Soccer News - liverpool

Plenty at stake before the J. League takes recess

Fri, 16 May 2008 02:58:04 +0000

The J. League gears up for a five week recess following this weekend's round of action, with plenty at stake for clubs at both ends of the table. Consadole Sapporo kick off the weekend against Nagoya Grampus, and the two sides could hardly be experiencing more contrasting fortunes. Sapporo remain second-from-bottom despite their most recent 2-1 win away at Omiya Ardija. Second placed Nagoya were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Vissel Kobe in their most recent clash, with both of those matches taking place in atrocious conditions as wet weather continues to plague the league. There's a high profile clash at Saitama Stadium as Urawa Reds host Gamba Osaka, and the Reds can thank an errant linesman's flag for their 1-0 win over Kawasaki Frontale at a packed Todoroki Stadium last weekend. Edmilson had opened the scoring from the penalty spot for Urawa, however Kawasaki looked to have equalised through Hiroyuki Taniguchi - only for his effort to be chalked off due to an offside flag, despite the fact that Urawa midfielder Nobuhisa Yamada appeared to be playing Taniguchi onside. Kyoto Sanga FC have dropped into the relegation zone following a 1-0 defeat away at bottom club JEF United, and they will take on Yokohama F. Marinos in the unfamiliar surrounds of Kagoshima's Kamoike Stadium. Kyoto have attracted large crowds to their Nishikyogoku Stadium home this season, however they cannot rely on home advantage when they 'host' Marinos at the 36,000-capacity Kamoike Stadium on the southern island of Kyushu - hundreds of kilometres from their Kyoto base. Elsewhere Jubilo Iwata take on high-flying FC Tokyo at Yamaha Stadium, Kashima Antlers host Kashiwa Reysol, bottom club JEF United welcome Oita Trinita to the Fukuda Denshi Arena, Kawasaki Frontale take on Omiya Ardija at Todoroki Stadium, while on Sunday Vissel Kobe take on Albirex Niigata and Tokyo Verdy welcome Shimizu S-Pulse to Ajinomoto Stadium looking to avenge a recent 5-0 thrashing in the League Cup. In J2 the highlight fixtures see Sagan Tosu host Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Cerezo Osaka welcome second placed Shonan Bellmare to Nagai Stadium, Vegalta Sendai take on mid-table Montedio Yamagata, while Yokohama FC clash with Avispa Fukuoka at Mitsuzawa Stadium. J1 clubs will return to league action on June 28, however the three final group stage games of the Nabisco League Cup are set down for May 25, May 31 and June 8. Alex Miller signs on as coach of JEF United Having sacked Croatian coach Josip Kuze just 24-hours after claiming that he had the club's full support, JEF United have signed former Rangers star and Liverpool first-team coach Alex Miller to take over as coach of the embattled Chiba side. Miller watched from the stands as United beat Kyoto Sanga FC under the watchful eye of assistant coach Shigeo Sawairi, but the Scotsman will need to make a swift transition from the English Premier League to the J. League, with the Chiba Dogs still five points behind Consadole Sapporo at the foot of the table. The cashed-up United will reportedly pay Miller an annual salary of 500,000 pounds and they are also keen on trying to lure unsettled Newcastle United striker Michael Owen to the J. League. Owen came through the ranks at Liverpool during Miller's time as first-team coach, and with the Chiba side desperate to find a goalscorer - they've scored a paltry nine goals in 12 games played this season, United could be set to launch an audacious bid for the England star. AFC Champions League Gamba Osaka booked their place in the knock-out stages of the AFC Champions League by beating Thai outfit Chonburi FC 2-0 at Supachalasai Stadium in Bangkok on May 7. Substitute Masato Yamazaki opened the scoring for the Osakans just seconds after entering the fray, before Lucas Severino wrapped up the points with a late second. Gamba have an unassailable lead at the top of Group G with one match remaining. Kashima Antlers, meanwhile, are locked in a neck-and-neck battle with Beijing Guoan FC for a place in the final eight. The two sides are locked on 12 points with one game remaining, however with Kashima possessing a vastly superior goal difference, the Ibaraki outfit will progress should the two teams remain level on points at the end of the group stage. Defending champions Urawa Reds will join the competition at the quarter-final stage, with the draw set to be announced on May 24. Japan National Teams Takeshi Okada has named his squad for the upcoming Kirin Cup set to take place between May 22 - 27, with European-based trio Shunsuke Nakamura, Daisuke Matsui and Makoto Hasebe all receiving call-ups. Kawasaki Frontale defender Yusuke Igawa was the only surprise inclusion, although Urawa midfielder Keita Suzuki and strikers Seiichiro Maki and Ryoichi Maeda of JEF United and Jubilo Iwata were also called up, despite having missed much of the season through injury so far. Japan take on the Ivory Coast on May 24, before clashing with Paraguay three days later. Meanwhile Japan under-23 coach Yasuharu Sorimachi has dropped lanky FC Tokyo striker Sota Hirayama from a squad that will take part in an international tournament at the end of the month, preferring instead to call up Catania striker Takayuki Morimoto and Urawa Reds youngster Sergio Escudero. Japan take on the Netherlands, hosts France and Chile at the Toulon international tournament, with particular interest in the clash between the Netherlands and Japan, who face each other in Group B of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The USA and Nigeria are Japan's other opponents at the Olympics, with Sorimachi's team looking to become the first to win a medal since Japan claimed bronze at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News Tags Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

Champions League finals preview

Sun, 11 May 2008 11:44:27 +0000

Champions League Triumph of the Premiership as English clubs take it all Manchester United and Chelsea will meet on May 21st in Moscow in only the third single-nation Champions League finals. The first ever such event dates back to 1999/00, when Real Madrid defeated Valencia 3-0 in Paris. Three years later, Milan edged Juventus by 3-2 on penalties in Manchester. This is the epilogue of the Champions League semifinals, in which the winners overcame their opposition by just one goal. Paul Scholes put Manchester United through at Barcelona's expense with a sensational strike from 18 meters early in the game, while in the other semifinals Chelsea finally overcame Liverpool after two narrow defeats in previous encounters. Didier Drogba was the hero with two goals in what may prove one of his last games for the Blues before a reported transfer to Milan. The finals in Moscow will be the second act of the season's drama which witnesses a gigantic duel between United and Chelsea in the Premier league and in Europe. On the other hand, Liverpool's loss at Stamford Bridge meant the end of an unique tradition which saw them win nine successive semifinals in all European club competitions. Last time they were stopped at this stage was back in 1970/71 against Leeds in the old Inter Cities Fairs Cup (now incorporated in the UEFA Cup). Champions League semifinals Liverpool vs Chelsea 1-1 2-3 Barcelona vs Manchester Utd. 0-0 0-1 Finals Chelsea vs Manchester May 21st Path to finals Manchester Utd. Group stage Sporting 1-0 2-1, Roma 1-0 1-1, Dinamo Kiev 4-2 4-0 Round of 16 Lyon 1-1 1-0 Quarterfinals Roma 2-0 1-0 Semifinals Barcelona 0-0 1-0 Chelsea Group stage Rosenborg 1-1 4-0, Valencia 2-1 0-0, Schalke 2-0 0-0 Round of 16 Olympiacos 0-0 3-0 Quarterfinals Fenerbahce 1-2 2-0 Semifinals Liverppol 1-1 3-2 Copyright Ozren Podnar & Soccerphile Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

London coach crash claims two victims

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:20:39 +0000

Two top coaches in the English capital crashed this week and are recovering from their injuries. The first victim was a French national, Monsieur Arsene Wenger, whose vehicle 'Arsenal' (named after him), took the wrong turning from off a successful road to a league and European double, smashing into Liverpool in the Champions League, before being hit again by Manchester United in the Premier League. Arsenal have for my money played the sexiest football around this season, but once more were outwitted by cannier clubs when it counted, teams who exploited the Gunners' perennial inexperience and lack of grit when under pressure. A wonder goal such as that conjured up at Anfield by the irrepressible Theo Walcott and lethal Emmanuel Adebayor deserved to win any game, but only seconds later, Arsenal were outmuscled and shocked by an English-style counter and Liverpool scored via a questionable penalty. United exploited their home advantage and experience to dismiss the Gunners from the title race the following Sunday, sending Wenger into new depths of madness, as he bleated about referees having a conspiracy against his club. The gleaming new Emirates Stadium is thanks largely to that man, who has transformed London's top club into regular European contenders for the first spell in their long history. But Wenger, for all his tactical and inspirational genius, shames himself by his frequently one-sided post-match rants. It ill-behoves a coach of his talent to claim refs are out to get his team, when replays prove the Gunners benefit from at least as many 50-50 calls as anyone else. Equally, can there be anything more ridiculous than the comical 'I didn't see it' defence he trots out whenever the press needles him on such calls in Arsenal's favour? The second victim is Chelsea's Avram Grant, who under withering pressure from success-bloated 'fans', reported player dissatisfaction and above all the tabloids, 'lost it' with the press on Thursday evening. Grant answered in almost monosyllables alone to the press after his team won 1-0 at Goodison Park against Everton. It was terrific entertainment and I say Bravo, Avram! Managers should repay the contempt the press lob at them. Memories are extremely short at Stamford Bridge. Jose Mourinho was too combustible a personality for people to work with for much longer, and was fired because the results were poor at the start of the season. Grant has done a fine job in taking over from such a legend and keeping Chelsea in contention for both the league title and Champions League. Anti-semitism has reared its ugly head this season amid the Chelsea-haters, but the Israeli coach may yet have the last laugh. Another coach trying to keep the wheels on the road is Rafael Benitez at Liverpool. It seems crazy that the two American owners, who have fallen out incidentally, were gunning to replace the Spaniard with the untested Jurgen Klinsmann. Benitez works miracles in the Champions League and like, Wenger, revitalised a big club which seemed to be running out of steam. All three of the above managers, whose clubs are in the top four in the league and all reached the Champions League quarter-finals, have had their names mentioned in the UK press this week as possible summer axings. That any of Benitez, Grant and Wenger should be facing dismissal is ridiculous, but also a telling comment on the insatiable and utterly unrealistic demands of the new breed of soccer investor-operators, who have no feel or real understanding for the game. Only Sir Alex, high in his Old Trafford castle after 22 years of fortification, seems safe. (c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

Champions L eague semifinals preview

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 03:02:30 +0000

Champions League report Old acquaintances meet again The semifinal clashes in this season's Champions League have joined old foes who have run against one another many times in the European competitions. Manchester United and Barcelona have played seven games in the UEFA's competitions while Liverpool and Chelsea have met on six occasions, all of them in the last three years. United and Barcelona have a very evenly balanced score with two wins for each team and three draws. The Red Devils have been a bit more successful as they achieved a better score on two occasions, with one tie and one loss. Their first encounter took place in the Cup Winners' Cup quarterfinals in 1983/84, when United performed a sensational comeback against total favorites that Barcelona were at the time with Diego Maradona and Bernd Schuster in their ranks. The first leg on Camp Nou ended 2-0 for the Catalans, but a young Mark Hughes helped United towards an unlikely 3-0 at Old Trafford in the return match. After surviving infamous episodes at Barcelona and Bayern, Hughes returned to Manchester in 1988, in time to lead his old club to another unexpected triumph. With two goals the Welshman knocked down Cruyff's Barcelona in the 1991 Cup Winners' Cup finals. Hristo Stoichkov and Romário gave Barça a wonderful 4-0 win over United in the 1995 Champions League group stage, which ultimately cost the English side a place in the quarterfinals. Finally, in 1998/99 these two teams played two spectacular 3-3 draws in the group stage, but these scores favoured United, who went through together with Bayern, and in the end beat no other than Bayern in the finals at Camp Nou. In the previous three seasons Liverpool topped Chelsea twice in Champions Cup semifinals and between those matches other two encounters ended with goalless draws. Amazingly, in the six games only three goals were scored, two for Liverpool and one in Chelsea's favour. One of these goals, scored by Liverpool's Luis García in 2005, was in fact illegal, which makes the two teams' scoring output even more miserable. Quarterfinals 2007/08 Schalke vs Barcelona 0-1 0-1 Roma vs Manchester Utd. 0-2 0-1 Arsenal vs Liverpool 1-1 2-4 Fenerbahce vs Chelsea 2-1 0-2 Previous matches Manchester Utd. vs Barcelona 1st 2nd 1998/99 Champions League 3-3 3-3 1994/95 Champions League 0-4 2-2 1990/91 Cup Winners' Cup 2-1 1983/84 Cup Winners' Cup 0-2 3-0 Liverpool vs Chelsea 1st 2nd 2004/05 Champions League 0-0 1-0 2005/06 Champions League 0-0 0-0 2006/07 Champions League 0-1 1-0 4-1 (pen) Copyright Ozren Podnar and Soccerphile Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

World Soccer News

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:11:13 +0000

World Soccer News for the week of 04/11/08 Liverpool after "Croatian Cruyff", Luka Modric Dinamo Zagreb have received the first formal offer for their star midfielder Luka Modric. The offer came from five time European champions, Liverpool, according to leading Croatian daily, Vecernji list . The Croatian press recently published reports that Newcastle, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal all expressed interest in the 22-year-old midfield schemer, but Liverpool seems to have made the first concrete move to seize Modric. The player carries a 23 million euros price tag, but Dinamo may be willing to offload him for a mere 20 million. Should the prospective buyers wait until the end of the European Championship, the price could rise in accordance to Modric's performance. The youngster bearing an uncanny physical resemblance to Johan Cruyff is a creative, goal-scoring midfielder who has won so far two League titles, one FA Cup and one Croatian supercup, and a third consecutive league championship is virtually secure, as well as a second successive place in the FA Cup finals. "I am truly honoured if it is true that Liverpool want me. I watched them break Arsenal. That was a magnificent game. Only the biggest teams can play so well against an opponent as strong as Arsenal," said Modric. Porto celebrate title, but is it too early? FC Porto have become the first team from a major European soccer league to have secured this season's title...unless the Portuguese FA strip them of six points as punishment for attempted corruption. Porto have already celebrated their third consecutive title after beating Estrela Amadora 6-0 last Sunday, but the celebrations could prove premature if the disciplinary procedure within the FA is finalized during the next couple of weeks. It seems that during the 2003/04 season Porto arranged for certain referees to direct two of their League games, which in the eyes of the FA constitutes an attempt at corruption. Maximum punishment for this is the subtraction of six points, but Porto are certain to clinch the title even without these points seeing that their advantage over Benfica and Sporting is so huge. The club's chairman Pinto da Costa on the other hand faces a two year suspension. Playing at high altitude could be fatal, say doctors The Brazilian side Flamengo of Rio de Janeiro claim to have collected evidence of the dangers of playing at high altitude. The red and blacks received a facsimile from a group of Bolivian and Mexican doctors who had concluded that playing high above sea level could prove fatal. The doctors reached this conclusion after studying the death of a 23-year-old soccer player last year during a game in the Bolivian mountain city of Potosí. The physicians performed all sorts of heart and blood tests on various players who had played at altitudes of above 2500 meters and determined that athletes indeed can die in such conditions. The Brazilian media claim the Bolivian authorities tried to prevent the publication of the said report since their country's FA is struggling to persuade FIFA to withdraw the ban on playing international matches above 2700 meters. Other countries involved in the struggle against FIFA are Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, while Brazil and Argentina largely support the ruling. According to the medical science, athletes should have to spend two weeks adapting to high altitude before playing a soccer match, which is impracticable due to the condensed playing schedule. Mijatovic tries to lure Cristiano Ronaldo to Madrid Real Madrid's sports director Predrag Mijatovic travelled to Manchester last week to discuss a possible transfer with Cristiano Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes. According to Spanish tv station Sexta, Real Madrid are prepared to play no less than 125 million euros for the magnificent Portuguese player, which is five million more than the Spaniards had previously offered. Last summer Manchester United were unwilling to accept 120 million euros, so it is unclear how five million more could make a difference. Still, Real Madrid hope Cristiano could be theirs for much less in two years time, when he would be able to invoke UEFA's controversial Webster ruling, allowing players over 23 to buy off their contract by simply paying the club their remaining wages. Getafe protests over favouritism towards Valencia Angel Torres, chairman of Madrid giant killers Getafe, is furious over the Spanish League's treatment of his team in view of the forthcoming Cup finals to be held on April 16th. What angers Torres is the fact that the League allowed Valencia to bring forward their League game against Rácing from next Sunday to Saturday. Curiously, the League also said it would allow Getafe to play against Zaragoza on Saturday, but that change of date would not mean anything to the Madrid team. In fact, it would complicate their life rather than make it easier. The reason is Getafe played their UEFA Cup quarterfinals second leg against Bayern on Thursday, so meeting Zaragoza on Saturday would be a terrible ordeal for them. "A solution would be fielding juniors against Zaragoza, but we are not going to do that in order not to hurt other clubs. Therefore we shall ask for the resignation of the League chairman José Luis Astiazaran," said Torres. Since Zaragoza is a relegation threatened team, Getafe vows to field a full team to guarantee the regularity of the competition. Copyright Ozren Podnar & Soccerphile Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

Champions League (p)review

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:50:42 +0000

Champions League review England in extasy as Milan and Real fall It looks like three English teams will make it to the semifinals of the Champions League, just like they did last season. Arsenal or Liverpool are sure to be there while Manchester United and specially Chelsea are favourits against Roma and Fenerbahce, respectively. We may well see a repetition of last year's semifinals setup with Liverpool, United and Chelsea, with Barcelona instead of Milan this time. Well, last year Milan defeated the English competitions, United by a 5-3 aggregate in the semis and Liverpool by 2-1 in the finals, but Milan is out, after being well defeated by Arsenal in the eight-finals. Milan: End of an era The Gunners cut short the magnificent Milan's European run since the 2001/02 season. In the last six campaigns, Red and Blacks made it at least to the quarterfinals, in fact playing five times in the semifinals. Such balance made the Italians the most successful European side in the said period. Since 2002, when they were stopped in the UEFA Cup semis by Borussia Dortmund until last season's grand finale in Athens against Liverpool, Milan failed to make the last four just in 2003/04. On that occasion it took a magnificent performance by Deportivo to kick Silvio Berlusconi's boy out of the competition. Apart from that incident, Milan won the Champions League in 2003 and 2007, got narrowly beaten by Liverpool in 2005 and eliminated in the semis of 2006 by eventual winners Barcelona. Arsenal have thus made history as the team that ended the latest era of Milan's continental domination, but making it past Liverpool will take an extra effort. The Champions League is Rafael Benítez's lucky ground and the Reds in Europe regularly look quite a different side, significantly superior to the one seen in the Premiership. Prediction: Liverpool to progress Manchester United last year demolished Roma by 7-1, the heaviest defeat in the club's European history. This season in the group stage the Devils won by a mere 1-0, salvaging a draw in Rome. Francesco Totti and the rest of the ragazzi may be closing on United, but they are not matching them yet. Prediction: Manchester United by a narrower margin this time Of all English sides, Chelsea should have the easiest task against the ferocious Turks from Fenerbahce. The Canaries from Istambul boast a reported army of 20 million fans, but Roman Abramovich's invested millions will count far more on the pitch. Prediction: Chelsea absolutely must go through In the remaining tie, the mighty Barcelona's squad face Schalke, theoretically the weakest side left in the competition. The Germans are struggling even in the Bundesliga, where they have practically surrendered all chances of winning the title (the fans are accustomed to them doing that, by all means). But, this is a spirited, fighting German team which will engage Barca stars in a pitched battle with some, not many, hopes of pulling a stunning upset. Prediction: Barcelona is so much more talented Round of sixteen 1st 2nd Schalke 04 vs Porto 1-0 0-1 (4-1 pen) Arsenal vs Milan 0-0 2-0 Roma vs Real Madrid 2-1 2-1 Liverpool vs Inter 2-0 0-1 Olympiacos vs Chelsea 0-0 0-3 Celtic vs Barcelona 2-3 0-1 Fenerbahce vs Sevilla 3-2 2-3 (3-2 pen) Lyon vs Manchester Utd. 1-1 0-1 Quarterfinals (1/2nd and 8/9th April) Arsenal vs Liverpool Roma vs Manchester Utd. Schalke 04 vs Barcelona Fenerbahce vs Chelsea Copyright: Ozren Podnar & Soccerphile Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

Milan banish Istanbul nightmare, while UEFA pens a Greek ticketing tragedy

Thu, 24 May 2007 10:06:19 +0000

A Pippo Inzaghi brace handed Milan their seventh European crown as the Rossoneri defeated Liverpool 2-1 in the Champions League final in Athens' Olympic Stadium. Inzaghi deflected Andrea Pirlo's free kick seconds before half time and latched on to Kaka's delightful through-ball eight minutes before the final whistle. Dirk Kuyt headed a consolation for the Reds a minute from time. Milan gained revenge for throwing away a three-goal lead against the same opponents in the 2005 final and completed a remarkable season which began with a 15-point penalty for their role in the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal, later reduced to eight points on appeal, and a fourth-place finish in Serie A, which city rivals Inter won by a huge 22 points.

Kop Charter

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 05:39:52 +0000

Today is a milestone for the world-famous city of Liverpool. 800 years ago, the city was granted its charter and the unique, historic, cosmopolitan melting-pot of Liverpool was born. Its dialect and its people are Scouse - a stew made of many ingredients - and its symbol is the iconic Liver Bird. One team in the city of Liverpool carries its name. One team carries the city of Liverpool's symbol. One team spreads the city's name far and wide.

Reclaim The Kop

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 04:53:57 +0000

It was a dark and quiet Sunday night in the heart of Anfield. Twenty-or-so lads were gathered in The Albert Pub, which sits adjacent to the famous Spion Kop stand, to discuss some worrying trends amongst the club's current fanbase.

Middlesbrough 0 Steven Gerrard 0

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 21:55:36 +0000

With everyone hoping for a debut from Yakubu akin to that of Ravanelli's against Liverpool all those years ago, we could only be disappointed really. And as usual we were, with an unsurprising lack of creativity and pace needed to scoop up some first day points. The gap left by Zenden's departure was as obvious as the boos for the Dutchman were loud every time he touched the ball in what certainly wasn't the warm welcome back that for some reason he seemed to have been expecting. As much as Boateng tried, he couldn't provide what he and Zenden did last season. As good as he was, and it was a great performance from Gorgeous George, there was only him doing much in midfield, with Mendieta lacking match fitness and the sharpness that will come with it and Downing hardly noticeable on the pitch at all.

Liverpool Books & DVDs

Tue, 26 Dec 2006 19:22:57 +0000

In the wake of Liverpool's amazing comeback victory in the Champions League Final, the DVD of the match is highly popular and selling well. Visit our Liverpool FC bookstore for new books just published on Rafa Benitez, the 2004-2005 Champions League winning season, Joey Jones and the 1970s "golden age".