Michezo magazetini leo...

[Rutashubanyuma]

Aberdeen​

2:45 PM ET

Motherwell​

Goals Cards Substitutions

Wednesday, February 16, 2011​

Week 19​

Tannadice Park

Expand

​

Dundee United​

2:45 PM ET

Hamilton Academical​

Goals Cards Substitutions
Completed Games

Saturday, February 12, 2011​

Week 26​

Ibrox

Expand

​

Rangers​

6 : 0
Final

Motherwell​

Match Stats | Minute by Minute

(5') Steven Naismith

(34') Nikica Jelavic

(37') Nikica Jelavic

(76') Shaun Hutchinson

(79') Nikica Jelavic

(83') David Healy
Goals

(58') Madjid Bougherra
Cards Stephen Craigan (36')

Ross Forbes (62')

Gavin Gunning (75')

(42') John Fleck

Steven Naismith

(64') David Healy

El Hadji Diouf

(70') Maurice Edu

Kyle Bartley

Substitutions Ross Forbes (52')

Jonathan Page

Jamie Murphy (69')

Steve Jones

Francis Jeffers (74')

John Sutton

Easter Road

Expand

​

Hibernian​

2 : 1
Final

Kilmarnock​

Match Stats | Minute by Minute

(52') Akpo Sodje

(70') Victor Palsson
Goals Jamie Hamill (74')

(43') Richard Towell

(73') Francis Dickoh

(89') Liam Miller

(89') Ian Murray

(90') Martin Scott
Cards Mohamadou Sissoko (69')

Jamie Hamill (89')

(75') Martin Scott

Derek Riordan

(78') Liam Miller

Matt Thornhill

(83') Michael Hart

Akpo Sodje

Substitutions Anssi Jaakkola (46')

Cameron Bell

David Silva (57')

Rui Miguel

James Fowler (65')

Liam Kelly

McDiarmid Park

Expand

​

St. Johnstone​

Postponed

Aberdeen​

Match Stats | Minute by Minute
Goals Cards Substitutions
St. Mirren Park

Expand

​

St. Mirren​

3 : 3
Final

Inverness C.T.F.C​

Match Stats | Minute by Minute

(28') Michael Higdon

(29') Steven Thomson

(74') Darren McGregor
Goals Adam Rooney (6')

Aaron Doran (33')

Adam Rooney (61')

(43') Paul McGowan

(90') Craig Dargo
Cards Aaron Doran (59')

(46') Jure Travner

Lee Mair

(83') Sean Lynch

Hugh Murray

Substitutions Eric Odhiambo (25')

Jonathan Hayes

New Douglas Park

Expand

​

Hamilton Academical​

0 : 2
Final

Hearts​

Match Stats | Minute by Minute
Goals Stephen Elliott (22')

Stephen Elliott (47')

(8') Martin Canning

(45') David Elebert
Cards Ian Black (26')

(46') Mark Carrington

David Buchanan

(46') Flavio Paixao

Ziggy Gordon

(54') Marco Paixao

Douglas Imrie

Substitutions David Templeton (69')

Suso Suso

Andrew Driver (70')

Craig Thomson

Adrian Mrowiec (80')

Ian Black

Sunday, February 13, 2011​

Week 26​

Tannadice Park

Expand

​

Dundee United​

1 : 3
Final

Celtic​

Match Stats | Minute by Minute

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Zlatan reveals Man City snub





Updated Feb 14, 2011 1:25 PM ET
No amount of money could have persuaded Zlatan Ibrahimovic to turn down AC Milan for Manchester City, the Sweden striker has declared.
City were reportedly ready to break the bank to sign the 29-year-old after he decided he wanted to end a dismal year at Barcelona last summer.


The Premier League side were rumoured to be ready to shell out up to £500,000 a week to sign the former Ajax forward.
But Ibrahimovic opted to move to the San Siro, where he has blossomed under coach Massimiliano Allegri, scoring 13 league goals to help the Rossoneri climb to the top of the Serie A standings.
He admits he held talks with the Eastlands club before moving to Milan but insists a move to the seven-time European champions was his only option.
"I had a couple of talks with City and they had a fantastic project going on but I'm not one of those players who wants to go there and play for money," Ibrahimovic said.
"For me, it's important to see what kind of future there is, what kind of possibilities there is. For me, the project of City is not now.
"I think in a couple of years they will be a top team but Milan now is at the top and for me, I want to be playing at the top when I'm 29 rather than 32.
"It was not about money. If you are a great player there is money everywhere."
One of the main reasons why Milan have spent the majority of the campaign at the top of the table is Ibrahimovic's partnership with Brazilian duo Alexandre Pato and Robinho in attack.

EUROPEAN LEAGUES ​

Italian Serie A​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Spanish La Liga​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

German Bundesliga​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

French Ligue One​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Scottish Premier League​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Dutch Eredivisie​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Robinho is at the San Siro on loan following a disappointing two-year spell at City, where he failed to live up to expectations after a then British record £32.5million transfer from Real Madrid.
Ibrahimovic feels the 27-year-old has matured a lot since his move to Italy and believes his team-mate is playing some of the best football of his career.
"Robinho he is a fantastic player," he said. "I train and play with him every week and he always does tricks that I have never seen before.
"When he went to City when they were not as good as they are today.
"If they had the same team now when he went there it would've been a different story.
"He took the challenge and he has to be proud of that. He made the move from Real Madrid to Manchester City and in some eyes that is not a step up - it is a step down. But City, now, they have made big investment and they have brought in fantastic players. It's not the same team.
"I am happy he is in my team and I enjoy playing with him."
Ibrahimovic will be out to prove that he is at his peak when he takes to the field against Tottenham in Milan's Champions League last-16 first-leg tie at the San Siro.
The striker had not scored against English opposition until he ended that hoodoo with a double against Arsenal last season.
The Rossoneri may be three points clear at the top of Serie A, but they are beset by injury problems and are also facing a Spurs team that beat their bitter rivals Inter 3-1 at White Hart Lane last year.
Gareth Bale was the inspiration behind the Londoners' victory that November night, running rings around Inter right-back Maicon just a month after blasting three goals past the holders in Tottenham's 4-3 loss at the San Siro.
The visitors will be without the flying Welshman tomorrow due to a back injury but Allegri reckons Tottenham have plenty of other credible attacking options.
The Italian said: "Aaron Lennon is a very quick and intelligent player, Peter Crouch is a good player too so we will need to be careful.
"They have four solid defenders alo. They are a very fit and strong, physical side."
Bale's hat-trick against Inter drew the world's attention to the 21-year-old, who is now said to be a summer target for both Milan teams as well as Barca and Real Madrid.
Allegri admits he would love to have the winger in his squad.
"I don't think we can compare him to [Lionel] Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo yet but this year he did the right things," the 43-year-old said.
"He is a player that any manager would like to have in his side."

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Italian Serie A Roundup, Feb. 13

http://msn.foxsports.com/rssfeeds

22 comments »

Updated Feb 14, 2011 8:12 AM ET
Juventus checked Inter Milan's pursuit of city rival and Serie A leader AC Milan with a 1-0 win Sunday from Alessandro Matri's first-half goal.
Matri found the net in the 30th minute in a match in which both teams had several scoring chances. Inter striker Samuel Eto'o squandered a late chance to equalize when he smashed the ball against the bar despite having an open goal at his mercy.


Inter is eight points behind Milan with a game in hand. Juventus is three further points behind.
Lazio, meanwhile, stayed in contention for a Champions League place with a 2-0 win at Brescia on Sunday.
Alvaro Gonzalez scored an early goal in the 17th and Libor Kozak added another in the 58th to earn the Rome team a comfortable win that puts it seven points behind league leader AC Milan.
"We haven't had a particularly good time recently," Lazio coach Edy Reja said. "We haven't won away for quite some time, but we had a good game today."
Fiorentina twice came from behind to earn its first away win in over a year with a 4-2 victory at Palermo.
"Finally we were able to call up our best players, those who can score and set up goals," Fiorentina coach Sinisa Mihajlovic said. "Until now we haven't had them available and we suffered because of that. Today we didn't stop trying to play good football."
Also Sunday, it was: Bari 0, Genoa 0; Cagliari 4, Chievo Verona 1; Catania 3, Lecce 2; Cesena 0, Udinese 3; and Sampdoria 3, Bologna 1.
Juventus midfielder Alberto Aquilani had the first chance of the game, but chipped just over the crossbar.
Juventus winger Milos Krasic started the build-up for the goal, pulling the ball back for Frederik Sorensen to find Matri, who headed his cross past goalkeeper Julio Cesar.

EUROPEAN LEAGUES ​

Italian Serie A​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Spanish La Liga​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

German Bundesliga​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

French Ligue One​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Scottish Premier League​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Dutch Eredivisie​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Inter immediately went on the attack, but Esteban Cambiasso hooked his shot over the bar.
Early in the second half, Inter had its best chance, but goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon punched Giampaolo Pazzini's header away.
Matri had a chance to add a second, but headed Krasic's cross wide from close range. He then took too long when Aquilani played him in and Maicon came back to clear.
Buffon had to rush off his line twice to stop Eto'o, and Matri then fired a shot wide from close range.
With two minutes remaining, Eto'o missed an open goal. He hit the bar from close range after Juventus' defense had failed to stop Maicon's low cross.
Gonzalez gave Lazio the lead when he headed in Stephan Lichtsteiner's cross at the near post. He nearly doubled his tally 10 minutes later but Brescia goalkeeper Michele Arcari got down low to push the shot away for a corner after Gonzalez raced behind Brescia's defense.
Lazio grabbed a second after the interval when Kozak got up highest to head in Cristian Ledesma's corner.
Alessandro Diamanti was Brescia's main attacking threat and he nearly grabbed a consolation goal in injury time when his free kick hit the bar.
"There are times in the season when you don't play at your best," Reja said. "We had ours in January and suffered because of that. But we kept our spirits up and now things are starting to go our way."
In Palermo, Javier Pastore kept up his impressive form by grabbing the opener in the seventh. By halftime though Fiorentina was level after Alberto Gilardino nodded in Valon Behrami's chipped cross.
Antonio Nocerino put Palermo back in the lead soon after the break with a diving header, but again Fiorentina fought back when Michele Camporese was left unmarked at a corner to score in the 70th.
Cesare Bovo's own-goal put Fiorentina into the lead and Riccardo Montolivio secured the points with two minutes remaining.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Cavani: Napoli deserved victory





Updated Feb 13, 2011 8:52 AM ET
Edinson Cavani is keeping his feet firmly on the ground after Napoli maintained the pressure on Serie A leaders AC Milan on Saturday night.
Cavani was the hero for Napoli as his two goals handed his side a 2-0 triumph over Roma.

EUROPEAN LEAGUES ​

Italian Serie A​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Spanish La Liga​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

German Bundesliga​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

French Ligue One​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Scottish Premier League​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Dutch Eredivisie​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

The victory at the Stadio Olimpico followed their 2-0 triumph over Cesena and kept Napoli in second place, three points behind Milan.
"We are extremely happy," said Cavani, who is the leading scorer in Serie A with 20 goals. "We worked very hard to get a victory and we fully deserve to go home with three points.
"I don't think with this win we have sent a message to anyone.
"We are simply a united group that wants to compete for something important.
"We try to always improve and give 100%. But we have to continue to work hard and remain humble."
Roma coach Claudio Ranieri conceded his team were outplayed by the Naples outfit.
"It has been a clear defeat," he said. "All of the Napoli players worked very hard today.
"We had just one chance in the game and we have to compliment Napoli because they were determined from start to finish.
"We are not happy but we have to work hard and turn the page."
Ranieri believes this defeat, which followed their 5-3 loss at Inter Milan, has somewhat dented Roma's scudetto ambitions.
The Eternal City giants have dropped 13 points behind Milan.
"We have to change our aims," said Ranieri. "To talk about the scudetto right now seems difficult.
"But we will not give up. We just have to keep working and see where we finish."
Tonight's loss was all the more painful as Ranieri's men had gone into the match in Rome as the only Serie A team yet to lose at home this season.
However, Ranieri expects his side to bounce back immediately.
Roma host Shakhtar Donetsk in the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday.
"One defeat cannot undo the work we have done in one-and-a-half years," he said.
"On Wednesday we face another difficult encounter and we have to prepare for it in the best possible way."

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Italian Serie A Roundup, Feb. 12

http://msn.foxsports.com/rssfeeds



Updated Feb 12, 2011 5:19 PM ET
AC Milan warmed up for its Champions League match against Tottenham Hotspur with a 4-0 win over Parma in the Serie A on Saturday.
Napoli won 2-0 away to Roma to maintain the pressure on Milan in second place. Edinson Cavani scored twice to ensure Napoli stayed three points behind the Serie A leader.


"I score because we are a very united group and everyone performs their job," Cavani said. "We deserved to win this game tonight. It would have been wrong if we'd left without winning."
Antonio Cassano scored his first goal since joining Milan from Sampdoria in the transfer window and Robinho grabbed a brace after Clarence Seedorf opened the scoring.
Milan is on an unbeaten run of 10 games in all competitions and will welcome Spurs to the San Siro in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.
"We played well and we had to play our game tonight," Robinho said. "It was important we got back to winning ways. Tottenham is a strong team, but we are confident in how we are playing and feel we can beat anybody."
Seedorf went close in the first minute when he fired in a long range shot that Parma 'keeper Antonio Mirante pushed away for a corner.
The Dutchman found the net in the eighth though when Zlatan Ibrahimovic slipped the ball behind the Parma defense and he took it round Mirante and scrambled in.
Cassano then opened his account with Milan. Following a buildup involving Seedorf and Luca Antonini, he exchanged passes with Gennaro Gattuso, who flicked the ball over the defense and Cassano ran on and swept a low, first time shot under Mirante.

EUROPEAN LEAGUES ​

Italian Serie A​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Spanish La Liga​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

German Bundesliga​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

French Ligue One​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Scottish Premier League​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Dutch Eredivisie​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

He nearly added a second in the 31st. Ibrahimovic headed the ball into his path and Cassano fired in a powerful shot on the volley that Mirante pushed over the bar.
On the hour mark Blerim Dzemaili forced Milan 'keeper Christian Abbiati into an acrobatic save to stop his long range effort.
After clearing the corner Milan immediately scored its third. Cassano crossed low from the left and Robinho sidefooted the ball home.
"It was good cross and easy to score from," Robinho said.
The Brazilian added his second four minutes later. Cassano broke through Parma's midfield, picked out Robinho and he finished in clinical fashion.
At Rome's Olympic Stadium, the teams began at a frenetic pace. Morgan De Sanctis blocked Mirko Vucinic's shot when the Montenegrin was through on goal and Roma's Julio Sergio smothered a low cross from Napoli's Ezequiel Lavezzi in the 26th.
Sergio came to Roma's rescue two minutes later when he palmed away Walter Gargano's dangerous free kick.
Soon after halftime Juan tripped Marek Hamsik in the box and Cavani fired in the penalty off the base of the post.
Roma fought back and De Sanctis blocked Jeremy Menez's fierce shot in the 70th. A minute later Lavezzi led a Napoli counterattack, but wasted a chance to wrap up the match when he dithered and allowed Sergio to tackle him.
Cavani scored his second with seven minutes remaining when he got between Marco Cassetti and Aleandro Rosi to turn Paolo Cannavaro's cross past Sergio.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Sneijder: Crunch time for Inter





Updated Feb 12, 2011 9:19 AM ET
Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder believes his team's next two games could make or break their season.
The Nerazzurri visit Juventus in Sunday night's 'Derby d'Italia' before travelling to Florence on Wednesday to face Fiorentina.

EUROPEAN LEAGUES ​

Italian Serie A​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Spanish La Liga​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

German Bundesliga​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

French Ligue One​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Scottish Premier League​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Dutch Eredivisie​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

If results go their way, Leonardo's Inter would find themselves at the top of the Serie A standings next week.
Inter sit five points and two places behind Serie A leaders AC Milan, who host Parma on Saturday.
"We are closing the gap with Milan," said Sneijder. "If we win against Juventus and Fiorentina, then I really think we can win the Scudetto.
"The game at Juve is crucial for us while we also cannot miss the opportunity to gain ground when we face Fiorentina."
The Nerazzurri will have to overcome a major hurdle in Turin in their pursuit of another Italian title.
Juventus, despite trailing leaders AC Milan by 11 points, still harbour hopes of winning the Scudetto.
The Bianconeri halted a run of three games without a win by beating Cagliari 3-1 in Sardinia in the last round.
Luigi Del Neri's men head into the encounter in eighth place, six points behind third-placed Inter, who have won their last three matches.
"We saw the real Juve against Cagliari," said Juve defender Andrea Barzagli. "Now we are looking to find continuity in results.
"I expect an open game, with this game crucial for both sides.
"Inter want to remain in the race for the league title and so do we."
Juve have won just one of their last three games at Turin's Stadio Olimpico.
Inter will be without Argentina striker Diego Milito, who is sidelined for a month with a thigh injury, as well as suspended defender Cristian Chivu.
Juve have recovered midfielder Claudio Marchisio, who sustained a muscular injury against Cagliari.
This is good news for Del Neri as Mohamed Sissoko is sidelined with a problematic knee.
In-form Alessandro Matri will partner Luca Toni in Juve's attack.
Matri scored twice against Cagliari, the club that loaned him to Juve last month.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Ronaldo announces retirement from football

Updated Feb 14, 2011 1:18 PM ET
SAO PAULO (AP)

There was finally an opponent Ronaldo couldn't overcome - his own body.
No longer able to meet the demands of football because he can't stay fit anymore, Ronaldo announced Monday that he is retiring, ending a stellar 18-year career in which he won two World Cup titles with Brazil and thrived with some of Europe's top clubs.
''It's very hard to leave something that made me so happy,'' a tearful Ronaldo said. ''Mentally I wanted to continue, but I have to acknowledge that I lost (the fight) to my body.''
The 34-year-old striker, who has scored a record 15 World Cup goals, said a string of injuries in the past two years had kept him from performing at a high level with Brazilian club Corinthians.
''The pain made me anticipate the end of my career,'' Ronaldo said, with sons Alex and Ronald by his side. ''It hurts when I go up the stairs, people who are close to me know this. I've given my life to football. I don't regret anything, but I can't keep going.''
Ronaldo blamed the excessive number of matches and practice sessions for his physical decline, saying it's inevitable players will be similarly affected. The striker said he injured a muscle last week, which was the final straw.
''I thought about it at home and realized that it was time,'' he said. ''I had given everything that I had.''
Ronaldo also said that he found out four years ago that he had hypothyroidism, a condition that made it difficult for him to lose weight and stay in shape.
With his uncanny sprints toward goal and an incredibly accurate finishing touch, he captivated fans everywhere he played, including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan.
All despite having to come back from three serious knee injuries that threatened to end his career earlier than expected.
''My career was beautiful, was wonderful,'' he said. ''I've had many defeats but infinite victories.''
Ronaldo's contract with Corinthians was expected to expire at the end of the year, but his physical condition kept deteriorating. Visibly out of shape, he was not able to perform well and fans were jeering him after every missed play.
The announcement came just days after he was heavily criticized by Corinthians fans for the team's elimination from the Copa Libertadores, Latin America's most important competition and the only major tournament the Brazilian club has yet to win.
Supporters damaged players' cars and threw rocks at the team's bus, but Ronaldo said the violent protests did not play a part in his retirement. He said he only wanted to thank Corinthians fans for their support.
''I've never seen fans with so much passion,'' he said, his voice cracking. ''Their need for results sometimes made them a little aggressive, a bit out of control.''
Ronaldo's exit comes two days after former Brazil teammate Roberto Carlos left Corinthians because he and his family were being threatened by fans after the Copa Libertadores elimination. Last year, Corinthians failed to win any titles in its centenary year.
''I want to publicly apologize for failing in the Libertadores project,'' Ronaldo said, crying, before team president Andres Sanchez handed him a jersey with the words ''forever'' and ''phenomenon.''
The last of Ronaldo's more than 400 career goals came from a penalty in a 1-0 win over Cruzeiro in the Brazilian league on Nov. 13. The last match was the 2-0 Copa Libertadores loss to Deportes Tolima on Feb. 2 in Colombia.
''I'll miss it a lot,'' Ronaldo said, without talking much about his plans for the future. ''With this announcement, it feels like it's my first death.''
Ronaldo was a member of Brazil's World Cup squad that won the 1994 World Cup in the United States, although he was a teenager and never played. He was the team's top star in France in 1998, but just before the final he suffered seizures at the team's hotel and disappointed as the French won.
''Ronaldo is the best player I ever played with,'' former Inter Milan teammate Youri Djorkaeff, who also played against Ronaldo in the 1998 World Cup final, told French RMC radio. ''But he was also a very engaging person. When we were training, he would always come up with crazy dribbles. We would practically stop to watch him. It was extraordinary.''
It was in 2002 that Ronaldo peaked with the national team, helping Brazil win the tournament in South Korea and Japan with two goals in the final against Germany.
He clinched his third FIFA Player of the Year award that year, adding to the ones he had already won in 1996 and 1997.
He was among those who disappointed in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, when Brazil fell to the French again in the quarterfinals, but he was still able to score his record-breaking 15th goal, a mark that still stands.
Ronaldo also helped Brazil win the 1997 and 1999 Copa America, as well as the 1997 Confederations Cup and a bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Ronaldo scored 67 goals in 104 internationals with Brazil, but was never again called up to the national team after the disappointing performance in 2006. There were calls for his return to the squad after he helped Corinthians win the 2009 Brazilian Cup, but he was never able to get back in shape.
Ronaldo's career was marked by his goals just as it was by his injuries, which kept him sidelined for nearly three years in total.
He tore up his right knee with Inter Milan in 1999 and needed surgery, and a year later he twisted the same knee on the day he was returning to action and had to be sidelined for several months again after another surgery. The third injury came with AC Milan in 2008, forcing another surgery and another long layoff.
''He played past injuries what would have made many other players quit,'' said 30-year-old Hamilton Pereira Felix, a Rio de Janeiro doorman glued to the television waiting to hear Ronaldo's announcement. ''He was a warrior. But he couldn't recover anymore. It was his time.''
Ronaldo began his professional career with Cruzeiro in 1993 as a 16-year-old, and it didn't take long for him to start stunning fans across Brazil. He moved to PSV Eindhoven that same year, becoming the club's top scorer and earning a transfer to Barcelona in 1996.
He quickly became an idol at the Spanish club, scoring 34 goals in 37 matches in the Spanish league and helping the club win the Copa del Rey.
A year later he signed with Inter Milan, winning the 1998 UEFA Cup and earning the nickname ''The Phenomenon.''
He moved to Real Madrid in 2002, and is one of the few players to become an idol for fans of both Spanish powerhouses. He helped Real Madrid win the Spanish league in 2003 and 2007. After that season he joined AC Milan, but the third injury in his knee cut short his stay at the Italian club.
Ronaldo is already a goodwill ambassador for the United Nation's Development Program, and he was key for the organization of the ''Game for Peace'' in Haiti in 2004, when the Brazilians visited the country devastated by gang wars.
---
AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire in Paris and Associated Press writer Juliana Barbassa in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Jamie Trecker is a senior soccer writer at FoxSoccer.com. A working journalist for 25 years, he covers the Champions League, European soccer and the world game for FoxSoccer.com.
JAMIE TRECKER

PRINT RSS



Updated Feb 14, 2011 12:56 PM ET
Wayne Rooney made highlight reels around the world Saturday, his wonder goal leading Manchester United to an emphatic 2-1 win over their archrivals Manchester City. The result kept United firmly atop the Premiership table by a full four points over their closest chaser and Rooney's acrobatic strike may well turn out to be a championship finish.


Elsewhere, Barcelona's winning streak was halted by Sporting Gijon allowing a short-handed Real Madrid to gain ground; Borussia Dortmund's lead was trimmed by Kaiserlautern in Germany; and AC Milan and Napoli continued their dogfight atop the Serie A table while Inter Milan hit the skids against Juventus.
Rooney called his 78th minute strike the "best ever" in his illustrious career, and he might well be right. Fed by Nani, Rooney uncorked an unstoppable bicycle kick past a stunned Joe Hart to serve notice that United is the team to beat for the Premiership title.
Nani had opened the scoring in the 41st minute for United but a harassing City deservedly drew level when David Silva flukishly put the ball past Edwin van der Sar in the 65th. Until that point, City had been perhaps marginally better, with Silva, Yaya Toure and Micah Richards giving the United back line fits. But with Carlos Tevez well shackled, United made the most of their forays forward, none so spectacularly as Rooney's sensational winner.
The result probably ended City's title hopes: they now sit a full eight points off the pace and have played one more game than United. And, for manager Roberto Mancini, the result was even harsher: his expensively assembled squad, helped by the exclusion of Tevez from Argentina's friendly against Portugal, once again could not win a major game.

BARCLAY'S PREMIER LEAGUE ​

Sat., Feb. 12​

Man United 2-1 Man City | Recap
Arsenal 2-0 Wolverhampton | Recap
Liverpool 1-1 Wigan Athletic | Recap
Blackburn 0-0 Newcastle | Recap
West Brom 3-3 West Ham | Recap
Birmingham 1-0 Stoke City | Recap
Blackpool 1-1 Aston Villa | Recap
Sunderland 1-2 Tottenham | Recap

Sun., Feb. 13​

Bolton 2-0 Everton | Recap

Mon., Feb. 14​

Fulham vs. Chelsea

BPL Scores | Table | Fixtures​

At the Emirates, restive Arsenal fans saw a more assured display from their side as Robin van Persie scored twice to give the Gunners a 2-0 victory and keep Arsenal in second place. Beating dead-last Wolves won't reassure most of the faithful, but it was a vital win after Arsenal's collapse to a 4-4 draw last week against Newcastle. Man of the match had to be Wolves' keeper Wayne Hennessey, who at least kept his team in the match on an afternoon when Arsenal looked capable of scoring at will.
Over at the Hawthorns, new manager Roy Hodgson will have been dismayed to see West Bromwich Albion cough up a three-goal lead at the half. New boy Demba Ba led the West Ham fight-back with two goals; Jonathan Spector was a late sub in the match. West Ham actually scored four in the match: Kiwi defender Winston Reid smacked home one for West Brom.
At Bloomfield Road, Brad Friedel's Aston Villa were lucky to escape with a share of the points in an absorbing encounter with Blackpool that ended 1-1. Jean Makoun was rightly sent off for a vicious two-footed tackle on DJ Campbell that forced the Villains to play with ten men for the final twenty minutes. Michael Bradley made his debut immediately after Makoun's ejection. In a side note, Sian Massey made her return to the sideline for the first time since Sky Sports sacked commentators Andy Gray and Richard Keys over comments the duo made about the assistant's gender.
Elsewhere, injury-wracked Tottenham survived an early deficit at Sunderland to take a 2-1 win and leap past Chelsea in the table. Asamoah Gyan had given the Black Cats the lead while Spurs' defender William Gallas was off the field changing his studs. But Gallas atoned for that howler when he screened 'keeper Craig Gordon, allowing Michael Dawson to power his header between the Scots' 'keeper's legs. Niko Kranjcar sealed the win three minutes shy of the hour mark.
Birmingham pipped Stoke late thanks to a 93rd minute strike from Nicola Zigic, Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw with Wigan courtesy of a questionable goal from Steve Gohouri to deal Kenny Dalglish a setback, while Blackburn and Newcastle played to the day's lone 0-0 draw. Sunday, Stuart Holden's Bolton downed Tim Howard's Everton 2-0 in the only game of the day. Clint Dempsey's Fulham meet Chelsea on Monday.


In Germany, Dormund were held to a 1-1 draw by Kaiserslautern thanks to a last-minute goal from Jan Moravec. Neven Subotic was sent off in the match, leaving the leaders a man short for the final ten minutes. The result left Dortmund ten points clear but gave Bayern Munich and Leverkusen a glimmer of hope, which both teams exploited.
Bayern saw Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery take the field together for the first time this season, then enjoyed a spectacular 4-0 thrashing of Hoffenheim. It took only 90 seconds for Robben to make an impact, setting up Mario Gomez for the Bundesliga's leading scorer to collect his 17th. Robben would go on to score twice himself while Ribery netted two assists on the day. The result took Bayern into third place just three behind Bayer Leverkusen, who kept up their chase with an easy 3-0 win over Ricardo Clark's Eintracht Frankfurt. Clark is recovering from a fractured cheekbone.
Elswhere, St. Pauli got a 3-1 win over the awful Borussia Moenchengladbach, leading to the sacking of manager Michael Frontzeck. Sinking Stuttgart dropped a dreadful game to Nurnberg 4-1, Schalke edged Freiburg 1-0 ahead of their Tuesday meeting with Valencia in the Champions League, and Hamburg pipped Wolfsburg 1-0. Sunday, Cologne knocked off Mainz 4-2 while Steve Cherundolo's Hannover were held 1-1 by Werder Bremen.

EUROPEAN LEAGUES ​

Italian Serie A​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Spanish La Liga​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

German Bundesliga​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

French Ligue One​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Scottish Premier League​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Dutch Eredivisie​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

In Spain, Barcelona's record winning run was stopped at 16 games by lowly Sporting Gijon, which perhaps deserved more than a 1-1 draw. It was left to David Villa to rescue the point when he scored with ten minutes left in the match. On Sunday, bitter rivals Real Madrid overcame the 2nd minute sending off of 'keeper Iker Casillas to down Espanyol and gain ground, trimming Barcelona's lead to five points. Marcelo was the hero, scoring from an acute angle after Casillas inexplicably raced from his area to kick Jose Callejon and collect a red.
Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid stumbled again against Valencia, falling 2-1 and likely signaling the end of Qique Sanchez Flores' tenure as manager and Santander beat Sevilla 3-2 with a late strike. Sunday, Villarreal fell 1-0 to Coruna and Osasuna lost 1-0 to Sociedad.
In Italy, AC Milan got a big 4-0 win over Parma with two goals from Robinho but Edinson Cavani kept Napoli in the hunt with two goals in a 2-0 win at sagging Roma. Cavani now leads Serie A's golden boot race with 20 goals. Lazio stayed in the hunt with a solid 2-0 win over Brescia Sunday, as did Udinese with their 3-0 thrashing of Cesena. But Inter Milan failed to keep up on Sunday, tumbling to Juventus 1-0 behind Alessandro Matri's goal.
In France, Lille moved a full five points clear with Gervinho leading them to a 2-0 win over Toulouse on Sunday. Saturday, Carlos Bocanegra's St. Etienne were whipped 4-1 by fourth-place Lyon although it was the American who got the only goal in defeat. Charlie Davies is expected to stay in Washington with D.C. United as loan deal is reportedly close with Sochaux. Without him, Sochaux lost again, 2-1 to Marseille as Andre-Pierre Gignac's two goals took Olympique up to second overnight. That didn't last long as Rennes leapt past them on Sunday with a 2-0 win over Nice. Paris Saint-Germain were held to a 0-0 draw by Lens.
In Scotland, Maurice Edu was a 70th minute sub for Rangers as they kept the pressure on Glasgow Celtic with a 6-0 immolation of Motherwell. Fixture congestion remains a huge problem for the Scots as they saw another game postponed - St. Johnstone against Aberdeen - due to that country's dreadful weather this year. Both Edinbugh sides won, Hearts downing Hamilton Academical 2-0 away and ten-man Hibernian eking out a 2-1 win over Kilmarnock. Sunday, Celtic downed Dundee United 3-1.
Jamie Trecker is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com covering the UEFA Champions League and the Barclay's Premier League.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Jamie Trecker is a senior soccer writer at FoxSoccer.com. A working journalist for 25 years, he covers the Champions League, European soccer and the world game for FoxSoccer.com.
JAMIE TRECKER

PRINT RSS



Updated Feb 14, 2011 12:56 PM ET
Wayne Rooney made highlight reels around the world Saturday, his wonder goal leading Manchester United to an emphatic 2-1 win over their archrivals Manchester City. The result kept United firmly atop the Premiership table by a full four points over their closest chaser and Rooney's acrobatic strike may well turn out to be a championship finish.


Elsewhere, Barcelona’s winning streak was halted by Sporting Gijon allowing a short-handed Real Madrid to gain ground; Borussia Dortmund’s lead was trimmed by Kaiserlautern in Germany; and AC Milan and Napoli continued their dogfight atop the Serie A table while Inter Milan hit the skids against Juventus.
Rooney called his 78th minute strike the "best ever" in his illustrious career, and he might well be right. Fed by Nani, Rooney uncorked an unstoppable bicycle kick past a stunned Joe Hart to serve notice that United is the team to beat for the Premiership title.
Nani had opened the scoring in the 41st minute for United but a harassing City deservedly drew level when David Silva flukishly put the ball past Edwin van der Sar in the 65th. Until that point, City had been perhaps marginally better, with Silva, Yaya Toure and Micah Richards giving the United back line fits. But with Carlos Tevez well shackled, United made the most of their forays forward, none so spectacularly as Rooney’s sensational winner.
The result probably ended City’s title hopes: they now sit a full eight points off the pace and have played one more game than United. And, for manager Roberto Mancini, the result was even harsher: his expensively assembled squad, helped by the exclusion of Tevez from Argentina’s friendly against Portugal, once again could not win a major game.

BARCLAY'S PREMIER LEAGUE ​

Sat., Feb. 12​

Man United 2-1 Man City | Recap
Arsenal 2-0 Wolverhampton | Recap
Liverpool 1-1 Wigan Athletic | Recap
Blackburn 0-0 Newcastle | Recap
West Brom 3-3 West Ham | Recap
Birmingham 1-0 Stoke City | Recap
Blackpool 1-1 Aston Villa | Recap
Sunderland 1-2 Tottenham | Recap

Sun., Feb. 13​

Bolton 2-0 Everton | Recap

Mon., Feb. 14​

Fulham vs. Chelsea

BPL Scores | Table | Fixtures​

At the Emirates, restive Arsenal fans saw a more assured display from their side as Robin van Persie scored twice to give the Gunners a 2-0 victory and keep Arsenal in second place. Beating dead-last Wolves won’t reassure most of the faithful, but it was a vital win after Arsenal’s collapse to a 4-4 draw last week against Newcastle. Man of the match had to be Wolves’ keeper Wayne Hennessey, who at least kept his team in the match on an afternoon when Arsenal looked capable of scoring at will.
Over at the Hawthorns, new manager Roy Hodgson will have been dismayed to see West Bromwich Albion cough up a three-goal lead at the half. New boy Demba Ba led the West Ham fight-back with two goals; Jonathan Spector was a late sub in the match. West Ham actually scored four in the match: Kiwi defender Winston Reid smacked home one for West Brom.
At Bloomfield Road, Brad Friedel’s Aston Villa were lucky to escape with a share of the points in an absorbing encounter with Blackpool that ended 1-1. Jean Makoun was rightly sent off for a vicious two-footed tackle on DJ Campbell that forced the Villains to play with ten men for the final twenty minutes. Michael Bradley made his debut immediately after Makoun’s ejection. In a side note, Sian Massey made her return to the sideline for the first time since Sky Sports sacked commentators Andy Gray and Richard Keys over comments the duo made about the assistant’s gender.
Elsewhere, injury-wracked Tottenham survived an early deficit at Sunderland to take a 2-1 win and leap past Chelsea in the table. Asamoah Gyan had given the Black Cats the lead while Spurs' defender William Gallas was off the field changing his studs. But Gallas atoned for that howler when he screened 'keeper Craig Gordon, allowing Michael Dawson to power his header between the Scots’ 'keeper’s legs. Niko Kranjcar sealed the win three minutes shy of the hour mark.
Birmingham pipped Stoke late thanks to a 93rd minute strike from Nicola Zigic, Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw with Wigan courtesy of a questionable goal from Steve Gohouri to deal Kenny Dalglish a setback, while Blackburn and Newcastle played to the day’s lone 0-0 draw. Sunday, Stuart Holden’s Bolton downed Tim Howard’s Everton 2-0 in the only game of the day. Clint Dempsey’s Fulham meet Chelsea on Monday.


In Germany, Dormund were held to a 1-1 draw by Kaiserslautern thanks to a last-minute goal from Jan Moravec. Neven Subotic was sent off in the match, leaving the leaders a man short for the final ten minutes. The result left Dortmund ten points clear but gave Bayern Munich and Leverkusen a glimmer of hope, which both teams exploited.
Bayern saw Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery take the field together for the first time this season, then enjoyed a spectacular 4-0 thrashing of Hoffenheim. It took only 90 seconds for Robben to make an impact, setting up Mario Gomez for the Bundesliga’s leading scorer to collect his 17th. Robben would go on to score twice himself while Ribery netted two assists on the day. The result took Bayern into third place just three behind Bayer Leverkusen, who kept up their chase with an easy 3-0 win over Ricardo Clark’s Eintracht Frankfurt. Clark is recovering from a fractured cheekbone.
Elswhere, St. Pauli got a 3-1 win over the awful Borussia Moenchengladbach, leading to the sacking of manager Michael Frontzeck. Sinking Stuttgart dropped a dreadful game to Nurnberg 4-1, Schalke edged Freiburg 1-0 ahead of their Tuesday meeting with Valencia in the Champions League, and Hamburg pipped Wolfsburg 1-0. Sunday, Cologne knocked off Mainz 4-2 while Steve Cherundolo’s Hannover were held 1-1 by Werder Bremen.

EUROPEAN LEAGUES ​

Italian Serie A​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Spanish La Liga​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

German Bundesliga​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

French Ligue One​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Scottish Premier League​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Dutch Eredivisie​

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

In Spain, Barcelona’s record winning run was stopped at 16 games by lowly Sporting Gijon, which perhaps deserved more than a 1-1 draw. It was left to David Villa to rescue the point when he scored with ten minutes left in the match. On Sunday, bitter rivals Real Madrid overcame the 2nd minute sending off of 'keeper Iker Casillas to down Espanyol and gain ground, trimming Barcelona’s lead to five points. Marcelo was the hero, scoring from an acute angle after Casillas inexplicably raced from his area to kick Jose Callejon and collect a red.
Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid stumbled again against Valencia, falling 2-1 and likely signaling the end of Qique Sanchez Flores’ tenure as manager and Santander beat Sevilla 3-2 with a late strike. Sunday, Villarreal fell 1-0 to Coruna and Osasuna lost 1-0 to Sociedad.
In Italy, AC Milan got a big 4-0 win over Parma with two goals from Robinho but Edinson Cavani kept Napoli in the hunt with two goals in a 2-0 win at sagging Roma. Cavani now leads Serie A’s golden boot race with 20 goals. Lazio stayed in the hunt with a solid 2-0 win over Brescia Sunday, as did Udinese with their 3-0 thrashing of Cesena. But Inter Milan failed to keep up on Sunday, tumbling to Juventus 1-0 behind Alessandro Matri’s goal.
In France, Lille moved a full five points clear with Gervinho leading them to a 2-0 win over Toulouse on Sunday. Saturday, Carlos Bocanegra’s St. Etienne were whipped 4-1 by fourth-place Lyon although it was the American who got the only goal in defeat. Charlie Davies is expected to stay in Washington with D.C. United as loan deal is reportedly close with Sochaux. Without him, Sochaux lost again, 2-1 to Marseille as Andre-Pierre Gignac’s two goals took Olympique up to second overnight. That didn’t last long as Rennes leapt past them on Sunday with a 2-0 win over Nice. Paris Saint-Germain were held to a 0-0 draw by Lens.
In Scotland, Maurice Edu was a 70th minute sub for Rangers as they kept the pressure on Glasgow Celtic with a 6-0 immolation of Motherwell. Fixture congestion remains a huge problem for the Scots as they saw another game postponed - St. Johnstone against Aberdeen - due to that country’s dreadful weather this year. Both Edinbugh sides won, Hearts downing Hamilton Academical 2-0 away and ten-man Hibernian eking out a 2-1 win over Kilmarnock. Sunday, Celtic downed Dundee United 3-1.
Jamie Trecker is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com covering the UEFA Champions League and the Barclay's Premier League.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Ronaldo retires, ending magnificent soccer career

Updated Feb 14, 2011 12:00 PM ET
SAO PAULO (AP)

Ronaldo retired from soccer Monday because his body can no longer meet the demands of the game, ending a magnificent career in which he won two World Cups with Brazil and thrived with some of Europe's top teams.
With tears on his cheeks, the 34-year-old striker announced his decision at a news conference. He played 18 years despite repeated knee trouble and leaves as a three-timer FIFA Player of the Year and the top goal scorer in World Cup history.
''It's very hard to leave something that made me so happy,'' said Ronaldo, with sons Alex and Ronald by his side. ''Mentally, I wanted to continue, but I have to acknowledge that I lost (the fight) to my body.''
Now he confronts a new stage, shadowed by all that's left behind.
''With this announcement,'' he said, ''it feels like it's my first death.''
Ronaldo said a string of injuries the past two years kept him from performing at a high level with the Brazilian club Corinthians. He also learned four years ago he had hypothyroidism, a condition that made it difficult for him to lose weight and stay in shape.
''The pain made me anticipate the end of my career,'' he said.
With his uncanny sprints toward the goal and an extraordinary finishing touch, Ronaldo captivated fans everywhere he played, including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. All despite having to come back from three serious knee injuries that threatened to end his career.
''My career was beautiful, was wonderful,'' he said. ''I've had many defeats but infinite victories.''
Ronaldo's contract with Corinthians was expected to end at the end of the year, but his condition kept deteriorating. He was visibly out of shape and fans jeered him after every missed play.
The announcement came days after he was heavily criticized by Corinthians fans for the team's elimination from the Copa Libertadores, Latin America's most important competition and the only major tournament the popular club has yet to win.
Fans damaged players' cars and threw rocks at the team bus, but Ronaldo said that did not play a part in his retirement. With his voice cracking, he said he wanted to only thank Corinthians fans for their support.
''I've never seen fans with so much passion,'' he said. ''Their need for results sometimes made them a little aggressive, a bit out of control.''
Ronaldo's exit comes two days after former Brazil teammate Roberto Carlos left Corinthians because he and his family were being threatened by fans after the Copa Libertadores elimination. Corinthians players had already been under pressure since last year, when the club failed to win titles despite celebrating its centenary.
''I want to publicly apologize for failing in the Libertadores project,'' he said, crying, before team President Andres Sanchez handed him a jersey with the words ''forever'' and ''phenomenon.''
The last of Ronaldo's more than 400 career goals came with a penalty kick in a 1-0 win over Cruzeiro in the Brazilian league on Nov. 13. The last match was the 2-0 Copa Libertadores loss to Deportes Tolima on Feb. 2 in Colombia.
Ronaldo was part of the World Cup squad that won the 1994 title in the United States, although he was a teenager and never played. He was the team's top star in France in 1998, but just before the final he had seizures in the team's hotel and did not play well in the game won by the French.
''Ronaldo is the best player I ever played with,'' former Inter Milan teammate Youri Djorkaeff, who also played against Ronaldo in the 1998 World Cup final, told French RMC radio. ''But he was also a very engaging person. When we were training, he would always come up with crazy dribbles. We would practically stop to watch him. It was extraordinary.''
It was in 2002 that Ronaldo peaked with the national team, helping Brazil win the tournament in South Korea and Japan with two goals in the final against Germany. He was voted Player of the Year, adding to the awards won in 1996 and 1997.
He was among those who disappointed in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, when Brazil fell to the French again in the quarterfinals, but he was still able to score his record-breaking 15th goal, a mark that still stands.
Ronaldo also helped Brazil win the 1997 and 1999 Copa America, as well as the 1997 Confederations Cup and a bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Ronaldo scored 67 goals in 104 games with Brazil, but was never again called up to the national team after the disappointing performance in 2006. There were calls for his return to the squad after he helped Corinthians win the 2009 Brazilian Cup, but he was never able to get back in shape.
Ronaldo's career was marked by his goals just as it was by his injuries, which kept him sidelined for nearly three years in total.
He tore up his right knee with Inter Milan in 1999 and needed surgery, and a year later he twisted the same knee on the day he was returning to action and had to be sidelined for several months again after another surgery. The third injury came with AC Milan in 2008, forcing another surgery and another long layoff.
Ronaldo began his professional career with Cruzeiro in 1993 as a 16-year-old, and it didn't take long for him to start stunning fans across Brazil. He moved to PSV Eindhoven that year, becoming the club's top scorer and earning a transfer to Barcelona in 1996.
He quickly became an idol at the Spanish club, scoring 34 goals in 37 matches in the Spanish league and helping the club win the Copa del Rey. A year later he signed with Inter Milan, winning the 1998 UEFA Cup and earning the nickname ''The Phenomenon.''
He moved to Real Madrid in 2002, one of the few players revered by fans of both Spanish powerhouses. He helped Real Madrid win the Spanish league in 2003 and 2007. After that season he joined AC Milan, but his third knee injury cut short his stay.
Ronaldo is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nation's Development Program. He played a big role in organizing the ''Game for Peace'' in Haiti in 2004, when the Brazilians visited the country devastated by gang wars.
---
AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire in Paris contributed to this report.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

 

[Rutashubanyuma]