There are many factors that have contributed to Argentina's poor form throughout World Cup qualification. Some may look to the exclusion of the old guard such as Javier Zanetti and Estaban Cambiasso or to the continued faith in Carlos Tevez; dismissed twice and only scoring one goal throughout qualification.

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(video gol highlights di Fiorentina-Cagliari)
FIORENTINA (4-2-3-1): Frey; De Silvestri, Gamberini, Dainelli, Gobbi; Montolivo, Zanetti (39' st Donadel); Marchionni (35' st Comotto), Santana (46' pt Kroldrup), Vargas; Gilardino. (Avramov, Pasqual, Jorgensen, Castillo). All: Prandelli. Click to continue reading...

Ecco uno dei tanti commenti di tifosi della nostra Juve, preso da uno dei tanti siti dedicati alla Ns Amata squadra. Questo amico dice le stesse cose che scrivo da mesi, anzi da anni. Possibile che gente strapagata come Blanc e Co non capiscono nulla su scelte di calciomercato, preparazione atletica e di allenatori?

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Cambiasso returns to the national team. The rumored Walter Samuel and Zanetti call ups did not happen.

Others called up:

Maxi Rodrguez, Gago, Tevez, Aguero, Lavezzi, Coloccini and the always present Heinze.

Cristian Ansaldi?

A defender that plays in Russia.

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(video gol highlights di Genoa-Fiorentina)
GENOA (3-4-3): Amelia, Sokratis, Biava, Bocchetti, Rossi, Milanetto, Zapater, Modesto (35' st Esposito), Sculli (27' st Palacio), Crespo, Palladino (22' st Mesto). All.: Gasperini (squalificato, in panchina Caneo).
FIORENTINA (4-3-3): Frey, Comotto, Gamberini, Dainelli, Pasqual (37' st Castillo), Donadel (16' st Zanetti), Montolivo, Jovetic (10' st Marchionni), Mutu, Vargas, Gilardino. Click to continue reading...

(video gol highlihts di Napoli-Fiorentina)
FIORENTINA (4-2-3-1): Frey; De Silvestri, Gamberini, Natali (28'st Comotto), Gobbi; Zanetti, Montolivo; Santana (30'pt Jorgensen), Jovetic, Vargas; Mutu (1' st Gilardino). (Avramov, Pasqual, Donadel, Castillo). All.: Prandelli.
NAPOLI (3-4-2-1): De Sanctis; Grava, Rinaudo, Contini; Maggio, Pazienza, Gargano, Aronica; Hamsik, Lavezzi (45'st Datolo); Quagliarella (42'st Denis). Click to continue reading...

Liverpool's Champions League hopes took a shattering blow as Fiorentina claimed an impressive victory in a delirious Stadio Artemio Franchi.
This was their first away defeat in Europe since the semi-final defeat at Chelsea in April 2008, and only their ninth away reverse in 38 attempts in the competition under boss Rafael Benitez. Click to continue reading...

(video gol e highlights di Rubin Kazan-Inter)
RUBIN KAZAN (4-4-2): Rhyzhikov; Salukvadze Sharonov Navas Ansaldi; Ryadantsev Noboa Semak Karadeniz; Domínguez (86' Kasaev) Bukharov (a disp. Revishvili Bystrov Blyaykin Popov Gorbanets Murawski). All. Kurban Berdyev.
INTER (4-3-3): Julio Cesar; Maicon Lucio Samuel Chivu; Zanetti Cambiasso Stankovic; Mancini (64' Quaresma) Eto'o Balotelli (a disp. Click to continue reading...

TABELLINO
SAMPDORIA: Castellazzi, Stankevicius, Lucchini, Gastaldello, Ziegler, Poli (20'st Tissone), Mannini (33'st Franceschini), Palombo, Cassano, Pazzini, Bellucci (26'st Zauri). A disp.: Guardalben, Padalino,, M.Rossi, Cacciatore, Pozzi. All.: Del Neri.
INTER: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Santon, J. Click to continue reading...

Stasera torna la Serie A con la quinta giornata di campionato. Per questo turno infrasettimanale, il match di cartello, e soprattutto sfida che si annuncia affascinante, di grande richiamo (e speriamo ricca di gol) è quella tra l'Inter di Mourinho (squalificato e sostituito in panchina dal suo fidato secondo Beppe Baresi) e il Napoli di Donadoni. Click to continue reading...

Today is the second day of UEFA Champions League Matchday One and features the FC Barcelona-Inter Milan showdown we've all been waiting for.

There are other matches today, seven others to be exact, but most eyes will be on the battle between the defending Champions League title holders and the Serie A champions.

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Diego Maradona's power is being taken away. Carlos Bilardo is being asked to step in and help with player selection.

Julio Grondona had requested Maradona to avail of Bilardo's advise after the Bolivia drubbing but the manager who won Argentina the 1986 World Cup and helped catapult Maradona to the world stage has been marginalized with little input in the selection.

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One of the great heartbreaks of my soccer-watching life was watching Argentina lose against Germany in the quarter finals of the 2006 World Cup. But I knew that with so many great players in the squad--Messi, Riquelme, Crespo, Aimar, Cambiasso, Coloccini, Tevez, Mascherano, Zanetti, Milito, Heinze, and others--that they'd arrive in South Africa ready to make things right. Click to continue reading...

Argentina, desmembrada y mal contagiada, parece tomar una ruta sin curvas. La desesperación y el momento aciago se tragan al equipo y a todas sus individualidades cuando no hay tiempo para reformulaciones.
A los 7 minutos la primera pelota en el palo. A los 23 la segunda en el travesaño. Click to continue reading...

From Messi to Milan, here is the latest transfer news rumours and more.
Berlusconi to sell AC Milan to Lybian contacts
Silvio Berlusconi, long time AC Milan president and Italian Prime Minister has decided to sell the Rossoneri, he could sell to the Central Bank of Lybia, Lybian Investment Authority, or the Lybian Foreign Bank. Click to continue reading...

Kaká, Dunga and Adriano ponder tonight's clash with Argentina

Brazil head to Argentina today knowing that a win could see them qualify for next year's World Cup in South Africa. Dunga's men need the three points in the estádio Gigante in Rosario and require Colombia to beat Ecuador in Medellin earlier in the day.

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Serbian international, Zdravko Kuzmanovic signed the contract with Stuttgart that finished last season third in Bundesliga, thus reserving a place in Champions League group G. After the club's attempts to sign Gojko Kacar from Hertha failed, so they decided to bring another Serb from Fiorentina, who plays on the same position.

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For AC Milan in Saturday's fabled Derby della Madonnina, Gennaro Gattuso's nightmare came true. If not for Inter's new-look, new-effect attack, poor Captain Rino would be carrying all responsibility for the unbalanced result (AC Milan 0:4 Inter).

Inter earned three (and perhaps all four) of their strikes, yet more could not have gone wrong in one half of play for the feisty AC Milan defensive midfielder as he returns from long-term injury to snatch back his position from the interloping Galaxy star, a certain D Beckham.

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Well, the big game is almost a week away and it is time to begin the speculation about the starting lineup.

So who will be in the starting eleven against Brasil?

The GK will definitely be Andujar.

And the rest?

Though this wouldn't be the ideal team in my opinion, I think Maradona will go with:

D Zanetti
D Burdisso
D Otamendi
D Heinze

M Maxi Rodriguez
M Mascherano
M Veron
M ?

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Big USMNT news in the first one:

• Goff says Freddy Adu is headed to Denmark. As long as he's playing.
  
• Jozy completes Hull move.
  
• Barcelona keeps talking up Cesc Fabregas.
  
• Lack of signings a concern for Everton's David Moyes.
  
• Fiorentina sign Zanetti from Juve.

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                                                                             Photo by ISIphotos.com

Four MLS players who have been called in for Wednesday's World Cup qualifying showdown between the United States and Mexico took the field in MLS action on Sunday night and none of them looked to be holding anything back.

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                                                                             Photo by ISIphotos.com

Four MLS players who have been called in for Wednesday's World Cup qualifying showdown between the United States and Mexico took the field in MLS action on Sunday night and none of them looked to be holding anything back.

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Chelsea met Inter at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena. The game was dominated by Jose Mourinho's former club and the Special One could not hide his displeasure. Lampard, Drogba, Malouda, Sturridge and Essien kept the pressure up on the Nerrazurri. Drogba hit a speculative shot on goal which Belec was unable to get fully behind and only managed to deflect the ball into goal in the 10'.

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Those who saw last night's World Football Challenge clash between Internazionale and Chelsea must have noticed a solid performance from a rapidly emerging star wearing the blue shirt. Branislav Ivanovic, who played fullback for 65 minutes of Chelsea's dominant 2-0 victory over the reigning Italian champions seemed to be the player who was more eager than anyone else to cement his reputation during the high-profile friendly at the Rose Bowl.

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Quest'Inter ancora non riesce a carburare e rimedia un altro brutto ko. I risultati di calcio di queste prime uscite della compagine nerazzurra parlano chiaro ed è una lingua che non piace certamente ai tifosi del biscione. Saranno le voci di mercato, saranno i carichi di lavoro, ma la formazione di Mourinho non riesce ancora ad "entrare in gioco" e cade, una volta di più, nel World Football Challenge. Click to continue reading...

The uneasy relationship between Samuel Eto'o and Pep Guardiola seems to have come to an end with Barca's manager categorically saying that the striker's future in the club was bleak. His place will be taken by Zlatan Ibrahamovic. It is part of a swap deal with €45 million in cash and Hleb's loan as an additional sweetener.

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Let me just start out by saying that I have never liked Goal.com (the English version at least. The Italian version is actually pretty good because it just posts articles from Italian newspapers, so at least you know you're reading from a source). The English version always seems to have stories without sources that look like they were just thought up at that instant and posted, and I have never liked their opinions on Italian calcio.

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Mentre i nazionali faticano a Pinzolo, il resto del gruppo scende in campo per la seconda amichevole stagionale. E' stato il "Platini day", con la Juventus che alle 12 ha raggiunto l'aeroporto di Nancy, poi l'arrivo nella città di Joeuf (città natale dell'ex calciatore bianconero e ora presidente dell'Uefa, Michel Platini). Click to continue reading...

With this article, I realize that I risk angering some staunch Inter Milan supporters. But since I have waited three long years to express my views on this issue, I feel obliged to let them out. The truth is, I simply can't fathom why no one can stop Inter Milan in the Italian Serie A.

Perhaps it is the lackluster attitude of their guilty rivals ever since the notorious match-fixing scandals of 2006.

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It's been nearly a month since the end of the 2008/2009 Serie A season. I would've put this post up earlier, but the Confederations Cup and the U-21 Championship distracted me from Serie A talk. So I thought we'd discuss who was the best foreign player and who was the best Italian player this season.

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Steve Nash's Showdown in Chinatown took place yesterday and it looks like it was another success the scruffy little Canadian and his Football for Good charity. Not so much for Chris Bosh, but I guess expecting him to be the next Peter Crouch his first time on the pitch would be a bit much to ask.

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Keşke dün Quito'da maçtan sonra bu şarkıyı çalsaydı Ekvador'lu yetkililer. Maradona'ya ve yönettiği Arjantin'e dağ havası yaramıyor! Bolivya maçının sıradışı bir maç olduğu yenilen 6 gol ve Bolivya'nın kadrosu göz önünde bulundurulunca anlaşılıyordu. Çünkü Arjantin'in Bolivya'yı atmosfer dışında bile yenmesi lazımdı. Click to continue reading...

(Siena-Juventus 0-3)
SIENA (4-3-1-2) - Curci; Rossettini 71' Del Prete), Ficagna, Portanova, Rossi; Vergassola, Coppola, Galloppa (51' Zito); Jarolim; Calaiò, Maccarone (63' Ghezzal). All.: Marco Giampaolo.
JUVENTUS (4-4-2) - Buffon; Zebina, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, De Ceglie (80' Mellberg); Camoranesi, Zanetti (70' Poulsen), Marchisio, Nedved; Iaquinta (82' Trezeguet), Del Piero. Click to continue reading...

Maldini retires.

I would have never imagined those two words together.

The Peter Pan of football seemed so indestructible. Milan knew him and he knew Milan for a quarter of a century when team mate Ronaldinho was but 4 years old and Alexandre Pato had not yet seen one living day.

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Shame no one was there to see it Fantastic strike by Zanetti (who is no relation to Javier of Internazionale), but no Juventus fans saw it live -Â their league game at home against Atalanta on Sunday was played in front...

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