Soccer FanHouse

Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Target in La Liga Debut

Michael Cardillo — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:12:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, Soccer Posts, La Liga (Spain)

ESPN's commitment to airing European soccer matches continued Monday afternoon when instead of the block of "Around the Horn" and "Pardon the Interruption" it was reigning La Liga champion Barcelona hosting Sporting Gijon in their 2009-10 league debuts.

Viewers were able to watch as Barcelona dominated over the 90 minutes at Camp Nou winning 3-0 with big-money summer transfer Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring on a header in the 83rd minute.

Ibrahimovic's goal matched the output of Barcelona's eternal rival's big summer transfer, as Cristiano Ronaldo tallied from the penalty spot in Real Madrid's 3-2 win over Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday.

Barcelona, which lost its first league match last season before rolling to the title, managed to dominate without its three big scorers from last season absent from the Nou Camp field. Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi were each held out of the lineup, with Messi already on his way back for Argentina's crucial upcoming World Cup qualifiers and Henry rested after Barcelona's 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in Friday's UEFA Super Cup. (The third, Samuel Eto'o, is now plying his trade at Inter Milan as part of the Ibrahimovic deal.)

No matter, rising star Bojan Krkic flashed the skills that had both Spain and Serbia in a bidding war for his national team services. Krkic scored the opener in the 18th minute and dazzled throughout, before limping off with an apparent injury in the 80th minute.

During the ESPN telecast commentator Adrian Healey posed a question to analyst Robbie Mustoe if with its influx of stars from England's Premier League and Italy's Serie A if La Liga had become the preeminent league in the world. Mustoe, wisely, deferred to pass judgment until the later stages of the Champions League come to pass.

Whatever your thoughts, it's certainly a storyline that will continue as ESPN continues airing matches from the Premier League and La Liga in build up to the 2010 World Cup in June.

It's too bad it's highly unlikely that debate between the Premier League and La Liga will ever spill over to any of ESPN's endless string of debate shows.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Target in La Liga Debut originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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D.C. United Loses to Real Madrid in Audition Before Hometown Fans

Brian Straus — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, US Soccer, La Liga (Spain), FanHouse Exclusive

For a little more than a half, D.C. United was on a level playing field with Real Madrid, whose rich tradition is surpassed only by its financial largesse. In the end, the depth and talent attracted by both (along with fresh legs in 95-degree heat) proved too much for the modest Major League Soccer outfit and the Spanish side triumphed, 3-0, in Sunday's friendly at FedEx Field.

United certainly can be proud of its effort. Its commitment and courage in possession and on the tackle far surpassed that of starstruck Toronto FC, which fell behind by three goals after a half hour in Friday's 5-1 loss. But D.C. is as tradition-rich as they come in MLS and has played these sorts of games before (Madrid in 2006, Chelsea, Boca Juniors, Vasco da Gama, Tottenham Hotspur, etc.).

The more compelling issue concerns the league's continuing quest to convert the millions of soccer fans in the U.S. into supporters of the teams in their own country, and how many of the 72,368 at FedEx Field (the largest crowd to ever see United play), many of whom wore white, watched the proceedings with an open mind.

United President Kevin Payne was clear earlier this week when asked about the wisdom behind organizing an exhibition match just as his team enters the busiest part of its very demanding schedule.

"I'm so adamant there's a strategic play to this," he told Fanhouse. "I wouldn't want to do Real Madrid against Liverpool. What does that do for me, except maybe make us some money? The fact that we're playing Real Madrid is important. If there's 80,000 people in the stands, and 5,000 of them say, 'This D.C. United team is pretty good. I really like that guy Moreno, or I like that guy Pontius or Fred,' then we've accomplished something and maybe we'll develop more fans out of that.

"In some ways it could be argued, and I've had this argument in the past with coaches going back to 1996, in some ways these games are more important than our league games. They don't count in any standings, but if we play well against Real Madrid, what is that worth? We all know about the soccer snob mentality, which you can see reflected in these big crowds, these people who discovered soccer two years ago and think they're too good for MLS. How am I going to convince those people to support D.C. United other than by proving that we can compete with these teams? It's not an ideal situation, but it's part of the process of developing our league and our club.

"We can't just do that by talking about it. We have to get out there and compete," Payne concluded. "They are better than us, but we're worthy of support from people who care about the game."

Therein lies the risk of scheduling Real Madrid. Were there fans who left the Seattle Sounders' recent 4-0 loss to Barcelona, or Toronto's drubbing by Madrid, feeling their suspicions were confirmed? Would the players feel any extra pressure if they worried the perception of their club and league was at stake?

"Every time one country's team plays another country's team, you're a reflection of that country's club system," United veteran Ben Olsen told Fanhouse. "Especially in our league where it's single entity and, unfortunately, all of our teams are around the same level. It really reflects our league. I understand that side of it. I choose to look at this game as a wonderful experience that I know that myself and my teammates will enjoy and we'll go out there and play as hard as we can and do our job."

And United did that, standing toe-to-toe with Madrid throughout the first half. The visitors had a strong spell midway through the stanza, but D.C.'s Marc Burch and Rodney Wallace, who played their college soccer at nearby University of Maryland, made excellent defensive plays on Kaka a few minutes apart to keep the score level. United had its share of possession, albeit nothing too threatening, and D.C. goalkeeper Josh Wicks had a couple of fine saves. The difference between the sides was not that dramatic.

"We came out and accomplished what we did for about 55 minutes what we wanted to do," D.C. coach Tom Soehn said afterward. "We pressured high. We forced a lot of turnovers in higher parts of the field. In the final third we just missed a little bit. Against good teams you're only going to create a couple of opportunities."

"We did a good job in the first half, making plays when they counted and really clogging up the middle and putting good pressure on them. They didn't have the time to make the plays that make them special. We put a lot of work in," Olsen said.

But Madrid spends all that money for a reason. Entering the match in the second half were Raul and Arjen Robben, fresh and ready to go. Guti would enter 20 minutes later. Twenty-seven games into its season, United's depth was tested by injuries and fatigue. "The difference is they bring in world class subs who are fresh, and on a hot day like today, to have that depth is a big difference-maker for them," Soehn said.

Wicks saved United in the 52nd minute, dropping to block Robben's bouncing shot with his right arm. But there was nothing he could do five minutes later, when Argentine Gonzalo Higuain rounded United defender Greg Janicki, who was playing with the third-tier Pittsburgh Riverhounds at this time last year, and slotted home a low shot. Higuain doubled the lead in the 59th, converting a feed from Robben, and the game was put out of reach with the Dutchman's chip in the 69th.

As Madrid imposed its will, the crowd came to life. Not in dismay or in support of the local underdogs trying to shock the world, but with cheers. The goals were greeted with the rapture of thousands, and cheers of "Madrid! Madrid!" swept through the stands. These were not supporters who traveled across the Atlantic to follow their team. A pregame walk through the concourse revealed hundreds, even thousands, of Latin Americans and white Americans -- D.C. locals -- wearing the colors of the opposition. The crowd, for the most part, seemed to be rooting for the behemoth with all the advantages over the hometown boys trying to make good from scratch. It was a sobering reminder of how far MLS has to go.

"I don't think it bothers us who cheers. It bothers us that someone scored," Soehn said of the crowd's reaction, while Pontius said he was "just excited to be playing in front of that many people. You don't get that opportunity too often. I think the fans just wanted to see a good game today. I think they saw that. I don't think the scoreline shows how close the game was."

Olsen, who had left the game in the 58th, was aware. "When [Madrid] went through their stretch -- I was on the bench -- you heard the crowd going at that point."

Real Madrid, and La Liga, obviously hold a special place amongst Spanish speakers in the Americas. It's an important part of their cultural heritage, just as the English Premier League represents all that is good about soccer to many white American fans. But there was no Rocky IV moment on Sunday outside Washington, where the club with the annual payroll of less than $3 million (less than 1% of the combined transfer fees paid by Madrid this summer) would get no breaks from the locals despite its willingness to face Madrid head-on. Perhaps D.C.'s accomplishments on the day were too subtle to have the effect Payne was hoping for. Perhaps people really have no interest in building a strong domestic soccer culture.

At least Madrid's main men were impressed. Coach Manuel Pellegrini said that "Today we had a more difficult opponent" then the team faced Friday in Toronto. Cristiano Ronaldo said United "played very well in the first half. It's a team that plays good soccer, so it was great. We enjoyed playing here." Whether or not any of those in attendance were enlightened by what they witnessed remains to be seen.

D.C. United Loses to Real Madrid in Audition Before Hometown Fans originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FC Barcelona Exciting Fans on Its Tour

Elie Seckbach — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:42:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, International Soccer, International, Soccer Posts, La Liga (Spain), FanHouse Exclusive

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

They are the hottest soccer (aka futbol) team on the planet. They're FC Barcelona, which last season captured three titles, including the UEFA Champions League title, making them numero uno in Europe. These days Barcelona is in the middle of a three-city U.S. tour, visiting Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco this week. In this FanHouse video, we get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the team's workout, which is normally closed off to outsiders. Find out what's it like to be a teammate of Lionel Messi, what fans do to get a glimpse of their favorite stars and more.

Check out the video after the jump.

FC Barcelona Exciting Fans on Its Tour originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Madrid's 'Mystique' Is Tantalizing but Potentially Damaging

Brian Straus — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:13:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, La Liga (Spain)

D.C. United President Kevin Payne said Wednesday that, "We are trying to build the kinds of traditions on and off the field that clubs like Real Madrid have built over decades. I want our fans and players to look at Real Madrid and say 'That's what we aspire to'."

Madrid has a rich history, a global brand and an overflowing trophy cabinet, no doubt. It's also a club that distorts the competitive landscape of European soccer by paying outrageous transfer fees for players developed by other clubs, and one that famously lacks patience with the coaches charged with integrating those players. Since firing Vincente Del Bosque in June 2003 (after two Champions League and two La Liga titles in four years), Madrid has hired nine managers.

Madrid Director of Football Emilio Butragueno joined Payne on a conference call hyping the Aug. 9 friendly between the clubs and defended spending hundreds of millions of euros to bring the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka to the Bernabeu.

"Obviously we're talking about different circumstances. In the United States, it's more tradition where teams have to comply with salary caps. In Europe, obviously it's a totally different tradition here, and we're in two different environments. We have to be in an environment where it's very demanding from the global fan base Real Madrid has around the world," Butragueno said through an interpreter in response to a question from FanHouse. "We need to put all the resources the club has to uphold the prestige and mystique of Real Madrid."

He continued: "If you look at other sports in the United States, they use the salary cap. You can see that it has worked, and it has functioned for them. So I think eventually you have to let this grow out and it would also work for Major League Soccer."

Butragueno, who spent a dozen years at Madrid as a player, ignored the part of the question that asked whether he thought there was any part of MLS's operational philosophy that might work well in Europe. He is right -- there is no salary cap tradition in the rest of the world, no engineered parity. And obviously, as the club at the top of the heap, Madrid has no vested interest in helping the also-rans be more competitive.

But his admission that the cap has worked so well for other American sports was telling. There can be little doubt that the level playing field is beneficial for the whole. Simply compare the value of the Detroit Lions or Los Angeles Clippers with their bottom-feeding counterparts in England, Spain or Italy. Over time, the fact that each MLS team enters a season believing it has a chance to compete and win will be regarded as one of the league's greatest strengths, and Madrid's effort to make the vast majority of the teams in Europe competitively irrelevant certainly is not something that Payne or any American soccer official should hope to emulate.

The talent on display at FedEx Field next month will be impressive. But the price paid for it for exceeds the jawdropping sums of money -- it comes at the expense of a competitive league. The top-heavy leagues in Europe (and the Champions League), with their self-sustaining hierarchies, are growing tiresome and anticlimactic. Those who look to Europe as the ideal should remember that when thinking about what they want MLS to look like down the road.

That being said, Madrid deserves credit for scheduling United and Toronto FC (Aug. 7) rather than crossing the Atlantic to play far less appealing games against continental opposition who also are here on vacation. The truth is, the games against MLS clubs are far superior because of the American clubs' desire to win. They play harder, forcing the visitors to play harder, and the match improves as a result. It's also obviously far better exposure for MLS clubs still looking to establish a foothold.

Payne agreed, saying that "Real Madrid's approach is to come here and play teams in our league as opposed to other clubs that are coming for paydays and that's all and really don't care about the development of the game in the United States."

A fun evening out? Definitely. A unique opportunity for American fans to catch a glimpse of some of the world's great players and for those wearing United and Toronto colors to test themselves in an environment they'll always remember? Absolutely. But that should be all. We can enjoy the skill of the players on Real Madrid without admiring what the club stands for.

"I think for us it is very important for us to come to the United States," Butragueno said. "We feel that soccer is growing tremendously and is having a great impact on society. MLS and its investors are doing a great job promoting the sport. We know it isn't easy to compete against other traditional [American] sports...but we see that the growth of [soccer] is going to grow tremendously and we want to contribute to that growth."

As long as that contribution is limited to matches that challenge MLS players and expose fans to their local club and what the game might look like when played at its highest level, that's great. But anything that might inspire any league official or investor to create an institution like Real Madrid is unwelcome.

Madrid's 'Mystique' Is Tantalizing but Potentially Damaging originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ibrahimovic Close to Barcelona Transfer

Michael Cardillo — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:23:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, Soccer, La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy)

Not to be outdone by their eternal rivals Real Madrid, European champion Barcelona appears on the verge of making a major splash by adding Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a transfer from Inter Milan. What makes the move all the more spectacular is that 2008-09 La Liga second-leading goal scorer Samuel Eto'o is rumored to be going back to Milan in the exchange as well as somewhere in the range of $65 million.

As of Friday afternoon reports were varied on the progress of the deal. The Associated Press said the two sides have a deal in principle, while other outlets are reporting the two sides are still talking. The deal, it would seem, hinges on the individuals themselves, which also include former Arsenal winger Aleksandr Hleb going to Italy.

It's hard to imagine any precedent in a move like this, where the champions of Italy and Spain would work out a deal that swaps their top two scorers from the previous season.

This particular transfer seems somewhat out of character for Barcelona, though it could be a reaction to Valencia spurning an offer for Spanish international David Villa earlier this week. Is it possible Barcelona is getting itself into an arms race with free-spending Real Madrid? It's not as if Barcelona, after winning the Champions League and La Liga, needed to make major changes.

How exactly Ibrahimovic fits into the Barcelona system is debatable. It's pretty much agreed that the Swede is a rare combination of speed, size and touch, yet he hasn't exactly taken Europe or the Champions League by storm. He's also a strong personality, so would be fit Barcelona's team-first ethos?

What could hold the deal up is Eto'o, who earlier this summer rejected a mega-move to Manchester City to remain with what's currently the world's best domestic club. Something to consider is that the Cameroonian has been outspoken against racism in European soccer and was a target of it in a match a few years ago. This sort of fan behavior remains an issue in Italy, with his possible Inter teammate Mario Balotelli heckled with racist cat-calls in a match at Juventus last season. Inter coach Jose Mourinho is going to need to do a pretty hard sell to convince Eto'o that moving to Italy is a good move.

However all this shakes out, it's a simply fascinating move that could potentially impact the top teams in Spain and Italy as well as the Champions League. If it's completed, expect the repercussions to be felt across the continent for seasons to come.

Ibrahimovic Close to Barcelona Transfer originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cristiano Ronaldo Doesn't Like Being Followed

Michael Cardillo — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:21:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, Soccer, La Liga (Spain)

Wednesday superstar Cristiano Ronaldo officially completed his world-record transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid. Perhaps the pressure is already getting to the Portuguese winger, as England's Sun newspaper alleges he got in a bit of a dust up with a 17-year-old female fan following him in Lisbon on Sunday by kicking in a window of a car she was sitting on.

Of course, usually anything that comes from the always reputable Sun (sarcasm alert) ought to be taken with a slight grain of salt. The paper also said Ronaldo apologized for the alleged incident, citing the fact his mother was with him when it occurred.

One thought I had after reading through this and letting it all sink in is maybe Ronaldo is a bit perturbed how his long dreamed about move to Spain went down.

As well all know Ronaldo is essentially the dictionary definition of the word prima donna. So is it possible that he's a slight bit jealous that he's had to share the spotlight during Real Madrid's summer spending spree first with Brazil ace Kaka and then France's young striker Karim Benzema? That spotlight might shift even more as Thursday Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery said the only club he's consider a move to is Real Madrid.

Obviously this is a bit of a stretch to think that this is the reason Ronaldo possibly kicked out a car window in a fit of anger, yet it might be something worth monitoring as Madrid relaunches the Galactico era 2.0. Could it be possible that Ronaldo watched Kaka guide Brazil back from a 2-0 hole against the U.S. in the Confederations Cup final last week and picked up the slightest tinge of jealousy?

Yes, the potential of lining up Ronaldo and Kaka on the same field oozes with potential, but is there any guarantee their games and personalities will mesh? Who exactly is going to be the alpha dog at the Bernabeu? Could the situation develop into a proverbial "too many chiefs, not enough Indians" scenario? Or will talent triumph over all of this? (Suffice to say, have fun filling out the team sheet each week Manuel Pellegrini.)

It's worth remembering that the one thing that might dwarf the £80 million Real Madrid paid for Ronaldo is the Portuguese star's ego.

Cristiano Ronaldo Doesn't Like Being Followed originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Benzema Latest Lured to Real Madrid?

Michael Cardillo — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, Soccer, La Liga (Spain)

This summer, as the European transfer season began at 12:01 AM ET on July 1, one thing is absolutely clear -- all roads lead to Real Madrid.

Fresh off the heels of completing the mega-money swoops for Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, the Spanish giants appear to have added another high profile attacking talent in Lyon's French international Karim Benzema. Reports coming out Wednesday put the sides very close on a deal in the range of €35 million ($50 U.S.) that could be finalized before the day is over. (Update -- it appears the deal is complete.)

Whether or not taking a New York Yankees approach to team building -- namely signing star players for big bucks as opposed to developing young talent -- is going to be enough for Real Madrid to supplant Barcelona from the top of La Liga and make a dent in the Champions League remains to be seen. There are valid points on each side, though Real's last flirtation under Floretino Perez's "Galactico" plan didn't end very well.

The 21-year-old striker has scored 54 goals for Lyon in the last two seasons. His age would actually suggest his best is yet to come, so Benzema isn't exactly the type of overpriced veteran Real has inked in the past. (Madrid also grabbed Valencia's 23-year-old Spanish international defender Raul Albiol earlier in the week.)

At minimum Benzema brings some young legs to the Madrid front line that featured veterans Raul and Ruud van Nistelrooy, until the Dutchman was lost to a season-ending injury. The possible Benzema signing does, however, make Real's January desperation signing of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar for €20 seem like a bit of a waste. Suffice to say at least one of the Dutch strikers will be on the way out at the Bernabeu.

The bigger question in the current wintry economic climate, where most clubs are selling as opposed to buying, is where is Real finding a sum approaching $300 million on players? Real claims it sold its television rights for seven years in 2006 for over £1 billion ($1.65 U.S.) and other factors detailed in this report from the Times of London last month show how the club operates on a different playing field from just about everybody else, even the other elite clubs in the world like Manchester United and Liverpool.

And speaking of Manchester United, the Red Devils were heavily linked toward signing Benzema in light of losing Carlos Tevez. Looks like if this deal is completed, Sir Alex Ferguson will have to turn toward Plan B or C. At least the United's signing of Antonio Valencia from Wigan went down without a hitch.

Benzema Latest Lured to Real Madrid? originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trying to Make Sense of the Cristiano Ronaldo Transfer

Michael Cardillo — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:54:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, English Premier League, Soccer, La Liga (Spain)

Waking up Thursday morning my inbox was more packed than usual. The words "Ronaldo" and "Real Madrid" featured prominently in subject lines.

Was I still dreaming? Was the other, original Ronaldo making an audacious comeback?

Rubbing the sand out of my eyes, no, it wasn't a dream. Manchester United had agreed for a world-record transfer fee of £80 million ($131M U.S.) for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid, thus ending a multi-year flirtation with the Portuguese forward.

Obviously there are transfers and there are transfers ... and then there is this move, which ought to trigger a seismic ripple across the entire world of soccer. Batten down the hatches, because any and all players could be on the move, as clubs need to cash in to try to cover some of their debts and losses. It also, according to this chart, puts Real Madrid with the three last record-breaking transfers.

Yet, agreeing to sell off Ronaldo for an absurd amount of money wasn't just financially motivated for United. Sure the Glazer family has to pay off some of the loans it took out to purchase the club, but selling off star players isn't the United way, or most certainly not the Sir Alex Ferguson way.

As time progressed it became clearer and clearer that Ronaldo's future lied away from Old Trafford as he continued to flirt with Madrid during much of the last two seasons. Ferguson kept up the brave front that he would never sell Ronaldo, but it probably became inevitable once Manchester United won the 2008 Champions League. In fact, it was probably a minor miracle that Ronaldo stuck around this past season, helping United win its third straight Premier League title.

Why Ronaldo wanted to go to Madrid, which has clearly slipped a step behind United in terms of soccer, probably speaks to lifestyle. He wanted the high life of the Spanish capital, the glitz and glamor. He simply couldn't avoid the lure of the glowing "white angels" emanating from the Spanish capital.

Helping revive Real probably doesn't hurt either. He'd done just about everything he could have done at United since joining in 2003 and probably wanted a new challenge. (The weather differences from Spain and England probably didn't hurt, either.)

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Ronaldo's move is that in the span of a week Real Madrid has spent over $200 million on two players -- and a big money move for Valencia's David Villa seems imminent. Where, in this chilly economic climate, the club is able to find all that money lying around is astounding. It's almost on par with this past baseball offseason where every team retreated from free agent signings, but the Yankees found about a quarter of a billion to sign CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett.

Is Madrid banking on these new imports to offset the costs by winning trophies and selling merchandise worldwide? Will it put the club in financial ruin should it falter? Is there a plan beyond signing the biggest names in the world and dropping them onto the same field? I know I wouldn't want to be their bookkeeper, just typing these figures makes my head spin.

And again, the big question for Real Madrid remains, will newly elected club President Florentino Perez's return to the "Galactico Era" yield results? Yes, dropping Ronaldo and Kaka onto the same team seems like a perfect idea ... in a video game. Does it work in real life? We'll see for ourselves starting in August. La Liga has certainly vaunted to must-see status, effective immediately.

Getting back to United, as long as Ferguson stays at the helm of the ship the Red Devils will remain near the top of the club food chain. The immediate reaction will likely link the club to Bayern winger Franck Ribery or Wigan's Antonio Valencia. That said, just about every player that's not physically tied down will probably be rumored to end up at the club.

Will Ferguson opt to make some smaller moves, knowing one or more players can't bring what Ronaldo did? Will he decide to turn to the well-stocked United reserves? Will he go under the radar in the way he snared guys like Nemanja Vidic? Will this force him to sign Carlos Tevez?

Of course, whatever moves United makes, it doesn't offset the fact that Ronaldo is 100 percent irreplaceable. He's a magician, a talisman, a dead ball specialist. He was what gave United that extra gear when they needed it. And scoring 20-plus goals a season didn't hurt either. Even if you didn't like his sneer, preening and flops, you had to respect what he was able to do with the ball.

There's probably an equal reaction of anger and sadness among United fans across the globe today for the loss of the club's iconic No. 7. In times like this, just remember the good times and the massive trophy haul. In the end, Ronaldo only remains a YouTube click away.

Meanwhile on the flip side, Madridistas, are clearly in dreamland.

Trying to Make Sense of the Cristiano Ronaldo Transfer originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Making Sense of the Kaka Deal

Michael Cardillo — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:14:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, Soccer, La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy)

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Kaka's mega-money move from AC Milan to Real Madrid, which became official on Monday, was that the transfer fee of around £59 million ($94 million U.S.) is a little less than half of a rumored price tag Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley put on the entire club at £100 million.

Think about that for a second. Real Madrid and it's new club president Florentino Perez paid a lump sum for one player for an amount relatively close for a big club in England, albeit a club that just got relegated. If that doesn't put the insane amount of money shelled out by Madrid in check, what does?

Now, with a little time to digest the move and look past the price tag -- which obviously overshadows everything else -- let's try to sort out what this move means going forward.

Obviously for Madrid, the move is a signal of intent aimed at Barcelona and the rest of Europe. Perez wanted to make a splash, and clearly he did. The image of Kaka -- in an angelic full-white kit -- certainly must have Madrid fans dreaming of better times, filled with trophies.

What it will actually do to improve Real Madrid in La Liga remains to be seen. Kaka is an elite player, but will he close the gap behind Barca, especially if the Catalans add someone like Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Karim Benzema? Are huge-money transfers for star players the way to go instead of building a team organically, or at least with a sense of purpose?

And what does that mean for current Real players like Wesley Sneijder or Rafael van der Vaart? They'd appear like surplus parts at the Bernabeu and could easily move to a club like Bayern Munich, should the Bavarians offload Franck Ribery.

As for Kaka himself? From a sporting standpoint, it's hard to imagine he'll struggle with a move to Spain. The only question is if he'll have the talismanic value that he brought to Milan.

Tuesday he addressed some of the reasons why he turned down a move to Manchester City in January, pledging himself to Milan, only to change his mind a couple months later. For Kaka, the mega-money offered by Madrid was a way for him to help Milan, even if it was about half of the rumor deal offered by City.

It goes to show you that if a club like AC Milan, considered a top-10 side worldwide in terms of recognition, must sell off it's marquee player in order to stay solvent, well, it doesn't bode too strongly for the fiscal health of the game. You'd think Real Madrid and Milan are on about an even footing, but it's clearly not that way due to television revenues and in Milan's case, sharing a stadium.

Whatever the reason, the gap between the haves and have-nots will only continue to swell as the summer progresses.

In the big picture, that's what the Kaka move does. It sets the wheels in motion for all the big clubs in the world. And should Madrid pry Cristiano Ronaldo away from Manchester United, as Perez has stated he'll attempt, then all bets are off and the summer's tradionally "silly season" might get institutional-like crazy.

Making Sense of the Kaka Deal originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Madrid Signs Kaka From AC Milan

FanHouse Newswire — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:20:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy)

RECIFE, Brazil (AP) -- Brazil midfielder Kaka finalized his move to Real Madrid on Monday, marking the end of a "soap opera" and the start of a new phase of his career in Spain.

"Now the soap opera is over," said Kaka, decked out in a yellow Brazilian national team jersey after a practice session ahead of Wednesday's Brazil-Paraguay qualifier in the northeastern coastal city of Recife. "The only leftover details were the medical exams, and I've done them. The negotiations are closed and I have sealed my transfer to Real Madrid."

Real Madrid announced the signing of the attacking midfielder from AC Milan earlier Monday. The Spanish club gave no financial details but reports said Madrid will pay Milan 65 million euros ($92 million) for Kaka, making it one of the richest deals in football history.

The largest previous transfer was set by Zinedine Zidane when he joined Madrid from Juventus for $65 million in 2001.

Kaka, who passed a medical in the northeastern Brazilian city of Recife earlier Monday, signed a six-year contract.

"Kaka is one of the players that every team would like to have and Madrid had the chance to get him," Madrid president Florentino Perez told radio station Onda Cero just before the signing was announced.

Kaka is the first player to join Madrid since Perez regained the club presidency unopposed last week.

Perez has said he intends to revive his "galactico" policy which, along with Zidane, attracted star players like David Beckham, Ronaldo and Luis Figo to Madrid earlier in the decade.

Kaka called Perez's strategy "an interesting sports project."

"He's trying to buy other players, and I think he can make a very offensive team," he told a news conference. "That's behind my decision to go to this team."

Kaka said he talked with Beckham about his transfer, and the England veteran said it would be the best step for his career.

"I hope to be part of this new project and help to win titles, both European and Spanish," he said.

Kaka, the 2007 FIFA world player of the year, turned down a record 100 million euros transfer to Manchester City last season.

Presently in Brazil for World Cup qualifiers, Kaka will travel to South Africa with the national team for the June 14-28 Confederations Cup.

Despite previously saying he was happy at Milan, the size of Madrid's bid appears to have proved too much for the Italian club to ignore. Last week, Milan president Silvio Berlusconi and chairman Adriano Galliani said the club had made huge financial losses in recent times.

Madrid's interest in signing Kaka goes back some years. Former Madrid president Ramon Calderon pledged to sign the player in 2006 when he was running for election.

Perez is expected to attempt to sign several more top names for Madrid before the start of next season. Last week, he announced that Madrid would also be looking to land Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.

The departure of Kaka, who won the Champions League with Milan in 2007 and the Italian league in 2004, came a week after the coach Carlo Ancelotti left to take charge of Chelsea.

Kaka also said he believes Argentine striker Lionel Messi of Barcelona should be declared best player in the world, but hopes Madrid will overcome its archrival.

"I hope this Barcelona domination ends and that Real Madrid wins the new titles," Kaka said.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Madrid Signs Kaka From AC Milan originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Has Real Madrid Signed Kaka?

Michael Cardillo — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:54:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, Soccer, La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy)

If there's one thing I've learned, it's to take reports out of the Spanish soccer media with a grain of salt. However, I've also learned that where there's smoke, there's usually fire.

Late Tuesday, a Spanish radio station reported that Real Madrid have made a £56 million ($91 million U.S.) offer for Brazilian star Kaka to AC Milan, which the Italians have apparently accepted though the player hasn't said anything himself. If this is true, incoming Real president Florentino Perez wasted no time ushering in a new era of Galacticos football at the Bernabeu.

If anything, this report is odd since the price tag for Kaka is nearly half of the rumored £100 million that Manchester City offered in the January transfer window, only for the player to turn it down. (City did get its man, so to speak Tuesday, making a quick transfer for Aston Villa's Gareth Barry.)

It does, however, make any rumbling off a possible move for Kaka to Chelsea seem moot.

As was the case in January, this move seems to be contingent on Kaka himself actually wanting to leave the San Siro. Logic would dictate a move to Real Madrid has a bit more appeal than Manchester City, yet the Brazilian is a rarity in the modern game in that he doesn't appear driven solely by money. He has said in the past his heart belongs in Milan.

Why all of a sudden would he have a change of heart? Surely Carlo Ancelotti leaving for Chelsea isn't the only reason, is it?

Suffice to say, we'll surely hear more about this in the coming days. There are certainly at this point a lot more questions than there are answers.

Has Real Madrid Signed Kaka? originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will New Real Madrid President Bring Return to Galactico Era?

Michael Cardillo — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:18:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, Soccer, La Liga (Spain)

Florentino Perez -- the man who brought the so-called Galactico era of Zidane, Figo and Beckham to Real Madrid -- could return to his old role as club president as soon as Monday. Perez's only other candidate resigned on Friday, with the final deadline to declare a candidacy Sunday.

Already two of the world's biggest names -- Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka -- are being strongly linked for mega-money moves to the Bernabeu this summer. On Friday, Perez was coy about the long-rumored move for Ronaldo, but he didn't exactly quash the whispers either.

Frankly, anyone and anything seems in play for Real Madrid.

Eternal rival Barcelona's win in the Champions League final -- and the worldwide acclaim the side has received since beating Manchester United 2-0 on Wednesday -- coupled with the Catalans running away with La Liga (and beating Madrid 6-2 on May 2) must be eating away at Madrid fans worldwide. The winning of the treble is one thing, but I'd bet how Barca's style has been hailed as playing the game "the right way" probably burns more.

To catch up with Barcelona, Real Madrid needs to make a splash and the transfer of either Ronaldo or Kaka would certainly do that. Yet, those moves might only be cosmetic, at best.

Real Madrid certainly have some great players -- Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, etc. -- but something seems clearly amiss at the core of the club, witness the Champions League Round of 16 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool. Current coach Juande Ramos had loads of success in Spain with Sevilla. You wonder, though, are the moves Ramos wants to make on the same page as the champagne dreams of Perez?

Bringing in star players is nice in the fact it makes headlines and sells a lot of jerseys. Doing this, without a clear plan in mind as to building a team, tends to lead to disaster ... and an empty trophy case. Sound familiar? Look no further than the end of the Galactico era earlier this decade.

Will New Real Madrid President Bring Return to Galactico Era? originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Fri, 29 May 2009 14:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barcelona Dominates Manchester United to Win UEFA Champions League

Michael Cardillo — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:21:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, English Premier League, Soccer, UEFA Champions League, La Liga (Spain)

Watching the 2009 Champions League final unfold a sense of déjà vu washed over me. In a lot of ways it was like watching the final of Euro 2008 all over again. Instead of Spain defeating Germany 1-0 last June, Wednesday it was Barcelona defeating Manchester United 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Once again in a big match, the Spanish way of soccer -- namely quick, precise passing -- took precedence. And again it was the twin engine of Andres Iniesta and Xavi pulling the strings in the midfield. Just as Germany found it nearly impossible to win the ball back once down 1-0 last year in Austria, Manchester United found how difficult it was hold possession against the pinpoint passing of the Spanish midfielders.

The win gave Barcelona a treble, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. The club's win also gave Spain the most overall Champions League titles with 12, one better than both England and Italy.

Wednesday it took some time for Barcelona to get going. In fact, Manchester United -- through Cristiano Ronaldo -- came out firing inside the first five minutes. Ronaldo gave United its best chance on a second-minute free kick that Barca keeper Victor Valdes couldn't handle cleanly. Yet Ji-Sung Park was late to the rebound and United couldn't convert.

In the 10th minute Iniesta initiated Barcelona's first attack and it proved to be the difference. Iniesta raced up the field untouched and laid off a pass to Samuel Eto'o on the right side of the box. Eto'o essentially juked United defender Nemanja Vidic out of his pants and fired a ball inside the near post past Edwin van der Sar.

Once Barcelona went ahead it was pretty much lights out for Manchester United. The Red Devils could barely possess the ball. At halftime Sir Alex Ferguson brought on Carlos Tevez and later Dmitar Berbatov, but it was no matter as they couldn't trouble Barcelona's makeshift back line.

Champions League Snapshots

Manchester United's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo fails to stop a ball which leaves the pitch during the final of the UEFA football Champions League against FC Barcelona on May 27, 2009 at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. AFP PHOTO / CARL DE SOUZA (Photo credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Barcelona's Thierry Henry, center, faces Manchester United goalie Edwin van der Sar during the UEFA Champions League final soccer match between Manchester United and Barcelona in Rome, Wednesday May 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Manchester United fans react as they watch the UEFA Champions League final soccer match between Manchester United and Barcelona on a giant screen set up in Rome, Wednesday, May 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

Barcelona's Thierry Henry, faces Manchester United goalie Edwin van der Sar during the UEFA Champions League final soccer match between Manchester United and Barcelona in Rome, Wednesday May 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Manchester United's Carlos Tevez, left, and Barcelona's Lionel Messi vie for the ball as Manchester United's Ji-Sung Park looks on, during the UEFA Champions League final soccer match between Manchester United and Barcelona in Rome, Wednesday May 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Barcelona's Thierry Henry, right, gets the ball past Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand during the UEFA Champions League final soccer match between Manchester United and Barcelona in Rome, Wednesday May 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Barcelona's coach Pep Guardiola gestures during their Champions League final soccer match against Manchester United at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, May 27, 2009. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi (ITALY SPORT SOCCER)

Reuters

Manchester United's goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar looks down during their Champions League final soccer match against Barcelona at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, May 27, 2009. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi (ITALY SPORT SOCCER)

Reuters

Manchester United's supporters react as they watch ,on a big screen the Champions League final soccer match between Manchester United and Barcelona, in Rome May 27, 2009. REUTERS/Alessia Pierdomenico (ITALY SPORT SOCCER IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Reuters

Barcelona sealed the match in the 70th minute when Xavi chipped in a perfect ball to Lionel Messi, who rose and put his whole, tiny body behind the powerful header that sealed the game. Messi, who had be criticized for some of his Champions League showings especially against English teams, quieted those doubters with his first goal against an English team. Messi finished with nine goals to lead the competition, pushing him to the top of the list for all the Player of the Year awards.

Oddly enough, the suspensions of Barcelona outside backs Dani Alves and Eric Abidal might have actually helped out Wednesday. Captain Carlos Puyol shifted to right back and did a yeoman's job marking against Ronaldo. As the game wore on, his physicality appeared to take the Portuguese star out of his game. Sylvinho, too, did a good job taking Wayne Rooney completely out of the match.

In fact it's hard to remember a game where nobody on Manchester United seemed to play a good match, especially the midfield. A good part of this was a product of Barcelona keeping the pressure up and never allowing United a lifeline. The miracle of 1999 would not be repeated 10 years later, as United were denied a chance to repeat.

Now the questions turn to the future.

Was this the last match for Ronaldo and Tevez in Manchester United shirts?

Will Barcelona -- and in turn, Spain's dominance on the world of football -- carry over into next year and the 2010 World Cup?

In the end It all boiled down to pure dominance by Pep Guardiola's men plain and simple. Barcelona Wednesday proved they were by a good margin the best team in the world this season.

Barcelona Dominates Manchester United to Win UEFA Champions League originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 27 May 2009 17:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Manchester United vs. Barcelona Live Blog for Champions League Final

Michael Cardillo — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, English Premier League, Soccer, UEFA Champions League, La Liga (Spain)

The biggest game of the 2009 world soccer calendar kicks off Wednesday night at Rome's Stadio Olimpico when Manchester United and FC Barcelona meet for the UEFA Champions League final. It's a true soccer lover's dream, pitting the champions of the Premier League and La Liga for club soccer's premier trophy.

Will it be Cristiano Ronaldo leading the Red Devils to their second consecutive Champions League crown? Or will it be Lionel Messi heading the Catalan giants to their second trophy in four years?

The game kicks off at 2:45 PM ET, and we'll be live-blogging shortly beforehand.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=&amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=1aabf8bcf1&amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; &amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Manchester United vs. Barcelona Live Blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Manchester United vs. Barcelona Live Blog for Champions League Final originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 27 May 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All Eyes on Champions League Final

Michael Cardillo — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:07:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, English Premier League, Soccer, UEFA Champions League, La Liga (Spain)

Manchester United ... Barcelona ... the UEFA Champions League final. What more really needs to be said?

Wednesday night in Rome (ESPN, 2:25 PM ET) the best team in Europe will be crowned in a contest pitting the champions of what are considered the two top professional leagues in the world -- the (English) Premier League and La Liga. Oh right, there's the juicy subplot between two of the world's best players, too, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi squaring off at the Stadio Olimpico.

United, the defending champions, are gunning to become the competition's first back-to-back winner since the great Gullit/van Basten/Rijkaard AC Milan club won the then European Cup in 1989 and 1990. It's also the 10th anniversary of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's famous late winner that gave Manchester United the 1999 Champions League and its historic 'treble'.

Barcelona last won the competition in 2006, beating Arsenal 2-1 in France on a pair of goals in the final 15 minutes. Oddly enough, the Catalan giants are nearly a new side from that squad that featured on the Stade de France. Gone is match-winner Juliano Belletti, Deco, Mark van Bommel and Ronaldinho, etc. The only holdovers for Barcelona that should play in both matches are Samuel Eto'o, Carlos Puyol, keeper Victor Valdes and Andres Iniesta, who came on as a sub in 2006 to help set up the winner.

However, Iniesta -- the hero who won the semifinal with his late winner against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge -- is fighting a late fitness test. So is striker Thierry Henry, who featured for Arsenal in the 2006 final.

Meanwhile, Manchester United breathes a sigh of relief as defender Rio Ferdinand was declared well enough to play, as he'll team with partner Nemanja Vidic is the center of the Red Devils defense.

Something to keep in mind is that four of the eight Champions League final this decade have been decided by penalties, including last year's final between Manchester United and Chelsea in Moscow. Ronaldo admitted Tuesday that United have practiced penalties ahead of the final, though it's nearly impossible to simulate the tension and drama of a spot kick to decide the biggest game of the year in a practice scenario.

One thing to look out for is if Manchester Uniter manager Sir Alex Ferguson opts to follow the pattern that Chelsea's Guus Hiddink did in the first leg of its semifinal against Barcelona, namely the Blues packed it in trying to bottle up the lanes around the box that Barca love to operate inside. Of course, that tactic almost proved effective in a two-leg affair, so it's doubtful that United will attempt to play for 120 minutes and penalties.

With left back Patrice Evra, United do possess a player that can run and mark the Barcelona outside players. The other place to watch the United lineup is whether Ferguson opts for the old hand Paul Scholes to pair with Michael Carrick in the middle of the field or will Anderson get the nod to slow down the Barca midfield?

Whatever Ferguson chooses, he has plenty of options on the bench and can adjust as the game progresses, with Carlos Tevez -- in perhaps his last game for United -- a possible game changer.

Barcelona's Pep Guardiola probably needs to wait and see on the fitness of his players. If Iniesta is unable to play, he might opt for a more defensive midfield, with Xavi leading the attack. If Barcelona win, it would cap quite a 365 days for Xavi, as he'd lead both Spain to Euro 2008 glory and Barca to the Champions League. Barcelona also must cope with the suspensions of outside backs Dani Alves and Eric Abidal, who are out through yellow card suspension.

One thing that Guardiola must stress with his team is that it takes its chances when presented, instead of trying for the perfect goal. A goal is a goal at this point. Messi, if he is to become the World Player of the Year, must assert himself on this match.

This one has drama written all over it and if I had to make a guess, United wins ... once again in penalty kicks. The Red Devils have a little more strength and the ability to change as the game goes on. Barcelona needs a flash of brilliance, or more to win, and that's hard to count on.

All Eyes on Champions League Final originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Tue, 26 May 2009 13:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barcelona Deals Chelsea Heart-Breaking Loss, Reaches Champions League Final

FanHouse Newswire — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:51:00 EST

Filed under: English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, La Liga (Spain)

LONDON (AP) - Barcelona advanced to the European Champions League final against Manchester United in dramatic fashion, tying Chelsea 1-1 Wednesday night when Andres Iniesta scored in the third minute of second-half injury time.

Michael Essien scored on a 20-yard shot in the ninth minute for Chelsea, which lost last year's final to Manchester United on penalty kicks.

Champions League Snapshots

Chelsea's Michael Ballack (R) screams at referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after a possible handball by Barcelona during their Champions League second leg semi-final soccer match at Stamford Bridge in London May 6, 2009. The game ended 1-1, Barcelona won on the away goal rule. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh (BRITAIN SPORT SOCCER IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Reuters

Frank Lampard of Chelsea reacts after Andres Iniesta of Barcelona scored the winning goal against his team in injury time during their Champions League second leg semi-final soccer match at Stamford Bridge in London May 6, 2009. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh (BRITAIN SPORT SOCCER)

Reuters

Barcelona's Lionel Messi (R) is congratulated by his manager Josep Guardiola after their Champions League second leg semi-final soccer match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in London May 6, 2009. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh (BRITAIN SPORT SOCCER)

Reuters

Barcelona's Andres Iniesta (R) and Samuel Eto'o celebrate a goal against Chelsea during their Champions League semi-final second leg soccer match at Stamford Bridge in London May 6, 2009. REUTERS/Albert Gea (BRITAIN SPORT SOCCER)

Reuters

Barcelona's Andres Iniesta, center, celebrates with Samuel Eto'o after scoring his sides equalising goal during their Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match against Chelsea at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Wednesday, May, 6, 2009. (AP Photo/ Matt Dunham)

Barcelona's Andres Iniesta, left, reacts after scoring a goal against Chelsea during their Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Wednesday, May, 6, 2009. (AP Photo/ Jon Super)

Barcelona's Andres Iniesta, no8 shoots and scores a a goal against Chelsea during their Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Wednesday, May, 6, 2009. (AP Photo/ Jon Super)

Barcelona's Andres Iniesta , center, celebrates at the end of the match as his team win their Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match at against Chelsea at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge Stadium in London, Wednesday, May 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Reuters

Barcelona's Andres Iniesta celebrates a goal against Chelsea during their Champions League semi-final second leg soccer match at Stamford Bridge in London May 6, 2009. REUTERS/Albert Gea (BRITAIN SPORT SOCCER)

Reuters

But Iniesta beat goalkeeper Petr Cech after collecting a ball from Lionel Messi and tied the aggregate 1-1 in the home-and-home, total-goals series. Barcelona, which finished a man short following Eric Abidal's ejection in the 66th minute, advanced because of a 1-0 advantage in away goals.

Manchester United will try to win the title for the fourth time when it meets Barcelona on May 27 at Rome, following victories in 1968, 1999 and last year. Barcelona won Europe's top club soccer crown in 1992 and 2006.

Chelsea players surrounded Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after the final whistle at Stamford Bridge, angry they weren't awarded at least two penalty kicks - one for a free kick he gave outside the penalty area after a foul that was within, the other for a hand ball that wasn't called against Samuel Eto'o.

Didier Drogba, who had gone down twice inside the area, was pulled away from the official by Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink.

Barcelona was without Thierry Henry, who didn't dress because of a knee injury.

Essien scored off the bottom of the crossbar, beating goalkeeper Victor Valdes after Ashley Cole fed Frank Lampard, who pass went off a Barca defender and came loose outside the area.

Valdes later raced off his line to beat Drogba to the ball. Chelsea should have had a penalty awarded when Florent Malouda was brought down by Daniel Alves a yard inside the area, although the referee ruled it happened on the edge.

Drogba should have made it 2-0 in the 53rd minute when he collected a pass from Nicolas Anelka and turned past a defender only for Valdes to block his shot with his leg.

Barcelona Deals Chelsea Heart-Breaking Loss, Reaches Champions League Final originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 06 May 2009 16:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barcelona Trounces Real Madrid

Michael Cardillo — Sat, 02 May 2009 15:46:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, Soccer, La Liga (Spain)

So it wasn't winning an NBA playoff game by 50-odd points, but Barcelona's riveting 6-2 demolition of Real Madrid Saturday in the Spanish capital comes pretty darn close. The win opens up a seven point gap for Barca atop La Liga, all but assuring themselves the title.

The bigger picture here is that only a few days removed from being stymied by Chelsea in Tuesday's 0-0 Champions League semifinal, Barcelona erupted for six goals. It might have been a good thing if Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink wasn't watching since Barcelona's display would make even the most battle-hardened manager a little queasy.

Saturday, Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry both hit for two goals, while defenders Carlos Puyol and Gerard Pique rounded out the scoring onslaught, which remarkably gave the Catalan giants an even 100 league goals this season. This was the stunning, wondrous Barcelona we saw during most of the season.

Long story short, after those 90 minutes of what it claimed was "negative" tactics employed by Chelsea, it's clear that Barcelona took out its frustration on Real Madrid, which actually scored the game's first goal.

Will this display carry over to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night for the Champions League? As if that game wasn't already must-watch, it's entered an all-new level of intrigue now.

Barcelona Trounces Real Madrid originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sat, 02 May 2009 15:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cristiano Ronaldo Move to Real Madrid Resurfaces

Michael Cardillo — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:34:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, English Premier League, Soccer, La Liga (Spain)

Like a bad horror movie villain, or anyone associated with VH1 reality shows, this is a rumor that refuses to die. Late Friday, England's Guardian reported that Cristiano Ronaldo's advisers have worked a deal that will allow the star to move from Manchester United to Real Madrid at the end of the season.

This saga has been going on for months, if not years, and will probably continue to kick around forever -- unless it's actually completed.
Ronaldo is under contract at Old Trafford until 2012, but in soccer those contracts aren't even worth the money they're printed on. If Madrid comes to Manchester United and offers mega-bucks, somewhere in the Kaka-to-Man City range, it'll be tough for the club to turn down even though Ronaldo is irreplaceable.

This one likely will come down to Ronaldo, if he forces the issue, what is the club going to do to stop him? It's doubtful they'll hold him against his will.

It would also add to the speculation that Sir Alex Ferguson will retire from Manchester United after the season. And even if he sticks around, at his age will he want to butt heads and deal with a battle of resolve with Ronaldo?

Whatever happens, this obviously bears watching intently -- especially over the summer -- where no doubt we'll get daily, if not hourly updates. If Ronaldo does move to Spain, it will send shock waves around the globe.

For the time being, let's just file this in the rather meaty rumor file.

Cristiano Ronaldo Move to Real Madrid Resurfaces originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Streaks End in England, Spain

Michael Cardillo — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 11:02:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, English Premier League, Soccer, La Liga (Spain)

Saturday afternoon in Europe a pair of impressive streaks came crashing to a halt. First, in England's Premier League first-place Manchester United conceded its first league goal in 1,334 minutes in the first half of a 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers. Later in the day, more shockingly, Barcelona -- the in form club in the world -- lost for the first time in La Liga since the opening fixture of the year to last-place city rival Espanyol.

Both clubs don't have much time to dwell on these quirky stat facts as they resume their Champions League campaigns Tuesday. Barcelona plays Ligue 1 leaders Lyon while Manchester United play's Italy's top team -- Inter Milan.

Oddly enough, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson rested No. 1 keeper Edwin van der Sar in Saturday's match, opting for Tomasz Kuszczak, who was beaten when Roque Santa Cruz got behind him and snuck in a goal in the 32nd minute. No matter, United maintained its cushion at the top thanks to a sublime second-half free kick by the peerless Cristiano Ronaldo.

Amazingly, the last time United allowed a goal was on November 8 to Arsenal, a span of 14 matches. Any way you slice it, that's domination and the reason Manchester United zoomed up the table to first place.

Barcelona's streak was probably more impressive though. Since a Aug. 31 1-0 loss to Numancia, the Catalan giants went 22 matches without another defeat -- playing an utterly dominant brand of ball until Saturday's hiccup. Barcelona out-scored opponents 70-18 over that span, which is almost so lopsided and hard to believe unless we're talking 10 year old kids playing AYSO.

The concern for Barcelona is that over the last two rounds, second place Real Madrid have picked up five points and are now seven points back with 14 matches remaining.

So I guess, the question is which streak was more impressive? Manchester United's string of zeros or Barcelona's five-month unbeaten run in La Liga?

Streaks End in England, Spain originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 11:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alitdore Loaned by Villareal

Michael Cardillo — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:06:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, Soccer, La Liga (Spain), U.S. Men's National Team

This was a move you could probably sense was coming. Villareal loaned out American striker Jozy Altidore -- who they paid an MLS record transfer fee of around $10 million for last June -- to second division Spanish team Xerez C.D. Xerez, which has never played in the Primera Division, currently leads the Segunda.

The move is obviously directed at Altidore's development since he was riding the pine at Villareal. Altidore's name had been linked with a possible loan to Everton, but it never materialized.

Though it's a step down in competition, this is a good move for Altidore at this point in his career. He's only 19 so he needs games.

From a U.S. national team standpoint, it would be good if Altidore starts to find his scoring touch at Xerez ahead of the very busy 2009 slate of international matches. The chances of Bob Bradley selecting him to start, or even simply make the substitute's list would have been hampered if he wasn't playing for his club team.

The downside here is if Altidore doesn't settle at Xerez and sits out as the club tries to win promotion. Then it become a slippery slope, much like what's happened to Freddy Adu since coming across the Atlantic.

This, however, seems like a perfect match in a club trying to crack the top flight for the first time in its 50+ year history getting the boost in the form of a hungry young striker trying to make his name in Europe.

Alitdore Loaned by Villareal originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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