Arsenal legend Thierry Henry could be set to make a nostalgic return to north London

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry could be set to make a nostalgic return to north London
By Stewart Flaherty, December 26 2011,

At the start, of this month, Arsenal fans, were delighted, that the ,club erected, a statue, legendary striker, Thierry Henry, outside, Emirates Stadium,soccer news, football news, football articles, football articles,

The statue of Henry was unveiled as part the club’s 125th anniversary celebrations, and now Gunners fans could be ready for an even better gift just after Christmas, the return to Arsenal of the man himself.

Arsene Wenger signed Henry for Arsenal in 1999, and the enigmatic striker spent eight successful years in England’s capital, winning two Premier League titles and three FA Cups. The graceful French striker scored 226 goals during his time with the Gunners, before leaving to join FC Barcelona in the summer of 2007.Henry is currently employed by the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer, but has been training with Arsenal since the end of the American season.This shows the favorable relationship Henry still enjoys with Wenger and his former club, and reports have been surfacing about the Frenchman performing very well during these sessions. In fact, former Arsenal defender Martin Keown told The Telegraph newspaper that Arsenal’s current players “can’t get the ball off him,” when defending against Henry.While it is unlikely Henry would scale the heights of his first spell with the club, when he was twice awarded the PFA Player of the Year award, and four times finished as the Premier League’s leading goal scorer, Henry would give a boost to the Arsenal squad.....

Alfio Basile to become the new coach of Racing Club for the fourth time

Alfio Basile to become the new coach of Racing Club for the fourth time
By Gregory Sica, December 26 2011,

The former, Argentina, boss, will be hoping, for a, successful, fourth stint, at La Academia, soccer news, football news, football articles, football articles

Alfio Basile has accepted to replace Diego Simeone as the new coach of Racing Club. The former Argentina boss is expected to sign a one-year deal with the popular Avellaneda club on Wednesday."I'm travelling to Buenos Aires to finish the final details, which are only minor and don't put the negotiations under any risks, so that we can say that Alfio will return to Racing, " Norberto Recassens, the agent of the coach, affirmed to Telam.Recassens left his vacations momentarily, so that he could travel to the Argentine capital to come to an agreement with Racing over the minor details left in the contract, in order to speed up the hiring process.

"There are a few minor clauses in the contract to adjust, which will be for one year. They are only minor details. 'Coco' told me: 'now we will become champions,'" added Recassens.Basile, 68, will sign a contract for the upcoming Clausura and the following Apertura 2012. It will be his fourth stint at the club, where he won silverware both as a player and as a coach.Simeone, who was given the door by Racing after failing to lead the club into the 2012 Copa Libertadores, is likely to be named the new coach of Atletico Madrid sometime this week. With Simeone Racing ended the 2011 Apertura championship in second place.For that reason last Friday Gaston Cogorno, the new president of Racing, reunited with a few of his directors, including General Coordinator Roberto Ayala, for discussions with a keen Basile.Basile led Racing to the Argentine championship in 1966, before leading them to both the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup the following year.While Boca Juniors was the last club Basile coached, he had coached the Argentine national team between 2006 and 2008, before being replaced by Diego Maradona after a 1-0 defeat to Chile in a 2010 World Cup qualifying match.

Cobreloa Calama vs Universidad de Chile Report

Cobreloa Calama vs Universidad de Chile Report
By Gregory Sica, December 26 2011,

Cobreloa, and .Universidad de Chile, fight out goalless, draw in, first leg, Chilean Clausura, championship, final, soccer news, football news, football articles, football articles

Cobreloa and Universidad de Chile fought out a goalless draw in the first leg of the Chilean Clausura championship final at the Estadio Municipal de Calama on Monday.It was a hotly contested final between two solid sides who battled in the midfield for large part of the match. Cobreloa proved the stronger team on the field, however, they couldn't take advantage of their goal-scoring opportunities.

Cobreloa came closest to breaking the deadlock in the 61st minute, when Diego Barrios connected to a precise cross with a powerful header, but although his header seemed to beat Universidad de Chile goalkeeper Johnny Herrera, it didn't beat the post.Herrera picked up the rebound, but Barrios kicked it out of his hands and fired the ball into an unguarded net. The goal was correctly disallowed by referee Eduardo Gamboa.After the incident both teams did their best to threaten the opposing defense, but to no avail, as both sets of goalkeepers were on top of their game.La 'U' clearly felt the absence of key striker Eduardo Vargas who missed the match due to suspension. They lacked firepower in their attack, but held on to the draw thanks to their strong defense. Their Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli was sent-off in the 89th minute for insulting the match referee.With the goalless draw in Calama, Universidad de Chile only need a draw in Santiago to complete what would be a rare treble, after lifting the Chilean Apertura championship and the Copa Sudamericana. Meanwhile, Cobreloa will have to set out for the victory in order to win their eighth national title.Cobreloa will be motivated by the fact that Universidad de Chile's long unbeaten run was put to an abrupt end against Universidad Catolica in Santiago in the semi-finals of the competition.The 2011 Clausura championship will be decided at the Estadio Nacional of Santiago on Thursday.

Liverpool vs Blackburn Rovers England Premier League Dec 26 2011 kick-off 15:00 Online Watch Free

Liverpool vs Blackburn Rovers England Premier League Dec 26 2011 kick-off 15:00 Online Watch Free.Liverpool face another disappointing , they were at the top 6 of the league teams and they must be much stronger in the next game against the Blackburn Rovers in the upcoming Monday. Liverpool need 3 points o get back on the track to get themselves to the top 4 teams of the league. Blackburn the worst ever start of the season for them. Blackburn is only the team who is at the end of the table and very much closer to the relegation .

Liverpool must put some of the better option against the team Blackburn if Liverpool have to qualify for the next year Uefa Champions League . There is allots of computition between the English Premiere League teams. Maxi Rodreguiz performed well for the Man United side in last few games while Luis Suraze is the top scorer for the Liverpool team.

Carig Bellamy , Steve Gerrard , Andy Carrol , Kyut are some of the key players for the teams of Liverpool . Luis Suraze is suffereing 8 matches ban and Sir Alex Ferguson admired the decision of the according to him its a “right decision. Liverpool have a sucessful season in the start of the English Premiere League.Liverpool vs Blackburn Rovers Free Online Streaming, Liverpool vs Blackburn Rovers Live Online Streaming, Liverpool vs Blackburn Rovers Live Streaming, Liverpool vs Blackburn Rovers Online Streaming.Liverpool will made some new arrangements for the place of Luis Suraze in the upcoming games.Marton Gamsat Pederson the keyplayer for the Blackburn.Yakubu is one of the best players in last few matches . David Dunn will be the hope for the team of Blackburn as he played in the defesive midfield. It’s the important and tough game for the both sides . Prediction about such game is so much difficult but Liverpool is looking faviourtes for this match.

Liverpool (Probable, 4-4-2): Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Jose Enrique; Maxi, Adam, Henderson, Downing; Suarez, Bellamy.
Out: Gerrard (ankle), Lucas (knee).

Blackburn (Probable, 4-3-3): Robinson; Lowe, Samba, Hanley, Pedersen; Dunn, Nzonzi, Vukcevic; Formica, Hoilett, Yakubu.
Out: Dann (groin), Nelsen (knee), Salgado (ribs), Givet (heart condition).
Test: Olsson (hamstring), Roinson (calf).

Referee: Mike Jones (Matches 10, R4 Y49).

Chelsea vs Fulham England Premier League Monday Dec 26 2011,14:00 CET Online Watch Free

Chelsea vs Fulham England Premier League Monday Dec 26 2011,14:00 CET Online Watch Free

Chelsea FC - Fulham
English Premier League, Round 18
Date: 26.December 2011 - 14:00 CET
Stadium: Stamford Bridge - London
Referee: Andre Marriner

Match Info:
On Monday, 26th December at 14:00 (CET), Chelsea FC will host Fulham FC at Stamford Bridge for Round 18 of the English Premier League. The west London derby should be a lively match on Boxing Day, with history indicating that home victory is likely in the cards.Chelsea are only just holding onto their fourth place position with Liverpool and Arsenal right at their heels. Last week's away draw against third place Tottenham Hotspur was a positive result, especially considering Branislav Ivanovic and John Obi Mikel both limped off due to injury. Adding to Villas-Boas' problems is the suspension of midfielder Ramires, who is ineligible for this week's match after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season. Frank Lampard, who sat out last week, is the logical replacement against Fulham.

Chelsea vs. Fulham live: streams, video highlights, statistics, results, match preview, news. Find out on what television channels broadcast the match. Shedules all sport TV channels. Acquired rights. Coverage. Availability.The Cottagers have few days to recover from the 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester United last Wednesday and Martin Jol will be addressing issues in defense. David Stockdale has taken over for Mark Schwarzer in the goalkeeper position and will start his third match against Chelsea, hoping to avoid a repeat of last week. Fulham are 13th in the table and have a chance at jumping to the top half with a surprise victory over their local rivals. However, the Cottagers have won just once at Stamford Bridge (Last in 1964), and Jol should be satisfied if they manage even a draw.


Chelsea vs Fulham Probable line up:
Keeper: Cech
Defenders: Bosingwa, Luiz, Terry, Cole
Midfielders: Romeu, Meireles, Lampard, Mata
Forwards: Drogba, Sturridge
Manager: Andre Villas-Boas
Injured: Obi Mikel, Ivanovic, Essien
Booked: Ramires

Fulham:
Keeper: Stockdale
Defenders: Senderos, Bair, Hangeland, Riise
Midfielders: Ruiz, Etuhu, Murphy, Dempsey
Forwards: Zamora, Dembele
Manager: Martin Jol
Injured: Grygera, Schwarzer

West Brom's Steven Reid out for one month after surgery

West Brom's Steven Reid out for one month after surgery
Saturday, 24 December 2011

West Brom, midfielde,r Steven Reid, is ruled out, for a ,month following, a knee operation,

West Brom midfielder Steven Reid has been ruled out for one month following a knee operation.The 30-year-old required the surgery to "repair wear and tear" but it was not related to the ankle injury he suffered in Wednesday's 3-2 win at Newcastle.

A club statement confirmed: "He will be sidelined for around one month."He was forced off at Newcastle after twisting his left ankle and it is hoped that this injury will also heal during rehab from his left-knee operation."Reid has also played at right-back for the Baggies this season.Meanwhile, West Brom boss Roy Hodgson will assess the fitness of James Morrison and Youssouf Mulumbu ahead of the Boxing Day clash with Manchester City at The Hawthorns.....

LMA aims to 'change football's mindset' to keep sackings down

LMA aims to 'change football's mindset' to keep sackings down
Sunday, 25 December 2011

League, Managers' Association, chief executive, Richard Bevan, aims to change, football's, mindset, to keep ,down the number, of ,managerial sackings,

The League Managers' Association (LMA) want to "change football's mindset" to stop managers being dismissed after a run of poor results.Former Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is the only top-flight manager to have been sacked during this campaign.But LMA chief executive Richard Bevan told BBC Sport it is too soon to conclude that football management is becoming a safer profession.

"Time, sadly, is not a commodity afforded to managers," he said."Certainly it is understandable at times that chairmen have been spooked by results, empty seats or fans' pressure. But stability is imperative to deliver results."Instability at clubs can cause very real damage to the wider good of the game."Bevan says the LMA constantly highlights the importance of continuity so that football is seen as a sound business and managers are given confidence in an environment of realistic expectations.He added: "Simply dismissing a manager after a poor run is detrimental not only to the club but to the game itself."The LMA is working hard to change football's mindset, working on the recruitment process of managers and ensuring that the clubs and managers set realistic goals and aspirations.....

Arsenal may re-sign Thierry Henry, says Arsene Wenger

Arsenal may re-sign Thierry Henry, says Arsene Wenger
Saturday, 24 December 2011

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, admits, considering re-signing, Thierry Henry, two-month, loan deal,

Arsene Wenger is considering re-signing Arsenal's record goalscorer Thierry Henry on a two-month loan deal.The French striker, 34, has been training with his old club since the end of the Major League Soccer season.He is not due back at New York Red Bulls until March - and the timing may tempt manager Wenger because strikers Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh will soon be at the Africa Cup of Nations."

Short term is ideal, but I haven't made any enquiry yet," Wenger said.Henry scored 226 goals in 370 games between 1999 and 2007.His time at the north London club coincided with one of the most successful periods in Arsenal's history, winning two league titles and three FA Cups before leaving for Barcelona.Henry's legendary status at Arsenal was recently recognised during the club's 125th anniversary celebrations when a statue of him was unveiled outside Emirates Stadium.Wenger said: "I have to think about [making an offer for Henry]."1 January is the vital date for us. We have seven days to make decisions and I will make a decision in the next seven days on players."The Africa Cup of Nations, which lasts a month, starts at the end of January....

We'd only buy top quality, says Man Utd boss Ferguson

We'd only buy top quality, says Man Utd boss Ferguson
Saturday, 24 December 2011

Manchester United, manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, insists he is not prepared, to buy, January, transfer window, unless a ,top player, becomes available,

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists he is not prepared to buy in the January transfer window unless a top player becomes available.Ferguson, 69, has seen his squad beset by injuries, with winger Ashley Young the latest casualty.But Ferguson said: "I am perfectly happy with the strength of our squad in terms of depth, quality and age range.

"I will not be swayed by endless tweets and blogs urging the club to get busy in the transfer market next month."Although Phil Jones is set to be fit for the Boxing Day clash with Wigan, Young (knee) is on an injury list that includes the likes of Nemanja Vidic, Anderson, Michael Owen and Tom Cleverley, while Darren Fletcher is also sidelined with a bowel condition.United have made forays into the January market before - most notably signing Louis Saha, Vidic and Patrice Evra - but Ferguson is confident his squad can cope.Writing in his programme notes for the Wigan game, Ferguson said: "As far as I am concerned I am marching perfectly in step, true to my beliefs and principles."While recruiting some of the world's leading players can lift you into contention for honours, it doesn't necessarily take you all the way, as I hope we will be able to demonstrate before the end of the season as other factors come into play.

Sir Alex Ferguson feels ban for Luis Suarez was right

Sir Alex Ferguson feels ban for Luis Suarez was right
Saturday, 24 December 2011

Manchester United, boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, believes, the Football, Association made, "the right decision", in banning ,Luis Suarez, for ,eight games, after he racially, abused, Patrice Evra,

Sir Alex Ferguson believes the Football Association made "the right decision" in banning Luis Suarez for eight games after he racially abused Patrice Evra.Forward Suarez was also handed a £40,000 fine after he used "insulting words in reference to Manchester United defender Evra's colour".Liverpool criticised the FA's verdict in a strongly worded statement.

But United boss Ferguson said: "We're satisfied they [the FA's independent commission] made the right decision."Liverpool claimed Evra should also face charges after he admitted insulting Suarez during the altercation at Anfield in October.Ferguson, speaking about Suarez's for the first time, added: "Our support of Patrice was obvious right from the word go and that's still the same."This wasn't about Manchester United and Liverpool. It was nothing to do with that. This was an individual situation where one person was racially abused."The Scot also referred to the way United reacted when Evra received a four-match suspension in 2008.That punishment was meted out after the Frenchman became embroiled in a post-match altercation with a Chelsea groundsman after United won a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge."Patrice got that suspension for the incident down at Chelsea when no one was there, just a groundsman and our fitness coach," said Ferguson.....

Is Manchester City’s title bid about to face a winter of discontent?

Is Manchester City’s title bid about to face a winter of discontent?
By Stewart Flaherty, December 24 2011,

soccer news, football news, football articles, football articles

Manchester City have been in phenomenal domestic form so far this season. The blue half of Manchester sit top of the table, and made a statement by beating rivals Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford.It is now impossible to argue that City are anything other than a legitimate title contender.A game on a cold, winter night against a big, physical team was one many critics believed that City’s “pampered, foreign millionaires” would struggle to cope with.

However, that theory took a hit last Wednesday when Stoke City came to the Etihad Stadium on…..a cold, winter night. The Stoke team that has been engineered by Tony Pulis is designed to make things physically difficult for opponents, and ask questions of opposing defenses at set pieces.Rather than becoming flustered by Stoke, City simply dominated the game from the outset. Sergio Aguero and Adam Johnson gave City a 2-0 half-time lead, while a second Aguero strike after the interval rounded out a comfortable 3-0 win that means City will celebrate Christmas day on top of the Premier League.For the last two seasons, Chelsea (2009/2010) and Manchester United (2010/2011) have been in first place on Christmas day, and both have went on to win the Premier League title.While recent history serves as a cause for optimism, their own history serves as a warning for City that there is a long way to go in the title race. This year is the first time City have sat top of the English league standings since 1929. That year, they finished 12 points behind eventual champions Sheffield Wednesday.

Chile vs Paraguay News

Chile vs Paraguay News
By Gregory Sica, December 22 2011,

soccer news, football news, football articles, football articles

Luis Pinto converted a superb hat-trick to give Chile a dramatic win over Paraguay in La Serena on Wednesday.

Chile obtained an important 3-2 victory over Paraguay thanks to a superb hat-trick from striker Luis Pinto. The friendly match took place in the Northern Chilean city of La Serena on Wednesday.Claudio Borghi, the Argentine coach of Chile, fielded a side made up of home-based players, while on the other hand Francisco Arce, the coach of Paraguay, selected a relatively experienced side.

The standout performer of the match was Pinto. The talented O'Higgins striker opened the scoring for Chile in the 19th minute, while adding two more goals to his personal account in the second half. Meanwhile, Paraguay's two goals came in the space of four minutes early in the second half, through Edgar Benitez and Julio Cesar Manzur.Chile went into the break with a slight advantage with Pinto's goal, but four minutes into the restart their luck changed somewhat when Michael Contreras pulled the shirt of Edgar Benitez when inside of the area, giving Bolivian referee Raul Orosco no choice but to send him off and award Paraguay a penalty. Benitez made no mistake from the spot to draw the visitors level.Four minutes later Julio Cesar Manzur took advantage of a horrible lapse of concentration from the Chile defense, to head home Paraguay's second goal.But the game turned on its head once more, as in the 62nd minute Pinto converted another penalty kick to equalise for Chile, and he completed his hat-trick twelve minutes later with a fine header to give Chile a remarkable victory.Five minutes from full-time Paraguay were also down to ten-men with Fidencio Oviedo receiving his marching orders for bringing down Leonardo Monje with a dangerous tackle.Chile's next friendly match will be against Ghana in New York on February 29.

Burkina Faso's Herve Zengue is left out of CAN squad

Burkina Faso's Herve Zengue is left out of CAN squad
Friday, 23 December 2011

Herve Zengue, controversial player, whose eligibility, questioned by Namibia, is left out of, Burkina Faso's squad, for the ,Africa Cu,p of Nations,

Zengue played in two qualifying matches against Namibia, who claim he is not eligible to represent the country.They are taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in a bid to replace the Burkinabe in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.The case is set to be heard next month, before the start of the finals.Burkina coach Paolo Duarte has named an initial 25-man squad for the tournament, despite the doubts which remain over their eventual participation.

Two players will drop out before the team head to Malabo in Equatorial Guinea, where they are due to play Ivory Coast, Sudan and Angola.A number of previously important players have been ditched from the squad, including Wilfried Sanou and Madi Panandetiguiri, who has been a key player on the right hand side for the national team for many years.Coach Duarte has a policy of not using players who are not getting regular games for their clubs.Despite that he has included young Bertrand Traore, who is on the books of Chelsea's youth academy - although whether he makes the final cut remains to be seen.

Sudan eye Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final place

Sudan eye Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final place
Saturday, 24 December 2011

Sudan coach, Mohamed Abdallah, believes, his side, can upset, the odds, and reach the 2012, Africa Cup, of Nations, quarter-finals,

Sudan have not won a game at their last three Nations Cups - with their last win coming in the 1970 final itself."It's a tough group and I know we are the fourth-ranked team in it," Abdallah said of a Group B also containing Ivory Coast, Angola and Burkina Faso."But football is an open game and with willpower and confidence we can do it."He added: "Anything can happen in this competition, as we have seen by the failures of big countries like Egypt, Cameroon and Nigeria to qualify."Abdallah, who is commonly known as 'Mazda' in his homeland, guided Sudan to their first Nations Cup in 32 years when helping the team qualify for the 2008 finals.

However, their experience in Ghana was one to forget as they failed to score while conceding nine goals in three heavy defeats.Nonetheless, Abdallah believes the experience gained there will be crucial to the team's Group B fortunes in the Equatorial Guinea capital Malabo next month."From 1976 we didn't participate until 2008 and then we missed the last tournament in Angola - but now we are back," he told BBC Sport.Sudan coach Mohamed Abdallah Coach Mohamed Abdallah is buoyed by the 2012 Nations Cup shocks so far"Our aim is a better performance than last time and to go to the next stage."One of my key aims is to bring some players from my team to play professionally outside."As in 2008, Sudan are set to be the only side at the finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to field a squad entirely composed of locally-based players....

Liverpool's Kenny Dalglish defends team over Luis Suarez support

Liverpool's Kenny Dalglish defends team over Luis Suarez support
Friday, 23 December 2011

Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish, defends his players, were criticised, public backing,Luis Suarez,

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has defended his players after they were criticised for their public backing of Luis Suarez.The team issued a statement and wore T-shirts in support of the striker after he was found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

The move drew criticism from a number of black footballers, including Paul McGrath and Jason Roberts.But Dalglish insisted: "I don't think the players have caused any trouble."If I was in Glen Johnson's situation, I'd have thrown the shirt to the floor Suarez was given an eight-match ban and fined £40,000 by the Football Association after being found guilty of using insulting words to Evra during a game at Anfield on 15 October.Suarez's comments included a reference to the defender's colour.Liverpool insist their player is not a racist and have repeatedly declared their support for the 24-year-old."I think that is the least he deserves," added Dalglish, who said Suarez had been "quite emotional and very grateful" for the support he had received.The Liverpool players reinforced their backing for Suarez by issuing a strongly worded statement on Tuesday condemning the FA for its actions.....