“The result was never in doubt against part-timers Andorra, but Fabio Cappello’s England fielded a strong side and cruised to a 6-0 victory, demonstrating the Italian’s respect for the opposition, although this was something perhaps that wasn’t reflected by other members of the England entourage.” (Soccer Lens) 

England 6 – 0 Andorra (ESPN)
“Wayne Rooney and Jermain Defoe both scored twice as England gave 58,000 fans, who refused to be beaten by a London travel nightmare, ample reward for their defiance with their biggest win in a competitive game since 1999.”

Finland 0 – 3 Russia (ESPN)

Netherlands 2 – 0 Norway (ESPN)

“Goal.com takes a look at the competing teams and history of the competition ahead of the big kick-off; along the way, we uncover some of the more curious points of interest of the Confederations Cup…” (Goal)

Chile plot course for South Africa 2010 (BBC – Tim Vickery)
“Four of the five games in this weekend’s 13 round of South American World Cup qualifiers were won by the away team. That’s a remarkable statistic in a continent where so often the home sides come out on top. Before this round, the campaign was reproducing the standard South American ratio of 3 to 1, with 31 home wins to 10 away.”

Brazil still battling the ghosts of ’82 (SI – Tim Vickery)
“They say people only ever remember the winners. They can say it all they like — it doesn’t make it true, especially when it comes to soccer. The game is known for its simplicity. But such simplicity hides myriad complexities.”

Best of the rest compete for 2010 World Cup soccer spots (The Canadian Press)
“Few doubt that Brazil and Argentina will qualify for the World Cup finals next year in South Africa. After all, Brazil has played in every one, and Argentina last missed out in 1970. But which other two teams will automatically advance from South American qualifying? A fifth South American team will also have a chance to make it, facing a playoff with the fourth-placed team from North and Central America and the Caribbean.”

World Cup safe from global crisis (Guardian)
” Africa waited decades to host its first soccer World Cup and when it comes, it’s during an unprecedented global economic crisis. The recession has impacted every country, raising fears for the planet’s most watched sporting event, which kicks off a year from now on June 11.
Yet not even the worst crisis since the Great Depression seems likely to deter millions of fanatical football fans or big commercial sponsors.”

Britain to take on match-fixers (BBC)
“The man who took on the drug cheats says match-fixing is fast emerging as a major threat to the integrity of sport. Dick Pound, former president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, has told BBC Sport that sport must step up its efforts to combat corruption.”

The dread of pre-season training looms large (BBC – Gavin Strachan)
“Hi, hope you are all well. It might be June, but having reflected on the season that has just passed, the thoughts of professional footballers are now – grudgingly – switching to getting themselves prepared for pre-season training. For most players, those words ‘pre-season training’ are tantamount to an obscenity.”

“This year’s league title race effectively came to an end one sunny bank holiday weekend in Madrid at the start of May as Barcelona, champions for the 19th time, wrapped up one of the most brilliant campaigns in their history, in which they have scored more goals than ever before, and left Real Madrid empty-handed in second place.” (World Soccer, 2)

Switching allegiance: the transfer moves they said would never happen (Independent)
“These are the words of Real Madrid’s latest signing Kaka – this time last week. His move from AC Milan for a world record transfer fee of £58m is just the latest in a long line of players who have declared their undying loyalty to a club, only to switch allegiances.”

The Soccerlens Premier League 08/09 Season Review (Soccer Lens)
“So that’s it. The curtain has fallen on another season in English football and what a season it has been too! We’ve seen Manchester United look as though they would win every conceivable trophy and yet their season ends with ultimate disappointment. Liverpool’s recent form was the stuff of champions but in a campaign that looked to be promising so much, they ended up winning nothing.”

Revitalised Serbia riding high under Raddy Antic (Guardian)
“Red Star are disintegrating, crowds for domestic matches remain low and violent, and there are constant allegations of corruption. Serbian football should be in a mess – domestically it is in a mess – and yet somehow the national team sits atop what looked a tough qualifying group for the World Cup.”

Return of the Galacticos (NYT)
“It seems Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Perez, hasn’t lost his taste for galacticos. On Monday, Perez and Real Madrid completed the acquisition of the Brazilian star Kaka from A.C. Milan. The transfer fee was reported to be about $92 million, a record. (I guess money was everything after all.)”

Football: Europe’s top 40 summer transfer targets (Guardian)
“Cristiano Ronaldo His on-off move to Madrid looks like it could be back on again after Real’s new president, Florentino Pérez, said he wanted to bring both Kaka and Ronaldo to the club. Possible destination – Real Madrid. Value – £60m”

Tom Jenkins’s best pictures of the football season (Guardian)
“This was at the game between the so-called two richest clubs in the world and true to form the City fans had come prepared to show their backing to the new Arab owners. I like this sweet moment caught as the players, including Robinho on his home debut, warmed up in front of these young boys dressed in identical headwear.”

Top 10 footballers who revealed T-shirts with messages (Who ate all the pies)

“Sebastian Giovinco (born January 26, 1987 in Turin) is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus. Giovinco is an attacking midfielder with noted dribbling and play-making skills.” Wikipedia, YouTube

“The football season may be over but the silly season is well and truly in full swing. It’s easy to see why Rafa might be frustrated with the lack of any progress on our new stadium, because if we were to sign half of the players the clowns in the media have us linked with in their many “exclusives”, we will need the extra capacity just to fit them all into the ground!” (This Is Anfield)

Loan ranger Tom Hicks Kops the blame for problems at Liverpool (Guardian)
“Liverpool’s co-owner said in a statement at the end of last week, before adding a pay-off so lacking in self-awareness that it was almost comical: ‘I don’t want any of this to be a distraction to the team and our fans.’ If any of this sounds familiar to Liverpool fans, who have watched their beloved club slide into almost constant tumult, at least off the field, since Hicks and his business partner George Gillett arrived on Merseyside back in 2007, then it was the same old story, too, in the States, where Hicks has earned a reputation for what the New York Times called wrong-headedness.”

Liverpool’s American owners make huge loss (ESPN)
“Liverpool’s parent company owned by Tom Hicks and George Gillett suffered a £42.6m loss last year – mainly due to interest payments on the debts the Americans took on to buy the club. In the annual accounts released tonight, Liverpool’s accountants have also warned that remaining uncertainty over refinancing the £350m debt before the July 24 deadline ‘may cast significant doubt on the group’s and parent company’s ability to continue as a going concern’.”

Liverpool left to tumble into £420m black hole (The Independent)
“The financial black hole otherwise known as Kop Football Limited – or KFL, the holding company of Liverpool – owed a total of £421.6m to creditors at the end of the 2007-08 financial year, but Liverpool’s manager, Rafa Benitez, will still be given summer transfer funds of around £20m plus whatever he makes in sales, according to sources close to the club’s owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett.”

KPMG warn that Liverpool could become the next Leeds (OLEOLE)
“Just like a sudden sharp pain down your left arm on a cold Tuesday night, Liverpool’s supporters were blindsided by financial auditors KPMG’s latest findings into their club. Unable to repay their loan debts in January, Liverpool’s owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, made arrangements with RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) and Wachovia to repay their financial arrangements on July 24, a sum of £350m.”

Real Madrid admit interest in Liverpool FC star Xabi Alonso (Liverpool Echo)
“REAL MADRID president Florentino Perez has admitted for the first time that he wants to sign Xabi Alonso – but Reds boss Rafa Benitez insists he’s not for sale. Perez is overseeing a major overhaul at the Bernabeu this summer and is prepared to test Liverpool’s resolve with a £25million bid for the 27-year-old midfielder.”

Kleber would entertain move to Liverpool (ESPN)
“Brazilian international Kleber has insisted he is happy to remain with Cruzeiro amid increasing speculation about a move to Liverpool, but would entertain a move to the Premier League should a fee be agreed between the two clubs. The 25-year-old is thought to be one of Rafael Benitez’s top targets for next season as the Reds manager looks to challenge Manchester United for the Premier League title.”

Reds make £20million move for Lavezzi (This Is Anfield)
“Liverpool have made a £20million offer for Napoli’s Agentine striker Ezequiel Lavezzi, according to the player’s agent. The 24-year-old has been strongly tipped to leave the Serie A club after writing an open letter to the fans last week saying he had been treated with disrespect by club officials over his contract.”

Moore’s love affair with football still burns bright (Wirral News)
“The Daily Post’s Tranmere Rovers reporter Nick Hilton reflects on Friday’s surprise sacking of manager Ronnie Moore. YOU can be sure Ronnie Moore won’t pass on the opportunity to offer some wry reflection on the unstable nature of the football management business when he stands up to address his wedding guests this week.”

Anfield Icon Robbie Fowler Would Love To Manage Liverpool (Goal)
“Former England international Robbie Fowler, 34, currently of the North Queensland Fury in Australia’s A-League, has u-turned on his previous ambitions of making an early retirement from football and has now declared that he would relish entering a career in coaching and management.”

“Obinna Nsofor snatched two second half goals to help ensure a comfortable 3-0 win for Nigeria over Kenya in their World Cup African zone Group B qualifier in Abuja on Sunday. The Inter Milan forward, who saw little league action this season, converted a 72nd minute penalty and then hit home a thundering shot five minutes later.” (ESPN)

Cameroon 0 – 0 Morocco (ESPN)
“Cameroon and Morocco played out a 0-0 draw in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday, leaving the two nations struggling to qualify for next year’s World Cup finals in South Africa.”

Egypt thrashed in 2010 qualifier (BBC)
“Egypt face a struggle to qualify for the 2010 World Cup after an away defeat to Algeria leaves them stranded at the bottom of their group. Cameroon are another Africa giant propping up their group after a goalless draw with Morocco. But Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ivory Coast and Ghana all won over the weekend to maintain their 100% starts to the final round of 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.”

Africa’s finest in action (BBC)
“Every week, the BBC World Service’s African sports programme Fast Track rounds up the continent’s goal scorers in the top leagues in Europe. Now with club action over for the season and players on their way to international duties, Fast Track brings you the best of the season 2008-09.”

2010 World Cup tables (BBC)
“The 5 group winners go through to join the world’s best at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The top three in each group will go to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.”

Cameroon/Morocco: Lions Fail to Roar At Home (Vanguard)
“The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon failed to bounce back to World Cup contention after they were held to a barren draw at home by the Atlas Lions of Morocco. Both teams needed victory to stay in contention for the single.”

Nigeria/Kenya: Nigeria Beat Kenya (This Day)
“Super Eagles, yesterday in Abuja, humphed and laboured with their flight for the best part of 90 minutes to get their journey to the World Cup 2010 ticket on course. Still they had a 3-0 victory that looked emphatic enough to flatter them and their massive supporters on at the end of the game against the Harambee Stars of Kenya.”

Ghana/Mali: Stars Put Hand On Self Destruct Button (Public Agenda)
” It has not been pressed yet but the build up to the crucial 2010 joint African and World Cup qualifier against Mali will leave many Ghanaian football fans worrying weather the Black Stars are not on the verge of pressing the self destruct button.”

Nigeria Back On Track (MTN Football)
“Nigeria got their 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a 3-0 defeat of Group B rivals Kenya at the National Stadium in Abuja on Sunday evening.”

“Brazil capitalised on an early blunder by goalkeeper Sebastian Viera to thrash Uruguay 4-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday and claim their first away win against their smaller neighbours for 33 years. Daniel Alves scored early when his speculative 40-metre shot bounced around six metres in front of goal, was completely misjudged by Viera and flew into the net.” (ESPN)

In a Busy World, Brazil Discovers the Will to Work (NYT)
“The 2010 World Cup in South Africa is beginning to take shape. The first four nations to qualify for the tournament are Australia, Japan, the Netherlands and South Korea. With due respect to them, this is relatively easy in their parts of the world. They are the expected qualifiers, big fish in their qualifying pools.”

Brazil serve up lethal cocktail in Uruguay (Guardian)
“Brazil served up another lethal cocktail of uncompromising defence and clinical counter-attacks in their unprecedented 4-0 win in Uruguay on Saturdau. Brazil soaked up the first-half pressure in Montevideo and found themselves 2-0 up at halftime on the way to their first win in Uruguay since 1976.”

Away joy for South American trio (FIFA)
“Visiting sides held the ascendancy in the latest round of qualifying matches in South America, with three of the four away teams in action on Saturday recording valuable wins on the road.”

Uruguay-Brazil, an old classic renovated with World Cup dreams (CONMEBOL)
“Uruguay’s national team will almost reach 50 goals, scored this season by its forwards Diego Forlán and Luis Suárez in Europe, in front of the best defense in the Qualifiers, that of Brazil that has only received 5 in twelve rounds, in a key match for both.”

Latest Photos (FIFA)

Argentina do just enough, but scare no one (ESPN)
“An improved second half performance from Argentina cemented them in third position in the South American qualifying group.”

Top spot surrendered by Paraguay (ESPN)
“Paraguay were knocked off the top of the South American World Cup qualifying group after a shock 2-0 home defeat to Chile on Sunday.”

Bolivia back down to earth (ESPN)
“Bolivia stumbled to a 1-0 home loss to a well-prepared Venezuela in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday, the high-flying hosts given a cold dose of reality after their stunning 6-1 win over Argentina two months ago.”

“Clint Dempsey flubbed a backheel five minutes in, Honduras pounced on it and the United States fell behind early for the second time in four days. ‘Here we go again,’ U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra thought. Only this time, for the first time in 24 years, the Americans came from behind to win a World Cup qualifier.”(ESPN)

World Cup Qualifying: U.S. 2, Honduras 1 (NYT)
“Pregame United States Coach Bob Bradley made four changes to his lineup for Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against Honduras, dropping DeMarcus Beasley and Marvell Wynne in an attempt to tighten up the defense. Mistakes by Beasley and Wynne led to two goals by Costa Rica in first 13 minutes of the Americans’ 3-0 loss on Wednesday. Jonathan Spector and Jonathan Bornstein replaced them in the starting lineup on Saturday night.”

USA rallies to beat Honduras 2-1, extends home streak against CONCACAF opponents (CONCACAF)
“Carlos Bocanegra scored his 11th international goal in the 68th minute to give the United States a 2-1 victory over El Salvador on Saturday, recovering from its loss three days earlier in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.”

Mexico woe as Ticos roll (FIFA)
“It was another action-packed night in the North, Central American and Caribbean zone. Costa Rica were made to work for their three points on the road in Tobago while the United States survived an early scare to beat Honduras in Chicago, with Mexico – struggling woefully in 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ qualifying – losing out 2-1 in El Salvador. Join FIFA.com for a closer look at all the evening’s action from CONCACAF.”

2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ qualifier: USA – Honduras (FIFA)

El Salvador 2-1 Mexico: Quintanilla stuns El Tri (ESPN)
“Eliseo Quintanilla scored on a penalty kick in the 85th minute to lift El Salvador to a critical 2-1 victory over Mexico on Saturday in a World Cup qualifier. The result gives El Salvador some hope of reaching next year’s World Cup finals in South Africa, while plunging Mexico into a deeper hole.”

Late penalty lifts El Salvdor 2-1, continues Mexico’s woes (CONCACAF)
“A dramatic penalty kick with four minutes remaining by Eliseo Quintanilla lifted El Salvador to an emotional 2-1 win against Mexico at Estadio Cuscatlan Saturday night. Quintanilla struck from the spot after Mexican defender Oscar Rojas blocked Julio Martinez’s cross while sliding near the end line.

T & T 2-3 Costa Rica: Borges nets brace (ESPN)
“Celso Borges scored twice, including a tiebreaking goal in the 68th minute, and Costa Rica defeated Trinidad and Tobago 3-2 in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday night.”

“France bounced back from their miserable performance against Nigeria earlier this week to beat 10-man Turkey in Lyon tonight. Having been booed off after a 1-0 loss in St Etienne three days ago, France were eager to put those memories to bed and did so courtesy of Karim Benzema’s first-half penalty at the Stade de Gerland.” (ESPN)

Unconvincing but enough for England (ESPN)
“Emile Heskey scored his first goal in a competitive match for England since the 2002 World Cup as Fabio Capello’s side took another important if unconvincing step towards the 2010 finals. The Aston Villa striker had not hit the target in an important match for his country since netting against Denmark in Japan seven years ago.”
Kazakhstan 0-4 England (BBC)
England bounce back to finish on a high in Almaty (Paul Hayward – Guardian)
Kazakhstan v England: Steven Gerrard revels on centre stage (Telegraph)

Youngsters do it for Wales (ESPN)
“Wales’ amazing youngsters grew up in front of boss John Toshack’s eyes here, to claim their first away win in this World Cup Group Four qualifier. Toshack had been shorn of 10 senior players for this long trip to the shores of the Caspian sea and he must have had doubts in the back of his mind that this bunch of raw youngsters could handle an occasion like this.”
Toshack praises young side (FIFA)

South Korea qualify for seventh time in a row (ESPN)
“South Korea qualified for their seventh consecutive World Cup finals on Saturday after beating United Arab Emirates 2-0 in a Group Two qualifier.”

Point not good enough for either (ESPN)
“North Korea spurned their chance of earning an early play-off place for next year’s World Cup finals in South Africa when they were held to a goalless draw with Iran on Saturday.”
Korea Republic clinch finals berth (FIFA)

Honours even in Sofia (FIFA)
“Richard Dunne kept Republic of Ireland on course for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ as Giovanni Trapattoni’s side scrapped their way to a hard-fought draw in Bulgaria.”

Bulgaria 1 – 1 Ireland (ESPN)
“Richard Dunne kept the Republic of Ireland on course for the World Cup finals as his side scrapped their way to a hard-fought draw in Bulgaria.”

Denmark beats Sweden 1-0 in WCup qualifier (SI)
“Thomas Kahlenberg scored an early goal and Thomas Sorensen saved a penalty to lead Denmark past Sweden 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday. The win – Denmark’s first over Sweden since 1996 – solidifies the former European champion’s grip on the top spot in Group 1 with 16 points from six games as it looks to qualify for the World Cup finals for the fourth time.”

Italy 3 Northern Ireland 0: Match report (Telegraph)
“Giuseppe Rossi scored one goal and set up another in Italy’s 3-0 win over Northern Ireland in a friendly on Saturday. The American-born Rossi found the target with a powerful shot from outside the area in the 20th minute, then provided a through ball that set up a goal for Pasquale Foggia in the 53rd.”

Munich Allianz Arena
“This week marks the fourth anniversary of the opening of the Allianz Arena (or Fußball Arena München for UEFA-organised matches), home to FC Bayern München and TSV 1860 München and made famous during the 2006 World Cup.” (Pitch Invasion)

Topple Every Statue (The Run of Play)
“I’m pleased to announced that—thanks in part to readers just like you—we came home with a pretty decent haul from the inaugural EPL Awards sponsored by EPL Talk.”

A troubled tournament looks forward (ESPN)
“A tournament with a troubled history, the Confederations Cup is arguably the second most prestigious competition – behind the World Cup – staged by FIFA, but was only recognised as such in 1997. The first time a competition of this type was seen was in the Mundialito (Spanish for ‘little World Cup’) in 1980, when six teams from two confederations (UEFA and CONMEBOL) met in Uruguay, with the hosts beating Brazil 2-1 in the final.”

U.S. team overwhelmed in every facet by Costa Rica (ESPN)
“When the U.S. national team’s lineup versus Costa Rica was first revealed Wednesday night, it was easy to think the Americans were ready to attack and try to deliver their first-ever victory in a World Cup qualifier played in Costa Rica. A three-forward formation coupled with a pair of superfast fullbacks gave the impression the U.S. team would attempt to overwhelm Costa Rica with pace and attack down the flanks.”

A Response to Barry Glendenning on Gareth Barry (A More Splendid Life)
“Barry Glendenning doesn’t often write feature articles for the Guardian Football website, so when he does it means something is jammed deep in his craw, usually one of football’s false idols.”

England goalkeeper crisis (WSC)
“Injuries to David James and Ben Foster leave England forced to choose between Scott Carson, Robert Green and Paul Robinson to face Kazakhstan today. Three goalkeepers that many would accuse of lacking that oft mentioned, never defined quality of ‘international class’.”

FIFA can’t control agents (WSC)
“Wayne Rooney seems to be bearing up quite well considering that he is involved in a bitter conflict that has rumbled on for seven years. The warring parties are his current agent Paul Stretford and Streford’s former company Formation that he left last year.”

Leadership, consistency key for Aguirre in return as Mexican coach (SI)
“Once again, Mexico will usher in a new era and again it will start with a World Cup qualifier. Much like last August, a new coach will debut in a qualifying game in charge of El Tri and he’ll either be crowned the conquering hero or will leave many wondering why a change was made in the first place.”

Club down, Messi turns to country (SI)
“If there were still any doubts, Lionel Messi last week proved he is the best player in the world after playing a key role in Barcelona’s victory over Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League final. Messi wasn’t at his best that day, but he still made the difference, scoring Barça’s second goal with a spectacular header.”

“How will 2008/09 be remembered for Arsenal? Was it a failure, no silverware and fourth in the Premier League or should it be viewed positively, two cup semi-finals and Champions League football once more at The Emirates? The truth is a mix of the two.” A Cultured Left Foot – 1, 2, 3, 4

“One week after a much acclaimed Champions’ League final in Rome, FIFA’s Congress passed a new resolution removing age limits on a player’s ability to change national teams. While the vote received little fanfare as more attention seems to be affixed on whether Kaka will play for AC Milan, Real Madrid or Chelsea, the potential repercussions on international football are enormous.” (Soccer Lens)

Kazakhstan v England: Fabio Capello has ‘big confidence’ in World Cup chances (Telegraph)
“With a perfect qualifying record so far, England can virtually guarantee their participation in next year’s tournament with victories in Almaty tomorrow and at home to Andorra on Wednesday. Capello has also made it clear that he will accept “no excuse” for any tiredness from his players at the end of 10 months of continuous football.”

US citizen Afshin Ghotbi chases Iran’s fading World Cup dream (The Sport Blog)
“Afshin Ghotbi has learned the adoring realities of Iranian hospitality quicker than most. The Iran national team coach arrived at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport last month to cheers and a hail of flowers. It was the second time the prodigal son of Iran football had been showered by his doting public. This time it was to mark the arrival of the national team’s latest boss by a public eager for good news as Iran teeter on the edge of World Cup oblivion.”

World Cup threatens fixture chaos for English clubs in 2010 (Guardian)
“The Football Association and Premier League are under intense pressure to solve a potential fixture list meltdown before next year’s World Cup. Fifa’s rules forbid domestic-season fixtures taking place after 16 May, yet with the season due to kick off on 15 August, it means all 38 league fixtures must be crammed into 34 available weekends, with 19 midweek dates already ruled out due to international and Uefa competition commitments.”

Scottish football’s end of season hall of fame (The Sport Blog)
“The dust has settled, the last ball has been kicked and the cast members are sunning themselves in Magaluf. What started off as a disastrous season for Scottish football on account of dismal performances by club sides in Europe simmered away nicely thereafter, boiling over on more than one occasion. Let the principle protagonists take a bow.”

“Barcelona took the unusual step of promoting Guardiola from Barcelona ‘B’ coach to succeed Frank Rijkaard in July, 2008. The former Nou Camp midfielder had been a great player, but his relative inexperience in management raised many eyebrows: How he would manage to lead a dressing room filled with star names like Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto’o?” (ESPN)

Real Madrid Prepares to Spark Summer Frenzy (NYT)
“Less than a week after Barcelona’s great triumph in Rome, five of the eight richest clubs on earth have made drastic changes to their managerial structure. Removing the coach is a customary rite of summer. On Monday morning, Chelsea and A.C. Milan installed new men to run their teams, while Real Madrid went for the full revolution.”

Iniesta to miss Confederations Cup (World Soccer)
“England head to Kazakhstan this Saturday for a World Cup Qualifier knowing that the one and only time they met before the Three Lions won 5-1. Andres Iniesta has pulled out of Spain’s squad for the Confederations Cup after tests confirmed the Barcelona midfielder’s thigh muscle injury as serious.”

Bojan will not leave on loan this summer (FC Barcelona Blog: Barça Transfer Zone)
“Catalan sports papers El Mundo Deportivo and Sport both claim that Barcelona forward and Spanish youth international Bojan Krkic (18) will not leave on loan in the summer.”

Man City chief Cook working some weeks on Eto’o deal (tribalfootball)
“Manchester City have been working for some time on a deal for Barcelona star Samuel Eto’o, it has been revealed. The Times says Garry Cook, the chief executive, has spent several weeks putting together a package that he hopes will persuade Eto’o, the Barcelona striker, to move to the City of Manchester Stadium.”

Where Should We Re-Inforce? (All About FC Barcelona)
“FC Barcelona will be having a along and much tougher next season. We will be fighting for six trophies altogether as I explained in my previous post. Guardiola has already asked for a larger squad that means we will be going to the market looking to buy good re-inforcement.”

SFS “LIGA TEAM” 2008-2009 – Video (Spanish Football & Sports)

“The 2008-9 season ended with a bang, with the wonderful display of attacking football from Barcelona in the Champions League final in Rome. But before having had time to catch your breath, the transfer rumours are coming come thick and fast, with almost every professional player being linked with a move. With a few big deals having already been made, here are a few of the ones to watch over the summer.” (World Soccer)

Into Thin Air in South America (NYT)
“In 1973, Mario Kempes was a little known, 19-year-old Argentine striker who was still about five years away from leading his country to the 1978 World Cup championship. But as part of Argentina’s team involved in South American qualifying matches for the 1974 tournament in West Germany, Kempes and some of his teammates own a notable footnote — they were part of what the Argentine news media dubbed the ghost team.”

World Cup Debate: Proud Africa And Our Surrogate Teams (Goal)
“Finally the World Cup has reached Africa, and pride has filled the entire continent. In less than 400 days, on June 11th 2010 at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South-Africa, the nineteenth World Cup and the first on African soil will kick-off. It is about time!”

Italian season ends with an exodus to leave the future unclear (The Sport Blog)
“In the space of one afternoon, Serie A lost three of its most iconic players and one of its most successful managers. The retirements of Paolo Maldini, Luis Figo and Pavel Nedved had all been announced well in advance, while Carlo Ancelotti’s departure from Milan came as no surprise, but that didn’t make their goodbyes any less emotional.”

Top 100 football moments of 2008/09: 25-1 (Telegraph)
“Sir Alex Ferguson loses it, Rafael Benitez loses it and Didier Drogba loses it in the fourth and final instalment of our 100 greatest moments of the football season.”

Why the World Cup in South Africa already looks like a missed opportunity (Mirror)
“It seems hard to justify spending billions of rand on football stadiums when millions are homeless and living in tin shacks. South Africa is a country of great contrast and will undoubtedly host a colourful and exciting World Cup next summer. But for those of us who like to think we have a social conscience, it will be hard to see a country besieged by so much poverty mortgaging itself to the hilt to lay on a tournament for such a cash-rich sport.”

“I decided to keep Ibrahimovic. When it came down to it, his character was just too fascinating to lose. I’ve never seen a player who was so expansively self-defeating or one so capable of turning every moment of triumph into a bellow of despair. It’s as if the better he gets, the more he has to betray himself: he’s playing for his favorite club, yet desperately wants a transfer; he’s playing for his favorite manager, yet spends all his time complaining; he’s a born leader, but never had a worse season than when he was asked to be captain.” (The Run of Play)

“When the U.S. soccer team plays in Costa Rica, the Americans resemble the doormat they used to be rather than the regional power they’ve become. Alvaro Saborio scored 79 seconds in, the second-fastest goal against the United States in a World Cup qualifier, and Costa Rica coasted to a 3-1 victory Wednesday night.” (ESPN)
World Cup Qualifying: Costa Rica 3, U.S. 1 (NYT)
Costa Rica 3, USA 1: The Day After (Soccer By Ives)
Saborio, Costa Rica get off to fast start, top U.S. in Cup qualifier (SI)
Costa Rica – United States (3-1) WC-2010 Qual, Highlights 04.06.09 (Mighty Football)

Sascha Riether
“Disclaimer: If you have been following these columns for a number of years, you might be bored by what you’ll find below. I cannot be held responsible for this inconvenience, because it’s time for the traditional end-of-season column which never offers anything new. Postscript: Then again, the very fact that nothing ever changes with regards to the end-of-season column is, at least from my point of view, quite interesting in itself. So why not stick around for some brainstorming?” (ESPN)

Real Madrid Prepares to Spark Summer Frenzy (NYT)
“Less than a week after Barcelona’s great triumph in Rome, five of the eight richest clubs on earth have made drastic changes to their managerial structure. Removing the coach is a customary rite of summer. On Monday morning, Chelsea and A.C. Milan installed new men to run their teams, while Real Madrid went for the full revolution.”

Rampant US face Tico test (FIFA)
“USA, currently top of the final six-team hexagonal in North, Central American and Caribbean qualifying, travel to Costa Rica for their next test on Wednesday 3 June. The game marks the start of a hectic period for the Americans, who face third-place Honduras in Chicago on Saturday before shipping out to South Africa to represent the region at the FIFA Confederations Cup.”

South American numbers game (FIFA)
“As anyone in football will tell you, statistics can be misleading while sequences, no matter how good or bad, all come to an end sometime. With this in mind, FIFA.com delivers some interesting facts and figures ahead of Matchday 13 in South American Zone qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.”

Onyewu Goes to Court to Stop Racist Abuse (NYT)
“The United States national team defender Oguchi Onyewu, who will probably be in the starting lineup Wednesday night when the Americans visits Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifier, sued an opposing player Tuesday over what he said were racist insults in a Belgian league playoff game.”

Spain Top FIFA Rankings (Goal)
“Spain have completed a memorable year at the top of the FIFA World Rankings as they have remained in first place while those below them have swapped places after mixed results. Vicente del Bosque replaced Luis Aragones at the helm of la Furia Roja last summer and the switch has been almost seamless as the team have maintained their incredible form.”

Anatolia still searching for Turkish title (ESPN – Jon Carter)
“Back in February it looked as if one of the most remarkable stories in Turkish football history was about to unfold. Sivasspor, a club who have only been in the top flight since 2005, were sitting on top of the league and were poised to become only the fifth team to win the Super Lig title. By the final day of the season the club’s title dream was still a mathematical possibility, but a defeat to Galatasaray coupled with Besiktas’ win over Denizlispor sent the title to Istanbul’s Besiktas. Not that it was seen as failure in the eyes of the fans.”

Barry gets England talking (BBC – Phil McNulty)“Gareth Barry had plenty of time to ponder his decision to quit Aston Villa for Manchester City as he flew almost 3,500 miles to Europe’s Eastern extremity. Barry was part of England’s squad that travelled on Wednesday to Kazakhstan’s second city, Almaty, where they will play a World Cup qualifier on Saturday night. As European trips go, this is football’s longest and Barry’s preparations were interrupted by a deal that will have caused plenty of mid-air turbulence among his team-mates.”

Gareth Barry
“Our team of reporters examine which players the Premier League and top European clubs are planning to buy and sell during the summer transfer window, opening today.” (Guardian)

Vote for your European goal of the season (Guardian)
“We’ve whittled down all your suggestions to a final shortlist of 12. But which one deserves to be named as our goal of the season?”

Before It’s Cone (Foot Smoke)
“Maybe soccer games can never truly live up to their hype. The whirring factory of the sport won’t let that happen. Before a game with weeks of buildup can settle in our memory, we have more championships to follow, transfer rumors to process, and international competitions to prepare for. The momentum of the sport turns with the globe.”

Ecuador’s defensive double act (BBC – Tim Vickery)
“Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand might not look back at the Champions League final with much pleasure, but a glance at Manchester United’s goals against column this season highlights the importance of a great centre-back pairing. It was Brazil who invented this concept – dropping an extra player into the heart of the defence to create the back four. Their first World Cup-winning side in 1958 featured the classic contrasting pair of centre backs.”

Last Italians in England: the hits and misses (The Independent)
“GIANFRANCO ZOLA – The diminutive Sardinian was idolised at Chelsea as a player. He was one of the first Italians to join the Premier League when he was signed by Chelsea in 1996 and is considered by fans at the Bridge to be one of their greatest ever players.”

European football’s changing of the guard? (CNN)
“As the season draws to a close across much of Europe there is a sense that the football landscape is changing, with a few unfamiliar names sitting proudly atop their respective leagues. In Germany, traditional powerhouses such as Bayern Munich and UEFA Cup finalist Werder Bremen were beaten to the Bundesliga title by a team from a relatively obscure town in northwestern Germany, more famous for being the home of automaker Volkswagen.”

South American numbers game (FIFA)
“As anyone in football will tell you, statistics can be misleading while sequences, no matter how good or bad, all come to an end sometime. With this in mind, FIFA.com delivers some interesting facts and figures ahead of Matchday 13 in South American Zone qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.”

All White on the night (ESPN)
“In these hi-tech days of sports science, it was touching to see Marseille boss Eric Gerets putting his faith in some tried-and-tested methods as he attempted – in vain – to help his side pick up the French title on Saturday.”

For the U.S., the (Fake) Grass of Another Country (NYT)
“Tropical flora, exotic fauna and faux grass will greet the United States this week when it plays Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifying match at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá in San José on Wednesday.”

Rajevac: We need to be there (FIFA)
“Milovan Rajevac has reiterated his commitment to lead the Black Stars to their second successive FIFA World Cup in South Africa next year even though it is still early days in the final stage of African qualification.”

Wikipedia – “Davide Santon (born 2 January 1991 in Portomaggiore, province of Ferrara) is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Internazionale.” Wikipedia, YouTune

“Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea’s new manager, will reportedly have more than £50 million to spend in the transfer market this summer, so which players could be heading to Stamford Bridge?” (Telegraph)

Few goals in England (WSC)
“It was perhaps fitting that Manchester United concluded the title formalities at Old Trafford with a soporific 0-0 draw against Arsenal. It was the penultimate of 42 goalless fixtures, the joint most common result in a season when Gary Lineker had to drain every last ounce of cheeky schoolboy charm to plug the gaps on action-bereft episodes of Match of the Day. Where have all the goals gone?”

Structural issues in Germany (WSC)
“Germany reintroduced play-offs this season, or rather relegationsspiele (relegation games). This afternoon Energie Cottbus, who finished third from bottom in the Bundesliga, travel to Nuremberg, who finished third in the second division, to try to claw back a 3-0 deficit from Thursday’s first leg.”

Step Up Their Games (Yanks Abroad)
“With the national team headed for a busy summer schedule that will include as many as a dozen matches, lists are beginning to turn up all over the place. Everyone seems to be guessing which fringe players might have a place in one of the squads head coach Bob Bradley will put together for the qualifiers against Costa Rica and Honduras, the Confederations Cup, and the Gold Cup.”

Prepare for the Worst (Yanks Abroad)
” If you thought Team USA had a tough time in El Salvador, just you wait until they head down to Costa Rica. Oh boy, that’s going to be fun. Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá is one of the most hostile environments for any visiting team to suffer.”

Asian football remains deeply divided after Bin Hammam’s victory, writes Michael Church (World Soccer)
“Two votes were all that stood between Asian football and a major political crisis as the confederation’s president, Mohamed Bin Hammam, retained his seat on FIFA’s executive committee. Hammam, the incumbent, held off the challenge of Bahrain’s Sheikh Salman Al Khalifa to win a hugely divisive election by 23 votes to 21, with two of the 46 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) member nations spoiling their ballot papers.”

Lionel Messi Top 10 Goals (YouTube)

“LIVERPOOL Football Club’s debts have almost doubled to £86m according to its latest financial results, despite returning to profit following losses the previous year. The club’s annual accounts will reveal a pre-tax profit of £10.2m for the year to July 31, 2008, an improvement on the previous year’s loss of £21.7m.” (Liverpool Daily Post)

Gerrard expects to get even better next season (ESPN)
“Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is as ‘hungry and ambitious” as ever – vowing to make sure he will once again be in contention for Footballer of the Year at the end of next season.”

Michael Owen: The End of an Era? (This Is Anfield)
“THERE were only three times during the recent Villa versus Newcastle game, when I realised that Michael Owen had actually travelled to the West Midlands for the day. During a game that was mostly a blur in the late May sunshine, the TV camera panned to a morose-looking Owen on the steps of the dugout.”

Torres sees Villa and Silva as missing links (Setanta Sports)
“Fernando Torres feels that David Villa and David Silva would be the perfect accompaniment to what Rafa Benitez already has at his disposal at Liverpool.”

Fernando Torres targets a trophy after signing new Liverpool contract (Guardian)
“Fernando Torres has vowed to add a trophy next season to the new contract he has signed with Liverpool. The Spain international, who also married his childhood sweetheart this week, revealed his objective for the next campaign on his personal website today.”

Reds target Anfield-bound? (Shankly Gates)
“Ezequiel Lavezzi is the subject of a bid from a major English club, according to his agent. The Napoli striker has been strongly linked with Liverpool and Alejandro Mazzoni says that an unnamed English club has enquired about the availability of his client and that Lavezzi’s departure from Serie A could be imminent.”

Liverpool FC can build on these firm foundations (Liverpool Banter)
“HAD Liverpool picked up four more points at home during the 2008/09 season they would have been crowned Premier League champions for a record 19th time. It is, to use one of Rafa Benitez’s favourite word, a fact.”

Goals of the Season 08-09 (oh you beauty)
“Same format as last year – my 10 favorite Liverpool strikes in one compilation. Well, actually 11. It’s been a good year for great goals.”

“I know everyone’s a little worried about stadia not being completed on time in South Africa, but this recent photo of the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg is nice and reassuring. Definitely more reassuring than the older photo.” (World Cup Blog)

South Africa Countdown (NYT)
“One of the first orders of business at the start of a news conference at the South African Consulate General on the East Side of Manhattan on Friday was to show a video highlighting a proud country and its herculean efforts to prepare for next summer’s World Cup. The pictures rolled across the screen, but, alas no sound.”

Oman – Egypt preview: Algeria’s rehearsals!! (World Cup Blog)
“Consider the stadium isn’t the stadium, the opponent isn’t the opponent and the fans definitely not the fans; I am talking about our game with Oman and the following one against Algeria. When our boys take the gulf champions, Oman in the friendly match in Muscat, the thoughts of the players, fans and Shehata will be on the game against Algeria and Oman will only be a final rehearsal before the game.”

Burton O’Brien out to prove South Africa wrong (Times Online)
“There are only a handful of players on the planet who can say with any certainty they will be going to the World Cup finals next summer. If your name is not Kaká, Lionel Messi or Michael Ballack, the chances are you have not yet cancelled any holiday plans.”

Bar set high for ’10 World Cup’ (The London Free Press)
“It was a good year for soccer. The year has been so good, that it augurs well for the 2010 World Cup in Africa. With most major competitions now down in Europe, there will be a summer of friendlies and a high-profile tournaments in South Africa, acting as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup. The next big event will be the resumption of World Cup qualifying.”

World Cup 2010 and ‘juju’ men (World Cup Blog)
“Photograph courtesy Oliver Becker, Occasione Documentaries. A witch doctor, or juju man, in Tanzania casts magic spells over a soccer ball and a player’s uniform before a game.”

Dunga Names Squad (sambafoot)
“Dunga announced on Thursday afternoon at the CBF headquarters in Rio de Janeiro his list of twenty-three player squad for the next two World Cup qualifiers. The auriverdes play Uruguay on June 6 in Montevideo and Paraguay on 10 June in Recife. They then fly to South Africa to compete in the Confederations Cup which will start for Brazil on 15 June with a match against Egypt.”

“Fans’ favourite Nacho Novo fired Rangers to a domestic double with the winner in a 1-0 victory over Falkirk in the Homecoming Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park. The diminutive striker heaped more Hampden heartache on the Bairns months after his double sent them crashing out of the League Cup, netting his ninth goal of the season to help Rangers claim the trophy for the 33rd time.” (ESPN)
Rangers 1-0 Falkirk (BBC)

Rep of Ireland 1-1 Nigeria (BBC)
“The Republic of Ireland warmed up for their World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria with a draw in Friday night’s friendly at Craven Cottage. Both sides were under-strength with the Republic giving debuts to six players.”

Wales 1-0 Estonia (BBC)
“Wales’ youngest side in history secured a morale-boosting friendly win before the World Cup qualifier in Azerbaijan by beating Estonia in Llanelli. Rob Earnshaw’s 26th-minute penalty proved enough, confidently converted after a harsh handball decision against Estonia captain Alo Barengrub.”

“Referees lie at the center of the game’s most cruel paradoxes. They are the only true gods of the field. And they get harassed like goobers. They exist to uphold justice. And they get booed like villains. This is true in almost any sport. But soccer refs get unusually harsh treatment.” (Foot Smoke)

Ammo Baba: The Amazing Story Of Iraq’s Football Legend (Goal)
“The Iraqi football community is in mourning with the news that the former national team player and coach, Ammo Baba, passed away on Wednesday evening at the age of 74 after complications with his health. The legendary figure had been suffering from diabetes for many years and was earlier this year diagnosed with prostate cancer after he fell ill at the Gulf Cup in Muscat.”

FA Cup final 2009: Top 10 Cup final goals (Telegraph)
“We’ve compiled some corkers from FA Cup finals past. Some of the strikes deserve superlative praise, others make the list as they simply recall the romance of this famous competition.”

Five great FA Cup finals (ESPN)
“In placing the FA Cup final on the Saturday after the Champions League’s conclusion, the Football Association look to have scored another own-goal in the continued devaluing of the jewel in their crown.”

How Fellaini became Everton’s mane man (BBC)
“Whatever happens at Wembley on Saturday, it is safe to say that Marouane Fellaini has already done more than enough to get himself noticed in his first season in English football.”

Mali, France set for tug-of-war (BBC)
“Mali and France seem to be on a collision course over the services of French-born forward Sambou Yatabare. Yatabare has been included in France’s under-21 squad, just a week after Mali named him in their squad for two World Cup qualifiers in June.”

Ribery and Bayern have a big decision to make (Reuters Soccer Blog)
“Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery is a joy to watch. His acceleration, ball control and creative play have quickly elevated him to the Bundesliga’s biggest asset. But come next week the Frenchman could be gone as the pulling power quickly fizzles out of the German league.”

“To call Barcelona the champions of Europe this morning is to give them their lesser title. The one they demand, unquestionably, is champions of football. Champions of the game that can, even in this high-pressure age of super athleticism and grinding work assignments, still be exquisite. The margin of victory was two goals but the gap between the ambitions, and the execution, of the two teams touched on infinity.” James Lawton: (The Independent)

Barcelona – Manchester United: A Live Blog of the Champions League Final (The Run Play)
“Manchester United and Barcelona are in Rome, their supporters are having Champions League Final toga parties in the street outside their hotels, and the waters of the Fontana del Nettuno are running purple with the leaky ink of self-applied Wayne Rooney neck tattoos.”

Thierry Henry salutes Barcelona’s ‘incredible’ Champions League victory (Guardian)
“Thierry Henry has credited his manager, Pep Guardiola, for his decision to remain with Barcelona in a season in which the Catalan side has won an historic treble. The former Arsenal striker endured a difficult beginning to his Camp Nou career, but last night collected a Champions League medal to go with the league and cup titles already won by Barcelona this year.”

Football Weekly Extra: Treble joy for incredible Barcelona (Guardian)
“James Richardson, Barry Glendenning, Sean Ingle and Rob Smyth are the men that matter in this Champions League final pod special. They will be answering such questions as: just how good are Barcelona? Could United have approached the game differently? And why did the British media – including the sagacious Tim Lovejoy – get it so wrong about the Spanish champions?”

Ian Herbert: Guardiola’s brilliant creation is enough to make the heart weep (The Independent)
“Pep Guardiola’s words had sounded a little too ornate to be football language when he took a seat up on a stage in this stadium on Tuesday evening and spoke of how he wanted his side to be ‘beautiful’ and to feel they were playing in front of the whole world.”

Pete Jenson: Eto’o thrives after move to right (The Independent)
“”We don’t always agree on things,” said Samuel Eto’o about his relationship with coach Pep Guardiola this week. “Sometimes we do what I say, sometimes we do what he says but usually it’s true that when we do what he says he turns out to be right.”

Manchester United v Barcelona: 10 reasons why Sir Alex Ferguson’s side lost in Rome (Telegraph)
“1. Darren Fletcher was suspended. The Scot received a red card in the 3-1 semi-final second leg at Arsenal and attempts to have the ban rescinded failed….”

Picture Galleries (Telegraph)
“Kings of Europe: Carlos Puyol, the Barcelona captain, holds aloft the European Cup after his side beat Manchester United 2-0 in the Olympic Stadium, Rome, as the Catalan side completed an historic treble.”

Barcelona triumph in Rome (World Soccer)
“United were beaten 2-0 courtesy of goals from Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi on a sweltering night in the Stadio Olimpico. United started the final brightly with Cristiano Ronaldo a constant threat but were stunned on 10 minutes when Samuel Eto’o, supplied by the outstanding Andres Initesa, skipped past Nemanja Vidic and poked the ball past Edwin van der Sar.”

Daily Dose: May 27th, 2009 (the Offside)
“Something to read while you watch Barcelona lift that big trophy…”

Barca rule Europe, and have done it their way (SoccerLens)
“For nine minutes, I was smug and self-satisfied, as well as disappointed. My pre-match predictions were being played out in front of my eyes; the men in all-white were on top, and the Catalans were struggling to adapt to the intensity of their play.”

Manchester United’s shocking inferiority exposed in Eternal City (Times Online)
“The final parp of the whistle put Manchester United out of their misery last night, and how often do we write that of the side led by the most insanely driven pensioner in sport — a man still biting off a journalist’s head for asking a perfectly fair question about his future plans?”

Wayne Rooney threat was wasted against Barcelona (Times Online)
“Manchester United deserved what they got. If you cannot expose that vulnerable Barcelona back four with all the attacking talent at United’s disposal in Rome, something is badly wrong.”

Barcelona – Manchester United (2-0) CL Final (Mighty Football)

“Barcelona stunned holders Manchester United to win their third UEFA Champions League crown with a 2-0 victory in Rome on Wednesday. Goals from star forwards Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi gave the Catalans a deserved victory and denied United from becoming the first team to retain the title since the European Cup became the Champions League in 1993.” (FIFA)

Latest Photos (FIFA)

Barcelona Style Triumphs Over Manchester United (NYT)
“Patience, flair and beauty dominated over force Wednesday night as Barcelona defeated Manchester United, 2-0, to win the Champions League, Europe’s most prestigious club soccer tournament, before 72,000 fans at Olympic Stadium.”

Barcelona 2-0 Man Utd (BBC)
“Manchester United’s attempt to make history and become the first club to defend the Champions League ended in failure against Barcelona in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. Sir Alex Ferguson’s hopes of repeating last year’s triumph against Chelsea barely got off the ground as they ended well beaten by a Barcelona side inspired by the genius of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.”

Messi seals emphatic win (ESPN)
“Manchester United discovered what it is like to lose a European Cup final as brilliant Barcelona ruled Rome on Wednesday, securing a comfortable 2-0 win. If there is any consolation in failure to become the first side to retain the trophy in the Champions League era, it is that they lost to a side as fluent and brilliant to watch as they are.”

Messi mindful not to let final moment pass (uefa)
“For most players who reach a UEFA Champions League final, it is a moment which blends joy with tension, ambition with nerves, but for Lionel Messi a whole different range of emotions is almost certain to come into play.”

Guardiola scripts dream end to debut season (uefa)
“His first season in charge could scarcely have gone better but Josep Guardiola is determined to finish it on the biggest possible high by guiding FC Barcelona to victory in the UEFA Champions League final.”

Champions League photos (BBC)

Picasso Soccer
“If one is lucky enough to have a job these days — and that is a big ‘if’ in the newspaper business — one should never hesitate when the boss says drop everything and get to Rome for the Champions League final and make sure you go jogging around the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus and don’t forget to expense the pasta with seafood, especially if the shrimp are the size of handguns.” (NYT)

Barcelona have edge over Manchester United in that they will never be sold (The Sport Blog)
“Manchester United versus Barcelona is a dream final for the romantic, two great clubs sharing traditions of skill and panache – yet the broader values they embody seem now to spring from opposing visions of the sport. On one side of Stadio Olimpico tomorrow will be Barça, ‘mes que un club’ – more than a club – as the Catalan institution proclaims itself, bearing Unicef on the shirts, owned by 163,000 members.”

The Camp fire that will never go out at Barcelona (Times Online)
“If Barcelona win tomorrow evening, the Plaça Sant Jaume will be the magnet for the city’s delirium and that is unlikely to have changed by the time the team return for the official party the following day. On one side of the square is the neo-classical City Hall building, and celebrating within those walls will be one of politics’ more genuine football romantics.”

The Big Interview: Lionel Messi on imposing Barca’s style on Manchester United and stopping Crisitano Ronaldo (SoccerLens)
“Like a butterfly floating around the pitch, Lionel Messi has an uncanny ability for making things look easy. With the ball at his feet and a pair of defenders flanking him on both sides, what seemed like a lost cause only seconds before turns into an opportunity to make the opposition pay.”

What I Saw in the Vatican Museum (Run of Play)
“The man with the blanked-out eyes followed me all through the Vatican. I first noticed him in the sculpture garden—standing stone-still in front of the Laocoön—and he kept popping up in odd nooks and corners all the way to the Sistine Chapel. It was daylight this time; there was no mistaking him.”

Just Two Days To Go Now (FCB News)
“On Wednesday night in Rome Football Club Barcelona and Manchester United will go head-to-head to see who is the best team in Europe. For the first time that I can remember for a final practically every bookmaker you care to look at has the odds for the two teams exactly the same.”

10 Reasons to Be Excited About Barcelona vs Man Utd (The Offside)
“I’m very very very excited about tomorrow’s Barcelona vs Man Utd UEFA Champions League Final. And rightly so. There, I said it. I know bloggers are often meant to have one eyebrow raised in snarkiness when faced with a big (and very corporate) event. But that feels impossible in this case.”

Head over heart for Champs final (SI – Greg Lalas)
“It’s safe to say Wednesday’s Champions League final is the most anticipated title match since UEFA created the platinum edition of Europe’s top tournament. From Rome to Rochester to Rangoon, everyone with even a modicum of soccer in his blood is planning on watching the game live, regardless if that requires skipping an important sales call at work or losing a few hours of sleep.”

Vidic ready to win at all costs (BBC)
“Nemanja Vidic is sure Manchester United will beat Barcelona in the Champions League final – and does not care about the style in which they do it. Wednesday’s match in Rome pits holders United against the team regarded as the most attractive in Europe this season.”

Anderson provides midfield balance (BBC – Tim Vickery)
“At a conference in Rio in December 2007, a panel of big name local coaches were discussing the essence of Brazilian football. One point was made a few times, that Manchester United were playing their expensive new signing Anderson in central midfield, a role that no coach in his native land would have considered for a nanosecond.”

The men who make Barca beautiful (BBC)
“It is perhaps not surprising that Barcelona’s Yaya Toure believes he plays with the two best footballers on earth. After all, the likes of Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry have scored an incredible 97 goals between them this season.”

Barcelona v Man Utd (BBC)
“Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand says he is “fine” to play against Barcelona in Wednesday’s Champions League final. The 30-year-old has been out for three weeks with a calf injury and missed the 1-0 win at Hull on Sunday.”

The Dream Final? (ESPN)
“Barcelona versus Manchester United – for many it’s the dream Champions League final: Two of the best supported teams in the world contesting the most prestigious club competition, and all in the Eternal City.”

The finals reckoning (ESPN)
“Both were denied triumphs in the old European Cup’s formative years. United were victorious in 1968 yet had to wait 31 years to triumph again. Barcelona suffered two horrendous disappointments before finally being able to claim the crown in 1992.”

Barcelona v. Manchester United (SoccerLens)
“It’s the big one! Barcelona and Manchester United will clash for the most prestigious trophy in Europe, the UEFA Champions League Cup! Soccerlens will be bringing you the action live! Log on to the site 15 minutes before kickoff for the live-blog! In the meantime, feel free to make predictions or leave comments below!”

“Welcome back to the Champions League edition of the forum. The final between Manchester United and Barcelona will be played Wednesday night in Rome. With me to analyze it are some of the finest soccer writers in Europe. We have Ian Hawkey of The Sunday Times, who has a particularly intriguing perspective on this game as a British media journalist who has long been based in Barcelona. We have Santiago Segurola of Marca, the leading sports daily in Spain. We have Erik Bielderman of L’Equipe Magazine in France, and Peter Berlin, the longtime sports editor of the International Herald Tribune.” (NYT – 2), (NYT – 1)

“The winners of Europe’s strongest two leagues square up in the Champions League on Wednesday with the continental title at stake – and the traditional powers in South America are also coming through strongly. Between them, clubs from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay have claimed the Copa Libertadores title in all but seven of the first 49 editions. This year, the 50th, the historic big three can boast seven of the eight quarter-finalists, six of them former champions.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

David Beckham and our dream team of 40+ footballing stars (Mirror)
“The LA Galaxy and England star, currently on loan at Milan, seems very keen to reach the milestone, and if he does he’ll join an exclusive club of players to have played in their fourth decade. Below we’ve come up with a ‘dream team’ of international stars to have played football at club or international level beyond their 40th birthday.”

Marcello Lippi (WorldSoccer)
“Of course, I didn’t want to lose that game but, in the end, given the way the result came about, you can draw a number of conclusions. First, I’m not sure how things would have worked out if our opening goal [by Fabio Grosso], which was a good goal, had been allowed to stand. It would have been a big blast of confidence for some of our younger players.”

Time warp: The Transvaal Professional (Football365)
“In 1962, when the Transvaal Professional Soccer League (TPSL) formed with eleven founder members, the country’s black African footballers finally had the opportunity to play the beautiful game at ‘professional level.'” History: The 1947 tour Down Under

South African games face crucial test (BBC)
“South Africa’s sporting and business infrastructure is facing a ‘crucial 30 days’ which will help determine the success of next year’s football World Cup, which is being held in an African country for the first time.”

An Italian Whirlwind Of Emotion (The Offside)
“The weekend began with the best of intentions as Paolo Maldini headed for his San Siro swansong. But when teams are relegated – or pushed to the very brink of relegation – things tend to go downhill very quickly.”

“Kenneth Mathieson ‘Kenny’ Dalglish MBE (born 4 March 1951 in Dalmarnock, Glasgow) is a former Scottish international football player. He was famous for his successes with Celtic in the 1970s and with the English club Liverpool in the 1970s and 1980s. A prolific goalscorer, he was the first to score 100 league goals in both the English and Scottish leagues. He was placed first in Liverpool’s list of 100 Players Who Shook The Kop.” Wikipedia, Liverpool FC, Hillsborough, King Kenny, YouTube, Dailymotion

“Barcelona suffered a 1-0 home defeat to relegation-threatened Osasuna in their last match before Wednesday’s Champions League final against Manchester United in Rome. Uruguayan striker Walter Pandiani headed the only goal of the game from a first-half corner to boost the Pamplona side’s chances of Primera Division survival and subject Pep Guardiola’s side to only their second home defeat in the league this season.” (ESPN)
Defeat and Red Card Spoils FC Barcelona’s Title Party (All About FC Barcelona)
Barça 0 Osasuna 1 (FCB News)
FC BARCELONA CELEBRATE LIGA & SPANISH CUP TITLES AT HOME (VIDEO) (SPANISH FOOTBALL & SPORTS)

“Liverpool ended their campaign with a comfortable win in which Sami Hyypia appeared as a substitute late on in his final appearance for the Anfield club. Fernando Torres headed in Dirk Kuyt’s cross for the opener in the first half.” (BBC)
Europe slips through Spurs’ fingers (ESPN)
Rafa’s tribute to ‘idol’ Sami (Liverpool FC)
Sami Hyypia profile: 10 things you need to remember about the departing Liverpool legend (Mirror)
Maths: Rafa Benitez’s latest educational challenge (Telegraph)
Liverpool FC 3 – Tottenham 1: Sami Hyypia bids a tearful farewell to Anfield (Liverpool Daily Post)

“André-Pierre Gignac (born December 5, 1985 in Martigues) is a French professional footballer currently playing for Toulouse in Ligue 1. He is the cousin of Valenciennes-defender Jacques Abardonado and Yohan Mollo, who plays for Monaco.” Wikipedia, ESPN, Guardian, bleacher report, 101 Great Goals

“The season is nearing its apex. We’re clinging to the rock face and praying we can be the first to crawl over the summit. We’re out of one competition, having turned up our worst result of the year to lose 1-3 to Juventus in the second leg of our cup semi. It was the first time we’d lost at home in any competition this season, and it came down to Jacob Larsen, who kept goal like he was committed to an ethic of hospitality.” (The Run of Play)

Forever Is Forgettable (sport is a tv show)
“These magnificent palaces of justice, these incontestable equations, these airless vaults of truth. I’m tired of the league season, with its Wagnerian storylines and its glacial, accumulating march. I’m tired of being told that what happens in the fifth minute in October is as important as what happens in the ninety-sixth minute in May. I want a moment of lyric intensity, where the stakes are known and where the outcome is undeferrable. I don’t just want a knockout game. I want a penalty shootout.”

“Reduce the Champions League final to a battle of its two premier talents and it becomes Lionel Messi against Cristiano Ronaldo. The equation, of course, is more complicated, but the decisive duel may involve Messi. The question of how to halt the Argentine has been posed regularly in a season that has brought 41 goals for club and country.” (ESPN)

The Global Sports Forum: Champions League Edition (NYT)
“Welcome to our regular meeting of the minds on international sport. The occasion for this Global Sports Forum is a grand one: the UEFA Champions League final in Rome on May 27 between last season’s champion Manchester United and Barcelona. With no World Cup finals or European Championship to distract the planet in 2009, this is unquestionably the match of the year, and it is also a reassuring development for those who like their soccer flashy and generally positive.”

Thierry Henry Back In Barcelona Training (Goal)
“Thierry Henry resumed training with the Barcelona first team on Friday morning for the first time since suffering an injury, thus taking an important step towards playing in the Champions League final.”

Iniesta & Henry Looking Good For Champions League Final (SPANISH FOOTBALL & SPORTS)
“All the news from ‘Camp Barça’ indicates that it’s all good. Two vital pieces in the FC BARCELONA line-ups are evolving favourably from their injuries & everything indicates that they will be present, available & roaring to go for Barça at the upcoming 27th of May Champions League Final against MANCHESTER UNITED.”

Xavi: Barca Have Played The Best Football In Europe (Goal)
“Xavi thinks that Barcelona have played the best football in Europe this season and says they deserve to win the Champions League next week. The Catalans meet Manchester United in the final and have the chance to win an historic treble if they do triumph in Rome.”

Messi to overshadow Ronaldo, say the stats (TheGame)
“Champions League finals can often be settled by relative unknowns – put your hands up if you had heard of Juliano Belletti before his late goal beat Arsenal – but many neutrals are hoping that next Wednesday’s match between Barcelona and Manchester United comes down to a battle of skills between the two teams’ great entertainers, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Devil’s in the Detail for Barca (rivals)
“The question on everyone’s lips is who is the best footballer in the world – Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? There is much debate, too, about the attacking probing of Barcelona and the lightning-fast counter-attacking of Manchester United, while many experts predict a footballing classic in what has been billed the ‘Dream final’.”

“Rangers lead Celtic by two points going into the final round of Scottish Premier League fixtures, with the Ibrox club travelling to Tannadice to face Dundee United while Celtic host Hearts. A win for Rangers would see them secure their first title in four attempts, but failure to record victory in Tayside could allow Celtic to clinch the championship on either points or goal difference.” (BBC)

Looking to the future (ESPN)
“The fantasy season is winding down for another year but it’s never too early to start planning for next term. The cream has, in general, risen to the top with big names scooping the top points. Pepe Reina, Nemanja Vidic, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nicolas Anelka lead the way in each position proving that you do need to spend your cash on class to challenge, be it in your mini-league or in the overall competition.”

6+5 Rule Is ‘No Problem’ for President of Spain’s La Liga (NYT)
“The president of Spain’s La Liga, contrary to the view of many of his counterparts in top European leagues, supports FIFA’s controversial plan to impose the so-called 6+5 rule.”

2009 Confederations Cup FAQ (Road to 2010 World Cup Final)
“We’re 26 days from the start of FIFA’s 2010 World Cup dry run in South Africa, the 2009 Confederations Cup. Like many of you, I have no idea what the Confederations Cup is. Let’s spend the next 26 days previewing the Cup, answering questions and becoming Confederations Cup experts!”

Walker to Wilkins, Beckham to Baker – Five of the best and worst Englishmen in Italy (SoccerLens)
“It’s somewhat rare these days to see an Englishman trying his luck in Europe’s top leagues, especially in the tactical cauldron that is Serie A. In fairness, for many, life seemingly begins and ends with the Premier League where visions of a move abroad are often distorted by what many perceive as the ‘greatest league in the world’.”

Pro Vercelli: Fortune Comes in Threes (The Run of Play)
“Mid-March, and we’re still alive in three competitions. We’re in the semifinals of the Coppa Italia, where we hold a 2-1 lead over Juventus after the away leg thanks to goals by Rubino and Galli at the Delle Alpi.”

Uefa Cup final photos (BBC)

“Carles Puyol i Saforcada (born 13 April 1978 in La Pobla de Segur, Lleida, Catalonia) is a Spanish football defender who plays for Spanish La Liga club FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.” Wikipedia, YouTube, (1)

“IN the end, Liverpool have achieved pretty much the best outcome they could have hoped for this season – even though the wait to end the title drought goes on. Yes, people will point to the seven home draws which, if they had been turned into wins might just have given them that extra little nudge over the line ahead of Manchester United.” (Liverpool Banter)

Rafa Benitez: Liverpool May Break Club Transfer Record This Summer (Goal)
“Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has already turned his sights to next season, and how he can improve the squad that ran Manchester United so close in this season’s race for the Premier League title, revealing that big money might well be spent in an attempt to overhaul their rivals from the other end of the East Lancs Road.”

Xabi Alonso’s agent refuses to dismiss Real Madrid deal – Liverpool FC latest (Liverpool Daily Post)
“XABI ALONSO’S agent, Inaki Ibanez, has refused to rule out a summer move to Real Madrid for one of Liverpool’s players of the season. But the player himself insists he wants his long-term future to remain at Anfield.”

Fernando Torres faces Atletico Madrid – Liverpool FC latest (Liverpool Echo)
“FERNANDO TORRES finally looks set for an emotional reunion with Atletico Madrid after Liverpool lined up a pre-season friendly against his former club. Injury denied Torres the opportunity to play against Atletico when Liverpool met the La Liga outfit in a pair of matches in the group stages of this season’s Champions League, with both games ending in draws.”

Steven Cohen: The bleat goes on (This Is Anfield)
“JUST over two and a half years ago (November 2006), Kelvin MacKenzie (editor of The S*n in 1989) was giving a speech when he suddenly referred to his infamous front page ‘The Truth’ story by saying that he would not make any apology for ‘telling it like it was.’ He also said, in reference to his decision to publish the fabricated story, ‘I was not sorry then and I’m not sorry now.’”

Lucas in pledge to beef up (This is Anfield)
“Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva will spend more time this summer improving his physical presence on the pitch to catch-up with the tougher English Premier League.”

“If there are any safe seats in the fast and feckless world of soccer team management, they are occupied by Alex Ferguson and Josep Guardiola. Their clubs, Manchester United and Barcelona, are already multiple trophy winners this season. Both teams combine style with success, but when they meet in Rome next Wednesday, only one can carry off the sport’s ultimate club prize, the Champions League cup.” (NYT)

Wolfsburg deserve debut success (ESPN)
“On 90 minutes and 57 seconds of the Hoffenheim versus Bayern Munich game on Saturday, with the score tied at 2-2, referee Michael Weiner already had the whistle between his lips to end the game. But he didn’t blow it yet because Mark van Bommel had run into an inside right position with lots of space and time.”

Super Mario’s Naivete Annoys Ibra (NYT)
“Inter Milan celebrated into the wee hours of the morning Sunday, despite the fact that the team had a game later that day against Siena.”

Newcastle is in relegation peril (Total Soccer)
“As the English Premier League heads into its final week of the season, the question is not who will win the title. That was pretty much wrapped up by Manchester United weeks ago.”

‘I Am Not a Man. I Am Cantona’ (NYT)
“The fiery Frenchman Eric Cantona never lifted le Coupe du Monde as a soccer player, but he may be hoisting the Palme d’Or for his participation in a new film showing at the Cannes Film Festival.”

Dikgacoi issues SA clarion call (Football365)
“South African midfielder Kagiso Dikgacoi says the hosts of the Confederations Cup are aiming to progress to ‘the semi-finals and final’ of the tournament. “

“He is renowned for his work-rate in his primary position as a forward, but now he is more often deployed as a winger for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team.” Wikipedia, Liverpool FC, YouTune

“There haven’t been too many Italians that have made that considerably bold step leap of moving from the proverbial comfort zone of Serie A to the Premier League.” (SoccerLens)

How football conquered Brazil (BBC – Tim Vickery)
“I’ve always had a soft spot for the military figure who, when advised to take cover, declined with the famous last words: ‘They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist…’ Thankfully, making predictions about football is not usually so hazardous, although it can make fools of the mighty.”

My teams of the season (BBC)
“It’s that time of the year when anyone and everyone seems to feel entitled to hand out their own football awards to whoever has caught their eye, sold the tastiest pie, preserved the most stone-age loo or even won a cup or two.”

Fast forwards should give Dunga pause for thought (Telegraph – Robert Shaw)
“Brazil coach Dunga is under familiar pressures ahead of Thursday’s announcement of the squad for next month’s World Cup qualifiers with Uruguay and Paraguay and the Confederations Cup. If previous form is anything to go by from the PR-averse Dunga there will be few surprises in the 23-man squad and perhaps disappointment at a missed chance to experiment.”

Top Coach Willing to Rebuild Lone Star—-Waiting for offers from Liberia (The Liberian Journal)
“The ever-growing soccer talents in Liberia and the inability to harness them win or make significant impact in competitions has been one area that has kept top Moroccan-born coach, Youssef Darbaki, wondering why.”

“Guardiola decided to rest majority of first team players against Real Mallorca. The makeshift side had three Barca B team members – Xavi Torres, Oier Olazabal and Pedro. Barca went ahead with a goal from Eto in the tenth minute but wasted a flurry of chances to end the game, especially Eto. In the end it came back to haunt Barca as goals from Arango and Santana in the 73rd and 77th minute sealed a home win for the Mallorca side.” (All About FC Barcelona)
Barca Player Ratings against Mallorca 17/05/09 (All About FC Barcelona)
La Liga: Mallorca spoil Barcelona’s title party (ESPN)
Barcelona Could Have Won The League Without Me – Pep Guardiola (Goal)

Brian Clough
“Seven Deadly Sins of Football” (Guardian)

“Liverpool secured second place in the Premier League with a comfortable victory over battling West Brom, who were relegated at The Hawthorns. A dire mistake by Baggies defender Shelton Martis let in Steven Gerrard to simply stride forward and put Liverpool 1-0 up on the half way line, after a bright start from the hosts.” (This Is Anfield)
Carra’s Arbeloa rant for Pepe (This Is Anfield)
West Bromwich Albion 0 – 2 Liverpool (ESPN)
Liverpool strike twice
and West Bromwich go down (Guardian)
West Brom 0 Liverpool 2 (Sun)
West Brom 0-2 Liverpool (BBC)
Benitez withholds Ferguson praise (BBC)
Premier League (BBC)

“Back in the days when England’s footballers spent as much time in the pub as they did on the pitch, when football shorts the world over were tight enough to cut off circulation to the legs and it was quite normal for top-class players to sport facial hair, every four years something remarkable used to happen for football fans.” (bleacher report)

Alan Hansen’s column (BBC)
“Manchester United’s third successive Premier League triumph has left their closest rivals once again pondering a familiar question – how do we break the Old Trafford stranglehold on the title?”

Five great UEFA Cup Finals (ESPN)
“When one of Werder Bremen or Shakhtar Donestsk lift the vase-like trophy in Istanbul on Wednesday they will become the last ever winners of the UEFA Cup. The trophy’s history has been convoluted since it replaced the old Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, itself a curio that once saw teams selected from cities, giving rise to a London XI competing in the final of the first version, which itself lasted three years.”

Perez dreams of Galácticos return to the Bernabéu (SoccerLens)
“Los Galacticos. The mere mention of the two words together conjure up memories of watching some of the world’s great names in the sport — Beckham, Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo and Owen — stepping onto the same pitch wearing the same kit and playing together in a match that wasn’t a friendly for charity.”

Gonzalez: We haven’t given up (FIFA)
“Any overseas player who receives acclaim for his performances in the ultra-competitive Argentinian league deserves considerable respect, and Cesar Gonzalez definitely falls into this category. Currently blazing a trail with Huracan, the attacking midfielder is also putting his experience and talent to good use for Venezuela, who he still hopes he can help qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.”

Goal.com Special: Fields Of Their Dreams (Goal)
“In the summer of 2008 in South Africa, two hundred fifty-six kids, boys and girls, aged from 13 – 19, on sixteen teams, were participating in a two-day football tournament. The games were played in a village hours away from major cities, in a remote area of the country.”

“Michael Laudrup (born 15 June 1964 in Frederiksberg) is a Danish former professional football player. His most prominent run of football came with Spanish club FC Barcelona, with whom he won four straight La Liga championships.” Wikipedia, 123Football, YouTube

“What a paradox the Serie A has become. While it is always healthy to look away from what goes on off the pitch in order to avoid embarrassment and the whiff of dodgy dealings that rarely obey to the principle of doing the best for the game, action on the pitch itself has often been delightful and entertaining.” (ESPN)

Assuaging the politicians (ESPN)
“Last year the UK’s Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport, Andy Burnham, challenged the Premier League to ”reassess its relationship with money” after shining an official light on a variety of uncomfortable issues from debt levels and foreign ownership, to the need for a greater competitive balance across the league and improved opportunities for English players.”

Sail On, Sailor b/w Typical Boys (The Run of Play)
“Maybe it’s just natural to feel sympathy for these slighted creatures. To see the anguish on their faces as the referee penalises them for reasons they can’t fathom; to see the disbelief register on their tormented visages as a penalty appeal is dismissed; to see one slam the turf with open palms, enraged that the contact that sent him to the floor was not deemed sufficient for censure…Fair breaks your heart, doesn’t it?”

Negative Environment Can Breed Postive Results (A Cultured Left Foot)
“Every dog has it’s day, so they say. Arsene seemingly got bitten yesterday by those who support the club. Gunnerblog put a good proviso against anything that is said.”

Q. & A.: ‘Outcasts United’ Author Warren St. John (NYT)
“Update | MAY 14, 9:16 a.m. See the comments section below for Warren St. John’s responses to readers’ questions. More to come. In 2006, Warren St. John reported the article, “Refugees Find Hostility and Hope on Soccer Field,” for the New York Times.”

The Forgotten Story Of … Spain 4-3 England (Guardian)
“The problem when you invent the game is that everything thereafter is in some way decline, yet English football seems forever locked in a battle to recapture a golden age that, if it existed at all, had probably ended before the First World War.”

“FC Barcelona ended their two year droght of silverware with an emphatic win against Athletic Bilbao at the Mestalla. Yesterday’s triump also ends a eleven year wait for the “Copa Del Rey” title. The last time FC Barcelona won the cup Guardiola was a team member and it might be destiny that this has to be his first title as FC Barcelona coach.” (All About FC Barcelona)
Yaya Toure helps Barca to win Cup (BBC)
Spain: Barca primed to claim second trophy (ESPN)
One title closer to the treble (ESPN)
Why Athletic Bilbao Can Win the Copa Del Rey (SoccerLens)
One title in bag, two to go as Barca rout Bilbao (Guardian)
Ath Bilbao – Barcelona (1-4) Copa del Rey (Mighty Football)

“Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has been crowned the Football Writers’ Player of the Year, beating PFA Player of the Year Ryan Giggs to the prestigious award.” (This is Anfield)

Managers need to learn history lessons (ESPN)
“When former Liverpool boss, and one of Europe’s most highly respected coaches, Gerard Houllier was asked if players were taking on managerial roles too soon, he retorted: ‘Would a manager of a big company put somebody without experience into a key position in his company? No, he would not, but they do in football.'”

A very cloudy crystal ball (Yanks Abroad)
“The sun is close to setting on one of the more memorable and unpredictable German campaigns of recent memory. In contrast to the usual status quo with Bayern already crowned champions and the best of the rest duking it out for the remaining Champions League and UEFA Cup…pardon…Europa League places, no less than four [?] teams find themselves within a fingertip of lifting the trophy, separated by just a couple points.”

Gordon Brown: Holding true to my Raith (The Independent)
“Since 2005, the constituency I have proudly represented has been named ‘Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath’; but in football terms, that stands for ‘The Rovers’ and ‘The Blue Brazil’. Football has always been at the very centre of local life in the Fife towns and villages in which I grew up, and now represent as an MP.”

Akon to Record World Cup 2010 Anthem (World Cup Blog)
“We’re about thirteen months away from World Cup 2010, so it’s time to start filling in a few details. Details like the official World Cup 2010 anthem, which will apparently be provided by American R&B singer/songwriter/producer Akon.”

Silva’s agent confirms interest in Liverpool target (ESPN)
“David Silva’s agent has fuelled rumours that Liverpool have revived their bid to sign the Valencia star after he confirmed that a number of clubs had made enquiries.”

“Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979) is an English football forward who currently plays for and captains English Premier League club Newcastle United. He is currently the fourth-highest scorer for the England national team with forty goals.” Wikipedia, Micheal Owen, Michael Owen Fan Forum, YouTube, Google, (1)

“More than any other footballer he seems to have sprung from the serious imagination of a child. The world he belongs to is not the rough, touchy, deceiving world of grown-up risks and chances but a world of lucid justice and simplicity.” (The Run of Play)

The last look at the weekend (ESPN)
“Few of us like Monday but The Fifth Official does, for it brings with it a chance for him to point the finger and laugh. Here he pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from a five-star weekend.”

Barcelona Tired of Seeing Red (GOAL)
“Red, one of Barcelona’s signature colors, is not likely Eric Abidal’s favorite. Abidal, a Barcelona defender, has been sent off in two consecutive games: on Wednesday in the Champions League semifinal against Chelsea and in Sunday’s La Liga match against Villarreal after the fullback bowled over Nihat Kahveci in the penalty area.”

Soccer: I get a kick out of you (The Times)
“A museum in São Paolo shows how the history of soccer in Brazil mirrors the country’s political emancipation, writes Bareng-Batho Kortjaas.”

Still something like a phenomenon (SI – Tim Vickery)
“Ronaldo is coming home. It might be this Sunday when his Corinthians travels to face Botafogo in the Brazilian Championship. Or we might have to wait until the following Wednesday and the second leg of the Brazilian Cup quarterfinals away to Fluminense. Either way, the great striker will be returning to his home city of Rio de Janeiro.”

Liverpool to sign Eredivisie star Pranjic, Celtic target Newcastle’s Owen, Barcelona star Xavi staying put, and more (SoccerLens)
“Another day, another several notable names linked with moves as the start of the summer transfer window edges closer by the day. Which rumors are worth buying, and which would should you throw out with the weekend trash?”

“Diego Maradona – Marco Van Basten – Zinedine Zidane – Saeed Owairan – Pele – Archie Gemmill – Carlos Alberto – Ferenc Puskas – Diego Maradona – Lionel Messi…” (World Soccer)

The Sad Underside of Global Game’s Untold Riches (NYT)
“May is the month of triumph and despair in Europe. The two outstanding teams on the Continent, Manchester United and Barcelona, are closing in on their domestic league titles and will meet in the final of the Champions League in Rome on May 27.”

Mauritius joins Southern African countries gearing up for 2010 (FIFA)
“Mauritius has teamed up with the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ to join Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and hosts South Africa in a top line-up of accommodation providers.”

Mexico Turns Its Back on South America (NYT)
“The latest victims of the outbreak of swine flu are two of the most-revered things in Mexico — soccer and the country’s international reputation. One is tangible, the other a sensitive state of mind.”

Jose ends illustrious Ahly career (BBC)
“Manuel Jose has brought an end to his illustrious coaching career with Egyptian giants Al Ahly after six years in charge.”>

Low-key start to Brazilian champ (BBC – Tim Vickery)
“The biggest criticism that I could make of the organisation of Brazilian football is as follows – on the opening weekend of the national championship, the leading star in the entire competition was rested.”

African goals in Europe: 09-10 May (BBC)
“After a season blighted by injury Senegal’s Diomansy Kamara celebrated his first league start of the season with two goals for Fulham in a 3-1 win over Aston Villa.”

Nigeria: Our Continental Flagbearers (allAfrica)
“The splendid showing of our flagbearers in Africa’s club competitions last week, has again demonstrated that if properly managed and motivated, Nigerian clubs have what it takes to hold their own against the best on the continent.”

Iran line up three friendlies (AFC)
“Iran will prepare for their FIFA World Cup qualifier against DPR Korea next month with friendlies against Syria, Vietnam and China, the ISNA news agency reported.”

“It is not yet Barcelona’s title. When Daniel Alves curled home a free-kick on the stroke of half-time to put them 3-1 ahead of Villarreal, it seemed the race was at an end, only for the visitors to claw back the deficit as the match drew to an apparently celebratory close.” (Guardian)
Barcelona and Manchester United appeal Champions League suspensions (Guardian)
La Liga: Barca made to wait after late equaliser (ESPN)
Barca’s Champions League hopes hit by Iniesta blow (ESPN)
Barca to contest Abidal red card (BBC)
Last gasp leveller denies Barca title (FourFourTwo)
Villarreal delays Barca’s title celebrations (SI)

“Steven Gerrard scored twice against West Ham as Liverpool cruised to a 3-0 win to move top of the Barclays Premier League and keep alive their slim title hopes. With Manchester United playing later in the weekend, Rafael Benitez’s men overtook them on goal difference but time has almost run out and they only have two matches left.” (ESPN)
West Ham 0-3 Liverpool (BBC)
West Ham United v Liverpool – as it happened (Guardian)
Liverpool back on top of Premier League (Telegraph)
Premier League: In pictures (Telegraph)
Gerrard steers Reds top (This Is Anfield)

“Sami Tuomas Hyypiä (born 7 October 1973) is a Finnish footballer who plays in the centre back position. Currently, he plays for Liverpool in the English Premier League and is the captain of the Finland national football team.” Wikipedia

More tributes come in for Sami (This Is Anfield)
“Former Liverpool players Kenny Dalglish and Phil Thompson have begun what will probably be the first of many tributes for defender Sami Hyypia, who will leave the club at the end of this season.”

Liverpool FC Pictures (ECHO)
“WITH the news that defensive stalwart Sami Hyypia is to leave Liverpool after ten years of magnificent service, we pay tribute by looking back at his distinguished career in pictures”

Sami Hyypia: Leaving Liverpool (EPL TALK)
“There won’t be a sympathy vote PFA award for Sami Hyypia as he ends his ten year career with Liverpool FC, but for Reds supporters his legend will remain as large as the 6′4 Finn himself.”

Sami Hyypia Bio Send To Friend (ESPN)
“Hyypia’s performances for Liverpool since joining the club from Willem II earned him a reputation as one of the Premier Leagues best defenders but as his contract draws to a close under the reign of Rafa Benitez he has become more of a peripheral, if still influential, player.”

DailyMotion

YouTube

“Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola i Sala (born 18 January 1971 in Santpedor, Barcelona, Catalonia) is a former Spanish football midfielder and current FC Barcelona manager.” Wikipedia, ESPN, Josep Guardiola – The Boy from Santpedor

“Uefa has played down fears of fan violence at this month’s Champions League final between Manchester United and Barcelona in Rome, a location dubbed ‘Stab City’ by some critics because of the level of knife-related crime in the Italian capital.” (BBC)

Swine flu plays havoc with Copa Libertadores (BBC – Tim Vickery)
“The group phase of the Copa Libertadores has come to an end – and two of the results have left the South American Federation with a problem to solve. By the skin of their teeth, two Mexican sides made it through to the knockout stages. Chivas Guadalajara needed a draw away to Everton of Chile. They were hanging on grimly at the end, but got the 1-1 they needed.”

Olsen: Pride and glory (FIFA)
“In football terms, Morten Olsen is Mr. Denmark. Nineteen years’ service as player and nine as coach have left the 59-year-old’s name synonymous with his national team, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Joe Strummer’s Team (in Song) in UEFA Cup Final (GOAL)
“John Graham Mellor, who took the self-conscious name Joe Strummer and helped to change popular music history for the better as a member of the Clash, may be happily looking down from his lofty perch in punk-rock heaven today: one of his teams, Shakhtar Donetsk, has advanced to the final of the UEFA Cup.”

Dropping Benni – it’s just a punishment (iol)
“Let’s hope sincerely that Thursday’s decision to omit Benni McCarthy from the Confederations Cup squad doesn’t come back to haunt Bafana Bafana coach Joel Santana and his puppet-masters at the South African Football Association.”

Doping agency’s ‘whereabouts rule’ irks FIFA (CBC)
“Another bust-up is brewing between the World Anti-Doping Agency and FIFA, soccer’s world governing body. This time it is over WADA’s insistence that players make themselves available for random out-of-competition testing for one hour a day, 365 days a year. FIFA thinks that is asking too much.”

Corinthians’ Party Out of Bounds (GOAL)
“Corinthians captured its 31st São Paulo state championship in Brazil on Sunday. Ronaldo and the club played to a 1-1 draw with Santos (winning the home-and-away series, 4-2 on aggregate). Then the pyrotechnics started … and quickly got out of hand.”

“Who’s whinging now? Not the Catalans, that’s for sure. They’re far too busy hammering away at the O key, preparing odes to joy, giving thanks for happiness “in times of crisis, decadence and flu”, wiping away the tears from their cheeks and the debris from the Ramblas, launching into songs of praise and, most of all, proclaiming a new dawn of justice in the world.” (Guardian)

Chelsea’s fury at referee ends their European challenge on sickening note (Guardian – Richard Williams )
“Barcelona, touted as the most attractive side in Europe, had one shot on target all night. Unfortunately it came in the 93rd minute, and it broke Chelsea’s hearts. And given the penalty decisions that had not gone the London side’s way in the preceding 92 minutes, perhaps it was no surprise when the shock of Andrés Iniesta’s winning goal provoked scenes that tarnished the European Cup.”

Barcelona the beautiful show their flaws as Lionel Messi again fails to match the hype (Guardian – Paul Hayward)
“The beautiful team did it the ugly way, with an unconvincing performance, a man sent off, a string of controversial penalty decisions that went their way and an undignified goal celebration when Andrés Iniesta’s equaliser provided Barcelona’s lone moment of glory three minutes into added time.”

Chelsea condemn reported referee death threats (The Independent)
“Police are monitoring the home of Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after his decisions in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final clash between Chelsea and Barcelona triggered an outpouring of anger on the internet.”

Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack could face Uefa punishment (Times Online)
“Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack could face bans from European competition after Uefa confirmed it would look into the players’ behaviour in the aftermath of Chelsea’s heartbreaking Champions League semi-final exit last night.”

Football’s great conspiracy theories (Telegraph)
“Chelsea’s tumultuous elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona and Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo has been accompanied by allegations of a Uefa plot to prevent another all-English final. Here are some other great football conspiracy theories.”

Top Five: Didier Drogba meltdowns (Telegraph)
“Didier Drogba’s tirade against referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after Chelsea’s exit to Barcelona was another forgettable ending to a Champions League campaign for the Ivory Coast striker.”

Barcelona’s sting in the tail leaves Chelsea losing their marbles (Guardian – Amy Lawrence)
“The legend of the Lisbon Lions, when Celtic won the 1967 European Cup with an entire team born within a few miles of Glasgow, is the sort of romance confined the sepia stories of footballing ideals long gone from the modern game.”

When It’s Not Just a Game (GOAL)
“It’s just a game after all, but one in which millions of dollars, pounds, euros are at stake and the fans’ and players’ emotional investment is incalculable. Still, two disturbing incidents followed the European Champions League semifinals this week.”

Chelsea lose their heads and their dignity (Reuters Blog)
“Maybe Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo was wrong on all the big decisions in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg — it absolutely does not justify Chelsea’s reaction.”

Bitter recriminations at the Bridge (BBC -Phil McNulty)
“Tom Henning Ovrebo is a psychologist by profession – and Chelsea’s Didier Drogba provided an unpalatable close-up study in human behaviour for the Norwegian referee amid bitter recriminations at Stamford Bridge.”

Penalty decisions mystify Hiddink (BBC)
“Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink cannot understand why referee Tom Ovrebo failed to award “three clear penalties” in their Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, and defends Didier Drogba’s post-match tirade against the official.”

Drogba ‘deserves to be punished’ (BBC)
“Chelsea striker Didier Drogba labelled referee Tom Henning Ovrebo a ‘disgrace’ after his side’s Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona.”

“Ten-man Barcelona robbed Chelsea of a place in the Champions League final in the cruellest of fashions with a 93rd-minute away goal at Stamford Bridge. A stunning first-half volley from Michael Essien looked to have earned Chelsea victory and set up a repeat of last year’s Champions League final against Manchester United.” (ESPN)
Pique admits fortune after Chelsea penalty claim (ESPN)
Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona (agg 1-1) – (BBC)
Barcelona win on the away goals rule (BBC)
Chelsea hearts broken by late, late Iniesta goal for Barcelona (Guardian)
Chelsea v Barca in pictures (Sun)
Video – Chelsea – Barcelona (1-1) (Mighty Football)
Language and Contradictions in The Beautiful Game (Foot Smoke)
No Live Blog Today (The Run of Play)
Chelsea Fan Foiled From 3,000 Miles Away (NYT)
Chelsea UnDone BY Refereeing; Chelsea-1, Barca-1 (All About FC Barcelona)
Barca Player rating against Chelsea on 06/05/09 (All About FC Barcelona)

“José Manuel Reina Páez (born 31 August 1982), commonly known as Pepe Reina or José Reina, is a Spanish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the English Premier League club Liverpool F.C. and the Spain national team.” Wikipedia, LiverpoolFC

Rafa: United will make mistakes in the run-in (ESPN
“Rafael Benitez still expects Manchester United to slip up after Liverpool’s gap-closing 3-0 win over Newcastle and hopes his rivals crumble under the pressure of four crucial games in 12 days.”

Dirk: It’s only a matter of time (LiverpoolFC)
“Dirk Kuyt today assured Liverpool fans it is only a matter of time before their long wait for a 19th League Championship is brought to an end.”

Dossena will stay and fight for Liverpool place (ESPN)
“Italian defender Andrea Dossena is only focused on making his mark at Liverpool despite speculation he could be off-loaded in the summer.”

Xabi a doubt for Hammers trip (This Is Anfield)
“Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is rating the chance that midfielder Xabi Alonso will be fit in time for this Saturday’s Premier League visit to West Ham as doubtful.”

Saturday’s big match preview (West Ham Uniter FC)
“WEST HAM can count themselves a little unlucky having to face Liverpool at Upton Park on Saturday evening. Usually by this time of the season, the Merseysiders already need snookers to win the Premier League title as they are almost always trailing in the wake.”

Rafael Benitez: Robbie Keane experience will not put off new Liverpool signings (Telegraph)
“Keane, who signed for £20 million from Tottenham Hotspur last summer and was sold back at a loss just six months later, failed to dislodge either Steven Gerrard or Fernando Torres from Benitez’s first-choice attack.”