Chelsea have scored nine goals in their last two games following a difficult start under interim manager Rafael Benitez with misfiring striker Fernando Torres netting four times.

Monterrey beat South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai 3-1 in the quarter-finals at the weekend after experiencing a powerful earthquake following their arrival in Japan.

“I’m sure Chelsea will score goals tomorrow,” he said. “They are a strong, physical side and technically skilful.

“We have great respect for them, they are one of the top teams in the world and in the Premier League but we have talent too,” said the 57-year-old.

“We will look to show our quality. You always want to win the biggest tournaments regardless who your opponents. We want to write a new page in Monterrey’s history.

“We passed the first step and we are even more motivated for the next game and to show our strengths.”

Asked if beating Chelsea would be the biggest result ever for a Mexican club, Vucetich replied: “Yes, of course. We know Chelsea very well but I believe we can win.”

Vucetich said he was stunned that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had fired Italian Roberto Di Matteo last month and replaced him, at least temporarily, with Benitez.

“I was very much surprised they suddenly changed the manager,” he said. “They played under one coach in the Champions League and he’s not coming.

“However, Benitez is a big coach and very capable manager with experience of big matches,” he added of the Spaniard, who won the 2010 Club World Cup with Inter Milan in Abu Dhabi.

Original post:
World Football – Monterrey coach: Chelsea will score but we can beat them

The Brazil striker reacted angrily after the coach substituted him late in the game at the San Siro, which Zenit won 1-0.

Spalletti was seen extending his hand, trying to greet Hulk as he was leaving the pitch but the Brazilian just walked by without looking at the coach before having a heated discussion with the Zenit staff near the sideline.

“If the situation with the coach does not resolve itself I may leave the club in the January transfer window,” Hulk, 26, was quoted as saying by local media.

Spalletti hit back at the striker after initially playing down the incident.

“Hulk can say anything he wants, but if I decide to change him during the game it means I’m not happy with his play,” Spalletti was quoted as saying by local media on Wednesday.

“Hulk is mistaken if he thinks he should play for 90 minutes all the time. He said he wants to leave? Then, it’s his choice and I can do nothing about it,” added the Italian.

“As for myself, I’m not going anywhere.”

Earlier Spalletti said: “All big players don’t react well when they’re substituted. The most important thing is that we won the game.”

The Russian champions beat Milan thanks to a first half strike by captain Danny in their final Group C match to finish third and qualify for the Europa League.

Hulk has had a tough time settling in St Petersburg, with several senior Zenit players apparently unhappy after the club splashed out a Russian league record 60 million euros just before the transfer deadline to sign the striker.

Read this article:
World Football – Hulk threatens to quit Zenit after Spalletti spat

Twente have 34 points from 15 matches, one more than PSV and three ahead of third-placed Vitesse Arnhem who host Roda JC Kerkrade on Sunday.

Den Haag’s Tjaronn Chery was sent off in the 49th minute and the home team quickly took advantage as Dmitry Bulykin set up Dusan Tadic for a goal six minutes later.

Russian Bulykin then made it 2-0 with seven minutes to go to earn coach Steve McClaren’s team their first victory since November 4.

Ajax, playing in front of a 51,064 crowd in Amsterdam, were rewarded for a bright start when Siem de Jong headed in after 29 minutes.

Jeremain Lens equalised for PSV seven minutes later with a curling, angled shot that beat keeper Kenneth Vermeer.

PSV missed good chances to go in front through Lens and Tim Matavz before Danny Hoesen restored the lead for Ajax with a near-post finish following excellent work from Viktor Fischer who beat three opponents in the 72nd minute.

Fischer made sure of victory with three minutes to go, pouncing on a poor header from Dries Mertens to hand PSV their second straight defeat.

“That was a fully-deserved win because we applied very aggressive pressure and never allowed PSV to play their game,” Ajax coach Frank de Boer told reporters.

De Boer’s side are fourth on 30 points, ahead on goal difference of Feyenoord who beat RKC Waalwijk 2-0 in the battle between coaching brothers Ronald and Erwin Koeman.

Italian Graziano Pelle headed the opener for Ronald’s men on the stroke of half-time before adding the second 12 minutes into the second period, controlling the ball on his chest and volleying home to lift his league tally this season to 10 goals.

See the rest here:
World Football – Twente go top with victory after PSV are beaten again

The call-up puts Ameobi in line to play at the upcoming African Nations Cup finals, which would mean missing matches in January and possibly February for his club who are already losing midfielder Cheik Tiote to the continental championship in South Africa.

“This is a big chance for Shola to fight for a place alongside other strikers hoping to be in South Africa,” Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi said in a BBC interview.

Ameobi is a former England under-21 international but last year was granted FIFA permission to change his international allegiance.

The high-profile switch came as Nigeria missed out on a place at the 2012 Nations Cup finals. When Keshi took over as coach, Nigeria lost interest in Ameobi.

The 31-year-old now gets a chance for an international debut after a change of heart from the coach who is turning to overseas-based talent to beef up the squad for the Nations Cup finals.

“He brings something special, a different dimension to the team,” Keshi said of Ameobi.

The coach also called up teenager Ogenyi Onazi from Italian club Lazio for a possible debut and recalled Obafemi Martins of Levante.

See more here:
World Football – Ameobi to finally get Nigeria chance

The midfielder was demoted to Zenit’s reserve team in September after he refused to play for the Russian champions and issued an ultimatum demanding his contract be renegotiated.

Denisov was unhappy the wealthy club, bankrolled by Russian energy giant Gazprom, had splashed out more than 60 million on Brazil striker Hulk and Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel just before the transfer deadline, media reports said.

Denisov’s dispute coincided with a poor run by Zenit. They went on a five-game winless streak in domestic and European competition, piling pressure on coach Luciano Spalletti.

On Thursday the 28-year-old was allowed to rejoin the first-team squad after issuing an apology.

“I made a wrong decision… but it took time to understand it all,” he was quoted as saying by the club’s website.

“I have a valid contract with the club and I must honour it… I grew up at Zenit and I want to help the club very much.”

Zenit said: “The club’s management has decided that Igor Denisov can train with the first team from November 1.”

Spalletti said Denisov’s return would not disrupt a “good atmosphere” within the team.

“I’m not going to tell you all the details, it’s our own little secret,” the Italian told reporters.

“But if you want to know something, I can tell you that when this whole thing started Hulk came to me and said ‘Coach, if I asked the management would it help bring Denisov back?’ This should tell you about the atmosphere in our team.”

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World Football – Denisov apologises to Zenit, returns to training

12-10-2012 20:45 Striking sensation Falcao enhanced his growing reputation as his two goals in front of the home crowd at the Roberto Melendez stadium gave Columbia a vital 2-0 win which keeps them at the top of the South American qualifying table. Love Football is your premier destination for world football highlights, news, and behind the scenes access. For football coverage from Italian Serie A, German Bundesliga, French Ligue 1, MLS, Brazilian Serie A, and dozens of other leagues and competitions, please subscribe. Subscribe- LoveFootball – Facebook – Twitter -

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Colombia vs. Paraguay (2-0) 2014 World Cup Qualifying Highlights [12 October 2012] – Video

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

Award-winning social entertainment company Bigballs Films is giving football fans a fresh perspective on the game and putting them at the heart of the experience with a new YouTube football channel – Copa90, launched as part of YouTubes original channels initiative.

After launching almost a hundred channels in the US, YouTube has announced plans to bring new original channels across UK, France and Germany, created specifically for todays connected viewers, to its platform. Well-known personalities and content producers from TV, film, music, news, and sports, as well as some of the most innovative new media companies in the world and some of YouTubes own existing partners, will launch new, advertising-supported channels for YouTubes worldwide audience. Bigballs Films is launching a football channel as part of this new initiative.

Covering the wide world of football beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch, Copa90 brings fresh entertainment, opinion, performance, humour and music formats that reflect the fans agony, ecstasy, humour and love for the game and allows them to shape the content. Aimed at young, male European football fans, selected strands will translated into French, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian and Polish.

Launch formats include:

The Best YouTube Football Clip Show Ever – Chris Cohen scours YouTube to serve up the very best football clips of the week, adding his unique comedic spin and viewers post clip ideas for the next weeks show. From professional footballers embarrassing themselves, to balls in the face and insane goals, this is an irreverent celebration of the world of football.

Comments Below – a presenter-led show discussing the weeks biggest footballing stories, where the community gets to set the agenda by posting their comments. From a refs decision, to a player getting caught with his trousers down, no topic is offside and its all down to the viewers.

Footballers Are People Too Theres more to the modern footballer than huge pay cheques, flash cars, and goals. Just like the fans they have everyday lives, and for the first time Copa 90 gets access to footballing heroes to show a side of them never seen before. In the launch show Norwich and England keeper John Ruddy shares his love of horticulture. Who knew?

Kit presenter double act Tim and Gendle put claims about the latest kit – from shirts to shin pads and balls to video games to the test. Using original, off the wall methods they go out on location to find out if the claims stack up. Is the new premiership ball really the most visible ball ever? Can you drink Liverpools new shirt claiming to be made of coffee? Tim and Gendle are on a mission to find out.

Goal! – a humorous format that celebrates the goal scorer in all of us. When Balls of Steels presenter Neg sees a goal he just cant resist the challenge of scoring. Goal! sees Neg and his football wandering the streets of Europe trying to score in the in the unlikeliest of places – from a market stall in East London, to a multi-storey car park entrance in Prague and the Arc de Triomphe.

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Bigballs Films Launches YouTube Football Channel ‘Copa90’

ANALYSISBy Peter PedroncelliAfrican players grace football pitches the world over, and the appreciation they receive has grown due to their impact throughout the top championships, including those of the Italian Serie A, Spain’s La Liga and the English Premier League, amongst many others.There are certain moments where the spotlight has been firmly fixed on the African game. Some players have broken records, while others won awards or formed part of teams which changed public opinion with regards to African football.Below, Goal.com runs through the 10 moments that put African football firmly on the map.

10. Unknown Senegal defeat World & Euro champions France

An exciting moment for Africa, few would have expected an upset in the opening game of the 2002 World Cup between defending champions France and little known Senegal. The Teranga Lions had a point to prove, however, with many of their players employed in the French Ligue 1 alongside a number of their illustrious opponents.The game ended 1-0 in favour of the Senegalese, who had gained the respect and love of neutral supporters throughout the world, while uniting African fans all over the continent as Senegalese sympathisers for the duration of the tournament and beyond.The west Africans went on to equal Cameroon’s record of a quarter-final finish at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, remaining undefeated until a 1-0 golden goal loss to Turkey at the last eight stage.In so doing they carved a place for that national team in World Cup history – a place that is still yet to be overshadowed by another African side, though Ghana came bitterly close at the 2010 event in South Africa.

9. Abedi Pele wins 1993 Uefa Champions League with Marseille

Abedi Pele is known as one of Ghana and Africa’s greatest ever players, and one of the reasons for that perception is the fact that he was successful in Europe with his French club, Marseille.Africas appetite for football is unrivalled, particularly for the top leagues in Europe where most of its best players develop, but the Ghanaian legend was one of Africa’s first real superstars to do well in the top competitions and Uefa Champions League, proving instrumental in leading Marseille to the final of the Champions League.In 1993 he made the entire African continent proud when he won the elite club competition with his French team, defeating the mighty Milan 1-0 in the final. It was the first time that a French team had won the European Cup, and no French side has repeated that feat since.The number 10 on that day for the victors was Abedi Pele, and he became a European champion following his man of the match performance for the Ligue 1 outfit.

8. George Weah wins European and World Footballer of the Year awards

George Weah followed in the footsteps of Abedi Pele in finding fame and success during his career in Europe. The strong and skilful striker was supremely gifted, and his talent did not go unnoticed. In 1995, he was named Fifa World Player of the Year, European Footballer of the Year, and African Footballer of the Year.This trio of personal accolades put African football on the map by acting as a catalyst for the interest that European clubs developed for African players, realising that Weah was one of many players on the continent with potential, and leading to modern football in Europe, which is now home to many African stars.

7. Pele’s prediction that an African team would win the World Cup before 2000

As many fans who follow football know, Pele’s predictions do not often come true, but the shear magnitude of the legend means that his words are always broadcast, published and tweeted to an audience of millions.This particular prediction was one that gained him fame and more than a few fans in Africa, but once again his prediction would prove to be wrong.Nonetheless, the fact that the embodiment of football greatness believed that an African team could have the potential to be world champions before the turn of the century meant that fans and experts began to shine a light on African football that was not previously seen.

6. South Africa win the right to host the 2010 World Cup

See the original post here:
Roger Milla dancing at Italia 90, South Africa's World Cup & the Top 10 moments that put Africa on the football map

27-09-2012 15:41 “Zinedine Zidane” “Zinedine Zidane statue” “Zinedine Zidane headbutt statue” “Marco Materazzi” “Pompidou” “headbutt statue” “head-butt” “Alain Michaud” PARIS — The historic head-butt that marked the end of France great Zinedine Zidane’s international soccer career is immortalized in bronze. A 5-meter statue portraying Zidane aiming his shaven head at Italian opponent Marco Materazzi’s torso has been erected in front of Paris’ Centre Pompidou modern art museum. “This statue goes against the tradition of making statues in honour of certain victories. It is an ode to defeat,” exhibition organizer Alain Michaud told Agence France Presse. Zidane played for Real Madrid and other professional teams and helped France to victory at the 1998 World Cup. But in the 110th minute of a riveting World Cup final in 2006 against Italy, Zidane lowered his head and rammed Materazzi’s chest, knocking him to the ground. Zidane, who planned to retire after the World Cup, later apologized and said he was responding to repeated insults from Materazzi.

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Zinedine Zidane World Cup headbutt made into statue – Video

The infamous headbutt that French football legend Zinedine Zidane landed on an Italian during a World Cup final has been transformed into a giant statue and displayed in front of the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

The bronze work of art, simply titled “Headbutt”, was Wednesday attracting crowds of tourists and locals who jostled to have their photos taken in front of the five-metre (16-foot) statue.

The sculpture is by Algerian artist Adel Abdessemed, subject of a retrospective exhibition in the Pompidou from October 3 until next January.

“This statue goes against the tradition of making statues in honour of certain victories. It is an ode to defeat,” said exhibition organiser Alain Michaud.

A much smaller version of the statue — which shows the two football players in the seconds after the headbutt, with the Italian player reeling after the attack — was previously exhibited by a New York art gallery.

Zidane, who holds legendary status in France as a member of the national teams that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, was sent off in the 2006 World Cup final for headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest.

That was the then France captain’s last ever professional match as a player and he later claimed he had reacted to slurs the Italian directed against his sister and mother.

The statue will stay in its spot in front of the Pompidou till the end of the Abdessemed exhibition in January.

Employees sweep on September 26, 2012 in Paris near a bronze sculpture by Algerian artist Adel Abdessemed displayed in front of the Centre Pompidou. The sculpture immortalizes the “headbutt” given by the French former football champion Zinedine Zidane to Italian player Marco Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup final. The Centre Pompidou dedicates a retrospective to Abdessemed from October 3, 2012.

In a file picture from May, Zinedine Zidane attends the French L1 football match Montpellier vs Evian in Montpellier, southern France. The infamous headbutt that French football legend Zidane landed on an Italian during a World Cup final has been transformed into a giant statue and displayed in front of the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

Excerpt from:
France immortalises Zidane headbutt with statue

Plenty of Arsenal news to relay today.

First, chief executive Ivan Gazidis has hinted the club could offer manager Arsene Wenger a contract extension. Wenger’s current deal runs out in 2014, and Wenger declined to discuss the potential extension (via The Guardian).

“At the moment I am not in the mood to think about the long-term future,” Wenger said. “We want to do well this season, that’s all.”

Metro reports that Italian giants Juventus are planning a 10 million bid for Arsenal midfielder Theo Walcott. The 23-year-old England international joined Arsenal from Southampton in 2006, and his current contract expires at the end of the season.

Finally, defender Andre Santos has been charged with dangerous driving (per BBC). Santos, 29, was arrested Aug. 17 in North London.

More here:
World Football Gossip Roundup: Cristiano Ronaldo, Arsene Wenger, Cesc Fabregas

(Adds Arshavin quotes)

MOSCOW, Aug 31 (Reuters) – New Russia coach Fabio Capello

has left captain Andrei Arshavin out of his 24-man squad for

next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Northern Ireland and

Israel.

The Italian, who replaced Dick Advocaat last month, promised

to give the under-fire Arsenal forward a “second chance” after

he took a lot of blame for Russia’s poor showing at Euro 2012.

Last week Capello named Arshavin in an expanded list of 37

players, saying the 31-year-old “still plays an important role

Here is the original post:
UPDATE 1-Soccer-Russia omit Arshavin for World Cup qualifiers

PHILADELPHIA In their opening three 2012 Herbalife World Football Challenge matches, Real Madrid have outscored their opponents, 12-3, and are fresh off a 5-1 thrashing of Italian powers AC Milan at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.

Those results beg the question: What can Scottish champions Celtic FC do to stop the Spanish goal-scoring machine in Saturdays final WFC fixture at Philadelphias Lincoln Financial Field (1:30 pm ET, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes)?

I dont think we should focus too much on them, Celtic center back Thomas Rogne told MLSsoccer.com on Friday afternoon. Theyre hard to stop anyway. We should just focus on ourselves and try to play good football.

Indeed, for the Celtic players, Saturdays game is less about trying to beat Real Madrid and more about trying to gauge their own level when matched up against the reigning Spanish La Liga champs.

WATCH: Real Madrid pepper AC Milan 5-1

Real Madrid is probably the best side in the world and they have some of the best players in the world, said the 22-year-old Rogne, who last came to Philly in 2010 when MLS side Philadelphia Union beat Celtic, 1-0, at PPL Park. Its not about the results. Its about trying to play our own game and see how we cope with them and see how far behind them we are. Well try to get something out of the game.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon agreed with the assessment that Jos Mourinhos men are currently in top form, calling them the best side in the world currently. But despite the significant challenge, he said he will try to give a few of the clubs young players some minutes in preparation for their Scottish Premier League championship defense.

He also stressed the importance of playing in front of Celtics large American fan base.

Its my third time in Philadelphia and I absolutely love this city, Lennon said. Im glad to see kids here in a Celtic kit. It warms my heart that the club is expanding and touching people across the Atlantic.

The World Football Challenge aside, the most important Celtic-related news of the day probably came when they drew Swedens Helsingborgs in the final Champions League playoff round. The Scottish champs dispatched Finnish champs HJK Helsinki to set up the clash and will now look to use Saturdays match against Real Madrid as a springboard to their first leg vs. the Swedish champs on Aug. 21.

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WFC: Celtic to use Real Madrid as Champions League prep

by Panos Bletsos

Fact: Italy made the final of Euro 2012 unaffected by the latest Calcio Scommesse scandal.

Fact: The four-time World Cup winners suffered a hands-down 4-0 humiliation at the hands of Spain in the Kiev endgame.

Fact: Italy has just surrendered one of its Champions League berths to Germany.

Fact: Some of Serie As biggest stars, such as Lavezzi, Thiago Silva and Ibrahimovi, have found France (and not Spain or England) a more suited destination to ply their trade rather than stay in Italy.

Fact: The erstwhile almighty Calcio is decomposing fast.

Italy has been one of the cornerstones of the global game since the late 19th century, not only because of its own success on international level, but also thanks to that extra spice Italian immigrants have added to the flavour of South American football: there are some 30 million Brazilians and another 22 million Argentines of Italian descent, as well as 1.6 million Uruguayans, almost half of the countrys population.

The Rise

After the English introduced the Beautiful Game to the peninsula sometime in the 1880s Italy quickly developed into a major force and before World War II broke out its national side had won the FIFA World Cup twice (1934, 38) as well as the 1936 Olympic football tournament in Berlin. The Azzurri went on to add another two world titles (1982, 2006) and the 1968 European Championship to their collection, while Italian sides have dominated the UEFA club competitions since their inception, back in the 50s: they have won a combined total of 46 titles (including the FIFA Club World Cup and the now defunct Intercontinental Cup) compared to Spains 42 and Englands 35.

And The Fall

Continue reading here:
The Roman Empire in Rapid Decline

Ex-England boss Fabio Capello vowed Thursday to inject youth and vigour into Russia’s laboured performances as he signed on to head the squad with a mission of making the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The 66-year-old Italian signed the two-year deal in Moscow with the Russian Football Union (RFU) for an undisclosed sum. News reports had said Capello was negotiating a two-year contract with the possibility of an extension.

Capello said his desire to lead Russia to the 2014 World Cup forced him to reverse a decision to retire upon losing a bruising battle with the Football Association (FA) over the fate of his controversial captain John Terry.

“I was really angry with the FA interference in my work. I could not bear it. I resigned and wanted to retire completely,” he said.

“But the desire to win a place in the World Cup finals with a national side remained. It made me change my mind and accept the RFU proposal. It is my main goal and I want to make it happen.”

“Russia have great prospects and a tremendous amount of potential,” he said of a nation ranked 13 by the world football governing body FIFA.

“Russia players are excellent but they need to change their mentality and develop a stronger will to start winning,” Capello said. “Their main problem is in their heads and not their feet.”

Capello will pick up a team in poor spirits after a disappointing Euro 2012 campaign that saw Russia fail to progress out of the group stage and become mired in scandal involving its talismanic captain Andrei Arshavin.

Calls for the midfielder to be stripped of his captaincy rang out across the media this summer after Arshavin was taped saying he saw no reason to apologise for the Euro performance and suggesting that players were happy to be going home.

Capello had firm words for Arshavin’s behaviour.

Link:
Ex-England boss Capello signs Russia deal

The news from Canada this week was that they are getting ready to bid for the 2026 World Cup. As an American, I say good luck to them. Not only would it raise the level of play in Canada, helping the U.S. at the same time, but it takes away another competitive team from the region for a qualifying spot.

Still, does Canada have what it takes to host a World Cup? Lets look at some positives and negatives.

Positives:

Canada has the infrastructure. Much like the U.S., Canada has large stadiums that could easily host matches. Stadiums in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa all have, or will have, a capacity of over 30,000. Public transportation in each of those cities is terrific and could be excellent for visiting fans.

A population of 33 million. Compared to the U.S., that may not be a lot of people, but in comparison to the rest of the world, its about average. Australia only has 25 million people and they had a very competitive bid for the 2022 World Cup. Many of Canadas population are either immigrants themselves or first or second generation. They have large Italian and Portuguese communities in the east and large Japanese, Chinese, and Korean communities in the west. Plus, there are the French speakers in Quebec who culturally feel linked to France. The fan base would be absolutely rapid with enthusiasm.

The United States. Having the worlds largest media market as your next door neighbor can only be a good thing in this case. Every year more and more Americans tune into the World Cup. Having the tournament in the same time zone as the United States would only increase the viewership.

Success in hosting past tournaments. The 2007 U-20 World Cup was the most successful U-20 tournament to date. Before the tournament had already begun, almost a million tickets had been sold. The tournament ran incredibly smoothly. Canada is also getting ready to host the 2015 Womens World Cup. All indications are that the tournament will be a tremendous success as well. After the drama of building stadiums and the readiness of infrastructure in South Africa and Brazil, and the upcoming potential disaster in Qatar, FIFA could be ready to put the World Cup in a place that it knows it can trust.

Negatives:

The Canadian Soccer Association or CSA. Many in Canada have blamed the CSA for the lack of growth in the sport in the country despite a natural fan base. Many have charged the CSA with being too beholden to the provincial associations at the expense of the country. The CSA has also had disputes with its national teams. If Canada is going to host the World Cup, theyll need the CSA to streamline its organization.

The national teams lack of success. The Mens National Team has only made the World Cup once, all the way back in 1986. Since then, Canada has struggled to make it to the final rounds of CONCACAF Qualifying. That could change this cycle as Canada has their best chance to qualify in a very long time. The problem has always been that players are so spread out around the globe that it is very difficult to get them together at the same time. FIFA may not want to give the World Cup to a team that cant compete (but they did already do that with Qatar).

Read more from the original source:
Canada 2026?

Claudio Marchisio believes the added bonus of restoring Italy’s reputation in world football will help spur his country on when they lock horns with Spain in the Euro 2012 final on Sunday. The domestic game in the country took a significant hit with the recent Scommessopoli scandal and did no favours to the integrity of football on the Italian peninsula. However, the midfielder is keen to put an end to the negativity that threatened to surround Italy’s campaign in Poland and Ukraine by winning the tournament decider against the reigning champions.

“Bringing home the victory would be very important for the entirety of Italian football,”Marchisio told Sky Sport Italia. “[Italy coach Cesare] Prandelli did very well to infuse his beliefs both on and off the pitch.

“We can beat Spain because we are a team that has improved game by game.

“Spain are a great team but we are no exception. This match is important, no matter who will take to the field.”

Go here to read the rest:
Marchisio: We must win Euro 2012 for Italian football

Winning or losing on penalty kicks in a major soccer tournament can either be the most exciting thing to happen, or the absolute worst. It all depends on what side of the decision you’re on. In 1994, my home nation Brazil picked up the World Cup championship after beating Italy on penalty kicks. Despite being just nine, I still remember Italian star Roberto Baggio missing his shot, helping to secure the Brazilian victory.

On June 27, the semifinal match between Portugal and Spain went to penalty kicks after neither team could score in the first 120 minutes. Unfortunately, the feelings I had on that summer day in 1994 weren’t the same feelings I felt when Spain advanced to the Euro 2012 finals with a 4-2 penalty kick win.

It was easy to see that the game wasn’t the prettiest to watch. Neither team played as well as most fans nor analysts were expecting, but each team had their chances at times. Nine players were issued yellow cards (five Portuguese and four Spanish players) in the game that saw Spain control the ball for 57 percent of the time. They had five shots on goal, but were unable to put any balls past Rui Patricio.

Portugal didn’t have their best offensive showing as Cristiano Ronaldo had just one serious chance at scoring. Much like we have seen from Ronaldo in the past, he was unable to strike when his team needed him the most and Portugal will be forced to wait for a little while longer for a major title.

Even though Portugal didn’t play their best soccer, they still had a chance to get the win, but when it came time to pick the order in the shootout, Manager Paulo Bento decided to place Ronaldo last. While it would make sense to have your star go last, a fifth attempt on goal isn’t a guarantee when you’re the second team to shoot. The last thing anyone wants to see is their star watch the game end, but aside from that error, I think Bento did a quality job of running the team in this tournament. Whether his bosses felt the same way remains to be seen, but at this point, I don’t see how he is coaching the team come World Cup 2014.

More from this contributor:

Complete List of UEFA Euro Cup Champions

UEFA Euro Cup Goal Leaders

Portugal and Germany Advance

Greatest Players in Women’s World Cup History

Read more:
Spain Advances to Euro 2012 Finals on Penalty Kicks: Fan’s Take

Jun 19 2012

Giovanni Trapattoni’s Euro 2012 disappointment has only made him hungrier to get down to the business of qualifying for the World Cup finals in Brazil.

The Republic of Ireland bowed out of the tournament with a 2-0 defeat by Italy, after goals from Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli. But their pride was restored after producing their best performance in Poland to hold Cesare Prandelli’s men to a single-goal lead until the final stages when Keith Andrews was also sent off.

Trapattoni said: “In my life, I have had many successes and been the manager of great teams. I have always had the habit of winning and not losing and when I lose, I don’t sleep at night. I think about if I have made mistakes. After the Croatia and Spain games, I would like to have immediately played the game again, but (here) I think we played a good game.”

The Italian added: “The willingness is there to come back with fresh energy and a new squad to do better, and I can’t wait for the new season to start.”

“I am proud of our commitment. Italy beat us, but we gave them our honour, our commitment and maybe we deserved a little bit more.”

With Ireland’s tournament now over, several of Trapattoni’s senior players are understood to be considering their international futures, and the manager admitted some discussions had taken place.

He said: “I spoke just now with one or two and we will see again ahead of the next friendly in August. Maybe at this moment, they are disappointed and I will speak to them later. I understand their disappointment because we had hoped to do better, but I have nothing to reproach the players for.”

Italy boss Cesare Prandelli will now start to focus on the quarter-finals after seeing his side qualify in second place following Spain’s 1-0 win over Croatia in Gdansk.

He said: “I didn’t set any targets to start with. I wanted to have a team that would improve game after game and a side that can play football.

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National Sport: Trapattoni turns attention to World Cup

The Republic of Ireland bowed out of the tournament with a 2-0 defeat by Italy, after goals from Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli. But their pride was restored after producing their best performance in Poland to hold Cesare Prandelli’s men to a single-goal lead until the final stages when Keith Andrews was also sent off.

Trapattoni said: “In my life, I have had many successes and been the manager of great teams. I have always had the habit of winning and not losing and when I lose, I don’t sleep at night. I think about if I have made mistakes. After the Croatia and Spain games, I would like to have immediately played the game again, but (here) I think we played a good game.”

The Italian added: “The willingness is there to come back with fresh energy and a new squad to do better, and I can’t wait for the new season to start.”

“I am proud of our commitment. Italy beat us, but we gave them our honour, our commitment and maybe we deserved a little bit more.”

With Ireland’s tournament now over, several of Trapattoni’s senior players are understood to be considering their international futures, and the manager admitted some discussions had taken place.

He said: “I spoke just now with one or two and we will see again ahead of the next friendly in August. Maybe at this moment, they are disappointed and I will speak to them later. I understand their disappointment because we had hoped to do better, but I have nothing to reproach the players for.”

Italy boss Cesare Prandelli will now start to focus on the quarter-finals after seeing his side qualify in second place following Spain’s 1-0 win over Croatia in Gdansk.

He said: “I didn’t set any targets to start with. I wanted to have a team that would improve game after game and a side that can play football.

“Sides that play football can always go quite far in tournaments. If it’s just down to results, perhaps you can get there for a while, but in terms of European Championships, if you want to do well, you have to be a good football side.”

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Trapattoni turns attention to World Cup