Feel free to cross Raul off the last of potential summer MLS arrivals.
The Spanish striker signed a one-year deal with Al Sadd in Qatar, signalling the next move in
his legendary career. Raul, who turns 35 next month, played two seasons with German club Schalke,
with his final match with the team coming at PPL Park in a friendly against the Philadelphia Union
last week.
There's a bevy of beautiful 'ballers across multiple domestic leagues who desperately need
medical assistance.
We've already written our recommended rehab prescriptions, and now all we ask is for some
expert(s) in the field who can responsibly oversee their care and return them to fighting fit
form.
Welcome to the fifty-second annual WCR Top 25 rankings. For years, we have been describing how this
list is compiled. In brief, the rankings are based on (a) the domestic results for each club's most
recent completed season (either 2011 or 2010-11) and (b) performances in the continental
championship tournaments through the use of bonus points.
Villa-Villa-Villa, Villa Maravilla! Road to recovery begins for Spain's kid is a post from: Just
Football
David Villa is not the most controversial of footballers. If you're the type of
fan that likes his players a little rough around the edges, or the type for whom players only
register when they do something out of the ordinary the Barcelona striker may
rarely even register.
FC Barcelona World Champions (Photo: Getty Images)
Another scintillating performance by Leo Messi saw Barcelona dismantle Brazil's Santos 4-0 to
claim the FIFA Club World Cup Championship.
Barca enter the record books as the only club to ever win the tournament twice, giving Pep
Guardiola his 13th trophy since taking over at the helm in 2008.
This is our final "weekly" ranking of the year here on World Club Rankings. In place of next week's
edition, we will be presenting the Annual Top 25 Clubs in the World for 2011. Make sure to vote on
the left for which club you think should be selected as the Number One Club of 2011.
Barca duly wrapped up the 2011 Club World Cup in Yokohama on Sunday with a one-sided 4-0 win over
South American champions Santos in front of a full house of 68,166 fans.
The team from Sao Paulo in Brazil had looked likely to provide stiffer opposition than they
eventually offered after their impressive 3-1 win over J-League champions Kashiwa Reysol in the
semi-final on Wednesday at Toyota Stadium.
It may not have been the most difficult challenge that FC Barcelona would have to face in their
quest to become FIFA Club World Cup winners. That, however, did not dampen the celebrations as the
Spanish and European champions strolled their way past a poor Santos FC team courtesy of a 4-0
victory.
On Sunday morning if you happen to be in Western Europe the champions of world club football
will be crowned, as the final of the 2011 Club World Cup is played at the International Stadium in
Yokohama between Barcelona, the current champions of Europe, and Santos of Brazil, the current
champions of South America.
Villa lost for season during Club World Cup victory of Al-Saad (Photo: AP Photo)
When is a victory considered a loss?
Barcelona's 4-0 demolition of Qatar's Al-Sadd Sports Club advanced Barcelona to the Club World
Cup Championship against Santos, but the victory came at one hell of a price.
Two nearly naked footballers in one day? Our beakers runneth over! Thanks Stefan Nikolic of Steaua
Bucharest. Image: REUTERS/Bogdan Cristel.
We realise we made a huge deal about not covering the Europa League last season. But obviously,
recent events from in the Champions League have forced our hand and we thought we should show
willing before the big boys come.
Barcelona eased pass Qatari side Al Sadd and into the World Club Cup final but the 4-0 win was
marred by a serious injury to striker David Villa. Pep Guardiola's men booked their place in
Sunday's Club World Cup final against Brazilian outfit Santos thanks to an easy 4-0 win over Al
Sadd. Goals by [.
Barcelona have set up a dream FIFA Club World Cup final against Santos by defeating Al-Sadd 4-0
today. The Barca victory though was dampered by the broken leg to striker David Villa, that will
keep the Barca striker out of action for around six months.
The Villa's injury aside, this was more like a training exercise for Barcelona as Al-Sadd is not
in the same class.
Barcelona have set up a dream FIFA Club World Cup final against Santos by defeating Al-Sadd 4-0
today. The Barca victory though was dampered by the broken leg to striker David Villa, that will
keep the Barca striker out of action for around six months.
The Villa's injury aside, this was more like a training exercise for Barcelona as Al-Sadd is not
in the same class.
David Villa fractured his left tibia shortly before half-time in the Fifa Club World Cup
semi-final against Al Sadd in Yokohama, Japan today.
Villa, who had been linked with a move to away from the Nou Camp in January, was carried off on
a stretcher after appearing to land awkwardly 39 minutes into a game Barcelona were winning
1-0.
Villa removed from pitch following leg injury (Photo: AP Photo)
Horrible news out of Japan this morning where FC Barcelona defeated Al-Sadd 0-4 in the Club
World Cup semi-final and will move on to play Santos in the final.
In the 36th minute of the first half David Villa was injured running down a through ball and
when he tried to control the pass twisted is left leg and fell to the ground.
A day after Pep Guardiola said he had no plans of selling him, David Villa was lost to
injury.
Villa will be sidelined for approximately the next six months after fracturing his tibia in
Barcelona's 4-0 Club World Cup win over Al Sadd on Thursday.
Barcelona have just whupped Al Sadd 4-0 in the second Club World Cup semi-final in Yokohama
(Adriano, Adriano, Keita and Maxwell if you're interested we'll try and track down some highlights
later), but the Japanese jolly has been soured somewhat by a nasty injury to David Villa, who split
his tibia in twain five minutes before half-time.
Al Sadd vs Barcelona 0-4 Highlights 2011 Video Club World Cup Goals Adriano Keita is a post from
Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter
Al Sadd vs Barcelona 0-4 Highlights 2011 Video Club World Cup Goals Adriano Keita is a post from
Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter Al Sadd vs Barcelona 2011 ( Barca vs Al Sadd video
below) Final score and result:- Al Sadd vs Barcelona 0-4 ( Adriano*2, Keita, Maxwell) Nissan
Stadium, Yokohama- Club World [.
Al-Sadd state of affairs The Club World Cup receives criticism from some quarters for being nothing
more than a publicity exercise, allowing FIFA to show off some of its clubs in a money-spinning
tournament for the Asian market. Barcelona have today paid the price for taking the competition
seriously and fielding a strong side, when [.
David Villa Leg Injury 2011- Barca forward breaks leg against Al Sadd in Club World Cup is a
post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter
David Villa Leg Injury 2011- Barca forward breaks leg against Al Sadd in Club World Cup is a post
from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter Spanish striker David Villa is likely to be
out for a lengthy spell ( see Villa leg injury video below) on the sidelines after breaking his leg
in [.
Neymar showed why Europe's best all want to sign him as he inspired Santos to a 3-1 victory over
Japan's Kashiwa Reysol in a Club World Cup semi-final in Toyota.
The Libertadores Cup holders are expected to face European champions Barcelona in this weekend's
final, barring the unthinkable in Barca's semi-final against Qatar's Al Sadd on Thursday.
Like the Kickette HQ pets, Poldi loves a rub between the ears as a reward for good work. But is he
prone to stealing food and peeing on the rug too? Image:Â AFP PHOTO / PATRIK STOLLARZ.
The games featured in this results posts are as randomly selected and disorganised as the
contents of an average Kickette staffer's desk draw.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has dismissed Spanish media reports linking David Villa with a
move away from the Nou Camp in the January transfer window.
Sports newspaper Marca claimed oin Wednesday that the striker is ready to move on from Barca
just 19 months into the four-year deal agreed following his 40million euro transfer from
Valencia.
Houston Dynamo fans have been waiting since the club's inaugural 2006 season for a
soccer-specific stadium they could call their own, and, come May, that dream will be realized.
According to the Houston Chronicle, that stadium will be named BBVA Compass Stadium at an
official ceremony slated for Wednesday afternoon.
David Villa will not be sold to Chelsea says Barcelona's Pep Guardiola
• Coach says report linking striker with transfer is 'a lie' • Liverpool and Aston Villa
also linked with January bids The Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has dismissed Spanish media reports
linking David Villa with a move away from the club in the January transfer window.
Bangor City winger Les Davies is on a 32-strong list of players vying to be named as Uefa's best
player in Europe. The 27-year-old is one of the most unlikely names on the list. He goes
head-to-head with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. His unexpected inclusion is
believed to be a quirk [.
Excuse us while Pies go all 'Veruca Salt' for a while, but here are ten of the rumoured
transfers that have been doing the rounds for the last few weeks that we demand to see materialise
during the coming summer...
1. Alessandro Del Piero Juventus to Arsenal/Tottenham: Done and dusted at
Juventus after 19 years of unwavering idolisation, Del Piero has probably already received his fair
share of tempting offers to go and wind-down to retirement in an affluent footballing backwater
somewhere in exchange for £500,000 a week though the man himself has openly flirted with the idea
of one last hurrah in Europe.
15.12.2011 - Con goles de Adriano (´24 y ´30), Keita (´68) y Maxwell
(´78), Barcelona venció (4-0) a Al Sadd (Qatar) en Yokohama para clasificarse finalista del
Mundial de Clubes 2011 (enfrentará a Santos).
Un Barcelona alternativo que ganó (literalmente) caminando se sostuvo en los pies de Puyol,
Iniesta y Messi para que Guardiola (DT) pruebe jugadores poco habituales.
Barcelona will be without striker David Villa for at least 6 moinths after the striker broke his
leg in Barcelona's 4-0 rout over Al-Sadd in the World Club Cup semi-finals today. There was no dirt
in the tackle which seen Villa unleash a shot under pressure from a defender before both took a
tumble and Villa immediately signalled to the bench he was injured, eventually being stretchered
off with his side leading 1-0 thanks to a major blooper from the opposing keeper let in adriano for
his first of two goals.
European champions FC Barcelona will meet Copa Libertadoes winners Santos FC in Sunday's final of
the FIFA World Club Cup after powering past Qatar's Al-Sadd 4-0 on Thursday in the semi final round
of the competition. Adriano put Barca up 2-0 by halftime while Seydou Keita and Maxwell completed
the rout in the 64th and [.
It is a tournament that receives much criticism given its awkward timing and relative unimportance,
but I guess the World Club Championship has lost a whole heap more supporters following Barcelona's
game with Al-Sadd.
Not that is was anything to do with Barca's Qatari opponents, who worked diligently to try and
contain the European Champions.
Barcelona eases past Saudi Arabian club Al Sadd as Adriano scores a brace in the first half
taking advantage of some shoddy defending. Seydou Keita and Maxwell rounded off the tally in the
second half.
Barca's entry into the finals was not without a price as David Villa broke his leg and could
face up to six months off the field making him a serious doubt for the Euro campaign.
Adios Arshavin? By AH Andrei Arshavin now has two known offers from clubs that are willing to sign
him permanently. Qatari side Al-Sadd and Zenit St Petersburg are both attempting to secure the
signature of Arshavin. Al-Saad is seeking a second big-name signing following the capture of
Spanish legend Raul, and the ambitious club are [.
A contendere al Santos il Mondiale per Club 2011, in una finale che si annuncia emozionante, e che
vedrà la supersfida tra Neymar e Messi, sarà il Barcellona di Guardiola, vittorioso con un
perentorio 4 a 0 con l'Al Sadd, Campione d'Asia in carica nella seconda semifinale che si è
disputata questa mattina.
