Spanish giants FC Barcelona continued on their impressive form Saturday as they beat Sevilla 2-0
at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium to momentarily reduce Madrid's lead over them to 7 points.
Of course, Argentine wizard Lionel Messi was on the score sheet to edge closer to Ronaldo who
leads the top scorer's list with 32 goals, however, the night belonged to play maker Andres Iniesta
who equaled Madrid legend Butragueno's record of 50 unbeaten league matches.
Spanish giants FC Barcelona continued on their impressive form Saturday as they beat Sevilla 2-0
at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium to momentarily reduce Madrid's lead over them to 7 points.
Of course, Argentine wizard Lionel Messi was on the score sheet to edge closer to Ronaldo who
leads the top scorer's list with 32 goals, however, the night belonged to play maker Andres Iniesta
who equaled Madrid legend Butragueno's record of 50 unbeaten league matches.
The Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE) has revealed that La Liga players will strike for
the first two weekends of the season.
Players want a wage guarantee fund for when clubs become insolvent, an all-too frequent problem
in Spain, with Levante and Hercules struggling to pay staff members in recent years and Real
Zaragoza applying for administration this summer, which is a common occurrence particularly in the
Segunda Division.
The Spanish League's calendar has been out and we will be travelling to Malaga in the opening
fixture of our title defense on the 21st of August. We will be aiming to win our fourth successive
La Liga title and equal the record of the Cryuff's Dream Team. The first Clasico match which is
going to be held at Camp Nou is scheduled on the 11th of December.
SPANISH FOOTBALL has a new name to its long list of future young up & coming Football stars, KIKO
FEMENIA, 20 year old Spain International just signed by FC BARCELONA from Club HERCULES. Many will
not know the name or the player but the "kid" has already played 33 matches for Hercules that has
been recently relegated to the 2º Division after playing in all last season in La Liga.
Paraguayan International forward NELSON VALDEZ is one step away from returning to Spanish
Football - La Liga - after playing two seasons with Hercules last time. This time around the 28
year old current RUBIN KAZIN player is about to land in VALENCIA CF with the only prerequisite
left of passing the obligatory medical exam.
Everton have announced the loan signing of Real Madrid winger Royston Drenthe. The 24 year old
Dutchman joins the club on a season long loan from Los Blancos, and is expected to
immediately slot into David Moyes' side.
Drenthe impressed during his time at Feyenoord, operating as a skillful and quick left back, and
promptly earned a €14 million move to Real Madrid.
According to a report from Goal.com, Premier League newcomers Swansea City could
succeed in an audacious attempt to sign former World Cup winner David Trezeguet. The French striker
is available on a free transfer after leaving Spanish side Hercules, and the Premier League could
be an attractive destination.
The outstanding theme of the USA vs Canada match was how many US players were non-factors for
the 90 + minutes. Some by design, some by their own performance. The midfield did not establish a
passing game and consequently looked disjointed and rushed. It was low percentage stuff with too
much hope, very little reality.
Despite the scoreline, the USA showed some encouraging signs in their 4-1 defeat against Brazil in
Washington D.C. last night.
Regardless as to how well the USA played against Scotland over the weekend, you knew that they
would be under signifcantly more pressure on both sides of the ball versus Brazil.
The canary yellow jerseys were everywhere in the first half. Brazil obviously had done their
homework because every time Landon Donovan got the ball he was set on by at least two defenders.
The USA were also pinned deep in their half by a physical Seleção who used a full court press.
Against the swarm, the three man midfield of Maurice Edu, Jermaine Jones, and Michael Bradley were
not allowed to define themselves like they did against Scotland.
It was a decent start for the USA as the match was fairly even through about 10 minutes. In the
12th minute, there was some controversy as a penalty kick was given to Brazil for a handball on USA
defender Oguchi Onyewu. Replays show that it wasn't deliberate and probably a bit harsh as Onyewu
didn't even receive a yellow card.
U.S. Soccer released the roster of players called up by Jurgen Klinsmann and there are some
interesting choices. Both Landon Donovan and Kyle Beckerman are on the roster and are apparently
expected to be in camp regardless of whether or not their team makes it to MLS Cup. Reportedly
Klinsmann will be releasing that player after the match against France in order to let them return
to the United States and prepare.
With the ice storm following the snow storm Seattle Sounders FC canceled today's practice. It
was to be the formal opening to training camp, even though most players have participated in
voluntary workouts for some time. They've been doing that not just because of the roster
competition, but because game one this year is in the CONCACAF Champions League against Santos
Laguna.
Chasing the Big Leagues Real Valladolid and the contenders (Spain Segunda) is a post from: Just
Football
Just Football'sTales from Tier Two series, in
association with @tiertwofooty, continues now as we continue with Spain's Liga Adelante. First we
assessed the promotion chances of Deportivo La Coruñain Spain's Segunda
Division:
Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid have been in and around the top six all season in Spain's
Segunda Division following a run of just 2 defeats in 22 games since kicking off the season with a
3-0 win at Gimnastic Tarragona.
With reports coming through suggesting that Spurs have been quoted a fee in the region of £31m
for Fernando Llorente, could Harry Redknapp follow the lead of other premiership managers and take
a look at free agent David Trezeguet?
The 33-year old French international is available on a free following his departure from
relegated Spanish side Hercules in the summer after scoring 12 goals in 31 appearances in La
Liga.
The Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE) has revealed that La Liga players will strike for
the first two weekends of the season.
Players want a wage guarantee fund for when clubs become insolvent, an all-too frequent problem
in Spain, with Levante and Hercules struggling to pay staff members in recent years and Real
Zaragoza applying for administration this summer, which is a common occurrence particularly in the
Segunda Division.
Villarreal had a disastrous 2011-12. They are relegated to the Spanish Segunda Division in the
dying minutes of the season.
The obvious question was "What went wrong?"
The easy answers are the exit of Santi Cazorla and the long-term injury to Giuseppe Rossi. But
that doesn't fully explain how a team that featured in the Champions League group stage could get
relegated.
In Part I of a new series using numbers and detailed analysis to evaluate players in MLS,
Footiebusiness Contributor Dave Laidig has re-imagined and re-configured the data to provide an
exceptionally accurate mechanism for comparing talent. For those interested in player evaluation,
soccer statistics and more, the below is a great and necessary read.
I don't care that Bacary Sagna looks like Serena Williams' ugly brother.
And I don't care that, except for Cesc Fabregas' mullet, his hair-style is the funniest I've seen a
player in an Arsenal shirt ever have.
Because Bacary is a hero for Arsenal. A proper hero. Like Hercules.
Is it any coincidence, that since his return from a broken leg, Arsenal have shown the kind of
fight only ever seen on the battlefields of Scotland by William Wallace and co?
The Dama de Honor, the shopping trolley and the squid Take one pasty white English guy - regular
correspondent from this parish, Andy Hudson - his father and a retired footballer from Denmark and
send them on an extended European Football Weekend to Spain.... "That's tasteless.""You finish it
off.""I don't want it.
The qualification for Euro 2012 is almost done. England will be in Poland and/or Ukraine next
summer after comfortably finishing top of Group G, albeit by handing Motenegro an unlikely point
and a place in the play-offs in the final game. Ireland also made it to the play-offs, and could be
drawn against Montenegro, but Wales and Scotland miss out once again.
My Offside account has finally been restored and so I can now begin posting and updating. Fear
NOT! This site will not die so long as TheOffside doesn't prevent me access to post publishing.
So: Today's analysis is on the plan for La Liga players to strike and stay away from matches on
the opening day of the La Liga season, scheduled for August 21, a tantalising few days away.
A tad un-PC Aston Villa's mascot is currently Hercules Lion. He is everything you want in a mascot:
jovial, sporty and a bit of cheeky chap. While there is a theme of African heritage running through
the narrative of Villa mascots past and present, this wasn't always portrayed in quite as
politically correct or positive [.
Mais um amistoso, foi disputado no dia 11/06/2011, na cidade de Assuncion-PAR, no Estadio Los
Defensores del Chaco, onde jogaram as seleções do Paraguai (23º no ranking da FIFA) e a
seleção da Romênia (42º no ranking da FIFA).
Antes desse jogo, as 2 seleções nunca haviam jogado.
Royston Drenthe amongst many were not paid their wages for months
Spain's domestic season is in danger of being delayed as the players association representing
110 professionals including Carles Puyol and Iker Casillas have called for a strike after an
agreement on collective bargaining failed to materialize.
Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish wants Wigan's Colombian star Hugo Rodallega but will have to pay
£9million to get him.
Dalglish is keen to bring in the powerful attacker to give Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez some
top-class support as the Kop aim to get back on the glory trail this season
Rodallega has impressed Dalglish in the past couple of years, often dazzling against the Anfield
side in games, and he thinks the South American would be a huge asset
Dalglish is looking to move out David Ngog and Milan Jovanovic as he improves the quality of his
options and he knows Suarez and Carroll will pick up injuries because of their all-action
styles
So Dalglish wants Rodallega to fill that gap and hopes Wigan will be sensible with the fee as the
25-year-old is going into the last season of his contract and can go for nothing next summer
Wigan supremo Dave Whelan values Rodallega in the £9m class, similar to winger Charles NZogbia who
is also in the same contract position and boss Roberto Martinez is backing him.
