Frank Lampard collects a brace from a spot kick and a header. Jermain Defoe combines with Alex
Oxlade - Chamberlain in an Arsenal- Spurs hook up to score a third. James Milner collects a fourth
after a clever interchange involving Tom Cleverley and Theo Walcott. And Leighton Baines finishes
off hapless Moldova with a deflected free kick.
What a bittersweet final day for Juve fans as their side got to lift the Scudetto and beat
Atalanta, 3-1 in the season's last match. It was also the last day for Alessandro Del Piero, their
talismanic striker, who spent almost his entire career at the Old Lady, spanning 19 years.
Del Piero made 704 appearances and scored 298 goals becoming the club's top scorer.
Stumbled across this AMAZING website the other day that archived the entire 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Relive the stunning 3-2 win over Portugal, the 1-1 tie versus South Korea, no way to the Poland
match, and then watch Mexico crumble to the US in the Round of 16. We're not even going to talk
about the quarter-finals.
Sydney may have just provided the A-League with a life-saving shot in the arm after they secured
the signature of Italy legends Alessandro Del Piero.
The 37-year-old was a free agent after leaving Juventus in the summer and Sydney officials have
worked hard to bring this sensational deal to fruition.
Well, I never thought I'd see the day when I saw a major sporting organising body displayed levels
of incompetence to match the likes of FIFA or the FA. It looks as though the RFU, the body
governing English rugby union may just about take the biscuit.
Let's take a moment to remember that rugby fans - myself included - like to assume the high ground
in any conversation with football fans: the players and the fans are better behaved, the referee is
treated with respect and his decisions are final.
• England have qualified for 21 of the 30 World Cups (13 of 16) and European Championships (8 of
14) held since 1950. Liverpool had at least once player in 19 of the 21 England squads. On average,
Liverpool have had 1.85 players involved in an England World Cup squad and 3.5 in a Euros squad.
David Villa may not be living up to expectations this season with Barcelona, but that doesn't
mean the club is in any rush to get rid of him.
Pep Guardiola spoke to reporters in Japan ahead of Barcelona's FIFA Club World Cup campaign and
said he has no intentions of disposing of Villa, who has been linked to several Premiership
clubs.
One of the best goalkeepers to ever grace the Premier League, 36-year-old Shay Given has decided
to retire from the international game after racking up 125 caps for the Republic of Ireland, a
record for the Boys In Green.
The Aston Villa glovesman, oft described (erroneously) as a 'short goalkeeper' (he's 6'1″),
wasn't at his best in Ireland's disappointing Euro 2012 campaign, and after much thought, decided
the time was right to step aside.
Germany overcame a wasteful first half performance to defeat Greece 4-2 in Gdansk and proceed to
the UEFA Euro 2012 semis next week.
A brilliant first-half goal from Deutsch captain Philipp Lahm was somehow the only difference
between the two teams at half-time.
The Greeks punished Germany's lack of clinical finishing in the first half by equalizing through
a quick counter-attack of their own, which ended with a Georgios Samaras goal in the 55th
minute.
Looks like Samir Nasri is showing his true colours again. After that one England performance, he
seems to have reverted to his usual "I am in it for myself" routine.
He's getting plenty of censure from his team mates for being peripheral to the Sweden game which
resulted in an embarrassing loss and setting themselves on a collision course with defending Euro
and World Cup champions, Spain.
Using an experimental, strikerless formation, Spain only managed a 1-1 draw against Italy in
their first Euro 2012 group stage match. While this was certainly a much better result than the 1-0
loss to Switzerland with which they began their ultimately successful 2010 World Cup campaign,
several Spanish players still complained about the quality of the pitch in Gdansk, Poland, claiming
it wasn't watered properly, thus making it too dry for their liking.
Don't worry, a contractual loophole won't see Fabio Capello back on the England bench this summer.
The former international coach will be attending the European Championships in a UEFA capacity
only. The Italian, who resigned as England boss in February, will be joined by former Liverpool
manager Gerard Houlllier on a panel that will examine [.
Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra has told England that France's preparations for the
Euro 2012 clash between the two nations next Monday is going strong.
Evra, who was surrounded with controversy due to temperamental behavior during France's
disastrous World Cup campaign in South Africa two years ago, has seen manager Laurent Blanc revive
the fortunes of an under-achieving Les Blues side in incredible fashion.
We've now had a couple of sleepless nights about Gareth Barry's groin. It's an experience we will
not want to endure again anytime soon. Finally we know his fate he won't take a part in England's
Euro 2012 campaign in Poland and Ukraine. But the truth is, we're not quite sure how to feel [...]
After watching England's 2010 World Cup campaign unravel amid rumours of player boredom, the
Republic of Ireland are not about to fall into the same trap. Oh no, they've got this box of fun
ready to go to Poland and Ukraine. The Irish players can look forward to games of Connect4,
Scrabble, darts, Monopoly and, [.
Why Capello's reputation rests on the next six months
Redemption time. Or simply confirmation that he was the most expensive failed mercenary ever.
For Fabio Capello, the judgement will be made by July 1, stark and clear-cut. The stain of
Bloemfontein, of a World Cup campaign that descended into chaos, farce and ultimately humiliation,
still lies over Capello's reputation.
Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has signed a new contract to stay in the role,
meaning that he will coach the team throughout the 2014 World Cup qualification campaign. Those
over at casinos online .com note how Ireland secured their place in Euro 2012 with an excellent
play-off victory over Estonia earlier this month of course and the Italian signing a new deal is a
testament to the job he has done.
The FAI has agreed a new two-year contract with Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni and his
assistant Marco Tardelli.
The new deal was announced in a statement today. It will begin in July 2012 and continue for the
duration of the World Cup 2014 qualifying campaign. Fitness trainer Fausto Rossi will also continue
in his role.
France have a proud record in the European Championships having won two Euros in 1984 and 2000.
Two years prior to their Euro 2000 success, France managed to win the most prestigious football
event, the 1998 World Cup, on home soil.
Things then took a downturn, with disappointing 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004 campaigns, but a
Zinedine Zidane inspired run to the 2006 World Cup final proved the country still had vast
resources of footballing talent to choose from.
France have a proud record in the European Championships having won two Euros in 1984 and 2000.
Two years prior to their Euro 2000 success, France managed to win the most prestigious football
event, the 1998 World Cup, on home soil.
Things then took a downturn, with disappointing 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004 campaigns, but a
Zinedine Zidane inspired run to the 2006 World Cup final proved the country still had vast
resources of footballing talent to choose from.
Ivory Coast are the heavy favourites going into the African Cup of Nations in 2012 in Gabon and
Equatorial Guinea next year.
The Elephants will be able to call upon on the service of a number of high profile European players
such as the Toure brothers, Salomon Kalou, Gervinho and Didier Drogba.
Luis Suarez is back in business, whether any of you
futbolitinos like it or not! Over the weekend, we spoke to a few
Uruguayans about the striker's return to the Premier League and they all shared a
similar nonchalant and supportive approach for the Liverpool man.
A minute's silence was held prior to Melbourne Victory's league fixture vs. Perth Glory this
weekend, after it was announced that Luca Jones, son of Socceroo's goalkeeper Brad Jones
(above), had passed away.
Luca, who was five-years-old, had been battling leukaemia for eighteen months.
While the U.S. women's national team is still fighting for gold at the Olympics, the next
generation of players is preparing for its shot at glory in the U-20 Women's World Cup.
U.S. Under-20 women's national team head coach Steve Swanson has named the 21-player roster that
will take part in that competition that will take place in Japan beginning on Aug.
The 2012 OFC Nations Cup will be the most important football tournament to be held in the
Oceania region for many years. As well as playing for continental glory, the competition also
doubles as the second round of qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The top four teams will go
on further in the World Cup qualifying process whilst a place in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup
will also await the team who triumphs in the Nations Cup final on Sunday, June 10th.
The UEFA Europa League final is upon us. It's an all-Spanish match later today, with
Atlético Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao facing off at the National Arena in
Bucharest. It's a late kickoff in Romania: 9:45pm EEST, which corresponds to the usual
2:45pmET/11:45amPT for those of in the US.
World Cup qualifiers in 2006 and 2010, Switzerland is currently ranked 16th in the world by FIFA.
Nicknamed the Schweizer Nati, the Swiss will begin their 2014 World Cup campaign...
"Well Nick, you've got to hold and give, but do it at the right time..."
English rugby is pretty much in the doledrums following a World Cup campaign that can best be
described as a 'fiasco', in which the Rugby Football Union leaked on players, the players leaked on
each other and Mike Tindall did a bad thing with a blonde lady in a Queensland bar or so is my
limited understanding on the matter.
