..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Prandelli names eight uncapped players for England friendly

Italy has named eight uncapped players in their 23-man squad to face England on Wednesday night.

Cesare Prandelli has omitted all Juventus and Napoli players as a result of their Supercoppa Italiana commitments, as he looks to give experience to some of the fringe and younger players in the Azzurri set-up.

Pescara goalkeeper Mattia Perin is among the new faces in the national side, along with 28 year-old Atalanta defender Federico Peluso.

Wing back Mattia De Sciglio has also been called up and he is joined by AC Milan teammates Francesco Aberci and Stephan El Shaarawy.Midfielder Andrea Poli will be keen to impress in the absence of Andrea Pirlo, while winger Ezequiel Schelotto has been rewarded with international honours, along with forward pair Mattia Destro and Manolo Gabbiadini.

Antonio Cassano is a surprise exclusion from the Azzurri line-up as Italy look to put their Euro 2012 final defeat to Spain behind them.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Eric Gomez: Neymar's first step to greatness starts with Olympic gold

It definitely seems ridiculous that at this point of his career, with no European experience and no major titles under his belt at the national team level, that Brazilian wunderkind Neymar would be considered one of the elite talents of the soccer world.

Consider it a piece of pointless filler. A discussion that, today, no one would embark on with a serious tone. Of course Neymar isn't better than the three-time Ballon d'Or Lionel Messi, a man so widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation that it almost seems unfair to think that he's barely 25 years of age.


And yet, whomever wants to fuel the fire is sure to throw the question out there. "Is Neymar better than Lionel Messi?" One of world football's greatest players of all-time seems to think so.

"Now some are saying that Messi is better than me. Well, he has to be better than Neymar first, which he isn't yet. He has more experience," said Pele in April.

Not one to be outdone by his old rival's outlandish statements, then Al-Wasl manager and Argentine legend Diego Maradona fired back with a witty retort.

"My God, that is just stupid," Maradona said days later, after Pele's quote had been relayed to him during a press conference. "Maybe Neymar is the best player in the world, but only if you say that Messi is from a different planet."

Neymar himself appeared to settle the score when he himself deemed Messi as the greatest player in the world today.

Analysis on whether one of two contemporaries is better than the other is hard enough. Some believe that the Pele/Maradona debate on who was the greater player could have been settled if Maradona played during Pele's peak, and vice versa.

Of course, we can all point to the current Cristiano Ronaldo/Messi debate as evidence that comparing two contemporary athletes who play similar positions in the same league and who even come into direct contact of each other at least twice a year doesn't really settle the issue. If anything, it just makes supporters of one camp angry when the other is deemed better.

So, what does Neymar have to do to be considered among the elite?

Winning an Olympic gold medal would be a good start. By doing so, he would endear himself even more to his already fanatical Brazilian supporters. He would always be remembered as delivering the Scratch du Oro's first gold medal, as well as duplicating a feat Lionel Messi managed just four years ago at Beijing 2008.

Then there is, of course, the matter of Neymar's club career. Playing for South American powerhouse Santos was acceptable for Pele in the 1960s simply because European clubs were routinely beaten by CONMEBOL teams. The gap in talent between leagues in both continents was practically non-existent, meaning Pele's choice to stay at Santos was akin to someone wanting to stay at Real Madrid or Barcelona nowadays.

Five decades later, the 20-year-old is wasting time in Brazil. And, unfortunately, he'd be shunned out of the greatest player discussion if he were to join Real Madrid or Barcelona, too. That scenario is unlikely, however, as both teams have been fighting it out for the Brazilian's signature for the better part of a year.

No, the best way he could elbow his way into any discussion is with the Selecao. Win the Olympics. Win the Copa América. Win the World Cup. Oddly enough, he could do all of that within the next three years.

With that type of hardware, Neymar would encroach on Cristiano and Messi's territory by doing something the neither star has been able to achieve at the international level.

Maybe then the constant sniping between Pele and Maradona will seem more than just two old coots bickering about minutiae.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rafael aims to make history by clinching gold medal

Manchester United defender Rafael is aiming to make history by clinching Brazil's first ever men's football gold medal at the Olympic Games.

Mano Menezes' side face Mexico at Wembley on Saturday after goals from Romulo and tournament top-scorer Leandro Damiao eased the Selecao past South Korea.

Now, the 22-year-old full-back is hoping that his country can claim top spot for the first time having won silver medals in 1984 and 1988.

"It's a massive game," he told PA Sport. "We've never won this title so we'll be doing everything we can to win it for Brazil.

"This is an important tournament for us, we have secured a medal, now we need to work hard to beat Mexico. It would be amazing. Everyone back home is supporting us to try and get this medal," the wing back continued.

Brazil has won a staggering five World Cups and eight Copa America titles, all of which are on show in Rio de Janiero's national team headquarters, but, remarkably, Olympic gold has continued to elude them.

"There is always a lot of pressure playing for Brazil and we have never won this medal. It is the only one we have never had, so we'll do everything we can to win," the Manchester United player said.

The South Americans suffered a 2-0 defeat to France in 1984 and before falling 2-1 in extra-time against the Soviet Union four years later.

With the 2014 World Cup coming to the planet's most successful footballing nation, Rafael is keen to establish himself in Menezes' plans.

"Maybe the Brazil coach will think about me for the 2014 World Cup. Also, maybe the people in England will think about me differently if we win the tournament. It is always good to win medals. This tournament is good for my career," he finished.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester United shares open at discounted price on Wall Street

Manchester United has begun floating on Wall Street, although the starting share price is significantly less than they had first targeted.

Co-chairmen Avram and Joel Glazer, along with chief executive David Gill, were smiling and applauding as United representatives were given the honor of ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange before trading began at around 15:30CET.

The listing sees around 16.7 million shares – the equivalent of 10 percent of Manchester United - up for grabs on the US market.

The selling price for each share has been set at around $14.05, which gives the club an overall value of $2.32bn and makes the Red Devils the most valuable sports franchise in the world.

That status puts them above Real Madrid, baseball giants the New York Yankees and NFL stalwarts the Dallas Cowboys.

However, the club had hoped to float the shares at a much higher price - between $16 and $20 dollars. That would have been worth around $3.2bn to the club.

The lower flotation price comes as a blow to the Glazer family, who had previously failed to garner sufficient support in a bid to also sell shares on stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Singapore.

The Glazers bought the club for $1.3bn in 2005, meaning it has almost doubled in value since that purchase.

The flotation on the stock exchange is expected to raise around $233m in profit for the club after the running costs of the operation have been deducted.

Some of that money will go towards paying off some of the club's debt but the rest will go directly to the Glazers, which has angered the club's supporters' groups.

Despite the start price of the shares being discounted, the initial growth was steady at less than 5%.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho praises Real Madrid team spirit

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho believes that strong bonds between players in the squad have been a key factor in his team's success.

Since the former Chelsea boss arrived in the Spanish capital, Los Blancos have won one Copa del Rey and stormed to Liga glory last season, posting a record 100-point tally.

And the 49-year-old feels that his squad has become a strong collective over the last two years, which helped it grow as a unit.

"It helps that people know each other and get on well together," he explained to the club's official website.

"The players might have been together for a long time, but if there's no empathy and pleasure in working together, you have a bigger problem than when you're putting together a group.

"We all get along well, we know each other well on a personal level, and in terms of football. They know the way I work and my ideas, and I know them.

"We're excited about our third year after two in which we've gone from strength to strength."

The Spanish champions are currently in the United States preparing for the coming campaign, and Mourinho is happy with the work-out his side has undergone.

"It's going well. We worked hard and well in the first period, and later the games have turned out how we wanted them to. We're playing well, once again putting together the pieces of a machine that was already working well.

"[In the 5-1 friendly over AC Milan] we played well in the first half against a very closed team that came on with a defensive strategy and many players at the back.

"When we scored the second goal in the second half, they wanted to attack, and the profile of the game changed. They played more offensively, leaving a lot of space. It was a great game to train us tactically."

During the Rossoneri clash, which was played in Yankee Stadium, one fan hung up a banner touting the 49-year-old as a potential replacement to Barack Obama as US president, to which Mourinho quipped: "It must have been a friend of mine doing propaganda."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Gill backs Glazer flotation

Manchester United chief executive David Gill has no worries about funds being made available to help the team, as shares in the club were publicly traded for the first time in seven years on Friday.

Some 16.6 million shares, equal to 10 per cent of the club, were floated on the New York Stock Exchange to great fanfare as members of the Glazer family rang the opening bell, with the American owners reportedly set to pocket around £75million.The 134-year-old club offered shares for 14 US dollars (£9) a piece - giving United a market value of £1.5billion - but there was little price movement in early trade.

The offering was substantially lower than the 16 to 20 US dollars originally proposed by its advisers - which would have valued the club at £2.1billion at the top end.

The flotation will raise around £150million with roughly half the proceeds going to the Glazers, who bought the club in 2005 for £800 million, while the remaining proceeds will be used to pay down some of the Red Devils' £423million debt pile.

As trading started, United's co-chairmen Avram and Joel Glazer and chief executive Gill applauded from the stock exchange's balcony, which was adorned with the club's emblem, while New York traders wore the club's trademark red home kit.

Success

Gill has no problem with the Glazers' actions, saying: "They own the club. They are entitled to sell to investors who want to be a part of Manchester United going forward.

"What I would say is that the level of debt in the club since they have taken over hasn't had an impact on what we have done in the team."We have won four Premier Leagues in that period, we have been to the Champions League final three times, we have had ongoing success on the pitch.

"We fully understand, and the owners fully understand, that what happens on the pitch is crucial and we will make sure that we have sufficient funds to invest in the team going forward.
"We are comfortable with the level of leverage that we have had and we are reducing that through this process, and we believe there are good growth opportunities ahead of us."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Common Gill!

Do Something!Hoda Playersla set 1kak gamu

 

[rcccc]

අයියෝ match එක කෑවා නේද බ්‍රසීල්. හල්ක් කාරයත් අන්තිමට නේ ගෑහුවේ goal එක.Oscar ට equal කරන්න තිබ්බ chance එකත් කාගත්තා.Oribe Peralta පට්ට player නේ

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mexico 2-1 Brazil: Peralta double leads El Tri to gold medal

Mexico's first-ever Olympic medal is gold. El Tri defeated Brazil 2-1 in the gold medal match Saturday, thanks to a goal on either side of halftime from Oribe Peralta. Hulk grabbed a stoppage-time goal that ended up serving as only a consolation.

El Tri got off to a dream start when it took advantage of Brazil's casual passing, creating a turnover which fell to Peralta at the top of the box. The Santos Laguna striker drove a low shot to the near post and 30 seconds in, the game had its first goal.

Mexico continued to harass the Brazilians, with Oscar only able to carve out a half-chance 20 minutes into the match. Just 31 minutes into the match, Mano Menezes felt it was time for a change, and yanked Alex Sandro off the pitch in favor of Porto attacker Hulk.

It didn't take long for Hulk to announce his intentions, as he blasted a 30-yard strike that swerved and dipped in the air, and had to be palmed away by Mexico goalkeeper Jose Corona.

Brazil was on the front foot as the second half began, but Mexico harried and harassed the Selecao, putting the side out of its comfort zone. Neymar got a half-chance, but blazed a shot over from inside the box.

Against the run of play, Mexico nearly found a second goal in the 63rd minute. Marco Fabian lifted the ball off Thiago Silva before getting an overhead kick on a bouncing ball that struck the crossbar.

With 15 minutes to play, El Tri did find its second. Off a free kick from the right flank, Peralta completely lost his mark and got a firm header on Fabian's cross, powering his side into a two-goal advantage.

Brazil did find a goal late, as Hulk was sent through behind the Mexican defense, and the Porto striker finished low with his right foot. There was only stoppage time for the Selecao to grab an equalizer, and it almost did when Oscar was left unmarked at the near post, but could only direct his header over the bar.

The chance was to be the last of the game, and with the full-time whistle, Mexico could celebrate an incredible triumph at Wembley Stadium.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Juventus 4-2 Napoli (aet): Bianconeri sees off nine-man Partenopei in extra time

Juventus came from behind twice to defeat a nine-man Napoli 4-2 after extra-time in a truly exhilarating encounter at a drenched Bird's Nest stadium in China.

Edinson Cavani handed the side from Naplesthe lead after 27 minutes but his strike was cancelled out by Kwadwo Asamoah 10 minutes later. Goran Pandev pounced on a defensive error to regain Napoli's advantage before halftime but a penalty from Arturo Vidal tied the score at 2-2 in the 76th minute.

The Azzurri self-destructed towards the end of normal time as Pandev, its coach Walter Mazzarri, and Camilo Zuniga were all sent from the field of play. Juve then took full advantage of the additional men in the extra time that followed as a Cristian Maggio own goal was followed by a goal from Mirko Vucinic.

Due to Antonio Conte's 10-month suspension banning him from the touchline, his assistant Massimo Carrera took charge of the Bianconeri for the game. They assumed control inside the opening 15 minutes but for all of Stephan Lichtsteiner's continual forays down the right flank, the creation of a clear-cut opportunity remained elusive.

Juve's inability to test Morgan De Sanctis ended up costing it dearly in the 27th minute when a high defensive line allowed Cavani to stream through on goal. He attempted to round Buffon and although the keeper got a hand to the ball and forced him wide, the Uruguayan remained composed and stabbed his effort home.

Napoli failed to capitalize on a poor throw-in from Asamoah as Buffon held Pandev's volley from inside the area, but the Ghanaian more than atoned for that lapse in the 37th minute. A long ball from left to right by Vidal was lashed into the bottom corner with a perfectly executed 18-yard volley from Asamoah.

However, the scores were not tied for long as the Azzurri regained its advantage four minutes before the break. Leonardo Bonucci's clearance rebounded off of Pandev's chest and put him in on goal from the left wing. The defender's efforts to chase him down were in vain as the forward produced a delicate finish, dinking the ball over Buffon and into the net.

Vucinic replaced Alessandro Matri for the Turin outfit at halftime and his introduction certainly galvanized his side. After three minutes he rattled the bar and he then saw his goal-bound effort, after rounding De Sanctis, blocked by Paolo Cannavaro before the hour mark.

Andrea Pirlo had a long-range free kick saved between the Montengrin's two efforts but the Bianconeri's improved attacking display eventually paid dividends with 16 minutes left on the clock. Vucinic was dragged down in the area by substitute Federico Fernandez and Vidal converted the penalty, sending the keeper the wrong way.

The game became increasingly ill-tempered and Pandev and Zuniga were shown utterly stupid red cards, the former for dissent and the latter for two clumsy challenges, in the closing stages, while coach Mazzarri was also sent from the touchline. With the score level at the final whistle the game went to extra time and Napoli was thus forced to contest it with nine men.

The reigning Serie A champions made their two-man advantage count with a pair of goals in the first half of the additional 30 minutes. Maggio diverted a Juve free kick from the right into his own goal after De Sanctis failed to clear and Vucinic added the finishing touch to a delightful flick from Claudio Marchisio to put the game well beyond the Partenopei.

The final whistle was greeted by scenes of jubilation among the Bianconeri players who lifted the fifth Supercoppa Italiana in the club's history in what was a game that truly had everything and served as a fantastic curtain-raiser for the 2012-13 domestic Italian season which begins in two weeks.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Eric Gomez: Mexico's golden generation now sets sights on 2014 World Cup

In the midst of all of the emotions consuming Mexican fans following El Tri's spectacular Olympic run that sees it drape a medal around its players necks for the first time ever, this seems like just a good enough time as any to lay some perspective into the mix.

Mexico's giant steps in the youth arena has it as well positioned as any other squad out there to make a solid run at the next big senior team championships.

Less than a year from now, Brazil will host the 2013 Confederations Cup, also known as the dress rehearsal for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Following Mexico's successful Gold Cup last year, a deep run in the Confederations could turn some heads en route to the ultimate prize. Even then, the road to World Cup glory isn't necessarily paved via a good Confederations Cup. No, Mexico's voyage will take it forcibly through Columbus, San Jose, San Pedro Sula and other regional hot spots.

Barring a massive amount of injuries, a freak drop in form or unprecedented ascension from four or five CONCACAF teams, it's safe to assume Mexico will be at the World Cup. By then, we could be seeing Olympic standouts such as Diego Reyes, Marco Fabian, Javier Aquino, Hiram Mier and Hector Herrera suiting up for European teams and appearing consistently on senior team lists for Jose Manuel de la Torre.

These players, along with indomitable Giovani dos Santos, who at just 23 has already performed so many career revivals his nickname should be "The Phoenix," have already carved their name into Mexico's history books when they dispatched Japan in the semifinals at Wembley. Their rise is no accident.

As we've documented many times in the past, Mexico's response to the United States' growth and the shift of power in CONCACAF years ago prompted an overhaul in order to foster talent from a young age, harness them into a singular system of play and enrich existing talent with a tougher mentality destined to overcome adversity.

The team's U-17 World Cup in 2005 win showed glimpses of what this new plan would entail. Giovani dos Santos and Carlos Vela launched their careers with the title, one they would look to replicate two years later at the 2007 U-20's. However, a failed senior team process with Hugo Sanchez at the helm stunted the chance for Mexico to rise at any level, considering Sanchez guided them to a disastrous 2008 Pre-Olympic campaign.

Three years later, a magical summer catapulted the master plan back into the fold. A second U-17 title, third place at the U-20's, Panamerican gold and a regional championship in the Gold Cup were all there within months.

A year later, the missing building block linking youth success with a chance of glory at the senior level has been put in. Mexico's Olympic run will live long in the memory, and its architects have succeeded beyond the usual pressure and negativity surrounding El Tri seemingly all the time.

Through it all, it can be said that while nothing is assured beyond today for Tena and his players, there is only a handful of teams around the world fostering so much talent at every level of the game. Mexico's depth chart is three-deep at some key positions, which creates interesting problems for Chepo de la Torre.

Jose de Jesus Corona is unavailable? Memo Ochoa, Jonathan Orozco or even Alfredo Talavera can fill in at goalkeeper. Javier Hernandez has Aldo de Nigris, Oribe Peralta and now, surprisingly youngsters like Raul Jimenez and Alan Pulido tugging at his shirt for a chance at a starting spot. Carlos Salcido's days are numbered thanks to his Olympic teammates Chaton Enriquez and Hector Herrera. Maza Rodriguez, Rafa Marquez and Hector Moreno can't help but look over their shoulders at Hiram Mier, Diego Reyes and Antonio Briseño.

And while the term "golden generation" has taken a somewhat negative tone for some, likening it to a fluke or a window of time in which Mexico can only use to rise temporarily, there is nothing incidental about El Tri's rise into the world spotlight.

When the celebration has died down, and CONCACAF qualifiers, not Olympic medal games are once again the focus for Mexican fans, perhaps a logical progression can be detected, and a next step targeted.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

අයියෝ match එක කෑවා නේද බ්‍රසීල්. හල්ක් කාරයත් අන්තිමට නේ ගෑහුවේ goal එක.Oscar ට equal කරන්න තිබ්බ chance එකත් කාගත්තා.Oribe Peralta පට්ට player නේ

Mamanam Hithuwe aniwa Brazil gahai KiyalaHulk ge Performance nam Patta!

Oscar ge Last Chance 1kanam aparade!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid 2-0 Celtic: Callejon and Benzema ensure straightforward defeat for SPL champion

Real Madrid finished off its U.S. tour in superb style with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Scottish champions Celtic in Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. Goals from Jose Callejon and Karim Benzema helped the reigning Spanish champion to go into the start of the league season in winning form.

The game, however, had a sour note as young Celtic winger Dylan McGeough was stretchered off late on after a nasty head clash.

Madrid had the first real chance after an open first quarter of an hour, as Cristiano Ronaldo raced down the left wing, before cutting back to the back post for Callejon, but Callejon's strike went just wide.

Ronaldo then had his own effort on goal as he raced forward, but unfortunately for the Portuguese forward his strike went just wide of Lukasz Zaluska’s goal.

Jose Mourinho’s side eventually took the lead as Xabi Alonso played a ball towards Gonzalo Higuain. His strike was saved by Zaluska, but the rebound fell into the path of Callejon, who slid the ball into the net.

Real Madrid could have had a second minutes later as Alonso floated in a free kick from the right wing, onto the head of Higuain, but his effort went just over the bar.

Just before the half time whistle, the Scottish champion had its best chance of the first period, with Joe Ledley receiving the ball on the halfway line, darting forward and striking over the bar.

Midway through the second half Real Madrid finally got its second as Ozil found Benzema free on the left wing. The striker then raced in on goal and drove the ball through Matthews' legs and beyond Zaluska’s outstretched arms.

Celtic was then handed a huge blow as McGeouch suffered a blow to head after a clash with Nuri Sahin which left the 19-year-old winger crumpled on the ground. The Celtic medical staff was quick off the mark to help the youngster along with its Real Madrid counterparts as McGeouch received the care and attention he needed before being stretchered off the park.

Real Madrid continued to push forward for the reminder of the game, with Benzema once again finding di Maria, but his strike went wide of Zaluska’s left hand post and out for a goal kick.

The game then petered out with both sides comfortable with the final score as they finish their preseason campaigns.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Dinamo Bucharest 0-2 Barcelona: Messi and Afellay strikes secure victory for the Blaugrana

Barcelona eased to a 2-0 victory over Dinamo Bucharest at the Arena Nationala in Bucharest in its final preseason friendly on Saturday, courtesy of a well-taken Lionel Messi goal in the opening minutes of the game, and a fine lobbed effort from Ibrahim Afellay late on.

It did not take long for Tito Vilanova's side to take the lead, Messi turning away from the challenge of the Dinamo defender Dragos Grigore in the fourth minute before drilling home a fine effort from just inside the penalty area.

That goal, the 25-year-old's fifth during pre-season, marked the beginning of an extended period of dominance for the Blaugrana, as Dinamo struggled to create any clear-cut chances in the opening half. The closest it came to testing Victor Valdes in the Barcelona goal was in the 25th minute when Marius Alexe blazed a shot wide from the right-hand side of the area under pressure from Marc Barta.

Barcelona, meanwhile, could easily have been leading by more than just the one goal as the referee blew the whistle to mark the end of the first half, with Messi and Alexis Sanchez guilty of wasting decent opportunities.

Messi had a glorious chance to double his tally in the 12th minute, but instead shot high over the bar with his left foot, after some accomplished build-up play from Alexis on the left.

The provider on that occasion then had a chance of his own late in the half, but the Chile international could not get his volley on target after some nonchalant ball-juggling from inside the Dinamo box had created space for him to get a shot away.

Barcelona made a number of changes at the interval as Vilanova looked to rotate his squad ahead of the start of the Liga season, and its play faltered in the opening stages of the second half, with Dinamo coming close to equalizing in the 51st minute.

An inswinging corner by from the left was met with a firm header by the Dinamo midfielder Marius Tucudean that had Victor Valdes at full-stretch to keep out and tip over the crossbar.

One of the Barcelona substitutes, Andres Iniesta, was a couple of yards away from making it 2-0 in the 58th minute when he dinked an ambitious shot towards goal from the edge of the Dinamo box that drifted onto the roof of Kristijan Naumovski's net.

Both side's numerous changes in the second half disrupted the flow of the match, and this was reflected in the small number of goalscoring chances after the break.

There was positive news for the Blaugrana late in the second half as David Villa returned to action for the first time since breaking his leg in the Club World Cup semifinal against Al Sadd in December.

Despite the slow pace of the second half, Afellay managed to stamp his mark on the game by making it 2-0 in injury time with a lobbed finish, after he controlled Javier Mascherano's through-ball brilliantly inside the Dinamo box.

The victory tonight makes it five pre-season matches unbeaten for Vilanova's men, with their Liga campaign set to get under way next weekend. The Catalan side's first match of the new league season is on Aug. 19, as it plays host to Real Sociedad at Camp Nou.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Vilanova: David Villa guarantees goals

New Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova hailed David Villa's return to full fitness, following the Spain international's comeback from a lengthy spell on the sidelines.


The 30-year-old fractured his tibia playing for the Blaugrana against Al Sadd in last season's Club World Cup, forcing him to remain sidelined for the past eight months and subsequently ruling him out of Euro 2012.

Watching Villa make his return to the side in the 73rd minute of Barcelona's 2-0 win over Dinamo Bucharest, Vilanova was quick to herald the former Valencia player's talents, as the team prepares for the campaign ahead.

“Last year we missed him [Villa] because he’s a player that guarantees goals. He's very necessary to the side," he told the club's official website. "I spoke with the doctors and the physios before playing him against Dinamo. It is very important for us to recover players, especially if they are well-loved like Villa is."

The Catalan giant triumphed thanks to goals from Lionel Messi and Ibrahim Afellay, and Vilanova was excited by what he has observed in preseason.

"The team is playing at a good level ahead of the start of the league. We have had a group of players that have trained for two solid weeks. When the players come back from international duty we will make a decision on who will play in the league based on how they are feeling. [Vicente] Del Bosque picks the players that he wants and we don’t have anything to say on the matter."

Barcelona opens its Primera Division campaign against Real Sociedad on Aug. 20, as it attempts to wrest the La Liga crown back from arch-rival Real Madrid.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Yesterday David Villa Dinamo Match 1ka Play KaralaGood Luck David Villa

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Paris Saint-Germain 2-2 FC Lorient: Ibrahimovic double spares host blushes in thrilling Ligue 1 opener

A last-gasp penalty from Zlatan Ibrahimovic rescued a point for Paris Saint-Germain, as it drew 2-2 with 10-man FC Lorient, in a thrilling Ligue 1 opener.

An own goal from Maxwell put the visitor ahead on four minutes, before Jeremie Aliadiere doubled the lead with a sumptuous second. Ibrahimovic reduced the deficit, but, despite a host of chances and some shocking finishing from a number of players, it took a late penalty from the Swedish striker to secure a point.

After a fairly cagey opening few minutes, Carlo Ancelotti's men threatened to break the deadlock. Jeremy Menez was fed into space, but his low shot was saved at the feet of Fabien Audard before being cleared away.

From that clearance, PSG was caught napping. The visitor raced towards the other end of the field, and the quicksilver Kevin Monnet-Paquet delivered a cross into the path of Maxwell to stumble the ball into the back of the net, giving Lorient a shock lead.

Les Parisiens were renowned last season for their ability to hit back almost immediately after a setback, and that trend very nearly reared its head again. Ezequiel Lavezzi forced Audard into a decent save with a long distance strike, though the unmarked Ibrahimovic was perhaps the better option.

The hosts was much the better side, but failed to create space and negotiate a way past a water-tight Lorient defense.

A brilliant ball from Marco Verratti to Maxwell was intercepted by Bruno Ecuele-Manga, before Ibrahimovic headed into the side-netting from the resulting corner.

Alex subsequently spurned PSG's best chance of the game despite a pin-point delivery from a corner. Whipped in from the right, the former Chelsea defender headed wide, when he ought to have done better.

It could have been 2-0 midway through the first period when Alain Traore tapped home from close range, after good work from Aliadiere, only for the linesman's flag to intervene.

Somewhat surprisingly, Lorient was dominating and should have taken advantage of some woeful Parisian defending. Aliadiere and Traore were both found themselves in good positions to deliver dangerous crosses, but failed to capitalize, much to the frustration of the Lorient bench.

Though many other teams would have been content to sit on their lead, Lorient was hungry for more and was rewarded with a brilliantly taken second just before half time. Aliadiere received the ball from Lucas Mareque on the wing, before skipping past four defenders and slotting the ball under Douchez to seal the perfect opening 45 minutes.

Christian Gourcuff's side suffered an injury blow when Ecuele-Manga was withdrawn at half time and PSG stepped up the ante with a bright second half response.

The nerves of the home support inside the Parc des Princes could be felt and with the tension growing on the pitch, Lorient's goal began to lead a charmed life, with Ibrahimovic slamming an effort against the post.

Nevertheless, the goal finally did came. Ibrahimovic latched onto a lofted ball, beating the challenge of Gregory Bourillon, before finishing with aplomb to reduce the deficit.

An end-to-end encounter continued when the former AC Milan man produced a moment of brilliance to tee up Menez, but the former Roma man skied his attempt and not for the first time in the match.

The host threw everything at the visitors late on, with a number of chances going begging. But with the clock ticking down, Bourillon lunged in on Blaise Matuidi and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and showing a red card to the offender.

That left Ibrahimovic to step up and fire home an equalizer to spare his and PSG's blushes, at the start of an exciting new chapter in the French capital.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

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[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Manchester United!!!

Hannover 3-4 Manchester United: Hernandez scores in friendly as teammates win Olympics

Manchester United completed its preseason fixtures with an exciting 4-3 win over Hannover in Germany. Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, who missed joining his Mexican teammates in winning Olympic gold, scored the first for the Red Devils.

A series of early Manchester misses proved costly as midway through the first half the host took the lead. Anders Lindegaard could only fumble a shot from Jan Schlaudraff, leaving Artur Sobiech to finish smartly from close range for the opener.

Hannover's celebrations were short-lived, however, as six minutes later the visitor was level. A fierce shot by Rooney was only parried by Zieler and Hernandez was on hand to tap home the equalizer.

Both teams made changes at the break and they proved effective for the host, which went back in front within minutes of the restart. Three minutes in and substitute David de Gea could only punch clear from a corner. The ball was swung back into the area where Karim Haggui headed strongly past the Spaniard to put Hannover back in front.

Back come United, with Hernandez who almost grabbed his second equalizer of the game. The Mexican did superbly to create a chance for himself but his shot was tipped away to safety by Zieler.

Ferguson's side was then relieved after the referee waved away Hannover appeals for a penalty. A surging run by American international Steve Cherundolo was rudely interrupted by Cleverley, who left the Hannover captain on the floor and appealing to the official. But the ref ignored the home side's claims and United escaped.

Yet it was only a temporary reprieve as five minutes later Mohammed Abdellaoue was on hand to give the host a two-goal lead with a sumptuous finish. The forward latched onto a pass from Lars Stindl, and, with his back to goal, backheeled the ball past De Gea to make it 3-1.

The goal spurred United into action and minutes later Rooney had reduced the deficit. United won a free kick on the edge of the area and the England international curled a gorgeous shot over the wall and into the bottom corner of Zieler's goal with the goalkeeper a spectator.

Hannover continued to press but with just 10 minutes to go it was that man Rooney again who pulled Manchester United level. An defense-splitting pass by Nani sent the striker running clear on goal. Rooney took the ball around the goalkeeper, who pulled him down, leaving the referee no option to point to the spot. Rooney picked himself before calmly slotting home, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way with his second of the night to make it 3-3.

There was still time for more goals, however, and Rooney was again involved as United took the lead. The striker nodded a long ball into Kagawa's path and the Japan international struck a fierce shot across goal to give the visitor the lead for the first time in the match and secure a 4-3 win.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

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