Super Eagles set to down Uruguay

 Tonight in Arena Fonte Nova Salvador Brazil it will be situation critical for Nigeria and Uruguay as the meet in what has to be a must win game for both should they be seriously eying the Semi’s of the Confederation cup.
Despite the fact that they are both champions of their respective continents, neither has been playing like it. Nigeria posted the ‘un sexiest’ 6-1 win in a long time days ago, while Uruguay looked almost amateurish against Spain. Marred by distractions and injuries Keshi’s birds are hoping to finally find their form and dismiss the Central Americans in style.

Sundowns negotiating for two Stars players

mamelodi Sundowns have opened negotiations for two Free State Stars players but the deal is still some way from being finalised, officials said on Thursday.

“We have granted Sundowns permission to talk to them. It is obvious that they must agree personal terms otherwise there is no point in the clubs settling on the transfer deal,” Stars’ general manager Rantsi Mokoena.

“As far as we know, Sundowns are still talking to them and when that is done then we’ll sit down and hammer out a deal.”

Mokoena said his club were comfortable in letting their captain and goalkeeper Mweene go after eight seasons and more than 200 games for the club.

Park Ji-Sung dating TV host (Kim Min-Ji)

 South Korea's most famous footballer Park Ji-Sung, and one of its most eligible bachelors, used a packed press conference on Thursday to announce he was dating a local TV sports presenter.
The 32-year-old former national captain and Manchester United star said he had been in a relationship with presenter Kim Min-Ji, 27, for several months.
Park enjoys superstar status in South Korea and his personal life has always been a subject of intense speculation.
On Wednesday, a local newspaper published a picture of Park and Kim walking arm-in-arm in the rain along the bank of Seoul's Han River.
"I had planned to make a surprise announcement that I am passionately in love with her and devoted to her, but now I guess I only need to confirm last night's report," Park joked.

Kagawa the dangerman for Japan

Italy midfielder Daniele De Rossi picked out Japan's Shinji Kagawa as the dangerman for his side ahead of their Confederations Cup match on Wednesday.

"I only know three or four Japanese players and the most talked about is the one that plays for Manchester United, Kagawa, he is the star," De Rossi told reporters on Tuesday.

"I think they are well organised and I think that means they will be dangerous."

The Italians made a winning start on Sunday when goals from Andrea Pirlo and Mario Balotelli secured a 2-1 win over Mexico in Rio de Janeiro.

Eagles promise 'high intensity'

 
  Head coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi wants a performance of “greater intensity” when the African champions, take on South Americans, Uruguay in their second game at the Fifa Confederations Cup in Brazil.
An Nnamdi Oduamadi hattrick powered Nigeria to a 6-1 win over Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) representatives, Tahiti on Monday but the ever-demanding Nigerian public have been requesting for more after the majority of the fans described the performance against the OFC champions as not good enough

Japan coach singles out Pirlo

Japan must close down Andrea Pirlo if they want to defeat Italy and prolong their participation in this year's Confederation Cup, coach Alberto Zaccheroni said on Tuesday.

Juventus' Pirlo controls the Italian midfield and his partnership with Mario Balotelli is the big threat to the Asian champions in Wednesday's Group A game, Zaccheroni said.

"We are going to focus on Pirlo and Balotelli but not exclusively, as they have great players all over the field," the 60-year-old Zaccheroni said.

"But clearly that ... axis linking Pirlo to Balotelli is important for Italy's game and when they have the ball we will aim to pressure them.
"It will be important for us to close them down and make it harder for Balotelli to receive the ball and force Pirlo to hold on to the ball longer and look for another player to pass to."

United start at Swansea, Blues host Hull

Champions Manchester United will travel to Swansea City for their first Premier League match under new manager David Moyes while Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City are at home to Newcastle United on August 17.
Premier League fixtures published on Wednesday also threw up a home game against newly-promoted Hull City for Jose Mourinho on his second coming as Chelsea manager.
Roberto Martinez, the other big appointment since the end of last season when England's three top teams all changed their managers, will lead Everton to Norwich City.
Promoted Cardiff City travel to West Ham United while Crystal Palace mark their return to the top flight with a home match against Tottenham Hotspur.

THE CHAMPIONS!!!!!

The Bundesliga giants have reached the showpiece of the competition three times in the last four years but sealed their first European Cup since 2001 with victory over their rivals at Wembley on Saturday.

congratulations Bayern team it was worth it once again.


sorry guys had to do this today. though it was live on fb lol?

Super Eagles to depart for USA on Tuesday ahead of Mexico friendly

The national team will leave Germany where it has been in camp for the United States tomorrow as it prepares for the important friendly match against Tricolores

Nigeria’s national team would leave Germany on Tuesday for the United States of America, venue of Friday’s international friendly match against the national team of Mexico.

The Super Eagles have been training hard at their Germany camp and would depart the Novina Hotel Herzogenaurach Herzo-Base, for Frankfurt at 5.30am on Tuesday  and take off from Frankfurt Airport at 10am local time (9am Nigerian time) on the same day for Houston, venue of the game against Tricolore.
21 players are in camp at the moment but coach Stephen Keshi has decided not to go with every player. Only the selected ones that would prosecute match would be taken along as he is expected to drop four players.

Arsenal restore their normal order with victory over Bristol Academy

The women's club game was restored to its default setting as Arsenal, after failing for the first time in seven seasons to reach the 2012 FA Cup final, lifted the trophy for the sixth time in eight years and the 12th time in all.
In front of a disappointing attendance of 4,988 at Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium, the lowest final crowd since 2000 and almost 20,000 short of the record set in 2008, captain Steph Houghton's early goal and late strikes by the midfielder Jordan Nobbs and the striker Ellen White earned Arsenal victory over the team they had beaten with equal comfort in the 2011 final.
Defeat for Bristol Academy, who are top of the Super League, left them still searching for their first major trophy while Arsenal's celebrations were for a 39th piece of silverware in 22 years – this after their near-invincibility had been brought into question by a 4-0 WSL thrashing by Liverpool three weeks ago.

Then Chelsea's strikeforce will be best in the Premier League

Chelsea are just one top striker away from boasting the best in the Premier League.

Despite finishing the season 14 points behind champions Manchester United, the scale of restructuring at Chelsea this summer will not be as major as many would have you believe.

The 'weakness' in Chelsea's side most commonly wheeled out is that the Blues are let down by their strike force, and it is true that it is one of the areas they do need to strengthen.


But the return of Romelu Lukaku, reinvigorated by his spell at West Brom, leaves Chelsea's attack in particularly healthy shape.

Let's look at his return at the Baggies - 17 goals in total - all in the Premier League.

Then Fernando Torres' tally for Chelsea is not bad either, for all his detractors he bagged 22 goals in all competitions. While just eight came in the Premier League, his overall contribution was vital to Chelsea's season.
January addition Demba Ba also added nine goals in half a season, and will surely still hope to play his part next season.

Proof – Shinji Kagawa can replace Paul Scholes

There are some very simple stats from the season just gone, which prove Shinji Kagawa can step up and replace Paul Scholes.

Scholes has been one of the most effective players in terms of creativity and general midfield play at Old Trafford throughout his career.

His retirement creates huge anxiety at Manchester United over how David Moyes is going to go about trying to replace him, with several talented names mentioned ahead of possible transfers to the club.

owever, the club already own a player in Shinji Kagawa who is good enough to replace Scholes and he proved he can, outdoing Scholes in many key areas over the course of last season.

That was a title winning season where Kagawa was played out of position the majority of the time, which makes his limited impact all the more remarkable.

Of course Kagawa is never going to replace the physical element which Scholes have the United midfield but that is something Moyes can compensate for.

He can bring in an enforcer with the sole intention of protecting the back four and allowing Kagawa to settle into his natural and creative central role, a role that his former boss Jurgen Klopp suggested he was the best in the world at.

Phil Neville pitches for the vacant Everton manager's job

The special one is not bound for Stamford Bridge, according to Phil Neville; he has simply shifted along the M62. It could be bias or the insight from a career played entirely under Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes but either way, the former Everton captain is adamant that the Scot, not José Mourinho, is the perfect fit for Manchester United.

Few are better placed to assess Moyes's credentials as Ferguson's replacement than Neville, who worked alongside the Everton manager for eight years after leaving Old Trafford at the age of 28 in 2005. They could be reunited if Moyes opts to bring the 36-year-old on to his coaching staff at United though Neville has told Everton's chairman, Bill Kenwright, he wishes to succeed the Scot at Goodison Park.

Neville's immediate future may be uncertain, but his confidence in Moyes's ability to prove wrong the doubters who would have preferred the more glamorous and proven appointment of Mourinho is clear. "He is the best candidate, 100%," insists Neville. "You can put him alongside any coach in the world for that job and he is the best candidate. If José Mourinho came to Man United you would think, with his track record, that in maybe three seasons he would be gone. Man United are looking at the next 20 years. They've just given David Moyes a six-year contract. It is that kind of club. They invest in a certain kind of manager and that is why he is the best man for the job. There is no one else they could have invested in who would offer the same longevity as the previous manager."

Tottenham set to hold off Real Madrid off Bale... this summer

Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale was awarded the Player of the Year and PFA Player of the Year by the PFA after an outstanding season at White Hart Lane.

Subsequently, his exceptional ability, coupled with his superb form and fitness, has attracted some suitors – most notably La Liga giants Real Madrid.

Real Madrid have suffered a disappointing season this term under Jose Mourinho who the club revealed will be departing from the Bernabeu this summer in search of a new challenge and the boss’ position will likely not be the only personnel change at the club before next season.

Will Moyes finally bring Adem Ljajic to Manchester United?

Adem Ljajic has already 'signed' for Manchester United once. Could he do it for real this summer?

Manchester United supporters will remember the name Adem Ljajic. It was announced in early 2009 he would be signing for the club along with Zoran Tosic from Partizan Belgrade, and would join up in 2010.
Despite training with the club, by time the date for his arrival approached, United backed out of the deal citing work permit difficulties - but the rumours were that they had simply gone cold on the Serbian.

He ended up at Fiorentina, where he endured a tough couple of years struggling to fulfil his potential, but this season has blossomed into the star he was always touted as.

Still only 21-years-old, his future is a hot topic of discussion due to the fact he has just one year remaining on his Fiorentina contract.

He has had a truly outstanding season, scoring 11 goals including a final day hat-trick, and providing six assists. His overall contribution to the team in terms of production even betters Stevan Jovetic, two years his senior, and the subject of a £24 million bid from Arsenal.

West Ham agree a fee of £15m for Liverpool striker Andy Carroll

Liverpool have accepted a £15m offer from West Ham United for Andy Carroll, a £20m loss on their record signing in 28 months, but face a struggle to convince the striker to sever his Anfield ties for Upton Park.

Carroll enjoyed an impressive yet injury-hit season on loan with Sam Allardyce's team, who have moved quickly to secure the 24-year-old on a long-term basis following their final Premier League game. West Ham are prepared to pay a club-record transfer fee to sign the striker around whom Allardyce intends to build his team, while Liverpool want to sell Carroll to generate extra transfer funds for the manager Brendan Rodgers

Striker target 'has left for medical at Arsenal'

Yaya Sanogo is reportedly about to undergo a medical at Arsenal.

Yaya Sanogo confirmed earlier today that Arsenal would be his first choice if he is to leave France, and according to Auxerre his decision is far more unconditional.

It is claimed that the striker has in fact decided to leave France and join Arsenal, informing his club of his decision earlier today.

Guy Cotret, Auxerre president told French newspaper l'Yonne Republicaine: "He gave us his answer. He chose to join Arsenal so has left to have his medical there."

Premier League, Scottish Premier League, Football League & European fans' table

Premier League attendances for 2012-13 have shown an increase of nearly 4% on the previous season.
The average attendance for a game in England's top flight was 35,975, up from 34,601 in 2011-12.

That rise has come during a difficult economic period, with the UK narrowly avoiding a triple-dip recession during the first quarter of 2013.

The official figures from the respective leagues show crowds have fluctuated across Europe, with Barcelona's average gate down by more than 9,000, an 11% drop.

Attendances at Inter Milan have fallen by more than 3,000, but new German champions Bayern Munich have seen an average increase of around 2,000.


The Scottish Premier League's average attendance fell by 28%, from 13,855 to 10,020, although that figure was skewed by the liquidation of Rangers, who reformed in the Scottish Third Division.

Celtic were one of six SPL clubs whose gates fell in 2012-13, with average crowds dropping from 50,904 to 46,917.

Rangers saw only a slight dip in attendances, though, attracting average crowds of 45,750 - down from 46,324 - as they won the Division Three title.

Club	2012-13 average	2011-12 average	Highest attendance 2012-13	Lowest attendance 2012-13
Aberdeen	9563	9297	18000	6334
Accrington Stanley	1674	1784	3010	1031
AFC Wimbledon	4060	4294	4749	3550
Ajax	51037	50044	53052	46772
Aldershot Town	2271	2864	3699	1178
Arsenal	60079	60000	60112	59872
Aston Villa	35059	33873	42084	28692
Barcelona	74911	84119	96589	56065
Barnet	2439	2288	6001	1483
Barnsley	10207	10331	15744	7844
Bayern Munich	71000	69000	71000	71000
Benfica	44706	38029	62553	24104
Birmingham City	16702	19126	19630	13532
Blackburn Rovers	14974	22551	20735	12230
Blackpool	13916	12764	15907	12653
Bolton Wanderers	18103	23669	24844	15675
Borussia Dortmund	80512	80521	80645	80000
Bournemouth	6852	5881	9135	4951
Bradford City	10322	10171	13461	8047
Brentford	6302	5643	12300	4384
Brighton & Hove Albion	26236	20029	30003	23703
Bristol City	13348	13907	19148	11836
Bristol Rovers	6308	6035	8646	4721
Burnley	12928	14048	21341	10450
Burton Albion	2859	2809	5426	1712
Bury	2749	3552	5213	1396
Cardiff City	22998	22100	26558	20058
Carlisle United	4302	5284	5965	3229
Celtic	46917	50904	57000	39959
Charlton Athletic	18499	17485	26185	15585
Chelsea	41462	41478	41794	38484
Cheltenham Town	3252	3424	5888	2195
Chesterfield	5431	9279	7322	3968
Colchester United	3529	3865	5862	2367
Coventry City	10948	15118	15185	8862
Crawley Town	3408	3212	5058	2544
Crewe Alexandra	4903	4124	6547	3770
Crystal Palace	17280	15219	22154	12757
Dagenham & Redbridge	1903	2090	3781	1227
Derby County	23228	26020	33010	20063
Doncaster Rovers	7238	9341	12785	5411
Dundee	5943	4223	11419	3674
Dundee United	7482	7482	13538	5117
Everton	36355	33228	39613	32510
Exeter City	4141	4474	6447	3249
Fleetwood Town	2855	2264	3705	2019
Fulham	25394	25293	25700	24087
Gillingham	6601	5146	11172	4380
Hartlepool United	3612	4960	4474	2502
Heart of Midlothian	13163	13381	17062	10080
Hibernian	10543	9909	16805	8121
Huddersfield Town	15113	14131	21614	11840
Hull City	17368	18790	23812	14756
Inter Milan	44828	47913	79341	39117
Inverness Caledonian Thistle	4038	4023	6766	2529
Ipswich Town	17526	18266	21988	15417
Juventus	38703	32610	40562	36109
Kilmarnock	4745	5537	6523	3572
Leeds United	21572	23379	25532	16788
Leicester City	22054	23036	25913	8585
Leyton Orient	4001	4298	5191	2664
Liverpool	44748	44253	45009	44263
Manchester City	46974	47044	47386	45579
Manchester United	75529	75387	75605	75142
Middlesbrough	16794	17557	28229	13377
Millwall	10559	11484	18013	8607
MK Dons	8611	8659	13620	6622
Morecambe	1954	2144	4029	1226
Motherwell	5362	5946	10496	3649
Newcastle United	50517	49935	52385	43858
Northampton Town	4785	4867	7471	3541
Norwich City	26671	26605	26842	26072
Nottingham Forest	23082	21969	28707	18748
Notts County	5521	6807	7608	3409
Oldham Athletic	4128	4432	6426	2969
Oxford United	5954	7451	7608	4906
Peterborough United	8215	9110	13938	5435
Plymouth Argyle	7095	6915	13251	5219
Port Vale	5727	4819	12496	4139
Portsmouth	12232	15044	18433	9815
Preston North End	9214	11820	12014	8013
PSG	43142	41921	45432	38102
Queens Park Rangers	17779	17295	18337	16658
Rangers	45750	46324	50048	23143
Reading	23862	19219	24184	22321
Real Madrid	71555	74678	84000	53000
Rochdale	2439	3108	5042	1551
Ross County	4343	2873	6110	2837
Rotherham United	7954	3498	11441	5632
Scunthorpe United	3348	4331	5533	2382
Sheffield United	18611	18701	23431	15744
Sheffield Wednesday	24078	21336	31375	18922
Shrewsbury Town	5735	5769	8021	4711
Southampton	30873	26419	31944	28004
Southend United	5034	5969	7498	3908
St Johnstone	3640	4170	6700	2167
St Mirren	4389	4493	6347	3065
Stevenage	3169	3558	4518	2374
Stoke City	26919	27225	27544	24421
Sunderland	40544	39095	47456	35628
Swansea City	20370	19946	20650	19603
Swindon Town	8528	8410	11381	7169
Torquay United	2709	2869	5666	1178
Tottenham Hotspur	36066	36026	36763	35534
Tranmere Rovers	6172	5130	10587	4177
Walsall	4234	4274	7504	2787
Watford	13453	12710	16968	11022
West Brom	25359	24798	26438	23854
West Ham	34719	30923	35005	33052
Wigan Athletic	19173	18633	23001	15436
Wolverhampton Wanderers	21662	25682	28595	18174
Wycombe Wanderers	3720	4843	7120	2365
Yeovil Town	4071	3984	6006	2900
York City	3878	3239	5975	2699