Friday, April 24, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Beckham asked for ID to buy glass of wine
David Beckham was a superstar in Europe but when he moved to America a waiter demanded to see his ID and refused him a glass of wine, according to a book due out in July.
"The Beckham Experiment," by Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl, features interviews with 33-year-old Beckham and other major figures in Los Angeles Galaxy, the soccer team he joined in 2007 after a stellar career in Europe.
The move to Los Angeles with his pop star wife Victoria Beckham was the latest chapter in a life story that has mixed celebrity with athletic prowess. Beckham signed a five-year deal worth an estimated $250 million and arrived in a blaze of publicity promising to help raise soccer's profile in America.
But after an injury-plagued first season and a total of five goals during his time with the Galaxy, Beckham, 33, made clear earlier this year he preferred to play with Italian club AC Milan, where he is on loan.
Household names in Britain and the rest of Europe, the Beckhams had struggled to translate their appeal to star-heavy Los Angeles and a celebrity media obsessed with the antics of Britney Spears and the expanding family of Angelina Jolie. Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House that is part of Bertelsmann AG, said the book would provide an account of Beckham's "celebrity packaging and the inner workings of a Beckham team."
"Wahl provides a detailed account of Beckham's aspirations and worries about his American adventure, his interactions with Galaxy teammates making as little as $12,900 a year, his icy relationships with Galaxy star Landon Donovan and former team president Alexi Lalas," Crown said in a statement.
It said it would also reveal the story of how Beckham's management company, 19 Entertainment, "engineered a shadow takeover of Galaxy."
The book also features Beckham discussing the technique of his trademark bending free-kick goals, his marriage to the former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and his relationship with celebrities such as Tom Cruise.
Anecdotes include an occasion when Beckham was denied a glass of wine because he could not produce an ID document for a U.S. waiter who did not recognize him, Crown said. Many bars in the United States card people well over the age of 21, the legal age for drinking alcohol.
Beckham is currently on loan to AC Milan until the end of the Serie A season. He will then return to the Galaxy before likely going back to Italy in November.
Chelsea 4 - 4 Liverpool
Lampard settles Chelsea's nerves
Chelsea denied Liverpool the glory of another sensational European comeback to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League with a 7-5 aggregate win.Liverpool, trailing 3-1 from the first leg at Anfield, stunned the Blues with two first-half goals from Fabio Aurelio and Xabi Alonso, who scored a penalty.
Chelsea's defensive frailties, exposed so clinically by Bolton in the Premier League at the weekend, looked like costing them a place in the last four as Liverpool, without their talismanic midfielder Steven Gerrard, threatened to pull off another miracle.
But the Blues looked home and dry after producing a sensational comeback of their own - scoring three times in the second half to lead 6-3 on aggregate at one stage.
Yet this incredible contest took another twist when Liverpool scored twice in as many minutes through Lucas and Dirk Kuyt to leave them just one goal adrift of an incredible victory.
However, Frank Lampard's second in the 89th minute secured a 4-4 draw on the night and a date with Barcelona.
The home side had been outplayed in the opening 45 minutes and had barely threatened to get on the scoresheet despite coach Guus Hiddink's pre-match assertion that Chelsea would go for more goals.
They had to wait until six minutes after the break for the goal which eased the growing pressure on their ambitions of reaching the final in Rome.
Didier Drogba's effort was deflected into the back of the net by Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina and a stunning 25-yard free-kick from Brazilian defender Alex then looked to have eased any remaining worries.
When Lampard added a third in the 76th minute the tie seemed to be effectively all over, but Liverpool had other ideas.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez had always maintained the first goal would be the most important but when Kuyt collected a pass from Yossi Benayoun and fired over in the 13th minute, he could have been forgiven for thinking that perhaps the task ahead was indeed far too great.
But six minutes later Liverpool were in dreamland when they punished Lampard's push on Kuyt in spectacular fashion.
With everyone expecting the free-kick from the right of goal to be pumped high into the centre of the penalty area, Aurelio stunned everyone, including the flat-footed Petr Cech, by firing his 30-yard effort straight into the bottom near corner of the net.
Referee Luis Cantalejo then rightly awarded Liverpool a penalty when Chelsea's first-leg goal hero Branislav Ivanovic clearly held back Alonso.
The Liverpool midfielder stepped up to beat Cech and suddenly the impossible seemed possible.
Chelsea had Cech to thank for keeping them on level terms on aggregate when he tipped away a header from Kuyt in the final minute of the opening half.
Hiddink's side needed a goal to take the sting out of Liverpool's motivation and it arrived somewhat fortunately in the 51st minute.
Nicolas Anelka, a 35th-minute replacement for the poor Salomon Kalou, crossed low from the right and Drogba got a touch on the ball, with Reina only able to turn it over the line.
Chelsea made it 2-2 on the night when Jamie Carragher's foul on Drogba was punished by a fierce 25-yard free-kick by Alex.
With 14 minutes remaining Liverpool's dreams looked finished when Drogba crossed for Lampard to apply the finish.
But a long-range effort from Lucas was deflected off Michael Essien and beyond Cech in the 81st minute and, somewhat astonishingly, Kuyt put Liverpool 4-3 ahead on the night with a six-yard header two minutes later.
But with Liverpool needing one more goal for a glorious victory in this emotional week on Merseyside, 20 years on from the Hillsborough disaster, Lampard ended a stunning contest with his second of the night in the last minute.
Chelsea will face Barcelona in the last four but only after Liverpool had pushed them all the way in a pulsating contest that was a marvellous showcase for English and European football.
Benitez must have wished Gerrard had been fit enough to play as his contribution may well have been the telling one, on a night when the Reds almost managed to achieve the unthinkable.
No slip-up at Stamford Bridge, insists Carvalho
Defender Ricardo Carvalho admits Chelsea's mistakes against Bolton Wanderers at the weekend will serve as a timely reminder to stay fully focused against Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Blues shipped three goals in eight second-half minutes at Stamford Bridge against the Trotters, winning the game 4-3, and Liverpool must also score at least three goals if they are to overturn a 3-1 deficit from the quarter-final first leg.
But Carvalho - who will line up alongside Alex in the heart of the Chelsea defence in the absence of suspended captain John Terry - insists there will not be a repeat of the Bolton collapse on Tuesday.
"We have to learn from those mistakes and it is good to play three days after that game," said Carvalho. "We conceded too many when normally we are strong in our back four."
The Portugal international insists Liverpool should not be taken lightly despite the two-goal cushion.
"We have to be aware, this competition means a lot for us so we want to go through," said Carvalho. "We have to think first of ourselves and after look for them, but if you are in good shape you can win the game and go through.
"We are improving always, we had some problems in the previous months but I think you become stronger and now we are in good shape to win a competition for the club.
"I won in 2004 [with Porto] but lost last year, but to win the trophy you have to be there in the final."
Trailing 3-1 from the first leg, and yet to beat an English club away from home in Europe, much will depend on whether Liverpool's midfield talisman Steven Gerrard shakes off a groin problem to play.
But even though the Reds have not scored three goals at Stamford Bridge in two decades, Benitez would have taken heart from Bolton's performance.
But it was also the perfect wake-up call for Guus Hiddink and his squad, and the Dutch coach is determined they will not sit back and defend their lead.
"It cannot be a cautious game where you have a kind of balance in a game where nothing happens for an hour, then maybe a team takes some risks at the end," said Hiddink.
"That's not in both teams' souls. We have to go for the win at home.
"Going 4-0 up against Bolton and then conceding as we did, was like an alarm clock ringing for this up-coming game.
"We should have controlled the last part of the game. We can concede one, at 4-1, but one alarm bell is enough.
"We've prepared very seriously. A lot of people have said, if you win an away game in Europe like we did, then you won't have any concerns for the second game.
"But we're not thinking like that. Liverpool are a very good team who play beautiful football, and we're very aware of that.
"There is no such reason, whatever the team you are playing against but especially Liverpool with what they did in the past, to have complacency."
Wenger: Fabregas may move deeper
Since returning from injury the Spaniard has been playing in an advanced role, with Wenger employing a 4-2-3-1 system. However, with Arsenal struggling at Wigan Athletic on Saturday and with Fabregas being man-marked by Ben Watson, he was moved back and came into his own as the Gunners returned from 1-0 down to win 4-1.
"We dropped Cesc deeper into midfield and pushed Theo Walcott upfront," Wenger told the club's official website. "I felt that we needed a bit more creativity.
"At some stage when a guy is man-to-man marked you either push him completely upfront to create space for other players or you push him completely deep. When he's in the mid-zone and the ball comes out it becomes very difficult.
"It is a very difficult question to answer about whether that is Cesc's best position or not.
"He certainly likes to be at the start of things but then he can also give the final ball.
"I would still say the deeper role suits him more because he likes to get the ball from the centre back and he has a good long pass. That's more him than a guy who plays behind the strikers who might have more pace to penetrate.
"He is very good in the hole too but I believe that is because of the quality of his passing and less for his individual game."
Fabregas will again captain the side as Arsenal host Villarreal in the Champions League quarter-final second leg on Wednesday looking to build on the 1-1 draw secured in Spain last week.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Chelsea's Buck: Mourinho's time has passed
Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck has dismissed talk of former manager Jose Mourinho returning to Stamford Bridge.
With interim boss Guus Hiddink still set to end his temporary spell with the Blues this summer to return to the Russian national team full-time, speculation is intensifying about the long-term managerial situation in west London.
AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti has featured heavily in tabloid speculation while Mourinho, who is nearing the end of his first season as Inter Milan boss, has been linked with a return to the club he left 18 months ago.
However, when asked in a fans' question and answer session about Mourinho, Buck said: ''My honest answer is that I don't think it is likely to happen.
''Jose was a great coach, he is a great guy but I think his time at Chelsea Football Club has passed.''
Asked about Mourinho's abrupt exit in 2007, Buck added: ''Well first of all we didn't fire him; it was mutual that he left the club.
''There is not much more we can say than in September 2007. The board and Jose were not seeing eye-to-eye on a number of things and it was time we parted company.
''We have great respect, obviously, for what he did for Chelsea Football Club, we are on great terms with him. I saw him at the Manchester United match, he is a great guy and he did great things for the club.
''But in September 2007 Jose and the board and Roman decided it was time for Jose to leave.''
Buck also emphasised Hiddink's tenure is strictly short-term.
''Guus Hiddink came here on a temporary basis two months ago and it is thanks to the Russian FA that he was able to come here; it is purely a temporary role,'' said the American.
''There has been a lot of speculation about him staying, particularly as he has been doing a great job. That will not be the case.
''It is now up to the board to find a new manager for the long term and that is a process that we have started and is ongoing. Anything you might read is just speculation at this stage. When we have an agreement for our new manager we will announce it.''
Wenger demands positive performance
Arsene Wenger has urged Arsenal to take charge of their own destiny in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final against Villarreal.
The Gunners are in the driving seat after Emmanuel Adebayor's away goal earned them a 1-1 draw at El Madrigal last week.A goalless draw at the Emirates would be enough to seal Arsenal a place in the semi-finals.
But Wenger insisted: ''We know we are in a situation where we don't want to be tentative at all. We want to be decisive but you can only do that if you decide to play in a very positive way.
''I don't believe that we are a team who can play for 0-0, that's not our natural way.''
He added on the Arsenal website: ''I don't expect any weaknesses from them. I expect some strength from us to say: 'Listen, we have the opportunity to get to the semi finals, let's take it'.
''I am confident we will and we have the quality needed to do that but you know from their game that they can be dangerous as well.''
Ferguson makes Ronaldo plea
The Manchester United winger has cut a frustrated figure at times this season and was guilty of giving the ball away in the lead-up to goals for Aston Villa and Porto in the last week.
Ronaldo was the key figure in United's march to the Barclays Premier League and Champions League double last season but manager Ferguson has made sure the Portuguese star knows what is expected.
He said: "No, I don't accept that he will give goals away because of the player he is, I speak to him about it. I don't accept that from anyone.
"In European football, if you give the ball away it takes a long time to get it back.
"He always feels he's not getting the proper protection from referees and I think that, maybe, in quite a few cases he is right, and a few cases he is not right.
"It's hard when a player who wants to entertain doesn't get everything his own way. But you can't get everything your own way. He understands that and there's not a problem with that. It's just a frustration that he feels he doesn't get the decision and he gets upset about it.
"I think, obviously, he doesn't enjoy that and he knows he's letting himself down more than anything. He holds his hands up. I have had to remind him about that but I'm not getting into what has been said."
Culled from premierleague.com
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Chelsea 4 vs Bolton Wanderers 3 (Apr 11, 2009)
Chelsea were 4-0 in front and cruising to victory when coach Guus Hiddink replaced Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard in the 65th minute.
Two goals from Drogba, a Lampard penalty and Michael Ballack's first league goal of the season had put Chelsea in total command.
But battling Bolton scored three times in 11 minutes through Andy O'Brien, Chris Basham and Matt Taylor to give the Blues an almighty scare.
The result leaves Chelsea just four points behind leaders Manchester United at the top of the Barclays Premier League.
United also have a match in hand but Chelsea are determined to keep the pressure on Sir Alex Ferguson's team.
Bolton had the better of the opening exchanges with Chelsea looking a pale shadow of the side that demolished Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek.
The home side were almost caught out in the second minute when a free-kick from Taylor was palmed away by goalkeeper Petr Cech as it arrowed towards the top corner.
Chelsea's best response was a 20-yard drive by Drogba that Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen did well to keep out.
But Bolton continued to take the match to the home side and in the 15th minute Kevin Davies sent a 20-yard volley fizzing beyond Cech's right-hand upright.
Bolton went close again in the 21st minute when Ballack lost possession to Gardner.
The Bolton midfielder set off on a mazy run but was forced to lay the ball off to Davies on the left.
When his cross arrived Taylor headed inches over with Cech beaten.
But Lampard almost made Bolton pay when his 30-yard free-kick squirmed under Jaaskelainen's body and out for a corner.
Chelsea were not afraid to shoot from range and John Mikel Obi, back in the side in place of Essien, brought another fine save from Jaaskelainen.
But the goal Chelsea had threatened for some time finally arrived in the 40th minute.
Ballack began the move by setting Salomon Kalou free on the right and the Ivorian's low cross back into the penalty area was fired into the roof of the net by the German midfielder.
Kalou broke free again moments later but this time his low cross was just inches behind the lurking Drogba.
Gary Megson's side had struggled to cope once the home side had increased the tempo of the game but Davies almost equalised when he sent a right-foot drive inches wide of an upright in stoppage time.
Chelsea went two goals in front in the 48th minute when they punished Bolton for some poor defending.
Jlloyd Samuel brought down the marauding Kalou on the right-hand edge of the penalty area and when the free-kick was played into the box Drogba's left-foot sent the ball into the roof of the net.
In the 59th minute Chelsea were awarded a penalty when Gretar Steinsson handled Lampard's attempted pass and the England midfielder stepped up to send Jaaskelainen the wrong way from the spot.
Bolton's dismal afternoon got worse in the 63rd minute when a corner from Malouda was headed down by Ivanovic and Drogba reacted quickest to guide the ball into the net for Chelsea's fourth.
The goal was the signal for Hiddink to rest some of his players ahead of their Champions League quarter-final second leg on Tuesday.
Deco and Nicolas Anelka were introduced into the action in the 65th minute for Lampard and Drogba respectively and it almost cost Chelsea dearly.
The changes removed the thrust out of the Chelsea attack and Bolton began to enjoy more possession and belief.
Ballack had to clear a Davies header off the line before O'Brien took advantage of a fumble by Cech to score in the 69th minute.
Bolton added a second in the 74th minute when Basham got on the end of a Davies header to guide the ball home.
Incredibly, Bolton made it 4-3 four minutes later when Taylor headed home a flick-on by Davies.
Malouda missed an injury-time chance to finish Bolton off for the second time but Jaaskelainen saved superbly.
But more drama was to follow when Deco cleared off the line from Gary Cahill with virtually the last kick of the game to deny Bolton one of the most sensational comebacks of the season.
Aston Villa 3- Everton 3 (Apr 12, 2009)
Aston Villa skipper Gareth Barry converted a penalty to cap a second-half fightback and keep Martin O'Neill's side ahead of Everton in the battle for a European spot.
Villa trailed 2-0 and then 3-1 but refused to buckle and Barry earned them a share of the spoils after Joleon Lescott caught Stiliyan Petrov in the face with his boot when attempting to clear.
Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill put Everton in control and, after John Carew had reduced the arrears, Steven Pienaar put the Toffees back in command before James Milner and Barry rescued a point for Villa.
But the result did little for the chances of either side in their attempts to overhaul fourth-placed Arsenal.
Villa have now gone 10 matches without a win in all competitions and Everton are still without an away league victory in 2009.
Everton played the better football for long periods with Leon Osman and skipper Phil Neville, in the 400th league appearance of his career, excellent in the centre of the park.
The Villa defence also looked at sixes and sevens and struggled to contain the threat of Fellaini, Jo and Cahill.
But the Everton rearguard were also severely tested in coping with Carew via the stream of high balls into their penalty box.
And Ashley Young was a constant source of danger with his trickery which earned him a series of free-kicks।
Dipping Centre
Villa did most of the early pressing and Tim Howard gathered a dipping centre from Milner after he had escaped the attention of Leighton Baines on the right flank.
But Brad Friedel had to be alert to tip over a rising fierce half-volley from Neville after a corner from Baines had only been half cleared.
Then after 20 minutes the Villa goalkeeper was powerless to stop Fellaini putting Everton ahead with his eighth goal of the campaign.
Jo was involved in the build-up before finding Baines and his low cross was tapped in at close range by Fellaini.
Villa looked shell-shocked by this setback and a low shot from Pienaar curled only a couple of feet away.
In a rare Villa reply, Milner stung the hands of Howard with a long range drive although it was straight at the Everton keeper.
David Moyes' side were soon back on the offensive and Friedel parried an effort from Cahill after being found in space by Jo.
But after 22 minutes, Cahill grabbed his ninth goal of the season to double Everton's lead.
Cahill thumped his header against the crossbar from a Pienaar corner and he was first to react to the rebound and headed past Friedel.
No Mistake
The home side looked all over the place every time Everton ventured forward and Friedel saved bravely at the feet of Cahill.
But after 32 minutes Carew gave Villa a lifeline with his 13th goal of the campaign.
Milner's centre was deflected back across goal by Barry and then Agbonlahor also got a touch on the ball before Carew made no mistake from close range.
Everton still looked dangerous and Curtis Davies blocked a shot from Jo after Cahill had allowed the ball to run across the box into his path.
Hopes of a Villa revival suffered a setback after 53 minutes when a superb strike from Pienaar restored Everton's two-goal advantage.
Neville played the ball into Pienaar's feet and he turned past Luke Young and curled a 20-yard drive past Friedel into the corner of the net.
After 55 minutes, Milner brought Villa back into the match with a deadly piece of finishing. Lescott fouled Carew 20 yards out and Milner curled his free-kick past Howard and just inside the post.
Two minutes later the penalty award allowed Barry to bring Villa back on level terms.
Lescott caught Stiliyan Petrov in the face trying to clear the ball but referee Howard Webb pointed to the spot and Barry hammered the ball high and wide of Howard.
Young curled a low drive just wide after good play by Carew and in injury-time Howard denied Delfouneso.
A History of The Premier League
It is the world's most watched league and the most lucrative - attracting the top players from all over the globe. Hard to believe then that the first ball kicked in the Premier League was as relatively recently as 15th August 1992.
The 1980s saw a nadir in English football. Stadiums were crumbling and hooliganism was rife. English teams were banned from Europe following the death of 39 fans at Heysel Stadium in Belgium ahead of Liverpool's European Cup Final against Juventus in 1985. Few of the world's top players would even contemplate plying their trade in England.
Then in 1989 came Hillsborough and the Taylor report. 96 fans died and over 150 were injured - crushed during the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Lord Justice Taylor recommended a complete overhaul in the way football grounds were run and structured - leading to the introduction of all-seater stadia.
Radical Restructuring
Faced with the huge cost of implementing the recommendations and growing concern over the inability to attract quality players, there was mounting discontent among the top clubs. As early as 1988 ten clubs had threatened to break away in order to take advantage of higher television revenue.
A radical restructuring was needed if English clubs and the game in general were to develop and flourish.
The Founder Members Agreement was signed on 17th July 1991 establishing the basic principles for the setting up of the Premier League. The League would have commercial independence from the Football League and FA, leaving it free to organise its own broadcast and sponsorship agreement.
On the 20th February 1992 the first division clubs resigned from the Football League en masse and three months later the Premier League was established as a limited company.
The League decided to take the radical step of assigning television rights to Sky TV. At the time charging fans to watch televised sport was a relatively new concept, but a combination of the quality of football on offer and Sky's marketing strategy saw the value of the Premier League soar. The initial deal was worth £191million over five years. To televise the matches from 2007-2010, Sky and Setanta have paid a staggering £1.7billion.
Shape and Develop
Sponsorship has also played an enormous role. In 1993 Carling paid £12million for four years and the competition became known as the FA Carling Premiership. They renewed for another four years paying a 300% increase. In 2001 Barclaycard became the new sponsors for £48million over three years. Barclays took over in 2004 with their renewal price for 2007 coming in at £65.8million for three seasons.
Increased revenue has ensured that English clubs can compete on a global scale in terms of transfer fees and wages - an important factor which has seen some of the best overseas players grace the Barclays Premier League.
In 1992 there were just 11 non-British or Irish footballers in the Premier League, by 2007 this had increased to over 250. Over the years overseas players have helped shape and develop the British game. Overseas managers, too, have been eager to work in England, and techniques used by the likes of Arsene Wenger, Gerrard Houllier and Ruud Gullit have had an enormous impact.
The Premier League was initially composed of 22 clubs but it was always the intention to reduce that number to 20 to promote development and excellence at club and international level. This was achieved at the end of the 1994/95 season when four clubs were relegated and just two promoted.
Reading's promotion in 2006 made them the 40th club to ply their trade in the Premier League. The most successful team in Premier League history is undoubtedly Manchester United. Alex Ferguson's side have won a remarkable ten titles and have never finished below third since the Premier League was launched in 1992.
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