..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Team GB 1-1 South Korea (aet, 4-5 on penalties): Sturridge miss sends hosts crashing out

Daniel Sturridge's missed penalty proved decisive as Team GB was defeated on penalties by South Korea after a tight and tense clash ended 1-1 at the Millennium Stadium.

Sturridge saw his spot-kick saved by substitute goalkeeper Lee Bum-Young after all eight of the previous penalties had been converted, and Celtic's Ki Sung-Yeung netted to send his side into the last four.

Aaron Ramsey had earlier cancelled out Ji Dong-Won's opener from 12 yards and then missed another spot-kick as the two sides played out a contest low on quality but high on drama.

The result ends Team GB's involvement in the Olympic football after the women's side crashed out to Canada at the same stage on Friday evening, with the nature of this defeat all the more galling.

Perhaps intimidated by the capacity crowd at the Millennium Stadium, the hosts started tentatively. Their opponents took full advantage of the opportunity to dominate the opening exchanges, and on 15 minutes Jack Butland was forced into a flying stop to deny Ji.

A breakthrough looked simply a matter of time, and so it proved on 29 minutes when Ki’s lay-off found Ji around 20 yards out, and the Sunderland man’s swerving strike deceived Butland as it flew into the far corner.

Stung into action, Team GB poured forward with greater purpose, and was granted a chance to level the scores when Ryan Bertrand’s scuffed shot struck the arm of a sliding Oh Jae-Suk in the penalty area. The right back was booked for his trouble, and Ramsey’s low spot-kick just about crept under Jung Sung-Ryong.

All of a sudden panic reigned in the South Korea defense, and five minutes later Sturridge went down under the clumsy challenge of Hwang Seok-Ho.

Once again referee Wilmar Roldan pointed to the spot, and once again Ramsey stepped up. His second effort was no more tame than his first, but this time Jung parried it away, and the Welshman was left cursing a golden opportunity missed as the halftime whistle sounded.

Both sides emerged for the second period with a more cautious mindset, as if the fact a semifinal place was at stake had just dawned on them, although Tom Cleverley was unfortunate not to give Team GB the lead on 49 minutes when Craig Bellamy’s excellent cross somehow managed to evade him at the near post.

As the closing stages approached chances grew fewer and further between. Ji caused panic in the Team GB defense on 84 minutes when he headed Ki’s floated ball in dangerously back across goal, but none of his teammates had gambled on a late run into the box.

With five minutes of normal time to go Pearce replaced the tiring Bellamy with Giggs, much to the delight of the frustrated Millennium Stadium crowd, but the Manchester United veteran proved unable to create a decisive breakthrough and the match went into extra time.

It was South Korea which began brighter after the restart, and Butland atoned for his earlier mistake by pulling off an excellent save to deny Koo Ja-Cheol from the angle. Ji pounced on the goalkeeper's parry, but could only direct his header well wide.

In the dying moments the tireless work-rate of Sturridge looked to be Team GB's best hope of a winner but, with both sides too weary to carve each other open and too afraid to take the risk, the contest slid intevitably towards penalties.

In the shootout, Ramsey, Cleverley, substitute Craig Dawson and Giggs all netted for Team GB as all of the first eight penalties were converted. But Sturridge saw his effort saved by substitute goalkeeper Lee Bum-Young, and Ki fired high into the net to send South Korea into the semifinals.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Brazil 3-2 Honduras: Two see red as Selecao avoids upset to reach last four

Brazil progressed to the semifinals of the London 2012 football tournament with a battling 3-2 win over nine-man Honduras.

Honduras took a surprise lead when Mario Martinez chipped home from close range, before Damiao prodded into an empty net to level. The Central Americans re-took the lead through Roger Espinoza before a Neymar spot-kick and a second from Damiao earned the Brazilians the victory.

Brazil made the faster start to proceedings and should have taken the lead 30 seconds into the game, when Leandro Damiao struck well wide when one-on-one with the Honduras keeper Jose Espinoza.

The Selecao was made to pay for its profligacy on 12 minutes when Martinez lobbed Brazil keeper Gabriel and give the underdogs the advantage after a challenge on Maynor Figueroa had allowed the ball to squirm into his path.

Honduras' task increased in difficulty midway through the first period when Wilmer Crisanto was sent-off after collecting two bookings in the space of two minutes, the defender was first cautioned for a clumsy challenge on Hulk, before being shown the red card for a mistimed tackle on Neymar.

Los Catcharos were made to pay for Crisanto's indiscipline five minutes later, as Brazilian levelled when Hulk broke free down the right hand side of the box before cutting the ball back into the path of Daimao who prodded into an empty net from close range.

The two sides headed to the interval on level terms, but the stalemate did not last long, as three minutes into the second half, Espinoza cut in from the right hand side before an unleashing a curling effort that flew past a helpless Gabriel to put the Central Americans back in front.

Honduras' lead lasted only two minutes, however, as Neymar restored parity from the penalty spot after Jose Velasquez tripped Damiao inside the area following a poor pass from Figueroa.

After a brave display, the 10 men of Honduras began to wilt slightly, and the Brazilians finally took the lead when Neymar played in Damiao, who turned excellently inside the area before powering an effort past Mendoza and into the bottom corner.

Chances soon became few and far between as the game developed into a scrappy encounter with multiple yellow cards shown to players from both sides.

Honduras' numerical disadvantage had began to tell as the game limped to its conclusion, and right on 90 minutes Espinoza was sent off for a second yellow card for a cynical trip on Oscar.

That dismissal ended any hopes the Hondurans had of mounting a comeback, but Luis Suarez's men can be mightily proud of an effort that has seen them defeat Spain and give the tournament favorite an extremely large scare.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mexico 4-2 Senegal: El Tri scores twice in extra time to book a spot in the Olympic semifinals

Giovani dos Santos and Hector Herrera scored in extra time to lead Mexico to the semifinals of the 2012 Olympic Games with a thrilling 4-2 win over Senegal in front of 81,855 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Jorge Enriquez scored on a header in the first half and Javier Aquino gave Mexico a two-goal lead before Senegal tied it late with headers from Moussa Konate and Ibrahima.

"Wow, that was a difficult game," Mexico coach Luis Fernando Tena said.

Mexico, which won Group A, remains unbeaten in four Olympic matches and will face Japan in the semifinals after the Asian squad defeated Egypt earlier in the day. The semi matchup will be played at Wembley.

The CONCACAF champs have never finished better than fourth in the Olympics, but they now find themselves one win away from playing for a gold medal in London. However, getting past the quarterfinals proved to be a challenge Mexico wasn't expecting after leading 2-0 with under a half-hour to play.

Mexico had the momentum early on before Senegal turned the page in a spirited second-half run.

"We watched Senegal against Great Britain and Uruguay and knew they were a good team and dangerous, in particular through high balls," Tena said. "But what I'm most happy about is that after Senegal fought back to 2-2, we were able to pull away again."

In just the second minute, forward Marco Fabian hit the cross bar after some confusion by Senegal's defenders. With the ball just sitting in the box, Fabian barely missed the golden opportunity to open the game, but Enriquez would make up for the miss moments later.

Dos Santos placed a beautifully-taken free kick into the center of the box and Enriquez got his head on the ball to redirect it past the surprised goalkeeper Ousmane Mane in the 10th minute for the afternoon's first goal.

It was only a time before Senegal would start to provide pressure of its own, however. Konate, who entered the match as the tournament's leading scorer with four goals in three games, put El Tri keeper Joe Corona in tough situations throughout the entire match before finally adding to his goal tally.

Konate's first chance came in the 17th minute when he faked right and went left to force Corona into a diving save. On the ensuing corner kick, Konate was ruled offside with the ball in his feet with only Corona between him and the goal.

The first half ended with Mexico regaining its momentum as Peralta should have gotten El Tri its second goal after Fabian fed him a perfect ball right in front of the six-yard box, but the Santos Laguna forward's header went just wide of the left post.

Shortly after the restart, Dos Santos played a perfect one-two with Carlos Salcido but the Tottenham man tried to get to fancy by looking for a pass instead of firing a shot from point-blank range.

Moments later, Senegal would continue the back-and-forth as it took advantage of a free kick following a Salcido takedown on the sideline. Khalidou Yero found Pape Souare for the header, but Corona was once again there to save Mexico.

Mexico would double its lead and give itself a bigger cushion in the 62nd minute thanks to Aquino being in the right place at the right time. After Senegal failed on several chances to clear in front of its goal, Oribe Peralta slid the ball into the keeper and Aquino was there to tap in the rebound.

With the minutes ticking down, El Tri appeared to have one foot in the semifinals. But Senegal had a different thought and would shock the North Americans.

It was no surprise who would score the first goal for Senegal. In the 69th minute, Konate continued his brilliant Olympic run with a header off a Pape Souare cross. He finished the tournament with five goals.

"I'm happy to score five goals," he said, "but I would like to continue in the Olympics."

Senegal took advantage of a major size differential with the Mexicans with only 11 minutes left to play as the 6-foot-3 Ibrahima went up high for a powerful header after receiving the corner-kick assist from Souare.

Souare was perhaps the most impressive player for Senegal, but he also provided the most controversial moment in the 81st minute when he kicked Hector Herrera in the face while going up for a high ball. On a play that should have resulted in a red card, the referee only gave him a yellow.

Mexico entered extra time on the attack and Fabian had a chance of a lifetime after receiving a pass on the left of the net, but Mane stopped it with his left leg. The keeper would go down with a leg injury perhaps caused on the player but he remained in the game as Senegal had already used all its substitutions.

It was clear Mexico was stronger in the first extra-time period and Dos Santos proved it by taking advantage of aa defensive error to give his team the lead.

Senegal defender Papa Gueye - one of the three over-age players on the squad - received a pass in his own box and failed to control as two Mexican forwards swarmed. Dos Santos grabbed it off his feet and beat Mane with a bullet for the winner.

It was Dos Santos' third goal of the tournament after the winger scored twice against Gabon in the second group game. Despite not starting in the first two games, Dos Santos has been Mexico's top performer during this Olympic campaign.

"I'm so happy," he said. "It's an unbelievable experience for me and the team."

Senegal would have one more mistake that led to the fourth goal after a defender went to pass back to Mane and Herrera was there to use his head to place the ball in an empty net.

It may have been the second defensive error that let to a goal in extra time, costing the only African team left in the tournament a chance to advance, but Senegal assistant coach Aliou Cisse says it was a learning process for his young players.

"It's true that there were certain individual errors which you could say cost us the game," Cisse said. "But please remember these are young players and these are mistakes they will learn from, so I don't think we should be too hard on them."

Mexico and Japan meet on Tuesday at 2:45 p.m. ET.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Olimpia 1-3 AC Milan: Nocerino blitzes Hondurans in first half

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. –- Serie A giant AC Milan topped Honduran squad Olimpia 3-1 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. in the second game of the Italian team's U.S. preseason tour.

Milan was led by the strong play of midfielder Antonio Nocerino, who had a hand in all three goals.

Olimpia, perhaps struggling for fitness following a CONCACAF Champions League match midweek, surrendered three goals in the first half.

In the 10th minute, Robinho struck a ball outside the 18 that was saved agilely by Honduran international 'keeper Noel Valladares. Fifteen minutes later, Robinho scored a curling shot after a pass from Nocerino.

Nocerino added two goals to Milan's tally at the end of the second half, putting the game far out of reach of Olimpia.

The second half saw little action on the scoring, as substitutions and adjusted shape affected both teams. Olimpia saw some consolation late in the second half on a goal from Jose Escalante in the 72nd minute.

"Olimpia is a strong team, a team that can do some good things. In the second half they were strong," Nocerino said. "The important thing for us is to train well and, so, we had a good chance to do that."

Next up for Milan on its U.S. tour is a match against Real Madrid at Yankee Stadium in New York. That Madrid side features four players on the Spain national team which won Euro 2012.

Riccardo Montolivo, who lined up for Italy in the final match of that competition, played in his first game for Milan following a transfer from Fiorentina.

"It was a good first game with new team. It is always difficult to start training with a new team especially with the heat the way it was today," Montolivo said. "But nevertheless it was still a good fresh start, so now we have another game coming up on Wednesday and we have to be ready for the beginning of the new season."

Milan is expected a much sterner test against Los Blancos.

"Obviously Real Madrid is one of the best teams in the world, so it is going it is going to be a lot harder then today," Montolivo said.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Paris Saint-Germain 2-2 Barcelona (1-4 on penalties): Pique nets shoot-out winner for the Catalans

Paris Saint-Germain fought back to register a 2-2 draw with Barcelona, only to lose 4-1 on penalties in a competitive pre-season friendly at the Parc des Princes on Saturday evening.

Rafinha opened the scoring early on, before two penalties - one for each side - were converted by Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Zoumana Camara netted late on to send the game to spot-kicks.

In the ensuing shootout, PSG missed both early kicks, with Barca racing into a 3-0 lead. Sylvain Armand reduced the deficit, but Gerard Pique netted to win it for the visitors.

After an energetic start from the Blaugrana in the French capital, it took only six minutes for the visitors to break the deadlock.

A speculative run from Alexis Sanchez on the flank saw the Chilean drill the ball into the box. Youngster Rafinha, who plies his trade with Barcelona B, benefited from a poor clearance by defender Alex, before latching on to the ball and firing past Nicholas Douchez.

Les Parisiens were noticeably lethargic in the early stages, and were unable to contain a Barcelona side famed for its continuous passing movements. Lionel Messi attempted an effort from distance, before having a shot easily saved by Douchez.

Les Parisiens illustrated their increasing superiority in attack, but were almost undone on the counter-attack again. A lofted ball in the path of Messi saw the Argentine superstar dart in past Alex and unleash a shot, but it narrowly flew over Douchez's bar.

Seven minutes into the second period, Barcelona was awarded a penalty. Mamadou Sakho was adjudged to have felled Sanchez in the box, with Messi stepping up to wrongfoot Sirigu and put the Blaugrana 2-0 ahead.

On the hour, PSG itself was awarded a penalty by referee Said Ennijmi after Montoya had fouled Lavezzi in the box. Ibrahimovic coolly slotted past Pinto to reduce the deficit, and register his first goal at the Parc des Princes.

Substitutes Blaise Matuidi and Kevin Gameiro combined well late on, forcing Tito Vilanova's men into defensive mode. The hosts' perseverance paid off when Camara headed in from a brilliant delivery by Pastore late on, but they were thwarted by Barca goalkeeper Pinto in the shoot-out and it was the Catalans who claimed eventual victory.

The enthralling clash was perfect preparation for both sides, with PSG opening its Ligue 1 campaign against Lorient next Saturday, while the Catalans take on Real Madrid in the Spanish Supercopa on Aug. 23.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Japan 3-0 Egypt: Blue Samurai marches into Olympic semifinal

Goals from Kensuke Nagai, skipper Maya Yoshida and Yuki Otsu secured Japan's passage to the semifinal of the Olympic Games, as the Blue Samurai comfortably dispatched Egypt in front of a capacity crowd at Old Trafford.

The Nagoya Grampus striker latched onto Hiroshi Kiyotake's inch-perfect through ball after just 13 minutes to send the Blue Samurai on its way, before he was carried off on a stretcher after a collision with Saadelin Saad.

Egypt defender Saad Samir was dismissed for the Pharoahs just four minutes before the break after their best spell of the game and captain Japan Yoshida put the game to bed 12 minutes from time when he met Kiyotake's free-kick.

Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Otsu then put a deserved gloss on the scoreline with 82 minutes on the clock as Takashi Sekizuka's team reached the last four having yet to concede a goal.

It was only a matter of time before the impressive Blue Samurai took the lead, and it did so through Nagoya Grampus striker Nagai. It was all from Egypt's own doing as left back Eslam Ramadan was caught in possession deep inside his own half by the sprightly Kiyotake, who fed Nagai with a delightful ball before he rounded the goalkeeper to gleefully slide into an empty net.

But unfortunately for the 23-year-old striker, his joy soon turned to despair as he was withdrawn for Manabu Saito shortly after following a collision with Pharoahs defender Saad in the build-up to the goal.

After their best spell in the game, the Pharoahs once again shot themselves in the foot when, just four minutes before the break, they were reduced to 10-men as Saad received his marching orders for clipping the heels of substitute Saito on the edge of the box when the Yokohama F. Marinos frontman burst through on the counterattack.

Ramzy was then forced to shuffle the pack after the dismissal of Saad and midfielder Shehab Ahmed was sacrificed for Mahmoud Alaa Eldin before the break, but predictably it was the Blue Samurai which once again started on the front foot after the restart and left back Ohgihara rifled his long-range volley into the stand as Japan probed for a second goal.

Egypt had offered little in the way of an attacking threat, but Japan keeper Gonda gave it a glimmer of hope when he spilled a deep cross in the 68th minute, before striker Marwan Mohsen was thrown on in place of Meteab in an attempt to ignite an Egyptian comeback.

But the Pharoahs failed to conjure up any meaningful chances and found themselves two goals down with just 12 minutes remaining, when captain Toshida met Kiyotake's free-kick with a free header. Matters then went from bad to worse for the Pharoahs, who were reduced to nine men when Alla Eldin was forced to be withdrawn after picking up an injury with all three substitutes having been used.

And with just eight minutes remaining, it was 3-0 to Japan when Ohgihara exchanged passes with Kiyotake and supplied an inch-perfect cross for Otsuto extinguish Egypt's Olympic dreams as Japan marches on to the last four having yet to concede a goal.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Valdes: I am not Barcelona's undisputed No.1 goalkeeper

Victor Valdes has insisted that he does not feel like the undisputed first choice for the position of goalkeeper at Barcelona.


The 30-year-old has made over 300 Liga appearances for the Blaugrana since making his official first-team debut in the 2002-03 campaign, yet he still feels he is not guaranteed a starting berth.

"This is my 11th season and I have always said the same thing. I have never felt that I’m the number one choice and I never will do," Valdes was quoted as saying on the club's official website.

"I have seen everything and until the very last day I come to the Ciutat Esportiva, I won’t feel assured of my place."

The shot stopper then went on to discuss Barcelona's objectives for the new season, and stressed the club wants to win both La Liga and the Champions League.

"Success depends on having the same attitude as ever," he added. "To a large extent it depends on the team but there are other factors that don’t depend on us so much.

"We'll be going for La Liga and the Champions League this season."

Barcelona starts the league season with a home match versus Real Sociedad on August 19.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Dzeko: I am too good for the Manchester City bench

Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko has warned manager Roberto Mancini that he may leave the club if he is not handed more first team opportunities.

The 26-year-old former Wolfsburg striker joined the Premier League champion for 27 million pounds in January of last year.

However the Bosnian started just 16 Premier League games last season, despite scoring an impressive 14 goals, including the injury time equalizer against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of last season which set up City's fairytale title triumph.

He told The Sun: “In the second half of last season, I suddenly got to start far fewer games — and I’ve got no idea why.“I lost my rhythm. I joined City in order to play in matches.

“I never imagined that things would turn out the way they have.“I am too good for the bench. If I continue to sit matches out, then anything is possible.”Dzeko began the season as one of Mancini's preferred strikers but soon fell behind Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli and later Carlos Tevez in the pecking order.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pastore backs Messi to defend Ballon d'Or

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Javier Pastore is convinced that Lionel Messi will win the FIFA Ballon d'Or for a third time following his record-breaking season with Barcelona.

The 25-year-old already won the Ballon d'Or in 2009, while he also received the prestigious individual award in 2010 and 2011 after it was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year accolade.

"Messi will win the Ballon d’Or. He is the best in the world and he’s getting better and better," Pastore stated at a press conference.

Pastore then went on to discuss the arrival of players such as Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic at PSG, and stressed that the Ligue 1 side has become a better team.

"The new signings will add to our level, especially Thiago Silva and Ibrahimovic," he noted.

The Parisians are currently preparing for their friendly match against Barcelona.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Penalties ultimately come down to luck, concedes Ronaldo

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed that penalty shoot-outs ultimately come down to luck.

The prolific forward lost after spot kicks in Madrid's Champions League semifinal against Bayern Munich as well as at Euro 2012 with Portugal versus Spain, and he feels he was very unfortunate to be on the losing side twice on big occasions.

"It was very hard what I went through last season. First, with Madrid against Bayern, and then with Portugal at the Euros. With Real Madrid, in the semi-=finals of the Champions League, I took the first and missed; against Spain I decided to take the last one, but could not," Cristiano Ronaldo said to ESPN.

"For me, penalties ultimately come down to luck. So for me I’d say that it was very unfortunate to have so much bad luck in such a short space of time, and at crucial moments. Everyone will have their own ideas of whether to take the first, the second, or the last, but in the end it is a bit of a lottery."

The 27-year-old netted 46 goals in 38 Liga appearances in 2011-12.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Reus hoping to emulate Rosicky at Dortmund

Marco Reus has revealed his admiration for Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky, and hopes to follow in the footsteps of the Czech Republic international at Borussia Dortmund.

The 23-year-old joined the Bundesliga champions from Borussia Monchengladbach earlier in the summer, and he is targeting making an impact for his new employers as an attacking midfielder, rather than a forward.

"Tomas Rosicky has always been my favourite player. I always tried to model my game on him," Reus was quoted as saying by Bild.

"His intelligence on the ball and the way he makes everything look easy hugely impressed me.

"I am feeling very well in the position of attacking midfielder. It's not too different from where I played at Monchengladbach."

Reus netted an impressive 18 times in 32 Bundesliga appearances for Gladbach last term, as the club secured a Champions League qualifying place.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Puyol: Paris Saint-Germain should soon rise to power

Barcelona defender Carles Puyol is in no doubt that Paris Saint-Germain will soon be a force to be reckoned with in European soccer.

Puyol took a major step in his recovery from a knee injury as the Catalans beat PSG on penalties on Saturday night, and afterward he paid tribute to the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Ezequiel Lavezzi, who have all moved to the French capital this summer.

"Our opponents should soon rise to power with their new arrivals. The team is capable of doing something in Ligue 1 and also in the Champions League," he said.

Those thoughts were echoed by coach Tito Vilanova, who was pleased that his side could test its youngsters against last season's Ligue 1 runner-up.

"It was an important game for us, because we are in the middle of the preseason with plenty of young players having joined us," the 42-year-old noted at the post-match press conference.

"The match was also important because we played against a team which will have a great role in Europe. They currently only lack a little cohesion between the players.

"PSG is not far from success after greatly investing in the last two years."

However, it will not be bringing Ashley Cole to the club, after Parisiens coach Carlo Ancelotti ruled out a move for the Chelsea left back.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Villarreal rules out Giuseppe Rossi transfer to AC Milan

Villarreal denied any suggestion that Giuseppe Rossi is on the verge of a move to AC Milan.

The Rossoneri are in the market for a striker to fill the void left by the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Paris Saint-Germain, and the 25-year-old American-born Italian is the latest name to have been linked with a move to San Siro.

But following relegation from La Liga and the subsequent sale of Borja Valero and Gonzalo Rodriguez to Fiorentina, the Yellow Submarine are unwilling to part with yet another key member of their squad.

"There is nothing to say about Rossi to Milan," vice president Jose Manuel Llaneza reportedly told Milannews. "This is the first time I've heard of it."

"Obviously, there is nothing that can be said about such rumors."

Rossi has endured a prolonged spell on the sidelines due to injury, rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament twice last season, and undergoing surgery three times.

Milan's desire to bring in a high-profile name has also seen it turn to former talisman Kaka, although the club revealed that negotiations with Real Madrid have been put on hold.

 

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Paris Saint-Germain boss Ancelotti rules out Ashley Cole move

Paris Saint-Germain boss Carlo Ancelotti has categorically denied speculation linking Chelsea left back Ashley Cole with a move to the Parc des Princes this summer.

The Italian coach was believed to have been weighing up a move for the England international, who he coached to English Premier League success during their time together at Stamford Bridge.

However, Ancelotti revealed after PSG's penalty defeat to Barcelona in a pre-season friendly on Saturday that they are no longer looking for reinforcements.

"Our transfer window is over, and Ashley Cole will not come," Ancelotti stated to BeIn Sport.

The 53-year-old then praised his charges for their mentality against Tito Vilanova's outfit, which was held to a 2-2 draw in regular time before claiming victory on spot-kicks.

"It was a difficult game, but a great experience for us. We put in a great performance. We tried to play and did well there. Our confidence can only increase from this point onwards."

Les Parisiens have already added Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva from AC Milan, as well as Ezequiel Lavezzi from Napoli.

 

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Yanga-Mbiwa asks Montpellier for permission to sign for AC Milan

Montpellier captain Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa has reportedly asked the club for permission to leave, with the Ligue 1 champion yet to sanction his move to AC Milan, according to a report in Gazzetta dello Sport.

The defender has been earmarked as a potential replacement for Thiago Silva, who quit San Siro in favor of a move to Paris Saint-Germain last month.

The Rossoneri has bid 6 million euros to land the highly-rated defender, who starred as the club secured a shock league triumph in the 2011-12 season.

Montpellier president Louis Nicollin had last week laughed off rumors of a Milanese bid, referring to chief executive Adriano Galliani as "Kojak", before dismissing any foreign interest.

The Italian giants were earlier reported to have set a deadline of this weekend to try and entice the Bangui-born center back to Lombardy, before seeking alternatives.

The report in Gazzetta states that the situation has changed, with Yanga-Mbiwa privately asking for Montpellier's blessing to sanction the move, as Milan remains cautiously optimistic of a signing.

Though La Paillade has not treated the plea as a formal request to leave, it remains to be seen whether a deal will be negotiated before the deadline.

Montpellier commences the defense of its Ligue 1 title on Friday against Toulouse.

 

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Newcastle boss Pardew hopeful over transfers

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is remaining calm over the club's business in the transfer market despite so far failing to capture his main targets.

The Magpies' biggest summer signing was expected to be Lille's French international right back Mathieu Debuchy, but the move has stalled despite the player himself expressing his intention to swap northern France for Tyneside.

Pardew says he is still hopeful that move will go through and insists Newcastle is able to attract its main targets to the club after a fifth place finish in the Premier League last season.

"It's out of my hands now," Pardew told the Shields Gazette.

"We've done the selection process and put a number of players in front of Derek and Lee [Charnley, club secretary], and now it's about getting the players who can take the club forward."It's never easy at this level. But the one thing I do know is that we're getting the right noises from the players."As has been reported, the players want to come. That's because of the success we had last year - that bodes well. It's just about getting the deals right."

While trying to make new signings to take the club forward, Pardew's job has also entailed keeping his best players at the Sports Direct Arena.

Demba Ba had been the star name most expected to leave the club this summer but this week saw the expiry of a release clause in his contract which now means he is unlikely to leave the club.

"I've always been relaxed about it," said Pardew.
"I think Demba's said all he needed to say - he's a Newcastle player, and he enjoys playing here."

 

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RvP U-turn! Robin van Persie now wants to STAY at Arsenal as Gunners eye £7m move for Ajax star

Robin van Persie is set to make a dramatic U-turn and stay at the Emirates.Arsenal’s star striker made it clear at the start of the summer that he wanted to move on ­because of the club’s lack of ­ambition.

Arsene Wenger ordered van Persie to stay at home and miss Arsenal’s tour of the Far East.
But, significantly, the ­Dutchman, who is 29 on Monday, will be part of the Arsenal party that heads to Germany on his birthday.

Club insiders believe van ­Persie, who has a year remaining on his contract, now wants to stay.
The next challenge will be for the club to table a contract that gets him to commit to the club for the long term.

The summer ­signings of Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, as well as the ­imminent arrival of Spain ­international Santiago Cazorla, in a £9million deal from Malaga, have impressed the captain.There is also the prospect of Holland team-mate ­Gregory van der Wiel ­arriving for £7million.

Van der Wiel also has one year left on his ­contract at Ajax and the Dutch champions are ­anxious to cash in rather than lose him on a free next summer.

Van der Wiel hopes to join the Gunners, but Newcastle have ­tabled a £10m double bid for the Dutch right-back and Ajax ­midfielder Vernun Anita.Ajax hope to hang on to Anita but the Toon interest will force Arsenal into action. Van Persie’s complaints about Arsenal failing to buy at the top end of the transfer market have been silenced.

Wenger is insistent that his star marksman will not leave for less than £30m – and bids from the three clubs keen to sign the Footballer of the Year have fallen well short of that figure.Manchester City, ­Manchester United and Juventus have all lodged offers of around £15m.

Van Persie is believed to prefer a move to Old Trafford but accepts if the clubs can’t settle on a fee he would rather concentrate on ­rebuilding his Arsenal career.

So Van Persie now looks certain to start the season as an Arsenal player – and if the season goes as he hopes, he will re-assess his long-term position by January.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

United close in on Lucas!

United close in on Lucas!

ESPN understands Manchester United are to set clinch the £30 million signing of Brazil's Lucas Moura.

Moura, 19, has been strongly linked with a move to United and their rivals Manchester City, while Inter Milan have recently been suggested as an interested party.

This week, Sao Paulo moved to play down speculation that the winger was poised to join City, and also rejected claims that an offer had been received from Inter.United are now the favourites to sign Moura, who, it is understood, will receive 30% of the transfer fee.

A source told ESPN: "Sir Alex is keen to push through the signing of the young winger and United will have to pay £30 million to get him."Lucas is currently representing Brazil at the 2012 Olympics, with the forward coming on in the second half of his side's 3-2 quarter-final win over Honduras.

United also remain in the hunt for Arsenal's Robin van Persie, although it remains to be seen if the Red Devils will meet the Gunners' asking price of offers in excess of £20 million.

 

[rcccc]

niyamayi Wolverine macho patta uba kiwwa wagema rvp u turn ekak gahuwa rep 2++ gunners forever

 

[shiyan_786]

United Close on Lucas

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11661/7965319/United-close-on-Lucas-deal

Sir Alex Ferguson remained behind from United's pre-season trip to Norway for Sunday's friendly with Valerenga with the reason for his absence thought to be to push through a deal for Moura.