England 0- 0 Macedonia:

We have seen this before. Frustrating draws against teams such as Macedonia. Despite the result, England will go through. And then get knocked out in the quarterfinals on penalties. Any idea what the odds are on that?

Scotland 1 - 0 France

What a result for the Scots! And I like this photo! Qualification might still be beyond them with the quality in the group. They have a big game coming up against Ukraine. And looks like Sheva will be out. I hope the Scots go through.

Cyprus 5 - 2 Republic Of Ireland

What a hammering! Dont think Steve Staunton has too much time left as the coach. I hear Kenny Daglish might be called in to save the qualifying campaign.

Sweden 2- 0 Spain

Further pressure on Aragones after this defeat. I don’t care much for this racist bastard. I bet the editors at Marca are having orgasms as they write heart rending editorials calling for the return of Raul. I thought Raul’s exclusion was right. Despite the goal against Atletico, he was largely anonymous that night. Spain should go through eventually (just like the World Cup) but it looks like it will be under a different coach.

Z

P.S: Anyone else miss club football??

Technorati Tags: Euro+2008, Spain, England, Raul, Scotland, France,

Oh dear, Its another scandal that is sure to rock the foundation of the English game. Close on the heels of the famous fake Sheikh scandal that cost Erikkson his job and the calciopoli mess in Italy, a new sting conducted by the BBC’s flagship show Panaroma has exposed the corruption in the English game . Using a licensed agent to conduct the sting, the documentary showed several hidden camera videos of conversations between agents and coaches discussing payoffs for transfers. The man at the centre of this new expose is Fat Sam Allardyce. His complicity in the scandal was known well before the show aired after he made several equivocal comments in a bid to preempt the findings of the show. It did little to clear his name and the coach whose reputation had skyrocketed after his sensational work with Bolton wanderers is now on the move to vindicate himself. Fat Chance!

Fat Sam was also pivotal in sculpting the art of Long throw-ins. The same kind of football that made you switch channels and watch The Forresters in The Bold and the Beautiful but what he lacked in style he made up in efficiency. He has done wonders with the squad he had inherited but this comes as a hammer blow to his aspirations of becoming England Boss oneday. But on the other hand , as the letter of the law states he is innocent until proven otherwise.

However Sam does have company as several others have been implicated in the scandal. The others that found mention in Panaroma:-

The programme, which used an undercover reporter posing as an agent, also alleged that:

• Three agents named in the programme admitted giving bungs.

• Newcastle first-team coach Kevin Bond admitted he would consider discussing receiving payments from agents.

• Frank Arnesen, Chelsea’s director of youth football, offered Middlesbrough’s 15-year-old England youth star Nathan Porritt £150,000 over three years to move clubs.

• Liverpool also tried to tempt Porritt from Middlesbrough.

• Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp was involved in ‘tapping up’ a player.

For their part, those implicated have issued denials( Surprise, Surprise!).

Watch this space for updates.

V

La liga had a full round of matches over the weekend and there were not many interesting results. The favorites prevailed on all occasions and it looks like Sevilla are posing a great threat to the crown after a well deserved 3-2 victory in their derby against Betis. Sevilla had Kanoute to thank for his brace and it puts them on top of a liga still very much in its infancy. Surely, the bubble will burst someday for Sevilla? Won’t it?

Barca, Madrid, Valencia and Deportivo all chalked up fine victories. Villareal on the other hand seem to be struggling. After the over achievement of last season, this one seems like a reality check for the tiny club.

Here are the other results from an action packed weekend:

Result of the weekend:

The pick of the weekend results would be the coming of age of Javier Aguirre’s Atletico Madrid. Can’t deduce much from one showing but the team looked solid and seem ready for tougher challenges in the league.

Performer of the weekend: Freddie Kanoute(Sevilla)

He doesn’t look like the player who was third choice at Spurs. Kanoute has had a fantastic start to the season and looks an early season candidate for the Pichichi along with perennial favorite Samuel Eto’o and a rejuvenated Fernando Morientes.

Goal of the week: Joan Capdevilla(Deportivo La caruna vs Villareal)

Click to see the goal.

Verdict:

The challengers didn’t stutter this weekend. But somethings gotta give next week when Barca play Valencia at the Nou Camp. Good Stuff in store!

It was a weekend where the contenders got off to good starts. Barcelona, aided by a virtouso performance by Samuel Eto’o, won their match against a beleaguered Osasuna team. Osasuna look very frail this time around, they do miss the presence of ex-coach Javier Aguirre who defected to Atletico Madrid, a club with loftier ambitions. The 3-0 scoreline was well deserved and seeing Leo Messi run circles around defenders is an ominous sign for all the other challengers. Speaking of whom, Real Madrid finally turned on the style with a thumping 4-1 win and I must say, it bodes well for the league. Last year was a bit farcical. Even when Barcelona showed weakness, no other team looked like taking up the gauntlet. This season looks different already. Elsewhere, Aimar scored his first goal for Zaragoza in a three nil victory for his side against struggling Espanyol.

Result of the weekend:

Atletico Madrid 0- 1 Valencia. It was the biggest game in spain in the weekend and Valencia cemented their desire to challenge for the crown with this well worked win at the Calderon. Torres was sent off in the match but Valencia did enough to earn this win. Although Jaqouin sat this one out, You can expect him to play a big role next week.

Performer of the weekend:Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Madrid)

Van the Man was on song for Madrid with a wonderful hattrick. Although his old club doesn’t seem to be missing him, Madrid fans have taken a liking to him already. Doesn’t look like a false dawn for Madrid, but bigger tests ensue in the league season.

Verdict:

Early days yet. But Sevilla look very strong and may make me regret not tipping them as serious contenders. They beat Sociedad away with a 3-1 scoreline. That puts them top of liga. Solid team, despite so many high profile departures in the last few years. Madrid’s revival is on the cards and Becks and Ruud connecting to good effect was a pleasant sight for forlorn Madrid fans, who have been starved of good football for the last three years.

-VÂ

Technorati Tags: Barcelona AtleticoMadrid Osasuna Valencia RuudVanNistelrooy RealMadridSpanish La liga

It seems kinda inauspicious that the first time I contribute to this blog has to be after a Liverpool defeat. Oh well, I’m sure we’ll win someday…

Anyway, to the game. Everton scored three goals against their city rivals for the first time in 40-odd years, to win the 175^th Merseyside derby 3-0. This is painful to write as a Liverpool fan, but we all have to start writing reviews somewhere.

The game started fairly well for Everton, who seemed to have the edge over Liverpool in the first tem minutes. I’m only saying this because that’s what my dad said on the phone when I called him from an auto on the way home from work. I hate it when ANYthing interferes with football, especially work. In any case, I managed to get home during the 22^nd minute, so I’ll start from there. The first half was fairly even, possession-wise, with a long ball game being played by both teams. Bit of a shame really, considering Liverpool are such a good passing side, but then I would say that now, wouldn’t I?

The first Everton goal came in the 25^th minute, when Mikel Arteta swung a ball in from the right, with Lee Carsley heading on towards the far post. The Liverpool defense had forgotten where they were supposed to be, and somehow the ball popped up right in front of goal, with two Everton players waiting to pounce, not a Liverpool defender to be seen. Tim Cahill scored, swept the ball between Reina’s legs into the back of the net. 1-0. The build-up to the goal was excellent, and I didn’t really grudge them their goal. Ridiculous defending, certainly, but worse was to come.

Not before the Reds equalized almost instantly when Luis Garcia’s cross, via Tim Howard’s gloves, was stabbed towards goal by Steven Gerrard. It was a difficult chance though, and Gerrard saw his effort go off the outside of the near post for a goal kick.

Everton scored again in the 36^th minute through Andy Johnson. Shock-horror defending by Hyypia and Carragher, with the latter practically laying it on a plate for Andy Johnson to strike a very composed finish past the helpless Jose Reina. Poor sod.

I’ve been told to cut this down a little, so I’ll only mention a couple more incidents (truth is, I can’t really remember everything else I was so depressed, but it’s nice to blame the ed!)

The Second Half

The second half started much as the first had finished, with Andy Johnson breaking free briefly, only to be halted by the Liverpool defense. To be fair to Liverpool, they did play well, creating several chances over the course of the game. Their finishing let them down, however, and I believe this is something which needs to be addressed by Rafa Benitez. Who is, officially, a genius, in spite of this blot on his copybook. (I love this guy!)

Momo Sissoko, the Mali International, had a bit of a stormer. True, he did make a couple of mistakes, but to be honest with you, he looked frightening. I lost count of the number of times he made inch-perfect, AGGRESSIVE tackles, which invariably left his opponent on the deck, and him with the ball. One to watch out for, methinks.

Midway thorough the second half, a well worked Liverpool move resulted in Steven Gerrard breaking free down the right. His shot from an acute angle cannoned off the inside of the post, with Tim Howard, the Everton goalkeeper, well beaten. Almost tantalizingly, it rolled right across the face of goal, but no one in a Red shirt was there to put it away. Dirk Kuyt, who had come on for Peter Crouch earlier, did manage to get a shot in from an equally acute angle, which appeared to bounce off Tony Hibbert’s trailing left arm. To be fair to him, I didn’t really think it was a penalty the first time I saw it, although replays proved me wrong. No penalty, however, from our erstwhile international referee, Graham Poll. Bit of a shame, really, because it turned out to be pivotal.

There was more bad news for Liverpool when John-Arne Riise was stretchered off, after a badly mistimed tackle on. His left ankle twisted almost backward, and it was no surprise that he stayed down. Poor Sod, seriously. He’d spent, I dunno, twenty minutes (max) on the pitch after being out for two weeks with an injury. A big blow, and exacerbated by the referee booking him as the stretcher passed him, AND Liverpool being down to ten men, having made all their substitutions.

They put up a bit of a fight though, and deserved to pull at least one back, attacking repeatedly in the last ten minutes. Everton’s back four stood firm though, and kept everything Liverpool threw at them at bay. And they scored an almost farcical third goal.

The third goal:

Andy Johnson got a good shot in from around twenty yards out, which Pepe Reina was only able to palm straight up in the air. The ball’s trajectory took it over his head and towards goal. Under pressure from the speedy little tyke that is Andy Johnson, he pushed the ball away from goal. Unfortunately, Johnson’s head got in the way, and the ball thumped into the roof of the net – a bald head really is the ultimate weapon. (Just ask Marco Materazzi!)

Verdict:

3-0, then. The scoreline did flatter Everton to an extent, but Liverpool really didn’t do enough to get anything out of this game. Here’s to PSV Eindhoven away midweek. Crikey.

Man of the Match: Andy Johnson. Lee Carsley did have a good game, but Johnson continued his incredible run of form with two priceless goals in a derby match.

Oasisboy

(Oasisboy is a great guy and recommends you download the live version of Led Zeppelin’s No Quarter)

Technorati Tags: Football, Liverpool, Everton, Gerrard,

The plot thickensLast week, the whole world was shocked by the signings of Macherano and Tevez by the unheralded London Club West Ham United…..It quite possibly is the biggest coup since Diego Maradona signed for Napoli in the 80s. Why would these two Argies, who have been the subject of interest from clubs such as Manchester Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea choose to move to a club, whose biggest signing until last week was the 7 million pound capture of Dean Ashton, a gifted player but yet to make his debut for his home country. There was a rant odor to it. Its not everyday that clubs with modest ambitions get two proven players from another country commanding huge transfer fees. As expected the air cleared with West Ham claiming that they were in takeover talks with Iranian born self made millionaire Kia Jobarcheen. It is very clear that he has a vested interest in West Ham and seeing his top stars move to the english capital was favorable if he did indeed finalise his takeover of the club. Kia is a man shrouded in mystery, Not much is known about the reclusive businessman but just that he is close to Russians Roman Abromovich and the shady Boris Berezovsky, Russia’s most famous mafia don. Insiders are convinced that he is acting at the behest of Boris, who was incidentally Russia’s first billionaire.

Kia has huge plans for West Ham if he the takeover comes through. He was CEO of MSI and was in charge of Brazilian club Corinthians but there is only so much you can do in the penury of the brazilian leagues. The money and the fame is in Europe and this move will expedite one of those goals.

What appears is that the deal is more complex that what meets the eye. Many are claiming that MSI have offered the players to West Ham and then after the year whatever profits they expect wil be pocketed by parent organisation . It seems a lot like a loan deal but Kia and MSI have been quick to refute that. Also, Alan Pardew may have his hands forced as far as team selection goes. Apparently there is a clause in their contracts that allows them to be selected automatically if passed fit, regardless of Pardew’s plans. This could prove to be very tricky, especially if the two dont live up to the hype.

It was leaked yesterday that MSI’s attempts to hawk their wares was unsuccessful. Portsmouth and Man Utd turned down moves for the duo. So it left West Ham being the only viable destination.

The next few days will be crucial to clearing up the fuzzy picture we have at present.

V

Technorati Tags: Football, West, Ham, Tevez, Arsenal, ManUtd

A Preview

Its been two years since the unfancied Greek team lifted the Euros at Lisbon. The tournament wasn’t a classic by any stretch of the word. Defensive football had won over attacking flair, whence the saying ‘To do a greece’- which means to defend at all times and score on set plays. Hardly edge of the seat stuff but as Portugal found out on two occasions in 2004 , it is very effective. But lets be more optimistic and hope that that style of football is a thing of the past…….

On the subject, Euro 2008 qualifiers kick off this weekend with some top european teams slugging it out. It will be fascinating to see them in action just two months after the enervating World Cup [ I’m trying to make it as interesting as possible, please bear with me. Given the material- Georgia vs France, England vs Andorra and Serbia vs Azerbaijan to name a few, I think I’m doing a fine job of it ]

Here are the groups for the Euro 2008 qualifiers :-

Group A Portugal Poland Serbia & Mont Belgium Finland Armenia Azerbaijan Kazakhstan

Group B France Italy Ukraine ScotlandLithuania Georgia Faroe Islands

Group C Greece Turkey Norway Bosnia Hungary Moldova Malta

Group D Czech Republic Germany Slovakia Rep Of Ireland Wales Cyprus San Marino

Group E England Croatia Russia Israel Estonia Macedonia Andorra

Group F Sweden Spain Denmark Latvia Iceland Northern Ireland Liechtenstein

Group G
Holland
Romania
Bulgaria
Slovenia
Albania
Belarus
Luxembourg

Change to the Format :The Qualifying Format has been changed compared to previous tournaments. The winners and runners-up from seven groups will automatically qualify for the Championship, with the hosts filling the other two slots in the 16-team tournament. The change means there will be no play-offs between teams finishing in second place in the groups. Six of the qualifying groups will contain seven teams, and the other eight.

Predictions : I don’t see any of the heavyweights struggling but there will be a few mouth watering matches on offer. The most interesting will be the WC 2006 final rematch sans Zidane on 06/09/2006 and the replay on 08/09/2007. Its a spread out competition so the business end will be a few months away. Group B seems very interesting with Ukraine offering stiff competition to the WC finalists. I tip the french to get the boot.

Group A: Portugal, Poland

Group B: Italy, Ukraine

Group C: Greece , Turkey

Group D: Czech Republic, Germany [ The team placed third in the WC , hasn’t qualified for the following Euro in a long time, but the teutons get the nod for lack of quality opposition]

Group E: England, Russia [Remember, Hiddink is the coach of Russia now. A shoo-in given his pedigree]
Group F: Sweeden , Spain [The danes to miss the bus]

Group G: Holland, Bulgaria

V

PS: Interesting friendly this weekend at The Emirates Stadium with Brazil and the Argies locking horns. Its Ronnie [if his injury isn’t very serious] vs Messi for me. We will also get a chance to see Sergio Aguero and West Ham’s latest signings in action. *still pinching myself*

Technorati Tags: Euro2008, Football, England, France, Hiddink, Brazil,

No, its not April 1st. A statement on Carlos Tevez’s personal website says that Tevez along with his team-mate Javier Mascherano, have a signed a contract to play for West Ham United of England.

There is no update on the West Ham United website. Maybe this is just an elaborate prank but if this is true it will have to be the mother of all transfer coups. Even bigger than Luis Figo to Real Madrid.

Sportinglife says that the two of them are joining on a season long loan deal. This does make sense as Tevez publicly accepted that he hates life in Brazil (where he plays for Corinthians). The pair’s rights are owned by Media Sports Investment, a British-based company with financial involvement in Corinthians. MSI were linked with a takeover of the Hammers last season.

More updates later.

Updated-

It is TRUE! We have all been expecting a loan deal but this is permanent. Don’t think that counts for much as I must say this whole deal smells of dirty Russian money. Where did West Ham get ALL That money from? How much did they spend on these guys?

But who cares if you are a West Ham fan! Will be interesting to watch what pans out through the season. This will undoubtedly make West Ham much stronger in Europe but whether the Hammers will actually challenge for a top 3 4 finish in the premiership will obviously depend on how fast these guys adapt to the league. (And South Americans are notorious for not adapting to the premiership- don’t start throwing the name of the odd exception at me!)

But my god- this has to be the biggest transfer coup in history. Period. Unless, Ronaldinho is convinced to move to Bolton by Sam!

Z

Technorati Tags: West, Ham, Football, , Tevez, Mascherano, Corinthians

Result of the Weekend:

Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal

Arsene Wenger must be hoping that his side can put together a string of good performances after the 2-week break. Perfect example of the unpredictability of sport. City were coming in off a rotten run, nothing has been going right for them and Thatcher’s horrific elbow on Pedro Mendes did not help either. City rode their luck through the match and somehow got home with a 1-0 victory. Special menion for Nicky Weaver. Only god knows how this man is playing football after all the operations. In fact he is making first team appearences after close to three years.

Goal of the Weekend:

Daniel Agger’s absolute cracker against West Ham United.Supposedly the best defender to come out of Denmark since the glory of Euro 92.

Watch the goal here.

Verdict:

Early days but all the signs are pointing towards a very interesting season. The presence of Martin O Neill and a rejuvenated Aston Villa could make the season more interesting. With Randy Lerner ’s (What a name!) imminent take over of Villa, it will be interesting to see the players he signs before the transfer window closes.

Technorati Tags: EPL, Football, Arsenal, United, Chelsea, Keane, Sunderland

The season starts now:

With the curtain raiser to the Spanish La liga season now behind us, We can look forward to the new season in Spain with a few new contenders and changes from the previous season. Barcelona strolled to their second straight championship last time, also accumulating a horde of trophies and individual awards. But this time around liga has undergone a makeover and mostly in the Castillon region of Spain. Their two clubs- Real and Atletico- have invested heavily in players but their biggest signings have been that of their coaches. Having said that few would bet against a Barcelona especially after a particularly productive offseason, during which they had taken advantage of the bargain sale at Juventus. The new season has a familiar feeling but the fresh talent makes it very interesting for me, making it easily the best league in the world.

Now for at closer look at the la liga season:

4) Valencia: Valencia have spent big in the summer, welcoming Tavano and Morientes in what will be a talented frontline. They have recently snapped up the talented winger Joaquin from Betis. The problem remains in defence where they have lost Carboni and Aerelio and also have a very disgruntled Ayala to start with. Valencia have added Asier Del horno to make up for the losses but Pablo Aimar has jumped ship to Zaragoza in a total surprise.
Positives: Joaquin, Morientes, Manager Quique Flores and Tavano
Negatives: Defence and an aging goal keeper.
Star player for the season: David Villa

3) Atletico Madrid: I’m expecting big things from Atletico Madrid, mainly because they have signed La Liga’s most underrated coach in Javier Aguirre. He will be the one to watch along with latest Argentine import Sergio Aguero. And although I’m not a big fan of his, Fernando Torres could bag atleast 20 goals this year. What many dont know is that Atletico have the most solid defence in la liga. They have a player who could well be the best defender in the world in Luis Perea. They have added Pernea (scored 10 goals last year for Getafe) as a left back and collectively it is the best defence in la liga.

Positives: Sergio Aguero, Maxi Rodriguez, Luis Perea
Negatives: Midfield not the most creative
Star Player for the season: Sergio Aguero

2)Real Madrid: No club has undergone as big a transition as has Real Madrid. There has been a change in President, coaches and in half the starting lineup. New players in include Emerson and Cannavaro from Juventus and Diarra from Lyon. Also, they have got Van Nistelrooy from United. As we speak, Madrid are still trying to get Kaka to the Bernabeu. The galactico ethos has been abandoned for a more pragmatic approach and that is Capello’s USP. Dont expect the most fluent football, but expect better results from this new outfit.

Positives: Capello
Negatives: Fans(impatient), Raul(the powers that be wont wont him out though his performances merit that)
Star Player for the season: Ruud Van Nistelrooy

1) Barcelona: In the offseason, The best got better. The Catalans have added Lillian Thuram and Gianluca Zambrotta- both steeled in the rigors of Italian football. The catalans may miss the finishing of Larsson, but the silky skills of Eidur Gudjohnsen may more than compensate. Pre-season form has been ominous, including the most attractive display of attacking football in years in the first half of the Gamper trophy against Bayern Munich (whom they thrashed 4-0). The sky is the limit for this team and at present no team in Europe can match them for flamboyance and productivity.

Positives: Rijkaard, Messi and Ronaldinho
Negatives: Eto’o (his outbursts would annoy even the most passionate cule)
Star Player for the season: Messi

V

Technorati Tags: Spain, Catalan, Barcelona, Atheltico, Madrid, Valencia, Messi, Ronaldinho, Aguero, Torres, Nistelrooy, Football, Soccer,