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"Old Soccer" gets its due
2008-03-14 10:33:00
History has been a dirty word in Australia n football ever since Frank Lowy's Football Federation Australia turned the game upside-down in establishing the A-League , cleaned out the bad elements corrupting the sport's administration and came up with the clever marketing mantra of "new football"."New football" was intended to delineate this sparkling new era from what came before it ? ethnic squabbles, crowd violence, media antipathy; what would pejoratively become known as "old soccer". Unfortunately, the strategy was so successful it also completely tarred the achievements of generations of Soccer oos, from the pre-1965 version (when Australia duked it out chiefly against countries of the Commonwealth) to the teams that competed bravely but unsuccessfully in scores of World Cup qualifying campaigns from 1965 till 2001.I was aghast to find when writing my book, 15 Days in June: How Australia Became a Football Nation, that the Socceroo Club, an informal grouping of ex-Socceroos cobb...

There?s life in the old dog?unfortunately
2008-03-13 11:56:00
Like Wayne Rooney, I?m a lover of the old. I?m never happier than when some wrinkled old seaside-bungalow hogger is regaling me with tales of a bygone age.If my old man is to be believed, and he?s not, football was completely different in the old days. Goals were celebrated by a handshake, an assault on a goalkeeper was practically encouraged and heading the ball led to a short stay in hospital, which was basically a shed with a sponge.I?m unsure of the best way of handling the elderly when they reach such a constant state of dull reflection, but only a fool should rule out euthanasia. It looks like Avram Grant will soon be put out of his misery; Sunderland can lend a helping hand at 7/1.Mohammed Al Fayed is another pensioner who appears to have lost the plot. He?s gone from Coleman to Sanchez to Hodgson; he?s only one step away from a Souness. Everton will make Fulham pay the ultimate price at 6/5.Time has also caught up with the once sharp Harry Redknapp. The technophobic ma...
More About: Life , Premiership , Football , Soccer

FA Cup semi-finalist face major legal battles
2008-03-13 11:07:00
By Andy GreevesCardiff City compete in their first FA Cup semi-final since 1927, when they take on Championship rivals Barnsley at Wembley next month. With only one Premiership side left in the famous old competition, never has the Welsh side had such a great chance of bringing the Cup back to Ninian Park for the first time in 81 years.While City fans are concentrating on getting tickets for the big game, the club?s board is focusing on a far greater issue - a make-or-break ruling over the club?s financial future. City?s creditors Langston are taking the Bluebirds to the High Court this week over £24m worth of unpaid loan notes, which chairman Cardiff Peter Ridsdale insists are not due to be repaid until 2016. Should the Swiss-based financier win the court case, Cardiff City would have to make immediate repayments, inevitably forcing the club, already £30m plus in debt, into administration.Cardiff City are fully aware of the precarious nature of their current position, especially gi...
More About: Legal , Face , Semi , Battles , Major

Fifa World Rankings March 2008
2008-03-12 11:05:00
There is not much movement in the top 20 teams of this month's Fifa world rankings.Argentina are still top followed by Brazil and Italy. England are in 11th place, Scotland 14th and the USA drop two spots to 28th.Ghana are 15th. Cameroon are 17th.1 Argentina2 Brazil3 Italy4 Spain5 Germany6 Czech Republic7 France8 Portugal9 Netherlands10 Greece11 England12 Croatia13 Romania14 Scotland15 Ghana16 Mexico17 Cameroon18 Turkey19 Bulgaria20 ColombiaFull world rankingsLast month's Fifa World RankingsBet with Bet 365World Soccer NewsSoccer betting tipsSoccer Books & DVDsTagsSoccer News soccer football fifa
More About: Football , March , March 2008

Interview: Melbourne Victory Manager Ernie Merrick
2008-03-11 04:04:00
Melbourne Victory take their first ever steps on the Asian stage on March 12 when they host South Korean team Chunnam Dragons.It is over a year since the team won the A-League but because of timing and deadlines, Melbourne have had to wait until now to make their debut. Coach Ernie Merrick had time for a quick chat before the Chunnam match.Melbourne were comfortable champions in 2007 but struggled a little in 2008. Why was that?The main reason was the number of injuries we had. In Australia you can only have just over 20 players in your squad, a maximum of 23. Our midfield was very strong in season two (2006-07. Season three, one of those midfielders Fred, transferred to DC United, Grant Brebner, who was a youth player at Manchester United and was very successful with us, he sustained a pelvic injury and a groin injury and he was virtually out for the season and our third midfielder, Kevin Muscat had to move into defence as we had four centre-backs get injured in a row.Everytime we ...
More About: Manager , Interview , Chonburi , Melbourne

J. League Results 9/03/08
2008-03-10 04:52:00
Saturday 9 March / 10 SundayKashima Antlers' 4-0 thrashing of newly promoted Consadole sent out a strong message that the Ibaraki-based club is determined to defend its J-League crown in the new season. In the opening round's big clash Yokohama F Marinos edged rivals Urawa Reds 1-0.J1Yokohama F Marinos 1 Urawa Reds 0FC Tokyo 1 Vissel Kobe 1Kawasaki Frontale 1 Tokyo Verdy 1 Gamba Osaka 0 JEF United 0Shimizu S-Pulse 0 Oita Trinita 2Nagoya Gampus Eight 1 Kyoto Sanga 1Kashima Antlers 4 Consadole 0Omiya Ardija 2 Albirex Niigata 0Kashiwa Reysol 2 Jubilo Iwata 0Leading PositionsAntlers P1 Pts 3Ardija P1 Pts 3Reysol P1 Pts 3Trinita P1 Pts 3Marinos P1 Pts 3Bet with Bet 365World Soccer NewsSoccer betting tipsSoccer Books & DVDsTagsSoccer News soccer football J-League Betting
More About: Football , Results

Mali Fan Dance
2008-03-09 16:33:00
Further video from the African Cup of Nations held in Ghana earlier this year.Loin cloth, full body painting and that African beat.....Video by Ross CleggBet with Bet 365World Soccer NewsSoccer betting tipsSoccer Books & DVDsTagsSoccer News soccer football African soccer Mali Ghana
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The J. League returns
2008-03-07 02:33:00
The sixteenth season of the J. League gets under way on March 8, with Kashima Antlers kicking off their title defence with an intriguing clash against J2 champions Consadole Sapporo.Sapporo have endured a difficult pre-season, which culminated in the departure of Brazilian midfielder Alceu just weeks after he had joined the club from Kashiwa Reysol. Rumours of financial turmoil continue to dog the northern outfit, whose preparation for the new season has also been hindered by the freezing conditions that continue to linger in Hokkaido.Toshiya Miura's men will be keen to avoid a similar fate to Yokohama FC, who were champions of J2 in 2006 but who subsequently went on to record the lowest points tally since the top flight switched to a single-stage season.The clash of the round takes place at Nissan Stadium, where Yokohama F. Marinos host bitter rivals Urawa Reds.The Reds will be out to exorcise the demons of their last trip to Nissan Stadium, which saw them relinquish the J. League...
More About: Football , Soccer , J-League , K-League

K-League 2008 Season Preview
2008-03-06 20:36:00
1. Suwon Samsung Bluewings (last season 2)Solid Suwon will be there or thereabouts. The defence is not getting any younger but still contains Lee Woon-jae in goal and the inspirational Mato Neretjlak at centre-back. The midfield boasts Lee Kwan-woo and Baek Ji-hoon but no longer South Korea captain Kim Nam-il. The combative Kim has headed to Japan and Vissel Kobe and it will be interesting to see how North Korean international An Yong-hak does in his place. Ahn Jung-hwan has left but after scoring no league goals last season, the Lord of the Rings will not be missed. Suwon?s one weakness could be a lack of firepower in front of goal.Key Player: Lee Kwan-wooCoach: Cha Bum-keun2. Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (1)The seven-time champions lost the title in the play-offs last season but have been strangely quiet in the close-season. Star midfielder Kim Do-heon has joined West Bromich Albion and fellow international and goalkeeper Kim Yong-dae has cropped his Beatles mop-top and started his two-y...
More About: Preview , Season , Park , League , K-League

Hairy Plotter and the Half-Blood Prince
2008-03-06 15:52:00
Like Martin Luther King and Gandhi, I?m a fan of passive resistance; but there are some things in life that we have to fight for. For me, it?s a baby?s smile, the love of a mute woman or more affordable prices at the petrol pump.It?s to my deep and lasting regret that a serious injury prevented me from joining the military. I?ve been plagued with recurring back pain since childhood - it?s never easy growing up in Jersey.Fortunately for the army, Prince Harry was able to stand up and fight for possible Grandmother and Country. His willingness to get his hands dirty shows real character; he?s stuck two fingers up to those who question Germany?s poor war record. Fulham?s recent record is at an equally unhealthy level; they?ve only one won of their last eighteen battles. Blackburn will take no prisoners at 11/20.Now that the Rambo-like tax-dodger has returned from single-handedly destroying the Taliban, he?ll be looking for an alternative career. Steve Coppell is apparently showing an i...
More About: Premiership , Football , Soccer , Blood

World Soccer News
2008-03-05 05:57:00
World soccer newsfor week of March 05Five games for Cassano for the latest "cassanata"Cassanata. This is the newly-coined Italian word that signifies "a type of bad, infantile behaviour typical of Antonio Cassano". He is a supremely talented 25-year old forward currently playing for Sampdoria on loan from Real Madrid. And he performed a new cassanata on Sunday against Torino. First he scored a wonderful goal saving a point for Sampdoria, earning himself a yellow card for antics like shirt stripping. Then, with two minutes to go, he committed a minor foul over Natali, for which the referee Pierpaoli injustifiedly sent him off. Not one to take an injustice lightly, Cassano burst into insults and threats, taking off his shirt (again) and throwing it against Pierpaoli. The disciplinary committee sanctioned him with a five-match ban and a 15,000 euro fine. More importantly, this could be the end of Cassano's hopes to be called up for the European Championship, because of the fears he wo...
More About: News , World , Football , Soccer , J-League

Romanian fans brandishes gun in dressing room
2008-03-05 04:57:00
Skandal u RumunjskojNavija? u?ao s pi?toljem u svla?ionicu Nekad je u svla?ionice s pi?toljem ulazio ?eljko Ra?njatovi? Arkan, kao predsjednik i vlasnik Obili?a. U nedjelju se na to odva?io izvjesni Rumunj iz Buzaua poslije utakmice doma?e Glorije i Politechnice iz Iasija u prvoj ligi (1:1)."Tip u ko?noj jakni u?ao je i prijetio na?em igra?u Cristei", izjavio je trener gostiju Ionut Popa, zgro?en nasiljem koje je izbilo po svr?etku susreta."Nikad nisam vidio tako ne?to. Tukli su se svi igra?i, ?ak i oni s klupe. Na? je maser napadnut, a na mene su bacali kamenje, upalja?e i boce. Mislim da ?u napustiti nogomet", rekao je trener.Naoru?ani navija?, 30-godi?nji Glorijin navija?, identificiran je zahvaljuju?i video kamerama te je ka?njen globom i zabranom prilaska stadionu u idu?e dvije godine, rekao je glasnogovornik lokalne policije Ciprian Ene.U idu?em kolu Gloria ?e biti sudionikom nove kontroverzne utakmice, jer gostuje kod vode?eg Cluja. Predsjednik Steaue Gigi Becali obe?ao je sv...
More About: Fans , Football , Soccer , J-League , Room

Signed football shirt auction
2008-03-03 15:12:00
Signed football shirt auction in bid to raise money for Prostate Cancer Charity Kier Partnership Homes, part of the Kier Group, is working to support the Prostate Cancer Charity by entering six teams into this year?s Real Man Cup, a football tournament held at the Goals Centre in Beckenham, Kent on Saturday 8 March.We have chosen to support this charity as prostate cancer can affect any man regardless of age, race or build. We feel that this devastating disease is very poorly publicised considering that one man dies from prostate cancer every hour and there are 35,000 new cases every year.Our fund-raising target is £10,000 and we are well on the way to reaching that through sponsorship of our football teams, kind donations, a raffle and auction.We have been in contact with the Professional Football ers Association?s chief executive Gordon Taylor, who has agreed to support our campaign with the following donations:One genuine football shirt signed by all of the current players at Manch...
More About: Soccer , Auction , Signed

Seoul Boy Becks
2008-03-03 09:17:00
He came, he saw, he danced and drove his one direct free-kick into the wall. Overall, David Beckham ?s trip to Seoul with LA Galaxy was a success though not quite a complete triumph.The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star is, of course, big news in South Korea. However, not enough to fill more than half of Seoul?s 65,000 capacity World Cup Stadium when the MLS took on FC Seoul in an exhibition match on March 1. Organisers were disappointed with the turnout and put it down to cold weather. It is true that the American team arrived in a city blanketed by snow four days previously but the temperature had risen a few degrees above freezing on Saturday afternoon. Ticket prices were a bigger problem. The cheapest was around $32 ? more than three times more than what entry to a K-League match would set you back.The player did his promotional duties as professionally as one would expect and was followed around the city by a host of reporters. He gave most of them the slip last Thur...
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African Cup of Nations - Hallelujah
2008-03-03 05:17:00
More from the African Cup of Nations held in Ghana earlier this year.Ghana fans get God on their side with this nifty little two-step and hand clap routine.Video by Ross CleggBet with Bet 365World Soccer NewsSoccer betting tipsSoccer Books & DVDsTagsSoccer News soccer football African soccer Ghana Betting
More About: Football , Hallelujah

African Cup of Nations - Mali Drums
2008-03-02 16:00:00
We look back at the African Cup of Nations held in Ghana earlier this year.Enjoy this African drum ensemble from Mali 's fans in Ghana. Video by Ross CleggBet with Bet 365World Soccer NewsSoccer betting tipsSoccer Books & DVDsTagsSoccer News soccer football African soccer Mali Betting
More About: Football , Drums

Australia World Cup 2018 Bid
2008-02-29 06:17:00
Fresh from signing the Kyoto Protocol, warding off Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean, saying sorry to the stolen generations and doing just about everything his predecessor, John Howard, failed to do in four terms in office, Australia n prime minister Kevin Rudd has lent his bookish gravitas to an official bid for the 2018 FIFA World Cup .Rudd has been assiduously building his "sportsman" credentials of late, notably being pictured throwing the arm over in an impromptu cricket match at Parliament House in Canberra and then appearing alongside Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy at last Sunday's A-League grand final. Getting behind a World Cup bid is by far and away Rudd's biggest play in sport so far, yet speculation is rife that privately the FFA knows it has no chance of nabbing The Big One in 2018 and is instead using the bid to make a solid impression for a tilt at 2022.The fact of the matter is Australia, despite being talked up in some quarters as a possible...

Let's toast the Premier League's loss, for now
2008-02-28 16:28:00
"You can't be in business and ignore the Asia markets," Alexi Lalas told John Duerden in Soccer phile's exclusive interview.In the process, Lalas hit the nail on the head of why the Premier League is so keen to bring 'Game 39' to the table.English fans pay scant attention to Asia's love of its football, and I would not mind betting that only a minority of domestic fans are aware that the early kick-offs at the weekend are scheduled with Asia in mind. They should wake up. On the same day as the FIFA v PL showdown in Zurich was to have taken place, Manchester City were in the Asian press because their Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra has returned home to face corruption charges, protesting his innocence while speaking of turning the Blues into that now redundant cliche, 'a global brand'. The persistent pull of the billions of potential consumers in Asia was going to push players and owners into the Premier League sooner or later.And with the sudden advance of technology, the dolla...
More About: Football , J-League , Loss , Toast

As One Door Shuts?A Nutter One Opens
2008-02-28 13:06:00
For some inexplicable reason, the subject of mental illness remains taboo. I am convinced that if we debate the topic in a mature and sensitive fashion, we could raise awareness of the constant unnecessary stigmatisation of these unfortunate lunatics.I?m not embarrassed to admit that I used to regularly suffer from panic attacks. All it would take was an unexpected knock on the door, and I?d find myself screaming like Andy Cole?s wife. Luckily, the attack would subside once I realised my other half hadn?t arrived home from work early.As a result of my experience, I feel I?m in a perfect position to reflect upon Paul Gascoigne?s descent into a fruitcake laden abyss. Looking back, all the clues were there: Gazza was fearful of an alien invasion, he was holding conversations with plastic parrots and he fancied Newcastle to beat Blackburn. The Rovers are the only sane betting choice at 19/10.I can?t help but feel the media attempted to sensationalise Gazza?s problems. It?s not unusual f...
More About: Premiership , Football , Soccer , Door

Shielded from scrutiny
2008-02-26 04:31:00
The A-League 's showpiece finale was a tale of match-costing errors of judgement - and not all of them from the vanquished Central Coast Mariners.Newcastle's worthy 1-0 win has been somewhat overlooked in the wash-up of a match which unlike previous grand final episodes was decided by individual errors rather than flashes of brilliance.Topping last season's five-goal haul from Melbourne marksman Archie Thompson was always likely to be a pointless exercise - and so it turned out as the Jets, the better team on the day, carved out a hard-working although ultimately fortunate victory to scoop their maiden domestic title.Fortunate not because the Mariners had a player, goalkeeper Danny Vukovic, sent off nor because retiring veteran defender Tony Vidmar made a meal of clearing his lines and gifted possession to Australia under-23 striker Mark Bridge who curled a second-half winner.Fortunate because for consecutive weeks the league's top officials made a perplexing penalty decision in ...
More About: J-League , K-League , Scrutiny

Time for Tottenham to swap nostalgia for success
2008-02-26 04:16:00
Andy GreevesI?ve never been the most patient of individuals and on the eve of watching Tottenham Hotspur in their first cup final in six years, frankly, I?m a mess.I?ve often heard footballers talk about how they can?t sleep the night before a big match, or how the preparation for a game is much harder than actually playing. It?s the same for us fans. Ever since the final whistle sounded at White Hart Lane on Tuesday 22 January, the night we beat Arsenal 5-1 in the League Cup semi final, second leg, my mind has been focused on nothing other than Sunday?s final. I?ll take this opportunity to apologise to my girlfriend, my family, work colleagues and friends, who have had to endure my hyperactivity and constant cup final talk ever since.While fans of Chelsea , Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are all to used to playing regularly in cup finals in recent years, for Spurs supporters, it?s a far rarer experience. Especially for the younger generation of Lilywhites, who have been br...
More About: England , Time , Success

On The Right Korea Path
2008-02-26 01:51:00
It was a satisfactory six days for new South Korea n coach Huh Jung-moo in the sprawling city of Chongqing. South Korea lifted the East Asian Championship trophy for the second time in three occasions. The opening day dramatic 3-2 victory over China was followed by 1-1 draws with North Korea on Wednesday and then Japan on Saturday. The trophy is not a big deal but the performances of a young and inexperienced team have been encouraging. There is still much work to do but a number of players have emerged from the haze of the polluted megapolis with reputations and confidence enhanced.Former Korea, and current Australia, coach Pim Verbeek was at the tournament to check out China. The Socceroos will be in the Middle Kingdom in March for a 2010 World Cup qualifier.The Dutchman was keeping quiet on the Chinese but was happy to see some familiar, and some not so familiar, Korean faces in action. "It was good to watch Korea again and it was good to see them win,? he told me. "I was quite im...
More About: K-League , Path

World Soccer News
2008-02-25 16:31:00
World Soccer News For week of 2/24Martin Taylor shocks Arsenal and CroatiaArsenal's Eduardo da Silva saw his great season cut short as he was cynically mowed down by Birmingham's Martin Taylor on Saturday. The Brazilian's left fibula snapped under Taylor's irresponsible tackle and doctors say that the Gunner, operated on the same evening, will be out of action for between five and eight months.Arsenal's coach Arsene Wenger fumed over Taylor's dreadful tackle, pleading for a lifelong suspension."This guy should never play again. It is horrendous and you cannot tell me he tried to play the ball first. It is unacceptable," said the Frenchmen, who hours later toned down his fury towards the Birmingham player.In Croatia, the news immediately grabbed all the headlines. Eduardo's former teammates at Dinamo were so shocked by their pal's injury that they lost the league game to Varteks (1-2), their first home defeat in 23 months.Croatia coach Slaven Bilic was close to tears as he la...
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Unlikely hero Blatter has the enemy in his sights
2008-02-23 14:42:00
It has been a rare treat for the used and abused football fan to see the Premier League so humiliated as they have been this past week.The seemingly invincible money-machine that was born in 1993 has for the first time hit a real brick wall in its quest to rob football of all its traditions in the pursuit of profit.I have relished watching those whom the PL thought were their friends - the FA, Manchester United etc, turn tail and slam their colonial project.For challenging their authority, the upstart division's pretensions of grandeur have met a cannonade of criticism from the real powers in the game, who have torpedoed the ludicrous 'Game 39' proposal.Hopefully now it will sink to the bottom and die next Thursday when PL Chief Executive Richard Scudamore and FA Chairman Lord Triesman come up against FIFA boss Sepp Blatter in Zurich.Should the PL persist with their daft and ill-conceived plan, FIFA will again lock swords with the PL at their Executive Meeting on the 14th of Marc...
More About: England , Sights , Conor , Hero , Enemy

A Dodgy Ruby and a Stuffed Nan
2008-02-21 12:34:00
In a week where Mohammed Al Fayed has pointed an accusing finger at Tony Blair, the Nazis, Dracula and a crocodile, it seems odd that Richard Scudamore has emerged as football?s leading figure of fun.When a friend told me that Scudamore planned to play a round of matches overseas, I thought it was the worst idea I?d ever heard - and I used to work in a nursery. I say ?worked?, but it went down as ?loitering? on the charge sheet.The Chief Executive of the Premier League appears to have been influenced by Gordon Gekko?s ?Greed is good? monologue from ?Wall Street?. I?d advise Scudamore against following in the footsteps of Michael Douglas, as he may have to fight off Welsh gold-diggers. Investing in the 8/11 for a Pompey win over Sunderland is a socially acceptable way of increasing your bankroll.The idea of 10 matches being televised back-to-back genuinely worries me, as I ritualistically indulge in a couple of beers during a game. There?s no way I?ll be able to drink 20 pints, u...
More About: Premiership , Football , Soccer , Ruby

Farina's telling silence
2008-02-18 03:12:00
It's common knowledge that Frank Farina hates his compulsory media dealings with the kind of passion normally reserved for the taxman. But the former Australia boss would have despised picking over the bones of Queensland's contentious preliminary final loss even more than usual.A controversial penalty, his captain's dismissal for a dubious elbow to the face of Jets striker Mark Bridge and barrage of missed opportunities all combined to send Newcastle into this weekend's showpiece final and Farina's mood plummeting.In fairness, the Roar were gifted as much - if not more - by under-fire referee Peter Green in an error-ridden 3-2 defeat with Farina's side the fortunate recipients of two of the three penalties Green spotted, even if nobody else did.The first - dispatched by Brazilian Reinaldo - zipped past Newcastle's Socceroos goalkeeper Ante Covic deep into stoppage time after Queensland had looked dead and buried. The second, also from the lanky South American striker, gave t...
More About: J-League , Silence , K-League , A-League

Koreas Looking Good
2008-02-18 02:08:00
That?s the way football goes. From July to February 6, South Korea went 550 minutes of play without scoring. In the past two weeks, the team has found the net seven times. Kwak Tae-hwi was responsible for the first and the last of those goals. The baby-faced defender headed home the first goal against Turkmenistan in Seoul two weeks ago and then, on Sunday afternoon, he scored in the last-minute to give the Taeguk Warriors a dramatic 3-2 win against China in Chongqing. That victory came in the first match of the East Asian championships being held in the Chinese city. It was an exciting game. Park Chu-young hadn?t scored for the national team since March 1 2006 when Angola came to a snowy Seoul stadium. On a misty Chongqing day, Park headed home the opening goal at the end of the first half and then was on target in the second half with a lovely free-kick curled home from 25 metres. Sandwiched In between the two strikes had come two Chinese goals, the first an absolute scorcher from...
More About: North Korea , Good , Koreas

Interview: Alexei Lalas
2008-02-15 10:41:00
LA Galaxy are heading to Asia at the beginning of March for a tour that will include stops in Seoul and Shanghai. Soccerphile.com had a chance to exchange a few e-mails with the owner of the California club -Alexei Lalas.Lalas, who played 96 times for the US National Team, was, of course, the man behind the David Beckham transfer.Is Asia important to LA Galaxy?s plans to become a seriously big club? You can't be in business and ignore the Asia markets. Asia holds huge potential for clubs hoping to expand their brand and business. There is incredible interests in the sport, the teams and the players. Our hope is that when someone in places like Korea, Japan or China thinks about American soccer, they think about the Galaxy. Right now we have the unique opportunity to expose the Galaxy brand to million of potential fans and ultimately customers, and we're not going to waste it. How can Galaxy maintain the same sort of profile when Beckham retires/leaves? David is completely uniq...
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Strawberry Fields For Heather
2008-02-14 12:15:00
I absolutely despise Valentines Day. Conformity demands that I waste good money on a pointless gift and a meaningless card, even though the wife has spent the last 364 days of the year criticising me for being lazy. I?d happily dump her; but it?s a lot of effort to find someone new.Paul McCartney has taken the brave step of officially ending his ill-fated relationship. For me, he?s definitely made the correct decision, even if it does cost him an arm and a leg.While Paul and I understand that love is a complete fallacy, there are still a minority who believe in the romance of the FA Cup. The reality is that the minnows just make up the numbers until the trophy is lifted by one of the big 4, or Liverpool.Rafa Benitez has pointed the finger at the Yanks for their relegation from the elite. You can blame the Americans for many things: Middle East instability, nuclear war, terrorism, global warming, 9/11 and fat children, but they didn?t rest Torres against Birmingham. I hope Rafa...
More About: Premiership , Football , Soccer , Strawberry , Fields

World Soccer News
2008-02-14 11:59:00
World soccer news - for the week of February 14thCursed Ronaldo on the sidelines againA well known scene: a tearful Ronaldo is being stretchered off with yet another injury. The partial tendon rupture of the right knee sustained in the league game against Livorno is threatening the Brazilian with another lengthy break. The Italian web site Datasport inquires openly: "Is this the end for Ronie?" Milan's ace suffered the injury just two minutes after he came on as a substitute. The unlucky 31-year-old striker was transported to an orthopaedic clinic in Milan where he was subjected to magnetic resonance and other examinations. After the surgery urgently scheduled in Paris he is in for another frustrating rehabilitation.Hopefully not as long as the one between autumn of 1999 and summer of 2001, during which time he played just one game, indeed only a few minutes of it.English soccer going non-English, fumes Platini UEFA's president Michel Platini is not amused by the Premier League's...
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