German Football Corner: Germany wins 3-0 in Hungary and other friendly results

Some news about international friendlies along with a small stub of a great article from German Football Corner, a fantastic blog on all things German Football from the Bundesliga to the national team.

Germany Triumphs in Hungary

The German national team dismantled Hungary 3-0 in Saturday's friendly, its penultimate game before the commencement of the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosted by South Africa. The match took place in Budapest's Puskás Ferenc Stadium, named after Hungarian football legend Ferenc Puskás.

For more about Germany's triumph check out the full article here.

Other International friendly results:


Spain  - Saudi Arabia         3-2
United States - Turkey       2-1
New Zealand - Serbia        1-0
Ireland Republic - Algeria  3-0
South Africa - Colombia    2-1

Friendlies tomorrow:

Japan - England
Paraguay - Ivory Coast
Mexico - Gambia
Korea Republic - Belarus
Tunisia - France
Nigeria - Colombia
Chile - Northern Ireland

Mourinho is new Real Madrid coach

It is official, after Real Madrid have treated Manuel Pellegrini terribly by keeping him hanging for way too long. Pellegrini is gone, and the sexy galactico coming in is none other than the expected Jose Mourinho. It seems like although Inter Milan had a large 16 million Euro fee if Mourinho left early, Moratti was so happy with the work done by the Portuguese manager that he's lowered that, and Florentino Perez has paid 8 million to the European champions.

Will Jose bring great trophies to Real Madrid? Comment below!

Guest Post by Eric LaForge: Memorabilia Helpers

It seems simple. You search around the Internet and find a reputable dealer. It may be an online company, a dealer in your area, or even a friend that's selling their piece for a little bit of extra cash. You compare the prices, find the best deal and the sale is made. It ends with you going home a little closer to your favorite player, and very happy with your purchase. It's foolproof!

But if it's that foolproof, then why do so many people buy fakes?

Well, the answer is simple, it's not actually foolproof (far from it). Everybody understands the importance of buying from a reputable dealer, but people have a hard time figuring out who the reputable dealers actually are. It's not because people are stupid, it's because they're unsuspecting. They never stop to think that the person they're buying from is either a liar, or doesn't know what they're talking about. The bottom line is that they believe everything the seller says, even though that's the last person you want to trust.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about.

I read a story a while ago from a guy that was talking about his sports memorabilia experience. He bought a fake from a company that I'm sure you've heard of, Ebay. In his case, he found a dealer that he thought was reputable, and ended up getting ripped off. In this case, the buyer trusted a person that he shouldn't have because that person (like many others) knew how to manipulate the rankings on Ebay. It was a mistake that cost the buyer about 800 dollars (560 pounds).

Inter Milan Conquer Treble with Milito double

Inter Milan are European Champions and have completed a historic treble which puts them among 5 other majestic clubs which are Celtic, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, and Barcelona. Here's the full match wrap up of the 2010 Champions League Final.

Bayern Munich - Inter Milan


Inter Milan were going into the final as favorites, the game began with nervousness on both sides, and little by little the match slowly eased into a slow lull. While Bayern Munich piled on the pressure with slippery Robben, Inter Milan had Sneijder's free kick expertise which sent shivers down Butt's (Bayern Munich goal-keeper) spine. Inter Milan were also very successful at counter-attacking, and eventually Diego Milito and Sneijder cut through Bayern's defense with a one-two, putting Milito right in front of Butt, and the Argentine cooly finished putting the Italian champions in front. It was the 35th minute, and Inter Milan held out well until the end of the half always threatening Bayern with quick counter-attacks.

With the possession stats skewed ridiculously about 65% for the Bavarians, Bayern Munich went out to attack after the interval, Robben continued being slippery, forcing Chivu to do some last-ditch defending, but Bayern didn't create many chances. Altintop was dangerous and Louis van Gaal took him off and replaced him with Klose, a move which I think took out a large part of Bayern's surprise and scare factor. Chivu was also substituted because of his inability to contain Robben well, and having already reveived a yellow he was risking expulsion, so Stankovic took his place and went into the midfield, and Zanetti slotted into left back. Inter Milan continued their fantastic defensive display with Cambiasso, Lucio, Samuel, and Maicon all seemingly unstoppable, then another goal by Diego Milito came. The Argentinean turned Demichelis inside out, then went on to curl a wonderful finish past Butt, sealing the result at 2-0.

A wonderful match with its moments, and it's amazing to see Jose Mourinho prosper yet again in the Champions League as he moves on possibly to the Santiago Bernabeu's coaching bench.

What did you think about the final? Comment below!

New Barcelona shirt: thanks to Livin La Liga

Livin La Liga has blogged about the new Barcelona shirt, I'm relatively lazy and they've done a great job on it, so be sure to check it out. Not only do you see the new shirt and shorts on the post, but there's a video of David Villa's presentation at the Camp Nou in front of 25,000 fans, pretty awesome stuff.

David Villa to Barcelona and Sevilla win Copa del Rey

Two big chunks of news from Spain, and more self-advertisement (except this time I'll put the link up), I've written another article on Serie A Talk about Luigi Del Neri going to Juventus along with their presidential change and other changes taking place at the club. Check it out here.

David Villa to Barcelona (and maybe Fabregas...)

the first is that David Villa, former Valencia striker has finalized the transfer to Barcelona. It was mostly Barcelona that was chasing him, but I'm sure he wasn't against the idea of going to a club that has won 7 trophies in 2 seasons. The fee seems to be for 32 million Euros which will be paid in the form of 6 million every season over the course of 4 seasons, and this money will surely help Valencia who will also have money from the Champions League of next season.

This signing is the Barcelona president Joan Laporta's good-bye signing, but he might make a second who would be Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal. The rumors on that deal are that Barca want to offer about 30 million Euros along with Yaya Toure (A player Arsenal would find very useful), but Wenger wants about 50 million, and apparently Toure doesn't want to be part of a player swap... Interesting indeed...

Sevilla win Copa del Rey over Atletico Madrid

Sevilla have won the Copa del Rey 2-0 over Atletico Madrid, an early goal in the 5th minute by Diego Capel and a late goal in the 90th by Jesus Navas sealed the cup for Sevilla who will compete in the Champions League next season. Atletico on the other hand have had a terribly strange season, they've won the Europa league and arrived close to a double with the Copa del Rey, but they arrived 9th in La Liga.

What do you think about Villa to Barca and maybe Fabregas? Comment below!

MLS Migration: Henry, Raul, Diego, who else?

Season is over, and now the fun stuff can begin... First, a bit of self-advertisement, just wrote an article on Serie A Talk to check out on Parma and Guidolin, check that awesome stuff out here. Second, a bit of MLS migration news, it's interesting to see recent comments by Juventus midfielder Diego who said this about the MLS,

"I find Major League Soccer quite interesting and I could compete in it one day. I like the way it is organized and the US is a beautiful country. .... I believe American soccer has room for improvement and it is an attractive option for foreign players"

Interesting that a player like Diego at Juventus who has a relatively big future in front of him is thinking of the MLS, maybe we could see him move at a young age? Here are some of the big stars could be making their way over to North America this summer.

Henry


It seems like the Frenchman has already signed for the New York Red Bulls who are having a great start to the season with the new coach Hans Backe. Henry would fit in well with Juan Pablo Angel up top, and he could put bums in seats for the new 25,000 seater Red Bull Arena.

Pires


Another Frenchman who although is rumored to have rejected some offers from MLS clubs could still move to play footy in North America. Pires could also decide to retire though being 37, but a couple of years in the MLS wouldn't do him any bad.

Raul (and maybe Ronaldinho)


Raul is a player who has been going on forever, but this past season we've seen less of him, and it could be the perfect time for him to move to the MLS and finish a prestigious career possibly with the LA Galaxy along former teammate David Beckham. It's also possible that the LA Galaxy will try to sign Ronaldinho from AC Milan, re-uniting the chubby but still inspirational Brazilian with Beckham.

Ze Roberto


It's very possible that Ze Roberto could move to the New York Red Bulls, especially if Henry isn't signed, the veteran player would add a creative presence for the Red Bulls, and if him and Henry both go there, it would be wonderful to see them play together.

A couple more possibles...


Here are a couple more that could move this summer, or maybe in the future transfer windows, basically all of them are over 30 and aging, but it's certainly a move in the right direction for MLS and football in North America. Del Piero from Juventus is getting less playing time and could move to MLS along with Seedorf and Inzaghi from AC Milan.

Inter Milan and Barcelona win Serie A and La Liga and Chelsea win FA Cup

Cool kids with the trophy, look at Ballack's face...

Inter Milan, Barcelona, and Chelsea are all to be applauded along with Bayern Munich, Olympique Marseille, Benfica, Rangers, and all other teams which have won titles, cups, and anything else. It feels like it's almost over, but as we all know there's a massive final May 22nd between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich which will take place in the Santiago Bernabeu. Here's the last wrap up of the 2010/2011 season, I hope you enjoy it.


Fa Cup


Chelsea have won a historic double after defeating Portsmouth 1-0, Ancelotti's first year and the Italian coach has done what Mourinho couldn't do in a season. While the big news will be Drogba's pinpoint free kick which won the game for Chelsea, it should also be noted that Portsmouth and Chelsea both missed a penalty each (Portsmouth missed theirs right before Chelsea scored with Drogba), and both of the keepers had a fantastic match. But Chelsea's dominance was oppressing, they created chance after chance only to be stopped by David James who had a stupendous game, his only error was the slightest of shuffles the wrong way on Drogba's free kick. While Chelsea will be aiming for Champions League glory next year, Portsmouth could cease to exist.


Serie A

Inter Milan have won their 5th scudetto in a row, and it's the 18th in the club's history which puts Inter Milan ahead of AC Milan (which has 17) in the amount of Serie A titles. And while it seems all very simple, Inter Milan had to fight against an extremely tough Siena side, winning by only 1 goal by Diego Milito. While Inter pummeled Siena continuously hitting the crossbar repeatedly, putting plenty of chances wide, and testing Curci more than enough, but eventually the goal came by Diego Milito who tucked away yet another goal in this fantastic season for him, giving Inter Milan the Italian Serie A title. Roma on the other hand fought hard an played a good match against Chievo, but it wasn't enough. Vucinic rocketed a volley to give Roma the lead, and then De Rossi blasted a long range effort into the top right corner, but it still just wasn't enough. As for other teams (yes, there are other teams in the Serie A), Sampdoria were able to claim fourth spot after a 1-0 win over Napoli giving them Champions League football for next year (Cassano in the Champions League!).


La Liga

Pique sprayed everybody in celebration, even injured Xavi

Barcelona have won La Liga after thrashing Real Valladolid 4-0, it started with an extremely unfortunate own goal by Prieto, Pedro's ball across bounced of Prieto's foot, sending the ball into the net. Pedro then put his name on the scoresheet with a simple finish after being released by Messi, and after that Messi had a simple tap in after Toure Yaya marauded through the Valladolid defence, making it three. The final goal came in the 75th minute, Messi was released against two defenders which he dribbled through easily and then he slotted home the fourth goal. Real Madrid on the other hand were only able to get a 1-1 draw against Malaga, but it doesn't even matter due to Barcelona's win. We see yet another season which the galacticos are unable to put their stamp on. The battle for fourth was won by Sevilla who away from home defeated Almeria 3-2 with a 90th minute winner by Rios. And although Mallorca won, it wasn't enough for them to claim fourth, and it's very possible that their coach Gregorio Manzano will be going to Sevilla for the next season.


What do you think about Inter, Barca, and Chelsea winning trophies? Comment below!

Leonardo resigns as AC Milan coach

A bit of exciting news has hit the press regarding AC Milan and their coach Leonardo who has resigned as coach of the club. I've got an article up on Serie A Talk which delves into the decision and the possible replacements, so be sure to check it out here.

Also a bit of a preview for La Liga and Serie A and who could win the titles

La Liga


Barcelona are just a point ahead of Real Madrid and the Catalans will be playing the Real Valladolid who's fighting against relegation. Los Blancos on the other hand have to play Malaga, another team fighting relegation and have to hope for Barcelona to drop points against Valladolid for them to win the Spanish title.

Serie A


In Serie A it's also very close with Inter Milan two points ahead of Roma, the nerazzurri are playing Siena away who's president being a Roma fan has allegedly offered bonuses to the Siena players if they were to beat Inter. Roma have to play Chievoverona away which gave Inter Milan a tough game last week which finished 4-3 for Inter. Roma will have to win and hope for Inter Milan to drop points against Siena.

Atletico Madrid conquer Europa League with Forlan double

The Europa League final has ended 2-1 for Atletico Madrid, both teams were going for the trophy 100% considering that Fulham finished 12th in the Premier League and Atletico Madrid are 9th in La Liga. Here's SWU's match report.

Atletico Madrid - Fulham

Forlan tapping in the winner past Schwarzer

While some will complain that this match was not as entertaining as most, the tension and passion was certainly there to be seen in Hamburg. In the first half, Atletico were strong and convincing, they manouvered well creating space with Aguero who fed Forlan along with Reyes and Simao. The first goal eventually came after Aguero's failed shot which Forlan leaped on and put in the back of the net, but Fulham were beginning to rise. Eventually Fulham found the goal before halftime with Davies who from close range near the post volleyed in a shot which restored everything back to parity. After halftime Fulham began to raise the tempo of the match, causing Atletico problems with the subbed on Dempsey for Zamora. De Gea was fantastic at stopping attempts from Davies and the Englishmen, but it eventually went to extra time. While Fulham were happily waiting for it to go to penalties, Atletico (and Forlan) stepped up their game big time, first the Uruguyan striker played a golden pass to Salvio who wasted the opportunity, then Diego did the work himself and tapped Aguero's cross in to give the trophy to the Spaniards.


What are your reactions to the match? Comment below!

Chelsea and Bayern win titles, and La Liga and Serie A down to last day

It's sad to see the season finishing off, it's almost as if you've ended a long relationship with a lover which has had it's ups and downs. And although European leagues are finishing off, there are the attractions of the MLS, and the Brazilian Championship which are beginning, but it just doesn't feel the same...
Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea has won the Premier League title in his first season on the final match-day while Portsmouth, Hull City, and Burnley are relegated to the Championship for next season.

In Germany, Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga mathematically two days in advance, the 22nd title in the club's history. It seemed like Felix Magath's Schalke 04 could pull off a heroic finish to claim first, but Bayern Munich's might was too much and the Bavarian's will be looking ahead at their Champions League final date against Inter Milan May 22nd.

Sevilla - Barcelona


If there was to be a match where Barcelona slipped and gave Real Madrid a chance, it was supposed to be this one, yet the Catalans managed a shaky 3-2 win. It seemed the usual stuff for Barca as they scored in the 5th minute with Messi controlling an indescribable pass/volley by Xavi and slotting it into the net. Krkic followed soon after with another routine goal, but Barcelona was wasting many chances as the match went on. After the interval Sevilla had Konko sent off and it seemed impossible for them to do anything after Pedro drilled in a volley for the third. But sleepy defending by the Barcelona back-line allowed two quick goals by Kanoute and Luis Fabiano to put Barcelona in a shaky state for the final 20 minutes. Sevilla pressed on and Barcelona continued to waste opportunities, eventually the final whistle came and the Catalans narrowly escaped from what could've been a fatal draw.

In England, Manchester United defeated Stoke 4-0 but didn't claim the title, Berbatov was missing goals for fun but eventually Fletcher tapped in a goal to ease the tension, Giggs, an own goal by Higginbotham and Ji-Sung Park followed. Chelsea on the other hand won with double the goals to extravagantly claim the title, Wigan were defeated 8-0 with Drogba getting a hat-trick to win the top-scorer of the league ahead of Wayne Rooney. Tottenham crash after their fantastic sprint for fourth at Turf Moor against relegated Burnley, Spurs went two up in the first half but were met with a four goal comeback by Burnley.

In Italy, the title race goes down to the next and final matchday, Roma came back against Cagliari with a Totti double letting them stay in the race behind Inter. Inter Milan on the other hand won with the extravagant score-line of 4-3 over Chievoverona, it seemed like everything was fine at 4-1, but Chievo gave the nerazzurri a scare in the final minutes after coming back with two goals. The battle for fourth between Sampdoria and Palermo ended up in a 1-1 draw, a tight and exciting match which favors Sampdoria in the table, and we could be seeing Cassano back in the Champions League next year. AC Milan continue their disappointing season after losing 1-0 against Genoa and Udinese and Bari ended their match 3-3, with Di Natale breaking 100 goals in Serie A.

In Spain, Real Madrid continue to press on for the title after they won 5-1 against Athletic Bilbao, it seemed like a tight match at 1-1 up till the 73rd minute until Higuain started the scoring with Sergio Ramos, Benzema, and Marcelo following for the easy win. Villareal won 2-0 against Valencia even if they were in 9 men for about 15 minutes with Llorente and Capdevila sent off, but the Italian Rossi had already scored along with the later sent off Llorente to take 3 important points as Villareal push for Europa League football next season.

What do you think of the season finale? Comment below!

Inter Milan win Coppa Italia, Marseille win French Ligue 1, and more

Just a quick update with midweek action starting with silverware being dealt out in Italy and France.

Coppa Italia


Inter Milan won the Coppa Italia (Italian FA Cup) 1-0 over Roma in the final with a wonder-goal by Diego Milito. But what you should look out for this match is Totti's wild kick at Balotelli, here's a video with the kick below. There was also a fan who after the final whistle ran onto the field and charged towards Cambiasso, but he was quickly stopped.




Ligue 1


Marseille have won the Ligue 1 in midweek after winning 3-1, but also thanks to Lyon who managed to defeat 2nd placed Auxerre 2-1, giving Marseille the title mathematically. This is the first time in 18 years that Marseille win the French title Lyon on the other hand get closer to Champions League football for next season.

Premier League

In the English Premier League, Tottenham beat Manchester City in the battle for fourth 1-0 thanks to a rather late goal by Crouch. The game was fantastic full of chances for both sides, and the Spurs goalkeeper Gomes should be commended for some fantastic saves. With this win Tottenham are assured Champions League football next season and they could even overtake Arsenal for third place if the Gunners lose and Tottenham win on the final day of the season.

La Liga


In La Liga everything remains the same with both Barcelona and Real Madrid winning in midweek, keeping Los Blancos still one point from the Catalans. If there's one place Barcelona will slip up it'll probably be this weekend against Sevilla who will be fielding Luis Fabiano, and Barcelona could be without their center-back Gerard Pique for that important game.

The Growth of Soccer in the USA

Written by Annette Lyndon

The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa is fast approaching. Fans from all over the globe will be flocking to the country to watch their nations compete. Excitement is building as the opening match approaches (June 11th). Football, or soccer, is the world’s sport, and mounting anticipation can only be expected. However a high level of enthusiasm is coming from an unlikely nation this year, the USA.

While sports are an integral part of American culture, soccer never really gained popularity as a primary spectator sport. For many years soccer was accepted as a popular team sport for youths and never caught on in the mainstream arena. But recently soccer has taken flight and is becoming more than recognized as part of the American sports lineup. Major League Soccer (MLS) was founded in 1993 and today has 16 major league teams. The sport has also attracted a large number of individuals from many backgrounds. Soccer teams and clubs are increasing in popularity in US inner cities. Role models, like Cobi Jones from the LA Galaxy, have demonstrated minority involvement within the sport and are encouraging youths from different ethnicities to adopt playing it as well. Soccer has also developed as an important sport for women. In the US, 35% of all soccer players are female, one of the highest percentages of women participants around the world. Soccer in America is helping to cross racial, as well as gender, lines.

While the United States has their own teams, fans are broadening their horizons and watching international play as well. Many American soccer fans have begun to follow popular foreign teams like Spain’s Real Madrid and Britain’s Manchester United. Yet, when the World Cup begins, you can be sure that the majority of the country will be supporting the USA. As of March 31st, the USA ranks 16th out of the total 204 world teams who entered to take part in the games and qualified for the tournament. The USA is scheduled to play its first match against England on the 12th of June. An overwhelming number of American fans are traveling to South Africa to see the US play. It is reported that Americans stand second after South Africans as primary ticket holders for the tournament.

While American fans may have to fly overseas this year to attend the festivities, in the future they may not have to leave their own backyard. The United States is being considered as the host country for the 2018 World Cup. Former President Clinton’s top counselor, Doug Band, has accepted an invitation to join the Board of Directors as a member of the USA Bid Committee in an attempt to bring the World Cup to the US in 2018 or 2022. Adding him to the committee should increase the chance that the U.S. has at winning the bid since Doug Band is known worldwide for his international philanthropic initiatives, thus improving the relationship the U.S. has with over 170 foreign countries. Ultimately, the hope is that the committee effort will continue to boost soccer enthusiasm in the US and bring the nation to the forefront as a serious contender for the bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

What are your reflections on soccer in the USA? Comment below!

Real Madrid grab last minute winner and Chelsea close in on title

While La Liga, The Premiership, and Serie A remain similar in their table standings, the season end is nigh. Twente mathematically win the Dutch Eredivisie (Viva McLaren!) and Bayern Munich also practically claim the German title (unless Schalke 04 magically equal the massive goal difference after getting equal on points with Bayern), while Marseille is very close to winning the French title. And now, on with the wrap up...

Liverpool - Chelsea


A match which surely had contrasting emotions for the Liverpool faithful, and in the end I'm sure most Liverpool fans will be happy that United's 19th title is farther away. While in the beginning Liverpool was playing relatively well, they died down as the game went on, giving Chelsea a very easy match. Liverpool's best chance was a long range effort by Aquilani heading for the top left corner which just shaved the top of the bar, with Cech beaten. But it was captain fantastic which set up Chelsea for their first, Steven Gerrard passed it back to an alert Drogba who rounded the keeper and gave Chelsea the lead in the 33rd minute. As the match progressed, Chelsea created plenty of chances, putting them all wide or over the bar, but eventually in the 54th minute, Lampard taps in the second, securing the result. Chelsea stay dominant in first with this important win, and will be looking to win against Wigan on the last matchday.

In Spain, Barcelona keep their lead over Real Madrid with a comfortable 4-1 victory away against Villareal, Messi scored two along with Bojan and a wonderful curling free kick by Xavi. Sevilla seal an important win over Atletico Madrid after they got two penalties (Negredo tucked them both away) which won them the game 3-1. Real Madrid were able to stay just one point from Barcelona after a late winner against Osasuna by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese headed in the winner in the dying moments to allow Los Blancos to win 3-2.

In Italy, Roma stay tight up to Inter after winning 2-1 against Parma thanks to Totti's sublime chip followed by Taddei doubling, and Lanzafame pulling one back for Parma. Catania drew 1-1 against Juventus who have rumors circulating that this upcoming transfer window they want to invest 80 million Euros in players like Mascherano and Ribery. Inter Milan stay top after a very comfortable win away at Lazio, a 2-0 win which was marked by two headers by Samuel and Thiago Motta. Bari continue their fantastic run in Serie A after defeating Genoa 3-0, and Sampdoria win 2-0 with a great goal by the returning Cassano.

In England, the second-last matchday was filled with tense and electrifying matches, none other than the Tottenham - Bolton match which ended 1-0 for the Spurs only thanks to a wonder-strike by Tommy Huddlestone which rocketed into the top right corner. The other contenders for fourth place played it out at Eastlands, Manchester City defeated Aston Villa 3-1, mostly thanks to fantastic work by Johnson on the right flank who got a penalty for Tevez and set up Adebayor. Manchester United win 1-0 thanks to Nani's goal, but what should really be looked at is Berbatov's miss from about half a meter from the goal with an empty net... very worrying.

What do you think about this week's action? Comment below!