People sing their songs and anthems. Banners are unfurled, white flags with red crosses flutter in the breeze. The worship begins as the players run onto the field of play at the start of the match. According to the great Bill Shankly, "Some people think football's a matter of life and death. I can assure them it is much more serious than that". What can be more serious than life and death? Heaven and hell? Football is some religion!
Romelu Lukaku has permanently taken up the blue of Everton in favour
of the blue of Chelsea in a £28million move that saw the Toffees
demolish their club-record transfer fee.
The ex-Anderlecht youngster put pen to paper on a five-year deal,
£70,000-a-week deal with the Toffees, which will surely serve as a
living and breathing example of Everton’s ambitions to challenge for the
top four in years to come.
The Belgian international spent last season on loan at Goodirson
Park, where he scored 15 goals in 29 starts. His goals proved vital in
propelling Everton to a sixth place finish in the Premier League last
season in Roberto Martinez’s first season in charge of the club.
The talented forward had been linked to Everton throughout the
summer, but the rumours reached its peak, last evening when Lukaku
posted a picture of himself on social networking site, Twitter with the
caption 'Time to write a new chapter...'
The British press says that Manchester
United would be interested in making a bid for Real Madrid midfielder,
Luka Modric. As the website ‘Caughtoffside’ says, the team of Louis van
Gaal would have made an offer of 35 million euros by the Croatian.
Luka Modric has been one of the best
players of the season for Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti has as one of
his top men, it seems difficult to finally reach an agreement.
Yes, the man who has scored 16 goals in World Cup history and is
Germany’s all time top scorer isn’t even German. Klose is actually
Polish and lived in France until he was 8 after which he moved to
Germany. He had a chance to play for Poland in 2001 but decided against
it. The 36-year-old never refers to himself as German or Polish and
prefers to call himself European.
#2 He's lethal from close range
The striker is lethal from close range, and hardly scores from outside the penalty box. All of his 16 goals in World Cups have come from a distance of 12 yards or less? Poacher!
#3 Klose is a trained Carpenter
Before he became a professional footballer, he trained to be a carpenter and practiced the trade until he was 20. I guess his carpentry skills didn’t help him much, going by his goals for Germany in World Cups.
#4 Scored 5 goals in a single match for Lazio
Many people say Klose isn’t that prolific but what they should know is that he scores goals in bursts. The striker bagged 5 goals in a single match for Lazio in a 6-0
thrashing of Bologna becoming the only player till date to do so for the
club.
#5 Was shown an SS Banner by a few Lazio fans during a match
Klose was unwittingly caught in a storm back in 2011 when a group of
facist Lazio supporters held a banner with Klose’s picture along with
the logo of Hitler’s dreaded SS during the Rome derby. The striker was
disgusted by this and said: "Sport and politics are two separate
entities. I also feel disgusted that my name should be associated on the
same banner as the SS,".
#6 He’s Germany’s lucky charm
Klose is really lucky for Germany as
they have never lost a match in which the striker has scored.
Considering he has scored 71 times for Germany, that is a lot of
unbeaten matches for Argentina. German fans will be hoping that happens
against Argentina on Monday.
#7 Klose Is a staunch Catholic
The striker holds his religion extremely close to his heart and even met Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican back in 2012. Football must have surely been discussed as the former Pope is fond of Bayern Munich, one of Klose’s former clubs.
#8 His parents were both Sports persons
Klose got his sporting gene from his parents who were both athletes. His
mother Barbara played for Poland’s handball team and his father was a
footballer for French outfit AJ Auxerre.
#9 He's one of the fairest players around
Klose has displayed plenty of
fairplay during his career and won acclaim for two incidents; the first
being in 2005 while playing for Werder Bremen when he refused to take a
penalty due to the referee being incorrect and the second while playing
for Lazio back in 2012, when he admitted to handling the ball against
Napoli. The referee didn’t show Klose a yellow card but shook his hand for his honesty while the Napoli players patted him on the back.
#10 He has numerous records in the World Cup
If you thought that 16 goals in World Cups was his only record in the
competition then you’re wrong. The striker is one of the three players
to score 5 goals in two consecutive World Cups, score the most headers
in the World Cup with 5, score at least 4 goals in 3 different World
Cups and is the only player to appear in 4 World Cup semifinals. Legend.
#11 He's Germany's second most capped player
You’d be forgiven if you think that Klose has been a part of the German
national team since forever. The striker is Germany’s second most capped
player with 136 appearances. He only trails 1990 World Cup winner
Lothar Matthaus, who made 150 appearances from 1980 to 2000.
Dear Wayne Rooney,
I have been your fan right from the time you burst onto the scene as a
teenager during Euro 2004. After your incredibly eye catching
performances in Euro 2004, you were rightly heralded as a potential
world beater. I was doubly happy when my favorite club Manchester United
signed you. The transfer fee was quite hefty, but boy didn’t you start
repaying it fast. That hat trick on your Champions League debut against
Fenerbahce still lingers on in the memory.
Ten years have passed since that and you have provided us many more
great goals, memories and performances.You have broken many records in
your time here and stand to break a few more. 216 goals, just 23 behind
all-time leading goal scorer for Manchester United, Dennis Law. It
shouldn’t take long to break that.
The club has enjoyed unparalleled success on all fronts during your
time here. A Champions League crown and five Premier League titles
are testament to that success. We have been the most successful club in
England, outdoing moneybag competitors like Manchester City and Chelsea.
During this period many players have contributed heavily. Ronaldo,
Scholes, Giggs, Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand etc. have been pivotal. But none
have enthralled and enervated in equal measure like you have. During the
good times you have embodied the spirit of the club. Skillful and
hardworking, talented and determined, tenacious and unflappable.
You have been a central driving figure in all the successes. Fans will
always be indebted to you for that.
Probably the best goal you have ever scored.
At the blooming stages of your career, fans predicted continued high
standards from you. The expectation was a Ballon d’Or and a career graph
scaling the heights of contemporary greats of the game like Messi,
Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka etc. Those expectations were not unjustified
too. The pace, power and drive that you had, the maturity in your game
at such a budding stage of your career. It was very impressive, it
seemed like England has finally found its own world-beater and
Manchester United, another gem.
But let’s get this straight, your career has not progressed the way
everyone envisaged it would. Instead of consistent good performances we
have gotten regular highs and lows with periods of mediocrity. There was
the odd season when fans thought that you had finally come of age. But
the next season would be below your potential again. Phrases like
‘typical over hyped English striker’, ‘spoiled brat’ and ’prodigal son’
are thrown around regularly in your context.
What is more frustrating is that, the reasons for these lacklustre
performances are due to reasons other than pure footballing ones. You
never seemed to be in the right frame of mind and you struggled with
fitness. Mainly though, that single minded love and dedication you had
towards Manchester United has waned significantly of late. Which means
that even when you are playing well, the fans are unsure how long it
will last. It’s like dreading the end of a great movie you are watching.
You don’t want it to end as you are not sure when you will watch
something so good again.
England’s expected yet surprisingly dismal campaign at the World Cup
has sent waves of criticism and disappointment throughout fan bases.
Your personal failure must also be particularly painstaking. This should
have been your World Cup, the one where you become the main man for
England and inspire a dysfunctional team. The one where you finally
shine on the biggest stage in football. But far from being the main man,
you were stuck out on the left wing against Italy and struggled as a
result.
Wayne Rooney had a dismal campaign for England at the World Cup in Brazil
Sturridge was deemed a better striker and Sterling the better number
10, which might have shattered your confidence, but you did put on a
brave face for the team. It was overall, a disappointing campaign
personally and collectively for England and it's hard to imagine you
being an important figure in the next world cup at the age 32-33.
Commiserations on your World cup failures, Wayne.
Shifting focus to Manchester United, remember the transfer requests,
sir? Two requests submitted; pardoned. Earnings of £300K per week,
undeservedly ranking you as one of the highest earners along with some
of the world's best; granted. Even given an ambassadorial role at the
club upon retirement, an honor not extended to true legends like Giggs
and Scholes yet. It is clear you deemed it acceptable to hold the club
down to ransom according to your whims.
Fans are clever enough to see all this and do not hold you in good
regard for these actions. Your inconsistency and constant sulking has
been hurting the team badly. Before the start of every season there is
questions over your form, fitness and mindset. Five years ago, no fan
would even remotely think of Wayne Rooney leaving United, but now it's a
distinct possibility. Yet, whenever you have stepped on to the pitch,
the fans have never failed to appreciate you or stand by you.
The club is ushering in a new and exciting era under Dutch phenomenon
Louis Van Gaal. There is heightened optimism in all corners that he
will bring back the club to where it belongs, the top. He not only has
great knowledge and understanding of the game. For more than two decades
Sir Alex ran the club under his tutelage with incredible efficiency and
an uncompromising hunger for success and he will be remembered fondly.
But a change was needed, a new direction was required. David Moyes
wasn't the right man and his stint showed just how daunting a manager's
task becomes when he doesn't get the backing of the players. Van Gaal
won't let that happen.
Sir Alex Ferguson was a key figure in Wayne Rooney’s rise to the top.
It is well known that Van Gaal refuses to bow down to anyone,
attested by the high profile fallouts he has had with top players like
Rivaldo, Luca Toni, Frank Ribery etc. He is known to take tough and
unpopular decisions for the team which may not be good news for you if
you don’t start performing. He is known to instill a footballing
philosophy and discipline throughout the club, the benefit of which
we will reap for a long time to come. But a leader is only as good as
his team. No individual is more important than the club and every player
will be expected to give his best for the team.
The stakes are really high. Another mediocre season or two and
Manchester United maybe looking at a Liverpool like abyss from where it
may take decades to get back to the top again. Do we want that
Wayne? The message to you from the fans is simple, loud and clear. Fall
in line, earn your place in the side and contribute your bit to this new
and important era for the Club. Fail to do that and you may well get
booted out this time which no true United fan would like.
Pre-season is upon us, a very important one. New strategies have been
tried so as to play two strikers up front which may mean good news for
you and Robin van Persie, all the early signs are quite positive. Every
United fan wants Wayne Rooney to do well, score goals, provide assists,
make tackles, launch long balls forward, make incisive passes and as a
result play a prominent role in landing many more trophies at Manchester
United.
But what we also really wish for is the Wayne Rooney with a smile to
drive the club forward like he used to, the Rooney who enjoyed playing
for United and took immense pride in wearing the jersey. We would like
that Rooney back please, not the sulky one. You have always been called
as the quintessential team man, on the field. More of that please, this
time for the greater good of the team, for the fans and the club.
Manchester United and Wayne Rooney has been a true romantic
relationship. Tons of happy memories, lots of compromises, an odd case
of infidelity, but always a huge dose of mutual love and respect. Let
bygones be bygones, we want the relationship to continue. Here's hoping
that both the club and you return to where we belong, at the top. Hope
you have a great 2014/15 season ahead and provide us many more memories
to cherish. Regards, Pradyumna D S Manchester United loyalist and Wayne Rooney fan.
Cristiano Ronaldo Rejected Million Dollar TV Commercial Of Pepsi Because
He Said ''PEPSI Used To Donate Money To Israel Soldiers'' Even He
Refuse To Exchange Jersey With Israel Players Because He Said ''I Don't Exchange My Shirt With Assassins''
Liverpool have pulled out of a potential £8.5m Loic Remy move from
Queens Park Rangers after the striker fails to clear the medical.
The French striker was to be unveiled as the new Liverpool striker as
one of the most crucial signings of the summer for the club right after
the medical. However, the Reds have now told QPR that the deal is off
the table.
The 27-year-old forward had agreed personal terms with Liverpool and
he was all set to take the No.7 jersey that was recently vacated by
Luis Suarez.
Remy, who was out on loan last season to Newcastle was on the sidelines for a majority of the season with a calf injury.
Meanwhile, both the clubs have declined to comment on the reasons that forced the Merseyside club to look elsewhere.
With the Premier League season less than a month away, this turn of
events is a major blow to Brendan Rodgers. The manager will now have to
resume his search for another striker that could act as a replacement
for Luis Suarez in the squad.
The Argentine winger faces being shipped out to pay
for the former Atletico striker as Real seek competition for Karim
Benzema this season
By Ben Hayward | Spanish Football Writer
Real Madrid are holding out for €60 million for Argentina winger Angel Di Maria and plan to use the money to fund a big-money move for Monaco striker Radamel Falcao.
Di
Maria is a target for Paris Saint-Germain, but the French champions are
yet to meet Madrid's valuation for the 26-year-old and the Argentine
could yet stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, Madrid are keen
to push through a sale to recoup some funds in another intense period
of summer spending, which has already seen the club pay €30m for Toni
Kroos and €80m for James Rodriguez.
James' Colombia and former
Monaco team-mate Falcao could also arrive this summer for a fee in the
region of €40m, but Madrid will wait until late in the window to see how
he recovers from the anterior cruciate ligament rupture which saw him
miss the World Cup.
"Right up until the last day something can
happen," Madrid president Florentino Perez said this week. "Be it buying
players or selling them."
Last year, Real brought in Gareth Bale
and sold Mesut Ozil right at the end of the window and this time the
last-minute action could involve Di Maria and Falcao, with Levante
goalkeeper Keylor Navas set to seal a move next week.
Di Maria is
unhappy at being used as a transfer pawn for the second summer in a
row, especially after his brilliant performances helped the club claim
the Copa del Rey and the Champions League last term, and is set for
showdown talks with the board when he returns to training on August 5.
Madrid
play in six competitions next season and coach Carlo Ancelotti would
prefer to keep Di Maria, but the Italian also knows Madrid need another
centre-forward after selling Alvaro Morata to Juventus earlier this
summer.
Benzema is now the club's only senior striker and if the
club decide to keep Di Maria (and sell Sami Khedira and Isco instead),
Madrid may take Falcao on loan for a fee of €12m with a view to a
permament deal for around €35m next summer, allowing Ancelotti to assess
his fitness after the injury and Perez to raise funds for the move in
2015.
Ángel di María's days at Real Madrid
are numbered. The midfielder's move to PSG could be made official as early as
the beginning of this coming week, as soon as the Parisians have offloaded
fellow Argentinian duo Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Pastore. This is a crucial
hoop the club has to jump through in order to meet Financial Fair Play
restrictions and still sign one of the hottest properties on the market this
summer.
PSG are set to pay Real Madrid €65
million for Di María, making him the club's most expensive sale ever,
outstripping the €50m Arsenal paid for Mesut Özil last year.
The silky left-footer will put pen
to paper on a five-year contract at the Parc des Princes, with a salary of €8
million after tax per season - almost double what he earns at 'Los Blancos'.
This is a big step up financially for the Argentine, who would have been
hard-pressed to negotiate a similar contract at Real.
Real's third departure
Di María will be following Álvaro Morata and Casemiro out of the Real exit
door. PSG want the Argentine to report for duty by 5th August, the day when he
would otherwise have been expected back at the Bernabéu, where he will be
sorely missed by coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Ángel
di María's days at Real Madrid are numbered. The midfielder's move to
PSG could be made official as early as the beginning of this coming
week, as soon as the Parisians have offloaded fellow Argentinian duo
Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Pastore. This is a crucial hoop the club has
to jump through in order to meet Financial Fair Play restrictions and
still sign one of the hottest properties on the market this summer.
PSG are set to pay Real Madrid €65 million for Di María, making him
the club's most expensive sale ever, outstripping the €50m Arsenal paid
for Mesut Özil last year.
The silky left-footer will put pen to paper on a five-year contract
at the Parc des Princes, with a salary of €8 million after tax per
season - almost double what he earns at 'Los Blancos'. This is a big
step up financially for the Argentine, who would have been hard-pressed
to negotiate a similar contract at Real. Real's third departure Di María will be
following Álvaro Morata and Casemiro out of the Real exit door. PSG want
the Argentine to report for duty by 5th August, the day when he would
otherwise have been expected back at the Bernabéu, where he will be
sorely missed by coach Carlo Ancelotti.
The transfer is a dubious one on many levels. Firstly, his age. The most
expensive signing of a defender aged 30 or over in history, almost
doubling what Real Madrid paid for Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 - and he
would win the Ballon d'Or that year.
What's more, he has signed a
four-year deal with the option of a fifth - lengthy considering his
relatively modest top-level experience. And to top it all, his release
clause last summer was €10m before signing a new deal in July. At that price, and a year younger, the deal might have been more palatable.
Secondly,
Mathieu is a left-back by trade, and was even employed as a left winger
by Valencia. Only in the past two seasons has he regularly featured in
the centre, and he will still probably begin the campaign as the club's
fourth best in that position after Gerard Pique, Marc Bartra and Javier
Mascherano. The overriding concern has been the shoehorning of the likes
of Sergio Busquets, Alex Song and Mascherano in alongside Pique or
Bartra - essentially taking players out of their natural habitat. It's
difficult to recognise the difference here.
Then we must bring Luis Suarez into the equation. An €88m
integration into a team that scored 148 goals in all competitions in
2013-14, with all the baggage that he brings with him, seems to be a
monumental and avoidable risk made all the more galling considering the
middling option taken on Mathieu. Barca have had the opportunity to
prove how serious they are about building a team again. There are
options out there, many of them. Mateo Musacchio delivered another
excellent campaign for Villarreal, is 23 and would have cost less.
Matija Nastasic may well be surplus to requirements at Manchester City,
but is 21 and has years to develop.
At the high end of the market, Mats Hummels remains one of the best
defenders in the world. Given what's just been thrown to Liverpool in
exchange for Suarez, a bid to at least test Borussia Dortmund's resolve
could have led to his capture. The argument, one that's been peddled for
five years now, is that there are no centre-backs out there good enough
for Barcelona. It's patently not the case in the current market.
And
that's where future Barca and the previous incarnation disappear on
diverging paths. From a club drilled on the philosophy of La Masia,
developing their own prodigious talents to supplement superstar
signings, they now appear more keen to follow the Real Madrid doctrine.
Buy world stars, and ask questions later.
Suarez wasn't
necessary, in the same way that James Rodriguez wasn't necessary for
Madrid. But the precedent appears to have been set. Neymar, Messi,
Suarez... and whoever else we have left. Cesc Fabregas, Thiago
Alcantara, Victor Valdes, Carles Puyol - the Catalan heart of the team
has dispersed. Xavi, an ageing legend, looks to be retained. At every
turn, logic and long-term consideration seem inconsequential.
Luis Enrique may see this summer of huge upheaval as necessary change.
"We
are going to do it my way, no doubt about that. I am not going to do
what everyone else might tell me. Results will tell the tale of whether I
got it right or whether I'm crazy," he said.
Make no mistake, this will be his team. But will it still be Barcelona?
The
Red Devils beat LA Galaxy 7-0 in their first pre-season match of the
summer, with Jonny Evans, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling all starting in a
back line similar to Van Gaal's Netherlands team at the World Cup.
New
recruit Luke Shaw and Ecuador international Antonio Valencia operated
as wing-backs and the new boss explained that it was a sign of things to
come.
"We introduced a new system that we have only played two
times on the training pitch 11 versus 11," the Dutchman told reporters
post-game, "but the boys are willing to pick up the information. It is
fantastic how they have performed.
"When you want to change a system, you must start at once. We don't have time to prepare for other things.
"The
other system they can play is 4-3-3 and they have played it for many
years. I can change back if the system doesn't work. With the quality of
the players we have, I can play 4-3-3 with three strikers on the bench
but I want to play with two strikers."
Van Gaal believes that
United's performance against the Galaxy will help instil confidence in
his players as they attempt to become more familiar with the new system.
"It was not just the goals but the beautiful attacks," enthused the 62-year-old.
"I
never go back, I always want to see the future. When I see my team
playing a new system, it is better to win 7-0 than to lose because the
players will then doubt the system but now I don't have that problem."
However,
Van Gaal also acknowledged that his squad lack "balance", with the
likes of Juan Mata and Shinji Kagawa offering similar characteristics.
"We
have four No.10s so the selection is not balanced, in my eyes," he
added. "I have decided to play this system because of the quality of the
players but, if we lose, I can change back to another system."
The Costa Rica goalkeeper has been stuck in transfer
limbo since the World Cup ended but he believes his situation will be
sorted in the next week
Levante goalkeeper Keylor Navas has hinted that a move to Real Madrid is just "around the corner" and predicts it will be sorted within a week.
The
27-year-old had an impressive 2013-14 Liga campaign then was one of the
standout players in the World Cup in Brazil, where he helped Costa Rica
to reach the quarter-finals which his performances between the posts.
A
move to Real Madrid has been heavily rumoured since the end of the
World Cup, despite nothing official being announced, and Navas revealed
that his future will be solidified in the coming seven days.
"I would love to say something's sorted right now, but it's something I don't know for sure yet," he said in a chat with Movistar.
"It's
around the corner, we hope that next week it will all be sorted, so
that my family and I can calm down a little, and to be able to tell
everyone where our new home will be.
"There will be time enough to tell everyone what my new situation is going to be."
Navas'
expected arrival at the Santiago Bernabeu is expected to usurp Diego
Lopez as the No.1 shot-stopper under Carlo Ancelotti and Iker Casillas'
future at the club is also under question.
The Levante goalkeeper
would be the third major signing of the summer for the reigning
European champions, who have also signed Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich
and James Rodriguez from Monaco in July.
Goal
understands that negotiations to bring the 23-year-old to the Vicente
Calderon began over a month ago but that the two Liga clubs are close to
finalising a deal and confirmation could be imminent.
Although
Griezmann's release clause is €30m, Real Sociedad are aware they are
unlikely to get such an offer from any interested parties and are
instead hoping to convince Atletico to part with €25m.
Atletico's
desire to sign the France international, who impressed in his
appearances at the World Cup, had largely gone under the radar but they
look set to have beaten reported suitors Arsenal, Tottenham and Monaco
to his signature.
Griezmann has been with Real Sociedad since
2005, when he arrived at youth level, and has a contract at the Anoeta
until 2016, however he has ambitions to play at a club with whom he can
consistently play Champions League football.
Atletico appealed to
the forward as they showed under Diego Simeone last season - when they
won La Liga and were runners up in the Champions League - that they can
go toe-to-toe with the best in the country and Europe.
Griezmann
would follow striker Mario Mandzukic, signed from Bayern Munich earlier
this month, as the latest high profile summer signing from the
Rojiblancos, while Manchester United man Javier Hernandez also remains a
possible target.
The 36-year-old returns to Stamford Bridge having left in 2012 after winning the Champions League.
Drogba,
who featured for Cote d'Ivoire at the World Cup earlier this summer,
has scored 157 goals in 341 appearances for Chelsea and has also won
three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups with the
club.
"It was an easy decision,” the striker told the club’s official website.
"I
couldn't turn down the opportunity to work with Jose again. Everyone
knows the special relationship I have with this club and it has always
felt like home to me.
"My desire to win is still the same and I
look forward to the opportunity to help this team. I am excited for this
next chapter of my career."
Cristiano Ronaldo is about to become a YOUNG MONEY CASH MONEY BILLIONAIRE ... because sources tell TMZ Sports Lil Wayne is starting his own sports management company and Ronaldo will be client #1.
Our
sources tell us ... Weezy has been wanting to get into the sports
management game for a while and has had his sights set on the Team
Portugal stud ... not just because he's a huge sports star, but because
they're friends.
We're told Weezy's company will be working with
PolarisSports -- which is affiliated with the CAA agency and GestiFute
-- through which Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes operates.
Our
sources tell us Wayne's company will handle Ronaldo's sports management
affairs in the United States -- everything from branding to marketing
and endorsement deals. Even modeling.
Seems Ronaldo is pumped
about the situation -- he just posted a photo with the Prime Minister of
Japan along with other Japanese politicians ... and they were all
throwing up the YMCMB sign.
Atlético Madrid officially finalised the transfer for Croatian international striker, Mario Mandzukic in a€22
million move from Bayern Munich almost two weeks ago and despite the
28-year-old having already participated in the club’s first week of
training, Los Colchoneros will finally formally present the player to
the media this Thursday.
In a statement via the club’s website, Atleti announced that
Mandzukic would be formally presented and speak with the media before
changing into his new number ’9′ kit and greeting the fans.
The club had encouraged every fan to come to the Vicente Calderon, free of charge, to welcome the Croatian star.
The England striker scored from the penalty spot and
tapped home from close-range as the Premier League giants ran riot at
the Pasadena Rose Bowl in the Dutchman's first game
New
recruits Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw were handed starts, while Van Gaal
- David Moyes' replacement - opted for a 3-4-1-2 formation that was
similar to that used by the Netherlands at the World Cup in Brazil.
The change in system proved effective during the early exchanges and Welbeck
got the ball rolling in the 13th minute, benefiting from an advantage
following a foul on Juan Mata before striking the ball off the post and
into the net from a full 25 yards.
United gained a stranglehold of proceedings in the 42nd minute, when Rooney
converted a spot-kick after the referee awarded a penalty for handball
against the Galaxy, who are fourth in the Western Conference standings
in MLS.
Rooney then put the result beyond doubt
on the stroke of half-time, pouncing on some awful defending to bundle
the ball over the line for his second of the match.
Van Gaal made
wholesale changes at the break, with Darren Fletcher and Herrera the
only two players to keep their places in the XI, and it ultimately
disrupted the flow of the game.
However, Young cut the ball back in the box and it found its way to James, who scored a similar goal to Welbeck just past the hour-mark, before the 20-year-old struck again with five minutes remaining.
But United were not done there with Young getting in on the action with two goals in as many minutes during the closing stages to add some sheen to the scoreline.
Real Madrid Castilla have signed a
new left-back, whom they hope to groom as a future Real Madrid first-choice
number 3. That player is Abner Felipe Souza de Almeida who wears 'Abner' on the
back of his shirt, an 18-year-old Brazilian who has joined 'Los Blancos' on a
free transfer after leaving Brazilian club Coritiba.
He is one of South America's most
promising talents, a first-choice member of the Brazil Under-17 squad that
played in last year's World Cup. It was there that he tore the cruciate
ligament in his left knee, which ruled him out of a move to Roma after the
Italian side had expressed an interest in him.
Now fully recovered and at Real
Madrid, he wants to prove that comparisons with Roberto Carlos are not wrong.
He is a quick player, great going forward and solid in defence. He visited
Valdebebas a few months ago and has already trained there with his new team.
His performances with the Brazilian
Under-17s caught the eye of many scouts, but Real Madrid were quickest off the
mark. First it was Roberto Carlos, then Marcelo and now it is Abner Felipe
Souza's turn.
James Rodriguez‘s arrival at Real Madrid is not the only thing that the white club and AS Monaco have negotiated. According to the newspaper ‘MARCA‘, both clubs have put on the table the name of Diego Lopez.
Initially, the Principality club wanted to include in the transfer of
the Colombian the Galician goalkeeper, but the Madrid flatly refused
and negotiations, if it produces, would be different.
Monegasque is looking for a goalkeeper in this summer market, to compete with the Croatian Subasic. Romero,
goalkeeper with Argentina and second goalkeeper with Monaco last
season, will return to his home club, Sampdoria. In addition, the Gauls
have rejected the signing of Victor Valdes, because he failed the medical examination.
With all this, AS Monaco has to sign a goal and Diego sounds too
hard. Real Madrid have opened the exit door and they are nearby to close
the signing of Keylor Navas. But the operation is not simple. As Diego have a contract with the club until 2017 and both he and his agent Manuel Garcia Quilon, are not willing to leave the current European champions.
With all this, in the Madrid offices are aware that Iker Casillas and Diego have to go out and try to leave the Galician thanks to the interest of AS Monaco.
Bayern Munich coach Josep Guardiola
has asked the German side to make an effort to adapt to his footballing ideas
with an eye on his second season in the dugout at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern Munich coach Josep Guardiola
has asked the German side to make an effort to adapt to his footballing ideas
with an eye on his second season in the dugout at the Allianz Arena.
"I came here to do the best job
possible, as I did at Barcelona. I came to a country which was different from
where I was born and grew up and that sees football differently. I'm trying to
adapt and also trying to get everyone here to adapt to my ideas, but that is a
process. It can't be achieved in just one year," explained the Spanish
coach.
After a year with the German
champions, Guardiola is certain about one thing: "It is no secret. If I
don't win more trophies, a new coach will probably come in next year,"
said the Spaniard, who clinched an impressive four-title haul in his first
campaign.
"We won the Bundesliga with a
record points tally, we won the cup and it was an incredible season,"
noted Guardiola, whose team saw the most sought-after trophy of all, the
Champions League, slip through its grasp.
"It was a shame to lose to Real
Madrid in the way that we did. Not the fact that we lost, because losing is
always a possibility," rued the former Barcelona coach. Bayern capitulated
in the semi-finals, succumbing 5-0 to 'Los Blancos' on aggregate as Ancelotti's
side marched towards their long-awaited 'Décima'.
Bayern
Munich coach Josep Guardiola has asked the German side to make an
effort to adapt to his footballing ideas with an eye on his second
season in the dugout at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern
Munich coach Josep Guardiola has asked the German side to make an
effort to adapt to his footballing ideas with an eye on his second
season in the dugout at the Allianz Arena.
"I came here to do the best job possible, as I did at Barcelona. I
came to a country which was different from where I was born and grew up
and that sees football differently. I'm trying to adapt and also trying
to get everyone here to adapt to my ideas, but that is a process. It
can't be achieved in just one year," explained the Spanish coach.
After a year with the German champions, Guardiola is certain about
one thing: "It is no secret. If I don't win more trophies, a new coach
will probably come in next year," said the Spaniard, who clinched an
impressive four-title haul in his first campaign.
"We won the Bundesliga with a record points tally, we won the cup and
it was an incredible season," noted Guardiola, whose team saw the most
sought-after trophy of all, the Champions League, slip through its
grasp.
"It was a shame to lose to Real Madrid in the way that we did. Not
the fact that we lost, because losing is always a possibility," rued the
former Barcelona coach. Bayern capitulated in the semi-finals,
succumbing 5-0 to 'Los Blancos' on aggregate as Ancelotti's side marched
towards their long-awaited 'Décima'.
