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Harry Kewell kicked off his goals tally for the season as Galatasaray comfortably beat Maccabi Netanya 4-1 on Thursday night in the Europa League qualifiers.
The 30-year-old Socceroo scored just minutes into the second-half with a tidy right-foot volley after scores were deadlocked at 1-1 at the break.
Twenty-five minutes into the contest Maccabi's Dela Yampolsky gave the Israeli club a surprise lead when he headed in from a corner, only for Galatasaray's Hakan Balta to do the same down the other end five minutes later.
Kewell was in a menacing mood with a few efforts going close, including a 33rd minute chance when he darted in front of his marker only to header a close-range chance wide.
But the ex-Liverpool man wouldn't be denied on 47 minutes, when Arda Turan set Aydin Yilmaz free on the right before his deflected cross reached Kewell who controlled the ball and then fired a right-foot shot into the back of the net.
Five minutes later Arda Turan set up Sabri Sanoglu to ram home Cimbom's advantage and all but wrap up a spot in the next round of the Europa League for the Turkish club.
After Kewell was substituted just after the hour mark, Milan Baros grabbed Galatasaray's fourth with a neat header from another Arda Turan assist.
Galatasaray can now look forward to hosting the return leg against Maccabi Netanya on August 6 with a comfortable advantage in the tie.
Elsewhere in Thursday night's Europa League qualifiers, Scott Chipperfield scored on his return from injury for FC Basel as they fought back from a two goal deficit to draw 2-2 with KR Reykjavik.
Mark Schwarzer didn't have alot to do as Fulham eased past Vetra Vilnius 3-0 in Lithuania courtesy of goals from Bobby Zamora, Danny Murphy and Seol Ki-Hyeon.
Ante Covic's Swedish Allsvenskan leaders IF Elfsborg recorded an impressive 2-1 away win at Portuguese club Sporting Braga, with the Aussie playing a full game.
Josip Skoko helped Hajduk Split claim a decent 1-1 away draw against MSK Zilina, while Kasey Wehrman had a night to forget as Fredrikstad FK were thumped 6-1 at home by Polish club Lech Poznan. Finally, Mark Rudan's FC Vaduz lost 1-0 to Slovan Liberec in Liechtenstein.
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After arguably the most exciting winter of A-League recruiting, and with the new season kick-off less than ten days away, I thought I’d compile a list of the Top Five most interesting new signings.
True Aussie football fans aren’t foolish enough to expect the A-League to be the best league in the world. Instead, things like the exciting youngsters or foreign personalities and characters make us content enough to hand over our admission fees.
And with plenty of interesting new names on A-League rosters this season, heaps of Australian football fans will be curious to find out more down at their local stadium
Read more...
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Celtic's Socceroo Scott McDonald went close with a shot cleared off the line but Luke Wilkshire's Dinamo Moscow claimed a vital 1-0 Champions League away win overnight.
Wilkshire, playing in the centre of midfield for Dinamo, was instrumental in the win which puts the Russians in the driving seat in their third round tie after a seventh minute goal from Aleksandr Kokorin.
Both Australian internationals, McDonald and Wilkshire, lined up in the starting teams for their respective clubs, but it was the latter who went closest early on with a super 25-yard effort forcing a good save from Celtic's Artur Boruc on five minutes.
Moments later Wilkshire played his part as Dinamo broke down the left with Alexander Kerzhakov drilling in a low cross which Kokorin turned home past Boruc.
Dinamo's early pressure silenced the Glaswegian crowd and Celtic struggled to get into the game until the latter stages of the first stanza with most of the attacking play falling to new signing Marc-Antoine Fortuné rather than McDonald, who was unusually quiet.
But Celtic's Australian hitman did test the palms of Dinamo's goalkeeper Vladimir Gabulov on 33 minutes, after turning onto his left, but McDonald couldn't power the shot past the Russian stopper.
Just a few minutes after the break though, the Australian did beat Gabulov with a lofted header from a Shaun Maloney cross, only for Dinamo's Denis Kolodin to clear the goalbound shot off the line.
The Scottish club pushed on in the second-half with the bulk of the pressure at Dinamo's goal, but failed to break down the Russians.
Bereft of ideas, Celtic boss Tony Mowbray made a double change upfront removing McDonald for the taller Chris Killen on 60 minutes as well as bringing on Georgios Samaras.
But Celtic were unable to make the breakthrough and Dinamo celebrated a crucial away victory which takes them one step closer to their first appearance in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Elsewhere in the third round of Champions League qualifiers, Nikita Rukavytsya was a 63rd minute substitute as FC Twente grabbed a handy 0-0 draw at Portuguese runners-up Sporting Lisbon.
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It’s hard to believe but the new German Bundesliga season is only a few weeks away now. Indeed, following all the typical off-season transfer activity, the time has arrived to preview what promises to be a big season ahead, whilst also looking ahead to another year of Sports Pundit fantasy football fun.
The big questions ahead of this Bundesliga season are about whether or not VfL Wolfsburg can back up their unprecedented title success or if Bayern Munich can bounce back to the top (with or without Franck Ribery).
There’s also the question about the fallen giants of Schalke, Dortmund or Bremen and if they can re-assert themselves in the domestic game. Or if the emerging Hoffenheim can put together a full season. And then, of course, there’s the relegation battle, so there’s a lot to be excited about.
So here’s the preview for another campaign, and hopefully along the way we can offer you a few tips and tidbits for Sports Pundit’s Pan-European fantasy league which kicks off soon.
Click here for the previews for Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, VfL Bochum, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Eintracht Frankfurt
Click here for the previews for SC Freiburg, Hamburg SV, Hannover 96, Hertha Berlin, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and FC Köln
Click here for the previews for FSV Mainz, FC Nürnberg, Schalke 04, VfB Stuttgart, Werder Bremen and VfL Wolfsburg
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Socceroo Josh Kennedy made it two from two with his new J League club Nagoya Grampus as he scored in a comprehensive 3-0 win at Urawa Reds.
The big Australian, who netted on his debut last weekend, seems to be making a big difference for Nagoya who move up to ninth on the J.League table after their surprise win in Saitama.
Early on it was Urawa who had the better chance to open to scoring with Genki Haraguchi shooting wide, before Nagoya's Japanese international Keiji Tamada hit the back of the net on 14 minutes.
A deep cross intended for Kennedy was controlled and centred by Nagoya's Yoshizumi Ogawa before Tamada did well to beat two defenders and slide a shot past Urawa stopper Norihiro Yamagashi.
Urawa tried to respond prior to the break with Edmilson and Robson Ponte combining to set up Naohiro Takahara, but the ex-Hamburg SV man shot wide.
And on 61 minutes Nagoya made Urawa pay when Tamada and Ogawa combined, with the former smashing in a shot off the underside of the bar.
Ten minutes later Brazilian midfielder Magnum whipped in a cross which was powerfully met by Kennedy and his header was too hot for Yamagashi to handle and the score was 3-0.
The Australian striker almost had himself a brace late on, when he produced some slick footwork before side-footing a shot which beat Yamagashi but not the post.
Nevertheless the resounding 3-0 result against the Japanese giants was a significant victory for Nagoya who still have eyes on qualification for next season's AFC Champions League.
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Socceroo Richard Garcia will add another Asian stamp into his passport as his English Premier League club Hull City look ahead to their pre-season tour in China.
The 27-year-old winger, who played a part in Australia's successful World Cup qualification campaign through the AFC confederations, knows exactly what to expect ahead of the Tigers' journey to China to take part in the Barclays Asia Trophy.
"It's great playing out in Asia. I have experienced what it is like when I've been there with the Australian national side," Garcia told premierleague.com.
"The crowds there are very loud and passionate and they really get behind their side, no matter what the score is on the pitch.
"The chanting and the songs are certainly a bit different to what we're used to in England, but they always create a fabulous atmosphere and it's wonderful to play in because they really scream their hearts out."
In the Barclays Asia Trophy, Garcia's Hull will come up against Beijing Guoan, home to Australians Joel and Ryan Griffiths, and the Tigers man admitted he was looking forward to taking on some familiar faces.
"I knew that Ryan plays for Beijing Guoan so it was the first thing I thought of when it was confirmed that Hull were taking part in the Barclays Asia Trophy," Garcia added.
"I'm really looking forward to going up against him and I'm sure that both he and Beijing Guoan will provide a tough game for us. These little duels are what make events like this so fantastic for footballers and personally I'm really excited to be coming to Beijing."
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FC Copenhagen's Australian goalkeeper Nathan Coe has flown to Norway to continue his search for regular game time as he begins a trial with Tippeligaen club Aalesunds FK.
The 25-year-old stopper is third choice at the Danish giants and has decided to try his luck in Norway after a loan deal earlier this year with Swedish club Orgryte was cut short due to a hand injury.
Coe told Norway's TV 2 Sporten: "Where I've been, I haven't played much recently and that is something I want to change now."
And while Coe admitted he didn't know much about the unheralded Norwegian club, he saw the move as positive in his career.
"I see coming here as a good opportunity, so I hope I make it. Hopefully your club will have me," Coe claimed.
Aalesunds are in the market for a new goalkeeper, after on-loan custodian Anders Lindegaard returned to Odense BK.
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Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has revealed Socceroos pair Vince Grella and Brett Emerton are on the comeback trail ahead of Blackburn's new season.
Emerton has been out of action since January due to a knee ligament problem, while injury-cursed Grella hurt his hamstring in a pre-season friendly against AS Roma.
Grella's latest injury concern would have worried Rovers fans as he hadn't been able to take part in Blackburn's most recent two pre-season matches in Croatia against Nacional and Hajduk Split.
But Allardyce, speaking about Grella as well as Blackburn defender Stephen Warnock, revealed the injury was only minor, saying: "We had a couple of little injuries with a couple of players who didn´t take part.
"Vince has a hamstring so we didn´t risk those. They are only slight knocks, we are not envisaging that they´ll be any longer than a day or two."
Allardyce also revealed Emerton's long comeback from a serious knee injury was coming along well, saying, "We are also hearing good progress on Brett Emerton back at home."
Emerton admitted earlier in the European summer he was hoping to be fit for the start of the Premier League season.
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Reading's young Australian star Oliver Bozanic has officially joined English League Two club Cheltenham Town on loan for six months.
The 20-year-old left-sided midfielder, who joined the Royals from the Central Coast Mariners in 2007, is being loaned out by Reading in order to gain some much needed experience.
Bozanic impressed in the latter half of last season on loan in the Blue Square Premier League with Woking and subsequently signed a new one-year-deal at Madejski Stadium.
But despite Reading director of sport recently challenging Bozanic to push for a first-team place this season, the Royals have sent him on loan to the League Two club for the opening half of the season.
Cheltenham boss Martin Allen said, "He was well recommended by people I know at Reading and I saw him play at Woking.
"He's a tidy left-sided player, he's got good feet, is quite quick, gets good crosses in, can pass the ball and gives us a bit of balance on the left."
Bozanic is expected to miss some of the English season with the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt coming up later in the year.
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Socceroo Mark Bresciano could be set for a shock move to the Middle East after local media linked the Palermo man with Saudi Arabian giants Al-Shabab.
According to Italian websites calcionews24.com and mediagol the Saudi Arabian club are ready to offer big money for the Australian international who has spent a decade playing in Italy's top divisions.
Saudi newspaper KSA has also repeated the story overnight. It's understood the wealthy club are prepared to offer Bresciano, 29, a lucrative pay packet to bolster their midfield.
Earlier in the European summer it had been reported Palermo were hoping to extend Bresciano's contract, which expires in 2010.
But Palermo's director of sport Walter Sabatini revealed there had been a stumbling block in negotiations with Bresciano along with his midfield teammate Fabio Simplicio.
"Bresciano and Simplicio? We want them. It is true that we have offered a contract that is lower than they expect. It is not a lack of respect for the players, but the result of the market," Sabatini said.
Bresciano joined Palermo in 2006 from Parma but has had a rollercoaster ride with the club after a series of management changes played havoc with his first team place.
He almost moved to Manchester City in 2007 and trained with the team ahead of finalising the deal but the transfer was called off in a row over the transfer payment.
Riyadh-based Al-Shabab won the Saudi Champions and Federation Cups last year and but haven't won the Saudi Premier League since 2006, finishing fourth last season.
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There have been calls for Port Adelaide to wear their ‘Back In Black’ guernseys permanently as a clash strip. But never mind the rare use of it as a clash strip, they should make it their permanent home kit.
Port Adelaide donned the black guernsey with the teal and white V in the weekend’s Round 16 clash with West Coast at AAMI Stadium.
It was part of the club’s annual Planet Teal competition whereby fans are given the opportunity to design a guernsey to be used in an AFL match. The winner this year was a seven-year-old girl and the design has been embraced not only by the fans, but also the players and coaches at Port Adelaide.
Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams said after the weekend’s win over the Eagles, “If you polled the players I think they’d want to wear it every week. They love it.
“Port Adelaide back in black I think is something that sits nicely with the club, so it would be fantastic.”
Read more...
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Former Middlesbrough hitman Lee Dong-Gook is creating debate in his native Korea after a blistering start to the K-League season has him pressing for a national team recall ahead of the 2010 World Cup.
After a couple of forgettable years, 30-year-old Korean forward has turned it on this season, smashing in 13 goals in 16 games with K-League highflyers Jeonbuk Motors.
And while his controversial national team career has been on hold of late following on from his drunken antics at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, his K-League form this year is hard to ignore.
But current Taegeuk Warriors boss Huh Jung-Moo is doing just that by not picking him and it’s created a fierce debate in Korea, especially with the World Cup around the corner.
Read more...
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Derby County boss Nigel Clough may have gone cool on Aussie defender Patrick Kisnorbo just as a deal seemed set to be signed.
Kisnorbo, who was released by Leicester City recently, impressed in a trial last week with the Rams but following Derby's move to sign another centre-back, Shaun Barker, it is believed Clough may have lost interest in the Aussie.
"We have had a brief chat with Patrick about next season," said Clough. "He has had a few offers from other clubs and it is just with Shaun Barker coming in, can we pursue that one?
"But we have been very impressed with Patrick and what he has done so far."
Speaking about central defensive options, Clough added: "We have four, and that's why we are considering whether we really need Patrick or do we dip into the loan market if we need to.
"We think over 60 games, we will probably need a fifth centre-half."
It is also known Crystal Palace are interested in Kisnorbo's services, despite boss Neil Warnock recently claiming they'd lost the race against the Rams for the ex-Hearts man's signature.
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Reading's exciting young Australian Oliver Bozanic could be set for a loan stint with League Two club Cheltenham.
Bozanic, 20, recently penned a new one-year-deal to stay at Madejski Stadium but it is believed the Royals are willing to allow the former Central Coast Mariners midfielder to go out on loan.
Cheltenham boss Martin Allen told Sky Sports: "We're hoping for a left-sided player to come in and he is Oliver Bozanic.
"He is a tidy young left-footed player. Reading want to send him here to get some experience and hopefully he'll be joining us on Monday."
Recently Reading's director of football Nick Hammond claimed he wanted Bozanic to push for a first-team place in the Royals' side this season.
Bozanic had impressed in the latter half of last season on loan in the Blue Square Premier League with Woking before returning to Madejski Stadium.
At this stage, the length of the proposed loan deal to Cheltenham is unclear.
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Crystal Palace may have prematurely conceded defeat in their pursuit of Patrick Kisnorbo despite saying Derby County had won the race for the Australian defender.
English Championship pair Palace and Derby have been locked in a battle for Kisnorbo's services after Leicester City allowed the former Hearts man to leave Walkers Stadium on a free transfer at the end of last season.
Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock told This Is Croydon Today: "I don't think we have any chance in signing Kisnorbo - it looks pretty definite that he'll be going to Derby."
However Kisnorbo - who been on trial with both clubs in the last fortnight - may yet end up at Palace. The Rams are now said to have lost interest after being unable to agree terms with the 28-year old Aussie.
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Australian midfielder James Wesolowski's future at Championship club Leicester City looks uncertain after he was left out of a Foxes' pre-season tour squad to Slovenia.
Injury-plagued Wesolowski, 21, made just two appearances for Leicester last season and spent much of the campaign out on loan at Cheltenham and Dundee United.
The former Northern Spirit youngster, who is contracted with the Foxes until 2011, was wanted by Dundee United after his loan stint there but the parties couldn't come to an agreement.
He was also considered by United's cross-town rivals, Dundee, but he was too rich for their tastes too.
Now Wesolowski's future at Walkers Stadium seems in doubt having fallen out of favour with Leicester boss Nigel Pearson.
Wesolowski was included in a 17-man reserve squad to face non-league club Hinckley United on Thursday evening, with the Foxes claiming he could use the game as a shop-window for potential suitors.
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The AFL's two clear-cut premiership favourites, Geelong and St Kilda, are employing directly opposite policies on player rotation this year. So one wonders which will work and lead them to 2009 glory?
Last weekend was the perfect example of it, as St Kilda took a full-strength team on the taxing journey across the Nullarbor to face the Eagles in Perth, while Geelong elected to rest several key personnel for the trip north to Brisbane.
And this weekend the Cats have given Jimmy Bartel a game off with a hip complaint troubling him.
Geelong though, have been a successful team for the last three seasons, and combined with a few long NAB Cup campaigns, have played the most competitive footy of any of the AFL clubs in the last few years.
It’s a lot of footy and sure to bring with it a couple of niggles which Geelong have moved to address by giving players rests in the last few weeks.
St Kilda on the other hand, are relative newcomers to the ‘success game’, having shot up the ladder late last season, before their undefeated 2009.
Perhaps the Cats have learnt (or been burnt) from their experiences at the top. Last season’s Grand Final failure surely still hurts and much attention will be made at Skilled Stadium to get the side peaking in September rather than Round 15 or Round 16.
And with Geelong and St Kilda dominating on the AFL ladder and practically certain to grab the home ground advantage in the second-chance finals come the end of the season, the Cats really have no incentive to risk players’ fitness.
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon on the other hand, claims he wouldn’t want to mess with form.
“You practice mediocrity and you practice it often, you blink and you’ll find yourself sliding down the ladder,” Lyon said on Wednesday.
And while the Saints coach tries to distance himself from the Cats’ tactic, it’s clear he doesn’t buy into it.
“What Geelong’s doing is irrelevant to us,” Lyon said, before adding, “I think it is disrespectful to the other teams and the competition. You’ve got to understand that if you’re off two or three percent in any game, you’re going to lose that game.”
Whether or not being disrespectful is on the top of Geelong’s list of priorities is doubtful and with the visit of last year’s wooden spooners Melbourne to Skilled Stadium this weekend, perhaps the Cats’ timing is right and they’ll be back on the winners’ list at the end of this round.
The idea of resting players and rotating your squad is quite normal in many other professional sports around the world. You see it a lot in European football and also in international one-day cricket. Yet in Aussie Rules footy, it isn’t the norm.
The assumption that rotating players meddles with form is the basis for this, but the Cats’ experience from last year has perhaps made them re-think that assumption, with keeping players niggle-free and fit a new priority.
In the short-term, Geelong’s form has been affected with losses to the Saints and Brisbane last weekend. The big question is if the Cats can regain that form and get going again.
In the long-term, with Geelong and St Kilda likely to face off at some stage in September, we’ll get a pretty good indication of who got it right.
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When the new AFL Gold Coast franchise announced in September last year they’d have no nickname, it left the door wide open for future suggestions. Ten months on, I thought I might explore the topic.
At the time of that announcement, Gold Coast chairman John Witheriff commented, “During the process we received a lot of feedback from the community. One part of the process involved voting on nicknames. There was no clear favourite with the people who voted.”
Witheriff added, “Some of the world’s great sporting teams and brands are synonymous with the cities they come from. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea are just a few.”
And while that is bold, the reality is this isn’t Europe, this is Australia where everything and everyone gets a nickname.
And this is Australian Rules footy where it’s a tradition to have a nickname, be it in the AFL, VFL, SANFL, WAFL or the Woop Woop country league. Read more...
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With Socceroos stars like Chris Coyne, Joshua Kennedy and Mile Sterjovski all changing clubs in the off-season with regular football in mind ahead of the 2010 World Cup, it seems absurd that David Carney will spend another season on the outer at English Championship club Sheffield United.
But that’s the reality as Carney enters into the final year of his three-year-contract at Sheffield United, with the boss who has given him the cold shoulder at Bramall Lane, Kevin Blackwell, still at the helm and showing no sign of welcoming the Aussie back into the first-team frame.
And if Carney’s club situation doesn’t improve, you’ve got to wonder whether or not he can realistically be a part of the 23-man Socceroos squad in South Africa next year.
Read more...
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Beijing Olyroo Trent McClenahan has revealed he has agreed to sign a new one-year-deal to stay at Scottish Premier League club Hamilton Academicals.
McClenahan, 24, was offered a one-year-contract earlier in the European summer by the Accies and had reportedly been mulling over the deal since, but in an exclusive interview with au.fourfourtwo.com he confirmed that he would be signing on for another year at Hamilton.
The former West Ham United youngster, who is currently in Australia having undergone surgery on a hernia problem which had troubled him through the back-end of last season, said: "I will be re-signing with Hamilton. I will going be going back to Hamilton.
"It's not signed yet, but I would think in the next couple of days it's going to be signed off. But it is pretty much agreed."
It is believed in the wake of the Setanta collapse Hamilton were only willing to offer McClenahan a deal for one season, which may have disappointed the defender.
But McClenahan, who joined Hamilton in September 2008, said he wanted to stay with the Accies despite acknowledging there were other options for him.
"There was a little bit of interest here and there but things went well last year and I was happy there," he said. "I really enjoyed my time. I definitely wanted to stay there at least another season."
And with pre-season getting under way back at Hamilton, the Olyroo is making good progress in his recovery after hernia surgery.
He added: "I'm about five and a half weeks into rehab now since the operation. It looks like I'm probably going to be able to start training in a week and a half to two weeks.
"I'm about two weeks ahead of schedule in the recovery so that's great. So I can't complain, as they told me ten weeks in the recovery and it looks like it's going to be more like eight.
"I'll be able to get quite a bit of pre-season as well before the season which is good."
A good pre-season will be important for McClenahan too, who despite being a long shot for the Socceroos 2010 World Cup squad, harbours an ambition to don the green and gold at senior level and wants to be ready for any opportunity.
"I had a discussion with Graham Arnold towards the end of last season and I know they've been keeping tabs on me and he came to watch me as well," he revealed.
"That's the goal, but first and foremost you've just got to train, play well for your club, play regularly for your club and then if something comes of it then that's great. But that's out of my hands.
"So I've just got to concentrate on doing well for Hamilton this year and then hopefully Pim will give me a chance."
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New Demons livewire forward Liam Jurrah is exactly what the struggling Melbourne Footy Club needs right now, not because he’s a superstar, but because he’s simply great to watch.
The indigenous 20-year-old, who hails from the remote Central Australian community Yuendumu, excited the small 15,888 MCG crowd on Sunday with four goals and a number of attempts at mark of the century as the Demons produced a surprising 11-point victory over Port Adelaide to move off bottom spot on the ladder.
And while the Dees supporters celebrated the rare occurrence of two wins on the trot, it was Jurrah’s performance which made the afternoon all the more enjoyable.
Jurrah’s teammate Cameron Bruce said on Monday, “Every time he goes near the ball they (the fans) get excited, I liken it to the way the crowd are with ‘Buddy’ and every time he went near the ball. It’s something you don’t experience too often.”
Indeed the Melbourne Footy Club haven’t experienced a phenomenon (if we can label him that already) like Jurrah for a long time.
And his presence alone, will generate plenty of much-needed interest and excitement about the club.
The Demons have come out this season and revealed they’ve managed to secure record membership numbers of just over 31,000 which is fantastic.
Yet despite that figure, the Dees managed to post the worst AFL crowd in Melbourne this season in Round 5 when just 14,129 fans turned up to watch the Dees lose to Adelaide by 17 points. Incredibly that was the week after Melbourne’s first win of the season.
Sunday’s figure of 15,888 wasn’t much better, so one wonders where are those 16-odd thousand Melbourne members who aren’t turning up? And more importantly, why aren’t they turning up?
Of course, success is one thing and having not made the finals since 2006 the Dees’ fans have been recently starved of it.
In fact since 2006, Melbourne have been really struggling finishing 2007 in 14th (5 wins, 17 losses), 2008 in 16th (3 wins, 19 losses) and this season they currently occupy second-last with 3 wins and 12 losses.
Clearly, the last few years have been grim for the Demons on the field and it’s no coincidence when you compare the average home crowds in their last finals year of 2006 to now, there is a discrepancy of roughly 5,000.
But the arrival of Jurrah will go some way to helping narrow that discrepancy.
People often say they go to footy matches to watch players alone, like Bruce suggested with Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin, or Chris Judd, Stevie Johnson, Brendon Fevola, Gary Ablett Jnr or Alan Didak.
These guys are not only brilliant footballers, but they’ve got trademark flair which makes them the on-field characters we pay our admission fees to watch.
Jurrah may not yet be in the same ilk as these names in terms of footballing brilliance but he’s certainly got the flair. And his story, from remote Northern Territory to big-time AFL footy, adds to the character.
Having only first encountered the big smoke of Melbourne in 2007, the Demons number 48, whose first language is not English, is still just familiarizing himself with his new surroundings.
Yet when he enters onto that footy field, he seems most at home and plays like he’s back in Yuendumu going for specky after specky and that excites the crowds. Jurrah is something original, something not seen before.
And while his team’s battle to avoid the wooden spoon may not be stimulating the members’ attention, surely his flair and excitement will get the turnstiles ticking over.
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New Celtic boss Tony Mowbray has rubbished suggestions the Scottish Premier League club are interested in signing free agent Mark Viduka.
There had been some reports Viduka, who enjoyed a successful stint at Celtic Park earlier in his career, could return to Celtic following the expiration of his Newcastle contract.
Speaking in Australia ahead of Celtic's clash with Brisbane Roar, Mowbray slammed the door shut on the idea.
"Mark has been involved in a difficult season in England with Newcastle, but I would suggest that at this moment I think that's pretty unlikely that that would happen," Mowbray told Sky Sports News.
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Socceroos defender Chris Coyne has claimed on English radio he's aiming to win the A-League premiership this season with the revitalised Perth Glory.
The 30-year-old Socceroo terminated his Colchester contract this week before signing a three-year-contract with the big-spending A-League club and admitted on BBC Essex he's hoping for a successful return to the city where he grew up.
"I'm looking forward to it, a new challenge, a good club," Coyne said.
"They've made some very good signings this summer so I'm looking forward to going and hopefully trying to win the league there this year."
The Australian international admitted his departure from Colchester was a result of his desire to be part of the Socceroos' squad in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
"I needed to be playing week-in, week-out and I couldn't get that. I wasn't getting that feeling from the manager and he'd already made a few attempts at bringing centre-halves in during the previous season.
"So I thought it was best for me to ensure, with a big 12 months ahead, that I was playing week-in week-out so that my national manager could see me playing.
"It's a childhood dream although your country doesn't pay your bills, one of the biggest achievements you can get is playing for your country."
Coyne added, he and Colchester boss Paul Lambert, who couldn't guarantee him first-team football, parted ways amicably.
"He's an honest man and he told me exactly how he saw it and let me have my say and we left the conversation on good terms, shaking hands and wishing each other all the best," Coyne added.
"So there was no ill-feeling, no bad words - we're both professionals and knew what was best for both of us to go forward."
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South African club Bidvest Wits have revealed they will pursue a deal with Brondby IF for David Williams after they were impressed by the Australian during his trial with the club.
Williams, who is contracted with Brondby until June 2011, was sent on trial in South Africa earlier this month after a public fallout with his Danish club.
Bidvest Wits coach Roger De Sa told kickoff.com, "He is a good player and we will be talking to his club to see if we can agree on a transfer fee or not. But we would like to sign him for the coming season."
The 21-year-old former Brisbane Roar striker has since returned to Denmark but haivng not featured in the Brondby side under new boss Kent Nielsen, it seems the Australian has no future with the club.
According to Danish website bold.dk, Brondby director of sport Anders Bjerregaard was unavailable for comment on the situation.
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Perth Glory owner Tony Sage has been busy spending money, signing big-name players this A-League off-season, as he tries to restore the West Australian club’s former fame.
He’s committed to spending Glory’s full $2.1 million salary cap on player wages as well as signing a marquee player, Mile Sterjovski, who’s believed to be on $2 million over three years, along with underwriting the visits of some English Premier League guests.Indeed, Sage this week admitted his cash splurge was a big gamble but one he hopes will find a return by bringing the crowds back to Members Equity Stadium in droves.And, after four years of A-League disappointment for Perth fans, the signs already this season are promising that Sage’s Glory revival is well and truly on the march.Sage himself said last week, “It’s a huge risk financially but I think soccer (sic) will dominate the airwaves over the next 12 to 18 months with Australia in the World Cup and us performing really well on the park.“The risk is that the fans are apathetic. If the game doesn’t make it in this State in the next 12 to 18 months it never will.”Indeed, he’s spot on. It is all about the fans. It’s not necessarily about Glory winning trophies just yet, but more so about the fans flocking to the MES and getting behind this revolutionized club.Sage recently added, “You can’t beat having on-field success. That, more than anything else, will help get the crowds back.”Of course, winning matches will help but the realistic expectation in Perth, after years of underachievement, would be playing deep into the finals.So in saying that, winning the league won’t be the be all and end all for Glory, for now at least.The crowds are what Sage is after and good results will help achieve that, along with a few other ingredients.Realistically the yardstick for Sage’s gamble will be attendances in excess of 15,000, reminiscent of Glory’s dominant NSL days.So as Sage acknowledges, the route to failure is if the fans are apathetic, if they’re not interested in the club and thus don’t turn up.So far though, it seems he’s done his utmost to ensure that won’t be the case with a trio of Socceroos signing on along with former Blackburn captain Andy Todd and a Serbian hitman from the German Bundesliga called Branko Jelic. Add those new faces to popular striker Eugene Dadi and there’s plenty for the Perth public to be excited about.But the Glory owner hasn’t stopped there. He has lured Premier League outfits Wolverhampton and Fulham to West Australia for pre-season friendlies against the Glory in a bid to generate interest in the club.And Sage’s decision to stage the games at Members Equity, rather than the larger Subiaco Oval or perhaps the WACA, is a masterstroke in terms of attracting new fans and familiarizing them with Perth Glory as a form of entertainment.By that I mean, the lure of two Premier League clubs would definitely have brought some new faces to football in Perth. For instance, a female friend of mine who I’ve never in my life conversed with about sport, let alone football, had her Facebook status on Friday as “Is going to go watch Perth Glory. Woo!”As cheezy as that is, familiarizing these new fans with the MES and putting on a decent show for them to enjoy will surely encourage them to return.
In saying that, sure in hindsight the crowds wouldn’t have suited Subiaco, but Sage himself admitted he was surprised the matches didn’t sell out within a week, so playing the matches at the MES was a decision made in the right interests.Nevertheless, for Perth’s opening EPL pre-season friendly on Friday night against Wolverhampton the crowd was an okay figure of just over 11,000. Perhaps not what Sage had in mind, but a decent enough start.Many fans said the price of tickets (starting at $50) turned them off, while there were a few reported strange early problems with purchasing only available via credit card or for package deals were you had to attend both matches.So in considering the price and the number who turned out, you’d expect Sage wouldn’t have made an initial profit out of the venture.But ignoring that, the thing for Sage to heart from has been the reaction from fans following the match. New signing Todd impressed many with an assured display in defence, while Socceroo Sterjovski looked quality and almost scored a scorcher before going off at the break. Even fringe Socceroo Jacob Burns won a few admirers with a solid performance in the middle of the pitch.The central theme from the reactions of those Glory fans though, is that they haven’t seen football played like this in their backyard for years. They were entertained.And some decent, attractive football (or entertainment) will go a long way to getting the fans back on the terraces.So if Glory deliver some attractive football, the results should come with it, followed closely by the crowds.It’s a fairly large risk from Sage, but surely a calculated one. The yardstick is the crowds and finals football.But for the sake of the A-League, not just Sage’s wallet, let’s hope the Glory-days return. Early on, the signs are promising.
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US international Landon Donovan’s story is one of the mysteries of modern world football. A star in his homeland, the 27-year-old all-time US goals and assists leader has never quite made it at the highest level in European club football.
A trio of ill-fated stints in Europe, most recently with Bayern Munich last season, have given volume to the voice of doubters and snipers about Donovan’s ability to cut it at the top level.
But at last month’s Confederations Cup in South Africa, Donovan went some way to silencing the critics and winning over the unconvinced with a string of wonderful performances which almost took the US to an unprecedented international trophy.
Make no mistake, Donovan was the driving force behind the US’s unexpected run to the final, scoring two goals and setting up several more.
Indeed, it was no coincidence when coach Bob Bradley tried a new 4-4-2 formation with Donovan looming free behind the strikers after the US had emphatically lost their first two matches, that the American team suddenly bloomed.
Donovan’s free role enabled him to play his natural game and he utilized that opportunity, playing end to end football, defending, creating, attacking, scoring and ultimately leading the way for the Americans.
Put simply, Donovan was immense. And he was immense against world-class opponents like European champions Spain and South American giants Brazil, proving he can cut it at the top.
Read more...
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Socceroo Bruce Djite has revealed he told Croatian giants Hajduk Split he wasn't interested after they made a move for his signature last month.
Hajduk were linked with Djite by the Croatian press earlier this European summer and in an exclusive interview with FourFourTwo this week the Australian international confirmed they had approached him, but revealed he told them he wasn't interested.
"There was interest from Hajduk Split, a Croatian club," Djite said, "But I didn't really fancy it to be honest.
"It was only a short thing, it wasn't drawn out or anything like that. But it was basically a week of my manager saying ‘well, this team's interested, we are going to have a talk with them and see what they come up with'.
"But basically I said 'it's not really a step forward, what am I going to go to Croatia for?' "
Djite, who scored six goals in his debut season in Europe with Turkish club Genclerbirligi last campaign, felt the better standard of football on offer in the Super Lig compared to Croatia's HNL Ozujsko was crucial for him.
He added: "It's a good league of course. Hajduk Split is a massive team and I think so is Dinamo Zagreb, they are two big teams and you can get some really big transfers from those two teams.
"But overall the Turkish league is better and for me the most important thing is to be playing week in, week out in this league.
"Coming up against quality opposition every week is a massive thing for me and I think I'm better suited to getting that here."
The 22-year-old former Adelaide United added he felt this was a crucial point in his career and time to concentrate simply on playing good football.
"Obviously I want to do really well this season, not only to push my claims for the 23-man World Cup squad but also to move onto bigger and better things club football wise," he said.
"It's definitely the most important season for me in my football career."
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Perth Glory are on the verge of pulling off another major signing after target Chris Coyne had his Colchester United contract terminated today by mutual consent.
The 30-year-old Perth-raised Socceroo now looks likely to agree terms with Glory and seal his move back to Australia.
Coyne, who was contracted until 2011 with the Us, said on the Colchester website: "Unfortunately, after 18 months here, it's time to move on.
"It was made clear that I wasn't going to play week in, week out and I felt that I had to look at that and address it.
"Also, there isn't much of a chance for the Australian manager to watch League One football but in Australia, I'm guaranteed to play 27 games in front of him."
Coyne's latter comment indicates he has decided against a switch to the Middle East and instead will return to Australia, with Glory clearly his most likely destination.
The Socceroo added: "I really enjoyed playing at Layer Road and coming to the new stadium was fantastic for the club. I think they'll push on this year and I wish them all the best."
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Championship club Derby County are ready to hijack Crystal Palace's move to sign Australian defender Patrick Kisnorbo.
Kisnorbo, who was released by Leicester City last month, has been training with Palace with the view to a permanent deal but it is now believed the Rams have offered the Australian a chance at Pride Park.
The 28-year-old former Hearts man has been invited to trial with Derby in pre-season friendlies this week against Borehamwood and Burton Albion.
Crystal Palace, who will begin a pre-season tour of the United States this weekend, realise they now must move fast.
Eagles boss Neil Warnock told the Croydon Advertiser, "We will have to act quickly if we want him because there are a couple of other clubs who are interested. He is a smashing lad."
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Socceroo stopper Adam Federici believes he is ready to step up and make the number one shirt at English Championship club Reading his own this season.
The 24-year-old Australian has played second fiddle at Reading for a long time but his rival goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann has recently departed the club, leaving Federici with a real shot at establishing himself with the Royals.
Federici told the Reading Chronicle: "It's been frustrating but now I have a chance to go out there and prove to everyone that I'm the number one at this club and will be for many years to come.
"I've always wanted to step into the role but with Marcus there it was never going to happen. He's gone now which has given me a great chance to step up and I'm looking forward to that challenge.
"It been a frustrating couple of years, especially when we went down as there were a big spell of games where I thought I could have made the difference. Then last season being dropped for no reason was another frustrating point.
"So this a big chance for myself, it's been a long time coming. I've played in patches but I haven't been able to keep the shirt so this is a chance to prove myself."
Reading's new boss Brendan Rodgers has indicated Federici will start the season as his number one stopper.
And the Aussie claimed having a fresh face around in charge of the club has given the team new life as they attempt to push for promotion back to the English Premier League.
He added: "Everyone is just really excited about the place. He (Rodgers) has been brilliant, he's different to what we're used to which is refreshing.
"It's a different style of football, it's fantastic how professional and organised everything is. It's going to be exciting for us as players to play the way he wants us to.
"He had a talk to us on the first day about how he wants us to play and you could see a smile on everyone's face. As a footballer you want to play good football and I think that's what we're going to do this season.
"It's going to be fantastic."
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This weekend Fremantle will become the first club since 2006 to hand AFL debuts to ten players or more in the one season representing their concerted youth policy.
Incredibly, nine of those ten Fremantle debutants have been in their first year of AFL footy, with youngster Tim Ruffles the latest addition.
In comparison, Richmond and North Melbourne are the nearest clubs to this title this season offering debuts to 7 youngsters, whilst Melbourne has blooded 6 new players.
Fremantle coach Mark Harvey professed this week, “It’s only a matter of time before the whole list grows, gets more mature, gets more experience and then things will start to turn.”
Indeed, it seems this policy of youth first has been encouraged and is becoming widely accepted in the AFL on the back of Hawthorn’s 2008 premiership success after adopting such an approach during their years wallowing down towards the bottom of the ladder.
But is such a policy of blooding youth simply blind faith or is there a science to it?
Fremantle’s newest debutant-to-be, Tim Ruffles, admitted he wasn’t expecting his AFL call-up, saying this week, “He (Harvey) just announced it…I had no idea it was coming.
“I think I’ve been playing consistent footy in the WAFL and the coaches have been pretty happy with that.”
Indeed in some ways, Ruffles’ reaction makes you question the wisdom of handing a debut to a first-year player without really testing their desire to push hard and earn a place in the team.
On the other hand, you could argue the experience he’ll get from playing at AFL level will challenge him to improve himself, so why not throw him in at the deep end.
In saying all that, it is worth examining the example of the Brisbane Lions, the last club to blood 10 debutants in one season.
Before introducing the ten youngsters in 2006, the Lions actually gave debuts to 11 players in 2005, on the back of their successful period from 2001 to 2004 when they played in four consecutive Grand Finals and won three premierships.
Right now the Lions are certainly in the mix for the finals and perhaps the top four, but they are not realistically a premiership contender.
But more importantly, it’s interesting to note that of those 21 debutants the Lions had in 2005 and 2006, only 11 remain currently on the club’s list.
Indeed, Brisbane’s ratio of just over 50% suggests the youth policy route is a hit-and-miss game and is a lot harder than just recklessly blooding rookies into the big-time and hoping they’ll make it.
But with the imminent introduction of a team on the Gold Coast, perhaps the youth direction is the right way to go. I guess only time will tell.
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Former Central Coast Mariners youngster Oliver Bozanic has been challenged to break into Reading's first-team after signing a new deal.
The 20-year-old winger, who is yet to make his senior debut for the Royals, signed a new one-year deal with Reading earlier this week.
Bozanic originally joined Reading in January 2007 but has spent plenty of time playing with the club's under-18s and reserves side before a successful loan stint last season in the Blue Square Premier League with Woking.
And now Reading director of football Nick Hammond wants the youngster to deliver on his potential and break into the club's first-team.
"This is a well-earned contract for Oliver and now it's a big year for him," he said. "He was outstanding out on loan last year in a struggling team, all the reports we got back were first class.
"He deserved another year, this is a big season for him now and the challenge is to push for the first team."
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Big-spending Perth Glory are hoping Socceroos defender Chris Coyne’s signature could be the final piece in the jigsaw as they attempt to break their A-League finals duck in 2009-2010.
After signing big names like Socceroos pair Mile Sterjovski and Jacob Burns, former Blackburn captain Andy Todd and Serbian hitman Branko Jelic to go with incumbent stars like Eugene Dadi, Victor Sikora and Adriano Pellegrino, it seems all Perth are short of is one more quality defender.
Australia international defender Chris Coyne, currently with English League One club Colchester United, is clearly Glory’s ideal target.
Perth have publicly acknowledged they are chasing Coyne and have already made him an offer of a three-year contract.
Glory coach Dave Mitchell said this week, “(There’s) a bit of speculation going about but we’ve put a good offer in and we’re waiting to hear what the answer is. Hopefully it’s enough.
“There is a feeling that he wants to come back to Australia but again he’s got quite a few offers and he’s just weighing them up, so we’re just waiting to hear really.”
Indeed Coyne, who is still contracted with Colchester for another two seasons, has publicly admitted he has other options in Asia and the Middle East, creating a real battle for his signature.
So really, what are Perth’s chances of luring Coyne back to Australia?
Read more...
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Socceroos hero Mark Schwarzer has admitted his future may not be with Fulham as he enters into the final year of his contract at Craven Cottage.
The 36-year-old Socceroos star enjoyed a wonderful debut season with the Cottagers last term having joined the London club from Middlesbrough in June 2008.
But Schwarzer, who recently claimed he wants to play for several years yet, acknowledged the club may not be willing to offer him the deal he wants as he moves into the second season of his two-year contract at Fulham.
"We haven't spoken about a new deal yet and, while I'm extremely happy at a club that's given me a new lease on life, there is a possibility I could move on a free transfer at the end of my contract," Schwarzer said.
"I haven't ruled anything in or out. My main priority right now is to push through to the next World Cup.
"If I'm still on top of my game and enjoying things, then of course I will look to continue at the top level for at least another year beyond that."
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Beijing Olyroo Neil Kilkenny has re-iterated his commitment to Leeds United and claimed he's desperate to win promotion with the League One club.
Championship club Doncaster Rovers made an enquiry about the 23-year-old Australian midfielder earlier in the European summer but Kilkenny admits he's happy at Elland Road.
"I have two years left on my contract here and I like it at this club," Kilkenny told the Leeds United official website.
"I'm settled here, it's a good club and it's nice to be a part of the manager's plans."
Several English clubs were reportedly interested in Kilkenny during last January's transfer window when he was out of favour with Leeds boss Simon Grayson.
But the Australian worked hard on the training paddock and won his place back in the Leeds first-team before a push for promotion fell just short.
"I came here because it's a big club and I want to do well here and hope I have a part to play in getting us promoted," he said. "If we can get into the next division this club can really take off again and I really want to be a part of that."
Harry Kewell kicked off his goals tally for the season as Galatasaray comfortably beat Maccabi Netanya 4-1 on Thursday night in the Europa League qualifiers.
