Serie A returned to action on Wednesday with the premier match between Genoa and AC Milan at Milan turning into a stroll in the park for the hosts with a classy 5-2 victory. With the result, the Rossoneri hold down second place in the Serie A table, a point above Juventus and eight points off runaway leader Inter whilst Genoa disappointing campaign sees them to the bottom half of the table, now in the thirteenth spot.
The Rossoblù welcomed new man David Suazo to the starting eleven, though they were without Raffaele Palladino, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and long term absentee Boško Janković. However Milan, who welcomed David Beckham back on-loan until seasons-end, were in complete control from the opening and sliced the Genoa midfield apart with piercing runs.
The thirty-four year-old David Beckham, pressed into a more attacking role with Alexandre Pato and Clarence Seedorf out with injuries, served notice that time has not robbed him of attacking ingenuity. The match started with the former England captain sending a seeing eye cross from the right to Marco Borriello but Genoa 'keeper Marco Amelia made a brilliant save to deny the striker from point blank range. The heart pounding start continued and two minutes shy of the quarter-hour mark Giuseppe Biava was adjudged a penalty for bringing down Massimo Ambrosini in the area. However, the Rossoneri saw their chance come up empty as Ronaldinho’s effort to his right was denied by the sprawling Genoa 'keeper. Despite the miss, Milan continued to pour forward in a relentless attack but after an errant effort by David Beckham, Genoa notched the surprise go-ahead goal at the twenty-fourth minute as Giuseppe Sculli crept in at the back post to head Rodrigo Palacio's cross. The lead did not last long as seven minutes later Ronaldinho converted from the spot after Massimo Ambrosini was tripped-up in the area by the Genoa 'keeper. With the match now level, there was no holding back Milan and seven minutes prior to the break, Thiago Silva latched onto a loose ball in close range before driving it to the back of the net.
If there was any talk of Genoa mounting a comeback after the break, that was put to rest three minutes in as Ronaldinho linked the ball to Luca Antonini who provided Marco Borriello the chance for a close-range finish, which he made no mistake to give Milan the 3-1 lead. Milan was running roughshod over the clearly outmatched Rossoblù and on the hour Marco Borriello made it 4-1 with a splendid volley of Luca Antonini's cross. Milan manager Leonardo ushered in underused Klaas-Jan Huntelaar into the match and after Marco Rossi adjudged a penalty for mauling Ronaldinho, down to the ground the former Ajax sharpshooter converted from the spot to make it 5-1. Five minutes later David Suazo notched a fine consolation goal for Genoa but that would not defer the celebration of AC Milan as they posted a confident 5-2 victory.
The Rossoneri return to action on Sunday, as they travel to Turin to face Juventus whilst Genoa look to regain their winning form against Catania at the Marassi.
prepared by J. Davies
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Jermaine Beckford pushes for Leeds exit
Riding the crest from the shocking victory over Manchester United, Jermaine Beckford has formally requested a transfer from Leeds. The twenty-six year-old striker is without a contract at seasons end and sought after by a numbers of clubs, including Newcastle.
As per Leeds formal statement:
"Leeds United can confirm that Jermaine Beckford has handed in a transfer request. The transfer request was handed in on Dec 30. By handing in a transfer request it clearly indicates that the player wants to leave Leeds United."
With Newcastle the apparent front-runner, though still well off Leeds rumoured asking price of £3m, Mr. Bates and company are making it known that the striker will not come cheap, further adding in the statement:
"However, that will only be allowed to happen in the event that it is decided to be in the best interests of Leeds United. The best interests of Leeds United involve receiving both an acceptable transfer fee and securing a suitable replacement to ensure his departure does not have an adverse effect on the club's overall aim of securing promotion back to the Championship."
For Leeds, the situation is both a troublesome predicament as well as being inevitable. Jermaine Beckford has been under the looking glass for the last three campaigns and Sunday's performance against Manchester United where he not only scored the matches lone goal but consistently out duelled Wes Brown, reaffirmed the strikers desire to move to the higher ranks. Whilst speculative in nature, one could assume that he is looking ahead with his sights towards Newcastle's successful promotional bid, thus jettisoning him to the Premier League. That aside many will question whether the move on his part is shortsighted and like youngster Fabian Delph, who has rarely seen the pitch since moving to Aston Villa, he would do better staying the course with Leeds.
prepared by J.Davies
As per Leeds formal statement:
"Leeds United can confirm that Jermaine Beckford has handed in a transfer request. The transfer request was handed in on Dec 30. By handing in a transfer request it clearly indicates that the player wants to leave Leeds United."
With Newcastle the apparent front-runner, though still well off Leeds rumoured asking price of £3m, Mr. Bates and company are making it known that the striker will not come cheap, further adding in the statement:
"However, that will only be allowed to happen in the event that it is decided to be in the best interests of Leeds United. The best interests of Leeds United involve receiving both an acceptable transfer fee and securing a suitable replacement to ensure his departure does not have an adverse effect on the club's overall aim of securing promotion back to the Championship."
For Leeds, the situation is both a troublesome predicament as well as being inevitable. Jermaine Beckford has been under the looking glass for the last three campaigns and Sunday's performance against Manchester United where he not only scored the matches lone goal but consistently out duelled Wes Brown, reaffirmed the strikers desire to move to the higher ranks. Whilst speculative in nature, one could assume that he is looking ahead with his sights towards Newcastle's successful promotional bid, thus jettisoning him to the Premier League. That aside many will question whether the move on his part is shortsighted and like youngster Fabian Delph, who has rarely seen the pitch since moving to Aston Villa, he would do better staying the course with Leeds.
prepared by J.Davies
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Fenerbahçe's interested in move to Spartak Moskva
Though unsubstantiated by either club or player, various news agencies are noting Fenerbahçe attacking virtuoso, Alex(de Souza), is jockeying for a spot with Spartak Moskva. As noted in Russia media outlet Sports Express, the thirty-two year-old midfielder who joined the Turkish side in 2005 after stops with Coritiba, Palmeiras, Flamengo, Parma and Cruzeiro in his native Brazil, is said to be anxious to join countrymen Ibson, Alex and Welliton in Valery Karpin's attack.
Rubin Kazan’s Cristian Ansaldi to join Manchester City
If rumours are accurate, Rubin Kazan’s Cristian Ansaldi is in route to English Premier League side Manchester City with a transfer fee in the range of €4.2m (£6m). Per Russian media outlet Sports-Express (Спорт-Экспресс), the twenty-three year-old left back, who as been highly sought after in the winter transfer market with Benfica, Real Zaragoza and Atlético Madrid vying for his services, will be the first major signing for new manager Roberto Mancini.
Monday, January 4, 2010
CSKA Moskva adds Seydou Doumbia
Further to CSKA Moskva club president Evgeniy Giner's promise to load the Army-Men with talent, the club has announced the signing Côte d’Ivoire international Seydou Doumbia, 23, from BSC Young Boys of the Swiss Super League. The signing marks the second major addition to CSKA’s line-up as they added Keisuke Honda from Eredivisie side Venlo on 1 January.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Leeds begins road back with defeat of Manchester United
Entering the day, Leeds United visit of Old Trafford to face nemesis Manchester United in the FA Cup offered a cornucopia of story lines. Yet in a magical moment that seems destined to live in the lore of Leeds, the troubled League One side rose up, against the odds and resurrected the hopes and dreams of its faithful for a gallant 1-0 victory over mighty Manchester United.
The fall of once great Leeds has been a tale that has been told countless times, a great warning for all clubs who suffer financial fallout as they tumbled from the lofty perches of the Champions League to the third division of English football. On the opposite side of the equation, Manchester United with its billowing hardware case and array of international stars, were clearly the heavy favourites of the day. However, as situations as these so often go, today was not one for favourites and predictable events, as Leeds found within their claret a bit a magic in route to the victory.
As the day began, Man Utd’s erstwhile leader, Sir Alex Ferguson was clearly aware that his opposition posed an eye towards playing David to their Golaith. Still with the likes of Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov in the Reds line-up Leeds was dreadfully out-matched, on paper that is. Leeds, too their credit, took a noteworthy opening stance and pushing aside comments of more defensive approach and instead launched forward with the striking tandem of Luciano Becchio and Jermaine Beckford. Tactically the move seemed both noble as an aggressive stance but equally suicidal, as the third division side would be easy pickings for the hosts.
At the opening whistle, Man Utd showed a sense of belonging, if not belief that they would given their fans the victory they hoped for. Yet slowly the tables turned, just ever so slightly at first as the curmudgeonly Leeds eleven began to press forward. Then finally it struck like a watchtower bell at the eighteenth minute, the 74,000 were shocked as Leeds notched what would become the matches lone goal. Remarkably, in a week that featured the first Premier League match in which not a single player born in the England graced the opening line-up, it was Jonny Howson, the hometown hero who turned the screw. With a magnificent long diagonal ball, he found Jermaine Beckford who once again outdistanced himself from statuesque defender Wes Brown and after chesting the ball down, the striker slid his twentieth goal of the campaign under ‘keeper Tomasz Kuszczak. Man Utd rolled-up its well-appointed sleeves and went to work, intent on the equalizer and only moments later Wayne Rooney’s goal bound effort was cleared from the line by veteran Jason Crowe. The thin margin continued and with much talent at Sir Alex’s disposal, he summoned Ryan Giggs in three minutes shy of the hour with Michael Owen not that long after. Pressure ensued in the Leeds end but despite the many efforts, Leeds clung to the lead. As regulation time ended, young Aiden White, eighteen years of age and a product of the Leeds academy was called upon for Andy Hughes as the Whites desperately held the lead. Tension thickened with five minutes of added-time called, surely an equalizer was in the offing but heroics were in store for Leeds ‘keeper Casper Ankergren with a stunning match saving save in the fourth minute. With the final tick of the clock, the white knuckle affair ended and for the 9,000 Leeds supporters who had made their way along the M62 to the Theatre of Dreams, their side resurrected the glory of the past once more in the greatest of fashions.
To continue reading please visit Europa League News.
The fall of once great Leeds has been a tale that has been told countless times, a great warning for all clubs who suffer financial fallout as they tumbled from the lofty perches of the Champions League to the third division of English football. On the opposite side of the equation, Manchester United with its billowing hardware case and array of international stars, were clearly the heavy favourites of the day. However, as situations as these so often go, today was not one for favourites and predictable events, as Leeds found within their claret a bit a magic in route to the victory.
As the day began, Man Utd’s erstwhile leader, Sir Alex Ferguson was clearly aware that his opposition posed an eye towards playing David to their Golaith. Still with the likes of Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov in the Reds line-up Leeds was dreadfully out-matched, on paper that is. Leeds, too their credit, took a noteworthy opening stance and pushing aside comments of more defensive approach and instead launched forward with the striking tandem of Luciano Becchio and Jermaine Beckford. Tactically the move seemed both noble as an aggressive stance but equally suicidal, as the third division side would be easy pickings for the hosts.
At the opening whistle, Man Utd showed a sense of belonging, if not belief that they would given their fans the victory they hoped for. Yet slowly the tables turned, just ever so slightly at first as the curmudgeonly Leeds eleven began to press forward. Then finally it struck like a watchtower bell at the eighteenth minute, the 74,000 were shocked as Leeds notched what would become the matches lone goal. Remarkably, in a week that featured the first Premier League match in which not a single player born in the England graced the opening line-up, it was Jonny Howson, the hometown hero who turned the screw. With a magnificent long diagonal ball, he found Jermaine Beckford who once again outdistanced himself from statuesque defender Wes Brown and after chesting the ball down, the striker slid his twentieth goal of the campaign under ‘keeper Tomasz Kuszczak. Man Utd rolled-up its well-appointed sleeves and went to work, intent on the equalizer and only moments later Wayne Rooney’s goal bound effort was cleared from the line by veteran Jason Crowe. The thin margin continued and with much talent at Sir Alex’s disposal, he summoned Ryan Giggs in three minutes shy of the hour with Michael Owen not that long after. Pressure ensued in the Leeds end but despite the many efforts, Leeds clung to the lead. As regulation time ended, young Aiden White, eighteen years of age and a product of the Leeds academy was called upon for Andy Hughes as the Whites desperately held the lead. Tension thickened with five minutes of added-time called, surely an equalizer was in the offing but heroics were in store for Leeds ‘keeper Casper Ankergren with a stunning match saving save in the fourth minute. With the final tick of the clock, the white knuckle affair ended and for the 9,000 Leeds supporters who had made their way along the M62 to the Theatre of Dreams, their side resurrected the glory of the past once more in the greatest of fashions.
To continue reading please visit Europa League News.
Friday, January 1, 2010
CSKA Moskva finalizes deal with Keisuke Honda
As initially reported on 21 December in Russian media giant Sports-Express, CSKA Moskva have completed the signing of Japanese international Keisuke Honda from VVV Venlo. Though no details of the transfer fee were released the Eredivisie side noted to UEFA that they were “extremely content with the financial outcome”.
Debuting for Nagoya Grampus of the J-League in 2005, "Keizer Keisuke", as he is known by Venlo supporters, moved to the Dutch side two years ago and has been sought after by a variety of top European sides given his eye for the goal.
Debuting for Nagoya Grampus of the J-League in 2005, "Keizer Keisuke", as he is known by Venlo supporters, moved to the Dutch side two years ago and has been sought after by a variety of top European sides given his eye for the goal.
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