No Deal On McDonald.... Yet

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Celtic boss Tony Mowbray has rubbished speculation linking Socceroo Scott McDonald with a switch to English Premier League club Wigan Athletic.

Scottish newspaper the Daily Record reported over the weekend that McDonald was in negotiations with the 'Latics about the prospect of a one-year loan deal.

But Mowbray, who has had several of his players linked with moves elsewhere recently, denied any contact or enquiries about such a move had been made.

The ex-West Bromwich boss told BBC Scotland: "I've never had calls on these players, yet it fills somebody's newspapers.

"Two weeks ago, it was Scott Brown off for £12m, last week it was Aiden McGeady, this week it's Scott McDonald," Mowbray added.

"I take very little notice of rumours. I've stipulated that I don't read the papers, but I sat at the breakfast table this morning and saw my assistant manager reading the papers and I saw a few headlines.

"It's literally water off a duck's back to me."

McDonald's agent Lou Sticca admitted there had been in interest in the Socceroo, but insisted he would be sticking with Celtic until January at least.

"Every player and club has their price and there is every possibility Scott could be sold in the next window," Sticca said.

"Scott is very happy at Celtic but the reality is if the club receive an offer that is too good to refuse then he will be sold on.

"There is one club on the continent and also another in the Premier League. But nothing will happen now until January at the earliest.

He added: "For now, Scott just wants to concentrate on helping Celtic win back the title and he flies out to Korea on Tuesday to the join the Socceroos for Saturday's friendly against the Korea Republic.

"This is a vital year for Australia and it's important he's settled at club level ahead of the World Cup. He's not stressed or worried about anything. He knows he's valued where he is and is highly rated by the new coach Tony Mowbray.

"He will just keep giving his all, hopefully scoring goals and we'll see what happens, if anything, in January."

Injury May Rob Roo Of WC Dream

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Promising young Australian midfielder Oliver Bozanic looks set to miss next month’s Under-20 World Cup in Egypt after sustaining a knee injury while playing for Cheltenham.

Bozanic is on a six-month loan deal with the English League Two outfit but injured his knee in last weekend's 5-4 loss to Bradford and has since returned to his parent club, Reading, for treatment.

It has now been revealed the 20-year-old has a medial knee ligament injury putting his availability for the upcoming international tournament in Egypt in major doubt.

The injury is the latest in a frustrating list of problems for the ex-Central Coast Mariners' junior who also had a bout of glandular fever last year.

After a good start to the new season with Cheltenham, Bozanic was last week included in the 30-man preliminary squad shortlisted for the tournament by under-20s head coach Jan Versleijen.

Australia is set to kick off their campaign on September 27 against Czech Republic before group fixtures against Costa Rica and Brazil.

Versleijen's final squad of 21 will be announced in Sydney on September 8.

Theo Free To Quit To Norwich

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Michael Theoklitos’s Norwich City career appears over barely after it started with new Canaries boss Paul Lambert happy to see the Australian pursue opportunities elsewhere.

The former Melbourne Victory stopper made a horror start to his Norwich career conceding seven goals on his League One debut after his off-season move from the Australian champions.

Since then Norwich fans have placed intense pressure on the club and the Canaries boss who signed Theoklitos, Bryan Gunn, was sacked and replaced by ex-Colchester boss Lambert who hasn't included the Australian in any of his matchday squads.

Speaking to the BBC, Lambert said, "I don't think Michael will want to settle for third or fourth choice, he's never been a problem about the place and if he wants to go and play football I wouldn't stand in his way."

Following a midweek injury to Lambert's preferred goalkeeper Ben Alnwick, the Norwich boss opted to bring in Newcastle's Fraser Forster on loan rather than give Theoklitos a go, which suggests the Australian has no future at Carrow Road.

The Scottish manager added, "When somebody comes into a football club in your position, and goalkeeper is a specialised role, you think 'where does that leave me?'

"I'm not here to keep everybody happy, I'm here to win us as many games as I can, I'd never stagnate anybody's career."

Ironically, it was Lambert who couldn't promise Australian defender Chris Coyne first-team football at Colchester United, forcing the Socceroo to move to Perth Glory.

Schwarzer Holds His Euro Nerve

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Australian stopper Mark Schwarzer was put under plenty of late pressure but held his nerve to help Fulham go through despite a 1-0 loss to Amkar Perm in Russia in Thursday night's Europa League action.

Schwarzer's Fulham defeated Amkar Perm 3-2 on aggregate over the two legs but it wasn't easy on the long journey to Russia.

The Socceroos star had to be alert on 28 minutes when Carlos drove forward and fired a good shot in, which Schwarzer athletically pushed away.

But after withstanding Amkar's best efforts, Fulham conceded with 5 minutes to go when Martin Kushev converted Georgi Peev's cross.

Amkar had a late chance but fired over as Fulham held onto a place in the Europa League group phase.

Elsewhere, another Australian goalkeeper Ante Covic, had a less successful night as his Swedish club IF Elfsborg was knocked out of the continental tournament despite defeating Lazio 1-0 on the night.

Elfsborg lost 3-1 on aggregate to the Italian club, who had a first-half effort crash into Covic's crossbar before the Australian made a fine close-range save to deny Tommaso Rocchi.

The Swedish club put plenty of pressure on Lazio's goal but too many chances were wasted and it wasn't until 70 minutes in they made the breakthrough courtesy of Denni Avdic's header.

Socceroo Luke Wilkshire was also eliminated from continental football after his Russian club Dinamo Moscow lost at home in European competition again, going down 2-1 to Bulgarians CSKA Sofia.

Dinamo took the lead early, with Wilkshire playing a part in the move with a classy flick-on allowing Kirill Kombarov space on the right-wing and he measured his cross for Aleksandr Kerzhakov to power home from close-range.

But CSKA hit back 4 minutes later through Spas Delev's stooping header before Ivan Ivanov grabbed the winner in the second-half for the visitors.

Elsewhere in Thursday night's Europa League action, Scott Chipperfield played a full game but wasn't amongst the goals as FC Basel thrashed FK Baku 5-1 to win 8-2 on aggregate.

Australian-Irishman Shane Lowry made another appearance off the bench for Aston Villa as they crashed out of the Europa League, despite a 2-1 home win over Rapid Vienna. Villa bow out on the away goals rule.

Tim Cahill's Everton drew 1-1 in the Czech Republic with Sigma Olomouc, with the Australian an unused substitute. The Toffees cruise through 5-1 on aggregate.

Harry Kewell was missing in action again for Galatasaray as they drew 1-1 with Levadia Tallinn in Estonia, to ease through with a 6-1 aggregate triumph.

Nikita Rukavytsya was absent for FC Twente as they drew 0-0 with FK Qarabaq to complete a 3-1 aggregate victory.

Ryan McGowan and Matthew Park were not in the Hearts squad which defeated Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb 2-0, but the Scottish club lost the tie 4-2 on aggregate.

Spanish La Liga Club-By-Club Preview

as seen on Sports Pundit

The Spanish La Liga begins this weekend, with kickoff on Saturday the 29th August, so naturally it is time to preview the new campaign.

And following the reformation of Florentino Perez's Galacticos at Real Madrid in the wake of Pep Guardiola's FC Barcelona becoming European champions with near-perfect football, the Spanish top flight becomes all the more intriguing.

Throw in the race to be best of the rest and claim the Champions League spots, as well as the battle down the other end to avoid the drop, and it makes for must-see viewing.

Read more...

Griffiths Brothers Strike In China

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The Griffiths brothers both scored to rescue a point for Beijing Guoan after Brendon Santalab helped Chengdu Blades to a two-goal lead as the sides drew 2-2 in the Chinese Super League.

The result means Guoan missed the chance to return to the top of the table with leaders Shandong Luneng losing 3-2 to Changchun Yatai, but it could have been worse for Beijing.

Chengdu's Agnaldo had given the visitors a 14th minute lead after a mazy run inside the box, before Joel Griffiths smacked a shot into the upright in the first-half.

But Santalab, who joined Chengdu recently from A-League outfit North Queensland Fury, scored his second goal for his new club with a strong header on 34 minutes after a fine move.

With Beijing's title hopes on the line, boss Lee Jang-Soo desperately turned to Ryan Griffiths, introducing the Australian as a substitute on 52 minutes.

And Ryan delivered, producing a trademark long-range strike on 71 minutes to bring Beijing back into the match. The goal was reminiscent of another by Griffiths which nestled into the top corner back in May against Changchun Yatai.

Then with two minutes of regulation time to go, Joel tried a speculative angled effort from inside the box and the shot crept past Chengdu stopper Lan Yi and into the corner to set off wild celebrations for the hosts.

Nevertheless, Guoan's failure to win means they miss the chance to go top, although they move to within one point of Shandong at the top of the table.

Elsewhere in the CSL, Mark Milligan came off the bench on 38 minutes as Shanghai Shenhua crashed to a 2-0 home loss against Jonas Salley's Shaanxi Chanba.

In Korea's K-League Cup, Antun Kovacic's Ulsan Horang were eliminated at the semi-final stage after losing 1-0 on Wednesday to Busan I'Park and 3-1 on aggregate. Busan will play Pohang Steelers in the two-legged final in September.

Beechy: I'm Not Running Back To Oz

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Socceroo Michael Beauchamp has rejected talk of a return to Australia and revealed he’s focused on winning back a place in the Aalborg BK team.

The 28-year-old defender has fallen out of favour in Denmark with Aalborg head coach Magnus Pehrsson claiming Beauchamp was fifth choice and up for sale during the close season.

The situation sparked interest and rumours with the ex-Central Coast defender linked with Norwegian club Valerenga IF as well as Australian new boys Gold Coast United as a replacement for Saudi-bound Adam Griffiths.

But speaking to kanalsport.dk, Beauchamp denied a return to his homeland was on the cards.

"Not yet. It's a great club that everyone's talking about going back there," he said. "But as it is, it's all talk. Same as me supposedly going to Norway, it's all talk."

"I've still got two more years here, so for me I'm just concentrating on that. One day, I'd love to go back and play in Australia, but not just yet."

But the fringe Socceroo's alarming lack of gametime at Aalborg has put his World Cup hopes at stake and it is a problem he needs to resolve.

Nevertheless, Beauchamp is determined to stick with Aalborg despite his coach's stance.

"Football's a very funny thing, it can change week-in week-out, so for me I've just got to get fit," said the ex-FC Nurnberg man who has been battling a knee complaint for the last few months after a disastrous injury-riddled first season in Denmark.

"I've got over my knee now and I don't want to focus on anything which happened last season. So for me now it's just looking forward and if that's his (Pehrsson's) opinion then I'm going to still try and prove him wrong.

"I'm not going to give up. It's not me as a person and as a player."

The Australian centre-half insists Aalborg had yet to see his full potential.

He added: "Everyone's basing my performances on last year which is fair enough because I didn't have the greatest season of all with injuries and it was very hard to get into a rhythm.

"For me personally, you've got be playing week-in, week-out and injury free to actually get to that one hundred percent potential.

"If I get the opportunity to show them then I'll do that and if not, we'll see what happens."

Usain A Bolt Of Fresh Air

as seen on The Roar

As an occasional athletics viewer, Jamaican phenomenon Usain Bolt has refreshed my (and I’d argue many peoples’) perception of the sport, not because of his amazing world records, but because he comes across as a good bloke.

Bolt was undoubtedly the superstar of the 2009 World Championships in Athletics which finished up in Berlin on Sunday evening.

The Jamaican incredibly smashed two world records in the men’s 100 metres and 200 metres, which makes him the fastest man ever seen on earth.

But as a viewer from afar, world records don’t always excite, as naïve as that may sound.

Doping scandals in the past (Ben Johnson at the 1988 Seoul Olympics springs to mind or more recently Tim Montgomery and Justin Gatlin) have hampered the glory which should accompany the amazing feat of bettering mankind’s previous best achievements.

So, as someone who doesn’t actively take a huge interest in athletics, Bolt’s world record was impressive but not engaging.

Nevertheless, naturally, I decided to sit down on the couch, grab the remote and have a look at a replay of Bolt’s world record breaking sprint on the TV.

And as impressive as it is seeing a man run really fast, what really struck me was when Bolt finally found time to catch his breath and complete the formality of the post-race interview.

It is curious because my perception of these sprinters in the past, has always been of chest-beaters who come across as blokes who like themselves a little bit too much.

Indeed, some of the antics of sprinters in the past have made the 100 metre race a bit of a show, even without the race. And some of the post-race celebrations seemed to become personal self-glorifying parades.

So when Bolt chatted with his interviewer post-race, having just become the fastest man the world has ever seen, it was endearingly refreshing to see such a humble bloke.

From his Jamaican accent to his admission that his hero is Aussie cricketer Adam Gilchrist, Bolt seems like a good guy, rather than an adrenaline filled monster of a man driven only to succeed.

Bolt’s fellow countryman and 100m bronze medalist Asafa Powell too, was humble in the moment of euphoria.

Perhaps it was their Bob Marley-esque accents, but I think it was their down-to-earth attitudes, but the pair seem to have renewed my faith in the sport.

And while the 2012 London Olympics are some time away, I’ll be keeping my eye on how Bolt and Powell fare in the next few years, wishing them well.

Holman On Fire In Eredivisie

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Much maligned Socceroo Brett Holman produced a lively display to help AZ Alkmaar overcome Heerenveen 2-0 on Sunday in the Dutch Eredivisie.

The Australian attacker started the game brightly before brilliantly setting up AZ's opener on the half hour mark.

After just 8 minutes, Holman might have got his own name on the scoresheet when the ball fell kindly to him in space but his low shot was well saved by Heerenveen stopper Martin Lejsal.

Two minutes later, Holman combined with Mounir El Hamdaoui before the Moroccan blasted an effort just wide of the target.

But that combination play was just a warning for Heerenveen, after Holman expertly worked a one-two to get in behind the hosts' defence before playing a central ball for El Hamdaoui who somehow hit the post from point blank range only for Lejsal to comically fumble the rebound into the net.

Holman was substituted on 62 minutes after a solid display which would have impressed new AZ boss Ronald Koeman, before the champions grabbed a second through El Hamdaoui.

Elsewhere in the Dutch Eredivisie, Nikita Rukavytsya was absent again with an ankle problem troubling him, as FC Twente defeated newly promoted RKC Waalwijk 2-1 in Enschede.

English Premiership newcomers Burnley have already claimed the scalp of Manchester United at home and Tim Cahill's Everton became Burnley's latest victim as the Blues lost 1-0.

Cahill played deeper in midfield behind Maroune Fellaini but still managed to have a shot deflected for a corner when he pushed forward during an otherwise quiet match for him.

The game went to half-time with Burnley up 1-0 but a Louis Saha penalty miss in the 76th minute saw Everton finish the weekend on the bottom of the Premiership table.

Mark Schwarzer was beaten twice by Chelsea on Sunday as Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka threaded the ball past the Aussied to defeat Fulham 2-0.

In the Scottish Premier League Celtic recovered from their mid-week loss to Arsenal to thrash St Johnstone 5-2. Scott McDonald scored the fifth goal with a header on 74 minutes.

Danny Invincibile made his return from the injury that kept him out of the Socceroos squad against Ireland. Invincibile came off the bench in the second half but could not help Kilmarnock as they lost 3-1 to Motherwell.

James Wesolowski played the full shift for Hamilton Academical but the Accies went down 3-0 to Aberdeen.
In the Italian Serie A, Mark Bresciano started life up new Palermo boss Walter Zenga brightly playing a full game as the Sicilians defeated Napoli 2-1.

In the Turkish Super Lig, Mile Jedinak got off to the best of starts with new club Antalyaspor, by scoring the opener in a 2-0 win over Kasimpasa. Jedinak, who played the full game, rose unchallenged to head in a 60th minute free-kick.

Elsewhere in Turkey, Harry Kewell was absent as Galatasaray thumped Kayserispor 4-1, with Troisi playing 74 minutes for the losers. While in the second tier Lig A, young Aussie left-back Ersan Gulum played a full game as Adanaspor beat Karsiyaka 1-0.

In Sweden's Allsvenskan, Ante Covic played a full game as IF Elfsborg went top of the table with a 2-1 win over Orebro SK. According to reports though, Covic was partly to blame for Orebro's goal with a touch of hesitation from the ex-Newcastle Jets stopper.

In Russia's Premier League, Luke Wilkshire picked up two bookings and was sent off after 69 minutes as Dinamo Moscow crashed to a 3-0 home loss to champions Rubin Kazan. That result suggests Dinamo are out of the title race as they drop ten points off the pace set by Rubin Kazan.

In Switzerland's Super League, veteran Scott Chipperfield was back on the sidelines as FC Basel drew 2-2 at Neuchatel Xamax.

In Denmark's Superliga, World Cup hopeful Michael Beauchamp is still on the sidelines at Aalborg BK, as he was not involved as they lost 2-0 at Esbjerg fB.

And finally in Croatia's Prva HNL, Josip Skoko played a full game as Hajduk Split woeful start to the season continued with a 2-0 loss at NK Rijeka.

Geelong Are Still Alive... Just

as seen on The Roar

Geelong Cats’ premiership hopes are on a knife-edge after yet another loss this weekend. And while it would be wrong to write them off just yet, they seem to be only hanging in there by a thread.

The Cats’ latest loss, a 14-point defeat by the fourth-placed Western Bulldogs, means Geelong have lost four of their last eight matches.

And while they are assured of a second place finish on the AFL ladder, question marks remain about how far they can go in September.

I eagerly took in the Cats-Bulldogs clash on Friday evening, undecided about Geelong but interested to see where they were at.

But after the first half of footy, that perception had changed.

The Bulldogs were the better side in the opening half and deservedly took a 19-point lead into the long break. It could have been more for the Bulldogs too, having had almost double Geelong’s scoring shots, with 19 to 10.

Where Geelong was being beaten was getting numbers to the ball. And essentially getting first use of the footy and winning loose ball contests.

The Cats have been a dominant side for the last few years and their players have without doubt got used to winning loose ball contests.

But when that stops happening, suddenly the players who’ve run on for the next kick, find themselves out of position and without an opponent. If possession changes, that’s a big problem.

On Channel 7’s coverage of the game, Geelong coach Mark Thompson admitted in an interview just prior to the third quarter bounce down that winning these contests would be the focus for the rest of the game.

And indeed, Geelong mounted a big eye-opening fightback in the third quarter, kicking six goals to three, to take a three-point lead into the final term.

But after all that effort, the Cats couldn’t sustain it and the Bulldogs did enough to get on top again and win the game in the fourth quarter.

Winning the loose ball contests though, is a crucial point and you’ve got to wonder about Geelong’s fluctuation in this department.

A decent argument is injuries to key players means Geelong are fielding teams with some players who aren’t up to the level to win these contests consistently.

But guns like Jimmy Bartel, Gary Ablett, Max Rooke and Joel Selwood are still out there on the park fighting hard for the footy.

Perhaps a better point is after a couple of years being at the top the Geelong players are beginning to feel the pinch physically.

It’s no coincidence injuries have crept into the Cats team this season after long and intense campaigns in 2007 and 2008.

Key pair Paul Chapman and Jimmy Bartel are the obvious examples of players struggling with niggles and fitness, yet they are still being put on the park, despite not being one hundred percent fit.

And it is a problem the West Coast Eagles unsuccessfully dealt with in 2007 (remember a barely half-fit Chris Judd), going out of that finals series with successive losses, after competing in the previous two Grand Finals.

Cats fans may take comfort and optimism in the fact they’ve got a long list of players who could potentially soon return from injury to bolster their side such as Steve Johnson, Tom Harley and James Kelly.

But they shouldn’t be under the illusion that their injury list will magically disappear. The players have played a lot of footy in the last few years and it’s clearly taking it’s toll.

Friday’s match was a clear example of those physical problems (as it’s not just those on the injury list), with the Cats unable to sustain an effort on being first to the footy. The Bulldogs, fresher and with more at stake, beat them in that department.

But Geelong’s third quarter performance is where they can take some joy. When the Cats made a concerted and focused effort to win the footy, they got on top. But it’s about whether they can sustain that, so some more fresh bodies would aid that.

Chapman, who spent most of Friday’s game on the bench after experiencing hamstring tightness, is a key at winning these contests and his fitness will undoubtedly be crucial for the Cats going forward.

They are clearly struggling, but like a champion should, they are hanging in there.

Federici Suffers Blade Agony

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Socceroos prospect Adam Federici made an error which cost Reading dearly as they lost 3-1 to Sheffield United in the English Championship on Saturday.

The young Aussie stopper allowed Jamie Ward's speculative long-range effort to slip past him and into the net to give the Blades a 2-1 second-half lead after the Royals had led early.

Matthew Mills had given Reading the lead on 13 minutes before Stephen Quinn equalised against the run of play just before the break.

Ward then put the Blades ahead, before David Cotterill unleashed a late effort which Federici could do nothing about to seal the result for the visitors.

Elsewhere in England, Vince Grella and Brett Emerton were the only Aussies with a chance of action in the Premier League, but they were both unused subs as Blackburn lost 2-1 at Sunderland.

Returning to the Championship, Rhys Williams played another full game for Middlesbrough, helping them to a 2-0 home win over Doncaster which takes the winners into top spot on the table. Brad Jones remains out of the Boro side with an ankle problem.

Also in the second tier, Nick Carle was once again an unused substitute for Crystal Palace as they lost 2-0 at home to Newcastle.

In League One, Patty Kisnorbo's happy time at Leeds United continued as part of the defence which kept another clean sheet in a 3-0 triumph over Tranmere Rovers.

Fellow Leeds Aussie Neil Kilkenny made an 79th minute appearance off the bench and went close with a skidding shot which just went the wrong side of the upright. For Tranmere, Australian Gareth Edds was an unused sub.

Staying in the third tier, Michael Theoklitos was worryingly left out of the Norwich City squad altogether by new Canaries boss Paul Lambert as they returned to winning ways defeating Jamie Young's Wycombe 5-2.

In League Two, young Australian star Oliver Bozanic had to be replaced early in an incredible match as Cheltenham lost 5-4 at home to Bradford City.

Bozanic had provided the assist for Cheltenham's opener and won the free-kick which created their second, all inside a frantic first 15 minutes, before his injury with the scores at 2-2.

Elsewhere in the fourth tier, Shane Cansdell-Sherriff played a full game in the centre of defence as Shrewsbury drew 1-1 with Aaron Downes' Chesterfield. Scott Guyett put in a full shift as Bournemouth lost 2-0 at Northampton, while Daniel Leach was missing as Barnet won 1-0 at Torquay.

In the Blue Square Premier League, Kyle Nix played a full game as Mansfield Town easily accounted for Ebbsfleet United 3-0, while James Meredith put in a full shift as York City drew 1-1 at Hayes & Yeading United.

First Present From Santa

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Brendon Santalab opened his account for struggling Chengdu Blades by grabbing the winner in a crucial 2-1 victory over Changchun Yatai in the Chinese Super League.

The 26-year-old attacker, who left North Queensland Fury to link up with the Chinese club, won and converted an 80th minute penalty for Chengdu, who move away from the drop zone and up to 13th after the win.

Rodrigues had opened the scoring for Chengdu early in the contest before Samuel Caballero equalised from a corner for Changchun on 71 minutes.

But Santalab drove forward on a determined run on 78 minutes and was brought down inside the box by Yan Feng to win the decisive penalty.

The Australian dusted himself off and stepped up to coolly slot the spotkick to Changchun stopper Zong Lei's right for the winner.

Elsewhere in the CSL, Mark Milligan played a full game for Shanghai Shenhua as they lost to new leaders Shandong Luneng 1-0, while Joel Griffiths was a substitute as Beijing Guoan fell to 2nd with a costly 1-0 loss at improving Jiangsu Sainty.

In Japan's J.League, Eddy Bosnar was back in the JEF United Chiba side helping the relegation embattled club to a 1-1 draw at Omiya Ardija.

In Korea's K-League, Antun Kovacic's Ulsan Horang lost 2-1 at home to Jeju United.

Italian Serie A Season Preview pt.3

as seen on Sports Pundit

This weekend signals the beginning of the new Italian Serie A campaign so, rightfully so, here’s Sports Pundit final part of our season preview.

Part three of our 3-edition series goes through the clubs from P-U, including Palermo, Parma, AS Roma, Sampdoria, Siena and finally Udinese.

If you would like to read the season previews for Atalanta Bergamo, Bari, Bologna, Cagliari, Catania, Chievo Verona and Fiorentina, click here.

If you would like to read the season previews for Genoa, Internazionale, Juventus, Lazio, Livorno, AC Milan and Napoli, click here.

Read more...

Italian Serie A Season Preview pt.2

as seen on Sports Pundit

Kickoff for the new Italian Serie A season is this weekend, so here's the second instalment of Sports Pundit's club-by-club preview.

In this second part, we go alphabetically through the clubs from G-N, including Genoa, Internazionale, Juventus, Lazio, Livorno, AC Milan and Napoli.

Thus we'll discuss the big three plus plenty of the big-name new arrivals including Diego, Samuel Eto'o, Diego Milito and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

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Kewell Scores As Petko Sees Red

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Harry Kewell scored again for Galatasaray while Michael Petkovic boiled over and was sent off for Sivasspor in a big night of Europa League action.

Kewell came off the bench to score for Galatasaray in a comfortable 5-0 triumph over Estonian club Levadia Tallinn.

Abdul Kader Keita had earlier scored a first-half double and Milan Baros added a third from the spot in the second stanza before Kewell's strike.

Kewell struck on 78 minutes, when he collected a pass from Hakan Balta on the edge of the box before taking a touch and firing a low left-footed shot past Levadia keeper Martin Kaalma.

Galatasaray got a fifth, which reinforced their advantage ahead of the return-leg in Estonia, after a comical own goal from Levadia defender Vitali Leitan late in the game.

Elsewhere, Michael Petkovic's Turkish club Sivasspor continued their miserable campaign with a 3-0 home loss to last season's UEFA Cup winners Shakhtar Donetsk.

To make matters worse the Australian stopper was sent off late in the contest for a crude foul on Shakhtar forward Julius Aghahowa.

Earlier in the match, Petkovic had made a suspect decision on 7 minutes to offer the Ukrainians the opener, when he elected to block, rather than claim, a low-cross allowing Oleksiy Gai to slam home the subsequent rebound.

Sivasspor remained in the tie until late on, when a 76th minute long-range Ilsinho effort seemed to go under Petkovic and in to double Shakhtar's advantage, before Vasyl Kobin converted a nice team goal to add a third for the visitors.

Elsewhere in Thursday night's Europa League action, Tim Cahill played a full game as Everton defeated Czech club Sigma Olomouc 4-0 at Goodison Park, while fellow Premier League outfit Fulham defeated Russians Amkar Perm 3-1 with Mark Schwarzer putting in a full shift for the Cottagers.

Another English club, Aston Villa, went down 1-0 to Austrian side Rapid Vienna. Interestingly, young Irish-Australian Shane Lowry was an 80th minute substitute for the Birmingham club.

In Azerbaijan, Scott Chipperfield played a full game helping FC Basel produce a second-half fightback to defeat FK Baku 3-1.

In Bulgaria, Luke Wilkshire put in a full shift as Dinamo Moscow grabbed a 0-0 draw at CSKA Sofia.

In Italy, Ante Covic was beaten by three times as IF Elfsborg were torn apart by Lazio losing 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico.

In the Netherlands, Nikita Rukavytsya remained on the sidelines as FC Twente comfortably defeated FK Qarabaq 3-1.

In Romania, FC Vaslui defeated Nathan Burns's AEK Athens 2-1, while finally in Croatia, Dinamo Zagreb eased past Hearts 4-0 with young Aussie pair Ryan McGowan and Matthew Park not involved for the Scottish club.

Italian Serie A Season Preview pt.1

as seen on Sports Pundit

The new Italian Serie A campaign kicks off on Saturday August 22, so it’s time for Sports Pundit’s first instalment of our season preview.

This season preview includes info on Atalanta Bergamo, Bari, Bologna, Cagliari, Catania, Chievo Verona and Fiorentina.

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Josh's Birthday Gift To Himself

as seen on au.fourfourtwo.com

Socceroo Joshua Kennedy scored on the eve of his 27th birthday as Nagoya Grampus eased past Eddy Bosnar's struggling JEF United Chiba 2-0 in the J.League last night.

The former Bundesliga forward gave Grampus a well deserved first-half lead with a slightly fortuitous goal after 24 minutes.

The goal came when an effort from Kennedy rebounded back into the shins of the beanpole striker before agonisingly trickling over the line.

But the Australian international deserved a touch of luck after having a good attempt on goal well saved by United keeper Ryo Kushino in the first-half, as well as going close with a header.

United, who were without Bosnar, came back into the game in the second-half but Kennedy's partner up front, Keiji Tamada, sealed the result on 75 minutes with a stooping header from a Yoshizumi Ogawa cross.

The result leaves Nagoya in 11th place, nine points clear of the drop zone yet still within range of a charge for the AFC Champions League.

They have a game against Gamba Osaka to come in the J.League this Sunday. United, on the other hand, are in deep trouble in 16th, six points clear of safety.

Woosha's Stance On Fletcher's Farewell Is Right

as seen on The Roar

Over at West Coast, a debate has split players and coaches about veteran Chad Fletcher deserving a farewell game. Coach John Worsfold is non-committal and seemingly reluctant on the idea, while all the noises from the players suggests a swell of support for their teammate getting one final day in the sun.

And it’s a topic which has split the public too, after the local newspaper The West Australian ran a poll on whether or not Fletcher should get a farewell game, with 56 per cent for it and 44 per cent against it, after over 800 votes were taken.

But Worsfold’s stance, despite the internal pressure which is mounting, is right on the mark as the West Coast Eagles Footy Club looks ahead.

Worsfold explained on Seven News on Monday night, “We’re pretty strong on the selection policy we’ve had all year.

“We’ve never given anyone an actual farewell game if they haven’t been a consistent part of the team.

“He’ll get a game on the merits of being in our best team to go forward for the next couple of weeks if he’s in that.”

That policy, by all indications, is based on picking the best 22 available with a focus on improving youngsters, as the Eagles continue to re-build after a stint down the wrong end of the ladder.

And recent results, with the Eagles winning their last three on the trot, suggests the policy is beginning to pay off.

Fletcher is a victim of all this, having been overlooked by Worsfold for the most part of the 2009 season despite being a Premiership player. And the onballer’s WAFL form with Subiaco hasn’t been bad either, with several plus-40 possession games.

But, as Worsfold’s decision to allow Fletcher to leave the club at the end of the season clearly indicates, the number 7 simply isn’t part of the club’s future plans.

So then, why would the players want Worsfold to play Fletcher one final time?

Indeed, with season-ending injuries to Mitch Brown and Chris Masten on the weekend, perhaps the players would argue a spot has opened up for Fletcher in West Coast’s 22.

But Worsfold stated after Saturday’s win over North Melbourne that, “He (Fletcher) would be in the mix, certainly, but we’re getting great reports through from the WAFL today. Tony Notte kicked five today, Ryan Davis had 27 possessions for Swan Districts, Matt Spangher played well last night, Brent Staker was solid again playing mainly full-forward. They’re the main names. Jamie McNamara was very good last night.”

So to argue Fletcher deserves a spot in West Coast’s best 22 over these other players is rather subjective.
Therefore, it’s obvious sentiment has come into the stance of the players.

Eagles forward Quinten Lynch made his stance pretty obvious on Monday when he was asked about the Fletcher farewell game, replying, “I’ve got my opinion on that. I’m not in the match committee so I’ll keep my opinions to myself.”

I dare say, Lynch’s comments speak for the players, who undoubtedly see Fletcher as a mate who’s had a pretty rough time of late.

The circumstances of Fletcher’s lack of AFL football this year and his subsequent release from the club at season’s end have emotionally made his case for a farewell game stronger. It would be harsh not to offer him something positive before he leaves the club.

But Worsfold seems a man not interested in sentiment. He’s only worried about winning premierships.

And in a professional environment with clear targets, Worsfold is right and his stance will perhaps teach his players a thing or two about maintaining focus.

Fletcher may still play AFL footy before the year’s end, if Worsfold deems him in his best 22 in either Round 21 or 22, but offering him no guarantees is spot on.

Chippers Hits The Scoresheet

as seen on au.fourfourtwo.com

Scott Chipperfield scored but couldn't prevent FC Basel slipping up again, losing 3-1 to Grasshoppers.

The veteran Australian international, who is in the final year of his contract at Basel, has been playing up front for the Swiss League side so far this season.

And early on in Sunday's contest away to Grasshoppers, Chipperfield could have got the visitors off to a flying start when he met Marco Streller's flick-on, only to fail to connect meaningfully with his shot which was easily saved by opposition stopper Yann Sommer.

Minutes later FCB were made to pay when Gonzalo Zarate's shot was palmed into Antonio Dos Santos's path by Basel keeper Massimo Colomba and he made no mistake with the rebound.

But in the 24th minute, Chipperfield found a yard of space inside the box to meet a precise Valentin Stocker left-wing cross and the Australian stooped to equalise from close-range.

Carlitos blew a chance for Basel to claim the lead before the break firing a shot wide, before Grasshoppers got on top in the second stanza.

On 61 minutes, Davide Calla met a superb deep cross to fire in a header off the underside of the bar, before Zarate sealed the victory waltzing past an ordinary Basel defence and hitting a good shot into the top corner for Grasshoppers' third.

The result suggests Basel's reign at the top of Swiss football is over, as they sit 7th on the Super League table after 6 matches, with 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses.

In Turkey's Super Lig on Sunday, Michael Petkovic was beaten by 3 strikes in the last 15 minutes as Sivasspor's woeful start to the season continued losing 3-0 to Fenerbahce.

Elsewhere in Turkey, James Troisi started and played 57 minutes as Kayserispor conceded a late equaliser to draw 1-1 with Gaziantepspor, while Mile Jedinak made a 75th minute appearance off the bench as Genclerbirligi drew 1-1 against crosstown rivals Ankaraspor, with Bruce Djite not involved.

In Russia's Premier League, Luke Wilkshire played a full game as Dinamo Moscow stayed in touch in the title race winning 1-0 at FK Rostov.

In Romania's Liga I, Spase Dilevski put in a full shift and Michael Baird started and played 82 minutes as Universitatea Craiova eased to a 2-0 win over Pandurii.

In Norway's Tippeligaen, Kasey Wehrman's relegation worries with Fredrikstad FK remained after a disappointing 1-0 loss at IK Start.

Harry At The Double For Gala

as seen on au.fourfourtwo.com

Socceroo Harry Kewell was at his menacing best firing in two goals as Galatasaray came from behind to defeat Denizlispor 4-1 in the Turkish Super Lig overnight.

The Australian scored twice from the penalty spot but looked dangerous around the ground with some of his inswinging corners a real feature of the match.

But Galatasaray were made to work for their victory, after Bulgarian Emil Angelov gave Denizlispor the lead on 39 minutes with a close-range header.

Just moments before the break, the hosts won a slightly controversial penalty after a handball offence inside the box and Kewell stepped up to fire a low shot under Ozden Ongun.

Early in the second-half, one of Kewell's precise corners found Arda Turan in the box and the Turkish international coolly headed home from close-range to give Cimbom the lead.

On 67 minutes, Abdul Kader Keita won another slightly precarious penalty after a foul seemed to occur outside the box. But there was no doubt about Kewell's finish when the shot to Ozden Ongun's right to ram home Galatasaray's advantage.

Barely ten minutes later, Kewell's through-ball played in Keita and his cutback was cruelly deflected into the Denizlispor goal by defender Ahmet Burak.

In the Scottish Premier League, Scott McDonald maintained his good start to the season as Celtic enjoyed a solid 3-1 triumph at Aberdeen on the opening day of the campaign today.

After missing a rather simple early chance, McDonald was on hand to punish a poor Aberdeen clearance just before the break to give the Hoops a 3-0 lead at half-time.

McDonald's goal came after Aiden McGeady's double had raced the Buoys ahead. The Australian would be substituted by new boss Tony Mowbray on 60 minutes.

Elsewhere in the SPL, James Wesolowski played almost 90 minutes for Hamilton Accies as they crashed to a 3-0 loss at Kilmarnock. Neither Kilmarnock's Danny Invincibile or Hamilton's Trent McClenahan were involved for either side.

In Germany's Bundesliga, FC Nurnberg got their points tally of the mark with a 1-1 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt although Aussie pair Matt Spiranovic and Dario Vidosic weren't involved.

In the Dutch Eredivisie, Nikita Rukavytsya was another Socceroo not in his side's squad after the midweek Australia match as FC Twente won 1-0 at ADO Den Haag.

Elsewhere, Brett Holman started and played almost an hour as AZ Alkmaar cruised to a 6-0 win at RKC Waalwijk. James Holland wasn't in the AZ squad.

In the Coppa Italia, Mark Bresciano played a full game for Palermo on the right-side of midfield as they came from a goal behind to defeat SPAL 1907 4-2.

In the Swedish Allsvenskan, Ante Covic put in a full shift as IF Elfsborg beat his old club Hammarby 3-2 to stay in touch in the title race.

In the Croatian HNL Ozujsko, Josip Skoko played a full game as Hajduk Split came from two down to draw 2-2 with Inter Zapresic.

In the Danish Superliga, Michael Beauchamp - tipped for a move to Gold Coast United to replace Adam Griffiths - wasn't involved as Aalborg BK beat SonderjyskE 1-0 at home.

English Premier League Preview pt.3

as seen on Sports Pundit

Another term of English Premier League football kicks off over the weekend, so the final installment of Sports Pundit's season preview is perfectly timed.

We'll go through the final 6 EPL clubs alphabetically from Stoke through to Wolves, so you can get an insight into the new campaign and hopefully pick up a few tips for the new Sports Pundit Pan-European fantasy league.

Read more...

English Premier League Preview pt.2

as seen on Sports Pundit

The days until the start of the new English Premier League are rapidly ticking down, so here’s Sports Pundit’s second part of the season preview starting with Everton and going through alphabetically via title candidates Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United all the way onto Portsmouth.

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English Premier League Preview pt.1

as seen on Sports Pundit

As the new English Premier League season fast approaches, with the opening day fixtures on August 14, the time is right to preview the new campaign.

The title race seems wide open this year following some big-name departures at Manchester United, the improvement of Liverpool last season and the arrival of another new high-profile manager at Chelsea.

But for now, this preview is the first in a series of three, as we go through and address the chances of every Premier League club and also try to drop in some hints for your benefit with Sports Pundit’s Pan-European Fantasy League.

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Scott The Winner In Roo vs Roo

as seen on au.fourfourtwo.com

Socceroo Scott McDonald scored as Celtic recorded a memorable 2-0 away victory over Luke Wilkshire's Dinamo Moscow to qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stage.

Goals late in both halves from McDonald and Australian-Greek striker Georgios Samaras got the job done for Celtic, who had lost the first-leg in Glasgow 1-0 to the Russian club.

The result is a bitter blow for Wilkshire, who failed at this stage of the Champions League last season with Dutch club FC Twente.

The opener came with barely a minute of normal time left before half-time, when McDonald got free at the back post to neatly head in Andreas Hinkel's cross.

Still there was time in the half for the Russians to go close, with Celtic having to scramble a Dinamo effort off the line before the break.

McDonald, who still hasn't broken his international duck, made way for Samaras on 79 minutes and the Greek international made the most of his time on the pitch.

Into injury-time with the match seemingly heading for extra-time, Samaras collected a hopeful long ball before working space for himself inside the box and then bobbling a shot past Dinamo stopper Vladimir Gabulov for the late winner.

Celtic become only the second Scottish club in history to overturn a first-leg home defeat in European competition. The result also marked Celtic's first ever away win in the UEFA Champions League.

Australian A-League 2009-2010 Season Preview

as seen on insidefutbol.com

Australia's Hyundai A-League is getting underway soon, with plenty of fans Down Under eagerly anticipating the kick-off after arguably the biggest off-season ever.

The arrival of a host of big names like ex-Liverpool 'God' Robbie Fowler, along with a long list of current Socceroos who've returned back to Australia including Jason Culina, boosts the fledgling competition and makes the league a little bit more attractive to an international audience.
Read more...

Is Making The AFL Finals Really A Success?

as seen on The Roar

The see-sawing battle between Port Adelaide, Essendon and Hawthorn for the final spot in the AFL's top eight is an intriguing one for the fans. But really is the prize at stake worth fans getting exciting for?

Port currently occupy the last finals spot on the AFL ladder with 36 points, whilst Essendon and the Hawks are behind them both with 32 points but the Bombers have the strongest percentage of the lot.

It is always a joy and a good experience to be part of the finals for clubs, but the reality is none of these clubs are realistic contenders for the AFL premiership. Plus, coming from 8th spot is nigh on impossible with the current AFL finals format.

So despite all the attention the race for the lower rungs of the top 8 always gets, is it really that interesting if those sides are just going to bow out of the finals? Shouldn’t our attention be transfixed on the important race for the premiership, or at least the race for the top 4 and second-chance finals?

But the current AFL format (with half the league reaching the finals) is created just for this purpose, to keep the fans interested up until Round 22. And the media builds up all these fixtures accordingly to ensure good crowds and TV audiences.

Indeed it seems to work, as making the finals is generally considered by many clubs and fans as an achievement and thus a good season. Just ask Power, Bombers or Hawks fans how they’ll judge their season should they miss the finals. I guarantee it would be drastically different to their judgement if they made the top eight.

But should finishing one spot above another midtable side really matter? Is an unrealistic shot at the finals really good enough?

The perfect example of a club who are switched onto this is the West Coast Eagles who after three 8th place finishes in John Worsfold’s initial years at the helm, have gone onto either challenge for the premiership or challenge for the number one draft pick down the bottom.

Worsfold regularly speaks about West Coast being on track to challenge for a premiership soon. He always uses that word, ‘premiership’, not finals. And he says it without a moment’s hesitation and such comments must perplex many pundits who see the Eagles getting thrashed on their travels every second week.

It is bizarre to think the Eagles, who won the AFL premiership only three years ago, are currently an ordinary bottom four side.

But it seems Worsfold treats the AFL season like many of his colleagues treat the NAB Cup where results don’t really matter. It seems Worsfold sees it as a chance to experiment with his side and try to make them learn a system and gel as a team.

Perhaps he likes the old saying of ‘one step backwards to take two steps forward’.

Indeed, West Coast’s basketball-style handballing game often frustrates the Subiaco Oval public, but Worsfold is adamant when his young side comes to grips with it, they’ll be more than just a top 8 contender, they’ll be a premiership contender.

And perhaps Worsfold is onto something other clubs and coaches aren’t. Shouldn’t every club be aiming to be the best, not be amongst the best?

In saying that, of the eighth spot contenders in 2009, Essendon are perhaps an example of a side developing and building something for the future and maybe a top 4 finish and a premiership challenge is in sight for them in the near future.

But will coming eighth in 2009, have much of an influence on their premiership challenge in 2011 or 2012. I think it would be naïve to think so.

So is the race for eighth spot on the AFL ladder in 2009 really worth getting exciting about?

Penalty Miss For Joel At Guoan

as seen on au.fourfourtwo.com

Joel Griffiths missed a crucial penalty but Beijing Guoan held onto top spot in the Chinese Super League despite losing 3-2 to bottom club Chongqing Lifan.

The Australian striker, who is on loan at Beijing from A-League club Newcastle Jets, missed a penalty won by his brother Ryan late in the contest with the score at 3-1.

But with their nearest rivals, Shandong Luneng and Henan Construction, both failing to win today, Guoan live to fight another day at the top of the table.

Early in the contest at Chongqing, it looked like the league leaders would continue on their merry way when Tao Wei fired in a stunning long-range free-kick on 7 minutes.

But the hosts, buoyed by the presence of new signing Ailton, an ex-German Bundesliga superstar, equalised through Costa Rican Johnny Lambert on 33 minutes with a cool finish before Huang Xiyang gave them lead just before the break.

The Chinese midfielder produced a stunning volley which left the Guoan stopper with no chance, putting Chongqing ahead on 45 minutes.

Huang Xiyang was at it again on 72 minutes when he stretched Chongqing's lead with a nice goal from the edge of the box, before Joel Griffiths drove forward and passed for his brother, Ryan, who was tripped in the box and won a penalty for the visitors.

But after Joel stepped up to take the kick he could only to fire his shot high, wide and handsome.

Guoan did grab a late lifeline through Zhou Ting on 86 minutes, but it was too little, too late, leaving them to rue their missed penalty.

Elsewhere in the CSL, Mark Milligan played a full game as ten-man Shanghai Shenhua drew 2-2 at Jiangsu Sainty. Meanwhile, Brendon Santalab made his full debut for Chengdu Blades as they beat Shaanxi 2-0.

In Korea's K-League, ex-Adelaide United defender Sasa Ognenovski had to be subbed at half-time as Seongnam Ilhwa stunned impressive Jeonbuk Motors 3-1, while Jade North wasn't in the Incheon United squad which lost 3-2 at Gangwon FC.

Three In Three For Josh

as seen on au.fourfourtwo.com

Josh Kennedy made it three goals from three J League matches on Saturday night but his club Nagoya Grampus crashed to a 2-1 loss at bottom club Oita Trinita.

The Australian international, who has proved a big hit in Nagoya since signing with the club in early July, opened the scoring on 26 minutes before Oita produced a stunning finish with two goals late in the game.

Kennedy was in the right place at the right time for the opener, after Naoshi Nakamura's shot was blocked by an Oita defender into the Australian's path with the goal at his mercy and the Socceroo made the most of the chance.

After a season in the German Bundesliga where he scored just 2 goals all campaign, Kennedy's latest strike made it an incredible three in three J.League outings for his new club.

Magnum had a chance to seal the points for midtable Nagoya before the J.League strugglers struck late with half-time substitute Daiki Takamatsu diving to head home the equaliser.

Then two minutes into injury-time Nagoya conceded again with Oita defender Keigo Higashi grabbing the winner with a looped shot over Japanese international stopper Seigo Narazaki.

The result drops Nagoya down to 10th, whilst giving Oita a welcome boost as they move to within six points of their nearest rivals at the bottom, Kashiwa Reysol.

Elsewhere, Eddy Bosnar wasn't in the JEF United Chiba side which lost 3-2 at Jubilo Iwata. United recently sacked their Scottish coach Alex Miller and this was their first match under new boss Atsuhiko Ejiri.

JEF United are in deep relegation trouble as they currently occupy 16th spot, which is in the drop zone.

FFA's War On Divers Is Spot On

as seen on The Roar

Football Federation Australia’s decision this week to use video evidence to punish players guilty of diving for the upcoming A-League season should be hugely commended.

The FFA announced on Friday that the A-League’s match review panel would be allowed to investigate incidents of simulation not spotted by the referee during a match and duly suspend players for such offences.

FFA chief executive officer Ben Buckley said, “I think everyone - fans, players and media - believe that simulation is unacceptable, and I am sure this change will be appreciated by the whole football community.”

Indeed, in a nation where the public enjoy extremely physical sports like AFL or Rugby, the antics of diving football players is met with disbelief by many new to the game.

And in the context of Australia, where football is fighting for attention amongst a number of sports, trying to eradicate one of the biggest blights on the game is a great move by the FFA.

Often you hear non-footballing types speaking about the problem of diving in the round ball game. And incidents like Rivaldo’s infamous play-acting at the 2002 World Cup or the antics of Chinese club Tianjin Teda against Central Coast in the AFC Champions League recently are cases which turn potential converts off the game.

Of course, it happens amongst A-League players too, and nobody can forget Cristiano’s penalty-winning simulation for Adelaide United against Melbourne Victory last season.

And that incident brought with it calls from A-League coaches, led by Melbourne’s Ernie Merrick, for the match review panel to review such offences.

Indeed, it has been argued for years that the best way to remove diving from the game is to analyse matches on video replays and suspend players found guilty of such offences.

It simply means players will think twice before taking a dive (because they probably won’t get away with it), thus being less inclined to ‘cheat’, as some would call it.

But the stumbling block for all this to go ahead has been the international body FIFA’s stance on using technology.

For years FIFA have stated in their disciplinary code that ‘the disciplinary decisions taken by the referee on the field of play during a match are final.’

It means if a referee misses an incident during a match, there is no way to retrospectively punish that player.

But Buckley has ignored FIFA’s hesitancy on the issue and got proactive by introducing new powers for the match review panel.

The FFA CEO added, “It is important to us that the Hyundai A-League’s disciplinary provisions are not only consistent with those of the sport internationally, but also with community expectations within Australia.”

Indeed, in the context of sport in Australia with several codes battling for attention and credibility, the FFA’s watershed decision is refreshingly proactive and should be acknowledged.