General Football/Soccer Talk

Watched United/Fulham, United absolutely ripped them to pieces in the opening 20 minutes. Scored 4 goals but only finished with 5 I think. The combination of Rooney and Ronaldo is brilliant, but they definitely need another striker. It seems like Saha (even though he scored) is a bit of a weak link, his touch is quite poor compared to those two and he tends to break up the flow a bit.

Finished 5-1 I believe. They scored all the goals apparently because Fulhams goal was an own goal by Rio. I'd be so happy if tomorrow I woke up hearing United signed Fred.

Not quite, United's second goal was an own goal, so it kinda levels out lol. Torres would slot into that team perfectly.

He actually would. Anybody but Tevez who after eeing him the past few months I have concluded he is somewhat overrated. Mascherano sounds good if no Hargreaves though.

Larsson risks ban for punch in match

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- Henrik Larsson could face a suspension for punching an opponent in the stomach during a Swedish Cup game this weekend.

The incident -- in a quarterfinal match between Helsingborg and Elfsborg -- was reported to a disciplinary committee at the Swedish Football Association on Monday, committee member Elisabeth Aldaeus said.


Television footage from the game showed Larsson punching Elfsborg's Jon Jonsson in the stomach after an incident where Jonsson seemingly was holding on to Larsson's jersey.

The referee missed the blow, and did not call a foul on Larsson. Jonsson was forced to leave the game with stomach pains.

Aldaeus said Larsson, who is highly regarded in Sweden for his mild manners, was reported by other committee members after they reviewed the footage.

"They think this should be punished," she said, adding that Larsson had been given until Thursday to issue a statement to the committee.

Punishments handed out by the committee usually include suspensions and sometimes a fine.

Larsson said after the game, which was won by Helsingborg on penalty kicks, that he had pushed Jonsson, but denied that he threw a punch.

"He was holding on to me, and I just tried to shove him away," Larsson said.

Larsson gave Helsingborg a 2-0 lead with a header in the first half, but later left the game with a leg injury.

Larsson turned down a contract extension with Champions League winner FC Barcelona, saying he wanted to move back to Sweden.

Juve appeal puts Italian clubs at risk

GENEVA (AP) -- FIFA could ban world champion Italy and all Italian clubs from international competition if Juventus goes to an administrative court to challenge the sanctions it received in the country's match-fixing scandal.

FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren said Wednesday that forcing a decision before a state court would interfere with the autonomy of the soccer world and undermine the sport's arbitration system.

In a letter sent by president Sepp Blatter to the Italian federation on Tuesday, FIFA said it was prepared to ban all Italian clubs -- as well as the national team -- from international soccer if Juventus goes ahead with its legal action.

"The president referred the Italian federation to Article 61, which states that the decisions of sports courts may not be brought before an administrative court. It also stipulates that national federations must have such an article within their statute books," FIFA said.

Juventus announced after a board meeting Monday that it planned to appeal to an administrative court in Rome, although it has not formally taken such a step.

"If Juventus go before an administrative court, then FIFA pass the matter to its emergency committee," Herren said. "The committee wouldn't even have to meet in person. It (the suspension of all Italian teams) could happen very quickly."

A suspension, if it were imposed, would be indefinite and could stop the national team from taking part in the qualifying competition for the 2008 European Championship.

In the letter, FIFA gave FIGC until Wednesday to explain how it would stop Juventus from going ahead with the appeals.

The Italian soccer federation responded by saying it is prepared to open further disciplinary proceedings against Juventus if the club appeals its sentence to an ordinary court, beyond sports jurisdiction.

Herren said that in an "ideal situation, the Italian federation will solve this problem within its own sports courts."

A ruling on July 14 by the FIGC stripped Juventus of its last two Serie A titles and relegated the Turin powerhouse to the second division. A sports appeals court on July 25 reduced Juve's point penalty from 30 to 17.

The club argues that the punishment it received was unduly harsh, and that it lost millions of dollars) as a result.

Three other Italian clubs involved in the match-fixing scandal received point penalties, but were not relegated.

yee Man U won 3-0 without Ronney,Scholes and neveille and chelsea lost

Ronaldinho reigns in Monaco



Spanish-based players dominated the UEFA Club Football Awards in Monaco this evening. On the eve of the UEFA Super Cup, the traditional European season curtain-raiser, and as part of the draw for the UEFA Champions League group stage, FC Barcelona's inspirational forward Ronaldinho collected the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year prize, while his team-mates Carles Puyol, Deco and Samuel Eto'o swept the board in the UEFA Champions League's outfield awards.

Ronaldinho brilliance
Ronaldinho was an eye-catching presence as the Catalan club lifted the trophy at the Stade de France in Paris, missing just one of his side's 13 matches and scoring seven goals en route to the final. The playmaker, who succeeds Liverpool FC's Steven Gerrard as UEFA Club Footballer of the Year - formerly the Most Valuable Player - and becomes the second Brazilian to take the accolade after Ronaldo in 1998, scored a hat-trick in the 5-0 demolition of Panathinaikos FC and also contributed crucial strikes against Chelsea FC and SL Benfica in the knockout stage.

Puyol honoured
Ronaldinho became the first Barça player to be honoured at the event last year when he was named Best Forward, but this time the Spanish team monopolised proceedings. Puyol was recognised as the UEFA Club Defender of the Year, crowning an exceptional 12 months. Not only was he only the second Blaugrana captain to collect the European Champion Clubs' Cup, he also skippered the side to the Primera División title for the second season running and represented Spain with distinction at the FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Deco first
Deco was acclaimed as Best Midfielder, having got his hands on the European Cup for the second time in three years last term. The Portuguese international was part of the FC Porto team that triumphed in 2004, when he also won the Best Midfielder gong, meaning he becomes the first player to be recognised in the same category with two different clubs. Samuel Eto'o, meanwhile, scored the Spanish champions' equaliser against Arsenal FC in Paris, one of six strikes he contributed to Barcelona's UEFA Champions League victory. His efforts were recognised with the Forward of the Year trophy.

Lehmann consolation
The final UEFA Champions League award, for Best Goalkeeper, went to Jens Lehmann of Arsenal. The German international might have been sent off early in the final loss to Barça, but he had previously kept eight consecutive clean sheets and saved Juan Riquelme's last-gasp penalty in the semi-final second leg against Villarreal CF to take the Londoners into the final for the first time.

Voting changes
New voting procedures were introduced this year with the head coaches of the 16 sides that reached the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League knockout rounds all having a say in the awards presented. New trophies were also handed out. The fresh design is based around a blossoming flower which represents the five-pointed star that has become a symbol of Europe's premier club competition.

Well this isn't a suprise,Ronaldinho deserves it.This just shows how Barcelona plays.They play great soccer and are very hard to beat.Not like Real,where every player on the team plays for himself .

Lehman in my opinion deserved the award.He made a lot of great saves when the team needed it the most .

so if they ban italy, would it take away their world cup?

No they wouldnt lose it but risk not qualifying for European Championships.

another good day today football wise for me, Man U won again without Rooney and Scholes and Arsenal lost only downside was Ferdinand's injury, just hope its not too serious. With two weeks of the Premiership gone already I was wondering what you guys think will be the top three, mine will be:

Man U
Chelsea
Liverpool

I don't think Arsenal have one chance of winning it, not this season anyway but their team has potential.

I think the top 3 will be Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd. I'm not too sure of the order though. I get the feeling Liverpool may be fakers and I'm also not that big a fan of Kuyt. I've seen vids of the guy which people were raving over and it failed to to bring out a single wow. He looks slightly above average but hey, I wouldnt mind if he proved me wrong.

Supercoppa TIM (Italian Supercup. A contest between the winner of the Scudetto and the winner of the TIM Cup, known as the Coppa Italia) results:
After half-time:
Inter FC (Scudetto "winner") 1-3 AS Roma (TIM Cup winner). Goals: Mancini (13' ROMA), Aquilani (24', 34' ROMA), Vieira (44' INTER). No subs.

After full-time:
Inter FC 3-3 AS Roma. Goals: Crespo (65' INTER), Vieira (74' INTER). Subs: 54' Maicon for Grosso (INTER), 61' Crespo for Adriano (INTER), 66' Cassetti for Taddei (ROMA), 72' Mido for Totti (ROMA), 81' Tonetto for Aquilani (ROMA).

After overtime:
Inter FC 4-3 AS Roma. Goals: Figo ('95 INTER).

Red cards: Chivu (100' ROMA). Yellow cards: Vieira, Maicon, Cambiasso (INTER); Taddei, Cassetti, Mido (ROMA).

Winner: Inter FC.

It was a great match. Very fun to watch, unlike most of the Italian soccer.

I was sitting here thinking of watching it but nobody on either team really interests me to the point where I wanna spend 2 hours watching them. Adriano didnt score so that makes it worse. Ah well, maybe I'll find some highlights.

I think the top 3 will be Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd. I'm not too sure of the order though. I get the feeling Liverpool may be fakers and I'm also not that big a fan of Kuyt. I've seen vids of the guy which people were raving over and it failed to to bring out a single wow. He looks slightly above average but hey, I wouldnt mind if he proved me wrong.

Serious? I was really impressed by him. He has great touch, almost put Bellamy through for 3 goals (all offside though) and his shots weren't bad at all. Plus he chased everything down. Although I'm not sure if you're just commenting on the videos or on his debut yesterday.

I was commenting on the videos I saw. Didnt even remember he played yesterday, shoulda watched that before I commented. Oh well. 16+ goals in the Prem and I'll call him quality. Might just be a matter of time before he gets off the mark by the sounds of things.

Keane signs on at Sunderland

Roy Keane has been confirmed as Sunderland's new manager by putting pen-to-paper on a three-year deal following The Black Cats' 2-0 win over West Brom on Monday.

The former Manchester United hero had agreed to link up with compatriot Niall Quinn at The Stadium of Light on Sunday, but waited until after the Bank Holiday Championship clash to confirm his arrival in the world of management.

After retiring as a player with Celtic over the summer, Keane was identified as the man to restore the struggling Black Cats to the top flight after their relegation last season.

Quinn has spoken of a need to install a winning mentality at the North East club, and, with Keane watching on, Sunderland ended a five-game losing streak against Bryan Robson's West Brom on Monday afternoon.

Following the last game of his time as caretaker boss, Sunderland chairman Quinn confirmed that Keane had signed a contract that installs him as the new manager.

"Roy has signed, it's done and dusted," said Quinn on the club's official website.

"This represents a major coup for our football club.

"The fact that one of the most influential figures in world football is willing to come and help unlock the massive potential here should make all Sunderland fans very happy and excited for the future.

"Roy Keane's standards of professionalism are legendary and his desire and determination to succeed are precisely what this club requires.

"Let's all support and enjoy one of football's true greats as he embarks on what we all hope will be a fantastic new chapter in Sunderland Football Club's rich and proud history."

Keane's first game as a manager comes away to Derby County on Saturday, with the former Republic of Ireland international looking to have the same extensive success in the dugout that he enjoyed as a player.

Contrary to previous expectations Brian Kidd will not be joining as Keane's assistant, with that particular responsibility now falling to Leicester City coach and former international team-mate Tony Loughlan.

It's going to be interesting to see how Keane's mangerial career begins and how well Sunderland does under his management after loosing their first four games.

Adbelwahab dies on pitch



Egyptian international full-back Mohamed Abdelwahab has died on the pitch after a suspected heart-attack in Cairo. He was training with his club side, African Champions Al-Ahly, and had been tipped for a move to Europe after impressing in Egypt's African Nations win in February.

"He did not clash with another player, he just fell on the ground," a club spokesman told the BBC.

The 22-year-old left-sided player collapsed during a training session and was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.

"It might be a heart attack but we are not sure yet," the team doctor said.

Abdelwahab's death has sent shockwaves through Egypt, with the players in the victorious African Nations side being elevated to national heroes after beating Ivory Coast on penalties.

The attacking wing-back was involved in a dispute between Ahly - with whom he has spent the past two seasons - and Emirates club Al Dafraa, who hold his registration but refused to sell him either to Ahly or foreign bidders. FIFA were poised to investigate the row in September.

Wow, that's horrible. Best of wishes to his family and friends.

It's not the first time that it's happened either; I remember a couple of years back there was several players succumbing to the same fate, only within a few months..

On another note, has anything like this happened in the NBA?

another one

Why does this happen anyway I don't understand.
Soccer lost a lot of player,because of heart problems.Fifa should do something about this.

On another note, has anything like this happened in the NBA?

Not sure but the last NBA death I remember was Jason Collier I believe (even though it wasnt on the court).

Wow, that's horrible. Best of wishes to his family and friends.

It's not the first time that it's happened either; I remember a couple of years back there was several players succumbing to the same fate, only within a few months..

On another note, has anything like this happened in the NBA?

Reggie Lewis, former Celtic, died in 1993... apparentely he collapsed on the court in an off-season training session.