Page 3 - Monthly Archives: February 2016
- February 12, 2016
The second leg matches of the 2015/16 Copa del Rey semifinals both ended in draws, with Barcelona tying 1-1 against Valencia and Sevilla hitting a 2-2 stalemate with Celta de Vigo. Judging from a snapshot of just those two games, you could make the observation that the semis were close. They weren't.
Indeed, both Barcelona and Sevilla won so big in their first leg games that they were easily able to coast into the finals. Barcelona crushed Valencia 7-0 in their first match, with Luis Suarez scoring four goals and Lionel Messi netting three. Sevilla, meanwhile, beat Celta Vigo 4-0, with Kevin Gameiro providing a brace and Adil Rami and Michael Krohn-Dehli netting one goal apiece.
The Second Leg
The two at-home victories left the challenging - February 11, 2016
By Greg Lea.
If you have plans for Saturday evening, cancel them. The only thing worth doing at that point of the weekend is settling down on the sofa to watch Juventus' crunch clash with Napoli, a meeting of two Italian heavyweights that could play a huge part in deciding the destination of this season's Serie A title.
Just two points separate the pair at the top of the table, with Maurizio Sarri's side marginally better off than the defending champions. Juventus' 2-0 victory over Frosinone last weekend was their 14th consecutive win in the league a new club record while Napoli have triumphed in their last eight and taken 52 points from the last 57 on offer. While Roma, Inter and Fiorentina were all still in the title picture at Christmas, the race on the peninsula now looks to be limited to two horses.
Whereas Juventus are looking to claim their fifth successive Scudetto, Napoli - February 11, 2016
At the moment, Paris Saint Germain seem all but guaranteed to clinch their fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title. Before they settle the score in the domestic league, though, the Parisians will get their first shot at 2015/16 silverware in the final for the Coupe de la Ligue.
A Golden Opportunity for Lille
The championship match, scheduled for April 22nd, will pit PSG against Lille OSC. Lille, of course, are not contenders for the Ligue 1 title this year and have spent most of the season ranked in the lower reaches of the league standings stable. The Great Danes last won trophies in 2011 when they picked up both the Ligue 1 title and the Coupe de France.
However, for the majority of the recent PSG dynasty, Lille have been kept away from the winner's circle. Last season, for instance, the - February 10, 2016
By Karl Matchett.
Barcelona have already all but qualified for the Copa del Rey final, having trounced Valencia 7-0 in the first leg of the semis-but the second leg at the Mestalla must be completed nonetheless, giving Luis Enrique a chance to rest key individuals for bigger battles ahead, and hand starts to those still looking to nail down a regular place in the team.
It's likely that for the final itself, the manager will stick with a full-strength side, but there remains a lot of games ahead in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League as Barça search for another treble of trophies come the end of the season.
Big performances, especially showing a good attitude with little to play for, can help sway the decision to get more game time as the season heads into the final months, so even with a seven-goal advantage
- February 10, 2016
When was the last time this many major, league-winning managers were in the market for new jobs? Between Chelsea's December sacking of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola's decision to leave Bayern Munich for Manchester City at the end of the season, there is a lot of upheaval going on in the top-flight coaching markets right now.
Unsurprisingly, all of that upheaval is leading to some pretty big rumors about where various big-name coaches are going to end up in 2015/16. Guardiola has already been appointed at Man City, and Carlo Ancelotti has taken over Guardiola's old Bayern Munich job. But the Guardiola move displaced Manuel Pellegrini, Jose Mourinho is still in the market for a new job, and Louis van Gaal could be on the lookout soon, as well.Official Juventus Shirts Store
Allegri's Exodus - February 09, 2016
9th February 2016. By Edward Stratmann.
Despite Atletico Madrid losing their enthralling contest against Barcelona 2-1, their dogged manager, Diego Simeone, was still unmistakably proud of his team.
"I remember the fact I feel proud of the team I had on the pitch, it was incredible," he said after the game.
"There was a good 10 minute spell from Barcelona, but we controlled the space well, just not the ball."
It must be said, for the first half especially, the Argentine was spot on his assessment. Lining up his team up in a 4-4-2 formation had obviously been a decision he'd put much thought into prior to kick-off, and judging from the way Barca were made to suffer throughout the first 27 minutes courtesy of Atleti's magnificent, systematic pressing, he unquestionably made the right call.
"4-4-2 allows you to press higher, 4-3-3 lets you press and recover. This formation allowed us to get closer to [Sergio] Busquets and when we regained the ball we had - February 09, 2016
By Ameen Rabbani.
Celtic's deadline day signing of young Manchester City midfielder Patrick Roberts was one of the transfer window's more intriguing acquisitions. The 18-year-old, who cost the Sky Blues a whopping £12 million from Fulham last summer, joins the Scottish champions on an 18-month loan deal arriving with a big reputation and a price-tag that is obscene north of the border.
It's a move that makes sense for all parties though, the England Under-19 international will gain valuable first team experience having only made a handful of appearances at the Etihad while City are well aware that playing in Scotland's top flight is a good environment for Roberts to grow just as Jason Denayer did last term.
Importantly, the Hoops have got their hands on the type of player they've been crying out for years; a gifted individual whose entertainment value can bring back - February 08, 2016
There may be a few other kit manufacturers on the battlefield-like Puma or the newly involved New Balance-but for the most part, Adidas and Nike are the rulers of the football kit market. Ahead of the 2015/16 season, these two sporting gear companies held nine of the 11 most valuable kit manufacturing contracts in all of soccer. Judging just on contract price, Adidas was winning the battle at the start of the season, holding all four of the most valuable kit deals (Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Real Madrid). Nike's top soccer properties, meanwhile-Barcelona, Manchester City, and Paris Saint Germain-aren't quite as high-grossing, since those deals were all signed two or more years ago.
But what about aesthetic and performance? Whose jerseys look better this season and whose kits have been worn by the better-performing football clubs? Read on for Soccer Box's rundown of who made the better football kits for the 2015/16 campaign. - February 08, 2016
Has there ever been a Premier League season as tumultuous and unpredictable as this one? Starting with Chelsea's complete and utter collapse and continuing with surprisingly limp campaigns from both Liverpool and Manchester United, the 2015/16 English Premier League has been anything but a foregone conclusion. In fact, 25 weeks into the competition (and with only 13 games to go until the end of the season), the EPL title is still anyone's game.
Leicester City: Your New Frontrunners?
Leicester City, previously part of the Premier League's so-called "middle class," have been one of the major game-changers this season. Spurred forward by a record-breaking scoring run from Jamie Vardy, the Foxes have been hanging around - February 06, 2016
By Edward Stratmann.
AS Roma's capture of William Vainqueur on the summer transfer window's deadline day was a fascinating one.
Having come up through the Nantes youth academy, which he joined in 2002, he subsequently went on to make his Ligue 1 debut for the club in 2006. Vainqueur quickly established himself as a key player for The Canaries, but after 92 appearances spanning a five year period, he felt it was time to move on.
Standard Liege jumped at the chance to sign the imposing midfielder and duly secured his services in August 2011, paying just a €1.7 million transfer fee and handing him a five year contract. His time in Belgium was unquestionably a success, with his imposing performances in the middle of the park ensuring he was a mainstay of a talented Liege side at the time that featured the likes of Michy Batshuayi, Imoh Ezekiel and Paul-Jose M'Poku, now of Chievo Verona.
Winning the
