Soccer : Around : The world

England

2007-08-05T04:48:00.000-07:00

Carlos Tevez's representative Kia Joorabchian has revealed the striker hopes he will be a ManUtd player for "a long time to come".
Although the final paperwork on Tevez's United contract has yet to be completed, the Argentina star has already passed his United medical and trained with his new team-mates after West Ham agreed a ฃ2million settlement for the 23-year-old to leave the club.
Joorabchian told Sky Sports News: "We tried in the last couple of months to do it very quietly and quickly and I'm very happy, we're all very delighted it has come out to be a victory for everybody in this case.

"He made it clear he was very happy last year but he knew the ambition had come now to progress and he's absolutely thrilled to move on. He's very happy that he left West Ham on a good note.
"And he's absolutely thrilled now to join ManUtd and hopes that will be his club for a long time to come."

England

2007-08-05T04:47:00.001-07:00

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce has admitted that Michael Owen is likely to miss the start of the Premier League season with a thigh injury.
England striker Owen, whose career on Tyneside has been beset by injuries, played just three times for the Magpies last term and has failed to respond to treatment on an injury that has wrecked his pre-season programme.
The 27-year-old now looks set to sit out United's season opener against Allardyce's former club Bolton next weekend, paving the way for new signing Alan Smith who has arrived for ฃ6million from Manchester United.

Allardyce told the Daily Mail: "It doesn't look as encouraging as we first thought.
"The tear in the muscle hasn't healed as quickly as we would like, so there's no point in making any rash decisions just to get him fit for the start of the season.
"It's about getting him 100% for playing matches on a regular basis. That's why it has been more disappointing for him that he's missed pre-season games more than training.
"He's done enough training to last him a lifetime."

Holland

2007-08-05T04:47:00.000-07:00

Arsene Wenger was unimpressed with Ajax's physical approach on Saturday but more than happy as Arsenal clinched the Amsterdam Tournament.
Robin van Persie was stretchered off after netting a late winner to beat the hosts by one goal to nil and claim a second trophy in a week.
However, the Dutchman - just back to fitness having been out since January with a broken metatarsal - was able to quickly rejoin his team-mates for the presentation ceremony.
Wenger hopes van Persie, now Arsenal's main goal threat following the sale of Thierry Henry, should show no lasting ill-effects of the bruising treatment he received throughout the game.
Wenger praised the way his team dealt with the situation they faced - one which is likely to come up more often when the Premier League season kicks off next weekend.
"Physically it was a tough game. What you can see is the spirit is strong in the team and that everybody works for each other. That is very positive," Wenger told Sky Sports.
"It has been a perfect pre-season to start the championship."
However, Wenger continued: "I was very disappointed with some of the challenges.
"I think some players were a little bit overboard, but we kept our nerve.
"Some ways, the fact that you know you would be suspended in England if you over-react here helps us.
"I am proud of them because you cannot let everybody kick you without showing that the team is ready to respond. There was no over-reaction."
Van Persie is likely to be closely monitored ahead of the clash with Fulham on Sunday following a crunching challenge from his Holland team-mate John Heitinga.
Wenger said: "I was very disappointed by this tackle, but he looks all right at the moment."
Wenger has yet to extend his own contract with the Gunners.
The board are, understandably, keen to get a new deal sorted sooner rather than later.
"I will come out at the right moment, do not worry about that," said Wenger, who answered "yes" when pressed as to whether talks were taking place.
The Frenchman, meanwhile, maintains Arsenal have no reason to panic buy ahead of the August 31 transfer deadline.
Wenger said: "Today we had Gilberto out in midfield, (Alex Song, Abou Diaby and Cesc) Fabregas did not play.
"So we have plenty of quality players, and the pre-season tells you that we have a big squad."

Spain

2007-08-05T04:46:00.000-07:00

David Beckham will not start a game for the L.A. Galaxy until August 15th — he is that banged up.
The twelve minutes David Beckham played against Chelsea on July 21st will surely go down as the most expensive twelve minutes in the history of football. Given his projected salary of close to $50 million a year, DB7 has pocketed three million dollars since arriving in L.A. at close to $400,000 a minute in playing time — not bad money if you can get it.
But enough of the money, let's talk about the word that keeps Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas tossing and turning in a cold sweat all night … injury.
Beckham originally hurt his ankle while playing for England on June 6th in Estonia. He then aggravated the injury in his final game with Real Madrid on June 17th. Since joining the Galaxy on July 13th, Beckham has been present at one training session — an open practice on July 16th in which he did some light work on the side as part of a publicity stunt. That's it.
And according to sources inside the Galaxy, even his teammates are kept in the dark as to how his ankle is progressing. They're not allowed in the training room when he's receiving treatment — and the reason for this is that the Galaxy management is terrified of leaks.
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They don't want us to know how badly he's injured as that would be the PR gaffe of the century. In fact, the Galaxy currently have enough egg on their faces over this ‘Beckhamania' to open up their own Denny's.
With only partial information, all we can do is guess as to what has happened to the most expensive ankle in football which, according to reports, is supposedly swollen and responding slowly to treatment.

Italy

2007-08-05T04:44:00.002-07:00

Juventus have confirmed that defender Giorgio Chiellini, who had been linked with a move to Manchester City, will not be leaving the club.
The full-back, who is currently in England on a pre-season tour with Juve, is part of coach Claudio Ranieri's plans for next season.
Juve director of sport Alessio Secco told the club's TV channel: "There is no truth in the voices linking Chiellini with a move.
"Giorgio is part of the club's plans and is staying at Juventus.
"I can only reaffirm what has been said in the last few days that the transfer market regarding players coming in is practically closed, although we are keeping an eye on anything becoming available.
"The team is complete and, with Ranieri, there is a great harmony."
Sven-Goran Eriksson welcomed his four new signings to City - then confirmed there could be more to come next week.

In a whirlwind 24 hours, Eriksson completed the capture of Brazilian international Elano, Javi Garrido, Vedran Corluka and Valeri Bojinov.
The quadruple swoop doubled the number of fresh faces Eriksson has brought into Eastlands since he succeeded Stuart Pearce as manager last month.
With just a week to go before the new campaign gets under way at West Ham, the former England coach has a massive job to integrate the new boys into his squad, especially as only Elano, who has an Italian passport, and Garrido will be available for Saturday's high-profile friendly with Valencia.
However, Eriksson has not finished yet, with a goalkeeper and, possibly, a defender still on his hit-list.
"I never speak about rumours," said the Swede when asked specifically about a series of players he has been linked with.
"If you wait three or four days, you will know.
"My dream is to have eight defenders, eight midfielders and four strikers. That is what I am working towards and hopefully, by the time I have finished, that is what I will have."
Eriksson admitted he currently had so many players on the training field 'I need two pitches'. Departures are inevitable, with Danny and Matthew Mills, Georgios Samaras and Darius Vassell all in the firing line.

However, Eriksson, while accepting his team are nowhere near the level he would like them to be at this stage of the pre-season campaign, is hopeful the required improvement will be made before his side head to Upton Park.
"We are not ready yet," he said.
"But we have one week to try and make a team of it. It will not be easy and the time is short, everyone knows that.
"We all know when the new owner came in and we all know when I came in. We just have to do the best we can."

Germany

2007-08-05T04:44:00.001-07:00

BERLIN (AP) - Fabian Boll scored an 87th-minute winner Saturday for FC St. Pauli to knock out Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 in the opening round of the German Cup.
St. Pauli, a second-division team, was beaten in the 2005 semifinals by Bayern Munich after defeating Bundesliga clubs VfL Bochum, Hertha Berlin and Werder Bremen.
"That's what makes the cup exciting," said Leverkusen coach Michael Skibbe, whose team was missing several starters. "The quality of St. Pauli is unquestioned."
St. Pauli, famous for being the favorite club of Germany's leftwing supporters, used that 2005 run to pull itself out of a deep debt.
Also, Cottbus fell in the first round for the second straight year, losing a penalty shootout to Rot-Weiss Essen 6-5 after it was locked at 2-2 following extra time.
Bundesliga champion VfB Stuttgart, last year's runner-up, needed Roberto Hilbert's injury-time goal to beat second-division SV Wehen Wiesbaden 2-1.
Werder Bremen also needed a late goal to win, while Borussia Dortmund, Hertha Berlin, Hannover 96 and Hansa Rostock also advanced to the second round.
The German league starts next weekend.