misimovic put a quality ball into the penalty area to Dzeko, who fired a great shot past keeper Fernandes from 11 meters out.
The victory was sealed five minutes from time when Dzeko grabbed his second of the game. Marcel Schaefer shot from long range, and the Bosnian reacted quickly to fire home a right footed shot.

Borussia Moenchengladbach 1– 11899 Hoffenheim

Leaders Hoffenheim retained top spot, but needed to come from behind to claim a point away at Moenchengladbach.
The bottom placed side were the ones to score first with Bayern Munich bound midfielder Alexander Baumjohann giving the Fohlen the lead aminute before half-time. Thomas Galasek fed Baumjohann in the middle of the park and the yougster took on along distance shot that beat Haas in the Hoffenheim goal from 25 meters out.
Late substitute Wellington headed home a Marvin Compper free kick in the 89th minute to seal a late draw for Ralf Rangnick’s side.

Eintracht Frankfurt 2–2 1.FC Koeln

It was honours even at the Commerzbank Arena as Eintracht Frankfurt and Koeln finished all square sharing four goals.
The opening goal arrived just after the half-hour mark via a Marko Russ header. A free-kick delivery from Steinhoefer was delivered into the danger zone where Russ was on hand to head home from six meters out.
The visitors were level on 57 minutes with Milivoje Novakovic firing in after good work from Miso Brecko. Six minutes later though and the Adler were back in front. Another Steinhoefer cross caused problems and Czech Martin Fenin volleyed in from 14 meters out.
With just over fifteen minutes remaining, Frankfurt were reduced to ten men and had a penalty awarded against them after Chris fouled Radu in the area as the last man. Novakovic kept his cool from the spot to secure a point for Christoph Daum’s side.

Player Ratings: Chelsea 0-0 Hull City

2009-02-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

CHELSEA Hilario: 6.0- Deputised for the injured Cech and did not have too much to do between the posts this afternoon.

Cole: 6.0- Managed to push forward on a number of occasions but could not find the decisive cross in the final third of the pitch.

Terry: 6.0- Missed an absolute sitter in the opening minute of the match that would have given his team an important three points.

Alex: 6.0- The big Brazilian had to deal with the elusive Fagan and managed to keep him off the score-sheet.

Boswinga: 6.0- Had a quiet afternoon for his lofty standards and looked flat just like most of his team-mates.

Mikel: 5.0- A disappointing effort from the Nigerian midfielder who was the first player taken off the pitch this afternoon.

Ballack: 6.0- His 100th appearance in a Chelsea uniform today will not be fondly remembered.

Lampard: 6.5- His red card in the Liverpool match was rescinded so he started the match and looked like one of the only players interesting in obtaining a victory.

Kalou: 6.5- He was the most dangerous player on the pitch for the Blues and should have found a goal for his efforts.

Quaresma: 6.5- Made his first appearance since coming arriving from from Inter on loan and almost opened up his Chelsea account and overall had a positive debut

Anelka: 5.0- ‘Le Sulk’was invisible for long stretches of the match and was a non-factor.

SUBS:

Belletti (57”) 6.0,Drogba (64”) 5.0, Deco (73”) 6.0

HULL CITY

Duke: 7.0- Made two great saves in the first 20 minutes to keep the match scoreless and was a major reason why his team gained a point today.

Dawson: 6.0- Was lucky to escape conceding a penalty when he blocked Drogba’s shot with his arm in the 69th minute

Turner: 7.0- Did a magnificent job keeping a tight lid on Anelka all afternoon long.

Zayatte: 7.5- He is not the tallest centre back on the planet but he still managed to win everything in the air that came his way. An immense performance this afternoon.

Ricketts: 6.5- Had to contend with runs from Quaresma and Cole and did a pretty good job in the process

Kilbane: 6.5- Put in a Jekyll and Hyde type performance as his horrible mistake almost gifted Quaresma the first goal of the match but his powerful header skimmed the post late in the first half.

Ashbee: 7.0- The influential Tigers captain never seems to tire out as he did an admirable job of neutralising Ballack and Lampard.

Marney: 6.5- Almost picked up a goal in the 67th minute but sent his shot agonizingly wide of the post. Garcia: 5.0- Was largely anonymous and made no impact on the match whatsoever.

Geovanni: 7.0- The classy Brazilian has gone off the boil since his torrid start to the season but put together a fine performance today and looked dangerous whenever he touched the ball.

Fagan: 7.0- Worked his socks off upfront today and should have opened the scoring in the 53rd minute

Liverpool Narrowly Defeat Portsmouth At Fratton Park

2009-02-07T12:01:00.000-08:00

Due to the midweek loss of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, Reds manager Rafa Benitez opted to really shake things up for his side, fronting a 3-5-2 formation the likes of which no one would have expected. Fernando Torres would only start on the bench, sitting alongside Xabi Alonso as the irregular starting XI looked to seal a win for the visitors.Jermaine Pennant, on loan to Portsmouth from Liverpool, would not be eligible for this game, but Pompey manager Tony Adams would welcome the visitors with a familiar face in ex-Reds striker, Peter Crouch.

First Half

David Nugent, a proud Evertonian at heart was the first to test Liverpool's defence.
His shot stung the palms of Spanish 'keeper Pepe Reina, but the Liverpool stopper never looked to be under any real threat. Peter Crouch was quick to follow up the previous attack as Nugent popped up again inside the box to play through the lanky englishman. Crouch had a poor first touch as the ball skittered along the 6 yard line and into the arms of Reina.

It was far from one-way traffic however, as Liverpool's line-up, one that has only managed eight goals between them all season, made sure David James was not allowed to relax. Yossi Benayoun made his presence known early as he tried to cash in on a ball played from the right flank by Alvaro Arbeloa. The Isreali took the shot first time but would only find the outside netting.Pompey midfielder Sean Davis brought down Benayoun on the edge of the area to give the visitors a legitimate chance to put themselves in the lead.

Fabio Aurelio stepped up and produced a terric bending drive that grazed the upright and pinged out of play.As the half hour mark approached, Liverpool started to dictate the play from midfield, working the home side under. Daniel Agger tried his luck from the edge of the area, but his attempt was deflected out of play and out of Portsmouth's danger-zone.Pompey debutant Angelos Basinas made good use of himself in midfield, letting people know that he's not too shy to take possession and look for killer passes.

The Greek international shrugged off a knock from Daniel Agger and put himself behind a dead-ball just outside of Liverpool's box. The midfielder's shot was on target, but Reina was there to pick the ball out of the air.As half time approached, Nugent found his strike partner Peter Crouch just outside the danger area. Crouchie controlled the ball well but his attempt soared over the bar and into the stands.

Second Half

The Reds started the second half in a lively fashion, forcing two corners from the home side in as many minutes.

The visitors still seemed to be lacking the creative finishing that could have been supplied by Fernando Torres, who was still warming the bench.French youngster David Ngog made way for Dirk Kuyt as the half commenced, Benitez clearly looking to add a cutting edge to what looked like a fairly blunt team.

Kuyt imposed himself on the game almost instantly, playing in Ryan Babel at the back post, but the striker failed to connect with the ball, missing an open net and leaving his head in his hands.Minutes after Babel's disappointing miss, Portsmouth broke the deadlock. The tall figure of Crouch played in Nugent with a wonderful reverse pass, allowing the Everton fan to drill the ball under Reina and into the back of the net. The hosts went 1-0 up.Benitez looked to respond to the goal by adding Xabi Alonso the mix, and it wasn't long after his arrival on the pitch that the response came into fruition. A suicidal back pass from Peter Crouch was almost intercepted by Dirk Kuyt, the English 'keeper forced to use his hands to clear the danger. Referee Howard Webb saw this as a foul back pass and awarded the visitors an indirect free kick, inside the Pompey box.

The ball was rolled into the path of a driving Fabio Aurelio, who capitalised on his chance, sending the ball low and hard into the bottom corner of the net.Rafa's decisions had put the visitors back in the game, but he would look to none other than Torres, as the young Spaniard replaced Ryan Babel in the quest for three points and the top spot in the league.Hermann Hreidarsson silenced the Liverpool fans soon after Torres' entrace, connecting with nadir Belhadj's free kick and nodding the ball past Pepe Reina from close range. Pompey took the lead once more.Ten minutes after the goal that put the hosts in the lead again, Silvain Distin made a catastrophic error in his own box, failing to clear an easy ball and rolled it into the path of Torres. The Spanish international picked out Kuyt on the byline who belted the ball at goal, the ball only stopping on the inside of the front post as the scoreline became equal again.The action wouldn't subside as the game drew to a close.

Benayoun found space wide on the left and whipped a cross into the middle of Portsmouth's box. Who else would pop up and connect with the ball other than Liverpool's goldenboy: Fernando Torres. The last of three added minutes saw El Nino nod the ball home and put the Reds in the lead, and at the top of the league.Benitez's seemingly crazy gamble paid off for Liverpool, beating Pompey 3-2, but it would by no means be a bad loss for struggling manager Tony Adams, who would certainly go into the dressing room with a list of positives to pass on to his squad.Portsmouth 2 - 3 Liverpool.

Brazil Claim Tenth U-20 South American Championship

2009-02-07T11:36:00.000-08:00

A 2-2 draw between Uruguay and Paraguay in Puerto La Cruz on Friday handed Brazil their second consecutive U-20 South American Championship and the tenth in their history. The Brazilians had beaten Colombia 2-1 earlier in the afternoon...

Brazil obtained their second consecutive U-20 South American Championship, and their tenth overall after Uruguay and Paraguay drew 2-2 on Friday.In the earlier game, Brazil defeated Colombia 2-1 with second half goals from Walter and Douglas Costa.

It was Brazil's fourth consecutive victory in the hexagonal stage of the competition.Brazil, with a maximum of 12 points, cannot be caught by any other side.

They are followed by Uruguay (7 points), Paraguay (5 points), Colombia and Venezuela (both 3 points), and Argentina (1 point).Uruguay, who defeated Brazil 3-2 in the first phase, but lost by an identical scoreline in the hexagonal stage, needed a victory over Paraguay in order to remain in the title hunt, with just one round to play.

They got off to a great start when Jonathan Urretaviscaya put them ahead in the 13th minute when he met a rebound with a powerful finish.

But Paraguay hit back two minutes later through Aldo Paniagua, who took advantage of a lapse of concentration from the Uruguay defence.The goal severely affected the Uruguayans, and it was Paraguay who took command of the match.Paraguay, who fell to a 4-2 defeat to Uruguay in the group phase, went ahead in the 33rd minute when Paniagua pushed the ball across the line from close range, despite the efforts of the Uruguay defence to clear the ball.

After the break Uruguay returned to their best, and they created several clear-cut opportunities to draw level.They looked extremely dangerous each time they moved forward, particularly through substitutes Abel Hernandez and Santiago Garcia.After inflicting intense pressure on the Paraguay goal, Uruguay finally equalised in the 74th minute when Hernandez fired the ball home from long range.

The Uruguayans pushed for a late winner, with goal-bound efforts from Facundo Piriz and Hernandez, but they couldn't break through the resilient Paraguay defense for a third time.Despite their greatest efforts, Uruguay had to settle for a 2-2 draw, a result that handed the U-20 South American Championship to Brazil for the second consecutive year.

In the final game of the round, Argentina needed an injury-time strike to force a 1-1 draw with Venezuela. The result means both teams are still alive in the competition with one round to play.

Los Angeles Galaxy Reject Milan's Beckham Bid

2009-02-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles Galaxy have rejected a bid from Milan for Beckham and, with time is running out to reach an agreement, the ball is now back in the Italian side's court...

Los Angeles Galaxy have rejected Milan's offer for David Beckham as they feel it's not adequate in financial terms. The Rossoneri will now have to respond with an increased offer if they are to land the Englishman.The Italian giants are currently locked in talks with the MLS club as they try to find away of keeping Beckham beyond his loan deal.

The player and Milan have always stated their desire to retain the status quo, but the deal is beginning to look complicated.AEG, who own the Galaxy, chief executive Tim Leiweke is looking for a better financial deal from the Italians, or they can forget about landing the midfielder on a permanent basis."We need to end the distractions, the circus and the zoo," said Tim Leiweke, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"We just received an offer and it was rejected."The Americans will not give up on retaining the Englishman. They still think he can be an important part of the squad, even though 'Becks' clearly has his heart set on the Rossoneri.

"If David ultimately is an asset for this team, we want him back," Leiweke said."If David has a hunger and a desire to come help us make the impact on the pitch that we wanted to make with him but haven't done yet, then he's an important member of this team. Our intention is to bring him back."Clearly, if David's in a position where he wants to finish the season in Milan, and Milan in turn compensates the Galaxy so that we can suffer no damages to our fans or to our team, then we'll take a look at it.

"But we have made it very clear to them that we expect David back here [on] March 9. They agree and understand we own the contract. They understand the only way we do this is if, when this is all said and done, the Galaxy benefits."If the Galaxy comes out better without David than with David, then we'll take a look at it."The ball is now back in Milan's court. Vice-president Adriano Galliani will have to dig deep and show Galaxy the green in order to get the ball rolling again, but it will not be easy.

"We understand his [Beckham's] infatuation with playing with one of the world's most popular club teams right now, and we understand his trying to mentally get around the idea of coming back to play with a team that didn't make the play-offs in MLS last year," added Leiweke"That said, David and us actually are talking.

He has never forced our hand on anything. This is not a legal conversation and has never been a legal conversation. He does not have lawyers looking at the contract."David has made it very clear that if our decision is to bring him back here, he will return. Period."

Cesc Fabregas could be back in action later this month against Roma.

2009-02-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas has handed the Gunners a welcome boost by revealing he could be fit in time to face Roma in the Champions League.The Spaniard suffered a serious knee injury back in December playing for Arsenal against Liverpool and has been sidelined ever since.

However, he has spoken out in recent weeks about his recovery, which he has admitted is going well, and his doctor, Ramon Cugat, has now revealed the midfielder could be fit and back in action later this month.According to the Daily Mirror, when asked if Fabregas could make Arsenal’s Champions League date with Roma on February 24, he replied, “I think so.“The Arsenal doctors said it normally takes three-and-a-half months to recover because of the way it happened.“But I believe he will return quicker than then.

I recognise that the player needs to be ready, to have good mobility and stability and that he needs to feel good after returning to training.

”The news, if it proves to be correct, would mean that Arsenal would only now be without their captain for tomorrow’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur, their FA Cup replay against Cardiff City and a Premier League tie with Sunderland at the Emirates.Cugat insisted that the best judge of all had to be the player but did confess that he believed Fabregas’ recovery was ahead of schedule.

"The one that will know best is the player. I saw him last week,” he said.“He passed the tests, there had been a clear improvement. He was expecting to make a speedy recovery.“What is even better is that he could recover more quickly than is considered normal, which is very good.”

AC Milan vs Reggina live

2009-02-07T11:18:00.000-08:00

link: http://atdhe.net/live-tv-3087.html

Back in second place, six points below the city rivals, and boosted by the umpteenth big win (a 3-0 triumph in Rome against Lazio), Milan host Reggina in a potentially easy match, which could become even more important depending on Inter’s result earlier in the afternoon

Milan should have a training match against Reggina, expecting the derby against Inter next weekend. The hosts are really in a good run right now,climbing into the 2nd place after the last round, 6 points behind Inter. With all the means, Beckam should be mentioned as he surprised everyone with his good evolutions. He succeeded to leave Ronaldinho on the bench and it should remain this well for this match also.

Kaka and Pato are also in great shape, assuring plenty of chances in front and taking advantage. Milan comes after a 3-0 in Roma against Lazio, a nice and deserved result. Last match in San Siro ended 1-1 against Genoa surprise with a late goal from ther guests.

They will have Pirlo unavailable for this match, Flamini should start but this sure can't count too much against Reggina. Reggina is rock bottom with only 15 points in 22 matches and 40 conceeded goals, no doubt the worst defence in the league. They come after a 2-2 draw against Roma but this is all about Roma's defence, lot weaker than Milan's. Despite the fact that Reggina has defensive problems and they wont be able to line-up their best defence today, Fotti didn't allow any transfers in the winter.

That's a weird thing for a team which wants to remain in Serie A. Low hopes of course. No doubt that Reggina will come to defend but they suck at that and Milan's offesive appetite is huge right now. They should score at least 2 goals and this match should be only a matter of score. 2-0? My guess is 4-0.Also h2h is crushing on San Siro, 18 goals coneeded by Reggina in the last 6 games and 0 points.

Chelsea can not score goal in stamford bridge

2009-02-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

Can not score even a single goal in home ground is to shame if the team is Chelsea, the Roman emperor club not show their true class againts promoting team hull city. Clelsea teethless, may be this is the suit words to call chelsea in this match where ended 0-0 after 90 minutes.

Prior to the game's kick-off Nicolas Anelka opined that despite still being in the title race, Chelsea had run out of ideas. That statement remained a brazen truism as the Blues struggled to out-play an off-form Hull City.

Ricardo Quaresma, who was brought in on loan from Italian giants Internazionale, was supposed to provide Chelsea with options in the midfield. He can run with the ball at feet with acceleration, and could be a useful weapon in a Blues midfield that has oft-been criticised as being too one-paced.

The Portuguese international made his bow this afternoon, but it was one to forget as he was - like he had been in Serie A - largely underwhelming.

Chelsea gave Hull some food for thought with some play that could have borne fruit, but instead the visitors just about held on. Nicolas Anelka had the better of Andy Dawson on the flank, but Ian Ashbee was on guard to sufficiently clear the danger.

It was to prove a continuing theme as even Frank Lampard's delivery from set-play was duly contained by Hull, and played out of the troublesome areas.
Eventually Hull played themselves into the game when Geovanni attempted a long-range shot from an acute angle. The Brazilian was clearly trying to test reserve 'keeper Hilario early on, but to no avail.

Quaresma, who succumbed to dramatics within the first few minutes, played some nice balls and began some interesting forward motions, but his debut was to get no better from there.
Lampard looked like Chelsea's greatest goal threat, but even he could not break down Hull's rearguard from either long-range, or from dead-ball situations.
After the break and the same motif was still prevalent. Turner and Zayette continued to be equal to Quaresma and Lampard's crossing, and the home crowd began to vent their frustrations.

In an attempt to add to Chelsea's attacking impetus, Luiz Felipe Scolari brought off Quaresma in place of Didier Drogba, but even the Ivorian couldn't turn the tide in the home side's favour.
With hindsight, it could have been wise to bring off Mikel. Hull were only playing with one striker, and the protection that Mikel was offering was not really needed, and could have easily been sacrificed in order to make a positive switch.

Hull ground out the result though, the game remained goal-less, and the Blues lost even more ground on league leaders Manchester United, and Aston Villa.

LINE UPS

Chelsea
Hilario, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Ashley Cole, Mikel, Quaresma, Ballack, Lampard, Kalou, Anelka.

Hull City
Duke, Ricketts, Turner, Zayatte, Dawson, Garcia, Ashbee, Marney, Kilbane, Geovanni, Fagan.

Real Madrid fc vs Racing Santander fc

2009-02-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

Robben and Raul were the decisive factor for Real Madrid in the game against Numancia in Soria. The reigning champions were set to suffer in the first part but in the restart Raul and Robben made things easy for los blancos.

With Pepe in the centre of defence and Casillas under the posts, Real looks solid defensively but they do not excite anyone with their offensive approach to the games. Robben is an exception and time by time becomes the new star in Madrid.

French winger Julien Faubert, is the ultimate signing. His compatriot Lass Diarra was registered in the Champions League. Robben did not trained during the week suffering a heavy gripe but he is available while Pepe has been aso completely recovered a knock in his foot. Guti and Metzelder are sidelined while Parejo could deputize in the squad.
Gago is suspended. Zigic scored again but Racing were denied the victory against Barcelona giants in frond of home fans in Santander.

The loss to Barcelona had no impact to the team‘s morale and Racing who won all their last three away games, travelled to Madrid without any fear and expedience. Ezequiel Garay is on loan in Santander and can not play on Saturday unless Racing pays 120.000 euros to Real, something that won’t happen. Having this in mind, Muniz preferred to keep him out of the squad against Barcelona despite the fact that the Argentinean had been fully recovered his injury.

Munitis is suspended and his loss is important but also important is Serrano’s (left winger) return from sanction.

Real Madrid can give his power in this match, especially without Robben (doubtful). Racing can be really dangerous on the road. We should see a high scoring game, probably with Zigic scoring again. but really madrid always playing good football when they under pressure, but champions league in front of the eyes may be more important as it is impossible to reach the league leader table in this season, so I think they will more focus in champions league than domestic league.

if you belive me take real madrid is not too bad idea.

Steelers Rally to Beat Cardinals 27-23

2009-02-02T09:05:00.001-08:00

"What a thriller! Steelers pull off the final comeback to beat Cardiac Cardinals 27-23"

The winning play of the Super Bowl was right out of a schoolyard.
Scamble right, scramble left, find someone open.

The perfect unscripted ending to a game of improbable swings.

Their Steel Curtain shredded, Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes improvised the 6-yard touchdown with 35 seconds left that gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a record-setting sixth Super Bowl victory, 27-23 over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday night.
"Great players step up in big-time games to make plays," said Holmes, the game's MVP. He said he told Roethlisberger that he "wanted to be the guy to make the plays for this team."
And he was.

This thriller certainly matched last year's upset of the New England Patriots by the New York Giants that ended with Plaxico Burress' TD catch — with 35 seconds left, too.But this one was even wilder. As the seconds ticked away, a kneeling Roethlisberger held coach Mike Tomlin's hand as Kurt Warner led one last, but futile, drive.

"These guys just don't blink," Tomlin said. "They deliver.
"It's never going to be pretty or perfect, if you will, but they have a great deal of resolve."
The Steelers (15-4), winning their second Super Bowl in four seasons, led 20-7 in the fourth quarter, only to see Warner and the Cardinals stage a remarkable rally to go in front 23-20 with 2:37 remaining.Warner hit All-Pro receiver Larry Fitzgerald in stride for a 64-yard touchdown with 2:37 left. Already owning a slew of postseason receiving marks this year, Fitzgerald sped down the middle of the field, watching himself outrun the Steelers on the huge video screen.
Fitzgerald could only watch from the sideline as Roethlisberger engineered a 78-yard drive to win it in what resembled Heinz Field South. With waves of twirling Terrible Towels turning Raymond James Stadium into a black-and-gold tableau — Steelers fans supporting their beloved team, the economy be damned — Pittsburgh's offense rescued the title.

"I knew it was a touchdown 100 percent," Holmes said, even though it had to withstand a video review. "My feet never left the ground. All I did was stand up on my toes and extended my hands."
And hauled in the pass that punctuated another Pittsburgh championship, adding to those won in the 1974, '75, '78, '79 and '05 seasons.
The stunning swings overshadowed Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison's record 100-yard interception return for a touchdown to end the first half. That looked like the signature play until the final quarter, when both teams shook off apparent knockout punches to throw haymakers of their own.

Big Ben and Holmes struck the last blow, and when Warner fumbled in the final seconds, the Cardinals' dream of winning their first NFL crown since 1947 were gone.

Bailed Out Bank of America Sponsors Super Bowl Fun Fest

2009-02-02T08:57:00.000-08:00

abc news,"Morgan Stanley Hosts Conference at 5-Star Resort in Palm Beach"

Despite a near collapse that required $45 billion in federal taxpayer bailout funds, Bank of America sponsored a five day carnival-like affair just outside the Super Bowl stadium this past week as President Obamadecried wasteful spending on Wall St.

The event – known as the NFL Experience – was 850,000 square feet of sports games and interactive entertainment attractions for football fans and was blanketed in Bank of America logos and marketing calls to sign up for football-themed banking products.
The bank staunchly defended its sponsorship, saying it was a "business proposition" and part of its "growth strategy."
Critics blasted the spending as a serious abuse of taxpayer money.

"The prominent sponsorship of the Super Bowl says to the American people we'll take your money and then we're going to go waste it," Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste, a watchdog group, told ABC News.
Leading Congressional critic, Congressman Elijah Cummings, (D-MD), said, "They should know better, but obviously they don't."

According to the Bank of America, the official bank of the NFL, its NFL partnerships and product tie-tins "generate significant revenue streams." The bank said it was legally required to fulfill its contract to be an NFL sponsor and that its NFL product sales had already increased since the Experience began Jan. 24.

The bank refused to tell ABC News how much it is spending as an NFL corporate sponsor, but insiders have put the figure at close to $10 million. The NFL Experience was on top of that and was inked last summer, according to the bank.

The NFL said it was a "multi-million dollar" event and that it was also spending money to put on the event. A Super Bowl insider said the tents alone cost over $800,000.
Tickets were available for purchase for between $12.50 and $18.50, with proceeds from ticket sales going to local youth initiatives. It was the 18th year for the "interactive fan festival" and the first that Bank of America has sponsored it.

Bailout Dollars Shouldn't Go to Super Bowl Sponsorship, Critic Says

Schatz said that deal or no deal, the event sponsorship should have been abdicated once the bank took billions in bailout funds.

"The Super Bowl is a big deal, but it's a bigger deal that Bank of America is being bailed out by the America taxpayers," Schatz said. "This is an exceptional year and it's a time to say we're not going to do business as usual. We're going to say no, we're going to show some restraint, and we're going to cut back on something that really isn't absolutely necessary."

GM, another NFL corporate sponsor and bailout recipient, said it scaled back this year and didn't send any executives to the big game or schedule dealer meetings around it.

A GM spokesperson said that while the company was still providing a fleet of courtesy vehicles to the NFL for VIPs, only 200 were sent this year, down from 400 in 2008.

Another Bailed Out Wall St. Firm Gathers in Palm Beach

Earlier last week,Morgan Stanley, the bank that laid off 5,000 employees last year and took $10 billion in taxpayer bailout money, held a three-day conference for clients at the Breakers, a five-star oceanfront resort in Palm Beach, FL.

Morgan Stanley would not say what the elegant gathering cost, but said it is an annual tradition and that its clients paid their own travel costs and got a discounted room rate of $400 a night.
Congressman Cummings said that doesn't justify hosting such a lavish event when people on Main St. are struggling to make ends meet.

"For most people on my block, that would be half of a mortgage payment, a monthly mortgage payment," he said.

From:Abc news