Ribery Looks To Lead Bayern Past Juventus...

Here it is folks. The final round robin matchday of this year’s installment of Champions League play. Fortunately for us there is much to be settled (and hopefully in dramatic fashion) during these last group stage matches.On behalf of all of the die-hard Cheddarbomb footy fanatics…  it is my distinct pleasure to bring you another installment of Champions League predictions:

Group A - With FC Girondins de Bordeaux already through to the knockout round the stage has been set for Bayern Munich and Juventus to do battle for rights to second place in the group. It will be difficult for both sides, though I think Bayern’s struggles throughout the Champions Legaue and at home in the Bundesliga will come to a head tonight in the form of a loss to the Italian side. Juve to win. Also, look for Bordeaux to sweep aside Maccabi Haifa, despite having already qualified.

Group B – With Man U punching their ticket to the next stage of the tournament on Matchday 4, it will fall to CSKA Moskva andVF  Wolfsburg to determine whom will join their English counterparts in the final 16. CSKA will face Besiktas who managed a win against Manchester, at Old Trafford, and Wolfsburg will face the Red Devils in two bouts that will determine much in the group. Despite being eliminated from this tournament Besiktas will still strive for a solid result against their opponents so that they may continue to play European football in the Europa League (a laudable accomplishment for the Turkish side). Having offered a rather strong performance last matchday, I contend that they will be able to topple the Russian side. Wolfsburg will face stiff competition from Man U considering the fact that United have not clinched the top spot and require at least one point from the match to do so. Besiktas to win, United to win.

Klaas Jan Looks To Strike Again In Zurich

Group C - Marseille, Milan, Madrid. With all of these big ‘M’s in contention one has to wonder just exactly where the chips will fall on the final day of round robin play. Milan is surely happy they will face already eliminated Zurich FC (especially on the heels of the awakening of striker K-J Huntelaar), while Marseille and Madrid will likely head into their contest calculating the best possible way to dump the other out of European play. I don’t expect an overconfident show from either squad, though I expect flashes of brilliance on either side of the pitch. That being said, Madrid and Milan to rule the day in Group C.

Group D - Chelsea and Porto Qualified – who even cares after that? Look for Atletico to play their hearts out against Porto to ensure that they snatch the prospective Europa League berth away from APOEL Nicosia. I won’t be offering any predictions on this one as I don’t see either Chelsea or Porto dressing their top XI… anyone can win, lose or tie in Group D on Day 6.

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Hoera! Het zilveren jubileum van deze rubriek. En deze misstaat wederom niet. Mijn persoonlijke held Klaas-Jan Huntelaar kon als bankzitter bij AC Milan wel een kleine boost gebruiken. Zijn zes minuten durende invalbeurt tegen Catania moet hem haast wel meer speeltijd gaan opleveren. Eerst maakt hij al de openingstreffer. Het geeft hem het vertrouwen om diep in blessuretijd de volgende Bergkampiaanse bal te produceren. Voor het Russische sportkanaal is het reden genoeg om hem om te dopen tot Klass-Jan.

The Hunter: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

After making the move from Real Madrid to AC Milan during last summer’s transfer window, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has been a shadow of his former self. 13 weeks into Serie A play, and 5 matchdays into the Champions League season and ‘The Hunter’s’ aim has been anything but deadly, failing to score even a single goal. This disturbing slip in form had sent Italian media outlets into full-blown rumour mode, claiming that the club and Rossoneri Vice-President Adriano Galletti were unhappy with the Dutchman’s play, and that the side were looking to move him out of the San Siro in favour of somebody who could live up to their potential. On Sunday evening, away at Catania, Milan manager Leonardo opted to leave the young Dutchman out of the starting XI in favour of the strike tandem of Marco Borriello and young Brazilian phenom Pato. However, late into the match Borriello was relieved of his services (it was a weak game on his part to say the least) by an eager to please, yet snake-bitten, Huntelaar. As the match progressed into the dying minutes it looked as though the striker would be able to do little to break the stalemate that had developed between the Italian giants and a defensively determined Catania squad. However, in the 93rd minute The Hunter showed a glimpse of his former self, taking dead aim at net and unleashing a bullet that squeaked beneath the outstretched keeper from the Sicilian outfit.

Huntelaar proceeded to run directly to the Milan supporter section, jumping and celebrating as he ran, showing the Milanese “tifosi” that the hype surrounding his transfer might have been justified afterall. Just over one minute later, he proved it. Taking a pass on a backheel flick from fellow sub Filippo Inzaghi, Huntelaar proceeded to run away from the net only to blindly turn and chip the ball into the top left hand corner of the net over the unsuspecting Catania keeper, creating a cheddar bomb that nearly brought a tear to my eye. Needless to say, Signore Galliani was quick to issue a statement saying that Huntelaar was staying put, and that Milan was happy to see something come from their 15 million Euro investment.

See below for a full recap of today’s match, note that both goals come towards the last minute or so of the video.

With such a stunning display of fortitude, gusto and overall talent, Huntelaar has shown that he is still in fact ‘The Hunter’, the very same who tore up the Eredivisie with Ajax, and who had excellent performances during his brief stint with the then Dutch-heavy Real Madrid. Moreover his performance has once again had the Italian media, specifically those with Milanese tendancies, hailing him as the first true successor to Marco Van Basten’s legacy. While similar statements were made with reckless abandon while Huntelaar was at Ajax (another of Van Basten’s old squads), one does not want to put the cart before the horse. One thing is for certain though, with Huntelaar’s return to form, Milan will be exponentially more exciting to watch in the coming weeks as they mount their attack on table toppers, and city rivals Inter. At the very least, Huntelaar has garnered a starting XI spot for both the next Serie A matchup as well as the upcoming, and determining, Champions League round robin matchup against Zurich come December. I for one am looking forward to seeing The Hunter’s kill count mount.

By the by… I took the liberty of posting a Klaas-Jan Huntelaar compilation that might impress upon you what the Rossoneri can look for in the coming weeks… The Hunter at his best.

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L’occasione era ghiotta per agguantare il secondo posto in classifica e restare in scia a un’Inter sempre più lanciata in vetta alla classifica di serie A. Il Milan ne approfitta cogliendo un successo al Massimino contro un Catania coperto e deciso ad ottenere un risultato positivo. E’ stato Huntelaar l’uomo in più dei rossoneri che nel primo tempo hanno avuto una buona occasione con Seedorf. Nella ripresa ci ha provato Ronaldinho su calcio piazzato e Pato dal limite, ma anche i rossazzurri con Spolli si sono resi pericolosi. L’ingresso di Huntelaar ha restituito efficacia all’attacco milanista. Sfortunato Ronaldinho: direttamente da calcio d’angolo il brasiliano ha colto l’incrocio dei pali. Ci ha pensato l’olandese, nei minuti di recupero, con una doppietta a regalare il successo al Milan che scavalca al secondo posto la Juve.

Un’ingenuità di Comotto (fallo da rigore su Milito e trasformato dalo stesso argentino) regala un prezioso successo all’Inter quando ormai il match con la Fiorentina sembrava indirizzato sullo 0-0. Gara emozionante al Meazza con Balotelli (punito per un ritardo) a guardare i suoi compagni dalla tribuna. Viola ben messi in campo e sempre pronti a ripartire, mentre nerazzurri in gol (annullato) con Samuel nella ripresa. Nel finale clamorosa palla gol fallita da Gilardino che coglie il palo. Sul capovolgimento di fronte fallo di Comotto in area: calcio di rigore trasformato da Milito e successo preziosissimo per gli uomini di Mourinho.

Crisi nera per la Juventus che dopo la sconfitta di Champions perde al Sant’Elia in una gara in cui Ferrara ha tenuto per 60′ Del Piero in panchina. Il gol di Nenè, un vero e proprio capolavoro balistico, ha portato in vantaggio i rossoblù. Nel primo tempo gol annullato ad Amauri per netto fuorigioco, mentre nella ripresa vibrate proteste del brasiliano atterrato in area. Matri ha chiuso i conti sul 2-0. Continua la risalita la Roma che espugna Bergamo dopo essere passata in svantaggio contro l’Atalanta. Di Vucinic e Perrotta le marcature per il 2-1 finale.

Accarezza a lungo il successo il Napoli che con il sostituto di Lavezzi, Denis, passa in vantaggio prima di essere raggiunto nel finale da un rigore di Amoruso che inchioda il punteggio sull’1-1. Non funziona in campionato la cura Delio Rossi per il Palermo battuto al Bentegodi 1-0 da una rete di Abbruscato. Il Bari rende amaro l’esordio di Malesani sulla panchina del Siena. Masiello e Greco firmano il 2-1 dei pugliesi. Termina 0-0 e con poche emozioni Lazio-Bologna.

Clicca qui per gli highlights della Serie A

It seems as though derby season is upon us; there have been quite a few this weekend and next weekend the most anticipated match in Roma’s season (and the greatest derby in Italy) gets underway. But, before we can start our countdown to a good Biancocelesti thrashing, we have to deal with all the derbies (and mundane regular matches) going down this weekend. Shall we?

Football:

Somebody get this guy a Red shirt.

Liverpool 2-0 Everton (The Merseyside Derby) – Well, the Scousers went head to head today as strugglers Everton took on strugglers Liverpool. It was a battle of the underachievers, with both Rafa Benitez and David Moyes’ sides badly needing the points and morale boost that come from a derby win. In a season when both sides have fared so poorly both in league and European competitions, it comes as no surprise that today’s match was decided not by a particularly heroic individual effort but by a particularly atrocious performance. A pair of grievous mistakes from Everton defender Joseph Yobo gifted the Reds a 2-0 victory, much to the dismay of the Toffeemakers’ fans at Goodison Park. Yobo put the visitors ahead in the 12th minute, putting his foot out and tipping a long-range effort from Javier Mascherano (which was veering well wide of the net, I might add) past Tim Howard and into the back of his own goal. It was a typically scrappy derby match, and Russian wiz Diniyar Bilyaletdinov nearly leveled the score 6 minutes later in the beginning of what was a very back-and-forth first half. Everton found the back of the net twice and were twice disallowed, but the home support were buoyed by their side’s performance and were left singing at the half despite the score remaining 1-0. However, they wouldn’t be singing at fulltime – their side failed to equalize in the second half with Pepe Reina denying the Blues over and over again, seemingly through sheer determination and a bit of luck. When it finally occurred on 81′, the second error from Joseph Yobo would all but put the game out of Everton’s reach. The Nigerian whiffed on an aerial clearance, leading to a shot from Albert Riera before Dirk Kuyt buried the rebound to make it 2-0. Ten minutes later, it was the away support who were singing as another Merseyside derby came to pass.

Manchester Utd 4-1 Portsmouth – Ah, our first non-derby match of the weekend. Still though, there is a bit of history here – the last time Avram Grant came up against Sir Alex Ferguson on the touchline was in the 2008 Champions League final, with Chelsea just one slip away from being crowned Champions of Europe. Despite being runners up in that competition and in the EPL, Grant was sacked as Chelsea manager, left to ponder what could have been. Yesterday he made his (unofficial) return to coaching, this time as manager of strugglers Portsmouth, who are looking to turn their fortunes around after going through 3 owners and 2 managers already this year. Fergie himself had to watch the match from the stands, as he is currently serving a touchline ban – luckily the match was quite a spectacle, abundant with soft penalties and controversy. On 25′ the visitors were awarded a somewhat questionable penalty which Wayne Rooney buried from the spot. The Fratton Park crowd could not complain too much, though, as 6 minutes later their side was awarded an even more inexplicable penalty which Kevin Prince Boateng was able to convert – apparently awarded for some rather run-of-the-mill shirt tugging by Nemanja Vidic. The teams went into the half level, but it would not take United much longer to find their stride. Within the first 8′ minutes of the second period Wayne Rooney would complete his hattrick with a low shot on 48′ and a second penalty on 53′. Ryan Giggs would top it all off on 87′ with the 100th Premiership goal of his career, making it 4-1 United and ensuring that Avram Grant will have Fergie-related nightmares for a while yet.

Tottenham 1-1 Aston Villa – It’s always difficult to come down after an incredible high. No, I’m not referring to my own struggles with substance abuse (fictional, I assure you), but rather the 9-1 victory which the Spurs were able to achieve over Wigan Athletic last weekend. Instead of repeating that incredible feat, the Lilywhites were held to an unremarkable draw at Villa Park. Gabriel Agbonlahor gave the home side an early lead on 10′, but Michael Dawson was able to level for Tottenham late in the match to earn his side a point and lift them to 3rd place in the English Premier League. Not an overly impressive performance from Harry Redknapp’s side, but they did just enough to keep themselves in the Premiership race.

Chelsea 3-0 Arsenal (The London Derby) – Realistically, there are more intense traditional rivalries in London town; historically Chelsea and Arsenal have been less concerned with each other than their other London neighbours. However, the rise of Chelsea into the big four of Premiership football means that in recent years these two sides have been forced into competition with one another at the top of the table and as a direct result their rivalry has become much more intense. Today’s London derby turned out to be an absolute rout from the Blues, who have been in tip-top form all season under Carlo Ancelotti, decimating Arsene Wenger’s depleted side who have been just shy of top form of late. It was another episode of the Didier Drogba show at the Emirates, with the big Ivorian grabbing the brace to all but destroy the Gunners and keep his fantastic record against Wenger’s side alive – Drogba has found the net in each of the last 9 matches played against Arsenal. Drogba opened the scoring on 41′, firing from close range into the top of Almunia’s net after some impeccable service from Ashley Cole. Just 4 minutes later Cole would again play the role of provider, but this time it was Arsenal man Thomas Vermaelen who turned the ball into his own net – giving the home side plenty to think about as they retired for the halftime interval. Just after the break Arsenal should have made it 2-1 when Andrei Arshavin blasted a rebound past Petr Cech and into the Blues’ net, but the goal was disallowed for an alleged foul on the Czech keeper by Gunners man Eduardo. Despite some dangerous efforts, Chelsea dominated play for much of the second half; their persistence paid off on 86′ when (guess who?) Didier Drogba struck again from a free kick just outside the area, blasting past the wall and away from Manuel Almunia into the back of the net. Ultimately, Ancelotti’s side would cruise to a relatively easy win, taking advantage of a depleted and demoralized Arsenal side to further their dominance atop the Premiership table. Chelsea have now recorded wins this season against all of their fellow big four sides – a positive omen if there ever was one.

Manchester City 1-1 Hull City – Oh, and City drew their 7th straight game after Shaun Wright-Phillips’ opener was cancelled out by a late penalty converted by Jimmy Bullard.

Calcio:

Inter 1-0 Fiorentina – Oh, Inter. I am growing to hate you so. In a game when Jose Mourinho’s side played poorly and were well-met by an organized outing from Cesare Prandelli’s men, it would be a penalty kick which separated the two sides in the end and allowed i Nerazzurri to go 8 points clear atop the Serie A table. It’s so typical of this side to underachieve thoroughly and then get by on the skin of their teeth that I shouldn’t be surprised, but yet I am disappointed each time a more deserving team outplays them and ultimately falls, especially due to this sort of misfortune. I’m not saying that the penalty wasn’t there, but had it not been for Gianluca Comotto’s hotheadedness, or had Alberto Gilardino buried his one-on-one chance against Julio Cesar instead of hitting the post just moments earlier, then Inter surely would have dropped points on the evening. In the end, Diego Milito’s penalty made the difference in a match full of could’ve-beens for La Viola that was perhaps ultimately a shouldn’t-have-been for La Beneamata.

Genoa 3-0 Sampdoria (il Derbi della Lanterna) – The Genovese derby, or il Derbi della Lanterna, as it is known, always produces some fireworks. This year’s was no different, as i Grifoni demolished i Blucerchiati in a game that had as many goals as it did red cards. Omar Milanetto opened the scoring for Genoa on 10′ with a spot kick after Reto Ziegler executed a clumsy tackle in the box. Genoa’s Giuseppe Biava was sent off for handling the ball as he fell to the ground, Sampdoria’s Marco Rossi received two yellows, and his teammate Fabrizio Cacciatore received a straight red late in the match. Meanwhile, Genoa’s Marco Rossi (yes, there are two of them) scored on 53′ and Raffaele Palladino capped off the victory with a spot kick on 75′. An eventful and exciting derby, and also a hard-fought one, which I’m sure an inspection of Antonio Cassano’s shins would tell you. They really don’t like that guy, eh? I bet Lippi calls up the whole team come June.

Cagliari 2-0 Juventus – La Vecchia Signora ha perso contro… gli Isolani? Cagliari managed to pull one (better yet, two) over on their visitors at the Stadio San’Elia today, snatching all three points from a rather toothless Old Lady. I think I’ve waited long enough to say this – Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has certainly been a huge flop at AC Milan this season, but realistically, what has Diego done for Juventus’ offense lately? I’ll tell you what he did today: not enough. Their confidence shattered by a midweek loss to Bordeaux, Juventus fell about play clumsily and were victimized by a sharp and determined performance from the Sardinians. The home side opened the scoring on 30′ when Nenê unleashed  35-yard screamer that blasted into Buffon’s top corner. Juventus struggled to respond, and with their own Brazilian Diego firing well-wide before the half, went into the break with a much-deserved 1-0 deficit. After the interval, Amauri thought he had grabbed a quick equalizer for his side, but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside, leaving Cagliari keeper Federico Marchetti more than happy to pick the ball out of the back of the net. Cagliari also had fair claim to a spot kick after Martin Cácares handled the ball in the area, but the referee adjudged it ball-to-hand and play continued. A late goal would come to pass, but it would not be the strike that Juventus needed: substitute Alessandro Matri turned Fabio Cannavaro absolutely inside-out before slotting past Gigi Buffon in the 89th minute. Both Diego and substitute Alessandro Del Piero would miss absolute sitters for the visitors in added time and Juventus were forced to swallow their second humbling defeat in 5 days, dropping to 8 points behind league-leaders Inter.

Vucigol had me praising the heavens with his 44th-minute header.

AS Roma 2-1 Atalanta – An ugly, nervy, but ultimately deserved away win. I couldn’t be happier. Though dominations at the Stadio Olimpico like the one last weekend over Bari are a joy to watch, they are expected – those are the games that we will always win, because the magic of the Olimpico rarely fails us. However, it is matches like today’s at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri D’Italia that are must-wins for i Giallorossi, because they are the ones where we so often lose our nerve and drop points against teams we would easily beat at home. It’s not called an advantage for nothing, you know. Luckily, Roma was able to pull out a comeback win against gli Orobici today after Fabio Ceravolo gave the home side the lead on 13′. Roma looked decidedly lackluster for huge spells during the first half, but were able to grab a set-piece goal just before the half as Mirko Vučinić nodded home a corner from David Pizarro on 44′. Simone Perrotta was able to give his side the lead 20 minutes later, ghosting into the box unnoticed to head home a cross from Vučinić. After gaining the lead, i Lupi simply fought to maintain it. The substitutions of Jérémy Ménez for Rodrigo Taddei and Roberto Acquafresca for Cristiano Doni changed the entire complexion of the game; suddenly Roma were on the backheel and fighting only to maintain their lead while the home side heaped on piles of offensive pressure. For the most part Roma held up nicely under the waves of attack; Riise almost scored an own-goal on 85′ but instead cleared the ball nicely, while Atalanta had a legitimate appeal for a penalty on Juan two minutes later which was happily waved off. Finally the fulltime whistle blew and Roma were able to take a much-needed 3 points home to Trigoria. We’ve finally cracked the top 10! Rejoice ironically – but only for a second. We have il Derbi della Capitale to think about.

Udinese 2-0 Livorno – The other Bianconeri were able to achieve a much better result this weekend than Juventus. A cracker of a free kick from Antonio Di Natale opened the scoring on 29′, bringing his total for the season to a round 10. 7 minutes later, Antonio Floro Flores doubled his side’s money, heading home after a build-up that was again largely the work of Di Natale. The one-two punch was more than enough to subdue the Tuscan visitors at the Stadio Friuli and le Zebrette ran away with the 2-goal win. I almost feel bad for Sersi Cosmi, fervent Romanista that he is, until I remember that it was his cursed side which sent us on the downward spiral earlier this season from which we are just now recovering (ie, getting Totti back). But then again, Udinese was a part of that spiral too… Aw, to hell with the both of them.

The Hunter finally found his gun!

AC Milan 2-0 Catania - AC Milan were given a golden opportunity to leapfrog Juventus in the standings this weekend, with i Bianconeri dropping points at Cagliari and i Rossoneri overcame Catania in Sicily to make the most of that chance. Leonardo’s side were held to a goalless draw by the Rossazzurri for 93 minutes, but Milan ‘flop’ Klaas-Jan Huntelaar finally made good on his promise to score an added time brace and catapult his side into second place. First the Dutchman sent a low strike in after some lovely control by Filippo Inzaghi, and then only seconds later after the restart he struck again, chipping Andújar beautifully to make it 2-0 for Milan. Well, the Hunter certainly took his time, but it seems that he has finally found his form for his new side – and his timing couldn’t have been better.

Futbol:

Ibra done good.

Barcelona 1-0 Real Madrid (El Clásico)- Well, it might be called El Clásico, but there was nothing ‘classic’ about Spain’s biggest derby this evening. Barcelona and Real Madrid played out a scrappy game in which neither truly came into their stride or were able to showcase their own particular brand of football. Despite injury concerns, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were all able to feature in the game, but the big Swede would be the only one to make his mark on the match. The Camp Nou was buzzing with energy as 98,000 of los Culés welcomed their most hated rivals to their home ground. Madrid, however, were not daunted, and were the first to impress, with Xabi Alonso and Kaká putting in perhaps their most impressive performances in the shirt of Los Blancos to date. Cristiano Ronaldo played for a solid hour, but was clearly not at full fitness and unable to terrorize the Barcelona backline as he might have wished. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi caused all sorts of trouble but was ultimately kept fairly quiet by Real Madrid’s defense, who put in a surprisingly solid performance. It was the combination of the substitute Ibrahimovic and Dani Alves which would prove deadly, as the diminutive right-back put in an inch-perfect cross which Ibracadabra struck home with authority to put the home side ahead on 55′. However, that would be the only goal of the match, and besides red cards for both Sergi Busquets (63′) and Lassana Diarra (90′), there was not much other action to speak of. In fact, in light of the last Clásico, in which Barca drubbed Madrid 6-2, tonight’s match was a bit of a dud.

Sevilla 2-2 Málaga (Andalusian Derby) – Sevilla’s closest (and fiercest) rivals are Real Betis, against whom they contest the Derby of Seville. However, with Real Betis currently languishing in Segunda División, Sevilla’s closest rivals in the interestingly-named Autonomous Community of Andalucía are perhaps their neighbours in Málaga, who are currently languishing at the bottom of the Primera División. So, we have the Andalusian Derby; and while the rivalry might not be as intense as El Clásico, I personally found the game itself to be much more entertaining. At the Estadio Sánchez Pizjuán Sevilla were looking to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat in midweek to Romanian side Unirea Urziceni, but they certainly did not get off to a good start. Although in a bizarre incident Málaga substitute Albert Luque was shown the red card from the bench, it was still the visitors who took the early lead. Fernando opened up the scoring for the visitors on 22′, and Duda made it 2-0 just before the half after being set up by Fernando. It seemed as though Málaga were headed towards all three points, but a spectacular second-half performance from Luis Fabiano ensured that the spoils were shared in Seville this weekend. The Brazilian struck first on 58′, heading home past Gustavo Munúa, and then on 72′ struck again, smashing the ball into the lower corner of the net to bring his side level. Both sides fought hard for an equalizer, and Sevilla came closest right at the death with a point-blank header from Fernando Navarro that Munúa probably saved by accident. In the end, each team would come away with a single point in a 2-2 draw that was anything but uneventful.

Fußball:

Bayern München 3-0 Hannover 96 – Well, it seems that die Roten have finally regained their lost form, overcoming midtable side Hannover 96 with ease in a match that featured goals from two of their most talented young stars. Thomas Müller tapped in from close range on 19′ to open the scoring, but Bayern looked shaky at times and were not convincing in their possession of the ball. Constant Djakpa caused all sorts of trouble for Phillip Lahm up the flank, and drew a good save from Hans-Jörg Butt, but was unable to affect the scoreline before the stroke of halftime. Ivica Olic made sure that the visitors got off to a good start in the second half, rising at the far post to meet a Danijel Pranjic cross with his head and double Bayern’s lead. For the rest of the half the home side did everything they could do to reduce Bayern’s lead, but to no avail – it would ultimately be Mario Gomez who would get the last laugh, beating the offside trap on 90′ and slotting home to make it 3-0 for his side. This victory sees Bayern rise to 4th in the Bundesliga standings, while Hannover 96 sit at 12th.

Someone control this guy!

Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 VfB Stuttgart – Leverkusen exit this weekend sitting three point clear atop the Bundesliga table, and it can largely be contributed to one man: Stefan Kießling. The 25-year old striker has been absolutely on fire for his club of late and bagged a hattrick this weekend at the Bayarena to cement his place atop the German scoring charts as well. Kießling struck on 22′, 59′ and 87′, while Eren Derdiyok added a goal of his own on 38′ to complete a 4-0 drubbing of a lacklustre Stuttgart side.

Werder Bremen 2-2 VfL Wolfsburg – Edin Dzeko’s double was not enough for the reigning Bundesliga champions to grab all three points away at the Weserstadion. Each time the young Bosnian scored to give his side the lead, the home side were quick to equalize, and ultimately the two squads cancelled one another out and had to settle for a point apiece. Hugo Almeida and Per Mertesacker were on hand to restore parity for their side, with the latter scoring at the very death in the 91st minute of stoppage time. The sharing of points means that Werder Bremen now sit at 2nd place in the Bundesliga standings, while Wolfsburg remain 8th.

]]> http://apintofthebitter.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/tis-the-season/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:41:56 +0000 Justin http://apintofthebitter.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/tis-the-season/

Well folks, it’s November. Which means it’s almost December. Which means it’s almost January. Which means it’s almost time for the transfer window to open once more. Which means it’s rumour time.

In the past week I have seen several articles detailing certain high profile clubs (English) monitoring the movements of a “new Kaká,” a “new Didier Drogba” and so on and so forth. I’ve heard rumours about Roman Pavlyuchenko coming to Roma in a swap for Julio Baptista, of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar going pretty much anywhere but Milan, and of pretty much every single pleasant surprise of this year being on their merry way out the doors of their respective clubs. Not to mention players like Nani, Guti and Phillip Lahm, who have taken nasty swipes (however accurate) at their clubs via the press recently; with rumours of Lahm to Real Madrid and the other two far from spectacular, could these be foreshadowings of events to come in the new year?

I’ll rattle off some other trade rumours: Juan Manuel Vargas to Real Madrid, Edin Dzeko to AC Milan, Marek Hamsik to Chelsea, Sergio Agüero to Chelsea, Angel Di Maria to Chelsea, (and so on and so forth), Raúl to Retirement, Cesc Fàbregas to Barcelona, and even Wayne Rooney to Barcelona (ha!).

Will any of these rumours come true? Eh, maybe one or two. For the most part it’s probably all just a load of crap; the unfounded conjecture and speculation that always precedes the opening of the transfer window. It will be interesting to see just what does materialize in the new year, and especially how much the transfer window will be affected by the Real Madrid-inflation that occurred over the summer. In the meantime, let the rumours fly; ’tis the season!

O Emirates Stadium é um estádio de futebol localizado em Holloway, no bairro londrino de Islington, Inglaterra, e é a actual casa do Arsenal Football Club, clube da Premier League inglesa.

O Arsenal começou a desenvolver um estádio maior que o Highbury, que tinha capacidade para 38419 pessoas (o menor de quase todos os clubes europeus de grande expressão), durante a última parte da década de 1990. Considerando-se que havia pouco espaço para a expansão do Highbury, já que ficava localizado ao lado de uma via pública e de edifícios, o principal projecto do clube era a construção de um novo estádio.

O Arsenal tinha uma lista de espera de sócios que havia sido encerrada há algum tempo, com mais de 20000 membros, e estava a perder uma grande receita potencial. No entanto, encontrar um local para um novo estádio em Londres foi extremamente difícil.

O clube estava disposto a considerar a localização, perto da auto-estrada M25, se necessário, mas tinha uma forte preferência por um local no bairro londrino de Islington, perto de Highbury. Numa fase em que até considerava o deslocamento para o Estádio de Wembley (lá o Arsenal havia jogado os jogos da Liga dos Campeões durante a temporadas 1998/99 e 1999/00), mas no final retirou essa possibilidade dos planos. Houveram grandes especulações de que o Arsenal e Tottenham (seu maior rival) passariam a jogar no novo estádio de Wembley, quando este foi concluído, apesar de que o Arsenal já estava bastante avançado no projecto do então Ashburton Grove nesta época.

O clube havia escolhido um local, um parque industrial em Ashburton Grove, a apenas 500 m de Highbury. O plano foi anunciado em Novembro de 1999, com uma data de inauguração prevista para Agosto de 2003, que viria a ser adiada para o Verão de 2006 devido ao planeamento e dificuldades financeiras.

Apesar da presença do Arsenal em Islington há mais de 80 anos, residentes e empresas locais opuseram-se ao novo estádio. Alguns chegaram a entrar com uma acção judicial, apresentada em Julho de 2002, apesar de terem perdido o caso. O estádio tornou-se uma questão importante nas eleições locais para presidente da câmara, em Maio de 2006.

A construção do estádio começou em Fevereiro de 2004. Assim como o estádio em si, duas pontes sobre a linha ferroviária que liga o norte da cidade com Drayton Park também foram construídas, estas foram concluídas no Verão de 2004. O estádio coberto, em Agosto de 2005, sendo concluído antes do prazo. O clube anunciou que, até Fevereiro de 2006, 90% das cadeiras cativas haviam sido vendidas, e até Junho de 2006, o resto havia sido vendido também. A primeira cadeira do novo estádio foi solenemente instalada em 13 de Março de 2006, pelo meio-campista do Arsenal Abou Diaby. Os holofotes do estádio foram testados com sucesso pela primeira vez em 25 de Junho, pouco menos de um mês antes de sua inauguração, e um dia mais tarde os postes foram erguidos.

Inicialmente o estádio se chamaria Ashburton Grove, nome da rua onde está localizado, mas em 5 de Outubro de 2004, o Arsenal anunciou um acordo de patrocínio de £100 milhões com a companhia aérea Emirates Airlines. O acordo previa a mudança de nome para Emirates Stadium, como uma estratégia de marketing da companhia dos Emirados Árabes Unidos, que financiaria o procjeto junto com o Royal Bank of Scotland. O projeto custou £430 milhões, incluindo o custo da infra-estrutura associada. O acordo previa também o patrocínio de camisa por um período de oito anos, a partir da temporada 2006/07.

O nome do estádio é muitas vezes encurtado para The Emirates, apesar de alguns adeptos continuarem a usar o nome anterior (Ashburton Grove) para o novo estádio, especialmente aqueles que se opõem ao conceito de nomes de estádio estarem directamente ligados ao patrocínio de empresas.

Devido aos regulamentos da UEFA, o estádio não é oficialmente chamado Emirates Stadium em competições como a Liga dos Campeões, pelo facto da Emirates não ser um patrocinador oficial desta competição. A UEFA refere-se ao estádio como Arsenal Stadium, nome que também era usado para o antigo estádio de Highbury, apesar de a grande maioria dos adeptos o chamarem de Highbury.

O estádio foi inaugurado a 22 de Julho de 2006 e tem uma capacidade de 60432 espectadores sentados, tornando-se o quinto maior estádio de futebol no Reino Unido, e o segundo maior estádio da Premier League, atrás apenas do Old Trafford. É também o terceiro maior estádio de Londres, depois de Wembley e Twickenham, que sedia partidas de rugby.

Na data da inauguração, o então camisa 10 do clube e ídolo da torcida, o holandês Dennis Bergkamp, encerrou a sua brilhante carreira de jogador de futebol, num jogo contra o Ajax, clube que o revelou. O jogo marcou a inauguração do estádio, e o placar terminou em 2-1 para o Arsenal. O primeiro golo do estádio foi marcado por Klaas Jan Huntelaar, do Ajax.

A inauguração oficial ocorreu em 26 de Outubro de 2006, pelo Príncipe Philip, duque de Edimburgo. Havia sido previsto que a Rainha Elizabeth II iria inaugurar oficialmente o estádio, mas a rainha sofreu uma lesão nas costas e não pôde comparecer neste dia.

Texto retirado: Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre

Nuova rubrica di Cartellino Rosso, dove affronteremo l’annoso problema che impegna le menti dell’Italia al maschile ossia: ”chi schiero al fantacalcio?”. Consiglieremo quindi su chi puntare, su chi è meglio stare alla larga e quale può essere la sorpresa di ogni partita procedendo per semplice ordine alfabetico. La prima sfida che andremo ad analizzare è quella di Bergamo tra Atalanta e Parma. Su chi puntare: Simone Tiribocchi. Il Tir è in ottima forma e se segna l’Atalanta in questo periodo state sicuri che lui c’entra sempre, senza contare poi che la squadra di Conte si è sbloccata e ora anche tra le mura amiche cerca la prima vittoria. Chi evitare: Cristian Zenoni. L’ex di turno si troverà spesso di fronte Jaime Valdes. Il cileno è in un ottimo momento di forma e può far sfigurare il terzino emiliano. La sorpresa: Daniele Galloppa. Il centrocampista ex Siena, se di sorpresa si può parlare, è costante nel rendimento, prende pochi cartellini e ha il vizio del gol. Domenica potrebbe essere fondamentale a Bergamo.

Bari-Lazio. Su chi puntare: Mauro Zarate. Recentemente il talento argentino è apparso in ottima forma. Contro la Samp e il Villareal ha fornito ottime prestazioni e come si dice, non c’è due senza tre. Chi evitare: Modibo Diakité: Il difensore biancoceleste è troppo rude e molte volte fa interventi scomposti come la spinta su Padalino domenica scorsa non sanzionata da Orsato. E’ una vera mina vagante. La sorpresa: Riccardo Meggiorini. Barreto non è al massimo e l’attacco pugliese può dipendere solo da lui. Il ragazzo è forte e gli manca solo il gol già pronosticato dal suo compagno di squadra Massimo Donati.

Cagliari-Genoa. Su chi puntare: Alberto Zapater. Il centrocampista spagnolo può diventare fondamentale in una partita tra due squadre che vengono da un momento difficili. Le sue punizioni potrebbero fare la differenza. Chi evitare: Lino Marzoratti. Il terzino di Allegri si troverà di fronte spesso Sculli o Palladino. Clienti davvero scomodi, senza dimenticare che l’ex Empoli è abbonato ai cartellini gialli. La sorpresa: Daniele Dessena. Questo centrocampista, che ci piace tanto, è capace di gol eccezionali come ha dimostrato domenica scorsa. Viene da due centri consecutivi.

Chievo-Milan. Su chi puntare: Alexandre Pato. Il papero sta attraversando un momento di forma invidiabile. E’ reduce da tre gol in 4 giorni, come lasciarlo fuori dalla vostra fantasquadra? Chi evitare: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Ma questo attaccante olandese, dalle indiscusse qualità, serviva davvero a questo Milan che ha anche Inzaghi e Borriello? Fin’ora il campionato ha detto di no e il cacciatore è ancora a secco. La sorpresa: Sergio Pellissier. Mimmo Di Carlo punta sui suoi gol e gliene ha pronosticati addirittura 20. Contro la difesa del Milan, ultimamente un po’ impacciata, può colpire in contropiede.

Fiorentina-Napoli. Su chi puntare: Stevan Jovetic. Jo-Jo contro il Debrecen si è riposato e domenica potrebbe far ammattire i non eccelsi difensori partenopei. A Firenze c’è già la Jovetic-mania, schieratelo e vi ripagherà. Chi evitare: Mario Alberto Santana. Il gol e la bella prestazione in Champions possono ingannare. L’esterno viola è poco continuo e se sbaglia la partita rischia di portarvi un votaccio nella vostra formazione. La sorpresa: Fabio Quagliarella. Uno dei tanti ex di turno, Quagliarella, con Mazzarri ha già fatto bene e fuori casa può approfittare degli spazi e dell’eventuale stanchezza viola.

Inter-Catania. Su chi puntare: Samuel Eto’o. Difficile che il camerunense sbagli due partite di fila, impossibile che rimanga all’asciutto per troppo tempo. La legge dei grandi numeri dice di puntare su di lui. Chi evitare: Mariano Andujar. Il portiere etneo, titolare dalla Seleccion, non mi ispira sicurezza. Fin’ora non è mai stato decisivo e a San Sirio rischia di essere preso a pallonate. La sorpresa: Amantino Mancini. Si avete letto bene. Nel caso in cui l’Inter non riesca a sbloccare la partita è l’unico su cui José Mourinho potrebbe puntare per cambiare il match.

Palermo-Udinese. Su chi puntare: Fabrizio Miccoli. Il fantasista tascabile è rovente e al Barbera si esalta sempre. Miccoli può essere devastante e un gol o un assist lo regala sempre. Chi evitare: Maurizio Domizzi. La difesa friulana cambia, Zapata in panchina e Felipe out. L’ex napoletano viene dirottato al centro e visto il pessimo momento dell’Udinese conviene stargli alla larga. La sorpresa: Federico Barlzaretti. Lippi lo tiene d’occhio, lui lo sa e sta sfoderando prestazioni all’altezza. A volte è un po’ irruento, ma può regalare assist preziosi.

Roma-Livorno. Su chi puntare: Jeremy Menez. Il francesino, nonostante il rigore sbagliato al Craven Cottage, è in palla. Gli manca l’affermazione e Ranieri potrebbe proporlo in un ruolo alla Totti. Chi evitare: Romano Perticone. Il nome già dice tutto. Dubito che qualcuno lo possa avere in squadra, ma se ce l’avete domenica non è il giorno per metterlo in campo. La sorpresa: Stefano Guberti. Anche questa volta suggeriamo un giocatore che vieni dalla panchina. In questo momento l’unico esterno che salta l’uomo nella Roma. Ranieri potrebbe chiamarlo in causa a partita in corso.

Sampdoria-Bologna. Su chi puntare: Antonio Cassano. Se il Bologna ha sofferto Lavezzi, figuriamoci i problemi che avrà con Fantantonio. Il talento barese, per altro, dovrà anche fare lavoro doppio viste le condizioni non ottimali di Pazzini. Chi evitare: Gaby Mudingayi. Il centrocampista felsineo è avvezzo ai cartellini e i giocatori della Samp sono dei veri peperini. Il belga potrebbe cadere spesso in tentazione, voi non sbagliate e sorvolate. La sorpresa: Claudio Bellucci. L’attaccante doriano verrà dirottato a centrocampo come esterno alto a destra. Un azzardo? La squalifica di Padalino e la mancanza di alternative gli offrono quella sicurezza che potrebbe permettere di esprimere al meglio tutto il suo talento.

Siena-Juventus. Su chi puntare: Amauri. La punta, quasi azzurra, si è sbloccata. Mercoledì in Champions ha riposato e in una partita difficile come quella di Siena il suo fisico può fare la differenza. Chi evitare: Martin Caceres. Il terzino uruguayano è la fotocopia di Zebina e Grygera. La sua pessima diagonale al 90° contro il Maccabi poteva costare cara e contro il Siena può soffrire. La sorpresa: Sebastian Giovinco. Che se ne dica, contro il Maccabi per noi ha giocato bene. Mancheranno Trezeguet e Del Piero e l’unica alternativa in avanti sarà lui. In partita in corso potrebbe fare la differenza.

What you missed while surviving the Mad Chipotle Bomber’s attack…

• The injuries that Charlie Davies suffered in yesterday’s car accident – including a lacerated bladder and fractures to both his tibia and femur – are not life threatening, but are substantial enough to rule him out of the World Cup. All things considered, however, he sounds lucky to be alive; sadly, the other passenger in the car was not so lucky. Thoughts and prayers with Davies, his family, and the family of the other person in the vehicle.
• The San Marino national team has been offered $57,410 by a Czech newspaper to beat Slovenia.
• The head of the Dutch FA would like to revisit the idea of a North Atlantic league with UEFA; since he’s on UEFA’s board, this might actually have some legs.
• Good news for Sir Alex Ferguson: another manager has defended him over his remarks about Alan Wiley. Bad news: it’s Gary Megson.
• John Terry is still haunted by this:

• If you want to sign Fiorentina’s Stevan Jovetic, you’re going to need to pony up €25 million.
• Klaas-Jan Huntelaar won’t be leaving Ajax Real Madrid AC Milan in January.
• Real Madrid lost both Christoph Metzelder and Guti to ankle injuries yesterday.
• River Plate players have been receiving threatening calls from fans ever since their 3-1 loss to Independiente over the weekend.
• Good news for Real Salt Lake: if you have to play in a must-win game, than you might as well play it against the New York Red Bulls.

AC Milan’s star striker has yet to impress and Leonardo has explained why.

Leonardo has dismissed criticism over his cautious use ofKlaas-Jan Huntelaar since the striker joined AC Milan in the summer from Real Madrid.

The 26-year-old has yet to score for the Rossoneri and started on the bench twice and been substituted in the team’s other game, after he missed the season opener through suspension.

Milan have yet to score in Serie A while Huntelaar has been involved and he was withdrawn during their Champions League victory against Marseille in midweek.

That switching and changing has led to accusations that Leonardo is not letting him settle, but the coach is adamant that he thinks the Dutchman is adapting.

“In the first round he was suspended, then on international duty, so he basically has never been here,” Leonardo told the Italian media.

“A player needs to become part of the system, but he has only been training with us for a week and still needs to learn Italian.”

Goal

Kaka akan segera bertemu rekan-rekannya di Milan lagi.

Perjumpaan dua tim besar Italia dengan dua klub raksasa Spanyol dalam babak penyisihan grup Liga Champion musim 2009-2010 menjadi isu terhangat penikmat sepakbola dunia saat ini.  Dua kali pertandingan keempat tim tersebut akan sangat dinanti kedahsyatannya. AC Milan, juara 7 kali Piala/Liga Champion bakal ketemu dengan Real Madrid,  juara 9 kali Piala/Liga Champion di grup C. Sementara itu Inter Milan, juara Italia akan berhadapan dengan Barcelona, juara Spanyol sekaligus juara bertahan Eropa di grup F.

Sejumlah pemain top akan merasakan peristiwa reuni dini dalam pertandingan besar dobel itu. Kaka yang kini menghuni Madrid akan kembali bersua dengan teman-teman lamanya di Milan, klub yang enam musim diperkuatnya dan pernah membesarkan namanya. Sebaliknya di Milan ada Klaas-Jan Huntelaar yang sempat menjadi pemain Madrid selama setengah musim. Huntelaar justru belum sempat bersinar ketika bermain di Madrid.

Lalu Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Maxwell, dan Samuel Eto’o juga akan sama-sama reuni ketika Inter ketemu Barca. Pertemuan juara Italia dan Spanyol pada hari Rabu (16/9) merupakan pertandingan besar yang layak menjadi gong pembuka kompetisi terbaik antarklub Eropa musim ini.

Dopo la prima giornata di campionato aveva sorpreso tutti il nuovo Milano low cost targato Leonardo, espugnando Siena per la quarta volta nelle ultime cinque stagioni, e candidantosi prepotentemente come Out-Sider fra Inter e Juve. Tanto entusiasmo, troppo, che ha finito per ridimensionare clamorosamente il Milano dopo la pesante sconfitta nel Derby.
Il problema, sostiene la critica, non è solo tecnico, ma più che altro psicologico: tutte le certezze la squadra rossonera le aveva accumulate nell’ultimissima settimana di precampionato, dopo la vittoria nel trofeo Berlusconi; certezze, appunto, sgretolatesi rovinosamente dopo venti minuti al Meazza contro l’Inter.
In discussione è stato messo in primis l’allenatore, definito inesperto e incapace di gestire lo spogliatoio, vedi il mancato ingresso di Seedorf che è costata l’espulsione di Gattuso, e la sfuriata di quest’ultimo contro la panchina rossonera. Sabato dovrà dar prova di sagacia tattica e psicologica, trascinando il suo Milan nella difficile trasferta di Livorno, squadra parsa in buona forma nonostante la sconfitta a Napoli.
Bisognerà vedere cosa azzarderà Leo, che dovrà ripartire dalle certezze: Thiago Silva e Nesta coppia centrale intoccabile e Pato in forma strepitosa. Per il resto tutto in discussione, ma proviamo ad ipotizzare l’esordio da titolare di Huntelaar (pagato 15 milioni…) e Pirlo versione numero 10, che in nazionale ha regalato perle di saggezza.
In casa Milan pare esserci ottimismo, voglia di riscatto e soprattutto fiducia nell’allenatore, ribadita da Galliani in più di una conferenza stampa, ma in caso di doppio passo falso, in campionato e soprattutto in Champions (la trasferta a Marsiglia è un passo fondamentale per il passaggio del turno), sarà difficile rivedere il brasiliano ancora sulla panchina del Milan.
Come sostituti i soliti nomi: Zaccheroni, ma anche Tassotti; abbandonata (?) l’ipotesi Juande Ramos, dopo la sua firma con il CSKA di Mosca.

S-a spart recordul lui Zidane si cele 70 de milioane de dolari. Criza financiara n-a pus echipele cu botul pe labe in privinta transferurilor. Ba dimpotriva, i-a indarzit si mai tare. Cristiano Ronaldo la Real, Sneijder la Inter, Eto’o la Inter, Diego la Juve, Zlatan la Barca. Dar care a fost “bomba”?

• Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd —> Real Madrid, 94.000.000 euro)
• Adebayor (Arsenal —> Man City, 35.000.000 euro)
• Arjen Robben (Real Madrid —> Bayern Munchen, 25.000.000 euro)
• Kaka (AC Milan —> Real Madrid, 64.000.000 euro)
• Ibrahimovic (Inter —> Barcelona, 45.000.000 euro + Eto’o)
• Lisandro (Porto —> Lyon, 25.000.000 euro)
• Wesley Sneijder (Real Madrid —> Inter, 15.000.000 euro)
• Klass-Jan Huntelaar (Real Madrid —> AC Milan, 15.000.000 euro)
• Karim Benzema (Lyon —> Real Madrid, 35.000.000 euro)
• Diego (Werder Bremen —> Juventus, 25.000.000 euro)
• Xabi Alonso (Liverpool —> Real Madrid, 30.000.000 euro)
• Tevez (Man Utd —> Man City, 35.000.000 euro)

Debut cemerlang Robben di Muenchen.

Dua pemain Belanda, Arjen Robben dan Wesley Sneijder telah memilih jalan yang benar dengan meninggalkan Real Madrid. Kurang dari seminggu bergabung, mereka telah memberi sumbangsih berharga bagi klub anyarnya. Kendati baru bermain sejak babak kedua, Robben langsung mencetak dua gol bagi Bayern Muenchen yang akhinya menang 3-0 atas Wolfsburg, juara bertahan Bundesliga.

Sementara itu Sneijder menjalani debutnya di Inter Milan -sebagai pemain inti- ketika timnya menang 4-0 atas AC Milan di Liga Italia Serie A. Biarpun belum mencetak gol, Sneijder bermain trengginas sebagai trequartista, satu posisi yang selama ini dicari-cari pelatih Inter Jose Mourinho untuk melengkapi timnya. Uniknya, baik Robben maupun Sneijder dipercaya untuk mengenakan kostum nomor 10, sebuah nomor milik pemain bertalenta istimewa. Bersama tim barunya, mereka boleh lebih optimis menatap masa depannya.

Masih ada satu pemain Belanda eks Madrid yang juga menjalani debutnya pekan lalu, yaitu Klaas-Jan Huntelaar di Milan. Sayangnya dia tidak menjalani debut manis seperti kedua rekannya karena Milan kalah dari Inter yang justru diperkuat oleh Sneijder.

'The Hunter' made his debut, but failed to make an impact on the scoreline.

Well, it’s the first truly big match-up of the Serie A year – the Derby of Milan, in Italy known as la Derbi della Madonnina – and since the Roma-Juventus match isn’t ’til tomorrow, I might as well cover what is one of the biggest, and often most dramatic, matches in all of Calcio. This year’s Derby wasn’t any different, except that perhaps it should have been billed instead as a mismatch, because only one of Milan’s teams played in tonight’s match – and they weren’t wearing red. Inter crushed AC Milan in a 4-0 rout which saw Milan play a man down for nearly an hour. To be fair, the game’s first twenty minutes belonged entirely to the Rossoneri; with the exception of a laser-beam strike from Wesley Sneijder, Inter’s newest acquisition, in the 7th minute which forced a one-handed save from Storari. Otherwise, Milan was in control, and runs from Alexandre Pato and Mathieu Flamini posed problems for the Inter defense – though Marco Borriello bungled a chance to get ahead by leaping over his teammate (Flamini) to nod the ball over the crossbar. In the 17th minute, Milan’s acting captain and driving force Rino Gattuso began to complain of a niggling injury, and by the 25th, Milan’s red half began to run out of steam. i Nerazzurri took this deceleration as an opportunity and began to control possession so completely that Milan were never really allowed back into the game. I’m no fan of the brand of football that Inter peddles, but I will say that once they hit their stride they never looked back, and the scoreline would soon reflect that.

Inter’s summer acquisition Thiago Motta opened the scoring in the 29th minute, after a series of concise passes on the edge of the Milan box saw Diego Milito supply the streaking Brazilian with a perfect ball (which he duly curled beyond the reach of a flailing Storari). Less than seven minutes later, a long ball from Maicon found Eto’o racing alone into the Rossoneri’s end, only for the Cameroonian striker to be pulled down from behind in the box, by who else but Gennaro Gattuso. Referee Nicola Rizzoli promptly (and perhaps a bit lightly) both showed him the yellow card and pointed to the spot, awarding a penalty kick which Diego Milito blasted high into the centre of the net as Storari dived right.

The remainder of the first half would pass in just as disastrous a manner for AC Milan. After conceding the penalty, Gattuso attempted to be substituted for Clarence Seedorf; returning to the pitch only to hammer Sneijder in midfield with a clattering tackle from behind that earned him his second yellow card as well as his marching orders. Inter would finish the first half three goals up as Maicon was the third of the Nerazzurri to beat Storari on one of his bombing runs into Milan’s box just over a minute into stoppage time.

Luckily for Milan, Inter seemingly lost some of their momentum over the halftime break, and Milan fans were allowed eighteen minutes before their next scare, as Eto’o easily nodded the ball past Storari, with a giant grin on his face no less. However, the flag was up, and Eto’o would not succeed in his quest for a Derby goal this night. Shortly after, Ronaldinho came off for Milan’s newest signing Klaas Jan Huntelaar, making his debut in the red & black. ‘The Hunter,’ to his credit, was able to make an immediate (if minor) impact on the game, troubling the Inter defense and very nearly slotting home goals on three occasions. Dejan Stankovic would seal Milan’s fate once and for all in the 67th minute, with a 30-yard rocket it that, you guessed it, beat Storari and crashed into the old onion bag. The remainder of the game was largely back and forth, as Milan struggled to recover some dignity led by Pato and Huntelaar in several attacks that ultimately amounted to nothing more than holding Inter to their four-goal lead.

Apart from the first twenty minutes, when Flamini made nimble runs into the box, Alessandro Nesta broke up advancing play with pefectly timed tackles and Gattuso controlled possession by way of sheer willpower, Milan was largely ineffectual throughout the match. Pato remained a constant danger, and Huntelaar did well in his debut, but Andrea Pirlo was largely invisible except in his blunders (not what you want from your direttore) and Gattuso ended up doing more harm than good for his beloved side, who had struggled enough with eleven men. Inter’s new strike pair of Milito and Eto’o proved that they are as dangerous a combination as any, but the true credit for the win belongs to Internazionale’s midfield, who shut Milan completely out of the game – they knocked them down and never gave them a chance to get back to their feet.

Tonight was a match which Milan fans will do their best to forget and which Inter fans will remind them of (gleefully) for years to come. For my own part, I’m disappointed in Milan’s performance, as I had thought that last week’s win against Siena would see the Rossoneri back to their old winning ways, and a closely contested derby is always more exciting than a blowout. Nevertheless, watching Milan lose is not exactly heartbreak for me – of far more concern is the thought that this is an indication that Inter are capable of simply strolling to their fifth scudetto in a row. I am sure that many Inter fans will be touting la derbi as proof of just that. I can only hope that the contest between Juventus and Roma tomorrow is a more competitive match, and that neither Milan team takes tonight’s result too much to heart.

It’s only week two, after all.

Pato mencetak dua gol Milan saat melawan Siena.

Kendati aksinya belum dapat disaksikan di layar kaca, berita kemenangan AC Milan 2-1 atas Siena pada Sabtu lalu (22/8) cukup menyejukkan hati para penggemar Rossoneri di Indonesia. Hasil buruk selama pramusim layak memunculkan keraguan bahwa Milan memang belum siap bertarung memperebutkan scudetto. Tapi hasil pertandingan pertama Serie A musim ini telah memberi harapan baru dan langkah Milan akan lebih kencang melaju. Alexandre Pato, penyerang muda Brasil bermain cemerlang memborong dua gol Milan. Ronaldinho mampu tampil gemilang dan menjadi kreator terciptanya tiga poin pertama Milan. Kombinasi bek tua-muda Alessandro Nesta dan Thiago Silva menjadi benteng tangguh sektor pertahanan, sementara Mathieu Flamini bermain bagus di lini tengah. Bahkan Marco Borriello pun tidak mengecewakan turun sebagai starter berduet dengan Pato, kendati belum mencetak gol.

Pada Sabtu depan (29/8) akan terjadi ‘grande partita’ ketika Milan menjamu Inter Milan di San Siro. Semoga tren positif Milan bakal berlanjut di pekan kedua nanti. Kita juga masih menunggu debut Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, penyerang Belanda pindahan dari Real Madrid yang di pekan pertama belum bisa tampil karena menjalani hukuman larangan bermain. Mudah-mudahan kita sudah dapat menjadi saksi serunya pertandingan ‘derby Milano’ tersebut di rumah kita masing-masing.

]]> http://footballdirecta.com/2009/08/20/ac-milan-signing-huntelaar-suspended-for-opening-serie-a-match-against-siena/ Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:32:06 +0000 footballdirecta http://footballdirecta.com/2009/08/20/ac-milan-signing-huntelaar-suspended-for-opening-serie-a-match-against-siena/

New Milan striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will not be able to make his official debut with the club this weekend, as he must serve a one-match ban he picked up with Real Madrid, according to tuttomercatoweb.

The Lega Calcio have sent Milan a letter, explaining that the Dutch hitman will be suspended for their Saturday showdown with Siena at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

“In pursuance of the provisions of Article 12 of the FIFA Regulations on the status of the international transfer of players, the Spanish Federation, through the Italian Federation, has today announced that the player Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, affiliated to the company AC Milan SpA on 11 August 2009, must pay the penalty of suspension for one match, already imposed by the Spanish disciplinary system,” read the note.

The former Ajax star joined Milan for €15 million, signing a four-year contract with the Serie A giants earlier this month, but will have to wait to make his official bow.

Goal

La Serie A 2009-2010 è ormai alle porte e nella serata è stato servito un primo antipasto. Il tradizionale Trofeo Tim, giunto alla sua ottava edizione, ha visto la Juventus per la prima volta trionfante, ma soprattutto un Milan troppo lontano dalle due acerrimi rivali.

Prima Sfida: Inter-Juventus 6-7 (dcr)
Formazioni sperimentali sia per Mourinho che per Ferrara. Il primo gioca senza una punta di peso (Milito subentrerà nel finale) e si affida a Quaresma e Mancini sulle fasce; l’allenatore Juventino, invece, attacca con Amauri e Iaquinta davanti, supportati da Tiago trequartista. In campo anche Poulsen.
La partita è equilibrata e viene sbloccata al 25′ quando Mancini supera due uomini sulla fascia destra e dopo un rimpallo Thiago Motta supera in pallonetto Buffon. La Juve non reagisce, fino a che al 40′ un’ingenuità di Materazzi provoca un rigore per la Juventus: Julio Cesar però è strepitoso nella risposta. Ma proprio quando sembrava fatta per l’Inter, al 43′ un clamoroso errore di Rivas (subentrato dopo il rosso a Materazzi) spalanca ad Amauri un’autostrada per il pareggio.
Ai rigori sbagliano Poulsen, Samuel ed infine Santon.

Seconda Sfida: Milan-Inter 0-1
Un derby noiosissimo quello andato in scena; nel Milan esordio in Italia per Huntelaar e Roma. Le due squadre non fanno nulla per alzare i ritmi. Ci pensa allora Balotelli a ravvivarla: prima colpisce una traversa su punizione al 5′, poi al 25′ segna di testa l’1-0 finale.

Terza Sfida: Milan-Juventus 0-2
Nell’ultima sfida la Juve conferma le due punte davanti, ma al posto di Tiago come trequartista propone il giovane Yago, scuola Barcellona, così come Caceres a destra. Formazione confermata, invece, per il Milan. La Juve convince subito e al 15′ va in vantaggio con un gran gol di Amauri: completamente bucato Roma. Il Milan prova a reagire, inserendo anche Inzaghi al posto di Huntelaar, ma incassa il 2-0 con una grande azione di De Ceglie e finalizzazione (in offside non visto) di Iaquinta.

A Pescara ad alzare la coppa è il capitano (date le assenze) Giorgio Chiellini.

Lunedì il Trofeo Berlusconi.

• Xabi Alonso este, oficial, noul jucator al echipei Real Madrid.Suma vehiculata se cifreaza la 30 de milioane de euro. Cat despre contractul jucatorului, se zvoneste ca spaniolul ar fi semnat pe 4 ani cu gruparea madrilena.
• Salomon Kalou, aproape de Arsenal Londra! Chelsea doreste sa il vanda, iar Arsenal a inaintat o oferta de 6 milioane de euro pentru ivorian, insa gruparea de pe “Stamford Bridge” vrea in jur de 10 milioane. Ramane de vazut daca cele doua cluburi rivale din Premier League vor ajunge la un acord.
• In sfarsit, AC Milan si-a adus un varf, un inlocuitor pentru golgetterul Kaka. Noul atacant de pe “San Siro” este Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Nu se zvoneste inca nicio suma, cert e ca a semnat pe 4 ani cu gruparea “rosso-nero”.
• Bine-cunoscutul Christian “Kily” Gonzalez a fost imprumutat la San Lorenzo. Mijlocasul argentinan a parasit gruparea Rosario Central, la care va reveni peste un an.
• Cine credea ca Jan Koller e terminat, s-a inselat! Varful ceh in varsta de 36 de ani este dorit de Rubin Kazan, echipa ce in toamna va juca in UEFA Champions League! Jucatorul evoleaza in prezent la Krylya Sovetov.
• Odata cu plecarea lui Xabi Alonso, Liverpool cauta deja inlocuitor. Din cate se pare, Christian Poulsen de la Juventus este principala tinta, tinand cont ca nu mai este dorit pe “Delle Alpi”, iar suma de transfer nu e tocmai mare – in jur de 10 milioane.
• Lovitura verii in Liga I: Cristi Tanase a semnat cu Steaua Bucuresti! In schimbul lui s-au platit 1.800.000 de euro + 50% dintr-un potential viitor transfer.Jucatorul a mai fost dorit de FC Koln si Fulham, insa Andrei Penescu s-a dovit a fi o nuca tare, greu de spart pentru straini, pentru a ajunge la semnatura lui Tanase. Contractul e valabil pe 5 ani, in valoare de 120.000 de euro pe an.
• Deco + 45 de milioane de euro = Kun Aguerro? In presa britanica se zvoneste ca Abramovic vrea sa ofere 45 de milioane de euro pentru tanarul varf argentinian care, coincidenta sau nu, e tocmai ginerele lui Maradona. Tranzactia nu include doar aceasta suma, ci si portughezul Deco, jucator ce nu mai pare tentat sa ramana pe “Stamford”.
• Aquilani la Liverpool! Gruparea de pe “Anfield Road” confirma zvonul conform caruia italianul ar fi semnat pe 5 ani cu “cormoranii”. Suma pentru care Alberto Aquilani a fost transferat de la AS Roma se invarte in jurul a 20 de milioane de euro (se spune ca ar exista si o clauza ce prevede un procentaj dintr-un eventual transfer care s-ar cuveni Romei).