<div id="attachment_1797" style="width: 470px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div>("How poorly Madrid are defending.")</div>
Espanyol 0-3 Real Madrid 
0-1 Granero, 39’ 
0-2 Guti, 77’ 
0-3 Ronaldo, 90’
This was a constant refrain from the Spanish language announcers and the theme of most of the match, as the Merengues struggled to hold their nerve at the back, occasionally looking as porous as SpongeBob Square Pants in defense. It should be noted that two of the team’s first choice defenders – Pepe and Sergio Ramos – were out of the line-up, which will take its toll on any squad. But with two Spanish internationals deputizing for them, in Albiol and Arbeloa, Madrid have little to complain about. Regardless of any caveats about missing players, though, the key word for this game was “composure,” which was sorely lacking over much of the pitch against Espanyol.
Despite the clear gap in quality (and paychecks) between the two teams, Espanyol were easily the better side for much of the game. Aside from a bad miss that Metzelder sent over the crossbar, the Periquitos had the best chances in the game’s early stages. Casillas prevented his side from going 1-0 down inside the first half hour when he saved Moises Hurtado’s shot from close range. Hurtado only had such a clear-cut opportunity because of horrible defending by Madrid, who left Luis Garcia completely unmarked near the back post, allowing him a free header back in front of goal to the waiting Hurtado. Fortunately for Los Blancos, Iker’s legs bailed them out and kept the scoreline even. Soon thereafter, Raul Tamudo narrowly missed getting his head onto an Ivan Alonso cross after some more shaky defending.
And then, seemingly out of nowhere, they struck, on a lovely little one-two between Kaka and Granero. El Pirata, who was brilliant all game, secured the ball nicely, dropped it off to Kaka, then darted into the box to receive the return pass and blast it past Kameni. It was very similar to the first goal against Deportivo in Jornada 1, when Madrid suddenly found their attacking boots on a double-nutmeg pass by Kaka to a streaking Benzema. That time, the post intervened and Raul was required to clean up the rebound. This time, Granero made no mistake with the shot to give his side the advantage.
The second came only after numerous chances for Espanyol to equalize, when Kaka dribbled around three defenders on the left, got his nose out in front, and laid it off for Guti to slot home. It was a lovely play by Kaka, who looks to be the team’s most important creative player so far. And finally, substitute Cristiano Ronaldo got his first goal from open play for the team when Guti played a perfect through ball to the world’s most expensive (and most precisely coiffed) football player. Ronaldo streaked with it down the right hand side and coolly put the ball between Kameni’s legs for the goal. It was once again refreshing to see his joy and relief at scoring for his new team, as his new price tag has appeared to weigh on him since arriving in Spain. A couple more goals like that, and those worries will be a thing of the past, like his relationship with Sir Alex at the end of his ManU tenure.
So in the end, they got the goals and outclassed an opponent they had every right to beat, but they made it as nerve-wracking as possible along the way. I couldn’t count how many times I grimaced as a ball rolled past numerous Madrid defenders or an Espanyol player dribbled with ease into the heart of the defense. They looked quite unorganized and, consequently, exceedingly vulnerable to the counterattack. At times, even clearing the ball became an exercise in futility and difficult to watch. It was more Espanyol’s profligacy in front of goal than Madrid’s defense that kept them off the scoreboard, but I suppose they’ll take a clean sheet any way they can get it.
In their first two games, Real Madrid have shown both how high they can go and how much they still have to do to attain such heights consistently. That tricky bit of composure is still clearly lacking, and it hurts the defense more than the offense. They have enough astronomical talent in the attack to come out with little unity or plan and still score goals. The back line is not quite so blessed with riches, but even if it were, defense is another proposition altogether. Individual stars can do little on their own to shut down an opponent, instead requiring a coherent system to which all subscribe in order to excel. It is this system which Madrid lacks at this point, and it is this which Pellegrini must correct, and soon, if he wants to content with Barcelona (and keep his job).
To be fair, this is an entirely understandable predicament for a team that was hastily assembled over the summer and which tends to feature between five and eight new faces in the starting eleven. They were always going to need time to gel, and as long as they are winning, they will probably be granted leniency from the demanding home fans. With lots of players resting due to international action midweek and a looming Champions League clash, they were also fielding somewhat of a B team – if such a term can be applied to a line-up that features the likes of Kaka, Benzema, and Xabi Alonso, but you get the picture. San Iker may just be enough to save them until they get their act together, but this can only go on for so long and the defensive deficiencies cannot be bailed out indefinitely by offensive firepower. At some point, Real Madrid are going to have to learn how to defend. I suspect that with time and the return of some much needed familiar faces, they will settle into their roles and play at least competently together, which is not something that could be said about them in this performance.

Que Mal Que Marca El Madrid - World Soccer Talk

Que Mal Que Marca El Madrid

<div id="attachment_1732" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div>Together for the moment</div>
The much-anticipated return of La Liga began with a scintillating match between the new galácticos of Real Madrid and the pesky Deportivo La Coruña, who always gives Madrid a run for their money, literally.&nbsp; Because of the continued suspension of Pepe and the tendinitis suffered by Sergio Ramos, the Real Madrid defense was not at full strength, and Ezequiel Garay and Álvaro Arbeloa started in their positions respectively.&nbsp; All of Madrid’s big signings started, and they began in a fluid 4-2-3-1 formation with Lass and Xabi Alonso in central midfield and in front of the back four, Cristiano Ronaldo on the right of the three, Raúl on the left, and Kaká roaming in the middle behind the striker Karim Benzema.
Early in the match, Madrid played tentatively as expected, trying to figure the best strategy to incorporate the strengths of the new players.&nbsp; They created a plethora of chances but did not construct the decisive pass to generate a genuine goal-scoring opportunity.&nbsp; Then the magic materialized that los madridistas expected since the formation of this second galáctico team.
In the 26th minute, on another attacking situation, Kaká’s vision and audacity came to fruition.&nbsp; Cutting inside towards the “D,” Kaká sensed the diagonal run of Karim Benzema and slotted a pass to him that traveled first between Pablo Álvarez’s legs, then between Juan Rodríguez’s legs to spot Karim Benzema.&nbsp; Benzema then fired his shot first time, split through goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubía’s legs, and hit the post; Raúl cleaned up the rebound, and it was 1-0 Real Madrid.&nbsp; It was debatable whether Benzema was onside when Kaká played his through ball to him, but nevertheless, that was why Florentino Pérez sought out these world-class players: for this kind of ingenuity and flair.
No sooner than four minutes later did Depor expose Real Madrid’s defense with a training ground free kick routine.&nbsp; Depor caught Madrid sleeping, and Riki headed home the equalizer.&nbsp; Madrid gave both Riki and Alberto Lopo an ample amount of space, and Riki ended up scoring, but to have two players so open from a relatively short free kick was inexcusable.
Real Madrid scored five minutes later on a penalty by Cristiano Ronaldo.&nbsp; Lass made another decisive pass into the box for Raúl, and Aranzubía felled Raúl whilst trying to take the ball off his foot.&nbsp; Ronaldo took the penalty with his famous stutter step and beat Aranzubía to retake the lead 2-1. &nbsp;Ronaldo then showed his panache a minute later when he did a series of step-overs, breezed by the defender, and crossed a beautiful ball to Raúl in the box.&nbsp; Unfortunately, for Real, Raúl’s shot went straight into Aranzubía’s stomach, but Ronaldo’s individual brilliance lit up the Bernabéu yet again.
The combination of Lass and Xabi Alonso controlled the midfield, akin to their rivals Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernández at Barcelona, and they were able to keep possession and take possession back whenever Madrid lost the ball.&nbsp; These two hold the key to unlocking opposing defenses; if they dictate the middle of the park, the front line will be able to be free to set up their one-two’s and other intricate positions.
The Real Madrid defense was caught ball watching in the first minute of the second half.&nbsp; Andrés Guardado worked the left flank and crossed to Juan Carlos Valerón, where he had the ability to control the cross, take the shot, and score from the top of the penalty box.&nbsp; No one was close enough to Valerón, and even when Ezequiel Garay attempted to close down Valerón’s shot, it was only in vain as Valerón blasted his shot passed a frozen Iker Casillas.&nbsp; Garay and Raúl Albiol did not have the chemistry required for a central defensive pair, and that was the kind of situation where Madrid missed the calm and positioning of Pepe.
Real almost gave up a third goal in the 57th minute when Guardado again paced down the left wing and sent a heavenly ball to Valerón.&nbsp; Valerón sliced through the center of the defense again but inexplicably sent his shot wide of the post.&nbsp; Casillas had no chance, and from the six-yard box, it was harder to miss than to score, but somehow, Valerón managed to do so.&nbsp; Depor paid for their missed golden chance when Lass scored three minutes later from just outside the “D”.
The final was 3-2 in favor of Real Madrid, and each of the new players had their distinct moments of skill.&nbsp; Their defense needs major improvement, and maybe when Pepe and Sergio Ramos return, these defensive gaffes will not occur as often.&nbsp; The statistics suggest that Madrid dominated the match with 59% of the possession, twenty-eight shots with eleven on goal, and ten corner kicks to Depor’s three.&nbsp; When watching the match, there was always a feeling that Deportivo La Coruña could get a draw or even win.
Real is definitely still a work in progress, and it will take more than one match to develop the chemistry needed to gel as a unit.&nbsp; Offense was not the problem last year, and they will likely surpass the eighty-three goals they scored in the prior season; however, they cannot expect to outscore teams on every occasion.&nbsp; Benzema, Ronaldo, Kaká, Xabi Alonso, et al. will not be the problems.&nbsp; If the back line continues to leak goals as if it were the Exxon Valdez, Real Madrid will not win La Liga or any other competition this campaign.

First Impressions of Real Madrid and the Second Galacticos Era - World Soccer Talk

First Impressions of Real Madrid and the Second Galacticos Era

<div id="attachment_1529" style="width: 311px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a rel="attachment wp-att-1529" href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/real-madrid-vs-juventus-3-things-to-look-for/1523/cristiano_ronaldo/"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>The Fist Pump...a sign of things to come?</div>
I should clarify, 3 Things to Look&nbsp;&nbsp;For-&nbsp;From a&nbsp;Madrid Perspective. This is a Spanish soccer website after all.
Although the preseason is young, several trends have emerged in Real Madrid’s performences and it will be interesting to see if they continue when Real take on the Old Lady of Italian Football, Juventus(Kick-off: Friday, July 31 2009, 20:30 CET).
Here are the&nbsp;3 to keep your eye on:
1. Pepe( Will Diego Run rampant?)
The biggest knock against the first group of Galacticos was their defense. The likes of Figo, Ronaldo, Zidane, Beckham, and a moderately in form Raul couldn’t make up for the fact that they didn’t have a defense or&nbsp;a strong defensive midfielder to do the dirty work (a la Mascherano). Poor Helguera was consistently shifted in and out of position to cover up Real Madrid’s huge defensive&nbsp;gaps from 2004-2006, until the club hit an al time low with signing of Thomas Graveson! Yes, you read that right, Real’s defense&nbsp;was so pitiful&nbsp;that Graveson was seen as a savior.
Perez has attempted to show his maturation from the first Galactico era with the signings of Albiol and Arbeloa. However, Pepe will play against Juventus and he will probably start during the season. Regardless of what others <a href="http:\/\/www.goal.com/en-us/news/88/spain/2009/07/28/1409643/player-ratings-real-madrid-4-2-liga-de-quito">say</a>, Pepe has looked shakey this preseason. He has been ridiculously lax when defending and is constantly forced to clean up his own mess. Something that might fool others into thinking that he has been defeming well, but I’m a more astute observer than that. On one &nbsp;particular instance in Madrid’s last game, Salgado tackled a Liga De Quito player from behind and the ball rolled into the box, Pepe hesitated as he moved forward and the attacker was able to regain the ball. Pepe eventually dispossesed the forward after the striker stumbeled. Had Madrid been playing against a&nbsp;truly&nbsp;quality side, Pepe would have been punished for his mistakes(Emphasis on the plural). Imagine Pepe hesitating against Deigo in the box? Take a look at the <a href="http:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVU8s0j3Dso">goal</a> that Diego scored the other day…exactly(This column would have been up an hour earlier had&nbsp;I not spent an hour marveling at Diego and&nbsp;replaying that&nbsp;clip over and over again)
2. Ronaldo’s Reactions
(Before I go on, it must be said that I can’t stand Ronaldo. I hate his antics, I feel he is too selfish, and I don’t understand what position he plays. He used to play as a winger, but then he turned into some sort of winger/striker half breed. Wayne Rooney spent more time on the wing than Ronaldo did in his final two seasons. I wish I could seperate that part of myself and report objectively, but I can’t. So I compensate with full disclosure of my bias. Ok enough of this tangent)
I sincerly believe that Ronaldo was bored at United, and that his disnterest paved the way for his exit. Ronaldo would score forty yard screamers and react nonchalantly, he felt no pressure. But on Wednesday, after scoring&nbsp;a preseason penalty, a Tiger Woodsesque fist pump followed. Ronaldo was so nervous when he was first presented to the Madrid faithful, he bobbled the ball while juggling.
You can chalk up&nbsp;Ronaldo’s nerves to it being early in the season. But it is clear that Ronaldo feels the need to justify his transfer fee, as do the rest of the Galacticos. And when the pressure mounts is it really far fetched to think that each one of them will feel the need to take the game into their own hands? These pressures could lay the foundations for team that becomes easily flustered especially when they go down early.
3. Every Madrid Player on the Pitch
Meaning, who is and who is not on the pitch. Pellegrini has a huge squad at his disposal-with more on the way. Clearly,&nbsp;he won’t use all 35 players during the season. With the start of the season approaching expect the rotation to tighten. Pellegrini has to figure out who will work best together, how to incorporate Raul(No matter who is there, Raul’s got to play. I feel like that is negotiated into each new coaches contract), and what to do with the left over pieces. Pellegrini even gave Guti a run last game. The formation that Pellegrini puts out against Juventus could reveal who has impressed him the most, and who will most likely be staying at the club past August.
Three games into the season is too early to judge a squad. Three games into the PREseason for a team missing one of its key components(Kaka), two new signings(Albiol, Arbeloa) with another major&nbsp;arrival possibly on the way(Alonso) is usually not even grounds for a remark. However, the Real Madrid vs. Juventus Peace Cup Semifinal represents the most interesting&nbsp; and important match of the Madrid’s preseaon. It is against a&nbsp;quality side(This is becoming increasingly difficult to say about Italian teams. Oh and no disrespect to Tornto FC, who Madird play on August 7th. Ok, ok full disrespect, in terms of world football, you guys stink), it is a match of some importance(loser goes home), and&nbsp;Giorgio Chiellini has been talking <a href="http:\/\/www.goal.com/en-india/news/139/italy/2009/07/30/1412740/juventus-defender-giorgio-chiellini-warns-cristiano-ronaldo">smack</a>. Ok, I’m getting ahead of myself, at the end of the day it is an insubstantial&nbsp;offseason match between two sides who haven’t been training for longer than 4 weeks. But at the&nbsp;very least it will allow us to take a break from the transfer market and concentrate on what we all love most for&nbsp;a minimum of&nbsp;two hours, football.

Real Madrid vs Juventus: 3 Things to Look For - World Soccer Talk

Real Madrid vs Juventus: 3 Things to Look For

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Just when you think you’ve seen it all, Torino have shelled out £100,000 to lure Dennis Law from Manchester City. Yes, it’s 1961 and the record transfer fee paid to or by an English club has broken the hundred thousand mark.
Shocking.
The previous record was £65,000 when John Charles moved from Leeds to Juventus in 1957.
Law will move back in a year for a fee of £115,000 to play for City’s rival in-town club, Manchester United. But, it will take until 1970 for the record to reach the £200,000 mark when Martin Peters moves from West Ham to Spurs. And seven years after that, it’s half a million pounds from Hamburg to pry Kevin Keegan away from Liverpool.
By 1979, the million pound mark will be obliterated with Trevor Francis’s £1,180,000 move from Birmingham to Nottingham Forest. Thankfully, it will take until 1986 for the record to break the two-mil mark when Mark Hughes leaves Manchester United for Barcelona for £2.3 million. But then we’ll only wait one more year for Ian Rush’s move from Liverpool to Juve to raise the bar to £3.2 million. I know. It’s insane.
Pause. Drink of water. Gulp.
David Platt’s move from Aston Villa in 1991 to Bari will hoist the record up to £5.5 million. A fee which will also see Paul Gascoigne move from Spurs to Lazio the following year.
Now comes the Premier League era. Things are about to get crazy.
Want yourself an Andy Cole? Only £7 million at 1995 prices.
And then it’s time for Alan Shearer to move from Blackburn to Newcastle. £15 million, my friends. 1996.
Nicolas Anelka from Arsenal to Real Madrid: £22.5 million, 1999.
Rio Ferdinand will change Uniteds: Leeds to Manchester for £29.1 million, 2002.
Where does it end?
Now, look at the sardonically titled graph above.
Everybody up until 1979 looks like they cost nothing. Through the long lens of time, it seems like Keegan, Peters, Law, etc went for pennies. Even the shock of Alan Shearer costing more than 10 million now seems like such a bargain basement price in light of Robinho’s £32.5 move from Real to Manchester City last summer.
Things looked really scary when City were rumored to be offering as much as £130m to try and lure Kaka away from AC Milan. But the move never happened and it looked like the 30-40m mark would hold steady.
But all it would take would be a specific series of scenarios for the stars to align and some ridiculous fee will come along and totally eclipse everything that’s happened so far.
Like, say a Spanish superclub gets all frustrated because their big league rivals go on a tear and snatch up the triple and are anointed the Best Club In The World by gushing pundits and supporters everywhere. Though they’ve set the standard for other outrageously rich clubs,&nbsp; spending millions over the years on Zidanes and Figos and Beckhams and van Nistelrooys, they’ve hit a massive rut. Unacceptable.
Say right around that time, one of the biggest stars in the game, who’d been linked with a big money move to the same Spanish superclub the summer before, who’s clearly been itching for a move as he’s won just about everything possible with his own English superclub as well as the top individual awards… well, say he’s had just about enough of the dreary Mancunian weather and longs for the Iberian climate of his youth. His club losing the Champions League to a Spanish side might just be the hair that breaks the winger’s back.
But he’s so damn good, his current superclub sure don’t want to give him up.
What would it take to scoop this superstar up? About £80 million?
That’s a ridiculous price. Even by recent standards, a jump that high in the valuation of any one player is unthinkable.
I don’t even want to imagine that eventuallity.
I’m still getting over Dennis Law’s whopping transfer fees.

The British Transfer Record Spirals Out Of Control - World Soccer Talk

The British Transfer Record Spirals Out Of Control

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If you would believe various pundits, the annoying debate that many football fans have been subject to this year and last – Ronaldo vs. Messi – will come to its conclusion in the UCL final in Rome.&nbsp; On the biggest stage in club competitions, the two most complete players in attacking football will meet head to head.
The winner will be crowned the best in the world, the loser will claim second place.&nbsp; Fans of the loser will say he was robbed, the winner’s supporters will smugly proclaim that the final underscored the gulf in quality.
To boil the final down to this issue would be a mistake, and would ignore the other much more important battles that will happen on May 27th.&nbsp; While Ronaldo and Messi are both elite, I doubt the Champions League trophy will really go to whoever plays better on that day.
First of all, neither the Argentine nor the Portuguese has an impressive record against clubs from England and Spain, respectively.&nbsp; An injured Messi was pretty much ineffective against Barcelona last season in the semis, and Ronaldo was marked out of the game by Barcelona, notably Gianluca Zambrotta, who ironically teed up Paul Scholes for the long range, tie-winning goal.
This year in the final however, I see more of a Barcelona’s attack vs United’s back four.&nbsp; Vidic and Ferdinand, as it has been repeated so often, are the best two in the game.&nbsp; Evra looks to be back on form.&nbsp; The only suspect position, and I use that term only in comparison with the other members of the back-line, is right-back for United.
This is not to take away from the offense, but the free-flowing stuff of last season has been slowed down, maybe by Berbatov’s inclusion (didn’t the United vs. Arsenal meeting last week look like the 2007-08 campaign, with Berba notably on the bench?).&nbsp; This season the defense has really outshone the offense, not just in the club but in the whole EPL, 4-0 loss to Liverpool excluded.
Barcelona’s attack is frightening, but currently weakened.&nbsp; Henry and Iniesta both are having problems with fitness, Dani Alves and Eric Abidal (unfairly) are suspended, and Rafa Marquez is out for the season.&nbsp; These weaknesses in defense force makeshift changes and weaken the midfield, already less flowing and lethal when Iniesta has to play as a forward for the injured Henry.&nbsp; If neither Iniesta nor Henry play, Pep Guardiola will have to change his “Tridente” formation for the first time this season (or else play out-of-form Bojan or Gudjohnsen), which brings me to my next point.
Everyone playing Barca since late September has known that they will run a 4-3-3 with Messi on the right, Henry on the left, and Eto’o in the middle.&nbsp; The midfield will include Xavi, Iniesta, and Keita or Yaya Toure.&nbsp; Dani Alves plays at right back (in reality reality he is an attacking midfielder), Puyol and Marquez stay in the center, unless Pique plays in which case Puyol moves out left.&nbsp; It’s a formula, and it has worked, but against master tacticians, it won’t.&nbsp; It literally came within seconds from failure against Chelsea, but a combination of slack finishing, suspect calls, and a non-existant clearance from Essien allowed Iniesta one chance that he buried in style.&nbsp; Hiddink knew how to shut down Barcelona, and my bet is that Sir Alex will too.
The Scot should be able to field a United side that can take advantage of both the weakness in attack simply by keeping the defense as he has all season, and exploit Barcelona’s defense problems.&nbsp; The right and left wings will be open all night to&nbsp; players with pace now that Alves and Abidal are gone, and judging by the Chelsea game, the midfield looks like it can be muscled out by the likes of Carrick and Anderson.&nbsp; Most importantly, if Puyol moves out left or right, the center will be horribly exposed.
Barcelona are hobbling right now, and certainly cannot field a full strength team.&nbsp; Messi on his day is the best in the world, but he cannot make up for the obvious defensive weaknesses.&nbsp; If Iniesta and Henry do return for the final however, it might not matter how weak the defense looks.&nbsp; If Barca show up to Rome limping in both the attacking and defending third though, I feel that Sir Alex’s carefully planned team will be celebrating at the end of the night.

This Year's Champions League Final Will NOT Be Ronaldo vs Messi - World Soccer Talk

This Year's Champions League Final Will NOT Be Ronaldo vs Messi

From humble beginnings, Cristiano Ronaldo has become to be regarded by many as the best footballer in the world.
He was born Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro on February 5th, 1985. Cristiano was the youngest of four children. His mother Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro was a cook and his father José Dinis Aveiro, a gardener. The family lived in a dilapidated shack in the working class district of Funchal in Madeira. The name Ronaldo came about because the young boy’s father was a big fan of actor, later to be become President of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan.
As a boy Cristiano Ronaldo supported Benfica who were the arch-rivals of the team he later played for. He was absolutely obsessed with football and even played and practiced with fruit if there was no football available. He would sometimes lie about his homework just to play football a bit longer.
Ronaldo’s first club was an amateur side Andorinha. His father was kit man for the club. Ronaldo’s determination to succeed was such that he would sometimes burst into tears if he misplaced a pass or gave the ball away. However, his talent was immediately apparent, and two local professional clubs, CS Maritimo and CD Nacional were eager to sign the ten year old Ronaldo. He spent two years with Nacional helping them win the title in his second season. It was then that Sporting Lisbon offered the young Ronaldo a trial. This meant that the young footballer had to live away from his parents as he had to go and stay in Lisbon. However he wanted to experience better coaching and develop as a player with a bigger club.
Sporting Lisbon have some of the world’s best facilities for young players. Here Ronaldo thrived and managed to impress his fellow players with his skills. At the end of one game his teammates swarmed round to congratulate the talented player, such was his impact on the game. He was often teased because of his Madeiran accent, but it only served to make him stand up for himself. Jose Mourinho watched Ronaldo play for Sporting Lisbon’s youth team and was amazed at his skill, and speed and his technique.
It was here that he started to perfect his trademark ‘stepover’ trick. In one season Ronaldo developed through the Under 16s, Under 17s, Under 18s, B-team and then first team, such was the speed that he was developing at. He scored three times in twenty five games during his first two seasons. However, his main chance came during a friendly against Manchester United. He terrorized United’s players down the wing to such an extent that at half time United’s players were asking Sir Alex Ferguson to sign him. This happened soon after and Cristiano Ronaldo was on a journey that would see him crowned FIFA 2008 World Player of the Year. For the latest football news go to <a href="http://blogsfc.com/">premier league football news</a>.

The Story Of Cristiano Ronaldo Before Man United

The Story Of Cristiano Ronaldo Before Man United - World Soccer Talk

<figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-78204" src="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/luiz-felipe-scolari.jpg" alt="luiz-felipe-scolari" width="500" height="333" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2013/07/luiz-felipe-scolari.jpg 500w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2013/07/luiz-felipe-scolari-150x99.jpg 150w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2013/07/luiz-felipe-scolari-300x199.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px"></figure>
Portugal manager Luiz Felipe Scolari stirred the footballing pot when Chelsea <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/06/12/phil-scolari-named-as-new-chelsea-manager-89520-20604114/">announced an agreement</a> with him to become their next manager, at the termination of his Portugal contract after Euro 2008. Throwing even more chum into the water, are the ever truthful transfer magicians, who now have just about everyone available linked to Chelsea.Big Phil supposedly will start his reign with an audacious £60m bid for AC Milan star Kaka, which may or may not include Didier Drogba and/or Shevchenko as bait. He may also <a href="http://www.newspostleader.co.uk/newcastleunited/Transfer-rumours-and-football-gossip.4163179.jp">set his sights on Andrea Pirlo</a>, with a £7m per season contract.Additionally, he may look <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/7453834.stm">to bring in Portugal and Barcelona midfielder Deco</a>, who is free to discuss terms with other teams. Barcelona will also shed longtime Chelsea target Ronaldinho, who played for Scolari when he coached Brazil. But, they may <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&amp;grid=&amp;xml=/sport/2008/06/13/ufndeco113.xml">include Samuel Eto’o with Deco in a £43m deal</a>.Scolari may convince Frank Lampard to stay with <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&amp;grid=A1YourView&amp;xml=/sport/2008/06/14/sfnfro114.xml">a lucrative new contract</a>, or, alternatively, be the factor that forces him to go to Inter Milan.Cristiano Ronaldo’s flirtations with Real Madrid <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&amp;grid=A1YourView&amp;xml=/sport/2008/06/13/ufnphil113.xml">may be the work of Scolari</a>, who wants the player to move away from potential rival Manchester United. However, Big Phil may fancy the lad himself and jump into the bidding with Real Madrid.Big Phil may nab <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/12/chelsea.acmilan">Robinho and David Villa</a> as well just for the hell of it.Tyler Duffy has been a contributing blogger to EPL Talk since 2006.&nbsp; His work can also be viewed as a weekly soccer commentator for <a href="http://thebiglead.com/">TheBigLead</a> and on his blog at <a href="http://theoddsandsods.com/">Odds and Sods</a>.

Phil Scolari Set to Sign…Everyone

Phil Scolari Set to Sign...Everyone - World Soccer Talk

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