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Champions of Europe
2008-07-04 15:29:00
ADVANCE INFORMATION SHEETTitle: Champions of Europe Subtitle: The Road to MoscowISBN: 978-1-84547-213-9Price: £12.99Publisher: At Heart LtdPublication date: July 2008Author: Stuart Mathieson (MUFC correspondent for the Manchester Evening News)Foreword: Sir Bobby CharltonSpecifications:PB, 144 (TBC) pagesSize: 246 x 189 mmFull colour throughout.Pre-order: 24hr freephone 0808 180 2008, or www.atheart.co.uk/manuDescription:Celebra te United?s double triumph with this fantastic new book chronicling one of the Reds? most amazing seasons. Packed with over 150 full-colour photos, some of which are previously unseen, this indispensible guide follows United at every step of their sensational journey. Relive glorious victories over Lyon and Dynamo Kiev. Recall heart-stopping matches against Roma and Barcelona as Fergie?s boys battled for glory. Who could forget the night a nation held its breath as the team finally triumphed at the Luzhniki Stadium!Each page of Champions of Europe: The Road to ...
More About: Manchester United , Champions League

Klose double down Poles
2008-06-08 23:18:00
Normal 0 21 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normale Tabelle"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} EURO 2008: Germany 2:0 Poland (Klose 20?, 72?) Klagenfurt The pre-tournament favourites announced themselves in Euro 2008 with a 1-0 win over Poland in Klagenfurt. Miroslav Klose, a German of Polish blood, netted against the land of his fathers in the 20th minute, after Poland had committed hari-kiri with another hapless stab at playing offside high up their half, allowing Germany to carve open large spaces on the counter. Klose doubled his and his nation?s tally with a 72nd minute volley, handing the Pol...
More About: Double , K-League

Croatia make it '0 & 2' for the Euro hosts
2008-06-08 20:41:00
EURO 2008: Austria 0:1 Croatia (Modric pen 4') Prater Stadium, ViennaCroatia proved their home and away wins over England were no fluke with a 1-0 win over co-hosts Austria in Vienna, thanks to soon-to-be Spurs man Luka Modric's spot-kick.Austria, despite the backing of a sold-out Prater, confirmed fans' worst fears by conceding in under four minutes of their Euro 2008 debut.The Croats tore into their under-fire hosts from the off and looked the more ravenous as well as the silkier passers of the two sides in the first half.The Austrians enjoyed a far better second half in terms of possession and chances, forcing Croatian goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa into a couple of punches and the back four into a sweat with some moments of sustained pressure, but they never had their guests on the ropes.Austria in the end played better than their world ranking of 92nd might have suggested, but if the home advantage being Euro 2008 hosts cannot help them to avoid defeat in their opening game, the...
More About: Football , Soccer , J-League

Will Chelsea ever get the right man?
2008-06-08 18:26:00
As the managerial merry-go-round comes to a halt for another week the question over who will take over at one of the richest clubs in the world still remains. With one of Chelsea ?s supposed successors having already been snapped up by one of their rivals it might seem to some Blues fans that they are never going to find a new head coach. I know some Chelsea fans were disappointed when Mark Hughes joined Man City earlier this week because for them he has proven himself to be a shrewd manager, not only in the Premier League with Blackburn but on an international front with Wales, where he very nearly achieved qualification for the 2004 European Championship, narrowly losing to Russia in the play-offs. The former Chelsea forward was seen as a very good candidate to take up the post, he was the only manager who you would consider to have not been at a ?big club? yet. So now Chelsea must continue their quest to find the perfect manager, one who can continue their good domestic form ...
More About: Football , Soccer , J-League , K-League

Portugal set the pace
2008-06-08 03:04:00
EURO 2008: Portugal 2-0 Turkey (Pepe 61, Mireiles 90') 31,000, GenevaPortugal established themselves as one of the favourites for the European Championship with an assured 2-0 win over Turkey in Geneva.Before Pepe fired in after a slick raid just after the hour, Cristiano Ronaldo once and Nuno Gomes twice hit the Turkish woodwork.Raul Mireiles secured the win at the death after Ronaldo had led a counter-attack. Turkey looked distinctly second best in all areas and lost the possession battle 60-40%.The Portuguese tackle fellow winners the Czech Republic in Geneva on Wednesday, while Turkey play Switzerland in Basel.(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccer phileBet with Bet 365World Soccer NewsSoccer betting tipsSoccer Books & DVDsTagsSoccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
More About: Football , Euro 2008

Away from the Alps, the uninvited dream
2008-06-08 02:52:00
Now Euro 2008 is in full swing, spare a thought for those not invited to the party.36 European nations failed to make it to the Alps. England might stand out among them, but also missing is 2006 World Cup quarter-finalists Ukraine, plus nations of the calibre of Belgium, Serbia, Denmark, Slovakia, Norway and Ireland.England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland really should have revived the British Championship this summer and for extra spice added the Republic of Ireland and as a wild card, Gibraltar.A friendly with Gibraltar from any of the four UK nations with an empty diary this month would be a nice affirmation of the peninsula's desires to stay British.The Rock is not affiliated to UEFA, thanks to Spain's filibustering, so like an ugly girl or boy, they are desperate for any date. Given that it is customary to play a reciprocal fixture at your visitors' stadium after inviting them to yours, England could easily drop by for 90 minutes, though the apes would probably nick t...
More About: David Beckham , Beckham , Dream , The Alps

Swiss Roll on their Big Night
2008-06-07 21:29:00
Switzerland 0-1 Czech Republic (Sverkos 70') 41,000 Stade de Suisse/Wankdorf Stadion, Berne So the home side is up against it. Actually, it's not too surprising given it is a) Switzerland and b) the tournament's opening game, which is rarely thrilling. Add to that the Czech Republic's quality and you could have had a Swiss banking on his own country to lose.From a neutral's perspective, it's often quite secretly delightful to see the host nation come a cropper in its first outing, its Montgolfier of hubris punctured, the tidal wave of national fervour turned back, but it is a bad thing we should all agree, if the host is eliminated too early. That sense of loss infects the tournament as a whole.I did actually meet one Swiss in Interlaken tonight with Czech flags painted on both cheeks, cheering Karel Bruckner's men. Why? She said it was too boring to go with the flow so she chose to be different... Interlaken's fan fest was tinged with a lot of orange but was mostly red and ...
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EURO 2008 diary - 7th June, Kick-Off
2008-06-07 19:00:00
With Euro 2008 only moments away, the temperature is cooling.Well, it is the Alps after all. Football tournaments in the summer conjure up t-shirts and sun cream as well beer and polyester souvenirs for me as a fan but I've just donned my third layer in Interlaken.I am residing in the heart of holiday Switzerland because Basel, the arrival point for so many, has not got a bed to spare for miles around. Unlike Germany in 2006, where you could always find a room at the last minute, Switzerland simply is not prepared for the influx of fans. Shame on you for missing such an Alpine cash-cow, Heidi.'Expect emotion' promised the organizers. Well I certainly have been through a bunch the past few days searching in increasing desperation, in neighbouring France and Germany as well, for a bed within 50 miles of the host city or less than a mountain hike to the nearest train station, and which costs less than a transatlantic flight.Last night I just gave up the ghost and hopped on a train t...
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Euro 2008 Match Officials
2008-06-07 03:59:00
Euro 2008 refereesRefereesAustriaKonrad PlautzBelgiumFrank De BleeckereEnglandHoward WebbGermanyHerbert FrandelGreeceKyros VassarasHollandPieter VinkItalyRoberto RossettiNorwayTom Henning OvreboSlovakiaLubos MichelSpainManuel EnriqueMejuto GonzalezSwedenPeter FrojdfeldtSwitzerlandMassimo BusaccaBet with Bet 365World Soccer NewsSoccer betting tipsSoccer Books & DVDsTagsEuro 2008 referees
More About: Euro 2008 , Euro , Match

UEFA Cup - Good job, Zenit!
2008-06-06 03:23:00
UEFA Cup Zenit's success triumph of soccerOzren Podnar reports...A brilliant Zenit team became only the second European trophy winner for Russia after CSKA Moscow three years ago. Congratulations to Zenit, as their soccer was like a puff of fresh air: lightfooted, attacking and ambitious, unlike that of Glasgow Rangers, which reminded us of Greece from the 2004 Euro. And that should not be taken as a compliment. At the City of Manchester, Zenit crowned their brilliant European season in which they overcame teams from the biggest leagues: Villarreal (1-0 and 1-2), Marseille (1-3 and 2-0), Bayer (4-1 and 0-1) and Bayern (1-1 and 4-0). The first leg against Bayer in Leverkusen, where the home team were thoroughly thrashed, opened everybody's eyes to the Russians' potential, and the later demolishing of Bayern delighted the fans everywhere thanks to an inspired and fast-paced play reminiscent of the wonderful Dinamo Kiev of the seventies and eighties. In spite of the admiration for...
More About: Uefa , Uefa cup , Good

Recipe for winning the cup
2008-06-06 02:35:00
Champions League Minimal score brings luck: 1-0 in semifinals decided once againOzren Podnar reports...Do you plan to win the Champions League or the UEFA Cup? We suggest that you win by 1-0 on aggregate in the semifinals. This score was lucky for Manchester United (so lucky themselves in the finals against Chelsea ), but also to Barcelona, Liverpool, Sevilla, Porto and Valencia. In the past seasons many clubs fulfilled their dream of lifting a European trophy after minimum wins in the semis. It worked for Liverpool no less than twice: after the aggregate 1-0 against Barcelona they beat Alaves in the 2001 UEFA Cup finals and four years later the story repeated itself against against Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals and Milan in the finals. The magical 1-0 against Deportivo did the trick for Porto in 2004 Champions League as they went on to defeat Monaco in the finals.In the same season, Valencia took the UEFA Cup after nailing Villarreal by a mere 1-0.That was not the end,...
More About: Recipe , Winning

Fifa World Rankings June 2008
2008-06-04 10:24:00
The top eight teams are unchanged in this month's Fifa world rankings.Argentina are still top followed by Brazil, Italy and Spain. England move up to 9th place, Scotland drop two spots to 17th and the USA remain in 21st.With Euro 2008 to kick off in June , of the 16 teams taking part 15 are in the top 50, the only exception being co-hosts Austria who are up nine places to 92nd position.Italy are the highest ranked at 3rd, followed by Spain 4th, Germany 5th, Czech Republic 6th, France 7th, Greece 8th, Netherlands 10th, Portugal 11th, Romania 12th, Croatia 15th, Turkey 20th, Russia 24th, Poland 28th, Sweden 30th, Switzerland 44th and Austria 92nd.The closeness of the ranking shows what a tight tournament lays in store. We are still putting our money on Italy, despite Cannavaro's injury.1 Argentina2 Brazil3 Italy4 Spain5 Germany6 Czech Republic7 France8 Greece9 England 10 Netherlands11 Portugal12 Romania13 Cameroon14 Mexico15 CroatiaFull world rankingsLast month's Fifa World Rankings...
More About: Football , Soccer , June 2008

Furnished 2 bedroom apartment for rent during Euro UEFA 2008
2008-06-03 15:55:00
FOR RENTNice, cosy, fully furnished 2 bedroom flat in the heart of the oldtown of Biel-Bienne, Switzerland.Located in a quiet street, spacious rooms, living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. Short-term hire possible; rent 1200 CHF per month (June 6th until June 29th, 2008). 500 CHF per week and 250 CHF for the weekend. Ideal for a couple or for a group of friends as sofabed available in living room (max. 4 people).Please note that the price is an additional 100 to 200 CHF per stay (depending on the duration of the stayover) if more than 2 people. Available as of June 5th until noon of June 29th, 2008. Shops, banks, all commodities within walking distance; public transport on the doorstep. Laundry and dry cleaners are within 5 minutes walking distance. The flat is within 15 minutes walking distance from the main train station in Biel.There are 4 trains per hour heading to Bern - the capital of Switzerland. During Euro 08 there are special rates for the train fares. For further in...
More About: For Rent , Euro 2008 , Uefa , Bedroom

In Japan, the women's game goes from strength to strength
2008-06-03 06:42:00
China may be the dominant Asian force in women's football, but having secured their place in the semi-finals of the AFC Women's Asian Cup currently taking place in Vietnam, that is something that Japan are hoping to change.Coach Norio Sasaki's side could hardly have booked their semi-final place in more dramatic circumstances, needing to beat Australia by two clear goals in their final group game at Thong Nat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City on June 2.Early strikes from Kozue Ando, Yuki Nagasato and Aya Miyama eased Japanese nerves, and a late Clare Polkinghorne effort proved academic as both nations progressed to the last four of the tournament.Japan's success comes on the back of their recent East Asian Championship win in China, where they lifted the title following a 3-0 thrashing of the hosts at Yongchuan Stadium in Chongqing. Coach Sasaki credited his country's first ever major women's title to the strength of the domestic Nadeshiko League, where players ply their trade in an...
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Sloppy Korea Making Hard Work Of Qualification
2008-06-02 16:45:00
?I couldn?t understand it? said South Korea n coach Huh Jung-moo last Saturday night.He wasn?t alone. Around 55,000 people in Seoul World Cup Stadium were also scratching their heads and shouting their disapproval after watching the national team somehow allow Jordan to come back and draw 2-2 in a qualification match for the 2010 World Cup.It had looked so good ?the situation that is. The performance was nothing special but early in the second half, South Korea was leading 2-0 thanks to a goal from Manchester United?s Park Ji-sung that brought the house down and then a penalty from Park Chu-young that seemed to have brought the curtain down on the fixture with the middle-eastern team ranked 104 in the world by FIFA.Then it all went wrong. Substitute Hasan Abdel-Fattah scored with Jordan?s second attack of the match after 72 minutes. Then the Korean players lost their heads and shape. Seven minutes later, the whole Korean backline may as well have been at the anti-US beef protests in ...
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Europski kupovi - minimalac donosi sre?u
2008-06-01 05:04:00
EurokupoviPolufinalnih 1:0 jo? jednom presudilo!Planirate osvojiti Ligu prvaka ili Kup UEFA? Preporu?ujemo da u polufinalu pobijedite s ukupnih 1:0. To je iskusio Manchester United , ali i Barcelona, Liverpool, Sevilla, Porto i Valencia. U zadnjih osam sezona niz je klubova ostvario san dizanja europokala nakon minimalnih pobjeda u prethodnoj rundi. Liverpoolu je to uspjelo ?ak dvaput: 2001. je s 0:0 i 1:0 izlu?io Barcelonu i zatim osvojio Kup UEFA protiv Alavesa s 5:4; ?etiri godine kasnije istim je skorom u polufinalu nadma?io Chelsea i potom u finalu Lige prvaka svladao Milan jedanaestercima.Portu je jednakih 1:0 bilo sretno 2004. u polufinalu Lige prvaka, a ?rtva je bio Deportivo. Naknadno, u finalu, pregazio je Monaco s 3:0. Iste se sezone Valencia domogla pokala u Kupu UEFA, a prethodno je presko?ila Villarreal s - 0:0 i 1:0!To nije bio kraj, jer je i 2006. Barci za prodor u pobjedni?ko finale Lige prvaka bilo dovoljno 1:0 i 0:0 u poluzavr?nici s Milanom. Tada je i Arsenal u is...
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Uspjeh Zenita pobjeda je nogometa
2008-06-01 04:53:00
Sretan ishod Kupa UEFA ?estitke Zenitu ? i Istok ima "konja za trku" Sjajni sastav Zenita postala je druga ruska osvaja?ica europskog trofeja, tri godine nakon moskovskog CSKA. Obje su imale svog Hrvata, dapa?e Ivicu. CSKA Oli?a, Zenit Kri?anca. Svaka ?ast, i Kri?ancu i Zenitu, jer njihov je nogomet poletan, ofenzivan i ambiciozan, za razliku od Rangersovog, koji nas je podsjetio na ? Gr?ku s Eura 2004.!A o toj Gr?koj ne mislimo ni?ta dobra.Iako volimo biv?eg Rangerovca Dadu Pr?u, na?e su simpatije bile na strani Zenita, koji nije dao ?kotima da ga zagu?e kao ?to su ranije zagu?ili Panathinaikos, Sporting i Fiorentina: i bez Pavela Pogrebnjaka, prvog topnika Kupa UEFA, petrogradski je sastav imao dovoljno eksploziva da probije ?kotski bunker. Prvi je to u?inio Igor Denisov u akciji s junakom navija?a, Andrejom Ar?avinom, a zadnje je "ciglice" bunkera sru?io Konstantin Zirjanov u 90. minuti na dodavanje Tur?ina Fatiha Tekkea. Finale u Manchesteru donijelo je nekoliko zanimljivih pod...

World Soccer News
2008-06-01 03:38:00
World Soccer News For week of 06/01UEFA considers expelling PortoA four year old referee tampering scandal could cost Porto the participation in next year's Champions' League. The top Portuguese club were recently punished by their FA by deduction of six points for the 2007/08 championship, which did not hurt them as their advantage over Sporting Lisbon was as many of 20 points.Unfortunately, the UEFA have acquired interest in the case, and the consequences could be severe. "As per the UEFA's request, the Portuguese FA have submitted to our attention all the documents related with the sanctions imposed on Porto, and our Control and Disciplinary Body is studying them," said the communications director William Gaillard.The scandal dates back to the 2003/04 season, when Porto attempted to bribe two referees to make sure of winning the league. Interestingly, the clubs involved in the European competitions are more prone to wrongdoings, arguably not wanting to risk the domestic success...
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The Return of Captain Golden Balls
2008-05-31 23:50:00
It is possibly the biggest shock in English football this year, perhaps even topping this season?s FA Cup shocks or England?s national sides failure to qualify from what looked like a do-able group. But when Fabio Capello took over the reigns as England?s head coach he told everyone he would do things his way, from the tatics down to picking a new captain after appearing disappointed with the job John Terry had done under Steve McClaren?s stewardship. Today his announcement to give David Beckham the armband he reluctantly released nearly two years ago is the biggest indication yet that Capello is a man of his own will and way. It may be a fairly meaningless friendly in the grand scheme of things but do not underestimate how much this will mean to Beckham, who had tears in his eyes when he stepped down after England?s failure at the last World Cup. Some had suggested he was pushed by then new head coach Steve McClaren who was looking to make a statement when taking over the side...
More About: Football , Soccer , J-League , Balls , Return

Shimizu S-Pulse in cracking Nabisco Cup form
2008-05-29 08:29:00
They may be struggling in the league, but Shimizu S-Pulse are on course to book a place in the quarter-finals of the Nabisco League Cup following their most recent 4-2 victory over local rivals Jubilo Iwata on May 25.Playmaker Jungo Fujimoto scored twice for the Shizuoka side, but it was 23-year-old striker Kazuki Hara who stole the show, turning in an eye-catching performance as he looks to press claims for a regular starting position in Kenta Hasegawa's side.JEF United remained unbeaten under new coach Alex Miller after they beat Consadole Sapporo 2-1 away in Hakodate, with ex-Vegalta Sendai striker Tatsunori Arai scoring twice.The largest crowd of the day turned out at Toyota Stadium, where hosts Nagoya Grampus thumped Urawa Reds 4-2 to all but end Urawa's hopes of progressing to the last eight of the competition. The Saitama giants have picked up just two points from their four matches played so far.Another full round of Nabisco League Cup fixtures takes place on May 31, with ...
More About: Japan , Cracking , Form , K-League

Euro 2008 - Part One: Joel Rookwood
2008-05-27 17:28:00
Euro 2008 (Part One)As the world?s media gathered to learn of the details of the draw for the finals of the 2008 European football Championships in December in Lucerne, the national football association personnel for each of the sixteen finalists intriguingly communicated their responses to the draw in English. This was despite the fact that English was not the first language spoken in any of these countries. This drawn-out UEFA-centred process may have illustrated the linguistic globalisation of the English language; however, it also exposed the failure of all five British/Irish nations to have earned an invitation to partake in the quadrennial event.Whilst four British teams were represented in the semi-finals of European club competitions this season, the international event that is set to commence only a few weeks following the climax of the domestic and continental seasons was notably lacking in English (native) speaking representation. The Premier League may be the most histor...
More About: Euro 2008 , Euro , Joel

Park Ji-Sung Ready For Jordan
2008-05-27 11:27:00
The build-up for South Korea ?s summer series of qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup started the minute Park Ji-sung arrived at Incheon International Airport last Saturday, dressed in the words of some reports, "like a model" in a white jacket and pink shirt. All attention had been centred on Park?s non-appearance in the UEFA Champions League final on May 21 when Manchester United defeated Chelsea. That is all in the past now as Park told reporters at the arrival gate: ?Qualification for the World Cup is now my biggest goal.?South Korea continues its journey along the road to the 2010 World Cup on Saturday with a home match against Jordan at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Saturday. The Taeguk Warriors sit in top spot in Group Three with four points from the first two games. The top two from the four nations progress to the final round of qualification.It is a busy time as in the three weeks following the Seoul match, coach Huh Jung-moo will take his team to Jordan for a return match and th...
More About: World Cup 2010 , Ready

J-League Blogs
2008-05-24 16:26:00
Rising Sun NewsThe doyen of English-language J. League websites, The Rising Sun news has documented the ups and downs of the Japanese game for more than eight years.Reputedly now on strike (according to the author himself), the Rising Sun News is the definitive voice on Japanese football and, like the sadly dormant Football (Japan)Lost In Translation blog remains an excellent online record of Japanese football - with a lively and active message board to boot.Go! Go! Omiya ArdijaAn excellent site that has documented the fortunes of Omiya Ardija since early 2005, Go! Go! Omiya Ardija is run and administered by a group of Omiya fans including Furtho, who also runs the outstanding Japanese Non-League Football News Site (furtho2.blog32.fc2.com).Tricolore PrideStarted in response to the lack of English-language information coming out of Yokohama F. Marinos, Tricolore Pride is an eye-catching new site that details the daily happenings of the club. The site also complements the hilarious M....
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The Play-offs: The Most Exciting Time Of The Year?
2008-05-19 14:35:00
We are less than a week away from the biggest weekend of football outside of the Premier League as Wembley looks set to host another years worth of hopes and dreams either come true or crash and burn in painful circumstances. The Football League certainly lacks the quality of the Premier League but what it lacks in class it more than makes up for in excitement as anyone who watched the play-off semi-finals will tell you. For those of you who don?t normally look beyond the world of the Premier League then you should take the blinkers off and enjoy this Bank holiday weekend?s football. Let?s look back at the semi-finals from the past week starting with the Championship where we saw a nerve jangling game at Ashton Gate between Bristol City and Crystal Palace which could easily have gone either way if not for a pair of outstanding goals from Lee Trundle and Michael McIndoe in extra time. Whilst not many people will share much sympathy with Palace manager Neil Warnock, his outspoke...
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World Soccer News
2008-05-19 03:54:00
World Soccer News for week of 05/19Pompey celebrates 69 years laterPortsmouth have finally won a piece of silverware thanks to the inspiration of their two Nigerians, Kanu and Utaka. A full 69 years after their first FA Cup the team coached by Harry Redknapp fulfilled the dreams of their fans by defeating Cardiff City at Wembley 1-0. The only goal was scored by Nwankwo Kanu, who took advantage of keeper Enckelman's blunder after John Utaka's cross. Pompey hardly showed their Premiership class against their Championship League rivals, but the result is what finally counts in Portsmouth and in...Croatia!The Croatian media devoted the FA Cup finals the same amount of space as to their own cup, which saw Dinamo Zagreb smash Hajduk Split by 3-0.The reason? Niko Kranjcar, of course. The 24-old midfielder has become the first Croat with the most prestigious national cup in the world, a distinction which is certain to increase his appeal among his compatriots.Inter "threepeat" the scudett...
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J. League Results 18/05/08
2008-05-19 02:56:00
Sunday, 18 MayUrawa Reds top the J-League going in to the summer break despite a 3-2 home loss to Gamba Osaka in front of 50,000 spectators at Saitama Stadium. The match was marked by some of the worst crowd trouble in J-League history after Gamba fans pelted Reds players with plastic bottles following the final whistle and were in turn attacked by the Urawa hard core. The visiting fans had to be kept locked in the stadium for over two hours before they were allowed to leave. JEF United gave new coach Alex Miller a winning start with a 1-0 win over Oita but remain rooted to last place.J1Sapporo Consodole 1 Nagoya Grampus 3Urawa Reds 2 Gamba Osaka 3Iwata Jubilo 1 FC Tokyo 2Kyoto Sanga 1 Yokohama F Marinos 0Kashima Antlers 1 Kashiwa Reysol 1JEF United 1 Oita Trinita 0Kawasaki Frontale 2 Omiya Ardija 3Vissel Kobe 1 Niigata Albirex 1 Tokyo Verdy 4 Shimizu S-Pulse 1 Leading PositionsUrawa P13 Pts 26Grampus P13 Pts 26FC Tokyo P13 Pts 23Reysol P13 Pts 20Frontale P13 Pts 20J2In J2, Sanfrecc...
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Scots' broth a bit rich for England
2008-05-16 22:56:00
They came, they saw, they conquered Manchester.But the first Scottish invasion of England since Bonnie Prince Charlie's in 1745 ended in tears once again.Rangers were deservedly beaten 2-0 in the UEFA Cup Final by the sleek Russians of Zenit St Petersburg, coached by former 'Gers manager Dick Advocaat.Zenit took 72 minutes to unlock the stubborn Rangers defence, but it was no more than they deserved for their skilful play, which had demolished Bayern Munich 5-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals.The Glaswegians should console themselves with reaching the final in the first place, after dispatching superior opposition such as Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina on the way thanks to Walter Smith's shrewd tactics.Once more, the UEFA Cup looked decidedly second best to the Champions League however. Since the second, third and even fourth-best teams in each country have won passsge to the CL, the UEFA Cup has lost a lot of its shine. Its interminable group stages are redolent of the misguided...
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Plenty at stake before the J. League takes recess
2008-05-16 04:58:00
The J. League gears up for a five week recess following this weekend's round of action, with plenty at stake for clubs at both ends of the table.Consadole Sapporo kick off the weekend against Nagoya Grampus, and the two sides could hardly be experiencing more contrasting fortunes. Sapporo remain second-from-bottom despite their most recent 2-1 win away at Omiya Ardija. Second placed Nagoya were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Vissel Kobe in their most recent clash, with both of those matches taking place in atrocious conditions as wet weather continues to plague the league.There's a high profile clash at Saitama Stadium as Urawa Reds host Gamba Osaka, and the Reds can thank an errant linesman's flag for their 1-0 win over Kawasaki Frontale at a packed Todoroki Stadium last weekend. Edmilson had opened the scoring from the penalty spot for Urawa, however Kawasaki looked to have equalised through Hiroyuki Taniguchi - only for his effort to be chalked off due to an offside flag, despi...
More About: England , Liverpool , Newcastle United , Olympics , J-League

Governor Getting Gangwon Into Gear
2008-05-15 07:03:00
For as long as anyone can remember, Gangwon Province has been a great place to visit. Millions of cars head east from Seoul every summer for the beaches and the mountains; millions more do the same in the winter for the skiing. Autumn isn?t bad either when Seorak Mountain comes into its own in a kaleidoscope of color. Throw in Chuncheon?s famous chicken dish and a strong shout of hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics and you have a region with a good deal going for it.The one thing that has been missing is football. Since the K-League was established in 1983, the competition has spread to include all the regions and the major cities of South Korea; even Jeju Island has a team. Gangwon has been left behind but that is all set to change. From 2009, the northeastern province, the only one split into two at the end of the Korean War in 1953, will provide the home of the K-League?s 15th team. ?Gangwon Province has traditionally been a province that loves football very much and we are establis...
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Euro 2008 Available Hotels
2008-05-14 14:38:00
Here is a listing of available hotel rooms for the 2008 Euro pean Championships in Austria and Switzerland. Please see our Euro 2008 accommodation page for booking details.Novotel Vienna West Vienna 28/06/2008 Mercure Salzburg Salzburg 17/06/2008 Novotel Vienna West Vienna 21/06/2008 Ibis Geneva Geneva 06/06/2008 Ibis Zurich Airport Zurich 08/06/2008 Novotel Vienna West Vienna 25/06/2008 Ibis Berne Expo Berne 12/06/2008 Mercure Vienna Vienna 25/06/2008 Ibis St Louis Basel 06/06/2008 Mercure Josefshof Wien Vienna 28/06/2008 Mercure Josefshof Wien Vienna 28/06/2008 Hotel BAD SCHAUENBURG Basel 24/06/2008 Hotel DuCommerze Basel 24/06/2008 Bet with Bet 365World Soccer NewsSoccer betting tipsSoccer Books & DVDsTagsEuro 2008 Euro 2008 Hotels