Copa América 2011

June 30th, 2011 by CarloS

Reporting from Buenos Aires
Tomorrow Friday 1 July Copa América kicks off again, this time hosted by Argentina. The tournament goes over twenty-three days and is contested by twelve nations. Running since 1916, it is the world’s oldest international football tournament. Brazil are the defending champions from the last tournament in 2007.

The hosts are this edition’s favourites to take the title, with a strong team including Messi, Tevez, Aguero, Di Maria, Higuain, Zabaleta, Cambiasso, Mascherano and the Milito brothers. However the Brazilian title holders, with the likes of Neymar, Pato, Robinho, Maicon, Alves and Thiago Silva will likely be the strongest challengers. The Brazilians expect tough contest from Paraguay in their Group B, while Group C is the most open of them all, where Uruguay have been grouped with Chile, Peru and Gold Cup winners Mexico.

My trip from California to Argentina, after the Gold Cup final, was a bit less eventful than the Mexican squad. A late night incident, with some prostitutes in an Ecuador hotel, led to eight players being suspended for the next six months by the Mexican federation. That follows the Gold Cup scandal where five Mexican players were suspended for testing positive for a banned substance.

The three groups in Copa América:

Group A:
Argentina
Bolivia
Colombia
Costa Rica

Group B:
Brazil
Paraguay
Venezuela
Ecuador

Group C:
Chile
Mexico
Peru
Uruguay

Host Argentina play against Bolivia in the opening match on Friday evening. This is followed by Colombia vs Costa Rica on Saturday afternoon, Brazil vs Venezuela and Paraguay vs Ecuador on Sunday afternoon. Monday afternoon Group C kicks off with Uruguay vs Peru and Chile vs Mexico.

From the newsroom…

June 28th, 2011 by EricA

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All the best from
Frank, Carlo & Eric

PS. Carlo has just arrived in Buenos Aires, ready to feed us with news from the Copa America!

Latest confirmed transfers

June 28th, 2011 by EricA

Regular updates with all the transfer news as they happen through this transfer window..
Latest updates: Sunday 10 July

From River Plate: Midfielder ERIK LAMELA to AS Roma €12 million. The 19 year old left the relegated Argentinian club and signed a five year deal with Roma.

From Benfica: Goalkeeper JOSE MOREIRA to Swansea. The 29 year old Portuguese has spent the past twelve years with Benfica.

From Rákospalotai: Goalkeeper CSABA SOMOGYI to Fulham on a one year deal. The 26 year old impressed new Fulham manager Martin Jol when he was on trial at Ajax.

From Blackpool: Midfielder CHARLIE ADAM to Liverpool. The Scotland international went for a fee of 7.5 million.

From Manchester United: Defender JOHN O’SHEA to Sunderland. The Ireland international has signed a four year contract.

From Manchester United: Defender WES BROWN to Sunderland on a four year contract.

From Reading: Defender MATT MILLS to Leicester City on a four year deal.

From Benfica: Left back FABIO COENTRAO to Real Madrid for €30 million. The Portuguese international has signed a six year contract.

From Portsmouth: Striker DAVID NUGENT to Leicester City on a three year contract.

From AZ Alkmaar: Striker KOLBEINN SIGTHORSSON to Ajax. The Iceland international has signed a four year deal.

From Arsenal: Left back GAEL CLICHY to Manchester City for a fee of £7 million. The French international has signed a four year contract.

From Bordeaux: Midfielder ALOU DIARRA to Olympique Marseille. This deal has been long in the making and the French international has signed a three year contract.

From Preston North End: Centre back SEAN ST LEDGER to Leicester City. The Ireland international has signed a three year contract.

From Bolton Wanderers: Goalkeeper ALI AL-HABSI to Wigan Athletic for £4 million. After having spent last season on loan at Wigan, the Oman international has now signed a four year contract with the club.

From Feyenoord: Winger GEORGINIO WIJNALDUM to PSV Eindhoven on a four year deal.

From Hamburger SV: Winger JONATHAN PITROIPA going to Rennes for €3.5million. The Burkina Faso international has just been given the go ahead to finalise a transfer to the French Ligue 1 club.

From Young Boys: Midfielder THIERRY DOUBAI to Udinese.

From Blackpool: Midfielder ANDY REID to Nottingham Forest on a two year deal. The 28 year old former Ireland international only arrived at Blackpool from Sunderland in January. Reid started his career with Nottingham Forest but was sold with Michael Dawson to Tottenham in 2005.

From West Bromwich Albion: Goalkeeper SCOTT CARSON to Bursaspor.

From Real Zaragoza: Midfielder GABI to Atlético Madrid for a €3 million fee.

From Werder Bremen: Midfielder TORSTEN FRINGS to Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.

From Benfica: Striker NUNO GOMES to Sporting Braga. The 35 year old former Portugal international was released on a free transfer.

From RC Lens: Midfielder MEHDI ABEID to Newcastle on a five year contract.

From Birmingham City: Midfielder CRAIG GARDNER to Sunderland on a three year deal.

From Chunnam Dragons: Striker JI DONG-WON to Sunderland. The South Korean international has signed a three year deal.

From Maccabi Petah Tikva: Winger OMER DAMARI to Celtic on a three year contract. The 22 year old Israeli international went for a fee of £2million.

From Coventry City: Midfielder ISAAC OSBOURNE to Aberdeen on a free transfer.

From Club Brugge: Midfielder RONALD VARGAS to Anderlecht. The Venezuelan international has made a rare move from one rival Belgian club to another. Last time a transfer between the clubs happened was in 2000.

From Hamburger SV: Centre back DAVID ROZEHNAL to Lille. The 31 one year old Czech international came to Lille on loan last season and has now made the move permanent.

From Hapoel Tel Aviv: Goalkeeper VINCENT ENYEAMA to Lille. The 28 year old Nigerian is moving on a free transfer.

From Lillestrøm: Striker ANTHONY UJAH to Mainz 05. The 20 year old Nigerian caught the attention of several European clubs while playing last season for Norwegian side Lillestrøm, scoring an impressive 27 goals in 36 matches.

From Austria Wien: Midfielder JULIAN BAUMGARTLING to Mainz 05. The 23 year old Austrian international has agreed on a four year deal with the German Bundesliga club.

From Inverness: Striker ADAM ROONEY to Birmingham City on a free transfer. The 23 year old Irish international has signed a two year deal.

From Ipswich Town: Striker CONNOR WICKHAM to Sunderland on a four year deal. The 18 year old talent cost Sunderland £8 million but the fee could increase to £12 million depending on appearances and performances during the four year period.

From Sunderland: Striker DAVID HEALY to sign a permanent deal with Rangers. The Northern Ireland international has been on loan to Rangers since January.

From Videoton: Winger BOJAN DJORDJIC to Blackpool on a two year contract.

From Sheffield United: Striker DARIUS HENDERSON to Millwall, following United’s relegation to League One.

From Saint-Étienne: Striker DIMITRI PAYET to Lille. The 24 year old has signed a four year contract with the French champions.

From Aberdeen: Striker CHRIS MAGUIRE to Derby County. The 22 year old Scottish international has signed a three year deal.

From Villarreal: Midfielder JAVIER MATILLA to Real Betis on a three year contract. In a double deal Real Betis will also get Ecuadorian left winger JEFFERSON MONTERO on a one year loan from Villarreal.

From Hapoel Tel Aviv: Midfielder GIL VERMOUTH to Kaiserslautern for a fee of €750,000. The 25 year old Israeli international has signed a four year deal.

From Atlético Madrid: Goalkeeper DAVID DE GEA to Manchester United for £17.8 million. The twenty year old Spaniard has passed his medical and is signing as the replacement for Edwin Van Der Sar.
De Gea has just returned after winning the U-21 European Championship with Spain. He was also on the winning Spanish team in the 2007 U-17 European Championship.

From Sporting Clube de Braga: Full back SILVIO to Atlético Madrid on a five year contract. The 23-year-old, who has three caps for his country, came up through the youth ranks at Benfica and played for Atletico Cacem, Odivelas and Rio Ave before joining Braga last year.

From Crystal Palace: Midfielder NEIL DANNS to Leicester City on a free transfer. The 28 year old has signed a three year contract.

From Peterborough United: Striker CRAIG MACKAIL-SMITH to Leicester City. Helping Peterborough to gain promotion, he was League One Player of The Year for the 2010/11 season. In March the 27 year old also had his debut playing for Scotland.

Riots as River Plate relegated

June 27th, 2011 by CarloS

Argentina’s most successful football team, Club Atlético River Plate, have been relegated to Primera B Nacional for the first time in their history. Exactly 110 years after the club was founded, the continuing plunge sparked riots in the Belgrano neighbourhood of Buenos Aires.

River Plate have won the Primera División a record 33 times, the latest in 2008. They have also won the Copa Libertadores in 1986 and 1996. Club president and former captain / former coach, Daniel Passarella, refused to resign after the relegation was a fact. He says he won’t turn his back on River Plate as long as he live. Passarella inherited the presidency of a club over $10 million in debt when former president José María Aguilar left 18 months ago. The relegation will bring huge financial hardship for the already heavily indebted giants.

Since River Plate’s last success in 2008 they have had a bad run of three coaches struggling to get results. Leonardo Astrada was replaced by Ángel Cappa, who again was replaced by Juan José Lopez. The relegation came after a 1-1 draw with Belgrano in the second leg of a demotion play-off. Belgrano won the first leg 2-0 at home.

Mexico beat USA in Gold Cup final

June 26th, 2011 by CarloS

At the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California
After two quick goals from USA, Mexico came back to draw 2-2 at half time. The USA defense was at times struggling with the pace and movement of Giovani Dos Santos playing in a free floating role. They did their best trying to wrap up Mexico’s star striker Javier Hernández but that created space for West Ham winger Pablo Barrera. Early in the second half Barrera scored his second goal of the match to put Mexico up 3-2.

USA put the pressure back onto Mexico but were repeatedly denied by a well organized Mexican defense, in the 58th minute also by the crossbar. With less than fifteen minutes on the clock a Mexican attack opened up the USA defense once more. Giovani Dos Santos controlled the ball beautifully away from a scrambling Tim Howard, before he chipped the ball over the heads of several defender into the top left corner.

Javier Hernández won the golden boot of the tournament. 

This is Mexico’s second consecutive Gold Cup win. Two years ago they beat the USA 5-0 in the final.

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