Limitless Lazio Prospers With Klose's Goals

In the past, Lazio have always been lacking the final step to reach the "big" Serie A clubs. While the club has always been competitive under Claudio Lotito's control, they have never managed to push into the highest echelon of Italian football/soccer. Yet this season it seems that Lotito has created the perfect team. With the two brilliant signings of Djibril Cisse and Miroslav Klose, Lazio has now become a side which looks ready to compete for the scudetto.

It has been the former Bayern Munich striker, Klose, who has truly prospered at his new club. His six goals in the Serie A campaign have allowed Lazio to rise into third place, just one point from the top of the table. His latest goal was in this weekend's 3-0 away victory over Cagliari, a well placed diving header. It was Djibril Cisse who provided Klose the perfect cross, and the two forwards have shown fantastic chemistry throughout the entire season.

This weekend's victory was Lazio's fifth of the season, and it maintains their unbeatable away record. While Lazio suffered a loss at home early in the season to Genoa, after that Edy Reja's team has had few problems. A 2-2 draw away against AC Milan, and the 2-1 victory (Klose scoring the late winner in the final minutes) in the Rome derby over Roma show that this team is prepared to compete with the greatest of the Serie A.

Klose's diving header to make it 2-0 for Lazio away at Cagliari.

Next week Lazio will have to travel to face Napoli in one of the biggest tests of the season. It is important that Reja manages to strengthen his defence, as Napoli's trio of Lavezzi, Hamsik and Cavani have few problems creating goals. Of course, for Lazio we'll see Klose and Cisse up front with the trequartista Hernanes behind them.

It is going to be a massive clash, as both managers are astute tacticians and will have to find ways to shut the other side's forwards down. Yet Klose has shown that it's almost impossible to keep him quiet, as his movement and experience tears through defences. The German has been impeccable in front of goal, and he has propelled Lazio into third place. Whether or not his great scoring form will continue into next week at Napoli's San Paolo stadium, we'll just have to wait and see.


What are your thoughts on Klose's magnificent form in Serie A? Can he lead Lazio to victory over Napoli next week? Can Lazio push for the scudetto? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

AC Milan and Inter Milan Struggle in Serie A Start

Frustrated Forlan alongside triumphant Miccoli

The Serie A has been dominated by the two main Milanese clubs for a bit more than half a decade. While they have had some testing competition by the likes of Roma and Juventus, the past ten years have seen AC Milan or Inter Milan win the scudetto seven times. Yet this start to the Serie A was different than the past few, instead we saw Inter Milan spectacularly lose 4-3 to Palermo, and AC Milan squeeze out a 2-2 draw against Lazio.

While Inter have been doing their best to rebuild after the last chaotic season, there are still big problems with the nerazzurri. While away against Palermo they were able to create three goals, it was the disorganized three man defence which allowed Palermo to score four times.

While Wesley Sneijder started on the bench, after about 30 minutes of suffering Inter coach Gianpiero Gasperini decided to take out the selfish Zarate and put the Dutch playmaker in. Things began to click, and two goals by Diego Milito, and a sumptuous goal by Forlan were created thanks to Sneijder. 

Yet the man of the match had to be Palermo's captain Fabrizio Miccoli. Palermo's number ten scored twice and also provided an assist for his teammate Abel Hernandez.  Julio Cesar was impotent against Miccoli's powerful free kick, along with Mauricio Pinilla's long range rocket for the fourth goal. It was plain defensive disorganization which led to Inter's loss, along with Palermo's brilliant passing and attacking.

AC Milan hosted an equally strong opponent at the San Siro drawing 2-2 with Lazio. It was a dream start for the Roman club, two goals in about 20 minutes scored by the two new signings, Miroslav Klose and Djibril Cisse. A wonderful turn and finish by the German and a flicked header by Cisse seemingly put AC Milan out of action.

Early on in the game Alberto Aquilani had wasted a precious chance alone in front of the Lazio keeper Bizarri. Yet with time the attacking duo of Cassano and Ibrahimovic began to create, and eventually the former set up the latter for an easy tap-in. Just four minutes later, the short and tubby Antonio Cassano headed in the equalizer from a corner, bringing the score level at halftime.

Djibril Cisse celebrating his goal for Lazio

While the score remained at 2-2 until the end of the match, there were plenty of chances from both sides to score more. Cassano put some opportunities wide of the goal, while Hernanes also failed to score when set up with a simple tap-in. Both sides were hungry for the win, and deserved the point.

Ultimately the strikers were the key men of the match. Cisse's pace and power were devastating to the Milan backline while Klose's quick movement was a constant threat. On the other side of the field, Ibrahimovic and Cassano's creativity was unrivalled, the two of them finding each other again and again with chipped through balls and perfectly placed passes. Yet neither of the pair of strikers was able to capitalize the chances and bring home three points.

While Inter and AC Milan are still obvious title-contenders, this first match-day is a warning that other clubs have improved noticeably and are ready to win. This is also a heads-up that Lazio and Palermo are clubs to keep an eye on as the season progresses. Whether they will be able to overthrow the Milan clubs's dominance in the Serie A, only time will tell.

Liverpool Defeat Chelsea with Torres Brace

A week literally full of action! Two fantastic derbies in the Serie A and La Liga, and then a wonderful match between Liverpool and Chelsea. Funnily enough, all three of the matches ended 2-0, and all three of them were entertaining.

Liverpool - Chelsea


While some people think that Chelsea will just run away with the title (I think that it'll be Manchester United who wins it this year), the blues have been halted, by Liverpool! Carlo Ancelotti's team travelled to Anfield to face Roy Hodgson's side which had just defeated Napoli 3-1 in the Europa League in the midweek.

The first half wasn't dominated by any of the two sides, it was more just Chelsea being surprised by Liverpool's intensity and work-rate. These two factors, along with the home crowd spurred the reds to score within the first eleven minutes. Kuyt lifting a good ball for Fernando Torres who controls, stays standing with Cole and Ivanovic on his back, and promptly does the business in front of Cech, giving Liverpool the lead.

There were a couple of okay chances for both sides, but nothing notable as Liverpool played with heart, spirit, and intensity not letting Chelsea get into their stride. And when Fernando Torres scored for a second time for Liverpool, right before halftime, Anfield exploded with joy. The Spaniard received the ball out on the left wing, he cuts in, and then curls a delightful shot onto the far post, unsavable for Cech.

But the second half had Chelsea display more conviction, and Liverpool suffer from the Blues's constant attacks. Reina was forced to make a great save from Zhirkov's close range shot towards the near post, and then Reina pulled off a mind-blowing parry against Malouda who thought he'd tapped in a goal from about a yard from the goal-line.

But Cech had to make a couple of great saves as well, he had to stop Dirk Kuyt's close range volley from a corner by spreading his legs to inhumane lengths. Yet Chelsea continued to push, forcing Liverpool on the back foot, and the reds had some luck when Anelka's low rocket bounced under Reina's body and onto the bottom of the crossbar and back into play. Liverpool finished the match with a counter-attack which ended with Maxi Rodriguez one on one with Cech, but the Argentine gets the ball flicked away from him by Cech's fingers as he tries to earn a penalty with a desperate dive.

And so Liverpool pull off a fantastic result with the team playing with an intensity unseen before this season. Torres is a player reborn as well, a fantastic performance by him is what truly helped Liverpool gather these three important points which raise them up to 9th in the table. Is this the rebirth of Liverpool? And where will Chelsea go from here? The Blues are still top of the table, but Manchester United are just two points away from them. Comment your thoughts regarding this game below!

Real Madrid - Atletico Madrid


And now onto a derby, the Madrid derby! First of all, a quick link to my good friends over at Madrid Atleticos, my favorite Atletico Madrid blog, and certainly one of the best La Liga blogs there is. So if you're looking for an Atleti point of view, go visit them there.

But now onto the game which ended 2-0 for Jose Mourinho's team. They started with a goal in the 13th minute, with Ricardo Carvalho played through into the box and the center-back finishing like a veteran striker past David De Gea. The second goal arrived about six minutes later with Mesut Ozil drilling in a puzzling free kick from the right of the penalty area.

But Aletico Madrid created opportunities as well, first Forlan sent an tap-in wide, and then Casillas had to produce a fantastic save from a corner. After that the Real goalkeeper had to save a curling shot from Reyes which seemed destined for the back of the net.

In the second half Higuain hit the post with a rocket volley, and the Atletico goalkeeper David De Gea was rooted to the spot, only able to watch the ball smash his far post. But minutes later Forlan hit the post as well with a volley from the top of the box, and although Casillas dove to save it, he was about half a meter from the ball when it hit the post.

While there were more opportunities for both sides, in the end Real Madrid created many more dangerous moments for the Atelti faithful. A fantastic win for Jose Mourinho's side, and with El Clasico against Barcelona coming up in a couple of weeks, Real Madrid are looking very powerful at the top of the La Liga table.

Lazio - Roma


There was another derby this weekend, the very exciting Rome derby! And it was all the more exciting with Lazio top of the table, and Roma being on a winning streak. But the match was slightly disappointing, while there were plenty of chances created by both sides, the 2-0 scoreline was marked by two penalties for the giallorossi.

The first was at the beginning of the second half, and Marco Borriello stepped up to take it. Lazio's goalkeeper guessed the direction, and even got to the ball, but unluckily for him, it slipped underneath his body and trickled over the goal-line. The second penalty was awarded in the 87th minute, and this time Mirko Vucinic took it. Muslera didn't get it right this time, and Vucinic scored the penalty easily sending the young Uruguayan keeper the wrong way.

But Lazio fans will be severely disappointed, they had a chance where a player was blatantly brought down in front of goal, but no penalty was awarded. If the two penalties for Roma were penalties, then this chance for Lazio should've been awarded with a penalty.

What are your thoughts regarding all these derbies? Did you expect Liverpool to beat Chelsea? Share your thoughts by commenting below!

The Rebirth of Villareal, Newcastle, and Lazio

This week I'm writing about three clubs from three different leagues, but they're all overachieving this beginning of the season. Villareal, Newcastle, and Lazio are all getting fantastic results this season, but the question is, can they continue this good form?

A group hug after a fantastic goal by Andre Dias

Lazio


Lazio had a very disappointing 2009/10 season, they arrived 12th in the Serie A after a bad run in the Europa League as well. But this season the president Claudio Lotito reinforced, picking up important and talented players like the Brazilian central midfielder Hernanes, along with a fantastic coach, Eduardo Reja.

With only one loss so far this season, Lazio have picked up 22 points out of a possible 27, and this great record puts them top of the table. Lazio are first with a four point lead ahead of last year's Serie A champions Inter Milan, and it doesn't seem like the team will be stopping anytime soon.

Their latest result was a hard-fought 1-0 win over Palermo, and although they didn't play that well, they managed to find a goal with Andre Dias volleying a great ball into the top corner. But it's not like Lazio have been sneaking 1-0 wins to the top of the table, Edy Reja's side has been playing some fantastic football in order to arrive where they have.

So the question arises, can Lazio continue this run of good form, and win the scudetto? Well, I'm going to say no. Mainly because the squad is slightly lacking in depth, and an injury to Hernanes, Ledesma, or Zarate could cripple the side. But Lazio can certainly aim for fourth spot, and maybe even third. Sadly I think that as the season drags on, it'll become more and more difficult for the side to keep up with the "bigger sides", but maybe I'll be proved wrong.

The American/Italian Giuseppe Rossi

Villarreal


Villarreal is another side which didn't do very well in their domestic league last season. They arrived 7th, and while this might not seem that bad at first, the club was used to having the income of Champions League football, something that they'd have to do without this season. But they're looking better than ever now, and they find themselves 3rd in La Liga, behind the two giants of Spain, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

And it's not like the "yellow submarine" is light-years behind Real and Barca, Villarreal is actually just two points away from second placed Barcelona, and three from first placed Real Madrid. While Villarreal are a pretty experienced side, with well-known players, they have some unique jewels in their forward line which have been scoring plenty of goals for the club this season.

Their main two talented forwards are the Brazilian Nilmar, and the American/Italian Giuseppe Rossi. And as backup to those two, there's the American international Jozy Altidore, who's just 20 years old. So far this season, Villarreal has scored 17 goals, of which five were scored by Giuseppe Rossi, and six by Nilmar, so it's evident that the strike partnership is one of the best in La Liga.

The yellow submarine's latest result was a tight 1-1 draw away against Sporting Gijon, first the away side scored with a penalty in the second half, but Villarreal pushed and got a penalty in the final minutes of the match. Giuseppe Rossi scored the penalty to make sure that his side which had been reduced to ten men because Gonzalo was sent off, got an important point.

So what can Villarreal achieve this season? Well, I think that third place for this side would be fantastic. They haven't got too much competition right now for the third place they're currently in, so it seems very possible that they'll be back in the Champions League next season. But can this side dream of splitting up Barcelona and Real Madrid at the top of the table? Not this season, but maybe with years to come, when they're talented youngsters have developed into world class players, we might even see Villarreal become the champions of Spain.

Andy Carroll has scored five goals this season for Newcastle

Newcastle


Newcastle spent last season in the Championship, fighting to get back into the Premier League for this season. And now that they're back in England's top league, they're really making themselves known to be dangerous opponents. They're currently 7th in the league right now, and they'll need all their strength to remain there considering that there are some tough sides which will fight for their spot in the top half of the table.

Their latest result must be mentioned, they played at home against their rivals Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derby. The final result was a resounding 5-1 win for Newcastle, thoroughly humiliating their rivals with a hat trick by Kevin Nolan. But the question must be asked, with a match away at Arsenal coming up next week, could the tables turn on Chris Hughton's side, and could they be on the end of a humiliating spanking?

While I will leave that question unanswered until next weekend, I will reveal how I think Newcastle will do this season in the Premier League. I expect the side to arrive at least to 10th place, if not further up the table. They have a squad full of quality players, and their big forward Andy Carroll has been banging in goals and creating chances for his teammates. The true question is, after this season, how will Newcastle manage to push up into England's best clubs?


I'll leave that for you to think about, so please, comment below regarding any of these three clubs, or the weekend's action from anywhere around the world.

Mario Balotelli signed shirt and Julio Cruz signature

I mentioned in my previous post that I received a 2009/2010 Inter Milan home shirt of Mario Balotelli, signed by the Italian forward. Along with a couple of photos of the shirt, I've also put up a couple of photos of a signature I got from Julio Cruz, retired Argentinean striker who played most notably for Inter Milan and lastly Lazio.

Here are some pictures of the shirt and the signature (which for some reason are backwards because I used a mac, which isn't mine, to take the photos):

The signature in Italian which says, "To Niccolo, Mario Balotelli 45, with friendship"

The signature in Italian which says, "To Niccolo with lots of affection Julio Cruz"

A close-up of the reversed signature, which in the middle has "J. Cruz"

When I return home from my vacation in Italy I will be framing the shirt along with the signature from Cruz, and soon I will restart to post about soccer news, regarding the transfer market and more. In the meantime, if you haven't already, become a fan of SWU on facebook and follow us on twitter where you can receive updates of soccer news from around the world. 

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• Manchester City and Inter Milan set for talks over Mario Balotelli switch (telegraph.co.uk)
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Derby Edition: Real Madrid and Manchester United Catch Up, and Roma Stay Top

All the title races in the big leagues are really starting to heat up now, and with the upcoming World Cup, how a club does could affect major players and their teams when it comes to World Cup Odds. Another interesting reflection on the upcoming summer is about the amount of job movement we'll see by managers, as reported by Goal.com, it seems like plenty of managers will be moving around soon.

Hope you enjoy this weekend's wrap up along with the new layout/color scheme/everything.

Derbys everywhere, all around there are derbys right now, and everywhere they are having a lasting effect on title hopes and much more. Here are some from this weekend which might interest you:

Lazio against Roma was a massive derby which could've seen Inter Milan regain top spot if Roma won, and after going a goal down, it seemed like Roma could be second in the table. But Vucinic scored a penalty right after Lazio's Floccari missed one making it 1-1, and then he scored the winner off of a free kick putting Roma back on top of the table.

The Manchester derby has helped spice up the Premiership, when last week the title seemed Chelsea's, this week after they lost to Tottenham 2-1, Manchester United had a key chance to maybe come back to just a point from first. The red devils took advantage of their chance, but very late on, Paul Scholes's header in the 93rd minute of the game (about to end 0-0) revived United's title hopes.

A massive match took place in La Liga, the derby between Espanyol and Barcelona could have massive effects on the Catalan's title hopes. The match ended 0-0 with Dani Alves being sent off, not only did this allow Real Madrid to catch up to just 1 point from them after winning 2-0 against Valencia, but it puts some bad morale in the locker room for the upcoming Champions League match against Inter Milan.

Major European Leagues Wrap Up: Juventus Overpowers Inter

A great weekend full of upsets and big matches and missed penalties, especially in the Premiership.

Roma - Lazio *ROMAN DERBY SPECIAL*

A derby which could be described as a game of two halves, the first half was rather dull and boring with both clubs unable to scare each other. Some of Zarate's spurts scared the Roma defense, and when Mexes was replaced by Cassetti because of a nasty injury the second half really kicked off. Zarate continues to scare but hits the post after a great dribbling through the sleeping Roma defense. But eventually, wonders happen and a cross goes to the top of the box, and the super-sub Cassetti volleys it in the net to give Roma the much needed victory.
Final score 1-0

Juventus - Inter Milan *DERBY D'ITALIA SPECIAL*


A match which could have distanced Inter Milan from all of their opponents, but a fantastic goal by Marchisio is what seperates the two sides. An extremely slow start by Inter, Juventus took the chance, Felipe Melo scores and a deflection stops Julio Cesar from stopping the ball from trickling over the line. A certain penalty wasn't called for the Italian champions and the free kick which Felipe Melo scored off was after a dodgy decision to ignore a tackle on an Inter player to then allow a free kick which was just as dodgy. Eto'o was able to make it even with a good header, but what seperates the two sides is pure italian talent by the name of Claudio Marchisio. After a save by Julio Cesar, Marchisio dribbles past Samuel in the six yard box and chips Julio Cesar with a fantastic left foot chip. Now the games are reopened and Juventus can really challenge for the Serie A title.
Final score 2-1




Some other interesting results are:

Deportivo La Coruna - Barcelona: 3-1
A double by Messi saves the Catalans with a late goal by Ibrahimovic.

Teal Madrid - Almeria: 4-2
From 2-1 down Real Madrid comes back to win 4-2, Cristiano Ronaldo is sent off and it won't help especially with Kaka' injured.

Manchester City - Chelsea: 2-1
A great result for Manchester City, and with a missed penalty by Lampard, Chelsea were not in form. Tevez puts the winner in from a free kick and this allows Man City to move ahead Liverpool in the table.

Pavel Nedved confirms retirement

Ex Juventus star Pavel Nedved has confirmed his retirement. After he left the Bianconeri Lazio and Inter were tracking him and an unknown MLS team offered him a contract.