With its hand forced, FIFA gets Luis Suarez punishment right

With its hand forced, FIFA gets Luis Suarez punishment right - FIFA got one right - The world's governing soccer authority has suspended Uruguay superstar Luis Suarez for nine matches and four months from any soccer-related activity. It will extend into his season with Liverpool in the English Premier League and block his participation from next year's Copa America. The ban is a harsh and appropriate punishment for an appalling act – biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in a match on Tuesday. 

There was no punishment too severe for Suarez, save perhaps a lifetime ban, as his soccer crimes were repeated and severely unsportsmanlike. The bite of Chiellini was his third such incident, and he was also given a suspension for racial slurs directed at Manchester United's Patrice Evra in 2011. 

Suarez's responses to his own acts have been troublingly cavalier. He immediately flopped after sinking his teeth into Chiellini on Tuesday, falling to the turf and checking his teeth as if the Italian's shoulder was the culprit. After the game, he insisted "these collisions happen" in soccer, when in fact they do not. 

Suarez needs help. Biting is an ugly step down from kicking and even scratching. It's a sign of someone unable to control his emotions and properly respect others around him. We can only hope that losing the chance to honor his country with further play will serve as a wake-up call for Suarez, though there have been prior alarms. The 27-year-old from Salto has now been banned from 34 matches since 2010. 

This is certainly the harshest penalty of all, as Suarez is one of the world's most talented players and he will be unable to represent his nation in the World Cup knockout round. A loss by Uruguay in the days or weeks ahead will be met with questions about whether his actions cost his team a chance to go further toward the championship. Ideally, those questions will somehow change the behavior of a player who is a sheer delight to watch when he's at top form.

How will Uruguay fare against Colombia without Luis Suarez? (AFP)

This is also a victory for technology and social media. FIFA often gets these decisions wrong, and the endless loop of replays and photos and Internet discussion of Suarez's behavior surely made the soccer authority's decision unavoidable. Consider: Suarez is one of the most poorly behaved athletes in the world, and he hasn't received a single red card in the last four years. He was not given even a yellow card for his bite, despite the obvious marks on Chiellini's left shoulder. Chiellini himself summed it up best when he said after the incident: "Suarez is a sneak and he gets away with it because FIFA wants their stars to play in the World Cup," he said. 'I'd love to see if they have the courage to use video evidence against him.' 

They did. And they didn't have a choice. 

"Such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any football pitch, and in particular not at a FIFA World Cup when the eyes of millions of people are on the stars on the field," said Claudio Sulser, chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. "The Disciplinary Committee took into account all the factors of the case and the degree of Mr. Suárez's guilt in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Code." 

This World Cup was supposed to be a breakthrough moment for technology, as goal-line cameras were supposed to make the event better for players and fans. It turned out other forms of technology – some old and some very new – helped right a serious wrong. 

Suarez is gone, and the tournament is better off for it.  ( sports.yahoo.com )

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Scholes wrong about Rooney - Gerrard

England midfielder Steven Gerrard during a press conference near Watford, north of London, on May 29, 2014 (AFP Photo/Carl Court)

Scholes wrong about Rooney - Gerrard  - England captain Steven Gerrard on Thursday dismissed Paul Scholes's claim that his former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney may already be past his best.

Speaking earlier this week, Scholes said that Rooney, alongside whom he played for eight seasons at Old Trafford, may be "worn out" because he has been playing professionally since the age of 16.

But ahead of England's friendly against Peru at Wembley Stadium on Friday, Gerrard argued that Rooney's performances over the 2013-14 campaign proved that the 28-year-old can be one of the stars of the forthcoming World Cup.

"For me, I think Paul Scholes is wrong," Gerrard told a media briefing at the England team hotel in Watford, 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of London.

"For me he's been Manchester United's best player throughout (the season), in the league and in Europe. I think Wayne Rooney's been in terrific form.

"I can only judge him and have my opinion on him on what I've seen. His performances in the Manchester United team have been really positive.

"He's worked hard this week. He decided to do his own week's training and he seems in an awfully better frame of mind going into this tournament than when he had injuries on his mind last time (2010).

"So for me, I'm excited about where Wayne Rooney's at."

Rooney is expected to start up front alongside Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge for the game against Peru, which will be England's last friendly game in front of their own fans before the World Cup.

Although teenage left-back Luke Shaw is doubtful due to a cold, manager Roy Hodgson will have an otherwise fully fit squad to choose from.

- 'Not an experimental team' -

Inopportune injuries have been a recurring theme of England's most recent pre-World Cup training camps, but despite the squad's clean bill of health, Gerrard warned against getting carried away.

"I think it's a bit early to come out with any ludicrous shouts about how good this team and this squad is," said the Liverpool midfielder.

"We'll be judged on the games in the World Cup. But I'll agree with the manager that training was very positive, very sharp and intense.

"If we can take that into the games, it'll certainly give us a better chance of being successful."

England fly to Miami after Friday's game, where they will play further friendlies against Ecuador and Honduras before tackling Italy in their opening World Cup group match in Manaus on June 14.

Hodgson suggested that he would select a strong line-up to face Pablo Bengoechea's Peru, who failed to qualify for the World Cup.

Asked if his team selection would provide any clues as to the side likely to line up against Italy, he replied: "I'm looking at the three matches, I suppose.

"I'm affected by the fact that this is our last game in England and it's a massive crowd and a huge responsibility. So it certainly won't be an experimental team.

"If anything, I'll be veering more towards the players that have been doing the job for us up to now because I've got the two matches in Miami to make more experimentation."

Hodgson also revealed that he hoped to take standby players John Stones and Jon Flanagan to Miami, subject to the approval of their respective club managers.

Everton centre-back Stones, 20, and 21-year-old Liverpool full-back Flanagan were both placed on standby in case any of the defenders in Hodgson's 23-man World Cup squad succumbed to injury. ( AFP )

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Adnan Januzaj in Belgium World Cup squad

Adnan Januzaj in Belgium World Cup squad - Manchester United winger Adnan Januzaj has been included in Belgium’s provisional 24-man squad for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

The teenager pledged his allegiance to his country of birth last month following reports that he could opt to play for a number of other nations.

Januzaj, who could also have played for Albania, Turkey or Serbia, has been a major positive in an otherwise poor campaign for United and the 19-year-old has been rewarded with a place in Marc Wilmots' World Cup squad.

Adnan Januzaj in Belgium World Cup squad

The tricky winger, who can also operate as a forward, made 27 Premier League appearances for the Old Trafford club and it poised to make his international debut on the biggest stage of all.

Hoffenheim goalkeeper Koen Casteels has been included in Marc Wilmots' squad despite suffering a broken leg in a Bundesliga clash against Hertha Berlin last month.

Wilmots has also included Anderlecht keeper Silvio Proto in his party for the tournament along with Thibaut Courtois and Simon Mignolet, but Proto is only expected to retain his place if Casteels is ruled out.

Lille striker Divock Origi is another teenager who has been given his first senior call-up, with the 19-year-old only having made one appearance at Under-21 level on the international stage.

Origi gets his chance in the absence of Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke, who was ruled out after tearing his Achilles tendon last month.

Wilmots, who guided Belgium to its first major tournament since the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea, has named six players on a standby list.

The promising Belgium side will face Algeria, Russia and South Korea in Group H.

Squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Atletico Madrid), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Koen Casteels (Hoffenheim), Silvio Proto (Anderlecht)

Defenders: Laurent Ciman (Standard Liege), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Nicolas Lombaerts (Zenit), Daniel Van Buyten (Bayern Munich), Anthony Vanden Borre (Anderlecht), Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham)

Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg), Nacer Chadli (Tottenham), Steven Defour (Porto), Moussa Dembele (Tottenham), Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Adnan Januzaj (Manchester United), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Kevin Mirallas (Everton), Axel Witsel (Zenit),

Forwards: Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea), Divock Origi (Lille)

On standby: Michy Batshuayi (Standard Liege), Guillaume Gillet (Anderlecht), Thorgan Hazard (Zulte Waregem), Radja Nainggolan (Roma), Sebastien Pocognoli (Hannover), Jelle Van Damme (Standard Liege) // goal.com

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Torres earns surprise Spain World Cup call up

Torres earns surprise Spain World Cup call up - Fernando Torres has been named as a surprise inclusion in Spain's 30-man provisional squad for the FIFA World Cup.

The Chelsea striker has not received a call up since the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, where he scored five goals as Spain was beaten in the final by World Cup host Brazil.

Torres earns surprise Spain World Cup call up

Torres endured a disappointing 2013-14 season for Chelsea, scoring just 11 goals in all competitions. However, Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has shown faith in the 30-year-old as Spain looks to retain the trophy it won for the first time in South Africa in 2010.

Meanwhile, uncapped Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has been selected as the third goalkeeper ahead of Real Madrid's Diego Lopez. Real's Dani Carvajal could be in line to earn his first cap at the tournament, earning a reward after firmly establishing himself in the first team at the Bernabeu. However, club-mates Isco and Alvaro Arbeloa have both been left out, with the latter omitted despite his extensive experience at international level.

Right back Arbeloa has 56 senior caps in his career, but Atletico Madrid's Juanfran and Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta - who have just 11 caps between them - are included ahead of him.

Spain will start the bid to defend the title against the Netherlands on June 13 in Salvador, before taking on fellow Group B contenders Chile and Australia.

Squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), David de Gea (Manchester United)Pepe Reina (Napoli)

Defenders: Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Raul Albiol (Napoli), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid), Juanfran (Atletico Madrid), Alberto Moreno (Sevilla), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)

Midfielders: Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Arsenal), Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Ander Iturraspe (Athletic Bilbao), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Javi Martinez (Bayern Munich), Juan Mata (Chelsea), Jesus Navas (Manchester City), Pedro (Barcelona), David Silva (Manchester City), Xavi (Barcelona)

Forwards: Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid), Fernando Llorente (Juventus), Alvaro Negredo (Manchester City), Fernando Torres (Chelsea), David Villa (Atletico Madrid) // ( goal.com )

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Terry 'deserves' final place, says Mourinho

Terry 'deserves' final place, says Mourinho - The Champions League "owes something" to Chelsea captain John Terry due to the previous disappointments that he has endured in the competition, according to manager Jose Mourinho.

Terry, 33, has been passed fit to play in the second leg of Chelsea's semi-final at home to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday after limping off with an ankle injury in last week's first leg, which ended in a 0-0 draw.

Mourinho initially ruled Terry out until at least the final, which takes place in Lisbon on May 24, but his return to fitness suggests that his luck in the tournament may be beginning to turn.

Terry 'deserves' final place, says Mourinho

Terry could have given Chelsea their first ever Champions League trophy in the 2008 final against Manchester United in Moscow, only to slip as he took a spot-kick in the penalty shootout, sending the ball wide.

A subsequent failed attempt by Nicolas Anelka gave United the trophy and although Chelsea prevailed on penalties in the final against Bayern Munich four years later, Terry did not play due to suspension.

He was also banned for last season's Europa League final success against Benfica, although, as he had done in 2012, he received the trophy in his full kit alongside his teammates.

Results of the Champions League semi-final match on Tuesday (AFP Photo/)

"I think the Champions League owes him something," Mourinho said during Tuesday's pre-match press conference.

"I think he deserves more than the Champions League has given to him till now. He lost a few semi-finals in special circumstances. He lost the final also in special circumstances.

"He won a final, also in special circumstances, because he couldn't play the final."

- No England U-turn -

Terry seemed to be getting eased out at Stamford Bridge under former interim manager Rafael Benitez, but he has been rejuvenated since Mourinho's return last year, marshalling the meanest defence in the Premier League.

Atletico Madrid's David Villa (R) trains at Stamford Bridge in London on April 29, 2014, on the eve of the team's Champions League semi-final second-leg match against Chelsea (AFP Photo/Glyn Kirk)

"My captain is playing at the same level as when I left Chelsea in 2007-08," Mourinho added.

"Six or seven years later, he is playing at his best level. It's fair to say that. It's also fair to say that the people that surround him are playing also fantastic.

"I think his partnership with (Gary) Cahill is fantastic and people that work together in the same areas, they are doing a fantastic job.

"I'm really happy to see a player like him, six or seven years later, to be back to the same level."

Terry's displays have prompted calls for him to return to the England fold, 19 months after he retired from international football following the Football Association's decision to strip him of the captaincy over allegations he had racially abused Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand.

However, despite the apparent lure of a potential place in manager Roy Hodgson's squad for this year's World Cup in Brazil, Terry said that he had no intention of reversing his decision.

"For me, 100 percent, I'm going to be on my holidays in the summer, I'm going to be nowhere else," he said.

"I've made that very clear. My thoughts are very strong on that. Maybe people don't realise how strong. I certainly wish the England side and Roy the very best." ( AFP )

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I Made A Mistake

Pep Guardiola: 'I made a mistake' - Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola took responsibility for his side's UEFA Champions League semifinal loss to Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos struck braces in Real's 4-0 second-leg thrashing of the Bundesliga champions at the Allianz Arena, completing a 5-0 aggregate victory.

Guardiola: I made a mistake

Guardiola said it was his error that led to Bayern's loss, while he was unhappy with the way his team used the ball after having the majority of possession in both legs.

"We played badly when we had the ball. That's my responsibility. I made a mistake," the Spaniard told a news conference. "It was a bit better in the first leg, but congratulations to Real Madrid."

Guardiola lamented his side's defending from set pieces, with Ramos heading in a corner and free kick in the first half. Ronaldo netted on the counterattack before halftime and completed the scoring with a cheeky free kick that went under a jumping Bayern defensive wall.

"We have to carry on now. If you don't play well and you defend set pieces badly, that's just how it is. You are being punished," Guardiola said. "We are at the highest level in Europe; such mistakes are punished right away."

Guardiola said he had been hopeful Bayern could reproduce the performances it put in against Premier League sides Arsenal and Manchester United earlier in the knockout stages.

"What we did against Arsenal and Manchester (United) did not work today," he said. "Also in the first leg in Madrid we had more control than today and at least a couple of chances. Today, just a few. That's why we have lost the semifinal. You play with the ball and if you don't have it that doesn't work." ( Goal.com )

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Real Madrid would be ‘crazy’ to bid 100 million euros for Bale

Fabregas: Real Madrid would be ‘crazy’ to bid 100 million euros for Bale - Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas thinks Real Madrid would be ‘crazy’ to break the world transfer record and pay 100 million euros for Tottenham’s Gareth Bale.

The Wales international has been heavily linked with a move to the Bernabeu with speculation putting a potential transfer fee in the region of 100 million euros, which would break the record fee that Real Madrid paid to Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo; however, Fabregas does not understand how a club could be prepared to spend such a substantial figure.

Fabregas: Real Madrid would be ‘crazy’ to bid 100 million euros for Bale

“For me, spending 100 million euros on Gareth Bale is crazy," Fabregas told AS. "I don’t know how any club could spend that amount of money in these [economic] circumstances.

“He is a great player with all the right attributes, but we will have to see if Madrid sign him and if he can perform there.”

Fabregas also reiterated his desire to remain at Barcelona despite continued speculation linking him with a return to the Premier League.

“People talk a lot, but the truth is that no one has spoken with me,” Fabregas said. “I want to triumph in Barcelona. That club is my home and I always dreamed of playing there, so I will try and succeed there as long as I can.”

The midfielder also insisted newboy Neymar will need time to settle at Camp Nou, adding: “Neymar will need time to adapt, because he is coming from a completely different type of football.

“We need to help him settle in and grow so that he can give us great nights.

“The egos are very controlled in our team. [Lionel] Messi has won the Ballon d’Or four times and is probably the best player of all time - but when you see him every morning, he doesn’t seem like it.” ( Goal.com )

READ MORE - Real Madrid would be ‘crazy’ to bid 100 million euros for Bale

Conte lets rip as Juve crash out to Bayern

Conte lets rip as Juve crash out to Bayern - Juventus coach Antonio Conte has called on Italian football to get its house in order or risk becoming a lost giant of European football, following their quarter-final exit from the Champions League to Bayern Munich on Wednesday. 

Juve were outclassed during a 2-0 first leg defeat to the newly-crowned German champions last week in Munich and despite a far better performance in Turin on Wednesday the hosts fell to another 2-0 reverse. 

Conte, a former midfielder with the two-time European champions before leading the club to their 28th Scudetto in his first season in charge last year, said Tuesday there was a huge gap between his side and big-spending Bayern. 

Bayern Munich's Mario Mandzukic (L) and Giorgio Chiellini of Juventus fight during their Champions League quarter-final second leg soccer match at the Juventus stadium in Turin April 10, 2013. 

After second-half goals from Mario Mandzukic and Claudio Pizarro sealed the Bundesliga side's place in the semis for the third time in four years, the 43-year-old Conte took aim at Italian football in general. 

He said it is time for Italy's clubs to start generating the finance needed to compete on a level playing field with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern and Manchester United. 

If not, Juve could go the way of one of European football's strongest sides in the 1970s, Dutch giants Ajax, who have struggled to get back to Europe's top table in the past two decades. 

"Given that two years ago we weren't even in the Europa League I have to congratulate my players for getting this far," said Conte. 

"They've worked really hard to make a mark in this competition over the past two years. 

"They (Bayern) were simply stronger than us and we can only congratulate them. When you're playing against one of the strongest teams in Europe it becomes difficult for everyone. 

"But playing Bayern was a good opportunity to see where exactly we are compared to the big boys in Europe. Where are we, what's missing and how do we remedy it? 

"We have to look elsewhere, to Spain, to England and to Germany to see what lessons we can learn. 

"But if you have the money, you can buy (players) and win. Otherwise, it takes a lot of patience. 

"The way things are right now, I don't see any Italian teams winning the Champions League for the next several years." 

Inter Milan in 2010 were the last Italian team to win the Champions League but since then no Serie A side has made the final four of Europe's premier club competition. 

Although Juventus are considered one of the continent's bigger clubs, their comparative lack of spending power does little to draw the world's top players. 

Juve have repeatedly declared they cannot splash out 30 million euros on one player, but for the club's director general Beppe Marotta, Bayern's massive spending power has proved key. 

"We were dominated last week at Bayern and this week we lost again, but not just on the pitch -- in terms of finance as well," said Marotta, underlining the fact Bayern, champions four times, were beaten finalists in 2010 and 2012. 

"They have played two finals in the space of three years. Don't forget that Bayern have a turnover that is not only twice that of Juve, but also Milan and Inter Milan." 

Conte said he will now concentrate on "defending our league crown", but he called on Italian football -- which has been rocked by match-fixing, drugs and sports betting scandal over the years -- to take a look in the mirror, or fall further behind. 

"Look at Ajax. They were huge before, now they're nowhere in Europe," he added. 

Conte, who earlier this season served a four-month touchline ban for his alleged role in a match-fixing affair while at his former club, Siena, added: "In Italy, people are more interested in following futile stories than looking at how we can go about improving the state of our football. 

"They ask useless questions about the referee or this or that. The answer is, we have to work hard and try to take our football to a new level and to do that we have to increase the budget that's available to us." // AFP News

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Manchester United's achievement has been devalued by their own relentless brilliance

Manchester United's achievement has been devalued by their own relentless brilliance - The ease with which Manchester United are romping to the Premier League title has devalued the achievement in the eyes of many observers.

As the theory goes, how can the champions elect be regarded as outstanding when the competition has been so sub-standard? Especially when they can lose at home to their principal title rivals in Spring and still peer down from a great height to the runners-up spot 12 points below.

From the outside, the path to United’s 13th Premier League coronation, and 20th in total, has been a stress-free stroll.

CITY WIN THE BATTLE...

52' Milner opens the scoring 59' Kompany nets unfortunate OG 78' Aguero scores fantastic winner

...UNITED WINNING THE WAR
		PD	W	D	L	GD	PTS
	Man.Utd	31	25	2	4	38	77
	Man.City	31	19	8	4	30	65

There have been no crises, no wobbles to provide encouragement for others, no need, even, for mind games. Just, the odd isolated defeat and an absence of any doubt about the final outcome.

The equation is thus: United can only be denied the title if Manchester City win their seven remaining league games and Sir Alex Ferguson’s team accrue their worst seven-game points haul for eight years. No bookmaker in the land would give you remotely generous odds on that dual possibility.

Yet, like Barcelona in the Spanish top tier and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, United appear to be suffering from their own relentless brilliance.

The two clubs widely believed to be their closest challengers before a ball was kicked this season have provided inadequate competition. Given their resources, City have mounted a feeble title defence, while it soon became apparent that Chelsea’s campaign of poisonous upheaval would be garlanded by a cup triumph at best.

Of the other heavy and super-middle weights, Tottenham and Everton have punched above their division, Arsenal and Liverpool marginally below theirs, but, then, few had predicted beforehand that this aristocratic quartet would be vying for anything other than the final Champions League place.

United have simply been too good, too often, for everyone. A haul of 77 points from 31 matches has blown away all-comers with the kind of force not seen since the first of Jose Mourinho’s two title-winning Chelsea sides in 2004-05.

Even after conceding three derby-day points, the table shows that Sir Alex’s 2012-13 collective are as much of a juggernaut as Chelsea were back in the day when Mourinho was wearing a grey overcoat. United lack the steel of a statistically outstanding defence but their strength in depth, most notably in the forward areas, is deserving of the manager’s observation that this is the best-equipped squad he has managed.

It is hard to imagine a forward of Javier Hernandez’s match-winning calibre starting fewer than his six league matches this season at any other club in Europe. And that includes Barcelona.

One of Sir Alex’s greatest skills is his squad management over the course of a 38-match campaign. He is the king of the rotators, adapting his team for each opponent and occasion.

This ‘horses for courses’ policy has been a regular feature of United’s league triumphs from the mid-noughties onwards but it has been even more marked this season.

Only six members of the squad have started more than 20 of United’s 31 league fixtures - Robin van Persie (26), Michael Carrick (26), Patrice Evra (28), David de Gea (21), Rafael (23) and Rio Ferdinand (22).

By comparison, nine Chelsea (Gary Cahill, Petr Cech, Ashley Cole, Eden Hazard, Branislav Ivanovic, David Luiz, Juan Mata, Ramires and Fernando Torres) and seven City players (Gareth Barry, Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Carlos Tevez, Yaya Toure and Pablo Zabaleta) have started 20-plus top-tier fixtures.

By this yardstick, Liverpool (nine), Tottenham (eight) and Everton (eight) have all been more consistent in team selection. Only Arsenal match United’s total of six regulars, although the Gunners have five other players who have started 18 or 19 league games, a statistic United do not come close to.

Perhaps United’s greatest strength is their all-round fortitude. They are not overly burdened by an injury, or loss of form, to a single player.

Nemanja Vidic remains the club captain but he has started less than half of the league matches and will be far down the list in most observers’ assessments of the key components of the impending title triumph.

Robin van Persie was sensational before Christmas but he has flickered only intermittently since and his impact over the course of the season does not match, say, Cristiano Ronaldo in 2007-08.

Furthermore, Wayne Rooney’s latest mediocre display in a marquee match demonstrates that individual brilliance has been a secondary factor in assembling what is surely an impenetrable lead.

This season’s goals record is not too shabby. A Premier League-record haul of 96 or above remains within reach.

Yet it is unlikely that history will judge United’s 2012-13 team as favourably as the Ronaldo-inspired 2007-09 teams, the treble winners of 1999 and their immediate successors, or the early Sir Alex collectives which can still make the Govan godfather go all misty-eyed.

The 13th of his title winners remain on course to overhaul the 90-point finish of Arsenal’s 2003-04 ‘Invincibles’ but they do not possess the artistry of the high water-mark of the Arsene Wenger era.

Most United followers fondly recall the main personnel in of each of the title-winning seasons. The best XI almost always picked itself. The back five was usually rooted in cement. Edwin van der Sar behind Gary Neville, Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra. Or, Peter Schmeichel barking out orders to Paul Parker, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister and Denis Irwin.

Not this season. David De Gea featured in his34th match of the season against City. He has played behind 22 different back-four combinations. That is a revealing statistic.

It is difficult to argue that this is a great United team, especially after twin failures in the latter stages of the Champions League and FA Cup.

But this is a cutting-edge squad perfectly equipped for 21st century version of a league campaign. That is where their greatness lies.

All that’s left to nail down the legacy is to hoover up a league title. ( Goal.com )

READ MORE - Manchester United's achievement has been devalued by their own relentless brilliance

Soccer-Brazilian fans seduced by glamour of Europe

Soccer-Brazilian fans seduced by glamour of Europe - Mario Soares, who lives in soccer-mad Brazil and speaks little English, runs a Facebook page devoted to the fortunes of Nottingham Forest.

With the help of automatic translation programs, the 20-year-old Brazilian journalism student spends countless hours reporting on the modest English championship (second tier) club.

"My friends thought it was weird at first but when I explained the club's history to them they came round a bit," Soares said. "They all follow one Brazilian team and other teams in foreign leagues."

Turned off by the corruption and mismanagement endemic in their domestic game and with European soccer available on demand via TV, the internet and video games, many Brazilians are taking a greater interest in foreign football.

"Little by little, the big European clubs are silently 'invading' the hearts and minds of Brazilian football lovers, especially the young, who are seduced by competitions that are much more attractive than those we are used to seeing in Brazil," said Fernando Ferreira, the director of sports consultancy firm Pluri.

"The phenomenon of Brazilians supporting one team in Brazil and another abroad is more and more common."

The trend is occurring all over the world but it is especially striking in Brazil, the home of Pele, Zico and Ronaldo and the only country to win the World Cup five times.

Brazilians already have their own highly competitive league and their country is known throughout the world for producing great players and strong teams.

So why do Brazilians care about what happens on a wet Wednesday in Stoke?

BETTER PRODUCT

Some of the answer resides in Brazil's economic boom over the past decade.

More than 30 million people have been lifted from poverty into the consuming classes. As a result of that and improved, cheaper technology, the number of households with cable TV has more than tripled to 16.5 million since 2007.

Brazilian cable TV broadcasts as many as nine English games a day over the weekend and several more from Italy, Spain, Russia and elsewhere.

The matches feature the best footballers in the world playing at their peak and Brazilians, accustomed to half-empty stadiums, enjoy and envy the spectacle of grounds filled with fans who chant and sing for 90 minutes.

While Brazil is now the seventh biggest economy in the world, it is also exorbitantly expensive. It costs more for a family of four to buy tickets to see one top-flight game than it does to purchase a cable TV package featuring two dozen Premier League matches.

They can watch those games in the comfort of their own homes. In Brazil, fans must sit in run-down stadiums, with dilapidated facilities, basic yet overpriced food and drink, and under constant threat from fans and police alike.

More than 50 fans have been killed in or around football grounds since the turn of the century, according to studies and news reports.

There is the question of inconvenient kick-off times, designed not for supporters, but for TV companies to fill in time between soap operas and the nightly news.

"Authorities show a lack of respect for fans, scheduling (midweek) games to start at 10 p.m., making people return home in the middle of the night," said Max dos Santos, the 18-year old who founded and runs BritFoot, a website dedicated to British soccer.

Dos Santos supports Manchester United but Brazilians' thirst for foreign football embraces less glamorous teams too.

In addition to Soares's Nottingham Forest page, there are other Facebook and Twitter forums for Brazilians who follow West Ham United, Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City and Wigan Athletic.

Clubs and businesses have spotted the trend.

The sale of foreign jerseys increased 50 percent in the last year alone, according to Netshoes, one of Brazil's biggest online sports retailers, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and now Paris Saint-Germain, home to Brazilian youngster Lucas, among the biggest sellers.

The firm has expanded the number of club shirts in stock by 20 percent because of rising demand, said Marcel Castro, the company's head of football marketing.

Clubs, too, are taking steps to connect with a fan base that is young, knowledgeable and potentially lucrative.

Liverpool recently added a twitter account in Portuguese and are preparing a Facebook page also.

Although other British clubs have concentrated on the Far East, Liverpool officials believe more will soon be looking to South America.

"This is an emerging market but not for football," said Paul Rogers, Liverpool's head of international digital development.

"What we have seen is that where we have engaged fans we have seen more traffic to the website and the online store. In Brazil's case it is early to say but ultimately we believe that the more fans that follow the club (via social media), the stronger the bond and you'd expect that to lead to a better commercial situation."

(Editing by Brian Winter and Ed Osmond) // Reuters

READ MORE - Soccer-Brazilian fans seduced by glamour of Europe

Zorro unmasked

Zorro unmasked - That is three more than Wayne Rooney, who has admittedly featured in fewer matches than the Spaniard, but it is also only four less than Robin van Persie.

Van Persie’s goalscoring exploits at the start of the season have effectively won Manchester United the Premier League title ahead of schedule, but his worrying loss of form – he has only scored once in the last 12 matches – has coincided with exits from both the Champions League and the FA Cup.

At Chelsea, Torres has impressed in fits and starts this campaign and – while he has not hit the heights of his pomp at Liverpool – El Nino (it seems strange to call a 29-year-old The Kid) is in far better nick than the washed-up has-been that was all but written off this time last year.

Fernando Torres has scored 19 goals for his club this season.

Where – and against whom – Torres has found his goals is arguably a major sticking point though.

Only seven of Torres’s 19 goals have come in the Premier League, and most of them have come against weaker opposition. Indeed, discounting the strike against Manchester City in the Community Shield, Torres has only managed one goal against Chelsea’s nearest rivals, in the 2-1 win at Arsenal earlier in the campaign.

However, quality of opposition has not necessarily been the problem – Torres found the net against an excellent Shakhtar Donetsk side, and Rubin Kazan are a decent outfit, certainly one who would be challenging for the minor European places if they were suddenly transported to England.

What was impressive about Torres’s match-winning brace last night was the manner in which he took his goals – both brave, swashbuckling efforts – and the bright and inventive nature of his build-up play.

I watched Torres regularly when he was at Atletico Madrid, having been based in the city for some time in the mid 00’s, and even then the hype was tempered by a relative inconsistency, the feeling that he – like many strikers – is a confidence player, and that his confidence was particularly brittle.

Indeed, Torres went eight Liga matches without scoring towards the end of the 2004-05 campaign, but crucially he was at his hometown club, a side with relatively low expectations supported by fans willing to give their hero a chance to regain his form.

Current Chelsea fans have greater expectations than Atletico fans back then, and display a certain ruthlessness that they expect from their heroes.

While Torres may have lost a smidgeon of the pace he so willingly displayed at Liverpool, he has regained some of the confidence that appeared terminally lost. Demba Ba has taken the heat off him somewhat (he will hit a lean streak soon, and it will be interesting to see how he copes with the inevitable backlash), while Rafael Benitez’s appointment does seem to have helped him, albeit not in the manner we may have expected.

Tactically, Torres is being used in his preferred role – the central striker position that Didier Drogba hogged prior to his departure – but the main help has come from the lightning-rod effect that Benitez has unwittingly provided: Chelsea fans are too busy hating on Agent Rafa to get on Torres’s back, and he appears calmer and happier as a result.

Torres needs to start doing it in the Premier League – where opposition fans are giving him the grief that he escapes in Europe – and if he hits double figures in that competition by the end of the season Chelsea will view that as a decent return.

Maybe he needs to continue wearing that ridiculous mask, which could bizarrely give him the cloak of anonymity needed for him to stop overthinking his moves when he gets in the positions he has always been capable of finding.

Either way, talk of his demise appears to have been premature and, given that he is an intelligent man and a willing worker, there could be a long-term lease of life as he adapts his game to account for less searing speed. It worked for another Madrileno after all – and Raul didn’t do too badly into his 30s. Reda Maher – on Twitter @Reda_Eurosport

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QUOTE(S) OF THE DAY

“It’s a pity. City pay big money, but do not understand that human relations mean more than anything. Yaya feels the club do not want him” – Yaya Toure’s agent before his client signed a bumper new contract.
"I will never forget how I have been treated here by the fans, the club and the owners and nothing would give me greater pleasure than to finish my career as a Manchester City player” – Yaya Toure after signing a bumper new contract.

FOREIGN VIEW

"The club has written to UEFA due to a series of incidents on the pitch in the understanding that objectively speaking it was evident that the referee did not apply the rules of the game. When two players from the same team are on the floor the referee should stop the match, which did not happen” – What about when those two players are probably faking it, as many of your team do on a regular basis? Whinging Barcelona start to lose the sympathy of the wider football world for the less appealing side to their game.

COMING UP

Tranny-spotter Joey Barton may have Tweeted himself out of a starting role for Marseille when they face Bordeaux in what promises to be a fiery all-southern Ligue 1 clash on Friday night, while Premier League expert Jim White does his thing and Pitchside Europe picks its European Match of the Weekend.

By Eurosport | Early Doors – 11 hours ago

READ MORE - Zorro unmasked