Soccerpad

The magnificent Portugese winger of Manchester United, Christiano Ronaldo, scored his 26th and 27th goals of the season (in all competitions) in last night’s 2-0 win over Portsmouth. The win helped the Red Devils overtake Arsenal at the top of the Barclays Premier League table.

United took the lead after 10 minutes, with Ronaldo initiating the move with a brilliant one-two with fellow Portugese midfielder, Nani. Ronaldo, who is the highest scorer of his club this season so far, then displayed clinical finishing ability, as he passed the ball through the legs of the Portsmouth goalkeeper, David James, and into the net.

Brazilian striker Ronaldo’s football career is on the edge after the 31-year old AC Milan player suffered a serious injury on his left knee and his Italian employers fear that it could force the palyer into an unfortunate early retirement from the game. Nicknamed the ‘Phenomenon’ for his unprecedented talent, Ronaldo suffered the latest setback when he fell down heavily on the field during Wednesday’s 1-1 home draw with Livorno.

The three-time World Player of the Year has a bad history with his knees. Playing for AC Milan’s city rivals Inter, the former PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona and Real Madrid player sustained two injuries to his right knee in 1999 and 2000 but recovered in time to guide Brazil to a record fifth World Cup win in Japan and Korea in 2002. But that was six years ago and time would tell whether Ronaldo’s immense physical and mental determination could again see him through at this particularly difficult moment. AC Milan’s club owner Silvio Berlusconi has however revealed that Ronaldo is not sure about a successful recovery this time around.

Stade de France was all praise for Capello’s decision to have David Beckham in the starting line-up, a proof of which was the loud roar that followed the announcement of his name in the first eleven. The once majestic Beckham was on field until the 62nd minute with his exit also making people stand in respect for his remarkable feat, irrespective the fact that Thuram was 38 matches older and on the same field, such is the popularity of the man.

Apart from those moments of glory there was nothing special about Beckham or his team on the newly laid pitch. Beckham also earned a yellow card for pulling on Ribery’s shirt which was a pure sign of frustration for not able to keep up with his adversaries speed. This earned him yet another laurel, well kinda negative, making him the most worst disciplinary England player with sixteen yellow and two red cards.

LAM, the League Managers Association would be the most envious lot bamboozled by the secret behind the success of the man they call Sir Alex Ferguson. Yet, ironically it is the same group of people that had to invariably vote him as the manager of the year for leading his side to the tenth EPL title in 22 seasons he has been in-charge. It could well have been Avram Grant had his side managed to clinch the title, but for the genius of Sir Ferguson he was denied the same.

Sir Alex Fergusson believes that Arsenal are out of the title race for the EPL but if one has to go by the gunner’s coaches belief, the game is still on. Arsenal are six points behind the league leaders Manchester United but Wenger still believes that his men can turn the tide provided they do well against the Reds at Old Trafford this weekend.

It is official. There would be an all-English final in the Champions League for the first time in history. Manchester United is the first team to book ticket to Moscow and awaits either Liverpool or Chelsea. Last night the Red Devils defeated Barcelona by a solitary goal at Old Trafford. An intense affair between the two sides was settled by a Paul Scholes’ strike in the fourteenth minute.

Manchester United and the English Premier League might claim to be taking the commercial world by storm with their innovative marketing, but the golden rule that great football produces great cash still holds very true. As the annual listing of income for major European clubs for the season of 2006-07 comes out, the ‘Aristocrats of world football’ still stay on top ahead of the Red Devils. Real Madrid heads the list with €351 million as the club that gained most in terms of cash, despite not having the best of seasons in terms of silverware. Manchester United is quickly closing the gap, but is still way behind with €315.2million.

Probably Fabio Capello and Real Madrid made a huge mistake when they let former English captain David Beckham go across the Atlantic to sign for LA Galaxy, but no such mistakes were made when he was not picked in the squad for England’s friendly against Switzerland on Wednesday. According to the most popular soccer player on the planet himself, his lack of match practice was the reason he was left out of the national squad.

David had received plenty of backing from Capello during his final days at ‘the Galacticos’, but was not picked for the Wednesday’s match due to his long stay away from the game. Beckham told reporters that the coach had personally talked to him about the matter and he could understand and agree with Capello’s point of view. Beckham had not played a competitive match since November, a period in which others had played over 15 Premier League games.

Avram Grant want be too pleased a man after a recent statement form the ex Blues Coach, Jose Mourinho, mentioning that it was purely because of his coaching prowess and infused spirit that Chelsea gained the confidence to beat a team as tough and blessed as Manchester United. Mourinho’s claim cannot be dubbed as fake as records too indicate that Chelsea managed to beat the Red devils 5 times in 10 matches during his stint as the club’s manager.

The Reds from Anfield have always looked a different side when pursuing their Champions League dreams as compared to their fairing in the EPL. It was evident yet again in the first leg semi-final versus the Blues from Stamford Bridge. They stunned Chelsea right from the beginning of the affair until the 94th minute of the game. The final whistle was about to blow and just seconds before that Liverpool spooned an own goal, courtesy of John Arne Riise header which the Liverpool goalkeeper failed to save, leaving the score reading 1-1 at full time.

Thierry Henry hasn’t been quite himself at the Nou Camp but if the man is to be believed, he is happy playing for Barcelona. Critics have been out with their daggers at Henry eversince he stepped on Spanish soil and his statistics don’t help him either with 7 goals in 25 appearances. It may not be abruptly bad for him considering that it is his first season and he has been down with injuries but a man who scored 174 goals in 254 games for his former club is expected to do better.

Fabio Capello, the Italian, who is now the man in-charge of the England national squad, seems a sterner man than his looks portray. Someone who is not going to get overawed by practices his predecessors had to give up into, Capello looks strictly prepared for the job of binding up a team capable of making a difference. Someone who openly goes about telling people that John Terry may not be the man to captain the side in the coming matches. Someone who is bold enough to mention that Wayne Rooney’s 14 goals in 42 caps aren’t satisfactory enough by his measurable standards and he should go on to do better by being more relaxed in front of the goal. Someone who has openly gone mentioning that any player taking the national friendlies lightly would have to suffer enough to lose a position from the 2010 World Cup.

The English Players thus need to be very careful about what they do to vow a manager of such stringent standards. Be wary guys, for he needs all of you to love the English national team more than any thing in this world and if you choose to think otherwise, you might not be on the plane to South Africa in 2010.

[Source]

Robin Dragons can continue labelling Didier Drogba as the best striker in the Premier League for his stunning double against the gunners at home but I would still have my money placed on the more elegant Christiano Ronaldo.

It would be rather more appropriate to say that this was Drogba’s most satisfying performance of the season under demanding conditions, but to rate him as the best isn’t that pleasing a thought for there is still more to do. If he manages to get Chelsea the title home I would then tend too agree with Dragons thought.

FIFA chief Sepp Blatter has condemned Premier League plans to play English Premier League games away from England and has warned of a negative impact for England’s 2018 World Cup bid if the plan goes forward. There have mixed reactions to the audacious plans by the Premier League to play an extra round of games every January in a foreign city starting from the year 2011. Many believe that the Premier League is after foreign revenue which could be immense if Premiership matches are played on neutral territories given the popularity English Premier League teams generate across the world. But what has rendered the plan worthless at the moment is the very fact that football’s governing body has all but rejected it terming the plan an abuse to the beautiful sport.

Christiano Ronaldo’s supreme headed finish in the dying moments of the first half and Wayne Rooney’s striking power midway in the second half was good enough for the Red Devils to send Roma packing 2-0 in their own den. ManU are almost there to round it up as the champions of the EPL though they won’t take anything for granted and this scorching performance away from home makes them quite the favourite for the Champions League too.