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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...
More About: K-League

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 , Michael Owen

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...
More About: Governor , Gear

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

Dragons' Fire Is Lukewarm
2008-05-13 11:06:00
And so it came to pass that South Korean team Chunnam Dragons were playing Melbourne Victory of Australia to preserve their faint hopes of reaching the last eight of the Asian Champions League.Melbourne had been even worse than the Dragons in the competition but the A-League outfit at least had the excuse that it was their first time. Chunnam's centred on injuries to their best players. As excuses go, it was reasonable. The club was without three or four of its best players for every match. It doesn't however, explain why with all but one of those stars recovered, coach Park Hang-seo chose to leave out four first-team regulars. They watched the action from the stands accompanied by dried squid and ricecakes - snacks that keep mouths busy for hours.There was some football to keep eyes occupied but neither team seemed especially interested playing in front of a tiny crowd in the unusual setting of Gwangyang stadium.In the crowded country that is South Korea,few places are really re...
More About: Fire , K-League

J. League Results 11/05/08
2008-05-12 12:01:00
Sunday, 11 MayUrawa Reds now lead the table after a hard fought 1-0 win away to Kawasaki Frontale at Todoroki Stadium as Antlers lost by the same score at Shimizu S-Pulse.Kyoto Sanga, after a decent start are quickly falling in to the danger zone. Their latest defeat 1-0 at bottom club JEF J1JEF United 1 Kyoto Sanga 0 Kawasaki Frontale 0 Urawa Reds 1Niigata Albirex 1 Iwata Jubilo 0Nagoya Grampus 0 Vissel Kobe 0Omiya Ardija 1 Sapporo Consodole 2Oita Trinita 2 Tokyo Verdy 0 Shimizu S-Pulse 1 Kashima Antlers 0FC Tokyo 0 Kashiwa Reysol 1 Gamba Osaka 2 Yokohama F Marinos 2Leading PositionsUrawa P12 Pts 26Grampus P12 Pts 25Frontale P12 Pts 20FC Tokyo P12 Pts 20Reysol P12 Pts 19J2In J2, Sanfrecce still lead the league followed by Bellmare and Vegalta.Thespa Kusatsu 1 Cerezo Osaka 3Sagan Tosu 2 Tokushima Vortis 1Montedio Yamagata 3 Mito Hollyhock 1Avispa Fukuoka 0 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3Yokohama FC 1 Ehime FC 0Vegalta Sendai 2 Ventforet Kofu 0Roasso Kumamoto 0 FC Gifu 2Shonan Bellmare 2 Saga...
More About: Results , League

Champions League finals preview
2008-05-11 04:14:00
Champiions League Triump of the Premiership as English clubs take it allManchester United and Chelsea will meet on May 21st in Moscow in only the third single-nation Champions League finals. The first ever such event dates back to 1999/00, when Real Madrid defeated Valencia by 3-0 in Paris. Three years later, Milan edged Juventus by 3-2 on penalties in Manchester.This is the epilogue of Champions League semifinals, in which the winners overcame their opposition by just one goal. Paul Scholes put Manchester United through at Barcelona's expense with a sensational strike from 18 meters early in the game, while in the other semifinals Chelsea finally overcame Liverpool after two narrow defeats and a draw in a group stage. Didier Drogba was a hero with two goals in what may prove one of his last games for the Blues before the reported transfer to Milan.The finals in Moscow will be the second act of the late season's drama which witnesses gigantic duel betwee United and Chelsea in the P...
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UEFA Cup finals preview
2008-05-11 03:52:00
UEFA Cup 2007/08Incredible Rangers reach finals in Italian style The current season has given us yet another unlikely final, as was the case in the previous three editions. The last "normal" final encounter saw Valencia defeat Marseille by 2-0 four years ago, while the following years produced improbable ties like CSKA Moscow vs Sporting Lisbon, Sevilla vs Middlesbrough and Sevilla vs Espanyol.This season's surprise packages are Glasgow Rangers and Zenit of Sankt Petersburg.Rangers have delighted their fans by reaching the first European finals in 36 years, but the neutrals have been horrified by their ultradefensive, utterly negative style. It is no doubt ironic that in their semifinal tie against Fiorentina it was the Scots who built a stonewall in front of their goal rather than the Italians.Since reaching the knockout stage of the UEFA Cup. Rangers have tortured the audience with unwatchable tactics, having scored a mere five goals in eight games (0,6 per match), qualifying on ...
More About: Preview , Uefa , Uefa cup , Finals

World Soccer News
2008-05-10 04:56:00
World soccer newsFor week of 05/10 Boavista relegated for corruptionThe Portuguese League has kicked Boavista to the second division and punished Porto with a six points deduction because of their involvement in soccer corruption during the 2003/04 season.Porto officials have been found guilty of having attempted to bribe referees in two League games, but the six minus points will not greatly upset the team, who lead Sporting by 20 points with a game to go. In the meantime Porto's president Jorge Pinto da Costa was handed a two year suspension.Boavista of Oporto were punished by outright relegation for bribing referees on three occasions during the same season. The former club chairman Joao Loureiro was suspended for four years and fined with 25,000 euros.Five referees were found guilty of receiving bribes and were suspended for periods between two and a half and five years. José Mourinho's name was not mentioned in the procedure, although he was Porto's coach in that season, c...
More About: News , World , Football , Soccer , J-League

Full Steam Ahead For Slick Suwon
2008-05-09 02:56:00
The 2008 season so far has been all about Suwon Samsung Bluewings. The Gyeonggi giants started well and haven?t looked back. If they were to take a peek over their shoulders after eight games, they would see a chasing pack that was getting ever smaller.Seven wins and one draw from eight games tell its own story. Only usual title rivals Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma have taken any points from the blue machine. Suwon are still to show they can play sustained high quality football and really dominate teams but they have amply demonstrated that they have the players capable of conjuring goals from nothing. Starting from the rock of defence and set piece menace Mato Neretljak and spreading throughout midfield and attack, there is a real goal threat in the Suwon team, one that has yet to score less than two goals in 2008. It is the forwards who have really impressed however. Seo Dong-hyun and Shin Young-rok have finally emerged from the shadows to show that they can score at the top level. Suwon?...
More About: Full , Steam , K-League , Ahead

Fifa World Rankings May 2008
2008-05-08 18:10:00
The top fifteen teams are unchanged in this month's Fifa world rankings.Argentina are still top followed by Brazil, Italy and Spain. England remain in 11th place, despite a friendly defeat in France, Scotland stay at 15th 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 way down in 101st position.Italy are the highest ranked at 3rd, followed by Spain 4th, Germany 5th, Czech Republic 6th, France 7th, Greece 8th, Portugal 9th, Netherlands 10th, Romania 12th, Croatia 13th, Sweden 23rd, Turkey 25th, Russia 25th, Poland 27th, Switzerland 48th and Austria 101st.The closeness of the ranking shows what a tight tournament lays in store. We are putting our money on Italy.1 Argentina2 Brazil3 Italy4 Spain5 Germany6 Czech Republic7 France8 Greece9 Portugal10 Netherlands11 England12 Romania13 Croatia14 Ghana15 ScotlandFull world rankingsLast month's Fifa World RankingsBet with Bet 365World...
More About: Football , Soccer

Weekend Tips / A Lazy ?Worst Of? Compilation
2008-05-08 12:38:00
Saying goodbye to the football season is very much like giving birth to a ginger child: after nine months of optimism, hope and anguish, you?re left with a genuine feeling of disappointment.The final day is often emotional. Who could forget Arsenal pipping Liverpool to the title in 1989? Well sadly, my old man. In fact, if you see a small befuddled pensioner roaming the streets, you?ll be better off avoiding football trivia altogether; senility is no picnic.I?m absolutely devastated that I have to work on Sunday as the drama unfolds. The gaffer has offered me double time and a day in lieu though, which I?m reasonably happy with; but it hasn?t gone down too well with Louise. Lou hasn?t been this upset since Liverpool were beaten by Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final. Liverpool supporters are like Paul McCartney on his wedding night; they?re struggling to get over a disappointing second leg.Steven ?more dives than Glasgow? Gerrard will hope to inspire his team-mates to a ...
More About: Football , Soccer , Tips , Weekend , Compilation

Winless JEF United sack manager Kuze
2008-05-07 11:09:00
Josip Kuze became the second manager in the J.League first division to be sacked in the 2008 season, following Holger Osieck's marching orders from the Urawa Reds after just two matches.JEF United Chiba announced on their website that they had terminated the 55-year-old Croatian's contract on Wednesday without providing further details. It is not immediately known who will replace Kuze.JEF are winless in 11 matches and are in last place with two points from two draws.We caught up with Kuze following United's 3-0 loss to the Urawa Reds at Saitama Stadium on Tuesday, less than 24 hours before his firing.Did you think you could have gotten something out of today's match with the score locked at 0-0 at halftime?"I'm disappointed, of course. We lost. They scored three goals. We have the right organization but we made mistakes and gave the opponent the advantage."And now you're 10 points out of 16th place (just above the drop zone)."It's a difficult situation and the other clubs ha...
More About: Japan , Manager , J-League

Barely Noticed Failure For Korea In 'Other' Champions League
2008-05-06 12:03:00
South Korea n football fans have been following the progress of Manchester United and Park Ji-sung to the UEFA Champions League final with great interest. On May 21, the English champions will meet Chelsea in Moscow in the biggest club match on the planet and if Park features, and as he played every minute of the quarter and semifinals there is no reason to suggest he won?t, he will become the first Asian to play in Europe?s showpiece.Excitement is growing with dozens of daily articles but in the Asian Champions league, Korean interest will not last all the way to the final game. It has ended with the first round barely half over. The League?s two representatives in the competition Chunnam Dragons and Pohang Steelers are all but out of the running even though two of the six first round matches remain. It is a sorry and unusual state of affairs for Korea, the country that enjoys easily the best record in the competition with seven titles since it started back in 1967. Chunnam?s exit m...
More About: Failure

Russia Waives Visa Requirements For Champions League
2008-05-06 05:08:00
Russia will allow traveling fans in possession of a valid ticket for the 2008 Champions League Final in Moscow to enter Russian territory without a visa between 19 and 23 May.Over 40,000 Chelsea and Manchester United fans are estimated to travel to attend the match at the Luzhniki Stadium on 21 May.The final will be the first ever all-English Champions League final and has attracted enormous interest in the UK with tickets changing hands at up to 10,000 USD.Russia's decision to waive normal visa procedures came after a direct appeal by UEFA president Michel Platini and is a slight thaw in the current icy relations between the UK and President Putin's Russia.Bet with Bet 365World Soccer NewsSoccer betting tipsSoccer Books & DVDsTagsSoccer News soccer football Champions League Moscow
More About: Football , Russia

Honours even in the Shizuoka derby
2008-05-04 12:39:00
It was honours even in the Shizuoka derby, although Jubilo Iwata will be the far happier after they turned in a battling display.The Yamaha-backed club took the lead in front of a full house of 20,330 at Nihondaira Stadium, with Japan international Yuichi Komano stroking an accurate left-foot effort beyond the diving Yohei Nishibe to hand Jubilo a deserved first half lead.Shimizu S-Pulse responded in scrappy fashion just three minutes after the restart, with 23-year-old striker Kazuki Hara volleying home after the Jubilo defence had failed to clear a cross from Shimizu playmaker Jungo Fujimoto.Jubilo midfielder Takahiro Kawamura picked up two yellow cards within the space of sixty seconds to receive his marching orders with twenty-five minutes remaining, however Shimizu were unable to take advantage as a lack of composure in front of goal cost them dearly. Both Fernandinho and Daisuke Ichikawa got in behind the Jubilo defence over the closing stages, only to fire high into the packe...
More About: J-League , League , Honours , Derby , K-League

Double date for Neill
2008-05-04 12:03:00
It might be the worry of becoming a dad for the first time, but West Ham and Australia captain Lucas Neill didn't look quite himself against Manchester United over the weekend.Neill, who became public enemy number one at Old Trafford after his involvement in the first-half dismissal of United's Portuguese winger Nani, gifted the English champions their opener in a 4-1 romp Saturday lunchtime.He slipped over to hand Cristiano Ronaldo his first, then was nowhere near when the recently-crowned player-of-the-year glanced home his second. In the second-half, Neill deflected Michael Carrick's effort past goalkeeper Robert Green.Not a good afternoon's work for the man who probably has plenty of non-football related thoughts circling his mind at the moment.Neill's long-term partner Lindsey Morris is expecting twins next month, an arrival which has already played a part in throwing into chaos Pim Verbeek's Soccer oos preparations for a quartet of testing June World Cup qualifiers.Verbee...
More About: Double , A-League

Derby day looms as Golden Week heats up
2008-05-02 03:40:00
The extended Golden Week holiday period has caused headaches for defending J. League champions Kashima Antlers.The Ibaraki giants were run off their feet in the final fifteen minutes of their clash with Omiya Ardija on April 27, as the Saitama outfit came roaring back to record an impressive 1-1 draw.Young striker Shinzo Koroki had handed Kashima an early lead at a packed Omiya Park, however the hosts hit back with a header from captain Yoshiyuki Kobayashi with fifteen minutes remaining. Omiya battered their illustrious rivals thereafter, and they should have snatched a winner when playmaker Daigo Kobayashi fired high and wide after he had been played in by a perfect through ball from Brazilian striker Denis Marques.Three days later Kashima were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Vissel Kobe, with some uncharacteristically poor defending aiding Kobe's cause. Marquinhos handed Kashima the lead with a bullet header midway through the second half, however a mix-up in the Kashima defence al...
More About: Derby

Thai Hard: With a Vengeance
2008-05-01 12:09:00
Tubby Brazilian Ronaldo may be one of the greatest players to ever grace a football pitch, but he?s definitely a poor role model. The AC Milan man let himself down when he invited three members of the late-night entertainment industry back to a motel. It wasn?t just the fact that they turned out to be ladyboys; he shamefully offered to pay them for doing nothing. If I pay a builder to construct a conservatory, and he brings along a few superfluous tools, I?d expect him to keep his head down and finish the job.This sorry tale was not the only case of mistaken identity this week; Rio Ferdinand kicked a female Chelsea steward after mistaking her for a wall. It sounds like a tall story, but I once kicked the wife by accident; I thought she was her mother.This is Rio?s first high profile gaffe since that moment of madness a few years ago, when he dated Emma Bunton. I will definitely be dipping in to the 7/1 for a draw between Manchester United and West Ham.Rio wasn?t the only player...
More About: Football , Soccer , Thai , Hard , Vengeance

World Soccer News
2008-05-01 05:56:00
World soccer newsfor week of 04/30Eriksson to be sacked from Manchester CityManchester City plan to dismiss the Swede Sven-Göran Eriksson at the end of the season, advised the team's owner, the Thai businessman and politician Thaksin Shinawatra.According to the former Thai Prime minister, Eriksson is not the suitable individual to manage the expensive and ambitious City squad. The players are said to be disgruntled with Shinawatra's decision and some have already announced they are ready to follow the boss.The Asian tycoon is apparently unhappy with the ninth positionCity currently holds, and the home defeat to Fulham by 2-3 after being 2-0 up has been the last straw."Sven reacted calmly, as is usual for him, but he was very surprised and disappointed. He does not want to leave the club and will not resign,"said to BBC an anonymous source close to the former England manager.Tottenham snatches Modric from NewcastleCroatia may have defeated England twice in the past qualifiers for E...
More About: News , World , Football , Soccer , J-League

Marco Borriello - profil igra?a
2008-04-30 02:06:00
Novi talijanski bombarderJe li stiglo vrijeme Marca Borriella?Prisje?amo se samo jednog igra?a prije Marca Borriella koji je toliko lutao prije no ?to je uistinu uspio. On je Luca Toni. Desetak je godina tra?io sebe po klubovima od tre?e do prve lige, dok nije pogodio zlatnu ?icu u Palermu. Kasnije je postao svjetski prvak, a danas je na pragu osvajanja Bundeslige s Bayernom.?to je za Tonija bio Palermo, za Borriella bi mogla biti Genoa . Borriello, 25-godi?njak rodom iz Napulja, vodi na ljestvici strijelaca nakon 31 kola i zimus je zaradio prvi poziv u seniorsku reprezentaciju. Odrastao je u napuljskoj ?etvrti San Giovanni a Teduccio, gdje mu jo? ?ivi majka Margherita. Dok je bio srednjo?kolac, umro mu je otac. Ima dva brata, starijeg Piergiorgija i mla?eg Fabija. Mla?i brat, koji igra brani?a, zaradio je izvjesnu popularnost nastupom na reality showu Campioni (Prvaci). Iza njega su ?etiri relativno neuspje?na poku?aja u Milanu i posudbe nizu klubova. Formiran u Milanovim juniorima...
More About: Serie A , J-League , Marco , K-League

Interview: FC Seoul's Kiki Musampa
2008-04-29 04:09:00
In terms of European football, Kiki Musampa may not have seen all that there is to see, but the dreadlocked Dutchman has treaded the boards in many of the continent?s big leagues. Starting out at Amsterdam icons Ajax, just as that team lifted the Champions League trophy in 1995, the attacking midfielder then moved to Bordeaux in 1997, not long before that the club became French champions. He was then on his way to Spain with Malaga and then with Atletico Madrid. A two-season spell in the Premier League followed with Manchester City. After short spells in Turkey with Trabzonspor and back in the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar, Musampa finds himself in the K-League with FC Seoul. It has been quite a story but a new chapter is about to begin and it is safe to say that it will not read like anything else that has gone before in the 30 year-old?s career. How old were you when you joined Ajax? I started when I was 12. Before that I was playing amateur football for a couple of years. I was l...
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J. League Results 27/04/08
2008-04-28 10:28:00
Sunday, 27 AprilDragan Stojkovic's Nagoya Grampus remain atop the J-League despite losing 2-0 away to lowly Verdy.Urawa Reds coach Gert Engels had a triumphant return to a former club when his team crushed Kyoto Sanga 4-0 in the ancient capital.Shimizu S-Pulse had a decent result winning 1-0 over visiting FC Tokyo to pull a little further away from the mire at the bottom.J1Kyoto Sanga 0 Urawa Reds 4Tokyo Verdy 2 Nagoya Grampus 0Shimizu S-Pulse 1 FC Tokyo 0Sapporo Consodole 0 Niigata Albirex 1Oita Trinita 1 Yokohama F Marinos 0Kawasaki Frontale 3 Kashiwa Reysol 2JEF United 1 Iwata Jubilo 2Omiya Ardija 1 Kashima Antlers 1Vissel Kobe 2 Gamba Osaka 1Leading PositionsGrampus P8 Pts 19Antlers P8 Pts 17Urawa P8 Pts 16FC Tokyo P8 Pts 14Marinos P8 Pts 13J2In J2, Sanfrecce still lead the league followed by Bellmare and Sagan in hot persuit.Sagan Tosu 2 Tokushima Vortis 1Yokohama FC 1 Cerezo Osaka 1FC Gifu 2 Yokohama FC 3Ehime FC 1 Vegalta 1Montedio Yamagata 0 Avispa Fukuoka 0Ventforet Kofu 1...
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Nagoya lead the way as the J. League goes Golden
2008-04-25 04:12:00
Nagoya Grampus lead the J. League standings by three points ahead of the traditional Golden Week rush. The Toyota-backed outfit are playing fast-paced, attacking football under new coach Dragan Stojkovic, however Nagoya fans are quick to point out that they were also leading the league at the same stage last season, only to limp home to an eventual eleventh placed finish.Nevertheless Nagoya's confidence will be sky-high ahead of their visit to Ajinomoto Stadium where they take on the hapless Tokyo Verdy, who followed up a 5-0 thrashing by Shimizu S-Pulse in the League Cup with a similarly embarrassing 5-1 defeat by an injury-hit Kashiwa Reysol last weekend.Shimizu S-Pulse take on FC Tokyo at Nihondaira Stadium, with these two sides having already met in the League Cup at the same venue this season. Shimizu won that game 3-1, and with the Shizuoka outfit hovering just above the relegation zone, they'll hope for a repeat scoreline in front of their passionate supporters.Northern sid...
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I?ve just about had an oeuf
2008-04-24 11:34:00
At one time or another, we all make a mistake of gargantuan proportions. When the wife asked for a potential destination for a short trip, I foolishly answered ?France?. I completely forgot that the place was almost exclusively full of the French.As soon as we arrived I appreciated the gravity of my error, as the locals made absolutely no effort to speak any English. It appeared that they hadn?t been informed of our arrival.The language barrier actually led me to be being deported. I popped into a café, but I didn?t fancy eating any strange French food such as ?frites? or ?saucisses?, so I helped myself to a biscuit from behind the counter. The owner went ballistic and called the police, and I was on the next plane back to England. I still feel embarrassed about being kicked out of Europe thanks to a simple ginger nut. Liverpool fans share my pain, they should console themselves with the 7/4 for a win over Birmingham.The police were on the ball over there though, unlike their...
More About: Premiership , Football , Soccer

Mixed Bag For Korea's Exports To Europe
2008-04-22 03:36:00
The line between success and failure is a fine one, especially in the English Premier League, generally regarded as the world?s top football competition. In the case of South Korean striker Lee Dong-guk, that line was about as wide as a goalpost.The Lion King moved to Middlesbrough in January 2007. His debut came a month later against Reading. Lee was introduced as a substitute with around eight minutes remaining. Seven minutes later, England international winger Stewart Downing fired over a perfect cross from the left side. Lee was unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box and let fly with his right foot. He wasn?t the only one in the stadium to put his head in his hands after the ball bounced off the post and rolled agonizingly away.Though he wasn?t to know it at the time, that was the closest Lee was ever going to come to scoring a goal in the world?s richest league and things could have been a lot different. As it stands, the striker is about to be shipped out of England?s northe...
More About: Europe , Mixed , Exports

J.League Results 21/04/08
2008-04-21 06:48:00
Sunday, 20 AprilDragan Stojkovic's Nagoya Grampus top the J-League after a come from behind home win over bottom club JEF United. Reigning J-League champions Kashima Antlers are second after a goalless home draw with Gamba.Shimizu S-Pulse move out of the bottom three positions after a 1-1 draw away to Marinos.J1Nagoya Grampus 3 JEF United 2Kashima Antlers 0 Gamba Osaka 0FC Tokyo 4 Kawasaki Frontale 2Niigata Albirex 1 Kyoto Sanga 0Vissel Kobe 1 Sapporo Consodole 1Kashiwa Reysol 5 Tokyo Verdy 1Yokohama F Marinos 1 Shimizu S-Pulse 1Omiya Ardija 0 Urawa Reds 0Iwata Jubilo 1 Oita Trinita 1Leading PositionsGrampus P7 Pts 19Antlers P7 Pts 16FC Tokyo P7 Pts 14Marinos P7 Pts 13Urawa P7 Pts 13J2In J2, Sanfrecce still lead the standings despite a first loss of the season 2-1 at home to Ventforet.FC Gifu 2 Yokohama FC 3Ehime FC 1 Vegalta 1Thespa Kusatsu 1 Montedio 1Cerezo Osaka 1 Roasso Kumamoto 0Avispa Fukuoka 2 Sagan Tosu 0Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1 Ventforet Kofu 2Vortis 2 Mito Hollyhock 0Leadin...
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Weekly Soccer News
2008-04-21 06:36:00
World Soccer News for week of 04/21Standard Liege on top 25 years laterAn old glory of Belgian soccer, Standard Liege, have finally managed to win the domestic championship, their first in a quarter of the century and indeed the first piece of silverware after 15 years.It has taken a truly remarkable display throughout the season for Standard to emerge on top: a 31-game unbeaten run, which has culminated with a 2-0 win over the archrivals Anderlecht in the decisive match.This is the ninth League title for Standard, who also won five Belgian cups and played in the 1982 Cup Winners' Cup against Barcelona at Camp Nou back then in the times of Arie Haan, Benny Wendt and Simon Tahamata.PSV make it four in a rowIn the neighbouring Netherlands, PSV have not had a shortage of trophies over the past decades. The Eindhoven team have snatched their fourth consecutive title, 21st in their history, by winning 1-0 at Vitesse. PSV needed just a draw in their last game to stay ahead of Ajax, who de...
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London coach crash claims two victims
2008-04-18 03:20:00
Two top coaches in the English capital crashed this week and are recovering from their injuries.The first victim was a French national, Monsieur Arsene Wenger, whose vehicle 'Arsenal ' (named after him), took the wrong turning from off a successful road to a league and European double, smashing into Liverpool in the Champions League , before being hit again by Manchester United in the Premier League.Arsenal have for my money played the sexiest football around this season, but once more were outwitted by cannier clubs when it counted, teams who exploited the Gunners' perennial inexperience and lack of grit when under pressure.A wonder goal such as that conjured up at Anfield by the irrepressible Theo Walcott and lethal Emmanuel Adebayor deserved to win any game, but only seconds later, Arsenal were outmuscled and shocked by an English-style counter and Liverpool scored via a questionable penalty.United exploited their home advantage and experience to dismiss the Gunners from the tit...
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There Ste Goes Again
2008-04-17 12:08:00
As a society, we?re obsessed with appearance. I blame teen magazines for perpetuating the myth that skinniness equals beauty. If I had to choose between a thin girl and a lady with a fuller figure, I?d choose the one with the better personality. Obviously, if they?re equally pleasant, then fatty?s out of luck.Men are far less uptight about how they look. Petr Cech was happy to return to work when half of his face was hanging off; he wasn?t concerned that he looked like Steve Bruce?s better looking brother.Cech was back between the sticks within no time, as he managed to borrow the necessary protection from Ashley Cole. Not many people own chin guards, but Cashley is always wary of bouncing balls. I?ll be jumping up and down when Everton beat Chelsea at 14/5.Juande Ramos believes that his players should take pride in their appearance, and has banned cakes and sweets from the canteen. I agree with Juande on this one; I?ll only consider a muffin once a year. If Wigan get their ...
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