This game was a nasty short right to the left midriff.
The Brisbane Club had worked hard to get its once healthy crowd back to a meaningful game. Things happen in the Brisbane v Melbourne games. From the brilliant 3-3 in game 2 to the mean 'Kruse' game.
But this was a serious non-event for most of the audience. Click to continue reading...

South Korea's Cultural Center in Vietnam has asked that a friendly between Vietnam's U23s and South Korean club Chunnam Dragons be held on October 20 instead of 21.
Eighteen players of the South Korean club are expected to land in Hanoi on October 18 for the friendly at My Dinh Stadium in the capital. Click to continue reading...

I suggest Brisbane replace Malcolm with Ivan Franjic. It would be a shame for him to only play one more game (as his injury cover ends). Bob, on the other hand, looks better suited to park football. And it would free up another foreign spot. Another Henrique? Click to continue reading...

Leading striker Le Cong Vinh has not been named in the national team picked for the upcoming HCMC Cup and 2011 Asian Cup qualifying matches.
Speaking on the phone to Thanh Nien from Kunming, China on Tuesday, Calisto said he didn't include Vinh because the latter was now playing for Portugal's top-flight league club Leixoes. Click to continue reading...

- Zlatan Ibrahimovic has already made history in his little time wearing the Blaugrana shirt: He has become the first player ever in the history of the club to score in the first four Liga matches.
But this achievement comes along with some sad news: Zlatan's out with an ankle injury after last night's match, ironically enouh at the hands - or rather feet - of Barca loan-out Henrique. Click to continue reading...

FC Barcelona continued their excellent run in the league with a 4-1 demolition of Racing Santander at El Sardinero stadium. Two goals from Messi and one each from Ibrahmovic and Pique was enough to see Barca comfortably past Racing. Like the weekend it was a sensational first half display which put Barca in command. Click to continue reading...

La liga vuelve entre semana con la cuarta jornada del campeonato. El Barça visita El Sardinero con la intención de seguir esta línea de buen juego y goles que arrasó al Atletico de Madrid. Allí nos espera el cedido Henrique, que intentará causar buena impresión a los pocos que le hemos visto jugar. Click to continue reading...

THE 'Football Gods' have a sense of humour, eh?
Yesterday's game against Brisbane was possibly one of Perth's worst performances this season and yet they managed to win 4-2.
That's football, folks.
Brisbane, admittedly, were nowhere near full strength, though they had a intimidating front three of Henrique, Reinaldo and Sergio Van Dijk. Click to continue reading...

Henrique and Reinaldo combining at home - can't wait. Click to continue reading...

Brisbane are back. Reinaldo is better than ever and could be the best striker in the A-League. Too fast, too strong, too clever. Great ball skills.
Newcastle, with the only defence to close out Gold Coast, had no answer to the Miller, Van Dijk, Henique and Reinaldo combination. Even Mitch looked very composed in a defensive mid-field post. Click to continue reading...

Fowler scored a great goal early. Brisbane's defence, for all its stars, looks slow and brittle.
NQ down to 10 from 1st half.
Henrique pushes the envelope but also attracts real violence.
Lots of wild dead end balls from Brisbane in the second half.
Reinaldo, Van Dijk combination starting to look good. Click to continue reading...

Tottenham y Barcelona igualaron a un gol en el mítico estadio de Wembley, un empate que marcó el debut oficial del FC Barcelona en un amistoso preparatorio para la próxima temporada. Una 09/10 donde Guardiola y el equipo culé buscaran mantener el superlativo nivel mostrado en la campaña del triplete. Click to continue reading...

We're feeling sad about Henrique. He was signed, loaned out for a year, then brought back home as a promising addition to the team; but after a couple of preseason performances it was decided he still needs to develop more. And out he goes on another loan, this time to Spanish side Racing Santander. Well, at least he stays in Spain, and will get more used to Liga football. Click to continue reading...

Barca are set to face Sporting Gijon in their opening match of the Liga, in what will hopefully prove to be a great start to the season. It mightn't be that easy, especially given the absence of Leo Messi, who went straight from Monaco after the Supercup to join up with the Argentine national team in Rosario, in preparation for their upcoming World Cup qualifier against Brazil. Click to continue reading...

Racing Santander will add two new faces to their squad this season, after agreeing one-year loan deals for Barcelona defender Henrique and Newcastle United Spanish U21 striker Xisco. Xisco - one year loan  deal looks official 23-year-old Spaniard Xisco only moved to Newcastle from Deportivo La Coruna last September, but has been unable to get many first [. Click to continue reading...

A great performance from Henrique whose combinations with Miller, Van Dijk and Kruse tore up CCM. I thought Kruse also did well. And Mundy was much improved. DeVere was given license to go a long way forward on the right.
David Dodd had a great game after coming on early for McKay who sustained a nasty injury. Click to continue reading...

Over the last few years Spanish Primera is slowly taking dominance over the rest of the European leagues. Barcelona demonstrated that, when they easily handled Manchester United in the Champions League finals. Still, last season was a disappointment for the Royal club, as even though they finished second in Primera, their European campaign was not worth mentioning, having in mind that they were humiliated by Liverpool that beat them 5:0.

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It is ironic, but the new sensation of Campeonato Brasileiro is Sao Paulo, the club that lifted the trophy in the last three years. After a very bad start, the firing of Muricy Ramalho, the questions about Ricardo Gomes and the players and seating on the 15th spot, Sao Paulo reached the second spot.

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From the Etihad, and Henrique's bare-chest yellow card, to the Jose Alvalade and another player to receive that most nonsensical and infuriating of all the sanctions in the rulebook.
This time, flashing his pecs actually got the already-cautioned Simon Vukcevic sent off, just after he had equalised. Click to continue reading...

Overview
Tomorrow Santos will face Cruzeiro away from home 19th round of the Brasileirão. This is the crucial halfway point of the season.
The referee is Marcelo de Lima Henrique, with his assistants being Vagner de Almeida Santos and Jackson L. Massara do Santos. They are all from Rio de Janeiro. Click to continue reading...

With most of the players off with their national teams, Barca's sqaud is looking scanty with only Valdes, Pinto, Jorquera, Henrique, Maxwell, Victor Sanchez, Iniesta, Pedro, Bojan, Henry and Ibrahimovic left; along with B-teamers Fontas, Muniesa, Jonathan and Jeffren.
Training goes on however, and Ibrahimovic worked right along with the rest of the players for the first time, after recieving his greenlight from the medics. Click to continue reading...

Strange bidding tactic from the Catalan side!

Arsene Wenger has repeatedly insisted his star midfielder is not for sale and will be even more reluctant to sell following injuries to Tomas Rosicky and Samir Nasri.

Nasri is about a month away from returning from a broken leg and Czech midfielder Rosicky has suffered a hamstring strain which could keep him out for eight weeks.

Click to continue reading...

After being knocked back in their pursuit of Vidic, Pepe tries to snap up another United talent!

Barcelona are planning an audacious move for Manchester United defender Jonny Evans.
The La Liga club sounded out a move for Nemanja Vidic earlier this summer but were given short shrift by Sir Alex Ferguson.

Click to continue reading...

In this third and last part to my preview of the upcoming season. Below is an examination of the teams that I believe will fill the top 3 places.
3rd – Brisbane Roar
There is a lot to like about Frank Farina's team, it is beautifully balanced with a strong defence, a midfield full of talent and an attack that oozes class. Click to continue reading...

How huge did this match turn out to be? The Rose Bowl was nearly completely filled, with over 93,000 filling the stands – the largest attendance ever in the United States since the World Cup final in the same stadium back in 1994. FC Barcelona: are we epic, or are we epic?
Please excuse the ego trip, we're just too proud of our boys. Click to continue reading...

I tend to get too excited about the young kids, when they move. I will often over-value the transfers of the the Zuculini, Sven Bender and Lewis Holtby's of the footballing world. I will see Ralf Fahrmann's move to Eintracht as the bargain of the century. But youth takes time to develop, so this year I am going to concentrate on the seven best transfers made so far this summer, in relation to how the players will aid their teams in the coming year.

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Head coach Pep Guardiola announced the 26 players that will be making the trip to the United States for the US Tour. Two names missing from the list are Alexander Hleb and Martín Cáceres both who are rumored to be going out on loan for next season.

The 26 players are:
Valdés, Jorquera, Jorquera, Puyol, Alves, Sánchez, Piqué, Márquez, Henrique, Abidal, Maxwell, Xavi, Touré, Keita, Busquets, Gudjohnsen, Iniesta, Henry, Pedro, Messi, Bojan, Ibrahimovic, Muniesa, Fontà s, Jonathan dos Santos and Jeffren.

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This match was a meet between the champions of Europe and the champions of Africa - only the champions of Europe weren't really playing, their younger understudies from the B-team were. And the kids still managed to give the Egyptian kings a royal thrashing.
Blaugrana pride, what can we say. Click to continue reading...

- As it turns out, the chica vacationing with Puyol is none other than Romanian model Claudia Neghina (photo) - more pictures of them together here.
- The deal with Inter Milan for the signing of Ibrahimovic and departure of Eto'o is almost complete. Reportedly, the two clubs have reached an agreement and the only step that remains is the paperwork. Click to continue reading...

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Head coach Pep Guardiola fielded a "B" team against Tottenham Hotspur in the first round of the Wembley Cup on Friday. During the match Guardiola was able to get 22 players on the field as starts Messi, Henry, Valdes, Marquez and Hleb watched from the stands.

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- Leo sends everyone greetings from Barca's training camp, Bisham Abbey, London, and begs for someone to please make Pep take it easy on them. The coach's been working the boys extra hard today, with two training sessions involving a mixture of physical and tactical exercises. They focused on ball skills, defensive pressure and building stamina, with Pep in the midst of everything making the sure the players were doing things right, and interrupting frequently to correct them (pictures below). Click to continue reading...

After some long much deserved rest, FC Barcelona has started their pre-season tour. FC Barcelona will be first seen competing in the Wembley Cup against Totenham on friday 24th July. Guardiola has picked a 28 man squad for the trip to London. The squad contains 17 from senior squad and 11 from the youth and reserve teams. Click to continue reading...

JOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images

Head coach Pep Guardiola and his team arrived in London today in preparation for their match Friday against Tottenham in the first of two matches at Wembley. 17 players from the first squad and 11 from the youth academy and reserve team made the trip. The biggest surprise for fans coming out to see Barcelona play in London will be Lionel Messi.

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Ronaldo, Jorge Henrique and Morais celebrate against Cruzeiro

Celso Roth's Atlético Mineiro were restored to the leadership of the Brasileiro after a scoreless draw away at Vitória. The result ended the Bahia side's 100% record in the Barradão.

Palmeiras had gone top on Saturday after Diego Souza's volley secured the Palestra Itália outfit a 1×0 win over Santo André.

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In what has become a weekly highlight on the blog, Ronald Gordo puts a mythological spin on the importance of the Gre-Nal with the Rio Grande do Sul clássico just days away-
I usually say I do not like football. I like Internacional... and that is why I love the Gre-Nal, because Gre-Nal is not a football game. Click to continue reading...