http://www.yardbarker.com/content/sport/11 Recent Yardbarker articles: Soccer en-us Three years after CSKA Moscow's victory against Sporting, the UEFA Cup returns to Russia. To Saint Petersburg to be precise and into the trophy room of FC Zenit, who will be adding their first European cup to their club history record. At the City of Manchester stadium (home of Man City), the club sponsored by gas superpower Gazprom beat Rangers by 2-0, and prevented the Scottish team from returning to glory, 35 years after their Cup Winners' Cup triumph in 1973. There will be no "quadruple" for manager Walter Smith this year. but no result was ever more just that Wednesday night's match. After Villareal, Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen, and Bayern Munich, the Russian Premier League champions got rid of Rangers as well, and by the looks of it that may not be their last European victim yet. UEFA Champions League teams beware… (article continues) Fri, 16 May 2008 01:49:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/267527 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/267527 Invited by Francesco Totti and Italian pop singer Eros Ramazzotti, Diego Armando Maradona has picked up his football boots once again. The Partita del Cuore is a yearly humanitarian event in Italy, and what it comes down to is basically a charity match between Italian celebrity figures, plus a selection of professional football players (usually from the golden years). (continues) Thu, 15 May 2008 01:21:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/267153 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/267153 USSoccer.com interviews Kasey Keller, and asked his thoughts on Fulham's successful bid against the drop. Listen to Keller as he describes the satisfaction of their remarkable achievement and where this ranks in his career accomplishments in this podcast. Wed, 14 May 2008 20:11:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/267086 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/267086 These are the current odds for the UEFA Cup final on Wednesday between Zenit and Rangers. Tue, 13 May 2008 11:01:44 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/266438 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/266438 The UEFA-imposed player selection deadline for Euro 2008 is officially May 28, but while other coaches prefer to keep their options open by making "pre-selections" of 28-30 players, Portugal manager Luiz Felipe Scolari went straight to the point today and gave his final List of 23 who will be travelling to SwissAustria in June. Once again, there were some surprises with the selections & omisssions. Tue, 13 May 2008 10:43:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/266430 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/266430 Wayne Rooney and friends in Vegas. TROUBLE!! Tue, 13 May 2008 09:13:42 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/266383 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/266383 Those who thought everything had already been decided were in for a surprise today: we will have to wait to the last round to know who wins the Scudetto this year. Inter were hoping to celebrate early, but drew 2-2 against Siena today, with Roma only one point behind then in the standings. Patrick Vieira opened the score, Massimo Maccarone drew and at the end of the first half, Mario Balotelli's goal brought peace of mind back to Inter. In the second half however, Houssine Kharja evened the score and Marco Materazzi's penalty kick was deflected by Alex Manninger, putting a damper in San Siro's celebratory plans. For Roma however celebration was very much in order, because Panucci's and De Rossi's goals sufficed to win over Atalanta and keep Roman hope alive. The last 90 minutes of serie A will be decisive. (article continues) Mon, 12 May 2008 08:29:57 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265947 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265947 Well well well… it's nice to see everything is back in order in Serie A. I was starting to miss matchdays like these: back in the day, amidst all the footy chaos and odd results there was still one fixed constant in the universe, namely Inter's uncanny ability to shoot themselves in the foot. If you've been following Calcio for longer than 2 years you all know what I'm talking about, right? Ah those days… they sure seemed to be gone after 2006. What, with Inter coming out unscathed of the Calciopoli scandal and creating this super-team of champions (this virtually unstoppable goalscoring machine that should have destroyed everything in its path), one wondered if the average Italian soccer fan would ever find another such perfect team to mock. Don't panic people, Inter's still here! Indeed, believe or not, the Nerazzurri tied 2-2 at home to Siena today. All they needed was a win and the Scudetto was a done deal: in fact, people in Milan had already prepared bottles of Spumante to celebrate Inter's 16th title. But I guess that will have to wait one more week. Yes, Inter tied, by blowing away a double lead from Vieira (trumped by Maccarone) and Balotelli (trumped by Kharja), and then by missing the chance to make it 3-2 from the spot (bravo Materazzi). No need for hair-pulling just yet Inter fans, all you need to do is win at Parma next week and the Scudetto is yours. Ah, if only Parma weren't fighting against relegation and in desperate need for a win themselves… (article continues) Mon, 12 May 2008 00:42:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265905 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265905 Second half report from the final match day of 2007/2008 EPL season. Focuses on the Manchester United vs. Wigan match that decided the title. Plus reports from all other simultaneous EPL matches and season conclusions. Sun, 11 May 2008 14:52:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265765 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265765 First half report from the final match day of 2007/2008 EPL season. Features the Manchester United vs. Wigan match in which the title winner was decided. Reports on all other simultaneous EPL matches included. Sun, 11 May 2008 14:46:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265760 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265760 Manchester United wraps up the English Premier League title! Sun, 11 May 2008 13:23:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265737 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265737 Manchester United are champions by two points from Chelsea after defeating Wigan 2-0 at the JJB with goals from Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs. Sun, 11 May 2008 12:19:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265730 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265730 England wunderwkid Theo Walcott scored in the first half to give Arsenal a 1-0 win over Sunderland to cap their season off with a victory. Sun, 11 May 2008 12:17:48 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265728 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265728 Liverpool's 2-0 win over Spurs Highlights Sun, 11 May 2008 12:15:48 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265727 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265727 Chelsea finish second two points behind Man United after a 1-1 draw against Bolton. Sun, 11 May 2008 12:13:43 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265725 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265725 Two matches left to play in the Serie A and still plenty to be decided: the Scudetto race is still on (somewhat), the battle for 4th spot hasn't said its last word, and the UEFA Cup and relegation zones haven't found permanent residents just yet. Truly, it's been a while since we saw such an open-ended contest in the Italian league. Let's take a look. Sat, 10 May 2008 23:11:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265602 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265602 Manchester United's Nani was given a red card for headbutting Lucas Neill and then flops. Kinda like LeBron: Video Sat, 10 May 2008 21:00:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265583 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265583 Wenger had miscalculated the fallout from Flamini's transfer. What is most painful from this botched negotiation is the club gets nothing in return for a talent which they had cultivated. Some view Flamini as a traitor and a money grabber for walking out on the Gunners. The fans had accepted him as one of their own but yet he rejected Arsenal's final contract offer of £55,000 a week and defect to AC Milan on a free transfer… for just £10,000 more. Sat, 10 May 2008 10:50:59 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265463 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265463 Less than one month after the introduction of the "Players" section on 'The Offside', one of the greatest legends of Italian soccer arrives in the blogging world! I am talking of course about Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero! Believe or not, the birth of an Alessandro Del Piero blog could not arrive at a better time. The 2007-08 season has been somewhat special for our nº10 hero (and all Juventini in general), as it marked the return of the Bianconeri to top-flight Italian football (after the year of purgatory in Serie B), and also the continuation of Juve's rebuilding campaign after the shameful Calciopoli scandal of 2006. This year more than ever, players from La Vecchia Signora were asked to step up to the plate and bring added quality to a team which, after the Summer of 2006, was virtually plundered of some of its best elements (Cannavaro, Zambrotta, Vieira, and Ibrahimovic to name a few). As a result, players like Gianluigi Buffon, Mauro Camoranesi, Pavel Nedved, and David Trezeguet all remained at the club and helped their team rise from its Serie B ashes, becoming true heroes among Juventini supporters for their testament of faith and devotion to the club. (article continues) Fri, 09 May 2008 23:21:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265380 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265380 Christiano Ronaldo's topless girlfriend, pics from mainstrem Croatian newspaper. I hope , I dont get in trouble for this. Thu, 08 May 2008 21:21:55 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265037 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265037 My favorite WAG Cheryl Tweedy was out again and lucky for us someone snapped some photos. This go-round sees her out for some lunch with her footballer husband and all-around idiot Ashley Cole (not pictured, deliberately). Thu, 08 May 2008 12:46:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264842 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264842 Good news today as the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) and the Football Federation Australia (FFA) came to a historic agreement: The first A-League CBA. [FFA create bargaining agreement] The A-League has been in operation for 3 seasons (or 'versions' as it is more commonly referred to), and while there have not been major problems in regards to player welfare, this document enables protection for players. While only a summary of the CBA Summary is available to the public, it outlines many important areas, such as: Player Payments: The Total Player Payments (TPP) will increase by $125,000 a year over the next 3 years. The base salary cap will increase by $100,000 each year. Introduced into the cap is the recently announced 'Under 23 Marquee Player Payment', which is capped at $150,000 per season. This is to keep the upcoming talented Australian players playing in the A-League instead of transferring to overseas clubs. The minimum salary for next season will be $42,000, increasing to $45,000 the next year. After these seasons, the increases are in line with the Consumer Price Index. Injury Payments: In the event of a player being injured, they will receive their renumeration until their contract expiry, which basically insures them if they get injured. If the injury is career ending, an annual payment between one and ten years will be handed out. Minimum one day off per week from football. Players retain their own image rights. Although the CBA runs till the end of the 2013 season, it will be reviewed if the TV rights (which are due to expire in 2013) are re-negotiated before this time. These rights are said to be worth much more than they are worth now, and free-to-air networks will almost certainly be interested in outbidding current holders, Foxtel. The Summary of the A-League CBA may be found here. Thu, 08 May 2008 08:11:06 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264708 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264708 In Italian, there's an expression that perfectly defines the nature of Inter's Coppa Italia performance of Wednesday night: "massimo risultato con il minimo sforzo", which translates to "maximum results with the minimum amount of effort". Any additional comment would be superfluous... Ok fine, I'll tell you just a little bit more. To use the words of Gazzetta (who defined the team as "an expert vulture, awaiting its prey to punish it"), the Nerazzurri played the 'waiting game' on Wednesday night. It's really a fun little game, and it goes something like this: "let your opponents run around the pitch, allow them to keep ball possession & create most of the scoring chances, then rely on them missing those chances and hit them on the counter-attack". Sounds like a lot of fun, right? Delio Rossi wasn't too amused though, especially since he drew the card "Your 44 year-old goalkeeper has butterfingers, and gifts the opponent a goal. Go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200"… (article continues) Thu, 08 May 2008 01:13:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264630 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264630 Chelsea FC has had its ups and downs in recent years. Finally, after another tumultuous season, they have reached the Champions League final. Wed, 07 May 2008 20:49:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264561 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264561 Hello soccer fans, Real Madrid has won the title for the second consecutive time. Meanwhile, Barcelona has been an disappointment to their fans. They lost the second place to Villarreal and lost in the Champions League semifinal to Manchester United. Will they use this opportunity to take revenge and get motivated for next season? Barcelona at Santiago Bernabeu at 4:00 PM Eastern Time. Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-0 in the first leg. Link to watch: http://www.playbeautifully.com/?L=cms.live Have fun, Play Beautifully Wed, 07 May 2008 12:05:58 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264288 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264288 There could be tough times ahead for Luca Toni. The Bayern Munich striker, just recently crowned Bundesliga champion and currently leading the scoring charts with 21 goals, may soon be confronted with an unsurpassable obstacle… of the robotic kind. Its name is Goalias (or GoalIAS if you prefer), and it's the first robot-goalkepeer capable of defending a regular-sized soccer goal. IAS stands for Institut für Automatisierungs und Softwaretechnik ("Automation and Software technology Institute", or something along those lines) and is the University of Stuttgart department responsible for the creation of the mechanical goalkeeper. If you're thinking about a cyborg with a humanoid shape though, you're way off. The robot in question is simply a cardboard on wheels, shaped in the form of a goalkeeper and moving alongside a track placed on the goal line. The real engineering marvel of GOalIAS comes from its three videocameras and computer processor, calculating with lightning-fast velocity (under 400 ms in fact) the best position to make a save every time a shot is taken. (article continues) Tue, 06 May 2008 22:26:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264113 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264113 Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano may decide to be out of the squad at the start of next season, of course that depends on Rafa Benitez allowing him to do that. Tue, 06 May 2008 11:21:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263921 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263921 The LA Galaxy got 2 ridiculous goals from David Beckham this weekend, and he looked like his old self. Check out the video to see Becks' deep shots to lead the Galaxy to a ...tie, well he can't carry a team apparently. Mon, 05 May 2008 16:56:57 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263698 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263698 Real Madrid were able to hold off all challengers for the title of Spain's top flight after beating Osasuna 2-1 in Pamplona on Sunday. And they did it in dramatic fashion after being down a man, Fabio Cannavaro no less, and a goal after Patxi Punal converted from the spot with less than 10 minutes to go. Mon, 05 May 2008 13:43:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263639 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263639 Some people had already nicknamed this title 'The Scudetto of Hardships' (more or less a translation of 'Lo Scudetto della fatica'), and that may be why Inter continue to make things harder for them. 2 years and 18 days since their last derby victory, AC Milan have reclaimed the "Derby della Madonnina" and made a key step towards Champions League qualification. Indeed with the concurrent loss of Fiorentina at Cagliari, the Rossoneri now find themselves in 4th spot with a 1-point advantage over La Viola. In other words: their destiny is entirely in their own hands. Three weeks ago, at the end of the 3-2 match lost to Juventus (Matchday 33) Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti had declared: "Our objective for the rest of the season, in order to qualify for Champions League, will be to win all of our next 5 matches". With the important fixture vs. Inter in the Rossoneri's calendar, this was much easier said than done… but what do you know? AC Milan might just have achieved their objective. As for Inter well… it will take nothing short of a Roman miracle for the Nerazzurri to lose their grip on the Scudetto (on account of their head-to-head record with AS Roma, a win to Siena next week will effectively seal the deal for Roberto Mancini's team), but today's loss is certainly very sour. Is it a coincidence that when Filippo Inzaghi scores on Inter (today was the 4th time it happened), Il Diavolo always ends up victorious? (article continues) Sun, 04 May 2008 22:31:55 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263437 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263437