| 2009/10 UEFA Champions League draw | |||||
| Quarter-finals: 30/31 March & 6/7 April | |||||
| 1: Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) v FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA) | |||||
| 2: FC Bayern München (GER) v Manchester United FC (ENG) | |||||
| 3: Arsenal FC (ENG) v FC Barcelona (ESP, holders) | |||||
| 4: FC Internazionale Milano (ITA) v PFC CSKA Moskva (RUS) | |||||
| Semi-finals: 20/21 & 27/28 April | |||||
| 1: Winner quarter-final 2 v Winner quarter-final 1 | |||||
| 2: Winner quarter-final 4 v Winner quarter-final 3 | |||||
| Final: Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid; 20.45CET, Saturday 22 May | |||||
Winner semi-final 1 v Winner semi-final 2 | |||||
Showing posts with label UEFA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UEFA. Show all posts
Monday, March 22, 2010
2009/10 UEFA Champions League draw
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
On-song Rooney inspires United comeback
AC Milan 2-3 Manchester United FC
Wayne Rooney struck twice as Sir Alex Ferguson's side recovered from an early setback to take a decisive advantage in this tie.
Article Source : uefa.com
Wayne Rooney struck twice as Sir Alex Ferguson's side recovered from an early setback to take a decisive advantage in this tie.
Manchester United FC recovered from an early setback as two second-half headers from Wayne Rooney helped them to a first ever win at San Siro, though Clarence Seedorf's late effort leaves AC Milan with every hope in this UEFA Champions League first knockout round tie.
That United held on at all in the second half was an achievement in itself after Ronaldinho had given the hosts a third-minute lead. The Serie A side squandered chances to extend their advantage and Paul Scholes' fortuitous equaliser gave the visitors a foothold before Roooney's two headers put Sir Alex Ferguson's men in control. Substitute Seedorf's late strike made for an exciting climax, with Michael Carrick sent off for a second bookable offence, but United held on.
Leonardo had said his side needed a "flawless" performance and they got off to the perfect start when Ronaldinho struck in their very first attack. Playing against his former side, David Beckham was involved, swinging a free-kick into the box, but the chance arose more as a result of Patrice Evra's miscued clearance than any set-piece artistry. The ball fell to Ronaldinho on the edge of the area and the Brazilian fired in first time off Carrick's legs, before embarking on a festive samba.
The goal set the tone for a first half dominated by the hosts. Emboldened by their start, Pato created another opening for Ronaldinho though this time, without a deflection to contend with, Edwin van der Sar was equal to it. United were under pressure, and fortunate not to go two down when Thiago Silva threaded a pass into the area for Luca Antonini, who pulled his shot wide from 12 metres.
The visitors mustered a hopeful attempt from Scholes, and Rooney went closer with an angled drive but the Premier League champions were uncharacteristically ceding possession. Rio Ferdinand was a case in point, heading the ball into the path of Pato, whose shot was blocked by Evra. Another mix-up enabled Massimo Ambrosini to pick out Klaas Jan Huntelaar, who drove just wide.
For all the hosts' dominance, they were pegged back by United's first real attack on 36 minutes. Darren Fletcher found space on the right and his low centre was met by Scholes' standing foot, the ball going in off the far post. Milan reacted well, Ronaldinho testing Van der Sar either side of half-time and Pato powering Giuseppe Favalli's header over.
Rooney was beginning to show glimpses of his explosive power, forcing Dida into a save just after the hour. Yet when his first goal came on 66 minutes it was out of the blue as he headed Antonio Valencia's cross back across the goalkeeper just moments after the Ecuadorean's introduction. Milan were rocked, forced to defend ever deeper and eight minutes later Rooney inflicted further damage, beating the offside trap to glance in Fletcher's cross.
Home hopes rose five minutes from time when Ronaldinho created space for a left-wing centre which substitute Seedorf flicked in to make for a rousing finale. Filippo Inzaghi blazed over, Thiago Silva headed high from a metre out but the hosts could not find the equaliser and will head to Old Trafford on 10 March needing a win.
Article Source : uefa.com
Friday, February 5, 2010
Casillas names his top ten No1s
In the latest edition of Champions, the official magazine of the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid CF's Iker Casillas discusses his goalkeeping heroes. Here are his top ten in his own words.
Peter Schmeichel
This list is not in any particular order, but if I were to choose my number-one all-time No1, then it would be Peter Schmeichel. Simply the best. I first saw him on television when I was just a kid and thought, 'Wow ... this lad is invincible!' I was eleven at the time and Schmeichel was playing for Denmark in the 1992 [UEFA] European Championship. He was just fantastic. The impression he left was of sheer perfection. From then on I knew I wanted to be just like him: he became my football hero. I followed him closely after that, watching him on the telly at every opportunity. I wanted to learn from him.
Article Source: UEFA.COM
Peter Schmeichel
This list is not in any particular order, but if I were to choose my number-one all-time No1, then it would be Peter Schmeichel. Simply the best. I first saw him on television when I was just a kid and thought, 'Wow ... this lad is invincible!' I was eleven at the time and Schmeichel was playing for Denmark in the 1992 [UEFA] European Championship. He was just fantastic. The impression he left was of sheer perfection. From then on I knew I wanted to be just like him: he became my football hero. I followed him closely after that, watching him on the telly at every opportunity. I wanted to learn from him.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas
Gianluigi Buffon
It is hard to know where to begin when it comes to pinpointing his outstanding qualities, he has so many. And it's impossible to pick out a weakness. One of the most important qualities in a goalkeeper is calmness – an ability to stay cool under pressure is very important – and if he can transmit that quality to the defence and to his team-mates, it has a very positive effect on the way the team play. Buffon's presence reassures his colleagues. He is the contemporary keeper everyone playing in goal looks up to and aspires to emulate.
Oliver Kahn
King Kahn or the Titan, they called him – which says it all. He is certainly a very different character to me, and it's fair to say he was quite eccentric. I don't know if that helps a goalkeeper, but it certainly worked for Kahn. I've always said your mental approach to the game and state of mind is more important than physical preparation – and for me, the ideal presence in goal is one of stability and calm. Kahn was nothing like that, but at the end of the day he has won more trophies than any other keeper in history.
Sepp Maier
He was the Oliver Kahn of his day in the way he was an enormous presence in German football on and off the pitch. From what I've seen on video, he was very agile for a big man and was so flexible they called him the Cat. He's a name from the generation just before I was born, so I've always heard a lot about him from people my dad's age. They tell me he was very consistent, never made mistakes – which is such an important quality in a keeper because it transmits confidence throughout the team.
José Luis Chilavert
Paraguay's former No1 really was unique. He was a fantastic free-kick taker and scored more than 60 goals in his career. It would be a real shame if people only remembered his career because of his goalscoring statistics because he was a fantastic keeper as well. He was voted the best in the world three times in the 1990s. I have a very good memory of playing against him at the 2002 [FIFA] World Cup in Japan – a game Spain eventually won 3-1. He showed real agility when he tipped one shot from Raúl [González] over the bar. I had to face one of those famous free-kicks of his. Thankfully, I saved it.
Dino Zoff
Kahn and Maier were typical of goalkeepers with huge personalities, fire and passion; Zoff is the embodiment of the opposite. He was always a calm, reassuring presence on the pitch, a solid, dependable rock of confidence at the back. He had fantastic reflexes and is always worth watching on video because of his exemplary positioning. Certainly someone I'd like to emulate. I'm envious of a player who captains his country to World Cup victory at 40 years of age.
José Ángel Iribar
Iribar is one of the greatest keepers Spain has ever produced. He was a big presence in goal and had that ability to intimidate opponents. But it wasn't all about his size, which is useless on its own. He combined his physicality with terrific positioning. In a way, I feel a connection with him because he was the last Spanish keeper to lift the European Championship trophy [in 1964] before we repeated the feat at [UEFA] EURO 2008. This links us to the next keeper on my list.
Luis Arconada
Arconada was known as El Pulpo [or Octopus], which speaks for itself. He was tremendously brave with a big personality and was the automatic choice for Spain when I was a kid in the 1980s. A lot of people have said we have similar styles, particularly in how we use our feet. Unfortunately, unlike Iribar and me, Arconada never got to lift a major trophy with Spain and is often remembered for conceding a goal in the 1984 European Championship final against France. He had put in a terrific performance all tournament and Spain would not have been where they were without him. This goes to show how unfair life can be for a goalkeeper. People often remember just one mistake and forget the rest.
Ricardo Zamora
As a star of the 1920s he's not someone I have ever seen play – aside from glimpses on grainy old tapes. But he's an absolute icon of Spanish football, whose name has been immortalised in the trophy awarded every season to the keeper with the most clean sheets in the Liga. They say he was a great keeper with terrific reflexes and very brave. There's a story about him playing against England with a broken breastbone. He was a huge figure on and off the field – and a special case in Spain as he is a legend for both Real Madrid and [FC] Barcelona fans, having played for both.
Lev Yashin
Finally, I really have to mention another player I never saw with my own eyes. You can't argue with him being top of pretty much every list of all-time great keepers. I've seen those incredible acrobatic one-handed saves on video. I understand he developed his tremendous reflexes as a keeper in ice hockey. He's the only keeper to have won the Ballon d'Or [in 1963; Zoff and Buffon were runners-up in 1973 and 2006, Kahn third in 2001 and 2002]. He was called the Black Spider. Opponents were scared of him – a real asset to any team if you can gain a psychological advantage over opposition strikers before a ball has been kicked.
It is hard to know where to begin when it comes to pinpointing his outstanding qualities, he has so many. And it's impossible to pick out a weakness. One of the most important qualities in a goalkeeper is calmness – an ability to stay cool under pressure is very important – and if he can transmit that quality to the defence and to his team-mates, it has a very positive effect on the way the team play. Buffon's presence reassures his colleagues. He is the contemporary keeper everyone playing in goal looks up to and aspires to emulate.
Oliver Kahn
King Kahn or the Titan, they called him – which says it all. He is certainly a very different character to me, and it's fair to say he was quite eccentric. I don't know if that helps a goalkeeper, but it certainly worked for Kahn. I've always said your mental approach to the game and state of mind is more important than physical preparation – and for me, the ideal presence in goal is one of stability and calm. Kahn was nothing like that, but at the end of the day he has won more trophies than any other keeper in history.
Sepp Maier
He was the Oliver Kahn of his day in the way he was an enormous presence in German football on and off the pitch. From what I've seen on video, he was very agile for a big man and was so flexible they called him the Cat. He's a name from the generation just before I was born, so I've always heard a lot about him from people my dad's age. They tell me he was very consistent, never made mistakes – which is such an important quality in a keeper because it transmits confidence throughout the team.
José Luis Chilavert
Paraguay's former No1 really was unique. He was a fantastic free-kick taker and scored more than 60 goals in his career. It would be a real shame if people only remembered his career because of his goalscoring statistics because he was a fantastic keeper as well. He was voted the best in the world three times in the 1990s. I have a very good memory of playing against him at the 2002 [FIFA] World Cup in Japan – a game Spain eventually won 3-1. He showed real agility when he tipped one shot from Raúl [González] over the bar. I had to face one of those famous free-kicks of his. Thankfully, I saved it.
Dino Zoff
Kahn and Maier were typical of goalkeepers with huge personalities, fire and passion; Zoff is the embodiment of the opposite. He was always a calm, reassuring presence on the pitch, a solid, dependable rock of confidence at the back. He had fantastic reflexes and is always worth watching on video because of his exemplary positioning. Certainly someone I'd like to emulate. I'm envious of a player who captains his country to World Cup victory at 40 years of age.
José Ángel Iribar
Iribar is one of the greatest keepers Spain has ever produced. He was a big presence in goal and had that ability to intimidate opponents. But it wasn't all about his size, which is useless on its own. He combined his physicality with terrific positioning. In a way, I feel a connection with him because he was the last Spanish keeper to lift the European Championship trophy [in 1964] before we repeated the feat at [UEFA] EURO 2008. This links us to the next keeper on my list.
Luis Arconada
Arconada was known as El Pulpo [or Octopus], which speaks for itself. He was tremendously brave with a big personality and was the automatic choice for Spain when I was a kid in the 1980s. A lot of people have said we have similar styles, particularly in how we use our feet. Unfortunately, unlike Iribar and me, Arconada never got to lift a major trophy with Spain and is often remembered for conceding a goal in the 1984 European Championship final against France. He had put in a terrific performance all tournament and Spain would not have been where they were without him. This goes to show how unfair life can be for a goalkeeper. People often remember just one mistake and forget the rest.
Ricardo Zamora
As a star of the 1920s he's not someone I have ever seen play – aside from glimpses on grainy old tapes. But he's an absolute icon of Spanish football, whose name has been immortalised in the trophy awarded every season to the keeper with the most clean sheets in the Liga. They say he was a great keeper with terrific reflexes and very brave. There's a story about him playing against England with a broken breastbone. He was a huge figure on and off the field – and a special case in Spain as he is a legend for both Real Madrid and [FC] Barcelona fans, having played for both.
Lev Yashin
Finally, I really have to mention another player I never saw with my own eyes. You can't argue with him being top of pretty much every list of all-time great keepers. I've seen those incredible acrobatic one-handed saves on video. I understand he developed his tremendous reflexes as a keeper in ice hockey. He's the only keeper to have won the Ballon d'Or [in 1963; Zoff and Buffon were runners-up in 1973 and 2006, Kahn third in 2001 and 2002]. He was called the Black Spider. Opponents were scared of him – a real asset to any team if you can gain a psychological advantage over opposition strikers before a ball has been kicked.
Article Source: UEFA.COM
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Do you see Ronaldo as a Man United Legend
Will Ronaldo go down as a Man United Legend?
Man United sign a 18 year old ronaldo for £12m in the summer of 2003, picured here alongside another magnificent talent - kleberson.
Ronaldo signs a contract extension till 2010 in the summer of 2004
Ronaldo looses out on the young player of the year to rooney to seasons in a row between 2004-2006
In euro 2006 Ronaldo apparently played a part in Rooney's sending off and his infamous wink made him extremely unpopular with united fans. Real came knocking on the door and Fergie only just kept him at united, convincing him he still has a future in england.
Ronaldo finally wins the league for the first time in may 2007, scoring 28 goals in the process making him PFA player and young player of the year for the first time in his career. He also signed a contract until 2013 fending off Madrid's intrest
March 2008 vs Bolton, Ronaldo captains united for the first time, breaking george best's 40 year old record in the process. That season he scored 42 goals in 49 games!! He was PFA player of the year for the second year running, was 3rd in the world player rankings.
Despite scoring a header for united vs chelsea in the CL final, ronaldo misses his penalty. Luckily for him Terry and anelka did no better.
2009- Ronaldo agrees with blatter on comments that he is a slave, again trying to force a move to madrid. Instead he stays and wins the premier league for the 3rd year running and becomes world player of the year.
Ronaldo plays his last game for united, in an all white strip. United lost, he later took off his loser's medal in discontent and slammed fergie's tactics. In total he had made 292 appearances for united, scoring 118 goals.
Club
Manchester United
* Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
* FA Cup: 2003–04
* League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09
* FA Community Shield: 2007
* UEFA Champions League: 2007–08
* FIFA Club World Cup: 2008
Individual
* UEFA Euro 2004 Team of the Tournament
* FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year: 2004–05, 2005–06
* Portuguese Footballer of the Year: 2006–07
* UEFA Team of the Year: 2003–2004, 2006–07, 2007-08
* FIFPro World XI: 2006–07, 2007–08
* PFA Young Player of the Year: 2006–07
* PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
* PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
* PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
* FWA Footballer of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
* Barclays Player of the Season: 2006–07, 2007–08
* Barclays Player of the Month: November 2006, December 2006, January 2008, March 2008
* Barclays Golden Boot: 2007–08
* Barclays Merit Award: 2007–08
* European Golden Shoe: 2007–08
* UEFA Club Forward of the Year: 2007–08
* UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2007–08
* FIFPro World Player of the Year: 2007–08
* Ballon d'Or: 2008
* FIFA World Player of the Year: 2008
* FIFA Team of the Year: 2008
Orders
* Officer of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique
* Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (House of Braganza)[67]
Man United sign a 18 year old ronaldo for £12m in the summer of 2003, picured here alongside another magnificent talent - kleberson.
Ronaldo signs a contract extension till 2010 in the summer of 2004
Ronaldo looses out on the young player of the year to rooney to seasons in a row between 2004-2006
In euro 2006 Ronaldo apparently played a part in Rooney's sending off and his infamous wink made him extremely unpopular with united fans. Real came knocking on the door and Fergie only just kept him at united, convincing him he still has a future in england.
Ronaldo finally wins the league for the first time in may 2007, scoring 28 goals in the process making him PFA player and young player of the year for the first time in his career. He also signed a contract until 2013 fending off Madrid's intrest
March 2008 vs Bolton, Ronaldo captains united for the first time, breaking george best's 40 year old record in the process. That season he scored 42 goals in 49 games!! He was PFA player of the year for the second year running, was 3rd in the world player rankings.
Despite scoring a header for united vs chelsea in the CL final, ronaldo misses his penalty. Luckily for him Terry and anelka did no better.
2009- Ronaldo agrees with blatter on comments that he is a slave, again trying to force a move to madrid. Instead he stays and wins the premier league for the 3rd year running and becomes world player of the year.
Ronaldo plays his last game for united, in an all white strip. United lost, he later took off his loser's medal in discontent and slammed fergie's tactics. In total he had made 292 appearances for united, scoring 118 goals.
Quote:
HonoursClub
Manchester United
* Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
* FA Cup: 2003–04
* League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09
* FA Community Shield: 2007
* UEFA Champions League: 2007–08
* FIFA Club World Cup: 2008
Individual
* UEFA Euro 2004 Team of the Tournament
* FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year: 2004–05, 2005–06
* Portuguese Footballer of the Year: 2006–07
* UEFA Team of the Year: 2003–2004, 2006–07, 2007-08
* FIFPro World XI: 2006–07, 2007–08
* PFA Young Player of the Year: 2006–07
* PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
* PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
* PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
* FWA Footballer of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
* Barclays Player of the Season: 2006–07, 2007–08
* Barclays Player of the Month: November 2006, December 2006, January 2008, March 2008
* Barclays Golden Boot: 2007–08
* Barclays Merit Award: 2007–08
* European Golden Shoe: 2007–08
* UEFA Club Forward of the Year: 2007–08
* UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2007–08
* FIFPro World Player of the Year: 2007–08
* Ballon d'Or: 2008
* FIFA World Player of the Year: 2008
* FIFA Team of the Year: 2008
Orders
* Officer of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique
* Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (House of Braganza)[67]
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