USA vs Brazil Confederation Cup Final Highlights

Highlights and goals from the Confederations Cup Final between the US and Brazil. And what a game it was, with the US really showing that they are becoming a world power in soccer.

Thierry Henry to New York Red Bulls?

Thierry Henry has admitted that he would one day like to play in MLS, with New York Red Bulls to be exact. Speaking to the Spanish media, Henry stated that he has a desire to follow David Beckham and help advance the game in the US. Henry is 31 years old, and with 2-years left on his contract at Barcelona, the Frenchman could very well choose to move across at the age of 33.

Henry said: "Could I play for New York at some point? It could be possible in 2011.
"You never know but the truth is it is an option that could be likely.
"I want to stay with Barcelona for two more seasons and then I will leave."

Personally, I would love to see the French star over here. He is one of the biggest and well known names in soccer. Think of the series of Gillette shaving creme advertisements; Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Thierry Henry. Henry is amazingly talented, he has speed and he can definitely score goals, all of which would make him an instant hit in MLS. Angel is probably one of the best strikers in MLS right now, if not the best, and he is below the level that Henry plays. What a combination that would be! With Beckham likely to leave in the coming year, we really need to see more big stars joining teams over here in order to keep the desire and passion alive within the league. It is the big name players that draw crowds and get people interested. Let's hope that Henry does make a decision to play over here, and obviously it would be nice if we didn't have to wait two seasons!

Man Utd Jersey Available to Buy!

Following up on yesterdays post about the Man Utd new home Jersey, Soccer.com have it available right now for $69.99, or a little more if you include getting your name on the back. Here are some the pics released of Wayne Rooney sporting the jersey!

Man United New Jersey Set to be Revealed

Manchester United are set to release there newest home Jersey on July 1st. The Premier League Champions will still have AIG across the front of the 2009/2010 Jersey as they approach the last year of their sponsorship deal. Sources say the new Jersey pays homage to the history of Man United and represents the success the team has had since its beginning. The red kit celebrates 100 years of Old Trafford and part of the design will reflect that which was worn by the Reds a century ago. Here is a sneak peak at the Jersey that will be on sale in less than 2 weeks. The players will wear the kit for the first time during their pre-season tour of Asia next month.

I remember several years ago when there was controversy that Man United were releasing a new jersey two seasons in a row! Now it seems to be a regular occurrence and an accepted practice for all the top teams. In similar fashion, Chelsea have already released their new jerseys for next season. Personally, I enjoy seeing a fresh new jersey every season, just as I do when playing for my own team. But the problem for supporters is that each new jersey costs around $80 when released. And this can be costly if you are buying for more than one person. I would like to see teams keeping a jersey for two seasons or else reducing the price! Neither of which will happen by the way, as Jersey sales are a huge source of revenue for all clubs big and small!

USA goal vs Spain

Here is Jose Altidore's goal that put the US up 1-0 versus Spain in the confederations Cup semi-final! As it turns out, this goal will go down as one of the most historic goals in US soccer History. It turned out to be the winner, as the US defeated Spain 2-0, Spain's first loss in 35 international games.

£10 Million Bonus for Newcastle Players!

When it comes to a top Premier League team you would expect big team bonuses at the end of the season. But what is the deal with relegated Newcastle United players receiving a £10 million bonus? This is the case as senior players such as Michael Owen and Mark Viduka are due annual loyalty payments believed to be in the region of £400,000, the overall bill will be around £10m. And to make matters even worse it appears that some Newcastle players will be heading into the Coca-Cola Championship on an increased salary in what appears to be a glaring oversight by club executives. What a disaster of a season it was for Newcastle. Kevin Keegan had the team moving in the right direction before Mike Ashley intervened causing unnecessary issues to arise on Tyneside. Smaller teams make accommodations for Relegation, but unfortunately that was not in the plan for Newcastle. They are a team with one of the best of supporters anywhere to be found, and a team that includes top international players like Michael Owen, Mark Viduka and Geremi, yet they never got it together last season. And lets be honest, even though there was a lot of issues behind the scenes, it is no excuse for such a good team to get relegated; in my opinion the onus is on the players.

"Bring back Bobby" should be the chant at Newcastle if you ask me(Sir Bobby Robson). When the team was struggling back in 1999, Robson came in and saved them from relegation. His first game in charge was an 8-0 mauling of Sheffield United. Robson was sacked in 2004 for not helping the team qualify for the Champions League, thats a top 4 finish in the Premier League. Long gone are those days! The team has never recovered since, with many pot holes hampering the team. What needs to be done at Newcastle is a clean out! Ashley is the first that needs to go, from fan to team owner....what a way to destroy your team. It would probably be a good idea to know how to run a second division team before taking over a Premier League team! Alan Shearer, one of the most passionate of Newcastle fans, needs to take charge and mark his stamp on the squad. Shearer did not have much success in the Premier League, but he is the ideal candidate to get the team back on track. And then players like Owen and Viduka will be leaving on free transfers (while taking such large sums with them). Brazilian flop Cacapa is also on his way out of Tyneside with a sizable pay-off, while Joey Barton will receive a sizable bonus for being imprisoned and getting red cards for fun! Unneccesary junk if you ask me. Building the team around the likes of Kevin Nolan, Andy Carroll and Shola Ameobi is the way to go, players with heart that want to be part of a successful Newcastle team. I am not a Newcastle fan, but I have 100% respect for their fans. For this reason I want to see them succeed. Next season, I will be cheering for them as they endure the unenviable task of trying to win promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

The Story of Adidas

Check out this really cool animated video....if tou have no idea who Adi Dassler is you will after watching! I think it is really cool.

World Cup Trophy Tour Details Released

With the 2010 World Cup drawing ever closer, FIFA have released details on the route which the famous trophy will travel. In all, it will span 86 countries during a 225-day tour, and an 134,017 kilometers(83,274 miles)trip, allowing thousands of fans from around the globe see the real solid-gold trophy in person. The Trophy Tour will begin its journey from the FIFA Headquarters on September 21, 2009, and will arrive in the host country of South Africa on May 4, 2010.

During the Trophy Tour, fans will be given the chance to enjoy a rare close-up view of the authentic FIFA World Cup Trophy. Free tickets to the 2009/10 Trophy Tour will be made available to consumers via Coca-Cola promotions in countries on the route. At events in each city, fans will have the opportunity to have a souvenir photo taken of themselves with the trophy, view a special 3-D movie showcasing memorable moments of the FIFA World Cup, participate in interactive displays and enjoy other entertainment. Countries and dates of the route are subject to change.

This is the second tour to be undertaken by the trophy. Coca-Cola have sponsored both events, with the first being in 2006. This was a huge success with the trophy visiting 31 cities in 29 countries, covering 102,570 kilometers(63,734 miles). There is much pride being taken in the fact that the tour is able to grow.

Some Stats on the World Cup Trophy:

• Height: 36.8 centimetres (14.5 inches)
• Weight: 6,175 grams (13.61 pounds)
• Made of solid, 18-carat gold
• The base contains two layers of semi-precious malachite
• The bottom side of the Trophy bears the engraved year and name of each FIFA World Cup winner since 1974.

Man United Sign Soccer Squirrel

Well maybe not....but this squirrel knows how to play! Great advertisement from Carlsberg to along with their sports drink range, whop would have thought the best larger in the world would also have the best advertisements!

Cristiano Ronaldo Getting More Expensive Daily!

The economy is benefiting Manchester United in the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid! Who would have thought that accepting an offer for Ronaldo would actually become more beneficial by the day? The day the pound hit its highest level against the euro for six months, Manchester United finally said "Yes" to Real's offer. Amazingly, until the paperwork is signed and sealed every rise will cost the Spanish club more money.

Let's look at the numbers: 1 pound reached 1.17 euros on Thursday, in January it was 1.07. Experts have calculated that for every cent the euro falls, Real Madrid will owe an extra one million euros. Are you kidding me!? For every small change on the stock market, Madrid will owe an extra one million. The teams have currently agreed on £80million, this number would have equaled €83 million in January. This was when the pound was much weaker, but at today’s exchange rate, the same sterling amount will cost Real Madrid €93 million.

Mark O’Sullivan, who works as director of dealing at Currencies Direct in the UK, stated, “While the Ronaldo deal is good news for Real Madrid supporters, the accountants at the Bernabeu stadium will be sweating until the paperwork is all signed and sealed. Ronaldo’s price in January 09 was 83 million euros, today it is 93 million euros and rising and this will have a tremendous impact on Real Madrid’s plans to amortise this investment."

It is amazing how we don't think of these things when we hear about transfers. “This deal highlights the fact that the final price of a player like Ronaldo is very much decided by the currency markets and not always in the board rooms of football clubs - though who would put it past a canny Scot like Sir Alex Ferguson to take all this into consideration too!” Mr. O’Sullivan added. Add to this the fact that a lot of teams pay in installments with interest and the fee increases even more! There is no doubt that Manchester United fans will be sad to see Ronaldo leave and will hope that he somehow stays at the club. Technically, they should be hoping the transfer drags on another few weeks so that the transfer fee increases even more!

How Adidas Got Its Name!

I found this pretty cool article, you may not know this but:

"Many people believe that "Adidas" is an acronym for "All Day I Dream About Soccer," but the real origins of the name are decidedly less sporty. "Adidas" is a portmanteau of the name of Adi Dassler, the German businessman who started the company in 1949. Before starting Adidas, Dassler had been in the shoe business with his brother Rudi, and together the brothers made the shoes Jesse Owens wore for his triumph at the 1936 Olympics. In 1948, though, Adi and Rudi split to go take on their own projects. Adi's Adidas obviously flourished, but Rudi didn't do too badly for himself by starting a little shoe company he called Puma."

For more check out this article compliments of the Wall Street Journal.

Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid

It is official and is sure to happen really soon! Manchester United have accepted an £80 million offer from Real Madrid for World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo. Madrid are on a spending spree right now after just spending £60 million on Brazilian star Kaka, showing their intent to be the top team in Europe next season. Ronaldo will now have contract discussions with Madrid before the signing is finalized. But in this situation it is pretty much a done deal, as Ronaldo has reiterated his desire to move to the Bernabeu. Expect to see the deal signed in the next 24 hours.

So, what does this mean for Manchester United? Sir Alex Ferguson has a very solid squad at his disposal. A move for Franck Ribery is not out of the question, but I do not expect Ferguson to have a summer spending spree. What has brought so much success to United in the past few years is the consistency in the team. Unlike Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, United have limited their big signings to 1 or 2 players per year. Ronaldo was not happy at United, and keeping him could only lead to bad things. A negative influence on the locker room is something Ferguson strives to avoid. Look at the sales of Beckham and Jaap Stam as evidence, both players were causing dissension to Ferguson. United will need to look for a decent rid midfielder to try fill Ronaldo's boots. Nani has never looked the part, and young Serbian star Zoran Tosic does not yet have enough experience. Darren Fletcher might be the only suitable right midfielder in the squad right now, but Ferguson has been deploying him in a more central role with much success. Ribery would be the ideal signing, being an established and pretty polished winger who has proven himself in the recent past. Watch this space for more information.

Real Madrid Sign Kaka

In what is sure to be an epic summer of signings for Real Madrid, returning Real president Florentino Perez has captured the signing of Brazilian playmaker Kaka from AC Milan. The fee for the 27 year old is reported to be in the region of $75 million, eclipsing the previous record Real paid for Zenedine Zidane in 2001.
An AC Milan statement read:
"It will be very difficult to fill the void that will be left by Kaka, [He is] a shining example of professionalism and commitment."
"AC Milan thanked the man and the great champion Kaka for his decisive contribution to the many victories achieved in the six years of his commitment."

Kaka underwent a medical yesterday in Recife, ahead of the national teams game with Paraguay. The official unveiling in Madrid is unlikely to take place until the end of the month, as Kaka will be playing for Brazil in the upcoming Confederations Cup in South Africa.
Kaka has long been a target for Real Madrid since former president Ramon Calderon promised to sign him in his election campaign in 2006 but failed to deliver. Perez, who led the Spanish club from 2000 to 2006 during the famous Galacticos era, has promised a return to the top of Europe's elite, and this is sure to back his claims. Whats more, he has promised more to come in the summer and has also been linked to Cristiano Ronaldo.

I think this is an excellent signing for Real Madrid. Real struggled last season because of injuries. With the likes of Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Arjen Roben coming back into the team, Real are sure to be a presence anyway. Next on the list, in my opinion has to be a strong center midfielder, someone like Claude Makelele who Real never replaced after leaving for Chelsea. And with Perez ready to show he is the man to bring the team back to the top of the European hierarchy it could be an exciting summer of signings. On the other hand, lets hope he gets it right as this could be a big financial gamble in a very downward spiraling economy!

Kaka Transfer Decided by Carlo Ancelotti?

It looks like the battle is on between two of the worlds richest teams to sign AC Milan's Kaka. It is no secret that Chelsea and Real Madrid have money to sign. Chelsea have a Russian billionaire who is not afraid to splash the cash, while Madrid are reknowned for buying big. On Tuesday morning it was revealed that Kaka was on the verge of signing for Real Madrid. AC Milan have tried to break speculation since then, but the media continues to talk. But this is a battle new Real president Perez dare not lose. For he has NEVER failed to deliver on his pledges. He single-handedly created the era of the Galacticos, when the planet's biggest stars - £47million world- record capture Zinedine Zidane, £37m Luis Figo, £30m Ronaldo and £24m David Beckham - completed amazing moves to the Bernabeu. Now he has promised Kaka to the people of Madrid - and failure is not an option. Last night it was revealed that Chelsea were making a bid to sign the Brazilian for a reported $75million, with new Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti personally phoning Kaka in a bid to stall his move to Madrid and buy some time.

This is a battle that is sure to rage for the next few weeks. It is going to be a battle of money, power, status and ego!

Brazil Soccer Bus Overturns!

Celebrations were taken to the next level in Sertaozinho, Brazil last weekend, after a bus of celebrating players overturned! One of the main reasons behind newly promoted Sertaozinho bus overturning was the fact that they had many fans joining the players aboard the top of the bus. When the rickety vehicle hit a dip in the road, it began to sway. Unable to regain its balance, the bus fell on its side sending bodies sprawling to the ground. Many fought to hold onto the side of the bus, but were not successful. There were some serious injuries from the incident, including a broken colar bone and a player who severly bruised his spleen. Another player suffered multiple fractures to his arm. At least the team has a few months to recover before the new season!

In January, a more serious incident occured in Brazil when the bus of third division team Brasil de Pelotas crashed, killing two players and a coach. The bus driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle approaching a turn and it fell into a 40-meter (130-foot) roadside ravine, the federal highway police said.

Manchester United to Expand Old Trafford

It has been announced that Manchester United are to expand Old Trafford by an additional 20,000 seats raising the max attendance to 95,000. This number is bigger than Wembley maximum attendance! Currently a full house at a United home game brings in an estimated $3.7 million revenue, with the increase adding an extra $800,000. According to reports, it was Alex Ferguson who pushed the idea on the Glazer's stating a desire to add cheaper, more affordable seating for fans.

With the current Premier League Averages, only Arsenal and Newcastle would have over half the attendance of United, with Arsenal averaging 60,000 and Newcastle at 48,750. Yes thats right, the only teams to have half of Uniteds! What this essentially means is that United would be pulling in over double the revenue of 85% of the Premier League every home game. This relates into over $25 million dollars more per season in generated revenue, essentially a big money signing! One of the key issues to this is whether it will encourage other teams to follow suit. Liverpool in particular are set to move from their Anfield home in a quest to catch up on United. Chelsea are another team that might need to soon make a transition.

2009 Premier League Average Attendance Numbers:

	Team	Pld	Total	Highest	Average	Capacity		Pct
1	Manchester United (1)	19	1430776	75569	75304	76212		98.8%
2	Arsenal (4)	19	1140754	60109	60040	60432		99.3%
3	Newcastle United (18)	19	926244	52114	48750	52387		93.0%
4	Liverpool (2)	19	828610	44424	43611	45362		96.1%
5	Manchester City (10)	19	820075	47331	43162	48000		89.9%
6	Chelsea (3)	19	790172	43417	41588	42055		98.8%
7	Sunderland (16)	19	763098	47936	40163	49000		81.9%
8	Aston Villa (6)	19	756422	42585	39812	42551		93.5%
9	Tottenham Hotspur (8)	19	682645	36183	35929	36310		98.9%
10	Everton (5)	19	677679	39574	35667	40394		88.2%
11	West Ham United (9)	19	650307	40842	34227	35647		96.0%
12	Middlesbrough (19)	19	540144	33767	28429	35100		80.9%
13	Stoke City (12)	19	512242	27500	26960	28384		94.9%
14	West Bromwich Albion (20)	19	490726	26344	25828	28003		92.2%
15	Hull City (17)	19	471507	24945	24816	25404		97.6%
16	Fulham (7)	19	462462	25661	24340	26600		91.5%
17	Blackburn Rovers (15)	19	446146	28389	23481	31367		74.8%
18	Bolton Wanderers (13)	19	427228	26021	22486	28723		78.2%
19	Portsmouth (14)	19	376762	20540	19830	20688		95.8%
20	Wigan Athletic (11)	19	348656	22954	18350	25138		72.9%

Ancelotti To Take Over At Chelsea

A.C Milan accepted the fact that they would be losing manager Carlos Ancelotti to Chelsea on Monday morning. After guiding AC back into the Champions League, Ancelotti decided that a new adventure in England was his next challenge. Chelsea have been looking for a full time replacement for Luiz Felipe Scolari, who left the club in December. Since his departure, Gus Hiddink has helped steady the ship and guided Chelsea to FA Cup success this past weekend. I am sure that Hiddink would have been the No. 1 choice for Chelsea, but he had said from the beginning that he was only going to be with the club until the end of the season.

Ancelotti brings a wealth of experience to Chelsea. He spent 8 seasons as manager of AC where he won:

• 2 Champions League titles
• 1 Serie A title
• 1 Italian Cup
• 1 Club World Cup

There are some concerns over his appointment though, with one being his lack of English, a problem that hindered Scollari's time at Chelsea. Another issue is the lack of league titles, with only one in eight seasons. This season saw Milan finish 10 points off the pace as Mourinho guided Inter Milan to the Serie A title.