[SPAIN] Facing its biggest week of the season, Barcelona lost forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a calf injury suffered inwarmups before Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao. Ibra, who scored both Barca goals in its 2-2 tie with Arsenal on Wednesday, will miss Tuesday’s second leg of theirChampions League quarterfinal series and is uncertain for next […]
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Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Injuries mar exciting Champions League
By Paul Gardner Delicately poised — there’s a nice soccer cliche for you, but one that certainly applies to the four Champions League quarterfinals. The return gamesnext week are intriguing for a variety of reasons. Will Inter’s thin 1-0 lead stand up on the plastic field in wintry Moscow? Can Manchester United, without the injured […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
And now Fabregas is injured …
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] First, Wayne Rooney and now Cesc Fabregas. Manchesterand Arsenal both have had their stars hurt on the deciding plays of their UEFA Champions League games. Spanish star broke his fibula late in the Gunners’ 2-2 draw with Barcelona. UPDATE: Fabregas will be out six weeks. Fabregas wasn’t sure if he hurt injury […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
UEFA Champions League Preview
[TV GUIDE] The road to Madrid continues with the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League this week and next. For a look at all the matchups and ourpredictions … TUESDAY … Bayern Munich-Man. United TELEVISION: Fox Sports Net, Fox Sports enEspanol, live, 2:30 pm ET; Fox Soccer Channel, delay, 5 pm ET FORM: After going […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Messi overtakes Beckham as richest player
Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has overtaken David Beckham as the richest player in the world, earning $41 million insalary, bonuses and endorsements, according to France Football. More than $25 million in Messi’s earnings came from endorsements for such companies as adidas, Pepsi-Cola and Gillette. Cristiano Ronaldo, third on the overall rich list, has the highest salary, […]
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
MLS is maxing out on parity
By Paul Gardner The complaint, often heard these days from Europe, is that the major leagues there are becoming too predictable. This is hardly a new gripe, but we getto hear much more of it lately because of the English Premier League. In Spain and Italy this is an old problem. Looking only at the […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Sizzling races in big five leagues
[EUROPE] Europe’s five major leagues are enjoying sizzling races. Real Madrid and Barcelona remain tied for first in Spain’s La Liga, where both teams have onlydropped 13 of a possible 81 points. Four or less points separate the top three teams in England, Germany and Italy. Five points separate the top six teams in France. […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Yes, another Messi hat trick [VIDEO]
[SPAIN] Lionel Messi upped his total to eight goals in his last three games for Barcelona with another hat trick Sunday,this time in a 4-2 La Liga win over Real Zaragoza. The hat trick included perhaps his best goal of the lot. It began when he muscled one Zaragoza player off the ball in the […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Barcelona-Arsenal spectacle highlights draw
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Defending champion Barcelona will face English club Arsenal in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. The marquee matchup willfeature two of Europe’s most entertaining teams, who both crushed their opponents to advance to the final eight. The second leg will also feature the return of Barca youth star Cesc Fabregas with […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Liverpool advances to quarterfinals
[EUROPA LEAGUE] Liverpool joined Fulham as the two English clubs in the quarterfinals of the Europa League. Two clubs from Germany and Spain as well as one clubeach from Belgium and Portugal also advanced. For all the Thursday results … Fulham 4 Juventus 1. Goals: Zamora 9, Gera 39, pen. 49,Dempsey 83; Trezeguet 2, (Fulham […]