Merry Christmas to All

EURO 2012 Qualifying round.

The results from Tuesday Nov. 15

Croatia 0 - 0 Turkey

Montenegro 0 - 1 Czech Republic

Ireland 1 - 1 Estonia

Portugal 6 - 2 Bosnia & Herzogovinia

Manchester United to rival City for Christian Eriksen

Ajax's teenage sensation Christian Eriksen has emerged as a transfer target for Manchester United, putting the Red Devils in direct competition with neighbours City.
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The Denmark international has been in superb form this season and scouts from most of Europe's biggest clubs have flocked to Amsterdam to see him in action. 

Manchester City and Barcelona have both been strongly linked with the 19-year-old, but it now seems United are leading the race for his signature.

Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson is apparently ready to bid more than £20million to land Eriksen, who he believes could fill the gap left by the retirement of Paul Scholes.

A source told the Daily Star Sunday: 'United are hot on him. Trust me, they want him and £20million is the price being bandied around.

'Yet ironically both Chelsea and Spurs turned him down several years ago because they thought he was too small. He has since turned into a world-class player.'

Eriksen will be familiar to British football fans following his outstanding performance for Denmark in a friendly against England last season and goal against Scotland in August.

Source: Bleacher Report

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International Friendlies - Saturday - Nov. 12

Results from yesterday matches:

England 1 - 0 Spain

South Africa 1 - 1 Cote d'Ivore

Wales 4 - 1 Norway

Algeria 1 - 0 Tunesia

Ghana - Sierra Leone (called off)

Qualification for the "World Cup"

Results from yesterday (11/11) qualification matches:

Paraguay 2 - 1 Ecuador

Lesotho 1 - 0 Burundi

Uruguay 4- 0 Chile

Suriname 1 - 3 El Salvador

Guyana 2 - 1 Trinidad and Tobago

St. Lucia  0 - 4 Puerto Rico

St. Kitts and Nevis 0 - 0 Canada

Saudi Arabia 3 - 0 Thailand

Colombia 1-1 Venezuela

Nicaragua  1- 0 Dominica

Jordan  2- 0 Singapore

Uzbekistan 1 - 0 Korea DPR

Oman  1 - 0 Australia

Kuwait 0 - 1 Lebanon

Irak 1 - 0 China PR

Seychelles 0 - 3 Kenya

Argentina 1 - 1 Bolivia

United Arab Emirates 0 - 2 Korea Republic

Swaziland 1 - 3 Kongo

Guinea-Bissau 1- 1 Togo

Equatorial Guinea 2 - 0 Madagascar

Chad 1 - 2 Tanzania

Eritrea 1 - 1 Rwanda

Belize St. 1 - 1 Vicent/Grenadines

San Tome Principe 0 - 5 Congo

Djibouti 0 - 4 Namibia

Comoros 0 - 1 Mozambique

Dominican Republic 4 - 0 Cayman Islands

Bermuda 2 - 1 Barbados

Tajikistan 0 - 4 Japan

EURO 2012 Qualifying round.

The matches from Friday - November 11:

Bosnia & Herzegovina 0 - 0 Portugal

Turkey 0 - 3 Croatia

Czech Republic 2 - 0 Montenegro

Estonia 0 - 4 Ireland

... more qualification matches next Tuesday 15 november!

International Friendlies - Friday - Nov.11

Results from yesterday matches:

Netherlands 0 - 0 Switzerland

Georgia 2 - 0 Moldova

Hungary 5 - 0 Liechtenstein 

Albania 0 - 1 Azerbaijan

Denmark 2 - 0 Sweden

Cyprus 1 - 2 Scotland

Greece 1 - 1 Russia

Ukraine 3 - 3 Germany 

Poland 0 - 2 Italy

Belgium 2 - 1 Romania

France 1 - 0 United States

Panama 2 - 0 Costa Rica

Mexico 2 - 0 Serbia

Belarus - Niger (postponed)

... 5 more matches to come tonight!

Torres still No. 1 in England

Fernando Torres has struggled for goalscoring form in 2011

England forward Darren Bent believes Fernando Torres remains "the best striker in the Premier League when fit", despite the Spain marksman netting just six goals since January.

Torres, 27, became English football's most expensive player when he moved to Chelsea from Liverpool in a £50 million deal but he has struggled to replicate the form that made him one of the world's most feared strikers during his time at Anfield.

The former Atletico Madrid frontman has scored just four goals for the Blues so far this season and has been lambasted for a number of high-profile misses, including a gilt-edged chance that went begging against Blackburn last weekend.

But Bent, who has enjoyed significantly more success since his own January move - claiming 17 goals in 31 games for Aston Villa and England - feels Torres is still the cream of the Premier League crop.

"Torres is the best striker in the Premier League when fit, he's that good," Bent said. "I've followed him from Atletico Madrid right through to Chelsea.

"Even though he missed a chance at Blackburn, he's still the best. He's quick, powerful, has a good touch, can shoot with either foot and use his head."

Source: ESPN

Di Maria out for a month

Real winger suffered a hamstring injury against Osasuna

Angel Di Maria: Real Madrid winger faces a month on the sidelines with a torn hamstring

Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria has been ruled out of all footballing action for four weeks with a hamstring injury.

The 23-year-old suffered the problem three minutes into the second half of Madrid's Primera Liga game against Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday and was substituted straightaway.

Tests carried out on the Argentina international have now revealed that he has torn his hamstring and club doctors have stated that he will be sidelined for at least four weeks.

Di Maria, who provided the assists in Madrid's first three goals in their 7-1 victory over the Pamplona outfit during the midday kick-off, will miss Argentina's 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Colombia on November 11 and 15 respectively.

He is now set to face a race against time to recover his full fitness for El Clasico against Barcelona at the Bernabeu in just over a month's time.

Madrid are currently in pole position in the league table with 28 points from 11 matches, three ahead of defending champions Barcelona, who are second.

Source: sky sports

Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo

Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo pursuit over Mertens

08/11/2011 

Where Dries Mertens six weeks back is still the most valuableplayer of European leagues was, there is the Belgian wing of PSV been overtaken by Barcelona star Lionel Messi. The top scorer in La Liga with fourteen league matches and five assistsleader in the combined ranking based on figures fromInternational Football.

With its direct involvement in nineteen league goals does MessiMertens (11 goals, 7 assists) and Real Madrid's top scorerCristiano Ronaldo (13 goals, 5 assists), but narrowly behind.Behind the toptrio is however a gap to the number four MarioGomez, who represented Bayern Munich already had a part in fifteen Bundesliga goals.

The first Dutchman is seen on a tie for fifth spot. With eleven hitsand three assists, Robin van Persie the MVP of the PremierLeague. Van Persie also owes its high ranking in his last gamelast Saturday, when he was the opening goal itself accounted forand in the 2-0 and 3-0 was the principal. Claudio Pizarro cameon behalf of Werder Bremen to the exact same numbers.

Of the fifteen most valuable football players is only Marc Jankobut Mertens (FC) from the Premier League. The Austrian sharespace with seven Edin Dzeko (Manchester City), Lukas Podolski(1. FC Köln) and Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund). The attackers were all involved in thirteen goals.

Noteworthy is that Angel Di Maria Real Madrid for ten silvercrosses delivered, compared to just one goal. The Argentinelightweight shares with it the eleventh teammate Gonzalo Higuainand the Premier League strikers Wayne Rooney (ManchesterUnited) and Sergio Aguero to Manchester City. 

Most valuable players in the league this season

source: Voetbal International

La Liga

Real Madrid 7-1 Osasuna: Ronaldo fires hat trick as Jose Mourinho's men destroy visitors and extend lead at La Liga summit

The Portuguese attacker inspired his side to go goal crazy against Jose Luise Mendilibar's men who really struggled to compete with the stars of Madrid

Real Madrid cruised to an emphatic 7-1 win against 10-man Osasuna at the Bernabeu to extend their lead at the top of La Liga to four points.

The home side opened the scoring on 23 minutes minutes when Cristiano Ronaldo found the back of the net. Ibrahima Balde equalized eight minutes later before Pepe restored the lead on 34 minutes. 

Higuain gave Madrid a 3-1 lead at the break before Ronaldo completed his hat trick early in the second period with two quick strikes as Osasuna were reduced to 10 when debutant Satrustegui was shown a second yellow. Karim Benzema added another two to complete the rout.

Jose Mourinho's men will remain as the league's leaders although rivals Barcelona can reduce the deficit to one point if they are victorious on Sunday evening versus Athletic Bilbao. 

Despite looking a little casual in the early stages, Madrid took the lead in the 23rd minute through a slight defensive lapse from Osasuna. Angel Di Maria curled an inviting ball into the box from the right wing which was met with a precise header from Ronaldo, who diverted the ball over Andres.

The home team looked comfortable after going a goal up yet were pegged back on 31 minutes after a quick set piece from Osasuna. Madrid expected its opposition to shoot from the edge of the box until Raul Garcia quickly slid the ball to Ibrahima Balde who placed the ball between the legs of Iker Casillas and into the net from 12 yards out - amid complaints from Los Blancos players.

However, an angry Madrid did not have to wait long until they took the lead for a second time. Jose Luis Mendilibar's men failed to clear a corner which led to Di Maria whipping a cross to the back post which was headed into the bottom corner by Pepe, despite Ronaldo's best attempts to steal the goal.

Mourinho's men certainly had their tails up and added a delightful third on 40 minutes following some great build-up play. Mesut Ozil slid the ball to Di Maria on the edge of the box who then played a through ball to Gonzalo Higuain. The striker turned his marker before curling the ball into the top corner from 15 yards out - a wonderful goal from the in-form frontman, to give his side a comfortable half-time lead.

Madrid did not have to wait long in the second half to extend its lead when Satrustegui was shown a second yellow card in the 55th minute for bringing down Ozil in the box. Ronaldo stepped up to smash the ball into the bottom corner, sending Andres the wrong way.

Ronaldo grabbed his 12th Real Madrid hat trick three minutes later as Madrid scored its fifth of the game. Alvaro Arbeloa did well to make his way into the box before clipping a cross over to the Portuguese attacker to head into the top corner.

Madrid added another on 63 minutes when Fabio Coentrao beat Damia before clipping the ball into the box for substitute Karim Benzema to smash the ball past Andres from six yards out.

On 81 minutes the home side added a seventh goal after some good play by Arbeloa. The full-back won the ball in midfield before sliding it into the path of Benzema who lashed it home from 12 yards out past the helpless Andres to complete the scoring.

With an international break interrupting domestic fixtures next weekend, Madrid returns to La Liga action in a fortnight's time when it travels to Valencia. Osasuna will entertain Rayo Vallecano on November 20.

Athletic Bilbao 2-2 Barcelona: Injury-time Messi strike salvages point for champions at rain-soaked San Mames

The Argentina striker was at hand to save the Catalan giants from their first defeat of the season as los Leones pushed La Liga Champions to the last

Barcelona's unbeaten streak extended to 24 matches in all competitions, but the Catalan giants fell further behind their el Clasico rivals at the top of La Liga after being held to a 2-2 draw by Athletic Bilbao at San Mames. 

Los Leones took the lead with a wonderful strike from Ander Herrera, only for Barcelona to peg them back four minutes later when Cesc Fabregas headed home the equaliser. 

The rain continued to fall relentlessly, impacting on the match in the second half, and Gerard Pique shinned the ball beyond his own goalkeeper to give Bilbao the lead with just over ten minutes remaining.  

Lionel Messi rescued Barcelona at the death with his first away goal of the season to ensure the Catalan giants continued their unbeaten start. 

Pep Guardiola opted to leave David Villa on the bench for the second consecutive match as La Liga Champions welcomed back Andres Iniesta and Xavi for the trip to San Mames. 

And club captain Xavi combined with Adriano inside the opening five minutes, but the Brazilian's effort was held at the second attempt by Bilbao's 'keeper in treacherous conditions. 

The opening quarter of a hour passed with neither side able to gain a upper hand in the match until a moment of magic from Herrera. 

After 898 minutes of Victor Valdes' goal being impenetrable, Markel Susaeta took advantage of Javier Mascheranos' slip to slide the ball across to Herrera. The Spanish midfielder took a touch to set himself before expertly curling an effort beyond the Spanish shot stopper. 

Bilbao's lead lasted only four minutes before Eric Abidal swung in a beautiful cross toFabregas who generated enough pace on his header for the ball to nestle in the top corner.

Neither side was able to dominate possession with both teams surrendering the ball repeatedly as the conditions worsened at San Mames, with the rain falling relentlessly during the interval and it took a defensive error to bring about the game's next goal. 

Iker Muniain swung a corner across and after several ricochets in the six yard box Piqueinadvertently touched the ball beyond Valdes to gift Bilbao the lead with little over ten minutes remaining. 

The Catalan giants went in search of a late equaliser and it came in the 93rd minute whenMessi was on hand to score with a swipe of his left-foot, registering his first goal at San Mames in dramatic circumstances. 

Guardiola's side are three points behind Real Madrid at the top of La Liga and will hope to return to winning ways when Zaragoza visit Camp Nou following the international break. 

Bilbao, meanwhile, stretched their unbeaten run to ten matches and will be full of confidence ahead of their trip to Sevilla with both sides hunting the Champions League spots.

Source: goal.com