..::Football II::..

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic will start for Paris Saint-Germain versus D.C. United

WASHINGTON -- Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be in the starting XI as he makes his Paris Saint-Germain debut versus D.C. United Saturday night at RFK Stadium.

“Zlatan will start, yes,” PSG manager Carlo Ancelotti told reporters before his team trained Friday. “I think he is a little bit behind, but he doesn't have a problem to play because he has ability.”

The Swedish striker joined up with his teammates in New Jersey earlier in the week, and the Italian coach said his form in training convinced him he was ready to start Saturday's friendly.

“Zlatan trained for three days, he didn't have a problem. He trained well, professional,” Ancelotti said. “He is going to play tomorrow for his first game....we will be excited for him.”

Following Sweden's exit from Euro 2012, the French side made a stunning double-swoop for Ibrahimovic and his AC Milan teammate Thiago Silva. The transfer cost a reported 62 million euros.

“These are the most important players I think in Europe -- Ibrahimovic as a striker, Thiago Silva as a defender,” Ancelotti said of the duo.

Silva is missing out on PSG's U.S. tour, as he is with the Brazil side attempting to capture Olympic gold.

Ancelotti also spoke of his team's opposition, featuring All-Star MVP Chris Pontius and All-Star captain Dwayne De Rosario.

“D.C. United is one of the best teams in the American league. I think that the American league in general is good because of the arrival of a lot of players from Europe, and I think that improved the quality of play,” the manager said.

The man of the hour briefly stopped by the throng of reporters anxiously awaiting his entrance and shared his excitement at making his bow for the Parisian giant.

“I am very happy. Tomorrow I will make my debut,” Ibrahimovic said.

 

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Alessandro Del Piero: I would love play in MLS

Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero has admitted that he was not caught off guard by the club's decision not to renew his contract at the end of last season.

The 37-year-old forward is currently on the lookout for a new club after the Bianconeri opted against handing him a new contract in June.

That spelled the end of Del Piero's 19-year stint at Juventus, but he has now revealed that he was not shocked that the club did not want him to stay.

"I would lie if I said I expected Juventus to renew my contract," he told CNN. "I never wondered why they did not extend it. I gave everything to the club, the fans and the team. I am extremely happy with my journey there. Now, I have to follow my destiny, and my destiny is not here, in Italy.

"The United States is an option, it is a fantastic country. I would love to be there and have a lot of fun, but I still have not found a deal with anyone."

During his time at Juventus, Del Piero helped the club to win six Serie A crowns, one Champions League and one UEFA Super Cup, among other trophies, but he noted that the pinnacle of his career was to lift the World Cup in 2006.

"I cannot hide that my greatest victory was the World Cup," he added. "Since you are a kid, you think: 'I want to win that'. It was massive."

But shortly after the conclusion of tournament in Germany, Del Piero and the rest of the Bianconeri squad were stunned by the Italian FA's decision to strip the club of two Scudetti and to send it to Serie B.

"Even before the relegation was confirmed, I said: 'Guys, if you need me, I am here'," Del Piero recalls. "I never thought about leaving, even if I had just won the World Cup and because of my status."

Del Piero was able to leave Juventus on a high, having helped the club to win its first Serie A title since 2003 following an unbeaten campaign from Antonio Conte's men.

"We were really motivated, everyone was in it together," the former Italy international said. "There was a lot of quality in the team and it also helped that we did not play in Europe.

"And the new stadium also gave us a lift."

 

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Norwich signs Michael Turner from Sunderland

Norwich City has completed the signing of Sunderland defender Michael Turner for an undisclosed fee.

The 28-year-old has penned a two-year deal at Carrow Road, bringing to an end a three-year spell with the Black Cats.

The center-back suffered from repeated injury problems during his time at the Stadium of Light, but did manage to make 29 appearances last season.

"I'm delighted to be able to bring Michael into the squad as he is a player with a wealth of Premier League experience," Norwich manager Chris Hughton told the club's official website.

"At 28 years old he is joining us at a good age, and I'm happy to have been able to welcome him to Norwich City.

"Like with [new signings Robert] Snodgrass, [Jacob] Butterfield, and [Steven] Whittaker, it’s nice to bring players in with a good amount of time left in preseason so they are able to gel with the squad ahead of the first game of the season."

Turner was allowed to leave Sunderland despite the news that fellow defender Wes Brown had suffered a knee injury during the friendly against Groningen.

"I'm delighted," Turner enthused. "The deal is all signed now and I'm happy to be here.

"The manager needs to want you first and foremost to get the ball rolling, and that was the key with Chris Hughton.

"I've heard a lot of people say good things about what he does and has done in the game, so I'm just pleased to be a part of his team.

"I was really impressed with Norwich last season. I was on the bench for the game at Carrow Road, and I got to see them play, so I was impressed with the players, the stadium, and the whole set up of the club.

 

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Arsenal boss Wenger plays down Sahin rumors

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has stated that the club has not agreed a loan move for Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin.

A report in the Spanish press emerged today indicating that the 23-year-old would be moving to the Gunners on a season-long loan deal after being withdrawn from his side's pre-season squad travelling to Portugal to finalize a transfer.

Wenger, though, who was speaking after his side's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in a pre-season friendly in China has moved to quash these rumors, by labelling the report as wrong.

The Frenchman told the club's official website: "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."

Wenger had recently stated that he aims to make further additions to his squad and Santi Cazorla is reportedly his number one target, but he was far more coy on the future of want-away striker Robin van Persie.

When quizzed on the Dutch striker's future, he added: "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."

Wenger, meanwhile, was happy with his side's workout despite the defeat to City and feels fitness was more important than the result in this context.

He said: "It was lively and both teams tried to play.

"I think we were quite dominant in the first half but suddenly found ourselves down 2-0 against the run of play.

"I feel Manchester City played on a very solid defense with five real defenders and we played forward without calculating too much. We were a bit vulnerable on the counter-attack and that is where we got caught.

"But overall what is important for us is to see everybody play and give everybody competition. We lasted 90 minutes at quite a good level."

 

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Marco Fabian: Now Mexico must focus on Gabon

Marco Fabian wasn't shy about his thoughts regarding Mexico's scoreless draw against South Korea last Thursday in Newcastle.

"The good thing is we didn't lose," Fabian said after the match. "South Korea was a fast, strong, intense team. We played our role well, we tried, both teams attempted to score but this draw isn't bad, we didn't lose"

Fabian came off in the 85th minute in favor of Raul Jimenez, who nearly broke the tie in injury time.

"All of our matches will be intense but [yesterday] was a start, we both came out with a lot of attitude but a little less [skill] and in the next game we need to free ourselves and show our quality," the Chivas forward said.

With the next group match right around the corner, Fabian insisted that the team must switch gears and prepare for its upcoming challenge.

"If we beat them (Gabon) we can think about qualifying [to the knockout stage], so this will be the most important match of all," he finished.

 

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Aston Villa completes signing of Vlaar on three-year deal

Aston Villa has completed the signing of Feyenoord defender Ron Vlaar on a three-year deal, pending a medical next week.

Vlaar, who was part of Netherlands' disappointing Euro 2012 campaign, traveled to Villa Park recently for talks with new boss Paul Lambert and despite the Dutch side and even the defender himself suggesting a deal may be off, there has been a compromise in negotiations.

The 27-year-old will undergo medical tests on Monday to seal his transfer after Feyenoord revealed on their club website that the center half would be leaving.

The statement seemed to suggest that Feyenoord felt Villa had taken too long to finalize a deal and it appeared the case was closed, but now the move has been made official, Vlaar will become Lambert's fourth summer signing.

Despite securing his dream move, the Dutch international says he will miss the club for which he made over 100 appearances.

Vlaar told the club website: "It's a strange feeling to leave Feyenoord, but it's a dream come true to play in the Premier League.

"We [the club and myself] spoke again today and sorted some things out. It was a lively conversation and Aston Villa apologised for the way they acted in the last weeks."

After six years at the club, Vlaar has become something of a key figure at the Rotterdam outfit and is hopeful fans will not look down on him for his decision.

He added: "I can imagine that the Feyenoord fans, at this moment, aren't happy with me, but I hope they understand why I'm leaving."

 

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Demba Ba reiterates his desire to stay at Newcastle

Newcastle striker Demba Ba has insisted that he is not leaving the club, and is looking forward to building on the progress his side made last season.

The 27-year-old has been involved in speculation throughout the summer concerning a move away from the Sports Direct Arena.

It emerged that there is a release-clause in the striker's contract that has fueled rumors but the Senegal international has stated his desire to stay at Newcastle.

Ba also claimed that he doesn’t care about what the newspapers are saying about him and that he is fully focused ahead of the new season.

"I don't care what is being said. I think it's part of the game. However, I have never said anything other than I love being at Newcastle," Ba told the Journal. "The newspapers and I are not very friendly at the moment. For months and months and months, people have been talking about me, but there is nothing happening.

"Of course, I am looking forward to next season with Newcastle. We just have to build on the progress we made last season. For me, I just can't wait to start the first game."

The Senegalese striker has proved to be a big hit after scoring 15 goals, helping Newcastle to finish fifth in the Premier League.

Manager Alan Pardew is keen to keep hold onto to Ba as he looks to cement a strong partnership with him and January signing Papiss Cisse.

Cisse scored 13 goals since his arrival, and Pardew has assured Ba that he will have a more central role this season after the he was forced out wide to make room for his international compatriot.

 

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Mourinho: I do not know if Kaka will leave for AC Milan

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has admitted that he does not know if Kaka will still be at the Santiago Bernabeu come the start of the season.

The attacking midfielder's agent recently revealed that he was in talks with AC Milan over a possible return to San Siro.

However, the fee and the player's wage demands represent significant stumbling blocks, and Mourinho has explained that it is too early to tell if the proposed deal will go through, and only stated that Kaka will feature in Friday night's friendly against Benfica.

"He's going to play for 45 to 60 minutes, but I understand that you want to know if he is staying," the Portuguese told reporters at a press conference on Friday. "I do not know and neither do the club nor the player.

"But there is no doubt between us [Mourinho and Kaka]: he knows what I think and I know what he wants.

"The market is open until Aug. 31 and a lot can happen until then. But as long as he's a Madrid player, he will train with the first team and play with us.

"He will travel to the United States [for the club's pre-season tour] and if he stays, I'll be delighted, because we can still do things together."

While Mourinho gave very little away regarding Kaka's future, he was at least prepared to discuss the topic. However, he refused to be drawn at all on Madrid's pursuit of Luka Modric, declaring: "I do not talk about players from other clubs."

The former Chelsea boss was more forthcoming when it came to discussing reports that Nuri Sahin is on the verge of a loan move to England, but admitted all the same that he has already grown weary of the constant speculation surrounding Madrid's transfer dealings.

"I do not like this market that will last until Aug. 31," the two-time Champions League winner confessed. "It allows room for many questions. Not among us [the staff and the players], but among journalists.

"I want 20 players, not including goalkeepers, and to leave a door open for the youngsters. So, someone has to leave.

"I try to be honest and they know who they are. Nuri is living in a grey area, neither black nor white. But if there is an interesting possibility to play elsewhere, he would be better off leaving because we saw last year that he did not get many minutes here."

Mourinho arrived in the Spanish capital during the summer of 2010, fresh from his treble-winning campaign with Serie A giant Inter.

 

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Mourinho: I do not know if Kaka will leave for AC Milan

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has admitted that he does not know if Kaka will still be at the Santiago Bernabeu come the start of the season.

The attacking midfielder's agent recently revealed that he was in talks with AC Milan over a possible return to San Siro.

However, the fee and the player's wage demands represent significant stumbling blocks, and Mourinho has explained that it is too early to tell if the proposed deal will go through, and only stated that Kaka will feature in Friday night's friendly against Benfica.

"He's going to play for 45 to 60 minutes, but I understand that you want to know if he is staying," the Portuguese told reporters at a press conference on Friday. "I do not know and neither do the club nor the player.

"But there is no doubt between us [Mourinho and Kaka]: he knows what I think and I know what he wants.

"The market is open until Aug. 31 and a lot can happen until then. But as long as he's a Madrid player, he will train with the first team and play with us.

"He will travel to the United States [for the club's pre-season tour] and if he stays, I'll be delighted, because we can still do things together."

While Mourinho gave very little away regarding Kaka's future, he was at least prepared to discuss the topic. However, he refused to be drawn at all on Madrid's pursuit of Luka Modric, declaring: "I do not talk about players from other clubs."

The former Chelsea boss was more forthcoming when it came to discussing reports that Nuri Sahin is on the verge of a loan move to England, but admitted all the same that he has already grown weary of the constant speculation surrounding Madrid's transfer dealings.

"I do not like this market that will last until Aug. 31," the two-time Champions League winner confessed. "It allows room for many questions. Not among us [the staff and the players], but among journalists.

"I want 20 players, not including goalkeepers, and to leave a door open for the youngsters. So, someone has to leave.

"I try to be honest and they know who they are. Nuri is living in a grey area, neither black nor white. But if there is an interesting possibility to play elsewhere, he would be better off leaving because we saw last year that he did not get many minutes here."

Mourinho arrived in the Spanish capital during the summer of 2010, fresh from his treble-winning campaign with Serie A giant Inter.

 

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Manchester United target Lucas Moura: My future will be decided after Olympics

Manchester United target Lucas Moura has insisted he will seek to resolve his future after has finished participating for Brazil in the Olympic Games.

Moura, who did not feature in Brazil's 3-2 win over Egypt in the Group C opener, is believed to be United's primary transfer target and Sir Alex Ferguson is determined not to miss out on his signature.

Reports have suggested that the Red Devils have had a bid of around 30 million pounds rejected, but are seemingly keen on renewing discussions with Sao Paulo and despite Moura's agent Wagner Ribiero claiming a deal was off, negotiations have been left in his hands.

Moura will be hoping to achieve team success with Brazil ahead of any upcoming move though, and is solely focused on ensuring the Brazilians secure a gold medal at the games.

The 19-year-old told EFE: "I am focusing on my team, Sao Paulo and in Brazil's national team at the moment. I'll decide my future after the Olympics."

With his future at the back of his thoughts entirely, Moura feels privileged to be involved in the tournament and cannot wait for some match action.

He added: "It's already a victory to be here. Now I have to be ready for any situation if Mano Menezes believes I have to play."

 

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QPR signs Junior Hoilett from Blackburn Rovers

QPR has completed the signing of Junior Hoilett on a four-year deal from Blackburn Rovers.

Hoilett becomes Mark Hughes' seventh summer signing, as he follows Rob Green, Ryan Nelsen, Fabio Da Silva, Ji-Sung Park, Samba Diakite and Andy Johnson in joining the Loftus Road side.

The Canadian was a free agent after rejecting a new deal at Blackburn Rovers, following their relegation to the Championship, and has chosen the Hoops ahead of German heavyweight Borussia Monchengladbach.

The west London club may have to pay training compensation fees to Blackburn, which has so far reportedly turned down a straight payment of 4 million pounds and a further offer of 2 million pounds plus the out-of-favor Jamie Mackie.

Under FIFA rules, Rovers are entitled to compensation for the Canadian-born forward, who joined their academy at the age of 13.

​

Rovers boss Steve Kean recently pointed to Daniel Sturridge's transfer from Manchester City to Chelsea in 2009 for 6 million pounds as proof that his side should be compensated properly.

Kean said: "I don't know the process now. They might make us an offer for his registration but if not it might go to a tribunal. "We feel we have played a large part in his development. We wish him all the best but it would have been nice if we had a call.

"I don't know what the figure was for Daniel Sturridge, but I know it was a chunky figure. We have had Junior a long time, we have put a lot of time and effort in him and I'm sure that will be reflected in the price."

QPR manager Hughes has stated he is delighted with the deal, and that Hoilett is a "top quality" addition to the ranks.He told the club's official website: "He's shown he's a player of top quality and a player that can makes things happen, both on his own and as a team player.

"He's certainly a player that will enhance what we've got in the group and I am delighted he's chosen to come to us."

Hoilett also expressed his delight at sealing a deal with the club, stating that its ambition was a major factor in his decision to join.

He said: "QPR are a club that are certainly heading in the right direction. The ambition to take this club to the next level was something I really wanted to be part of."The manager and the owners have huge ambitions to achieve things here and this is the perfect place for me to further my career.

"I'm really happy to be here and can't wait to pull on the Rangers shirt."

 

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'Eden Hazard can be a big player in Chelsea history' – Lampard

Frank Lampard believes that Eden Hazard "can be a big player in Chelsea history if he wants to" after seeing the 32 million pound signing in action.

The Belgium international joined the Blues from Lille after a protracted transfer saga and has impressed the England man, as well as fellow new recruit Marko Marin.

"My first impressions of Hazard are very good," he enthused to the club's official website.

"You can see he is a natural in training with his touch, awareness and speed. The first time I saw him play in Seattle I could see he is player with a lot of natural ability.

"There are signs he can be a big player in Chelsea history if he wants to be.

Of the club’s most recent signing, Lampard added: "All the reports I have heard of Oscar are very good too and hopefully he can come and adapt to the English game very quickly.

"We have a few midfielders now who can play in areas where we can hurt the other teams, we have Juan Mata to come back as well [from the Olympics], so the future looks good for us."

The 34-year-old's place in the first team is the subject of speculation as the Blues' midfield continues to be heavily bolstered by young talent, but the vice-captain is not too concerned.

"Every year it gets harder because every year we bring in players, but I remember being 25 and we brought in four or five midfielders one summer. I wondered if I would be in the team and I played about 60 games," Lampard noted.

"I have had a great career here and I wouldn't want the club to stand still. The club need to move forward and bringing in quality midfield players is brilliant."

 

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Kaka still has a lot to give to AC Milan, says Costacurta

Alessandro Costacurta is confident that Real Madrid midfielder Kaka would still be able to make an impact at AC Milan if he were to re-join the Rossoneri.

The Brazil international has been unable to secure a regular starting berth at the Liga champions ever since joining them in the summer of 2009, and Milan is keen to lure him back to San Siro in a bid to rebuild the squad following numerous key departures.

Costacurta feels that Massimiliano Allegri would be better off molding a team with youngsters, but he still believes that Kaka can contribute greatly.

"I would prefer it if Milan invested in youngsters as there are a lot of interesting young players out there. However, Kaka is Kaka. He can still be a great player. He's a champion who still has a lot to give," Costacurta stated to Sky Sport Italia.

"Let’s hope that Kaka returns to Milan, and that he will still be able to delight us. Kaka hasn’t played for a while, so it would be good for him to come back.

"It would also be good for the Milan fans if Kaka came back, as they’re still in shock after the sale of Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic."

The Real Madrid star's agent revealed earlier this week that talks with Milan had begun, but Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani is sceptical that a deal can be done.

 

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Former Manchester United midfielder Pogba undergoes Juventus medical

Juventus confirmed that Paul Pogba is undergoing a medical after departing Manchester United.The Italian club declared on its official website that the 19-year-old midfielder, who left Old Trafford as a free agent this summer having refused to sign a new deal, is in Turin to finalize his move to the Serie A champion.

The Frenchman has already spoken of his desire to deploy himself in front of the Juve back four like star midfielder Andrea Pirlo, as well as his hopes of emulating his hero, Patrick Vieira.

Pogba is set to join Lucio, Kwadwo Asamoah, Mauricio Isla and Sebastian Giovinco in arriving at Juventus this summer as coach Antonio Conte prepares to mount a defense of their league title.

The young midfielder made only seven substitute appearances for the Red Devils since joining the Premier League giant from Lens in 2009.

 

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Galliani confirms AC Milan offer for Yanga-Mbiwa

Adriano Galliani has confirmed that AC Milan has made an offer for Montpellier center back Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.

The Rossoneri are in the market for defensive reinforcements due to the departure of Thiago Silva to Paris Saint-Germain earlier this summer, as well as the exit of veteran Alessandro Nesta, and they have made the signing of the 23-year-old Yanga-Mbiwa a top priority.

"We have made an offer and we'll travel to Montpellier shortly. We'll see what happens. It's a matter of money," Galliani stated to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Yanga-Mbiwa has a contract with Montpellier until the summer of 2013, but Milan hopes that an offer in the region of 7 million euros will be enough to lure the defender away from the Ligue 1 champion.

It is understood that the Serie A giant has already agreed terms with the center back over a five-year deal worth 1.5m euros per season.

 

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Serie A fixtures for 2012-13 announced

The Lega Calcio has released the complete fixture list for the 2012-13 Serie A season.

Reigning champions Juventus will begin the defence of its title against Parma on home soil, which will see Sebastian Giovinco face his former employer.

Elsewhere, last season's runner-up AC Milan will entertain new boys Sampdoria in the opening weekend on August 25-26, while Inter travel to Pescara and Napoli to Palermo.

The first Milan derby of the season will take place in the seventh round of fixtures, which begins on October 7. Lazio and Roma, meanwhile, will lock horns for the first time five weeks later.

There will be four breaks during the season on September 9, October 14, December 30 and March 24, with the three midweek rounds scheduled for September 26, October 31 and May 8.

The curtains will fall on the competition on May 19 in a mouth-watering round of games, which sees Juventus host Sampdoria, Roma travel to Napoli and Inter meet Udinese at the Friuli.

 

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Arsenal 0-2 Manchester City: Zabaleta & Yaya Toure score as champions ease past Gunners in Beijing

Manchester City continued preparations for the defence of their Premier League crown as they defeated Arsenal 2-0 in an entertaining pre-season friendly.

A five-minute blitz before half-time was enough to clinch the win for Roberto Mancini's men as first Pablo Zabaleta and then the superb Yaya Toure scored from well-crafted team moves.

The result was a little harsh on Arsenal, who despite only playing their second game of pre-season, looked creative and dangerous in attack without an end product and defensive deficiencies ultimately costing them dearly.

But City looked solid throughout and should justifiably be installed as favourites to reclaim their Premiership title once the new season kicks off on August 18.

Despite the match being a pre-season friendly, both managers named strong starting line-ups as they looked to give their senior players a run out ahead of the new season.

City had endured a mixed pre-season with a win, draw and loss in their three matches and Mancini made only two changes to the side that swept aside Turkish club Besiktas last Friday, with Stefan Savic and Nir Biton replacing Marcos Lopes and Adam Johnson in the City midfield.

Arsene Wenger made four changes to the team that started against a Malaysia XI on Tuesday. Lukas Fabianski, Kyle Bartley, Alex Song and Theo Walcott were all given a chance to impress in place of Vito Mannone, Johan Djourou, Francis Coquelin and Marouane Chamakh, who were dropped to the bench.

With three pre-season games already under their belt, it was of little surprise that Manchester City started the stronger, testing Arsenal down the flanks with Carloz Tevez looking particularly sprightly, forcing Fabianski into an early routine save.

The Gunners, however, began to settle into their metronomic passing rhythm and the pace of their front three on the counter attack was making for a lively encounter with Walcott seeing a shot blocked by Kolo Toure after an impressive Gervinho run.

Shortly after, Carl Jenkinson's 20-yard drive was pushed behind by Costel Pantilimon and from the resulting corner, Andre Santos' delicious curling effort flashed inches wide of the Romanian's post as Arsenal started to get a foothold on proceedings.

City continued to test the Arsenal offside trap though, and Aguero was prevented from opening the scoring by a last ditch Jenkinson block with the game becoming more and more stretched.

As the half wore on, it was Arsenal who were looking the more likely to break the deadlock, and from another rapid counter attack Walcott was unfortunate to see his 25 yard effort bend past the post, with Pantilimon beaten, before Jenkinson saw another long range drive fly over.

Pantilimon was certainly the busier of the two keepers and had to be alert once more to palm behind an Andre Santos drive while Aguero should have done better at the other end than to blaze over after a trademark bustling run from Yaya Toure.

It was largely against the run of play that City took a 41st minute lead. Yaya Toure again was instrumental in the move as he shimmied on the edge of the area before sliding a perfectly weighted pass to the overlapping Pablo Zabaleta who smashed the ball past Fabianski.

And the Premier League champions took advantage of further hesitancy in the Arsenal defence to double their lead on the stroke of half time. Questions could be asked of the Gunners fullbacks once more, as Kolarov had time and space to pick out a cross which eventually fell to the influential Yaya Toure to poke home from six yards out.

As is customary in pre-season, Arsenal made 4 half time changes, withdrawing Diaby, Walcott, Bartley and Arteta in favour of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Marouane Chamakh, Francis Coquelin and Ignasi Miquel.

City opted to stick with their starting eleven and seemed content to sit back and let Arsenal play in front of them, a tactic that almost proved costly in the 49th minute as Gervinho forced a good stop from Pantilimon after a flowing Gunners move.

The north Londoners continued their bright start to the second half with sub Oxlade-Chamberlain unfortunate to see his 25 yard fizzing shot rebound off both posts, with Kieran Gibbs; follow up deflected over.

With Arsenal committing so many men forward though, their defence looked vulnerable on the counter attack and after a fine Tevez burst, Aguero should have done better than to clip the ball wide from 10 yards out.

City keeper Pantilimon continued to be sporadically tested in appalling conditions, having to be alert to push away long range efforts from impressive substitute Chuks Aneke and Gibbs.

And further slick build up play resulted in more Arsenal prolifigacy as Craig Eastmond fired wide after a lovely flick by Chamakh.

But Arsenal weren't to be rewarded for their excellent second half display and City closed out the win in relative comfort to underline their credentials ahead of their Premier League defence.

 

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Chelsea 0-1 AC Milan: Emanuelson strike ensures Blues end US tour with defeat

Chelsea has succumbed to its second consecutive preseason defeat on Saturday night after falling 1-0 to AC Milan in Miami.Both sides named strong starting XIs with Chelsea starting arguably its best back line, while the likes of Eden Hazard, Raul Meireles and Frank Lampard roamed further forward.

Milan, where the squad is looking massively depleted following a summer of upheaval, included the likes of Kevin-Prince Boateng, Massimo Ambrosini and new signing Boakye Traore from the start, while Antonio Cassano and Riccardo Montolivo took places on the

bench.The first half saw very few clear-cut chances, with John Terry probably having the best two openings, smashing the first effort over before heading wide late on.

In terms of big chances the second half wasn't much of an improvement, but a goal was eventually scored with just over 20 minutes to go as the impressive Urby Emanuelson found the net after Petr Cech could only partially stop Stephan El-Shaarawy's close-range strike.

The first chance of the match came at the end of a cleverly-worked free kick by Chelsea, with Hazard clipping his left-wing delivery to the far post where Branislav Ivanovic nodded down to Terry, but the Blues skipper put his half-volleyed effort just over the bar.Moments later Hazard was causing trouble down the left once again, this time using his dribbling skills as he side-stepped Luca Antonini before skipping between the right back and Daniele Bonera, bursting in the penalty area, but his shot was blocked well by Mario Yepes.

With 20 minutes gone the Premier League side was generally controlling the tempo of the match while also restricting Milan to very little possession in the attacking third and the club still had not managed a single shot.Milan, which has only played one preseason match so far, had its first effort after 27 minutes. El-Shaarawy did well on the right before passing short to Traore, but the Senegalese midfielder’s toe-poked effort was poor and went comfortably wide.

The Italian almost had another chance a minute later as Urby Emanuelson twisted his way past a couple of defenders before feeding Mathieu Flamini into the left side of the penalty area, but Ivanovic did well to shepherd the ball back to Petr Cech.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side continued its resurgence and this time Emanuelson was the one in the penalty area, but after Boateng’s well-weighted pass the Netherlands international side-footed his effort over the bar from a good position, much to the despair of the former Portsmouth star.Emanuelson was getting himself involved everywhere in attack as the first half rolled on and El-Shaarawy was the next to link up with the Dutch midfielder, who cut inside from the right before finding the Italian forward who shot right footed, but once again it was easy for Cech.

After a quiet period Chelsea went close with four minutes left of the first half as Terry headed Frank Lampard’s corner just wide meaning the two teams went into the break level at 0-0 following a drab first 45.

The second half started in a much quicker fashion with both teams attacking with intent, while the introduction of Marko Marin injected some added flair to the Chelsea attack and Hazard moved into a central role.However, it was Milan which went closest in the opening minutes as the tricky Emanuelson marched into the penalty area, fooling Terry with a drop of the shoulder and then shooting with his left foot, but Cech was equal to the effort.

Within seconds Chelsea was back on the attack. Romelu Lukaku - who had been poor throughout the first half – cut the ball back to the edge of the area for Hazard, but the clever Belgian simply stepped over the pass, leaving it for Lampard. Marco Amelia got down to make the save from the midfielder’s strike.

The fast-paced action continued as both sides exchanged possession a great deal, but neither team was creating much with defense coming out on top continuously, until the 69th minute.

Boateng played an excellent pass in behind the Chelsea defense for Emanuelson to run on to, but instead of shooting he cut the ball inside to El-Shaarawy whose shot came back to the Dutch midfielder after a Cech save. There was no stopping the second effort as the Netherlands international opened the scoring from close range.The goal instilled even more confidence into the Milan team which was knocking the ball around excellently after Emanuelson’s goal, while a raft of changes for Chelsea made the club look even more disjointed.

With 10 minutes left Roberto Di Matteo's side was attacking with more intent, but Hazard and Co. were finding it increasingly hard to break through the Milan defense, with Fernando Torres constantly dropping deep, while Marin was failing to impose himself.Chelsea felt aggrieved in the final 10 minutes when the team thought it should have had a penalty for a a Bonera shoulder-barge on Torres, but only a free kick was given and Florent Malouda blasted it over.

The final minutes saw Milan passing the ball around, playing the clock down in disciplined fashion, a tactic that paid dividends as the club held on for the narrow win.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Raja Casablanca 0-8 Barcelona: Hat trick hero Messi leads rout

Lionel Messi scored a hat trick as Barcelona cruised to a 8-0 win over Raja Casablanca on Saturday in a preseason friendly at the Grand Stade in Tangier.

The Argentine sealed the milestone on the stroke of half time, but required Alexis Sanchez to open the scoring on the night. Dani Alves and substitutes Sergi Gomez and Gerard Deulofeu also managed to join in on the goal rush.

From the first whistle to the last, Barcelona was on top and seemed to not even break a sweat, as fans were treated to a free-flowing display of 'tiki-taka' soccer throughout the encounter, with the Liga side showcasing many of its newest Masia graduates.

Inside 14 minutes, Alexis saw a strike deflect off of him and into the path of Alves, who drilled the ball back into the box, thus allowing the Chilean to get the ball rolling and set his side's stall for the remainder of the match.

It then took Barca 20 minutes to make it 2-0 - this time Ibrahim Afellay threaded an inch-perfect through ball to Messi, who calmly lifted the ball over Yassine El Had to bag the first of his three goals.

Messi then extended their lead further, capitalizing on a poorly-executed piece of skill by Chem-Eddine Chtibi near the Blaugrana box, nicking the ball off the midfielder before teeing up for a third.

The scoreline appeared to flatter the Spaniards, as Raja began to offer a threat in the final third, but its good fortune was short-lived as the FIFA Ballon d'Or holder allowed Alves a strike at goal, before Alexis potted the rebound.

And just before half-time, Messi bagged his hat trick, courtesy of fine link-up play with Alexis. More of the same ensued after the break, with Alexis being tripped in the box, thus allowing Alves to get himself in among the goals from the penalty spot on 58 minutes.

The diminutive No. 10 had further chances to bolster Barcelona's undeniable grip on proceedings, but saw a attempt crash off the bar, and a sweeping move was stopped in its tracks by El Had, as he read the forward's chip.

The calm looked to have eased the storm, but with only three minutes left on the clock, substitute Gomez smashed home a shot from distance, before Deulofeu fired in a wonderful free kick to round off an emphatic exhibition triumph.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Messi wada patan gena