2012 FIFA Club World Cup starts today

By Liu Shiwen

YOKOHAMA, Japan (TheSportsNEXT) December 6, 2012: The 2012 FIFA Club World Cup will kick off in Japan today with seven champion soccer clubs in the world vying for the top honors in the tournament which will conclude on December 16.

A total of seven teams from six confederations including Brazilian club Corinthians for being champions of the 2012 Copa Libertadores (CONMEBOL); the English club Chelsea for being UEFA Champions; Ulsan Hyundai, the AFC Champions; Al-Ahly, the CAF Champions; Monterrey, the CONCACAF Champions; and Auckland City, the OFC Champions are taking part in the tournament while Sanfrecce Hiroshima are part of the event as hosts.

Two Japanese cities Toyota and Yokohama will host the ninth edition of the FIFA Club World Cup with its final on December 16^th. Toyota Stadium has the capacity of 45,000 while International Stadium Yokohama can cater to 72,327 fans.

This is the first time that the goal-line technology will be used in a FIFA tournament after the International Football Association Board (IFAB) approved its inclusion in July 2012.

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UEFA Champions League last-16 race enters decisive phase

Ashley Williams

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 19, 2012: With 15 out of 16 qualification spots available, the top European soccer clubs will give it a full go on Tuesday and Wednesday night across the continent as fans lick their lips for a mouthwatering soccer gala.

Manchester United have already booked their last-16 spot in the UEFA Champions League 2012 while FC Porto and Malaga also did enough to get close to qualification on Matchday 4 but Group H still has a massive fight going on for the qualification as Galatasaray, Cluj, and Braga all three have a valid chance of joining Manchester United in the final 16.

Another big match on Matchday 6 is between defending champions Chelsea FC and Juventus in Group E as the English soccer giants will travel to Juventus Stadium in Turin with their last-16 qualification on the line.

The Group E is also presenting a very confused picture as only point separates the top three teams and any of them can qualify for the knock-out stage on the Matchday 6 but as happens in all the major tournaments in the world one of these two European soccer giants will be knocked out this week.

Chelsea FC are relatively better placed than Juventus but they seem to have lost their galore they exhibited early in the season as they have managed only two points in their last four games in the Barclays English Premier League.

Juventus on the other hand will have to defeat the reigning UEFA Champions after they recorded a 2-2 draw in London. If Juventus beat Chelsea FC then they will have to secure a draw in their final fixture to make sure they book their ticket to Shakhtar Donetsk. However, the Italian soccer giants have also struggled for goals dearly this season as the Serie A leaders were held for a goalless draw with Lazio this weekend.

Both the teams will have to find a way of scoring goals as this is where they will have to rise to the occasion. Chelsea FC have a good news as they will have Juan Mata and Oscar both back in the squad after Roberto Di Matteo rested the duo on Saturday’s EPL action while Belgian striker Eden Hazard has found some form as he struck a brilliant goal against West Bromwich Albion.

The other top game in the Group E on November 20, 2012 (Tuesday) is between Shakhtar Donetsk and Nordsjaelland where the Ukranian side has recently tasted defeat in their local championship after registering 15 victories on the trot. Shakhtar Donetsk are clear favorites against Nordsjaelland who are still looking for their first victory in the UEFA Champions League.

Interestingly enough, Nordsjaelland could still qualify into the last-16 stage if they record their first victory at the UEFA Champions League and then Chelsea FC defeat Juventus.

Group F will have two matches to be played on Tuesday where BATE Borisov will be up against Lille and the tough Valencia will take on the mighty Bayern Munich.

Valencia need a victory over Bayern Munich to book them a place in the last-16 round and even a draw would be enough if BATE Borisov are held by Lille to a draw.

On the other hand, Bayern Munich are in dire need of a victory in Spain and with BATE Borisov becoming the Belarusian soccer champions for seventh straight season on November 11 things are looking positive for the German giants.

Group G is another complicated group where Benfica are pitted against Celtic and Spartak Moscow will be up against FC Barcelona on Tuesday night.

FC Barcelona probably are the best-placed team in the Group G as all they require is a draw to qualify into the next stage of the UEFA Champions League 2012. Even a loss can’t hurt their chances but in that case they will have to rely on the result in the other match. Celtic, who defeated FC Barcelona in their last outing, also are in good position to qualify as a draw would suffice for them to join Barca in the last-16 stage if they score at least a goal and Barca don’t get defeated.

As far as Benfica are concerned, they are trailing the Celtic by three points and they must record a victory to stay in the hunt before their final round-robin clash against FC Barcelona.

Group H has one spot to be filled as Manchester United have already secured their berth in the final-16. The Red Devils will take on Galatasaray while Cluj will take on Braga on Tuesday night with all the three teams staying in the race to the knockouts.

Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League action also promises great thrill and euphoria for the soccer fans across the globe where FC Porto will take on Dinamo Zagreb and Dynamo Kiev will be up against Paris Saint-Germain in the Group A.

In Group B, Arsenal FC will be playing against Montpellier while Schalke 04 and Olympiakos will battle it out in the second game on Wednesday night.

Arsenal FC will have to defeat Montpellier to keep their chances alive in the competition while Schalke 04 are the best-placed side at the moment as they need only a draw to proceed.

The two matches in the Group C are Zenit Saint Petersburg vs Malaga and Anderlecht vs AC Milan where Malaga are almost certain to finish on top of the table but the rest of the three sides will still battle it out to stay in the hunt.

The Group D matches include Ajax vs Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City vs Real Madrid where Borussia Dortmund, who are leading the group, need only a draw to qualify while Real Madrid will join them if they beat Manchester City and Ajax don’t triumph.

It is important to mention here that the Manchester City have won the last three home matches against Real Madrid and it will be a tough task for Cristiano Ronaldo and company to achieve a victory there.

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Moses saves the day for Chelsea in UEFA Champions League

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 8, 2012: Victor Moses came off the bench to score an incredible last-gasp winner tonight as Chelsea somehow survived a Shakhtar Donetsk onslaught to keep their UEFA Champions League fate in their own hands, the official FIFA website reported.

The Blues were in danger of being the first holders to crash out of the competition before Christmas as former target Willian twice cancelled out almighty howlers from goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov which gifted goals to Fernando Torres and Oscar, the latter's fourth in as many Champions League games. But late substitute Moses nodded home Mata's 94th minute corner to steal a barely-believable victory that put Chelsea level on points with their opponents at the top of Group E with two games remaining.

"We've got a crucial three points. It was crucial for us to win this tough home game," Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo told Sky Sports. "They are a very good side. Now it's probably going to go down to the last kick of the last game in this group. The spirit that my group showed again to keep going to the end - we knew we had to score at the end, and we did so."

Di Matteo refused to shy away from the importance of tonight's game from the moment the final whistle went in the reverse fixture - which Chelsea lost two weeks ago - branding it must-win. As if to drive home the point to his players, the following fortnight saw him dub the match Chelsea's biggest since the May's final and claim his side needed to produce a "perfect" performance to succeed.

That made his decision to leave John Terry on the bench - albeit for match-fitness reasons - a massive gamble, with the holders having shipped ten goals in the four games their captain had missed during his domestic ban. The Blues were also without Ashley Cole against a team who had not lost for almost 12 months and had won an astonishing 19 of their 20 matches this term.

That included the reverse fixture, in which Shakhtar never looked back after racing into an early lead. But they saw the tables turned tonight thanks to Pyatov, whose attempted clearance from Yaroslav Rakitskiy's backpass was closed down by Torres and careered into the net.

The visitors should have equalised when Luiz Adriano produced an airshot but they were level in the ninth minute when Willian fired home Fernandinho's cutback after a crucial slip by Ryan Bertrand. Cole's understudy, playing his biggest match since the Champions League final, was having an absolute nightmare, making a succession of basic errors that threatened to cost Chelsea.

Petr Cech prevented him diverting a corner into his own net before making an acrobatic save from Fernandinho's long-ranger. At least Torres was looking more interested than he had in the defeat in Donetsk. He twice went close to nodding in brilliant Branislav Ivanovic crosses but, otherwise, Shakhtar were in complete control, popping the ball about as if they were the home side.

A breathtaking one-touch move almost saw them take the lead in the 32nd minute when Alex Teixeira shaved the post from 18 yards. Chelsea fans began calling for Terry but they were soon celebrating their side going ahead completely against the run of play thanks to the madness of Pyatov and genius of Oscar.

Pyatov came charging out to head Juan Mata's harmless 40th-minute cross clear but the ball fell straight to Oscar, who produced a sublime 40-yard half-volley that sailed over the goalkeeper and into the net. Eden Hazard also forced a good fingertip save from the beleaguered stopper before a frenetic half was out.

Stung by the injustice of being behind, Shakhtar took less than two minutes to equalise again after the restart with another stunning move, Fernandinho's defence-splitting pass and Darijo Srna's cross allowing Willian to stroke home.

Cech got away with a Pyatov-like clearance and Razvan Rat's first-time half-volley clattered the post from 25 yards out before Torres wasted a great chance to turn in Hazard's free-kick after Teixeira was booked for tripping the Belgian. Pyatov almost gifted Oscar another clearance and Tomas Hubschman brought down Torres for a free-kick which John Obi Mikel powered home from Mata's cross. But the midfielder was rightly denied his first goal for five years by an offside flag.

Chelsea, who were now on top, had genuine cause for complaint 16 minutes from time when a flying Ramires was convinced he had been bundled over in the box by Srna but referee Carlos Velasco Carballo was unmoved. Teixeira was replaced by Ilsinho before Oscar was denied by a desperate Rat tackle and Mikel volleyed Pyatov's punch narrowly wide.

Moses came on for Oscar and Willian cleared Gary Cahill's dangerous header as Chelsea poured forward but they were almost caught out on the break, leading Luiz was booking late on and nearly a winner for Henrik Mkhitaryan. But in the 94th minute, Chelsea won a corner which an unmarked Moses nodded in seconds before the final whistle.

"We dominated the match and had lots of opportunities to score, and I think we were better than Chelsea," said Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu. "It was a pity that in the last minutes we went forward to score the third goal, because we left some spaces behind and we made a big mistake."

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Manchester United surge to top of English Premier League

Robin Van Persie helps Red Devils stun The Gunners at Old Trafford

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 4, 2012: Robin van Persie piled on the misery for former club Arsenal as Manchester United went top of the Premier League with a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford after Chelsea were held for a 1-1 draw by Swansea City.

Victory in the early kick-off match saw United replace Chelsea in first place and that is where they stayed after the European champions were held to a 1-1 draw at Swansea City later on Saturday. In Manchester, Van Persie needed fewer than three minutes to put United in front before Patrice Evra doubled their lead in the 67th minute.

Arsenal's day got worse when midfielder Jack Wilshere, in only his second game back following a long injury lay-off, was sent off for a second bookable offence after he caught Evra on the ankle. "It was a special day, in the end it was about the game and I think we played well," Van Persie told Sky Sports.

United manager Alex Ferguson praised Van Persie's goal and his all-round performance by saying: "It was an ideal start for the Manchester United cause and it was good for Robin. I thought he was fantastic today. His movement, his penetration was fantastic."

Van Persie, playing against Arsenal for the first time since his £24million pre-season move from the Gunners, wasted little time in giving United the lead.

He struck in the third minute when, after Thomas Vermaelen failed to clear a Rafael cross from the right, he shot into the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area. It was the 29-year-old's tenth goal in 13 United appearances.

United should have doubled their lead shortly before half-time when they were awarded a penalty after Santi Cazorla blocked Ashley Young's cross with his arm. But England striker Wayne Rooney saw his spot-kick go well wide of Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone's right post.

However, Evra did make it 2-0 when he headed in a Rooney cross following a short corner. Cazorla pulled a goal back for Arsenal with virtually the last kick of the match, but defeat meant the Gunners were left nine points off the summit just ten games into the season.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his side had done themselves few favours in falling 1-0 behind so early in the match. "It was important not to put ourselves in trouble, which is what we did," said Wenger.

"Yes (Wilshere's sending-off) looked harsh from the stand, the second yellow," the Frenchman added. "I think we were a bit unlucky, especially with the penalty decision."

After a goalless first half, Nigeria winger Victor Moses gave Chelsea a 61st-minute lead at the Liberty Stadium with a flick-on following Gary Cahill's header from an Eden Hazard corner. But Pablo Hernandez's equaliser two minutes from time saw the points shared.

"It is a disappointment we weren't able to finish the game off," said Chelsea manager Roberto di Matteo. "It is a shame because we scored the goal and held on until two mintues from the end."

Belgium midfielder Marouane Fellaini scored twice as Everton replaced Tottenham Hotspur in fourth place on goal difference with a 2-2 draw at Fulham. Fulham took a seventh-minute lead when Bryan Ruiz's 25-yard free-kick went in off a combination of post and Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard.

However, Everton equalised through Fellaini in the 55th minute and 17 minutes later he struck a low shot past Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. Steve Sidwell, though, rescued a point for Fulham with a late strike.

Wigan Athletic won 1-0 away to Tottenham with Ben Watson scoring the only goal when he shot home from close range following a 56th-minute corner.

Elsewhere, Gabriel Agbonlahor scored for the first time in 29 league games as Aston Villa pulled clear of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win against a Sunderland side managed by former coach Martin O'Neill.

Meanwhile strugglers Norwich City won 1-0 at home to Stoke City, with Bradley Johnson's header a minute before half-time the difference.

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FA slaps four-match ban on John Terry

By Ashley Williams

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) September 28, 2012: The English Football Association slapped a four-match ban on Chelsea captain John Terry on Thursday after finding him guilty of racial abuse in a four-day hearing.

 

John Terry, who had retired from all international soccer, appeared before the FA disciplinary committee over allegations that the former England captain had racially abused Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand in a Barclays English Premier League match played in October 2011.

It is important to mention here that John Terry was acquitted by the British law courts in July over the racism allegations.

John Terry’s solicitor told local media after the verdict, "John Terry is disappointed that the FA commission has reached a different conclusion to the clear not guilty verdict of a court of law. He has asked for the detailed written reasons and will consider carefully before deciding whether to lodge an appeal."

Apart from the four-match ban, John Terry has also been fined 220,000 pounds and the penalty is suspended until after the verdict of any appeal lodged against the verdict within the next two weeks.

The Football Association said in a statement, "The Independent Regulatory Commission will provide written reasons for its decision in due course”.

John Terry will have to miss two of the Chelsea’s most crucial encounters against Arsenal FC and Manchester United, the first one in the English Premier League and the second one in the League Cup.

Chelsea FC released a statement saying the EPL club respected the decision. It stated, "Chelsea Football Club notes and respects today's decision by the Football Association regarding John Terry”.

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