..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

New York Red Bulls confirm Cahill signing from Everton

New York Red Bulls have confirmed the signing of Tim Cahill from Premier League side Everton.

The 32 year-old joined the Toffees from Millwall in 2004 for a fee of 1.5 million pounds. The Australia International has established himself as a fan favorite at Goodison Park scoring 56 goals in 226 appearances.

However, last season Cahill’s impact appeared to diminish as he contributed just two goals and subsequently rumors began to emerge that he was considering a move away from the club, with the Toffemen confirming this week that they had agreed a deal with the MLS side for the player. The former Milwall midfielder has expressed his excitement about the next chapter in his career.

He told the Red Bulls' official website: "I am very happy to start a new chapter of my career with New York Red Bulls. As we have seen over the past few years, MLS has developed into a very competitive league with many talented players."

"I am impressed with what the Red Bulls are trying to accomplish in MLS and within American soccer and I am looking forward to this new challenge. I will do everything I can to help bring New York its first MLS Cup.

"I also want to thank everyone at Everton, from the club to the tremendous supporters. It has been a privilege to be an Everton player for the past eight years and it was a very difficult decision to leave. I will always support Everton and I wish the club the best of look for the future."Red Bulls General Manager Erik Soler echoed Cahill's sentiment and is excited to be able to bring him stateside.

“We are absolutely thrilled to bring in a player of Tim’s caliber to the Red Bulls,” said New York Red Bulls General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. “He is the technical, physical presence we have been looking to add in our team and he brings a wealth of experience to our club having played in some of the highest levels of international soccer.

"Tim is a proven leader both on and off the field and we believe that he can help us immediately in our quest to win the MLS Cup this season.”

New York will travel to Stade Saputo to take on the Montreal Impact on July 28. It is unknown whether Cahill will be available for the match.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

UAE 1-2 Uruguay: Manchester City target Gaston Ramirez nets stunning free kick as La Celeste come from behind to win

Uruguay came from a goal down to beat an impressive UAE side 2-1 in their Olympic Games Group A opener.


Ismail Matar showed a cool head to give the underdog a shock lead but a superb free kick from Gaston Ramirez and a fine finish from Nicolas Lodeiro gave Oscar Tabarez's side all three point.


Tabarez named a strong starting lineup, which included Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez for Uruguay’s first Olympic Games since 1928. The United Arab Emirates qualified unbeaten for the tournament and Mahdi Redha Ali’s side went into the game targeting a point.

Both sides had similar opportunities early on with Matar coming close to turning in Ahmed Kalil’s cross for the UAE before Cavani failed to make contact with Ramon Arias’ ball into the box.

The breakthrough came after 20 minutes with the UAE taking a surprising, but deserved, lead. Omar Abdulrahman found Matar with a superb pass using the outside of his boot before the striker skipped around the goalkeeper and slotted his shot past two defenders on the line.

Redha Ali’s men almost doubled the lead moments later when Kalil found himself one-on-one against Martin Campana, but the Uruguayan shot stopper got down well to keep his side in touching distance.

Campana was pushed into action twice on the half-hour mark as first Rashed Eisa skipped past Arias but couldn’t find a way past the keeper from a tight angle Matar went inches from
grabbing his second with a headed effort from Abdulrahman’s cross.

For all of the UAE’s chances, a brilliant free kick from Uruguay’s Ramirez gave Tabarez’s men an equalizer just before the break. The Bologna midfielder whipped a left-footed shot past the helpless Housani Ali Khaseif to give his team a goal against the run of play.

A well struck shot from Egidio Arlevaro stung the hands of the Ali Khaseif as Uruguay began to take control in the second half, but the South American side did not have to wait long to take the lead as halftime substitute Lodeiro fired home in clinical fashion after good play from Suarez to put La Celeste ahead.The UAE didn’t carry the same threat as it had in the first period with the players beginning to tire, and Tabarez’s side looked perfectly comfortable holding on to the lead with a quarter of the game still left to play.

Uruguay plays Senegal in its next game on Sunday, while the UAE takes on Great Britain.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mexico's Tena: We always wanted to win

Mexico U-23 coach Luis Fernando Tena was upbeat after a scoreless draw with South Korea to open El Tri's participation in the Olympic Games, praising his opponent's tough play.

"The team fought hard against a very strong team," Tena said during the post-match press conference. "If anyone thought this would be an easy game they were sorely mistaken. We knew the game was going to play out like this."

South Korea stifled Mexico's attempts to grab hold of possession for large stretches of the match, a fact Tena lamented.

"We attempted to have the ball, we didn't succeed the way we wanted. It was hard for us to have possession and work the ball around, but our attitude was great," said the former Cruz Azul manager.

Tena also forewarned media members that passage into the knockout rounds will not be an easy task.

"Now we have to see what happens with Gabon and Switzerland. Qualifying will be decided in the last minutes [of the last games], calling for time and checking goal differences."

"We are not happy with a draw, we always wanted to win."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ibrahimovic is a monster, says Paris Saint-Germain winger Menez

Paris Saint-Germain winger Jeremy Menez has hailed new teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic as "a monster".

The Qatari-owned Ligue 1 outfit signed the Swede from AC Milan earlier in July, just days after prising Thiago Silva away from the Rossoneri, and the forward only trained with Carlo Ancelotti's side for the first time on Tuesday.

Menez, though, is already well aware of just how potent PSG's new signing is, given that the France international lined up against Ibrahimovic on several occasions during his time at Roma.

"Ibra is a really strong player," the 25-year-old told Le Parisien. "In my opinion, he is a monster. These great players are going to fire everybody up. The competition pushes you to give your best."

Indeed, Menez knows full well that nailing down a regular berth in the PSG starting lineup this season will be a tough ask. However, as a proud Parisian, he is exactly where he wants to be.

"Maybe I will finish my career at PSG," he mused. "But even if one day I had to go to an even bigger club, it would be because I would have raised my level in Paris, thanks to this competition for places."

Menez, who has been capped 16 times by his country, joined his hometown club from Roma last summer.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea boss Di Matteo hails 'fantastic' Oscar signing

Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo has hailed the “fantastic signing” of Brazilian youngster Oscar.


The departing Internacional starlet was confirmed as a Blues player on Thursday, joining for a reported 25 million pounds and signing a five-year deal.

Oscar has been touted as one of the most promising Brazilian youngsters, having already been capped six times by his country at the age of just 20.

Di Matteo told the club's official website: "He is a fantastic player, one of the youngest to push through to the Brazilian national team, and he will be a fantastic signing for us.

"Oscar is a very exciting young talent, a creative midfield player who scores goals. He will add a lot of options and solutions for us in midfield."

Those options include other new signings Eden and Thorgan Hazard, Marko Marin and Kevin De Bruyne.

With an abundance of offensive players at his disposal, many will be pondering over how Di Matteo plans to keep his squad happy this season, but the Champions League- and FA Cup-winning coach believes that he can find the right balance in order to ensure that his stars flourish in the Premier League.

He added: "It will be a challenge to make sure we have the right balance within the team so we will have to see how we fit the team together with all the players.
"The club has always been competitive, looking to improve, get better and fight at the top end of the league so it will only give us a better chance in the Premier League."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Egypt head coach: Neymar needs to play more for the team

CARDIFF, Wales – There’s at least one person who doesn’t have such high regard for Neymar, Brazil’s golden boy who is often listed right behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as soccer’s greatest player.

Following Brazil’s 3-2 win over a resilient Egypt side during the opening day of men’s soccer at the 2012 Olympics on Tuesday, Pharoahs head coach Hany Ramzy admitted that he thinks Neymar is a selfish player after praising his team’s defense against the 20-year-old forward.

“I think for sure he’ll make a high living, but I think Neymar needs to play more for the team,” said Ramzy, a former defender for Egypt's national team. “Sometimes I have the feeling that he just plays for himself, just to show himself that he’s a big talent. I think he’s young and I think he’s going to learn this and he could play more for the team. If he plays more for the team, it will be more possible.”

Neymar responded to the coach's comments moments later, saying, "I don't think that's the case. I worked hard for my team, and that's what I want - to help Selecao win matches."

Neymar scored Brazil’s third goal as his team raced out to a three-goal edge before halftime. But Egypt stole the momentum in the second half with back-to-back goals from Mohamed Aboutrika and Mohamed Salah to put the Brazilians - viewed as the gold-medal favorites alongside Spain - on their heels.

“I think after 3-0 everybody was comfortable to win the game. I think the Brazilian players already said the game was over,” Ramzy said. “But my players never gave up after halftime.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Egypt head coach: Neymar needs to play more for the team

CARDIFF, Wales – There’s at least one person who doesn’t have such high regard for Neymar, Brazil’s golden boy who is often listed right behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as soccer’s greatest player.

Following Brazil’s 3-2 win over a resilient Egypt side during the opening day of men’s soccer at the 2012 Olympics on Tuesday, Pharoahs head coach Hany Ramzy admitted that he thinks Neymar is a selfish player after praising his team’s defense against the 20-year-old forward.

“I think for sure he’ll make a high living, but I think Neymar needs to play more for the team,” said Ramzy, a former defender for Egypt's national team. “Sometimes I have the feeling that he just plays for himself, just to show himself that he’s a big talent. I think he’s young and I think he’s going to learn this and he could play more for the team. If he plays more for the team, it will be more possible.”

Neymar responded to the coach's comments moments later, saying, "I don't think that's the case. I worked hard for my team, and that's what I want - to help Selecao win matches."

Neymar scored Brazil’s third goal as his team raced out to a three-goal edge before halftime. But Egypt stole the momentum in the second half with back-to-back goals from Mohamed Aboutrika and Mohamed Salah to put the Brazilians - viewed as the gold-medal favorites alongside Spain - on their heels.

“I think after 3-0 everybody was comfortable to win the game. I think the Brazilian players already said the game was over,” Ramzy said. “But my players never gave up after halftime.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Gerrard 'confident' of top-four finish for Liverpool

Steven Gerrard is confident of a top-four finish next season as long as his fellow Liverpool players start being more clinical.

The Reds finished a disappointing eighth in the Premier League last season but the Anfield captain insists his side has the ability to get back amongst the title chasers.

He told The Guardian: "I do think we will get in the top four. I think we will get it. I am confident we will get it.

"I am not being unrealistic. If we can play like we did in a lot of games last season, be clinical and take our chances, I think we will be high up in the table.

"It has got to come. We are Liverpool. We can’t finish eighth. We have got to put that right. We have got to take the criticism for underperforming last year."

Gerrard defended his side's overall performances last season and believes that the Reds were left to rue not getting what they "deserved" from too many matches.

He continued: "I thought we were brilliant at times in the league, it’s just that we never got out of games what we deserved. Don’t get me wrong, though, I’m not going to sit here and make excuses.

"There were other times you would come off thinking no wonder we are sixth, seventh and eighth in the league. We hadn’t played well enough. It was frustrating but if you look at the season as a whole, you can’t use an excuse for finishing eighth. It wasn’t good enough."

The 32-year-old admitted he was not surprised to see Kenny Dalglish leave the club after a disastrous league campaign but hailed new manager Brendan Rodgers and the methods the Ulsterman has been implementing since his arrival on Merseyside.

Gerrard continued: "Kenny knows himself that when Liverpool finish eighth, the owners and supporters are going to ask questions.

"You move on with what the club wanted to do and they wanted Brendan Rodgers in. They wanted a young manager with a vision for the long-term. They want him to bring stability and that is hopefully what will happen.

"I think we’ll definitely see a much bolder Liverpool team and more exciting too, but with a quick transition when we lose the ball."

This will be the third consecutive season that the Reds have been without Champions League football and Gerrard believes the time is now for the squad to stop the rut.

He added: "Those players have got to think how I think and use the hurt of what happened to make up for it. That is the only way you can do it.

"They make their own decisions. I can’t speak for them. But if they ask for my opinion, I would tell them to be patient. Obviously I am biased but I think playing Champions League football for this club would be more special than anywhere else.

"If you perform hard enough and well enough, it will come. That is the only way you get it."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Galliani admits re-signing Kaka could be 'impossible'

Adriano Galliani has admitted that AC Milan may encounter difficulties in its attempts to re-sign Kaka from Real Madrid.

The Brazilian playmaker has frequently been linked with a return to San Siro after struggling for fitness and form at Madrid following a 68 million euro transfer in 2009.

Earlier in the week, Kaka's agent confirmed that he was in talks with the Rossoneri about a summer swoop, but according to the club's vice-president, the tax system in Italy may prevent the deal from happening.

"It will be very difficult," Galliani told reporters after the presentation of the Serie A calendar for 2012-13. "There are a thousand factors which could make this impossible. As always, the problem is money. Milan cannot afford to pay some wages, because Spain have a different tax system.

"The law there has changed but only for future contracts. The contracts that were already signed will stay as they were."

Earlier on Thursday, the Italian giants dropped a strong hint that Kaka was on his way back to northern Italy by leaving the team's No.22 shirt unassigned.

"That shirt is free for the moment," Galliani noted.

Meanwhile, fresh reports in Italy suggest that Milan is interested in signing Kaka on a season-long loan to avoid paying a transfer fee for the 30-year-old midfielder.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Hammers bid for Carroll

West Ham have made a bid for Liverpool striker Andy Carroll that would shatter the club's transfer record.

Carroll, 23, is thought to be surplus to requirements at Anfield despite the £35 million spent on him in January 2011 and Liverpool could be ready to let him leave this summer.

The Hammers have offered £2 million to loan Carroll until the end of the 2012-13 season and will also meet his £80,000-a-week wage demands. The bid also contains a clause that would see Carroll join in a permanent deal for a further £16 million, if the club avoid relegation.

The total outlay of West Ham's bid is significantly more than the £7.5 million they paid Liverpool for Craig Bellamy in 2007 and Jack Sullivan, son of David Sullivan, the West Ham co-owner, virtually confirmed the news by tweeting: "Dad is working on the biggest signing in the history of the club - twice as big as anything the club have done before!"

Carroll himself, however, is thought to favour a return to Newcastle rather than a move to London, despite the presence of former Newcastle team-mate and good friend Kevin Nolan at Upton Park.

Newcastle are reported to have offered him a loan move for the season with the option of a £15 million deal next summer, but Liverpool rejected the proposal as it included them paying a significant portion of the England striker's wages.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sahin set for Premier League

Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin is set to join a Premier League side on loan, according to reports.

Sahin, 23, made just two La Liga starts for Real Madrid last season, having joined the club from Borussia Dortmund in 2011.

The Turkey international recently expressed his willingness to remain at the Bernabeu, but Spanish newspaper AS reported on Friday an exit has been agreed.AS claims a season-long loan agreement with an English side has been struck, with Arsenal and Tottenham - as part of a deal for Luka Modric - have been mooted as possible destinations.

Marca, meanwhile, takes the stance that he is bound for the Gunners, after he was left out of Real's squad for their friendly against Benfica.Neither North London club have commented on the rumours, with clarity over Sahin's destination expected in the next 48 hours.

 

[rcccc]

Brazil 3-2 Egypt: Neymar and Rafael on target as Samba Boys edge five-goal thriller

Brazil opened their Olympic campaign with a 3-2 win over Egypt, despite a spirited second-half comeback from the Pharaohs.

Goals from Rafael da Silva, Leandro Damiao and Neymar saw the Selecao race into a three-goal lead at half-time. Mohamed Abo Trika and Mohamed Salah hit back in the second half but it was not enough.

Mano Menezes was forced to make a change from the team that beat Team GB in a friendly six days previously, Rafael Cabral having been ruled out of the Games through injury, so backup goalkeeper Neto was promoted to make his first international start.

Brazil forced their way into the game early as Hulk weaved between four men before slipping the ball back towards Neymar whose first-time shot just whistled past Ahmed El-Shenawy’s left-hand post.

The Pharaohs went close to scoring in fortunate circumstances soon after. Emad Moteab charged down Neto's attempted clearance but the ball ballooned over the bar.

It was not long after that Egyptian chance when Brazil opened the scoring after 16 minutes, somewhat against the run of the play.

Chelsea's new signing, Oscar, changed pace and feet before playing a through ball to Rafael. The full-back took one touch on his right foot and, without looking up, rifled home with his left for his first international goal.

The Selecao quickly doubled their lead as Oscar ran onto Hulk's flick-on, then rounding El-Shenawy and playing a pass past two Egyptian defenders to Damiao who buried it into an open goal.

Within half an hour's play, it was three. Neymar showed some fancy footwork to get to the touchline before picking out Hulk on the left-hand side. The winger played the ball into the area where the 20-year-old had continued his run and headed past a helpless El-Shenawy.

There was a good chance for the Pharaohs to pull one back before half-time but Abo Trika's free kick did not have enough curl on the ball and it sailed harmlessly wide of goal.

However, Egypt came out for the second half refreshed and got themselves a foothold in the game within the first five minutes of the period.

Motaeb hit the post and after a melee in the box, the ball fell to Abo Trika who poked the ball home to give the Pharaohs a glimmer of hope.

Salah should have made it 3-2 as he tried to capitalise on Marcelo's mistake but he was always off-balance and his shot was eventually blocked by the recovering full-back before Ahmed Fathi's long-range effort just whistled past the post as Egypt continued to press without scoring.

A second goal did come as Salah did manage to make it 3-2. He turned his man inside-out before producing a curling left-footed effort past Neto.

Marcelo and substitute Ganso went close late on for Brazil as the tournament favourites just held on for the three points.

 

[rcccc]

UAE 1-2 Uruguay: Manchester City target Gaston Ramirez nets stunning free kick as La Celeste come from behind to win

Uruguay came from a goal down to beat an impressive UAE side 2-1 in their Olympic Games Group A opener.


Ismail Matar showed a cool head to give the underdog a shock lead but a superb free kick from Gaston Ramirez and a fine finish from Nicolas Lodeiro gave Oscar Tabarez's side all three point.


Tabarez named a strong starting lineup, which included Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez for Uruguay’s first Olympic Games since 1928. The United Arab Emirates qualified unbeaten for the tournament and Mahdi Redha Ali’s side went into the game targeting a point.

Both sides had similar opportunities early on with Matar coming close to turning in Ahmed Kalil’s cross for the UAE before Cavani failed to make contact with Ramon Arias’ ball into the box.

The breakthrough came after 20 minutes with the UAE taking a surprising, but deserved, lead. Omar Abdulrahman found Matar with a superb pass using the outside of his boot before the striker skipped around the goalkeeper and slotted his shot past two defenders on the line.

Redha Ali’s men almost doubled the lead moments later when Kalil found himself one-on-one against Martin Campana, but the Uruguayan shot stopper got down well to keep his side in touching distance.

Campana was pushed into action twice on the half-hour mark as first Rashed Eisa skipped past Arias but couldn’t find a way past the keeper from a tight angle Matar went inches from
grabbing his second with a headed effort from Abdulrahman’s cross.

For all of the UAE’s chances, a brilliant free kick from Uruguay’s Ramirez gave Tabarez’s men an equalizer just before the break. The Bologna midfielder whipped a left-footed shot past the helpless Housani Ali Khaseif to give his team a goal against the run of play.

A well struck shot from Egidio Arlevaro stung the hands of the Ali Khaseif as Uruguay began to take control in the second half, but the South American side did not have to wait long to take the lead as halftime substitute Lodeiro fired home in clinical fashion after good play from Suarez to put La Celeste ahead.The UAE didn’t carry the same threat as it had in the first period with the players beginning to tire, and Tabarez’s side looked perfectly comfortable holding on to the lead with a quarter of the game still left to play.

Uruguay plays Senegal in its next game on Sunday, while the UAE takes on Great Britain.

මම ආසම ටීම් එකක්.

 

[Rovin]

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger: No Sahin bid

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has downplayed reports linking the club with Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin.

Sahin, 23, was the focus of reports in Spanish newspapers AS and Marca, with the latter suggesting that Arsenal had struck a deal to take him on loan for the 2012-13 season.Wenger, though, has denied the claims and insists the club is not close to securing any new recruits.

Speaking after their 2-0 defeat against Manchester City, Wenger said: "We did not sign anybody today, this report is wrong. We are not signing anybody at the moment - we are not close. In the future you never know."

Once more, Wenger faced questions on the future of striker Robin Van Persie, who has been the subject of a confirmed bid from Manchester United, as well as offers believed to be from Manchester City and Juventus.

Wenger was giving little away, adding: " We could come back forever on Van Persie. We have our main strikers at home and Van Persie is one of them."But we have Podolski and Giroud who are at home, so we have plenty of strikers. For us at the moment it is to prepare for the season - it is more than any individual player."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real to increase Modric bid

ESPN understands Real Madrid are prepared to increase their bid for Luka Modric to £33 million but are unwilling to match Tottenham's £40 million valuation of the midfielder.

Modric's future at Tottenham has been the subject of conjecture for the second summer running, after he was linked with a move to Chelsea last year.

Spurs dug their heels in despite the Blues' interest, yet again their Croatia international is the subject of interest, with Real Madrid favourites for his signature this time around.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is seeking at least £35 million for Modric, with the club uninterested in a cash plus player deal - after it was suggested Nuri Sahin could be used as a makeweight.Affluent side PSG have also been mooted as candidates for Modric's signature, but it is understood the former Dinamo Zagreb player has his heart set on Madrid.

An ESPN source said: "Real Madrid have now indicated they will increase their offer because they can see that Spurs are not interested in the players in part exchange. Andre Villa Boas has said he is not interested in Sahin.

"Real are back with a bid of £33 million but they do not value Modric at £40 million and in any case they don't have so much money."With Daniel Levy insisting the price has to be more than £35 million and close to £40 million this will drag on and maybe Levy will wait until the very last minute before making a final decision."

Modric, 26, was recently fined by Tottenham for not training his team-mates and then failing to attend their pre-season tour of America. He has since apologised for his actions.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Benfica 5-2 Real Madrid: Mourinho's men outclassed in seven-goal thriller

Both teams were handed a pre-match treat with an on-pitch greeting from Eusebio, the Portuguese legend in good spirits as he continued his recovery from a stroke suffered during Euro 2012.Real Madrid was handed a comprehensive 5-2 defeat at the Estadio Da Luz by Benfica in the Eusebio Cup on Friday.

An entertaining clash saw Jose Mourinho's men fall prey to defensive weakness, as the Portuegese side ruthlessly carved them apart to win the preseason tournament for the third time in five years.

Benfica stormed into the lead through the head of Javi Garcia after only five minutes, but a quickfire double from Jose Callejon turned the game on its head with 20 minutes gone.

However, the home side would restore parity moments later with another headed goal from Alex Witsel, before taking control of the match in the second half. A well-taken pair of efforts from Enzo Perez and a fine finish from Carlos Martins put the home fans in ecstasy, and the result firmly out of Madrid's reach.

Mourinho fielded a mix of reserves and regulars, with Antonio Adan and Nacho lining up alongside the likes of Gonzalo Higuain and Angel Di Maria. Luis Filipe Vieira,meanwhile, named a strong XI, with Oscar Cardozo, Garcia and Witsel all playing from the start.It took the hosts only five minutes to break the deadlock, after Cardozo was fouled just outside the box. Martins took charge of the delivery, which was met by Garcia, who guided a superb header past the outstretched arms of Adan.

The setback did little to faze Madrid though, as the team quickly began to monopolize possession and control matters in the middle of the park, which kept Benfica on the back foot.

One dangerous through ball from Di Maria forced Artur Moraes into an eccentric head-first clearance, but the Brazilian keeper was left helpless by the Argentine’s enterprise in the 18th minute.

Di Maria’s marauding run down the right flank saw him find space to cross, and the winger did not disappoint, delivering with the outside of his boot to Callejon, who drove home with little hesitation.Callejon was not done, and two minutes later, he latched onto a slipped pass from Gonzalo Higuain to bury another finish past Artur to put the Spanish giant into the lead.

It was a rapid turnaround from Madrid, but the club was brought back down to earth almost immediately after the restart, with its set-piece frailties costing the team once again.Martins again was the instigator, whipping in a ball towards the back post, where Witsel was waiting to nod the Portuguese side back onto terms.

To say Adan looked uncomfortable in the air was an understatement, and the Madrid reserve keeper was nearly beaten again after some incisive wide-play from Nolito.

The Spanish winger’s delivery bent past two Madrid defenders and found Cardozo rushing in from point blank range, but somehow, the big striker fired well over the bar after connecting with his favored left foot.

Adan’s aerial deficiencies would come to the fore again eight minutes into the second half, as the home side surged ahead in outrageous fashion. A short corner was worked to Perez near the right byline, who bent a speculative effort past the despairing fingertips of the Madrid keeper and into the top corner.Mourinho did not look amused on the touchline, and his displeasure would increase further after Benfica scored again just before the hour mark.

A surging move forward saw Witsel, on the overlap, tee up Martins in the area, whee he blasted home with aplomb to open up a two-goal Benfica lead.

The home fans were in full voice, and their spirits were kicked up a notch with the introduction of former player Fabio Coentrao, who swapped Estadio Da Luz for the Santiago Bernabeu in a big-money move last summer.Substitute Karim Benzema had a chance to reduce the arrears in the 66th minute after finding himself unmarked at the back post, but he could not make clean contact with the ball as Artur collected with ease.

However, by that point the writing was on the wall for Madrid, and Benfica would pile on further misery with a fifth goal, Perez lifting a neat finish over Adan from close range to clinch the preseason trophy for the hosts.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho unconcerned by Benfica defeat

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has played down the importance of his side's 5-2 defeat to Benfica in the Eusebio Cup on Friday.


The Spanish capital club fielded a much-changed team at the Estadio da Luz and was surprised by a rampant second-half display from the home side after going into the break with the scoreline at 2-2.

After the match, Mourinho admitted he did not take a serious approach to the game and warned Benfica not to get carried away with the result.

"There is no such thing as heavy defeats in friendly matches," he told reporters. "We knew the risk we were taking. Benfica did not wish to test new things, they played seriously.

"I hope this victory will boost their morale, but in a balanced way. Because if they give too much importance to this result, it could be negative for them. I hope to return here during the season, but to play an official match, and to win when winning matters."

Meanwhile, Fabio Coentrao admitted that Benfica was a worthy winner and shared the emotion to return to the Estadio da Luz one year after leaving the Portuguese club.

"It was a good game and a good spectacle," Coentrao added. "We did not expect this result, but we were missing many players and we had several others from the Castilla team. But Benfica deserved to win.

"I am a Benfica fan and I did not want to waste the opportunity to play in my stadium once again."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger: Arsenal has received no offers for Van Persie

Arsene Wenger reacted angrily to questions from journalists concerning Robin Van Persie's future at the club after the Gunners loss 2-0 to the Dutchman's potential new employer Manchester City.

Goal.com exclusively revealed last week that Van Persie would try to force a move to Manchester City by failing to come on the club's Asia tour but that the City would take its time before making any formal bid.

Sir Alex Ferguson admitted Manchester United's interest in the player, but the Dutchman is not currently a priority at Old Trafford.

The official line from Gunners officials is that Van Persie is at the club's Colney training base as he looks to build up his fitness but after he declared that he would not be signing a new deal, his future at the Emirates looks bleak.

When journalists quizzed Wenger on the subject though, the Frenchman was in no mood to discuss his striker's future and instead concentrated on his side's performance in the wet conditions of China's Bird's Nest stadium.

“The Van Persie case doesn’t cross my mind. We have had no offers," he said. “He is close to fitness, of course, but we have not had any contact (from City or United) about him at all."
When it was posed to Wenger that various sources had reported the bids from City, United and Italian giant Juventus, though, he seemed to be even more riled by the interrogation that he faced.

“We have talked about Van Persie. We have just played a football game tonight, there are four English people here and there have been four questions about Van Persie," he added.
“I have talked about that, I am not talking about that question anymore. Do you understand? If you understand and respect what I said, then why do you ask me again?"

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester United,City & Juventus bid karalane thiyenne