http://www.chicago-fire.com/news/2010/04/chicago-fire-challenge-ac-milan

Nice.

MLS

Saturday's slate of seven matches featured plenty of goals and some surprising results.

The Los Angeles Galaxy showed why they are the best team in the league this season by beating the Crew in Columbus 2-0 without Buddle and Donovan. The Crew controlled the game and outshot LA 21-3, but Bruce Arena has put together a very disciplined side that just doesn't make mistakes and capitalizes on the opposition's errors.

A brace by Zlatan Ibrahimovic lifted AC Milan over Auxerre. Both goals had Ronaldinho's stamp on it which is the bigger story. Meanwhile Ibrahimovic finds an odd way to make friends >>

No matter what time of year, no matter what continent one is on, on any given weekend one can catch an entertaining soccer game. The key is to know where to look. Well, look no further -- here's a weekly feature that will preview (and eventually recap) my favorite match of the weekend.

A goalkeeping flap by Andrea Consigli allows Mirko Vucinic's shot to trickle over the goal line giving Roma the lead. Marco Cassetti makes it two after he nods the ball home from Totti's perfectly placed cross. Simone Tiribocchi pulled one back for the Nerazzurri.

With this win, Roma shoot to the top of the table as Inter tied Palermo.

There are persistent rumours that Leonardo maybe on his way out of Milan. Much of the rumours are based on the belief that the AC Milan coach is unhappy at Silvio Berlusconi's thrift when it comes to purchasing players.

In fact, it was quite the talk that Leonardo had walked out of the Rossoneri and that Marcelo Lippi was lined up to replace him.

Milan falls to Palermo and is now in danger of ceding the third and final automatic CL spot to either Sampdoria or Palermo. The younger and hungrier Rosanero over ran the Rossoneri. Palermo's rivals for the fourth spot bested Milan last weekend. This Milan team is a pale shadow of a team that once boasted Maldini, Tassotti, Baresi, and Costacurta to stop the opposition from scoring.

According to Silvio Berlusconi, AC Milan will have a new coach next season. They are in negotiations to find Leonardo's replacement.

Berlusconi felt that the Brazilian was too stubborn and the team did not respond to him.

Which is a bit mysterious. Who are they in negotiations with?

The AC Milan legend has a bad ankle

Van Basten mentioned fondly by the AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi rejected a move to AC Milan. He said it was a nice idea but he had other priorities.

He has a bad ankle that he needs to take care off and limping into a training camp as coach would set a bad example.

News that rarely hears in these days of million dollar player salaries.

Oguchi Onyewu whose patellar tendon injury resulted in only one appearance for the Rossoneri has asked for a extension of a year following the two year contract he signed with the club. He has said he will play that additional time for free.

Starting Line Up

The Fire goes with the regular starters:

GK Dykstra

D Robinson, Brown, Conde, Krol

M Nyarko, Husidic, Pause, Mapp, Pappa

F McBride

Subs: Banner, Bone, Kinney, Martinez, Umanzor, Watson-Siriboe, John, Lowry, Dimitrov, Johnson

AC Milan

GK Dida

D Abate, Favalli, Nesta, Antonini

M Brocci, Blasi, Di Gennaro, Seedorf

F Pato, Ronaldinho

Subs: Colombo, Jankulovski, Diniz, Terzi, Delvechhio, Mancini, Oddo

The Fire's performance was an improvement over the last few games although the match ended in a loss. Overall fluidity and team play was better but finishing chances remains a huge problem. It seems that the 4-5-1 formation is the team's best shape at the moment although the second half was a bit disjointed due to substitutions.

His agent Mino Raiola, who is also employed by Mario Balotelli says that 99.9% Zlatan Ibrahimovic is going to remain at Barca.

The over rated striker was not used by Pep Guardiola for even a single minute of the recent Spanish Super Cup between Barca and Sevilla. With Guardiola employing Messi, Bojan, and Pedro his minutes were curtailed last season.

Adriano Galliani is in Barcelona to thrash out a transfer deal for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He will meet with Sandro Rosell tomorrow. But he warns Milan fans it will prove complex and costly.

Meanwhile, Mino Raiola, Ibra's agent has gone after Pep Guardiola saying the Barca manager "has his own problems and is not as perfect as people are led to believe.

The Spanish media outlets are saying that a deal is in the works that will bring Ibra to AC Milan for €40m which will be payable in three instalments. The player has asked for a day more to think things through before coming to a decision. (as per AS.com)

He has also agreed to lower his wages to €8m per annum.

Christian Abbiati's goalkeeping left much to be desired and Alexandre Pato was denied twice by the referee on two questionable offside calls. But it was promoted club Cesena making waves as Erjon Bogdani headed home the first goal and then minutes later Bogdani fed the speeding Emanuele Giaccherini whose angled shot beat Abbiati and came off the far post for the second goal.

Check out Ciro Capuano's goal which puts Catania ahead. Great volley! Milan's attack cranked it up after that but their finishing let them down. It was left to a suspiciously looking offside goal by Pippo Inzaghi after Ronaldinho feeds the striker the ball. The Catania players protest but to no avail.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a goal and a good one it was but Hernanes was the player who stole the show as he made life an adventure for the Milan defense slicing his way through at will. His scintillating run down the left and precise cut back was finished perfectly by Sergio Floccari to give Lazio the equalizer.