“A perfect day for an FA Cup semi-final. As Dr Glyn Phillips drove with his brother Ian and two mates from Merseyside to Sheffield, they all agreed the weather could not have been better. April showers had been replaced by radiant sunshine and the Pennines looked stunning beneath the immaculate blue skies. A beautiful day for the semi between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.” Tomkins Times
“One of Fernando Torres’s main problems at Chelsea has not been confidence, fitness or adjustment but rather that Carlo Ancelotti’s side simply don’t play the type of pass or game that the striker specialises in. In that sense, he’s been wasted, writes Miguel Delaney” eircom
“Schalke shocked Inter to put themselves on the verge of a European Cup semi-final place. Leonardo switched to a 4-3-1-2 system after Inter’s poor display against Milan with a 4-2-3-1. Dejan Stankovic replaced Goran Pandev, whilst Diego Milito played alongside Samuel Eto’o upfront. Ralf Rangnick played a 4-4-1-1ish system. Kyriakos Papadopoulos was used as the sole holder in midfield, with Jurado given license to go forward. Raul played just off Edu upfront.” Zonal Marking
Inter Milan (Internazionale) 2-5 Schalke – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Champions League
The 90th Minute
“Sunday 30th April 2006 was a memorable day for Reading fans. With the Championship title already clinched with a hearty sixteen-point cushion, Queen Park Rangers visited Steve Coppell’s peerless champions on the final day of the season. The match was played in a fine spirit and blue and white placards were held across the ground before kick-off.” In Bed With Maradona
“Guess the player? He made his debut aged fifteen. He holds the Argentine record for goals scored in one season, forty-seven in thirty-four games. He is the joint highest scorer in Argentinian football history with 293 goals, yet he never represented his country. Alfredo Di Stefano who watched him growing up described him as circus artist, a compliment on his incredible ability to jump.” In Bed With Maradona
“Goalkeepers are supposed to be different. Estranged, aloof and regularly inhabiting the more extreme regions of the personality spectrum, the men who spend their time intercepting spherical projectiles with all parts of their anatomy and are often viewed as football’s great outsiders.” The Equaliser
“The early loss of a goal – and then a player – put Tottenham in a terrible situation they couldn’t recover from. Jose Mourinho named his expected line-up. Emmanuel Adebayor played in the absence of Karim Benzema, who was injured, and Gonzalo Higuain, who was fit enough only for the bench. Harry Redknapp named his expected starting line-up initially, but was then force to change his side when Aaron Lennon became ill before the game. Jermaine Jenas replaced him.” Zonal Marking
Scissors Kick 