Finding a pop radio playlist is tough, and there's plenty of other content to be searched for.

Radio is a generic term for any Internet-based radio transmission, including online streaming of music (and other media) and live events. Internetradiosender is a generic term for an online digital audio stream transmitted over the Internet. Online broadcasting is sometimes referred to as internet streaming because it is not broadcast using traditional ways such as radio stations. Instead, the signal is sent as data over the internet so that listeners can download it and play again in their spare time. There are many websites that allow users to tune in to any type of radio online, but not all are created equal.

The most popular online radio stations are terrestrial channels, which offer a large number of music programs from classical music to rap and hip hop. Some popular radio stations online have hours of talk radio shows and feature a variety of musical genres from jazz to rock. Offline, there are special online radio stations that can be downloaded to portable devices such as iPods. Offline stations tend to be smaller and less expensive than on-air broadcasts, but they still broadcast the same program via satellite or cable. Online music streams tend to be much cheaper than the expensive pay per view television program, which makes them attractive to a wide range of radio enthusiasts.

Online radio streaming differs from ordinary Internet radio stations in a number of ways. First of all, the programming material is generally more limited and the radio station itself cannot be personalized as it could be on traditional radio stations. However, the quality of the programs can be comparable to traditional music streaming as both media use digital signals and transmit them over the Internet. Second, internet radio stations broadcast directly to internet users, whereas traditional radio stations have to negotiate with recording companies or air rights organizations prior to broadcast. While the technology will allow the transmission of music content, it has yet to provide the full range of music services available on the radio.

-- Edited by JasonBaron on Sunday 18th of July 2021 11:47:00 PM

Ron Artest is possibly the dirtiest player in basketball. Need proof? Peep this video where his throat viciously attacks Kobe Bryants elbow.



Of course, the refs turned a blind eye (like they did when Shane Battiers face attacked Kobes knee and elbow in Game 1). So, Ron Ron being Ron Ron decided to take matters into his hands. He ran over to Kobe to try and calm him down and whoa hey, Joey Crawford threw him out of the game with the quickness.

Suspended NFL star Michael Vick has returned to a federal prison in Kansas after a stint in Virginia for his bankruptcy case.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons Web site showed Thursday that Vick was back in prison in Leavenworth, Kan., where hes been serving 23 months for bankrolling a dogfighting ring.

Vick was held in a local jail in Virginia for several days to testify at his bankruptcy hearing earlier this month. A judge threw out Vicks bankruptcy plan.

The judge also rejected an effort to keep Vick in the area while he works on a new bankruptcy plan.

Vick made temporary stops in federal prisons in Petersburg, Va., and Atlanta before returning to Leavenworth.

According to the Web site, Vick is scheduled to be released July 20.

Turning to your favorite athletes or former sports star for financial advice might seem to make sense they deal with a lot of numbers and stats all year long but trust us, they are hardly the ones to seek out.

Blessed with millions of dollars at a young age, professional athletes often seem more concerned with inane spending and unwise investments than savings accounts and 401Ks. And that doesnt even mention their tax return mistakes, of which there are enough to make Timothy Geithner embarra**ed. From fleets of cars to yachts to entourages to even Bengal tigers, the ways some athletes chose to spend their money is comical at best and ignorant at worst.

In August of 2007, a federal marshal seized Latrell Sprewells $1.5 million yacht (famously named Milwaukees Best) after Sprewell had failed to pay his mortgage on the boat. He also lost his house, and now the state of Wisconsin has filed a lawsuit for unpaid taxes. This all, of course, comes after Sprewell turned down a three-year, $21-million contract, saying, I have a family to feed.

Some athletes prefer to travel extravagantly by land instead of sea, however. Take former Red Sox slugger Jack Clark, for example. One story says Clark was once on his way to the ballpark for a game when he passed a car lot. Clark saw something he liked and dropped in to buy two sports cars for $90,000 each before continuing on to the game. At the time he filed for bankruptcy, Clark still owed money on 17 of his 18 automobiles.

Clark and Sprewell lost their fortunes in a hurry, but perhaps theres no faster fall from grace than Michael Vick. In 2006, Sports Illustrated estimated that Vick made $25.4 million. Now, he owes well over $10 million to a variety of different companies. How did Vick go from being one of the highest paid athletes to owing millions? The entourage didnt help, especially since he was spending about $300,000 a month to support friends and family. But a bigger financial gaffe was entrusting his money to a woman who is now banned from working with any firm that trades on the NYSE because she bilked two old women out of $150,000, and a man whos been accused of defrauding church members. His finances were such a mess that the bankruptcy judge appointed a trustee to help him out. But dont feel sorry for Vick just yet in an effort to pay down his debt, Vick will be selling three of his six homes.

Yachts? Six homes? Thats more luxurious than what most of us get to enjoy, but its nothing compared to the spending done by Mike Tyson. He might be the most well-known fighter of his generation, but if there was one thing Tyson was better at than boxing, it was spending money. In 2003, he filed for bankruptcy after his debt reached over $27 million, about half of which was to the IRS. What was he spending all his money on? For starters, two Bengal tigers for $140,000, for which he also had to pay a trainer $125,000 a year. But that was just a drop in the bucket. There was also the $4.5 million he spent on cars, and perhaps the most inane purchase of all, a bathtub for his first wife, Robin Givens, at a cost of $2 million.

While you may look to guys like these for guidance on which sneakers to wear or which car to drive, its probably best to leave the financial advising to tax pros, and not pro athletes.

Oscar De La Hoya is calling it quits after 27 yrs in boxing....

 Arsenal have been portrayed as a club in crisis this season but they are now in the Champions League semi-final after sweeping past Villarreal 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie were on the scoresheet as Arsene Wenger's youngsters defied their injury worries in defence to wrap up the tie 4-1 on aggregate within an hour.

The Spaniards had Sebastian Eguren dismissed, and the hosts were then able to conserve energy for their FA Cup clash against Chelsea at the weekend.

If they win at Wembley there will be genuine hope of getting something out a season where many predicted them to slip out of the traditional top four in England.

Wenger himself admits he has been amazed by how his young players have gone 18 Barclays Premier League games without defeat - and this performance will have impressed him too.

But nothing has been easy at Arsenal this season. Earlier in the campaign William Gallas was stripped of the captaincy, now Wenger is desperately short on numbers in at the back.

Ahead of this clash, Bacary Sagna was taken ill, meaning an entire back four was missing as Arsenal protected their slender away-goals advantage.

Kolo Toure held together a defence that contained Emmanuel Eboue at right-back, Kieran Gibbs at left-back and inexperienced Lucasz Fabianski in goal.

Villarreal had problems of their own, with Marcos Senna, the cornerstone of their midfield, out injured.

They did have Robert Pires stationed on the left flank, meaning it was Arsenal's past versus the club's future, as Walcott was raiding down the right.

It was a fascinating clash, with Walcott almost putting the ball out of play early on when Pires picked up a knock, only to carry on with the ball to set up an attack.

The 20-year-old showed his ruthless side again when he netted the opener in the 10th minute.

Eboue slipped the ball forward from the right, Cesc Fabregas' flick allowed Walcott to run through on goal, with the England winger chipping home high over goalkeeper Diego Lopez.

It was reward for Arsenal's bright start after Van Persie went close with a header that cleared the crossbar and a long-range effort that Lopez gathered at the second attempt.

The hosts were inches from adding a second goal after Van Persie's powerful free-kick was saved by Lopez. Adebayor's follow-up header got deflected on target but Gonzalo Rodriguez hacked off the line.

All eyes were on the assistant referee but it would have been the tightest of calls if he had flagged for a goal.

The equation for Villarreal shifted only slightly - they still needed a goal.

Diego Godin had given Wenger's side an early scare when he got on the end of Giuseppe Rossi's free-kick and forced Fabianski into a save with his scissor-kick.

The visitors then caused some nervous moments in Arsenal's defence before the break, with Rossi getting sight of goal at the near post before the hosts scrambled clear.

Pires also had a shot blocked from the edge of the area, while Godin headed over from a corner in first-half stoppage-time.

Manuel Pellegrini's men sensed that it was their time to apply pressure on Arsenal's makeshift defence. It meant all hands on deck for Wenger's makeshift back line.

Arsenal's best option was to counter attack. Van Persie was making runs from deep to cause Villarreal problems, with Godin picking up a booking for stopping one run.

No opponent got close enough to Van Persie on the hour mark and he sent through Adebayor, who took one touch before finishing past Lopez with the outside of his boot.

The third came from Van Persie's penalty and also saw Eguran dismissed.

Godin took Walcott's legs away in the penalty area but escaped a second booking for the offence. Eguran, who got a yellow card in the first half, got another caution for dissent and then disgracefully put his hands on the referee while protesting more. Van Persie kept his nerve and fired in the spot-kick.

Wenger's goalscorers were then given a breather to rest for the battles ahead.

Chelsea denied Liverpool the glory of another sensational European comeback to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League with a 7-5 aggregate win.

Liverpool, trailing 3-1 from the first leg at Anfield, stunned the Blues with two first-half goals from Fabio Aurelio and Xabi Alonso, who scored a penalty.

Chelsea's defensive frailties, exposed so clinically by Bolton in the Premier League at the weekend, looked like costing them a place in the last four as Liverpool, without their talismanic midfielder Steven Gerrard, threatened to pull off another miracle.

But the Blues looked home and dry after producing a sensational comeback of their own - scoring three times in the second half to lead 6-3 on aggregate at one stage.

Yet this incredible contest took another twist when Liverpool scored twice in as many minutes through Lucas and Dirk Kuyt to leave them just one goal adrift of an incredible victory.

However, Frank Lampard's second in the 89th minute secured a 4-4 draw on the night and a date with Barcelona.

The home side had been outplayed in the opening 45 minutes and had barely threatened to get on the scoresheet despite coach Guus Hiddink's pre-match assertion that Chelsea would go for more goals.

They had to wait until six minutes after the break for the goal which eased the growing pressure on their ambitions of reaching the final in Rome.

Didier Drogba's effort was deflected into the back of the net by Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina and a stunning 25-yard free-kick from Brazilian defender Alex then looked to have eased any remaining worries.

When Lampard added a third in the 76th minute the tie seemed to be effectively all over, but Liverpool had other ideas.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez had always maintained the first goal would be the most important but when Kuyt collected a pass from Yossi Benayoun and fired over in the 13th minute, he could have been forgiven for thinking that perhaps the task ahead was indeed far too great.

But six minutes later Liverpool were in dreamland when they punished Lampard's push on Kuyt in spectacular fashion.

With everyone expecting the free-kick from the right of goal to be pumped high into the centre of the penalty area, Aurelio stunned everyone, including the flat-footed Petr Cech, by firing his 30-yard effort straight into the bottom near corner of the net.

Referee Luis Cantalejo then rightly awarded Liverpool a penalty when Chelsea's first-leg goal hero Branislav Ivanovic clearly held back Alonso.

The Liverpool midfielder stepped up to beat Cech and suddenly the impossible seemed possible.

Chelsea had Cech to thank for keeping them on level terms on aggregate when he tipped away a header from Kuyt in the final minute of the opening half.

Hiddink's side needed a goal to take the sting out of Liverpool's motivation and it arrived somewhat fortunately in the 51st minute.

Nicolas Anelka, a 35th-minute replacement for the poor Salomon Kalou, crossed low from the right and Drogba got a touch on the ball, with Reina only able to turn it over the line.

Chelsea made it 2-2 on the night when Jamie Carragher's foul on Drogba was punished by a fierce 25-yard free-kick by Alex.

With 14 minutes remaining Liverpool's dreams looked finished when Drogba crossed for Lampard to apply the finish.

But a long-range effort from Lucas was deflected off Michael Essien and beyond Cech in the 81st minute and, somewhat astonishingly, Kuyt put Liverpool 4-3 ahead on the night with a six-yard header two minutes later.

But with Liverpool needing one more goal for a glorious victory in this emotional week on Merseyside, 20 years on from the Hillsborough disaster, Lampard ended a stunning contest with his second of the night in the last minute.

Chelsea will face Barcelona in the last four but only after Liverpool had pushed them all the way in a pulsating contest that was a marvellous showcase for English and European football.

Benitez must have wished Gerrard had been fit enough to play as his contribution may well have been the telling one, on a night when the Reds almost managed to achieve the unthinkable.

 Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand is on course to be fit for the defending champions' must-win quarter-final Champions League tie with FC Porto on Wednesday night.

 

In his pre-match press conference, Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed that Ferdinand is expected to be fit, lauding the parnership he has formed with Nemanja Vidic that has served his side so well.

Ferdinand missed last week's first leg 2-2 draw at Old Trafford with a groin injury, but the defender did make the flight to Portugal and should partner Nemanja Vidic in central defence as United bid to become the first English team to win at the Estadio do Dragao.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is desperate for Ferdinand to return to shore up United's leaky defence, which has shipped five goals in the England international's absence, and the 30-year-old may well undergo pain-killing injections to play.

The injured centre-back could have played in United's 2-1 win at Sunderland on Saturday, but it was decided not to take the risk to ensure he is fit for Wednesday. He is expected to join in full training in Portugal on Tuesday.

Brazilian full-back Rafael da Silva was also included in United's Champions League squad, along with fellow countryman Anderson, giving Ferguson all the options he wanted as United try to make history in Porto.

Bayern Munich shared a 1-1 draw with Barcelona to partly make up for a crushing defeat in Spain last week - but they were still eliminated from the Champions League 5-1 on aggregate.

Franck Ribery gave Bayern the lead in the 47th minute, but Barca hit back with Seydou Keita's drive restoring parity in the 73rd minute.

It was always going to take a miracle for Bayern to overturn the substantial 4-0 deficit in front of their own fans at the Allianz Arena and, as expected, it proved to be a bridge too far for the Bundesliga side.

Bayern made four changes to the team which crashed to defeat in Spain last week with Lucio and Philipp Lahm reinforcing the defence in place of Breno and Massimo Oddo, while Jose Ernesto Sosa started on the wing for Hamit Altintop and Andreas Ottl took over from Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Barcelona lost Thierry Henry to a fever with Keita given the nod. Eric Abidal took the place of the suspended Rafael Marquez.

If Bayern were going to make a game of it, it was imperative they scored early on and they had the chance to do so in the sixth minute when Sosa robbed Abidal and swung in a tempting cross which Luca Toni unconvincingly flicked wide from eight yards.

Toni had the ball in the back of the net a minute later, but the linesman's flag had long since been raised to deny him.

Italy international Toni then turned provider for Franck Ribery to fire just over the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area as the home side made a bright start.

Barca needed time to get into the game, but their first spell of pressure coincided with several incursions from Messi.

He set up Samuel Eto'o in the 34th minute, but the Cameroon international's shot was blocked by Lucio.

Daniel Alves then shot over the crossbar before Martin Demichelis made a crucial sliding challenge to deny Messi.

Bayern weathered the first storm adequately and returned to the other end for Toni to blaze his angled drive over the crossbar after being fed by Van Bommel.

And the hosts went ahead two minutes into the second half when Ze Roberto slid a pass into the path of Ribery, who shifted the ball onto his preferred right foot and fired high into Victor Valdes' goal.

Even though their overall advantage was barely dented by the goal, Barca's pride was still at stake and they showed they did not want to be beaten on the night.

They had an appeal for a penalty waved away by referee Roberto Rosetti when Mark van Bommel used his strength to barge Andres Iniesta to the ground.

A skilful exchange of passes led to Barca's equaliser in the 73rd minute as their slick one-touch football carved open the Bayern defence with Keita providing the finish from 25 yards.

Iniesta, Eto'o and Xavi Hernandez all c****ined to provide Keita with the chance to put the tie beyond any doubt and set up a semi-final meeting with Chelsea for Pep Guardiola's men.

David Beckham was a superstar in Europe but when he moved to America a waiter demanded to see his ID and refused him a glass of wine, according to a book due out in July.

 

 

"The Beckham Experiment," by Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl, features interviews with 33-year-old Beckham and other major figures in Los Angeles Galaxy, the soccer team he joined in 2007 after a stellar career in Europe.

The move to Los Angeles with his pop star wife Victoria Beckham was the latest chapter in a life story that has mixed celebrity with athletic prowess. Beckham signed a five-year deal worth an estimated $250 million and arrived in a blaze of publicity promising to help raise soccer's profile in America.

But after an injury-plagued first season and a total of five goals during his time with the Galaxy, Beckham, 33, made clear earlier this year he preferred to play with Italian club AC Milan, where he is on loan.

Household names in Britain and the rest of Europe, the Beckhams had struggled to translate their appeal to star-heavy Los Angeles and a celebrity media obsessed with the antics of Britney Spears and the expanding family of Angelina Jolie. Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House that is part of Bertelsmann AG, said the book would provide an account of Beckham's "celebrity packaging and the inner workings of a Beckham team."

"Wahl provides a detailed account of Beckham's aspirations and worries about his American adventure, his interactions with Galaxy teammates making as little as $12,900 a year, his icy relationships with Galaxy star Landon Donovan and former team president Alexi Lalas," Crown said in a statement.

It said it would also reveal the story of how Beckham's management company, 19 Entertainment, "engineered a shadow takeover of Galaxy."

The book also features Beckham discussing the technique of his trademark bending free-kick goals, his marriage to the former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and his relationship with celebrities such as Tom Cruise.

Anecdotes include an occasion when Beckham was denied a glass of wine because he could not produce an ID document for a U.S. waiter who did not recognize him, Crown said. Many bars in the United States card people well over the age of 21, the legal age for drinking alcohol.

Beckham is currently on loan to AC Milan until the end of the Serie A season. He will then return to the Galaxy before likely going back to Italy in November.

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Porto Coach Jesualdo Ferreira Banned From Team Affairs Against Manchester United

The Portuguese coach will not be allowed any contact with his players tomorrow night...

14 Apr 2009 16:17:56

Porto tactician Jesualdo Ferreira has been banned from taking any role in managing team affairs when his side face Manchester United tomorrow night in Portugal for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, currently dramatically poised at 2-2.

The ban relates to a gesture made by the coach to the referee during a fixture on February 24, when a Porto goal was disallowed in the European match with Atletico Madrid.

The coach was initially hit with a two match ban, but Porto made an appeal against that initial judgement, and Ferreira was allowed to undertake his duties as normal during the first leg of the tie with United at Old Trafford.

UEFA, having heard the appeal, have reduced the ban to one match, which must now be served against United. Ferreira will be allowed absolutely no contact with his players before or during the match, and will not be allowed to relay instructions from the stands.

Zack Wilson, Goal.com

 

What you think people just following procedures or some sort of bias for a large club over a small one.

Sir Alex Ferguson has defended the Glazer family after the latest financial statement from Manchester United's parent company revealed debts of almost £650m.
Sections of the Old Trafford support opposed to the Glazers have seized on the figures as evidence of a club in crisis.

However, Ferguson has never had any complaints about the Americans, who have backed him in the transfer market and have stayed out of the spotlight.

And, while he accepts debt was a major factor in the Glazer buyout almost four years ago, the United boss does not feel anything is likely to change as a result of Thursday's announcement.

''Their support has never changed,'' said Ferguson. ''I do not know what these figures tell you.

''There has always been debt since Malcolm Glazer took over the club. Most buyouts are like that. But there is no change as far as I am concerned.''

For all the criticism their financial structure has attracted, the Glazer family have never given any indication they are concerned at the amount of debt hanging over United.

The Red Devils still return vast profits on their business dealings, with wages still well under 50% of turnover.

Sir Alex Ferguson believes being honest with Cristiano Ronaldo has kept the winger focused on Manchester United in the face of Real Madrid's very public pursuit.

 

 

The build-up to Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final clash with Porto was dominated by fresh reports of a move to the Spanish capital - something Ferguson branded "pathetic".

It followed last summer's ugly and protracted attempts by Real to talk up a transfer for the 24-year-old, who has since been crowned world and European player of the year.

Ronaldo caused controversy at the time, meanwhile, by revealing he dreamed of one day plying his trade at the Bernabeu.

In an interview with CNN, Ferguson admits he has sometimes struggled to prevent Ronaldo's head from being turned.

"I think that he's had temptations and I think there have been periods when you've seen the effect of it (on the pitch)," the Scot said. "He's lucky in the sense that people here can tell him the truth and be straight with him and he appreciates that, and he has responded to that."

Ferguson praised Ronaldo for having the strength of character to know when he had overstepped the line in his tentative courting of Real.

"If it stays with him and changes him as a person then you have a problem," he said. "Fortunately Ronaldo has good human qualities. He's a good guy.

"He knows when he's gone too far and he draws back in after that."

Usain Bolt has told a German tabloid newspaper that he used marijuana when he was a teen.

The German tabloid Bild reported yesterday that the Jamaican sprint phenomenon used the recreational drug during his formative years, but he has not touched it since.

"When you're a child in Jamaica, you learn how to roll a joint," he said. "Everyone tried marijuana, including me, but I was really young."

He added: "Nobody in my family or those close to me smoke and I don't hang out with people who smoke."

The 22-year-old Bolt, holder of the world records for the men's 100 and 200 metres set last year at the Olympic Games in China, again rejected suggestions of doping.

"People can say what they want, I know I'm clean," he said. "That's the only thing that counts, not what other people say.

"I was subject of so many anti-doping tests during the Olympic year, between 30 and 40."

With the World Championships set for Berlin in August, Bolt has his sights set on winning three gold medals again as he did in Beijing in the 100, 200 and men's 4x100 relay.

"I want to become a legend," he said. "I want to propel athletics to a new dimension."

According to his former Sao Paulo doctor, Inter striker Adriano has serious psychological problems.

The reasons behind

"Adriano needs help, he should be followed by psychologists and psychiatrists because he has disturbances he cannot control," he said to daily paper Extra. "He wants to drink, if he goes out at night he can't stop. And he hates to be reprimanded the next day, and gets depressed."

Dr. Cunha also thinks the Brazilian doesn't surround himself with the right people.

"He is surrounded by groupies, not friends," he continued. "There isn't one who is able to keep up with him. He needs to be reminded of his responsibilities; the problem is himself."

There have even been rumours the player is considering quitting football. While that seems quite unlikely, as he is only 27, a move away from Inter seems inevitable now.

Danilo Pochini, Goal.com


http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/2009/04/09/1200922/inters-adriano-has-mental-problems-sao-paulo-doctor

 .

-- Edited by BlackTswana on Thursday 9th of April 2009 02:58:52 PM

 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has admitted he faces a tough decision over the selection of Steven Gerrard for Saturday's game against Blackburn Rovers.

 

 

Benitez has revealed that his skipper has been struggling with an abductor problem for a number of weeks which makes it difficult for him to play two matches in a short period of time.

Should Gerrard face Rovers in what is a must-win game at Anfield it will place his participation at Chelsea in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday in serious doubt.

Benitez was quick to insist that it would not be a case of prioritising the league over Europe, but simply looking after the player's interests.

It seems most likely that Gerrard will be named on the bench against Blackburn and will then start against Chelsea, with a week's break before the next Premier League encounter. Thereafter he will have to be nursed through the remainder of the season.

Benitez said: "We were aware of the injury before the first leg against Chelsea. It is not easy for him to play two games in four days with the injury he has.

"The decision I have to make is whether I use him against Blackburn or Chelsea. If we do play him against Blackburn it does not mean we are writing off the Champions League. But we must approach each game on its merits.

"If he feels he can play, then he will and we will assess the situation afterwards. Anything more could be a risk. Maybe we could keep him on the bench and use him if we need to?

"After Chelsea we have a complete week before our next game because the Arsenal home game is the following Tuesday. If he gets injured again he could need more than a week to recover; it is tough call but we will consider all the risks.

"We have been talking about the fitness of players like Steven for a long time, do we have rotation or do we keep our key players on the pitch?

"We have had that problem with Fernando Torres and now Gerrard. We have two games in four days, both very important to our ambitions.

"After that, even if we qualify and have a Champions League semi-final, that is only two more games. We will be playing virtually one game a week and that makes it easier to manage the situation regarding Steven's fitness.

"I have spoken with Steven today and we will do the same tomorrow [Saturday] along with the doctor. If he breaks down now we could lose him for two or three weeks and that would be a serious blow. It depends on him and how he feels.

"There is no priority but we play Blackburn first and that obviously is what we are concentrating on. After that it will be Chelsea. We will try our best at Chelsea, it is not over yet, but we want to be top of the table after our game with Blackburn because that will put pressure on Manchester United.''

Benitez's concerns over Gerrard's long-term involvement in Liverpool's title chase overshadowed any annoyance he may have felt with Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce's claims "he loves a moan and a whinge''.

Benitez would only say: "I would expect to play the game tomorrow and afterwards just talk about football. I will shake his hand, no problem there.

"Blackburn are in a difficult position but they have won some games recently and they have improved. They, too, will have to win against us, it is as massive for them as us.

"But we know they are a physical team. We will try to play football but, if we have to fight for the ball, then we will do that.

"I have seen Sam Allardyce's teams at Bolton and now at Blackburn. I do not expect the style to change very much but I believe it is more difficult to manage at the bottom of the table because every defeat is very negative.

"The pressures there are so much different, losing games there is not the same as losing games in the top half of the table.

"But we will have our confidence back, the team are ready and looking forward to this game.''

Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher believes the clash with Blackburn at Anfield is the most important league game he has ever played in.

He said: "The Blackburn game is the biggest league match of my career right now. I'm not just saying that because of what happened against Chelsea, but the league has always been the priority of everyone at this club.

"In the 13 years I have been involved in the first team, this will be the biggest league game I have been involved in, it really is that important.

"If we win we can go top of the league with just six games to go, and if anyone had told us at the beginning of the season we would be in this position now, we would have been delighted.

"This is a massive chance for everyone at the club and I am sure the fans will create a great atmosphere because they know what is at stake.''

Xabi Alonso agrees with Carragher's viewpoint.

He said: "The Blackburn game is very important for us. I hope it won't be a problem to forget about Chelsea because we are professionals and this is another competition. We still have a chance to fight for the Premier League.

"At home this season we have dropped too many points, this time it has to be different. We have to start very well and play very well to win the game. It's important to do our job and that is to win this game.''

He added: "Of course, there is no doubt Manchester United are still favourites. They have the advantage and we respect that but our job is to try to go for it and fight.''

Bayern had no response to Barcelona's unrelenting offensive rushes and particularly to Messi, who took his season tally to 32 goals in all competitions.

Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry also scored for the Spanish leaders, with all goals coming in the first half. Messi also had a penalty appeal waived away in the 19th minute, and Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was sent off for protesting.

Barcelona's victory at the Camp Nou sets up a potential matchup with Chelsea in the semifinals, after the Blues beat Liverpool 3-1 on Wednesday.

Bayern, coming off a 5-1 league loss on Saturday, looked lost as Barcelona's high-powered offense swarmed the German area from the opening moments.

Messi opened the scoring in the ninth minute, after Samuel Eto'o drew two defenders before slipping the ball into the area for the Argentina winger, who coolly rolled it past goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt and inside the far post.

Messi turned provider to Eto'o in a near identical buildup in the 13th. After anticipating Eto'o's run perfectly, Messi slid a quick pass into the area for the Cameroon striker to shoot through Butt's legs.

Referee Howard Webb drew Guardiola's ire after waiving away a penalty appeal when Christian Lell barged into Messi as he moved around the Bayern defender in the area. Messi was also booked for questioning the decision.

Moments later, Henry caught Butt under the right eye with his boots after sliding into the goalkeeper, and the break for medical treatment offered Bayern a breather from the Barcelona onslaught.

But two more goals shortly followed.

Lell was filling in for injured left back Phillip Lahm and had the task of marking Messi, but couldn't prevent him from sliding in to redirect Henry's pass into the net from close range in the 38th for his eighth goal in the competition.

Messi then came charging across the area in the 43rd before laying the ball off to Eto'o, who was swarmed by white shirts. But the ball popped out to Henry, who rolled it past a helpless Butt for the fourth.

Messi, Eto'o and Henry have c****ined for 89 of Barcelona's 126 goals scored this season.

Bayern coach Juergen Klinsmann opted for the 34-year-old Butt over regular keeper Michael Rensing, despite having only played once all season. But the veteran could hardly be faulted as Barcelona's attack repeatedly broke down Bayern's defense, which was also without regulars Daniel van Buyten and Lucio.

Bayern striker Luca Toni was neutralized throughout, with his best touch coming in the 45th when the Italy striker played Franck Ribery clear along the left, but the France winger sliced wide.

Butt finally got a chance to show off his skill in the 59th when he dove to tip away Messi's drive from the right. Andres Iniesta nearly curled a short drive into the top of goal a bit later.

Ribery played Ze Roberto clear into Barcelona's penalty box in the 71st but Carles Puyol hustled back to deflect the Brazilian's shot as Barcelona kept a clean sheet at home for the first time this season in the competition.

The Camp Nou hasn't been kind to Bayern, with the Germans allowing two injury-time goals to lose the 1999 Champions League final to Manchester United here. Wednesday's result matched the club's third-worst away defeat in UEFA competitions.

The return leg will be played at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.

 Arsenal will be without striker Robin van Persie for Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg trip to Villarreal with a groin injury.

 

Van Persie missed Saturday's 2-0 home win over Manchester City and was ruled out of the game by manager Arsene Wenger, the club's website reported on Monday.

 

Fellow striker Eduardo da Silva is also out, with a groin strain, but Samir Nasri, who had flu, and Theo Walcott (knee) were both passed fit for the game.

 

Wenger is starting to get most of his injured players back again now and Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor both made long-awaited returns on Saturday when the Spain midfielder set up both goals for the Togo striker.

 

Both should start in Spain, although midfielder Andrei Arshavin is ineligible having played for Zenit St Petersburg earlier in the competition.

 

Wenger said that his side had to be particularly on their guard against former Gunners Pascal Cygan and Robert Pires.

 

"They want to show you that they still have the quality and they are even more resolute to punish you," he told the BBC.

 

"Everybody who loves Arsenal loves Robert Pires. For us he was fantastic," he said of the midfielder who spent six years at Arsenal and played in the semi-final victory over Villarreal in 2006.

 Robert Pires is confident Villarreal can knock his former club Arsenal out of the UEFA Champions League.

 

 

The Spaniards will be at home for Tuesday's first leg and Pires, who left Emirates Stadium for El Madrigal in 2006, is expecting a difficult clash. The in-form Gunners have been tipped to advance to the semi-finals but Pires believes Villarreal are good enough to upset the odds.

He told Sky Sports: "We are a good team and really we are prepared to defeat Arsenal. Our dream is to get to the final and for that to happen we have to knock out Arsenal.

"I am an ambitious footballer and will be very unhappy if we cannot qualify.

"I have confidence in my team and our chances of a win against the Gunners. Many people do not believe we are favourites in this round but in football it is not always the team with money and history (that wins).

"We want to enter the history books. I still want to win a Champions League title and with Villarreal it would be magic."

Pires believes he has shown he still has a lot to offer since joining Villarreal and he would love to make a major contribution against Arsene Wenger's side.

"After leaving Arsenal many people felt this was my footballing farewell and maybe my adventure in Spain was about money and holidays," he explained. "I want to demonstrate in this tie that these people have been mistaken. My challenge is to play my best games of the season."

Pires insists he still has a good relationship with Wenger, despite the experienced manager's decision to let him move on.

"I do not have personal problems with Wenger. They [Arsenal] have decided on my exit in June 2006 because they had prepared a new project and I did not have a place in this," explained the French midfielder.

"I do no understand the decision but I accepted it and now I am happy in Villarreal."

Villarreal boss Manuel Pellegrini, meanwhile, is also upbeat about his side's chances of progressing to the next round.

But Pellegrini insists he is not motivated by thoughts of revenge after Villarreal lost to Arsenal in the 2006 semi-finals.

"We have the chance to be in the semi-finals of the Champions League once again and this is much more important than us taking revenge," he said. "It will be a great game because the two teams use the ball very well. For us, we are going to go out looking for the win from the first minute."

 Manchester United welcome back Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic and Paul Scholes to their Champions League squad for Tuesday's match against Porto at Old Trafford after they were suspended from domestic action at the weekend.

 

Manager Alex Ferguson's prospects of establishing a healthy quarter-final first leg lead over Porto would be enhanced further if centre-back Rio Ferdinand shakes off a back injury to play. Both Ferdinand and Brazilian midfielder sat out training on Monday and are doubtful for the game.

 

However, Ferguson will definitely be without striker Dimitar Berbatov who has an ankle injury and will be sidelined for the next two weeks.

 

Holders United, looking to extend their record unbeaten run in the Champions League to 22 matches, go into the game in a far better of frame of mind than looked likely after 80 minutes of Sunday's Premier League match against Aston Villa.

 

They trailed 2-1 and appeared to be heading for a third league defeat in a row before late goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and teenage substitute Federico Macheda gave them a 3-2 win.

 

The result transformed the mood at Old Trafford with United going back on top of the Premier League and keeping alive their hopes of winning five trophies this season.

 

United will start favourites although, five years ago, Porto knocked United out 3-2 on aggregate in the last 16 on their way to winning the trophy. Coach Jose Mourinho performed a touchline jig that is still a bad memory for many Red Devils fans.

 

Jesualdo Ferreira's Porto team are not as organised nor as tactically disciplined as the one Mourinho built, but they have plenty of attacking threat and go into the match in top form.

 

However, their record in England is poor, losing 11 of the 12 matches they have played. The only exception was the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford against United in 2004.

 

Hulk, the Brazilian striker who has attracted attention in Spain after a brilliant display in the first leg of the last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid, will pose a threat with aggression and pace reminiscent of his compatriot Ronaldo.

 

"I am at my best moment of the season," he said after Porto beat Guimaraes on Saturday.

 

The same can be said for his team, favourites to win a fourth successive Portuguese title, after Ferreira turned the club's season around following a weak start which included a 4-0 thrashing by Arsenal in the group phase.

 

Ferreira found his best eleven after the bad patch in October, starting Hulk regularly and buying Frenchman Aly Cissokho to successfully shore up the left side of the defence.

 

Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez, who scored six goals on Porto's route to the last eight, said: "We have to consider that we have a very young team, with little experience at this level. For us, the tie is a real final.

Sir Alex Ferguson has urged Manchester United to go ''full throttle'' in their attempt to overcome FC Porto at Old Trafford.

 

 

Although the Portuguese outfit, led by Jose Mourinho, overcame United at the first knock-out stage in 2004, few are expecting a repeat, with Ferguson's men odds-on favourites to reach their third successive semi-final.

But the Red Devils chief is taking nothing for granted after beating Mourinho's Inter Milan in the last round. And even though his side are back in action barely 48 hours after the thrilling 3-2 win over Aston Villa, he is demanding that they hold nothing back.

''It would be stupid to think this is going to be easy,'' said Ferguson. ''When teams are used to winning their domestic title, as Porto are in Portugal, you always feel they will play with great confidence.

''They have a lot of South Americans in their team as well, which gives them a great physical strength.

''By beating Atletico Madrid in the last round, Porto proved they will be hard to beat. Complacency does not come into it as far as we are concerned.

''We will be going at full throttle in order to get the result we want.''

United will be bolstered by the return of Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic and Paul Scholes from suspension, although not Rio Ferdinand, who is still troubled by a groin injury.

As well as that trio, Ferguson is likely to call on Park Ji-Sung, whose energy could be a useful weapon.

Meanwhile, Porto coach Jesualdo Ferreira could not have been more delighted when his side drew Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals.

"It was always likely we would be drawn against an English side," said the 62-year-old. "Of seven possible opponents, four were English. But Manchester United were the ones I would have chosen to play against and my players would have made the same choice.

"It is a chance to prove what we can do against a top team. I have watched United and know what to expect. We will be well prepared."

However, Ferreira does recognise the financial gulf that exists between the two sides, with United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson able to construct a massive squad that is beyond his capabilities.

But there is no sense of inferiority in the Porto camp, just a determination to work smarter in an effort to bridge the gap.

"When you look at the money rankings and analyse the differences, it gives a certain pleasure to see us there," said Ferreira. "United and Porto's conditions are different. The leagues are different and the players too.

"I would like to say we could sign big stars but it wouldn't be true. We have to sign players nobody knows. But the game is the same and we can compete for results and titles. We just have to be cleverer than the other teams."

Ferreira will be counting on the formidable striking talents of Hulk and Lisandro Lopez to get the away goal Porto crave. But he will be relying on the same players that have been the basis of Porto's charge to the top of the table as they look to emulate Mourinho's team by reaching the semi-finals.

"It is hard for us to save players," he said. "We have a heavy schedule but have not been able to rest players because they are all games we want to win. It is inevitable we have so many games but we just have to cope with it."

 Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has dismissed the latest reports linking him with a summer move to Real Madrid and insisted that he is "at the right club."

 

 

Both the reigning World and European player of the year and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson were not impressed when quizzed about the latest unsubstantiated reports linking the 23-year-old Portuguese midfielder with the Bernabeu.

In a press conference ahead of Tuesday's Champions League quarter final game against FC Porto, Ferguson wondered aloud "how many times" more he would have to endure such speculation before describing such reports as "pathetic".

Sitting alongside his manager, Ronaldo agreed, shrugged before adding: "We always have this question." The player, who scored twice in Sunday's vital 3-2 win over Aston Villa, moved to draw a line under the questioning by insisting: "I am happy at this club. I think it is the right club."

Over the weekend there were claims that Real Madrid were planning to launch a £75m bid for Ronaldo and were offering an annual salary of 12m; while they would seek to oil the wheels of a deal by offering his agent Jorge Mendes an 8m bounty for arranging a deal.

Despite claims that Ronaldo is unhappy with the rough treatment he receives at the hands of some Premier League defenders, and could be tempted to move overseas because of it, the player himself remains unfazed.

"It has always been like that," he said. "It is not only this season that defenders have kicked me to try and stop me. It is just normal."

After Sunday's win over Villa, United are now one point ahead of Liverpool in the title race and crucially have a game in hand. The Portuguese is in buoyant mood ahead of the run-in and believes an unprecedented quintuple remains a possibility.

"We are the best team in England," said Ronaldo. "We have shown that by being top of the table. That speaks for itself. We respect all our opponents but if we carry on winning, we will win the title again."

"We have a chance to win everything this season. First we have to beat FC Porto. After that, we must carry on."

Federico Macheda enjoyed a truly remarkable introduction to English football as he curled home an injury-time winner to give Manchester United a 3-2 win over Aston Villa which sends them back to the Premier League summit.

It seemed the Red Devils would have to settle for a point after Cristiano Ronaldo's brace had only proved enough to keep United level against a Villa side that thoroughly deserved a lead provided by John Carew and Gabriel Agbonlahor.

But Macheda, a former member of the Lazio academy who arrived at Old Trafford in 2007, was to have the last word.

At exactly the same moment as Yossi Benayoun struck for Liverpool at Fulham last night, Macheda turned onto Ryan Giggs' low pass before unleashing a stunning shot that curled past Brad Friedel and sent Old Trafford into ecstasy.

With Rio Ferdinand's groin injury failing to ease in time for him to be considered, United were without their first-choice defenders and their first-choice strikers amid six missing men that included Wayne Rooney.

Gary Neville's first appearance for two months was expected to come at right-back, so it was something of a surprise to see him line up alongside Jonny Evans in the centre of United's defence.

Carew's eyes certainly lit up, given his vast height advantage, which he duly exploited to the full.

On the back of an eight-match winless streak, Villa's confidence was a bit fragile too but their dominance in the 14 minutes before Ronaldo's wonder-goal provided enough evidence for them to retain self-belief even after they had gone behind.

During that opening flurry of attacks, Fletcher kneed a Carew header onto a post and Agbonlahor sped clear of Neville only to fail in his quest to find a team-mate with a low cross.

It is difficult to understand why a team that swept all before it for virtually three months should suddenly appear to be so poor.

Beyond question is the individual ability they possess, although the brutal nature of Ronaldo's 19th goal of the season still took the breath away.

Normally the kind of opportunity provided when James Milner and Friedel got themselves into a muddle, forcing the Villa keeper to handle a back pass, could be a bit of a negative given its proximity to the opponents' goal. Not on this occasion.

Ryan Giggs brushed the ball to his illustrious young team-mate, who sent it over the wall and into the roof of Friedel's net in a flash.

A sense of calm should have spread across home ranks. Instead, Villa merely came again.

Showing the form that established them in the Champions League positions at Arsenal's expense by the end of January, Agbonlahor and Ashley Young terrorised the United defence.

Edwin van der Sar was called upon to keep Villa out on three occasions but there was nothing he could do to deny Carew when Gareth Barry wriggled his way into space by the touchline.

The Norwegian crept between Neville and O'Shea to steer a deft header into the bottom corner.

Ferguson responded by putting Neville back to full-back, giving up the unequal struggle of competing with Carew. He also urged the United fans to make more noise, indicating a fear that talent on its own was not going to be enough.

The response was patchy and failed to curb Villa's enthusiasm.

Ronaldo excels at many things. Chasing back is not one of them. And when he gifted possession to Stiliyan Petrov inside the visitors' half just before the hour, he allowed the Bulgarian to sweep upfield unopposed.

Agbonlahor hung around waiting for the cross Petrov presented Carew with the opportunity to supply, then rose majestically to find the bottom corner, just as his strike partner had done earlier.

Ferguson's response was to introduce 17-year-old Macheda, which in itself said something about United's plight.

It did however bring an immediate improvement and when Michael Carrick exchanged first-time passes with Giggs on the edge of the Villa box, he then presented Ronaldo with a lay-off.

The world player of the year did not have a lot to aim at but he found the one small gap Friedel was unable to cover.

Still, when Friedel denied Danny Welbeck two minutes from time, it seemed United would have to settle for a point.

Macheda, however, had other ideas.

 

Scoring Summary
Manchester United	Aston Villa
Cristiano Ronaldo (14)	John Carew (30)
Cristiano Ronaldo (80)	Gabriel Agbonlahor (58)
Federico Macheda (90)

 

Arsene Wenger accepts captain Cesc Fabregas will take a few games to be back to his best as Arsenal prepare to enter a "decisive" period of their campaign.

 

 

The Gunners captain has not featured since suffering a serious knee injury during the Premier League clash with Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on December 21.

However, Fabregas - along with England winger Theo Walcott and Togo frontmanEmmanuel Adebayor - are expected to be in contention when domestic action resumes against Manchester City this weekend.

It is the first fixture of an action-packed April for the Gunners, who also face Villarreal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and have an FA Cup semi-final date at Wembley with Chelsea as well as three other Premier League games - which include a trip to Anfield.

Arsenal will be looking to extend an unbeaten run of 16 league matches which has moved them back into the top four - but Wenger knows their skipper cannot be expected to be firing on all cylinders at the heart of the side straight away.

"Cesc is ready to play again, but he needs three games to be back [at his best]," Wenger said on French TV channel TF1. "We are due to play eight games in 25 days, which are all decisive."

Defender Mikael Silvestre won four Premier League medals from his time at Old Trafford and believes Arsenal's current crop of talented youngsters can soon be competing for the title once again.

"We have got to believe that we can challenge next season," said Silvestre, who signed from United in August, and is fit again following a calf injury which sidelined him since January.

"If we build on this season, which is not finished yet, there is a lot of reason to think that we must challenge from day one for the title."

Silvestre, 31, told the club's official website: "You have to make a quick start, of course, because all the best teams take points. As soon as you drop two or three points, the gap is really big."

Meanwhile, Arsenal's French international full-back Bacary Sagna has dismissed reports linking him with a summer move to Juventus.

"I am under contract with Arsenal until 2014," Sagna said. "I love this club, I get on well with all the squad and I am happy. Juve are a big team, however if Arsenal decide to sell me that is another thing altogether.

"But I am happy here and in my knowledge I am in the plans of the manager for a long time."

 With the international break out of the way, Barcelona's final push for honours on three fronts gets underway with a trip to Real Valladolid in the Primera Liga on Saturday.

The league leaders have a six-point advantage over chasing Real Madrid with 10 games left to play, and have already secured a King's Cup final against Athletic Bilbao for May 13.

Next Wednesday, they host Bayern Munich for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, and if they make it all the way to Rome need to be prepared to play 16 games before the end of next month.

"We cannot afford to have one bad week," Barca's Brazilian defender Silvinho said, perhaps aware that the side have only won one in four after international breaks this season.

"People say a particular competition may take it out of us physically, but the problem is we want to get as far as possible in each one," he added. "We are optimistic and working hard to win a treble."

Coach Pep Guardiola could have defender Carles Puyol and midfielders Andres Iniesta and Yaya Toure back in contention after injury against their ninth-placed hosts.

 

Champions Real Madrid have few such distractions with only the league left to play for, and they are pushing hard with 12 wins from their last 13 outings.

On Saturday, they visit an eighth-placed Malaga side still licking their wounds from a 6-0 mauling away to Barcelona two weeks ago.

"It will be a great game for the fans and everyone is determined that we make up for the poor performance in the Nou Camp," Malaga defender Weligton said.

Third-placed Sevilla have an Andalucian derby away to Recreativo Huelva on Saturday, and fourth-placed Villarreal visit Almeria at the same time.

At the foot of the table, time is running out for bottom club Espanyol, who are eight points from safety. They host Deportivo Coruna on Sunday.

The team above them, Numancia, are four points short of safety and Saturday's hosts Real Betis. Betis coach Paco Chaparro has been under pressure from fans after a run of six matches without a win.

"Chaparro will be with us until the end of the season. Fans should regard it as a new beginning for him, like on the two previous occasions when he stepped in to save us," Betis president Pepe Leon said.

 

Back in Mexico, millions of his countrymen cheered in elation, and some simultaneously wondered if the boy was leading a budding empire of his own.

The boy, Giovani dos Santos, had just captained Mexico's U-17 squad to its first World Cup championship in any category, turning in a stellar performance that helped him obtain the tournament's Bronze Ball award.

With FC Barcelona's famed youth academy the same that would see players like Bojan Krkic and Lionel Messi come up through its ranks handling dos Santos' development, it seemed like the sky was the limit.

Similarly, the United States Soccer Federation had to be incredibly pleased with its young, talented team that for the first time ever, was almost nearly all home-grown.

Already boasting talented attackers in Landon Donovan, Freddy Adu and Damarcus Beasley, an exciting 16-year-old New Jersey native was being touted as "the guy."

Before he even turned 18, U.S. men's Coach Bob Bradley had seen enough to call him up to the senior squad.

Recognition, fortune and perhaps the sweetest thing of all relative obscurity in New York, a city known for exalting athletes into gods was showered upon "the guy," who casually slipped into his role, even requesting the No. 9 shirt for his dates with the national team.

And so, no one batted an eyelash when soon after, Europe clamored for "the guy." No one was surprised that a club from the Spanish league, practically uncharted territory for American players, was the ultimate destination.

Today, less than two years from Jozy Altidore's leap to Spain, and less than four years from dos Santos' triumph, the two rising stars, the two saviors, ply away in obscurity in lower European divisions, away from the glitz and the real talent.

What happened?

Giovani dos Santos

A favorite of Frank Rijkaard, dos Santos debuted with Barcelona's senior team in September of 2007. Despite receiving spot starts in the League, dos Santos' activity was mainly limited to seeing action as a sub and playing in lesser important tournaments.

As Barcelona were knocked out of La Liga's title race, Giovani was given more playing time, and he rewarded Rijkaard's trust with a hat trick in the last game of the season.

Already a media darling in Spain and Mexico, speculation arose when Giovani became a naturalized citizen of Spain, making him eligible to play for La Furia Roja, as well as Brazil (through his father) and his native Mexico. He ultimately chose Mexico.

New Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola saw dos Santos as part of Rijkaard's old regime which ended in locker room turmoil. Guardiola's fellow Spaniard, Juande Ramos, pressed his bosses at Tottenham to make an offer. Four million euros later, dos Santos was a Spur.

Ramos' other signings promised fans a young, vivacious, exciting team. Instead, Tottenham looked weak, confused and easily beaten. Ramos was fired before the end of the year. New manager Harry Redknapp relegated dos Santos to the bench, and an injury didn't help his playing time much, either.

Tottenham's relative resurgence has eased pressure from Redknapp and his decision to bench several players. This month, Giovani has been loaned out to Ipswich Town, currently battling for promotion in the Championship, England's second-tier.

In Mexico, national team boss and Gio booster Sven-Goran Eriksson is apparently one bad result away from being fired, something that could come as early as March 28, when Mexico faces Costa Rica in the second game of World Cup qualifying.

For his national team, Giovani has failed to impress, often times looking overwhelmed on the pitch and turning in sub-par performances against considerably weaker opponents. In over 10 appearances, he's yet to score and only has one assist.

Despite only being 20, Giovani is already being labeled a bust by some media outlets, comparing him to former prodigy Pedro Pineda, a striker so promising that he was poached by AC Milan in his teenage years, but ended his career in obscurity, toiling in Mexico's second divsion.

Jozy Altidore

The lanky, speedy young man from New Jersey was already seen as a polished talent at the age of 16, when he became eligible for MLS' SuperDraft. However, some clubs passed on him, some mistrusting the scouting reports, and others not wanting to spend a pick on a player that would surely be gone a few years later.

Altidore slipped to 16th in the draft, eventually being selected by New York. Less than a month after his professional debut, Altidore had already scored. Exactly one month after beginning his career, he had already blasted home his first game winner.

By 2008, less than two years after debuting, Altidore had already been selected by the U.S. Men's National Team, scored 15 professional goals and had his image grace the cover of EA Sports' popular videogame, FIFA 08.

MLS had been negotiating with European clubs since the beginning of 2008, and a bidding war ensued. Spanish club Villarreal won out, paying over $10 million for Altidore's services, becoming the highest amount ever a club has paid for an American player.

In Europe, Altidore found a different culture and a wildly different approach to the sport. Even at a relatively smaller club like Villarreal, press attention swarmed the players at every corner.

In six months, Altidore only mustered a handful of appearances as a substitute, and despite scoring once, his playing time was severely hampered by the pecking order at Villarreal, which features fellow New Jersey product Giuseppe Rossi, Mexican international Guillermo Franco, and Turkish star Nihat.

Despite receiving offers from clubs as prestigious as Everton, Villarreal decded to loan Altidore out to the Spanish second division. Xerez was Altidore's final destination, with the intent that the American receive playing time.

However, nearly two months later, Altidore has yet to appear in a league game for Xerez.

Back home, the national team's superior form coupled with Jozy's lack of playing time has seen him having playing time by coming off the bench in recent games, managing two goals in less than ten games.

While his status with the American team is secure for now, Altidore faces stiff competition from Brian Ching, Clint Dempsey, Charlie Davies and Donovan, who is fresh off a stint with Bayern Munich. All except for Ching play for European clubs, as well.

At Villarreal, Altidore is set to return from his loan deal this summer, at the same time when Robert Flores, Marco Ruben and Mathias Vidangossy return from their loan deals.

Flores, Ruben and Vidangossy are all forwards, and have all received considerable playing time in their clubs, and could very well number Altidore's days at Villarreal.

Conclusion

While some outlets might be quick to label these players a bust, attention must also be paid to the fact that not every young, talented player is Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, and that not every young, talented player is lucky enough to have such stable development periods as those aforementioned players.

Messi flourished under Frank Rijkaard and became an unquestionable star, and Cristiano Ronaldo has become a top-tier player with Alex Ferguson as his mentor. Modern football (and modern football economics) have made loan deals for unused players and quick firings of managers after a handful of games the norm.

These two may not ever be Messi or Ronaldo caliber players, but there is no reason not to suspect they won't star for their respective countries and clubs for years and years to come.

As the countdown to the derby on Sunday continues, Inters official website has revealed the total number of minutes the squad played during the international games this week; it is nearly half a day of football.

It's all part and parcel of what a big club has to deal with in this day and age, the prestige and danger of letting the players fly off to all parts of the world for high profile friendlies or vital qualifiers.

Striker Adriano was nine minutes short of completing a whole game in London, while fellow Brazilians Maicon and Julio Cesar played the whole 90 minutes against world champions, Italy.

Troubled youngster Mario Balotelli played a half for the Azzurrini against Sweden under-21s, despite upsetting the coach Pierluigi Casiraghi, and nearly scored too.

Elsewhere Ghana's Sulley Muntari and Javier Zanetti of Argentina represented their countries against Egypt and France respectively, both of them finishing out the match.

It remains to be seen, whether this will have any effect on the derby, especially as opponents, Milan are in a very similar position; the likes of Ronaldinho and Gianluca Zambrotta among others played earlier in the week too.

 Liverpool's Premier League title push was given a boost on Friday with the news that club captain Steven Gerrard has agreed a two-year extension to his contract.

 

 

The 28-year-old's current deal was due to expire in 2011 but has committed to the club until 2013, with reports suggesting that his weekly wage will increase from £110,000-a-week to £150,000.

Reacting to the news, manager Rafael Benitez, who himself recently agreed a new deal tying him to Anfield until 2014, told the club's website: ''This is fantastic news for the club. Steven has once again shown his commitment and it was an easy deal to agree.

''As soon as we offered him the option he said yes. There were no problems at all. He wants to stay for life.

''This deal sends out another clear message that we are moving forward as a club. To know we have a player of Steven's quality with us for many more years is a great boost for the club and the fans.

''He is clearly a player who inspires those around him and even though he is playing very well at the moment, I still think his best years are ahead of him.''

Liverpool are currently second in the Premier League, a point behind Manchester United and could go top on Saturday if they avoid defeat at Fulham, at least until Manchester United play Aston Villa on Sunday.

The Anfield club are chasing their first title for 19 years and if successful would extend their record of English top flight titles to 19, however if United clinch the championship this season they would equal Liverpool's current record of 18 trophies.

Speaking recently, Gerrard said: ''I'm really happy at the club at the moment, in fact I have never been happier at any time throughout my career and I would happily sign for life.

''I am playing in a top team, I am playing with world-class players and I believe that with this manager, going forward, we can be successful.''

Liverpool face Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday in first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

 Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has admitted he almost quit Anfield before signing a new five-year deal last month.The Spaniard revealed that his growing frustration with the way the club was being run under American pair Tom Hicks and George Gillett almost saw him leave as speculation grew about his future.

 

But with Hicks and Gillett patching up their relationship and chief executive Rick Parry heading for the exit, Benitez signed a new deal to stay at the club until 2014.

"It is true that at times I may have thought about my future," Benitez said in the Daily Mail.

"There was a lot of uncertainty at the club but when you put all of these things together and the fact I am sure we can improve, there was no doubt in my mind.

"It will be easier now the contract is done. Once you sign a contract you know you can start thinking about the future. That is why it was important to get it done as soon as possible.

"The uncertainty at the club was the only thing on my mind before. But delaying the decision before saying yes at the end of the season would have been worse for everyone because we would have lost some of our transfer targets or certainly been at a disadvantage."

US not taking Soca Warriors lightly

Scare against El Salvador has US focused on Trinidad & Tobago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Overconfident? Did someone mention complacent? No way is the U.S. national team looking at Trinidad & Tobago as a walkover entering Wednesday night's World Cup qualifying match.

Not after Saturday's 2-2 draw in El Salvador.

"Complacency? No," midfielder Michael Bradley said with a bit of a laugh. "After the game on Saturday night, there is no chance we're stepping onto the field being anything close to complacent or thinking that it's a game we can take shortcuts and come off the field with a win. These are World Cup qualifiers. There's no easy games."

The U.S. can attest to that. The first-place USA (1-0-1, four points) overcame a two-goal deficit with a pair of late goals to salvage a point in the CONCACAF final round match. More importantly, the tie also denied the home team two more points in this 10-match series.

Wednesday's game at LP Field matches teams that rallied to earn 11th-hour ties. The Soca Warriors (0-0-2, two points) scored in the 88th minute on 19-year-old Khaleem Hyland's equalizer to grab a 1-1 draw with Honduras.

"Trinidad will be riding a little bit of a high after coming from behind," said Bradley, who noted that T&T defeated U.S. last October in Trinidad, 2-1, in a game that did not matter to the USA because they already had qualified for the final round.

"We saw a little bit what Trinidad can be all about when they sort of get themselves going and start to have some confidence. At that end, there's no feeling in feeling in our group that (laughs) that this is an easier game or anything like that. I can promise that when we step onto the field on Wednesday, its time to get down to business."

Of course, it's difficult to avoid looking at the USA's dominance in this series. The Red, White and Blue are 14-2-3 overall. They're 10-0-1 at home vs. T&T and 6-0-1 on U.S. soil in qualifiers. For the record, Trinidad's lone point came in a 1-1 World Cup qualifying tie in Torrance, Calif. on May 13, 1989. The U.S. also has registered six consecutive home clean sheets, last allowing a goal to the Caribbean side in a 3-2 victory in Anaheim, Calif. on Jan. 13, 1996.

But U.S. manager Bob Bradley said to throw all that out.

"We remind the team -- World Cup qualifiers, history doesn't matter," he said. "Every night you have to step onto the field. You have to establish your team, the way you're going to play. Certainly, when you come off with a game like El Salvador that is still fresh in your mind. That's the reminder."

To goalkeeper Tim Howard, the more important game is at home. The U.S. brings in a 15-game home qualifying unbeaten streak, last losing in qualifying to Honduras, 3-2 in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 1, 2001. The last home defeat prior to that was to Costa Rica, 1-0 on May 31, 1985.

"If you know World Cup qualifying, you realize there are going to be bumps in the road," he said. "To go away from home to get a point, theoretically is pretty good." Howard said. "We didn't play as best and as well as we could. We want to put that right on Wednesday. It's important to take three points at home."

Saturday's game was a gut check for the U.S., which pulled off one of the greatest, if not greatest comebacks in national team history by overcoming a two-goal deficit. Right back Frankie Hejduk set up second-half sub Jozy Altidore on the first score ain the 77th minute and tallied the equalizer himself in the 88th minute.

"Any time you don't have your best game and come back and get a point on the road, it says a lot for the team," Hejduk said. "The guys really battled hard. We never gave up. The U.S. has a never-say-die attitude. Even at 2-0 ... we knew the game wasn't over. We believe in each other."

Michael Bradley felt it was a wakeup call to the team.

"It's a chance ... to really have a closer good look at the things that we need to bring to the table and the way we need to play every time we step onto the field," he said. "So I think over the past two years our consistency in doing that has been quite good. On Saturday night in El Salvador we got away from that a little bit. We realize the commitment and effort needs to be better all around the board."

Added Altidore: "We're all a little disappointed in ourselves. Going to El Salvador, we expected to play a little bit better. Now we have a chance to rebound."

A win would keep the U.S. in first place, regardless of the other results.

The U.S. should be more fortified for this encounter. Howard, who missed the El Salvador match due to two yellow cards, is expected to start, pushing Brad Guzan to the bench. Marcus Hahnemann was sent back to his English club Reading and Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein was brought into camp. Central defender Oguchi Onyewu, who had a right knee sprain, trained with the team on Monday.

Trinidad will be without veteran striker Dwight Yorke, serving a two-game suspension, although he trained with the team.

The Soca Warriors bring in several familiar names to MLS fans, including former Columbus Crew star striker Stern John and one-time New England Revolution defender Avery John.

"Trinidad is typically a tough team. very athletic, a lot of players who have good speed, good strength," Altidore said. "So you have to break them down in other ways. You have to be patient. You have to try to expose them in places where we feel they're vulnerable."

March 28, 2009
Competition: MLS
Commentary: English
Broadcast: Gol TV Canada

Video Codec: Xvid
Resolution: 512 X 384
Size: 2 x 350 MB (1 CD)
Container: .avi

1st half:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=L5RFG0WH
or
http://www.zshare.net/video/58004792089019ba/

2nd half:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=G5MQNX15
or
http://www.zshare.net/video/5801041066001b64/

 Wayne Rooney has reiterated his love for Manchester United by stating that he wants to spend the rest of his career with the club.

 

 

Since arriving from Everton in 2004, Rooney has become a huge fans' favourite at Old Trafford.

He still has over three years left on his current deal, but wants to follow the examples of club stalwarts Ryan Giggs,Paul Scholes and Gary Neville - who have all spent more than a decade playing for the Red Devils.

"I've always said that as long as United want me I'm happy to stay at the club," Rooney told Inside United magazine. "I don't want to leave. I love United and I have no reason to think about moving. I'm sure I'll be here for a long time.

"I hope I'm still at United when I'm the same age as guys like Ryan, Paul and Gary."

Meawhile, Gary Neville has declared himself fit and ready to help Manchester United get back on the championship trail. Neville has missed 11 matches with a groin injury but returned to action in a reserve-team game at Newcastle on Monday.

The 34-year-old is now in contention to face Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday, with Porto to follow in a Champions League quarter-final at Old Trafford barely 48 hours later.

Neville is bound to be a bit rusty after so long out. But the 34-year-old is eager to help United get their campaign on track once more after successive defeats against Liverpool and Fulham prior to the international break.

"I have got the opportunity to be fit now and hopefully be available for Sunday, Tuesday and the other games we have coming up with are so vital for us," he told MUTV. "We need every player fit but obviously I have got to concentrate on myself and make sure I am ready."

United have seen a seven-point lead hacked down to one amid their mini slump and with Liverpool in action before the Red Devils this weekend, Rafael Benitez's side could be top - having played two games more - before out-of-form Villa head to Old Trafford.

"It is a hugely important game for us," Neville said of the Villa clash. "We know what we need to do and we need the crowd behind us.

"I don't think anyone will be underestimating the importance of the match. There are no more chances for us now. We need to start winning games and get back on a winning run."

Chelsea put high-flying Hull in their place to get back to winning ways in the Premier League with a 3-0 triumph.

Hull had gone into the game at the KC Stadium trailing the Blues only on goal difference but a stunning strike from Frank Lampard after just two minutes established superiority.

The Tigers hit the post through Daniel Cousin but Nicolas Anelka pounced on a mistake and Florent Malouda struck from close range to settle the contest.

It was the perfect response from Chelsea after suffering a first defeat of the season at the hands of Liverpool on Sunday.

Hull, who had won their previous four games, battled hard but in the end were well beaten by a Chelsea side whose extra class was evident.

Home boss Phil Brown had named the same side for the fifth game in succession but their soaring confidence ultimately counted for little has Chelsea handed them a reality check.

Chelsea, lifted by the return of Joe Cole, were soon into their stride as Lampard gave them an early lead with a delicate left-footed chip which oozed class.

The England midfielder displayed perfect technique to clip over the stranded Boaz Myhill after Paul McShane had dispossessed Florent Malouda but failed to clear.

It was his 99th career league goal and lifted the Blues after the shock of the Liverpool loss.

Hull, after conceding for the first time in four games, tried to respond through Geovanni but the Brazilian was denied a free-kick after running into Ricardo Carvalho.

Lampard tried his luck again with a shot from a free-kick 30 yards out but could not find the target.

Marlon King looked to have Hull's first real chance but was flagged offside as he shot at Petr Cech.

Yet the hosts were inches away from an equaliser after 22 minutes as Cousin's low shot from 20 yards took a slight deflection and beat Cech, only to bounce back off the post.

Geovanni also tested Cech with a long-range free-kick but the Chelsea goalkeeper beat the ball away after it bounced awkwardly in front of him.

Hull were then forced to sit back for a spell and survived a scare as Malouda found room to shoot but fired over.

Anelka went even closer with a ferocious drive just before the break but Myhill did brilliantly to tip over.

Cech was also in action again, keeping out another Geovanni free-kick and a King header.

Chelsea doubled their lead in the 50th minute as Anelka capitalised on uncertainty in the home defence.

Michael Turner and Kamil Zayatte, so impressive in recent weeks, switched off as they allowed a ball to bounce between them.

Myhill came forward to gather but was caught in two minds as he reached the edge of the area and Anelka nipped past him to turn the ball home.

Malouda should have added a third moments later but blasted over.

The Frenchman, however, made up for his earlier misses as he reacted first to stab home a Carvalho cross from close range after 75 minutes.

There was no way back for Hull but Brown gave the home fans something to cheer when he introduced local hero Dean Windass for only the second time this season late on.

Another Hull substitute, Richard Garcia, headed a late chance wide from a corner but there was to be no consolation.

Nevertheless, the Tigers have still enjoyed a fine introduction to the top flight. Their initiation will continue on Saturday when they travel to Manchester United.

The Daily Mail claims that Guus Hiddink, the new Chelsea manager, will seek advice from Luiz Felipe Scolari regarding the dressing-room uncertainty at Stamford Bridge.

Scolari was fired by the Blues earlier this week after Saturday's goalless draw with Hull City saw them slip to fourth in the Premier League standings, seven points behind leaders Manchester United.

It has since come to light that several Pensioners players complained to Roman Abramovich, the club's owner, about the Brazilian trainer's methods and tactics.

Petr Cech, Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack have been labelled as the key figures among this mutinous crew, although the latter has denied any involvement in Scolari's sacking.

Nevertheless, it seems that Hiddink will take the unusual measure of contacting Scolari to single out those at the heart of Chelsea's in-house problems.

The Dutchman, who will continue as coach of the Russian national team during stint in the Premier League, is due to meet with his new charges tomorrow.

Manchester City midfielder Elano has struggled to make an impression on the Premier League this season under current manager Mark Hughes, after his performances last season had made him into something of a fans' favourite at Eastlands.

But this campaign has been dogged by reports of behind-the scenes dissatisfaction from the Brazilian, who was linked with a move to Lazio during the transfer window, and who was rumoured to have a somewhat strained relationship with Hughes. The manager seemed to feel that the midfielder lacked a certain amount of professional discipline, especially after he gave an unauthorised television interview expressing his frustrations with life at City.

However, after scoring for Brazil in their 2-0 win against Italy at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday evening, the 27-year-old is now hoping to replicate his international form in his club performances.

"I am very hungry to show what I am capable of, to show that I can be useful, and I think I proved that," he told The Manchester Evening News.

"But I do not have to prove anything to anyone. I only try to prove it to myself and, because I work hard every day, I know how difficult it is.

"However, that is all I can say. I am a lucky man and in important games I always end up appearing."

He was also at pains to stress that his manager was now feeling more positive about his potential contribution as well, although he seemed to find it difficult to remember the Welshman's name.

"The Manchester City coach also believes in me," he added.

"But he has his way of putting the team on the pitch and I respect that because that's the way it is.

"But I will continue to work hard so I can get into his plans and play, because what [else] can you do? I have to work and do my best.

"Because if I give up and leave, everything will be worse for me. I never choose to act different. I always try to do my best wherever I play."

Elano contributed a goal and a sterling performnce to Brazil's 2-0 defeat of Italy at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, prompting some speculation from his international manager Dunga as to why he wasn't enjoying more first team opportunities at his club, Manchester City.

Today, his club boss, Mark Hughes, has spoken to reassure the skilful midfielder that his opportunities to impress at the club will come, and that he is vital for the team's success this season.

"At times Elano is frustrated," the Welshman told The Manchester Evening News.

"He's one of those players who finds it difficult if he's not in the starting XI but I think he understands now that I am trying to build a squad and understands where the club wants to go.

"He's settled down in that respect. He's got a big part to play and he knows that."

And Hughes was delighted that City's two Brazilians had enjoyed some notable international success this week, with Robinho also scoring against Italy, and hoped that it would provide his side with a boost.

"Robinho and Elano were excellent against Italy and I'm pleased that they were able to score," he added.

"Most people will come back from international duty with a spring in their step and there certainly won't be a detrimental effect for the weekend from our point of view."

Brazilian starlet Dentinho remains a target for Italian giants Juventus after continuing his positive performances for club side Corinthians. If Juve are to sign the 20-year-old, they have been told that they will have to find 8.5 million in order to complete the transaction

The Bianconeri continue to look for an heir to Pavel Nedved, who will likely be retiring at the end of the current season. Werder Bremen's Diego and Valencia's David Silva are two players who have constantly been linked with a move to Turin.

However, Bianconeri scouts have been impressed with Dentinho's feats for Corinthians and the Brazilian Under-20 side, leading to serious interest in the player, who would represent a cheaper option than either of his European counterparts.

In addition, Juventus now know the youngster's price tag. "If I could get 8.5m for Dentinho, then I would sell our jewel," revealed Corinthians president Andres Sanchez, according to Tuttosport.

One of Dentinho's representatives is Vittorio Grimaldi, who is also the agent of the Bianconeri's Brazilian striker Amauri, and it is believed that this could help make any transaction run more smoothly.

Milan will be involved in a crucial match for the Scudetto on Sunday when they play Inter in the city derby, but they will most likely be without their star Brazilian, Kaka.

Milan are eight points behind the league-leading Nerazzurri, however, a win over their city rivals could reignite their title hopes.

Kaka went down injured in the 1-1 draw with Reggina last Saturday, with initial reports claiming he would miss two weeks of action. However, suggestions yesterday indicated that the 26-year-old could return in time to face Jose Mourinho's side.

Now, according to the Corriere dello Sport, the chances that Kaka will play this Sunday are extremely slim. He was unable to resume training with his team-mates on Wednesday, instead forced to work in the gym.

Kaka is the Rossoneri's top scorer in league play this season, finding the net 11 times. Ronaldinho is his probable replacement in coach Carlo Ancelotti's starting XI.

UK tabloid The Sun claims that Everton are eager to hammer out a permanent deal for Jo, who they landed on loan from Manchester City last month.

The Brazilian prospect arrived at Eastlands last summer in deal worth over 21 million, a fee that reflected his superb goalscoring record at CSKA Moscow (44 strikes in 77 league games).

However, the 21-year-old has failed to make any sort of impact in Manchester, struggling to hold down a place in the squad despite the Sky Blues' desperate need of a genuine centre-forward.

Thus, Mark Hughes shipped out the troublesome target-man at the first opportunity, and the early signs suggest that he is well on the way to resurrecting his career at Goodison Park.

On his Everton debut, Jo scored twice and won a penalty to steer his new side to a 3-0 bashing of Bolton Wanderers, and manager David Moyes is already hatching a plan to buy him outright.

The Toffees were among those chasing the sometime Selecao star during the off-season, but financial restrictions - c****ined with City's comparitive lack thereof - forced them to drop out.

However, with the Citizens' Arab owners looking to upgrade their struggling squad significantly at the end of the campaign, Jo could be available for a cut-price deal.

They're ridiculously rich, certainly; and their squad is littered with top-quality players; but still Manchester City are, if not a full-blown laughing stock, a chuckling stock at the very least.

Some decent performances of late have seen the Citizens put eight points between them and the relegation zone, but it was only a matter of weeks ago that they were staring into the depths of the Championship.

They now sit ninth in the Premier League table, albeit some 18 points adrift of the Champions League places for which Mark Hughes' men were supposed to contest this season.

But there were also going to be some bumps during the early days of Abu Dhabi United Group's (ADUG) involvement with the club, what with all the rebuilding and the clearing of debris.

And Robinho, the centrepiece of the Eastlands project, remains confident that the blue half of Manchester will have plenty to sing about between now and 2019.

The Brazilian said in The Daily Star, Where do I see City in 10 years time? A respected club, one that every player will want to play for.

Hopefully by then the club will have won many titles, such as the Premier League and Champions League.

Our objective is to be big but we must work hard. We can be bigger by winning titles.

The owners have been buying excellent players. I dont know anything about their business but they are showing they understand football.

They are investing in the team, which I believe will bring good results. I think City has excellent players.

Brazil forward Robinho believes that his side's victory over Italy last night will make the rest of the world take "notice" of their potential.

Robinho was the star of the show at the Emirates, where he grabbed an assist for the first goal and then scored a brilliant second, helping his side to a 2-0 win.

Speaking to Sport, he declared that his goal was "good" and that the Brazilian team have started the year in a positive fashion.

"It is always difficult to win against Italy, so everyone left the game very happy," he mused.

The former Real Madrid man wanted to emphasise the fact that Brazil had won in an impressive manner against a "great team, who are the champions of the world."

He also declared that, when the Brazilians play at their best, they are very hard to play against.

"From the start we moved the ball well and imposed our style of play [onto the Italians], he stated. When we do this, we make life very difficult for our opponents..

Chelsea's temporary manager Guus Hiddink may have a laborious challenge ahead of him in uniting a disjointed dressing room if rumours are to be believed.

Press reports suggest that the Portuguese-speaking contingent at Stamford Bridge developed a clique; there were those who were still smarting from the departure of Jose Mourinho; c****ined with that, there was allegedly a pro and anti-Luiz Felipe Scolari camp.

Blues assistant Ray Wilkins though has denied there are any such rifts.

"The reports are totally untrue, we don't have any sort of split, none whatsoever," the 52-year-old is quoted by the BBC as saying.

"Every coach has their own methods and some players like them, some don't - it happens at every football club."

Chelsea and England captain John Terry intimated on Tuesday that there may be warring opinions at Stamford Bridge, as he said: "Scolari had my full support, I'm sure two or three of the other players would say the same."

But Wilkins countered: "Whenever any coach coaches a club as big as Chelsea, the players who don't play are going to be disgruntled, that's a fact and it's no different here.

"They all want to play, but you can only pick 11 people, so it's very difficult for the coach."

Scolari offered a parting diatribe five days prior to his eventual exit when he told French media:

"At Chelsea we didn't have the player who can make the difference by himself by producing something magical on the pitch... Robinho could have been this player."

Wilkins stood by the players at his disposal. "Football is all about opinions, and Felipe has his own opinions on the game.

"My opinion is that we do have special players at this club, a number of them in fact."

Regarding the dismissal of the Brazilian, Wilkins offered: "I was shocked, yes. He was a very decent man, and I enjoyed working with him immensely.

"But football is a tough game and a couple of results went against us and the decision was made.

"I was shocked and disappointed because I enjoyed his company, he was a smashing guy."

Wilkins takes charge of Chelsea for the club's FA Cup clash against Watford this weekend.

Guus Hiddink's first game will be the crucial top four fixture against Aston Villa at Villa Park a week hence.

Manchester City came within a whisker of adding yet another Brazilian to their ranks this winter, but Kaka ended up snubbing Eastlands' vast riches to remain with AC Milan.

And Elano has confessed that he was more than a little disappointed that his fellow Selecao star refused to join the Sky Blues revolution.

The 27-year-old said in The Daily Star, Yes, I was sad he didnt come. To have played next to him at City would have made a difference because he brings a lot of positive things.

Hes a world-class player and very well-regarded. I would have loved him to play for City. But it was his choice whether to come or not.

Elano and Kaka played alongside one another this week when Brazil dealt Italy, the World Cup holders, a 2-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium in London.

The former struck the South Americans' opener, displaying the sort of touch on the international stage that he would love to be given the chance to replicate at club level.

The ex-Shakhtar Donetsk has found first-team opportunities scarce under Mark Hughes, and the last few months have seen him linked extensively with a move away from England.

But Elano said, Its all OK. I dont want to cause a problem. I only feel upset because I feel Im capable of starting every game. I am working hard.

Michel Bastos has previously seemed a little uneasy in Lille due to the apparent lack of glamour at the club. Back in December, just prior to signing a new deal with les Dogues, Bastos had bemoaned the lack of recognition for Lille back in Brazil, believing that to be hindering his chances of a call up for the Selecao.

However, the attacking midfielders international career may yet take off as Brazilian national coach Dunga indicated that he has been aware of the players recent form, which has seem him score nine Ligue 1 goals this season in addition to contributing five assists.

I know of him, Dunga said, according to Ligue 1s official website. He's very fast and he's got a very powerful shot. He just needs to be consistent in his performances to get the call. If he carries on playing this well he'll get his chance.

Of course I keep an eye out on what's happening in France. I check out Lyon's Brazilians.

Lyons quintet of Brazilians, Juninho, Cris, Fabio Santos, Ederson and Fred, are all unlikely to make the national squad for one reason or another. Juninho has retired from national duty while Fred has been cut from Lyons squad after a series of spats with the management. Cris simply isnt playing at his peak while Fabio Santos and the improving Ederson are not yet at the requisite level.

Ultimately, this means that Ligue 1 is without representation in the Selecao, although this could all change if Michel Bastos can maintain his fine form.

Brazil and Italy will do battle in an international friendly match this Tuesday evening at the Emirates stadium in London.

It promises to be an enthralling battle between the two most successful nations, as they have won an incredible nine World Cups between them over time.

In the lead up to this clash, the Brazilian coach Dunga has recently discussed many issues concerning the fixture, including Amauri, a player who was denied the opportunity to play for his country by his club Juventus.

We knew that our claim was out of time, and unfortunately Juventus refused to grant the player, meaning that we must respect the law, Dunga declared in an interview, as reported by Datasport.it.

Amauri has to be submissive to the will of his own club, he added.

Being in the position he is however, I really feel sorry for him.

I looked at the great champions of the past and I dreamed of following in their footsteps.

If that was me, I would never have allowed anyone to break my wish, he continued.

Dunga had some final comments regarding the significance of the upcoming friendly, as well as how his players will approach the contest.

We will approach the game in a positive manner, which will hopefully give our players the best chance of expressing themselves in the best possible way.

Its not easy to do this for your country however, because there are only two days of training together, but we are hoping for the best, Dunga concluded.

The enticing friendly gets underway in London at 20:45 CET Tuesday evening.

10) Rivaldo

One of the best players in the world during the late 1990s, Rivaldo, like most on this list, had a quite delicious left foot. Often he made use of this from set-piece situations, both for club and country. Below is a stunner for Barcelona against Turkish outfit Fenerbahce.

9) Pele

Football royalty that he is, it is often forgotten just how good at free kicks Pele was, particularly those just outside the area, which were hit with fierce power and swerve. Not many players have scored free kicks in successive World Cups, but The King did, with this effort against Romania in 1970 particularly noteworthy.

8) Eder

A star member of the brilliant 1982 Brazil team, which also included Socrates, Falcao, Cerezo and Junior, Eder was known as The Cannon due to his rocket of a left foot. During Espana 82 he scored two wonder-goals, but he will be best remembered for his astonishing free kick that hit the bar against Argentina, and led to Zico breaking the deadlock. This is quite possibly the greatest free kick of all-time that never went in.

7) Roberto Carlos

Roberto Carlos has always been hit-and-miss with his free kicks, but he simply has to be on this list, purely down to the fact that he scored possibly the best free kick of all time against France during Le Tournoi in 1997. Everyone who witnessed this goal 'live' had the same reaction pure disbelief!

6) Dirceu

The silky-skilled attacking midfielder spent the best part of a decade in Italy, where he became famous for his dead-balls, particularly during one season with Avellino in 1986/87 where he led them to a club-record eighth place with a whole host of free kicks. Dirceu played in three World Cups for Brazil, and scored this beautiful curler against Peru in 1978.

5) Branco

The dead-ball successor to Rivelino and Eder, and predecessor to Roberto Carlos, the left-footed Branco was one of the worlds free kick experts of the late 1980s and early 90s. The ex-Porto, Genoa and Middlesbrough left back used the valve of the ball in order to increase movement and swing. Booked Brazils place in the semi-finals of the 1994 World Cup with this blockbuster against Holland.

4) Juninho Pernambucano

The midfielder is regarded by many to have been the worlds best free kick taker this decade. As of November 2008, the 33-year-old had scored an incredible 40 goals from direct free kicks during his seven years with French side Lyon, working out at just under six a season.

3) Rivelino

Feared by goalkeepers for possessing a disturbingly powerful left foot shot, a potency that earned him the nickname, Atomic Kick. One of the pioneers of the banana shot, due to his ability to swerve the ball obscene proportions, elastico-inventor Rivelino scored a truly unique free kick during the 1974 second round World Cup win over East Germany. Watch the video to below to see what 'Mr. Moustache' did.

2) Didi

Voted best player at the 1958 World Cup, Didi was one of the first Brazilian free kick masters. The ex-Fluminense, Botafogo and Real Madrid star was the inventor of the dry leaf free kick, so-called because it would dip and swerve in unpredictable directions. Of the 20 goals he scored for the Selecao, a dozen came from dead-balls, including the one below in the 5-0 thrashing of Mexico at the 1954 World Cup.

1) Zico

The best player in the world during the early 1980s, few could curl a ball over a defensive wall with such unerring accuracy as Zico. The White Pele, who starred for Flamengo, Udinese, Sumitomo Metals and Kashima Antlers, scored one of the best World Cup free kicks against Scotland in 1982. While once playing for Udinese against Juventus, it took five minutes for him to take a free kick, as the Old Lady were so fearful they kept illegally pushing the wall forward.

wha yall seh??

Van der Vaart announces move to Real Madrid

When the two teams were paired together in December, Los Merengues were still suffering from inconsistency, but they have since embarked on an impressive run of wins.

Liverpool will test Madrid in both legs, Raul believes, only now the Spanish giants will be able to match their English opponents and make a concerted effort to beat them.

"I think it will be a tight tie," he told Marca. "We are in much better form than when the draw happened and Liverpool have somewhat gone down a bit.

"We will play 180 tense minutes and I think the tie will be decided by small details. Liverpool are a very strong team.

"But we need to win the first game without conceding any goals. A goalless draw in Madrid would be good for us, just as it was against Manchester United years ago.

"Then a draw in Anfield would be enough to go through to the next round."

Raul has also not given up hope of winning the Spanish league title after reducing Barcelona's lead at the top of the table to seven points at the weekend.

"We have chances of winning the league title, but we also had them three weeks ago. I think we can win if we stay close to Barcelona the last seven or eight games," he continued.

"It is all up to Barcelona now. We'll try to make good use of their mistakes. We have to fight to the end."

The Madrid captain then praised coach Juande Ramos for turning the club's fortunes around. He thinks that the coach is responsible for the renewed confidence within the squad.

"The team is in great form and all of the players are performing at a very high level," he explained. "We dominate our matches and have many chances on goal.

"We feel more comfortable on the pitch. We are confident at this key stage of the campaign. The moment of truth has arrived.

"Juande's work has improved gradually with every game. He has calmed us down. We score more goals now and hardly concede any. Our morale, confidence and desire are sky high."