For many, Orlando Prates versus Kaizer Chiefs is more than just a game. For 90 minutes families are divided, friendships strained and marriages put on pause. This is the power of the Soweto Derby– South Africa’s grandest sporting event.

It will be no different this Saturday; as the gods intended when the game was first conceived in 1970, a lot rides on the encounter.

The fact that the fixture was sold out last Thursday is a measure of its importance and anticipation. Come kick-off, Soccer City will be filled to its 90,000 brim, the noise deafening. There are several of reasons for this, the biggest being that, for the first time in eight years, the Premiership race looks like a two horse race between the Chiefs and the Pirates. As such, Saturday’s clash has been transported to the times of Doctor Khumalo and Teboho Moloi– Jomo Sono and Ace Ntsoelengoe before that– when its outcome defined lives.

Saturday’s installment is arguably more important for the Chiefs. Though they haven’t played badly, Amakhosi are suddenly only three points ahead of the Pirates, having at one stage led the Buccaneers by eight. This only goes to illustrate the recent ability of the Ghost to slip into their opposition’s slipstream, something that will undoubtedly haunt Amakhosi fans until the fat lady sings. The Pirates have forged a reputation as comeback kings over the past two seasons and will remain confident of clawing their way back even if the unthinkable happens at Soccer City.

As is, the sides go into the game with nearly identical records, head and shoulders above the rest. The Chiefs are top with 30 points, three ahead of the Bucs. The Chiefs are the goal kings with 27, and the Pirates the best defense with just seven conceded.

As with any derby there are countless pre-game questions: Which eleven will Roger De Sa pick? Will the Chiefs stay true to their recent attack instincts?

De Sa’s selection will be interesting, as he clearly still has to find his best line-up. Things have no doubt been muddled further by Wednesday’s Chippa performance, and with the Pirates having played a day later than the Chiefs in the week, De Sa may be set to tinker once more.

The Chiefs’ rise this season, on the other hand, has been based predominantly on a slick offense. After a dreadful start, a 4-1 mauling by Sundowns in the MTN8, Stuart Baxter has built a side primed in attack: 27 goals in 13 league games have come, with Bernard Parker, Lehlohonolo Majoro and Kingston Nkhatha providing a sharp spearhead.

All the same, any overly attacking approach on Saturday could leave the Chiefs exposed to a Pirates team deadly in transition. It won’t escape both coaches’ minds that recent meetings have been swayed down the flanks, Tlou Segolela being the main protagonist. With the Chiefs’ Bafana fullbacks Siboniso Gaxa and Tshepo Masilela still finding their feet after injuries, any unchecked exposure could tip the balance.

As the Bucs’ boss De Sa says, “For the first time in a while both teams are evenly matched.” It’s difficult to argue and so even the smallest of details come into play as well.

The Chiefs will be playing an afternoon league match for only the third time this season, having performed poorly in their previous two – a labored draw with Free State Stars in Bethlehem in September and losing their unbeaten record to Platinum Stars in Rustenburg a fortnight ago. Could this be a factor on Saturday?

The state of the pitch after a Lady Gaga concert last weekend may also throw up curve-balls to the extent to which game-plans may have to be adjusted. Who will adjust best?

Perhaps the only certainty is the importance of midfield battle– the impressive Chiefs duo of Willard Katsande and Reneilwe Letsholonyane against a Pirates core is likely to welcome back Andile Jali.

Both midfields will be tasked with providing their teams with the rhythm and balance so crucial on such occasions. With so much on the line memories naturally wonder to glorious encounters of yesteryear – the Pirates’ 4-1 win in 1996 marked by Jerry Sikhosana’s ferocious hattrick, the tension-filled 1988 Bob Save Superbowl final, the Chiefs’ thrilling 3-2 extra-time victory in the 1992 Coca-Cola Cup, or the 2001 Lesley Manyathela show when Slow Poison inspired Pirates to a stunning 3-0 league win.

And that’s another reason why tomorrow’s match is significant.

In some ways the Soweto Derby has been diluted from its fierce origins thanks in part to a deluge of commercially-driven friendly meetings such as the Vodacom Challenge and the Carling Black Label Cup more recently. Familiarity has bred tolerance.

The respective teams’ decline in terms of true star power, coinciding with Tshwane sides Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United winning the league from 2005 to 2010 also had an effect. This resulted in derbies that not only didn’t have any bearing on the title race but, even worse, at times lacked the quality the occasion demands.

Though there has been a renaissance in the past 18 months, Saturday’s derby could really bring the sexy back. As it happens, the game will coincide with SuperSport supplying a feed to American broadcaster ESPN reaching 19 countries on four continents.

Final word goes to Baxter: “This is a big match and we have to make it an event that can trumpet South African football to the outside world.”

So there you go, Saturday’s Soweto Derby is the biggest in a while. Let game begin, and let another glorious chapter be written in the storied history of this timeless rivalry.

Image Courtesy : Orlando pirates fc. [see page for license], via Wikimedia Commons

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Hamburg, Germany – Global Smart TV provider NetRange, in cooperation with sports rights agency Sportfive, has secured the exclusive global rights to broadcast qualifying matches for the 2014 football World Cup live on Smart TV. Effective immediately, over 140 meetings between the European national teams will be broadcast via the “Qualifiers 2014″ app. All matches will subsequently be available on-demand. In total, fifty percent of European qualifying matches will be broadcast via Smart TV.

These include matches involving Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,Macedonia, Moldova, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine and Wales, as well as those involving the current European and World Champions, Spain.

The “Qualifiers 2014″ app is available on the Smart TV portals from the manufacturers Loewe, Sharp, Thomson and Ikea, as well as on all other connected TV devices equipped with NetRange portals.

“By offering this completely new form of football broadcasting, we are breaking new ground in the exploitation of media and sports rights, and may even be making television history” comments Jan Wendt, managing director of NetRange. “We are delighted to be able to offer users of our Smart TV portals world class sport with the highest image quality – live and on-demand.”

Image Courtesy of  Marcello Casal Jr//ABr [CC-BY-3.0-br], via Wikimedia Commons

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A highly anticipated offensive shoot-out at Lambeau Field turned into a  defensive gridlock on Thursday night. The Green Bay Packers defense had a huge target on their back following their weak performance in Week 1 against the 49ers. In Thursday nights rivalry game against the Chicago Bears, the Packers defense completely shut down the Bears explosive offense to earn an encouraging 23-10 victory.

The rampant defense of the Packers held the Bears to just 168 total yards. Jay Cutler was completely flustered by Green Bay’s aggressive defense, only throwing for 126 yards and one touchdown, whilst also giving up four interceptions. Cutler was also sacked seven times, and is now 0-3 at Lambeau Field. Green Bay also limited Chicago’s run game, especially after Matt Forte left the game in the 3rd quarter with an ankle injury.

Packers linebacker, Clay Matthews, had seven tackles, and 3.5 sacks. Matthews has already matched the amount of sacks he had last year in the first two games of the season, and should continue to harass quarterbacks all season. The secondary also shone with Tramon Williams picking up two interceptions, whilst Charles Woodson and rookie Jerron McMillian also both picked off Cutler. The Packers secondary was also able to lock-up Bears star wideout Brandon Marshall, and limited him to two receptions for 24 yards. Marshall had a touchdown opportunity in the 3rd quarter however, but was not able to hang onto the ball.

Interestingly enough, Green Bay’s punter, Tim Masthay, threw a touchdown pass before Aaron Rodgers. In the second quarter, on a fake field goal, Masthay pitched the ball to Tom Crabtree who followed his blockers all the way for seven. Rodgers finally threw his first and only touchdown pass of the game in the fourth quarter to veteran wideout Donald Driver. Rodgers finished the game completing 22 of 32 passes for 219 yards, one touchdown and one interception. In addition, the Packers run game proved to be far more effective than in Week 1, as they rushed for a total of 106 yards, and Cedric Benson lead the team with 20 carries for 81 yards. Benson also had four receptions for 35 yards.

Green Bay has now extended their winning streak against the Bears to five games. The Packers handled the pressure of an expectant home crowd extremely well to earn their first win of the season. Green Bay will be on the road for their next game, a tough clash with the Seattle Seahawks on September 24th. The Bears will be back at Soldier Field, September 23rd, against the St.Louis Rams.

For additional player or game stats please click here. 

Image Courtesy of  Chicago Bears

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On a noisy night at Tynecastle in Edinburgh, Liverpool got back to its winning ways in a hard fought contest by both sides, thanks to an Andy Webster own goal.

After a disappointing 3-0 loss to West Brom over the weekend, this was the perfect chance for Liverpool to gain a much needed confidence boost. It was the same situation for the Hearts, who squandered a 2-0 lead against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, but ended up drawing 2-2. Both sides were looking for a boost going into their respective games this weekend.

While the Liverpool manager decided to rest the likes of Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez, he still fielded a side which consisted of seven internationals. But early on, with loud support from the Hearts, fans striker John Sutton nearly got in; Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina was alert to clear the ball.

Slowly but surely, Liverpool got back into the game and started to create chances. The best chance was a Jordan Henderson through ball narrowly missed by Fabio Borini, who tried to volley the ball past Hearts goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald. But some Hearts will feel their side should have been awarded a penalty when Jamie Carragher handled the ball, though it did look accidental.

Late on in the first half, Raheem Sterling produced a great interception and was through on goal. Instead of being selfish, with only the keeper to beat, he produced a pass to Borini but somehow hit bar with seconds to go until the half-time whistle.

Both teams struggled to really get going in the second half. Even though only a few half chances being created by both sides, Hearts fans kept singing throughout the whole match. Liverpool kept playing it from the back and passed throughout the whole game, keeping up with Rodgers philosophy.

Finally, the deadlock was broken in the 77th minute when Liverpool got around the tiring Hearts defence. A good cross by Martin Kelly caused chaos in the Hearts penalty area, and although Borini nearly put the ball in the net, it was an own goal by Andy Webster as he tried in vain not to make contact with the ball.

Although late on Andy Driver had a great chance to equalize, his shot lacked pace. The Hearts had to settle with a 1-0 home defeat.

While Liverpool will take this victory away from home, and look forward to the home leg, for Hearts it was an encouraging display by such a youthful squad.

The second leg will take place August 30 at Anfield. Before that game, Liverpool will host Premier League champions Manchester City, while the Hearts are away at Pittodrie against Aberdeen.

Image Courtesy of  Jaggat / Shutterstock.com

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There were more questions than answers as FC Barcelona lined up for the start of their first competitive game after the departure of club legend and most successful coach in their history, Pep Guardiola. Over the past four years Barcelona had swept 14 out of 19 possible trophies including breaking a series of records on their way to winning the Spanish league three times and becoming champions of both Europe and the world twice, leading many to proclaim them the greatest football team to ever exist.

Having missed out on the two big prizes last year–the championships of Spain and Europe–amid a spate of injuries and occasionally sloppy performances by their own high standards, and having seen the talisman coach, Guardiola, depart citing the stress of constant pressure to be replaced by his former assistant Tito Vilanova, many doubted the ability of Barcelona to continue to dominate.

This was given further credence by the overpowering performances of eternal rivals, Real Madrid, last season, a young, hungry and athletic side that finally broke Barcelona’s stranglehold on domestic competition last year. However, in Madrid’s opener this season against Valencia immediately preceding the Barcelona game, they had drawn 1-1.

With this context, Barcelona went into their first game of the season against Real Sociedad needing to make a statement. And make one they did. Defender, Carles Puyol, headed Barcelona into the lead in the 4th minute before Chori Castro leveled for Sociedad on nine minutes. This parity would prove to be short-lived, as only 56 seconds later Lionel Messi scored and then scored yet another five minutes afterwards to put Barcelona 3-1 up in only 16 minutes.

Youngster Cristian Tello looked lively throughout, playing an intelligent and vastly improved game, and new signing, Jordi Alba, put in an untiring and dangerous performance from left-back, linking up well in his attack. In a warm night in Catalonia, Pedro Rodriguez, who had been off form much of last season, finished off a chance just before half-time to put the gloss on a great game.

With the game a formality by the beginning of the second half, Barcelona lowered the intensity of their game and introduced David Villa, who had missed most of last season due to his injury, to a rapturous reception by the Camp Nou crowd.

Villa duly marked his return to competitive play with a sharp performance and a well-struck goal in the 84th minute to cap off a result that sent out a statement, heading into Thursday’s Supercopa match against Real Madrid, to the rest of Europe for the season to come: don’t write off this Barcelona side just yet.

Image Courtesy of   Natursports / Shutterstock.com

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The quarterfinals for the soccer Olympics are already here, as the group stage games ended on August 1. This has been so far an Olympics full of surprises, as favorite Spain and Luis Suarez’s Uruguay have not made it to the next round. It is especially startling in the Spanish case. The winners of the last World Cup and Euro Cup have not even scored a goal on the three games played in the group stage, and could just tie one of their games (0-0 against Morocco)

The group stage was composed of 16 teams divided within 4 different groups. Teams that have made it into quarterfinals are Great Britain and Senegal in group A, Mexico and South Korea in group B, Brazil and Egypt in group C and Japan and Honduras in group D.

With Spain out, the favorite is the ever-feared Brazil and host Great Britain. Giovani dos Santos’ Mexico is the third front-runner to lift the title. However, the other countries must also need to be taken into account as they have already struggled, and triumphed, through different battles.

A draw has already been made for the quarterfinal round, which will be played on August 4th. Host Great Britain will play against South Korea. Favorite Brazil will have to beat Honduras, who already won to mighty Spain. Mexico will play against Senegal, and Japan and Egypt will face off in the last quarterfinal game.

The most attractive game from the last day of the group stage was Brazil’s victory against New Zealand by 3-0. The Brazilians won the game with even a greater superiority than what the final result reflected. The first two goals were scored before the first half an hour by Leandro Damiao and Danilo. The third one was Sandro’s work at the beginning of second half.

The other big game of the day was the one played between Great Britain and Uruguay in Cardiff, Wales. The Brits won by 1-0 with Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge’s goal in a game that started shrouded in controversy since it was feared that Welsh were going to boo on the God Save the Queen British anthem. At the end fans respected the anthem.

Image Courtesy of  Cyril Hou / Shutterstock.com

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London, United Kingdom — The Hertz Corporation, the world’s largest general use car rental brand, is kicking off the start of the Premiership as West Bromwich Albion’s official car rental company in the UK. Whether the team is playing at home or away, football fans will be provided with discounted car rental when making a reservation though the dedicated microsite www.hertz.co.uk/wba.

Michel Taride, President of Hertz International, said: “This is the first time we have collaborated with a Premiership football club in the UK, and we are thrilled to add West Bromwich Albion to our other exciting sporting partners such as Wimbledon and MotoGP. Football fans will benefit from discounted car rental, meaning they can get to home and away matches easily and comfortably in a Hertz car of their choice all year round.”

Whether travelling to watch the match with the kids, friends or a partner, Hertz has the perfect vehicle to ensure convenient and comfortable travel from home to the pitch. Football fans will be able to choose from all cars across Hertz’s fleet – including the Family, Fun/Adrenaline, Prestige, and Green Collections.

As West Bromwich Albion’s official car rental company, Hertz will offer a 10% discount to the club’s fans as well as accelerated membership to Hertz #1 Club Gold. As a gold member, renters can benefit from discounted rates and special offers, earn Gold Plus Reward Points and benefit from faster reservations.

Iain Wain, West Bromwich Albion’s Head of Partnerships, commented: “We are excited to be working alongside Hertz for the 2012/13 season. Whether we’re playing at the Hawthorns or another club, fans will be able to travel in style to matches and take advantage of Hertz’s wide selection of vehicles and service at a discounted price.”

Hertz is the world’s largest general use car rental company, operating from over 8,500 corporate locations in 150 countries worldwide. Hertz is in its 93rd year of delivering quality car rental solutions to leisure and corporate customers. Product and service innovations such as Hertz #1 Club Gold, Worldwide Online Check-in, specially designed NeverLost satellite navigation systems, and unique cars offered through the company’s Prestige, Family, Fun/Adrenaline and Green Collections, set Hertz apart from the competition. More information can be obtained from to www.hertz.com.

Image Courtesy of  West Bromwich Albion

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Wayne, U.S.A.  – Castrol, the official sponsor of Major League Soccer (MLS), announced the latest rankings for the Castrol Index Weekly Top 20 earlier this week ahead of the 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star Game  in Philadelphia. The top five ranked players for week 20 of the season are Macoumba Kandji (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (New York Red Bulls), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Calen Carr (Houston Dynamo) and Ryan Johnson (Toronto FC). Of these players, Landon Donovan will play in this week’s AT&T All-Star Game.

Topping the list of powerhouse forwards is Houston’s Macoumba Kandji who played nearly a flawless game in Saturday’s victory (3-0) over Montreal with two goals. While most forwards turnover the ball quite often, Kandji finished off with only two wrong passes, giving him headway over Cooper, Donovan and Carr.

Kenny Cooper of the New York Red Bulls earns the no. 2 spot on this week’s Castrol Index with the highest credit in terms of shooting and scoring. Of five goal attempts, Cooper scored two goals and turned three on-target shots, only falling short to Kandji due to a few turnover passes during New York’s win (2-0) over Philadelphia.

This week’s no. 3 ranked player is LA Galaxy’s Landon Donovan followed by Houston Dynamo’s Calen Carr at no. 4, both scoring two goals last week. Despite these goals, Donovan and Carr find themselves behind Kandji because of shooting quality and poor passing activity, respectively.

Taking the no. 5 spot is Toronto FC’s Ryan Johnson whose strong scoring, shooting and defensive activity statistically placed him ahead of Kandji and Donovan; however, his turnover passes around and within the opposition box brought down his points in comparison to the others.

The MLS All-Stars face Chelsea FC, the European champions, on July 25 at PPL Park in Philadelphia.Ben Olsen, coach of D.C. United, will lead the team.

Castrol Index—a proprietary technology that objectively ranks a player’s performance—analyzes and tracks every player’s move on the field, providing statistical data and insightful analysis for fans, players and coaches. On the heels of a successful inaugural year with MLS, Castrol announced in April it would be updating the Index rankings on a weekly basis—rather than monthly—to ensure that fans have the most updated statistics to enhance their engagement with the game.

Image Courtesy of  Photo Works / Shutterstock.com

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Transfers:

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Milan to PSG)

Finally the Ibrahimovic case has come to an end and he will play for PSG during the next three seasons. The French team has become the focus of the European soccer market. PSG will play in the Champions League during the next season and they are showing that they will fight for it, especially after hires like the Zlatan, Verratti or Thiago Silva one. The French League will be the other objective.

Ibra will form a lethal partnership with Pastore and Lavezzi, and will be shielded by players such as Menez, Motta, or Veraratti. A “Dream Team” as Swedish Ibrahimovic has called to his new team. “I am going to play for the Dream Team and I just want to think about how many tittles I am going to win”, said the striker who will be the second player in the world with the highest salary, earning between € 14 and 15 millions per season.

Marco Verratti (Pescara to PSG)

The “new Pirlo” as they call Verratti, is moving from modest Italian club Pescara, to superpower PSG, who has shown their financial potential by buying both Ibrahimovic and Verratti in the same day.

“He’s young, is the future of Italy,” said the president of PSG, about 19 years old Verrati. The player has signed for the next five years and it is not just a commitment to the future but also for the present.

The players here are great champions,” Verratti told reporters at a press conference at Parc des Princes. “I’ve seen them on television and now I’m training with them. It gives me a huge desire to do well here. “It doesn’t happen every day that a young player can join a great club like this. I’ll do my best to repay PSG’s faith in me.”

Carlos Vela (Arsenal to Real Sociedad)

Mexican Carlos Vela is finally staying in Real Sociedad from the Spanish First Divison. The striker who played in the San Sebastian team during the last season in a loan contract, will stay in there for the four next seasons. The striker yielded a great performance in Real Sociedad where he scored 12 goals in 35 games, so the club has made a great effort and has been negotiating with Arsenal for the Mexican international player during the past 3 months.

Rumours:

Filipo Inzaghi (Milan to Reading)

Since the end of their contractual relationship with Milan, Filippo Inzaghi’s future remains full of mystery for Calcio fans, but according to recent rumors of the international press, which includes the Italian portal Tutto Mercato, the future of veteran striker could finally be in the Premier League.

It seems that Reading is the club that is trying the most to hire the Italian start Filippo Inzaghi.

Tymoshchuk (Bayern to Hamburg)

According to German press reports, defensive midfielder Anatoliy Tymoshchuk would be a major target for the markets of Hamburg during this summer. The trigger that could end this successful operation, has to do with Bayern’s recent movements to sign a class footballer who plays in the same position as Tymoshchuk. 

Image Courtesy of   Abel Tumik / Shutterstock.com

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New York, U.S.A. — The French Soccer Star of the New York Red Bulls, Thierry Henry, utilized his talents to reveal a 24 X 21 foot mural in Midtown Manhattan. Teaming up with local pop artist and Kid Robot designer toy creator, Tristan Eaton, Henry used the force of his famous goal-scoring strikes to launch a series of triggers and objects-in-motion to produce and unveil a work of art inspired by the team and the City of New York.

Over one thousand local Manhattanites came out at the end of their lunch break to see the zips, zaps, flips, rolls and finally the end reveal on the front steps of Madison Square Garden. MSG Networks’ New York Red Bulls sideline reporter, Tina Cervasio, hosted the event.

Coming together months before, Henry met with Eaton to connect on a common vision and the logistics of aiming a ball from 30 feet to a tiny circular target, much smaller than the goals he is used to scoring on. When push came to shove or cleat came to ball, Henry nailed it every time.

“It was really special seeing it all come together,” said the two-time MLS All–Star and World Cup Champion. “I have a huge admiration for the type of pop and modern art that Tristan does plus we have our love for Marvel Comics in common- so it was easy to connect.”

Also inspired by the New York Red Bulls and Thierry’s passion for life beyond of soccer– including art, music and fashion- Tristan’s vision and art-in-motion skills made this giant canvas come to life with huge bulls charging out of the scene.

“It was a long process and I built the structure in pieces, so it was quite a site to see it come together,” said the pop artist, who has work on permanent display at the MOMA. “It was also awesome to give a superstar like Thierry a challenge and make him sweat.”

The final mural will exist primarily at the home of the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, which is easily reachable by the PATH train. The team’s next home game is on Sunday, July 15 at 4:00 PM. Tickets are available for the whole season, which goes through the end of October at newyorkredbulls.com. New Yorkers can also watch games on MSG Networks (MSG and MSG+), the home of the New York Red Bulls, all season long.

Image Courtesy of   New York Red Bulls

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Transfers:

Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina to Napoli)

Gamberini will play in UEFA Europe League after he has signed for Napoli, one of the biggest clubs in Italy. The central defender was at a great level during last season with Fiorentina, where he played 29 games and scored a goal. His strength in defense has given him the chance to take a step forward in his career, which will give him the chance to fight for a Champions League spot. Playing in Europe with Napoli will maybe give him the chance to play back with Italian national team, where he already has played 8 games.

Fiorenitina has sold Gamberini in an operation where midfield Behrami is also going to the Neapolitan team. According to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, Napoles has paid € 8,5 millions for both players.

Valon Behrami (Fiorentina to Napoli)

Swedish right wing midfield has packed again and moved to Napoli, after playing in Lugano, Genoa, Hellas Verona, Lazio, West Ham and Fiorentina. At 27 years old he starts a new challenge in the Coppa Italia holders Napoli. Now the question is will he be able to stay for a longer time than on the other teams that he has played for. Behrami is moving to the south Italian team with his fellow Gamberini, both moving from Fiorentina. Napoli has paid € 8,5 millions for the two players. It seems like Napoli has bought him to play in the center midfield instead of in his natural wing position.

Glenn Loovens (Celtic to Zaragoza)

Former Celtic Glasgow defense has moved to Spanish La Liga, where he will defend Real Zaragoza’s colors, a team that stayed during the entire last season on relegation positions, but saved themselves in the last date of the league. The Dutch, age 27, is moving to Spain in a no cost operation, since his contract ended up with the Scottish team. He has signed for two seasons, but there is a chance of staying a third one if he accomplishes some objectives. Loovens won two Scottish leagues and one Cup, and now will play in a more competitive league, where the target will be to save Zaragoza from relegation to the Second Division.

Rumours:

Micah Richards (Manchester City to Madrid)

Real Madrid is looking for a right wing defense. The first choice was Maicon, but negotiations have recently stopped. Spanish League winners have a new name in their list: Micah Richards, who can play in both wing and center positions in defense. It seems that City is asking for €10 millions, same as Inter for Maicon. The difference is that Richards is seven years younger and can play in more positions, so the British player’s name has been underlined in Madrid list of possibilities.

Robinho (Milan to Santos)

Santos intends to begin negotiations with Italian AC Milan to recruit the player Robinho de Souza, who according to sources cited today Brasilian site Globoesporte expressed interest in returning to Brazil.

According to Globoesporte, Santos is willing to pay €4 millions for the striker as well as a loan of the international goalkeeper Rafael Cabral Barbosa. If the operation went well, Robinho will be going back to the team where he started playing professionally.

Image Courtesy of   Dziurek / Shutterstock.com

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Soccer Transfers and Rumours of the Day

In this new series from The Toonari Post we will cover the biggest soccer transfers from the previous day as well as the most important rumors.

Transfers:

Michael Bradley (Chievo to Roma)

The American 24 years old midfielder, has been given a huge step in his career by going to AS Roma. In this transfer Roma has paid an amount of 3.75 millions euros and has also given Chievo the Romanian midfield Adrian Stoain.

Bradley who plays as a center midfielder will have to fight for a place with great quality players such as De Rossi, Pjanic or Brighi.

The American midfielder has signed until 2016, so he will defend the red shirt for the next four seasons.

Thiago Silva (Milan to PSG)

Thiago Silva, one of the most important players of AC Milan has been bought by mighty PSG. The French team owned by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has announced that the defense will play in PSG for the next five seasons. The amount of money to be paid for the Brazilian player transfer has not been officially said but it seems that it is something around 42 millions euros. It is tough to know how much Silva will earn, something around 9 millions of euros per season. (All of these figures should be cited with links, especially since you are saying that it may be around these prices)

According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, PSG bought both Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahivoch. However, PSG has not confirmed this last movement, although it looks like sooner or later the Swede will end up in France.

It is the first time in soccer history that a club has paid so much money for a defender. Previously the record was Rio Ferdinand’s transfer to Manchester United in 2002.

Daniel Pranjic (Bayern Munchen to Sporting Lisbon)

Croatian international player Pranjic, who was a free agent after the expiring of his contract on Bayern Munich at the end of the season, has gone to Portuguese Sporting Lisbon team.

The midfield that just played in the Eurocup was close to tying up a deal with Everton, but he has finally decided to move to Portugal. The Croatian national has signed for three years in the Portuguese club, up to 2015, and will have a buyout clause of 15 million euros.

It is the fourth signing for the Portuguese after they bought Swiss Gelson Fernandes, Sunil Chhetri Indian striker and the young Moroccan Labyad Zakaria.

Rumours:

Afellay (Barcelona to Lille)

FC Barcelona is looking for some money in order to buy a central defense who can replace Carlos Puyol. In order to get the cash, Barca is willing to sell both Adriano Correira and Afellay. For this second one, Lille has made a good offer, but the player does not want to play in the French league. The Dutch forwards wants to stay in Barcelona and he says that will just move if teams such as Inter or Arsenal make offers for him.

Luka Modric (Tottenham to Real Madrid)

Real Madrid is close to a £30million deal for Luka Modric. However, it seem that the Spanish team is waiting to get rid off of Kaka, so they get some money to go for the Croatian national player. According to the Daily Mail, a number of different options have been tried over the course of the transfer, especially the inclusion of Madrid players to bring the cost down. Ricardo Carvalho and Nuri Sahin were both offered, but neither were open to idea of moving to Tottenham.

Image Courtesy of   Benjamin Kralj / Shutterstock.com

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Glostrup, Denmark — FIFA published a preliminary decision to end the ongoing debate about how referees will one day evaluate whether the ball has crossed the goal line during games. FIFA has approved a system based on the Select iBall, the world’s first intelligent soccer ball due to its ability to communicate that it has crossed the goal line.  Select’s iBall is the ball in the GoalRef system which has been tested by FIFA over the past few months and has now been approved for a final test so that the system can one day be used during professional soccer games.

Peter Knap, CEO of Select, has been developing the extraordinary ball for years so it could live up to a variety of demands.  Knap states, “It’s challenging work to design an intelligent ball that can withstand Ronaldo’s kick and at the same time be able to communicate with a system on the goal line. At Select we have been developing the soccer ball for more than 65 years so we have a solid head start when it comes to ensuring quality in new solutions.”

As the company that developed the modern soccer ball, Select has a long heritage in the sport.  That heritage is what led the Danish company to create the world’s first intelligent soccer ball.  The FIFA announcement marks the first time an intelligent ball has received recognition from FIFA.

“With a certain sense of pride, we can now say that Select has been behind the four most important steps in the development of the modern soccer ball. It began with the first laceless leather ball, then the first ball with 32 panels, then the first synthetic leather ball, and now the world’s first intelligent ball. At Select we have a deep insight into the very nature of the sport that enables us to create the best professional sporting equipment,” says Peter Knap.

While the Danish company Select is the ball manufacturer behind the iBall, the complete GoalRef system has been developed in partnership with the German company Fraunhofer IIS, part of Europe’s largest application-oriented research organization, The Fraunhofer Society.

Project leader Ingmar Bretz from Fraunhofer IIS states, “For us to achieve this, having a reliable partner like Select has been essential. Select has years of development experience from the history of GoalRef and their knowhow within ball production has been vital for our success.”

The intelligent soccer iBall works through an internal web of copper wire, which uses induction to communicate with a panel of antennas mounted to the goal frame. The very same second the entire ball has passed the goal line, the system sends a signal to the referee’s wristwatch, and the referee can instantly call it as a goal.

FIFA’s decision is the finest proof yet that the technology behind the iBall can live up to all of the tough demands of modern soccer in terms of precision, speed and quality. With this acknowledgement, Select has achieved another milestone in the development of the soccer ball.

Image Courtesy of   fstockfoto  / Shutterstock.com

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FIFA has lifted its ban on the Muslim headscarves (the hijab) for women soccer players on Thursday following a decision made by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

The initial concern with the use of the hijab is the safety regulations in which the garment was not recognized as part of the usual laws of the game. It was said that the hijab presents a real danger of choking if worn while playing. The unanimous overturn on the ban, however, was made after reports from FIFA’s medical officer citing the removal of safety and medical issues surrounding the headscarves.

The issue was first addressed via the AFC’s Women’s Committee, and was later taken up by Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, the vice president of FIFA.

The ban was heavily criticized and has been labeled as ‘inequality at the highest level of the world’s most popular game.’ Last year at the 2012 Olympics qualifying match, Iran’s women’s soccer team was prevented from playing their match against Jordan after the team members refused to remove their hijab prior to kickoff.

Despite being at the top of their group in the first qualifying rounds, their dreams to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics was abruptly shattered after given a 3-0 defeat as punishment.

Other sports, like taekwondo and rugby, allows its women participants to don the hijab, and after careful re-consideration, new hijab designs are now in production for women soccer players. Secured with velcro, experts have confirmed that the new design eliminates neck injuries, and thus the safety issues that initiated the ban.

Though in this case the ban was health and safety related, this latest development signifies another victory for what has been an ongoing battle for Muslim women around the world fighting to keep the headwear on. The wearing of the Islamic veil has sparked numerous debates on the so-called oppression of the women wearing it, though most admit to wearing it by choice. FIFA’s lifting of the ban has also opened up doors for other sportswomen in the Arab world and other Islamic countries who were previously unable to compete because of the ban.

With the recent news of the first Saudi female Olympian participating in the games, more women from other conservative Islamic countries are also now looking forward to participating in world class sporting competitions without having to sacrifice their identities as Muslims and foregoing their rights to practice their religious teaching.

Yusef Abdallah, the head of the United Arab Emirates’s Football Federation stated, “Women will from now on have the chance to practice this sport with religious respect.”

Despite the green light from FIFA, the French Football Federation (FFF) still refuses to authorize players to wear the veil while representing France or playing in any of its organized competitions on the grounds that sports “must continue to promote equality of the sexes.” France has been a strong advocate of the burqa ban, another Muslim headwear, arguing that it encroaches on individual freedoms.

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Kyiv, Ukraine – As the Euro 2012 tournament reached its climax with Sunday’s final in Kiev, the Ukrainian hosts are being praised for their organisation and delivery of a first-class sporting event.

The Ukrainian government is now hoping to capitalise on the success of the tournament, reminding the global business community that it will find an efficient, reform-focused nation when it invests in Ukraine.

The government has cut red tape and deregulated the economy in the same five years it has taken to plan and stage Euro 2012. It has also adopted direct measures to make it easier for investors to enter the market.

“Where is used to take two to three years to enter the market here, it now takes six to nine months,” said the man driving the reforms, First Vice Prime Minister Valeriy Khoroshkovskyi. In fact, initial requests by investors are processed within 24 hours.

“The focus of this government is on scrapping outdated regulations and removing obstacles to investment, growth and jobs,” Khoroshkovskyi said.

The advances Ukraine has made aren’t going unnoticed. The prestigious European Cities and Regions of the Future Awards for 2012/2013 have rated nearly 20 Ukrainian cities and regions in Top Ten categories.

For the Cost of Doing Business category alone Ukraine grabbed six out of ten places.

Ukraine hopes to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union later this year – the first step towards EU membership.

But full membership will take time, and in the interim much is going on to improve the way Ukraine and the EU do business and cooperate in essential regulatory areas.

Over the past week, Khoroshkovskyi has begun the process of agreeing to a Customs Agreement with European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud, Algirdas Šemeta.

This will facilitate a strategic framework for customs cooperation that will make a difference in areas such as simplified VAT refunds for companies that trade between Ukraine and the EU.

“Ukraine’s developing relationship with the European Union is not about us waiting for full membership,” Mr Khoroshkovskyi said.

“In the meantime there are many areas where we can simplify processes and regulations to provide economic benefits and to attract investment.”

A recent international road show targeting the global business community in four continents resulted in bi-lateral negotiations on investments with 62 companies, from Germany’s Commerzbank to U.S.-based energy firm Chevron. These companies are expected to tap into some 15 large-scale investment projects, each of them linked to a key industry in Ukraine, which are designed to be implemented through investment and private public partnerships, effectively introducing a new business model in the country.

Ukraine is expected to allocate $3.5 billion to these investment projects.

Ukraine has recently published an Investor Guide – a series of brochures that explain how to do business in the country in simple language.

The brochures cover topics including understanding the taxation system, real estate and construction, intellectual property rights, and insurance.

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Spain has done it again. They have reached the soccer Olympus for the third time in a row, showing their superiority against any other national team. And they have showed in the best possible way: rolling the opponent. Both in the score and in the game play. Italy was just a toy in Spanish hands. Spain will enter into football history as the first team that got crowned champion for three times in a row in a major tournament.

We all remember the Brazil of the 70′s, the Maradona’s Argentina, or the Netherlands from Johan Cruiff. But none of them reached what Del Bosque’s kids have achieved.

Spain didn’t just win, they also overwhelmed their rival from minute one. Del Bosque started with the same eleven players that he started with when they played Italy in the group phase game. In that game they tied, but Spain has shown again that they can always be counted on in the important games. Italy, for their part, started changing some players and their system. The play went wrong for Prandelli, who failed to cancel the Spanish midfielders. And everyone knows what happens when Iniesta, Xavi, Silva and company play without pressure.

Spain did not take long to score its first goal. When the clock was marking minute 15, Spain got ahead in the score, and from there dominated the match until the end. The play began with Inesta’s boots, who looked at Fabregas, who crossed to Silva, who put the ball in the squadron with his head.

The second goal was scored by the newest player of the tournament, Jordi Alba. The brand new Barelona FC transfer, started running from his left side position, went through the defense. Xavi found an impossible hole with a great pass that left Alba alone with Buffon. He played as if he was an striker, and made the 2-0 in the scoreboard.

Thus, half time came with a clear 2-0. Spanish rule was so overwhelming, that it felt that Italy could not do anything. Pirlo, Cassano or Balloteli, the most important Italian men were completely thwarted, which resulted in an Italy unmoved by the play of the reds.

Prandelli tried a new method and got Motta and Di Natale onto the field. Midfiled Motta was injured a few minutes after entering, which ended up destroying an Italy which had already suffered the injury of Chiellini during first half.

The second half was a Spanish monologue. Few teams can boast having a midfield like Spain’s, a defense with men like Ramos, Pique and Alba, and a goalkeeper like “Saint” Iker Casillas. Del Bosque began the game without a striker, but at the 75 minute mark he put Fernando Torres in, who ended up killing the game. It was Torres who scored the third goal after a head to head with the Italian goalkeeper. From his boots were also responsible for the fourth goal, which was scored by Mata when the game was about to end.

Thus, it is clear that there is no rival who can beat Spain. Best of all is that the team is young, so there is still time for Spain to keep making history.

Image Courtesy of  Laurence Griffiths

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The great finale has arrived. The moment that all soccer fans were waiting is finally here. The Euro 2012 has reached its end after nearly a month of competition, in which so many things have occurred. It may not have been the tournament where a lot of goals have been scored or where matches have been epic. But a final is a final, and more if the finalists are two great national teams like Spain and Italy. These two Mediterranean countries are now partying, enjoying the pregame, but the intoxication of joy can become tachycardia as the minutes passes. After 90 minutes one country will laugh and the other will cry. Bets say that the Spanish team is the favorite, but in soccer nothing is ever written, especially when Italy is playing.

Spain and Italy are two countries that in recent months are experiencing the worst economic times since the eighties. The two countries go hand in hand when asking for financial aid to Europe. Today, however, they will forget the solidarity they share.

Italy and Spain, two styles of strategies, although both efficient. The Spanish style is one of touch, elegant, dribbling and speed, against the Italian catenaccio, the claw and value, plus the kind of Pirlo and hunger of the striker Ballloteli. Two antagonist styles from the two best European teams that will face off in a game that has acquired a military component.

Spain may go down in history as the first selection in soccer history to win European Championship, World Championship, and European Championship in a row. Three big tournaments in 6 years, something that no team has ever achieved. The team will face its fourth European Championship final, after 1964, 1984, 2008 and aims to win its third European title and confirm the hegemonic cycle of Spanish soccer.

On the other side the Italian also want to write their name in soccer’s history after they defeated Germany in the semifinals, thanks to the two goals scored by Mario Balotelli.

Spain’s starting team is already decided according to Del Bosque’s second coach. Spain is expected to come out with their regular team and the only question is who will occupy the vacant seat on this selection, the forward position, harmed by the absence of Villa. However, it appears that the number 9 position will be occupied by the FC Barcelona player, Cesc Fabregas, despite not being a striker. The most knowledgeable soccer fans say that this post should go to the striker Alvaro Negredo, even though Del Bosque’s bet has paid off recently.

90 minutes of tension that will let one of these countries forget their financial situation for a couple of days. Then they will have to come down from the clouds…

Image Courtesy of  Continental AG UEFA EURO 2012 – Claudio Villa / Getty Images

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Texas, U.S.A. — Bimbo, a brand known internationally for its support of the game of soccer, has presented the 2012 Copa Univision, one of the largest soccer tournaments held in North Texas. The tournament will be June 30 – July 1at McInnish Park in Carrollton, Texas.

“This tournament supports the youth in Dallas and Fort Worth,” said Bimbo Brand Manager Cristina Torres. “We support initiatives that get kids exercising, teach important skills such as teamwork and help our community.”

Bimbo sponsors several Mexican Soccer League teams, which have a strong group of followers in the U.S. “With soccer’s recent increase in popularity, it makes sense for Bimbo to get involved in this sort of activities reaching our consumers directly, Torres added.

The first place Copa Univision team in the adult male division and adult female division will each win the grand prize of $3,000. This year, more than 10,000 North Texas soccer fans are expected to come out to support more than 200 teams competing in the tournament.

“We are excited Copa Univision returns once again to McInnish Park here in Carrollton,” said Carrollton Mayor Matthew Marchant. “The tremendous excitement and involvement from all across DFW combined with the new title sponsorship from Bimbo, lead to an extremely positive impact on the City of Carrollton.”

“We are thrilled to have Bimbo involved in Copa Univision this year,” said Michael Munoz, Vice President and Director of Sales for Univision. “A lot of these teams know Bimbo. For them, Bimbo is soccer. Having Bimbo as our title sponsor makes this year’s Copa Univision the premier tournament. Everyone is really excited play!”

To stay up-to-date with the soccer tournament “like” the Bimbo Soccer USA Facebook page. Fans are encouraged to upload photos and videos from the tournament.

Image Courtesy of  Bimbo Soccer USA

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Florida, U.S.A. — SOUL Electronics – a global leader in consumer electronics and manufacturing with a rich history in delivering innovative technology concepts has announced international football star Cesc Fabregas as a new brand ambassador. The FC Barcelona player will be featured in the company’s upcoming “SOUL of Greatness” video series and campaign. Fabregas will also represent the SOUL brand during various sporting events throughout the year.

“Fabregas is one of the most talented international footballers in the game, making him the perfect athlete to align with,” commented Len Davi, Executive Director of SOUL Electronics. “Fabregas’ achievements and athleticism make him a great representation of what the SOUL of Greatness campaign stands for. He’s dedicated, focused and driven on attaining goals and striving for excellence.”

The “SOUL of Greatness” video series is designed to inspire and demonstrate how achieving greatness is a way of life. Reaching greatness involves dedication and focus. Many people turn to music to help block out the noise and distractions of the world to help them concentrate and accomplish goals.

“Motivation and hard work are key ingredients for success,” noted Cesc Fabregas. “Listening to music shuts out distractions and helps me stay focused, whether on the field, in the locker room or at home. I am excited to partner with SOUL to help spread the message that anyone can find will and determination from within.”

Cesc Fabregas joins Olympic athlete and SOUL Electronics partner Usain Bolt, as well as original SOUL by Ludacris brand partner Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, who will also each appear in key video spots for the series. Other stars of the campaign will be announced soon.

To view video of Cesc Fabregas, please visit: http://bit.ly/SoGYouTube

Image Courtesy of  Natursports / Shutterstock.com

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If England needed any more motivation for their quarter-final against Italy, the knowledge that a victory would set up a semi-final with arch-rivals Germany certainly would.

Italy came close to taking the lead early on when Daniele De Rossi hit a curling volley from outside the penalty box, which had goalkeeper Joe Hart beaten. Fortunately for England, the shot cannoned back off the post before being cleared from the danger zone.

Another golden opportunity presented itself just a minute later; this time it was England’s turn to come close, with a low cross falling to Glen Johnson in the penalty area. The England defenders’ shot was saved expertly by Gianluigi Buffon to keep the scores level.

Although the game quieted down from its frenetic opening minutes, both teams were still playing a brand of attacking football unexpected by most coming into the game. Many pundits had predicted a cagey, defensively dominated affair between the two teams, but with twenty minutes played, the game seemed anything but that.

With half an hour gone the Italians seemed to be gaining the upper hand, controlling the pace of the game and shading the possession battle. This spell of dominance presented two clear chances for controversial striker Mario Balotelli, but the Italian was denied firstly by a last ditch John Terry tackle and secondly by a good low save from Hart.

Despite their dominance, and further chances for both Balotelli and Antonio Cassano, Italy was unable to take a lead before the interval, although there were no doubts that Cesare Prandelli was the happier of the two managers as both teams left the field for half-time.

If De Rossi was cursing his luck following his shot which hit the post in the first half, his self-berating was a little early. In the second half, after England cleared their lines from a corner, the ball was knocked back into the penalty area and reached De Rossi who scuffed his shot when one on one with Hart.

Things went from bad to worse for England as Italy enjoyed a succession of chances from Balotelli and Ricardo Montolivo. They seemed to beat England’s offside trap time after time, only to be denied by a combination of poor finishing and the goalkeeping heroics of Hart.

The double substitution of Andy Carroll and Theo Walcott on for Danny Welbeck and James Milner respectively seemed to breathe some life into England, who began to show signs of the attacking intent with which they started the game. England nearly capitalized on this pressure when Steven Gerrard’s free kick was agonizingly close to Wayne Rooney’s attempted header, when any kind of contact would likely have taken the ball beyond the reaches of Buffon.

An attempted overhead kick from Rooney almost gave England their fairytale ending, but the Manchester United striker could not keep his shot down, sending the game into extra time.

The first half of extra time from England was much more encouraging than much of their play in the opening 90 minutes; it still failed to yield a break in the deadlock for either side, setting up a very tense final 15 minutes.

The second half played out in similar fashion and brought the conclusion to the game that all England fans were dreading, the penalty shootout.

Opening penalties were slotted home by Balotelli and Gerrard respectively, only for England to then gain the advantage after Rooney scored, following a miss from Montolivo. England’s advantage was short lived however as Ashley Young’s missed penalty – after Pirlo’s successful spot kick – leveled the scores at 2-2. Another miss from England, this time from Ashley Cole, proved to be England’s final undoing. Alessandro Diamanti stepped up to convert and sent Italy through to face the Germans in the semi-finals.

Image Courtesy of  Julian Finney

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Thanks to the late-headed goal scored by Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal was able to claim a 1-0 victory against the Czech Republic on Thursday, which in turn sends them into the semifinals of Euro 2012.

The first half of the match was considered disappointing for the first quarterfinal match of the competition. Early chances by the Czech Republic only came from corner kicks, which they were unable to capitalize on due to very poor deliveries.

Portugal seemed to get into the game later in the first half, when Ronaldo fired a beautiful shot that Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech was able to save with an amazing dive. The goal would not have counted if it had gone in, due to referee Howard Webb stopping play mid-pass that was not heard by the Portuguese forward.

In the final minute of the first half, Ronaldo came up again after handling a great cross from Raul Meireles. He gained control of the ball and kicked it straight into the post, the only thing that could stop him from giving Portugal the lead. The chance gave off a strong sense of determination from Portugal, who went into halftime in control of the game even though both teams have not yet scored.

Portugal came out ready to play, with Hugo Almeida missing a header by inches only a couple minutes into the second half. Ronaldo showed up yet again five minutes later with a close chance, taking a bending free-kick that struck the post again instead of hitting the back of the net.

The Czech Republic did not seem as though they were trying to take any offensive chances; Portugal controlled much of the possession throughout the early part of the second half, and the Czech’s seemed to stay on the defensive no matter what. The only real chance for the Czech Republic came in at the 60 minute mark, when Vaclav Pilar managed to speed around the Portuguese defenders with ease, only to give the ball away with a disappointing attempt at a cross.

After several more attempts from Portugal, which were all wide of the net or beautifully saved by Cech, Ronaldo was finally able to capitalize in the 80th minute after a great cross from Joao Moutinho. Ronaldo found room and headed the ball directly into the ground, which in turn ricocheted over the diving Petr Cech and into the top of the goal.

This lone goal was all that was needed in order to send Portugal into the semifinals. For a team that has never won a title at the Euro’s, Portugal heads into the semifinals as an underdog that shows no signs of letting this chance slip through their fingers.

Portugal will play in their semifinal match on June 27 against the winner of the quarterfinal match between Spain and France, which is scheduled for June 23.

Image Courtesy of  Rui Alexandre Araujo / Shutterstock.com

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While England knew that a draw in their game against Ukraine at Donbass Arena in Donetsk, Ukraine, would be enough to achieve qualification from Group D, the return of Wayne Rooney from suspension and the resulting confidence from the victory over Sweden will have the England team eager to try and secure the top spot with a win.

Although they entered the game as favorites, England had to be alert defensively early on with the Ukraine seemingly intent on putting them on the back foot from the start, dominating both possession and territory in the first 15 minutes.

Despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession, Ukraine was unable convert this into meaningful attempts on goal, and most of their chances failed to test Joe Hart in the England goal. The best chance of the first half hour actually went against the run of play and fell to England, with Wayne Rooney, evidently rusty from his lack of game time, headed wide just yards out from goal.

The rest of the first half played out fairly unspectacularly and although Rooney’s solitary chance for England proved to be the best opportunity to break the deadlock, there was no doubting that Ukraine was in control of the game and Roy Hodgson had quite a task on his hands if he was to reverse England’s fortunes and push for the top spot in the group.

Hodgson’s team talk seemed to work instantly, with England taking the lead just two minutes into the second half. Steven Gerrard, who had already supplied two assists so far in this tournament, whipped in a dangerous cross, which Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov could not deal with and the ball fell for Rooney to head into an empty net.

With Ukraine looking desperate to equalize and hopefully take a much needed lead, much-maligned centre back, John Terry, came to England’s rescue, acrobatically clearing a ball off of the line after it had beaten Hart. Instant replays seemed to show that the ball had actually completely crossed the line and the Ukrainian team and fans will feel very aggrieved that the scores were not leveled.

The goal certainly seemed to spur on England and Gerrard’s passing began to open up the Ukrainian defense, releasing the likes of Rooney and Ashley Young into space as England looked to double their lead and confirm their position at the top of the group.

The best efforts of the Ukrainians in the dying minutes were unfortunately not enough to bring their team back into the game and they will have to settle for watching the rest of the tournament in their home nation. England, meanwhile, will be thrilled to have topped the group and, as a result, will face Italy in the quarter-finals rather than the more daunting prospect of Spain, who will be the prize for Group D runner-up, France.

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Kyiv, Ukraine — Around four million foreign guests crossed Ukrainian border since the beginning of EURO 2012, reported Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service. As international supporters keep streaming in, UK human rights activist Clare Dimyon apologized to Ukraine on behalf of Great Britain for false accusations in racism and other types of intolerance.

Four million people and 860 thousand vehicles have crossed the state border since June 5. However, for the duration of the championship Ukrainian guests have witnessed nothing but hospitality and true unity of all nations, races, and liberties. British human rights activist Clare Dimyon expressed her bitterness at the BBC Stadiums of Hate material, depicting Ukraine as racists and intolerant country. Dimyon, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (awarded for her human rights campaigns in Central and Eastern Europe) apologized on behalf of her home country.

The activist is preparing the film, disproving the statements suggested in BBC’s video piece. Dimyon said that she had seen many representatives of African and Asian descent in Ukraine, at the stadiums specifically, and she did not witness them being stressed or uncomfortable or treated intolerantly by the others.

“I am convinced that I haven’t seen any racist moods here, in any case there were no more than in London. That’s why I think BBC should tell the truth. I am grateful to Kharkiv and its people for the opportunity to defend Britain’s good name and tell the truth to the world,” she added.

As a protest against the negative publications in British press about Ukraine, on June 19 British football fans will carry a coffin during their march in Donetsk tonight. The coffin and “Campbell you’re wrong!” signs are called to signify that British supporters disagree with the statement made by former England captain Sol Campbell, who warned British fans to stay away from Euro 2012.

He recommended fellow countrymen to watch at home on TV, for otherwise they would “risk it coming home in a coffin”. “How could he say that? Ukraine is a great country and Donetsk is a wonderful city,” – commented a fan from London in Donetsk: “And because of his [Campbell's] statement so many of our nationals didn’t make it here.”

Image Courtesy of  labrador33 / Shutterstock.com

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With everything still to play for in Group C, there was no chance of Spain taking Croatia lightly in their final group game at the PGE Arena in Gdansk, Poland, despite being tipped as considerable favorites.

In a tournament already renowned for its display of good attacking football, a reversal in the trends of recent European Championships, it was with some surprise that both sides came out fairly conservative, with neither team fashioning any clear chances early on. The best chance should arguably have fallen to Mario Mandzukic, who seemed to be fouled inside the penalty box by Sergio Ramos, but referee Wolfgang Stark did not penalize the Spanish defender much to the ire of the Croatian team and fans.

A lack of urgency plagued the rest of the first half, but with news arriving just before half time that Italy had taken the lead against the Republic of Ireland, a result which, if this match remained a deadlock, would confine Spain to second place in the group and Croatia to an early trip home from the tournament, events were poised for a dramatic upturn in tempo in the second half.

The realization that they would be going out of the tournament seemed to sink in for the Croatians, and they began to show real attacking intent early in the second half. This in turn opened up the game for Spain, who were pushing hard for a goal and a return to the top of the group table, only to be repeatedly denied by fierce Croatian defending.

The best chance of the game so far fell to Ivan Rakitic in the 58th minute when Luka Modric galloped away from his man on the right wing and delivered a pinpoint cross for Rakitic who, despite being unmarked, could only direct his header straight at the waiting Iker Casillas.

Despite facing the prospect of finishing second in the group, and theoretically facing tougher opposition in the quarter-final stage of the tournament, Spain seemed hesitant to push too many players forward in search of a winning goal, preferring to remain defensively disciplined and limit Croatia’s chances as much as possible.

With the minutes running out, Croatia were beginning to throw everyone forward in an attempt to keep their Euro 2012 dream alive, but as is often the way late in games, they were caught on the counter by Spain and substitute Cesc Fabregas lifted the ball over the defensive line for Andres Iniesta, who drew the goalkeeper and slipped a pass to Jesus Navas for the Sevilla player to slip into the unguarded net.

The late goal secured the top spot for Spain, whilst a 2-0 victory for Italy over the Republic of Ireland gave them the second qualifying place, with both teams eager to find out who they will face in the quarter-finals. With both England and France in a position to qualify from Group D, along with co-hosts Ukraine, there is the potential for some mouth watering clashes between Europe’s elite in the next round and all eyes will be on the matches between England and Ukraine and France and Sweden to see who Spain and Italy will face next.

Image Courtesy of  Continental AG & Claudio Villa

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Both Portugal and the Netherlands had everything to play for in their game at Metalist Stadium in Kharkov, Ukraine. A win would essentially secure qualification for the Portuguese. The Netherlands required at least a two goal winning margin as well as hoping the in-form Germans could beat Denmark in their last group game.

With the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben in their squad, the Netherlands are a side always capable of producing excellent attacking displays. They set about doing just that when they took the lead in the 11^th minute. Robben fed the ball to Rafael van der Vaart on the edge of the penalty area, and the midfielder curled the ball into the top corner, beyond the reaches of the beleaguered Rui Patricio.

Often criticized for their defending, the Netherlands were lucky to still be leading after twenty minutes. Poor defending allowed Cristiano Ronaldo, Helder Postiga and Raul Meireles to all have early attempts, although all three failed to test Maarten Stekelenburg in the Dutch goal.

So often the hero for Real Madrid, Ronaldo came close to doing the same for Portugal when he beat his marker to meet Nani’s cross, but his header, albeit powerful, was aimed close to Stekelenburg. The Dutch goalkeeper made an impressive reflex save, continuing to leave Ronaldo goalless so far at the tournament.

His wait was not a long one, however, as he leveled the scores for his side in the 27^th minute. He timed his run to perfection to collect Joao Pereira’s through ball into the area and calmly slotted the ball past the onrushing Stekelenburg.

Despite starting more brightly, the Netherlands were looking outclassed at the half time whistle with Portugal, and more specifically Ronaldo, growing into the game as it progressed. The interval offered a chance for the Netherlands to regroup and attempt to re-establish the dominance they enjoyed at the beginning of the first half – a must if they were to have any chance of progressing into the knockout stages of the tournament.

A few tactical changes, including the switching of Robben to the left wing and Robin van Persie to the right, allowing Sneijder to hover behind the striker and attempt to pick up the ball in the space between the defense and the midfield, seemed to breathe life into the Dutch. Yet they still seemed to lack the final pass or composure to unlock the Portuguese defense.

With time running out, the Dutch threw caution to the wind, bringing in Ibrahim Affelay for Jetro Willems, weakening their defense to bring on the extra attacker. Their defensive frailties were soon realized when Ronaldo scored his second of the night after being given far too much time on the ball in the Dutch penalty area.

Credit should be given to the Dutch for their unwillingness to give up on the game, but with just fifteen minutes left to play and three goals needed to put them into a position to qualify from the group, it was a case of too little too late. The Dutch succumbed to a 2-1 loss to Portugal.

Portugal manager Paulo Bento will be thrilled not only with the attacking incision displayed by his team, but also their defensive discipline. With the knockout rounds looming, the resurgence in form of Ronaldo has to be the biggest positive from the game and will have quarter-final opponent Czech Republic worried.

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The second round of matches in Group B got underway with an enticing tie between Denmark and Portugal at Ukrajina Stadium in Lviv, Ukraine.

Denmark, buoyed on by their impressive draw against the Netherlands in their opening match, started brightly against the more highly favored Portugal, passing the ball confidently and looking strong at the back.

Misfortune struck early though for the Danish, first with an injury to Niki Zimling, who was replaced by Jakob Poulsen, and secondly by an opening goal for Portugal. A Joao Moutinho corner in the 25th minute was met by an unmarked Pepe at the near post, the Portuguese defender coming up with a superb glancing header to beat the Danish goalkeeper Stephan Andersen.

The goal seemed to highlight the discrepancies between the two sides and Portugal began pushing hard for the second. Ten minutes on from the first goal and Portugal were once again celebrating, this time thanks to a Helder Postiga goal, the striker getting in front of the nearest defender to collect a low cross from Nani and score a fantastic goal from a tight angle.

Denmark were far from out of the game however, and grabbed themselves a lifeline just before halftime with a well worked team goal from Nicklas Bendtner. Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio rushed out to deny Michael Krohn-Dehli an easy attempt on goal, but instead the Dane headed the ball back across the goal towards the arriving Bendtner who then had only to knock the ball into an open goal.

All of Denmark’s positive work at the end of the first half was nearly undone early in the second when Poulsen played a poor pass along the Danish defensive line which was picked up by Postiga who looked to be clear through on goal and was only denied by a last ditch tackle from Daniel Agger.

Portugal certainly seemed rattled by Denmark’s goal, with the Danes looking far more assured in possession and frequently foraying into the Portuguese penalty area, with the leading side looking far less comfortable going forward than they had in the first half.

Despite their renewed efforts, Denmark were struggling to create real chances once they were in Portugal’s half, with the Real Madrid defensive duo of Pepe and Fabio Coentrao seeing off most threats.

With just over 10 minutes to play, Portuguese talisman Cristiano Ronaldo spurned a great chance to put the game beyond Denmark when he was one on one with the goalkeeper but his effort was uncharacteristically wide.

With Ronaldo still lambasting himself for the miss, the Danes counter-attacked with pace and proficiency, a deep cross finding Bendtner at the far post for the tall striker to head home his second goal of the night and draw Denmark level in a game which Portugal must have thought they had won in the first half.

Unfortunately for Denmark though, heartbreak was still to come. With just three minutes left in the game Silvestre Varela, after scuffing his first attempt at the ball, swiveled and struck a powerful right footed effort at the bottom corner of the goal and the ball flew past the outstretched fingertips of Andersen to give Portugal a vital 3-2 victory.

The win gives Portugal everything to play for in their final group game against the Netherlands, meanwhile Denmark are unlikely to have much more than pride to play for in their next game against Germany, a game which will most likely be their last at these championships.

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The Czech Republic, who were humbled in their opening game against Russia, took on Greece at the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw, Poland in search of their opening win in the tournament.

It did not take long before the Czech fans were celebrating as they took the lead in just the third minute of the game. Veteran player Tomas Hubschman unlocked the Greek defense with a pinpoint pass for Petr Jiracek, and Czech midfielder had little difficulty beating Kostas Chalkias with his left foot.

No sooner than the Czech fans’ cheers had died down, they were once more on their feet celebrating their second goal of the game. A drilled cross from Gebre Selassie was dealt with poorly by Greek goalkeeper Chalkias, who only managed to palm the ball into the path of the arriving Vaclav Pilar and the ball was bundled into the back of the net off of the knee of Pilar.

Chalkias’ nightmare start to the game came to an early end as he walked off with an injury to be replaced by Michalis Sifakis, who was almost immediately called upon to make a good diving save to prevent Tomas Rosicky from extending the Czechs’ lead.

Despite being down 2-0, and in desperate need of at least one goal before half time, the Greece team looked lethargic for the rest of the half, failing to trouble the Czech defense with any meaningful attacks. The closest Greece came to pulling a goal back was through Giorgos Fotakis, who headed the ball in at the far post from a cross, only for the linesman to raise his flag for offside and ensure the score remained unchanged at the interval.

Instead of pressing hard to get back into the game in the second half, Greece was lucky to not be further behind when Selassie’s shot found its way to the feet of Milas Baros but the striker couldn’t connect properly with the ball and wasted a golden opportunity.

A lifeline was gifted the Greeks, however, when a cross was spilled by Czech goalkeeper, Petr Cech, following a mix up with Tomas Sivok, leaving Fanis Gekas with the easiest of finishes to give Greece their first goal.

The goal seemed to spur on Greece who was now in control of the game, but a combination of bad finishing and a lack of a final pass saw the Greeks spurn a host of chances as the game moved into the final 15 minutes.

Despite doing much better in the second half, Greece was unable to find a much needed equalizer, leaving them in the precarious position of needing to beat the strong Russia side in their last group game if they are to have any chance of qualifying for the knockout stages. The Czechs on the other hand are in a much better position going into their last game against Poland and, providing they can replicate their form from the first half of this game, will fancy their chances of qualifying from the group.

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Co-hosts Ukraine upset the form book as they defeated Group D underdogs Sweden in Kyiv. Two goals from the nations hero Andriy Shevchenko were enough to come back to snatch three points after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had given Sweden what had been a deserved lead.

The fast paced tempo of the game fitted with the raucous atmosphere around the stadium as the Ukrainians did their best to spur their team on. Ukraine were probably the least fancied team in Group D coming into the tournament, but they set their stall out well and challenged underdogs Sweden in every department. The fluid passing between Sweden’s frontline of Ibrahimovic, Toivonen and Rosenberg caused Ukraine issues and Seb Larsson was pulling the strings in midfield, but there were no clear chances for either side until home favourite Andriy Shevchenko found himself through on goal but didn’t catch his shot properly and missed the target.

The atmosphere was certainly aiding the sides approach towards the match, Ukraine were flowing forward and Yarmolenko was only denied by a superb defensive block from Olof Mellberg, before Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s header brushed the post at the other end.

But as the crowd began to calm down a little, so did the game. It wasn’t the most exciting start but the game had become stretched towards the break with both teams creating chances and both producing good football. The second half started in similar fashion with plenty of attacking football, Rosenberg had a shot blocked before Ibrahimovic finally put Sweden ahead with a close range finish. But Ukraine used this as inspiration and just five minutes the stadium erupted when Shevchenko headed home to level things up.

The stadium didn’t have a chance to quiet down when Shevchenko headed home a second from a corner, Mikael Lustig may have felt he would have kept it out had he not moved from the near post as Shevchenko connected with the ball. Sweden were rocking after being dominant but now found themselves 2-1 down and playing against a rocking atmosphere in the middle Kyiv.

Erik Hamren introduced Anders Svensson to try and get a grip of a midfield which was beginning to become overrun by a rejuvenated Ukraine and all the momentum was with the hosts. Hamren made another throw of the dice soon after bringing on the experienced Christian Wilhelmsson for Seb Larsson. Things had gone from looking comfortable to desperate for the Swedes, Rasmus Elm tried his luck from distance but the effort just about summed up Sweden’s mood after looking good for victory after scoring the opener.

Hamren wasn’t waiting any longer to go all out for it and immediately made his final substitution, bringing on ex-Bolton striker Johan Elmander for Rosenberg. If Sweden were going to get back into it, then it seemed goal scorer Ibrahimovic would be the man to do it. Elmander’s nice little knock down found the AC Milan striker and his rocket shot stung the palms of Pyatov but the ball found its way to safety.

Ukraine looked tired but the fans were still out in voice to give Shevchenko a huge round of applause as he made way for Artem Milevsky with ten minutes to go. Wilhelmsson had given Sweden a different dimension and looked lively against a tiring Ukraine defence, but the back four stood tall and kept on denying Sweden any clear cut chances at goal.

The crowd soon went from noisy to nervy as the game hit the final five minutes and that tension had passed on to the Ukraine players who were now hanging on to their lead as Sweden threw everything at the co-hosts. Sweden did have one huge chance to get a draw when some neat work between Ibrahimovic and Elmander saw the former blaze wide and high when in on goal. Swedish fans probably would have been celebrating a goal if the roles had been reversed and the fans sensed Sweden’s chances may have gone.

Deep into stoppage time there was still one more draw of breath from the Ukraine fans when Olof Mellberg found himself in on goal and his lob over Pyatov seemed to take an age to finally land on the roof of the net. It was the last action of an entertaining match with will live long in the memory of Ukrainian fans and Ukrainian football.

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Thanks to a late goal from the talented Mario Gomez, Germany was able to snag the victory against Portugal with 17 minutes left in the match, leaving them tied at the top of the Group B standings with Denmark. In a match that brought a lot of chances from both sides, Germany were the only ones to capitalize, which leaves Portugal in a tricky situation at the bottom of the table with the equally unlucky Holland.

The match was heated from the beginning, with the first shot on goal coming a minute into the game off of Germany’s Gomez, which was easily saved by Portugal’s Rui Patricio. The German fans were also showing their emotions towards the opposing team by throwing empty water bottles at Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo as he was trying to setup a corner kick in the fourth minute.

Germany’s lineup for the match came as a surprise, as seven of the starting players are teammates on the Bundesliga side Bayern Munich. This seems to have had an impact on the match, since Germany was able to create many chances in the offensive half throughout the entire match. Portugal came out on top according to the stat sheet, getting seven of their eleven shots on goal compared to the four out of twelve shots that Germany were able to create.

The first half of the match finished without any changes on the scoreboard, giving a sense that the match would end with a goalless draw. This would play out well for Holland, giving them a better chance of climbing back from their 1-0 loss to Denmark earlier in the day.

The second half came with just as much intensity as the first. Both Germany and Portugal’s offense were playing creative soccer, which formed many chances for both sides. Portugal managed to test the German goalkeeper Manuel Neur more with several attempts on the goal.

Germany was finally able to capitalize in the last 20 minutes of the match after a ball was crossed into the box, deflected off a Portugal player, and then found its way to Mario Gomez. Gomez was able to head the ball past the goalkeeper into the opposite corner to give Germany the 1-0 lead. Mario Gomez was struggling to finish any of his shots throughout the second half, and was about to be substituted for Miroslav Klose before he managed to head in the game-winning goal.

No matter how many attempts the Portuguese had to tie the game up in the remaining 10 minutes of play, they were unable to break down the German defense. Germany faces off against Holland next on Wednesday, while Portugal faces Denmark that same day.

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France and England shared the points in Ukraine as the two Group D rivals cancelled each other out in a rather dull affair. Joleon Lescott’s header in the first half gave England the lead before Samir Nasri equalized almost immediately for France. Laurent Blanc’s men had most of the pressure in the second half, but Roy Hodgson’s new look side-defended solidly and was probably pleased with the end result.

It was a slow start to a previously classic encounter, England met France for the last time the Three Lions were in the Euro’s but despite scoring in the opening five minutes of their last two major tournaments, Roy Hodgson’s men were happy enough to sit back and counter in the early exchanges. Samir Nasri was seeing the most of the ball and he had the first real chance when he shot wide of Joe Hart’s near post from the edge of the area.

But it was England who probably should have opened the scoring, a thrusting run from the midfield saw James Milner get on the end of Ashley Young’s pass but the Manchester City midfielder slid the ball wide after rounding Hugo Lloris. Yohan Cabaye immediately tested Hart again at the other end but the early exchanges had been fairly even.

But despite the game being played at a slow pace England made the breakthrough on the half-hour mark as Joleon Lescott headed in his first goal for his country from Steven Gerrard’s free-kick. France had perhaps shaded the opening thirty minutes but England’s opener gave them the impetus to attack a French side whose defense looked shaky. But it was the team in blue who almost equalized from their own free-kick, Alou Diarra got on the end of Nasri’s cross and made Hart make a save, before heading the re-bound just wide of the post.

It was a warning sign for England of what the French could do given the chance, the goal stretching the game more and more as France tried to find a response. They soon found it after some neat passing through midfield and it was Samir Nasri who finally beat his City team-mate Joe Hart at the near post. Nasri had looked the biggest threat to England’s defense, time and time again finding space between the midfield and defence.

England managed to get to half-time at 1-1 as France were very much in the ascendancy after the equalizer. It was more of the same after the break as France dominated possession and England was once again happy to sit back and use the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain and Young to counter the pressure. England did get forward eventually and the referee denied them a free-kick in a good position when Steven Gerrard was clearly brought down on the edge of the French penalty area.

There wasn’t a lot to shout about as the game reached the final 25 minutes, England were still happy to allow France to come at them, but Les Blues couldn’t do anything to break down the water-tight England defense. The French passing game was easy on the eye but wasn’t producing any productivity in the penalty area, Joe Hart only being tested from set-pieces and long range efforts.

England was growing frustrated at France’s possession game, and more so at the referee who seemed reluctant to give England any sort of decision. Roy Hodgson was the first to mix things up with just over ten minutes remaining, Jordan Henderson and Jermain Defoe replacing Scott Parker and Oxlade-Chamberlain respectively.

But it was still France on top, Nasri saw a shot deflected wide before Cabaye also had an effort deflected out from the resulting corner. The game was becoming very stretched and as France looked for a winner, England’s counter attacking tactics came more into play. Laurent Blanc responded to Hodgson’s changes and introduced Hatem Ben Arfa and Marvin Martin to add some more energy with five minutes remaining in Donestk.

But the final few minutes passed by without any real drama, England held off France’s final spell of pressure as the two favourites to progress from Group D sharing a point each.

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