***European Soccer Thread***

[Street Novelist]

Games This Week:

 

Tuesday

1:00 Argentina/Spain International Friendly ESPN3.com

 

Saturday

4:30 Manchester United/Everton Fox Soccer Plus

7:00 Manchester City/Blackburn Fox Soccer Plus

7:00 Chelsea/West Ham ESPN 2

9:00 Inter/Udinese not on tv

9:00 Barcelona/Hercules Goltv

11:00 Real Madrid/Osasuna ESPN Deportes

11:30 AC Milan/Cesena Fox Soccer Channel

 

Sunday

8:00 Liverpool/Birmingham Fox Soccer Channel

[Street Novelist]

Van Persie Out Until Mid-October With Ankle Injury

 

A statement on Arsenal's official website reads: "Robin van Persie will have to wait a little longer before he is back in the first-team frame. The Dutchman injured his ankle against Blackburn Rovers on August 28 and will be sidelined for longer than first anticipated. Van Persie is likely to be out of action until mid-October."

[Street Novelist]

Argentina Tear Up Spain 4-1 In Friendly

 

It should be noted Spain did not play most of their starters. Pepe Reina got the nod and looked terrible, giving up 3 first half goals. Llorente scored one for Spain late, but the game was already over. It really makes you wonder, with the addition of Zanetti and Cambiasso, how Argentina would have done in the World Cup with them patrolling the backfield instead of Gutierrez and Otamendi. This was Sergio Batista's second win since taking over for Diego Maradona.

 

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=106473941#pm_cmp=vid_OEV_P_P

[Street Novelist]

Walcott Sidelined 4-6 Weeks With Injured Ankle

 

Speaking to Arsenal TV Online, Arsene Wenger said Walcott picked up the injury in England's 3-1 win over Switzerland Tuesday night in a Euro 2012 qualifier.

 

He said: “The tackle looked quite bad. When you see how it turned his ankle I thought it would be three or four days or it would be four to six weeks. Unfortunately it will be four to six weeks."

[Street Novelist]

Carlos Queiroz Fired As Head Coach Of Portugal

 

The move comes after Queiroz was banned for six months following his interruption of a doping testing session, despite Queiroz himself claiming relationships with the Portuguese Football Federation "have always been great" only yesterday.

 

Gilberto Madail, the president of the PFF has confirmed the move in a brief statement to Reuters: "Carlos Queiroz's contract is settled [ended] with immediate effect."

 

The federation had originally given Queiroz a one month suspension in late August, only for Portugal's anti-doping authority to extend the ban to six months.

 

Queiroz and his players were the subject of a surprise visit by anti-doping doctors in late May, and the 57-year-old has admitted to aggressive verbal behavior in their presence.

 

Queiroz claimed he was purely expressing his annoyance at the unannounced visit as it interrupted his players' rest, and is determined to appeal against the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

[Street Novelist]

Man United's Carrick Out 3 Weeks With Achilles Injury

 

"We've had a little setback with Michael Carrick. Out for 3 weeks with an Achilles problem," Sir Alex Ferguson told reporters at his Friday press conference. The midfielder will miss Saturday's game at Everton as well as games against Rangers, Liverpool and Scunthorpe United.

[Street Novelist]

Tottenham's Defoe Sidelined 3 Months Due To Ankle Surgery

 

A statement on the club's official website reads: "Following a review by an ankle specialist, Jermain Defoe underwent surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right ankle yesterday evening.

 

The striker was forced off with the injury during England's European Championship qualifier in Switzerland on Tuesday and has been ruled out of action for around three months."

[Street Novelist]

Liverpool Facing Further Financial Crisis

 

According to English newspaper the Guardian, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) placed the club's loans with them into their toxic assets division. With the debts having been moved by RBS to its Global Restructuring Group, a far more hardline attitude is set to come into force from the bank. The bank may now apparently move to sell the club, likely at a discount price, within the next few weeks or as soon as possible after the October 6 deadline.

 

According to the club's official accounts, Liverpool's owners owe $237.4 million to RBS. The real figure could be much higher though, with Hicks and Gillett also reported as owing $145.3m due to commitments to the club and its lender.

[Street Novelist]

Ronaldo In Squad For Madrid's Game Against Osasuna

 

Jose Mourinho has included the Portuguese striker in Real Madrid's squad for Saturday's game against Osasuna after making a fast recovery from an ankle injury. Ronaldo injured his ankle in the season opener against Mallorca 2 weeks ago.

[Street Novelist]

Puyol Makes Squad After Recovering From Calf Injury

 

Spanish newspaper AS is reporting Puyol passed a fitness test Saturday morning and will be included in the squad in today's game against Hercules. Puyol missed the first week of action as well as Spain's Euro 2012 qualifiers.

[Street Novelist]

Maradona Interested In Portugal Job

 

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Diego Maradona is interested in taking over the currently vacant job.

 

"It's true. Diego and I already talked about it, is a project that would please us greatly. He has the will and the total availability, but so far he has not been contacted," Alejandro Mancuso (one of Maradona's assistants on Argentina's team from 2008-2010) told A Bola.

[Street Novelist]

Rooney Left Out Of Squad To Play Everton

 

Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson was worried about the possibility of a hostile reaction from Rooney's former club's fans. Rooney is currently the center of tabloid gossip regarding recent allegations about his private life. Rooney is rumored to have slept with hookers while his wife, Coleen, was pregnant.

[Street Novelist]

Hercules Upset Barcelona 2-0

 

pathetic performance from Barca...the only player worth mentioning is Pique. In the 84th minute, Pique collided with Calatayud (the keeper). Blood was gushing everywhere. Judging by the replay, it looked like Pique's eye slammed into Calatayud's chin. He got bandaged up and returned to play. What a warrior Pique is!

 

Nelson Valdez scored both of Hercules' goals. One was in the 27th minute off a rebound from Valdes who could not clear Gomes' shot. The second was in the 59th minute off a beautiful cross from Gomes, catching Valdes in no-man's land. terrible play by the Barca keeper

 

Puyol did not play. Adriano and Mascherano started in place of Alves and Xavi. I don't know why Pep did that, but it ended up burning him. Bojan was ineffective and was replaced by Pedro at halftime. Barcelona had possession of the ball 77% of the time compared to Hercules' 23%.

[Street Novelist]

27' Valdez

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsYlY7dwMrI&feature=player_embedded

[Street Novelist]

59' Valdez

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FibFLSuJ7m4&feature=player_embedded