CR Says "Be More Like United"

Wow...he just keeps coming with the "I miss United" stuff.  In the second installment from a two-parter for MARCA magazine in Spain:

The Real Madrid fans do not support their team enough when they are playing badly and should try to be as initimidating to visiting teams as the Manchester United supporters, according to forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

Real Madrid broke the world transfer record to sign Cristiano Ronaldo for £80 million.
"We know that we have the duty to put on a show but sometimes it's not possible," the Portuguese international, who joined Real from United for a record fee this year, told Marca on Wednesday. "We always try but at times the team are not playing well and the fans could give us more support."
"The Manchester United fans, for example, were very intimidating for Liverpool or Manchester City in those matches. I think that if our supporters tried to do that it would be much better for everyone and would give the players a big boost."
Ronaldo returned to action in late November after two months out with an ankle injury and insisted his fitness is improving all the time.
He also said he intended to win back his FIFA World Player of the Year award, which was given to Barcelona forward Lionel Messi this month.
"I have the ambition to be the best," Ronaldo said. "By God's grace I have already won the trophy for the best player in the world but I hope to win it again, either this year or next, but I will win it again."

     Mancunia...winners of the Cristiano Ronaldo Fan Award


People have taken notice that Ronny has talked more about United lately than he has his own team.  It will be interesting to see how the "fans" at the Bernabeu react to his recent statement about their "unfanliness."  Stay tuned.

Wearing his favorite "man" shirt and sporting more lip gloss than me!

Chamakh Insists He's Going Nowhere in January

From soccernet.com

Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh insists he will stay with the Ligue 1 champions until the end of the season.

Chamakh has long been linked with a move away from the Stade Chaban Delmas and made no secret in the summer of his desire to play in the Premier League.
Arsenal were one of the many clubs reportedly interested in the 25-year-old and speculation is rife that Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is set to make a renewed effort to sign him when the window opens again, with Robin van Persie likely to be absent for the rest of the season.
However, Chamakh claims he is not going anywhere in January.
"I'm going to finish my season at Bordeaux,'' he told France Football. "Honestly, in my head I don't want to relive what I lived through last summer.
"I don't want to see my name circulating during the transfer window. I've had enough of reading or hearing rumours that they are lacking a centre-forward somewhere.''
Chamakh's contract expires in the summer and the Morocco striker will then be able to leave on a free transfer.
A big-money deal is now on the table for Chamakh - last season's leading goalscorer - as Bordeaux attempt not only to keep him at the club but also avoid losing him for nothing. [end story]

Bordeaux have already admitted to not giving Chamakh a proper valuation. Now they're between a rock and a hard place. If they let him go in January, they would have money but they would be missing one of the prime reasons they finished with more points than any other team going in to the final 16 of the CL. If they keep him until summer...maybe they do well in the CL but then lose one of your stars for free in the process...

I'm sure Marouane wants to play for an EPL team for several reasons...one would be much better pay. Another would be more aggressive footy. Obertan said that he liked the EPL better than Ligue 1 because the French teams "seem to play not to lose instead of playing to win..."...that can be very frustrating for a striker. And lastly, he knows that his partner in link-ups (Gourcuff) won't be hanging around Bordeaux forever. If Chamakh signed a long-term agreement (Bordeaux told him he could sign for a year, two, whatever) then he could end up tied to a sinking ship.
Whoever is lucky enough to get him, the other teams should mark him well during set plays...he is deadly with the head!

And now a few photos of Marouane and Gourcuff... ;)

Jean-Louis Triaud (Pres. GdB) during Ligue 1 Championship presentation

Jean-Louis should have been doing this all along to one of his valued players...now he could be kissing 10m euros goodbye!

Awww...I hate to split up the Chamcuff duo

Why can't I take photos like this?

There Are More Important Things Than Footy...

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has been given indefinite compassionate leave after his wife suffered a brain hemorrhage.
The 39-year-old's wife collapsed last Wednesday and he will not be expected to return to Manchester until she has made a recovery.
Van der Sar, who is currently out of action with a knee injury as Tomasz Kuszczak deputises, was back in Holland to receive treatment.
Sir Alex said: "Annemarie had a problem over in Holland a week ago and has been admitted to hospital. That is the best place for her to be. They have examined her twice and are trying to get to the root of it.
"I have told Edwin to stay over there. There is no point in him being here. The best thing is for him to be with his wife. Hopefully she will make a good recovery.'' [end story]

Annemarie and Edwin at United for Unicef Gala

Here is to a full recovery for Annemarie and Edwin...there are more important things than footy.

Clawing Our Way Point By Point, and CR/Kaka Merry Christmas

For the second match in a row, Chelski have dropped points.  United were down 4 points this morning, then Chelski drew 0-0 and United whipped Hull 3-1.  Now we are only 2 points behind.
The busy Holiday schedule is grueling in the Prem League.  When other leagues (Spanish, French, etc. ) take off for the Christmas season, the English clubs keep on pounding away.  I have my suspicions about why this is so (and I can't print it here).  It is also this time of year that United usually kick in to high gear and mow down the competition.

During the first half today, United had several chances to score.  We just couldn't quite put it away until the 45th minute when Fletcher, Giggs, and Rooney did a neat 1-2-3...United 1-0 Hull.  Rooney had a spectacular day...featuring in all 4 goals.  His contribution to the Hull goal at the 60th minute was devastating to him.  He passed the ball back to our keeper, but didn't see Craig Fagan from Hull behind him.  After a big mess of pinball in front of the goal, Jozy Altidore fell in the box and Ref Alan Wiley (yes, that one) called Rafael da Silva for a penalty.  After seeing the replay, I'm not sure it was a penalty, more a case of Altidore falling over himself.  But, Fagan converted the shot and the score was now 1-1.  Rooney was visibly upset, but he forged on and assisted in the last two United goals; one a box-crosser that Dawson from Hull tapped in for an own goal (Park of United was there to tap it in if the opposition didn't), and a threading beauty across the box to Berbatov for an easy tap-in.  3 points.  Game at home on Wednesday.

Rooney and Berba baffle the Tigers

Rooney's assist on the Own Goal...Park is tangled in the netting

The Christmas season is not officially over so I thought I would share a funny with you.  Cristiano and Kaka of RM...enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cue7z5MtXJQ&feature=player_embedded

Also on the Cristiano front...As I reported last week that CR said he missed United, here is a bit more of the interview that he gave after the FIFA World Player of the Year ceremony:

Any notion that his world record £80 million price tag would weigh down this sporting icon has been dispelled, with the leading scorer in this season's Champions League insisting he is relishing his new life away from the wind, rain and snow of what has been a freezing Manchester winter so far.

"As for my memories of Manchester, I have nothing but good things to say about the club and my amazing manager, Alex Ferguson. I can tell you now that I will never play for any other English club, which shows how much United will always mean to me. Going back to Old Trafford to play against them would not be easy, but I know it will probably happen one day. Still, this is for the future.
"There are some things about England that I have missed and the food is certainly one. I also love English music, though that can travel with me and I miss some of my friends at United.
"What I don't miss is the way players who like to perform for the pleasure of the fans are treated by English referees. I got kicked every weekend and some players were sent out just to try and stop me by hitting me as hard as possible.
"In Spain, attacking players are given more protection by the officials, but one thing that has surprised me is the attitude of the supporters in Madrid. They are not very understanding and one bad result seems to be treated as a disaster. The supporters at the Bernabeu expect the team to win every game and our job is to make their dreams come true."

Well said, Ronny.  We miss you too.

And a little Christmas present for Rosey...

sigh.................

*big smile*

Feliz Navidad A Todos!

Instead of sending out overpriced Christmas cards (as usual) I am sending a photo that speaks to the spirit of the season:

Manchester United players Owen Hargreaves, Patrice Evra (holding child), Jonny Evans, Gabriel Obertan, and Ji-Sung Park visit Royal Children's Hospital in Manchester to deliver presents.

A Few Interesting Tidbits

From soccernet.com and other internet sources:
Cristiano Ronaldo concedes he has missed Manchester United since completing his world record £80 million transfer to Real Madrid over the summer.
Ronaldo's lengthy flirtation with the Spanish giants finally ended in June and he has adapted rapidly to life in Spain, scoring 13 goals in ten games for Manuel Pellegrini's side.

But having developed into one of world football's elite players during his six-year stay at Old Trafford, winning three Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League, Ronaldo still has fond memories of life at United.
"What people think about me is their opinion but I really miss Manchester a bit," said Ronaldo after being named in the FIFPro World XI on Monday. "I played there for six years and I left a few friends there. So I miss the club a little bit but I'm focused now at Real Madrid and I'm really happy there.
"I think they [United] are doing very well this season. They have lost two [of their past three] games, but they are still second in the league."

In other Ronny news:
He won the FIFA Puskas Goal of the Year award earlier this week.  He was rewarded for his thunderbolt launched against Porto in the Champions League tie...for United.  And, of course, RM used this to their PR advantage.  I'm not sure what they will do next year when RM wins no trophies this year.  They can't keep using Ronny's exploits from United forever...:)

Ronny has also been up to some kiddie charity work.  First, he flew to the FIFA World Player of the Year fete to hand out the Insignificant Troll of the Year award to a very happy youngster (see photo below)

Awwww...Ronny does good work

and then he flew to Tashkent, Uzbekistan to give a short clinic to promising youngsters.  He also donated 600,000 euros to this cultural exchange.  The trip was organized by Manchester United and Nike last year (Manchester United is king in Asia)...a fact that was overlooked by the Spanish press...but not by the comments on the article.  After many comments to that effect, the article was removed.  Smoke and mirrors.

Zidane was interviewed in FranceFootball this week.  When asked about his future at RM, he said, "I want to become a leader."  I'm not sure if he means personally, or that he wants to lead RM.  The ironic part about the article was that they used this accompanying photo:

I'm not sure why they chose this photo in a "leader" article...Spaniards are a little daft sometimes.

And now for a few photos of the week:

The real reason Ronny left England...couldn't be for better football...:)

One for Rosey to add to her hard drive...:)

Speaking of le Gourboeuf, Bordeaux plays Toulouse today...let's hope we run them off "le track." hahaha

Laissez Bon Temps Roulez!!

I really don't want to discuss Manchester United today.  Their defensive woes are leaving "no light at the end of the tunnel," as Sir Alex said yesterday.  Using midfielders as defenders can work sometimes (as it did the other night), but Aston Villa took advantage of the inconsistency and walloped the Reds 3-0.  Enough about that.

What "good times are rolling?"  One word.  Bordeaux.  No, not the wine, the football club.  Girondins de Bordeaux.
The Marine et Blanc are rolling over the competition.  Whether it be Ligue 1 opponents, or Champions League fare, the Bordelaise are serving up the pretenders on a platter every week.
This week the victims were FC Lorient.  An added twist to the match was a familial connection; Lorient is coached by Christian Gourcuff, the father of Bordeaux middie, Yoann Gourcuff.

Christian and Yoann Gourcuff

From the first whistle, the Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux was rockin'.  David Bellion, a Manchester United academy product, started off the scoring in the 2nd minute with a clinical strike through the legs of the Lorient keeper.  It was lights out from there.  Les Girondins rolled 4-1, with a brace from Bellion, and goals from Cavenaghi and Gourcuff.

Bellion celebrates with teammates

Bordeaux now sits atop the Ligue 1 standings at the halfway point with 40 points.  Nearest in the hunt for the title is Marseilles with 32.  Perennial Ligue 1 contenders, Lyon, are struggling in sixth place with 29.
Next up for the Marine et Blanc is away match vs. Toulouse on the 23rd.
Laissez Bon Temps Roulez!!

Chamakh giving thanks for his Lyon-beating header

Nota bene:  Marouane Chamakh was interviewed before the match and intimated that he would finish out his Bordeaux contract (June) but would probably not be staying.  That is good news and bad news for the Bordelaise.  Good news because he will be around to finish the Champions League and Ligue 1 campaigns, but replacing his heading ability and workrate will be difficult.

The Gourcuff-Chamakh partnership will be hard for Bordeaux to replace

Video highlights of the Bordeaux-Lorient match:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y93VqcXdEM&feature=player_embedded

9,000 Days

"Out of the night that covers me..
      ...I'm unafraid, I believe."

These are the opening words from the song, "9,000 Days" by Overtone.  I know this is a soccer blog, but I saw the movie "Invictus" last night with my good friend, Lori.  From the trailers one would think it's simply a movie about rugby, of which I know only a little.  The movie is set against the 1995 Rugby World Cup that was held in South Africa. 
World championships are usually played in vacation spots around the world...Rome, London, Miami, Los Angeles, Sydney, etc...not against the backdrop of 9,000 Days of racism, brutality, and deep-seeded hatred.

Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned for 9,000 days in a small cell on Robben Island, was elected by a largely-black population only just afforded the right to vote.  Apartheid had been condemned by the world community, but convincing those who had lived freely and bound under that banner to accept the new idea of a "rainbow nation" was Mandela's undaunting task.  He was presented with a venue to prove his point to 43 million people...sports.

Using an almost all-white rugby team, the Springboks, Mandela sought to teach the divided nation that the only path to redeeming South Africa wouldn't be found in their own comfortable skins; they would have to set aside their attitudes of separation and become colorblind.
The white population saw Mandela's presidency as the end of their existence.  The black population, who were responsible for his ascendancy, saw his presidency as a chance for reciprocity against the tyranny they had experienced.  If both sides thought Mandela represented either, they underestimated their new leader.

Sports are polarizing; one side against another.  But sports can also be utilized to bring people together.  E pluribus unum...out of the many, one.  Mandela shunned the idea of the now-black sports authorities to forcefully integrate the Springboks, a symbol of Apartheid, and change their name and colors.  He was attempting to break the cycle of "us" against "them," knowing that if one side always attempted to marshal the other, the future of South Africa would be just like the past.  Instead, he convinced the authorities to trust him that the entire population would band together and support the Springboks in the World Cup.  He enlisted the help of Springbok captain, Francois Pienaar, needing a believer from "the other side" to infuse his idea of xolela...forgiveness.
Mandela gave Pienaar a copy of Invictus, the poem written by William Ernest Henley.  The poem had given Mandela resolve as he served his prison sentence on Robben Island.  

Invictus is Latin for "unconquerable."  The idea of using a venue of conquest to heal seems antithetical.  But in reality it was necessary to exorcise the demons of the past; Mandela's as well as the nation of South Africa.

Did it work?  Well, you will have to see the movie to find out.

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.


 

Can Ronaldo handle the pressure?

by Martin Rogers, YAHOO!sports

There is rarely a dull week in the life of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Real Madrid superstar never strays too far from the spotlight, whether it is being romantically linked to Paris Hilton, making a multi-million-dollar transfer or scoring spectacular goals.

But even by his standards, the last few days provided a glut of talking points – ones that he would love to forget.
First up was the Ballon d’Or award, where Ronaldo surrendered his title as the best player in Europe to Barcelona’s brilliant Lionel Messi. If that came as no major shock, then the World Cup draw was a somewhat ruder awakening, as Ronaldo and his Portugal teammates were thrust into the 2010 version of the Group of Death.

A Group G matchup with heavyweights Brazil and Ivory Coast has electrified the soccer world, with the games between those sides among some of the most eagerly anticipated first-round clashes.
But for Ronaldo – a player who is sick of hearing his ability to supply peak performance in major tournaments questioned – the heightened danger of early elimination in South Africa is a definite source of stress.
“I can’t pretend I am happy about the draw,” he snapped. “Of course not.”
From the moment Portugal was pulled out of Pot Four and thrown into its fiery World Cup fate, discussion resumed about whether Ronaldo can handle the pressure of the sport’s biggest stages.
Maybe at Euro 2004 he was too young. Maybe at the 2006 World Cup he was too immature. Maybe at Euro 2008 he was distracted by talk of whether he would leave Manchester United. The well of excuses has run dry.
So with the gaze of soccer’s scrutinizing eye trained upon him more keenly than ever, what does Ronaldo do this weekend? He gets himself sent off.
Not for a couple of mistimed tackles or moderately acceptable lapses in judgment. His infractions in Real Madrid’s 4-2 victory over Almeria were of the utterly stupid variety.
First, he was yellow-carded for peeling off his shirt in celebration of the team’s fourth goal. Whatever your thoughts on this rule, Ronaldo knew the regulations and what punishment would inevitably follow. Then, with just moments left in the game, he lashed out in retaliation at Almeria’s Juanma Ortiz, leaving the referee no choice but to give him a second yellow.
By this point in Ronaldo’s career, we might have expected a few more answers. His talent cannot be questioned, but his temperament and maturity remain shadowed by doubt. And it is those psychological factors that will be most needed next summer, with ultimate glory and his reputation on the line.

Rock'em Sock'em Knockouts are Set

Champions League Update:
The last round of the 32-team group stage play was completed today. 16 teams advanced to the Knockout round.
There are 8 groups (A-H) and the winner and runner-up from each advanced to the next round.
Knockout round opponents are determined by a draw (to be held on Dec. 18th).  A few rules apply to the draw:
1.  No teams from the same association (EPL, La Liga, etc.) can meet each other in the first round.  For the Premier League teams who advanced (United, Chelsea, Arsenal) and the La Liga teams who advanced (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla) this rule does not affect because all six won their respective groups.  This rule does not affect the Bundesliga representatives (Bayern Munich, Stuttgart) because both were runners-up in the groups.  It also does not affect the Portuguese, Greek, or Russian representatives because only one member advanced to the next round.
This rule will affect the draw where Ligue 1 representatives (Bordeaux, Lyon) and Serie A representatives (Fiorentina, Inter, AC Milan) are concerned because Bordeaux won its group (A) and Fiorentina won its group (E), while the others were runners-up.

2.  No group winner will meet the runner-up from the same group.

3.  Group winners will play a runner-up (unless the draw is affected by Rules 1 or 2).

4.  Each group winner will have the advantage of playing the away game first.  The team with the higher aggregate of the home and away ties will advance to the next round.  If the teams are tied, away goals count as a tie-breaker.  If that does not break the tie (e.g. the aggregate score is 2-2 and each team scored 2 away goals) then UEFA rules for extra time and penalties is utilized.  There must be a winner.

POSSIBLE DRAWS FOR GROUP WINNERS A-H

BORDEAUX (won their group with 16 points...the most of group winners; runner-up Bayern had 10 pts.):
         CSKA Moscow, AC Milan, FC Porto, Internazionale, Stuttgart, Olympiakos

MANCHESTER UNITED (won their group with 13 points...runner-up Moscow had 10):
         Bayern Munich, AC Milan, FC Porto, Lyon, Internazionale, Stuttgart, Olympiakos

REAL MADRID (won their group with 13 points...runner-up AC Milan had 9):
         Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, FC Porto, Lyon, Internazionale, Stuttgart, Olympiakos

CHELSEA (won their group with 14 points...runner-up FC Porto had 12):
         Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, AC Milan, Lyon, Internazionale, Stuttgart, Olympiakos

FIORENTINA (won their group with 15 points...runner-up Lyon had 13):
         Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, FC Porto, Stuttgart, Olympiakos

BARCELONA (won their group with 11 points...runner-up Internazionale had 9)
         Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, AC Milan, FC Porto, Lyon, Stuttgart, Olympiakos

SEVILLA (won their group with 13 points...runner-up Stuttgart had 9):
         Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, AC Milan, FC Porto, Lyon, Internazionale, Olympiakos

ARSENAL (won their group with 13 points...runner-up Olympiakos had 10):
         Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, AC Milan, FC Porto, Lyon, Internazionale, Stuttgart

The first matches will be played in February, with the second match being played in March.  This is different from past years when the ties were played just two weeks apart.

A few surprises from the group stage:
Liverpool (a semi-finalist last year) failed to advance and will instead play in the knockout round of the Europa League.
Group F provided plenty of drama.  Barcelona (last years' winner) was not secured a place in the next round until the last match today. 

Anything is possible in the Knockouts...

EINE...ZWEI...DREI!

Ich liebe die Meister Liga, weil es mir die gelegenheit gibt, die zehn sprachen zu benutzen, die ich gelernt habe. Michael Owen hat bewiesen, der Meister des Felds heute zu sein.

Michael Owen truly was the master of the pitch today.  With defensive worries pinching the brow of one Herr Ferguson, the Reds showed that they will not be underestimated, no matter how decimated their defensive stronghold is at the moment.
Wolfsburg, the Bundesliga champs, needed a draw and for CSKA Moscow to lose to Besiktas.  Moscow was leading 1-0 when Besiktas leveled on 86 minutes.  But in the 90th, Moscow took the lead, the win, and the coveted second spot in to the knockout round.  Wolfsburg has a fantastic striker in Edin Dzeko.  His header, which barely cleared Michael Carrick's head, leveled his team with United.  Dzeko has been linked in the papers with United for the January transfer window.  He has quelled those rumors by stating that he would like to go to AC Milan instead...o-kay.  Not sure why, but I'm sure he has his reasons.  One of them may be the man currently wearing the hallowed United number 7.  The Reds' strikers are in form right now and a move might secure Dzeko a spot on the bench.  At Milan he could link up with a former United number 7 (Beckham).

Back to the hat-trick.  The most impressive thing about Owen's goals was that he scored in three different ways.  The first goal was a well-timed header from a Nani cross:

Eine

The second was a predatory goal that was engineered by the fancy French footwork of former Bordeaux starlet, Gabriel Obertan.  He wended his way through tight traffic to find Owen waiting in the box for a predatory goal.  Bingo!:

Zwei

The third goal just in to injury time was fashioned completely by Owen.  After receiving the ball at midfield, he outran two Wolfsburg defenders and chipped a shot over the keeper's outstretched hand:

                                                                       Buh-bye...Drei


After the match, the current United number 7 thanked his teammates for the goals:

“Obviously I’ve scored a few hat-tricks in my time but it’s nice to get one that caps off a great team display. Me getting the three goals will probably grab the headlines but I thought it was an excellent team performance tonight."
And what about the coveted team ball?
“I’ve given it to the masseur, I get a bit shy when I’m holding it as it draws attention to me! Hopefully he’ll get it signed by the lads and then pop it in my bag when we get back to Manchester.”

Obertan getting his boot shined by French compatriot, Patrice Evra

Saluting the traveling Reds fans

In other Champions League news today:
Bordeaux finished atop their group garnering the most points of any team (16) with a 1-0 win over Maccabi-Haifa in Israel.  Les Girondins only took 2 of their starting 11, preferring to rest them for the upcoming battle with Lyon.
Former United number 7, Cristiano, scored two goals (one...a beauty of a freekick) against a weak Marseilles side, securing the top spot for his side in the knockout round.  At least he can breathe a sigh of relief that he won't be playing against his former side in the next round, a fear that he admitted to the Spanish press a few weeks ago.

I taught him this move...

And finally, even though he didn't play in Israel, I thought I would give Rosey a treat with a few Gourcuff photos in training at the Chateau du Haillan (see photo below of this beautiful training facility).

"Yeah, so where do you train?"

"A French Chateau..."

And now a little Boeuf Bordelaise...or Gourboeuf

If Carrasso would get out of the pic...

Au revoir mes amis!

The Three Rs...Romp, Retour, and Redtime

What a fantastic weekend for footy.

UNITED ROMP
My beloved Reds were in spectacular form this weekend...despite missing three of our regular back four, and our starting keeper.  Defense has become an issue for Sir Alex.  A back four that broke the record for minutes with a clean sheet has now been decimated by niggling injuries, from backstrain, to calfstrain.  But in true United fashion, our fearless leader called in the replacements and they hammered West Ham United 4-0.
It is staggering to think of Ryan Giggs still plowing the pitch like he did when he was 18.  Lightning-quick as ever and with a mind like a steel trap, the old fox can still teach the brash young upstarts a few things.  At 36, most footballers have the "former" attachment.  Not Giggsy.  His play is inspiring and the only betrayer to his age is the gray around the temples.  Imagine being a 20-year-old, and a man who has been playing in the Prem League longer than you've been alive just nutmegged you, crossed to Rooney, chased down the ricocheting shot, crossed again to a scrambling winger...who scores.  Youth is wasted on the young!

Oldtimer Scholes scores with thirty-somethings Brown and Giggs in tow

I voted on manutd.com for Valencia to be Man of the Match.  He has filled in where CR left off.  His pace down the wing and his smartly-timed crosses have given a lift to the "where did Ronny go?" Reds.  He is linking well with everyone and even scored a predatory goal yesterday.

Celebrating Valencia's goal

On an even higher note...C-Scum lost yesterday to Man Shotty, 2-1.  Reeling them in, we are.
For those who didn't see the Everton v Tottenham match today...WOW!  The Toffees were down 0-2 and charged back to level 2-2, when Tottenham were given a penalty in the 92nd minute.  *cue Western shootout music here*  Tottenham lined up their in-form hotshoe, Jermain DeFoe (who scored 5 goals in one match last weekend) against Everton keeper, Tim Howard.  Why is this news?  Well...Jermain is also the star striker for the English National Team, while Tim Howard is the keeper for the US National Team.  Both will be pitted against each other in the first match of the World Cup finals next summer.  The British papers have all-but-written off the US team's chances of beating The Three Lions.  Tim Howard put a damper on those plans today.  He saved the penalty and the point for Everton while sending a message to Fabio Capello...the US won't lie down for anyone!!!!!  Well-done, Tim! 

Howard saves a point for Everton...and sends a message to England

LES GIRONDINS RETOUR
Bordeaux returned (retour) to the top of the Ligue 1 table with an efficient 1-0 win over Paris-St. Germain.   PSG put everything into the match but the Bordeaux defense was too much for them.  Plasil scored early and they never looked back.  It was nice to see Gourcuff retour!  His partner-in-crime, Marouane Chamakh, has been left alone up front (which he has handled well), but their link-up play is deadly.  Neither will play in their Champions League yawner against Maccabi Haifa on Tuesday.  The Marine et Blanc qualified at the top of their group two matches ago, so manager Laurent Blanc decided to rest his two stars for next weekend's away match against perennial title-contender, Lyon (who lost 4-3 today to Lille).

Plasil (R) teams up with Tremoulinas (L) against PSG

A potential burr in Les Bordelais' plans...this week, Jean-Louis Triaud, the owner of les Girondins stated that mistakes had been made in trying to keep Marouane Chamakh in the Marine et Blanc.  His contract expires in June and offers were made by EPL teams (most notably, Arsenal) last summer.  Triaud rebuffed their advances, but not thinking about the January transfer window.  Now, Bordeaux is between a rock and a hard place.  If they don't sell him in January, then he would go for free in the summer to someone else.  That is a potential loss of around 10 million euros for the team.  But if they let him go in January, they are losing their leading scorer and one of the main reasons they have fared so well in the Champions League.  Chamakh has stated that he would love to play in the Prem League and his pay at Bordeaux is shockingly low for his level of play.  Triaud conceded that and Bordeaux have offered him a much-healthier package, including retroactive pay at his new price from last June to the present.  If Arsenal or another top team offer him money in January, I don't think Marouane will stick around.  But the only hitch to his flight to a top-four team in the EPL...he is cup-tied.  He wouldn't be able to play for a Champions League side in those matches because he's already played for Bordeaux in the same matches this year.  Arsenal are looking to replace Robin van Persie, who is out for five months...but Chamakh would not be able to replace him in the CL matches.  Soooo....the saga continues.

REDTIME FOR RONNY
Oops.  He sets up the first score, wins a penalty, misses the penalty...which a teammate picks up and scores, doesn't congratulate the teammate, ends up scoring his own goal, then promptly removes his shirt...which the official gives him a yellow card for, then kicks out at a player who touched him around the neck...which the official gives him another yellowcard for...and a big red card to go with it.  Whewwww!  Just another day in the life of Cristiano Ronaldo.  How Real Madrid managed to win 4-2 after being down 2-1 to a La Liga minnow is beyond me.  Their play is atrocious, just one step up from their defensive level...super atrocious.  It's well-documented on this blog that I am no fan of the Barca Loungers, but I don't see the Blancos getting any closer to them as the season progresses. 
Poor CR was working his arse off trying to make plays...at one point he's seen throwing his arms up in frustration because he put in a beautiful cross that no one jumped on...when he turned around I could see it in his eyes: "Rooney would have been there."  Yes, Cristiano, and so would have Giggsy, Berbatov, and just about everyone else on the United team who were telepathically-connected to your foot.  But...you don't play there anymore.  You now play with a bunch of disorganized plebes, led by a man who defended your red card because you "are passionate."  Yes, you're so passionate that you'll be sitting in the cheap seats while your team tries to stay ahead of the hard-charging Valencia in the league table.   CR did apologize for his transgressions and Pellegrini insisted that CR doesn't suffer from "lack of team support."  The Spanish press obviously doesn't buy that assessment, and Real defender Sergio Ramos countered with, "we all hope that Cristiano learns from this."  The Real fans have not bought in to the Ronny Project as of yet, and Saturday's display did nothing to help that.  His shirt sales are down 75 percent, and you could have heard a pin drop when he walked off the pitch after his red card...no applause.

A reminder to Ronny of what color he should be wearing...

CR matured so much at United.  In just a few months he has returned to his petulant, hands-in-the-air, theatrical best...and all for naught.  In my book that's called "lack of leadership."  Fergie would have rung his bell had he acted that way in Manchester.  It's obvious that the inmates are running the asylum at the Sanitarium de Bernabeu.  

Nice abs!  You'll be flexing them in the stands next week...

And one final parting shot to Tiger Woods...Elin should have blunted your head with that driver...

World Cup Pairings Announced by FIFA Today...

Here it is.  The long-awaited groups for next summer's World Cup.

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France


Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece

Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia

Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana,

Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon

Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia

Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal

Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Uh...I Think This Guy Reads My Blog...I Already Wrote This Article...:)

From Martin Rogers of Yahoo Sports:
Real Madrid looks spent in El Clasico

There is no doubt that money talks loudly in soccer. But for Real Madrid, the almighty Euro is not flexing its vocal chords as much as the club would like right now.

Watching hated rival Barcelona win an unprecedented Treble while struggling both domestically and in Europe was a bitter pill to swallow for Real. The humiliating experience prompted a glut of summer spending at the Bernabeu, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema all arriving in blockbuster transfer moves.
However, Sunday’s El Clasico proved that while cold, hard cash can buy you some of the world’s best players, it’s not an automatic recipe for success.

Sure, Barcelona also spent on new players, acquiring Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a deal that sent Samuel Eto’o to Inter Milan, but Barca’s squad cost less than a third of Real’s team. Also, the end product is stronger, more fluid and more effective, and it’s marshaled expertly by head coach Pep Guardiola.
Barcelona has had its troubles this season and is still not guaranteed a place in the last 16 of the Champions League. And yet, anyone who is prepared to bet on Barca failing to repeat last season’s heroics should accept that their investment may not realize the desired return. Just like Real Madrid’s.

Well...It Wasn't Quite El Clasico

The Spanish media had hyped this match for the last month.  Cristiano vs Messi, Cristiano vs Barca, Cristiano vs The World.  The mugs at ESPN were even predicting that this would be a high-scoring affair.  Given that both defenses have struggled this year (especially Madrid's), that was a fair assessment.
However, from the moment the ref's whistle blew...this match was a snoozer.
Neither team could get the ball out of the midfield...bouncing here...bouncing there...but rarely connecting with the intended receiver.  Occasionally someone would get forward and then....SKY the ball like it were an American football match and they needed to split the uprights. "It's up...it's goooood!"

Cristiano vs. Messi:
Well...both players have the potential of turning a match on its ear.  Neither did so today.  Cristiano had a clear-cut chance in the 20th minute, when Kaka (who was invisible the rest of the match) slid a ball to him in the box.  Whether it was nerves (hard to believe with Ronny), or rustiness from his long layoff, CR waited too long to shoot and Valdes was upon him.  CR put his hands on his head in disbelief.  The Barca faithful sighed in relief.  Letting CR near the goal is never a good idea.

It just didn't happen for Ronny today...after his missed chance

Although he had some flicks and tricks, they didn't connect with his teammates.  He was picked more times by (ironically) Pique (a former United teammate) than I could count.  Those flicks would have connected with one Wayne Rooney or Dimitar Berbatov, but sadly Ronny doesn't have that kind of talent to work with.  I know that's hard to believe given the amount of ducats spent in the summer.
Benzema was a waste of money.  He has shown nothing thus far and I'm sure the Madrid front office are wondering why they spent 35 million on him when Sir Alex Ferguson said he wasn't worth it...look who was right!
I will have to give props to Sergio Ramos.  Although I've been an outspoken critic of his lazy defending, he showed some real spunk today and actually helped out in the midfield.  He would have to do that, as Marcelo is worthless.
This team just doesn't play like a team.  Their midfield is best described as disorganized.  Of course the footy pundits were quick to point out that spending record amounts of money does not equal trophies.  Madrid proved that today.

Barca didn't play much better...until Henry was replaced by Ibrahimovic in the 50th minute.  Henry spent most of the first half with his hands on his hips protesting to the officials.  It seems as though his once-solid confidence has disappeared following his World Cup shame.  He was ineffective and Guardiola was quick to recognize that.  Ibra had been injured and was a doubt for the match, but when he appeared the match swung in Barca's favor.  Within five minutes he had scored a beauty from Dani Alves (who had blasted so many crosses into the expensive seats in the first half).  From then on Madrid were left chasing Barca.  Cristiano exited in the 66th minute (his doctor had advised that he not play more than an hour), being replaced by the invisible Benzema.  Barca gave Madrid a chance when Busquets was shown his second yellow for a silly handball.  Now down to ten, they played even harder and Madrid were still chasing them around the pitch.  The second red of the match fell to Madrid and they played even the rest of the game, but it was in effect over from the time Ibra scored.

Ibra celebrates his goal...the only one of the match

My assessment?
I find it completely believable that both teams have struggled to qualify for the knockout round of the Champions League.  This Barca team looks very different from the Barca of last year.  Despite a brilliant defensive display from Puyol, their play in the final third left something to be desired.  They upped their play against Inter in the Champions League on Wednesday (a must-win), but haven't found the consistency of the CL championship side so dominant last May.
Madrid (who fell in the King's Cup to third-tier team Alcorcon) aren't the scary team they once were, when Zizou, Figo, and the original Ronaldo ruled the pitch.  Their expensive acquisitions in the summer haven't paid off and the value of that wow factor isn't fooling anyone...or intimidating anyone.

The Spanish press were unrelenting in their assessment of the match:
In El Mundo, they commented on the brash prediction by CR that he would like to score 15 or 20 goals in the match...
"Cristiano is Drenthe." On the Portuguese' prediction: "Fifteen or twenty... will not be the amount of goals scored by Cristiano against Barça. Perhaps the number of times that the Portuguese will see in his dreams this night the foot that Víctor Valdés used to block his first goal in the Camp Nou."
(Drenthe is a Madrid player who has failed to live up to his expectations and was denied a goal by Valdes last year)
The press also alluded to the fact that Cristiano and Pepe were assaulted by laser pointers.  This has happened before in Italy and the clubs were given a hefty fine by FIFA for not controlling their fans.

No, he isn't part Hulk.

In other footy news today...C-Scum beat Arsenal 3-0 (one was an OG) and my Bordeaux won 3-0 and went top of Ligue 1.

El Clasico Preview and Zizou

I was too lazy to write up my own preview, so I stole it from Soccernet.  Please remember that it IS Soccernet, so I'm not responsible for the accuracy...


Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola is still sweating on the fitness of Lionel Messi ahead of Sunday night's El Clasico with Real Madrid, but believes his side can win with or without the Argentina winger.
Messi picked up a thigh injury in last weekend's 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao and was missing as Barca beat Inter Milan 2-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
"I will decide tomorrow (Sunday) whether Messi plays or not,'' Guardiola said.
"I would rather he is playing than not playing, of course, but we can beat Real Madrid with or without Messi.''
Zlatan Ibrahimovic also faces a race against the clock to be fit as he recovers from a muscle problem picked up in Barca's 4-2 win at home to Mallorca a fortnight ago.
Yaya Toure could also return after recovering from a bout of swine flu, but Gabi Milito is still on the way back from a long-term knee injury.
Barca led the Primera Division until last weekend's draw in Bilbao, which saw them drop to second, a point behind Madrid.
"There is a general consensus that we are the better team, that we play more attractive football, but they are the ones who are leaders,'' Guardiola said.
And the former Barca captain knows Manuel Pellegrini's side poses the biggest threat yet to his side's perfect league record at the Nou Camp.
"They have only let in four goals away from home and historically, they have always come here to win,'' he added.
"I can't imagine they will come here and sit back, they will look to dominate and try and beat us.''
Pellegrini confirmed that Madrid will set out to attack.
"We are going to the Nou Camp to attack. We will play with our weapons, which are different to those of Barcelona, but which are just as good as theirs,'' he said today.
Pellegrini praised Guardiola's Barca side, but claimed the Catalans are not the better of the two teams.
"Pep Guardiola's team plays football very well and has a lot of quality, but they are not superior to us,'' he said.
"We wouldn't be happy with a draw, we know exactly what we are going to do at the Nou Camp.''
Pellegrini will make a last-minute decision on centre-back Raul Albiol, who has been struggling with a knee ligament strain picked up against Zurich in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Christoph Metzelder, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Guti are all sidelined.
One player likely to start is Cristiano Ronaldo.

Hehe...couldn't resist bringing back an oldie but goodie!

The Portugal winger was recently sidelined for almost two months, but made his long-awaited comeback in the 1-0 win over Zurich, playing 20 minutes
"There is no set amount of time for Cristiano to play at the Nou Camp, so let's see how long he plays,'' Pellegrini added.
Barcelona won the corresponding fixture 2-0 last season, thanks to late goals from Samuel Eto'o and Messi, in what was the first game in Juande Ramos' brief reign as Madrid coach.
[end story]

In honor of El Clasico, I scrounged through my hard-drive and found a few photos of the only former or current Real Madrid player worth talking about...one Zinedine Yazid Zidane...

Okay...so I had more than a few! :)