World Soccer

When Klaas-Jan Huntelaar left Ajax for Real Madrid in 2008, he looked destined for big things. A serial scorer in Holland, "The Hunter" only stayed at the Bernabeu for half a season, scoring eight goals in 13 Primera Liga starts. Next stop AC Milan, as Real president Florentino Perez went about clearing out the club's Dutchmen and making his own mark in his second stint as president. Read more... Huntelaar Must Settle Down originally appeared on About.com World Soccer on Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 05:19:18.

Transfer deadline day is always a highlight of the soccer calendar, so here are some of the high-profile deals that went through. Arguably the most eye-catching transfer of the day was Robinho's permanent switch from Manchester City to AC Milan for an undisclosed fee. Read more... Big Transfers on Deadline Day originally appeared on About.com World Soccer on Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 at 17:02:17.

Diego completed a move from Juventus to Wolfsburg earlier this week and scored on his debut against Mainz on Saturday. The Brazilian midfielder is a delightful playmaker when in form and there was always the feeling he would eventually come good for Juve. Read more... Diego Taking a Step Backwards originally appeared on About.com World Soccer on Saturday, August 28th, 2010 at 13:05:45.

Jose Mourinho is a rare bird indeed. Few other coaches in the world game feel the need to criticize their counterparts like the Special One. It is unusual to see one coach mock another without some sort of provocation but Mourinho is an expert at off the cuff outbursts which, while fascinating, must leave the subjects exasperated. This week it is the turn of England coach Fabio Capello, Mourinho's Inter Milan successor Rafael Benitez and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger.

Sevilla were always fighting a losing battle after Andres Palop's mistake allowed Matheus to score the deadly away goal for Braga in the Champions League play-off on Tuesday. Trailing 1-0 from the first leg after another error from experienced goalkeeper Palop, Sevilla could ill afford to concede. They went on to lose 4-3 (Lima scoring a hat-trick for the visitors) at home to last season's Portuguese runners-up who will now take their place in the Champions League group stages.

Stoke City striker Dave Kitson suggested earlier this week that iPods are damaging the camaraderie in dressing rooms. This instantly made me think of an article by the excellent Tim Vickery last season. He wrote about the impact of technology on the Brazil World Cup teams in recent years and how important it is that players maintain focus. Read more... iPods a Soccer Evil? originally appeared on About.com World Soccer on Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 at 14:17:22.

After the second galactico era last summer, when Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso were signed at great expense,  it seems Real Madrid have taken stock and are investing sensible sums in players who are not such household names.   President Florentino Perez was the man responsible for the above signings, but new coach Jose Mourinho was never going to join a club where the transfer policy is completely out of his hands. The result of the Portuguese tactician's move to the Bernabeu has been a suspension of that second galactico era and a clutch of signings that make sense. Read more... Sensible Signings at Last originally appeared on About.com World Soccer on Thursday, August 19th, 2010 at 17:43:38.

I was at White Hart Lane at the weekend as Tottenham and Manchester City played out an entertaining goalless draw on the opening day.   City boss Roberto Mancini plumped for Joe Hart in goal ahead of Shay Given in what was the biggest selection dilemma of the day for either manager. The 23-year-old England hopeful went on to make six crucial first-half saves, including a hat-trick of stops from Jermain Defoe, to justify his manager's selection and keep City in the game.  Read more... What Now For Given? originally appeared on About.com World Soccer on Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 04:39:54.

Players must select two goalkeepers in their Fantasy Premier League team, although only one can score points in a gameweek. I have always believed it is logical to select one of these two goalkeepers from a club challenging for the title. However, last season only Cech of Chelsea was among the title challenging goalkeepers to finish in the top 12 Fantasy stoppers, but this was primarily due to injuries suffered by Manchester United's Edwin van der Sar and Arsenal's Manuel Almunia.

When it comes to selecting defenders for your Fantasy Premier League team, there are a number of factors to take into account. Defenders get most of their points through keeping clean sheets, but signing those capable of providing a good number of assists and scoring a few goals can help your team no end. Read more... Fantasy Premier League Tips: Defenders originally appeared on About.com World Soccer on Friday, August 13th, 2010 at 04:42:54.