Ceblogger's Sports Blog » Football

Didier Drogba Leaves Chelsea FC

ceblogger — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:18:27 +0000

Didier Drogba will be leaving Chelsea FC this summer after spending eight glorious years with the Blues. His contract ends in June.

In the Chelsea FC official website, the Ivorian striker said: ‘I wanted to put an end to all the speculation and confirm that I am leaving Chelsea. It has been a very difficult decision for me to make and I am very proud of what we have achieved but the time is right for a new challenge for me.

‘As a team we have accomplished so much and have won every single trophy possible. Saturday was a very special moment for everyone at the club and for all the fans, and I am very proud to have played my part in bringing many trophies to this club, which has been my home for the last eight years.

‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at the club especially Roman and my team-mates, many of whom have become very close friends and will be my friends for life. I would also like to say a very special thank you to the Chelsea fans who have shown me so much love and support over the years.

‘I wish the club all the best and continued success for the future – you will always be in my heart.’

As a Chelsea fan, I think his departure will be big blow to the London club who recently won the Champions’ League. Didier is unstoppable up front. The opponents know that. His teammates know that — even those managers from Mourinho to Di Matteo know that. How many times did he put in winning goals when it mattered most?

I’ve seen lots of his games in the past and I must admit that I have become a Drogba fan in recent years.

Drogba leaves Chelsea a lasting legacy having scored 157 goals in 341 appearances. He is the club’s fourth all-time highest scorer, 30 goals behind Frank Lampard. He holds the club’s record of having 34 goals in European competition, and the most goals in Premier League season.

In his career with the Blues, he won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two Carling Cups and most recently, in a seemingly impossible situation, the Champions League. He has been named Chelsea’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year and won the Premier League Golden Boot twice.

Undoubtedly, he is one of the world’s best soccer players today.

image credit: Wikipedia

Chelsea vs Barcelona UCL 2nd Leg Results

ceblogger — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:42:49 +0000

A few hours from now, we shall know of the results of the Chelsea vs Barcelona UCL 2nd leg game wherein Chelsea stunned the defending champion 1-0 at Stamford Bridge. Can Chelsea withstand the pressure at Nou Camp? Or are they going to park the bus in front of the goal?

As we’ve seen on TV or read in the news about Chelsea’s victory at London despite limited possession and goal attacks, Drogba and his old pals Terry and Lampard are still a force to reckon with. Drogba is excellent when it comes to rattling defenders with his sheer presence alone. He’s also good at beating opposition when it comes to long balls. And he’s always have that shot at goal that wrecks havoc on the goalie.

Never mind their lack of a popular coach. It’s the players at Chelsea that makes the difference.

Barcelona on the other hand will rely on their attacks and quick-slick passing game. Messi will come again messing the defenders. Add to that Xavi, Fabregas and Sanchez. Then there’s the ever reliable Iniesta who always play hero on big games. Of course, the Barca crowd will play a big role.

Chelsea vs Barcelona Results Prediction

I wanted a Barcelona vs Real Madrid finals. But to be honest, I also wanted Chelsea to get their first taste of the trophy. They almost did it with Mourinho and Avram Grant. But luck was not on their side that fateful day. I’m sure it will be raining balls at Chelsea’s goal. But when you park the bus and seal it tight, who can penetrate it? For the 2nd leg results, my take is 2-1 victory for Barcelona. But Chelsea will progress on away goals.

Chelsea vs Barcelona Actual Results – Update

Chelsea survived the Barca onslaught at Nou Camp by drawing 2-2 and 3-2 on aggregate.

Down by 0-2 and Terry out on a red card before halftime, Ramires put in a goal that shocked the Catalans. Despite the numerous attack options of Barcelona, it was Busquet that made the first goal. Iniesta followed it up but Messi failed to convert a penalty.

Fernando Torres chipped in another goal at injury time to finally nail the coffin for the defending Champions.

Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich UCL SemiFinals Preview and Results Prediction

ceblogger — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:39:43 +0000

Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich semifinals will definitely be a thrilling football match worthy of the finals. It’s not often that they both play against each other. But Germany’s most successful club in Europe refuses to back down while the Los Blancos aims to thwart a winless history against Bayern Munich on their home turf.

Madrid’s Jose Mourinho knows well the team he is facing for his Inter Milan Champion team of 2010 already played against the German side at the Finals.

On the other side, Bayern player Arjen Robben, played under Mourinho at Chelsea and he was also a Real Madrid player for two years. So he knows very well the mentality of their opponent. “We will give everything. You will see a great Bayern, I’m sure. We have no doubt that to eliminate Madrid, we will have to be at 120%, at our maximum, and play the perfect game.” Robben told Marca.

The front lines of both teams are equally talented. So there’s no question that there will be plenty of goal attempts and the goalies and defenders will be very busy.

Leg 1 Results Prediction

Since Real Madrid is the most hungry team at this moment, they will play at 150%, especially at Munich. Ronaldo will definitely play his best to prove himself worthy of the price his team paid to lure him to Spain. Mourinho and his team will surely attempt to erase that winless history against German teams on their own soil. My prediction: 1-0 for Madrid.

Actual Result

I thought a 1-1 draw would have been decent enough but Gomez came up with a late winner for a 2-1 advantage to the Germans. The game will be back at Bernabeu with Real Madrid needing 1-0 to win.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona at the UCL Finals

ceblogger — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:42:48 +0000

As of this writing, the semi-finals is yet to take place with Real Madrid facing Bayern Munich and Barcelona playing against Chelsea. But from the looks of it, we’re heading for a super El Classico at Europe’s largest stage – the UEFA Champion’s league finals. The Finals will be held in Munich on May 19, 2012

For diehard fans of either team, it is war. For the others, it a display of football only the world cup finals could equal.

Best Teams in the World

In the report by Deloitte on the richest football clubs in the world for 2011, Real Madrid sits on top while Barcelona closely follows. We all know what money can buy. No, not buy games, but players and managers of the highest quality. In terms of financial arsenal, these two are the best.

And how about their footballing record? Real Madrid won Europe’s top trophy for a record nine times, the last of which was in 2002. This year will be their tenth attempt to recapture the trophy. So just imagine their hunger.

For Barcelona, though they’ve won only four times, they won two titles in the last three years. There had been not much change in the current line-up so their winning team is still intact.

Best Club Managers in the World

Who would dare challenge the managerial qualities and recent achievements of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola? Mourinho boasts of two European trophies from teams who aren’t likely to win the Champion’s league. I’m referring to FC Porto of 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010. Every time he coaches, he led the contenders to the top, making them champions. Look at Porto, Chelsea, Inter and now Real Madrid. Real Madrid is currently on top of the La Liga, and is poised to remain no.1 at the end of the season. His mission is definitely to hand in the Champion’s league trophy back to the Bernabeu.

For Guardiola, he won for Barcelona, 3 La Liga, 1 Copa del Rey, 3 Supercopa de España, 2 UEFA Champions League, 2 UEFA Super Cup and2 FIFA Club World Cup. These he achieved in 4 years as manager.

Best Footballers in the World

Lionel Messi is currently the best football player in the world. He won the last three of the FIFA World Player of the Year / Ballon d’Or awards. For this UCL season alone, Messi tallied 14 goals. It is always a joy watching the Argentine player when he zigzags towards the goal and shoots when least expected. Many goalies just stand in awe of this player. I bet Messi caught them in the state of shock.

But it’s not only Messi messing the opposition. There’s also Xavi and Cesc Fabregas putting in goals.

For the Los Blancos, who wouldn’t know Cristiano Ronaldo, the footballer who currently holds the record for the most expensive transfer? Real Madrid paid Manchester United £80m in 2009. The Portuguese repaid the compliment with smashing goals and wins for his team. He puts in 46 goals for Madrid in all competition this season. He has the speed, strength and creativity to make goals.

Aside from Ronaldo, Madrid has the best attacking trios in the world today. Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzima are making their marks too. Put along Kaka or Mesut Ozil in the middle and they have the most potent attack.

Best Rivalry in the World

The Barcelona vs Real Madrid rivalry actually goes beyond sport and football. Here’s what I gathered from the Wikipedia:

“The rivalry comes about as Madrid and Barcelona are the two largest cities in Spain, and the two clubs are two of the richest, most successful and influential football clubs in the world. Barcelona leads the count in official titles won with 75 trophies (plus three Inter-Cities Fairs Cups considered the predecessor to the UEFA Cup and recognized by FIFA), while Real Madrid has won 74 trophies. Along with Athletic Bilbao, they are the only clubs in La Liga to have never been relegated.

They are sometimes identified with opposing political positions, with Real Madrid viewed as representing Spanish nationalism and Barcelona viewed as representing Catalan nationalism. The rivalry is regarded as one of the biggest in world football.

…Barcelona had developed a reputation as a symbol of Catalan pride and identity, opposed to the centralising tendencies of Madrid.”

In the all time head-to-head match-up in all competitions, Barcelona led Real Madrid 104 to 90 wins and 55 draws.

Spoilers

Chelsea and Bayern Munich can spoil the fun of the Spanish teams. Both are hungry for titles and are always playing with fire and passion. But I do think that Real Madrid and Barcelona will waylaid all opposition to make way for that ultimate clash in Munich. As always, I will be rooting for Mourinho and whichever team he manages.

Tim Howard End To End Goal

ceblogger — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:23:27 +0000

Tim Howard, goalie of Everton FC in the Premier League, made a spectacular goal that stunned (and embarrassed) Bolton and their goalkeeper.

Videos are currently making rounds in youtube, (and are also deleted due to copyright issues).

It is not usual for goalies to score goals. They are ball stoppers. But for this particular play, Howard kicked the ball hard inside his own box and with the help of the wind, bounced too high for Bolton’s goalie to reach but just under the bar to stay safely in.

Howard remained poker-faced despite a teammates exuberance.

Minutes later, Bolton scored twice to win the game. Lucky for Howard, who was once USA and Man U’s no. 1 goalie. Too bad for his team as they failed to make points.

Philippine Azkals vs LA Galaxy

ceblogger — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 02:53:45 +0000

The Philippine Azkals will play against LA Galaxy this coming December 3, 2011 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. Though this is just an exhibition game expected to boost football in the country and promote further LA Galaxy in Asia, fans are eagerly hoping for a positive result for the Pinoy booters.

LA Galaxy is the reigning MLS Champion. They have superstar players like Davd Beckham, Robbie Keanne, Juninho and Landon Donovan. Of course their coach, Bruce Arena, is popular too and is even considered by many as the most successful coach in North American soccer.

Ticket prices for this game are P15k, P10k and P2k. Quite expensive, eh! But I am sure that a lot will be willing to empty their bank accounts just to watch this once in a lifetime event. According to reports, the United Football League (UFL) is also giving UFL fans a 35% discount on all tickets. The discount is not available though when buying online.

Diehard fans with extra bucks can also watch the LA Galaxy’s practice session on Friday afternoon at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. Ticket prices range from P1500 to P3000.

David Beckham and his LA Galaxy are currently in Jakarta for a 3-day tour. Last night they blanked a selection of Indonesian footballers 1-0 through a Robbie Keane goal at the 14th minute.

For this Saturday’s game, the visiting team maybe tired but the Azkals will also be without key players Neil Etheridge and Roland Mueller, who are unavailable due to commitment with their clubs in Europe.

A 1-0 win for LA Galaxy will be comforting already. But honestly, I want David Beckham score 5 goals including one from the other half of the field, just like what he did when he was young and skinny in his early ManU days.

Philippine Azkals vs Singapore Lions: Preview and Results Prediction

ceblogger — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:03:33 +0000

The Philippine Azkals will meet the Singapore Lions in a football game tonight October 7, 2011, at the 6,000-capacity Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore. Even though this is just one of those friendlies, Philippine fans are eager to know the results of this game. Philippine Azkals vs Singapore Lions – who will roar loudest, or who will wag its tail in defeat?

A friend already posted in her Facebok page that she is now on her way to the stadium to watch the game live. She was already wearing blue with the Philippine map stitched on the left breast portion. Expected to cheer for the Azkals are plenty of Singapore-based countrymen.

Preview and Results Prediction

Because of their rank at no. 166, the Azkals are the underdogs here against their 136th ranked Southeast Asian neighbor. The last time they met, the PH booters managed a 1-1 draw in the group stage of the AFF Suzuki up in December 2010.

Tonight they will meet again with a new coach and several new players on the PH side. German Coach Michael Weiss will field one of the strongest sides ever assembled for an international match in recent memory. The team is bidding to improve their teamwork and cohesion for major tournaments ahead of them.

With too many talented players at his disposal, Coach Weiss is expected to go all out with his attack. Strikers Phil Younghusband and Fil-Spanish Angel Guirado will be the likely players at front and complemented with attacking midfielders and the fiery Chieffy Caligdong.

The Singapore Lions, on the other hand, is not taking this encounter lightly. They will field an A team that will make this game as a tune-up for their third round Asian World Cup qualifying game against Jordan.

Below is a short highlight of their previous encounter:

The Philippines will make every attempt to score, but so does the Singaporeans, who are equally sharp and talented. I will not be sad if the Azkals draw the Lions. My prediction – 2-2, with goals coming from Guirado and Caligdong.

Actual Results (Update)

The first half ended with both sides failing to score. However, in the 50-th minute, Shaiful Esah of Singapore gave the Lions a 1-0 lead through a deflected long-range strike. Veteran striker Aleksandar Duric, doubled Singapore’s lead in a counterattack goal in the 64th minute.

The Azkals had several chances to score in the first half. Chieffy Caligdong’s goal in the 13th minute was disallowed for offside, while Phil Younghusband’s free kick missed the goal by a few inches. Almost, but not quite lucky.

Azkals vs Kuwait: Dream of An Upset

ceblogger — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:17:22 +0000

After a historic first round win over Sri Lanka in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier, the Azkals will now face a formidable opponent in the 102nd-ranked, Kuwait. Do you believe the Philippines can beat Kuwait in this round? Ahhh, ehhhh…

Azkals vs Kuwait

Kuwait is a ten-time Gulf of Nations Football Cup winner. They’ve been to the World Cup finals in 1982. They were also winners in the 1980 AFC Asian Cup. It is a team tougher than any other Asian team played by the Philippines so far. And they are not taking the Philippines for granted. There were reports saying that they sent scouts when the Azkals played against Sri Lanka.

The Philippines, whose team is famously (only recently) called Azkals, is a football minnow and ranked 159th in the world. Despite being affiliated with FIFA since 1930, and the oldest national team in Asia, the Philippines have never qualified for the Asian Cup and the World Cup. Unbelievable! But the current roster of Fil-foreigner players and the current string of victories put the team in the hearts of many Filipinos.

In the first leg encounter, the Azkals may play without 2 vital players who got suspensions after getting two yellow cards. The team is still appealing the cases of team skipper Aly Borromeo and Fil-German midfielder Stephan Schrock, and it is now up to the FIFA disciplinary committee to decide on the matter.

The Azkals, in their preparation, played two tune-up matches against Bahrain’s under-23 Olympic team. The Philippines lost both but it’s a good step since they need to get used to Kuwait’s scorching climate.

The 1st leg will be held at the Mohammad Al Hamad Stadium, Qadsia on Saturday, July 23, 2011. The 2nd leg will take place at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium on Thursday, July 28, 2011. ABS-CBN is reported to air the games live.

Can the Azkals upset Kuwait?

Now back to the question: Can the Azkals upset Kuwait? The dream is not just to beat Kuwait but to qualify for Brazil in 2014. It’s a tough route. The team should believe they can do better in each round. The Filipinos too should rally behind their team. It is not impossible, right Azkals fans?

Manchester United vs Barcelona 2011 UEFA Champions League Finals Results

ceblogger — Sat, 28 May 2011 20:40:21 +0000

Barcelona defeated Manchester United 3-1 at the UEFA Champions League Finals at Wembley. They are Kings of Europe once again, winning the title twice in three years against the same opponent.

Pedro opened the scoring for the Catalans at the 27th minutes before Rooney equalized seven minutes later. The defense of Manchester United looked frail in the zigzagging attacks of Messi, Iniesta, Pedro and Villa. Vidic and Ferdinand stood their ground and repulsed all other attempts.

In the second half, Messi beat two defenders and fooled Van Der Sar. Barca was again on the lead. This is the first time that Messi scored for Barcelona on English soil. Tight defense of English clubs swarms Messi everytime he handles the ball. This strike also tied him with Van Nistelrooy’s record of 12 goals in a season.

David Villa scored the third at the 70th minute and Barcelona never looked back. This led to further frustration of the Red Devils who seemed not to get their offense right in the second half. There were ball handling mistakes too.

Would the result change had Berbatov been around? That is for Ferguson to answer and for the fans to wonder.

Manchester United vs Barcelona: Dream Finals of the 2011 UEFA Champions League

ceblogger — Thu, 26 May 2011 10:55:27 +0000

The best clubs of England and Spain meet again – Manchester United (ManU) vs Barcelona (Barca) in the 2011 UEFA Champions League Finals at Wembley on May 28, 2011! It is fluid offence vs effective defense – every football fans dream final. It is Lionel Messi vs Wayne Rooney, two of the world’s best football players today.

The two met at the same finals in 2009, which Barcelona won 2-0 at Rome. Two years after, they met again. No more Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez for the Red Devils. No more Eto’o for the Catalans. But basically, they have the same coaches and the same winning mentality.

The road to Wembley wasn’t easy for both. Barcelona had to dispose the resurgent Real Madrid and their proud manager Jose Mourinho. As we all know, Mourinho, when he was with Inter in 2010, brought down Barca in the semifinals and eventually, won the trophy. This time around, Pep Guardiola and his boys exacted revenge not only in Europe, but in Spain as well, where Mourinho’s Real Madrid was in far second place. Barcelona also waylaid Arsenal and Shakhtar in brutal fashion to reach this far.

For Manchester United, it was rather easy for them to defeat Schalke with 6-1 on aggregate. But it was Chelsea that was considered as a solid opposition. Nevertheless, they overcame the Blues.

Manchester United vs Barcelona Preview

Messi is unstoppable. He already has 11 goals this campaign, and it is not difficult for him to surpass Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of 12 goals for a season. If you add Pedro and Villa to the front, then Iniesta and Xavi crisscrossing the middle and the penalty box, all hell will break loose for Barca. If you see their fluid and accurate ball handling, you’d be amazed. If you’re not a fan, you will be converted. Barca has the most exciting football in Europe today. And they have kept their tradition and style for many years now.

27 goals this season is the most for any team in this 2011 UEFA Champions League. Pep Guardiola, despite being new to coaching, had handled Barca well. He is not intimidated even against the best clubs of Europe.

Sir Alex Ferguson is a wonder. At 69, he hinted no sign of weariness or retirement. His 24 years at Manchester United’s helm is the most glorious era of the team. He won the Champion’s League twice and the domestic title twelve times. His brilliance is evident despite player changes and superstar exits at the many points of the team’s history.

Wayne Rooney may be the team’s superstar player, but he has not seen consistency recently. He only made 11 goals this season as compared to Berbatov’s 20 and Hernandez’ 13. But Rooney is a powerful striker who has the ability to explode at any given time. You cannot also discount the sneaks and strikes of Chicharito Hernandez, and the striking accuracy of Dmitar Berbatov. The trio form a potent and dangerous force on front.

Nemanja Vidic is the heart of United defense. The Serbian is now considered to be one of the best defenders in the world. Along with Rio Ferdinand, plus the world’s best goalkeeper in Van Der Sar, they form a rock solid defense for the Red Devils. It is something that the Barca offense has to deal with. Effective defense can spoil their fluidity.

Results Prediction

In 2009, I predicted a close victory for Manchester United. I was wrong, as Messi and Eto’ o demolished United in Rome. But for 2011, I had my heart set that whoever crushes Mourinho’s team will be Champion. Barca did that at the Semis. They will win at Wembley 2-1 at end of regulation.